Maddow: ‘We are now in war with Iran’

Maddow: ‘We are now in war with Iran’

>> THANK YOU VERY. >> MUCH FOR. >> TAKING THIS. >> WE ARE LUCKY TO. >> HAVE YOU IN. >> THE CHAIR TONIGHT. >> WHEN THIS. >> NEWS BROKE, MY FRIEND, THIS IS. >> MSNBC’S ONGOING. >> SPECIAL BREAKING NEWS COVERAGE. >> I’M RACHEL MADDOW. >> IF YOU’RE JUST. >> TUNING IN, WE ARE FOLLOWING. >> THE BREAKING NEWS. >> THAT U.S. >> BOMBERS CARRIED OUT STRIKES. >> TODAY AT. >> THREE IRANIAN. >> NUCLEAR SITES, ONE. >> AT. >> NATANZ. >> A SITE THAT HAD PREVIOUSLY BEEN HIT BY ISRAEL. ISRAEL AND IRAN. >> HAVE BEEN TRADING. >> STRIKES SINCE. >> ISRAEL’S SURPRISE ATTACK LAST FRIDAY. >> ISRAEL HAS. >> ALREADY ATTACKED THE SITE AT NATANZ. NOW THE. UNITED STATES HAS DONE SO. >> AS WELL. ANOTHER NUCLEAR SITE. >> NEAR ISFAHAN IN IRAN. AND ALSO, ACCORDING. >> TO THE PRESIDENT. >> THE FACILITY CALLED FORDO, WHICH IS. >> A DEEPLY. >> BURIED FACILITY. AND THAT’S. >> IMPORTANT TACTICALLY BECAUSE THE. >> US MILITARY. >> IS BELIEVED TO. HAVE ESSENTIALLY. UNIQUE TARGETING CAPACITY. >> TO HIT A SITE LIKE THAT. >> IT IS A DEEP. >> UNDERGROUND FACILITY. >> THE UNITED STATES. >> HAS ESSENTIALLY DEVELOPED. WEAPONS SPECIFICALLY TO TARGET FACILITIES LIKE. >> THAT ONE. >> AND SO THESE. >> B-2 BOMBERS. >> THAT HAVE REPORTEDLY. >> CARRYING OUT. >> HAVE REPORTEDLY. >> CARRIED OUT. THESE STRIKES TONIGHT. >> IN IRAN. ARE AIRCRAFT. WITH CAPACITY THAT. NO OTHER MILITARY IN THE. >> WORLD REALLY. HAS NOW. >> COMMON WISDOM ABOUT THIS PRESIDENT, ABOUT THE POLITICAL MOVEMENT THAT. >> HE LEADS, IS THAT HE IS SUPPOSEDLY. >> ISOLATIONIST, THAT. >> HE IS SUPPOSEDLY ANTIWAR. >> THAT HAS NEVER BEEN. >> EXACTLY RIGHT. THAT’S ALWAYS BEEN KIND OF A LAZY COMMON WISDOM. >> IN LESS THAN SIX MONTHS BACK. >> IN OFFICE. >> HE HAS THREATENED MILITARY ACTION AGAINST PANAMA. >> AGAINST CANADA. >> AGAINST DENMARK IN ORDER. >> TO SEIZE GREENLAND. >> HE HAS BOMBED. >> YEMEN OVER AND OVER. >> AND OVER AGAIN. >> AND NOW HE APPEARS TO HAVE ENTERED THE UNITED STATES MILITARY INTO A WAR. >> IN IRAN. >> SOMETHING THAT NEOCONSERVATIVES HAVE THRILLED TO. FOR. GUESS, TWO GENERATIONS NOW. A LOT. >> OF COMMENTARY AROUND. >> THE TRUMP PHENOMENON AND TRUMP’S POLITICS WOULD SUGGEST. >> THAT HE HAS. >> RISEN IN OPPOSITION. >> TO THE. >> NEOCONSERVATIVES WHO HAVE. >> ADVOCATED FOR THIS TYPE OF. >> WAR SINCE. >> ESSENTIALLY THE IRANIAN REVOLUTION IN 1979. BUT SINCE 1979, THE US