Catastrophize Much? David French Says 'World Walking Path Toward World War'

David French Morning Joe 8-3-26

New York Times columnist David French appeared on Monday's Morning Joe to promote his latest alarm: the world is “walking a path toward a world war.”

In his Sunday New York Times column, titled “The War That Could Swallow the World,” French wrote that Trump has lost control of the conflict with Iran. 

Host Jonathan Lemire read key passages on air:

“The only thing worse than President Trump starting an unconstitutional war is Trump losing control of that war. I’ve often wondered what it was like to be alive in the summer of 1914, much less 1938 and 1939. When did people start to realize that the world was on the brink of catastrophe? Speak up too soon or too frequently, and you look ridiculous, like the Chicken Little of World War. Speak up too late, and you live, if you live, with bitter regret. 

"I do not think that World War is inevitable, nor do I think it’s probable. But it is now more possible than it has been at any other time since the end of the Cold War, and the American government is led by the worst rulers in the modern history of the United States."

French expanded on the theme in his Morning Joe appearance. He said Trump never expected the war to spread across the region the way it has, with the Houthis entering the fight and threatening the Red Sea. He also cited a Ukrainian strike on an Iranian vessel, reported Russian assistance helping Iran target U.S. bases, a Russian missile landing in Poland, and Chinese missile supplies to Iran.

“This war is not in his control,” French said. “And right now, every combatant in every one of the major world conflicts is escalating… These two conflicts to some degree are merging. And they’re expanding. And this is extraordinarily dangerous.”

He closed by asking which world leaders are serious about resolution: “I don’t see anyone quite yet.”

 

French hedged carefully. On the one hand, he wrote that "world war is neither inevitable nor probable." 

On the other, in the same column he darkly proclaimed: "The world is walking a path toward a world war, and no one — including the president of the United States — seems to be in command of events."

French's solution to the allegedly looming catastrophe? Vote Democrat! Or as he put it in thinly veiled terms in his column:

“Our future may depend in part on American voters deciding to give Congress a spinal transplant."

The Iran campaign has not gone according to Trump’s early expectations. Escalation risks and operational setbacks are legitimate subjects for debate. But turning those challenges into world war fear-mongering, complete with a partisan Democratic pitch? 

Auditioning for a 2028 Democrat hopeful speechwriting gig, David?

Here's the transcript.

MS NOW
Morning Joe
8/3/26
6:17 am EDT

JONATHAN LEMIRE: David French, your latest opinion piece for the New York Times is titled " The War That Could Swallow the World," and in it, you write in part this: 

"The only thing worse than President Trump starting an unconstitutional war is Trump losing control of that war. I've often wondered what it was like to be alive in the summer of 1914, much less 1938 and 1939. When did people start to realize that the world was on the brink of catastrophe? Speak up too soon or too frequently, and you look ridiculous, like the Chicken Little of World War. Speak up too late, and you live, if you live, with bitter regret. 

"I do not think that World War is inevitable, nor do I think it's probable. But it is now more possible than it has been at any other time since the end of the Cold War, and the American government is led by the worst rulers in the modern history of the United States. 

"Our future may depend in part on American voters deciding to give Congress a spinal transplant. But that requires us to do something that democracies have rarely, if ever, done successfully. See the catastrophe coming and act decisively before a terrible war swallows the world.

LEMIRE: David French, obviously an ominous warning there. We have seen signs in the recent week or two that this war could expand. Other countries, Saudi Arabia, Egypt, more getting involved. Tell us more as to why you think that might just be the beginning and this could expand much further and in a much more disastrous fashion. 

FRENCH: Well, consider this. When I said at the very beginning Trump has lost control of this war, I don't think that when he walked into it, he expected it would be spreading across the region the way that it has. 

He's said as much. I don't think that this is what he wants: to have the Houthis enter the conflict and begin to try to control the Red Sea. 

Already in the region, it's expanded beyond Trump's control and beyond Trump's reach. And then you have these other really ominous developments. 

You've had the Ukrainian strike on an Iranian boat that Ukraine claims was transporting weapons and other related war material between Iran and Russia. 

You've had information and evidence that Russia is helping Iran target U.S. bases, making Iranian strikes more comprehensive. At the same time, Russia continues to be undeterred, even though it's taking massive battlefield losses. 

You recently had a Russian missile landing in a Polish field. There have been drones that have crossed into Poland, first missile from Russia that we know of that's crossed into Polish airspace impacting in Poland. 

And just again and again and again, you're seeing China supply missiles to Iran reportedly. This war is not in his control. And right now, every combatant in every one of the major world conflicts is escalating. 

And so this is a situation I wanted people to begin to try to move their eyes just from focusing in on the in and outs of each ceasefire or false ceasefire or each deal or each fake deal and instead take a bigger, broader view. 

These two conflicts to some degree are merging. And they're expanding. And this is extraordinarily dangerous. And which of our world leaders, which of our world leaders is serious about trying to reach a resolution?  I don't see anyone quite yet.