Trump Says U.S. Not Heading to War with Venezuela

US President Donald Trump has dismissed the likelihood of a war with Venezuela while stating that President Nicolás Maduro’s time in office may be nearing its end. In an interview with CBS’ 60 Minutes, Trump said, “I doubt it. I don’t think so,” when asked about the possibility of military conflict, though he added that Venezuela had “been treating us very badly.” 

Despite this reassurance, U.S. military presence in the Caribbean Sea has been steadily increasing over the past two months. The Trump administration claims the buildup is part of an effort to combat drug trafficking, with operations targeting suspected smuggling vessels. 

According to CBS News, at least 64 people have been killed in U.S. operations across the Caribbean and Eastern Pacific since early September. Trump defended the tactics, claiming each intercepted boat represents thousands of lives lost to drugs. “Every single boat that you see that’s shot down kills 25,000 on drugs and destroys families all over our country,” he said.

Venezuela, however, argues that the U.S. justification of an “armed conflict” with narco-terrorists is a cover for regime change, accusing Washington of seeking to remove President Nicolás Maduro. Trump dismissed these claims, stating the operations are about “many things”.

His latest interview with 60 Minutes was edited down to 28 minutes before broadcast, and the extended version was posted online along with the transcript. 

This marks Trump’s first appearance on 60 Minutes since 2020, when he walked out of an interview with Lesley Stahl, citing bias. He later sued CBS’s parent company, Paramount, over a 2024 election segment featuring then-Vice President Kamala Harris.