Massachusetts Democrat Rep. Seth Moulton suggested that Secretary of War Pete Hegseth could be executed for war crimes.
CNN host Erin Burnett played an exchange Moulton had with Hegseth in which Moulton attacked the War Secretary for saying the U.S. military should &#8220;keep pushing, keep advancing, no quarter, no mercy for our enemies” regarding the war with Iran, prompting Moulton to accuse Hegseth of inciting soldiers to commit war crimes.
Burnett then turned to Moulton and asked, “Do you believe that the Secretary of Defense is guilty of war crimes?”
“Absolutely,” Moulton answered. “I mean, he&#8217;s clearly behind the operation to shoot all these boats in the Caribbean when it&#8217;s very unclear that we actually have any confirmation that these so-called narco-terrorists — a term the administration invented to justify this action, are even on the boats. I mean, in fact, there&#8217;s a lot of evidence that these are just fishermen, you know, getting jobs, piloting these boats, trying to feed their families. There&#8217;s been press reporting on some of these individuals who&#8217;ve been killed who are clearly not criminals. And on top of that, we then have the strike where they came back and hit it again, a double tap, just purely to kill these survivors who were clinging to wreckage.”
Then Moulton went beyond the pale: “It’s interesting, Erin, back in World War II, the Allies tried Nazi submarine captains for doing this exact same thing. And guess what the conclusion was? They got executed.”
“Listen to that, Mr. Secretary,” he taunted.
<blockquote class="twitter-tweet" data-width="500" data-dnt="true">
INSANE
Democrat Rep. Seth Moulton FLAT OUT LIES to defend narcoterrorists and compares our military to “Nazis.”
MOULTON: “Back in WWII the allies tried Nazi submarine captains for doing this exact same thing…they got executed. Listen to that Mr. Secretary [Hegseth].” <a href="https://t.co/gAMSaDJ6Gg">pic.twitter.com/gAMSaDJ6Gg</a>
&mdash; RNC Research (@RNCResearch) <a href="https://twitter.com/RNCResearch/status/2049634784884723721?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">April 29, 2026</a></blockquote>
<script async src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script>
&nbsp;
In late March, Moulton appeared on CNN with host Anderson Cooper, where he huffed and puffed about the U.S. losing the war with Iran, saying:
<blockquote>
There is absolutely no plan. The administration clearly can&#8217;t even understand why they&#8217;re in this war, what their strategy is to get out of it. If you look every step of the way, they&#8217;re doing things, they&#8217;re changing their goals. They&#8217;re doing things that don&#8217;t even necessarily contribute to their goals. Apparently now, their primary goal is reopening the Strait of Hormuz, which, let&#8217;s be clear, was open before Trump started this war of choice.
So, the reality is, at this moment, we are losing this war. If Trump were to stop the war tonight, he would have to negotiate with the Iranians to reopen the strait that they have closed. That&#8217;s why he&#8217;s begging, he&#8217;s begging our greatest adversary, the People&#8217;s Republic of China. The Chinese Communist Party. He&#8217;s asking to come and bail him out to reopen this Strait. It&#8217;s an unmitigated disaster. It&#8217;s very clear they don&#8217;t have a plan going forward.</blockquote>

MixCollage-01-May-2026-10-26-AM-450

UNHINGED: Dem Rep Compares Hegseth To Nazi War Criminals, Invokes Death Penalty

Congress

Iran

narcoterrorists

Pete Hegseth

Politics

seth moulton

War crimes

The Daily Wire dives into the incredible details of one of America’s most daring rescue missions in a <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/episode/daily-wire-explains-the-world-ep-8" target="_blank" rel="noopener">mini documentary</a> that hit the platform on Thursday.
Just over a month after the United States launched its massive military operation against Iran, a U.S. F-15E Strike Eagle was shot down by Iranian forces on April 3, sending the fighter jet’s two crew members directly into enemy territory.
It marked the first time in more than 20 years that a U.S. warplane was lost to enemy fire, but President Donald Trump and War Secretary Pete Hegseth had a bigger problem: finding the missing Americans and bringing them home.
The jet’s pilot was rescued by U.S. forces within hours, but the weapons system officer, a colonel who ejected from the jet, vanished in some of the most remote and treacherous terrain on earth.
Back in Washington, U.S. officials quickly drew up a daring plan to rescue the colonel before Iranian forces could capture him. American officials knew the stakes. Either an American soldier would fall into the hands of a terrorist regime, die of dehydration, or the U.S. military would go into hostile territory and get him.
The next 48 hours would prove to be one of the greatest success stories in American military history, a rescue that President Donald Trump called an “Easter miracle.”
The Daily Wire’s “<a href="https://www.dailywire.com/episode/daily-wire-explains-the-world-ep-8" target="_blank" rel="noopener">The Race To Rescue</a>” provides a detailed account of the incredible mission to find the missing U.S. colonel and bring him home. “The Race To Rescue” is now available exclusively for DailyWire+ members.
<a href="https://www.dailywire.com/episode/daily-wire-explains-the-world-ep-8" target="_blank" rel="noopener">WATCH: THE RACE TO RESCUE</a>
<iframe loading="lazy" title="The Race to Rescue | First Look" width="500" height="281" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/_Vikl-XYz34?feature=oembed" frameborder="0" allow="accelerometer; autoplay; clipboard-write; encrypted-media; gyroscope; picture-in-picture; web-share" referrerpolicy="strict-origin-when-cross-origin" allowfullscreen></iframe>

