The Cost Of War Is More Than Oil

Summary

What A Day — “The Cost Of War Is More Than Oil”

Date: March 12, 2026
Host: Jane Coaston
Guests: Senator Mark Kelly, Matt Berg
Theme: Digging Into the Real Costs — Human, Economic, and Informational — of the Ongoing U.S. War With Iran, and the Political Spin Surrounding It

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Episode Overview

This episode unpacks the unfolding U.S.-Iran war, scrutinizing President Trump’s attempts to rebrand the conflict, the administration’s foggy information environment, and the tangible costs felt by regular Americans and those caught in the crossfire. Jane Coaston sits down with Arizona Senator Mark Kelly for a frank conversation about accountability, the shifting justifications for war, legislative responses to rising gas prices, and governmental dysfunction back home. Later, Jane and newsletter writer Matt Berg dissect Trump’s messaging, the economic fallout, and the surreal parade of characters managing America’s institutions in wartime.

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Key Discussion Points & Insights

1. Trump’s Mission Accomplished Moment & War Rebranding

• [00:57] Trump proclaims, “We’ve won,” branding the Iran conflict as “Operation Epic Fury” before contradicting himself: “We don’t want to leave early. We want to finish the job.”
  • Jane observations: War not over; U.S. has poor information about objective, scope, and endgame.
  • Casualty count: Over 1,000 Iranians dead, including a strike on an elementary school (Feb 28), for which preliminary U.S. military reports show the U.S. was at fault.
  • Quote:

    “We are not getting any good information about this war from the Trump administration, from why we’re in this conflict in the first place to what our goals are to when this war will end. There’s a fog around everything.” — Jane Coaston [01:25]

  • Pattern: Shifting blame, lack of transparency.

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2. Senator Mark Kelly Interview: Seeking Accountability

The Search for Truth Amid Misinformation

• [02:35] Jane asks Kelly about the Senate’s letter to the DoD: What do Democrats want to know about the elementary school strike?
  • Kelly’s focus: Understanding how the strike happened: “We’ve got to be better than other countries, and that includes accepting responsibility when things go wrong.” [02:49]
  • Criticism of Trump: Deflection, blaming Iran with implausible claims (“an Iranian Tomahawk missile”).
  • Need for transparency and process reform to prevent recurrence.

The “Informational Soup” in the War

• [04:05]
  • Jane: Friend counted 17 different official explanations for the war’s purpose.
  • Kelly: “My list is 13, and we’re, what, a little over a week into this?”
    • Justifications range from nuclear weapons, regime change, ballistic missiles, oil, Navy, to an “imminent threat.”
    • “The information environment is really complex, and our adversaries are using it against us... I try to go to trusted sources... not believe everything I read on social media.”

Holding the Pentagon Accountable for Civilian Casualties

• [05:11]
  • Jane asks about military findings (targeting error due to outdated data).
  • Kelly: Scale and tempo of strikes are concerning; risk of shortcuts and more civilian casualties.
    • U.S. has a duty to be careful; unlike Russia or Iran, does not intentionally target civilians.
    • Quote:

      “But if we zoom out a little bit, why are we in this war with Iran in the first place?... President hasn’t given any kind of a very clear strategic goal and a plan and a timeline… when you don’t have those three things, it’s very easy to wind up in a conflict for months, if not years, and you’re, like, aimlessly stuck in it and you have rising casualties on both sides. To what end? What are the American people getting out of this? So far? From what I can tell, they're getting higher gasoline prices.” [06:25]

Addressing Economic Impacts: The Cost Beyond Oil

• [07:49]
  • Kelly proposes suspending the federal gas tax until October to help Americans with higher fuel prices.
    • “It’s 18.4 cents per gallon. It’s not a lot. Gasoline has gone up by more than that amount already. But when families are struggling, it’s one thing that we can do, right now, to try to give them some relief.” [07:57]
  • Highlights deeper costs: U.S. service member casualties, orphaned children, disabled veterans.

Can You Set an “End Date” for War?

