TV performers leading attack on Iran focus more on image than strategy

Summary

---

Podcast Summary: The Briefing with Jen Psaki

Episode: TV performers leading attack on Iran focus more on image than strategy
Host: Jen Psaki (MS NOW)
Date: March 14, 2026

---

Main Theme

This episode dissects the Trump administration’s ongoing war with Iran, spotlighting the performative, image-driven approach of Secretary of Defense Pete Hegseth and President Trump. Jen Psaki examines the alarming gap between military theatrics and strategic substance, the manipulation of media narratives, and the sidelining of expert military and legal norms. The episode features in-depth interviews with experienced Pentagon correspondent Barbara Starr, retired Brigadier General Stephen Anderson, and Russia expert Fiona Hill, and concludes with an interview with Grammy-winning musician and political newcomer Bobby Polito.

---

Key Discussion Points & Insights

1. The Performative Approach of Secretary Pete Hegseth

• Media Critique Over Substance
  Hegseth’s press conferences have prioritized criticizing media headlines about the Iran war, rather than addressing real strategic or human concerns.

  • Psaki’s observation: “He made very clear what his priorities are…criticizing headlines and cable news banners he saw about the war, telling people how he would have written those headlines instead.” [01:00]
  • Hegseth even suggests that Trump-aligned billionaire David Ellison will “sanitize” CNN for the administration.

• Casualty Reporting Lapses
  Hegseth appeared “unprepared” for a basic question on U.S. casualties, glossing over the recent loss of six U.S. service members in a plane crash. [02:04, 03:14]

  • Starr: “Each of those officials come to the podium knowing how many of their troops have died…writes those numbers down.” [14:08]

• Dangerous Rhetoric: “No Quarter, No Mercy”
  Hegseth declared, “No quarter, no mercy for our enemies.” [05:52]

  • Psaki notes this phrase implies not allowing enemy surrender — a clear violation of the Hague Convention and U.S. military law.
  • Anderson: “He calls himself the Secretary of War. He should rename himself the Secretary of War Crimes because what he was articulating was a war crime, a violation of the Geneva Convention.” [18:26]

• Undermining Military Legal/Ethical Norms
  Hegseth is described as moving to “eviscerate” the Pentagon’s legal offices and expertise and suppress inquiries into civilian casualties.

---

2. Trump’s Decision-Making: Image vs. Strategy

• “I’ll Know When I Feel It in My Bones”
  Trump claimed the war “will end when I... feel it in my bones.” [09:12]

  • Psaki: “Donald Trump’s bones, making all his military decisions for him since 1968.” [09:17]

• Undermining Expert Input
  Trump insists that despite advisors giving input, he convinces everyone “to do it my way.” [09:47]

• Slippery Slope Toward Ground War
  The deployment of a Marine Expeditionary Unit (5,000 troops) to the region is flagged as a potential repeat of Vietnam’s “incremental escalation.” [08:45]

• Questioning the Strategy and Costs

  • Anderson: “We cannot set the precedent of putting boots on the ground. That’s going to get us much, much longer war.” [11:59]
  • The war has already cost at least 13 American lives, lost a major shipping route, and reduced strategic resources with unclear objectives. [09:17]

---

3. Erosion of Military Ethics and Accountability

• Disregard for Casualty Transparency and Press Scrutiny

  • Starr recounts: “Every Secretary of Defense and chairman that I know has every morning been briefed on [casualty] numbers…carry those numbers with them.” [14:08]
  • Both guests emphasize the importance of military leaders being forthcoming about casualties. Hegseth’s lack of preparedness is “shocking.” [17:08, Anderson]

• Suppression of Information

  • The Pentagon is said to be restricting access to satellite imagery and visibility to journalists. [19:42, Starr]
  • Starr: “Information, truth and facts are a universal item…you can’t control it.” [20:39]

---

4. International Backdrop: Russia and Iran Alliance

• Russia’s Strategic Gain
  Russia is sharing intelligence with Iran — a significant, underreported shift. Trump’s dismissive responses are aired and critiqued.

  • Trump: “What a stupid question that is to be asking at this time.” [25:03]
  • Fiona Hill: “[Russia] is certainly going to get a windfall from this. The existing volume of oil they’re producing and trying to export just rockets up in price…allows much more discretionary spending for the Russian government…on the war in Ukraine.” [33:52]

• Global Alliances and Ramifications

  • U.S. has even temporarily relaxed sanctions on Russian oil for price stability, to little benefit.
  • Hill adds that Trump sees world affairs “in a vacuum,” as binary U.S.-them contests without recognizing complex, multi-layered ripple effects. [30:53]

• Potential for Escalation

  • The possibility exists that Russia may increase military support to Iran in return for Iran’s support in Ukraine. [36:01]
  • The war is destabilizing global alliances and the Gulf’s hoped-for stability. [36:01]

• How Will the War End?

  • Hill: “President Trump could just decide to end it, just like Vladimir Putin could decide to end the war in Ukraine…But that still leaves Israel, no doubt, attacking Iran, and also Lebanon, and a conflict raging in the Middle East.” [37:11]

---

5. Uplifting Turn: The Bobby Polito Campaign Story

• Tejano Singer’s Campaign in Texas
  Bobby Polito, a Latin Grammy-winning artist, discusses his unconventional run against Republican Monica De La Cruz in Texas’s 15th district.
  • Polito embraces his celebrity status, turning an opponent’s “quinceañera singer” jab into a positive, performing at family celebrations and engaging Latino voters. [40:32]
  • He addresses social media attacks and his background: “I regret [old posts], I apologize…That’s kind of like the best they’ve got.” [41:45]
  • On campaign motivation: “I was a political science major…I would love to have a debate with her.” [43:06]
  • Key campaign issues: local economy, healthcare, immigration, border relations, and dissatisfaction with Trump’s “promises not kept.” [43:46]

