Trump and Pete Hegseth Under Fire as Questions of Competence Mount in Iran War
4/16/202632 min
Today is the last day to vote! We’ve been nominated for a Webby Award for Best News & Politics Podcast! Now it’s time to bring it home — and we need your help. Cast your vote HERE: https://wbby.co/57448N Scott Galloway and Jessica Tarlov break down a rapidly escalating global crisis as the Iran ceasefire nears expiration and peace talks teeter on the edge of collapse. With Pakistan stepping in as a potential mediator and no clear diplomatic breakthrough in sight, questions are mounting about whether the U.S. is edging closer to renewed military action. Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth has warned the U.S. is prepared to resume combat operations if negotiations fail, including the possibility of strikes on Iranian infrastructure and expanded military pressure at sea. At the same time, calls for accountability are growing in Washington, with Democrats moving toward impeachment efforts amid mounting criticism of the administration’s handling of the conflict. The political fallout is spreading. Donald Trump is weighing in on China’s role in the region, even as global markets continue to hit record highs—raising questions about whether investors are underestimating the risk of escalation. Meanwhile, a major Senate vote on U.S. weapons policy toward Israel underscores deepening divisions inside Congress over America’s role in the region. They also examine Health Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr.’s contentious testimony on Capitol Hill and the broader cultural and political battles shaping his MAHA agenda. Finally, Scott and Jessica turn to an unexpected flashpoint: growing tension between the Trump administration and Pope Leo over the moral framing of the war, and what it signals about the shifting alignment between religion and American politics. Pre-order Jessica’s new book, I Disagree: https://www.penguinrandomhouse.com/books/803493/i-disagree-by-jessica-tarlov/ Follow Jessica Tarlov, @JessicaTarlov Follow Prof G, @profgalloway Follow Raging Moderates, @RagingModeratesPod Subscribe to our YouTube Channel: https://www.youtube.com/@RagingModerates Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices
Clips
Transcript preview
First 90 secondsSpeaker 00:00
[upbeat music] Breaking news. The world is a mess, and it seems like it's just getting worse. So how do you find a way to move forward?
Astead Herndon0:09
Being hopeful acknowledges and embraces that things are difficult and asks, "Where can we go from here?"
Speaker 00:15
Why our future depends on our ability to hope. That's this week on Explain It to Me. New episodes wherever you get your podcasts.
Scott Galloway· Host0:24
[upbeat music] Secretary Hegseth is just sort of become almost the poster child, emblematic of how incompetent this administration is and how this sort of frat jock meets testosterone, meets Bitcoin, meets head up your ass, weird, reckless, you don't even know what you don't know. I mean, it's sort of like at first, at first it was unbelievable, then it became upsetting, and now it's just sort of like just disgusting. It's just sort of like, for God's sakes, can we get someone competent to get up there and talk about it? [upbeat music] Welcome to Raging Moderates. I'm Scott Galloway.
Jessica Tarlov· Host1:11
And I'm Jessica Tarlov.
Scott Galloway· Host1:12
If you aren't already, please make sure to subscribe to our YouTube page to stay up to date on all the political news. Also, before we begin, Jess has an announcement, but even before that, more self-promotion. Please go to the Webbys page and vote for Raging Moderates.
Jessica Tarlov· Host1:25
It's the last day you can do it, and then we'll never ask you again.
Scott Galloway· Host1:28
The last day you can do it- Until next year ... and we,