
Donald Trump has boasted about ordering the assassination of Iranian military commander Qassem Soleimani during a rambling, invective-filled and at times slurred campaign rally speech to supporters in Ohio.
We stopped him quickly and we stopped him cold … at my direction, the US president said of the Quds force leaders death, which lit a match under several delicate diplomatic ties in the Middle East and sparked fears of a major escalation in violence.
Mr Trump then went on to revisit his irritation at not being awarded the Nobel Peace Prize.
Download the new Indpendent Premium app
Sharing the full story, not just the headlines
Download now
Days after being criticised for threatening to commit war crimes by targeting Iranian cultural sites, Mr Trump lamented his loss at the hands of Ethiopias prime minister Abiy Ahmed, who was lauded in part for achieving a peace deal with Eritrea after two decades of war.
I made a deal, I saved a country, and I just heard that the head of that country is now getting the Nobel Peace Prize for saving the country, Mr Trump claimed, although it is unclear why the president felt he deserved credit for bringing peace to the East African region.
left
Created with Sketch.
right
Created with Sketch.
Shape
Created with Sketch.
Donald Trump celebrity president: A decade in two halves
1/29
Trump styles his ‘You’re fired!’ pose in his Trump Tower office in June 2012. At the time he was known as a reality TV star on The Apprentice
2/29
He was also well known as the patron of the Miss Universe competition
3/29
Early signs of Trump’s ambition for the presidency can be found everywhere. Not least in his 2011 book ‘Time to get tough: Making America #1 again’
4/29
Trump with Piers Morgan in November 2010. Piers Morgan has long held that he and Trump are good friends
5/29
Trump appeared on Fox & Friends, his favourite show, in August 2011
6/29
Trump considered running in the 2012 election, where he would have faced Barack Obama. He is speaking here at an event for a Republican women’s group
7/29
Trump was subject to a Comedy Central roast in 2011. He is pictured here being roasted by rapper Snoop Dogg
8/29
Given that this Trump store is in the lobby of Trump Tower, it can be said that Trump sells merchandise of himself out of his own home
9/29
Trump held meetings with prominent Republicans when considering his 2012 bid. He is pictured here with Alaska governor Sarah Palin
10/29
He didn’t end up running in 2012 afterall, instead endorsing Republican candidate Mitt Romney
11/29
Trump’s golf course in Aberdeen proved controversial in 2012 when he began lobbying the Scottish government against wind power in order that they wouldn’t install turbines off the shore by his new course
12/29
He even gave evidence to a Scottish parliamentary committee discouraging wind energy
13/29
He still found time for a round of course
14/29
On 16 June 2015, Trump announced that he would run for the presidency of the United States in the 2016 election as a Republican
15/29
His campaign was divisive, courting controversy wherever he went. Ultimately he was declared the Republican candidate in June 2016
16/29
Trump took part in the TV debate against opponent Hillary Clinton on 9 October
17/29
Trump and wife Melania vote in the presidential election on 8 November 2016
18/29
Hillary Clinton conceded defeat at 2:50am on 9 November and president-elect Trump swiftly delivered his victory speech to a crowd of supporters
19/29
News coverage around the world focused on the huge political upset that Trump’s victory spelled
20/29
Trump met with president Obama to discusss transition planning on 10 November. Obama had fiercely denounced Trump during the election campaign, at one point even swearing that he would not leave the White House if Trump won
21/29
Donald Trump and Nigel Farage pose in the golden elevator at Trump Tower on 12 November 2016. Farage was the first British politician to meet with Trump after the election
22/29
The inauguration of Donald Trump took place on 20 January 2017. Trump’s press secretary Sean Spicer boasted that the crowd was the ‘largest ever’ to witness an inauguration, a claim that was proved not to be true
23/29
In his first 100 days as leader, Trump signed 24 executve orders, the most of any president
24/29
One of Trump’s most memorable election pledges was to build a wall between the US and Mexico. He is standing here in front of a prototype for a section of the wall
25/29
Trump’s meetings with other world leaders have provided no short supply of photo opportunities
26/29
Trump was welcomed to the UK by the Queen and a state banquet was held at Buckingham Palace in his honour
27/29
Not everyone welcomed the president. Mass protests were held in London throughout his visits in both 2018 and 2019
28/29
One of the most significant meetings Trump has held with another leader was with North Korea’s Kim Jong Un. In June 2019, Trump became the first sitting president to set foot in North Korea
29/29
2020 will see president Trump fight for a second term in office, who knows what the next decade will bring?
