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Carvana Customer
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Carvana Customer's Partner
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Carvana Customer
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Angie (Angie.com Advertiser and Commentator)
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Angie.com Electrician Storyteller
Why have I asked my electrician I found on Angie.com to bury my pet hamster, Nibbles, in our yard for me? Because I was so moved by how carefully he buried my electrical wires, I knew I could trust him to bury my sweet Nibbles after his untimely end.
Angie (Angie.com Advertiser and Commentator)
Huh?
Angie.com Electrician Storyteller
Nibbles gone too soon. May he scurry in peace.
Carvana Customer
Hey, sorry about your pet, but I just wire stuff.
Angie.com Electrician Storyteller
Nibbles would have loved you like a brother.
Carvana Customer
Connecting homeowners with skilled pros for over 30 years. Angie, the one you trust to find the ones you trust. Find pros for all your home projects@angie.com foreign.
Political Commentator 1
There is a bombshell CNN investigation and it is revealing how the war in Iran has resulted in unprecedented destruction of United States bases in the Middle East.
Political Commentator 2
Let's play the clip in an investigation found evidence of unprecedented destruction. We can reveal that strikes damaged at least 16 US installations across eight countries, according to our analysis. And sourcing. That's the majority of American military positions in the region and some of them are virtually unusable. Now, a US source familiar with the situation told us that they'd never seen anything like this at American bases, that these were rapid targeted strikes using technology.
Political Commentator 1
Okay, this is really stunning, especially because we are just now hearing about all of this and the fact that this president has gone into war at the request of Benjamin Netanyahu in Israel and he has not had his joint Chiefs at the table who advised not to do this. And our investment in all of these military bases come at great cost to the American public. We have an out of control deficit. We have an electorate that doesn't have health care. We have an electorate that's drowning in debt. Yet we constantly save corporations and bail them out. Welfare for corporations. And then all of this investment that we had to sacrifice for. No, you can't have this. We can't afford it. No, you can't have that. We can't afford it. And all of the. We support Our troops and the US Military is so badass and all of our bases are destroyed. And because Trump and Hexeth and Lil Marco and He, Witkoff and Kushner are so wildly insecure, we can't even have a free press anymore that reports this to us. This is so disgraceful.
Angie (Angie.com Advertiser and Commentator)
It is. And you also hear Pete Hexeth from his briefings going on and on against the media when they report and talk about death of American soldiers. He gets mad about that and says it's unflattering to the president. And I was reading an article that the government is trying to buy up satellite images that show the destruction of US Bases because they don't want the American public to see it because this war is unpopular to start with. And you add the trillions of dollars that's going to take to rebuild this stuff, it's. It's really a staggering defeat for the United States.
Political Commentator 1
Yeah. And this was the type of stuff that I remember Benghazi. And you remember all of the meltdowns over the Afghan withdrawal and Fox News and MAGA people and their selective patriotism and their selective support of military provocation. Only when that news cycle behoo them, when they can, quote, own the libs. They do not care about these military bases abroad getting destroyed. If it hurts their dear leader, they're fine saying, oh, no, we don't want the First Amendment. No more free press about this. These people believe in nothing. And when you have nihilists running the country, this is what we're getting, all of this investment. And I just want to say it again, Every MAGA person that every single one of you know that does all this, rah, rah, sis, boom, bop, I support the troops. No, you don't. They are selective patriots when it behooves them. They support the troops when it behooves them, particularly when it's. They can put some blame on a Democratic leader. And it's just the lying, the hypocrisy, and the duplicity of the Republican Party. The Democrats just don't call it out enough. And this is our president this weekend as the war rages on. Play the clip.
Carvana Customer's Partner
Huh? Come on, darling. The mother's screaming like, darling, I love you, darling. Oh, Mom, I can't do it.