---

Notable Quotes & Memorable Moments

• On Hegseth’s Priorities:
  “He's literally talking about what you see on the bottom of your screen. Hegseth flashes out at the media over war coverage. Accurate banner by the way…But how dare the press write a banner as blatantly biased as ‘Mideast war intensifies.’” – Jen Psaki [04:14]

• On War’s Human Cost:
  “To see that cavalier approach…the way that they talk, ‘Well, of course there’s going to be some casualties.’…And you, of course, got a president, commander in chief that tried, you know, five deferments from serving in Vietnam. He's denigrated military repeatedly over his career…pretty shocking.” – Gen. Stephen Anderson [17:08]

• On “No Quarter” Declaration:
  “It was shocking that he would do that…what you see in Pete Hetseth is the integration of ignorance and the arrogance that he shows on everything toward everybody. He's angry all the time. The way that he mistreats the press, it's just…it's sad.” – Gen. Stephen Anderson [18:26]

• On Russia’s Gain:
  “[Russia] is certainly going to get a windfall from this…that really upsets a whole range of Russian relationships. It’s just, you know, we don’t know at this stage how this war is going to turn out.” – Fiona Hill [33:52, 35:35]

• On The Ending of the War:
  “President Trump could just decide to end it…But that still leaves Israel…And then does President Trump want to actually try to move towards a resolution or is he just going to leave that to others to pick up the pieces from the mess? Again, unclear.” – Fiona Hill [37:11]

• On Turning Insults Into Positives:
  “For them to invite us into their house into a quinceanera is awesome…And, you know, there's a lot of voters in there, you know, so I think that's a great idea that she had.” – Bobby Polito [40:32]

---

Timestamps of Important Segments

• [01:00] – Psaki contextualizes Secretary Hegseth's media-focused press conference
• [03:14] – Hegseth stumbles when asked about US casualties
• [05:52] – Hegseth’s “no quarter, no mercy” statement
• [07:54] – Analysis of US escalation and deployment of Marines
• [11:59] – Gen. Anderson on the risks of ground operations in Iran
• [14:08] – Barbara Starr on the traditional gravity with which casualties are treated
• [18:26] – Anderson’s critique: “Secretary of War Crimes”
• [20:39] – Starr’s commentary on information control and press restrictions
• [24:58] – Trump reacts dismissively to Russia-Iran cooperation revelations
• [27:11] – Fiona Hill discusses energy policy and predictable instability
• [33:52] – Hill on how Russia gains economically from the conflict
• [37:11] – How the war with Iran could end, and its regional consequences
• [40:32] – Bobby Polito on leveraging his music for political engagement
• [43:46] – Polito on the economic focus of South Texas voters

---

Tone & Style

The tone is sharp, scrutinizing, and often sardonic, especially from Jen Psaki, who highlights the dangers of confusing military posturing for strategy. The guest experts speak with gravity, emphasizing institutional memory, the erosion of norms, and the real-world consequences of cavalier or theatrical leadership in matters of war and peace.

---

This summary encapsulates the episode’s flow and major insights, providing a thorough guide to listeners who missed the show or seek a reference for the fraught intersection of media, war, politics, and image in today’s America.

Transcript

[A]

Hi, I'm Ron Reagan, an unabashed atheist, and I'm alarmed as you may be by the intrusions of religion into our secular government. That's why I'm asking you to join the Freedom From Religion foundation, the nation's largest and most effective association of atheists and agnostics working to keep state and church separate. Please join the Freedom from Religion foundation today. Join us go to FFRF us newyear or text msnow to 511-511 and become a member today.

[B]

Text msnow to 511-511 text fees may apply.

[A]

Shipping, billing, admin, payroll, marketing. You're managing all the things, so why

[C]

waste time sending important documents the old fashioned way. Mail and ship when you want, how you want with stamps.com print postage on

[A]

demand 247 and schedule pickups from your office or home.

[C]

Save up to 90% with automated rate shopping.

[A]

That's why over 1 million small businesses trust stamps.com go to stamps.com and use code podcast to try stamps.com risk free for 60 days. Today is the 14th day of Trump's war of choice with Iran and the Secretary of Defense. As I was just talking about with Chris and if you didn't see, this boy held not one, but really two press conferences. And within the first five minutes of one of taking that microphone, he made very clear what his priorities are.

[D]

Some in this crew in the press just can't stop. Allow me to make a few suggestions. People look up at the TV and they see banners. They see headlines. For example, a banner or a headline Mideast War intensifies. What should the banner read instead? How about Iran Increasingly desperate Or more fake news from CNN reports that the Trump administration underestimated the Iran war's impact on the Strait of Hormuz. Patently ridiculous. CNN doesn't think we thought of that. It's a fundamentally unserious report. The sooner David Ellison takes over that network, the better.

[A]

Okay, I just have to note he was reading that from a piece of paper. It wasn't him just spouting off. Somebody wrote that for him. He wrote it for himself. He agreed to write. Read that. I would just note. I mean. And that I think tells us what Pete Hegseth thought was a priority today. Criticizing headlines and cable news banners he saw about the war, telling people how he would have written those headlines instead. And he's gloating that the Trump aligned billionaire who's set to take over CNN will sanitize the network's coverage to make it align with the administration's PR agenda. That is of course the reference to the Ellison's there. This press conference was held on the morning we learn that six more service members were killed in Trump's war with Iran when their plane crashed over Iraq last night. Pete Hexth stood at that microphone for almost nine minutes before even mentioning those fallen service members. But he was sure to get right to his media criticism near, near the very top of his remarks. In fact, take a look at the way Hexath reacted when he was asked a very specific and predictable question about US Casualties.

