Title: DeProgram Show with Ted Ra
Show: DeProgram Show with Ted Rall and Jamarl Thomas
Date: 2025-08-29
URL: https://youtu.be/VQUnDT0pLTk
Duration: 63:00

---

[00:02] Hey everybody, thanks for joining us. I don't know why Ted's silent all of a sudden. >> Oh, there we go. I was on the delay. Go ahead, John. >> No, I was just saying hi to everyone. You know, we we uh get ready for these uh these podcasts in the same way every day. God bless Ted because he does most of the work and I just uh show up at at 5 and and we have a nice conversation. But there was so much news again today, just like last Friday.

[00:32] I thought, well, you know, I'm going to try to get on top of it. I was actually busy today. Did a couple of other podcasts and I haven't been able to catch up on the news the last couple of hours until Ted sent me the text of what he wanted to talk about. It's like, oh my god, how did I miss all this news in the last two hours? >> It's It's never a dull moment. Ever. Ever. >> Outrageous. ridiculous. >> Where should where should we be? Where should we start? I mean, I'm kind of thinking a lot about the uh visa denials.

[01:03] >> Yeah. >> For uh Makmoud Abbas and so on. >> Yeah. I think Donald Trump was very angry today and I think that the afternoon's news is showing that not only did the White House State Department order that visas be denied the to the Palestinian delegation to the United Nations, not despite the fact that Palestine is going to be recognized by a host of Western countries, but probably because

[01:34] Palestine is going to be recognized by a host of western countries. Now, historically, the um the United States has approved everybody's visas, right? I mean, every year the president of Iran comes or at least the foreign minister of Iran. Uh Muamar Gaddafi used to come every year for the general assembly. Fidel Castro used to come for the general assembly. The leaders of the Soviet Union used to come every year. >> Yes, they did. But now all of a sudden

[02:06] we don't want Palestinians in our country, especially Palestinian leaders to whom we donate millions of dollars to keep them going administratively. >> I mean, it must be a little confusing, right? I mean, these aren't these aren't Hamas officials. These this is the Palestinian Authority, Makmoud Abbas. Um, they're, as you said, John, we support them. We finance them. We prop them up. Um, and we recogn, you know, we we get along with them. These are the people who we call them and they call us. And the Palestinian Authority kind

[02:38] of is like a Vichy organization as far as the Palestinians are concerned. They cooperate with the IDF and with the Israelis on everything. They let they tell the Israelis, "Hey, there's uh, you know, some radicals here. Come and get them." >> Yes. Yes. Exactly. Listen, whether we think the Palestinian Authority is corrupt or not, it's corrupt. We all >> sure. >> But they're the guys that we deal with. They're the guys that our diplomats in Jerusalem deal with every single day, but now all of a sudden they're not

[03:08] permitted to come to the uh to the United Nations. It it makes zero sense to me other than to be just provocative, provocatively anti-Palestinian. >> Well, it sounds like to me like this was just a uh a soop to the Israelis, right? Like agree. >> The Israelis said like um you know, they're they're they're plotting and scheming here. Um they knew that the UN General Assembly obviously it's been scheduled for many well it's every year every year and so they knew it was coming and uh they decided okay we're

[03:40] just gonna we're just going to be dicks right I mean basically >> and Ted you know when when the United Nations was created in the 1940s the deal was the deal that the United States made with the rest of the world is that everybody was free to come to the United Nations >> right >> right there are North Korean diplomats in New York >> who are assigned to the United Nations. >> Right. >> Right. Everybody's welcome because everybody's represented. It's the world body. It's where we're supposed to go to

[10:24] repudiate the October 7th Hamas raid. I like to call it a raid because it's really a raid. Um you know, is that true? I'm not sure they have. I thought they did say something about it at the time. >> I they I think they did. >> So, you know, the the Hamas attack set back the Palestinian cause in the United States by years, >> right? >> Right. And has resulted in the deaths of I think well over a 100,000 people

[10:56] >> easily. Easily. >> And I honestly I just don't understand. I don't see what it is that the United States is trying to accomplish by this move or that Israel thinks it's accomplishing by encouraging the United States to to take this move. >> It doesn't sense to me. >> Well, not to mention if there's any future I mean, look, if there's going to be a Palestinian partner, it's going to be the Palestinian Authority. I mean, I don't think it ought to be, but that's from their point of view, that's that's

[11:27] who they're going to choose. Um, so I I agree with you. Um, firmware, thank you very much for the donation. Uh, is wondering what will happen with Israeli Israel defenders when Israel ceases to exist as a Jewish state. Seems to me karma will make this inevitable. >> Yeah, >> I kind of agree with that and I think we're going to probably live to see it, John. I a big statement, but I think they're so they're closing in so quickly on pariah status. You know, yesterday there was yesterday morning there was a

[11:58] really blink and you miss it piece on NPR uh talking about uh the difference in the way that Israeli media covers Gaza or doesn't cover Gaza and the way that all other international media does and how the Israelis are completely isolated. They have no idea really what's going what their people are doing in Gaza because it's not covered and a lot of them don't speak other languages. So even if they decided to tune in to Al Jazera or they wanted to tune in to uh you know CNN International or BC BBC,

[12:31] they wouldn't be able to uh they wouldn't. So they're get all they hear about is you know we're sending in tons of food. The Hamas is stealing it. Um we do everything we can to avoid civilian casualties. Um you know the rest of the world is lying about us. But they're getting so much spin that they don't really have any ability to like suddenly they think the whole world is turning on them just because they're a bunch of like [ __ ] anti-semites and that's not what's going on.

