The Country

From the Left · Watch · November 2, 2026

Nov 2 · On the eve of the midterms, President Trump tells the New York Post's Pod Force One he has never worked a midterm like this one, as The Bulwark's Penn Barker answers his claim that he could have won the Vietnam War in a week

The Bulwark: .@pennbarker reacts to Trump claiming he could have won the Vietnam War in a week: “Maybe focus on the war he's currently losing rather than one he never could have won.”

The Bulwark: .@pennbarker reacts to Trump claiming he could have won the Vietnam War in a week: “Maybe focus on the war he's currently losing rather than one he never could have won.”

Grade D (64/100). Penn Barker answers Trump's Dubuque claim that he could have won the Vietnam War in a week, noting Ho Chi Minh City is the name of Saigon

D: Mixes in the reporter's opinion and uses loaded words.

  • Adds the reporter's own opinion or claims as fact (minus 24 points): [0:55] 'maybe focus on the war he's currently losing' (host's own unsourced claim about the Iran war)
  • Uses loaded words (minus 12 points): [0:52] 'The man should read a book' (host's own wording)

Splits: Penn Barker answers Trump's Dubuque claim that he could have won the Vietnam War in a week, noting Ho Chi Minh City is the name of Saigon

Same story: Reuters, New York Post

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