Trump Orders Blockade on Venezuela - the Wednesday AM Quickie 12/17/25

By Corey Pein — Dec 17, 2025

Consider me underwhelmed by the "explosive" quotes from the current White House chief of staff, who didn't say anything you couldn't learn by reading the newspapers. I'm old enough to remember when Donald Trump's former chief of staff warned the public that he would rule as a fascist dictator – which, well, come to think about it, you could learn by reading the newspapers. - Corey

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THE BIG NEWS

Warmongering Nonsense: Trump Claims Venezuela Stole Land and Oil From the US

Donald Trump continues to ramp up his campaign for an Iraq-style war for oil against Venezuela – a country that has not attacked or otherwise harmed the United States, and which, contrary to the regime's claims, has little to do with illicit drug trafficking. Last night on Truth Social he announced that he had ordered "a total and complete blockade" of "all sanctioned oil vessels" leaving or entering Venezuela.

Imposing a naval blockade is an act of war. But as the New York Times reports, Trump's order to stop only sanctioned vessels may not constitute "a real blockade." Nevertheless, it ain't good.

"Venezuela is completely surrounded by the largest Armada ever assembled in the History of South America," Trump wrote. "It will only get bigger, and the shock to them will be like nothing they have ever seen before — Until such time as they return to the United States of America all of the Oil, Land, and other Assets that they previously stole from us."

Crazy. Trump also declared President Nicolás Maduro's government a "foreign terrorist organization," which is, per the Washington Post, the first time a government has been classified as such -- and could pose serious problems for US oil companies such as Chevron that do business with Venezuela.

The Venezuelan government responded by accusing the "reckless" and "utterly irrational" Trump of "violating international law, free trade, and the principle of free navigation."

"On his social media, he assumes that Venezuela’s oil, land, and mineral wealth are his property," the statement said, per the Associated Press. "Consequently, he demands that Venezuela immediately hand over all its riches." Yep, that's what he said.

Trump's push for a new regime change war is old-fashioned imperialism unfiltered. In that sense it's already even worse than George W. Bush's invasion of Iraq, which he at least tried to convince the world was necessary for some reason other than enriching US oil companies.

MORE STORIES TO WATCH

JD Vance Struggles to Spin Nosediving Economy

A long-delayed federal jobs report says the unemployment rate has continued to rise, reaching 4.6 percent, the highest figure since 2021. The report shows "stagnant growth," labor economist Nicole Bachaud tells the Washington Post, adding to the struggles of families and businesses facing tariffs, geopolitical uncertainty, and inflation. Most people are cutting holiday spending this year. To all this, the failing White House has a completely tone-deaf response: "THE BEST IS YET TO COME!"

The regime dispatched vice bootlicker JD Vance to a warehouse in Alburtis, Pennsylvania yesterday to promise "lower prices [and] bigger paychecks." In response to a reporter's question, Vance graded the economy "A plus plus plus" – one fewer plus than his boss Donald Trump gave it in an interview last week. "I think they're annoyed that the messaging just isn't sticking," an anonymous "person close to the White House" tells Politico. You hear that, people? Get with the program and praise the great leader!

Jeffrey Epstein Just a Very Good Conman, Report Says

An investigative reporting team with the New York Times spent months interviewing dozens of Jeffrey Epstein's "former colleagues, friends, girlfriends, business partners and financial victims," as well as thousands of pages of government documents, recordings, diaries, letters, emails, and photo albums, to answer an outstanding question about the late elite sex trafficker: namely, how did he go from being a working-class schoolteacher to a wealthy money manager for billionaires? The Times' conclusion: contrary to speculation that Epstein was a spy or a prolific blackmailer, he was just a lucky and highly skilled conman.

"A relentless scammer, he abused expense accounts, engineered inside deals and demonstrated a remarkable knack for separating seemingly sophisticated investors and businessmen from their money," the Times reports. "He started small, testing his tactics and seeing what he could get away with. His early successes laid the foundation for more ambitious ploys down the road. Again and again, he proved willing to operate on the edge of criminality and burn bridges in his pursuit of wealth and power." Of course, just because the Times didn't find evidence of intelligence work or blackmail doesn't mean no such evidence exists.

QUICKEST QUICKIES

No House Vote on Extending Affordable Care Act Subsidies, Decrees GOP Speaker Mike Johnson "This is absolute bullsh-t," complained New York Rep. Mike Lawler, who supported the bipartisan measure to keep healthcare insurance premiums down, and who like many Republicans is vulnerable to defeat in next year's midterm elections. via NBC News, Politico, and the New York Times.
Australian Politicians Push for Tougher Gun Control After Antisemitic Bondi Beach Massacre Prime Minister Anthony Albanese said Syrian-Australian Muslim shop owner Ahmed al Ahmed, who wrestled one attacker's shotgun away, and who is recovering in hospital from gunshot wounds, "represents the best of our country." via the New York Times, the Associated Press, and NBC News.
Border Patrol Goon Greg Bovino Threatens Striking Teamsters Workers in Chicago Federal agents asked Teamsters Local 705 members whether they were citizens and to produce identification, which union attorney Nicolas Coronado says violated their right to protest their employer without fear of intimidation. via HuffPost and the Chicago Tribune.
European Commission Passes Affordable Housing Plan Including Publicly Financed Construction and an Airbnb Crackdown "Housing is not just a commodity: It is a fundamental right," Housing Commissioner Dan Jørgensen says. via Politico.

SOME NUMBER

39

That's how many countries fall under a full or partial travel ban to the United States imposed by Donald Trump, who put citizens from 20 more countries on the list yesterday. The latest countries to face a full travel ban are Syria, South Sudan, Niger, Mali and Burkina Faso, as well as the Palestinian Authority.

ON THE SHOW TODAY

12/17: Sam and Emma are in the studio; the guest will be Laura K. Field, writer and political theorist, to discuss her book Furious Minds: The Making of the MAGA New Right.

DON'T MISS MR CLIPS‌

Trump's Chief of Staff TRASHES White House Stooges In Bombshell Interview

Here's the two-part Vanity Fair article if you're curious.

Megyn Kelly UNFRIENDS Dave Rubin

Unfollowed and ghosted. Sad.

PARTING WORDS

"Unlike some people: Rob and Michele Reiner are some of the most decent, courageous people you ever want to know. They're not deranged or crazed. What they have always been are passionate people. In a time when there's not a lot of courage going on, they were the kind of people who were ready to put their actions behind what they cared about. And they cared about their family. And they cared about this country."

-- Michele Obama, speaking to ABC's Jimmy Kimmel after Donald Trump suggested that Hollywood icon and Democratic Party donor Rob Reiner deserved to die on account of his "TRUMP DERANGEMENT SYNDROME." Los Angeles prosecutors yesterday charged the Reiner's troubled 32-year-old son Nick with two counts of first-degree murder for stabbing his parents to death at home after they argued at a Saturday night holiday party at comedian Conan O'Brien's house. Nick Reiner could face the death penalty.

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