US President Donald Trump Posts Image Calling Himself “Acting President of Venezuela,” Sparking Global Controversy

US President Donald Trump on Sunday stirred international debate after sharing a controversial post on his social media platform, Truth Social, portraying himself as the “Acting President of Venezuela.” The post featured a digitally altered image resembling a Wikipedia-style page, displaying Trump’s official portrait and identifying him as Venezuela’s incumbent leader as of January 2026.

The image also highlighted Trump’s status as the 45th and 47th President of the United States, noting his assumption of office on January 20, 2025. The unusual post quickly drew attention for its provocative tone and raised questions about Washington’s evolving stance on Venezuela.

The development comes in the backdrop of a dramatic escalation in US action against Venezuela earlier this month. In a high-profile operation, Venezuelan leader Nicolás Maduro and his wife, Cilia Flores, were detained and flown to New York, where they were formally charged with conspiracy related to narco-terrorism offences. Following the operation, Trump stated that the United States would temporarily “run Venezuela” until a secure and orderly political transition is achieved.

Trump has argued that US oversight is necessary to prevent the country from falling back into what he described as corrupt and dangerous hands. He said the priority would be safeguarding the interests of the Venezuelan people while ensuring regional stability.

Meanwhile, within Venezuela, Vice President and Oil Minister Delcy Rodríguez was sworn in last week as interim president, marking a shift in the country’s leadership structure amid ongoing turmoil.

Trump has also claimed that the interim Venezuelan authorities would hand over between 30 and 50 million barrels of sanctioned, high-quality oil to the United States. According to him, the proceeds from the sale of this oil would be controlled by the US administration to benefit both Venezuelans and Americans. He added that instructions had already been issued to US energy officials to implement the plan immediately.