Donald Trump gave a vague response when pressed about a cryptic threat against the Venezuelan government he made during an unhinged post on his Truth Social platform.
Speaking to reporters on Air Force One, the president was asked to clarify his warning on Saturday that Venezuela would pay an “incalculable” price unless it took back prisoners and “people from mental institutions” from the U.S.
“Well, you’re going to have to figure that out,” was his unhelpful reply.
Donald Trump took questions after attending the memorial service for Charlie Kirk in Arizona on Sunday. Brian Snyder/Reuters
The White House gave some sort of further clarification on the president’s remarks in a follow-up statement.
“President Trump is prepared to use every element of American power to stop drugs from flooding in to our country and to bring those responsible to justice,” White House spokesperson Anna Kelly told the Daily Beast. “The Maduro regime is not the legitimate government of Venezuela, it is a narco-terror cartel, and Maduro is not a legitimate president. He is a fugitive head of this cartel who has been indicted in the U.S. for trafficking drugs in to the country.”
The U.S. has already launched airstrikes against three Venezuelan boats that the Trump administration claims were being used to transport drugs into America. The first attack, which killed 11 people in international waters, has been described by critics as a serious violation of human rights, possibly amounting to a war crime.
While speaking to reporters on Sunday, Trump suggested the aggressive tactics against alleged Venezuelan drug smugglers were working: “You don’t even find a fishing boat, you don’t even find cruise liners anymore. There’s nothing in the water near Venezuela.
“It’s actually strange,” Trump added. “You know what that means: That means there are no drugs coming in.”
Trump was then asked directly about his Truth Social post and the threat that went along with it.
“We want Venezuela to immediately accept all of the prisoners, and people from mental institutions, which includes the Worst in the World Insane Asylums, that Venezuelan ‘Leadership’ has forced into the United States of America,” Trump wrote.
“Thousands of people have been badly hurt, and even killed, by these ‘Monsters.’ GET THEM THE HELL OUT OF OUR COUNTRY, RIGHT NOW, OR THE PRICE YOU PAY WILL BE INCALCULABLE!”
Trump has long suggested, without evidence, that people entering the U.S. illegally include those released from “insane asylums.” Critics have suggested the 79-year-old president is confusing asylum seekers with people from psychiatric hospitals.
Donald Trump demanded the Venezuelan government accept the return of "all of the prisoners" one day before speaking at Charlie Kirk's memorial event. Carlos Barria/Reuters
“He STILL thinks asylum seekers are people from insane asylums,” Adam Kinzinger, a former GOP congressman who was one of two Republicans on the House select committee that investigated the Jan. 6 attack on the Capitol, posted while sharing a screenshot of Trump’s remarks.
[SRC] https://www.thedailybeast.com/donald-trump-cornered-on-his-dark-ultimatum-threat-against-venezuela/