Political Commentator 1
All right here. He's talking about a trans weightlifter, and everybody in the crowd is just dying, laughing. And they think that's just hilarious to pick on trans people. And to me, this is just shows you how low MAGA is that they want to take the most marginalized members of the world and belittle and demean and use them as political props and use them as a joke and that's really fun and cruel and neat to these people. And you can make homosexuality illegal. MAGA can do that if they want to. And you can make being transferred illegal and you can make abortion illegal. And you can do all of these things. Number one, you can't ungay gay, you can't un trans trans. And all you're doing when you make abortion illegal is you are then criminalizing something that people are probably going to seek out anyway. These are low T men that whose parents didn't love them or whatever got them here. And these nihilists are running our country and they are scapegoating people that they deem are low hanging fruit. It's such an intellectually dishonest on top of the fact this is the President of the United States acting like that, darling. And he does this all the time. And this is the same guy that tried to give a microphone a blow job on the campaign trail. The guy who was talking about how good looking the Secret Service guys were that raced in to the White House correspondence dinner. The same guy, he was basically frothing at the mouth, hitting the UFC fighter. God, you're too good looking to fight the guy who couldn't get enough of Zoron Mom. Donnie. The guy who blares the Phantom of the Opera. The guy who's laser focused on all of his interior design projects. So sure, pick on trans people. Make homosexuality illegal. Maybe the call's coming from inside the house. You might want to follow the the grinder data and see where and when it crashes and who is present in those towns. You hypocritical. I just think it's so mean to pick on trans people.
Angie (Angie.com Advertiser and Commentator)
Well, because here's the thing I notice on Fox News and any kind of right wing reporting when Trump is underwater like he is now, when his policies are so profoundly unpopular, they go to trans people and Joe Biden that's like in their back pocket and they pull it out because people are so simple minded and hateful and full of all this. I can do whatever I want because I'm white even though I'm poor and none of this helps me, but at least I can pick on somebody that's lower than me because the whole eos is if you push somebody else down, that's how you feel better. And I will just say this, and this sounds flippant, but when I hear that, that he does I immediately know it's him. I have heard it so much from the President of the United States. When it just a little tiny clip of that starts going, I know exactly who it is. I shouldn't know that. That should not be in my ears ever. All right.
Political Commentator 1
And yesterday, Trump announced that the United States would help guide ships through the Straight of Hormuz. Pop this up. Trump says that the US Will start guiding ships out of the Iran hit Strait of Hormuz on Monday. In a truth social post, Donald Trump said, we have told these countries that we will guide their ships safely out of these restricted waterways so that they can freely and ably get on with their business. He says, quote, project Freedom begins Monday and claims talks with Iran could lead to something very positive for all. Iran says, hold my beer. They say they will retaliate against any ship moving through the strait. Let's pop this up. Iran says it will attack vessels that take up President Trump's offer for the US Military to guide them through the Strait of Hormuz. And so we started off this episode, Angie, talking about how the United States government is lying to the public and to the press. Pete Hagseth removed any real journalist from the Pentagon so that we don't know just how badly our military bases are getting hit. I don't think we know a true death toll injury list. They're going to hide all of that. And then we've got Mr. Dementia Weekend at Bernie boys having these complete mental breaks on camera that go widely uncovered by the press. And then he's like, oh, we're going to be doing this with Iran. And Iran's like the. You are. And we are living in a time where in the United States of America, you cannot believe a word that comes out of this administration's mouth. They are liars, they are stealers. They are corrupt to the core. Trump doesn't care about the troops. Trump doesn't care care about the United States military. Witcoff doesn't care about the United States military. Jared Kushner is a multi billionaire. Witkoff is too. All these people are doing are enriching themselves. They're making themselves richer while they lie to the American public and allow these billionaires that this country cannot afford to say, yeah, you're going to pay more in taxes, but guess what? We don't have to. And by the way, that whole wealth trickles down thing, 20,000Amazon workers, hit the bricks. You're fired. I'm richer now. I have a president that has my back. I bought the Met Gala Go yourself. Tough titties, little working class Americans. I've got big tittied Sanchez here, then we've got big titty Brian over at dhs. I mean these people are just so abhorrent. It is so abhorrent. And I cannot stand the selective patriotism that these people do. I always knew they were such hypocrites about all of this, but seeing it in real time time, yeah. And seeing how Pete Hexeth treats these experienced, weathered people that have devoted themselves to the Constitution in the United States military be dismissed because they're black or because they're female or in maga. The worst crime at all, having a job while being black and female. It's just these people are just liars. Just nihilist, shitty liars.
