Trump calls Spain a 'ruined country' over Ceuta migrant crisis
Former US president criticises Spain's NATO spending and border control in GB News interview.
AI-assisted coverage comparison, editor-supervised · How this was made
Trump calls Spain a 'ruined country' over Ceuta migrant crisis
Photograph: Infobae (embedded from source)
What this story says
- Donald Trump stated Spain will be a 'ruined country' because of the migrant crisis in Ceuta.
- Over 70,000 migrants entered Ceuta on July 30 and 31, according to reports.
- Trump criticised Spain's defence spending and its behaviour within NATO.
- The former US president made these remarks in an interview with GB News.
Who covered it
Percentages are shares of the 25 outlets carrying a published leaning rating. 49 of the 74 outlets we know ran this story carry no rating and are not counted in them. Coverage measured .
Trust
42/100
Craft
57/100
Hype
68/100
74 sources · methodology
Thin on the left so far
Only 5 of the 25 outlets with a published leaning rating that ran this story are rated left.
This story is still being watched, so it is a count and not yet a finding. Coverage keeps arriving for hours after an event, and a side that has published nothing this morning may publish by tonight. If it is still true when we stop checking, we will say so plainly.
Former US President Donald Trump has stated that Spain will become a 'ruined country' due to the migrant crisis in Ceuta. He also criticised the country's defence spending and its role within NATO, according to reports.
Trump made these statements in an interview with GB News, broadcast on 3 September 2026. He said that over 70,000 migrants entered Ceuta on July 30 and 31. Trump described the situation as 'sad to see' and stated he had 'never seen anything like it'.
Disagreement on migrant numbers
While Infobae reported over 70,000 migrants entered Ceuta on July 30 and 31, OKDIARIO stated the figure was 80,000 illegal immigrants. Other reports did not specify a number.
What the coverage left out
None of the right-rated digests mention the specific dates of July 30 and 31 for the migrant arrivals in Ceuta, a detail included in the left-rated Infobae full report and several centre and unrated digests.
Still developing. We have re-checked which outlets are covering this 3 times, most recently on 4 Sept 2026, 15:00, and will add the sides that appear.
How each side covered it
Our own reading of the reporting listed below, written from the outlets’ articles rather than quoted from them. The reasoning is set out on our methodology page.
Left
5 rated outlets
- Left-rated reports led on Trump's criticism of Spain's handling of the Ceuta migrant crisis and his prediction that the country would be 'ruined'. Infobae, the only full report in this category, quoted Trump stating, 'Spain will be a ruined country.' These reports also highlighted Trump's criticism of Spain's defence spending and its behaviour within NATO. Infobae also included details of past disagreements between Trump and the Spanish government over defence contributions.
Centre
5 rated outlets
- Centre-rated reports focused on Trump's statement that Spain would be a 'ruined country' and his description of the events in Ceuta as 'sad to see'. El Periódico and Diario de Cádiz both quoted Trump saying, 'I've never seen anything like it.' These reports also mentioned Trump's criticism of Spain's NATO contributions. El Confidencial noted Trump's criticism of Pedro Sánchez's defence spending.
Right
15 rated outlets
- Right-rated reports highlighted Trump's warning that Spain would be a 'ruined country' due to the migrant crisis in Ceuta. Several reports, including Times of India and India Today, mentioned Trump's renewed attack over NATO spending. OKDIARIO stated that Trump called Spain a 'broken country' and described the 'invasion of Ceuta' as 'very sad to see'. Voz.us noted Trump charged the 'socialist government of Spanish Pedro Sánchez'.
Questions about this coverage
- How did the left and right cover Trump calls Spain a 'ruined country' over Ceuta migrant crisis?
- Of the 25 outlets on this story carrying a published leaning rating, 20% are rated left, 20% are rated centre, 60% are rated right. Those percentages are shares of the rated outlets, not of every outlet that ran it, which was 74. The sections above set out what each side emphasised, in its own terms.
- Is Trump calls Spain a 'ruined country' over Ceuta migrant crisis left or right?
- Neither side dominates it. Of the 25 rated outlets on this story, 20% are rated left, 20% are rated centre, 60% are rated right, and no side holds the 70% this site would want before calling a field one-sided. A story is not left or right in any case; the outlets that carried it are what carry ratings.
