CSPAN - Washington Journal Kyleanne Hunter
Aired: 2026-03-14
Duration: 45:59


=== Uncertainty and Congressional Support (10:43) ===

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[00:01:26]  Welcome back.
[00:01:27]  Joining us now to talk about the operations in Iran is CEO of Iraq and Afghanistan Veterans of America, Kylan Hunter.
[00:01:35]  Kylan, thanks so much for being with us this morning.
[00:01:38]  Thank you so much for having me.
[00:01:40]  Now, first, can you tell our audience about the mission of Iraq and Afghanistan Veterans of America?
[00:01:46]  How many people you represent, and how are you funded?
[00:01:50]  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.
[00:02:04]  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.
[00:02:18]  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.
[00:02:31]  So what's been your reaction to the conflict as it unfolds in Iran, now two weeks since the initial strikes?
[00:02:41]  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.
[00:02:54]  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.
[00:03:05]  And I think it's really important that we continue to center that human aspect.
[00:03:11]  When we see counts and we think, oh, maybe a small number of loss of life, talk about four people, six people.
[00:03:18]  Those are people that are irreplaceable to those that we love.
[00:03:21]  And so we do want to ensure that we center those.
[00:03:24]  When the operations began in Iran, we heard quite a bit from our members that this was a time of confusion.
[00:03:32]  There was a time of concern.
[00:03:34]  There was a concern about being involved in wars in the Middle East again.
[00:03:39]  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.
[00:03:51]  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.
[00:04:00]  Now, I know you said that folks talked about being concerned and feeling PTSD, but you also said that folks have been confused.
[00:04:09]  Can you talk us through what veterans that you represent and talk to every day have been confused about about these operations?
[00:04:18]  So our membership represents the complete political spectrum.
[00:04:22]  We have those who self-identify as Republicans, those who self-identify as Democrats, and those who self-identify as Independent.
[00:04:31]  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.
[00:04:52]  And we heard back from a lot of those very same members that this was a sort of a confusing time for them.
[00:05:00]  Also from many of our members, hearing that there's a lot of confusion even about what the end state is right now.
[00:05:10]  Unlike Venezuela, where there was decisive action, there's mixed messages that we're hearing coming out of the administration, which leads to confusion.
[00:05:23]  I'll ask you a little bit about that in a couple minutes.
[00:05:26]  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?
[00:05:37]  Yeah, so I was, by my background, I'm an attack pilot, a CORA pilot.
[00:05:42]  I had deployments across Iraq and Afghanistan as a pilot.
[00:05:47]  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.
[00:06:11]  And so, you know, I know that it can be uncertain, it can be uncomfortable to go downrange.
[00:06:19]  It can 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.
[00:06:32]  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.
[00:06:47]  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.
[00:06:56]  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.
[00:07:07]  Take a listen to what he had to say here.
[00:07:10]  To the media outlets and political left screaming endless wars, stop.
[00:07:15]  This is not Iraq.
[00:07:17]  This is not endless.
[00:07:18]  I was there for both.
[00:07:21]  Our generation knows better and so does this president.
[00:07:25]  He called the last 20 years of nation-building wars dumb, and he's right.
[00:07:30]  This is the opposite.
[00:07:33]  This operation is a clear, devastating, decisive mission.
[00:07:37]  Destroy the missile threat, destroy the Navy, no nukes.
[00:07:42]  So there we heard from Defense Secretary Pete Heckseth.
[00:07:45]  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.
[00:07:58]  Well, I certainly hope that he is correct.
[00:08:01]  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.
[00:08:14]  That is what everybody wants.
[00:08:16]  Clear mission, clear objectives, being able to achieve them and then return home.
[00:08:23]  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.
[00:08:33]  It is a much larger country.
[00:08:35]  It has a much more sophisticated military, which may give it some benefits to not drag on.
[00:08:43]  It is not a country that we want to be in a long-term embroiled war with.
[00:08:48]  So hopefully that means this will be quick and decisive.
[00:08:51]  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.
[00:09:03]  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.
[00:09:25]  The president absolutely has executive authority to be able to take limited, decisive military action, and that is very, very appropriate in many cases.
[00:09:34]  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.
[00:09:56]  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.
[00:10:04]  Democrats, your line is 202-748-8000.
