Democracy Now! Audio - Democracy Now! 2026-03-25 Wednesday

Episode Date: March 25, 2026

Headlines for March 25, 2026; New DHS Head Markwayne Mullin Is “Trump Loyalist, Anti-immigrant, Incompetent”: Rep. Delia Ramirez; Pentagon Whistleblower Criticizes “Bloodthirst” of Iran War, Says Hegseth Is Enabling War Crimes; Patti Smith Remembers Rachel Corrie, Sings “Peaceable Kingdom” at DN!’s 30th Anniversary Event; “People Have the Power”: Patti Smith, Bruce Springsteen, Michael Stipe at Democracy Now! Celebration

From New York, this is Democracy Now. And we're thrilled to swear in our new Secretary of Homeland Security, a great American patriot, to put it mildly, Mark Wayne Mullen. And I want to just say, Mark Wayne, congratulations. Great. You deserve it. You're a great man. Former Oklahoma Republican Senator Mark Wayne Mullen has officially replaced Christy Knoem.

We'll speak to Chicago Congress member, Dillier, who pushed for Nome to be impeached. We'll look at Mullins' record on immigration, ice agents being deployed to airports, and the prospect of the being sent to polls in November. Then to a Pentagon analyst turned whistleblower. My entire life has been in service to this nation in one way or another. So I saw it as my mission, really my duty as an American, to expose what was happening at the Pentagon.

and the incredible danger that Pete Hegsath posed as Secretary of Defense. We'll speak to retired Master Sergeant West Bryant. Up until a year ago, he headed a Pentagon office aimed at reducing civilian casualties, but Trump dissolved the unit. Then to Democracy Now's 30th anniversary celebration. Patty Smith, Bruce Springsteen, Michael Stipe, and others come together for a rare joint performance of Smith's people have the power. Welcome to Democracy Now, Democracy Now.org, the War and Peace report. I'm Amy Goodman. The U.S. Israeli war in Iran enters its 26th day. As the Pentagon reports, as many as 3,000 U.S.

paratroopers from the 82nd Airborne Division are expected to be deployed, in addition to the 50,000 troops already present in the Middle East. President Trump Tuesday claimed negotiations to end the war are right now and that Iran agreed to never have a nuclear weapon. He also touted a significant present from Iran without specifying. They did something yesterday that was amazing, actually. They gave us a present, and the president arrived today. It was a very big present worth a tremendous amount of money. And I'm not going to tell you what that present is, but it was a very significant prize. And they gave it to us and they said they were going to give it.

Iran flat out denied it's negotiating with the United States. That's despite reports President Trump is seeking a month-long ceasefire to discuss his 15-point plan to end the war. Pakistani officials confirmed this morning Iran had received Trump's 15-point ceasefire proposal. This is Ibrahim Zulfaqari, the spokesperson for Iran's joint military command. Has the level of your internal discord reached the point where you are negotiating with yourselves? There will be neither any sign of your investments in the region, nor will you see previous energy and oil prices until you understand this. Stability in the region is guaranteed by the powerful hand of our armed forces. This comes as Mohammed Bahar Zal Khadr was appointed as Iran's new security chief for replacing Ali Larjani, who Israel killed in an attempt.

back last week. Meanwhile, Israel and Iran continue to exchange air strikes as the Israeli military says it needs several more weeks of fighting to complete its war goals in Iran to Israeli military officials told NPR Tuesday. The International Atomic Energy Agency says it's been informed by Iran that a projectile struck the premises of the Boucher nuclear power plant. Iran's armed forces say they've carried out drone attacks targeting a facility of Israel's Rafael weapons firm in Haifa. Iran continues to launch retaliatory strikes against Gulf nations hosting U.S. military bases. Bahrain and Saudi Arabia intercepted missiles and drones today. In Kuwait, drones targeted a fuel tank at Kuwait International Airport, causing a fire. Meanwhile,

