Category: Foreign Policy

Trump Lies About Hospital Boat to Greenland

Trump announced Saturday he would send a hospital boat to Greenland after Danish forces evacuated a U.S. submarine crew member requiring urgent medical care. Trump posted on Truth Social that he was "working with the fantastic Governor of Louisiana, Jeff Landry" to dispatch "a great hospital boat to Greenland to take care of the many people who are sick, and not being taken care of there. It's on the way!!!" This claim is false, according to maritime sources. Both U.S. hospital ships, the USNS Mercy and the USNS Comfort, are currently undergoing maintenance in Alabama and are incapacitated.

Trump's announcement came immediately after Denmark's military rescued an American sailor from a submarine near Greenland, evacuating him to a hospital in Nuuk for treatment. Rather than expressing gratitude for the rescue, Trump weaponized the incident to promote his ongoing campaign to acquire Greenland from Denmark. Danish Prime Minister Mette Frederiksen responded indirectly on Sunday, posting about Denmark's universal healthcare system where "it's not insurances and wealth that determine whether you get proper treatment," implicitly contrasting it with the U.S. system.

Trump has intensified his fixation on acquiring Greenland, citing national security concerns about a "Golden Dome" missile defense system and countering Russian and Chinese influence in the Arctic. This push has strained relationships with U.S. allies including Denmark, Canada, and the United Kingdom. Jeff Landry, Louisiana's governor, serves as Trump's special envoy to Greenland as part of this acquisition effort.

Trump's lie about the hospital boat deployment represents his pattern of using humanitarian gestures as political theater. By announcing medical aid that does not exist and cannot materialize due to ship unavailability, Trump attempted to reframe Denmark's successful rescue operation as evidence of Greenland's inadequate healthcare while promoting his territorial ambitions. The timing and false claim exploit a moment of genuine international cooperation for propaganda purposes.

(Source: https://thehill.com/homenews/administration/5749675-trump-greenland-hospital-boat/)

Trump Escalates Global Tariffs to 15% After Court

Donald Trump announced a 15% global tariff effective immediately on Saturday via Truth Social, escalating from the 10% levy he imposed Friday after the Supreme Court struck down his reciprocal tariff policy. Trump claimed the higher rate was “fully allowed, and legally tested,” attacking the court’s decision as “ridiculous, poorly written, and extraordinarily anti-American” while asserting countries have been “ripping off” the United States for decades.

The British Chambers of Commerce condemned the increase as damaging to UK businesses, warning that the additional 5% tariff on most British exports would harm trade, US consumers, and global economic growth. William Bain, head of trade policy at the BCC, stated the announcement proved their fears that Trump’s backup plan would be worse than his initial proposal and called for businesses to receive “clarity and certainty” rather than escalating tariffs.

Britain had negotiated the lowest initial rate of 10% under a deal between Prime Minister Sir Keir Starmer and Trump, with carve-outs protecting steel, automobiles, and pharmaceuticals. The UK government indicated it expected these preferential arrangements to remain intact under the new 15% framework, though officials acknowledged uncertainty about the tariff’s full implications for British trade.

Trump bypassed Congress by signing an executive order Friday invoking emergency powers after the Supreme Court overturned his reciprocal tariffs policy, allowing him to unilaterally increase import taxes. His escalation to 15% followed his public attacks on Supreme Court justices as “unpatriotic and disloyal” for blocking his previous tariff authority.

(Source: https://www.independent.co.uk/news/business/president-donald-trump-keir-starmer-government-uk-government-b2925023.html)

Trump Imposes 10% Global Tariff After Supreme Court

President Donald Trump announced a blanket 10% tariff on all countries effective immediately after the Supreme Court struck down his reciprocal tariffs policy on Friday. Trump claimed the court “has been swayed by foreign interests” and stated he signed the order from the Oval Office, asserting the decision actually affirmed his ability to impose tariffs under different statutory authorities including Section 232 and Section 301.

The Supreme Court ruled 6-3 that a 1977 law did not grant Trump power to impose tariffs without Congressional approval, delivering a major blow to his economic agenda. However, Trump doubled down by invoking alternative tariff statutes he claims remain “fully allowed,” stating the new 10% global tariff would be implemented under Section 122 and would remain in place for approximately five months while his administration conducts investigations to determine additional tariffs on specific countries.

The UK received the lowest tariff rate of 10% under Trump’s previous reciprocal scheme, and a deal negotiated by Prime Minister Sir Keir Starmer included carve-outs for British steel and car manufacturers. British officials stated they expect the UK’s “privileged trading position with the US” to continue, though the Supreme Court decision raises uncertainty about whether existing preferential trade agreements will remain valid, as Trump indicated some negotiated deals will no longer stand while others will be replaced.

