According to multiple sources, President Donald Trump angrily phoned Republican Senator Susan Collins after she broke ranks and voted to limit his war powers tied to Venezuela.
The anger was immediate.
Sources told The Hill that Trump made a “profanity-laced” call to Collins on Thursday, just hours after the Senate voted 52 to 47 to advance a resolution limiting the president’s ability to launch military action without Congress. Collins was one of five GOP senators who helped push the measure forward.
“He was very mad about the vote,” one source said. “Very mad. Very hot.”
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The call reportedly came without warning. One source said Trump “basically read her the riot act” during the conversation. Collins’ office confirmed the call happened but declined to share any details about what was said.
The vote struck at the heart of Trump’s post-Venezuela plans.
The resolution would restrict Trump from using military force following the capture of Venezuelan leader Nicolás Maduro. It also complicates Trump’s public push to control Venezuela’s oil and oversee the country’s future. That vote appears to have crossed a line for the president.
Collins was not alone in defying him.
Republican Senators Rand Paul, Lisa Murkowski, Josh Hawley, and Todd Young also supported advancing the resolution. Trump reacted furiously, taking to Truth Social to lash out at the senators and air his frustration.
“Republicans should be ashamed of the Senators that just voted with Democrats in attempting to take away our Powers to fight and defend the United States of America,” Trump wrote. He then named all five senators and added that they “should never be elected to office again.”
The message was obvious: back him or face the consequences.
Collins, who faces a difficult reelection race this year, responded carefully when asked about Trump’s outburst. She told reporters she was not interested in escalating the situation.
“The president obviously is unhappy with the vote,” she said. “I guess this means that he would prefer to have Gov. Mills or somebody else with whom he’s not had a great relationship. I don’t know, I’m just not going to comment.”
Behind the scenes, Trump has made no secret of his desire to push Collins out of the Senate. The phone call only reinforced that hostility.
The clash comes as Trump faces mounting scrutiny over the Venezuela operation.
Maduro remains in U.S. custody awaiting trial, while Trump has openly claimed that the United States now “runs” Venezuela. He has also announced plans to sell millions of barrels of Venezuelan oil, a move that has alarmed lawmakers in both parties.
Featured image via Political Tribune Gallery
