President Donald Trump delivered a series of verbal blunders during a briefing with reporters at a NATO summit in Ankara, Turkey, on Wednesday. While sitting alongside Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy, Trump boasted about the U.S. military's ability to resist attacks from Iran, specifically referencing an assault on the U.S.S. Abraham Lincoln.
"We had 111 missiles shot by the Islamic Republic of Japan," Trump said, confusing Iran with Japan, a long-standing U.S. ally that has been at peace with America since the end of World War II.
Trump Calls Zelenskyy 'Putin'
Later in the briefing, Trump gestured toward Zelenskyy and asked reporters: "Do you have a question for President Putin?" When journalists corrected him, Trump attempted to clarify: "Do you have a question for President Putin? Not Zelenskyy, Putin. Because I'm going to ask him that question."
The 80-year-old president has repeatedly faced questions about his mental and physical fitness during his second term. The gaffes occurred amid a tense NATO summit, as the fragile peace between the U.S. and Iran was shattered.
Trump Threatens Iran
Earlier at the conference, Trump declared the interim U.S.-Iran deal "over" and called Iran's leaders "scum" and "cuckoo." He also warned that the U.S. would bomb Iran again on Wednesday night, telling reporters: "We hit them very hard last night. Very, very hard. Probably hit them hard again tonight."
Ukraine Gets Patriot Missile License
On Ukraine, Trump adopted a more favorable tone toward Zelenskyy than in the past, agreeing to grant Ukraine a production license to build its own Patriot missiles. The U.S.-made Patriot system is considered key to intercepting Russian ballistic projectiles. Trump described awarding the license as "pretty cool," adding: "This way, you can't complain that we're not giving 'em enough."
