American firepower out in the open

NewsNation National Correspondent Robert Sherman has found himself on the frontlines of some of the world's biggest stories: from Ukraine to Israel and across the U.S. He shares what he's seeing on the ground.

American firepower out in the open

Good evening from the Caribbean.

It's a busy day here in Puerto Rico as we've been watching Ospreys, F-35s take off and land since the morning hours. I'm grateful to all of you who follow along here.

I'm a bit speechless today because Forbes just came out with a profile of me, detailing my journey from local news to covering international affairs. You can read that below:

FORBES: How Covering Ukraine And Gaza Changed NewsNation's Robert Sherman

It's been so humbling hearing from so many of you in recent days, and I'm honored you've put your trust in me.

Now, onto what we are monitoring.

"HIS DAYS ARE NUMBERED"

The president sure made a couple of headlines today in an interview with Politico.

Asked point-blank how far he's prepared to go to get Venezuelan President Nicolas Maduro out of office, he said he didn't want to give specifics but "[Maduro's] days are numbered."

Asked if he would rule out a ground invasion, the president said, "I don't want to rule in or out."

All options remain on the table as the tension rises in the region.

BUILDING UP OUT IN THE OPEN

It's not just Roosevelt Roads that's seeing activity.

Just south of us in Ponse, plenty of American firepower is out in the open, including the U.S.S. Stockdale, an Arleigh Burke-class destroyer. Armored vehicles could be seen loading up onto transports as Ospreys buzzed overhead.

WATCH: Forces build in the Caribbean

Venezuela, on the other hand, is attempting to posture as well. They've been releasing videos of their troops drilling and training and have vowed to defend their territory should it come to that.

Maduro, addressing the public, issued a declaration of strength.

"The more power the nation has, the more secure the path to peace will be, to build our own model based on maximum social happiness, which is what inspires us," Maduro said.

BRIEFINGS ON CAPITOL HILL

Secretary of War Pete Hegseth and Secretary of State Marco Rubio are meeting with the so-called "Gang of Eight," which consists of House and Senate leaders from both parties, chairs and ranking members of the House and Senate Intelligence Committees.

The purpose of these briefings will be to update lawmakers on operations in the Caribbean. Of course, the biggest controversy has revolved around the strikes on alleged drug-trafficking boats heading through the region.

The September 2 incident, in which a follow-up strike targeted a boat that had already been hit and killed two survivors, has drawn the most scrutiny from Democrats. Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer has been leading the calls for more information on the Sep. 2nd incident.

"No one in the Trump Administration can get their story straight about the September 2nd boat strikes," Schumer said on X. "If the Pentagon fails to release the tapes, Congress will restrict Hegseth's travel budget. It's time for Trump and Hegseth to do the right thing. Release the tapes. Give the American people the transparency we deserve."

Some Republicans believe the footage should be released as well for the sake of transparency.

The president appeared to backtrack after initially saying he didn't see an issue with releasing the footage. Now, he is deferring the decision entirely to Secretary Hegseth.

"Whatever Hegseth wants to do is OK with me," the president said Monday.

The Pentagon has not committed to releasing the footage, but Hegseth did say over the weekend they were "reviewing it."

UPDATE ON LESSONS FROM THE FRONT

Thanks to everyone who tuned into SiriusXM Channel 124 today at 2 p.m. ET as I joined Dan Abrams the whole hour to discuss international affairs and my upcoming book "Lessons from the Front."

Tomorrow I'll be joining Bill O'Reilly's show "No Spin News" in the 2pm ET hour. Thursday at 8:45 am ET, I'll be back on SiriusXM Channel 124 as well. You may catch me on a few various radio affiliates launch day as well.

Pretty hard to believe we are two days from launch. Thanks to everyone who has been writing. Your support means the world to me.

For those still interested in preordering, you can do so through Amazon, Barnes and Noble or Bloomsbury.