ABC News anchor Jonathan Karl referenced Sun Tzu and &#8216;The Art of War&#8217; as he struggled on Sunday to piece together a cohesive strategy from President Donald Trump&#8217;s statements regarding his potential next moves in Iran.
Karl, on Sunday&#8217;s broadcast of &#8220;This Week,&#8221; presented a number of seemingly-conflicting statements and movements, saying that at times it was impossible to tell whether the Trump administration was planning to bring Operation Epic Fury to an end or further escalate the military action against the Iranian regime.
WATCH:
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“Listening to President Trump’s words at any given moment, it sounds like the war is about to end — or it’s about to intensify.”
One month into the war with Iran, <a href="https://twitter.com/jonkarl?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">@JonKarl</a> breaks down Trump’s often conflicting statements about the war&#8217;s developments.<a href="https://t.co/LMawxMOHLc">https://t.co/LMawxMOHLc</a> <a href="https://t.co/XuToAZZKLy">pic.twitter.com/XuToAZZKLy</a>
— This Week (@ThisWeekABC) <a href="https://twitter.com/ThisWeekABC/status/2038242688458269151?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">March 29, 2026</a></blockquote>
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&#8220;In &#8216;The Art of War,&#8217; Sun Tzu wrote that a leader&#8217;s plans must be as dark and impenetrable as night,&#8221; Karl began, saying that Trump might not be basing his strategy on Sun Tzu but his plans were certainly difficult to pin down.
Karl highlighted the conflicting statements about developments in Iran, saying that Trump spent half the time talking about how many objectives had already been achieved — some, as he&#8217;s said on several occasions, ahead of schedule — while quietly moving to build up troops in the area, and perhaps signaling a coming escalation.
&#8220;Just consider his words over the past ten days,&#8221; Karl said. &#8220;On March 20th, he declared that he was &#8216;close to meeting his military objective and considering winding down our military efforts in the Middle East.&#8217; The very next day he announced a major escalation, threatening to &#8216;hit and obliterate&#8217; Iranian power infrastructure if the regime did not fully open the Strait of Hormuz.&#8221;
Just days later, Karl noted, Trump had announced that he&#8217;d been having &#8220;productive&#8221; conversations with officials regarding bringing hostilities to a close – but then extended the deadline more than once.
&#8220;Listening to President Trump&#8217;s words at any given moment, it sounds like the war is about to end — or it’s about to intensify,&#8221; Karl remarked.
Since the beginning of Operation Epic Fury, Trump and a number of his surrogates — including Secretary of State Marco Rubio and War Secretary Pete Hegseth have repeatedly made it clear that they would not, at least publicly, remove any military or diplomatic options from the table. That in conjunction with Trump&#8217;s apparently-conflicting statements and actions suggest that he has, in fact, taken &#8220;The Art of War&#8221; to heart.

ABC News: Election Night 2020

Jon Karl Digs Into Sun Tzu To Wrap His Brain Around Trump’s Iran Strategy

ABC News

Donald Trump

Iran

Jonathan Karl

Media

Military

Pete Hegseth

Politics

Bill Maher put Senator Elissa Slotkin on the spot Friday, challenging the Michigan Democrat to defend her party&#8217;s opposition to President Donald Trump&#8217;s military actions against the Iranian regime.
Speaking to Slotkin on the latest episode of his show &#8220;Real Time,&#8221; Maher marveled that Slotkin and the majority of Democrats &#8220;miraculously&#8221; reached the exact conclusion on Operation Epic Fury. The one exception to that, Maher pointed out, was Pennsylvania Senator John Fetterman.
WATCH:
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Bill Maher: “There’s one guy [Sen.] John Fetterman (D-PA)… who has dissented from the Democratic Party line. Is that really the case? Really, there’s only one person in the whole party who thinks differently? You all miraculously came to the same conclusion on Iran?
Sen.… <a href="https://t.co/1VkGBVHDfE">pic.twitter.com/1VkGBVHDfE</a>
— RedWave Press (@RedWavePress) <a href="https://twitter.com/RedWavePress/status/2037863626460082338?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">March 28, 2026</a></blockquote>
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&#8220;There’s one guy, John Fetterman, who I can think of who has dissented from the Democratic Party line,&#8221; Maher explained. &#8220;Is that really the case? Really, there’s only one person in the whole party who thinks differently? You all miraculously came to the exact same conclusion about Iran?&#8221;
Slotkin attempted to push back, citing her own experience with the CIA and saying that she agreed that the Iranian regime was comprised of bad actors.
Adding that there was &#8220;no love lost&#8221; between her and the Iranian regime, she said, &#8220;The Iranian regime killed friends of mine with rockets and mortars and IEDs. But that’s different from just running headlong into a war without being able to articulate your goals and how you’re going to get out of it.&#8221;
“See, that’s the Democrat talking point I hear all the time and I don’t know if it’s true,&#8221; Maher objected. &#8220;I think they were planning to say that whether he did it or not, and then he did it, and they just kept saying it even though they did say many times, &#8216;Okay, we found out that they were very close to the bomb.&#8217; I mean, that&#8217;s what came out in the negotiations.&#8221;
Slotkin immediately pivoted, abandoning her claim that the Trump administration had not properly articulated its goals and objecting instead that the war was ongoing despite the fact that the goals had been met.
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WOW: Sen. Elissa Slotkin (D-MI) ADMITS the Trump administration has completely degraded Iran’s nuclear capabilities, ballistic missiles, and other important things in the Iranian government.
“I can say very openly… we have for sure degraded their nuclear capabilities. For sure… <a href="https://t.co/oKtx8eKb56">pic.twitter.com/oKtx8eKb56</a>
— RedWave Press (@RedWavePress) <a href="https://twitter.com/RedWavePress/status/2037864089091756289?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">March 28, 2026</a></blockquote>
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&#8220;I can say very openly as a national security person, we have for sure degraded their nuclear capabilities. For sure degraded their ballistic missile capabilities,&#8221; Slotkin said, adding that those were certainly &#8220;important things in terms of the Iranian government.&#8221;

