President Trump's massive bombing raid on Iran's Karg Island, which a preliminary investigation linked to outdated data causing 170 civilian deaths, coincided with a prolonged government shutdown over DHS funding. While the Supreme Court blocked a grand jury subpoena against Federal Reserve Chair Jerome Powell, global fuel prices surged past $4 per gallon due to Strait of Hormuz disruptions, threatening the middle class despite IEA reserve releases. Veterans' groups warned against mixed messaging on the conflict, and callers debated the economic toll of tariffs versus the existential threat of Iran's nuclear program, highlighting a deepening crisis in U.S. foreign policy and domestic stability. [Automatically generated summary]
Coming up on Washington Journal this morning, along with your calls and comments live, we'll talk about U.S.-Israeli combat operations against Iran with Kylan Hunter of Iraq and Afghanistan Veterans of America and Navy Federal Credit Union chief economist Heather Long on the economic fallout of the war in Iran and the surge in gas prices.
C-SPAN's Washington Journal is next.
Join the conversation.
Good morning.
This is Washington Journal for March 14th.
This week, we saw new advances in operations in Iran, and as part of that, messages from the president and other administration officials on its impact on oil and gas prices.
And the Senate, Leader John Thune, promised to vote on the Save America Act next week.
And the Senate left town this week without passing legislation to fund the Department of Homeland Security.
You can choose those or other political stories as your top story of the week.
Call in now with your choices.
Here are your lines.
Democrats, your number is 202-748-8000.
Republicans, your line is 202-748-8001.
Independents, your line is 202-748-8002.
You can also reach us by text message at 202-748-8003.
You can reach us on social media.
Our Facebook is facebook.com forward slash C-SPAN or on X with the handle at C-SPANWJ.
We start this morning on Iran.
President Trump announced last night that the U.S. had struck Iran's Karg Island.
In a truth social, which I'll read some of it for you now, he said, moments ago, at my direction, the United States Central Command executed one of the most powerful bombing raids in history of the Middle East and totally obliterated every military target in Iran's crown jewel, Karg Island.
Our weapons are the most powerful and sophisticated that the world has ever known, but for reasons of decency, I have chosen not to wipe out the oil infrastructure on the island.
And then he issued a threat.
However, should Iran or anyone else do anything to interfere with the free and safe passage of ships through the Strait of Hormuz, I will immediately reconsider this decision.
In an article that Politico published about this strike, they wrote that he called the strike the most powerful bombing raids in the history of the Middle East.
And they note that the oil processing facilities at Karg Island are a foundational component of Iran's economy.
Roughly 90% of Iran's crude is processed at Carg Island processed at Karg Island, and any disruption to its oil processing could cripple Iran's economy.
Earlier this week in Florida, the president talked about his thinking when it comes to the Strait of Hormuz, which Iran has been effectively blocking.
Take a listen here.
As we continue Operation Epic Fury, we're also focused on keeping energy and oil flowing to the world.
And I will not allow a terrorist regime to hold the world hostage and attempt to stop the globe's oil supply.
And if Iran does anything to do that, they'll get hit at a much, much harder level.
I will take out those targets that were easy and that I mentioned just before.
We'll take them out so quickly, they'll never be able to recover, ever.
If they want to play that game, they better not play that game.
In the long run, oil supplies will be dramatically more secure without the threat of Iranian ships, drones, missiles, nuclear menace, or anything.
So the Strait of Hormuz is going to remain safe.
We have a lot of Navy ships there.
We have the best equipment in the world, inspecting for mines.
Again, most of their ships are down at the bottom of the sea, but we will hit them so hard that it will not be possible for them or anybody else helping them to ever recover that section of the world.
They do anything.
There was President Trump on Monday talking about the Strait of Hormuz.
Last night he announced that the military had struck Carg Island in Iran, marking an escalation because Iran said that that would be a red line.
And another story we saw this week focused on funding for the Department of Homeland Security and the stall in those TARCs.
I turned to now another political article.
The headline is, Senate rejects DHS funding as shutdown nears one-month mark.
For the fourth time in so many weeks, senators voted down a bill Thursday to fully fund the Department of Homeland Security, then left town for the weekend, ensuring the agency remained shuttered past the one-month mark come Friday.
The Senate voted 51 to 46 against moving ahead with the House pass measure to fund all of DHS, failing to meet the 60-vote threshold necessary to move forward.
Take a listen now to this exchange between Democratic Majority Leader John Schumer and Senate Leader John Thune over these discussions.
So we're going to offer these bills one at a time and see where our Republican colleagues go.
We know the American people are on our side.
We know that the only thing Republicans need to do is stay out of the way and these programs will be funded today and problems at the airports will go away.
You yield?
I will.
So I assume the Democrat leader is aware of the fact that we have tried repeatedly to fund everything temporarily to allow the negotiations over the ICE budget to continue.
I am well aware, but that hasn't worked.
What can work, and the reason stops is because the Democrats have blocked it.
Yeah, the bottom line is Democrats are ready today.
America, watch.
We will have members on the floor saying, let's fund TSA with no other preconditions.
What will Republicans do?
They're going to see Republicans get up and block it.
It's that simple.
Now, my friend, sometimes, much of the time, my friend, the Republican leader says, well, you'll only do it if you go along with what we want on ICE and what we want on Border Patrol, highly unpopular and wrong.
So who's standing in the way?
America, look at it.
We're not putting any preconditions on funding TSA.
The Republicans are.
And why?
Mr. President.
Because the Democrat leader will yield for a question.
In a minute.
Why?
Because Republicans are in obese to Donald Trump's insistence on having these marauding forces of ICE go through our cities.
We saw what they did in Minneapolis.
We saw what they did in Los Angeles.
We saw what they did in other places.
Americans don't like it.
Trump's numbers have suffered.
And so it's simple.
Don't attach preconditions.
Fund TSA.
Fund CISA.
You'll have that opportunity in a few hours.
And if you get up and block it and say we'll only do it unless Americans will know who's to blame.
I yield.
Well, I would just say again to the Democrat leader that the Democrats have had multiple opportunities, and we'll have another one today, to provide funding for all of the agencies that he just mentioned to allow us to consider, under a continuing resolution, to allow us to consider how we're going to resolve the DH issue that the Democrat leader has raised, which are being negotiated, I might add, at the moment between Democrats and Republicans in the White House.
So there will be an attempt.
The Democrats will have an opportunity to block, as they have now repeatedly.
So that was the two party leaders in the Senate discussing and quite frankly arguing a bit over DHS funding.
A programming note for you.
On Tuesday, FBI Director Kash Patel, Director of the National Intelligence Tulsi Gabbard, and CIA Director John Ratcliffe will testify on global threats facing the United States.
The hearing comes as tensions escalate amid ongoing military strikes on Iran by the U.S. and Israel and, of course, the shutting of DHS.
Watch the House Intelligence Committee hearing live at 2 p.m. Eastern on C-SPAN 3, C-SPAN Now, our free mobile app and online at c-span.org.
Strike on School Blamed on Data Error00:08:07
We are talking this morning about top news story of the week.
You can call in and talk about any news story that you've come across.
Democrats, your line is 202-748-8000.
Republicans, your line is 202-748-8001.
Independents, your line is 202-748-8002.
Let's turn to some of your phone calls.
Paul from Idaho, a Republican.
You're first.
Good morning, Paul.
Thank you.
What's your top news story of the week?
Well, I think it has to do with the war, basically.
You can't call it a war because it's not been declared a war, but nevertheless, it's a police action or whatever you want to call it.
Yeah, it has to do with the same old playbook that Hamas used when they were fighting in Gaza against the Jews.
And that is, they intentionally put sensitive type of buildings and businesses in an area adjacent to or above or below what would seem to be a natural place to have something.
And then, of course, there's a school down below.
So what happened again was the school, the girls' school.
The school children, yeah, that died.
I guess it was 83 of them or 103 or something.
I'm sorry.
I can't recall the exact number.
But yeah, and it's the same exact training that Hamas was doing all the time.
And when Hamas trained for October 7th, they trained in Iran.
And so when I saw that happen, I just thought, you know, where have I seen this before?
It suddenly dawned on me that they're doing the same thing in Iran that they did in Gaza.
All right, Paul, let me pull up that article so folks know exactly what you're talking about.
I turned to a New York Times article published two days ago.
It says, U.S. at fault in strike on school in Iran preliminary inquiry says outdated targeting data may have resulted in a mistaken missile strike according to ongoing military investigation, and which undercuts President Trump's assertion that Iran could be to blame.
If you just scroll a little bit down, bear with me here.
It says an ongoing military investigation has determined that the United States is responsible for a deadly tomahawk strike on an Iranian elementary school, according to U.S. officials and others familiar with preliminary findings.
The February 28th strike on an elementary school building was a result of a targeting mistake by the U.S. military, which was conducting strikes on an adjacent Iranian base, of which the school was formerly a part of.
The preliminary investigation found officers at the U.S. Central Command created the target coordinates for the strike using outdated data provided by the Defense Intelligence Agency.
People briefed on the investigation said officials emphasize that the findings are preliminary and that there are more that there are important unanswered questions about why outdated information had not been checked.
Striking a school full of children is sure to be recorded as one of the most devastating military errors in recent decades.
Iranian officials have said the death toll was at least 170 people, most of them children, and a full investigation is underway, according to Pete Hegseth, who said that in a press briefing earlier this week.
Fati from New York, an independent, you're next.
Good morning, Fatih.
What's your top news story of the week?
Yeah, it's all right.
Good morning, America, and good morning, ma'am.
This is my first time calling your program.
I've never called before.
The reason why I'm calling is let us go all the way back, ma'am, decades and decades back.
A lot of people think that the reason why this fighting is going on right now with Iran in 1953, the United States government went into Iran and unsaw a democratically elected government and put in the shah of Iran, what the people did not want.
And that was a violation.
So this thing goes all the way back.
It didn't just start in 1979 when the American hostages were seized from the embassy over there.
This goes all the way back.
Then let's go further back.
In Africa, America took out the leader over there, who was the guy in the Congo, known as Patrick's Lumuma.
Then they did the same thing in Chile, took out the leader from there.
And then they did the same thing now in another country right there in South America.
Why do people think that America has the right to go around and decide what government people should have or what constitution people should have or what kind of a policy?
Would this be if someone was to come in here and tell the United States we're going to take Trump out and install another government on yours?
So let's think.
This thing goes back years and years and what has just happened?
Isn't just happening from Culture?
What's happening right now?
No.
This is from years and years of frustration.
When we went in.
I think we take your point there, Fati.
Homer from Missouri, a Democrat.
You're next.
Good morning.
Good morning, Jasmine.
Good morning.
Good morning, American people.
Where do you start with this guy?
I mean, really?
Well, let's start with your top story of the week.
What's your number one?
Well, the last gentleman was right on the money.
But how about the Tomahawk missile?
And they have no tomahawk missiles.
And this president is just off the chain.
His little deal in Kentucky the other night, and Massey's going to win by double digits.
Okay.
So your top news story is both Iran and his comments from Kentucky earlier in the week.
His press conference or whatever, his rally in Kentucky.
The man is not well.
I mean, he looks like he's sweating.
He looks like a coke cleaned up too.
All right.
Pat from New Jersey, a Republican.
Hi, good morning, Steve Span.
Good morning, America.
Good morning.
What's your top news story of the week?
Jasmine, my top story of the week is Homeland Security.
I just wanted to say that the Democrats are holding the American people hostage.
How do you fire them?
By not voting for them.
Thank God President Trump is in.
God bless America.
Thank you.
Bye-bye.
That was Pat from New Jersey.
Stan from Alabama, a Democrat.
Good morning, Stan.
What's your top news story of the week?
Good morning.
My top news story, of course, I ran in.
But the fertilizer's going to the tough over there.
The American farmers took it on the chin for many years, but now the price of fertilizer is going to go through the roof, and they're not going to be able to produce crops and make money on them.
And President Trump and them didn't have any kind of plan going into that.
But let me make a comment.
My brother's in the Navy in 1979 when they exposed the shock.
Is there a missile cruiser circling over there in that part of the world?
And he's got me, my nickname is C-SPAN Stan.
So I watch the show quite a bit.
And I love America.
I don't want things to get a whole lot better.
I'm 74 years old.
I was hoping things will be a whole lot better in this country as I got older.
But anyway, the American farmers can take it on the chin because of the war.
All right.
Appreciate y'all.
Love you much.
God bless America.
All right.
And another top news story of the week that we have that developed on Friday is, I turn now to a roll call article.
Grand Jury Subpoena Against Powell00:03:11
The headline is Judge Block's Grand Jury Subpoena and Jerome Powell Investigation.
It says Janine Piro, the U.S. Attorney in the District of Columbia, said her office will appeal.
It said the Trump administration vowed Friday to appeal a ruling from a federal judge that an investigation into Federal Reserve Chair Jerome Powell was likely politically motivated and blocked a grand jury subpoena.
The U.S. attorney made the announcement at a news conference as the ruling was unsealed Friday.
Her office has reportedly been investigating Powell's 2025 testimony before the Senate Banking Committee about cost overruns on renovations to the Federal Reserve Building.
Judge James E. Bozberg of the U.S. District Court for the District of Columbia issued a decision on Wednesday and said he would unseal it Friday.
The judge cited months of statements by President Trump pressuring Powell to make decisions to lower interest rates and criticize Powell.
Boersberg said that Pierrot appeared to act at Trump's direction to initiate an investigation.
Quote, a mountain of evidence suggests that government that the government served these subpoenas on the board to pressure its chair into voting for lower interest rates or resigning, Bozberg wrote.
On the other side of the scale, the government has produced essentially zero evidence to suspect Powell of a crime.
Indeed, its justifications are so thin and unsubstantiated that the court can only conclude that they are pretextual, Bozberg wrote.
Yesterday, in a press conference, Janine Piro railed against the decision.
Two reporters, she made these comments.
Take a listen.
The American public is fed up with public monies that seem to go into a black hole, especially in D.C., where no one is held accountable.
One of the age-old tools that all prosecutors have to investigate any crime, including cost overruns, is a grand jury subpoena.
Today, however, in Washington, an activist judge has taken that tool away from us by inserting himself and preventing the grand jury from even obtaining, let alone hearing evidence.
He has neutered the grand jury's ability to investigate crime.
As a result, Jerome Powell today is now bathed in immunity, preventing my office from investigating the Federal Reserve.
This is wrong, and it is without legal authority.
That was Janine Pirro, U.S. District Attorney for D.C., rally against the decision by Judge Boesberg to throw out the subpoena against Federal Reserve Chair Jerome Powell.
Let's turn back to your calls.
Barbara from Georgia, a Democrat.
Air Force Refueler Crash Investigation00:07:40
My top story, my top story would be the spending that we're doing.
Right now, everything is so high.
I live on a fixed income, and I can't hardly go to the grocery store and buy groceries.
And then the gasoline.
Lord, have mercy.
If you live on a fixed income, you can't hardly get by on a fixed income.
And now, look at the deficit.
Do you think we'll ever get out of there yet?
I think if he keeps on, he's going to bankrupt the United States.
I am disgusted with him.
That was Barbara from Georgia.
