President Donald Trump on Sunday warned Venezuelan Vice President Delcy Rodriguez that she could pay a "bigger" price than Nicolas Maduro if she chooses not to acquiesce to U.S. demands.
In a telephone interview with The Atlantic, Trump delivered a blunt message to Rodriguez — now serving as Venezuela's acting leader after Maduro was captured and flown to the United States for prosecution — suggesting that her fate depends on whether she cooperates with Washington’s plans.
"If she doesn’t do what’s right, she is going to pay a very big price, probably bigger than Maduro," Trump said, referring to the Venezuelan leader sitting in a New York City jail cell.
Trump's warning came after Rodriguez publicly rejected U.S. intervention and demanded Maduro’s return.
While Trump praised Rodriguez immediately after the operation — claiming that she privately signaled a willingness to work with the U.S. — she quickly contradicted that account in a televised address, calling the raid an "illegal kidnapping," and insisting Venezuela would "never be a colony."
She also vowed to defend the country's natural resources.
Rodriguez appeared flanked by top security officials, including Defense Minister Vladimir Padrino López and Interior Minister Diosdado Cabello — a public display intended to project strength and continuity despite Maduro’s removal.
That show of unity, however, may not change Washington’s posture, as the Trump administration continued pressing for a political and economic overhaul in the oil-rich nation.
Venezuela's Supreme Court ordered Rodriguez to assume the role of acting president "to guarantee administrative continuity and the comprehensive defense of the nation" following Maduro's detention.
The court also said it would debate the legal framework for maintaining the state's continuity "in the face of the forced absence" of the president.
The competing declarations — Trump asserting U.S. leverage and Rodriguez claiming sovereignty — underscore the uncertainty of whether Venezuela’s power structure bends, breaks, or digs in for confrontation.
Trump, for his part, sounded increasingly open to the kind of intervention and rebuilding he once criticized.
In the Atlantic interview, he brushed aside concerns from skeptics — including many in his own "America First" coalition — who warn that regime change and nation-building can spiral into costly, open-ended conflicts.
"Rebuilding there and regime change, anything you want to call it, is better than what you have right now," Trump said. "Can’t get any worse."
That marks a striking evolution from Trump's earlier stance.
As president-elect in 2016, he promised the U.S. would stop "racing to topple foreign regimes that we know nothing about."
Now, he is openly signaling that Venezuela may not be the last country facing American pressure or even intervention.
Trump also referenced Greenland during the interview, saying, "We do need Greenland, absolutely," describing it as strategically important and surrounded by Russian and Chinese activity.
While he stopped short of threatening military action there, the comment reinforced a broader theme that the president wants tighter control of strategic geography and resources — especially in areas where America’s adversaries are advancing.
For conservatives, Trump's warning to Rodriguez fits a familiar doctrine that strength prevents chaos, and weak U.S. policy invites hostile regimes, drug trafficking, and foreign infiltration.
The administration argues Venezuela has become a hub for cartels and adversarial influence, and that the country’s vast oil reserves have been exploited by corrupt elites and geopolitical rivals, while Venezuelans flee by the millions.
Reuters and AFP contributed to this report.
Charlie McCarthy ✉
Charlie McCarthy, a writer/editor at Newsmax, has nearly 40 years of experience covering news, sports, and politics.
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