the New York Times reports Saudi Arabia's de facto leader, Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman, has been pushing President Trump to continue the war. The Wall Street Journal reports, both the UAE and Saudi Arabia, are getting closer to a decision to join U.S. attacks on Iran. Philippines has declared a national energy emergency in response to the U.S. Israeli war on Iran. It comes as transport workers, commuters, and consumer groups in the Philippines, plan to hold a two-day strike starting tomorrow to protest the increase in fuel prices. Philippines imports 90% of its oil from the Middle East. Meanwhile, South Korea launched a campaign to save energy nationwide Tuesday,

urging people to take shorter showers, ride bicycles for short trips, avoid charging phones and electric vehicles at night, and to use washing machines and vacuum cleaners only on weekends. South Korea imports around 70% of its crude oil through the Strait of Hormuz, which Iran has effectively blocked in response to the U.S.-Israeli bombardment. Lebanon expelled Iran's newly appointed ambassador to Lebanon Tuesday, Hezbollah, which receives funding from Iran, called it a, quote, grave national and strategic mistake, unquote. This comes as Israel says it plans to seize parts of southern Lebanon to create what it called a defensive buffer against Hezbollah. The Israeli military continues to bomb bridges and demolish homes in southern Lebanon.

Lebanese authorities say Israeli attacks have killed more than a thousand people. since March 2nd and more than a million people have been forced to flee their homes. On Tuesday, the United Nations condemned Israel's war on Lebanon. Yes, we worry about the increased rhetoric that we're seeing. We worry about the continuing military activity that we're seeing. The territorial integrity of Lebanon needs to be respected. The government of Lebanon needs to be respected. Russia launched a huge wave of nearly a thousand drones at Ukraine, killing at least seven people Tuesday.

The rare daytime assault struck several civilian sites, including a 16th century church in Leviv, a UNESCO World Heritage Site. This comes as Russia said last week that talks on ending the war in Ukraine were in a, quote, situational pause because of the U.S.-Israeli war on Iran. A report by the New York Times has revealed new details about the violent arrest of an immigrant woman from Guatemalan and her nine-year-old daughter inside the San Francisco International Airport Sunday. Documents at Payne by the Times show the TSA, that's the Transportation Security Administration, has been sharing personal information with ICE about domestic airport travelers who may have deportation orders. Angelina Lopez Jimenez and her daughter, Wendy-Coh. Lardinez Lopez were reportedly flagged by TSA to ICE when they appeared on a passenger list.

The mother and daughter first came to the U.S. in 2018. They were put on a deportation flight bound for Guatemala on Tuesday after videos of the incident went viral. The Trump administration deployed ICE agents to over a dozen airports nationwide Monday amidst persistent staffing shortages within TSA caused by the partial government shutdown. TSA workers have gone without pay for more than a month as Congress continues to debate a funding deal for the Department of Homeland Security. At least 450 TSA officers have quit their jobs since the partial shutdown began on February 14th. CNN's reporting pilots repeatedly

pleaded with NASA's aviation safety reporting system to address safety concerns at New York's LaGuardia Airport for months before a deadly airplane crash Sunday, left two. people dead. Last summer, a pilot wrote to the agency to, quote, please do something after air traffic controllers at LaGuardia reportedly failed to disclose that other airplanes were nearby. Similar reports issued just months apart also described how LaGuardia air traffic controllers issued inaccurate instructions that led to near collisions, with some complaints warning the issues at LaGuardia were similar to what could have caused the January 2025 mid-air collision near Ronald Raleigh.

and National Airport that killed 67 people. The head of the National Transportation Safety Board, the NTSB, said Monday, long lines at LaGuardia Airport security checkpoints due to TSA shortages had delayed investigators from arriving at the scene of the deadly collision on Sunday when an Air Canada Express plane collided with a fire truck. The NTSB also said the fire truck did not have a transponder. which was needed to trigger the warning system before the deadly crash. Both pilots on the flight died. A jury in New Mexico Tuesday ordered META to pay $375 million in civil penalties

for knowingly harming children and concealing child sexual exploitation on its platforms. The verdict followed a seven-week trial stemming from a 2023 lawsuit brought by New Mexico Attorney General Raul Torres, who accused META of violating state. consumer protection laws and misleading the public about risks to the mental health of teen users. The $375 million penalty is less than a fifth of what prosecutors were seeking. Meta says it'll appeal the decision. It's the first time the company has been held accountable in a jury trial over harm to children on its platforms.

