What does total war mean.
Goebbels initially coined the phrase “Total War”.
So you can only imagine if a Republican used the term, the press would jump all over it for the Nazi connotations.
The last “Total War” ended with the first use of a nuclear weapon. Your side will kill the opponent to the point of their becoming not capable of warfare. You convince them of your intention to eradicate them if their surrender is not forthcoming.