‘Jfc … Dumb As Hell’: Trump Allies Twist Into Pretzels Dodging the Word ‘War’ — Then Mullin Runs Head-First Into a 20-Second Stuttering Wall and It Just Keeps Getting Worse

President Donald Trump likes to project total control — the strongman in the room dictating the narrative while everyone else falls in line.

But when it comes to the administration’s sudden military campaign against Iran, that sense of command has quickly devolved into something closer to confusion, as Trump allies scramble to explain what exactly the United States is doing while tying themselves into rhetorical knots trying not to use the one word hanging over the entire situation.

And the person currently taking the cake in that spectacle is none other than Oklahoma Republican Sen. Markwayne Mullin, the same lawmaker Trump has just tapped to replace outgoing Homeland Security Secretary Kristi Noem.

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.

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 hasn’t 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.

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.

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?

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.

‘Jfc … Dumb As Hell’: Trump Allies Twist Into Pretzels Dodging the Word ‘War’ — Then Mullin Runs Head-First Into a 20-Second Stuttering Wall and It Just Keeps Getting Worse