--- title: Donald Trump Calls for Ground Troops in Iraq description: GOP presidential candidate Donald Trump said the United States should send ground troops into Iraq to fight ISIS canonical: https://time.com/3999665/trump-iraq-ground-troops/ author: Justin Worland article:opinion: false article:content_tier: free article:published_time: 2015-08-16T14:26:23.000Z article:modified_time: 2026-08-19T07:42:28.657Z article:section: Politics og:title: Donald Trump Calls for U.S. Ground Troops in Iraq og:description: He wants them to fight ISIS og:url: https://time.com/3999665/trump-iraq-ground-troops/ og:site_name: TIME og:image: https://static.time.com/v3/assets/bltea6093859af6183b/bltedc37b2cefed4ed1/69885f8a0a4a2204b69c5a6c/donald-trump11.jpg?branch=production&width=1200&quality=75&auto=webp&crop=16:9 og:image:width: 4032 og:image:height: 2268 og:image:alt: Donald Trump og:type: article twitter:card: summary_large_image twitter:title: Donald Trump Calls for U.S. Ground Troops in Iraq twitter:description: He wants them to fight ISIS twitter:image: https://static.time.com/v3/assets/bltea6093859af6183b/bltedc37b2cefed4ed1/69885f8a0a4a2204b69c5a6c/donald-trump11.jpg?branch=production&width=1200&quality=75&auto=webp&crop=16:9 ---  # Donald Trump Calls for U.S. Ground Troops in Iraq > Sponsored content. 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It explains the politics, personalities and power dynamics behind the headlines, twice a week. #### Where can I get analysis of Washington politics by email? D.C. Brief is TIME's free Washington politics newsletter, available at time.com/newsletters. It is written by a TIME senior correspondent who covers the capital full time. #### Who writes TIME's D.C. Brief? Philip Elliott, a senior correspondent at TIME, writes D.C. Brief. #### Is D.C. Brief free? Yes. D.C. Brief is free at time.com/newsletters. ### Sources * TIME Newsletters: [time.com/newsletters](/c/time-nl-dcbrief-2026q3/newsletters?i=fa38d196-8cbc-4317-abf7-225881474fe0&cr=time-nl-dcbrief-2026q3-v1) ## Video: Donald Trump Addresses 'Blood' Comments [Watch (HLS stream): Donald Trump Addresses 'Blood' Comments](https://cdn.jwplayer.com/manifests/4LiQTcn4.m3u8) (0:53)  _Published 2015-08-09. Donald Trump hit the morning show circuit Sunday morning to explain his comments, but he issued no apology._  by [Justin Worland](https://time.com/author/justin-worland/)  ## Justin Worland Senior Correspondent Aug 16, 2015 2:26 PM UTC  Republican presidential candidate Donald Trump gestures during a campaign stop at Winnacunnet High School in Hampton, N.H. on Aug. 14, 2015. Republican presidential candidate Donald Trump gestures during a campaign stop at Winnacunnet High School in Hampton, N.H. on Aug. 14, 2015. Charles Krupa—AP  by [Justin Worland](https://time.com/author/justin-worland/)  ## Justin Worland Senior Correspondent Aug 16, 2015 2:26 PM UTC Republican presidential candidate Donald Trump said that the United States should send ground troops into Iraq to fight the Islamic State of Iraq and Greater Syria (ISIS) and use funds from seized oil fields to pay for veteran’s services. “You go and knock the hell out of the oil, take back the oil,” he said on Sunday during an interview with _Meet the Press_. “We’re going to have so much money.” The comments came as part of a wide-ranging interview with Chuck Todd on hot-button political topics from the U.S. debt to the role of lobbyists in Washington. Differentiating himself from many of his fellow Republican, the billionaire real estate developer refused to say whether he would shut down the federal government to defund Planned Parenthood. Trump condemned alleged practices shown in [secretly-recorded video](http://time.com/3966149/video-planned-parenthood-fetal-tissue/) taken by anti-abortion activists that accused Planned Parenthood of selling fetal tissue and slammed the nonprofit’s role in providing abortions, but said the group still served other important purposes. Asked whether he had ever donated to the group, Trump said he couldn’t say for certain. “It bothers me greatly that they’re doing the abortions. At the same time, women’s health issues are, you