Why the president's attention to the Venezuela file upset some of Trump's allies. JD Vance, among those pressing him
Donald Trump during a cabinet meeting at the White House on December 2, 2025. Credit: Yuri Gripas/UPI/Profimedia
US President Donald Trump's focus on the capture of Venezuelan leader Nicolas Maduro has “frustrated” some White House advisers and some congressional Republicans who want to address economic and health concerns in this election year, three sources told Reuters.
With some voters unhappy with rising prices and Trump's handling of the economy, some of the president's allies fear that this increased focus on foreign policy risks jeopardizing the party's fragile control of Congress in the November 2026 midterm elections.
White House chief of staff Susie Wiles, her deputy James Blair and Vice President JD Vance are pressing Trump to prioritize domestic concerns, two White House officials said on condition of anonymity.
According to the sources, Vance's position was the most persistent in the meetings, repeatedly steering the conversations to the core issues.
After last weekend's operation in Venezuela, several top White House advisers are “openly frustrated” that Trump and many senior officials continue to talk so much about foreign affairs, one of the officials said. Although inflation has eased, many voters remain focused on affordability as they face high costs for housing, food and health insurance.
The public reaction of the White House
Asked for comment, the White House said Trump has always made the economy his top priority, citing the president's announcements this week about falling housing prices. His foreign policy has “consistently put America first.”
“The president will always work to bring investment and results back to our country,” spokeswoman Anna Kelly said.
A spokeswoman for Vance said the vice president “supports the president's foreign and domestic policy agenda across the board.”
Concerns about Trump's priorities are not new, as he was focused on foreign policy before the Venezuela operation. In recent weeks he has issued veiled threats to Greenland and Panama, bombed targets in Syria and Nigeria and advocated for peace between Russia and Ukraine.
Even so, officials say those concerns have become more pressing as the administration enters a crucial election year for which the White House planned to target domestic messaging and travel more aggressively.
Counselors showed him surveys and postings to convince him
At the White House since November, during several meetings focused on the economy, interlocutors have shown him polls and social media posts highlighting voters' concerns about the cost of living and how he is managing the economy and urged him to focus his public remarks on economic issues, according to disclosures made by White House officials.
Trump, one official said, responded that the economy was strong and warned that turning attention to the subject could be a Democratic trap to downplay his achievements. He said the high inflation was driven by the policies of his predecessor, Joe Biden.
After the president announced on Saturday that the US would “rule” Venezuela, Republican congressmen flooded the White House with calls, insisting that “the only country Trump should rule is the United States,” an official said.