• [09:12]
  • Jane: “America could say that the war is over and Iran could say, absolutely not. Can you actually put an end date on war?”
  • Kelly: “He [Trump] believes that when he decides it’s over, it’s over. But that doesn’t mean the Iranians stop striking targets... Usually these things end by some kind of negotiated settlement.” [09:39]
    • He stresses the risk if Iran races toward nuclear development under new hardline leadership:

      “That would be catastrophic if the Iranians were able to build a functioning weapon and we didn’t have to be here. And now we’re at war with Iran.” [10:29]

Domestic Dysfunction: DHS Shutdown & Reform

• [10:51]
  • Jane asks about concerns with Department of Homeland Security’s (DHS) ongoing closure.
  • Kelly: Focus on urgency of funding critical agencies (Coast Guard, FEMA), while calling for ICE reform:

    “Somebody needs to overhaul this agency from the top up or, you know, the bottom down. Doesn’t matter to me. But it needs a complete overhaul.” [11:11] “We can fund TSA, we can fund Coast Guard, we can fund FEMA.” [12:16]

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3. Trump’s Economic Spin and the “Affordability Tour”

Rebranding War as “Excursion” & Downplaying Economic Pain

• [15:50] Trump (at Reading, Ohio facility):

  “So we had to take an excursion, but it’s doing well. The market’s holding up well... Prices are coming down very substantially. Oil will be coming down. That’s just a. That’s just a matter of war.”

• Jane: Highlights the shift: “Apparently, it’s no longer a war, it’s an excursion. But if the economy isn’t looking great, well, that’s a matter of war. So economy good excursion, economy bad war.” [16:14]

Matt Berg Dissects the Real Economic Picture

• [16:41]
  • Trump faces bad economic news — 92,000 jobs lost in February, stagnant inflation, and expected price hikes due to the war.
    • “It also proves that Trump’s economy is not the greatest ever, even though he is always saying that.” [17:05]
    • Strategic and international oil reserves will be tapped; uncertainty about how this impacts oil prices.

Trump’s Grudges, Political Maneuvering, and DHS Personnel Carousel

• Trump’s animosity toward Rep. Thomas Massie leads to bizarre political fights in Kentucky. Trump criticized for promoting loyalists in response to dissent within the GOP.

Kristi Noem’s “Golden Parachute” Gig

• [19:04]
  • Noem, after being fired as DHS Secretary, is appointed “Special Envoy for the Shield of Americas,” a job created by Trump with vague remit.
    • Matt: “This is, quote, a golden parachute job in that he ‘doubts she has any idea what she’s even doing.’ ”
  • Jane (about Noem): “That’s like, okay, you’re gonna let your golden retriever sit on the porch and just see, you know, keep adversaries at bay, but not with Kristi Noem because she hates dogs.” [19:31]

Doge Bro DEI Deposition: Tech Meets Bureaucracy

• [20:01]
  • Deposition of Doge staffer Justin Fox for using ChatGPT to cut National Endowment for the Humanities (NEH) grants. He can’t define DEI beyond “what was in the E.O.”
  • Matt: “Spoken like a true MAGA pilled tech bro.” [21:15]
  • Jane: “General rule, if you say the phrase the females, a meteor should just come from the sky.” [21:42]

Safety Concerns: Trump Officials Move to Military Bases

• [22:13]
  • Attorney General Pam Bondi, Stephen Miller, Pete Hegseth, Marco Rubio, and Kristi Noem have needed to relocate out of security concerns.
  • Jane: “In my imagination, they all live in one neighborhood, and that’s the worst place in the entire world. Do not ride your bike through that neighborhood. Don’t do it.” [22:26]

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Memorable Quotes

• “The thing about us as the United States, I mean, we’ve got to be better than other countries, and that includes accepting responsibility when things go wrong.” — Senator Mark Kelly [02:49]
• “We have a president focused on not the problems he said he was going to try to solve, which is high costs and also keeping us out of conflicts. Right now, we’re in one.” — Senator Mark Kelly [06:58]
• “Usually these things end by some kind of negotiated settlement… my preference would have been to stay in this negotiation.” — Senator Mark Kelly [09:56]
• “So economy good, excursion. Economy bad, war.” — Jane Coaston [16:14]
• “That sounds like the opposite of Mr. Rogers neighborhood. Sounds like the last place I want to be.” — Matt Berg (on Trump officials living on a military base) [22:13]
• (On Justin Fox’s DEI definition): “Spoken like a true MAGA-pilled tech bro.” – Matt Berg [21:15]

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Important Segments by Timestamp

