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U.S. President Donald Trump said Friday that he is not ruling out the possibility of war with Venezuela and confirmed additional oil tanker seizures are planned as his administration intensifies pressure on President Nicolas Maduro's government.
"I don't rule it out, no," Trump told NBC News in a phone interview when asked whether his actions against Venezuela could lead to war.
When pressed on the possibility, Trump confirmed it 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 said, adding, "He knows better than anybody."
Trump also asserted on Friday that he does not need congressional approval to launch strikes on land against Venezuela despite criticism that he is already exceeding his constitutional authority with attacks at sea.
"I wouldn't mind telling them, but you know, it's not a big deal. I don't have to tell them," Trump said in the Oval Office when asked whether he would seek authorization from lawmakers to hit drug cartels on land in Venezuela.
The United States has conducted multiple air strikes since September against alleged drug-trafficking boats in the Caribbean and Pacific, causing at least 99 deaths and prompting heated debate about the legality of the operations.
"The president has failed to demonstrate the necessary authority under U.S. or international law to conduct lethal military strikes on these boats," Democratic Representative Gregory Meeks said during a House debate.
"No one can credibly claim that these vessels, in some cases not even traveling to the United States and located thousands of miles from U.S. soil, posed an imminent threat to the American people warranting the use of military force," Meeks added.
Trump on Wednesday ordered a "total and complete blockade" of sanctioned oil tankers entering or leaving Venezuela, labeling the Maduro government a "foreign terrorist organization."
"Venezuela is completely surrounded by the largest Armada ever assembled in the History of South America," Trump wrote on Truth Social, warning the pressure would intensify until Caracas returns "all of the Oil, Land, and other Assets that they previously stole from us."
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.
Venezuela's Permanent Representative to the United Nations Samuel Moncada said Trump intends to "impose colonialism" on Venezuela.
"Trump intends to impose colonialism on Venezuela," Moncada said during a UN session, describing Trump's claims about oil, land and other assets allegedly stolen from the United States as "horrific."
Moncada accused the US administration of causing "chaos and destruction" in international relations.
Maduro claims the U.S. campaign seeks regime change instead of its stated goal of stopping drug trafficking.
Trump's admission that he is not ruling out 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 United States out of foreign conflicts.
In his speech after winning the election, Trump said he was "not going to start a war; I'm going to stop wars."
Experts say Trump could order limited military strikes inside Venezuela without Congress, but only temporarily and only if framed as defensive or limited in scope.
According to the U.S. Constitution, while the president is commander-in-chief of the armed forces, only Congress has the authority to formally declare war, a point raised not just by the Democratic opposition but also by some lawmakers in the president's party, although most Republicans have supported him.
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