Washington, D.C. – Former President Donald Trump raised eyebrows Wednesday night after making an unsettling remark during a summer event at the White House. Speaking from the Truman Balcony to supporters and administration officials, Trump appeared to joke about America’s capacity to annihilate a country with a single phone call.
While praising his chief of staff, Susie Wiles, Trump referred to her as “the most powerful woman anywhere in the world.” He then alluded to the United States’ destructive capabilities.
“One phone call and a group of people,” Trump began, pausing briefly. “I better not say it. I was going to say, ‘one phone call and a country is wiped out,’ but we’re not going to say that. Because we’re a peace-loving nation.”
The remark drew comparisons to fictional authoritarian figures, such as Star Wars’ Emperor Palpatine and the Death Star, which destroyed entire planets.
Trump also expressed surprise that Wiles is the first female chief of staff in U.S. history and spoke about her strong leadership over male cabinet members.
“She watches all those men. If they get a little out of line—they may be big shots in defense or commerce—they get scared of her. They don’t want her coming after them,” Trump told the audience.
He continued with a jab at President Joe Biden, referencing Biden’s past public stumbles, including trips while boarding Air Force One.
“Don’t fall, please, nobody,” Trump said to the crowd gathered on the South Lawn. “We had an administration that fell a lot. We don’t want to have that.”
The event came amid news of an ongoing federal investigation into cybersecurity breaches targeting Wiles. Multiple elected officials, business executives, and other high-profile figures have reportedly received suspicious messages from someone pretending to be Wiles.
On Friday, Trump addressed the issue publicly, describing Wiles as “an amazing woman” who is capable of handling the situation.
“They breached the phone; they tried to impersonate her,” Trump said. “Nobody can impersonate her. There’s only one Susie.”
A White House official confirmed the investigation but spoke on condition of anonymity, as they were not authorized to discuss the matter publicly. The official emphasized that the White House takes staff cybersecurity seriously.
According to a report by The Wall Street Journal, senators, governors, and business leaders received phone calls and text messages from someone who appeared to have accessed Wiles’ personal contacts. Some recipients said the voice on the calls resembled Wiles, raising concerns that artificial intelligence may have been used to mimic her speech. Others said the messages appeared official at first, but later seemed inconsistent with Wiles’ known communication style.