• [00:57] Trump’s Mission Accomplished moment, war “won” messaging
• [02:35] Sen. Mark Kelly on seeking answers about the Iran elementary school strike
• [04:05] The fog of war: Even congressional committees lack consistent info
• [05:39] Kelly on risks of high-op-tempo strikes, accidental civilian casualties
• [07:49] The cost for families: casualties, disabilities, and Senator Kelly’s gas tax bill
• [09:12] Can you “declare” a war over? War’s messy, unpredictable endings
• [10:51] DHS shutdown: distinctions among agencies, push for ICE reform and funding for FEMA, Coast Guard
• [15:50] Trump rebrands the conflict as an “excursion,” economic talking points
• [16:41] Matt Berg on Trump’s economic spin, job losses, and inflation
• [19:04] Kristi Noem’s new “special envoy” post, described as a “golden parachute”
• [20:01] Doge staffer’s cringe deposition: Using ChatGPT to cut NEH grants, can’t define DEI
• [22:13] Trump officials and personal security — living in “the last place I want to be.”

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Summary & Tone

Jane Coaston brings a direct, irreverent tone that skewers political spin and the lack of transparency in U.S. war policy. The episode uses wit and pointed questions to highlight the disconnect between official messaging (“excursion,” “we’ve won”) and lived reality (escalating conflict, casualties, economic pain). Senator Mark Kelly provides a sober, critical voice on the necessity of government accountability and consistent strategy, while the dynamic with Matt Berg extends the show’s blend of sharp critique, deadpan humor, and exasperation with bureaucratic incompetence.

The key takeaway: The cost of war goes far beyond oil — it’s measured in lives, lost trust, battered institutions, and the daily confusion and hardship inflicted on those far from power.

Transcript

[Senator Mark Kelly]

Foreign

[Jane Coaston]

March 12th I'm Jane Coston, and this is what a Day. The show that says if you go to a taco place on vacation in New York or anywhere else and have a salsa that's too spicy for you, you simply say, that's too spicy for me. You do not, as a German tourist did earlier this year, sue for damages, especially since the judge might make fun of you in his opinion, siding with the restaurant. Quote, a quick Google search for Mexican food, salsa or even Los tacos. Reviews likely would have revealed that salsa can be quite spicy, wrote U.S. district Court Judge Dale Ho with a level of sarcasm even spicier than the sauce. This all started with on today's show, President Donald Trump rebrands the war as an excursion and tries to convince everyone that the economy is doing just fine. And newly released deposition videos show that a former Doge bro has no idea what DEI is. Who would have thought? But let's start with the war in

[President Donald Trump]

Iran, and as we take decisive action to stop the threat posed by the terrorist regime in Iran with Operation Epic Fury. Is that a great name? Well, it's only good if you win. You know, you can only do. And we've won. Let me say we've won.

[Jane Coaston]

Trump had his own President George W. Bush, Mission accomplished. Moment on Wednesday telling a crowd at a rally in Kentucky that the war with Iran is over before adding, quote, we don't want to leave early. We want to finish the job. So the war with Iran is not, in fact, over, not for the US and not for the bulk of the Middle Eastern region, which has been thrust into the conflict. The war has already killed more than 1,000 Iranians, including 175 people killed at an elementary school on February 28, according to multiple news outlets. A preliminary report from the US Military says the US Was at fault for that strike, which contradicts Donald Trump, who said Saturday that Iran was at fault for the attack and then Wednesday said, quote, I don't know about it when a reporter asked him about the investigation, which seems to be a part of a larger pattern. We are not getting any good information about this war from the Trump administration, from why we're in this conflict in the first place to what our goals are to when this war will end. To there's a fog around everything. So to find out what members of Congress are doing to reckon with the informational soup Trump has created, I spoke to Arizona Democratic Senator Mark Kelly. Senator Kelly, welcome to what a day.

[Senator Mark Kelly]

It's good to be here. Thank you for having me on Again,

[Jane Coaston]

on Wednesday, you and nearly all of your Democratic colleagues in the Senate wrote a letter to the Department of Defense asking for answers about a strike that hit an elementary school in Iran. As a former leader in the military was what is the first thing you want to know?

