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Today in Politics, Bulletin 319. 3/2/26

Ron Filipkowski Mar 2 ∙

… CENTCOM: “4 US service members have been killed in action. The fourth service member, who was seriously wounded during Iran’s initial attacks, eventually succumbed to their injuries. Major combat operations continue and our response effort is ongoing.”

… Drop Site News: “Over the past 24 hours, we have heard via witnesses that the number of US personnel injured in Iranian attacks in Kuwait is much higher than has been acknowledged. CENTCOM has not responded to our requests for comment.”

… CNN later reported the death toll is now up to at least 6 US service members.

… CENTCOM: “At 11:03 p.m. ET, March 1, 3 US F-15E Strike Eagles flying in support of Operation Epic Fury went down over Kuwait due to an apparent friendly fire incident. During active combat—that included attacks from Iranian aircraft, ballistic missiles, and drones — the US Air Force fighter jets were mistakenly shot down by Kuwaiti air defenses.”

… “All 6 aircrew ejected safely, have been safely recovered, and are in stable condition. Kuwait has acknowledged this incident, and we are grateful for the efforts of the Kuwaiti defense forces and their support in this ongoing operation. The cause of the incident is under investigation.”

… Joint Chiefs Chair Dan Caine: “I am aware of the loss of three US Air Force F-15s overnight in the region. I am grateful for the safety of the crews and we know that this was not from hostile enemy fire. As this matter is under investigation, I'll not comment further.”

… Caine held a joint press conference with Pete Hegseth today, since Hegseth is unable to handle it on his own even though he is only primarily calling on right-wing media and MAGA influencers since the real Pentagon press has been banned from the briefing room.

… CNN’s media reporter Brian Stelter: “The Pentagon has severely restricted access to info in the past year. Hegseth credentialed a MAGA media ‘press corps’ last fall after traditional news outlets rejected new press pass rules that media lawyers said criminalized routine reporting. Journalists from some traditional outlets were allowed to attend this morning’s press conference. But Hegseth only answered questions from his chosen outlets.”

… “I’m told he had a pre-selected list of questioners, and all the reporters were in assigned seats, so he knew who to call on. When NBC’s Courtney Kube tried to get a question in anyway, Hegseth dismissed it as a ‘typical NBC sort of gotcha-type question.’”

• Hegseth: “Israel has clear missions as well for which we are grateful. Capable partners are good partners, unlike so many of our traditional allies who wring their hands and clutch their pearls, hemming and hawing about the use of force.”

… European foreign policy analyst Jimmy Rushton: “The US spent months threatening, insulting and belittling their ‘traditional allies’ and is now whining that they don’t want to join America’s latest war in the Middle East. Actions, meet consequences.

• “No stupid rules of engagement, no nation building quagmire, no democracy building exercise, no politically correct wars. We fight to win and we don’t waste time or lives. As the president warned, an effort of this scope will include casualties. War is hell and always will be.”

• When Courtney Kube asked how long the bombing will last: “Typical NBC sort of gotcha type question. President Trump has all the latitude in the world to talk about how long it may or may not take—4 weeks, 2 weeks, 6 weeks. It could move up. It could move back. So you can play games about 4 weeks, 5 weeks.”

• “It turns out the regime who chanted death to America was gifted death from America.”

• On the 4 confirmed US deaths so far: “An effort of this scope will include casualties. War is hell. Hegseth: Every once in a while you might have one, we call it a squirter, that makes its way through. And in that particular case, it happened to hit a tactical operation center that was fortified.”

• “We didn’t start this war, but under President Trump, we are finishing it.”

• Q - “Is there a concern of this spiraling into a longer war? Hegseth: Did you not hear my remarks? We would never in front of a press pool, lay out how long that may take the mission for our warfighters, which is what matters to us, is very, very clear. And they’re executing it right now violently.”

… Sen. Andy Kim (D-NJ): “No imminent threat identified. We did start this war, without a real plan or exit strategy. This can’t be a war without end.”

• Q - “Are there currently any American boots on the ground in Iran? Hegseth: No, but we’re not going to go into the exercise of what we will or will not do. President Trump ensures that our enemies understand we’ll go as far as we need to go to advance American interests. But we’re not dumb.”

… Dan Caine then chimed in: “The military objectives will take some time to achieve and in some cases will be difficult and gritty work. We expect to take additional losses and as always, we will work to minimize us losses. But as the secretary said, this is major combat operations.”