Angie (Angie.com Advertiser and Commentator)
Yeah. I was thinking when the beginning of the war and Iran was saying something and the President was saying something and they were contradictory, I thought to myself it is a sad state of affairs that on at first blush I believe the Iranian news more than I believe the US news because the Trump administration is lying about everything and have been. So when I fact check it, I just think that is so. I mean would have ever guessed that I would have had more faith and in the credibility of what was coming out of the Iranian government versus the US government. And to your point about Hexaf, there's so much evidence coming out through different reports that the morale of the everyday troops, the confidence in the plan of the troops because of Pete Hecseth has turned to shit. And my response to that is, well, no duh, of course there's no confidence. He is an idiot, he is an absolute joke. And these people that serve in the military, it me, it matters to them, it's important to them. And I just feel like he's pissing all over it every day.
Political Commentator 1
So two follow ups there. To your point about believing Iran, let me just point out this. Iran allowed CNN's Fred Plaikin to be embedded on the ground during the initial days of this conflict. Benjamin Netanyahu in Israel to this day have never allowed the media to be embedded in Gaza or Lebanon. It's a total media blackout. And in fact US Israeli forces or IDF forces with the funding and the complete rubber stamp approval have killed, I think it's 200 something journalists. And so you're right, Angie, to, to feel that there might be more veracity coming from the Iranian news and secondly as to the morale of the US military. They're barely feeding these people over there. I'm sure you all have seen the images online that these people are not being well fed at all. And I want to remind you, they display this moral collapse. Pete Hegseth has no respect for himself, his wife, his kids, his country, Donald Trump, the same thing. And these people are like spinning tires right now. Spinning tires and trying to lie and obfuscate their way out of this. And a reckoning and accountability will come. I don't know when, but I believe it will come. And all of this comes after a reporter asked him if he would seek congressional approval for the war. Let's play the clip.
Carvana Customer's Partner
Because it's never been sought before. There's been numerous, many, many times, and nobody has ever gotten it before. They consider it totally unconstitutional.
Political Commentator 1
Okay? He, he is just a complete fucking liar. And Trump continues to say the quiet part out loud. Let's play the clip.
Carvana Customer's Partner
Then land on top of it. And we took over the ship, we took over the cargo, took over the oil. It's a very profitable business. Who would have thought we were doing that? We're like pirates. We're sort of like pirates.
Political Commentator 1
He is, he's, he's a total thief. He is just like a pirate. And he thinks all of the earth's natural, natural resources are his. I interviewed over the weekend authoritarian scholar and expert Ruth Ben Ghiat, and she explained to me that Trump believes that everything in the United States is his. The house is his, therefore he can build his ballroom. The plane is his. All of the national monuments are his. But because he's so such a megaloman maniac, he's not going to stop there. He thinks all of the natural resources in Venezuela should be his. And I'm sure BB's like, oh, Iran has all of these natural resources. He wants all of those to be his. And if you think about, you know, Israel is just this tiny little country and BB and the IDF's goal is to completely expand. Iran is a mineral rich, much, much larger country of 90 million people. And so it just doesn't take much because Trump arrives to every party already broken. Like, we could get him here in the studio and I could be like, I tell you what, I think you're really good at foreign policy. I agree. I mean, it's just so easy to dog walk this guy that I think a sixth grader could do it. And this is, this is the most important part. All of these swinging dick, big national security, neocon Republicans that bent the knee, that capitulated to Trump, you have now displayed full blown American weakness. Every time I see this president or Pete Hagseth I think, God, we are a joke and one of the weakest countries the, the fall of the superpower for whatever that means. The only thing that surprises me about all of this is how quickly Trump has done it.