[Senator Mark Kelly]

Well, I want to know how this happened so we can make sure it doesn't happen again. That's the really critical piece of this. And I think we're living in a time where the information we get from the government, from the administration, is not accurate. The president's initial response to this was, well, it might have been an Iranian Tomahawk missile. Well, that's not a thing. That's. That's a ridiculous thing for a president to say. He should know better. But he threw that out there as a way to try to deflect blame. The thing about us as the United States, I mean, we've got to be better than other countries, and that includes accepting responsibility when things go wrong. Then we need to change whatever process broke, whether it was a targeting process or an intelligence gathering process, because we can't have this happen again.

[Jane Coaston]

I wanted to actually ask a little bit about the information environment that you're in, because a good friend of mine, he has a substack where he counted that there were 17 different explanations for why we got into this war that we have gotten from Trump administration officials. How difficult has it been for you as a senator, to get information about the objectives and progress of this war?

[Senator Mark Kelly]

Well, I've got to get with your friend, because My list is 13, and we're, what, a little over a week into this. And, you know, this started out about nuclear weapons and regime change and ballistic missiles and the Navy, and then an imminent threat in the future and then oil. And, you know, I had a feeling was on the list. I mean, I'm on the Intelligence and Armed Services Committee, so I have access to, you know, the most up to date real information, often classified. And it's hard for me. The information environment is really complex, and our adversaries are using it against us. Russia, China, Iran, and the North Koreans do it, too. And they use social media to try to divide us as a country and feed us false information. So I try to go to trusted sources, you know, the committee work, which people don't generally have access to, but, you know, trusted media outlets, the New York Times, the Wall Street Journal, cnn, and others, and try to not believe everything I read on social media.

[Jane Coaston]

Speaking of the New York Times, I want to go back to that U.S. strike on a school The New York Times reported Wednesday that the military investigation into that strike. The preliminary findings show that the US Committed the strike because of outdated data leading to a targeting error. How can Congress, how can you hold the Pentagon accountable for mistakes like this? Because, as you say, we shouldn't be doing this. This should have never happened, and this should never happen again.

[Senator Mark Kelly]

Well, one of my big concerns is that there were a lot of strikes in a really short period of time. And how much due diligence are the targeters and the intelligence officers doing before making a decision to hit a target? You can't take these things back. And we've got to be very, very careful about civilian casualties. You know, the Russians target civilians in Ukraine intentionally. The Iranians are targeting civilians in cities throughout the Middle East, Tel Aviv and Dubai and Abu Dhabi and others. We don't do that. But we also have to be very, very careful to make sure it doesn't happen by accident. And this was obviously, you know, an accident. I don't have any question about, you know, whether, you know, this was intentional. We just don't do that. But we have to be incredibly careful, especially when you have a very high ops tempo, a lot of airplanes launching, you have a lot of weapons available. And there was a call that I saw it was made public that they were looking for intelligence officers to, you know, move into the region because they were looking at so many targets, and then you start to take shortcuts. But I think the bigger problem here with this is we're talking specifically about an operation. But if we zoom out a little bit, you know, why are we in this war with Iran in the first place? You mentioned 17 reasons. I'm counting, you know, 13. President hasn't given any kind of a very clear strategic goal and a plan and a timeline to do this. And when you don't have those three things, I think it's very easy to wind up in a conflict for months, if not years, and you're, like, aimlessly stuck in it and you have rising casualties on both sides. To what end? What are the American people getting out of this? So far? From what I can tell, they're getting higher gasoline prices. And we have a president focused on not the problems he said he was going to try to solve, which is high costs and also keeping us out of conflicts. Right now, we're in one.

[Jane Coaston]

Earlier this week, you introduced a bill that would suspend the federal gas tax until October. In your view, is that enough to combat the higher costs Americans are seeing at the bump?

[Senator Mark Kelly]

Well, before I get to the gas thing, let me also say that the cost for families, seven families across our country, the cost was the ultimate cost. They lost their lives. And we also have 140 injured service members out there. I don't know the extent of their injuries. I'm sure some of them are very severe, and they're going to wind up with lifetime disabilities. And that affects not only them, their families, their friends. We have children that are orphaned because of this. So the cost is the greatest cost anybody or any family can pay on the cost of fuel. 20% of worldwide crude oil flows through those straits between Iran and Oman. You know, even though most of that oil goes to Asia, it does result in higher prices even in the United States. And for gasoline. So my bill would suspend the federal gas tax through October. It's 18.4 cents per gallon. It's not a lot. Gasoline has gone up by more than that amount already. But when families are struggling, it's one thing that we can do, you know, right now to try to give them some relief. So, you know, hopefully we'll get some bipartisan support and we can get that passed.

