the oil and oil money [the GOP-dominated federal government has] seized from [Venezuela] is “one of the largest assets to ever go on the U.S. balance sheet.” Billions and billions of dollars.

…Did Trump take the oil and the money from the oil? Bessent refuses to say. Trump refuses to say. Nobody, in fact, in the Trump regime will tell us where that money is or who controls it or even who’s making the money accrued on its interest.

    • Nouvellalia@lemmy.world
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      7 hours ago

      He did say he was going to put it in a non government account in Saudi Arabia so that he could “watch over it”.

  • Nouvellalia@lemmy.world
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    7 hours ago

    I am pleased to announce that the 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! I have asked Energy Secretary Chris Wright to execute this plan, immediately. It will be taken by storage ships, and brought directly to unloading docks in the United States. Thank you for your attention to this matter!

    https://www.presidency.ucsb.edu/documents/truth-social-posts-january-6-2026

  • 0x0@infosec.pub
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    8 hours ago

    Im pretty sure there is precedent by an impeached president to raid and kidnap another countries president in corruption cases like this

  • artyom@piefed.social
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    22 hours ago

    Seems very unlikely that none of it found it’s way into Trump’s pockets, one way or another. I assumed this was the case from Day 1. He has absolutely zero qualms at this point about using The Office to make himself richer and glorify himself. It’s disgusting, frankly.

        • FlexibleToast@lemmy.world
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          13 hours ago

          None of which would get s conviction by 60 senators. Instead an impeachment would play into him constantly claiming he is the most persecuted president and its because he is fighting for his base that the democrats hate him. Why give him the win? Their chance was those 4 years inbetween.

          • vaultdweller013@sh.itjust.works
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            8 hours ago

            Honestly I wouldn’t be so sure. Fuel prices and more specifically Diesel are getting to absurd levels, this is and will continue to affect freight everything from luxury goods, replacement parts for infrastructure, and food. This could be enough pressure for more pragmatic Republicans to throw Trump out especially if the Dems get a majority in either chamber with the election, hell I could see some of them going scorched earth with Massi on the way out.

            Also while it may be anecdotal I drive along the 10 over by Beaumont California quite frequently and let me tell it was quite sparce of Semis yesterday. I suspect the LA to Dallas route is on the verge of collapse due to fuel prices and if that happens it’s gonna be bad basically everywhere east of the rockies, I think the western states can kinda deal with it if they reactivate some of the old rail lines and reexpand others but yeah it’s gonna be rough.

        • CharlesDarwin@lemmy.world
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          22 hours ago

          Bessent did try that fucking LAME bullshit to start talking about Biden again. Loved that guy that asked him when the statute of limitations ends on the Biden Blame Game, LOL.

          I also saw that little smug weasel Mike Johnson pull the same nonsense, just recently. They act like they were really having to drag this economy out of the ditch after Biden and that they’ve been fixing things ever since, and that’s the exact opposite of reality. When Biden left, the economy was the envy of the world and the cons, as is typical, proceeded to blow it up.

          But in the world of the cons, up is down, black is white.

          https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=40GagNjvGLQ

          • CharlesDarwin@lemmy.world
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            22 hours ago

            We are nearly at the 2 year mark and bullshit artists like Bessent are still blaming Biden.

            It was ridiculous even when they first came into office (the economy was the envy of the world) and it is positively cartoonish now.

  • Eat_Your_Paisley@lemmy.world
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    1 day ago

    Last I heard it was in the UAE because of sanctions, who owns the account its sitting in is the question but I’m assuming its a Trump family business

  • crispbacon99@lemmy.zip
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    23 hours ago

    He’s using the money to fund his drilling operation in Greenland

    Edit: illegal drilling operation*

    • Auli@lemmy.ca
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      22 hours ago

      Sure but it doesn’t sound like Greenland is going to do anything about it. If no one enforces the laws then they might as well not be laws.

        • TrackinDaKraken@lemmy.world
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          7 hours ago

          What happens when one very powerful NATO country invades a much less powerful NATO country?

          I’m guessing that’s covered in NATO, but I don’t know what it says. But, what it says, and how it’s enforced is another thing.

    • AA5B@lemmy.world
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      19 hours ago

      Probably his crypto fund. Isn’t that the whole point, to launder the money so it can’t be tracked?

      • Malica@lemmy.zip
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        19 hours ago

        IDK why he would bother. He’s gone completely mask off, I don’t think he cares about appearances anymore.

    • queerlilhayseed@piefed.blahaj.zone
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      1 day ago

      Who’s they? The whole point of the operation is to steal the profits from the oil sales and offload the costs to Venezuelans and the US government.

      • ATPA9@feddit.org
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        12 hours ago

        From what I’ve read Venezuela’s oil has absolute dogshit quality and is even worse to get out of the ground. So my theorys are:

        1. Epstien File distraction
        2. Trump and friends are just that dumb
        3. War for the sake of being cruel
        • Hacksaw@lemmy.ca
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          6 hours ago

          It’s to cut Canada off. American refineries are set up to refine a blend of light sweet American oil and heavy crude from the Canadian tar sands. Refitting them takes forever so they’re stuck buying our oil.

          The US is trying to crush our economy to make us a vassal state. But they’re reliant on importing our crude. Venezuelan crude is exactly what they need to cut us off.

          We have no way to refine our oil or even ship it to the refineries we do have. That’s why Carney is trying to build a pipeline. But investing in expensive oil infrastructure at this point of the climate apocalypse is such a stupid move.

          Everything Trump does is just so deeply optimised to end the world it’s hard to believe he’s trying to achieve anything else.