Trump Has Allowed Netanyahu to Control Negotiations, and it's hurting Americans

Trump Has Allowed Netanyahu to Control Negotiations, and it's hurting Americans

Memorial Day brings out a lot of scripted lines, but we want to talk about the part that gets avoided: what American wars actually cost, who pays, and how often the public is left holding the bill while elites chase ideology, influence, and profit. We start by looking at the human consequences for service members and veterans, and why so many deployments overseas end with the same problems still on the table, just with more graves and more resentment. Then we shift into the biggest moving story right now: Iran negotiations, the Iran nuclear program, and why the phrase “on the brink of a deal” can be more propaganda than reality. We break down uranium enrichment in plain language, what the Nuclear Non-Proliferation Treaty allows, and why demanding “zero enrichment” is not a technical detail but a deal-killer. We also explain how Lebanon and Hezbollah change the endgame, why escalations in southern Lebanon can function as sabotage, and how the Strait of Hormuz becomes real leverage that reshapes every calculation. We also react to Trump’s messaging, including his push to fold Iran into the Abraham Accords, what those normalization deals have meant in practice, and how they can drive an arms race while adding impossible complexity to already fragile diplomacy. Along the way, we play and respond to clips featuring Cory Booker, plus a debate moment where Mearsheimer and Walt confront Pompeo and Nuland’s talking points, and we close with a quick look at Thomas Massie signaling a possible national run. Subscribe for more, share this with someone who follows US foreign policy, and leave a review with the one question you still have after listening. CHAPTER MARKERS * 0:00 Memorial Day And War Costs * 2:38 Why Iran Talks Look Close * 6:12 Netanyahu Demands Zero Enrichment * 10:18 Lebanon Becomes A Dealbreaker * 14:22 Trump Adds The Abraham Accords * 18:55 Temple Mount Pressure On Jordan * 22:05 Strait Of Hormuz Fee Workaround * 26:02 Israel Escalates Strikes In Lebanon * 28:52 Cory Booker Hits Trump From Right * 32:12 Mearsheimer Walt Versus Pompeo Nuland * 38:18 Thomas Massie Hints At 2028 * 40:05 Wrap Up And Listener Requests Advertising Inquiries: https://redcircle.com/brands [https://redcircle.com/brands] Privacy & Opt-Out: https://redcircle.com/privacy [https://redcircle.com/privacy]

Trump Has Lost in Iran, What Will He Do Next?

Trump says he wants “few people killed,” then talks like bombing Iran is a weekly calendar event. That contradiction is where we start, because the public narrative around the Iran war keeps snapping from all-out threats to last-minute “negotiations” as deadlines magically extend. I walk through why that cycle looks less like strategy and more like a president boxed in by bad options, public messaging, and allies with their own priorities. From there, we get into the part most outlets blur: the difference between political victory laps and what US intelligence and reporting suggest on the ground. If Iran can rebuild its drone program faster than expected and still holds a large share of missile and launcher capacity, then “we crippled them” becomes a dangerous story to believe. We also talk about what Iran likely learned from recent strikes and why modern drone warfare and air defense evolve at a pace that makes simple claims obsolete. Then we widen the lens to the power side of the equation: can Trump actually control Netanyahu, or is Washington being pulled by Israeli pressure through Congress? I connect that to a Washington Post-reported defense strategy that burns through American interceptor stockpiles, and to the Thomas Massie primary loss, where massive spending and media targeting mattered more than most people want to admit. If you want clear Iran war analysis, Strait of Hormuz leverage, uranium enrichment stakes, and the US politics that shape it all, hit play. Subscribe, share the show, and leave a review, what’s the one detail you think the mainstream story keeps avoiding? Chapter Markers 0:00. Open And Today’s Agenda 1:32. Trump Talks “For The Iranian People” 6:50. Military Boasts Versus Leaked Assessments 12:48. Iran’s Red Lines On Any Deal 16:38. Can Trump Actually Control Netanyahu 19:00. US Interceptors Spent Defending Israel 22:20. Massie’s Loss And The Money Machine 29:59. Final Takeaways And Subscribe Request Advertising Inquiries: https://redcircle.com/brands [https://redcircle.com/brands] Privacy & Opt-Out: https://redcircle.com/privacy [https://redcircle.com/privacy]

Prof. Joe Terwilliger on Getting "Loomered" and the Potential for a Deal with North Korea

