Hey, there's folks. It is Saturday, February twenty eighth, and while you were sleeping, your country went to war with that. Welcome through this Saturday, February twenty eighth, Amy and TJ. And Robes. This is a morning now. We are waking up a lot of people are just finding this out, including members of Congress. That Operation Epic Fury is underway. The US has attacked Iran, and Robes. This is different from last time.
Yes, and we had been hearing about the threats of this. I don't know that any of us were anticipating waking up this morning to that news. Certainly, I can speak for myself saying I wasn't I had I even popped up and you said, babe, were at war. That's a fairly ominous thing to hear on a Saturday morning after just the last couple of months.
And yet according to President Trump, necessary.
It's necessary. It's what he says. But this is a much different justification than we've heard in the past. Now, folks, we are hopping on here, yes on a Saturday morning, because just wanted to give you a quick update. There's going to be news coverage. You're going to see all day long. But we just want to get you caught up on what happened overnight. And as we're recording this, Robes, this has only been going on for the past five
or six hours. That in fact, the US began a major military operation against Iran overnight in coordination with Israel. And while as we are recording, Robes and the President used the word war, we're at war. And right now, missiles are flying all over the Middle East. Missiles are
flying into and out of Iran. We are getting reports early of some of the first reports of deaths associated and the President is also warning us Robes that there could be American deaths and casualties as a part of this. This sounds like not just a quick, one and done hit type of thing. It sounds like he's preparing us for a more protracted and a wider ranging, if you will, conflict in that twelve day war we had last summer.
Wow, stomach was in knots just hearing you describe all of that. And the President has been warning people in Iran that bombs will be dropping everywhere and that when the dust settles, he said, Iranians should then overtake their government. Now, as you might imagine you just pointed out Iran is retaliating launching missiles at Israel where air raids sirens have
been going off. Look, I can't imagine what the Israelis have been through just over the past several years, and now to be at war with Iran and having incoming missiles from that part of the world.
It's crazy to think they're used to this as almost a way of life. To a certain degree. They know what to do. Here come the sirens. We know where to go, we know what to do. And explosions are being heard in Israel, and they will tell you most of those are familiar. We know those sounds of the interceptor system knocking down so many of the missiles and drones that have been sent their way. This is where we are, folks. And you said it, Robes, don't anybody anticipating, No,
it's yes. He's been talking about it. If he's talking about it for weeks, is it ever going to happen? He's gonna make a decision. I guess we should have all been on standby. This could happen at any time. But Robes, to wake up. Here we go again on a Saturday morning. People are waking up in this country, dealing with weather, with travel, with Epstein, with everything that's been coming at us, and you wake up and go, wait what, We're at war? And that's and robes a
lot of people, including members of Congress. You're gonna wake up on a Saturday, folks like wait, what.
That is wild to think about? And the big question is why?
Right?
And why now?
President Trump is saying that it is because Iran has refused to make a deal regarding its nuclear ambitions, and so he's you know, yes, he's been warning Iran publicly for weeks, and he warn of US involvement if protesters weren't killed. We remember that as well, and then protesters were killed, and he didn't follow through. He actually backed down, even when he said he felt like Iran was backing down from killing protesters. So it seemed like that situation
was diffused. And then yes, all of a sudden, we wake up this morning and Trump has decided to, along with Israel, attack Iran.
And he did let everyone know that. He put out at two thirty am Eastern time, an eight minute long video in which he was making a I guess it's a mini speech. It went eight minutes, but He did not go off of his prepared remarks really as we're used to the presidencying announcing that this was going on, and the justification for it, which we should mention Robes, is a much different justification and a much different objective. Last time it was about just shutting down nuclear ambition.
He has flat outset regime change is what's wanted through this one, and he the onus on the Iranians. They say, yeah, we're doing this for you, Now take your government. He is flat out saying this is a move to change the regime in Iran. That, dear lady, is going to be a big deal.
Yeah, because once you take out a government sometimes it's part of your responsibility to then build.
The new government back up.
But you're hearing Trump and the speech, and we'll get into the exact wording that he used. Yes, say we're doing this for you. You've been asking us for years. Now I'm the president who's actually going.
To do it for you.
But you have to be ready to step in, pick up the pieces and rebuild your own country.
That has never really ever happened before.
When a country is in shambles, typically it needs that nation, especially the one who broke it down to help build it back up.
And we've always said as.
A country, we're not into nation building, but we're certainly into regime change.