[Jane Coaston]

Something I think about a lot is that there's that old saying that one of the challenges in war is that the enemy gets a say. You are a retired Navy captain, and I'm well aware, and you're well aware that America could say that the war is over and Iran could say, absolutely not. Can you actually put an end date on war, as Trump keeps trying to do, saying two weeks, then four weeks, maybe six months, like it just doesn't make any sense?

[Senator Mark Kelly]

Yeah, I think he believes that when he decides it's over, it's over. But that doesn't mean the Iranians stop striking targets in the region and cease in committing terrorist acts. And the Straits of Hormuz are wide open, despite the fact that there's some mines, you know, been laid. So you're right, they do get a say. And usually these things end by some kind of negotiated settlement. Now, remember where we were before it started? We were in a negotiation that was ended by the administration. And within a day or so, combat operations started. You know, my preference would have been to stay in this negotiation. We also, by the way, have a president who ripped up a nuclear deal that was keeping the enrichment low, and the Iranians weren't racing towards a nuclear weapon. And my big worry now is, does the new supreme leader, who's considered a bigger hardliner than his dad, does he at some point try to race to get a nuclear weapon? That would be catastrophic if the Iranians were able to build a functioning weapon and we didn't have to be here. And now we're at war with Iran

[Jane Coaston]

at the same time that all of this is happening. The Department of Homeland Security is still closed. And soon senators will be asked to confirm a new department head. Do you have any concerns about DHS not operating right now, especially as it should be? And are there any meaningful proposals to reopen DHS right now?

[Senator Mark Kelly]

Well, there's, you know, we're talking about a couple different things, Right. So ICE is part of dhs, but Coast Guard and FEMA are as well. And it's important that the Coast Guard and FEMA get funded with regards to ice. Having Kristi Noem fired for doing a poor job, that's a step. There are other individuals that need to be fired. And then somebody needs to overhaul this agency from the top up or, you know, the bottom down. Doesn't matter to me. But it needs a complete overhaul. And we made a proposal on what we thought should be changed. It was rejected by this administration and now the Republicans are politicizing this entire thing. What they could do is pass our plans to fund fema, fund the Coast Guard, and then work with us to come up with a proposal to make some changes at ICE so people's constitutional rights aren't violated and so we don't wind up with more dead Americans in the streets at the hands of federal agents. We can't have this and we can't have people being beaten up and maced for no reason and, you know, their homes being entered without warrants. So we're trying to overhaul the agency and it's pretty simple what we're asking for. And at the same time, we can fund tsa, we can fund Coast Guard, we can fund female.

[Jane Coaston]

Senator Kelly, as always, thank you so much for joining me.

[Senator Mark Kelly]

Appreciate you having me on.

[Jane Coaston]

That was my conversation with Arizona Democratic Senator Mark Kelly. We have more important news on the way, but if you like the show, make sure to subscribe. Leave a five star review on Spotify and Apple podcasts. Watch us on YouTube and share with your friends. More to come after some ads. What a Day is brought to you by Zebiotics. Let's face it, after a night with drinks, I don't bounce back the next day like I used to. I have to make a choice. I can either have a great night or a great next day. That is until I found pre alcohol Zebiotics. Pre alcohol Probiotic drink is the world's first genetically engineered probiotic. It was invented by PhD scientists to tackle rough mornings after drinking. Here's how it when you drink, alcohol gets converted into a toxic byproduct in the gut. It's a buildup of this byproduct, not dehydration, that's to blame for rough days after drinking. Pre alcohol produces an enzyme to break this byproduct down. Just remember to make pre alcohol your first drink of the night. Drink responsibly and you'll feel your best tomorrow. Every time I have pre alcohol before drinks, I notice a difference the next day. Even after a night out, I can confidently plan on working out without worry. March is a marathon of social events. From the slopes to the bracket watch parties to Guinness on St Patrick's Day. Pre alcohol is the tool you need to fully enjoy the end of winter. Go to zebiotics.com wad to learn more and get 15% off your first order when you use code WAD at checkout. Zebiotics is backed with a 100% money back guarantee, so if you're unsatisfied for any reason, they'll refund your money, no questions asked. Remember to head to zebiotics.com wad and use the code WAD at checkout for 15% off. Wadaday is brought to you by Quince these days I'm all about quality over quantity, especially in my closet. If it's not well made and versatile, it's just not worth it to me. That's honestly why I love Quince. The fabrics feel elevated, the cuts are thoughtful, and the pricing actually makes sense. Quince makes high quality wardrobe staples using premium fabrics like 100% European linen, 100% silk and organic cotton poplin. Lightweight cotton cashmere sweaters. Perfect for the changing seasons and can't miss seasonal colors and prints for spring. Versatile, well made pieces that make getting dressed simple. The sweater I'm wearing right now, it's from Quince, it's cashmere and it's unbelievably soft. Stop waiting to build the wardrobe you actually want. You don't need a closet full of options. You need pieces that work right now. Go to quince.com wad for free shipping and 365 day returns. That's a full year to wear it and love it. And you will. Now available in Canada too. Don't keep settling for clothes that don't last. Go to q U-I-N-E.com wad for free shipping and 365 day returns. Quince.com wad if you work in university

