WEBVTT 1 00:00:00.080 --> 00:00:04.160 Who who Look who the cat dragged back in today 2 00:00:04.719 --> 00:00:10.560 getting and screaming. I'm sure none other than the dragon. Redbeard, Boy, Dragon, 3 00:00:11.160 --> 00:00:15.039 you were really really missed by the listeners. Glad to 4 00:00:15.080 --> 00:00:18.039 have you back. Hope that sight seeing and the rain 5 00:00:18.239 --> 00:00:22.800 was good, and uh, we really appreciate you. 6 00:00:23.280 --> 00:00:25.960 I am slightly concerned how the numbers were around here 7 00:00:26.000 --> 00:00:30.879 without me the ratings, because there were two or three 8 00:00:31.039 --> 00:00:34.079 Michael Brown listeners on that trip. 9 00:00:36.039 --> 00:00:39.079 No one of the things seems so quiet. Yes last week, 10 00:00:43.039 --> 00:00:48.119 let's go first to Fox News Jennifer Griffin and more. 11 00:00:48.159 --> 00:00:51.560 According to the President. The other thing I can point out, Brett, 12 00:00:51.840 --> 00:00:54.240 is that this is an operation. In the last eighteen 13 00:00:54.320 --> 00:00:56.799 years since I've been at the Pentagon, I've never seen. 14 00:00:56.640 --> 00:00:58.039 Such operational security. 15 00:00:58.439 --> 00:01:03.320 There was nobody speaking about this any of the preparations. 16 00:01:03.359 --> 00:01:06.439 There was a complete lockdown, almost a blackout of information 17 00:01:06.560 --> 00:01:09.159 for the last few days. I'm sitting here in the 18 00:01:09.200 --> 00:01:11.680 Pentagon right now, I can tell you the hallways are 19 00:01:11.719 --> 00:01:15.359 empty and all of the information is coming right now 20 00:01:15.400 --> 00:01:18.439 out of the White House. That is a significant achievement 21 00:01:18.560 --> 00:01:23.799 because there were no leaks about the timing. Now, sometimes 22 00:01:24.159 --> 00:01:26.840 I think those who a lot of the flight trackers, 23 00:01:26.879 --> 00:01:31.799 the open source intelligence flight trackers. That flight radar did 24 00:01:31.799 --> 00:01:34.000 indicate some of the when the B twos took off 25 00:01:34.040 --> 00:01:38.159 from white men, but again, nobody really expected that it 26 00:01:38.159 --> 00:01:40.359 would take place this evening. If you looked at the 27 00:01:40.400 --> 00:01:42.519 moon schedule, you might have had a clue because it 28 00:01:42.599 --> 00:01:47.120 was a waning crescent and almost a new moon on 29 00:01:47.159 --> 00:01:49.319 the twenty fifth, so it would have been very very 30 00:01:49.400 --> 00:01:53.040 dark over Iran tonight, and you need that in order to. 31 00:01:54.719 --> 00:01:55.079 Bomb. 32 00:01:55.439 --> 00:01:58.400 That's the ideal condition for something like a B two 33 00:01:58.519 --> 00:02:01.840 that is, yes, itself stealth, but it still has to 34 00:02:01.840 --> 00:02:04.840 be escorted in in case any Iran were to put 35 00:02:04.879 --> 00:02:09.159 up any planes or there were any opportunities to fire 36 00:02:09.240 --> 00:02:13.039 on those B twos, which are such valuable and very 37 00:02:13.120 --> 00:02:16.800 very special planes. Only the US military has this kind 38 00:02:16.840 --> 00:02:20.439 of weaponry and this capability. No other country in the 39 00:02:20.439 --> 00:02:24.439 world could have carried off what occurred tonight at those 40 00:02:24.479 --> 00:02:27.520 three uranium enrichment sites in Iran. 41 00:02:29.759 --> 00:02:33.560 Jen You're exactly right on the operational security here and 42 00:02:33.599 --> 00:02:36.800 the fact that there were obviously some red herrings. 43 00:02:36.919 --> 00:02:39.439 And in a world where decisions. 44 00:02:39.319 --> 00:02:43.560 Are made and the world digests the decision even before 45 00:02:43.639 --> 00:02:47.639 it's made because of social media, and everyone's watching everywhere. 46 00:02:47.960 --> 00:02:52.840 This was a pretty amazing operation when you start thinking 47 00:02:52.840 --> 00:02:55.759 that the President said within two weeks, we are two 48 00:02:55.840 --> 00:03:00.680 days from within two weeks, and this happened with a 49 00:03:00.919 --> 00:03:05.759 post on truth social and no other word. Really getting 50 00:03:05.759 --> 00:03:08.159 out ahead of that is pretty stunning. 51 00:03:08.400 --> 00:03:15.360 It's very it's extraordinarily stunning. Traditionally, operations like this you 52 00:03:15.479 --> 00:03:19.520 inform the Speaker of the House, the Senate Majority Leader, 53 00:03:20.080 --> 00:03:24.240 and then the chairman's of the Intel Committee, the Armed 54 00:03:24.280 --> 00:03:29.319 Services Committee, and perhaps a couple of the oversight committees. 