You're Too Dumb For Me To Talk To You

Summary

Episode Summary: Armstrong & Getty On Demand – "You're Too Dumb For Me To Talk To You"

Release Date: June 23, 2025

In this intense and timely episode of Armstrong & Getty On Demand, hosts Jack Armstrong and Joe Getty delve deep into the recent and highly consequential Operation Midnight Hammer—a series of U.S. airstrikes targeting Iran's nuclear facilities. Broadcasting live from the Abraham Lincoln Radio Studio, the duo navigates the complexities of international conflict, political maneuvering, and public sentiment surrounding this pivotal moment in U.S.-Iran relations.

---

1. Operation Midnight Hammer: An Overview

Jeff McCausland sets the stage by introducing the operation's codename and its audacious mission.

"Operation Midnight Hammer sounds like the title of a heavy metal album by a Norwegian band, but yes, that was the name of the bombing runs against Iran." ([00:40])

The operation involved 14 advanced B2 bombers launched from Missouri, executing a meticulously planned assault on Iran's nuclear enrichment sites. The hosts discuss the military precision and unprecedented capabilities demonstrated during these strikes.

---

2. Political Context and Trump's Involvement

The conversation shifts to former President Donald Trump's controversial statements and actions leading up to the operation.

"Mega make Iran great again. Suggesting regime change is a good idea... He did a classic Trump move." ([01:03])

Joe Getty criticizes Trump's undermining of diplomatic efforts and unconventional approaches to foreign policy, highlighting the unpredictability introduced by Trump's rhetoric.

---

3. Public Sentiment and Polling Insights

A critical segment features a discussion on public support for preventing Iran from obtaining nuclear weapons, supported by recent poll data.

"80% of adults said we need to stop Iran from getting a nuclear weapon." ([03:02])

Joe Getty emphasizes the bipartisan consensus, noting that support spans 80% of Democrats, 79% of Independents, and 83% of Republicans. This uniformity across the political spectrum underscores the gravity with which the American public views Iran's nuclear ambitions.

---

4. Military Execution and Capabilities

The hosts commend the U.S. military's execution of the operation, highlighting the seamless coordination among various branches.

"This was extraordinary, without a doubt... 100 or more aircraft involved, refuelers, reconnaissance aircraft, command and control, fighter escorts." ([22:02])

Katie Green, a CBS News Military Consultant, praises the operation's complexity and the demonstration of maximum air supremacy, which left Iranian defenses largely ineffective.

---

5. Potential Iranian Retaliation and Strategic Dilemmas

The discussion delves into the possible retaliation from Iran, weighing the benefits and consequences of such actions.

"Iran announced over the weekend that they will activate their sleeper cells they've got in the United States and the attacks will begin." ([07:55])

Katie Green elaborates on Iran's precarious position:

"They are having a real Hobson's Choice... They are dealing with a leadership that's been badly damaged... an 86-year-old messianic religious leader." ([24:32])

The conversation explores the futility and potential self-destructive nature of Iran's proposed retaliatory measures.

---

6. Constitutional Debate: War Powers and Executive Authority

A heated exchange unfolds regarding the War Powers Act and the president's authority to engage in military actions without congressional approval.

Katie Green raises concerns:

"This is an act of war. My read of the Constitution says that the decisions to go to war are made by the United States Senate in consultation with the chiefs of electorate." ([20:57])

Jeff McCausland counters by highlighting historical precedents where presidents have engaged in military actions without formal declarations of war.

"We've only declared five wars... everything else was not a declared war by Congress." ([26:04])

Joe Getty and Jeff McCausland debate the necessity and legality of such unilateral actions, reflecting the nation's ongoing struggle with executive vs. legislative authority in matters of war.

---

7. Listener Mailbag and Public Reactions

The hosts engage with listener emails, presenting diverse opinions and further polling data that contrasts with mainstream media portrayals.

"90% of self-identified MAGA Republicans say that preventing Iran from obtaining a nuclear weapon is important to US security." ([29:39])

Joe Getty and Jeff McCausland highlight the disconnect between vocal minority opinions and the broader public consensus, emphasizing the overwhelming support for decisive action against Iran's nuclear program.

---

8. Ethical and Moral Considerations

Interspersed within the political and military discourse are reflections on morality without faith and the foundations of political freedom.

"Political freedom is to be cherished indeed. But there is no political freedom that is not indissolubly bound to the interpersonal freedom of the individuals who make up that nation." ([33:17])

The hosts briefly touch upon philosophical perspectives, acknowledging the complexities of maintaining moral integrity in governance and international relations.

---

9. Closing Remarks and Future Outlook

As the episode wraps up, Armstrong and Getty contemplate the future implications of Operation Midnight Hammer, including the stability of the Middle East and the potential for further conflict or reconciliation.

"It's a hell of a good base of support... The question of where the 400 kg of uranium is remains unanswered." ([30:21])

The hosts express cautious optimism regarding the operation's success in curbing Iran's nuclear capabilities while remaining vigilant about possible unforeseen consequences.

