2/12/26: Pam Bondi Meltdown, El Paso Airspace Shutdown, Bibi Poisons Iran Talks

Summary

Breaking Points with Krystal and Saagar

Episode: Pam Bondi Meltdown, El Paso Airspace Shutdown, Bibi Poisons Iran Talks
Date: February 12, 2026

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Episode Overview

This episode dives into three primary stories shaking U.S. politics and foreign affairs:

• Attorney General Pam Bondi’s disastrous congressional testimony regarding the Epstein cover-up
• The bizarre temporary shutdown of El Paso airspace and the conflicting explanations surrounding it
• Israeli Prime Minister Netanyahu’s visit to D.C., Trump’s stance on Iran talks, and escalating U.S. military posturing in the Middle East

Krystal and Saagar bring their signature mix of incredulity, biting humor, and rigorous skepticism as they unpack the week’s major controversies and what they signal for U.S. governance and global dynamics.

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Main Segments & Key Discussion Points

1. Pam Bondi’s “Meltdown” Before Congress

[04:08-27:56]

Congressional Grilling Over Epstein Files

• Pam Bondi was called to testify regarding DOJ mishandling and redactions in Epstein-related documents. She faced harsh questioning from both Democrats and Republicans, especially Thomas Massie.
• Key Issues Raised:
  • Incomplete/incorrect redacting of victims’ names (leaving survivors exposed) and the redaction of Les Wexner’s name as a co-conspirator, despite being mentioned 4,000+ times in documents.
  • Bondi’s evasive or combative answers; used a “burn book” of research on each critic rather than truly responding.
• Notable Quote:
  • Massie (paraphrased by Krystal & Saagar):
    “You violated the law. The law said you only get to redact national security and victim's names. Everything else needs to be unredacted. They violated the law on numerous occasions and even then did a poor job.” [06:47]
• Performative Deflections:
  • Bondi infamously deflected with unrelated Trump accomplishments:
    Saagar, mocking Bondi’s evasion:
    “The Dow has shattered 50,000 for the first time. That's why they want to focus on Epstein and our most transparent president...” [07:47]
  • Krystal’s meme-worthy satire:
    “Hey babe, did you do the dishes? 'The Dow’s at 50,000, you b****.'” [08:25]
• Accountability vs. Theatrics:
  • Survivors present were never contacted by DOJ; Bondi refused a direct apology, instead attacking previous AGs.
  • Krystal: “Her entire performance was actually one of the worst I have ever seen...It’s indefensible.” [14:16]

Media and Political Fallout

• Even Fox News cut away from the Bondi hearing—viewed as tacit admission of indefensibility.
  Krystal: “That is as tacit of an admission as you are ever going to get from Fox News.” [15:51]
• Lawmakers’ private searches of Epstein files were tracked by Bondi’s team; seen as “outrageous behavior” and chilling for oversight.
  Saagar: “Pretty outrageous behavior to be tracking and surveilling them in this manner…” [19:17]

Ongoing Epstein Tangles

• Epstein’s FedEx account was active long after his death—some speculate ongoing estate dealings, but suspicious connections to shell companies and a senior Israeli official also surfaced. [19:34-22:04]
• Columbia University Dental School admitted an Epstein associate under “irregular processes,” again confirming deep institutional corruption. [22:04-23:12]
• Krystal and Saagar muse darkly over hints of even deeper depravity, including disturbing details in files and lingering conspiracy (“What if he’s alive?”). [23:39-24:23]

Disturbing Allegations

• Recent lawsuits allege shocking sexual crimes by other Epstein associates like Leon Black, with ongoing lack of DOJ action.
  Saagar: “…in terms of the COVID up. Right. They're telling us there's nothing here more to investigate…somewhere along the way there was a government decision that was made. We're not going to look into this any further…Where is that documentation?” [26:51]

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2. El Paso Airspace Shutdown: Drone, Laser, or… UFOs?

[36:49-43:10]

The Incident & Bungled Explanations

• Overnight, El Paso airspace was closed down via “no fly” order. Initial government explanation: a cartel drone incursion, then shifted to “experimental laser technology” test by CBP, then to “shot down a party balloon.”
• Expert Skepticism:
  • Saagar: Cartel drone use is routine—never triggers full airspace closures.
    “You do not shoot highly experimental direct energy lasers into the sky for no reason in the middle of the night and then issue a panicked 10 day shutdown.” [36:49]
• UFO Angle:
  • The triangle-shaped closure area was close to the NASA White Sands facility, known for historical UFO sightings.
  • Both hosts joke about the “it’s always a balloon” government trope; CBP incompetence is offered as potentially the real explanation, but both are uneasy.
• Notable Quote:
  • Krystal: “Government incompetence is usually the right answer. But... when it ends up being a balloon, it’s like a meme, all right? It’s literally—‘Oh, it's gotta be a balloon.’ But it's always a balloon.” [38:16]
• Takeaway:
  • Multiple changing cover stories, use of wild tech, and lack of transparency feed public mistrust.

Surveillance Creep & Technology Paranoia

• Discussion extends to CBP surveillance practices, Israeli spyware (Paragon leak), and universal digital privacy erosion. Strong PSA on using “lockdown mode” for phones to guard against corporate/intelligence espionage. [41:35-43:10]
  • Krystal: “...look into lockdown mode and what it's able to do. Because at least as of now, it seems to be one of the very few tools left to actually keep them from easily getting into your phone.” [42:27]

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3. Bibi Netanyahu Visits DC: Iran Talks & U.S. Military Buildup

[45:24-60:09]

Trump and Netanyahu’s Meeting

• Trump insists he “prefers a deal with Iran to war”—but signals little clarity about what “deal” means.
• Iran, for its part, publicizes willingness to open nuclear sites for verification, but missiles are a non-negotiable.
  • Saagar: “It’s not just about nuclear. It has to be about missile production... and as we all saw during the 12 day war, they work actually pretty well. They were very able to defeat the Israeli missile defense stuff.” [47:17]
  • Krystal: “Of course Iran is not going to disarm completely. They would be insane to do that. That is not a serious proposal—which is exactly why the Israelis are pushing it.” [48:58]
• The demand to negotiate away missile capabilities is viewed as an unattainable “poison pill,” designed to make any deal impossible and lay groundwork for war.

Escalating Tension & U.S. Military Moves

• Pentagon preparing a second carrier strike group for deployment, signaling readiness for “full-blown, long-term war” should diplomacy fail.

  • Krystal: “This is what would be needed for a full-blown long-term war... The entire SWIFT system we're going to sacrifice on the altar of Ukraine. Iran is an even dumber case than that. I mean, shit, it makes more sense for you to defend Ukraine.” [58:44]

• Both hosts critique the “Middle East firsters” steering U.S. policy into endless conflict for Israeli security:

  • Krystal: “...you can just like two carrier strike groups. This amount of firepower, considering what's happening in the rest of the globe, it's just a disaster. It really is from a strategic level.” [59:30]

West Bank Annexation Moves

• At the very time Netanyahu is welcomed and U.S.-Israel relations are feted, Israel is expediting legal moves to annex West Bank territory.
  • Krystal: “...illegally annexing territory and taking full control of it seemed to be a little bit of a violation of the Board of Peace. Right?” [57:24]
• Trump administration expresses “concern” but takes no substantive steps; the hypocrisy is mocked.

