A full-page newspaper advertisement placed by Donald Trump in 1987, costing nearly $100,000, have resurfaced online amid his current approach towards Iran, with calls for ultimatums, oil facility seizures, and decisive US strikes.
The advertorial, published in the New York Times, Washington Post, and Boston Globe, totalled $94,801 in cost, and formed part of the then 41-year-old businessman's brief foray into a White House bid. The advert was headlined as "There's nothing wrong with America's Foreign Defence Policy that a little backbone can't cure." It lambasted US leaders for their handling of the Gulf crisis during the Iran-Iraq war.
Trump wrote that the world was "laughing" at American politicians as the US Navy escorted tankers through the Strait of Hormuz. "We're protecting ships we don't own, carrying oil we don't need, destined for allies who won't help," he argued, urging Washington to stop defending nations able to pay for their own security.
ALSO READ: Trump Claims Victory In Iran War, Says Talks Underway To End Conflict
He wrote on decades of exploitation by Japan and others, costing the US economy, deficits, and taxes. The Persian Gulf, Trump noted, held "only marginal significance" for US oil supplies but was vital for Japan and similar nations. "Why are these nations not paying the United States for the human lives and billions of dollars we are losing to protect their interests?" he asked.
Credit: @StalwartSt on X
The ad is now echoing Trump's 2026 Iran strategy. In a 1988 Guardian interview, Trump escalated this, stating: “One bullet shot at one of our men or ships, and I'd do a number on Kharg Island. I'd go in and take it.”
Trump's 1988 presidential ambitions soon faded, but the core idea persists: US power must be priced or wielded decisively, as reflected in his his tariff policies and Iran conflict rationale.
ALSO READ: Trump Says Iran Seeks Deal After 'Very Big Present'; Tehran Denies Talks
Essential Business Intelligence, Continuous LIVE TV, Sharp Market Insights, Practical Personal Finance Advice and Latest Stories — On NDTV Profit.
