Why U.S. Lacked Effective Planning

As a second week of war slips by without Iran’s promised collapse, David French, David A. Graham, and Juliette Kayyem join Harry to assess the administration’s apparent unpreparedness and growing tally of grave mistakes. The group discusses the dangers that could come with a prolonged conflict and the cold comfort provided by Pete Hegseth’s rant-filled briefings. Finally, they turn to the vital news being overlooked amid the war: Trump’s relentless push to overhaul voter requirements and collect states’ voter data ahead of the midterms.

Mentioned in this episode:

David French’s analysis: https://www.nytimes.com/by/david-french#latest

David A. Graham’s reporting: https://www.theatlantic.com/author/david-a-graham/

Juliette’s analysis: https://www.theatlantic.com/author/juliette-kayyem/

ProPublica’s report about the Pentagon’s moves around civil casualties: https://www.propublica.org/article/trump-defense-department-iran-hegseth-civilian-casualties

The Atlantic’s report about a potential overhaul of the JAG Corps: https://www.theatlantic.com/national-security/2026/03/hegseth-comes-lawyers/686351/

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