US President Donald Trump has sparked international attention by posting an image on his Truth Social platform in which he lists himself as the “Acting President of Venezuela,” with the designation marked as “Incumbent January 2026.” The post, shared on Sunday.
The unusual claim comes in the wake of a dramatic escalation in US-Venezuela relations earlier this month, when American forces carried out what the administration described as a “large-scale” strike on Caracas. During the operation, Venezuelan President Nicolás Maduro and his wife, Cilia Flores, were detained and transported to New York, where they were indicted on charges including narco-terrorism conspiracy.
In his accompanying statements online, Trump said the United States would oversee Venezuela’s transition, asserting that Washington would “run Venezuela until such time as we can do a safe, proper and judicious transition” and prevent leadership that does not serve Venezuelans’ interests.
In his post, Trump also outlined plans to transfer between 30 million and 50 million barrels of Venezuelan oil to the United States for sale at market prices, saying the proceeds would be controlled by the US government to benefit both Venezuelans and Americans. He instructed Energy Secretary Chris Wright to begin implementation immediately, with oil expected to be transported to American ports