A group of eight architecture and cultural organizations have sued President Trump and his handpicked board of trustees at the Kennedy Center over planned renovations at the the center set to begin in just a few months. The groups want to ensure the White House and Trump's Kennedy Center board comply with existing historic preservation laws and secure approval from Congress before starting the renovations. The lawsuit says Trump's so-called renovations wish, quote, to fundamentally alter this iconic property without complying with bedrock federal historic preservation and environmental laws and without securing the necessary congressional authorization, unquote. Last month, the Kennedy Center's board,

voted to close the venue for two years for a quarter of a billion dollar renovation. In Florida, Democrat Emily Gregory flipped a Republican-held Florida state house seat Tuesday in a district that includes President Trump's Mar-a-Lago resort. Gregory defeated Trump-induced Republican John Maples in a district Trump won by 11 points in 2024. The previous Republican, Mike Russo, had won the seat by 19. percentage points just last year. Trump voted by mail in the race, despite frequently denouncing voting by mail as cheating. Democrats have now flipped 29 state legislative seats from Republican control since Trump took office. Minnesota officials have sued the Trump administration for access to

evidence needed for an independent investigation into the killings of Renee Good and Alex Pretti. and another non-fatal shooting by federal agents in Minneapolis. Minnesota state officials are seeking a court order demanding the Trump administration comply with a state probe. Meanwhile, Trump administration officials claim Minnesota does not have the jurisdiction to investigate the shootings. Minnesota Attorney General Keith Ellison said, quote, this is extremely unusual. This is something that is arbitrary, capricious. It is coming from Washington, and it has scary implications. for other parts of the country, he said.

And in Argentina, thousands marched to the capital, Buenos Aires, Tuesday, to mark 50 years since a U.S.-backed military coup in 1976 overthrew President Isabel Perron and established one of the bloodiest dictatorships in Latin American. Estimated 30,000 people were forcibly disappeared by state armed forces during Argentina's so-called dirty war, which lasted until 1983. the current government of right-wing Argentine president, Javier Malé, has slashed funding for human rights groups investigating crimes that occurred during the dictatorship. This is Nestor de Milia, a retired teacher speaking from Buenos Aires.

At the time of the coup, there was also a de-industrialization of the Argentine economy. And, well, like every year, we will continue fighting so that there is memory, truth, and justice, and that we can have a better government in the future. And those are some of the headlines. This is Democracy Now. Democacy Now.org. The War and Peace Report, I'm Amy Goodman. On Tuesday, Republican Senator Mark Wayne Mullen of Oklahoma was sworn in as Secretary of Homeland Security to replace Christy Noem who was ousted earlier this month. Attorney General Pambandi administered the oath in the Oval Office.

Afterwards, President Trump praised Mullen as a great American patriot and former MMA fighter. He also recognized Mullen as the first member of the chair. Turkey nation to join a presidential cabinet. Afterwards, a reporter asked Trump how Mellon's leadership would differ from NOMS. Do you believe the secretary will run DHS any differently than Kristy Nome did? What do you hope to see us as his priorities? Well, we had a good run. Look, we created the strongest border with the help of that man right there.

Tom is so incredible. He's going to be a big influence here, too. There's nobody more professional, nobody better. There's nobody better as a human being. He looks tough, but he's got a good heart. but not too good. Don't make it too good. But, you know, we had Tom, we have the safest border we've ever had. We have a lot of assets, but a lot of things we can do and we're going to do. We have to get criminals out of our country.

Noam had faced intensifying calls to resign or be impeached over her disastrous handling of Trump's immigration raids nationwide. And the unchecked violent use of, force by her federal agents, leading to the fatal shootings of at least four people, including U.S. citizens Renee Good and Alex Preti in Minneapolis, whom Nome then falsely labeled as domestic terrorists. Mullen responded to the shooting of Alex Preti by describing Prattie as a deranged individual, unquote. Mullen also defended the ICE officer who fatally shot Renee Good. As DHS secretary, Christy Noem was also widely accused. of corruption. She oversaw a multi-million dollar self-promotional DHS advertising campaign that

cost $220 million. At his Senate confirmation hearing, Mullen said his goal would be to keep the department out of the headlines. My goal in six months is that we're not in the lead story every single day. My goal is for people to understand we're out there, we're protecting them, and we're working with them. Mullen was confirmed 54 to 45 in the Senate. Republican Senator Rand Paul broke from his party to vote against Mullen's confirmation. The two clashed over comments Mullen made following a violent attack on Senator Paul by his neighbor in which Paul suffered seven broken ribs and required surgery.

