Late Night with Seth Meyers Podcast Nicolle Wallace | Trump & MAGA Clash Over Sending Troops to Iran; Hegseth Splurges on Steak & Lobster: A Closer Look
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Mar 12, 2026 
Nicolle Wallace, MSNBC political commentator known for Deadline: White House, breaks down chaotic messaging and mixed signals from the Trump administration. She discusses confusion over plans for Iran, reactions to criticism from figures like Robert De Niro, and the political and economic fallout of unclear military choices. Quick, pointed takes on strategy, personnel decisions, and communication failures.
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Pentagon War Rhetoric Versus Lavish Spending
- Pete Hegseth framed the Pentagon as focused on "warfighting" while oversight found millions spent on steak, lobster tails, cable TV and a $98,000 Steinway piano.
- Seth contrasts Hegseth's "maximum lethality" rhetoric with a watchdog report showing $15M steak and $6.9M lobster in one month, undermining the message.
Republican Mixed Messages On Iran Objectives
- Republicans offered wildly inconsistent explanations for the Iran operation, alternating between "not about regime change" and "absolutely regime change."
- Seth plays clips of GOP figures saying opposite things, highlighting lack of a unified objective or coherent messaging.
Mixed Signals About Sending Troops To Iran
- President Trump privately considered putting U.S. boots on the ground in Iran while publicly offering conflicting statements about troop deployment plans.
- Clips show officials and the president both refusing to rule out "boots on the ground" and then denying intent, revealing strategic ambiguity.