---

Notable Quotes:

• "You're too dumb for me to talk to. We really are." – Joe Getty ([10:12])

• "This was an extraordinary operation... no Iranian radars came up." – Katie Green ([22:02])

• "90% of MAGA Republicans say that preventing Iran from obtaining a nuclear weapon is important to US security." – Jeff McCausland ([29:39])

---

Conclusion

This episode of Armstrong & Getty On Demand provides a comprehensive and multifaceted exploration of Operation Midnight Hammer, blending military analysis, political critique, and public opinion to paint a vivid picture of a nation grappling with intense foreign policy decisions. Through incisive discussion and insightful commentary, the hosts offer listeners a nuanced understanding of the complexities and stakes involved in U.S.-Iran relations.

Transcript

[Joe Getty]

This is an iHeart podcast broadcasting live from the Abraham Lincoln radio Studio at the George Washington Broadcast Center.

[Jack Armstrong]

Jack Armstrong and Joe Getty.

[Joe Getty]

Armstrong and Getty. And now he's Armstrong and Getty.

[Jeff McCausland]

We are on a war footing live.

[Joe Getty]

From Studio C. Si, senor.

[Jeff McCausland]

A dimly lit room deep within the bow of the Armstrong and Getty communications compound. And today we are under the tutelage of our general manager.

[Joe Getty]

Midnight Hammer.

[Jeff McCausland]

Is that the name of this operation?

[Joe Getty]

Sounds like the title of a heavy metal album by a unnecessarily over the top Norwegian metal band. But yes, that was the name of the. The bombing runs against Iran. Operation Midnight Hammer.

[Jeff McCausland]

Maybe some guy's Twitter profile who thinks that's gonna play well, but it's not.

[Joe Getty]

Oh, yeah, it has that feel, but these are serious times.

[Jeff McCausland]

Enough mirth. Anyone want to date the Midnight Hammer? Oh, yeah. So I thought I had a handle on where everything was going till I saw Trump's late tweet Sunday with mega in it. Mega make Iran great again. Suggesting regime change is a good idea. After every single one of the people that work for him went on every single talk show on Sunday and said, this is absolutely not, not about regime change. He did a classic Trump move where he comes out with a tweet right after they say that and said, you know, regime change. People say it like it's a dirty word, but, you know, it might be a good idea. Make a. Make Iran great again. Thanks for sending me out there on Meet the Press to say this is absolutely not regime change.

[Joe Getty]

Really good time. Had nothing better to do on my Sunday, so that was great. Yeah, it is a very, very Trumpian thing. Not only, you know, trotting his aides out there and then undermin, but ignoring the conventions of this, that or the other, including diplomacy. I mean, any sane human being would say, yeah. I mean, there'd be a hell of a lot of uncertainty and it could go wrong. But yeah, I mean, in general, regime change would be great. I mean, everybody thinks that, but you can't say that. For a variety of reasons, some of which are pretty legitimate. But Trump doesn't care, I tell you.

[Jeff McCausland]

I was sure annoyed by the coverage of everything, pretty much, except for Fox, but even some on Fox, all the coverage was so annoying. It was all presented with the this was a risky thing to do and probably not a good idea. Mostly downside, as opposed to there was a no choice, it went awesome and hooray for us. And now what? There's nothing wrong with this. So now you know, what are the things they could do back. That's a reasonable conversation. But after the tone of. Oh, boy, another crazy thing that we've done. I just. I've got the CNN poll in front of me. Let me dig that up real quick. Overwhelming support for this. I mean, not even close.

[Joe Getty]

Is that right?

[Jeff McCausland]

Yeah, I will find that for you. But it's like in the. Here it is all adults. Well, just the idea of the United States needs to do something to eliminate. To stop the Iran's nuclear weapon. Now, it's a Broadish question, but 80% of adults said we need to stop Iran from getting a nuclear weapon. 80%.

[Joe Getty]

Right.

[Jeff McCausland]

That includes 80% of Democrats, 79% of independents and 83% of Republicans.

[Joe Getty]

Wow, that is remarkably uniform across the aisle.

[Jeff McCausland]

Yeah. So why present a des. I don't know if this is a good idea. What was your plan? That's what I would have said on every one of those talk shows if I was representing the White House. What would you have done? Let them get a nuclear weapon.

[Joe Getty]

Right. I don't think anybody's in favor of recklessness or idiotic, you know, moves without, you know, looking down the road at what might happen. But it does frequently have the feel of, you know, the patient has serious cancer and they just rub their chin and say radiation. It can have some serious side effects. And chemotherapy makes people very, very sick. And surgery is cutting someone open.

[Jeff McCausland]

Yeah, that's a good example.

[Joe Getty]

Then the patient is dead. Well, the patient is in this rather twisted metaphor. This is Iran having a nuke and being able to threaten the civilized world with their crazy Islamist religious fundamental wackadood in a way that the whole world is united in hating that idea. But most of the world gets to watch us prosecute. Well, in Israel, God bless them. Israel and the United States prosecute what's necessary to prevent at. But they get to sit in their capitals and the Euros have just. Speaking of being annoyed. Annoyed the hell out of me over the last several years. The Euros get to sit there and say, well, we're in favor of de escalation. Both sides should diagram. We need a limiting of the violence, blah, blah, blah. Okay, thanks for your opinion. Congratulations on your empire 200 years ago. It was great.

