JD Vance Just Claimed That The U.S. Won 'Almost None' Of The Wars They Fought In Until Trump—And Everyone's Asking The Same Question

Vice President JD Vance had everyone asking themselves the same question after he hailed President Donald Trump as some kind of great war general, claiming that the U.S. won very few wars until Trump took office.

Vance was asked on Thursday for a response to the departure of multiple experienced leaders from the Pentagon. Vance said he agreed with Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth's assessment "that we needed a culture shift in the Department of War."

At least 20 generals, admirals and senior civilian defense officials have been fired or otherwise left their positions since Hegseth took office. The departures have included some of the military’s most senior and decorated commanders.

Hegseth and Trump have dismissed several top officers, while others have retired or resigned with limited public explanation. Among those affected are the Army, Navy and Air Force’s highest-ranking officers, as well as commanders overseeing key military units. The Army and Navy have also lost their top civilian leaders.

The administration has also faced scrutiny over the removal of senior Black and female officers. A source familiar with military promotion lists said that Black and female officers have been disproportionately dropped from consideration for advancement. There are currently no active-duty female four-star generals or admirals, and many officers who were passed over for promotion have subsequently left the military.

Federal law limits the number of active-duty general and flag officers. A recent Congressional Research Service report, for example, says the military can have up to 36 four-star generals and admirals. Some of the officers who were removed, however, departed before completing their scheduled assignments.

In other cases, Hegseth has dismissed officials over allegations that they leaked information to the media. He has also had disagreements with senior administration officials, including Army Secretary Dan Driscoll, who resigned this week.

Vance, referring to these changes, said:

"We have to ask ourselves some very difficult questions, and this has nothing to do with the amazing troops that we have, the amazing military officers, non-commissioned officers, and enlisted personnel that we have, but America has fought a lot of wars since I've been alive, 42 years."

"And we have won almost none of them until Donald J. Trump became president of the United States. What does that say about the culture of military leadership, the way that we did planning, and what does it also say, frankly, about the political leadership we've had in the White House at the Department of War for 40 years of, frankly, military misadventures?"

You can hear what Vance said in the video below.

Trump does not at all have the record Vance claimed he has, reiterating one of the White House's favorite lies.

Outgoing White House Press Secretary Karoline Leavitt has said "it's well past time that President Trump was awarded the Nobel Peace Prize," claiming that he “has brokered, on average, one peace deal or ceasefire per month,” pointing to mediations he led between India and Pakistan, Cambodia and Thailand, and Egypt and Ethiopia, among others.

Notably, Leavitt did not address the war in Ukraine, despite Trump’s frequent promises to bring it to an end on his first day in office, nor did she mention the genocide in Gaza amid heightened concerns about the U.S. supplying arms to Israel. She also failed to mention that Trump often claims credit for settling conflicts he had nothing to do with.

Trump can't even keep his stories straight, considering he claimed in a speech at the United Nations that he resolved a "conflict" between Cambodia and Armenia—two countries that have never been at war and are 4,150 miles apart.

Vance's remarks also come as U.S. officials told The Wall Street Journal that Trump has considered formally declaring his war against Iran over while telling aides he believes sustained economic pressure could ultimately compel Iran to abandon its nuclear ambitions or trigger the collapse of its government.

Those discussions reportedly took place as U.S. and Iranian forces continued trading fire, with both sides also vying for influence over the strategically vital Strait of Hormuz. Trump has suggested that the U.S. could claim the strait as American territory. He said the U.S. already has “total control” of the waterway and has repeatedly characterized the American blockade as effective.

This chaotic foreign policy—or lack thereof—has people asking themselves what war does Vance think Trump actually won?

Driscoll’s resignation came after months of tension with Hegseth, as well as repeated concerns he raised with White House officials, including Chief of Staff Susie Wiles, about Hegseth’s handling of senior military leadership.

According to sources familiar with the matter, Driscoll warned that Hegseth had undertaken an unusually broad series of dismissals of senior officers, often with little explanation. He also raised concerns about what the sources described as unprecedented efforts to prevent thoroughly vetted officers from moving into the military’s highest ranks.

Driscoll spoke directly with Trump last week when he submitted his resignation, two sources familiar with the conversation said. During that discussion, Driscoll told Trump that Hegseth’s removal of some of the Army’s most experienced leaders was damaging the force and reducing the number of officers available to take on senior command positions in the future.

Trump, said one source, appeared surprised by the scale of the issue.