Karoline Leavitt Gets Instant Fact-Check After Outrageous New Claim About Trump
Leavitt said Trump's attack on Iran's nuclear facilities over the weekend shows he has the 'strength' that his predecessors lacked.
'And nobody knows what it means to accomplish peace through strength better than President Trump,' she said during a Fox News interview. 'He is the one who came up with that motto, and that foreign policy doctrine, and he successfully implemented it in his first term.'
But Trump isn't the one who 'came up with' the motto.
'Peace through strength' has been used in American politics for decades, including by 1964 Republican presidential candidate Barry Goldwater and, perhaps most famously, by President Ronald Reagan.
It's the motto of the USS Ronald Reagan, and has made frequent appearances in Republican campaign platforms since Reagan's time.
As a concept, it goes back centuries ― as far back as the Roman Empire.
Leavitt's critics sent her back to school:
Actually @PressSec — it was Roman Emperor Hadrian who came up with 'peace through strength.'Not Donald Trump. https://t.co/IN3GY7yan3
— Jo (@JoJoFromJerz) June 23, 2025
Leavitt is ridiculous - either impossibly dumb or an incredibly blatant liar. "Peace Through Strength" was the motto of the US 8th Air Force. Barry Goldwater used the phrase in campaign ads in 1964. And, most famously, it was a slogan of Reagan's. Trump did not come up with it. pic.twitter.com/oL3xDelaQS
— James Surowiecki (@JamesSurowiecki) June 23, 2025
I mean she can't really think that, right? It was very famously a Ronald Reagan slogan. https://t.co/z3XwDDCvmM
— Ben Yelin (@byelin) June 23, 2025
The Emperor Hadrian would like a word. https://t.co/qDtDHPxUm5
— Joe Perticone (@JoePerticone) June 23, 2025
In case one forgot (or never knew): https://t.co/I3F8WLcp7spic.twitter.com/np4NZioF1l
— Michael McFaul (@McFaul) June 23, 2025
Sweet baby yams, this lady doesn't realize there are millions upon millions of Americans who are alive today that were alive during Reagan's presidency! https://t.co/Ogab6t5XFspic.twitter.com/08U9vZp9TB
— Tom Ryan (@tomryanlaw) June 23, 2025
Not only did Goldwater and Reagan say it… 'Peace Through Strength' is the motto of the Eighth Air Force, established in 1944.https://t.co/vntfh0lCyShttps://t.co/qNFo8mrL32
— The Tennessee Holler (@TheTNHoller) June 23, 2025
I'm sick and tired of a lot with this admin about many things, but one of the most annoying ones is the constant attempt to rip off others slogans and ideas and gaslight Americans that everything is Trump's creation. His need to constantly feed his ego about everything is his… https://t.co/rYpn6JAHnu
— Camille MacKenzie (@CamRMacKenzie) June 23, 2025
It would be laughable if it was not so sad. She has a college education and is a digital native...the combination is just amazing! The things you can find! GoogleAIA libraryA history class https://t.co/nDPMD362va
— Farah Pandith (@Farah_Pandith) June 23, 2025
The phrase "peace through strength" is most commonly attributed to the Roman Emperor Hadrian (reigned 117–138 CE)
— Compass Vermont (@VTCommonGround) June 23, 2025
He also coined the phrase 'speak softly and carry a big stick' #TheMoreYouKnow 💫 https://t.co/D1GSX1VZJx
— Jon Evans (@jonevnz) June 23, 2025
Does ANYONE in this administration read ANY history? What's worse: Lying or ignorance? https://t.co/TQtvOc29V6
— craasch (@craasch) June 23, 2025
"Peace through strength" was a key foreign policy doctrine of President Ronald Reagan. Her lies are much worse when she's not wearing her cross.
