We need your help now
Support from readers like you keeps The Journal open.
You are visiting us because we have something you value. Independent, unbiased news that tells the truth. Advertising revenue goes some way to support our mission, but this year it has not been enough.
If you've seen value in our reporting, please contribute what you can, so we can continue to produce accurate and meaningful journalism. For everyone who needs it.
Sign in. It’s quick, free and it’s up to you.
An account is an optional way to support the work we do. Find out more.
By continuing, you are indicating that you accept our Terms of Service and Privacy Policy.
PRESIDENT DONALD TRUMP has mistaken Syria for Iraq while describing the moment when America launched a missile strike against the war-torn country last Friday.
Speaking to the Fox Business network, Trump described how he informed Chinese premier Xi Jinping of the missile strike, over dessert.
“We had finished dinner. We’re now having dessert. And we had the most beautiful piece of chocolate cake that you’ve ever seen and President Xi was enjoying it,” Trump said.
“Let me explain something to you, this is during dessert,” he said of his meal with Jinping.
We’ve just fired 59 missiles, all of which hit by the way, unbelievable, from hundreds of miles away, it’s brilliant it’s genius, what we have in terms of technology no-one can come close to competing.
So I said, we’ve just launched 59 missiles, heading to Iraq.
“Heading to Syria?” the host interjects.
Kenneth P. Vogel / TwitterTrump remembers details of cake he was eating while launching missiles, but not which country he was attacking. pic.twitter.com/TYfqXXDeCZ
— Kenneth P. Vogel (@kenvogel) April 12, 2017
If you can’t view this video, click here
“Yes, heading toward Syria. And I want you to know that,” Trump said.
Trump said that Jinping “paused for 10 seconds” which he didn’t think “was a good sign”, but then added “anybody that uses gases, that was so brutal, to do that to young children and babies, that’s ok”.
Russian meeting
Meanwhile, Trump’s secretary of state Rex Tillerson has been meeting with Vladimir Putin this afternoon, amid heightened tensions between Russia and the US over Assad’s chemical attack.
Despite initial hopes in Moscow of better ties with the US under Trump, the two powers have descended into a furious war of words over the incident and the retaliatory US strike against the forces of Assad.
Russia has slammed Washington’s attack on a Syrian airbase and, as Tillerson first met Russian foreign minister Lavrov for a “frank exchange of views”, Putin admitted that relations have worsened in the three months that Trump has been in office.
“You can say that the level of trust on a working level, especially on the military side, has not improved but most likely worsened,” Putin said in the transcript of an interview with Mir television released by the Kremlin.
Where is the proof that Syrian troops used chemical weapons? There isn’t any. But there was a violation of international law. That is an obvious fact.
With © – AFP, 2017
To embed this post, copy the code below on your site
Fox host “unmanned missiles?”…. do missiles usually have a pilot?
@Gareth Lynch:
Unmanned missiles perfectly acceptable terminology.
@Jack Cassady: I have a blow up doll of Trump in my bedroom, I’ve made a few modifications to it for my own pleasure, true story!
@Mike Cantwell: Does it say “yuge”
84 Million those cruise missiles cost that they launched in Syria.. Its all about the money
@Cosmo Kramer: 84 million is nothing to America… unless it’s going to healthcare or social welfare, then it’s too much money
@Cosmo Kramer:
Yep Americans care more about turning countries into car parks than the welfare of their own people all cause of the all mighty dollar.
@Din8rtd: Yes but 84 Million is nice for the company who produces the missiles.. No doubt a purchase order went in the next day to replace the missiles used on Syria..
@Cosmo Kramer: I must admit when I read 59 missiles had been fired I did think there is at least one company in the USA rubbing their hands with glee thinking of the replacement order….
Under Bush they had Operation Desert Storm
Under Trump,it was Operation Dessert Cake.
@Francis Mc Carthy: ohhh that was a tastey 1
Wow, the guy is a certifiable psychopath, ‘I had the most beautiful chocolate cake you’ll ever see.’
@Grainne Abdulaziz: yeah, that’s sound like the words a psychopath would use alright.
Context.
@FPL Thommo: Maybe watch the video again with an adult.
@Grainne Abdulaziz:
I was in a bakery the other day and a guy ordered a chocolate cake.
I phoned the police straight away.
@Jack Cassady: Why?
He went into detail about the lovely cake while also explaining how he’d just illegally fired missiles into a sovereign nation. All on classically dubious American pretexts (Iraq, Vietnam etc) in order to service his paymasters in the military industrial complex. So yeah, slightly on the sociopath scale I would say.
