U.S. President Donald Trump meeting with reporters aboard his plane. Reuters=Yonhap News. 

U.S. President Donald Trump said on the 14th (local time) that he has "made up his mind to a certain extent" regarding the next steps to take against Venezuela, amid mounting speculation over imminent U.S. military operations.

According to the White House press pool, President Trump made the remark while speaking to reporters aboard Air Force One as he headed to his residence in Florida. He added, "I cannot tell you what it is, but we have made a lot of progress in Venezuela regarding stopping the flow of drugs (into the U.S.)."

The U.S. military has recently intensified pressure on Venezuela by identifying several vessels departing from the country as drug-trafficking ships, subsequently conducting airstrikes and sinking them in the Caribbean Sea and Pacific Ocean, and deploying a nuclear-powered aircraft carrier strike group to the Caribbean region.

Some observers suggest that President Trump's "next steps" could involve military operations, such as airstrikes within Venezuelan territory.

In this regard, The Washington Post (WP) reported, citing multiple sources, that key members of the Trump administration held a private meeting at the White House that day to discuss whether to launch military operations against Venezuela.

Furthermore, President Trump stated that he plans to file a lawsuit against the British public broadcaster BBC for "doctoring" a 2021 speech of his, adding, "I will likely file a lawsuit next week for an amount between $1 billion and $5 billion."

The BBC faced criticism for its special documentary, "Trump: A Second Chance?", aired a week before last year's U.S. presidential election. The report allegedly spliced three different parts of President Trump's speech from January 6, 2021—the day of the Capitol riot by his supporters—to make it appear as if he had incited the violence by saying "fight like hell" in a single, continuous sentence.

The BBC apologized for the incident but refused to pay damages to President Trump.

In addition, President Trump confirmed that he had held separate phone calls with the leaders of Thailand and Cambodia, both of which are currently in dispute, and claimed, "Just today, I used the 'threat of tariffs' to stop a war."

He also addressed the growing allegations regarding his relationship with the late Jeffrey Epstein, a convicted sex offender who victimized numerous minors. "I have never been to his island, but Bill Clinton (former president) has probably been there 28 times," Trump said, asserting that law enforcement authorities should launch an investigation into former President Clinton and others.

Meanwhile, President Trump announced that he is withdrawing his support for Rep. Marjorie Taylor Greene (R-GA), who had been considered a key "Trump ally" in Congress for years but has recently publicly voiced opposition to some of his policies.

In a post on his social media platform Truth Social, the President wrote, "I am withdrawing my support and endorsement for Congresswoman Marjorie Taylor Greene," adding, "All 'Wacky' Marjorie does is complain, complain, and complain."

President Trump stated that he had heard Greene was upset because he did not call her back, noting that as he is busy with state affairs, he "cannot take calls from a 'screaming lunatic' every day."

He further wrote, "If a proper candidate runs (in the Republican primary for Greene's district), that person will receive my full and total endorsement," adding, "She has become too far-left."

Additionally, when asked about the timing of the "$2,000 per person dividend" he had promised to pay citizens using tariff revenue, President Trump said it would not be before Christmas this year, but would instead be distributed next year.

Yonhap News