Tipsheet

The One Question the Media Wouldn't Ask at the White House Press Briefing Today

Matt Vespa
Matt Vespa  |  March 04, 2026 3:45 PM

The White House – Operation Epic Fury by the White House has so far been a remarkable success, thwarting Iran’s nuclear weapons plans and its worldwide state-sponsored terrorism efforts. To this point, the operation has achieved most, if not all, of its goals. 

  1. Destroy the nation’s ballistic missile capability. They’re still firing off some, but the core of their launcher bases has been destroyed
  2. The total annihilation of their navy
  3. The elimination of their proxies to destabilize the region
  4. Ending Tehran’s nuclear weapons ambitions.

 Ms. Leavitt had to reiterate these claims several times to the reporters who weren’t eager to hear them the first time. She came out strong, noting we’re dismantling the Iranian regime, their days of operating with impunity are finished, and their leaders are being held accountable. The era of appeasement is over. By that, I mean, turned into ashtrays. About 2,000 airstrikes have been ordered, with the terror regime’s military and political leaders being decimated.  

She reiterated that negotiations were ongoing and that the Iranians chose not to accept the United States' generous offers to avoid war. Leavitt warned that this president does not bluff, and the world saw that once again with Operation Epic Fury. The press secretary later extended her condolences to the American servicemembers who have been killed during this operation. 

Regarding Americans stranded in the Middle East and the Gulf States, Leavitt reaffirmed that the State Department has updated its hotline, and Americans can collaborate with these officials to arrange chartered flights out of the region at no cost. This wasn’t unexpected either: the Trump State Department didn’t neglect advisories, issuing numerous advisories since January for Americans traveling to the region.  

Some of the questions veered into outer space, with some wondering if our policy toward North Korea has changed regarding these airstrikes. Most were couched in hypotheticals that Leavitt and the White House were not going to tolerate. What wasn’t tolerated was nonsense, like whether we struck an elementary school, a sign that some in that room don’t know the sharks from the guppies in this fight, which is a problem. 

Another reporter stressed that we haven’t learned the imminent threat posed by Iran, which led to this air campaign. At the start of the briefing, Leavitt recounted Iran’s generations-long campaign of violence and mayhem against the United States starting in 1979. The numerous American servicemen killed during terrorist operations planned by the IRGC. Leavitt added that the president doesn’t make these decisions in a vacuum, noting the reports and the cumulative effect this nation, again the world’s largest state sponsor of terror, poses to the region and the world. Also, this nation was pursuing nuclear weapons. They admitted to Steve Witkoff that they had enough materials for 11 bombs, and even NATO admitted Tehran was close, so the Obama legacy once again got stained.  

No one asked about the ongoing shutdown of the Department of Homeland Security or the increased threat of terrorist reprisals in response to this air campaign. We already experienced one with the recent attack in Austin, Texas, where Ndiaga Diagne, 53, a Muslim, opened fire at Buford's Backyard Beer Garden and killed three people. At least 12 more were wounded before responding officers shot and killed him. DHS is a vital agency needed during times like these—the Democrats shut it down over the ongoing ICE operations nationwide.  

In a time of war and rising tension, the only agency we rely on to secure our soil, vet people, and monitor potential threats is hindered by politics, specifically anti-Trump antics from the Democratic Party.  

We’re at war. And there’s a significant security issue present with DHS being shut down.