Angie (Angie.com Advertiser and Commentator)
Yeah, yeah. When you look at how different countries have responded and that are not supporting the United States in this because they know that it's, I mean, it's really stunning. I would have never thought that you would have our traditional allies being like, we're out this, you know, your monkey, your circus. But then I think, I never thought that a U.S. president would tell Canada, you need to be a 51st. I mean, just the disrespect that he shows. It's no wonder people are so disrespectful of him.
Political Commentator 1
Yeah. And I mean, I'm just going to say this. I support our allies not supporting us.
Angie (Angie.com Advertiser and Commentator)
Agree.
Political Commentator 1
I support Spain saying, you know, we, we are not going to support Israel and the IDF's illegal war crimes and the United States illegal war crimes. You don't just get to, I mean, otherwise it's a codependent relationship. It's toxic. And this all comes as Trump is hitting record lows on almost every single issue. Let's pop this up. Majorities disapprove of how Trump is handling every issue. The cost of living, 23% is approval. That's it. Inflation, 27. Who are these 27.
Angie (Angie.com Advertiser and Commentator)
I always want to know.
Political Commentator 1
These are like hardcore, hardcore, hardcore cultists right here. The situation in Iran, 33 see, then you get some neocons in there. Relations with U. S. Allies at 33 approval. The economy, 34 approval. Taxes, 38 approval. This is where you get a lot of the country club Republicans on board that are educated enough to know what a nettie is. But it's like, okay, immigration, 40% that tracks that. He that only because we are still, you know, especially over swaths of America. So much racism and then the border, you know, that was one of his big things. He has a 54% disapproval there. But if you look at this graph, you guys look at the purple on the right and the disapproval and how overwhelming those numbers are on the approval. This is really unprecedented. So again, I want to remind everybody, sometimes I go through this and if I go through it, I know you guys must too. You wake up and you look at the news and like cable news and they're kind of like sane washing all of that of him. All of that stuff he's doing, they don't cover it. They act like he's saying like The President is sharpening his pencil on Iran and he is being a tough negotiator. I'm just like, off. And then you get online and then it's like, you know, his truth social posts. And then it gets to screenshot and it's over on Twitter and it has 10 million views and he's like, I love President Trump so much. Let's go. Yeah, America. And then here's the thing. This is all propaganda. The data doesn't ferret out any of that. All of this is Elon Musk giving him a. An assist. Mark Zuckerberg giving him an assist. Larry Ellison, who I think will go down as one of the biggest pieces of shit in the history of the world. Seriously, you have all this money, all crazy amounts of money, and you want to buy up media to lie to people? That's wild. I mean, that's just. That is your thumbprint on humanity. And so it's all. And it feels overwhelming at times, but the numbers just don't ferret out that this guy is popular at all. All right, that's all we have. Like, subscribe, comment. We'll be back later with more.
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Angie (Angie.com Advertiser and Commentator)
Help is always ready before, during and after your stay. We've planned for the plot twists, so support is always available because a great trip starts with peace of mind.
Hosts: Jennifer Welch & Angie “Pumps” Sullivan
Date: May 4, 2026
In this episode, Jennifer Welch and Angie “Pumps” Sullivan dive into the dire consequences of the U.S.’s recent involvement in the Iran conflict, highlighting catastrophic military losses, media censorship, and the Trump administration’s handling of the crisis. With their signature blend of biting commentary and humor, they dissect the administration’s hypocrisy, the manipulation of public discourse, and the widespread fallout—at home and abroad—of Trump’s foreign and domestic policies.
U.S. Moral and Institutional Collapse:
Jennifer on Authoritarianism (paraphrasing Ruth Ben-Ghiat):
Jennifer and Angie paint a bleak but sharply witty picture of a country unraveling under Trump’s leadership in the face of foreign policy disasters, domestic censorship, and rampant hypocrisy. They offer cathartic, unapologetic analysis for progressives, concluding that America’s weakened international standing and domestic division are the predictable result of an administration built on narcissism, bigotry, and deception.
(End of summary. Advertisements and outro omitted.)