Donald Trump reportedly said he “would have won Vietnam very quickly” if he had been president during the war. He made this remark during a lengthy interview with CNBC as a fragile U.S.-Iran ceasefire nears its deadline.
Donald Trump says he ‘would have won Vietnam very quickly’
Donald Trump’s recent comment on the Vietnam War came during a phone appearance on CNBC’s Squawk Box, where he spoke about the Iran war, oil prices, and domestic policy. His reference to the Vietnam War came up while comparing the duration of past U.S. military engagements to the ongoing standoff with Iran.
Trump cited timelines of the wars to help make his point. “I just looked at a little chart: World War I, four years and three months. World War II, six years. Korean War, three years. Vietnam, 19 years. Iraq, eight years — I’m five months [in Iran War],” he said.
He then added, “I would have won Vietnam very quickly. I would have, if I were president.” The Vietnam War, which lasted from 1954 to 1975, resulted in the deaths of more than 58,000 American service members and remains one of the longest and most contested conflicts in U.S. history.
This assertion stands in stark contrast to Trump’s own personal history with the Vietnam War; he did not serve in it. According to The Independent, records indicate Trump received four student deferments while attending the University of Pennsylvania. Upon graduation, when he became eligible for the draft again, he secured a medical deferment for bone spurs in his heels. This documentation was provided by a podiatrist who rented office space from Trump’s father, Fred Trump.
The U.S. and Israel reportedly launched a war with Iran, of which a temporary ceasefire is set to expire on Wednesday evening. The POTUS addressed the situation directly on his Truth Social platform and reiterated his stance on CNBC. “I expect to be bombing because I think that’s a better attitude to go in with,” Trump said. “But we’re ready to go. I mean, the military is raring to go.” When asked about extending the current truce, he said, “I don’t want to do that. We don’t have that much time.”
Originally reported by Devanshi Basu on Mandatory.
