President Trump placed doubt on the chances of María Corina Machado, the Venezuelan opposition leader and 2025 Nobel Peace Prize laureate, leading the nation after Nicolas Maduro’s capture.
Opposition politician Edmundo González has been recognized as Venezuela’s legitimate leader following the widely disputed 2024 elections. He succeeded Machado on the ticket because she was barred from running by the Maduro-aligned judiciary.
Maduro declared victory in 2024 and remained in power, despite opposition leaders claiming Gonzalez earned more votes, citing exit polls.
Trump said on Saturday that he doesn’t think Machado will be the next leader.
“I think it’d be very tough for her to be the leader. She doesn’t have the support or the respect within the country. She’s a very nice woman but she doesn’t have the respect,” he said.
