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- [00:00]
Ken Harbaugh
This is a ruse to involve the federal government in state and local election matters. And it won't be everywhere. It'll just be in those strategic swing districts to protect the polls, to deploy ICE agents around polling places in minority neighborhoods. And this memo apparently already has an executive order number attached to it, and it lays out the entire strategy for claiming that foreign election interference gives the executive the right, the excuse, the legal authority to to intervene in elections. This is while the nightmare scenario is Americans dying over Iran and Iranians dying for a pointless war, but long term, the nightmare scenario for Americans is the loss of our democracy in a classic wag the dog situation where you have this foreign conflict that not only serves as a distraction for domestic problems, but serves as an excuse ultimately for seizing control.
- [01:09]
Lee McGowan
Hello and welcome to the Politics Girl Podcast. I'm your host, Lee McGowan. Let's get into it. On February 28, 2026, the US and Israel attacked Iran in an operation that killed the top of Iran's power structure, the Supreme Leader, Ayatollah Khamenei. The problem is the American people don't have a clear answer as to why we did this. As the president and his administration didn't go through Congress, the constitutionally legal way to declare war, the Trump administration is now throwing every possible reason to explain
- [01:38]
Politics Girl (Host)
their actions at the wall to see what sticks Iran's nuclear capabilities, terrorism freeing the Iranian people from their oppressive leader,
- [01:45]
Lee McGowan
a reaction to intelligence that indicated Iran's
- [01:48]
Politics Girl (Host)
plan to strike US bases or or
- [01:50]
Lee McGowan
that Iran interfered in the 2020 and 2024 elections. They cannot get their story straight, and they seem to be unable to explain what our intentions are in the Middle east moving forward. Now, I am not a Middle east expert by any means, and I am certainly not an Iranian expert, but today I want to give you some context so you can better understand what you are reading and hearing about this unfolding
- [02:10]
Politics Girl (Host)
story that, as we record, has already
- [02:12]
Lee McGowan
cost our country billions of dollars, four American and countless Iranian lives. To help me go through this today, I have asked Ken Harbaugh to join us. Ken is a former Navy pilot and mission commander who has helped build and lead several nationally and internationally recognized veteran organizations. He writes the Incredible Ken Harbaugh Substack and hosts the podcast by the same name. And his writing has been everywhere from the New York Times to the Atlantic to the Yale Journal of International Law. Ken is also the recipient of the 2020 Hoorah Award, which is given annually to the American veteran who exemplifies service as after the military and we have had him on the show before to talk about his incredible award winning documentary, Against All Enemies. So without further ado, please welcome my guest, former mission commander, veterans advocate, and writer and producer, Ken Harbaugh.
- [02:57]
Politics Girl (Host)
Welcome back, Ken.
- [02:59]
Ken Harbaugh
Thanks, Lee. It's always good to be with you.
- [03:02]
Politics Girl (Host)
Well, I'm actually very sorry that I'm having you under these circumstances because you've been doing such amazing work in Ukraine and with Valor Media. And I was really hoping that our next conversation would be like, here are all the great things we've doing. Here's the movement we've made. I wanted to do a whole hopeful episode with you because I think you're doing such great work. But here we are at war with Iran. Before we start as a military guy, are we at war because the president says we're at war? Congresswoman Luna just went on Ms. Now over the weekend and said we weren't at war. Pete Hegseth is doing press conferences saying soldiers are going to die because war is hell. So, like, what's going on here?
- [03:38]
Ken Harbaugh
To me, the, the definition of a nation at war is when you have to wake up your kids and tell them that American bombs are falling on cities overseas. And I will never forget that conversation with my son and daughter Saturday, February 28, when I said to them, america's at war. Remember this moment. And to my middle daughter's immense credit, she said, hang on a second, dad. This is Trump's war. The vast majority of the American people don't want this. If you look at the latest polling, Only something like 21% of Americans think this makes any sense at all. But the fact remains, it's American bombs falling on Iran. It is American soldiers and sailors and airmen and Marines who are going to have to bear the brunt of this decision. It is America's war. America is at war, which means it is incumbent upon us to do everything we can short of a Congress that's going to do its job to rein in a rogue presidency. We have a few opportunities to do that. I hope we will talk about them. But America is indeed at war. And Americans are already dying, as are innocent Iranians.
- [04:48]
Politics Girl (Host)
Yeah, that's exactly a very, that's a perfect way to look at it. And I also think I should probably add that it's also American taxpayers that are paying for all of this. These bombs don't just rain down without being paid for and purchased. And we're telling people that we can't afford to take care of them here. They can't have healthcare. They can't have proper roads and bridges, we can't have education, but we have trillions of dollars to rain hellfire on another country. Now, Trump said the aim of this operation was to make sure that Iran didn't succeed at getting a nuclear weapon. But this is the same president that said we had destroyed Iran's nuclear capabilities last summer. In fact, it still says on the White House website Iran's nuclear facilities have been obliterated. And all suggestions otherwise are fake news. That's literally the title of the page. So what part is fake news, Ken? Is it the weapons were destroyed, is fake news? Is it that they never had weapons? Or is the fake news that they were even close to having them now, and we're using it as an excuse?
