A controversial social media post by U.S. President Donald Trump has triggered renewed debate and confusion in international political circles after he shared an image on Truth Social portraying himself as the “Acting President of Venezuela.”
The post came days after Trump signed an Executive Order declaring a national emergency to protect Venezuelan oil revenue held in U.S. Treasury accounts from legal attachment or judicial seizure, saying the move was aimed at advancing U.S. foreign policy and national security objectives.
According to the White House, the order blocks any attachment, judgment, lien, execution or other judicial process against Venezuelan oil revenues and diluent sales deposited in U.S. Treasury accounts, designating them as “Foreign Government Deposit Funds” to remain frozen unless specifically authorised, while prohibiting any transfer or dealing in the funds.
The development follows a sharp escalation in U.S.-Venezuela tensions after a January 3, 2026 U.S. military operation in Caracas resulted in the abduction of President Nicolás Maduro and his wife, Cilia Flores, an action denounced by Venezuelan authorities as a “kidnapping” and a violation of sovereignty. U.S. officials described the operation as a law enforcement action tied to narcotics charges, with the Department of Justice alleging that Maduro led a “cocaine-fueled” government, accusations both he and his wife denied in a New York court.
Since then, Trump has said the U.S. would “run the country” until a transition of power occurs, while the administration has moved to engage oil and gas executives and consider easing sanctions, prompting critics to argue that control of Venezuela’s oil resources, rather than anti-drug enforcement, has become the dominant strategic objective.