Following a national security meeting at the Trump National Golf Club in New Jersey, President Donald Trump told reporters Friday afternoon that he would not “rule out a military option” for Venezuela. His remarks came one day after the United States imposed new sanctions on eight Venezuelan officials for their role in creating a political framework in the nation that is fiercely loyal to President Nicolas Maduro.
Venezuela is not the only country in Trump’s crosshairs. Following several days of war-bating comments made toward North Korea, Trump wrote on Twitter this morning that the U.S. military was “locked and loaded, should North Korea act unwisely.” He later doubled down on his tweets, telling reporters that, if Kim Jung Un “utters one threat in the form of an overt threat … he will truly regret it and he will regret it fast.”
Military solutions are now fully in place,locked and loaded,should North Korea act unwisely. Hopefully Kim Jong Un will find another path!
— Donald J. Trump (@realDonaldTrump) August 11, 2017
When asked if the U.S. was going to go to war with North Korea, Trump responded, “I think you know the answer to that.”
While U.S. military officials have said publicly that the armed forces “maintain high state of readiness and have the capabilities to counter any threat,” Defense News reports that there has so far been no indication that the military has taken any recent action to suggest it is preparing for war.
