MS NOW host Chris Hayes took aim at President Donald Trump’s “whiplash” rhetoric on the war in Iran, comparing it to the scattershot messaging the president used in his first term during the COVID-19 pandemic.

“He knows his war of aggression is unpopular and getting less popular by the day,” Hayes said during Friday night’s edition of “All In With Chris Hayes.” “So he is throwing anything at the wall to see what sticks.”

“Today, he said we’re winding down the war. Today, he also said we’ve already won the war. He said our allies will help us open the Strait of Hormuz. He said we will help our allies open the Strait of Hormuz. He said we don’t need to open the Strait of Hormuz. He said we never needed help from our allies. He said our allies are cowards. He said NATO is a paper tiger,” he continued.

Hayes then turned his attention to how Trump similarly addressed the country during the height of the COVID-19 pandemic six years ago.

“We saw this in 2020. Remember? We’ve all blocked it out of our memory. It was a rough year. No one wants to think about it,” Hayes said. ”We all did live through 2020, and we saw how he handled COVID. There’s no plan here. Remember? ‘Open schools.’ ‘Close the schools.’ ‘Everyone has to socially distance.’ ‘It will be open by Easter.’”

Hayes then wondered what the next steps in Trump’s Iran war plan are — if there even is a plan.

“So, are we putting boots on the ground in Iran? Are we seizing Kharg Island? Are we reopening the Strait of Hormuz? Are we winding down the war? Who knows? I don’t think Donald Trump even knows,” Hayes said.

Despite posting on social media on Friday that he is considering “winding down our great Military efforts in the Middle East,” Trump and his administration are gearing up to ask Congress for $200 billion in funding for the war, the Washington Post first reported on Wednesday. All this as about 2,500 U.S. Marines aboard three warships are heading to the region, The New York Times reported on Friday.

Watch Hayes’ full Friday night segment here: