US Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth appears before the House Armed Services Committee, Washington, D.C., April 29, 2026 (Rod Lamkey Jr./AP)
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I joined Times Radio’s Maddie Hale on Thursday afternoon for a 35-minute deep dive into the Trump camp’s chaotic, negligent, and deceptive pursuit of war on Iran.
We use Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth’s angry, defensive, insulting appearance before the House Armed Services Committee as our starting points. I dissect his refusal to answer questions, including the cost of the war, failures of planning, lies about legal and military considerations, and the lack of a clear objective.
They are trying to keep this war going even though they have no idea how to get regime surrender.
Here is what will undermine them in the end. It will be domestic pressure, which is why some people in the Administration — J.D. Vance, I am looking at you — are already trying to get out of this.
I also juxtapose the failing war with the Trumpist abandonment of European and Ukrainian security — and explain how Ukraine is moving from resistance to strength against the Russian invasion despite the Administration.
Repairing damaged US military bases will add billions to Iran war cost: https://edition.cnn.com/2026/04/29/politics/us-iran-war-25-billion-cost-estimate-low
“Iranian strikes across the Gulf in the early days of the war significantly damaged at least nine US military sites in just 48 hours, hitting facilities in Bahrain, Kuwait, Iraq, the UAE and Qatar,….Several critical US radar systems and other equipment across the Middle East were also apparently destroyed by Iranian strikes, including the radar system for an American THAAD missile battery in Jordan and buildings housing similar radar systems at two locations in the United Arab Emirates, CNN has reported. A US Air Force E-3 Sentry aircraft was also destroyed in an Iranian strike on a Saudi Arabia air base.”
Majority of US military sites in Middle East damaged by Iran: https://edition.cnn.com/2026/05/01/world/video/us-military-bases-iran-strikes-images-invs-digvid
“At least 16 American military sites have been damaged in Iranian strikes, making up the majority of US positions in the Middle East.”
Pezeshkian, Ghalibaf seek Araghchi’s ouster over ‘subservience’ to Guards
https://www.iranintl.com/en/liveblog/202604294038
When dogs start biting each other…