The U.S. deployed its largest non-nuclear weapon in Afghanistan on Thursday, targeting tunnels used by regional affiliates of the Islamic State. The 21,600-pound GBU-43/B Massive Ordnance Air Blast weapon — nicknamed the "mother of all bombs" — is said to have killed dozens of Afghan militants and destroyed three tactical caves. It was the first time the MOAB had been used in combat.
While President Trump on Thursday dodged a direct question asking if he'd authorized the MOAB's use, he later called the mission "very successful." Afghan officials are still evaluating the detonation's effect, but on Friday morning's Fox & Friends, the network's hosts saw fit to celebrate the weapon's use with the dulcet tunes of country singer Toby Keith. Keith's song "Courtesy of the Red, White, and Blue" played over the Pentagon's footage of the MOAB's landing, prompting host Ainsley Earhardt to proclaim: "That's the red, white, and blue." Watch below. Kimberly Alters
Subscribe to The Week
Escape your echo chamber. Get the facts behind the news, plus analysis from multiple perspectives.
Sign up for The Week's Free Newsletters
From our morning news briefing to a weekly Good News Newsletter, get the best of The Week delivered directly to your inbox.
From our morning news briefing to a weekly Good News Newsletter, get the best of The Week delivered directly to your inbox.
-
August 16 editorial cartoonsCartoons Saturday’s political cartoons include football season anticipation, and Donald Trump angling for Putin's autograph
-
5 hilariously cold cartoons about the Alaska summitCartoons Artists take on the Alaskan totem pole, a peace flag, and more
-
Sudoku medium: August 16, 2025The Week's daily medium sudoku puzzle
-
Trump to host Kennedy Honors for Kiss, StalloneSpeed Read Actor Sylvester Stallone and the glam-rock band Kiss were among those named as this year's inductees
-
White House seeks to bend Smithsonian to Trump's viewSpeed Read The Smithsonian Institution's 21 museums are under review to ensure their content aligns with the president's interpretation of American history
-
Charlamagne Tha God irks Trump with Epstein talkSpeed Read The radio host said the Jeffrey Epstein scandal could help 'traditional conservatives' take back the Republican Party
-
CBS cancels Colbert's 'Late Show'Speed Read 'The Late Show with Stephen Colbert' is ending next year
-
Shakespeare not an absent spouse, study proposesspeed read A letter fragment suggests that the Shakespeares lived together all along, says scholar Matthew Steggle
-
New Mexico to investigate death of Gene Hackman, wifespeed read The Oscar-winning actor and his wife Betsy Arakawa were found dead in their home with no signs of foul play
-
Giant schnauzer wins top prize at Westminster showSpeed Read Monty won best in show at the 149th Westminster Kennel Club dog show
-
Beyoncé, Kendrick Lamar take top GrammysSpeed Read Beyoncé took home album of the year for 'Cowboy Carter' and Kendrick Lamar's diss track 'Not Like Us' won five awards
