Trump Says Iran Is Finished—Then Asks the World for Backup

Summary

Bulwark Takes: "Trump Says Iran Is Finished—Then Asks the World for Backup"

March 15, 2026 | Host: Sam Stein | Guest: Will Salon

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Episode Overview

In this special Saturday episode, Sam Stein and Will Salon analyze President Trump’s latest contradictory statements regarding Iran—declaring total victory while simultaneously calling for international help in the Strait of Hormuz. The discussion pivots to a broader critique of Trump administration media tactics, particularly FCC Commissioner Brendan Carr’s overt threats towards broadcasters critical of the President. The hosts interrogate the administration’s authoritarian impulses, the erosion of media independence, and what these shifts mean for constitutional governance.

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Key Discussion Points & Insights

1. Trump’s Iran Statements: Victory or SOS?

• Trump’s Latest Bleep ([02:07] Sam Stein):

  • Trump claims, “The United States of America has beaten and completely decimated Iran both militarily economically, and in every other way. ...But the countries of the world that receive oil through the Hormuz Strait must take care of that passage. And we will help a lot.”
  • However, Trump also calls for other nations to secure the important oil passageway, implying the conflict is not actually resolved.

• Contradictions Highlighted ([03:17] Will Salon):

  • Will points out the inconsistency: “He’s been saying this for a week, that we’ve completely destroyed them. Right. Obviously we haven’t. Right. That’s why the ships can’t get through.”
  • The hosts mock the supposed ‘teamwork’ angle Trump newly champions, contrasting it with his previous unilateral approach to military intervention.

• Recap of Previous Hostility Towards Allies ([03:56] Sam Stein):

  • Sam recalls Trump’s dismissive rhetoric towards Britain’s involvement: “We don’t need people to join wars after we’ve already won. This was a week ago. A week ago he said they don’t need Britain. And now today he’s saying, please come. Come be part of this collaborative effort.”
  • Will adds, “It’s like five stages of just not being a team player, being a cowboy, and then expecting everyone else to be a team player for you.” ([04:54])

• Dangerous Double Standard ([05:28] Sam Stein):

  • The hosts point to the risks Trump asks others to bear: “What he’s saying is, hey, can you send your ships and sailors into this strait where there may or may not be mines, where you may or may not be shot, where there may or may not be boats that come and blow you up and just take one for the team? That’s essentially what he’s saying.”

• Calls for Help from Rival Powers ([06:15] Will Salon):

  • Will flags Trump’s bizarre invitation to China: “He includes China on this list. Like, what the hell you want, like, China to be sending military ships into the Persian Gulf?”

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2. FCC Commissioner Brendan Carr’s Media Threats

• Carr’s Threatening Message to Broadcasters ([07:06] Sam Stein):

  • The hosts discuss Carr’s tweet, threatening to deny license renewals for outlets running “fake news”: “For broadcasters that are running hoaxes and news distortions, also known as fake news, have a chance now to correct course before their license renewals come up.”
  • Will responds: “We’re going to enforce our version of the media by withholding licenses, by using the power of the state.” ([08:02])

• Authoritarian Overtones ([08:17] Will Salon):

  • Will frames this as reminiscent of authoritarian regimes: “This is like what it’s like to live in an authoritarian country. The government says we don’t like what the media are reporting, we will withhold your license. Suddenly you can’t broadcast.”

• Upside Down World of ‘Truth’ ([09:40] Will Salon):

  • Will denounces Carr’s logic: “Donald Trump is a career liar. ...And the FCC chairman, not just like an ordinary flunky... says because this guy won the election, anyone who criticized him must be a liar and therefore they should not be given allowed a broadcast license because they’re liars. So it’s completely upside down...”

• Media Ownership & Right-Wing Domination ([11:04] Sam Stein):

  • Sam challenges the narrative of a leftist media: “The biggest media outlets in the country are owned by Trump sycophants. … Fox News is the biggest cable company… CBS, which is run by Barry Weiss... the Ellisons... going to take over CNN.”

• Government & Oligarch Control of Media ([11:34] Will Salon):

  • Will highlights: “The government of the United States calling on their oligarch friends to take over the media. And those they don’t take over will lose their broadcast license.”

