Trump claims 'numerous countries' sending ships then says 'we don't need' allies, contradicting himself at Kennedy Center

At the Kennedy Center press conference, Trump said 'Numerous countries have told me they're on the way' to help secure the Strait of Hormuz, but refused to name any when pressed, saying 'I'd rather not say yet.' He elaborated with increasingly fantastical claims: 'They've already started to -- it takes a little while to get there. In some cases, you have to travel an ocean.' No country had publicly confirmed any commitment. But later in the same appearance, when asked about needing allied support, Trump said the US does not need allies' help. The whiplash occurred within a single press conference: unnamed countries are rushing to help, but we don't need help anyway. CNN's analysis headline captured the absurdity: 'If Trump has already won the Iran war, why does he need foreign ships to help him end it?'

"I'd rather not say yet" — Response when asked which countries had committed to joining the Hormuz coalition, after claiming 'numerous countries' were on their way while also saying the US doesn't need help