The White House shares 'threatening' post on social media as Trump 'seriously considers' making Venezuela the 51st state
Just hours after President Donald Trump revealed he was seriously considering taking over Venezuela as the 51st state, the White House has shared a ‘threatening’ post online.
On social media, the White House appeared to double down on Trump’s comments by sharing a post the president had made on his own platform Truth Social.
In the post, the president shared an image of the map of South America, with Venezuela covered by an American flag. Above it read: “51st State.”
This all started back in January when the Trump administration launched a military mission, reported to be known as Operation Absolute Resolve, with the aim of capturing Venezuelan president Nicolás Maduro.
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The raid ended up being a success for the US, with Maduro being captured and flown to a prison in New York.
Following this, Trump stated that the US would temporarily ‘run’ Venezuela until there was a ‘safe, proper and judicious transition’.
However, recent reports appear to suggest that the president might have the nation pegged as a potential new state for the US.
According to Today Fox News co-anchor John Roberts, Trump is ‘seriously considering a move to make Venezuela the 51st state of the United States’.
This isn’t the first time Trump has publicly floated the idea as, back in March, after Venezuela beat Italy at the World Baseball Classic, he took to Truth Social to write: “STATEHOOD, #51, Anyone?”
Trump told reporters at the White House recently that US operations in Venezuela amounted to ‘military genius’.
He continued: “Venezuela is a very happy country right now. They were miserable. Now they’re happy… The oil that’s coming out is enormous, the biggest in many years. And the big oil companies are going in with the biggest, most beautiful rigs you’ve ever seen.”
Does the Venezuela takeover need congressional approval?
So can he legally do it? Not without congressional approval and Venezuela’s own consent.
But that hasn’t stopped Trump suggesting he intends to take the country anyway. The US has already built up one of the largest naval fleets in the Caribbean in decades and Trump has not ruled out American boots on the ground to protect Venezuela’s vast oil infrastructure.
Secretary of State Marco Rubio told Congress in January that the US is not militarily ‘postured’ for action in Venezuela.
He said: “The only military presence you will see in Venezuela is our Marine guards at an embassy.”
However, Trump has since repeatedly suggested otherwise.
Interim President Delcy Rodríguez has given no timeline for democratic elections, saying only they will happen ‘some time’, which has drawn public fears that the White House has abandoned its goal of pushing the country toward democracy.