This was entertaining to see.
On Saturday, CNN invited retired Brig. Gen. Mark Kimmitt on the show to discuss the current conflict between the United States and Iran.
As the topic of Iran was brought up, the CNN anchor attempted to ask Kimmitt what his thoughts were on an unconfirmed report regarding Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff Gen. Dan Caine which claimed Caine was pushing Trump to create an off ramp in Iran.
That’s when Kimmitt took CNN off guard and asked why they were asking questions about a report that used unnamed sources.
Mediaite provided quotes from Gen. Kimmitt
Retired Brig. Gen. Mark Kimmitt had some choice words on Saturday for CNN's use of "unnamed sources" while covering the Iran war, but anchor Omar Jimenez didn't let the slight go without a little pushback.
"I just want to start by getting your reaction to this report that Joint Chiefs Chair Gen. Dan Caine is looking for an off-ramp from this war," Jimenez began. "Practically speaking, what even are his options here?"
"Yeah, well first of all, I read the CNN article and I saw quotes from unnamed sources that last week were saying there were no negotiations going on, and that proved not to be true. But let's make an assumption that some of those quotes may have been correct," Kimmitt said, continuing:
Look, I think it's fair to say that we are not close to achieving our strategic objectives of ending the nuclear program, ending the missile program, and cutting off support for the proxies. We do have the situation with the Strait of Hormuz. Those issues are undeniable. And I think against that background, we've got to understand that Gen. Caine has got to worry about the rest of the world, as well. He's gotta worry about the threat from China, he's gotta worry about support for Ukraine, and that's all in the context of dwindling support options for those other combatant commanders, as Adm. [Brad] Cooper is going to get what he needs.
"But having said that, I sure wish people would go on the record rather than hind behind the quote of 'unnamed source,’" Kimmitt added.
Jimenez jumped in, saying, "Hey, General, you said something that we preach all the time. I sure wish more folks would go on the record, too. But that's me as a reporter."
The CNN article in question began by saying, "Over the last few weeks, Chairman of the Joint Chiefs Gen. Dan Caine has privately made clear to other top Trump advisers that the US needs to find an off-ramp from the war with Iran — because the military options on the table to escalate the conflict could backfire and airpower alone is unlikely to achieve President Donald Trump's stated objectives, according to three sources familiar with the matter."
Watch Gen. Kimmitt here:
You can read the original CNN article that Kimmitt was referring to below:
Over the last few weeks, Chairman of the Joint Chiefs Gen. Dan Caine has privately made clear to other top Trump advisers that the US needs to find an off-ramp from the war with Iran — because the military options on the table to escalate the conflict could backfire and airpower alone is unlikely to achieve President Donald Trump's stated objectives, according to three sources familiar with the matter.
"Caine is looking for an off ramp," one of the sources said bluntly.
Caine is not alone in his view that the war has reached a crossroads. He has discussed concerns about the military options for escalating the conflict and raised the prospect of finding an off-ramp from the war with other key Cabinet officials, including CIA Director John Ratcliffe, Secretary of State Marco Rubio and Vice President JD Vance, two of the sources said.
The top US general has recently side-barred with some of those key, like-minded Trump advisers in an effort to facilitate interagency coordination and ensure they are on the same page ahead of meetings with the president. The aim has been to make clear the limitations and pitfalls of the available military options, including those that do not involve putting US boots on the ground, the sources said.
"I think it is just his way of protecting the military," one of the sources told CNN, referring to Caine's discussions with other top national security officials within Trump's cabinet about the Iran war.
Trump has consistently appeared averse to the idea of deploying ground troops in Iran, instead signaling he believes that air bombing can force them to agree to a deal on his terms. Caine and others in Trump's cabinet privately view that outcome as unlikely and instead have sought to develop other options that fit within the president's own parameters, according to multiple sources familiar with recent discussions.
Nearly six months into a conflict which opened with weeks of claims that Iran's military capabilities had been decimated, and which remains defined by the president's pledge of preventing Tehran from obtaining a nuclear weapon, it is highly significant that Trump's most senior general is privately arguing there is no easy military solution to end a war the president chose to enter.
In response to CNN's request for comment on this story, Caine's spokesperson Joseph Holstead said: "We do not discuss the Chairman's confidential conversations with the President, the Secretary, or other senior leaders, nor do we comment on anonymous, agenda-driven characterizations of those conversations by sources who were not privy to them."
Weeks earlier Gen. Kimmitt appeared on Fox News and gave his thoughts on how the U.S. can get out of Iran:
WATCH: Ret Brig Gen Mark Kimmitt predicts only way out of U.S. operation in Iran pic.twitter.com/O8n80IH7CN
— The Story (@TheStoryFNC) July 30, 2026
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