Trump Defends Military Buildup in Venezuela: “We Won’t Be Blowing Them Up Forever—We Just Want the Oil”

WASHINGTON, D.C. — Brushing off accusations that his administration is dragging the U.S. into a long-term military conflict with Venezuela, President Trump assured reporters Tuesday that “we won’t be blowing them up forever—we just want the oil.”

The comment came as the White House confirmed a massive military escalation off Venezuela’s coast, including the deployment of the Gerald R. Ford aircraft carrier and several bomber squadrons. Trump described the move as “a short-term energy mission—with a little light bombing.”

Administration officials confirmed that the DOJ is drafting legal guidance to justify seizing Venezuela’s oil fields without congressional approval, which one aide described as “basically like the Iraq thing, but streamlined.”

Secretary of State Marco Rubio praised the move as “great news for American gas prices—and even better news for Chevron shareholders.”

Trump, meanwhile, brushed off questions about how long the U.S. might remain in the region. “Not long,” he said. “Once we’ve got the oil and some nice drone strike footage, we’re out. I don’t do forever wars—I do forever deals.”