Trump stated the US has collected more than 133 billion dollars since imposing tariffs but now faces potential refund obligations to importers following the court ruling. Trump has previously used tariff threats as leverage against world leaders, demonstrating his willingness to weaponize trade policy for personal negotiating advantage.

British business groups criticized the uncertainty created by the ruling. The British Chambers of Commerce warned the decision did little to “clear the murky waters for business” and noted Trump could reimpose tariffs using alternative legislation, while campaign group Best for Britain characterized Trump’s approach as demonstrating the instability of conducting trade deals with his administration.

(Source: https://www.independent.co.uk/news/business/oval-office-truth-social-president-keir-starmer-b2924786.html)

Trump Pledges $10 Billion to ‘Board of Peace’ in First Meeting

President Trump announced a $10 billion transfer of taxpayer funds to his newly created “Board of Peace” during its inaugural meeting in Washington, D.C. on February 19, 2026. The board, which Trump controls as chairman without term limits or government oversight, includes nations with documented human rights abuses and corruption records such as Israel, El Salvador, Turkey, Argentina, the United Arab Emirates, Hungary, and Saudi Arabia. Member states pay $1 billion each to join, with an additional $7 billion contributed by participating nations, though Congress has not authorized the U.S. spending and Trump provided no specification of where the $10 billion would originate.

Trump framed the board as overseeing implementation of a Gaza peace plan, but has previously stated his intention to redevelop Gaza as a “Trump Riviera” tourism destination. Jared Kushner, Trump’s son-in-law who holds no official government position, presented plans to reshape the war-torn region into a coastal investment opportunity. Kushner denied that individuals were personally profiting from the arrangement, yet the board’s structure grants Trump unilateral financial control without U.S. government oversight or restrictions, enabling him to access organizational funds beyond constitutional accountability mechanisms.

Major U.S. allies and Western democracies rejected participation in Trump’s coalition. The Vatican, United Kingdom, France, Germany, Italy, New Zealand, Norway, Poland, and Ukraine all declined invitations, reflecting their assessment of the board as a mechanism for Trump to establish a controlled international alliance independent of established multilateral institutions. Putin received an invitation despite actively waging war against Ukraine, demonstrating Trump’s prioritization of personal relationships with authoritarian figures over democratic alignment.

At the Thursday gathering, Trump repeatedly appeared to fall asleep during speakers’ remarks, occurring throughout the more than two-hour meeting as foreign leaders addressed him. The event featured sycophantic praise from participating nations, including Egypt’s prime minister addressing Trump as “excellency,” a breach of protocol for U.S. presidents who historically reject monarchical titles. Kazakhstan’s autocratic President Kassym-Jomart Tokayev proposed establishing a “President Trump award” to recognize Trump’s “outstanding efforts and achievements,” and FIFA President Gianni Infantino attended without clear justification.

Trump also used the event to announce he would decide on military action against Iran within ten days, despite claiming last year that a previous strike “obliterated” Iranian nuclear facilities. The announcement of potential renewed warfare contradicted the purported peace mission of the gathering. Trump characterized the $10 billion pledge as “a very small number” compared to war costs, equating it to two weeks of military spending, while maintaining that no congressional authorization for the expenditure existed.

(Source: https://www.rollingstone.com/politics/politics-news/trump-pledges-10-billion-board-of-peace-meeting-1235519576/?fbclid=IwY2xjawQErkNleHRuA2FlbQIxMQBzcnRjBmFwcF9pZBAyMjIwMzkxNzg4MjAwODkyAAEe0VFQVzCo4RTtSQuznefPb57AtrlKN1M0W58uDN1ZVeUZ56Y6TStjQtA1BYM_aem_v8x_9FRA2dmfshMiH_8cyQ)

Trump Claims He Screamed at Macron Over Drug Price Tariffs

President Donald Trump claimed during a campaign event in Rome, Georgia on Thursday that he screamed at French President Emmanuel Macron during a phone call, threatening him with 100% tariffs on wine and champagne until Macron agreed to raise drug prices in France. Trump stated he called multiple world leaders with similar ultimatums, describing Macron as capitulating to his demands after the tariff threat, though Trump provided no verification of these conversations occurring.

Trump used the alleged exchange to promote his second-term drug pricing claims, stating he has reduced American drug costs by “400, 500, even 600%” by forcing other nations to lower their prices. He characterized the situation as necessary because the United States had been paying the highest drug prices globally and his intervention allegedly brought American prices to match the world’s lowest rates.

MSNBC host Lawrence O’Donnell directly contradicted Trump’s account, calling it “pure hallucination from start to finish” and noting that French presidents lack direct control over their country’s drug pricing, which is determined through regulatory and legislative processes. O’Donnell stated Trump fabricated the conversation entirely and that everyone in the cabinet room where Trump previously told the story knew it was false.

