Donald Trump gave a vague response when pressed about a cryptic threat against the Venezuelan government he made during an unhinged post on his Truth Social platform.
Speaking to reporters on Air Force One, the president was asked to clarify his warning on Saturday that Venezuela would pay an “incalculable” price unless it took back prisoners and “people from mental institutions” from the U.S.
“Well, you’re going to have to figure that out,” was his unhelpful reply.
The U.S. has already launched airstrikes against three Venezuelan boats that the Trump administration claims were being used to transport drugs into America. The first attack, which killed 11 people in international waters, has been described by critics as a serious violation of human rights, possibly amounting to a war crime.
While speaking to reporters on Sunday, Trump suggested the aggressive tactics against alleged Venezuelan drug smugglers were working: “You don’t even find a fishing boat, you don’t even find cruise liners anymore. There’s nothing in the water near Venezuela.
“It’s actually strange,” Trump added. “You know what that means: That means there are no drugs coming in.”
Trump was then asked directly about his Truth Social post and the threat that went along with it.
“We want Venezuela to immediately accept all of the prisoners, and people from mental institutions, which includes the Worst in the World Insane Asylums, that Venezuelan ‘Leadership’ has forced into the United States of America,” Trump wrote.
“Thousands of people have been badly hurt, and even killed, by these ‘Monsters.’ GET THEM THE HELL OUT OF OUR COUNTRY, RIGHT NOW, OR THE PRICE YOU PAY WILL BE INCALCULABLE!”
Trump has long suggested, without evidence, that people entering the U.S. illegally include those released from “insane asylums.” Critics have suggested the 79-year-old president is confusing asylum seekers with people from psychiatric hospitals.
“He STILL thinks asylum seekers are people from insane asylums,” Adam Kinzinger, a former GOP congressman who was one of two Republicans on the House select committee that investigated the Jan. 6 attack on the Capitol, posted while sharing a screenshot of Trump’s remarks.
Progressive broadcaster and political commentator Mehdi Hasan added: “What’s more astonishing: 1) that the president clearly believes, and repeatedly suggests, that asylum seekers are people from mental asylums, or 2) that no journalist has ever challenged him on this and no mainstream media outlets have done any deep dives on this story?”
The Daily Beast has contacted the White House for comment.
The post Trump Cornered on His Dark Ultimatum Threat Against Venezuela appeared first on The Daily Beast.