- [05:45]
Ken Harbaugh
We cannot trust anything out of this administration at this point. And, look, I think it's always healthy to be skeptical of government pronouncements, but this regime has taken it to a whole new level across every domain, not just the national security domain. But I'm headed to Minneapolis in a couple of days where we're doing a memorial concert for someone that the administration called a domestic terrorist. Every word out of their mouths is a lie. They lie like they breathe. So when they say that the Iranian nuclear program has been obliterated. Obliterated. The first time, I didn't believe them. I don't believe them this time. I think the rationales are going to continue to shift as they come up with excuses. We just saw a tweet or a bleat. I don't know what they're calling them these days, of Trump accusing the Iranians of election interference, and that's why we're going to war with Iran. I don't think we can give any credence to the excuses coming out of this administration for why we're at war. But I think a more important point is that it's almost an irrelevant point at this point. We're already at war. The question has to be, and the refrain has to be, from people like us, what is the plan? What are we doing? Why are Americans and Iranians and innocent civilians continuing to die? What is the plan? And I'm afraid we already know the answer. There is no plan.
- [07:05]
Politics Girl (Host)
Yeah, there is no plan. And I should also remind people that the US Instigated this attack in the middle of what were technically nuclear talks between Iran and the U.S. so, as I understand it, the U.S. was getting everything they asked for in these talks, and we bombed them anyway, which seems also just terrible for international diplomacy, because what country is going to trust us to negotiate in good faith if this is something that we do. As you're pointing out, the problem is there's so many different stories because they started a war, and now they're trying to figure out a good reason why they started the war. Pete Hegseth, which is the Secretary of War, he changed his own name, gave himself that name, gave the department that name. It's not legal. He flipped out today when he was asked by a reporter why our men and women are being sent to war. And when he was asked about the intentions of the plans over Iran, he was not prepared for this question, which seems ludicrous considering he is in charge of it. He became really amped, very stressed out. Clearly, he is unsure about what he's doing. And I think this is why you don't give a Fox News host this job and then allow him to fire anyone in military leadership who would question him, who would stand up to the administration. Because what we're seeing right now is a Secretary of Defense who is clearly way out of his league being asked a simple question about, you know, why we're there, what we're doing, what the plans are. They can't be answered with, let him cook. You know, the President has all the latitude in the world. Timelines are whatever they're going to be. I mean, it's not vibes, right? This is propaganda. Bullshit is what we're listening through. And Nettie said, we didn't start this war, but under President Trump, we're gonna stop it. And I thought, what are you talking about? You 100% started this war. And the entire outburst, watching our Secretary of Defense, which he calls himself war on television, not knowing a clue about what he's talking about, spinning out of control, it didn't make me any more confident about what's taking place.
- [09:04]
Ken Harbaugh
We are being led by the most immoral, corrupt, and incompetent regime in the history of this country into a war that, by all accounts, didn't need to happen. I mean, the administration has had plenty of opportunities to explain to the American people why this needed to happen. If you recall, we just lived through the longest State of the Union address in American history. A great opportunity to explain to Americans what was about to unfold. And Iran was barely mentioned. Instead, we got whatever that was. And anytime a national security official, including a senior official at the Defense Intelligence Agency, has pushed back, has said, no, maybe this isn't a good idea, or maybe we haven't indeed obliterated the Iranian nuclear weapons program, they're dismissed. I mean, the most alarming indicator of the incompetence and insecurity of this regime is how immune they are to self reflection and criticism. Even their own self reflection and criticism. I don't need to tell you, Lee, but if you go back and listen to what Tulsi Gabbard has said about how stupid war with Iran would be at what J.D. vance said in 2024 about the risks of launching a war against Iran, if you look at what the President himself said about Barack Obama and launching a war against Iran to save his presidency, they can't even listen to themselves when it comes to how idiotic this foreign misadventure is. Why should we be trusting anything they say?
- [10:39]
Politics Girl (Host)
Yeah, the hypocrisy is truly staggering. I mean, the same people that are in charge of this war are the ones that said Obama would do it because he couldn't get a deal that only a weak president would go to war. That going to war was not in any way helpful to Americans. This is the American first president who ran on no new wars. He literally just started the peace board two weeks ago and then declared war now. But I think we need to remind people when they're hearing the stories from the right wing, because I've been following the right wing online and they're constantly mixed justifications for this. I've heard that we attack them because of terrorism. We aren't experiencing any terrorism from Iran. I heard that we did it to support the people who were protesting their violent government. But we have the Department of Homeland Security currently deporting Iranians back to Iran where they're most likely to be killed. So that makes zero sense. We've got Scott Jennings, the conservative turned MAGA pundit. He went on immediately onto Twitter and said that he had been speaking to the White House. And we were doing it because there was credible intelligence that indicated Iran had planned a preemptive strike. So the US had to preemptively get their preemptive strike. I mean, it was the most ludicrous, illogical thing to say that the failure to start the war would have resulted in US Casualties when it's the actual opposite way around, one lie after another. But I think that the one that we really should talk about is the one that you mentioned earlier that they are sitting into. They were trying to interfere in our elections. And I think that's one we need to be serious about, because if they really cared about election interference, they would be after Russia. But to me, it's more likely that they care about the perception of election interference as a sleight of hand, so they can actually interfere with future elections under the guise of protecting us from places like Iran. And, you know, authoritarian expert Timothy Snyder has said essentially exactly the same thing, that this is a foreign war as a mechanism to destroy democracy at home, as well as a foreign war as an element of personal corruption to benefit the President himself.
