The president has a long record of making false or misleading statements. But the sheer density of them in his administration’s boat attacks and Venezuela pressure campaign is exceptional.
Mr. Trump says an “armed conflict” makes the killings of people on the vessels lawful, but law-of-war experts say standards for a war to exist are not met.
The move is an escalation of military operations and a pressure campaign against Nicolás Maduro, Venezuela’s leader. But its scope and economic impact are not clear.
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