President Donald Trump sought to quell speculation about a potential clash with Venezuela, telling 60 Minutes on Sunday that he doubts the United States will engage in direct conflict despite a massive military buildup in the Caribbean.
“I doubt it. I don’t think so. But they’ve been treating us very badly,” Trump said when asked if U.S. forces might strike Caracas. His remarks come as the Pentagon conducts its largest regional operation in four decades, deploying warships, bombers, drones, and ground units across the Caribbean and eastern Pacific in what officials describe as a campaign to curb narcotics trafficking.
When 60 Minutes asks President Trump if the U.S. is going to war against Venezuela, he replies: “I don't think so. But they've been treating us very badly.”
He adds that he believes Venezuelan President Nicolás Maduro's days are numbered. https://t.co/nsjOTo5OuP pic.twitter.com/TCdGjZLx4Z
— 60 Minutes (@60Minutes) November 3, 2025
Trump rejected claims that the maneuvers were designed to remove Venezuelan leader Nicolás Maduro, calling the effort one of “many things.” CBS News reported at least 64 deaths since operations began in early September. Speaking from Mar-a-Lago, Trump cast the crackdown in moral terms. “Every single boat that you see that’s shot down kills 25,000 on drugs and destroys families all over our country,” he said.
Pressed on whether he would authorize strikes inside Venezuela, Trump demurred. “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.”
The buildup has drawn sharp criticism from Venezuelan President Nicolás Maduro, who accused Washington of trying to “fabricate a new war.” Colombia’s leader, Gustavo Petro, said the naval blockade is a pretext for greater U.S. influence in the hemisphere, wrote The BBC. American B-52s have conducted mock runs along Venezuela’s coast, CIA operations have reportedly intensified, and a Navy carrier strike group is en route to join the flotilla.
Trump linked the issue to migration, promising to halt illegal crossings “from the Congo… from all over the world.” He added, “Venezuela in particular — has been bad. They have gangs,” citing Tren de Aragua as “the most vicious gang anywhere in the world.”
He also confirmed plans to resume U.S. nuclear weapons testing for the first time in 30 years. “I’m saying that we’re going to test nuclear weapons like other countries do, yes,” Trump told correspondent Norah O’Donnell. Energy Secretary Chris Wright later clarified on Fox News that no detonations are imminent.
Turning to domestic matters, Trump blamed Democrats for the ongoing budget stalemate, calling them “crazed lunatics” who have “lost their way.” He predicted they would “eventually capitulate and vote to end the shutdown,” adding, “And if they don’t vote, that’s their problem.”
The interview marked Trump’s return to CBS after a legal fight with parent company Paramount Global, which settled last year by donating $16 million to his presidential archive.
