Podcast
10 Minute Drill
Hosted by Matt Whitlock · EN
Your morning 10-minute rundown of the most important stories in news and politics, hosted by veteran political strategist Matt Whitlock. We’re keeping it fun, fast, and light because you’ve got enough going on. New episodes every Tuesday and Thursday.
222episodes
Episodes
Newest firstAll episodes
Iran deal and the biggest test for JD Vance; what World Cup tourists tell us about geopolitics
Jun 1600:14:13Summary readyTrump touches down in France and Geneva ahead of the G7 as the White House pushes forward on an Iran nuclear deal. JD Vance makes clear: Iran will not get a nuclear weapon — and the Strait of Hormuz is no longer a pretext, it's a technical negotiation. What does $300 billion have to do with it? Ro Khanna wants to ban U.S. gasoline exports to lower prices at the pump. Economists, the Daily Wire, and even the New York Times agree — this would make things worse. We break down why. The DOJ settled with Cleveland Clinic, but the 340B drug program scandal runs deeper. Tax dollars have been used to fund dangerous transgender surgeries on minors, and Republicans are pushing for real accountability. Joe Rogan is even talking about it. World Cup tourists are discovering America — and they love it. German fans at Buc-ee's and Waffle House, Scottish fans singing Country Roads, and a stop at Fenway. America is ready for its moment. And finally — Jim Acosta at the Kennedy Center. You can't make it up. All of it in 10 minutes or less. Subscribe and leave us a review — it helps more people find the show. Time Stamps: 0:00 - Intro 0:34 - Trump at the G7 Summit 1:47 - JD Vance speaks on the Iran Deal 6:29 - Ro Khanna’s Latest Dumb Idea 9:28 - Ken Blackwell on Cleveland Clinic 11:28 - World Cup Fans Experience the USA 12:56 - Jim Acosta and the JFK Center
SummaryMonday Rundown: New Iran deal raises questions; Trump at the G7; Fight Night at the White House
Jun 1500:10:20Summary readyIt's the Monday Rundown on 10 Minute Drill! We're breaking down the biggest stories from the weekend — including Trump's UFC entrance, the details and serious questions surrounding the new Iran deal, G7 action, and major Senate personnel moves. Trump made a massive entrance at the UFC fight while dark-money-funded counter-programming hosted by Jane Fonda and Bette Midler tried to steal the spotlight. Then — Jay Clayton floated as the new DNI, Todd Blanche potentially moving to AG, and FISA back on the table. At the G7, Trump will meet with Macron at the Palace of Versailles, he’ll sit down with Zelenskyy, and he’ll hold bilateral meetings with leaders from Qatar, Egypt, and India. Big issues on the table: Ukraine, trade, protectionist digital service taxes, and Iran. Speaking of Iran — Trump announced a deal is complete and signing is set for Friday. We break down what we know, what we don't, and the four critical questions everyone should be asking — including how this differs from the JCPOA, how verification will work, and what it means for the Iranian people. Plus — Jim Acosta live-streams himself watching Trump's name removed from the Kennedy Center, the 340B/Blackwell story on Republican accountability, and a Flag Day moment from Talarico. Time Stamps: 0:00 - Intro 0:33 - Fight Night at the White House 1:11 - Senate week ahead 2:03 - Trump headed to the G7 3:37 - Analyzing the new Iran deal 7:59 - Republicans fight to PROTECT waste in hospital system? 9:33 - Flag day with James Talarico New episodes drop daily. Subscribe so you never miss a rundown.
