Trump says Greenland’s defense is ‘two dog sleds’ as he pushes for US acquisition of territory
President Donald Trump said the U.S. must acquire Greenland — not lease it — arguing the Arctic territory lacks defenses and warning that Russia or China would move in if Washington does not act, a move he said is critical to U.S. and NATO security. While speaking with reporters on Air Force One on Sunday night, Trump was asked about Greenland and whether the U.S. had made an offer to acquire the territory from Denmark. “I haven’t done that. Greenland should make the deal because Greenland does not want to see Russia or China take over,” he said. “Basically, their defense is two dog sleds. You know that? You know what their defense is? Two dog sleds. “In the meantime, you have Russian destroyers and submarines, and China destroyers and submarines all over the place,” Trump continued. “We’re not going to let that happen, and if it affects NATO, then it affects NATO. But, you know, they need us more than we need them, I will tell you that right now.” DENMARK SUMMONS US ENVOY OVER ALLEGED COVERT GREENLAND INTERFERENCE OPERATIONS The president was also clear that his administration is not talking about leasing Greenland short term, but only about acquiring the Danish territory. “If we don’t do it, Russia or China will, and that’s not going to happen when I’m president,” Trump said. The remarks followed renewed pushback from Greenland’s leadership, which rejected calls from Trump and members of his administration for the U.S. to take control of the island. TOP CANADIAN OFFICIALS TO VISIT GREENLAND AMID INTERNATIONAL FEARS AS TRUMP EYES NATO-LINKED TERRITORY Several Trump administration officials have echoed the president’s position, arguing that Greenland’s strategic location makes U.S. control a national security imperative. Greenland Prime Minister Jens-Frederik Nielsen and four party leaders said Friday night that the island has no interest in becoming part of the U.S. or Denmark, according to The Associated Press. Greenland, a self-governing Danish territory and longtime U.S. ally, has repeatedly dismissed Trump’s suggestions that the U.S. should acquire the island. NEW TRUMP ADMIN ENVOY SAYS US WON’T ‘CONQUER’ GREENLAND, EMPHASIZES TALKS WITH LOCALS AS DENMARK BALKS AT MOVE “We don’t want to be Americans, we don’t want to be Danes, we want to be Greenlanders,” the leaders said, adding that Greenland’s “future must be decided by the Greenlandic people.” The statement also criticized Washington’s rhetoric toward the island. “As Greenlandic party leaders, we would like to emphasize once again our wish that the United States’ contempt for our country ends,” it said. Danish Prime Minister Mette Frederiksen warned last week that Trump’s annexation comments could threaten NATO itself, saying any U.S. military action against a NATO ally would effectively end the alliance and the security framework that has existed since World War II. “If the U.S. chooses to attack another NATO country militarily, then everything stops,” Frederiksen told Danish broadcaster TV2. Nielsen underscored that position the same day, writing in a Facebook post that Greenland is “not an object of superpower rhetoric.” The Associated Press contributed to this report.
Trump says Iran ‘starting to’ cross US red lines as protesters die in government crackdown
President Donald Trump said Sunday that Iran is “starting to” cross U.S. red lines, citing reports of civilian deaths and warning that any attack on American interests would be met with overwhelming force as his administration weighs what he called “very strong options.” Trump spoke to reporters aboard Air Force One while traveling from Palm Beach, Florida, back to Washington, D.C., after being asked whether Iran had crossed a threshold that would trigger a response. “They’re starting to, it looks like, and there seem to be some people killed that aren’t supposed to be killed,” the president said. “These are violent — if you call them leaders, I don’t know if their leaders or just if they rule through violence. And, we’re looking at some very strong options. We’ll make a determination.” Some protesters were killed in a stampede while others were shot, Trump later said, adding that he receives hourly briefings and will decide based on ongoing reports. EXILED IRANIAN CROWN PRINCE URGES TRUMP TO HELP AS PROTESTS AGAINST ISLAMIC REGIME INTENSIFY: ‘MAN OF PEACE’ The comments came just days after Trump warned the U.S. would respond forcefully if the Iranian regime escalates its crackdown. “Iran’s in big trouble,” he said. “It looks to me that the people are taking over certain cities that nobody thought were really possible just a few weeks ago. We’re watching the situation very carefully.” EXILED IRANIAN PRINCE SAYS REGIME ‘VERY CLOSE TO COLLAPSING’ AMID NATIONWIDE UNREST Trump added, “We’ll be hitting them very hard where it hurts. And that doesn’t mean boots on the ground, but it means hitting them very, very hard where it hurts.” Protests had spread to at least 190 cities across Iran by Saturday, according to the National Council of Resistance in Iran. ARMED IRANIAN PROTESTERS BATTLE POLICE IN TEHRAN STREETS AS TRUMP WARNS OF FORCEFUL US RESPONSE The Associated Press reported Sunday that activists claimed at least 544 people have been killed, with more feared dead. Tehran also warned that the U.S. military and Israel would be considered “legitimate targets” if the U.S. intervenes to protect demonstrators. More than 10,600 people have been detained during the more than two weeks of protests, according to the U.S.-based Human Rights Activists News Agency, which the AP noted has been accurate during previous unrest. The group said 496 of those killed were protesters and 48 were members of security forces. Authorities also imposed a sweeping internet blackout this week, largely cutting Iran off from the outside world as anti-regime protests spread and officials escalated threats of harsh punishment. Fox News’ Efrat Lachter and Brie Stimson, as well as The Associated Press, contributed to this report.
