US President Donald Trump on Sunday posted a photo of himself on his social media platform Truth Social with the designation “Acting President of Venezuela”, listing himself as “Incumbent January 2026.”The post also carries his official portrait and identifies him as the 45th and 47th President of the United States, noting that he assumed office on January 20, 2025. ADVERTISEMENTThe post comes in the wake of a dramatic escalation earlier this month, when the United States carried out what it described as a “large-scale” strike against Venezuela. Even as Trump stakes his claim, Venezuela has moved to install an interim leadership. Vice President and oil minister Delcy Rodriguez was formally sworn in as the country’s interim president last week, following Maduro’s detention. It will be taken by storage ships and brought directly to unloading docks in the United States.”

Source: The Telegraph January 12, 2026 03:53 UTC