Trump Receives Fallen Troops, Hegseth Grilled On The Hill, Arizona Primary Results

President Trump goes to Delaware to receive the bodies of American soldiers.

“He is struggling to answer questions about the war with Iran.”

>> Do you know something that I don't know? >> Will it be to attack our allies if you don't know what the dialogue is behind the scenes? >> I'm Leila Faldin with Michelle Martin and this is up first from NPR News. [MUSIC] Both Democrats and Republicans wanted answers from defense secretary Pete Heggseth about a war

Congress never voted to authorize.

>> This is a regime held bent on nuclear ambitions and >> Guys, we need to write answers. >> We need straight answers. >> Heggseth went to Capitol Hill asking for billions more for the war. And Arizona Republicans picked candidates who denied the 2020 election results in the primary yesterday.

Why did Democrats think they have a better chance of beating maga Republicans in the midterms?

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Hey, take a break from the 24 hour news cycle with us and listen to long-form interviews with your favorite authors, actors, filmmakers, comedians, and musicians. The people making the art that nourishes us and speaks to our times. So listen to the fresh air podcasts from NPR and WHY. >> President Trump will travel to Dover Air Force base today to attend the dignified transfer of the remains of US service members killed by Iranian strikes.

I'll be going to Dover for something that I feel is it's a great honor for me to do it. >> Honoring those killed in action is one of the most solemn responsibilities for a president. But for Trump, the rising number of casualties has added significance. It highlights the mounting questions about the Iran war. >> NPR, White House correspondent, Franco or Donias is with us now to tell us more about this morning, Franco.

>> Good morning, Michelle.

The American public has always been ambivalent about this war, but the criticism has generally been framed in economic terms.

I'm wondering if the losses of these troops might change that. >> Yeah, I mean, if the casualties continue to rise, it could change a lot. It could change. I mean, the public does not like seeing US citizens killed in a war, especially a war that they don't necessarily understand or maybe don't think is necessary right now. I was talking with Justin Logan who directs foreign policy studies at the Kato Institute.

And he told me that the challenge of reduced munitions, for example, is kind of this abstract idea to most Americans. But what's not abstract at all is Americans coming back in flagged rape coffins.

“>> I think the president knows he's playing with fire here.”

The public doesn't like this conflict, but they're not that exercised about it as yet. He knows that the one way to get them exercised about it is to have large amounts of Americans coming all in flagged rape coffins. >> You know, Logan noted that the death of one of those service members, a young woman from Texas who's 19, seems to be striking accord with people. In the sense that there are young people dying in this war where the goals are unclear. And he said that the more Americans who die, the more questions are going to be asked about what the aims of the war in fact are.

Reporters asked Trump about his long-term plan in Iran yesterday, noting that Iran doesn't seem to be showing any indication that it wants to stop fighting. How did he respond? >> I mean, Michelle, he got a little testy arguing with reporters that they don't actually know what's really happening. And again, insisting that Iran is anxious to stop the fighting. >> Well, do you know something that I don't know?

>> Well, they continue to attack our allies. >> You don't know what the dialogue is behind the scenes that they want to be desperately to try and end it because they're getting decimated. And yet, Trump also said that Iran is not ready to meet in a "meaningful way." And therefore, he has no interest in doing so. It really just shows a very bleak assessment of where the negotiations stand right now, even after 11 days of continuous strikes.

>> This war has already stretched months longer than Trump predicted in told Americans that it would. Are there other ways it's becoming a political problem for the White House?

You know, the defense secretary was also on Capitol Hill as well yesterday asking for billions more to cover the costs of the war.

“All that is likely to have political impacts, especially as the midterms approach.”

Now, Trump ran for office criticizing past wars in the Middle East. And now, the U.S. is at war in the Middle East. Trump wants to sell Americans on this narrative that things are going great in the U.S. that the stock market is hitting record highs at inflation is dropping. But having Americans serving overseas killed by Iranian strikes runs counter to that.

>> That is White House correspondent Franco, Ardenius Franco, thank you. >> Thank you, Michelle. >> As Franco mentioned, defense secretary Pete Higgs, that met with senators yesterday in a hearing that turned contentious at times. He was asking for billions in additional funding for the Pentagon. And he has a new price tag for the war with Iran.

37.5 billion dollars. And meanwhile, the U.S. attacks on Iran and counter attacks from Iran have intensified.

And that has frustrated some lawmakers who are now being asked to approve funds for a war that Congress never voted to authorize.

>> Do you want to ask now to talk about this?

“Is NPR congressional correspondent Clotia Cosales, Clotia Good Morning to You?”

>> Good morning, Michelle. >> So Higgs said that for several hours with lawmakers yesterday, just bring us at a date on what he was asking for. >> Well, it's part of a Trump administration request for $67 billion in emergency funding. As the war picks up speed again, that would replenish equipment and munitions that have been used and get projects and equipment deliveries moving faster. Higgs said, without additional funding, the Department could see shortfalls in service member pay.

