After Party with Emily Jashinsky Trump’s Iran Gamble, War Cheerleading, and Meta Meddling, with Matt Taibbi, Plus Bill Clinton's WILD Epstein Comment
Mar 3, 2026
Matt Taibbi, independent journalist and co-founder of Racket News, digs into media narratives and intelligence playbooks. He compares current U.S. messaging on Iran to the lead-up to the 2003 Iraq war. They discuss shifting geopolitical stances, erosion of congressional war powers, and reports of Meta’s involvement in European election meddling.
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War Powers Have Been Effectively Circumvented
- Emily and Matt note U.S. war powers are effectively sidelined: administrations can craft legal rationales to authorize short-term conflict without robust Congressional approval.
- Taibbi emphasizes both parties repeatedly declined opportunities to rein in the AUMF and presidential war authority.
Objectives Clear But Military Limits Remain
- The administration's stated objectives aim to destroy Iran's missile capabilities, naval forces, proxies, and prevent nukes, but experts warn air power alone can't neutralize dispersed missile networks.
- Taibbi and Emily cite analysts saying risks include depleted interceptors, oil shocks, and potential political backlash if casualties rise.
IRGC Mahdist Doctrine Undermines Standard Deterrence
- Expert testimony highlighted IRGC indoctrination with Mahdism, claiming a theological imperative to oppose Israel which complicates typical deterrence models.
- Emily cites Raymond Ibrahim and IRGC researchers to argue Iran’s radicalization may make nuclear deterrence less predictable.