[Jeff McCausland]

So how many of these bunker busters? 14, I think, that we dropped total?

[Joe Getty]

Yeah, that's the number I heard.

[Jeff McCausland]

That's amazing. So we've got the bombs nobody else has got and the planes to fly them that nobody else has got. That's one of the things I was thinking over the weekend I like this period of time that has existed for about 80 years now where we got all kinds of stuff that nobody else in the world has. As long as we can keep that going. That's fantastic because there's just nobody else that can do these things, fly for 32 hours or whatever it is nonstop and drop 30,000 pound bombs. Thank God we can.

[Joe Getty]

Yeah, yeah, indeed. It'll be really interesting to get reports from whomever can get them on how extensive the damage was to the Fordo site. How successful are those bombs? They've never been used in, in battle before.

[Jeff McCausland]

Well, even bigger than the question of how devastated are the devastated nuclear sites. Where's the 400 kg of uranium? Nobody knows that. And it might not have been at the sites even if they are completely obliterated, which means that they've still got the uranium to turn into a weapon somewhere else we don't even know.

[Joe Getty]

Right, right. Well, ever since October 7th, the Israelis in particular and it seems to a large extent the United States have changed from that Obama esque half measures and phony diplomacy to saying no, we're going to defeat our enemies. That's the way you limit violence is to achieve a defeat. Our peace plan is victory.

[Jeff McCausland]

Yeah.

[Joe Getty]

And we'll see how it goes.

[Jeff McCausland]

I don't know if you saw Lindsey Graham on one of the shows yesterday. I think it was Meet the Press. Anyway, he came on there, he had just gotten off the phone with Netanyahu and he was asked what did Netanyahu want to say to America. And Lindsey Graham said, Netanyahu has decided Israel is not going to live like the way they have been anymore. Those days are over. No more living hoping that the enemies that are swearing to kill you all don't as they live side that those days are over. And I believe that's probably true.

[Joe Getty]

Yeah, you say you're coming for us. Okay, we believe you, we're coming for you.

[Jeff McCausland]

Yeah, go ahead and take them seriously. And we did a little bit of that over the weekend with because they've been chanting death to American and burning our flags and all that sort of stuff. The great Satan for my whole life.

[Joe Getty]

This also gives us an excellent chance to see how accurate the predictions from and this is odd, Tucker Carlson and Elizabeth Warren turn out to be as tucker was predicting $30 a gallon gasoline, a collapse of the economy and World War 3, which we will lose. So we'll have to see.

[Jeff McCausland]

Iran announced over the weekend that they will activate their sleeper cells they've got in the United States and the attacks will begin. So we'll see if that's true or not. Even if it is tr, obviously, that'd be horrible. You still can't let him get a nuclear weapon. No matter what the response is pretty much even bad stuff, like really bad stuff. You still can't let him get a nuclear weapon.

[Joe Getty]

Yeah.

[Jeff McCausland]

It's just not an option. We should start the show officially and then continue our commentary from there. We'd like to hear what you think about all this. Text line being 415295 KFTC. I'm Jack Armstrong. He's Joe Getty on this. It is Monday. Are we at war with Iran? J.D. vance says no. The year Monday, June 23, the year 2025. We're Armstrong and Yeti and we approve of this program.

[Joe Getty]

Let's begin the show officially then. According to FCC rules and regulations, Operation Dawnhammer begins at mark.

[Katie Green]

The US military carried out massive precision.

[Joe Getty]

Strikes on the three key nuclear facilities. Tonight I can report to the world that the strikes were a spectacular military success. Iran's key nuclear enrichment facilities have been completely and totally obliterated. And maybe a little overstatement, we'll have to see.

[Jeff McCausland]

Yeah, we don't know. We don't know. The pictures look pretty good of Fordo. It looks pretty like it's pretty devastated either.

[Joe Getty]

Mm.

[Jeff McCausland]

Looks like they went down pretty deep.

[Joe Getty]

Yes. Those aren't rabbit holes in the mountain again, they're mop holes.

[Jeff McCausland]

Where's the 400 kg of uranium? That'd be nice knowing. So the, the, the, the particular bombers that actually dropped the bombs, took off from Missouri, flew all the way there and all the way back. They had toilets on the plane and people and a way for each pilot to sleep.

[Joe Getty]

Right. Refueling in the air multiple times. Just never touched down. That's amazing.

[Jeff McCausland]

That is something. And we had other planes go in other directions to throw people off, which was a really good idea. I also heard a lot of the questioning over the weekend. Trump said he would wait two weeks. Then what changed? Wow, you were like, you are, like, so dumb.

[Joe Getty]

Yeah, yeah. You're too. You're too dumb for me to talk. We really are. That would be the proper response.

[Jeff McCausland]

Those kind of questions. I thought, like, so if you play like hide and seek with a little kid, are you beyond any sort of ruse to trick them or anything like that?

[Joe Getty]

Or is.

[Jeff McCausland]

What kind of world do you live in?

[Joe Getty]

Well, and, you know, he said up to two weeks. And if he had said it would be precisely two weeks from Mark, it's still a thing in war.

