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National Security Expert Warns U.S. Vulnerability Growing After Trump’s Iran Strikes

BLACKPRESSUSA NEWSWIRE — With approximately 40,000 U.S. troops in the region, Castleberry-Hernandez stressed that their safety is paramount. But she warned that domestic security is also at risk, recalling how past conflicts in the Middle East have sparked terror attacks on American soil, such as those in San Bernardino and Orlando.

Published

7 months ago

June 25, 2025

Stacy M. Brown

By Stacy M. Brown
Black Press USA Senior National Correspondent

As global tensions spike following President Donald Trump’s strikes on Iran’s nuclear facilities and Tehran’s retaliation with missile launches at U.S. bases in Iraq and Qatar, national security and foreign policy expert Asha Castleberry-Hernandez warned that the United States is dangerously close to a full-blown war.

Speaking in an exclusive interview with Black Press USA’s Let It Be Known, Castleberry-Hernandez, a former senior official in the Biden administration’s Bureau of Near Eastern Affairs and an Iraq War veteran, called the situation “deeply concerning,” especially given what she described as escalating international alignment behind Iran and widespread inexperience in key U.S. national security positions.

“My reaction was quite concerning with regards to potential escalatory behavior,” Castleberry-Hernandez said. “Many Americans were not supportive of strikes in Iran because they want to avoid an escalatory war or just U.S. involvement overall.”

Last week, B-52 bombers carried out airstrikes on three Iranian nuclear sites. The Department of Defense claims those sites were eradicated. In response, Iran launched missiles targeting U.S. military installations in Qatar and Iraq. While U.S. forces successfully intercepted the missiles, Castleberry-Hernandez cautioned that the conflict is intensifying quickly and diplomatically difficult to contain.

“If we had just stayed in the Iran nuclear deal, which President Obama started, this could have been avoided,” she said. “The Iran nuclear deal worked.”

She blamed the Trump administration for withdrawing from the agreement, which she said led to the loss of leverage with Iranian leadership. “We transitioned from diplomacy to defense,” she said, noting that Iran now has greater backing from nations like China, Russia, and North Korea.

Castleberry-Hernandez, author of the memoir, “Why National Security Matters,” noted that under the U.S. Constitution, the commander-in-chief has the latitude to conduct such airstrikes. But she questioned whether Trump’s actions—reportedly carried out without broad consultation with his national security team—violate the constitutional balance between the executive and legislative branches.

“This is why it matters who we put in the Oval Office,” she said. “You’re giving them access to trade policy, nuclear codes, and how they manage the troops.”

Castleberry-Hernandez said Vice President Kamala Harris’s previous warning that a Trump presidency could lead to war was not alarmist. She pointed to the growing signs of Iranian aggression even before Trump took office and said U.S. intelligence had long indicated that Iran was close to building a nuclear bomb.

“Now that Trump is in, he’s going to do anything he can to stop Iran from becoming a nuclear state. And this is what you’re seeing play out right now,” she said.

Asked how close the U.S. is to war, Castleberry-Hernandez said developments are moving by the hour. “President Trump is demanding a ceasefire, but let’s see if Iran will come to the table,” she said. “Iran knows the U.S. has an asymmetric operational advantage, and that may eventually bring them to negotiate.”

Castleberry-Hernandez rejected claims that Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu had manipulated Trump into the strikes but confirmed that Israeli intelligence strongly influenced the decision. “Israel had legitimate concerns and shared them. President Trump, lacking the political capital but influenced by Israel, decided to move forward,” she said.

With approximately 40,000 U.S. troops in the region, Castleberry-Hernandez stressed that their safety is paramount. But she warned that domestic security is also at risk, recalling how past conflicts in the Middle East have sparked terror attacks on American soil, such as those in San Bernardino and Orlando.

“We’ve already seen violence near the Israeli embassy and in Colorado. These conflicts fuel both anti-Semitism and Islamophobia here at home,” she said, adding that cities like New York have ramped up security in response.

She also warned of cyber threats and information warfare, especially with Iran’s close ties to Russia. “They’re very capable in conducting cyberattacks and manipulating online disinformation to destabilize us,” she said.

