Trump: Let's Just Seize Iraq's Oil

'We're reimbursing ourselves'
By Kevin Spak,  Newser Staff
Posted Apr 19, 2011 7:00 AM CDT

Donald Trump has an interesting concept of how the world’s oil markets work: In an interview with George Stephanopoulos on ABC, Trump opined that the reason oil was so high was because “We don’t have anybody in Washington that calls OPEC and says, ‘Fellas, it’s time. It’s over. You’re not going to do it anymore.’” When Stephanopoulos pressed him on how he’d back up that threat, Trump replied, “I’m going to look ‘em in the eye and say, ‘Fellas, you’ve had your fun. Your fun is over.’”

Then Trump took it a step further, arguing that the US should seize Iraq’s oil fields to pay itself back for the $1.5 trillion war effort. “In the old days, you know, when you had a war, to the victor belong the spoils. You go in. You win the war and you take it,” he said. When Stephanopoulos characterized that as stealing, the Donald cut him off: “Excuse me. You’re not stealing. You’re taking—we’re reimbursing ourselves.” (More Donald Trump stories.)

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