Category: Not Factual

Trump Assails NATO as Cowards While Deepening Iran War

President Trump denounced NATO allies as “cowards” on Friday for refusing to deploy troops to reopen the Strait of Hormuz, a critical shipping corridor through which one-fifth of global oil trades. Trump’s hostility toward allies coincides with his unilateral Iran war that has backfired diplomatically, as he initiated military strikes alongside Israel without coordinating with partners, then demanded their support managing the consequences. The Pentagon is deploying approximately 2,200 additional Marines and three warships to the Middle East, marking the second Marine expeditionary unit sent since the conflict began on February 28.

The war has devastated global energy markets and inflicted heavy casualties on U.S. forces. Brent crude oil surged to $112 per barrel, up from roughly $70 before the conflict, with gasoline prices approaching $4 per gallon. The Pentagon reported 232 American service members injured since the war started, with 10 in serious condition. The Treasury Department temporarily lifted sanctions on Iranian oil at sea in an attempt to ease prices, marking a break from Trump’s stated “maximum pressure” strategy against Iran. Pentagon officials have prepared detailed plans for potential ground troop deployment into Iran, though Trump claims the U.S. is considering “winding down” operations while simultaneously retaining options to strike Iran’s Kharg Island oil terminal.

Trump contradicted his own position by claiming the U.S. does not need the Strait of Hormuz while simultaneously pressuring allies to defend it. He stated Iran’s leadership has been decimated, with “nobody to talk to” remaining, yet Iran’s Revolutionary Guard and military officials continue asserting they are producing ballistic missiles and threatening to target recreational and tourist sites worldwide. The International Atomic Energy Agency told CBS News that securing Iran’s enriched uranium will be “very challenging” even after fighting ends, undercutting Trump and Netanyahu’s stated nuclear prevention objectives.

British Prime Minister Keir Starmer authorized U.S. use of U.K. bases to strike Iranian missile sites, prompting Iran’s foreign minister to accuse Starmer of “putting British lives in danger.” NATO relocated its advisory mission from Iraq to Italy after Iranian attacks on allied bases. The humanitarian toll extends beyond military casualties; soaring oil prices are driving up costs across U.S. supply chains, affecting retail prices for consumers nationwide. Former Iran detainee Siamak Namazi warned that Americans held in Iranian prisons face heightened danger amid the escalating conflict.

Trump made a debunked claim about predicting the September 11 attacks while discussing the Strait of Hormuz, part of a pattern of disinformation throughout the conflict. The White House stated Trump “retains all options” militarily but claimed he has “no plans to send troops anywhere,” a contradiction given Pentagon preparations for ground deployment. As the war enters its fourth week with no diplomatic resolution, Trump’s contradictory statements and hostile treatment of allies underscore the absence of a coherent strategic plan.

(Source: https://www.cbsnews.com/amp/live-updates/iran-war-us-israel-gas-and-oil-prices-trump-netanyahu-strait-hormuz/)

Trump Defies Fallen Airmen’s Families’ Privacy Request at Transfer

President Trump attended the dignified transfer of six U.S. Air Force airmen killed in a refueling aircraft crash during military operations in Iran, despite families of the deceased explicitly requesting privacy and barring cameras from the ceremony. Fox News correspondent John Roberts reported that the troops’ relatives demanded the transfer remain private, a direct contradiction to Trump’s public participation in the event.

Trump’s decision to attend despite the families’ wishes demonstrates his abuse of power and disregard for the bereaved, using a solemn military ceremony honoring the dead for public appearances. This mirrors prior instances of Trump exploiting fallen soldiers’ images for political gain, including his PAC’s use of a dignified transfer photograph in fundraising materials.

The Republican president’s pattern of defying families’ explicit wishes regarding their fallen loved ones contradicts stated respect for military sacrifice. Previous occasions saw Trump skip dignified transfers entirely to attend personal events, while his administration continues to weaponize military ceremonies for political messaging.