55 00:03:30.080 --> 00:03:33.080 My understanding is they only informed the Speaker of the 56 00:03:33.120 --> 00:03:38.159 House and the Senate Majority Leader, John Thune, and I 57 00:03:38.159 --> 00:03:41.960 think that's completely reasonable. Can you imagine now you're going 58 00:03:42.000 --> 00:03:44.319 to hear in just a minute, raging Cajun Dan Kine, 59 00:03:44.759 --> 00:03:47.840 the chairman of the Joint Chief of Staff, describe exactly 60 00:03:47.879 --> 00:03:53.080 how this operation took place, Operation Midnight Hammer, in which 61 00:03:53.240 --> 00:03:56.240 we now, according to Trump, but you know he's prone 62 00:03:56.240 --> 00:04:02.479 to hyperbole, we obliterated the three nuke sites. Of course, 63 00:04:02.560 --> 00:04:04.879 Drudge is running this morning with the headline that says, 64 00:04:05.919 --> 00:04:13.039 satellite imagery underwrites Trump's claim attack obliterated nuke sites. Well, 65 00:04:13.759 --> 00:04:18.839 nobody knows yet. Because nobody's been down into the tunnels, 66 00:04:19.319 --> 00:04:23.959 nobody's been underground to see what's happened. So look, everybody 67 00:04:24.079 --> 00:04:28.319 just chill out for a moment. But back to the 68 00:04:28.439 --> 00:04:33.920 op sect, the operational security. I find it utterly fascinating 69 00:04:34.000 --> 00:04:38.959 because if indeed, just I'll pose the question, I'm not 70 00:04:38.959 --> 00:04:40.839 going to answer before we all pose the question to you, 71 00:04:41.959 --> 00:04:46.120 if the President, or the Deaf sect, or the Secretary 72 00:04:46.160 --> 00:04:51.000 of State or anybody else the VP Potus himself had 73 00:04:51.040 --> 00:04:54.879 informed other than the Speaker and the Senate Majority leader. 74 00:04:55.199 --> 00:04:57.279 And I'm not even sure when that may have been 75 00:04:57.319 --> 00:05:01.560 done only after the operation started, or maybe after only 76 00:05:01.600 --> 00:05:04.319 after the bombs had been dropped, I don't know. But 77 00:05:04.639 --> 00:05:10.319 had it been done before, as is traditionally done Republican 78 00:05:10.360 --> 00:05:12.560 or Democrat alike, I don't care. I mean, we controlled 79 00:05:12.600 --> 00:05:16.240 both houses, so the chairman would have been obviously Republicans. 80 00:05:17.120 --> 00:05:19.279 Would you have trusted them to keep their mouths shut? 81 00:05:20.160 --> 00:05:24.519 Would you? I would not have trusted them in the least, 82 00:05:24.839 --> 00:05:27.560 not in the least would have I trusted them. So 83 00:05:27.680 --> 00:05:29.639 I think the fact that they were able to pull 84 00:05:29.680 --> 00:05:34.319 this off the way they did is truly fascinating. Now 85 00:05:34.879 --> 00:05:40.240 I want to get now to General Dan Raisin Kane, 86 00:05:41.120 --> 00:05:46.399 who gives a detailed breakdown of Operation Midnight Hammer. More 87 00:05:46.439 --> 00:05:49.959 than one hundred and twenty five US military aircraft are involved. 88 00:05:50.639 --> 00:05:53.879 Large B two strike package left the continentally the United 89 00:05:53.920 --> 00:06:02.560 States on midnight Friday. This is just in terms of execution, 90 00:06:03.600 --> 00:06:09.519 in terms of logistics, in terms of hey, let's just 91 00:06:09.519 --> 00:06:14.439 go kick the Dorian and let's you know, kind of 92 00:06:14.519 --> 00:06:17.199 like you know, one of our taxpayer release shots. Let's 93 00:06:17.240 --> 00:06:19.399 just blow them back out of the house, and then 94 00:06:19.439 --> 00:06:22.600 let's turn around and go home. That's precisely what occurred. 95 00:06:22.720 --> 00:06:23.279 This orders. 96 00:06:23.480 --> 00:06:26.560 US Central Command, under the command of General Eric Carilla, 97 00:06:26.959 --> 00:06:32.240 executed Operation Midnight Hammer, a deliberate and precise strike against 98 00:06:32.240 --> 00:06:34.680 three Iranian nuclear facilities. 99 00:06:35.199 --> 00:06:40.639 Listen closely to the language now he's reading prepared remarks, 100 00:06:41.199 --> 00:06:46.399 but they have taken great pains. Every single word has 101 00:06:46.439 --> 00:06:51.360 been carefully chosen not just for political domestic political consumption, 102 00:06:51.959 --> 00:06:54.240 but for international consumption. Also. 103 00:06:54.639 --> 00:06:57.959 Last night, on the President's orders, US Central Command, under 104 00:06:57.959 --> 00:07:02.360 the command of General Eric Gorilla, executed Operation Midnight Hammer, 105 00:07:02.759 --> 00:07:07.680 a deliberate and precise strike against three Iranian nuclear facilities. 