MS NOW's Jonathan Lemire called attention to a shift in tone from Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth in his latest press update on the Iran war.
The Pentagon chief attacked reporters once again during Friday's briefing, but the "Morning Joe" co-host noticed that Hegseth seemed to be shifting the terms of what the Trump administration would consider to be a military victory.
"Some progress madeyesterday in the Israel-Lebanonsituation, that cease fireextended, but not here," Lemire said. "Weshould note though, MS NOW isreporting that Iran's foreignminister is expected to travelto Islamabad next day or so,potentially ahead of peacetalks. This is not for peacetalks, but to restartnegotiations, to perhaps havenegotiations. So maybe thatwill happen down the road."
"But I also wanted to flagsomething here that was verystriking, just a shift in tonefrom the secretary," Lemire added. "Yes, strident bashing the pressevery chance he gets. But itwas on April 8, he had one ofthese news conferences and hesaid this is a big day forworld peace. They have hadenough, meaning Iran, Operation Epic Fury has been laser-focused from the very start – sorry, that [it] is a historic,overwhelming victory on thebattlefield, a capital-Vmilitary victory, declaring theconflict, in its essence, over."
Hegseth didn't display quite the same bravado in his latest press briefing, Lemire noted.
"He said Operation Epic Fury has been laser-focusedfrom the very start," Lemire said. "Thatmission continues today in anew phase, so an acknowledgmentthere that these were prematuredeclarations of victory andthat, while it's true, no one'sreally attacking each other atthis very moment, this conflictis far from over, and I sayreading from that newsconference, this is anadministration that's sort offlailing to figure out a wayout."