Donald Trump has sparked fresh controversy after sharing a graphic on his Truth Social platform depicting Venezuela covered with the American flag and labeled “51st State.”

The post, published on Tuesday night while Trump was traveling to China for a major summit, came shortly after comments he made during a Fox News interview where he said he was considering the possibility of Venezuela becoming a U.S. state.

Venezuela’s interim president, Delcy Rodríguez, strongly rejected the idea, stating that Venezuela has “never” considered becoming part of the United States and reaffirming the country’s sovereignty.

The issue comes amid changing relations between Washington and Caracas following the reported capture of former Venezuelan leader Nicolás Maduro earlier this year. Rodríguez has since overseen reforms reopening parts of Venezuela’s oil and mining sectors to foreign investment, particularly from U.S. companies.

Trump’s post has generated intense international debate online, with critics describing it as provocative and supporters framing it as political messaging tied to U.S. influence in the oil-rich nation.