Fighting words WH doesn’t rule out boots on the ground in Venezuela as Trump convenes top security team
President Donald Trump (C) speaks to reporters during a meeting with NATO Secretary General Mark Rutte (L) as U.S. Secretary of State Marco Rubio (2nd-R) and Secretary of War Pete Hegseth (R) look on in the Oval Office of the White House on October 22, 2025 in Washington, DC. Getty Images
WASHINGTON — President Trump is set to meet with his national security team in the Oval Office on Monday to discuss possible next steps in the U.S. pressure campaign against Venezuelan dictator Nicolas Maduro, though the White House says the commander-in-chief has not ruled out deploying U.S. troops.
“I can confirm the president will be meeting with his national security team on this issue and other important matters,” White House press secretary Karoline Leavitt told reporters when asked whether a “final decision” on U.S. action in Venezuela would be discussed.
“He meets with his national security team regularly,” she added, declining to provide additional details. “He’s the commander-in-chief; it’s his responsibility to ensure peace is maintained around the world.”
Officials expected to attend the meeting include Secretary of War Pete Hegseth, Secretary of State Marco Rubio, Chief of Staff Susie Wiles, and Deputy Chief of Staff Stephen Miller, CNN reported.
The meeting comes as the Pentagon has positioned 11 warships, including an aircraft carrier, along with 15,000 troops near Venezuelan waters. A Marine Expeditionary Unit capable of conducting an amphibious invasion has also been deployed.
“The military’s job is to defend the homeland,” Secretary of the Navy John Phelan told Fox News Saturday night. “That’s exactly what we’re doing, using our best assets to protect the country.”
So far, U.S. operations against Maduro’s narcoterrorist regime have been confined to maritime strikes targeting drug trafficking operations, reportedly killing at least 83 Venezuelans involved in cocaine trafficking. President Trump has previously said he has not ruled out a ground operation and has directed the CIA to conduct operations inside Venezuela.
“There are many options on the table for the president, and I’ll let him speak to those,” Leavitt said Monday when asked if Trump is still considering sending troops to Venezuela. The administration has also pursued diplomacy, engaging in months of talks with Maduro — who seized control in Venezuela’s last two elections — in hopes of persuading him to cooperate 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 leave on his own. It’s just not going to happen.”
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