Elissa Slotkin 2/4/26

WATCH: Bill Maher Puts Dem Senator On The Spot Over Party’s Iran Groupthink

Bill Maher

Elissa Slotkin

John Fetterman

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In a move that has sparked international condemnation and revived memories of some of the darkest chapters of the Iran-Iraq War, the Iranian government <a href="https://www.iranintl.com/en/202603265637">announced</a> Thursday that it has officially lowered the minimum age for military support roles to just 12 years old.
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Speaking on state television, Rahim Nadali, a cultural official with the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC), <a href="https://english.alarabiya.net/News/middle-east/2026/03/26/iran-recruits-children-as-young-as-12-for-checkpoints-in-tehran#:~:text=%2C%E2%80%9D%20he%20said.-,%E2%80%9CConsidering%20the%20ages%20of%20those%20requesting%20to%20join%2C%20we%20have,the%20United%20States%20and%20Israel.">confirmed</a> that the new “For Iran” recruitment drive aims to mobilize children to assist security forces against what he termed &#8220;the global bully.&#8221; Nadali justified the decision by claiming a &#8220;high number&#8221; of young volunteers were eager to serve. These recruits, some as young as 12 and 13, are reportedly being tasked with operational patrols, manning checkpoints, and gathering security data.
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The announcement comes as residents in Tehran describe a city increasingly patrolled by untrained, armed minors. Witnesses report seeing teenagers in plainclothes wielding submachine guns at checkpoints, searching vehicles, and firing warning shots into the air to control crowds following recent missile strikes.
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This mobilization stands in direct violation of <a href="https://www.ohchr.org/en/instruments-mechanisms/instruments/convention-rights-child">Article 38</a> of the UN Convention on the Rights of the Child, which mandates that states must take all feasible measures to ensure those under 15 do not take part in hostilities. Human rights organizations have reacted with horror, noting that Iran&#8217;s history of utilizing children in conflict is defined by extreme brutality.
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During the Iran-Iraq War in the 1980s, the regime famously deployed a paramilitary force of young volunteers, many aged 12 to 17. In a tactic that remains a symbol of state-sanctioned cruelty, these children were used in &#8220;human wave&#8221; attacks to clear Iraqi minefields. Walking in rows, the children detonated mines with their bodies to clear a path for regular armored units. To encourage such sacrifice, the state reportedly issued many of these children plastic &#8220;Keys to Paradise,&#8221; promising immediate entry into heaven upon their martyrdom. It is estimated that between 36,000 and 45,000 students were killed during that conflict.
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The current recruitment drive follows a period of intense domestic violence against minors. The Center for Human Rights in Iran reports that security forces killed more than 200 children during a wave of protests in early 2026. Amnesty International and Human Rights Watch have previously documented systematic abuses, including the shooting and detention of child protesters.
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With over three million child laborers already in the country and a history of glorifying child martyrs like Hossein Fahmideh in school textbooks, activists warn that lowering the recruitment age is not a response to volunteerism, but a calculated move to further militarize Iran’s youth and use them as expendable tools of the state.
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Boy’s face, looking at camera, cropped view with digitally placed Iran flag on his face.