The Race To Rescue

How The U.S. Pulled Off One Of The Greatest Rescue Missions In Military History

Daily Wire

Donald Trump

Special Reporting

Trump Administration

U.S. Military

A Democratic congresswoman highlighted criticism of President Donald Trump from podcasters Tucker Carlson, Megyn Kelly, and Candace Owens while questioning War Secretary Pete Hegseth during a fiery committee hearing on Wednesday.
Rep. Sara Jacobs (D-CA) asked Hegseth if he believes Trump &#8220;is mentally stable enough to be the commander-in-chief&#8221; and brought up a number of former Trump-supporting podcasters who are now questioning the president&#8217;s mental acuity.
&#8220;In fact, many, many Republicans have had the same questions,&#8221; Jacobs said. &#8220;Marjorie Taylor Greene said he&#8217;s out of control and he&#8217;s gone insane. Candace Owens said the 25th Amendment needs to be invoked — Megyn Kelly, Tucker Carlson, who you used to work with, Alex Jones, Stephanie Grisham, the list could go on.&#8221;
Hegseth dismissed Jacobs&#8217; question and ripped Democrats for raising questions on Trump&#8217;s ability to lead after the party turned a blind eye to issues around former President Joe Biden.
&#8220;Did you ask the same question of Joe Biden for four years?&#8221; Hegseth shot back. &#8220;You did not, and I won&#8217;t even engage with the level of disparagement that you&#8217;re putting on the commander-in-chief &#8230; he&#8217;s the sharpest and most insightful commander-in-chief we&#8217;ve had in generations. And you want to ask that question after you and your fellow Democrats defended Joe Biden, who could barely speak and didn&#8217;t know what day of the week it was. He governed with an autopen. You had a secretary of defense who went AWOL for a week.&#8221;
<div style="max-width: 728px; margin: 0 auto;"><iframe style="aspect-ratio: 16/9; max-width: 100%; width: 100%; margin: 20px auto 5px; border: 0;" src="https://player.mux.com/wk00Wi7eYHJt3xm7TsGYPoUKIbc201MWXv?metadata-video-content-type=embed_video&amp;metadata-video-id=991c8a03-a2fb-4ee7-b6a4-641bbb0ba42d&amp;metadata-video-stream-type=on-demand&amp;metadata-video-title=Democrat%20Invokes%20Tucker%20Carlson%2C%20Megyn%20Kelly%2C%20Candace%20Owens%20&amp;poster=https%3A%2F%2Fdailywireplus-v2.imgix.net%2Fimages%2Fembedded-videos%2Fde2bee5a-a85a-44e4-867a-f20892c8e0a1.png&amp;autoplay=false&amp;accent-color=%23DB3D3B&amp;primary-color=%23ffffff&amp;secondary-color=%23000000" allowfullscreen="allowfullscreen"></iframe></div>
The heated exchange took place during a House Armed Services Committee hearing, where Hegseth and Gen. Dan &#8220;Razin&#8221; Caine, the chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff, faced questions about the ongoing war in Iran.
The war has enraged Democrats and podcasters who used to support Trump — like Carlson, Kelly, and Owens — who have ramped up their criticism of Trump in recent weeks. Carlson, who recently apologized for endorsing Trump in 2024, has repeatedly accused Trump of conducting the military operation in Iran at Israel&#8217;s bidding. He also claimed earlier this month that Trump was considering using a weapon of mass destruction “on the population of Iran.” Kelly has also claimed that Trump is being played by Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and said the president is “too weak” and “too gullible” to push back on Israel&#8217;s demands.
Owens, meanwhile, has called the Trump administration &#8220;satanic&#8221; and referred to Trump as a &#8220;Mad King,&#8221; while urging the Cabinet to invoke the 25th Amendment and remove the president from office.
Trump <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/news/trump-goes-nuclear-on-tucker-megyn-and-candace?author=Zach+Jewell&amp;category=News&amp;elementPosition=11&amp;row=0&amp;rowType=Vertical+List&amp;title=Trump+Goes+Nuclear+On+Tucker%2C+Megyn%2C+And+Candace">blasted</a> the podcasters earlier this month, calling them &#8220;nut jobs,&#8221; &#8220;troublemakers,&#8221; and &#8220;stupid people.&#8221; The president also pointed out that the podcasters are being hailed by the Left for their opposition to his administration.
“These so-called ‘pundits’ are LOSERS, and they always will be! Now Fake News CNN, The Failing New York Times, and all of the other Radical Left ‘News’ Organizations, are ‘hailing’ them, and giving them ‘positive’ press for the first time in their lives,” Trump said. “They’re not ‘MAGA,’ they’re losers, just trying to latch on to MAGA.”

