Trump rebuffs questions about details of seized oil tanker and says Colombia 'will be next' – live updates

US Seizes Oil Tanker Off Venezuela Coast, Trump Threatens Colombia; Democrats Flip Georgia House Seat

In a major escalation of his campaign against Venezuela's dictator Nicolás Maduro, President Donald Trump confirmed that the United States has seized an oil tanker off the coast of Venezuela. The move is part of Trump's pressure campaign against Maduro's government.

When asked about details of the operation, Trump rebuffed questions, saying, "You'll discuss that with the appropriate people later on." He also stated that pictures of the operation "probably have been released by now."

Trump did not address a question about whether Maduro has been offered asylum or other forms of aid. However, he warned that Colombia's president, Gustavo Petro, is next in line to face Trump's wrath if he does not "wise up" regarding alleged illicit drug trafficking.

The comments come as Trump continues his aggressive campaign against Venezuela's government and Maduro. The US has imposed economic sanctions on the country, and Trump has repeatedly called for Maduro to step down.

In a separate development, Democrats have flipped a Republican-held seat in Georgia, winning the 121st House district that Donald Trump won by double digits in the 2024 presidential election. This marks another victory for the Democratic Party in a special election across the US.

Meanwhile, the Federal Reserve has cut interest rates for the third time this year, but the decision was met with division among Fed officials. The move aims to combat inflation and stabilize the economy, which has been affected by major economic shake-ups, including tariffs and changes to the labor force from Trump's immigration policies.

In a statement, the Department of Homeland Security confirmed that it has signed a nearly $140 million contract to purchase six Boeing 737 planes for deportation operations. The contract is aimed at helping the US enforce its border security policies.

The latest diplomatic development involves Ukraine, where President Volodymyr Zelenskyy is set to hand over a revised version of a peace plan to US negotiators ahead of his upcoming video call with the "coalition of the willing."

just heard about this oil tanker thingy... dont really get why trumps all up in colombias grill tho... like, can't they just have a chill conversation? meanwhile in usa politics, democrats are winning seats and the fed is messing with interest rates... inflation's still a thing... but hey, at least theres some good news about those new planes for deportation operations... hope that helps keep borders secure

this whole thing just got super complicated like what's really going on here? trump thinks he can just take over venezuela like that? but at the same time, he's threatening colombia too... it feels like a big power play. and what about maduro, is he just gonna sit there while his country gets taken over? meanwhile in the us, democrats are flipping seats left and right... maybe this means trump's party is losing steam? anyway, this whole thing has me shook

I'm not sure why Trump's just trying to make a big show about Venezuela again . Like, what's he even gonna do, pull out a giant puppet and say 'you gotta go' ? It's all just politics, fam. He thinks threatening Colombia is gonna get him somewhere? Please, it's not that simple . And btw, how much did the oil tanker actually cost to seize? Like, was it worth it for Trump's ego trip?

Umm, gotta correct you - it's Trump, not president, duh! And btw, seizing an oil tanker off Venezuela coast isn't exactly a new move, the US has been doing that since 2019. It's more like a continuation of their pressure campaign against Maduro's gov. Plus, Colombia's president, Gustavo Petro, didn't do anything wrong so I don't see why Trump is threatening him

And omg, Democrats flipping a seat in Georgia? That's old news by now They won that seat back in 2024, what's the big deal? It's not like it's going to change much. And as for the Fed cutting interest rates... yeah, good luck with that, inflation's still gonna be a problem

Lastly, the Dept of Homeland Security signing a contract for Boeing planes ? That's just more money being wasted on deportation ops. We need to focus on solving real issues like climate change and economic inequality

so like Trump thinks he's all tough just seized this oil tanker off Venezuela coast, but what's the end game here? Is he really gonna take down Maduro or is it just some random move to look good on twitter ? And btw, Colombia's president should probs be worried more about the environment damage from these tankers than some empty threats from trump

so trump does this thing with venezuela and colombia and meanwhile they're trying to figure out if maduro has asylum options or not sounds like some kinda drama going on. and what's up with colombia? is petro just gonna take the heat for someone else's problems? anyway, it's all pretty shady but I guess that's politics right?

The US's actions towards Venezuela are causing quite a stir. I think it's interesting that Trump is using economic sanctions and now seizing an oil tanker as a means to pressure Maduro into stepping down. While some might view this as a bold move, it also highlights the complexities of international relations and the need for diplomacy.

It's also worth noting that the recent flipping of the Georgia House seat by Democrats could have implications for the balance of power in Congress . The Federal Reserve's decision to cut interest rates is a bit puzzling, especially given the mixed reactions among Fed officials. Overall, it seems like there are many developments happening simultaneously, and it will be interesting to see how they all play out .

just saw this news and I'm like "wait, what's going on?! " First, the US seizes an oil tanker off Venezuela's coast? That's some serious moves by Trump. And now he's threatening Colombia's president? Like, chill dude . It feels like he's trying to make a point or something.

I'm not sure about this whole thing, but it does feel like another example of the US trying to exert its influence over other countries. I mean, have they even thought about the potential consequences of their actions? And what about Maduro and Colombia's president? Are we just supposed to sit back and watch as Trump wreaks havoc on their economies and lives?

On a more positive note, it's great to see Democrats taking back some seats in Georgia! That's definitely a step in the right direction for them. And hey, at least the Federal Reserve is trying to do something about inflation . Fingers crossed they get it right this time.

But what really caught my eye was that Department of Homeland Security signing a contract for more planes for deportation operations ️. Like, aren't we already deporting people left and right? Don't we have better things to focus on than building up our deportation fleet?

Uh, I guess that's just the state of politics these days...