Donald Trump likes to “hang around with losers” because he dislikes listening to successful people talk about their achievements, the US President has said.
At the Future Investment Initiative in Miami, Trump said: “I always like to hang around with losers, actually, because it makes me feel better.”
“I hate guys that are very, very successful, and you have to listen to their success stories. I like people who like to listen to my success,” he added.
Trump made the comments during a question-and-answer segment following a lengthy speech. Trump invited open-ended questions from attendees, saying they could discuss “sex” or “whatever the hell you want.”
Asked what leadership trait lacked globally, Trump responded that “winning” is the most important factor. He contrasted success and failure using sports as an example, saying outcomes are clear and immediate, unlike in other areas of life.
“You got a lot of losers, mostly losers, fortunately,” he said, before speaking of his earlier comment about preferring their company. He later said, “I'm only kidding,” before adding, “Eh, sort of.” “People who win, it's much easier to lead when you're successful, and you win,” Trump said.
During the event, Trump also referenced Qasem Soleimani, the Iranian commander killed in a US drone strike ordered by Trump in 2020. He described Soleimani as a “great leader” and a “mad genius.”
He also claimed that Iran's newly appointed supreme leader, Mojtaba Khamenei, was dead.
Trump said recent US military operations had effectively dismantled Iran's leadership structure. “Their leaders are all dead… Their supreme leader is no longer supreme. He's dead,” he said.
“Iran's navy is gone… their air force is totally, completely dead,” he said, adding that missile systems, drone factories, and defence infrastructure had been “totally dismantled.”
Trump also claimed that Iran is now seeking negotiations. “They are begging to make a deal,” he said.
Iranian Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi has said Iran is reviewing a US proposal to end the war but has “no intention” of holding talks with Washington. He added that exchanges through mediators “do not mean negotiations with the US.”
The US-Israeli war on Iran began on February 28, assassinating Supreme Leader Ali Khamenei and several top officials, including security chief Ali Larijani. At least 1,900 people, including 175 school girls, have been killed in bombings and airstrikes, and 3.2 million have been internally displaced, according to Iranian authorities.