know, very important to me,” he said. The comments on women’s health issues follow a statement by former Florida governor and presidential candidate Jeb Bush that the U.S. spends too much on women’s health, which Bush later walked back. Trump has previously said that he would be [“phenomenal to the women.”](http://time.com/3989907/donald-trump-women-2/) Trump also voiced his support for gay Americans who might face discrimination in the workplace, saying he doesn’t believe private employers should be able to fire someone because they’re gay. A bill to end employment discrimination against LGBT people, the Employment Non-Discrimination Act, has little support among mainstream Republicans. Trump, who continues to lead GOP primary polls, also used the interview as an opportunity to repeat his call for President Barack Obama to release his college transcripts. Trump offered to release his own transcripts after Obama. “Nobody’s seen his records,” he said. “He has to do it. If he does it, I’ll do it. But, hey, I went to the Wharton School of Finance. I was a really good student.” ### See Donald Trump Hanging Out With Unlikely Celebrities  Donald Trump, owner of New York's Trump Tower, holds the bridle of a polo pony while talking to Andy Warhol on Nov. 4, 1983. Mario Suriani—AP  Donald Trump, Don King and Barbara Walters on Dec. 12, 1987. Ron Galella—Getty Images  Professional Wrestler Hulk Hogan and Andre the Giant With Donald Trump. Russell Turiak—Getty Images  Heavyweight champion Mike Tyson, his wife, actress Robin Givens and Donald Trump, leave the New York State Supreme Court building on July 22, 1988. Charles Wenzelberg—AP  Developer Donald Trump is flanked by super middleweight champion Thomas Hearns, left, of Detroit, and Michael Olajide of Canada at a news conference in New York on Feb. 15, 1990. Timothy Clary—AP  Alec Baldwin is joined by Donald Trump and Melania Knauss at benefit for the Carol M. Baldwin Breast Cancer Research Fund at the Marriott Marquis Hotel on October 8, 1999. Richard Corkery—NY Daily News Archive/Getty Images  Katie Couric, left, co-host of NBC-TV's "Today" show, is dressed like Donald Trump, right, during a spoof of his "The Apprentice" reality television show, on the morning program's annual Halloween segment on Oct. 29, 2004. Richard Drew—AP  Donald Trump and Larry King arrive at the Comedy Central Roast of Donald Trump in New York on March 9, 2011. Charles Sykes—AP  Mike "The Situation" Sorrentino, left, and Donald Trump appear onstage at the Comedy Central Roast of Donald Trump in New York on March 9, 2011. Charles Sykes—AP  Snoop Dogg and Donald Trump arrive at the Comedy Central Roast of Donald Trump in New York on March 9, 2011. Charles Sykes—AP  Martha Stewart and Donald Trump at Richard "Skip" Bronson's, "The War at the Shore" Book Publication Party held at Loews Regency Hotel in New York City on June 11, 2012. Sylvain Gaboury—Sipa USA  Tiger Woods stands with Donald Trump as he holds the Gene Serazen Cup for winning the Cadillac Championship golf tournament on March 10, 2013, in Doral, Fla. Wilfredo Lee—AP  Donald Trump and recording artist and host Nick Jonas joke around onstage during the 2013 Miss USA pageant at PH Live at Planet Hollywood Resort & Casino on June 16, 2013 in Las Vegas. Ethan Miller—Getty Images ## Transcript Republican front runner Donald Trump spoke out after the first GOP debate about Megyn Kelly and her line of questioning. You know, you could see there was blood coming out of her eyes. Blood coming out of her, wherever. But she was, in my opinion, she was off- base. Critics have pounced on the remark, calling the comments vulgar and sexist. Saturday morning, Trump was disinvited from RedState Gathering, a conservative conference organized by influential blogger Erik Erikson. Of course, whether this latest provocative remark hurts Trump in the polls remains to be seen. Trump hit the Morning Show circuit Sunday morning to explain his comments, but he issued no apology. What I said was totally appropriate. There was nothing wrong. Only a deviant would think anything other than that. 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