… Marco Rubio had his own press gaggle at the Capitol: “I’ve been asked: why now? One reason why is it was abundantly clear that if Iran came under attack by anyone, the US or Israel or anyone, they were going to respond and respond against the US.
If we stood and waited for that attack to come first, before we hit them, we would suffer much higher casualties.”

… “We knew that there was going to be an Israeli action, and we knew that that would precipitate an attack against American forces.”

… So he's saying that he knew Israel was going to attack Iran and he believed Iran would retaliate by attacking US bases, so we had to strike first since Israel was going to get US forces attacked. Interesting statement.

… Ghida Fakhy, host of TRT World News: “So now the ‘imminent threat’ was that Iran would hit back after being attacked by Israel? That’s why the US launched this devastating war and plunged the region into chaos - instead of pressuring its closest ally not to attack in the first place. Impressive logic: start a war to stop the retaliation you expect from starting a war. That’s a very creative definition of ‘imminent threat.’”

… Rep. Joaquin Castro (D-TX): “Rubio's remarks indicate that Israel put US forces in harm's way by insisting on attacking Iran. And the admin was complicit—joining their war instead of talking them down. This is unacceptable of the President, and unacceptable of a country that calls itself our ally.”

… Rep. Lloyd Doggett (D-TX): “Rubio confirms that, like last year’s attack on Iran, Trump was just too weak to tell Netanyahu NO, as George W. Bush had done. Trump talks tough, brandishes military might, but cannot stand up to strongmen whether Netanyahu or Putin.”

… Sen. Ruben Gallego (D-AZ): “What the fuck happened to America First?”

… Meidas reporter Pablo Manriquez got Rubio to admit that Trump knew his strikes on Iran were going to raise gas prices for Americans: Q - “What’s your message to Americans who are concerned about this causing energy prices to rise? Rubio: We knew that going in that it would be a factor so we have a program in place that will begin to be implemented.”

… There is no program in place. Gas prices are going up.

… Fox host Jesse Watters: “Gas prices are gonna jump. Mortgage rates are already ticking up. You're gonna see a little inflation. But if it's a successful operation, prices are gonna go way down and the stock market is going to rip. And we'll have full control over the oil rich Middle East.”

… Meanwhile, Trump finally returned the WH after several days in Palm Beach and had a Medal of Honor ceremony today. Getty photographer Saul Loeb got a photo of a red rash on Trump’s neck, which has been there for about a week but has gotten much worse. His hand also looked pretty bad and was heavily covered in makeup.

… Trump at the ceremony to medal recipients and their families: “See that nice drape? When that comes down right now you see a very very deep hole, but in about a year and half you’re gonna see a very very beautiful building. And there’s your entrance to it right there. In fact, it looks so nice I think I’ll leave it and save money on the doors. I picked those drapes. I always liked gold. I believe it will be the most beautiful ballroom anywhere in the world.”

… Gavin Newsom: “4 US soldiers have tragically fallen in Trump’s reckless, chaotic war with Iran. California salutes the courage and enduring sacrifice of our service members and their loved ones. But our Commander in Chief? Don’t worry, he’s focused on what really matters: himself.”

… Trump continued on about the ballroom: “We are already substantially ahead of our time projections, but whatever the time is, it’s ok. Whatever it takes. They said, the president wants to do it really quickly. After that, he will get bored. I don’t get bored. There is nothing boring about this. If I got bored, I wouldn’t be standing here.”

… Retired Army Vet Dave Thul: “If I were an American family who just got the news that their loved one was killed in combat, I think I would throw something at the TV if I saw this.”

… Trump: “It will be under budget and ahead of schedule. It will be $400 million or less.”

… He originally said was going to cost $200 million. Then he said $250 million. Then $300 million. But now it's going to come in “under budget” at $400 million.

… Journalist Mike Rothschild: “It’s worth noting that Trump is putting infinitely more effort into selling his ballroom to the American people than anyone in his admin is on selling the attack on Iran.”

… Rep. Jason Crow (D-CO) on MS NOW: “Friday night, Trump filmed this tough video where he talked about war and the cost of war and how hard it’s gonna be and how we’re gonna lose troops, then he literally went behind the curtain and hosted a million dollar a plate dinner and dance party at Mar-a-Lago. That tells you everything you need to know.”

… Axios: “No president in the modern era has ordered more military strikes against as many different countries as Trump. He’s attacked 7 nations, 3 of which - Iran, Nigeria and Venezuela - had never been targeted by US military strikes. He authorized more individual air strikes in 2025 than President Biden did in 4 years.”

