President Donald Trump listens as he was speaking with reporters while in flight on Air Force One, Sunday, Jan. 4, 2026, as returning to Joint Base Andrews, Md. (AP Photo) US President Donald Trump has said the United States is not at war with Venezuela and that his administration may support oil companies to help rebuild the country’s energy system.
In an interview with NBC News on Monday, Trump said the US “may subsidise an effort by oil companies to rebuild Venezuela’s energy infrastructure.” He said the work “could take less than 18 months.”
Trump also said Venezuela would not hold new elections in the next 30 days.
He added that he would not need lawmakers to approve a decision if he chose to send US troops back into Venezuela. “I would not need lawmakers to act in order to send troops back,” he said.
Trump repeated that the United States is not at war with the country. “We are not at war with Venezuela,” he told NBC.
