Trump manufactures fake 'wars' in latest Epstein deflection
ALSO INSIDE: Scottish protesters shut down Trump’s golf game
Cam here 👋 bringing you your daily dose of what people are doing – good, bad, and otherwise – in the world of politics. We’re diving into the stories you won’t see anywhere else. And remember, you can also keep up with me over on TikTok and Bluesky.
And if you’re looking for a little more from COURIER, Akilah Hughes talks about ways people can fight back against Trump’s inhumane immigration policy in her new series, “How is This Better?”
Since day one of Trump’s political career, people have desperately attempted to normalize his absurd abuses of power and blatant corruption – and 10 years later, much of corporate media remains a victim of their own attempts to return to a sense of normalcy.
It’s time to stop sane-washing the insanity.
What Happened
While in the midst of a messaging war with the public over releasing the Epstein Files, President Donald Trump on Monday attempted to shift public discourse by falsely claiming to have prevented six wars since taking office in January.
“If I weren't around, you'd have right now six major wars going on,” Trump said. “We've done a lot. It's an honor to do it. It's not hard for me to do it. And I use — not in all cases — but I use a combination of knowing them a little bit, or in some cases, knowing them a lot.”
Of the conflicts Trump pointed to, three are still active wars, two were ceasefires that the countries involved said the US had nothing to do with, and one was made up by the president entirely. The president boasted of his self-proclaimed peacekeeping abilities amidst a scattershot of social media posts that appear to be attempts to divert attention away from the Trump administration’s refusal to release the Epstein files.
In addition to taking credit for ending a war that he made up, Trump attacked news outlets’ First Amendment rights and threatened to politically prosecute a number of prominent Black Americans, including Barack Obama, Kamala Harris, Beyoncé, and Oprah.
Here are the conflicts Trump claims to have resolved, and what the current situation actually is.
Gaza War: Active
What Trump said: “Yeah, ceasefire is possible, but you have to —you have to get it, you have to end it. You're talking about it with Israel? You're talking about there? Because we have many ceasefires going on. The whole world.”
What’s happening: Israel is currently committing a genocide against Palestinians, and Trump said last week he has given up on pushing for a ceasefire. Israel began a daily “tactical pause” on Monday to allow humanitarian aid to enter Gaza after a months-long Israeli blockade on humanitarian aid led to the mass starvation of Gazan children.
Russo-Ukrainian War: Active
What Trump said: “I’m going to make a new deadline of about 10, 10 or 12 days from today. There’s no reason in waiting. There’s no reason in waiting. It’s 50 days. I want to be generous, but we just don’t see any progress being made.”
What’s Happening: Russia ordered a drone strike on Ukraine on Sunday, prompting Trump to issue another arbitrary deadline for Russia to end the war.
India–Pakistan Conflict: Resolved internally
What Trump said: “I think a very big one was India and Pakistan, because that's — you’re talking about two nuclear nations. That was a very big one. But now we get help from the UK, the Prime Minister's health.”
What’s Happening: After a spark of violence between India and Pakistan erupted in May 2025, the two nations came to a bilateral ceasefire agreement. After Trump took credit, Pakistan officials thanked the US and 35 other countries for their support of the truce, while India Prime Minister Narendra Modi stated that the US was not involved in mediating the ceasefire.
Cambodia–Thailand Border Conflict: Resolved internally
What Trump said: “Just spoke to the Acting Prime Minister of Thailand and Prime Minister of Cambodia. I am pleased to announce that, after the involvement of President Donald J. Trump, both Countries have reached a CEASEFIRE and PEACE. Congratulations to all!”
What’s Happening: An ongoing territorial dispute between Cambodia and Thailand became violent in May. Thailand’s acting Prime Minister rejected outside mediation on July 25, and told Trump to stay out of it when the US president called him the next day. After the call, Trump declared victory and announced a nonexistent ceasefire. The next day, a ceasefire was mediated by the Malaysian Prime Minister, and was not a result of Trump’s trade and tariff-related threats.
