Trump Stuns the Internet with Remarks on US Power and 'Settling' Wars

Donald Trump caused a stir across the internet on Tuesday (September 2) when he claimed that "without the United States, everything in the world would die."

The President made the bold statement during a press conference in the Oval Office, where he also announced the relocation of the US Space Command from Colorado to Alabama.

Leading up to the conference, rumors circulated on social media about Trump’s health, with some even claiming the president had passed away. When a reporter asked about these rumors, specifically, "How did you find out over the weekend that you were dead? Did you see that?" Trump responded: "No. Really, I didn't see that. Last week, I did numerous news conferences, and they went very well—just like this one is going."

He continued: "I didn't do any for two days, and suddenly they said, 'There must be something wrong with him.' Biden didn’t do them for months, you wouldn’t see him, but no one ever said anything was wrong with him, even though we know he wasn’t in the best shape."

Body language experts observed that Trump appeared uneasy while addressing the question.

As expected, the press conference was filled with controversial statements. Among them, Trump declared that without the US, "the whole world would die" due to the country's immense power. He added: "The US is so powerful, it’s so big. In my first four years, I made it really big."

Trump also claimed that under President Biden, the country began to "degenerate," but now, with his return to the White House, he has managed to "build it up to a level I never thought we’d reach so quickly." He continued: "We’re the hottest, we’re the best, we’re the best financially. The money coming in is huge because of tariffs. I settled seven wars, and many of those wars were because of trade."

These remarks shocked many online, with one Reddit user simply commenting: "Completely nuts," while another wrote: "Delusional."

Regarding the "wars" Trump claimed to have settled, he explained on Mark Levin’s radio show last month: "I’ve settled six wars, and a lot of people say seven because there’s one that no one knows about." The White House has since listed these conflicts as Israel and Iran, Rwanda and the Democratic Republic of the Congo, Armenia and Azerbaijan, Thailand and Cambodia, India and Pakistan, Egypt and Ethiopia, and Serbia and Kosovo. An official from the Trump administration added: "There has been more progress towards peace than ever before because of this President’s leadership."

But can Trump really take full credit for this peace?

Michael O'Hanlon, a senior fellow at Brookings, acknowledged some credit for Trump, particularly in the Middle East ceasefire, stating: "He managed to use a combination of a good relationship with Netanyahu and a willingness to put a little pressure on him, which contributed to at least a temporary cessation of hostilities."

On the other hand, Larry Haas, another senior fellow, disagreed strongly with the idea that Trump was responsible for peace between Iran and Israel. He commented: "I very much disagree that the president brought peace to Iran and Israel. We may be in a quiet period regarding direct confrontation, but Iran is currently trying to regroup."

Several of the wars Trump claims to have ended have been met with skepticism. Josh Kurlantzick, a senior fellow for Southeast Asia and South Asia at the Council on Foreign Relations, argued that there has been "no real ending" to the conflict between India and Pakistan.

O'Hanlon also remarked on the tensions between Egypt and Ethiopia, saying: "I wouldn’t classify the Egypt-Ethiopia situation as a war."