Loading summary
McDonald's Ad
McCrispy strips are now at McDonald's. I hope you're ready for the most dippable chicken in McDonald's history. Dip it in all the sauces. Dip it in that hot sauce in your bag. Dip it in your McFlurry. Your dip is your business. McCrispy strips at McDonald's.
Tim Miller
Hey, everybody, I'm Tim Miller.
Cameron Caskey
I'm Cameron Caskey, and this is FY Pod Bulwark's plucky, sprightly young show. We've got some news for you this week, don't we, Tim?
Tim Miller
Oh, boy. I mean, there's just so much shit happening, and we tried to pick the things that were most relevant for kind of the Zoomer experience. For Cam's experience, though he's sober now, so maybe the cocaine isn't exactly right. Maybe that's more about me. But tbd, I guess maybe that's tmi. I want to start with the Cash Patel hearing, because he felt to me like the energy he was giving was like Zoomer who showed up for work and didn't do anything all weekend because they were scrolling TikTok. And so I thought it'd be good to get your reaction to it. Let's watch Keshe together and get Cam on the other side.
Congresswoman
It was due last week.
Director Patel
By law, I understand.
Congresswoman
And your answer is? You just understand you're not going to follow the law?
Director Patel
My answer is that I am following the law and I'm working with my interagency partners to do this and get you the budget that you are required to have.
Congresswoman
And you have no timeline?
Director Patel
No.
Cameron Caskey
Can I just say, I love her hair?
Tim Miller
It's good hair.
Congresswoman
Well, we also need a full budget request, not a single paragraph full of wild talking points that we saw with the skinny budget proposal.
Cameron Caskey
God.
Congresswoman
We're now having a budget hearing without a budget request. So, Director Patel, where is the FY 2026 budget request for the FBI?
Director Patel
It's being worked on, ma' am.
Congresswoman
Have you reviewed it? Have you approved it?
Director Patel
Not yet.
Congresswoman
When will we get it?
Director Patel
As soon as I can get it from my interagency partners and get it.
Congresswoman
Approved six months from now.
Director Patel
I don't know, ma' am.
Cameron Caskey
I'm not going to.
Congresswoman
Well, how do we, as Congress, do our budget and our work without that request and without the spend plan?
Director Patel
Well, ma' am, I'm here. I'm doing the best I can. I can't make answers. I'm going to commit to you, to work on getting you the information you need.
Congresswoman
That. That is insufficient and deeply Disturbing.
Cameron Caskey
Yeah. I think Zoomers are slightly better at bullshitting than that. I think this is more second grader getting asked why he didn't do his math homework by the teacher. And, and you know, he, he was also scrolling tik tok all weekend because that's what little kids do. Now, for those of you who have watched Succession, it really is giving cousin Greg, when he was on his Senate hearing and he was saying stuff like, if it is to be said, so be it. It's really weird and embarrassing. Obviously, you know, you were talking about zoomers not doing their work over the weekend. I'm going to do you one better. I, I wouldn't do my work during the week. And this Kaj Patel thing, it's like the crazy thing here is beyond just the basic incompetence. You've also, this, you've also got this guy using his FBI plane to go to Nashville to visit his country singer girlfriend. He's going to Vegas, he's going to UFC games with RFK Jr. And he's going to hockey games, and he's fully participating in the MAGA arena of using the media. Right. I was doing MSNBC last night, which is where Tim spends a lot of time, or as he calls it, Mississippi. Look at you, grooming you with, so to speak. So with a friend of the show, Molly Jong, Fast, one of the things that she said was like, this is very, very in line with the Trump's, with Trump's strategy, which is, you know, so much of how they were able to culturally win in the campaign was by doing this cultural stuff like Trump going to the NASCAR race and bringing the monster on to do a little lap like. So what they're doing is they're continuing this cultural campaigning into the administration. And then you've got, you've got guys like Cash Patel who are getting so busy fucking around with the fun and games and, and with the coordinated effort to win the culture battle that he's not making budgets as director of the FBI. One of the things I said to Eamon on MSNBC last night was that, listen, I confess, this stuff that Cash Patel is doing, not doing his going to a budget hearing without a budget because he was at UFC games. I can't say that doesn't sound like something that I would do, but there's a reason that I'm not the director of the FBI. Other than adolescent drug use. That's exactly what Eamonn said. He said, yeah, as well.