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3. The Erosion of Media Independence

• Celebration of Purges & Control ([14:46] Will Salon):

  • Will notes Trump’s pride in reshaping the media: “The entire section [of Trump’s reposted graphic] pretty much is people who have lost their jobs, who’ve been pushed out... because his friends took over the media.”
  • “The President of the United States is bragging about forcing certain journalists whose honest reporting he doesn’t like out of the professional journalism, out of their organizations.”

• Cycle of Discreditation and Censorship ([13:50] Will Salon):

  • Will ties the legitimacy argument to censorship: “Even if you accept... that Donald Trump legitimately won the 2024 election... they are saying that anyone who disagrees with him is a liar, that broadcast licenses can be withheld. So an entire regime of censorship, an entire authoritarian regime...”

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Notable Quotes & Memorable Moments

• Sam Stein on U.S. Responsibility ([05:28]):
  “The only reason [the Strait of Hormuz] is closed...is because of this war. Right? I mean, he did this. It’s his responsibility. ...Basically, what he’s saying is, hey, can you send your ships... and just take one for the team?”

• Will Salon on China’s Involvement ([06:24]):
  “He includes China on this list. Like, what the hell? You want, like, China to be sending military ships into the Persian Gulf, into the Strait of Hormuz? I mean, that’s completely crazy.”

• Sam Stein on Media Ownership ([11:04]):
  “The biggest media outlets in the country are owned by Trump sycophants... Fox News is the biggest cable company in the business...the Ellisons who are going to take over CNN.”

• Will Salon on Trump’s Media ‘Reforms’ ([15:31]):
  “The President... is bragging about forcing certain journalists whose opinions, whose takes, whose reporting...he doesn’t like out of the professional journalism, out of their organizations.”

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Timestamps of Important Segments

• [02:07] – Trump’s latest Iran “victory” post dissected
• [03:56] – Trump’s inconsistent rhetoric toward allies
• [05:28] – The risks Trump expects others to bear in the Strait of Hormuz
• [06:24] – Trump’s call for Chinese military support
• [07:06] – FCC’s Carr issues veiled threats to media
• [09:40] – Discussion of Carr’s authoritarian logic
• [11:04] – The challenge to the “leftist media” narrative and review of media ownership
• [14:53] – Trump’s boasting about “reshaping” the media landscape
• [15:31] – Summary of the administration’s moves to purge dissenting journalists

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Tone and Style Observations

The conversation is rapid, incisive, and marked by exasperation, dark humor, and a sense of urgency about the threats to democratic norms. The hosts oscillate between mocking incredulity and deep alarm, using sarcasm to highlight the absurdities and dangers of the Trump administration’s actions and rhetoric.

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Takeaway

This episode of Bulwark Takes offers sharp, concerned commentary on the Trump administration’s foreign policy contradictions and growing authoritarian influence over American media. Through critical analysis and pointed discussion, Stein and Salon lay bare the administration’s double standards, disdain for allies, and increasingly perilous assaults on media freedom and truth-telling in the U.S.

Transcript

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[Sam Stein]

All right. Hey, everybody, it's me, Sam Stein, joined by Will Salon for a special Saturday edition of Bull Work Takes. We're coming to you because President Trump just does not stop. Neither does Brendan Carr, the FCC commissioner. They are posting through the weekend. Ridiculous posts, illogical posts. We're going to start with the substantive stuff first and then get to Brendan Carr, which, you know, from a selfish standpoint, a media standpoint, was kind of scary.

[Rakuten Advertiser]

Yeah.

[Sam Stein]

Not kind of scary. It is actually quite scary. Yeah. Okay. Literally two minutes before we came on, President Trump put up another bleep. I'm gonna read it because it, it really does kind of shock you when you see it in print. So this is what he said. The United States of America has beaten and completely decimated Iran both militarily economically, and in every other way. Okay. But the countries of the world that receive oil through the Hormuz Strait must take care of that passage. And we will help a lot. Exclamation point. The US Will also coordinate with those countries so that everything goes quickly, smoothly, and well. There should have always been a team effort, and now it will be. It will bring the world together towards harmony, security, and everlasting peace. Exclamation point. President Donald J. Trump. So look, I have a couple questions here, okay? And then. Well, maybe you can answer them. One is, if we've beaten Iran militarily and economically and the war is essentially over and our victory is complete, why the fuck do we need anyone's help with the Strait of Hormuz?

