President Donald Trump said Thursday that he is leaving the possibility of a war with Venezuela on the table.
“I don’t rule it out, no,” he told NBC News in a phone interview.
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.
“He knows exactly what I want,” Trump replied. “He knows better than anybody.”
Trump’s admission that he’s not ruling out a war with Venezuela is significant. He has long tried to distinguish himself from the hawkish wing of the Republican Party, and in 2024, he campaigned on being able to keep the U.S. out of foreign conflicts.
In his speech after he won the election, Trump said he was “not going to start a war; I’m going to stop wars.”
The administration has claimed that the strikes have been on alleged drug boats and that Venezuela is using oil revenue to finance “drug terrorism.”
On Wednesday, Trump sought to defend his economic policies in a national prime-time address as voters continue to indicate that they’re struggling with the cost of living.
In the speech, Trump announced a $1,776 “warrior dividend” that will go to nearly 1.5 million members of the military in honor of the nation’s founding almost 250 years ago.
Trump told NBC News that people would start getting the payments “very soon” — “I would say within the next few days, it’ll all be out” — and said they will be funded through the “One Big Beautiful Bill” and revenue from tariffs.
“We’re making so much money with tariffs that we are able to do that and have plenty left over,” he said.
A senior administration official said the one-time bonus for troops will cost about $2.6 billion and be paid drawing from military housing funds from the One Big Beautiful Bill. The legislation, which Trump signed in July, allocated $2.9 billion to reduce the out-of-pocket cost for service members for two years.
A Senate appropriations source also said that the money will come from there, not tariffs, and that the Defense Department decided instead to give the money as a one-time payment instead of creating a precedent for housing costs down the line.
Trump also touched on health care in his remarks Wednesday night, blasting “gigantic health insurance companies that have gotten rich on billions of dollars of money that should go directly to the people.”
He said people should be able to “buy their own health insurance, which will give far better benefits at much lower cost. It will be far better health insurance.”
Millions of people who get coverage through the Affordable Care Act are set to see their health insurance premiums skyrocket next year, after House Republicans refused to call a vote this week to extend the subsidies.
Trump said he doesn’t believe it’s necessary to repeal the Affordable Care Act, also known as Obamacare.
“I don’t have to do anything, because Obamacare would just repeal itself automatically because nobody’s going to want to use it. Too expensive,” he told NBC News.
He also said he has no plans to announce a broader health care plan.
“As far as I’m concerned, I rolled it out last night,” he said. “It’s very simple. It’s a very simple plan. The insurance companies have become totally rich and beyond any comprehension. They get billions and billions of dollars a year, and we’re not going to let that happen.
“We’re going to pay the money directly to the people,” he said. “They can use health care accounts. They can use — you know, there are many ways of doing it, but we’re going to let them buy their own health care. They’ll get much better health care at a much lower price.”
A central focus for both parties next year will be November’s midterm elections, with the Republicans cognizant that losing control of either chamber of Congress could lead to investigations and headaches for the White House.
Asked whether he thinks Republicans will hold on to both chambers, Trump replied: “I think so. I certainly hope so.”
