‘Only Time Will Tell’: Trump Says US Could Run Venezuela For Years

President Donald Trump told the New York Times (NYT) the U.S. could be running Venezuela for years after the administration captured the country’s president on Saturday.

The Trump administration captured Venezuelan President Nicolas Maduro on Saturday, and in the aftermath announced that they would be running the country until a “judicious” transition could take place. During a two hour interview with the NYT, Trump told the outlet that he expects the U.S. to be in charge for much longer, but “only time would tell.” (RELATED: How Trump Went From Campaigning Against War To Snatching Nicolas Maduro)

“I would say much longer,” Trump said after the reporters asked him if the U.S. could run the country for a year.

“Only time will tell,” he said during the interview.

In the aftermath of Maduro’s capture, Congressional Democrats accused Trump of illegally engaging in a “regime change” operation. The president has since said that Venezuela could be “making money” once its infrastructure is fixed.

“We will rebuild it in a very profitable way,” Trump told the NYT. “We’re going to be using oil, and we’re going to be taking oil. We’re getting oil prices down, and we’re going to be giving money to Venezuela, which they desperately need.”

During the interview, the NYT reports that Trump did not answer questions on why he decided against backing opposition leader María Corina Machado. The outlet previously reported that his decision was based on several factors, including Central Intelligence Agency (CIA) intelligence and Machado’s tense relationship with members of the Trump administration.

“But [Secretary of State] Marco speaks to her all the time,” Trump told the NYT. “I will tell you that we are in constant communication with her and the administration.”