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[Jane Coaston]

Here's what else we're following today. Head of Lines

[President Donald Trump]

so we had to take an excursion, but it's doing well. The market's holding up well. I figured we'd be hit a little bit, but we were hit probably less than I thought and we'll be back on track in a pretty short while. Prices are coming down very substantially. Oil will be coming down. That's just a. That's just a matter of war.

[Jane Coaston]

President Donald Trump tried to downplay economic troubles outside of a pharmaceutical company facility in Ohio on Wednesday. Apparently, it's no longer a war, it's an excursion. But if the economy isn't looking great, well, that's a matter of war. So economy good excursion, economy bad war. Here with me to talk through Trump's affordability tour that isn't and all the news of the day is what a day. Newsletter writer Matt Berg Hey, Matt.

[Matt Berg]

Hey Jane.

[Jane Coaston]

So Matt Trump stopped at that pharmaceutical company facility in Reading, which is a suburb of Cincinnati. Sort of, because all of Cincinnati in many places is a giant suburb. That's where I'm from. He also went to a packing facility in Hebron, Kentucky, part of Republican Representative Thomas Massie's district. Thomas Massie, who, as you know, Trump hates beyond all things.

[Matt Berg]

So Trump doesn't like Thomas Massie for a lot of reasons, and one of them is because he is one of the lawmakers who has spearheaded the Epstein files release. Trump recently endorsed Massey's opponent, Ed Gallerian, a former Navy seal, in the primary. And Trump posted this week on Truth Social that Massie is, quote, the Republican Party's worst congressman ever. Trump was probably grumpy, though, because of all the bad economic news that's been coming out. There's a recent report that employers cut 92,000 jobs in February. It's unexpectedly high. And it also proves that Trump's economy is not the greatest ever, even though he is always saying that inflation also didn't change much between January and February, according to fresh data. But that was before the start of the war. We could see prices go even higher in the coming weeks, and it could take a long time before they come down.

[Jane Coaston]

Yeah. And to that note, on Wednesday, Trump said that the US Will tap the Strategic Petroleum Reserve. Earlier on Wednesday, the International Energy Agency announced members will release more than 400 million barrels from strategic reserves. This is all notable because, I mean, one oil reserves, but also, remember, Trump said that we won the war and everything's great and fine. But let's move on to one of my favorite subjects. Former Department of Homeland Security Secretary Christine, who made a ad in which she got to ride horses with buffalo, which respect. The New York Post reported that last year, Corey Lewandowski, her special aide slash alleged paramour, told one of the paper's sources, quote, I'm not worried. I do whatever the fuck I want. DJT will pardon me. Now. Lewandowski denied saying this, Even though it 100% sounds like something he would say. He also added that I haven't done anything that would need to be pardoned for, which is an interesting addition to make. But what's Kristi Noem been doing since she got fired? Which was, again, really funny and cool?

[Matt Berg]

I've been wondering the same thing. And so I thought I would ask people who would know what Noem is up to, since her title is now, quote, special Envoy for the Shield of Americas. If that sounds made up, it's because it is. Trump literally made that up. Earlier this week, Noam had her first public appearance as the special envoy, saying that she would keep our adversaries at bay in the Western Hemisphere, which is very vague.

[Jane Coaston]

That's like, okay, you're gonna let your golden retriever sit on the porch and just see, you know, keep adversaries at bay, but not with Kristi Noem because she hates dogs.

