IS TRUMP IN A FUGUE STATE ABOUT IRAN? - 3.12.26

20 snips

Mar 12, 2026

A fierce take on shifting White House signals about Iran and whether leadership is aware of the consequences. Analysis of briefings that reveal no clear plan and the political calculus of claiming victory or withdrawing. Reporting on Russia’s reported role helping Iran’s drone tactics and on conflicting casualty and cyber-retaliation accounts. Plus media-side gaffes, Pentagon photo bans, and archival sports nostalgia.

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INSIGHT

Hormuz Escorts Won't Solve The Oil Problem

Olbermann questions the feasibility of escorting tankers through the Strait of Hormuz, citing Wall Street Journal estimates showing slow escort pace and high costs.
He points out Iran is exporting more oil through Hormuz now than before the conflict, undermining claimed U.S. objectives.

ANECDOTE

Trump's Distraction With Epstein-Adjacent Mockery

Olbermann describes Trump prioritizing a mocking post about Larry Summers over burying Epstein files, illustrating Trump's distraction and priorities.
He quotes Trump's tweet: 'Punxsutawney Phil sees zero more years of summers.' as an example of tone-deafness.

ANECDOTE

Pentagon Briefings Closed Over Unflattering Photos

Olbermann reports on Pete Hegseth banning AP and Getty photographers from Pentagon Iran briefings because he found their photos unflattering.
He ridicules the ban as petty and highlights that 'all images of Pete Hegseth are unflattering.'

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SEASON 4 EPISODE 68: COUNTDOWN WITH KEITH OLBERMANN

A-Block (2:30) SPECIAL COMMENT: Trump doesn’t REALIZE that he’s screwed in Iran. He can't decide if he's won and we should applaud now, or if he'll win later and we should applaud then - when the reality is, he's in a quagmire and about two weeks from handing the Democrats a majority that even White House strategists think might be enough to impeach AND remove him next year. Key Republicans and everybody behind the scenes in MAGA are looking for off-ramps. Does Trump know? Will he be temporarily not-a-moron and take one of them?

Is Trump in a fugue state?

Dissociative behavior? Temporary amnesia? No awareness that there are consequences? You know – his normal state – only WORSE. First about Iran he said “any time I want it to end, it will end." Now about Iran he says it will continue indefinitely until they quote “literally could never build that country back.”

Is there a strategy? A plan? Anything? In the most important document of the war, Senator Chris Murphy told us what he could of a semi-confidential briefing about Iran by the administration. They seem to think all they have to do is destroy all of Iran's armaments and they'll never ever find a way to replace them.

And while he’s demanding the world bend to his will, again he is helping the Russians help the Iranians try to kill our people and our allies. Monday I mentioned it was the Russians locating American Assets in the middle east for Iran's benefit. Now Trump is indirectly funding Russian advisors helping Iran with its drone strategy.

Is Trump even aware he is awake?

And what the hell is this with him trying to guess the shoe size of his cabinet members and buying them shoes that were already out of style in 1966?

PLUS what is it with Pete PTSD Hegseth? He has now BANNED all outside photographers from Pentagon briefings because he thought the Associated Press images of him were unflattering. But ALL images of Pete Hegseth are unflattering.

B-Block (32:00) THE WORST PERSONS IN THE WORLD: Poor Adnan Virk misses by an inch after trying to out-sing Michael Buble. Bill Maher gets run over at an NBA game. Alina Habba brings us her umpteenth malapropism; she can't tell her Cahoots from her Cajones; and the Chairman of the House Intelligence Committee can't tell the difference between 1947 and 47 years.

C-Block (45:00) THINGS I PROMISED NOT TO TELL: Hardly that. Things I found on an ancient cassette. A bunch of radio sportscasts I did in my first 90 days in this business - just the other day (in 1979). Enjoy, or skip them, I won't be offended either way.

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