Senate Judiciary Chair Dick Durbin stated President Donald Trump is preparing an invasion of Venezuela without congressional authorization, in comments shared via X post by @atrupar during the 29-minute reporting window from 2:46 PM to 3:15 PM UTC on December 11. Durbin said, "Any president before he engages in act of war has to have the authorization of the American people through Congress ... this president is preparing for an invasion of Venezuela. Simply said. And if the American people are in favor of that, I'd be surprised." In a separate development in the same window, Trump transition co-chair Howard Lutnick advocated selecting top global talent for green cards, noting current recipients earn one-third less than average Americans, according to an X post by @atrupar. Lutnick said, "Why shouldn't we take in the top of the top? That's what President Trump is thinking." A Politico report shared on X by @ec_schneider detailed Democratic Senatorial Campaign Committee struggles in Texas and Iowa primaries, with backlash over limited involvement in Texas and warnings to consultants in Iowa against non-preferred candidates. An X post referenced an AP-NORC poll showing President Trump 54 points underwater with independents on approval ratings.
