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Trump's big win in Iran has turned out to be a big win only for the Iranians. And I've got two interviews. Congressman Ro Khanna and California Attorney General Rob Bonta. I'm Brian Tyler Cohen, and you're listening to no Lie. So Trump has been declaring victory on his quote, unquote deal with Iran to avoid, in his words, the whole civilization dying. But it turns out that the deal that he struck is an unmitigated win for Iran and loss for the US So here's what we have to show for Operation epic. Iran will continue to control the Strait of Hormuz. Iran gets to charge tolls on ships passing through the strait. Iran gets to keep its enriched uranium, which is necessary to develop nuclear weapons, which we were led to believe was the point of this entire thing. In other words, Iran offered up basically no concessions, and now they'll have even more money to rebuild. And what do we have to show for our efforts here on the American side? Well, we have 13 dead Americans, almost 400 wounded. The largest oil supply disruption in recorded history. Gas prices surged toward 430 a gallon nationally. And we'll have to contend with an Iranian regime moving forward led by another guy named Khamenei, who is reportedly even more hardline than his father and who now has a personal vendetta against the United States. So, art of the deal. And according to ABC News, Trump called it a, quote, beautiful thing. Those are his exact words, like, I'm sorry, but I don't see how any human being can look at what happened here and not see that we just got rolled. Like, think about it. Before February 28, the Strait of Hormuz was an international waterway. Ships passed through completely freely. That was the standard. That was the baseline. Now, the ceasefire plan includes provisions that would let Iran charge tolls on ships using the Strait, reportedly tolls up to $2 million in crypto. In other words, Iran has now converted a shared global resource into a revenue stream for itself, not because they earned it, but because Donald Trump started a war, lost the leverage, and folded. And he's calling it a win. But here's what Trump actually said when he was asked about Iran charging tolls on ships.
C
I had a conversation with the President this morning about all of this. He clearly believes that it was his threats that caused the Iranians to agree to things that they wouldn't have agreed to before he acknowledged that China played a role here in bringing about this cease fire agreement. Obviously Pakistan as well. But I asked him about some of the many unanswered questions here. Iran is saying in their 10 point proposal that they would maintain control over the Strait of Hormuz. They're talking about charging a toll of $2 million per ship that passes through it. They didn't have control of the Strait before the war, so this would be a step back. I asked President Trump if he's okay with that, if he's okay with Iran charging a toll, and his answer was quite stunning. He said, maybe it will be a joint venture. And I said, a joint venture between the US And Iran? And he said yes. He said, it's a beautiful thing. It's a beautiful thing. Maybe we'll do that.
A
A joint venture with Iran, the country we just went to war with, the country that killed 13American service members. The country that, according to the IAEA, possesses over 400 kilograms of enriched uranium to 60% purity, which is nearly a 50% increase since February. That country, Trump, wants to go into business with them and split the profits from a toll booth on the world's most critical oil passage. Sure, why not? And while we're at it, maybe we can launch that cybersecurity task force with Russia that Trump wanted so badly in his first term. While we're on the topic of insane things that should never happen. And look, even setting aside how insane this idea of a joint venture is, the damage has already been done. Like the moment Iran gained control of the Strait, they gained something that they never had before. If their toll booth policy stands, it could earn them roughly $500 billion over the next five years. That cash would allow Iran to rebuild its military multiple times over and could be the key to finally developing the nuclear weapon that we allegedly started this war to stop them from obtaining. In other words, we went to war specifically to stop Iran from developing a nuke. And the deal that we came out with would fund them building a nuke. That's not a victory. That is a catastrophic, historic failure. Wearing a Mission Accomplished banner, something that the Republican Party seems quite adept at doing. And speaking of their nuclear program, let's be crystal clear about where things stand. The Farsi version of Iran's 10 point ceasefire plan includes the phrase acceptance of enrichment. In the English version that's shared with journalists, that phrase was absent. So Iran is putting out two different versions of the same deal. One for their people and then clearly one for ours. And that is the agreement that Trump is calling a total and complete victory. So he's either being played or, or he knows and he doesn't care. I genuinely don't know which one's worse. And by the way, don't take my word for any of this. This was Fox News thoughts on the matter.
D
But I will say that the president's demands. We have not reached any of those objectives. I have full confidence that the president is going to find some way to make this happen. But he said that we want to dismantle all major nuclear facilities. That has not happened. The end of uranium enrichment on the soil. They're still enriching. The transfer of the enriched uranium stockpile out of Iran. That hasn't happened. The acceptance of intrusive international inspections, they're still not willing to do that. And they have not suspended their ballistic missiles program. They're still firing them off to stop the production of the long range missiles. That's just a few of them. On the president's proposal, the question is, is the president using this two weeks to give our soldiers a break, a rest, to see if we can get this ultimately done? We'll see.
