Joan Esposito is joined by Army Maj. Gen. Randy Manner (Ret.), former acting vice chair of the National Guard Bureau, and member of National Security Leaders for America (NSL4A).

Manner discusses military leadership failures, international instability, and potential threats to election integrity.

Key points:
- Reports indicate the USS Abraham Lincoln has faced food shortages, sanitation issues, and extreme deployment lengths exceeding 240 days without a port break; at least three sailors have reportedly attempted self-harm due to these conditions
- Manner criticizes Secretary of Defense Pete Hegseth for being dismissive and a lack of transparency regarding the challenges faced by deployed sailors
- The responsibility for ship conditions lies with the captain, but higher authorities like the Navy Department and the president are also accountable
- There is a dispute regarding whether the secretary of Defense was aware of critical munitions shortages, with Manner arguing such shortages are evident in public records
- Manner believes the administration is deflecting blame and that leaders may be hesitant to provide the president with negative information
- Reports surfaced regarding a potential assassination threat against Donald Trump during a NATO summit involving an Iranian ruse; Manner expresses skepticism about the validity of certain intelligence reports, noting that the CIA viewed some data as "low confidence"
- Manner argues that presidents typically do not publicize assassination attempts and suggests the current approach may be used for political sympathy
- A new protection pact between Saudi Arabia, Turkey, and Pakistan is discussed as a response to perceived instability in U.S. protection
- Manner warns that this alliance creates a "tinderbox" situation that could escalate regional conflicts into global ones involving nuclear powers
- The shift is described as an unintended consequence of U.S. military actions in the Middle East uniting Arab nations against Israel and the U.S.
- Manner emphasizes that the military has zero legal role in U.S. elections and should never be deployed to polling places
- Election management is strictly a state and local responsibility, and civil unrest should be handled by police rather than the military

Catch "Joan Esposito: Live, Local and Progressive" weekdays from 2:00 to 5:00 p.m. Central on WCPT (heartlandsignal.com/programs/live-local-progressive).

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