- [12:40]
Ken Harbaugh
There is a 17 page blueprint being circulated now from people very close to the President, including Sidney Powell, about how to leverage this kind of specter of a foreign threat to undermine our elections as soon as November. But certainly by the time 2028 rolls around, the pieces will be in place to argue that a foreign threat of election interference requires extraordinary measures from the federal government to air quotes for those listening, not watching. Protect our Elections, which is going to be exactly the opposite. Right? This is a ruse to involve the federal government in state and local election matters. And it won't be everywhere. It'll just be in those strategic swing districts to protect the polls, to deploy ICE agents around polling places in minority neighborhoods. And this memo apparently already has an executive order number attached to it. And it lays out the entire strategy for claiming that foreign election interference gives the executive the right, the excuse, the legal authority to intervene in elections. This is while the nightmare scenario is Americans dying over Iran and Iranians dying for a. A pointless war. But long term, the nightmare scenario for Americans is the loss of our democracy in a classic wag the dog situation where you have this foreign conflict that not only serves as a distraction for domestic problems, but serves as an excuse ultimately for seizing control.
- [14:17]
Politics Girl (Host)
That's exactly right. And I should also point out that we're going to hear a lot that
- [14:21]
Lee McGowan
this is also partially to distract us from the Epstein files to please Benjamin
- [14:26]
Politics Girl (Host)
Netanyahu, who has been trying to get America to go to war with Iran for 30 years and he finally found a president who was willing to do it. It could be a million things, but
- [14:34]
Lee McGowan
let's be very clear. It's not to spread democracy, it's not
- [14:37]
Politics Girl (Host)
to protect the American people, it's not to save us from nuclear war. If anything, we have made it more risky for us, which is kind of why this kind of military action is supposed to go through Congress. Because Congress is the branch of government that the Constitution gives the power to declare war, because Congress represents the people and the people have to be behind a war because we're the ones paying for it, both with our tax dollars and with our children's lives. But that is not what happened here? So for the amount of people who
- [15:07]
Lee McGowan
see me in my kitchen and tell me to make them a sandwich, the truth is I'm actually a pretty good cook. I make a mean lasagna that is absolutely delicious, but it takes about four hours and I never have time to do that anymore. In fact, I very rarely have time to cook at all these days. So I use a lot of meal systems that help me serve my family healthy and fresh food without me having to think or shop. One of the services I am particularly fond of is cookunity, which is chef crafted meals delivered right to your door. The meals are fully cooked and you can heat them up in as little as five minutes. You choose from a rotating seasonal menu of over 300 meals. Or if that sounds like too much for you, you can let CookUnity provide recommendations. There are over 25 diets and cuisines and you can match the food with your wellness goals. Chefs include Food Network alumni, James Beard Award winners, acclaimed restaurateurs, and all the meals are made small batch and delivered fresh and not frozen. Cookunity is a commitment free subscription that starts as low as $11ameal and you can skip deliveries, pause or cancel at any time. I love my lasagna, but honestly I don't have time to make it. And with everyone in my family trying to lose weight, it is really nice to be able to put your dietary needs into their algorithm with your protein requirements or even filter your macros down to the gram. So consider enjoying the comfort and craftsmanship of the award winning chefs behind CookUnity. Go to cookunity.com politicsgirl or enter the code politicsgirl before checkout to get 50% off your first order. That's 50% off your first order by using the code Politics, Politics Girl or going to cookunity.com politicsgirl as they say, cooking quality food takes time. It just doesn't have to be your time. So we recently got a Leesa mattress for our friends Robbie and Jincy. And one of the things they've said is that it feels like it was designed exactly for them, even though they're two different people sleeping in the same bed. I think the thing is we often let our mattresses live for too long and you don't realize that you weren't getting a good night's sleep until you replaced place it. Leesa Mattresses have a lineup of beautifully crafted mattresses tailored to your specific sleep positions and preferences. They are designed and assembled in the US for exceptional quality and they back up all their products with free shipping, easy returns and 120 night sleep trial. So if it doesn't work out for you, it can go back. Leesa has been tested and awarded Best Hybrid mattress by New York Times Wirecutter and is exclusively featured by West Elm as their Go to Mattress partner. Plus, Leesa donates thousands of mattresses each year to those in need while partnering with organizations like Clean Hub to help remove harmful plastic waste from our oceans. So it's not just about sleep, but about the impact this company has on our system. If you would like to give Leesa a try, go to Lisa.com for 20% off all mattresses plus an extra $50 off with the promo code Politicsgirl exclusive for my listeners. That's L E E S A L promo code politics girl for 20% off mattresses plus an extra $50 off. And if they ask you how you heard about them, please support the show and tell them we sent you. That's Lisa.com promo code politics girl.
- [18:05]
Politics Girl (Host)
The people have to be behind a war because we're the ones paying for it, both with our tax dollars and with our children's lives. But that is not what happened here.
