Overview
- At Friday’s CNN town hall, Queens waiter and full-time student Santiago Porras Ruiz asked how a taxpayer-funded war in Iran benefits him personally.
- Waltz called it a valid and tough question, pointing to housing measures, extended tax cuts, energy policies and lower prescription drug prices as pocketbook help.
- He defended the strikes as decisions to prevent what he described as a genocidal regime from threatening current and future generations with nuclear weapons.
- Earlier the same day, President Trump posted that he is considering winding down the war, even as thousands of U.S. Marines are moving to the region for a potential ground operation.
- Coverage also noted reported Pentagon plans to seek roughly $200 billion in supplemental funding and cited market data showing disrupted Strait of Hormuz tanker traffic and WTI crude near $98, up over $30 since Feb. 27.