— Alex Cole (@acnewsitics) June 23, 2025
Hashtags
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
Yahoo
an hour ago
- Yahoo
Cambodia to nominate Trump for Nobel Peace Prize for role in ending country's conflict with Thailand
Cambodia will nominate President Donald Trump for the Nobel Peace Prize after he helped the country reach a ceasefire agreement to end its border conflict with Thailand. Sun Chanthol, Cambodia's deputy prime minister, thanked Trump for bringing peace to the region while speaking to reporters earlier Friday in the country's capital of Phnom Penh. Chanthol said the American president deserved to be nominated for the Nobel Peace Prize, the highest-profile international award given to a person or organization for doing the most to "advance fellowship between nations." "We acknowledge his great efforts for peace," Chanthol said. THAILAND, CAMBODIA REACH CEASEFIRE DEAL TO END CONFLICT THAT DISPLACED 260k, TRUMP SAYS Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu said last month he had nominated Trump for the Nobel Peace Prize and Pakistani officials said in June they would recommend him for the award for his role in helping to end its conflict with India. Read On The Fox News App Trump urged a ceasefire last week when he spoke to the leaders of Cambodia and Thailand and threatened that the U.S. would not get back to the "trading table" with the Southeast Asian countries until the fighting stops. A ceasefire was negotiated in Malaysia on Monday, ending the heaviest conflict between the two countries in over a decade. "Numerous people were killed and I was dealing with two countries that we get along with very well, very different countries from certain standpoints. They've been fighting for 500 years intermittently. And, we solved that war ... we solved it through trade," Trump told reporters during his recent trip to Scotland. Trump Calls For Immediate Ceasefire Between Cambodia And Thailand Amid Escalating Violence Following news of the ceasefire, White House Press Secretary Karoline Leavitt wrote on X that Trump's direct involvement led to the truce. "President Trump made this happen. Give him the Nobel Peace Prize!," she said. The fighting began last week after a land mine explosion along the border wounded five Thai soldiers. Each side blamed the other for starting the clashes, which lasted five days. At least 43 people were killed and more than 300,000 people were displaced on both sides of the border. "I said, 'I don't want to trade with anybody that's killing each other,'" Trump continued while in Scotland. "So we just got that one solved. And I'm going to call the two prime ministers who I got along with very, very well and speak to them right after this meeting and congratulate them. But it was an honor to be involved in that. That was going to be a very nasty war. Those wars have been very, very nasty." Chanthol, who also serves as Cambodia's top trade negotiator, said his country was also grateful to Trump for a reduced tariff rate of 19%. The Trump administration had initially threatened a tariff of 49% before later reducing it to 36%, a level that would have decimated Cambodia's vital garment and footwear sector, Chanthol told Reuters. Reuters contributed to this article source: Cambodia to nominate Trump for Nobel Peace Prize for role in ending country's conflict with Thailand Solve the daily Crossword
Yahoo
an hour ago
- Yahoo
Lebanese president steps up calls for Hezbollah to disarm
By Laila Bassam BEIRUT (Reuters) -Lebanese President Joseph Aoun stepped up his calls for Hezbollah to disarm on Thursday, suggesting failure to do so would give Israel an excuse to continue attacks and saying the issue would be on the agenda of a cabinet meeting next week. The comments reflect mounting pressure over the issue of Hezbollah's arms, which has loomed over Lebanon since the Iran-aligned group was pummeled in a war with Israel last year. Washington wants Hezbollah disarmed - a demand echoed by the Beirut government as it aims to establish a monopoly on weapons. Hezbollah leader Naim Qassem said in a televised speech on Wednesday that calls for its disarmament served only Israel. The Israeli military said in a statement it had on Thursday struck infrastructure used to produce and store weapons in Lebanon's Bekaa Valley, as well as in the south of the country, including an explosives manufacturing site it said was used to develop Hezbollah weaponry. Israel killed many Hezbollah commanders and thousands of its fighters last year, while also destroying much of its arsenal. In a speech to army officers, Aoun said the government would next week discuss Lebanon's amendments to a U.S. roadmap to disarm Hezbollah, deemed a terrorist group by Washington. Lebanon's counter proposal demands an immediate halt to Israel's attacks, its withdrawal from positions held in the south, the establishment of state control over all Lebanon and the disarmament of armed groups including Hezbollah, he said. Aoun urged all parties "to seize this historic opportunity ... and push for the exclusivity of weapons in the hands of the army and security forces". He said the government would set a timeframe to implement the steps. Shi'ite Muslim Hezbollah, backed by Tehran, was the only Lebanese group allowed to keep its weapons at the end of the 1975-90 civil war on the grounds it needed them to fight Israeli troops who occupied the south but withdrew in 2000. Hezbollah's arsenal has long divided Lebanese, with critics saying it has undermined the state and dragged Lebanon into conflicts. Washington has been pushing Lebanon to commit to disarming Hezbollah before talks can resume on halting Israeli military operations, Reuters reported earlier this week. Hezbollah has so far refused, though the group has been considering scaling back its arsenal. 