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Castro
1021 podcast is brought to you by T Mobile. Yo, Castro here. I've been around soccer my whole life. From playing in Chicago to streaming FIFA to millions. It's always been about the love of the game. And chat knows we don't miss a moment. That's exactly why I'm on America's best network. Honestly, you won't believe everything I did as a T Mobile member. Weekly perks with T Mobile, Tuesdays plus streaming benefits like Hulu and Netflix. Switching is easy, like 15 minutes per line with the Tealife app. If you want more value, more perks and the best network, T Mobile is where it's at. Visit t mobile.com qualifying plan require t Mobile has the best mobile network in the US Based on an analysis by OOKLA of Speed Test intelligence Data for the second half of 2025.
Ana Navarro
What's up, everyone? I'm Angel.
Mark Caputo
I'm Diego. I'm Jason.
Ana Navarro
And we're Augusto. Papa. Okay, be real.
Mark Caputo
What era are we in? We got motion podcast up, lives moving. Yeah, but the cars though, bro. Bruh, be serious. Every life update needs new wheels.
Ana Navarro
Estamos la tro catambien. Low key, More luxury. Or maybe a hybrid. Mas milas menos impacto. I'm down for the upgrade. Cars.com filter everything.
Mark Caputo
Price, style, mileage. Over 2 million new and used cars. Real reviews, clear ratings. You know it's a good move. Punto.
Ana Navarro
Start your search with cars.com where to next?
Eva Longoria
This is Eva Longoria from Hungry for History with Eva Longoria and Maite Gomez Reon. Every day, Planned Parenthood health centers across the country open their doors and provide high quality expert health care. That's no simple task when lawmakers are trying to block access to life saving care like birth control, cancer screenings, STI testing, and so much more. At Planned Parenthood, care continues because they believe your body is your business and being able to control your own body. That's the most basic freedom there is. So Planned Parenthood won't back down. Text update to 22422 to learn more.
Chiquis
Hola. Soy chiquis yentra Podcast shows Ilavida no siempo tiempo paramis plantas. Pero entras amicas como situ control. Pero entre nos no tento peromis plantas si gracias. A miracle grow. Con miracle grow Indoor plant food Par atoda las plantas que nu tre dese la rais lo applicas comos indica y despues de trentadillas tus plantas cres en fuertes y salud. Po cues Fuerso grande resultados. Es un milagro. Es Miracle Gro Visita Miracle Gro punto com y empiesa tu propio camino decresimiento.
Ana Navarro
Hey, everyone. Welcome to BLEEP with Ana Navarro. I am Ana Navarro. Thank you so much for being here. Today we have a special guest, my old friend from Florida, Axios reporter Mark Caputo. We're going to talk about the crazy shit going on in Florida, but also the crazy shit going on in the country, a lot of it involving Floridians who worked or have been fired from this administration. But first, I want us to talk about these numbers that came out on Trump a few days ago. It is a poll from the Washington Post, ABC and ipsos. And the findings, I think, are something that we should spend some time talking about the numbers. Basically, here's the Cliff Notes. They suck. They are bad. Trump's numbers are beyond underwater. They're like in the Mariana's Trench underwater. Okay? That's how far DP is. So let's just go through some of these numbers, and I want you all to think about what this means. So his job as President, 62% of the country disapproves as his job as president. Cannot believe there's still 37% of Americans who approve but whatever. Cost of living. 76% of Americans polled disapprove of Trump's handling of cost of living. Why is that important? Because that's why people voted for him, because he was going to make our eggs and our meat and our groceries cheaper. That has not happened. On inflation, 72% disapprove. Situation with Iran. 66% disapprove. Relations with U.S. allies. 65% disapprove. The economy, 65% disapprove. Taxes, 61% disapprove. Border with Mexico, 54% disapprove. And on immigration, 59% disapprove. I think those last two numbers are so significant because so many people voted for Trump, including some Latinos, including some immigrants, voted for Trump because they wanted the border controlled and because they wanted a control on immigration. But I think people are so sick and so affected by. By the consistent cruelty we have seen out of this administration, this Trump administration, when it comes to the immigration issue. We have seen the small children used as human bait. We know there's over 4,000 children being held in deplorable conditions in places like the Dilley Detention Center. We know that almost 50 people, maybe more, by now. Have died in ICE custody. And this last week, we saw one of the most horrible cases and greatest pieces of evidence I have ever seen for the cruelty of the Trump administration. I don't know if you guys heard of this, but I want you to go look it up if you didn't. It involves a young man, 18 year old. He was born in Chicago. His name is Kevin Gonzalez. And Kevin Gonzalez has stage 4 colon cancer and is dying. If you see his pictures, if you see the video of him, you realize this is a young man who has weeks, days, maybe hours to live. Kevin Gonzalez parents are from Mexico. They were deported in 2011. And Kevin Gonzalez stayed in the United States, living with his grandmother. His parents, when they found out what was happening with their boy, with their son, tried to get back into the United States. They applied for a visa, they applied for a humanitarian visa, asked for a humanitarian exemption. They were denied that visa. So in an act of desperation to try to see their son before he died, knowing that he was going through treatment, they crossed the border, they were detained and they have been held now in detention, ice, detention in Arizona. Kevin is now in Mexico with his grandmother. There is nothing that can be done for him. The hospital has said there's no further treatment. He's dying. He is dying. And he has been begging ice. He has been begging the Trump administration. Public officials have been begging on his behalf. The media has taken the case up to release his parents. It is unbelievable to me that the same people we see behind the White House podium, wearing big crosses, quoting the Bible, clutching the Bible, pounding their chests at these holier than thou Christians and Catholics, go visit the Pope, all things like that, do not have the compassion, did not have the compassion to release those parents. They have now lost precious time, precious days and hours with their dying boy. I cannot think of something more heartbreaking. And that, that is why Trump's approval numbers, even on immigration, are so bad. And that is why the White House wants us to forget about the mass deportations, has told Republicans running for elected office not to tout the mass deportations