美媒称将派新航母赴中东接替林肯号

THIS IS "BALANCE OF POWER" LIVE FROM WASHINGTON, D.C.

TONIGHT, STILL AT A STANDSTILL, TRAFFIC THROUGH THE STRAIT OF HORMUZ REMAINS AT A TRICKLE WITH IRAN TALKS DEADLOCKED AND THE U.S. REPORTEDLY SENDING A NEW PRAYER FOR -- AIRCRAFT CARRIER TO THE MIDDLE EAST. WE WILL DISCUSS THIS HOUR. PLUS, PAY THE PRICE, U.S. GOVERNMENT SELLS 30 YEAR BONDS AT THE HIGHEST YIELD SINCE 2001 HIGHLIGHTING THE RISING COST OF FINANCING AMERICA'S DEBT AS LONG-TERM RATES REMAIN ABOVE 5%. IRA JERSEY JOINS US SHORTLY.

ALL EYES ON NOVEMBER, THE FIGHT FOR THE HOUSE RUNS THROUGH NEW YORK, WHERE ONE OF THE COUNTRY'S MOST COMPETITIVE CONGRESSIONAL RACES IS TAKING SHAPE. WE WILL SPEAK WITH DEMOCRAT KATE CONLEY CHALLENGING REPUBLICAN REPRESENTATIVE MIKE WALLER IN NEW YORK'S SEVENTH TEEN -- 17TH CONSECUTIVE -- CONGRESSIONAL DISTRICT. I'M KAILEY LEINZ ALONGSIDE JOE MATHIEU AND WORLD HEADQUARTERS IN NEW YORK. JOE: WE KICK OFF OUR COVERAGE WITH THE CONFLICT BETWEEN THE U.S.

AND IRAN. DEFENSE SECRETARY PETE HEGSETH SAID THE U.S. HAS THE NAVAL CAPACITY TO CONTINUE ITS BLOCKADE IN THE STRAIT OF HORMUZ "INDEFINITELY" EVEN AS HE BATS DOWN REPORTS OF DETERIORATING CONDITIONS ON THE USS ABRAHAM LINCOLN. WE WILL GET TO THAT AND A LOT MORE WITH THE FORMER DEFENSE SECRETARY MARK ESPER. WE BEGIN WITH COURTNEY ON THE NORTH LAWN OF THE WHITE HOUSE RIGHT NOW. IS THIS AN ADMINISTRATION GIRDING FOR A LONGER WAR?

IT IS A GOOD QUESTION. JD VANCE, THE VICE PRESIDENT, WAS JUST ON FOX NEWS NEWS ASKED ABOUT THIS. SPEAKING TO AMERICANS WHO ARE INCREASINGLY FRUSTRATED WITH WHERE THIS WAR IS GOING, WHAT DIRECTION, HE SAID THEY HAVE A LOT OF TOOLS AT THEIR DISPOSAL, BUT THE CENTRAL GOAL IS REALLY TO KEEP OIL AND GAS PRICES DOWN FOR THE AMERICAN PEOPLE. WHETHER THAT IS THROUGH A BROADER EFFORT TO REOPEN THE STRAIT OF HORMUZ OR SOME SORT OF OPERATION TO FORCIBLY OPEN IT, NOT SO CLEAR, BUT IT IS CLEAR THAT THIS ADMINISTRATION IS LASER FOCUSED ON TRYING TO REOPEN THE STRAIT, LOOSEN IRAN'S GRIP ON THE STRAIT, AND DO SO IN AN URGENT MANNER AS SOME OF THE GLOBAL OIL STOCKPILES CONTINUE TO DWINDLE.

KAILEY: AND TRY ITS BEST TO MESSAGE AROUND THIS ENTIRE CONFLICT AND STALEMATE. WHEN WE THING ABOUT WHO THE DRIVER AND DISSEMINATE HER OF THOSE MESSAGES WILL BE GOING FORWARD WE GOT THE NEWS THIS TIME YESTERDAY THAT THE PRESS SECRETARY KAROLINE LEAVITT WILL BE DID -- DEPARTING AT THE END OF THIS MONTH. HAVE YOU HEARD ANYTHING ABOUT WHO MIGHT REPLACE HER? COURTNEY: THE WHITE HOUSE IS BEING VERY TIGHTLIPPED ON WHO HER REPLACEMENT MIGHT BE BUT A LOT OF NAMES ARE OBVIOUSLY BEING THROWN AROUND HERE AT THE WHITE HOUSE AMONG THE PRESS CORPS.

