Sen. Tim Kaine (D-VA) sharply criticized President Donald Trump’s military strategy in the Caribbean during an interview on CNN’s The Situation Room, calling recent naval actions and lethal strikes on alleged drug boats near Venezuela a “catastrophic blunder.”
Host Wolf Blitzer pressed Kaine, a member of both the Senate Armed Services and Foreign Relations Committees, about Venezuela’s reported military mobilization in response to the U.S. buildup of warships and personnel. Kaine warned the administration’s approach could provoke a dangerous escalation with Venezuela.
“I think this policy is a catastrophic blunder,” Kaine said. “Treating this as a military intervention is a big mistake.”
Kaine pointed to growing diplomatic fallout from the Trump administration’s aggressive posture in the region. “You saw yesterday that our closest ally, the United Kingdom, has now stopped sharing intelligence with the U.S. on activities in the Caribbean and the Pacific… because they believe the U.S. strikes are violating international law,” he added.
The senator expressed concern that the U.S. naval buildup could be misinterpreted by the Venezuelan military as a prelude to an attack, increasing the likelihood of a hostile response. “When you amass such naval presence near Venezuela, you are dramatically raising the risk that Venezuela… will think they’re going to be under attack and then respond in kind.”
Kaine further cautioned that Venezuela possesses “significant weapons” purchased from U.S. adversaries, suggesting that any miscommunication could endanger American service members. “The last thing I want to see… is Venezuela get the mistaken impression that an attack is imminent and start using these weapons against American sailors and troops.”
His remarks signal deepening Democratic concerns over the Trump administration’s foreign policy strategy in Latin America, particularly the risk of triggering unnecessary conflict with a heavily armed regime on America’s doorstep.
