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President Trump told NBC News in a phone interview that he doesn’t rule out the possibility of going to war against Venezuela.
“I don’t rule it out, no,” Trump told the outlet.
Trump says he is not ruling out war with Venezuela, NBC News reports https://t.co/usGFSh7PSq https://t.co/usGFSh7PSq
— Reuters (@Reuters) December 19, 2025
NBC News shared further:
Trump on Tuesday ordered a “blockade” of sanctioned oil tankers coming and going from Venezuela, increasing pressure on the country’s president, Nicolás Maduro. The U.S. recently seized an oil tanker captured near Venezuela, as well.
The administration’s campaign has already resulted in 28 boat strikes that have killed more than 100 people, including a “double tap” strike facing congressional scrutiny.
In his phone interview, Trump said “I don’t discuss it” when he is asked whether he rules out the possibility that such actions could lead to war.
But when he was pressed, he confirmed it was a possibility and said there will be additional seizures of oil tankers. Asked for a timeline, Trump replied: “It depends. If they’re foolish enough to be sailing along, they’ll be sailing along back into one of our harbors.”
Trump also declined to say whether ousting Maduro was his ultimate goal.
“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,” Trump said earlier this week.
“Therefore, today, I am ordering A TOTAL AND COMPLETE BLOCKADE OF ALL SANCTIONED OIL TANKERS going into, and out of, Venezuela. The Illegal Aliens and Criminals that the Maduro Regime has sent into the United States during the weak and inept Biden Administration, are being returned to Venezuela at a rapid pace. America will not allow Criminals, Terrorists, or other Countries, to rob, threaten, or harm our Nation and, likewise, will not allow a Hostile Regime to take our Oil, Land, or any other Assets, all of which must be returned to the United States, IMMEDIATELY,” he added.
“He knows exactly what I want,” Trump told NBC News, referring to Maduro.
“He knows better than anybody,” he added.
More from POLITICO:
The president told POLITICO’s Dasha Burns in an interview last week that Maduro’s “days are numbered” and added, “I wouldn’t say that one way or the other” when asked if American troops could hit the ground in Venezuela.
But the vast majority of Americans are opposed to an invasion. Sixty-three percent of respondents told a Quinnipiac poll released this week that they are against military action inside the country. And 53 percent oppose the administration’s current strategy of using military strikes to kill suspected drug traffickers on boats.