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Notable Quotes & Memorable Moments

| Timestamp | Speaker | Quote/Exchange | |-----------|-----------------|---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------| | 06:47 | Krystal | “They violated the law on numerous occasions and then even then they didn’t do a very good job...It’s a clown show, the entire thing.” | | 07:47 | Saagar (as Bondi) | “The dow has shattered 50,000 for the first time...That’s why they want to focus on Epstein...” | | 08:25 | Krystal | “Hey babe, did you do the dishes? ‘The Dow’s at 50,000, you bitch. Get off of my case.’” | | 19:17 | Saagar | “Pretty outrageous behavior to be tracking and surveilling them in this manner when they’re trying to view these files and hold the administration to account.” | | 23:39 | Krystal | “...this is the issue with, with this story— you really start to descend into the depths of madness. And you’re like, what is true and what is— what if he’s alive, right?” | | 38:16 | Krystal | “Government incompetence is almost— is usually the right answer. I will just say again, for people who are in the UFO world, when it ends up being a balloon, it’s like a meme, all right?” | | 47:17 | Saagar | "...it’s not just about nuclear. It has to be about missile production... and as we all saw during the 12 day war, they work pretty well." | | 54:13 | Saagar | “Of course not. Of course not. That’s the point. That’s the whole point, is he knows they would never make that deal. That’s the whole reason it’s there. It’s meant to be a poison pill.” | | 59:30 | Krystal | “...this amount of firepower, considering what’s happening in the rest of the globe, it’s just a disaster. It really is from a strategic level.” |

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Segment Timestamps

• Pam Bondi/Epstein congressional grilling: [04:08-27:56]
• El Paso airspace shutdown analysis: [36:49-43:10]
• Israel/Iran/U.S. Middle East strategy breakdown: [45:24-60:09]

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Tone & Style

• Language: Sarcastic, direct, jargon-free, occasionally profane (“shitshow,” “bitch,” “burn book,” etc.)
• Energy: Outraged, skeptical, often incredulous; both hosts riff off each other’s exasperation with government, media, and elite deflections.
• Approach: Blunt anti-establishment; narrative moves between fact-heavy exposition, lived skepticism, and moments of dark humor.

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For Listeners

This episode exemplifies Breaking Points’ hybrid of sharp policy breakdown, combative critique of the establishment, and willingness to wade into dark, conspiratorial waters—always with a skeptical yet never self-censoring edge. If you care about unchecked power, government secrecy, and the hidden forces steering global events, this is a must-listen (or at minimum, a must-read summary!).

Transcript

[Krystal Ball]

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[Saagar Enjeti]

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[Krystal Ball]

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[Saagar Enjeti]

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[Krystal Ball]

Hey, this is US Olympic Gold medalist Tara Davis Woodhull and I'm US Paralympic Gold medalist Hunter Woodhull. As athletes, our lives are about having a clear path and a team that you can absolutely trust. So when it came to getting the best mortgage, we chose PennyMac. PennyMac is proud to be the official mortgage provider of Team USA and you learn more at pennymac.com pennymac loan services llc/housing lender nmls id 35953 licensed by the Department of Financial Protection and Innovation under the California Residential Mortgage Lending Act. Conditions and Apply Tax season has arrived and doing taxes without the right help can feel overwhelming. Intuit TurboTax is here now to guide you through it with confidence. Match with a TurboTax full service expert who handles everything for you from start to finish. Your dedicated expert checks every single deduction and credit to help you get the best possible outcome so you can feel confident you're getting every dollar you deserve. And the best part? You'll see real time updates on your expert's progress right on your phone while you live your life. Plus you get unlimited expert help at no extra cost even on nights and weekends during tax season. Visit turbotax.com Only available with TurboTax Full Service Experts Real time updates only on iOS mobile app hey guys, Sager and Kristal here.

[Saagar Enjeti]

Independent media just played a truly massive role in this election and we are so excited about what that means for the future of this show.

[Krystal Ball]

This is the only place where you can find honest perspectives from the left and the right that simply does not exist anywhere else.

[Saagar Enjeti]

So if that is something that's important to you, Please go to BreakingPoints.com, become a member today and you'll access to our full shows unedited ad free and all put together for you every morning in your inbox.

[Krystal Ball]

We need your help to build the future of independent news media and we hope to see you@breaking points.com Good morning everybody. Happy Thursday. We have an amazing show for everybody today. What do we have?

[Saagar Enjeti]

Crystal Indeed we do. Attorney General Pam Bondi grilled over her Epstein cover up. Did not go all that well for her. Shifting narratives over that El Paso Airport closure. Sager has his own theories. You will be unsurprised to learn we've got the breakdown after Bibi comes yet again to D.C. and meets with Trump pushing for war with Iran. Body camera footage from a CBP shooting in Chicago that we've covered extensively here has been released and definitively proves that the government was lying from the start. Kash Patel screwing up the Nancy Guthrie investigation. You'd probably not be surprised to learn about that either. A viral essay is warning that AI is about to change absolutely everything. And the author of the Nazi and the Psychiatrist is going to join us to talk about what we learned about human beings at Nuremberg. So that should be.

[Krystal Ball]

Yeah, it's exciting. His book, for those who haven't seen, was the basis of the movie Nuremberg with Russell Crowe and Rami Malik. I thought it was an incredible film. I actually did not know that much about Goring and I not only researched some of what this guy wrote about in his book, but actually bought a few biographies himself. So the movie itself I highly recommend. I'm excited to talk to the author. Before we get to that, thank you to everybody who has been Supporting the show BreakingPoints.com just this morning we were going through and looking at all of our Epstein coverage which gets demonetized for several hours, meaning that we can earn no revenue. Despite the fact that these are racking up hundreds of thousands of views. We will continue to do so because we don't have to care about YouTube ad revenue. But in order for that to be the case, we do need people to support the show Breaking points. Com. If you are able to, if you're just watching this on YouTube, then no worries. Please hit subscribe on YouTube to our channel and if you're listening to this podcast, please share an episode with a friend. It really helps other people find the show. But with that, let's go ahead and start with Pam Bondi and her disastrous debut before the United States Congress.

[Saagar Enjeti]

Yeah, so she was there to testify and took a lot of heat, mostly from Democrats, but also significant heat from Thomas Massie. Let's go ahead and take a listen to what he had to say.

[Krystal Ball]

Who's responsible? Are you able to track who in your organization made this massive failure and released the victims names? Are you able to track who it was that obscured Les Wexner's name as a co conspirator in an FBI document? Do you have that kind of accountability?

[Saagar Enjeti]

I believe Wexner's name was listed more than 4,000 times about.

[Krystal Ball]

I had. Yeah, I already told you that. This is where he's listed as a co conspirator.

[Saagar Enjeti]

My answer. Come on, let me finish my answer.

[Krystal Ball]

We corrected that. Within 40 minutes, he was already.

[Saagar Enjeti]

You're acting like everybody's trying to cover up Wexner's name.

[Krystal Ball]

Reclaiming. Reclaiming my time. Answer this question. Claiming my time.

[Saagar Enjeti]

Within 40 minutes, Wexner's name was added back.

[Krystal Ball]

Within 40 minutes of me catching you red handed. Red handed.

[Saagar Enjeti]

There was one redaction where he's listed.

[Krystal Ball]

As a co conspirator. And we invited you in.

[Saagar Enjeti]

This guy has Trump Derangement Syndrome.

[Krystal Ball]

He needs to get.

[Saagar Enjeti]

You're a failed politician. Trump Derangement syndrome, failed politician. She had a whole binder that was her burn book with research on all of the members who'd be questioning her, specifically the Democrats, but probably also Thomas Massie, so that she could, rather than responding to their question, say, yeah, well, what about when you voted for impeachment? Or what about when you did this? And deflect and distract and attack them rather than actually responding to the queries that they're making here. You know, another thing that I think it was Thomas Massie and maybe others as well that pointed out Sager in this hearing is, you know, you were given a list of victims from their lawyer saying, hey, here's the names of some of the women, the survivors that were involved. Please make sure that these names are redacted, that email gets released. All of the women's names are there in that email, but it's not like they just missed it. And like, oops, we didn't see this for redaction. They redacted the lawyer's name and left all of the women in there. So he really had her. And a number of them did. Had her dead to rights on. What a screw up and how almost it seems intentionally malevolent the way that they were redacted and released these.

