U.S. Targets Iran's Kharg Island, Long Airport Security Lines, "Antifa" Convictions: AM Update 3/16

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0:32Good morning, everyone. I'm Tom Bevin, co-host of Real Clear Politics on the Megyn Kelly channel. It's Monday, March 16th, 2026, and this is your AM update. President Trump told me in a phone interview Saturday that Iran has been defeated militarily. President Trump expressing optimism about the war in Iran, but saying it's not the right time to make a deal to end the conflict. My hope is that Democrats will come to their senses, open up DHS, and then have a negotiation, have a conversation, but in the process, don't hold America hostage to just get what you want. The standoff in the Senate continues over the funding of the Department of Homeland Security, as security lines at airports are only getting worse.

1:12Nine individuals who prosecutors described as members of Antifa convicted in Texas. Sources say he was wanted for impersonating a law enforcement officer. and a recent member of Jasmine Crockett's security detail killed by the Dallas Police's SWAT team. All that and more coming up in just a moment on your AM update.

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2:05Relief Factor is 100 % drug-free. It targets the inflammation that causes pain, so you can move better, feel better, and actually enjoy life again. Try the three-week quick start for just$19.95. Go to relieffactor.com or call 800-4-RELIEF. and let's see if you're next in getting out of pain. Hostilities in the war in Iran continuing over the weekend, with the U.S. bombing Iran's Karg Island on Friday. Karg Island is home to Iran's most critical oil terminal, with 90 % of the country's exports moving through facilities there. President Trump's claiming to have, quote, obliterated the military targets on the island, but writing on True Social, quote, for reasons of decency, I have chosen not to wipe out the oil and infrastructure on the island.

2:47Trump going on to write that if Iran continued to, quote, interfere with the free and safe passage of ships through the Strait of Hormuz, I will immediately reconsider this decision. President Trump speaking with NBC's Kristen Welker about a number of issues related to the war, with the president claiming Iran has been defeated militarily, but that the time is not right for the U.S. to make a deal. President Trump told me in a phone interview Saturday that Iran has been defeated militarily. He also said Tehran is ready to make a deal, but the terms aren't good enough yet, declining to say what those terms are.

3:21The president added that he is hearing the new supreme leader is dead, but did not provide evidence. And all eyes are on the Strait of Hormuz, one of the world's most vital shipping lanes for oil. Iran has all but shut it down, pushing oil prices over$100 a barrel. The president telling me the U.S. is working with other countries to try to secure the strait while acknowledging Iran could still make trouble by dropping mines to try to blow up ships in transit. President Trump last night aboard Air Force One addressing the latest on the conflict with Iran. We had some very good results today, as you probably heard in Iran.

4:00Very strong results militarily. We're talking to countries about policing the Straits because they are the ones, you know, we don't get oil very little, 1%, 2%. And China is an example, gets about 90 % of its oil from the Hormone Strait. And nice to have other countries policing with us. And we'll help, we'll work with them. Iran has very little firepower left. Their missiles are down to a low number. You see, they're shooting very few of them. You know why? Because they don't have very many of them. And because we've decimated their manufacturing capability. Likewise, the drones are way down.

4:42They're down to about 20 % of what they had. Still have some. They're pretty tough. But the drones are down, and we're hitting, we're starting hitting, as of yesterday, we're hitting places where they manufactured the drones. We think most of which we know where they are. so it's a very strong military operation just as it was in Venezuela. Iran and its proxies continuing to fight back, with the U.S. Embassy in Iraq hit with a missile attack Saturday. No injuries were reported, but the Associated Press reporting a missile struck a helipad inside the complex. The U.S. Embassy in Iraq urging all Americans to leave Iraq due to the conflict with Iran.

5:20And more attacks inside Iraq yesterday, with five missiles striking Baghdad International Airport, resulting in four injuries from airport staff and security personnel. Iran's foreign minister appearing on CBS's Face the Nation yesterday saying his country has no desire to start talks with the Americans about ending the war. President Trump said this weekend he is not ready to make a deal with Iran because the terms aren't good enough yet. His administration is saying this war could last another three and a half weeks or so. Has Iran asked for a ceasefire? No, we never asked for a ceasefire. And we have never asked even for negotiation.

6:01We are ready to defend ourselves as long as it takes. Sir, this is a war of survival for your government. Minister, don't you have to negotiate and reach out, either directly or through a third party? No, it's not a war of survival. We are stable and strong enough. We are only defending our people from this act of aggression. And we don't see any reason why we should talk with Americans, because we were talking with them when they decided to attack us. And that was for the second time. There is no good experience talking with Americans. Israel also continuing its involvement, launching more strikes on Iran Sunday, as well as striking Hezbollah infrastructure in Lebanon early Monday morning.

