Tag Archives: Pentagon

Buzzfeed: Trump Allegedly Decided To Bomb Iran And “Get In On The Action” After Watching Fox News

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President Donald Trump apparently decided to bomb Iran and “get in on the action” Saturday after watching Fox News praise Israel for striking the country earlier this month, says New York Times reporter Helene Cooper, who cited Pentagon and Trump administration officials.

Cooper argued Monday on MSNBC’s All In With Chris Hayes that Trump previously prided himself on being a noninterventionist, and said he maintained an “America First” perspective even after Israel attacked Iran on June 13, but that a shift occurred the very next day.

“One official told me that it started as early as the next morning when President Trump woke up and watched Fox News and started to see how well Israel was being presented as doing,” Cooper, who also spoke with U.S. military and Pentagon officials, said Monday.

“Israel was hitting all of these Iranian sites, it was taking out military commanders, nuclear scientists, and that was being presented on Fox as this huge victory,” she continued.

“And he decided that he wanted a piece of it,” she said of Trump.

Cooper explained that the president then started taking credit for some of Israel’s operations, citing a June 17 social media post in which Trump said “We” have taken control of Iran’s airspace, and that a meeting with his national security advisers cemented the decision to enter the war.

A New Report Claims Fox News Coverage May Have Pushed Trump To Bomb Iran
New York Times reporter Helene Cooper cited Pentagon and administration officials who said the president was influenced by pro-war coverage.

https://www.buzzfeed.com/marcomargaritoff/trump-decision-bomb-iran-influenced-by-fox-news

MSNBC: Maddow Blog | Trump’s response to intelligence assessment on Iran strikes takes an incoherent turn

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The intelligence about the U.S. strikes on Iranian targets can’t be conclusive and inconclusive at the same time.

As Donald Trump arrived in the Netherlands this week for an annual NATO summit, the American president reportedly hoped to take a victory lap of sorts, celebrating the success of the preemptive military strikes he approved targeting Iranian nuclear sites. As is often the case with the Republican, reality quickly got in the way.

On Tuesday, the world learned of a preliminary intelligence assessment from the Pentagon’s Defense Intelligence Agency, which jolted the public and political debate. As NBC News confirmed, the initial assessment concluded that the U.S. airstrikes “were not as effective” as Trump claimed, and the mission set Iran’s nuclear program “back by only three to six months.”

Looney bird Trump is in denial:

Pressed on the efficacy of the mission and the accuracy of the intelligence, Trump said, “The intelligence was very inconclusive. The intelligence says we don’t know. It could have been very severe. That’s what the intelligence says. So I guess that’s correct. But I think we can take the ‘we don’t know.’ It was very severe. It was obliteration.”

Or put another way, according to the American president, U.S. intelligence officials don’t know, but he does know.

Trump’s response to intelligence assessment on Iran strikes takes an incoherent turn
The intelligence about the U.S. strikes on Iranian targets can’t be conclusive and inconclusive at the same time.

https://www.msnbc.com/rachel-maddow-show/maddowblog/trumps-response-intelligence-assessment-iran-strikes-takes-incoherent-rcna214937

Daily Beast: Trump Insider Reveals ‘Nobody’ Is Talking to Hegseth as Iran Crisis Spirals

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The president is turning to others ahead of his Fox News star defense secretary.

Donald Trump is sidestepping his own defense secretary, Pete Hegseth, while seeking advice on whether to launch a military strike against Iran, according to a report.

An unnamed U.S. official told The Washington Post that the president is instead turning to a couple of four-star generals for guidance on whether to join Israel in attacking Iran’s nuclear facilities, with the head of the Pentagon being largely left out.

“Nobody is talking to Hegseth,” the official said. “There is no interface operationally between Hegseth and the White House at all.”

Seriously, did you actually expect four-star generals to take orders from a washed-out O-3?

