MS NOW host Stephanie Ruhle fought back tears during a tribute for some of the latest fallen soldiers in the Iran War.
At the end of Friday’s episode of “Money, Power, Politics,” Ruhle took a moment to pay tribute to four soldiers who had recently been killed in the ongoing war – Lt. Tyler James Feehan, Pvt. Isabella Gonzales, Sgt. Michael Emmanuel Swinton, and Sgt. Angel S. Rampersad. As she read off some anecdotes about each of the soldiers, Ruhle had to fight harder and harder to keep her composure.
“Lieutenant Feehan’s fiancée says he was a man whose greatest strength was his heart,” Ruhle said. “She says he looked up to Ted Lasso as a role model for leadership, and he dreamed of one day becoming a high school football coach after his military service ended. He was 25 years old.”
She continued: “In Carrollton, Texas, community members came together on Tuesday to honor Private Isabella Gonzales and her life of service. They wore purple and black ribbons — her favorite colors. She was only 19 years old.”
Reading out the anecdotes got to Ruhle at this point. Her voice noticeably trembles and she gets choked up as she continues to read about more soldiers.
“Sergeant Swinton’s wife told The New York Times that they met when they were both deployed in Bahrain,” Ruhle said. “She said he was an amazing father and her daughter’s favorite. He was 30.”
The host finished: “And in New York, American flags now line the streets of a Queens neighborhood where Sergeant Rampersad grew up. She moved to the United States when she was just 2 years old, an immigrant serving and protecting our country. Her family says she was eager to serve. She was 28. All four of these true patriots should be remembered and honored for their service and their sacrifice. We are truly grateful.”
Earlier in the week, Trump ruffled feathers when he made comments politicizing the deaths of the four soldiers ahead of their dignified transfer ceremony. In an interview at Joint Base Andrews, Trump again pivoted to his same statement about nuclear weapons when asked about Americans continuing to die in the war.
“They are indeed great heroes. All of them said very strongly, ‘We can’t let, we cannot let Iran have a nuclear weapon,’” Trump said.
He added, when asked about Americans growing dissent to the war: “Well, Americans aren’t against the war. A poll just came out, Americans don’t want high gasoline prices, but they’re not against the war. That just came out loud and clear in a poll. Nobody wants Iran to have a nuclear weapon. Do you want Iran to have a nuclear weapon? Do you think it’s good?”