[13:01] >> I think that's exactly right. I have to agree with with Rid that I'm not sure that that is going to happen. I'm not saying when that. >> I'm not sure either. But but I do agree that Israel is in many ways already a pariah state. I think it will worsen its own situation >> and it's going to be tougher and tougher and tougher for Israel to carry on international diplomacy because they're going to be countries formerly friendly countries or ne neutral countries that

[13:32] are not going to want to have anything to do with it. >> Yeah. And and no one's going to want to do business with them either. >> No way. Um, and yeah, it's just that's just going to get worse and worse. Their economy is going to be in real trouble. >> And uh, yeah, I I don't see them coming back from this. U at some point, look, we need a one-stage solution. We need a republic, a democratic republic of Palestine, from the river to the sea where no expulsions, but everybody lives. Everybody gets one person, one vote. >> That's what needs to happen. And uh you

[14:04] know ethnostates are a 20th century construct. They don't have any place in the modern era. >> Yeah, I have to agree. >> So >> I have to agree. Yep. >> Yeah. So I guess the thing is this is going to have no real practical effect. And and you know I got to say the other thing is um when you're playing to to international public opinion as Israel and everybody is trying to do, you have to come off as you're reasonable. >> Yes. Right. And like the Israelis don't come off

[14:35] that way. >> You know, you know who said that the Israelis weren't reasonable? >> Jimmy Carter said that >> when they were negotiating um the Camp David Accords, he said the thing about the Israelis, he said it in in his the first memoir after his presidency ended. He said the Israelis will come into negotiations with their bottom line. They they lead with their bottom line and then they won't budge from it. >> So what's what's the point of a negotiation? >> Yeah. If you're not going to budge, >> there's nothing right. No, exactly. >> There's nothing to say.

[15:06] >> And then take it or leave it. That's it. >> Yeah. They can't live with They just can't live with it. Um >> Yeah. Uh question. Uh thanks Tariq for the donation. Primo Lutu. Uh reference to Louis the 14th. >> Um yeah, I don't know. I think honestly um he's already got Luj right now. You know, BB Netanyahu has led. He is the Zalinski of Israel. He has led he's the Hitler of Israel in that he has led his country to disaster. Um he has um he

[15:39] is I mean this is a country that uh could have survived this um and you know just think if he had par if they had parlayed uh you know they they rightly called October 7th uh their 9/11 and it was and imagine if after 911 the the world the US had you know considered it a police action and said you know and said we want to we want to try the we want to capture these guys put them on trial at the Hague because it wasn't just a crime against New York or Washington or Shanksville, Pennsylvania.

[16:10] It's a crime against the world. These are terrorists. Al Qaeda has attacked East Africa, Kenya and Tanzania and other countries. We want to drag them, put them on trial next, you know, same way we did with Malloik. Put them there. Um and then, you know, basically then came out to the world and said, >> "We're look, if we did something wrong in our foreign policy, we want to hear about it." >> Yeah. >> You know, we would have come off as really reasonable. That's what Israel should have. They should have learned from us. They should have said after October 7th like

[16:42] >> this is a you know this is a police situation. Everybody committed crimes we want to put on trial fair trial >> and treat it that way. >> They would have they would have had sympathy. >> But the Israelis have never operated that way. Never. I mean look at look at Munich in 72. It took them 20 years, 30 years, 30 years to send teams of assassins all around the world to shoot and kill every single one of the Palestinians that um that participated

[17:12] in the attack on the Israeli Olympic team in in uh Germany. They killed innocent people, >> right? By accident. They by accident they killed innocent people. I guess it was an accident, but it wasn't about justice. It was about vengeance. It's the same mistake that the CIA made after 911 where it wasn't about bringing people to justice. It was about getting revenge on the people who had embarrassed the CIA because 9/11 was such a great intelligence failure.

[17:43] >> I also think it's a it's a Reichto fire thing, right? Like um you know people always think the Reichto fire was staged by the Nazis. It wasn't. It was organically what a Dutch anarchist. Um but the it was an opportunity by you know factions within the government like hey we can use this for a crackdown. >> Yeah. >> I mean but the Israelis knew October 7th was going to happen in exquisite detail. I mean they let it happen because they wanted to use this as an excuse to get to grab

[24:30] must have. >> It's It's heinous. >> It is. >> Um All right. Well, let's talk about since we're talking about foreign policy. >> Trump has maybe you know more about this than I do. Um I thought this was pretty obscure, but the White House uh is invoking something called a pocket recision. They're cancelling uh nearly $5 billion in congressionally approved foreign aid. They're going after the State Department and USAD. Although USA ID effectively doesn't exist anymore,

