A 2020 X post by US President Donald Trump resurfaced widely after the US and Iran signed a memorandum of understanding (MOU) ending their four-month war, with a journalist confronting him directly with his own words during a press conference at the G7 Summit in France.
In the post, dated January 3, 2020, Trump had written: "Iran never won a war, but never lost a negotiation!" The line was originally posted amid tensions following the killing of Iranian general Qassem Soleimani.
Iran never won a war, but never lost a negotiation!
— Donald J. Trump (@realDonaldTrump) January 3, 2020
Fox News correspondent Peter Doocy raised the old post to Trump at the G7 press conference in Évian-les-Bains.
According to a video circulating online, Doocy said, "A wise man once said in January of 2020, 'Iran never won a war but never lost a negotiation',". When Trump asked, "Who said that?", Doocy replied, "You did."
Doocy: A wise man once said in January of 2020, Iran never won a war but never lost a negotiation.
— Acyn (@Acyn) June 17, 2026
Trump: Who said that?
Doocy: You did. pic.twitter.com/ipFuO3AsFb
Doocy then pressed Trump on how he intended to "convince a skeptical American public" that the agreement amounted to a win, given the line's resonance with current criticism of the MOU.
ALSO READ: Trump Publicly Rebukes Netanyahu At G7 Over Lebanon Strikes: 'Don't Have To Knock Down Building...'
Trump responded by arguing that Iran had been defeated militarily, regardless of how the negotiated outcome is perceived. "Well, look, here they lost militarily, okay? It's very tough, because I know that no matter what—if I would go, by the way, if I'd go another three or four weeks, the same people that are critical would say he went too long, he shouldn't have, you know, no matter what."
Trump argued that media coverage would have framed the war as an Iranian win under almost any circumstance, even total capitulation.
"If they raised the white flag of surrender, and if they said, 'Donald Trump is the greatest president ever, we totally concede, we totally give up, this war is over, we have failed,' the New York Times and CNN and a couple of others—they're not all that dishonest—they'd say, 'Iran had a great victory,' okay?"
The exchange comes as Trump faces scrutiny over the terms of the MoU, which some lawmakers have argued grants Iran more concessions than it gives up.
ALSO READ: 'Unfair' For Iran To Lack Ballistic Missiles: Trump Raises Eyebrows With Remark On Tehran's Arsenal
Essential Business Intelligence, Sharp Market Insights, Practical Personal Finance Advice, Daily Fuel, Gold and Silver Prices and Latest Stories — On NDTV Profit.
