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Charlie Kirk Today | Eli Crane: March 3, 2026 | Charlie Kirk Today | March 3, 2026
- We had an eventful weekend, to say the least.
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- Yes, an eventful weekend.
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- We came in.
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- We did, an emergency.
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- Special live stream on saturday.
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- Tens and tens of thousands of people saw that.
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- So thank you guys for supporting the show.
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- We did our best to honor charlie with charlie would say
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- In these situations, we obviously don't know exactly
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- Because, he's not with us, but we have some good
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- Indications because we walked alongside
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- Charlie in the summer strikes operation, midnight hammer.
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- We saw how he deliberate, deliberated through those
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- Very tough decisions, those very tough backroom
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- Calls, those private conversations.
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- And then what he would say publicly.
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- And so i think we did a good job of that
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- Got a lot of great feedback.
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- And, these are targeted airstrikes
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- To take out the leadership and allow the people of iran
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- To choose the next leader.
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- And so we don't know how that's going to play out.
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- We were we're very reticent
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- Around here about regime change wars.
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- We're very reticent about,
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- Going in to as a country as large and as strong as iran.
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- And the unintended consequences are sure to be extreme.
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- We don't know how this is
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- Going to ultimately play out, and they can't say that enough.
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- Charlie was very concerned about regime change.
- 00:01:22.272 --> 00:01:24.574
- Wars was very reticent
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- About using kinetic force in this region.
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- But at the end of the day,
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- Charlie, over and over and over again
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- Said, this is why i elected president trump.
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- This is why it's so hard for them.
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- That's really what it is, is
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- There would be two competing impulses with charlie.
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- And the reason we side them.
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- A big reason we continue this show, a big reason
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- It still has his name on there is people
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- Looked to charlie as a leader, as a leader in the movement,
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- As a person who had wise perspectives,
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- As a person who wasn't under the control of anyone else.
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- And so he could be frank,
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- He could be honest about things.
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- And so we're trying to maintain that voice to the best we can
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- So that because that's what people are looking towards
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- And what i can say, and i think you agree, is
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- Charlie would have two competing impulses.
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- One is he was a millennial.
- 00:02:11.988 --> 00:02:14.224
- He was a part of that
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- Generation, very shaped by iraq and afghanistan,
- 00:02:15.258 --> 00:02:19.028
- Two wars that looked very easy at the start
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- But went on a lot longer than people thought
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- Were more expensive than people thought they would be,
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- And ended in ultimately either
- 00:02:28.605 --> 00:02:32.909
- Failure or at best, mixed results.
- 00:02:32.909 --> 00:02:35.278
- In the case of iraq.
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- And that would have shaped his attitude towards this.
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- You can say we we agree.
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- He repeatedly said
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- He thought regime change in iran was a bad idea.
- 00:02:43.553 --> 00:02:46.389
- The competing impulse there is he was a supporter
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- Of president trump and president trump's judgment
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- In international affairs,
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- And he was also an american patriot.
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- And so this war, having started his take, would similarly be
- 00:02:55.031 --> 00:02:59.269
- I was very hesitant for this.
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- But i also do trust the president's judgment.
- 00:03:01.304 --> 00:03:04.307
- That he must
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- Have good reasons for this
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- And that he would have a plan to keep this from
- 00:03:06.309 --> 00:03:09.912
- Extending endlessly and escalating out of control.
- 00:03:09.912 --> 00:03:13.016
- Well, and to your point, you mentioned iraq.
- 00:03:13.016 --> 00:03:15.318
- Secretary of war pete hegseth addressed this very dynamic
- 00:03:15.318 --> 00:03:20.023
- In his press conference this morning with general cain.
- 00:03:20.023 --> 00:03:22.058
- 301 to the media outlets
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- And political left screaming endless wars.
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- Stop.
- 00:03:26.796 --> 00:03:28.031
- This is not iraq.
- 00:03:28.031 --> 00:03:29.766
- This is not endless.
- 00:03:29.766 --> 00:03:31.567
- I was there for both.
- 00:03:31.567 --> 00:03:33.770
- Our generation knows better and so does this president.
- 00:03:33.770 --> 00:03:37.840
- He called the last 20 years of nation building wars dumb.
- 00:03:37.840 --> 00:03:41.177
- And he's right.
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- This is the opposite.
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- This operation is a clear,
- 00:03:45.782 --> 00:03:47.884
- Devastating, decisive mission.
- 00:03:47.884 --> 00:03:50.386
- Destroy the missile threat. destroy the navy.
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- No nukes.
- 00:03:52.855 --> 00:03:54.023
- So he's getting to the strategic objectives here.
- 00:03:54.023 --> 00:03:58.061
- He continues on. 302 he says this is our why.
- 00:03:58.061 --> 00:04:01.731
- 302 iran's stubborn and self-evident nuclear pursuits.
- 00:04:01.731 --> 00:04:05.635
- They're targeting of global shipping lanes and their
- 00:04:05.635 --> 00:04:08.104
- Swelling arsenal of ballistic missiles and killer drones.
- 00:04:08.104 --> 00:04:11.941
- We're no longer are no longer tolerable risks.
- 00:04:11.941 --> 00:04:15.378
- Iran was building powerful missiles and drones
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- To create a conventional shield for their nuclear
- 00:04:19.549 --> 00:04:22.819
- Blackmail ambitions.
- 00:04:22.819 --> 00:04:24.187
- Our bases, our people, our allies all in their crosshairs.
- 00:04:24.187 --> 00:04:28.157
- Iran had a conventional gun to our head
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- As they tried to lie their way to a nuclear bomb.