Trump has previously publicized private communications with Macron, including posting the French president’s text message to Truth Social in January 2026, where Macron explicitly rejected Trump’s Greenland annexation ambitions. This history of weaponizing communications with allies undermines credibility in his current claims about negotiating drug prices through coercion.

(Source: https://www.mediaite.com/media/news/youre-gonna-do-it-trump-says-he-screamed-at-macron-in-wild-phone-call/)

Trump Weighs Limited Iran Strike to Force Nuclear Deal

President Trump is weighing an initial limited military strike against Iran designed to force compliance with his demands for a nuclear deal, according to reporting from people familiar with the matter. The opening assault, if authorized, could occur within days and would target select military or government sites as a pressure tactic rather than a full-scale invasion.

Trump stated during a Board of Peace meeting that a decision on Iran could come within the next 10 days, indicating he is considering a range of military options while claiming he still prefers diplomacy. The strategy outlines a two-stage escalation: a limited initial strike followed by a broad campaign against regime facilities if Iran refuses to abandon its nuclear enrichment program.

The proposal demonstrates Trump’s pattern of threatening military action to extract concessions from adversaries, mirroring his deployment of a massive armada to Iran and threatening escalated military strikes if the regime does not comply with nuclear demands. This escalatory approach subordinates diplomatic channels to coercive military pressure as the primary negotiating tool.

The second phase of Trump’s strategy explicitly contemplates regime change, with potential U.S. operations aimed at toppling the Tehran government if Iran continues nuclear enrichment activities. This fundamentally transforms the stated objective from nuclear compliance into broader geopolitical restructuring of Iran’s government.

(Source: https://www.wsj.com/world/middle-east/trump-hints-at-10-day-window-for-decision-on-iran-6370e477?st=fjbZxr&reflink=article_copyURL_share)

Rubio Praises Orbán Autocrat He Warned Against

Secretary of State Marco Rubio praised Hungarian Prime Minister Viktor Orbán during a Budapest visit on February 16, 2026, declaring that U.S. national interests depend on Orbán remaining in power and that President Trump is “deeply committed” to Orbán’s success. Rubio stated, “We want this country to do well. It’s in our national interest — especially as long as you’re the prime minister and the leader of this country,” effectively campaigning for Orbán ahead of his difficult reelection fight against opposition leader Péter Magyar.

This reversal contradicts Rubio’s May 2019 letter to Trump, co-signed with Senators Bob Menendez, Jeanne Shaheen, and James Risch, warning that “democracy in Hungary has significantly eroded” under Orbán’s rule, with the judiciary increasingly controlled by the state and press freedom declining as independent outlets faced advertising boycotts and ownership consolidation. The senators expressed “profound concern” about Orbán’s close relationship with Russia and urged Trump to address Hungary’s “downward democratic trajectory” during their meeting.

Trump’s public endorsement of Orbán as “a truly strong and powerful Leader” who “fights tirelessly for…his Great Country” mirrors the administration’s pattern of aligning with authoritarian figures. Trump previously sat alongside Orbán while boasting about policy successes, normalizing the relationship between Washington and Budapest despite Hungary’s systematic dismantling of democratic institutions.

Orbán currently opposes Ukraine’s EU membership, rejects military aid requests, and frames his opponents as wanting to “drag Hungary into the war”—positions that align Trump’s foreign policy toward weakening NATO cohesion and Ukraine support. The 2019 senators’ concerns about countering “Kremlin aggression across Europe” proved prescient following Russia’s 2022 invasion of Ukraine, yet the Trump administration continues strengthening ties with an autocrat resisting European unity against Russian expansion.

Critics labeled Rubio’s Budapest statements a “campaign ad” for Orbán, exposing how Trump officials now openly endorse authoritarian consolidation of power, judicial control, and press suppression—policies Rubio himself documented as threats to U.S. interests just seven years earlier.

(Source: https://www.mediaite.com/politics/this-is-a-campaign-speech-for-orban-rubio-effusively-praises-hungarian-autocrat-he-once-warned-trump-about/)

Trump Threatens GOP Tariff Dissenters With Primary Challenges

President Donald Trump threatened Republican members of Congress with primary challenges and electoral defeat if they vote against his tariff policies, declaring they will “seriously suffer the consequences come Election time.” Trump made the threat on Truth Social after six GOP representatives—Don Bacon of Nebraska, Brian Fitzpatrick of Pennsylvania, Jeff Hurd of Colorado, Kevin Kiley of California, Thomas Massie of Kentucky, and Dan Newhouse of Washington—joined Democrats in voting to block his emergency tariffs on Canada.

