President Trump suggests Venezuela could join the Union
Last year, President Trump joked often that Canada could be the 51st state in the American Union. Now, he’s making the same remarks about Venezuela.
by Summer Lane | May 11, 2026
President Donald Trump said on Monday that Venezuela could become the 51st state in the Union, just months after he consistently suggested that Canada could fill the same future role.
Fox News’ Bill Melugin shared the comment from the president on X. The remarks from President Trump were made to the outlet during a phone call with John Roberts.
The president, in his comment to Roberts, noted that there is “$40 trillion in oil” in Venezuela, whilst additionally noting that the country “loves Trump.”
This is not the first time that President Trump has noted his special relationship with Venezuela following Operation Absolute Resolve. In January, OAR was a U.S. military mission that resulted in the capture and arrest of Nicolas Maduro and the subsequent installation of Delcy Rodriguez as the nation’s new president. The U.S. essentially seized control of the world’s largest confirmed oil reserves as a result of the successful operation.
“They say if I ran for president of Venezuela, I’m polling higher than anybody has ever polled in Venezuela,” President Trump remarked facetiously in April. “So, after I’m done with this, I can go to Venezuela, I will quickly learn Spanish – it won’t take too long, I’m good at language – and I will go to Venezuela, I’m going to run for president.”
Since the onset of the U.S.-Israeli war against Iran, American access to Venezuelan oil has become more important than ever. The ongoing closure of the Strait of Hormuz in the Middle East – responsible for 20 percent of the world’s oil flow – has caused global shortages and supply chain problems.
In 2025, President Trump in similar fashion consistently commented that Canada could become the 51st state, although such a deal has never materialized. “I say, never say never,” President Trump said last year, when Canadian Prime Minister Mark Carney flatly objected to such an idea.
“Canada loves us,” Trump added. “And we love Canada. That’s, I think, the number one thing that’s important. But we’ll see, I mean, over time. We’ll see what happens.”
Photo: Adobe Stock
