Venezuela White House meeting kicks off Trump’s high-stakes week as Cabinet huddle looms

The White House is preparing to hold a meeting about its strategy regarding Venezuela — as it also is gearing up for Christmas and the administration’s ninth Cabinet meeting this week. 

The White House confirmed CNN’s reporting that Trump will hold a meeting Monday evening with members of his Cabinet and other national security leaders to discuss future actions regarding Venezuela. 

Trump admitted Sunday that he spoke to Venezuelan President Nicolás Maduro over the phone in late November, amid escalating tensions between the two countries as the Trump administration has waged a crusade against alleged drug traffickers in Latin America. 

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The meeting comes after Trump announced Saturday that pilots, drug dealers and human traffickers should “consider” the airspace above and surrounding Venezuela closed, but he told reporters Sunday to not “read anything into it” when asked if an airstrike was imminent. 

The meeting also comes amid additional scrutiny from lawmakers on both sides of the aisle about the strikes, following a Friday report from the Washington Post that claimed Secretary of Defense Pete Hegseth instructed that no survivors remain during an attack on an alleged drug boat in September, prompting a second strike. 

Hegseth denied the report, and labeled it “fabricated, inflammatory, and derogatory.” 

But White House press secretary Karoline Leavitt confirmed Monday that a second strike occurred, and said that commander of U.S. Special Operations Command, Adm. Frank Bradley, was within his legal right to do so. 

“On September 2nd, Secretary Hegseth authorized Admiral Bradley to conduct these kinetic strikes,” Leavitt said. “Admiral Bradley worked well within his authority and the law, directing the engagement to ensure the boat was destroyed and the threat to the United States of America was eliminated.” 

Even so, she pushed back on the Washington Post’s reporting describing that Hegseth ordered that everyone aboard the ship be killed. 

“I would reject that the Secretary of War ever said that,” Leavitt said. “However, the president has made it quite clear that if narco-terrorists, again, are trafficking illegal drugs toward the United States, he has the authority to kill them.” 

Lawmakers, including the top Republican and Democrat on the House Armed Services Committee, are seeking answers. 

“This committee is committed to providing rigorous oversight of the Department of Defense’s military operations in the Caribbean,” Reps. Mike Rogers, R-Ala., and Adam Smith, D-Wash., said in a Saturday statement. “We take seriously the reports of follow-on strikes on boats alleged to be ferrying narcotics in the SOUTHCOM region and are taking bipartisan action to gather a full accounting of the operation in question.”

Spokespeople for the committee did not respond to a request for comment from Fox News Digital regarding the nature of these additional oversight efforts.

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The Trump administration has carried out more than 20 strikes against alleged drug boats in Latin American waters, and has bolstered its military presence in the Caribbean to align with Trump’s goal to crack down on the influx of drugs into the U.S.  

Additionally, Trump is slated to hold a Cabinet meeting at the White House Tuesday before making an announcement about Trump Accounts, a new tax-advantaged savings and investment account established through the passage of Trump’s massive tax and domestic policy bill known as the one “big, beautiful bill” signed into law in July. 

No additional details were immediately available on the new Trump Accounts update. 

Likewise, Trump is slated to welcome the presidents of the Republic of Rwanda and the Democratic Republic of Congo to sign a peace and economic agreement secured Thursday that seeks to end conflict in Congo between government forces and armed groups including Rwanda-backed M23 rebels. The armed group seized control of the Congo cities of Goma and Bukavu in 2025. 

Trump also is scheduled to attend the FIFA World Cup final draw at the Kennedy Center Friday. During the event, FIFA will divvy up all the soccer teams into 12 different groups.  

The FIFA World Cup will be held in June 2026 and July 2026 in Mexico, Canada and the United States. 

Meanwhile, the White House also unveiled its Christmas decorations for 2025 in keeping with the theme first lady Melania Trump selected: “Home is Where the Heart Is.” Christmas tours for the public are slated to begin Tuesday. 

The White House is outfitted with 25,000 feet of ribbon; more than 2,000 strands of light; more than 120 pounds of gingerbread; more than 2,800 gold stars; more than 10,000 blue butterflies; and more than 700 feet of garland. Additionally, the White House has more than 50 Christmas trees on display.

“Every detail of the 2025 White House Christmas decorations was personally selected by Mrs. Trump to honor the heart of America and the theme ‘Home Is Where The Heart Is,’” the White House told Fox News Digital.

Fox News’ Brooke Singman and The Associated Press contributed to this report.