US President Donald Trump stirred renewed controversy by posting on his Truth Social account a digitally altered image portraying himself as the “Acting President of Venezuela” after a major US military operation that led to the capture of Venezuelan President Nicolás Maduro in early January 2026. Trump’s social media post showed his official portrait with the caption “Acting President of Venezuela, Incumbent January 2026,” a claim that has not been recognised by any official body and triggered widespread debate and criticism.
The declaration followed a dramatic US military operation in Venezuela on January 3 that resulted in Maduro and his wife Cilia Flores being removed from power and transported to New York to face federal drug trafficking and narco‑terrorism charges, a move denounced by many international actors as a violation of international law.
After Maduro’s removal, Venezuela’s Supreme Tribunal of Justice ordered Vice President Delcy Rodríguez to assume the role of interim president under the country’s constitutional succession process, and she was sworn in as acting president while rejecting US claims of authority.
Trump’s social media claim came amidst his earlier statements that the United States would oversee Venezuela’s administration during a transitional period following the military action, including managing aspects of the country’s oil resources, but his self‑designation as acting head of state of Venezuela has been widely criticised as provocative and lacking legal basis.