[Krystal Ball]

And even with Wexner, to the extent that his name was in the file some 4,000 times, when you redact his name as a co conspirator in the.

[Saagar Enjeti]

DOJ document, that's kind of significant, isn't it?

[Krystal Ball]

Unredact the names of said victims. Again, let's be very clear. As Massie pointed out to her directly, she violated the law. The law said you only get to redact national security and victim's name. That's it. Everything else needs to be unredacted. They violated the law on numerous occasions and then even then they didn't do a very good job. So in some cases I would look, a name would be redacted in one exchange. In another case I would look and then, you know, the very same email chain, they forgot to redact it in this one. It's a clown show, the entire thing. What was even worse though is that Bondi is doing this thing where all Trump officials, when they're in an indefensible position, what do they do? Attack, attack, attack. Except she, because she's on such indefensible ground, ends up looking like a lunatic. And the best example is this clip where she shreds the politicians for asking her about doing her job and is like, hey, the Dow Jones just hit 50,000. Why don't you guys care about that? Take a listen.

[Saagar Enjeti]

The dow has shattered 50,000 for the first time. This is crazy. They said it couldn't be done in four years, yet President Trump has done it in one year. National median rents have fallen to a four year low thanks to Donald Trump. That's why they want to focus on Epstein and our most transparent president in the nation's history.

[Krystal Ball]

The murder rate, as I said, has.

[Saagar Enjeti]

Plummeted to 125 year low thanks to Donald Trump.

[Krystal Ball]

Well, the Dow has sh. First of all, nobody said that it couldn't be done. In fact, it's not even all that remarkable because as we learned on the Biden administration, great gains in the s and P500 or the Dow Jones does not mean that you are doing, well, all that financially at a middle class level. But second, that is the level that they have been reduced to is look at the stock market. And this has actually become a huge meme online is, you know, somebody will ask you a question, be like, hey babe, did you do the dishes? And be like, The Dow's at 50,000, you bitch. Get off of my case.

[Saagar Enjeti]

Don't you know, don't you know I'm.

[Krystal Ball]

Going to try that next time you're wearing shoes in the house. The dow is at 50,000. How dare you, how dare you ask me to take my shoes with rock salt off in my house.

[Saagar Enjeti]

I mean, but, and here's the thing though, I mean, she looks ridiculous to any reasonable person. The Dow thing was just utterly preposterous. But her response to all of them, just so performative, you know, having the burn book there so that she can, you know, she can have her little one, one line zingers against this. And that person rather than responding to their queries. It all looks utterly pathetic, but. But there's only one person that she has to make happy. And I think Trump probably did like this performance. I think that's stock market line probably hits really hard with the President of the United States and that's why it's in there. I mean, it wouldn't surprise me if she was working directly with his top staff and communications team to come up with that line, to come up with the whole approach and all the burn book research and all the rest.

[Krystal Ball]

Yeah, I will say I had no, for a little bit in terms of some sources is that the White House in particular is really taking an interest in comms for the whole administration. And so you can see this, right? Especially Epstein, this is the most sensitive thing that they're currently facing at a national level. So if this really is the best they could come up with, like you, why not just actually do your job, you know, then you would have no criticism to have to deal with. And every, every day that this goes on and this type of behavior, you are covering some major shit up. There's just no other explanation.

[Saagar Enjeti]

That's right. That's right. And I mean, and here's the other thing. No one else is Trump. Like, they all try to pull off like the Trump mode and they just end up silly. But look again, she needed to perform well for the President to save her ass and keep herself in the job. And I think he probably was just fine with this performance. Let's go ahead and take a look at this was another moment. I mean, this is something I already knew, but it's just, you know, it really is stunning that they're posturing like, oh, there was no one out, no other crimes uncovered here, nothing for us even to further investigate. Time to turn the page, it's a hoax, et cetera, et cetera. Well, a lot of the survivors were in the room and so Pramila Jayapal asked them, hey, you know, did the DOJ ever reach out to you? Were you willing to speak with them? Did they ever reach out to you for any sort of investigation? And of course the answer is no, because they're not interested, of course, in, you know, accountability for any of the powerful men that are implicated in this. They're interested in trying to cover the whole thing up and move on. Let's take a listen to that moment. To the survivors in the room. If you are willing, please stand. And if you are willing, please raise your hands if you have still not been able to meet with this Department.

[Krystal Ball]

Of Justice.

[Saagar Enjeti]

Please know for the record that every single survivor has raised their hand. Attorney General Bondi.

[Krystal Ball]

You apologize to the.

[Saagar Enjeti]

Survivors in your opening statement for what they went through at the hands of Jeffrey Epstein. Will you turn to them now and apologize for what your Department of Justice has put them through with the.

[Krystal Ball]

Absolutely.

[Saagar Enjeti]

Unacceptable release of the Epstein files and their information? Congresswoman, you set before Merrick Garland sat.

[Krystal Ball]

In this chair twice.

[Saagar Enjeti]

Attorney General Bond, can I finish my answer? No. I'm going to reclaim my time.

[Krystal Ball]

Because I asked you this. The Attorney General specific question.

[Saagar Enjeti]

Attorney General, that I would like to.

[Krystal Ball]

Answer, which is, will you turn to the survivors? This is not about anybody that came before you. It is about you taking responsibility for your Department of Justice and the harm that it has done to the survivors.

[Saagar Enjeti]

Who are standing right behind you and.

[Krystal Ball]

Are waiting for you to turn to.

[Saagar Enjeti]

Them and apologize for what your Department.

[Krystal Ball]

Of Justice is members. Members get to ask the questions.

[Saagar Enjeti]

The witness gets to answer in the.

[Krystal Ball]

Way they want to answer. The Attorney General.

[Saagar Enjeti]

That's not accurate, Mr. Chairman, because she doesn't like the answer. So, Mr. Chairman, why I have asked. Didn't she ask Merrick Garland this.

[Krystal Ball]

I'm reclaiming my time. I will claim my time. Ladies were claiming time.

[Saagar Enjeti]

Get in the gutter for her theatrics. Not gonna get in the gutter for her theatrics when she's saying, hey, can you apologize to these women that you've shown no interest in hearing their side of the story. And there you see Bondi trying to use her little burn book. Oh, well, what about Merrick Garland? Merrick Garland came up, by the way, a lot from her in this hearing.

[Krystal Ball]

Well, it doesn't make. First of all, the Merrick Garland thing is really stupid because Merrick Garland did not come in from an administration that said, we're gonna have total transparency on this very issue. Merrick Garland did not gather a bunch of influencers at the White House some one year ago and hand out binders that said the Epstein Files, Part 1. Merrick Garland did not. You know, Merrick Garland was not under the obligation to release all of this information.

[Saagar Enjeti]

Now, he didn't say, this is all sitting on my desk and I'm just reviewing it.

[Krystal Ball]

Exactly. And I have the names of thousands of people and the clients. Didn't she quite literally say she had the client list on her desk, like, months before this entire thing even kicked off, where they said that there was absolutely nothing to see here. So that's not on. Merrick Garland now should have other administrations The Bush administration, Obama, Biden, administrator, Trump, first Trump administration. Should they have all done. Yeah, sure. Okay, absolutely. But not like we ever stopped talking about it at the time. But that is actually immaterial to the question and how. You clearly did not meet with any of the people who were actually affected by Jeffrey. Can you ever think of a similar situation where you have people who are purported victims who have been unmet, but with the actual authorities in charge? These are the people who are supposed to protect you, and instead they're redacting the names of the people who are rich and who are powerful, who are directly implicated in this entire thing. So it was shameful. The entire. Her entire performance was actually one of the worst I have ever seen. And on this issue, look, you're saying it's gonna please Trump. I'm not. I just think, you know, not even Fox News or any of these other people could defend it. No, but it's indefensible.

