July 9, 2026 • 35 mins
1: Graham Platner Senate Campaign Main Narrative
We discuss:
- Past controversial social media posts
- Questions about a tattoo allegedly resembling a Nazi symbol
- Allegations of abusive behavior
- Sexual assault and rape allegations made by former partners and a former girlfriend
- Platner's repeated denials of those allegations
Political Fallout
- Calls from Democratic leaders for him to withdraw
- Withdrawal of party support and funding
- Concerns about replacing him before election deadlines
- Possible replacement candidates being considered by the Maine Democratic Party
Platner's Defense
- The allegations are false.
- Political and media establishments targeted him.
- Democratic insiders forced him out of the race.
- The process should remain open and democratic rather than controlled by party leadership.
- Democratic leaders acted opportunistically.
- Party officials prioritized electoral viability over principles.
- The allegations may be part of an organized political effort against Platner.
2: Media Discussion and Democratic Reactions
- Interviews with Platner's former girlfriend.
- Claims about his mental health struggles and PTSD.
- Commentary from television programs such as The View and MSNBC (referred to by the narrator as "MS NOW").
3: Trump and Iran
- President Trump has declared the ceasefire with Iran is effectively over.
- The United States carried out military strikes against Iranian targets.
- Iran allegedly retaliated against U.S. interests and shipping.
- The administration threatened further action against Iranian infrastructure and oil exports.
Administration Perspective
The White House argues that:
- Iran has supported terrorism and proxy forces for decades.
- The United States is acting to prevent Iran from obtaining nuclear weapons.
- Economic sanctions and military actions are intended to deter further aggression.
NATO and Broader Foreign Policy
- NATO burden-sharing issues
- Support for Ukraine
- Potential defense cooperation with Turkey
- Domestic economic claims regarding investment, manufacturing, and consumer prices
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Episode Transcript
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Speaker 1 (00:00):
Well, it finally happened. After days of mounting pressure, Graham
Platner has dropped out of the main Senate race, leaving
Democrats scrambling to save one of the races they believe
gave them their best chance to flip a Republican Senate seat,
which could easily mean them having the majority in the
Senate after the midterm elections. But before we get to
(00:22):
what happened next, let's remember exactly what brought us to
this point. This wasn't one controversy, it was a cascade.
Platner's campaign had already been rocked by resurface social media
posts that generated massive backlash. Then came the scrutiny over
at tattoo, a ss Nazi tattoo. Then, of course the
(00:45):
candidate said, oh, I just got it well intoxicated in
the Marines. It just happened to resemble the Naziss symbol,
but he didn't really know it.
Speaker 2 (00:53):
But then later he covered it up.
Speaker 1 (00:56):
Former partners then came out and made allegations about abusive
behavior here a non consensual sexual conduct rape. Finally, a
former girlfriend publicly accused him of sexually assaulting her. In
twenty twenty one, an allegation that Platner has repeatedly and
categorically denied. Now, as all those allegations mounted, the political
(01:18):
support was solid until the very end when polling that
has showed that Graham may not be able to win
the race. And that is when things changed. Overnight. Bernie Sanders,
who stood by him no matter what until the poll
numbers switched, called for him to step aside. Then Senate
Democratic leaders with drew their support and said the money
(01:39):
would be shut off to his campaign. Progressive organizations who
stood by him through everything, once they saw the poll numbers,
they abandoned him instantly and helped destroy him. Then the
main Democratic party concluded he could no longer be their nominee,
shutting off the money. And then Graham Platner came out
(02:00):
and was forced to say this now before I get
to that audio, and it's truly incredible, I want to
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All right, now, let me get to this audio gram Platnir,
and I want you to listen carefully. He is telling
(03:58):
you that he is the actual victim and the Democratic
Party in the liberal media turned on him.
Speaker 2 (04:05):
It's not a joke. He wants you to feel sorry
for him. Here he is.
Speaker 3 (04:09):
Hey everyone, it's cramp Platner here. I think, as many
of you know, over the past couple of days, I
have faced some very serious allegations, and I just want
to make it clear this is all false. The things
that have been claimed did not happen. It's not real.
It has placed an immense amount of weight on me
(04:35):
as I think about what needs to happen now. Amy
and I are regular people. We were not looking for
this experience. We were not looking to get into politics.
We had no desire to run for office. I just
(04:58):
want you to think about what you would do as
a regular person in a position where a much larger world,
large forces were working against you personally to accuse you
of the worst thing that a person could do and
(05:20):
it was not remotely true. I learned about this through
press inquiries with no time to truly respond, no time
for investigations, before a corporate media system and the political
(05:43):
establishment got to act as judge, jury, and executioner. Accusations
are supposed to be the beginning of things, not the end.
I think it's really import and to understand why this
is happening in the timeline, why this is happening right now,
(06:07):
much like October when the first attack started, Much like
the news that was created the week before the primary,
There is a reason that this is happening now. I
only have until July thirteenth until I am officially the nominee.
(06:29):
This was the last week to try to get me
off of the ballot, and that's why this is occurring.
It's not the false allegations though, that have brought us
to where we are. It's the fact that they are
(06:50):
being used by the political establishment to put structural pressure
on us. We live in a political system that is
not built for normal people. It is a system that
is built structurally to make sure that movements like ours
(07:14):
cannot flourish, that if they begin to succeed, they can
be crushed. What we have accomplished here you made possible
the people of Maine, the volunteers, the voters, the grassroots donors,
(07:37):
and I have all the faith in the world that
we could win if we could continue to harness that.
But the brutal political reality is that they are going
to take everything away from us, those in power who
(07:58):
have the ability to do so. Are you using these
allegations as an excuse to take away all of the
things that we need to run a campaign. We are
going to lose our ability to fundraise, We are going
to lose our ability to access voter data. We are
going to lose all of the things that any campaign
(08:22):
needs on the basic level simply to function. Larger organizations,
the national level party, the bigger donor networks, they have
all committed to spending no money in this race. If
I'm in it, they would rather see Susan Collins win
(08:44):
than have me be the next Senator from Maine. What
comes next needs to come from the people needs to
come from the people of Maine needs to come from
the voters who, on June ninth, at a strength of
(09:07):
over one hundred and fifty thousand, the largest number in
the history of Maine primaries, said no to this kind
of politics, voted for a politics that would actually represent them,
voted against the political system, against the donor class, against
the entrenched forces. And I'm not asking for how this
(09:34):
process is going to work. I'm not trying to dictate
to anyone who it should be or how we get there.
But I will say this. It needs to be open, transparent,
and democratic. It needs to be reflecting the will and
the values of the people that built this movement, the
people that showed up on June ninth. People in DC
(09:56):
need to stay in DC. Decisions should not be made
in back rooms by people in places of political power.
Party apparatics are not the ones to make these decisions.
These decisions need to be made in the open by
the people of this state, the people who got us here.
This is exactly the kind of political system that everyone
(10:21):
voted against.
Speaker 2 (10:22):
On June ninth, Isn't it interesting?
