Fox News’ Laura Ingraham says Venezuelans would be ‘fine’ paying the US for ousting Nicolas Maduro

WASHINGTON, DC: Laura Ingraham doubled down on her support for President Donald Trump’s military action in Venezuela, suggesting that the Venezuelan government should compensate the United States for capturing strongman Nicolas Maduro.

Ingraham raised the idea during an interview with Franklin Camargo, a Venezuelan national who fled the country in 2019 amid its political and economic collapse.

“Americans have to be paid back. That’s for sure. We lost trillions in Iraq and Afghanistan, I know the Venezuelan people would be fine with that,” she claimed.

Congress questions Trump’s seizure of Nicolas Maduro

Nicolas Maduro has long been accused of starving and repressing the Venezuelan population while refusing to acknowledge that voters rejected him in the most recent election. US authorities from both parties widely considered him to be ruling illegitimately.

Despite that consensus, Donald Trump’s move to seize Maduro has stirred controversy on Capitol Hill. Several members of United States Congress have raised concerns that the president acted without proper legislative authority and failed to fully brief lawmakers on the details of the operation.

The backlash was exacerbated by Trump’s refusal to support Maria Corina Machado, the opposition politician who had won the previous election, and his decision instead to recognize Maduro loyalists as the country’s de facto leaders for the time being.

New reporting by the Wall Street Journal suggested the Central Intelligence Agency supported the approach in the name of maintaining short-term “stability.”

CIA assessment favors Nicolas Maduro insiders for transition

According to people familiar with the matter, a classified Central Intelligence Agency assessment concluded that senior figures within Nicolás Maduro’s regime, including Vice President Delcy Rodriguez, are best positioned to lead a temporary government following the US-led capture of Maduro.

The assessment argued that these figures could ensure short-term stability in Venezuela during a fragile transition period. The Wall Street Journal reported Monday that the CIA analysis was briefed to President Donald Trump and a small circle of senior administration officials.

It played a key role in Trump’s decision to engage with Rodríguez rather than opposition leader María Corina Machado, the 2025 Nobel Peace Prize winner who has been at the forefront of calls for a democratic transition.

The assessment also warned that a rapid handover to opposition leadership could risk chaos in Caracas, particularly given the regime’s deep control over the military and key institutions.

Trump favors Delcy Rodriguez, Maria Corina Machado warns transition risks

President Trump dismissed Maria Corina Machado as lacking sufficient domestic support. He described her as a “very nice woman” but not a realistic option for leadership.

Instead, Trump signaled openness to working with Delcy Rodriguez, whom US officials view as a pragmatic interlocutor capable of managing Venezuela’s oil sector and maintaining order in the immediate aftermath of Nicolas Maduro’s removal.

In a statement posted earlier on X, Machado thanked Trump on behalf of Venezuelans and his “administration for their firmness and determination in upholding the law.” She added, “The freedom of Venezuela is near, and soon we will celebrate on our land.”

Speaking separately to Sean Hannity, Machado described Maduro’s grip on power. “He absolutely controlled the system and the electoral council,” she said, adding that it was impossible to conduct independent elections in Venezuela. Despite that, “we defeated him by a landslide,” she said.

Machado also said she believes Trump deserved the Nobel Peace Prize, arguing that the US president has proven this to the world with his actions in Venezuela and calling it a “huge step for humanity.” The opposition leader reiterated how “grateful we are for his actions.”

However, Machado said interim president Rodriguez “can’t be trusted” and stressed that the next phase of Venezuela’s transition must continue to move forward.