Senator Paul questioned whether Mullen had the temperament to lead an agency with a use-of-force problem. I was shocked that it would justify and celebrate this violent assault. That caused me so much pain and my family so much pain. I just wonder if someone who applauds violence against their political opponents is the right person to lead an agency that has struggled to accept limits to the proper use of force. And you offer no apology today. and no regrets. Haven't heard the word apologize, haven't heard the word regret,

haven't heard I misspoke, and it was heated, and I made a mistake. I haven't heard any of those words. Sir, actually, it wasn't heated, and I'm not apologizing for pointing out your character. Good, good. So you're jolly well fine, and you want the American public,

and the people up here to vote, that may or may not vote for you to know that you supported the felonious violent attack on me from behind. I did not say I supported it. I said, understood it. That was Senator, now DHS, Secretary Mullen, explaining he understood why Paul was attacked, and I think at least six of his ribs were fractured.

Two Democrats joined Republicans in backing Mullen, Senators John Fetterman of Pennsylvania and Martin Heinrich of New Mexico. Mullin's confirmation comes as lawmakers warn a DHS partial shotgun. shutdown could drag into April. For more, we're joined by Congressmember Delia Ramirez of Illinois, joining us from Capitol Hill. Congressmember, thanks so much for being with us. If you can talk more about Mullen's record at what it means that he is heading the Department of Homeland Security. Well, look, I would start by telling you, Amy, that the confirmation that he just went through,

confirmed by Pam Bondi, who is unwilling to go on oath to testify. about her own department, tells you everything you need to know. Mark Wayne Mullen is a Trump loyalist, is anti-immigrant, incompetent, has never served in the Homeland Security Committee like some of us have over the last few years, and is quick to go to aggression when he feels uncomfortable or when he feels like he needs to respond. He's the same guy that was prepared to in a Senate hearing, fight, physically fight, the president of the Teamsters.

The president of this country bragged about him when he announced him by talking about his record as an MMA fighter. And you have someone who is now going to lead a violent agency that has killed American citizens, beat women at airports. And now he is now the new secretary that has been sworn in by both Republicans and Democrats. A shame for our nation. You mentioned airports, and one of the Chicago airports has ICE agents deployed to it as of this week. If you can talk about President Trump's idea, he takes full credit for it.

Now that TSA agents have been paid more than a month, that he'll add ICE agents to at this point at least 14 airports. Right before, if this was supposed to show us what was going to happen at San Francisco International Airport, A woman from Guatemala and her daughter were taken down in the airport because apparently, according to the New York Times, TSA had shared information with ICE prior to her coming to the airport and flying with her child about her immigration status. Can you talk about the significance of this? Yeah, but let me be clear. When the TSA interim administrator came before the Homeland Security Committee, I asked her questions directly about working with ICE and sharing data. And she proudly under oath said she did. She said that it is under the purview of the agency, and they are all under one department.

So I'm not surprised the TSA has in fact shared information of passengers. What I think is even scarier is that they're willing to bluntly brag about it and then when a violent attack happens, try to walk back some of what they've seen and what they've done. I want people to think of the image of that little girl, a six or seven-year-old little girl, crying, scared as they're tackling her mother at a San Francisco airport. Donald Trump wants people traveling around the country to live in fear if they don't do as he says. agents at airports, it's not going to stop there. You and I have heard the threats of this paramilitary police now possibly showing up on election day.

We have to understand that this agency of terror needs to be dismantled. And whether it is Mullen, whether it is known, whether it is Tom Homan, that agency is dangerous. And every American should say enough is enough. No funding it. No more resources. It needs to be completely tear down. Congress member Ramirez last year on NBC's meet the press. When host Kristen Welker asked Mullen, what should happen to babies born on U.S. soil, currently protected under the 14th Amendment, that's birthright citizenship, whose undocumented parents are deported.

