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President Trump brought a row of energy chiefs into the East Room on January 9 to lay out a bold plan: let American companies rebuild Venezuela’s oil fields and reclaim American energy strength. The move was plainspoken and unapologetic — exactly the sort of leadership this country deserves when rivals circle and supply lines wobble.
The president told CEOs he expects at least $100 billion in private investment to rejuvenate Venezuela’s dilapidated industry and even suggested the U.S. would manage access and proceeds to make sure American interests come first. He promised security guarantees for any U.S. firms that go in and said Venezuela could be supplying tens of millions of barrels under American oversight — a pragmatic, get-it-done approach to lowering prices for working families.
Not surprisingly, the room was cautious: Exxon’s CEO bluntly called Venezuela “uninvestable” without major legal and commercial reforms, while ConocoPhillips reminded the president of billions still owed after past seizures. Chevron, the one U.S. firm with an existing presence, signaled it could expand, but executives made clear they need rock-solid protections before committing tens of billions.
Let’s be clear — this is the kind of tough, results-focused diplomacy conservatives have been begging for. While the left hallucinates moral purity and endless process, President Trump is offering American capital a return to energy dominance and a pathway to bring down the cost at the pump for hardworking Americans. If you want theory, tune into late-night cable; if you want results, back the strategy that produces energy, jobs, and leverage.
Washington won’t get strong energy policy by whispering in the corner or by letting bureaucrats and foreign adversaries dictate terms. If the administration can thread the needle — legal protections, security guarantees, and a strict American role in how proceeds are used — investors will come because profit follows predictability, and America will reap the benefits. The real risk is timidity, not boldness.
This meeting should serve as a wake-up call to every patriot: national security and energy independence are one and the same. Stand with leaders who understand that seizing opportunities abroad to strengthen our economy at home is not an act of aggression toward Americans, it is an act of stewardship for their futures.
