Don’t worry. California’s so-called Republican Rep. Jack Kimble even had CNN fooled.

US President Donald Trump seemingly became the subject of mockery at the hands of a congressman from his own political party on Wednesday (US time) after he mistakenly mixed up Japan and Iran, referring to the Asian country as the “Islamic Republic of Japan,” while talking about an incident involving Iranian forces launching over 100 missiles at a US carrier, all of which were intercepted.

The American president delivered the remarks while sitting beside Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy, whom he also ended up erroneously calling “President Putin” at one point, on the sidelines of a NATO summit in the Turkish capital of Ankara.

His comments also came after the initially signed interim deal between the US and Iran appeared to have fallen through the cracks of uncertainty as both sides traded more attacks. Earlier at the NATO summit, Trump told reporters that as far as he was concerned, the ceasefire between both nations was “over,” calling Iranian leaders “sick” and declaring negotiations with them a “waste of time.”

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Jack Kimble ‘mocks’ Trump for the Japan-Iran mix-up: Debunked

As the POTUS’ Freudian slip triggered countless memes and discussions on social media, a Republican lawmaker named Jack Kimble also joined the noise on X.

Sharing what appeared to be an AI-generated photo of Godzilla hindering the passage of numerous ships in one of the world’s busiest oil channels, the “Republican” tweeted, “The Islamic Republic of Japan is now threatening to block The Strait of Hormuz following hostilities with the United States.”

At the time of writing, the post had already amassed over 500,000 views and 22,000 likes on X.

Kimble’s bio on the Elon Musk-led social media platform even carries the credentials: “Republican Representing CA’s 54th Dist.” It also redirects users to the website, “JackKimble.com,” which further pushes his image as a Californian politician.

However, the truth is Kimble is NOT a real congressman. The account boasting a following of more than 120,000 followers on X has actually long earned viral fame as a satire account. Even searching the name “Jack Kimble” in the ‘Members’ database of the official Congress.Gov website produces no results, further confirming the doubts.

The spoof character’s true identity is confirmed by the very Amazon.com link to the “Detective Jesus #1: Thou Shalt Not Kill” book authored under the same ‘Jack Kimble’ alias.

The author profile on Amazon Books affirms that the parody character has managed to dupe leading news agencies like The Huffington Post and the Washington Post with its constant social media commentary on political issues and whatnot.

“Jack Kimble is the Congressman from California’s faux 54th District,” states the Amazon Books author profile. “In reality he is the brainchild of a Chicago school teacher. Kimble began making a name for himself on both Twitter and the blogosphere in 2009 with his unique brand of political satire.”

It adds, “Admirers of Jack Kimble include members of Congress, comedians, liberals, and even discerning conservatives, who appreciate Jack’s humor that often takes right wing talking points to a hilarious conclusion.”

Moreover, Kimble’s X bio leaves another hint about its inauthenticity. It describes the so-called congressman as the “co-sponsor of Poe’s Law,” which again alludes to mistaken identities and parodies.

Dictionary.com states: “Poe’s Law is a popular adage that says satirical expressions of extremism online are hard to distinguish from genuine ones without indicating intent.” The website suggests that the viral slang dates back to 2005 when Nathan Poe, an agnostic user, posted on the message board Christian Forums: “POES LAW: Without a winking smiley or other blatant display of humor, it is uttrerly [sic] impossible to parody a Creationist in such a way that someone wont mistake for the genuine article.”

As seen during a live CNN telecast, Kimble also fooled the US outlet with his claims of having interacted with 84-year-old US Senator Mitch McConnell after news spread that he had been hospitalised for weeks due to an undisclosed ailment.

CNN flashed multiple messages shared by other politicians and officials about the potential health condition of the American senator. The broadcast also cited a tweet shared by the fake congressman’s parody account.

“I spoke to my old friend Mitch McConnell this morning, the senior Senator from Kentucky. He’s still recovering in the hospital. We talked for just shy of 45 minutes,” read the satirical account’s post on X, as it mirrored the exact words of Scott Jennings, longtime McConnell advisor and one of the USA’s most renowned conservative commentators.

What did Trump say at NATO?

“We have an aircraft carrier which is one of the most beautiful in the world, it’s one of the biggest, the (USS) Abraham Lincoln,” Trump said while speaking to the press on July 8 alongside Zelenskyy on the sidelines of the NATO summit. “And a few months ago, we had, I told this story yesterday, we had 111 missiles shot by the Islamic Republic of Japan.”

Ironically, Japan has remained a close US ally since World War II and has not engaged in any hostilities with the US in nearly a century. The official US Congress website also highlights that both countries share a mutual defence agreement, as around 60,000 US troops remain stationed around Japan.

Contrary to Trump’s fumble on calling the Asian country an “Islamic Republic,” Japan remains a Muslim-minority country despite a growth in the Muslim population.

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According to research by Waseda University professor emeritus Hirofumi Tanada, Japan’s Muslim population has risen from roughly 185,000 in 2010 to around 420,000 by the end of 2024.

About the attack on the US carrier

As the US has long maintained, Trump reiterated on Wednesday that the more than a hundred missiles targeting the American aircraft carrier over the course of an hour were all intercepted.

Back in February, a US Central Command spokesperson confirmed to USA Today that the US military shot down an Iranian drone that “aggressively” approached the USS Abraham Lincoln, which was in the Arabian Sea around 500 miles from Iran’s southern coast at the time.

According to the US spokesperson’s statement, a fighter jet shot down the drone in “self-defence.” Neither any American servicemembers were harmed, nor any equipment was damaged.

As opposed to America’s statement, Iran claimed the following month that it struck the USS Abraham Lincoln with a ballistic missile. However, the US Central Command again challenged those claims, writing on X, “The Lincoln was not hit. The missiles launched didn’t even come close. The Lincoln continues to launch aircraft in support of CENTCOM’s relentless campaign to defend the American people by eliminating threats from the Iranian regime.”

Disclaimer: The content in this article is based on a viral social media discussion and is intended for informational and entertainment purposes only. The opinions mentioned are personal to the user. This story does not constitute financial advice or an endorsement of any specific investment strategy.