I just have to say something about last night's Trump-Clinton debate. If you want a prime example of how unreliable and misleading most of our "news media" can be, a glaring example is the ABC/NBC/CBS/New York Times/Washington Post/Politifact/CNN claim that Donald Trump is wrong to say that he opposed the Iraq War before it began. Two so-called "journalists" have repeated this false assertion when they were supposed to be serving as moderators in the debates: Lester Holt did it in the first debate, and Martha Raddatz did it in last night’s debate.
As usual, Fox News is the only major news network to provide fair, balanced analysis on this issue. Many conservative websites have documented that Trump's statement about opposing the war before it began is supported by recorded interviews and other sources. But Fox News is the only major news network that is doing this.
According to "Politifact" and its "Truth-O-Meter," the "damning evidence" that Trump did not really oppose the Iraq War before it began is Trump's September 2002 interview with Howard Stern, given six months before the war began. Yet, if you listen to that interview, it becomes very obvious that Trump was, at the very least, skeptical and unenthusiastic about invading Iraq. When Trump was asked if he supported going to war in Iraq, he replied, "Yeah, I guess so."
Anyone with ears and a reasoning mind can hear from the way Trump said "Yeah, I guess so" that he was hesitant and doubtful about the war, if not opposed to it. His answer was much like the answer that a reluctant parent might give to a nagging teen when the parent really does not think the teen's request is a good idea and is trying to diplomatically express opposition by voicing clearly equivocal, skeptical permission.
Furthermore, saying "I guess so" in any tone of voice is usually taken to express a degree of uncertainty and equivocation, but somehow Politifact, CNN, ABC, NBC, etc., view it as "damning evidence" that Trump supported the war, and they argue that it "debunks" Trump's claim that he opposed the war.
The other pre-war interview in which Trump talked about the Iraq War was Trump's January 2003 interview with Neil Cavuto on Fox News, which occurred just two months before the war began. In that interview, Trump said that "perhaps" we should *not*--I repeat *not*--invade Iraq until the UN approved, and that the economy was a "much bigger problem" than Iraq. But in the eyes of the so-called "fact checkers" at CNN, NBC, ABC, Politifact, etc., somehow Trump's comments "hardly" prove that he opposed the war before it started.
Additionally, in recent days, Sean Hannity of Fox News has confirmed that Trump expressed strong opposition to invading Iraq in private discussions that he and Trump had before the war began (see, for example, Sean Hannity Says Trump Was Opposed to Iraq War).
Reasonable, fair people will look at the available evidence and conclude that Trump privately opposed the war and that he made two public statements in which he clearly seemed to express doubt about the wisdom of invading Iraq. So Trump's claim that he opposed the Iraq War before it began is credible
You can bet that if Trump were claiming that he *supported* the war before it began, the folks at CNN, NBC, CBS, ABC, etc., would be citing the above-mentioned interviews and would be arguing that Trump did not really support the war because he clearly expressed hesitancy and equivocation about invading Iraq.
Moreover, I should point out that just three days after the invasion of Iraq began, Trump stated that the war was "depressing." Two days later, i.e., just six days after the war began, Trump said the war was "a mess." This was at the same time when the war seemed to be going extremely well and when Hillary and most other politicians were voicing strong support for the war. But, of course, most "journalists" give Trump no credit for recognizing that the Iraq War was a serious blunder long before Hillary Clinton voiced a single syllable of opposition to it.
Finally, I would add that in August 2004, less than 18 months into the war, Trump said the following in an interview with Esquire magazine:
"Look at the war in Iraq and the mess that we're in. I would never have handled it that way. Does anybody really believe that Iraq is going to be a wonderful democracy where people are going to run down to the voting box and gently put in their ballot and the winner is happily going to step up to lead the country? C'mon. Two minutes after we leave, there's going to be a revolution, and the meanest, toughest, smartest, most vicious guy will take over.
