During a rally in Kentucky on Wednesday, former President Donald Trump proclaimed victory over Iran, asserting that the United States had already won the conflict. Speaking on the twelfth consecutive day of bombings in the Middle East, Trump confidently declared, “It’s only good if you win. And we’ve won.” He added, “You know, you never like to say too early ‘you won.’ We won… In the first hour, it was over.” His remarks came just hours after Israel reported missile launches from Iran towards its territory. Additionally, Al Jazeera reported that Iran had targeted Qatar with nine ballistic missiles and several drones, according to the Gulf nation’s Defense Ministry.
A war of words
Throughout the ongoing conflict, the Trump administration and Republican lawmakers have struggled to present a unified stance. On February 28, at the onset of a joint U.S.-Israeli operation in Iran, Trump claimed on his Truth Social platform that Iran’s nuclear program had been “obliterated.” This assertion contradicted a previous White House report from the summer, which stated that U.S. strikes had “significantly degraded” Iran’s nuclear capabilities rather than completely destroyed them.
Shock, awe, and retraction
Senator Roger Marshall, a Republican from Kansas seeking reelection, admitted to CNN’s Kaitlan Collins that he had been “wrong” about Iran’s nuclear capabilities. This admission came in response to his previous comments on Fox News last June, following U.S. strikes on Iranian nuclear sites in Fordow, Natanz, and Isfahan. At that time, Marshall had confidently stated that Iran would require “years to restart their nuclear program,” that they couldn’t control their airspace, and expressed his “shock and awe” over the damage inflicted. Meanwhile, Senator Lindsey Graham of South Carolina faced significant backlash for his remarks about the war during an appearance on Fox News’ Hannity.
Graham claimed that when he goes ‘back to South Carolina, I’m asking them to send their sons and daughters over to the Middle East.’ That line has created mayhem, as President Trump’s bombing of Iran last month is highly unpopular with the American public, with both Democrats and Republicans alike. Eight American service members have already been killed in the conflict. The latest numbers also reveal that at least 140 troops have been injured.
Nancy Mace, a South Carolina Congresswoman who is also running to be the state’s governor in this year’s midterm elections, noted in an X post Tuesday that she does ‘not want to send South Carolina’s sons and daughters into war with Iran,’ without directly mentioning Graham’s comments.
Trump delivered his Wednesday remarks at Verst Logistics in Hebron, Kentucky, where he also railed against his top Congressional nemesis, Kentucky Representative Thomas Massie. Trump also boosted his handpicked challenger, Ed Gallrein, a retired Navy SEAL, during the event, although the formal guidance previewed the speech as ‘remarks on the economy.’
