Trump claims US recouped Venezuela war costs 28 times over

Former U.S. President Donald Trump stated on March 13, 2024, that the United States had recouped its expenditures related to a potential conflict in Venezuela "28 times over" through oil extraction. Trump made these remarks during a rally in Greensboro, North Carolina, asserting that if he were president, he would "take the oil" from Venezuela to pay for any military intervention. He claimed that the U.S. had already recovered its investment multiple times, suggesting that the oil reserves in Venezuela are vast and valuable. Trump's comments reflect a transactional approach to foreign policy, framing military action as a financially justifiable endeavor through resource acquisition. This statement was made in the context of ongoing political instability in Venezuela and U.S. sanctions against the Maduro regime.