Thursday on the RealClearPolitics podcast, Tom Bevan, Andrew Walworth, and Phil Wegmann discuss how questions about Iran are roiling the Trump administration as the war approaches its fourth week, including the resignation of Joe Kent and whether DNI Tulsi Gabbard can remain aligned with the administration. They also cover yesterday’s confirmation hearings for Sen. Markwayne Mullin to become the next secretary of Homeland Security. RCP contributor John J. Waters joins the show to discuss the War Department asking Congress for $ 200 billion to continue the war, and whether U.S. and Israeli interests in Iran align. The panel also considers the investigation into former DHS staffer Corey Lewandowski and a report saying the economy is more “service-based” than ever before. You can listen to the show live, weekdays at 11:00 a.m. on SiriusXM’s Megyn Kelly Channel 111, and then on Apple, Spotify, YouTube, and here on our website. *** The show opens with the resignation of Joe Kent, the now-former director of the National Counterterrorism Center, and his interview with Tucker Carlson disputing the notion that Iran was an imminent threat to the U.S. and blaming the Israel lobby for triggering it. RCP WH correspondent Phil Wegmann reports: “Vice President Vance summed up the administration’s response when he said, ‘Look, if you are not going to be a team player, we welcome your dissent, and we welcome your resignation. If you don’t agree with the plays being called, you need to leave.'” “Numerous sources say these anti-interventionists are overrepresented, a vocal but small minority, and that on the way out the door they can kick up a lot of dust,” Wegmann added. “The polling would suggest that Republicans are on board with this conflict, that they still trust Trump, and that’s not going to change.” “The polling’s bullshit,” RCP co-founder Tom Bevan said. “I don’t buy this idea that 100% of MAGA is on board. I mean, that’s just not true.” “Joe Kent is almost like a Rorschach test,” Bevan said. “This was one of his core campaign promises, and he has now broken it.” “If this thing really goes sideways-and Republicans are already probably going to lose the House-but if they lose the Senate too, and it’s just Trump battling Democrats, that’s going to be a very serious blow to Trump and Trumpism. He will be a complete lame duck.” *** At minute 12, they turn to Director of National Intelligence Tulsi Gabbard, a close ally of Kent whose entire political brand was based on opposing new wars. Will she be the next one out the door, and what impact could that have on the Trump administration? “She sold T-shirts that said ‘No War With Iran!’ when she was a candidate for the presidency,” Wegmann said. “Tulsi Gabbard is out there parsing very carefully worded statements.” “But she kind of dodged the question of whether Iran was an imminent threat or not” during testimony yesterday, Bevan said. *** At minute 14, the panel turns to hearings yesterday where Sen. Markwayne Mullin asked to become the next secretary of Homeland Security. “With Senator Mullin, you have a heavy dose of cowboy conservatism with Southern honor culture,” Wegmann said. “He even brought up the fact that there had been duels in Congress, and that this was somehow part of the rules and normal. Chairman Paul had to say, that was 170 years ago, that’s outlawed. What are you talking about?” “The more problematic point is this guy has no experience doing this kind of work, which is the same problem that Kristi Noem had,” Tom Bevan added. “He may be a good dude, but what does that have to do with how well he can run this agency?” *** At minute 21, RCP contributor John J. Waters joins the panel to discuss the Trump administration asking Congress for $ 200 billion to continue the war in Iran, whether U.S. and Israeli interests are aligned, and the potential value of capturing Kharg Island. How is this different from previous conflicts during the “war on terror”? “What I see from Congress is a lot of prevaricating and a lot of avoiding and a lot of arguing over procedural mechanics-who has the authority to go to war, not why are we at war,” Waters said. In the polling, 65% of the people don’t feel like they’re being explained to why we’re at war. That starts with Congress, in my opinion, and they need to speak up.” “The U.S.-Israeli partnership, our alliance, seems very strong and potent,” he said. “But our interests diverge. We are not the same. It is an alliance. It is a partnership, but we’re not one and the same. And so we have to be mindful. We have to know explicitly where our interests diverge.” *** At minute 36, the panel discusses House Democrats starting an investigation of DHS staffer Corey Lewandowski relating to the $ 220 million spent on ads promoting deportation. “This is the dress rehearsal for investigations that will come next year if Democrats take control of the House,” Wegmann said. “This is an opportunity for the administration to get a scalp when they are pursuing what can be sold as good-government ends. Was taxpayer money used inappropriately?” *** Finally, at minute 42, the group looks at a new piece from the Wall Street Journal highlighting service-based businesses outpacing retail stores for the first time ever: “America Now Has More Spas and Gyms Than Stores Selling Actual Stuff” *** Don’t miss a single episode of the RealClearPolitics weeknight radio show – subscribe at Apple, Spotify, or wherever you listen to podcasts.
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