[Will Salon]

Well, Sam, he's been saying this for a week, that we've completely destroyed them. Right. Obviously we haven't. Right. That's why the ships can't get through. But I love. I love this newfound spirit in the Trump administration. What did he say? Team effort. He wants a team effort. Sam, can you tell me how many countries Donald Trump consulted before he decided to attack Iran? I do.

[Sam Stein]

We.

[Will Salon]

I guess we'll count Israel. We'll count Israel, but.

[Sam Stein]

Yeah, that's one. Sorry, sorry. That is true. We did consult, but that's it.

[Will Salon]

That's it. Right. And then all of a sudden, it's like everybody else is supposed to clean up after him because we're. We're a team.

[Sam Stein]

Oh, it's much worse than that, Will. We've tariffed all these countries. J.D. vance's first appearance on the global stage as vice president was in Europe, admonishing them. They've been, you know, not even a week ago. Let's. I want to get this one, too. Because it wasn't even a week ago he said this. The United Kingdom, our once great ally, maybe the greatest of them all, is finally giving serious thought to sending two aircraft carriers to the Middle East. That's okay, Prime Minister Starmer. We don't need them any longer, but we will remember, we don't need people to join wars after we've already won. This was a week ago. A week ago he said they don't need Britain. And now today he's saying, please come. Come be part of this collaborative effort. I mean, if you're Starmer, you're like, screw you, man.

[Narrator/Advertiser]

Right?

[Sam Stein]

I mean, like, what is the point?

[Will Salon]

Every time I think it can't get crazier, it gets crazier. Right? So first of all, it is. We're. First of all, it starts with the insult with Vance with the tariffs, right? You're threatening Greenland.

[Sam Stein]

Right.

[Will Salon]

Threatening Europe, basically. You guys, you guys pay us for all the weapons for Ukraine now, all that stuff. Then it's like, we're going to go invade Iran without consulting you on her own. Then it's like, hey, you're supposed to help us. Then it's like, you did help us, but not fast enough, so we're going to like, bitch and moan more. And then after all of that, we're at this stage where he expects them, having insulted them twice, to come in and clean up after him. So it's like five stages of just not being a team player, being a cowboy, and then expecting everyone else to be a team player for you.

[Sam Stein]

And not only that, with respect to the Strait of Hormuz, like, the only reason it's closed, or at least that oil's not shipping through there is because of this war. Right? I mean, he did this. It's his responsibility. Secondarily, basically, what he's saying is, hey, can you send your ships and your sailors into this strait where there may or may not be mines, where you may or may not be shot, where there may or may not be boats that come and blow you up and just take one for the team? That's essentially what he's saying. And then on top of that, if you don't recall, was like a week ago, not even a couple of days ago, where he was on Brian Kilmeade show. And basically he like told the sailors, he's like, you know what? Have some guts. Go and do it. Like, happens happens, right? Like, everyone has to make sacrifices, but not us.

[Narrator/Advertiser]

Right?

[Will Salon]

It's. And it's. It's sort of like, yeah, everyone else is supposed to. First of all, do we. Do we. Do we show the tweet where he asked the Chinese to come in?

[Sam Stein]

He's like, no, that was earlier in the day.

[Will Salon]

He says, he lists a bunch of countries that he thinks are supposed to come in and clean up after. We're supposed to send ships, presumably military ships, the kind of ships that would be helpful. He includes China on this list. Like, what the hell you want, like, China to be sending military ships into the, into the Persian Gulf, into the Strait of Hormuz? I mean, that's completely crazy.

