Stephen Miller Dodges Question on Whether Trump Will Send Troops to Venezuela
Deputy White House Chief of Staff for Policy Stephen Miller declined to rule out U.S. soldiers in Venezuela as President Donald Trump ramps up hostilities in the region.
Trump has ordered several bombings on Venezuelan boats in the Caribbean in recent weeks, killing dozens of people. Trump has alleged the boats were full of “narcoterrorists” trafficking drugs. The administration has provided no evidence to justify the bombings, which are legally suspect, according to experts.
On Friday, Secretary of Defense Pete Hegseth deployed an aircraft carrier to the South American coast.
Miller took questions outside the White House on Friday, where a reporter asked about Trump’s suggestion that the U.S. may bomb inside Venezuela.
“Can you speak to that?” she said. “And given that Venezuela is not a cocaine-abusing country, can you explain what the plans are there?”
“So obviously, I would not now or ever get into any detailed discussion to address any of the things mentioned in your question in any way,” he said. “But I do want to address the broader issue of narcotics and the war on cartels and foreign terrorist organizations. So Venezuela, of course, is a central hub for narcotics trafficking across the Western Hemisphere. Also, weapons trafficking, also human trafficking as well.”
He went on to call drug cartels “the ISIS of the Western Hemisphere.”
Moments later, another reporter asked about the potential for U.S. soldiers on the ground in Venezuela.
“Would you consider, would the administration consider putting U.S. Troops on the ground in any capacity inside Venezuela?” the reporter inquired.
“Well, I would refer to what Secretary Hegseth said yesterday in terms of how the Department of War is viewing the issue of the strategies that are being used to fight these terrorists in the Western Hemisphere,” Miller replied. “And I’ll just continue to reiterate what I said before. I know that you want more detailed answers than I can provide. But these are terrorists and they’re going to be killed.”
Hegseth has routinely celebrated the strikes on each Venezuelan boat, but appears not to have addressed whether the U.S. would consider deploying ground troops to the country.
Watch above via C-SPAN.