SummaryGraham Platner’s accidental Epstein connection; CNN calls out a Democrat for erasing past
Jun 1100:09:33Summary readyToday on the 10 Minute Drill: The U.S. hit Iran hard — and Trump says we're hitting them again. We now control the Strait of Hormuz. Then, the greatest own-goal in Democrat history: after blocking DHS funding for 100 days, Democrats ended up getting ICE and CBP funded at 11 times the level they would have received if there had been no shutdown at all. Kamala Harris celebrated. Republicans simply went around them. Congratulations to the resistance. Plus: Graham Platner drops his first general election ad and opens with a Jeffrey Epstein line — we'll explain why that may be the worst possible move for a candidate with his baggage. Then: the Trump administration is warning 500+ hospitals to publish their prices or face fines — RFK Jr. and the MAHA movement call it a major milestone for patient rights and healthcare transparency. And finally: Abdul El-Sayed is deleting posts. We noticed. 📌 CHAPTERS: 0:00 – Intro 0:32 – U.S. strikes Iran, controls the Strait of Hormuz 1:55 – Democrats accidentally fund ICE at 11x — the DHS shutdown backfires spectacularly 3:40 – Platner's first ad: the Epstein line that may haunt him 4:49 – Hospital price transparency: Trump warns 500+ hospitals, RFK Jr. weighs in 6:46 – Viewers Reviews! 9:30 – Abdul El-Sayed deletes posts
SummaryMeet the left-wing group that funded hate groups.. So they could raise money to fight hate
Jun 1000:12:40Summary readyThe U.S. is responding after Iran shot down an American Apache helicopter over the Strait of Hormuz — Trump announced the attack and promised a response. Then, the Southern Poverty Law Center is in serious legal trouble: federal court documents allege the far-left SPLC actually reimbursed KKK members for cross-burnings, all while labeling mainstream conservative organizations as "hate groups" on their infamous hate map. We break down the stunning hypocrisy. Plus: Graham Platner wins his Democrat primary despite — or because of? — his scandal, and voters are already sounding off. It's Waste Wednesday: the DOJ just announced Cleveland Clinic agreed to stop performing sex-change procedures on minors, 200,000 dead people were caught collecting food stamps, and VP Vance has referred Tim Walz and Keith Ellison to the DOJ for investigation. And finally: Texas Democrat James Talarico is facing a growing scandal as a second Capitol staffer confirms a past relationship — raising serious questions about his conduct with staff. 📌 CHAPTERS: 0:00 – Intro 0:37 – Iran shoots down U.S. Apache helicopter: Trump responds 1:48 – SPLC scandal: Feds allege KKK reimbursements, hate map hypocrisy 4:42 – Graham Platner wins his primary — what it says about Democrats 6:39 – Waste Wednesday: Cleveland Clinic, food stamp fraud 9:51 – Walz/Ellison DOJ referral 11:17 – James Talarico: second staffer confirms relationship, pattern of conduct 🔔 Subscribe for sharp, no-nonsense political coverage you can finish in 10 minutes. #10MinuteDrill #IranWar #SPLCHearing #MainePrimary #WasteWednesday #JamesTalarico #Trump #Democrats #FoodStampFraud #ClevelandClinic
SummaryDemocrats implode over Graham Platner’s mounting pile of scandals
Jun 900:16:42Summary readyToday on the 10 Minute Drill: The Graham Platner meltdown continues — his biggest fundraising day came after his scandals broke, Ro Khanna walks back "believe all women," and we expose the champagne socialists who groomed a rich kid into a "working-class" candidate. Plus: the Democrat civil war heats up as Jill Biden's memoir reignites the cover-up of Joe's cognitive decline — and a top Biden comms staffer is named as the "tip of the spear." We also break down the Iran-Israel ceasefire, Trump's role in cooling tensions, and Netanyahu's warning. And: New York spends $44,000 per child and two-thirds of 4th graders can't do math — we look at what Houston, Texas is doing right. Finally, Oregon wants to BAN hunting and fishing — and it may actually make the ballot. 📌 CHAPTERS: 0:00 - Intro 0:34 - Iran/Israel: Trump calls for ceasefire, Netanyahu holds fire 1:40 - Graham Platner’s Origin Story 5:46 - The state of the Democrats 10:13 - Texas vs. NYC: Who's winning on education? 12:30 - Oregon's ballot initiative to ban hunting & fishing 14:12 - Biden civil war: Jill's memoir & the cognitive decline cover-up 🔔 Subscribe for daily political news you can actually finish in 10 minutes. #10MinuteDrill #GrahamPlatner #Democrats #Iran #Israel #Trump #Biden #JillBiden #Texas #Education #Oregon #Politics #News #2026
SummaryMonday Rundown: LA looks like a banana republic as late votes shift results away from Spencer Pratt
