Trump Maduro
© AP; Getty ImagesDonald Trump and Nicolás Maduro
President Trump has denied suggestions the US government was behind a failed coup to overthrow Venezuelan President Nicolás Maduro and bring him to the US — saying he would invade with a large army instead, if he wanted to.

Two ex-US special forces soldiers were among dozens of people arrested over the weekend for trying to topple the socialist strongman — with Maduro accusing Trump of being "the direct chief of this invasion."

"We have nothing to do with it. If I wanted to go into Venezuela, I wouldn't make a secret about it," Trump told Fox and Friends on Friday morning, denying the dictator's charges.

"I'd go in, I'd go in and they would do nothing about it, they would roll over," he said, adding, "I wouldn't send a small little group — it would be called an army."

Venezuela has fallen into chaos under Maduro's reign, with the country in a deep economic crisis that has forced nearly 5 million to flee.

Describing the operation as a "rogue group," Trump said the mercenaries launched a haphazard attack after they were arrested on the beach and walked to shore at gunpoint by Venezuelan police.

"I don't know too much about it. This was a rogue group that went in there, a lot of Venezuelans, I think people from other countries also," Trump said.

"I saw their pictures on a beach. It wasn't led by General George Washington, obviously, this was not a good attack. I think they were caught before they ever hit land but I know nothing about it, I say that the government has nothing to do with it at all," he said.

"I have to find out what happened, but if we ever did anything with Venezuela, it wouldn't be that way, it would be a slightly different, it would be called an invasion," he added.