CNN host Abby Phillip burst into laughter after a jaw-dropping statistic about Donald Trump’s escalating threats stunned a NewsNight panel.
According to CNN, the president has threatened military action against 15 countries across his two terms—roughly one in every 13 nations on Earth.
The countries span four continents and are home to nearly one in every 11 people worldwide, meaning a huge share of the global population has at some point faced the prospect of Trump targeting their country with military force.
The CNN analysis comes after Trump threatened to blow up Oman, a U.S. ally, after the country entered into talks with Iran over a possible partnership to impose charges on ships passing through the Strait of Hormuz, which Iran has closed off as a result of the war. The U.S. has also imposed a naval blockade on Iranian ports.
Trump has been pushing for Iran to reopen the Strait, but has not had success so far.
“Nobody’s gonna control it,” Trump said of the global shipping route.
“We’re gonna watch over it. We’ll watch over it, but nobody’s gonna control it. That’s part of the negotiation that we have. They would like to control it. Nobody’s gonna control it. It’s international waters. And Oman will behave just like everybody else, or we’ll have to blow ’em up. They understand that. They’ll be fine.”
Trump, 79, was answering questions from reporters during a Cabinet meeting at the White House when he made the shocking remark.
After playing the clip of Trump’s remarks, Phillip laughed, before saying: “I’m not really sure what that is all about, but I guess it’s worth noting that Trump has now threatened one in 13 nations on this planet.
“The 15th time he’s threatened a country since, I guess, he became president the second time around. I mean, is the answer to, I guess, if it’s a nail and you’ve got a hammer, the only thing that you can do is just use the hammer?”
The Daily Beast has contacted the White House for comment.
Across his two terms, CNN reports that Trump has launched strikes against seven countries: Iran, Iraq, Nigeria, Somalia, Syria, Venezuela, and Yemen.
That tally does not include strikes on suspected drug-trafficking boats in the Caribbean and Pacific, which have targeted nearly 60 vessels and resulted in more than 190 deaths.
The president has also threatened—or left open the possibility of military action against—seven additional countries in his second term: Canada, Colombia, Cuba, Greenland (part of Denmark), Mexico, Panama, and Oman. During his first term, he also aimed threats at Mexico and North Korea.
Of the 15 countries he has either struck or threatened across both presidencies, five have also been floated as potential U.S. territories or acquisitions: Canada, Cuba, Greenland, Panama (specifically the Panama Canal), and Venezuela.
