Fact Check: Did Trump tell Kuwait should 'shut up' because the US is 'protecting' it?
WASHINGTON, DC: A claim has been circulating on social media platforms claiming that President Donald Trump slammed Kuwait in a social media post, asking the Middle Eastern country to ‘shut up’ since the United States is protecting it. The claim surfaced amid the intensifying conflict in the region with Iran. Let us fact-check the viral claim.
Claim: Donald Trump told Kuwait to 'shut up'
The claim surfaced in the form of a screenshot, which shows a Truth Social post from the president’s official handle, that states, “Hey Kuwait, I heard you're against The landing via your your country, you think you e a say? We're protecting you, you shut up.”
The unusual, hostile tone towards a country that is an ally of the US in the ongoing conflict has left many confused, with netizens questioning the authenticity of the claim, while a few believe it to be authentic, since Kuwait accidentally shot down allied planes.
Fact Check: False, Donald Trump never made such a post
The screenshot, however, is fabricated, and Trump never made such a post, as keyword searches of live and archived versions of Trump's Truth Social account did not produce matching results.
X accounts that automatically archive the president’s Truth Social posts do not show any post like this in their records.
The statement also does not match the usual writing style of Trump’s social media posts.
A fact check by Grok also confirmed this, stating, “No, that's not a real Trump post. It's a fabricated screenshot with obvious typos (‘you e a say?', double 'your’) and fake X-style formatting."
"Trump posts primarily on Truth Social, and searches of his X account (realDonaldTrump) show no mention of Kuwait in this context. Recent news covers him addressing a Kuwait-related friendly fire incident as a ‘mishap,’ but nothing like this quote.’”
Donald Trump downplayed the US jets shot down over Kuwait
The screenshot surfaced after Trump confirmed that the three American F-15 jets shot down over Kuwait were hit by US Patriot missiles.
This is a shocking break from military protocol. Trump said on Tuesday, March 24, that Kuwaiti forces accidentally shot down three allied planes with US-made Patriot missiles after mistaking them for enemy threats.
Speaking to the press in the Oval Office, the president downplayed the March 2 incident as a "little mishap" and said all three pilots of the US F-15E Strike Eagle fighter jets successfully ejected and are "flying today."
Initial claims circulating in some media suggested the aircraft may have been intercepted by air defense systems, prompting speculation about the cause of the losses.
