Former United States President Donald Trump jokingly suggested using fighter jets with Chinese flags to "bomb the sh*t" out of Russia as Moscow continues its war against Ukraine.
The Republican businessman had a speech in New Orleans on Saturday night where he suggested applying Chinese flags to the United States' F-22s. Trump then said that the federal government should send out the planes to attack Russia and set off a conflict between the two giant nations.
Jets To Bomb Russia
A recording showed Trump saying, "and then we say, China did it, we didn't do it, China did it, and then they start fighting with each other and we sit back and watch." His statement got the audience to laugh, suggesting that what the former president said was simply a joke.
However, the Republican businessman's statements may very well violate international law. Furthermore, there was little chance that Russians would mistake F-22s for Chinese aircraft because they were highly recognizable and not used by Beijing, as per the Washington Post.
On the other hand, Trump also reiterated his praise for North Korean leader Kim Jong-Un during his remarks on Saturday. The former U.S. president expressed his applause to the Asian official because his advisers and generals "cowered" and "stood up so fast" when he spoke to them, saying he wanted his people to act similarly.
The Republican businessman has long praised Russian President Vladimir Putin and Kim despite criticism from Democrats and some GOP members. During his presidency, Trump held multiple face-to-face meetings with both leaders and repeatedly praised how they led their countries.
According to Newsweek, Trump joked that he and Kim "fell in love" in September 2019 and noted that they exchanged "beautiful" letters. In a recent interview, the former president praised Putin for his actions against Ukraine when he acknowledged two breakaway regions in its neighboring country and sent military troops.
International Controversies
Social media users have been quick to mock Trump's remarks online, with some photoshopping images of what the F-22s with Chinese flags would look like. The former president's remarks on Saturday were made in front of donors at the Republican National Committee (RNC) retreat, which also featured former Vice President Mike Pence on Friday evening.
I tried to figure out what Trump’s plan would look like exactly and this is what I came up with pic.twitter.com/npngIwIDUR
— Acyn (@Acyn) March 6, 2022
The Republican businessman also used his time on stage to tease another potential 2024 presidential run. In his remarks, Trump said that another Republican president would take back the White House in the next presidential elections and questioned who could have that capacity.
On the other hand, the former president also criticized several lawmakers, including Senate Minority Leader Mitch McConnell and Democratic Rep. Adam Schiff. However, a spokesperson for Trump declined to comment regarding the issue, The Hill reported.
Trump initially praised Putin's acts on Ukraine, calling the Russian president "smart" and "savvy," but later changed his stance and called on Moscow to stop its aggression. In one interview where he urged Russia to stop killing Ukrainians, he also claimed that China would invade Taiwan sooner rather than later based on Moscow's actions.