[25:01] >> so I guess that's sort of redundant. Uh anyway, the last time this was done is in 1977. Uh they're taking advantage of the fact that the fiscal year ends in uh just over 30 days, but there's only there's a 45day review period. So basically, Congress doesn't have enough time to uh to exercise their prerogatives to uh to to uh you know to de basically So this money's already been appropriated. >> Yep. >> Trump's deappropriating it basically under the noses of Congress. Congress is

[25:33] jealous of their prerogatives when it comes to the matters of the purse. Senate Appropriations Chairperson Susan Collins is is pissed. Uh although you know since when has she ever done anything about being fisk um but anyway she might as well be a Democrat in that respect. U >> anyway she says it's illegal under something called the empoundment control act. Uh Democrats say it's another Trump power grab. >> Yeah. It was my it was my impression that this was illegal. This was

[26:03] something that that was done in 1977. It was tried again in 1993. Republicans sued. It went to the Supreme Court and the Supreme Court said, "No, you can't do that." So Trump's doing it again. Anyway, now the reason he may get away with it this time is that >> he's running out the clock. Yeah, >> exactly. Yeah, he's running out the clock. >> Do we care? >> Should we Should we care? I mean, a lot

[26:34] of people look at foreign aid and think that's money that we need here at home. >> I'm glad you said that. I'm glad you said that. I interviewed for my other podcast. I interviewed John Perkins today. He he's he wrote um a book called Confessions of an Economic Hitman. Wildly popular the third one. And I asked him about this and um and he said that this is o of all of the the Trump shortsighted policies, this one is the most shortsighted because foreign aid is

[27:07] not just handing bags of cash to foreign leaders. Foreign aid is sending teams or paying to send teams to, you know, dig water wells or build a school or teach new farming techniques or, you know, building an electrical grid or whatever. A lot of it lately has has been associated with the development of green energy, installing windmills, for example, or solar panels. And now we're

[27:39] not going to do that. at all anywhere. This is what this is what wonks call soft power. >> Soft power. But the Chinese are going to do it and the Chinese are doing it >> ma in massive amounts. I mean it's always seemed to be like US foreign US soft power as I've seen it has always seemed small and lame, right? Like I remember walking around in uh in Central Asia seeing like cans of rape seed oil. Yeah. >> That the US had donated. And I was like, so at the same in the same exact place

[28:11] where the Chinese were building a highway and the chi and the and and the and the highway says has a giant Chinese flag, gifts from your brothers and the people's republic of China. Uh and then meanwhile we're giving them the rape seed oil. I'm like, >> uh, you know, it's it's pretty lame. >> Not a lot. You're not gonna you're not going to even you're not gonna be able to buy any hearts and minds. You can't even rent hearts and minds with rape seed oil. >> No, you can't. I'm sorry to change the subject real quick, but Bob Oz is saying that Dmitri Lascatis is being held for

[28:44] questioning today by the CRI police on the request of Israel. >> So, who's who's Dimmitri Lascaris? >> What the [ __ ] Dimmitri is a um he's a a journalist, a blogger, a thinker on these on these issues. Let me see if he has an actual title. I've met him a couple times. Here he is. A lawyer. He does all different kinds of things. He's he's frequently on um on um

[29:17] Twitter or whatever we're calling Twitter now. >> Ex. >> Yeah. Ex uh journalist. He he just calls himself journalist and lawyer. Uh very serious guy, activist. um Canadian citizen I think uh yeah University of Toronto Faculty of Law um detaining him would be extraordinarily provocative and at the at the request of the Israelis. See this is this is a problem that the Criates and the Greeks have with the Israelis. The Greeks have

[29:48] completely gotten into bed with the Israelis and so have the Criates because they share that giant gas field and they don't want the Turks to take it. And because the Israelis are involved, that's the only reason the Turks haven't taken it. And so in exchange, the Israelis want the Greeks and the Criates to do their bidding. And they are. So now the Israelis say, "Oh, grab this Greek Canadian guy. We don't like what's coming out of his mouth." The Criates actually do it. Sickening. I'm sorry to hear that. That is really bad. Really bad.

[30:20] >> So, all right. We'll we'll follow up. That's obviously a breaking news thing that I'm very unfamiliar with. Um Yeah. I don't understand exactly why uh why why the uh Israelis still have are still getting their calls returned at all. >> Um Nadia Margaret is over on the uh on the on the rumble on the Rumble chat is saying that he brought lawsuits against Israeli lobbies in Canada. >> There you go. That is it. That will do it.

[30:50] >> The make his life as uncomfortable as they can until he walks away. Wow. Wow. Boy, that makes me angry. >> Well, so speaking of let's get into uh our riffing off our first story. Uh that this struck me as pettiness, but it's a little complicated. So, or I should say not really complicated, but there's some nuance to it. So, Trump uh cut off Kla Harris's Secret Service protection. >> Yeah. So mean-spirited. Oh,

[31:20] >> now my that was my first reaction. And I remember just thinking like if I were advising the president, I would say you don't want something to happen to her after you do this. Nope. >> I mean, if something happens to her, that's going to be on you and it's going to destroy you. I mean, you know, so >> it's like when Biden wouldn't approve Secret Service protection to Bobby Kennedy Jr. >> and then, you know, twice people got >> Kennedy for K's sake.

