Trump to announce war with Venezuela? What time is US President's address to nation?

Political commentator Tucker Carlson claimed that US President Donald Trump will announce war with Venezuela during a televised address to the nation tonight, 18 December.

However, Carlson added multiple caveats. "Who knows, by the way, if that will actually happen? I don't know. And I never want to overstate what I know, which is pretty limited in general," he was quoted by Daily Mail as saying.

What time is Trump speaking tonight?

Trump will reportedly address the nation at 9 pm ET (2 am UK time or 7:30 AM IST) on 18 December. The White House said his speech will highlight the administration’s actions over the past year and outline priorities for 2026.

According to Daily Mail, Carlson told the Judging Freedom Podcast, hosted by Judge Andrew Napolitano, on Wednesday, “Members of Congress were briefed yesterday that a war is coming and it'll be announced in the address to the nation tonight at 9 o'clock (2 am UK time) by the president.”

The claim comes amid rampant speculation over Trump's address to the nation on Wednesday. The White House said yesterday that his speech will highlight the administration's achievements over the last year and tease its aims for 2026.

Trump's pressure on Venezuela

Trump dramatically escalated pressure on Venezuela on Wednesday as he ordered a 'total and complete' blockade of all sanctioned oil tankers to and from the Latin American nation.

Venezuela's socialist tyrant, Nicolas Maduro, denounced the action as 'warmongering.'

Financial markets were quick to react.

Oil spiked toward $60 per barrel for Brent crude, while energy stocks, including ExxonMobil, BP and Shell, soared.

Venezuela reacts

Venezuela reportedly asked the UN Security Council on Wednesday to hold an emergency meeting over US actions.

A letter drafted by Venezuela’s foreign minister, a copy of which was seen by The New York Times, said, “The president of the United States of America is violating with impunity and before the entire world our national sovereignty" and the country's "territorial integrity and political independence.”

The letter accused the United States of violating international law and the UN Charter and “imposing chaos and destruction on international relations.”

In a separate letter to the Council, Venezuela requested that the 15-member Council intervene and denounce in writing the actions of Washington against its vessels and trade. The US is a veto-holding permanent member of the Council.

Trump's action against Venezuela

Since September, the US has struck at least 25 alleged narco-terror vessels, killing at least 95 people, primarily in the Caribbean Sea, as well as in the Eastern Pacific Ocean, the Daily Mail reported.

Trump accused Maduro's government of using “stolen” oil to "finance themselves, drug terrorism, human trafficking, murder, and kidnapping" in a Truth Social post Tuesday.

Earlier this month, the US issued new sanctions targeting Venezuela, imposing curbs on three nephews of President Nicolas Maduro's wife, as well as six crude oil tankers and shipping companies linked to them, as Washington ramps up pressure on Caracas.

The US President refused to rule out strikes inside Venezuela to target cartels, which he claims Maduro is helping to facilitate the industrial-scale production and export of the deadly opioid fentanyl into the US.

The US also executed a large-scale military build-up in the southern Caribbean as Trump campaigns for Maduro's ouster.

Maduro and his government have vehemently denied links to crime and say that the US is pursuing regime change in order to take control of Venezuela's vast oil reserves.