Pod Force One - Minisode: The Best Ideas for Iran Come From Outside DC

Host: Miranda Devine (New York Post)
Release Date: March 23, 2026

Episode Overview

In this timely minisode, host Miranda Devine delves into innovative strategies for managing the escalating Iran conflict. Now in its fourth week, the war in Iran has provoked a crisis in global energy transit and sparked heated political battles at home. Rather than focusing on official Washington’s often predictable responses, Miranda spotlights two unconventional ideas for resolving key challenges, sourced from outside the Beltway: one by former diplomat Richard Haas, and another by Trump ally and economic advisor Larry Kudlow. Their proposals could reshape not only the war’s trajectory but also American domestic politics in 2026.

Key Discussion Points & Insights

1. The Hormuz Strait Crisis: Richard Haas’s Plan

• Context: Iran is restricting oil and gas tankers through the vital Hormuz Strait, disrupting global energy supplies. Iran’s exports, particularly to China, are strong despite the war, and security risks are escalating for international shipping.

• Richard Haas’s Proposal (01:00–04:00):

  • Haas, a known Trump critic and ex-president of the Council on Foreign Relations, argues against a risky U.S. military invasion of Iran's Kharg Island export terminal.
  • He advocates a bold “Open for all or closed to all” policy: either all countries can use the strait, or none can.
  • The idea is to force China and India—currently the main recipients of Iranian oil—to pressure Tehran for peace, as their supplies would be cut off too.
  • “Blockading Iran’s exports would collapse its economy and immediately defund its war machine.” (Miranda Devine quoting Haas, 03:40)
  • Haas outlines the operational requirements:
    • An enforceable defensive line across the Gulf of Oman using ships, aircraft, and drones.
    • Advance notice to involved governments; commercial vessels refusing until Iran relents would be disabled.

• Rationale & Expected Outcomes:

  • Avoids U.S. ground casualties and a repeat of Iraq/Afghanistan quagmires.
  • Pressures China and regional allies to become active peace brokers.
  • International focus: “The gambit could rally the world as it reflects a commitment to keeping an international waterway open to nearly everyone’s benefit,” says Haas. (Miranda Devine, 04:25)

2. Domestic Political Blockades and Kudlow’s Congressional Maneuver

• Political Obstacles (05:00–06:00):

  • Democrats are using procedural tools to obstruct Trump’s requests for wartime funds (notably for $200 billion in additional military funding).
  • Miranda lampoons both “nihilistic obstruction” by Democrats and the past “saber rattling” neocons now blocking spending.
  • “[Democrats] only leader his party has now is Trump derangement syndrome,” Miranda quotes Senator John Fetterman, highlighting hyper-partisanship. (05:50)

• Larry Kudlow’s Alternate Plan (06:12–07:00):

  • Kudlow, Fox Business host and former economic czar, encourages Republicans to bundle war funding and the Save America election integrity bill into a reconciliation package.
  • This budget tactic bypasses the 60-vote filibuster threshold in the Senate, needing only a simple majority plus the Vice President.
  • “Everything requires money. So with a bit of lateral thinking, you can justify putting just about anything you like into a big beautiful bill.” (Miranda summarizing Kudlow, 06:45)
  • Kudlow suggests including offsets via entitlement reforms, cuts to waste, fraud, and abuse—plus tax reform, all while prioritizing national security and “completing the mission in Iran.”

3. The Trump Factor: Appetite for Creative Out-of-the-Box Policies

• Both ideas—Haas’s international gambit and Kudlow’s legislative maneuver—are framed as the sort of unconventional thinking that President Trump thrives on.
• Miranda asserts: “Getting creative with intractable problems is Donald Trump’s specialty.” (07:25)

Notable Quotes & Memorable Moments

• On military strategy:

  • “Don’t send the Marines in to seize Kharg Island . . . Open for all or closed to all is the preferred option for Haas...” (Miranda Devine, 02:00)

• Potential global impact:

  • “Blockading Iran’s exports would collapse its economy and immediately defund its war machine.” (Miranda quoting Haas, 03:40)

• US domestic gridlock:

  • “The other problem facing the wartime president is the Democrats’ nihilistic obstruction of everything he does . . . the most glaring example.” (Miranda Devine, 05:00)
  • “The only leader [the Democratic] party has now is Trump derangement syndrome.” (Quoting John Fetterman, 05:50)

• On legislative tactics:

  • “With a bit of lateral thinking, you can justify putting just about anything you like into a big beautiful bill.” (Kudlow via Miranda, 06:45)
  • “The most important issue, he says, will be our national security, completing the mission in Iran, and maintaining peace through strength.” (Miranda summarizing Kudlow, 07:10)

Timestamps for Important Segments

• 00:04 – Miranda’s episode intro and context
• 00:56–04:35 – Richard Haas’s proposal for using the Hormuz Strait crisis as leverage
• 04:36–05:50 – Political blockades to Trump’s wartime strategy; Fetterman quote
• 06:12–07:20 – Larry Kudlow’s legislative workaround using reconciliation
• 07:25 – Miranda’s close: “Getting creative with intractable problems is Donald Trump’s specialty.”

Tone & Style

• Miranda Devine’s tone is incisive, skeptical of both establishment thinking and partisan gridlock, with a sharp eye for outside-the-box policy options.
• The language is direct, occasionally wry, and leans conservative-populist, with pointed jibes at both Democrats and Washington “swamp” actors.
• The episode is rich with policy detail but delivered in an accessible, punchy style.

Next Episode Preview

• Teased for Wednesday: A longer sit-down with UN Ambassador Mike Waltz on the Iran war’s impact on global alliances and the future of the United Nations.