Apparently, Yeah, we're just getting Venezuela squared away right now and now here. I swear rose when this I first saw this, I thought, no, this is not what's happening. We don't think at least I said, wow, is Ayatola? How many gonna be over in Brooklyn at the MBC with Madua here in the next war crimes. Yes, this is not the suggestion at all, and they are absolutely telling will not be any boots on the ground related
to this operation. But the question starts to get asked by the security exports robes, how are you going to change regime? How are you gonna do this without having military on the ground. You can't just do air strikes and think everything's gonna be okay. You got to get in there, and they're saying we're not going to get in there. So let's go with what the president did lay out roads, which is much different than what he laid out before. But this was a video he posted
two thirty in the morning. Uh, he's standing there by himself no tie, blue suit, white shirt, and with a bright brand new white USA had on um and delivering this nobody else around him. He stayed to his remarks in this prepared speech. I didn't see him ad live much at all.
No, No, he stuck to his notes.
And it was a little bit of a It felt like a little bit of an ominous setting. Seemed like he was all alone on this stage. It was podium with a darker background. Yes it was. It definitely felt ominous, and it was pre taped. I don't think it was at two thirty in the morning that he put this out here, But so what an interesting time to release this video it was.
I think he released it the operations start at maybe an hour hour and a half before they're saying. But yeah, he gets the word out there, and it sounds like and again, these are important. We're not going to read the whole thing to you, but these were the important nuggets here and robes he does. He sounds like he is preparing us for a larger scale engagement than we saw the last time.
Yes, he began with this. The United States military began major combat operations in Iran. Our objective is to defend the American people by eliminating imminent threats from the Iranian regime.
Okay, now that's something that's general, that's something we've heard before. But we've always been told, right, Brobes, that it's their nuclear ambitions, the nuclear ambitions. We can't let them go a step further. That's why we had to attack last summer. We can't let them go further. This is now sounding like a different justification. This next line, for sure, he goes back in history for why this moment is why this war needs to be launched.
Yes, this is what the President said.
For forty seven years, the Iranian regime has chanted death to America and waged an unending campaign of bloodshed and mass murder, targeting the United States, our troops, and the innocent people in many many countries. Among the regime's very first acts was to back a violent takeover of the US embassy in Tehran, holding dozens of American hostages for four hundred and forty four days. In nineteen eighty three, Iran's proxies carried out the Marine Barracks bombing in Beirut.
They killed two hundred and forty one American military personnel. In two thousand they knew and were probably involved with the attack on the USS coal many died. Iranian forces killed and maimed hundreds of American service members in Iraq. The regime's proxies have continued to launch countless attacks against American forces stationed in the Middle East in recent years, as well as US naval and commercial vessels and international
shipping lines. It's been mass terror and we're not going to put up with it any longer.
And he goes back to our history like you've all been agitating us for a long time. This really did sound like we've just been keeping these receipts we're adding up and finally we're sick of this, and you got the wrong president. You're messing with the wrong dude. Yeah.
It's unclear though what the straw that broke the camel's back was, though, because he does, yes, go back that far in history to detail all of the transgressions that Iran has committed against America. I yet I don't understand what this latest thing was that created now now being the moment or the knee for an actual attack.
And we should mention we didn't say the top negotiations have been going on the US and Iran have been talking, actively negotiating even as late as Thursday. Jared Kushner and said the envoy we should know with cough, we should know, these are the phusiest two dudes on the planet, along
with Rubio. Just we're talking. On Thursday, President said he didn't like how those negotiations necessarily went, and here we are, but wrote the justification now is much much different, and he is saying that part of it, yes, is those negotiations. But like you just laid out history, he went back to the hostage. He said, that is part of the justification for today.
Something happened in nineteen eighty three.
That's what we're going back to. So he's using this justification. He said. They rejected every opportunity to renounce their nuclear ambitions, and we can't take it anymore. Instead, they attempted to rebuild their nuclear program and to continue developing the long range missile that can now threaten our very good friends and allies in Europe. Are troops stationed overseas and could
soon reach the American homeland. That sounds scary. Security experts say something else that they don't have that capability and they won't anytime soon fine, but still to put that line in there. If an American citizen that's hearing that, they go, hell, yeah, we got to stop that. We can't have those missiles coming over here.
Yes, but what's interesting is he mentioned our good friends and allies in Europe. Are they Why would they then not be a part of this strike as well.
That's an interesting thought.