And a war in there could also be an effect on troop readiness.

>> Training right now and training in the future that would have to be curtailed if we do not get our budget needs met and met urgent.

And this comes on top of a record defense budget request of $1.5 trillion that the Trump administration proposed earlier this year. Higgs said this funding was long overdue and what did the lawmakers have to say about that? What was their response? >> Well, senators from both sides of the aisle said they're still a long list of unanswered questions asked. Higgs said about Iran's nuclear program about its missile capabilities and about the future of the street of removes.

So in essence, reflecting the level of uncertainty and skepticism among some members worried about the direction of the war. At times, there was some real frustration on display even from Republicans. One moment came after Louisiana GOP Senator John Kennedy asked Higgs said if Iran still has access to nuclear capabilities. >> This is a regime held bent on nuclear ambitions and President Trump's right answers. >> We need straight answers.

>> And what about the Democrats? What did we hear from them? >> Well, Higgs said really faced an intense grilling from Democrats. One of the most heated exchanges came at the end of the hearing with Michigan Senator Gary Peters. >> But if there's a lack of a winning strategy, there are in harms way their leaders have failed them.

And that's what's happening. We have political leadership. You don't have a strategy. You don't have a long-term plan to actually win this war, win the war. The men and women are going to be able to do it, but they need to have leadership. >> And that really captured the fury that Democrats have with this ongoing war. They say it's exacted immense losses for the country that includes the 18 service members killed since the start of the war and then nearly 500 injured.

“And what is the political reality of all this for President Trump and his party?”

>> Right. As the war drags on and closer to the elections, it's creating bare headaches for Republicans and Democrats are capitalizing on that. Take the top ranking Democrat on the Senate Appropriations Committee Patty Murray. One key argument she made is that gasoline prices have started to climb higher after the latest uptick in fighting that sure to be a message that we're going to be hearing from Democrats as they hammer it on the campaign trail and try to win that control of Congress. >> And Pierre's Claudia Crisales, Claudia, thank you. >> Thank you so much.

[MUSIC] >> Arizona Republicans picked staunch allies of President Trump and their primary races on Tuesday. >> The candidates for Governor and Secretary of State both denied the 2020 election results. >> Ben Chiles is here to tell us more. He's political editor at Member Station KJZZ in Phoenix, >> Good morning. >> Good morning. So what do we know so far?

>> Well so far we know that far right candidates are sweeping statewide primaries. For example, Congressman Andy Biggs is now the GOP nominee for Governor here and state lawmaker Alexander Collidan won the GOP race for Secretary of State. They both crews to victory in the primary largely thanks to endorsements for Biggs from President Trump and for Collidan with the backing of turning point.

When these mega candidates have to appeal to a broader portion of the electorate, particularly Arizona's influential block of independent voters.

So this outcome has some Republicans in Arizona worried that Democrats could again win key races in the swing state. Which is interesting because this is a state that Trump won handily just two years ago. So say more about what it is about these GOP candidates that have some Republicans so concerned.

“>> I think the key thing is they're not President Trump. What we saw in Arizona both in 2022 the last midterm in 2024 is that Trump himself is something of an outlier in Arizona.”

For example, when Trump won the popular vote for President here two years ago, Democrat Ruben Gaggo also easily won the U.S. Senate race outperforming the Republican in that race. And in the last midterm election, Democrats like our current Governor Katie Hobbes attacked a slate of Trump backed candidates as to extreme and to behold into the president to represent Arizona's. Democrats are going to paint Republicans like bigs and like call it in the GOP nominee for Secretary of State as so pro-Trump that they won't act in the best interest of Arizona voters.

Whether that's harping on Republicans for inflation that the president and allies have failed to tame or pointing out that like Trump both of these candidates are electioned iris who've spread unfounded rhetoric about elections in swing states like Arizona. >> So Republican voters are picking these Trump backed candidates who could very well lose statewide races in Arizona.

“It's interesting what were their no alternatives.”

>> There were in in primaries for both the governor's office and Secretary of State, there were GOP candidates considered. I don't want to say more moderate, but more traditionally conservative in a state like Arizona, but neither primary was that close.

The Associated Press, they called both races about an hour after polls closed when the first batch of results were dropped here on election night.

And that's a reflection of the enormous influence, not just of Trump, but of turning point, which backed both bigs and colliden. That organization now has a lot of influence in Arizona, at least among GOP voters in the primary. Primary voters here seem to be signaling that they prefer these far right candidates to best represent their interest, despite the fact that those far right candidates keep losing when Democrats and independents also have a say in November. So this November will be yet another test of not just Trump, but turning point stability to get their preferred candidates across the finish line.

“And so far Michelle, that's not something they've been able to accomplish in key statewide races.”

That's been Charles of KJZZ in Phoenix, thank you. Thank you. And that's up for Wednesday, July 22nd, I'm Michelle Martin. And I'm Leyla Faldin.

Today's episode of Up First was edited by Rebecca Metzler, Jason Braslow, McGill and the CS.

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