Washington, D.C. — President Donald Trump on Sunday referred to himself as Venezuela’s “acting president,” sharing a fabricated image online that labeled him as holding the position following the recent U.S.-led arrest of Venezuelan President Nicolás Maduro.
The post appeared on Trump’s Truth Social account and featured a fake Wikipedia-style entry naming him “Acting President of Venezuela” as of January 2026. While Trump did not explicitly clarify whether the post was intended as satire or political signaling, it followed days of public comments in which he said the United States would effectively “run” Venezuela after Maduro’s capture earlier this month.
In reality, Venezuela’s interim leadership rests with Delcy Rodríguez, Maduro’s vice president and oil minister, who was sworn in on Jan. 5. Although Rodríguez condemned the arrest of Maduro and his wife, the Trump administration has since backed her interim government while warning of severe consequences should she resist U.S. demands.
The episode comes as Washington and Caracas cautiously move toward renewed engagement. Venezuelan officials announced they are exploring restoration of diplomatic relations with the United States, which were severed during Trump’s first term, and the State Department confirmed that a U.S. delegation recently visited Caracas to assess reopening the American embassy.
Trump has also emphasized U.S. control over Venezuela’s energy sector, saying the United States would receive tens of millions of barrels of oil under the interim government. He later claimed to have canceled additional military action due to increased cooperation, while signaling that direct U.S. oversight could continue depending on future developments.
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