Fact Check: Did former CIA director call Trump a 'liar' over his claims about Iran war?
WASHINGTON, DC: As tensions between the United States and Iran continue, a social media post claimed that former CIA Director David Petraeus called President Donald Trump a ‘liar’ over his claims about winning the war with Iran. The claim has sparked concern and criticism, prompting a fact-check.
Claim: Former CIA Director called Donald Trump a ‘liar’
The claim surfaced as a post on X, where Trump allegedly stated, “No president ever won a single war in last 50 years. I won it against Iran."
In Response, Petraeus purportedly hit back, saying, “Shut up, liar. US bases in the eastern Gulf states are no longer viable due to so-called win war."
The post has gone viral, garnering tens of thousands of views and receiving conflicting reactions from online users.
While many appeared to agree with the former CIA director, others slammed him, indicating they believed the remark was authentic. Meanwhile, a few others remained skeptical and called for a fact-check.
Fact Check: No credible evidence to support the claim
Although Trump has repeatedly claimed that the US is winning the conflict with Iran, there is no evidence of him making the exact statement. Hence, there are also no records of the former CIA Director calling Trump a ‘liar.’
No official statements, press releases, or social media posts from Trump or Petraeus match the viral exchange.
A Google search for the remarks yielded no credible reports by prominent news organizations, which, if true, would have made headlines.
Moreover, the claim originated from an X handle called ‘InfoGram,’ which describes itself in its bio as ‘satire commentary,’ and has made several similar fabricated exchanges for the sake of engagement.
Donald Trump calls Iran conflict 'small potatoes'
The claim surfaced as Trump, on Friday, September 4, described the prolonged confrontation with Iran as “small potatoes,” despite acknowledging that 18 American service members have been killed.
"In Vietnam we lost tens of thousands of people. In Afghanistan we lost a lot. Sleepy Joe Biden lost 13 just by standing at an airport," Trump said.
The remarks came days after the US resumed major attacks on Iran’s military targets following a lull, with Tehran retaliating against American positions.
According to the president, the US forces are conducting fewer attacks after hitting Iran’s radar, aircraft, and other military equipment around the Strait of Hormuz.
