Trump posts picture of himself as ‘Acting President of Venezuela’

US President Donald Trump took to the social media platform TRUTH on Sunday (local time) to post a picture showing himself as the ‘Acting President of Venezuela.’

In what seemed to be an edited Wikipedia page, Donald Trump was positioned as the incumbent Venezuelan president as of January 2026.

The new Venezuelan govt

The US toppled the government in Venezuela in early January by launching "large-scale" strikes and capturing the president of the country, Nicolas Maduro and first lady Cilia Flores in a military operation.

While Trump maintained that the US will "run" the Venezuelan government until a "safe, proper and judicious transition" can be ensured, the country's Supreme Court appointed Delcy Rodriguez as the interim president of Venezuela.

Trump had then reportedly allowed Maduro’s vice president, Delcy Rodríguez, to assume control.

According to Reuters, Trump warned of further military operations against Venezuela if members of Maduro's inner circle who have stepped in to lead the country do not cooperate with his demands, which largely focus on obtaining Venezuelan oil.

Trump said the US would refine and sell up to 50 million barrels of Venezuelan crude, as US forces continued seizing oil tankers linked to Venezuela on Wednesday.

Meanwhile, US Secretary of State Marco Rubio said the US has a three-step plan for Venezuela that will begin with stabilising the country after Maduro's capture, ensuring US oil companies have access to the country during a recovery phase and finally overseeing a transition.

"The bottom line is that there is a process now in place where we have tremendous control and leverage over what those interim authorities are doing and are able to do," said Rubio.