Trump accused of minimizing Iran war deaths
President Donald Trump has been accused of minimizing the deaths of 18 U.S. service members since the start of the Iran war after comparing the conflict’s death toll with that of previous wars abroad, including Vietnam, Afghanistan and Iraq.
In a post published on Truth Social on Tuesday, after the deaths of four U.S. service members within 48 hours between July 17 and July 19 put a new spotlight on the human cost of the conflict for the nation, Trump compared the death toll of his military intervention in Venezuela and of the conflict in Iran with those of previous “forever wars,” appearing to defend his record.
“Afghanistan War: 20 years, 2,000 DEAD. Iraq War: 9 years, 4,600 DEAD. Vietnam War: 19 years and 5 months, 58,220 DEAD. Korean War: 3 years and 1 month, 36,574 DEAD. Venezuela War: 1 day, 0 DEAD. Iran Military Conflict: 4 months, 18 DEAD,” the president wrote.
The Iran war started when the U.S. and Israel launched joint strikes on Iran on February 28. Some of the other conflicts the president referenced were much longer than that, including the Korean War (1950-1953), the Vietnam War (1955-1975), the Afghanistan War (2001-2021), the Iraq War (2003-2011).
Commenting on the president’s post, former ally-turned-critic Marjorie Taylor Greene said Trump was “bragging about killing 18 US soldiers.” She wrote on X: “That’s how I read this stupid post. The ‘peace president’ went to war and is killing and wounding our troops.”
More criticism came from the president’s longtime opponent, California Governor Gavin Newsom, whose office wrote on X: “Donald Trump is a disgusting Little Man! Treat our brave American soldiers with some respect.”
Political commentator Brian Krassenstein also commented on the president’s post, writing: “Trump just made a post minimizing the fact that 18 soldiers have died from his stupid iran war. What a pathetic human being.”
Contact Newsweek editors on this story: Tobias Meyjes and Tony Phillips
This is a developing story and will be updated.