Christopher from Baltimore, a Republican.
Your next.
Good morning, Christopher.
Christopher, excuse me.
Good morning.
How's everybody doing today?
Doing well.
What's your top news story of the week?
Well, I was thinking about with Gene Piro.
Everybody that is trying to, it seems like President Trump is attacking his own Americans.
Anybody that disagree with him, he's using the Justice Department like they were, like he is a mob boss.
If they don't agree, attack them.
And also, I was thinking about what's going on, which hasn't been mentioned.
We lost three fighter jets.
The other day, a KC-12, a refueling jet, it had crashed.
I'm like, what is going on with the military and our military and the planes that are falling out the sky?
And all of them were friendly fire.
None of them were taken out by the enemy.
So I think we need to readjust and get, I don't know what we're going to do.
I'm just praying that everybody would just come together and stop this nonsense.
The gentleman earlier was talking about how the Americans have been always trying to go in and take this like we did Venezuela.
He was attacking Greenland.
He was attacking, now he was talking about Cuba.
This all started when the Europeans left and they took out the Indians.
We're the Indians at now.
We hardly ever put them on the little tribe.
I pray that we would come to our senses.
And I want to say I thank all the people that host C-SPAM, that they continue to be patient and deal with us on the phone.
I say it takes a lot of patience to deal with the callers that come in.
And I just want to say thank you.
Thanks for calling in, Christopher.
To the first point he mentioned about the Air Force refueler crash.
I'm looking at a Washington Post article that's on the front page of the news today.
The headline is six killed in crash of Air Force Refueler.
It says an apparent mid-air accident, other landed safely.
All six service members aboard a U.S. Air Force refueling aircraft that crashed in Iraq while supporting operations in Iran are dead, military officials said Friday.
The KC-135 refueling aircraft was lost while flying over a friendly airspace Thursday in western Iraq, U.S. Central Command said, and an apparent mid-air accident with another aircraft.
CENTCOM's announcement brought the death toll of the crash from four to six after earlier saying that rescue efforts were underway for the last two crew members.
Quote, the circumstances of the incident are under investigation, the CENTCOM statement said, adding that the identities of the deceased personnel would be withheld for 24 hours while the next of kin were notified.
So that's a story in the Washington Post, which you can go read if you want to know more.
Brad, Seattle, Washington, a Democrat.
Good morning.
What's your top news story of the week?
Yeah, I'd like to bring up a news story that has not really gotten a whole lot of attention in the media.
There has been a few outlets that have reported it, including CNN and a few others.
And that is the missing general William McCaslin out of New Mexico.
Now, what people need to understand in the audience and you is that he was one of the most highly briefed, highly cleared generals in America.
I mean, he was a director of the Air Force Research Laboratory in Wright-Patterson Air Force Base in Ohio.
He's had several other highly placed positions.
He has knowledge in his head of some of the most sensitive, top-secret activities going on.
And also, what needs to be understood is that he, when the WikiLeaks story was going on, he was revealed in some of the WikiLeaks as being somebody who was willing to come forward and communication with Hillary Clinton involving the now serious and proven topic.
And it's not a conspiracy theory.
It's not kookiness anymore.
It's been admitted by the government, and they've had congressional hearings, and that is the topic of unidentified aerial objects.
UAP.
It's a fact now.
The documentary, The Age of Disclosure, has just watched that.
Marco Rubio, James Clapper, several other highly placed people.
I mean, how much do the people need to know be told that the topic of UAP is real?
There are unknown objects in the skies above America and sensitive installations that we are unable to identify.
No.
William McCasklin walked out of his home to go on a hike in New Mexico and has not been seen for two weeks.
If you could put that news story on.
Yep, I've actually got it right here, Brad.
Let me read it for folks so they are on the same page.
I'm reading a New York Times article.
It says, FBI joined search for Air Force general missing for two weeks.
Before he tired, Major General William M. McCasklin oversaw a research labrador at Wright Laboratory at Wright-Patterson Air Force Base near Dayton, Ohio.
I'm just going to scroll a little bit.
Stay with me here.
And so the authorities in New Mexico are searching for a retired, high-ranking Air Force officer who has not been seen since he left home in Albuquerque nearly two years ago.
The Bernilio County Sheriff's Office said the retired officer is a former commander of the Air Force Research Laboratory at Wright-Patterson Air Force Base near Dayton, Ohio.
He was responsible for managing the Air Force Science and Technology Program and oversaw a global workforce of approximately 10,800 people involved in Air Force technology.
On February 27th, General McCaskill, who retired nearly 13 years ago, left his home near the foothills of the Sendia Mountains outside of Albuquerque, the sheriff's office said.
The general who is known as Neil is believed to have left the house on foot at about 11 a.m.
Jamie Gonzalez, a sheriff's office spokeswoman, said on Thursday, he left behind his cell phone and prescription glasses, and investigators believe that his hiking boots, wallet, and a.38 caliber revolver with a leather holster are missing from the home.
Economic Shock Before Middle East War00:12:34
That was in the New York Times.
If you want to go and read some more, John from Oklahoma, an independent.
You're next.
Good morning, John.
What's your top news story of the week?
Well, good morning.
My name is Guy from Oklahoma.
How are you, Jeff?
Guy?
Oh, I'm good.
How are you?
Good.
Thank you.
Of course, my top story is Iran.
And, you know, people, I'm just shocked that they're taking the side of Iran and not America or Israel, our number one ally.
But going back to 1979, they've had an open declaration of war on America since 1979.
They have an open contract to kill President Trump, which is an act of war in itself.
They have two open contracts on former Secretary of Defenses, which is an act of war in itself.
They've killed thousands of Americans.
They've injured tens of thousands of Americans.
And all those infomercials, videos you see about the Humvees being blown up and the Wounded Warrior program, all those injuries that you see, those are all from IEDs from Iran, built by Iran.
Tens of thousands of soldiers maimed and wounded over the last, well, you know, since the 20-year war in Iraq and Afghanistan.
And it just shocks me that Americans don't support our troops, our president, and taking out the world's leading sponsor of terrorism.
They're responsible for the murder of hundreds of thousands of people across the world.
And I'm just flabbergasted that they take the side, especially Democrats, taking the side of Hamas, taking the side of criminals, illegal aliens.
And now they're taking the side of terrorists, for Christ's sakes.
Anyway, enough said on that.
Jasmine, I like you, and I have a piece of a tip for you, a little information.
I saw you when President Trump called on you two times in a row.
Well, I guess about a week, week and a half ago.
And the jerk standing behind you, he immediately tried to overpower you and take, take, you know, you should have stood up, raised your hand, and cut him off.
The next time President Trump calls on you, stand up, take that, be forceful.
Don't let that jerk stand up behind you and overpower you.
And have a great weekend, Jasmine.
Love you.
All right, John.
That was John from Oklahoma with some advice there.
Let's turn to some texts that you guys are sending in about your top news story of the week.
Sandy from Bloomington, Indiana, she says, I think the most critical story of the week is Trump trying to rig the elections by trying to pass the SHAVE Act, a huge threat for our democracy.
The next one is, I think it is ridiculous that Chuck Schumer and Democrats are not funding DHS over demands they are requesting over ICE and CPB reform.
You don't withhold payments to these brave patriots for doing something that can be resolved through negotiations.
Tony from Long Island, New York.
Another is my top news story is that Israel decided not to put boots on the ground in Iran.
Israel wants America to put 5,000 American soldiers on the ground in Iran to lose their lives.
From Kevin from Connecticut.
And Barb from Long Grove, Illinois says, top news story of the week is the continuation and escalation of the Iran conflict and its effect on the U.S. economy up to this point.
Let's turn back to some phone calls.
Dexter from Opaloka, Florida.
I love to say that word, a Democrat, Opaloka.
Good morning.
Good morning, Top News Story.
Good morning.
It's really called Opa-laka.
Opa-laca.
Okay.
Don't let the people of Florida see this right now.
What's your top news story of the week?
Go ahead.
First of all, you're looking lovely to someone and I love the white.
Thank you very much.
Thank you very much.
Now, my top story is: first of all, I'm an American first.
I have many Democrat, Republicans, and Independent friends.
I love what Marjorie Taylor Green said.
I think it was yesterday.
She does not agree with who she supported all this time on this agenda because what they voted for is not what he's following.
So my top story is Marjorie Taylor Greene.
And if you could find what she said, I think it was yesterday, I would really appreciate it.
And I'm not going to take up all your time.
But yes, she decided she's no longer going to continue to drink the Kool-Aid.
All right.
She's actually incredibly productive on X, but I think I found one that's at the top of her feed.
It says, I've been on the phone with some of the top American first conservative leaders.
We're all in agreement.
The admin and Republican Party is going in the wrong direction on key issues like the war, Epstein, and especially domestic issues, and has become completely hijacked by the Lindsey Grahams, Mark Loveland, and the neocon establishment.
Republicans, we all voted against.
The future of America belongs to us, the younger generations, and not boomers in charge.
And a large, excuse me, I and other in charge and their boomer donors, I and others have been doing our part to call out the wrongs and fight back, and a large percentage of Americans agree.
But I can't impart on you all enough that the power to make changes on the outside.
After five years of trying while in Congress, I can tell you firsthand it's completely broken and controlled.
An entire generation of elected officials, their donors, and controlling interests have to be removed, and it's both sides.
Sam from Boston and Independent.
Good morning.
What's your top news story of the week, Sam?
Good morning.
My top story is how this Trump guy can con people like John in Oklahoma into a war of which Trump campaigned on the total opposite, which was we are not going to do this.
And you can just say anything to these people like John in Oklahoma.
You know, and by the way, check out that state.
It ranks towards the bottom of the barrel in most metrics, whether it's education or what have you.
But, you know, these Trump people, they will just go along with anything because they don't have integrity.
So your top news story of the week is Iran.
Anything specific that's happened?
It's how we got conned into a war by people who lie to us and make fun of our veterans.
I want that guy, John, in Oklahoma, to go look up how Trump made fun of POWs.
And just, I would ask him how he can even sleep at night.
All right.
Sam from Boston.
I think we got your point there.
Bill from Michigan, a Democrat.
Good morning.
What's your top news story of the week?
Good morning.
Thank you for taking my call.
I just want to say, can the Wright explain why when President Biden pulled out of Afghanistan and 12 Americans were killed in a bomb explosion, they sacrificed for a reason to get out of Afghanistan and stop that war.
The right wanted to hang President Biden.
Now, with no benefits for the USA, Trump is getting Americans killed without a plan.
Hypocrisy, thy name is Trump and Republican.
Same as gas prices.
His response, oh, well, that's just the way it goes.
Is that really how it's going to happen, people?
Is this what you voted for?
I did not.
It's not what I voted for.
And I'm sick of them telling me I'm not patriotic.
I flied my flag 365 days, and I am very patriotic as a Democrat.
Stop telling me I don't love America.
It's not your right to say that to anybody.
So I appreciate the call.
Thank you, and you have a good day.
Bye.
That was Bill from Michigan, a Democrat.
One story that published overnight that I read and I want to share with you guys on the Iran issue is from the Wall Street Journal.
The headline here is: President knew the risk of closure of Hormuz Strait, still went to war.
It says, before the U.S. went to war, General Dan Kaine, the chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff, told President Trump that an American attack could prompt Iran to close the Strait of Hormuz.
Kaine said in several briefings that the U.S. officials had long believed Iran would deploy mines, drones, and missiles to close the world's most vital shipping lane, according to people with knowledge of the discussions.
Trump acknowledged these risks, these people said, but moved forward with the most consequential foreign policy decision of his two presidencies.
He told his team that Tehran would likely capitulate before closing the strait.
And even if Iran tried, the U.S. military could handle it.
Now, two weeks into Iran's war, now two weeks into the war, Iran's leaders have refused to back down, and the Strait of Hormuz has emerged as Tehran's most potent leverage point.
Iran has blocked tankers from the strait and struck cargo ships, triggering a surge in oil prices and an energy shock rippling around the world.
U.S. forces are targeting Iran's mine-laying ships and factories, trying to prevent the country from lining the waterway with explosives.
Harold from Tennessee, a Democrat.
Your next.
Harold, what's your top news star of the week?
Well, thank you for taking my call to start with.
The economy.
Look at where the economy is going.
It is falling down the tube in health care.
People are dying from lack of health care.
And this is not, you know, this right here is just sleeping at other table.
People, I think I read something over 68,000 people died a year from lack of health care.
We're becoming a sicker nation.
A sicker nation is a weaker nation.
And people can't, they're getting where they can't afford to buy their food now.
We're back to that point again, where we buy food or we buy groceries, I mean medicine or we buy groceries.
And people are going to have to choose food because you got to eat.
But 68,000 people a year died already from lack of health care.
And it's just driving people into bankruptcy.
A sick nation is a weak nation.
And look at the price of everything that you see out here.
Gasoline is only one thing.
The price of food when you go in the store and this war right here is just part of covering up these Epstein files.
And for the life of me, I cannot see where all these churches are running around still supporting a child molester.
If this would have been Joe Biden's name and them.
All right, that was Harold from Tennessee.
Later on in the show, we'll have on Heather Long, who is going to be talking about the economy with us.
I hope you guys call in if you have specific questions for her.
She's one of my favorite people to talk about the economy.
And I turn, just because our caller was mostly talking about the economy, to a Washington Post.
We're doing a lot of newspaper today, guys.
Article: It says the economy was shakier than thought before the outset of the war in the Middle East.
Benchmarks, which predate offensive against Iran, point to weaker growth, pesky inflation.
It says the U.S. economy was in worse shape in the weeks before the United States and Israel launched strikes against Iran than earlier government estimates had suggested, according to two closely watched economic benchmarks released Friday, painting a picture of slowing growth and stubborn inflation.
The Commerce Department downward revised its estimate of economic growth in the fourth quarter of last year, saying that gross domestic product expanded at just 0.7% annual rate in the final three months of 2025, much smaller than the 1.4% pace the department had reported in advance estimate of last month.
Now that is, of course, during the shutdown time, which affected those numbers.
But again, we'll be talking to Heather Long later on in the show all about the economy.
And we hope you guys stay tuned.
Let's turn back to some phone calls.
Jesse Jackson Funeral and Trump Peace Plan00:15:08
Becky from Massachusetts, Republican.
Yes, good morning.
Good morning, Becky.
What's your top news story of the week?
I just want to say I am a mega person from Massachusetts, the Democratic state of Massachusetts.
But what I wanted to say to you is: you are beautiful, you are intelligent, and you are a great asset to this show.
Oh, thanks, Becky.
For those people that think we are all racist, I truly think that you are a great asset to the show.
And my comment today was not what I had generally wanted to bring up, but because it's the biggest news story of the week and there has not been a lot said about it,
is Jesse Jackson Jr. slams Obama, Biden, and Clinton at his father's funeral for bringing up and talking political stuff, trashing Trump.
And it's not a new thing at the funeral.
A funeral is where we pay respect.
And I'm not saying that if Trump had gotten up to a funeral and gotten up, he might say stuff.
It's not the time to disrespect the person that they're having the funeral for.
It's time for respect.
Thank you.
All right, Becky from Massachusetts.
