According to Fox News, US President Trump strongly defended Defense Secretary Hergsay, rejecting impeachment calls against him and questioning, "Why don't the leaders responsible for the many wars the US has waged over the decades face the same scrutiny?" Trump cited the Vietnam War, the Iraq War, and the Afghanistan War, comparing the heavy human costs of these wars to his own military performance during his presidency. Trump stated, "What about those who started the Vietnam War?... And those leaders who started these stupid wars and ultimately gained nothing—shouldn't they be impeached?" Trump had previously claimed that Hergsay "won the wars" in Venezuela and Iran.