Donald Trump in Iowa says 'I'm the only one that will prevent World War III'

CEDAR RAPIDS, Iowa — Former President Donald Trump said in a pair of speeches Saturday that international conflicts in Israel and Ukraine "would not have happened" under his watch, touting his administration's presence on the world stage as he rallied support in Iowa.

Trump, addressing supporters in Waterloo and Cedar Rapids with 100 days until the Iowa caucuses, declared that Hamas' weekend attack against Israel would not have taken place if he was president, calling it "an act of savagery that must and will be crushed."

And he repeated his claim that Vladimir Putin's Russia would not have invaded Ukraine if he was in the White House, recounting a conversation in which he said they were "good friends" but that the U.S. would respond to Russia "real hard."

The combination of the two military crises across the world, Trump said, created a tense global environment — and, he believes, just one person could resolve it.

"We are closer to World War III than we've ever been," he said in Cedar Rapids. "And I'm the only one that will prevent World War III."

2024 Iowa caucuses: Pence says 'America stands with Israel'; Trump says 'it would have never happened with me'

Trump outlined his administration's approach to Israeli-Palestinian relations, recounting the passage of the Abraham Accords, a peace proposal between the two mediated by the U.S. His administration also recognized Israeli sovereignty over the Golan Heights region, the first country to do so (the international community regards it as Syrian territory occupied by Israel).

"Everybody said, 'When will you get the Nobel Peace Prize?'" he said. "And today, we have the exact opposite, a major attack on Israel. What a difference a president makes, right?"

Trump recounted several conversations he had with foreign leaders as president, acting out negotiations with China, Russia and other nations.

"He believed me 10%," Trump said of warnings he gave Putin about Ukraine. "And that's all you needed. Same with President Xi (Jinping) and China."

And he mocked President Joe Biden's approach to international affairs, including his remarks on the attack in Israel.

"It wasn't Winston Churchill, let me put it that way," Trump said.

Trump has made a series of trips to eastern Iowa over the last month, aiming to cement his lead ahead of the first-in-the-nation caucuses as he courts farmers, pushes new immigration proposals and criticizes both his Republican and Democratic challengers alike.

The former president remains the Republican frontrunner both in Iowa and nationally as he battles several ongoing court cases He continued to mock his legal battles Saturday, calling the four indictments against him "fake," "phony" and "political."

"You know Al Capone?" Trump said. "Has anybody ever heard of Alphonse Capone? He was a seriously vicious gangster. He didn't get indicted four times, only once."

He also reiterated his comments stand on abortion, saying you have to have the “three exceptions” in order to win — exceptions for rape, incest and the life of the mother. And he again took credit for installing pro-life justices on the Supreme Court, paving the way for the overturn of Roe.

“Some people say, Oh, Trump isn’t pro-life enough. Other people look and say I don't care what he's saying. That's the guy that got us here to talk in the first place.”

Linda Tyler, a 76-year-old Waterloo resident and retired teacher, said she plans to caucus for Trump in January.

“I think I liked mainly that he was personal with the people in the crowd,” Tyler said. “He brought up issues, like the abortion issue that, you know, is very controversial. And he took time to explain it and his viewpoint.”

And Michael Hughes, a 73-year-old who lives in the Cedar Rapids area, said he liked a couple of other candidates in the field, like Nikki Haley and Ron DeSantis, but hears "a lot of false promises," and said he only trusts Trump to fulfill them.

"Actions speak louder than words," Hughes said. "At the end of the day, I want to see something done."

Galen Bacharier covers politics for the Register. Reach him at gbacharier@registermedia.com or (573) 219-7440, and follow him on Twitter @galenbacharier.

Brianne Pfannenstiel is the chief politics reporter for the Register. Reach her at bpfann@dmreg.com or 515-284-8244. Follow her on Twitter at @brianneDMR.

This article originally appeared on Des Moines Register: Trump hits Biden on foreign affairs in Iowa amid attacks in Israel