106 00:07:08.199 --> 00:07:11.360 This was a complex and high risk mission carried out 107 00:07:11.399 --> 00:07:15.399 with exceptional skill and disciplined by our joint force. I 108 00:07:15.439 --> 00:07:19.160 want to thank every service member, planner, operator. 109 00:07:18.759 --> 00:07:20.279 That made this mission possible. 110 00:07:21.040 --> 00:07:24.519 Their actions reflect the highest standards of the United States 111 00:07:24.639 --> 00:07:29.759 Armed Forces. This operation was designed to severely degrade Rand's 112 00:07:29.839 --> 00:07:34.600 nuclear weapons infrastructure. It was planned and executed across multiple 113 00:07:34.680 --> 00:07:39.199 domains and theaters with coordination that reflects our ability to 114 00:07:39.360 --> 00:07:43.839 project power globally with speed and precision. At the time 115 00:07:44.000 --> 00:07:47.240 and place of our nation's choosing, this was a highly 116 00:07:47.279 --> 00:07:51.279 classified mission, with very few people in Washington knowing the 117 00:07:51.319 --> 00:07:54.800 timing or nature of this plan. I'll refer you to 118 00:07:54.839 --> 00:07:57.480 the graphic on the side as I walk you through 119 00:07:57.560 --> 00:08:02.800 some of the operational details. At midnight Friday into Saturday morning, 120 00:08:03.079 --> 00:08:06.560 a large B two strike package comprised of bombers launched 121 00:08:06.560 --> 00:08:09.920 from the continental United States as part of the plan 122 00:08:10.000 --> 00:08:13.879 to maintain tactical surprise. Part of the package proceeded to 123 00:08:13.959 --> 00:08:17.399 the West and into the Pacific as a decoy, a 124 00:08:17.480 --> 00:08:22.319 deception effort known only to an extremely small number of 125 00:08:22.399 --> 00:08:26.120 planners and key leaders here in Washington and in Tampa. 126 00:08:26.600 --> 00:08:30.600 The main strike package comprised of seven B two Spirit bombers, 127 00:08:30.639 --> 00:08:35.080 each with two crew members proceeded quietly to the east 128 00:08:35.240 --> 00:08:40.440 with minimal communications. Throughout the eighteen hour flight into the 129 00:08:40.480 --> 00:08:46.720 target area, the aircraft completed multiple inflight refuelings. Once over land, 130 00:08:47.200 --> 00:08:50.720 the B twos linked up with escort and support aircraft 131 00:08:50.799 --> 00:08:57.000 in a complex, tightly timed maneuver requiring exact synchronization across 132 00:08:57.080 --> 00:09:01.600 multiple platforms in a narrow piece of airspace, all done 133 00:09:01.840 --> 00:09:07.480 with minimal communications. This type of integration is exactly what 134 00:09:07.600 --> 00:09:11.080 our joint force does better than anyone else. 135 00:09:10.799 --> 00:09:11.360 In the world. 136 00:09:12.320 --> 00:09:16.639 At approximately five pm Eastern Standard Time last night, and 137 00:09:16.879 --> 00:09:20.639 just prior to the strike package entering Iran, a US 138 00:09:20.679 --> 00:09:24.879 submarine in the Central Command Area of responsibility launched more 139 00:09:24.919 --> 00:09:29.159 than two dozen Tomahawk land attack cruise missiles against key 140 00:09:29.360 --> 00:09:34.879 surface infrastructure targets at Esfahan. As the Operation Midnight Hammer 141 00:09:34.919 --> 00:09:41.360 strike package entered Iranian airspace, the US employed several deception tactics, 142 00:09:41.399 --> 00:09:46.840 including decoys as the fourth and fifth generation aircraft pushed 143 00:09:46.879 --> 00:09:50.759 out in front of the strike package at high altitude 144 00:09:50.799 --> 00:09:54.240 and high speed, sweeping in front of the package for 145 00:09:54.480 --> 00:09:58.759 enemy fighters and surface to air missile threats. The strike 146 00:09:58.799 --> 00:10:04.240 package was support by US Strategic Command, US Transportation Command, 147 00:10:04.840 --> 00:10:10.720 US Cyber Command, US Space Command, US Space Force, and 148 00:10:10.919 --> 00:10:16.279 US European Command. As the strike package approached for dou 149 00:10:16.519 --> 00:10:22.120 and Natance, the US protection package employed high speed suppression 150 00:10:22.159 --> 00:10:26.320 weapons to ensure safe passage of the strike package, with 151 00:10:26.480 --> 00:10:32.600 fighter assets employing preemptive suppressing fires against any potential Iranian 152 00:10:32.879 --> 00:10:37.320 surface to air threats. We are currently unaware of any 153 00:10:37.440 --> 00:10:41.200 shots fired at the US strike package on the way in. 154 00:10:42.159 --> 00:10:47.159 At approximately six forty pm Eastern Standard time two ten 155 00:10:47.799 --> 00:10:52.200 am a Ran time, the lead B two dropped two 156 00:10:52.360 --> 00:10:57.399 GVU fifty seven massive ordnance penetrator weapons on the first 157 00:10:57.600 --> 00:11:01.320 of several aim points at four doh As the President 158 00:11:01.399 --> 00:11:04.759 stated last night, The remaining bombers then hit their targets 159 00:11:04.799 --> 00:11:09.240 as well, with a total of fourteen mops dropped against 160 00:11:09.519 --> 00:11:15.759 two nuclear target areas. All three Iranian nuclear infrastructure targets 161 00:11:15.759 --> 00:11:19.159 were struck between six forty pm. 162 00:11:18.679 --> 00:11:21.480 And seven h five pm Eastern time. 163 00:11:21.559 --> 00:11:24.840 Again, that's about two ten in the morning local time 164 00:11:24.879 --> 00:11:28.919 in Iran, with the Tomahawk missiles being the last to 165 00:11:29.039 --> 00:11:32.799 strike at Esfahan. To ensure we retain the element of 166 00:11:32.879 --> 00:11:38.519 surprise throughout the operation. Following weapons release, the midnight Hammer 167 00:11:38.559 --> 00:11:43.759 strike package exited Iranian airspace and the package began its 168 00:11:43.840 --> 00:11:49.200 return home. We are unaware of any shots fired at 169 00:11:49.240 --> 00:11:54.960 the package on the way out. Iran's fighters did not fly, 170 00:11:55.840 --> 00:11:59.679 and it appears that Iran's surface to air missile systems 171 00:12:00.360 --> 00:12:05.000 did not see us. Throughout the mission. We retained the 172 00:12:05.039 --> 00:12:10.200 element of surprise. In total, US forces employed approximately seventy 173 00:12:10.200 --> 00:12:12.080 five precision. 174 00:12:11.559 --> 00:12:13.399 Guide of weapons during this operation. 175 00:12:13.559 --> 00:12:17.799 This included, as the President stated last night, fourteen thirty 176 00:12:17.879 --> 00:12:22.840 thousand pounds GBU fifty seven massive ordnance penetrators, marking the 177 00:12:22.879 --> 00:12:27.879 first ever operational use of this weapon. I know that 178 00:12:27.919 --> 00:12:31.559 battle damage is of great interest. Final battle damage will 179 00:12:31.639 --> 00:12:35.279 take some time, but initial battle damage assessments indicate that 180 00:12:35.360 --> 00:12:41.600 all three sites sustained extremely severe damage and destruction. More 181 00:12:41.639 --> 00:12:45.799 than one hundred and twenty five US aircraft participated in 182 00:12:45.840 --> 00:12:50.919 this mission, including B two stealth bombers, multiple flights of 183 00:12:51.080 --> 00:12:55.840 fourth and fifth generation fighters, dozens and dozens of air 184 00:12:55.840 --> 00:13:00.720 refueling tankers, a guided missile submarine, and a full array 185 00:13:00.799 --> 00:13:06.240 of intelligence, surveillance, and reconnaissance aircraft, as well as hundreds 186 00:13:06.279 --> 00:13:09.200 of maintenance and operational professionals. 187 00:13:09.960 --> 00:13:11.519 As this secretary said. 188 00:13:11.279 --> 00:13:15.879 This was those largest B two operational strike in US 189 00:13:16.080 --> 00:13:20.960 history and the second longest B two mission ever flown, 190 00:13:21.159 --> 00:13:22.559 exceeded only. 191 00:13:22.240 --> 00:13:24.759 By those in the days following nine to eleven. 192 00:13:26.480 --> 00:13:30.480 Well prior to the strike, General Carilla elevated force protection 193 00:13:30.639 --> 00:13:34.440 measures across the region, especially in a Rock, Syria and 194 00:13:34.519 --> 00:13:39.039 the Gulf. Our forces remain on high alert and are 195 00:13:39.120 --> 00:13:44.360 fully postured to respond to any Iranian retaliation or proxy attacks, 196 00:13:45.120 --> 00:13:49.120 which would be an incredibly poor choice. 197 00:13:49.200 --> 00:13:51.360 We will defend ourselves. 198 00:13:51.960 --> 00:13:56.320 The safety of our service members and civilians remains our 199 00:13:56.399 --> 00:14:02.519 highest priority. This mission demonst rates the unmatched reach, coordination, 200 00:14:02.679 --> 00:14:06.320 and capability of the United States Military. In just a 201 00:14:06.360 --> 00:14:11.120 matter of weeks, this went from strategic planning to global execution. 