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Before turning to Venezuela, Trump had repeatedly spoken about Canada as the 51st state of the United States. What began as jibes at former Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau during his 2024 presidential campaign continued after Mark Carney became prime minister a year later.
After failed attempts with Greenland and Canada, US President Donald Trump has expressed his desire to annex Venezuela as the United States’ 51st state.
New Delhi,UPDATED: May 13, 2026 15:32 IST
US President Donald Trump’s obsession with the “51st state” is far from over. First came Canada, which its Prime Minister Mark Carney laughed off. Then came Greenland. A resistance, which Trump did not expect, came from the European Union, which threatened its own version of a trade war.
Now his attention has turned towards Venezuela. And why not? He has successfully ousted the longtime president, Nicolas Maduro, and even captured him, and has warned the interim president Delcy Rodriguez that if “she doesn’t do what’s right, she is going to pay a very big price, probably bigger than Maduro.”
On his way to China, Trump shared a Truth Social post suggesting Venezuela as the 51st state of the United States, posting a map of the Latin American country with an inset American flag. The post came as Trump was due to travel to China for a key summit with President Xi Jinping.
Trump’s post was made a day after Rodriguez, said her country had "never" considered becoming part of the United States, particularly as its 51st state. Earlier this week, Trump had also told FOX News that he was considering making Venezuela a new state of the US.
His remarks came months after he said he was in control of the oil-rich nation. That claim followed a US military raid on Venezuela’s presidential palace, during which Maduro was captured.
Rodriguez took office after Maduro’s capture and has since overseen a thaw in ties with Washington. She has also introduced reforms that have reopened Venezuela’s mining and oil sectors to foreign companies, especially those from the US. Even so, Rodriguez has said she has not considered the possibility of Venezuela becoming part of the United States.
After she assumed office, Venezuela’s opposition called for fresh elections. Responding to that demand, Rodriguez said she "didn’t know" about the prospects of a new vote, but added that elections would be held "sometime" soon.
Before turning to Venezuela, Trump had repeatedly spoken about Canada as the 51st state of the United States. What began as jibes at former Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau during his 2024 presidential campaign continued after Mark Carney became prime minister a year later.
Trump most recently referred to a "merger of Canada and the United States" during Carney’s visit to Washington in October 2025, as trade ties between the neighbours worsened. Carney laughed off the remark and said that despite their differences, the long-standing ties between Canada and the US should help them resolve those issues.
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Published By:
Sayan Ganguly
Published On:
May 13, 2026 15:32 IST