[31:52] >> Yeah. Yeah. >> And then a guy, an armed guy got into the same ballroom that he was in in Los Angeles and then two weeks later somebody went over the fence at his uh at his house in Santa Monica. So yeah, you don't want to to take away Secret Service protection and then have something happen. It's a bad look. Now, on the other hand, um the standard um so so apparently uh it expired July 21st um and there had been an undisclosed

[32:23] 18-month extension that Joe Biden had already provided. >> Yes. >> So Biden extension. >> So this will Yes. So this will so basically she would have not had it anyway. It's like so the question is should it have been extended? Should the Biden extension have been allowed to remain in place? I mean, I feel like honestly I'm surprised it's so short. I mean, seems to me like, >> yeah, >> you should be I mean, I think if you were a major candidate for for president

[32:54] and you want you want it, you should be able to have it for the rest of your life. >> I mean, does anybody really want to kill Dan Quail? >> Um, >> probably not. But and and he probably doesn't want that that level of security, right? >> You know, I I think I've told you when George McGovern um announced his candidacy for president in 1984, I introduced him. It was the proudest day

[33:24] of my life as a as a college student to have the former Democratic nominee for president of the United States call me as the as the head of the college Democrats at George Washington University and say, "I want to announce my candidacy. Can you set it up for me?" I was like, "Oh my god." And then I started volunteering at the at the McGovern campaign. Well, just after he announced, I remember on ABC News, they showed clips of him from 1972 speaking to crowds of, you know, 40,000,

[33:58] 50,000 people at a time in stadiums, being mobbed at airports, people wanting to take pictures with him and get his autograph. And then they showed him in 1984 walking through Reagan National Airport. It was it was National Airport at the time and not a single person recognized him. >> That's crazy. >> Not a single person. >> Um >> so no, I don't think I don't think we should give it to them for life. Um but but six months >> seems short. >> Yeah. Six months after a contentious

[34:30] election where she was the first black woman ever to be nominated for president, >> right? >> Yeah. You might want to make it longer than six months. It just seems mean-spirited to me to to >> and again because she already had it for 18 months, it's kind of like taking it away. It's like putting a target on her back. Um >> yeah, it is. And and I want to thank Matthew Blair Reigns. I'm sorry. Before you go to an ad, uh thank you very much for the five pounds. Is Trump a true aberration in US history? So far, I

[35:01] think yes, this is an aberration. But with that said, populism is attractive to a lot of people. In this case, right-wing populism. Um, there's nobody out there right now as popular as Donald Trump is. That could change in the next couple of years. I think it probably won't, which would mean then that he was an aberration. But I think the juryy's still out. What do you think, Ted? >> Well, I mean, I think generally you're right, certainly in the modern era. But

[35:32] I do, you know, you know who his favorite president is? Andrew Jackson. >> Andrew Jackson. >> And you know this Andrew Jackson was a nut. >> He was killer. >> Yeah, he was. He was a wild man. I mean, I don't even know where to start with that guy, but he liked to he loved to duel, which was frowned upon at the time. And he he liked to [ __ ] other guys wives and then and then and then mix it up with them, you know, on the d while dueling. He remember his inauguration. He invited the people into the White

[36:04] House to party and all of his all of his supporters were a bunch of Repscallions. They trashed the place. They stole the the the plates. Uh the place, you know, it had to be renovated after they were done. >> It's embarrassing. >> He not to mention Oh, and he tanked the economy like like crazy. >> In fact, there was a depression that he oversaw. It was so bad that m that literally the government couldn't afford to to mint coins anymore. People had to

[36:35] create their own fake coins in order to circulate. It's called they're called hard times tokens. They're highly collectible. >> They're very collectible and >> and they're very cool and interesting. Um let me read this ad. Uh okay. Set your clocks, mark your calendars, and buckle up for the best NFL prime town prime time football action starting September 4th on Westwood 1. You can catch all the bone crushing hits, last second heroics, and edgeofyour seat action that NFL Thursday, Sunday, and Monday nights have to offer. Whether you're tailgating, driving, or chilling at home. Don't miss a single snap.

[37:07] Listen on the NFL app, the Westwood One Sports app at westwoodsports.com. Or just say, "Alexa, open Westwood Sports." If it's the NFL, it's on Westwood One. So, yeah. No, Andrew Jackson. Oh, Florida. You know, I love that story. >> Florida. Oh my god. under the doctrine that it's easier to uh it's easier to beg forgiveness than to get permission. Um he basically was like told by Congress didn't want to pick a war with span with Spain which owned the what was then called the Florida and and but but

[37:40] Andrew Jackson as a general wanted it. So he's like [ __ ] it. So he disobeyed Congress went in overthrew the Spaniards and took and and defeated them. Right? >> Congress is pissed. They call him on the carpet. Get your ass to Washington for a hearing. His defense is listen, they the Spanish couldn't defend it and another foreign power like say the Brits could have come there, toppled the Spanish because they had a a very poor force and

