Trump Says Venezuela’s Interim Leader Will Pay ‘A Very Big Price’ If She Doesn’t Cooperate With US

President Donald Trump warned Venezuela’s acting leader Delcy Rodríguez that she faces serious consequences if she continues to resist American demands following the U.S. military capture of Nicolás Maduro.

“If she doesn’t do what’s right, she is going to pay a very big price, probably bigger than Maduro,” Trump said in a phone interview with The Atlantic on Monday. Maduro is currently detained in a New York City jail.

The threat came just one day after Trump praised Rodríguez during a news conference. He had claimed she privately signaled a willingness to cooperate with Washington, which Trump said would temporarily “run” the South American nation.

Rodríguez quickly rejected that characterization. She declared Venezuela is “ready to defend our natural resources” and vowed, “We shall never be a colony ever again.” (RELATED: Trump Announces Capture Of Nicolás Maduro During Early ‘Large Scale Attack Against Venezuela’)

Trump also addressed questions about his apparent shift on regime change. He previously opposed nation-building efforts during his first term, but now defends intervention in Venezuela.

EXCLUSIVE: In an interview with Michael Scherer, Donald Trump threatened Venezuela’s interim leader, Delcy Rodríguez, with a fate worse than Maduro’s; defended regime change in the country; and expressed renewed interest in the U.S. seizing Greenland. https://t.co/mXkv6478jE

— The Atlantic (@TheAtlantic) January 4, 2026

“Rebuilding there and regime change, anything you want to call it, is better than what you have right now. Can’t get any worse,” Trump said. “The country’s gone to hell. It’s a failed country.”

When asked how Venezuela differed from Iraq, Trump deflected. “I didn’t do Iraq. That was Bush,” he said.

The president also reaffirmed his interest in acquiring Greenland, calling the Danish territory essential for American defense. He described it as “surrounded by Russian and Chinese ships.”

Secretary of State Marco Rubio suggested other nations should take notice of the Venezuela operation. “When he tells you that he’s going to do something, when he tells you he’s going to address a problem, he means it,” Rubio said.