[D]

How many American casualties have there been and where were the American service members when they were injured? I mean it's a bunch of return to duty. So we've had a whole, the large,

[B]

large majority have gone in for some medical treatment, returned to duty.

[A]

You catch that there? I mean, I showed you part of what he said in the beginning of the press conference. He seemed though pretty unprepared for a predictable question on American casualties, which is the most important question right now, how this war is impacting the men and women serving our country. But he had plenty, plenty to say about the media's coverage of the war. And what was again about that coverage that so offended Hegseth? What exactly did he take issue with?

[D]

For example, a banner or a headline Mideast war intensifies. What should the banner read instead? How about Iran increasingly desperate?

[A]

He's literally talking about what you see on the bottom of your screen. Hegseth flashes out at the media over war coverage. Accurate banner by the way. That's what he's talking about. But how dare the press, how dare they write a banner or a headline as blatantly biased as Mideast war intensifies. They should talk about how desperate Iran is instead. That's the point he made. Takes some real liberal media spin to use a word like intensify to describe this war, doesn't it? Well, there's a headline written three days ago that appeared on the website of Pete Hegseth's own department. Quote, hegseth says US Attacks intensify under epic fury. And I wish that that was the most asinine thing that Pete Hegseth said this morning while addressing this war, but it's not. In that same chest thumping press conference. Hegseth also gave an update on the Strait of Hormuz, the vital waterway that 20% of the world's oil shipments pass through, which Iran has effectively shut down during this war. Well, the Secretary of Defense echoed this rather profound observation about that situation today.

[D]

The only Thing prohibiting transit in the straits right now. Is Iran shooting at shipping? It is open for transit should Iran not do that?

[A]

So, just to kind of summarize that. So there's a good chance your ship may blow up from Iranian missiles, mines, or drones. But, hey, other than that, the strait is totally open. Everything's all good. Thanks for that crack analysis there, Pete. Look, a lot of what Hegseth had to offer today was insane and ridiculous and offensive at times. But perhaps the wildest thing was this.

[D]

We will keep pressing. We will keep pushing, keep advancing. No quarter, no mercy for our enemies.

[A]

Now, no quarter, no mercy for our enemy is what he just said. I'm sure Pete Hegseth thought that line made him sound like some kind of a real badass. I mean, perhaps it was another one he practiced with a hairbrush in front of a mirror just to see how tough he looked. But unfortunately for him, it might also be a war crime, because declaring no quarter is essentially saying that you will not allow your enemy to surrender on the battlefield. Now, this is from the 1907 Hague Convention, a treaty the US has been a party to for over 100 years. Here's what it says. Quote, it is especially forbidden to declare that no quarter will be given. But, hey, I mean, maybe all that international law stuff doesn't float your boat. That's okay. Maybe you're more of an America first kind of guy. Or gal. That's fine, too. Well, the US Military's own Manual of Military Commissions has a whole section prohibiting anyone with command or control over troops from declaring that they should give no quarter, an infraction that carries a maximum penalty of life in prison. And look, you could say that maybe this was a slip of the tongue from our Secretary of Defense, a reflection of inexperience. Who knows? But remember that Pete Hex has this on the record opposing the Geneva Conventions. He's moved to fire or reassign many of the military lawyers tasked with making sure the US Military follows the laws of war. And just yesterday, Atlantic reported that Hegseth has proposed a ruthless overhaul of how those thousands of lawyers operate under his command. Hegseth has also refused to publicly release the video of an alleged double tap strike in the Caribbean, which some military lawyers say violated the laws of war. And he has personally targeted members of Congress for telling service members not to follow illegal orders. Orders like, say, giving no quarter to your enemies. So, I don't know that Pete Hegseth has really earned the benefit of the doubt on this one. I really don't think he has. It's also extremely concerning to have someone like Pete Hegseth running the Defense Department right now, because despite what Pete Hegseth may want us to say, this war does seem to be intensifying. I mean, we can see that with our own eyes and from excellent reporting out there. And, of course, it's not just Hegseth's decision making here that's so concerning. It's also the commander in chief who's currently weighing boots on the ground. Now, Nemes now can now report that the U.S. is now moving a Marine Expeditionary Unit with 5,000 Marines into the region. And that's a unit that typically includes ground combat troops. And while having one in the region doesn't necessarily mean we will put those boots on the ground in Iran, that those men and women will serve on the ground in Iran, it often is the first step toward that kind of an action. So it is something worth and worth talking about. Marine Expeditionary Units were how the first ground troops deployed to Vietnam. They were the earliest combat troops to be sent into that war, kicking off the slippery slope of deployments that characterized the next nine years of US Involvement in Vietnam. You know, Vietnam, the war that Trump got out of by claiming to have a bone spur in his foot, seems Trump has now kind of. He's kind of come full circle, because today he actually has said that this current war, the one he started, will end when he, quote, feels it in his bones.

[B]

When are you going to know when it's over? When I feel it, okay?

[D]

I feel it in my bones.

[A]

Donald Trump's bones, making all his military decisions for him since 1968. How good should we feel about that? And it turns out that Trump's bones may be just about the only thing he is listening to right now.

[B]

What are the dynamics when you have a big decision like Iran or Venezuela?

[A]

Are people speaking up and speaking their minds?

[D]

Even if I let them speak their mind, and they do, and we have some differences, but they never end up being much. I convince them all to let's do

[A]

it my way, People speak up. He lets them. How kind of you. All the military commanders with decades of experience, they speak their minds, and then, well, Trump convinces them all to do it his way. By his telling, at least, that is the way major decisions in this war seem to be being made. According to Trump's whims, at least 13 service members have died. We've lost access to a major shipping route for critical goods like oil and fertilizer. We've moved military resources out of strategic positions. We've limited our ability to help allies like Ukraine. Ukraine. And for what? What is this all for? We still don't know. And when will it end? We definitely don't know an answer to that. Joining me now is longtime and legendary Pentagon correspondent for cnn, Barbara Starr and retired Brigadier General Stephen Anderson. Let me start with you right here at the table tonight. I'll ask you just about a piece of news tonight. In an attempt to pressure Iran into reopening the Strait of Hormones, Trump announced that the US had totally obliterated military targets on Kharg island, an island, of course, off the coast of Iran that hosts its key oil export facilities. It comes also, as a number of military analysts have said, that a ground invasion or ground troop deployment would be necessary to retake the Strait of Hormuz. What do you make of all of these pieces of information around and the military action that's happening around there right now?

