"Wag the Dog was released one month before the outbreak of the Lewinsky scandal and the subsequent bombing of the Al-Shifa pharmaceutical factory in Sudan by the Clinton administration in August 1998, which prompted the media to draw comparisons between the film and reality. The comparison was also made in December 1998 when the administration initiated a bombing campaign of Iraq during Clinton's impeachment trial over the Lewinsky scandal." – Wikipedia

If you haven't seen Wag the Dog, check it out. Terrific Barry Levinson movie about a US president, seeking reelection, who faces scandal and is extricated with a war against Albania.

Only this is a fake war ginned up by a Hollywood producer. Robert DeNiro and Dustin Hoffman turn in masterful performances in the 1997 black comedy. Of course the far more usual scenario in real life has been for a popularity-challenged leader to attack with real bullets – or drones.