Tim Miller
I'm pretty sure there's some adolescent drug use from Cash. Yeah. I mean, the fun part about Cash is he is like in a human. The most distilled version of kind of the performative maga, the silliness of the maga without a ton of the cruelty and substance that you see from Stephen Miller. Stephen Miller is in there trying to get shit done, like really bad shit. He's like, I'm going to take Vietnamese migrants and send them to Libya. Why? Because it gets me hard to do that. This is. Steve. I'm going to create. We are creating a monster prison in El Salvador. Going to send women that co authored op EDS that I don't like to a Louisiana prison like that. Stephen Miller is executing on the, you know, the cruelest policy elements of maga. Russ, Vote. Good.
Cameron Caskey
I was going to say, I think that that's a distinction that it's always important for us to make while we're discussing these things is the MAGA regime right now has stupidity and, and sloppiness, but it also has effective, coordinated authoritarianism that's easy to mistake for stupidity. And very often the answer is there's a bit of both there. Like, RFK Jr. Is simultaneously incapable of thought, but also the damaging stuff that he's doing is on purpose. I also, by the way, got in trouble. I don't know how much trouble I got in. I don't know if it really pissed anybody off, but I don't think they were thrilled about this on CNN on Friday, because I was on the Situation Room 11am hour and I said that RFK Jr. Sounds like he's choking on sand. And it's like, first of all, that's true. Second of all, they said like, okay, well, just to be clear, it's because RFK Jr. Has a neurological disorder. And I'm like, all right, I don't have sympathy for you having a neurological disorder if you are systematically targeting people with neurological disorders.
Tim Miller
Yeah, my only critique of it was, I think gargling sand would be funnier. Kind of sounds funnier. Gargling rather than choking on sand.
Cameron Caskey
You know what? When you have to rely on your improv skills because the news is not scripted, contrary to popular belief, you're not always going to get the words right. But yeah, to this Kash Patel thing, it's, you know, just further proof that our intelligence agencies really ought to not be called intelligent anymore. And I'm wondering, you know, Hegaseth gets to stay after all the shit that he's done. And it's like, there's no way Kash Pato gets held Accountable for this?
Tim Miller
No, I mean, Cash has been, like, towards the top of the cabinet rankings for me because he's only doing the silly stuff. He's only doing the pro formative MAGA stuff. Like, he is showing up to a couple of arrests of migrants in, like, a costume. Like, dressed up. Like he's, you know, a stormtrooper. And so that's bad. But, like, besides that, he's spending a lot of time on hockey. He's not doing a budget, so we'll see how it all shakes out. I just. I feel like there's a lot more nefarious stuff happening maybe over at DHS with Kristi Noem and her new face or with Marco at Secretary of State. Like, they've had a lot more nefarious, actual, tangible things.
Cameron Caskey
Cash Patel has, as far as we know, never shot a dog. But there's also, like, reports coming out. I don't know if you saw this from people who are from anonymous sources in the FBI and in these intelligence communities that are saying that Kash Patel was. There was a type of meeting, that they had some sort of briefing five days a week that is now just on Tuesdays and Thursdays, and that he was showing up late and that they were struggling to find a way to present him with information that wasn't boring to him. They were having a hard time retaining his attention. And that's where I think maybe your reference to adolescent drug use for him might really, you know, kick in.
Tim Miller
He does just give off. I don't. You know, and we got to say, allegedly here. We don't want to be sued. Cash Patel has been known to sue people who criticize him on tv. He just gives off heavy Ritalin vibes. I don't know if he was on Ritalin, and there's nothing wrong with it, but, like, he gives off the kid that is on the maximum dosage of Ritalin just to try to get him to. Even.
Cameron Caskey
When I tell people how much Adderall I'm prescribed, they're like, oh, so your heart is going to explode.
Tim Miller
Yes. Well, so then, using your expert assessment, what do you think? Does he give off Ritalin kid vibes to you?
Cameron Caskey
I think he gives. I think no matter how much Ritalin he's on, he could probably stand to do a little bit more. So he could maybe have an easier time focusing on the intelligence briefings that he receives.
