Tommy and Ben unpack Trump’s cruel and incoherent travel bans, the administration’s callous stranding of migrants and ICE agents in Djibouti, the return of Kilmar Abrego Garcia to the US and his immediate prosecution, and the revival of the plan to send thousands of migrants to Guantánamo. They also discuss Trump’s upcoming North Korea-style military (and birthday) extravaganza and Trump’s abuse of the military for his personal interests. Also covered: Israel’s interception of Greta Thunberg’s Freedom Flotilla to Gaza and her subsequent deportation, the continuing chaos of Israel’s disastrous humanitarian aid plan for the strip, Israel arming Gazan clans to fight Hamas, and the intra-MAGA war being waged over Trump’s Iran policy. Finally, they take a tour through Tulsi Gabbard’s dark twisted nuclear fantasy. Then, the guys speak with Jacinda Ardern, former Prime Minister of New Zealand, about how Covid changed global politics, working with big tech to reduce radicalization, and the need to hold two truths at once when it comes to Gaza. Her new book is a A Different Kind of Power.

For a closed-captioned version of this episode, click here. For a transcript of this episode, please email transcripts@crooked.com and include the name of the podcast.

Ben and guest co-host Ali Velshi kick off the show with a conversation about how Trump’s policies are accelerating US brain drain, Tulsi Gabbard’s Fox News-style overhaul of the Presidential Daily Brief, and the eyebrow-raising new press secretary at the Pentagon. They also talk about Ukraine’s massive surprise drone strike on Russia and the stalemate between Putin and Zelensky. Additionally, they cover the horrific attack on Jewish demonstrators in Colorado, Israel and America’s disastrous aid distribution operation in Gaza, the expansion of settlements in the West Bank, and the future of the two-state solution. Also discussed: China’s advantages in the trade war, how trade wars can become real wars, and far-right politics in Poland, Portugal, and the Netherlands. Finally, Ali takes a step back to talk about being a journalist covering Trump 2.0. Ali’s show Velshi airs weekends on MSNBC, and his book is Small Acts of Courage: A Legacy of Endurance and the Fight for Democracy.

For a closed-captioned version of this episode, click here. For a transcript of this episode, please email transcripts@crooked.com and include the name of the podcast.

Tommy and Ben are on the Trump corruption beat, including Vietnam’s fast-tracking of a Trump golf project for favorable treatment, the administration pushing Elon Musk’s Starlink on foreign countries, the president’s grotesque dinner for buyers of his memecoin, and Cory Booker’s embarrassing vote for Charles Kushner to be ambassador to France. Additionally, they talk about the reduction of National Security Council staff and how its operations are changing for the worse under Trump and the administration’s hostility to international students. Also discussed: the tragic killing of two Israeli embassy workers in Washington, Israel’s widely denounced new method of distributing aid in Gaza, Putin’s ongoing humiliation of Trump, North Korea’s failed battleship launch, Japan’s rice crisis and how a joke cost a government minister his job, and the crucial role a biscuit tin plays in New Zealand politics. Finally, Tommy speaks with Representative Jim Himes, ranking member of the  House Permanent Select Committee on Intelligence, about the dangers of politicizing intelligence, how the war in Gaza might be fueling terrorism, and more.

For a closed-captioned version of this episode, click here. For a transcript of this episode, please email transcripts@crooked.com and include the name of the podcast.