(NewsNation) — President Donald Trump made no mention of Venezuela during his Wednesday night address to the nation, a notable omission given the escalating tensions between Washington and Caracas.
A White House official told NewsNation the president deliberately focused his 19-minute speech on domestic issues rather than foreign policy matters, citing two reasons for the Venezuela omission: the situation remains fluid with ongoing military operations, and the administration wanted to emphasize “bread-and-butter issues” affecting American households.
The decision to skip Venezuela comes just one day after Trump announced major escalatory measures against the South American nation, including a naval blockade of oil tankers and the designation of the Nicolás Maduro-led government as a foreign terrorist organization.
On Tuesday, Trump declared that Venezuela was “completely surrounded by the largest armada” in South American history and threatened the deployment would continue until the return of oil, land and other assets he claims belong to the United States.
The administration’s military posture toward Venezuela remained active Wednesday even as Trump addressed the nation.
Hours before the speech, U.S. Southern Command announced a strike on an alleged drug-trafficking vessel in the eastern Pacific that killed four people. Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth ordered the operation, targeting what the military described as a vessel operated by a designated terrorist organization.
The strike marked the latest in a series of operations under what the Pentagon has called Operation Southern Spear, aimed at disrupting narco-trafficking in international waters.
DHS sources told NewsNation that “operational concerns” have prompted the cancellation of several deportation flights to Venezuela. Deportees are being held in detention until flights can resume or will potentially be sent to Mexico if that country agrees to accept them.
US announces $10 billion package of arms sales to Taiwan
Meanwhile, the Trump administration announced a massive package of arms sales to Taiwan valued at more than $10 billion, including medium-range missiles, howitzers and drones, a move that is sure to infuriate China, which the president also omitted in his address.
The State Department announced the sales late Wednesday during a nationally televised address by President Donald Trump, who made scant mention of foreign policy issues and did not speak to trade or other issues with China.
The eight arms sales agreements cover 82 high-mobility artillery rocket systems, or HIMARS, and 420 Army Tactical Missile Systems, or ATACMS — similar to what the U.S. had been providing Ukraine during the Biden administration to defend itself from Russia — worth more than $4 billion. The sales also include 60 self-propelled howitzer systems and related equipment, also worth more than $4 billion, and drones valued at more than $1 billion.
Other sales in the package include military software valued at more than $1 billion, Javelin and TOW missiles worth more than $700 million, helicopter spare parts worth $96 million and refurbishment kits for Harpoon missiles worth $91 million.
The Associated Press contributed to this report.