Speaker 1 (10:25):
The Grand Platinum has been over the establishment pressure dropped
out of the race, but is calling them out, saying,
you forced me out and the media. The dude, by
the way, that pretended to be a big old fighter
totally surrendered. Now he's maintaining that all I want to
make this clear, all the allegations are false. He's saying,
(10:47):
I just learned about them through the media because they
wanted me out. Now, the Democrats, to be clear, they're
not exactly celebrating in this moment either.
Speaker 2 (10:56):
They're panicked. This wasn't just any Senate race.
Speaker 1 (11:00):
For months, national Democrats considered Maine one of their very
best pickup opportunities in the country. The Republican Susan Collins
has always been one of the toughest Republicans for Democrats
to defeat, but they believe that Platner's outsider campaign had
really energized voters in a new, unique way. Now, just
(11:20):
months before election day, that entire strategy has collapsed, and
instead of spending that summer that they were hoping for
attacking and talking about Susan Collins, Democrats are holding emergency
meetings trying to figure out who their nominee will even be.
The main Democratic party now has only a narrow legal
window to formally replace Platner on the ballot, with a
(11:43):
party convention expected to choose a new nominee before the
state's deadline. Now, there's already several names that are being floated.
Former Maine Senate President Troy Jackson has announced he's running
for the nomination. Former CDC director Narov Shah is also considering,
we're being told entering the race. Jordan Wood is also
(12:05):
weighing a campaign. And there's many other names are actually
circulating as I'm talking to you right now. Even the
actor this isn't a joke. Patrick Dempsey had to publicly
say he wasn't interested because the speculation was so intense.
That's how chaotic this has actually become. Now when Hollywood
(12:25):
actors have to deny that they're running for Senate, you know,
a political party is searching for anyone that can stabilize
a disaster of a race. And here's the question Democrats
now have to answer, how did we get here? Because
let's be honest, many of the controversy surrounding Platner weren't new.
Questions about his online history, questions about his tattoo, questions
(12:48):
about his past relationships. Much of that had already surfaced
before the Democratic primary, voters made him their nominee. Yeah,
they picked him knowing all of this, And many prominent
Democrats are actually even continuing to back him because they
believe he gave them the strongest chance to win. It
only was because of these new allegations from a Democratic
(13:12):
woman who said that he raped her. Was it finally
time for Democrats to call it quits? Platner, of course
saying he's innocent, saying those allegations are false over and
over again. He's also now saying he's the real victim
of the liberal media and of the Democratic establishment that
(13:34):
forced him out.
Speaker 2 (13:35):
Of the race.
Speaker 1 (13:36):
So if you're wanting to know what this looks like
now in a major election, Republicans suddenly have a chance
to campaign against a Democratic party that has spent the
last week consumed by internal turmoil instead of focusing on
the general election. And Democrats have now got to introduce
an entirely new statewide nominee with very little time to build, fundraising,
(13:58):
organize volunteers to fine even a message and challenge an
incumbent senator. That's incredibly difficult to do. And Democrats right
now they're hoping you'll forget about Grand Platinir forever. But
the reality is he was the highlight of the Democrats
cycle of twenty twenty six. Let that sink in now.
(14:21):
The race is not over, but the clock is ticking
and there's no clear consensus candidate. One thing is for sure.
Democrats are going to rally like never before, with money
probably coming in from all over the country. And that
is where the story is at this hour. The Democratic
Party at this moment when it comes to Grand Platiner,
(14:43):
is pretty much bipolar. They don't actually know what's going on.
They have no clue what's going to happen next, and
Democrats are accusing their embattled Maine Senate nominee, Grand Platiner
of trying to influence who would replace him if he
dropped out of the race after facing new rape allegations.
(15:04):
Platner is being pushed by the Democratic Party to drop
out of the race after his ex girlfriend accused him
of entering her home in the middle of the night
and raping her in twenty twenty one. Now, Democrats have
been looking for a new nominee, and Devin Murphy Anderson,
the executive director of the main Democratic Party, is now
accusing Platner's team of trying to put their thumb on
(15:26):
the scale of what this process would actually look like.
Other Democrats are now saying we may have to hold
our nose and vote for him, but his former girlfriend
doing a sit down now saying this to see it
an exclusively trying to make sure the Platner drops out
of the race.
Speaker 4 (15:43):
I think something else that's kind of missing from this
conversation is that particular period of time and the people
that I was socializing with because my cousins were working
at Walter Reed, they were military. I was working for
a military service group a lot of these post nine
eleven vets, but the also wanted to continue having military careers.
They knew that a PTSD diagnosis was like a career killer,
(16:07):
and so getting people help, getting him specifically help for
his PTSD, which he was very much struggling with at
this time. That was my main focus was just like
how do I get him help? How do I keep
him from killing himself. My biggest concern throughout most of
our relationship was like, He's going to kill himself, and
he kept it, would threaten it. He had a plan,
(16:27):
and it was really hard for me to try to
navigate my own social relationship like my own sphere and
kind of feel like I had to keep that a
secret from everybody, And so it made our relationship and
a lot of those elements more secretive than they otherwise
would have been. Like maybe I would have been able
to tell a friend and say, hey, Graham's been like this,
(16:50):
or just telling them about specific incidents.
Speaker 2 (16:53):
With more clarity.
Speaker 4 (16:55):
But I was in this like this is a suffering
man who needs help.
Speaker 2 (17:00):
I'm going to make it worse.
Speaker 5 (17:01):
Yeah, I did.
Speaker 6 (17:01):
At the true did him like the victim even though
you were of it?
Speaker 7 (17:04):
Oh?
Speaker 8 (17:04):
Yes?
Speaker 4 (17:04):
And that was actually kind of a common theme too.
Anytime that I like, he would say, oh, you're making
me feel bad and I was like, that's you know,
like in retrospect, like, well, yes, you should have felt.
Speaker 5 (17:14):
Bad about you know.
Speaker 9 (17:15):
And he would he would accuse me.
Speaker 4 (17:18):
Of like guilt tripping him if I brought up things,
and especially if I brought up things like if I
was getting a pattern of behavior together, he would accuse
me of like, oh, like are you always going to
bring up the past, Like we're never going to be
able to move forward if you keep bringing up the
you know that kind of thing. But then when it
became clear like there is no future here, the only
reason for this relationship was for me to keep him
from killing himself or to try to get him help.
Speaker 1 (17:41):
Now, this is really interesting information to come out. They're
now saying the same people that were supporting him, the
grand Platner is an individual who they were worried was
going to kill himself and had a plan to do it,
that he has massive problems with PTSD, disparaging him clearly
now at all cause to get rid of him. But
(18:01):
there are other Democrats that are also worried that maybe
he won't drop out, and if he doesn't, then what
do we have to do. Well, they're floating that idea
on ABC News on the View when they said this earlier.
Speaker 4 (18:16):
And if you are one of those people that was
willing to plug your nose, you're the problem.
Speaker 10 (18:21):
Well then I'm the problem because I was one of
those people and I said it. If I lived in Maine,
I would have, you know, plugged my nose and I
would have voted for him. Anyway. I think that we
are in a time of ecisentral crisis in this country.
I think Republicans fall in line. They don't fall in loved.
Democrats want to fall in love and not fall in line.
You know, the Republican Party, the bar is so very low.
(18:44):
I can't believe. I cannot believe that they want to
try to assume the moral high ground.
