Small Batch | All The Wars Trump Has Ended - Truth in the Barrel

Truth in the Barrel – Small Batch: "All The Wars Trump Has Ended"

Hosts: Amy McGrath & Denver Riggleman
Date: August 24, 2025

Episode Overview

In this solo segment, Amy McGrath dives into former President Donald Trump's recent claims that he “ended six, or maybe seven, wars,” and asserts he deserves the Nobel Peace Prize. Amy, drawing on her background in international security and military service, critically examines each of Trump’s purported "wins," providing context, facts, and her own candid assessment. The episode mixes serious geopolitical analysis with a wry, irreverent tone, as Amy separates hyperbole from reality in global conflict resolution.

Key Discussion Points & Insights

1. Trump’s Claims: Fact-Checking the List

[00:00] Amy sets the stage:

Trump recently claimed to have “ended six wars”—then upped it to seven the next day, adding, “I should get the Nobel Peace Prize.”
Amy decides to walk the audience through each asserted conflict, its history, and what (if any) part Trump played.

2. Armenia and Azerbaijan

Background: Decades-long conflict in the South Caucasus, most intense since the 1980s.
Trump’s involvement:
- With Putin preoccupied by Ukraine, Trump took interest, negotiating an “economic deal” primarily around a regional transit route.
- "It's not really a peace deal, but it is a step in the right direction." (Amy, [01:10])
Amy’s assessment:
- The actual border dispute remains unresolved.
- Key officials, like Azerbaijan’s ambassador, say peace depends on Armenia changing its constitution—something that hasn’t happened.

3. Congo and Rwanda

Background: Central African conflict persisting over 30 years, resulting in millions of deaths.
Trump’s involvement:
- Leaders signed a peace deal in the White House, but Amy points out: “Qatar did most of the work.” ([02:00])
- Speculates the DC location was more about optics and “giving [Trump] a political win.”
- The agreement is largely a minerals deal for the US.
Amy’s assessment:
- Fighting continues, notably by the M23 rebel group, which wasn’t included in the deal.
- “It doesn’t appear to me to be solved. … 140 people were killed last month.” ([02:40])

4. India and Pakistan

Background: On-and-off hostility since 1947, with fresh tension after a terrorist attack killed 26 civilians in Kashmir.
Trump’s involvement:
- Nearly none—India “categorically denied” any US role.
- Pakistan, seeing advantage in cozying up to Trump (“kiss assery,” as Amy calls it [03:30]), floated a Nobel nomination to lower their tariffs.
Amy’s assessment:
- Ceasefire negotiated directly by India and Pakistan.
- Tariffs on Pakistan briefly eased, not on India.

5. Israel and Iran

Background: Tensions since 1979, with major escalation tied to Iran’s nuclear ambitions.
Trump’s involvement:
- Ordered B2 airstrikes on Iranian nuclear sites; “intelligence sharing and military aid to Israel.”
- Trump’s claim: “It was my great honor to destroy all nuclear facilities and capability, and then stop the war.”
Amy’s assessment:
- “Iran still may have nuclear capability… there’s wide disagreement whether the facilities were destroyed.” ([04:50])
- Iran seems only further emboldened; conflict not ended.

6. Cambodia and Thailand

Background: Periodic, often violent clashes—most recently, 40 deaths this summer.
Trump’s involvement:
- Threatened to halt trade talks unless a ceasefire was implemented, which both countries did.
Amy’s assessment:
- A ceasefire, yes—but “underlying issues haven’t really been solved.” ([06:00])
- Maybe he could “claim he brokered a ceasefire—I suppose.”

7. Egypt and Ethiopia

Background: Not a military conflict—rather, decades-long tensions over Africa’s largest dam.
Trump’s involvement: “Nothing. He did nothing.” ([06:36])
- Amy credits recent easing of tension to “heavy rainfall, not Donald Trump.”
Amy’s assessment:
- Trump takes credit anyway, but the situation is essentially unchanged by him.

Notable Quotes & Memorable Moments

Opening Challenge:

"What are all these wars he thinks he solved? Like, where are they? What's he talking about?" (Amy, [00:15])

Calling out the spectacle:

“Our foreign relations right now consist of how much countries can appease the narcissist in our Oval Office, sadly.” ([03:55])

Summary Breakdown:

“Number of wars actually solved by Trump: zero. Number of cease fires Trump could claim: one, maybe two. Number of conflicts temporarily halted… probably maybe three.” ([07:15])
“The bottom line is, you know, a lot of it is just these things happen when he’s in the White House. I don’t think he’s gone out of his way to really solve any conflicts.” ([07:40])

Biting Humor:

On Pakistan’s Nobel nomination: “Pakistan actually wanted to give some credit to Trump, probably to get on his good side so that their tariffs can be relaxed. And sure enough, at a tariff rate of only 19%, Pakistan said they would nominate Trump for the Nobel Peace Prize.” ([03:28])

Timestamps for Key Segments

| Segment | Topic | Timestamp | |--------------------------|------------------------------------------------|-----------| | Trump’s claims overview | Introduction & episode purpose | 00:00 | | Armenia/Azerbaijan | Economic deal, unresolved conflict | 00:40 | | Congo/Rwanda | “Peace” deal, ongoing violence | 01:44 | | India/Pakistan | Ceasefire, trade, Nobel games | 03:06 | | Israel/Iran | Airstrikes, nuclear debate | 04:22 | | Cambodia/Thailand | Ceasefire via trade threats | 05:47 | | Egypt/Ethiopia | Water dispute, weather—not Trump | 06:36 | | Final assessment | Amy’s scorecard & closing thoughts | 07:15 |

Episode Takeaways

Amy’s verdict: Trump’s self-proclaimed peace record is more smoke than fire; conflicts remain unresolved or only temporarily cooled, with US involvement often tangential.
Underlying message: International conflict is rarely “solved” by a single leader or in a single stroke—especially not via soundbite diplomacy.
Podcast tone: Candid, factual, with a sharp nonpartisan edge and a few sips of whiskey-soaked sarcasm.

