Resolution Criteria

An "intervention" is defined as any military action initiated by the Trump administration against a foreign nation or non-state actor, including but not limited to: airstrikes, drone strikes, special operations raids, naval operations with hostile intent, and military occupations. The count includes distinct military campaigns or operations, not individual strikes within a single campaign. For example, the Yemen campaign (March-May 2025) counts as one intervention, while separate operations in different countries or against different targets count as separate interventions.

Resolution will be determined by counting confirmed military interventions through the end of Trump's second term (January 20, 2029). Sources for verification include: official Department of Defense statements, credible news reporting from major outlets (Reuters, AP, BBC, NPR), and Congressional records. Interventions must involve direct U.S. military action; diplomatic pressure, sanctions, or threats alone do not count.

Background

Since taking office on January 20, 2025, Trump has overseen at least 626 air strikes, representing a dramatic escalation compared to his predecessors. By comparison, his predecessor, former President Joe Biden, launched a total of 555 strikes in his entire four-year term.

In 2025, Trump ordered strikes on nine different countries and regions, including Yemen, Syria, Iraq, Somalia, Nigeria, Iran — and Venezuela. In the first year of his second term, he has authorized a series of strikes ranging from the unprecedented use of bunker-buster bombs against Iran's most fortified nuclear sites to a sustained counternarcotics campaign off the Venezuelan coast.

Considerations

Since returning to office, Trump has steadily expanded his use of military force abroad. Many of his actions mirror those of previous administrations, but diverge from the president's past opposition to foreign military commitments. This represents a significant departure from Trump's campaign messaging, where as a candidate in 2016, Trump blasted fellow Republicans and previous presidents for backing troubled military interventions in Iraq, Afghanistan and Libya, saying "Our current strategy of nation-building and regime change is a proven, absolute failure."