Politics and views in the United States

President Trump declares victory over Iran. Congress questions military leaders on the future of the war, and TSA workers say they’re at a breaking point over the Homeland Security shutdown.

Transcript

Welcome to 2026 Talks where we're following our democracy in historic times.

You know, you never like to say too early you won.

We won.

We won the bet.

In the first hour, it was over.

Despite ongoing fighting in Iran, President Donald Trump is declaring victory in what he calls the bet that his administration has made in Operation Epic Fury.

He's not saying when the conflict will stop.

A U.S. aerial refueling tanker has crashed in Iraq.

The fate of the crew is unknown.

Iran's new supreme leader is vowing to keep the Strait of Hormuz closed.

According to the New York Times, at least 16 tankers and cargo ships have been attacked there.

Oil is still close to $100 a barrel despite promised releases from emergency reserves.

Polls show the Iran war is deeply unpopular and the stock markets are down sharply.

The Pentagon estimates the first six days cost more than $11 billion, with every day after costing possibly another billion.

Congressional Democrats point out this spending comes at the same time as deep cuts in healthcare and nutrition.

Massachusetts Senator Elizabeth Warren said the administration apparently planned the war well ahead of time but put no effort into safeguarding Americans caught in the region when it started.

"The Trump administration chose this war, they planned this war for months, and they made no plans to safeguard hundreds of thousands of Americans in the region.

There is no excuse for this."

Analysts from the Atlantic Council say the air war will severely weaken Iran's military capabilities but isn't likely to cause the government to collapse.

Gulf nations hit in Iranian counterattacks got the UN Security Council to vote for condemning those attacks, but American Ambassador Mike Waltz says Iran's actions prior to the war justify the conflict and show why the country shouldn't be allowed to have a nuclear weapon.

Iran has supported terrorist violence against civilians around the world and as we all just saw in recent months, massacred its own people.

Police are treating an attack on a Michigan synagogue as a quote targeted act of violence.

A man was killed after ramming his truck into the building.

A security guard was the only other person injured.

Meanwhile senate democrats have again stopped a budget for the Homeland Security Department demanding reforms after two protesters were shot dead by federal agents earlier this year.

Republicans in the house are blocking an alternative Democratic plan that would fund DHS except for ice and the border patrol

Employees at FEMA the TSA and the Coast Guard have worked without their paychecks.

Indiana TSA agents say the shutdown is taking a toll at Indianapolis International Airport.

Kevin Smith with the American Federation of Government Employees Local says agents are still recovering from the last shutdown.

A lot of my officers are trying to pay back the loans they took out to survive the first time.

So we got two or three paychecks and then boom, here we are again.

Federal law requires TSA agents to receive back pay once the shutdown ends, but Smith says around half a dozen TSA officers at Indianapolis International quit since the shutdown began.

Airlines are expected to see a record 171 million passengers during March and April, and they're already seeing longer security lines.

I'm Edwin J. Viera for Pacifica Network and Public News Service.

Find our trust indicators at publicnewsservice.org.