White House Plans Strategic Meeting on Venezuela

The White House is gearing up for a strategic meeting focused on Venezuela as it approaches the Christmas season and the ninth Cabinet meeting of the administration this week.

They confirmed a CNN report indicating that President Trump will meet with his Cabinet and national security advisors on Monday night to discuss forthcoming actions concerning Venezuela.

On Sunday, President Trump mentioned he had a phone conversation with Venezuelan President Nicolas Maduro. This phone call comes as relations grow tenser between the two nations, particularly with the Trump administration stepping up its campaign against suspected drug traffickers in Latin America.

Potential Military Actions: A Closer Look

The meeting follows Trump’s recent remarks suggesting that pilots and traffickers should “consider” avoiding airspace over Venezuela. However, when asked if an airstrike was on the horizon, he advised reporters not to “read too much into anything.”

This gathering also reflects increasing scrutiny from lawmakers regarding a recent attack. The Washington Post reported that Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth allegedly ordered no survivors during a strike on a suspected drug trafficking ship in September, leading to another strike.

Hegseth denied those claims, calling them “fabricated, inflammatory and derogatory.” However, White House press secretary Caroline Levitt clarified on Monday that a secondary attack took place, asserting that Gen. Frank Bradley, the head of U.S. Special Operations Command, acted within his legal authority.

Levitt said, “On September 2nd, Secretary Hegseth authorized Admiral Bradley to conduct these strikes,” making it clear that the admiral worked within his rights to engage the threat.

She further dismissed the report from the Post that Hegseth had ordered all aboard the ship to be killed, stating, “I deny that the Secretary of the Army ever said that.” Yet, she reiterated the President’s stance on combating narco-terrorism aggressively.

Lawmakers from both parties are demanding more information. In a statement, Rep. Mike Rogers and Rep. Adam Smith emphasized their commitment to overseeing Department of Defense operations in the Caribbean, vowing to take any reports of drug trafficking seriously.

A representative from the commission did not respond to requests for comment regarding these oversight activities.

Administration Initiatives Coming Up

The Trump administration has carried out over 20 airstrikes against suspected drug trafficking vessels in Latin American waters and is bolstering its military presence in the Caribbean as part of the president’s broader drug enforcement efforts.

Additionally, President Trump is expected to convene a Cabinet meeting on Tuesday to introduce the Trump Account, a new tax-advantaged savings and investment initiative derived from his significant tax and domestic policy legislation, known as the “Big and Beautiful Act,” signed into law earlier.

While details about this new account aren’t quite clear yet, there’s also a plan for Trump to welcome the presidents of Rwanda and the Democratic Republic of the Congo. The meeting aims to finalize a peace and economic agreement designed to address ongoing conflicts in Congo, particularly with armed groups like the Rwandan-backed M23 rebels.

On a lighter note, President Trump is slated to attend the FIFA World Cup final draw at the Kennedy Center this Friday, where teams will be divided into various groups for the 2026 tournament hosted by the U.S., Canada, and Mexico.

This week, the White House also revealed its Christmas decorations for 2025, themed “Home is where the heart is,” selected by First Lady Melania Trump. Public tours for the holiday decorations will commence on Tuesday.

Speaking of decorations, the White House has put together an impressive array, including a 25,000-foot ribbon, over 2,000 bundles of lights, 120 pounds of gingerbread, 10,000 blue butterflies, and more than 50 Christmas trees. It seems like it’ll be quite a festive season!

Christmas Details from the White House

The White House shared that “The details of the 2025 White House Christmas decorations were personally selected by Mrs. Trump, honoring the heart of America and the ‘Heart Is Home’ theme.”