@Grainne Abdulaziz:
Coz the guy said ‘My goodness, that’s a beautiful cake’
A sure sign.
@Jack Cassady: Sign of what?
@Grainne Abdulaziz:
Wot u sed.
@Grainne Abdulaziz: And .. ! His press secretary Sean Spicer said that Trump was trying to “destabilise the region ” . It gets more and more bizarre ??????
Let them eat cake!
I would like to hear more about this cake.
The people should be told.
@Brendan McLaughlin: Me like cake too! Wiv ice-cweam! But sumtimes it hurts my teef :(
@Brendan McLaughlin: Me like cake to! Sumtimes wiv ice-cweam! But sumtimes it hurts my teef :(
@DainBramage: Oops! Me do duble-post, silly Dain! Ha HAHA!
A reality “star” that doesn’t live in one.
“Nobody eats better chocolate than me”
Trump seems to be following Bush and Obama into more middle East conflict and regime change in Syria….Dont think his voters will be happy about that like having Hillary as president….
@John003: Considering Trump voters are thick as sh** I don’t think it’s going to be an issue. The funny thing is that they all thought Trump was going to ‘Make America Great Again’, such naive fools, we could only watch on and laugh at them.
@Grainne Abdulaziz: The funny thing is his followers followed him because he promised improved US-Russian relations, less interference in the Middle East and less military interference throughout the world in general. Instead, US-Russian relations are worse now than under Obama, he has launched direct action against Syria, has continued to attack Yemen, beefed up his military in the waters around Korea and China and threatened unilateral action against North Korea. His followers were warned he was a pathological liar and a buffoon. They denied it. Now the proof is unfolding before their eyes. But it’s OK because he’s building a wall.
@Brian Ó Dálaigh: 100% on the button Brian, and we can add to that his failure to implement the Muslim ban, failure to build the wall and get Mexico to pay for it, and failure to reverse Obamacare, instead retaining it. When the smart people tried to reason with his sheep cheerleaders they were told it was ‘Fake News!’.
What a seriously gullible bunch the pro-Trump supporters were, you don’t see them mouthing off anymore, all gone into hiding.
And what are you doing about North Korea and Assad’s chemical weapons?
@Tim Brennan: Absolutely nothing. But, I’m not in a position to. Unlike the most powerful man on Earth who lied his way to that position and has subsequently betrayed all of his followers by either deliberately going back on his promises or finding out that he is unable to deliver on them (and us ordinary folk were calling BS on his ability to deliver from day one. Instead we were called snowflakes for simply pointing out the obvious).
@Grainne Abdulaziz:
Trump is the president.
Stop melting down.
(4 years to go)
@Jack Cassady: I’d be surprised if he lasts a full year.. after that it’s going to be the kind of outfit that matches the colour of his face.
That whole dessert scene sounds like it’s straight from an evil villain in a James bond parody
Why 5 bloody 9?? .. Surely someone could have done just 1 more..even into the sky.. just to make it 60.
@Brendan Geoghegan: I assume they mapped out the areas they wanted to hit and it added up to 59 missiles.
I doubt the officers are the same ‘and one for luck’ type with missiles that we Irish are with pints.
@David Duffy: Not the case. They launched 60 but one went astray.
@Paraic McDonagh: Was it called Trump?
@Brendan Geoghegan:
A bit of OCD there buddy !
Sounds like he’s “guided by the beauty of our weapons…”
Orange Clown.
@Diarmuid: out of curiosity. If he eats a chocolate cake, would that make him more like a Terry’s Chocolate Orange?
Have there been any further statements or relevant facts to emerge as yet regarding this Cake?
@Brendan McLaughlin: About the fruit cake called Trump?
If this fool every confuses missiles we are truly finished. Nukes could be flying instead of tomahawks. That the world we now live in where a orange coloured pensioners who would not have won to anyone other than Hilary Clinton decides all our faiths. Torture is good but chemical weapons are bad. Assad is worse than even Hitler who never used such weapons on this own people. world history is being rewritten to coverup for trumps incompetence. A salesman now control the world and we still don’t know if he ever paid any taxes.
@leartius:
In the post apocalyptic wasteland the only survivors will lie awake at night pondering that question:
‘Did he pay any taxes though’
@leartius: Hitler didn’t use gas on his own people? Last I heard was that a significant number of people who died in the gas chambers of Hitler’s concentration camps had a German passport. I hope you’re being sarcastic and I simply misinterpreted your post..