Woke Right

Democrat Invokes Tucker Carlson, Megyn Kelly, Candace Owens In Heated Hearing

Candace Owens

Democrats

Megyn Kelly

Tucker Carlson

According to some sources, the world is now ending because President Trump declared a ceasefire in the Iran war.
The Iranians won. We&#8217;re all going to be speaking Persian. The IRGC is going to preside over the entire Middle East.
Or — President Trump is doing something smart, and people are deliberately misunderstanding.
America has to be strong. That&#8217;s been President Trump&#8217;s message the entire time he&#8217;s been running for office. And it will be strong. It was Trump&#8217;s message in 2016. It was his message in 2020. It was his message in 2024.
It is his message today. And that&#8217;s what his legacy will have to be if he is to have any legacy at all: A stronger America. Period.
That&#8217;s what Americans want. It’s a revitalized vision of America as the global leader, the strongest power on Earth, which means two things: First, America as the free leader of the world, with robust free speech, a strong social fabric, and a booming economy filled with innovation. And second, the leader of the free world, as the dominant military power, capable of deterring threats and ensuring freedom of trade and American security, and the security of our allies across the planet.
<a href="https://www.dailywire.com/episode/yes-were-still-winning-trumps-iran-plan-and-what-comes?elementPosition=1&amp;row=0&amp;rowHeadline=Recent+Episodes&amp;rowType=Horizontal+Show+Episodes+Carousel"><img loading="lazy" decoding="async" class="size-large wp-image-974957" src="https://dw-wp-production.imgix.net/2025/09/511983dad25841c8b1ec058d75769bbe-1024x171.webp" alt="DailyWire+" width="1024" height="171" srcset="https://dw-wp-production.imgix.net/2025/09/511983dad25841c8b1ec058d75769bbe-1024x171.webp 1024w, https://dw-wp-production.imgix.net/2025/09/511983dad25841c8b1ec058d75769bbe-300x50.webp 300w, https://dw-wp-production.imgix.net/2025/09/511983dad25841c8b1ec058d75769bbe-768x128.webp 768w, https://dw-wp-production.imgix.net/2025/09/511983dad25841c8b1ec058d75769bbe-1536x256.webp 1536w, https://dw-wp-production.imgix.net/2025/09/511983dad25841c8b1ec058d75769bbe-2048x341.webp 2048w" sizes=" (max-width: 1024px) 100vw, 1024px" /></a>
That&#8217;s the vision. That&#8217;s what America ought to look like. This is what conservatives have always thought. That&#8217;s what we think today.
But that&#8217;s what President Trump&#8217;s enemies on the Right now oppose. They want a weaker America. They&#8217;re posing as America First.
What they actually are is America Toast.
They say it openly. They say all the time like they want America to retreat from the world; we&#8217;re already too weak; we&#8217;re bloated, and we&#8217;re falling apart, and that the best American future actually looks like France — a country declining, pathetic, amoral, addicted to welfare programs, importing mass labor from third world countries thanks to a ridiculously flabby welfare state. A social fabric that is no longer workable.
These are the people who seem to think the best global future is one in which China and Russia run two-thirds of the planet. 
Iran has been deeply wounded over the course of the last several weeks and brought low. The notion that Iran bestrides the Middle East like a colossus because they have the capacity to fire some drones at ships in the Strait of Hormuz is asinine.
That doesn’t mean it&#8217;s not a problem. It is a problem. But this bizarre notion that Iran somehow is the big victor here is crazy, propagandistic nonsense.
Let&#8217;s start with how much damage we&#8217;ve actually done to Iran at this point. Centcom Commander Brad Cooper <a href="https://x.com/CGTNEurope/status/2042210992508084700">stated</a> yesterday:
<blockquote>Less than six weeks ago, more than 50,000 of America&#8217;s sons and daughters in uniform launched Operation Epic Fury and embarked on a mission of profound consequence. We set out to dismantle the Iranian regime&#8217;s ability to project power beyond its own borders. And we clearly accomplished this task. Iran has suffered a generational military defeat. The United States and Israel systematically destroyed Iran&#8217;s ability to conduct large-scale military operations for years to come.</blockquote>
This is correct. General Dan Caine <a href="https://www.war.gov/News/News-Stories/Article/Article/4454276/epic-fury-quelled-for-now-objectives-accomplished-us-forces-remain-ready/">described</a> the extent of the Iranian defeat:
<blockquote>Since the beginning of major combat operations, the United States Joint Force has struck more than 13,000 targets, including in that 13,000 more than 4,000 dynamic targets that popped up on the battlefield and were immediately addressed thanks to the exceptional command and control system and intelligence, acumen and agility of our joint force.
Centcom forces destroyed approximately 80% of Iran&#8217;s air defense systems, striking more than 1,500 air defense targets. More than 450 ballistic missile storage facilities, 801 way attack drones for storage facilities. All of these systems are gone. We&#8217;ve devastated Iran&#8217;s command and control and logistical networks, destroying more than 2,000 command and control nodes and degrading their ability to target U.S. and friendly forces.</blockquote>
I&#8217;ve been saying for weeks that no matter how the war ended, Iran has been truly crippled. The idea that barely surviving and pressuring the Strait of Hormuz is somehow a sign of Iranian strength is pure garbage. That&#8217;s a sign of Iranian weakness.
They could have done this any time over the past 20 years. The reason they didn&#8217;t is because they understood it was basically the last gasp of a dying regime. The reason you try to seize global trading and alienate all the Gulf allies and China — which receives oil from the Strait of Hormuz — is because you are weak, not because you are strong; a last-gasp attempt to grab some sort of leverage.
If what President Trump said when he announced the ceasefire is true. Iran agreed to reopen the Strait of Hormuz, and outstanding issues such as nuclear development were being negotiated. He later said there will be no enrichment of uranium.
If the president received a deal in which the nuclear program is finished, and the Strait of Hormuz is reopened, that would be the end of the conflict. That&#8217;s been the president&#8217;s case for a long time.
We have degraded their ballistic missile facilities. We have killed all the heads of the IRGC. We killed the Ayatollah. Their navy is gone. Their military has been heavily bombarded.
When I say that this is a win-win, here is what I mean. There are a few good reasons why you do the ceasefire. First of all, you show goodwill that if the Strait were to reopen and Iran were to negotiate an end to its nuclear program, that would be the end of the war, which is what Trump has said from the beginning. He never called for regime change; he called for a difference in regime change behavior.
Either they&#8217;re going to prove it, or they&#8217;re not going to prove it.
This is also a signal to China. In the ceasefire negotiation, Pakistan is a cut-out for China. Pakistan is basically a Chinese proxy at this point.
China was begging the United States to stop here because China has been deprived of some 37% of the oil that is coming through the Strait of Hormuz. They are the largest single recipient of all oil from the Strait of Hormuz. 33% of all of their oil imports come directly from the Strait of Hormuz.
Thus, the United States, as a goodwill gesture to China, is offering Iran a path out. If Iran doesn&#8217;t show the goodwill to take it, what is China going to do? Is China going to be thrilled with the Iranians for continuing to choke off the Strait of Hormuz?
The idea that Trump is going to give up the ghost, that he&#8217;s going to leave without achieving some status change in Iran&#8217;s nuclear approach, or that the control of the Strait is going to be left completely to the behest of the Iranians, beggars the imagination.
It doesn&#8217;t make any sense because it cuts directly against the purpose of President Trump doing this, which is a stronger America. There would be a knock-on effect if Iran were able to maintain complete control over the Strait and the United States just walked away.
Iran would be greatly weakened, but it would send some pretty bad messages, such that any country could talk the United States into abandoning core national interests over shutting down serious trade routes.
China might take notice of that, because if China takes away the lesson that shutting off a trade corridor such as the Taiwan Strait — which carries 20% of all global maritime trade — is leverage against the United States sufficient to deter us from our core national interest, that&#8217;s a problem.
It would also mean, because China is far stronger than Iran, that any country with a few drones and ballistic missiles and some geographic proximity to a choke point could wave off the most powerful force on planet Earth. And that would be very bad for President Trump&#8217;s legacy because in the near future, Iran could theoretically rebuild and then claim real victory over President Trump.
The problem for Iran is that if they reopen the Strait, then they&#8217;re going to have to concede that they are very weak, and if they&#8217;re very weak, they might fall.
The president of the United States has made it very clear that the United States has a lot of leverage here. We have economic leverage. We&#8217;ve got military leverage.
What he&#8217;s trying to do is make sure the American people are safe and strike a deal that&#8217;s good for the American people.

