Buttigieg alleges Trump administration removed names of four troops killed in action
"the outrageous news that we just got that the Trump administration removed the names of four of our service members who were killed in action apparently because the fact that they had been killed in action goes against his fiction that that sometimes he says we're actually not in a war even though everybody knows we are."
About this episode
Brian Tyler Cohen’s episode centres on a Fox News clip featuring Pete Buttigieg criticising Donald Trump’s handling of a new Middle East conflict involving Iran, and arguing that the public is seeing a repeat of the rhetoric used to justify the Iraq war. Buttigieg says escalation has tangible economic impacts at home, citing higher fuel costs and knock-on effects such as mortgage rates, and argues Trump ignored intelligence warnings about the Strait of Hormuz.
Cohen also plays a separate clip from CNN in which Republican commentator Caroline Sunshine describes the US as having been “at war” with Iran for 47 years, prompting pushback and questions about the human and financial costs of further escalation.
In the Fox segment, Buttigieg accuses Trump of broken promises on inflation, war, and truthfulness about US military engagement. He alleges the administration removed the names of four service members killed in action to avoid contradicting claims that the US is not at war, and argues that credibility from political leaders is a matter of life and death for troops.
Cohen adds his own commentary alleging grift and hypocrisy in pro-war messaging, and claims Trump has reversed positions on costs and transparency, including on the release of Epstein-related files. The episode ends with Cohen speculating about how Trump might react to criticism aired on Fox News.
Key takeaways
- Pete Buttigieg argues on Fox News that Trump’s Iran policy echoes rhetoric used to sell the Iraq war.
- Buttigieg says escalation has driven domestic costs higher and argues Trump ignored intelligence warnings about the Strait of Hormuz.
- A CNN exchange is shown in which Caroline Sunshine claims the US has been “at war” with Iran for 47 years, and is challenged on specifics and costs.
- Buttigieg alleges the Trump administration removed the names of four service members killed in action to sustain a claim the US is not at war.
- Cohen claims Trump has broken campaign promises on prices, war, and transparency, and predicts a backlash to the Fox News criticism.