‘I’m not going to start a war’

Very few presidential candidates follow through on their campaign promises.

Thankfully, for all of us, President Trump did keep his promises, as evidenced by some of his quotes listed below.

You don’t find many guys in the White House who keep their promises post-election, which is what sunk George H.W. Bush in the ’92 election – “No new taxes” turned into a lot of new taxes.

Hello, Bill Clinton. From President Trump’s very own anti-war quotes, including a few from his sycophants. Sorry, cabinet members, his VP, and his deputy chief of staff:

1. November 2011 — Twitter

“Our president (Obama) will start a war with Iran because he has absolutely no ability to negotiate.”

2. September 2013 — Twitter

“Remember what I previously said — Obama will someday attack Iran in order to show how tough he is.”

3. February 2016 — Republican Presidential Debate

“The war in Iraq was a big, fat mistake.”

4. July 2016 — Republican National Convention

“We must abandon the failed policy of nation-building and regime change that Hillary Clinton pushed in Iraq, Libya, Egypt and Syria.”

5. January 2023 — JD Vance, Wall Street Journal op-ed “

In Mr. Trump’s four years in office, he started no wars despite enormous pressure from his own party and even members of his own administration. Not starting wars is perhaps a low bar…” 6. 2023 Campaign Speech, New Hampshire “We will demolish the deep state. We will expel the warmongers, those horrible warmongers from our government — those stupid, stupid people. They love seeing people die.”

7. October 27, 2024 — Madison Square Garden Campaign Rally “

I will tell you, you’re not going to have a war with me, and you’re not going to have a third world war with me, that I can tell you.”

8. Late October 2024 — Campaign trail, Election Eve

“You know, they’re all war hawks when they’re sitting in Washington in a nice building saying, ‘Oh, gee, let’s send 10,000 troops right into the mouth of the enemy.’”

9. October/November 2024 — Tulsi Gabbard, Trump’s now-DNI

“A vote for Kamala Harris is a vote for Dick Cheney and a vote for war, war and more war.”

10. Stephen Miller, Trump adviser, pre-election

“Liz Cheney is Kamala’s top advisor. Liz wants to invade the whole Middle East. Kamala = WWIII. Trump = Peace.”

11. November 6, 2024

— Election Night, Palm Beach

“We defeated ISIS in record time, but we had no wars. They said: ‘He will start a war.’ I’m not going to start a war. I’m going to stop wars.”

12. January 20, 2025 — Inaugural Address

“Our power will stop all wars and bring a new spirit of unity to a world that has been angry, violent, and totally unpredictable.”

13. December 2024 — Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth, Reagan Defense Forum

“The War Department will not be distracted by democracy-building interventionism, undefined wars, regime change… We will instead put our nation’s practical, concrete interests first.”

Note: Quotes from the president about his June 2025 B-2 strikes against Iran:

14. June 21, 2025 — National Address from the White House

“Iran’s key nuclear enrichment facilities have been completely and totally obliterated.”

15. June 22, 2025 — Truth Social post

“Monumental Damage was done to all nuclear sites in Iran, as shown by satellite images. Obliteration is an accurate term. The biggest damage took place far below ground level. Bullseye!!!”

16. June 24, 2025 — NATO Summit, The Hague

When asked about Iran rebuilding: “That place is under rock. That place is demolished.”

17. Feb. 28, 2026 — From Mar-a-Lago

“Our objective is to defend the American people by eliminating imminent threats from the Iranian regime.”