I can read that article very quickly.
I turned to Fox News article.
It says, Jesse Jackson Jr. rebukes Obama, Clinton, and Biden for not truly knowing his father during memorial service.
If you scroll down a little bit more, bear with me here.
It says, during his father's memorial service on Saturday, Jesse Jackson Jr. offered a sharp rebuke of the tributes given by former Democratic presidents Bill Clinton, Barack Obama, and Joe Biden, knowing that the trio shared one thing in common.
They didn't really know his father.
Yesterday, I listened for several hours of three U.S. presidents who do not know Jesse Jackson.
Jesse Jackson Jr. said on Saturday, the Reverend Son called out the idea that his father's life wasn't defined by the, quote, political order, but by a commitment to those who were marginalized.
The quote is, he maintained a tense relationship with the political order not because the presidents were white or black, but the demands of our message, the demands of speaking for at least the demands of speaking for the least of these, those who are disinherited, the damned, the disposed, and the disrespected, and demanded not Democratic or Republican solutions, but demanded a consistent, prophetic voice that at no point in time sold us out as people.
Jesse Jackson Jr. continued.
This is a Fox News article.
If you want to read more, John from Florence, Massachusetts, an independent.
Good morning, John.
What's your top news story of the week?
Yep, my biggest story is that everybody's complaining about what's happening in Iraq, which has got a clear strategy of keeping them from getting nuclear weapons and the buildup of their stuff.
But nobody complained when Obama bombed Libya from March of 2011 until October of 2011, which is eight months, and continued major strikes and only stopped until he left office in January of 2017.
He also bombed Syria from September 2014 until he left office in January of 2017.
And Biden bombed Yemen, Syria, and Libya.
Where were the questions about, well, what was the imminent threat?
You know what the imminent threat was in Libya for Obama?
It was that they were building up their weapons, they had a plethora of money, and they were providing safe harbor for ISIS and al-Qaeda.
So I guess that's a good enough reason there, and nobody ever complained about all the bombing then.
I also want to say that nobody believes a poll of 2,000 people in a country of 355 million people and say, well, that speaks for everybody in the country.
And I want to mention one more top news story: the NBA canceled the Magic City Strip Club night, which wasn't even going to have strippers.
It was just going to have the food and the different things that they have there besides the strip club.
But they won't cancel the gay night or transgender night or any of these lefty causes that have absolutely nothing to do with basketball and turn off half the fans.
Nobody wants to see gay night or transgender night.
All right, John from Massachusetts.
Norman from Pennsylvania, a Democrat.
Norman, are you there?
Good morning, and yes.
Good morning, and thank you very much for taking my call.
My top issue heading into the midterm elections.
First, I'm 89 years old, and every morning I listen to Washington Journal start off by proclaiming a love for democracy and then proceed to provide a platform for the Trump-loving, mentally challenged Republicans to praise a lifelong pathological liar and bully who's doing everything he can to destroy our democracy and make himself a dictator for life.
Please explain to me your dichotomy.
That was Norman from Pennsylvania.
Fred from Pennsylvania as well, Republican.
Go ahead, Fred.
What's your top news story of the week?
I'd just like to say that I'm really disgusted with the lack of journalism ethics anymore.
CNN running banners that the Trump administration wasn't aware that Iran might try to close the Strait of Hormuse.
That's ridiculous.
And anyone that even believes that, I think to have a story in the state, this one said it, but no names, no nothing.
They should not be allowed to do that.
And I think the media and this, the mainstream media in this country is trying to bring this country down, and they're succeeding because people are really sheep.
That was Fred from Pennsylvania.
One story that a gentleman mentioned a few calls ago was about the NBA.
And I just want to read that.
It's from an ESPN article.
It says, NBA cancels Atlanta Hawks planned Magic City Night Tribute, Magic City Tribute Night.
Just scroll a little bit down.
It's actually from the Associated Press, but it's embedded into ESPN.
It said, Magic City Night in Atlanta is off.
The NBA canceled the Atlanta Hawks plans for a celebration of the city's Magic City Strip Club, saying Monday that it was responding to concerns from many across the league.
That event was supposed to happen March 16th during a game against the Orlando Magic.
So you can scroll on ESPN or wherever else to find a story about Magic City Night being canceled in Atlanta.
Harold from Connecticut, an independent.
Good morning, Harry.
What's your top news story of the week?
Hi, good morning.
So the top news story for this morning is the article that Hal Basso put out in the Connecticut Mirror Associated Press.
And he talked about the real madness being told to accept injustice in Connecticut's mental health system.
The problem that lies with this is Mr. Trump is not doing enough to safeguard folks and institutions.
We have seen in Connecticut and across the globe back in 2017 when there was a national scandal abuse that came out from a mental health institution in Connecticut's Middletown.
We're not seeing any reforms or anything.
And Connecticut certainly is not reaching the federal level and asking for assistance and reforms.
You can find the article, The Real Madness, Being Told to Accept Injustice in Connecticut Mirror by Hal Basso on the site.
And you can review it for your viewers, but your viewers have to know what are we doing to deal with mental health, not to, you know, restrain anyone or put them in an institution, but just to say, how can we help you become a productive member of our communities across the United States?
All right.
I can see if my producers can find that and pull it up.
And if they do, we'll read it later on in the program.
Anthony from Pikesville, Maryland, a Democrat.
You're next.
What's your top news story, Anthony?
Yes, good morning.
Good morning.
Thank you for my call, C-SPAN.
My top story was just reported.
I read it this morning when I woke up.
A federal judge in Washington, D.C. blocked the subpoena of Jerome Howell.
And I think that's important to note because you are going to have a section on economics today.
The Trump administration has been rattling and confusing people about we're going to have a great day and how we're going to make a lot of money and things are going to be golden.
All of that banked on tariffs and whether he can control how the interest is set, which is really the problem he had with Jerome Howell.
And the judge saw through it.
And that tells us that people are starting to wake up to the smoke and mirrors that are coming out of 1600 Pennsylvania Avenue.
The economy of this country is not something you could just simply play with.
It's very important that we pay attention to what's going on.
My final issue has to do with here in Maryland.
The bridge, the Francis Scott Key Memorial Bridge, has not been rebuilt and the money has not been released in earnest from the Trump administration.
How can that organization, that Washington, D.C. organization known as the administration, block such a major highway connection?
It is commerce itself.
Trust me, if you ever rode around 695, you know how dangerous it has become without that bridge.
I do thank you for your time, and I thank C-SPAN for giving me this opportunity.
That was Anthony from Maryland.
We actually did talk about the Boesberg ruling on federal Powell earlier in the show, but I'll just remind people that the judge blocked the grand jury subpoena in the Jerome Powell investigation.
I'm reading a roll call article right now.
Janine Pirro, we played a saw from her earlier, but she railed against it and said her office will appeal.
If you just bear with me while I scroll down a little bit, something that we didn't cover earlier was some of the response.
Janine Pierrow called Boesberg an activist judge and that he neutered the grand jury's ability to investigate crime and said that she would be appealing this ruling.
Senator Tom Tillis of North Carolina, a Republican who we know is not running for re-election, he posted on social media that the judge's decision would only extend his block on considering further nominees, Fed nominees, in January.
Tillis had threatened to uphold any Federal Reserve nominees until after the probe had continued.
It says that this ruling confirms just how weak and frivolous the criminal investigation of Chairman Powell is, and nothing is more, and it is nothing more than a failed attack on Fed independence.
Tillis posted on social media.
We all know how this is going to end, and the D.C. U.S. Attorney Office should save itself from further embarrassment and move on.
We know that Tillis sits on the banking committee, which is currently split between 13 and 11 between Republicans and Democrats, allowing Tillis to block, to deadlock the panel.
So a little bit of a reaction there to that ruling yesterday.
Vincent from Oklahoma, a Republican.
Good morning, Vincent.
What's your top news story of the week?
Hello, Jasmine.
My story is I saw the Jesse Jackson funeral on TV and I was really interested in watching to see if Clinton and Biden and Obama would get up to speak.
I thought I watched for a couple hours, but I didn't see him get up.
But I wouldn't want to know if they did a good thing or a bad thing.
As in, you wanted to know if they spoke at the funeral?
Yeah.
Yes, both.
I watched it, but I didn't see him get up.
I watched it a couple times, about an hour each time I saw it.
It was a replay.
Oh, okay.
Well, you can actually go on C-SPAN.org.
We played it in full, and I believe it's on our website.
I'll let my producers correct me if I'm wrong, but I believe it's on our website.
But also, Biden, Clinton, and Obama spoke.
Go ahead.
The Academy Awards are coming up, and Sinners is going to win.
Do you do your, like, print out a list for your Oscars, and do you do your predictions?
Well, I just, I saw it yesterday in a friend's house.
Oh, you saw Sinners at a friend's house?
Did you like it?
I liked it.
I thought it was pretty cool.
Yeah, I think it's a very good film.
All right, Vincent from Tulsa, Oklahoma.
John from Wisconsin, an independent.
Go ahead, John.
Good morning.
Good morning, yes.
What's your top news story of the week?
I don't know if this is a story or not because our news cycle only goes week by week or day by day, but it seems to me that Trump had a peace plan going in Gaza.
And our news agencies, I don't even know if our news agencies can go into Gaza yet.
But are those people getting aid?
From my knowledge, they closed the border again when the war started.
And whatever happened to America being humanitarian, to me, we are in a genocide.
And these poor people in Gaza have nowhere to go.
And we're doing it again in Lebanon.
And this war has been going on for two years.
And now we're going to put boots on the ground and go into Iran and do the same thing.
Very scary.
When did the U.S. become a pariah in the world?
Venezuelan oil, how we're taking half the pie or half the oil from Venezuela.
How is that helping the Venezuelan people?
All right.
That was John from Wisconsin, Independent.
One article from the National that was published yesterday.
Iranian Soccer Team Leaves Australia00:05:56
It said, it says, aid workers shut out of Gaza despite Israeli reprieve.
While Israeli court ruling has delayed ban on dozens of charities, staff tell the national that restrictions are already biting.
I'll just scroll down a little bit.
It says Israel is blocking aid workers from entering Gaza despite a court ruling that paused a planned ban on dozens of charities, the National has been told.
Surgeons and other medics have been denied entry by Israeli authorities.
Humanitarian workers said many left Gaza expecting 37 groups to end their operations, and Israel has not allowed new staff to replace them.
The ban on 37 organizations, including Oxfam and Save the Children, was paused by Israel's high court on Friday.
Nonetheless, workers in Gaza described shrinking operations that could lead to job cuts.
So there is that story, and there are some more that I saw in my Google search for folks.
This was published on March 10th, who want to know more about what is happening in Gaza.
Dotis from Connecticut, a Democrat.
Tell me if I pronounced that wrong.
It is, excuse me, it is Dottis from Connecticut.
Okay, great.
What's your top news story?
I'm concerned about, is it okay to talk now?
Go ahead.
Okay.
I'm concerned about Trump being president.
And he always said he prided himself the last time he was president that he didn't start in wars.
And now, Trump, you know, he acts like a dictator.
You know what I'm saying?
It's like there's nothing that would stop nobody, including the House, you know, because the Republicans are in the majority and the Senate, right?
So it's like, what is wrong with these people?
Trump, you know, Trump should not be president, number one.
And my concern is people getting killed, like when they bomb, it was Iran, right?
And those children, guys.
I love children.
And Mrs. Clinton said one time, it takes a village at talking about children, raising children, protecting children.
And what's going on right now is Trump, in my opinion, in a lot of people's opinion, Trump should not be in office.
All right.
That's Dottis from New Haven, Connecticut, talking about the Iranian school bombing.
Steve from Massachusetts, a Republican.
Good morning, Steve.
What's your top news story of the week?
Good morning, Jasmine.
My top story of the week is about women, and it's about the girls from the Iranian soccer team that got asylum in Australia, which hasn't even been barely on the news whatsoever other than Fox.
Secondly, there were 37 kids that were just rescued in California from a sex slave situation, ages 14 through 17.
You can go 65 victims, you know, in other areas.
It goes on and on about kids that are being sexually abused.
But the Democrats only care about Epstein, and they care about what happened to the Epstein victims.
And I really don't believe that they do care about the victims.
I think they care about their perpetrators, and they want names, and they want this and that.
But to me, and I've said this before, it's because I was molested when I was a child.
And if you put 100 people in a room and you asked 100 people if they were molested as a child, maybe 20 might raise their hand.
I don't know how many, maybe 30.
I have no idea.
But if you had a room of 100 people and you said, who's being molested now?
And if 10 people raised their hands, could Jasmine, could you explain to me which one is more important?
So I would hope that we would go after the people that are being molested now and take care of the girls and the children that are being sexually slaved.
Now, I think that's what's important.
And I think that it's been missed for years and years.
And I appreciate your time.
That was Steve from Massachusetts.
If I could just read this NPC article about the Iranian women's soccer team, the first point Steve brought up, the headline here is Iranian soccer team leaves Australia with seven women staying behind.
Members of the delegation who were in Australia for a tournament when the war broke out at home were offered asylum in, quote, emotional meetings, a government official said.
I'm going to scroll down a little bit.
Bear with me here.
It said that seven women from the Iranian national soccer team remain in Australia.
An Australian government official said as the rest of their team journeys back to a country at the center of a widening conflict in the Middle East.
They had arrived to play the Asian Women's Cup before the United States and Israel began striking Iran on February 28th and were knocked out of the tournament over the weekend.
Six of the women have accepted humanitarian visas that allow them to stay in Australia permanently, while the seventh has decided to return to Iran after all, said Tony Burke, Australia Home Affairs Minister.
The woman who Burke did not name was one of two people, a player in a support staff member, who had accepted Australia's offer to offer up help Tuesday night.
In addition to five others who were granted asylum a day earlier, Burke says she changed her mind after speaking to some of her teammates who had already left and that she had been advised to contact the Iranian embassy and arrange to be picked up.
My officials made sure that this was her decision and every question you would want asked was asked.
With their location now exposed, the other women were quickly moved elsewhere.
This came, of course, after a two social by the president urging Australia to offer the team asylum.
Political Gridlock Over DHS Funding00:07:27
Thomas from Virginia, an independent, you are next.
Good morning, Thomas.
What's your top news story of the week?
Well, I think that judge telling the White House that they had no right, they were incorrect about going after the Fed chairman, Powell.
And, you know, they really went after this guy to demonize him, to bully him, to change the interest rates, because Trump has always had money that he borrowed.
And he never has admitted it because he's never released his taxes, but he was in deep debt.
He has been for like 40 years, and he's got these high-interest loans, and it's all based upon whatever the Fed interest rate is.
And here, again, he's trying to bully someone to do something, and if they don't do what he wants, he demonizes it.
And it's like this guy, Powell's a decent guy, and he's done what's right.
Because if you just had a Fed that was not independent and was not doing the right thing, you would have all kinds of problems in society, including an interest rate that turns everything out of control, and then you have inflation, and then the whole thing tanks again.
They put these restrictions in place during the Depression for a reason.
All these laws have reasons.
The public should Google one thing.
Donald Trump Jr. and Eric Trump want to print their own currency.