US-ISRAEL-IRAN-WAR-POLITICS-TRUMP

Trump Is Still Winning In Iran

Ben Shapiro

Dan Caine

Department of War

Iranian Revolutionary Guard Corps

Opinion

Secretary of War Pete Hegseth said he believes the ceasefire between the United States and Iran will hold after being asked by The Daily Wire about reports of Iranian strikes overnight. 
“We were monitoring it last night in real time. Of course, we are. Iran would be wise to find a way to get the carrier pigeon to their troops out in remote locations, to know not to shoot, not to shoot any longer,” Hegseth said. “It takes time sometimes for ceasefires to take hold. We&#8217;re watching it. We&#8217;re prepared, if necessary, but we hope and believe that it&#8217;ll hold.&#8221;
<blockquote class="twitter-tweet">
🚨<a href="https://twitter.com/SecWar?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">@SecWar</a> tells <a href="https://twitter.com/MaryMargOlohan?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">@MaryMargOlohan</a> that the Strait of Hormuz is OPEN and commerce will FLOW, despite Iran noting technical limitations.
Hegseth added that the administration &#8220;hopes and believes&#8221; the ceasefire will hold when asked about this morning&#8217;s Iranian strikes:
&#8220;Iran would… <a href="https://t.co/iwFShQ21sa">pic.twitter.com/iwFShQ21sa</a>
— Daily Wire (@realDailyWire) <a href="https://twitter.com/realDailyWire/status/2041860553719619612?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">April 8, 2026</a></blockquote>
<script async src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script>
Hegseth made the remarks during a briefing at the Pentagon on Wednesday morning after being asked by Daily Wire White House correspondent Mary Margaret Olohan about reports that Kuwait, Israel, and the United Arab Emirates faced Iranian strikes after President Donald Trump announced a two-week ceasefire. 
Hegseth also told reporters that American troops in the Middle East are &#8220;not going anywhere&#8221; and will remain in the region to ensure Iran abides by the ceasefire agreement &#8220;and ultimately comes to the table to make a deal&#8221; on a broader peace agreement. 
&#8220;Our troops are prepared to defend, prepared to go on offense, prepared to restart at a moment&#8217;s notice with whatever target package would be needed,&#8221; he said.
Olohan also asked Hegseth about what the reopening of the Strait of Hormuz would look like and what restrictions Iran might place on ships. 
“What we know is that Iran is going to say a lot of things. A lot of people are going to say a lot of things, claim a lot of things,” Hegseth said. “What has been agreed to, what&#8217;s been stated, is the strait is open. Our military is watching. I’m sure their military is watching, but commerce will flow. And that&#8217;s what you saw the market reacts to, is that reality.”
In a Truth Social <a href="https://truthsocial.com/@realDonaldTrump/116367088879643074">post</a> early Wednesday, Trump suggested Iran was ready to reach a broader peace agreement and said the United States would help manage traffic in the Strait of Hormuz.
“A big day for World Peace! Iran wants it to happen, they’ve had enough! Likewise, so has everyone else! The United States of America will be helping with the traffic buildup in the Strait of Hormuz,” Trump wrote. “There will be lots of positive action! Big money will be made. Iran can start the reconstruction process.”
Trump added that the United States would be “loading up with supplies of all kinds, and just ‘hangin’ around’ in order to make sure that everything goes well.” 
“I feel confident that it will,” he said.

