US President Donald Trump has stated he is not ruling out the possibility of military action against Venezuela, escalating tensions with the South American nation's government.
Venezuela Tensions and Accusations
In a phone interview with NBC News published on Friday, President Trump was asked about the potential for war with Venezuela. He responded, "I don't rule it out, no." This comment leaves open a significant diplomatic and military option regarding the long-standing US opposition to the regime of President Nicolás Maduro.
Trump has previously used social media to level serious accusations at Maduro and his administration. He has publicly claimed they use "stolen" oil to finance themselves and are involved in what he termed "Drug Terrorism, Human Trafficking, Murder, and Kidnapping". The Venezuelan leader has consistently and strongly denied all these allegations.
Domestic and Business Developments
In the same interview, President Trump signalled a shift in his healthcare policy stance. He told NBC he no longer believes it is necessary to repeal the Affordable Care Act, commonly known as Obamacare. This marks a notable change from November, when he had suggested scrapping the act and redirecting federal subsidy money into direct payments to individuals.
In a major step towards resolving a protracted trade and security dispute, TikTok's Chinese owner, ByteDance, signed binding agreements on Thursday. These agreements will hand control of the short video app's US operations to a consortium of investors, which includes software giant Oracle. This move is designed to avert a looming US ban and end years of operational uncertainty for the popular platform.
Immigration and Space Policy Moves
In a victory for the Trump administration's stringent immigration enforcement, a Wisconsin judge was found guilty on Thursday. A US Justice Department official stated the judge was convicted of helping a migrant evade a planned immigration arrest outside her courtroom. The ruling is seen as bolstering the administration's efforts to deter interference with its immigration tactics.
Looking beyond Earth, President Trump issued a sweeping executive order on Thursday, his administration's first major space policy move of its second term. The order enshrines the US goal of returning humans to the moon by 2028. It also formally commits the nation to defending its assets and interests in space from potential weapon threats, marking a significant step in the militarisation of the space domain.
