Trump claims Kim Jong-un was 'trying to kill' him as he confuses North Korean leader with Iran president

MILWAUKEE, WISCONSIN: Former president Donald Trump found himself in hot water on Tuesday, October 1, when he appeared to confuse the leaders of North Korea and Iran during a campaign stop in Milwaukee, Wisconsin.

The whole thing was caught on video and quickly made the rounds on the Internet, sparking a wave of mockery.

It all started when Trump was in the middle of one of his classic, freewheeling rants. This one began with him bragging about the size of his rally crowd—something he’s been particularly sensitive about of late after Vice President Kamala Harris insisted his supporters were leaving his speeches early.

"I don't know if anybody was up there, but you saw the people," said Trump. "That crowd was massive. But last week, we had a crowd of 50 to 55-60,000 people, and we had planned an outdoor rally, and it would have been amazing, and Washington would not get us, they said that we have to guard the United Nations, which meant the president of North Korea, who's basically trying to kill me."

"So they want to guard him, but they don't want to guard me. So we're going to start having it out with them, because we sort of have it. They want to use — it's like a form of election interference," he added.

Did Trump just throw his dear pal Kim Jong-un under the bus? The apparent moment of confusion stirred new speculation about his mental state, Raw Story reported.

The former president intended to reference Iran and not North Korea, especially given that US intelligence recently briefed Trump’s campaign about potential assassination plots from Iran. But that didn’t stop the left from seizing on the slip-up.

Trump mocked on social media for mix-up

David Corn — Washington bureau chief for Mother Jones — predicted with sarcasm: “We can expect Trump’s cognitive abilities—or lack thereof—to dominate the news cycle, right?”

National security attorney Bradley Moss added, “Seriously, when Biden did this it was endless stories about cognitive decline. The man is deteriorating in real time.”

"I think it’s reasonable to watch this clip, add the withdrawal from a 60-minute interview, and wonder if there’s something actually going on," Sen Brian Schatz (D-HI) wrote. "I don’t know- maybe he’s fine, but it’s not a wacky or nasty thing to inquire about."

Of course, other critics on social media also had a field day with Trump’s latest blunder.

"For the good of the country it’s time for this old man to step aside," one posted on X.

"His love affair with Kim Jong Un is over," a second user quipped.

"I thought they loved each other," another wrote.

"Imagine this in the Situation Room?" read a comment.

"Hey Trump, your dementia is showing!" someone else chimed in.

"This dude is out of it," another offered.

Real threat from Iran

So, what was Trump referring to when he mentioned someone "basically trying to kill him?" Well, according to his campaign, US intelligence recently briefed Trump on a very real threat from Iran.

The Office of the Director of National Intelligence (ODNI) reportedly warned Trump about an ongoing plot from Iran to assassinate him, likely in retaliation for his 2020 decision to order the drone strike that killed Maj. Gen. Qassem Soleimani, a top Iranian military commander.

Steven Cheung, a spokesperson for the Trump campaign, confirmed the briefing was about “real and specific threats from Iran to assassinate [Trump] to destabilize and sow chaos in the United States”.

“Intelligence officials have identified that these continued and coordinated attacks have heightened in the past few months, and law enforcement officials across all agencies are working to ensure president Trump is protected and the election is free from interference," Cheung added.

Trump himself took to his social media platform Truth Social to address the situation.

“Big threats on my life by Iran,” he posted. “Moves were already made by Iran that didn’t work out, but they will try again. Not a good situation for anyone. I am surrounded by more men, guns, and weapons than I have ever seen before….An attack on a former President is a Death Wish for the attacker!”

The Iranian plot to assassinate Trump is believed to be rooted in a desire for revenge. Back in January 2020, Trump ordered the drone strike that killed Soleimani, the commander of Iran’s elite Quds Force. This sparked outrage and vows of retaliation from Iran's top brass.

While Iran has denied any involvement in assassination plots against Trump, reports suggest that US intelligence had been monitoring an Iranian-backed conspiracy well before a gunman attempted to target Trump at a rally on July 13.

The shooter — identified as twenty-year-old Thomas Crooks — managed to kill one rally attendee before being taken down by a Secret Service agent. However, investigators concluded that Crooks acted alone and found no evidence he was part of a larger plot.

This article contains remarks made on the Internet by individual people and organizations. MEAWW cannot confirm them independently and does not support claims or opinions being made online.