[B]

Well, Jen, I would think that the mu, the Marine Expeditionary Unit that's being deployed to the region right now, 3,500 Marines or so with an aviation component, but largely with a ground component, might very well be used to take something like Kharag island. It's about 7.7 square miles, is where all the infrastructure for oil for Iran is. About 90% of their oil comes through Carg Island. So it might very well be a good mission for that MU to try

[A]

to accomplish for people out there who are trying to understand the words being used and the language and that deployment, of course, of 5,000 additional service members. Should people be concerned that their sons and daughters could be sent to fight on the ground? It sounds like you're saying maybe they should be.

[B]

They should be absolutely concerned because when we get involved in ground operations in Iran, it's going to be an absolute mess. I mean, this is already a disaster, but it's going to be incrementally much, much worse when we start putting boots on the ground. I mean, right now what we're doing is we're executing military taking out military targets in Iran. And we're, you know, military is performing superbly. But this is really Trump's militia that he's trying to use and not America's military. By putting boots on the ground, we're going to substantially increase the risks that are inherent there. And for what? I mean, if we did take out Iran's oil, it would have a devastating effect on Iran, but also on the world economy. We'd be cutting off our nose despite our face. I mean, we would be in big Big trouble. So it's a terrible thing. We cannot set the precedent of putting boots on the ground. That's going to get us much, much longer. War President Trump needs to wake up tomorrow morning. The best thing that could happen is for him to say this war is over, declare total and complete victory and try to go home. But even if he does that, Israel still has a vote. And guess what? Iran still has a vote and they are holding out. And I'll tell you right now, I remember what Henry Kissinger said about Vietnam. He says America loses if they don't win. Vietnam wins if they don't lose. That is absolutely true here. Iran will win by not losing. And that's essentially what they're trying to do, is wait us out. And they know that President Trump is desperate, but he's also desperate to keep this as limited as possibly can.

[A]

Barbara I didn't even have the chance or the space cuz I wanted to spend time talking to both of you to really go through everything that Secretary Hegseth said during that briefing today. You have been in that room. I don't even know. You probably don't even know how many briefings you sat through with Secretaries of Defense. And I just wondered what stuck out to you. And at a time when the American people are looking for information, they're scared, they're worried their sons and daughters are gonna be sent. They're not sure what this is about. What you make of his performance, I guess I'm gonna call it today in that briefing room.

[E]

I think that's right. I think it's become performative art. The thing that struck me the most, and General Anderson may know much more about this than I do, but it's been my experience covering in depth every Secretary of defense since Donald Rumsfeld and the chairman of the Joint Chiefs that serve with them, each of those officials come to the podium knowing how many of their troops have died and how many wounded. Every Secretary of Defense and chairman that I know has every morning been briefed on those numbers, writes those numbers down. And many of them, I can tell you, carry those numbers with them, perhaps on an index card tucked in their suit pocket each and every day. This is all important to them. And Jen, the other thing that is really beginning to strike me, and I say this very cautiously, very soberly, based on, based on reporting. I do think it is worth Americans asking themselves if Pete Hegseth, working for Donald Trump, is fundamentally trying to change the moral and ethical quality of the US Military with the actions he's taking. Is he trying, whether he knows it or not, to undermine the very moral and legal fiber of what troops do, how they are trained, how they operate, how they evaluate their decisions? It seems to me that we're getting very close to this, especially today with him saying we will give no quarter. And of course, as you point out, that is a war crime. I think it's a very disturbing trend. He is trying to eviscerate military legal staffs and operations. And as the general said, for what? Why are you doing this? Why not strengthen it all? And he has eviscerated the part of the Pentagon that, that was trying to control and get a handle on civilian casualties. Why are you doing this? And for whatever reason in his head that he's doing it maybe to please the President, the very dire question, I think, is whether it is beginning to erode the moral and ethical fiber of the military. This is something that takes years to happen, as we know. It doesn't happen overnight, but you have to be watchful for it.

[A]

It's such a. I mean, that clearly struck me as well and struck many members of our team. And I saw you talk about this earlier, too, Barbara. Let me turn to you, General, and ask you just about some of the things Barbara just mentioned. I mean, I remember I've never worked for a secretary of defense, but President Biden used to carry around a card in his pocket with the number of troops whose lives had been lost. Obviously, the commander in chief should do that. I don't think Trump is doing that. Did it surprise you that he didn't have an answer to that question?

[B]

It was shocking. It was absolutely shocking. That would be the first thing that they would talk about in every press conference in the past. I mean, I served with people with great military leaders like General John Campbell, for instance, in Afghanistan and Iraq, they'd carry around three by five cards with every soldier that was killed under their command. In his case, it was something like 250. I mean, a huge stack. But he'd look at them every day. He'd look at them during breaks and stuff like, I mean, the concern that we have over our casualties and those that have been, those are fallen comrades, as we called them. And to see that cavalier approach, the way that they talk, well, of course there's going to be some casualties. And you, of course, got a president, commander in chief that tried, you know, five deferments from serving in Vietnam. He's denigrated military repeatedly over his career. And he seems to discount the sacrifices that American military soldiers and their Families are making every single day is pretty shocking.