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- It almost worked under obama
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- And his terrible deal, but not under this president.
- 00:04:37.667 --> 00:04:41.738
- It turns out the
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- Regime who chanted death to america
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- And death to israel was gifted.
- 00:04:45.775 --> 00:04:48.978
- Death from america and death from israel.
- 00:04:48.978 --> 00:04:52.849
- A lot of,
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- Headlines about that final line, basically,
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- You know, and it's right.
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- It was a bit of a mic drop moment because, you know,
- 00:04:58.087 --> 00:05:00.390
- They've been chanting death
- 00:05:00.390 --> 00:05:01.391
- To america, death israel for a long time.
- 00:05:01.391 --> 00:05:03.960
- Turns out that the supreme leader met his end, his demise
- 00:05:03.960 --> 00:05:08.831
- At the hands of cia intelligence
- 00:05:08.831 --> 00:05:12.034
- And an israeli strike.
- 00:05:12.034 --> 00:05:14.003
- So the the full circle moment for the ayatollah.
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- Certainly.
- 00:05:17.974 --> 00:05:18.775
- But let's just wrap up this segment.
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- We've got so much more to get to by saying
- 00:05:20.410 --> 00:05:22.678
- That president trump is now on the record saying that
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- The big wave has not even commenced yet,
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- Which is something else.
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- This is, jake tapper, who he talked to 334.
- 00:05:30.219 --> 00:05:33.456
- I asked the president if the u.s.
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- Was doing more than these military strikes
- 00:05:35.358 --> 00:05:38.094
- To help the iranian people regain control of iran
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- Against the regime,
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- To seize the country from the iranian regime.
- 00:05:43.299 --> 00:05:46.102
- And he said, yes, the president said, yes, we are indeed.
- 00:05:46.102 --> 00:05:49.305
- But right now we want everyone staying inside.
- 00:05:49.305 --> 00:05:51.941
- It's not safe out there.
- 00:05:51.941 --> 00:05:53.709
- And then the president said, it's about to get even
- 00:05:53.709 --> 00:05:56.612
- Less safe.
- 00:05:56.612 --> 00:05:57.814
- He said, quote, we haven't even started hitting them hard.
- 00:05:57.814 --> 00:06:00.283
- The big wave hasn't even happened.
- 00:06:00.283 --> 00:06:02.985
- The big one is coming soon.
- 00:06:02.985 --> 00:06:05.755
- Ominous warning from the president.
- 00:06:05.755 --> 00:06:07.924
- The big one has not even happened yet.
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- It's coming soon. so take that as you will.
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- But stay inside if you are in iran.
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- If you are in the region, please stay inside.
- 00:06:16.265 --> 00:06:21.002
- If you are in the region, please stay inside.
- 00:06:21.002 --> 00:06:26.543
- There is, a lot of speculation.
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- I do want to just get to one of these.
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- I'll never forget this clip. blake.
- 00:06:31.448 --> 00:06:33.217
- It was, at the height of the base,
- 00:06:33.217 --> 00:06:36.854
- Kind of having this
- 00:06:36.854 --> 00:06:38.789
- Public conflict about operation midnight hammer.
- 00:06:38.789 --> 00:06:42.559
- It was about to commence, i believe.
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- And charlie went on, jesse waters
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- In sort of an impossible situation.
- 00:06:47.231 --> 00:06:49.666
- And i just felt like he he just nailed this moment.
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- And i want to play it because i remember it well.
- 00:06:53.770 --> 00:06:55.906
- 309 president trump understands his base
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- Extraordinarily well.
- 00:06:58.675 --> 00:06:59.977
- He knows that his base does not want another iraq.
- 00:06:59.977 --> 00:07:02.613
- He does not want libya, does not want a civil war
- 00:07:02.613 --> 00:07:06.083
- Or bedlam, or the united states is left carrying the bag.
- 00:07:06.083 --> 00:07:08.986
- But also,
- 00:07:08.986 --> 00:07:10.120
- President trump has been morally clear for a decade.
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- Iran should not have a nuclear weapon.
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- And president trump has the talent, the expertise
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- To be able to thread that needle
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- For the generation i represent jesse, the under 30 crowd.
- 00:07:18.795 --> 00:07:22.633
- They absolutely are very war weary.
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- Many of them voted for president trump
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- On college campuses
- 00:07:26.904 --> 00:07:27.971
- Because they did
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- Not want to see a joe biden or george bush philosophy
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- Where we get into this endless conflict
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- Where we're sending hundreds of billions of dollars.
- 00:07:34.211 --> 00:07:36.446
- I think president trump was able to balance
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- Those two things
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- While defending our allies, saying that iran will not have
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- A nuclear weapon
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- Without having to deploy a single american troop,
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- Or even having america involved from the sky.
- 00:07:45.622 --> 00:07:48.225
- President trump can get that deal done while fulfilling
- 00:07:48.225 --> 00:07:50.994
- The mandate that the voters gave him pretty impossible.
- 00:07:50.994 --> 00:07:53.864
- Interview.
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- I remember that night going, you know,
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- Charlie, when it goes, well, say a prayer, wish you luck.
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- And, i thought he did a tremendous job.
- 00:08:00.671 --> 00:08:02.673
- But, you know, he made a point about how consistent
- 00:08:02.673 --> 00:08:04.575
- President trump has been when it comes to iran.
- 00:08:04.575 --> 00:08:07.311
- And we found this clip from 1980 of president trump
- 00:08:07.311 --> 00:08:10.614
- Just talking about his posture about iran in 1980.
