U.S. President Donald Trump has dismissed the likelihood of a U.S. war with Venezuela but hinted that Venezuelan leader Nicolás Maduro’s time in power may be limited. Speaking to CBS’s 60 Minutes from his Mar-a-Lago residence, Trump said, “I doubt it. I don’t think so,” when asked if military conflict was imminent, though he added that Caracas had been “treating us very badly.”
The comments follow continued U.S. strikes on suspected 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. While critics, including Colombian President Gustavo Petro, accuse Washington of using the campaign to extend influence in Latin America, Trump insisted the strikes were aimed at stopping narcotics trafficking.
Pressed on whether he would authorize strikes on Venezuelan territory, Trump declined to rule it out, saying only that he would not reveal future plans.
Trump also reignited controversy by suggesting the U.S. should resume nuclear testing to match Russia and China, despite both nations having ceased such tests decades ago. His remarks came amid a prolonged U.S. government shutdown, which he blamed on Democrats, calling them “crazed lunatics” who have “lost their way.”
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