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Sunday, Jan. 4, 2026

Does the SD congressional delegation support the Venezuela attack?

Michael Klinski, South Dakota News Watch
yes

All three South Dakota congressional members voiced support for the United States’ strike on Venezuela and capture of its President Nicolás Maduro early Jan. 3.

Senate Majority Leader John Thune, Sen. Mike Rounds and Rep. Dusty Johnson – all Republicans – posted praise for the mission on their social media channels.

Thune called Trump’s move a “decisive action” to address drug trafficking in the region and said it was an “important first step to bring (Maduro) to justice.”

Rounds said the operation was legal and defended Congress not being briefed beforehand. He defended the attack by saying Venezuela had taken “a number of assets” from the U.S. that had been “taken inappropriately.”

Johnson referred to Maduro as a “narcoterrorist and illegitimate leader of Venezuela” and praised the United States’ military in “executing the warrant” for Maduro’s arrest.

Gov. Larry Rhoden and Attorney General Marty Jackley also supported the move.

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