During a rally in Dubuque, Iowa, President Donald Trump made remarks about his ability to win the Vietnam War swiftly, while mixing up key cities tied to the conflict. He compared military actions in Iran and Venezuela to historical U.S. wars, including Vietnam.
Trump mentioned the prolonged duration of the Vietnam War and the high casualty rates, stating, “Vietnam, 21 years, thousands and thousands of people killed, hundreds of thousands of people killed,” followed by comments on Afghanistan, noting the extended duration of the conflict with the statement, “Afghanistan, years and years…we never fight to win.” He expressed frustration with past U.S. presidents with the comment, “I don’t know what we do… they’re stupid, stupid presidents.”
He claimed he “could have won the Vietnam War in a week,” referencing the use of chemical herbicides by the U.S. military. When the audience shouted “Agent Orange” to clarify, Trump acknowledged their response, saying “Agent Orange,” though he mistakenly identified the color as red.
Trump continued, “Agent Orange, they drop it in the forest for years and years and years, instead of going after Ho Chi Minh City and the different places,” asserting he would have ended the conflict faster. Ho Chi Minh City, the name given to Saigon post-war, was the former capital of U.S.-allied South Vietnam. Trump’s comments suggested he meant Hanoi, the capital of communist North Vietnam.
This story is in progress and updates will follow as more information becomes available.
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