202 00:14:11.840 --> 00:14:17.399 This operation underscores the unmatched capabilities and global reach of 203 00:14:17.399 --> 00:14:22.039 the United States Military. As the President clearly said last night, 204 00:14:22.720 --> 00:14:26.120 no other in the no other military in the world, 205 00:14:26.519 --> 00:14:29.639 could have done this. I joined the President and the 206 00:14:29.679 --> 00:14:34.440 Secretary and being incredibly proud of the air crews, Naval forces, 207 00:14:34.799 --> 00:14:38.720 cyber operators, planners and support teams and commanders who made 208 00:14:38.759 --> 00:14:43.240 this mission possible. It is their skill, discipline, and teammate 209 00:14:43.720 --> 00:14:48.759 teamwork that makes this operation possible. I am particularly proud 210 00:14:49.279 --> 00:14:53.519 of our discipline related to operational security, something that was 211 00:14:53.559 --> 00:14:58.000 of great concern to the President, the Secretary General, Carilla 212 00:14:58.320 --> 00:15:01.559 and me, and we will continue to focus on this. 213 00:15:02.320 --> 00:15:05.600 As we stand here this morning, many assets are still 214 00:15:05.639 --> 00:15:09.159 airborne and we have hundreds deployed. I asked that we 215 00:15:09.279 --> 00:15:13.120 keep our warfighters on their way home and our deployed 216 00:15:13.159 --> 00:15:17.360 service member in our thoughts. Our joint Force remains ready 217 00:15:17.360 --> 00:15:20.840 to defend the United States, our troops, and our interests 218 00:15:20.879 --> 00:15:21.480 in the region. 219 00:15:21.879 --> 00:15:22.759 Thank you very much. 220 00:15:24.840 --> 00:15:32.559 Logistics, capabilities, operational security. It shows that when we want 221 00:15:32.600 --> 00:15:36.440 to do something and we want to do it in 222 00:15:36.519 --> 00:15:43.200 and out quickly, effectively, and try to minimize any opportunity 223 00:15:43.320 --> 00:15:47.639 for retaliation which can still occur, but for any sort 224 00:15:47.639 --> 00:15:52.159 of immediate retaliation to protect those that were in the skies, 225 00:15:52.200 --> 00:15:57.559 and on the basis that we can do this despite 226 00:15:57.600 --> 00:16:00.600 all of the other peripheral issues we'll talk of out today. 227 00:16:01.080 --> 00:16:03.720 You know, Oh, my gosh, does the President have the 228 00:16:03.759 --> 00:16:06.200 authority to do this? Oh, this is a violation of 229 00:16:06.200 --> 00:16:08.679 the constitution. Oh my gosh, this is a violation of 230 00:16:08.679 --> 00:16:13.759 the War Powers Act. Everybody take a deep breath, because 231 00:16:14.519 --> 00:16:19.159 if you think that this is a violation of the 232 00:16:19.159 --> 00:16:23.960 War Powers act then you maybe have slept through the past. 233 00:16:24.039 --> 00:16:26.840 I don't know, twenty five years or so. I don't 234 00:16:26.879 --> 00:16:30.639 think that it is, and I'll walk through and explain why. 235 00:16:30.679 --> 00:16:35.240 But I think what you know, Trump's headed over to 236 00:16:35.440 --> 00:16:38.559 the g twenty or not he headed to NATO. He's 237 00:16:38.600 --> 00:16:44.200 headed to NATO. I think tomorrow and despite what Macron 238 00:16:44.440 --> 00:16:48.639 or Starmer or anybody else may be saying publicly, privately, 239 00:16:48.720 --> 00:16:52.159 they will be saying thank you, thank you now for 240 00:16:52.440 --> 00:16:56.080 domestic political reasons, For their own personal political reasons, they 241 00:16:56.120 --> 00:17:01.279 may say the exact opposite public Publicly, everybody is saying 242 00:17:01.360 --> 00:17:05.640 thank you. This is the role that the most powerful 243 00:17:05.720 --> 00:17:09.680 nation on earth must play, whether we like it or not. 244 00:17:10.599 --> 00:17:13.039 This is what we need to do now. I don't 245 00:17:13.039 --> 00:17:16.680 think it's over with. I don't know what. I've got speculation, 246 00:17:17.160 --> 00:17:21.160 just as every other armchair expert has right now speculation 247 00:17:21.240 --> 00:17:24.680 about what they think may be coming next. You know, 248 00:17:24.799 --> 00:17:29.160 we watched after the we toppled Saddam Hussein. We watched 249 00:17:29.200 --> 00:17:32.319 people you know, rejoicing in the street, only only to 250 00:17:32.359 --> 00:17:36.519 what only to see one military junta replaced by another 251 00:17:36.559 --> 00:17:39.559 