OzTrident 🥊🦘

23 years ago tonight, in an Oval Office address, George W. Bush announced the start of the Iraq War. 4,492 American service members were killed in the years that followed. 32,292 were wounded. At least 200,000 Iraqi civilians died. The humanitarian impact was immense. America wasted 9 years and 3 trillion dollars on a war that never should have happened—a war predicated on a lie, pushed by warmongering neocon politicians, and paid for by everyday people. Imagine what that $3 trillion could have bought here at home. Imagine the decade we could have spent focusing on America, our people, our place in the world. Imagine the lives our service members, stolen from us, would have lived. But instead, the president took us to war. Yet another costly quagmire in the Middle East. I voted against the Iraq War. I knew the White House would lie to Members of Congress and voters alike to manufacture the pretext for a conflict—and they did. Now, Iran is shaping up to be Iraq 2.0—new lies, new bloodthirsty politicians, still paid for by American families. Yesterday, we learned that Trump wants another $200 billion for his war. That's after Congress already gave the Pentagon more money than it even asked for in the budget. Enough is enough. It is not too late to learn from the past. Stop this madness. Bring our troops home. End this war.

@ReenieH8sTrump @RepMikeLevin LOL ya killin’ me….

@deanegan @RepMikeLevin Why should we waste our resources escorting ships through the strait? That would weaken our military why would we do that?

$200 billion. No briefing, strategy, or end game. No respect for Congress. I sit on the Appropriations Committee. I have received zero justification. Hegseth’s entire case to the American people is “it takes money to kill bad guys.” That’s an insult. To Congress and the Constitution. And most of all, to the men and women putting their lives on the line right now. Our service members are the best this country has. They are brave, skilled, and they deserve leadership worthy of their sacrifice. They deserve a clear mission. A defined objective. A strategy that someone in this administration has actually thought through. They are not props for a policy that nobody can consistently explain. Yes, a nuclear-armed Iran is a threat. I believe that. But how we confront that threat matters. The path we take matters. The cost in lives and dollars matters. And who gets to weigh in on all of that matters. That’s not weakness. That’s the Constitution. First the reports were $50 billion. Then $100 billion. Now $200 billion. With no breakdown, no timeline, no accountability. Where the hell are my Republican House colleagues? Collins and Murkowski are asking questions in the Senate. The House is silent. That silence is a dereliction of duty. We are a co-equal branch of government. The power of the purse is ours. This is not a technicality. It is the last line of defense against exactly this kind of reckless blank-check governance. Our troops deserve better. The American people deserve better. nytimes.com/2026/03/19/wor…

Despite the rhetoric, the White House confirmed this week that the US Navy has NOT yet escorted any commercial tankers through. No allied nation has faced kamikaze drones at sea. Yet Trump is calling out allies for not sending ships to the Strait of Hormuz, but here’s the reality: the U.S. Navy hasn't started escorts either. Why? Because being the "largest navy" doesn't mean you're ready for 2026 drone warfare. 🧵 1/ The Escort Gap: Despite the rhetoric, the White House confirmed this week that the US Navy has NOT yet escorted any commercial tankers through. Energy Secretary Chris Wright even admitted we "aren't ready" for full-scale convoy ops against Iran’s current asymmetric setup. 2/ The Tech Problem: We’re seeing a repeat of the Red Sea but worse. Iran is pumping out 10,000+ drones a month. Using a $2M missile to stop a $20k drone is a math equation that ends in a depleted magazine and a defenseless carrier. 3/ The Ukraine Factor: The only ones with real-world experience killing these swarms at scale are the Ukrainians. Zelenskyy has actually offered to send specialists to the Gulf because Ukraine’s low-cost interceptor drones are the only tech proving effective right now. 4/ Poor Form: Criticizing allies like Australia or Japan for not jumping in is a bit rich when our own high-tech fleet is currently pivoting to figure out a "Ukrainian-style" defense. We need their expertise, not just more big hulls in the water. #StraitOfHormuz #Geopolitics #MaritimeSecurity #DroneWarfare

NATO members know that Donald Trump would not value their contribution if they became involved in the Strait of Hormuz, Anne Applebaum argues: “What you’re hearing from America’s European allies is not cowardice. It’s a calculation.” Read the full article here: theatln.tc/mTyGg0LI

@RepRaskin @AryaMorganha The U.S. is one of the largest oil producers in the world. Lower transport costs… No war impact…

Mr. President, the only people making “a lot of money” from rising gas prices are wealthy oil executives and their investors. The people’s coffers are being drained by your spreading illegal war with Iran. nbcnews.com/politics/donal…

@UKDefJournal @paulmasonnews Someone had to save him. Opening the Straight of Hormuz…

The United Kingdom and a group of international partners have signalled readiness to take action to safeguard shipping through the Strait of Hormuz, following a joint statement condemning recent Iranian activity in the region. Click image for more. ukdefencejournal.org.uk/britain-signal…

@kaitlancollins Someone had to save him… Opening the Strait of Hormuz….

"No, I'm not putting troops anywhere, and if I were, I certainly wouldn't tell you," President Trump tells reporters in the Oval. "But I'm not putting troops."

@FrankLuntz Someone has to save him…

Seven U.S. allies announced their support for a potential coalition to re-open the Strait of Hormuz for commercial ships and oil tankers. The statement does not include any commitment to send naval vessels or other resources to make that happen. axios.com/2026/03/19/str…

@Osinttechnical They are coming, someone has to save him…

Hegseth: “Our ungrateful allies in Europe should be saying one thing to President Trump: thank you.”

Russian asset Pete Hegseth blames defender Ukraine and former President Biden for the trouble he's in with the war of choice Trump and Netanyahu started against Iran. What a loser!

