John Bolton criticizes Trump for dismissing Venezuela's opposition leader Maria Corina Machado
John Bolton: “What I have to say, the most stunning part about the press conference was probably saying the U.S. was going to run the country. But the second most stunning was the assault on Mrs. Machado, the leader of the Democratic forces.” pic.twitter.com/ZirMPdEhuc
— Kaitlan Collins (@kaitlancollins) January 4, 2026
WASHINGTON, DC: Former National Security Advisor John Bolton said that he was dumbfounded by President Donald Trump’s public “assault” on Venezuela’s leading opposition figure Maria Corina Machado.
He warned that the remarks could fatally undermine efforts to steer the country towards democratic rule following the capture of President Nicolás Maduro.
Speaking on Saturday night, January 3, on CNN in an interview with Kaitlan Collins, Bolton expressed disbelief not only at Trump’s criticism of the opposition leader but also at the president’s assertion that the United States would temporarily “run” Venezuela in the aftermath of Maduro’s arrest.
John Bolton calls Trump’s remarks counterproductive
“I have to say the most stunning part about the press conference was probably saying the US was going to run the country,” Bolton said.
“But the second most stunning was the assault on Mrs Machado, the leader of the democratic forces, the natural alternative government that Trump just dismissed,” he added.
Bolton, who served as Trump’s national security adviser during his first term before becoming a sharp critic, framed the comments as a strategic misstep at a moment of extreme volatility in Venezuela and across the region.
Trump undercuts Maria Corina Machado as potential successor
Bolton’s comments followed a Saturday morning press conference at Trump’s Mar-a-Lago resort, where the president appeared to dismiss the idea of Machado assuming leadership in Caracas after Maduro’s removal.
“I think it would be very tough for her to be the leader,” Trump said. “She doesn’t have the support within or the respect within the country. She’s a very nice woman, but she doesn’t have the respect.”
The remarks landed as a surprise to many foreign policy observers, given Machado’s long-standing role as a central figure in Venezuela’s opposition movement and her prominence as a critic of the Maduro regime.
Bolton suggested Trump’s comments ignored both the political reality inside Venezuela and years of US rhetoric backing democratic opposition groups.
John Bolton claims the opposition can govern
Bolton pushed back forcefully against the idea that Venezuela’s opposition could not govern, arguing that sidelining Machado and her allies risked leaving a dangerous power vacuum.
“In the Venezuelan opposition, there is a capacity to govern,” Bolton said. “And why the Trump administration would think that they’re going to be any better at negotiating with what’s left of the Maduro regime than anybody else has ever been to convince them to give up power is beyond me.”
Bolton warned that assuming Washington could directly manage Venezuela’s transition ignored decades of failed foreign interventions and could harden resistance among remnants of the Maduro regime.
According to Bolton, the more realistic path forward would involve working closely with opposition leaders to splinter what remained of the ruling apparatus, rather than attempting to impose outside control.
“What we should be doing, other than getting ready for military force, is working with the opposition to fragment the remainder of the regime,” he said.