- 00:08:10.614 --> 00:08:13.850
- And remember, you go back to 1979.
- 00:08:13.850 --> 00:08:15.652
- This is the hostage, the iranian hostage crisis.
- 00:08:15.652 --> 00:08:19.489
- And i think trump was just sort of offended
- 00:08:19.489 --> 00:08:22.059
- That we let this happen.
- 00:08:22.059 --> 00:08:23.393
- 328 when you get the respect of the other countries,
- 00:08:23.393 --> 00:08:26.597
- And the other countries tend to do a little bit as you do,
- 00:08:26.597 --> 00:08:30.300
- And you can create the right attitudes.
- 00:08:30.300 --> 00:08:32.135
- The the iranian situation is a case in point.
- 00:08:32.135 --> 00:08:35.739
- That they hold our hostages
- 00:08:35.739 --> 00:08:38.508
- Is just absolutely and totally ridiculous
- 00:08:38.508 --> 00:08:42.980
- That this country sits back and allows
- 00:08:42.980 --> 00:08:45.282
- A country such as iran to hold our hostage.
- 00:08:45.282 --> 00:08:47.951
- To my way of thinking is a horror.
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- You're advocating that
- 00:08:51.188 --> 00:08:52.289
- We should have gone in there with troops, etc.
- 00:08:52.289 --> 00:08:54.791
- And got our boys out?
- 00:08:54.791 --> 00:08:55.859
- I absolutely feel that, yes.
- 00:08:55.859 --> 00:08:57.628
- I don't think there's any question,
- 00:08:57.628 --> 00:08:58.862
- And there's no question in my mind.
- 00:08:58.862 --> 00:09:01.164
- I think right now would be an oil rich nation,
- 00:09:01.164 --> 00:09:03.767
- And i believe that we should have done it.
- 00:09:03.767 --> 00:09:05.669
- And i'm very disappointed that we didn't do it.
- 00:09:05.669 --> 00:09:08.772
- And i don't think anybody would have held us in abeyance.
- 00:09:08.772 --> 00:09:12.075
- I don't think anybody would have been angry with us,
- 00:09:12.075 --> 00:09:14.711
- And we had every right to do it.
- 00:09:14.711 --> 00:09:16.313
- At the time, held us in abeyance.
- 00:09:16.313 --> 00:09:18.482
- Yeah, he's got the best good vocab.
- 00:09:18.482 --> 00:09:20.851
- He's got the best words. don't ever forget.
- 00:09:20.851 --> 00:09:23.053
- Yeah.
- 00:09:23.053 --> 00:09:23.987
- I mean listen, so this is a very young trump,
- 00:09:23.987 --> 00:09:25.155
- Basically sounding the exact same way.
- 00:09:25.155 --> 00:09:27.858
- And he has been consistent.
- 00:09:27.858 --> 00:09:29.326
- And i think, you know, charlie made this point that,
- 00:09:29.326 --> 00:09:32.295
- You know, you've got the hyper interventional
- 00:09:32.295 --> 00:09:34.531
- Or anti interventionist and you got the warhawks.
- 00:09:34.531 --> 00:09:37.534
- And these are sort of two extremes.
- 00:09:37.534 --> 00:09:39.603
- Well, president trump tends to defy both.
- 00:09:39.603 --> 00:09:43.306
- And that's tends to be the, the truth with president trump.
- 00:09:43.306 --> 00:09:46.243
- He he does find a third way.
- 00:09:46.243 --> 00:09:48.078
- And again anybody that tells you that they know
- 00:09:48.078 --> 00:09:50.681
- How this is going to work out is is completely full of it.
- 00:09:50.681 --> 00:09:54.451
- They a lot of people are we'll be frank,
- 00:09:54.451 --> 00:09:56.353
- A lot of people are smug at this point.
- 00:09:56.353 --> 00:09:57.954
- They've acted like
- 00:09:57.954 --> 00:09:59.056
- The war is already over because the iowa poll is dead.
- 00:09:59.056 --> 00:10:01.925
- It's not. period. there are.
- 00:10:01.925 --> 00:10:03.994
- Iran has responded to this by basically lobbing missiles
- 00:10:03.994 --> 00:10:06.997
- At seven different arab countries almost at random.
- 00:10:06.997 --> 00:10:10.000
- It seems their goal is to demoralize,
- 00:10:10.000 --> 00:10:12.769
- Break apart,
- 00:10:12.769 --> 00:10:13.503
- You know, create
- 00:10:13.503 --> 00:10:14.705
- A lot of pressure for peace because people start dying.
- 00:10:14.705 --> 00:10:17.274
- Their hope is that they'll just blame the us
- 00:10:17.274 --> 00:10:19.176
- For all of that, or israel for all of that.
- 00:10:19.176 --> 00:10:21.545
- And actually, so far we've seen a little bit
- 00:10:21.545 --> 00:10:23.780
- Of the opposite effect, right?
- 00:10:23.780 --> 00:10:25.449
- Where you saw saudi arabia
- 00:10:25.449 --> 00:10:26.983
- Is now going to participate in some of these actions
- 00:10:26.983 --> 00:10:30.187
- Because they got missiles dropped on them.
- 00:10:30.187 --> 00:10:33.056
- And, you know, listen, we've lost four u.s.
- 00:10:33.056 --> 00:10:35.625
- Troops. we have to pray that our u.s.
- 00:10:35.625 --> 00:10:37.761
- Troops will remain safe
- 00:10:37.761 --> 00:10:39.296
- And that we have a minimal, minimal loss of casualties.