[Jeff McCausland]

Which we're not at you again. And that is the right response. You are too dumb to discuss things.

[Katie Green]

You are so dumb. So you are really dumb. For real.

[Jeff McCausland]

This is for real. So I'm gonna have to walk away from you. You're too stupid to talk to.

[Joe Getty]

Yes. Glad I do not slap you dumb person.

[Jeff McCausland]

So we're going to talk to some of our middle military analysts, get an idea what they think of the military aspect of it. When then you know, we'll see how this all plays out and maybe stuff will happen. Today we've got all Katie's headlines on the way and lots more news for you. Stay here.

[Jack Armstrong]

Armstrong and getty this July 4th celebrate freedom from spills, stains and overpriced furniture with Annabe, the only machine washable sofa. And inside and out where designer quality meets budget friendly pricing. Sofas start at just $699, making it the perfect time to upgrade your space. Annabe's pet friendly stain resistant and interchangeable slipcovers are made with high performance fabric that's built for real life. You'll love the cloud like comfort of hypoallergenic, high resilience foam that never needs fluffing and a durable steel frame that stands the test of time with modular pieces you can rearrange anytime. It's a sofa that adapts to your Life. Now through July 4th, get up to 60% off site [e-mail] Every order comes with a 30 day satisfaction guarantee. If you're not in love, send it back for a full refund. No return shipping, no restocking fees. Every penny back. Declare independence from dirty outdated furniture. Shop [e-mail] Offers are subject to change and certain restrictions may apply.

[Jeff McCausland]

Let me start here as the leader of Iran has just put out a statement from the Supreme Leader Ali Khomeini Khamenei the Zionist enemy has made a grave mistake, committed a great crime. It must be punished. It is being punished. It is being punished right now. That's what he said a few minutes ago.

[Joe Getty]

Okay.

[Jeff McCausland]

It is being punished right now, okay? In ways we can't see or something. Okay.

[Joe Getty]

And a conspicuous non naming of the Great Satan in that statement too, as he has decided, at least for now, to avoid provoking the tangerine tornado in the White House. So we'll have to follow that one as well. A lot of good stuff to come, but let's figure out who's reporting what. It's the lead story with Katie Green.

[Unnamed News Anchor]

Katie Alrighty. Starting with ABC News. The White House is, quote, confident that the airstrikes hit enriched uranium store.

[Jeff McCausland]

Yeah, I wonder if we have people on the ground or Israel has people on the ground to report back already or not.

[Joe Getty]

Right. Perhaps you've seen on various news the lines of trucks moving away from the Fordo plant in recent days, probably smuggling out the uranium Jack keeps mentioning. So, you know, you can bash up the store, but are the goods there?

[Unnamed News Anchor]

From NBC news. Oil at $100 a barrel. US roll in Iran, Israel fight fuels market jitters.

[Jeff McCausland]

Oh, going back to the last headline. Still wouldn't be. Still doesn't mean it's a bad idea to blow up those nuclear facilities. In my mind, even if they snuck the uranium out.

[Joe Getty]

Oh, right, right. It's not as great a victory, but it's still progress toward denying them the bomb. The only way we get crazy high oil prices is if Iran shuts off the Straits of Hormuz for a limited time. And nobody would be with them on that. China would go crazy. Russia would go crazy. They would be friendless.

[Unnamed News Anchor]

From Fox News, Russian leader claims multiple countries prepped to provide Iran nuclear weapons following the US strikes.

[Jeff McCausland]

Really?

[Joe Getty]

Really?

[Jeff McCausland]

Who's reporting that?

[Unnamed News Anchor]

That's from Fox News.

[Jeff McCausland]

I'll have to read that whole story.

[Unnamed News Anchor]

From USA Today, Judge denies government attempt to keep Abrego Garcia in detention. Hearing set on release. He's just a Maryland father who was.

[Jeff McCausland]

Clearly smuggling people across the country Now.

[Joe Getty]

Human smuggler. Yeah, yeah.

[Unnamed News Anchor]

Coyote from the Accu. Weather Doppler weather radar. Dangerous heat wave to envelop 170 million Americans through the end of the month.

[Jeff McCausland]

Because of climate change, obviously. Yeah.

[Joe Getty]

Because of summer.

[Unnamed News Anchor]

From Page Six. Olympian Simone Biles deletes her ex account following feud over transgender athletes with swimmer Riley Gaines.

[Jeff McCausland]

You see this now and then with people who aren't used to being in this crazy world of commenting on news stories in the back and forth. You jump into it and you think, it's gonna be fine. You can just like make your statement and go on with your day. But it doesn't always go that way.

[Joe Getty]

Right? Yeah. Not only are the waters not nearly as shark free as you might imagine, but she's. She is in a funny way. Like, you know, you're. You're doofus like me who's sitting at the couch as she does her thing in the Olympics, saying, oh, her arm got kind of loose there. That'll be a tenth of a point. I have no friggin idea what I'm talking about. I really probably should just shut up. She Is that with political social issues?

[Jeff McCausland]

Oh, she stumbled, clearly. I don't think she's trying hard enough.

[Joe Getty]

Oh, that's a tenth of a point, honey. There. Yeah. Okay.