They're in the process of doing this and opening a bank because apparently the banks called on a bunch of loans they had and they didn't have the money.
And so there were like margin calls on these guys right after Trump got out the first time.
And they want to be in a position of security, which I totally understand.
We all do.
But guess what?
I had to pay a mortgage on my house.
I'm paying a mortgage on a loan on my car.
I would love to have a zero interest rate.
It's not how it works.
And these guys think they're entitled.
And I just think that that fact that they went after that guy, Powell, who's a decent guy, and now the Trumps want to print their own money with their dad's face on it and say that it's legal tender in the United States with no backup, no money, no collateral.
It's just a crime.
These people are growing.
I think we take your point there, Thomas.
Richard from Virginia, a Republican.
You're next.
Good morning.
Richard, what's your top news story of the week?
Good morning.
I hope you had a wonderful day.
If you're not, I hope maybe I can say something to you.
I give some the most parts I can't give them more and pay it in lunch.
He's doing nothing right.
I mean, nothing right.
He didn't go to the Congress like he's supposed to.
He probably Iran killed the dead over there, and his son is mad.
He's making oil and gas go up.
Everything go up.
I'm doing better with my credit cards and stuff.
I'm getting my debts under control.
He runs up the national debt because this war is costing a billion dollars, a half billion dollars that hour.
He's not doing nothing right.
Let's just leave that debt.
And you have a nice day.
All right.
That was Richard.
Don from New York, a Democrat.
Don, go ahead.
We've got about 30 seconds.
That's your top news story of the week.
Thank you.
All right.
First, I want to say thank you to C-SPAN because you are a national treasure.
Thank you.
It's been a busy news week.
What I caught, what caught my attention was from C-SPAN yesterday was the Senate session on the funding of DHS and our seeming inability to work with each other.
I am a Democrat, but I always like to look at both sides of things.
And what I saw was a back and forth between the leader, Thune, Brian Schatz, Chris Van Hollen, Katie Britt.
It just kept going back and forth and back and forth.
And I might point our audience to a wonderful book that I recently read by Henry Waxman called How Congress Really Works.
And the fundamental aspect of it was, if you don't collaborate, if you don't compromise, if you don't work together, nothing gets done.
TSA needs to be funded, as does the Coast Guard and a number of other things.
I understand the situation with ICE, and it was pointed out that these are not normal times.
And when times are not normal, you don't just do a continuing resolution and do it for two weeks.
You get it right and you do it for the rest of the year.
Thank you so very much.
Sincerely appreciate what C-SPAN does.
All right, that was Don from New York.
Later in the program, Navy Federal Credit Union Chief Economist Heather Long discusses the economic fallout of the war in Iran, including the surge in gas prices.
But next, we'll get a veteran's perspective on the current operations in Iran from Kylan Hunter, the CEO of Iraq and Afghanistan Veterans of America.
We'll be right back.
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Soldiers Need Congressional Support Downrange00:09:16
Joining us now to talk about the operations in Iran is CEO of Iraq and Afghanistan Veterans of America, Kylan Hunter.
Kylan, thanks so much for being with us this morning.
Thank you so much for having me.
Now, first, can you tell our audience about the mission of Iraq and Afghanistan Veterans of America, how many people you represent, and how are you funded?
Yeah, Iraq and Afghanistan Veterans of America was born out of the conflicts in Iraq and Afghanistan, as it sounds like, to advocate for the newest generation of veterans and service members that were serving during those wars.
We work in Washington and across the countries and legislatures to ensure that the policies and practices and programs in the United States are such that all who served have the ability to thrive.
We have over 400,000 members that are representative of the generation of those who served in Iraq and Afghanistan and the broader post-9-11 veteran community.
So what's been your reaction to the conflict as it unfolds in Iran, now two weeks since the initial strikes?
Well, first and foremost, our hearts and our thoughts and our prayers go out to the families of those that have given the ultimate sacrifice in support of these operations in Iran.
Our generation knows far too well what it is like to lose friends, to lose loved ones, to have the uncertainty of what it is to be at war.
And I think it's really important that we continue to center that human aspect.
When we see counts and we think, oh, maybe a small number of loss of life, talk about four people, six people.
Those are people that are irreplaceable to those that we love.
And so we do want to ensure that we center those.
When the operations began in Iran, we heard quite a bit from our members that this was a time of confusion.
There was a time of concern.
There was a concern about being involved in wars in the Middle East again.
Many of our members that we hear talking about, you reported feeling almost a sense of PTSD again, foreseeing another war in the Middle East.
And so we are here to advocate for those that are serving and more importantly to ensure that when they are home, they'll be taken care of.
Now, I know you said that folks talked about being concerned and feeling PTSD, but you also said that folks have been confused.
Can you talk us through what veterans that you represent and talk to every day have been confused about about these operations?
So our membership represents the complete political spectrum.
We have those who self-identify as Republicans, those who self-identify as Democrats, and those who self-identify as Independent.
And we recently did a policy poll and survey with our members, and we heard quite a bit from our members that many voted for President Trump because of the promises to have peace through strength, that we were not going to engage in interventionist wars.
And we heard back from a lot of those very same members that this was a sort of a confusing time for them.
Also from many of our members, hearing that there's a lot of confusion even about what the end state is right now.
Unlike Venezuela, where there was decisive action, there's mixed messages that we're hearing coming out of the administration, which leads to confusion.
I'll ask you a little bit about that in a couple minutes.
I want you to walk us through your own military experience in Iraq and Afghanistan.
And how does that relate to what you're seeing now?
Yeah, so I was, by my background, I'm an attack pilot, a CORA pilot.
I had deployments across Iraq and Afghanistan as a pilot.
And, you know, I think for those of us serving downrange, it's most important that we feel that the American people are supportive and behind us, that Congress and the administration has our back while we are there, and that we are confident in the mission ahead of us.
And so, you know, I know that it can be uncertain, it can be uncomfortable to go downrange.
Be a bit scary, but I will guarantee you as well that the women and men that we have serving downrange right now are the absolute best, that they are prepared for the mission, that they are steadfast.
And my biggest concern right now is that the political rhetoric and how politicized some of this, just the notion around this war has been, is going to lead to confusion and uncertainty for those that are downrange.
But right now, what they need the most is certainty and support so that they can focus on their mission and most importantly, coming home safely.
At a press briefing this week, Defense Secretary Pete Heckseth, who served in Iraq and Afghanistan wars, insisted that this conflict is not Iraq and it is not endless.
Take a listen to what he had to say here.
To the media outlets and political left screaming endless wars, stop.
This is not Iraq.
This is not endless.
I was there for both.
Our generation knows better and so does this president.
He called the last 20 years of nation-building wars dumb, and he's right.
This is the opposite.
This operation is a clear, devastating, decisive mission.
Destroy the missile threat, destroy the Navy, no nukes.
So there we heard from Defense Secretary Pete Heckseth.
But I wonder, just as somebody who also served in those same wars, if you see any similarities or outstanding differences between what's happening in Iran and Iraq and Afghanistan.
Well, I certainly hope that he is correct.
All of us deeply, deeply hope he is correct that this is decisive and that this was a clear goal and that we can bring our women and men home safely to the max extent possible.
That is what everybody wants.
Clear mission, clear objectives, being able to achieve them and then return home.
In terms of differences, I think Iran is a very, very different country than either Iraq or Afghanistan at the times of the beginning of those wars.
It is a much larger country.
It has a much more sophisticated military, which may give it some benefits to not drag on.
It is not a country that we want to be in a long-term embroiled war with.
So hopefully that means this will be quick and decisive.
But another major difference that we're seeing is that both in the cases of the wars in Afghanistan and Iraq, was that we had congressional engagement in those conflicts.
And this is something that we hear overwhelmingly from our members, regardless of whether or not there is support for the actions, that Congress does hold war powers, that they want Congress to be involved, that there is a strong desire for Congress to step in and either authorize a continuation.
The president absolutely has executive authority to be able to take limited, decisive military action, and that is very, very appropriate in many cases.
However, our members are very clear that they want to see Congress step in, that they want to see a debate, because that is also how the American people's voice are heard in the use of military force and in sending our most precious resources, which is our sons and daughters who have volunteered to serve overseas.
Now, I want to ask you a couple more questions before we turn to phone calls, but I want to invite our viewers to join in on the conversation.
Democrats, your line is 202-748-8000.
Republicans, your line, 202-748-8001.
Independents, your line is 202-748-8002.
Now, Kylan, we talked a little bit about the mixed messaging or the contrasting messaging from administration officials in the last two weeks about the rationale and the objectives for the war.
I wonder what do you make of those at sometimes even conflicting messages and how is that being received by the folks that you represent, the veterans that you're talking to every day?
Defining Clear Military Objectives00:05:00
You know, the most concerning thing that we hear is the mixed messages between, you know, we are done, we have won, we're ready to go, and this will be continuing, and this is the biggest day.
And why that is most concerning is the message that it sends to those serving and really their families as well.
You know, if we hear this is done, this is, you know, we are finished, we are ready to bring people home, that's a very different feeling that those that have loved ones that are involved in this conflict and even those that are serving downrange, then this is going to be, again, like the biggest and hardest day.
And so we really hope that there is a clear message so that families can have clarity, that those serving downrange can have clarity, and that we are able to be able to support them in a meaningful and cohesive way.
And to that point, you know, administration officials have repeatedly said, in addition to effectively declaring victory or saying we're close to victory, that President Trump alone will decide when these objectives are met.
Take a listen here to White House Press Secretary Caroline Levitt speaking about this very same thing.
You said the operation was going faster than anticipated.
What is your current timeline for how long the war will last?
So look, as you know, Steve, the President and the U.S. military's initial timeline was about four to six weeks to achieve the full objectives of Operation Epic Fury.
Again, to destroy their missiles and their ability to make them, destroy their Navy, permanently deny them nuclear weapons forever, and to, of course, weaken their evil terrorist proxies in the region.
We know that the U.S. military and our brave warfighters are quickly and expeditiously executing these objectives well ahead of schedule.
But ultimately, the operations will end when the commander-in-chief determines the military objectives have been met, fully realized, and that Iran is in a position of complete and unconditional surrender, whether they say it or not.
Does the president still want Iran's unconditional surrender?
Well, when President Trump says that Iran is in a place of unconditional surrender, he's not claiming the Iranian regime is going to come out and say that themselves.
What the President means is that Iran's threats will no longer be backed by a ballistic missile arsenal that protects them from building a nuclear bomb in their country.
I could make an empty threat, but if I have no actions to back it up, then it's an empty threat.
And so President Trump will determine when Iran is in a place of unconditional surrender, when they no longer pose a credible and direct threat to the United States of America and our allies.
So that was White House Press Secretary Caroline Levitt confirming that it will be President Trump who alone decides when the excursion, as he said, it ends.
What's your reaction?
So on the one hand, I think what is very clear is that there are objectives in terms of the missile threat.
And if that is a quantifiable objective, then that is something that can be achieved.
It is an event-based objective.
It has a very clear military end state.
If the sense of a feeling of an unconditional surrender is a little more squishy and problematic.
And from the perspective of our generation, having event-based rather than time-based sort of ends of a conflict is important because what we all saw was the end of Afghanistan, which was based on a timeline that ended up proving incredibly chaotic and tragic for both U.S. service members and our Afghan allies who are still suffering involved.
And so we do want event-based objectives.
We want clear when this military objective is achieved.
That gives clarity, that also doesn't put us on a timetable that may lead to similar chaotic events that we saw at the end of Afghanistan.
But having feelings of unconditional surrender can be problematic because that is not a very well-defined objective.
So we support the idea of firm, event-based objectives that we know that our sisters and brothers that are serving downrange can achieve.
But we are always wary of having things that are relying on feelings.
Are there any developments that you think could justify prolonging the operation or putting boots on the ground?
So I'm not subject to the intelligence of what we are seeing happening, but if this is something that is going to evolve into a long-term war, it is really important that we have congressional oversight involved, that Congress does declare war if this is going to be a war.
And so that's what we're hoping to see.
All right, let's turn to some phone calls.
Concerns About Long-Term War Duration00:15:19
Frank from Baton Rouge, Louisiana, a Democrat.
You're next.
Good morning, Frank.
Good morning.
Thank you so much for having me on.
I appreciate the program.
I'd like to ask the lady there, being a pilot in the military at one time, about the new department of war and the leader,
Pete Hesse, and how he feels about women, how she feels about the women that he said that he'd like to have re-evaluated because he don't think that women are combat ready.
I like the men are.
He'd like to make them come up to the same standards.
Well, I thought after Vietnam, that the Gulf Wars, that the women were out there in front.
My niece is a 100% disabled veteran.
I served in the 60s, and she served way back in the 2000s.
So how does she feel about his statement about women to make sure that they're qualified?
Thank you so much for that question.
And what we have seen for really since the beginning of this country and really in the past 25 years, that women have served alongside men in every role and in every capacity.
And women have met the standards.
Women have given the ultimate sacrifice.
Women have been a value add.
Women are also the fastest-growing group of recruits that we have in the military.
Women are the fastest-growing group of veterans.
In every job that has been open to women, women have met and exceeded the military standards that are set for them.
And so I would hope that the Secretary recognizes that, that he looks and sees the courageous, courageous efforts of the women that serve this country and continues to honor them.
And I'll just note for our viewers that we also have a current and former military line where you can call in at 202-748-8003, in addition to your Democrat, Republican, and Independent lines.
Tom from Florida, a Republican.
Good morning, Tom.
Good morning.
Good morning, Ms. Hunter.
I had a question.
The veterans, USCO, do you feel that veterans are concerned about the Democrats being a cheering section and looking forward to getting back this House and the Senate and go off of the presidency and pushing for this to have for us to lose this conflict and to do the same stunt they did with Afghanistan, pull the troops out and to purposely lose?
Because if you figure the Biden, not only the Biden administration, but the Obama administration spent blackmail money to prop up this Iranian government to continue what they were doing.
The veterans concerned about if the Democrats should take the House and Senate, go off of the presidency, they'll pull the plug on this and we'll wind up in defeat.
Is the veterans doing everything they can not to let this happen?
Are they supporting Trump?
Are they just going to let the chips fall?
We'll have another Afghanistan withdrawal on our hands.
Embarrassing defeat.
What are your thoughts?
I'm just curious.
We are not a political organization, and so we do not support either Democrats or Republicans.
We're an organization focused on policies that support veterans, and we'll work with those that support veterans.
We have not heard any concerns about how the midterms are going to impact this.
What we are hearing right now from our members is concern about those that are serving downrange, that they have clarity as to their mission and that Congress remain involved.
All right, Joseph from Garden Grove, California, a Democrat.
You're an act.
Good morning, Joseph.
Hello.
First off, I apologize for you having to answer for these hard questions about all things military.
But I'm a Democrat, which I am a radical Democrat.
And I truly value, I respect our military.
It's the last pillar in our country that has respect and honor.
And they're being pushed on that.
But I'm 47 years old, and I've seen for the last 20 years Benjamin Netanyahu telling us to do what we're doing right now.
The bomb's imminent.
And I'm not anti-Semitic.
I'm not anti-Israel.
But the right-wing party of Israel basically, they've got us, our sons and daughters dying.
