Democratic Senator Jacky Rosen sharply criticized Secretary of State Marco Rubio and the Trump administration’s foreign policy approach after a contentious Senate Foreign Relations Committee hearing on the recent U.S. operation to capture Venezuelan leader Nicolás Maduro, highlighting what she described as unchecked actions and a lack of oversight in the executive branch.
The hearing, held on January 28, 2026, marked Rubio’s first public testimony before his former Senate colleagues since the January 3 operation that removed Maduro from power in Caracas and brought him to New York to face federal charges of drug trafficking and narco-terrorism. Rubio, who also serves as national security adviser, defended the mission as a limited law enforcement effort aimed at disrupting Venezuela’s role as a hub for adversaries like China. Lawmakers pressed Rubio on the lack of congressional notification prior to the raid, with some Democrats arguing it skirted constitutional definitions of war, while Republicans praised the move for enhancing U.S. security by curbing narcotics flow.
Rosen’s comments followed the session, where she accused the administration of overreach. “This administration is out of control. They are running around like they are kings. They’re in- blowing up ships, boats everywhere. They go in, they steal people out. And so they are running roughshod through our own country and through others, and Donald Trump and his cruel, tyrannical cabinet are out of control. And Marco Rubio, if– what is he? Jobs of everything and oversight of nothing. Witkoff and, and, uh, Jared, and so many others are running the show. Rubio has many titles, but he has no authority and no power,” she said.
Marco Rubio has many titles, except when it’s time to take accountability. He may be the Secretary of State, but Steve Witkoff and Jared Kushner are negotiating with foreign leaders behind his back. When did the Senate confirm them as our representatives on the world stage? pic.twitter.com/gAzzWeZYue
— Senator Jacky Rosen (@SenJackyRosen) January 29, 2026
Her reference to blowing up boats points to ongoing U.S. Southern Command operations in the Caribbean and eastern Pacific, part of a broader campaign dubbed Operation Southern Spear that began in late 2025 to target vessels suspected of drug trafficking linked to Venezuelan networks. These strikes, which have numbered more than 30 since September 2025, involve airstrikes on boats allegedly operated by designated terrorist organizations, resulting in over 100 deaths. The most recent known action occurred on January 23, 2026, when forces struck a vessel in the eastern Pacific, killing two people and leaving one survivor, marking the first such incident since Maduro’s capture. Administration officials have framed these efforts as essential to halting narcotics bound for the U.S., though critics have questioned the evidence and the operations’ alignment with international law.
Rosen’s mention of Steve Witkoff and Jared Kushner underscores their prominent, informal roles in the administration’s diplomatic initiatives, often overshadowing formal channels. Witkoff, a real estate developer and longtime Trump associate appointed as special envoy to the Middle East in November 2024, has been central to negotiations on the Israel-Hamas ceasefire, Gaza reconstruction and even U.S.-Russia talks on Ukraine. He has traveled extensively, including visits to Gaza and meetings with Russian officials, helping broker deals amid the administration’s push for rapid resolutions to ongoing conflicts. Kushner, Trump’s son-in-law and a former senior adviser, holds no official position but serves in an advisory capacity, participating in the newly formed Board of Peace for Gaza oversight and unveiling a master plan for the territory’s redevelopment at the World Economic Forum in Davos earlier this month. Their involvement in high-stakes diplomacy, from Middle East peace efforts to Ukraine settlements, reflects the administration’s reliance on personal networks, which has drawn scrutiny for bypassing traditional State Department structures.
