Donald Trump dismissed the possibility of a United States war with Venezuela but suggested that President Nicolás Maduro’s rule may be nearing its end. Speaking to CBS’ 60 Minutes, Trump said: “I doubt it. I don’t think so. But they’ve been treating us very badly.”
US steps up strikes on Caribbean drug routes
Trump’s remarks come as Washington escalates strikes against boats suspected of smuggling drugs across the Caribbean. The administration insists the missions aim to stop narcotics from entering the United States. Critics argue the operations are intended to weaken Maduro’s government. Trump rejected that claim, saying the actions serve “many purposes.”
Since early September, at least 64 people have died in US strikes in the Caribbean and eastern Pacific, according to American media reports. Speaking from his Mar-a-Lago residence in Florida, Trump defended the operations, saying each destroyed vessel prevents “25,000 deaths from drugs” and protects families across the country.
Trump avoids confirming future military plans
When asked if he might authorize strikes on Venezuelan soil, Trump refused to give a direct 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, if I was gonna do it or if I wasn’t going to do it,” he said.
Maduro accused Washington of “inventing a new war,” while Colombian President Gustavo Petro argued that the United States uses the strikes to “dominate” Latin America.
Migration and gangs a central concern
Trump also addressed migration, promising tighter US border controls. “They come in from the Congo, they come in from all over the world, not just from South America,” he said. He singled out Venezuela as a major source of criminal activity, highlighting the violent gang Tren de Aragua. Trump described it as “the most vicious gang anywhere in the world.”
Nuclear weapons testing back on the agenda
The interview turned to nuclear weapons after Trump renewed calls for the US to resume testing. Asked if the country would detonate a nuclear device for the first time in more than three decades, he said: “We’re going to test nuclear weapons like other countries do, yes.”
He added: “Russia’s testing, and China’s testing, but they don’t talk about it.” Although both nations have not officially tested since the 1990s, Trump insisted, “They don’t go and tell you about it.” He said he would not allow the US to be “the only country that doesn’t test,” naming North Korea and Pakistan as other likely testers.
Energy Secretary Chris Wright later clarified that any testing would involve “non-critical explosions” designed to verify the internal function of nuclear weapons.
Trump blames Democrats for prolonged shutdown
Trump also commented on the ongoing government shutdown, which has lasted more than a month and disrupted services for millions of Americans. He blamed Democrats for the stalemate, calling them “crazed lunatics” who have “lost their way.” Trump predicted they would eventually vote to reopen the government. “And if they don’t vote, that’s their problem,” he said.
Lawsuit with network still casts a shadow
This was Trump’s first CBS interview since suing its parent company, Paramount, over a 2024 broadcast featuring then Vice President Kamala Harris. Trump accused the network of editing the segment to “favor the Democratic Party.”
Paramount agreed to pay $16 million (£13.5 million) to settle the case, directing the money to Trump’s future presidential library rather than to him personally. The settlement did not include an apology.
Trump last appeared on 60 Minutes in 2020, when he walked out of an interview with journalist Lesley Stahl, citing bias. He refused to sit for an interview with the program during the 2024 election campaign.
