{"id":14310,"date":"2026-07-23T05:54:25","date_gmt":"2026-07-23T00:54:25","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/usnews-14267fa.ingress-comporellon.ewp.live\/?p=14310"},"modified":"2026-07-23T05:54:25","modified_gmt":"2026-07-23T00:54:25","slug":"trump-appears-to-downplay-iran-war-deaths-in-social-posts-comparing-them-to-previous-conflicts","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/usnews-14267fa.ingress-comporellon.ewp.live\/?p=14310","title":{"rendered":"Trump appears to downplay Iran war deaths in social posts comparing them to previous conflicts"},"content":{"rendered":"<p><script>\r\n  atOptions = {\r\n    'key' : '644b717812d811d6a1c1fc5b6ccd6fa6',\r\n    'format' : 'iframe',\r\n    'height' : 90,\r\n    'width' : 728,\r\n    'params' : {}\r\n  };\r\n<\/script>\r\n<script src=\"https:\/\/www.highperformanceformat.com\/644b717812d811d6a1c1fc5b6ccd6fa6\/invoke.js\"><\/script>\r\n<br \/>\n<\/p>\n<div xmlns:default=\"http:\/\/www.w3.org\/2000\/svg\" data-testid=\"prism-article-body\">\n<p class=\"EkqkG IGXmU nlgHS yuUao MvWXB TjIXL aGjvy ebVHC \">President Donald Trump is comparing the death toll from the <a class=\"zZygg UbGlr iFzkS qdXbA WCDhQ DbOXS tqUtK GpWVU iJYzE \" data-testid=\"prism-linkbase\" href=\"https:\/\/abcnews.com\/International\/live-updates\/iran-live-updates-kuwait-attacked-bahrain-sounds-sirens\/?id=134907987\" dir=\"ltr\">war in Iran<\/a> to several past wars in what appears to be an attempt to downplay the rising number of fatalities.<\/p>\n<p class=\"EkqkG IGXmU nlgHS yuUao lqtkC TjIXL aGjvy \">Via posts on his social media platform, Trump displayed the number of fatalities in Afghanistan, Iraq, Vietnam and Korea &#8212; multi-year conflicts that cost thousands of American lives &#8212; alongside statistics from the Iran war, a four-month conflict in which 18 Americans have been killed.<!-- -->\u00a0<\/p>\n<p class=\"EkqkG IGXmU nlgHS yuUao lqtkC TjIXL aGjvy \">He added a chart to a second post, writing, &#8220;These are the real facts.&#8221;<\/p>\n<div class=\"oLzSq QrHMO fnRUo pvsTF EhJPu vPlOC zNYgW OsTsW RMeqy daRVX ISNQ sKyCY eRftA acPPc MENS nFwaT MCnQE mEeeY SmBjI xegrY rPLsU iulOd NIuqO zzscu lzDCc aHUBM IEgzD OjMNy eQqcx SVqKB GQmdz jaoD VWDdR ONJdw vrZxD OnRTz gbbfF roDbV GPGwb oMlSS gfNzt oJhud eXZcf zhVlX \">\n<div>\n<div class=\"InlineImage GpQCA lZur asrEW \" data-testid=\"prism-inline-image\">\n<figure class=\"kzIjN GNmeK pYrtp dSqFO \" data-testid=\"prism-figure\">\n<div class=\"GpQCA lZur \" style=\"padding-bottom:66.69239675800848%\" data-testid=\"prism-ratio-frame\">\n<div class=\"FvQLF iLTd NqeUA UzzHi iWsMV \"><picture data-testid=\"prism-picture\"><source media=\"(max-width: 414px)\" srcset=\"https:\/\/i.abcnewsfe.com\/a\/24721513-2f84-4826-852a-099d7994893a\/donald-trump-12-gty-gmh-260722_1784736897955_hpMain.jpg?w=375, https:\/\/i.abcnewsfe.com\/a\/24721513-2f84-4826-852a-099d7994893a\/donald-trump-12-gty-gmh-260722_1784736897955_hpMain.jpg?w=750 2x\"\/><source media=\"(min-width: 415px)\" srcset=\"https:\/\/i.abcnewsfe.com\/a\/24721513-2f84-4826-852a-099d7994893a\/donald-trump-12-gty-gmh-260722_1784736897955_hpMain.jpg?w=750, https:\/\/i.abcnewsfe.com\/a\/24721513-2f84-4826-852a-099d7994893a\/donald-trump-12-gty-gmh-260722_1784736897955_hpMain.jpg?w=1500 2x\"\/><img decoding=\"async\" alt=\"PHOTO: Members of a U.S. Army carry team move the flag-draped transfer case holding the remains of Army Staff Sgt. Michael Emmanuel Swinton of Fayetteville, during a dignified transfer at Dover Air Force Base July 22, 2026 in Dover, Delaware. \" class=\"hsDdd NDJZt sJeUN IJwXl vBqtr KrDt itslR SjwtZ hakZw HlUVI \" data-testid=\"prism-image\" draggable=\"false\" loading=\"lazy\" src=\"https:\/\/i.abcnewsfe.com\/a\/24721513-2f84-4826-852a-099d7994893a\/donald-trump-12-gty-gmh-260722_1784736897955_hpMain.jpg\"\/><\/picture><\/div>\n<\/div><figcaption>\n<div class=\"nMMea bNYiy Mjgpa dGwha DDmxa jgKNG RGHCC aBIU PriDW aiQHS lZur \" data-testid=\"prism-caption\">\n<p><span class=\"hsDdd OOSI GpQCA lZur VlFaz \" data-testid=\"prism-truncate\"><span><span class=\"gtOSm FbbUW tUtYa vOCwz EQwFq yCufu eEak Qmvg nyTIa SRXVc vzLa jgBfc WXDas CiUCW kqbG zrdEG txGfn ygKVe BbezD UOtxr CVfpq xijV soGRS XgdC sEIlf daWqJ \">Members of a U.S. Army carry team move the flag-draped transfer case holding the remains of Army Staff Sgt. Michael Emmanuel Swinton of Fayetteville, North Carolina, during a dignified transfer at Dover Air Force Base July 22, 2026 in Dover, Delaware.