A screenshot of US President Donald Trump’s Social Truth post on January 11 local time

US President Donald Trump posted an image on the Social Truth platform on local time Sunday claiming himself as "Acting President of Venezuela." The post also comes with an official portrait of the US leader and then "Incumbent January 2026" for the designation. 

As of press time, Global Times reporters have not seen any official response to the US leader's Social Media post from the authorities of Venezuela. 

The posted image, highly resembling a Wikipedia page, also has Trump's designation as the 45th and 47th President of the US and he assumed office since January 20, 2025 and has JD Vance serving as the Vice President. 

New York-based media Media ITE covered the post in an article titled "Trump Bizarrely Posts That He's the 'Acting President of Venezuela' on Truth Social." Trump told Fox News's Sean Hannity last week that he will allow elections to take place in Venezuela "eventually," but first, "We're gonna rebuild the oil and the oil infrastructure," the report said.

The Indian news outlet The Economic Times reported the post as a "digitally altered image presenting Trump in the role following recent developments in Venezuela." The report also said the image surfaced amid heightened tensions after a US intervention in Venezuela.

The US leader signed Friday an executive order declaring a national emergency to "safeguard Venezuelan oil revenue held in US Treasury accounts from attachment or judicial process," ensuring the funds are preserved "to advance US foreign policy objectives," according to a White House release. 

The US carried out a large-scale strike against Venezuela on January 3 and forcibly seized Venezuelan President Nicolas Maduro and his wife. Following that, Trump claimed at a press conference at his Mar-a-Lago private club in Florida that the US will "run" Venezuela. 

Many netizens voiced opposition to the message. @_Bongz from Soweto, South Africa left his comments under a RT retweet of the post saying that "This is illegal and unacceptable." 

Geopolitical writer Shanaka Anslem Perera commented in his X post that "248 years of American history. Zero presidents have ever publicly declared executive authority over a foreign nation. Until today."

"When the world realizes this isn't a joke, the repricing won't be gradual. It will be violent," he wrote. 

@mcdnyamps commented on X under relevant retweet of the image by saying that " it is colonialism." 

Delcy Rodriguez, previously vice president of Venezuela, was sworn in on January 5 as the acting president of the country, according to the Xinhua News Agency.

Global Times