Trump Insider Reveals ‘Nobody’ Is Talking to Pete Hegseth as Iran Crisis Spirals
The president is turning to others ahead of his Fox News star defense secretary.

https://www.thedailybeast.com/donald-trump-insider-reveals-nobody-is-talking-to-hegseth-as-iran-crisis-spirals

Axios: Senate Democrats press Hegseth on domestic military deployment plan

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Senate Democrats on Wednesday demanded the Trump administration to share its plans to deploy active duty military in cities across the U.S.

President Trump’s decision to send active duty Marines and National Guard to Los Angeles following pro-immigrants’ rights protests sparked more demonstrations nationwide.

  • Homeland Security Secretary Kristi Noem sparked additional backlash after she said the goal is to “liberate” Los Angeles from its elected Democratic leaders during a press conference where Sen. Alex Padilla was forcibly removed.
  • Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth suggested that the Trump administration would not respect district court orders to disband troops, but that it would abide by a Supreme Court ruling.

“I have been deeply disturbed and alarmed by the use of active-duty troops, Marines in Los Angeles,” Sen. Richard Blumenthal (D-Conn.) said.

  • “And President Trump has made clear his intentions to continue to use the military to suppress dissent and likely inflame tensions there and elsewhere all under the guise of enforcing the law. What he’s doing may well be illegal.”
  • Hegseth pushed back on the claim that the deployments have been illegal, but he did not confirm whether contingency plans were in place for using military in other cities.

“I take it from your answer that you do have contingency plans for the use of military in other cities,” Blumenthal said.

Hegseth did not address Blumenthal’s request.

Hegseth is a slimy, slippery snake who will never give an honest answer to a direct question.

Senate Democrats press Hegseth on domestic military deployment plan
Blumenthal said he was “deeply disturbed and alarmed” after Marines were sent to Los Angeles.

https://www.axios.com/2025/06/18/hegseth-senate-testimony-blumenthal-military-domestic-protests

WhoWhatWhy: Trump Silences Dissent in the Military

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Behind closed doors, the Trump administration is advancing a chilling project: silencing dissent, lowering intellectual standards, and purging independent oversight — all within what was the most powerful military in the world. 

Sound familiar? It’s Donald Trump’s playbook: Reward loyalty, punish competence — this time with an armed force, trained to kill, and stripped of oversight.

Military officers, legislators, legal scholars, and defense experts are raising alarms about a series of directives that appear to reshape the US armed forces — from a constitutionally grounded institution into a politically compliant weapon.

Trump Silences Dissent in the Military – WhoWhatWhy
With dissent punished, critical thinking suppressed, and standards lowered — the military becomes easier to control and less able to defend the Constitution. What orders will they follow?

Tampa Free Press: Hegseth Under Fire: “More Balls” Than You, Michigan Senator Charges In Fiery Hearing

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Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth faced an intense grilling on Capitol Hill today, as a routine hearing on the 2026 Pentagon budget request erupted into a dramatic confrontation over the deployment of 4,700 troops to Los Angeles.

Senator Elissa Blair Slotkin (D-MI) accused Hegseth of betraying democratic principles and declaring his predecessor had “more balls” for refusing a similar order.

The fireworks began when Senator Slotkin tore into Hegseth, revisiting concerns she’d voiced during his confirmation hearing. Her primary fear, she reminded him, was the “potential use of the military in ways that contradict the Constitution or that taint…an apolitical military.”

Slotkin then dropped a bombshell, contrasting Hegseth’s actions with those of former Defense Secretary Mark Esper. She recounted how Esper reportedly defied President Trump’s order to deploy active-duty troops against unarmed protesters – an order she said Hegseth had previously dismissed as “theoretical.”

“Here we are, a few months later, you’ve deployed 4,700 troops to Los Angeles and against the wishes of the governor,” Slotkin blasted, her voice rising. She emphasized the historical significance, noting it was “the first time since 1965 deployed guard troops without the permission of the governor.” Past deployments, she stressed, were to protect protestors, not confront them.

…

Hegseth’s curt reply, “Senator, I’d be careful what you read in books,” ended the dramatic exchange, leaving a cloud of concern hanging over the Pentagon’s role in domestic affairs.

Hegseth is a weasel who never has a straight answer for anyone.

