TRUMP ‘WE HAVE VERY SECRET PLANS’: If President Donald Trump’s strategy is to keep everybody guessing whether he is considering airstrikes on Venezuela, he doesn’t seem to be fooling anyone, but he’s doing his best not to say what is looking more and more likely — that military action is coming.
Asked on Friday by a reporter on Air Force One, whether reports were true that he was “considering strikes within Venezuela,” Trump said flatly, “No, it’s not true.” The same day, he sat for a lengthy interview with 60 Minutes, which aired last night, and gave contradictory answers to CBS correspondent Norah O’Donnell.
“Are we going to war against Venezuela?” O’Donnell asked. “I doubt it. I don’t think so.” Trump said, only to indicate just a few minutes later that Venezuelan President Nicolas Maduro may soon be deposed.
“Are Maduro’s days as president numbered?” asked O’Donnell. “I would say yeah. I think so, yeah,” Trump replied.
“And this issue of potential land strikes in Venezuela, is that true?” she pressed. “I don’t tell you that. I mean, I’m not saying it’s true or untrue, but you know, I wouldn’t be inclined to say that I would do that.”
Later on Air Force One, Trump berated a reporter for even asking the question. “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? Listen, we have very secret plans.”
MADURO’S ‘DAYS ARE NUMBERED,’ TRUMP SAYS AS HE DODGES ON LAND STRIKES
THE BIGGEST TIP OFF: THE USS FORD: It’s hard to hide an aircraft carrier, and America’s biggest, newest carrier is the USS Gerald R. Ford, which is making its way to the Caribbean from the Mediterranean Sea and will arrive on station off the coast of Venezuela in the coming days.
Trump had no good explanation for why a supercarrier with its complement of F-35 and F/A-18 fighter jets and attendant escort ships would be needed for the current campaign against wooden speedboats. “It’s gotta be somewhere,” Trump said of the aircraft carrier, while admitting his objectives in Venezuela go far beyond drug interdiction.
“Is it about stopping narcotics? Or is this about getting rid of President Maduro?” O’Donnell asked. “No, this is about many things. This is a country that allowed their prisons to be emptied into our country. To me, that would be almost number one,” Trump said. “But they’ve been treating us very badly, not only on drugs — they’ve dumped hundreds of thousands of people into our country.”
“They emptied their prisons into our country. They also, if you take a look, they emptied their mental institutions and their insane asylums into the United States of America,” he said.
TRUMP SAYS HIS WAR WITH VENEZUELA IS TARGETING DRUG CARTELS, BUT DEMOCRACY COULD BE THE VICTOR
Good Monday morning and welcome to Jamie McIntyre’s Daily on Defense, written and compiled by Washington Examiner National Security Senior Writer Jamie McIntyre (@jamiejmcintyre) and edited by Christopher Tremoglie. Email here with tips, suggestions, calendar items, and anything else. Sign up or read current and back issues at DailyonDefense.com. If signing up doesn’t work, shoot us an email and we’ll add you to our list. And be sure to follow me on Threads and/or on X @jamiejmcintyre.
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HAPPENING TODAY: The deadline to obtain congressional approval for sustained military action under the War Powers Resolution is today. Under the 1973 law, passed in the wake of the Vietnam War, the president has 60 days to get authorization for the use of military force from Congress or withdraw troops from combat.
Sens. Tim Kaine (D-VA), Rand Paul (R-KY), and Adam Schiff (D-CA) are expected to force a vote to reassert Congress’s authority and halt further escalation. However, the Trump administration has already indicated it believes the law doesn’t apply to Venezuela, because U.S. troops are not in harm’s way.
A top Justice Department lawyer, T. Elliot Gaiser, has reportedly told a small group of lawmakers this week that Trump is not bound by the law, according to the Washington Post. Gaiser, head of the Office of Legal Counsel, reportedly argued that the current strikes do not meet the definition of hostilities under the law.
The Washington Post also quoted a senior administration official as saying in an email, “The operation comprises precise strikes conducted largely by unmanned aerial vehicles launched from naval vessels in international waters at distances too far away for the crews of the targeted vessels to endanger American personnel.”
TRUMP DENIES APPROVING STRIKES ON VENEZUELA BUT OVERWHELMING MILITARY PRESENCE SUGGESTS MORE TO COME
TRUMP: RUSSIA AND CHINA TESTING NUKES, ‘YOU JUST DON’T KNOW ABOUT IT.’ Either Trump knows a big secret that the rest of the world doesn’t, or he’s very confused about what constitutes a nuclear test.
