Esquire Magazine is attaching an editor’s note to a 12-year-old story to refute Donald Trump’s claim that he opposed the Iraq War at the time.
Trump has repeatedly cited an an August 2004 interview with Esquire as proof that he opposed the war when it started.
The magazine on Thursday republished the article, topped by an editor’s note addressing his frequent claim:
“During the 2016 presidential election, Donald Trump has repeatedly claimed to have been against the Iraq War from the beginning, and he has cited this story as proof. The Iraq War began in March 2003, more than a year before this story ran, thus nullifying Trump’s timeline.”
{mosads}Esquire’s note links to an article it published last month debunking Trump’s claims about opposing the 2003 invasion of Iraq.
Trump, the GOP presidential nominee, on Thursday cited the Iraq War as one of the defining issues of the presidential campaign.
“Iraq is one of the biggest differences in this race,” he told listeners during a rally in Cleveland.
“I opposed going in, and I did oppose it, despite the media saying no, yes, no. I opposed going in, and I opposed the reckless way Hillary Clinton took us out, along with President Obama, letting ISIS fill that big terrible void. But I was opposed to the war from the beginning.”
Trump read portions of his interview with Esquire as proof he never backed America’s initial entry into Iraq.
Politifact reported late Wednesday night that it could not find “any evidence” to support Trump’s past claims about the Iraq War.
Clinton, the Democratic presidential nominee, on Wednesday said Trump originally supported military intervention in Iraq, even if he denies it now.
She added that she now considers her 2002 vote in support of invading Iraq a “mistake.”