and not to talk about immigration because people are not going to forget the pain, the torture, the tears that they have caused Americans, particularly brown and black Americans. And I also want to talk today about. I can't believe we talk about this every week, but we have to. What choice do we have? We gotta talk about what's happening with Trump's ballroom, cuz it's actually pretty outrageous. So let's just remember where we began with this ballroom. We began with Trump saying that this ballroom was gonna cost $200 million, then it went up to $300 million, then it went up to$400 million. Well, while we slept, while we blinked and looked the other way, Republicans are now trying to sneak a $1 billion appropriation for this ballroom into a DHS funding bill. And let's just remember, I mean, it's the countless of times that Trump said things like this. I'm paying for it. I'm paying for it. The country is not. We are donating a $400 million ballroom. Myself. And donors are giving them free of charge for nothing. We did this at no charge to the taxpayer whatsoever. Rich people and people are putting up the money. Zero taxpayer dollars. And by the way, no government funds. These are all private individuals that put up a lot of money to build the ballroom. Not one penny is being used from the federal government. And let's remember who the private donors, who he got all this money from. Let's just go through some of them. These are like the usual suspects now. People always sucking up to Trump, kissing his ass. Meta Zuckerberg, Apple, Tim Cook. We see him at the state dinner. We see him. Amazon, of course. Jeff Bezos, Google, Lockheed Martin. They get lots of contracts, government contracts. There's people like Palantir, they're making a lot of money from immigration contracts. People like Nextera, like the Adelen family. Remember Donald Trump gave Miriam Adelen the Medal of Freedom. People like the Betty Wall Johnson Foundation. That's Woody Johnson, the owner of the New York Jets. Donald Trump made him ambassador to England the first time. There's people like Benjamin Leon, I know him. He's from Miami. Donald Trump made him ambassador to Spain. Rich guy. There's people like the Lutnick family. Howard Lutnick, you know, the liar who pretended he didn't know Epstein, that he met him once and was never going to be seen with him again and actually went and visited his island. Yeah, that guy there, Pepe and Emilio Fangan, Americans, these are the sugar titans. These are the type of people that are donating that have donated the supposed $400 million that was going to cover the cost of this ballroom that is now going to cost the American taxpayer if Republicans get their way, a billion dollars. So what they're saying is that the billion dollars is necessary because it's going to cover security. It's the bunker that's going to go under the ballroom. My question is, why weren't all of these things thought of and thought out and planned for before he tore down The East Room. I cannot tell you the amount of Trump apologists and defenders on TV who tell me, well, what are we going to do? Are we going to leave this gaping hole on the White House grounds now? Well, you made the fucking hole. So why don't you all take shovels and shovel some of the bullshit that you spill on TV on a daily basis and fill it up with that? So, yeah, they tore it down, didn't ask permission, didn't consult with any of the historical trusts or experts, didn't tell Congress a thing, tore the East Wing down. This thing has ballooned. And let's just remembered. Let's just remember a couple of things. So now the cost that started at 200 million is at 1.4 billion and growing. That's between the private donations and what they want from the government. Let's remember this is the same Trump and the same DOJ that wants to haul Jerome Powell into court, that once Jerome Powell the Fed chair, indicted for cost overruns in the renovation of the treasury buildings. So it's rather rich that Donald Trump, whose ballroom is now costing almost a billion dollars more, is going after Jerome Powell, the Fed chair, for cost overruns. And it is also rather rich that all of this is happening as Americans cannot afford gas and as Americans cannot afford groceries, as more and more Americans have stopped paying their insurance premiums and are going naked without insurance because they cannot continue to afford to pay as farmers in America are going bankrupt, cannot secure or afford the cost of fertilizer. All of these things are happening at the same time. So it's just, you know, it makes no sense. $40 billion to bail out Argentina, to bail out Argentinian farmers, and Seward will bail out American farmers. At the time, he wants a billion dollars, and I guarantee you it will grow from the American people to build his pet project. It just makes no damn sense. So I told you we were going to talk a lot about the Washington Post. So on the topic of the Washington Post, they were awarded a Pulitzer Prize. Last week, the Washington Post, along with journalist Hannah Nathanson, were recognized and awarded a Pulitzer in public service, considered the most prestigious of the Pulitzer Prizes. And Hannah's reporting helped secure that award. It was notable. Her reporting was about the Doge cuts and just the effects of those haphazard, extreme cuts to government workers and the government. And Hannah had been targeted by the Trump administration for reporting on the Trump administration's overhaul of these federal agencies and these cuts. The FBI searched her home, searched her devices. And so, again, it is hard to reconcile that the owner of the Washington Post, Jeff Bezos, is, you know, constantly, constantly sucking up and palling around with Trump at the same time that somebody that works for that Washington Post, that Hannah Nathanson is getting this Pulitzer for reporting on the abuses of the Trump administration and is being targeted by the Trump administration. And another person who got a well deserved a little delayed Pulitzer Prize was my friend and somebody who's been on the show before, Julie K. Brown from the Miami Herald, my local paper. She was on our show back in March. If you haven't listened to the episode, you should because she talks about the Epstein scandal and kind of where we are with it. Julie, if you will remember, is the reporter whose, whose expo say about the victims back in 2017 revealed the just of the failure of the government, the federal government, in having any accountability around Epstein. And basically it's what got him arrested and back in jail again and what brought the Epstein scandal back into the radar screen of America. So congratulations to Hannah Nathanson and to Julie K. Brown. After this, we're going to come back and we're going to be talking to Mark Caputo, who used to work in the Miami Herald, now works for Axios. And it's going to be a lot of spilling of the tea and a very dishy interview. So stick with us.