Speaker 1 (18:51):
So you can hear they're the other strategy it is
to say, well, Planner's not great, we may have to
hold our nose, but Donald Trump is so evil that
we really just have to find someone to counter him.
Speaker 2 (19:02):
So that's how we got to this point.
Speaker 1 (19:04):
And yeah, maybe he's not perfect, but you know, maybe
you just have to hold your noes. Then ms NOW
formerly ms NBC, I STI don't know why they change
their name. Both networks suck. It's still the same thing,
but just so you know, it's ms now now. Apparently
they are taking it even a step further, saying that
Donald Trump actually has created Graham Platner because of how
(19:27):
bad Donald Trump is.
Speaker 2 (19:29):
That's their new spin.
Speaker 5 (19:32):
What do you think the soul searching is not just
in the Democratic Party, but for all of us who
covered these things. Well, listen, I think, first of all,
I thought back then, when the first tranche of these
allegations came forward that the Platner campaign should have had
a lot more explaining to do, but we're caught in
a moment where there is such profound desperation to have
(19:53):
some check on Trump's worst impulses, and there is such
hunger for Democrats to control the Senate that it feels
like people were willing to abide a form of dangerous
masculinity that in a pre Trump era would have been
totally disqualifying. And I think it does prompt some real
soul searching about, you know, what we ask of our
(20:14):
quote unquote warriors, and what we abide and what we
stomach as a society and as a party when it
comes to true fighters, and what it looks like to
be a man in the twenty first century. And honestly,
without you know, sounding too much like a college professor,
I do think so much of the crisis right now
is the collapse of the patriarchy and people being completely
(20:36):
at sea and trying to figure out what it means
to hold power and to keep power and to wield
it in a just fashion. And the Platner campaign just
raises a huge set of questions about what strength means
and what crosses the line when you are a strong person,
and I think there's a lot of gut checking that
needs to happen inside democratic circles, because what is abundantly
(20:58):
clear is this person has not had to check on
his power and has felt unfettered and unapologetic about exercising
that power and not offering any explanation for it.
Speaker 2 (21:07):
All Right, so let's just unpack that for a second.
Speaker 1 (21:10):
This guy's so bad because Donald Trump was bad, and
since Donald Trump is bad, therefore this is just how
bad it is.
Speaker 2 (21:20):
Like that is the new spin.
Speaker 1 (21:22):
Graham Platner, a Nazi Democratic communist candidate, is somehow the
fault of Donald Trump. Graham Plattner's campaign has also responded
to Lindsay Fitfield's interview, and this is what they said
moments ago. In a statement to CNN after their exclusive
sit down.
Speaker 6 (21:39):
This afternoon, our team reached out to the Platner campaign
regarding these allegations made by Fifield against Graham Platner in
the portun of our conversation that we just brought to you.
In a statement to CNN, the Platner campaign says or
claims are quote categorically false and come from a person
with a well documented political agenda.
Speaker 2 (21:56):
Unquote political agenda.
Speaker 1 (21:58):
Now, what is the political Why are all these people
coming out of the woodwork right now? It's real simple.
This is a political hit job by the Democratic Party.
This is exactly the same playbook that they used against
Eric Swalwell. When you get former girlfriends who they didn't
talk to before now talking to them to trash him
(22:19):
the way that they are, it is obvious this is
a orchestrated effort by the Democratic Party. If you are
a grand Platner, by the way, do you actually drop
out by the thirteenth and allow for another candidate or
do you stay on the ballot drop out after the
thirteenth to screw everyone that's now screwing you. That's the
big question. Now, there's also another piece of audio from
(22:42):
the former Platner girlfriend, and here's what she said in
this quote exclusive interview with CNN.
Speaker 2 (22:47):
At the time.
Speaker 4 (22:48):
Weirdly enough, this isn't a soundpathetic. I felt like, oh,
he really loves me.
Speaker 9 (22:54):
I'm sorry.
Speaker 2 (22:55):
It felt like he really cared, like oh.
Speaker 4 (22:58):
His jealousy and I started new relationships at that time
felt like love. And now I know that that was
not love, and it was not It was not really
we thought we were in.
Speaker 2 (23:08):
Love, but it was that sounds very toxic.
Speaker 4 (23:12):
Yes, yeah, toxic is a great word I do now.
Speaker 1 (23:16):
Platner at this moment continues to deny all of these
allegations against them, the sexual assault allegations. He's called them false,
and he has not announced he's leaving the race. Instead,
he said he is taking time to determine quote, the
best path forward.
Speaker 2 (23:32):
Two.
Speaker 1 (23:33):
It still seems like he has some sort of campaign
apparatus that is putting out instant responses to the new
allegations to destroy him as a person. And in the
last several days you have the entire Democratic machine going
against him. Democratic leaders, including the Senate Minority Leader Chuck
Schumer and Senator Bernie Sanders, they're now publicly calling multiple
(23:56):
times on Platner to drop out of the race. Now,
the reason why they're putting maximum pressure is all because
of the date. If he doesn't step aside before the
States July thirteenth deadline, the party will not be able
to nominate a replacement candidate. And what's remarkable is now
how quickly the political landscape has changed. For months, all
(24:20):
of these same Democrats defended Platner through previous controversies, but
after the latest allegations, really because of the poll numbers,
then they all said we're.
Speaker 2 (24:30):
Going to be done with you.
Speaker 1 (24:32):
And if Platner wants to know what his future looks like,
he should probably just call Eric Swalwell talk to him
about what's happening to his race, because he knows all
about it. This is, by the way, the Democratic Communist
Socialist Marxist Party. They'll use you, if as a communist
Socialist or Marxist until they think you can't win, and
(24:52):
when you can't win, they will get rid of you
faster than they even try to get rid of Donald Trump.
We have major breaking news. President Donald Trump is making
it crystal clear, as far as he's concerned, the ceasefire
with Iran is over. Now let me be clear, this
is not speculation. That is exactly what he told reporters
(25:15):
while attending the NATO summit. His words were blunt, to me,
I think it's over. I don't want to deal with
them anymore. They're scum, They're led by sick people. The
president United States of America making sure that we hit
back extremely hard against Iran. And here's how they described
it on ABC News and.
Speaker 11 (25:35):
The other breaking story at this hour, the US striking
Iran right now, a US official telling ABC News at
this hour tonight's operations are bigger in scope, meant it
a greater Iran's ability to threaten ships in the Strait
of Hormuz. Sencom releasing images of last night's attacks, saying
they struck defense systems and coastal radar. Iran tonight saying
it has targeted US military installations in Bahrain and Kuwait,
(25:57):
and tonight promising more retaliation at this evening. Amid these
new US strikes on Iran, oil prices already surging at
our gas price is set to go up again. Rachel
Scott leading US off.
Speaker 9 (26:08):
Tonight tonight as the US launches a new attack on Iran.
The second and twenty four hours, President Trump now declaring
the ceasefire over.
Speaker 12 (26:17):
I think it's over. I don't want to deal with them,
in with this scum. You know what scum is. There's
something wrong with them. Their cuckoo.
Speaker 9 (26:25):
The new US strikes hitting Aram's coastal radar sites and
anti ship missile locations US a larger attack than last night,
when eighty targets were hit. It comes in response to
a run, firing on three cargo ships near the Strait
of her moves.