US-ISRAEL-IRAN-WAR-HEGSETH

Daily Wire Asks Hegseth About Iran Ceasefire Slip-Ups As Shaky Truce Takes Hold

Operation Epic Fury

Strait of Hormuz

President Donald Trump gave the Iranian regime a <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/news/live-updates-iranian-protests-intensify-as-citizens-demand-end-to-ayatollah-rule">deadline</a> of 8 p.m. on Tuesday to reach a deal with the United States and reopen the Strait of Hormuz, and a number of Democrats have spent the hours leading up to that deadline warning American service members to be wary of — or disregard — any potentially &#8220;illegal&#8221; orders.
Responding to Trump&#8217;s deadline — and his warning that &#8220;a whole civilization will die tonight&#8221; — Democrats quickly lined up to claim that the president was either not in full possession of his mental faculties or about to issue illegal orders to the United States military, if not both.
&#8220;This is a threat of genocide and merits removal from office. The President’s mental faculties are collapsing and cannot be trusted,&#8221; Rep. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez <a href="https://x.com/AOC/status/2041563794787193194">declared</a>. &#8220;To every individual in the President’s chain of command: You have a duty to refuse illegal orders. That includes carrying out this threat.&#8221;
Rep. Ted Lieu (D-CA) addressed his <a href="https://x.com/tedlieu/status/2041277990903091695">warning</a> to the Joint Chiefs of Staff, saying, &#8220;The UCMJ and federal law prohibit war crimes. Striking civilian infrastructure that causes disproportionate civilian harm constitutes war crimes. You will disobey those illegal orders. If you commit war crimes, the next Administration will prosecute you.&#8221;
&#8220;These are not the words of a sane person,&#8221; Rep. Jason Crow (D-CO) <a href="https://x.com/RepJasonCrow/status/2041516423906824681">added</a>. &#8220;Calling for the elimination of a civilization is a war crime. As I’ve repeatedly said, our military must only follow lawful orders. Every American of good conscience must repudiate this.&#8221;
Senator Mark Kelly (D-AZ) ignored the possibility that a bridge or power plant might be considered a military target if it was part of the necessary infrastructure sustaining and supplying the Iranian forces, and instead suggested that any attack on such infrastructure would necessarily be an attack on civilian populations.
&#8220;Threatening to target power plants and other non-military targets is not strength. If those words become orders to destroy civilian infrastructure with no valid military purpose, it’s hard to see how they would not violate the laws of armed conflict. America leads best with strength, discipline, and professionalism. Illegal orders to make civilians suffer would be a black mark on our military and our country,&#8221; <a href="https://x.com/SenMarkKelly/status/2041333810269151246">Kelly said</a>.
Democrats began warning American troops that &#8220;illegal&#8221; orders were a possibility — and were perhaps even to be expected — from President Donald Trump&#8217;s administration months earlier, when &#8220;<a href="https://www.dailywire.com/news/hegseths-war-department-escalates-review-of-mark-kelly-over-seditious-six-video">The Seditious Six</a>&#8221; published a <a href="https://x.com/SenatorSlotkin/status/1990774492356902948">video</a> in response to a number of precision strikes on narco-terrorists. Led by Senators Kelly and Elissa Slotkin (D-MI), the group called on members of the military to refuse &#8220;illegal&#8221; or &#8220;unlawful&#8221; orders while heavily insinuating that if Trump or War Secretary Pete Hegseth had not already given such orders, they were likely to do so.
Slotkin doubled down on Tuesday, <a href="https://x.com/SenatorSlotkin/status/2041559132755653104">posting</a>, &#8220;I know that our service members up and down the chain of command know their duty and the law to refuse illegal orders. Even as the Commander-in-Chief tells the world otherwise. It’s moments like these that are why we made the video to service members last year. And I hope and believe our troops — especially those in command — will have the moral clarity to push back if they are given clearly illegal orders.&#8221;

Celebrity Sightings In New York City – June 22, 2024

Trump’s Iran Clock Is Ticking As Democrats Try To Make Moves Behind His Back

Dems Prep For Trump's Iran Deadline By Warning Military Against 'Illegal Orders'

Global Politics

Military

U.S.

In the days ahead, the direction of Operation Epic Fury will become unmistakable in the targets the United States and Israel choose to strike.
The U.S.-Israeli air campaign has already delivered historic results. Our losses to enemy fire have been dramatically lower than in past major operations — far below the roughly one aircraft per day suffered in the run-up to Desert Storm. Precision strikes combined with air superiority have severely damaged Iran’s missile forces, air defenses, and naval capabilities.
The extraordinary rescue of the downed F-15E pilot and weapons systems officer — the latter extracted on Easter Sunday after going missing on Good Friday — further showcased unmatched special operations skill and real-time intelligence fusion, with operators inserted near Isfahan and a small team sortieing to a 7,000-foot ridge to recover the injured colonel under enemy pressure.
These successes set the stage for the critical phase now unfolding.
President Donald Trump’s remarks on Monday included both talks of negotiations and a threat to hit dual-use infrastructure, but the clearest indicators will be the strikes themselves in the coming hours and days.
For America and its allies, the central goals remain eliminating Iran’s nuclear and missile threat, neutralizing its ability to close the Strait of Hormuz, and cutting off support for its terror proxies — Hamas, Hezbollah, and the Houthis. These elements have long formed the regime’s capacity to destabilize the region and threaten global energy security.
<div id="attachment_1059641" style="width: 874px" class="wp-caption aligncenter"><img loading="lazy" decoding="async" aria-describedby="caption-attachment-1059641" class="size-large wp-image-1059641" src="https://dw-wp-production.imgix.net/2026/03/GettyImages-2242929815-864x576.jpg" alt="Strait of Hormuz (Photo by Gallo Images/Orbital Horizon/Copernicus Sentinel Data 2025)" width="864" height="576" srcset="https://dw-wp-production.imgix.net/2026/03/GettyImages-2242929815-864x576.jpg 864w, https://dw-wp-production.imgix.net/2026/03/GettyImages-2242929815-300x200.jpg 300w, https://dw-wp-production.imgix.net/2026/03/GettyImages-2242929815-768x512.jpg 768w, https://dw-wp-production.imgix.net/2026/03/GettyImages-2242929815.jpg 1024w" sizes=" (max-width: 864px) 100vw, 864px" />Strait of Hormuz (Photo by Gallo Images/Orbital Horizon/Copernicus Sentinel Data 2025)</div>
Iran’s center of gravity is more existential: the survival of the revolutionary regime itself.
Animated by a messianic death cult ideology that seeks to hasten the end times and the return of the 12th Hidden Imam — the Mahdi — the regime views its stockpile of 60% enriched uranium as vital insurance for that apocalyptic mission.
But preserving custody of that material increasingly forces a confrontation with the regime’s very existence, even if full regime change has not been the publicly stated goal.
Watch the target sets carefully. 
If strikes concentrate on tactical assets around the Strait of Hormuz — anti-ship missiles, coastal batteries, fast-attack craft, and related naval infrastructure — the immediate priority will be reopening vital shipping lanes and safeguarding global oil flows. This approach would focus on restoring freedom of navigation while building on gains already achieved. But, as operations against the Houthis to safeguard the Red Sea showed, it’s not easy.
But targeting dual-use infrastructure, such as bridges, power plants, and logistics nodes, would indicate sustained pressure on the regime’s ability to move forces and maintain domestic control. Such targets squeeze the theocrats’ sustainment without committing to large-scale ground operations, potentially accelerating internal strains on a population long weary of repression.
The most telling sign, however, would be systematic attacks on Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC) and Basij militia leadership, command nodes, and control networks. If the campaign pivots decisively in this direction, it will mark the abandonment of meaningful negotiation and a clear intent to drive this terror regime toward collapse. Air power that degrades the mullahs’ tools of internal repression — especially amid existing domestic discontent — could burst open the door for rapid regime collapse.
Only the last option — going after the regime — would likely lead to the United States recovering Iran’s enriched uranium.
Ultimately, the regime faces a binary choice: recognize the futility of defiance or cling to its apocalyptic ideology at ever greater cost. The Iranian people, long oppressed by a corrupt theocracy, could prove decisive once the regime’s instruments of control are sufficiently shattered.
Operation Epic Fury has already reshaped the battlefield in America’s favor. The strategic decisions made now — guided by a clear grasp of centers of gravity as Carl von Clausewitz described them, the hub of all power and movement — will determine whether this campaign delivers not just tactical success but lasting victory: a Middle East more secure, global commerce protected, and a dangerous regime consigned to history’s garbage pile.
What unfolds in the coming days will turn on those target choices and the intent behind them.
* * *
Chuck DeVore is the Chief National Initiatives Officer at the Texas Public Policy Foundation.