Tim Miller
His bulging eyes is something you don't have, you know, so I'll let you know if you ever come onto the show and your eyes are so bulging. I might be like, Cam might be time to dial down the milligrams on the Adderall.
McDonald's Ad
McCrispy strips are now at McDonald's. I hope you're ready for the most dippable chicken in McDonald's history. Dip it in all the sauces. Dip it in that hot sauce in your bag. Dip it in your McFlurry. Your dip is your business. McCrispy strips at McDonald's.
Tim Miller
There was another topic you wanted to get to. That's good, because I haven't covered it on my other other shows. There's so much stupid shit out there right now. Like, there's just an U.N. bannon said that, you know, they like to flood the zone with shit. Like, we are in a shit tsunami right now. It's, like, hard to just even get to all the stupid things they've been doing. As such, I had skipped the story, so I said you wanted to talk about it, which was the fact that Steve Witkoff, who's negotiating with Russia on the Russia Ukraine deal, who's our. The US Negotiator, did not use a US Interpreter and just relied on the Kremlin interpreter for that conversation. What did you make of that?
Cameron Caskey
Well, first of all, you'd think the Trump administration would have somebody on deck to do that interpreting, considering how much shady backdoor shit Trump does with Russia. But there was some former ambassador, I wish I'd remembered his name, who came out and said, like, every time we have an interpreter here, there is some sort of. What we know is that the Kremlin is not telling us the same shit they're saying in Russian. Like, their interpreters are not to be trusted. And it's like there's this thing called modern history where it sort of points to this potential notion that Russia isn't always to be trusted with the truth and with information. And they not only really enjoy manipulating the truth in order to manipulate large swaths of people, they really love manipulating a gentleman named Donald Trump. So it's. It's very concerning. But this is another one of those things where it's like this. We can't call this stupidity, because if there was one meeting with the Kremlin where Steve Witkoff, who is a real estate and crypto guy, by the way, that's. That's stupid. Totally. But pretty much anything with crypto is stupid. Steve Witkoff, crypto real estate dude, whose job it is to, I guess, prevent people from dying, which doesn't sound like a great idea. He. Him going to one of these meetings and them needing to use the Russian KGB translator, like, that's. That's a red flag. But you could chalk that up to sloppiness and stupidity and not being coordinated and everything. This happened three times. So that's on purpose. That is competent authoritarianism.
Tim Miller
I don't want to get into. We're not going to get into crazy Rogan conspiracy land here. But, like, something's happening. Is it that Trump and Wyckoff don't want the US Interpreter to be able to testify to what was said? You know, if they ever get called in front of Congress? I don't know. Maybe that is it. Maybe there is another reason that is less nefarious than that. I don't really know what it would be, though, that we would have several meetings with Putin and the Russian counterparty and decide not to bring our own interpreter to the table. There. You layer that on top of the fact that Putin has laughed in the face of every entreaty that we've made as part of this peace deal that's supposed to be happening in 24 hours. And Trump and Wyckoff still refuse to say anything mean about him. I mean, Putin just earlier today canceled the meeting that was supposed to happen with him and Zelensky in Turkey. And it's just he is undermining the supposed peace talks at every turn. And the most you can get Trump or Wyckoff to say bad about him is like, well, you know, I was hoping one of the parties would be a little bit more interested in negotiating than they've turned out to be. Like, he won't even say their name.
Cameron Caskey
Do you think Trump was just sort of straight up lying when he said that he was going, obviously, the 24 hours thing is ridiculous, but when he said that he was going to negotiate the peace talks and he was going to end the war there, do you think that he was just lying through his teeth, or do you think that his kind of cultish inner circle and his ego actually had him convinced that as soon as he got in, he would have been able to put an end to the war?
