Donald Trump has issued a profanity-laced threat to Venezuelan president Nicolás Maduro, declaring “he doesn’t wanna f--- around with the United States.”
The president dropped the F-bomb during a White House meeting with Ukraine President Volodmymr Zelensky, designed to get his country closer to a peace deal with Russia.
But attention soon turned to the lethal strikes the U.S has conducted against alleged drug boats off the coast of Venezuela.
Asked what Maduro could do to end his country’s clash with the U.S, Trump replied: “He has offered everything, you’re right. You know why? Because he doesn’t want to f--- around with the United States.”
After swearing, the president immediately ended the press conference, telling reporters: “Thank you very much everyone.”
But while stunned broadcasters either apologized to viewers or swiftly moved on, White House press secretary Karoline Leavitt later posted a clip of Trump’s remarks with a mic-drop emoji.
The comments come amid news that the U.S had conducted yet another strike in the Caribbean Sea, despite growing international skepticism about the administration’s actions and calls by some leaders for a U.N. investigation to prove they were justified.
While the first five strikes targeted boats and killed every person on board, the latest involved a submarine and left two survivors.
“We attacked a submarine, and that was a drug-carrying submarine built specifically for the transportation of massive amounts of drugs,” Trump told reporters.
“Just so you understand, this was not an innocent group of people. I don’t know too many people who have submarines.”
Both survivors are now reportedly being detained by the U.S. Navy on a warship in international waters, marking the first time the military has held prisoners since Trump started his controversial campaign against so-called “narco-terrorists” six weeks ago.
Asked to confirm what has happened to the survivors, Trump deferred to his Secretary of State Marco Rubio, who was also in the meeting with Zelensky.
“We’re not prepared here to announce those details but you’ll get that information shortly,” he said.
Trump began the strikes on Sept. 2, when the first operation killed 11 people, who he claimed were from the Venezuelan criminal gang Tren de Aragua.
It was followed by several additional strikes on alleged drug boats in the same region, the latest of which took place three days ago.
But the administration’s actions are controversial because little evidence of who or what was on board each boat has been provided in the aftermath.
Some GOP lawmakers have also raised concerns about the lack of basic information they’ve received from the Trump administration.
In a sign that things could escalate even more, Trump this week raised the prospect of conducting land strikes inside Venezuela as he ramps up pressure on Maduro, who the U.S. views as an illegitimate president.
The U.S. president has also authorised the CIA to conduct covert operations inside Venezuela.
In a television address this week, Maduro sought to de-escalate the situation, addressing the “people of the United States”, and declaring: “no war, yes peace”.
According to the New York Times, the Venezuelan strongman has also offered to open up all existing and future oil and gold projects to American companies, reverse the flow of Venezuelan oil exports from China to the United States, cut his country’s Chinese, Iranian and Russian firms, and give preferential contracts to American businesses.
This, according to Trump, is because “he doesn’t wanna f--- around” with America.
