WASHINGTON — President Trump told The Post in an exclusive interview that US troops won’t be stationed in Venezuela so long as ousted strongman Nicolás Maduro’s vice president, Delcy Rodriguez, “does what we want” in the aftermath of a daring US raid that captured Maduro.
Trump made the clarification moments after a press conference where he said that “we are going to run the country” ahead of a democratic transition.
Asked by The Post if “US troops [will] be on the ground helping run the country,” Trump said: “No, if Maduro’s vice president — if the vice president does what we want, we won’t have to do that.”
“We’re prepared,” Trump added. “You know, we have a second wave that’s much bigger than the first wave.”
The president said that “we’ve spoken to her [Rodriguez] numerous times, and she understands, she understands.”
Trump said that he is not considering additional military action against Cuba, Venezuela’s longtime ally, which was heavily dependent on Caracas for economic support and fuel — despite declaring in the interview that “the ‘Donroe’ doctrine is a Monroe Doctrine on steroids.”
Here’s the latest on Nicolás Maduro’s capture:
- Trump says Venezuelan leader Nicolas Maduro, wife ‘captured’ after large-scale strikes
- Venezuelan leader Nicolás Maduro, wife indicted in US after capture, Trump’s $50M bounty
- Video shows Venezuela’s night sky engulfed in flames after US strikes, capture of dictator Nicolás Maduro
- Trump warned Maduro not to ‘f–k around with the US’ months before dictator’s capture
- Venezuelan opposition leader, 2025 Nobel Peace Prize winner Maria Corina Machado poised to take the place of Nicolas Maduro
“No, Cuba is going to fall of its own volition. Cuba is doing very poorly,” Trump said.
“Cuba was always very reliant on Venezuela. That’s where they got their money, and they protected Venezuela, but that didn’t work out too well in this case,” the president went on.
“You know, many Cubans lost their lives last night. Did you know that? Many Cubans lost their lives. They were protecting Maduro. That was not a good move.”
