Trump Shares Mock Wikipedia Page Referring to Himself as 'Acting President of Venezuela'

President Donald Trump posted an image on social media portraying himself as the "Acting President of Venezuela," extending a series of statements and actions that have framed Washington as exercising direct authority over the country following the arrest of Venezuelan leader Nicolás Maduro earlier this year.

In a post on Truth Social, Trump shared a doctored image resembling a Wikipedia entry listing him as Venezuela's acting president as of January 2026. The post appeared to be satirical, but came amid repeated claims by Trump that the United States is now effectively "running" Venezuela after Maduro was captured in a U.S. special operations raid and transferred to New York to face drug trafficking charges.

Trump's actual Wikipedia page does not include the designation.

Venezuela currently is currently being led by Delcy Rodríguez, Maduro's former vice president and oil minister. Rodríguez has condemned Maduro's arrest but has signaled a willingness to cooperate with Washington, particularly on energy policy and diplomatic engagement.

The Trump administration has backed Rodríguez's interim leadership while warning that she could face severe consequences if she fails to comply with U.S. demands. Trump has said the United States expects access to Venezuelan oil production, claiming Washington would receive up to 50 million barrels under the current arrangement.

On Friday, U.S. officials visited Caracas to discuss reopening the American embassy, which was closed in 2019 during Trump's first term. Rodríguez's government has said it is exploring the restoration of diplomatic ties and has pledged to release political prisoners.

Trump praised the interim government's cooperation in comments to reporters aboard Air Force One over the weekend, saying, "Venezuela is really working out well. We're working along really well with the leadership." He added that while the government was "giving us everything that we feel is necessary," Washington's direct oversight of the country could continue, saying, "Only time will tell."

Trump also claimed credit for the release of detainees, posting Saturday that Venezuela had begun freeing political prisoners "in a BIG WAY." Rights groups and opposition figures dispute that characterization, saying only around 20 prisoners have been released so far, out of an estimated 800 to 1,200 political detainees.