On today's podcast:
1) President Trump warned Venezuelan President Nicolas Maduro not to challenge the US, and vowed to keep oil seized from a supertanker but declined to say if he’s seeking to oust the Venezuelan leader. “He can do whatever he wants to do, whatever he wants to do, if he wants to do something, if he plays tough, it’ll be the last time he’s ever able to play tough,” Trump told reporters at a press conference at his Mar-a-Lago estate on Monday evening. Asked if he would try to push Maduro out, he responded, “That’s up to him.” Trump spoke after the US stepped up its blockade of tankers going to and from Venezuela over the weekend, boarding a non-sanctioned ship owned by a Hong Kong-based entity on Saturday and pursuing a third oil tanker off the coast of Venezuela. Another very large crude carrier, the Skipper, was intercepted on Dec. 10.
2) During Monday's press conference, Trump also said he believed “people are very angry that pictures are being released” that connect them to notorious sex offender Jeffrey Epstein, days after the Justice Department released a new tranche of files tied to the late financier. Trump said he hated to see former President Bill Clinton, who appeared frequently in the release, being tarnished by the association, describing the situation as “terrible.” The Epstein files, and the fight over their disclosure, have sparked infighting among Trump’s supporters, adding to the political headwinds that the president is facing heading into next year’s midterm elections.
3) President Trump reiterated his desire for US control over Greenland on Monday, after announcing plans to appoint Louisiana Governor Jeff Landry as a special envoy to the island. The president said Landry was “a deal-maker-type guy” who could help execute his vision for taking control of the territory. The president also said his desire was not rooted in Greenland’s energy or mineral reserves — saying the US had plenty of resources — but that he did not believe Denmark had devoted enough spending to protect the island.
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