Donald Trump says US ‘in charge’ in Venezuela, warns of possible second strike

‘It means we’re in charge’

Trump said the United States was working with figures who had recently been sworn into office in Caracas, but added that Washington now held primary control in the country. When asked who was leading Venezuela, he said: “Don’t ask me who’s in charge because I’ll give you an answer and it’ll be very controversial… It means we’re in charge.”

#WATCH | On the US attack on Venezuela's capital, US President Donald J Trump says, "… One of the helicopters got hit pretty badly, but we got everything back, and nobody was killed… Don't ask me who's in charge because I'll give you an answer and it'll be very… pic.twitter.com/4YuJCdnx7E

— ANI (@ANI) January 5, 2026

He said elections in Venezuela would take place later. “We’re going to run it, fix it, we’ll have elections at the right time,” he told reporters, adding that the priority was to repair the country’s damaged systems and restart key industries.

Trump said oil production in Venezuela was operating at a low level and called for major investment from US energy firms to rebuild infrastructure. “We built it many years ago. They took it away. You can’t do that with me,” he said.

‘She might pay a bigger price’

Trump also warned that interim leader Delcy Rodriguez could “pay a bigger price” if she did not cooperate with US plans, according to report cited by the Atlantic.

Asked whether the operation was driven by oil or political change, Trump replied: “It’s about peace on Earth.” He added that leaders in Colombia, Cuba and Iran could also face consequences if they challenged US actions linked to Venezuela.