**Secretary of War Pete Hegseth Declines to Comment on Potential Military Strikes on Venezuela Amid Government Shutdown**
Secretary of War Pete Hegseth declined to say whether the U.S. is preparing military strikes on Venezuela, while sharply criticizing Democrats over the ongoing government shutdown that has delayed federal payments to U.S. troops.
The U.S. military has conducted more than a dozen strikes on vessels allegedly carrying drugs in international waters near Venezuela, killing dozens of suspected narco-terrorists. Additionally, the USS Gerald R. Ford and its strike group have been ordered to deploy to the U.S. Southern Command region. These escalations have sparked speculation about whether the U.S. might be preparing to topple Venezuelan President Nicolás Maduro.
At a gathering of Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN) defense ministers in Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia, a reporter asked Hegseth on Saturday if the United States was planning strikes inside Venezuela.
“Appreciate the question, but of course, we would not share any amount of operational details about what may or may not happen,” Hegseth responded.
### Senators Seek to Block Trump from Engaging in Hostilities in Venezuela
President Donald Trump stated on Friday that he was not considering military strikes inside Venezuela. Meanwhile, Secretary of State Marco Rubio and the White House both pushed back against reports citing unnamed “sources” that claimed such plans were underway.
Hegseth was also questioned about an anonymous $130 million donation made to pay U.S. troops during the government shutdown. According to *The New York Times*, Timothy Mellon, a reclusive billionaire and major financial backer of President Trump, made the donation.
“We are very grateful for generous Americans who would be willing to ensure that U.S. troops are paid,” Hegseth said. “And we’re thankful to President Trump and Vice President Vance and everyone, [Director of the Office of Management and Budget] Russ Vought, and others who made sure, and our department did make sure, that no matter what’s happening, the troops are getting paid.”
Hegseth emphasized that paying troops is a priority for the president and criticized Democrats for not voting to reopen the government.
“Democrats are not contributing to that,” he said.
### Trump Touts U.S. Strike as Maduro Slams Military ‘Threat’ Off Venezuela
“President Trump’s making that happen and that’s an important outcome, because the work we’re talking about right here, across our country, certainly the Department of War is front and center of that,” Hegseth added.
The funding pause stems from the October 1 government shutdown after Senate lawmakers failed to reach a spending agreement before the end of fiscal year 2025. This occurred after a short-term extension, passed mainly along party lines in the House earlier in September, that aimed to keep the government open through November 21.
Timothy Mellon, grandson of former Treasury Secretary Andrew W. Mellon, is a known supporter of Trump and has donated tens of millions of dollars to groups backing the president’s 2024 campaign. Last year, he contributed $50 million to a super PAC supporting Trump, marking one of the largest single donations ever disclosed, according to *The New York Times*.
### U.S. Response to Chinese Activity in South China Sea
Hegseth was also asked about reports that the United States planned a “show of force” in response to recent Chinese aggression in the South China Sea. He clarified that those reports do not reflect current realities.
“[Indo-Pacific Commander] Admiral Papara and I are in close coordination at all times, ensuring we’ve got capabilities where we need them, when we need them, but those specific reports are not in keeping with what’s happening right now,” Hegseth stated.
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https://www.foxnews.com/us/hegseth-declines-discuss-possible-us-strikes-venezuela-blames-dems-troop-pay-amid-shutdown