I don't see them talking about putting ground troops in.
Now, that put aside, everything Trump does benefits Russia.
This war, everything, the gas prices, we're taking sanctions off.
That's what it all comes back to.
The Russians are our freaking enemies.
Vladimir Putin is our enemy.
I'll never forgive the Republicans for selling up to Russia like that.
Got our friends in Ukraine right now.
Joseph, can I ask if you have a specific question for Kylan?
Yes, ma'am.
Will you ever be able to respect Republicans again because of what they did to Ukraine?
Well, we are hopeful that we can work with Republicans to push for policies that are going to support veterans.
And we are also, you know, our membership does stand very firmly with our Sisters and brothers fighting for their independence and freedom in Ukraine as well.
All right, Perry from Alabama, calling on, I believe, the military line, but correct me if I'm wrong.
Good morning, Perry.
Good morning, that's correct.
Okay.
I was stationed at Camp Lejeune when that bomb went off in Beirut.
And I understand that, you know, that mission very well, because I was due deployed before that bomb went off.
But this is a question I have.
You know, they call that a peacekeeping mission, so there was no combat pay.
Do you know if there's combat pay in this service now we're doing in Iran?
I am not privy to how the administrative pay is being classified for those that are downrange right now.
We are, you know, as an organization, we are committed to advocating that those that are serving get their full benefits and full support both while they are serving and then once they come home.
And we are here to support them and advocate and fight for them.
Paul from England, a Republican.
Good morning, Paul.
Good morning.
Yeah.
The question I want to talk to you, the guest here, is: do you think they end this war quickly or it will be a long-term war, do you think?
Do you reckon?
Well, we certainly hope that we are able to meet our objectives quickly because, as those that were involved in wars for decades, we know the toll that it takes on both the individual fighting, but also the country to fight prolonged wars.
Anthony from Lansing, Illinois, a Democrat.
Good morning, Anthony.
Good morning.
How are you?
I'm kind of concerned about, well, about the whole war, but specifically about illegal orders.
And my concern is: is the military being put in position to commit war crimes, to target hospitals and civilian residents, as some reports have said?
And we all know about the school that was destroyed.
And my question is: what happens if a military officer were to refuse an order that violated international law or, well, I won't say international law, that violated the law with war?
That's my question.
It is the responsibility and obligation of any military member to refuse illegal orders.
And I went through extensive training on what legal and illegal orders are.
And I'm confident that those that are serving right now have gone through similar training.
And we know right now that those that are serving are some of our nation's absolute best.
And I am confident that if ever confronted, they would refuse and continue to uphold the Constitution of the United States.
Mark from Michigan, calling on the military line.
Good morning.
I'm also a veteran, and I belong to the VVA.
Are you guys making the same mistake we did?
We're going to be a last man standing organization.
What's the end of your organization?
And who can belong?
Just boots on the ground or every veteran from the era?
We're an organization that's open to every veteran.
Born out of advocating for Iraq and Afghanistan veterans because of some of the unique needs and challenges that we're seeing in those conflicts.
But we are open to all and we firmly believe that a rising tide lifts all boats.
And we have continued to advocate for veterans from across the generations and welcome our membership.
Membership is free.
Veterans have already paid their dues by signing up to potentially give their lives.
And so we welcome all, not just those that had boots on the ground.
Ralph from Georgian Independent.
You're next.
Good morning, Ralph.
Yes, good morning.
My concern: I am a retired military.
I worked as an inspector general in the military.
I do not work within the organization, DAV, and all that, VFW, because we seem to give in.
And somehow or another, we're in a situation where they say, do you give this extra money to support the troops?
Are you going to vote against it?
We're continually put in those predicaments where at the last minute, you've got to support.
I support the troops, but we put these soldiers in that predicament.
I was willing to give my life in defense of my country.
And one other thing I'd like to say: everybody keep talking about Obama when he was in office.
He went in all these wars without going to Congress.
He asked Congress and Libya, say the UK is taking action.
Do we get involved?
And they went home.
They did not wait on him.
A little bit of a background in there.
But my thing is that we're placing, and there's nothing anybody can do that can stop this president, my president of these United States.
He's now talking about Cuba.
We're going to put people in trouble.
We went into Honduras before.
We went into all of these places.
Now we're saying, hey, there's a bad guy.
Thank you.
Kylan, do you have a response?
Thank you for your continued service.
Ben from Maryland, calling in on the military line.
Good morning, Ben.
Good morning.
You're doing an outstanding job, by the way.
And my question for your guests is: I've been listening to the Secretary of Defense, and his rhetoric at these press conferences and his tone of speech and his reckless talk is very unnerving and disturbing to me as a veteran.
I've never heard anyone boast so much about war.
You know, it makes me think that those of us who've been engaged in combat like that, I've never heard anybody speak so boastfully and recklessly about the unfortunate, the unfortunate situations that are involved in warfare.
What is your opinion?
I don't say this is political.
I know you don't deal with politics, but as a veteran, what is your opinion of this level of rhetoric coming from the Department of Defense chairman?
You know, our members and myself know far too well how serious war is and how somber it is and how it's not something to beginocious about.
It's something to be taken very, very seriously.
And so, you know, we do have concerns about rhetoric.
We do have concerns about how that may raise the temperature in the room.
And We all really hope that the Secretary maintains a steady hand and a firm and fair hand and is able to lead our sisters and brothers that are fighting downrange with clarity and with steadiness.
Troy from Salt Lake City, Utah, a Republican.
Good morning, Troy.
Yes, I'm asking, a minute ago you said that women had to meet standards set for them.
I was just wondering, are they the same standards that are set for men?
The occupational standards that are set for men and women are exactly the same.
So to be a infantry soldier, it is the exact same regardless of your gender.
To be a pilot, it is the exact same regardless of your gender.
To be a combat engineer, it's the same regardless of your gender.
To be an artillery soldier or Marine, it's the exact same.
So the occupational standards are not different for men and women.
They have never been different for men and women in terms of the occupational standards.
So they are exactly the same.
Sam from Michigan, a Democrat.
You're next.
Good morning, Sam.
Try to say Sam?
Yep, it's you.
You're on.
We can hear you.
Well, good morning, young lady.
Honoring Afghan Allies in Iran Conflict00:13:11
I just want to comment about the war there in Iran.
Have you got a question for Kylan or comment?
Well, possibly, I got a statement, maybe a little question.
Trump said he had a feeling before he started the war, he said that Iran was just getting ready to strike.
I guess my comment is, why would Iran wait to be completely surrounded by the U.S. military warships, battleships of all styles, thousands of Marines and Army people there, and then strike?
Why would they wait for all that to get in place?
And then he says he had a feeling they're going to strike.
Why would they wait all the way up to that in order to strike?
That's a lie.
It's all about Epstein.
This guy is willing to kill thousands of people, spend trillions of taxpayers' dollars to protect himself, keep himself out of the news cycle about Epstein.
It's going to catch up to him.
Hopefully in November we can get rid of this.
I can't speak to the calculus of the Iranian people and appreciate your comment.
Norman from New Hampshire, calling on the military line.
Hello, good morning.
Good morning.
Good morning, military service.
My question is, and you use the term downrange a lot, you know, I mean, do you think that this action that we've taken in the wars that you were involved in in Iraq and Afghanistan has changed the country and the people's attitudes over there?
In terms of changing the attitudes of the people of the country here or overseas, I think here we saw 20 years of long-term conflict And the American people weren't all of the time super involved.
I think over there, one of the biggest concerns that we're hearing from a lot of our allies is the continued abandonment of our Afghan allies right now.
And I think the world is watching how we've treated our Afghan allies and honoring our commitment to them is very, very important, especially right now when we know that we are going to need the continued support of people in the region, whether it is as interpreters or guides or partners.
That the way that we continue to support those who stand shoulder to shoulder with us and put their lives on the line with us is very, very important.
James from Ohio, a Republican.
Good morning, James.
Good morning, ladies.
Thank you for taking my call.
And I listen to this program regularly and I enjoy all the input.
I don't agree with most all of it, but I do appreciate the perspective from many.
My question is: the administration has made a statement that they would back the Iranian people in an effort to regain their country.
And we've dealt with this misery for 47 years.
And I listen to people make comments about things that are said or things that are done.
And it's very easy to be an armchair quarterback.
The decisions that are being made, I don't believe are being made lightly.
I agree there are times when our president, and I support him 100%, speaks in ways that portrays us not in the light that we should want to portray.
But I just wonder when it is that people are going to see the long-term benefit of what's taken place.
And it's taken over almost 50 years.
I was a graduate in high school when the Iranian captured 400, I forget how many people it was, but you know, there's been a long time coming for this.
And all of the veterans that have been wounded, murdered, one of them from my high school was in the Beirut bombing.
I take all of this stuff very seriously.
And I just hope that everyone finds it a place to support this country.
Kylan, I wonder if you can answer that question he had in there.
When do you think people will, if they will?
I certainly hope that we do see a positive outcome and the Iranian people are able to, you know, as in your words, take back their country, but the Iranian people are able to have a voice in their government and leadership and support and support the voice of their people.
I certainly hope that happens.
Doyle from Tennessee, calling on the military line.
Good morning, Doyle.
I'm talking about a nuclear weapon.
I was in, I'm 80 years old.
I was on a destroyer, a DDG.
And we learned and had fans on it that if Russia, during that time, if Russia completely annihilates us, 15 minutes later, they will be annihilated.
They know that.
That's why we had to turn.
And one more thing.
I'd like to know when that North Korea get a nuclear weapon before it was North Korea was an innocent of peace.
And Iran was in them two countries, they said, but they got a nuclear, North Korea got a nuclear effort in 1917, I think.
Am I right?
Kylan.
I'm not an expert on the global nuclear programs, though, deterrence is something that we did practice as a foreign policy for quite a while.
Diana from Louisville, Kentucky, a Republican.
Good morning, Diana.
Good morning, and thank you so much for your service, young lady.
I really appreciate it.
I also wanted to thank Jasmine for having me back on.
I actually talked to her at one point and just briefly, and she started to ask me a question, and I had already hung up, so I apologize.
I just would love to tell you that I had so much concern and so many years of worry until I was, and this is not, to me, it should not be Republican and Democrat against the world or the, you know, the way we each look at it.
I started watching the news and I double back to other stations because I started seeing so many disrepanies.
So I believe if people started watching, I know the legacy, I've listened to it for 74 years, and I know that it can definitely bend people's minds and ways of thinking that I did for months and years over Trump and Obama.
I watched both channels.
I would back myself up.
I would see what, because so many of the other frequencies will give you Fox and Newsmax and CNN.
I'm sorry, C-SPAN are the only ones I really have trust in because I've watched them put videos up of many, many things, including the riots and things.
And the point that I'm trying to make is it definitely is there may be a 30-minute clip or 15-second clip, but the other stations, the legacy medias, cut what they want.
They don't ever put the whole story on there.
So I really appreciate you all listening to me.
And I'm just hoping for the first time in years, I've seen God back in our country.
And I'm very proud of our president because he does nothing without thinking it through.
And one other thing, he loves to throw humor in there.
And I laugh.
He makes me laugh.
He also doesn't give away the secrets.
He doesn't say, this is how we're going to do this.
Diana, can I jump in here?
Do you have a question for Kylan?
I was just, I see the concern.
And actually, I apologize.
I guess I just have waited so long to talk.
I will definitely let you guys get back to conversation.
I haven't been awake very long and I didn't catch the whole show.
But thank you, dear, for all of your hard effort.
Thank you.
All right, Diana from Kentucky.
David from Illinois, Democrat.
Good morning, David.
Yes, good morning.
I'd like to remind all veterans of the PACT Act.
I'm a recipient, and you can think it was a bipartisan bill, by the way.
And every veteran should know that in most states, in most all counties, there's a VA advisor, and they will help a veteran through the process.
They're very important, and they've helped my whole family.
Thank you very much.
Thank you for your service.
Thank you.
All right, Tom from Rock Island, Illinois, an independent.
Tom, we've got about 30 seconds.
Do you have a quick question for Kylan?
Yeah.
Yes, I do.
What is your funding?
Why are there so many of Trump's single pence on your board of directory?
And, you know, where are the military enlisted men?
I'm sorry, but I appreciate all veterans.
Hell, I went to Vietnam.
I'm old enough to give God part of the dirt formula.
But the point is, check the balances in the people who are promoting this stuff.
This guy, Petraeus, there's another dude on there.
There's three or four people on that site that are on the board of directors telling this lady what she can say and what she can't.
All right, let's have Kylan answer that question.
There you go.
So we are independently funded through a variety of sources, including individuals, foundations.
We do not take any government money.
We are a strictly non-political organization.
And we do have enlisted members of our board as well.
So we are here to represent all veterans.
And we are very clear in our funding sources that none of them can speak for us.
All right.
Kylan Hunter, CEO of Iraq and Afghanistan Veterans of America.
Thank you so much for joining us this morning.
Thank you.
Later in the program, we'll discuss the U.S. involvement in Iran's impact on the economy, including gas prices, with Navy Federal Credit Unions, Heather Long.
But next, call in now for Open Forum.
Democrats, your line is 202-748-8000.
Republicans, your line is 202-748-8001.
Independents, your line is 202-748-8002.
We'll be right back.
Lee Bollinger on University Reckoning00:02:13
Sunday on C-SPAN's Q&A, former Columbia University President Lee Bollinger on his book, University, A Reckoning, about the purpose and future of universities in the United States.
He also talks about protests and free speech on college campuses and the targeting of Columbia, Harvard, and other institutions of higher learning by the Trump administration.
You have to unpack what it is that is being said about universities.
Let me say again, none of it, in my view, even if credible, does not justify the authoritarian undermining of the autonomy and independence of thought within universities.
Author Lee Bollinger with his book, University, A Reckoning, Sunday night at 8 p.m. Eastern on C-SPAN's Q ⁇ A. You can listen to Q&A and all of our podcasts on our free C-SPAN Now app or wherever you get your podcasts.
On this episode of Book Notes Plus with our host, Brian Lamb.
London-based writer Josh Ireland is the author of three books and ghostwriter of five others.
His latest is titled The Death of Trotsky, the true story of the plot to kill Stalin's greatest enemy.
According to Josh Ireland, Trotsky led two revolutions and a civil war in Russia in the first half of the 20th century.
Leon Trotsky died on August the 21st, 1940.
The day before, in Trotsky's house near Mexico City, a man named Ramon Mercator sunk an ice axe into Trotsky's skull.
He lived for 26 hours.
Mercator, who had several names, was a Soviet agent and had befriended Trotsky.
This was all the work of Stalin, Trotsky's arch enemy.
Josh Ireland's first sentence of chapter one asks this question.
When did Joseph Stalin decide to crush or destroy or kill Leon Trotsky?
His book tells the complicated story.
A new interview with author Josh Ireland about his book, The Death of Trotsky, the True Story of the Plot to Kill Stalin's Greatest Enemy.
Voter Engagement and Media Division00:10:14
Book Notes Plus with our host Brian Lamb is available wherever you get your podcasts and on the C-SPAN Now app.
In a divided media world, one place brings Americans together.