- [18:14]
Ken Harbaugh
That's not what happened here. And I want to go back to your observation about your buddy Scott Jennings and his piece on preemption. That is a cover for a clearly unconstitutional act. The only way a president can do this kind of thing is by claiming that he had to. He didn't have time to go to Congress. There was an imminent threat. Preemption was absolutely required. That's why that is happening. That's not just some stray comment by some right wing ideologue. And we all know Scott Jennings character by now. That is a plant to create the legal justification for a patently illegal act going around Congress. When Article 1 clearly vests in that body the authority to declare war. It is going to be up to Congress now to rein in this rogue presidency. I think we all know that a Republican controlled House and Senate aren't going to do that. Which means it's up to us, it's up to us to flip the Congress in November so that the brave Democrats there, and there are some, there are some standing up if you listen to what Tammy Duckworth is saying and Jason Crow and Seth Moulton and Alyssa Slotkin, these Democrats who are sick and tired of a rogue presidency and frankly a legacy of congressional inaction when it comes to war powers. This is the moment to reassert congressional authority to rein in a rogue executive before it's too late. And for some Americans, it is already too late. I mean, we have to mention the loss of lives on our side. I mean, it is tragic what is happening in Iran, but to see the President just shrug his shoulders at the loss of American lives, to say, yeah, it happens. The deaths of Americans literally got a meh from the White House. And that's the kind of leadership our soldiers and sailors and airmen or Marines are going into war with.
- [20:10]
Politics Girl (Host)
I was thinking of the Prince from Shrek. That's like, some of you will have to die. And that's a sacrifice I'm willing to make. You know what I mean? Like, I was like, this feels like a joke. Like, these are real people's lives who are being put in harm's way by their own president for no discernible reason. And when they do die, the feedback you're getting is kind of like, eh, what are you gonna do? And you know, Trump is able to read a script for about four seconds and then he goes off, right? So he'll say the appropriate thing. These men and women died in, you know, honor of our country and fighting for freedom. And, and he'll go off script and be like, but that's what happens, right? Like people get killed. And we have to remember this is what a five time draft dodger who called our military suckers and losers. He's playing war games with real people's lives. And I think the thing is, is that going through Congress, which is what should have happened, also means that you have plans. The things that Pete Hegseth can't speak to now because you had to sell those plans to get Congress on board, that you had to be responsible enough to get people to get behind you. It used to be also a very big thing that you had to get the public on board. You know, that's why we're hearing so much during the George W. Years about weapons of mass destruction. We have to go over there because of this the way, because of that. It's to sell the people so the people get behind it. They didn't even bother to do that. And then today, Monday morning, we've got the US Military saying Kuwait mistakenly shot down three Americans aircraft during combat because we are now flying into allied airspace, but without informing our allies. Right? This is total incompetence on Pete Hegseth and the government's part. This is not what should happen. We have been able to do this through multiple administrations, Republican administrations, Democratic administrations, but we're not doing it in any way by the book now. And then our soldiers are dying because of it, because these people don't know what they're doing. I mean, not a single Trump official even appeared on the Sunday shows yesterday, which is incredibly rare and notable because they have a steep task to explain the reasoning behind this war, and they didn't even bother.
- [22:18]
Ken Harbaugh
I can't think of a single time in American history where we have deployed American forces, where we have made this commitment of American lives and treasure with less support from the American people. That has always been the highest priority of a commander in chief, taking the nation into war, making sure that the decision is explained to the American people to the point of lying to them to try to get their approval. Donald Trump isn't even trying that. He's not even lying about Yellow Cake and Niger. He is just pressing the button. And that should be the most alarming thing of all, the indication that this administration doesn't think it needs the American public's approval. Look, I've been saying this for a long time. As you're observing their actions on the streets of places like Minneapolis, as you observe their lawlessness in every domain from immigration to the DOJ to now the Department of Defense, you're looking at an administration that doesn't think it needs the American people's approval, that at a fundamental level, doesn't believe in democracy. And that should be the flashing red warning light for our upcoming elections. They don't believe in elections. You better believe they're going to do everything they can to either undermine them or ignore the results. As we've already said, they've written memos laying out how to actually execute this. It's coming. This war with Iran is a piece on a chessboard to them. And the ultimate game, the ultimate win for maga, for Trumpism, is the subversion of American democracy.
- [23:56]
Politics Girl (Host)
Yeah. And I think we really do need to take that incredibly seriously, because this
- [24:01]
Lee McGowan
is not an administration that's acting like they need to get reelected or they
- [24:04]
Politics Girl (Host)
need to garner support from the people. And I think it doesn't matter where you sit on the political spectrum, you can see that. And I think that's why people like Marjorie Taylor Greene, who is hardcore maga, is very enthusiastically saying, what the hell is happening here? This isn't what you said you would do. Because I think she really was a true believer, as opposed to some of these people who are doing it in bad faith because it serves them. It seems like she really believed this America first mentality, and now she's pretty shocked at what's happening. But I really do want to Take a moment here, Ken, and point out for the people who are happy about these actions in Iran, because the Supreme Leader was a monster and I completely get it, and I'm glad that he's gone too. But many things can be true at the same time. We can say that the Ayatollah was evil, that he was a terrible leader, and the people of Iran are better off without him. And we can say that what Trump did was unconstitutional. We can acknowledge that Iran has been under the yoke of a terrible, brutal regime for 40 years and deserves to be liberated, but still say it's a terrible idea to abandon the rules based order and just have state leaders assassinating other state leaders. We can recognize that Iran will be better off with a regime change, but also acknowledge that the Trump administration has no idea and no plans about how that's going to play out. And it's entirely possible that without those, what comes next will be worse because no one took the time to think it through. And this is probably the least competent administration we have ever had to handle
- [25:39]
Lee McGowan
regime change in the Middle east, which
- [25:40]
Politics Girl (Host)
almost always goes poorly. So many things can be true at once. So I don't want to take away from the people in Iran that are like, oh my gosh, we're so relieved. But also, this is not how it should have been done.