- 00:10:39.296 --> 00:10:42.199
- But president
- 00:10:42.199 --> 00:10:43.400
- Trump has already indicated that we'll probably lose more.
- 00:10:43.400 --> 00:10:45.435
- That's horrifying.
- 00:10:45.435 --> 00:10:46.570
- It's a it's it's unfortunate and it's horrifying.
- 00:10:46.570 --> 00:10:48.939
- But he is also right in saying that this is what happens
- 00:10:48.939 --> 00:10:52.876
- And when there is armed conflict between militaries.
- 00:10:52.876 --> 00:10:56.246
- And so yeah, listen, i think, all these
- 00:10:56.246 --> 00:10:59.549
- Things are important to hold all at the same time.
- 00:10:59.549 --> 00:11:03.220
- You know, we pray for success, but we also understand that
- 00:11:03.220 --> 00:11:07.591
- We don't know all the details.
- 00:11:08.191 --> 00:11:09.359
- I warned repeatedly on saturday,
- 00:11:09.359 --> 00:11:11.194
- For those of you who saw our saturday stream,
- 00:11:11.194 --> 00:11:12.929
- I warned repeatedly that i made numerous calls ahead
- 00:11:12.929 --> 00:11:15.665
- Of our stream trying to gather as much intel as i could,
- 00:11:15.665 --> 00:11:18.635
- And there was this repeat theme from multiple people
- 00:11:18.635 --> 00:11:21.805
- That there was a very real concern
- 00:11:21.805 --> 00:11:25.208
- That iran was like a dog backed into a corner,
- 00:11:25.208 --> 00:11:28.745
- A rabid dog,
- 00:11:29.079 --> 00:11:30.380
- And that you could hold two things in the
- 00:11:30.380 --> 00:11:32.849
- Same at the to be true at the same time that,
- 00:11:32.849 --> 00:11:35.619
- Yes, the strikes against fordo were successful.
- 00:11:35.619 --> 00:11:38.255
- Yes, the regime
- 00:11:38.255 --> 00:11:39.489
- Was weaker than ever, but yes, they could be more dangerous
- 00:11:39.489 --> 00:11:42.325
- Than ever. why?
- 00:11:42.325 --> 00:11:43.393
- Because they were pursuing hypersonics from china.
- 00:11:43.393 --> 00:11:45.862
- Those are carrier sinkers, right?
- 00:11:45.862 --> 00:11:47.564
- Those will sink one of our
- 00:11:47.564 --> 00:11:48.932
- Our carriers in the region, 5000 people on board of those.
- 00:11:48.932 --> 00:11:52.869
- And they were working on dirty bombs, right.
- 00:11:52.869 --> 00:11:55.539
- Whether they were collecting, materials from the fordo sites
- 00:11:55.539 --> 00:11:59.576
- Or whatever that had been struck,
- 00:11:59.576 --> 00:12:01.678
- Or if they were just getting it on the black market
- 00:12:01.678 --> 00:12:04.381
- And they were working on their ballistic missile,
- 00:12:04.381 --> 00:12:06.716
- Stockpiles really, really quickly.
- 00:12:06.716 --> 00:12:09.452
- They were escalating really, really quickly.
- 00:12:09.452 --> 00:12:11.855
- And so the reported numbers
- 00:12:11.855 --> 00:12:13.423
- That you saw, how many ballistic missiles
- 00:12:13.423 --> 00:12:14.891
- They had were probably an underestimation.
- 00:12:14.891 --> 00:12:17.127
- I think they had far more.
- 00:12:17.127 --> 00:12:18.361
- And i think we're sort of seeing that indication now.
- 00:12:18.361 --> 00:12:20.931
- They were a dog
- 00:12:20.931 --> 00:12:22.098
- Backed into a corner and they were going to bite.
- 00:12:22.098 --> 00:12:24.067
- And so president trump made the decision to hit them
- 00:12:24.067 --> 00:12:26.770
- Before they were ready to hit us.
- 00:12:26.770 --> 00:12:28.905
- I understand that calculus.
- 00:12:28.905 --> 00:12:30.407
- Again, we don't have to agree with that.
- 00:12:30.407 --> 00:12:31.741
- You don't even have to think
- 00:12:31.741 --> 00:12:32.876
- That iran was a, imminent threat to us to understand
- 00:12:32.876 --> 00:12:35.779
- That reasonable people would come out
- 00:12:35.779 --> 00:12:37.547
- On a different end of that discussion.
- 00:12:37.547 --> 00:12:39.449
- So we're not a drums of war.
- 00:12:39.449 --> 00:12:41.151
- People were not excited, giddy.
- 00:12:41.151 --> 00:12:43.720
- There's no sort of fervor here.
- 00:12:43.720 --> 00:12:45.889
- There's no, excitement at this.
- 00:12:45.889 --> 00:12:48.692
- It's humility, terror and prayer for our troops
- 00:12:48.692 --> 00:12:51.795
- And wishing
- 00:12:52.128 --> 00:12:53.496
- And praying for success
- 00:12:53.496 --> 00:12:54.931
- That this would ultimately be a good thing for the world,
- 00:12:54.931 --> 00:12:57.601
- And it would be a good thing for the region.
- 00:12:57.601 --> 00:12:59.436
- And by the way, if this does end in a positive way,
- 00:12:59.436 --> 00:13:03.874
- It's undeniable that this this could have massive upside.
- 00:13:03.874 --> 00:13:07.110
- Okay, you're talking about choking off the energy flow
- 00:13:07.110 --> 00:13:10.580
- To the ccp.