A professor makes a $500 campaign donation and suddenly gets cast as the “most important man in America” pulling congressional strings. That absurd story is the perfect doorway into what we really care about here: how narratives get manufactured, why propaganda works, and what it’s doing to both domestic politics and foreign policy. We start with science diplomacy and cultural diplomacy, the old-school idea that researchers, students, artists, and athletes can keep human ties alive even when governments can’t stand each other. Joe explains how that cooperative model is being redefined across the West into something closer to state leverage, where technology sharing and academic exchange are treated as tools to punish rivals. We connect that to a broader post-truth media environment, where sound bites beat evidence, repetition beats nuance, and voters can be segmented by where they get their news. Then we move to North Korea and try to replace slogans with incentives. We talk Kim Jong-un’s regime survival logic, the strategic reasons nuclear deterrence persists, and why US policy whiplash makes long-term deals hard to trust. We also dig into North Korea’s tightening relationship with Russia, China’s concern about influence and instability on its border, and how sanctions can push sanctioned states into deeper trade and technology cooperation. Finally, we touch on rare earth minerals and why they could matter in the next phase of Korean Peninsula geopolitics. If you want a clearer framework for understanding science diplomacy, misinformation, and North Korea strategy, listen through and share it with someone who only sees headlines. Subscribe, leave a review, and tell us what you think credible peace and credible reporting should look like. Chapter Markers 0:44. Welcome And Science Diplomacy Shift 6:23. Laura Loomer’s Claim And The Facts 11:11. Did Epstein Come Up With Massey 12:11. Massey Loses And Money Talks 14:39. Post Truth Media And Generational Gaps 17:33. North Korea Primer And Trump Clip 18:29. Deterrence Logic And Regime Survival 24:30. Russia Ties China Moves And Trust 26:40. Two Koreas Arms Control And DMZ 31:52. Sanctions Backfire And Economic Modernization 36:12. Rare Earth Minerals And Closing Advertising Inquiries: https://redcircle.com/brands [https://redcircle.com/brands] Privacy & Opt-Out: https://redcircle.com/privacy [https://redcircle.com/privacy]

Larry Johnson: How Trump’s Failure in China Impacts the War Against Iran

Trump’s China summit gets sold as strength, but the details tell a different story. We dig into what the U.S. says it achieved versus what China actually signals afterward, especially on Iran and regional security. From our seat, the big issue is leverage: if Beijing won’t bend and Washington can’t compel, the talking points don’t matter much. That gap shows up immediately in the most unglamorous place possible, supply chains and rare earth minerals that can quietly slow U.S. weapons production. We also get into Taiwan and the argument you hear everywhere: microchips, economic survival, and the idea that the U.S. has no choice but to confront China. We challenge that framing with a hard look at policy commitments, strategic ambiguity, and whether arms sales mean anything if the industrial base can’t deliver on time. If you care about U.S. China relations, Taiwan strategy, and the real limits of military power, this part connects the dots in plain language. Then we turn to Iran and the “short, powerful strike” narrative. We walk through the operational reality: aircraft range, KC-135 air refueling, basing in the Gulf, and why Saudi, Qatari, and Kuwaiti cooperation can effectively veto a plan. We also talk escalation, the Strait of Hormuz, and how regional actors could widen the conflict fast. Finally, we bring it home to U.S. politics with the Israel lobby debate and the high-stakes Thomas Massey primary as a test of money, influence, and war policy. Subscribe, share the episode with a friend, and leave a review telling us what you think we got right or wrong. CHAPTER MARKERS * 0:32. What Trump Wanted From China * 2:31 Rare Earth Leverage And U.S. Arms * 3:28 Competing Readouts And Political Spin * 5:21 Taiwan Policy And A Reality Check * 10:27 The Iran Strike Plan And Timelines * 12:14 Refueling Limits And Gulf State Veto * 16:34 Escalation Risks And False Flag Claims * 19:34 Israel Pressure And The Massey Test * 27:59 Final Takeaways And Where To Follow Advertising Inquiries: https://redcircle.com/brands [https://redcircle.com/brands] Privacy & Opt-Out: https://redcircle.com/privacy [https://redcircle.com/privacy]

Harrison Berger Breaks Down Israel’s New Influence Strategy

A president calling reporters “treasonous” isn’t just a hot take, it’s a warning sign. Harrison Berger joins me to break down how that rhetoric is being used to police debate around the Iran war, and why it echoes years of reckless “traitor” accusations aimed at anyone who questions America’s national security consensus. We start with the Israel lobby and J Street, the organization often marketed as the reasonable, liberal alternative to AIPAC. Harrison explains what J Street is, who it appeals to, and why its “pro-Israel and pro-democracy” framing is colliding with shifting US public opinion after the Gaza war. We also talk about the idea of a new antiwar center forming across party lines, where younger voters and non-interventionists are increasingly skeptical of endless foreign aid packages and blank-check military policy. From there we get specific about the Iran conflict: what claims of “total victory” leave out, how the Strait of Hormuz and regional ceasefire demands shape leverage, and why negotiations bog down when Washington stays fixated on narrow talking points while Iran prioritizes sanctions relief and non-aggression guarantees. We close on Taiwan and China, where Trump’s walkback gestures toward de-escalation, but Congress, arms sales pipelines, and defense procurement inertia may keep pushing the US toward another dangerous commitment. Subscribe for more conversations like this, share the episode with a friend who cares about foreign policy, and leave a review so more people can find the show. CHAPTER MARKERS * 0:33. Welcome Back And Today’s Agenda * 1:16 What J Street Is And Isn’t * 3:01. Polling Shifts And The Gaza Fallout * 4:52 The Myth Of Liberal Zionism * 9:52 A New Antiwar Center Emerges * 14:30 Israel Lobby And The Weapons Pipeline * 18:10 Trump’s “Treason” Attack On Reporters * 23:20 Reality Check On The Iran War * 29:15 Negotiations Stalling And War For Israel * 32:45 Taiwan Walkback And Congress Pressure * 34:03 Where To Follow Harrison And Closing Advertising Inquiries: https://redcircle.com/brands [https://redcircle.com/brands] Privacy & Opt-Out: https://redcircle.com/privacy [https://redcircle.com/privacy]