Trump’s motorcade route adjusted after Secret Service finds ‘suspicious object’ at Palm Beach airport
A suspicious object discovered during a security sweep at Palm Beach International Airport ahead of President Donald Trump’s departure from Mar-a-Lago in Florida on Sunday prompted the U.S. Secret Service to adjust the presidential motorcade route, the White House said. The discovery did not disrupt Trump’s travel schedule, officials said, as agents evaluated the item and made security adjustments out of an abundance of caution. “During advance sweeps of PBI Airport, a suspicious object was discovered by USSS,” White House press secretary Karoline Leavitt said. “A further investigation was warranted and the presidential motorcade route was adjusted accordingly.” PROSECUTORS PRESENT FINAL WITNESS TYING RYAN ROUTH TO TRUMP’S GOLF CLUB AND GUN PURCHASE The latest security concern follows a separate incident months earlier, when the U.S. Secret Service discovered a suspicious hunting stand positioned with a direct line of sight to where Trump exits Air Force One at Palm Beach International Airport. That find was made in October, when agents located the elevated stand but did not find anyone in the surrounding area. TONY HAWK, TAIWAN AND A FLASHLIGHT: TRUMP ASSASSINATION ATTEMPT SUSPECT’S BIZARRE DEFENSE “Prior to the President’s return to West Palm Beach, USSS discovered what appeared to be an elevated hunting stand within sight line of the Air Force One landing zone,” FBI Director Kash Patel told Fox News Digital at the time. “No individuals were located at the scene. The FBI has since taken the investigatory lead, flying in resources to collect all evidence from the scene, and deploying our cell phone analytics capabilities.” A law enforcement source later told Fox News Digital the stand appeared to have been in place for “months” before it was discovered. PROSECUTORS TO WRAP TRUMP ASSASSINATION ATTEMPT CASE AS DEFENSE READIES WITNESSES The hunting stand incident came just weeks after Ryan Routh was found guilty of attempting to assassinate Trump on his Palm Beach golf course, where prosecutors said he had established a sniper’s nest hidden in bushes along a fence line. That case followed an earlier assassination attempt in which Trump was shot in the ear during a campaign rally in Butler, Pennsylvania. Fox News Digital’s Anders Hagstrom contributed to this report.
Jacob Frey tells critics ‘sorry I offended their delicate ears’ after ICE f-bomb controversy
Minneapolis Mayor Jacob Frey on Sunday defended the profanity-laced remarks he made last week after an Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) agent fatally shot a driver during an enforcement operation. Last Wednesday, Frey told ICE officials to “get the f— out of Minneapolis,” sharply criticizing federal authorities for operating in a city that did not welcome the Trump administration’s aggressive immigration agenda. His comments drew widespread criticism, with some authorities asserting that the driver aggravated the situation and prompted an officer to open fire in self-defense. “To those that are offended, I’m sorry I offended their delicate ears,” Frey said during NBC News’ “Meet the Press.” Frey added that while he has a responsibility as mayor to help defuse heated situations, he argued that his explicit comments do not outweigh the fact that someone was killed. DHS DEPLOYING HUNDREDS MORE FEDERAL AGENTS TO MINNEAPOLIS, NOEM ANNOUNCES “Of course, I bear responsibility to bring down the temperature,” he added. “That’s part of my role as mayor. And by the way, protests here in Minneapolis are peaceful. We had, I don’t know, 10,000 or so people that were protesting and marching yesterday. And virtually all of it was a very peaceful expression of First Amendment rights.” “But as far as who inflamed the situation, you know, I dropped an f-bomb,” Frey said. “And they killed somebody. I think the killing somebody is the inflammatory element here, not the f-bomb, which I’m sure we’ve all heard before.” MAYOR JACOB FREY TELLS ICE TO ‘GET THE F‑– OUT OF MINNEAPOLIS,’ REJECTS DHS SELF‑DEFENSE STATEMENT Earlier Sunday morning, Frey again reaffirmed his earlier remarks in a post on X – this time omitting the expletives – writing, “Today is a good day for ICE to get out of Minnesota.” A federal ICE agent in Minneapolis shot and killed 37-year-old Renee Nicole Good on Wednesday after her vehicle was stopped on a residential street, partially blocking the roadway during a federal enforcement operation. The shooting has prompted widespread backlash and protests, with federal officials calling Good’s actions an attempt to run down officers in an act of “domestic terrorism,” while witnesses and local leaders claimed that Good was attempting to leave the area as ICE agents surrounded her.
