Trump's Crazy Idea to Make Venezuela the 51st US State
US President Donald Trump has floated a wild idea to turn Venezuela into a US state. Through his own social media platform Truth Social, Trump posted a map depicting Venezuela with the US flag inside it and labelling it as the ‘51st State.’
Cited from detikNews on Wednesday (13/5/2026), the provocative post was published by Trump during his trip to China. The post also appeared a day after Venezuela’s Interim President Delcy Rodriguez stated that her country has never considered becoming the 51st US state.
Trump himself had previously told US media outlet Fox News that he was considering making the South American country a new US state. Trump has been boasting for months that he controls the oil-rich nation.
As is known, relations between the US and Venezuela heated up after US troops captured former Venezuelan President Nicolas Maduro in Ciracas, Venezuela, on 3 January. That capture was then used by Trump to seize control of Venezuela’s natural wealth, especially oil.
Not only that, Trump also posted a controversial message regarding the idea of taking over Venezuelan territory in March. Recently, Trump stated that he is seriously considering making Venezuela the 51st US state.
Meanwhile, Venezuela’s interim president Delcy Rodriguez emphasised that her government has never considered becoming a US state. Rodriguez also alluded to independence.
‘That will never be considered, because if there is one thing that we Venezuelans, men and women, possess, it is that we love our independence process, we love our male and female heroes of independence,’ Rodriguez said to reporters as she left a session at the International Court in The Hague on Tuesday (12/5).
Since taking over power from the long-ruling Maduro, Rodriguez has sought to thaw her country’s relations with Washington. This was done under heavy pressure to meet Trump’s demands regarding access to Venezuela’s fossil fuel reserves.
On the other hand, Trump has repeatedly praised Rodriguez. For example, when Rodriguez approved reforms that opened up Venezuela’s mining and oil sectors to foreign companies, especially from the US.