After his various jibes at Canada during his 2024 Presidential campaign, Donald Trump is now eyeing Venezuela as the 51st state of the United States. In a post on Truth Social, the US President shared a map graphic showing the Latin American country with an inset American flag.
The provocative post from Trump comes as the US president heads for China for a key summit with President Xi Jinping.
Trump’s post also comes a day after Venezuela’s interim president, Delcy Rodriguez, said her country had “never” considered becoming a part of the US, especially as the 51st state.
Trump eyes Venezuela as 51st state
Earlier this week, the US President told FOX News that he was considering making Venezuela a new state with the US, months after boasting that Trump was in control of the oil-rich nation.
Trump’s ‘control’ over Caracas also comes after the US military raided the presidential palace in Venezuela and captured the sitting president, Nicolas Maduro.
Delcy Rodriguez, who took office after Maduro’s capture, has overseen a thawing of relations with Washington and has also passed reforms which have reopened Venezuela’s mining and oil sectors to foreign companies, especially from the US.
However, the interim leader has stated that she has not considered the possibility that the country will become part of the US.
Following her elevation to the top post, the Venezuelan opposition has demanded new elections. In response to this demand, Rodiguez has stated she “didn;t know” about the prospects of a new vote, but has stated that elections would “sometime” soon.
Not Trump’s first ‘51st state’ reference
Before turning towards Venezuela, Trump had his eyes on Canada as the 51st state of the United States. What started out as jibes towards former Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau in 2024, continued even after Mark Carney took over at the top post a year later.
His most recent reference towards Canada joining the US was during Carney’s visit to Washington in October 2025, just as trade ties between the two neighbours turned sour.
Trump referred to a “merger of Canada and the United States,” referring to his previous mentions of making Ottawa the newest state. However, Carney laughed off the remark and stated that despite their differences, the long-standing ties between Canada and the US should allow them to work out their differences.