US used sonic weapon on Venezuelan troops, report shared by Leavitt claims
A viral story from a man claiming to have witnessed the U.S. operation to capture Venezuelan President Nicolas Maduro states that the U.S. used sonic weapons during the mission to incapacitate opposing forces. White House press secretary Karoline Leavitt shared the eyewitness interview on X, encouraging her followers to read the statement. The witness in the interview claims to be a guard who was serving at the Caracas military base where the U.S. captured Maduro. “We were on guard, but suddenly all our radar systems shut down without any explanation,” the witness said. “The next thing we saw were drones, a lot of drones, flying over our positions. We didn’t know how to react.” The witness then described watching roughly 20 U.S. soldiers deploy out of roughly eight helicopters over the base. RUBIO DEFENDS VENEZUELA OPERATION AFTER NBC QUESTIONS LACK OF CONGRESSIONAL APPROVAL FOR MADURO CAPTURE “They were technologically very advanced,” the guard said. “They didn’t look like anything we’ve fought against before.” “We were hundreds, but we had no chance,” he said. “They were shooting with such precision and speed; it felt like each soldier was firing 300 rounds per minute.” The witness then describes the U.S. deploying some sort of sonic weapon against Venezuelan forces. VANCE SAYS CROCKETT ‘DOESN’T KNOW WHAT SHE’S TALKING ABOUT’ ON VENEZUELA MADURO OPERATION “At one point, they launched something; I don’t know how to describe it,” he said. “It was like a very intense sound wave. Suddenly I felt like my head was exploding from the inside.” “We all started bleeding from the nose,” he added. “Some were vomiting blood. We fell to the ground, unable to move. We couldn’t even stand up after that sonic weapon — or whatever it was.” “Those twenty men, without a single casualty, killed hundreds of us,” the witness claimed. “We had no way to compete with their technology, with their weapons. I swear, I’ve never seen anything like it.” The White House did not immediately respond to Fox News Digital when asked whether Leavitt’s sharing of the post constituted confirmation of its veracity. The Pentagon also did not immediately respond when asked if the U.S. deployed sonic or energy weapons in Venezuela.
DHS deploying hundreds more federal agents to Minneapolis, Noem announces
Department of Homeland Security (DHS) Secretary Kristi Noem said Sunday the government is sending additional federal agents to Minnesota to protect immigration officers and continue enforcement operations amid rising tensions following the fatal shooting of a U.S. citizen. Noem told “Sunday Morning Futures” host Maria Bartiromo that DHS will be sending hundreds more agents on Sunday and Monday to Minneapolis to allow Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) and Border Patrol agents to do their work “safely.” “If they conduct violent activities against law enforcement, if they impede our operations, that’s a crime, and we will hold them accountable to those consequences,” she said, referring to clashes between some protesters and federal agents outside an ICE facility and the Bishop Henry Whipple Federal Building over the weekend. The protests, which have spread to other cities, including Los Angeles, Portland and New York, come after an ICE officer fatally shot 37-year-old Renee Nicole Good, who DHS alleges “weaponized her vehicle” and “attempted to run a law enforcement officer over.” EXPERT WARNS PAINTING SLAIN ANTI-ICE ACTIVIST AS ‘GEORGE FLOYD 2.0’ WILL FAIL Video of the shooting has become a political flashpoint, with some saying it supports the government’s position that the agent acted in self-defense and others saying the footage calls into question DHS’ explanation and raises broader concerns about the use of force by ICE officers. The shooting remains under federal investigation. Minneapolis Mayor Jacob Frey wrote in an op-ed in The New York Times that the Trump administration pushed a “false narrative” about the shooting and demonized Good. NEW VIDEO SHOWS MINUTES LEADING UP TO DEADLY MINNEAPOLIS ICE SHOOTING “The chaos that ICE and the Trump administration have brought to Minneapolis made this tragedy sadly predictable,” he wrote. “I’ve watched multiple videos, from multiple perspectives — it seems clear that Ms. Good, a mother of three, was trying to leave the scene, not attack an agent,” he added. DHS Assistant Secretary Tricia McLaughlin told Fox News Digital on Thursday that since Operation Metro Surge began, DHS law enforcement has arrested more than 1,500 individuals, including alleged murderers, pedophiles, rapists, and gang members across Minnesota. “Every single day our law enforcement officers put their lives on the line to arrest the worst of the worst criminal illegal aliens from American communities,” McLaughlin said. “We will not let rioters slow us down from making Minnesota safe again—something Governor Walz and Mayor Frey REFUSED to do.”