Speaker 2 (26:41):
The big question what comes next?
Speaker 9 (26:44):
Overnight Iran launching missiles at US bases and the goal
those missiles intercepted.
Speaker 1 (26:49):
Now as you're gonna hear there, even ABC News making
it clear the President hitting back very hard. The President
was also asked about what we can expect moving forward,
and here's part of what he had to say.
Speaker 2 (27:00):
In Turkey, we're not attacking.
Speaker 7 (27:02):
At the highest level, the highest level of the bridges
which we can knock down. I would say in one day,
we knocked down every single bridge in Iran. There's not
a thing they can do about it. The electric manufacturing
facilities right their electric plants where they make their electricity there,
(27:24):
we will if we have to take them out. I
don't want to do that, but if we have to,
we'll take them out. They have desalinization plants, will take
them out if we have to. Hate to do that.
That's probably the one I would like not to do least.
We attacked carg Island last night. We knocked out a piece.
I said, don't touch the oil because maybe we'll take
(27:46):
over Cargo Island. We may take over carg island. There's
not a thing they can do about it.
Speaker 1 (27:52):
And that wasn't all the President had to say about
the warnings of what attacks could happen moving forward, what
targets could happen, even taking over their island, which is
where their oil comes in and out of. President Trump
also said he's just sick and tired of dealing with
the Iranian negotiators.
Speaker 12 (28:08):
I don't want to deal with them, him with this scum.
You know what scum is. There's scum, there's sick people.
Speaker 8 (28:13):
President Trump opening the NATO summit by declaring, in his view,
the agreement with Iran is off.
Speaker 2 (28:20):
There's something wrong with them. They're cuckoo.
Speaker 8 (28:22):
Appearing visibly angry, the President repeatedly criticized Iranian leaders.
Speaker 2 (28:27):
They're liars, they're cheats, they're sick people.
Speaker 8 (28:32):
His comments came hours after renewed US strikes on Iran.
Thick orange smoke seen rising over bandar Abas onto Iran's
main naval base. US Central Command launched what it called
a series of powerful strikes, hitting more than eighty Iranian targets,
including air defense systems, radars, and at least sixty small boats,
all after the US has Iran attacked three tankers in
(28:55):
the Strait of Horr Moons.
Speaker 3 (28:56):
I think for Judiad last night was absolutely necessary verishtonus Ponts.
Speaker 8 (29:01):
Trump also revoked a waiver allowing the sale of Iranian
oil on the world market. In response, atop Iranian warned,
the era of bullying and extortion is over. It leads nowhere.
Speaker 2 (29:12):
We don't fold.
Speaker 8 (29:14):
Iran retaliated with a tax of its own, saying it
launch strikes on eighty five American military targets in Mahraine
and Kuwait. The attacks came during a pause and negotiations
as Iran holds a massive days long funeral for Ayatola
Ali Khamani, the Supreme leader, killed on the first day
of US Israel attacks on Iran.
Speaker 12 (29:34):
We said, go and do your funeral stuff, and instead
of that, they set shooting rockets at chips.
Speaker 8 (29:42):
At the summit, the President also unloaded on Alliance members
for not doing enough to help the US against Iran.
Speaker 2 (29:48):
We protect them, but they're not there for us.
Speaker 12 (29:50):
Think of it doesn't work.
Speaker 1 (29:52):
The Trump Administration's message couldn't be stronger, and the media
is clearly carrying that message. After the President said so
bluntly what he thought about the deal being over and
what could come next, and the White House laying it
out again, saying for decades, Iran has used terrorism, proxy,
malicious hostage taking, attacks on American troops, and threats against
(30:14):
allies as tools of its foreign policy. President Trump says
for forty seven years, Iran acted as the bully of
the Middle East, and he said that error is ending now.
The White House also emphasized that these latest operations are
about much more than retaliation. They're about preventing Iran from
ever becoming a nuclear weapons state. President Trump's to the
(30:36):
United States is prepared to target additional strategic infrastructure if necessary,
including their critical power facilities. He also suggested the US
could dramatically increase pressure on Iran's vital oil infrastructure, including
carg Island, the country's primary oil export terminal, with a
threat that we may take it over. The administration has
(30:59):
also instead those major oil sanctions against Iran, tightening the
economics cruise once again after determining Tehran violated the ceasefire agreement.
Those sanctions are intended to cut off revenue that Washington
says helps finance Iran's military and their terrorist proxy networks. Now,
if you just take a step back. This isn't happening
(31:21):
in isolation. President Trump is making these announcements while attending
the NATO summit, where another major story is also unfolding.
The White House says Trump has fundamentally changed NATO by
pushing America's allies to shoulder more of the defense burden
rather than relying overwhelmingly on US taxpayers. The administration argues
(31:42):
that increased defense spending by NATO members is now helping
American manufacturing and strengthening the US defense industrial base as well.
Trump also announced that the United States will license Ukraine
to manufacture Patriot missile defense systems, while leaving open the
possible disability of future F thirty five sales to Turkey
(32:03):
as well. So in one trip overseas, what you're seeing
is multiple fronts of American foreign policy moving by the President,
simultaneously continued pressure on Iran, NATO burden sharing support for
Ukraine's now air defense systems, strategic discussions with Turkey as well,
(32:23):
and then the diplomatic regions across the alliance. The White
Houses also point to what they say are encouraging economic
developments at home. President Trump highlighting Walmart decision to lower
grocery prices and urged other retailers to follow suit. He
also argued that falling oil and gasoline prices should translate
into lower prices for American consumers across the economy immediately.
(32:48):
And the administration is also celebrating several new investment announcements
this week, including Apple reported thirty billion dollar investment in
US semiconductor manufacturing and additional manufacturing expansion in Texas, presenting
them as evidence that industrial investment continues flowing into the US.
(33:08):
The White House once again is also urging Congress this
week to advance additional legislation on defense funding as well
as election security out of the midterms, making those priorities
a centerpiece of its domestic agenda. Now, why is the
White House talking about all of this right now? They're
proving that the President is not just focused on Iran,
(33:30):
that you can do multiple things at once, and the
biggest question today is whether a RAN chooses further escalation
or if they actually want to get a deal done.
The President saying this from Air Force one hours after
he had his big meetings at NATO.
Speaker 7 (33:47):
We hit back much on I'm all sale military conflicts, whatever.
Speaker 12 (33:52):
I don't know what win it very quickly is another
way that we have any ways we could win, but
we've already won militarily they have.
Speaker 7 (34:00):
They're very little left, and they want to make a
deal so badly.
Speaker 2 (34:03):
They called a little while ago. They want to make
a deal so badly.
Speaker 7 (34:07):
I just don't know if they're worthy of making it.
Speaker 2 (34:09):
You, I don't know that they're going to honor the deal.
Speaker 3 (34:11):
That's wrong.
Speaker 5 (34:12):
If they want to make a deal, why do you
think they attacked commercial lessons?
Speaker 7 (34:17):
Because it's not crazy, to be honest with it's so crazy.
They're a little bit adequate to them, but they want
to make a deal badly.
Speaker 1 (34:30):
The President United States America saying that on his way
home on Air Force one.
