1 00:00:00,320 --> 00:00:04,480 Speaker 1: What this war provides for all time is the kitchen 2 00:00:04,559 --> 00:00:10,440 Speaker 1: curriculum for all of America's military academies about what incompetence 3 00:00:10,800 --> 00:00:12,840 Speaker 1: looks like. It looks like this. 4 00:00:13,560 --> 00:00:17,279 Speaker 2: Their energy, and they should come and they should help 5 00:00:17,360 --> 00:00:21,159 Speaker 2: us protected. You could make the case that maybe we 6 00:00:21,160 --> 00:00:23,520 Speaker 2: shouldn't even be there at all because we don't need it. 7 00:00:23,600 --> 00:00:25,280 Speaker 2: We have a lot of oil. We with the number 8 00:00:25,320 --> 00:00:29,160 Speaker 2: one producer anywhere in the world times too my double 9 00:00:29,240 --> 00:00:31,680 Speaker 2: at least now, I think it's much higher than that. 10 00:00:32,560 --> 00:00:34,240 Speaker 3: But we do it. 11 00:00:34,240 --> 00:00:37,000 Speaker 2: It's almost like we do it for having but we 12 00:00:37,120 --> 00:00:39,320 Speaker 2: also do it for some very good allies that we 13 00:00:39,400 --> 00:00:40,680 Speaker 2: have in the Middle East. 14 00:00:41,159 --> 00:00:43,880 Speaker 1: Here is Donald Trump at the beginning of the war, 15 00:00:44,000 --> 00:00:45,640 Speaker 1: explaining what would happen. 16 00:00:45,880 --> 00:00:49,080 Speaker 4: And as we take decisive action to stop the threat 17 00:00:49,120 --> 00:01:02,680 Speaker 4: posed by the terrorist regime in Iran with Operation Epic Fury. 18 00:01:04,480 --> 00:01:07,959 Speaker 5: Is that a great name? Well, it's only good if 19 00:01:08,000 --> 00:01:10,560 Speaker 5: you win. You know, you can only do And we've won. 20 00:01:10,840 --> 00:01:13,640 Speaker 5: Let me tell it, we've won. You know, you never 21 00:01:13,760 --> 00:01:15,040 Speaker 5: like to say too early you won. 22 00:01:15,160 --> 00:01:15,520 Speaker 2: We won. 23 00:01:15,680 --> 00:01:17,920 Speaker 1: We won the best in the first hour it was over. 24 00:01:18,840 --> 00:01:19,959 Speaker 1: Here's Pete Hagsath. 25 00:01:20,440 --> 00:01:23,679 Speaker 6: I heard the question about four weeks. It's the typical, 26 00:01:23,840 --> 00:01:27,440 Speaker 6: typical NBC sort of gotcha type question. President Trump has 27 00:01:27,520 --> 00:01:29,840 Speaker 6: all the latitude in the world to talk about how 28 00:01:29,880 --> 00:01:31,800 Speaker 6: long it may or may not take. Four weeks, two weeks, 29 00:01:31,800 --> 00:01:34,080 Speaker 6: six weeks. It could move up, it could move back. 30 00:01:34,720 --> 00:01:37,399 Speaker 6: We're going to execute at his command the objectives we've 31 00:01:37,440 --> 00:01:40,360 Speaker 6: set out to achieve. And what he has shown ability 32 00:01:40,400 --> 00:01:43,120 Speaker 6: to do that other presidents can't quite seem to have 33 00:01:43,160 --> 00:01:45,720 Speaker 6: the aperture to do well. I mean, Joe Biden need 34 00:01:45,760 --> 00:01:47,920 Speaker 6: even know. What he was doing is to look for 35 00:01:48,000 --> 00:01:51,279 Speaker 6: opportunities and off ramps and escalations for the United States. 36 00:01:51,280 --> 00:01:54,800 Speaker 6: That creates new opportunities to execute what we need on 37 00:01:54,840 --> 00:01:57,360 Speaker 6: our own timeline. So you can play games about four weeks, 38 00:01:57,360 --> 00:01:59,360 Speaker 6: five weeks. He has all the latitude, and I'm glad 39 00:01:59,400 --> 00:02:02,680 Speaker 6: he does, because no better communicator than our president expressing 40 00:02:02,720 --> 00:02:03,320 Speaker 6: those things. 41 00:02:04,240 --> 00:02:09,040 Speaker 1: And here we are. This narrow waterway is called the 42 00:02:09,080 --> 00:02:14,240 Speaker 1: Straits of Horrormuz. And as they say, possession is nine 43 00:02:14,280 --> 00:02:18,800 Speaker 1: tenths of the law, and the Iranians control passage through 44 00:02:19,160 --> 00:02:23,200 Speaker 1: the narrow Straits of Hormuz. Here's Donald saying we'll be 45 00:02:23,280 --> 00:02:25,200 Speaker 1: there soon escorting tankers. 