Trump “Seriously Considering” Making Venezuela the 51st State, Delcy Rodríguez Fires Back

During a telephone interview with Fox News, Donald Trump reportedly suggested he is now «seriously considering» making Venezuela the 51st state of the United States, a remark that immediately triggered backlash online and a firm rejection from Venezuela's acting president Delcy Rodríguez. Fox News host John Roberts revealed the conversation in a post published on X shortly after speaking with Trump directly. «Just got off the phone with @realDonaldTrump,» Roberts wrote, before adding: «… he told me he is seriously considering a move to make Venezuela the 51st state…» The comments rapidly spread across social media and marked the latest example of Trump publicly floating territorial expansion ideas during his second presidency, following previous remarks involving Canada, Greenland and the Panama Canal.

Reaction online was immediate and deeply polarized as critics mocked the idea and questioned Trump's seriousness. Under Roberts' X post, many users condemned the remarks as reckless and bizarre. One user wrote that Trump should stop making statements like that because «It makes him appear insane and unserious.» Another commenter responded bluntly: «Trump says a lot of stupid sh*t.» A different user described the proposal as «A mad man fantasy goal.» Others pointed to what they viewed as contradictions between Trump's annexation rhetoric and his aggressive immigration messaging during the 2024 campaign. «All the rapists, murderers, and insane asylum people can be welcomed back,» one user sarcastically wrote. Another commenter dismissed the remarks entirely as political theater, posting: «Anything to distract from this Iran Sh*tshow.» The discussion rapidly became one of the most debated political topics on X following Roberts' statement.

Trump's comments came more than five months after the United States captured now-former Venezuelan president Nicolás Maduro during a controversial military operation that dramatically transformed relations between Washington and Caracas. Maduro and his wife Cilia Flores were transferred to the United States earlier this year to face federal charges tied to narco-terrorism and weapons offenses. Following the operation, Delcy Rodríguez assumed power as Venezuela's acting president while the United States gradually restored diplomatic and economic ties with Caracas. Since taking office, Rodríguez has reopened parts of Venezuela's oil sector to foreign investment while the Trump administration eased several sanctions tied to petroleum exports. Trump has repeatedly pointed to Venezuela's enormous oil reserves while discussing the country publicly, and according to reports he recently told Fox News that «Venezuela loves Trump.»

The remarks also fit into a broader pattern of expansionist rhetoric that has defined several moments of Trump's second term. Before returning to office in January 2025, Trump repeatedly joked that Canada should become the 51st state and later reignited tensions with statements involving Greenland and renewed American control over the Panama Canal. Earlier this year, Trump again floated the idea of Venezuelan statehood after Venezuela defeated the United States during the World Baseball Classic. On Truth Social, Trump wrote: «STATEHOOD, #51, ANYONE?» before later posting simply «STATEHOOD!!!» after Venezuela won the championship game. The repeated comments have fueled growing international concern surrounding Trump's increasingly aggressive rhetoric regarding territorial expansion and American geopolitical influence throughout the Western Hemisphere.

It is now Venezuela's acting president Delcy Rodríguez who has become the latest foreign leader forced to publicly reject Trump's statehood remarks. Speaking to journalists at the International Court of Justice in The Hague, Rodríguez firmly defended Venezuela's sovereignty and independence after being asked about Trump's comments. «We will continue to defend our integrity, our sovereignty, our independence, our history,» Rodríguez declared. She then added that Venezuela is «not a colony, but a free country.» Rodríguez also emphasized Venezuelans' attachment to the country's independence movement and national identity, saying the country's history was built by «men and women who gave their lives» so Venezuela would remain sovereign. Her comments came while Venezuela continued defending its territorial claims over the oil-rich Essequibo region currently administered by neighboring Guyana.

While Trump's latest remarks generated headlines worldwide, legal experts and political analysts quickly noted that any actual attempt to transform Venezuela into a U.S. state would face enormous constitutional, political and international barriers. Such a move would require approval from Congress as well as the consent of Venezuela itself, something Rodríguez has made clear will never happen under her government. Despite the practical impossibility of the proposal, Trump's repeated references to foreign territories becoming part of the United States continue attracting intense scrutiny as his administration expands its influence across Latin America following Maduro's removal from power. The remarks also arrive at a delicate moment for U.S.-Venezuela relations, as both countries cautiously rebuild diplomatic communication after years of hostility, sanctions and military confrontation.

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