Tim Miller
I think that Trump has convinced himself. Well, look, I think that there are two things happening. One, Trump is all bluster. It's going to be the best. It's going to be the greatest end of 24 hours. So part of this was that, but the other part of it was I think Trump had convinced himself that he and Putin were on this like pals in a bunker, on the same side of some imaginary war with, like, the deep state the globalists that were coming for them. And if you listen to Trump talk about this, he's like, the Russia hoax. The Russia hoax. I think Trump perceives, like him and Putin to both be victims of this, what he believes to be a hoax, which is not a hoax, that Russia interfered in the election in 2016. And that, like, they're pals because of that. Like, they're out there, they're buddies that have been persecuted by the same bad guys. And so that they, you know, that he has some kind of special relationship with him based on that. I think he truly has convinced, truly convinced himself of that, which is obviously idiotic.
Cameron Caskey
I've gone like, genuinely probably over a month of FYPOD without talking about friend of the show Benjamin Netanyahu. So I feel like I've earned one reference. Okay, did you see his tweet where he was like, every time a strong right wing leader gets appointed in, gets elected in a country, the deep state, immediately mobile, immobilizes again, excuse me, mobilizes against him. And it's like, why are you tweeting that? Bibi, like you, you still have been able to convince so much of the liberal world that, you know, Israel is the only democracy in the Middle east and they're such an important partnership. Why would you just go full maga like that? You know, fucking Eric Adams it. And I. And I think it's just one of those things where Trump really gets off on having powerful friends. And so, which is why he was all about Kim Jong Un, although I haven't heard anything about the two of them interacting in this administration.
Tim Miller
True.
Cameron Caskey
But maybe there was some sort of behind the scenes drama with them in their friend group or something. But I think Trump thinks that it is something that I think he derives power, or he thinks he derives power from having other friends who are powerful and dangerous and stuff like Prime Minister Modi.
Tim Miller
I think that he definitely has an affinity for autocrats. And I think that, that, you know, there'll be some people that are listening. They're like, no, this is all Krasnov. Trump has a Russian asset since the 1980s. And I think that's probably not true. I guess I wouldn't say there's a zero percent chance that's true. I think that really, what is more likely is Trump just has these affinities for these autocrats. He imagines himself to be a strong man like them because he's a weak guy. And also on top of that, he imagines that him and Putin are on the same side in this battle with these ghostly, deep state people that he thinks he's fighting.
Cameron Caskey
I bet Putin's saying to him, like, hey, by the way, Trump, I'm playing you like a fiddle. You're my puppet. You do whatever I want. But then the Kremlin translator is like, donald Trump, you are my best friend. I love you, brother. Your skin looks terrific.
Tim Miller
Today I'm presenting you this painting, which they literally did. Presented him a paint. Presented Wyckoff a painting to bring to Trump. What? Caught, like, he's such a nice guy.
Cameron Caskey
Yeah. It's almost like Trump seems to be accepting gifts from maybe the more unseemly government, seeing as a Qatar, if that's how you pronounce it. I never figured it out. Gave him, like, a $700 million mega jet that's called, like, a flying palace. And Trump today, during the. During the press conference was like, yeah, I would have been stupid not to take it. Sebastian, can you throw that clip up for one sec?
Tim Miller
I could be a stupid person and say, oh, no, we don't want a free plane. We give free things out. We'll take one, too, and it helps us out.
Cameron Caskey
Thanks. So it's just so weird, and, you know, it's obviously important to call out the dangers of Trump being friends with these people, but also just to try and look into the psychology of it. Like I said, it's just. It seems to be that those relationships he has, even when he's the one getting played, he thinks they make him strong. I have a question for you, Tim, before we get into our last segment, which is also kind of tied to Russia. So it seems as though the tariffs with China have been cut to 30%, and from what I understand, that is still pretty much devastatingly bad. Have you taken a look at this yet?
Tim Miller
Yeah, I don't. Well, I would say that it's probably not devastatingly bad because the 145% tariff was basically like a tariff embargo with China. So essentially, any product that you buy that comes from China or has a part that comes from China was going to be not available within the next month, basically. And so now, at 30%, most of those products, like, you could probably afford it. Like, imagine if you're getting a dress off of Temu or something, like having to pay double and a half the price. Like it was a $50 dress. Instead of paying 50, you now have to pay $125. Like, that is just not sustainable business wise. 30%, you know, maybe you'll decide to pay then $65 or whatever, but it's still more money. And so I think it's going to be bad economically for small businesses, it's going to be bad for consumers. And that little golem, Stephen Miller attacked me over. We had a little Twitter exchange over this earlier today where I pointed out that it's not really great to have a 30% increase on all products you get from China. Like, that's, you know, if we're going to try to lower prices, this is not great. And he called me a liberal for that. So I guess now you're, now you're a liberal or leftist. I think he actually said if you, if you don't support random 30% tax increases for no reason, but it's not going to be good for the economy. But I think we've downgraded from devastating to just not great.
