Sen. John Kennedy to Trump: Tell Americans How the Iran War Ends (Ep 850)

Just the Truth Podcast with Joey Hudson Republican Senator John Kennedy says it’s time for President Donald Trump to explain directly to the American people what the plan is for the war with Iran. Appearing on CBS’s Face the Nation, Kennedy said Americans are worried about two things that are increasingly connected: The cost of living. And the war in Iran. Kennedy says he wants President Trump—or Secretary of State Marco Rubio and Joint Chiefs Chairman Gen. Dan Caine—to give the country a straightforward explanation of why the United States went into Iran, what victory looks like and, most importantly, how America gets out. Kennedy is not calling for the United States to immediately abandon the conflict. He says sanctions and the blockade should continue. But his message to the administration is clear: Explain the strategy to the American people. We’ll show you what Kennedy said and look at the growing debate in Washington over the future of the Iran war. 🇺🇸 ARE REPUBLICANS CHANGING THEIR MESSAGE ON MASS DEPORTATION? Immigration was one of Donald Trump’s signature issues in the 2024 presidential campaign. But with the 2026 midterms approaching, some Republican candidates in competitive congressional districts are adjusting how they talk about immigration enforcement. Rather than emphasizing the broad phrase “mass deportation,” some candidates are focusing their message on deporting people who have committed serious crimes. Colorado Republican Congressman Gabe Evans has said enforcement should prioritize “gangbangers, not grandmas.” Florida Republican Congresswoman Maria Elvira Salazar has also publicly criticized aspects of the administration’s immigration crackdown and says some Hispanic voters who supported Trump now feel betrayed. Does this represent a Republican retreat from Trump’s immigration policies? Not necessarily. Republican campaigns continue spending heavily on immigration messaging and generally support stronger border enforcement. But in some competitive districts, the language is changing. We’ll look at what Republican candidates are saying and why immigration could become a complicated issue for both parties in November. 🇺🇦 UKRAINE’S UNEXPECTED SOURCE OF WAR REVENUE: PORN Here’s a headline I never expected to read. Ukraine is considering decriminalizing pornography—and supporters say one benefit could be additional tax revenue to help finance the country during its war with Russia. Producing and distributing adult pornography involving consenting adults is currently criminalized under Ukrainian law. But enforcement has created an unusual situation. Some Ukrainian adult-content creators have been paying taxes on their income while simultaneously facing the possibility of criminal prosecution for producing the content that generated that income. A bill before Ukraine’s parliament would decriminalize the production of pornography involving consenting adults and its distribution to adult audiences. At the same time, the legislation would strengthen penalties involving child sexual abuse material. The bill passed its first reading in July by an overwhelming vote of 231 to 8, with three abstentions. Supporters argue that legalizing and regulating adult content could eliminate opportunities for police corruption and allow the government to collect additional tax revenue from an industry that already exists. And in a country trying to finance an expensive war, supporters say every source of tax revenue matters. We’ll explain what the legislation actually does—and why Ukrainian lawmakers are considering it now. 🗳️ NEW SOUTH CAROLINA SENATE POLL: GRAHAM 43.4% — ANDREWS 42.3% Finally, we have a new poll in South Carolina’s special U.S. Senate election. And these numbers are worth examining. A new Trafalgar Group survey of likely South Carolina voters finds Republican Senator Darline Graham with 43.4% support. Democrat Annie Andrews is at 42.3%. That’s a difference of just 1.1 percentage points. Another 5.9% selected another candidate, while 8.5% remain undecided. And here's the important polling context: The difference between Graham and Andrews is smaller than the survey’s roughly three-point margin of error. That means this poll does not establish a clear leader. It is also only one poll—a snapshot of likely voters at a particular moment, not a prediction of what will happen on Election Day. But it comes after other surveys have also shown varying degrees of competitiveness in the race. An InsiderAdvantage survey earlier in September showed Graham ahead by roughly two points. An August Impact Research poll commissioned by the Andrews campaign showed the candidates tied. So what should we make of these numbers? We’ll break down the new Trafalgar survey, who was polled, how many voters remain undecided and what we can—and cannot—conclude from one poll with Election Day approaching. 📩 Join our mailing list at JoeyHudson.com 📱 Firmin Ford Text Line: 864-477-JOEY (5639) Your texts are always welcome, and you can also leave a voice message that could be aired on a future podcast. Subscribe for daily political analysis, breaking national and international news, South Carolina politics and conversations about the issues affecting American families. Facebook: facebook.com/joeyhudsononline X: @joeyhudson #JohnKennedy #DonaldTrump #Iran #IranWar #MarcoRubio #Immigration #MassDeportation #Midterms2026 #Ukraine #RussiaUkraineWar #SouthCarolina #SCSenate #DarlineGraham #AnnieAndrews #TrafalgarPoll #Election2026 #BreakingNews #JustTheTruth