[00:10:08]  Republicans, your line, 202-748-8001.
[00:10:13]  Independents, your line is 202-748-8002.
[00:10:18]  Now, Carlin, 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.
[00:10:31]  I wonder what do you make of those at sometimes even conflicting messages?
[00:10:36]  And how is that being received by the folks that you represent, the veterans that you're talking to every day?

=== Mixed Messages on War Objectives (05:01) ===

[00:10:43]  Yeah, 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.
[00:10:55]  And why that is most concerning is the message that it sends to those serving and really their families as well.
[00:11:03]  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.
[00:11:21]  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.
[00:11:37]  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.
[00:11:52]  Take a listen here to White House Press Secretary Caroline Levitt speaking about this very same thing.
[00:11:58]  You said the operation was going faster than anticipated.
[00:12:01]  What is your current timeline for how long the war will last?
[00:12:04]  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.
[00:12:14]  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.
[00:12:24]  We know that the U.S. military and our brave warfighters are quickly and expeditiously executing these objectives well ahead of schedule.
[00:12:32]  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.
[00:12:45]  Does the President still want Iran's unconditional surrender?
[00:12:49]  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.
[00:12:58]  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.
[00:13:08]  I could make an empty threat, but if I have no actions to back it up, then it's an empty threat.
[00:13:14]  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.
[00:13:24]  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.
[00:13:34]  What's your reaction?
[00:13:36]  So on the one hand, I think what is very clear is that there are objectives in terms of the missile threat.
[00:13:43]  And if that is a quantifiable objective, then that is something that can be achieved.
[00:13:49]  It is an event-based objective.
[00:13:51]  It has a very clear military end state.
[00:13:55]  If the sense of a feeling of an unconditional surrender is a little more squishy and problematic.
[00:14:02]  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.
[00:14:30]  And so we do want event-based objectives.
[00:14:34]  We want clear when this military objective is achieved.
[00:14:38]  That gives clarity.
[00:14:39]  That also doesn't put us on a timetable that may lead to similar chaotic events that we saw at the end of Afghanistan.
[00:14:48]  But having feelings of unconditional surrender can be problematic because that is not a very well-defined objective.
[00:14:54]  So we support the idea of firm, event-based objectives that we know that our sisters and brothers that are serving downrange can achieve.
[00:15:05]  But we are always wary of having things that are relying on feelings.
[00:15:11]  Are there any developments that you think could justify prolonging the operation or putting boots on the ground?
[00:15:19]  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.
[00:15:40]  And so, that's what we're hoping to see.
[00:15:42]  All right, let's turn to some phone calls.

=== Protecting Veterans Downrange (15:19) ===

[00:15:44]  Frank from Baton Rouge, Louisiana, a Democrat.
[00:15:49]  You're next.
[00:15:50]  Good morning, Frank.
[00:15:52]  Good morning.
[00:15:53]  Thank you so much for having me on.
[00:15:56]  I appreciate the program.
[00:15:59]  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 Hessick, and how he feels about women.
[00:16:21]  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 saying they're combat ready.
[00:16:32]  I like the men are.
[00:16:34]  He'd like to make them come up to the same standards.
[00:16:38]  Well, I thought after Vietnam, that the golf wars that the women were out there in front.
[00:16:43]  My niece is a 100% disabled veteran.
[00:16:46]  I served in the 60s, and she served way back in the 2000s.
[00:16:52]  So, how does she feel about his statement about women to make sure that they're qualified?
[00:17:00]  Kylan.
[00:17:01]  Thank you so much for that question.
[00:17:03]  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.
[00:17:18]  And women have met the standards, women have given the ultimate sacrifice, women have been a value add.
[00:17:26]  Women are also the fastest-growing group of recruits that we have in the military.
[00:17:32]  Women are the fastest-growing group of veterans.
[00:17:35]  In every job that has been open to women, women have met and exceeded the military standards that are set for them.
[00:17:44]  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.
[00:18:00]  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.
[00:18:14]  Tom from Florida, a Republican.
[00:18:16]  Good morning, Tom.
[00:18:18]  Good morning.
[00:18:19]  Good morning, Ms. Hunter.
[00:18:20]  I had a question.
[00:18:21]  Are the veterans, you as a CEO, 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 going for 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.
[00:18:51]  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.
