President Donald Trump publicly rejected the notion that he broke a central promise of his political brand during a contentious interview with NBC News, arguing that military action against Iran was justified despite years of campaign rhetoric portraying him as the candidate who would keep America out of new wars.
The exchange unfolded during a taping of NBC's Meet the Press with Kristen Welker in Chippewa Falls, Wisconsin, where discussions about Iran, election integrity, January 6, and media credibility gradually escalated into a confrontation that ended with Trump abruptly terminating the interview.
At the center of the dispute was one of Trump's most recognizable campaign themes. Throughout his 2016 and 2024 presidential campaigns, Trump repeatedly highlighted that he had started "no new wars" during his first term and frequently contrasted himself with presidents who oversaw lengthy military engagements abroad.
Welker challenged Trump directly on whether U.S. involvement in the ongoing conflict with Iran represented a break from that pledge.
"One of your consistent campaign promises was no new wars, going all the way back to 2015. Did you break that promise to the American people?" Welker asked.
Trump rejected the premise.
"No. I had to stop a country, very powerful, very dangerous country, from having a nuclear weapon because they'd use it. They'd blow up the world. They'd blow up the Middle East. They'd blow up Israel. They'd come here. They'd blow up Europe," Trump said. "I'm doing the world a service, but I'm doing our country a service. You know, it's America first."
As the discussion continued, Welker noted that the "no new wars" message had been a defining element of Trump's political identity. The president responded with a remark that quickly generated intense reaction online.
"First of all, I didn't guarantee no war. Why would I have built the strongest military in the world?" Trump said. "I built our military. I inherited a terrible military. We had no equipment. We had nothing. I built a tremendous military."
When Welker pointed out that he had repeated the promise frequently during campaigns, Trump replied: "You say I promised, I didn't promise anything. I don't like these endless wars. This is not an endless war. We've been doing this for three months."
Trump repeatedly argued that the Iran operation should not be compared with conflicts such as Iraq or Afghanistan because of its duration and objectives. He described the campaign as limited and successful, insisting that Iran's military and nuclear capabilities had been severely degraded.
"I don't like these endless wars. This is not an endless war. We've been doing this for three months," Trump said. He later added that U.S. forces had "destroyed the capability of Iran in a matter of days" and claimed "the threat is largely over."
The conversation also returned to Trump's long-running criticism of the Obama-era nuclear agreement with Iran. Welker argued that Iran moved closer to weapons-grade uranium after Trump withdrew from the accord during his first term.
Trump dismissed that assessment and instead blamed former President Barack Obama.
"They were developing it during the nuclear deal. You don't know that? ... They got all of this uranium during Obama," Trump said, referring to "Barack Hussein Obama" and describing the agreement as a "st***d deal."
The interview grew increasingly combative as discussion expanded beyond Iran. Trump attacked media organizations, accused NBC of bias, and repeated claims that the 2020 election had been fraudulent despite courts and election officials rejecting allegations of widespread election fraud.
"Listen to me: There's tremendous evidence. There's nothing but evidence. The election was rigged. It was a dirty election, and it's happening again right now in California," Trump claimed.
As Welker pressed for evidence, Trump intensified his criticism of both the journalist and the network.
"They're crooked, just like you're crooked. Your press is crooked, and Meet the Press is crooked," Trump said. When Welker objected, Trump responded: "Really? Well, you play right into their hands then. You're either crooked, or you're stupid."
The interview ultimately ended when Trump decided to leave before all scheduled topics had been completed.
"Let's call it quits because I've had enough. Thank you, darling," Trump said while removing his microphone.
As he stood to leave, Welker encouraged him to continue. Trump replied: "I've given you enough time. You ought to straighten out your press because you know what, a country can never be great with a dishonest press."
NBC later reported that Welker spoke with Trump again the following day. According to the network, the president attributed some of the tension to difficult filming conditions caused by heavy rain striking the metal roof of the barn where the interview was recorded and indicated he would be willing to participate in another interview in the future.