- 00:13:10.580 --> 00:13:11.648
- We see many other downstream effects.
- 00:13:11.648 --> 00:13:13.617
- Well, we
- 00:13:13.617 --> 00:13:14.718
- We said this over the weekend,
- 00:13:14.718 --> 00:13:16.019
- But i think it's worth repeating.
- 00:13:16.019 --> 00:13:17.220
- I think the best possible outcome for this
- 00:13:17.220 --> 00:13:19.222
- Is that instead of being another middle east war,
- 00:13:19.222 --> 00:13:21.591
- It is the last middle east war.
- 00:13:21.591 --> 00:13:23.360
- That would be the united states that has to be involved in.
- 00:13:23.360 --> 00:13:25.829
- We've been in here multiple times,
- 00:13:25.829 --> 00:13:28.031
- But at this point, iran, you can say, is the last entity
- 00:13:28.031 --> 00:13:31.668
- That is a serious, you know, a serious danger to anyone.
- 00:13:31.668 --> 00:13:36.006
- Yeah.
- 00:13:36.239 --> 00:13:37.207
- There's houthis who shoot missiles at ships
- 00:13:37.207 --> 00:13:39.743
- In the red sea,
- 00:13:39.743 --> 00:13:40.310
- But the houthis are not
- 00:13:40.310 --> 00:13:41.478
- In any way a strategic danger to any entire country
- 00:13:41.478 --> 00:13:44.748
- That matters.
- 00:13:44.748 --> 00:13:45.548
- And so, ideally,
- 00:13:45.548 --> 00:13:48.251
- Once the iranian regime is either removed
- 00:13:48.251 --> 00:13:50.687
- Or it is curtailed, which the president said
- 00:13:50.687 --> 00:13:53.423
- He seems to be saying,
- 00:13:53.423 --> 00:13:54.457
- If we can destroy all their military capabilities
- 00:13:54.457 --> 00:13:56.793
- And if they never try to rebuild them,
- 00:13:56.793 --> 00:13:58.561
- We don't care what they do after that.
- 00:13:58.561 --> 00:14:00.030
- They can be an islamic republic as long as they want,
- 00:14:00.030 --> 00:14:02.432
- As long as they're not a threat to anyone else.
- 00:14:02.432 --> 00:14:04.935
- If we can create that reality, then we can leave
- 00:14:04.935 --> 00:14:08.371
- The middle east, you know, leave a few bases
- 00:14:08.371 --> 00:14:09.906
- Here and there, but most of the troops come home.
- 00:14:09.906 --> 00:14:12.242
- Most of the ships come home.
- 00:14:12.242 --> 00:14:13.576
- Most of the planes go elsewhere.
- 00:14:13.576 --> 00:14:15.478
- Seeing that come, we can worry about that.
- 00:14:15.478 --> 00:14:16.880
- You've seen that commentary that this is in in effect,
- 00:14:16.880 --> 00:14:19.716
- If it works out,
- 00:14:19.716 --> 00:14:20.784
- A reorientation of our focus on the indo-pacific.
- 00:14:20.784 --> 00:14:23.486
- America has had 45 years of conflict in the middle east.
- 00:14:23.486 --> 00:14:27.390
- It would be nice to not have anymore.
- 00:14:27.390 --> 00:14:29.826
- And would that is the best possible.
- 00:14:29.826 --> 00:14:31.161
- That's our prayer. we'll be right back.
- 00:14:31.161 --> 00:14:36.003
- That's our prayer. we'll be right back.
- 00:14:36.003 --> 00:14:41.539
- Congressman eli crane joins us now.
- 00:14:42.306 --> 00:14:44.108
- Congressman, welcome back to the show.
- 00:14:44.108 --> 00:14:46.143
- I saw you briefly on our, travels back
- 00:14:46.143 --> 00:14:49.246
- From the state of the union last week.
- 00:14:49.246 --> 00:14:51.315
- It was, good to see you and touch base really quickly.
- 00:14:51.315 --> 00:14:54.118
- You are a former navy seal.
- 00:14:54.118 --> 00:14:55.653
- You're also congressman.
- 00:14:55.653 --> 00:14:57.154
- Just lay out the situation as you would see it in iran,
- 00:14:57.154 --> 00:15:02.960
- What our troops are facing, obviously,
- 00:15:02.960 --> 00:15:05.196
- Whether you're for this intervention or not.
- 00:15:05.196 --> 00:15:08.332
- The one thing is very clear.
- 00:15:08.332 --> 00:15:10.301
- Our troops are second to none.
- 00:15:10.301 --> 00:15:12.036
- Our military is second to none.
- 00:15:12.036 --> 00:15:14.338
- Tell us,
- 00:15:14.338 --> 00:15:15.139
- From your perspective, congressman,
- 00:15:15.139 --> 00:15:16.307
- What you're what you're thinking, what you're seeing.
- 00:15:16.307 --> 00:15:19.276
- Hey, guys, thanks for having me on.
- 00:15:19.276 --> 00:15:20.845
- Yeah.
- 00:15:20.845 --> 00:15:21.912
- Last week before this invasion took place.
- 00:15:21.912 --> 00:15:24.682
- You know, i was kind of banging the drum of caution,
- 00:15:24.682 --> 00:15:28.819
- When it comes to regime change, primarily
- 00:15:28.819 --> 00:15:32.556
- Because of my own personal experiences
- 00:15:32.556 --> 00:15:35.192
- And playing a small role,
- 00:15:35.192 --> 00:15:36.927
- In the regime change efforts in iraq
- 00:15:36.927 --> 00:15:40.331
- And just seeing all the complexi
- 00:15:40.331 --> 00:15:43.467
- You know, i know a lot of goldstar moms.
