Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer (D-N.Y.) didn't hold back after Donald Trump's latest public appearance at the NATO summit in Ankara, Turkey. The president managed to confuse Japan with Iran, claim missiles were shot at a U.S. aircraft carrier, and pick fights with allies—all in one morning. Schumer called it an embarrassment.
On Wednesday, Schumer took to X to unload. "Donald Trump's rambling, unhinged, confused performance this morning was an embarrassment to our country on the world stage," he wrote. He added, "Serving as Putin's mouthpiece, undermining our allies, and cheerleading for war — that is Donald Trump's vision for our country."
The trigger for Schumer's ire? Trump's remarks alongside Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy at the NATO summit. Trump said, "We had 111 missiles shot by the Islamic Republic of Japan," claiming the missiles were fired at the USS Abraham Lincoln over the course of an hour and were intercepted. The problem? Japan is not an Islamic republic—it's a constitutional monarchy and a U.S. ally. The term "Islamic Republic" is typically used for Iran. It was a mix-up that left many scratching their heads.
Illinois Governor JB Pritzker (D) also piled on, accusing Trump of cognitive decline. "Donald Trump is suffering from dementia. Someone needs to step in before it's too late," Pritzker wrote on X.
Trump's NATO summit wasn't just about verbal gaffes. He reignited tensions by pushing again for U.S. control of Greenland, criticizing Denmark's position on the Arctic island. "The U.S. made a mistake by returning Greenland after World War II," Trump said. Danish Prime Minister Mette Frederiksen shot back, saying "Greenland is, of course, not for sale."
Trump also threatened to end U.S. trade with Spain after the country rejected NATO's new defense spending target. He accused Spain of not contributing enough to the alliance and called for cutting off trade ties—though commerce continued normally, for now.
The incident has sparked debate about Trump's fitness for office, with critics pointing to a pattern of confusing statements. Supporters, however, argue that the media is overreacting to a simple slip of the tongue. Either way, it's been a memorable week at the NATO summit.