Mullen said they should go where their parents are. It's interesting. The birthright citizenship case is being argued before the Supreme Court on April 1st. Later in the broadcast, we're going to be. playing Bruce Springsteen, who is at our 30th anniversary celebration this week. And the ACLU, who's arguing the case, is using his song Born in the USA as part of a campaign to support birthright citizenship. We're talking about Mullen here, saying those children should be deported. Look, Amy, I am the lead sponsor of the Born in the USA Act, the bill that would

codify birthright citizenship, codify something that already the Constitution has made very clear. If you're born in this country, you're a United States citizen, whether you were born here 42 years ago like I was, or you were born here last week. I think it's really dangerous when you have senators who are now turning into secretaries who don't understand the Constitution, who have never read the Constitution,

and now are so quick to say, well, they should just all go together. Would you have said this to your grandparents, your great-grandparents, who also came to this country, maybe through the Ellis Island and then got birthright citizenship? I think it is a dangerous path that we are on when the Supreme Court has to argue something that has been set so clear through the United States Constitution, and it's why I have to make sure that we codify the birthright citizenship bill

that I'm leading. Born in the USA, like Bruce Springsteen said, we are proud of who we are as Americans, and no president should try to deny someone's citizenship based on the color of their skin or where their parents came from. The Trump administration has spent months tightening sanctions against Cuba. It has experienced nationwide blackout after blackout. Operations are not being able to be performed.

Your colleague, Congress member Nydia Velasquez, just introduced to war powers resolution stating Congress has not declared war upon Cuba or upon any person or organization within Cuba. what leverage do you have to change this situation? People fear as President Trump joins Israeli Prime Minister Netanyahu in attacking Iran, that Trump is going to push for regime change and has proudly boasted that he's looking for that in Cuba. These are two warmongers who believe that the only way to lead is to domination through conquest, It's what you saw that he did in Venezuela, is what he and Bina and Yahoo are doing in the Middle East.

No one is safe as a result of that. Many people in Cuba itself would argue that in some ways they already feel like the United States has declared war on them. They are literally starving. They can't get medicine. They're waiting for these special operations that are coming in to try to provide some resource. But ultimately, every person's starving right now in Cuba, it is the responsibility of this president that's declared war on them. I joined Congresswoman Velazquez on her resolution. I'm going to be sponsoring the resolution.

But I think the leverage conversation that we have to have here in Congress is asking ourselves, when is enough enough, Amy? When will Congress actually stand up and act like a co-equal branch of government and say enough to a warmonger that all he wants to stay in power to get all the profit from oil and to enrich his family? I hope that more members of Congress join Nydia Velasquez's resolution. We all have to say enough is enough. No one is safe under Donald Trump.

No one is safe when a Congress is weak as it is today. I want to end by asking you about his confirmation hearing. That's Senator Mullins, now DHS Secretary. Senator Alyssa Slotkin of Michigan asked Mullen about the 2020 election. Election. Ma'am, we know that President Joe Biden was worn into office. He was the president for the last four years. But I do believe my job as Department of Homeland Security Secretary will be to make sure that we assure that the elections

are fair and people can trust them. And the reason I end with this is the question of ICE agents being deployed to the polls, something that now DHS Secretary Mullen has not condemned, has said If there are problems, they will be at the polls. There is no reason for ICE agents to be at the polls. And you heard him say they will be fair. He didn't say safe and fair according to who, Donald Trump, when he gets to steal elections. Look, shame on the two Democrats that voted to confirm this man.

He is incompetent, but even more so, he is dangerous and he is corrupt, just like Donald Trump and Christy Knoem. It is why I think this Congress has to do everything in its power between now and November. to pass adequate legislation and work with state authorities to ensure that we, in fact, have free and fair elections and free from terror, and that means free from ICE. We have a responsibility in the Senate and the House right now

to ensure that not one more dollar goes to DHS. We should be abolishing it is what people want on the ground, and it's responsibility of Democrats to ensure that we protect at all costs free and fair elections. And free and fair from Mullen, from Noem, from Tom Homan, and certainly from Stephen Miller and Donald Trump. Congressmember Delia Ramirez, the daughter of Guatemalan immigrants, Democratic Congress member from Illinois, joining us from the Capitol. Up next, Pentagon whistleblower West Bryan on the war in Iran and the U.S. military under Pete Hegseth.

