In July, Andy Stumpf asked former Navy SEAL Matt Bissonnette why he left the military on the 458th episode of his podcast, "Cleared Hot." Bissonnette, like many guests and Stumpf himself, exited after sustaining a back injury when his helicopter crash-landed during the 2011 raid that killed Osama bin Laden. Even before the injury, he grew frustrated with escalating rules of engagement. He argued that new restrictions during President Obama's Afghanistan surge prioritized capturing over killing, endangering operators while militants remained hidden.
Stumpf, a 49-year-old former operator, hosts the podcast to retell the story of America's post-9/11 wars for a generation too young to have fought. He frames these shows as the modern equivalent of post-Vietnam memoirs, holding sway over audiences aspiring to join Special Operations. "The Shawn Ryan Show" sometimes ranks second only to "The Joe Rogan Experience" on Spotify charts. Conversations often touch on fitness, mental health, and testosterone, but a collective narrative about the fight against terrorism surfaces repeatedly.
Many guests argue the U.S. was defeated in Afghanistan because politicians and generals, focused on politics and optics, imposed crippling restrictions on Special Operations. Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth, a regular podcast listener and former guest, has directed the military to operate in the Caribbean, Yemen, and Iran based on these views. Hegseth told the "Shawn Ryan" show in 2024 that impossible rules written for operators to lose perpetuate the war.
Stumpf avoids endorsing the defeat narrative, hoping to convey the wars were futile and wore down soldiers' souls, though he did not push back when Bissonnette criticized restrictions.
Source: New York Times Top Stories · Summarized by HeadlinesBriefing