VINCE Podcast: “WE GOT HIM!” It's an Easter Miracle | Episode 261

Host: Vince Coglianese
Date: April 6, 2026

Episode Overview

On this high-energy post-Easter episode, Vince Coglianese covers an extraordinary U.S. military rescue in Iran deemed an “Easter miracle," escalating tensions with Iran marked by President Trump's fiery pronouncements, and an exclusive discussion on the Virginia redistricting battle threatening the House majority. Vince also shares spiritual reflections, guest interviews, and audience mobilization strategies in his characteristic direct and impassioned style.

Key Discussion Points & Insights

1. Easter Miracle: Rescue of Downed U.S. F-15 Crew in Iran

[03:29–16:30]

• The Incident:
  On Good Friday, an American F-15 was shot down over Iran. Initial success: One crew member rescued swiftly. The second, a weapons systems officer and colonel, evaded capture for days before being found and rescued on Easter Sunday.

• Details of the Rescue:

  • The colonel was injured and on the run in the Iranian mountains, hiding and moving for three days.
  • CIA involvement: They executed a deception plan to buy time and keep Iranian forces away while locating the downed airman using advanced tech.
  • American Special Forces launched a daring “massive deployment” for the extraction.
  • President Trump authorized the mission and, after its success, communicated directly and triumphantly with multiple reporters and on Truth Social:
    • "We got him!" (Trump, [05:07])
    • “This is the first time in military memory that two US Pilots have been rescued separately deep in enemy territory. We will never leave an American war fighter behind.” (Vince paraphrasing Trump, [06:45])
  • Notable spiritual moment: As the officer ejected, he declared over the radio, “God is good.”
    • “The weapon system officer gave a short, unusual message over his radio. ‘Power be to God.’ But the specific quote, according to US Defense official, was that the exact phrase was ‘God is good.’” (Vince, [08:05])
  • Vince and guests note the symbolic timing aligning with Easter: a “miracle” narrative.

• Significance and Reactions:

  • Jeh Johnson, Obama’s former DHS secretary, praised the operation, comparing its complexity to the Bin Laden raid:
    • “This operation…a remarkable exercise…more complicated than the Bin Laden operation, for example.” (Jeh Johnson, [11:29])
  • President Trump to hold a press conference on the event ([12:18]).

2. President Trump’s Escalating Threats to Iran

[12:35–21:31]

• Trump’s Blunt Message:

  • On Easter Sunday, Trump issues an explicit warning to Iran:
    • “Tuesday will be power plant day and bridge day all wrapped up in one in Iran. There will be nothing like it. Open the fucking straight, you crazy bastards, or you'll be living in hell. Just watch. Praise be to Allah.” (Quoting Trump’s post, [13:20])
  • Vince and commentators stress the seriousness and “unfiltered” nature of this presidential communication, noting both the directness and the provocative tone (“Praise be to Allah” as a challenge, not a faith declaration).

• Deadline and Imminent Action:

  • The President specifies a Tuesday deadline, warning massive bombings if Iran does not make a deal by 8:00pm Eastern.
    • “The President says Tuesday. Tuesday. What does he mean by Tuesday? Well, specifically, the president said Tuesday, 8 o’ clock p.m. Eastern Time.” (Vince, [16:30])

• Military and Diplomatic Stakes:

  • General Frank McKenzie (former CENTCOM) advises Iran to take Trump’s threat seriously:
    • “If the President says we’re going to do something, we’re probably going to do it…good time for the Iranian leadership to take note of that fact.” (Gen. McKenzie, [16:02])
  • As the deadline approaches, the U.S. is negotiating a 45-day ceasefire with Iran, but Vince reports chances are “slim.”

• Trump’s Stand:

  • On deal-or-destruction:
    • “There’s a good chance...but if they don’t make a deal, I am blowing up everything.” (Trump to Axios, cited by Vince, [19:50])
    • "This should be over in days, not weeks...no sane group of people could stand the punishment that's going to rain down on them if it's not." (Trump to ABC’s Rachel Scott, [21:15])

3. Virginia Gerrymandering Battle & House Majority at Stake

Guest: Fmr. Governor George Allen
[30:30–48:44]

• The Issue:
  Democrats in Virginia push a ballot measure cloaked in the language of “restoring fairness” but designed, according to guest George Allen and Vince, to heavily gerrymander Congressional districts in their favor and disenfranchise rural and suburban voters.