… NYT did a brief phone interview of Trump. “Trump said he had ‘3 very good choices’ about who could lead Iran, although he declined to name them. The president offered a variety of often inconsistent visions of how a new govt could take shape after the targeted killing of Ayatollah Khamenei.”

… “When pressed on his plans for a transition of power, Trump said he hoped Iran’s elite military forces - including hardened officers of the IRGC who have held substantial influence and profited from the existing regime - would simply turn over their weapons to the Iranian populace. It was those same security forces - in particular, the Basij, which organizes local militia - that opened fire on street protesters in Jan and killed thousands.”

… Trump: “They would really surrender to the people, if you think about it.”

… Then he offered a very different model of what the transition of power in Iran might look like, referring repeatedly to his experience in Venezuela after he ordered a Delta Force team to seize Maduro: “What we did in Venezuela, I think, is the perfect, the perfect scenario.”

… ABC’s Jonathan Karl also did a phone interview with Trump: “He sounded, to me, like a president that feels invincible. He told me this about the death of Khamenei: ‘I got him before he got me. They tried twice. Well I got him first.’”

… Trump then said he was looking for another member of the Iranian regime to take over just like in Venezuela, but he’s not sure that’s going to work now: “The attack was so successful it knocked out most of the candidates. It's not going to be anybody that we were thinking of because they are all dead. Second or third place is dead."

… Sen. Lindsey Graham was giddy on Fox: “Cuba is next! They are going to fall. Their days are numbered!”

… CNN host Pamela Brown live on air: “President Trump just told my colleague Jake Tapper that the big wave is yet to come, so clearly things are gonna be escalating, not deescalating.”

As I expected, another busy day with war news dominating everything else for the third straight day. We have the Texas primary tomorrow - which will be huge for both parties, then the House returns on Wednesday so things should begin to pick up with other news.

If you missed yesterday’s Bulletin recapping the entire weekend, you can find it here.

Meidas+ is a reader-supported publication. To receive new posts and support my work, consider becoming a free or paid subscriber.

… NY Sun: “Several of the FBI agents and personnel fired last week were members of a counterintelligence squad that focused on threats that included those involving the Iranian regime. The ouster of at least a dozen staffers from a counterintelligence unit, known as CI-12, was ordered by FBI Director Kash Patel.”

… The dismissals came just days before the start of Operation Epic Fury and, separately, a deadly mass shooting at a bar in Austin, Texas, by a man reportedly wearing a sweatshirt that said, ‘Property of Allah,’ beneath which was a T-shirt that

was ‘emblazoned with a design similar to the Iranian flag.’”

… CNN confirmed with the Pentagon that Scott Jennings’ “report” yesterday from a “source” was a lie: “Pentagon briefers made a stark acknowledgment, and that was that there was no indication that Iran was preparing to preemptively strike US bases. They acknowledged to congressional staff in a briefing that Iran was not planning to strike US forces or bases in the Middle East unless Israel attacked Iran first.”

… WaPo: Pentagon officials are sounding the alarm behind the scenes about US air defense stockpiles running out if the fighting goes on that long. Each retaliatory attack by Iran requires US air defense interceptors- which are limited. Dan Caine has already cautioned the WH that weapons shortages and limited allied support would significantly increase the risks to troops.

… One insider: “The mood here is intense and paranoid.”

… Another source: “There is concern about this lasting more than a few days. I don’t think people have fully absorbed yet, like, what that has done with stockpiles.”

… Karen Piper: “Reminder: Someone leaked to the press last week - ‘The Pentagon’s top general has cautioned that shortfalls in critical munitions and a lack of support from allies will add significant risk to the operation and to US personnel.’ Trump didn’t listen.”

… National security analyst Brandon Weichert: “It wasn’t someone. It was Caine’s subordinate. And I have sneaking suspicion that Vice-Admiral Kacher, the man who did the leak, did so under orders from Caine, who didn’t know how else to get his concerns to the president in a way that Trump would actually LISTEN.”

… Malcolm Davis with the Australian Strategic Policy Institute: “The reality that the US and its allies are facing the challenge of very limited stockpiles of guided weapons - both strike and missile defense.”

… Rep. Adam Smith, ranking member of House Armed Services: “At this point, it’s on. It’s not like we can say: ‘Hey, Iran, we’re out of missile defense systems now so we’re going to pause for a moment. Is that okay?’ It will stretch our ability to defend everything that we need to defend.”

