Trump Posts Acting President of Venezuela on Truth Social
President Donald Trump posted a doctored image on Truth Social claiming to be the “Acting President of Venezuela” as of January 2026, following a U.S. military operation that abducted Venezuelan President Nicolás Maduro on January 3. Trump previously stated on January 3 that the United States would oversee Venezuela until a safe transition occurred, and told The New York Times he anticipated U.S. control would extend “much longer” than six months or a year without providing a specific timeline.
The Trump administration conducted what it characterized as a “large-scale strike” against Caracas, seizing Maduro and his wife, Cilia Flores, who were transported to New York and arraigned in Manhattan federal court on January 5 on drug charges. Both pleaded not guilty. Secretary of State Marco Rubio defended the operation as a “law enforcement” action requiring no congressional approval, rejecting characterizations of it as an “invasion,” while the administration claimed Maduro was a drug cartel leader rather than a legitimate head of state.
The seizure of Maduro without congressional authorization violated the Constitution’s war powers clause, according to Senator Jack Reed, D-R.I., the top Democrat on the Senate Armed Services Committee. Reed stated: “Congress — not the President — has the sole power to authorize war. Pursuing regime change without the consent of the American people is a reckless overreach and an abuse of power.” Multiple lawmakers, primarily Democrats, challenged the legality of the operation, which proceeded without legislative approval.
Trump’s action reflects a broader push to reassert U.S. dominance in the Western Hemisphere, with the administration invoking what it calls the “Don-roe Doctrine,” a rebranding of the Monroe Doctrine. The original 1823 doctrine sought to limit European influence in Latin America; under President Theodore Roosevelt, it was weaponized to justify U.S. intervention as an “international police power.” Trump’s Venezuela operation follows months of military pressure and more than two dozen strikes in Latin American waters targeting alleged drug traffickers as part of his stated effort to reduce drug inflows into the United States.
White House spokeswoman Anna Kelly declined to clarify whether Trump’s “Acting President” post was intended as a joke, instead responding to Fox News Digital: “President Trump will be the greatest President for the American and Venezuelan people in history. Congratulations, world!” The post demonstrates Trump’s escalation from military intervention to claiming executive authority over a foreign nation without constitutional checks or democratic legitimacy.