NEWNow you can listen to Fox News articles!
Political analyst, Leigh McGowan, argued Friday, on “CNN NewsNight” with Abby Phillips, that President Donald Trump’s decision to escalate the US conflict with Iran raises questions about the government’s priorities.
He lamented that tens of thousands of Americans die each year without health insurance while the US spends billions on war.
“You say 46 Americans died, so we have to attack this country. Here at home, 68,000 Americans die a year because they don’t have health insurance,” McGowan said. “So, if we’re going to spend billions of dollars on something, wouldn’t it make more sense to save American lives, to spend it here on health care than to bomb another country.”
TRUMP WANTS FOREIGN MEDICINES TO HELP PROTECT HORMUZ ISLAND
Former CENTCOM Director Col. Joe Buccino (seated.) discusses Iran’s sea mines on “Fox & Friends.” (Zachary Pearson/US Navy via Getty Images; Fox News)
The exchange came during a panel discussion about the Trump administration’s military action in Iran, including reports that thousands of US Marines have been deployed near Kharg Island, a strategic oil export hub for Iran.
McGowan said the administration had not presented a clear exit strategy and warned that the conflict could consume American resources that could be used to address domestic challenges such as health care and social programs.
COULD TAKE OFF IRAN EXPERT ‘TIME OF CHOICE,’ SAYS JACK KEANE.
Cars drive on a highway as smoke billows after an overnight airstrike on oil storage facilities on March 8, 2026 in Tehran, Iran. (Majid Saeedi/Getty Images)
New York Post reporter Lydia Moynihan challenged McGowan, saying that disabling terrorists in Iran would be a clear victory for the United States.
“We’ve already seen this regime completely crippled,” said Moynihan, “the military has been clear. We don’t want them to get a nuclear weapon. We want to reduce their missiles. We’re accomplishing those goals.”
Moynihan acknowledged that the American people want the war to end “tomorrow,” but that the US military has already dealt a major blow to Iran’s power.
McGowan confirmed that he is in the military, but wants to see an end to the war.
“I fully support war, that’s why I’m against this war,” said McGowan, “You don’t just have to have a plan and a reason, you need to have an exit strategy. You have to know why you’re there, what you’re doing, what your purpose is. We don’t have that.”
IRAN IS MOVING HUNDREDS OF BILLIONS IN CRYPTO DURING NATION’S INTERNET BLACKOUT, REPORT EMERGES
President Donald Trump sits at a table monitoring military operations during Operation Epic Fury against Iran at the White House in Washington, DC, on March 2. (White House via X Account/Anadolu via Getty Images)
Trump has defended the military action as necessary to stop Iranian aggression and protect American personnel and allies in the Middle East.
“It has been the policy of the United States for decades to never allow Iran to obtain a nuclear weapon,” Trump said during his State of the Union. “For many decades. Ever since they took control of that proud nation 47 years ago, this regime and its murderous agents have spread nothing but terror, death and hatred.”
CLICK HERE TO DOWNLOAD THE FOX NEWS PROGRAM