[A]

He seemed more focused on his comments about the Ellison family. Let me ask you too, about. I talked about this a little bit and Barbara referenced it, and it clearly struck her. Probably no one spent more time in Pentagon briefing rooms than Barbara Starr is. When Pete Hexseth called for no quarter for US Enemies, he said it very purposefully. He clearly thought about it or it seemed to me that. What went through your head when you heard him say that?

[B]

Well, he calls himself the Secretary of War. He should rename himself the Secretary of War Crimes because what he was articulating was a war crime, a violation of the Geneva Convention. That's not how we treat our enemies, and that's not how we're supposed to do. It was shocking that he would do that. But I mean, to me, what you see in Pete Hetseth is the integration of ignorance and the arrogance that he shows on everything toward everybody. He's angry all the time. The way that he mistreats the press, it's just. It's sad. He should look at that as one of his sounding boards. He should have reporters in there, want to have reporters like Barbara Starr did so ably for over 20 years in the Pentagon. And my office used to be right down the hall from her when I served there a couple times. In the Pentagon, you want to have reporters asking you tough questions to keep you sharp, keep you on your toes, and make sure you're thinking through everything. He doesn't want to do that. He's made up his mind just as the President had, that what I'm saying is right and that's how going to do it. And doggone it, you know, I'm going to declare victory and that's it. And unfortunately, that's not how you want to run a military. And America's in trouble now because we have somebody like Pete Hegseth that is running this war.

[A]

We were just talking, Barbara, about how. I mean, I've never worked at the Department of Defense, but I spent years at the State Department. And reporters who cover national security are some of the most serious. They're focused on the story at hand. Some of the best briefers in the government are in the military. I mean, the whole thing doesn't even make any sense. Perhaps except for the Secretary Kern's Secretary of Defense. Barbara, I've been dying to ask you about this story because it smells weird to me, but it may not be. I was struck by a story from the Washington Post this week that two leading spatial intelligence Companies are now restricting access to satellite images of the Middle East. Companies whose images have been used by journalists to show things like the aftermath of the strike on the girls school. I know, of course, I'm very familiar with keeping back information that's classified or could put people at risk. But I also know very well that journalists rely on this information to hold governments and people to account. I don't know if you saw that, but what do you make of that withholding and the impact of that?

[E]

Well, sometimes in the past, imagery by commercial operations has been withheld briefly at the request of the US Government, because there may be ongoing operations because they're trying to gain intelligence from it, or if it is a commercial company that collects it. But it's very highly refined imagery, it may be degraded a bit before it's released to protect intelligence, that sort of thing. But, you know, here's the bottom line on all of this, and it undercuts everything we're talking about. I think information, truth and facts are a universal item, if you will, in today's world. You can't control it, you can't say no, you can't talk about this, we can't release that. We won't show you this piece of video because there's going to be somebody standing on a street corner somewhere in a country with a phone camera. So all of this business about restricting things, I think is getting quite to the point of being, I would say, laughable, but it's just too serious. The news media is going to continue. They will collect information, it will report on information, it will do it with or without Pete Hegseth. And I think that the Pentagon press corps has ably proven that in the months since he essentially made it impossible for them to work in the building, he's let them back in. He makes them sit in the back of the briefing room. He doesn't call on them, but they have to leave immediately after the briefing. I'm sorry, he's the one that's losing out.

[A]

They're still doing their jobs, to your point. And this story struck me because it was the week where they were denying what we all saw happen with the girls school in Iran. And so you just always want a question. Barbara Starr, thank you as always. General Stephen Anderson, thank you so much for being here. I really appreciate it. There are lots of questions swirling around Trump's war with Iran, a lot we've just talked about, but one of them is, who's winning out of this? We're not winning, clearly, but the surprising answer to that may be Russia or one of the places that that's winning. I'll dig into that and more with a guest. I'm so excited to talk to national security expert Fiona Hill. We'll be right back. Day or night, VRBoCare is here 247 to help make every part of your stay seamless. If anything comes up or you simply need a little guidance, support is ready whenever you reach out. From the moment you book to the moment you head home. We're here to help things run smoothly because a great trip starts with the right support. And hey, a good playlist doesn't hurt either. The First Amendment guarantees freedom of religion and protects us from government imposed religion. But across the country, officials are pushing prayer into public schools and blurring the line between church and state in ways the Constitution doesn't allow. The Freedom from Religion foundation exists to hold the government to the law to keep public institutions neutral on religion. Visit FFRF US NewYear or text Ms. Now to 511-511-Text Ms. Now to 511-51-511 to join. Text fees may apply.

[D]

Bubba Wallace here from 2311 Racing you

[A]

know what's slower than a pace car

[D]

waiting at the car wash? That's when I fire up Jumbo Casino. It turns these slow minutes into into fast fun.

[A]

With new games every week, you'll never get bored.

[D]

Next time you're stuck in the slow

[A]

lane, speed up with Chumba.

[D]

Play now@chumbac casino.com let's Chumbo. No purchase necessary.

[A]

VGW Group Void. We're prohibited by law.

[D]

CTNC's 21+ sponsored by Jumbo Casino.

[A]

Major news outlets have been reporting for nearly a week now that Russia is sharing information with Iran that could help them target American troops across the Middle East. It is hard to understate just how big a deal this is, as was Trump's response to being asked about it for the first time last Friday during, of course, a college sports roundtable at the White House. And you almost have to see it again to believe.

[D]

Sounds like the Russians are helping Iran

[B]

target and attack Americans.

[D]

Now that's an easy compared to what we're doing here. But can I be honest? It's just I have a lot of respect for you. You've always been very nice to me. What a stupid question that is to be asking at this time.

[A]

What a stupid question that is to be asking at this time. All props to my old buddy Peter Doocy, because it definitely wasn't a stupid question. And just sit that in your mind for a Moment. Now, to make matters worse, Trump's Middle east envoy, Steve Woodkoff was also asked about Russia sharing intel with Iran this week. And here's what he said on the

[D]

call with the President.

