Mystery Surrounds Billions in Venezuelan Oil Revenue and Trump’s Claims
WHO:
Alternet - President Donald Trump claimed to have made billions and trillions of dollars off his policies for the U.S.
Alternet - Rep. Joaquin Castro (D-Texas) stated that Trump’s actions regarding Venezuela have been about oil, power, and graft.
Alternet - Republican Rep. María Elvira Salazar (Fla.) called for transparency regarding the Venezuelan oil revenue.
WHAT:
Alternet - Trump claimed that he secured commitments for more than $18 trillion in investments for the U.S. in less than one year, stating, "There's never been anything like it."
Alternet - Trump suggested in a January 7 post on Truth Social that he would use the money from tariffs to give a 50 percent increase to the military budget, amounting to $1.5 trillion.
Alternet - Investor Steven Rattner reported that Trump has increased the U.S. deficit from $1.8 trillion to $1.9 trillion, even after adjusting for inflation.
Alternet - The administration claimed an "unprecedented $211.8 billion reduction in regulatory costs in fiscal year 2025" and projected a likely savings of $1.5 trillion in 2026.
Drudge Report - The U.S. collected $13 billion from Venezuelan oil money.
Alternet - Trump claimed that the U.S. seized “millions of barrels” of oil from Venezuela.
Alternet - The State Department reported that “billions of dollars have been disbursed to the Venezuelan economy.”
Alternet - Trump claimed that he secured more than $18 trillion in investments for the U.S. due to tariffs.
Alternet - Investor Steven Rattner reported a net loss of -$26 billion from Trump tariffs.
Alternet - Trump announced a commitment from Saudi Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman for "almost" $1 trillion in investments.
Alternet - Trump announced a Ukraine minerals deal projected to "significantly exceed $350 billion."
WHERE:
Alternet - The claims regarding Venezuelan oil revenue pertain to the U.S. and Venezuela.
WHEN:
Alternet - Trump made a statement in January 2026 regarding tariffs and investments.
Alternet - A commitment from Saudi Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman was announced in November 2025.
Alternet - A $600 billion commitment from MBS was reported in May 2025.
WHY:
Alternet - Trump’s administration is asking for additional money after billions of dollars in military spending related to the Iran war.
HOW:
Alternet - Trump claimed to have used tariffs to secure investments for the U.S. and suggested that the funds would be used to increase the military budget and reduce national debt.
(UPDATED July 22, 2026 23:21 UTC)
Trump announced that he has secured commitments for over $18 trillion in investments for the U.S. in less than a year, declaring, "There's never been anything like it." He also suggested that he plans to use money from tariffs to boost the military budget by 50 percent, which would amount to $1.5 trillion. Meanwhile, investor Steven Rattner noted that Trump has increased the U.S. deficit from $1.8 trillion to $1.9 trillion, even after adjusting for inflation, while the administration touted a significant reduction in regulatory costs and projected savings of $1.5 trillion for 2026.
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(UPDATED July 22, 2026 22:23 UTC)
President Trump has claimed that his policies have generated billions and trillions of dollars for the U.S., including a reported $13 billion collected from Venezuelan oil money. Meanwhile, Democratic Representative Joaquin Castro criticized Trump's actions regarding Venezuela, suggesting they have been driven by oil, power, and graft, while Republican Representative María Elvira Salazar is calling for transparency about the Venezuelan oil revenue. Additionally, Trump announced significant future investments, including a commitment from Saudi Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman for "almost" $1 trillion and a Ukraine minerals deal projected to exceed $350 billion.