Rand Paul Slams Trump’s Oil Blockade as ‘Provocation’ and ‘Prelude to War’

Sen. Rand Paul (R-KY) slammed President Donald Trump’s blockade on sanctioned oil tankers going in and out of Venezuela, warning it’s a “provocation” and “prelude to war.”

Paul joined Fox Business’s Stuart Varney on Thursday and argued Trump’s announcement “made no sense at all.”

In a Truth Social post on Wednesday evening, Trump announced his “complete blockade” and accused Venezuela of stealing U.S. oil.

He wrote:

Venezuela is completely surrounded by the largest Armada ever assembled in the History of South America. It will only get bigger, and the shock to them will be like nothing they have ever seen before — Until such time as they return to the United States of America all of the Oil, Land, and other Assets that they previously stole from us. The illegitimate Maduro Regime is using Oil from these stolen Oil Fields to finance themselves, Drug Terrorism, Human Trafficking, Murder, and Kidnapping. For the theft of our Assets, and many other reasons, including Terrorism, Drug Smuggling, and Human Trafficking, the Venezuelan Regime has been designated a FOREIGN TERRORIST ORGANIZATION. Therefore, today, I am ordering A TOTAL AND COMPLETE BLOCKADE OF ALL SANCTIONED OIL TANKERS going into, and out of, Venezuela.

Paul, who has challenged the legality of Trump’s strikes on alleged drug-smuggling boats out of Venezuela, called the blockade a clear “provocation” on Trump’s part.

The senator noted the Constitution requires Congress to declare a war, but argued the U.S. is now in a position where an act of war being committed is more likely. He called the current actions being taken by the administration “immoral” and “illegal.”

Paul said:

Our government says that they’re just not allowed to sell their oil, so it’s illegal according to our laws, but not illegal according to their laws. So I don’t like it. I think it’s a provocation, and I think its a prelude to war. I think war should be something we do in self-defense when we have to go to war, when we were attacked on 9-11, when we attacked in World War II. But for the most part, these wars of choice or wars of offense, I don’t think they’re a good idea. I mean, I’m not for sending, you know, the kids I know in the military, I am not for sending them down there to die for oil.

Trump’s administration has conducted multiple boat strikes in the Caribbean and the Pacific, many originating from Venezuela. Dozens have died in the strikes. The president has alleged that Venezuelan President Nicolás Maduro, whose election has been contested by U.S. officials and his opposition in the election, is behind a massive drug-smuggling operation, something he has denied.

Paul slammed Trump’s claim that Venezuela is stealing oil from the U.S.

“The president announced the other day he’s going back there to seize our land, our oil, and they’ve been ripping us off by taking our oil. That made no sense at all,” he said. “And somebody before you go to war ought to at least say or explain what they mean by saying the Venezuelans are stealing our oil.

Watch above via Fox Business.