Trump snaps at reporter for asking about possible strikes on Venezuela: 'How can I answer that?'

WASHINGTON, DC: President Donald Trump clashed with a reporter on Sunday, November 2, aboard Air Force One for asking if the US has plans for striking Venezuela in the near future.

The tension between the US and Venezuela has risen in the past few weeks. There have so far been at least 14 American strikes on vessels in the Caribbean, often of Venezuelan origin.

Trump trolls reporter saying 'we have very secret plans'

The reporter asked Donald Trump, "Striking in Venezuela. Are there actual plans for those strikes in the near future?"

An irritated Trump responded, "Well, how can I answer a question like that? Are there plans for a strike on Venezuela? Who would say that?"

"Supposing there were? Would I say that to you? 'We have very secret plans.' Who would say that? You know, what kind of a question is it?" the POTUS added. 

He then said, "We will see what happens with Venezuela. They sent us thousands of people from prisons, from mental institutions, and so did other countries, because we were run by very stupid people."

Taking a jab at former President Joe Biden, he said, "Biden was the worst President in the history of our country by far. We had open borders and many countries sent their prisoners and anybody they didn't want. They sent them to our country and Venezuela was one of the worst abusers."

Tensions have been ramping up markedly between the US and Venezuela in recent weeks, including Trump’s acknowledgment that he had authorized the CIA to operate inside Venezuela.

Trump believes Venezuela is 'feeling heat'

Last month, Donald Trump said he believes Venezuela is "feeling heat" amid his administration’s war against alleged cartels in the Caribbean, which had taken out at least two vessels back then.

As the Republican leader has said that the strikes are intended to curb the influx of narcotics into the US, experts and some lawmakers believe that they serve another purpose — to exert pressure on Venezuelan President Nicolas Maduro so he’s ousted from power. 

Brandan Buck, a foreign policy analyst at the Cato Institute, told Fox News, "The Trump administration is likely attempting to force Maduro to voluntarily leave office through a series of diplomatic moves, and now military action and the threat thereof. Whether this constitutes a ‘regime change’ or something else is a question of semantics."

Meanwhile, the Trump administration has repeatedly said that it does not recognize Maduro as a legitimate head of state, but instead, a leader of a cartel. 

Moreover, in August, the Trump administration upped the reward for information leading to Maduro’s arrest to $50 million.

Trump confirmed last month that he authorized the CIA to conduct covert operations in Venezuela, after The New York Times reported that he signed off on the move.