Mr Maduro, 56, is facing calls to step aside in favour of 35-year-old political rival Juan Guaido, with Washington continuing in its mission to oust him as head of the crisis-hit country. Since receiving Mr Trump’s support as interim president of the South American country on January 23, Mr Guaido’s authority has been recognised by 50 countries, including many neighbouring nations as well as the European Union.
But Mr Maduro, who has served as President since 2013, said he hoped “this extremist group in the White House is defeated by powerful world-wide public opinion”.
He even compared to Mr Trump’s government as the Klu Klux Klan.
Speaking in the capital Caracas, he told the BBC: “It’s a political war, of the United States empire, of the interests of the extreme right that today is governing, of the Ku Klux Klan, that rules the White House, to take over Venezuela.”
Laying in to Mr Trump, he said: “He is, publicly and openly.They hate us, they belittle us, because they only believe in their own interests, and in the interests of the United States.”
Fears of war reached boiling point when President Trump said military intervention in Venezuela is “an option.”
And Mr Maduro, who was controversially reelected last year amid widespread claims of voter fraud, responded by warning the nation “must prepare to defend its sovereignty, territorial integrity and independence” as he declared a round of military exercises at Guaicaipuro Fort in Miranda State.
Venezuela’s military announced it had started conducting exercises to “reinforce the country’s defensive capacity”.
Speaking to the BBC, Mr Maduro said America had intended to “create a humanitarian crisis in order to justify a military intervention”.
He added: “This is part of that charade. That’s why, with all dignity, we tell them we don’t want their crumbs, their toxic food, their left-overs.”
The chilling intervention comes as the US holds direct communications with members of the armed forces urging them to abandon Mr Maduro.
A senior White House official said the Trump administration expects further military defections from Mr Maduro’s side, despite only a handful of senior officers having taken the step so far.
The official said: “We believe these to be those first couple pebbles before we start really seeing bigger rocks rolling down the hill.
“We’re still having conversations with members of the former Maduro regime, with military members, although those conversations are very, very limited.”