Pete Hegseth and General Dan Caine
During a Pentagon press briefing on Operation Epic Fury, Secretary of War Pete Hegseth used striking language to describe the destruction of Iran’s military capabilities.
At one point he said:
“Combat ineffective, decimated, destroyed, defeated. Pick your adjective.”
Moments later, Chairman of the Joint Chiefs General Dan Caine followed with a more analytical assessment:
“Iran’s theater ballistic missile shots fired are down 86 percent from the first day of fighting.”
The contrast between the two statements immediately stood out.
That contrast inspired today’s political cartoon.
In the cartoon, Hegseth turns toward Caine and says:
“Iranian ballistic missiles, decimated, destroyed, defeated. Pick your adjective, General Caine.”
Caine replies simply:
“Eighty-six percent.”