Federal judge blocks Trump administration from enforcing mail-in voting rules in executive order
A federal judge in Washington state on Friday blocked the Trump administration from enforcing key parts of an executive order that sought to change how states administer federal elections, ruling the president lacked authority to apply those provisions to Washington and Oregon. U.S. District Judge John Chun held that several provisions of Executive Order 14248 violated the separation of powers and exceeded the president’s authority. “As stated by the Supreme Court, although the Constitution vests the executive power in the President, ‘[i]n the framework of our Constitution, the President’s power to see that the laws are faithfully executed refutes the idea that he is to be a lawmaker,’” Chun wrote in his 75-page ruling. FEDERAL APPEALS COURT RULES AGAINST TRUMP’S BIRTHRIGHT CITIZENSHIP EXECUTIVE ORDER White House spokeswoman Abigail Jackson told Fox News Digital in a statement: “President Trump cares deeply about the integrity of our elections and his executive order takes lawful actions to ensure election security. This is not the final say on the matter and the Administration expects ultimate victory on the issue.” Washington and Oregon filed a lawsuit in April contending the executive order signed by President Donald Trump in March violated the Constitution by attempting to set rules for how states conduct elections, including ballot counting, voter registration and voting equipment. DOJ TARGETS NONCITIZENS ON VOTER ROLLS AS PART OF TRUMP ELECTION INTEGRITY PUSH “Today’s ruling is a huge victory for voters in Washington and Oregon, and for the rule of law,” Washington Attorney General Nick Brown said in response to the Jan. 9 ruling, according to The Associated Press. “The court enforced the long-standing constitutional rule that only States and Congress can regulate elections, not the Election Denier-in-Chief.” Executive Order 14248 directed federal agencies to require documentary proof of citizenship on federal voter registration forms and sought to require that absentee and mail-in ballots be received by Election Day in order to be counted. The order also instructed the attorney general to take enforcement action against states that include such ballots in their final vote tallies if they arrive after that deadline. “We oppose requirements that suppress eligible voters and will continue to advocate for inclusive and equitable access to registration while protecting the integrity of the process. The U.S. Constitution guarantees that all qualified voters have a constitutionally protected right to vote and to have their votes counted,” said Washington Secretary of State Steve Hobbs in a statement issued when the lawsuit was filed last year. “We will work with the Washington Attorney General’s Office to defend our constitutional authority and ensure Washington’s elections remain secure, fair, and accessible,” Hobbs added. Chun noted in his ruling that Washington and Oregon do not certify election results on Election Day, a practice shared by every U.S. state and territory, which allows them to count mail-in ballots received after Election Day as long as the ballots were postmarked on or before that day and arrived before certification under state law.
