US President Donald Trump ignited a fresh wave of online reaction on Sunday by sharing an image on his social media platform Truth Social that depicted him as the “Acting President of Venezuela.” The post, a digitally altered graphic resembling a Wikipedia entry, placed Trump as the incumbent Venezuelan leader as of January 2026. The post included no accompanying caption or explanation from Trump.
The image quickly reverberated across broader social media networks, with users on platforms.
Trump Shares Photo As US Warns Americans in Venezuela
Trump’s unusual social media post comes amid escalating concern from the US government about the safety of its citizens in Venezuela.
The US State Department issued an urgent security alert urging Americans in the South American nation to leave “immediately.” The advisory, posted by the Department’s Consular Affairs unit, cited reports of armed militias targeting Americans on the streets and warned of a wide range of severe risks. These include wrongful detention, torture, terrorism, kidnapping, arbitrary enforcement of local laws, crime, civil unrest, and poor health infrastructure. A Level 4 “Do Not Travel” advisory, the highest risk designation, was reaffirmed for the country.
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US-Venezuela Tensions
The backdrop to these developments is a dramatic escalation in US–Venezuela relations in early January.
In a large-scale military operation, US forces struck targets in Venezuela and captured President Nicolás Maduro and First Lady Cilia Flores. The couple was transported out of the country, and federal indictments were brought against them in the United States. This operation effectively toppled Maduro’s government.
Following the raid, the Supreme Court of Venezuela appointed Vice President Delcy Rodríguez as interim president under the nation’s constitutional processes. Rodríguez’s role as acting head of state remains recognized by Venezuelan institutions, though international reactions differ.
At the time of the takeover, Trump asserted that the US would “run” the Venezuelan government until a “safe, proper and judicious transition” could be arranged.
Trump Targets Venezuelan Oil
An official White House audio recording titled “President Trump Gaggles with Press on Air Force One, Jan 11, 2026” captured Trump discussing oil arrangements with Venezuelan officials. During the exchange, Trump said of Delcy Rodríguez:
“She asked us if we could take 50 million barrels of oil, and I said yes, we can, it is worth $4.2 billion and it is on its way right now to the United States.”
The remark came as Washington floated plans to refine and sell up to 50 million barrels of Venezuelan crude, even as US forces were reported to be seizing oil tankers linked to Venezuela.
US Secretary of State Outlines Plan for Venezuela
Amid these developments, US Secretary of State Marco Rubio articulated what he described as a three-step plan for Venezuela’s future:
Stabilize the country following Maduro’s capture.
Ensure US oil companies have access to Venezuelan energy resources during what Rubio described as a recovery phase.
Oversee a transition towards new governance arrangements.
Rubio framed the situation by saying, “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.”
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Zubair Amin is a Senior Journalist at NewsX with over seven years of experience in reporting and editorial work. He has written for leading national and international publications, including Foreign Policy Magazine, Al Jazeera, The Economic Times, The Indian Express, The Wire, Article 14, Mongabay, News9, among others. His primary focus is on international affairs, with a strong interest in US politics and policy. He also writes on West Asia, Indian polity, and constitutional issues. Zubair tweets at zubaiyr.amin
