Politics and views in the United States

Foreign policy experts say the Iran War isn't achieving its outlined goals. President Trump's 2027 budget proposal calls for a massive increase in defense spending and farmers reel from USDA grant cuts.

Transcript

Welcome to 2026 Talks, where we're following our democracy in historic times.

Iran continues to control Hormuz Strait, but beyond that, clearly has retaliatory capabilities, is able to hit back.

And it does look like they are increasingly feeling like they are going to control the timeline.

Asla Aydin Tashbash with the Brookings Institution says the Iran war, now approaching a month and a half, has demonstrated America's military might, but she says the conflict's also spinning out of President Donald Trump's control.

Trump continues to say Iran must make a deal to reopen the Strait of Hormuz under threat of retaliatory bombing of power plants and other civilian infrastructure.

But Tehran continues to demand security guarantees and reparations, suggesting it's not about to back down.

The U.S. was able to rescue an airman after Iran shot down two U.S. jets, demonstrating capabilities on both sides.

The war is proving expensive and the White House is asking for an unprecedented $1.5 trillion defense budget.

The administration's spending outline also includes more cuts to safety net programs like Medicare and Medicaid.

Healthcare organizations say clinics and hospitals are already closing or cutting staff in response to last year's budget megabill.

The administration also wants to cut more than $50 million from TSA and have some airports shift to privatized security.

One Nevada TSA officer speaking anonymously for fear of retaliation says the cuts would be extremely short-sighted as the agency is already underfunded.

We need the money because our equipment is falling apart.

We have metal detectors that are over 20 years old.

We're working with equipment that's almost as old as some of the screeners that are working on it.

TSA staff are currently being paid through a presidential executive order with the homeland security budget stalled over immigration enforcement rules.

National farm groups are calling for reinstating grants that help small-scale farmers purchase land, almost $300 million for projects in 40 states were terminated with the USDA citing waste and discriminatory practices based on DEI.

Jesse Gill with the Massachusetts-based nonprofit World Farmers says new farmers and immigrants need technical assistance and help getting capital, which will boost local food production and keep farmland from becoming developed as real estate.

We saw this program as a huge step in the right direction to really start to invest in farmers of different scale and really mobilizing and supporting them to grow.

Massachusetts is part of a multi-state lawsuit claiming the agency is imposing illegal conditions on the grants.

A federal court has decided Trump isn't immune from civil claims relating to the January 6th insurrection.

D.C. District Judge Ahmet Mehta ruled remarks by the president could be considered incitement, not protected by the First Amendment.

Trump spoke at a Stop the Steal rally that day.

We will never give up.

We will never concede.

It doesn't happen.

You don't concede when there's theft involved.

Trump's legal team claims he was canning out official duties as president and is therefore immune based on a controversial 2024 Supreme Court ruling.

I'm Edwin J. Viera for Pacifica Network and Public News Service.

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