Trump and WAR [White Authoritarian Rhetoric]: He Promised to End Wars but Now says He Will Annihilate Routinely [WAR]- Threatens Venezuela, Bombs Somalia, Complicit in Gaza, Endless Ukraine War, etc

LARRY JOHNSON explains, Beyond all Trump’s rhetoric, What we ought to be paying attention to is the dramatic buildup of US military assets off the coast of Venezuela. This mirrors the kind of activity we saw after the 13 June attack on Iran by Israel, as the United States deployed naval and air assets to the region in preparation for the US attack on 24 June. As of September 2025, the United States has deployed a substantial naval and military force off the coast of Venezuela in the southern Caribbean. The deployment includes:

Navy Ships:
• Guided-missile destroyers: USS Jason Dunham, USS Gravely, USS Sampson, USS Stockdale
• Missile cruiser: USS Lake Erie
• Littoral combat ship: USS Minneapolis-Saint Paul
• Amphibious ships: USS Iwo Jima, USS Fort Lauderdale, USS San Antonio (comprising the Iwo Jima Amphibious Ready Group)
• Fast-attack submarine: USS Newport News

Military Units:
• Marine Expeditionary Unit: 22nd Marine Expeditionary Unit, with approximately 4,500 personnel, including 2,200 Marines and sailors, deployed aboard the amphibious ships
• Air assets: F-35B fighter jets, MV-22 Osprey tilt-rotor aircraft, MQ-9 Reaper drones, and P-8 Poseidon maritime surveillance aircraft
• Special Operations Forces: Reported secret deployments for targeted strikes and commando operations in support of anti-cartel missions

I cannot rule out that this show of military force is part of an intelligence operation — i.e., use the saber rattling as leverage over key members of the Venezuelan military to persuade them to launch a US-backed coup and eliminate President Maduro. But Maduro is not alone… He has the backing of Russia, China and Iran by virtue of his membership in BRICS.

Maduro and Venezuela have more than verbal assurances from Russia. Venezuela concluded a significant defense and strategic cooperation agreement with Russia in mid-September 2025, when the Venezuelan National Assembly preliminarily approved a Strategic Partnership and Cooperation Treaty with Russia. This agreement is designed to deepen existing bilateral ties in defense, energy, technology, and includes provisions for regular high-level political dialogue and oversight commissions for implementation.

Key features of the agreement:

• The treaty expands Venezuela’s military cooperation with Russia, building on the already substantial relationship, such as domestic manufacturing of AK-103 rifles and joint defense technology initiatives.
• Venezuelan cadets are training in Russia in advanced military specialties, including drone technology and electronic warfare.
• The agreement was advanced in direct response to the recent deployment of US warships, submarines, and fighter jets in the Caribbean, which Venezuela views as a threat to its sovereignty.
• The pact, which still requires a final parliamentary vote for formal ratification, is explicitly framed by Venezuelan officials as part of their rejection of “hegemonic” US influence and an effort to build a multipolar world order in partnership with Russia.
• Earlier this year, Presidents Maduro and Putin signed a 10-year strategic alliance, which lays the foundation for this further-deepened cooperation and also encompasses arms control, energy sector collaboration, and joint efforts to bypass sanctions.

Putin is sending Trump a not-so-subtle reminder that Russia still has some global reach.