IT IS CLEAR THAT WHOEVER THIS PERSON IS GOING TO BE, THEY NEED TO ECHO SOME OF THE SAME QUALITIES THAT KAROLINE LEAVITT HAS. THE PRESIDENT IS LOSING HER AS ONE OF HIS MOST EFFECTIVE MESSENGERS WITH JUST LESS THAN THREE MONTHS BEFORE THE MIDTERMS. SHE IS SOMEBODY ABLE TO ARTICULATE HIS MESSAGE AND THIS IS IMPORTANT ESPECIALLY AS THE WHITE HOUSE IS FACING SOME HEADWINDS AROUND THE AFFORDABILITY AGENDA, WHICH IS IMPORTANT FOR VOTERS HEADING INTO NOVEMBER, AS WELL AS THIS WAR WHICH CONTINUES TO REMAIN UNPOPULAR.

SO WHOEVER THIS PERSON IS GOING TO BE, THEY NEED TO BE SOMEONE WHO CAN GO ON TV, DEFEND THE PRESIDENT'S POLICIES, AND TAKE THAT COMBATIVE APPROACH THAT WE KNOW THE PRESIDENT LIKES TO SEE IN HIS SURROGATES, BUT ALSO HANDLE SOME OF THE TRICKIER PARTS OF THE JOB WHICH ARE ENGAGING REPORTERS AND ALSO HAVING A MANDATE AND TAKING CONTROL OF THE BRIEFING ROOM, WHICH CAN BE A BIT HARDER. KAILEY: CHALLENGING INDEED. THANK YOU SO MUCH.

JOINING US NOW FOR MORE ON OF THE CONFLICT WITH IRAN IS MARK ESPER, THE FORMER U.S. SECRETARY OF DEFENSE DURING PRESIDENT TRUMP'S FIRST TERM, NOW A PARTNER AT RED CELL VENTURES. HE IS ALSO THE AUTHOR OF A BOOK, "A SACRED OATH." IF WE COULD BEGIN WITH REPORTS THAT THE U.S. IS SENDING THE USS GEORGE WASHINGTON TO THE MIDDLE EAST TO RELIEVE THE CREW, THE SAILORS AND AVIATORS ON BOARD THE LINCOLN WHO HAVE BEEN DEPLOYED SINCE NOVEMBER, DO YOU SEE THAT AS A SIGN THE U.S.

IS PLANNING ON BEING IN THEATER AND MAINTAINING THIS BLOCKADE FOR AN INDEFINITE PERIOD OF TIME? MARK: GOOD TO BE WITH YOU AND JOE TODAY. LOOK, YES I THINK WE ARE GOING TO BE IN THE REGION FOR AN EXTENDED TIME TO MAINTAIN THE BLOCKADE. I'VE ARGUED SOME TIME WE SHOULD PIVOT FROM AERIAL ASSAULTS INTO AN ECONOMIC BLOCKADE OF THEIR AIR, GROUND, AND SEA ROUTES AND SANCTIONS AND A NUMBER OF THINGS WITHOUT GLOBAL PARTNERS, BUT THIS ACTION COMES IN TERMS OF RELIEVING THE AIRCRAFT CARRIER IS IMPORTANT.

THEY ALSO HAVE TO ROTATE DESTROYERS BECAUSE WE HAVE ABOUT 15 DESTROYERS. THE CHALLENGE FOR THE NAVY IS TO CONTINUALLY ROTATE THE SHIPS AND MAINTAIN A HIGH DEGREE OF READINESS. THE TWO BIGGEST CHALLENGES FROM A MILITARY PERSPECTIVE ARE THE MUNITIONS QUESTION AND THIS QUESTION WITH REGARD TO THE READINESS OF THE FORCES. JOE: WHAT DO YOU MAKE OF THE REPORTS FROM THE USS LINCOLN, SECRETARY? THESE ARE VERY TROUBLING REPORTS WHEN YOU ARE HEARING ABOUT ATTEMPTED SUICIDES, BEYOND JUST MORALE PROBLEMS, MALFUNCTIONING BATHROOMS, NO HOT WATER.

WE ARE GOING TO TALK ABOUT THIS A BIT LATER WITH SENATOR JACK REED. YOU HAVE A JOB. IS THIS ON PETE HEGSETH? MARK: FIRST OF ALL, THE REPORTS ARE VERY TROUBLING, I'VE BEEN WATCHING THEM FOR SEVERAL DAYS. THEY HAVE BEEN IN THE MILITARY PRESS AND IT BEGAN IN TOWN HALLS IN SAN DIEGO OR FAMILY MEMBERS WERE COMPLAINING ABOUT WHAT WAS HAPPENING. THEY WERE GETTING REPORTS FROM SPOUSES ABOARD SHIP. IT IS VERY SERIOUS. A LONG DEPLOYMENT CAN WEAR YOU DOWN, I WAS ON ACTIVE DUTY.

