President Donald Trump’s boast that “MAGA loves what I’m doing” appears to hold true, but the suggestion of sending in ground troops threatens to revive an “America First” debate.

US President Donald Trump has said Venezuela "will be turning over" up to 50 million barrels of oil - worth about $2.8bn (£2.1bn) - to the US, after a military operation to remove President Nicolás Maduro from power.

White House press secretary Karoline Leavitt said Wednesday that the U.S. is in "close correspondence" with interim Venezuelan authorities following the toppling of the Maduro regime.

The Russians repeatedly floated the idea of a 'very strange swap arrangement between Venezuela and Ukraine,' Fiona Hill said during a congressional hearing in 2019.

Venezuela has the largest oil reserves of any country on Earth. But the type of oil it has is difficult, and dirty, to process. Experts say ramping up production would be expensive, and dangerous for the climate and environment.

The U.S. seized an empty Russian-flagged, Venezuela-linked oil tanker in the Atlantic Ocean on Wednesday as part of President Donald Trump's aggressive push to dictate oil flows in the Americas and force Venezuela's socialist government to become an ally.

Ex-Venezuelan President Nicolás Maduro spent the night in jail after he appeared in a U.S. courtroom — as questions linger about President Trump's plans for Venezuela.

"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," Trump said.

Republicans have cheered the raid that ousted Nicolás Maduro but toiled to square their longstanding views with President Trump’s unclear and rapidly evolving strategy.