The White House published a series of official photographs from Mar-a-Lago showing President Donald Trump and his key advisors while overseeing the military operation in Venezuela. The photos, made available on January 4, 2026, came from an improvised situation hall at a mansion in Palm Beach, Florida, where Trump coordinated an attack that led to the capture of President Nicolás Maduro. This is a rare insight into the scene of the decision on the "large scale of impact", as Trump himself called it, emphasizing the hybrid nature of modern operations – combining military action with monitoring of social media.
A series of black-and-white and coloured photos shows Trump surrounded by Secretary of State Marco Rubio, Secretary of War Pete Hegseth, National Security Advisors, and military analysts, seated at a long table with laptops and screens. Several shots show the president pointing to monitors, discussing with the team or observing data in real time. Special attention is drawn to the "strange detail" in the background, noticed by Internet users: on one of the laptops is opened the X platform (formerly Twitter), with the search for the password "Venezuela", which suggests active tracking of online reactions to the developing operation. Communication experts indicate that it is the deliberate inclusion of social media in the command center, allowing rapid assessment of public sentiment, disinformation and potential threats.
The publication of the photos occurred just after Trump made available on Truth Social the first photo of Maduro captured – blindfolded and in handcuffs aboard USS Iwo Jima.
Photographs from Mar-a-Lago, which revolved media such as CNN and Daily Mail, highlight the contrast between the luxury of residence and the tension of military action. These include Rubio speaking to reporters, Trump focusing on the screen and a group of officials analyzing data from attacks on Caracas.