[38:10] then we would have been [ __ ] Well, and I can prove that because I defeated the Spanish. Therefore, if I could defeat the Spanish, anyone could defeat the Spanish. I proved my point. You're welcome. And now Florida's a state. >> It's so American. It's beautifully American. >> So, I mean, I don't know. Is that I mean, is Trump worse than Andrew Jackson? I think he's kind of like in the same vein. >> Yeah. I think he's in the same vein. He'll do something and then just say,

[38:42] "What are you going to do about it? Sue me." >> Yeah. You and what army? >> Yeah. Exactly. Exactly. >> Um nuts. So, by the way, um she's about to Kamla is about to go on book tour. Uh and Governor Gavin Newsome and LA Mayor Karen Bass, who can't keep her own city safe, uh but she's pledging that local law enforcement will provide security at her events. >> Yeah, I'm sure that that's true.

[39:12] >> Yeah, I'm sure that that And this is the other thing, too. They were talking about it on the morning shows today. She's just now coming out with a ghostritten uh autobiography. And so she's just ready to start the book tour. So she's going to be out there in public constantly over the next, say, four weeks. He He did this on purpose. >> So this is just about It's just about [ __ ] with her. >> Yeah. Yeah. >> A troll.

[39:42] >> Absolutely. Uh on purpose. Yes. It's a It's a major troll. You're right. >> That's what he is. >> Yeah. Oh, yeah. >> That's And that's And that's what this um that's what this Palestinian thing is, too. It's basically like, "Oh, the Palestinians are going to have their parade. >> I'm going to rain on their parade." That's all it is. >> But you know what, Ted? I think this makes us weaker >> as as a country. It makes us weaker. There are a lot of Palestinians in the United States, especially in in Michigan

[40:13] and New Jersey and New York. Um, if, as I said earlier, if we want to appear to be the honest broker, which we're not, but we like to appear that we are, this is exactly the opposite of what he should be doing. And it's like he just did it in a fit of peak without uh thinking it through. It doesn't make any sense to me. >> John, question for you from Two Toes on YouTube. Uh, did you see Bamante's recent interview on Diary of a CEO? It was detailing his new book that's about a mission he did to hunt out a mole

[40:45] within the CIA. I'm just not how sure how much I buy of it. He says, >> "No, I didn't see it." Funny that he was on Diary of a CEO. They just invited me yesterday to come on Diary of a CEO. Um, listen, Bamante is a nice enough guy, but Bamante was what was called a sue, a special operations officer. He was not a case officer. He was certainly not a

[41:17] mole hunter. Right? There's a unit at the CIA that's within the counterintelligence center. They are the mole hunters and they work handinand glove with the FBI's National Security Division. What a special operations officer does quite literally is when John is preparing to meet with a sensitive source, I'll say, "Hey, Andrew, put together a counter surveillance team for me and provide protection tonight when I go out from my meeting." or when I come back from the

[41:48] meeting, hey Andrew, I have a lot of stuff to write up, so do me a favor and do my paperwork for me for for finance because I'm too busy. So, here are my receipts. That's what a special operations officer does. He's not a mole hunter. He's not a case officer. He's not recruiting spies to steal secrets. He's not a targeting officer trying to find Osama bin Laden. He's an assistant. Sorry, I have to be so He's a gopher. >> Oh my god. Now I'm gonna go I'm gonna

[42:19] have to go back and find that because I I want to see it. That's That's too much. Oh my god. >> Uh no. And answering S347. I didn't hear anything about what Al Sharpton had to say about the National Guard in Chicago, Memphis, and Minneapolis. But I'd like to hear >> I'd like to hear it. I have special disdain for Al Sharpton. special disdain. Sorry, but I'm still mad about the whole Toana Broly thing. Google

[42:51] >> if you don't know it. One of the guys that whose life he ruined was a Greek American. >> He was a state trooper, wasn't he? >> That's right. He was a state trooper of New York State Police, Tana Broly, who so took it on the chin for her lies that she had to change her name and move to Washington. Sickening. >> Yeah. You know that that was a uh that was a a very very sorted affair and uh >> sure was. >> I mean I guess in America everyone can rein uh can reinvent themselves. Tariq

[43:22] wants to know is there stolen valor in the agency? >> You know I um yes there is. I've tried not to use that term because I'm trying not to call him out so directly, but uh yeah. >> Yes. >> Just yeah. >> Yeah. >> Just Yeah. Sometimes just yeah is enough. >> Oh, listen. Let me add one thing, >> please. >> I I love Julian Dory, the podcaster.

[43:53] I've been on his podcast a couple times. He is an absolutely outstanding interviewer. Um he and Buspante are friends. And Julian texted me. This is about two months ago. He said, "Hey, don't tell anybody, but I'm gonna be waterboarded on camera so people can see what actual waterboarding is." I'm like, "Oh, >> that's like that's like what uh Christopher Hitchens did." >> Yes, it's exactly what Christopher Hitchens did. I said, "Cool." I said, "It's it's awful. We waterboarded each other in in training and it's terrible." So he sends me the video um before he

[44:24] released it and it's Bamante waterboarding him, but rather than you know laying on a board strapped to a board with cloth in your mouth and having the water poured on your face, he's sitting on a bench with his head down like that and Bamante's pouring water on his head. >> Well, that's that's like the service you get in the Turkish baths. >> Exactly. You pay good money for that. >> I pay money for that. And maybe you get a little massage on top of it. >> Sure. Shampoo.