6:51Here at home, the price of gas and oil due to the conflict continuing to be a concern. Gas prices reaching$3.70 nationally Sunday, up from$2.92 a month ago, according to AAA. The price of oil also trading above$100 a barrel Sunday night. Energy Secretary Chris Wright, appearing on ABC's This Week yesterday, saying he couldn't guarantee that gas prices would soon come down, but saying the war is worth its costs. Are you really sure it's going to be short term? Can you guarantee it'll just be weeks before prices go down? Hey, there's no guarantees in wars at all. I can guarantee the situation would be dramatically worse without this military operation to defang the Iranian regime.

7:36The Straits of Hormuz, Martha, as you're implying, are very important for global commerce and for energy commerce and they impact energy prices as we're all seeing. They have used this threat for 47 years and they've continued to build up their arsenal to make this threat graver and graver. In fact, it would soon be too hard for us to defang Iran if they were nuclear armed. So this is short-term pain to get through to a much better place where the Middle East can no longer be held hostage by the one rogue nation in Iran. Still, Secretary Wright expressing optimism that the conflict will end in just a few weeks.

8:16How long should Americans expect for gas prices to be high? Are we talking weeks? Are we talking months? I just don't know at this point. Yeah, I think that this conflict will certainly come to the end in the next few weeks. Could be sooner than that. But the conflict will come to the end in the next few weeks and we'll see a rebound in supplies and a pushing down of prices after that. Tens of thousands of employees of the Department of Homeland Security missing their first full paycheck Friday, as the Senate remains at an impasse over financing the department. Funding for the department lapsed February 14th, with Democrats demanding reforms to immigration enforcement and Republicans opposing measures they believe would hinder ICE operations.

8:58Where the impact has been immediate and obvious is at our nation's airports and their security checkpoints manned by the Transportation Security Administration. TSA agents are not currently being paid, resulting in 300 agents quitting, and unscheduled absences occurring at double the rate since the shutdown began, according to internal TSA data obtained by CBS News. The result? Shockingly long lines at security checkpoints. Airports in Atlanta, Houston, New Orleans, and Chicago, among others, advising travelers to show up at least three hours before their scheduled departure times during the partial shutdown.

9:32TSA posting on X Saturday, quote, Three-plus-hour TSA lines for travelers. 300-plus TSA officers who have quit. A zero-dollar paycheck for those continuing to serve. Enough is enough. No more playing politics with the lives of Americans. The Democrat shutdown of DHS must end now. Transportation Secretary Sean Duffy appearing on Fox's Sunday Morning Futures, accusing Democrats of holding Americans hostage. So as you mentioned, TSA agents have missed a partial payment. They just missed a full payment. These are men and women who don't make a lot of money. And so some of them are making choices to go, you know, whether they're driving Uber or, you know, waiting tables.

10:09They have to put food on their family's table. And in these places where this is happening, you're seeing really long lines, whether they're one hour, three to four hour lines at airports. And I think if you stand in that line, it's one thing, Maria, if you're by yourself. But if you're with some little kids or any kids for three or four hours, it's horrible. And so you can think a Democrat who cares more about making sure that the 15 million people that they let into this country under Joe Biden, that we don't have ice that can actually look across the country, find those radical elements who come into the country without, by the way, without being vetted, find them and deport them.

10:46This is what these Democrats want. And so my hope is that Democrats will come to their senses, open up DHS and then have a negotiation, have a conversation. But in the process, don't hold America hostage to just get what you want. And even over on CNN, Jake Tapper pressing Senator Cory Booker, Democrat from New Jersey, on why Democrats don't fund DHS, given all the current threats to the homeland. In terms of the security of our home, there have been a number of attacks. ISIS-inspired bombing attempt in New York City outside Mamdani's house, a shooting target at an ROTC class at Old Dominion, and on and on and on.

11:22Meanwhile, the Department of Homeland Security is still shut down because Senate Democrats are blocking the funding bill over the Trump administration's immigration crackdown. Given the security concerns he just expressed, and given the fact that, honestly, Secretary Noem has been fired, Tom Homan took over from Greg Bovino and Noem in Minnesota, You could argue Democrats won the debate. Isn't it time for Democrats to reopen and refund DHS? So first of all, Democrats have tried multiple times to try to get TSA, CISA, the Coast Guard funded. Republicans have refused time and time again to fund.