If you're closer logistically to said country that is building missiles that could reach them, you'd think they would even have a bigger vested interest.
But it's of note. Great Britain not involved. I know people ask the question if the UK.
Had any hand, even from an intelligence standpoint, and nope, they had nothing to do with this operation.
And you know, a lot of them and folks. Right now, again, we are recording this just hours after what five or so hours after this all started. Right now, news alerts are flying, Statements are flying from allies in the region, from other countries in the region, from leaders, from ministries, you name it, all putting out some kind of a statement saying we didn't have anything to do with this, we are looking into this, we support this, we are
against this. Everything is lying and emergency meetings are happening everywhere.
Yeah, this is destabilizing, It.
Absolutely is, so this next line here, But the President has is now laying out the objectives today and for this operation, which again Ropes doesn't sound like this is going to be a one and done.
Oh that's right, he says, for these reasons, the United States military is undertaking a massive and ongoing operation to prevent this very wicked radical dictatorship from threatening America and our core national security interests. We're going to destroy their missiles and raise their missile industry to the ground. It will be totally again obliterated. We're going to annihilate their navy.
We're going to ensure that the region's terrorist proxies can no longer destabilize the region or the world and attack our forces, and no longer use their IEDs or roadside bombs as they are sometimes called to so gravely wound and kill thousands and thousands of people, including many Americans. And we will ensure that Iran does not obtain a nuclear weapon. It's a very simple message. They never they will never have a nuclear weapon.
We always knew about that part. But he lays out so many other justifications and objectives here. We're going to wipe out the navy. We're wiped it. The President is now talking about something completely different. This is not just
targeted after the nuclear weapons program and ropes. We have seen this morning that initially the US the strikes appear to go after military targets, but also there are reports plenty out there that the home of the Supreme leader there has been targeted as well, that leadership is being targeted in Iran. Robes.
This is as happening right now.
This is like they have made a decision. It sounds like Trump is made to decision to start Iran over, to reset Iran by getting rid of a regime that folks have been talking about for decades, getting rid of regime change in Iran. Regime change in Iran hadn't happened yet but till now. But he is doubling down, I think, and making a commitment almost. It sounds like in a way Robes that how can you back off of back down from this? He has to see this through.
Oh no, when you make a move like this, you go in and you have to go in all the way.
And that's the question.
Can you do it without He claims he's not putting boots on the ground, but can you actually do it the way it needs to be done to maintain or to at least complete your objective.
But stay here, folks. He had a warning, a warning for Americans in his message said we need to be prepared, possibly for casualties in this thing. Also, the President had a very direct message for the people of Iran. You need to take over your own government. And he had an offer for those military and police in Iran as well. Stare We continue here on Amy and TJ on a breaking news morning. We're waking up the country is on a Saturday morning, finding out that the country is at
war with Iran. Large scale attack been launched by the United States and Israel against sites in Iran. Iran roopes has begun. How they put out statements saying they were going to retaliate. There are a lot of US bases and personnel in the region. We are starting to get reports that those have come under attack against. Sorry, folks, we don't have more definitive information, but it's starting to just trickle out. Because this is brand new, this is fresh.
We also know ROPE plenty of times when we see things happening in Iran. What do they do cut off communication so that phone lines and internet and those things, it's hard to get information out. But this is right now a possible reshaping of the region once again in Americans, and American lives could be at risk, and he did. The President warned of that in his speech, and I guess in an ominous but a direct way, he had to acknowledge this.
Just even this is a Saturday morning shocker, just to even hear you recap all of that as we join you all once again, and it's just it's hard to imagine. I feel like every day you wake up and there's some new shocking headline, but this one takes the cake. And this is going to clearly change not only the region there in the Middle East, but certainly all the countries around in our allies. Everyone has to pick sides, Everyone has to decide are.
We doing the right thing?
We've joined with Israel, and even members of our own government, as you pointed out, are waking up and saying, wait, what are we doing?
Who gave the green light to this?
Does the President even need congressional approval these days?
Obviously that's going to be the debate. Ah way, he's going to be the depay debate robes and legally, what does he have the authority to do? That is not because there's no way we are going to be able to explain it here, because the legal the legal folks, the scholars, the experts don't even agree on the power he has. In Congress last time they were trying to do limit his ability to do things on his own. And some will say he has the power to do this.
Others say, hey, you should have come and talked to us ropes. As we are recording, there are members of the US Congress who aren't aware.
They're not awake, they're sleeping, and they went to bed thinking that we were not at poor So.