[Unnamed News Anchor]

From the New York Post. Anti ICE protests cost LA taxpayers over $30 million.

[Joe Getty]

Oof. Hey, did you see that tweet that the LA County Sheriff's Department put out? Extremely controversial. They have apologized. We'll bring you the scandal coming up.

[Jeff McCausland]

Okay.

[Unnamed News Anchor]

All right. And finally, from the Babylon beat, WNBA hires male reference to tell all of the ladies to calm down.

[Jeff McCausland]

That's pretty good. That is pretty funny.

[Joe Getty]

Oh, my. That's one of their best ever. Look, calm down, all right. In the lane. You're getting all upset. You're getting all crazy fast.

[Unnamed News Anchor]

Pass to an ass kicking and smile.

[Joe Getty]

Once in a while.

[Jeff McCausland]

Yeah, smile also.

[Joe Getty]

Yeah, it'd be so pretty if you'd smile in the lane.

[Unnamed News Anchor]

All right, we're all gonna be mourning the men of the Armstrong giddy program here in a second.

[Jeff McCausland]

So we have one of our.

[Joe Getty]

Mention their weight while you're at it. What?

[Unnamed News Anchor]

Oh my God.

[Jeff McCausland]

We have one of our favorite military analysts, Jeff McCausland coming up right when we come back. And it'll be interesting to get his take on what happened and what could happen, what he thinks is going to happen next. So that's good stuff.

[Joe Getty]

Uncertain times no doubt. Had to happen.

[Jeff McCausland]

Mega Trump says make Iran great again.

[Joe Getty]

Oh, okay.

[Jeff McCausland]

We got a lot of news on the way. I hope you can stay with us.

[Jack Armstrong]

Armstrong and getty this July 4th, celebrate freedom from spills, stains and overpriced furniture with Annabe, the only machine washable sofa inside and out where designer quality meets budget friendly pricing. Sofas started just $699, making it the perfect time to upgrade your space. Annabe's pet friendly stain resistant and interchangeable slipcovers are made with high performance fabric that's built for real life. You'll love the cloud like comfort of hypoallergenic, high resilience foam that never needs fluffing. And a durable steel frame that stands the test of time with modular pieces you can rearrange anytime. It's a sofa that adapts to your Life. Now through July 4th, get up to six 60% off site [e-mail] Every order comes with a 30 day satisfaction guarantee. If you're not in love, send it back for a full refund. No return shipping, no restocking fees, every penny back. Declare independence from dirty outdated furniture. Shop [e-mail] Offers are subject to change and certain restrictions may apply.

[Jeff McCausland]

I think they thought they were dealing.

[Joe Getty]

With a different kind of leader, like.

[Jeff McCausland]

The kinds of leaders they've been playing.

[Joe Getty]

Games with for the last 30 or 40 years.

[Jeff McCausland]

And they found out that's not the case.

[Joe Getty]

They.

[Jeff McCausland]

Yeah. David Ignatius in the Washington Post saying that's the most. One of the most important things out of this attack is the message it sends to Russia and China and anybody else in the world that this is not Joe Biden. Kamala Harris, don't. Followed by nothing. We do have some breaking news before we get to our military analyst. China has just issued a warning to Iran about not do not close the Strait of Hormuz. So that's possibly big news moments after my prediction.

[Joe Getty]

I love it when I'm right. Let's consult someone who's right a heck of a lot more than I am. Dr. Jeff McCausland, CBS News Military consultant. Jeff, it's always great to talk to you. How are you doing?

[Katie Green]

Well. But I'm not sure it right more often than you are.

[Jeff McCausland]

Well, is there anything you don't like about the way the strike went down?

[Katie Green]

Well, I'm concerned about a couple of things. One, I mean, we basically, and I think I was the chairman, I would have said the president. Look, you need to understand that as Colin Powell once said, you know, the Pottery Barn theory, once you break it, you own it. But what happens afterwards? It's the great question of and then what, which we used to say when I was in the Pentagon. The White House wasn't asked often enough. And whether you in favor of this particular strike or you oppose this particular strike, you got to remember two things. One is that we just put 40,000Americans who are in the region on the bullseye. Like it or not, they are very likely target for retaliation. That's just a reality. Second thing that concerns me, quite frankly, is process. It seems to me this is an act of war. My read of the Constitution says that the decisions to go to war are made by the United States Senate in consultation with the chiefs of electorate. So once again, if you're in favor of this or you're opposed to it, that that process is a very, very important one. We should try to by in fact, a safeguard. And there was no report that I saw of an imminent threat to the United States. Iran does not present an existential threat to the United States.

[Jeff McCausland]

Wow, this is an interesting take. So you're, you're against the strike in general. You don't think the president had the power to do it? And you're against the idea of it?

[Katie Green]

No, not against the idea of it, certainly. I think you're quite right. We've been in a proxy war with Iran for many, many years. And we've come to the point where perhaps the diplomatic effort was really now fruitless. They were stringing us along, taking us down may well have been appropriate. That being said, I think it still should have been something that was done in consultation with the Senate. And quite frankly, doing it that way, I think would strengthen the position of the aftermath, as you guys quite rightfully said, sending a message not only to the Iranians, but they really don't want to mess with us, but sending a world message more broadly to some of our potential adversaries.

