Depends on how you define drag. If you define it as friction due to air against the plane then no, because a lot of the drag is due to sending air downward to k

Depends on how you define drag. If you define it as friction due to air against the plane then no, because a lot of the drag is due to sending air downward to keep the airplane up. The distinction is that, that that part of the drag is impossible to reduce, while friction you can work to reduce. That's what the GP meant by "discounting lift".