A
Not great. When even the state TV guys don't know how to spin it. And let me be precise about something here because I don't want to overstate anything. This is a ceasefire, not a final deal. The formal negotiations have not concluded. There is a two week window right now. So maybe something comes out of it, something better. I genuinely hope so. But based on what's on the table right now, based on the terms that Iran is claiming and that Trump is calling workable, this, this is an L. Donald Trump pulled us out of the JCPOA in 2018. He called it a horrible one sided deal. He said Iran would never get nuclear weapons on his watch. He said he was the greatest dealmaker in the history of the world. And so after waging a war that killed American troops, crashed energy markets, triggered the worst oil supply shock since the 70s and left Iran in a stronger strategic position than before we started. Donald Trump wants you to know that it's a big day for world peace. The emperor has no clothes and the American people deserve to know it. Next up are my interviews with Ro Khanna and Rob Bonta. No lie is sponsored by BetterHelp. Financial stress affects far more than our bank accounts. It can take a serious toll on mental health and relationships. With 88% of Americans feeling some form of financial stress at the start of 2026, money worries often bring anxiety, sleep disruption and even depression and are one of the leading sources of conflict for couples, especially with the way that things are going in politics today. Donald Trump has taken an already and got it even worse with cuts to health care, food assistance, higher gas prices and the cost of everyday goods. Which is why I'm an advocate for therapy. Therapy isn't about financial advice. It's about managing the stress, shame or anxiety that can come with it. Therapy can help people unpack their relationship with money, build healthier coping strategies, and feel less alone in the process. So why betterhelp? Because of their quality therapists. Betterhelp therapists work according to a strict code of conduct and are fully licensed in the U.S. then there's BetterHelp's therapist match commitment. BetterHelp does the initial matching work for you so that you can focus on your therapy goals. A short questionnaire helps identify your needs and preferences, and then their more than 12 years of experience and industry leading match fulfillment rate means that they typically get it right the first time. If you aren't happy with your match, switch to a different therapist at any time from their tailored recommendations and their client reviews prove it. With over 30,000 therapists, BetterHelp is the world's largest online therapy platform, having served over 6 million people globally. And it works with an average rating of 4.9 out of 5 for a live session based on over 1.7 million client reviews. When life feels overwhelming, therapy can help. Sign up and get 10% off@betterhelp.com Nolie that's betterhelp.com Nolie I'm joined now by Congressman Ro Khanna. Congressman, thanks for joining me.
E
Thank you for having me.
A
So a lot to talk about right now, but I think the first, first things first is in the aftermath of Donald Trump's kind of unhinged threat of basically killing, annihilating the entirety of the Iranian population, which, you know, he's obviously since walked back from the Ed John, can you speak about the need the call to invoke the 25th Amendment from Trump's cabinet members?
E
This shouldn't even be debated. He threatened genocide. He threatened to wipe out an entire Iranian people from the face of the earth. Of course he needs to be removed from office. Of course Democrats need to take every possible step, either by the invocation of the 25th Amendment or impeachment, to make sure that he's removed. This is about fighting for our moral vision of the country.
A
You know that there are going to be Republicans who say this is just how Trump negotiates. He was never really going to do it. You know, you Democrats are being too sensitive. And in the end, he got a deal anyway. So what would your reaction to that be?
E
America has never threatened evil. Even Richard Nixon, who came up with a madman theory, the unpredictability of a president never threatened to annihilate all of the Vietnamese people. FDR never threatened to wipe out all the German people. Reagan never threatened to wipe out all the Russian people. There is something evil about a president threatening that, saying that America is indifferent to human life. And I don't care whether it's a negotiation technique, it compromises everything we believe it, which is the dignity of human life. There are plenty of other ways to be a bold negotiator and make credible threats short of genocide.
A
You know, there, when we think about the 25th Amendment, it doesn't happen unless his Cabinet actually does it. I mean, inherently, that is, that is how the tool is exercised. But he's filled his Cabinet with people who are loyalists for him. I mean, you know, that is actually the only qualification to be a member in good standing of the Trump Cabinet. And so. And so how do you reconcile the impasse that we would be at, where you would need Cabinet members to sign on to this effort, but the Cabinet members are only there because they are, they are undyingly loyal to the President.
E
Well, that's why we need to pursue both the 25th Amendment and impeachment. I mean, here's the reality. The Republicans threw out this 25th amendment unfairly against Joe Biden, who still had all his faculties and judgment when he was president. And yet the Democrats, who actually have an issue of a president who's going crazy, are not being bold enough to say, look, this is this time where we need a 25th amendment. This is the time we need an intervention where you have a president saying that you may wipe out Iran. What is he going to say tomorrow? Is he going to say we could wipe out Cuba? Is he going to say wipe out Gaza? We need to have a check on this president. So my view is that this is the time where the Democrats need to fight. We need to fight with every tool available, the 25th Amendment, impeachment, and say that we're standing up for the moral integrity of America, for our values. And a lot of the base is upset that they don't see that passion, that clarity, that fight in the Democrats. They can count the votes. They know it's an uphill battle, but they want us to fight and make sure we're standing up with every fiber of our being against an illegal war.