"What was the purpose of this whole thing? Hundreds and hundreds of young people killed. And what about the people coming back with no arms and legs? Not to mention the other side. All those Iraqi kids who've been blown to pieces. And it turns out that all of the reasons for the war were blatantly wrong. All this for nothing!"
Sources for further reading:
2003 Clip Backs Up Trump On Iraq War Opposition
As usual, Fox News is the only major news network to provide fair, balanced analysis on this issue. Many conservative websites have documented that Trump's statement about opposing the war before it began is supported by recorded interviews and other sources. But Fox News is the only major news network that is doing this.
According to "Politifact" and its "Truth-O-Meter," the "damning evidence" that Trump did not really oppose the Iraq War before it began is Trump's September 2002 interview with Howard Stern, given six months before the war began. Yet, if you listen to that interview, it becomes very obvious that Trump was, at the very least, skeptical and unenthusiastic about invading Iraq. When Trump was asked if he supported going to war in Iraq, he replied, "Yeah, I guess so."
Anyone with ears and a reasoning mind can hear from the way Trump said "Yeah, I guess so" that he was hesitant and doubtful about the war, if not opposed to it. His answer was much like the answer that a reluctant parent might give to a nagging teen when the parent really does not think the teen's request is a good idea and is trying to diplomatically express opposition by voicing clearly equivocal, skeptical permission.
Furthermore, saying "I guess so" in any tone of voice is usually taken to express a degree of uncertainty and equivocation, but somehow Politifact, CNN, ABC, NBC, etc., view it as "damning evidence" that Trump supported the war, and they argue that it "debunks" Trump's claim that he opposed the war.
The other pre-war interview in which Trump talked about the Iraq War was Trump's January 2003 interview with Neil Cavuto on Fox News, which occurred just two months before the war began. In that interview, Trump said that "perhaps" we should *not*--I repeat *not*--invade Iraq until the UN approved, and that the economy was a "much bigger problem" than Iraq. But in the eyes of the so-called "fact checkers" at CNN, NBC, ABC, Politifact, etc., somehow Trump's comments "hardly" prove that he opposed the war before it started.
Additionally, in recent days, Sean Hannity of Fox News has confirmed that Trump expressed strong opposition to invading Iraq in private discussions that he and Trump had before the war began (see, for example, Sean Hannity Says Trump Was Opposed to Iraq War).
Reasonable, fair people will look at the available evidence and conclude that Trump privately opposed the war and that he made two public statements in which he clearly seemed to express doubt about the wisdom of invading Iraq. So Trump's claim that he opposed the Iraq War before it began is credible
You can bet that if Trump were claiming that he *supported* the war before it began, the folks at CNN, NBC, CBS, ABC, etc., would be citing the above-mentioned interviews and would be arguing that Trump did not really support the war because he clearly expressed hesitancy and equivocation about invading Iraq.
Moreover, I should point out that just three days after the invasion of Iraq began, Trump stated that the war was "depressing." Two days later, i.e., just six days after the war began, Trump said the war was "a mess." This was at the same time when the war seemed to be going extremely well and when Hillary and most other politicians were voicing strong support for the war. But, of course, most "journalists" give Trump no credit for recognizing that the Iraq War was a serious blunder long before Hillary Clinton voiced a single syllable of opposition to it.
Finally, I would add that in August 2004, less than 18 months into the war, Trump said the following in an interview with Esquire magazine:
"Look at the war in Iraq and the mess that we're in. I would never have handled it that way. Does anybody really believe that Iraq is going to be a wonderful democracy where people are going to run down to the voting box and gently put in their ballot and the winner is happily going to step up to lead the country? C'mon. Two minutes after we leave, there's going to be a revolution, and the meanest, toughest, smartest, most vicious guy will take over.
"What was the purpose of this whole thing? Hundreds and hundreds of young people killed. And what about the people coming back with no arms and legs? Not to mention the other side. All those Iraqi kids who've been blown to pieces. And it turns out that all of the reasons for the war were blatantly wrong. All this for nothing!"
Sources for further reading:
2003 Clip Backs Up Trump On Iraq War Opposition
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