@Thorsten Kahlert: I think leartius was simply pointing out the idiotic things that Spicer and Trump said, to make the point that warmongering 45 is unfit for office
@leartius: I did say he reminded me of Sheen in the film, The Dead Zone… A long time ago now…
@Larissa Caroline Nikolaus: I surely hope so.
Wonder how happy the Chinese Premier is going to be, given that Trump has just made him sound like an imbecile.
@Brinster: If I were him I’d be calling the acting president of South Korea to do a deal over NK that excludes the US, reminding him that if the US get involved it’s SK that will suffer most…. Seoul will take one hell of a battering defending the US…
Am I the only one who likes this guy?
@FPL Thommo:
No, the majority of American love Donald as well as 70% of Irish people and 655 of Europeans.
The Chinese love him, there’s many of them.
@FPL Thommo: I thought I would like him but the level of craziness is well below what I expected.
He has disappointed me, they need either coke him up some more or fire him and put that Spicer guy in charge.
He has no concept of the weight of his actions be them big or small. Im surprised he didnt exclaim “Your fired!” In giving the order.
@Warmfartrises: Nixon was worse in office after mixing his tablets with booze…
Well done Trump. You have my respect.
Oh America what an utter imbecile you have voted as president. Leader of the free world my hol* .
@Seamus Grant:
Count your blessings Hilary Clinton wasn’t elected or America would be doomed.
@Jack Cassady: America is doomed with the chocolate orange at the helm.
@Seamus Grant: Nothing free about it…
“Let them eat cake” Marie Antoinnette on seeing masses of starving peasant children. 750,000 women were left widows due to the Iraq war. This interview is utterly appalling.
Oh my word. Unbelievable.What next. God help America and the world
@Mariette van der Walt: A trade war as that is the best way to start a world war?
I can’t stand this guy but in fairness this seems more and slip of the tongue
@Barry C Mc Govern: Exactly the sort of slip of the tongue you don’t want someone with the nuclear codes to have.
@Barry C Mc Govern: If it happens once it’s forgivable but when it happens at regular intervals it becomes quite concerning. As president of the USA he has to choose his words very carefully. He can’t afford to slip his tongue all the time or he’s going to find himself on a very slippery slope.
America thanks a bunch for launching this complete imbecile on the rest of us. You should hang your heads in shame. Chocolate cake me arse!!
On the radio today, I heard Mr. Sean Spicer described by an author today as “profoundly ignorant” regarding his Hitler comments. Accurate.
@Anthony Byrne: Spicer is really cute though, I’d love to be in a Spicy sandwich between him and The Donald!
@Mike Cantwell: Jaysus Mike. I have no clue what you’re getting at.
“Let them eat cake”Marie Antoinette on seeing starving masses of peasant children.750000 widows in Iraq because of the war. This interview is appalling!
Oh America what an utter imbecile you have voted as president. Leader of the free world my hol* .
Mmmm Chocolate missiles (drool). -Homer
Russia can compete and launched missiles to isis from over 1000km from Caspian Sea to IS targets in Syria btw
The dessert plate Trump was eating off and the silver fork in his mouth were all made in China.Chinese premier sat watching Trump get Chinese fok in his mouth the headline should read. The retired for brandy and cigars where Trump begged China for car batteries to keep his automotive industry alive as America have no lead for ammo or cars. Raising his made in China brandy crystal glass to his mouth the Chinese premier enquired if Trump would be renewing his order for made in China toupees and opening the Chinese diplomatic case revealed the latest sample for the president to try on.
Says something he was able to eat and hold it down after launching 59 spears of hell at a target he wasn’t even sure where it was. I couldn’t.
Had a boss in Asia once. Yank. Guy was a piece of work everybody hated him and he hated everybody but liked me cos was Irish and could drink at least well enough to keep pace with him. One time we were in Muddy Murphy’s on Orchard Road near Fo’Flo’saHo’s there and he was well on told me he’d been in Vietnam he’d be the right age and I also well on asked him had he killed m/any. He said “Thousands”. Turned out he was a missile operator on a cruiser. Dialled in the numbers and punched the Button. Asked him was he troubled by it he said No. Hated himself and drinking himself to death though. Had to carry him back to his hotel again like Forrest Gump
@John O’Driscoll: Wish it was a spoof m8.
No it’s true. Why would it not be? Thousands of young men of his generation were destroyed by Vietnam they only died inside not outside though.
Over the desert or over dessert lol.
@Alois Irlmaier: Ha ha! Dat funny! Wait, me no get it :(
@Grainne Abdulaziz: That’s ok, sleep on it lol.
Trump is a bozo
have your say