The dramatic capture of Venezuelan President Nicolás Maduro by United States forces has been accompanied by an equally unconventional public relations campaign from the Trump White House. In the hours following the operation on Saturday, 4 January 2026, officials deployed a barrage of social media posts steeped in internet culture and cinematic flair to frame the event.
A Digital Victory Lap
Senior figures within the administration, including President Donald Trump himself, took to platforms like Truth Social and X to relive the operation with a stirring soundtrack. One of the most prominent posts shared by the White House invoked the popular internet slang acronym "FOFA", an abbreviation for "f*** around and find out". This phrase was later echoed by US Defence Secretary Pete Hegseth, who stated the Venezuelan leader "had his chance - until he didn't".
President Trump posted a video on his Truth Social network showing US military aircraft and explosions across Caracas, the Venezuelan capital. The footage was set to the 1969 Creedence Clearwater Revival track "Fortunate Son", a song that became an anthem against the Vietnam War. This choice of music added a layer of historical irony to the modern military intervention.
Maduro's Daring Challenge Met With Force
Another video shared officially opened with an archival clip of Maduro taunting his enemies. "I'll wait in Miraflores. Don't take too long. Coward," a translation of his Spanish challenge stated. The video then cut dramatically to shots of US planes taking off and explosions erupting, set to intense music.
During a press conference on Sunday, US Secretary of State Marco Rubio issued a stark warning that was quickly turned into another social media slogan. "Don't play games when this president's in office, because it's not going to turn out well," Rubio said. The Department of State subsequently shared an image of President Trump with the simple caption: "don't play games".
Mixed Reactions and Political Distraction Claims
The administration's digital offensive extended to using an expletive-laden rap track by The Notorious B.I.G. alongside the same clip of Maduro. Some posts even featured what appeared to be AI-generated footage of President Trump walking in slow motion past military personnel.
The reaction on social media was deeply divided. While some users celebrated with their own AI-generated content, others criticised the move as a political diversion. One user created a video referencing the "FOFA" post with the caption "What files?", a nod to recently released documents concerning financier Jeffrey Epstein. This reflected Democratic claims that the high-profile capture was intended to distract from that scandal.
The unprecedented meme-driven justification for a major international military action marks a new frontier in digital statecraft, blending pop culture, historical protest music, and internet slang to narrate a moment of significant geopolitical consequence.