Stay with us. Because I awaken into the cry that the people have the power. Patty Smith, performing a Democracy Now's 30th anniversary celebration in a rare joint performance with Bruce Springsteen, Michael Steep, and more. We'll play more of this song later in the broadcast. This is Democracy Now, Democracy Now.org. As the U.S. and Israeli war on Iran enters its 26 day, the Pentagon's deploying up to 3,000 paratroopers. from the 82nd Airborne Division to the Middle East. In addition, 2,500 troops in the 31st Marine Expeditionary Unit are heading to the region

are expected to arrive later this week. Another 4,500 troops, along with three more ships, are expected to arrive in the coming weeks. This comes as speculation is growing. The U.S. might attempt to seize Harg Island, a key Iranian oil export hub. The deployments come amid some diplomatic developments. Pakistani officials say Iran's received a 15-point ceasefire, proposal from the U.S., but top Iranian officials have denied Trump's claim that direct negotiations have already begun between Iran and the U.S. On Tuesday, Trump claimed Iran had agreed to never

have a nuclear weapon but offered no details. Meanwhile, Israel's defense minister, Israel Katz, has announced Israel plans to occupy all of South Lebanon south of the Latani River. Israel's far-right finance minister, Bezal Smotrick, has called for the Latani River to become Israel's new border with Lebanon. We're joined right now, by retired master sergeant West Bryant, who spent 20 years in the U.S. Air Force as a special operations targeting specialist. Bryant served as the chief of civilian harm assessment at the Pentagon from 2024 to 25 before the office was dissolved. We thank you so much for being with us. If you can start off by that first day of U.S. Israeli strikes on Iran, because this goes to you being an expert and targeted.

and the killing of at least 175 people, overwhelmingly primary school girls in southern Iran, as a sort of setting the stage for what's happened with the strikes on Iran. Yes. You know, this war, I think even more concernedly, it's really just the latest in an outplay of authoritarianism, of tyrannism, of tyrannism, of tyranny that's laced with a bloodthirst and a lust for power and domination. It's a wholly illegal war. It's been carried out recklessly from the start and with little regard for the innocent, as well as all the rest of the economic regional security impacts and the long-term strategic consequences. To see that strike on the girls' school in the

opening hours of the war. As someone who spent over two decades as a targeter, you know, I've controlled, I've coordinated and controlled hundreds into the thousands of strike operations. And that was pure recklessness, pure negligence, and the fact that it still hasn't even been answered to or even officially acknowledged, let alone any redress or semblance of apology or sympathy offered is, you know, beyond shameful. But it's, it's fitting with who and what these people are, who and what Hegsef is, who and what Trump is in this entire administration. But I can tell you, you know, this strike was not a case of fog of war. It was not a case of, well,

civilians will die in combat. And so, you know, this is a, a natural consequence of war. It was pure and complete negligence, and it's representative of a pattern of this de-evolution of these standards and practices that the U.S. military has been upholding and condoning up until Hegstath took the reins. And I'd like to point out, this is just one of many. Right now, my colleagues at Air Wars are tracking upwards of 130 separate civilian casualty incidents between U.S. and Israeli strikes throughout Iran. And so as the smoke clears, we're going to see a whole lot more. Hopefully nothing this tragic is the school strike. Talk about Pete Hexseth, who he is, his policies right now, talking about not having to be

politically correct, which seems to be code for what, committing war crimes? Absolutely. Pete Hexseth has already direct. directed the committing of war crimes. And unfortunately, our senior military leadership is bending the knee and carrying out whatever he tells them to do. And he expresses intent to commit even more war crimes, along with Trump himself, you know, talking about doing strikes on infrastructure just for the fun of it, talking about shutting down all of the power grid across Iran and then decimating Iran so that it can't rebuild for generations. Clear intent for war crimes.

