Trump admits he pushed Venezuela’s president: 'Told him a couple of things'
Donald Trump (photo: Getty Images)
US President Donald Trump said that during a phone call with Venezuelan President Nicolás Maduro, he told him a few things. The comment came amid reported efforts to remove the Venezuelan leader from office and relocate him to another country, according to a White House broadcast.
In particular, one journalist asked whether Trump had contacted Maduro again and whether his pressure campaign against the Venezuelan leader was working. The president responded:
“You tell me. Is it working? It's not a pressure campaign. It's much beyond that, I think. But I spoke to him briefly, just told him a couple of things. We'll see what happens with that,” Trump said.
He also once again claimed that Venezuela sends drugs to the US and is sending people it should not be sending.
“They sent us ... They emptied their prisons into our country,” the White House chief concluded.
US intends to push Maduro into exile in Qatar
Throughout 2025, the United States has significantly increased its military presence in the Caribbean Sea and the eastern Pacific, striking vessels suspected of drug trafficking.
Most recently, in mid-November, Trump ordered the launch of Operation Southern Spear in the Western Hemisphere, effectively near Venezuela. He also stated that the US would very soon begin taking measures to stop suspected Venezuelan drug traffickers on land.
These and other factors have created pressure on Maduro and his circle - all the more so since the US president has effectively labeled him the main drug baron.
Recently, the media reported that on November 21, a phone conversation took place between Trump and Maduro. Shortly afterward, various leaks about the talks began appearing in the press.
According to The Wall Street Journal, Trump threatened Maduro with the use of force if he did not step down voluntarily. Reuters reported that the US president gave the Venezuelan leader until November 28 to leave the country, after which he announced the closure of Venezuelan airspace the next day.
Sources cited by the New York Post say the Trump administration is increasing military and political pressure to force Maduro out, with US Secretary of State Marco Rubio proposing that Maduro relocate to Qatar.
According to CNN, Maduro is reportedly willing to resign - but not earlier than in 18 months.
