# Do you think Trump will start a war in his first year? **URL:** \ **Category:** In My Humble Opinion\ **Created:** [January 21, 2017, 7:46am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/do-you-think-trump-will-start-a-war-in-his-first-year/777697 "2017-01-21T07:46:14Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![coremelt](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/4491bb/32.png) [@coremelt](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/coremelt)\ **Post date:** [January 21, 2017, 7:46am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/do-you-think-trump-will-start-a-war-in-his-first-year/777697/1 "2017-01-21T07:46:14Z")
So the day of reckoning has arrived, Trump is CinC and has the Nuclear Football. And we have evidence that he’s an insecure bully who can’t separate personal vindictiveness from the greater good (see gold star family, and his deranged rant about Alichia Machado). So where will it kick off ? Predicting the outcome correctly means you get a reserved spot in the bunker of your choice\* - void where prohibited ---
**Author:** ![coremelt](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/4491bb/32.png) [@coremelt](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/coremelt)\ **Post date:** [January 21, 2017, 7:53am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/do-you-think-trump-will-start-a-war-in-his-first-year/777697/2 "2017-01-21T07:53:13Z")
This poll allows multiple choices, so tick as many as you think might occur. ---
**Author:** ![Velocity](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/velocity/32/18006_2.png) [@Velocity](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Velocity)\ **Post date:** [January 21, 2017, 7:55am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/do-you-think-trump-will-start-a-war-in-his-first-year/777697/3 "2017-01-21T07:55:59Z")
I think there will be no major wars of any sort during the Trump presidency (merely continuing existing conflicts, such as the campaign against ISIS, doesn’t count) ---
**Author:** ![John\_Mace](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/john_mace/32/185_2.png) [@John\_Mace](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/John_Mace)\ **Post date:** [January 21, 2017, 7:58am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/do-you-think-trump-will-start-a-war-in-his-first-year/777697/4 "2017-01-21T07:58:52Z")
Pssst: Withdrawing from NATO is not an act of War. ---
**Author:** ![coremelt](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/4491bb/32.png) [@coremelt](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/coremelt)\ **Post date:** [January 21, 2017, 8:08am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/do-you-think-trump-will-start-a-war-in-his-first-year/777697/5 "2017-01-21T08:08:46Z")
> [@John\_Mace](#): > > Pssst: Withdrawing from NATO is not an act of War. No but actions have consequences. If Trump makes clear that the baltics are on their own, that is contributing to the start of a war. Since I made the poll, I set the rules on what counts as starting a war. ---
**Author:** ![Foggy](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/foggy/32/1082_2.png) [@Foggy](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Foggy)\ **Post date:** [January 21, 2017, 8:27am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/do-you-think-trump-will-start-a-war-in-his-first-year/777697/6 "2017-01-21T08:27:09Z")
> [@John\_Mace](#): > > Pssst: Withdrawing from NATO is not an act of War. Give the guy a chance, for crying out loud!😉 All polls should have a “Other” choice. My guess is Canada, in 6 months. Over the Strategic Maple Syrup Reserved.😃 ---
**Author:** ![madmonk28](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/madmonk28/32/20811_2.png) [@madmonk28](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/madmonk28)\ **Post date:** [January 21, 2017, 9:03am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/do-you-think-trump-will-start-a-war-in-his-first-year/777697/7 "2017-01-21T09:03:39Z")
I think he’ll find some small brown people to bomb and maybe an invasion like Grenada or Panama like Reagan and Bush did. ---
**Author:** ![coremelt](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/4491bb/32.png) [@coremelt](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/coremelt)\ **Post date:** [January 21, 2017, 9:41am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/do-you-think-trump-will-start-a-war-in-his-first-year/777697/8 "2017-01-21T09:41:56Z")
> [@madmonk28](#): > > I think he’ll find some small brown people to bomb and maybe an invasion like Grenada or Panama like Reagan and Bush did. Continuuing the war against ISIS and other groups in Iraq and Syria goes without saying, so that doesn’t count. I realised I missed an obvious one “Trump starts a war with Mexico to force them to pay for the wall” 😉 If possible mods please adjust and also add an “other” option. ---
**Author:** ![Alessan](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/alessan/32/465_2.png) [@Alessan](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Alessan)\ **Post date:** [January 21, 2017, 10:35am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/do-you-think-trump-will-start-a-war-in-his-first-year/777697/9 "2017-01-21T10:35:43Z")
I’m actually afraid of a flareup between Russia and Israel. I have no idea whose side he’d take. ---
**Author:** ![madmonk28](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/madmonk28/32/20811_2.png) [@madmonk28](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/madmonk28)\ **Post date:** [January 21, 2017, 10:57am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/do-you-think-trump-will-start-a-war-in-his-first-year/777697/10 "2017-01-21T10:57:19Z")
I think he’ll find that fighting ISIS is hard and nuanced so he’ll probably continue what we’re doing now and declare victory. In about year 2 or 3 of his term, he’ll find some small country of brown people like Guatemala to kill a bunch of them and declare victory in time for his re-election. ---
