Trump ridiculed as he claims he was advised on Afghanistan military strategy by a five-year-old child

During Trump’s presidency, some of his critics described the Republican’s tenure as “childish”, but in the latest, wildest twist from the businessman, it appears as though he was advised on how to deal with the conflict in Afghanistan by an actual child.

Speaking at a rally in Alabama on Saturday, Trump said he asked the child “what would you do” in relation to the military’s involvement in the country.

“Would you leave the military until everything’s out, including civilians and all of that incredible military equipment, or would you have the military out first?”

Impersonating a five-year-old child – which, some might argue, wouldn’t be the first time – he replied to himself: “’Sir, leave the military in … I’d leave the military in. Get everything out first.’”

Trump then went on to add that he was advised not to tell the story of their supposed encounter because it was not “appropriate”, but insisted that the anecdote was “true”.

It comes despite Trump’s administration securing the Doha agreement with the Taliban, signed in February 2020, which guaranteed the “announcement of a timeline for the withdrawal of all foreign forces from Afghanistan” in exchange for the insurgents committing themselves not to use the country to attack “the security of the United States and its allies”.

Despite this agreement, the country would later fall to the Taliban, with Ashraf Ghani, Afghanistan’s president, fleeing abroad.

Of course, many people were sceptical of Trump’s claims – especially given that a five-year-old child referred to him as “sir”:

Given the nature of Trump’s remarks, it’s rather fitting that many people think he’s kidding…