President Donald Trump was harshly criticized after he told a reporter that he believes God supports his war against Iran and bragged about "ending eight wars" and being gifted the Nobel Prize by Venezuelan opposition leader María Corina Machado.
Trump spoke amid significant concern over remarks he made online threatening to decimate Iran's infrastructure if its leadership doesn't allow ships through the Strait of Hormuz, a narrow passage at the entrance to the Persian Gulf that carries roughly 20% of the world’s oil supply.
His remarks came just days after Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth faced criticism for praying that "every round find its mark against the enemies of righteousness and our great nation" during a Christian worship service at the Pentagon, vowing "overwhelming violence of action against those who deserve no mercy.”
When asked if "God supports the United States' actions in this war," Trump said:
"I do because God is good and God wants to see people taken care of. God doesn’t like what’s happening. I don’t like what’s happening.”
“Everyone says I enjoy it. I don’t enjoy this. I don’t enjoy it. ... I don't like seeing people killed."
“I’ve ended eight wars. Nobody’s ever done it. The person who won the Nobel Prize came to me and said, ‘You deserve the Nobel Prize.’ She announced that ... she's a great person. She said, 'No, no, no, this is ridiculous, they gave me the Nobel Prize [when] President Trump ended eight wars."
"I could go over every one of them including India and Pakistan where the prime minister of Pakistan said President Trump saved from 30 to 50 million lives. That makes me much happier than what we're doing right now. That makes me much happier."
You can hear what he said in the video below.
Trump's claim about India and Pakistan is false and Machado's decision to gift him her Nobel Prize has not been well received.
White House Press Secretary Karoline Leavitt made a similar claim last year when she called for Trump to receive the Nobel Peace Prize and credited him for ending conflicts between multiple countries including India and Pakistan. The claim earned Trump a rebuke from Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi, who said Trump had nothing to do with it.
Trump can't even keep his stories straight, considering he claimed in a speech at the United Nations that he resolved a "conflict" between Cambodia and Armenia—two countries that have never been at war and are 4,150 miles apart.
Machado faced heavy criticism after she gave her prize to Trump despite the Nobel Committee's insistence that prizes can't be transferred. Machado ignored the pushback and went to Washington anyway, saying she had done so "as a recognition for his [Trump's] unique commitment with our freedom."
Meanwhile, the people of Venezuela live under a puppet government backed by the U.S. since the Trump administration ousted Nicolás Maduro from power, and Machado is nowhere near the levers of power despite her efforts to suck up to Trump.
Many were infuriated by Trump's remarks.
We are all paying a heavy price for Trump's "Holy War."
