Trump plays down possible regime change in Venezuela; US deploys stealth fighter jets

An F-35 jet prepares to launch off the USS Carl Vinson aircraft carrier during the Rim of the Pacific (RIMPAC) military exercises about 100 miles south of Oahu, Hawaii, U.S. July 19, 2024. REUTERS/Marco Garcia/File Photo

WASHINGTON (Reuters) -The United States is not talking about regime change in Venezuela, President Donald Trump said on Friday, as the United States ordered an additional 10 stealth fighter jets to a military buildup in the Caribbean.

"We're not talking about that, but we are talking about the fact that you had an election which was a very strange election, to put it mildly," Trump said, referring to the contested 2024 election the Venezuelan government says President Nicolas Maduro won.