11:59Yeah, they want the whole agency funded. They want the whole agency. The Senate gavels back into session today. Coming up, for the first time ever, alleged Antifa members convicted of terrorism charges for an attack on an ICE facility in Texas, and a recent member of Democrat Congresswoman Jasmine Crockett's security detail killed by the Dallas Police Department's SWAT team. Full details of this bizarre story coming up.

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13:07There's no obligation, just useful information. With an A-plus rating from the Better Business Bureau and tens of thousands of happy customers, let Birch Gold help you diversify with gold. Now that's peace of mind. Again, text MK to the number 989898 today. On Friday in Fort Worth, Texas, a federal jury convicting nine people prosecutors describing as part of an Antifa cell in connection with a July 4th attack on the Prairieland Ice Detention Center last year. The jury convicting eight of the nine defendants of providing material support to terrorists, the first time terrorism charges have successfully been brought against alleged members of Antifa.

13:44Antifa, which stands for anti-fascist, is a far-left militant activist network notorious for its black-clad rioters who sow chaos in the streets. The eight were also convicted of rioting and explosive charges. Daniel Estrada, the ninth defendant who was not present on the night of the attack, was convicted of concealing records and conspiracy to conceal documents. Defense attorneys at trial argued the defendants weren't members of Antifa and no violence was planned ahead of the protest. Then acting U.S. Attorney Nancy Larson describing what prosecutors believed happened on the night of the attack back in July.

14:16We're here to tell you that late at night on July 4th, Friday night at approximately 10.37 p.m. at the Prairieland Ice Detention Center in Alvarado, Texas, 10 to 12 individuals dressed in black military-style clothing began shooting fireworks and engaging in acts of vandalism at the facility, and this was part of an organized attack. It was a planned ambush with the intent to kill ICE corrections officers. Make no mistake, this was not a so-called peaceful protest. It was indeed an ambush. The attackers used the vandalism that I described, which seemed to be designed to draw ICE personnel outside the facility, and it worked.

15:09After about 10 minutes of having convened, one or two individuals broke off from the group. They engaged in the graffiti. They damaged vehicles and a guard structure. The graffiti had such words as traitor, ice pig, other profanity. The trial lasting 12 days and jurors hearing testimony from more than 45 witnesses. In a statement, Attorney General Pam Bondi praised the outcome of the case.

15:54Despite the verdicts, the defendants still had public supporters. Here's a report from Fox 4 Dallas, Fort Worth. Well, this scene after the verdict, supporters chanted, We see you, we love you outside the courthouse in Fort Worth as the prisoners were being transported away. There has been a show of support for the defendants throughout the trial. The sentencing hearing dates before U.S. Judge Mark Pittman, a Trump appointee, are still pending. In a bizarre story out of Texas, a recent member of Democrat Congresswoman Jasmine Crockett's private security detail killed by the Dallas police SWAT team last week.

16:30Here's CBS News Texas reporting on his alleged double life. To North Texas law enforcement officers and U.S. Capitol Police, he was known as Mike King. But sources tell us that's not the name of the man shot and killed by Dallas police on Wednesday night during an investigation into his alleged double life as a suspected criminal, also working as a security officer for a local U.S. Congresswoman. These images of Mike King standing close to Congresswoman Jasmine Crockett shows how trusted he was as part of her security detail while she's been in office and while on the campaign trail during her recent run for a U.S.

17:09Senate seat. Multiple law enforcement sources say King was the man shot and killed after a standoff with Dallas police SWAT officers on Wednesday night. Police say he was chased into a hospital parking garage where he barricaded himself inside a vehicle before he was forced out by tear gas and pulled a gun on officers. CBS News Texas reporting that the man was under investigation for impersonating a police officer. Sources say he was wanted for impersonating a law enforcement officer. Sources say he claimed to be one while operating a business called Off-Duty Police Services, an online platform to connect North Texas law enforcement officers with off-duty jobs.

17:48Authorities have yet to reveal King's real name, But sources also tell us King oversaw a team of security officers at several downtown Dallas hotels and at his own church. Sources say King drove a replica undercover law enforcement vehicle with license plates stolen from vehicles outside military offices. His background, which sources say includes a criminal history, raises serious questions about how he was able to oversee extra jobs for police officers, as well as obtain such a high-level security position for a sitting member of Congress. Documents obtained by CBS News Texas show a person named Mike King receiving payments for security services from Crockett as recently as last year.

18:32Congresswoman Crockett, who lost to James Tallarico in the primary to be Texas Democrat nominee for Senate earlier this month, has yet to comment. That'll do it for your AM Update. I'm Tom Bevan. Catch The Megyn Kelly Show today, live on SiriusXM's The Megyn Kelly Channel 111 at noon east, on youtube.com slash megynkelly and all podcast platforms.

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