MILITARY HAS NOT ENGAGED DIRECTLY. >> WITH IRAN. >> BUT DONALD. >> TRUMP HAS DONE SO. TONIGHT, DONALD TRUMP HAS ORDERED. US MILITARY BOMBING RAIDS. ON IRAN. WE ARE NOW IN. WAR WITH IRAN. >> PRESIDENT TRUMP. >> ANNOUNCED THE STRIKES ON. >> HIS NICHE. >> SOCIAL MEDIA. >> PLATFORM. >> WHICH IS CALLED TRUTH SOCIAL. >> HE SAID. >> IN THAT POST. >> QUOTE, WE. >> HAVE COMPLETED OUR VERY SUCCESSFUL ATTACK ON THE THREE NUCLEAR SITES. >> IN IRAN. >> INCLUDING FORDOW, NATANZ AND ISFAHAN. ALL PLANES ARE NOW OUTSIDE IRAN AIRSPACE. >> A FULL. >> PAYLOAD OF. >> INEXPLICABLE ALL CAPITAL LETTERS BOMBS. IT’S NOT AN ACRONYM, HE’S JUST SPELLING IT IN ALL CAPITAL LETTERS. A FULL PAYLOAD OF BOMBS WAS DROPPED ON THE PRIMARY SITE, FORDOW. ALL PLANES ARE SAFELY ON THEIR WAY HOME. CONGRATULATIONS TO OUR GREAT AMERICAN WARRIORS. THERE IS NOT ANOTHER MILITARY IN THE CAPITAL. >> WORLD THAT COULD HAVE DONE THIS. >> AND THEN HE SAYS IN ALL CAPITAL LETTERS, NOW IS THE TIME FOR PEACE. EXCLAMATION POINT. THANK YOU FOR YOUR ATTENTION TO THIS MATTER. PRESIDENT. IN HIS QUIRKY SPELLING AND DELIVERY. DELIVERING THE MOST SOBER POSSIBLE MESSAGE TO THE AMERICAN. PEOPLE WHO. >> HAVE. >> BEEN LARGELY. OPPOSED TO AND AFRAID OF A. POTENTIAL US WAR WITH IRAN AGAIN FOR GENERATIONS. >> DONALD TRUMP HAS NOW STARTED IT. >> WE ARE EXPECTING PRESIDENT TRUMP TO ADDRESS THE NATION JUST ABOUT AN. HOUR FROM NOW. >> TALKING ABOUT THIS DECISION. WELL, OF COURSE WE’LL BRING YOU THAT LIVE. >> WHEN IT HAPPENS. JOINING US NOW FROM WASHINGTON, DC IS NBC NEWS WHITE HOUSE CORRESPONDENT MONICA ALBA. MONICA, THANKS VERY MUCH FOR BEING WITH US. I KNOW THIS IS A. >> THIS IS. >> CRUNCH TIME. WHAT CAN. >> YOU. >> TELL US ABOUT THIS DECISION TONIGHT AND WHAT WE KNOW ABOUT THE. >> POTENTIAL SCOPE. >> OF THIS MILITARY ENGAGEMENT? >> YEAH. >> RACHEL, GOOD TO BE WITH YOU. LOOK, THIS IS AN INCREDIBLY CONSEQUENTIAL DECISION OF A MASSIVE SCALE FOR ANY PRESIDENT. BUT OF COURSE, IN PARTICULAR FOR THIS ONE WHO HAD BEEN TOUTING THE FACT THAT HE WAS GOING TO MAYBE GIVE IRAN AS MUCH AS TWO WEEKS TO SEE IF A DIPLOMATIC SOLUTION COULD BE POSSIBLE. WE KNEW THAT THERE WERE EUROPEAN LEADERS HUDDLING WITH IRANIAN OFFICIALS IN GENEVA AS RECENTLY AS YESTERDAY, AND HE WAS EVEN ARGUING FROM THE TARMAC WHEN HE WAS TRAVELING YESTERDAY AND ON AIR FORCE ONE THAT PERHAPS THAT WAS A POSSIBILITY. BUT HE HAD BEEN ALSO VERY CLEAR THAT IT WAS LIKELY THAT IF HE DIDN’T