No Agenda Show – Episode 1858: "Nut Spread"

Hosts: Adam Curry & John C. Dvorak
Date: April 9, 2026

Episode Overview

In this lively episode, Adam and John deconstruct a dramatic week in global and U.S. politics, with a special focus on President Trump's high-stakes brinkmanship with Iran, the spectacle of media coverage, and the circus of reactions in both new and legacy media. The hosts analyze the recent "double-sided ceasefire" in the U.S.-Iran conflict, discuss the media’s WWE-like framing, explore the economic, political, and technological undercurrents driving the news cycle, and provide in-depth commentary on AI's disruptive entrance into society and the legal system.

The episode is punctuated with humorous banter, media clip analysis, and their signature skepticism. The latter half takes a deep dive into U.S. immigration reform, farm labor, and the politics entwined with the Cesar Chavez controversy—all tied back to current events and policy pivots.

Key Discussion Points and Insights

Media Coverage and the “WWE” Presidency

• Trump’s Iran Brinkmanship (02:11–07:33; 12:22–14:41)
  • Trump threatened Iran with “a whole civilization will die tonight,” a warning widely compared by Adam and John (jokingly and critically) to pro wrestling showmanship.
  • Adam: “Anyone who took this seriously... this is Hulk Hogan, The Iron Sheik, 1984, Madison Square Garden. It’s exactly the same.” (05:08)
  • Extensive media sampling from ABC, NBC, and CBS reveals near-identical narratives, sensationalism, and “double-sided ceasefire” confusion.
  • Notable clip: Repetition in media of “civilization will die tonight” and “25th Amendment”—Adam airs supercuts to highlight herd-like coverage (14:41–15:46).

In-the-Region Reality vs. American Media Spin

• Adam cites a "boots on the ground" source in the Middle East who instantly recognized the staged/wrestling nature of the crisis, mocking the American MSM and most podcasters for not seeing it (07:42–08:36).
• Adam also shares a personal anecdote from someone with family in Tehran, reporting life is normal and calm despite MSM depiction of chaos (13:23–14:11).

U.S. Political and Media Reaction – The 25th Amendment Chorus

• Reaction of political figures and influencers:
  • Right-wing media and influencers such as Tucker Carlson, Alex Jones, Candace Owens, and Marjorie Taylor Greene echo liberal calls for Trump’s cabinet to invoke the 25th Amendment (15:48–19:53).
  • Megyn Kelly, usually measured about Trump, has a profane on-air outburst: “I am sick of this shit... Don’t threaten to wipe out an entire civilization... This is completely irresponsible and disgusting.” (19:35–21:53)
  • John and Adam both marvel at how legacy media, influencers, and Congress have entered a moral panic loop, forgetting Trump’s performative, negotiation-based approach.

Trump’s Negotiation Style: “Genghis Khan” History Lesson

• John details the historical background: Genghis Khan’s approach to Persia, Persians’ history with negotiation, and how Trump’s threats tap into deep Iranian cultural memory (22:16–25:37).
• John remarks: “He was tapping into a cultural fear that goes way back into their history. And they all felt it.” (25:03)

Behind the Double Ceasefire: Oil, Dollars, Stablecoins, and Reconstruction

• Closing the Strait of Hormuz (41:05–50:28)
  • The closure comes not through direct military action, but via insurance companies pricing out shipping after the conflict—a commercially engineered bottleneck (46:21–48:08).
  • Trump’s postwar plan involves a “Board of Peace,” Gaza Reconstruction, and pegging regional recovery to U.S.-controlled digital dollars (stablecoin) (41:05–44:16).
  • Adam speculates: “This is the play here. When Europe gets their act together, Trump will do it for Ukraine. Then we got midterms, and he can go sit around and get 25th amendmented and impeached.” (53:19)

NATO and U.S. Allies: Frustration, Flattery, and Power Games

• European leaders scramble to reassure Trump about their commitment to NATO and war support, with John and Adam poking fun at political flattery and the performative nature of alliances (30:31–34:39).

