Trump Calls Maduro's Capture 'Brilliant' in 50-Second Call

The New York Times got him on the line briefly
Posted Jan 3, 2026 8:30 AM CST
Trump Calls Maduro's Capture 'Brilliant' in 50-Second Call
President Donald Trump speaks during a news conference with Israel's Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu at Mar-a-Lago, Monday, Dec. 29, 2025, in Palm Beach, Fla.   (AP Photo/Alex Brandon)

President Trump picked up the phone, but he didn't stay on the line long. New York Times reporter Tyler Pager reports he called Trump about 10 minutes after Trump announced the capture of Nicolas Maduro and his wife, and connected with him after three rings. In a 50-second call, the president offered broad praise and few specifics.

Trump hailed the operation as the product of "a lot of good planning and lot of great, great troops and great people. It was a brilliant operation, actually." Asked whether he had sought authorization from Congress before carrying out what he had described as a "large scale strike," Trump sidestepped, saying, "We'll discuss that. We're going to have a news conference." He gave the same answer when asked what he sees as the next step for Venezuela. "You're going to hear all about it 11 o'clock," Trump said, then ended the call. The president is set to speak at 11am from Mar-a-Lago.

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