Senator Chris Van Hollen (D-MD), amid a series of positive updates from President Trump regarding Iran, appeared on MS Now to argue that the operation’s apparent success still does not make Operation Epic Fury a worthwhile endeavor, and to question whether the administration had a clear endgame in Iran.
Now that President Trump has YET AGAIN embarrassed Democrats, Senator Van Hollen just had to run to MSDNC who couldn't control his rampant TDS.
— Gunther Eagleman™ (@GuntherEagleman) April 17, 2026
He says NOTHING has been accomplished, but even a blind person sees what Trump's done.
Kneecapped China, Obliterated Iran, and put the… pic.twitter.com/ScRXdLd7VD
"Well, Ana, there was really no definition of success that really would have made this a worthwhile endeavor at the cost in lives and treasure for the American people and people throughout the region," Sen. Van Hollen said. "I mean, from the beginning, Donald Trump and his team have not defined their goals. They've never had an endgame."
Here is some of that endgame the White House reportedly never had:
From Day One, the mission was crystal clear: This was the final, best chance to wipe out Iran’s threat for good - so they can never have a nuclear weapon.@SecRubio breaks it down ⬇️ pic.twitter.com/eChlkRPzyb
— The White House (@WhiteHouse) March 31, 2026
Take away their missiles.
— The White House (@WhiteHouse) March 9, 2026
Take away their navy.
Take away their drones.
Make sure Iran can NEVER have a nuclear weapon. pic.twitter.com/bp8mQW6dnQ
🚨 @POTUS says the U.S. has “totally obliterated every MILITARY target on Iran’s crown jewel, Kharg Island.”
— Townhall.com (@townhallcom) March 13, 2026
Adding, “Iran has NO ability to defend anything that we want to attack — There is nothing they can do about it! Iran will NEVER have a nuclear weapon, nor will it have… pic.twitter.com/8AcSoi1m2n
We’ve been extremely clear on our redlines. Iran can never have a nuclear weapon. At the same time, if it gives up its nuclear program, it can gain a lot from these negotiations. I hope they choose wisely. pic.twitter.com/lnZhWzItzK
— JD Vance (@JDVance) April 14, 2026
Sen. Van Hollen went on:
"And here we are, you know, the president celebrating the reopening of the Strait of Hormuz, which as we've just said, was open before this war started, but without the huge costs that we've incurred in the meantime," he said. "So this is why we keep calling upon our Republican colleagues to join us in reining in this president who started this illegal war. And we're going to keep pressing them."
"We're going to keep bringing up these war powers resolutions because we know the American people are overwhelmingly opposed to this war," he added.
The costs of securing a non-nuclear Iran, reasserting American military influence abroad, leveraging pressure over roughly 30 percent of China’s oil supply, and strengthening ties with Gulf states are well worth the price, particularly if President Trump is not yet finished and additional negotiations yield further gains for the United States and its allies.
The suggestion that the United States has gained nothing, or that the effort is not worth it, is unfounded, as President Trump has achieved in just over a month what decades of diplomacy and negotiations have failed to accomplish.