[Joe Getty]

Yeah, boy. We agree, certainly in principle, of the whole consultation with Congress and the constitutional right to declare war. It just feels like that ship has sailed and not to be seen anytime soon again. But putting that aside, what's your assessment of the military capabilities that the US Displayed in recent days?

[Katie Green]

This was extraordinary, without a doubt. I mean, this involved all the services. Army, Navy, Air Force. This involved the Central command. This involved U.S. european Command. This involves the Space Force. I mean, this was an extraordinary operation which also included a really significant deception operation. Imagine we send B2 bombers westward in the direction of Guam, only to have the main package fly eastward across the United States, the Atlantic, to conduct the attack en route. 100 or more aircraft involved, refuelers, reconnaissance aircraft, command and control, fighter escorts going in and out, which also struck me as amazing, is either because they're so weakened or because it was held done so well, or both. No Iranian radars came up. No air defense missiles were fired against our incoming aircraft. No Iranian fighters came up. They were virtually defenseless, if you will. We maintain maximum air supremacy over the battle area in the conduct of the operation. So kudos to the US Military in conducting. Whether you're in favor of this or opposed to it, you gotta admire the tenacity and the skill of the US Military.

[Joe Getty]

Yeah.

[Jeff McCausland]

The fact that we weren't shot at at all in an operation like that is absolutely incredible and has to be really demoralizing for the Iranians. So the talk of Iran, you know, striking back, striking at some of our bases, our personnel, you know, trying to close the straight of Hormuz, where a whole bunch of oil flows through any of those things. Launching sleeper cells as the Ayatollah threatened over the weekend. Wouldn't that just be a suicide mission? I can't. What good would. Would it do for Iran to reach out like that?

[Katie Green]

Well, you have to understand the dilemma that the Iranians and the leadership of Iran are in right now. They know if responding against the United States could result in that kind of retaliation, which could bring down the regime. They also probably know that not to respond, massive demonstrations down the streets of Tehran, chanting revenge not to respond could likely undermine their legitimacy in the eyes of the Iranian people and bring down that regime as well. So they are having a real Hobson's Choice. And don't forget, you are dealing with a leadership that's been badly damaged. They've lost a lot of senior leaders, and you're dealing with a messianic religious leader who's in charge at 86 years old and may think that this is an opportunity to become one of the world's greatest martyrs and go down in history as an Iranian martyr for the next couple of centuries.

[Joe Getty]

Jeff McCausland is on the line. Jeff, what do you expect to see next from the Israelis?

[Katie Green]

The Israelis have continued their missile attacks on Iran. One of the responses I think Iran has already made, it seems like in the last 24 hours they've reintensified their strikes on Israel. So that's continuing. The Israelis have not, in their words, accomplished their objectives in their war with Iran. And it seems to me if you look at the target set they're hitting, they've now shifted from totally focusing on destruction of Iran's nuclear facilities to, in fact, bringing down the Iranian regime. They're going after things like the Ministry of the Interior. They're going after the media, as well as a number of military leaders as well as a number of nuclear scientists.

[Joe Getty]

Dr. Jeff McCausland, CBS News Military consultant. Thanks for the time, Jeff. We'll talk again soon.

[Katie Green]

My pleasure.

[Joe Getty]

Thanks.

[Jeff McCausland]

So we've done this many times when there's really big military stories on. We have on Jeff McCausland and Mike Lyons, and they often have completely different takes on a story. I think that's going to be the case today.

[Joe Getty]

Yeah, I suspect so. And you know, the whole War Powers act question is a good one. It's an important one, but boy howdy, I mean, I heard part of it. I want to dig back into it. But Charles C.W. cook, who is brilliant of the national review and Annie McCarthy, who is brilliant of the National Review, debated that very question. And the fact that those two esteemed gentlemen couldn't come to an agreement, I think tells you a little bit about where we are.

[Jeff McCausland]

Well, as was pointed out by somebody on one of the talk shows yesterday, might have been J.D. vance. We've only declared five war. Congress has only declared war five times in our nation's history, total. Everything else you've ever heard about or read about was not a declared war by Congress. So it's not like this is the first time it's ever happened. In fact, Jonathan Turley was just tweeting out about how he was listening to NPR and they were going on and on about Trump. You know, should have Congress, should have declared war. He doesn't have this power. Failing to mention the 30 other times presidents have done this throughout our history. So that, that story aside, I completely Disagree with Jeff McCausland, first of all on whether or not we should have done this. And secondly, I don't believe at all the whole Colin Powell Pottery Barn, you break it, you own it, applies at all here. Not like Iraq, where we took down the entire government, rolled in 200,000 troops onto the streets of Baghdad. In that case, yes, you broke it, you own it. I don't think that applies at all here. We destroyed nuclear facilities. We're out. Go ahead, run your country. You just don't get to have a nuke.

[Joe Getty]

Well, in the case of our ally Israel, they also blowed up everybody in charge of the program and various facilities, etc. But yeah, it was the denial of the ability to develop and use nuclear weapons, period. You run your country, you run your water department, you do whatever you want, just not that. See, I disagree as well.

