GOP presidential nominee Donald Trump characterizes himself primarily as a dealmaker, frequently claiming that his greatest value is his ability to do “great deals.” That dealmaking aspect of Trump’s purported skill set is always at the forefront of answers he gives about how the United States should handle global conflicts.
Asked about Ukraine’s defense against Russian aggression, Trump has repeatedly claimed he would negotiate an end to the war, claiming he could end it within 24 hours. This boast is complicated by the fact that Russia has refused to cede back any of the territory it has annexed since hostilities began, and Ukraine has refused to consider giving up the annexed territories.
[NOTE: In a recent appearance with Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky, Trump said he had a “great relationship” with Russian Vladimir Putin and warned Zelensky that a deal might not please his side, saying that it takes “two to tango.” More recently Trump blamed Zelensky for the Russian invasion.]
Yet the far-fetched quality of Trump’s boast about establishing peace in one day after years of war became easier to understand — if not easier to execute — when he revealed this week that while he thought Abraham Lincoln might have been a “great president,” Trump always wondered why the Civil War “wasn’t settled.”
Trump: “Lincoln was probably a great president although I’ve always said, why wasn’t that settled?”
Did Trump just blame Lincoln for the Civil War? WTF?
“Lincoln was probably a great president although I’ve always said, why wasn’t that settled?”
— Republicans against Trump (@RpsAgainstTrump) October 18, 2024