The Warning with Steve Schmidt What Washington Isn’t Saying About War, Gas Prices, and Trump with Tara Palmeri
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Mar 19, 2026 Steve Schmidt, veteran Republican strategist turned commentator, offers historical and strategic analysis. He discusses Trump’s broken promise on avoiding foreign wars and compares Iraq-era mistakes to today. He examines why air power alone cannot topple Iran, how Iran targets the global economy, and how rising gas prices could politically pressure Trump.
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Trump's Biggest Broken Promise On Foreign Wars
- Donald Trump broke his core 2016 promise of no more foreign wars and has started a major conflict with Iran.
- Steve Schmidt argues this is the single biggest broken promise of his lifetime and it undercuts Trump's foundational political appeal.
Demand Rigorous Scrutiny Before Supporting War
- Scrutinize every government claim before accepting a casus belli and demand rigorous evidence when war is proposed.
- Schmidt urges rigorous examination of officials' words, citing 2003 Iraq intelligence failures and public deception.
Firsthand Iraq Experience Exposed Mission Incoherence
- Steve Schmidt recounts returning from Iraq and seeing mission incoherence firsthand, undermining optimism about nation-building.
- He observed U.S. efforts shifted toward building democracies that, in his view, weren't realistic on the ground.