By ignoring the grieving families’ direct request for privacy, Trump prioritized his media visibility over the dignity and autonomy of those mourning their relatives. The airmen’s families sought a respectful, private ceremony to honor their dead, yet Trump’s attendance converted their loss into a public spectacle under his control.

(Source: https://www.yahoo.com/news/videos/slain-troops-families-issue-ban-224742434.html)

Trump Demands Treason Charges Against Media Over Iran War

President Trump demanded that media outlets face treason charges for reporting on military incidents during the Iran war, specifically criticizing coverage of alleged strikes on U.S. naval vessels and air bases. In a Truth Social post on March 15, Trump accused Iran of spreading disinformation through artificial intelligence and claimed that American news organizations knowingly amplified false information about the USS Abraham Lincoln and Air Force refueling planes struck at Prince Sultan air base in Saudi Arabia.

Trump alleged that reports showing the USS Abraham Lincoln on fire were fabricated and generated by AI, stating the carrier was neither burning nor targeted. He wrote that media outlets distributing these false reports “should be brought up on Charges for TREASON for the dissemination of false information,” directly calling for criminal prosecution of journalists and news organizations.

CNN’s Daniel Dale documented that when the White House provided examples of outlets spreading the Lincoln story, none were American—one was Israeli, one Saudi, one Turkish. Trump had strongly suggested he was addressing U.S. media when calling for treason charges, contradicting the White House’s own evidence and demonstrating the false basis for his accusations.

Trump praised FCC Chair Brendan Carr for threatening to revoke broadcast licenses, describing news organizations as “Corrupt and Highly Unpatriotic” and claiming they abuse free airwaves. The attack on media freedom follows recent threats from Carr to strip licenses from broadcasters over war coverage and reflects a pattern of abuse of power against journalists who report on Trump’s military operations.

Trump’s assault on press freedom extends beyond coverage of the Iran conflict. He recently attacked New York Times correspondent Maggie Haberman as a “SLEAZEBAG,” threatened to sue her and “associates,” and previously insulted CNN’s Kaitlan Collins, the Washington Post’s Natalie Allison, CBS’s Nancy Cordes, and others, weaponizing his office to silence critical reporting and establish authoritarian control over information.

(Source: https://people.com/donald-trump-wants-some-media-outlets-face-charges-treason-latest-rant-journalists-11926939)

Trump Repeats Debunked Lie About Predicting 9/11

President Trump repeated a discredited lie on Monday that he predicted the September 11 attacks, claiming he warned about Osama bin Laden in his 2000 book “The America We Deserve” and that he told people to “get him” a year before the attacks. Trump made the statement while discussing U.S. security commitments and Iran’s control of the Strait of Hormuz at a Kennedy Center board meeting, asserting he had “predicted a lot of things” including the terrorist attack that killed thousands.

Fact-checkers, including CNN’s Daniel Dale, have repeatedly debunked Trump’s claim. Trump’s 2000 book mentioned bin Laden only once in passing while discussing broader U.S. foreign policy failures, not as a specific prediction of the 9/11 attacks. The single reference described bin Laden as a shadowy figure in a list of rotating U.S. adversaries, contradicting Trump’s assertion that he specifically warned about an imminent attack on the World Trade Center.

The book did contain a general warning about potential terrorist attacks on the United States, but Trump framed this as a widely recognized risk among analysts rather than a unique prediction. Trump did not identify bin Laden as the likely perpetrator of such attacks, and fact-checkers have shown his book contained only a brief, vague reference to bin Laden. Despite being corrected multiple times, Trump continues repeating the lie, most recently in October when addressing sailors during U.S. Navy celebrations.

Trump used the false 9/11 claim to support his broader argument that allies have failed to adequately support U.S. security interests. He also blamed former President Bill Clinton for allegedly missing an opportunity to capture bin Laden, though Trump provided no evidence for this assertion. The lie serves Trump’s pattern of manufacturing false credentials to justify demands that other nations increase military commitments in regions like the Persian Gulf.

