Trump denies the possibility of the Venezuelan opposition seizing power and supports the vice president.

PANews reported on January 4th that following the arrest of Venezuelan President Maduro, Vice President Rodriguez stated that Maduro is the only legitimate president of the country. Trump had previously claimed that Rodriguez would work with Washington to "make Venezuela great again." While the Venezuelan opposition expressed jubilation over Maduro's capture by US forces, Trump denied the possibility of an opposition takeover, calling opposition leaders "immature" and unprepared for power. This suggests he has decided to give Rodriguez and other Maduro supporters a chance to start afresh, rather than completely overthrow the current regime. Matthew Kronig, Vice President and Senior Director of the Scowcroft Center for Strategy and Security at the Atlantic Council, stated, "Trump is essentially using rewards and punishments to control the Vice President and his inner circle to achieve the results the United States desires. We'll see if this works."