[Saagar Enjeti]

How did they approach. They just not talk about it.

[Krystal Ball]

Cut away from it. Yeah, Fox, cut. So this is, by the way, extraordinary. In the middle of the day, nobody is watching cable tv. The only purpose of cable TV in the middle of the day is for live events, stuff like this. CNN and MSNBC and Fox were all carrying it live. As it started to go off the rails, they cut away to talk about, I don't know, bad bunny again.

[Saagar Enjeti]

Right.

[Krystal Ball]

But, like, for real, that is as tacit of an admission as you are ever going to get from the Fox News Network. All right, let's get to a four. This was another one. Her performance with Ted Lieu. It's unbelievable. I mean, this woman is becoming unglued, like, actually unhinged. Let's take a listen. Former Prince Andrew Donald Trump attended various parties with Jeffrey Epstein. I want to know, were there any underage girls at that party or at any party that Trump attended with Jeffrey Epstein? This is so ridiculous.

[Saagar Enjeti]

And that they are trying to deflect from all the great things Donald Trump has done. There is no evidence that Donald Trump has committed a crime. Everyone knows that. This has been the most transparent presidency. He's the one.

[Krystal Ball]

I reclaim my time. I'm going to put up another document from a witness who called the FBI's National Threat Operations center, because I believe you just lied under oath. There is ample evidence in the Epstein file. Don't you ever accuse me of a crime. I believe you just lied under oath. And this is on videotape. You said there's no evidence of crime. I'm showing you here is a witness statement who called into the FBI's Threat Operation Center. Don't you ever accuse me of a crime. Look, again, I can only say you should all be absolutely ashamed that this woman is in any way in power. And anything that can be. I mean, I wish I could say, oh, Lutnick and her and all them should be held to account, but they're not. You know, the one saving grace, if you want to see these people pay, is if. And I actually saw, I think it was Mike Cernovich who said this. He was like, yeah, these Bondi hearings, this is what it's gonna look like every single day if the Democrats take power. And it's true. I mean, like, these people, every single person in the administration will be living on Capitol Hill if the Democrats take power, even just the House in the midterm. So gear up for a preview, because this is exactly what it's going to look like.

[Saagar Enjeti]

Well, and it got even worse after the fact. We learned something that is also pretty astonishing. Put a six up on the screen. So, you know, lawmakers have been able to go in and view the unredacted Epstein files. They got four computers set up, and so you can go in and search. And Jamie Raskin did that. Pramila Jayapal did that. Thomas Massie, Ro Khanna. There were a number of lawmakers who went in to conduct their own searches. And it turns out in that burn book you can see here, this document, keep this up on the screen, it says, Jayapal Pramila search history, and it has the list of all the searches that she made when she went in to view the unredacted files. More information has come out. It looks like they retained the search history from all of the lawmakers that went in to view these files so they could use it to help inform her testimony here and so that they could keep track of what exactly it was that lawmakers were interested in and what they were. What they were looking at, what they were searching for. And I mean, this is very, like, this is pretty outrageous behavior to be tracking and surveilling them in this manner when they're trying to view these files and hold the administration to account.

[Krystal Ball]

Yeah. And also, it comes to a question of resources. It's like that's what you're spending your time, your spy resources on. On what we're searching on, by the way. You know what's funny? Even with my own cynicism, I never once thought, oh, they're going to keep track of all my keystrokes that I Type into the DOJ website for all of the. Guess I have to now.

[Saagar Enjeti]

Totally.

[Krystal Ball]

I guess we should all be doing this on what? I mean, I can't even duck, duck, go or something and make sure that you're on a lockdown mode enabled computer. If you are in any. If you're listening to this, you're a researcher or you're somebody who's in power. This is not something. I mean, again, my own naivete never once was like, oh yeah, they're just gonna keep records of everything that we're searching. Kind of makes sense though. Like all they have to do is link your IP address, even if you're using a vpn. Apparently they have ways around it. Maybe someday next week we'll talk about this Paragon leak. Because I'm obsessed with this story about, you know, some. It's an Israeli spy technology tool that was leaked, but just goes to the extent where signal WhatsApp end to end encryption. I mean the Pegasus stuff seems to be old news at this point for their ability to crack into whatever you want, but this is what they're using it for is to literally measure and look at the keystrokes and the clicks of what you are searching and making sure that you're pulling up. I mean, that is shocking behavior, right? Like using a unique link to spy on members of Congress. Once upon a time, we used to be very upset about stuff like that. We would be remiss if we didn't talk about some of the other little Epstein developments. Can we put a 5 up on the screen? I don't know what to make of this, but we'll present it nonetheless. So the ditch, which I hadn't heard of this website before, but you know, they do some investigative reporting. So what they found is they gained access to Jeffrey Epstein's FedEx account with records showing it was used for shipments long after his death, and an address book that included a senior Israeli military officer now considered to be a quote, strategic consultant for diplomatic matters. One of the shipments was actually sent less than two years ago and it was delivered to a dissolved company that owned and operated Epstein's private jet. They were able to find this from an unredacted password of Epstein's FedEx account. They were able to log in, look at the overall address book, but you have multiple individuals here. Where first of all, it shows that the address thing is live. Which, you know, again, we're always talking about innocent explanations here. Could be used by his estate or, you know, some of the other operators of the people who are like trustees, however, you know, despite the fact that he died in 2019, and they're using it as recently as summer of 2024, and they're sending products to all of these various different, you know, shell companies that were owned by Epstein. But the address book itself shows that at some point he was sending or receiving things from the senior Israeli officer. So just another crumble that we have over there.

[Saagar Enjeti]

And there's one more we wanted to put in the show to put a 7 up on the screen. So Columbia University Dental School is acknowledging that they admitted an Epstein girlfriend via, quote, an irregular process. And they're forced to admit this because there were all kinds of emails in here between, you know, Epstein or his associates and members of the, you know, high level members of this dental school where they're soliciting contributions. He's giving them hundreds of thousands of dollars. And very clearly, in exchange, they're letting this woman, who is not actually qualified to be in this dental school, into the dental school. So, you know, and this was, this was going on for quite a long time. There's all these exchanges about how they're easing her way in and she did not having to meet the requirements. They're like, don't worry about having to take the test, et cetera, et cetera. So, you know, he was able to. And we also covered him, you know, paying the tuition of the Seton Hall University, tuition for the children of the governor of the Virgin Islands. But Columbia University here, happy to take his money and let in whoever he wanted to get into their schools, just humiliated.

[Krystal Ball]

Well, you know, what I put together is, do you remember that picture from the island with the dentist chair, the dental chair with all the masks that were sitting around there?

[Saagar Enjeti]

The dentist thing keeps coming up about.

[Krystal Ball]

Dentistry, and I'm not depraved enough to find it myself. I've looked a little bit into it. I'm thinking, what do you think? Like, maybe the nerve gases and access to something like that. Right.

[Saagar Enjeti]

I have some darker thoughts in my head.

[Krystal Ball]

Yeah, maybe it's literally about like, you know, removing biop. This is the issue with, with this story is you really start to descend into the depths of madness. And you're like, what is true and what is, for example, with the FedEx thing, you're like, okay, the innocent explanation is his trusty estate or whatever is using it. What if he's alive? Right? And that's another one. We were like, I don't know. I mean, I would have given it, what, a 0% chance. Now I would give it a 1% chance.