military junta. So I would just caution and we don't 252 00:17:39.559 --> 00:17:45.519 get too excited. But I would encourage us to just recognize, 253 00:17:45.759 --> 00:17:50.079 irrespective of all of the other issues that surround this 254 00:17:50.240 --> 00:17:55.960 one operation, at least revel in the operation, at least 255 00:17:56.160 --> 00:18:00.000 revel in the ability of the United States, as he said, 256 00:18:00.680 --> 00:18:06.359 to strike anywhere in the world at any time of 257 00:18:06.400 --> 00:18:11.799 our choosing. And that's precisely what we did. And you 258 00:18:11.839 --> 00:18:18.519 compare that to the past four years of appeasement. Holy cow, 259 00:18:20.200 --> 00:18:24.960 at least with regard to the US military. It's back, baby, 260 00:18:25.359 --> 00:18:30.759 It's back now. When we get back. Lots of issue 261 00:18:31.240 --> 00:18:34.960 war powers. What's going to happen on the ground in 262 00:18:35.200 --> 00:18:39.240 Iran next, what's going to happen domestically in terms of 263 00:18:39.279 --> 00:18:41.680 the mid terms. Lots of things stuck about. 264 00:18:42.160 --> 00:18:45.039 I suppose the only issue with the bombing of the 265 00:18:45.119 --> 00:18:49.079 nuclear facilities in Iran is our own Second Amendment right 266 00:18:49.119 --> 00:18:53.599 to bear arms and the right to self defense, which 267 00:18:53.680 --> 00:18:59.559 Iran may now be able to claim. On the other hand, 268 00:19:00.279 --> 00:19:03.480 I get that the reason we don't want them to 269 00:19:03.599 --> 00:19:06.160 have the nuke is because they have a high likelihood 270 00:19:06.160 --> 00:19:08.920 of using it, sort of like a criminal with guns. 271 00:19:10.559 --> 00:19:15.759 Yeah, I'm only laugh chuckling, because that's the point that 272 00:19:15.920 --> 00:19:19.880 everybody misses. I saw some posts on x over the 273 00:19:19.920 --> 00:19:22.680 weekend about well, you know, if we're going to do 274 00:19:22.799 --> 00:19:25.839 this to the Iranians, then the Israelis need to you know, 275 00:19:26.000 --> 00:19:28.440 come forward and be honest about what kind of nukes 276 00:19:28.440 --> 00:19:34.200 they have, and they ought to agree to dismantle theirs too. Okay, well, 277 00:19:35.839 --> 00:19:39.200 then so should the Russians, so should the North Koreans, 278 00:19:39.920 --> 00:19:45.400 so should Beijing, so should Pakistan and India. Let's just 279 00:19:45.799 --> 00:19:48.400 let's all seeing kumba, y'all now, and just you know, 280 00:19:48.519 --> 00:19:51.680 everybody just will have you know, a complete you know, 281 00:19:51.720 --> 00:19:54.880 instead of a non proliferation policy, you know where we 282 00:19:54.920 --> 00:19:57.079 don't want anybody else to get them, we will just 283 00:19:57.160 --> 00:19:59.920 do a complete We're gonna de nuke the entire world, 284 00:20:00.039 --> 00:20:02.759 because well that's in a fairy tale, that's how things 285 00:20:02.759 --> 00:20:07.920 would work. The difference, as you so succinctly point out, 286 00:20:08.200 --> 00:20:12.640 is that the Iranians the number one sponsor of state 287 00:20:12.759 --> 00:20:17.640 terror in the region, someone that has since nineteen seventy 288 00:20:17.720 --> 00:20:23.279 nine been killing, you know, capturing and killing American civilians 289 00:20:23.440 --> 00:20:28.160 and military personnel, and then all others, who wants to 290 00:20:28.319 --> 00:20:32.240 destroy this country, who wants to destroy Israel, who quite 291 00:20:32.240 --> 00:20:36.720 frankly wants to have control over all of the Middle East. 292 00:20:37.279 --> 00:20:40.839 They were willing to use them. That's why they were 293 00:20:40.839 --> 00:20:45.319 building them, and that's when we took it out. So 294 00:20:45.440 --> 00:20:48.200 now their nuke program wants, you know, once buried beneath 295 00:20:48.240 --> 00:20:53.279 the mountains, spinning behind all those centrifuges. Everybody talks about, Uh, 296 00:20:53.319 --> 00:20:56.039 we don't know what the damn and final damage assessments, 297 00:20:56.079 --> 00:20:59.279 the battle damage assessments, are still ongoing, but at least 298 00:20:59.319 --> 00:21:04.039 the initial intelligence confirms that the strikes were And what 299 00:21:04.119 --> 00:21:06.519 I've read and what a couple of people in DC 300 00:21:06.640 --> 00:21:10.599 have told me, is that they were devastatingly effective. Not 301 00:21:10.680 --> 00:21:14.279 a single weapon was missed, not a I mean not 302 00:21:14.319 --> 00:21:17.839 a single weapon missed, and not a single plane was harmed. 