Trump justified the tariffs by citing stock market gains and claimed they reduced the trade deficit by 78 percent, asserting that tariffs provide both economic and national security benefits. He stated that “no Republican should be responsible for destroying this privilege” and framed opposition as disloyalty to the party and the administration’s economic agenda.

Rep. Gregory Meeks, the ranking Democrat on the House Foreign Affairs Committee, countered that the vote was straightforward: “stand with working families and lower costs, or keep prices high out of loyalty to Donald Trump.” Rep. Don Bacon defended his vote by writing that tariffs function as a tax on American consumers and that congressional debate should precede major trade policy decisions.

The nonpartisan Tax Foundation estimated that Trump’s tariffs imposed an average tax increase of $1,000 per U.S. household in 2025 and warned costs could rise further if the policy continues. The tariffs have strained relations with major trading partners including Canada, Mexico, China, India, Brazil, and the European Union, triggering Canadian retaliatory boycotts of American goods.

Trump’s threat represents his pattern of weaponizing federal authority against officials and lawmakers who resist his demands, extending party discipline through electoral intimidation rather than policy persuasion.

(Source: https://www.independent.co.uk/news/world/americas/us-politics/trump-republicans-tariffs-threat-canada-b2918970.html)

Trump Blocks Bridge After Billionaire Competitor Meets Commerce Secretary

Donald Trump threatened to block Canada’s Gordie Howe International Bridge hours after Commerce Secretary Howard Lutnick met privately with Detroit billionaire Matthew Moroun, who controls the competing Ambassador Bridge, according to The New York Times. Two officials briefed on the meeting confirmed Lutnick met with Moroun in Washington on Monday, and Lutnick subsequently spoke with Trump by phone about the matter.

The Moroun family has spent decades attempting to prevent the Gordie Howe bridge through litigation and lobbying, including a challenge that reached Canada’s Supreme Court. The family previously urged Trump to halt construction of the $4.7 billion publicly funded bridge, which will compete with the Ambassador Bridge for over $300 million in daily cross-border trade once operational.

Trump posted on Truth Social threatening to block the bridge unless Canada addressed “a long list of grievances,” according to the Times report published Tuesday. White House Press Secretary Karoline Leavitt defended Trump’s position by claiming he was “putting America’s interest first,” objecting to Canadian control of the bridge and land on both sides, and criticizing insufficient use of American-made materials.

The timing coincides with escalating tension between the nations since Trump’s election, during which he has questioned Canadian sovereignty and imposed tariffs on steel, lumber, and automobiles. The Gordie Howe bridge is fully financed by Canada and will be jointly operated by Canada and Michigan, making Trump’s threat an intervention in a cross-border infrastructure project already under construction.

(Source: https://www.rawstory.com/trump-canada-2675257271/)

NATO Shifts Two Commands to European Leadership Amid Trump

NATO announced the transfer of two Joint Force Commands from U.S. to European leadership in response to President Trump’s demands that European allies assume greater responsibility for continental defense. The United Kingdom will assume command of the NATO Joint Force Command in Norfolk, Virginia, which oversees Atlantic and Arctic protection, while Italy takes control of Joint Force Command Naples and Germany and Poland will rotate command of Joint Force Command Brunssum. These transitions, occurring over the next several years, will place all three operational joint force commands under European leadership.

The Trump administration’s National Defense Strategy, released last month, explicitly directs NATO allies to prioritize European defense while the U.S. focuses on homeland defense and countering China. Under Secretary of Defense for Policy Elbridge Colby, the strategy’s lead author, is attending this week’s NATO Defense Ministerial instead of Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth, marking the first such ministerial Hegseth has skipped since taking office. A Pentagon official stated the command transfers were “made jointly among all allies” and strengthen the alliance by demonstrating European leadership capacity.

The U.S. will retain supreme allied commander Europe (SACEUR), a position historically held by American officers, and will assume leadership of the Allied Maritime Command, currently led by a British vice admiral. This arrangement ensures the U.S. continues directing all three functional commands—Allied Maritime Command, Allied Land Command, and Allied Air Command—while ceding operational control of crisis-response commands to European nations. Air Force General Alexus G. Grynkewich currently commands NATO’s 80,000 U.S. service members in the European theater as supreme allied commander.

NATO framed the restructuring as a mechanism for “more fairly sharing responsibility” and demonstrating U.S. commitment to alliance leadership despite the devolution of operational authority. The command transfer from Norfolk will retain U.S. Navy control of the larger installation housing the facility, preserving American infrastructure dominance even as command authority shifts. The phased implementation allows gradual adjustment of command structures across allied nations.

(Source: https://www.cbsnews.com/amp/news/nato-to-shift-2-commands-from-us-to-european-leadership/)

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