On August 5, 2025, US President Donald Trump, while inspecting construction work on the White House grounds, jokingly stated that he was looking for a place to place missiles, including nuclear ones, on the roof of the residence.

Trump spent about 20 minutes on the roof of the White House, accompanied by security and aides, inspecting the construction work. In response to questions from reporters, he smiled and mentioned the possibility of installing missile systems, which was taken as a joke. The comment came against the backdrop of his recent ultimatum to Russia to cease fire in Ukraine by August 8 and threats to impose sanctions on countries that buy Russian oil.

There was no official statement from the presidential administration about the context of the joke or its connection to current foreign policy. The statement sparked heated discussions in the media and on social media, where some saw it as an attempt to draw attention to the foreign policy agenda.