Trump declares himself 'Acting President of Venezuela' in post, after US-led intervention

United States President Donald Trump on Sunday stirred fresh controversy over Washington’s role in Venezuela after describing himself as the “Acting President of Venezuela” in a post on his social media platform, Truth Social. The post, which quickly drew attention online, reignited debate around the US intervention in the oil-rich South American nation and its aftermath.

The image shared by Trump showed his official portrait with the designation “Acting President of Venezuela, Incumbent January 2026.” It also listed him as the 45th and 47th President of the United States, noting that he assumed office on January 20, 2025.

The unusual declaration comes weeks after the United States carried out what it described as a “large-scale” military strike in Venezuela. During that operation, Venezuelan leader Nicolas Maduro and his wife, Cilia Flores, were captured and transported to New York, where both are facing indictments on narco-terrorism conspiracy charges.

Since then, Trump has said the US would oversee Venezuela’s administration until a “safe, proper and judicious transition” is achieved, arguing that another leadership vacuum could damage Venezuelan interests. Following Maduro’s removal, Venezuela’s Vice President and Oil Minister Delcy Rodriguez was formally sworn in last week as the country’s Interim President.

Trump has also claimed that the interim authorities would transfer between 30 and 50 million barrels of what he called “high-quality, sanctioned oil” to the United States. According to him, the oil would be sold at market rates, with proceeds controlled by the US administration to benefit both countries. He said Energy Secretary Chris Wright had been directed to implement the plan immediately, with the oil to be transported to US ports via storage ships.

The Truth Social post also included warnings to Cuba, with Trump saying Venezuelan oil supplies and financial assistance to the island nation would be cut off, signalling a broader shift in US regional policy.

Despite Trump’s online declaration, he is not listed as Venezuela’s Acting President on Wikipedia or other widely used public records. What is documented instead is the US military action, the capture of Maduro, and the disputed interim leadership now in place in Caracas.