Nicolás Maduro, Venezuela’s leader, appeared to channel Donald Trump’s signature dance moves during a recent rally, drawing attention and comparisons to the former U.S. president. In a video that quickly made rounds online, Maduro can be seen energetically swaying and pumping his fists, reminiscent of Trump’s style at public events. Former Republican Congressman Matt Gaetz shared the video on X, highlighting this unexpected mimicry, captioning it, “In a surprising move, Maduro is now doing the Trump dance.”

The Venezuelan leader’s dance was set to a remix of his own past statements, which criticized potential conflicts with the United States. The electronic beats, which some believe might have been crafted by AI, featured lines like “No crazy, no crazy war no, no, no, no,” as Maduro shuffled and gestured energetically. Speaking to students in Caracas, he urged them to spread his government’s anti-war message, emphasizing peace in the region.

Responding to the spectacle, White House spokesperson Anna Kelly told the Daily Mail, “President Trump’s distinctive moves and unique flair are often imitated, but never truly replicated.” This call for peace coincides with the U.S. bolstering its military presence in the Caribbean, marking the most significant deployment since the Cuban Missile Crisis. American forces have been instructed to prepare for possible military actions in Venezuela in the upcoming weeks.

‘SOUTHCOM is restricting / limiting leave over the Thanksgiving and Christmas holidays, in preparation for possible land strikes in the next ten days to two weeks, I am told by a source,’ NewsNation’s Kellie Meyer reported on Monday. The dispatch is the latest signal that American forces are eyeing operations within the South American country that the Trump administration claims is complicit in narco-terrorism. In addition, the Trump administration designated a Maduro-linked group, Cartel de los Soles, as a terrorist organization on Monday.

The new designation ‘brings a whole bunch of new options to the United States,’ Pentagon boss Pete Hegseth said last week. In existence since at least the 1990s, the cartel originally consisted of high-ranking Venezuelan military officials who profited from drug trafficking. Today, the group consists of political leaders as well as Venezuelan government officials who are accused of a slew of illicit activities, from illegal mining to arms trafficking and money laundering.

Trump appeared open to striking Venezuela directly last week when pressed by reporters. ‘I don’t rule out anything,’ he said when asked about military action against the country. Since August, US Southern Command has built up a major force consisting of thousands of troops and scores of ships and aircraft in the Caribbean. The effort is to combat Venezuelan narco-terrorism, the Trump administration claims.

Some analysts believe the ultimate goal of the pressure campaign is to push Maduro from power. On November 16, the US’s largest operating aircraft carrier, the Gerald R Ford , arrived in the Caribbean to reinforce the previously deployed troops, joining a sizable force that includes the military’s top tech, like F-35 fighter jets and a nuclear submarine.

Over the past few months, US forces have bombed at least 20 alleged drug-running boats , killing more than 80 people. The Trump administration has not provided any evidence that the targeted boats were carrying substances. Reports indicate that US covert operations within the South American country could be the first step to a larger conflict. In August, the US raised the bounty on Maduro to $50 million.