U.S. President Donald Trump reportedly turned to the Grok chatbot for information about a possible operation against Venezuelan President Nicolás Maduro, according to a TIME report citing sources familiar with the matter.
According to those sources, Elon Musk, owner of xAI, the artificial intelligence company behind Grok, attended a private meeting with Trump at the White House in December 2025. During the meeting, Trump reportedly asked the chatbot about Maduro’s presidency and political legacy, as well as how Venezuelans might react if U.S. forces captured the Venezuelan leader.
Grok reportedly responded that Maduro was “a deeply unpopular repressive dictator” and that many Venezuelans would likely celebrate his removal from power. One source said Trump was impressed by the chatbot’s response and described Grok as “great.”
The report says that on January 3, 2026, the United States launched a major military operation in Venezuela that affected Caracas and the states of Miranda, Aragua and La Guaira. The operation ended with Maduro and his wife, Cilia Flores, being captured and taken to New York.
According to the report, the targets included military facilities, air defense systems and communications infrastructure. Residential areas were also affected, with civilian casualties reported.
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Following the operation, several countries, including Russia and China, called for Maduro and Flores to be released. Moscow condemned the U.S. action and said Venezuela should have the right to determine its own future without foreign intervention.