GET THE TERMS OF A DEAL THAT HE WAS POTENTIALLY PURSUING HERE, THAT THE U.S. MILITARY COULD GET MORE INVOLVED. NOW HE’S GOING TO LAY OUT, I’M TOLD, HIS RATIONALE TO THE AMERICAN PEOPLE FOR THIS. WHEN HE DOES SPEAK AT 10 P.M. AND HE IS GOING TO, OF COURSE, TALK ABOUT WHAT THIS MEANS IN THIS MOMENT, I’M TOLD BY A SENIOR WHITE HOUSE OFFICIAL THAT AS OF RIGHT NOW, HE AND THE COUNTRY DOES NOT AND SHOULD NOT EXPECT ADDITIONAL STRIKES AGAIN AT THIS MOMENT. THIS HAS OBVIOUSLY BEEN UNFOLDING IN REAL TIME, CAN CHANGE INCREDIBLY QUICKLY, BUT THAT IS THE POSTURE AS OF, AGAIN, THIS SECOND. AND WE KNOW THAT THE PRESIDENT ALSO, JUST A COUPLE OF HOURS AGO, HAD A CONVERSATION WITH ISRAELI PRIME MINISTER BENJAMIN NETANYAHU OF ISRAEL. WE KNOW THAT THIS WAS A U.S. MILITARY OPERATION THAT WAS HEAVILY COORDINATED WITH ISRAEL. THEY OBVIOUSLY WERE BRIEFED ON EVERY STEP OF THE WAY. THEY KNEW THIS WAS HAPPENING. IT WAS DONE AGAIN IN A HIGHLY COORDINATED FASHION. AND THAT’S NOT SURPRISING. THE PRESIDENT HAS BEEN IN TOUCH WITH THE PRIME MINISTER PRETTY MUCH EVERY DAY OVER THIS LAST WEEK OR SO WHEN IT COMES TO THIS CONFLICT. AND I CAN ALSO TELL YOU, RACHEL, THAT HE WAS TRAVELING BACK FROM HIS PROPERTY IN BEDMINSTER, NEW JERSEY. HE RETURNED TO WASHINGTON AROUND 5:30 P.M. THIS EVENING, AND HE WENT TO THE SITUATION ROOM, WHERE HE MONITORED MUCH OF THIS IN REAL TIME, AGAIN WITH SOME OF HIS TOP NATIONAL SECURITY ADVISERS. AND WHERE WE KNOW THAT THIS IS SOMETHING THAT WILL BE PLANNED, IT’S GOING TO CONTINUE TO TAKE PLACE THROUGHOUT THE EVENING. WE KNOW THAT TOMORROW HE HAS ANOTHER NATIONAL SECURITY COUNCIL MEETING. AND TO THE POINT THAT YOU STARTED THIS SHOW WITH ABOUT THIS QUESTION OF THE U.S. EFFECTIVELY BEING AT WAR WITH IRAN RIGHT NOW. THIS IS A PRESIDENT THAT’S GOING TO NEED TO COME OUT AND TELL THE AMERICAN PEOPLE WHY HE MADE THAT DECISION, WHY THIS POSTURE WAS ONE HE FELT WAS INEVITABLE. AND YOU’RE ALREADY SEEING A LOT OF LAWMAKERS AND A BIPARTISAN EFFORT, WE SHOULD POINT OUT RAISING QUESTIONS ABOUT THIS AND USING THIS KIND OF MILITARY AUTHORITY WITHOUT CONGRESSIONAL APPROVAL. WE KNOW THERE HAD BEEN A RESOLUTION THAT HAD BEEN IN THE WORKS OVER THE LAST COUPLE OF DAYS TO SEE IF THAT COULD BE PUT UP FOR A VOTE NEXT WEEK THAT WAS ANTICIPATING THIS, POTENTIALLY. BUT AGAIN, THIS IS PRESIDENT TRUMP’S MAYBE, PERHAPS MOST CONSEQUENTIAL DECISION OF THIS SECOND TERM. OF COURSE, THERE WERE MANY IN THE FIRST