Iran Sparks International Outrage, Turns 12-Year-Olds into Expendable Tools Of War

Children

A brother and sister are facing federal charges for allegations surrounding an explosive device found at the MacDill Air Force Base in Florida.
The indictments come after a suspicious package was placed at the base’s visitor center on March 16. Ann Mary Zheng, 27, is in custody. Her 20-year-old brother Alen is in China, according to <a href="https://www.foxnews.com/us/brother-sister-indicted-alleged-ied-plot-florida-base-tied-iran-war-one-suspect-in-china">Fox News</a>.
Alen Zheng allegedly failed to “detonate” the IED on March 10, according to a U.S. Attorney&#8217;s Office, Middle District of Florida, <a href="https://www.justice.gov/usao-mdfl/pr/land-olakes-man-charged-attempting-detonate-improvised-explosive-device-macdill-air" target="_blank" rel="noopener">press release</a>, which noted that the device was found days later and “safely disassembled.”
The federal prosecutor’s <a href="https://www.justice.gov/usao-mdfl/pr/land-olakes-woman-charged-assisting-after-fact-and-evidence-tampering-related-attempt" target="_blank" rel="noopener">office</a> also alleges that Ann Zheng knew about her brother’s plans to cause “damage” to the military base and helped with efforts for him to avoid “apprehension, trial, and punishment.” In addition, prosecutors allege that she also tried to damage a 2010 Mercedes-Benz to limit it as evidence against her brother.
“An IED was placed at MacDill Air Force Base &#8211; home to CENTCOM and U.S. Special Operations Command,” FBI Director Kash Patel posted to X on Thursday. The base has recently been in the spotlight due to Operation Epic Fury in Iran, but it&#8217;s unclear if the motive is linked to the ongoing conflict. Since the conflict began, there have been concerns raised about the potential for Iranian sleeper cells and lone wolf actors amid the ongoing operation.
“One is in custody for accessory and evidence tampering and the primary suspect is charged with explosives offenses and is currently in China,” Patel added, noting that the bureau “will continue pursuing all those responsible and ensure they are brought to justice.”
Despite Alen Zheng currently being in China, the Times reported that both are American citizens and appear to reside in Land O’Lakes, Florida. Both had originally fled to the Asian country after the explosive was placed.
Ann Zheng could face up to 30 years behind bars if convicted. Alen Zheng could face anywhere from 5 to 40 years in prison.

Justice Department Announces Federal Enforcement Action Against International Criminal Organization

Explosive Device Found At U.S. Military Base — Suspect Linked To China

Crime

Florida

Whoopi Goldberg took a moment during Wednesday&#8217;s broadcast of &#8220;The View&#8221; to lecture War Secretary Pete Hegseth about what it means to be a soldier, arguing that he &#8220;should know&#8221; what he was subjecting service members to when they deployed to the Middle East.
Goldberg and her cohosts insisted, as they have previously, that President Donald Trump&#8217;s administration launched Operation Epic Fury and unleashed American military force on the Iranian regime without first planning for contingencies. That, she complained, meant that he was &#8220;sending people in to die.&#8221;
WATCH:
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Whoopi claims the administration is just &#8220;sending people in to die&#8221; &#8220;without a plan&#8221; and nothing else. Despite never serving herself, she lectures Secretary Hegseth (who did serve) about what it means &#8220;to be a solider in our Army&#8221; and claims he doesn&#8217;t care about the lives of… <a href="https://t.co/nUun9OJxd3">pic.twitter.com/nUun9OJxd3</a>
— Nicholas Fondacaro (@NickFondacaro) <a href="https://twitter.com/NickFondacaro/status/2036836077256798303?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">March 25, 2026</a></blockquote>
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After first asserting that the United States was manipulating the numbers to hide the number of American troops who were already deployed to the Middle East and the number of those who had been hurt or killed, Goldberg asserted that there was still no plan in place to bring Operation Epic Fury to an end.
&#8220;At this point, at this point, I want them to stop what they&#8217;re doing. They are sending people in to die. They are sending people in to die and I&#8217;m surprised because Hegseth served,&#8221; Goldberg said, suggesting that because American troops were in harm&#8217;s way, Hegseth could not possibly have planned the operation.
&#8220;Yes, he did,&#8221; Sunny Hostin agreed.
&#8220;He served. He should know what —&#8221; Goldberg said.
Cohost Abby Huntsman added, &#8220;He should know better than anybody.&#8221;
&#8220;Yes, better than any body, but when you listen to [Hegseth] — Stop looking so angry! He should know more than anybody what it takes to be a soldier in our Army,&#8221; Goldberg explained, adding, &#8220;What it means when you send people in. When you send them in with a plan, it&#8217;s horrific. You send them in without a plan, you willy-nilly and you&#8217;re not explaining what&#8217;s going on.&#8221;
&#8220;Fathers, mothers, daughters, sisters, brothers, these are all our American citizens who are being asked to do this. And because, because of the way the military is, they will do what they&#8217;re asked to do,&#8221; she continued. &#8220;Damn it, I&#8217;d rather this were in the hands of people who actually cared about them enough to say, &#8216;I&#8217;m going to do everything I can for you to be not in a place where you could be killed.'&#8221;

