KQED's Forum Trump Ramps Up Military Strikes and Troops Near Venezuela, Amid Questions About Goals and Legality // California Condors Alight in the East Bay After 100 Year Absence
Oct 27, 2025
Featured guests include Eric Schmidt, a senior national security correspondent at The New York Times, and Hisele Selim Payer, an associate editor at The Atlantic specializing in Latin America. They discuss the Pentagon's controversial military actions near Venezuela, raising legal concerns and potential regime-change risks. Harold Koh provides insight into the legality of these strikes. The conversation shifts to the remarkable recovery of California condors, with Danae Mouton highlighting their return to the East Bay and ongoing ecological challenges.
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Unclear Legal Basis For Military Escalation
- The Trump administration rapidly escalated military presence near Venezuela without clear legal or congressional authorization.
- Harold Koh warns the president is asserting war powers on dubious factual and legal grounds.
Carrier Deployment Signals Major Escalation
- The USS Gerald Ford carrier was sent to waters near Venezuela, signaling a significant military escalation.
- Eric Schmidt notes the carrier adds fighter jets, surveillance, and thousands of sailors to the region’s forces.
Strikes Lack Obama-Era Legal Safeguards
- Koh contrasts these strikes with Obama-era drone rules built on statutory authorization and tight standards.
- He says current strikes lack identifiable targets, capture attempts, or due process for those killed.