Hegseth won’t comment on Venezuela military strikes amid government shutdown
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While Secretary of War Pete Hegseth declined to say whether the United States was preparing a military strike on Venezuela, he criticized Democrats for the ongoing shutdown that has delayed the federal government from paying U.S. troops.
The US military launched more than a dozen attacks on ships allegedly carrying drugs in international waters near Venezuela, killing dozens of suspected narco-terrorists; USS Gerald R. Ford and its attack group were ordered to be deployed to the US Southern Command region. The increases have raised the question of whether the United States is lining up to oust Venezuelan President Nicolás Maduro.
At a meeting of Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN) defense ministers in the Malaysian capital Kuala Lumpur on Saturday, a reporter asked Hegseth whether the United States was planning to attack Venezuela.
“We appreciate your question, but of course we won’t be sharing any operational details about what may or may not happen,” Hegseth told reporters Saturday. he said.
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Secretary of War Pete Hegseth during the ASEAN Defense Ministers Meeting in Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia, November 1, 2025. (Hasnoor Hussain / Pool / AFP via Getty Images)
President Donald Trump said Friday that he was not considering an attack on Venezuela, and both Secretary of State Marco Rubio and the White House disputed reports that unnamed “sources” claimed such a plan was in play.
Hegseth was also asked whether there was an ethics review for $130 million in anonymous donations made to pay soldiers while the government was shut down.
The donation was made by Timothy Mellon, a reclusive billionaire and a major financial supporter of President Donald Trump. New York Times.
“We are so grateful to the generous Americans who are willing to ensure that U.S. troops are paid,” Hegseth said. “And we are grateful to President Trump, Vice President Vance, and everyone. [director of the Office of Management and Budget] “Russ Vought and others who made sure of this and our department made sure the soldiers got paid no matter what.”
Hegseth said paying soldiers is a priority for the president and blamed Democrats for not voting to reopen the government.
“Democrats are not contributing to that,” Hegseth said of soldiers getting paid.
Two boats before they were shot down by the US military this week. (X.com/SecWar)
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“President Trump is making this happen, and that’s a significant outcome because the work that we’re talking about here across our country certainly has the War Department front and center on this,” he said.
The pause in funding stems from the Oct. 1 shutdown after Senate lawmakers failed to reach a spending deal for the end of fiscal 2025 in time to pass the House along party lines in early September of a short-term extension of fiscal 2025 funding aimed at keeping the government open through Nov. 21.
Mellon, the grandson of former Treasury Secretary Andrew W. Mellon, is one of Trump’s supporters who has given tens of millions of dollars to groups supporting the president’s 2024 campaign. The New York Times noted that he contributed $50 million to a super PAC supporting Trump last year, one of the largest donations ever announced.
Hegseth was also asked about reports that the United States is planning a “show of force” in response to recent Chinese aggression in the South China Sea. He said those reports are not consistent with what’s out there now.
Military strikes on alleged narco-terrorist ships have raised the possibility that the United States may be lining up to oust Venezuelan President Nicolás Maduro. (Juan Barreto/AFP via Getty Images; Getty Images)
“[Indo-Pacific Commander] Admiral Papara and I always coordinate closely, making sure we have capabilities where and when we need them, but these specific reports are not in line with what’s going on right now,” Hegseth said.
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“We are always prepared for possibilities and things that may or may not happen to make sure that we stand strong and work together with our partners in the Philippines,” he added. “We have a lot of options and a lot of talent in the region, for the most part, but ultimately we’re not going to fully disclose what we can and can’t do.”
The United States and the Philippines also formed a new joint task force to strengthen and enhance cooperation. military Preparedness in areas such as the South China Sea.
Fox News’ Diana Stancy, Sophia Compton and Landon Mion contributed to this report.
