Republicans Wage War and Kill the Economy
Published: March 20, 2026 •
2 min read
Since the Vietnam War, Republican presidencies have historically started more large-scale wars and started more recessions during their terms in office. Democratic presidencies have more often conducted limited military interventions, inherited downturns, and overseen economic recoveries.
Having lived through most of this, I can tell you I was personally hurt during Reagan's "Trickle Down" idea of economics, benefited from the boom of the Clinton Administration (and amazed that the budget was balanced), lost a lot of my retirement during W. Bush's disastrous recession (directly caused by his policies and busting that balanced budget), and recovered much more quickly with Obama and Biden than that other guy.
That being said, here are the stats:
Republican Presidents
Ronald Reagan - Cold War, Interventions: Grenada (1983), Lebanon involvement, Early 1980s Recession
George H. W. Bush - Gulf War (Kuwait liberation), 1990–91 Recession
George W. Bush - War in Afghanistan, Iraq War, 2001 Recession, Great Recession
Donald Trump - Iran War, COVID-19 Recession
And that other party:
Democratic Presidents
Bill Clinton - Interventions: Balkans (Bosnia, Kosovo), Strong Growth, Budget Surplus
Barack Obama - Continued Afghanistan & Iraq, Intervention in Libya, Inherited Great Recession
Joe Biden - Ended Involvement in Afghanistan, Inflation Spike Post-COVID, but continued growth
I think the record is clear. Maybe we should start asking ourselves whether we can afford to elect any more Republicans until they get out of the mindset of war and spending.
