President Donald Trump thrives on the image of being the man in charge — the one who bends the room to his will while everyone around him echoes the line. But the moment the conversation turns to the administration’s sudden military move against Iran, that aura of command starts to wobble. Al lies fumble through explanations, talking in circles and choosing their words with surgical caution, as if saying the wrong thing out loud might cause the entire narrative to collapse. Sen. Markwayne Mullin (R-OK) speaks to reporters as he arrives at the U.S. Capitol Building on March 05, 2026 in Washington, DC. Earlier today U.S. President Donald Trump announced on Truth Social his intention to nominate Mullin to replace U.S. Secretary of Homeland Security Kristi Noem. (Photo by Anna Moneymaker/Getty Images) And no one has embodied that awkward balancing act quite like Oklahoma Sen. Markwayne Mullin — the same lawmaker Trump just tapped to replace outgoing Homeland Security Secretary Kristi Noem — whose attempt to explain the situation quickly turned into the most painful moment in the entire spectacle. The newly elevated Cabinet pick has spent the past several days stumbling through interviews and press scrums trying to describe the administration’s attack on Iran, repeatedly tripping over his own words in a way critics say makes the administration’s messaging look downright absurd. ‘This Is Even More Humiliating’: Rubio Jumps Into the Mess After Trump Fires Kristi Noem — and His One Tweet Turns Her Awkward Exit Into a Full-Blown Embarrassment CNN recently compiled a montage of Trump allies and Republican lawmakers stammering, hedging and contradicting each other as they try to explain what happened on Saturday, Feb. 28, when Trump ordered U.S. airstrikes on Tehran in coordination with Israeli forces. Part of the confusion stems from the fact that Trump himself has been entirely consistent. In multiple public remarks, the president has referred to the conflict as a “war” and warned Americans to expect casualties “on the war front.” Secretary of Defense Pete Hegseth and Secretary of State Marco Rubio have both referred to the operation, dubbed Epic Fury, as “a war.” But in contrast, Republicans have bent over backward trying to land on safer language. Michigan Republican Rep. Brian Mast has said, “No one should classify this as war. It is combat operations.” Sen. Tommy Tuberville corrected reporters. “I wouldn’t call this a war as much as I’d call it a conflict that should be very short and sweet,” the Alabama Republican gushed. View on Threads South Carolina Republican Lindsey Graham wasn’t sure what to call the U.S.’ ongoing bombing campaign against the Islamic Republic. “I don’t know if this is technically a war,” he whined. In a dizzying array of additional descriptions other Republicans went on call it a “significant military operation” and “a strategic strike.” Then came Mullin. “We haven’t declared war,” the Oklahoma Republican said before visibly stumbling through his explanation. “So if we haven’t declared war uh, uh, uh, I don’t see that. The president hasn’t asked us to declare war yet.” The awkward pause and repeated stammering quickly became one of the standout moments in CNN’s montage. In the extended standalone clip circulating online, Mullin appeared to struggle for roughly 20 seconds to articulate the administration’s position. First calling the situation “a war,” then abruptly correcting himself and saying it wasn’t. When reporters pointed out the contradiction, he insisted “that was a misspoke” when he had “accidentally” called it a war. The confusion has not gone unnoticed online. “This dope talks himself into a pretzel every day. Why do his people allow him to speak to the media?” one Threads user wrote. View on Threads Another added, “It’s painful watching and listening to Markwayne Mullin try to sound intelligent or informed about, literally, anything.” “Our leaders are dumb as hell,” another post read. The administration’s messaging problems continued during a House hearing when California Democratic Rep. Sara Jacobs asked top Pentagon official and Under Secretary of War for Policy Elbridge Colby, who serves under Hegseth, “Are we at war?” “I think we’re in a military action at this point,” he deflected. Jacobs tried to pin him down, referencing Trump’s statements calling the attack on Iran “a war” and “to expect casualties on the warfront.” Colby hedged again saying he “wouldn’t presume” to correct the president. “I know this is a material matter in front of the Congress and between the administration and I’m not the right person to weigh in on exactly the criteria. Huh? Critics are enraged by a top Pentagon official’s inability to accurately describe an ongoing military campaign against a longtime enemy, contending if top military officials don’t know what to call the attack, who does? JACOBS: Are we at war with Iran?COLBY: We're in a military actionJACOBS: Yesterday, Trump said 'we're doing very well on the war front' and previously he said, 'we should expect casualties because that often happens in war.' So is he wrong?COLBY: I'm not the right person to… pic.twitter.com/oSKjEniMTE— Aaron Rupar (@atrupar) March 5, 2026 Social media swiftly melted down in disbelief over what opponents call a “true clown show.” ““The UNDER SECRETARY OF WAR isn’t the right person to ask ‘are we at war’? Jfc..” this X user proclaimed in frustration. Threads user Alexia Vitali pointed out, “They are now trying to deny it’s a war so they aren’t held accountable for starting a war without Congressional approval.” Another chimed in, “When officials avoid the word ‘war,’ it’s usually about legal authority and war powers.” “Because they’re all effing cowards who won’t stand up to the tyrant in chief,” a Threads user declared. Congress has the power to declare war under the U.S. Constitution, something it hasn’t done since World War II, according to PBS. The Republican-controlled Congress has essentially ceded its authority over to Trump over the past year refusing to reign him in on boat strikes in the Atlantic and Pacific, the capture of a foreign leader in an unauthorized invasion of Venezuela, a “12 day war,” as Hegseth calls it, against Iran last summer and deadly air strikes in northwestern Nigeria on Christmas Day. Democrats in the Senate, in trying to wrest control back from a “rogue” president, introduced a war powers resolution Wednesday, March 4, which was defeated on a 53-47 vote. The House defeated a similar measure on Thursday by 219-215 vote. ‘Dumb as Hell’: Markwayne Mullin Tries to Shield Trump From the Question Everyone Is Asking — Then the Words Start Fighting Each Other and It Just Gets Harder to Watch ...read more read less