Donald Trump claims he could have won the Vietnam War in a week

Donald Trump stated on Sunday, at a campaign rally, that he could have won the Vietnam War in one week and the war in Afghanistan in three weeks. The statements were made in the context of the military operations launched by the United States in Venezuela and Iran and criticism regarding the way America’s conflicts were conducted.

The American president claimed that the United States had never fought to achieve a decisive victory, but only to reach a compromise outcome. “I could have won that war in three weeks. I could have won the Vietnam War in one week,” Trump said, criticizing former American presidents.

During the speech, Trump also referred to the use of Agent Orange in Vietnam. Approximately 80 million liters of herbicide were sprayed by the American army between 1962 and 1971 over the jungles of South Vietnam, in order to destroy vegetation and crops used by the communist guerrillas. The conflict between the United States and Vietnam took place between 1955 and 1975.

The president’s statements come ahead of the midterm elections, in which his party risks losing its majority in Congress. Trump is trying to justify his military strategy toward Iran, a conflict that, according to AFP, is affecting the American economy and his popularity. He said that he had not ended the operations because he wanted to save as many lives as possible.