Former US President Donald Trump sparked significant online attention on Saturday, January 3, by posting a series of photographs on his Truth Social platform. The images purported to show him and his senior national security team actively monitoring a US military operation targeting Venezuela in real-time.
Inside the Situation Room at Mar-a-Lago
The photographs, shared in quick succession, depicted Trump seated at a conference table surrounded by top advisers and military officials. The scene showed them watching live video feeds and reviewing operational maps as the events unfolded. Key figures visible in the photos included CIA Director John Ratcliffe, US Secretary of State Marco Rubio, and US Secretary of War Pete Hegseth. Also present was Dan Caine, the United States Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff.
Trump did not provide detailed captions specifying the exact timing or location of the images. However, the posts followed his public remarks earlier that same day. In those statements, he claimed that US forces had executed an overnight operation in Caracas, which resulted in the capture of Venezuelan President Nicolas Maduro.
"Watched Every Aspect in Real Time"
In a phone interview with Fox News, Trump elaborated on his role during the mission. He stated that he monitored the operation from his Mar-a-Lago resort in Florida. "I was able to watch it in real time, and I watched every aspect of it," Trump said. "I listened to the communication between, you know, where we were in Florida and out in the field in Venezuela."
He expressed strong admiration for the personnel involved, praising their skill and the advanced technology at their disposal. "It was amazing to see the professionalism, the quality of leadership," Trump remarked. He further added, "It’s been amazing to see how good they were, how professional they were, how incredible the equipment we have is — I mean, the level of equipment and to see how it worked so perfectly."
Operation Outcome and Social Media Reaction
Trump confirmed that the mission resulted in no US fatalities, noting there were only minor injuries among the forces. "To have a few injuries, but no death on our side, is really amazing," he stated. The social media posts quickly went viral, drawing widespread scrutiny and discussion. They intensified the focus on the administration's claims regarding the scope and success of the Venezuela operation.
The release of these images, coupled with the dramatic claim of Maduro's capture, immediately became a major talking point across global news and social media platforms, raising numerous questions about the operation's veracity and geopolitical implications.
