Trump says he doubts the US will go to war with Venezuela.

When asked if the US was going to war with Venezuela, the US president said on CBS's 60 Minutes: "I doubt it. I don't think so. But they're treating us very badly."

For the past two months, the US military has been building up a force of warships, fighter jets, bombers, marines, drones, and reconnaissance aircraft in the Caribbean Sea. This is the largest deployment there in decades.

The US continues to attack alleged drug-smuggling boats in the Caribbean. The Trump administration says these attacks are necessary to stop the flow of drugs into the US.

Trump rejected suggestions that the US action was not about stopping drugs but about removing Maduro, Trump's longtime adversary, saying it was about "many things."

At least 64 people have been killed in US strikes in the Caribbean and eastern Pacific since the beginning of September.

Speaking from his residence in Mara-a-Lago, Florida, Trump said: "Every boat you see sinking represents the 25,000 people killed and families destroyed by drugs across our country."

When asked if the US was planning a ground invasion, Trump refused to rule it out, saying: "I won't say I will... I won't tell you what I will do to Venezuela, whether I do or not."

Long-range bombers, B-52s, have conducted a "bomber demonstration" off the Venezuelan coast. Trump has approved the deployment of the CIA to Venezuela, and the world's largest aircraft carrier is being sent to the region.

Maduro previously accused Washington of "starting a new war," while Colombian President Gustavo Petro said the US was using boat attacks to establish "dominance" over Latin America.

Trump said the government "will not allow" people "from all over the world" to come.

"They come from Congo, they come from all over the world, they are coming, not just from South America. But Venezuela in particular has been very bad. They have gangs," he said, referring to the Tren de Aragua.

He called it "the most dangerous gang in the world."

Trump was also asked about nuclear testing, when he called on US military leaders to resume testing nuclear weapons to keep pace with other countries like Russia and China.

When asked by CBS's Norah O'Donnell if he planned to detonate a nuclear weapon in the US for the first time in more than 30 years, Trump said: "I'm saying we will test nuclear weapons, just like other countries do, yes."

However, Energy Secretary Chris Wright tried to calm global concerns by telling Fox News that the US was not planning a nuclear test.

During his CBS interview, Trump also spoke about the US government shutdown, which has been ongoing for more than a month and has caused millions of Americans to lose essential services.

The president accused Democrats of being "crazy people who have lost their way," but also said he was confident they would eventually relent and vote to end the shutdown.

He said the interview—which aired as part of the presidential election campaign—was edited to "tilt the scales in favor of the Democratic Party."

Paramount agreed to pay $16 million (£13.5 million) to settle the lawsuit, but the money was allocated to Trump's future presidential library and not to him "directly or indirectly." It said the agreement did not include a pardon.

Trump last appeared on 60 Minutes in 2020, when he walked out of an interview with Lesley Stahl because he claimed the questions were biased. He had not agreed to interview with the show during the 2024 election.