Donald Trump recently made a provocative statement, claiming that without the United States, Europe wouldn’t have triumphed in World War II.
Speaking confidently, he asserted, “We’re the ones that won the war.”
Trump is known for his controversial remarks — from suggesting he created English words to proclaiming himself the “father of IVF,” despite admitting that a female senator once had to explain the concept to him.
His latest questionable assertion came during a four-day visit to the Middle East, where he addressed American troops at Al Udeid Air Base in Doha, Qatar.
According to People Magazine, Trump used the occasion to promote one of his many executive orders, this one proposing to designate May 8th as “Victory Day for World War II,” a new U.S. national holiday. The idea reportedly came to him after noticing other countries honoring VE Day, which commemorates the Allied victory in Europe.
He shared that during conversations with various world leaders, he learned they were holding celebrations for World War II victories.
“I’d call up a country and they’d say, ‘Oh, we’re celebrating the victory of World War Two today, sir,’” Trump recounted. “Russia was celebrating, France was celebrating — everybody was celebrating but us. And yet, we’re the ones that won the war.”
He added a bit of mockery into his remarks, suggesting — jokingly or otherwise — that the United States had contributed significantly more than countries like France.
Mimicking French President Emmanuel Macron, Trump said in a faux French accent: “Donald, we are celebrating our victory over the Germans.” To which he claimed to have responded with confusion: “What the hell? Every country I’ve talked to is celebrating the war but us. Isn’t that terrible?”
Trump took it even further by saying that without the intervention of the United States, “the whole world would be speaking German — maybe even a little Japanese.”
While it’s true that the U.S. played a major role in the Allied victory, historical records show the country only entered the war in December 1941, following Japan’s attack on Pearl Harbor. Before that, the U.S. government had been reluctant to engage, with Congress opposing involvement in international conflicts.
As HistoryExtra notes, America’s initial hesitation stemmed from a policy of non-interventionism and debates about whether the country should get involved in another European war.
Trump’s remarks were met with widespread criti.cism.
Many pointed out that the U.S. was among the last major powers to join the Allied front. One critic commented, “The U.S. was the last country to show up. Shame on Trump.” Another added, “This dishonors the memory of all those who gave their lives defending their homeland.”
An American social media user summed it up bluntly: “We were the very last to join the Allied forces in World War II, making us the least involved among the big players.”
Though America’s role in turning the tide of the war is undeniable, Trump’s version of history, where the U.S. single-handedly secured victory, has been widely dismissed as misleading and self-aggrandizing.
