President Donald Trump’s description of retaliatory U.S. strikes on Iran drew fierce reactions on social media Thursday.

ABC News’ Rachel Scott wrote on X that Trump, no stranger to word play when it comes to his war on Iran, referred to them in a phone call with her as “just a love tap.”

Scott said she asked Trump whether that meant the ceasefire with Iran was over.

“No, no, the ceasefire is going,” the president reportedly replied.

“It’s in effect,” Scott said he added.

President Trump tells me in a phone call the retaliatory strikes against Iranian targets are just a "love tap.""It's just a love tap."When I asked if it means the ceasefire is over. "No, no, the ceasefire is going. It's in effect."

Critics quickly mocked and condemned the remarks online.

“He’s insane,” said former Rep. Adam Kinzinger (R-Ill.).

Others noted that Trump’s comments appeared to contradictorily suggest “the war is both continuing and ending and there is both a ceasefire and no ceasefire” and that “we are in a war and a ceasefire at the exact same time.”

“Orwellian stuff,” another critic added.

He’s insane https://t.co/ikWdqvbjCi

An idiot runs this country https://t.co/tZgug9lAAd

The ceasefire is apparently still in effect, just with light physical affection https://t.co/yr0s6yl1K6

At what point do exchanges of fire during a ceasefire constitute an end or violation of said ceasefire? What is the threshold? https://t.co/rZ8c7TMFQp

Words. What do they mean? https://t.co/8w1vhztWfH

BREAKING: Donald Trump has achieved a quantum superposition where the war is both continuing and ending and there is both a ceasefire and no ceasefire https://t.co/YFdlMQaUOc

Orwellian stuff. https://t.co/lSFUPsrkoI

“A little excursion” was less weird https://t.co/EbavGe1f7S

We are in a war and a ceasefire at the exact same time…. https://t.co/BdU0TpPLlX

Deranged https://t.co/BH9G5xlCP3

Schrodinger's cease fire We're both firing and ceasing at the same time Remarkable stuff. Truly 4d level chess. https://t.co/pDWVo8Cur9

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