Transcript

A (0:00)

So recently, Donald Trump claimed that he solved six wars. Now, normally when Trump says something really dumb, we all just kind of discount it. But then the next day he said he ended seven wars and that he should get the Nobel Peace Prize for doing so. And so that got me thinking, what are all these wars he thinks he solved? Like, where are they? What's he talking about? And, you know, for me, having a background in international security and international relations, I thought I'd give you all a rundown and my take on these wars he thinks he solved. Okay, so let's start. Here's the first one. Armenia and Azerbaijan. So where is that? Well, that's east of Turkey. It's near the country of Georgia and the Caspian Sea. For how long has this conflict been going on? These folks have been fighting for many years, since the 1980s. What did Trump do here? Well, apparently Putin used to be the mediator of this conflict, but Trump took an interest after Putin's attention went to Ukraine. And so now there's a deal there that Trump made. And the deal is more of an economic one, involving a transit route in the area. It's not really a peace deal, but it is a step in the right direction. The countries have not agreed on a shared border, so I'm not really sure you can say the conflict is solved yet. Azerbaijan's ambassador to the United States warned until Armenia's constitution is changed, peace will not be possible. And of course, that hasn't happened. All right, number two, Congo and Rwanda. Where is that? Central Africa. How long has this war been going on, this conflict? Over 30 years, and it's killed millions of people. What did Trump do here? Well, for this one, he simply was the president sitting in the White House when the leaders of these two countries decided to sign a peace deal in the White House. Now, gutter Qatar did most of the work. And given Qatar's affinity for Trump, my guess is that they suggested that the leaders of those countries travel to Washington, D.C. to give their buddy, the guy that gave them that, they gave the luxury jet to give him a political win. And the deal itself is mostly a mineral deal for the US to tap into the resources in that region. But the problem is that the fighting in those African countries still continues. One of the main parties in the conflict, the M23 rebel group, was not a part of the deal, and they continue to operate. In fact, in July, there are still 140 people killed in the conflict. So it doesn't appear to me to be solved. And the peace deal doesn't appear to be all that good of a deal if 140 people were killed last month. Okay, number three, India and Pakistan. Where's that? Well, India, Pakistan, South Central Asia. How long has this conflict been going on? A long time. Decades on and off. But there was a terrorist attack in the spring that killed 26 civilians in the Kashmir region between the two countries. That's the region between the two countries. And that ramped up a lot of the tensions. So what did Trump do? Almost nothing. India has denied any US Role in the negotiations to end the fighting. The fighting? There is a ceasefire there. The fighting has stopped. India says that it worked directly with Pakistan to come up with that agreement. Pakistan actually wanted to give some credit to Trump, probably to get on his good side so that their tariffs can be relaxed. And sure enough, at a tariff rate of only 19%, Pakistan said they would nominate Trump for the Nobel Peace Prize. Okay, India has made no such kiss assery to Trump and their tariffs have remained as high as 50%. So, yes, our foreign relations right now consist of how much countries can appease the narcissist in our Oval Office, sadly. All right, number four, Israel and Iran. Where's that? The Middle east, of course. How long has this been going on? I'd say probably 1979 since then, but really since Iran started working on a nuclear weapon maybe, you know, a decade ago. And what did Trump do? Well, he ordered B2 airstrikes on three of Iran's nuclear facilities, as well as intelligence sharing and military aid to Israel in this conflict. Israel also conducted lots of targeted strikes in Iran. And Donald Trump said, it was my great honor to destroy all nuclear facilities and capability and then stop the war. Okay, that's what Trump claims. But after all that, Iran still may have nuclear material, they still may have nuclear capability. There's wide disagreement whether the facilities were destroyed. And Iran now appears to be more emboldened. If you read reports of the military there, basically the irgc, which is their equivalent of the high ranking military there. So the jury is probably still out on this one. I don't think there's a whole lot of people that think that that conflict has ended. All right, number five, Cambodia and Thailand. Where's that? Southeast Asia. For how long has this been going on? Well, violent fighting has been going on, just really this year. 40 people to date this summer have been killed. But the conflict, of course, goes back decades. Trump said that he told the leaders of Thailand and Cambodia that he would stop trade talks UN they agreed to a ceasefire with, you know, These tariffs. And they did, they. They agreed to a ceasefire. So I guess that's good. However, the underlying issues haven't really been solved, but I guess he could claim he brokered a ceasefire, I suppose. And six. Egypt and Ethiopia. Where's that? Northern Africa. That's where those countries are. How long has this conflict been going on? Decades. It's not really a military conflict at all yet, but it's more of a diplomatic dispute, which happens all the time in countries. By the way, Africa's largest hydroelectric dam is what is being disputed over. Egypt is really concerned about how Ethiopia might operate the dam during the times of drought. So what did Trump do here? Nothing. He did nothing. The tensions between the two countries appear to actually be have been eased this year, which apparently is due to heavy rainfall. Not Donald Trump, but you know he's gonna call a win no matter what. So there you have it. My assessment. Number of wars actually solved by Trump, zero. Number of cease fires Trump could claim one, maybe two. Number of conflicts temporarily halted or, you know, stopped temporarily, with or without Trump being in office at all. Meaning he didn't really do anything. He just happens to be in office during this time, probably maybe three. So that's my assessment. Donald Trump, of course, is going to claim all kinds of shit, but the bottom line is, you know, a lot of it is just these things happen when he's in the White House. I don't think he's gone out of his way to really solve any conflicts. But, you know, that's my assessment.