Chiquis
Imagine never having to buy gas again. Sounds like a dream. Except it's real. That's everyday life with an electric vehicle. No long lines at the pump. Just plug in at home and go. EVs are as easy to charge as your phone and built for real life. Most Americans drive about 40 miles a day and most EVs go 200 to 400 miles on a single charge. And with fewer moving parts, you've got fewer repairs and style. There are hundreds of new and used EV models to choose from. An EV to fit every lifestyle and every budget. Learn more@electricfourall.org Hola.
Ana Navarro
Que tal?
Chiquis
This is Chiquis from Chiquis and Chill. Yatela sabes? I take care of mi gente, my friends. Mi familia, hasta mi glam squad. Whether I'm on tour or just at home, staying connected really matters to me. Even across borders. Siem francontakto. And if I find something good, I share it. Like T Mobile. You won't believe everything you get as a T Mobile member. Not only do I get America's best network, but I also get weekly perks with T Mobile. Tuesday, Tuesdays, streaming benefits like Hulu and Netflix. Y mucho mas. I mean, Tuesday was already elite for los Tacos, but now T Mobile Tuesdays too. Who needs weekends? All my family's favorite things. Texting, calling, streaming, sharing the latest binge with the crew. You know las cosas mas importantes de la vida. Being a T Mobile member means we're doing life right. Todo flu lle mejor and switching takes 15 minutes per line with the Tealifer app. Seen bronas I share solo Mejore. If you want more benefits, more perks and more connections, this is just the beginning. Switch to T Mobile online, in store or on the app. Visit t mobile.com qualifying lines and plan required. T Mobile Best mobile network in the U.S. according to Ookla Speed Test Based on analysis by OOKLA of Speed Test Intelligence data 2H2025OOKLA trademarks used under license and reprinted with permission.
Eva Longoria
This is Eva Longoria from Hungry for History with Eva Longoria and Maite Gomez Rejon. Planned Parenthood Health Centers Save Lives but lawmakers are trying to block patients from using Medicaid at Planned Parenthood Health Centers for one simple reason. They want to shut Planned Parenthood down. Yet across the country, Planned Parenthood health centers are still there, opening their doors to care for the communities. That's because Planned Parenthood believes controlling your own body is the most basic freedom, and they will never stop fighting for it. One in four people in the US have been to a Planned Parenthood health Center for high quality health care like birth control, cancer screenings, STI testing and treatment, and more. Planned Parenthood is still the country's largest sex educator and a trusted source of unbiased sexual and reproductive health information for millions of people. Planned Parenthood will never stop working to get people the information they need, and they will never stop fighting so that every person is free to make their own decisions about their bodies and futures. At Planned Parenthood, Care continues. Text UPDATE to 22422 to learn more.
Chiquis
Hi, it's Cheekies from Cheekies and Chill. Okay, today's vibe, new chapters and why is it when we level up in our lives, our ride stays the same? Make it make sense if you're stepping into a new season with new goals, new possibilities. Shouldn't your car match your energy? And cars.com is the perfect place to find your next ride. They've got over 2 million new and used cars to choose from with 50,000 added daily, and I love that they make it easy. Their filters help you narrow it down fast by price, Features style tudecides so you're not scrolling forever oh. So who's got time for that? Check the real reviews from real people with real experiences and pick the keys to what's next. Are you in your upgrade season? Let's go tap into that new car energy and search cars.com.
Ana Navarro
okay, so I have been looking forward to having this conversation with my old, old friend from South Florida, Mark Caputo. I first met Mark when he was covering politics for the Miami Herald. It so long ago. I used to be a staunch Republican and vote for and campaign for every Republican running in Florida and in the United States. Mark, how long have we known each other?
Mark Caputo
It's been 2006 probably.
Ana Navarro
Yeah.
Mark Caputo
Maybe even early. Maybe 2004.
Ana Navarro
Yeah, it's been a while. But I have been looking forward to this interview. And I mean, I even prepared by pouring myself a glass of Sauvignon Blanche because I know it's going to be dishy. So cheers, my friend. Okay, Mark, Cheers.
Mark Caputo
I wish I could be in studio with you, Mark.
Ana Navarro
Let's get into it. So this administration has been very Florida heavy. We saw a lot of Floridians who were in the administration early on. Some have been fired, some are still there, and some have moved to Florida now, including Trump. But let's talk about. I feel like, you know, you covered Tallahassee, you've covered South Florida, you covered Tallahassee. Now you're covering national politics for Axios. Tell us about some of these Florida characters. I don't think people know that much about Susie Wiles. Who the hell is Susie Wiles? Where'd she come from? And how did she end up being, like, the warden over at the White House?
