Steve Inskeep

Hi, this is Steve Inskeep with a special episode of Up First.

It's a conversation from our brand new sister show, NPR's Newsmakers.

In each episode, we interview some of the most influential people of our time.

Real questions, pushing for real answers to drive at what they really think.

You can watch the show on NPR's YouTube channel or search for it wherever you get your podcasts.

Wes Moore is the Democratic governor of Maryland.

He's considered a rising Democratic star, and he's sometimes talked about as a future presidential candidate.

Moore is also an American combat veteran, and that was relevant to the discussion we had here in the Maryland Statehouse.

I want to ask about some news.

What are you thinking as your former unit, the 82nd Airborne Division, is deployed to the Middle East?

When you talk about defining the mission, that's in a broad strategic sense.

I want to ask a tactical question.

As someone who served, there is talk of sending these troops perhaps to seize an island.

You wouldn't attack Iran, the mainland, but you might try to seize an island.

What does it take for a few thousand American troops to seize an island under fire?

The president never did address the nation.

Even if you disagree with starting the war, does the United States now have to fight it through to a victory because a victory by Iran would be so disastrous?

How would you define that if you were president?

How would you have handled Iran if it was in your lap and it was back in February before the shooting started and you know there's these negotiations going on, you know that Israel regards Iran as a threat, the United States has concerns about Iran's nuclear program, what would you have done?

Tulsi Gabbard, the director of national intelligence, said the president was the one who would be allowed to define the imminent threat and that he did.