Trump consulted Grok AI about capturing Maduro before US operation, Time reports
This digest was compiled by AI from multiple sources — links to the originals are below.
President Donald Trump discussed plans to capture Venezuelan President Nicolás Maduro with Elon Musk's Grok AI chatbot during a secret White House meeting in December 2025, Time reports. Grok told Trump that Maduro was a deeply unpopular dictator and that Venezuelans would celebrate his capture. US special forces seized Maduro and his wife Cilia Flores on January 3, 2026, and their trial is set for June 2027.
Key Facts
- The secret White House meeting between Trump and Musk took place in December 2025, about a month before the US invasion of Venezuela.
- Grok told Trump that Maduro was a 'deeply unpopular dictator' and that many Venezuelans would likely celebrate his downfall.
- US special forces captured Maduro and his wife Cilia Flores on January 3, 2026, during a military operation in Venezuela.
- The trial of Maduro and Flores is scheduled to begin in June 2027, and both have pleaded not guilty.
- In June 2026, the Pentagon's head of AI said the military used a government version of Grok to deploy forces and strike targets during the Iran War.
The Secret Meeting
In December 2025, President Trump held a secret meeting with Elon Musk at the White House, roughly seven months after Musk left his role at the Department of Government Efficiency. During the meeting, Trump spent hours talking to Musk's Grok chatbot, asking questions about his presidency and political legacy. Trump specifically asked how Venezuelans would respond if US troops captured their president. A source told Time that Trump came away from the meeting thinking Grok was 'ingenious'.
Grok's Response
Grok told Trump that Maduro was a 'repressive and deeply unpopular dictator'. The chatbot said many Venezuelans would likely celebrate Maduro's downfall. In September 2025, Trump began ordering US military strikes against Venezuelan boats he alleged were involved in drug trafficking. People had been turning to Grok with questions about the boat strikes and the political climate in Venezuela, as reported by The Atlantic.
Capture and Aftermath
US special forces captured Maduro and his wife Cilia Flores on January 3, 2026, during a military operation in Venezuela. Celebrations indeed took place after the US invasion, and Trump reportedly considered Grok brilliant. The trial of Maduro and Flores is scheduled to begin in June 2027, and both have pleaded not guilty. In June 2026, the Pentagon's head of AI said the military used a government version of Grok to deploy forces and strike targets during the Iran War.