In a taped interview on NBC’s “Meet the Press” with Kristen Welker, President Donald Trump denied that he had broken his campaign promises about entering an “endless” war as the conflict between the U.S. and Iran resumed last weekend. He claimed a distinction between “wars” and “endless” conflicts, which is reminiscent to some degree of the semantics argued to describe the Korean War or conflict, as it was often called.
Before storming off from the interview, Trump charged that “First of all, I didn’t guarantee no war,” a statement that has been contradicted by several reports. “When you say I promised,” he continued, “I didn’t promise anything. I don’t like these endless wars.” We can quibble about the word “endless” as the war surges on beyond 100 days. It seems to us that if you promise no wars, even one day of conflict violates the vow.
Even the brief encounter with and abduction of the Venezuelan president and his wife constitutes an act of war, and a clear violation of international law, but debating this point with a man who is an impeachable prevaricator is a waste of time and energy.
Fact-checking this issue reveals that during an August 2024 rally in Pennsylvania, Trump said, “Under Trump, we will have no more wars, no more disruptions, and we will have prosperity and peace for all.”
This pronouncement calls into question what is meant by prosperity and peace (and for whom). We can endlessly play with words and concepts, “until the cows come home,” as an old English idiom says, and Trump’s ignominy would remain obstinate and unchanged.