Cameron Caskey
And you know what? In this day and age, not great is almost like a sunny day. But anyway, we'll take not great.
Tim Miller
All right, my final topic, which I'm so excited to talk to you about. Basically, Zelensky had a meeting with the three, the actual leaders of the free world right now. German Chancellor Merz Keir Starmer, British Prime Minister, French President Macron. The three of them, I guess, were flying back together from Ukraine, and there's a video of the three of them answering some questions. And. Well, let's just play the video. We came through Germany and then we made it to the bedroom. It will be a little bit of a drink. Okay. Anybody notice anything there? I don't know, Cameron, if you noticed anything, because Alex Jones, Eagle Eye Alex Jones spotted something and he sent this tweet. Developing scandal. Macron, Starmer and Mers caught on video on their return from Kiev. A bag of white powder on the table. McCrone quickly pockets it, et cetera, et cetera. No explanation given. Zelensky, known cocaine enthusiast, had just hosted them. Let's go back to the video. We're just gonna. Sebastian. We're just gonna take right to the moment where McCrone pockets the alleged bag of cocaine. And I'd like to look at that. That's a dirty napkin. I don't think you need to be a cocaine expert to know whether or not that's a bag of cocaine or a napkin. I don't really know why Macron wanted to put the napkin in his pocket. That is a little strange. But Alex Jones and a ton of pro Russia accounts and others have been sharing this. This thing has like 20, 27 million views as we're talking right now. 27 million views because X has been pumping it. The Russian, you know, bot networks have been pumping it. Alex Jones 27 million views for this. This like the stupidest controversy imaginable. What do you mean?
Cameron Caskey
It's like when Chris Van Hollen came out and said that the picture Bukaki posted of Abrego Garcia enjoying a nice. What was it, like a margarita or something?
Tim Miller
Like it was water with salt on the rim.
Cameron Caskey
No, but is that what he called it, a margarita?
Tim Miller
Yeah, he. They called it a margarita.
Cameron Caskey
Sipping margaritas in the tropical paradise of El Salvador. And I'm just like, they had this hoax where they had the fake margarita that they could have at least made look like a margarita. And now you're here and. And they're going after even crazier things. This fucking napkin being. They're calling it cocaine. And it's just such a fucking alarm because now that they're trying to suspend habeas corpus, like they're going to be targeting political enemies for walking home with a bag of flour and say that it's ketamine.
Tim Miller
I just, you look at these guys, it's pretty funny. You got Friedrich Merce there and his in his baby blue sweater. We think this man is ripping rails. Like what? Like what is what. We think Keir Starmer is just out there like backstage at the Oasis concert.
Cameron Caskey
Just like ripping rails. I'm not, I'm not woke to the world of, of cocaine. Not that anybody I've ever met has done cocaine. But is ripping rails something they say for like, doing lines?
Tim Miller
Yeah, doing lines. Rails, yeah. Rails is a synonym for lines. Yeah. I've never looks like a rail.
Cameron Caskey
I've never done cocaine. But hypothetically, if I had, it would have only been twice and one of them would have been off the, off the hand of an independent journalist who's very popular in front of a very well known journalist at a bar in Los Angeles when I was 20 years old and had to use a fake to get in the bar. Now that didn't happen, but if it did, it would have been a very interesting story. Especially since I was like sort of still fresh out of being described as Parkland survivor Cameron Caskey. So the whole like, Parkland kid in front of this journalist at a really huge publication doing a tiny little bump of cocaine, I think that probably would have gotten a little bit of coverage and caused a little bit of a mess.
Tim Miller
I'm sad for you that you're worried that. You were worried about that as a Parkland survivor. You were concerned that extracurricular activities might have ended up in the newspaper.
