On Monday, President Trump, along with CIA Director John Ratcliffe, Secretary of Defense Pete Hegseth, and Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff Dan Caine, held a press conference in the White House Press Briefing Room. They discussed the successful missions to rescue two downed airmen in Iran, as well as Operation Epic Fury as a whole.
After the President spoke for a few minutes, he handed the podium over to Ratcliffe. Ratcliffe provided an overview of the CIA’s role in the rescue mission involving the second airman, praising Trump’s determination and the collaboration of the War Department for conducting a daring mission behind enemy lines.
Ratcliffe, to kick off his portion of the briefing, acknowledged right away that it was a “no-fail mission.”
“Thank you, Mr. President. It’s a privilege to be here with you today to share what we can about this exceptional mission and to recognize the ingenuity and bravery of those who executed it, as well as the leadership and resolve of the president who ordered it.
“One thing that has been clear to me in this role is that the flawless military operations that the Department of War is known for are hostage to flawless intelligence. We saw that in the skies over Iran in Operation Midnight Hammer last summer. We witnessed it in Venezuela during Operation Absolute Resolve. We’ve seen it against the cartels in the Western Hemisphere. And we’re seeing it every day in Operation Epic Fury, including this mission to rescue an aviator buried deep behind enemy lines.
“Because it is the unique tradition of the U.S. armed forces that we leave no man or woman behind, this was a no-fail mission. That was the spirit in which the president put us to work, and we were determined not to let him down or our airman down.”
Ratcliffe referred to the agency’s “unique capabilities,” which rely on the President’s authorization. He also mentioned their use of a deception campaign to confuse the Iranians:
“As an agency, the CIA possesses unique capabilities that only the President can deploy.
“Some of these capabilities fall under covert action authorities. And because covert means exactly that, I’m not going to be able to tell you everything that you want to know.
“At the President’s direction, we deployed both human assets and exquisite technologies that no other intelligence service in the world possesses to a daunting challenge comparable to hunting for a single grain of sand in the middle of a desert.
“This was also a race against the clock, as it was critical that we locate the downed aviator as quickly as possible while at the same time keeping our enemies misdirected.
“For that reason, in addition to the human and technical assets deployed by the President to find our airman, the CIA executed a deception campaign to confuse the Iranians who were desperately hunting for our airman.”
The CIA director then highlighted the cooperation between his agency and Hegseth’s War Dept.:
“On Saturday morning, we achieved our primary objective by finding and providing confirmation that one of America’s best and bravest was alive and concealed in a mountain crevice, still invisible to the enemy, but not to the CIA.
“That confirmation was relayed by Secretary Hegseth to the president, and the operation quickly moved to the execution phase.
“Following the successful exfiltration on Saturday night, our intelligence reflects that the Iranians were embarrassed and ultimately humiliated by the success of this audacious rescue mission.
“When the President asked me to lead the CIA, he made it clear: Get back to basics. No politics, no agendas. Tackle the hardest problems and execute the toughest missions.
“This president is about results. And now that’s what his CIA is about, too.
“The professionals at the agency and at the Department of War deserve immense credit for their flawless execution during this daring mission. Their skill, creativity, and courage are unmatched on the battlefield wherever they step.”
He then credited the president once more:
“But none of that matters, and all of that is wasted, without a president with the political courage to put them into action.
“Mr. President, I’ve had the privilege of seeing you act with political courage in the best interest of the United States up close on a daily basis, and I’m grateful that this successful mission has given the American people a window into that as well.
“The Secretary and Chairman will tell you that our service members’ confidence is boosted by a commander in chief who has their back the same way they have yours.
“And I know that the confidence of CIA’s officers is boosted by the knowledge that their work is informing a president who’s not afraid to make the hardest decisions when the stakes are highest.
“And to the American people, your confidence should be boosted by knowing that the security of the nation is in the hands of a president who’s willing to take on problems that have confounded both sides of the political aisle for nearly half a century.
“It is an honor to serve under a leader who just proved that you can believe him when he says, ‘No matter what, we will leave no one behind. We will come for you.’
“Thank you.”