[44:55] >> Yeah. But come on, man. I This guy. >> Yeah. Yeah. Abby Mari, he wants to be an influencer so bad. Isn't that the truth? Oh my god. >> If I ever become president, I promise to ban the word influencer. And all people who are influencers or purport to be influencers, I'll put it in the constitution. Pedro, Pedro Luis Taff, I'm I'm glad somebody raised this because frankly I forgot. Um, what about the news about Tulsi Gabbard and the CIA name? Did we talk about this yesterday?

[45:27] >> No, we didn't. >> Oh, well, last week when Tulsi Gabbard fired 37 CIA Russia analysts. >> Um, she she went on Twitter and said, "I fired these 37 people." >> Oh, right, right. We did talk about this. >> Yeah. >> Yeah. Well, not her name. She burned. Yeah, she burned an agent. >> She burned a woman who's undercover. >> Well, that's a violation of the Intelligence Identities Protection Act of 1982. And I was the second person in American

[45:58] history um charged with violating the Intelligence Identities Protection Act of 1982. So, what do you do? I mean, Tulsi is not going to be charged with a crime, let alone a felony. Um, >> no, she won't say. No, it's it's it's No, it's it's it's got to drive you completely insane. It would me. Uh, no doubt about it. Uh, by the way, Lurley says Hitchens gets some credit. He changed his tune after going through it.

[46:28] Yeah, that's right. I watched the video. It's on It's still on YouTube. Um, you basically, you know, Hitch was a, you know, he he he pissed me off so bad because he seemed like a good lefty and then went crazy after 911 and basically went full spectrum, you know, is Islamopascism. He popularized the term and all. >> You remember that term? And it didn't catch on. >> It's so nonsensical. It is. But anyway, he uh but then he was just like, you know, we have to kind of like Bill Maher. All these people kind of like went crazy and uh he was like

[47:01] talking about ah you torture, what's the big deal about waterboarding? So just so he agreed to undergo the procedure uh and just to see what it was like. Not only did he he find it extremely upsetting, but he had PTSD as a result of it the rest of his life. >> Um, he had he required psychological treatment. Uh, and he never stopped evangelizing against here. He reminds me of a of a guy who Anyway, I know a guy

[47:32] who like was used to be far right, then he went became far left and then he became far right again. It's just like, dude, you got to just relax. He claimed to have been actually either CIA or something, but I I don't you know, he he claimed to be a wet ops guy going back to the Congo War. >> No, no, no. Nobody in the CIA would ever ever speak those word wet ops or black ops. Those are straight out of the movies. That's that's one of the ways that I can I can sort of nail people who

[48:03] are phonies. I always I always suspected, but you know, >> wet ops, black ops, and the company >> all from books >> and and and bad Hollywood movies. Yes. >> Um, Adam Fighter wants to know, we're big leftists. You you guys are big leftists. Have you heard of Hassan Piper? >> No, I haven't. >> Not me, but you can tell us who who that is. Um,

[48:36] Pedro says, "There seems to be a lot of there seem to be XCIA people trying to be influencers now." Tracy Walder is another famous one. >> Oh, yeah. That's absolutely true. That's ab Hassan [ __ ] is a Turkish American online streamer, YouTuber, influencer, and left-wing political commentator. >> That sounds interesting. I'll check him out. He's young. He's 34. He's 6'4, Ted. So, he's even taller than you are. >> What? That's not fair. No one should be >> His streams typically consist of political and social commentary, gaming,

[49:06] and media consumption. We should have him on the show. >> Sure, why not? Robbie, you're you're listening. Please invite him or just remind me to invite him or whatever. We'll take care of it. Um Oh, yeah. Tariq wants to know this is I'm glad that Tariq brought this up. We got to touch base about naval movements in Venezuela. Things are heating up down there. >> You know, we should talk about that, Ted. That slipped my mind that there there was some disagreement in the media yesterday and today about what exactly

[49:38] the point is. Is the point to frighten the Venezuelans? Is the point to invade Venezuela? >> Um or is this just a dumb way to waste money on naval resources? >> I don't know. >> Question. >> Um it seems I I think it's saber. It's the usual Saber Bradley. I don't think Trump has the appetite to invade Venezuela. >> No. No, I don't either. >> Uh,

[50:09] >> you never have an exit strategy anyway. It's easy to invade a country. It is crazy difficult to occupy it and and pull out. >> Yeah. Yeah. It's it's true. Um, and you know, and the Venezuelans are very nationalistic. Uh, they might hate each other, but they would hate an invasion force more. kind of like the Afghans, I think. Um, do you think the two-party system is poisonous in today's America? Swerzy wants to know.