- 00:15:44.301 --> 00:15:46.437
- I have a lot of friends that did not come home.
- 00:15:46.437 --> 00:15:49.206
- I know we spent trillions of dollars in iraq
- 00:15:49.206 --> 00:15:51.909
- And afghanistan.
- 00:15:51.909 --> 00:15:52.877
- We lost you know,
- 00:15:52.877 --> 00:15:54.512
- You know, thousands and thousands of american lives.
- 00:15:54.512 --> 00:15:57.415
- And when you look at those places
- 00:15:57.415 --> 00:15:59.183
- Now, it's it's very tough to make the argument
- 00:15:59.183 --> 00:16:01.585
- That those places
- 00:16:01.585 --> 00:16:02.553
- Are better off now than when we went in there.
- 00:16:02.553 --> 00:16:05.322
- And so i know if you look up research, and,
- 00:16:05.322 --> 00:16:09.493
- You know, analysis only about 20 to 30%
- 00:16:09.493 --> 00:16:12.797
- Of regime changes are actually successful.
- 00:16:12.797 --> 00:16:15.699
- And there's a whole list that, you know, places that,
- 00:16:15.699 --> 00:16:18.569
- You know, this has been tried and it has not worked.
- 00:16:18.569 --> 00:16:21.472
- And one of the biggest problems with regime change operations
- 00:16:21.472 --> 00:16:26.010
- Is the power vacuum that unfolds immediately.
- 00:16:26.010 --> 00:16:29.580
- And so you've got you've got tribes,
- 00:16:29.580 --> 00:16:31.549
- You've got clans, you've got militias,
- 00:16:31.549 --> 00:16:33.517
- You've got political parties that are all jockeying
- 00:16:33.517 --> 00:16:36.620
- For political power and positioning.
- 00:16:36.620 --> 00:16:39.423
- And that's just, within the interior of the country.
- 00:16:39.423 --> 00:16:42.960
- And then you have the exterior,
- 00:16:42.960 --> 00:16:44.662
- You know, forces
- 00:16:44.662 --> 00:16:45.696
- You you've got countries like china and russia
- 00:16:45.696 --> 00:16:48.766
- And the united states and israel
- 00:16:48.766 --> 00:16:50.367
- And so many others who are also trying to assert influence.
- 00:16:50.367 --> 00:16:54.839
- And, you know, as americans often in western areas,
- 00:16:54.839 --> 00:16:58.109
- Because, you know, we we live in the countries
- 00:16:58.109 --> 00:17:00.878
- That we do, we we often have this flippant attitude
- 00:17:00.878 --> 00:17:04.348
- That, well, you know, we've done our part.
- 00:17:04.348 --> 00:17:06.250
- We've taken out the ayatollah, you know, we've damaged,
- 00:17:06.250 --> 00:17:09.753
- You know, the military infrastructure there.
- 00:17:09.753 --> 00:17:11.622
- So iranians just go do your thing now. right?
- 00:17:11.622 --> 00:17:14.058
- That's kind of the attitude.
- 00:17:14.058 --> 00:17:15.926
- The problem is, is that most of these people
- 00:17:15.926 --> 00:17:18.596
- Have lived under a brutal authoritarian
- 00:17:18.596 --> 00:17:21.699
- Regime for so long that they're there's a
- 00:17:21.699 --> 00:17:24.935
- There's got to be
- 00:17:24.935 --> 00:17:25.970
- A certain calculus and a fear in many of them to,
- 00:17:25.970 --> 00:17:29.607
- You know, almost
- 00:17:29.607 --> 00:17:30.808
- To the point of if i step up and i back the wrong horse,
- 00:17:30.808 --> 00:17:34.411
- Or if i backed the wrong political party
- 00:17:34.411 --> 00:17:37.148
- And the party that i backed or the person that i backed
- 00:17:37.148 --> 00:17:39.416
- Doesn't win, am i going to be, you know, thrown into a prison
- 00:17:39.416 --> 00:17:42.820
- Or a gulag or beheaded or hanged in the street?
- 00:17:42.820 --> 00:17:46.357
- And so it's very dynamic.
- 00:17:46.357 --> 00:17:48.425
- It's very hard to pull off.
- 00:17:48.425 --> 00:17:50.161
- That being said, now that, you know, you know,
- 00:17:50.161 --> 00:17:53.664
- This operation is underway and i'm hoping and i'm praying
- 00:17:53.664 --> 00:17:57.134
- For not only the administration and, you know, the wisdom,
- 00:17:57.134 --> 00:18:00.738
- You know, for, for their decisions
- 00:18:00.738 --> 00:18:03.140
- Going forward, but also for the people of iran.
- 00:18:03.140 --> 00:18:06.143
- But it's a very,
- 00:18:06.143 --> 00:18:07.244
- You know, dicey, very dynamic situation right now.
- 00:18:07.244 --> 00:18:11.382
- And, you
- 00:18:11.649 --> 00:18:12.249
- Know, i hope it works out.
- 00:18:12.249 --> 00:18:15.052
- I hope it works out.
- 00:18:15.052 --> 00:18:16.053
- And i will say this, guys, if we were going to,
- 00:18:16.053 --> 00:18:18.689
- You know, obviously we made the decision to do it.
- 00:18:18.689 --> 00:18:21.692
- I am glad that at least from the pr standpoint,
- 00:18:21.692 --> 00:18:25.296
- This administration is not, you know, talking about
- 00:18:25.296 --> 00:18:28.332
- We're going to, you know, be pushing regime change.
- 00:18:28.332 --> 00:18:31.735
- At least they're talking about, the iranian
- 00:18:31.735 --> 00:18:34.805
- Stepping up and doing it themselves.
- 00:18:34.805 --> 00:18:36.707
- Because if the united states was to insert,
- 00:18:36.707 --> 00:18:40.077
- You know, a leader, you know, that has good relations
- 00:18:40.077 --> 00:18:43.681
- With the united states,
- 00:18:43.681 --> 00:18:44.715
- That leader would be seen as a puppet of the west
- 00:18:44.715 --> 00:18:48.252
- And would have a tough time gaining legitimacy.
- 00:18:48.252 --> 00:18:51.388
- Yeah.
- 00:18:51.622 --> 00:18:52.890
- He the president spoke to brett beyer about this exact issue.
- 00:18:52.890 --> 00:18:56.927
- 331 i asked,
- 00:18:56.927 --> 00:18:58.662
- So what you're saying is that, you know,
- 00:18:58.662 --> 00:19:00.598
- There is somebody on the ground
- 00:19:00.598 --> 00:19:01.999
- In iran that is going to rise up.
- 00:19:01.999 --> 00:19:04.235
- Yeah, i feel there is i feel that
- 00:19:05.002 --> 00:19:07.338
- And some of them are no longer with us, to be honest,
- 00:19:07.338 --> 00:19:09.807
- Because it was 49 leaders that were taken out
- 00:19:09.807 --> 00:19:13.410
- That was going to take four weeks.
- 00:19:13.410 --> 00:19:14.912
- We thought to get rid of the iranian leadership.
- 00:19:14.912 --> 00:19:17.414
- And it's always,
- 00:19:17.414 --> 00:19:18.649
- You know, if they hide, it's a lot longer than four weeks.
- 00:19:18.649 --> 00:19:22.152
- And they would have been hiding.
- 00:19:22.152 --> 00:19:23.621
- We were shocked when we heard what was going on.
- 00:19:23.621 --> 00:19:26.624
- We knew exactly what was happening
- 00:19:26.624 --> 00:19:28.459
- And where 49 leaders.
- 00:19:28.459 --> 00:19:30.527
- He goes on one more clip here, ellen.
- 00:19:30.527 --> 00:19:32.796
- I'll get your reaction on the other side.
- 00:19:32.796 --> 00:19:34.999
- 333 he said there is a plan.
- 00:19:34.999 --> 00:19:37.234
- He points to venezuela
- 00:19:37.234 --> 00:19:40.204
- As a template,
- 00:19:40.204 --> 00:19:42.573
- Which means to me, that going in, they had some sense
- 00:19:42.573 --> 00:19:46.377
- On the ground of, what was coming next.
- 00:19:46.377 --> 00:19:49.380
- So from the president of the united states, he is, pleased,
- 00:19:49.380 --> 00:19:53.717
- Does believe that this is going faster than they thought.
- 00:19:53.717 --> 00:19:57.087
- And he believes that four weeks is something that, they had
- 00:19:57.087 --> 00:20:00.057
- Put as a kind of calendar of what they were looking at
- 00:20:00.057 --> 00:20:05.062
- As setting the table, for the iranians to do what they do.
- 00:20:05.062 --> 00:20:08.432
- So when you hear four for 4 to 5 weeks, he says, i'm
- 00:20:08.432 --> 00:20:12.670
- Open to changing that timeline.
- 00:20:12.670 --> 00:20:14.038
- Could be moved up, could be moved back.
- 00:20:14.038 --> 00:20:16.440
- What are you do does that give you the sense
- 00:20:16.440 --> 00:20:18.876
- That, you know, regime change was the ultimate goal here?
- 00:20:18.876 --> 00:20:22.146
- What do you interpret when you hear that, eli?
- 00:20:22.146 --> 00:20:24.982
- Congressman crane
- 00:20:24.982 --> 00:20:26.717
- Yeah, i mean,
- 00:20:27.084 --> 00:20:28.319
- It's i do believe that that was definitely part of the plan.
- 00:20:28.319 --> 00:20:31.388
- I mean, you know, from the time the president addressed,
- 00:20:31.388 --> 00:20:34.758
- You know, the people of the nation, initially,
- 00:20:34.758 --> 00:20:37.494
- It was it was pretty clear that that was a part of the plan,
- 00:20:37.494 --> 00:20:41.165
- Even if indirectly.
- 00:20:41.165 --> 00:20:42.399
- And, hey, we'll take out,
- 00:20:42.399 --> 00:20:43.767
- You know, the ayatollah will take out a lot of,
- 00:20:43.767 --> 00:20:46.470
- You know, the opposition will threaten, you know,
- 00:20:46.470 --> 00:20:49.640
- The police to stay out of it or they're going to die.
- 00:20:49.640 --> 00:20:52.509
- But now, iranians, you need to rise up,
- 00:20:52.509 --> 00:20:54.912
- You know, and do your thing.
- 00:20:54.912 --> 00:20:56.046
- So i do think that
- 00:20:56.046 --> 00:20:57.114
- Even if indirectly, that was a part of the plan.
- 00:20:57.114 --> 00:21:00.017
- And obviously we wanted to take out the ballistic missiles.
- 00:21:00.017 --> 00:21:03.187
- And i do believe that
- 00:21:03.187 --> 00:21:04.188
- Iran is a massive threat and at some point
- 00:21:04.188 --> 00:21:06.957
- Was going to have to be dealt with.
- 00:21:06.957 --> 00:21:08.592
- And i will say humbly, guys, that,
- 00:21:08.592 --> 00:21:10.594
- You know,
- 00:21:10.594 --> 00:21:11.595
- I recognize on the outset that i don't have
- 00:21:11.595 --> 00:21:13.397
- All the information and intelligence
- 00:21:13.397 --> 00:21:15.299
- That the president and this administration have.
- 00:21:15.299 --> 00:21:17.601
- So i want to be cautious.
- 00:21:17.601 --> 00:21:19.536
- I know tomorrow when we fly in at 5 p.m.,
- 00:21:19.536 --> 00:21:21.972
- We're going to be briefed by secretary rubio.
- 00:21:21.972 --> 00:21:24.708
- I believe pete
- 00:21:24.708 --> 00:21:25.709
- Said, john ratcliffe is supposed to be there.
- 00:21:25.709 --> 00:21:28.011
- So, you know, we should be able to,
- 00:21:28.011 --> 00:21:30.080
- You know, paint some of the color
- 00:21:30.080 --> 00:21:31.715
- And understanding in, you know, for members of congress.
- 00:21:31.715 --> 00:21:35.085
- But i am glad that the president is at least
- 00:21:35.085 --> 00:21:37.788
- Speaking in terms of, hey, we've got to be flexible
- 00:21:37.788 --> 00:21:40.391
- Because, you know, everybody has a plan until
- 00:21:40.391 --> 00:21:43.994
- They get punched in the mouth.
- 00:21:43.994 --> 00:21:45.229
- And as somebody who's gone
- 00:21:45.229 --> 00:21:46.196
- To war many times, i can tell you it often,
- 00:21:46.196 --> 00:21:48.899
- You know, things don't go the way that you planned,
- 00:21:48.899 --> 00:21:51.635
- And you've got to be able to be flexible to all,
- 00:21:51.635 --> 00:21:54.805
- And you've got to be willing and able to adjust.
- 00:21:54.805 --> 00:21:57.574
- And i, i very seriously doubt
- 00:21:57.574 --> 00:21:59.443
- The president of the united states,
- 00:21:59.443 --> 00:22:01.278
- You know,
- 00:22:01.278 --> 00:22:02.112
- Who i think has a pretty good track
- 00:22:02.112 --> 00:22:03.213
- Record of trying
- 00:22:03.213 --> 00:22:04.281
- To keep us out of prolonged military conflicts.
- 00:22:04.281 --> 00:22:07.050
- You know, game plan this out with his senior advisers
- 00:22:07.050 --> 00:22:09.887
- From many agencies on you know what next?
- 00:22:09.887 --> 00:22:13.157
- That's always
- 00:22:13.157 --> 00:22:14.191
- The question with regime change type operations.
- 00:22:14.191 --> 00:22:17.795
- You know, the actual
- 00:22:17.795 --> 00:22:18.996
- You know, toppling of a regime isn't the hard part.
- 00:22:18.996 --> 00:22:21.899
- It's what comes next.
- 00:22:21.899 --> 00:22:23.233
- And, you know, i'm sure the president had many,
- 00:22:23.233 --> 00:22:26.103
- You know, planned strategic plans presented to him.
- 00:22:26.103 --> 00:22:28.906
- And, you know, this is why, you know, charlie and others
- 00:22:28.906 --> 00:22:32.709
- Have said that we voted for the guy
- 00:22:32.709 --> 00:22:34.445
- Because we did trust, you know, his instincts.
- 00:22:34.445 --> 00:22:37.014
- And i'm hoping and praying that,
- 00:22:37.014 --> 00:22:38.882
- You know, he's, in prayer himself and,
- 00:22:38.882 --> 00:22:42.286
- You know, making the best
- 00:22:42.286 --> 00:22:43.520
- Decisions possible for the country because,
- 00:22:43.520 --> 00:22:46.223
- You know,
- 00:22:46.223 --> 00:22:47.391
- Military operations like this can go sideways so fast,
- 00:22:47.391 --> 00:22:50.160
- You know, it'll make your head spin.
- 00:22:50.160 --> 00:22:51.528
- I think it's very telling that
- 00:22:51.528 --> 00:22:52.830
- A man like yourself, congressman,
- 00:22:52.830 --> 00:22:54.298
- That has been in combat multiple times,
- 00:22:54.298 --> 00:22:57.067
- That this is the tone you're setting.
- 00:22:57.067 --> 00:22:58.936
- And you heard that as well from secretary haig.
- 00:22:58.936 --> 00:23:01.371
- Seth.
- 00:23:01.371 --> 00:23:02.306
- He said, you know, i was there for iraq.
- 00:23:02.306 --> 00:23:04.274
- I'm here for this. this is not iraq.
- 00:23:04.274 --> 00:23:06.710
- But, the humility of going to war.
- 00:23:06.710 --> 00:23:09.413
- I think we always have to keep that central,
- 00:23:09.413 --> 00:23:12.082
- While praying for our brave servicemen and women.
- 00:23:12.082 --> 00:23:15.319
- Thank you, congressman.
- 00:23:15.319 --> 00:23:16.520
- God bless you.
- 00:23:16.520 --> 00:23:17.387
- And, i look forward to updates,
- 00:23:17.387 --> 00:23:19.456
- As you as you get briefed in dc tomorrow.
- 00:23:19.456 --> 00:23:23.026
- Thank you guys.
- 00:23:23.393 --> 00:23:24.061
- God bless. god bless you.
- 00:23:24.061 --> 00:23:24.061