TERM, BUT THIS IS ALSO A PERSON WHO WE NEED TO REMIND EVERYBODY AS A CANDIDATE, REPEATEDLY CAMPAIGNED ON AND AGAINST ENDING ALL FOREIGN WARS AND NOT PUSHING THE U.S. FURTHER INTO THESE KINDS OF MILITARY ENTANGLEMENTS OVERSEAS. SO I THINK THERE’S A LOT OF QUESTIONS TONIGHT ABOUT HIS APPROACH TO ALL OF THIS. BUT I CAN ALSO TELL YOU, RACHEL, JUST FROM TALKING TO MY WHITE HOUSE SOURCES A SHORT TIME AGO, THEY’RE VERY PLEASED WITH THE FACT THAT THIS WAS ABLE TO BE CARRIED OUT COVERTLY, THAT IT DIDN’T APPEAR THAT ANYTHING LEAKED AND THAT THEY WERE ABLE TO DO THIS AND KEEP US MILITARY AND US PERSONNEL WHO WERE INVOLVED AS SAFE AS POSSIBLE THROUGHOUT THE EVENING. FOR NOW, RACHEL. >> MONICA, THIS IS BOTH A COMMUNICATIONS WHITE HOUSE COMMUNICATIONS QUESTION AND ALSO SORT OF A STRATEGIC QUESTION, WHICH IS THAT I. >> KNOW THAT. >> THE I’M SURE THAT THE WHITE. >> HOUSE HAS SEEN THE. THE AMERICAN. >> PUBLIC POLLING. >> ON THIS AND KNOWS THAT THIS IS AN UNPOPULAR MOVE. THE PRESIDENT HAS BEEN SO. >> OPAQUE. >> ALMOST TEASING. >> IN HIS REMARKS TO REPORTERS ABOUT HOW NOBODY KNOWS WHAT I’M GOING TO DO. THE WHITE HOUSE HASN’T MADE AN EFFORT TO TRY. TO PUBLICLY SELL TO. >> THE AMERICAN PEOPLE. >> THE NECESSITY OF A STRIKE LIKE THIS. THEY’VE DONE THE STRIKE NOW, AND WE DON’T KNOW, AGAIN, IF THIS WILL JUST BE A ONE OFF OR THIS IS THE START OF A LONGER ENGAGEMENT. ONCE YOU’VE BOMBED ANOTHER COUNTRY, YOU. >> DON’T NECESSARILY. >> GET A SAY AS TO HOW MUCH WAR YOU END UP IN, END. >> UP WITH THEM IN. >> IS THERE A SENSE. >> THAT THE WHITE. HOUSE THAT THERE. >> IS GOING TO BE THEY THEY MEANT TO THEY THEY NOW PLAN TO TRY TO DO MORE COMMUNICATION TO THE. AMERICAN PEOPLE AS TO WHY THIS IS NECESSARY, WHY THIS IS OUR WAR. THE SECRETARY OF STATE, FOR EXAMPLE, MARCO. >> RUBIO. >> HAS ARGUED. ESSENTIALLY THE OPPOSITE. >> TO THE AMERICAN PEOPLE. >> IN VERY RECENT DAYS. >> YEAH, JUST AS RECENTLY AS ABOUT A WEEK AGO, WHEN THIS CONFLICT REALLY BEGAN IN EARNEST AND ALL OF THE FIRE WAS BEING EXCHANGED BETWEEN IRAN AND ISRAEL, THAT WAS THE TOP LINE FROM MANY WHITE HOUSE OFFICIALS AND SENIOR AIDES, SAYING THAT THIS WAS SOMETHING WHERE THE U.S. WAS ASSISTING ISRAEL AND ITS DEFENSE AS MISSILES AND DRONES WERE COMING IN FROM IRAN, BUT THAT IT WOULDN’T GO BEYOND THAT AND THAT THIS WAS ISRAEL’S CONFLICT TO MANAGE. SO YOU’RE RIGHT TO NOTE THAT THERE WAS A SHIFT IN THAT PRETTY DRAMATICALLY. AND THE PRESIDENT BEGAN