Overview
- MS NOW host Lawrence O'Donnell said Pete Hegseth's use of 'we leave no man behind' was outdated and pointed to General Dan Caine's 'we leave no one behind' as the preferred phrasing.
- O'Donnell argued the rescued flier could have been a woman and cited the growing share of women in the Air Force to press for inclusive language.
- He broadened the critique by saying the modern 'leave no one behind' ethos differs from past wars, invoking World War II POWs and John McCain's years as a prisoner in Vietnam.
- O'Donnell also claimed two rescue aircraft were abandoned and destroyed in Iran at about $100 million each, a detail he reported on air that other sampled outlets did not independently verify.
- Conservative publications and social media users mocked the segment and recast the story as a partisan media fight after officials publicly praised the complex mission to recover two downed airmen in Iran.