<\/span><\/span><\/span><\/p>\n<p><span class=\"gtOSm FbbUW tUtYa vOCwz EQwFq yCufu eEak Qmvg nyTIa SRXVc vzLa jgBfc WXDas CiUCW kqbG zrdEG txGfn ygKVe BbezD UOtxr CVfpq xijV soGRS XgdC sEIlf daWqJ YNujN JGtjI aZFDu rkKLh \">Kevin Dietsch\/Getty Images<\/span><\/p>\n<\/div>\n<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<p class=\"EkqkG IGXmU nlgHS yuUao lqtkC TjIXL aGjvy \">Trump has consistently referred to the ongoing fighting in Iran as a &#8220;military conflict&#8221; rather than a war, including in the charts he posted.<\/p>\n<p class=\"EkqkG IGXmU nlgHS yuUao lqtkC TjIXL aGjvy \">His comments come just days after <a class=\"zZygg UbGlr iFzkS qdXbA WCDhQ DbOXS tqUtK GpWVU iJYzE \" data-testid=\"prism-linkbase\" href=\"https:\/\/abcnews.com\/Politics\/3-us-soldiers-killed-iranian-attacks-weekend\/story?id=134950485\" dir=\"ltr\">four more service members were killed<\/a> in Iranian attacks &#8212; the first American fatalities since a fragile ceasefire deal collapsed two weeks ago.<\/p>\n<p class=\"EkqkG IGXmU nlgHS yuUao lqtkC TjIXL aGjvy \">The president attended a dignified transfer for the remains of the soldiers at Dover Air Force Base on Wednesday and has promised to retaliate for the deaths.<\/p>\n<p class=\"EkqkG IGXmU nlgHS yuUao lqtkC TjIXL aGjvy \">The conflict flared up this month after a brief respite, raising new questions about the scope and timeline of the war. The U.S. and Iran are again trading daily strikes daily and Iran has blocked access to the Strait of Hormuz, limiting the flow of oil through the critical waterway.<\/p>\n<p class=\"EkqkG IGXmU nlgHS yuUao lqtkC TjIXL aGjvy \">The war, unpopular with Americans since the U.S. and Israel launched the campaign in late February, has rankled some Republicans who fear the fighting could draw the U.S. into a prolonged<!-- -->\u00a0<!-- -->military commitment, keep gasoline prices elevated and become a political liability heading into the November midterm elections.<\/p>\n<p class=\"EkqkG IGXmU nlgHS yuUao lqtkC TjIXL aGjvy \">Secretary of Defense Pete Hegseth told senators on Tuesday that the estimated cost of the war now totals $37.5 billion. Hegseth, who appeared before the Senate Appropriations Committee to request an additional $67 billion in funding, was pressed by Democrats to be more transparent about the war&#8217;s war&#8217;s progress, goals, strategies and justifications.<\/p>\n<p class=\"EkqkG IGXmU nlgHS yuUao lqtkC TjIXL aGjvy \">Those figures likely do not cover the war&#8217;s full cost, including rebuilding damaged American bases. ABC News was first to report that the Army has had to significantly ration its funds, making dramatic cuts to training as the war&#8217;s cost mounts.<\/p>\n<p class=\"EkqkG IGXmU nlgHS yuUao lqtkC TjIXL aGjvy \">As the conflict drags on, Trump has frequently tried to make the costs of the Iran campaign appear insignificant relative to other foreign wars. On a Saturday call with the New York Post, Trump reportedly said that the service members&#8217; deaths were a &#8220;shame&#8221; but drew a contrast with other wars.<\/p>\n<p class=\"EkqkG IGXmU nlgHS yuUao lqtkC TjIXL aGjvy \">&#8220;Have you ever asked how many people died in Vietnam? Have you ever asked how many people died in Afghanistan in one day? In one day &#8212; run by Sleepy Joe Biden,&#8221; Trump said, according to the Post.<!-- -->\u00a0<\/p>\n<p class=\"EkqkG IGXmU nlgHS yuUao lqtkC TjIXL aGjvy \">Trump often targets former President Joe Biden for the 13 U.S. service members killed in the Abbey Gate terrorist attack during the chaotic withdrawal from Afghanistan.<!-- -->\u00a0<\/p>\n<p class=\"EkqkG IGXmU nlgHS yuUao lqtkC TjIXL aGjvy \">When pressed by reporters in the Oval Office last week about the Iran war, Trump went to the same defense, comparing its length to the Vietnam conflict.