- Is the coverage of Trump calls Spain a 'ruined country' over Ceuta migrant crisis biased?
- Trump calls Spain a 'ruined country' over Ceuta migrant crisis is one event reported by 74 outlets, and this page does not rate the story as biased or unbiased. What it publishes is the spread: which outlets ran it, where named rating organisations place each of them on the spectrum, and what each side chose to lead with. A leaning rating describes an outlet's record over time, not this article, and the two should not be run together.
- Which side is not reporting Trump calls Spain a 'ruined country' over Ceuta migrant crisis?
- When we first saw this story, outlets rated left had barely covered it. Coverage accretes for hours after an event, so that is where to look rather than a verdict — the split above is the current count, and it is the one to read.
- Which outlets covered Trump calls Spain a 'ruined country' over Ceuta migrant crisis?
- 74 that we know of, every one of them listed further up this page with a link to its own report and to what we hold on the publisher. Nothing here is a summary of somebody else's summary: the outlets are named so the original reporting can be read.
- What did Donald Trump say about Spain and the Ceuta migrant crisis?
- Donald Trump stated that Spain will become a 'ruined country' due to the migrant crisis in Ceuta. He also criticised the country's defence spending and its behaviour within NATO. He made these remarks in an interview with GB News.
- How many migrants entered Ceuta according to the reports?
- Reports varied on the number of migrants. Infobae stated over 70,000 entered on July 30 and 31, while OKDIARIO reported 80,000 illegal immigrants. Other outlets did not specify a number.
- What specific criticisms did Trump make regarding Spain's NATO contributions?
- Trump criticised Spain for not paying what it should for NATO commitments and for not behaving well with regard to the alliance. Infobae's full report detailed past disagreements over defence spending targets.
Read it at the source
74 outlets, grouped by the leaning a published rating gives them. Every headline links to the original; an underlined outlet name opens our profile of that publisher.
Left
5- Spain Will Be a Ruined Country: Trump (opens La Jornada in a new tab)
La Jornada — is La Jornada biased? Our profile of this outlet
- Today in Spain: A roundup of the latest news on Friday (opens The Local - Es in a new tab)
The Local - Es — is The Local - Es biased? Our profile of this outlet
- Trump Says Spain Will Be 'Ruined' by Migrant Crisis as Country Banks on 100M Tourists, Worth 13% of Its Economy (opens IBTimes UK in a new tab)
IBTimes UK — is IBTimes UK biased? Our profile of this outlet
- Donald Trump Charges Spain with Ceuta’s Migration Crisis: “It Will Be a Ruined Country” (opens Infobae in a new tab)
- Trump Refers to Spain as “a Ruined Country” and Claims that the Ceuta Crisis “Is Sad to See” (opens La Vanguardia in a new tab)
La Vanguardia — is La Vanguardia biased? Our profile of this outlet
Centre
5- Trump Refers to Spain as "a Ruined Country" and Claims that the Massive Crossing in Ceuta "Is Sad to See" (opens Diario de Cádiz in a new tab)
Diario de Cádiz — is Diario de Cádiz biased? Our profile of this outlet
- Trump Condemns Spain for Sánchez's Handling of the Ceuta Crisis: "It Will Be a Ruined Country" (opens ElNacional.cat in a new tab)
ElNacional.cat — is ElNacional.cat biased? Our profile of this outlet
- Trump Refers to Spain as 'a Ruined Country' and Claims that the Massive Crossing in Ceuta 'Is Sad to See' (opens El Periódico in a new tab)
El Periódico — is El Periódico biased? Our profile of this outlet
- Trump Claims that the Migration Crisis in Ceuta "Is Sad to See" and Predicts that Spain Will Be "a Ruined Country" (opens 20minutos in a new tab)
