President Donald Trump made a remarkable gaffe Wednesday when trying to name the Islamic Republic of Iran, melding the Middle East country’s name with that of another country far-divorced from the conflict.
Trump was meeting with Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy Wednesday in Turkey for the NATO summit, and moments after insulting Zelenskyy directly to his face – an insult that was met with a cold stare – Trump recalled recent attacks he claimed were thwarted by the United States, attacks that presumably came from Iran.
“I told this story yesterday: we had 111 missiles shot by the Islamic Republic of Japan,” Trump said, an almost-certain attempt to reference the Islamic Republic of Iran. “They were shot at the aircraft carrier!”
Trump: “We had 11 missiles shot by the Islamic Republic of Japan” pic.twitter.com/FUOFLVZiKh — Aaron Rupar (@atrupar) July 8, 2026