[Saagar Enjeti]

That one I really thought was like, oh, that's just kooky. Like, no, he's not still alive. What are we talking about? Like, you know. Oh, yeah. And so is Elvis. And now I'm like, maybe.

[Krystal Ball]

Yeah, I would give 1%, if not zero. I'll give it one.

[Saagar Enjeti]

I'm more like 10 to 20. Wow, that's great.

[Krystal Ball]

I don't know.

[Saagar Enjeti]

I don't know. I'm like, you know, and that's the thing, like you said with the dentistry thing, you do start to feel like. Because then you see the ocean port, you see the sulfuric acid. You see the way they talk to each other. Loved the torture video. All these weird references to beef jerky. Like, it's like grape soda, grape soda, pizza, all of it. And you're like, there's no way these people are hanging out together and getting grape soda and pizza all the time. Or that he's this into jerky, that it's like a priority matter that his assistants are constantly communicating with each other about, we gotta make sure we got enough jerky on the island. But then you ask yourself, like, am I just. I don't know. But some of the things are so dark in there that you can't put anything, literally anything out of bounds.

[Krystal Ball]

Yeah. Can I just read you another one where. I know someone flagged this to me yesterday. Epstein, July 19, 2011. Quote, said she felt God's presence next to her when she was in bed. She knows that Jesus watches over her and he helped save her life. Whoops. Then follow up two. Jesus.

[Saagar Enjeti]

Whoops. Is another one that people are flagging.

[Krystal Ball]

From Epstein to redacted. Then two from Epstein. You should dress up as him when you see her. This is like. I mean, you know, not to sound like a 1980s satanic pan, but, like, this is satanic. Like, literally. I don't know. I just. There's so much of that. The torture video. I mean, all the famous stuff. But it's like every other day somebody will just send me one and I'll go, oh, my God. First my instinct is, is it real? Then I search it. I find that it is real.

[Saagar Enjeti]

Yeah.

[Krystal Ball]

And I'm like, what is happening?

[Saagar Enjeti]

Yeah, I know there was a. Did you see this new one about Leon Black that came up? It's an allegation from a lawyer about her, you know, the client she's representing allegations against him. She says when she was 16 that she was raped by Leon Black. I'm sure he denies all of this. Yes, Put this out there for the lawyers that when she was 16, she was raped by Leon Black. He bit her on her genitals, injured her, that she was bleeding. They wouldn't take her to the doctor and then they flew her out the next day.

[Krystal Ball]

So that was a 2023 lawsuit. Yeah. Wow.

[Saagar Enjeti]

And I mean I looked at same thing. I was like, is this real? Look it up. Yeah, it's there. Is there in the files.

[Krystal Ball]

Right. So. Oh yeah, this is a July 2023 story. I actually didn't even.

[Saagar Enjeti]

And you want to tell me she was down syndrome?

[Krystal Ball]

According to this, after. According to the.

[Saagar Enjeti]

Oh my God.

[Krystal Ball]

Yeah. Again, he denies it. You know, will vigorously defend him.

[Saagar Enjeti]

And this is part of, you know, in terms of the COVID up. Right. They're telling us there's nothing here more to investigate. Okay, why? Maybe you should talk to the victims if. And see whether there's anything. No, there's nothing to investigate. Okay, well then we need to see you had a list of potential co conspirators. When and how was the decision made that there was nothing chargeable here, that there was no there there, that we don't need to pursue this any further. That's not in these files. That has not been identified in these files. So where is that documentation? Because somewhere along the way there was a government decision that was made. We're not going to look into this any further. We don't think there's any there or for whatever reason, we're moving on. Okay, how did that process occur? Because we don't get any of that there. Instead we get redacted lists of co conspirators that they have to be put on blast in order to identify any of the people that they were looking at. And then we're just told, don't worry about it. There's nothing to see here. No further investigations. It's just Epstein and just Maxwell. And there's no one else who's implicated in this massive crime, criminal enterprise whatsoever.

[Krystal Ball]

Yes, that's right. Oh, the big game commercials are basically must see tv.

[Saagar Enjeti]

Well, I take bathroom breaks during the game, so I don't miss anything.

[Krystal Ball]

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[Saagar Enjeti]

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[Krystal Ball]

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Because this tax season, fraud paying American is something no American should have to claim. Visit lifelock lifelock.com iheart and save up to 40% your first year. That's 40% [e-mail] iheart terms apply. Hey, it's Ryan Seacrest for Albertsons and Safeway. It's cough, cold and flu season. Do not get caught feeling under the weather. Get back to feeling good with savings on all your cold and flu Essentials now through February 24th. Shop in store or online to stock up and save on items like Mucinex, Fast Max Liquid Gels, Vicks Dayquil and nyquil Combo packs, holes, cough drops and Tylenol Children's liquid. Offer ends February 24th. Restrictions apply. Offers may vary. Visit albertsons or safeway.com for more details. Let's move on to some Many are calling the El Paso incident the big one. Some of us are hoping for that there is a potentially innocent explanation which with the more information I will give it some weight. Although I still remain sketched out about the entire thing. So so I do. I think Ron and Emily may have mentioned it. Yesterday the world woke up to some shocking news. El Paso Airport was shut down for 10 days. It's nothing like it in history, even including 9 11. And I'll explain a little bit. Let's put this up here on the screen is if you look at the notam, which was a no fly notice Basically issued in the middle of the night at some 3:32am local time. You saw two areas where no flight traffic was allowed at all over the city of El Paso. And then this strange triangular shape which is near the border in the state of New Mexico. Now, the explanation initially was not given as to why the airspace was shut down. And the airspace shutdown was so extraordinary crystal that it went all the way up to some 18,000ft. And also put a complete ban on any aircraft, including medevac ambulances, from being able to fly in the city. Nothing like this had ever been issued in modern United States history. And it was given for a national security designation. Now quickly explanations become flying. Let's put B2 up there on the screen. The initial explanation from the government in the early hours of the morning. Here is Secretary Sean Duffy, the Secretary of Transportation. He says the FAA and the Department of War have acted swiftly to address a, quote, cartel drone incursion. The threat has been neutralized and there is no danger to commercial travel in the region. Restrictions have been lifted and normal flights are resuming. So immediately, the first story we get is about these alleged cartel drones which are coming back and forth across the border immediately. I was calling bullshit on this because cartel drones, and this is not a justification, I'm just telling you that this is how it is. The cartels use drones on the Mexican US side of the border all the time. Not to drop drugs, but to surveil, to make sure that if there's a border patrol agent here or somebody there, they see an open lane and they're like, okay, go, like you can use the tunnel or now is a good time to send somebody over. This is a well known phenomenon. So in fact, let's put B4 up there on the screen. One estimate recently put it at some 300 cartel drones flying around the border daily, according to our own Department of Homeland Security. So what is it about this cartel drone which makes it a worthy of a 10 day no fly notice issued to the city of El Paso? All right, so what we get then is an explanation twofold. One is that it wasn't drones per se. It was the use of a new experimental laser technology. Let's go ahead and put B3 please, up on the screen. This was from Jennifer Jacobs over at CBS News, but this quickly became the official story. Quote, the unexpected airspace closure in El Paso stemmed from disagreements over, quote, drone related tests. Pentagon had undertaken extensive planning on use of military technology near Fort Bliss. Two sources identified the tech as a high energy laser. Earlier this Week, technology was used to shoot down what appeared to be, quote, foreign drones. The flying material turned out to be a party balloon. Sources said one balloon was shot down. The FAA administrator then last night decided to close the airspace without alerting the White House, Pentagon or Homeland Security. They told officials the restrictions would be in place to ensure safety until issues with the department could be resolved. So this is my. And again, when we get to the new revelation, or at least the official story blaming this on cbp, it might be true, but the explanation basically is that in the middle of the night we decided to start shooting experimental lasers into the sky at alleged cartel drones. Sorry, that's bullshit. It's not happening. Now you don't just use directed energy or highly experimental lasers for no reason. So this is where my UFO radar was going off. Right? Let's go ahead and put my own tweet, B6, please, up on the screen and I'll give you a little bit of an explanation. So as I initially showed you in that graphic, that triangle shape over the Oregon Mountains Desert National Monument is less than 10 to 20 miles from the NASA White Sands Test Facility. This facility has long been known as an area of like UFO spotting going back to the 1960s. I can even show you one. B7 please. For example, I found this in The El Paso Times 29 site UFOs over White Sands range. This is from the El paso Times, literally March 5, 1967. I mean, what is that? Almost in the exact same type of timeframe for surveillance. So my point only remains that the official story does not make any sense whatsoever. You do not shoot highly experimental direct energy lasers into the sky for no reason in the middle of the night and then issue a panicked 10 day shutdown over all airspace, cutting off the sixth largest city in Texas from the entire nation, which like directly relies on air on air traffic to be able to bring in. I mean think about it, it's hours away from any other national center. Now I'll give you the potential explanation. And again, given the new information, coming to light given, this is certainly possible considering the behavior of our great CBP officers. B5 please, up on the screen. This is the new story that has been released. According to a US official, the directed energy and laser counter drone technology was in CBP's control, customs border patrol when the balloon was mistakenly shot down near El Paso. In January, the Secretary of Defense, Pete Hegstadt, signed an agreement for the Pentagon to loan the directed energy counter drone platform to dhs. The official said the agreement was signed sometime in the last 30 days following the shoot down is when the FAA closed the airspace. And they said a US official could not go into specifics about what exactly the technology is, but is some sort of direct energy laser, quote, is accurate to use. So, again, this is a very, very experimental technology. So the official story is the Pentagon gave this experimental laser. They gave it to cbp, and CBP shot it off in the middle of the night because they thought it was a cartel balloon. And it ended up being a party balloon. Literally, like one of those balloons, you go, what is it, like, party city or something that you fill up with helium? That's the official story?

