Fetterman Joins GOP to Back Trump’s Airstrikes on Cartel Boats

In a surprising show of bipartisanship and a major win for President Donald Trump’s crackdown on cartel violence the U.S. Senate voted Wednesday to block a War Powers resolution aimed at halting Trump’s ongoing military strikes on suspected drug-smuggling vessels in the Caribbean.

The resolution failed narrowly in a 51–48 vote, thanks in large part to Sen. John Fetterman (D-PA) breaking with his own party to side with Republicans and defend Trump’s decisive action against what the White House has declared foreign terrorist organizations.

It was a telling moment: when it comes to national security and protecting American lives, Fetterman chose leadership over leftist dogma.

The resolution, introduced by Democratic Sens. Adam Schiff (CA) and Tim Kaine (VA), sought to strip the president’s authority to strike non-state drug-trafficking organizations including the narco-terrorist cartels operating in and around Venezuela unless explicitly authorized by Congress.

Meanwhile, President Trump has made it crystal clear: America is at war with the cartels, and he’s not waiting for Washington’s permission slip to protect our borders.

“The United States has now reached a critical point where we must use force in self-defense and defense of others against the ongoing attacks by these designated terrorist organizations,” the White House stated this week.

Since early September, the Trump administration has already conducted four targeted strikes on cartel vessels near Venezuela. These actions are part of what the White House describes as a “non-international armed conflict” a legal term used to justify the military campaign under the laws of armed conflict.

Sen. Fetterman’s support proved decisive. The Pennsylvania Democrat has already shown his independence by standing firmly with Israel during the Hamas war and rejecting his party’s weak stance on national defense.

Republican senators were united in support of the president’s campaign against the cartels:

• Sen. Mike Crapo (R-ID) said the strikes were “fully compliant and fully justified.”

• Sen. Rick Scott (R-FL) called the cartels “narco-terrorists” and praised Trump for doing what past presidents refused to do: “trying to get drugs out of this country.”

But not all Republicans were on board. Sen. Rand Paul (R-KY) known for his rigid libertarian views voted with Democrats, questioning the legitimacy of targeting cartel members without trial.

“Is it too much to ask to know the names of those we kill before we kill them?” Paul asked. “Death is generally not the penalty for drug smuggling.”

Perhaps Paul hasn’t noticed fentanyl overdoses are now the #1 killer of Americans aged 18 to 45. These cartels aren’t just drug runners they’re mass murderers poisoning U.S. cities with chemical warfare.

Trump’s actions come after record levels of fentanyl seizures at the southern border, with more than 12,000 pounds seized by CBP this year alone enough to kill the entire U.S. population several times over.

White House spokeswoman Anna Kelly said it best. “The President acted in line with the law of armed conflict to protect our country from those trying to bring deadly poison to our shores.”

Despite desperate attempts by radical Democrats to stop Trump’s campaign, the Senate stood with strength and with the American people.

Fetterman’s vote may infuriate his progressive colleagues, but it proves one thing: even some Democrats are starting to realize Trump is right about national security.

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