Tom Nichols

2nd American F15E crew member rescued and safe after complex rescue operation that began Friday morning, two senior US officials confirm to me.

I have to think there are enough Republicans senators with self respect that this won’t happen.

This is the part that keeps getting buried under the raw numbers. Hegseth spent months pressuring Army Secretary Dan Driscoll to remove four decorated colonels from the one-star promotion list. Two Black men. Two women. Driscoll refused, because their records demanded it. So Hegseth pulled their names himself… which legal experts say he likely had no authority to do. The defense secretary is supposed to approve or reject the entire list, precisely to prevent this kind of targeted discrimination. Then Army Chief of Staff Gen. Randy George - the Army’s top officer - asked to meet with Hegseth to discuss the blocked promotions. Hegseth refused to meet. Refused to discuss his decisions at all. Then he fired George. Whose term wasn’t supposed to end until September 2027. Nine U.S. officials across all four branches confirmed the NBC reporting. “There is not a single service that has been immune,” one said. The officers’ attributes being cited for removal include past support for Covid vaccine mandates… and association with Mark Milley. The Pentagon’s response to every outlet that asked: “fake news.” They didn’t dispute a single name.

Sorry, Ari. I just saw your response. I think it is hilarious that rather than actually respond to my point, you simply opted to double down on your practice of carrying water for Trump like a modern-day Gunga Din. I think it's great that NATO is spending more on defense. I think Trump can be commended for encouraging it (though the turd-polishing of some folks on this front is often embarrassing. He primarily didn't do it to "save" NATO or even to make it stronger). But all of this is irrelevant to the point you dodged. If you think Trump has handled the transatlantic alliance well since being elected to his second term, say so. Own it. Don't deflect. But if that is your position, that's pure idiocy or dishonest spin. Our NATO allies *should* step up. It would be in their interest. But Trump has made the politics of that near-impossible by threatening Greenland, claiming that our allies didn't really fight in Afghanistan and Iraq, (not Vance's Munich performance, dicking around with Ukraine) etc. Even the far right (outside of Hungary) parties hate Trump now. Then, when Trump launched this war on Iran he said he didn't need any of their help because we already won. Now, he's asking for help, but he can't concede error or even ask nicely. So he implies their all cowards who need to muster "delayed courage." Defend that Ari. Hell simply acknowledge it.