Trump says he opposed Iraq war from the start. He did not.
Trump says he opposed Iraq war from the start. He did not.
| Michael Finnegan and Seema Mehta |
Donald Trump stated falsely in Sunday night’s debate that he opposed the Iraq war from the start. He supported it.
Months before the 2003 U.S. invasion, Trump told shock-jock Howard Stern that he supported the invasion.
“Yeah, I guess so,” Trump responded, when asked in September 2002 whether he supported invading Iraq. “I wish the first time it was done correctly.”
Trump has stated that he said privately to Fox News anchor Sean Hannity, one of his most staunch supporters, that he opposed the war, but produced no evidence of that.
Trump has also said that he was among the first and chief critics of the war, another claim that is not substantiated. The public record shows that he grew increasingly critical of the war as it unfolded, as did broader public opinion.
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