Trump 'Declares Himself the Acting President of Venezuela' in Bizarre Post After Dictator Nicolás Maduro's Historic Capture
To date, Donald Trump has not indicated when Venezuela will be able to hold an election for a new president.
Jan. 12 2026, Published 1:57 p.m. ET
After the capture of Nicolás Maduro, Donald Trump bizarrely declared himself as the "acting president of Venezuela" in a bizarre Truth Social post, RadarOnline.com can reveal.
Trump shared a screenshot of an edited Wikipedia page about him, suggesting he is the leader of Venezuela, as well as the 45th and 47th president of the United States.
The Fake Wikipedia Image of Donald Trump
Donald Trump has insisted he will 'run' Venezuela after the capture of Nicolás Maduro.
The fake image comes on the heels of Trump continuing to insist he will "run" Venezuela after United States forces invaded Venezuela and captured Maduro and his wife.
Delcy Rodríguez, who was the Vice President of Venezuela, became the acting president of the country quickly after Maduro was captured.
To date, Trump has not indicated when the country will be able to hold an election for a new president. He has, however, suggested U.S. oil companies will invest in Venezuela in an effort to help the country rebuild its energy infrastructure. Venezuela is said to have the largest oil reserves in the world, although due to its crude nature, much of it is not extractable at current market prices.
Within days of Maduro's capture, Trump took to Truth Social to insist Venezuela would be "turning over between 30 and 50 MILLION Barrels" for the U.S. to sell.
"That money will be controlled by me," he added.
Donald Trump's Meeting at the White House With Oil Execs
Trump has been dogged by rumors about his health in recent months.
Trump held a meeting at the White House last week with top oil executives, where he said he is seeking $100Billion to revive oil production in Venezuela in his plan to "control" the country.
During the meeting, ExxonMobil CEO Darren Woods reportedly said the country was "uninvestable," leading Trump to suggest he may block them from participating in any Venezuela plans.
He also specifically said he "didn’t like Exxon’s response" while speaking to reporters on Air Force One on Sunday.
"I’ll probably be inclined to keep Exxon out. I didn’t like their response. They’re playing too cute," he added.
Nicolás Maduro's Court Appearance
Nicolás Maduro stated he was 'kidnapped' when appearing in court.
As Radar reported, Maduro appeared in court earlier this month and pleaded not guilty.
In a federal courtroom in New York, Maduro appeared dressed in an orange shirt with a blue shirt over it, beige pants, and orange slippers.
Appearing before Judge Alvin Hellerstein, he said in Spanish: "I am not guilty, I am a decent man. I am still the president of my country."
He went on to add he was "kidnapped" from his home.
Donald Trump Tells All on Nicolás Maduro's Capture
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Donald Trump said Nicolás Maduro was attempting to reach a secure area when U.S. forces intervened.
When Trump first revealed the news about the U.S. and Venezuela, he wrote on Truth Social, stating, "The United States of America has successfully carried out a large-scale strike against Venezuela and its leader, President Nicolas Maduro, who has been, along with his wife, captured and flown out of the country."
Maduro was inside a heavily fortified compound at the time of his capture and claimed U.S. forces carried out an elaborate deception to gain access, according to Trump.
"They actually built a house which was identical to the one they went into with all the safes, all the steel all over the place," he stated.
Trump also shared Maduro was attempting to reach a secure area when U.S. forces intervened.