Cameron Caskey
So I've never done acid, but if I had done acid, I would have done it in the August of the year that the shooting happened. And I, I was walking in my, I would have been walking in my friend's neighborhood and three cops pull up to us. Three police cars would have pulled up to us and, and the two friends I was with were fucking idiots and they would have been tripping on acid. And I said to them, gentlemen, gentlemen, both of you shut the fuck up unless you're being spoken to. I am handling this. Because it was a couple months after the shooting. I'd only just left March for our Lives. And it would have been a story if I got arrested for being on LSD in Parkland, Florida. So I was talking to the cops and basically they had seen somebody that was, there had been phone calls that someone in the neighborhood was trying to break into a car. And they thought that that might have been us. But I talked us out of it. All was, well, it was just really scary, you know, because if, if, if you're ever, if I was ever on lsd, shining lights from police cars are really scary under that substance. So it was, I thought my life was over. I, I, I can't even tell you what was going on in my head because I, I can't process it sober. But it was such a fucking horror show. And then I found out the person who was allegedly breaking into a car was my friend who I was with, trying to get into his car, but he forgot his keys. And it was just such a fucking comedy of errors. But thank God it didn't happen.
Tim Miller
Yeah, thank God that didn't happen. Because if it did happen, you know who you could have invited to hang out with you? Friedrich Mertz, Chancellor of Germany, who according to Alex Jones and the stupidest people on the Internet thinks was in some, is in some sort of cocaine party ring with Keira Starmer and Volodymyr Zelensky. I just, you just look at Mers, that balding man, his sweater. It's like, man, that dude wants to do acid in Parkland and then just kind of get down Scarface style in Ukraine.
Cameron Caskey
Listen, Parkland is known for the terrible mass shooting that happened at our high school and for pickleball. But it's important to note that before, before you, you were running multi million dollar non profits and doing activism and going on TV and marching in the streets with people in different communities all over the country. There wasn't actually that much to do in Parkland. So you had to resort to certain recreational activities that might otherwise be considered not as prestige. The one other news bit that I want to quickly allude to is that if I had ever done acid another time, it would have been summer of 2020 during lockdown, and I was. And I would have been tripping. And I saw that Kanye west announced that he was running for president, and I, dead ass was like, oh, my God, he's gonna win. As soon as Kanye announced that he was running not as a Democrat or a Republican, but in his own party called the birthday party. And he called it that because when he won, it was going to be like it was everyone's birthday. And then he could only get into the ballot in, like, a couple states.
Tim Miller
That's a cool gimmick.
Cameron Caskey
You know, you're a lot of your friends, political friends. So very often when something political happens, you get a flurry of text messages of your friends being like, oh, my God, what do you make of this? Like, I was getting texts after the debate from my friends that were like, any thoughts on the debate? And I was just like, yep, quite a few. I hope you have some as well. But I was just going to say friends of mine were texting me about the Kanye thing and just like, tripping balls. I was like, yeah, this is really bad for our democracy. He's going to be a disastrous. And the next day I was sending apology texts like, hey, so I was a little incapacitated when that news dropped.
Tim Miller
Yeah. So maybe not Kanye. Look, as a pundit, you're gonna have some misses, you're gonna have some hits. Look at Bill Kristol, you know, who you're never gonna be on a show with. He's had a few misses over the years, but he's been nailing it lately. So, you know, that's okay. Like, you're never gonna get them all as a pundit.
Cameron Caskey
Last topic, bonus topic. And everybody, I want you to comment in our comment section who you think the most atrocious, stupid member of the Trump administration is. Let's not do competent evil fascism. Let's say pure low IQ stupidity. So comment that below for the algorithm. Last.
Tim Miller
The lowest iq, Trump administration member. Tough one.
Cameron Caskey
Last thing is. This is for Tim. I can't really comment on this, but right now with the Denver Nuggets, it's 2 to 2 in the series.
Tim Miller
It is.
Cameron Caskey
And I love watching the Nuggets games specifically for the post game interviews with Jokic.
Tim Miller
Yep.
Cameron Caskey
Who is. Who is the most fun person to watch Talk because He so clearly fucking hates talking to the media. How are you feeling about the series?