[00:19:05]  The veterans concerned about if the Democrats should take the House and Senate, go off a bit the presidency, they'll pull the plug on this and we'll wind up in defeat.
[00:19:15]  Is the veterans doing everything they can not to let this happen?
[00:19:18]  Are they supporting Trump?
[00:19:19]  Are they just going to let the chips fall?
[00:19:21]  We'll have another Afghanistan withdrawal on our hands, embarrassing defeat.
[00:19:26]  What are your thoughts?
[00:19:27]  I'm just curious.
[00:19:29]  Well, we are not a political organization, and so we do not support either Democrats or Republicans.
[00:19:35]  We're an organization focused on policies that support veterans, and we'll work with those that support veterans.
[00:19:42]  We have not heard any concerns about how the midterms are going to impact this.
[00:19:48]  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.
[00:20:01]  All right, Joseph from Garden Grove, California, a Democrat.
[00:20:06]  You're an excited, Joseph.
[00:20:08]  Hello.
[00:20:10]  First off, I apologize for having to, for you having to answer for these hard questions about all things military.
[00:20:18]  But I'm a Democrat, which I am a radical Democrat.
[00:20:22]  And I truly value, I respect our military.
[00:20:26]  It's the last pillar in our country that has respect and honor.
[00:20:32]  And they're being pushed on that.
[00:20:34]  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.
[00:20:45]  The bomb's imminent.
[00:20:46]  The bomb's imminent.
[00:20:48]  And I'm not anti-Semitic.
[00:20:49]  I'm not anti-Israel.
[00:20:51]  But the right-wing party of Israel basically, they've got us, our sons and daughters, dying.
[00:20:58]  I don't see them talking about putting ground troops in.
[00:21:01]  Now, that put aside, everything Trump does benefits Russia.
[00:21:08]  This war, everything, the gas prices, we're taking sanctions off.
[00:21:11]  That's what it all comes back to.
[00:21:14]  The Russians are our freaking enemies.
[00:21:17]  Vladimir Putin is our enemy.
[00:21:22]  I'll never forgive the Republicans for selling up for Russia like that.
[00:21:25]  Because I have friends in Ukraine right now.
[00:21:27]  Joseph, can I ask if you have a specific question for Kylan?
[00:21:32]  Yes, ma'am.
[00:21:34]  Will you ever be able to respect Republicans again because of what they did to Ukraine?
[00:21:41]  Well, we are hopeful that we can work with Republicans to push for policies that are going to support veterans.
[00:21:50]  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.
[00:22:02]  All right, Perry from Alabama calling on, I believe, the military line, but correct me if I'm wrong.
[00:22:08]  Good morning, Perry.
[00:22:10]  Good morning, that's correct.
[00:22:12]  Okay.
[00:22:13]  I was stationed at Camp the June when that bomb went off in Beirut.
[00:22:17]  And I understand that, you know, that mission very well, because I do deploy before that bomb went off.
[00:22:23]  But this is a question I have.
[00:22:27]  You know, they call that a peacekeeping mission, so there was no combat pay.
[00:22:31]  Do you know if there's comeback pay in this service now we're doing in Iran?
[00:22:36]  I am not privy to how the administrative pay is being classified for those that are downrange right now.
[00:22:45]  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.
[00:22:58]  And we are here to support them and advocate and fight for them.
[00:23:03]  Paul from England, a Republican.
[00:23:06]  Good morning, Paul.
[00:23:08]  Good morning.
[00:23:09]  Yeah.
[00:23:09]  The question I'll talk to you, the guest is: do you think End this war quickly, or it will be a long-term war, do you think?
[00:23:18]  Do you reckon?
[00:23:20]  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.
[00:23:38]  Anthony from Lansing, Illinois, a Democrat.
[00:23:42]  Good morning, Anthony.
[00:23:44]  Good morning.
[00:23:45]  How are you?
[00:23:48]  I'm kind of concerned about, well, about the whole war, but specifically about illegal orders.
[00:23:57]  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.
[00:24:16]  And we all know about the school that was destroyed.
[00:24:20]  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?
[00:24:37]  That's my question.
[00:24:40]  It is the responsibility and obligation of any military member to refuse illegal orders.
[00:24:47]  And I went through extensive training on what legal and illegal orders are.