(Source: https://www.mediaite.com/media/tv/i-wrote-it-in-a-book-trump-repeats-false-claim-he-predicted-9-11-attacks/)

Trump Attacks Reporter for Citing Bill Barr’s Election Fraud Findings

President Donald Trump attacked PBS reporter Liz Landers as “rotten” on Wednesday after she confronted him with facts contradicting his false claims about the 2020 election. When Landers noted that his former attorney general Bill Barr found no widespread fraud in the 2020 election despite FBI seizures of Arizona and Georgia election records, Trump responded defensively and refused to acknowledge Barr’s documented conclusion.

Landers directly stated that Barr, Trump’s own attorney general in 2020, determined there was no measurable voter fraud capable of changing the election outcome. Trump rejected this fact, insisting the election was rigged while offering no evidence when pressed by the reporter. Rather than provide documentation or reasoning, Trump labeled Landers “rotten” for disagreeing with his false narrative.

Trump and Barr have a documented history of conflict over election fraud claims. Barr told NBC News in 2022 that he confronted Trump directly, calling his fraud allegations “bulls**t” and stating Trump’s team was wrong to promote them. Trump reacted with rage to this confrontation, according to Barr’s account.

When Barr endorsed Trump for president in 2024, Trump responded by mocking him publicly and attacking his record as attorney general. Trump posted on Truth Social that Barr “let a lot of great people down by not investigating Voter Fraud,” despite having previously called Barr weak and gutless. Trump’s attack on a reporter for citing his own attorney general’s findings demonstrates his pattern of weaponizing language against those who contradict his false claims, whether journalists or former officials.

(Source: https://www.mediaite.com/media/news/trump-blasts-rotten-reporter-after-she-reminds-him-his-own-ag-contradicted-his-election-claim/)

Trump White House Blocks Iran Terror Threat Warning to Police

Trump’s White House blocked a joint intelligence bulletin from the FBI, Department of Homeland Security, and National Counterterrorism Center warning law enforcement nationwide of elevated terrorist threats linked to his military operation against Iran. The five-page report detailed specific threats from Iranian government targets, proxies, and radicalized individuals motivated by the conflict, along with guidance for local law enforcement response. Trump ordered the bulletin placed on hold hours before release, violating standard protocol that keeps intelligence communications neutral and fact-based rather than subject to White House political control.

A senior DHS official stated the White House imposed new restrictions requiring all unclassified Iran-related information to be reviewed by Trump before distribution to law enforcement. The official characterized this as having a chilling effect on threat communication, saying Trump does not want information released showing his Iran war is raising domestic terrorism risk. DHS broke protocol by alerting the White House before release, actions taken against FBI leadership’s wishes, according to the official.

Trump launched Operation Epic Fury one week prior in a joint US-Israeli military campaign that killed Iranian senior leadership including Ayatollah Ali Khamenei. The conflict has since expanded across the Middle East, with Iran retaliating against US military bases and allied Gulf nations, killing six American troops and injuring more than a dozen others.

Iran operates proxy militant networks including Hezbollah and the Houthis for attacks on Western targets. Days after Trump’s war began, a gunman killed three people and wounded 15 others at an Austin bar before police killed him; investigators found he had expressed online support for the Iranian regime. Trump was warned by military advisers that Iran could respond with proxy terror attacks on US soil.

White House spokeswoman Abigail Jackson denied blocking the bulletin, claiming the White House coordinates with agencies to ensure information is accurate and properly vetted. FBI counterterrorism teams were placed on elevated alert nationwide following Trump’s military operation, though the duration of the alert remains unstated.

(Source: https://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-15622933/White-House-blocks-warning-rising-threat-linked-Iran-war.html)

Trump Lies About Father’s German Birth Despite Bronx Records

President Donald Trump stated during a White House bilateral meeting with German Chancellor Friedrich Merz on March 3 that he feels warmly toward Germany because his father was born there. Trump told Merz, “My father was born there. There are places that you sort of automatically very, very feel warmly about.” This statement is factually incorrect, as Fred Trump was born in the Bronx, New York City.

