Trump: "Venezuela Could Easily Become the 51st U.S. State"

"Brought in 1 Million Barrels from Venezuela"
Even Republican Stronghold Texas Is in Trouble... Four Campaign Rallies in Two Months

AFP Yonhap News

U.S. President Donald Trump claimed during a midterm election campaign rally in Texas on Tuesday (local time) that Venezuela could readily become the 51st U.S. state. The remarks are seen as an effort to put greater emphasis on his record in office as concerns grow within and outside the Republican Party about possible losses in the midterms. Texas, long considered a Republican stronghold, is reportedly in such a precarious position that it is now being described as a battleground state.

According to CNN, Trump held the rally in Corpus Christi, a port city in Texas, to call for support for Republican candidates, including Senate candidate Ken Paxton. At the event, Trump had a tanker carrying Venezuelan crude oil docked at a port near the rally site and touted the oil supply agreement with Venezuela as one of his achievements. He praised himself, saying, "That ship is loaded with 1 million barrels of oil from Venezuela. And we are celebrating the greatest oil-related victory in history. To the victor go the spoils."

He went on to emphasize, "This 1 million barrels of oil that just came in is the first shipment brought into the United States under our agreement with Venezuela, and Venezuela gave it to us as a gift," adding, "Venezuela could soon become the prosperous 51st state of the United States. We will make Venezuela the 51st state."

Trump also renewed his pledge to pay out the "Trump dividend," a promise he announced at the Republican National Convention, saying, "If we win, if the Republican Party wins, if we win the House and the Senate, you will receive $5,000." The proposed dividend has been criticized as an attempt to buy votes.

Trump is putting considerable effort into campaigning in Texas. He has visited the state in person four times in the past two months. Analysts say he is working harder to hold on to Texas as the political climate has shifted sharply, with the state, long seen as a Republican stronghold, now being described as a battleground.

According to The New York Times (NYT), Trump previously sidelined incumbent Sen. John Cornyn and put forward Paxton, whom he supported within the MAGA camp. If the candidate he chose loses, Trump will find it difficult to avoid being held responsible.

Meanwhile, Secretary of State Marco Rubio, who is mentioned alongside Vice President JD Vance as a possible future Republican presidential candidate, accompanied Trump at the rally. After Trump called on him, Rubio took the stage and emphasized, "It is an honor to work for the greatest president in American history."

This content was produced with the assistance of AI translation services.