President Donald Trump once again couldn’t resist turning a routine policy question into a victory lap, boasting about another supposed world-saving accomplishment in glowing terms. The exaggeration was so over the top it practically begged for a comeback — and California Gov. Gavin Newsom didn’t miss his chance.
Trump’s latest claim came during a phone interview with Fox News, where he insisted his trade tariffs were “bringing peace to the world” and “saving millions of lives.”
During the interview with Sean Hannity, Trump said he’s using tariffs, essentially taxes on Americans, to control international behavior he doesn’t like and that the taxes are a life-saving humanitarian tool.
“The tariffs have brought peace to the world,” Trump absurdly insisted, while bragging about the trillions of dollars tariffs have brought in, but what he said next had Newsom and social media in stitches.
“Far much more importantly it gives you a tremendous road to peace and the saving of millions of lives, millions and millions of lives,” Trump exaggerated.
As an example, he claimed he threatened India and Pakistan, which are both nuclear-armed nations, with massive tariffs and brokered a peace deal between the neighboring enemies within 24 hours. Their long-running conflict over the Kashmir region dates back to when Pakistan split from India in 1947 to form a separate country, and there is no end to the dispute in sight.
Newsom had one response, “hahahahahahahahaha”. That simple response was enough to go viral and garner over 2500 comments.
Others joined in on X, “EXACTLY Senator….DEFINITELY a joke as this Cheeto Dude who calls himself “President” @realDonaldTrup is a joke.”
X user Carolyn from Maryland posted a photo of a frowning Trump in court and wrote across the front of it in big block lettering, “THIS FELON IS A PATHOLOGICAL LIAR.”
That post only set off another set of responses with one user adding, “It’s not just that he’s intentionally lying (which he is). He’s also now unintentionally confabulating, or making up false stories in his head to fill in the gaps left by his growing dementia… It just gets scarier by the minute.”
MAGA was not amused with Newsom, however. One furious user asked, “You’re laughing about lives being saved? WTH is wrong with you?”
The responses came quick. “Well, WE are all laughing because it is all bull sh**, and the fact you can chip stone with that chin.” Another added, “You think tariffs save lives? Or please tell me you were joking.”
This social media user probably said what’s on most Americans’ minds when it comes to Trump whose poll numbers have sunk into the 40 percentile range and even lower among different segments of the population. “Trump is BEYOND delulu! Impeach and remove!”
The nonprofit Washington-based Tax Foundation, which researches tax policies, estimates that Trump’s tariffs have increased taxes for U.S. households by $1,300 in 2025 and will add $1,600 to Americans’ taxes next year.
Trump continues to insist that his wildly fluctuating tariff policy will increase U.S. manufacturing, create job and boost sales of American-made goods.
Critics of tariffs, a tax on imported goods, have warned of higher prices, uncertain supply lines, higher grocery bills and overall economic damage.
Trump has implemented varying tax hikes on global imports from around the world starting at a baseline of 10 percent back in April, but he has increased the tariffs significantly on imports from certain nations, such as China, that he considers the “worst offenders” for unfair trade policies.
Both India and Brazil, for example are facing 50 percent tariffs on imported products to the U.S.
