After a briefing with the Arms Services Committee on Thursday about the Venezuelan boat strikes Trump has authorized, Rep. Seth Moulton told MSNBC that it was so bad they made "the case for the the Iraq War look like a slam dunk."

That is more than bad.

That is unconscionable.

MOULTON: The Democratic lawmaker also explained that the Trump administration pulled their lawyers from the briefing which were were supposed to explain the legal justifications for their drastic and most likely criminal actions.

We actually had a bipartisan briefing on the Armed Services Committee yesterday in the House, and I went down to Washington to hear it.

And I found their justification for what they're doing so flimsy that it makes the case for the Iraq War look like a slam dunk.

I mean, it was that bad. And by the way, at the last minute, they pulled the lawyers from the briefing.

So all the questions that both Democrats and Republicans had about exactly what you're getting to, what is the legal justification for this, what is the legal justification for the actions that this administration is making our troops take, they weren't there to explain it.

And I'll tell you, when I left that briefing, the last thing I did is I went up to the front of the room and I spoke to the admiral, who was by far the most impressive person there.

And I said, I hope you recognize the constitutional peril that you are in and the peril that you are putting our troops in. I got the impression from that admiral that this wasn't lost on him.

Trump believes he can use any flimsy, outrageous, unethical, and insane excuse to conduct from military assassinations operations to yo-yo tariffs whenever it pleases him since the Republican-led Congress has abdicated their duties as a coequal branch of government. Demented Donald does know there no one to stop him.

This isn't about drug dealers. This is about Trump wanting to topple the Maduro regime and not being subtle about it.

This will only last while Republicans are in charge of everything.

There will be many Trump administration officials up on charges for the Venezuelan boat strikes alone. Under U.S. law in America, being a major drug dealer, or drug smuggler, no matter what the quantities does not equate to a capital punishment verdict. A life sentence is the maximum. A death penalty is applicable is when said drug dealers, "intentionally kills or conspires to kill in furtherance of a drug trafficking enterprise."

Rep. Seth Moulton the admin's briefing on Trump's boat strikes: "I found their justification for what they're doing so flimsy that it makes the case for the Iraq War look like a slam dunk. It was that bad." pic.twitter.com/fFBHyUNVbO

— Aaron Rupar (@atrupar) October 31, 2025