Trump says Venezuela could become 51st U.S. state

President Donald Trump said at a campaign rally in Corpus Christi, Texas, on October 27 that Venezuela could someday become the 51st U.S. state, suggesting its people might elect a governor instead of a president. He announced no formal statehood policy, and no legal process had begun. Trump linked the idea to Venezuela’s oil resources and closer energy ties with the United States. During the rally, he described a shipment of one million barrels of Venezuelan oil as a gift that would cost U.S. taxpayers nothing. The reported terms of the cargo, including its ownership and payment arrangements, were not detailed in the remarks described in the reports. One account said the shipment had arrived under a bilateral accord and was expected to be refined in Texas, including in Corpus Christi. Trump also said foreign investment was creating jobs in Venezuela. Those details were presented as part of his case for expanded cooperation, alongside his suggestion that Venezuela could become prosperous as a U.S. state. The statehood comments came during a campaign appearance ahead of the November 3 midterm elections. Trump has previously raised the possibility, including in March and in a...