[50:40] >> Uh, I'm responding real quickly to apparently Hassan [ __ ] doesn't like me. So, I'll >> Well, then we don't like Hassan [ __ ] >> I was nephew. You know, his mother. I just looked. Thank you for the insanely amazingly generous >> $200 donation. Thank you so much. >> Thank you. >> Minus a penny, >> but I won't I won't quibble about the penny. No, seriously. Thank you so so so so much. Um

[51:11] >> really appreciate that. >> Yeah. >> So So Hassan Piker's mother mother's maiden name is Waguer and I wondered if he was related to Chen Wager. Michael Gardner's telling us that he's Czech Wigger's nephew. It's funny. Cheng Waguer has never really been a friend of mine either. >> Yeah. >> When I The first time I ever like I ever did anything that got the second thing I ever did that got wide press coverage after blowing the whistle. Um it was my

[51:43] it was my open letter to uh to my supporters from prison that became my first letter from Lorettto. And um people just went crazy over it. I mean, that's when that's when um uh Oh my god, what's the matter with me? came from CNN that we interviewed. Um Ted, >> who who did we interview from CNN? >> Oh, uh Jake Tapper. >> Jake Tapper. Thanks. That's when Jake Tapper came to uh to the prison to interview me. Uh

[52:15] the the the response was universally positive and interested except for Chank Wiger. Chen Weaguer just for 30 minutes just ripped me. >> And I never understood that because back then, you know, I I probably agreed on 95% of the issues with Chen Weaguer. Like, why is he attacking me like this? But it's just as >> I I've never been able to draw a bead on on Chen Weaguer. I mean, I wanted to I I kind of felt like I should have been friends with him. He's one of those

[52:46] guys. It's like an unrequited bromance where you're sort of like you reach out, you're like, "We should be buds. We agree about a lot of stuff and then, you know, they never call, they never write, and then like they never and you know, I noticed his uh deafening silence during while everyone else was talking about the LA Times. I couldn't help but notice his deafening silence." Um, so >> yeah. >> Yes. >> I don't know. I don't I I honestly don't even get him like what he what he wants, you know, what he's about, what he's

[53:17] trying to do. >> I don't get it either. I don't understand. I don't understand. And I'll tell you, he doesn't have very many friends on the left. He He's very good at u at pissing people off. Uh Nadia Margaret, thank you. >> Thank you. >> Yes. And uh also um let's see here. Uh, we've got like a Did Oh, Frameataz wants to know, "Did we hear that the US is evacuating bases in Iraq?"

[53:48] >> Yes. >> And Russia has yanked its diplomats from Tel Aviv. >> Tel Aviv. That's That's true. Um, I heard it first from Doug McGregor and then I heard it today from an Iranian friend of mine. >> What's the Russia thing about? He was my friend was speculating that it was a coincidence and I was like I don't know man you know we're not privy to these classified communications >> and there may be something out there that just hasn't leaked to the press and

[54:19] it it could be if if we're to believe parsy and I actually do believe parsy that another Israeli attack on Iran is coming. You know I heard something today that was very interesting. I heard it this the second time I heard it. So I don't know if it's circular reporting if there's something to it that Trump actually did not want to attack Iran, but Netanyahu told him that the threat really was existential and that the Israelis were going to use a nuclear weapon, a tactical nuclear weapon. And

[54:49] then Trump stepped in and said, "All right, we'll use the 30,000 pound bomb. You keep your nukes to yourself and that's why we bombed." If true, that's absolutely insane. >> I I thought so too. But this people are arguing now is kind of an extension of that where the Israelis are saying the threat is still existential. It's still out there. We haven't overthrown the Iranian regime. We have to attack again. And so the Russians are

[55:20] saying, "Okay, we're out of here." And then the Americans are saying, "We're going to shut down these bases. We don't really need them anyway, and we want to get our people out of the region." I don't know. I'm speculating. I have no idea if that's true. >> One last topic and plus whatever people in the chat. I mean, it is Friday, so uh you know, but we always answer all the questions. Um I love I wanted to throw this one at you because I thought it was cool. University of Burn um has a new study out where basically they found they have a theory for how life

[55:51] developed on Earth. Um apparently up until 4 billion years ago uh the earth the proto earth was just a dry rock incapable of supporting life. Then uh another protolanet about the size of Mars now they call it thea uh ran smashed into the earth and it delivered hydrogen, carbon and sulfur from outside of the solar system. Um they're analyzing uh meteorite isotopes and

[56:22] manganese to chromium decay timelines from the first 15 million years of earth's formation, right? Like the universe is about 17.6 uh uh billion years old or something like that. So this is a this is a a drop in the bucket, right? But basically they they find that there's there's a strong case that all of these stuff that the stuff that's in the earth would never have been here if not for this sort of cataclysmic you know catastrophe

[56:53] >> um at at one point in our in our uh you know astronomical history. I don't know. I think it's really cool. I think astrophysics is really cool. You know, I I missed this whole story until you sent it uh to me, and I thought it was absolutely fascinating. >> I mean, these guys know so much more than we do. And the way they lay out the argument, it's it's entirely plausible. >> Fascinating. And like you know I mean and so basically it's like you know uh it does sort of to me suggest the possibility of life on in other parts of

[57:25] the universe just because if certain things smash into each other and you get water and you get heat life might happen. Right. It's like the lake the bottom of Lake Bal kind of effect. >> Exactly right. Yep. Yep. Fascinating. >> Totally totally cool. Tom asks the right question. Do you guys believe in God? job. >> Yeah, I do. I do. Um I used to never miss a Sunday. Now I'm less reliable, but uh Yeah, sure. I do.