[00:24:55]  And I'm confident that those that are serving right now have gone through similar training.
[00:25:01]  And we know right now that those that are serving are some of our nation's absolute best.
[00:25:06]  And I am confident that if ever confronted, they would refuse and continue to uphold the Constitution of the United States.
[00:25:15]  Mark from Michigan, calling on the military line.
[00:25:20]  Good morning.
[00:25:22]  I'm also a veteran, and I belong to the VVA.
[00:25:27]  Are you guys making the same mistake we did?
[00:25:29]  We're going to be a last man standing organization.
[00:25:34]  What's the end of your organization?
[00:25:36]  And who can belong?
[00:25:38]  Just boots on the ground or every veteran from the era?
[00:25:44]  We're an organization that's open to every veteran.
[00:25:47]  We were 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.
[00:25:56]  But we are open to all and we firmly believe that a rising tide lifts all boats.
[00:26:02]  And we have continued to advocate for veterans from across the generations and welcome our membership.
[00:26:08]  Membership is free.
[00:26:09]  Veterans have already paid their dues by signing up to potentially give their lives.
[00:26:15]  And so we welcome all, not just those that had boots on the ground.
[00:26:20]  Ralph from Georgia, an independent.
[00:26:22]  You're next.
[00:26:23]  Good morning, Ralph.
[00:26:25]  Yes, good morning.
[00:26:26]  My concern: I am a retired military.
[00:26:29]  I worked as an inspector general in the military.
[00:26:33]  I do not work within the organization DAV and all that, VFW, because we seem to give in.
[00:26:41]  And somehow or another, we're in a situation where they say, Do you give this extra money to support the troops?
[00:26:49]  Are you going to vote against it?
[00:26:51]  We're continually put in those predicaments where at the last minute, you've got to support.
[00:26:58]  I support the troops, but we put these soldiers in that predicament.
[00:27:04]  I was willing to give my life in defense of my country.
[00:27:08]  And one other thing I'd like to say, everybody keep talking about Obama when he was in office.
[00:27:14]  He went in all these wars without going to Congress.
[00:27:18]  He asked Congress and Libya, say the UK is taking action.
[00:27:24]  Do we get involved?
[00:27:26]  And they went home.
[00:27:27]  They did not wait on him.
[00:27:29]  A little bit of a background in there.
[00:27:31]  But my thing is that we're placing, and there's nothing anybody can do that can stop this.
[00:27:37]  President, my president of these United States, he's now talking about Cuba.
[00:27:43]  We're going to put people in trouble.
[00:27:45]  We went into Honduras before.
[00:27:47]  We went into all of these places.
[00:27:50]  Now we're saying, hey, there's a bad guy.
[00:27:53]  Thank you.
[00:27:55]  Kylan, do you have a response?
[00:27:58]  Thank you for your continued service.
[00:28:02]  Ben from Maryland, calling in on the military line.
[00:28:06]  Good morning, Ben.
[00:28:08]  Good morning.
[00:28:08]  You're doing an outstanding job, by the way.
[00:28:11]  And my question for your guest 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.
[00:28:33]  I've never heard anyone boast so much about war.
[00:28:37]  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 and the unfortunate situations that are involved in warfare.
[00:28:57]  What is your opinion?
[00:29:00]  I don't say this is political.
[00:29:01]  I know you don't deal with political politics, but as a veteran, what is your opinion of this level of rhetoric coming from the Department of Defense chairman?
[00:29:13]  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 be bregadocious about.
[00:29:25]  It's something to be taken very, very seriously.
[00:29:28]  And so we do have concerns about rhetoric.
[00:29:32]  We do have concerns about how that may raise the temperature in the room.
[00:29:39]  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.
[00:29:58]  Troy from Salt Lake City, Utah, a Republican.
[00:30:02]  Good morning, Troy.
[00:30:04]  Yeah, so I'm asking, a minute ago, you said that women had to meet standards set for them.
[00:30:13]  I was just wondering, are they the same standards that are set for men?
[00:30:17]  The occupational standards that are set for men and women are exactly the same.
[00:30:22]  So to be a infantry soldier, it is the exact same, regardless of your gender.
[00:30:28]  To be a pilot, it is the exact same, regardless of your gender.
[00:30:32]  To be a combat engineer, it's the same regardless of your gender.
