US President has publicly suggested military action against Venezuela at least 17 times
US President Donald Trump said this Thursday that he “wouldn’t mind” notifying Congress before authorizing a ground attack against drug cartels in Venezuela, but insisted he is not required to do so, citing the possibility of information leaks.
“I wouldn’t mind telling them, but, you know, it’s not a big deal — I don’t have to tell them, it’s already been proven, but I wouldn’t mind, I wouldn’t mind at all,” he told reporters in the Oval Office this Thursday. “I just hope they don’t disclose it. You know how it is, people disclose it. They are politicians and they disclose everything. But I would have no problem doing so.”
Trump has been hinting at the possibility of a ground operation in Venezuela for months, having publicly suggested US military action on the ground at least 17 times, according to a CNN analysis.
Still, in a series of interviews published by Vanity Fair earlier this week, White House Chief of Staff Susie Wiles stressed that a possible ground attack in the country would require notifying Congress, in contrast to the US president’s claims.
“If he authorized any ground activity, then it would be war, we would need Congress. But Secretary of State Marco Rubio and Vice President JD Vance, to some extent, are on Capitol Hill every day, giving briefings,” Wiles told Vanity Fair.
CNN’s Betsy Klein contributed to this report