Tim Miller
Good question. I want to just throw in a little sleeper for people in the comments. Brooke Rollins might be the sleeper for the most low IQ member of the Trump administration. Some of you won't have heard of her. Maybe just Google yokit. I don't feel that great about the series. I felt like we really needed to win yesterday. Had we been up 3:1, I think we'd have been, you know, pretty well suited to. To close it out, win one of the last three. We are up six, up eight, I think actually in the fourth quarter had a lot of momentum and just the offense kind of stalled out. Jokic, I think, has some elbow issues. His shooting percentage this series is the lowest it's ever been in a playoff series. So it looks like he's got some elbow issues, I think. Okay, he's playing good defense. So to win the series, I think Yoke is going to have to, like, just from within, find, like that same level of rage that he gives to a reporter that asks him a dumb question and channel it against Chet Holmgren and the Oklahoma City Thunder and just.
Cameron Caskey
Go up the middle, like, stop trying to get buckets.
Tim Miller
If he can just do. If we could get one like 48 point game out of Jokic and get a win, then I think the team could maybe get another win. But he's going to have to put us on our back for one game. I hope it happens. It's. It's a fun series. It's been a fun. The two wins have been so fun. And I. In game one, I was shirtless, screaming, and the neighborhood woke up the cat. Last second shot by Aaron Gordon. And then in game three, which we won, I was at the gay sports bar and I. I had a couple too many drinks to. To say the least. And so I remember having a great time, but I don't really remember the game. And so I got to. I rewatched it on the plane and it was a joy to watch it again, actually, so. So, yeah, I'm feeling good.
Cameron Caskey
All right. Well, thank you, Tim Miller, everybody. For more news and for more sports commentary, come back for our Saturday episode. We're gonna have a great interview with someone who liked him, grew up with a conservative background, and then decided that maybe it's time to look at things differently. Thanks, everybody. I'.
Tim Miller
Sam.
FYPod Episode 25: "No, Napkins Are Not Cocaine"
Release Date: May 13, 2025
Hosts: Tim Miller & Cameron Caskey
Platform: The Bulwark
In Episode 25 of FYPod, titled "No, Napkins Are Not Cocaine," hosts Tim Miller and Cameron Caskey delve into the perplexing political landscape shaped by Gen Z's unexpected swing towards Trump in the 2024 elections. The episode offers a critical analysis of the current administration's strategies, MAGA's performative tactics, and the broader implications for America's youngest voters. The discussion is interspersed with humor, personal anecdotes, and sharp political commentary, making it both engaging and informative for listeners.
The episode kicks off with the hosts dissecting the recent Cash Patel congressional hearing, highlighting what they perceive as Patel's inadequate performance and lack of accountability.
Tim Miller critiques Patel's demeanor, likening it to a Zoomer coworker distracted by TikTok:
"[...] the energy he was giving was like Zoomer who showed up for work and didn't do anything all weekend because they were scrolling TikTok."
(00:48)
Cameron Caskey humorously remarks on the congresswoman's appearance, adding levity to the critique:
"Can I just say, I love her hair?"
(02:09)
The hosts express frustration over Patel's inability to present the FY 2026 budget for the FBI, accusing him of prioritizing personal interests over federal responsibilities:
"He's not doing a budget, so we'll see how it all shakes out."
(05:05)
Miller and Caskey transition into a broader critique of the MAGA administration, distinguishing between its performative cultural maneuvers and more sinister authoritarian actions.
Caskey draws parallels between Patel's antics and MAGA's cultural strategies, referencing Trump's NASCAR appearances:
"[...] they're continuing this cultural campaigning into the administration."
(05:05)
Tim Miller contrasts Cash Patel's "silly stuff" with Stephen Miller's "effective, coordinated authoritarianism," emphasizing the latter's grave policy implications:
"Stephen Miller is executing on the, you know, the cruelest policy elements of MAGA."
(05:05)
The discussion underscores the duality within the MAGA movement—blending incompetence with calculated authoritarian measures.
A significant portion of the episode revolves around the enigmatic relationship between Donald Trump and Vladimir Putin, questioning the authenticity and implications of their alliance.
Tim Miller theorizes that Trump perceives himself and Putin as comrades against a perceived "deep state":
"He truly has convinced himself [...] that they are on the same side of some imaginary war with the deep state."