<\/p>\n<p class=\"EkqkG IGXmU nlgHS yuUao lqtkC TjIXL aGjvy \">&#8220;We&#8217;re in Vietnam for 19 years, we&#8217;re here for four months, so I think we&#8217;ve done a lot,&#8221; Trump said then.<\/p>\n<p class=\"EkqkG IGXmU nlgHS yuUao lqtkC TjIXL aGjvy \">U.S. ground troops landed in Vietnam in 1964 and withdrawn in 1973, although U.S. military advisers were first dispatched there in 1950.<\/p>\n<p class=\"EkqkG IGXmU nlgHS yuUao lqtkC TjIXL aGjvy \">Some of the fatality figures Trump cited appear to be approximations and don&#8217;t precisely match Defense Department records. For instance, the president said 2,000 U.S. troops were killed in Afghanistan, though Defense Department records put the toll at 2,350, including 504 from non-hostile causes.<\/p>\n<p class=\"EkqkG IGXmU nlgHS yuUao lqtkC TjIXL aGjvy \">Top Democrats have turned the President&#8217;s comments against him, accusing Trump of trivializing the deaths of American service members.<!-- -->\u00a0<\/p>\n<p class=\"EkqkG IGXmU nlgHS yuUao lqtkC TjIXL aGjvy \">Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer, D-N.Y., called Trump&#8217;s comments &#8220;beneath contempt and a new low&#8221; in a post on X.<!-- -->\u00a0<\/p>\n<p class=\"EkqkG IGXmU nlgHS yuUao lqtkC TjIXL aGjvy \">Former Republican Rep. Marjorie Taylor Greene, an erstwhile Trump ally, said on social media that the posts were &#8220;stupid&#8221; and the president was &#8220;bragging about killing 18 US soldiers.&#8221;<\/p>\n<\/div>\n<script async=\"async\" data-cfasync=\"false\" src=\"https:\/\/pl30214220.effectivecpmnetwork.com\/9ab3d4df8a7e1a6171e16ddbf732cc19\/invoke.js\"><\/script>\r\n<div id=\"container-9ab3d4df8a7e1a6171e16ddbf732cc19\"><\/div>\r\n\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>President Donald Trump is comparing the death toll from the war in Iran to several past wars in what appears to be an attempt to downplay the rising number of fatalities. Via posts on his social media platform, Trump displayed the number of fatalities in Afghanistan, Iraq, Vietnam and Korea &#8212; multi-year conflicts that cost&#8230;<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":14311,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"fifu_image_url":"https:\/\/i.abcnewsfe.com\/a\/24721513-2f84-4826-852a-099d7994893a\/donald-trump-12-gty-gmh-260722_1784736897955_hpMain_16x9.jpg?w=1600","fifu_image_alt":"","footnotes":""},"categories":[22],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-14310","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-abc-news"],"brizy_media":[],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/usnews-14267fa.ingress-comporellon.ewp.live\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/14310","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/usnews-14267fa.ingress-comporellon.ewp.live\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/usnews-14267fa.ingress-comporellon.ewp.live\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/usnews-14267fa.ingress-comporellon.ewp.live\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/users\/1"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/usnews-14267fa.ingress-comporellon.ewp.live\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fcomments&post=14310"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/usnews-14267fa.ingress-comporellon.ewp.live\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/14310\/revisions"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/usnews-14267fa.ingress-comporellon.ewp.live\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/media\/14311"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/usnews-14267fa.ingress-comporellon.ewp.live\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fmedia&parent=14310"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/usnews-14267fa.ingress-comporellon.ewp.live\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fcategories&post=14310"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/usnews-14267fa.ingress-comporellon.ewp.live\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Ftags&post=14310"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}