US President Donald Trump has accused some local media outlets of "treason" against the backdrop of reports of Iran's military successes.
In a post on his platform "Truth Social" on Tuesday evening, he claimed that some American media outlets are targeting him through their coverage of the war on Iran, describing those media outlets he did not name, as "false."
He sharply criticized newspapers and television channels that he said had published reports that Iran had achieved "success" militarily during the war.
"When the false media say that the Iranian enemy has achieved military success against us, this is a false and absurd claim that almost amounts to treason. They are providing aid and assistance to the enemy."
Some US media outlets have recently published reports that Iran still has a significant military force, which Trump has vehemently denied, asserting that the Iranian military has been "destroyed."
Trump releases map showing Venezuela as America's 51st state
Trump posted a map on his social platform Truth Social depicting Venezuela with a small American flag and the caption "State 51."
Trump's post, which was posted as he was heading to China for a summit with Xi Jinping, comes a day after Venezuela's acting president, Delcy Rodríguez, said her country had "never considered" the possibility of becoming the 51st state, even after U.S. forces arrested former President Nicolás Maduro in January.
Earlier Monday, Trump told Fox News that he was considering making Venezuela a new U.S. state, after months of boasting that he controls the oil-rich country.
"This is not on the table at all, because if there is anything that distinguishes us Venezuelans and Venezuelans, it is that we love the path of our independence, and we love the heroes of our independence," Rodríguez said in response to a question.
Rodriguez said her government is working under a "diplomatic agenda for cooperation" with the United States, after Maduro's diplomatic relations with Washington were reactivated in March .
Rodríguez has taken measures that have allowed for improved relations with the United States since taking office, while passing reforms that have reopened Venezuela's mining and oil sectors to foreign companies, especially from the United States.
Trump's ambitions for Venezuelan oil
Trump has launched several public positions that express Washington's ambitions in the Venezuelan economy, the latest of which was his statement on Monday, May 11, to Fox News, saying that Venezuela has "$40 trillion" worth of oil, stressing that the country's resources are of great importance to the United States.
Trump's ambitions in Venezuela are manifested through a direct quest to control its vast oil wealth and reshape its economy to serve American interests, ambitions that turned into a reality following the surprise military operation on January 3, 2026, which ended with the arrest of Venezuelan President Nicolás Maduro and his wife and their transfer to the United States.
On the economic side, Venezuela has the world's largest proven oil reserves estimated at 303 billion barrels, equivalent to about 17% of the world's reserves, and Trump announced oil compliance agreements that oblige Caracas to immediately deliver between 30 and 50 million barrels to the United States, with oil revenues placed under the direct supervision of the US Treasury Department, so that they will be used exclusively for the purchase of American products.
Trump has pushed energy giants such as ExxonMobil, Chevron and ConocoPhillips to aggressively enter the Venezuelan market, with investments of up to $100 billion to rehabilitate the crumbling oil infrastructure, opening the door for them to obtain exclusive exploration and extraction rights on concessional terms that give them near-absolute power over the energy sector.
The United States seeks to undermine Russian, Chinese, and Cuban influence in Latin America by cutting off oil supplies to them, in parallel with Trump's announcement that Washington will take over the administration of Venezuela temporarily through a joint council with the current leadership.