[Sam Stein]

Well, and that. And then we, of course, ease sanctions on Russia to help with the global oil supply issues. And so we're kind of bending over backwards for our. What should be our adversaries. Let's switch to car, though. And I mean, obviously what's happening in the Middle east, in Iran specifically, is more important. It matters. It's very difficult to see a president flail like this and then just basically try to tell the American public, hey, everything's going fine. And he has in Brendan Carr an aide, a very powerful aid who is basically going to threaten the media to report things a certain way that he will find suitable. I mean, Brendan Carr has not made it, you know, a secret that he wants the broadcast news over which he has jurisdiction to report the war in a way that's favorable to the President. So here is Brendan Carr's tweet. This is difficult. I wish they just used the same platform because you don't have to jump around from the truth social to the Twitter. But this is what Brendan Carr said. It's a long one, but I won't. I'll try to get through it quickly. For broadcasters that are running hoaxes and news distortions, also known as fake news, have a chance now to correct course before their license renewals come up. We could stop there for a second. That's not particularly vague. That's a threat. Right, right, right.

[Will Salon]

It's, it's the, it's. We're going to enforce our version of the media by withholding licenses, by using the power of the state.

[Sam Stein]

He says the law is clear. Broadcasters must operate in the public interest and they will. And they will lose their licenses if they do not. What's the public interest?

[Will Salon]

It's whatever Donald Trump and Brendan Carr want it to be. It's just like, by the way, like this is what happens and this is like what it's like to live in an authoritarian country. The government says we don't like what the media are reporting, we will withhold your license. Suddenly you can't broadcast.

[Sam Stein]

Yeah, okay. We're just two graphs in. It's already dark and frankly, changing courses in their own business interests since trust in legacy media has now fallen to an all time low of just 9% and are ratings disasters. Okay. The American people have subsidized broadcasters to tune up billions of dollars by providing free access to the nation's airwaves. It's very important to bring trust back into media, which has earned itself the label of fake news. Here it gets really dark when a political candidate is able to win a landslide election victory after in the face of hoaxes and distortions, there is something very wrong. It means the public has lost faith and confidence in the media and we can't allow that to happen. Time for change now, I should say. This is plastered over A Trump bleep in which he goes after what he says, the fake news for reporting that five tanker planes in Saudi Arabia had been struck down, which he says that's not really true. Four of the five didn't have really much damage. So what they're arguing about is maybe a technicality, maybe Trump's lying. Who knows? But Brendan Carr is out there explicitly stating to broadcasters, correct the record or your licenses will be revoked.

[Will Salon]

First of all, the media did not get this wrong. The media, the story, the Wall Street Journal story said the planes were damaged. Trump's bleep is, hey, they weren't destroyed. They were only a little bit damaged. I mean, so, like, the story was not wrong, right? No, but Sam, that last part of the Brendan Carr tweet is part. That's the upside down world. Donald Trump is a career liar. He lies more than any person that I've ever seen in public life. He, he then wins an election despite that. And the FCC chairman, not just like an ordinary flunky, not Stephen Miller, the person in charge of the broadcast industry, says because this guy won the election, anyone who criticized him must be a liar and therefore they should not be given allowed a broadcast license because they're liars. So it's completely upside down in which, based on an election result, we decide what, what the truth is and then we censor accordingly.

[Sam Stein]

Is Brendan Carr's view that Donald Trump would have won 90% of the vote if not for the fake media? The fake media? I mean, is this, is that essentially what he's saying? Like, Donald Trump is a hero also? What the hell, man? Like, I'm so tired of this idea that the media is leftist and, and, and that is just absolutely out to get Trump. The biggest media outlets in the, in the country are owned by Trump sycophants.

[Narrator/Advertiser]

Right?

[Sam Stein]

I mean, they are. Twitter people don't tick tock.

[Will Salon]

Absolutely.

[Sam Stein]

I know they're not broadcasters. I know they're not broadcasters, but let's just. I'm expanding the aperture here. The biggest media companies, the most powerful influential media companies in our country are owned by Trump sycophants. We're talking about Twitter, TikTok. Fox News is the biggest cable company in the business. And now you have cbs, which is run by Barry Weiss. I mean, you have the Ellisons who are going to take over cnn. I mean, this is. What are we talking about?

