Trump goes on 5am Truth Social blitz with birthday boast and Iran war post: ‘Lasers: bing, bing, GONE!!!’ – The Independent
Notifications can be managed in browser preferences.
Please refresh the page or navigate to another page on the site to be automatically logged inPlease refresh your browser to be logged in
Swipe for next article
In posts made at the crack of dawn Friday, the president defended the war amid the ongoing Strait of Hormuz standoff and touted his planned UFC match 80th birthday celebration on June 14 as the ‘biggest ever’
Removed from bookmarks
From reproductive rights to climate change to Big Tech, The Independent is on the ground when the story is developing. Whether it’s investigating the financials of Elon Musk’s pro-Trump PAC or producing our latest documentary, ‘The A Word’, which shines a light on the American women fighting for reproductive rights, we know how important it is to parse out the facts from the messaging.
At such a critical moment in US history, we need reporters on the ground. Your donation allows us to keep sending journalists to speak to both sides of the story.
The Independent is trusted by Americans across the entire political spectrum. And unlike many other quality news outlets, we choose not to lock Americans out of our reporting and analysis with paywalls. We believe quality journalism should be available to everyone, paid for by those who can afford it.
President Donald Trump went on an early morning Truth Social posting spree including AI-generated images that suggested using lasers to win the Iran war, and details of his upcoming birthday plans.
In posts made at around 5.30 a.m. Friday, the president appeared to defend the war as well as describing his 80th birthday on June 14 as the “biggest ever.”
“Lasers: Bing, Bing, GONE!!!” read one post, featuring an image of an American battleship taking down a plane marked with an Iranian flag using a laser beam.
Another AI-generated image depicted Trump with UFC president Dana White on the White House lawn in front of a military guard firing weapons, and a flyover of military jets. “June 14th. Biggest ever!!! DJT,” the president captioned that image.
The UFC will put on an unprecedented event at the White House next month, organizing a series of fights to celebrate 250 years of the United States and the president’s 80th birthday. Trump says he expects more than 4,000 people at the White House event and a further 85,000 spectators at The Ellipse park nearby.
In another post, Trump described the Iran war as an “excursion” and compared it to the lengths of other U.S. conflicts including the Vietnam War and World War II. The U.S. strikes on Iran, named Operation Epic Fury, began February 28.
Trump also claimed the economy was at an “all time high” and that the price of oil is lower than during the presidency of Joe Biden, who he referred to again as “sleepy Joe.”
Trump’s war with Iran has sent gas prices soaring and pushed inflation up from 2.4 percent in February to 3.3 percent in March. Recent polling revealed that 65 percent of Americans disapprove of Trump’s handling of the economy.
The president’s use of Truth Social has ramped up in recent weeks, including flurries of posts in the early hours. Last month he posted on his platform 565 times, according to analysis from The Daily Beast – working out at around 18 posts a day.
Trump’s posts over the last month have stirred up controversy, including one of an AI image depicting him as Jesus, another photoshopped image of him threatening Iran and posts criticizing the 2020 election result.
It is unclear if Trump is responsible for all of his social media posts, or if some have come from Natalie Harp, who is an executive assistant to the president but also known to help with his online accounts.
Join thought-provoking conversations, follow other Independent readers and see their replies
Please refresh the page or navigate to another page on the site to be automatically logged inPlease refresh your browser to be logged in
