Gov. Wes Moore, Ret. General Frank McKenzie, NASA Administrator Jared Isaacman

This Easter Sunday episode of Face the Nation features a high-stakes international crisis and a historic space mission. The show opens with the dramatic rescue of a U.S. Air Force officer from a downed F-15E fighter jet in Iran, following a two-day special operations mission involving dozens of commandos and aircraft. Retired General Frank McKenzie provides military analysis, praising the Joint Force's rapid response and the strategic effectiveness of the campaign, while cautioning that Iran still poses a threat despite erosion of its missile capabilities. Maryland Governor Wes Moore delivers a sharp critique of the war, calling it a 'forever war' with no clear endgame, and argues that the economic toll—especially rising gas prices and burdens on state budgets—undermines public trust. He calls for a reevaluation of U.S. foreign policy and emphasizes moral responsibility to service members and their families. Archbishop Timothy Broglio offers a spiritual and ethical perspective, applying just war theory to question the legitimacy of the Iran conflict and highlighting the moral injury faced by service members. On the domestic front, political analysts debate the war’s unpopularity, the president’s declining approval ratings, and the Republican Party’s internal divisions. The episode concludes with NASA Administrator Jared Isaacman detailing the Artemis II mission, the first crewed flyby of the moon’s far side, and defending NASA’s accelerated timeline and funding despite proposed budget cuts. The episode underscores a tension between military assertiveness and strategic clarity, economic strain, and the enduring human cost of war and ambition.