US President Donald Trump has already faced criticism for his grasp of geopolitics after answering a basic geography question incorrectly during his press conference hours after taking office. The reporter asked about the demand that NATO member states spend at least five percent of their GDP on defense, citing Spain’s defense spending level.
Trump responded by asking if Spain is a BRICS nation, despite knowing that ‘S’ does not stand for Spain, but rather stands for South Africa. A BRICS country includes Brazil, Russia, India, China, and other nations like Egypt and Indonesia. Trump also mentioned imposing 100 percent tariffs on US businesses with BRICS member states.
The incident has raised concerns about Trump’s age and mental health, according to editor Mehdi Hasan of Zeteo News. The news outlet shared a video of the gaffe on social media, suggesting it would have sparked widespread criticism if former President Joe Biden had made a similar mistake.
Source: https://newrepublic.com/post/190476/donald-trump-basic-geography-spain-brics