'Just don’t leak information': Trump says he instructed Rubio to involve Congress in drug crackdown

Key Concepts

• Venezuela Sanctions
• Maduro's Assets/Infrastructure
• Drug Trafficking
• Border Security
• Congressional Consultation
• Prison Population Release
• Immigration Policy
• Economic Policy (Inflation)

Venezuela Update and US Government Actions

The President stated there is "no update on Venezuela." When questioned about the designation of a cartel associated with Maduro, he confirmed that this designation "allows us to do that" (target Maduro's assets or infrastructure), but the US government has not yet stated an intention to do so. He also mentioned potential discussions with Maduro, stating, "we may be having some discussions with Maduro and we'll see how that turns out."

Congressional Engagement and Border Security

The President indicated a desire to keep Congress involved in discussions regarding potential options. He stated, "We'd like to keep Cong Congress involved." The primary focus of these discussions is preventing drugs from entering the country. He specifically mentioned telling Marco and other individuals, "Go to Congress and let them know we're not letting drugs come through Mexico. We're not letting them come through Venezuela." While not requiring Congressional approval, he believes informing Congress is beneficial. However, he expressed concern about leaks of confidential information that could endanger military or CIA personnel. He instructed his team to "go and see Congress see the representatives that were supposed to be seeing and be open about it." He added, "If they say we don't want you to stop drugs from coming into the country I don't think that would be good."

International Support and Venezuela's Prison Population

Regarding international support for US actions concerning Venezuela, the President stated, "Yeah, we have great support because it's all about drugs." He elaborated that in Venezuela's case, the issue extends beyond drugs to include "thousands, hundreds of thousands of people that they've released into our country." He characterized these individuals as including "gang members from Trenagua, some are drug, many are drug dealers, some are murderers." He asserted that "Their prison population was released into the United States and we're getting it out."

Critique of Biden Administration's Immigration and Economic Policies

The President strongly criticized the Biden administration's immigration policies, stating, "What the Biden administration did to our country should never be forgotten." He described the influx of "20 or 25 million people to pour into our country" as "the single worst thing they did." He further detailed that these individuals included "People from prisons, drug dealers, mental institutions, bad people, gang members." He emphasized that allowing this to happen "totally unchecked and unvetted should never be forgotten."

He also addressed economic policy, particularly inflation. He claimed, "The Democrats like to use the word affordability, but their affordability was terrible." He asserted, "I'm the one that's getting the prices down." As evidence, he stated, "they had the highest inflation in the history of our country. I have it down now to a normal level, and it's going down further." He accused Democrats of lying, stating, "The problem with the Democrats, they lie. They do it so well."

Synthesis/Conclusion

The transcript highlights the current administration's focus on border security and combating drug trafficking, with specific reference to actions and potential actions concerning Venezuela. The President emphasizes a proactive approach to preventing drugs from entering the US and expresses a commitment to informing Congress about these efforts, while also prioritizing the confidentiality of sensitive operations. A significant point of contention is the perceived release of Venezuela's prison population into the United States, which the President views as a major security and immigration failure of the previous administration. The summary also includes a strong critique of the Biden administration's economic policies, particularly regarding inflation, with the President claiming credit for bringing down prices.