Mark Caputo
Well, Susie Wiles is just a very talented manager of people. Like, if she were to write a book called the top 10 secrets to management that you could buy at an airport, it would be a bestseller. She comes from Ponte Vedra, which is where she lives. Sort of the Jacksonville area in between sort of Jacksonville and Daytona Beach. But her real sort of coming out party in Florida Politics is the 2010 gubernatorial race. She managed Rick Scott's campaign, and by all accounts, Rick Scott should not have won. And the only way Rick Scott could have won that race is if he and the campaign did everything perfectly for that time. And they did. And so that's when Susie really sort of appears on the scene. That's 2010. And then you fast forward a number of years. 2014, she does the reelect. Scott wins 2016. Donald Trump is launching this campaign that no one thinks he's going to win. And no One thinks he's going to win Florida, and he starts having a problem in Florida, and the polling doesn't look good. And he's told by his friend Rick Scott, Donald Trump is, hey, you need to hire my campaign manager, Susie Wild. She knows what she's doing. He hires Susie. Trump WINS Florida. So 2018, Ron DeSantis runs for governor, and by all accounts, people said he shouldn't win. And his campaign was in a shambles. And his friend Donald Trump tells DeSantis, you need to hire Susie Wiles. Hire Susie Wiles and wins. There's a difference between Donald Trump and Ron DeSantis is that Ron DeSantis, while both of them like to be in the spotlight, perhaps like any politician, DeSantis really resented the idea that Susie Wiles was getting credit for his win.
Ana Navarro
So, basically, so what you're telling me is that Susie Wilde's secret talent is to take the shittiest candidates in the world, the most flawed candidates you could possibly find, and somehow have them win? Because Rick Scott is the grim reaper personified, right? He has got the political skills of a root vegetable. Donald Trump, for the love of God, had, like, dozens of sexual assault and harassment claims against him. Bankruptcies, dodge the draft, the entire thing. And desantis. Let me not even talk about desantis because he's still governor. He may still be able to extract pain from me. So Susie Wiles, that's her secret sauce. Now, let's talk about.
Castro
Well, hold on.
Mark Caputo
Let me.
Chiquis
Yeah, go ahead.
Mark Caputo
You don't mind. Let me just finish the stance, because this is. This is crucial to understanding the Susie Wiles story. DeSantis in 2019. Peter said in 2019, yes, he becomes governor, people around DeSantis start telling DeSantis, you know, basically feeding his jealousy and his anger toward her. And someone leaks a fundraising memo that she wrote, which was embarrassing for DeSantis because, you know, like all politicians, these guys, they fundraise. And the way you fundraise is you get lobbyists to do things with you, and then you collect money from them. So they're basically selling golf trips, golfing outings with the governor. And someone leaked a memo where Susie was planning this thing out, right? Which is fairly typical for both sides, all sides of the aisle in the political system. DeSantis accused her of leaking it, trying to embarrass him. Garber fired from the lobby shop she was at and then told every other lobby shop, don't hire her. If you do, all of your projects and all of your clients will meet their Demise in Tallahassee. And he tells the Trump campaign the 2020 reelect not to hire her and to fire her. Trump initially listens, but then Once again, in 2020, things started to go south. He decided to bring Susie back on. Trump wins Florida, loses the presidential race. In 2021, Trump is in the wilderness. And he saw enough of Susie Wilde's organizing ability where he said, okay, I'm going to put you in charge of everything, all my political, all of this. And he did it. And the rest is okay.
Ana Navarro
So, Mark, she's now the chief of staff at the White House. My question always is, because people who know Susie Wiles, I don't say she is a really normal, good person, a good manager, a mother, a grandmother. I mean, she seems like a normal human being. Why doesn't she stop Trump from tweeting out crazy shit at four in the morning?
Mark Caputo
Oh, you can't, you cannot, you cannot stop the tide from rising. Trump is a planetary object. You can't stop a hurricane from blowing right. You can't stop a tornado from twisting. This is it. I had said during the last campaign that it was a two headed beast. The Trump campaign. It was Susie Wiles and Chris La Civita were co managers of the campaign and what I called the MAGA Serenity Prayer, which was give us the strength to accept the things we cannot change. For them, it was Donald Trump and the ability to change the things they can, which is basically everything else. And the wisdom to know the difference. And that's where the wisdom know the difference. One of Susie's lines that she had told her daughter who told me is you have to understand, you have to know, she said in her position, when to be indispensable and when to be invisible. And so she has sort of mastered that art.
Ana Navarro
Well, thanks for giving us that insight. But now let's move on to another character in this telenovela. No, no, no. First, let's do Pam Bondi. Cause listen, I have known Pam Bondi for decades. I knew her back when she was Attorney General of Florida. She used to come to the Biltmore Hotel in Coral Gables. That's owned by my ex. We used to drink, we used to have a great time. I never thought Pam Bondi was a legal eagle. I never thought she was the sharpest knife drawer. But she was nice. She was, you know, great. She got along with people, she could work with people. She was courteous. She was a wonderful person to be around. She was fun. She was fun. And then all of a sudden she becomes Trump's Attorney General, and she morphs into Cruella deville in front of my eyes. I mean, it was like Lady Macbeth monologue every time she was at a congressional hearing. Out, you damn sp out. I mean, she sounded like the craziest bitch I have ever heard in my life, to the point where it was too much even for Trump. So what the fuck happened to Pam Bondi?
Mark Caputo
You know, this happens to a lot of people who Trump demands that they take a job and they feel they can't say no. I have it on pretty good authority. Well, let's rewind. When Donald Trump decides who does he really want to have as his Attorney General, he wants to make sure it's a loyalist and someone he can trust who will do what he asks and someone who will not screw him over. And so the guy he actually wanted was Matt Gaetz. However, Matt had, let's say, certain complications and certain issues, and that just became untenable. We can get into that. He calls up Bondi, Trump does, and says, pam, I want you to be Attorney General. And you know what she does? She almost cried on the phone with him and said she didn't want to do it because she knew she was living. She's leading a very happy life. She likes dogs. She has a very handsome husband. They have a great life together, and she didn't want to do it.
