The Venezuelan baseball team beat Italy in the World Baseball Classic Semifinals on Monday night, prompting praise from President Trump and apparently a renewed interest in acquiring a 51st state.
In a seventh-inning rally, Venezuela came back from a 1 run deficit after scoring three runs with two outs.
Closer Daniel Palencia ended the game, striking out the last two hitters.
WATCH:
TICKET PUNCHED 🎟️
TEAM VENEZUELA IS HEADING TO THE #WORLDBASEBALLCLASSIC FINAL FOR THE FIRST TIME EVER! pic.twitter.com/Ulmy4XqqVK
— World Baseball Classic (@WBCBaseball) March 17, 2026
Venezuela will play its first World Baseball Classic Final on Wednesday against Team USA at loanDepot Park in Miami, Florida.
This comes after US Forces invaded Venezuela on January 3 and captured Nicolas Maduro within a matter of hours while sustaining no losses.
Trump chimed in on their win last night, commenting, “They are looking really great. Good things are happening to Venezuela lately! I wonder what this magic is all about?”
“STATEHOOD, #51, ANYONE?” he added.
Wow! Venezuela defeated Italy tonight, 4-2, in the WBC (Baseball!) Semifinal. They are looking really great. Good things are happening to Venezuela lately! I wonder what this magic is all about? STATEHOOD, #51, ANYONE? President DONALD J. TRUMP
Trump has previously suggested that Canada or Greenland would join the United States as a 51st state.
More recently, Trump has been talking about taking over Cuba after the war in Iran.
Jordan Conradson, formerly TGP’s Arizona correspondent, is currently on assignment in Washington DC. Jordan has played a critical role in exposing fraud and corruption in Arizona’s elections and elected officials. His reporting on election crimes in Maricopa County led to the resignation of one election official, and he was later banned from the Maricopa County press room for his courage in pursuit of the truth. TGP and Jordan finally gained access after suing Maricopa County, America’s fourth largest county, and winning at the Ninth Circuit U.S. Court of Appeals. Conradson looks forward to bringing his aggressive style of journalism to the Swamp.
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