Wars used to begin with treaties and trumpets, but now President Donald Trump wants to start them with posts. This week, he announced a “total and complete blockade” of sanctioned oil tankers entering and leaving Venezuela on Truth Social (aka his favorite social media platform to fire off posts at any hour of the day or night) of all places.
Historically, blockades have been considered acts of war. And yet a huge escalation in U.S. foreign policy arrived via an all-caps post and accusations of “terrorism,” “d—g smuggling,” and the theft of American “assets.” Trump even declared Venezuela’s government a “foreign terrorist organization,” and there will be military implications for this.
First, Congress has not authorized a war. Second, Venezuela has not attacked the United States, and finally, under both U.S. and international law, that cannot be done, just to reassure Americans who might have been confused.
Trump on Venezuela -“They took our oil rights. We had a lot of oil there. They threw our companies out. And we want it back.”
Maduro is a brutal and corrupt dictator who has wrecked Venezuela, but Trump isn’t interested in restoring democracy in Venezuela. He’s concerned about… pic.twitter.com/JWmY1qcycj
— Nick Reeves #RejoinEU #NAFO #FBPE (@nickreeves9876) December 18, 2025
According to Reuters, oil prices jumped more than 1% after Donald Trump’s post, as traders tried to figure out what a blockade of a significant oil producer might mean. The administration has already moved thousands of U.S. troops and nearly a dozen warships to the region, and yes, that’s including an aircraft carrier. The BBC also reported that Donald Trump boasted that Venezuela is now “surrounded by the largest Armada ever assembled in the History of South America.”
But maybe Brazil, Colombia, and Guyana (countries that border Venezuela) might like a word?
Even Donald Trump supporters are feeling uneasy. Democratic Congressman Joaquin Castro of Texas, called the move “unquestionably an act of war,” and we never asked for it. Legal scholars agree that this pushes the limits. International law expert Elena Chachko told Reuters that blockades are “instruments of war” and domestic/international legality is doubtful here.
Then there’s always the oil. Venezuela holds the world’s largest proven crude reserves, but Donald Trump’s Truth Social post claims “Oil, Land and other Assets” were stolen. Critics argue this makes the whole affair sound like a resource grab of sorts. Meanwhile, Venezuela’s Maduro has accused Washington of trying to colonize them and to control the wealth.
MADURO: “The truth has now been revealed.
They aim to impose a puppet government that wouldn’t last even 47 hours,
that would hand over the Constitution, sovereignty and all the wealth, and turn Venezuela into a colony.
Simply put, that is never, EVER, going to happen.” pic.twitter.com/bHW6iEwsF5
— COMBATE |🇵🇷 (@upholdreality) December 18, 2025
Reuters reports that U.S. strikes on vessels near Venezuela have killed at least 90 people recently, and many on small boats have been accused of trafficking d—-s. The BBC notes that fentanyl (primarily produced in Mexico) has also been upgraded to a weapon of mass destruction.
But on this shore, Americans grapple with inflation, job loss, and healthcare costs. A sustained blockade could knock nearly a million barrels a day off the market, which could even add $5 to $8 per barrel. So there will be inflation as a result.
If Donald Trump declares war via social media, what’s next?