Ana Navarro
And she was making money at a loss at a lobbying firm, tons of
Mark Caputo
money at Ballard's, Ballard's law firm, which, by the way, was the law firm where Susie Wiles was working at when DeSantis called up Ballard and told him to fire her in 2019.
Ana Navarro
Florida is so ridiculously incestuous, it's not even funny. It's. I mean, it's like. It's a miracle we all don't have, you know, issues like hemophilia or something.
Mark Caputo
We have a family. We have a family tree that looks sort of like a broomstick, right?
Chiquis
Imagine never having to buy gas again. Sounds like a dream. Except it's real. That's everyday life with an electric vehicle. No long lines at the pump. Just plug in at home and go. EVs are as easy to charge as your phone. And built for real life, most Americans drive about 40 miles a day, and most EVs go 200 to 400 miles on a single charge. And with fewer moving parts, you've got fewer repairs and style. There are hundreds of new and used EV models to choose from. An EV to fit every lifestyle and every budget.
Castro
Learn more@electricforall.org 10:21 Podcast is brought to you by T Market Mobile. Yo Castro here. I've been around soccer my whole life since I was three. From playing in Chicago to now streaming FIFA to millions. It's always been about the love of the game and chat knows we don't miss a moment. We're watching matches live, calling each other, texting, non stop group chats, going crazy. It never stops. That's exactly why I'm on America's best network. Honestly, you won't believe everything I get as a T Mobile member. I get weekly perks with T Mobile Tuesdays, stuff like exclusive experiences and streaming benefits like Hulu and Netflix. Don't know how I slept on this before, but now I'm locked in and switching was Easy. Takes like 15 minutes per line with the T Life app. If you want more value, more perks and the best network T Mobile is where it's at. Visit t mobile.com qualifying plan required. TM Mobile has the best mobile network in the US based on an analysis by OOKLA of Speed test intelligence Data for the second half of 2025.
Eva Longoria
This is Eva Longoria from Hungry for History with Eva Longoria and Maite Gomez Rejon. Planned Parenthood Health Centers Save Lives but lawmakers are trying to block patients from using Medicaid at Planned Parenthood health centers for one simple reason. They want to shut Planned Parenthood down. Yet across the country, Planned Parenthood health centers are still there, opening their doors to care for the communities. That's because Planned Parenthood believes controlling your own body is the most basic freedom, and they will never stop fighting for it. One in four people in the US have been to a Planned Parenthood health center for high quality health care like birth control, cancer screenings, STI testing and treatment, and more. Planned Parenthood is still the country's largest sex educator and a trusted source of unbiased sexual and reproductive health information for millions of people. Planned Parenthood will never stop working to get people the information they need, and they will never stop fighting so that every person is free to make their own decisions about their bodies and futures at Planned Parenthood Care continues. Text update to 22422 to learn more.
Chiquis
Hi, it's Cheekies from Cheekies and Chill. Okay, today's vibe, new chapters and why is it when we level up in our lives, our ride stays the same? Make it make sense if you're stepping into a new season with new goals, new possibilities, shouldn't your car match your energy? And cars.com is the perfect place to find your Next ride. They've got over 2 million new and used cars to choose from with 50,000 added daily. And I love that they make it easy. Their filters help you narrow it down fast by price, features, style. Do they see this? So you're not scrolling forever. Oh. So who's got time for that? Check the real reviews from real people with real experiences and pick the keys to what's next. Are you in your upgrade season? Let's go tap into that new car energy and search cars.com.
Ana Navarro
But. Okay, now, now, now let's get to the biggie of Floridians in this Trump administration, other than Trump himself, and that's my old friend Marco Rubio. Can you believe the conversion in this guy? I mean, it's like, like he has fallen victim to the body snatchers. But, but I, you know, I was, I was. So last week, he filled in for Carolyn Levitt, who's on maternity leave, right? The White House spokesperson, the press secretary. And he. And he. And he gave this beautiful, like, vintage Marco answer on something about how in this country, the color of your skin and your. Where you come from is not going to stop. I mean, this, like, I have heard these lines from Marco for decades now, and I remember being inspired by them at some point. I remember, oh, this aspirational tone just lifts me up. I feel so proud of Marco right now. I want to hide my face and shift. Shame that I ever supported him and that I ever believed him. Anytime I hear Marco Rubio open up his mouth, or worse yet, not open up his mouth. So what in the hell has happened to Marco Rubio? Marquito?
Mark Caputo
I mean, in 2016, like, go back to 2016, Rubio decides to run for president. He's technically not running against Jeb Bush, but he's really running against Jeb Bush. That was the story. Like, is Jeb Bush going to become president? Donald Trump comes out of nowhere and just mops the floor with everyone, including Rubio. Rubio's. He wasn't the last guy standing in that race, but he was sort of the last sort of significant kind of character. I mean, Ted Cruz hung on.
Ana Navarro
But by the way, hold on, let me stop you there, because on the Jeb aspect of it, Jeb Bush was Marco Rubio's mentor. So was my husband, but let's leave that out of that. But okay, Jeb Bush, speaking of incestuous, by the way, okay, so Jeb Bush was Marco's mentor. Marco became speaker of the House in the Florida legislature under Jeb. You know, he owes him, his career, he owes him so much. Had said he would never run against Jeb. And the only reason I bring this up is because now he, like, plays nice with JD Vance and there's like, oh, Marco Rubio will never run against J.D. vance. Yeah, hold my sauvignon blank. I've seen this movie before. He will stab him in the back so quickly, JD Vance won't even feel the blade going in between his ribs.
