After White House Press Secretary Karoline Leavitt told reporters that President Trump came up with the motto “peace through strength,” critics were quick to point out that the phrase has actually been around for a long time.
White House Press Secretary Karoline Leavitt had people raising their eyebrows after she claimed during a Fox News interview that President Donald Trump came up with the motto “peace through strength.”
Anyone worth their salt knows the phrase has been around for a very long time—though that didn’t stop Leavitt from crediting Trump anyway while discussing the U.S.’ role amid the ongoing conflict between Israel and Iran.
She said:
“Nobody knows what it means to accomplish peace through strength better than President Trump. He is the one who came up with that motto and that foreign policy doctrine and he successfully implemented it in his first term. This is one of many steps he’s taking to implement peace in his second term.”
Several U.S. presidents—including George Washington and Ronald Reagan—have employed the phrase to suggest that military might can preserve peace overall. It was also used during Republican Barry Goldwater’s campaign in the 1960s.
The phrase “peace through strength” traces back to the Roman Emperor Hadrian, who ruled from 117 to 138 AD. Known for reinforcing the empire’s borders with fortifications in what is now England, Switzerland, and Germany, Hadrian also promoted the use of auxiliary forces drawn from outside the empire to support Roman troops.
As author Elizabeth Speller notes in her book Following Hadrian, the emperor’s strategy was straightforward: “peace through strength, or failing that, peace through threat.”
Moreover, according to Google’s Ngram Viewer, the phrase “peace through strength” did not appear in American literature until 1937. Its prominence grew during the Cold War, particularly after the publication of Bernard Baruch’s 1952 book Peace Through Strength.
People were not impressed with Leavitt’s claim—and quickly called her out.
News
You Picked the Wrong Woman” — Karoline Leavitt Silences a Cocky Ex-NFL Star Live on Air, and the Internet Can’t Get Enough
The moment was electric — the kind of live TV where you just know something unforgettable is about to happen….
‘It was absolutely te:rrif:ying” – Southwest passenger describes h0rr0r of plummeting mid-air as screams filled the cabin when pilot avoided cr:ash
A Southwest passenger aboard a flight that was forced to make an evasive maneuver to avoid a mid-air collision said screams…
What’s Next for Late-Night? Expert Breaks Silence After Shocking Cancellation of The Late Show With Stephen Colbert
After the CBS network cancelled The Late Show With Stephen Colbert after three decades, one media expert has weighed in…
“I Know His True Face” – Ozzy Osbourne’s first wife decides to erase the rock star from her life as she reveals ha:unting secrets from their “HE:LLI:SH” past together
As the patriarch of reality TV show The Osbournes – presiding in potty-mouthed dysfunction over the family antics – he won a…
“I’LL NEVER FORGET THAT NIGHT” – Sharon Osbourne speaks through heartbreak as she recalls the moment Ozzy Osbourne brought another woman back to the h0tel — forgetting his own wife was already there
Ozzy Osbourne and his wife, Sharon Osbourne, once fondly recalled what happened when the Black Sabbath frontman picked up a…
Cameras Off, True Colors Revealed – What Stephen Mulhern Did Backstage at You Bet! Will Leave You Sh0cked
Another brand-new series of You Bet! is set to air on ITV with host Stephen Mulhern at the helm. And now, someone who managed…
End of content
No more pages to load