Trump will declare victory in Iran no matter what. Is selling the war as a positive possible?

As we move into nine weeks of the war with Iran, there is yet another glimmer of hope that this conflict might come to an end. The same war that was won on “Day One,” according to President Trump, who also said the conflict might last weeks, months or when he felt it in his bones, whatever that means. But all Americans should feel relief that there is hope that the conflict will be over soon.

An overwhelming number of Americans disapprove of the war and fear that the effects and after effects will affect them negatively. But Trump, being Trump, will declare the war won. And Republicans will have to convince a very jaded American population that it was all worth it and will be worth it for years to come.  

Which will be practically impossible.

Look, no president is ever going to come out and say, “Guess what! I lost a war!” An administration will always try to spin a conflict to their benefit, even if it doesn’t seem that way. Just about every president tried to convince us that things in Iraq/Afghanistan/other places were going well even if they weren’t. And if the public didn’t buy it, blame the other guy. (See Joe Biden and Trump with the Afghanistan withdrawal). 

But declaring victory over Iran seems hollower than most of our recent quagmires. Trump demanded “unconditional surrender” without realizing that we obtained those in World War II by invading Europe and dropping atomic weapons on Japan. We aren’t going........

© The Hill