Joan Esposito is joined by Army Maj. Gen. Randy Manner (Ret.), former acting vice chair of the National Guard Bureau, and member of National Security Leaders for America (NSL4A).

Manner scrutinized President Donald Trump's claim that he OK'd Iran's recent retaliatory strike on a U.S. base. "It's a bunch of crap that any leader would say, oh, yeah, attack our positions; we're ready for you guys," he told WCPT. "That is criminal, if it was true. I just believe this is his ego talking, and I certainly hope nothing more, but it certainly should be investigated after he leaves the presidency."

The conversation also touched on the impact of the Trump administration's dismantling of the United States Agency for International Development and the importance of soft power. "It is a way for the United States to extend and influence others without, quite frankly, holding a gun to their head," Manner said. "The military is the strongest proponent of soft power because if we use hard power, that means soldiers, sailors, airmen, Marines could be in harm's way and perhaps not go back home to their families. So that is a last resort, not the first resort."

Catch "Joan Esposito: Live, Local and Progressive" weekdays from 2:00 to 5:00 p.m. Central on WCPT (heartlandsignal.com/programs/live-local-progressive).

And find the Joan Esposito (Full Episodes) podcast on Spotify, Apple Podcasts, TuneIn, iHeartRadio, YouTube, and Amazon.

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