Trump defends Iran conflict and promotes monument at Veterans Day ceremony

Speaking at the Memorial Amphitheater, Trump’s remarks, which largely focused on honoring American veterans, included a partisan defense of his foreign policy. He stated, “America did not start a war with Iran. Iran has been waging war in America since 1979. This should have been taken care of a long time ago.” He claimed the U.S. has “fought back, and we seriously fought back, and we won,” adding, “Just a question of when we want to end it. We want to make sure we have a total victory, not a 93% percent victory.”

The speech occurred eight days after Democrats gained control of both chambers of Congress in recent elections, a result Trump has attributed, in part, to the ongoing conflict with Iran. A recent AP survey revealed that approximately six in ten voters believe the decision to use military force against Iran was misguided.

Trump introduced Dale Garner, a Marine veteran who survived the 1983 Beirut barracks bombing, to illustrate the importance of confronting Iranian-backed militant groups. Following a description of Garner’s injuries, Trump detailed the U.S. operations against Iran, stating that they began seven months prior and involved “only a few weeks of active hard fighting,” resulting in 18 American deaths.

He predicted the conflict would conclude “soon,” a recurring claim made since spring without providing supporting evidence. He further remarked, “It’ll take them 25 years to rebuild back what we have destroyed, and hopefully we won’t have to destroy any more of that country.”

Standing near the graves of service members from Korea, Vietnam, Iraq, and Afghanistan, Trump contrasted the length and casualties of those wars with a U.S. operation in Venezuela aimed at removing Nicolas Maduro, which he claimed was won in “48 minutes.” He also touted financial gains from Venezuelan oil access, asserting the U.S. has already recouped the cost of the operation.

“To the victor belong the spoils, they used to say,” Trump stated. “But you can say it again with us under this leadership.”

Near the conclusion of his address, Trump mentioned the planned 250-foot gilded arch intended for construction between the Lincoln Memorial and Arlington Cemetery. The project is currently facing legal challenges and has drawn criticism for potentially disrupting historical views of the capital.

While avoiding direct mention of last week’s elections, Trump acknowledged potential “minor setbacks” and affirmed his commitment to protecting the nation from “bad, foolish, horrible ideology.”