For months, President Donald Trump has insisted the United States had “obliterated” Iran’s military, portraying the campaign as a decisive victory.  But as reports of fresh Iranian missile and drone counterattacks to renewed American airstrikes on the Islamic Republic continue to emerge ac ross the Middle East, even one of the president’s most dependable media allies found herself asking a question that critics have been raising for weeks: If Iran’s military was destroyed, how is it still fighting? That disconnect took center stage during Fox News’ “Sunday Morning Futures,” where host Maria Bartiromo openly questioned the administration’s repeated claims as the conflict entered another dangerous phase. Rep. Marjorie Taylor Greene, pictured, R-Ga, Rep. Ro Khanna, D-Calif., and Rep. Thomas Massie, R-Ky held a press conference outside the U.S. Capitol, on Tuesday, November 18, 2025, with victims of convicted sex offender Jeffrey Epstein as the House prepares to vote to release records related to him. (Sarah L. Voisin/The Washington Post via Getty Images) The exchange quickly spread across social media, fueling skepticism from both longtime Trump critics and some former MAGA allies, while renewed U.S. airstrikes, additional American military deaths and continued Iranian attacks cast fresh doubt on the White House’s narrative that Tehran’s military capabilities had been effectively wiped out. During an interview with former Trump national security adviser Victoria Coates, Bartiromo expressed confusion over Iran’s ability to continue to respond to U.S. aggression despite Trump’s repeated assertions.  “You know, CENTCOM says there will be outsized action in retaliation, but I don’t understand how it’s possible that Iran has the capabilities to fight this way and continue to try to lash out at Gulf countries and U.S. military bases,” Bartiromo said. “Because the U.S. has obliterated Iran’s military, and the president continues to reiterate that.” Coates acknowledged Iran remained capable of carrying out attacks while arguing its military had nevertheless suffered significant setbacks.  “Yes. And if you look at the numbers of missiles that they’ve been able to fire off from the beginning of this war in late February, early March, and what they’re able to do now, it is very seriously degraded,” she said. “They’ve gone from over a hundred a day to less than 10, if even that. There have been a number of days where they haven’t fired off anything, and they haven’t targeted Israel for months now. So I think their capabilities are lessened, but they’re not zero, and that’s the important thing.” Getting closer to figuring it out https://t.co/ElVPmOhK6F— Aaron Rupar (@atrupar) July 19, 2026 “They are a nuisance. They’re going after their regional neighbors, and that in a way, though, can also in the long term be a benefit for us, Maria, because this unites the entire region behind the United States and with Israel. That would have been impossible ten years ago. Now it’s actually happening in real time.” Her comments contrasted with earlier reporting that cited classified assessments concluding Iran had regained operational access to most of its missile sites along the Strait of Hormuz, suggesting its military remained considerably stronger than the administration’s public statements indicated. The questions surrounding Trump’s claims resurfaced as the conflict intensified again early Monday.  The U.S. launched another round of strikes targeting Iranian military facilities after announcing the deaths of more American service members while Iran fired missiles toward American military installations in Jordan and Gulf Cooperation Council countries across the region in retaliation for the United States’ bombing of Iran. The renewed fighting has pushed the two countries closer to all-out war, disrupted shipping through the Strait of Hormuz and driven oil prices higher. Trump, who spent part of the weekend at his New Jersey golf course, described the deaths of U.S. service members as “a very sad thing” during a phone interview with NewsNation.  “We hate to see it happen…It’s in service to our country…we’re never going to allow Iran to have a nuclear weapon,” he said, according to his talk with NewsNation correspondent Hannah Brandt.  “And that’s a line we’ve heard from the president before,” Brandt added. “We know that is his driving force that he has repeatedly said when it comes to this war in Iran. And I quickly asked him what he thought of Iran also saying this weekend that it no longer plans to follow that Memorandum of Understanding. The president telling me, ‘I couldn’t care less.’” After the latest round of U.S. strikes, the president added: “We hit them very hard again tonight,” saying the attacks were carried out in honor of the fallen troops. Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth also paid tribute to the service members, writing on X, “Godspeed, heroes. Their sacrifice only stiffens our resolve.” The remarks drew a furious response from former Rep. Marjorie Taylor Greene, one of Trump’s most prominent former allies on the political right. “Sacrifice?? What the f—k are you talking about??” she fumed on X. “They did not willingly sacrifice themselves. They were killed because of the war you, Trump, and the admin, are waging on behalf of a FOREIGN COUNTRY, Israel. You mean their deaths fuel your bloodlust for a senseless war.” Sacrifice?? What the fuck are you talking about??They did not willingly sacrifice themselves.They were killed because of the war you, Trump, and the admin, are waging on behalf of a FOREIGN COUNTRY, Israel.You mean their deaths fuel your bloodlust for a senseless war. https://t.co/A0PhmLvHzx— Former Congresswoman Marjorie Taylor Greene (@FmrRepMTG) July 18, 2026 Bartiromo’s comments also prompted a flood of online reactions from viewers who argued her questions undercut the administration’s central claim that Iran’s military had been effectively destroyed.  “Lmao. This is the definition of delusional. She buys everything Trump sells and spreads it to MAGA viewers,” one person wrote.  Another added, “Iran’s military grew back like Trump’s ear that was never sh0t,” while another mocked the discussion by saying, “Funny how they grasp at straws. Any straws. In the name of their lord.” Others were even more direct. “These are very DUMB people,” one user wrote. Another commented, “It’s almost like Trump is full of sh-t,” while another dismissed Bartiromo as “Dumber than a rock.” ‘What the F—k Are You Talking About?: Fox News Host’s Own Words Blow Up Trump’s Iran Lie on Live TV, Then MTG Swarms in with a Message That Left the Right Speechless ...read more read less