You know, Hegsseth talking about giving no quarter to the enemy, a war crime. And so, you know, combine that with the sheer magnitude of these campaigns. Look at Yemen last year, which is a bit of a microcosm of what we're seeing in Iran. And then now Iran, first few days of this strike campaign, more strikes than in the first six months of the counter ISIS campaign, I helped lead and stand up the first strike cells in the counter ISIS campaign out of Baghdad in 2014. And I can tell you, we could barely keep up at that time. The magnitude of these strikes, these thousands of strikes in such a short period tells me as well that there's no way that proper characterization of each of these

different target sets was accomplished in terms of, are they still valid targets? What is the risk to the civilian populace. And the Monop school strike is just one horribly tragic example and outplay of that recklessness. I believe also that, you know, Hegssess setting the example, setting the precedent of, for all of this, and he's setting a higher tolerance for civilian catchees. You know, he doesn't have to change our law of war, our targeting doctrine, our what we call collateral damage methodology and how we assess civilian risk and mitigate it. But the culture and the precedent that he sets and the orders that he gives even verbally can change all of that.

And that's what we're seeing. We're seeing a complete disregard for standing operational practices that would have us adhere to international law, adhere to the protection, the sacred values that we hold as Americans and American warfighters, one of those being the protection of the innocent. and this entire warrior ethos that HECSeth proliferates, it's frankly disgusting. There's nothing about him that exudes the American warrior ethos. Because for me, how I was brought up, that ethos includes honor, humanity, temperance, the protection of the innocent, humility. He exudes none of those. In fact, the exact opposite of all of those.

And that's incredibly dangerous to the culture of our military. And we see it playing out in its use. Retired Master Sergeant West Bryant, you were forced out of government last spring. What's happened to your position? What is the impact of gutting your department and explain what that department is, or was, I should say? This department was, it was called the Civilian Protection Center of Excellence out of the Pentagon. It was actually initiated under Secretary Esper in the first Trump administration, codified into law under Secretary Austin in the Biden administration.

And it was actually Austin's number one priority. I was one of the people directly recruited in. That's how big of a priority it was. We want as many experts and as many different fields as we can to help, help the military get better. You know, look at sustains and improves, we call from the war on terror from the last 20, 30 years. What were we doing well to protect civilians and what could we do a lot better? That was the entire construct. And this fell under what was called the civilian harm mitigation and response enterprise.

And that was completely targeted, you know, as soon as Heg Seth and his team came in. I mean, the first two words in our center were civilian protection. So, of course, that's going to fall under this construct. of woke. But, you know, unfortunately, and it's almost laughable if it wasn't so angering, Hegseft really doesn't understand much about war. He certainly doesn't understand precision warfare as he throws the term around so often. You know, protecting the innocent and civilians is actually true precision warfare.

Because as it turns out, when you kill less civilians, you're putting more of your resources into finding and killing the enemy. And, you know, there's this idea and it's really being imported from what we're seeing in Israel, fortunately, and their genocide in Gaza. This ideal that using precision munitions means precision warfare. Note, in Gaza, for example, precision munitions have destroyed 80 to 90 percent of the infrastructure, killed thousands of civilians, including over 20,000 children. That's not precision. warfare whatsoever. And we're seeing this now play out in Iran. And the danger here, an incredible danger, is that the U.S. military is now starting to import the practices of the Israeli military.

And either way, we are complicit in everything happening in Iran, whether Israel carries it out or the U.S. Retired Master Sergeant West Bryant, spent 20 years in the U.S. Air Force, served as the Chief of Civilian Harm Assessment at the Pentagon from 2024 to 2025. Coming up, Patty Smith, at Democracy Now's 30th anniversary celebration. Her performances in this rare joint performance of People Have the Power with Bruce Springsteen, Michael Stipe, and others on the stage. But first, she reads from her book about U.S. policy in Gaza,

for years. Stay with us. Storesk and smoking stood for just ringing through the night. Streets of Minneapolis, Bruce Springsteen performing at Democracy Now's 30th anniversary event Monday night at the Riverside Church. Go to DemocracyNow.org to see the whole performance. And afterwards, I asked him questions

about his nationwide tour. It's beginning Saturday at the No King's March in St. Paul. This is Democracy Now, Democracy Now.org. I'm Amy Goodman. On Monday, over 2,000 people packed into the historic Riverside Church here in New York to celebrate. 30 years of Democracy Now. Speakers and performers included Angela Davis, Patty Smith, Michael Stipe V, formerly Eve