Obama Presidential Center slammed for promoting ‘far-left’ agenda on public land
The Illinois Republican Party has blasted as “divisive” the hiring language the Obama Foundation is using for the Obama Presidential Center, arguing it shows the privately run project is using public land to advance a political agenda. The Obama Foundation, which is developing the hotly debated center on Chicago’s South Side, recently advertised roughly 150 jobs at the facility, stating that successful applicants are expected to align with the foundation’s “anti-racism” goals. “It’s an Illinois Democrat tradition to insert divisive, far-left policies into the lives of everyday Americans and to balk at the rule of law,” Illinois Republican Party Chair Kathy Salvi told Fox News Digital. OBAMA PRESIDENTIAL CENTER DEPOSITS JUST $1M INTO $470M RESERVE FUND AIMED TO PROTECT TAXPAYERS “The Obama Center is no different. It is a recipient of taxpayer funds built on public lands and flouts ‘anti-racism’ hiring goals,” Salvi said. “But such employment practices sound discriminatory and unmoored from any assessment of merit.” The Obama Foundation secured control of a 19.3-acre section of Jackson Park — often described as Chicago’s equivalent of Central Park — under a 99-year agreement for just $10, after city officials approved the project under the premise that the center would function as a civic institution serving the public interest. Opponents argued the land transfer violated the public trust doctrine, a legal principle requiring public land to serve a public purpose, and filed multiple lawsuits seeking to halt construction. The courts ultimately allowed the project to proceed without adjudicating the merits of those claims. While commonly referred to as a presidential “library,” the Obama Presidential Center is not operated by the National Archives and Records Administration (NARA) and does not function as a traditional presidential library. Instead, it is run entirely by the Obama Foundation, the former president’s private nonprofit organization, which also oversees leadership and civic programs reflecting the values and priorities of former President Barack Obama. The foundation will operate from the center and oversee a 225-foot-tall museum, conference facilities, a gymnasium and a regulation-sized NBA court. There will also be a digital library, although it will not house original presidential records in the same manner as NARA-run libraries. Construction costs for the site have ballooned from an original estimate of $330 million to at least $850 million, and the project has also relied on publicly funded infrastructure work surrounding the site. OBAMA LIBRARY, BEGUN WITH LOFTY DEI GOALS, NOW PLAGUED BY $40M RACIALLY CHARGED SUIT, BALLOONING COSTS The foundation committed to creating a $470 million endowment — a reserve fund commonly used by nonprofits and universities to help cover long-term operating costs by generating investment income — but its latest tax filings show that only $1 million has ever been deposited. Salvi said the hiring language reinforces concerns that the Obama Presidential Center is operating as an ideological institution despite being built on public land under a civic justification. For instance, job postings state that the foundation is “deeply committed to creating an actively anti-racist organization, leveraging our global reach to combat systemic racism and inequity wherever it exists.” “Anti-racism” is the belief that people must not simply eschew racism, but must actively fight any perception of it. The term came into widespread use amid the rise of Black Lives Matter, and was touted by author Ibram X. Kendi in his 2019 book, “How to Be an Antiracist.” Critics say anti-racism stresses outcomes over opportunity and assigns collective guilt to people who may be unfairly viewed as “oppressors” based on their own skin color. The Obama Center’s postings link to the foundation’s anti-racism and equity statement, which describes a commitment to embedding anti-racism into hiring, leadership programs and organizational practices. It also shows two people of color marching and holding hands with their fists raised in the air. “In the United States, we are still grappling — in ways large and small — with the legacy of slavery and Jim Crow and the scourge of racism,” the statement reads. “That’s why our goal is to make sure every member of the Foundation team is committed to anti-racism, sets expectations for how we will engage, and makes space for the work,” the statement continues. “We’re focused on making sure our actions match our intent — removing barriers for diverse vendors, building anti-racism and equity into our hiring practices, and recruiting diverse cohorts for our leadership programs.” OBAMA LIBRARY, BEGUN WITH LOFTY DEI GOALS, NOW PLAGUED BY $40M RACIALLY CHARGED SUIT, BALLOONING COSTS Critics like Salvi have also pointed to the project’s long-standing emphasis on diversity, equity and inclusion initiatives as evidence that ideological priorities were embedded into the center from its inception. Those initiatives have already given rise to real-world legal and financial disputes. As Fox News Digital previously reported, a Black-owned construction subcontractor filed a $40 million discrimination lawsuit tied to the project, alleging racially discriminatory treatment by an engineering firm involved in construction. The engineering firm has argued that diversity-driven contracting decisions resulted in less qualified subcontractors being