Donald Trump is set to make an announcement at around 2pm eastern time today, and it has prompted speculation about what it could mean.
Trump will make the announcement to the White House press pool in the Roosevelt Room, and is marked as being on his official schedule.
At 2pm, Trump’s official schedule has the enigmatic entry: “The President makes an Announcement.”
The announcement is due to come as several priorities come to the fore at the White House this week.
One big topic this week has been Venezuela, with White House press secretary Karoline Leavitt confirming that the country had launched two strikes on a boat allegedly carrying drugs in the Caribbean Sea on September 2.
Leavitt claimed that the strike was launched as the vessel was suspected to be carrying drugs, and said that it was an act of ‘self-defense to protect Americans‘.
However, many people are speculating as to what Trump will announce in the briefing today, so we’re getting into some possible topics for the announcement.
Trump will make the announcement this afternoon (Pete Marovich/Getty Images)
Venezuela
The White House has given nothing away about the precise nature of the announcement, but there has been much speculation ahead of it.
Venezuela has been high on the White House’s agenda this week after a second attack on a boat which was alleged to be carrying drugs, killing two people who survived the first strike.
There has been controversy over whether this second ‘double tap’ strike was legal, and who authorised it.
The White House has said ‘Secretary [of War Pete] Hegseth authorised Admiral Bradley to conduct these kinetic strikes’, but has suggested it was US Navy vice admiral Frank Bradley who ordered the second strike.
Leavitt added: “Admiral Bradley worked well within his authority and the law.”
But to complicate matters further, Trump told reporters: “We’ll look into it, but no, I wouldn’t have wanted that – not a second strike. The first strike was very lethal.”
It’s possible that the announcement could be connected to this.
Bradley will give a confidential briefing to lawmakers on Thursday.
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People aren’t sure exactly what the announcement is about (Pete Marovich/Getty Images)
Trump Accounts
Another possibility is that the announcement will be related to a new policy from Trump about bank accounts for younger people, including a whopping $6.25 billion donation from the Dells, who founded the technology firm.
These have been called ‘Trump Accounts’ and will function as a $250 investment account for children, though from what we know so far you will need to be in a certain ZIP code to be eligible.
Parents and guardians and employers would be able to deposit money in the account up to certain limits, and it will grow tax free.
So it’s certainly a contender that this will be the topic of the announcement.
What are people saying?
Many people have taken to social media to share their thoughts on what the announcement could be, including some slightly more humorous suggestions.
One person joked: “The US is trading Minnesota to Canada for Alberta & Canada’s 2026 1st round pick.”
Someone else was perhaps a little optimistic in their expectations, writing: “Two weeks until world peace and 800% cheaper healthcare?”
A third went with a classic: “Aliens. It’s always aliens”.
The announcement will go out form the White House at 2pm ET.
Wait, ‘ET’? Maybe it is aliens after all…
Featured Image Credit: Getty Images/JIM WATSON