Donald Trump’s claim to be an anti-war president came under scrutiny on BBC Question Time last night.
As soon as he won the US presidential election last November, Trump promised he was “going to stop the wars”, presumably referring to the conflicts in Gaza and Ukraine.
Two months after his inauguration, however, both wars continue to rage.
Presenter Richard Bacon suggested to the BBC Question Time audience that the world is now “seeing more body bags not fewer body bags” since Trump came into office.
Bacon said: “He came in on January 20 saying he was the anti-war president.
“Gaza is worse off, right now Ukraine is worse off, European countries are increasing their defence spending which feels like an arms race.”
The US negotiated an armistice and exchange of hostages and prisoners between Israel and the Gaza-based militants Hamas the day before Trump was sworn into office.
But Israel has resumed its offensive on the Palestinian territory in recent days, claiming that this will pressure Hamas to release more hostages.
Tuesday was one of the deadliest days in the Gaza Strip since the war began in October 2023, with more than 400 Palestinians killed and hundreds more wounded.
Trump also promised to end the Ukraine war during his first 24 hours back in power.
He has spent the last few weeks trying to force Ukraine to the negotiation table and agree to a 30-day ceasefire – while only managing to make their Russian aggressors agree to a partial truce earlier this week.
Ukraine then accused Russia of breaching that truce just hours after Trump spoke to Vladimir Putin on the phone as the Russian president launched a series of enormous strikes.
Bacon continued: “It’s frightening. People are talking about a third world war for the first time, and if you want to know what Trump is going to do next, just ask yourself what Putin would want to happen.
“He will probably do it. I don’t think a Donald Trump is a Russian asset, but I do think he is an asset to Russia.”
But not everyone on the Question Time panel agreed with Bacon’s take that Trump is a “frightening” president.
Chairman of Republicans Overseas UK, Greg Swenson, defended Trump’s actions, as “sometimes compromises with the aggressor have to be made”.
He said: “Everyone walks away a little bit bummed out but it’s better than body bags and it’s better than stalemate.”
When one audience member said she does not feel “America are the allies that we used to think they were,” Swenson said Trump is just a “very candid” person and not a traditional politician.
“You have to look at why he’s doing this. He wants his allies, our allies, to be better, better positioned, liberating their economies,” he said.