Did Donald Trump fall for the myth of surgical warfare? Retired General Stanley McChrystal joins the columnist David French, both veterans of the Iraq War, to discuss what may have been overlooked in the planning of Operation Epic Fury. McChrystal argues that the U.S. often overestimates the decisive power of aerial bombing while underestimating the weight of historical grievance. And the retired general weighs in on the current culture of bravado coming from Secretary of Defense Pete Hegseth. Read the full transcript here: https://www.nytimes.com/2026/03/23/opinion/trump-iran-general-mcchrystal.html Follow us: Apple Podcasts: https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast... Spotify: https://open.spotify.com/show/581OhiI... TikTok: / nytopinion Publish Schedule: Tuesdays, Wednesdays and Saturdays The Opinions podcast: “You’ve heard the news, here’s what to make of it.”