‘Wake-Up Call’: Trump Just Declares Himself President of Venezuela
President Donald Trump sent shockwaves across the world Sunday night by posting a doctored Wikipedia screenshot of his own biography on Truth Social, edited to list him as the “acting president of Venezuela.”
The image—altered to replace his current title with the new designation was shared without additional commentary, but its timing—just over a week after U.S. military strikes on Venezuelan targets and the arrest of President Nicolás Maduro has been widely interpreted as a deliberate signal of intent to assert direct U.S. control over the South American nation.
The post immediately triggered a torrent of reactions ranging from stunned disbelief to grave warnings of escalating U.S. imperialism. Critics described the move as the clearest sign yet of a president spiraling into what some called “performative dictatoring,” while others saw it as a calculated escalation of the administration’s aggressive posture in the Western Hemisphere.
The Doctored Image and Its Immediate Fallout
The manipulated Wikipedia entry showed Trump’s name and photo alongside the new title “Acting President of Venezuela,” with no further explanation provided. Trump has previously floated the idea of U.S. oversight of Venezuela following the strikes, describing the action as necessary to facilitate a “stable transfer of power” after Maduro’s detention.
The image was quickly identified as a fabrication—Wikipedia’s public edit history shows no such change but its dissemination from the president’s official account gave it the weight of a formal declaration to many observers.
Journalist and podcast host Jim Stewartson captured the prevailing sentiment among critics: “He’s spiraling into a singularity of narcissistic terror over [Jeffrey] Epstein, and decompensating with performative dictatoring. His alternate reality is sealed and the people around him are riding his collapse to get what they want – total destruction of the world order. What a timeline.”
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Warnings of Geopolitical Repercussions
Geopolitical analyst Shanaka Anslem Perera, emphasized the unprecedented nature of the statement: “Not satire… Zero presidents have ever publicly declared executive authority over a foreign nation. The greatest energy realignment since the 1973 embargo is hiding in plain sight as a ‘troll post.’ When the world realizes this isn’t a joke, the repricing won’t be gradual. It will be violent.”
Former U.S. Marine and geopolitical analyst Brian Berletic called the declaration a “wake-up call to the rest of the world”: “A US president declaring himself president of another nation 1000 miles from his own nation’s borders is unhinged criminality. This is done to prime the US public for wider criminality to come. This is a wake-up call to the rest of the world, nations big and small, that this is no longer a matter of diplomacy, international relations, or deal-making.”
The post has been viewed as particularly inflammatory given the recent U.S. military strikes on Venezuelan targets, which killed dozens and led to Maduro’s capture. Trump has framed the operation as a counter-narcotics necessity, but the self-declared “acting president” label has intensified accusations of regime change by force.
The U.S. strikes targeted facilities linked to alleged drug trafficking networks and regime corruption, resulting in significant casualties and widespread damage. Maduro’s arrest followed, creating a power vacuum in Caracas and prompting protests, diplomatic condemnations, and fears of civil unrest.
Latin American leaders, including those from Brazil, Colombia, and Mexico, have condemned the strikes as violations of sovereignty. The Organization of American States has called for dialogue, while Russia and China have accused the U.S. of imperialism.
Trump’s “acting president” claim—whether intended as satire, provocation, or genuine assertion has escalated the crisis, raising questions about U.S. intentions beyond the initial operation. The doctored image has been interpreted by many as a trial balloon for deeper intervention, including potential U.S. administration of the country.
Domestically, the post has divided reactions. Hardline Trump supporters have celebrated it as bold trolling or a sign of strength, while moderates and foreign policy experts have expressed alarm over the implications for U.S. credibility and alliances.
🇺🇸🇻🇪 US President Donald Trump posts on his official account that he is “acting president of Venezuela.”
A US president declaring himself president of another nation 1000 miles from his own nation’s borders is unhinged criminality.
This is done to prime the US public for wider… pic.twitter.com/1xsvTwO0ve
— Brian Berletic (@BrianJBerletic) January 12, 2026
Democrats have seized on the image as evidence of instability, with some calling for congressional oversight of any further Venezuela-related actions. The White House has not clarified whether the post was satirical or reflected official policy.
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Historical Parallels
Trump’s 2019 suggestion to purchase Greenland already drew international ridicule. The current Venezuela situation—combining military action, a leader’s arrest, and now a self-proclaimed “acting president” represents an extraordinary escalation of U.S. involvement in Latin America.
The move risks isolating the United States diplomatically, straining NATO ties (given Denmark’s alliance with the U.S.), and emboldening adversaries to challenge U.S. influence elsewhere.
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As the situation in Venezuela deteriorates and global attention turns to the U.S. role, Trump’s doctored image post has transformed what might have been dismissed as a joke into a defining moment—one that many fear could accelerate a dangerous realignment of power in the hemisphere.
Whether the declaration proves to be provocative rhetoric or the opening salvo of a more aggressive policy, it has ensured that Venezuela—and America’s intentions remain at the center of an increasingly volatile global conversation.
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