WASHINGTON, DC – President Trump is declaring the Maduro Regime a foreign terrorist organization, ordering a blockade of all sanctioned oil tankers.
More than a dozen sanctioned tankers full of oil are currently in Venezuelan waters. The nation is surrounded by a U.S. armada that President Trump said, “Will only get bigger.” Observers say the blockade could cripple Venezuela’s economy.
In a statement, Venezuela’s government is calling it “a reckless and serious threat.” Dictator Nicolas Maduro is calling for peace but pledged to defend his country.
The latest moves come after the U.S. seized a Venezuelan tanker suspected of illicitly shipping oil to Iran last week. Up until now, the administration has mostly targeted drug-smuggling boats in the region.
The military posturing comes as the White House defends Chief of Staff Susie Wiles for her candid comments about Venezuela, the Trump administration, and even the handling of the Epstein files. In an interview with Vanity Fair, Wiles said the President “wants to keep on blowing boats up until Maduro cries uncle.”
Her interview with comments about the president and other top aides is unusual for such a high-placed official whose role is typically behind the scenes. Other candid remarks by Wiles include comparing the President’s personality to that of an alcoholic, saying he believes “that there’s nothing he can’t do. Nothing, zero, nothing.”
Some of her strongest criticism is aimed at Attorney General Pam Bondi, saying she “totally whiffed” demands to release the Epstein files. She also criticized Elon Musk’s dismantling of USAID and described Vice President J.D. Vance as a long-held conspiracy theorist. Wiles and the White House have rejected the article’s framing.
“This is unfortunately another example of disingenuous reporting, where you have a reporter who took the Chief of Staff’s words wildly out of context, did not include the context those conversations were had within,” said White House Press Secretary Karoline Leavitt. “I think the most egregious part of this article was the bias of omission that was clearly present.”
When asked about the report, President Trump defended Wiles, saying, “I didn’t read it. I don’t read Vanity Fair… but she’s done a fantastic job.”
He also admitted that while he does not drink alcohol, “I’ve often said that if I did, I’d have a very good chance of being an alcoholic… it’s a very possessive personality.”
The fallout from the profile story comes as the President prepares to address the nation in a rare primetime speech on Wednesday night. The White House says he’ll highlight his accomplishments and outline next year’s priorities.
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