Donald Trump has baffled people after making a bizarre claim about what European people call him, alleging it was an ‘honour’ to be bestowed the nickname.
The 79-year-old Republican took to the White House’s Oval Office on Monday (August 25) to sign his latest round of executive orders (E.O.).
These include addressing the crime emergency in the District of Columbia and detailing steps his administration plans to take to end cashless bail.
Another E.O. Trump signed was ‘Prosecuting Burning of the American Flag’, telling gathered reporters: “All over the country they’re burning flags. All over the world, they’re burning the American flag."
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He continued: “When you burn the American flag, it incites riots at levels that we’ve never seen before - people go crazy!”
To combat the so-called ‘flag burning phenomenon’, Trump has promised his administration will ‘restore respect and sanctity to the American Flag and prosecute those who incite violence or otherwise violate our laws while desecrating this symbol of our country, to the fullest extent permissible under any available authority.’
His newly signed order requires the Justice Department to investigate instances of flag burning as he seeks to charge perpetrators with one full year behind bars with ‘no early exits’.
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Whilst explaining what the E.O. entailed, Trump revealed what he thinks of Europe and how he believes European people see him.
“I think our nation is the most respected nation in the world, by far,” he alleged.
“You saw that with the European leaders. You saw that with NATO when they decided to go from 2 percent, no pay, to 5 percent, fully paid up.
“Trillions of dollars paid. Where they respect your president to a level that they jokingly call me the ‘President of Europe’.
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“They call me the President of Europe which is an honour. I like Europe and I like those people… they’re great leaders.”
The US President's supposed ‘honorary nickname’ has raised the hackles of some social media users, with one typing: “Makes up title that he claims Europeans call him... Literally no one has ever called him this.”
“’They?’ Who? Who in their right mind calls you the President of Europe? No one here in actual Europe for starters!,” said French journalist Alex Taylor.
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Another member of the media commented: “As a contributor, currently sitting in Europe, I’d like to confirm that we don’t call him that. At all.
“Ever. Ever. There are many things we do call him but ‘president’ is not among them.”
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A fourth echoed: “Donald Trump makes up title that he claims Europeans call him.”
Trump hosted various European leaders in Washington earlier this month, including UK Prime Minister Keir Starmer and Ukrainian leader Volodymyr Zelenskyy, to discuss how the ongoing Russia-Ukraine war may be resolved.
Ahead of the meeting, the businessman took to his social media site, Truth Social, and said: “Big day at the White House tomorrow. Never had so many European Leaders at one time. My great honour to host them!!!”
Topics: Donald Trump, Europe, Politics, Social Media, World News
Ella Scott