Trump to hold Venezuela Oval Office meeting amid growing questions about his military moves

Source: CNN

President Donald Trump will hold a meeting at the White House on Monday evening about next steps on Venezuela, sources familiar with the matter told CNN, as the administration intensifies its pressure campaign on the country and questions mount about whether the military is exceeding its lawful authority.

Key members of Trump’s Cabinet and national security team, including Secretary of Defense Pete Hegseth, Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff Gen. Dan Caine and Secretary of State Marco Rubio are expected to attend, as well as White House chief of staff Susie Wiles and deputy chief of staff Stephen Miller.

The meeting, which is expected to take place at 5 p.m. ET in the Oval Office, comes as the United States has increased pressure on Venezuela with strikes on drug vessels and a military asset buildup in the Caribbean. The US military has amassed more than a dozen warships and 15,000 troops in the region as part of what the Pentagon has branded “Operation Southern Spear.” White House press secretary Karoline Leavitt said Monday that Trump was “meeting with his national security team on this subject and on many matters,” adding, “It’s part of his responsibility to ensure that peace is ongoing throughout the world.”

Read more: https://www.cnn.com/2025/12/01/politics/trump-venezuela-meeting