[Saagar Enjeti]

Yeah.

[Krystal Ball]

I don't know. You tell me what you think I'm saying again, because CBP is involved.

[Saagar Enjeti]

Yeah, it's possible.

[Krystal Ball]

It's possible.

[Saagar Enjeti]

The story is so embarrassing that I'm inclined to believe it. And you see that. I mean, you see the way CBP operates. Like, these people are absolute maniacs. The fact that the Pentagon gave them some sort sort of directed energy weapon is insane. Completely insane. So, yeah, if I'm the FAA guy that's running that airport and you see them shooting, like, space lasers at party balloons, I'd probably be like, you know what? We gotta shut this shit down. We're doing it for. I'm sending a message. It's 10 days until you all tell me what the fuck is going on, because this is insane. Yeah, that does kind of add up to me. That does kind of add up to me, to be honest with you.

[Krystal Ball]

I don't know. I just. There's something about it that smells wrong. Cartel drones.

[Saagar Enjeti]

Wouldn't you come up with a better cover story than this, though? Yeah, but I mean, come on.

[Krystal Ball]

Government incompetence? So look, government incompetence is almost. Is usually the right answer. Yeah. I will just say again, for people who are in the UFO world, when it ends up being a balloon, it's like a meme, all right? It's literally. Oh, it's got to be a balloon. But it's always a balloon.

[Saagar Enjeti]

Usually it's a weather balloon. I mean, at least that's a little bit less embarrassing than literally. When I saw the term party balloon, I thought maybe that was some sort of technical term that I just didn't know because I could not process the fact that they actually meant literally the, like, happy birthday balloon that you buy in the checkout on the way to the kid's birthday party. Right.

[Krystal Ball]

Again, you might be right. And considering the CBP is involved, it could be true. I Just there's something, there's. Look, maybe I want it to be true. It's near White Sands test facility. You have a 10 day shutdown. It's like a panic. You shoot. You try to shoot something down with this brand new fancy laser. There's no coordination. Meaning this is a highly secret operation. Maybe you recover something. Recover something, and then you recover it, maybe quicker than possible. And you're like, oh, it was just a balloon. It was all a big misunderstanding. And if you look at the news, everybody's already moved on. Everyone's like, oh, okay, you know, whatever, right? So I don't know, I'll give it 70% that it's CBP. I'll give it 7. But there's something about. I mean, how can you go from cartel cartel drone to balloon to party balloon?

[Saagar Enjeti]

It feels so lasers. Classic. This administration, though, like, they put out something that was idiotic. The drones, the cartel.

[Krystal Ball]

Which is fake.

[Saagar Enjeti]

It's literally fake because anyone who was covering the border instantly knew, like, what are you talking. This happens all the time. These drones are ever present. There's no way that this was just about some cartel drones. So what is really going on? And so then gradually you get this comedy of errors type situation that tumbles out. And yeah, so I mean, to me, once I heard that it was the CBP that had been given this, which again, insane, this directed energy laser, whatever they were given, then I was like, okay, yeah, I think this probably does add up. So I shared your skepticism to begin with. But at this point I'm like, it's probably the most likely explanation. I would need to see some other evidence of some other thing going on. And we haven't gotten that yet.

[Krystal Ball]

No. And this is where, look, patriots, whistleblowers, and others in the El Paso area. Get in touch. All right, let me know. I just want to know if it's. And if it is a party balloon. Release the image. You know, this is a good point. This is a good point by my friend Chris. Let me give him a proper shout out. Christopher Wolford, he's a huge fan of the show. UFO researcher. I talk to him all the time. Chris pointed out a good point to me. You've got high def4k imagery of these boat strikes out in the middle of the ocean. Yeah, release the footage. You know, let's put up. Let's put it all to bed. Middle of the night, night vision, all this.

[Saagar Enjeti]

Nest camera.

[Krystal Ball]

Yeah, give it. Yeah, right. Nest camera. You don't even pay for a subscription. And the nest is Recording you, man. I'm glad they covered that yesterday because, look, like, I'm happy they did it for the whole Nancy Guthrie thing, but the fact that this exists, you're like, yo, man, like, this is a real problem. Also, they were like, Google had to invent a whole new process. I'm like, oh, great. I'm sure they'll never use it again. Right? Right. I mean, we're living in the Dark Knight. You know, in the Dark Knight, at the end, whenever he hijacks everybody's phone and uses, like, everybody's phone's frequencies, that's apparently the world that we live in. Like, that was way ahead of its time.

[Saagar Enjeti]

I mean, I think about the NEST thing, and it's extremely creepy because, you know, it's like this camera that's there all the time. But let's be honest, we walk around these things with these things, we bring them in the frigging bathroom with us. Like, I mean, what, you think that's different? You think they're not, you know, oh, there's no way they'd listen to us or spy on us. There's. You were talking about the Israeli tech paragon, Paragon that there was. They accidentally put out, what, a screenshot that showed, like, the control panel, and you could see the access to all the different social media, WhatsApp and whatever that they're able to get into. So, yeah, we do live in that world. That is where we live now. That is where we live.

[Krystal Ball]

Very scary.

[Saagar Enjeti]

Very scary. Yes, indeed.

[Krystal Ball]

Also, you know, I do think of.

[Saagar Enjeti]

The image of the party balloon. That's too classified.