Mark Caputo
Well, Vance's, Vance's people have an advanced paranoia for anyone who might be running against Vance. They had it for Rubio for a while and they don't anymore. I, I, I don't think. And now this, this is going to be famous. Last word. So what is today? It is May 7th of 4.23pm Right? On a, on a, on a Thursday. I'm going to eat these words, I think, to your point, like, I don't think he's going to run against J.D. vance.
Ana Navarro
Oh, I do. I. So we are putting money on this.
Mark Caputo
Could be wrong.
Ana Navarro
Okay, we're putting money on this. Let's bet a dollar on a bottle of your favorite or a bottle of my favorite. And I'm going to make a real expensive.
Mark Caputo
Oh, no, your, your, your tastes are too advanced and expensive for me to afford. I, no, no, no.
Ana Navarro
Oh, come on. You're now, you're now a big time national reporter. You've got the money to pay for my, for my booze. Okay, but let's talk, let's continue on. Marco. So the Marco Rubio you and I knew when he, when he first became, you know, ran for the Senate, became Senator. It was like this amazing night under the stars again at the Biltmore Hotel in Coral Gables. His, his victory party. He would, you know, proudly speak about his immigrant background. Let's remember, his parents came here not fleeing Fidel Castro, but fleeing poverty. Right? And that's an important distinction. Yeah, because, no, they weren't fleeing Batista. They were poor. They were coming here for economic reasons, like so many of the immigrants that are getting deported right now come for. And his grandfather had a deportation order at one point. But, you know, here's Marco. He gets to the Senate. He tries to pass immigration legislation. I can't reconcile in my little head how it is possible that the man I knew to be a proud advocate for immigrants can sit silently in that White House because he's in the White House more than he's at the State Department while such cruelty is being inflicted on immigrants. Why while? While this is a man who advocated for Temporary protective status for Haitians, for Venezuelans, for Nicaraguans, for Cubans, and is sitting there silently while all of that is being taken away. How has that happened?
Mark Caputo
I mean, I think part of him has changed and part of the reality is, is that people who reach these high levels of power make deals. And part of signing up and getting on the Trump train is following through on immigration policies that back then would seem unthinkable like years ago. The, the Rubio's of the world or his advisors would explain that the left has changed and these various things that I can go into if you want. But the fact is, is that to get a seat at the Trump table, you have to buy into the Trump agenda. And to a degree, he has to buy into yours. I think Trump chose Rubio because of his foreign policy, but there's certainly a trade off. And for Rubio, I think Trump chose
Ana Navarro
Rubio because he owed the Cuban American community. I think Trump chose Rubio, yes, because of his foreign policy, yes, because he's a normie Republican, but also because Trump managed to win Miami Dade county thanks to the Cuban American community. And I think, you know, and he's, you know, and he's repaid that debt that is the one Latino community he hasn't fucked. Actually he is screwing them because he's like deporting them and sending them to Sudan and Congo. But whatever.
Mark Caputo
In, in the 26th after Trump becomes president in 2017, Rubio is then the chair of Western Hemisphere of the Foreign Affairs Committee.
Ana Navarro
And Rubio is the guy who recommends Alex Acosta, who then had to resign. An infamy and in the midst of the Epstein scandal. And Rubio was the guy who recommended Alex Acosta as Labor Secretary in the first Trump term. But listen, last week we saw Rubio going to the Vatican and meeting with Pope Leo. And I was asking myself, and I, and I heard him in this, in this new. When he was doing this press conference at the White House last week talking about the Pope being the Vicar of Christ and this and that. Okay, so Marco in his childhood was a Mormon because he, his parents lived in Utah and then moved to Florida and became, yeah, I, in Nevada. I knew Marco as a devout Catholic. I remember being at his daughter's first communion. This is something that he took incredibly seriously. Then for a while he was going to a Christian mega church in Miami, the Fellowship of Christ. And so I thought, okay, maybe he's no longer Catholic. And then I guess now he's returned to the Catholic Church. But I go back to this Mark, how do you stay silent while Donald Trump attacks as a Catholic, while Donald Trump attacks the Pope, while Donald Trump is posting memes of himself as Jesus Christ, while Donald Trump is doing things as unchristian as having people who are protesting in favor of immigrants shot and killed by his ICE and his DHS law enforcement and not say a damn thing. I just can't with that.
Mark Caputo
Maybe I've covered politics too long, but.
Ana Navarro
Yeah, you have. You are so jaded. It's. Your. Your opinions are no longer valid.
Mark Caputo
I just. The thing is, it's like. Yeah, it's. It's. It's hard for me to lose. You know, I guess the line from that Bob Dylan song, you say you lost your faith. You know, it's not like that. You have no faith to begin with, and you know it. The. You know, my. My. My Twitter avatar is Doubting Thomas, and so I understand Rubio is a. Is excellent at. At speaking. He's. He's a smart guy. He's very well informed. But this is power. I mean, in. In order to ascend any of these levels, this is what they do.
Ana Navarro
He's. Did he go to Turkey and get a hair transplant while we didn't look? Because I feel like. I feel like he had three strands of hair left, and all of a sudden that hair is looking so much better, and I'm like, was Marco gone for a while because. Or what is he putting on his head?
Mark Caputo
I. I don't. Like, I saw him the other day. I was at the White House a few weeks ago, and, like, I went prematurely gray, you know, like, very.
Ana Navarro
Yeah, but you still have hair.
Mark Caputo
My hair is like, I still have hair, but I'm just. Like, I look at the guy, and, like, he's two years older than I am or so, and, like, he looks, like way younger than me.