- Trump Considers Spain "a Ruined Country" After Ceuta's Migration Crisis (opens El Confidencial in a new tab)
El Confidencial — is El Confidencial biased? Our profile of this outlet
Right
15- Trump on Ceuta: “Spain Will Be a Ruined Country” (opens The European Conservative in a new tab)
The European Conservative — is The European Conservative biased? Our profile of this outlet
- Trump Calls Spain "a Ruined Country" and Considers "Very Sad" What Happened in Ceuta (opens El Mundo in a new tab)
- Trump says Spain will be a ‘ruined country’ after Cueta migrant crisis, renews attack over NATO (opens Times of India in a new tab)
Times of India — is Times of India biased? Our profile of this outlet
- Spain will be ruined: Trump's latest dig at Nato ally is a warning over Ceuta crisis (opens India Today in a new tab)
India Today — is India Today biased? Our profile of this outlet
- Spain will be "destroyed" by the influx of migrants, Trump declared (opens news-pravda.com in a new tab)
news-pravda.com — is news-pravda.com biased? Our profile of this outlet
- Trump Charges the Socialist Government of Spanish Pedro Sánchez: “Spain Will Be a Ruined Country” (opens voz.us in a new tab)
- Trump Says that Spain Is a “Ruined Country” and that the Invasion of Ceuta Is “Very Sad to See” (opens OKDIARIO in a new tab)
- Trump Calls Spain "a Ruined Country" and Considers "Very Sad" What Happened in Ceuta (opens Clarin in a new tab)
Show 7 more
- Donald Trump Returns to the Charge Against Spain over the Ceuta Crisis: "It Will Be a Ruined Country" (opens La Razón in a new tab)
- Trump Sentences Spain After Ceuta Invasion: "It Will Be a Ruined Country" (opens Libertad Digital in a new tab)
Libertad Digital — is Libertad Digital biased? Our profile of this outlet
- Trump Calls Spain “a Ruined Country” and Claims that the Massive Crossing in Ceuta “Is Sad to See” (opens La Tercera in a new tab)
La Tercera — is La Tercera biased? Our profile of this outlet
- Trump Calls Spain "a Ruined Country" and Claims that the Assault on Ceuta "Is Very Sad": "I Have Never Seen Anything Like It" (opens EL ESPAÑOL in a new tab)
EL ESPAÑOL — is EL ESPAÑOL biased? Our profile of this outlet
- Trump Refers to Spain as a « Ruined Country» by the Flood of Immigrants in Ceuta: «It Is Sad to See» (opens ABC in a new tab)
- Trump Calls Spain a « Ruined Country» by the Invasion of Ceuta: «I Have Never Seen Anything Like It» (opens El Debate in a new tab)
- Donald Trump tells GB News 'Spain will be a RUINED country' amid Ceuta migrant crisis (opens GB News in a new tab)
Not rated
49- Trump warns Spain 'will be a ruined country’ as Ceuta crisis takes international turn (opens Spain in English in a new tab)
Spain in English — is Spain in English biased? Our profile of this outlet
- Trump Harshly Criticized Spain for the Migrant Wave: "The Country Will Be Destroyed" (opens Avaz.ba in a new tab)
- "They're Going to Be a Destroyed Country, I've Never Seen Anything Like It": Trump Slammed Spain over Migrants (opens Klix in a new tab)
- Trump Warns Spain Could Be 'Ruined' Over Ceuta Migrant Crisis (opens barlamantoday.com in a new tab)
barlamantoday.com — is barlamantoday.com biased? Our profile of this outlet
- Trump and Milei Shake Sánchez and Stress that His Incompetence Has Made Spain Ridiculous (opens periodistadigital.com in a new tab)
periodistadigital.com — is periodistadigital.com biased? Our profile of this outletOpinion
- Trump Says Spain Could Become a “Ruined Country” (opens Unknown in a new tab)
Unknown
- Trump: Spain Will Be Destroyed (opens BAKU.WS in a new tab)
- US President Once Again Attacks Spain: It Will Be a Ruined Country (opens Do Rzeczy in a new tab)
Do Rzeczy — is Do Rzeczy biased? Our profile of this outletOpinion
Show 41 more
- Trump Breaks Into the Ceuta Crisis and Launches a Harsh Warning: “Spain Will Be a Ruined Country” (opens Confidencial Digital in a new tab)