TOPSHOT-US-ISRAEL-IRAN-WAR-POLITICS-TRUMP

Why What Comes Next In Iran Will Decide Everything

What Comes Next In Operation Epic Fury: By Sea And By Land, Watch The Targets Closely

Middle East

U.S. Navy

Secretary of War Pete Hegseth said Monday that a downed U.S. airman’s first message after ejecting over Iran was a simple but powerful declaration: “God is good.”
Speaking during a press conference with President Donald Trump about the rescue mission, Hegseth framed the operation in spiritual terms, noting the airman was shot down on Good Friday, spent Saturday hiding in a mountain crevice, and was ultimately rescued as the sun rose on Easter Sunday.
“In that moment of isolation and danger, his faith and fighting spirit shone through,” Hegseth said. “A pilot reborn, all home and accounted for, a nation rejoicing. God is good.”
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Secretary of War Pete Hegseth said the downed U.S. airman’s first message after activating his emergency transponder was simple: “God is good.” <a href="https://t.co/gqka8LalPo">pic.twitter.com/gqka8LalPo</a>
— Kassy Akiva (@KassyAkiva) <a href="https://twitter.com/KassyAkiva/status/2041209101091537003?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">April 6, 2026</a></blockquote>
<script async src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script>
Hegseth added that no American lives were lost in the operation, as U.S. forces upheld the Airman’s Creed, which promises to never leave an airman behind.
“We leave no man behind,” Hegseth said. “And that is not luck.&#8221;
Both <a href="https://x.com/petehegseth/status/2040779298823659939?s=46&amp;t=o-U3qwC25WnWaylJ0oeG7Q">Hegseth</a> and White House Press Secretary Karoline Leavitt <a href="https://x.com/PressSec/status/2040880310250770892">tweeted</a> “God is Good” on Easter Sunday, alluding to the message from the airman.
According to details outlined by President Trump, the F-15E fighter jet was struck in southwest Iran, causing the pilot and Weapons Systems Officer (WSO) to eject. The pilot was successfully recovered in a mission several hours later, while the WSO spent 48 hours evading capture by enemies.
Trump said that despite being injured and “bleeding rather profusely,&#8221; the airman treated his own wounds, scaled cliff faces, and contacted American forces to transmit his location.
To recover the airman, more than 155 aircraft were used, including four bombers, 64 fighter jets, 48 refueling tankers, and 13 rescue aircraft. According to Trump, many of the aircraft were used to fool the Iranians into checking incorrect locations while searching for the American servicemember.
“We wanted to have them think he was in a different location, because they had a vast military force out there—thousands, thousands of people were looking,” Trump said. “So we wanted them to look in different areas, so we were scattered all over like we were right on top of them.”
Trump added that Iranians were tricked by seven different locations and were “very confused.”
Meanwhile, American forces rushed to the correct evacuation zone.
“America&#8217;s military descended on the area—the real area—engaged the enemy, rescued the stranded officer, destroyed all threats, and exited Iranian territory while taking no casualties of any kind,” Trump said.
Two large aircraft used in the rescue became stuck in wet sand and were unable to take off, according to President Trump. A contingency plan was quickly put in place, bringing in additional planes to evacuate personnel.
“We had a contingency plan which was unbelievable—where lighter, faster aircraft came in and they took them out, we blew up the old planes—we blew &#8217;em up to smithereens,” Trump said.

