Always at War – Is Trump Already Losing Control of the Iran War?
On this emergency episode of Always at War, Courtney and Alex are joined by Kelley Vlahos, Editor-in-Chief of Responsible Statecraft, to discuss the US-Israel attack on Iran and subsequent war.
First, they discuss why Trump chose war over diplomacy, whether the administration is feeling a sugar high after regime change in Venezuela, and why the endgame in Tehran remains dangerously unclear.
Next, they examine the fracturing of the “MAGA” coalition around the war. Kelley explains why influential voices on the right are breaking with the White House, and how the administration is “running scared” from backlash within its political base.
Then, they look at the generational divide that this war is exposing in US society and culture. From the “normie” echo chamber on Fox News to the democratization of information on TikTok and podcasts, they explore whether legacy media is losing its grip on the narrative, and why young Americans are more skeptical of war than ever before.
Finally, they tackle the “Culture of War” in Washington. Kelley shares her insights from decades reporting in the nation’s capital, detailing how the military-industrial complex has become a “self-licking ice cream cone” that treats peace as a personal threat to status and profit.
