WASHINGTON – President Donald Trump told NBC News that war remains possible with Venezuela, a country whose leadership he labeled a terrorist regime and which he has targeted militarily because of alleged drug smuggling. "I don’t rule it out, no," Trump told NBC on Dec. 18 in a phone interview.

In an exclusive phone interview with NBC News, Trump talked about his offensive against Venezuela, his plan for health care and his outlook for the midterm elections.

Chevron, the lone U.S. company in the South American country, has weathered years of political and economic instability in Venezuela, but the latest U.S. pressure campaign could become its toughest test yet.

U.S. President Donald Trump said he was leaving the possibility of war with Venezuela on the table, according to an interview with NBC News published on Friday.

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Sixty-three percent of respondents told Quinnipiac they are against military action against Caracas, with just 25 percent expressing support.

The president has shied away from endorsing regime change, leaving some aides unsure about his ultimate goal.

The president said in a Truth Social post Venezuela should return those assets to the U.S. and declared an oil tanker blockade.