303 00:21:18.160 --> 00:21:22.119 Not a single warning reached Tehran in time, and even 304 00:21:22.200 --> 00:21:25.559 if it had, the Israelis already had control of the airspace. 305 00:21:27.319 --> 00:21:27.920 You heard. 306 00:21:30.160 --> 00:21:33.279 The Chairman of the Joint Chiefs point out that they 307 00:21:33.319 --> 00:21:37.039 do not believe that one shot was fired or that 308 00:21:37.119 --> 00:21:44.279 one plane took off. No drones, no missiles, nothing. Now 309 00:21:45.279 --> 00:21:48.799 geopolitically this that that event is going to be parsed 310 00:21:48.799 --> 00:21:54.960 for decades. But I wonder, my very first thought is 311 00:21:55.839 --> 00:22:01.960 what message does Operation Midnight Hammer? Does it sin to Pyongyang, 312 00:22:02.599 --> 00:22:06.440 to Beijing, to Moscow, and I think the answer is unambiguous. 313 00:22:07.319 --> 00:22:10.799 Now I'll tell you what the answer is. We can 314 00:22:10.880 --> 00:22:15.079 talk for days about what it means. The answer is unambiguous, 315 00:22:15.079 --> 00:22:18.720 and that is that American deterrence is no longer just theoretical. 316 00:22:19.519 --> 00:22:27.839 Our deterrence is operational now. The strike also underscores the restoration. 317 00:22:27.960 --> 00:22:32.839 I think of competent, calculated, and a credible US military doctrine, 318 00:22:33.599 --> 00:22:38.400 a well defined mission, limited in scope. I mean it 319 00:22:38.400 --> 00:22:42.799 may be huge, but limited in scope and get in, 320 00:22:42.920 --> 00:22:47.119 get out. You know, in this era of you think 321 00:22:47.160 --> 00:22:52.720 about how many red lines did Obama? I mean, let's 322 00:22:52.720 --> 00:22:55.839 go back to Wells, go back to Clinton. Have you 323 00:22:55.880 --> 00:22:59.960 ever stopped and thought about why Pyongyang, why Kim Jong 324 00:23:00.480 --> 00:23:06.079 in that dynasty, why they have nukes? Because Bill Clinton, 325 00:23:06.920 --> 00:23:12.799 it was incapable of doing what Donald Trump did. You 326 00:23:13.119 --> 00:23:16.240 can talk all you want, and you can continue to talk, 327 00:23:16.319 --> 00:23:18.440 and you can even do like Trump's done here. You 328 00:23:18.440 --> 00:23:21.200 can blow the S word out of them and say 329 00:23:21.480 --> 00:23:22.839 do you want to come to the table now, because 330 00:23:23.160 --> 00:23:26.319 we'll still talk to you. Bill Clinton had that opportunity, 331 00:23:26.559 --> 00:23:31.119 and we would not have a North Korea with nukes. 332 00:23:31.880 --> 00:23:34.200 So you can talk about red lines going all the 333 00:23:34.200 --> 00:23:40.200 way back to Bill Clinton, Bill Clinton, George W. Bush, 334 00:23:40.480 --> 00:23:44.160 Barack Obama. Now Trump didn't do anything because nothing was 335 00:23:44.200 --> 00:23:46.640 going on. Everybody was laying a little lame quiet. He 336 00:23:46.680 --> 00:23:49.079 actually reached out to Kim Jong un and tried to 337 00:23:49.119 --> 00:23:52.640 do something. Didn't accomplish anything, but he tried. And you 338 00:23:52.680 --> 00:23:54.640 notice when he tried, he didn't draw any red lines 339 00:23:54.680 --> 00:23:57.119 because he knew if he drew a red line, he 340 00:23:57.160 --> 00:24:03.559 would have to follow up with it. But drawing a 341 00:24:03.599 --> 00:24:08.160 red line and then following through on it underscores the 342 00:24:08.200 --> 00:24:13.680 restoration of competent, calculated, incredible US military doctrine. And as 343 00:24:13.720 --> 00:24:16.359 I said, in the era of televised red lines and 344 00:24:16.960 --> 00:24:22.640 diplomatic vapors, it just disappears. In its place stands a 345 00:24:22.720 --> 00:24:30.079 doctrine of decisive engagement, strategic clarity, and overwhelming power projection. 346 00:24:31.720 --> 00:24:40.440 It's if the details of that operation, the operational security, 347 00:24:40.640 --> 00:24:44.519 the logistics, everything don't give you goosebumps about how just 348 00:24:44.640 --> 00:24:47.559 damn good we are, then you're not really paying attention. 