WHOOPI GOLDBERG

WATCH: Whoopi Lectures Pete Hegseth On What It Means To Be A Soldier

The View

Whoopi Goldberg

The Pentagon has tapped the Army&#8217;s famed 82nd Airborne Division to deploy 3,000 troops to the Middle East as the United States and Israel continue Operation Epic Fury, the joint military campaign against the Iranian regime.
Fox News Chief National Security correspondent Jennifer Griffin <a href="https://x.com/JenGriffinFNC/status/2036471036477116783">reported</a> on Tuesday that the move is a &#8220;first step&#8221; that would open the door for the Trump administration to shift toward ground operations in Iran, should that prove necessary. The New York Times <a href="https://www.nytimes.com/2026/03/23/us/politics/us-airborne-troops-iran.html">first reported</a> on Monday that the Pentagon was considering sending a brigade combat team to support the ongoing operations.
&#8220;Commander of the 82nd Airborne Division Maj Gen Brandon Tegtmeier and his &#8216;command element,&#8217; members of his headquarters staff, have been ordered to deploy to the Middle East as the Pentagon and White House weigh whether to send the 82nd Airborne Division to the Middle East for possible land operations,&#8221; Griffin said, adding that speculation abounds as to whether the United States could use American operatives to take control of Kharg Island.
U.S. officials told <a href="https://www.wsj.com/livecoverage/iran-war-us-israel-news-updates-2026?mod=WSJ_home_mediumtopper_pos_1">The Wall Street Journal</a> that such a deployment would not indicate a definite decision to put &#8220;boots on the ground&#8221; in Iran, but would provide additional leverage for American military assets, should they need to take control of strategically-located islands or use force to reopen the Strait of Hormuz.
The news comes amid competing narratives between President Trump — who said on Monday that talks with some Iranian officials had been &#8220;productive&#8221; — and officials within the Iranian regime, who say that no such talks have taken place.
The 82nd Airborne Division has long been the Army&#8217;s elite rapid-response team, specializing in airborne-assault operations and able to deploy anywhere in the world within 24 hours or less. Created in 1917 and designated as Airborne in 1942, the 82nd is known as the &#8220;All-American Division&#8221; and executed the first parachute jumps behind enemy lines in Italy in 1943. Within two years, they had parachuted into Normandy on D-Day and played a key role in halting the German offensive during the Battle of the Bulge.

Members of the 82nd Airborne Division land

Trump Sends Best Of The Best Against Iran, With A More Hands-On Phase Now In Play

Pentagon Preps 3,000 Troops From Elite 82nd Airborne For Middle East Deployment

Middle East

Former intelligence official Joe Kent is suspected of leaking classified information to &#8220;disaffected MAGA media&#8221; personalities like former Fox News host Tucker Carlson — and FBI Director Kash Patel may be poised to declassify information regarding a probe into former intelligence official Joe Kent in an effort to prove that the investigation was not retaliation for his resignation.
A <a href="https://www.notus.org/trump-white-house/joe-kent-investigation-fbi-kash-patel">report</a> published Thursday by NOTUS also stated that FBI Director Kash Patel was considering declassifying as much information as possible in order to show that the investigation into Kent was already underway when he announced his plan to leave the administration.
A law enforcement source told NOTUS that FBI counterintelligence had already begun a criminal investigation into Kent&#8217;s alleged actions long before he announced his resignation. An administration official told the outlet that Kent had &#8220;leaked classified information from a server to a member of the media.&#8221;
Kent, according to a Wednesday report first published by <a href="https://www.semafor.com/article/03/18/2026/fbi-investigates-national-security-aide-who-resigned-over-war">Semafor</a>, was already under the FBI&#8217;s microscope before he abruptly resigned on Tuesday and stated that he could no longer support President Donald Trump&#8217;s administration as it waged war against the Iranian regime.
The Green Beret veteran declared on Tuesday that he could not remain on the job — as director of the National Counterterrorism Center — as long as the Trump administration continued military action alongside Israel against Iran. &#8220;Iran posed no imminent threat to our nation, and it is clear that we started this war due to pressure from Israel and its powerful American lobby,&#8221; he claimed.
But shortly after Kent tendered his resignation, several sources revealed that he had not been part of the planning with regard to Iran — and had not been briefed on the intelligence that led President Trump to determine that Iran was, in fact, an imminent threat.
By Wednesday evening, reports began circulating that Kent was <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/news/former-counterterror-chief-joe-kent-under-fbi-probe-for-leaking-classified-info">being investigated</a> by the FBI — and a strategic declassification of the relevant information could provide evidence that the investigation predated Kent&#8217;s exit from the administration.

Controversial Washington Congressional Candidate Joe Kent Holds Town Hall As He Campaigns For Office

Did Joe Kent Leak Classified Intel To Tucker Carlson?

