Is Trump's 'Dementia' Driving America to Ruin? Aide Tells Michael Wolff Trump's Venezuela 'Run the Country' Vow Stunned Everyone

A private reaction from inside US President Donald Trump's inner circle is fuelling renewed questions about his judgment after an unscripted remark on Venezuela shocked even senior aides, according to journalist Michael Wolff.

Speaking after a 3 January 2026 press conference at Mar-a-Lago, an aide told Wolff they were 'surprised by his language' when Trump abruptly suggested the United States would 'run' Venezuela following the capture of President Nicolás Maduro.

A Statement That Went Off Script

The moment came during an announcement confirming that US forces had captured Maduro and his wife, Cilia Adela Flores, after airstrikes on Caracas and nearby areas. Trump appeared alongside Secretary of State Marco Rubio and Defence Secretary Pete Hegseth, framing the operation as a major victory against Venezuela's leadership.

Midway through his remarks, however, Trump expanded the scope of the mission, saying the US would oversee Venezuela 'until such time as we can do a safe, proper, and judicious transition.' He also floated the idea that American companies could tap Venezuela's oil reserves to help offset costs.

According to Wolff, that language had not been anticipated.

'We Were Stupefied,' Aide Says

Wolff shared the reaction in a Substack post and on his podcast Inside Trump's Head, describing a conversation with an aide roughly an hour after the press conference.

'Well, most of us were surprised by his language,' the aide told Wolff, adding that staff were stunned by how quickly the US appeared to leap from a limited military action to the idea of governing a country of roughly 30 million people.

Wolff said the aide viewed the moment as falling 'somewhere between grandiosity and dementia,' stressing that there was no plan in place for an occupation or long-term control.

No Plan, No Path Forward

Wolff argued that Trump's comments created expectations that could not realistically be met. Governing Venezuela, he said, would require congressional approval and 'hundreds upon hundreds of billions of dollars,' funding he described as politically impossible amid existing pressures.

He also dismissed the suggestion that oil revenues could sustain such an effort, calling it unworkable and disconnected from economic reality.

'This just came out of his mouth,' Wolff said, suggesting the remark was not the result of policy deliberation but an impulsive declaration.

Renewed Focus on Trump's Mental Fitness

The episode has intensified long-running concerns Wolff has raised about Trump's cognitive health at age 79. In the same discussion, Wolff pointed to Trump's rambling delivery, off-script remarks, and moments of apparent confusion during public appearances.

Wolff has previously claimed that aides privately worry about signs of decline, including reports of Trump dozing during meetings. He has cited commentary from medical experts who point to speech patterns such as loose associations and incoherent phrasing as warning signs.

Mixed Signals After the Announcement

In the days following the press conference, administration messaging appeared inconsistent. Rubio sought to downplay the idea of direct US control, while Trump insisted publicly that the United States was 'in charge.'

Democratic lawmakers condemned the Venezuela strikes as unauthorised, and even some pro-Trump voices expressed confusion over the sudden shift in rhetoric. Maduro now faces US narco-terrorism charges in New York, but questions remain about what, if anything, comes next.

Wolff predicted the administration would eventually walk back the remarks, but warned the moment exposed what he described as a dangerous pattern.

'Next week the headline may be Greenland,' he said, suggesting the episode reflected impulse rather than strategy.