this post was submitted on 22 Jan 2025
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U.S. President Donald Trump has apparently confused Spain for a member of the BRICS bloc of developing economies, causing some head-scratching and jitters over possible tariffs in Madrid.

Trump erroneously said Spain was in BRICS when a journalist asked him about NATO countries like Spain which don’t meet the NATO minimum of spending 2% of economic output on defense. Spain ranked last in the 32-nation military alliance, estimated to spend 1.28% on defense last year.

Trump started his answer by saying “Spain is very low,” referring to its defense expenditures, but quickly veered into speaking about the BRICS.

“They’re a BRICS nation, Spain. Do you know what a BRICS nation is? You’ll figure it out,” he told the reporter from the presidential desk in the Oval Office.

Trump repeated his threat to put costly tariffs on BRICS, saying “we are going to put at least a 100% tariff on the business they do with the United States,” part of his economic plans that would overturn decades of free trade consensus.

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[–] RubicTopaz@lemmy.world 77 points 4 days ago (1 children)

Here's the clip, he's just as senile as Biden lmfao. Just dying empire things

[–] HiddenLayer555@lemmy.ml 45 points 3 days ago* (last edited 3 days ago) (1 children)

Biden is the quiet confusion kind of senile.

Trump is the batshit insane kind of senile which is arguably worse.

[–] P00ptart@lemmy.world 3 points 3 days ago (2 children)

How is that "arguably" worse?

[–] jumperalex@lemmy.world 11 points 3 days ago

One can't find the button to push. The other pushes every single fucking button they can find.

[–] chaosCruiser@futurology.today 4 points 3 days ago

This stuff is just too hilarious, and more insanity keeps on coming. As a result, it’s popcorn time every day of the week, and I can’t sustain a diet like that.

[–] TommySoda@lemmy.world 41 points 4 days ago (2 children)

As much as I wanna say this is smart in some kinda way, the only thing that comes to mind is that this mf thinks Spain is in South America because they speak Spanish.

[–] DogPeePoo@lemm.ee 18 points 4 days ago

Time to whip out the Sharpie and once again amend the map!

[–] sparky@lemmy.federate.cc 2 points 3 days ago* (last edited 3 days ago)

Spain, you mean Europe Mexico?

[–] Alsephina@lemmy.ml 37 points 4 days ago (1 children)

I wasn't expecting a nato dog to join BRICS but hey, welcome to the resistance, Spain.

[–] fushuan@lemm.ee 10 points 3 days ago

What a way to insult a country twice in the same sentence.

[–] PanArab@lemmy.ml 25 points 3 days ago

A confused US leader isn't that bad if you are a BRICS member. If anything, it is the best you'd hope for.

[–] veroxii@aussie.zone 24 points 3 days ago
[–] ExtremeDullard@lemmy.sdf.org 32 points 4 days ago (1 children)

What a clot.

On the other hand, this is what Americans want, this is what they get. Although in fairness, Dubya started the tradition of cretinous presidents.

[–] nightwatch_admin@feddit.nl 27 points 4 days ago (2 children)

Someone forgot about Ronnie Reagan

[–] davel@lemmy.ml 17 points 4 days ago

Somebody forgot literally every president of that settler-colonial, imperialist, slaver country.

[–] ExtremeDullard@lemmy.sdf.org 10 points 4 days ago (2 children)

Oh come on, Reagan wasn't a genius but Dubya was in a class of his own - and still is: 16 years later, he still manages to embarrass himself and the country.

[–] nightwatch_admin@feddit.nl 20 points 4 days ago (1 children)

Reagan had become literally become a demented senile idiot, who had to be held in check by the staff and military.

[–] jollyjaguar@sh.itjust.works 2 points 3 days ago (1 children)

Let’s hope history repeats itself?

[–] nightwatch_admin@feddit.nl 1 points 3 days ago

I am actually hoping Diaper Donnie snuffs it today and all the crackpot billionaires are going to war amongst themselves. I can’t change how we got here but I am sure as hell going to enjoy the chaos.

[–] infuziSporg@hexbear.net 10 points 4 days ago

The tradition of anti-intellectualism goes back a long way. Certainly to Nixon and to Goldwater as a candidate, probably even further than that.

It's not a bug in America, it's a feature.

[–] Hestia@hexbear.net 20 points 3 days ago

Sorry Spain. You're not white enough to sit at the big kids table so you're a BRICS member now

[–] Collatz_problem@hexbear.net 19 points 3 days ago

Welcome to BRICS! spanish-republican

[–] sibachian@lemmy.ml 16 points 3 days ago

Trump repeated his threat to put costly tariffs on BRICS, saying “we are going to put at least a 100% tariff on the business they do with the United States,” part of his economic plans that would overturn decades of free trade consensus.

It's not a threat, he down right states that he is GOING TO put a minimum of 100% tariffs on BRICS and Spain. But as long as no one holds him accountable for all the spiel he spouts, he'll keep on saying whatever he wants and get away with it because people don't know how to act or assumes it's just too stupid for him to follow through, until he does, and have no preparation to counteract his shit.

[–] DogPeePoo@lemm.ee 13 points 4 days ago

Wharton’s finest

[–] infuziSporg@hexbear.net 13 points 4 days ago

mega-sicko.jpg

Do it, Donnie! Put the 100% tariffs on BRICS countries and Spain.

[–] TheObviousSolution@kbin.melroy.org 11 points 4 days ago (1 children)

This follows a pattern of Trump trying to undermine the concept of the European Union without directly going after the European Union. This sort of statement sounds like bullshit to the sort of people who don't need to realize it's bullshit, but unfortunately it captivates and allures the attention of bigots everywhere who until now had to remain to keep to themselves in our societies. It follows the larger trend of radicalizing and creating cults of useful idiots, and the US under Trump will likely be used as a platform to attempt to drive it into Europe to attempt to dismantle the EU as he continue to shift to more imperialistic and militaristic approach to world politics.

[–] adarza@lemmy.ca 10 points 4 days ago (1 children)

i wouldn't give him that much credit. strings are being pulled, blabbering lies get sharted out.

Then don't, it's basically stochastically emergent, no genius required.

You know, that's probably the smartest thing he said all day

[–] MITM0@lemmy.world 4 points 4 days ago

Let him try, he'll get a good lesson in just how weak America truly is