Donald Trump has recently made waves online with a bold statement, claiming that “without the United States, everything in the world would die.” This provocative comment came during a media briefing in the Oval Office, where he announced the relocation of the US Space Command from Colorado to Alabama.
The days leading up to the conference fueled speculation about Trump’s health, sparked by bizarre rumors on social media suggesting he had passed away. When a reporter asked him about these rumors, he seemed amused, replying, “No. Really, I didn’t see that… Last week, I did numerous press conferences, and they went very well, just like this one is going.”
Trump continued, explaining that during a brief absence of two days, some speculated about his well-being. “Biden wouldn’t do them for months, nobody mentioned anything wrong with him, but we understand he wasn’t in the greatest of shape,” he added with a hint of rivalry.
Body Language and Surprising Statements
As is typical of Trump’s press engagements, this session was packed with noteworthy remarks, the most talked-about being his assertion that “without the United States, the whole world would die.” He elaborated, “It’s [the US] so powerful, it’s so big. I made it really big in the first four years.”
Trump expressed his view that the country had begun to decline under Biden, crediting his own return to leadership with revitalizing the nation quickly. “We’re the hottest, we’re the best financially,” he claimed, attributing economic success to tariff policies.
He also took credit for settling seven international conflicts, asserting that many stemmed from trade issues.
Online, his statements prompted strong reactions, with users describing them as “completely nuts” and “delusional.” In a radio show with Mark Levin, Trump earlier mentioned that he had resolved six or potentially seven conflicts, although he suggested one remains less widely known.
The conflicts mentioned include clashes between 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.
According to a Trump administration official, “There has been more progress toward peace than ever before because of this President’s leadership.”
Assessing Trump’s Role in Conflict Resolution
While Trump’s claims about fostering peace stirred discussions, experts offered nuanced views. Michael O’Hanlon, a senior fellow at Brookings, believes Trump deserves some acknowledgment for a temporary ceasefire in the Middle East. He used his rapport with Netanyahu and applied subtle pressure to help ease tensions.
Conversely, Larry Haas, another senior fellow, contested Trump’s influence over peace between Iran and Israel, stating, “We may be in a quiet period in terms of direct confrontation, but Iran right now is trying to regroup.”