Jun 800:10:53Summary readySomething doesn't add up in Los Angeles. Spencer Pratt had a nearly 6-point lead over Nithya Raman after election night — and then, days later, the race flipped. We break down why this feels less like democracy and more like a banana republic (not the store). When the makeup of uncounted ballots mysteriously shifts toward one candidate and Democrat vote share moves at just the right moment, you have to ask the question nobody in mainstream media wants to ask. Iran bombs Israel and President Trump asks Israel to stand down — how long can this go on before it explodes? We break down the geopolitical tightrope. Then — Platner's wild weekend: what happened, what's next, and the growing Fetterman vs. Platner showdown that has Democrats in full panic mode. Democrat candidate problems are piling up everywhere: Terror sympathizer Adam Hamdan wins a New Jersey primary Abdul El-Sayed's continued rise The Chicago Bears announce they're leaving Chicago for Indiana — a massive embarrassment for Governor Pritzker And finally: can Congress actually deliver a bipartisan crypto win with the Clarity Act? All of that in under 10 minutes. Time Stamps: 0:00 - Intro 0:33 - Iran bombs Israel while President Trump calls on Israel to ignore it 2:03-Hijinks in Los Angeles over the mayors race vote count 4:00- What’s next for Graham Platner 7:20 - Democrats candidate problems grow 9:14 - A wild week ahead Topics: Los Angeles mayor race, Spencer Pratt, Nithya Raman, Karen Bass, election integrity, Iran Israel conflict, Trump foreign policy, Fetterman, Platner, New Jersey primary, Chicago Bears Indiana, Clarity Act, crypto legislation, Democrat primaries 2026
SummaryFriday Breakdown: New York Times bombshell on Graham Platner and abuse
Jun 500:13:30Summary readyYesterday the New York Times released a long-awaited bombshell story about Graham Platner and his past relationships, including accounts on the record from former girlfriends who describe his total disrespect for women and interactions that scared them, made them uncomfortable, and were even abusive. We break down 4 key parts of the article: The inside baseball breakdown of how this story came about and what the process likely looked like these last few days as Platner was asked for comment and attempted to discredit his own former girlfriends The incident of assault described, which is provided in great detail and is objectively distubring - but part of a larger pattern of disqualifying behavior One incident described in the story in which a former girlfriend recieved a disturbing, uninvited visit from a drunk Platner - in which she does not elaborate further but was enough for her to cut off further ties Other key revelations in the story, including clear evidence that Platner has long-known the meaning of his Nazi tattoo despite stating numerous times he had it for 18 years without knowing the meaning; and a range of horrifying comments Platner has made about rape and sexual assault Platner's supporters are frantically working to discredit these women who came forward, and downplay their accounts - but it's clearly getting more and more difficult. Lastly, important to note that last night Senator Susan Collins passed a historic milestone: her 10,000th vote in the Senate without a single absence - a historic streak highlighting her reliability and consistency. It was a jarring split screen from Platner on MS Now defending himself against the latest report of his bad behavior and shocking history. And yet Democrats insist that they must replace Collins with Platner in order to save Democracy.
SummaryMarco vs. the House; CNN’s shock polling on Democrats identity crisis; Bessent Beastmode
Jun 400:13:38Summary readyIran fired missiles and drones toward U.S. and partner forces near Kuwait and Bahrain. CENTCOM reports no U.S. personnel were harmed and forces remain on high alert. The administration is calling it "aggressive Iranian behavior" — even as ceasefire talks continue. We break down what's actually happening on the ground and what "shooting in a more moderate manner" means when missiles are still flying. Rubio went beast mode on Capitol Hill again. When Democratic members tried to run out the clock with the "reclaiming my time" procedural move to avoid getting answers on the record, Rubio called it out directly: "This is a weird rule where you ask a question and I can't answer." Rep. Kamlager-Dove, Sara Jacobs, Ted Lieu, and Rep. Keating all tried it. We have the supercut — and Rubio handles every single one of them. California election continued breakdown: the LA mayor's race result and what it means for Karen Bass's political future. And a proper sendoff for Katie Porter — who lost her bid for Senate and is now departing Congress. We have the sizzle reel: yelling at a reporter, snapping at a staffer, and yes, the Batman costume. Goodbye, and goodbye forever. New polling out on the Democratic Party's direction: Democrats' net approval of their own Congressional leadership has collapsed from +22 in October 2025 to -9 today. 47% of Democrats want their party to move to the center. Only 28% want to move further left. We discuss what this means for 2026, 2028, and whether the party's leadership is even listening. And Treasury Secretary Bessent — you genuinely cannot make this up. We play the clip. ⏱️ TIMESTAMPS 0:00 - Intro 0:38 - Iran’s Agression 1:58 - CA Election Fallout 4:10 - Rubio Beast Mode 7:43 - Dems Approval Numbers 10:14 - Reviews! 11:05 - Scott Bessent Goes Off
SummaryRubio sizzles in the Senate; Platner tries to calm troubled waters in Washington