[Will Salon]

We just had a Pentagon briefing at which the Secretary of War renamed, said that CNN is fake news and that David Ellison, the right wing, if I can call him that billionaire who's already like taking over CBS can't wait for him to take over cnn. So this is the regime, the administration, the government of the United States calling on their oligarch friends to take over the media. And those they don't take over will lose their broadcast license. And for people who are not aware of this, if you watch a Trump event, something in the White House or anywhere, who, who is asking the questions? Who is in that press pool? It's One America News, a right wing outfit. It's Gateway pundit. It's Lindell tv.

[Sam Stein]

Lindell, like, don't start. I love Lindell tv. I get my pillows and I watch my TV at the same time. It's an incredible combination. No, and then the other thing. So this is. It's very authoritative, kind of Stalinistic threats. And then the other thing is just like the. Some of the requests for the coverage are so absurd.

[Will Salon]

Right?

[Sam Stein]

Like so cars criticism. As you noted, it made no sense. Like the Journal story was accurate. Hegseth at that briefing, I don't know if people really appreciated this. He started the briefing by talking about how the United States was going to intensify operations. Lethality, unity of purpose. Those are not slogans in Iran. And bring lethality. The likes of which that people have never seen. And that we were about to embark on the most, you know, aggressive bombing campaign in the history of US Warfare and all this stuff. And then he turned around and he criticized CNN for having a banner that said the US War in the Middle east is intensifying. It's a fundamentally unserious report. The sooner David Ellison takes over that network, the better. It's like you just outlined to them how it's intensifying and now you're criticizing them for saying it's intensifying. They are like dissecting the media down to certain word choices when in reality they should be worried about what the hell's happening actually on the ground.

[Will Salon]

To the extent that the media have lost credibility, more than 50% of the blame falls on the right wingers, which I include the entire Trump administration lying about the media. They're turning as much of the. All the people who voted for Trump, they're just trying to discredit the media. And then the FCC chairman is going to turn around and like deny people licenses on the basis that you've lost credibility because. Because we lied about you to the public. So it's all part of a cycle. And honestly, Sam, even if you accept, which is true, that Donald Trump legitimately won the 2024 election. Basically on that basis, because he won the election, they are saying that anyone who disagrees with him is a liar, that broadcast licenses can be withheld. So an entire regime of censorship, an entire authoritarian regime based on that one election. And that's not the way that a constitutional government is supposed to run.

[Narrator/Advertiser]

By the way.

[Will Salon]

Can I just throw in Trump bleeded within the last day or half a day a picture of how he had changed the media.

[Sam Stein]

He says Trump's Trump, President Trump is reshaping the media. There's one line that says gone. PBS defunded. NPR defunded. Terry Moran out at abc. Jury read out at msnbc. Lester Holt, massive layoffs at the Washington Post. Colbert out. Chuck Todd out. Jim Acosta out. John Dickerson out. Then he says reforms and he talks about true social booming. FCC broadcast accountability. There's Brenda Clark, tick tock saved. CNN has new ownership. ABC has a 15 million dollar settlement. You know, it goes on and on. And then there's a segment for winning which is just weird headlines. He obviously didn't make this graphic, but he did repost it.

[Will Salon]

That top section, he's reshaping the media. The entire section pretty much is people who have lost their jobs, who've been pushed out or resigned because in some cases because his friends took over the media. I mean, and these are people that, that you and I know, you know, John Dickerson, Chuck Todd, Terry Moran. These are, these are people who, and, and the headline tweeted by, bleedded by the President or rebleated says Donald Trump is reshaping the media. That's it. The President of the United States is bragging about forcing certain journalists whose opinions, whose takes, whose reporting, whose honest reporting he doesn't like out of the professional journalism, out of their organizations. Meanwhile, the Secretary of Defense bragging about his oligarchs taking over various networks. The point is, all of this is the government of the United States openly saying we are controlling what you, the public will get to hear and see.

[Sam Stein]

Well, the other point is you should subscribe to the bull work because we don't put up with this. Will, thank you for doing this. I appreciate it. I know it's a Saturday, lot of stuff going on, but great to have you jump on and talk about this stuff. For those who are watching, thank you for watching us. We always appreciate that as well. I do mean when I say subscribe to the Bulwark, you know, we're not going to bend. Not like that. Take care, buddy. Have a good rest of your weekend. Okay? Thanks.

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