'PRETEXTS FOR AGGRESSION' Addressing Hezbollah and its followers but without naming them, Aoun called on those who "have faced the aggression" to "rely solely on the Lebanese state". "You are too honorable to risk the state-building project, and too noble to provide pretexts for an aggression that wants to continue the war against us," he said. The U.S. proposal delivered in June would require Hezbollah to disarm within four months in exchange for the withdrawal of Israeli troops occupying several posts in south Lebanon, and a halt to Israeli air strikes. Hezbollah had already relinquished a number of weapons depots in southern Lebanon to the Lebanese army in line with a U.S.-brokered truce designed to end last year's war. Aoun said the proposals to be discussed next week include seeking $1 billion annually for 10 years to support the army and the security forces and plans for an international conference to later in the year to support reconstruction efforts. Solve the daily Crossword
Yahoo
an hour ago
- Yahoo
A Tunisian musician was detained in LA after living in US for a decade. His doctor wife speaks out
LOS ANGELES (AP) — Dr. Wafaa Alrashid noticed fewer of her patients were showing up for their appointments at the Los Angeles area hospital where she works as immigration raids spread fear among the Latino population she serves. The Utah-born chief medical officer at Huntington Hospital understood their fear on a personal level. Her husband Rami Othmane, a Tunisian singer and classical musician, began carrying a receipt of his pending green card application around with him. Over the past few months, immigration agents have arrested hundreds of people in Southern California, prompting protests against the federal raids and the subsequent deployment of the National Guard and Marines. Despite living in the U.S. for a decade as one of thousands of residents married to U.S. citizens, he was swept up in the crackdown. On July 13, Othmane was stopped while driving to a grocery store in Pasadena. He quickly pulled out his paperwork to show federal immigration agents. 'They didn't care, they said, 'Please step out of the car,'' Alrashid recalled hearing the officers say as she watched her husband's arrest in horror over FaceTime. Alrashid immediately jumped in her car and followed her phone to his location. She arrived just in time to see the outline of his head in the back of a vehicle driving away. 'That was probably the worst day of my life," she said. The Trump administration's crackdown on illegal immigration has ensnared not only immigrants without legal status but legal permanent residents like Othmane who has green cards. Some U.S. citizens have even been arrested. Meanwhile, many asylum-seekers who have regular check-in appointments are being arrested in the hallways outside courtrooms as the White House works toward its promise of mass deportations. Alrashid said her husband has been in the U.S. since 2015 and overstayed his visa, but his deportation order was dismissed in 2020. They wed in March 2025 and immediately filed for a green card. After his arrest, he was taken to the U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement facility in downtown Los Angeles where he was held in a freezing cold room with 'no beds, no pillows, no blankets, no soap, no toothbrushes and toothpaste, and when you're in a room with people, the bathroom's open,' she said. The Department of Homeland Security in an emailed statement noted the expiration of his tourist visa but did not address the dismissal of the deportation order in 2020 nor his pending green card application. The agency denied any allegations of mistreatment, and said "ensuring the safety, security, and well-being of individuals in our custody is a top priority at ICE.' Alrashid said for years her husband has performed classical Arabic music across Southern California. They first met when he was singing at a restaurant. 'He's the kindest person,' Alrashid said, adding that he gave a sweater she brought him to a fellow detainee and to give others privacy, he built a makeshift barrier around the open toilet using trash bags. 'He's brought a lot to the community, a lot of people love his music," she said. More than a week after his arrest, fellow musicians, immigration advocates and activists joined Alrashid in a rally outside the facility. A few of his colleagues performed classical Arabic music, drumming loud enough that they hoped the detainees inside could hear them. Los Jornaleros del Norte musicians, who often play Spanish-language music at rallies, also were there. 'In Latin American culture, the serenade — to bring music to people — is an act of love and kindness. But in this moment, bringing music to people who are in captivity is also an act of resistance," said Pablo Alvarado, co-executive director of the National Day Laborer Organizing Network. Leading up to the rally, Alrashid was worried because she hadn't received her daily call from her husband and was told she couldn't visit him that day at the detention facility. She finally heard from him that evening. Othmane told her over the phone he was now at an immigration detention facility in Arizona, and that his left leg was swollen. 'They should ultrasound your leg, don't take a risk,' she said. Alrashid hopes to get her husband out on bail while his case is being processed. They had a procedural hearing on Thursday where the judge verified his immigration status, and have a bail bond hearing scheduled for Tuesday. Until then, she'll continue waiting for his next phone call.