Jun 300:14:52Summary readyElection night results are in. The California governor's race and the Los Angeles mayor's race both delivered surprises — Karen Bass's political future is in serious question, and the final results will shape the 2026 political landscape in the nation's most populous state. We break down what happened and what it means. President Trump posted a direct message to Iran this week: "It's time, one way or another, for you to make a deal. You've been doing this for 47 years, and it cannot be allowed to go on any longer." Secretary of State Rubio backed it up on Capitol Hill. We break down where negotiations actually stand — and what "one way or another" means if talks collapse. Democrats have a Platner problem and they know it. We built the supercut: Schumer can't change the subject fast enough, Adam Schiff offers nothing, Michael Bennet has nothing to say, and Angela Alsobrooks says she's "voting for Democrats" — that's it. Then Platner's campaign manager Faiz Shakir claims Platner can't be antisemitic because he went to a Jewish wedding. And Alexander Vindman — who once called MAGA "the Nazis of the early 1930s" — actually got lit up by The View's own panel for defending Platner. We have all of it. A national security group is calling on Congress to investigate Airwallex — a global payments company now deeply embedded in the U.S. financial technology ecosystem — over substantial ownership, operational, and workforce ties to the Chinese Communist Party. This is a story the financial media is underreporting, and it matters. Waste Wednesday: CBS is reporting that one man submitted $270 million in fraudulent Medi-Cal claims. Authorities say 70% of $1 trillion in healthcare spending goes to transnational criminal organizations. Gavin Newsom wants to raise your taxes — but fights every effort to reduce the fraud bleeding California dry. We connect the dots. And "Doctor" Jill Biden is back on the media circuit. The Wall Street Journal has been asking the question for years: is there an actual M.D. in the White House? The answer is no — and the tour isn't going any better for it. ⏱️ TIMESTAMPS 0:00 - Intro 0:32 - California Election Results 2:10 - Marco Rubio takes down Rosen 3:43 - Platner’s Mess Gets Worse 9:25 - China’s Latest Ploy 11:02 - Waste Wednesday 13:19 - Is Jill Biden a Doctor?
SummaryElection Day: Can Spencer Pratt pull it off? We play Graham Platner Scandal Bingo
Jun 200:15:22Summary readyWe talk about what it takes to lose a Senate race. Todd Akin lost Missouri over one comment about rape. Roy Moore lost Alabama — to a Democrat — over accusations involving underage women. Mark Robinson lost the North Carolina governor's race after praising Nazis. Each of those candidates was derailed by a single scandal. Graham Platner, the Democratic candidate for Senate in Maine, now has the makings of all of them simultaneously: comments telling women to "take some responsibility" for their sexual assault, illicit texts sent to between six and twelve women, a presence on an app tied to exploitation of minors, and a Nazi tattoo — with more stories reportedly still coming. We run through Campaign Liability Bingo and ask the only question that matters: how desperate are Democrats to unseat Susan Collins that they're defending all of this? Democrats are also making an open and explicit threat to restructure the Supreme Court. Hakeem Jeffries, Jamie Raskin, and Sheldon Whitehouse have all gone on record. The Wall Street Journal editorial board calls it one of the most dangerous political promises of the cycle. We break down what the plan would actually look like and why it's getting less coverage than it deserves. Iran update: U.S. forces struck Iranian air defenses and a drone site in a new skirmish near the Strait of Hormuz — but there are signals that the shooting between Hezbollah and Israel may be nearing a stop. We sort through what's real and what's posturing heading into the week. Election night preview: California, New Jersey, New Mexico, and Montana all have primaries. The Los Angeles mayor's race is the one to watch — Karen Bass is in serious trouble, Spencer Pratt has gained eight points since March, and if no candidate clears 50%, the top two advance to a runoff. Yes, that Spencer Pratt. Democratic candidate Talarico delivered the exact same scripted answer in nine separate interviews. We have the supercut. It is something. And Jill Biden is on a media tour. She has said publicly that she thought the president was having a stroke — and still called for four more years. The tour is going about as well as you'd expect. Today's episode covers: • Platner's full scandal inventory — and the Bingo card • Democrats' explicit threat to the Supreme Court • Iran: Hormuz skirmish and ceasefire signals • California and LA primary preview • Talarico's nine identical answers • Jill Biden's media tour Subscribe, leave a review, and share with someone who wants the week's most important stories before their first meeting. 0:00 - Intro 0:39 - Iran and Reconciliation 2:34 - CA Primary Preview 5:34 - Platner Liability Bingo: Every Scandal at Once 9:01 - Democrats Threaten the Supreme Court 11:39 - James Talarico’s Robot Performance 13:13 – Jill Biden's Media Tour Disaster
Summary