Tommy and Ben walk through a week of epic failures for the Trump administration, from peace talks with Iran to Viktor Orbán’s historic loss in Hungary.

They break down everything that was wrong with the US-Iran peace talks, like both sides coming in with maximalist positions, Vice President JD Vance walking out in a huff, and the lack of American expertise at the table. Then they unpack what we know about Trump’s risky plan to also blockade the Strait of Hormuz, the growing economic fallout from the war, the heated AI-powered, LEGO-themed propaganda war happening on social media, the attack on free speech in many Gulf countries, including the arrest of American journalist Ahmed Shihab-Eldin, and the latest on Israel’s bombing, invasion, and occupation of Lebanon. Then they cover some rare good news in Viktor Orbán’s stunning defeat after 16 years in power, and what we can learn from Hungarian activists about fighting corrupt autocrats, and discuss what other world leaders can learn from Canadian Prime Minister Mark Carney’s continued electoral success from punching back at Trump. At the end of the show, Ben speaks to Anand Gopal about his new book about Syria, Days of Love and Rage: A Story of Ordinary People Forging a Revolution.

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.

For Friends of the Pod, the guys answer questions about diplomatic approaches to Cuba, and just how frank diplomatic conversations get behind closed doors.

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 try to make sense of a dark and dizzying day in American history, from President Trump's genocidal threat to destroy the 'whole civilization' of Iran, to the announcement of a two-week ceasefire.

They break down what Trump's threats to bomb every power plant and bridge in Iran would actually mean — legally, morally, and for the 92 million Iranians who would be left without power, water, or functioning hospitals. They unpack a new New York Times report on how Trump decided to go to war, including Israeli PM Benjamin Netanyahu's influential role in the push to war, the Mossad's catastrophically wrong assumptions about how Iran would respond, and which Cabinet officials were cut out of the deliberations entirely. They examine the domestic political fallout — including why Trump is getting none of the usual wartime polling boost — as well as Tucker Carlson's stunning break with his old friend over Iran, including Carlson's fear that the escalation ladder could lead Trump to using a nuclear weapon. They also walk through the diplomatic off-ramps that could bring a permanent end to the conflict. Finally, they turn to Hungary, where Viktor Orbán faces the most serious threat to his 16-year grip on power from challenger Péter Magyar, and where JD Vance showed up today to campaign for MAGA's favorite foreign strongman just five days before a potentially historic election.

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.

Ben and guest cohost Alyona Minkovski, PSTW's senior producer, try to make sense of the many contradictions and threats coming from President Trump and his administration on Iran, like reports that he wants to make the Strait of Hormuz everyone else’s problem to solve, and claims that regime change has already happened. Then they juxtapose the incoherence with the very real consequences of the war on people's lives, from American troops being deployed to the Middle East, to the normalization of targeting civilian infrastructure. They also defend spring breakers featured in a Fox News segment, call out Pete Hegseth for personally interfering in the military promotions of women and Black soldiers, ask how the increasingly spotty internet connection in Moscow could affect support for Putin, question the US policy towards Cuba, and do a special reading from former French President Nicolas Sarkozy.

At the end of the show, Ben speaks with Nika Kovač, Slovenian activist and founding director of My Voice My Choice, about private intelligence agency Blackcube’s interference in Slovenia’s election, the outlook for the government following very close results, and what she’s learned from years of opposing authoritarianism.

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. (edited)