President Trump has boasted about ending a war in which 15 million people have allegedly had their “heads chopped off” – another exaggerated claim about his ability to bring peace to the world.
The president made the claim during a press gaggle aboard Air Force One after attending a Nato summit in Turkey, with
“Think of the wars I settled,” Trump said, after remarking on Venezuelan opposition leader María Corina Machado gifting him with her Nobel Peace Prize. “Eight. Wars that were going on for 30 years.”
Trump continued, “The Congo vs Rwanda. I settled it after 14 years, and about 15 million people had their heads chopped off. I settled that one.” The president did not provide any evidence to support his claim.
Both countries did sign an agreement in Washington D.C., in 2025 to end hostilities in the conflict, which followed the resurgence of the March 23 Movement in 2022.
That same year, Trump remarked, “They’ve spent a lot of time killing each other, and now they’re going to spend a lot of time hugging.”
While speaking to reporters aboard Air Force One, the president also reiterated his claims that he should have won a Nobel Peace Prize.
The commander-in-chief began laying out his case after a reporter asked him about an article published byThe Wall Street Journal that suggested Machado’s plane had abruptly turned around as she jetted from the U.S. back to Venezuela.
“Oh no. No, no, not at all,” Trump said when asked if he ordered Machado’s plane to be turned around.
Trump went on to label Machado “wonderful” and “terrific,” before asking whether the opposition leader successfully returned to Venezuela.
Shortly after, he recounted how Machado had handed over her Nobel Peace Prize to him in January. Machado gave her award to Trump less than two weeks after U.S. forces seized former Venezuelan President Nicolás Maduro and brought him to the United States.
According to Trump, Machado told him that she could not believe that she had won the Nobel Peace Prize.
“The only one that should win it is Trump,” he said, supposedly quoting Machado.
Trump continued by insisting that he deserved the award because “nobody’s settled wars.”
The president also suggested that he was able to settle wars because of his “certain type of personality.”