The assumption is that when he said Russia and China were testing nuclear weapons, Trump was conflating testing delivery systems — such as Russia’s new nuclear-powered cruise missiles and torpedoes — with underground explosions, which only North Korea has conducted in this century.
But, no. Trump insists that other countries are conducting full-blown nuclear programs and that nobody knows about it except him. “Russia’s testing, and China’s testing, but they don’t talk about it. You know, we’re an open society. We’re different. We talk about it,” Trump told CBS’s 60 Minutes. “They don’t have reporters that are gonna be writing about it. We do.”
When Norah O’Donnell pushed back and said, with the exception of North Korea, no country is testing warheads, and that Russia has only been testing delivery systems, Trump said that was not correct.
“You just don’t know about it,” he said.
“This is a big world. You don’t necessarily know where they’re testing. They test way under– underground, where people don’t know exactly what’s happening with the test. You feel a little bit of a vibration,” Trump said. “Russia tests, and China does test, and we’re gonna test also.”
“Doesn’t it sorta make sense? You know, you make nuclear weapons, and then you don’t test. How are you gonna do that? How are you gonna know if they work?” Trump said. “And if we have ’em, we have to test ’em, otherwise you don’t really know how they’re gonna work.”
Meanwhile, Trump’s Energy Secretary Chris Wright told Fox News there are no plans for underground nuclear tests anytime soon. “I think the tests we’re talking about right now are system tests,” Wright told Fox News’s “The Sunday Briefing.” “These are not nuclear explosions. These are what we call noncritical explosions. So you’re testing all the other parts of a nuclear weapon.”
PUTIN’S TOUTING OF WEAPONS TESTS IS HIS LATEST ‘STRATEGIC PR MESSAGE’
TAIWAN: TRUMP SAYS ‘THEY KNOW THE CONSEQUENCES’: In the CBS interview, Trump gave his version of strategic ambiguity, refusing to say if the U.S. would come to Taiwan’s defense if China were to invade or blockade the self-governing island, which President Xi Jinping has vowed to make part of mainland China before the decade is out.
“I can’t give away my secrets. I don’t want to be one of these guys that tells you exactly what’s gonna happen if something happens,” Trump said. “You’ll find out if it happens. And [Xi] understands the answer to that.”
Trump stated that the subject of Taiwan never arose during his meeting with Xi in South Korea last week.
“He never brought it up. People were a little surprised at that. He never brought it up, because he understands it, and he understands it very well,” Trump said. “Taiwan is a very interesting case. It’s 69 miles away from China. We’re 9,500 miles away. But that doesn’t matter. He understands what will happen.”
And Trump insisted that while Taiwan wasn’t discussed, Xi has “openly said,” that he would never do anything while Trump is president, “because they know the consequences.”
TRUMP SAYS XI PROMISED NOT TO INVADE TAIWAN DURING REPUBLICAN’S TERM
THE RUNDOWN:
Washington Examiner: Maduro’s ‘days are numbered,’ Trump says as he dodges on land strikes
Washington Examiner: Trump denies approving strikes on Venezuela but overwhelming military presence suggests more to come
Washington Examiner: Trump says his war with Venezuela is targeting drug cartels, but democracy could be the victor
Washington Examiner: Nigeria dismisses Trump’s military threat, says he merely wants a ‘sit-down’
Washington Examiner: Putin’s touting of weapons tests is his latest ‘strategic PR message’
Washington Examiner: Dutch centrists declare victory in election, right-wing calls it ‘arrogance’
Washington Examiner: Xi and Trump embrace tepid, delicate friendship though they ‘do not always see eye to eye’
Washington Examiner: Trump says Xi promised not to invade Taiwan during Republican’s term
Washington Examiner: Ahmed al Sharaa to meet with Trump as first Syrian president to visit White House
Washington Examiner: Opinion: China must not be allowed to win the AI arms race
Washington Examiner: Opinion: Tom Rogan Trump’s middling effort to strengthen the military
Reuters: How the US is preparing a military staging ground near Venezuela
Washington Post: These are the U.S. ships and aircraft massing off Venezuela
AP: Ukraine gets more Patriot air defense systems to counter deadly Russian attacks
New York Times: Ukraine Gamifies the War: 40 Points to Destroy a Tank, 12 to Kill a Soldier
AP: Trump Threatens Nigeria with Potential Military Action and Escalates Claim of Christian Persecution
Washington Post: Russia says its Poseidon super torpedo can drown coastal cities
Wall Street Journal: Elon Musk’s SpaceX Set to Win $2 Billion Pentagon Satellite Deal
Task & Purpose: National Guard Mission in DC Extended into 2026
AP: Hegseth visits inter-Korean border ahead of security talks with South Korean officials
Washington Times: Hegseth clarifies new defense strategy
Defense News: US Air Force Wants 1,558 Fighters for Low-Risk Wars. Can It Get There?
