Behind the curtain of the "peace president"

One of the most persistent myths surrounding the first Trump administration is the claim that "he didn’t start any new wars." This is demonstrably false.

During his first term, Trump acted as the primary catalyst for current conflicts with Russia, China, Iran, and Venezuela. Far from de-escalating, he accelerated the march toward global confrontation, dramatically raising the stakes established by his predecessors.

Ukraine

Between 2017 and 2021, the Trump administration oversaw an unprecedented expansion of what became the "mother of all proxy armies." Under his watch, nearly two dozen covert US intelligence bases were established in eastern Ukraine, and massive numbers of Ukrainian personnel were integrated into NATO training programs.

The military infrastructure was systematically upgraded:

• Command and control: A direct chain of command was built from Kyiv to the US/NATO headquarters at Ramstein Air Base.

• Weaponry: Heavy US equipment was pre-staged in Poland, while Trump introduced Javelin missiles, M-777 howitzers, and HIMARS systems to the Ukrainian arsenal.

• Fortifications: The Donbass region's defense complexes were significantly bolstered.

• Elite units: Thousands of NATO "contractors" were integrated into the military, favoring hardcore neo-Nazi brigades as elite units.

Trump has frequently bragged about this escalation, mocking Obama for sending "sheets" while he provided "Javelins." This military buildup made the 2022 war inevitable, forcing Russia to move decisively to protect its strategic depth. Those claiming Trump bears no responsibility are simply ignoring the facts.

The trajectory of this war was set in stone during his first term; Trump owns the Ukraine war more than Joe Biden’s "autopen."

China

Trump’s "peace" credentials are further undermined by his aggressive militarization of Taiwan. Almost immediately after his 2017 inauguration, he announced massive sales of anti-ship missiles, torpedoes, and advanced radar. This continued with the sale of 66 F-16V fighters in 2019 and more drones and HIMARS in 2020.

Most provocatively, Trump broke precedent by permanently basing US Special Forces on Taiwan and nearby islands just miles from the Chinese coast. Combined with his initiation of a trade and rhetoric war, these actions have pushed China to accelerate its own war preparations. Current rumors of a potential US naval blockade against Chinese energy imports represent a level of strategic madness born in the Trump era.

Iran

In concert with Israel, Trump ignited a major conflict with Iran that remains active today. The most brazen act was the January 3, 2020, assassination of General Qasem Soleimani at Baghdad airport.

Soleimani was on a diplomatic mission to discuss a Saudi-mediated de-escalation at the time. After a personal call from Trump to the Iraqi Prime Minister to "facilitate" meetings, the US used a Reaper drone to blow Soleimani’s entourage to smithereens. Trump publicly gloried in his perfidy.

This assassination triggered a cycle of violence:

• January 2020: Iran’s precise ballistic missile strike on the Ayn al-Asad base.

• April 2024: Israeli strikes on the Iranian embassy in Damascus.

• June 2025: The "12-Day War" between the US/Israel and Iran.

The current "hiatus" in hostilities is thin; the fuse was lit the moment Trump ordered that extrajudicial killing.

Venezuela

As early as July 2017, Trump began publicly questioning why the US wasn't at war with Venezuela to seize its oil. This bellicosity led to the failed 2019 coup attempt to install Juan Guaidó. Trump’s obsession with the country’s vast oil reserves forced Venezuela to seek aggressive military support from Russia, China, and Iran. By late 2025, the US had positioned a massive naval fleet off the coast, aiming to install CIA-groomed figures like María Corina Machado, who has openly invited an American invasion.

The reality of the "peace president"

Trump, obsessed with winning a Nobel Peace Prize, claims to have ended numerous "imaginary" wars. In reality, he possesses one of the itchiest trigger fingers in modern presidential history.

He has managed to pick fights with the most formidable adversaries since WWII—Russia, China, and Iran—and, more importantly, he has catalyzed an unbeatable military and economic alliance between them.

While Americans are fed Hollywood fantasies of military invincibility, the sobering truth is that there are no easy wars left to fight. This reality will become painfully clear before the end of the "imaginary peace president's" final term.