Secretary of State Mike Pompeo told ABC News that the Trump administration is planning for the possibility of military action in Venezuela, and implied that the president’s authority is sufficient to lawfully wage war there unilaterally, without first seeking authorization from Congress.

Testifying last month before the Senate Foreign Relations Committee, Pompeo made similar comments about Iran, refusing to acknowledge that waging war against that country is not covered by the Authorization to Use Military Force that Congress passed in 2001 in response to the 9/11 terrorist attacks.

National Security Adviser John Bolton has signaled his support for U.S. military action in both countries. And in 2018, when Trump launched a missile strike at Syria, Bolton agitated for an even more expansive response, including an enduring U.S. military presence in the country––a presence that he would later describe as a counter to Iran, not the Islamic State or Bashar al-Assad’s regime.