- [25:55]
Ken Harbaugh
Air power has never by itself been able to provoke regime change, ever. And we have tried it. It always takes either a concerted effort on the ground by a robust and organized and equipped resistance, or boots on the ground. And the Iranian regime is nothing if not brutal in its repression of that local resistance. I am pretty confident that the IRGC has a plan in place to replace Khomeini and the next Khomeini, it's, it's Ayatollah is all the way down. They are not just going to let themselves be rolled over. Far too much is at stake. And apparently in recent reporting by the New York Times, some of the people that we had in mind to fill the shoes of Khomeini and grab the reins were killed in the initial strikes. The President said that our number two and our number three choices are dead. We killed them. So not sure what we're going to do now. And frankly, I don't actually give the regime as much credit as others do for taking out Khomeini, who was horrible. And I'm glad he's no longer a threat to the American people, much less the Iranian people. I mean, he was an 86 year old guy with cancer who Put himself in exactly the place where he knew the first American bombs would fall. Maybe he wanted to be martyred. And I think what we're going to see is a country of 93 million people that isn't just going to bow to American air power. The IRGC is firmly in power. They have backup plans for this kind of thing. They knew full well that we were going after their nuclear sites last summer and they protected them. I think they have the same type of thinking when it comes to their government and continuity of that government. You cannot provoke regime change with air power alone. Look, we couldn't even do it in our own backyard with Venezuela. The Maduro regime is still in power there. We need to remind the American people that the easy regime change we couldn't even pull off Maduro, his regime is still in power in Venezuela. What makes us think we're going to be able to provoke regime change in Iran the way we're doing it?
- [28:08]
Politics Girl (Host)
Yeah, exactly. And I think there was never any question that we could take out the Ayatollah. I mean, Mossad was involved, CIA was involved. They knew exactly where he was. And like you said, he was a man in his late 80s. I mean, this was a brutal dictator without question. But what is America planning? Total regime collapse? An IRGC led dictatorship, the rising of terrorist groups. I mean, Khomeini clearly had a full succession plan. He had multiple levels of backup. And I think it sounds like you and I think the same thing. Like this is kind of the best way he could have hoped to go out. A martyr to the Zionist and imperial monsters of Israel and the United States. Does that not just solidify his influence even in death?
- [28:49]
Lee McGowan
So our friend's son just got a new apartment in New York. And I'm not gonna lie, it's really nice. Like, I think it might be nicer than our house, but it currently doesn't have any window coverings, just lots and lots of windows in an empty space. I told my friend they needed to call Three Day Blinds because our son doesn't have time to spend wandering around New York at a blind store when Three Day Blinds will bring the entire showroom to him. We shop for everything at home these days, so why not blinds? Three Day Blinds sends a professionally trained design consultant with 10 plus years of experience to your home to give you expert guidance. You just set up the appointment and you get a free no obligation quote the same day. And if you're not very handy, the team at Three Day Blinds will also do the measuring and installing. So you can just relax and leave it to the pros.
- [29:30]
Politics Girl (Host)
Maybe my friend's son wants smart blinds
- [29:32]
Lee McGowan
that connect to his phone or blackout shades for his bedroom or just nice soft curtains for the living room windows so he gets the view but the windows feel finished. Three Day Blinds has thousands of options that will fit any budget or style. They've been business for over 45 years and have helped over 2 million people get the window treatments of their dreams. This is a brand you can trust right now. You can get quality window treatments to fit your budget with Three Day Blinds by heading to Three Day Blinds.com politicsgirl for their buy one, get one 50% off deal on custom blinds, shades, shutters and drapery for a free no charge, no obligation consultation. Just head to three day blinds.com politicsgirl one more time. That's buy one get one 50% off when you head to the number three D A Y blinds.com politicsgirl this episode is brought to you by IQ Bar, our exclusive snack, hydration and coffee sponsor. IQ Bar protein bars, IQ mix hydration mixes and IQ Joe mushroom coffees are the delicious, low sugar, brain and body fuel you need to win the day. And if you're not sure if it'll work for you, I would recommend trying the Ultimate Sampler Pack so you get to try all of the products and flavors with nine IQ Bars, eight IQ Mix Sticks and four IQ Joe Sticks. Every product is clean, label, certified and entirely free from gluten, dairy, soy, GMOs, and artificial ingredients. IQ Bar products are filled with clean, delicious ingredients to keep you physically and mentally fit like magnesium and lion's mane. The Protein bars are packed with plant protein, tons of fiber and no added sugar. The mixes hydrate you with electrolytes that will improve your mood and boost your clarity. And the Mushroom coffees are designed with 200 milligrams of natural caffeine and come in four different flavors. With over 20,000 five star reviews, more people than ever are fueling their busy lifestyle with IQ Bar. Why not try them out by using their Ultimate Sampler Pack? I use the mixes in my water and my boys take the bars in their bags. Right now IQ Iqbar is offering our special podcast listeners 20% off all IQ Bar products including the ultimate sampler pack plus free shipping to get your 20% off. Text PG to 64,000 text PG to 64,000 that's PG to 64,000. Message and data rates may apply. See Terms for details. So I've said it before and I'll say it again, I have to wear a lot of makeup when I'm on camera. Otherwise I end up looking like just a pair of eyeballs with some nostrils.
- [31:56]
Politics Girl (Host)
But when I am out in the
- [31:57]
Lee McGowan
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- [33:38]
Politics Girl (Host)
Does that not just solidify his influence even in death?
