Tucker Carlson, Unconditional Surrender and the Laws of War

Man, it’s gotten stupid out there.

I think the Trump administration’s “unconditional surrender” rhetoric is foolish and counterproductive. Although he had an exquisite case for a declaration of war against Iran, which has waged war against the United States and has been explicitly committed to our destruction for nearly half a century, the president failed to make it. (See my weekend column.) Moreover, the president is famously “transactional,” so the thought that he would not accept something that looked like solid victory because he was holding out for unconditional surrender is laughable.

About the Author

Andrew C. McCarthy

Andrew C. McCarthy is a senior fellow at National Review Institute, an NR contributing editor, and author of Ball of Collusion: The Plot to Rig an Election and Destroy a Presidency.

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Man, it’s gotten stupid out there.

I think the Trump administration’s “unconditional surrender” rhetoric is foolish and counterproductive. Although he had an exquisite case for a declaration of war against Iran, which has waged war against the United States and has been explicitly committed to our destruction for nearly half a century, the president failed to make it. (See my weekend column.) Moreover, the president is famously “transactional,” so the thought that he would not accept something that looked like solid victory because he was holding out for unconditional surrender is laughable.

About the Author

Andrew C. McCarthy

Andrew C. McCarthy is a senior fellow at National Review Institute, an NR contributing editor, and author of Ball of Collusion: The Plot to Rig an Election and Destroy a Presidency.