President Donald Trump is leaving the door open to a years-long involvement in Venezuela.
In an Oval Office interview with The New York Times published Thursday, the president wouldn’t commit to a tight timeline for U.S. involvement in the country, which he has promised to “run.”
“Only time will tell,” Trump told the outlet, when asked how long the United States would try to keep oversight of Venezuela. Asked whether the U.S. would continue in the role for a year or longer, Trump reportedly responded, “I would say much longer.”
A White House spokesperson told NOTUS that the president’s statement “has been made publicly in several instances.”
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Trump also repeated his desire to make the most of Venezuela’s rich oil resources in his interview with the Times.
“We’re going to be using oil, and we’re going to be taking oil,” Trump told the Times. “We’re getting oil prices down, and we’re going to be giving money to Venezuela, which they desperately need.”
Trump is not the only one in his administration unwilling to promise an end date to the U.S.’s oversight of Venezuela. Energy Secretary Chris Wright said at a press briefing on Wednesday that the U.S. will control Venezuela’s oil reserves “indefinitely,” following an announcement by Trump on Tuesday that Venezuela will turn over 30 to 50 million barrels of oil to the U.S.
The Trump administration, including Secretary of State Marco Rubio, briefed the Senate for the first time Wednesday since last weekend’s operation in Caracas to oust President Nicolás Maduro. Many Republicans left the classified briefing expressing confidence, while Democrats said they had lingering questions about the next steps in the country.
Rubio also told reporters following the Senate briefing that the administration has a three-fold plan for maintaining control in Venezuela — and it’s hinged on oil. By controlling the oil industry, the U.S. can control the Venezuelan regime, Rubio said.
He added that they will sell up to 50 million barrels of oil at market price, both as a method of control and a way to give money to the American and Venezuelan people.
On Thursday, Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer criticized the lack of clarity over how long the U.S. will oversee Venezuela.
“He doesn’t even know how long,” Schumer said. “This kind of military adventurism, this kind of spending, treasure, and possibly lives? In an endless war? American people don’t want that.”
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