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.