Trump mischaracterizes Undie Run video as reaction to Nicolas Maduro capture
President Donald Trump mischaracterized a video of UCLA students participating in the quarterly Undie Run as Venezuelans celebrating the ousting of deposed President Nicolas Maduro in a post to his social media platform Truth Social on Sunday. The post is pictured. (Aidan Sun/Assistant Photo editor)
By Josephine Murphy
Jan. 9, 2026 6:11 p.m.
President Donald Trump mischaracterized a video of UCLA students participating in the quarterly Undie Run as Venezuelans celebrating the ousting of deposed President Nicolas Maduro in a post to his social media platform Truth Social on Sunday.
The video showed people waiting at the intersection of Strathmore Drive and Gayley Avenue before the start of the Undie Run, a quarterly tradition in which students strip down to their undergarments and run across campus Thursday at midnight of finals week. A text overlay on the video read “Venezuela celebrates Democrats cry,” with a crying emoji next to it.
The White House did not respond in time to a request for comment on the post.
The U.S. captured Maduro, who became Venezuela’s president in 2013, in a military operation Saturday, citing his alleged involvement in drug trafficking. The operation included bombings which killed more than 100 people, according to Venezuela’s interior minister.
Trump posted several videos of alleged celebrations by Venezuelans on Truth Social in the days following Maduro’s capture.
The Venezuelan president was charged in federal court with drug trafficking charges – which include criminal counts of narco-terrorism and cocaine importation conspiracy. Maduro said in his first court appearance Monday that he was “kidnapped” and pleaded not guilty.
Maduro is now being held in a federal jail in New York City.
Trump said the U.S. will run Venezuela following the operation – oversight which he said may last for years, according to The New York Times.
Chloe Horn, a first-year business economics and psychology student, said she does not believe the university should make any public statements or take any action against the Trump administration for the use of the Undie Run in the video.
Horn added that she believes Trump is “unpredictable” and has left Venezuela at a crossroads.
“Trump talks a lot of talk, but typically doesn’t back it up,” she said. “Lately he’s been much bolder with his foreign policy moves, but I never anticipated him fully annexing a country.”
