Donald Trump is no stranger to making bold — and often baffling — statements. But his latest comments about Middle East geography have left people wondering if he’s ever actually seen a map.
While speaking to reporters aboard Air Force One on Sunday, the president praised Qatar’s role in helping mediate a ceasefire and gave a glowing review of the country’s emir, Tamim bin Hamad bin Khalifa Al Thani.
“They were very brave and their leader, the emir, was very brave,” Trump said. “His country is right in the middle of everything. More so than any other country. His country, you walk across a line, and you’re there.”
Then came the quote that lit up social media:
“Other countries are there, but they’re an hour or an hour and a half away, a big difference. They’re literally, you walk over from Iran to Qatar. You can walk it in one second. You go ‘boom boom,’ and now you’re in Qatar, that’s tough territory.”
There’s just one problem: Qatar and Iran do not share a land border. Not even close. What lies between them is the Persian Gulf — around 150 miles of open water. No bridges. No causeways. Definitely no “boom boom” shortcut.
Trump’s “boom boom” remark instantly went viral, with journalists, analysts, and casual observers jumping in to point out the glaring error.
“One of those odd moments where Trump offers highly specific & totally inaccurate info about something no one asked him about,” tweeted Washington Post reporter John Hudson, who also posted a map for reference.
CBS politics reporter Kathryn Watson chimed in too, using a map to highlight the obvious: there’s a large body of water between the two countries.
The blunder quickly snowballed into a meme fest. Users on X (formerly Twitter) posted everything from Google Maps screenshots to SpongeBob walking-on-water GIFs, mocking Trump’s magical Middle East shortcut.
This isn’t the first time Trump has treated geography like improv comedy. From altering hurricane maps with a Sharpie to confusing country names and borders, he’s got a well-documented history of playing fast and loose with the globe.
Before going off on the Qatar tangent, Trump also referred to himself as “a great president” and blamed former President Barack Obama for conflict in the region — a familiar move in his greatest-hits playlist.
Still, the idea that someone could stroll from Iran to Qatar in a single step — “boom boom” and all — was too absurd to ignore, even by Trump standards.
At the very least, his version of Middle East travel would make for a wild Google Maps update.
Watch the clip and some of the responses below:
