ELDER: Trump denounced — even by some Republicans — over ‘war of choice’

As to Trump's criticism of "endless wars," supporters should not have taken it seriously for several reasons

Published Apr 12, 2026  •  Last updated 19 minutes ago  •  3 minute read

A zoom lens and slow shutter speed technique shows President Donald Trump speaking with reporters in the James Brady Press Briefing Room at the White House, Monday, April 6, 2026, in Washington. Photo by Alex Brandon /AP

About the war against Iran, most polls find it especially unpopular among Democrats, independents and even some Republicans who feel double-crossed because President Donald Trump campaigned against “endless wars” and promised not to start a new one.

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As to Trump’s criticism of “endless wars,” supporters should not have taken it seriously for several reasons. First, we have “endless wars” because we have endless enemies. And they have a vote. Second, one could argue that the war against Iran is not new. After all, Iran’s leaders have been calling for America’s annihilation for 47 years. Third, presidents make decisions based upon events, many of which are unforeseen.

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Woodrow Wilson campaigned in 1914 to keep America out of the First World War. He ultimately took the country to war. Before our entry into the Second World War, several Americans supported an anti-war movement called America First. A couple of college students named Gerald R. Ford and John F. Kennedy supported this movement. Then came Pearl Harbor.

Assuming Iran was on the brink of acquiring the ability to make a nuclear bomb — its own negotiators admitted Iran had enough enriched uranium to make 11 bombs — this left Trump a couple of options: Do nothing, the route taken by previous presidents, or stop them. Rather than kick the can down the road, Trump chose to stomp on it.

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Opposition rooted in antipathy toward Trump

In a Wall Street Journal op-ed, prominent lawyer David Boies chastised fellow Democrats for opposing the war and letting their animosity against Trump cloud their judgment.

“If (Trump) hadn’t acted, his successor would have been left with an even more dangerous choice than his predecessors left him,” Boies opined. “What is harder to understand, and particularly troubling for our country, is opposition rooted simply in antipathy toward Mr. Trump himself.”

As for the war’s unpopularity, opponents call Trump a liar as to the intel purporting to show Iran is an imminent threat. Critics say he failed to consult, let alone get support from, our allies.

But consider the decision President George W. Bush made to go to war. Many now call the Iraq War a blunder of epic proportions. Much of the country believes Bush “lied us into the war.”

Let’s revisit. At first, 72% of Americans, according to Gallup, supported that war. Bush obtained resolutions in support of the war from both the House and the Senate. The widely held belief that Iraq had stockpiles of weapons of mass destruction was only one of the many reasons outlined in the resolution. The resolution also noted that Iraq used chemical weapons on its own people and on the Iranians; that Iraq was stealing from the United Nations Oil-for-Food Programme and likely using the money for military purposes; that Iraq was shooting at the British and American planes patrolling the southern and northern no-fly zones; and that Saddam Hussein had attempted to assassinate President George H.W. Bush.

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George W. Bush formed a “coalition of the willing” consisting of 48 nations, including the U.S., U.K., Australia and Poland, that committed troops to the effort.

The war became unpopular. Many denounced Bush as a liar and a war criminal, despite his pre-war effort to form a coalition, to get buy-in from both Democrats and Republicans and to obtain a unanimous resolution from the U.N.

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Trump excoriated viciously as Bush

Trump did none of this before going to war against Iran. He is as excoriated as viciously as was Bush, who did all the things critics accuse Trump of not doing. So, the real issue comes down to whether Trump is doing the right thing.

During the Iran-Iraq war, the Iranian regime used children to clear minefields, costing tens of thousands of young lives. There was a term for this— a war crime.

Iran is now mobilizing boys as young as 12 to fight the U.S. and Israel. There’s a term for this, too — a war crime.

And it is forcing citizens to form human chains to stand in front of military targets. There is a term for this, too — a war crime.

This is the value the regime places on its own people. Imagine the value it places on the lives of its perceived enemies.

This is why this fanatical regime cannot be allowed to acquire a nuclear weapon. This is why Trump is correct to implore the civilized world to join the fight.

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