According to a new MAGIT research report, nearly 90 million Americans turn to C-SPAN, and they're almost perfectly balanced.
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Republicans watching Democrats, Democrats watching Republicans, moderates watching all sides.
Because C-SPAN viewers want the facts straight from the source.
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Unfiltered every day on the C-SPAN networks.
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C-SPAN's official congressional directory.
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The congressional directory costs $32.95 plus shipping and handling, and every purchase helps support C-SPAN's nonprofit operations.
Get your congressional directory by scanning the QR code or at c-span shop.org.
Stay informed.
Stay engaged.
This weekend on C-SPAN2's Book TV.
Watch our live coverage of book festivals all weekend long.
On Sunday, Book TV heads to the University of Arizona for the Tucson Festival of Books.
At 1 p.m. Eastern, Julia Ioff, former U.S. Ambassador Michael McFaul, and Candace Rondeau discuss Russian history, national security, and life under President Vladimir Putin.
At 2:30 p.m. Eastern, Edward Larson, Jacob Silverman, and Reality Winner examine the past, present, and future of the American experiment.
And at 4 p.m. Eastern, Kenneth Rosen, Anthony Vinci, and Tim Wiener discuss the history of the Central Intelligence Agency and how climate change and technology are shaping national security and espionage.
Watch Book TV live from the Tucson Festival of Books on Sunday on C-SPAN 2.
For the full weekend festival schedule, visit booktv.org.
Washington Journal continues.
Welcome back.
It's now open forum where you can talk about any public policy or political issue on your mind.
I'll start this section off talking about TSA workers.
I point now to a CNN article.
It says, TSA workers grapple with loss of first paycheck.
Quote, I don't want to depend on anybody else.
You just scroll down, bear with me here.
It says we're out of articles.
It says, a father and transportation security administration officer said he crumbled when one of his children was asked whether he needed money in the wake of a four-week-long government shutdown for the department.
And President Trump truly socialed about the TSA worker mentioned in that article.
It's loading, and I'll come back to that.
Another article subject that we want to talk about this morning is the Illinois Senate primary.
An article from Politico says a historic Senate opening meets a divided Illinois Democratic Party.
Rival bids by Robin Kelly and Juliana Stratton risk splitting support as Raja Krishna Morthy leads early.
That primary is March 17th.
And it says Illinois Democrats have a rare opportunity to help send a black woman to the Senate this year, though it's an opportunity that may be blocked by splintering electorate and competing political loyalties.
Three leading Democrats are running in Tuesday's primary to fill the seat that will be vacant when Senator Dick Durbin steps down after serving almost three decades in the upper chamber.
Representative Robin Kelly, Lieutenant Governor Juliana Stratton, and Representative Raja Chris Morthy.
That is honestly a fascinating race and there are a lot of stories.
If you guys want to read more about it, it's open forum.
You can talk about anything.
Lewis from Rutherford, New Jersey, a Republican.
Good morning, Lewis.
How are you doing, Jasmine?
I'm doing well.
How are you?
Okay, very good.
I wanted to talk with Ms. Hunter or Mrs. Hunt, your last guest.
Okay, yes.
Yeah, I waited for her, but I'll just say one thing here very quickly.
I was shocked to learn on C-SPAN that there was this teacher teaching kindergarten children or nursery children that America is no good.
I wonder what ever happened to her.
And I think in our services, I think some of that rhetoric is going on too.
How does he like the rhetoric from Iran, the veteran who said he doesn't like the rhetoric of my president?
He is boastful.
I'll give him that.
He almost says there's nothing to fear but fear itself.
But how does he like the rhetoric of death to America, death to Israel?
How does he like that rhetoric?
That's what I would like to find out.
Lewis from Rutherford, New Jersey.
Steve from North Carolina, a Democrat.
It's open forum.
Good morning, Steve.
Good morning, Jasmine.
Gosh, I got a lot.
I didn't really expect to get through as fast as I did.
But I have one suggestion.
Would you consider, C-SPAN, consider, doing phones by education level as opposed to party registration?
I think that'd be interesting.
Here's a news story that I just saw this morning.
And well, actually, there's two.
One is that people in Cuba due to the blockade are facing starvation.
So now our country is willing to starve people in the submission.
I just find that totally amazing.
And the second one is that the president is getting ready to let Venzuel an oil shipment come out of the country.
So there you go.
Thanks again.
I love your show.
You look great, Jasmine.
Thanks again.
Thank you, Steve.
Ann from Virginia, an independent.
Good morning, Ann.
It's open forum.
Yes, good morning.
Thank you.
I want to see if C-SPAN could put a program on to explain what the Vote America Act is.
That I'd like to know if everyone will be needing to re-register and what documentation you will need.
The Save America Act.
Yes.
Okay.
And also, I think the act says that states have to send their voter rolls to D.C.
And also, if anyone makes a mistake, registering someday, they can go to jail.
And we see what gets somebody on to explain how that works.
All right.
Ann from Virginia.
I can just briefly read an explainer from The Guardian.
It says, what does Trump's restrictive voting bill include?
And what does it have a chance, and does it have a chance of becoming law?
Every voter would be affected by the Save America Act as people would face more various voting.
Quote, it's a recipe for disaster.
If you scroll down a little bit, it says the Save America Act is a rebranded and expanded version of last year's Safeguard America Voter Eligibility Save Act, which passed in the U.S. House but didn't get a vote in the Senate.
This year's version includes expansive documentary proof of citizenship requirements and criminal liability for election officials from the initial SAVE Act, in addition to a very strict voter ID requirement for casting a ballot and provision that includes, that requires states to regularly turn their voter rolls over to the Department of Homeland Security.
Every voter would be affected by the Save America Act, said Xavier Prasad, Senior Counsel at the American Civil Liberties Union, quote, regardless of political affiliation all across the country.
It could disenfranchise potentially millions of valid U.S. voters, he said, as people would face more barriers to voting at every step of the process.
So there is a little bit more if you want to read.
This is in the Guardian.
And Odu from Massachusetts, a Republican.
Good morning.
It's open forum.
Good morning, Jasmine.
You look very beautiful.
Thank you very much.
You guys are loving this talk today.
Love it.
Go ahead.
It's open for him.
Thank you, C-SPAN Washington Journal, for taking my call.
My top news story of the week is that old geezer Jerome Powell with crybaby immunity.
Janine Pierre did a good job on the update on the federal investigation.
Why in the hell is Boesberg playing politics?
He should not be playing politics who has Trump's derangement system, billions of dollars with a capital B poured in one building, screams, waste, fraud, and abuse.
We, the People's Board of President, is willing to sail the great seas with a modern-day powerful military taking action on Iran, promoting freedom around the world.
Pass the Save America Act, enhance the Wolf Amendment, pass it Insider Traitors Act, codified into law without delay.
When the Dow hit 50,000 in February, I couldn't believe my eyes on that one.
The state of Mississippi legislators made a PSA that the state of Mississippi could eliminate income tax for the whole state of Mississippi before the end of 2026.
I don't know if that's going to happen now.
I would like C-SPAN to do a call-in grade for Speaker Johnson like C-SPAN did from Kevin McCarthy from that dark blue D-State Democratic stronghold, California.
That would be great to hear from my ears.
Other than the president, who was my president, Donald J. Trump, living a young, wild, rich, white, playboy life, according to the F-State files, Trump is the cleanest, honest businessman in Washington, and people on both sides have a problem with that.
Wounded Soldiers Return to Duty00:03:25
Thank you for taking my call.
Thanks for calling in.
Robert from South Carolina, a Democrat.
It's open for him.
Robert, you can talk about anything.
Good morning.
Thank you, ma'am, for taking my call.
I was trying to call when the lady from the VA was on.
I'm 73 years old.
I had a brother, me and him.
Well, actually, my mom had three sons that serve in Vietnam, and we weren't volunteered.
We were draftees.
I had a brother kill over there, and I was injured.
And I'm still fighting to get my benefits.
I'm appreciative of the Afghan and Iraq veterans, but all of those veterans was volunteers.
We were draftees.
And their president now is talking about the draft again, something that he dodged.
So my question is: with all of the people that just got hurt that is going to need medical help, how much paperwork, legislation, and everything else they're going to have to go to just to get medical help.
Remember, Agent Orange?
They denied it.
All of the Vietnam vets couldn't get it until the PAC Act.
Remember the burn pits?
They denied it.
So my question is, those 140 wounded soldiers that's in the hospital right now in Germany, which when I got hurt in Vietnam, I had to go to that hospital.
And right now, I'm still fighting to get my benefits.
So to the lady that was there, she is not the first female to serve in the military or get hurt.
There were Vietnam females that served that was denied anything.
So my question, again, is.
All right, Robert, I think we got your question.
Let me read about some of these injuries that you mentioned.
From a New York Times article, it says the Pentagon says 140 service members have been injured in the war.
Eight Americans have been seriously wounded, military officials said, but the bulk have already returned to duty.
Seven Americans have been killed.
This was, of course, before we learned that six Americans were killed in a crash on the Air Force refueler.
If you just scroll down a little bit, it says that Iranian strikes have killed seven American troops.
Now it would be, I believe, 13, and injured 140 U.S. service members overall, the Pentagon said.
Of that number, 108 have returned to duty.
Quote, the vast majority of these injuries have been minor.
Sean Parnell, the chief Pentagon spokesman, said in a statement, eight service members remain listed as severely injured and are receiving the highest level of medical care.
Casualties Rise in Iranian Strikes00:09:57
Anthony from Fort Paris, Florida, an independent.
You are next.
Good morning, Anthony.
Good morning.
She doesn't play the trumpet or the trombone, but she's full of all that jazz.
Good morning, Jasmine.
Good morning, Anthony.
Yeah, I'm calling because, you know, last night went to Wawas, put gas in my CX5 truck.
Usually cost $25, fill it up.
Now we're up to $40, $45 still up.
And so now today I'm going to go to Walmart or Home Depot and see if I can purchase me a herd, a horse, or a mule, you know, because gas is so high now.
We've got to go back to riding horses and mules.
And if they don't, if it costs too much, then I'm going to have to go to the dog pound.
See if I can find me a Saint Bernard or a Great Dane and saddle them up.
Gas is a lot now.
So we're going back to the house on the Perry or the wagon train around here because we can't afford to put gas in anything.
All right, Jazz, take it easy.
Tell John John, my man and queen of awesomeness, Gretch, tell them hello.
Bye-bye.
I sure will.
Anthony from Florida.
Tina from California, Democrat your Lex.
Good morning, Tina.
Good morning, Jasmine.
First of all, I would really love it if you thank the genius who came up with this idea of letting us call in for the fact that you guys are giving us the nation back to speak out.
You guys are a genius.
I was also concerned about, I don't stay up long enough to hear the young generations from 18 allowed to vote up to the age of 30 on their opinions on what's going on with our nation.
You know, I don't understand why Donald Trump actually had stated first that he was trying to help Iran by them going out in public and, you know, protesting.
And now we're at war.
Well, you can't really call it a war.
It's a fight because Congress has not voted on it to be an actual war.
So my question is, is that where are we going with this fight against Iran?
Donald Trump has jumped from one protesting now into a fight with Iran.
They suggested that it was because they were going to attack us by nuclear bombs.
Well, we have nuclear bombs.
Russia has bombs.
China, if I'm not mistaken, has bombs.
We're the big three nations.
And I'm just concerned of, you know, the young generations.
I have a granddaughter who cries of what's going on.
She's upset about it.
And I've always explained to my granddaughter, you need to pick whatever party you choose.
Don't follow us.
Read behind the presidency, the senates, the governors, the mayors, all the way down.
She has to read on every single individual, and she gets to choose not what we want as her, you know, parents or grandparents, that she has to make her own choices.
I know kids and the young generations usually follow their parents or grandparents.
Thank you, Jasmine.
I appreciate it.
And thank everybody there because I know some people get a little hostile, you know, hostile, and I've heard one, but I appreciate it.
Thank everybody there.
Tenor from California.
Thanks for calling in.
Steve from New Jersey, a Republican.
Good morning, Steve.
It's open for us.
Good morning.
How are you?
Good morning.
How are you?
Pressure on a side.
I mean, this is not what I wanted to talk about, but can we acknowledge the fact that we're less than two weeks into this war?
We're like children going on the trip asking every minute, are we there yet?
But in terms of the story of the day, I'm really concerned about how the media is giving cover to terrorist actions on American soil,
whether it was the terrorist action that occurred in New York City, where the CNN waxed poetically about these poor boys who were out on a trip and their trip changed and the misinformation about whether it was at first being reported as a bomb being thrown at Mandani, which was absolutely not true.
And then how the media dealt with the ramming attack, which was tried to kill over 100 children in the synagogue in Michigan without any substantiated proof, said, well, it was because this man lost relatives in Lebanon.
I mean, giving cover to terrorist actions.
The Times even reported on Temple Israel was made because of the state of Israel.
I mean, it is scary what is happening, the giving cover to literally terrorism on American soil.
And it's happening more and more, and it's a dangerous trend.
And it's only happening as it relates to these radical Islamic terrorists.
You know, no one would give action if someone who lost members in their family on October 7th decided to blow up a mosque.
Everyone would agree that it's horrible and it's wrong.
I don't know why the press here in America is giving, is making excuses for terrorism happening here in America.
And that's my story of the week, and it's frightening.
All right.
Steve from New Jersey.
Michael from California, an independent.
You're an access open forum.
Michael, you can talk about whatever you want.
Well, thank you for the privilege of talking on C-SPAN.
And I would like to say, in order to protect veterans and this country in general, that we need to spend more time on medical VA.
We need to keep veterans from getting on alcohol and drugs.
And I worked in a hospital in Germany and I saw what alcohol did to veterans and drugs as well.
And alcohol and drugs and a bad diet has killed more veterans in Vietnam, Afghanistan, and Iraq than all other injuries put together.
We need to bring in PhD molecular biologists, PhD biochemists, pathologists, and physiologists who are PhDs to run the Veterans Administration.
And in terms of the ones who are interreacting with the Iran war, and I do support what they're doing there, we need to make sure they don't get on any alcohol whatsoever and any drugs and that they clean up their diet so they can live longer and live better.
And thank you for letting me give my opinion.
All right, Michael from California.
Mike from Michigan, a Democrat.
It's Open Forum.
You can talk about whatever you want.
Hello.
Hi, Mike.
I believe that The summit that Trump attended in Helsinki, where he was the lone American in the room with Putin and the two sargays.
I think he probably got a dressing down as badly as what's his name got by Trump and Vance in the White House, Zelensky.
And I believe that Putin gave him a handbook to how he is taking hold of Russia.
This is how you do it.
You make the media go away.
His Trump card is no longer.
Okay, Mike, I think we got your point there.
Denise from Michigan as well.
Morning.
Good morning.
It's open forum.
So the use it or lose it from the Pentagon, the $90 plus billion dollars, I would just like to say that I think they would have been just fine if they would have shifted half of that money to TSA workers since they're all part of DHS.
I'm sure that the Pentagon would have been just fine with $7.5 million worth of ribeyes and $10 million worth of Alaskan King Crab.
I thought that it would have been a much better use of our tax dollars to go ahead and fund the workers that are working for no pay and they would have been okay.
