US President Donald Trump delivered a series of bold statements during a media interview on Friday, once again claiming credit for averting war between Pakistan and India, while also expressing frustration over not receiving a Nobel Peace Prize for his perceived efforts.
“I should get the Nobel Prize for stopping the Pakistan-India war,” Trump declared, alleging that the prestigious award is reserved exclusively for “liberals.”
He elaborated, “They should give me the Nobel Prize for Rwanda and if you look, the Congo, or you could say Serbia, Kosovo, you could say a lot of them. The big one is India and Pakistan. I should have gotten it four or five times. But they only give it to liberals. They won’t give it to me.”
During a media interaction en route to a MAGA Inc dinner at his Bedminster golf club, Trump also offered his insights on US foreign policy, escalating tensions in the Middle East, and ongoing trade relations.
Middle East: ‘Ground troops are the last thing’
Addressing the intensifying conflict between Iran and Israel, Trump cautioned against increased military involvement.
“The last thing you wanna do is ground forces,” Trump said when asked whether the US could win a conflict with Iran without deploying troops. “I’m not going to talk about ground forces.”
He emphasized that Israel appears to be “doing well” in the conflict, while Iran seems to be “struggling,” making it “hard to get somebody to stop” the fighting. “I want a ceasefire before negotiations,” he stated, suggesting that diplomatic efforts are being considered.
On Iran Nuclear Talks and Tulsi Gabbard
Trump dismissed recent comments by Director of National Intelligence Tulsi Gabbard regarding Iran’s nuclear capabilities, labeling her statement as “not correct.”
He also criticized European efforts to mediate with Iran, asserting: “Europe is not going to be able to help with this one… Iran doesn’t want to talk to Europe.”
Despite ongoing diplomatic tensions, Trump confirmed that Washington has been in contact with Tehran. “We’ve been speaking to Iran. Let’s see what happens,” he said, without providing further details.
Relations with China and Trade with South Asia
The US president reaffirmed that he maintains “good relations with China” and hinted at potential trade agreements with Pakistan and India. “It seems that the US will make trade agreements with both,” he noted.
Trump reiterated his long-standing opposition to the Iraq War, further distancing himself from past Republican foreign policy decisions. “I was against the war in Iraq too,” he stated.