YOU HAVE TO MONITOR VERY CAREFULLY THE HEALTH OF THE FORCE. WHO IS RESPONSIBLE? IT BEGINS AT THE SHIP LEVEL MONITORING THE SHIP, THE CAPTAIN AND THE NONCOMMISSIONED OFFICERS. IT WORKS ITS WAY BACK UP THE NAVAL LOGISTICS CHAIN. YOU CAN'T CHANGE THE LENGTH OF DEPLOYMENT, THAT'S ON THE SECRETARY OF DEFENSE, WHAT SHOULD NOT HAPPEN IS LACK OF FRESH FRUIT, MALE BEING DISRUPTED AND NOT ARRIVING, ALL THE THINGS THAT AFFECT THE MORALE OF THE SERVICE MEMBERS.

IF I WERE IN THE JOB I WOULD BE CALLING UP THE CHIEF OF NAVAL OPERATIONS TO REPORT TO ME AND EXPLAINED TO ME HOW ALL THIS HAPPENED. IS IT TRUE FIRST OF ALL THAT THE SHIP WASN'T WELL SUPPLIED, THAT THE SAILORS MARKED GETTING WHAT THEY NEED? I THINK THAT NEEDS LOOKED INTO BECAUSE IT HAS NOW BECOME, GOTTEN INTO THE NATIONAL SPOTLIGHT. KAILEY: WHAT ELSE WOULD YOU BE DOING RIGHT NOW IF YOU WERE STILL IN THAT JOB, MR. SECRETARY?

THERE HAS BEEN REPORTING IN POLITICO THAT WHILE MAKING MULTIPLE TRIPS TO CAPITOL HILL IN RECENT WEEKS TO PITCH THE SUPPLEMENTAL FUNDING AND 1.5 TRILLION DOLLARS DEFENSE BUDGET POINTEDLY LEFT DEMOCRATS OUT OF THOSE CONVERSATIONS. IS THIS A WISE COURSE OF ACTION HE IS PURSUING? MARK: CONGRESS HAS THE POWER OF THE PURSE AND IF YOU WANT TO GET THEIR SUPPORT, YOU HAVE TO TAKE THE TIME, THE EFFORT TO GO UP THERE AND SPEAK TO MEMBERS OF BOTH PARTIES.

AND SPEND A LOT OF TIME EXPLAINING TO THEM WHAT YOUR BUDGET IS, WHY YOU NEED IT, WHAT IT MEANS, GETTING THEM ON BOARD AND IT IS NOT SOMETHING YOU CAN DO ONE AND DONE. IT IS CONTINUOUS, IT IS A PROCESS THAT BEGINS ACTUALLY BEFORE YOU GET SWORN IN, BEFORE YOU APPEAR BEFORE THE NOMINATING COMMITTEE TO MAKE THE CASE AS TO WHY YOU SHOULD BE IN THAT POSITION. IT IS ABOUT BUILDING RELATIONSHIPS THAT I KNOW YOU HAVE JACK REED ON THEIR, HE HAS SEEN A LOT OF SECRETARIES COME THROUGH, HE CAN TALK ABOUT THIS IN GREAT DETAIL.

YOU HAVE TO BUILD THAT REPORT. THE BIGGEST THING IS GETTING ADDITIONAL MONEY TO THE PENTAGON TO DO THINGS SUCH AS MAKE INVESTMENTS IN THE DEFENSE INDUSTRIAL BASE SO WE CAN TRIPLE, QUADRUPLE OUR STOCKPILES. IN THREE OR FOUR YEARS IT WILL PAY OFF AND THAT IS WHERE WE ARE REALLY BEHIND THESE DAYS. AT THE END OF THE DAY COME ALONG WARS ARE RUN BY ECONOMIES, THEY ARE NOT NECESSARILY WON ONLY BY THE MILITARY, IT IS THE INDUSTRIAL BASE THAT BRINGS TO BEAR THE GREAT MIND OF A NATION.

WE ARE SEEING THAT EXPOSED SINCE WE HAVE BEEN EXPENDING MUNITIONS THROUGH THE AND OTHER TRUMP ADMINISTRATION. JOE: DULY