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Back to To the Point

To the Point

President Trump and America's 'forever war'

In the past, President Trump has called the War in Afghanistan "a disaster," and — like Barack Obama before him — he told primary rallies that he'd pull out at last. In his first prime time speech to the nation last night, he reversed last year's campaign pledges and conceded that he's learned a lesson.

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By Warren Olney • Aug 22, 2017 • 1 min read

In the past, President Trump has called the War in Afghanistan "a disaster," and — like Barack Obama before him — he told primary rallies that he'd pull out at last. In his first prime time speech to the nation last night, he reversed last year's campaign pledges and conceded that he's learned a lesson.

He endorsed a slight change from Obama Administration policies with a modest increase in US troop strength. He took ownership of America's longest war with the promise that "we will win" -- without saying what that would mean or how it might happen. We hear what he said — and what he left out — in his first prime-time speech to the nation.

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    Warren Olney

    former KCRW broadcaster

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    Yael Even Or

    Producer, 'Press Play'

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    Luke Vander Ploeg

    Producer, 'To the Point'

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    Evan George

    Director of Content, News

  • KCRW placeholder

    Thomas Gibbons-Neff

    Washington Post

  • KCRW placeholder

    Kate Clark

    Afghanistan Analysts Network

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    Omar Samad

    Silk Road Consulting / New America Foundation

    NewsNationalPolitics
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