• Bipartisan Pushback:

  • “What they're proposing is…going from being the best in the country with fair districts to…if this gets through…the worst, and disenfranchising voters.” (George Allen, [30:38])
  • Virginia’s maps received top grades (A) from the Princeton Redistricting Project; Allen insists the current system is “the gold standard.”
  • “In 2020, 66% of voters…voted to take this redistricting out of the hands of conniving, self-interested politicians…to an independent bipartisan commission.” (Allen, [35:45])

• Democratic Tactics:

  • National Democrats, led by figures like Hakeem Jeffries and Barack Obama, have poured over $40 million into the campaign.
  • The ballot language is criticized as deeply misleading—designed to pass by confusing voters.

• Stakes Outlined:

  • Allen: “If they rig Virginia, they can steal the entire House of Representatives.” ([40:31])
  • Vince and Allen bemoan lack of comparable Republican financial response, urging activists and voters to mobilize:
    • “It’s going to take a vassal uprising to win. The world’s controlled by those who show up.” (Allen, [46:14])

• Republican and Grassroots Response:

  • Not enough Republican funding so far.
  • Allen’s “no gerrymandering” group forms a bipartisan front, but admits much of the energy and money remains on the Democratic side.
  • Vince: “Fight for your country and vote no. This is right now, the recourse we have. It’s been left in the hands of the people.” ([49:30])

4. Audience Mobilization & Spiritual Reflections

[48:45–58:53]

• Vince draws on the Easter theme to encourage civic involvement:

  • “In electoral politics, nagging works. If you’re not in Virginia, but you know somebody who is, you should be texting them relentlessly.” ([51:55])
  • Warns listeners: “You have a moral obligation to tell the truth loudly and relentlessly. We have to. Otherwise, they'll win…with their wall of lies.” ([52:20])

• Spiritual and Universal Messages:

  • Astronaut Victor Glover (from space):
    • “You are special in all of this emptiness…As we go into Easter Sunday…remember where we are, who we are, and that we are the same thing, and that we got to get through this together.” ([55:00])
  • President Trump’s Easter Message:
    • “This Holy Week, I’m proud to join with Christians across the country…to celebrate the most glorious miracle…in his resurrection from the tomb, he proved that even death itself will not silence those who place their trust in Almighty God…Religion is growing again in our country for the first time in decades. Happy Easter to all…” ([57:09])

Notable Quotes & Memorable Moments

• “God is good.” —US pilot, over the radio while ejecting over Iran ([08:10])
• “Such a rescue has never happened before in so violent an enemy territory. It is usually not done because it is considered not doable.” — President Trump, recounting the rescue ([03:35])
• “Tuesday will be power plant day and bridge day all wrapped up in one in Iran…Open the fucking straight, you crazy bastards, or you’ll be living in hell.” — President Trump ([13:20])
• “This operation…is more complicated than the bin Laden operation, for example.” — Jeh Johnson, former DHS Secretary ([11:56])
• “Any party that needs to cheat to win elections must not have a whole heck of a lot of confidence in the quality of their candidates or the popularity of their agenda.” — George Allen ([41:14])
• “We got to get through this together.” — Astronaut Victor Glover, for Easter, from space ([55:00])
• “In the end, evil and wickedness will not prevail.” — President Trump, Easter message ([57:30])

Timestamps for Key Segments

• [03:29] NBC/Meet the Press: The transcripted recounting of the rescue in Iran
• [06:45] Trump’s Truth Social post on the rescue
• [11:29] Jeh Johnson on complexity vs. the Bin Laden raid
• [13:20] Trump’s Easter Sunday Iran threat post
• [16:02] Gen. Frank McKenzie on Trump’s credibility regarding military action
• [19:50] Axios: Trump insists, “If they don’t make a deal, I am blowing up everything.”
• [21:15] Trump: “This should be over in days, not weeks…”
• [30:30] Gov. George Allen on Virginia’s redistricting battle
• [41:14] Allen: “Any party that needs to cheat…”
• [48:45] Vince’s call to action and audience pep talk
• [55:00] Astronaut Victor Glover’s Easter message from space
• [57:09] Trump’s formal Easter message

Additional Notes

• Skip: Sponsor ads, promotional spots, and channel housekeeping
• Vince’s tone throughout: urgent, conversational, direct, and combative, with moments of spiritual reflection.
• The episode closes with spiritual reassurance but also calls for active citizenship, blending the personal, political, and national stakes.

For listeners: This summary captures the high points, core narratives, and the urgent tone of this jam-packed episode—the military rescue, Trump’s combative stand with Iran, the political fight for Virginia, and moments of both spiritual and civic encouragement.