[B]

The Russians said that they have not been sharing. That's what they said.

[D]

So, you know, we can take them at their word.

[A]

No, actually, we cannot take Russia at its word. I think we've known that for quite some time now for reasons that are quite inapparent and obvious. Seems even Trump knows you can't say such things like that on live tv because this morning, in a radio interview with Fox host Brian Kilmeade, Trump admitted that Russia is helping Iran.

[B]

You think Putin is helping him?

[D]

I think he might be helping him a little bit, yeah, I guess. And he probably thinks we're helping Ukraine. Right.

[B]

And you are, right.

[D]

Yeah, we're helping him also. And so he says that. And China would say the same thing. You know, it's like, hey, they do it and we do it. In all fairness,

[A]

I've been really looking forward to talking with my next guest. Fiona Hill served as a senior director on the National Security Council during Trump's first term. She's a top expert on all things Russia and many other things, and she joins me now. Fiona, thank you so much for being here. It's great to see you. Let me start by just asking you, I mean, in addition to all of the public comments, I just talked through the administration, as I think everybody watching knows, temporarily lifted sanctions on some Russian oil to try and contain energy prices. That, of course hasn't really worked. But looking at the totality of all of this, I think a lot of us are like, whoa, what's happening? Are you surprised or shocked by any of it?

[C]

Well, sadly not. Because, you know, many other periods of crises in the past when there's been either a discussion about, say, taking Russia and Russian oil off the global market or Iranian oil or any other major producer for that matter. The concerns have all been, as we're seeing them unfold now, that you would have a major shock that would have reverberations of the global economy and here in the United States. So, you know, unfortunately, a lot of this was completely foreseeable, as have been many of the other issues that you've just raised there, including the Russian president's desire to help Iran in some way in its standoff with the United States.

[A]

There have been so many moments during both Trump terms when you wonder. I have wondered. I think a lot of people covering it and watching it have wondered, wondered what is happening inside the Situation Room? I mean, did they not discuss the Strait of Hormuz and what could happen? Did they not discuss the number of casualties? Did they not discuss with the military? There's a lot of questions. You've actually sat in there. You sat in there during his first term. What do you think is happening in there right now, or what do you think has been happening over the last couple weeks?

[C]

Well, look, in the first term, he rarely went into the Situation Room. There was only a couple of occasions I actually remember him doing that. He mostly had people come to him in the Oval Office. So in terms of whatever deliberations are going on at the level of his Cabinet, whether they're taking place in the Situation Room or not is somewhat immaterial because it's whoever managed to get to talk to him in front of the Resolute desk or whatever other settings they're managing to grab him. And what I fear is happening is on the president's part, a lot of magical thinking, because people are too scared, too reticent, too intimidated, or for their own personal political purposes, not willing to put forward these kinds of cautions and caveats. Because, look, we see from just his dismissal of the questions that are being posed by journalists that he doesn't want to hear any nurse saying, and he obviously doesn't even think that it's relevant to have to deal with the irrefutable facts that other countries are going to take action. He just kind of assumes that somehow they won't.

[A]

After what? There's been a lot of speculation about this, but I've been wondering what you think. I mean, after what happened during last year's 12 day war with Iran and what happened with Venezuela earlier this year, do you think that Trump felt like any conflict can be started and stopped with a few airstrikes? And by taking out the leader, I mean, does he see all of these wars as different as they are, as different as the dynamics are, as kind of the same?

[C]

Yes, in many respects, because he has an unfailing faith in US Military powers, he says, over and over again, and also an unfailing faith in himself. And if we look back to earlier times in his first administration, I mean, he did make the step of striking back against US Assad in Syria, when, of course, famously, President Obama did not. And of course, he also took out the Iranian Quds leader, Soleimani. And as far as he was concerned, there was really no blowback for either of those episodes. And so I think that on top of the recent incidents that you've just laid out have really emboldened him and furthered that line of thinking that he can pretty much get away with anything. In fact, it's something he says all the time.

[A]

It seems like you're saying that he doesn't consider this doesn't surprise me, the kind of long line of dominoes that are falling and may soon fall as a result of this war against Iran, which kind of everybody's talking about. There's tons of media analysis about smart people like you were out there talking about. But I guess. Do you think he just doesn't consider that?

[C]

I think he looks at things on one, on one. And I mean, that's something that I think has been very apparent and should have been apparent over the two sets of his administrations now that he tends to look at things honestly in something of a vacuum. It's between his interaction with Putin, for example, his interaction with Netanyahu, his interaction with the Iranian leaders, Russia and the United States, Iran and the United States, all pretty binary. And that is really problematic because the world is a very complex place. It's not just a world of two superpowers as it was during the Cold War when most of his views of international relations were formed. And he doesn't really see how you have second, third and fourth and even more order effects and how all of these different leaders operate and interact together and frankly, what the dynamics within their states are. I mean, we complain about other leaders like Putin, for example, not factoring in the dynamics in say, Ukraine or elsewhere. Well, Trump is just as guilty of doing the same in Iran.

[A]

We need to take a very quick break. You've been so generous with your time. Stay right where you are. When we come back, we're going to talk all about Putin and Russia and all of that. We'll be right back. The First Amendment guarantees freedom of religion and protects us from government imposed religion. But across the country, officials are pushing prayer into public schools and blurring the line between church and state in ways the Constitution doesn't allow. The Freedom from Religion foundation exists to hold the government to the law to keep public institutions neutral on religion. Visit FFRF US New Year or text Ms. Now to 511511 text Ms. Now to 511511 to join text Fees may apply.