@SecretaryBurgum @PressSec @POTUS No war impact 🤷‍♂️ Lower transport costs 🤦‍♂️

Thanks to @POTUS, the United States is the world’s top oil and natural gas producer. We are also the largest natural gas exporter and a top oil exporter. To be clear, the Trump administration has no plan to implement restrictions on oil and gas exports.

@BriansBollocks @JimFergusonUK It’s the best thing could have happened.

@deanegan @JimFergusonUK There was never any respect for the USA just freeloading

🚨 NATO IS FAILING — AND EUROPE’S LEADERS ARE PARALYSED For decades, the United States has carried NATO on its back. Funding it. Defending it. Bleeding for it. And now, when the moment comes to stand together? Silence. Hesitation. Excuses. President Trump has made it clear — the alliance is not holding its weight. But the deeper issue is even more alarming. Across Europe, governments are no longer making decisions based purely on national interest or alliance obligations… They are calculating internal pressure. Political fear. Electoral consequences. Public unrest. This is what mass, unmanaged immigration has created — a situation where leaders are increasingly hesitant to act on the world stage because of tensions at home. And the result? NATO — once the most powerful military alliance in history — is starting to look fragmented, cautious, and unreliable. While the United States and its allies face escalating threats… Europe debates. Delays. Avoids. This isn’t strength. It’s strategic paralysis. And unless that changes, the credibility of NATO itself will continue to erode. The question now is simple: Is NATO still an alliance… or just a legacy institution living on past reputation? @ACTBrigitte

@JPLindsley Why the U.S. navy won’t escort ships through the Straight of Hormuz The U.S. navy the largest navy in the world, has not escorted ONE tanker through the Strait of Hormuz - but wants allies to do it instead. Why ? Because they will be sitting ducks. youtu.be/5Fq0m3krtiM?si…

CIA Director John Ratcliffe has warned that Iran is actively seeking intelligence support from U.S. adversaries, including Russia and China, to improve its ability to target American forces amid the escalating Middle East war, though officials stopped short of publicly confirming whether such assistance is being provided. In tense congressional testimony, Ratcliffe bluntly dismissed Russian denials, stating he does not trust Vladimir Putin’s assurances, while lawmakers voiced frustration over the intelligence community’s reluctance to disclose details in open session. The episode highlights growing fears in Washington that the Iran war is evolving into a broader geopolitical alignment, where major powers may be indirectly coordinating against the U.S., even as political leaders publicly downplay the extent of that cooperation. nypost.com/2026/03/18/us-… UnderFire.News

@front_ukrainian The only thing that can open the Straight if Hormuz is Ukrainian counter drones 🤷‍♂️🤦‍♂️ The U.S. has not escorted one tanker through the Strait of Hormuz

❗️"The United States should not send ammunition to Kyiv, but use it for its own interests," — U.S. Defense Secretary Hegseth.

@SecretaryWright @PressSec @POTUS No war issues. Lower transport costs 🤷‍♂️

Thanks to @POTUS, the United States is the world’s top oil and natural gas producer. We are also the largest natural gas exporter and a top oil exporter. To be clear, the Trump administration has no plan to implement restrictions on oil and gas exports.

@SecWar @PeteHegseth

We will finish this—and we will honor their sacrifice with decisive action.

@McFaul Why the U.S. navy won’t escort ships through the Straight of Hormuz The U.S. navy the largest navy in the world, has not escorted ONE tanker through the Strait of Hormuz - but wants allies to do it instead. Why ? Because they will be sitting ducks. youtu.be/5Fq0m3krtiM?si…

What military assets do we need from NATO allies to reopen the Strait of Hormuz? I thought we had the largest, most effective navy in the world? Or is this all just political? Trump needs the symbolism of allied support for his war? Genuine questions. Post answers.

@LindseyGrahamSC Why the U.S. navy won’t escort ships through the Straight of Hormuz The U.S. navy the largest navy in the world, has not escorted ONE tanker through the Strait of Hormuz - but wants allies to do it instead. Why ? Because they will be sitting ducks. youtu.be/5Fq0m3krtiM?si…

I appreciate the recent joint statement by the United Kingdom, France, Germany, Italy, the Netherlands and Japan reinforcing their condemnation of Iran’s outrageous behavior, and its interference with freedom of navigation in the Strait of Hormuz, viciously attacking energy infrastructure and shipping vessels. It is imperative that we forever end the ability of the Iranian regime to terrorize the world, particularly vital international waterways, including the Strait of Hormuz. Since 1979, this regime in Iran has been organized around a cult of death, not enlightenment. It is my hope that our allies will more aggressively collaborate with the Trump Administration so that we can move forward together to protect the freedom of navigation and reject the concept that our lives would be governed by threats from terrorist regimes. Today’s joint statement is a very good step in the right direction. gov.uk/government/new…

Hegseth: "We're still dealing with the environment Joe Biden created—depleting our stockpiles and sending them to Ukraine instead of our own military. Every time we face a challenge, it traces back to 'Well, sent it to Ukraine.'" It looks like they’re just going to blame Ukraine whenever anything goes wrong now, doesn’t it? It’s depressing to watch because while this administration will eventually leave office, a segment of Americans will keep hating Ukraine without even remembering why.

@RepMikeLevin Why the U.S. navy won’t escort ships through the Straight of Hormuz The U.S. navy the largest navy in the world, has not escorted ONE tanker through the Strait of Hormuz - but wants allies to do it instead. Why ? Because they will be sitting ducks. youtu.be/5Fq0m3krtiM?si…

Why the U.S. navy won’t escort ships through the Straight of Hormuz The U.S. navy the largest navy in the world, has not escorted ONE tanker through the Strait of Hormuz - but wants allies to do it instead. Why ? Because they will be sitting ducks. youtu.be/5Fq0m3krtiM?si…