Speaker 2 (34:35):
And here's what the big takeaway is.
Speaker 1 (34:37):
The United States is demonstrating that not only is the
Trump administration willing to respond militarily after attacks on international shipping,
President Trump has also warned that these additional strikes will
remain on the table, emphasizing that the objective is to
eliminate a rand's ability to threaten maritime commerce and prevent
the region from advancing towards a nuclear weapon. Now the
(34:59):
coming hours and days well, that's going to determine whether
ranbacks down or whether this confrontation enters another phase. The
one thing that is certain this morning, the ceasefire that
many hoped would stabilize the region appears to have collapsed,
and the United States has made it clear it intends
to respond with overwhelming force if American interests or international
(35:22):
shipping are attacked again. Make sure you share this podcast
with your family and friends, put it up on social
media wherever you are, and we appreciate you listening every day.
Speaker 2 (35:32):
We'll see you back here tomorrow.
Well, it finally happened. After days of mounting pressure, Graham
Platner has dropped out of the main Senate race, leaving
Democrats scrambling to save one of the races they believe
gave them their best chance to flip a Republican Senate seat,
which could easily mean them having the majority in the
Senate after the midterm elections. But before we get to
(00:22):
what happened next, let's remember exactly what brought us to
this point. This wasn't one controversy, it was a cascade.
Platner's campaign had already been rocked by resurface social media
posts that generated massive backlash. Then came the scrutiny over
at tattoo, a ss Nazi tattoo. Then, of course the
(00:45):
candidate said, oh, I just got it well intoxicated in
the Marines. It just happened to resemble the Naziss symbol,
but he didn't really know it.
Speaker 2 (00:53):
But then later he covered it up.
Speaker 1 (00:56):
Former partners then came out and made allegations about abusive
behavior here a non consensual sexual conduct rape. Finally, a
former girlfriend publicly accused him of sexually assaulting her. In
twenty twenty one, an allegation that Platner has repeatedly and
categorically denied. Now, as all those allegations mounted, the political
(01:18):
support was solid until the very end when polling that
has showed that Graham may not be able to win
the race. And that is when things changed. Overnight. Bernie Sanders,
who stood by him no matter what until the poll
numbers switched, called for him to step aside. Then Senate
Democratic leaders with drew their support and said the money
(01:39):
would be shut off to his campaign. Progressive organizations who
stood by him through everything, once they saw the poll numbers,
they abandoned him instantly and helped destroy him. Then the
main Democratic party concluded he could no longer be their nominee,
shutting off the money. And then Graham Platner came out
(02:00):
and was forced to say this now before I get
to that audio, and it's truly incredible, I want to
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All right, now, let me get to this audio gram Platnir,
and I want you to listen carefully. He is telling
(03:58):
you that he is the actual victim and the Democratic
Party in the liberal media turned on him.
Speaker 2 (04:05):
It's not a joke. He wants you to feel sorry
for him. Here he is.
Speaker 3 (04:09):
Hey everyone, it's cramp Platner here. I think, as many
of you know, over the past couple of days, I
have faced some very serious allegations, and I just want
to make it clear this is all false. The things
that have been claimed did not happen. It's not real.
It has placed an immense amount of weight on me
(04:35):
as I think about what needs to happen now. Amy
and I are regular people. We were not looking for
this experience. We were not looking to get into politics.
We had no desire to run for office. I just
(04:58):
want you to think about what you would do as
a regular person in a position where a much larger world,
large forces were working against you personally to accuse you
of the worst thing that a person could do and
(05:20):
it was not remotely true. I learned about this through
press inquiries with no time to truly respond, no time
for investigations, before a corporate media system and the political
(05:43):
establishment got to act as judge, jury, and executioner. Accusations
are supposed to be the beginning of things, not the end.
I think it's really import and to understand why this
is happening in the timeline, why this is happening right now,
(06:07):
much like October when the first attack started, Much like
the news that was created the week before the primary,
There is a reason that this is happening now. I
only have until July thirteenth until I am officially the nominee.
(06:29):
This was the last week to try to get me
off of the ballot, and that's why this is occurring.
It's not the false allegations though, that have brought us
to where we are. It's the fact that they are
(06:50):
being used by the political establishment to put structural pressure
on us. We live in a political system that is
not built for normal people. It is a system that
is built structurally to make sure that movements like ours
(07:14):
cannot flourish, that if they begin to succeed, they can
be crushed. What we have accomplished here you made possible
the people of Maine, the volunteers, the voters, the grassroots donors,
(07:37):
and I have all the faith in the world that
we could win if we could continue to harness that.
But the brutal political reality is that they are going
to take everything away from us, those in power who
(07:58):
have the ability to do so. Are you using these
allegations as an excuse to take away all of the
things that we need to run a campaign. We are
going to lose our ability to fundraise, We are going
to lose our ability to access voter data. We are
going to lose all of the things that any campaign
(08:22):
needs on the basic level simply to function. Larger organizations,
the national level party, the bigger donor networks, they have
all committed to spending no money in this race. If
I'm in it, they would rather see Susan Collins win
(08:44):
than have me be the next Senator from Maine. What
comes next needs to come from the people needs to
come from the people of Maine needs to come from
the voters who, on June ninth, at a strength of
(09:07):
over one hundred and fifty thousand, the largest number in
the history of Maine primaries, said no to this kind
of politics, voted for a politics that would actually represent them,
voted against the political system, against the donor class, against
the entrenched forces. And I'm not asking for how this
(09:34):
process is going to work. I'm not trying to dictate
to anyone who it should be or how we get there.
But I will say this. It needs to be open, transparent,
and democratic. It needs to be reflecting the will and
the values of the people that built this movement, the
people that showed up on June ninth. People in DC
(09:56):
need to stay in DC. Decisions should not be made
in back rooms by people in places of political power.
Party apparatics are not the ones to make these decisions.
These decisions need to be made in the open by
the people of this state, the people who got us here.
This is exactly the kind of political system that everyone
(10:21):
voted against.
Speaker 2 (10:22):
On June ninth, Isn't it interesting?
Speaker 1 (10:25):
The Grand Platinum has been over the establishment pressure dropped
out of the race, but is calling them out, saying,
you forced me out and the media. The dude, by
the way, that pretended to be a big old fighter
totally surrendered. Now he's maintaining that all I want to
make this clear, all the allegations are false. He's saying,
(10:47):
I just learned about them through the media because they
wanted me out. Now, the Democrats, to be clear, they're
not exactly celebrating in this moment either.
Speaker 2 (10:56):
They're panicked. This wasn't just any Senate race.
Speaker 1 (11:00):
For months, national Democrats considered Maine one of their very
best pickup opportunities in the country. The Republican Susan Collins
has always been one of the toughest Republicans for Democrats
to defeat, but they believe that Platner's outsider campaign had
really energized voters in a new, unique way. Now, just
(11:20):
months before election day, that entire strategy has collapsed, and
instead of spending that summer that they were hoping for
attacking and talking about Susan Collins, Democrats are holding emergency
meetings trying to figure out who their nominee will even be.
The main Democratic party now has only a narrow legal
window to formally replace Platner on the ballot, with a
(11:43):
party convention expected to choose a new nominee before the
state's deadline. Now, there's already several names that are being floated.