Trump’s paternal grandparents, Frederich Trump and Elizabeth Christ Trump, were the family members who immigrated to the United States from Germany. Trump has repeatedly made this same lie about his father’s birthplace. In 2018, he told CBS News his father was born in Germany, and in 2019 he stated during a press briefing, “My father is German, was German, born in a very wonderful place in Germany, so I have a very great feeling for Germany.”

During the same briefing, Trump criticized Spain and the United Kingdom over their foreign policy decisions, threatening to cut off all trade with Spain. He also misidentified his mother’s birthplace, saying she was born in the U.K., when Mary Anne Macleod Trump was actually born in Scotland and immigrated to the United States as a teenager.

Trump’s confusion about his family’s origins contradicts basic biographical fact. The repeated nature of this lie, spanning multiple years and public statements, demonstrates either a fundamental inability to recall or communicate accurate information about his own family history, or a deliberate pattern of disinformation.

(Source: https://people.com/trump-feels-warmly-about-germany-since-my-father-was-born-there-but-his-dad-is-from-the-bronx-11918875?utm_campaign=peoplemagazine&utm_content=photo&utm_medium=social&utm_source=facebook.com&utm_term=69a7aa49f1887f000151c75d&fbclid=IwdGRleAQVH4RleHRuA2FlbQIxMQBzcnRjBmFwcF9pZAo2NjI4NTY4Mzc5AAEeNXjbu5kMKwuDgIY07bqtufK_QUKfHdjcAtDBcOpUDLThD_dQ-ldvzxnnmlA_aem_bIGcsH9LHMq0q5kmQOGydw)

Trump Confuses Civil War, Reconstruction as Same Historical Event

During a rally in Corpus Christi, Texas, Trump conflated the Civil War with Reconstruction, claiming the latter was simply “a fancy way of saying the Civil War.” Trump stated that Texas Governor Greg Abbott used the term “Reconstruction” in a phone call, and Trump then demanded clarification, asserting the two historical periods were identical.

Reconstruction was the distinct period following the Civil War in which former Confederate states were readmitted to the Union and forced to comply with the Constitution and federal law, including the 13th, 14th, and 15th amendments that abolished slavery, granted citizenship to all persons born in the U.S., and prohibited racial discrimination in voting. The period involved federal troop deployments to enforce these requirements until 1877, when the disputed presidential election of 1876 was resolved through a political deal that ended Reconstruction.

Trump’s mischaracterization of basic American history reflects his documented pattern of factual inaccuracy on major historical events. The disinformation he spread at the rally contradicts established historical consensus and educational standards regarding these critical periods of American civil rights development.

The rally also featured other remarks demonstrating Trump’s pattern of incoherence. Trump congratulated Republican Representative Tony Gonzales without explanation, despite Gonzales facing resignation calls after a former staffer’s suicide, reportedly linked to an affair with the lawmaker. Trump also recounted an implausible anecdote about a police officer crediting improved sex life to economic conditions.

Trump used the event to promote his energy policies ahead of Texas primary elections. His comments on a hypothetical Supreme Court nomination of Senator Ted Cruz reflected crude characterizations rather than substantive judicial analysis, describing Cruz as “a pain in the ass” to other senators.

(Source: https://www.mediaite.com/media/tv/confused-trump-says-the-civil-war-and-reconstruction-were-the-same-thing-a-fancy-way-of-saying-the-civil-war/)

Trump Lies About Charlie Kirk Spurring Religious Revival

During his State of the Union address on February 27, 2026, Trump falsely claimed that a “tremendous renewal in religion, faith, Christianity and belief in God” occurred during his presidency, specifically attributing this supposed revival to Charlie Kirk. Trump stated Kirk was instrumental in driving religiosity among young people, describing him as “my great friend” and “great guy.” This lie contradicts extensive polling and survey data spanning years.

Multiple independent sources directly contradict Trump’s claim. The General Social Survey, conducted biennially over decades, shows young Americans have become consistently less likely to attend religious services, not more. Comparing 2016 to 2024 data, the percentage of every age group reporting never attending services increased during Trump’s first term. Pew Research Center analysis reinforces this finding, with researcher Gregory Smith explicitly stating that “our recent polls, along with other high-quality surveys we have analyzed, show no clear evidence that this kind of nationwide religious resurgence is underway.” Church attendance among young Americans aged 18 to 24 remained statistically flat from 2020 to 2025.

