United States President Donald Trump has been called out for claims made about Iran’s treatment of the LGBTQ+ community.Last week (13 March), the 79-year-old Republican sat down with YouTuber Jake Paul, where he dismissed activists who oppose US military action against Iran, claiming that the Middle Eastern nation ‘throws gays off buildings’.Critics were quick to take issue with Trump’s remarks, pointing to the fact that, earlier this year, immigration authorities under his administration tried to deport a gay Iranian couple back to Iran. The pair had fled after being arrested for alleged ‘homosexual conduct’, according to their lawyer.They sought asylum in the States but were held in detention for over a year while facing removal proceedings that could have returned them to Iran, where same-sex relationships can be punished with imprisonment, flogging, or death.

Rebekah Wolf, a staff attorney with the American Immigration Council who represents them, told Advocate: “They are textbook asylum cases.”People from a country where who they are is criminalised and punishable by torture or death — that is literally the definition of an asylum seeker.”In the interview, Paul said he ‘was a bit shocked that so many activists in America didn’t like it’ when discussing Trump’s actions in Iran, adding: “Meanwhile, they were like, ‘Oh, well, we support women. We want women to have all these rights.’ Meanwhile, you’re liberating the women of Iran.”Trump continued: “We support gays, but they throw gays off the buildings.”After catching light of the president’s comments, critics rushed to social media to share their thoughts, with one Instagram user writing: “Does he seriously think we believe he’s an ally?””Does he think that ‘support’ simply means not throwing people off of buildings?” questioned a second.Another hit out: “Nothing screams ‘ally’ more than forcing the Stonewall pride flag removal.”