Former Maine Senate President Troy Jackson has announced he's running
for the nomination. Former CDC director Narov Shah is also considering,
we're being told entering the race. Jordan Wood is also
(12:05):
weighing a campaign. And there's many other names are actually
circulating as I'm talking to you right now. Even the
actor this isn't a joke. Patrick Dempsey had to publicly
say he wasn't interested because the speculation was so intense.
That's how chaotic this has actually become. Now when Hollywood
(12:25):
actors have to deny that they're running for Senate, you know,
a political party is searching for anyone that can stabilize
a disaster of a race. And here's the question Democrats
now have to answer, how did we get here? Because
let's be honest, many of the controversy surrounding Platner weren't new.
Questions about his online history, questions about his tattoo, questions
(12:48):
about his past relationships. Much of that had already surfaced
before the Democratic primary, voters made him their nominee. Yeah,
they picked him knowing all of this, And many prominent
Democrats are actually even continuing to back him because they
believe he gave them the strongest chance to win. It
only was because of these new allegations from a Democratic
(13:12):
woman who said that he raped her. Was it finally
time for Democrats to call it quits? Platner, of course
saying he's innocent, saying those allegations are false over and
over again. He's also now saying he's the real victim
of the liberal media and of the Democratic establishment that
(13:34):
forced him out.
Speaker 2 (13:35):
Of the race.
Speaker 1 (13:36):
So if you're wanting to know what this looks like
now in a major election, Republicans suddenly have a chance
to campaign against a Democratic party that has spent the
last week consumed by internal turmoil instead of focusing on
the general election. And Democrats have now got to introduce
an entirely new statewide nominee with very little time to build, fundraising,
(13:58):
organize volunteers to fine even a message and challenge an
incumbent senator. That's incredibly difficult to do. And Democrats right
now they're hoping you'll forget about Grand Platinir forever. But
the reality is he was the highlight of the Democrats
cycle of twenty twenty six. Let that sink in now.
(14:21):
The race is not over, but the clock is ticking
and there's no clear consensus candidate. One thing is for sure.
Democrats are going to rally like never before, with money
probably coming in from all over the country. And that
is where the story is at this hour. The Democratic
Party at this moment when it comes to Grand Platiner,
(14:43):
is pretty much bipolar. They don't actually know what's going on.
They have no clue what's going to happen next, and
Democrats are accusing their embattled Maine Senate nominee, Grand Platiner
of trying to influence who would replace him if he
dropped out of the race after facing new rape allegations.
(15:04):
Platner is being pushed by the Democratic Party to drop
out of the race after his ex girlfriend accused him
of entering her home in the middle of the night
and raping her in twenty twenty one. Now, Democrats have
been looking for a new nominee, and Devin Murphy Anderson,
the executive director of the main Democratic Party, is now
accusing Platner's team of trying to put their thumb on
(15:26):
the scale of what this process would actually look like.
Other Democrats are now saying we may have to hold
our nose and vote for him, but his former girlfriend
doing a sit down now saying this to see it
an exclusively trying to make sure the Platner drops out
of the race.
Speaker 4 (15:43):
I think something else that's kind of missing from this
conversation is that particular period of time and the people
that I was socializing with because my cousins were working
at Walter Reed, they were military. I was working for
a military service group a lot of these post nine
eleven vets, but the also wanted to continue having military careers.
They knew that a PTSD diagnosis was like a career killer,
(16:07):
and so getting people help, getting him specifically help for
his PTSD, which he was very much struggling with at
this time. That was my main focus was just like
how do I get him help? How do I keep
him from killing himself. My biggest concern throughout most of
our relationship was like, He's going to kill himself, and
he kept it, would threaten it. He had a plan,
(16:27):
and it was really hard for me to try to
navigate my own social relationship like my own sphere and
kind of feel like I had to keep that a
secret from everybody, And so it made our relationship and
a lot of those elements more secretive than they otherwise
would have been. Like maybe I would have been able
to tell a friend and say, hey, Graham's been like this,
(16:50):
or just telling them about specific incidents.
Speaker 2 (16:53):
With more clarity.
Speaker 4 (16:55):
But I was in this like this is a suffering
man who needs help.
Speaker 2 (17:00):
I'm going to make it worse.
Speaker 5 (17:01):
Yeah, I did.
Speaker 6 (17:01):
At the true did him like the victim even though
you were of it?
Speaker 7 (17:04):
Oh?
Speaker 8 (17:04):
Yes?
Speaker 4 (17:04):
And that was actually kind of a common theme too.
Anytime that I like, he would say, oh, you're making
me feel bad and I was like, that's you know,
like in retrospect, like, well, yes, you should have felt.
Speaker 5 (17:14):
Bad about you know.
Speaker 9 (17:15):
And he would he would accuse me.
Speaker 4 (17:18):
Of like guilt tripping him if I brought up things,
and especially if I brought up things like if I
was getting a pattern of behavior together, he would accuse
me of like, oh, like are you always going to
bring up the past, Like we're never going to be
able to move forward if you keep bringing up the
you know that kind of thing. But then when it
became clear like there is no future here, the only
reason for this relationship was for me to keep him
from killing himself or to try to get him help.
Speaker 1 (17:41):
Now, this is really interesting information to come out. They're
now saying the same people that were supporting him, the
grand Platner is an individual who they were worried was
going to kill himself and had a plan to do it,
that he has massive problems with PTSD, disparaging him clearly
now at all cause to get rid of him. But
(18:01):
there are other Democrats that are also worried that maybe
he won't drop out, and if he doesn't, then what
do we have to do. Well, they're floating that idea
on ABC News on the View when they said this earlier.
Speaker 4 (18:16):
And if you are one of those people that was
willing to plug your nose, you're the problem.
Speaker 10 (18:21):
Well then I'm the problem because I was one of
those people and I said it. If I lived in Maine,
I would have, you know, plugged my nose and I
would have voted for him. Anyway. I think that we
are in a time of ecisentral crisis in this country.
I think Republicans fall in line. They don't fall in loved.
Democrats want to fall in love and not fall in line.
You know, the Republican Party, the bar is so very low.
(18:44):
I can't believe. I cannot believe that they want to
try to assume the moral high ground.
Speaker 1 (18:51):
So you can hear they're the other strategy it is
to say, well, Planner's not great, we may have to
hold our nose, but Donald Trump is so evil that
we really just have to find someone to counter him.
Speaker 2 (19:02):
So that's how we got to this point.
Speaker 1 (19:04):
And yeah, maybe he's not perfect, but you know, maybe
you just have to hold your noes. Then ms NOW
formerly ms NBC, I STI don't know why they change
their name. Both networks suck. It's still the same thing,
but just so you know, it's ms now now. Apparently
they are taking it even a step further, saying that
Donald Trump actually has created Graham Platner because of how
(19:27):
bad Donald Trump is.
Speaker 2 (19:29):
That's their new spin.
