Fox News Host Questions Trump's Oil Deal with Venezuela

<figure><img alt="U.S. Secretary of Transportation Sean Duffy and his wife, Rachel Campos-Duffy, pose on the red carpet for the 2026 White House Correspondents' Association (WHCA) dinner in Washington, D.C., U.S., April 25, 2026. REUTERS/Elizabeth Frantz" src="https://thedailybeast-thedailybeast-prod.web.arc-cdn.net/resizer/v2/J4DWSL5BNVF65GTKPYA4ZD5UIU.JPG?auth=2329ee543131fc9ef3767d409e3975f5885a480f3f15860611568c8ceaa38671&amp;smart=true&amp;width=1669&amp;height=939" /><figcaption>Elizabeth Frantz/REUTERS</figcaption></figure><p>Fox News host Rachel Campos-Duffy expressed concerns regarding President Donald Trump’s recent oil deal with Venezuela during a segment on <i>Fox &amp; Friends Weekend</i>. Trump announced on Friday that he had secured what he described as “THE BIGGEST OIL DEAL IN WORLD HISTORY,” which involves the U.S. taking majority control of Venezuela’s 65 billion barrels of proven oil reserves under an agreement with acting President Delcy Rodríguez.</p><p>The deal has faced criticism due to Rodríguez's lack of election by the Venezuelan populace, having been installed as interim president by Trump following the abduction of Nicolás Maduro by U.S. Special Forces in January. Trump had previously stated that the U.S. would “run” Venezuela until a “proper transition can take place.”</p><p>During the broadcast, Campos-Duffy, who is married to Transportation Secretary Sean Duffy, noted the absence of elections in Venezuela, questioning the rationale behind removing Maduro. She stated, “Maybe I was a little too naive here—I thought the primary purpose of taking out Nicolas Maduro was because he was a communist dictator and we were actually going to allow the Venezuelan people—” before being interrupted by co-host Charlie Hurt.</p><p>She continued, “Exactly. There was that. But also that we were going to liberate the Venezuelan people from their oppressors.” Campos-Duffy highlighted that the deal was receiving negative feedback from Venezuelans who do not trust Rodríguez, adding that Trump’s motivations would be scrutinized. She remarked, “Until there are elections, there will be a lot of questions about motivations here and whether the interests of the Venezuelan people are at hand.”</p><p>Campos-Duffy attempted to balance her criticism by stating, “That doesn’t mean that this deal is not good for America. It doesn’t mean that in the future the Venezuelan people might very greatly benefit from it. But the will of the people is still not in place.”</p><p>The White House did not respond to a request for comment regarding the deal. Campos-Duffy has previously questioned Trump’s actions, including his decisions related to Iran.</p><p>Initially, GOP Rep. María Salazar of Florida shared Campos-Duffy's concerns about the deal, referring to Rodríguez as the “acting dictator” and suggesting it was a scheme to “buy time” with Trump. However, she later retracted her statement, praising the U.S.-Venezuela oil agreement as a “great deal for the United States and the Venezuelan people.”</p>