Yes, we'll continue to read part of what the press.
President said in his eight minute taped address to the nation that he put out at two thirty this morning. He said, I do not make this statement lightly. The Iranian regime seeks to kill the lives of courageous American heroes. May be lost, and we may have casualties that often happens in war, but we're doing this not for now. We're doing this for the future, and it is a noble mission.
Maybe if Americans believe that. Okay, but he's essentially saying we need to put American lives possibly at risk to do this, because he's saying it is a bigger mission. This next part here roped. We don't exactly know what it means. But he spoke to the armed forces there in Iran. I got direct message and almost was negotiating with him, giving an offer. We don't quite understand how it would work.
Yeah, So he says to the members of the Islamic Revolutionary Guard, the armed forces and all of the police, I say tonight that you must lay down your weapons and have complete immunity, or in the ald time hernative face certain death.
So lay down your arms.
You will be treated fairly with total immunity, or you will face certain death. So he's he's saying that if they don't fight back, you be held accountable, Yes, and they won't be killed.
Yeah, just give up your weapons to whom and then raise your hand to whom. Who are you surrendering to? Okay, maybe that sounds attractive. We don't know how that would work, but we don't have boots.
On the ground rebels. I guess, is that what he's saying don't.
I don't know who are they going to? He didn't explain that one.
Yes, and then so then he goes on to address the Iranian people. Finally, to the great proud people of Iran, I say tonight that the hour of your freedom is at hand. Stay sheltered, don't leave your home. It's very dangerous outside. Bombs will be dropping everywhere. When we are finished take over your government, it will be yours to take. This will be probably your only chance for generation.
That is a he's setting up a I mean, is that message going to be received with any real sense? Or do they think that's a sincere statement? Right? Is this the only chance? He's setting this up as I'm giving you an opportunity to do something that's been talked about for decades. To do it now or you won't get another chance.
Look easy to say, but now, if you're not getting boots on the ground, you're not getting that support after the bombs go off from America or from Israel. Now you have to trust that you'll be able to take up arms against your government, that they were disabled enough or destroyed enough that you'll be able to rise up in what if you don't like that's just a tall order. We're gonna give you a head start, but you got to finish the job.
But this next, this last part here, he really went a little further road ropes in challenging them, almost like I'm giving you once you wont there's on you.
Yes, he says, for many years you have asked for America's help, but you never got it. No president was willing to do what I am willing to do tonight. Now you have a president who is giving you what you want. So let's see how you respond. America is backing you with overwhelming strength and devastating force. Now is the time to seize control of your destiny and to unleash the prosperous and glorious future that is close within your reach. This is the moment for action. Do not let it pass.
We chall see it was a weird thing. You've been asking for it here it was I don't know. It wasn't I don't know. It was a I don't know, strange way to go about it. Necessarily, he said, all right, give me what you want it now, what you're gonna do. The tone sounded I get what he's saying, but it sounded that way, all right, you asked for it, Now you got it. What you're gonna do? I've done my part. Now you all have to do yours. But it doesn't
sink are we we're not coordinating this? That the ouronans on the start of their work week, which has been why reported today how kids were going to school, people were going about their day. This is the start of a fresh day. And did they ask for bombs to start dropping and them to start scrambling on this day? Do they? I don't know. There is obviously robes the faction within that government or within that country that would like regime change. You see it on the streets. Yes, but the protests.
The change is scary, Change is hard, and change usually means death and chaos, and so yes, that is not necessarily something people are prepared to go through to get the end result.
They may want.
You know what that is it in that it's not going to be the title of this episode, but growth, death and chaos, And this is not how anybody wants to wake up. Nobody wants war and robes. You said it. What has been the week? The Clinton's right Epstein.
Testimony calls for Trump to testify.
Missing files all these things. Now, this has been talked about obviously with Iran for weeks and these negotiations going on. But of course you're going to have some people like, wow, wag the dog. He really changed the topic.
Yeah, he did. He certainly did. I mean that is I believe what I said to you jokingly. I was like, Wow, what a wag the dog moment. I mean, there will of course be folks and critics who do say that
the timing is suspicious. But regardless of what everyone wants to think, it is happening right now as we record this, and it is going to continue, and as we heard the President say, it is going to be massive and ongoing, and of course we will keep our eye on this developing story in the meantime, though, we appreciate you listening to us. As always, I'm Ami Roebuck alongside TJ.
Holmes. We will talk to you soon