Castleberry-Hernandez raised concerns about the economic fallout, particularly in the oil and global markets. “Engaging Iran disrupts the global energy market. Gas prices and stock fluctuations could spike, especially if this conflict drags on.”

She also confirmed reports that multiple Republican lawmakers purchased “war stocks” just hours before the strikes. “I’m pretty sure those that were trading were fully aware of what was going to happen,” she said.

As questions swirl about Trump’s decision-making and reports suggest that many national security officials were shut out of the process, Castleberry-Hernandez said her book was meant to educate Americans about why qualified leadership is essential.

“I wrote ‘Why National Security Matters’ because I saw a growing rejection of global engagement,” she said. “But we’re more interconnected than ever—through cyber threats, pandemics, and climate change.”

She criticized the current administration’s staffing of key security posts with inexperienced personnel, including a 22-year-old former grocery clerk now reportedly working in Homeland Security.

“It’s already playing out. These inexperienced officials are more prone to rubber-stamp Trump’s decisions. Compared to his first administration, this is far more dangerous,” she said.

Asked if the U.S. is more vulnerable than ever, Castleberry-Hernandez replied, “We are. Not just because of inexperience, but because the world has learned how not to work with us anymore. Our troops, our economy, our national security institutions—everything is at risk.”

She called on the American people to act. “We don’t have the House or Senate to provide real checks. It has to come from the people—mobilize and engage with your elected officials. The American people can make a difference working together right now,” she said.

Stacy M. Brown

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LIVE from the NMA Convention Raheem DeVaughn Says The Time Is Now: Let’s End HIV in Our Communities #2

Set against the backdrop of the NMA conference, Executive Officers from the National Medical Association, Grammy Award Winning Artist and Advocate Raheem DeVaughn, and Gilead Sciences experts, are holding today an important conversation on HIV prevention and health equity. Black women continue to be disproportionately impacted by HIV despite advances in prevention options. Today’s event […]

Published

1 day ago

February 3, 2026

Oakland Post

Black women continue to be disproportionately impacted by HIV despite advances in prevention options. Today’s event is designed to uplift voices, explore barriers to access, and increase awareness and key updates about PrEP, a proven prevention method that remains underutilized among Black women. This timely gathering will feature voices from across health, media, and advocacy as we break stigma and center equity in HIV prevention.

Additional stats and information to know:

● Black women continue to be disproportionately affected by HIV, with Black women representing more than 50% of new HIV diagnoses among women in the U.S. in 2022, despite comprising just 13% of women in the U.S.

● Women made up only 8% of PrEP users despite representing 19% of all new HIV diagnoses in 2022.

● Gilead Sciences is increasing awareness and addressing stigma by encouraging regular HIV testing and having judgment-free conversations with your healthcare provider about prevention options, including oral PrEP and long-acting injectable PrEP options.

● PrEP is an HIV prevention medication that has been available since 2012.

● Only 1 in 3 people in the U.S. who could benefit from PrEP were prescribed a form of PrEP in 2022.

Oakland Post

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TRUMP: “Washington, D.C. is Safe”

BLACKPRESSUSA NEWSWIRE — President Trump, who typically travels with a full contingent of high-level protection, insinuated that he finally felt safe enough to go to dinner in the District of Columbia. “My wife and I went out to dinner last night for the first time in four years,” said the nation’s 47th president.

Published

1 day ago

February 3, 2026

Oakland Post

By Apriil Ryan
BlackPressUSA Washington Bureau Chief and White House Correspondent

“Washington, D.C. is safe,” President Trump declared from the Oval Office today. Those words came while Trump was hosting Ukraine’s President Volodymyr Zelenskyy. During the question-and-answer session, which primarily focused on a peace deal in the Russian-Ukrainian war, Trump explained, “You did that in four days.” He was speaking of how fast the National Guard quelled the violence in what was once called Chocolate City.

The President deployed the National Guard to D.C. a week ago, to a city with reduced crime rates over the previous year. Violent crime dropped by 26%, marking the lowest level in 30 years. Homicides also fell by 11%.

President Trump, who typically travels with a full contingent of high-level protection, insinuated that he finally felt safe enough to go to dinner in the District of Columbia. “My wife and I went out to dinner last night for the first time in four years,” said the nation’s 47th president.

