WATCH: Trump Drops Major Hint On Venezuela’s Next Leader

President Donald Trump on Saturday appeared to pour cold water on the idea of Venezuelan opposition figure María Corina Machado assuming leadership in Caracas following the dramatic U.S. military operation that led to the capture of longtime strongman Nicolás Maduro.

During a press conference hours after the operation was confirmed, Trump was asked about Machado’s whereabouts and whether the administration had been in contact with her. His response was blunt.

“No, we haven’t,” Trump said when asked if the United States had been in touch with Machado.

Pressed further on whether Machado could realistically take power as Venezuela moves into an uncertain transition period, the president expressed skepticism.

“I think it would be very tough for her to be the leader,” Trump said. “She doesn’t have the support within or the respect within the country. She’s a very nice woman, but she doesn’t have the respect.”

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The remarks immediately signaled that the future of Venezuela’s leadership remains far from settled and that any transition will likely hinge heavily on decisions made by Trump himself and his administration.

In the early hours of Saturday, the Trump administration launched a dramatic U.S. military operation inside Venezuela that officials say resulted in the capture of Maduro and his wife, Cilia Flores. Explosions were reported across Caracas as U.S. aircraft and special operations forces carried out what was described as a highly coordinated, limited-duration mission targeting key military and security sites tied to Maduro’s regime.

President Trump confirmed the operation later Saturday morning, calling it a decisive action aimed at ending what he described as a narco-terrorist dictatorship that has destabilized the region for years.

According to U.S. officials, the mission involved precision airstrikes to neutralize Venezuelan air defenses and command-and-control nodes, followed by a ground raid that successfully extracted Maduro and Flores without reported U.S. casualties. The pair were reportedly flown out of Venezuela under heavy security and transferred to U.S. custody, where they are expected to face longstanding federal charges related to drug trafficking and terrorism.

The White House described the mission as “extraordinary” in its execution, pointing to the complexity of locating, isolating, and removing a sitting head of state from a hostile capital.

As attention now shifts from the operation itself to what comes next, Trump’s comments about Machado underscore the administration’s caution about quickly anointing a successor. Machado has long been a prominent face of Venezuela’s opposition movement, but Trump’s remarks suggest the U.S. is unconvinced she commands the internal backing needed to unify the country during a fragile transition.

While public reaction from America’s global rivals has been swift and condemnatory, analysts say the private response may be far different. Senior military analyst and retired Admiral James Stavridis argued that Russia, China, and Iran are likely voicing outrage publicly while quietly reassessing U.S. military capabilities behind closed doors.

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Trump indicated that the United States may take a temporary role in stabilizing Venezuela as the situation unfolds, stressing that the goal is an orderly transition rather than long-term occupation. For now, however, the president made clear that leadership decisions in Caracas are far from settled and that not every opposition figure is viewed as ready to take the reins.