… Rep. Keith Self (R-TX) on Newsmax: “All of the members of Congress that are bellyaching need to stop it. We’ve got young Americans in harm’s way today. If you’ve got a complaint, let’s deal with it afterwards, but right now if Congress wants to do something, let’s get the defense industrial base moving faster.”

… And there it is. Get ready for Republicans to tee up a massive new special appropriations bill to replace and add more missiles for Trump to play with after he’s wiped all ours out in his various adventures.

… Sen. Ruben Gallego (D-AZ): “When the bill comes to pay for the replenishment of interceptors and munitions the Middle Eastern countries that we have been protecting need to pay for it. We aren’t cutting more Medicaid, food stamps for protecting these countries in a war of choice and not in our interest.”

… Realtor.com issued this statement: “US-Israeli strikes on Iran are pushing mortgage rates higher as oil prices surge and inflation fears dominate bond markets. Although Iran produces only 3% of global oil, about 20% of crude shipments pass through the nearby Strait of Hormuz, raising concerns about supply disruptions and higher shipping costs. Higher oil prices typically lead to inflation fears, which send bond yields, and mortgage rates, upward.”

… Right-wing podcaster Nick Fuentes: “What does this admin do other than cover up the Epstein files, embezzle money through govt contracts and bring us to war for Israel? This admin needs to be shut down immediately. Do not vote in the midterms, and if you do, vote Democrat. Fuck this. That is what the Republicans deliver. That is what our golden age looks like. What does this admin do other than embezzle money, go to war with Iran and bury the Epstein files?”

… Netanyahu visited the area where some Israelis were killed by Iran in a retaliatory strike: “You see the difference? The tyrants of Tehran target civilians. We target the tyrants of Tehran to protect civilians.”

… Jordan Uhl with MoveOn responded to Netanyahu’s claim: “This demon suggesting Israel ‘protects civilians’ after the last few years in Gaza shows what a sociopath he is.”

… Rep. Anna Paulina Luna (R-FL) left her comfort zone on Fox to venture onto MS NOW. It didn’t go well for her: “The regime has been responsible for the deaths of thousands of Americans. Host: Can you tell me where they killed thousands of Americans in America? Luna: I didn’t say they killed them in America. I said they are responsible for thousand of them being killed. Host: Where? Luna: I don’t know.”

… Sen. Markwayne Mullin on Fox: "War is ugly. It smells bad. If anybody has ever been there and been able to smell the war that's happening around you and taste it, and feel it in your nostrils, it's something you'll never forget. And fortunately you have President Hegseth - or Secretary Hegseth. President Hegseth has been there."

… Yes, he called Hegseth “president” twice. He also referred to Iran as “Iraq” several times. He also never served in the military or has been on a combat zone.

… Rep. Nancy Mace (R-SC) on Newsmax: “What most of America does not know are the classified briefings many of us have had on the House Armed Services Committee and Intel Committee. You don’t realize just how close Iran was to getting a nuclear weapon.”

… No, we know. Netanyahu has been telling us that Iran was weeks away for the last 25 years. But also I thought Trump “completely obliterated” it months ago and said it would take them many years to recover?

… Q - “What is your reaction to 3 US service members being killed? Mace: I want to thank President Trump for his speech today acknowledging those who sacrificed. I believe President Trump will go down as the most consequential president in American history.”

… Hakeem Jeffries on CNN: “The American people want us to focus on making their life better, making their life more affordable, not getting involved in another endless war in the Middle East that is going to end in failure. This admin somehow found billions of dollars for bombs, but can’t find any money to actually bring down the high cost of living here in the US.”

… Jeffries: “We’re seeing the beginning of an all-out war in the Middle East at the same time Trump and his admin and Republicans have cut more than a trillion dollars from Medicaid, ripped away food in terms of nutritional assistance, and they’re spending our taxpayer dollars to start another war.”

… Wired: “WIRED has reviewed hundreds of posts on X, some of which have racked up millions of views, that promote misleading claims about the locations and scale of the attack. Elon Musk’s social media platform is a verifiable mess: In some cases, alleged video footage of the attack shared in posts on X are actually months or years old.”

… “In several posts, video footage of apparent attacks have been attributed to incorrect locations. A number of images shared on X appear to be altered or generated with AI. Other posts attempt to pass off video game footage as scenes from the conflict.”

… “X did not respond to a request for comment. Under Musk’s stewardship, X has become a haven for disinformation, especially during major breaking-news events. At the beginning of the Israel-Hamas war, and more recently during anti-immigration enforcement protests in LA, the platform has drowned in inaccurate and faulty posts.”