- [33:43]
Ken Harbaugh
I worry that it does. I mean, this is a Shia country, the largest Shia country in the world where martyrdom and look, I'm not just saying this is some armchair quarterback. I flew many, many missions along the Straits of Hormuz against Iran, collecting intelligence. I was a combat recon pilot and a mission commander flying out of Bahrain. I am seeing images of the base and the barracks where I stayed. I don't think the barracks been hit yet, but the base, 5th Fleet HQ in Bahrain has been hit multiple times now. And yeah, I wouldn't be surprised at all if the martyrdom of the Ayatollah has a galvanizing effect, at least temporarily. And I think we also have to remind folks that the uprising of the past weeks and months was brutally put down with likely upwards of 10,000 of the most committed resistors and the leaders of that resistance already murdered. In a sense, we missed the opportunity to help them when we had the chance. And the IRGC looks to be fully in control now. Again, if we couldn't pull this off in Venezuela, I don't think we're going to be able to pull it off in Iran without boots on the ground, which I'm not advocating for. Back to this most fundamental criticism, which is there was and is no plan.
- [35:06]
Politics Girl (Host)
Yeah. And I think the thing is, is that Iran was a theocratic rule, basically. And if you take the Ayatollah out and the IRGC takes over, it then becomes a military rule. And those guys rule not by ideology, but by the end of a gun. And Middle east experts are like, being really clear that if we ever expect to make a proper regime change, that's not going to be done through military might. It had to be done, like you said, using a lot of the resistance people and the leaders that are now gone. And what Trump has done is basically set us up to get back into that endless policing the world role with our soldiers holding different countries from falling apart, which is exactly what he ran against. That is not in America's interest. So then you have to say, well, whose interest is it in? Why would we have done this? Because we seem to have made this an American problem at the expense of far more pressing domestic problems and international issues. If we're really looking out for our country, we should be getting out of Iran. But if we're looking out for Trump and Trump's best interest in money making for Trump and his friends, then that might not even matter. It should matter to all the American families who will lose not only money, but their children's lives in the process.
- [36:22]
Ken Harbaugh
Well, I think this is certainly in the best interests of Trump and his family and the money interests very close to them. The Qataris who gave Trump a $400 million airplane, the Saudis who bribed Jared Kushner with a $2 billion investment. I mean, we are fighting this war for them and the people immediately in Trump's orbit. I think there has to be an investigation into the prospecting, the gambling that went on in the hours before the first bombs fell on these prediction markets where you saw a massive spike in betting on when the first bombs would fall. I would bet my life that those bets came from people who knew what was happening.
- [37:07]
Politics Girl (Host)
What Ken's talking about is betting markets like Polymarket. People came in and bet that we would drop bombs at a certain time. And six people came in just hours before we dropped the first bomb, and they made millions of dollars betting. And if you're not telling me that that's Trump family people or insiders, I mean, even Trump's granddaughter says she's betting on Polymarket. So, like, this is insane what's happening here. Not to mention that a lot of these drones and weapon companies have Trump's sitting on the board, Trump family members invested in them. We're going with companies that we use that Trump families own. It's a sick grift with American lives at stake. Does this make you feel disillusioned, like you're a military guy? And I feel like our military is trained, and correct me if I'm wrong, even conditioned to believe that these wars and these conflicts that the US has fought in over the years were necessary to preserve freedom. I know, I've been taught that, and I'm not even in the military, but then I've been reading a number of ex military people's thoughts and how they're changing their mind on this. They're more likely these days to believe that these conflicts that the US has been involved in over the years were largely taken up under false pretenses, that the public has been continually misled, that we keep creating these boogeymen and using propaganda for public support. But ultimately we just taking countless American and foreign lives to prop up organizations like banking and multinational corporations and private control structures so that those people can make money, get what they want, have the leaders in charge. What are your thoughts on this? Because, you know, Donald Trump theoretically won this election being this America first peace president. They didn't want to be at war and we didn't want to be at war. And yet here we are.
- [39:00]
Ken Harbaugh
This is the main reason why Congress needs to reassert itself. Congress needs to reaffirm its Article 1 responsibilities as the branch that declares war, as the branch that pays the bills for war. And this is a multi generational multi administration problem. Congress has long abdicated this responsibility, but I think we have an opportunity now, especially in the face of what is clearly a fraudulent, a corrupt war, for Congress to get its act together. It's not going to be the Republican Congress, but I think come November, if we experience the kind of wave that we need to have that I think is coming, and then if we can hold the line and if our institutions can safeguard our democracy and if we can win the White house back in 2028, I think there is a real opportunity for a sea change, an inflection point in how Americans think about military might, how we think about the solemn responsibility of committing American men and women to combat to war. And I think it starts with flipping the Congress in November and Congress finally saying, after generations of sitting on the sidelines, no, we're not going to use our military that way anymore. You have to come to us for authorizations. We're not going to give you blank checks like the Authorization for the use of military force. We're going to do our jobs. Remember, the authorization for the use of Military force, which has been used since 911 to justify all manner of foreign misadventures, wasn't really empowering the presidency. It was Congress shirking its responsibility. It was members of Congress saying, we don't want to get our hands dirty. If we just let the President make all these decisions, we don't have to go back to our constituents and explain anything. I think those days are over. I'm certainly demanding it of my representatives. And the more people I talk to about this, the more of a response I'm getting that this is actually a kitchen table issue. I'm sick and tired of the experts from the Democratic Party saying, no, we've just got to focus on the price of things. We just got to focus on the kitchen table issues. Well, you know what we're talking about around the kitchen table? We're talking about Americans and Iranians dying. This is something that Americans care about. It's something that we're talking about. This is a fundamental kitchen table issue. And I think people need to start running on a promise to restrain this rogue executive. Because you know what? At the end of the day, I guess it does affect prices, but it more importantly affects the lives of people we care about.
