Former U.S. President Donald Trump has downplayed the likelihood of a war between the United States and Venezuela, even as he hinted that Venezuelan leader Nicolás Maduro may soon be out of power.
“I doubt it. I don’t think so,” Trump told CBS’s 60 Minutes when asked if the U.S. was preparing for war. “But they’ve been treating us very badly.”
The comments come as U.S. forces continue launching strikes on suspected drug-smuggling vessels in the Caribbean — actions the Trump administration claims are intended to curb narcotics trafficking into the United States.
Critics, however, argue the operations are politically motivated and designed to undermine Maduro, a long-standing adversary of Trump. The former president dismissed that claim, saying the U.S. actions are “about many things.”
According to CBS News, at least 64 people have been killed in U.S. strikes across the Caribbean and eastern Pacific since early September.
Speaking from his Mar-a-Lago resort in Florida, Trump defended the strikes, saying: “Every single boat that you see that’s shot down kills 25,000 on drugs and destroys families all over our country.”
Pressed on whether the U.S. might launch land operations, Trump declined to rule it out. “I wouldn’t be inclined to say that I would do that,” he said. “I’m not gonna tell you what I’m gonna do with Venezuela — if I was gonna do it or if I wasn’t going to do it.”
Maduro has accused Washington of “fabricating a new war,” while Colombian President Gustavo Petro has claimed the U.S. is using the anti-smuggling strikes to “dominate” Latin America.
Trump also linked the issue to border security, asserting that criminal networks from Venezuela, including the notorious Tren de Aragua gang, are contributing to the U.S. immigration crisis. “They come from all over the world — the Congo, South America, everywhere,” he said. “But Venezuela in particular has been bad. They have gangs. The most vicious gang anywhere in the world.”
The interview marked Trump’s first appearance on 60 Minutes since he sued CBS’s parent company, Paramount, over what he called a politically biased 2024 interview with then–Vice President Kamala Harris. Paramount later settled for $16 million, with the funds allocated to Trump’s future presidential library. The company did not issue an apology.
Trump’s last on-air exchange with 60 Minutes came in 2020, when he walked out mid-interview, accusing journalist Lesley Stahl of bias.