[00:30:36]  To be an artillery soldier or Marine, it's the exact same.
[00:30:40]  So the occupational standards are not different for men and women.
[00:30:44]  They have never been different for men and women in terms of the occupational standards.
[00:30:49]  So they are exactly the same.
[00:30:52]  Sam from Michigan, a Democrat.
[00:30:54]  You're next.
[00:30:55]  Good morning, Sam.
[00:30:58]  Try to see Sam.
[00:30:59]  Yep, it's you.
[00:31:00]  You're on.
[00:31:00]  We can hear you.
[00:31:01]  Well, good morning, young lady.

=== Trust in C-SPAN Reporting (14:30) ===

[00:31:03]  I just want to comment about the war there.
[00:31:07]  Have you got a question for Kylan or comment?
[00:31:10]  Well, possibly, I got a statement, maybe a little question.
[00:31:13]  Trump says he had a feeling before he started the war, he said that Iran was just getting ready to strike.
[00:31:19]  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?
[00:31:34]  Why would they wait for all that to get in place?
[00:31:36]  And then he says he had a feeling they're going to strike.
[00:31:39]  Why would they wait all the way up to that in order to strike?
[00:31:42]  That's a lie.
[00:31:44]  It's all about Epstein.
[00:31:46]  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.
[00:31:57]  It's going to catch up to him.
[00:31:58]  Hopefully in November we can get rid of this.
[00:32:06]  I can't speak to the calculus of the Iranian people and appreciate your comment.
[00:32:12]  Norman from New Hampshire, calling on the military line.
[00:32:17]  Hello, good morning.
[00:32:18]  Good morning.
[00:32:19]  Military service.
[00:32:21]  My question is, and you use the term downrange a lot.
[00:32:24]  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?
[00:32:40]  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.
[00:32:58]  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.
[00:33:09]  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,
[00:33:27]  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.
[00:33:42]  James from Ohio, a Republican.
[00:33:46]  Good morning, James.
[00:33:48]  Good morning, ladies.
[00:33:49]  Thank you for taking my call.
[00:33:51]  And I listen to this program regularly, and I enjoy all the input.
[00:34:03]  I don't agree with most all of it, but I do appreciate the perspective from many.
[00:34:12]  My question is: the administration has made a statement that they would back the Iranian people in an effort to regain their country.
[00:34:33]  And we've dealt with this misery for 47 years.
[00:34:40]  And I listen to people make comments about things that are said or things that are done.
[00:34:49]  And it's very easy to be an armchair quarterback.
[00:34:54]  The decisions that are being made, I don't believe are being made lightly.
[00:34:59]  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.
[00:35:16]  But I just wonder when it is that people are going to see the long-term benefit of what's taken place.
[00:35:28]  And it's taken over almost 50 years.
[00:35:31]  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.
[00:35:50]  And all of the veterans that have been wounded, murdered, one of them from my high school was in the Beirut bombing.
[00:36:03]  I take all of this stuff very seriously.
[00:36:07]  And I just hope that everyone finds a place to support this country.
[00:36:17]  Kylan, I wonder if you can answer the question he had in there.
[00:36:20]  When do you think people will, if they will?
[00:36:23]  I certainly hope that we do see a positive outcome and the Iranian people are able to, you know, in your words, take back their country, but the Iranian people are able to have a voice in their government and leadership and support the voice of their people.
[00:36:41]  I certainly hope that happens.
[00:36:43]  Doyle from Tennessee, calling on the military line.
[00:36:45]  Good morning, Doyle.
[00:36:48]  I'm talking about a nuclear weapon.
[00:36:52]  I was in, I'm 80 years old.
[00:36:54]  I was on a destroyer DDG.
[00:36:58]  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.
[00:37:12]  They know that.
[00:37:13]  That's why we had determined.
[00:37:15]  And one more thing: I'd like to know when that North Korea get a nuclear weapon.
[00:37:26]  Before, North Korea was an emission of peace, and Iran was in two countries, they said, but they got a nuclear, North Korea got a nuclear weapon in 1917, I think.
[00:37:43]  Am I right?
[00:37:46]  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.
[00:38:00]  Diana from Louisville, Kentucky, a Republican.
[00:38:03]  Good morning, Diana.
[00:38:05]  Good morning, and thank you so much for your service, young lady.