[D]

Tyler Redick and Chumba Casino. A winning combination. Another checkered flag for Tyler Redick in 23XI Racing, this time at Cota in the Chumba Casino Toyota Camry. That's three wins this season. Talk about a lucky Streak Chumba Casino Proud partner of Tyler Reddick in 23X Racing. Play for free at chumbacasino.com let's Chumba. No purchase necessary. VGW Group voidware prohibited by law. CTNC's 21+ sponsored by Chumba Casino. Sometimes life will get you stressed out.

[B]

Lucky you can always count on Text Now.

[D]

Free Talk. Free text, free 5G and they'll never shut you off. Cause like I said, it's free Text

[B]

Now's got your back. Nationwide, no long term contracts, but all

[D]

they're nervous about losing service. TextNow's got your back.

[A]

That's their sense of purpose.

[D]

No matter what comes next, you've got Free Talk and text with the TextNow app downloaded today.

[A]

Wireless plans require the purchase of a sim card.

[B]

Visit textnow.com for terms and conditions.

[A]

We're back as promised with Fiona Hill. You have spent a lot of your career life really thinking about how Vladimir Putin operates. Many people, including Senator Chris Coons, but others have said that the clearest winner from this war in Iran is Russia. What do you think?

[C]

Well, if you look at it from a short term and perhaps even medium term perspective, Russia is certainly going to get a windfall from this. I mean, without really having to do much at all. The existing volume of oil that they're producing and trying to export just rockets up in price. And we've seen in the past when we've had the price of oil approach 100, $150 a barrel, that's really kind of given a boost to Russian state revenues. And also then as a result of that allowed much more discretionary spending for the Russian government. In this case, that would be discretionary spending that can be spent on the war in Ukraine. I mean, over the longer term, it's not really clear how this is all going to play out. Iran was very helpful to Russia and the early words of the war and the early years of the war against Ukraine by helping Russia develop the Shaheed drones that Iran is obviously using against America and against the Gulf states Iran has been expecting. And that's why we're getting these reports of Putin providing or at least the Russians providing some kind of intelligence. They've been expecting some kind of support in return for that. What we have seen with all of this instability and all the actions that President Trump has taken in Venezuela and in places before that in Syria and now in Iran, that really upsets a whole range of Russian relationships. And the Russians have invested a lot in the Gulf as well. There are so many Russians operating in the Gulf, the Russian sovereign wealth fund is there. You see all of the diplomacy that's been taking place in the Gulf around the war in Ukraine. So this actually does hurt the whole network of Russian relationships. It's just, you know, we don't know at this stage how this war is going to turn out.

[A]

You can predict, as smart as you are and as knowledgeable as you are, what they will provide. But just given that they are reportedly providing intelligence to Iran, how intertwined, I mean, you referenced how Iran helped Russia in the early days of the war in Ukraine. Could Russia consider helping them militarily more than that, in your view? I mean, could they provide them more kind of military equipment or resources in that regard? Is that possible in the relationship?

[C]

I think they've already been doing that to some extent over the course of the war in return for the help that they've already got. But look, I mean, there's another way of looking at this as well. We, the United States also rely on our allies who have been, at least in the past, much closer to us than certainly Iran and Russia have been. I mean, they're in some respects also fair weather friends. They've had their own periods of hostility in the past. And the United States has relied a lot on, on our own allies, the UK and many others included, for intelligence on Iran, not just Israel. And I think we have to look more broadly. And this also could be beneficial to Russia as the United States sours its own relationships with close partners as a result of this war, and of course has really rattled the relationships with the Gulf states that thought that they were actually going to be able to cash in on a period of stability and predictability in the wake of the previous upheavals. So there's a lot going on here and I'm not entirely convince was going to come out a clear winner at the end of all of this.

[A]

It's such a hard question, but how do you think this, how do you foresee this all ending in Iran?

[C]

Well, I think, as you've heard in the previous segment, quite an indication that President Trump could just decide to end it, just like Vladimir Putin could decide to end the war in Ukraine. He may decide that this is just not in his interests. The bigger question really here is does the United States have the capacity to rein in Israel? And of course, that another set of issues and Russia itself had an important relationship developing with Israel prior to the October 7th attack by Hamas. I mean, that really shifted that relationship. And so, you know, this also is a question how all other countries are going to get involved in this and to try to push things in different directions. But again, it could very easily end by President Trump saying, this is a victory. I've achieved what I needed to achieve and pulling back. But that still leaves Israel, you know, attacking Iran, no doubt, and also Lebanon and a conflict raging in the Middle East. And then does President Trump want to actually try to move towards a resolution or is he just going to leave that to others to kind of pick up the pieces from the mess? Again, unclear.

[A]

Fiona Hell, thank you so much for joining us and sharing all of your incredible insights tonight. I really appreciate it.

[C]

Thanks so much, Jen. Thank you.

[A]

Coming up, this is gonna feel like a sharp turn, but Democratic candidate and singer Bobby Polito won his primary last week and is hoping flip a Texas congressional district from red to blue in November. At the same time, he's fielding over a thousand requests from fans to take the stage. There's much more to tell you about that story. And I'll tell you about it. And Bobby Polito is also going to join me when we come back right after quick break. We've talked a lot about the competitive Senate race in Texas lately. We even had James Talarico join us last night. But that's not the only important race to watch in the Lone Star State this election cycle. There are a lot of them, including Texas's 15th district, which has been held by Republican Congressman Monica De La Cruz since being sworn in in 2023. She's now being challenged by quite the unconventional candidate, two time Latin Grammy winning Tejano music legend Bobby Polito, who won the district's Democratic primary last week. Now, after Polito won his primary, Congressman De La Cruz immediately attacked him, saying that, quote, this election isn't about who you want performing at your niece's quinceanera. Now, for those of you, and you probably all know what this is, but those of you who aren't familiar with what a quinceanera is, it's basically a coming of age milestone celebration for teenage girls, kind of like a sweet 16. And since the congresswoman's attack, Polito has only leaned in embracing his opponents quinceanerajab and saying that it's a rite of passage that brings family and neighbors together. And honestly, that's exactly what this campaign is all about. So far, he has received more than a thousand requests from families inviting him to perform at quinceanera events across the state. And joining me now is two time Latin Grammy winner and the Democratic congressional candidate nominee in Texas 15th district, Bobby Polito. It's great to see you. I talked about you a lot on election night. I think it's such an interesting race. Let me ask you first. I mean, you've had so many requests to perform, you actually set up a website to receive them. What led you. You kind of leaned in to your opponent's attack. What led you to do that?

