Donald Trump made a major error last Friday (January 9) when he read aloud a private note meant only for him during a press briefing.
The 79-year-old president was talking about plans for Venezuela’s massive oil reserves—the largest proven in the world—shortly after the U.S. military struck Caracas and special forces captured Venezuelan president Nicolás Maduro, who is now facing charges in New York.
At one point, U.S. Secretary of State Marco Rubio handed Trump a message that was never intended to be shared publicly. But Trump appeared not to realize that and proceeded to read it aloud in front of reporters.
After being handed the paper, Trump said, “Marco just gave me a note,” and then read it to everyone in the room.
The note read: “Go back to Chevron. They want to discuss something.”
Trump then added, “Go ahead, I’m going back to Chevron. Thank you, Marco.”
The message referred to oil company Chevron, which produces about 150,000 barrels of oil per day in Venezuela, according to CNN. Chevron is among the oil firms in discussions with the White House over potential investment in Venezuelan oil infrastructure and is one of the more established companies operating there.
Rubio’s expression suggested he was not pleased that Trump had read the message publicly. Trump even slapped him on the back and laughed afterward.
The meeting also highlighted that Venezuela may not be the only foreign target on Trump’s agenda. He reiterated his interest in Greenland, claiming national security concerns and warning that if the U.S. doesn’t act there, Russia or China might.
Trump said he would take action in Greenland “whether they like it or not,” raising questions about NATO’s future if the U.S. begins taking aggre:ssive stances toward all:ied nations.
At one point, Trump even invited the press to look out a window at construction on a ballroom he ordered built—work that required removing historic parts of the White House.
“If the fake news would like to take a look, you can,” he said. “You’ll see a very big foundation we are moving. We are ahead of schedule on the ballroom and under budget.”
After returning to his seat, he added, “I don’t think there will be anything like it in the world, actually.”