Confidencial Digital — is Confidencial Digital biased? Our profile of this outlet
- "It Will Be a Ruined country." Donald Trump Speaks Harshly About One of NATO's Members. (opens goniec.pl in a new tab)
- "Spain Will Be a Ruined Country," Trump Says: "What Is Happening There Is Very Sad to See Thousands of People Entering that country." (opens cambio21.cl in a new tab)
cambio21.cl — is cambio21.cl biased? Our profile of this outlet
- Trump Says Spain Is Ruined After Crisis in Ceuta (opens Gazeta Do Povo in a new tab)
Gazeta Do Povo — is Gazeta Do Povo biased? Our profile of this outlet
- Trump Calls Spain "a Ruined Country" and Claims that the Massive Crossing in Ceuta "Is Sad to See" (opens diarioestrategia.cl in a new tab)
diarioestrategia.cl — is diarioestrategia.cl biased? Our profile of this outlet
- Donald Trump Warns that Spain Will Be a Country Ruined by the Migration Crisis (opens Cadena Política in a new tab)
Cadena Política — is Cadena Política biased? Our profile of this outlet
- «Spain Will Be a Ruined Country», Says Trump (opens EstamosAquí MX in a new tab)
EstamosAquí MX — is EstamosAquí MX biased? Our profile of this outlet
- Trump Calls Spain "a Ruined Country" and Considers "Very Sad" What Happened in Ceuta (opens diariolibre.com in a new tab)
diariolibre.com — is diariolibre.com biased? Our profile of this outlet
- "Spain-Morocco Border Tightens After 60,000 Migrant Influx" (opens Daily US Times in a new tab)
Daily US Times — is Daily US Times biased? Our profile of this outlet
- Trump Refers to Spain as 'a Ruined Country' and Claims that the Massive Crossing in Ceuta 'Is Sad to See' (opens elcorreoweb.es in a new tab)
elcorreoweb.es — is elcorreoweb.es biased? Our profile of this outlet
- Trump Openly Threatened the European Country: They Will Be Ruined! (opens Haber7 in a new tab)
- Trump's Controversial Comment on the Immigrant Protests in Spain: They Will Be Destroyed. (opens Haberler in a new tab)
- Trump Increases His Attacks on Spain and the Label of "Country Ruined" by the Migratory Crisis in Ceuta (opens El Plural in a new tab)
- Trump Charges Against Spain: "It Will Be a Ruined Country" because of the Ceuta Crisis (opens Catalunyapress in a new tab)
Catalunyapress — is Catalunyapress biased? Our profile of this outlet
- Trump Believes that Spain Is "a Ruined Country" and Claims that "He Has Never Seen Anything Like It" to the Invasion of Ceuta (opens gaceta.es in a new tab)
- Trump Expects to Destroy Spain After the Events of Ceuta. (opens tanja7.com in a new tab)
tanja7.com — is tanja7.com biased? Our profile of this outlet
- Trump Refers to Spain as "a Ruined Country" and Claims that the Massive Crossing in Ceuta "Is Sad to See" (opens jaenhoy.es in a new tab)
jaenhoy.es — is jaenhoy.es biased? Our profile of this outlet
- Trump Refers to Spain as "a Ruined Country" and Claims that the Massive Crossing in Ceuta "Is Sad to See" (opens Diario de Almería in a new tab)
Diario de Almería — is Diario de Almería biased? Our profile of this outlet
- Trump Refers to Spain as "a Ruined Country" and Claims that the Massive Crossing in Ceuta "Is Sad to See" (opens Diario de Jerez in a new tab)
Diario de Jerez — is Diario de Jerez biased? Our profile of this outlet
- Trump Refers to Spain as "a Ruined Country" and Claims that the Massive Crossing in Ceuta "Is Sad to See" (opens huelvainformacion.es in a new tab)
huelvainformacion.es — is huelvainformacion.es biased? Our profile of this outlet
- Trump Refers to Spain as "a Ruined Country" and Claims that the Massive Crossing in Ceuta "Is Sad to See" (opens Granada Hoy in a new tab)
Granada Hoy — is Granada Hoy biased? Our profile of this outlet
- Trump Refers to Spain as "a Ruined Country" and Claims that the Massive Crossing in Ceuta "Is Sad to See" (opens El Día de Córdoba in a new tab)
