President Donald Trump sent shockwaves across social media Saturday after posting a triumphant video mocking Venezuelan strongman Nicolás Maduro just hours after his dramatic capture by U.S. forces.
The video opens with a fiery clip from a 2024 speech in which Maduro taunted his enemies, shouting in Spanish, “Come for me. I’m waiting for you here in Miraflores!”
The moment is framed as a direct challenge, setting the stage for what follows.
Seconds later, the footage cuts sharply to scenes tied to the U.S. military operation that resulted in Maduro’s overnight arrest in Caracas.
Explosions, aircraft, and images linked to the raid flash across the screen, underscoring the speed and scale of the mission that removed the longtime socialist leader from power.
The clip then pivots to a dramatic voiceover declaring, “God bless our troops. God bless America. And gentlemen, start your engines,” as patriotic imagery fills the screen.
That line, however, did not come from Trump.
The audio is an edited clip of actor Kevin James, originally delivered at the 2007 Daytona 500.
The soundbite was repurposed and spliced into the video to heighten its cinematic effect.
While Trump shared the video and amplified its message, he did not record or speak those words himself.
Despite the edit, the message was unmistakable.
By reposting the video, Trump appeared to revel in the humiliation of Maduro, who was captured during a high-risk U.S. operation and transported aboard the USS Iwo Jima en route to face charges in New York, per the New York Post.
Trump later confirmed that U.S. special forces apprehended Maduro while he was asleep, saying the Venezuelan leader attempted to flee toward a secure room but was taken into custody before he could lock himself inside.
No U.S. service members were killed during the operation, though officials acknowledged some injuries occurred.
The video landed as Trump was already facing backlash from both sides of the political aisle. Progressive Democrats, including Rep. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez (D-NY), accused the president of launching a regime change operation motivated by oil rather than justice.
More notably, Rep. Marjorie Taylor Greene (R-GA) echoed that criticism, warning that Trump’s actions represented a betrayal of what many in the MAGA movement believed they voted for.
Trump brushed off the criticism and doubled down, calling Maduro a dictator and defending the operation as long-overdue accountability for narco-terrorism. He also stunned reporters by declaring that the U.S. would temporarily “run” Venezuela until a suitable transition could be arranged.
The reposted video, edited audio, and all, encapsulated the moment. Maduro’s defiance, once broadcast as a symbol of strength, was flipped into a visual punchline. Whether viewed as a victory lap or provocation, the message was clear.
Trump wanted the world to see who got the last laugh.