TO SAY THAT HE WAS VERY CONCERNED ABOUT IRAN’S ABILITY TO BUILD AND HAVE A NUCLEAR WEAPON, EVEN CONTRADICTING SEVERAL TIMES HIS OWN DIRECTOR OF NATIONAL INTELLIGENCE, TULSI GABBARD. IN FACT, JUST YESTERDAY, FLAT OUT HE SAID SHE’S WRONG, REFERRING TO HER TESTIMONY IN MARCH ABOUT HER DOUBTS THAT IRAN WAS AS CLOSE AS THE PRESIDENT BELIEVES IRAN WAS TO HAVING A NUCLEAR WEAPON. AND DAYS BEFORE HE HAD SAID, I JUST DON’T THINK THAT SHE’S RIGHT ABOUT THAT. AND HE DISMISSED HER ENTIRELY. AND THEN AGAIN YESTERDAY HE SAID, I DON’T EVEN CARE WHAT MY ENTIRE INTELLIGENCE COMMUNITY SAYS. I BELIEVE THAT THEY WERE JUST VERY CLOSE TO HAVING THAT ABILITY. SO WE ARE ALSO SEEING THAT SPLIT IN THE LAST COUPLE OF DAYS THAT THE PRESIDENT HIMSELF HAS TALKED ABOUT UNIQUELY, BUT THAT THE INTEL COMMUNITY IS AT ODDS WITH, WHICH IS REALLY, REALLY SIGNIFICANT HERE. I THINK THAT VICE PRESIDENT JD VANCE AND A COUPLE OF OTHER PEOPLE WHO HAVE BEEN KEY TO THE PRESIDENT IN THIS DECISION MAKING, DID START TO LAY THE GROUNDWORK A COUPLE OF DAYS AGO FOR THIS RATIONALE OF POTENTIALLY DROPPING BOMBS IN IRAN, SAYING THAT THIS IS A PRESIDENT WHO WILL RESPOND WITH GREAT FORCE IF HE FEELS THERE’S ANY RISK TO AMERICAN ASSETS OR PERSONNEL. AND WE KNOW THAT THAT WAS A LITTLE BIT OF A FACTOR IN THIS, THAT THE PRESIDENT COMPLETELY WAS ARGUING IN A LOT OF HIS MEETINGS WITH NATIONAL SECURITY ADVISERS THAT HE WAS WORRIED THAT THERE COULD BE EXPOSURE TO OR RETALIATION TO U.S. MILITARY PERSONNEL OR U.S. INTERESTS ABROAD AND ALSO AT HOME. AND THAT WAS SOMETHING THAT DROVE A LITTLE BIT OF THIS DECISION AS WELL. BUT I THINK THAT YOU’RE GOING TO NOW SEE ALSO THIS MAJOR SPLIT IN MAGA WORLD PLAY OUT IN REAL TIME WITH A LOT OF PEOPLE IN HIS BASE WHO WERE ARGUING QUITE PUBLICLY AGAINST THIS KIND OF MILITARY INTERVENTION FROM THE U.S, AND THEN SOME WHO WERE TRYING TO BACK HIM UP AND SAY THAT THIS IS A PRESIDENT WHO SHOULD BE TRUSTED FOR MAKING THESE DECISIONS AND TRYING TO ARGUE THAT THAT HE IF HE DID, IT WOULD BE IN THE RIGHT AUTHORITY TO DO SO. BUT I THINK HE KEEPS SAYING THAT HIS SUPPORTERS WILL LOVE HIM NO MATTER WHAT. BUT I THINK THIS IS A REAL QUESTION FOR THE BASE AND THOSE MILLIONS OF SUPPORTERS WHO DO HAVE DIFFERING VIEWS ON THIS. RACHEL. >> NBC NEWS WHITE HOUSE CORRESPONDENT

President Trump said U.S. forces bombed three nuclear sites in Iran. Rachel Maddow reports.

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