Folks, I’m sipping my coffee and reading about President Trump’s latest tale about South Korea, and I have to say, it’s a doozy. According to CNN, every single part of the story is false, and I mean every single part. Trump has told versions of this story before, and CNN debunked one of them last year. This time, he told the story the day after announcing that the US would reduce military exercises with South Korea, citing his “very good relationship” with North Korean leader Kim Jong Un. I’m not sure what’s more surprising, the fact that Trump’s story is completely made up or the fact that he thinks we’ll believe it.
Trump’s tale goes like this: South Korea didn’t pay for the US military presence in the country before he became president, but he got them to agree to pay $3 billion a year, with increases in subsequent years. However, the 2020 election was “rigged” against him, and when Joe Biden became president, South Korea convinced Biden that Trump was a “bad person” and shouldn’t have to pay the money, so Biden “immediately rescinded” Trump’s “order.” Yeah, right.
Let’s break down the facts. South Korea has been paying for the US military presence in the country for decades, with cost-sharing agreements dating back to 1991. The final five-year agreement signed before Trump became president in 2017 had South Korea spending over $800 million per year from 2014 to 2018. It’s not true that Trump got South Korea to pay $3 billion in any year, and it’s not true that he secured two subsequent increases in spending.
The reality is that Trump’s comments include at least five separate inaccurate claims, in addition to his usual exaggeration of the size of the US military presence in South Korea. He claimed that South Korea agreed to pay $3 billion a year, but the actual deal was for less than $1 billion. He also claimed that the 2020 election was rigged, which is simply not true. Trump lost the election fair and square to Biden.
It’s also not true that Biden agreed to a South Korean demand to rescind Trump’s cost-sharing deal. In fact, Biden’s administration signed two new agreements, one in 2021 and one in 2024, which included South Korean spending increases. The 2021 agreement included a 13.9% increase in spending, bringing the level to around $1 billion, and the 2024 agreement included an 8.3% increase in 2026.
Somewhere in Atlanta, a producer thought this story sounded like a great way to fill some airtime, and now we’re all talking about it. You can’t make this stuff up, folks. The fact that Trump’s story is completely fabricated is not surprising, but the fact that he thinks we’ll believe it is. Bless their hearts.
In conclusion, Trump’s story about South Korea is a complete work of fiction, and it’s amazing that he thinks we’ll swallow it whole. The facts are clear: South Korea has been paying for the US military presence in the country for decades, and Trump’s claims about the cost-sharing agreements are simply not true. As I finish my coffee, I’m left shaking my head and wondering what’s next in this saga of misinformation. And that’s a wrap, folks! 🙄
Armchair patriot. Believes in the free market, cold beer, and that there’s always a guy named George behind every CNN segment.
Former remote-throwing champion turned #1 couch commentator on liberal panic in the media. Born in Texas (or so his mug says), he earned a degree in Fake Newsology & Beer Philosophy from YouTube University.
