Venezuela Loves Trump: Trump Eyes Venezuela as 51st US State, Touts $40 Trillion Oil Windfall

President Donald Trump told Fox News in a phone call on Monday that he is "seriously considering making Venezuela the 51st US state," pointing to an estimated $40 trillion in oil there and claiming that "Venezuela loves Trump."

Trump's comments come as U.S. officials continue to court oil companies for investments in the South American country following the dramatic removal of President Nicolás Maduro from power through a U.S. military operation in January. Maduro was extradited to the United States to face narco-terrorism charges , with Trump saying the U.S. would "run" the country during its transitional period.

This is not the first time Trump has floated the idea. After Venezuela defeated Italy in the World Baseball Classic in March, Trump took to Truth Social writing that "good things are happening to Venezuela" and hinting at statehood, signaling the idea had been brewing for some time.

Venezuela's acting President Delcy Rodrígue pushed back. Speaking outside the International Court of Justice in The Hague , where she was attending hearings over Venezuela's territorial dispute with neighboring Guyana over the oil-rich Essequibo region , Rodríguez declared that Venezuela's sovereignty was "non-negotiable." She told reporters plainly: " It is out of the question and it never will be. If there is one thing Venezuelans have, it is love for our independence process. We will continue to defend our integrity, sovereignty, and independence." She also firmly stated that Venezuela is "not a colony, but a free country."

The White House did not immediately respond to requests for comment. Spokesperson Anna Kelly later declined to elaborate on Trump's plans, saying only that the president is "famous for never accepting the status quo," while also praising Rodríguez for "working incredibly cooperatively" with the U.S.

For Trump to actually annex Venezuela and make it a state, it would require congressional approval and Venezuela's own consent .

This is far from the first country Trump has set his expansionist sights on. Trump has made similar remarks about Canada , and his broader pattern of suggesting territorial ambitions, from Greenland to the Panama Canal has drawn consistent international criticism. Despite the firm rejection from Caracas, Rodríguez confirmed that both governments are currently engaged in "a diplomatic cooperation agenda" following the restoration of U.S.-Venezuela diplomatic relations in March, after a seven-year break under the Maduro administration.