By Emmanuel Bobby
President Donald Trump has delivered a blunt warning to Venezuela’s interim leader, Delcy Rodríguez, saying she could face consequences even more severe than those imposed on Nicolás Maduro if she fails to cooperate with the United States.
“If she doesn’t do what’s right, she is going to pay a very big price, probably bigger than Maduro,” Trump said in an interview with The Atlantic, conducted by phone Sunday morning.
Rodríguez, who served as vice president under Maduro, was declared acting president by Venezuela’s supreme court after U.S. forces captured Maduro and transported him to the United States. Trump’s remarks mark a sharp shift in tone from comments he made just a day earlier, when he suggested Rodríguez had been conciliatory in discussions with U.S. officials.
“She had a long conversation with Marco, and she said, ‘We’ll do whatever you need,’” Trump told reporters on Saturday, referring to Secretary of State Marco Rubio. “I think she was quite gracious, but she really doesn’t have a choice. We’re going to have this done right.”
Later that same day, however, Rodríguez publicly contradicted those claims, declaring that Maduro remained “the only president of Venezuela” and demanding his “immediate liberation.”
U.S. Demands and Military Pressure
Speaking to reporters aboard Air Force One on Sunday evening, Trump said the United States requires “total access” from Rodríguez, emphasizing Venezuela’s natural resources.
“We need access to the oil and to other things in their country that allow us to rebuild their country,” he said.
Rubio echoed Trump’s skepticism about Venezuela’s political legitimacy, saying in a separate interview that the current system does not reflect the will of the people.
“We don’t believe that this regime in place is legitimate via an election,” Rubio said, adding that legitimacy could only come through a transitional period followed by genuine elections—conditions he said do not yet exist.
Trump has also hinted at the possibility of further military action. During a Saturday briefing, he said the United States was “ready to stage a second and much larger attack if we need to do so.”
At the same time, Trump framed the U.S. role as one of reconstruction. “We’re rebuilding,” he said. “We have to rebuild their whole infrastructure. The infrastructure is rotted.”
Rodríguez Calls for Cooperation, Not War
In a written statement in Spanish, Rodríguez struck a markedly different tone, calling for cooperation within international law.
“President Donald Trump: Our people and our region deserve peace and dialogue, not war,” she wrote, saying that had long been Maduro’s position and remained the stance of Venezuela’s government.
“That is the Venezuela I believe in and have dedicated my life to,” Rodríguez added. “My dream is for Venezuela to be a great power where all good Venezuelans can come together.”
Despite those appeals, Trump reiterated in his interview with The Atlantic that sweeping change was necessary.
“Rebuilding there and regime change, anything you want to call it, is better than what you have right now,” he said. “Can’t get any worse.”
Greenland Remarks Spark Diplomatic Response
During the same interview, Trump also revisited his long-standing interest in Greenland, a semi-autonomous territory of Denmark and a NATO ally.
“We do need Greenland, absolutely,” he told The Atlantic. “We need it for defense.”
In the hours following the Venezuela operation, Katie Miller, a conservative podcast host and wife of Trump adviser Stephen Miller, fueled speculation by posting an image on X showing an American flag superimposed over Greenland, accompanied by the word “SOON.”
Trump declined to elaborate when questioned later, but reiterated that Greenland was critical to U.S. security.
“It’s so strategic,” he said. “Right now, Greenland is covered with Russian and Chinese ships all over the place. We need Greenland from the standpoint of national security.”
Denmark’s ambassador to the United States, Jesper Møller Sørensen, responded to the post by emphasizing the alliance between the two countries.
“We are close allies and should continue to work together as such,” he wrote, adding that Denmark expects “full respect for the territorial integrity of the Kingdom of Denmark.”
Trump has previously refused to rule out using coercive measures to secure Greenland or Panama, saying before taking office that both were needed for U.S. economic and national security.
As tensions rise on multiple fronts, Trump’s comments underscore an aggressive foreign policy posture that blends military pressure, resource access, and strategic expansion as central pillars of his approach.
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