US Escalates Tensions with Venezuela and China

Rep. John Moolenaar, a Michigan Republican and chairman of the House Select Committee on the Chinese Communist Party, was interviewed on 'Face the Nation with Margaret Brennan.' Moolenaar discussed the national security concerns surrounding TikTok and the proposed deal to divest the app from Chinese ownership. He emphasized the importance of removing Chinese Communist Party control from the app and its algorithm, citing concerns about data security and propaganda. Moolenaar also addressed the potential ownership structure of the app after the deal, including the involvement of investors like Michael Dell, Lachlan Murdoch, and Larry Ellison. He stressed that Congress will maintain oversight to ensure the deal is carried out in accordance with the law.

Senator Lindsey Graham supports President Trump's plan to use military force against Venezuela and Colombia, citing the threat posed by narco-terrorists and the need to protect America from drug trafficking. Graham argues that the President has the authority to take action without a congressional declaration of war, drawing parallels with past military interventions in Panama and Grenada. He dismisses criticism from some Republican colleagues, including Senators Rand Paul and James Lankford, who question the legality and wisdom of the President's plans.

A U.S. warship, the USS Gravely, has docked in Trinidad and Tobago's capital amid rising tensions with neighboring Venezuela and President Nicolás Maduro. The arrival joins the aircraft carrier USS Gerald R. Ford, which is moving closer to Venezuela. Maduro has criticized the movement as an attempt to fabricate 'a new eternal war' against his country. The Venezuelan government denounced the presence of the destroyer, calling it a 'hostile provocation' and accused the U.S. of preparing a false flag attack. The U.S. is conducting counterdrug operations and has accused Maduro of being the leader of an organized crime gang. Trinidad and Tobago's prime minister has been a vocal supporter of the U.S. military presence, while the country's people have criticized the warship's docking. The situation is escalating tensions in the region, with Caricom calling for dialogue.

The US-Venezuela crisis is escalating as President Donald Trump authorizes the CIA to conduct covert operations in Venezuela and US warships, including the USS Gerald R Ford aircraft carrier, move closer to the Venezuelan coast. Trump has accused Venezuelan President Nicolas Maduro of leading an organized crime gang and trafficking cocaine into the US, claims that his own intelligence agencies do not support. Maduro has responded by accusing Trump of seeking regime change and fabricating a war. The presence of US warships and the authorization of CIA operations have raised concerns about a potential armed conflict between the two countries. Experts warn that the US military strategy seems 'unproportionate' for tackling drug trafficking and that a military conflict is looming.