Trump says Europe shouldn’t celebrate WWII victory too much “we’re the real ones that won the war”
President Donald Trump is doubling down on his longstanding effort to spotlight the United States as the sole victor of World War II.
While delivering remarks to U.S. service members at Al Udeid Air Base in Doha, Qatar, on Thursday, May 15, the 78-year-old former president addressed his recent executive order naming May 8 as a national holiday: Victory Day for World War II. The move, according to Trump, was inspired after learning that numerous other nations commemorate the war’s end on the same date—known globally as VE Day.
“I’d call up a certain country and they said, ‘Oh, we’re celebrating the victory of World War II today, sir,’” Trump explained. “Then I speak to another one, and they were celebrating. And the fact is, Russia was celebrating, France was celebrating, everybody was celebrating but us. And we’re the ones that won the war.”
“We won the war. And they helped, but without us, they don’t win the war,” he added. “We’re all speaking German. Without us, they’re speaking German — maybe a little Japanese too.”
Historically, the Allied Forces of World War II included not just the U.S., but also the United Kingdom and the Soviet Union, with China joining early on due to its conflict with Japan. Many other nations played roles in the global fight as well—among them France, Poland, Canada, Australia, India, Greece, Norway, Brazil, Mexico, and the Philippines.
Despite this context, Trump reiterated America’s central role in the Allied victory, even drawing comparisons that left little room for diplomacy. He poked fun at French President Emmanuel Macron, despite calling him a “good guy, by the way,” while recalling a recent phone call: “‘Donald, we are celebrating our victory over the Germans.'”
“I said, what the hell? Every country I’ve spoken to in the last week is celebrating the war but us. Isn’t that terrible?” Trump went on.
In his remarks, the former president also declared that November 11, already marked as Veterans Day, will now also be called “Victory Day for World War I.”
“I got my crack staff over there, and we did it,” Trump told the audience. “We have May 8, and we also have the date in November. That sacred date in November for World War I, because we won that war, too.”
Still, he was quick to clarify that the newly named commemorations won’t include time off. “We have a lot of holidays, I’m not so sure we should have them, and you don’t have to go to work. Our country has to go to work. So we’re going to have a working holiday for each one of those two dates,” he said.
Although these changes effectively cancel out any notion of a full day of rest in honor of fallen or victorious troops, Trump—who famously received deferments from the Vietnam War draft due to bone spurs—took a moment to commend the soldiers assembled in Qatar.
“As president, my priority is to end conflicts, not start them,” he said. “But I will never hesitate to wield American power if it’s necessary to defend the United States of America or our partners. And this is one of our great partners right here.
“When we’re threatened, America’s military will answer our enemies without even thinking about it,” he continued. “You’re the people that are defeating chaos, combating terror, defending our interests, supporting our allies, securing our homeland and making America incredibly proud. And, you know what? Making America great again.”
