From 'Sleepy Joe' To Viral Gaffes: Trump Calls Zelenskyy 'Putin', Iran As 'Islamic Republic Of Japan'

Published 9 July 2026 · world

From 'Sleepy Joe' To Viral Gaffes: Trump Calls Zelenskyy 'Putin', Iran As 'Islamic Republic Of Japan' Published By, Last Updated: July 09, 2026, 09:19 IST

From 'Sleepy Joe' To Viral Gaffes: Trump Calls Zelenskyy 'Putin', Iran As 'Islamic Republic Of Japan' Published By, Last Updated: July 09, 2026, 09:19 IST Donald Trump's "President Putin" and "Islamic Republic of Japan" remarks at the NATO summit went viral, renewing scrutiny over his latest verbal gaffes. Donald Trump came under scrutiny after mistakenly calling Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy "President Putin" and referring to Iran as the "Islamic Republic of Japan" during the NATO summit (Photo: AFP) US President Donald Trump, who spent years attacking former President Joe Biden over verbal stumbles and branding him “Sleepy Joe", is now facing fresh scrutiny after a series of remarks at the NATO Summit that quickly went viral across social media. During a joint appearance with Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy, Trump mistakenly referred to the Ukrainian leader as “President Putin" while also describing Iran as the “Islamic Republic of Japan" during another part of his remarks. The clips have reignited debate over the Republican leader’s public speaking mistakes, with critics drawing comparisons to the attacks Trump himself frequently levelled at Biden. The comments came during Trump’s interactions with reporters on the sidelines of the NATO Summit. Videos of both moments were widely circulated online, with users sharing and dissecting the remarks across social media platforms. Supporters largely dismissed them as routine slips of the tongue, while critics argued they add to a growing list of high-profile verbal mi ups involving the US President.

The irony has not been lost on political observers. Throughout the 2020 and 2024 election campaigns, Trump repeatedly questioned Biden’s age and cognitive sharpness, using nicknames such as “Sleepy Joe" to portray his Democratic rival as mentally unfit for office. Now, Trump’s own remarks are drawing similar scrutiny, particularly as he is the oldest person to begin a second term as US President. ‘DO YOU HAVE A QUESTION FOR PRESIDENT PUTIN?’ The first viral moment came while Trump was seated beside Zelenskyy during a media interaction. Pointing toward the Ukrainian President, Trump asked reporters, “Do you have a question for President Putin? Do you have a question for President Putin?" After a reporter replied, “Not so much for Putin," Trump continued, “What would you like to ask him? Because I’m going to ask him that question." Trump appeared to realise the mistake moments later and corrected himself, but the exchange had already spread widely online. The episode was particularly striking because Zelenskyy was sitting immediately beside him when the remarks were made. ‘ISLAMIC REPUBLIC OF JAPAN’ In another widely shared clip from the same Summit, Trump was discussing what he described as an Iranian missile attack on the USS Abraham Lincoln when he mistakenly named Japan instead of Iran. “We have an aircraft carrier which is one of the most beautiful in the world.