US Vice President JD Vance has faced widespread ridicule on social media after claiming in a televised interviewthat World War II ended through negotiation, while defending President Donald Trump's diplomatic approach in Russia's war on Ukraine.

"World War II ended with Germany and Japan's unconditional surrender, not negotiation," an account called "Republicans against Trump" posted on X,sharing a snippet of the Vance interview.

On May 8, 1945,Nazi Germany surrendered unconditionally, after dictator Adolf Hitler died by suicide. Nazi Germany's ally Japan surrendered later in August, following the US atomic bombings of Hiroshima and Nagasaki.

This marks yet another historical gaffe of the Trump administration.

President Trump has repeatedly twisted historical facts to suit his narrative. He has pressured museums to align with his worldview, criticizing them for portraying American history — particularly slavery — in a negative light.

DW's Fact check team examines some of Trump's most controversial historical claims.

Trump's late uncle and the Unabomber

Ted Kaczynski, one of most infamous domestic terrorists known as the "Unabomber," killed three people and injured 23 others by sending explosive devices, primarily targeting scientists. He admitted to sending 16 bombs over nearly two decades. 

In July, Trump claimed at an event in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvaniathat his late uncle John, a former MIT professor, had taught Kaczynski. However, Kaczynski attended Harvard and later the University of Michigan. Trump's uncle died in 1985, while Kaczynski wasn't arrested until 1996. The story has been debunked by several news outlets.

Misleading claims about tariffs and the Great Depression

In a July cabinet meeting, Trump said the Great Depression "would have never happened" if the United States had maintained tariffs and incorrectly claimed tariffs were revived "after the Depression."

In reality, the Great Depressionbegan in 1929 and lasted about a decade. The Smoot-Hawley Tariff Act of 1930, intended to protect American businesses, raised import duties and triggered retaliatory tariffs from over 20 countries — deepening the global economic crisis, after the Fordney-McCumber Tariff in 1922 had already imposed tariffs on imported goods.

Trump says he warned against invading Iraq 

Trump has long claimed he opposed the 2003 invasion of Iraq. In June, he reiterated:"I was very much opposed to Iraq. I was, I said it loud and clear," he said while standing on the tarmac next to Air Force One. "And I actually did say, 'Don't go in, don't go in, don't go in.'"

However, CNNand Buzzfeedreported in 2016 that Trump expressed support for the invasion during a 2002 appearance on The Howard Stern Show. 

Trump himself said in a presidential townhall debate with CNN's Anderson Cooperthat he "could have said that," adding "by the time the war started, I was against the war."

The Washington Postalso ran a fact check as early as 2016; and even compiled a timelineof Trump's comments ahead of the Iraq invasion in 2003, showing inconsistencies in his statements.

Trump's push to rewrite history in museums

Trump signed an executive order directing the Vice President, a member of the Smithsonian Board of Regents, to eliminate "improper, divisive, or anti-American ideology" from Smithsonian museums, education centers and the National Zoo, the statement published by the White House reads.

The Smithsonian Institution,the world's largest museum and research complex, is 62% federally funded and includes 17 museums in Washington, D.C., and two in New York City.

On Truth Social,Trump criticized the Smithsonian for focusing on "how horrible our country is, how bad slavery was, and how unaccomplished the downtrodden have been."

Ahead of the 250th anniversary of the US, the administration has placed eight museums, including the National Museum of American History and the National Museum of African American History and Culture, under review. They've been asked to submit plans for exhibitions, educational materials and digital content. 

More museums will be reviewed in a second phase, the White House said in a letter to the Smithsonian.

Last week, the White House published an article titled "President Trump is right about the Smithsonian"criticizing exhibitions that focus on race, slavery, sexuality and immigration.

In response, over 150 cultural organizations and over 300 individuals have signed a public statementaffirming their commitment to artistic freedom and resisting political pressure.

While the statement didn't name Trump, it referenced growing concerns about interference at institutions like the Smithsonian and the Kennedy Center.

Edited by: Rachel Baig