By Josh Wingrove
Nov 30, 2025 (Bloomberg) – President Donald Trump stated on Sunday that people should not interpret his recent social media post about closing Venezuelan airspace too seriously.
In his Saturday morning post, directed at airlines and “Drug Dealers,” he added to the concerns in the region regarding possible US military actions in Venezuela.
“Don’t read anything into it,” Trump told reporters while on Air Force One. He also mentioned, “We consider Venezuela to be not a very friendly country.”
The US government is expanding its military campaign in the Caribbean, which started with deadly strikes on boats in international waters. This campaign has escalated with the deployment of more Navy ships, including an aircraft carrier, to the area, stirring speculation about potential actions against Venezuela.
Trump confirmed that he recently spoke with President Nicolas Maduro but did not provide details about the conversation. “I wouldn’t say it went well or badly,” he said.
He also tried to ease concerns from some Republican lawmakers about the legality of a recent strike on a damaged boat in the Caribbean.
The Defense Department is under scrutiny following a report from The Washington Post. It claims that Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth ordered a deadly strike on boats and specifically requested that those strikes eliminate everyone on board. This included a second strike on September 2 meant to kill two individuals who had been wounded in the first strike, according to the report.
“I’m going to find out about it, but Pete said he did not order the death of those two men,” Trump stated. When asked about the legality of the second strike, he replied, “No, I wouldn’t have wanted that, not a second strike. The first strike was very lethal.”
Experts believe the naval strikes are already occurring under questionable legal authority and that these actions are causing worries among US allies. The administration insists that the boats are valid targets because they are allegedly transporting drugs.
Trump mentioned he is not worried about legal issues “because you can see the boats. You can see the drugs in the boats, and each boat is responsible for killing 25,000 Americans. So I think they do an amazing job.”
Reports about the second strike to kill wounded individuals have led to unusual pushback from Republican lawmakers. Representative Mike Turner from Ohio told CBS on Sunday that if confirmed, such a strike would be an “illegal act,” while Nebraska’s Don Bacon stated it would be a “clear violation of the law of war.”
Senator Roger Wicker, chairman of the Senate Armed Services Committee, has said that the committee will investigate the strikes following this report.
The US Federal Aviation Administration warned airlines on November 22 to “exercise caution” when flying in Venezuela, prompting some airlines to start canceling flights.
Recently, the Trump administration labeled Venezuela’s Cartel de los Soles as a foreign terrorist organization, which the US claims provides a legal basis for certain operations. However, Venezuela argues that this designation is merely a cover for military actions.