Donald Trump Shares ‘51st State’ Venezuela Graphic As Marco Rubio’s Nike Tracksuit Similar to One Worn by Nicholas Maduro Sparks Online Buzz (See Pics)

US President Donald Trump on Tuesday, May 12, shared a graphic portraying Venezuela as the “51st State” of the United States, escalating his recent rhetoric toward the South American nation as Secretary of State Marco Rubio simultaneously drew attention online for wearing a Nike tracksuit linked by social media users to former Venezuelan president Nicolás Maduro’s arrest earlier this year.

Trump posted the image on Truth Social while traveling to China for meetings with Chinese President Xi Jinping. The graphic featured a map of Venezuela covered with the American flag alongside the words “51st State.” The White House later reposted the same image on its official X account. Venezuela's Acting President Defends Territory and Rejects Trump's 51st State Remarks.

Donald Trump Shares ‘51st State’ Venezuela Graphic 

Trump Revives Venezuela Statehood Remarks

The post came one day after Trump told Fox News he was “seriously considering” making Venezuela part of the United States, repeating comments he has made in recent months about expanding US territory. Trump has previously floated similar ideas involving Canada, Greenland and Panama.

Trump’s comments follow the January 2026 US military operation in Caracas that resulted in the capture of Maduro, who was later transferred to the United States to face federal charges. Since then, Washington has increased its involvement in Venezuela’s political and energy sectors while encouraging renewed oil investment in the country. Donald Trump Reveals ‘The Discombobulator’ Weapon Was Crucial to US in Venezuela Raid That Captured Nicolas Maduro.

Legal experts and analysts have noted that any effort to admit Venezuela as a US state would require approval from Congress as well as the consent of Venezuelans, making such a move highly unlikely under current international and constitutional frameworks.

Venezuela’s interim president Delcy Rodríguez rejected Trump’s remarks earlier this week, saying the country had “never” considered becoming part of the United States and reaffirming Venezuela’s sovereignty.

Rodríguez made the comments while attending proceedings at the International Court of Justice related to Venezuela’s territorial dispute with Guyana over the Essequibo region.

At roughly the same time as Trump’s post, White House Communications Director Steven Cheung shared a photo of Rubio aboard Air Force One wearing a grey Nike Tech tracksuit. Online users quickly compared the outfit to the grey Nike Tech set Maduro wore in widely circulated images taken during his transfer into US custody in January.

Marco Rubio Spotted Sporting Nike Tracksuit Similar to One Worn by Nicholas Maduro

Cheung referenced the comparison directly in his social media caption, while several journalists and commentators noted similarities between Rubio’s outfit and the now-viral images of Maduro. The Nike Tech tracksuit became an internet meme earlier this year, with searches for the product surging after photos of Maduro’s detention spread across social media platforms.

(The above story first appeared on LatestLY on May 13, 2026 07:16 AM IST. For more news and updates on politics, world, sports, entertainment and lifestyle, log on to our website latestly.com).