That's all I'd have to say.
That waste was incredible.
Peter from Wisconsin, a Republican.
Encouraging Reading During Book Festival00:06:33
Good morning, Peter.
It's open forum.
I'm not a Republican.
That's it.
I just agree with what the lady said.
I wish the Republicans would leave town completely and take the president with them.
So, Peter, you know you called it on the Republican line?
Yeah, well, I know, but I didn't mean to.
Okay.
All right, that was Peter, a Democrat of Wisconsin.
Don from New Orleans, Louisiana, independent.
Good morning, Don.
It is open forum.
You can talk about any political issue or public policy story on your mind this morning.
Yes, good morning.
And I thought my dad's a union family, dad power drive.
I thought the unions had contingency funds for cases of layoff strikes.
I'm just perplexed by that.
But my reason for calling this morning, springtime, I want to thank C-SPAN for their book club, Book TV, because this is the, I guess you called it an annual, fifth annual book festival at Tulane University in New Orleans, started Thursday.
And it's just so exciting.
I'm not a PhD or nothing like that, but I love books.
I love taking my children's books to the library and they purchase books.
And I remember old Nick's library should be getting refurbished, the public library.
Spent many hot summer days in the library.
And the importance of reading, the importance of not just reading for academic understanding.
When you're young, you learn to read, but when you're older, you read to learn.
And so I just want to encourage people at our books festivals and I purchased many books.
They're quite discounted at the library.
I bought some very good books for very minimal cost.
And I just want to encourage people to read.
We can solve a lot of issues.
I believe we can solve a lot of issues.
Not just, I love C-SPAN, but C-SPAN is an extension of reading books, you know, with book TV and everything, exploring the authors, different authors and subject matter.
But I just feel...
Don, may I ask which book you're reading right now, if you're reading one?
I read three books at a time.
So I pick them up and put them down.
So I'm reading The Soul of Money.
I'm reading The Soul of Money that I purchased for a minimal cost.
I'm reading Black Ball by Richard Wright.
And I'm also reading Polynomics.
But what my point is, is that reading determines so much.
And our country is falling down in aspects of reading.
And even the computer technology should be enhancing our reading abilities because we learn, you start off by reading at a very grammatical level.
So I just want to encourage people to thank all C-SPAN for the book TV clubs and exposing us to so many authors and subject matters.
And let's get out and enjoy the springtime and book festivals.
All right, that was Don from New Orleans.
Since he's from New Orleans and mentioned our book festival, I will just make a programming note that this afternoon, Louisiana Senator John Kennedy discusses his book, How to Test Negative for Stupid and Why Washington Never Will, His Take on Politics and His Experiences in the Senate.
That's going to be at the New Orleans Book Festival.
Watch it live at 4 p.m. Eastern on C-SPAN, C-SPAN Now, or our free mobile app and c-span.org.
Margarita from New York, a Democrat.
You're next.
Good morning, Margaret.
It's open forum.
Hi, good morning.
I look forward to Saturdays when I can make these little calls.
I just want to say just three things here.
First of all, I am from New York.
Right now, I have a daughter that travels every day into New York City.
And right now, everything is on high alert what's going on.
You know, I went through the 9-11 issue, and we're, you know, it's very scary what's going on.
And number two, I live in a 55-and-older complex.
If we spoke, anybody that's older speaks the way that the president speaks, I think they would start getting some evaluation because he goes from the war to the awards to the parties to everything.
Meanwhile, I also have a son in the Coast Guard.
I have a grandson in the Marines.
My father was a World War II veteran.
I'm very scared for them.
I think that his attention span is just thinking.
He puts the TV on or whatever he does and just decides what he's going to say for the day.
All right, Marguerite, I've got to jump in here since we could take a quick break.
Next, how could events in Iran impact the U.S. economy?
We'll take up that topic with Navy Federal Credit Union's Heather Long when Washington Journal continues.
Watch America's Book Club, C-SPAN's bold original series, this Sunday with our guest, the Chronicler of Adventures, award-winning, best-selling author David Graham, whose books include The Lost City of Zee, Killers of the Flower Moon, and...
and The Wager.
He joins our host, renowned author and civic leader David Rubenstein.
So what about this fact, about this occurrence, made you think this could be something worth your time?
And I started to realize that this odd little old manuscript contained, you know, the seeds of one of the most extraordinary stories of survival and mayhem I had ever come across.
Watch America's Book Club with David Graham this Sunday at 6 p.m. and 9 p.m. Eastern and Pacific, only on C-SPAN.
Founders Day Support for Democracy00:02:16
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Democracy in real time.
This is your government at work.
This is C-SPAN, giving you your democracy, unfiltered.
On this episode of Book Notes Plus with our host, Brian Lamb.
London-based writer Josh Ireland is the author of three books and ghostwriter of five others.
His latest is titled The Death of Trotsky, the true story of the plot to kill Stalin's greatest enemy.
According to Josh Ireland, Trotsky led two revolutions and a civil war in Russia in the first half of the 20th century.
Leon Trotsky died on August the 21st, 1940.
The day before, in Trotsky's house near Mexico City, a man named Ramon Mercator sunk an ice axe into Trotsky's skull.
He lived for 26 hours.
Mercator, who had several names, was a Soviet agent and had befriended Trotsky.
This was all the work of Stalin, Trotsky's arch enemy.
Josh Ireland's first sentence of chapter one asks this question: When did Joseph Stalin decide to crush or destroy or kill Leon Trotsky?
His book tells the complicated story.
A new interview with author Josh Ireland about his book, The Death of Trotsky, the true story of the plot to kill Stalin's greatest enemy.
CPI Report and Rising Gas Costs00:15:15
Book Notes Plus with our host Brian Lamb is available wherever you get your podcasts and on the C-SPAN Now app.
Washington Journal continues.
Welcome back.
Joining us now to talk about the potential impact on the economy because of the efforts in Iran as Navy Federal Credit Union Chief Economist Heather Long.
Heather, thanks so much for being with us.
Yeah, glad to be here.
Good morning.
Okay, there's a lot to talk about.
First, let's talk about energy prices.
How concerning is the shock to energy prices we're seeing?
Obviously, it's not as bad as 2022, but the highest Americans have seen with President Trump back in office.
Yeah, definitely.
I mean, it's not as bad yet, but it looks like we have a very good chance of hitting a $4 a gallon average on gas.
And we're almost back to $5 diesel.
The truckers are really feeling this already right now.
And so you pointed, as you pointed out, this is the highest ever under President Trump.
It's up over 75 cents already for most Americans compared to a month ago.
And this is already having a drag on the economy.
And I don't fear a recession in the United States, but I do think it's going to be one more example of the middle class and moderate income Americans feeling a squeeze here.
They just got these larger tax refunds.
And instead of being able to spend them on a nicer summer vacation or a little splurge, all that money is going to the pump and the higher gas prices and probably higher food prices that are coming our way.
Yeah, one thing when I talk to White House officials, they talk about in the past is how low the president has been able to get those gas prices down, really hanging their hat on that.
But I wonder, you talked a little bit about the wider effect.
If oil supply disruption continues, could we see effects trickle down into other aspects of the economy beyond just gas prices?
Yes, for sure.
And that's where you get nervous that you could really see a slowdown across the economy.
And this was supposed to be a hot economic year with stronger than normal growth.
And now we're talking about revising that down to weaker than normal growth this year.
And the very reason that you are talking about, which is this isn't just about the prices at the pump, which are having an impact, but of course, oil and some of its uses, they go into everything from plastics that are used in so much of manufacturing.
Also, the Strait of Hormuz, as many of us are learning, plays a critical role in the fertilizer supply that's going on for planting season right now in the United States and around the world.
And then as I was learning myself in the last week, things like sulfur are very much transiting through that strait.
And sulfur is not only in fertilizer, but also a key component in these AI chips that are so coveted right now.
So it's going to and already starting to spill through many, many parts of the economy.
I really worry about the manufacturing sector.
It feels like one more blow after all those tariffs that they're already dealing with.
And we're seeing a global response to some of these higher oil prices.
Just this week, the IEA said it would release the largest amount of oil ever from the Global Strategies Reserve, 400 million barrels, in an attempt to prevent supply chain disruptions.
President Trump said that he would release about $200 million from the strategic reserves that the U.S. has.
Take a listen now to Energy Secretary Chris Wright talking about the global response to oil.
The disruption of oil, temporary disruption of oil through the Straits of Hormuz, that's what the Strategic Petroleum Reserve is for.
So as we have a shortage of market coming through that avenue, we're going to bring oil to market through other avenues to get through a few weeks of a short-term dislocation to get to a much better place on the other side.
Of course, this is in coordination with 30 countries.
The real issue right now is Asian refineries.
That's where oil coming out of the Gulf goes to.
So Japan is releasing at a much higher relative rate to their imports.
It's the Asian refineries that we want to keep running and tamp down the price of oil to the extent we can through this few weeks crisis.
President Trump's thinking long term.
He's not thinking about next month.
He's thinking about what's best for the American people, what's best for the American economy, and what brings safety to our troops in the region and brings prosperity to the Middle East.
That was Energy Secretary Chris Wright talking about some of those global releases of oil.
How helpful can this be?
Yeah, let's do a little math.
I know it's Saturday morning, but so.
Wake up, people.
So every day in the world, we consume 100 million barrels of oil around the globe.
So remember that 100.
Right now with the Strait of Hormuz, basically nothing moving through there, we are losing 20 million barrels of oil.
So 20% gone.
So this is a big help.
They're talking about 400 million barrels of oil being released around the world and obviously the United States playing a huge role in that.
That covers you, basic math, 400 divided by 20.
That covers you for about 20 days to make up the difference in the strait.
The part they don't talk about takes about two weeks to actually get that oil out of those reserves onto trucks and moving into the system.
We're in that two-week wait period right now.
That's why you really haven't seen any impact yet at the pump.
Things are still going up.
But that could take you to kind of mid to end of April in the coverage of being able to replace what is currently being lost.
But obviously the clock is ticking.
That's not enough to sustain what's being lost forever.
And as the Secretary was pointing out, certainly it's a more critical concern in a lot of parts of Asia that are truly dependent on that oil that are coming through that strait.
And the White House hasn't put a timeline on when this operation in Iran could be complete.
The President has said that the war in Iran is very complete and could end soon, even though they're not putting a timeline on it.
But I guess I want you to tell people, even if they were to pull out of Iran and end those operations tomorrow, it would still be some time before the Strait of Hormuz would actually be back up to production, right?
Like how quickly could it impact oil prices if the operation were to end?
Yeah, that's the critical question that's being asked right now across the business world and certainly by economists and traders.
I think what we're all coming to learn very quickly is as you're saying, even if the hostilities end in the coming days or in the next week or two, it will take months to have that straight and all the companies that operate around that strait fully operational again.
There was a major aluminum producer out of the Middle East that talked about they don't expect to be back at full capacity till the end of the year.
You know, this is not flipping on a light switch.
And think about it.
If you were a global shipping company, do you want to go through that straight right now?
You're worried about mines.
You're worried about one cheap drone could come and insurance.
Yes, the insurance market.
So even, and look, think about it, the insurance market is going, it's going to cost more to ship through there, even if this is declared over in a few days.
And those prices, it's almost like an extra tariff.
I mean, that's a tax, that's extra insurance costs, and you better believe that's going to be passed on to customers for the rest of the year.
So that's where you're seeing this compounding of costs that will continue to shock the global economy, including here in the United States.
I have a couple more questions for you before we turn to our callers, but I want to invite our viewers to start calling in now and join the conversation.
Democrats, your line is 202-748-8000.
Republicans, your line is 202-748-8001.
Independents, your line is 202-748-8002.
Now, I want to turn to some news from yesterday.
I'm looking at a Fox News, Fox Business article.
It says U.S. economic growth revised lower in the fourth quarter.
Economists expected U.S. GDP growth to grow at a rate of 1.4%.
We know it was revised down yesterday.
That number came out to 0.7%.
What does this tell you?
Well, what that tells me is shutdowns are costly.
I know you all covered it well here on C-SPAN, but really the big part of that revision was that things were even more dire due to the government shutdown in the fourth quarter.
The number to really keep in mind, and this might be the most optimistic I sound in this hour today, but look, yes, it was an ugly figure, 0.7, barely any growth in the fourth quarter, but the number to keep in mind is consumer spending.
That's really the heart of the economy.
And that number was 2% growth.
Now, that's not phenomenal.
It's down from 3.5% in the prior quarter.
And obviously, end of the year, holiday shopping, you normally expect a good consumer number, but people were still spending some.
And that's where that 2% growth.
So I think that's a more realistic assessment of where the economy was when you strip out the noise with the tariffs and the shutdown.
And on inflation, those numbers came out.
February's inflation remained steady at 2.4%, basically in line with expectations.
Now, this is way down since pandemic highs, of course.
We know you just talked about the consumer spending, 2%, but consumers are still saying that they're not feeling the type of reprieve that a lower inflation number is supposed to give Americans.
Why not?
It's pretty easy to explain.
And obviously, many prices across the economy are so much higher than they were a couple years ago.
And in particular, in recent months, electricity bills have really shocked people how high they've been, partly from the weather, partly from rising costs.
Now people are feeling it at the pump.
And I call it whack-a-mole inflation in the sense that you feel like, okay, finally, you know, used car prices aren't as high, or finally the egg prices have come down, but then something else hits.
Okay, now it's my electric bill I'm worried about, or now it's my auto insurance bill I'm worried about, or now it's the gas pump.
And you just, we have not really had a period of relief where basic budget costs for the middle class and moderate income Americans have been able to catch up.
And this inflation rate, I mean, 2.4%, it's not exactly where the Fed wants it.
We know that the President wants the Federal Reserve to bring rates down.
They brought it down some, but not as far as he would like it to go.
That meeting is coming up next week.
How will inflation figures and the surge in energy prices figure into their right decision?
The Fed is on hold.
Many were hoping that they would cut those interest rates again.
I can tell you at Navy Federal that our phones were ringing off the hook in January, February when those mortgage rates briefly dipped below 6%.
People were interested again in buying and refinancing.
And now that's out the window.
The interest rates, the Fed cannot cut in the midst of a supply shock that is going to keep inflation elevated probably for the rest of the year.
You mentioned the low number from the CPI report.
There's a couple of different inflation reports.
2.4% doesn't sound terrible when the 2% is your goal.
But the one that really shocked a lot of people on Wall Street on Friday was something called the PCE inflation, which is what the Fed has said.
Yeah, which is what they pay attention to, particularly the core number to get nerdy out here.
That number rose to 3.1%, which was the highest since March of 2024.
So highest in basically two years.
That got their attention that they're not going to cut interest rates in a world where inflation even before the war started was far out of where they want it to be.
Now what does that one specifically measure?
Because it's a little bit different from the CPI, right?
It is.
And one of the things that I've been stressing, the PCE inflation measure takes a bigger account of health care costs than the CPI.
And I think you all have covered it's very clear 2026 health care costs have been rising a lot with the expiration of the various subsidies that many people were receiving to buy health care on the marketplace.
