‘I would have won Vietnam very quickly’: Trump is yet to secure a deal with Iran, but he’s confident about a war that humiliated the U.S. 50 years ago

During a phone appearance on CNBC’s Squawk Box, Donald Trump made a bold claim about the Vietnam War, saying he would have won it “very quickly” if he had been president at the time. The comment came during a broader discussion about the ongoing conflict with Iran, which has now passed the two-month mark. Trump spoke for around 30 minutes on the program.

According to The Independent, Trump referenced a chart listing the lengths of various American military engagements. He noted that World War I lasted four years and three months, World War II lasted six years, the Korean War lasted three years, and the Vietnam War lasted 19 years. He then compared those timelines to the five months he has been involved in the Iran conflict.

On Vietnam specifically, Trump was direct about what he believed he would have done differently: “I would have won Vietnam very quickly. I would have, if I were president.” This is a notable claim given his personal history with that war.

Trump avoided the Vietnam draft through multiple deferments, making his confidence about winning the war all the more striking

Trump, now 79, did not serve in the military during the Vietnam era despite a mandatory draft being in place at the time. While studying at the University of Pennsylvania, he received four student deferments. After those ended, and he became eligible for the draft again, he obtained a medical deferment.

According to reporting by The New York Times, the medical deferment was supported by a letter from Dr. Larry Braunstein, a podiatrist based in Queens who rented office space from Trump’s father, Fred Trump. The letter stated that the future president had bone spurs in both heels. Dr. Elysa Braunstein later said her father wrote the letter as a favor to the elder Trump.

The deferments have long been a source of controversy. Michael Cohen, Trump’s former lawyer, testified before Congress in 2019 that he was never given any medical records to back up the bone spur claim during the 2016 election. Cohen said, “Mr. Trump claimed (his medical deferment) was because of a bone spur, but when I asked for medical records, he gave me none and said there was no surgery.”

Cohen also noted that Trump told him not to discuss the details with reporters, but simply to confirm that a medical deferment had been granted. The matter has never been fully resolved, and Trump has not released any medical documentation related to the diagnosis.

While Trump reflects on past wars, the situation with Iran is pressing right now. A temporary ceasefire that began on April 8 is set to expire on Wednesday evening, Washington time. Trump previously gave Tehran a firm ultimatum ahead of Wednesday’s deadline, and he has made clear he is unlikely to extend the ceasefire unless a permanent peace deal is reached. 

He also signaled openness to renewed military action, telling CNBC, “I expect to be bombing because I think that’s a better attitude to go in with. But we’re ready to go. I mean, the military is raring to go.” Talks between the two sides are scheduled to take place in Islamabad, Pakistan, possibly beginning as early as Wednesday. 

The U.S. delegation will include Vice President JD Vance, peace envoy Steve Witkoff, and Jared Kushner. Iran specifically requested that Vance be present, likely because earlier meetings led by Witkoff and Kushner ended in bombing campaigns rather than agreements.

Tensions have continued on the ground as well. On Sunday, the U.S. Navy intercepted an Iranian-flagged cargo ship attempting to bypass the blockade of the Strait of Hormuz. Iran’s Foreign Ministry spokesperson Esmaeil Baqaei called this a ceasefire violation. Iranian Parliament Speaker Mohammad Bagher Qalibaf also accused Trump of using the talks to force a surrender. 

Iran has openly refused to negotiate under threat while warning of new battlefield moves, with Qalibaf writing on X: “Trump, by imposing a siege and violating the ceasefire, seeks to turn this negotiating table – in his own imagination – into a table of surrender or to justify renewed warmongering. We do not accept negotiations under the shadow of threats, and in the past two weeks, we have prepared to reveal new cards on the battlefield.”

Despite the pressure of an approaching deadline, Trump appears unconcerned. He posted on Truth Social that he is “under no pressure whatsoever, although, it will all happen, relatively quickly!” Whether the talks in Islamabad will lead to a deal before the ceasefire expires remains to be seen.