UPDATE 1-Trump touts good relations with Venezuela, says oil magnate Sargeant does not represent US

​President Donald Trump said on ‌Thursday ​that billionaire energy entrepreneur and Republican donor Harry Sargeant III has no authority to ‌act on behalf of the U.S., adding that relations between the U.S. and Venezuela had been "extraordinary." "He has no authority, in any way, ‌shape, or form, to act on behalf of the United ‌States of America, nor does anyone else that is not approved by the State Department.

U.S. ​President Donald Trump said on ‌Thursday ​that billionaire energy entrepreneur and Republican donor Harry Sargeant III has no authority to ‌act on behalf of the U.S., adding that relations between the U.S. and Venezuela had been "extraordinary."

"He has no authority, in any way, ‌shape, or form, to act on behalf of the United ‌States of America, nor does anyone else that is not approved by the State Department. Without this approval, no one is authorized to represent ⁠our ​Country," Trump said in ⁠a post on Truth Social. Reuters reported in January that Sargeant and ⁠his team were advising the Trump administration on how the U.S. can ​engineer a return of some American oil companies to Venezuela, ⁠according to four sources familiar with the matter.

Trump said Washington was "dealing very ⁠well" ​with Venezuelan interim President Delcy Rodriguez, praising Secretary of State Marco Rubio and other U.S. representatives. "Relations between Venezuela and the ⁠United States have been, to put it mildly, extraordinary!" he said ⁠in his ⁠post. "But we speak only for ourselves, and don’t want there to be any confusion or misrepresentation."