"Going To Russia": Trump Roasted By Internet For Viral Alaska Gaffe

US President Donald Trump is set to meet his Russian counterpart, Vladimir Putin, in Alaska later this week to gauge Moscow's plans for ending the war in Ukraine. During a media interaction at the White House, Trump pointed out that the crime situation in the US capital, Washington DC, was embarrassing, especially with Putin coming to the country. 

But while expressing his frustration, the American leader appeared to mix up Russia with Alaska, drawing social media users' attention, who were quick to question his mental acuity.

"This is a tragic emergency, and it's embarrassing for me to be up here...You know, I'm going to see Putin. I'm going to Russia on Friday. I don't like being up here [on the podium], talking about how unsafe and how dirty and disgusting this once-beautiful capital [is]," Trump told reporters at the press briefing room.

Trump says crime situation in DC is embarrassing, especially with Putin coming. "This is a tragic emergency, and it's embarrassing for me to be up here, you know, I'm going to see Putin. ... I don't like being up here talking about how unsafe and how dirty and disgusting this… pic.twitter.com/XKnNf89ow1

— Jennifer Jacobs (@JenniferJJacobs) August 11, 2025

Trump is not going to Russia, but rather to Alaska to meet with Putin. US Attorney General Pam Bondi, Defence Secretary Pete Hegseth, among other senior officials, were present on the podium with Trump, but none of them seemed to have corrected him.

The President went on to describe the upcoming summit as a "feel-out meeting" as he played down the possibility of a breakthrough in Alaska. The leader, usually fond of boasting about his deal-making skills, said he expected "constructive conversations" with Putin.

The US president has spent the first months of his second term in office trying to broker peace in Ukraine -- after boasting he could end the conflict in 24 hours -- but multiple rounds of talks, phone calls and diplomatic visits have failed to yield a breakthrough.

"I may say -- lots of luck, keep fighting. Or I may say, we can make a deal," he said.

Trump, usually fond of boasting of his deal-making skills, played down the possibility of a breakthrough in Alaska but said he expected "constructive conversations" with Putin.

Social Media Reactions

Trump's gaffe was soon picked up by social media users, with some questioning the Republican's mental acuity.

"According to Trump, Alaska is in Russia. His dementia and cognitive decline are on full display," wrote a social media user on X. 

According to #Trump, Alaska is in Russia.

His dementia and cognitive decline are on full display!#Putin #Epstein #EpsteinTrumpFiles https://t.co/PKDnH7bUZZ

— Politics Village (#StillWithHer #KHive #TeamJoe) (@PoliticsVillage) August 11, 2025

Another X user wrote, "With his DEMENTIA on full display, Trump announces HE'S GOING TO Russia! Pam Bondi and Pete Hegseth are so accustomed to him LYING, THEY DON'T EVEN BLINK! THAT'S how he gets away with LYING TO THE AMERICAN PEOPLE."

with his DEMENTIA
on full display,#trump announces
HE'S GOING TO #Russia!@PamBondi @PeteHegseth
are so accustomed to him LYING,
THEY DON'T EVEN BLINK!

THAT'S how he gets away with
LYING TO THE AMERICAN PEOPLE!

that
&
a WhiteHouse Press Corps
who REFUSE to do THEIR JOB! pic.twitter.com/BhSXHqPOBT

— Valerie Martin 🍿🤓🍿 (@WILLDYE4U) August 11, 2025

One X user commented, "The so-called president of the United States thinks that Alaska is in Russia. What an ongoing embarrassment!" 

Alaska's Russian Past

Alaska was once a Russian territory. The US bought it from the USSR more than 150 years ago. The Russian influence still endures in parts of the remote state on the northwest edge of the North American continent, which extends just a few miles from Russia.

The territory was discovered when Danish explorer Vitus Bering first sailed through the narrow strait that separates Asia and the Americas in 1728 during an expedition for Tsarist Russia. The discovery of what is now known as the Bering Strait revealed the existence of Alaska to the West. However, Indigenous people had been living there for thousands of years.

Bering's expedition kicked off a century of Russian seal hunting, with the first colony set up on the southern Kodiak Island. In 1799, Tsar Paul I established the Russian-American Company to take advantage of the lucrative fur trade, which often involved clashes with the Indigenous inhabitants.

However, the hunters overexploited the seals and sea otters, whose populations collapsed, taking with them the settlers' economy.

The Russian Empire sold the territory to Washington for $7.2 million in 1867. The purchase of an area more than twice the size of Texas was widely criticised in the US at the time, even dubbed "Seward's folly" after the deal's mastermind, Secretary of State William Seward.

