Trump says he was against Iraq war despite Howard Stern interview

I'll just go ahead and format it for you.

In a September 2002 interview, shock jock Howard Stern asked Trump if he supported the looming invasion. Trump responded,

"Yeah, I guess so..." This was said in a very unsure tone. https://youtu.be/77P6fxa2KOs?t=98

The subject was quickly changed.

But on Jan. 28, 2003, just under three months before the invasion, Fox News’ Neil Cavuto asked Trump whether President George W. Bush should be more focused on Iraq or the economy. Trump responded,

"If you look at the polls, a lot of people are getting a little tired. I think the Iraqi situation is a problem. And I think the economy is a much bigger problem as far as the president is concerned."

And a week after the United States invaded Iraq on March 19, 2003, Trump gave more takes. On March 22, 2003, the San Antonio Express-News quoted Trump as saying "war is depressing."

At an Academy Awards after-party on March 25, 2003, Trump said,

"If they keep fighting it the way they did today, they’re going to have a real problem. The war’s a mess,"

according to the Washington Post.

On July 1, 2003, Trump appeared on “Hardball with Chris Matthews” and expressed concern about money being spent in Iraq rather than in the U.S.

On September 11, 2003, Joe Scarborough, who at the time was host of MSNBC’s “Scarborough Country,” aired interviews with New Yorkers — including Trump. Trump said,

"It wasn’t a mistake to fight terrorism and fight it hard, and I guess maybe if I had to do it, I would have fought terrorism but not necessarily Iraq."

On November 4, 2003, Trump appeared on “Hardball with Chris Matthews,” where he was asked about the impact of the economy on President George W. Bush’s reelection bid. Trump said

“the economy is doing well,” but predicted “his bigger problem is going to be what’s happening in Iraq.”

Trump’s harshest criticism came more than a year into the war, in an August 2004 article in Esquire:

"Look at the war in Iraq and the mess that we're in. I would never have handled it that way. Does anybody really believe that Iraq is going to be a wonderful democracy where people are going to run down to the voting box and gently put in their ballot and the winner is happily going to step up to lead the country?

C'mon. Two minutes after we leave, there's going to be a revolution, and the meanest, toughest, smartest, most vicious guy will take over. And he'll have weapons of mass destruction, which Saddam didn't have.

"What was the purpose of this whole thing? Hundreds and hundreds of young people killed. And what about the people coming back with no arms and legs? Not to mention the other side. All those Iraqi kids who've been blown to pieces. And it turns out that all of the reasons for the war were blatantly wrong. All this for nothing!"

He told CNN’s Larry King in November 2004,

"I do not believe that we made the right decision going into Iraq, but, you know, hopefully, we'll be getting out."

Sean Hannity also recalled Trump's opposition to the Iraq War beforehand. https://vimeo.com/156010459

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