[Krystal Ball]

Okay. And then psa. Cause Ryan recently alerted to me to this. Remember that Washington Post journalist who had her phone seized by the government. So because she had lockdown mode enabled on her phone, the FBI was not able to crack it.

[Saagar Enjeti]

Wow.

[Krystal Ball]

And so I don't recommend lockdown mode to anybody unless they're involved kind of in the business that we're in, in the potential of government surveillance. But I got to tell you guys, like, it does work. And if you are involved in anything like this, I actually do recommend, especially if you're a high level person in business, because these tools, it's not just used by the government. They're selling them, you know, to big businesses for corporate espionage purposes. And then, you know, it's much harder to prove and the stakes and all that. So really consider it, or at least look into lockdown mode and what it's able to do for you. Because at least as of now, it seems to be one of the very few tools that we have right now that's left which can actually keep them from easily getting in to your phone. Ah, the big game commercials are basically must see tv.

[Saagar Enjeti]

Well, I take bathroom breaks during the game so I don't miss anything.

[Krystal Ball]

Smart. Well, Elf Cosmetics is back this year and they decided to make of money Lot a a full blown absurdly funny telenovela that celebrates positivity, inclusivity and accessibility.

[Saagar Enjeti]

That sounds amazing.

[Krystal Ball]

It's called Melissa and it's absurd in the best way. It stars Melissa McCarthy, TV doctor Nicholas Gonzalez and iconic telenovela villain Ita Ticanto Raul. But the real star? Elf Glow Reviver Lip Oil. Oh, okay, I see where this is going. When language fails her and her lips are dull and dry, only Glow can revive her. Melissa McCarthy fully commits by even rolling the R's with Elf Glow Reviver Lip Oil. Available in 10 shades and only $9 each. Watch the full episode of their new elf novella on soyunbanyo.com yes, and drench your lips in an addictive sheer wash of ultra glossy color with Elf Glow Reviver Lip Oil. Hey, it's Ryan Seacrest for Albertsons and Safeway. It's cough, cold and flu season. Do not get caught feeling under the weather. Get back to feeling good with savings on all cold and flu Essentials now through February 24th. Shop in store or online to stock up and save on items like Mucinex, Fast Max Liquid Gels, Vicks Dayquil and nyquil Combo Packs, holes, cough drops and Tylenol Children's liquid. Offer ends February 24th. Restrictions apply. Offers may vary. Visit albertsons or safeway.com for more details. For period protection, you can put on and forget about nothing beats Nyx Leak.

[Saagar Enjeti]

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[Krystal Ball]

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[Saagar Enjeti]

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You [e-mail] and use code FLO15 for 15% off. That's K-N-D.com code FLO15 for 15 percent off. Nixon for your leaks, for your life. Turning now to Iran's major developments after Prime Minister Netanyahu recently visited Washington for I don't even, can't even keep track at this point of Donald Trump's presidency. I think it's number seven, the most visits by a foreign leader I think ever in a short period. So let's go and put this up here on the screen immediately after the meeting concluded. This is from Trump. I have just finished meeting with Prime Minister Netanyahu of Israel and various of his representatives. It was a very good meeting. The tremendous relationship between our two countries continues. There was nothing definitive reached other than I insisted that negotiations with Iran continue to see whether or not a deal can be consummated. If it can, I let the Prime Minister know that we will be a preference. If it cannot, we will just have to see what the outcome will be. Last time Iran decided they'll be better off not making a deal, they were hit with midnight hammer. That did not work out well for them. Hopefully this time they will be reasonable and responsible. Additionally, we discussed the tremendous progress being made in Gaza and the region in general. This is truly peace in the Middle East. Thank you for your attention to this matter. So kind of middle way, I guess, you know, message there from Trump. Let's put this next one up here. This is some inside reporting. Allegedly Trump to Netanyahu. The US Prefers a deal with Iran to war for now. I do think obviously the big question is like a deal over what? And so this is where everything could fall apart. So for example, the Iranians appear poised to want to make a deal on any nuclear related issues, as in they're willing to let in inspectors. In fact, I can put C5 up here on the screen. This kind of broke after the meeting with Netanyahu. The president of Iran came out and said the country is willing to open up its nuclear sites for any verification to prove it is not seeking to build a nuclear weapon. The president made the public pledge on Wednesday during a commemoration of the 40th anniversary of the revolution. Quote, we have announced time and time again we are not seeking nuclear weapons. We are ready for any kind of verification. Spoke to the U.S. spoke as the U.S. continued its naval buildup. And what's difficult about this though is they're framing this around nuclear. But the problem is that there's a secondary issue which Prime Minister Netanyahu and the Israelis are pushing is. It's not just about nuclear. It has to be about missile production. Regional missiles, ballistic missiles are the only deterrent that they really have against the Israelis. That's it. And as we all saw during the 12 day war, they work actually pretty well. They were very able to defeat the Israeli missile defense stuff. If it wasn't for the United States, which was pouring billions into defending Israel, they would have been destroyed in the 12 day war, like, on their own accord. That's why the Israelis care so much about the missiles. We shouldn't care that much about the missiles. We have troops there to protect Israel, but. And that's the only threat that they really pose to us. But in general, this is a regional threat. So then becomes the question, why would we go all in for the missiles on the behest of the Israelis? All that really we care about is the nuclear issue. I don't know where this one is going to go. The Iranians are saying that they're willing to meet with us. All of this, however, on the missile issue, from day one, they're like, this is not up for negotiation. Yeah, period. It's not happening. And it seems that we keep insisting, insisting, insisting. And all of the groundwork is currently being laid for a major. And a wider. Or.

[Saagar Enjeti]

Absolutely. And I mean, it's not even really worth seriously talking about the missiles because of course, Iran is not going to, like, disarm completely. They would be insane to do that. Right. That would be. That is not a serious proposal. Which is exactly why the Israelis are pushing it, because they know there would be no deal that the Iranians would be willing to make on. Oh, yeah, we'll just get rid of our ballistic missiles so you can just completely attack us and we'll be vulnerable and defenseless and have zero deterrent whatsoever. Sure, we're gonna do that. But, you know, there's some psychology at work here, too, with Trump, because supposedly in the 12 day war, we destroyed their nuclear capabilities. So now here we are back. He's now positioning this again as now it's no longer about, oh, my God, the brave protesters. Now it's back to being about the nuclear weapons. But Netanyahu and whoever else is in his ear that wants to push him to war can rightly say, yeah, but, sir, if you're just negotiating on nuclear, you claim that you destroyed that. So that's why you have to up the ante and also go after the ballistic missiles. And your troops in the region will never be safe and secure. And will never have regional stability unless we get Iranians to Iran to give up their ballistic missiles. So I don't know what the timing will be, but in my view, it's only a matter of time. I mean, we've seen over the course of this administration and prior ones as well, but this one has really upped the ante. They cannot live until they cannot be satisfied. Until this Iranian government is toppled. They will try every, every method they can. You know, whether it's the devastating economic sanctions which have been in place for years and years, trying to cripple them even further economically. You know, the intense maximum pressure that was applied here that Scott Besant has been bragging about. That's what helped to foment the protests. You know, whatever inside agitators were used to help escalate those protests into violence. They are running through the playbook of everything they can do to try to topple this government. And so far they have been able to withstand all of the pressure that has come, which is why I sadly see it as only a matter of time before they decide, okay, well, there's no other play left in the playbook. We have to take kinetic action once again.

