US President Donald Trump has dismissed the likelihood of the United States going to war with Venezuela but warned that Venezuelan President Nicolás Maduro’s time in power may be nearing its end.
Speaking to CBS’ 60 Minutes from his Mar-a-Lago residence in Florida, Trump said, “I doubt it. I don’t think so. But they’ve been treating us very badly,” when asked if Washington was preparing for a military confrontation with Caracas.
The comments come amid ongoing US air and naval strikes targeting alleged drug-smuggling vessels in the Caribbean and eastern Pacific. According to CBS News, at least 64 people have been killed in these operations since early September. The Trump administration insists the strikes are part of efforts to stop narcotics from entering the US.
However, critics and regional leaders, including Colombian President Gustavo Petro, have accused Washington of using anti-drug operations as a pretext to exert dominance in Latin America. Venezuelan President Maduro has previously accused the US of “fabricating a new war” to justify intervention.
Pressed on whether he would consider airstrikes on Venezuelan soil, Trump declined to give a definitive answer. “I wouldn’t be inclined to say that I would do that… I’m not gonna tell you what I’m gonna do with Venezuela,” he said.
Trump also criticized Venezuela’s handling of migration, saying that the country was “sending gangs” into the US, specifically naming the Tren de Aragua gang, which he described as “the most vicious gang anywhere in the world.”
The interview marked Trump’s first appearance on 60 Minutes since 2020. It followed a $16 million settlement with CBS parent company Paramount over a lawsuit alleging that a 2024 interview with then–Vice President Kamala Harris had been unfairly edited. The funds were earmarked for Trump’s future presidential library, with Paramount issuing no formal apology.
Trump’s remarks suggest continued tension between Washington and Caracas, even as he publicly downplays the possibility of outright war.
