Former Secretary of Veterans Affairs and former Trump defense official Robert Wilkie told Newsmax on Saturday that the apparent collapse of Venezuela's Maduro regime could set off a chain reaction across the western hemisphere, stabilizing the region and reversing mass migration into the United States.
"I said on Newsmax that I did think Maduro would be gone," Wilkie said on "Wake Up America Weekend." "He'd either be gone in two ways. The people would throw him out or President [Donald] Trump would remove him."
The bigger picture, he added, is the downstream effects of the United States' large-scale strike against Venezuela and the capture of President Nicolas Maduro and his wife, Cilia Flores.
"If Venezuela does remove the last elements of the Chavista regime that began with Hugo Chávez, then I think Cuba will be the next domino to fall," he said.
"Right now, the only lifeline the Cuban communists have is Venezuelan oil that's given to them freely, but even that is down because of American sanctions and the operations of the Navy and the Coast Guard in the Caribbean," Wilkie continued.
He said the next critical indicator will be the actions of Venezuela's military leadership, noting that Maduro's vice president and defense minister remain in power.
Wilkie also pointed to the migration crisis as a central driver of U.S. policy toward Venezuela, saying the collapse of governance under Chávez and Maduro fueled the largest population exodus in the hemisphere's history.
"We've seen as a result of Chavez and Maduro the largest exodus of people in the history of our hemisphere," Wilkie said. "Over eight million, almost nine million Venezuelans have fled that country and have flooded not only the neighbors like Colombia, but have come up into the United States through Central America and Mexico."
He said stabilizing Venezuela could reverse that trend.
"If you stabilize Venezuela, which has the potential because it has the largest energy reserves of any country on the planet, that stops the migration flow, reverses it, and people come home," Wilkie said. "And the president's goal is one that his predecessors ignored."
Addressing concerns about what regime change could look like, Wilkie said the U.S. has long-standing contacts within the Venezuelan military and that a viable opposition leadership is ready to govern.
"There is a viable popular opposition with an identifiable set of leaders who are ready to take power," he said.
"Edmundo Gonzalez and Maria Machado are there," said Wilkie. "These people, if combined vote totals, are about 70% in the last election that Maduro stole."
Wilkie said regional reaction, including praise from Argentine President Javier Milei, highlights how dramatically U.S. influence has shifted under Trump's leadership.
"He's been labeled an isolationist, America First in its most extreme form, and yet look what he's been able to do," Wilkie said.
"He's destroyed Iran's nuclear facilities," he added. "That regime is now destabilized. He's gone after the drug cartels throughout Central and South America, and he's bolstered American defenses in the Pacific."
Wilkie said Venezuela and Cuba had served as footholds for hostile foreign powers.
"Venezuela and Cuba were jumping-off points for all of the world's villains — China, Russia, Iran," he said. "Maduro had allowed Hezbollah to set up shop in his country and use Venezuela as a starting point for activities throughout the Western Hemisphere."
He dismissed Russia's condemnation of U.S. action, despite Moscow recently signing a defense agreement with Caracas.
"He can't handle Ukraine," Wilkie said of Russian President Vladimir Putin. "What's he going to do in our hemisphere? He's another thug."
GET TODAY NEWSMAX+:
NEWSMAX is the fastest-growing cable news channel in America with more than 30 million people watching!
Reuters Institute reports NEWSMAX is one of the top news brands in the U.S.
You need to watch NEWSMAX today.
Get it with great shows from Rob Schmitt, Greta Van Susteren, Greg Kelly, Carl Higbie, Rob Finnerty – and many more!
Find the NEWSMAX channel on your cable system – Go Here Now
BEST OFFER:
Sign up for NEWSMAX+ and get NEWSMAX, our streaming channel NEWSMAX2 and our military channel World at War.
Find hundreds of shows, movies and specials.
Even get Jon Voight’s special series and President Trump’s comedy programs and much more!
Watch NEWSMAX+ on your smartphone or home TV app.
Watch NEWSMAX anytime, anywhere!
Start your FREE trial now: NewsmaxPlus.com
© 2026 Newsmax. All rights reserved.