46 00:02:25,960 --> 00:02:28,959 Speaker 6: Mister President, when will the Navy start escorting tankers for 47 00:02:29,080 --> 00:02:30,440 Speaker 6: the Strait of Lament Center. 48 00:02:31,520 --> 00:02:35,680 Speaker 1: And here's Donald's calling on all the world's countries to 49 00:02:35,800 --> 00:02:38,480 Speaker 1: join with him. Does any of this make sense to you? 50 00:02:38,919 --> 00:02:42,400 Speaker 1: It shouldn't. We're losing this war, and we're losing it 51 00:02:42,680 --> 00:02:46,560 Speaker 1: because of the incompetence. Have you ever seen anything like it? 52 00:02:47,000 --> 00:02:50,800 Speaker 1: No one has. It is March sixteenth, twenty twenty six, 53 00:02:51,120 --> 00:02:53,600 Speaker 1: and I'm Steve Schmidt. And if you get a second, 54 00:02:54,000 --> 00:02:57,839 Speaker 1: check out our member's feature at our YouTube page. This 55 00:02:58,440 --> 00:03:02,480 Speaker 1: is the warning. At the beginning of the war, Donald 56 00:03:02,520 --> 00:03:07,360 Speaker 1: Trump talked about killing and obliteration and how easy it 57 00:03:07,400 --> 00:03:10,919 Speaker 1: would all be. Does this look easy? The bodies are 58 00:03:10,919 --> 00:03:14,760 Speaker 1: coming home and what Donald Trump said would happen has 59 00:03:14,840 --> 00:03:19,840 Speaker 1: not happened. Both sides, the American and the Iranian, have 60 00:03:20,360 --> 00:03:25,160 Speaker 1: somewhat clear positions. The American position is we intend to 61 00:03:25,360 --> 00:03:30,160 Speaker 1: depose the Iranian regime objectively. Right now two weeks in, 62 00:03:30,680 --> 00:03:34,239 Speaker 1: does it seem likely that that is going to happen now? 63 00:03:34,440 --> 00:03:39,080 Speaker 1: The Iranian regime has a different strategic goal. They want 64 00:03:39,120 --> 00:03:44,520 Speaker 1: to remain in power. This supersedes everything. Civilian casualties, the 65 00:03:44,560 --> 00:03:48,080 Speaker 1: loss of the navy, the loss of the missile factories, 66 00:03:48,600 --> 00:03:53,760 Speaker 1: all of it victory for the Ayatolas is remaining in power. 67 00:03:54,000 --> 00:03:56,800 Speaker 1: And by the way, if they remain in power, they 68 00:03:56,840 --> 00:04:00,520 Speaker 1: will do so with four hundred and fifty kilogram of 69 00:04:00,680 --> 00:04:05,280 Speaker 1: enriched uranium. And apparently the United States and Israel do 70 00:04:05,440 --> 00:04:08,320 Speaker 1: not know where all of it is. At any rate, 71 00:04:08,600 --> 00:04:13,000 Speaker 1: twenty five hundred US marines are steaming towards a country 72 00:04:13,280 --> 00:04:17,040 Speaker 1: of ninety three million. They're not superman, and twenty five 73 00:04:17,160 --> 00:04:22,280 Speaker 1: hundred is not enough to hold territory inside the Islamic 74 00:04:22,320 --> 00:04:25,719 Speaker 1: Republic of ninety three million. And by the way, there 75 00:04:25,760 --> 00:04:30,279 Speaker 1: are no signs of a civilian upheaval against the regime, 76 00:04:30,400 --> 00:04:34,680 Speaker 1: none at all. In fact, it seems under attack. The 77 00:04:34,760 --> 00:04:39,839 Speaker 1: regime's authority has hardened. Donald Trump seems to be achieving 78 00:04:40,200 --> 00:04:44,400 Speaker 1: the exact opposite result of what he set out to do. Now, 79 00:04:44,480 --> 00:04:48,000 Speaker 1: let's see if you can follow Carolyn Levitt here. The 80 00:04:48,040 --> 00:04:54,320 Speaker 1: Iranian response, unanticipated is now the causes belli the reason 81 00:04:54,720 --> 00:04:58,080 Speaker 1: we must be at war with Iran. Ex post facto. 82 00:04:58,600 --> 00:05:02,840 Speaker 7: Ericans are obviously saying a temporary increase in gas prices 83 00:05:03,040 --> 00:05:06,359 Speaker 7: as Iran is trying to impede movement there in the 84 00:05:06,360 --> 00:05:10,760 Speaker 7: Strait of Hormuz. We're now utilizing our strategic petroleum reserve. 