Trump said US would keep Venezuela's oil, MSNBC host says

US President Donald Trump told MSNBC that the key difference between Washington’s intervention in Venezuela and the US occupation of Iraq is that the United States would "keep the oil" this time, according to remarks relayed by broadcaster Joe Scarborough.

Scarborough said on Tuesday that he spoke with Trump for around 20 minutes on Monday, following the US military operation in Venezuela that led to the capture of President Nicolás Maduro.

Speaking on his programme Morning Joe, Scarborough said he pressed Trump on comparisons between the intervention in Venezuela and what he described as the "failed occupation" of Iraq.

"When you say we’re going to run everything, that obviously causes deep concerns because of the disaster in Iraq," Scarborough said he told the president during the call.

According to Scarborough, Trump replied: "Joe, the difference between Iraq and this is that Bush didn’t keep the oil. We’re going to keep the oil."

Scarborough said Trump initially spoke "on background", before making clear that his remarks could be attributed to him. The president reportedly added that he had made similar arguments in 2016, saying the US should have retained control over Iraq’s oil resources.

"We’re going to rebuild their broken-down oil facilities, and this time we’re going to keep the oil," Trump told him.

Scarborough said much of the call was taken up by Trump praising what he described as the "flawless execution" of the US military operation, including the role of special forces in kidnapping Maduro. Trump also said the operation sent a message about American power to global rivals including Russia, China and Iran.

In a statement issued on 16 December, Trump accused Venezuela of stealing US assets, claiming it had taken oil, land and property belonging to the United States. Last Saturday, the US launched a wide-ranging attack on the country, resulting in the abduction of Maduro and his wife, Cilia Flores, and their transfer to the United States.

Trump said Washington would continue to "manage affairs in Venezuela until a safe, appropriate and reasonable transfer of power is achieved", adding that US companies would enter the country’s oil sector.

Since the operation, Trump has repeatedly said the United States would administer Venezuela directly and that he would be personally responsible for its management. He has warned any new authorities in Caracas against refusing cooperation, threatening further attacks that he said would be "bigger and more powerful".

Trump has also escalated his rhetoric beyond Venezuela. On Sunday, he threatened military action against Colombia, telling reporters aboard Air Force One that such an operation "looks good to me".

He described the country as "very sick" and accused its leadership of drug trafficking, in an apparent reference to Colombian President Gustavo Petro.