Hegseth Under Fire: “More Balls” Than You, Michigan Senator Charges In Fiery Hearing
Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth faced an intense grilling on Capitol Hill today, as a routine hearing on the 2026 Pentagon budget request erupted into a
Hegseth Under Fire: “More Balls” Than You, Michigan Senator Charges In Fiery Hearing

The Hill: Democrats hammer Hegseth over restoring Confederate names of military bases

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Democratic senators on Wednesday repeatedly slammed Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth over his decision to restore the names of nine military bases originally named after Confederate leaders, with Sen. Tim Kaine (D-Va.) criticizing the Pentagon chief for not calling the families whose relatives’ names will now be stripped from the installations. 

The former titles, which the Pentagon earlier this month said would be restored albeit with new namesakes, means seven bases named for notable individuals will soon revert back roughly two years after conversion. Hegseth earlier this year ordered the names of two other bases, Fort Liberty and Fort Moore, changed back to Fort Bragg and Fort Benning, respectively. 

Kaine, whose state holds three of the nine military bases that were originally named for Confederate generals, said Hegseth’s decision strips away “the names of four amazing people that the Pentagon and local communities had chosen to honor.”

The Virginia bases are currently known as Fort Barfoot, named after Col. Van Barfoot who earned a Medal of Honor for his actions during World War II; Fort Walker, honoring American abolitionist and Civil War surgeon Mary Edwards Walker, the only woman to ever receive a Medal of Honor; and Fort Gregg-Adams, named after Lt. Gen. Arthur Gregg, the first Black man in the Army to reach the rank of lieutenant general, and Lt. Col. Charity Adams Earley, the first Black woman to become an officer in the Women’s Army Auxiliary Corps in WWII.

Democrats hammer Hegseth over restoring Confederate names of military bases
Democratic senators on Wednesday repeatedly slammed Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth over his decision to restore the names of nine military bases originally named after Confederate leaders, with Sen…

https://thehill.com/policy/defense/5357795-democrats-hammer-hegseth-over-restoring-confederate-names-of-military-bases

Newsweek: Trump’s most favorable pollster warns it could be “all over for MAGA”

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President Donald Trump‘s most favorable pollster has warned that it could be “all over for MAGA” if the president gets the United States more deeply involved in the conflict between Iran and Israel.

“Kiss the Republican majority goodbye… For the next decade,” Rich Baris, the director of Big Data Poll, wrote on X, formerly Twitter. “If he pulls the trigger, it’s all over for MAGA.”

I seriously doubt that Trump has the brains to step back from brink. On the plus side, perhaps we’ll be rid of him sooner than 2029.

Trump’s most favorable pollster warns it could be “all over for MAGA”
Big Data Poll’s Rich Baris warned that Trump would lose support if he directly engages the U.S. in a war in the Middle East.

https://www.newsweek.com/trump-pollster-warns-all-over-maga-iran-israel-2086637

Newsweek: Trump reveals new price tag for Canada to join “Golden Dome” defense system

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President Donald Trump increased the proposed price for Canada’s participation in the U.S. Golden Dome missile defense system.

“They want to be in,” Trump told reporters aboard Air Force One on Monday. “Seventy-one billion they’re going to pay.”

The new price tag is $10 billion higher than Trump’s earlier public demand for Canadian entry into the program.

And what if Canada simply said, “Take your Golden Dome and shove it! You may not put any part of your Golden Dome on Canadian soil.” The U.S. would be up the proverbial creek.

https://www.newsweek.com/donald-trump-canada-golden-dome-air-defense-missile-2086645

Raw Story: Pete Hegseth deploys troops to several states for ICE support

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Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth has ordered 700 military personnel to be deployed to Florida, Louisiana, and Texas for deportation operations.

In a statement on Tuesday, Pentagon spokesperson Sean Parnell said the troops would support U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement.

“These service members, drawn from all components and operating in a Title 10 duty status, will provide logistical support, and conduct administrative and clerical functions associated with the processing of illegal aliens at ICE detention facilities,” Parnell said. “They will not directly participate in law enforcement activities.”

https://www.rawstory.com/hegseth-troops