Serbia - Kosovo War: Ended in 1999
What Trump said: “Serbia, Kosovo is another one. We have many hotspots that were at war.”
What’s Happening: Serbia and Kosovo haven’t been at war in decades. Trump has claimed since June that someone told him Serbia was going to start a war with Kosovo, so he stopped it from happening. There’s no evidence any of this is true.
DR Congo - Rwanda War: Active
What Trump said: “Look at — if you take a look at Rwanda and the Congo, Republic of the Congo. They've been fighting for 31 years, 8 million people dead. It was going on. Nobody could go to that part of Africa. They were being killed off to even walk. They're being killed with machetes.”
What’s Happening: The Trump administration brokered a deal between the two countries in June, where the Democratic Republic of the Congo would give the US rare earth minerals in exchange for protection, and the DRC would end its support of a far-right rebel government in Rwanda.
The DRC’s main opponent in the ongoing war, the Rwandan-backed rebel paramilitary known as M23, was not part of the negotiations.
Attempts to Sanewash
Trump boasts Thailand-Cambodia as sixth ‘major war’ he has prevented
For Trump, Starvation in Gaza Tests His Foreign Policy Approach
Far-Right Spin
Trump reveals mystery 'plan' with Israel to END Gaza war & get aid to civilians
‘This Is Final’: Thailand, Cambodia Reach Ceasefire Agreement After Call From Trump
‘No reason in waiting’: Trump warns Russia with new deadline of 10 to 12 days over Ukraine
Scottish protesters shut down Trump’s golf game
Scottish taxpayers got a taste of two American traditions over the weekend: protesting Trump, and footing the bill for his expensive golfing habit.
Protests formed in downtown Edinburgh and outside Trump’s golf course on Saturday, as the president played golf with his son and a US ambassador. Security was tight on the green, with an estimated cost to Scottish taxpayers of around $4 million.
“Why isn’t he paying for it himself? He’s coming for golf, isn’t he?” Edinburgh resident Merle Fertuson told the Associated Press. “It’s got nothing whatsoever to do with public money, either US or UK.”
While the actions were unable to completely dissuade Trump from taking a taxpayer-funded golf trip, they did succeed in cutting it short: the 18-hole game ended about halfway through.
US Rep. Andy Harris, Maryland’s 1st Congressional District
Since taking office in 2011, Rep. Andy Harris has:
Seen his net worth increase from $2.5M to $5.5M
Sponsored 47 bills
Authored one bill that has been signed into law, to rename a post office
Fun Facts
Harris is an anti-immigration son of immigrants whose father served in World War II — alongside Nazis and Fascists in the Royal Hungarian Army.
Harris helped plan the Jan. 6 Insurrection, downplayed its severity after it failed, and tried to bring a gun on the House floor a few weeks later.
As an anesthesiologist, Harris has played fast and loose with his doctor’s notes, prescribing the deworming drug ivermectin to patients diagnosed with COVID-19.
As a state legislator in 2001, Harris attempted a filibuster to block a bill to prohibit discrimination against same-sex couples. His filibuster lasted for two hours, when a supermajority in the state Senate voted for him to shut up.
While his only successful legislation was naming a post office, in 2019, he failed to block the renaming of a different post office after Maya Angelou.
Stakes are high in North Carolina’s US Senate race
Analysis by Cardinal & Pine reporter Michael McElroy
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Now that former NC Gov. Roy Cooper, the popular Democrat, and Michael Whatley, the now-former head of the Republican National Committee, have indicated they will run for the state’s US Senate seat in 2026, the stage is set for perhaps the most consequential race across the country.
But don’t get distracted by all the standard horse race coverage. This isn’t a horse race: it could decide whether Republicans maintain control of the Senate or if Democrats take it back, restoring a huge check on President Trump’s legislative agenda.
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