From Mar-a-Lago to Caracas: Trump posts video of Venezuela strike

UPDATED: Jan 4, 2026 06:37 IST

Explosions flashed across the screen as a Vietnam-era protest song played in the background. President Donald Trump on Saturday shared a video offering a cinematic glimpse into the US military operation in Venezuela. The posts highlighted the drama of the strike and the White House’s firm control over how it was presented.

Trump shared a 1:24-minute video on his Truth Social account showing nighttime military action in Venezuela, with explosions lighting up the sky over Caracas. The footage was set to Creedence Clearwater Revival’s Fortunate Son, an anti-war anthem from the Vietnam era whose lyrics criticise privilege and elite immunity from conflict. “It ain't me, it ain't me,” the lyrics read. “I ain't no millionaire's son, no, no.

Alongside the video, Trump released a photo of Venezuelan President Nicols Maduro after his capture. The image shows Maduro wearing a Nike sweatsuit, dark sunglasses and what appear to be handcuffs, holding a water bottle as he looks away from the camera.

The White House later released images showing Trump and his team monitoring the operation from his Mar-a-Lago resort in Florida. The photos depict the president seated with members of his national security team as the operation unfolded overnight.

Several of the images show Defence Secretary Pete Hegseth and other officials working in front of a projected computer screen displaying multiple open tabs, suggesting officials were closely tracking public chatter for early signs that the operation had been detected.

Earlier, President Donald Trump said Venezuelan leader Nicols Maduro and his wife had been captured and flown out of the country as part of Operation Absolute Resolve.

Trump said the United States would run Venezuela in the interim, arguing that Washington could not risk a simple transfer of power. “Until we can do a safe, proper and judicious transition,” he said, adding that the US government could not allow someone else to immediately take over the country.

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