El Día de Córdoba — is El Día de Córdoba biased? Our profile of this outlet
- Trump Refers to Spain as "a Ruined Country" and Claims that the Massive Crossing in Ceuta "Is Sad to See" (opens Europa Sur in a new tab)
Europa Sur — is Europa Sur biased? Our profile of this outlet
- Trump Refers to Spain as "a Ruined Country" and Claims that the Massive Crossing in Ceuta "Is Sad to See" (opens Málaga Hoy in a new tab)
Málaga Hoy — is Málaga Hoy biased? Our profile of this outlet
- Trump Refers to Spain as "a Ruined Country" and Claims that the Massive Crossing in Ceuta "Is Sad to See" (opens diariodesevilla.es in a new tab)
diariodesevilla.es — is diariodesevilla.es biased? Our profile of this outlet
- Trump Calls Spain "a Ruined Country" and Claims that the Massive Crossing in Ceuta "Is Sad to See" (opens El Economista in a new tab)
El Economista — is El Economista biased? Our profile of this outlet
- Trump Refers to Spain as 'a Ruined Country' and Claims that the Massive Crossing in Ceuta 'Is Sad to See' (opens elcorreogallego.es in a new tab)
elcorreogallego.es — is elcorreogallego.es biased? Our profile of this outlet
- Trump Refers to Spain as 'a Ruined Country' and Claims that the Massive Crossing in Ceuta 'Is Sad to See' (opens lacronicabadajoz.com in a new tab)
lacronicabadajoz.com — is lacronicabadajoz.com biased? Our profile of this outlet
- Trump Refers to Spain as 'a Ruined Country' and Claims that the Massive Crossing in Ceuta 'Is Sad to See' (opens laprovincia.es in a new tab)
laprovincia.es — is laprovincia.es biased? Our profile of this outlet
- Trump Refers to Spain as 'a Ruined Country' and Claims that the Massive Crossing in Ceuta 'Is Sad to See' (opens informacion.es in a new tab)
informacion.es — is informacion.es biased? Our profile of this outlet
- Trump Sentences Spain: “It Will Be a Ruined Country” by Migration Crisis in Ceuta · Global Voices (opens negocios.com in a new tab)
negocios.com — is negocios.com biased? Our profile of this outlet
- Trump Takes Advantage of the Ceuta Crisis to Launch Another Attack on Spain and Sánchez: "It Will Be a Ruined Country" (opens ondacero.es in a new tab)
ondacero.es — is ondacero.es biased? Our profile of this outletOpinion
- Trump Charges Spain: "It Will Be a Ruined Country" by Ceuta Crisis · Global Voices (opens Catalunyapress in a new tab)
Catalunyapress
- Trump Calls Spain "a Ruined Country" and Calls Ceuta's Crisis "Sad" (opens noticiasdegipuzkoa.eus in a new tab)
noticiasdegipuzkoa.eus — is noticiasdegipuzkoa.eus biased? Our profile of this outlet
- Trump Calls Spain "a Ruined Country" and Calls Ceuta's Crisis "Sad" (opens Deia in a new tab)
- Trump Calls Spain "a Ruined Country" and Calls Ceuta's Crisis "Sad" (opens Noticias de Navarra in a new tab)
Noticias de Navarra — is Noticias de Navarra biased? Our profile of this outlet
- Trump Calls Spain "a Ruined Country" and Calls Ceuta's Crisis "Sad" (opens noticiasdealava.eus in a new tab)
noticiasdealava.eus — is noticiasdealava.eus biased? Our profile of this outlet
- Trump Says Ceuta's Crisis "Is Sad to See" and Defines Spain as "a Ruined Country" (opens Expansión in a new tab)
- Trump Calls Spain "a Ruined Country" by the Invasion of Ceuta: "I Have Never Seen Anything Like It" (opens The Objective in a new tab)
The Objective — is The Objective biased? Our profile of this outlet
- Donald Trump says Spain will be ‘ruined’ after Ceuta migrant crisis (opens Olive Press News Spain in a new tab)
Olive Press News Spain — is Olive Press News Spain biased? Our profile of this outlet
- Donald Trump tells GB News ‘Spain will be a RUINED country’ amid Ceuta migrant crisis (opens PressNewsAgency in a new tab)
PressNewsAgency — is PressNewsAgency biased? Our profile of this outlet
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