Overview
- MS NOW host Lawrence O’Donnell faulted Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth for saying “we leave no man behind,” noting General Dan Caine used “we leave no one behind” at the same White House briefing.
- O’Donnell argued the rescued airman could have been a woman and said modern phrasing should reflect that reality, citing the growing share of women in the U.S. Air Force.
- Hegseth praised the operation at the White House, saying no American lives were lost and repeating the military ethic of bringing every American home.
- Coverage recapped that an American F-15 was downed in Iran, one crew member was rescued within hours, a second hid for about 48 hours before recovery, and two rescue aircraft were abandoned in Iran and destroyed.
- O’Donnell also said Iran “humiliated” President Trump and questioned the modern rescue ethos by pointing to POWs in World War II and Vietnam, while right-leaning outlets like Newsbusters and The Post Millennial condemned his remarks and Mediaite focused on the language dispute.