Trump aide makes shocking claim on US’ Venezuela goal, calls Maduro ‘illegitimate president’

The White House confirmed President Trump’s stance that Venezuela’s Nicolas Maduro is “an illegitimate president, leading an illegitimate regime,” according to Press Secretary Karoline Leavitt. Trump’s remarks come just one day after he publicly disclosed that he authorized the CIA to conduct covert operations inside Venezuela, fueling speculation in Caracas that the U.S. is seeking to accelerate efforts to remove President Maduro from power. Senior Venezuelan officials have denounced the move as foreign interference, while U.S. officials insist the operations target drug cartels and criminal networks linked to the Maduro government. The Trump administration’s posture sharpens tensions between Washington and Caracas amid ongoing mass deportations of Venezuelan migrants and heightened military activity in the Caribbean region.