[Krystal Ball]

This is what's really scary. Let's put the next one. Shall we see four up here on the screen. The Pentagon is now preparing a second aircraft carrier to deploy to the Middle East. So Trump is ratcheting up the pressure on Iran to make a deal over the nuclear program. The carrier strike group is an immense amount of firepower. Everybody, if we just rewind the clock, here's what happened. Originally what happened was that we were on the verge of potentially striking Iran. Then the Iranians came out and said, if you do, we're going to hit back with everything that we have. Immediately they issue a panicked order to withdraw a carrier strike group from the South China Sea and sail it some two weeks to the Persian Gulf to make sure that it's ready to deploy against Iran if needed. Now, a second carrier strike group, this would be an extraordinary show of force we haven't really seen in the region since the last time or even really around October 7th. We're talking about billions. I mean, I can't even like quantify the amount of firepower that is in a single, let alone two carrier strike groups that would be there in addition to all of the bases that are around, in addition to a lot of already forward deployed stuff which is in the Middle east at this time. This is what we would be needed for a full blown long term war. Now and even then, as we found out against the Houthis and others, it's not like it will hold up all that well. And I hate to crap all over our own military cause I don't blame the individual service members, but it's the contractors and the culture that have led to where we are. So, for example, today, two ships in the middle of refueling, collided. I mean, this is like amateur stuff, right? And I've talked about this with my friends who are in the military who are like, our readiness is a disaster. Like, we spend all this money, but we can't do basic stuff. Remember when we had to like push fighter jets off of the deck because they, you know, they like lost two various jets in high seas or something like that, going back a decade.

[Saagar Enjeti]

That was in our losing war against the Houthis, by the way.

[Krystal Ball]

Yeah, there was a collision and a bunch of people, a bunch of sailors died. And like our fire control, which is like one of the basics of the United States Navy, you know, there's been multiple incidents at sea. And again, it's not to denigrate the service members whatsoever. We're talking about a culture and about really an institution which is more focused on getting as much money from the taxpayer as possible for these high precision weapons. And they can't do the basics correctly. Like, this is really what we're dealing with. And that's why it's scary, is because the Iranians message is now pretty clear. We will negotiate nuclear all day long. We will not negotiate ballistic missiles, period. And in exchange, what is going to happen is if you continue and if you strike us, we know we will lose. We know that, that. But we will make it as painful for you as humanly possible and extract an immense amount of blood. And my price for Israel's, you know, regional ambitions is zero American lives. That's what it should be. And again, that's just my opinion. I hope you share the same opinion. This will be a massive problem for the Trump administration, but they keep boxing themselves into corners. And if you box yourself into the Israeli position, you're done. There's no other option. And by the way, Bibi knows this. You think he really thinks they're ever gonna make a deal on ballistic missiles?

[Saagar Enjeti]

No, of course not. Of course not. That's the point. That's the whole point, is he knows they would never make that deal. That's the whole reason it's there. It's meant to be a poison pill. And as we've said before in previous buildups to various conflicts and kinetic military action that Trump has started. It only takes one day of the neocons, whoever it is in the administration, Bibi and his allies and the donors who give to Trump. It's only two takes, one day of them convincing him and it's game on. And I think probably, you know, I think the holdup has been partly. They didn't have the assets in the region. They had to, you know, move things into the region because they realized that the Iranians were not this time just gonna do a performative retaliation, that there might be some, you know, some real damage that comes from this. They're like, all right, well, I guess we better have more stuff in the region. And then I think the other holdup is Trump does not actually have the stomach for, you know, what, what Bibi wants. He does not actually have a stomach for like some long, protracted potential, like boots on the ground, potential US Soldiers killed, et cetera thing. What he loves is the Venezuela model where he can come in. It's one day there's some big show of American military might and then, you know, dramatic images of the, of Maduro being captured. And then, you know, he doesn't have any thoughts about what the second and third and fourth order consequences are. Those will come down the road. He doesn't really care about that, that he gets his show from TV and then he gets to move on and feel like he's this big tough guy and like he's showing America's might in the world, et cetera. And I think he's having trouble. No one's really been able to sell him on a similar option at this point with Iran. The similar option was the 12 day war. Okay, we already did that. Right now what now what's the next thing that they can sell him that he can be convinced would be, quote, unquote, painless from a US Perspective. And the part of that that obvious is pretty obvious is even if it is being sold as being painless, first of all, again, the medium and long term consequences. But second of all, very easy to miscalculate in that very easy to miscalculate on what the Iranian response will be, how things can escalate, what Israel would do, that situation, et cetera. At the same time, I wanted to keep our eyes on. We're going to have Nathaniel Jasper on next week to talk about or to talk about what's going on in the West Bank. I said Nathaniel Jasper, Nathaniel. Anyway, there's been, without getting into all of the bureaucrat technical details here, the tldr is that the Israeli government has put in place a variety of new measures to make it much easier for Israelis to steal land from Palestinians and to continue the mass annexation of the West Bank. Now we've got a new. Let's put C6 up on the screen here. We've got a new. Trump is very concerned about this. You know, he's very worried about this. This hearkens back to the meetings that he used to have with Biden, where it was, oh, Biden is very, very unhappy. He's very disappointed with Netanyahu, et cetera, et cetera. So Trump says he opposes Israeli annexation steps in the West Bank. But of course, Sagar, there aren't any announcements of any steps that are being taken to stop them from moving in that direction. He's just, you know, telling Barack, Ravid or whoever that this is not something that he's happy about.

[Krystal Ball]

Yeah, the west bank stuff is. I mean, first of all, yeah, what's going on there is totally insane. But. But the irony is that this comes at the same time that Bibi joined the Board of Peace, if you'll remember. Can we put C3 up there on the screen just to remind people, you know, Secretary Rubio and Netanyahu met while they were here in Washington. The US Secretary of State ahead of my meeting at the White House, I signed Israel's ascension as a member of the Board of Peace. We will continue strengthening the unbreakable alliance between Israel and the United States. Well, you know, illegally annexing territory and taking fully control of it seemed to be a little bit of a violation of the Board of Peace. Right. And also maybe of the original actual deal that was struck. And as long as you are not actually going to do something about it, then, yeah, you do de facto have control. Also, look at our fanatical, insane ambassador who, by the way, he recently challenged Tucker Carlson to an interview. So I love to see that one's not coming. Let's talk about Pollard, shall we? Let's talk about that for a very nice long period of time. If you check his feed, it is unhinged. Huckabee, more recently has been talking like the Olympics. He'd be like, of course I'm rooting for Team usa, but the next team I'm really rooting for is the Israeli bobsled team or something like, he is highlighting the athletes of Israel more than our own athletes. It's crazy.

[Saagar Enjeti]

Wow.

[Krystal Ball]

As if they're like some great heroes or something. He's literally, he seems to see himself as part of the Israeli nation or considering his own Christian philosophy. Maybe he does like. I really don't know, but it is psychotic. He, of course, was here. I also took notice in some of those meetings there were senior IDF generals who, many of whom were present, and yet I didn't see any American military representatives on the other side of that table. Very worrying because of course these are the same people who are gonna be offering all of these BS assessments around regional ballistic missiles and everything else. So look, I mean, I hate to be a broken record, but this is scary. Like a second carrier strike group, even strategically. Just think about it. I used to talk about this with Ukraine all the time. We're going to pour all of our financial, like all of our financial assets, hundreds of billions of dollars. The entire SWIFT system we're going to sacrifice on the altar of Ukraine. Iran is an even dumber case than that. I mean, shit, it makes more sense for you to defend Ukraine than it does to go all in on Iran. This is like the wet dream of a lot of these, you know, Middle east firsters who are like, this is the most important region in the world. Like, no, it's not. Not even close. And you can just like two carrier strike groups. This amount of firepower, considering what's happening in the rest of the globe, it's just a disaster. It really is from a strategic level.

[Saagar Enjeti]

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[Saagar Enjeti]

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