WASHINGTON — President Trump will convene his national security team in the Oval Office on Monday in part to discuss possible next steps for the US’ pressure campaign on Venezuelan dictator Nicolas Maduro — as the White House says the commander-in-chief has not ruled on US boots on the ground.
“I will confirm that the president will be meeting with his national security team on this subject, and on matter matters,” White House press secretary Karoline Leavitt told reporters in response to a question whether they team would discuss a “final decision” regarding US action on Venezuela.
“He meets with his national security team quite often,” she added, declining to further detail what they plan to discuss. “He’s the commander-in-chief; it’s part of his responsibility to ensure that peace is ongoing throughout the world.”
Secretary of War Pete Hegseth, Secretary of State Marco Rubio, chief of staff Susie Wiles and deputy chief of staff Stephen Miller are expected to attend, CNN reported.
It comes as the Pentagon has stacked 11 warships — including an aircraft carrier — and 15,000 troops in the waters near Venezuela.
A Marine Expeditionary Unit capable of an amphibious land invasion has also been deployed.
“The military’s job is to defend the homeland,” Secretary of the Navy John Phelan told Fox News on Saturday night. “That’s exactly what we’re doing, and we’re using our best assets to defend the homeland.”
So far, the US has kept its war on Maduro’s narcoterrorist regime confined to the sea, picking off drug boats in the region in a series of strikes that has killed at least 83 Venezuelans trafficking illegal narcotics such as cocaine.
President Trump has previously said he has not ruled out striking Venezuela on land, and has already directed the CIA to conduct its own operations inside the country.
“There’s many options at the president’s disposal that are on the table, and I’ll let him speak to those,” Leavitt said Monday, responding to a question whether Trump was still considering sending US troops to the Latin American country.
The administration has also tried the diplomacy track, conducting months of meetings with Maduro — who stole Venezuela’s last two elections — in attempts to get him to work with the US or step aside.
“Strikes should have happened weeks ago. It’s now or never,” a source close to the Trump administration told The Post on Monday. “Maduro won’t go on his own. Just not going to happen.”
