Morning all, I interviewed Joe Kent, the highest ranking member of the Trump admin to resign in protest of the war. He told me that following Midnight Hammer in 2025, the DNI was increasingly sidelined and closed off with war decisions being made by an increasingly small circle of pro-Israel figures around the president. After Epic Fury they worked to get some off- ramps for Trump but never got close to presenting them. You can only guess why.
He also talks about the desperate attempt by Trump & Co to convince the American people the spiraling economic conditions are a "trade off" to avoid Iran targeting the US with nukes, which is how preposterous the rhetoric is getting today.
best,
Kelley
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Kelley Beaucar Vlahos
Editor-in-Chief, Responsible Statecraft
Senior Advisor, Quincy Institute
Washington, D.C