President Donald Trump has blatantly mapped out the latest country he wants as the 51st state of the U.S.
Trump, 79, posted a provocative graphic on his Truth Social account on Tuesday, while en route to China for a high-stakes summit with President Xi Jinping. The map depicted Venezuela with an inset American flag and the caption “51st State.”
The colorful post comes a day after Trump told Fox News he was considering making the South American nation part of the U.S.
“Just got off the phone with @realDonaldTrump... he told me he is seriously considering a move to make Venezuela the 51st state,” John Roberts of Fox’s America Reports posted on X on Monday morning.
His Fox colleague, Bill Melugin, also posted on X, noting that Trump also said “there is $40 trillion in oil there and ‘Venezuela loves Trump.’”
Venezuela’s acting President Delcy Rodríguez responded to Trump’s desires by stating that her country had no plans to become the 51st state.
She assumed power in January following a Trump-sanctioned U.S. military operation that ousted then-President Nicolás Maduro.
“We will continue to defend our integrity, our sovereignty, our independence, our history,” Rodríguez said, speaking to journalists at the Hague on Monday.
Venezuela is “not a colony, but a free country,” she added.
During an interview with Roberts on Fox News, White House spokesperson Anna Kelly later declined to comment on Trump’s 51st state comments.
Kelly claimed Trump is “famous for never accepting the status quo,” and praised Rodríguez for “working incredibly cooperatively” with the U.S.
The Daily Beast has contacted the White House for comment.
Trump has hinted at his Venezuelan dream several times this year.
In March, the president shared his thoughts on Truth Social after Venezuela defeated Italy in the World Baseball Classic semifinal in Miami. “Good things are happening to Venezuela lately!,”Trump posted. “I wonder what this magic is all about? STATEHOOD, #51, ANYONE? President DONALD J. TRUMP.”
After watching Venezuela win the competition, the president simply posted: “STATEHOOD!!! President DJT.”
Maduro and his wife, first lady Cilia Flores, were “captured” by U.S. forces in the middle of the night on Jan. 2, as part of a large-scale attack on the Venezuelan capital, Caracas.
After the attack, Trump said America were now “in charge” of Venezuela. “It’s a dead country right now,” he added. “We’re going to have to have big investments by the oil industries to bring back the infrastructure.”
Trump pledged to have the oil industry “up and and running” again in Venezuela in January. The country’s monthly oil exports surpassed 1 million barrels per day in March for the first time since September last year.
Trump’s 51st state fantasy even saw him threaten to use military force to take over Greenland as part of his global vision, leading to protests by locals.
“President Trump has made it well known that acquiring Greenland is a national security priority of the United States, and it’s vital to deter our adversaries in the Arctic region,” the White House said in January.
Greenland is a self-governing democratic territory of Denmark, a U.S. ally.
Talking at the World Economic Forum in Davos in January, Trump framed the acquisition of Greenland as a U.S. national security imperative.
“You can say ‘Yes,’ and we will be very appreciative,” Trump said. “Or you can say ‘No,’ and we will remember.”
Canada has also been in the mix, with Trump telling Fox News in February he was serious about the country becoming the 51st state of the U.S.
“Yeah it is,” Trump told Fox’s Bret Baier when asked whether his talk of annexing Canada is “a real thing.”
“I think Canada would be much better off being the 51st state because we lose $200 billion a year with Canada. And I’m not going to let that happen,” Trump said.
“Why are we paying $200 billion a year, essentially a subsidy to Canada?”