[Matt Berg]

And so that is exactly the vibe that I got from a lot of people on the Hill. An aide to the Senate Homeland Security Committee told me that they've received no information about her job aside from public reports since Friday. And a longtime Latin American expert told me that this is, quote, a golden parachute job in that he, quote, doubts she has any idea what she's even doing.

[Jane Coaston]

In other news, humanities groups, including the American Historical association, are suing the National Endowment for the Humanities over the process Doge used to cut grant funding. Over $100 million in NEH grants were canceled by DOSH. The reason I bring this up met is because depositions from the discovery process were recently released, and Doge staffer Justin Fox oversaw the use of ChatGPT to terminate NEH grants. Let's hear from him.

[Matt Berg]

How do you interpret DEI? There was the EO explicitly laid out the details. I don't remember it off the top of my head. It's okay. I'm asking for your understanding of it. Yeah, my understanding was exactly what was written in the eo. Okay, so can you. I don't remember what was in the eo. So right now, do you have an understanding of what D.E.I. is? Yeah. Okay, so what's your understanding as you sit here today in this deposition? Well, it was exactly what was written in the eo.

[Jane Coaston]

Nobody wants to be deposed like nobody does, but. But I think we should make this person be deposed, like, once a day. This is beautiful. And, Matt, I think that you learned some interesting information watching this deposition.

[Matt Berg]

Yeah. So one reason that he may have been so uncomfortable in this is that he said ChatGPT was correct to flag that a documentary about violence against women during the Holocaust should have been flagged as dei. He also justified that by saying the documentary was, quote, specifically focused on Jewish cultures and, quote, voices of the females in that culture, which is, you know, spoken like a true MAGA pilled tech bro.

[Jane Coaston]

General rule, if you say the phrase the females, a meteor should just come from the sky. In other news having to do with people I don't like, the New York Times reported this week that Attorney General Pam Bondi moved from her D.C. apartment to a military base in the D.C. area due to threats both from cartels post Maduro abduction and critics of her handling of the Epstein files, which, like that sounds very scary and very hard. But there are other Trump officials I think you've mentioned who may have had to move to military facilities.

[Matt Berg]

Yes, those Trump officials include none other than Stephen Miller, Pete Hegseth, Marco Rubio, and Kristi Noem, which sounds like the opposite of Mr. Rogers neighborhood. Sounds like the last place I want to be.

[Jane Coaston]

Yeah. In my imagination, they all live in one neighborhood, and that's the worst place in the entire world. Do not ride your bike through that neighborhood. Don't do it. Matt, thanks for hanging out and talking about the news with me.

[Matt Berg]

Thanks for having me.

[Jane Coaston]

And that's the news. Before we go. If you want the perspective of people who actually know what's happening behind the scenes in Washington, check out Runaway country with Alex Wagner. This week, Alex sits down with Rachel Maddow to talk about the escalating conflict with Iran and how the story is unfolding inside the halls of power. New Jersey Democratic Senator Andy Kim also joins to discuss the corruption and political decisions that helped lead us into this war. Listen to wherever you get your podcasts or watch on YouTube now. That's all for today. If you like the show, make sure you subscribe, leave a review, double check that Secretary of War little boy Pete Hegseth always looks hot in photos. And tell your friends to listen. And if you're into reading and not just about how According to the Washington Post, the Defense Department has barred photographers from briefings for the Iran war because their photographs of Hegseth were, quote, unflattering. Like me. What a Day is also a nightly newsletter. Check it out and [e-mail] subscribe I'm Jane Coston and look, I get it. If you have to give a briefing on a war of choice that has risked the lives of thousands of people and the entire global economy, the least you can do is ensure all of the photos make you look sexy. What a Day is a production of Crooked Media. It's recorded and mixed by Desmond Taylor. Our associate producer is Emily Foer. Our producer is Kaitlyn Plummer. Our video editor is Joseph Dutra. Our video producer is Johanna Case. We have production help today from Greg Walters, Matt Berg, Sean Ali and Ethan Oberman. Our senior producer is Erika Morrison and our senior vice president of news and politics is Adrienne Hill. Our theme music is by Kyle Murdoch and Jordan Cantor. We had help today from the Associated Press. Our production staff is proudly unionized with the Writers Guild of America East.