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NASA’s Curiosity Rover Spots Ancient Coral-Like Rock on Mars

On July 24, 2025, NASA’s Curiosity Mars rover captured an image of a small, coral-shaped rock in Gale Crater using its ChemCam Remote Micro Imager. The light-colored, 1-inch (2.5 cm) formation likely formed billions of years ago when mineral-rich water seeped into tiny fractures in the rock, leaving behind hardened mineral veins after evaporation. Over time, relentless Martian winds sandblasted the surrounding material, revealing the rock’s intricate, branching structure. While its appearance closely resembles marine coral, scientists stress it is a geological artifact—known as a pseudofossil—rather than evidence of life. The discovery reinforces mounting evidence that ancient Mars had abundant liquid water and could have supported microbial life. Since landing in 2012, Curiosity has explored Gale Crater’s layered terrain, uncovering clues to the Red Planet’s wet history and its potential habitability in the distant past.

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'Parag Is The Reason': On Samson Trade Saga, Ex-CSK Star Drops Bombshell

Former Indian cricket team batter Subramaniam Badrinath believes that Riyan Parag can be the reason behind Sanju Samson potentially leaving Rajasthan Royals. With Samson injured for the first three matches in IPL 2025, Parag led the franchise. However, with Parag still remaining a big captaincy contender, Badrinath said that it can be a reason behind Sanju reportedly looking for a new team.  "I feel Riyan Parag is the reason. If you consider him for captaincy, how do you expect someone like Samson to stay?" Badrinath said on his YouTube channel.

However, the former CSK cricketer also pointed out that despite being a like-for-like replacement for MS Dhoni, the franchise may struggle to find a place for Samson in the playing XI.

"If Sanju Samson does come to CSK, then he could be the like-for-like replacement for MS Dhoni. Samson is a batter who can bat in the top three or four spots in the batting order. He is not someone who could fit in the number five or six spot in the playing XI. CSK are strong in those areas of the playing XI. Mhatre is settled, Gaikwad is settled, Brevis is settled."

"I am not sure if CSK would do a transaction like MI did to get Hardik Pandya from GT. So even if Sanju Samson comes in, the question remains whether CSK can fit him into the playing XI," he added.

Badrinath also spoke about the captaincy situation in CSK and pointed out that it is unlikely for the team to hand the captaincy to Samson considering how much they have backed Ruturaj Gaikwad.

"The other aspect to consider is captaincy. Whether MS Dhoni leads or not, Ruturaj Gaikwad is the captain. He's led only for one season. If you give the captaincy to Samson, how would Gaikwad feel about that?. That is something we need to consider. I think keeping all these things in mind, CSK are still thinking of whether or not to go ahead," Badrinath concluded.

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In Terrifying Video, Reptile Wrangler Captures 20-Foot Python From Dumpster

A massive 20-foot python was found on top of a dumpster in the parking garage of The Piero Apartments in downtown Los Angeles, causing a stir among residents. When animal control and the LAPD couldn't respond, reptile wrangler Joseph Hart was called to handle the situation, the New York Post reported. Mr Hart calmly captured the python with his bare hands. Wearing just jeans and a T-shirt, he hopped into the dumpster and carefully grabbed the snake just below the head, preventing it from biting him.

Mr Hart told KCAL that removing the python required special care due to its size and strength.

"The snake was not wanting to get off the dumpster. She was frightened, as you could imagine. There were a lot of people there. She's just been in this weird situation. She was stressed out," he said.

He later shared a video of the python capture on social media, excitedly describing it as "some good old-fashioned reptile wrangling."

"This poor snake, who we've named "Apples", was left in a small bin container in a dumpster at an apartment complex in downtown LA. Now this is majorly upsetting because this is a case of mistreatment and animal cruelty. You can see that Apple has a horrible mouth infection, which is quite common with snakes in the pet trade. This breaks my heart because the previous owner was most likely overwhelmed with the idea of treating the medical condition, as vet bills can be pricey. But dumping or abandoning the animal is no solution either," he wrote on Instagram. 

Watch the video here:

View this post on Instagram

A post shared by Joseph Hart, REPTILE HUNTER (@reptile.hunter)

After capturing the python, Mr Hart educated residents about the snake. He noticed she had a severe mouth infection, likely due to poor care in the pet trade, which may cause her to lose some teeth. The snake is now receiving treatment in Riverside and is expected to make a full recovery after a few months of antibiotics and proper care.

On his website, Mr Hart said his mission is to "promote wildlife conservation through animal rehabilitation and public education."

Reticulated pythons are one of the world's longest snake species, native to Southeast Asia, according to the Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission.

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