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Talking Feds

A Man, No Plan, Iran

Talking Feds

Harry Litman

News, Government, Politics

4.84.5K Ratings

🗓️ 9 March 2026

⏱️ 57 minutes

🧾️ Download transcript

Summary

In this episode, Harry and guests Jonathan Alter, Conor Lamb, and Mara Liasson break down a fast-moving week with massive overtures in domestic and international news. The discussion starts with the escalating war with Iran — including new reporting on Russia reportedly providing intelligence to Tehran and the growing debate in Washington over war powers and the cost of the conflict. Then, they turn to the 2026 midterm landscape, where early primaries in places like Texas and North Carolina offered the first real clues about the fight for Senate control. And finally, they discuss the first cabinet sacking of Trump’s 2.0, as Kristi Noem was the first head to roll. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Transcript

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0:00.0

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0:27.7

slash setup welcome to talking feds a roundtable that brings together prominent former federal officials and special guests for dynamic discussion of the most important political and legal topics of the day.

0:48.3

I'm Harry Littman. The war in Iran expands and grows more deadly by the day. It now has drawn in more than a dozen countries,

0:59.0

including some outside the Middle East. Russia has now entered the fray, helping Iran, whose air defenses have been ravaged, to direct their still large arsenal of drones.

1:13.5

In the meantime, the administration continues to proffer a shifting series of explanations

1:19.3

for why we started the war in the first place.

1:22.5

And it seems to have no firm idea of what we are trying to achieve, and more importantly, when our

1:30.0

involvement will end. The News Pact Week also brought the first set of primaries for the midterms.

1:38.1

Both parties had reason for concern that the prevailing mood in the country is anti-incumbent.

1:44.6

The closely watched Senate race in Texas remains in flux,

1:48.9

with a runoff on the Republican side that could prove pivotal

1:53.0

for the Democratic candidate's chances in the fall.

1:57.6

Trump fired Christy Nome as Secretary of Homeland Security, the first sacking in his cabinet during Trump 2.0.

2:07.5

Noam had assembled a spectacular track record of blunders and embarrassments, but her fatal move was her testimony that Trump had green-lighted a controversial ad campaign.

2:20.3

To unpack a turbulent week of war, elections, and turnover in the cabinet were joined by a terrific group of expert commentators.

2:30.3

And they are.

2:32.3

Jonathan Alter, an award-winning author, filmmaker, columnist, and

2:37.2

MSNBC political analyst. He's authored more books than I Can Count, but about FDR, Obama,

...

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