… “Almost all of the most viral posts reviewed by WIRED on Sat came from accounts with blue check marks, meaning they pay X for its premium service and could be eligible to earn money based on how much engagement their posts generate, even if the content is false.”

… Texas Gov. Greg Abbott posted and then later deleted a clip because it turned out that it was from a video game:

… AP: “The war in the Middle East spiraled further Monday as Israel and the US pounded Iran. Tehran and its allies hit back against Israel, neighboring Gulf states, and targets critical to the world’s production of oil and natural gas. The intensity of the attacks, the killing of Ayatollah Khamenei, and the lack of any apparent exit plan indicated the conflict would not end anytime soon.”

… “It was already having far-reaching consequences: Safe havens in the Mideast like Dubai have seen incoming fire; hundreds of thousands of airline passengers are stranded around the globe; oil prices shot up; and US allies pledged to help stop Iranian missiles and drones.”

… “Iran has long threatened, if attacked, to drag the region into total war, including targeting Israel, the Gulf Arab states and the flow of crude oil crucial for global energy markets. All of these came under attack on Monday.”

… Amichai Stein with i24 News (Israel): “Out of all my conversations with senior officials in the Gulf states, they were completely shocked by the intensity of the Iranian fire.”

… One official: “We were certain that after the elimination of Khamenei they would respond - but right now they’re aiming at population centers, not just military facilities; this is completely insane and this is conduct that makes no sense on their part.”

… Another senior official: “This is way beyond what we thought would happen.”

… Semafor: “Private security companies have been booking fleets of SUVs to ferry people on the 10-hour drive to Riyadh from Dubai and then charter private planes to take them out of the region. They have been evacuating a mix of people, including senior executives at global finance firms and high-net worth individuals in the region for business or holidays.”

… Ameerh Naran, CEO of Vimana Private jets, said emergency flights out to Europe are costing as much as $350,000: “Saudi Arabia is the only real option for people who want to get out of the region right now.”

… Maj. Gen. Randy Manner (Ret.), who is currently stranded in the UAE, to CNN: “One of the small things that does matter to tens of thousands of people here as well as their families - it’s a little bit disheartening to hear that the UK govt is arranging transport for the British citizens, whereas here as Americans we feel abandoned. The State Dept is in survival mode because as we know the admin reduced their budget by almost half.”

… Axios: “GOP operatives say they’re worried that their worst possible scenario is unfolding in the Texas Senate primaries. Sen. John Cornyn‘s seat has long been a virtual lock for the GOP. But competitive races in both parties’ primaries Tues - and the national headwinds facing Republicans - have blown up all assumptions.”

… “Republicans widely believe James Talarico and his ‘progressive Christian’ campaign pitch would be a tougher general election opponent than Jasmine Crockett, a liberal who’s drawn national attention with her sharp criticism of the Trump admin. At the same time, GOP strategists say Texas AG Ken Paxton - a MAGA loyalist they regard as a weaker Nov candidate than Cornyn - has the advantage over the senator on Tues.”

… A GOP operative: “A Paxton vs. Talarico match in Nov would be unnecessarily competitive and costly for Republicans.”

… Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent: “At the direction of POTUS, the Treasury is terminating all use of Anthropic products, including the use of its Claude platform, within our dept. The American people deserve confidence that every tool in govt serves the public interest, and under Trump no private company will ever dictate the terms of our national security.”

… Dep. AG Todd Blanche defended the FBI providing a SWAT team to protect Kash Patel’s girlfriend Alexis Wilkins during her travels as a MAGA influencer and aspiring country music star: “Security for those serving our nation is assessed based on threat level, and this extends to loved ones.”

… The full video was released today of the depositions of both Bill and Hillary Clinton. Bill was asked about a conversation he had while golfing with Trump: “He somehow knew I had flown in Jeffrey Epstein's aircraft. And he said, ‘You know, we had some great times together over the years, but we fell out all because of a real estate deal.’ and he said, ‘I'm sorry it happened.’”

… Hillary had this exchange with Lauren Boebert: “There are many comments in the files that suggest that Epstein knew you personally. In one file, Mr. Epstein is commenting, ‘Hey, Hillary Clinton is much prettier in person.’” Hillary’s lawyer begins to object but Hillary interrupted, “Well, I’m not going to object to that.”

… Trump posted his support of Rep. Andy Barr’s bill to create a new $250 bill with his face on it: “America is turning 250 - and it’s time to make more history! I met with Scott Bessent on my proposal to put Trump on a new $250 bill. Let’s honor 250 years of American greatness by celebrating the President who put America First!”