[57:56] >> And I do not. >> Um I'd like to I used to I I grew up Catholic. >> I served mass. Nobody No priests ever didd me. Um I don't know. Maybe I was ugly, but it's like what? It's like I had a friend I had a friend who came we from high school. We got to be friends again like 20 years uh 20 years later he moves to New York, right? And we're hanging out drinking and he comes out to me and he goes, "Oh, by the way, you should just

[58:26] know like you know I'm by and and he goes, "But don't worry, I'm not attracted to you." >> Oh, thanks a lot. >> That's what I said. I said, "What am I, Chopl?" It's like I'm like, "You'll [ __ ] anyone but not me." >> My best friend, my best friend from childhood. We've been friends since we were five and we're in each other's weddings and everything. So, there were five of us that that are all the, you know, close and we're all in each other's weddings. We're all godfather to each other's uh kids. So,

[58:58] another friend of ours said, "Oh, I saw so and so at the grocery store in Pittsburgh, one of our one of my closest friends, and he's holding hands with a guy." >> And I was like, "Oh, okay." So I said to my best friend in the summer, this is the summer of 95. I was just back from Bahrain for RNR and I said, "What do you think about our mutual friend? You think he's gay?" Because if he is, I wish he would just say it so we can say, "Dude, we don't care if you're gay. We still love you. There's no, it makes no

[59:28] difference." And my buddy says to me, I don't know if he's gay, but I sure know I am. And I looked at him like and I said I said >> surprise >> you had sex with half the girls in high school, >> right? >> He said I had sex with half the boys in high school. >> Oh, that's awesome. >> I'm just looking at him. I got And then I said, "Wait a minute. Wait a minute. How many times have we shared a bed over the years? What? I'm not good enough for

[59:59] you." >> Exactly. and he said, "I was never attracted to you." >> What's wrong with me? >> I got the double whammy today. >> That's That's awesome. >> Oh my god. And he and his husband now have been together for 30 Yeah. 31 years. >> I had a I had a friend in a friend high school friend uh who who stole my girlfriend Megan from me. >> And and and so like you know and and so years later uh you know I read about him. He was a a very accomplished

[1:00:31] attorney in uh in in Cincinnati. He worked on the Maple Thor case. Um I read about him in the New York Times. Um and so we got back I was like so I got was really excited to get back in touch with him. I was like congratulations you're doing you know yman's work out there fighting the right-wingers and we're talking and I said and finally I was like you know I got to call you out. Uh you know and I go you're gay now I read in the paper. And he goes, "Yeah." And I go, "But you you stole Megan from me. You stole my girlfriend. You [ __ ] my

[1:01:02] girlfriend." And he goes, "Dude, I did you a favor. Why do you think I'm gay? If you if you stayed with Megan, you'd be gay. I fell on the grenade for you." Oh my god. Hey, but I know I know we're over time and I apologize, but we we have a question and I want to say thank you to uh USC A-Rod 21. Thanks for the for the $10. What do we think about the furer sending people to Chicago? He's a resident and worries for the local police. I'm going to say based on our

[1:01:32] experience in Washington, uh, they're just going to stand around in the tourist areas and do nothing except write tickets for people not wearing a seat belt. >> Yeah. >> Dangerous places. >> My friend Scott Stantis from the Chicago Tribune told me just this morning, he said they're going to stand around on on the Magnificent Mile. >> Exactly. >> Um, and and have pictures taken. That's it. He said he he said like, "Oh, they'd be very welcome in the south side of Chicago. The people would throw flowers at them, but they're not going to go there." >> Nope. Nope. Um, there is breaking news.

[1:02:03] Robbie's reminding us of I just I just saw it. Robbie, is it about uh tariffs? Uh, an appeals court, not a district court, but a federal appellet court has just ruled Donald Trump's tariffs unconstitutional. I don't know how that can be. I'm not a lawyer, but maybe >> that's bizarre. >> What you will of that? I thought so, too. >> Yeah. >> All right. Well, we'll see what happens there. >> Yeah. >> Okay. So, uh, by the way, I just want to

[1:02:36] point out in the chats here, um, Furer was misspelled and we're talking F, we were talking Fur O R, not the former chancellor of Germany. But anyway, all right, guys. Thank you so much. We could do this all night long, but you guys have lives, but we might have lives, I guess. Um, thank you so much. Please like, follow, and share the show. Thank you for your generous donations, especially that one. Oh my god, that was amazing. Um, we will be back. Uh, well, no, we're taking Monday

[1:03:07] is a holiday, right? >> Holiday. >> Yeah, we take we take we take here on the drogram show, we take federal holidays off. So we will be back on Tuesday uh which at 5:00 p p.m. Eastern time Tuesday, Wednesday, Thursday, Friday of next week. We will see you then. Looking forward to it. John, as always a pleasure. >> Take care everyone. Thank you everyone.