Ana Navarro
I'm telling you, I want to see his passport. I think he went. I think he went to Turkey and got himself a hair transplant. Something happened there. Something happened. Either that or he made not one pact with the devil, but two, and in the second pact, he got himself a head of hair. But listen, Mark, can we talk about what happened in Miami a few days ago in a courtroom in Miami? Let's just. I. Okay, go. Just go, because I don't even know what to say about it.
Mark Caputo
David Rivera, who was. Who was the guy that really helped Marco Rubio become what he became, his longtime friend, is his.
Ana Navarro
No, not friend. Best friend. They. They owned a house together in Tallahassee.
Mark Caputo
De facto uncle to his kids. Kids, I think some of them called him Uncle David. At one point, at least I was told that by one or two people. Yeah, they co owned a house in Tallahassee. When they're both state legislators, they both got elected to Congress, David to the lower House, to the U.S. house of Representative, and Rubio to Senate in 2010. I mean, these guys were close. Rivera was as much a close friend, a best friend as he was a mentor to Rubio. But in 2017, and I think, I
Ana Navarro
think, I think, I think David Rivera was the henchman so that Rubio could look like the angel. Right. David Rivera was doing the dirty work so Rubio could be above the fray, above it all.
Mark Caputo
He was a guy if you wanted a figurative body to be disposed of, and if you were a Marco Rubio, David Rivera would be the first guy you called.
Ana Navarro
And by the way, and as a caveat and to be transparent, David Rivera was a good friend of mine and worked for my husband.
Mark Caputo
But I mean, so Rivera helps Rubio. He's not the only one. He helps him rise through the ranks, helps him become House Speaker.
Ana Navarro
So the bottom line is these guys were more than best friends. They were practically brothers from different mothers for decades. They, I mean, they were as close as two people can be without exchanging bodily fluids. And what happened last week?
Mark Caputo
Rivera gets convicted in a lobbying scandal that the. The Venezuelan government in 2017 paid him what the gave him a massive contract and gave him the first what, $15 million.
Ana Navarro
So David Rivera gets convicted for not registering as a foreign agent while lobbying for the Maduro Regiment and having signed a contract for $50 million.
Mark Caputo
And they, and they paid out $20 million on it. And this is typical. One of the things people have to understand about David Rivera. David Rivera was, is congenitally sneaky. Use a Spanish term, maranha, which is a thicket of. Look at you being tangled web that someone weaved you like that. Yeah, Morania. And like David would always come up with schemes. People for a long time believed that he was connected to the CIA because he kept escaping indictments at the state level, at the federal level. And I finally caught up with him. And the, the Venezuelan government through a, through a go between came to Rivera, inked a $50 million contract with.
Ana Navarro
No wait, the go between was like, like a convicted drug dealer who served time in prison. Right. Hugo Pereda, who then connected David to like a guy close to Maduro, Venezuela, close to Maduro Goreng. So this is really, really complicated. But the bottom line is this. Marco Rubio's best Friend of decades, with whom he shared a house, with whom he shared everything, was just convicted in federal court in South Florida for a $50 million lobbying contract for scheme. For scheme lobbying for Maduro to. And he. Where he met with his friend Marco Rubio several times as he was advancing his agenda. I feel, Mark, I feel like this story has gotten precious little attention. I mean, the long time, decades long, best friend of the Secretary of State and White House national security adviser just got convicted in federal court in South Florida for having a $50 million lobbying contract for Nicholas Maduro. And I feel like nobody even blinked at the fact. I mean, like, if Shonda Rhimes had written this for SC as a plot line for Scandal, the show, she would have been rejected for it being too much of a fantasy. See? So at what point do we know? I don't even know if it's already happened. Did Marco. And when did Marco and David stop being friends?
Mark Caputo
They never really stopped being friends. You know, when you grow up in South Florida, you're going to have friends who are going to be criminals. Well, not all of us. Some of us. Well, kid, you are going to. You're going to wind up with some criminals. Right? And they had a slow drifting apart, David and Marco, probably like around 2012 or so. I mean, you know, they. There was never a firm break, right? They were, they, they were very close friends for a long time. But Rubio in 2010 starts to become a real national figure, and he starts to ascend. And the people around Marco, some of his advisors, really hated David. They hated David because they knew David was bad news. They knew that David was involved in various schemes, and they knew that this was just a ticking time bomb that would blow up.
Ana Navarro
Okay, here's the bottom line. Everybody who's listening to this podcast, I want them to go look up David Rivera, federal case, Marco Rubio. Because when we talk about baggage, this is a steamer trunk. I want to ask you about two more things. One, the redistricting in Florida. So basically, Ron DeSantis was waiting for this Supreme Court case, and as soon as it came down, he ran over to the legislature and had this new redistrict.
Mark Caputo
He did it before the Supreme. He did it in anticipation.
Ana Navarro
I feel like it happened in tandem.
Mark Caputo
Well, it certainly looks that way. And do Remember that Ron DeSantis counts Clarence Thomas as a friend. Like a real friend.
Ana Navarro
Okay, so what's going to happen in Florida? Because I. Because I. This is horrible. I mean, are they going to be able to steal the house because of this new congressional Florida map.
Mark Caputo
I don't think that in the end, because of the dynamics of the nation, that what Florida is doing by carving four additional Republican seats is going to ultimately make a difference. But obviously, if it's a narrow divide after the November elections. Yeah, because remember, if you create four new Republican seats, you take four Democratic seats away, so that becomes a margin of eight. And that's what DeSantis has essentially drawn.
Ana Navarro
But DeSantis controls. DeSantis has firm control over this Florida Supreme Court.
Mark Caputo
Well, I don't know if he does. And that's what we're really going to see. DeSantis has appointed six of the seven members.