Trump appears to have distorted a report from Barna Group and Gloo published before Kirk’s death, which identified marginal increases in church attendance among Generation Z males. However, both organizations have financial interests in promoting religious engagement. Additionally, only about one quarter of adults under 30 were very familiar with Kirk, according to YouGov polling. Given that younger Americans skew politically left and Kirk’s work was explicitly political rather than religious, the notion that he drove any meaningful religious resurgence is unsupported.

Trump’s false claim serves multiple propaganda functions. First, it reinforces his campaign narrative that he is America’s savior, particularly for conservative white voters anxious about Christianity’s declining cultural influence. Second, it weaponizes Kirk’s death by reframing him as a martyr “murdered for his beliefs” while advancing Christian nationalist grievance narratives that position religious conservatives as oppressed and in need of Trump’s protection.

The lie exemplifies Trump’s pattern of fabricating national triumphs to justify his continued grip on power. By claiming a religious revival that data categorically disproves, Trump manufactures false evidence that his leadership benefits the Christian voters whose electoral support he depends on, regardless of measurable reality.

(Source: https://www.ms.now/opinion/trump-charlie-kirk-religion-church-attendance)

Trump White House Mock Canada After Team USA Ice Hockey

The White House and President Trump responded to Team USA’s 2-1 gold medal victory over Canada in men’s ice hockey at the 2026 Winter Olympics by mocking their northern neighbor on social media. The White House posted an image of an American bald eagle trampling a Canadian goose, directly referencing Canadian Prime Minister Mark Carney’s February statement that “You can’t take our country—and you can’t take our game,” which itself was a response to Trump’s repeated demands to annex Canada as the “51st state.”

Trump amplified the mockery by reposting Carney’s original comment and sharing an AI-generated video depicting himself playing alongside Team USA and scoring against Canada, captioned “Trump, the enforcer!” Senior advisor Kari Lake reposted the video on her platform. Trump had previously praised Team USA’s overall Olympic performance on Sunday, stating “We’re winning too much, it’s just not fair!” after the team set a Winter Olympics record with 12 gold medals, 12 silver, and nine bronze medals.

The hockey victory became the latest flashpoint in escalating tensions between the U.S. and Canada rooted in Trump’s policy threats and nationalist rhetoric. Trump has threatened to annex Canada, blocked the opening of the Gordie Howe International Bridge between Ontario and Michigan, and repeatedly attacked Canada over trade, claiming the country has “ripped off” America for years. These threats have intensified despite a U.S. Supreme Court ruling declaring Trump’s sweeping tariffs illegal, which Canadian Minister Dominic LeBlanc said “reinforces Canada’s position that the IEEPA tariffs imposed by the United States are unjustified.”

Tensions escalated further after Trump joked about facing impeachment over inviting the U.S. women’s hockey team to White House celebrations, though the women’s team declined Trump’s invitation while the men’s team is expected to attend the State of the Union address. In January, Canadian Prime Minister Carrey delivered a World Economic Forum address warning that the “old world order is not coming back” and urging middle powers to resist economic pressure from “great powers,” a direct rebuke to Trump’s threats to coerce allies including Denmark over Greenland and European nations over tariffs.

During his own Davos speech, Trump responded by telling Carrey directly: “Canada lives because of the United States. Remember that, Mark.” The Canadian Prime Minister rejected this framing upon returning home, stating in a televised address that “Canada does not live because of the United States. Canada thrives because we are Canadian.” This rhetorical warfare mirrors Trump’s pattern of weaponizing cultural moments and sports achievements for nationalist posturing while pursuing substantive policies that destabilize relationships with longstanding U.S. allies.

(Source: https://time.com/7380444/white-house-trump-respond-team-usa-canada-hockey-victory-olympics/)

1 2 3 … 183