Donald Trump shocks as he reveals who he first told of attack: ‘Can’t tell you how insane’

President Donald Trump is now facing fresh demands for impeachment after launching an unprecedented military attack on Venezuela without first informing Congress.

What has shocked many people even more is what Trump admitted while speaking to reporters aboard Air Force One on Sunday night. He revealed that, before the operation took place, he did not brief Congress or key congressional leaders who are normally informed in advance. Instead, he said he told oil companies about the plan.

Trump openly praised these oil companies, saying they were eager to “go in” to Venezuela and do what he described as a “great job” securing the country’s oil. Venezuela holds the largest proven oil reserves in the world, making this admission especially controversial. To many critics, it suggested that the military action was driven less by national security and more by business interests.

The outrage grew because even the “Gang of Eight” — senior lawmakers from both parties who are traditionally briefed on sensitive military operations — were kept in the dark.

This left critics stunned. Fred Wellman, a Democratic congressional candidate and host of the “On Democracy” podcast, said he was almost speechless. In a post to his large following on X, he described the situation as unbelievable, pointing out that Congress was excluded while powerful oil interests were kept fully informed.

Wellman went further, arguing that U.S. service members were effectively used to advance the financial interests of Trump’s wealthy donors. He highlighted that one of Trump’s major billionaire backers had recently gained control of Citgo, making the connection between political donors and oil interests even more troubling in the eyes of critics.

Representative Yassamin Ansari of Arizona also reacted strongly to Trump’s admission. She said it showed that the administration was beginning to look like an authoritarian system, where decisions are made for the benefit of powerful elites rather than through democratic processes. In her view, the fact that oil companies knew about an act of war before Congress did was a clear warning sign of government run by oligarchs.

Trump has already made it clear that he expects the United States to gain financially from having direct and uncontested access to Venezuela’s vast oil reserves. Since the attack and the subsequent takeover, stock prices of major American oil companies have reportedly surged, reinforcing concerns that economic gain played a major role in the decision.

Chevron, the Texas-based oil giant and the only major U.S. oil company currently operating in Venezuela, has publicly committed to working with the Trump administration. The company welcomed the change in power and expressed hope that the U.S.-backed takeover would lead to what it described as a “peaceful” transition, even as critics continue to question the legality, morality, and true motivations behind the operation.