(14:00)
Cameron Caskey speculates on Putin manipulating Trump, highlighting the surreal nature of their interactions:
"I bet Putin's saying to him, like, hey, by the way, Trump, I'm playing you like a fiddle."
(16:58)
The hosts critique Trump's affinity for autocrats, suggesting it stems from his insecurities and desire to project strength:
"He imagines himself to be a strong man like them because he's a weak guy."
(16:45)
Shifting focus to economic policies, Miller and Caskey examine the recent reduction of tariffs on Chinese goods from 145% to 30%, assessing its impact on American businesses and consumers.
Tim Miller explains the detrimental effects of the tariffs, especially on small businesses and consumer prices:
"It's going to be bad economically for small businesses, it's going to be bad for consumers."
(18:20)
The hosts critique the rationale behind the tariff adjustments, questioning their effectiveness in achieving economic relief:
"30%, you know, maybe you'll decide to pay then $65 or whatever, but it's still more money."
(19:50)
The episode addresses a viral conspiracy theory alleging that European leaders were implicated in a cocaine-related scandal during a meeting hosted by Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky.
Cameron Caskey references Alex Jones' unfounded claims about a "bag of white powder" being mistook for cocaine:
"What do you mean?"
(21:58)
Tim Miller mocks the absurdity of the allegation, emphasizing the lack of evidence and the role of Russian bot networks in spreading the misinformation:
"This thing has like 20, 27 million views as we're talking right now."
(21:58)
The hosts highlight the dangers of such conspiracies, warning about the potential misuse of habeas corpus to target political adversaries:
"They're calling it cocaine, and it's just such a fucking alarm because now that they're trying to suspend habeas corpus..."
(22:55)
Towards the end, Miller and Caskey venture into lighter territories, discussing Kanye West's unconventional presidential bid and sharing personal stories to illustrate the unpredictable nature of political punditry.
Caskey recounts a hypothetical scenario of consuming LSD during Kanye's announcement, underscoring the chaotic blend of politics and personal actions:
"He announced that he was running not as a Democrat or a Republican, but in his own party called the birthday party."
(27:27)
Tim Miller reacts to Caskey's imaginative anecdotes with humor, highlighting the unpredictable nature of political commentary:
"That's a cool gimmick."
(27:27)
In their final segment, the hosts pivot to sports, providing an in-depth analysis of the Denver Nuggets' performance in their current playoff series.
Tim Miller expresses his disappointment in the team's recent performance, speculating on Jokic's potential role in securing future victories:
"If we could get one like a 48-point game out of Jokic and get a win, then I think the team could maybe get another win."
(30:01)
Cameron Caskey lightens the mood by discussing Jokic's notorious dislike for media interactions, adding a personal touch to the sports commentary:
"He so clearly fucking hates talking to the media."
(28:49)
Episode 25 of FYPod offers a multifaceted exploration of the intersection between Gen Z's political inclinations and the current administration's strategies. Through incisive critiques, humorous exchanges, and timely discussions, Tim Miller and Cameron Caskey provide listeners with a comprehensive understanding of the challenges and absurdities facing America's youngest voters. The episode underscores the importance of skepticism towards performative politics and the dangers of misinformation, all while maintaining an engaging and relatable dialogue.
Notable Quotes:
Tim Miller (00:48): "There's just so much shit happening, and we tried to pick the things that were most relevant for kind of the Zoomer experience."
Cameron Caskey (02:09): "Incumbent is insufficient and deeply Disturbing."
Caskey (14:00): "I think Trump has convinced himself that he and Putin were on this like pals in a bunker."
Miller (18:20): "It's going to be bad economically for small businesses, it's going to be bad for consumers."
Caskey (21:58): "No, napkins are not cocaine."
Miller (30:01): "If we could get one like a 48-point game out of Jokic and get a win, then I think the team could maybe get another win."
Join Tim Miller and Cameron Caskey next week for another episode of FYPod, where they will feature an exclusive interview with someone who shifted from a conservative background to a new perspective on today's political climate. Stay informed with sharp insights into America's youngest voters.
For more episodes and updates, subscribe to FYPod on your favorite podcast platform.