Speaker 5 (19:32):
What do you think the soul searching is not just
in the Democratic Party, but for all of us who
covered these things. Well, listen, I think, first of all,
I thought back then, when the first tranche of these
allegations came forward that the Platner campaign should have had
a lot more explaining to do, but we're caught in
a moment where there is such profound desperation to have
(19:53):
some check on Trump's worst impulses, and there is such
hunger for Democrats to control the Senate that it feels
like people were willing to abide a form of dangerous
masculinity that in a pre Trump era would have been
totally disqualifying. And I think it does prompt some real
soul searching about, you know, what we ask of our
(20:14):
quote unquote warriors, and what we abide and what we
stomach as a society and as a party when it
comes to true fighters, and what it looks like to
be a man in the twenty first century. And honestly,
without you know, sounding too much like a college professor,
I do think so much of the crisis right now
is the collapse of the patriarchy and people being completely
(20:36):
at sea and trying to figure out what it means
to hold power and to keep power and to wield
it in a just fashion. And the Platner campaign just
raises a huge set of questions about what strength means
and what crosses the line when you are a strong person,
and I think there's a lot of gut checking that
needs to happen inside democratic circles, because what is abundantly
(20:58):
clear is this person has not had to check on
his power and has felt unfettered and unapologetic about exercising
that power and not offering any explanation for it.
Speaker 2 (21:07):
All Right, so let's just unpack that for a second.
Speaker 1 (21:10):
This guy's so bad because Donald Trump was bad, and
since Donald Trump is bad, therefore this is just how
bad it is.
Speaker 2 (21:20):
Like that is the new spin.
Speaker 1 (21:22):
Graham Platner, a Nazi Democratic communist candidate, is somehow the
fault of Donald Trump. Graham Plattner's campaign has also responded
to Lindsay Fitfield's interview, and this is what they said
moments ago. In a statement to CNN after their exclusive
sit down.
Speaker 6 (21:39):
This afternoon, our team reached out to the Platner campaign
regarding these allegations made by Fifield against Graham Platner in
the portun of our conversation that we just brought to you.
In a statement to CNN, the Platner campaign says or
claims are quote categorically false and come from a person
with a well documented political agenda.
Speaker 2 (21:56):
Unquote political agenda.
Speaker 1 (21:58):
Now, what is the political Why are all these people
coming out of the woodwork right now? It's real simple.
This is a political hit job by the Democratic Party.
This is exactly the same playbook that they used against
Eric Swalwell. When you get former girlfriends who they didn't
talk to before now talking to them to trash him
(22:19):
the way that they are, it is obvious this is
a orchestrated effort by the Democratic Party. If you are
a grand Platner, by the way, do you actually drop
out by the thirteenth and allow for another candidate or
do you stay on the ballot drop out after the
thirteenth to screw everyone that's now screwing you. That's the
big question. Now, there's also another piece of audio from
(22:42):
the former Platner girlfriend, and here's what she said in
this quote exclusive interview with CNN.
Speaker 2 (22:47):
At the time.
Speaker 4 (22:48):
Weirdly enough, this isn't a soundpathetic. I felt like, oh,
he really loves me.
Speaker 9 (22:54):
I'm sorry.
Speaker 2 (22:55):
It felt like he really cared, like oh.
Speaker 4 (22:58):
His jealousy and I started new relationships at that time
felt like love. And now I know that that was
not love, and it was not It was not really
we thought we were in.
Speaker 2 (23:08):
Love, but it was that sounds very toxic.
Speaker 4 (23:12):
Yes, yeah, toxic is a great word I do now.
Speaker 1 (23:16):
Platner at this moment continues to deny all of these
allegations against them, the sexual assault allegations. He's called them false,
and he has not announced he's leaving the race. Instead,
he said he is taking time to determine quote, the
best path forward.
Speaker 2 (23:32):
Two.
Speaker 1 (23:33):
It still seems like he has some sort of campaign
apparatus that is putting out instant responses to the new
allegations to destroy him as a person. And in the
last several days you have the entire Democratic machine going
against him. Democratic leaders, including the Senate Minority Leader Chuck
Schumer and Senator Bernie Sanders, they're now publicly calling multiple
(23:56):
times on Platner to drop out of the race. Now,
the reason why they're putting maximum pressure is all because
of the date. If he doesn't step aside before the
States July thirteenth deadline, the party will not be able
to nominate a replacement candidate. And what's remarkable is now
how quickly the political landscape has changed. For months, all
(24:20):
of these same Democrats defended Platner through previous controversies, but
after the latest allegations, really because of the poll numbers,
then they all said we're.
Speaker 2 (24:30):
Going to be done with you.
Speaker 1 (24:32):
And if Platner wants to know what his future looks like,
he should probably just call Eric Swalwell talk to him
about what's happening to his race, because he knows all
about it. This is, by the way, the Democratic Communist
Socialist Marxist Party. They'll use you, if as a communist
Socialist or Marxist until they think you can't win, and
(24:52):
when you can't win, they will get rid of you
faster than they even try to get rid of Donald Trump.
We have major breaking news. President Donald Trump is making
it crystal clear, as far as he's concerned, the ceasefire
with Iran is over. Now let me be clear, this
is not speculation. That is exactly what he told reporters
(25:15):
while attending the NATO summit. His words were blunt, to me,
I think it's over. I don't want to deal with
them anymore. They're scum, They're led by sick people. The
president United States of America making sure that we hit
back extremely hard against Iran. And here's how they described
it on ABC News and.
Speaker 11 (25:35):
The other breaking story at this hour, the US striking
Iran right now, a US official telling ABC News at
this hour tonight's operations are bigger in scope, meant it
a greater Iran's ability to threaten ships in the Strait
of Hormuz. Sencom releasing images of last night's attacks, saying
they struck defense systems and coastal radar. Iran tonight saying
it has targeted US military installations in Bahrain and Kuwait,
(25:57):
and tonight promising more retaliation at this evening. Amid these
new US strikes on Iran, oil prices already surging at
our gas price is set to go up again. Rachel
Scott leading US off.
Speaker 9 (26:08):
Tonight tonight as the US launches a new attack on Iran.
The second and twenty four hours, President Trump now declaring
the ceasefire over.
Speaker 12 (26:17):
I think it's over. I don't want to deal with them,
in with this scum. You know what scum is. There's
something wrong with them. Their cuckoo.
Speaker 9 (26:25):
The new US strikes hitting Aram's coastal radar sites and
anti ship missile locations US a larger attack than last night,
when eighty targets were hit. It comes in response to
a run, firing on three cargo ships near the Strait
of her moves.
Speaker 2 (26:41):
The big question what comes next?
Speaker 9 (26:44):
Overnight Iran launching missiles at US bases and the goal
those missiles intercepted.
Speaker 1 (26:49):
Now as you're gonna hear there, even ABC News making
it clear the President hitting back very hard. The President
was also asked about what we can expect moving forward,
and here's part of what he had to say.
Speaker 2 (27:00):
In Turkey, we're not attacking.
Speaker 7 (27:02):
At the highest level, the highest level of the bridges
which we can knock down. I would say in one day,
we knocked down every single bridge in Iran. There's not
a thing they can do about it. The electric manufacturing
facilities right their electric plants where they make their electricity there,
(27:24):
we will if we have to take them out. I
don't want to do that, but if we have to,
we'll take them out. They have desalinization plants, will take
them out if we have to. Hate to do that.
That's probably the one I would like not to do least.
