Rep. Scott Fitzgerald (R-WI) told Fox Business on Monday that he believes Venezuelan leader Nicolás Maduro may be on the verge of stepping down — possibly within days — following President Donald Trump’s direct phone call with him and increasing U.S. military pressure in the region.
Appearing with guest host Cheryl Casone, Fitzgerald was asked about Trump’s acknowledgment of the call, which the president confirmed to reporters aboard Air Force One on Sunday. Trump kept details brief, saying only, “I wouldn’t say it went well or badly. It was a phone call.”
Casone then quoted a report from the Miami Herald: “The U.S. message to Maduro was direct. Safe passage would be guaranteed for him, his wife, and his son only if he agrees to resign right away.”
She also noted Venezuela’s anger over Trump’s recent instruction that U.S. aircraft regard Venezuelan airspace as fully closed, while raising questions about the legality of the president’s intensified military posture near the country.
Fitzgerald said Maduro is running out of options.
“Yes, you’re in for a penny, you’re in for a pound on this, and we’re in for a pound,” he said. “The buildup is real.”
The Wisconsin Republican said that members of Congress have been monitoring Trump’s strategy closely and that some lawmakers have already received detailed briefings about U.S. military positioning near Venezuela, including the unusually dense concentration of naval power in waters off Caracas.
“Listen, Maduro is… one of those individuals that I think President Trump could run circles around when it comes to negotiate,” Fitzgerald said.
He argued that Trump now has enough leverage to force Maduro’s hand.
“So, I’m hopeful that he is in a position now — that the president’s in a position to force the hand — and that we see Maduro step down soon. I think that has been the goal since day one, and I hope it happens this week.”
The comments come as tensions between Washington and Caracas escalate sharply. Trump has ordered a series of lethal military strikes on vessels the administration says are involved in Venezuelan drug-trafficking operations, along with broader restrictions that included declaring all Venezuelan airspace closed. The moves have prompted backlash from Democrats and raised concerns about the potential for conflict.
Maduro, whom the Trump administration has repeatedly labeled an illegitimate leader presiding over a criminal enterprise, has deployed thousands of troops inside Venezuela in response to the growing U.S. military presence.
But Fitzgerald suggested Maduro’s ability to withstand U.S. pressure — diplomatic, economic, and military — is crumbling fast.
With congressional Republicans backing Trump and the administration tightening the noose around Maduro’s regime, Fitzgerald said he believes the long-running effort to push the Venezuelan strongman out of power may be reaching its final stage.
“I hope it happens this week,” he repeated.
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