Donald Trump & Pete Hegseth

Rescued Airman’s Words To God Now Echoing Across America

World

War Secretary Pete Hegseth shook things up at the Pentagon during Holy Week when he fired several top generals — including Major General William Green Jr. the U.S. Army chief of chaplains.
Green&#8217;s job as the Army chief of chaplains is to advise the Army Chief of Staff on issues of religion and morality, as well as to oversee the Army Chaplain Corps — and he was three years into what would normally be a four-year term when Hegseth removed him from the role.
Green served as an enlisted soldier prior to becoming an ordained minister, and has served as a chaplain in the Army since the 1990s. His promotion to Major General was recent, according to <a href="https://www.military.com/daily-news/headlines/2026/04/02/army-chief-forced-out-iran-war-hits-new-phase.html">Military.com</a>, and he had become the Army chief of chaplains in 2023.
While no official reason has been given for Green&#8217;s termination — marking the first time that an Army chief of chaplains has been fired since the position was created under the National Defense Act of 1920 — Hegseth had previously voiced his displeasure with Green&#8217;s Army Spiritual Fitness Guide, published in 2025.
The <a href="https://www.militaryatheists.org/regs/ArmyFM7-22_subv202507-SF-Guide.pdf">112-page guide</a> — and accompanying Battle Book — featured &#8220;secular-inclusive&#8221; principles aimed at encouraging resilience and strength. It was written to be a part of the Army’s Holistic Health and Fitness program (H2F), for which development began in 2024 during former Defense Secretary Lloyd Austin&#8217;s tenure.
The guide was published in August of 2025, and Hegseth disliked it so much that he ordered the War Department to scrap it entirely by December, less than six months after it was implemented.
&#8220;It mentions God one time. That’s it. It mentions feelings 11 times. It even mentions playfulness, whatever that is, nine times,&#8221; Hegseth said at the time, complaining that in the military, &#8220;chaplains have been minimized, viewed by many as therapists instead of ministers.&#8221;
The guide was summarily <a href="https://www.army.mil/article/287513/spiritual_fitness_battlebook_equips_soldiers_with_tools_for_inner_resilience">scrubbed</a> from the Army&#8217;s website.
Two other top generals were removed the same week: Gen. David Hodne, a former Army Ranger in charge of the Army’s Transformation and Training Command, and Army Chief of Staff Gen. <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/news/hegseth-removes-armys-top-general-asks-him-to-retire-immediately">Randy A. George</a>.

US-POLITICS-SECURITY-HEGSETH

Hegseth Fires Army Chief Of Chaplains During Holy Week

Easter

Holy Week

Religion

U.S. Army

War Secretary Pete Hegseth announced on Thursday that he was ending the policy that turned U.S. military installations into &#8220;gun-free zones,&#8221; declaring in a brief video statement, &#8220;That ends today.&#8221;
<a href="https://www.war.gov/News/News-Stories/Article/Article/4450527/hegseth-authorizes-off-duty-service-members-to-carry-private-firearms-on-instal/">Hegseth</a> signed a memorandum stating that base commanders should allow service members to request permission to carry their privately-owned firearms while off duty — regardless of any firearm regulations imposed by the states in which the bases were located — and shared video explaining the move.
WATCH:
<blockquote class="twitter-tweet">
Our military installations have been turned into gun-free zones—leaving our service members vulnerable and exposed.
That ends today. <a href="https://t.co/IQ204YepZ0">pic.twitter.com/IQ204YepZ0</a>
— Secretary of War Pete Hegseth (@SecWar) <a href="https://twitter.com/SecWar/status/2039803944965185634?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">April 2, 2026</a></blockquote>
<script async src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script>
&#8220;Our great republic is founded on a simple, yet bold idea,&#8221; Hegseth began, saying that the nation was built the idea that rights were given to the people by God rather than by the government. &#8220;250 years ago, the Revolutionary War was fought to secure our God-given rights. The Second Amendment to our Constitution enshrines the right of all citizens to carry weapons to protect themselves, their families, and their fellow countrymen.&#8221;
Hegseth went on to point out that America&#8217;s men and women in uniform were already well-trained in the use of firearms and should not be barred from exercising their rights simply because they were on a military installation.
&#8220;Our warfighters defend the right of others to carry; they should be able to carry themselves,&#8221; he added.
Hegseth went on to cite recent attacks on military installations, arguing that if trained service members were allowed to arm themselves, such threats could potentially be neutralized in shorter order.
&#8220;In these instances, minutes are a lifetime,&#8221; he explained. &#8220;And our service members have the courage and training to make those precious, short minutes count. Before today, it was virtually impossible … for War Department personnel to get permission to carry and store their own personal weapons aligned with the state laws where we operate our installations. … Well, that&#8217;s no longer.&#8221;
&#8220;The memo I&#8217;m signing today directs installation commanders to allow requests for personal protection — to carry a privately owned firearm — with the presumption that it is necessary for personal protection,&#8221; he added.
The policy effectively turning military bases into <a href="https://www.americas1stfreedom.org/content/trump-speaks-out-against-gun-free-zones-on-military-bases/">gun-free zones</a> — Department of Defense Directive 5210.56 — went into effect in February of 1992, and restricted on-base carrying to &#8220;DoD personnel regularly engaged in law-enforcement and security duties.&#8221;
President Donald Trump, during his first presidential campaign in 2015, spoke out against the policy and said that he would ensure that &#8220;America’s armed forces will be armed.&#8221;
Trump said at the time that the United States &#8220;never should have passed a ban on soldiers being able to protect themselves on bases &#8230; Our brave soldiers should not be at risk because of policy created by civilian leadership.&#8221;