**Author:** ![Channing\_Idaho\_Banks](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/channing_idaho_banks/32/250_2.png) [@Channing\_Idaho\_Banks](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Channing_Idaho_Banks)\ **Post date:** [January 21, 2017, 11:05am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/do-you-think-trump-will-start-a-war-in-his-first-year/777697/11 "2017-01-21T11:05:35Z")
I voted: Trump will not start a War, because, whatever stupid war we get dragged into, Donald Trump is going to say, “hey, we didn’t start it.” ---
**Author:** ![tomndebb](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/b9e5f3/32.png) [@tomndebb](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/tomndebb)\ **Post date:** [January 21, 2017, 11:20am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/do-you-think-trump-will-start-a-war-in-his-first-year/777697/12 "2017-01-21T11:20:42Z")
Not an Elections issue. It might have gone in GD, but with a pool, it will find a new home in IMHO. ---
**Author:** ![ftg](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/ftg/32/2801_2.png) [@ftg](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/ftg)\ **Post date:** [January 21, 2017, 1:19pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/do-you-think-trump-will-start-a-war-in-his-first-year/777697/13 "2017-01-21T13:19:17Z")
Define “start a war”. I think Putin will start grabbing territory very quickly. More of the Ukraine, in the Caucuses. With an eye on Moldavia/Transnistria, the Baltic states, etc. A less Putin-friendly PotUS might prevent these wars and maintain the status quo. But we are likely going to face either the return of the USSR or WWIII. ---
**Author:** ![madmonk28](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/madmonk28/32/20811_2.png) [@madmonk28](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/madmonk28)\ **Post date:** [January 21, 2017, 1:34pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/do-you-think-trump-will-start-a-war-in-his-first-year/777697/14 "2017-01-21T13:34:24Z")
Yeah, Trump’s America First rhetoric fits in to Putin’s foreign policy; Russia’s goal of retaking territory lost by the breakup of the USSR relies on states defining their interests narrowly and not by broad, philosophical interests. A world where a weakened EU and NATO says “not my problem” about Moldova and Ukraine is in Putin’s interest, add to that the increased tensions between China and the US taking pressure off Russia’s eastern flank and you have the makings of an interesting new era in world affairs. ---
**Author:** ![AK84](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/85e7bf/32.png) [@AK84](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/AK84)\ **Post date:** [January 21, 2017, 2:16pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/do-you-think-trump-will-start-a-war-in-his-first-year/777697/15 "2017-01-21T14:16:29Z")
> [@Alessan](#): > > I’m actually afraid of a flareup between Russia and Israel. I have no idea whose side he’d take. With any last luck, Russias. Russia and America fighting is a very very bad thing.:eek: ---
**Author:** ![John\_Mace](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/john_mace/32/185_2.png) [@John\_Mace](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/John_Mace)\ **Post date:** [January 21, 2017, 2:28pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/do-you-think-trump-will-start-a-war-in-his-first-year/777697/16 "2017-01-21T14:28:16Z")
> [@ftg](#): > > Define “start a war”. Definitely needs to be done. We could start by agreeing on how many wars Obama started. My take: 2. One in Libya and one in Syria. I’m thinking sustained fighting (ground or air) of at least 2 weeks. Some might disagree, but I’m going with the idea that Bill Clinton’s 4 day bombing campaign against Iraq was not a war. ---
**Author:** ![Jackmannii](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/jackmannii/32/311_2.png) [@Jackmannii](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Jackmannii)\ **Post date:** [January 21, 2017, 3:09pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/do-you-think-trump-will-start-a-war-in-his-first-year/777697/17 "2017-01-21T15:09:27Z")
Trump is considerably less likely to “start a war” than Clinton would have been. If the poll was reworked as “Do you think Trump will engage in destabilizing mischief in his first year?” with suitable options, it’d make a lot more sense. ---
**Author:** ![levdrakon](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/l/49beb7/32.png) [@levdrakon](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/levdrakon)\ **Post date:** [January 21, 2017, 3:13pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/do-you-think-trump-will-start-a-war-in-his-first-year/777697/18 "2017-01-21T15:13:23Z")
He prolly won’t start one, but a lot of stupid brown people will almost certainly start one while the loser in chief is in charge. ---
**Author:** ![pulykamell](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/pulykamell/32/3166_2.png) [@pulykamell](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/pulykamell)\ **Post date:** [January 21, 2017, 4:37pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/do-you-think-trump-will-start-a-war-in-his-first-year/777697/19 "2017-01-21T16:37:41Z")
> [@Jackmannii](#): > > Trump is considerably less likely to “start a war” than Clinton would have been. > > If the poll was reworked as “Do you think Trump will engage in destabilizing mischief in his first year?” with suitable options, it’d make a lot more sense. I tend to agree with both of these statements. As an optimist, I voted “no he won’t” in this poll. But I am worried about global destabilization. ---
**Author:** ![RivkahChaya](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/rivkahchaya/32/8919_2.png) [@RivkahChaya](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/RivkahChaya)\ **Post date:** [January 21, 2017, 4:42pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/do-you-think-trump-will-start-a-war-in-his-first-year/777697/20 "2017-01-21T16:42:36Z")
I’m seriously worried about a nuclear strike. [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/do-you-think-trump-will-start-a-war-in-his-first-year/777697.md?page=2)