Trump's week in review: Venezuela oil deal, Hyde Amendment backlash

1. Trump secures oil deal with Venezuela after Maduro's capture 

While news of the capture of Venezuelan dictator Nicolas Maduro and Trump’s subsequent insistence that the U.S. was “going to run” the South American country broke last weekend, additional developments unfolded throughout the week, illustrating how relations between the two countries are improving.

In a Truth Social post on Tuesday, the president announced that “Interim Authorities in Venezuela will be turning over between 30 AND 50 MILLION Barrels of High Quality, Sanctioned Oil, to the United States of America.” 

“This Oil will be sold at its Market Price, and that money will be controlled by me, as President of the United States of America, to ensure it is used to benefit the people of Venezuela and the United States!” he wrote. “It will be taken by storage ships, and brought directly to unloading docks in the United States.” 

In a subsequent post on Truth Social Thursday, Trump added, “Venezuela is committing to doing business with the United States of America as their principal partner” by buying “American Agricultural Products, American Made Medicines, Medical Devices, and Equipment to improve Venezuela’s Electric Grid and Energy Facilities.”

Trump further insisted that Venezuela was “going to be purchasing ONLY American Made Products, with the money they receive from our new Oil Deal.” 

In an update shared on Truth Social Friday, Trump announced that “Venezuela is releasing large numbers of political prisoners as a sign of ‘Seeking Peace.’” He praised the development as a “very important and smart gesture,” adding: “The U.S.A. and Venezuela are working well together, especially as it pertains to rebuilding, in a much bigger, better, and more modern form, their oil and gas infrastructure.”