[Jeff McCausland]

Yeah, I don't, I don't think we have the ownership or the responsibility to now run Iran the way we did after we rolled into Iraq. So, yeah, Quick break.

[Joe Getty]

Go ahead.

[Jeff McCausland]

Right after this commercial, we'll tell you about the latest poll that's out the Washington Post is reporting on. To give you an idea how many people disagree with Jeff McCausland's take, for instance.

[Joe Getty]

Yeah, this certainly would be a fine message if you're an Iranian nuclear scientist. It's incredibly important to have a trust and or will so your loved ones and the authorities know your wishes and when you're gone, trust me, it's a nightmare if you don't have a will and or trust.

[Jeff McCausland]

You get hit by a bus today, who gets the money, the house, the whatever? You don't know. Create and manage a custom estate plan starting at $199. You go to this website, which we'll tell you about in a second. You can start today downloading documents, answering questions. You get stuck on something. You got live customer support, chat, phone or email. The site is set up to deal with the laws in whichever state you're in. It's very handy.

[Joe Getty]

And whether you have a very, very simple situation financially or very complicated, they're equipped to help you out, secure your assets and protect your loved ones with trust and will get 20% off your estate plan documents by visiting Trust and Willcom slash Armstrong. Or you can just let your loved ones sue each other and hate each other after you're gone. No, don't do that. Trust and will.com/armstrong so you remember the.

[Jeff McCausland]

Run up to the bombing. There was a lot of talk by mainstream media, media anyway about all kinds of a civil war in the Republican Party and splintering in the Republican Party and that sort of thing. Mark Feeson in his opinion piece in the Washington Post today quoting the new poll from the Ronald Reagan Institute taken just before the bombing showed that 90% of self self identified MAGA Republicans say that preventing Iran from obtaining a nuclear weapon is important to US security. 90% including 74% who said doing so matters a great deal. That's a very high percentage.

[Joe Getty]

86 debate might remain as to whether what we did was necessary when we did it, but that's a hell of a good base of support.

[Jeff McCausland]

That's not all right, smart Thiessen, 86% of MAGA Republicans say the security of Israel is important to the US that's higher than I would even guessed. Almost 90%, 81% want to either continue or increase US support for Israel's military campaign against Hamas and Hezbollah. Two thirds support Israel carrying out airstrikes to destroy Iranian nuclear facilities. Anyway, that is a lot more than I think Tucker Carlson would have portrayed it as in his debate against Ted Cruz that we played a lot of last week.

[Joe Getty]

Right? Right. And I'm not thinking about Tucker specifically in this, but there are a decent enough loud handful of anti Semitic woke rightists who make a lot of noise online. And much like the American, you know, bigfoot media, it's easy to get the impression that those loud, amplified voices represent far more folks than they actually do. Those numbers are quite striking.

[Jeff McCausland]

The question of the day still seems to me to be to me, where are the 400 kg of uranium that got enriched by Iran? Hope. I'll bet. I'll bet there's Mossad on the ground or commandos on the ground from Israel figuring that out right now.

[Joe Getty]

And every mole they have in Iran is on high alert to figure that out. Right.

[Jeff McCausland]

We have got Mailbag on the way next and a whole bunch more news from different stories. I hope you can stay Here.

[Jack Armstrong]

Armstrong and getty this July 4th, celebrate freedom from spills, stains and overpriced furniture with Annabe, the only machine washable sofa inside and out where designer quality meets budget friendly pricing. Sofas start at just $699, making it the perfect time to upgrade your space. Annabe's pet friendly stain resistant and interchangeable slipcovers are made with high performance fabric that's built for real life. You'll love the cloud like comfort of hypoallergenic high resilience foam that never needs fluffing and a durable steel frame that stands the test of time with modular pieces you can rearrange anytime. It's a sofa that adapts to your Life. Now through July 4th, get up to 60% off site [e-mail] Every order comes with a 30 day satisfaction guarantee. If you're not in love, send it back for a full refund. No return shipping, no restocking fees, every penny back. Declare independence from dirty outdated furniture. Shop [e-mail] Offers are subject to change and certain restrictions may apply.

[Jeff McCausland]

What's going to happen today? Anything? Well, I guess we'll find out. Is Iran going to strike back in any way? I still don't understand in what, what? How that would benefit them in any way. I look forward to talking to Mike Lyons about that later. I. I haven't heard a good explanation as to how that would help Iran in any way. That they wouldn't just get absolutely torched if they do something bad.

[Joe Getty]

If I'm the Ayatollah, I'm wondering what the hell to do and who the hell to ask what the hell to do. He's gotta figure out. Hey, send General Jones over here. He's dead, sir. Oh, no, no. How about Smith Sense Smith? He's a what? No, he's dead too. So he's got a bit of a dilemma. 86 year old messianic religious lunatic, right? Oh boy. Here's your freedom loving quote of the day. It's from Rallo May. Who? I was just reading. Very influential in the world of existential psychology, okay? Harsh critic of modern psychotherapy. In fact, it was so interesting I had to force myself to stop reading about it.