We attacked carg Island last night. We knocked out a piece.
I said, don't touch the oil because maybe we'll take
(27:46):
over Cargo Island. We may take over carg island. There's
not a thing they can do about it.
Speaker 1 (27:52):
And that wasn't all the President had to say about
the warnings of what attacks could happen moving forward, what
targets could happen, even taking over their island, which is
where their oil comes in and out of. President Trump
also said he's just sick and tired of dealing with
the Iranian negotiators.
Speaker 12 (28:08):
I don't want to deal with them, him with this scum.
You know what scum is. There's scum, there's sick people.
Speaker 8 (28:13):
President Trump opening the NATO summit by declaring, in his view,
the agreement with Iran is off.
Speaker 2 (28:20):
There's something wrong with them. They're cuckoo.
Speaker 8 (28:22):
Appearing visibly angry, the President repeatedly criticized Iranian leaders.
Speaker 2 (28:27):
They're liars, they're cheats, they're sick people.
Speaker 8 (28:32):
His comments came hours after renewed US strikes on Iran.
Thick orange smoke seen rising over bandar Abas onto Iran's
main naval base. US Central Command launched what it called
a series of powerful strikes, hitting more than eighty Iranian targets,
including air defense systems, radars, and at least sixty small boats,
all after the US has Iran attacked three tankers in
(28:55):
the Strait of Horr Moons.
Speaker 3 (28:56):
I think for Judiad last night was absolutely necessary verishtonus Ponts.
Speaker 8 (29:01):
Trump also revoked a waiver allowing the sale of Iranian
oil on the world market. In response, atop Iranian warned,
the era of bullying and extortion is over. It leads nowhere.
Speaker 2 (29:12):
We don't fold.
Speaker 8 (29:14):
Iran retaliated with a tax of its own, saying it
launch strikes on eighty five American military targets in Mahraine
and Kuwait. The attacks came during a pause and negotiations
as Iran holds a massive days long funeral for Ayatola
Ali Khamani, the Supreme leader, killed on the first day
of US Israel attacks on Iran.
Speaker 12 (29:34):
We said, go and do your funeral stuff, and instead
of that, they set shooting rockets at chips.
Speaker 8 (29:42):
At the summit, the President also unloaded on Alliance members
for not doing enough to help the US against Iran.
Speaker 2 (29:48):
We protect them, but they're not there for us.
Speaker 12 (29:50):
Think of it doesn't work.
Speaker 1 (29:52):
The Trump Administration's message couldn't be stronger, and the media
is clearly carrying that message. After the President said so
bluntly what he thought about the deal being over and
what could come next, and the White House laying it
out again, saying for decades, Iran has used terrorism, proxy,
malicious hostage taking, attacks on American troops, and threats against
(30:14):
allies as tools of its foreign policy. President Trump says
for forty seven years, Iran acted as the bully of
the Middle East, and he said that error is ending now.
The White House also emphasized that these latest operations are
about much more than retaliation. They're about preventing Iran from
ever becoming a nuclear weapons state. President Trump's to the
(30:36):
United States is prepared to target additional strategic infrastructure if necessary,
including their critical power facilities. He also suggested the US
could dramatically increase pressure on Iran's vital oil infrastructure, including
carg Island, the country's primary oil export terminal, with a
threat that we may take it over. The administration has
(30:59):
also instead those major oil sanctions against Iran, tightening the
economics cruise once again after determining Tehran violated the ceasefire agreement.
Those sanctions are intended to cut off revenue that Washington
says helps finance Iran's military and their terrorist proxy networks. Now,
if you just take a step back. This isn't happening
(31:21):
in isolation. President Trump is making these announcements while attending
the NATO summit, where another major story is also unfolding.
The White House says Trump has fundamentally changed NATO by
pushing America's allies to shoulder more of the defense burden
rather than relying overwhelmingly on US taxpayers. The administration argues
(31:42):
that increased defense spending by NATO members is now helping
American manufacturing and strengthening the US defense industrial base as well.
Trump also announced that the United States will license Ukraine
to manufacture Patriot missile defense systems, while leaving open the
possible disability of future F thirty five sales to Turkey
(32:03):
as well. So in one trip overseas, what you're seeing
is multiple fronts of American foreign policy moving by the President,
simultaneously continued pressure on Iran, NATO burden sharing support for
Ukraine's now air defense systems, strategic discussions with Turkey as well,
(32:23):
and then the diplomatic regions across the alliance. The White
Houses also point to what they say are encouraging economic
developments at home. President Trump highlighting Walmart decision to lower
grocery prices and urged other retailers to follow suit. He
also argued that falling oil and gasoline prices should translate
into lower prices for American consumers across the economy immediately.
(32:48):
And the administration is also celebrating several new investment announcements
this week, including Apple reported thirty billion dollar investment in
US semiconductor manufacturing and additional manufacturing expansion in Texas, presenting
them as evidence that industrial investment continues flowing into the US.
(33:08):
The White House once again is also urging Congress this
week to advance additional legislation on defense funding as well
as election security out of the midterms, making those priorities
a centerpiece of its domestic agenda. Now, why is the
White House talking about all of this right now? They're
proving that the President is not just focused on Iran,
(33:30):
that you can do multiple things at once, and the
biggest question today is whether a RAN chooses further escalation
or if they actually want to get a deal done.
The President saying this from Air Force one hours after
he had his big meetings at NATO.
Speaker 7 (33:47):
We hit back much on I'm all sale military conflicts, whatever.
Speaker 12 (33:52):
I don't know what win it very quickly is another
way that we have any ways we could win, but
we've already won militarily they have.
Speaker 7 (34:00):
They're very little left, and they want to make a
deal so badly.
Speaker 2 (34:03):
They called a little while ago. They want to make
a deal so badly.
Speaker 7 (34:07):
I just don't know if they're worthy of making it.
Speaker 2 (34:09):
You, I don't know that they're going to honor the deal.
Speaker 3 (34:11):
That's wrong.
Speaker 5 (34:12):
If they want to make a deal, why do you
think they attacked commercial lessons?
Speaker 7 (34:17):
Because it's not crazy, to be honest with it's so crazy.
They're a little bit adequate to them, but they want
to make a deal badly.
Speaker 1 (34:30):
The President United States America saying that on his way
home on Air Force one.
Speaker 2 (34:35):
And here's what the big takeaway is.
Speaker 1 (34:37):
The United States is demonstrating that not only is the
Trump administration willing to respond militarily after attacks on international shipping,
President Trump has also warned that these additional strikes will
remain on the table, emphasizing that the objective is to
eliminate a rand's ability to threaten maritime commerce and prevent
the region from advancing towards a nuclear weapon. Now the
(34:59):
coming hours and days well, that's going to determine whether
ranbacks down or whether this confrontation enters another phase. The
one thing that is certain this morning, the ceasefire that
many hoped would stabilize the region appears to have collapsed,
and the United States has made it clear it intends
to respond with overwhelming force if American interests or international
(35:22):
shipping are attacked again. Make sure you share this podcast
with your family and friends, put it up on social
media wherever you are, and we appreciate you listening every day.
Speaker 2 (35:32):
We'll see you back here tomorrow.
Host
Ben Ferguson
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