[00:38:11]  I really appreciate it.
[00:38:14]  I also wanted to thank Jasmine for having me back on.
[00:38:19]  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.
[00:38:31]  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 way we each look at it.
[00:38:53]  I started watching the news and I doubled back to other stations because I started seeing so many disrepanies.
[00:39:03]  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.
[00:39:27]  I watched both channels.
[00:39:29]  I would back myself up.
[00:39:30]  I would see what, because so many of the other frequencies will give you Fox and Newsmax and CNN.
[00:39:40]  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.
[00:39:54]  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.
[00:40:12]  They don't ever put the whole story on there.
[00:40:16]  So I really appreciate you all listening to me.
[00:40:20]  And I'm just hoping, first time in years, I've seen God back in our country.
[00:40:27]  And I'm very proud of our president because he does nothing without thinking it through.
[00:40:34]  And one other thing, he loves to throw humor in there.
[00:40:41]  And I laugh.
[00:40:42]  He makes me laugh.
[00:40:44]  But he also doesn't give away the secrets.
[00:40:48]  He doesn't say, this is how we're going to do this.
[00:40:52]  Diana, can I jump in here?
[00:40:54]  Do you have a question for Kylan?
[00:40:57]  I was just, I see the concern.
[00:41:00]  And actually, I apologize.
[00:41:03]  I guess I just have waited so long to talk.
[00:41:07]  I will definitely let you guys get back to conversation.
[00:41:11]  I haven't been awake very long, and I didn't catch the whole show.
[00:41:14]  But thank you, dear, for all of your hard effort.
[00:41:18]  Thank you.
[00:41:20]  All right, Diana from Kentucky.
[00:41:22]  David from Illinois, Democrat.
[00:41:24]  Good morning, David.
[00:41:26]  Yes, good morning.
[00:41:27]  I'd like to remind all veterans of the PACT Act.
[00:41:33]  I'm a recipient, and you can think it was a bipartisan bill, by the way.
[00:41:43]  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.
[00:41:58]  They're very important, and they've helped my whole family.
[00:42:02]  Thank you very much.
[00:42:03]  Thanks for your service.
[00:42:06]  Thank you.
[00:42:06]  All right, Tom from Rock Island, Illinois, an independent.
[00:42:10]  Tom, we've got about 30 seconds.
[00:42:12]  Do you have a quick question for Kylan?
[00:42:14]  Yeah.
[00:42:14]  Yes, I do.
[00:42:15]  What is your funding?
[00:42:17]  Why are there so many of Trump's single pants on your board of directory?
[00:42:23]  And, you know, where are the military enlisted men?
[00:42:27]  I'm sorry, but I appreciate all veterans.
[00:42:30]  Hell, I went to Vietnam.
[00:42:31]  I'm old enough to give God part of the dirt formula.
[00:42:35]  But the point is, check the balances in the people who are promoting this stuff.
[00:42:42]  This guy, Petraeus, there's another dude on there.
[00:42:45]  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.
[00:42:52]  All right, let's have Kylan answer that question.
[00:42:56]  So we are independently funded through a variety of sources, including individuals, foundations.
[00:43:03]  We do not take any government money.
[00:43:05]  We are a strictly non-political organization, and we do have enlisted members of our board as well.
[00:43:14]  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.
[00:43:26]  All right, Kylan Hunt, our CEO of Iraq and Afghanistan Veterans of America, thank you so much for joining us this morning.
[00:43:34]  Thank you.
[00:43:35]  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 U.S. Senate.
[00:43:47]  From the New Orleans Book Festival, watch it live at 4 p.m. Eastern on C-SPAN.
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[00:44:21]  And retired Brigadier General Leslie A. Beavers, former Pentagon Acting Chief Information Officer, discusses how the United States is using technology in the Iran conflict.
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[00:45:29]  The United Nations Security Council voted on resolutions concerning the situation in the Middle East.

=== UN Resolutions on Iran (00:25) ===

[00:45:34]  U.S. Ambassador to the United Nations Michael Waltz said to the people under the barrage and constant bombardment of the Iranian regime, the U.N. Security Council stands with you.
[00:45:43]  A representative of Iran criticized the U.S. and Israel, stating that they have violated international law and that Iran is the victim.
[00:45:56]  The ten thousand one hundred