Trump Says Venezuela to Send Up to $2.8 BN of Oil; US Won’t Rule Out Military Force to Acquire Greenland

28 snips

Jan 7, 2026

John Tucker, a Bloomberg correspondent focused on political developments, and Alexander Pearson, a breaking news editor, discuss significant shifts in U.S. foreign policy. President Trump announced Venezuela's plan to send up to 50 million barrels of oil to the U.S., worth about $2.8 billion, in a move that undermines China’s influence. They also delve into Trump's controversial stance on potentially using military force to acquire Greenland, raising eyebrows among NATO allies and European officials. Geopolitical tensions are mounting!

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INSIGHT

First Delivery To Rebuild Venezuelan Oil

The U.S. may receive up to 50 million barrels of sanctioned Venezuelan oil worth about $2.8 billion.
Alexander Pearson frames this as a first step toward rebuilding Venezuela's oil industry for U.S. supply.

INSIGHT

U.S. Move Challenges China's Role

A U.S. delivery of Venezuelan oil would undercut China's position as Venezuela's top crude buyer.
The Chinese foreign ministry condemned U.S. pressure as a "bullying act," highlighting geopolitical friction.

INSIGHT

Europe Sees Greenland Talk As Red Line

European leaders and Danish officials reacted with nervousness and anger to U.S. remarks about Greenland.
John Tucker reports Europe views any attack on Greenland's sovereignty as a red line and would not recognize U.S. sovereignty.

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On today's podcast:
1) President Trump said Venezuela would relinquish as much as 50 million barrels of oil to the US, worth roughly $2.8 billion at the current market price, announcing the cargoes would be sold with proceeds benefiting both countries. The announcement late on Tuesday, which came with few details, marked a significant step up for the US government as it seeks to extend its economic influence in Venezuela and beyond after the capture of leader Nicolas Maduro over the weekend. It’s also a blow to China, previously the top buyer of the country’s oil and a close partner. The volumes cited by Trump would represent about 30 to 50 days of Venezuelan oil production before the US’s partial blockade of the country — much reduced from historic levels.
2) President Trump won’t rule out the use of military force to acquire Greenland, the White House said, escalating tension with Denmark, a fellow NATO member, over a dispute that’s surged back into public view following the ouster of Venezuelan strongman Nicolas Maduro. Trump is considering many ways of achieving his goal of acquiring the Arctic island, White House Press Secretary Karoline Leavitt said in a statement. Still, Secretary of State Marco Rubio downplayed the notion of military action in a briefing with lawmakers on Monday, instead signaling that an invasion was not imminent and that the goal was to buy the island from Denmark, the Wall Street Journal reported.
3) President Trump implored Republicans to turn around their political fortunes ahead of November’s midterm elections, warning that if Democrats retake control of Congress, he would be impeached for a third time. Trump offered a familiar blueprint for majority parties, which historically have lost seats in off-year elections: blaming their troubles on messaging problems and insisting that voters just aren’t seeing their achievements. Trump predicted the GOP would pull off an “epic” victory and defy those trends. Yet polls showing Americans’ dissatisfaction with his leadership and the state of the economy bode poorly for Republicans’ chances of keeping control of Congress.

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