Trump reinforced his claim about the newly acquired safety in D.C. by relaying that a friend’s son is attending dinner in D.C., something he would not have done last year.

After the president finished his comments, a reporter/commentator in the room with close connections to Marjorie Taylor Greene jumped into the high-level conversation to affirm the president’s comments, saying, “I walked around yesterday with MTG. If you can walk around D.C. with MTG and not be attacked, this city is safe.”

That reporter was the same person who chastised President Zelenskyy months ago during his first Oval Office meeting with Trump for not wearing a business suit. Zelenskyy, a wartime President, has been clad in less formal attire to reflect the country’s current war stance against Russia.

Without any sourcing, President Trump also said, “People that haven’t gone out to dinner in Washington, D.C., in two years are going out to dinner, and the restaurants the last two days have been busier than they’ve been in a long time.”

The increase in policing in Washington, D.C. is because a 19-year-old former Doge employee was carjacked in the early hours of the morning recently.

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Rising Energy Costs Weigh Heaviest on Black Households

BLACKPRESSUSA NEWSWIRE — For many African American families, the cost of keeping the lights on and homes heated or cooled is not just a monthly bill — it’s a crushing financial burden.

Published

1 day ago

February 3, 2026

Stacy M. Brown

By Stacy M. Brown
Black Press USA Senior National Correspondent

For many African American families, the cost of keeping the lights on and homes heated or cooled is not just a monthly bill — it’s a crushing financial burden.

A new national study from Binghamton University and California State University, San Bernardino, finds that Black households spend a far larger share of their income on energy compared to white households, even when income levels are the same. “We often say that African Americans suffer more, but we often blame it just on income. And the reality is, there is something more there,” study author George Homsy, associate professor at Binghamton University, wrote. “It’s not just because they tend to be poor. There is something that’s putting them at a disadvantage. I think what happened is it happens to be where they live.” The study, published in Energy Research & Social Science, analyzed 65,000 census tracts across the United States. It found that while the average American household spends about 3.2% of income on energy bills, households in the majority African American census tracts spend an average of 5.1%.

Homsy and researcher Ki Eun Kang point to the age and condition of housing stock, along with lower homeownership rates, as key drivers. Their research concludes that “energy burden is not simply a matter of income or energy cost but also race, which might be driven by place.” Older, less energy-efficient housing and high rental rates in Black communities mean residents often cannot make upgrades like improved insulation or new appliances, locking families into higher bills.

Tradeoffs and Health Risks

The consequences go beyond money. Families forced to spend 10% or more of their income on energy — what experts classify as “unmanageable” — may cut back on food, medicine, or other essentials. More than 12 million U.S. households report leaving their homes at unsafe temperatures to reduce costs, while millions more fall behind on utility bills. The health effects are severe. High energy burdens increase risks of asthma, depression, poor sleep, pneumonia, and even premature death. The issue is especially acute for African Americans, who are disproportionately exposed to housing and environmental conditions that amplify these risks.

Washington, D.C.: A Case Study

In Washington, D.C., the problem is particularly stark. A recent analysis by the Chesapeake Climate Action Network (CCAN) shows that SNAP-eligible households spend more than 20% of their income on energy bills. Across the metro area, nearly two-thirds of low-income households devote over 6% of their income to energy, and 40% face what researchers call a “severe financial strain,” paying more than 10%. Pepco, the District’s primary electricity provider, has implemented three consecutive annual rate hikes, pushing the average household bill to $114 per month as of January 2025. Shutoffs have followed — nearly 12,000 customers lost service in 2024, with disconnections doubling after a summer rate hike. Washington Gas has also sought a 12% rate increase and pushed a controversial $215 million pipeline replacement project, rebranded as “District SAFE.” The plan could ultimately cost D.C. households an additional $45,000 each over several decades, or nearly $1,000 annually added to bills.

Historical Roots

Researchers argue that these inequities are not accidental but rooted in history. The ScienceDirect study reveals that African American communities living in formerly redlined neighborhoods continue to face disadvantages today — from poor housing quality to higher climate risks. Homsy says policymakers must make targeted efforts. “It is harder to get to rental units where a lot of poor people live,” he noted. “We need to work harder to get into these communities of color.”