[D]

Well, of course, because she threw it as an insult. And the truth of the matter is, look, a quinceanera is something that's very important to the family. And for them to invite us into their house into a quinceanera is awesome. We've had 1950 invitations for quinceaneras and many are in the district. And we're gonna try to go to as many. It's like having, you know, we're gonna be there. We're gonna probably go and sing a couple of songs for the quinceaneras. And, you know, there's a lot of voters in there, you know, so I think that's a great idea that she had. And I'm glad she. She kind of insulted me that way because we definitely turned into a positive

[A]

for people who have requests. You can go to the website. It may be more than 1900. We'll see. Now, this race is certainly on. Obviously, the congresswoman, you're a threat to her cause. She's attacking you quite a lot. She also called you a scandal plagued celebrity. And they've also tried to make an issue of social media posts. This is pretty common in campaigns, but some of them are from a few years ago, some of them are from over a decade ago. For people who are tuning in and want to know more about you, maybe they're finding these posts. Is there anything you want to say about them?

[D]

Look, I'm a singer and I've been a singer for a long time. In our line of work in our field, there are Cheeseman shows they call Chisme shows where they're always looking for dirt on artists to try to go get clicks and stuff. I was for 30 years. I never had a scandal in 30 years of my career. But all of a sudden, since I'm running for office, they find ways to make these jokes. And some of them were kind of like, I regret, like having made some of these jokes, to be honest with you, I regret him. I apologize for it. And. And this is a long time ago. I've moved on. And that's kind of like the best they've got. They've actually Fox News has already written five Attack pieces before I even went through my primary. And they were trying to dig into another thing, asking if I had dual citizenship, because they're trying to make that an issue, which I don't. I'm only an American.

[A]

Well, as someone who's been attacked a lot by Fox News, take it as a badge of honor of sorts. The other thing, you know, I mean, the other thing your opponent, which I find so interesting and it time where people really don't like Washington is attacking you for is for being a musician and not a politician. We've talked about the quinceaneras. I can't wait to see what happens at those and how many you go to. But you're clearly running because you want to serve in public office and represent your district. Why? What made you want to run?

[D]

I was a political science major in College at St. Mary's University, which I received an academic scholarship to go to. So politics has been something that I followed very closely. I just never mixed it with my music. But look, I find it kind of ironic that she accuses me of being a celebrity when before she ran for Congress, she was selling insurance out of a strip mall. So, look, I would love to have a debate with her. I'm sure at some point in time, I hope she accepts that.

[A]

What's the issue? You hear more and more every time you're out there at Quesaneras or talking to voters in your district. What is most on the minds of voters you're talking to?

[D]

You know, here in South Texas, it's the economy, the economy and more economy at the end. And healthcare is a big part of it too. Right. Immigration also is a part of the economy. At the end of the day, this. She does not understand the Hispanic culture. The Rio Grande Valley, where I'm at right now, the Rio Grande Valley down here was a farming community many years ago of which my, my grandfather was a part of it. The majority of our people down here come from humble beginnings. And so we truly, truly are loyal to the people that are, that give us a chance to succeed in life. And right now, I think down here, there's a lot of, definitely a lot of buyers remorse with the Trump administration. They were promised a lot of things that they thought would happen and they didn't happen. So you know this. The Hispanic vote is most loyal to their pocketbook and we have to do better because right now the economy and our economy here is suffering. You know, the builder community has not. They've been hit really hard with these ice rates. They can't feel the workforce. Sometimes they can't even finish their houses that they're trying to build. And it's a domino effect. So the realtors don't have houses to sell because there's not a workforce. And so even tourists are not coming. Jen, from Mexico, we depend a lot on tourism, but we have an administration that has been hostile to our southern neighbors and our northern neighbors in Canada. So that has to change.

[B]

Right.

[D]

We depend on people to come over here and spend their money here on retail and restaurants and everything. And they're not coming because they're afraid to come over here and see guys in masks and with machine guns.

[A]

Texas congressional candidate Bobby Polito, thank you so much for joining me. We'll be right back after a quick break. I'm just going to end tonight on a I'm going to cry about this on a personal note because we have one of the great privileges of this job is the producers and the people you get to work with. And they are so smart and talented and we could not do our jobs without them. Actually, they bring so many of the wise ideas and they are there for all of the moments. And one of those people who I could not have done the last two years without is McKenna Roberts. She is young, she is smart. We're probably all gonna work for her one day and I'm gonna make her come over here. Cause she is moving on to bigger and better things. I just adore her so much. And I just wanted to take a moment to say thank you. Because all of the people behind the scenes who do all of the incredible work don't get as much credit as they deserve. And we love you and we'll miss you. Hi, I'm Ron Reagan, an unabashed atheist.

[C]

And I'm alarmed as you may be

[A]

by the intrusions of religion into our secular. That's why I'm asking you to join the Freedom From Religion foundation, the nation's largest and most effective association of atheists and agnostics working to keep state and church separate. Please join the Freedom from Religion foundation today. Join us go to FFRF us newyear or text Ms. Now to 511511 and become a member today.

[B]

Text Ms. Now to 511511 text fees may apply.