Joe Kent

Tucker Carlson

While the Iranian regime continues to attack the United States — either directly or through proxy terrorist organizations — some of the regime&#8217;s leaders have sent their own children to the United States, and a number have made themselves at home at American universities.
The New York Post <a href="https://nypost.com/2026/03/18/world-news/children-of-iran-regime-leaders-teaching-at-elite-us-universities/?utm_campaign=nypost&amp;utm_source=twitter&amp;utm_medium=social">shared a list</a> of several prominent Iranian leaders who have children teaching at universities in the United States — and although the report noted that none of those employed in the United States have been linked to any nefarious activity, allowing people with such close ties to regime leadership to teach American students could eventually present a risk.
<a href="https://www.fdd.org/team/janatan-sayeh/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Janatan Sayeh</a>, an Iran analyst at Washington, D.C.-based think tank the Foundation for the Defense of Democracies, explained: &#8220;I would think that there would be a security risk as Iranian academics have been critical in forming public opinion on the left in the US, essentially deceiving liberals into thinking that the regime is more progressive, when it’s still advancing the same hardline agenda.&#8221;
Fatemeh Ardeshir-Larijani, for example, initially came to the United States for cancer treatment. A medical doctor who worked at Emory University in Atlanta until January, she is also the daughter of <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/news/iranian-intelligence-chief-eliminated-in-overnight-israeli-strike">Ali Larijani</a> — an Iranian leader who was killed in an airstrike on Tuesday.
Lawdan Bazargan, with the Alliance Against Islamic Regime of Iran Apologists, noted the irony of Ardeshir-Larijani&#8217;s presence in the United States — especially given who her father was. &#8220;The daughter of Ali Larijani came to the United States for cancer treatment, the very country her family’s system condemns, while millions of Iranians are denied access to basic health care and opportunity.&#8221;
Larijani&#8217;s employment at Emory University was <a href="https://www.foxnews.com/world/emory-university-dismisses-daughter-senior-iranian-official-ali-larijani-campus-demonstrations">terminated</a> in January, amid protests calling for her to be fired, deported, or both. Her dismissal came just weeks after her father was sanctioned by the United States Treasury Department &#8220;for coordinating the response to the protests on behalf of the Supreme Leader of Iran&#8221; and because he &#8220;has publicly called for Iranian security forces to use force to repress peaceful protesters.&#8221;
Leila Khatami, the daughter of former Iranian President Mohammad Khatami, teaches math at Schenectady&#8217;s Union College. Her ties to the regime run even deeper, as her aunt was the granddaughter of Ayatollah Ruhollah Khomeini, who claimed the title of Supreme Leader from 1979 until he died in 1989.
Khatami&#8217;s photo and bio were removed from Union&#8217;s faculty website after the United States and Israel began their joint campaign against the Iranian regime. The page listing her as a professor of mathematics shows only her <a href="https://www.union.edu/mathematics/faculty-staff/leila-khatami">name and title</a>.
According to the Post&#8217;s report, thousands of children of Iranian elites are currently living in the United States.

The Iranian Delegation Attends The 129th Assembly Of The Inter-Parliamentary Union (IPU)

Their Parents Run The Iranian Regime. They’re Teaching Your Kids At American Universities.

Education

World

While taking questions from reporters on Thursday, President Donald Trump blindsided Japanese Prime Minister Sanae Takaichi with made a joke referencing the 1941 surprise attack initiated by the Empire of Japan on the American naval base at Pearl Harbor, Hawaii.
The question, from one of the reporters in the Oval Office, was about the current joint operation in Iran undertaken by the United States and Israel — specifically, why President Trump had not spoken with allies in Europe or Japan prior to initiating an attack against the Iranian regime.
WATCH:
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Q: &#8220;Why didn&#8217;t you tell U.S. allies…about the war before attacking Iran?&#8221;
President Trump: &#8220;We wanted surprise. Who knows better about surprise than Japan? Why didn&#8217;t you tell me about Pearl Harbor?&#8221; <a href="https://t.co/esV9iyvMiV">pic.twitter.com/esV9iyvMiV</a>
— CSPAN (@cspan) <a href="https://twitter.com/cspan/status/2034667305318187239?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">March 19, 2026</a></blockquote>
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&#8220;Japan and U.S. are very good friends,&#8221; the reporter began. &#8220;But one question: why didn&#8217;t you tell U.S. Allies in Europe and Asia, like Japan, about the war before attacking Iran? So we are very confused about — we, Japanese citizens —&#8221;
&#8220;Well, one thing, you don&#8217;t want to signal too much,&#8221; Trump replied, arguing that it was unwise to give away too much of the planning before taking military action. &#8220;You know, when we go in, we went in very hard, and we didn&#8217;t tell anybody about it because we wanted surprise. Who knows better about surprise than Japan? Why didn&#8217;t you tell me about Pearl Harbor? Okay? Right?&#8221;
Prime Minister Takaichi appeared to be slightly uncomfortable as several around the room began to laugh.
&#8220;He&#8217;s asking me — no, you believe in surprise I think much more so than us,&#8221; Trump continued, pivoting back to Iran. &#8220;But we had to surprise them and we did. And because of that surprise, we knocked out — the first two days, we probably knocked out 50% of what we — and much more than we anticipated.&#8221;
&#8220;So if I go and tell everybody about it, it&#8217;s no longer a surprise, right?&#8221; the president concluded.

