US President Donald Trump said the United States will continue to oversee Venezuela’s economic recovery and control the country’s vital oil sector before any national elections can be held, arguing that years of collapse under Nicolás Maduro have left the nation incapable of organising credible polls. Trump made the comments in an interview on Fox News’ Hannity, his first major television appearance since the US military operation that resulted in the capture of Maduro.

“It wasn’t a hard decision,” Trump said of the operation that ousted Maduro, claiming broad bipartisan support and asserting that he “just took him” when others failed to do so.

Central to Trump’s rationale is control of Venezuela’s oil industry, which he said the US will manage as part of stabilisation efforts and use as leverage to rebuild the country’s economy. “We’re gonna rebuild the oil and the oil infrastructure,” Trump said, noting that billions of dollars’ worth of oil revenue has already been taken under US control. “We’ve taken $4 billion worth of oil in one day,” he said, adding that number would grow.

Trump reiterated that major American energy firms will be involved in reviving Venezuela’s energy system, saying the “top 14 companies are coming” to rebuild infrastructure. This aligns with recent US plans to sell vast quantities of Venezuelan crude on global markets, with proceeds handled by Washington as part of a three-stage strategy to stabilise and transition the country.

On the question of elections, Trump emphasised that Venezuela is not yet ready. “They wouldn’t even know how to have an election right now,” he said, describing the nation as having become “third world” under years of misrule. Trump added that political prisoners previously thought lost to the system are now being released.

Trump defended the overall operation, saying US forces extracted Maduro without losing a single soldier, though he acknowledged that some helicopter pilots were wounded. He portrayed the mission as risky yet successful, contending that it enhanced US deterrence and regional security.

The president also argued that restoring Venezuela’s petroleum output will have positive global economic effects. “It means lower oil prices all over the world,” he said, a claim echoed by analysts predicting that increased crude flow from Venezuela could ease energy markets dependent on tight supply.

Trump linked the operation to broader security goals, saying the US aims to curb drug trafficking and restrict hostile influences in the Western Hemisphere. The decision to install interim leadership under Delcy Rodríguez — a former ally of Maduro — has drawn criticism, with some noting the US did not instead back Venezuela’s elected opposition.

Critics domestically and internationally describe the US stance as extended military and economic control, warning that indefinite oversight risks undermining Venezuelan sovereignty and could inflame geopolitical tensions with rivals such as China and Russia.

As questions mount over the costs and legality of prolonged intervention, Washington’s evolving role in Caracas continues to attract global attention.