The President's Daily Brief
PDB Afternoon Bulletin | December 29th, 2025: President Trump Announces Strike Inside Venezuela & Zelensky At Mar-A-Lago
29 Dec 2025
Chapter 1: What is the main topic discussed in this episode?
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Welcome to the BDB Afternoon Bulletin. I'm Mike Baker, your eyes and ears on the world stage. All right, let's get briefed. First up, President Trump announces a U.S. strike inside Venezuela. It's a new development, and there aren't many details yet, and by many, I mean almost none. But we'll take a look at what is known.
Later in the show, President Trump meets with Ukrainian President Zelensky, signaling optimism as negotiations to end the war with Russia continue. The person who could actually stop the fighting, that would be Vladimir Putin, Well, he doesn't seem all that interested. But first, today's afternoon spotlight.
We'll begin today by returning to Operation Southern Spear and a major update on the ongoing U.S. military deployment in the Caribbean. President Trump announced that American forces carried out a strike inside Venezuela, targeting what he described as a significant drug-related facility. And that announcement alone is, of course, notable.
Direct US military action on Venezuelan soil is a serious escalation, assuming that it happened. During a radio interview with John Katsimatidis on Friday, President Trump said US forces knocked out what he described as a, quote, big plant or a big facility where the ships come from. likely referring to the narco-trafficking boats that the U.S. Navy has been targeting at sea.
Beyond that, though, the president didn't specify the location, the type of target, or the means used to carry out the strike. There were no immediate details on casualties or damage assessments, nor whether Venezuelan security forces were present at the site.
At this point, we're largely working from the president's own description and a handful of follow-on statements from administration officials. Independent confirmation remains very limited. What we do know is that this strike fits into a much broader campaign that's been unfolding for months. Under Operation Southern Spear, the U.S.
has significantly expanded its military presence across the Caribbean. That includes increased naval patrols, aerial surveillance, and maritime interdictions aimed at disrupting drug trafficking routes linked to Venezuela. U.S. forces have already boarded and seized vessels suspected of moving illicit oil and narcotics, and in many cases, those encounters have turned deadly.
the administration has been clear about its objectives. President Trump and senior officials have repeatedly framed Venezuela not just as a failed state, but as a hub for narcoterrorism, linking drug trafficking networks to elements of the Maduro regime.
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Chapter 2: What did President Trump announce about military action in Venezuela?
military pressure and related actions, including the blockades and seizing of oil tankers, as violations of sovereignty and international law and have described U.S. moves as threats to national independence. At the same time, regional governments are notably quiet as well. Some countries in Latin America have cooperated quietly with U.S.
counter-narcotics efforts in the past, even if they're likely unwilling to publicly endorse strikes on Venezuelan territory. The situation obviously is complex. That is, of course, today's statement of the obvious. The Trump administration appears determined to apply sustained pressure economically, militarily, and diplomatically on what it views as a criminal regime.
At the same time, each step up the escalation ladder carries real risks, miscalculation, retaliation, or a broader regional crisis. And then there's the intelligence picture. If this strike was as significant as the president suggests, we should expect additional details to emerge shortly.
Satellite imagery, damage assessments, follow on operations and perhaps official briefings that clarify exactly what was hit and why. Until then, analysts will be watching closely for signals, Venezuelan military movements, changes in trafficking patterns or retaliatory actions against U.S. assets in the region. For now, this much is clear. The U.S.
has crossed another line in its confrontation with Venezuela. Whether this strike proves to be a one-off warning shot or the opening move in a more sustained land-based campaign, well, that remains to be seen. We will, of course, provide additional details as they become available.
Coming up next, President Trump strikes an optimistic tone after meeting with Ukrainian President Zelensky, saying peace talks with Russia may finally be taking shape. Or not. I'll be right back. Hey, Mike Baker here. Now, as we move into the new year, many of us are looking to build more intentional lives, to live deliberately and better aligned with our purpose and values.
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Chapter 3: What are the implications of the U.S. strike inside Venezuela?
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Welcome back to the Afternoon Bulletin. Diplomatic efforts continued on Sunday as President Trump and Ukrainian President Zelenskyy sat down again to talk peace. This time, the tone was positive, but the same obstacles seemed to remain, primarily Putin's apparent lack of interest in a meaningful discussion about ending his invasion.
The meeting in Florida at Mar-a-Lago ended with a familiar takeaway. The talks will continue. Negotiations involving the U.S., Ukraine, and Russia are expected to resume in January. And in the immediate aftermath, Trump, Zelensky, and several European leaders all described the session in Florida as constructive. What was missing, however, was anything resembling a breakthrough.
No signed framework, no firm timelines, and no concrete commitments that would suggest the war is suddenly closer to ending. And President Trump appeared conscious of that gap as he spoke to reporters. He described the negotiations as, quote, not a one-day process deal and emphasized how complicated the issues remain.
But at different points, he struck an optimistic tone, saying the two sides had, quote, made a lot of progress and were, quote, far closer than ever before, while stopping short of claiming that any agreement had actually been reached. That caution became clearer when Trump acknowledged that major issues are still unresolved.
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