President Donald Trump compared himself to the messiah Wednesday, telling a gaggle of reporters at the White House that he is the “chosen one” to take on China.

Trump said that the trade war with China chose him, not the other way around. The president has faced criticism for his tariffs, with many economists warning of a recession as a result of Trump’s trade policy. (RELATED: Media, Politicians Won’t Stop Talking About The Possibility Of A Recession. Does The Reason Why Have To Do With Trump’s Reelection?)

“This is not my trade war, this is a trade war that should have taken place a long time ago, by a lot of other presidents,” Trump said. “Somebody had to do it. I am the chosen one.”

These comments were the second time Wednesday that Trump compared himself to a monarchical figure. Trump tweeted a quote Wednesday morning from radio host Wayne Allen Root, who claimed that Jewish people in Israel view Trump as “the king of Israel.”

“Thank you to Wayne Allyn Root for the very nice words. ‘President Trump is the greatest President for Jews and for Israel in the history of the world, not just America, he is the best President for Israel in the history of the world…and the Jewish people in Israel love him like he’s the King of Israel,’ Trump tweeted.

Trump’s comments came a day after the president received intense criticism for responding to a question about Jewish Democrats by implying that they were “disloyal.”