85 00:05:11,360 --> 00:05:13,400 Speaker 7: This is what it is supposed to be used for, 86 00:05:13,520 --> 00:05:16,160 Speaker 7: right this is the time whenever a president taps it, 87 00:05:16,279 --> 00:05:18,920 Speaker 7: not as they're going into an election like we've seen 88 00:05:18,960 --> 00:05:21,040 Speaker 7: in the past. But what is your message to people 89 00:05:21,080 --> 00:05:23,800 Speaker 7: out there in the country right now who might be 90 00:05:23,880 --> 00:05:27,839 Speaker 7: concerned to see this blip and this increase in gas prices. 91 00:05:29,400 --> 00:05:32,400 Speaker 8: We understand your concerns, We hear you, and we are 92 00:05:32,400 --> 00:05:34,680 Speaker 8: taking them into account and we have a plan to 93 00:05:34,800 --> 00:05:38,400 Speaker 8: address them. And this is a temporary, short term disruption 94 00:05:38,920 --> 00:05:42,520 Speaker 8: in global oil prices that the President is ultimately going 95 00:05:42,560 --> 00:05:46,880 Speaker 8: to rectify by wiping out the rogue Iranian terrorist regime. 96 00:05:47,240 --> 00:05:50,960 Speaker 8: And the fact that the terrorists are holding the global 97 00:05:51,000 --> 00:05:54,760 Speaker 8: oil industry hostage by threatening to shut down the Straight 98 00:05:54,800 --> 00:05:58,760 Speaker 8: of Hermos and traffic through this strait just underscores the 99 00:05:58,839 --> 00:06:01,880 Speaker 8: need for President Trump to launch this operation in the 100 00:06:01,880 --> 00:06:04,200 Speaker 8: first place. We cannot live in a world where we 101 00:06:04,279 --> 00:06:08,480 Speaker 8: have radical Islamic terrorists threatening to hold the world's oil 102 00:06:08,520 --> 00:06:11,280 Speaker 8: market in global economy hostage like this. So the Trump 103 00:06:11,279 --> 00:06:14,360 Speaker 8: administration in the short term, to address the rise and 104 00:06:14,400 --> 00:06:18,000 Speaker 8: oil prices has rolled out a plethora of solutions to 105 00:06:18,040 --> 00:06:22,279 Speaker 8: address this issue. Providing political risk insurance to oil vessels 106 00:06:22,279 --> 00:06:25,120 Speaker 8: and tankers moving through the strait. The president and commander 107 00:06:25,160 --> 00:06:27,440 Speaker 8: in chief has said that he is willing to use 108 00:06:27,480 --> 00:06:31,000 Speaker 8: the US Navy to escort ships if and when necessary, 109 00:06:31,040 --> 00:06:33,160 Speaker 8: when the military deems appropriate to do so. 110 00:06:33,920 --> 00:06:36,599 Speaker 1: Extraordinary. Again, here's Hagsha. 111 00:06:37,160 --> 00:06:41,160 Speaker 6: This is what the fake news misses. We've taken control 112 00:06:41,200 --> 00:06:45,240 Speaker 6: of Iran's airspace and waterways without boots on the ground. 113 00:06:46,360 --> 00:06:49,520 Speaker 6: We control their fate. But when a few drones get 114 00:06:49,560 --> 00:06:55,039 Speaker 6: through or tragic things happen, it's front page news. I 115 00:06:55,080 --> 00:06:56,919 Speaker 6: get it. The press only wants to make the president 116 00:06:56,920 --> 00:07:00,440 Speaker 6: look bad, but try for once to report the reality. 117 00:07:01,200 --> 00:07:03,600 Speaker 1: Here's Trump military. 118 00:07:03,200 --> 00:07:06,760 Speaker 7: Husband decimated economically in other ways. 119 00:07:07,040 --> 00:07:10,840 Speaker 1: Are you ready to officially declare victory against. 120 00:07:11,520 --> 00:07:12,520 Speaker 4: The reason to it? 121 00:07:13,080 --> 00:07:18,280 Speaker 3: I think I just say they're decimated, but I think 122 00:07:18,280 --> 00:07:22,160 Speaker 3: that we've done damage to them right now. If we 123 00:07:22,320 --> 00:07:25,320 Speaker 3: left right now, it would take them ten years and 124 00:07:25,440 --> 00:07:29,480 Speaker 3: more to rebuild. But I'm still left declaring it up. 125 00:07:30,520 --> 00:07:32,760 Speaker 1: And of course here's Lindsey Graham. 