In a heated escalation of tensions within the Republican Party, President Donald Trump reportedly berated Sen. Susan Collins (R-Maine) in a profanity-laced phone call following her support for a Democratic-led War Powers Resolution aimed at curbing further U.S. military involvement in Venezuela. The call, described by sources as coming “out of the blue” given the infrequency of their communications, occurred amid Thursday’s Senate vote advancing the measure.
According to multiple sources familiar with the conversation, a visibly furious Trump “read her the riot act,” expressing extreme anger over the resolution, which he viewed as an infringement on his authority as commander-in-chief. One Senate GOP colleague characterized the exchange as a “profanity-laced rant,” while another noted Trump was “very mad about the vote… very mad. Very hot.” A spokesperson for Collins confirmed the call took place but declined to provide additional details.
The resolution, sponsored by Sen. Tim Kaine (D-Va.), advanced on a 52-47 vote, with Collins joining four other Republicans—Sens. Josh Hawley (Mo.), Lisa Murkowski (Alaska), Rand Paul (Ky.), and Todd Young (Ind.)—in supporting it alongside all Democrats. The measure seeks to require congressional approval for any sustained military engagement in Venezuela beyond the initial operation that captured former Venezuelan leader Nicolás Maduro.
The backdrop to the dispute stems from the dramatic U.S. military raid in early January 2026, where American forces executed a precise, complex nighttime operation in Caracas, capturing Maduro and his wife. Trump hailed the mission as a success in apprehending a figure he and others have labeled a “narco-terrorist” and head of a major drug-trafficking network responsible for fueling addiction and deaths in the United States. Maduro, long indicted in U.S. federal courts with a prior $25 million bounty placed on him during the Biden administration, was transported to New York to face trial.
In a detailed statement released around the time of her vote, Collins praised the capture operation as “extraordinary in its precision and complexity” and reiterated her view of Maduro as an “illegitimate dictator” who maintained power through stolen elections and brutal violence against his own people. However, she drew a firm line against escalation, stating: “With Maduro rightfully captured, the circumstances have now changed. While I support the operation to seize Nicolas Maduro… I do not support committing additional U.S. forces or entering into any long-term military involvement in Venezuela or Greenland without specific congressional authorization.”
Collins emphasized that the resolution does not retroactively challenge the capture itself but reaffirms Congress’s constitutional role in authorizing or limiting future sustained military activity, while preserving the president’s Article II powers to respond to imminent threats. She cited Trump’s public comments about potential “boots on the ground” and “running” Venezuela as reasons to invoke the War Powers Act now, stressing that long-term success depends on Venezuelans governing their own country with international and private-sector support.
Trump responded swiftly to the Senate action with a blistering post on Truth Social, declaring that the five Republicans who backed the resolution “should never be elected to office again.” He accused them of attempting to “take away our Powers to fight and defend the United States of America,” claiming the vote “greatly hampers American Self Defense and National Security” and impedes presidential authority.
Collins, widely regarded as the most vulnerable Republican incumbent facing reelection in November 2026, pushed back against the criticism when questioned by reporters. She suggested Trump’s ire implied he would prefer one of her potential Democratic challengers—such as Maine Gov. Janet Mills—in her seat, adding dryly, “The president obviously is unhappy with the vote. I guess this means that he would prefer to have Gov. Mills or somebody else with whom he’s not had a great relationship. I don’t know, I’m just not going to comment.”
Senate Majority Leader John Thune (R-S.D.) acknowledged Trump was “fired up” ahead of the vote and described his social media outburst as a “short-term, immediate reaction” to a strongly felt issue. The episode highlights emerging fractures in the GOP over executive war powers and foreign entanglements, particularly as Collins navigates a competitive reelection in a state with a history of independent-minded voters.
As the resolution moves toward a final vote, the controversy underscores broader debates about congressional oversight in the wake of the Maduro capture and the uncertain path forward for U.S. policy in Venezuela.