DefenseScoop: Gen. Wilsbach, Newly Confirmed by the Senate, Faces Major Challenges as Air Force Chief
Air & Space Forces Magazine: Anduril’s CCA Makes First Flight; YFQ-44A Flies Semi-Autonomously
Air & Space Forces Magazine: Northrop Ready to Start Production on New F-16 EW Suite; First Units Going to Middle East
Breaking Defense: Government Shutdown Delaying Contracts, but No Major Financial Impact Yet, Defense CEOs Say
Air & Space Forces Magazine: Lawmakers: Secret JATM Missile Not Delayed by Shutdown After All
Breaking Defense: Ubiquitous Competition of Networks Is a ‘Mega Trend’ in the Pacific: INDOPACOM Deputy
Air & Space Forces Magazine: ‘Here’s the Story’: How an Airman Lied to Cover Up M18 Shooting
Air & Space Forces Magazine: Merrill McPeak Opinion: Air Base Defense Is Our Duty. It’s Been Ignored Too Long
THE CALENDAR:
MONDAY | NOVEMBER 3
9 a.m. 1201 Pennsylvania Ave. NW — Hudson Institute discussion: “Understanding the Strategic Surprise of October 7,” with Itai Brun, former head, Israeli Defense Forces Intelligence Directorate Research Division https://www.hudson.org/events/understanding-strategic-surprise-october-7
10 a.m. 1775 Massachusetts Ave. NW — Brookings Institution discussion: “China’s economic priorities: the Fourth Plenum in review,” with Kari Heerman, Brookings director, trade and economic statecraft and senior fellow in the Brookings Economic Studies Program and former acting chief economist in the State Department’s Office of the Chief Economist; Ilaria Mazzocco, deputy director, senior fellow and trustee chair in Chinese business and economics, Center for Strategic and International Studies; Oliver Melton, director, China practice at the Rhodium Group; Andrew Polk, co-founder and head, economic research at Trivium China; and Jonathan Czin, Brookings chair in foreign policy studies and fellow in the Brookings Foreign Policy Program and Brookings China Center https://www.brookings.edu/events/chinas-economic-priorities
10 a.m. — Washington Office on Latin America, Friends Committee on National Legislation, and Amnesty International USA Zoom press briefing: “The Trump administration’s military actions in Venezuela,” with Elías Ferrer, editor in chief, Guacamaya, an independent digital media outlet in Venezuela; John Walsh, director for drug policy and the Andes, Washington Office on Latin America; Heather Brandon-Smith, legislative director, foreign policy, Friends Committee on National Legislation; and Daniel Noroña, advocacy director for the Americas, Amnesty International USA https://us02web.zoom.us/webinar/register
12 p.m. — Foreign Policy virtual discussion: “Decoding Trump’s Asia Visit,” with Elizabeth Economy, senior fellow and co-chair, Program on the U.S., China and the World at Stanford University Hoover Institution and former senior China adviser at the Commerce Department; and Ravi Agrawal, editor in chief of Foreign Policy https://foreignpolicy.com/live/trumps-asia-visit-xi/
12:30 p.m. — Physicists Coalition for Nuclear Threat Reduction webinar: “U.S. Government Assessments of Nuclear War and Nuclear Terrorism Risks: Findings of a National Academies Study,” with Jenny Heimberg, study director, Committee on Risk Analysis Methods for Nuclear War and Nuclear Terrorism, and acting director, Committee on International Security and Arms Control, National Academies of Sciences, Engineering, and Medicine; William Ostendorff, co-chair, Committee on Risk Analysis Methods for Nuclear War and Nuclear Terrorism, and former principal deputy administrator, U.S. National Nuclear Security Administration; M. Élisabeth Paté-Cornell, co-chair, Committee on Risk Analysis Methods for Nuclear War and Nuclear Terrorism, and Professor in the Department of Management Science and Engineering, Stanford University; and Zia Mian, Princeton University Program on Science and Global Security, and member, Steering Committee Physicists Coalition for Nuclear Threat Reduction https://us02web.zoom.us/webinar/register
3 p.m. — Foundation for Defense of Democracies virtual conversation: “ Israel 2040: Benny Gantz Vision for Security and Cooperation,” with Benny Gantz, chairman of Israel’s Blue and White National Unity Party and former Oct. 7 War cabinet minister; and FDD chief executive Mark Dubowitz https://www.fdd.org/events/2025/11/04/israel-2040-benny-gantz
TUESDAY | NOVEMBER 4