[Jeff McCausland]

Anyway, I don't know this name. I'll have to look this guy up. Or is it a woman?

[Joe Getty]

A woman indeed. A man, rather. Rollo.

[Jeff McCausland]

Sorry, I don't know the name.

[Joe Getty]

Rallo, he identified as a man, okay? You know, the whole mustache, you know, masculine frame. Testicles, testicles Political freedom is to be cherished indeed. But there is no political freedom that is not indissolubly bound. Note to self use the term indisolubly more.

[Jeff McCausland]

All right.

[Joe Getty]

Bow to the interpersonal freedom of the individuals who make up that nation. No liberty of a nation of conformists. No free nation made up of robots. Mailbag, if you'd like to write us an indus solubly written email, do it to [e-mail] Thomas Ocal writes. So which approach, Duran, do you prefer? Operation Midnight Hammer or Operation Don't? But now comes the hard part. We need to be vigilant because they will try to attack us to save face. And they are down to limited options. Some of those options include operatives that undoubtedly crossed our borders in the last four years. We need to be alert and watch out for each other. If you see something, say something.

[Jeff McCausland]

Will they attack us? I don't know that they won't, but I don't understand what they'd get if they did.

[Joe Getty]

Just saving face. Just saving a shred of legitimacy. Look, we punched back, but good. The Great Satan is reeling from our brave countermeasures. That's what they'll do. Moving along, Andy in Oakland says, taco. That's the Trump always chickens out. The taco becomes burrito bomb, you ridiculous rascals. Into the other world. Oh boy, they're working too hard to come up with an acronym. Can we limit the First Amendment to stop everybody from doing that? Let's see. Adam writes. Hey y' all, full disclosure. You will have far more intelligent, informed, and eloquent and probably more handsome listeners writing about this. But I just wanted to point out that everybody has been in an uproar about Trump's handling of Putin and Ukraine are now against his decision to use the B2s. They're truly showing their Trump derangement syndrome. Trump just delivered a historically challenged, changing blow to Russia's ally that if it was done during any other recent time, would probably not have been as promising. I think a lot of unsuspecting people are golf clapping, clapping for Trump right now. Thank you for your attention to this matter, Adam.

[Jeff McCausland]

By the way to the email bag, we did get this text. Clinton bombed Russia, Iraq and Kosovo and put US Soldiers on the ground in Haiti to fight there with no acts of Congress. Yet there are dozens of examples you can use from presidents of doing that. That doesn't mean I like the idea that every president sends the military around the world and bombs things they want to without asking Congress. But it's not like Trump invented it.

[Joe Getty]

Well, if we just wanted to go from the year 2000 on, we could come up with more examples than is necessary. Uh, let's see. Tim, who hates us, writes Yay WW3 a disgusting escalation guaranteed to give J and J little chubbies in their Dockers. Wow, that's unnecessarily graphic. And I'm not wearing Docker, sir, as they bloviate with that special studio courage they're known for.

[Jeff McCausland]

Yeah, okay, your type. So we have less of a chance of World War 3 if Iran has a nuclear weapon. Explain that to me.

[Joe Getty]

Yeah, yeah, I just. Well, and the false arguments and bad faith arguments and a very short email. You know what? I respect your ability to cram so many bad faith arguments into the sentence.

[Jeff McCausland]

And a half chubby in my Dockers.

[Joe Getty]

Let's see. Byron writes. And there have been variations on this attempt at humor. Trump's newest golf project is coming together. He just established the first three holes of his new 18 hole golf course.

[Jeff McCausland]

There you go.

[Joe Getty]

That would be the nuclear facility as a Varan Jack. Holes in the ground I was tracking instead of. Yes, okay.

[Jeff McCausland]

It wasn't that I didn't laugh because I didn't understand it. I understood it.

[Joe Getty]

Oh, I see. Let's see. This. This is a complete change topic. Frequent correspondent Paulo can there be morality without faith? I'm a big yes on this one. Let's just say morality is a set of beliefs about how we behave that leads to the best possible outcome for humanity, like a constitutional framework governing human behavior. And faith is a mode of belief that makes the belief immutable. Faith can support morality and promote adherence to it. It can also promote the dogma of Iranian theocrats. He's absolutely true. And I'll cut off his email there. He goes on to make the point in other ways. But you know what? When Tocqueville for instance was talking about there can be no liberty without morality, no morality without faith, he was talking about Christian faith. Maybe deists Google it, but he was just talking Christian faith back in the day. That's what those people meant. They didn't consider Islamic fundamentalists in their description of quote unquote faith. Maybe that was a blind spot, but it has a different meaning when you consider it like that.

[Jeff McCausland]

I have many faith thoughts on this. Could you put that in some sort of special pile? Maybe we can talk about it now or four or something.

[Joe Getty]

I will put a pin in it, as they say.

[Jeff McCausland]

I wasn't going to say that.

[Joe Getty]

Very annoying.

[Jeff McCausland]

Because we might be tired of talking about bombing Iran by hour four. And I'd be interested to get into the whole where does morality come from? Conversation, specifically about the United States.

[Joe Getty]

Now I'm off to adjust my Dockers. Not really Armstrong and Getty. This is an iHeart podcast.