selected, contributing to inferior workmanship, delays and cost overruns. WATCH: The Brian Kilmeade Show: Obama Presidential Center rocked by $40M racial bias lawsuit “The Illinois Republican Party stands with President Trump and the Justice Department to end the tyranny of DEI and woke, performative politics plaguing the federal government, our military and the private sector,” Salvi said. “As the Trump Administration investigates such employment practices at-large, we will continue to demand accountability and fairness from civic and educational sites like the Obama Center claims to be.” The Obama Foundation responded to criticism of its hiring language by pointing to its stated values. “Our values remain the same as the day we began; we will continue to actively work to combat racism as we strive to build a more perfect union,” Emily Bittner, the foundation’s vice president of communications, said in a statement to Fox News Digital. Supporters of the project have said the Obama Presidential Center will serve as a cultural and educational anchor on Chicago’s South Side and
Ilhan Omar kicked out of ICE facility after DHS requires week’s advance notice
Rep. Ilhan Omar, D-Minn., says she and other Minnesota lawmakers were kicked out of an Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) facility in Minneapolis on Saturday. Omar visited ICE’s Whipple Building alongside fellow Minnesota Democrat Rep. Angie Craig, saying they were fulfilling their congressional oversight role. They were asked to leave the facility after being informed about a new Trump administration rule governing lawmaker visits. “We were initially invited in to do our congressional oversight and to exercise our Article I duties,” Omar told reporters after the incident. “When we made it in, it was with the authorization of someone who’s been here for a really long time, who understood that we had a congressional duty to enter the building and see the facility.” “Shortly after we were let in, two officials came in and said they received a message that we were no longer allowed to be in the building and that they were rescinding our invitation and denying any further access to the building,” she continued. JEFFRIES CALLS NOEM ‘STONE-COLD LIAR’ OVER MINNEAPOLIS SHOOTING RESPONSE, DEMAND INVESTIGATIONS President Donald Trump‘s administration imposed a new rule on Saturday requiring lawmakers to give at least one week’s notice before entering an ICE facility. The move is the administration’s second attempt at such an order. A federal judge previously struck down a similar requirement from Homeland Security Secretary Kristi Noem, finding that federal spending laws require that members of Congress receive unrestricted access to recipient facilities. LAWMAKERS PROBE SBA LOANS LINKED TO MINNESOTA’S $9B FRAUD SCANDAL: ‘RECKLESS DECISION MAKING’ Omar said her group was able to briefly question officials inside the facility regarding hygiene for detainees and other topics. She described the answers she received as “insane,” and argued officials were downplaying how long detainees remain at the facility. Federal officials say the new order complies with federal law because the funding for the facility is sourced from the One Big Beautiful Bill Act rather than congressional appropriations. DHS spokeswoman Tricia McLaughlin elaborated on Omar’s removal in a statement to reporters, arguing that the lawmakers entered the facility “with the explicit goal of ‘hunting down’ ICE officers who they believed may have been staying there.” “For the safety of detainees and staff, and in compliance with the agency’s mandate, the members of Congress were notified that their visit was improper and out of compliance with existing court orders and policies which mandate that members of Congress must notify ICE at least seven days in advance of congressional visits,” she said.
Trump ultimatum to Cuba: ‘Make a deal, before it is too late’ or face consequences
President Donald Trump signaled a hardline stance toward Cuba on Sunday, vowing to halt all oil and financial support and urging the island nation to “make a deal” before it is “too late.” “THERE WILL BE NO MORE OIL OR MONEY GOING TO CUBA – ZERO! I strongly suggest they make a deal, BEFORE IT IS TOO LATE,” Trump wrote in a Truth Social post. ‘WE BUILT VENEZUELA’S OIL INDUSTRY:’ TRUMP VOWS US ENERGY RETURN AFTER MADURO CAPTURE Venezuela has long been Cuba’s largest oil supplier, though Trump has successfully secured oil shipments to the U.S. on the heels of former Venezuelan President Nicolas Maduro‘s capture by U.S. forces. “Cuba lived, for many years, on large amounts of OIL and MONEY from Venezuela,” Trump added. The warning comes as the Trump administration intensifies its efforts to isolate regional allies of Venezuela following Maduro’s capture. Venezuela’s massive oil reserves, the largest in the world, have historically underpinned its influence across the region, particularly through subsidized shipments to allies like Cuba. VENEZUELA STILL OWES US ENERGY COMPANIES BILLIONS AS TRUMP CALLS FOR NEW INVESTMENT That leverage is now at the center of Trump’s push to reshape regional energy flows following the collapse of Venezuela’s former government. On Friday, Trump hosted a lineup of U.S. and international oil executives representing key sectors of Venezuela’s energy supply chain, including producers, refiners and traders. Trump pledged to bring U.S. companies back to the forefront of Venezuelan oil production and exports, according to people familiar with the discussions.