“Belligerent” was how one Democratic lawmaker described a diatribe given by top White House adviser Stephen Miller on CNN Monday evening regarding the Trump administration’s right to take over Venezuela — or any other country — if doing so is in the supposed interest of the US. To Sen. Bernie Sanders (I-Vt.), however, Miller was simply providing viewers with “a very good definition of…
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forces attacked Venezuela and abducted Venezuelan President Nicolás Maduro and his wife in a Saturday night raid. About 80 people were reportedly killed, including 32 Cubans. Democracy Now! speaks with Andreína Chávez, a Venezuelan reporter based in Caracas, who calls the strikes an “imperialist attack.” Trump also said the U.S. would take the oil from Venezuela, which has the world’s largest…
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President Donald Trump on Sunday told reporters that the heads of American oil companies were informed of the U.S. military’s attack on Venezuela — described as “brazenly illegal” by scholars and experts — even before it took place. The admission from Trump, a renowned liar, sparked condemnation because the administration refused to consult with U.S. lawmakers about the operation…
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This story originally appeared in Common Dreams on Jan. 05, 2026. It is shared here under a Creative Commons (CC BY-NC-ND 3.0) license.
President Donald Trump on Sunday told reporters that the heads of American oil companies were informed of the US military’s attack on Venezuela—described as “brazenly illegal” by scholars and experts—even before it took place.
Trump’s admission, a renowned liar, sparked condemnation because the administration refused to consult with US lawmakers about the operation, citing fears of a leak that would compromise operational security.
“Before and after,” Trump told reporters aboard Air Force One on Sunday when asked if he’d spoken with oil executives or perhaps “tipped them off” about the operation. “They want to go in, and they’re going to do a great job for the people of Venezuela.”
Reporter: Did you speak with the oil companies before the operation? Did you tip them off?Trump: Before and after. They want to go in and they’re going to do a great job. pic.twitter.com/zxOG648Ww0— Acyn (@Acyn) January 5, 2026
Trump’s remarks were condemned by those critical of the president’s actions in recent days, including his failure to consult with or seek authorization from Congress.
“I can’t begin to tell you how insane this is,” said Fred Wellman, an Army combat veteran now running for Congress as a Democrat in Missouri. “He did not inform Congress, but he’s saying he informed the oil companies.”
“Keep in mind who he means,” Wellman added. “The billionaire mega donor that just got control of Citgo. Our service members were used directly to move the interests of Trump’s donors.”
“The oil companies were notified before Congress,” said Melanie D’Arrigo, executive director of the Campaign for New York Health. “This
Amy Goodman and Juan González host breaking news coverage on U.S. forces attacking Venezuela and seizing Venezuelan President Nicolás Maduro. We speak to Venezuelan reporter Andreína Chávez in Caracas, as well as professors Miguel Tinker Salas and Alejandro Velasco. This is a rush transcript. Copy may not be in its final form. AMY GOODMAN: This is Democracy Now!, democracynow.org. I’…
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President Donald Trump has boasted of a U.S. strike on a facility on Venezuelan land as reports emerge of a CIA-led attack, which experts say would be a war crime if confirmed. On Friday, Trump said in a radio interview that the U.S. had struck a “big plant or a big facility where the ships come from,” implying that the strike occurred in Venezuela but not explicitly saying so.
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