- [41:43]
Politics Girl (Host)
Yeah. And I think we also need to be very clear that this is not just a Trump problem, like you're saying. This has been around since 9 11. It allows Congress to wipe their hands of things that the President might do. What we're doing right now in Iran has never happened before. Like going to war with absolutely no support. I mean, Clinton went to war with Serbia with only NATO support. Obama went to war with Libya with UN support but not congressional support, then got support of other nations. But we need to go back to a time where war requires congressional approval and public buy in because that is how it is supposed to go. They are spending our money, they are spending our lives and that is not how it should be. Especially when we have a leader as callous as the one we have right now. I was thinking about this quote from a man named Smedley Butler who was a major general in the Marine Corps. You know, I'm sure you know who I'm talking about. He also became an anti war activist and the man died in 1940. But the quote that I was thinking of is he said, I served in all commissioned ranks from second lieutenant to major general. And during that period I spent most of my time being a high class muscle man for big business, for Wall street and for the bankers. In short, I was a racketeer for capitalism. I suspected I was part of that racket all along and now I am sure of it now. This man died in 1940 and he already got it. And we are here in 2026 doing the same thing. And it's got to be about time that we stopped doing this. And I, I think about the idea of the American military who I personally revere. My husband grew up in the American military. My father in law is a hero. You fought alongside these people in the military. This is not about the men and women in the military. This is about why we put the military around the world, what we are doing with the military. Because I think the idea of the American military being like storm troopers for the empire is a tough nut to swallow because we think of ourselves as being the good guy. You know, we are the ones who won the war with our allies in World War I and defeated the Nazis in World War II and stop the rise of fascism.
- [43:47]
Lee McGowan
But if we look at our history,
- [43:49]
Politics Girl (Host)
I think we've spent something like 238 of 250 years in some war, right? And now our country is deeply struggling with wealth disparity, with not having enough. And I think what are we doing? How much has this endless war really benefited us? Like yes, power, military might, but it kills our people, it kills foreign people and it takes money from the things we need at home. Do you think of that these days and what is the general sense of the military community? Around that?
- [44:23]
Ken Harbaugh
Well, I think about the fact that there is a group of people that never has to pay a price. Those are the oligarchs and their families. I think the Trump family might be the only family in the history of the presidency that literally has no familial connections to the military. None of them served. Barron Trump is not going to enlist. Right. He's probably getting his bones for diagnosis right now. None of them have a real connection to the military. And you see that evidence to in the way Trump talks about veterans as losers, the way he talks about war dead as suckers. They don't understand the very concept of sacrifice. And I'm so glad you brought Smedley Butler into the conversation, because in addition to writing War is a Racket, which is his most famous pamphlet within the military, he is best known for having positioned himself as an ally to the oligarchs, but as a plant. When he was approached during the Great Depression, as these social programs were coming online, as these promises to reform American society were being made and these bills were being passed, a bunch of oligarchs approached Smedley Butler and said, this won't do. Right. We need someone who can carry the torch for capitalism and against socialism and these attempts to gut the. The American promise of unlimited riches for those with the capital and the resources to build upon the industrialization that we have perfected. And Smedley Butler said, okay, I'm your guy. But what he was really doing was gathering information for congressional inquiry into a coup attempt. And General Butler has become a hero in many circles of the American military as the guy who exposed the first serious coup attempt against the American government led by oligarchs, only to be, you know, topped by the January 6th coup attempt. But Smedley Butler testified before Congress about these billionaires at the time. I think a millionaire qualified, right? But these rich people who came to him upset at the New Deal and these other programs and said, will you help us lead a couple? He exposed it. I think we are in a similar moment right now with oligarchs who are making decisions that are costing American lives, but having to bear none of the cost of that themselves. Their families bear none of the burden of America going to war, but they're certainly getting richer. If you look at the increase in net worth of the people who are on the dais with President Trump at his second inauguration, I think at the time their value approached $1 trillion. It is multiples of that now in just the short time since that inauguration and since his first election, Jeff Bezos has added, you know, over $100 billion to his value, and that's been played out across the oligarchic class. I don't know what the solution is, but until people like that begin to pay an actual price for sending Americans to war, we're going to stay stuck in this cycle.
- [47:48]
Politics Girl (Host)
Yeah, which is why they probably fired all the Smedley Butler types as soon as they came into office. Anyone that might stand up against them, stand up for the country. Now, Lindsey Graham was on the Sunday shows this weekend saying the plan for what comes next is not the President's job. And I'm pretty sure if you go in and kill the leader of the country, you should have some idea of what comes next. So before you go, what do you think that the American people and those people listening and their friends and family that they might say, speak to should be looking for as we go into the next couple of weeks of this conflict and moving forward?