Insler, hooray for the riff-waffe, Mossab Abu Toha, and a surprise appearance by Bruce Springsteen will be airing excerpts all week. But we turn now to Patty Smith, the acclaimed singer, songwriter, award-winning author and artist. She recently celebrated 50th anniversary of her landmark debut album Horses. In 2010, she won the National Book Award for nonfiction for her memoir, Just Kids. Patty Smith performed alongside her daughter, Jesse Smith, and Tony Shanahan. She began, though, by reading an excerpt from her new memoir, Bread of Angels.

I'm going to read a little passage from Bread of Angels while Tony's tuning up. Will I distract you? No. On October 26, 2002, International Answer, organized a protest of the planned attack on Iraq by the Bush administration in Washington, D.C. We performed people of the power.

I looked out and an estimated 200,000 people people gathered from all over the country. Looking back from the Constitution Gardens near the Vietnam War Memorial, the mall was carpeted with people calling for peace, chanting no war. We met again in January, performing again in the freezing cold and joining forces with Reverend Jesse Jackson. On February, blessings upon him, on February 15th, the largest global anti-war protest in history was waged. In England alone, nearly a million protested. In Italy, a staggering three million.

I marched in Paris in the Palestinian section, and they gave me a flag. Sadly, the collective voice of the people was not heated. On March 16, 2003, Rachel Corey, a young non-violence activist, was protesting the Israeli demolition of homes in the Gaza Strip. Bulldozers had already destroyed surrounding houses in Rafa, where she was based. They targeted the family home of Professor Nass Rala, where she was staying. Corey, wearing an orange vest, bullhorn in hand, called for them to cease. She stood on a raised mound in the path of an Israeli bulldozer, but it kept going. Her fellow activist cried out, and the Nassarala children watched in horror as she was

crushed a death. The loss of Corey, a bright, altruistic force, just two years older than my own son, haunted me. At the same time, on the first day of spring, it was obvious that all the marches, pleas and protests of millions of people worldwide, were not going to halt the Bush administration's plan to attack Baghdad. That was 23 years ago when Tony Shanahan and I wrote the song. We wrote it to comfort the family of Rachel Corey and to send a small, a small message of hope to the Palestinian people. We're not again. Am I sleeping?

Because I'll... Patty Smith with her daughter, Jesse Smith and Tony Shanahan, performing Peaceable Kingdom at Democracy Now's 30th anniversary celebration at Riverside Church Monday night. This is Democracy Now, Democracy Now.org.

I'm Amy Goodman. We end today's show with People Have the Power. At Democracy Now's 30th anniversary celebration Monday at the historic River side church. Patty Smith, Bruce Springsteen, and Michael Stipe got on stage for a rare joint appearance, performance of people have the power, along with Aaron Dessner, Linda Segarra,

and hooray for the riffraff, and Patty Smith's bandmates, Tony Shanahan, and Jesse Smith. speak the graces shower being suspect and bend into fancy because the people and the shepherds and the soldier visions shining valleys

fountains and like Patty Smith Bruce Springsteen Michael Stipe on stage at Democracy Now's 30th anniversary celebration in a rare joint performance, along with the nationals, Aaron Dessner, Alinda Sigara and hooray for the riffraff, and Patty Smith's bandmates, Tony Shanahan, and Jesse Parris Smith. Visit DemocracyNow.org to watch our full anniversary event, including Bruce Springsteen's

surprise performance of streets of Minneapolis. On Saturday, Bruce will perform at the No Kings Rally in St. Paul, Minnesota, along with Joan Baez. She'll be there with Jane Fonda and others. We'll be broadcasting more of our event in the coming days. I'm Amy Goodman. Thanks so much for joining us.