(This story was first published on 14 June 2018, and is being republished in light of US President Donald Trump's 73rd birthday.)
Video Editors: Vivek Gupta and Mohd Irshad
Referring to Mexicans as "rapists", repeatedly threatening North Korean leader Kim Jong Un and mocking him as the "little rocket man", dismissing women with casual sexism countless times – it seems like United States President Donald Trump's repertoire of controversial statements just keeps growing.
On the occasion of the US president’s 72nd birthday on 14 June, we bring together some of the most 'colourful' speeches that he has made in the recent past, which would remind you who the president of the United States of America really is.
Here's a brief overview of what he said in those speeches:
1. Trump and Mexico-Phobia Go Hand-in-Hand
Trump's disdain for neighbouring Mexico has become a well-known truism, encapsulated in his elaborate plans to construct a wall on the Mexico border.
In June 2015, this is what he said about Mexicans immigrating to the US.
When Mexico sends its people, they are not sending their best. They are sending people with lots of problems. And they are bringing those problems with us. They’re bringing drugs, they’re bringing crime. They’re rapists. And some, I assume, are good people.Donald Trump in 2015
2. He's Patriotic, In a Way?
In September 2017, President Donald Trump — in the garb of patriotism — trained his guns on the National Football League (NFL) players for kneeling during the playing of the national anthem.
Notably, the kneeling by many of the players was an act of protest against police brutality and racial inequality, which became an issue of public anger in 2016 after NFL player Colin Kaepernick’s protest.
Following that was Trump’s message to the NFL owners in response to the resistance:
Wouldn’t you love to see one of these NFL owners, when somebody disrespects our flag, to say, ‘Get that son of a b***h off the field right now. He’s fired!’Donald Trump in 2017
3. And We Can’t Miss the Casual Sexism
Those following President Trump even on an occasional basis must be aware of his blatant sexism.
Among the women Trump has attacked is Megyn Kelly, a former news anchor at Fox News, who was hosting a Republican presidential debate in August 2015. Peeved by her questions about his past statements on women, Trump said this about her in an interview with CNN:
I don’t have a lot of respect for Megyn Kelly. She’s a lightweight. When you meet her, you realise she’s not very tough and not very sharp. I don’t respect her as a journalist. I think she’s highly overrated… She gets out and starts asking me all sorts of ridiculous questions. You could see there was blood coming out of her eyes. Blood coming out of her wherever.Donald Trump in 2015
Trump and his team sought to justify his comments, saying the word “whatever” had been mistaken for “wherever”, and that the President was referring to the anchor’s nose by that word, and not anything else.
4. With World Leaders, His Language Is Everything But Diplomatic
And of course, how can we talk about Donald Trump without delving into the controversial comments he has made about his counterparts across the world.
In November 2015, while on the campaign trail in Knoxville, Tennessee, Trump lashed out German Chancellor Angela Merkel for opening up Germany to Syrian refugees. These were the words he used:
So I used to be a fan of Angela Merkel. I used top think she is terrific and a great leader. (But) I think what she did to Germany is a total disgrace… I may have to deal with her. But I am no longer a fan.Donald Trump in 2015
Another leader who has come into Trump’s line of fire recently is Canadian PM Justin Trudeau, who has differences with him over trade tariffs.
But the most glaring example of Trump’s unabashedly erratic personality is his topsy-turvy relationship with North Korea’s Kim Jong Un. Till some time back, Kim was a “madman” and “little rocket man” for Trump. But on Tuesday, 12 June, the relationship turned itself on its head as the highly-anticipated summit between the two leaders took place in Singapore.
Trump described his newfound relationship with Kim thus:
We’ve had a great time together, a great relationship. We both want to do something, we both are going to do something. And we’ve developed a very special bond [...] You’d be surprised to know that he (Kim Jong Un) is very smart, a very good negotiator and he wants to do the right things.Donald Trump on 12 June 2018
So what should be our message to the US President on his 72nd birthday? Well, for starters, he should start working on making America controversy-free again. Perhaps that will help America become great again.
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