Or even if you look at plans like I'm on an employer plan at Navy Federal, the average increase was very sharp this year for a lot of employer plans as well.
And you're starting to see that come through the data.
All right, let's turn to some phone calls.
Frank from Staten Island, New York, an independent.
You're first.
Good morning, Frank.
Hi, good morning.
Yeah, there's a lot of things I'm trying to figure out with this, with the prices.
I've seen over here in New York City that, and even in, I like to get gas in New Jersey, and the price has gone up like 60 cents in some places.
I heard a story that in California, it went from like $6 a gallon to $8 a gallon.
But then again, they have, which is insane and terrible, but they have a lot of like climate change taxes on their fuel.
They should really at least use this time to get rid of those things temporarily because it's gone up.
But then again, like, you know, America can drill its own.
America has an emergency type of thing, which I think some of it has to be filled up as a way of getting prices down.
Really, India and China get a lot of fuel from the Strait of Hormuz.
America does not.
But I've heard that those ships were not being insured by Lloyds of London because London was afraid that they might get hit.
And one more thing, it's that you still don't have ships going into the Red Sea to go to the Suez Canal.
They're still going around the Cape of Good Hope, using more fuel to deliver fuel.
And it's all coming to a head.
That was Frank.
Yeah, I mean, Frank's very well versed in this, as we all are now.
And look, I think he points to a couple of things that stood out to me.
He's right that, okay, we've tapped the strategic petroleum reserve, but there are other things we could do.
He talked to basically like a gas tax holiday, whether the federal gas tax or some of the state ones.
He pointed to California's that could be temporarily suspended.
I think if we get back to $4 gas, which is quite likely later this month, that a number of lawmakers at the state and federal level will start to turn to that.
Strategic Petroleum Reserve Tap Analysis00:14:51
It's interesting when he talks about the alternatives to the Strait of Hormuz.
I did see across my Bloomberg terminal yesterday that there are some ships that have started to use the Red Sea that he pointed to.
But again, I just go back to that math.
100 million barrels of oil a day, global demand.
We have lost 20 million.
You can make up one or two or three million by using these other avenues to try to get the oil into different ports or get it through different pipelines.
There is no physical way to make up 20 million lost barrels a day.
Ruben from New Jersey, Republican.
You're next.
Good morning, Ruben.
Good morning.
Good morning.
And I want to start out with a brief commercial for Navy Federal.
I love them.
I have five financial institutions I use, and Navy Federal by far is my favorite.
So that kind of tells you I'm a veteran, right?
But anyway, I just wanted to put that out there.
And love Heather.
Watched her in September, so I think she's very knowledgeable about this stuff.
But okay, so the Fed, I called about the Fed and you kind of touched on this earlier.
But I mean, can you believe, can you imagine being in Jerome Powell's shoes right now?
I mean, he's got pressures to bring interest rates down, but yet there's stimulus to, well, higher tax refunds, which will stimulate the economy.
We got tariffs, which we know influences inflation.
And then we got higher oil prices.
So just put yourself in Jerome Powell, like you were Jerome Powell's advisor.
I mean, what would you tell him to do?
All right.
Well, first of all, thank you for your service, Ruben, and appreciate you calling in.
Look, I'm so glad you brought up the Federal Reserve.
There's been a lot of news with the Fed just in the last two days.
There was a big ruling.
The number one thing I would advise Jerome Powell is to keep doing what he's doing, and that is fighting for Fed independence.
That really helps the United States at the end of the day.
And that's what he's doing a great job of.
And he just had a big court victory at the end of the week where the judge sided with the Fed and with Jerome Powell that the criminal charges that they were trying to put on him.
From the grand jury subpoena.
Yes, from the grand jury subpoena, thank you.
Those were deemed not valid at all.
Obviously, the Trump White House and others have said they would like to appeal that ruling.
But it's really interesting.
If you step back, President Trump has nominated, wants to nominate Kevin Worsh to be the next Fed chair.
He could have Kevin Worsh in that seat in May, supposedly helping his agenda to potentially lower interest rates.
And instead, he's going to push this fight against Jerome Powell.
And there's a senator, Tom Tillis, who said, you know, I'm not going to approve.
I'm Republican, but I am not going to approve Kevin Worsh until this criminal subpoena is thrown out against Powell.
So it's a really interesting calculus at the White House.
What are they really trying to do here?
If they want their person in that chair, all they have to do is just make it go away on this criminal subpoena.
And they're not doing that.
So it's possible that Jerome Powell could be the Fed chair through the end of the year.
I mean, it's really an extraordinary time for Jerome Powell in the history of the Fed.
But right now, he's still the chair.
And I think the best advice you could give him in this stagflation-like scenario is A, keep fighting for the Fed and B, to pause and wait a little bit longer to see how the labor market reacts to what's going on.
Well, we'll see if he takes that advice.
Programming note for you that on Wednesday, Fed Chair Jerome Powell holds a news conference to give an update on interest rates after the meeting with other Federal Reserve officials.
This will be his first public remark since the Supreme Court ruled last month that President Trump's emergency tariffs were illegal and comes as a chairman remains under investigation by the Justice Department for alleged cost overruns and renovations, although we know, of course, that grand jury subpoena was thrown out yesterday by Judge Boesberg.
Watch the Fed Chair's remarks live at 2.30 p.m. Eastern on C-SPAN 3, C-SPAN Now, our free mobile app and online at c-span.org.
Okay, let's get to a couple more calls.
Catherine from Virginia, Democrat.
Good morning, Catherine.
Good morning.
How are you today?
I'm doing well.
How are you?
I'm well, thank you.
Just a little worried about my country.
I would like to know how we're going to get out of this mess that Trump put us in.
I mean, he's spending money like it's going out of style.
And he doesn't, and I never seen anybody's name disappear from the news as what happened when he started talking about Baba Noran, Baba Noran.
Well, guess what?
He did.
And it's still not done anything.
It's put his father in debt.
People just don't know what to do.
And I would like for Mr. Trump, if he's listening, not all of us are rich.
And you're putting us in a bad situation.
And if it wasn't for C-SPAN and people like C-SPAN, we would never know the real truth.
Bring the real truth out.
And I never seen anybody's name leave news.
All right, Catherine, I'm going to let I'm going to let Heather answer part of your question or comment.
I mean, look, we've been talking a lot about economics here this hour, but the human cost is real.
We have service members who've died and Navy Federal.
Some of our members, as you might imagine, are deploying overseas.
And we've had to close some of our branches on military bases in the Middle East right now.
And so I think for the, you know, everyone would like to see a swift resolution to this conflict, given the human cost that's going on.
And I think she also makes a good point.
Look, Americans, you can see it in the polling data.
The number one issue is affordability, the affordability crunch in particular.
I keep saying, why isn't 2026 the year that we make housing more affordable in America?
We need a build, baby, build revolution, particularly building smaller starter homes again.
You know, there is a bipartisan bill in Congress.
You can debate how good it is, but it's just the fact that that's all on hold.
And obviously our attention is now on the Middle East.
You can hear the frustration among a lot of more moderate income Americans who were hoping for some action around affordability this year.
Right.
And that housing bill, I believe it passed the Senate.
Questions on whether or not it's going to pass the House.
And yesterday, the President signed two executive orders on housing, trying to make it more affordable.
Daniel from Dayton Beach, Florida, a Republican.
You're an acts.
Good morning, Daniel.
Yes, good morning.
Thank you very much for taking my call.
I really believe that the American people are aware that Iran, if they had a nuclear bomb, would use it on the United States.
And I hear people talking about the privatized oil and gas.
The price we're paying right now, the temporary pain that we're paying right now, is worth stopping an atom bomb, a nuclear bomb hitting United States cities.
That's real pain.
And Trump is someone that understands prevention is wise.
And he has used his power to try to stop all the insanity of all the rules and regulations and court battles that's done everything to stop America from getting all the oil that we sit on in Alaska.
An ocean of oil that Alaska in 1995 tied Texas for 1 million barrels a day.
And now Texas does 8 million barrels a day.
And Alaska does 400,000 because of regulations that are unreasonable.
And you can't even get a drilling permit in Alaska for sometimes three years because of make sure the polar bear has protected.
Polar bear is the only species that literally hunts human beings to eat them.
I mean, I understand, you know, this country has a lot of red tape and regulations.
And Governor Dunleavy of Alaska had just.
All right, Daniel, I'm going to hop in here.
So you made your point about Alaska oil.
Something that broke overnight from Axios is that Trump seeks to tap California offshore oil.
It says that President Trump invoked on Friday a Cold War-era law and a bid to boost oil production off South Carolina's coast and meet demand in the wake of the Iran War.
The President's signing of an executive order allowing the use of Defense Production Act shows he's trying to employ a variety of tools to try to tamp down on the oil price shocks set off by war.
It also sets up another conversation with California Governor Gavin Newsom.
So I wonder if you have any thoughts about the ways in which this president has gone about trying to get new sources of oil.
Yeah, I mean, everything's on the table right now, as you might imagine.
We were talking about gas tax holidays earlier.
There's obviously talk about different expanding production, as Daniel was mentioning on the call.
I think one of the things to keep in mind is our refineries are old.
You know, they were in the 70s and the 80s and the early 90s before we were doing a ton of drilling.
And what's interesting, our refineries where we mix the oil, they still depend heavily on heavy crude.
A heavy crude, which usually comes from Venezuela, from the Saudis, or from Russia, frankly.
And what we're talking about in the United States, the big expansion in Texas and Canada, parts of Canada, or even in Alaska, tends to be a light crude.
And so our refineries can take some light crude, but they cannot, somebody was playing to me, they would be far less efficient if they were just processing light crude.
And so that's why you have this ongoing situation where even though we are now a net energy exporter of oil, we are still importing some of the heavy crude.
It's the mix that we need for our refineries that really is a strategic problem.
Right.
And I think the president announced this week that they were starting a build on a new refinery, the first new refinery in Texas in about 50 years.
Tom from Minnesota and Independent, you're next.
Good morning, Tom.
Yeah, hi.
Heather.
Let's talk about the existential threat to the whole world's economy if Iran had actually used that enriched uranium and really came out and literally threatened the world with an atomic bomb.
My gosh, I'm sure the think tank people and the people in the Pentagon were tearing their hair out as to what would happen if that would have come to be.
I want your thoughts on that.
You know, it's definitely a cost-benefit analysis, no doubt about it.
Obviously, the White House has made their decision on what the costs are and what they think the intelligence is showing.
There's been a lot of conflicting reports in the last couple years about where Iranian capacity is to have that nuclear weapon or to have that kind of capacity.
So that I focus on the economic impacts, and that's why I've been stressing those here.
But I certainly hear you that the national security implications need to be thought through and discussed as well.
Let's talk briefly about Jobs Report.
That came out last Friday.
What were your key takeaways?
And what group of Americans benefited the most and suffered the most?
I've been saying the United States has been in a hiring recession for basically the past year.
Certainly since the tariffs went on in April, hiring just dried up.
The only sector that's still doing any hiring is healthcare.
So if you're trying to find a job for your young person or someone in your life, it's pretty much health care or bust right now.
And that doesn't feel good.
I mean, and if you look specifically at who's really struggling in this environment, a lot of young people, obviously, and African Americans, you can see the unemployment rates for those two groups are up significantly in the past year as they've really struggled in this no hiring, anemic hiring, hiring recession environment.
The only silver lining is that layoffs really aren't picking up a ton.
The February jobs report was dismal, as you're talking about, with the loss of 92,000 jobs, but the January jobs report showed a surprisingly strong gain.
So I think when you step back and you look at sort of the past six months, we're basically no jobs added, but we haven't lost jobs.
All right, Chris from Fairfield, New Jersey.
Chris, we are coming up on time, so I'm going to ask you to keep your question short so we can get through a couple more of them.
Go ahead, Chris.
Good morning to you.
Quick question for you.
I live in New Jersey, which, as you might know, same geographic area as New York.
One thing I would just like to point out, and I'm hoping you can readdress this as well.
Why do people with common sense continue to put in place politicians that do not support the people in their communities?
I'll make it quick.
I was just in California for business.
Explain to me why.
Well, I'm in Glendale, California, and the price of unleaded gasoline is over $7.
Oil Facility Impact on Prices00:04:05
But yet it's being reported always, which is true.
The national average of gas is $3.03.65.
People must realize when you put incompetent people, leadership, in places, and you are taxed to death, this is what happens.
That's why people are fleeing these democratic states.
And I would like your opinion quickly, if you could.
I only take up too much time.
Why are gas prices so much higher in blue states than they are in red states?
Thank you for your time.
You have a good day.
Well, Chris, I think you've answered your own question that a lot of the reason that they're higher is because of decisions state lawmakers have made through taxation or through trying to encourage the use of electronic vehicles, EVs, and that's certainly a big part of the story in California and a number of blue states across the country.
But I think you're right.
If you step back, there's a really big rethink, including among Democrats, about regulation, and that includes in housing and how permitting is done and why red states have been building a lot more housing than blue states.
And I think in a number of areas, there is a rethink right now about wanting to ensure that we can still build in America and enjoy our nice natural resources.
Striking that balance is important.
Probably in some states, the pendulum has gone too far in a certain regulatory direction.
My producers, just on that question, quickly sent me a very good map from GasBuddy that shows a map of the United States with all the gas prices.
The yellow here shows where folks are over $475, and it goes the lowest, I mean the darkest color purple, is under $2.49.
So just you can see it across the country here.
And that's on gasbuddy.com if you want to research it for yourself.
Marvin from Iowa Republican.
Good morning, Marvin.
I'm going to give you the same warning.
We're coming up on time here if you can make it a little quicker.
You know, Kay, this is about Iran.
Now, I was reading the other day, is there any semblance to this story about the Shah of Iran, his son taking over?
Are we going to have to put up with some more of this same fester?
I don't know if the world deserves it.
You have any comment on that?
Well, the now late Ayatollah's son, Mushaba Khameni, is now the Iranian Supreme Leader.
The country did confirm.
If you just Google his name, you'll see a bunch of articles.
But that is the new Iranian Supreme Leader is a son of the Ayatollah, who the U.S. believes is wounded now.
All right, Bernie from Howard Beach, New York, a Democrat.
Bernie, you're our last caller.
Got a quick question for us, for Heather?
Very quick.
The president decided that he might destroy the oil facilities on Cog Island.
He's being generous by only destroying the military, but he's not going to destroy, or he might not destroy the oil facilities.
What will happen to the price of oil if they destroy the oil facilities on Cog Island?
Thank you.
That's a big question that's certainly being debated.
You can see the price of oil moving a little bit higher in the last several hours just because of belief of what you're saying that some of the Iranian facilities could be impacted here.
Look, I just go back to that math.
We've been talking about 20 million barrels from across the Middle East that's currently offline right now.
You know, that island in Iran is not, it's an important player, but it's not certainly not the only player across the Middle East.
You could make up some of that loss with the Saudis pumping more after the war ends.
But yeah, I think, again, the long-term question is, how do you get that straight open again?
All right, that's all the time we have today.
Heather Long from the Navy Federal Credit Union, thanks so much for joining us.
Thanks for having me.
And another edition of Washington Journal comes to you tomorrow at 7 a.m.