Trump’s vexing Venezuela position | The Playbook Podcast

The Trump administration pressure campaign against Venezuela and strikes against alleged drug-trafficking boats in the region are coming under increased scrutiny after reporting that caught the attention of bipartisan members of Congress. President Donald Trump offered cautious support for Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth’s involvement. It comes after Trump’s controversial decision to pardon former Honduran President Juan Orlando Hernandez, who was convicted in the U.S. of drug trafficking. Playbook’s Jack Blanchard and White House Bureau Chief Dasha Burns break down what to expect next, plus Trump’s next immigration crackdown. Chapters: 00:00 Intro 00:40 Venezuela strikes & Hegseth controversy 03:10 Trump distances himself from the story 05:20 Possible U.S. military move in Venezuela 07:50 Witkoff heads to Putin for Ukraine talks 10:30 GOP special election in Tennessee 12:20 New ICE crackdown in New Orleans 14:10 White House Christmas reveal ----------------------------------------- Subscribe to our channel! https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCgjtvMmHXbutALaw9XzRkAg?view_as=subscriber Check out our video catalog: https://www.politico.com/video Follow POLITICO here: ➤ X: https://x.com/politico/ ➤ Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/politico/ ➤ Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/politico/