Trump, ramping up pressure on Maduro, says it would be ‘smart’ for Venezuelan leader to step down

3:33President Donald Trump in the Oval Office of the White House, Dec. 18, 2025 and Venezuela’s President Nicolas Maduro in Caracas, Sept. 15, 2025.AP/AFP via Getty Images

President Donald Trump is intensifying his pressure on Venezuelan President Nicholas Maduro, asserting that it would be "wise" for him to resign and cautioning him against adopting a "tough" stance.

During a Q&A session with reporters at his Mar-a-Lago resort in Florida on Monday evening, Trump was specifically asked if his administration’s ultimate objective in Venezuela is to oust Maduro.

"Well, I believe it likely would. I can’t dictate to him. It’s his choice what he decides to do. I think it would be prudent for him to consider that. But again, we’ll see what happens," Trump remarked.

At the same time, Trump issued a caution to Maduro.

"He can act as he pleases, that’s fine, whatever he chooses to do. If he decides to act defiantly, it will be the last time he has the chance to do so," Trump stated.

The president continued, "We have an enormous naval presence for him. The largest we’ve ever assembled, and by far the most significant we’ve ever had in South America."

President Donald Trump in the Oval Office of the White House, Dec. 18, 2025 and Venezuela’s President Nicolas Maduro in Caracas, Sept. 15, 2025.AP/AFP via Getty Images

The United States has increased its military presence in the area over the past few weeks, with 15,000 U.S. troops and numerous warships prepared in the Caribbean.

Last week, Trump also mandated what he described as a "total blockade" of all sanctioned oil tankers entering and leaving Venezuela, targeting the primary revenue source of the government.

Maduro asserted that Venezuela would persist in trading oil despite the "blockade," claiming that regime change "will simply not occur, never, never, never."

Separately, since September, the U.S. military has conducted numerous strikes on vessels in the Caribbean Sea and Pacific Ocean purportedly transporting drugs. These strikes have resulted in over 100 fatalities, according to figures released by the administration. The actions have raised several legal concerns among lawmakers from both parties and legal experts, though the administration has defended the use of lethal force as part of its so-called "war" on drug cartels.

"We’ll be initiating the same operations on land," Trump stated on Monday. "Land operations are significantly simpler."

While Trump persisted in hinting at land strikes against Venezuela, he also escalated his comments by threatening land strikes against other nations.

"Wherever drugs are flooding in. Anywhere, not just Venezuela," Trump replied when asked if he was exclusively referring to land strikes in Venezuela.

ABC News' Alexandra Hutzler contributed to this report.

Sourse: abcnews.go.com