126 00:07:33,240 --> 00:07:36,240 Speaker 9: No, the future of Iran is going to be determined 127 00:07:36,360 --> 00:07:40,400 Speaker 9: by the Iranian people. The new Iran, whatever it is, 128 00:07:41,400 --> 00:07:46,040 Speaker 9: whether it's a cleric or a representative democracy. Our goal 129 00:07:46,160 --> 00:07:49,360 Speaker 9: is to make sure it cannot come again the largest 130 00:07:49,360 --> 00:07:51,720 Speaker 9: state sponsor of terrorism. That's a win for us. 131 00:07:53,120 --> 00:07:56,080 Speaker 7: Is there a plan to make sure that happens, Senator? 132 00:07:56,200 --> 00:07:57,040 Speaker 1: Is there a plan? 133 00:07:57,160 --> 00:08:00,400 Speaker 7: Does the President have a plan to guarantee that that happens. 134 00:08:01,000 --> 00:08:04,520 Speaker 9: No, it's not his job or my job to do this. 135 00:08:05,120 --> 00:08:07,600 Speaker 9: How many times they have to tell you. Our job 136 00:08:07,760 --> 00:08:10,640 Speaker 9: is to make sure Iran is no longer the largest 137 00:08:10,680 --> 00:08:14,280 Speaker 9: state sponsor of terrorism, to help the people reconstruct a 138 00:08:14,360 --> 00:08:16,400 Speaker 9: new government. No boots on the ground. 139 00:08:17,200 --> 00:08:21,520 Speaker 1: All of it is blustering nonsense. And the bodies, well, 140 00:08:21,560 --> 00:08:25,320 Speaker 1: they're coming home now. Things are getting worse. The American 141 00:08:25,360 --> 00:08:30,880 Speaker 1: objective depose the regime doesn't seem achievable. The Iranian objective 142 00:08:31,280 --> 00:08:36,480 Speaker 1: hold on to power seems increasingly likely. What choice does 143 00:08:36,520 --> 00:08:42,080 Speaker 1: that leave Trump? Its binary It's withdrawal or escalate. Either way, 144 00:08:42,440 --> 00:08:46,480 Speaker 1: the limits of American power have been exposed, the Iranian 145 00:08:46,600 --> 00:08:52,200 Speaker 1: regime demonstrated. Though it has been weakened, its geographic position 146 00:08:52,800 --> 00:08:56,320 Speaker 1: makes it deadly relevant in the great game of the 147 00:08:56,320 --> 00:09:01,160 Speaker 1: global economy that Donald Trump is losing king Americans pay 148 00:09:01,240 --> 00:09:05,640 Speaker 1: more while earning less. All of it together is a disaster, 149 00:09:06,040 --> 00:09:11,319 Speaker 1: A disaster of incompetence, the disaster of a lack of imagination. 150 00:09:11,760 --> 00:09:14,360 Speaker 1: And at the end of the day, who's responsible for this? 151 00:09:14,960 --> 00:09:18,679 Speaker 1: The American people are forty nine and a half percent 152 00:09:18,760 --> 00:09:23,120 Speaker 1: of them voted for this insanity. Democratic senators voted to 153 00:09:23,200 --> 00:09:26,840 Speaker 1: confirm big parts of Trump's cabinet. And here we are, 154 00:09:27,120 --> 00:09:30,760 Speaker 1: and from this place we must start to imagine something better, 155 00:09:30,920 --> 00:09:33,640 Speaker 1: something new. That is the test in this two hundred 156 00:09:33,640 --> 00:09:37,800 Speaker 1: and fiftieth year of our independence, a year of abject crisis, 157 00:09:37,840 --> 00:09:41,480 Speaker 1: a year of war, a war just beginning, but one already. 158 00:09:41,920 --> 00:09:46,040 Speaker 1: Donalds has trapped us in a quagmire after two weeks, 159 00:09:46,480 --> 00:09:52,280 Speaker 1: defeat and withdrawal or escalation and defeat. That is the 160 00:09:52,400 --> 00:09:55,240 Speaker 1: choice that Donalds has left the country, and it is 161 00:09:55,559 --> 00:09:59,120 Speaker 1: a terrible choice. I'm Steve Schmidt. This is the warning. 162 00:10:00,160 --> 00:10:03,320 Speaker 1: And I'm Steve Schmidt. This is the warning. I invite 163 00:10:03,400 --> 00:10:06,800 Speaker 1: you to join this community where I promise to be honest, 164 00:10:07,120 --> 00:10:10,680 Speaker 1: blunt and direct about what is happening in this country. 165 00:10:10,920 --> 00:10:15,280 Speaker 1: America is in crisis. Follow and subscribe to this channel 166 00:10:15,360 --> 00:10:16,960 Speaker 1: and on substack. Thank you.