President Trump Hosts Japan’s Prime Minister Takaichi At White House

Trump Defends Keeping Allies In The Dark With Unexpected Pearl Harbor Quip

Japan

Pearl Harbor

War Secretary Pete Hegseth called on the American public to lift up members of the United States Armed Forces — particularly those who might be in harm&#8217;s way — and received immediate criticism from CBS News anchor Margaret Brennan. But Hegseth&#8217;s request is far from unprecedented.
&#8220;Please pray for them, every day, on bended knee, with your family, in your schools, in your churches, in the name of Jesus Christ,&#8221; <a href="https://x.com/EricLDaugh/status/2034605561983959295?s=20">Hegseth said</a>, closing out a Thursday morning press briefing on Iran alongside other military leaders.
Brennan, anchor of CBS&#8217; &#8220;Face the Nation,&#8221; responded by <a href="https://x.com/margbrennan/status/2034604792157192668">saying</a>, &#8220;The Secretary of Defense tells the American public to pray for our troops on bended knee and invoke Jesus&#8217; name &#8230;&#8221;
Brennan also accused the administration of using &#8220;religious references as justification for war,&#8221; responding to Hegseth&#8217;s comments describing the Iranian regime&#8217;s strategy as &#8220;a violent, messianic Islamist ideology chasing some sort of apocalyptic endgame.&#8221;
But prayer on the battlefield — and calls to prayer from both military and political leaders for those engaged in the fight — is nothing new.
On June 6, 1944, then President Franklin Delano Roosevelt gave a radio address during which he invited the American people to <a href="https://www.presidency.ucsb.edu/documents/prayer-d-day">join him in prayer</a> for the Allied Forces as they stormed the beaches near Normandy, France. He finished that prayer by asking them to pray continuously for those men, both day and night, until their objective had been reached.
&#8220;Almighty God: Our sons, pride of our Nation, this day have set upon a mighty endeavor, a struggle to preserve our Republic, our religion, and our civilization, and to set free a suffering humanity,&#8221; Roosevelt began. &#8220;Lead them straight and true; give strength to their arms, stoutness to their hearts, steadfastness in their faith.&#8221;
Roosevelt went on to pray for strength and courage in battle and acknowledged that many of those for whom he prayed would not ever return home.
&#8220;Many people have urged that I call the Nation into a single day of special prayer,&#8221; he concluded. &#8220;But because the road is long and the desire is great, I ask that our people devote themselves in a continuance of prayer. As we rise to each new day, and again when each day is spent, let words of prayer be on our lips, invoking Thy help to our efforts.&#8221;
Months later, with Allied efforts to liberate Europe well underway, <a href="https://www.historyonthenet.com/when-patton-enlisted-the-entire-third-army-to-pray-for-fair-weather">General George S. Patton</a> stood ready to lead his Third Army into battle — but the weather was a problem. In early December of 1944, just days before Patton arrived at the besieged town of Bastogne, Belgium, the general called Monsignor James H. O’Neill, the head chaplain: &#8220;This is General Patton; do you have a good prayer for weather? We must do something about those rains if we are to win the war.&#8221;
Patton&#8217;s deputy chief of staff, Colonel Paul Harkins, described the conversation that followed:
<blockquote>
Patton: &#8220;Chaplain, I want you to publish a prayer for good weather. I’m tired of these soldiers having to fight mud and floods as well as Germans. See if we can’t get God to work on our side.”
O’Neill: “Sir, it’s going to take a pretty thick rug for that kind of praying.”
Patton: “I don’t care if it takes a flying carpet. I want the praying done.”
O’Neill: “Yes, sir. May I say, General, that it usually isn’t a customary thing among men of my profession to pray for clear weather to kill fellow men.”
Patton: “Chaplain, are you trying to teach me theology or are you the Chaplain of the Third Army? I want a prayer.”
</blockquote>
The resulting prayer was printed on cards and distributed to as many of Patton&#8217;s men as possible: &#8220;Almighty and most merciful Father, we humbly beseech Thee, of Thy great goodness, to restrain these immoderate rains with which we have had to contend. Grant us fair weather for Battle. Graciously hearken to us as soldiers who call upon Thee that, armed with Thy power, we may advance from victory to victory, and crush the oppression and wickedness of our enemies and establish Thy justice among men and nations.&#8221;
Patton later explained his emphasis on prayer to O&#8217;Neill, saying that he believed men could work and plan down to the last detail, but there was always an unknown factor in play: &#8220;I call it God. God has his part, or margin, in everything.&#8221;
&#8220;I wish you would put out a Training Letter on this subject of Prayer to all the chaplains; write about nothing else, just the importance of prayer,&#8221; Patton directed O&#8217;Neill. &#8220;Let me see it before you send it. We’ve got to get not only the chaplains but every man in the Third Army to pray. We must ask God to stop these rains. These rains are that margin that holds defeat or victory. If we all pray, it will be like what Dr. Carrel said, it will be like plugging in on a current whose source is in Heaven. I believe that prayer completes that circuit. It is power.&#8221;
When General Dwight D. Eisenhower was elected President of the United States, he too raised the nation and those alongside him in its leadership in private prayer. The <a style="font-size: 16px;" href="https://wallbuilders.com/resource/dwight-d-eisenhowers-inaugural-prayer/">handwritten words he prayed</a> before his inauguration in 1953 can be found at his presidential library.
&#8220;As we stand here, at this moment, my associates in the Executive Branch of government join me in beseeching that Thou will make full and complete our dedication to the service of the people in this throng and their fellow citizens everywhere. Give us, we pray, the power to discern clearly right from wrong and allow all our words and actions to be governed thereby and by the laws of this land,&#8221; he wrote. &#8220;Especially we pray that our concern shall be for all the people, regardless of station, race or calling. May cooperation be permitted and be the mutual aim of those who hold to differing political beliefs, so that all may work for the good of our beloved country and for Thy glory. Amen.&#8221;
One of the most famous examples of such prayer might be as <a href="https://www.ushistory.org/valleyforge/washington/prayer.html?srsltid=AfmBOoq3Fz4IWMbmDeWBfTzsQIhhby64psFLCaVW9wecIYn3p2rJrnsJ#google_vignette">much myth</a> as historical fact, but the story of then-General George Washington kneeling to pray at Valley Forge has nonetheless persisted as well. The story has several versions throughout history — none of which have ever been definitively confirmed or debunked — all suggesting that Washington knelt alone to pray for his beleaguered troops during the brutal winter as they camped just outside of Philadelphia. Different accounts claim that either the Marquis de Lafayette or a local resident happened upon the general in prayer, but the overall takeaway is the same: multiple accounts agree that Washington was known to leave the camp and spend time in solitude, whether that time was used for prayer or simply quiet reflection.

