President Trump is making plans for a first-ever meeting with Venezuela's interim president, Delcy Rodriguez, as early as next week, sources familiar with the discussions tell Axios.
Why it matters: The potential meeting showcases the close relations between the nations under Trump. But it's also fraught with political risks that extend from Miami to Caracas.
Driving the news: Trump is already planning to meet with Gulf leaders at the UN General Assembly in New York next week to discuss the Iran War, and those who know his thinking say he wants to make time for a sidelines sit-down with Rodriguez as early as Tuesday, sources said.
Zoom in: The New York City meeting could happen just blocks from the federal lockup where Rodriguez's predecessor and onetime ally, socialist Nicolas Maduro, awaits trial on narco-terrorism charges.
Friction point: Clustered in South Florida, conservative and vocal Venezuelan exile community has expressed increasing agitation with the administration for working so closely with Rodriguez, a lifelong socialist who rose to power along with Maduro under strongman Hugo Chavez, both foes of the U.S. this century.
The big picture: In Florida, politicians, pollsters and consultants say higher gas prices due to the Iran war and the administration's heavy-handed immigration enforcement are bigger political problems for Republicans in the midterm elections than promoting democracy now in Venezuela.