TOPSHOT-US-ISRAEL-IRAN-WAR-HEGSETH

Hegseth Tears Up Controversial Military Base Rule After 34 Years

firearms

George H.W. Bush

Gun-Free Zones

Military Bases

War Secretary Pete Hegseth has asked Army Chief of Staff Gen. Randy George to step down and retire immediately, marking the latest shakeup at the Pentagon as the Trump administration moves to reshape military leadership.
According to <a href="https://www.cbsnews.com/news/hegseth-ousts-army-chief-of-staff-gen-randy-george/">CBS News</a>, a senior War Department official said the move reflects a desire for new leadership aligned with the administration’s priorities. “We are grateful for his service, but it was time for a leadership change in the Army,” the official said.
George, a career infantry officer and West Point graduate, was nominated by former President Joe Biden and confirmed by the Senate in 2023. The position typically carries a four-year term, meaning George would ordinarily have served until 2027. He previously served as vice chief of staff of the Army and as senior military assistant to Defense Secretary Lloyd Austin.
Pentagon spokesman Sean Parnell <a href="https://x.com/SeanParnellASW/status/2039812664902271107">confirmed</a> George’s retirement, thanking him for his decades of service. George’s career included deployments during Operation Desert Shield, Desert Storm, Operation Iraqi Freedom, and Operation Enduring Freedom.
Gen. Christopher LaNeve, the Army’s current vice chief of staff and a former military aide to Hegseth, will serve as acting chief of staff. Parnell described LaNeve as “a battle-tested leader” trusted to carry out the administration’s vision for the Army.
The decision comes as Hegseth has removed more than a <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/news/hegseth-orders-chief-of-army-public-affairs-and-top-advisor-out-of-pentagon-staff?author=Drew+Berkemeyer&amp;category=undefined&amp;elementPosition=2&amp;row=3&amp;rowHeadline=Latest+News&amp;rowType=Vertical+Carousel&amp;title=Hegseth+Just+Canned+Top+Pentagon+Official">dozen senior military officers</a> in recent months, including Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff Gen. <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/news/trump-fires-joint-chiefs-chair-taps-air-force-lt-gen-dan-razin-caine-as-replacement">C.Q. Brown</a>, U.S. representative to NATO’s military council Vice Admiral <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/news/pete-hegseth-axes-navy-official-who-promoted-gender-equality-and-womens-empowerment">Shoshana Chatfield</a>, and Defense Intelligence Agency Director Lt. Gen. <a href="https://apnews.com/article/pentagon-dia-iran-intelligence-trump-kruse-5cb1fb89b8f12c3b517f139f6d840b48">Jeffrey Kruse</a>.
While the move follows a recent dispute over an <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/news/kid-rock-sparks-military-investigation-after-wild-stunt-at-southern-white-house">Army helicopter flyover</a> near musician Kid Rock’s Nashville home, where Hegseth overruled the Army and <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/news/army-takes-action-against-air-crews-flying-by-kid-rocks-southern-white-house-over-weekend">halted an investigation</a>, the decision to ask George to retire was not related to that incident.
George’s departure also comes amid a broader stretch of rapid developments inside the administration. On Wednesday, before the Pentagon shakeup came to light, President Donald Trump delivered a <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/news/the-biggest-takeaways-from-trumps-iran-address-as-he-signals-next-moves">prime-time address</a> touting progress in ongoing operations against Iran, describing significant degradation of Iranian military capabilities while signaling the potential for further escalation, which may include Army operations.
At nearly the same time, Trump moved to <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/news/pam-bondi-out-as-ag-following-months-of-epstein-controversy-criticism-over-lack-of-prosecutions">dismiss Attorney General Pam Bondi</a>, another high-profile personnel change that underscores the fast-moving nature of the administration’s second-term agenda. Reports indicate Bondi was informed of her removal shortly before the president’s address on progress in Iran, highlighting the compressed timeline of major decisions unfolding across both national security and domestic fronts.
Taken together, the developments point to an administration operating at an accelerated pace, reshaping leadership across the military and federal government while prosecuting an increasingly assertive foreign policy. George’s ouster, in that context, is not an isolated personnel move, but part of a broader effort to align key institutions with the administration’s strategic vision.
George’s departure underscores ongoing efforts by Pentagon leadership to install officials who will implement the administration’s broader vision for the military, as tensions between civilian leadership and uniformed officials continue to surface.

President Trump Meets With His Cabinet At The White House

Hegseth Removes Army’s Top General, Asks Him To Retire Immediately

Executive

Pentagon

Signaling a seismic shift in the post-WWII global order, President Donald Trump said he is &#8220;strongly considering&#8221; withdrawing the United States from NATO, delivering one of his clearest warnings that Washington may no longer be willing to underwrite European security without reciprocal support.
Delivered in a characteristically blunt interview with <a href="https://www.telegraph.co.uk/world-news/2026/04/01/donald-trump-strongly-considering-pulling-us-out-of-nato/">The Telegraph</a>, Trump argued the alliance has become a &#8220;one-way street,&#8221; with the United States expected to defend Europe while allies decline to support American operations.
The catalyst for this potential divorce is the refusal of European allies to support the U.S.-led effort to reopen the Strait of Hormuz — a vital artery for 20% of the world’s oil — which has been temporarily shuttered by Tehran.
Asked whether he would reconsider U.S. membership after the war with Iran is over, Trump did not hedge.
“Oh yes, I would say beyond reconsideration,&#8221; he said. &#8220;I was never swayed by NATO. I always knew they were a paper tiger, and Putin knows that too, by the way.”
Trump pointed directly to European reluctance to support efforts to reopen the Strait of Hormuz, a vital artery for 20% of the world&#8217;s oil that has been shuttered by Iran, as evidence that the alliance is failing, and noted that while the United States has &#8220;automatically&#8221; stood by Europe, including in non-member states like Ukraine, the favor has not been returned.
&#8220;They weren’t there for us,&#8221; Trump remarked, specifically lambasting UK Prime Minister Keir Starmer for a lack of naval support.
Senior administration officials are now echoing the president&#8217;s frustration.
Secretary of State Marco Rubio warned that continued U.S. participation in NATO cannot be taken for granted if allies expect protection while limiting American military flexibility.
&#8220;If NATO is just about us defending Europe if they’re attacked but then denying us basing rights when we need them, that’s not a very good arrangement,&#8221; he said.
Secretary of War Pete Hegseth went further, arguing the war has exposed a fundamental imbalance.
&#8220;You don’t have much of an alliance if you have countries that are not willing to stand with you when you need them,&#8221; Hegseth stated.
The statements point to a hardening of the administration&#8217;s NATO stance. Sources suggest the White House is eyeing a model that would block delinquent or uncooperative members from decision-making and is revisiting plans to withdraw troops from Germany.
As the U.S. and Israel continue air strikes against Iran’s nuclear program, the message from Washington is clear: the era of the American &#8220;blank check&#8221; for European security is over. If NATO will not serve as a platform for mutual security, President Trump appears ready to walk away from the table entirely.

President Trump Holds Cabinet Meeting

Trump Eyes Major NATO Shift After Allies Fail Key Test

Marco Rubio

NATO

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