- [48:22]
Ken Harbaugh
This is going to be an incredibly unpredictable, chaotic phase of the war. I wish the administration understood that. There seems to be this idea in Hegseth's circle that you can plan for all of these things. My nightmare scenario is an American POW or KIA being dragged through the streets of Tehran. I think a visual like that is coming. Maybe it's not that specifically, but we're already seeing those visuals of that girl school, which was devastated by, I think the intel, is saying Israeli bombs. The fog of war is going to lead things that you cannot plan for, that you cannot predict. And it means all the best laid plans are going to go out the window, made even worse when you have no plans. So this is an incredibly chaotic time. More Americans are going to die. Countless more Iranians, many of them innocent, are going to die. One of my great fears is that we experience something like the Vietnam effect here, and we blame the American service member. The really difficult thing to stomach here is that even though this war might have been launched without congressional approval, which was required, the vast majority of the orders being received by those sailors and airmen and Marines are lawful. They are actually doing their jobs, and they cannot be blamed for standing by their wingmen, for standing by their shipmates as they sail into harm's way. The onus has to be on the decision makers, the corruption in Washington, and we have to hold them accountable, initially with our voices and then with our votes, so that we can have a Congress that will actually do its job and rein in this presidency.
- [50:15]
Politics Girl (Host)
Yeah.
- [50:16]
Lee McGowan
And listen, let me ask you.
- [50:17]
Politics Girl (Host)
You made the film against all enemies
- [50:19]
Lee McGowan
about military here at home who are
- [50:21]
Politics Girl (Host)
willing to fight against the American people really because they think they're doing the right thing. What do you think the chances are of a false flag operation here so that it gets American people on board that blames the Iranian people and we have some sort of on soil destruction that also allows us to stop the elections? What do you think the chances are of that knowing what you know from doing against our enemies?
- [50:44]
Ken Harbaugh
I wouldn't put the chances at zero. But I don't think it is especially necessary when you have a counterterrorism department that is led by amateurs. I encourage people to google Thomas Fugate, a 22 year old blogger who runs the Department of Homeland Security counterterrorism operation. Is it any wonder that terrorist attacks that. Well, we saw one in Austin already. I'm afraid there are going to be more. We we have a third of our FBI agents focused on immigration now, not on the actual internal threats. We have a director of National Intelligence who is stalking an elections office in Fulton county instead of looking outwards at real threats that might be coming in. I'm not convinced we need a false flag operation when we have such an incompetent counterterrorism function in the country already. Google Thomas Fugate and tell me if you are reassured that this administration is protecting the American people.
- [51:48]
Politics Girl (Host)
Correct. And I will also say to people before you go that I think they should be wary of what they're reading and taking in when it comes to this war. That our media is mostly controlled mainstream cable and social media now by the Trump administration and supporters of the Trump administration. So I would say seek out independent media. Go to Valor Media where Ken is listen to stuff that we're doing here. Really focus on international news. You might get a much fuller story if you are seeking out the truth rather than the American propaganda. I will also say watch what's going
- [52:17]
Lee McGowan
on with election infrastructure.
- [52:18]
Politics Girl (Host)
The president knows he's not politicians popular. He knows people didn't want this war. He knows he's not doing well at home. So this idea that he might try and nationalize elections is a real concern.
- [52:28]
Lee McGowan
And I would say stay alert and
- [52:30]
Politics Girl (Host)
engaged in that because that cannot happen here. I want to thank you so much for joining us today Ken, truly. Please tell people how they can follow your work moving forward.
- [52:38]
Ken Harbaugh
I'm on substack at the Ken Harbaugh Show. Valor Media has a ton of content that is following this and I have a daily show on the Midas Touch Network, the Ken Harbaugh show. Would love a follow on Substack. That's where I am every day.
- [52:53]
Politics Girl (Host)
Thank you so much for joining us and may we protect our troops both at home and abroad.
- [52:57]
Ken Harbaugh
Thanks Lee. Appreciate it.
- [53:00]
Lee McGowan
So that was Ken Harbaugh reminding us that Congress needs to reassert itself. No matter what we think about removing a terrible foreign leader, an American president cannot just go rogue with our money and our soldiers because he feels like it. This is a man behind behaving like he doesn't need the support of the American people, and in doing so, this is his war, not ours. But we need to be careful that this administration isn't allowed to use these careless actions as a ruse to interfere with our upcoming elections, because that above all is clearly the goal. This war seems to be more about our Commander in Chief making money and protecting his own power than it is about American freedom or safety. And it shouldn't matter what side of the political spectrum you sit that is the not a good enough reason for America to be at war. I want to thank Ken for joining us today and you for caring enough about what's right and true to be here. Stay alert and don't believe the propaganda until next week. PGL before you go, I just want to say this war is the perfect example of why we need to fund independent media. Mainstream media, cable news and social media is now almost exclusively run by a handful of Trump supporting billionaires who, like Ken said, have exponentially grown their already extraordinary wealth because of that relationship. So if you respect what I'm trying to do here, if you learn something from my podcast and my rants, if you would like to get this podcast ad free delivered directly to your inbox along with the rants and TV appearances. Please consider becoming a member of Politics Girl Premium by going to politics girl.com and signing up. If you are already a premium member of this podcast, thank you for your support. And if you're not a member, please consider becoming a patron of my work. If you want real knowledge in a world of lies, it is essential to support those of us out here still trying to bring them to you. There is a link to sign up in the bio of this episode, but also@politicsgirl.com and as always, please like and share these podcasts so we can grow our audience because the more people who have access to this kind of information the better. As always, thank you for your time and support. The Politics Girl Podcast is written and performed by me, Leigh McGowan and produced and edited by Happy Warrior Entertainment. All rights reserved.