Hegseth Confirmation Hearing TW

Left Targets Hegseth For Asking Americans To Pray — The History Lesson They’re Ignoring

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Director of National Intelligence Tulsi Gabbard laid out her defense for President Donald Trump and his decision to take action, alongside Israel, against the Iranian regime.
Gabbard argued that it was her job to ensure that the president had the best and most accurate information possible, but it was Trump&#8217;s responsibility alone to determine what does and does not constitute an &#8220;imminent threat&#8221; against the United States.
&#8220;Donald Trump was overwhelmingly elected by the American people to be our President and Commander in Chief. As our Commander in Chief, he is responsible for determining what is and is not an imminent threat, and whether or not to take action he deems necessary to protect the safety and security of our troops, the American people and our country,&#8221; Gabbard posted on Tuesday.
&#8220;The Office of the Director of National Intelligence is responsible for helping coordinate and integrate all intelligence to provide the President and Commander in Chief with the best information available to inform his decisions,&#8221; she continued. &#8220;After carefully reviewing all the information before him, President Trump concluded that the terrorist Islamist regime in Iran posed an imminent threat and he took action based on that conclusion.&#8221;
Gabbard&#8217;s statement comes just hours after Joe Kent announced his resignation as the director of the National Counterterrorism Center, claiming that there was no &#8220;imminent threat&#8221; to the United States and that Trump had been pushed by Israel into waging war against the Iranian regime.
Kent, according to an <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/news/joe-kent-wasnt-involved-in-iran-war-planning-intel-official-says">intelligence official</a> who spoke with The Daily Wire&#8217;s Mary Margaret Olohan, had been excluded from planning and briefings regarding the war with Iran. That same official refuted earlier reporting stating that Gabbard had been advised to fire Kent, but had failed to do so.
&#8220;Intelligence official tells @realDailyWire that it’s true that Joe Kent wasn’t part of the planning of the Iran war or briefings on the war,” Olohan <a href="https://x.com/MaryMargOlohan/status/2033953793629401411" target="_blank" rel="noopener">reported</a>. “It is not true that DNI’s Tulsi Gabbard was asked by the White House to fire Kent, source says— if she had been asked to do so, she would have fired him.”

