President Donald Trump criticized a reporter for asking whether he had “real plans” to launch air strikes on Venezuela “in the near future,” asking how he should “answer a question like that.”
While traveling on Air Force One from Florida to Washington, D.C., the reporter noted that Trump had previously said it was “not true” about reports that he had decided to carry out strikes “inside Venezuela.” Trump replied when asked by a reporter whether he had “real plans” to strike Venezuela in the future, pointing out that if he had, would he admit it?
“You said it was not true that you had decided to carry out domestic strikes in Venezuela? But are there any real plans for these strikes in the near future?” the reporter asked Trump.
“How can I answer such a question?” Trump responded. “Are there plans to strike Venezuela?” Who would say that? And if they were, would I tell you this, honestly? “Yes, we have plans! We have very secret plans! Who would say that? What kind of question is this?
Trump continued to add that they would “see what happens with Venezuela.”
“Venezuela has sent us thousands and thousands, hundreds of thousands of people from prisons, mental institutions, drug addicts, and other countries have done the same,” Trump said, adding that the United States is “run by very stupid people.”
The reporter's question about plans to strike Venezuela came after Trump told reporters at Air Force One on Friday that it was “not true” that he was considering strikes on Venezuela. according to To Hill. Trump's response came after the message Wall Street Journal claimed that “the Trump administration has identified military installations in Venezuela used for drug smuggling” as possible locations for airstrikes:
On Air Force One en route to Florida, Trump was asked about the reports and whether he had made a decision about possible strikes.
“No, that’s not true,” Trump responded.
The Wall Street Journal reported Thursday that the Trump administration has identified military installations in Venezuela used for drug smuggling as potential targets for strikes. The news outlet reported that Trump had not yet made a final decision on whether to carry out strikes inside Venezuela.
As reported by Breitbart News reportedthe Trump administration launched some strikes against drug smuggling vessels in international waters near Venezuela.
Randy Clark of Breitbart News reported that the Trump administration carried out a total of 14 “military attacks” on drug smuggling vessels and “an estimated 57 narco-terrorist smugglers were killed” as a result of the strikes:
The latest strikes by the US military against drug smuggling vessels bring the total number of military attacks on vessels to 14 since President Trump's military campaign against drug smugglers began in early September. The latest strikes come just a week after the first strike in the eastern Pacific Ocean, off the coast of Colombia. The strike signaled an expansion of the campaign, which had previously been limited to the Caribbean, Breitbart Texas reported.
So far, some 57 drug smugglers have been killed as a result of US military action targeting their vessels in the Caribbean and Eastern Pacific.
Nicolas Maduro, the socialist dictator of Venezuela, recently issued message Trump in English, in which he said: “Please, no crazy war.”
Maduro, who has accused the Trump administration of using “counter-drug operations as cover” to stage the invasion of the country, is wanted by the United States government, according to a State Department statement. website.
According to the website:
Nicolas Maduro Moros became president of Venezuela after the death of Hugo Chavez in 2013 and declared victory in the 2018 presidential election. In 2019, the Venezuelan National Assembly cited the Venezuelan constitution and stated that Maduro had usurped power and was not the president of Venezuela. Since 2019, more than 50 countries, including the United States, have refused to recognize Maduro as Venezuela's head of state.
During interview With CBS News correspondent Norah O'Donnell, Trump was asked about “the issue of potential ground strikes in Venezuela,” to which he noted that he was not talking to reporters about whether he was “going to” carry out a strike.
“As for Venezuela in particular, are Maduro’s days as president numbered?” O'Donnell asked.
“I would say yes. I think so,” Trump said.
“Is the question about possible ground strikes in Venezuela true?” O'Donnell asked.
“I'm not telling you that. I'm not saying whether it's true or not. I wouldn't be inclined to say that I would do that,” Trump responded, noting that he “isn't talking to a reporter about whether he's going to do an air strike or not.”