U.S. Immigration, Farm Labor Reform & Cesar Chavez Controversy

• Pivot to Immigration:
  • Adam unpacks the multi-layered political dynamics behind the sudden #MeToo-assault allegations versus Cesar Chavez, state holidays, and Democratic/Republican posturing (59:14–81:09).
• Farmworker Visa Reform:
  • Trump administration moves to replace illegal farm laborers with streamlined H2A visa holders, with lower wages and fewer benefits, pleasing both Texas and California farmers (72:12–80:47).
  • The Cesar Chavez “deplatforming” is connected to legal and economic maneuvers around the United Farm Workers’ influence and wage negotiations.
• John to Adam: “For the first time ever, a 30-minute shaggy dog story to make a point.” (81:19) (on Adam’s impressive explainer tying together Chavez, farm labor, and policy pivots)

Technology & AI: Hype, Lies, and Legal Hallucinations

• Adam and John riff on the disastrous impact of AI-generated content on law, publishing, podcasting, and media (87:32–98:16).
  • Example: Lawyers misusing AI for legal briefs, producing fictitious citations—a new form of professional risk (88:33–93:15).
  • OpenAI and Anthropic are portrayed as dominated by eccentric, possibly pathological leadership and “effective altruism” roots—the hosts cast a jaundiced eye on the industry’s virtue signaling (103:04–107:56).
  • Adam: “These chatbots are no good. They will just lie to you because they have no actual information.” (101:24)

Notable Quotes and Memorable Moments

• On Trump's negotiation:
  • Adam: “He already has a deal in the pocket. It’s good to go.” (07:17)
• On the media meltdown:
  • Adam: "All civilization will die tonight," (14:41–15:19, supercut).
  • Adam: "The 25th amendment. The 25th amendment..." (15:23 onward, supercut).
• On Genghis Khan/Persia history:
  • John: “There's something wrong with the culture when it comes to doing business with other countries.” (25:08)
• On stablecoin and postwar economics:
  • Adam: “The Trump brothers set up USD1, which is their stable coin. They sold out already—half a billion dollars, that's fine.” (53:06)
• On farm labor reform:
  • Adam: “This is the genius of Trump. He has figured out a way to endear all of the farming states to what he’s going to do.” (75:11)
• On AI’s cultural impact:
  • John: “…if you have a pathological liar at the top, the product is going to lie to you.” (91:03)

Key Timestamps for Major Segments

• 00:59–03:19: Show intro, recap of recent events and media hysteria
• 03:19–06:34: Trump’s Iran threats versus wrestling showmanship; media clips
• 07:42–08:36: “Boots on the ground” perspective—crisis as “WWE” performance
• 13:23–14:41: Personal Iranian contacts report calm; media supercut: “civilization will die tonight”
• 15:23–17:56: Supercut: media/podcast calls for the 25th Amendment; Alex Jones meltdown
• 19:35–21:53: Megyn Kelly’s profanity-laced rant about Trump’s threat
• 22:16–25:37: John’s Iranian/Persian history, Genghis Khan, and Trump’s negotiation cues
• 41:05–53:19: Gaza/“Board of Peace”, stablecoin, and postwar petrodollar strategy
• 59:14–81:09: Cesar Chavez controversy, farm labor and immigration reform—30-minute deep dive
• 87:32–98:16: AI impact on law and the internet; legal hallucinations, industry hypocrisy
• 103:04–107:56: Anthropic, AI safety, and “effective altruism” critique
• 110:26–118:25: End of show, medical updates, pump head, producer stories

Additional Highlights

• Humorous reminiscing about old wrestling, apartment expropriation for California’s high-speed rail, and tipping customs
• Adam and John’s soundboard supercuts mocking media repetition for comic effect
• Musings on effective altruism, Silicon Valley virtue signaling, and the oddball tech personalities steering AI’s future
• Producer segment, with dedications, karma requests, and real-world feedback—invaluable for the show's ongoing research and “boots on the ground” intel

Timestamps for Clips & Notable Quotes

• Trump’s “civilization will die tonight” (Supercut): 14:41–15:19
• 25th Amendment media panic (Supercut): 15:23–15:48
• Adam on the spectacle: “It’s exactly the same [as WWE].” (05:22)
• Megyn Kelly goes off: 19:35–21:53 (“I am sick of this s***...”)
• Adam on stablecoin/U.S. dollar hegemony: 53:06
• John on negotiation and culture: 25:08
• AI and culture of lying: 91:03
• Adam: “These chatbots are no good. They will just lie to you…” (101:24)
• Trump’s farmworker reform pitch: 75:11

Final Thoughts

This episode is a masterclass in news deconstruction and contextual analysis, blending world events, history, policy deep dives, and media criticism, all in the hosts’ signature irreverent and eclectic style. Whether skewering media herdthink, dissecting economic strategies behind the headlines, or peeling back the layers of technology hype cycles, Adam and John keep things rich, lively, and—always—entertaining.

For Full Immersion

• Don't miss the three-by-three media review (ABC, NBC, CBS) of Iran coverage (03:19–12:22).
• The AI legal hallucination stories (87:32–98:16) provide a sobering—and hilarious—look at technology’s unintended consequences.
• Adam’s 30-minute theory tying Chavez, farmworkers, and Trump’s labor pivot is a real No Agenda deep dive (59:14–81:09).

Missed the show? This summary gets you up to speed—and then some.