Pod Save America
Pod Save America

Trump's Wars Are Bankrupting America

July 24, 2026 • 1h 11m

Summary

⏱️ 13 min read

Overview

Pod Save America hosts Jon Favreau and Dan Pfeiffer discuss Trump's escalating Iran war, devastating tariff policies, and tone-deaf focus on gaudy White House renovations as Democrats see surging poll numbers ahead of the 2026 midterms. Dan then interviews Jennifer Palmieri about her new series examining how Democrats can rebuild power across the South, featuring insights from Georgia, Texas, and North Carolina.

Trump's Iran War Spirals as Americans Pay the Price

With 100 days until the midterms, Trump's forever war with Iran is bankrupting the country while achieving nothing. Oil prices have surged back over $100 per barrel, gas is above $4 a gallon, and Trump is threatening "massive attacks" despite intelligence reports showing more bombing won't change Iran's position. Meanwhile, his bizarre comments at Dover Air Force Base about fallen soldiers and calling Jon Ossoff "Pinky Herman" reveal a president increasingly disconnected from reality.

  • Trump threatens Iran with biggest attack ever despite U.S. intelligence saying more bombing won't change their negotiating position
  • Oil back over $100/barrel and gas over $4/gallon as nothing moves through the Straits of Hormuz
  • Trump makes disturbing comments at Dover about fallen soldiers having 'a couple of little bad things' in their records
  • Trump calls Jon Ossoff 'Pinky Herman' at rally, unable to land the name correctly
  • Only one-third of MAGA voters now think Iran war worth the economic costs, down from half in May
" I am considering a massive attack on Iran bigger than ever before because Iran hasn't received enough pain yet. "
" When I go to Dover, I read charts on all of the young people, and some are unbelievable. Some are a little bit, you know, they got a little bit of a couple of little bad things put in. "
" The president is now fully aware that the only way to the victory he wants is completely politically impossible. "

The Virality of Trump's Dover Comments: Grading Dead Soldiers

Trump's comments at Dover Air Force Base about reading 'charts' on fallen soldiers and noting some had 'a couple of little bad things put in' represents one of the most offensive moments of his presidency. The callousness toward Gold Star families and the reduction of fallen service members to data points on charts crystallizes everything wrong with Trump's relationship to military service and sacrifice.

  • Trump described reading 'charts' on fallen soldiers at Dover dignified transfer
  • Said some soldiers were 'flawless, perfect' while others had 'a couple of little bad things put in'
  • Made these comments at Georgia rally same day as Dover transfer
" When I go to Dover, I read charts on all of the young people, and some are unbelievable. Some are a little bit, you know, they got a little bit of a couple of little bad things put in. This is a son who was like a flawless, perfect person. "

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