Fact Check: Are dozens of countries calling for Trump's replacement over Iran war?
WASHINGTON, DC: Amid tensions in the Middle East between the United States and Iran, which led to the closure of the Strait of Hormuz, a rumor is circulating on social media platforms claiming that several countries are calling for President Donald Trump’s replacement over the war. The claim has sparked speculation and prompted a fact-check.
Claim: Countries are calling for Donald Trump's replacement
According to a viral post that appeared on X, “Dozens of countries are reportedly using Donald Trump's words about Zelenskyy against him and announcing in official press conferences that the Iran War never should have happened, and the US needs a new president.”
The post has garnered hundreds of thousands of views as of this writing, with many believing the claim is true, while others dismiss it and call for a fact-check.
Fact Check: The claim originated as satire
The claim, however, is false, as there are no reports of any country calling for replacement of Trump over the conflict in the Middle East.
There are no official announcements, statements, press conferences, or social media posts from any nations or their leaders that support the claim.
If the claim were true, it would have been widely covered by prominent news media outlets in the US and the world, making headlines, but a search on Google, Bing, and Yahoo for the claim yielded no such media reports.
Moreover, the claim was posted by an X account called ‘The Halway Post’ which describes itself in the bio as ‘satire.’ Hence, the claim was intended as parody, made for the sake of engagement.
Donald Trump urges Ukraine to replace Volodymyr Zelenskyy
Trump’s words about Zelenskyy, as mentioned in the post, refer to the president’s call for Ukraine to replace President Volodymyr Zelenskyy, demanding that Kyiv stop striking Russian oil refineries, blaming the attacks for worsening the global diesel shortage.
“He better damn well stop,” Trump said, referring to the Ukrainian strikes.
“Zelenskyy could have settled this war many times. He chooses not to. It is a war that should have never been started. We said you can do whatever you want to, Russia, just do not hit the refineries, because that is a world problem that is caused," Trump said.
Trump subsequently called for a change in Ukraine’s leadership, saying, “I suggest they get a new leader who can make a deal, because he could have made many deals that, for some reason, he never does.”