Ana Navarro
Okay, Mark, I'm going to. I'm going to turn serious for one hot minute as we end this conversation. Yeah. Oh, no. You are at your dad's house. Your dad is the most incredible human being. His name is Phil Philip Caputo, and he is a hugely respected writer, particularly about the Vietnam War era. Tell us about where. Tell us about what you're doing and where you are and how that's going.
Mark Caputo
Well, I'm. I'm in Connecticut. You know, one of the reasons I like to do. I like to work right now is because I have to think about where I am. Connecticut. I'm upstairs at his house. He's downstairs dying. And so I've. I've been standing. I've been standing watch over him as his son in his final days. And, you know, I mean, I'm not special in this regard, although I'm. I'm. I'm blessed with being able to have a job where I can, you know, work from here or from anywhere. And, you know, he's. He's just. He's. He's. He's a line of a man, and he's been laid low by cancer. But to give people an idea of who he is, he wrote the first book of a soldier's account of the Vietnam War that published in 1977, called A Rumor of War. He's published 19 or 18 books since. In 1972, he was part of the team at the Chicago Tribune that uncovered voting fraud by Mayor Daley in Chicago, and they won the Pulitzer Prize for that.
Ana Navarro
That.
Mark Caputo
He became a foreign correspondent and covered every sort of major conflict you can think of for years in the 70s, from the fall of Saigon in 1975 to the war in Eritrea to the wars in the Middle East. While stationed in Beirut, at one point, he was captured by Palestinian militants suspected of being a spy. They let him go months later or Maybe it was a year later or so as the civil war in Beirut broke out. He wound up getting stopped at a checkpoint. As he came out of the office and he was threatened, he tried to run away. They shot him. He got shot in the foot, luckily, as he was rolling over by an AK47, not in the head. It happened on the border of the Christian district. He was able to crawl into the Christian district and was rescued, fortunately, on the doorstep of a doctor. And even in middle age, he, he went to Afghanistan and covered the war there. So he's survived a lot of conflicts over the years.
Ana Navarro
How was he as a father?
Mark Caputo
I, I'm, I, I, I am not the son of any other father but my own, but I'm pretty sure that I have the best father in the world, and I've told him that repeatedly. And, you know, I'd happily give a year off of my own life or however many to, to bring him back, but I don't get that choice. And, you know, everyone dies. You don't get out of this life alive. So I, I'm just. I cannot think outside of being, you know, just so lucky for having a father that was a real man who, who taught me the values of not just being a father and a man, but also the values of what I do as a journalist. But I am just privileged enough to be able to take the time and have spent this last week with him as he started to slip away. So, you know, I've just, I've been able to stand watch as his son, Mark.
Ana Navarro
Can we, as we end this interview, can we raise a glass to Philip Caputo?
Mark Caputo
Thank you. I appreciate you and his essential. I didn't think you would ambush me with this, and I was not prepared to talk about it, but I'm glad
Ana Navarro
you did, and I'm glad we learned about it.
Mark Caputo
Well, I guess this is a first. I've never cried on camera, but here I am.
Ana Navarro
Well, sweetheart, you could be Jeffrey Toobin. You could be masturbating okay with that,
Mark Caputo
By the way. I think I do have a good sense of humor, and it's the great. It's. It's among the greatest gifts my father has given me. And, and so in that spirit, he would have.
Ana Navarro
Well, your dad gave me the gift of you and our friendship and us being able to gossip. So thank you for spending this time. I know you're going through a lot right now. Thank you for being with us today and for being dishy and gossipy about the crazy shit from Florida.
Mark Caputo
Thank you. I appreciate you, Evan. I really do.
Ana Navarro
Gracias Mamigo. And that's all for today. Thanks to Mark Caputo for his time. Thank you to all of you for tuning in. See you next week. Bleep with Ana Navarro is a Hyphenate Media Group production in partnership with iHeart's Micultura Podcast Network. For more of your favorite favorite shows, visit the iHeartRadio app, Apple Podcasts or wherever you get your podcasts.
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Ana Navarro
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Podcast: Bleep! with Ana Navarro
Episode: Spilling the Florida Tea: Wiles, Bondi, Rubio + a Federal Conviction
Date: May 11, 2026
Guest: Mark Caputo (Axios reporter, former Miami Herald)
Ana Navarro and guest Mark Caputo take a no-holds-barred deep dive into the latest political chaos emanating from Florida and its outsized influence on national politics. The conversation spans scandal-riddled Trump administration figures, insider stories about key Floridians in power, and cutting political gossip. Navarro’s trademark candor and humor blends with Caputo’s firsthand reporting for a “dishy” and insightful exposé on the who’s who of Florida’s contemporary political scene.
[02:41 – 15:46]
[11:40 – 16:30]
[21:55 – 28:01]
[28:01 – 30:34]
[34:24 – 39:53]
[44:05 – 49:26]
[49:57 – 50:44]
[50:53 – 55:06]
The conversation is irreverent, gossipy, and pointed—mixing sharp political analysis with biting humor and open exasperation at the characters and contradictions within Florida and national politics. Navarro in particular maintains a confiding, “let’s spill the tea” lens, while Caputo offers deeply informed, often world-weary insights.
A whirlwind, highly personal (and at times emotional) inside look at the real power players behind the chaos of Florida and national politics. Ana Navarro and Mark Caputo spare no sacred cows—from dishing on Susie Wiles’ kingmaker prowess, to Pam Bondi’s transformation, Rubio’s compromises, and the ignored implications of David Rivera’s conviction. The episode closes with a moving tribute to Caputo’s father, a moment of vulnerability that grounds the often outrageous political tales in real human connection.