Evening Wire: Trump Vows Retaliation & Saudi Arabia Enters the Fight | 7.29.26

**SPEAKER_1** (0:00)
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**Georgia Howe** (0:33)
Iran launches a sneak attack on American troops with Trump vowing retaliation, the Senate confirms a new spy chief, and Dr. Fauci pleads the fifth. I'm Georgia Howe with Daily Wire executive editor John Bickley. It's Wednesday, July 29th, and this is Evening Wire.

**SPEAKER_3** (0:50)
President Trump had strong words for Tehran following a sneak attack on US troops. Daily Wire Foreign Affairs reporter Cassie Akiva has the latest.

**Cassie Akiva** (0:58)
President Trump is promising a fierce response after a surprise Iranian ballistic missile attack targeting US troops in Jordan last night. According to US. Central Command, Iran's Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps fired ballistic missiles directly from Iranian territory, but US defenses intercepted every incoming threat. Speaking to Fox News, Trump vowed the US would, quote, beat the effing SHIT out of Iran, adding, we'll be hitting them hard. They're going to get a beating.
Overnight, US and Saudi forces also carried out coordinated strikes against Iran-backed militias in Iraq. The escalation follows Trump's meeting with Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu on Tuesday and a steady buildup of US military assets in the region, according to flight tracking data.

**Georgia Howe** (1:43)
The Senate confirmed Trump's new spy chief on Tuesday. The upper chamber voted 51 to 47 to confirm Jay Clayton to replace former acting director of National Intelligence, Bill Pulte.
Republicans approved Clayton's nomination over protests from Democrats. Republican Senate Majority Leader John Thune dismissed Democrats' dissent as cheap politics.

**John Thune** (2:03)
Democrats have previously recognized his abilities. He's earned bipartisan support in the past. The Democrat vice chair of the Intelligence Committee even said after Mr. Clayton was nominated for this position, And I quote, I have known and respected Jay Clayton for many years and believe he is a capable public servant, end quote.
That again, Mr. President, from the Democrat vice chair of the Senate Intelligence Committee. So one might think that we'd be seeing some bipartisanship from Democrats on this nominee. The Democrats are playing the same partisan games with this qualified nominee as they have for so many of President Trump's picks.

**Georgia Howe** (2:43)
Poulty left his acting role on the DNI after another round of cuts to the agency. He announced Tuesday, hours before Clayton's nomination, that the agency is, quote, executing a fifth and near final round of terminations and approximately 30 percent staff reduction from weeks ago.

**SPEAKER_3** (3:00)
Dr. Anthony Fauci invoked the Fifth Amendment over 100 times in response to questions from senators today over his actions during the pandemic. Daily Wire contributor Tim Peir says more.

**Tim Peir** (3:10)
Forced to testify to the Senate Homeland Security and Governmental Affairs Committee, Fauci said Chairman Rand Paul wanted an excuse to put him in prison, which meant much of Fauci's hours long testimony sounded like this.

**Anthony Fauci** (3:22)
What day of the week is it today? On the advice of council, I respectfully decline to answer based upon my rights under the Fifth Amendment to the Constitution.

**John Thune** (3:30)
What color tie are you wearing?

**Anthony Fauci** (3:33)
On the advice of council, I respectfully decline to answer based upon my rights under the Fifth Amendment to the Constitution.

**SPEAKER_1** (3:40)
What color is the carpet in front of you?

**Anthony Fauci** (3:42)
On the advice of council, I respectfully decline to answer based upon my rights under the Fifth Amendment to the Constitution.

**Tim Peir** (3:49)
Fauci's uncooperative responses coached by his attorney frustrated Republicans. Paul at one point even ordered Fauci's attorney removed from the hearing room. Here's what that moment sounded like.

**Rand Paul** (4:00)
The attorneys are not recognized. In fact, the attorney was told not to sit at the table and he's not obeying that recommendation. And now you're disrupting the proceedings. And so, look, this is the way Anthony Fauci wants to be remembered. For a lawyer not listening to the rules. That's the way you want to be remembered. And that's what you're going to do. You are not recognized, sir.
Security, please remove him from the room.

**Georgia Howe** (4:25)
This week, New York City Mayor Zoran Mamdani released the names and addresses of people he says are wealthy property owners who only live in the city part time. Mamdani's Department of Finance released a searchable database of people identified by the city to pay its new Pied-de-Terre tax on luxury homes. The socialist mayor meant to target the city's wealthiest taxpayers, but many of those identified say they don't qualify. Some who received letters from the city warning of the tax have lived at their residences for decades. The attempt to dox wealthy New Yorkers has sparked outcry against Mamdani's aggressive methods.