Trump Endorses Making Marco Rubio the President of Cuba, then Calls Himself the ‘Acting President of Venezuela’

Donald Trump is again drawing attention for rhetoric that critics say echoes U.S. interventionism in the Western Hemisphere — this time with posts aimed at Cuba and Venezuela.

In a pair of Truth Social posts on Sunday, Jan. 11, Trump mocked his own recent talk about involving the United States in the affairs of both countries. The remarks came about a week after he ordered U.S. forces to capture Venezuelan President Nicolás Maduro and his wife, first lady Cilia Flores, and just days after he publicly floated taking control of additional nations in the region.

Early on Jan. 11, Trump shared a screenshot of an X post in which a user joked that Secretary of State Marco Rubio “will be the president of Cuba.” Trump added: “Sounds good to me!”

Hours later, Cuban President Miguel Díaz-Canel posted on X, “No one dictates what we do,” which appeared to be a response to another Truth Social post from Trump that urged Cuba to make an oil deal “before it’s too late.”

Later that evening, Trump shifted back to Venezuela, sharing an edited screenshot of his Wikipedia page that added “Acting President of Venezuela” to his political résumé. His actual Wikipedia page does not show that title.

After Maduro’s capture on Jan. 3, Trump said the United States would “run” Venezuela for a temporary period. Rubio later said on Jan. 4 that the U.S. would not govern the country day to day, but would continue enforcing an “oil quarantine” that was already in place, per The Associated Press.

Days earlier, in an interview with The New York Times, Trump said he doesn’t “need international law” as he pursues the idea of taking over other nations, while also saying he’s “not looking to hurt people.” When pressed, he acknowledged his administration is bound by international law, then added, “It depends what your definition of international law is.”

Asked what restrains him, Trump said the only real constraint is “My own morality. My own mind. It’s the only thing that can stop me.”

While Trump has spoken in the past about the United States annexing other territories, his actions in Venezuela — along with his latest statements about Cuba — have renewed concerns about expanding U.S. power and influence across the region.

Beyond Cuba and Venezuela, he has also mentioned Colombia, Iran and Mexico, as well as Greenland, which he has long described as strategically important due to its geographic location.