Trump Declares Himself 'Interim President of Venezuela' on Social Media

Posted on Truth Social Account

Donald Trump, President of the United States. Photo by Reuters Yonhap News

On January 12 (local time), President Donald Trump of the United States posted a virtual profile on his social media account, presenting himself as the "Interim President of Venezuela as of January 2026."

On this day, President Trump uploaded to his Truth Social account a fabricated profile designed to closely resemble an online encyclopedia entry, such as those found on Wikipedia.

At the top of the profile, he placed his official portrait, and below it, he wrote the titles "Interim President of Venezuela" and "Incumbent as of January 2026." In the career section, he described himself as the "45th and 47th President of the United States," stating that he "took office on January 20, 2025."

This move appears to assert that the U.S. government has gained substantial influence over Venezuela, including control of oil interests, following the ousting of President Nicolas Maduro of Venezuela.

In reality, former Vice President Delcy Rodriguez is currently serving as interim president in Venezuela. Interim President Rodriguez assumed office on January 5 to exercise governing authority, following the Trump administration's ousting of President Maduro through a military operation on January 3.

Meanwhile, President Maduro, who was extradited to the United States, is currently being held at a federal detention center in New York and is expected to stand trial on four charges, including conspiracy to commit narcoterrorism.