During a rally in Dubuque, Iowa, President Donald Trump made a controversial statement regarding the Vietnam War while discussing his operations in Iran and Venezuela. He claimed he could have won the Vietnam War in a week. However, his comments included a mix-up of cities central to the conflict.
Trump remarked on the prolonged nature of the Vietnam and Afghanistan wars. “Vietnam, 21 years, thousands and thousands of people killed, hundreds of thousands of people killed,” he noted, adding, “Afghanistan, years and years… we never fight to win.” He continued with his critique, “I don’t know what we do, they’re stupid, stupid presidents.”
He suggested a strategy of aggressive action, saying, “I could have won the Vietnam War in a week, you know.” He misidentified the chemical weapon Agent Orange, referring to it as “that red c**p they… kept dropping it in the forest.” The audience corrected him by shouting “Agent Orange,” the chemical herbicide used extensively by the U.S. military to strip Vietnamese forests.
Trump acknowledged their correction, commenting humorously, “Agent Orange, even though it’s red.” He then critiqued past military strategy, saying, “they drop it in the forest for years and years and years, instead of going after Ho Chi Minh City and the different places.” He expressed confidence, “I would have won that war in one week.”
In his remarks, Trump mentioned Ho Chi Minh City, which was formerly known as Saigon. Saigon was the capital of U.S.-allied South Vietnam until it fell. Trump’s intended reference might have been to Hanoi, the capital of communist North Vietnam during the war.
Details of this story are still unfolding and updates will be provided.
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