9:30 a.m. G-50 Dirksen — Senate Armed Services Committee hearing on the nominations of Austin Dahmer to be assistant secretary of defense for strategy, plans and capabilities; Robert Kadlec to be assistant secretary of defense for nuclear deterrence, chemical and biological defense policy; and Michael Borders to be assistant Air Force secretary for energy, installations and environment. http://www.armed-services.senate.gov
1:30 p.m. — Carnegie Endowment for International Peace discussion: “After Khamenei: Iran’s Political Culture and the Struggle for Its Future,” with Ali Ansari, founding director, University of St. Andrews Institute for Iranian Studies; Robin Wright, columnist, New Yorker; Nazee Moiniari, Middle East Institute associate fellow; and Karim Sadjadpour, CEIP senior fellow https://carnegieendowment.org/events
3 p.m. — Center for a New American Security virtual discussion: “Drones and Deterrence: Building Taiwan’s Asymmetric Capabilities,” with Hong-Lun Tiunn, nonresident fellow, Research Institute for Democracy, Society and Emerging Technology; Ely Ratner, principal at Marathon Initiative; Molly Campbell, research assistant at the CNAS Defense Program; and Stacie Pettyjohn, director, CNAS Defense Program https://www.cnas.org/events/virtual-event-drones-and-deterrence
4 p.m. — Center for Strategic and International Studies virtual discussion: “A House of Dynamite: Fact, Fiction, and U.S. Homeland Defense,” with Heather Williams, director, CSIS Project on Nuclear Issues; Tom Karako, director, CSIS Missile Defense Project; and Kari Bingen, director, the CSIS Aerospace Security Project https://www.csis.org/events/house-dynamite-fact-fiction-and-us-homeland-defense
WEDNESDAY | NOVEMBER 5
8:30 a.m. — Business Council for International Understanding discussion: “Emerging security challenges in NATO, especially on the Eastern Flank and in the Baltic and Arctic regions,” with Italian Air Force Gen. Aurelio Colagrande, deputy commander, NATO Allied Command Transformation http://www.bciu.org/events/upcoming-events
2:30 p.m. — Foundation for Defense of Democracies virtual discussion: “Containment Redux: Persian Gulf War Lessons from Iraq for U.S. Strategy Toward Iran,” with Elliott Abrams, senior fellow, Council on Foreign Relations and former U.S. special representative for Iran; Reuel Marc Gerecht, FDD resident scholar and former CIA Iranian targets officer; Kenneth Pollack, vice president for policy, Middle East Institute and former NSC director for Persian Gulf affairs; and Behnam Ben Taleblu, senior director FDD Iran Program https://www.fdd.org/events/2025/11/05/containment-redux
5 p.m. — Atlantic Council virtual discussion: “A next-generation agenda for South Korea-US-Australia security cooperation,” with Kester Abbott, research associate, University of Sydney U.S. Studies Centre; Hannah Heewon Seo, events administrator, Australia Institute; Eunju Oh, researcher, Korea Institute for Defense Analyses; Markus Garlauskas, director, Atlantic Council Scowcroft Center for Strategy and Security Indo-Pacific Initiative; and Lauren Gilbert, deputy director, Atlantic Council Scowcroft Center for Strategy and Security Indo-Pacific Security Initiative https://www.atlanticcouncil.org/event/a-next-generation-agenda
THURSDAY | NOVEMBER 6
10:30 a.m. 214 Massachusetts Ave. NE — Heritage Foundation discussion: “Letting New START Expire: How the Nuclear Arms Treaty Undermines American Security,” with Rebeccah Heinrichs, director, Hudson Institute Keystone Defense Initiative; and Robert Peters, Heritage senior research fellow for strategic deterrence https://www.heritage.org/defense/event/letting-new-start-expire
11 a.m. 1000 Massachusetts Ave. NW — Cato Institute forum: “The Military Balance in the Indo-Pacific, with and Without Taiwan,” with Jonathan Caverley, visiting senior fellow, International Institute for Strategic Studies; Evan Montgomery, vice president for research and studies, Center for Strategic and Budgetary Assessments; and Evan Sankey, Cato policy analyst https://www.cato.org/events/military-balance-indo-pacific-without-taiwan
FRIDAY | NOVEMBER 7
10 a.m. — National Institute for Deterrence Studies virtual seminar: “Strategic Stockpile Stewardship: A Retrospective and Forward Look at U.S. Nuclear Weapons Policy,” with Don Cook, former deputy administrator for defense programs , National Nuclear Security https://thinkdeterrence.com/events/strategic-stockpile-stewardship
