U.S. Representative Jake Auchincloss (D-MA), a Marine Corps veteran, is refuting President Trump’s claim regarding the war in Iran, calling out the President’s assertion that “I think we’ve won from a military standpoint.” As seen below on CNN, Auchincloss said, “No, the United States has not won the war.”
When host Anderson Cooper said Trump’s claim seems to conflict with reporting that the Pentagon is sending thousands more Marines and sailors to the region, Auchincloss replied, “He’s frantically calling 9-1-1 right now. These Marine Expeditionary Units are often times called to answer the call, with 15 days of organic war-making capability.”
When a president dials 9-1-1, it’s Marine Expeditionary Units that answer the call, with 15 days of organic war-making capability. For the first time since the invasion of Iraq, a president is dialing up two MEUs to the Middle East. That’s a first step to sustained… pic.twitter.com/cjJ1qzS6Xt
— Rep. Jake Auchincloss 🟧 (@RepAuchincloss) March 22, 2026
Auchincloss added: “For the first time since the invasion of Iraq, a president is dialing up two MEUs to the Middle East. That’s a first step to sustained boots-on-the-ground escalation in the Strait of Hormuz, and Congress must stop it. Because the Marines will seize the islands if the commander-in-chief gives the order. They don’t fail missions. But what happens on Day 16?”
Contributing to the the dizzying contradictions that define the Trump administration’s messaging, especially concerning the goals of the Iran war, the President threatened to bomb Iranian civilian power infrastructure if Iran did not re-open the Strait of Hormuz, issuing Iran a 48-hour deadline to comply.
On Monday morning, the day this deadline was to expire, Trump extended it five days, citing progress during “in depth” talks with Iranian leadership. These talks, if actual, would by the President’s own assessment be of limited value, as Trump said last week that the U.S. did not know who was in charge of Iran after the U.S and Israel decapitated the nation’s top leadership and their presumed successors. “We don’t know who their leader is,” Trump said. “We have people wanting to negotiate. We have no idea who they are.”
