Trump shares imagedepicting Venezuela as the United States' 51st state

US President Donald Trump posted a map graphic on his Truth Social platform on Tuesday that shows Venezuela with an inset American flag and the caption “51st State.”

The post, released while Trump was traveling to China for a high‑stakes summit, follows a statement by Venezuela’s interim president, Delcy Rodriguez, who said her nation had “never” entertained the idea of becoming the 51st state, even after US forces captured deposed leader Nicolas Maduro in January.

On Monday, Trump told Fox News that he was contemplating the addition of the South American country as a new state, after months of claiming he controlled the oil‑rich nation.

Since assuming office, Rodriguez has overseen a warming of ties with the United States, implementing reforms that reopened Venezuela’s mining and oil sectors to foreign investors, particularly those from the US.

The Venezuelan opposition continues to demand elections. When asked on May 1 about the likelihood of a new vote, Rodriguez said she “didn’t know” and that it would occur “sometime.”

The graphic posted by Trump was first reported by Vanguard News.