...
By Emma Marsden
Reporter
0
Share
Newsweek is a Trust Project member
See more of our trusted coverage when you search.Prefer Newsweek on Googleto see more of our trusted coverage when you search.
President Donald Trump has drawn criticism after claiming on Truth Social that the United States did "far more" than its allies to secure victory in World War II.
"Many of our allies and friends are celebrating May 8th as Victory Day, but we did more than any other Country, by far, in producing a victorious result on World War II," Trump wrote in a Friday morning post, as reported by Newsweek.
Newsweek contacted the British, French and Russian defense ministries for comment via email on Friday.
Read More on News
"I am hereby renaming May 8th as Victory Day for World War II and November 11th as Victory Day for World War I," Trump posted. "We won both Wars, nobody was close to us in terms of strength, bravery, or military brilliance... We are going to start celebrating our victories again!"
...
Why It Matters
The remarks quickly drew criticism from many who called the comments dismissive of the sacrifices made by other Allied nations as the United Kingdom, Soviet Union (now Russia), Canada, France and others suffered immense losses and played critical roles across multiple fronts.
What To Know
While historians agree the U.S. was decisive, particularly through industrial support, D-Day and the Pacific campaign, many emphasize that WWII was won through coordination, shared sacrifice and a multinational alliance.
Britain's air defense in the Battle of Britain (1940) and the resistance movements in occupied Europe, played key roles before American forces landed in Europe in 1943.
The U.S. joined the war officially on December 8, 1941, after Japan's attack on Pearl Harbor. Congress declared war on Germany shortly after, on December 11. The war in Europe ended with Germany's surrender in May 1945, while the Pacific front ended in August 1945, following the atomic bombings of Hiroshima and Nagasaki.
The Soviet Union suffered an estimated 24 million casualties, including civilians and military personnel, while bearing the brunt of Nazi Germany's eastern campaign.
Britain, which stood alone against the Axis powers for a year before U.S. entry, lost about 450,700 people in the war. France suffered more than 567,000 casualties. U.S. losses are estimated at 418,500, according to the National WWII Museum.
What People Are Saying
Leading British historian Richard Overy, FRHistS FBA, who has written extensively on World War II, said in a statement to Newsweek on Monday: "Trump's statement is an extraordinary distortion of history, putting him in the same category as Putin, though in Trump's case he seems to have forgotten entirely what the Red Army achieved in World War II. So we have two world leaders who both think their country won the war. They would benefit from reading more history.
"The claim for World War I is even more of a distortion, as surely everyone will know. The British, French, and Italians defeated the Central Powers, with some U.S. help in the last months. This is history that Trump really ought to read. His claim as it stands is nonsense."
Podcast host Keith Olbermann in a viral post on X, formerly Twitter, on Trump framing May 8 as a uniquely American Victory Day: "We won World War II on August 15, 1945 when the Japanese surrendered. Trump is a complete moron."
American University Kyiv professor Roman Sheremeta, on X, about Trump's inconsistency, recalling a previous comment in which Trump suggested that Russia defeated Hitler: "Trump doesn't know history — because Russia didn't defeat Hitler. It was the joint effort of the Allied forces."
David Frum of The Atlantic observed the irony of Trump adopting the Russian custom of celebrating Victory Day in May, on X: "Trump follows the Russian practice, not the American."
What Happens Next
Trump's post received more than 14,000 likes on Truth Social, with supporters applauding its patriotic tone. But critics warned that such rhetoric could strain diplomatic ties and oversimplify a complex global conflict.
This is not the first time Trump's comments about history or alliances have caused controversy. During his time in office, he has frequently clashed with NATO leaders and accused allies of failing to meet defense spending commitments.
Update 05/05/2025, 04:00 a.m. ET: This article was updated with comment from Richard Overy.
View 0 Comments
Submit Correction
View Editorial & AI Guidelines