Trump not ruling out boots on the ground in Venezuela, Greenland Submitted by Yasmine El-Sabawi on Wed, 01/07/2026 - 18:18 'American dominance' will continue in western hemisphere, press secretary Karoline Leavitt says White House press secretary Karoline Leavitt holds a press briefing at the White House in Washington, DC, on 7 January 2026 (Kevin Lamarque/Reuters) Off US President Donald Trump is not ruling out the use of further military force in Venezuela, or the acquisition of Greenland from Denmark by force, White House press secretary Karoline Leavitt told reporters on Wednesday. "The president, of course, reserves the right to use the United States military if necessary," she said. "It's not something he wants to do. Diplomacy is always the first option. As you saw, he tried that with Nicolas Maduro, but unfortunately, he was an illegitimate dictator and an unserious person, and so President Trump authorised this law enforcement operation, and now Nicolas Maduro is sitting in a prison cell in New York," Leavitt added. "All options are always on the table for President Trump as he examines what's in the best interest of the United States." US special forces abducted Venezuela's president from the capital, Caracas, on Saturday as American fighter jets bombed key military installations and bases across the country. No US personnel were killed, but about 80 security forces and civilians were killed, according to the AP. Along with his wife, Nicolas Maduro is now facing trial in federal court in New York City and will be jailed as the process plays out. He has pleaded not guilty to all charges. Since that operation, which Trump has hailed as a "tremendous success", he has revived his bid to take over Greenland from Denmark. Several European officials - in perhaps their strongest reaction yet vis-a-vis the Trump administration's policies - have signalled that the move would cross a red line. "The acquisition of Greenland by the United States is not a new idea. This is something that presidents dating back to the 1800s have said is advantageous for America's national security," Leavitt said. "The president has been very open and clear with all of you and with the world that he views it in the best interest of the United States to deter Russian and Chinese aggression in the Arctic region." American dominance On Tuesday, The Wall Street Journal reported that at a closed-door meeting with US lawmakers, US Secretary of State Marco Rubio said Trump's threats to take Greenland by force were only intended to bring Denmark to the negotiating table. He is also reported to have discussed Trump's demand that the interim leadership of Venezuela cut ties with China, Russia, Iran, and Cuba if it wants US oil sanctions lifted. "I know that there's a lot of leaks coming out of these classified briefings, so I'm not going to confirm or deny... but I think that the administration has made it quite clear to the interim authorities in Venezuela that this is the western hemisphere, and American dominance is going to continue under this president," Leavitt said. Trump's Venezuela oil gambit depends on a 'swashbuckling' attitude the market lacks Read More » Earlier on Wednesday, the US, working in conjunction with the UK military, seized an oil tanker in the North Atlantic that it has dubbed the "Bella 1". Leavitt said that because there was a judicial seizure order for that ship, "the crew is now subject to prosecution for any applicable violation of [US] federal law, and they will be brought to the United States for such prosecution if necessary". A second vessel, which the US has dubbed the "Sofia", was also later boarded in the Caribbean. They were both "stateless, dark fleet" ships attempting to violate US oil sanctions on Venezuela, according to the White House. "The Department of War is unwavering in its mission to crush illicit activity in the western hemisphere. And as the president has repeatedly stated, we're going to defend our homeland and restore security and strength across the Americas." As for Trump's stunning announcement late on Tuesday that he will personally control the proceeds from the sale of tens of millions of barrels of Venezuelan oil that the country is turning over to him, Leavitt said it "was a deal made by the president and his team with the Venezuelan interim authorities". This will benefit both the American people and the Venezuelan people," she added. "This was the sanctioned oil that was basically just sitting in barrels, sitting on ships because of the effective quarantine of the United States of America, and the interim authorities have agreed to release that oil to the United States, so it will be arriving here at home very soon." The US government has already begun marketing that Venezuelan crude oil in the global marketplace and notified leading commodity marketers and major banks, Leavitt told reporters. "All proceeds from the sale of Venezuelan crude oil and products will first settle in US-controlled accounts at globally recognised banks to guarantee the legitimacy and integrity of the ultimate distribution of proceeds, and those funds will be dispersed for the benefit of the American people and the Venezuelan people at the discretion of the United States government," she said. Venezuela crisis Washington News Post Date Override 0 Update Date Mon, 05/04/2020 - 21:19 Update Date Override 0