Donald Trump loves himself a victory lap even when the finish line is debatable at best. His latest brag was about America’s standing in the world, which triggered a wave of mockery, and a straightforward question from critics: “Who’s gonna tell him?”
Trump was speaking at a Ford plant in Dearborn, Michigan, when he compared his presidency with that of former President Joe Biden. He even said that the U.S. was once globally “laughed at” and “scorned,” but when he took over the office for the second time, the country outsmarted the world.
That’s how, under his leadership, Trump claimed, America is no longer the subject of ridicule. But as expected, many people watching weren’t convinced.
According to HuffPost, critics accused Trump of rewriting recent history when this speech landed online. People chuckled at the confidence with which he delivered the claim, as the world has laughed at Trump even on camera!
OMG, QUEEN MAXIMA!
Look at her mocking trump! 🤣👑pic.twitter.com/BHca2h3ni7
— BrooklynDad_Defiant!☮️ (@mmpadellan) June 26, 2025
As Trump’s comments made the rounds online, several social media users took to X to mock the President.
“Psst we’re laughing even louder now,” one wrote. “They are laughing even harder now!” another added. “He lives in his own little world,” a third commented.
One commentator asked, “Who wants to tell him?” while another stated, “He is describing both of his presidencies. Laughed at and scorned by the world and at him.”
Who’s gonna tell him? https://t.co/REwJo7wcmQ
— pamm fair (@PammFair) January 13, 2026
Frankly, Trump has a distinct vision of how he thinks he has been viewed internationally for years now. Perhaps the most famous example came in 2018, when he told the United Nations General Assembly that his government accomplished more than any other in U.S. history.
The assembled world leaders laughed at him, and he was genuinely surprised by that. That context surely plays into the Michigan brag.
The broader narrative that he has been pushing aggressively is that under his leadership, everything is improving, and you’ll be berated if you ask questions as to how.
Recently, ABC News fact-checked a presidential address wherein Trump said he brought down prices of gas, groceries, airfare and hotels. While some figures can be partially true (like gas prices being lower than their 2022 peak), others were exaggerated.
Trump also claimed that egg prices have been down by 82%. But according to the Bureau of Labor Statistics, they’re actually down about 43%, and that too is mainly due to fewer avian flu cases. Meanwhile, meat prices are up, beef is at a record high, and coffee prices have surged nearly 19%. Most of these, at least in some way, are due to the tariffs he imposed.
Paying more for coffee? You can thank Trump’s tariffs for that. pic.twitter.com/RYlplan8wG
— Lisa Blunt Rochester (@LisaBRochester) January 13, 2026
That’s why Trump’s assertion that America is no longer laughed at easily fit into a series of ironic moments he has caused. But surely, his supporters see it differently. To them, this bravado is proof of strength regardless of what critics or data sets say.
So if a leader insists the world has stopped laughing and the response is laughter again, who will explain things to him?