1/29
Trump styles his ‘You’re fired!’ pose in his Trump Tower office in June 2012. At the time he was known as a reality TV star on The Apprentice
2/29
He was also well known as the patron of the Miss Universe competition
3/29
Early signs of Trump’s ambition for the presidency can be found everywhere. Not least in his 2011 book ‘Time to get tough: Making America #1 again’
4/29
Trump with Piers Morgan in November 2010. Piers Morgan has long held that he and Trump are good friends
5/29
Trump appeared on Fox & Friends, his favourite show, in August 2011
6/29
Trump considered running in the 2012 election, where he would have faced Barack Obama. He is speaking here at an event for a Republican women’s group
7/29
Trump was subject to a Comedy Central roast in 2011. He is pictured here being roasted by rapper Snoop Dogg
8/29
Given that this Trump store is in the lobby of Trump Tower, it can be said that Trump sells merchandise of himself out of his own home
9/29
Trump held meetings with prominent Republicans when considering his 2012 bid. He is pictured here with Alaska governor Sarah Palin
10/29
He didn’t end up running in 2012 afterall, instead endorsing Republican candidate Mitt Romney
11/29
Trump’s golf course in Aberdeen proved controversial in 2012 when he began lobbying the Scottish government against wind power in order that they wouldn’t install turbines off the shore by his new course
12/29
He even gave evidence to a Scottish parliamentary committee discouraging wind energy
13/29
He still found time for a round of course
14/29
On 16 June 2015, Trump announced that he would run for the presidency of the United States in the 2016 election as a Republican
15/29
His campaign was divisive, courting controversy wherever he went. Ultimately he was declared the Republican candidate in June 2016
16/29
Trump took part in the TV debate against opponent Hillary Clinton on 9 October
17/29
Trump and wife Melania vote in the presidential election on 8 November 2016
18/29
Hillary Clinton conceded defeat at 2:50am on 9 November and president-elect Trump swiftly delivered his victory speech to a crowd of supporters
19/29
News coverage around the world focused on the huge political upset that Trump’s victory spelled
20/29
Trump met with president Obama to discusss transition planning on 10 November. Obama had fiercely denounced Trump during the election campaign, at one point even swearing that he would not leave the White House if Trump won
21/29
Donald Trump and Nigel Farage pose in the golden elevator at Trump Tower on 12 November 2016. Farage was the first British politician to meet with Trump after the election
22/29
The inauguration of Donald Trump took place on 20 January 2017. Trump’s press secretary Sean Spicer boasted that the crowd was the ‘largest ever’ to witness an inauguration, a claim that was proved not to be true
23/29
In his first 100 days as leader, Trump signed 24 executve orders, the most of any president
24/29
One of Trump’s most memorable election pledges was to build a wall between the US and Mexico. He is standing here in front of a prototype for a section of the wall
25/29
Trump’s meetings with other world leaders have provided no short supply of photo opportunities
26/29
Trump was welcomed to the UK by the Queen and a state banquet was held at Buckingham Palace in his honour
27/29
Not everyone welcomed the president. Mass protests were held in London throughout his visits in both 2018 and 2019
28/29
One of the most significant meetings Trump has held with another leader was with North Korea’s Kim Jong Un. In June 2019, Trump became the first sitting president to set foot in North Korea
29/29
2020 will see president Trump fight for a second term in office, who knows what the next decade will bring?
While Trump administration officials may have played a minor role in the historic 2018 negotiations, it is also plausible that he was referring to his involvement in a dispute between Ethiopia, Egypt and Sudan over a new dam on the River Nile in November.
Having been a nominated for his efforts in North Korea, the Nobel Prize loss has been a sore point for Mr Trump, after his predecessor Barack Obama was awarded the accolade in 2009.
Read more
His frustration also appears to tie into a strong tendency towards legacy building a lens through which some commentators suggest the assassination of Soleimani can be viewed, as the latest in a lengthy line of often haphazard attempts.
Telling the Toledo crowd he saved a big war, saved a couple of em, Mr Trump was keen to take credit for relieving tensions inflamed by his decision to kill Soleimani, while proclaiming the might of the US military and issuing a warning to enemies of the US.
We are using this great power, not to pursue conflicts, but to really preserve, and I mean that in the truest sense of the word, preserve peace, he said. We have this tremendous military … a great fighting force, but I hope we never have to use it.
You saw an example of that a couple of days ago. So we seek friends not enemies, but if you dare to threaten our citizens, you do so at your own grave peril.
It was indicative of a wide-ranging address that read like a checklist of issues designed to shore up support with his key voter base.
Donald Trump boasts about Soleimani killing before complaining about not winning Nobel Peace Prize
The president attacked Mr Obama for playing golf and violating the carbon footprint days after moving to roll back environmental protections, and claimed he hadnt informed vicious, horrible Democrats of the Iran drone strikes because they would have leaked his plans to the really sick and corrupt fake news media.
He also joked at the likelihood of his supporters shouting wheres Hunter? at Joe Biden, every single debate, nine times a debate, before mocking Pete Buttigieg name by repeatedly yelling his surname.
Just days after the laboured delivery of a key press briefing on Iran raised concerns over his wellbeing, Mr Trump rounded off the rally speech with a heavily slurred statement of intent for the upcoming election.
We will make America strong again, he said. We will make America proud again. We will make America safe again, and we will make America great again.
More Stories
US star Megan Rapinoe tells BBC Sport about how taking a knee jeopardised her international career, and what the future holds for women’s football.
Australia’s corporate watchdog is in limbo as the Morrison government awaits the Thom review before deciding the fate of both ASIC and its chairman, James Shipton.
Researchers at Columbia Engineering found that alkali metal additives, such as potassium ions, can prevent lit