Trump Claims Venezuela Presidency on Social Media
On Sunday night, President Donald Trump referred to himself as Venezuela’s “president” in a post, indicating that the U.S. may manage Caracas for an extended period. He shared an image resembling a Wikipedia page that listed him as the “acting president of Venezuela” since January 2026, following a U.S. military operation that removed dictator Nicolás Maduro.
Earlier on January 3, Trump stated that the U.S. would govern Venezuela until a safe transition of power occurred. In a recent interview, he suggested that American oversight of Venezuela could last “much longer” than six months to a year but refrained from detailing a precise timeline.
This announcement comes amid the Trump administration’s efforts to reinforce U.S. influence in the Western Hemisphere, claiming to have revived the Monroe Doctrine—now dubbed the Donroe Doctrine—to curb European sway in Latin America.
The original Monroe Doctrine, set forth by President James Monroe in 1823, was later used by President Theodore Roosevelt to portray U.S. involvement in the region as an “international police power,” as noted by the National Archives.
When asked whether Trump’s post implied that the U.S. would be involved in Venezuela for a long period or was meant humorously, White House Press Secretary Anna Kelly affirmed Trump’s status as “the greatest president ever for the United States and the Venezuelan people.” She extended congratulations to “everyone around the world!”
On January 3, Trump announced that U.S. special forces executed a “major attack” in Caracas, capturing Maduro and his wife, Syria Flores. Both were flown to New York and faced federal drug charges on January 5, where they pleaded not guilty.
The military actions followed months of pressure on Venezuela and over 20 airstrikes aimed at suspected drug traffickers in Latin America, part of Trump’s strategy to combat drug trafficking into the U.S. The Trump administration has historically refused to recognize Maduro as Venezuela’s legitimate leader, labeling him as a drug lord. In December 2025, Trump suggested it would be “wise” for Maduro to resign.
The justification for the Venezuelan raids has been framed as a “law enforcement” operation, with Secretary of State Marco Rubio asserting that it does not constitute an “invasion” and therefore does not need Congressional approval.
However, many left-leaning lawmakers have raised concerns over the legality of the operation, noting it was executed without parliamentary consent. Senator Jack Reed (D-R.I.) emphasized, “The sole power to authorize war rests with Congress, not the president. Pushing for regime change without the consent of the American people is a reckless overreach and an abuse of power.”