Karoline Leavitt Holds Daily White House Press Briefing

Tulsi Gabbard Sides With Trump On Iran, Underscores Commander-In-Chief Role

Tulsi Gabbard Defends Trump's Decision To Take Action In Iran

Tulsi Gabbard

Joe Kent claimed on Tuesday that he did not believe the Iranian regime had presented an &#8220;imminent threat&#8221; to the United States prior to President Donald Trump&#8217;s decision to attack — but he sang a very different tune in 2020, when he called for the elimination of Iran&#8217;s nuclear capabilities.
Kent announced that he was <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/news/joe-kent-wasnt-involved-in-iran-war-planning-intel-official-says">leaving his post</a> as director of the National Counterterrorism Center, and claimed in his resignation letter he could not &#8220;in good conscience&#8221; support the joint U.S.-Israeli military campaign against Iran, at least in part because there was no &#8220;imminent threat&#8221; to the United States from the regime.
But in January of 2020, when a U.S. strike ordered by President Trump eliminated top Iranian Gen. Qasem Soleimani, Kent argued on social media that the president — to his way of thinking — had not gone far enough.
On January 7, four days after Soleimani was killed, Kent appeared to <a href="https://x.com/joekent16jan19/status/1214778671564611584">address</a> the threats coming from Iran promising retaliation for the strike on their general: &#8220;We remain in striking distance by choice for no clear benefit. We should crush their ballistic &amp; nuke capes and get out of Iraq, with sanctions to follow. Cut Iran off from funds and targets. Let them deal with proxies looking for $ &amp; their protesters. We don&#8217;t need IZ (Iraq) or IR (Iran).&#8221;
One day later, on January 8, Iran launched a dozen ballistic missiles at two targets in Iraq: Al Asad Airbase and another site near Irbil.
&#8220;Trump’s restraint shows that he wants a deal with Iran &amp; his red line is American loss of life &amp; IR nuke development. Our fundamental venerability remains — Troops in striking range of IR weapons &amp; proxies w/ no vital US mission,&#8221; Kent <a href="https://x.com/joekent16jan19/status/1214960125200330752">posted</a> on the 8th, adding, &#8220;I personally think we should have crushed their ballistic &amp; nuke capes, but Trump has a plan, he has definitely earned the confidence of any clear eyed observer.&#8221;
Even as recently as 2024, Kent&#8217;s posture toward Iran was far more in line with President Donald Trump&#8217;s current actions than with his own resignation letter that would come less than two years later.
On October 7, 2024 — one year after Iranian-backed Hamas terrorists crossed the border into Israel and slaughtered more than one thousand Israelis — Kent blamed former President Joe Biden&#8217;s administration for allowing Iran access to the kind of money that could fund such an operation.
&#8220;October 7th b/c happened Biden/Harris gave Iran access to over 100 billion,&#8221; Kent <a href="https://x.com/joekent16jan19/status/1843402393461182550">posted</a>. &#8220;Trump used diplomacy to build the Abraham accords, cut off Iran’s funding &amp; killed key terrorists. America &amp; our allies were safe &amp; there was less war. No more neocons, no appeasement, Trump ‘24.&#8221;
Just a few weeks earlier, he took a <a href="https://x.com/joekent16jan19/status/1840425323743395853">similar tone</a>: &#8220;Iran’s goal in orchestrating 7 Oct was to break up the Abraham accords because the historic alliance isolated Iran’s terror regime. Trump used a balance of diplomacy, economic pressure &amp; targeted strikes to contain Iran. The embodiment of peace through strength. Israel’s dismantling of Hezbollah would have been much more challenging, if not impossible had Trump not taken out Iran’s terror mastermind Qasim Solemani.&#8221;
On March 17, 2026, however, Kent claimed in his <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/news/top-intel-official-joe-kent-quits-over-iran-strikes-claims-israel-controls-trump">resignation letter</a> that Iran posed no &#8220;imminent threat&#8221; to the United States and that Trump was taking action against the regime because he was being pushed into it by Israel.
&#8220;Iran posed no imminent threat to our nation, and it is clear that we started this war due to pressure from Israel and its powerful American lobby,&#8221; he wrote.
&#8220;Who got to Joe Kent?&#8221; Steve Guest <a href="https://x.com/SteveGuest/status/2033947809758548390?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw%7Ctwcamp%5Etweetembed%7Ctwterm%5E2033947809758548390%7Ctwgr%5E3399c8bcd88c7621f5a833b70157ac50cef0ca02%7Ctwcon%5Es1_&amp;ref_url=https%3A%2F%2Ftwitchy.com%2Fsamj%2F2026%2F03%2F17%2Fold-posts-come-back-to-haunt-joe-kent-n2426119">wondered</a>.

House Homeland 12/11/25

Joe Kent, Circa 2020: ‘I Personally Think [Trump] Should Have Crushed Their Ballistic & Nuke Capes’

Joe Kent, Circa 2020: 'I Personally Think [Trump] Should Have Crushed Their Ballistic & Nuke Capes'

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