Marc Thiessen, former White House director of speechwriting for President George W. Bush, praised President Donald Trump’s “courageous” decision to go to war with Iran on Thursday, assuring the president he would be remembered fondly for the conflict despite voters overwhelmingly opposing the war.
In an article for The Washington Post titled “The Midterms Won’t Define Trump’s Legacy. Iran Will,” Thiessen rejected the idea that Trump would be remembered in history for overseeing the Republican Party’s defeat in this month’s midterms — pointing out that former President Ronald Reagan also oversaw a Republican loss in the midterms, but is instead remembered for his achievements during the Cold War against the Soviet Union.
A U.S. Navy MH-60S Seahawk helicopter with Helicopter Sea Combat Squadron (HSC) 9 transfers ammunition between aircraft carriers USS George H.W. Bush (CVN 77), foreground, and USS Harry S. Truman (CVN 75) in the Atlantic Ocean Feb. 17, 2011. (U.S. Navy photo by Mass Communication Specialist 3rd Class Leonard Adams/Released)
Aug. 8, 2017 – The Arleigh Burke-class guided-missile destroyer USS Donald Cook (DDG 75) maneuvers between the Ticonderoga-class guided-missile cruiser USS Philippine Sea (CG 58), left, and the Nimitz-class aircraft carrier USS George H. W. Bush (CVN 77), right, for a photo exercise during exercise Saxon Warrior 2017, Aug. 8. Saxon Warrior is a United States and United Kingdom co-hosted carrier strike group exercise that demonstrates allied interoperability and capability to respond to crises and deter potential threats. (U.S. Navy photo by Mass Communication Specialist 1st Class Theron J. Godbold /Released)
“Trump’s decision to take military action against Iran was one of the most courageous any president has made in my lifetime,” Thiessen wrote, describing Trump as “the first president in 47 years to fight back” against Tehran.
Urging Trump not to accept a 93% victory and to instead seek a “total victory” over Iran, Thiessen advised that the president would either have to totally defeat Iran or force them to surrender.
Thiessen Urges Trump to Obliterate Iran’s Infrastructure and Then Carry Out Regime Change
“So, Trump should finish the job. Eliminate Iran’s remaining leadership figures; further entomb Iran’s nuclear sites; take out Iran’s remaining ballistic missile capabilities; destroy the economic and energy infrastructure that provides the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps with a financial lifeline, as well as key highways, railroads, airports and seaports,” he said. “And demolish Iran’s remaining defense industrial base so it cannot rebuild its destroyed capabilities.”
After obliterating Iran to such an extent, Thiessen said, Trump should then focus on carrying out regime change in the country by arming rebels.
Thiessen also urged Trump to carry out regime change in other countries across the globe, including Cuba, before the end of his second term in the White House.
President George W. Bush Received Low Approval Ratings After Launching Two Unpopular Wars
During his time in the White House, former President George W. Bush launched and oversaw two wars in the Middle East: the war in Afghanistan and the war in Iraq.
Those conflicts resulted in Bush receiving one of the lowest approval ratings of any president, and Trump campaigned during the 2016 presidential election on making sure that the country would not make such a mistake again.
The war in Afghanistan continued for nearly 20 years, until former President Joe Biden withdrew troops from the country in 2021.
The war in Iraq continued for nearly 9 years and resulted in 4,508 U.S. troops being killed.
Trump’s War in Iran Has Proven Extremely Unpopular With Voters, With Majority Wanting the Conflict to End ASAP
Trump’s decision to lead the U.S. into a war with Iran has proven extremely unpopular with voters and played a large part in the Republican Party’s defeat during this month’s midterms.
A survey conducted by YouGov and The Economist last week found that 60% of American voters believe Trump made the wrong decision to go to war with Iran.
64% of voters, meanwhile, told YouGov that the war should be brought to a conclusion “as quickly as possible,” with just 23% in favor of the war continuing until all objectives have been accomplished.
Trump Said the War Would Last Four to Six Weeks, But It’s Now Into Its Eighth Month
While Trump initially vowed that the conflict would last between just four and six weeks, the war recently entered its eighth month, with no signs of a peace agreement on the horizon.
According to reports, Vice President JD Vance has been the key voice in the White House pushing for peace as other officials have pushed for the war to continue.
However, Trump made his opinion on the matter clear this week after he moved Vance off of the Iran talks and declared bluntly that no agreement would be made.
“I have asked Vice President Vance to focus his complete and total attention on the Massive Corruption and Crime taking place in Democrat run Cities and States throughout the U.S.” wrote Trump in a Truth Social post. “We don’t need a deal with Iran. Those days have long since passed. We’ve got their money, Hundreds of Billions of Dollars, and we’ve got their Strait! Thank you for your attention to this matter.”
About the Author: Charlie Nash
Charlie Nash is a journalist and author whose work has appeared in The Spectator, Mediaite, New Statesman, and the American Conservative, among other major publications. His reporting has been featured by The Washington Post, Fox News, the Daily Beast, MS NOW, NewsNation, Hannity, and more. You can follow Charlie on X at @CharlieNash and on LinkedIn.
