It comes amid growing US involvement in the South American country following the capture of former president Nicolas Maduro
Donald Trump is reportedly “seriously considering” making Venezuela the 51st state of America.
The US president is believed to have raised the prospect during a conversation with Fox News correspondent John Roberts.
“Just got off the phone with @realDonaldTrump … he told me he is seriously considering a move to make Venezuela the 51st state…” Roberts wrote in a post on X.
Trump has repeatedly aired the notion of the South American nation becoming part of the US in a string of comments made throughout the 2026 World Baseball Classic, reports the Mirror.
He initially broached the subject after Venezuela defeated Italy 4-2 in the tournament semi-final in March, writing on Truth Social: “Good things are happening to Venezuela lately. I wonder what this magic is all about? STATEHOOD, #51, ANYONE?”
The following day, after Venezuela shocked the US in the tournament final, Trump seemed to reinforce his position by simply posting: “Statehood!!!”
The remarks emerged against a backdrop of escalating US engagement in Venezuela following the detention of former president Nicolas Maduro.
Trump ordered air strikes in Venezuela during the early hours of Saturday, 3 January, before American forces apprehended Maduro and his wife Cilia Flores at their Fort Tiuna military installation in Caracas, subsequently transporting them to the US.
Without providing proof, Trump alleged that Maduro had been “emptying his prisons and insane asylums” and “forcing” inmates to relocate to the US. He additionally held Maduro responsible for the surge of narcotics – particularly fentanyl and cocaine – entering the US. Maduro is currently detained at the Metropolitan Detention Centre in Brooklyn, where he is facing multiple charges, including Narco-Terrorism Conspiracy.
Throughout his second term in office, Trump has issued threats to seize control of several other nations and territories, including Greenland and Canada.
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