349 00:24:50.519 --> 00:24:53.359 You know, It's kind of worth remembering. This is not 350 00:24:53.400 --> 00:24:56.079 the first time that the Trump doctrine has punctuated American 351 00:24:56.119 --> 00:24:59.839 policy with actual action. Because we had the killing of 352 00:25:00.039 --> 00:25:03.759 all the money in twenty twenty, which was likewise dismissed 353 00:25:03.759 --> 00:25:06.960 by the critics. Yet what did it do. It scared 354 00:25:07.000 --> 00:25:12.119 the of Jesus throughout the Iranian Revolutionary Guard, the IRGC, 355 00:25:13.079 --> 00:25:18.559 and it recalibrated perceptions of our weakness. Operation Midnight Hammers 356 00:25:18.599 --> 00:25:22.119 cut from exactly the same cloth, but it was exponentially 357 00:25:22.200 --> 00:25:26.519 larger in scale, larger and sophistication, and I think almost 358 00:25:26.599 --> 00:25:32.119 as importantly it was larger in symbolism. And the other 359 00:25:32.160 --> 00:25:35.240 thing that strikes me simply because having been involved in 360 00:25:35.319 --> 00:25:39.519 things like you know, Bush making a secret trip to 361 00:25:39.839 --> 00:25:43.680 tay not to Tehran, to Baghdad in the middle of 362 00:25:43.720 --> 00:25:45.880 the Iraq War, and having been involved in some of 363 00:25:45.880 --> 00:25:52.119 that planning, the deception was elegant, absolutely elegant. You know, 364 00:25:52.160 --> 00:25:54.279 when Trump hinted that he would sign in two weeks, 365 00:25:55.480 --> 00:25:58.640 in hindsight reads less like a delay and more like 366 00:25:58.680 --> 00:26:03.880 just a simple misdirection. It lulled Tehran, it quieted Washington. 367 00:26:04.519 --> 00:26:07.119 It gave time for the planners to position the assets, 368 00:26:07.359 --> 00:26:11.559 finalize the routes, conduct the rehearsals. It wasn't procrastination, it 369 00:26:11.640 --> 00:26:15.480 was preparation. And it worked and I you know, I 370 00:26:15.799 --> 00:26:17.599 think I don't have this in my note if I'm 371 00:26:17.599 --> 00:26:20.279 want to say one other things, because I've now seen 372 00:26:20.359 --> 00:26:25.319 pictures of the National Security team sitting in a situation 373 00:26:25.480 --> 00:26:30.359 room going through the plans, and you know, Trump being 374 00:26:30.400 --> 00:26:32.559 given all the options if I take this option, while 375 00:26:32.599 --> 00:26:36.079 the ramifications, if I take this option one of the ramifications, 376 00:26:36.400 --> 00:26:40.039 and there's one picture that stuck out in my mind, 377 00:26:41.079 --> 00:26:45.680 and that picture is the usual the usual gang is there, 378 00:26:47.079 --> 00:26:49.440 but sitting to the I think it was appeared to 379 00:26:49.440 --> 00:26:52.160 be to the President's left, probably about two or three 380 00:26:52.160 --> 00:26:58.519 seats down, with Susie Wiles, chief staff. I don't think 381 00:26:58.559 --> 00:27:04.519 we give her enough credit for keeping Trump. Now, don't 382 00:27:04.519 --> 00:27:06.440 get me wrong, I'm not saying that Trump needs as 383 00:27:06.519 --> 00:27:09.319 much as he needed before, because I think the assassination 384 00:27:09.359 --> 00:27:12.039 attempt changed everything about the way he thinks about stuff, 385 00:27:12.839 --> 00:27:15.440 including the appointment of someone like Susie Wiles to beat 386 00:27:15.440 --> 00:27:19.480 the chief of staff to maintain order within that entire 387 00:27:19.920 --> 00:27:27.759 West Wing organization. Now, as I said, an operation of 388 00:27:27.799 --> 00:27:33.400 this magnitude does not occur in a vacuum. Diplomatic repercussions, Well, 389 00:27:33.599 --> 00:27:36.960 that's going to occur, and our allies in the Gulf 390 00:27:37.279 --> 00:27:42.079 will weigh their next moves very carefully, but that caution 391 00:27:43.359 --> 00:27:48.359 is preferable to their passivity. What matters now is not 392 00:27:48.440 --> 00:27:52.720 that some are uncomfortable, but that Iran no longer possesses 393 00:27:53.160 --> 00:27:58.720 a functioning nuclear weapons program. And so the B two's 394 00:27:58.759 --> 00:28:02.039 hung quietly across the pas it bound for Guam as 395 00:28:02.039 --> 00:28:05.440 the Tomahawks return to their tubes as the Pentagon completes 396 00:28:05.480 --> 00:28:10.759 its assessment. One truth remains absolutely inescapable. I think Operation 397 00:28:10.880 --> 00:28:19.079 Midnight Hammer has changed the world now from that statement, 398 00:28:19.880 --> 00:28:23.759 and I do believe it's changed the world. The discussions 399 00:28:23.759 --> 00:28:27.079 that NATO will be entirely different than they would have 400 00:28:27.160 --> 00:28:33.720 been a week or two ago. I think all discussions 401 00:28:33.880 --> 00:28:38.480