Ben and guest co-host Ayman Mohyeldin break down the news out of the Munich Security Conference, including Marco Rubio’s condescending speech, why all eyes were on Representative Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez, the grim outlook for Ukraine, and Ben’s sense of the mood on the ground there. They also talk about Israel's slow-motion annexation of the West Bank, the lack of progress on Gaza, and Lindsay Graham’s enthusiasm for future wars fought with Israeli tech. Also covered: what Iran could look like if the current regime falls, and Trump’s responsibility for the dire humanitarian situation in Cuba. Finally, new clues on Kim Jong Un’s succession plan for North Korea and the extremely satisfying downfall of MAGA troll Richard Grenell. You can find Ayman hosting The Weekend: Primetime, which airs Saturdays and Sundays at 6pm ET on MS NOW.

Preorder Ben’s book All We Say: The Battle for American Identity: A History in 15 Speeches and subscribe to his Substack here.

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 discuss the growing calls for British Prime Minister Keir Starmer to resign over Labour’s ties to Jeffrey Epstein, and the comparative lack of political accountability here in the US. They also talk about new details surrounding the whistleblower complaint that was silenced by Director of National Intelligence Tulsi Gabbard, an overwhelming electoral victory for the nationalist party in Japan, a multibillion-dollar arms sale to Taiwan that could jeopardize Trump’s upcoming trip to China, and a penis enlargement scandal taking center stage at the Olympics. Then, Ben speaks to Nilo Tabrizy, an investigative reporter who was just laid off from The Washington Post about the mass cuts to the international desk, and what will be lost without the newspaper’s investment in foreign reporting.

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.

Preorder Ben’s book All We Say: The Battle for American Identity: A History in 15 Speeches and subscribe to his Substack here.

Tommy and Ben break down the expanding web of corruption around President Trump — from a bombshell report revealing the UAE royal family’s stake in the Trump family crypto venture, to the global fallout from the release of the Epstein Files. They also dig into Director of National Intelligence Tulsi Gabbard’s role in “investigating” insane foreign election conspiracies, a mysterious, top-secret whistleblower complaint that Gabbard has kept from Congress, the impact of brutal winter conditions on the war in Ukraine, Egypt’s role in Sudan’s civil war, why Americans should care about a separatist movement in Alberta, Canada, and the last place you’d ever expect to find a World War I artillery shell. Then, Ben speaks with Ali Vaez of the International Crisis Group about what’s unfolding in Iran after the regime’s brutal crackdown.

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.

Preorder Ben’s book All We Say: The Battle for American Identity: A History in 15 Speeches and subscribe to his Substack here.