U.S. President Trump. Reuters=Yonhap News

U.S. President Donald Trump said he "would not rule out" the possibility of war with Venezuela, NBC News reported on the 19th (local time).

Trump made these remarks in an exclusive phone interview with NBC News on the same day, leaving open the possibility of war with Venezuela, NBC reported.

The Trump administration, which declared war on Venezuelan drug cartels after its second term, is continuously attacking ships passing through the Caribbean Sea and the Eastern Pacific, stating it is necessary to block drug trafficking.

On the 16th, the U.S. government designated the Venezuelan regime of Nicolás Maduro as a foreign terrorist organization and tightened its pressure by completely blocking all sanctioned oil tankers entering and leaving Venezuela.

When asked by NBC whether the pressure on Venezuela could lead to war, President Trump initially replied, "I will not discuss it." However, when pressed for a precise answer, he responded that he would not rule out the possibility of war, NBC News reported.

He also stated that there would be further seizures of oil tankers traveling to and from Venezuela.

However, regarding the specific timing of additional seizures, he replied, "It depends on the situation," adding, "If they foolishly continue to sail, they will be turned back to one of our ports."

When asked if the ultimate goal was to remove the Maduro regime, President Trump refused to give a specific answer, only saying, "He (President Maduro) knows exactly what I want. He knows better than anyone else."

NBC News reminded that President Trump said in his speech immediately after winning the presidential election, "I will stop the war," and pointed out, "His acknowledgment of the possibility of war with Venezuela is significant."

Meanwhile, regarding the timing of the "fallen soldier dividend" payment to 1.45 million military personnel, which President Trump announced in his address to the nation on the 17th, he stated, "It will all be paid out within a few days."

He emphasized that the funds for the fallen soldier dividend would be covered by tariff revenue, stating, "We are making a lot of money from tariffs, so we can do it and have plenty of money left over."

Regarding the repeal of Obamacare (ACA - Affordable Care Act), he said, "I don't have to do anything," adding, "Obamacare will automatically be repealed because no one will want to use it. It's too expensive."

Currently, Obamacare's subsidies are scheduled to end at the end of this year, as a bill to extend the subsidies, submitted to the Senate by both parties, has been rejected. Consequently, it is predicted that Americans' health insurance premiums will surge.

When asked if he plans to introduce a more comprehensive healthcare reform plan, President Trump replied, "In my opinion, I already announced it last night."

He further explained, "We will pay money directly to the people," adding, "There are various ways, but we will enable people to purchase medical services directly."

Meanwhile, when asked if he believes the Republican Party will be able to control both the Senate and the House of Representatives through the midterm elections in November next year, President Trump said, "I hope so."