Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth stepped in aggressively, interrupting Secretary of State Marco Rubio as he yelled at reporters on Capitol Hill.
The two Cabinet members had just returned from a meeting to brief senators on the U.S. operation to capture Venezuelan leader Nicolás Maduro and explain the path forward.
Rubio responded to a series of questions from reporters when he was asked how much it would cost U.S. taxpayers before being cut off from Venezuela.
Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth looked on as Secretary of State Marco Rubio addressed the media, then forced the secretary of state to step aside and yell at a CNN reporter. / Brendan Smialowski / AFP via Getty Images
The secretary of state insisted it would not cost the United States any money and claimed the oil deal would not either.
“None of these troops are sitting in dry dock waiting for action,” Rubio said. “They are deployed somewhere in the world. If they’re not here, they’re somewhere else.”
He argued that if the ships were not in the Caribbean, they would be “operating somewhere else.”
Hegseth stood aside as Rubio spoke, at times giggling, but then he stepped forward, forcing the secretary of state to move aside so he could interject.
“I want to highlight this issue at CNN,” Hegseth said, glaring at reporter Manu Raju before launching into a verbal attack.
Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth yells at reporters after a closed briefing with senators on January 7 about the U.S. capture of Venezuelan President Nicolas Maduro. /Heather Dill/Getty Images
“The questions were never asked, how much did it cost when they were in the Mediterranean, the Red Sea, the Indian Ocean or the Pacific, but now they are in our hemisphere, carrying out anti-cartel missions or ensuring that indicted individuals are brought to justice, and now you are asking the question of cost,” Hegseth said, waving his hands angrily for emphasis. “This was a matter of dishonesty from the beginning.”
But the defense minister didn’t stop there, continuing his rant at reporters who tried to respond.
“You tried to find any possible angle to undermine the success of one of the most historic military missions in the history of the world,” Heggs declared.
The defense secretary went on to claim that operations in Venezuela could only be accomplished by the United States, arguing that the world was “taking notice.”
He went on to brag about the seizure of an oil tanker pursued by the U.S.
While Rubio kept answering questions, Hegseth ignored reporters’ follow-up attempts and spoke loudly.
“Our military is prepared to continue to do what he said,” Hegseth said, pointing to Rubio. “When the president speaks, he means it, he means it. He’s not messing around. We are a government that takes action to advance our interests, and that’s on full display.”
Then, when Rubio pointed out that officials needed to brief House members on the situation, he quickly stepped back without asking any questions.
When questions were raised about whether the United States would commit ground troops, among other issues, Hegseth ignored the questions and retreated hastily.
Before the defense secretary ranted on camera, Rubio sought to lay out the Trump administration’s plans for Venezuela and insisted that, despite criticism, they were not winging it.
He outlined that stabilizing the country relies heavily on “isolation” as leverage and enforcing agreements to move oil out of Venezuela. He reiterated that the United States will take out 30 to 50 million barrels of oil and sell it.
“We will control how these funds are allocated to benefit the Venezuelan people, not corruption and the regime,” Rubio said.
The secretary of state said the second phase would ensure “equitable” U.S. access to the Venezuelan market. He said the third phase would be a transitional phase. He did not provide a timetable.
Democratic senators attending the briefing slammed the Trump administration’s plans and warned that many questions remain unanswered.
“This is a crazy plan. They’re talking about stealing Venezuelan oil at gunpoint over a period of time, not sure if that can be used as leverage to micromanage the country,” said Sen. Chris Murphy. “The scope and craziness of this scheme is absolutely shocking.”
