There is a discernible doctrine of sorts in Trump’s opposition to this kind of statecraft and war waging. In his 2000 book, “The America We Deserve,” Trump writes:

“I’m no warmonger. But the fact is, if we decide a strike against Iraq is necessary, it is madness not to carry the mission to its conclusion. When we don’t, we have the worst of all worlds: Iraq remains a threat, and now has more incentive than ever to attack us.”

The billionaire articulated similar displeasure in the 2002 Stern interview, lamenting that he wished “the first time it was done correctly,” a reference to the first Gulf War and the decision by President George H.W. Bush to leave Hussein in power.

None of this amounts exactly to a clear rejection of war in Iraq, far from it, but it is a rejection of the way in which America has for decades handled the country.