A
And I completely agree. And in fact, that has, that has been, I think, the most important thing to focus on this idea of finding Democrats who are willing to fight, who are willing to exercise power. I have a book coming out in a couple of months that is about exercising power when we have it. I wanna play devil's advocate here, though, and say, and ask you about this idea that, okay, let's say there is an impeachment fight that actually does boil to the surface. You know, I feel like there's a world where Trump could look at that and say, that's actually exactly what I want. Because that can negatively polarize, you know, that can polarize the country and then it can fault. We can have a situation where I get to play the victim. I get to say that Democrats are coming after their favorite president. And all of those Republicans who might have been on the fence about certain, like Nancy Mace and Lauren Boebert, Thomas Massie will suddenly feel like, okay, if this is just gonna be the usual D versus R food fight, then I can rally the troops again.
E
Brian, if this was 2020, then I would understand your points. But now you have Tucker Carlson and Marjorie Taylor Greene calling for the 25th amendment. Now you have his base having felt betrayed because of his protecting the Epstein class, because of his protecting pedophiles, because of his starting wars of choice. And you know what I'm hearing from Democrats? I'm hearing that Marjorie Taylor Greene and Tucker Carlson shoot stronger statements than many Democrats did. And they are frustrated that you have bland statements issued in press releases when the Trump is threatening genocide. They want us to fight. And just because we're pursuing impeachment or the 25th Amendment doesn't mean that we're going to forget the rest of the agenda. We're going to fight for the working class. We're going to fight for universal child care, for expanding Medicare for all. We're going to fight for a living wage. We're going to fight for paid family time off. We're going to fight to tax billionaires. But you know what we're also going to do? We're going to fight for elite accountability. We're going to hold people who violated the law, who think they don't have to follow the rules. We're going to hold them accountable.
A
Yeah, I think that was perfectly put. I want to switch topics here now to Pam Bondi. News has just come out that Pam Bondi is not planning on here on attending the sworn deposition on April 14th. So less than a week from now, can I have your reaction to the legality, first and foremost of this move and whether it feels like the House is going to settle for Pam Bondi's refusal to comply?
E
Well, it's illegal. Nancy Mason, I wrote a letter this morning to Colmer. That's what precipitated Bondi's response. And we said that we still expect Pam Bondi to come. The subpoena that Nancy Mace and I drafted, the motion said Pam Bondi as an individual. It did not say Pam Bondi in her role as Attorney General. So we're going to continue to pursue this. She's going to appear before the committee. I mean, if Jim Comer could trace like Captain Ahab Hillary Clinton to come 20 years after she was in office, certainly Pam Bondi needs to appear. And we're also going to continue to push for testimony from all the other people in the Epstein class implicated in
A
terms of the the logistics behind forcing compliance with the subpoena. Is this something that would be voted on in committee, in which case the fact that that Nancy Mace is on our side, the accountability side, doesn't bode well for Pambani's ability to not comply. Or is it gonna be a unilateral decision by James Comer to determine whether or not that subpoena is valid?
E
No, it will be voted on in committee and Comer knows that. He knows he doesn't have the votes and then anti and I would bring a subpoena again for Pam Bondi as an individual. This is just a delay tactic. We'd have to vote for it again. My guess is we won't even have to vote. They will find an altern date for Bondi and it's just a issue of delaying and buying her time. But we have the votes and we also need to vote to subpoena now Todd Blanche, who's the acting Attorney General to get him to appear. But it is awfully convenient, Brian, that the President fires Pam Bondi a week or two before her. She's scheduled to appear in the Oversight Committee. It just highlights that there is a cover up. This is one of the biggest scandals in American history and it's been one of the biggest cover ups in American history.
A
Well, you know, we've spoken about the. My, my, my next question a few times, but I think for posterity it's worth reiterating here. And that is what happens in the event that Pam Bondi decides not to comply when the only agency that would be tasked with holding her to account for failing to comply With a subpoena would be the very Department of Justice that we all know would never lay a finger on Pam Bondi.
E
This is why we can't. Just as Democrats say, when we win in 26 and 28, we're gonna move on and move forward. We need to have accountability. And that accountability is going to start, of course, with prosecution of people who actually raped and abused these young girls on Epstein's island and ranch. But it's also going to mean accountability for people like Pam Bondi who either covered up or if they fail to appear in front of a committee, that's criminal contempt. And when we have a majority in the House, we can vote for criminal contempt for Pam Bondi. So life is much longer than Donald Trump. He's soon going to be a lame duck. And soon people are going to realize that the Trump umbrella of protection no longer protects you when he's no longer in power.
A
What message would you have for Todd Blanche as he engages in similar behavior as Pam Bondi did, recognizing that Trump isn't going to be in office forever and that he's not going to have the tool and that Blanche isn't going to have the tools of the DOJ at his disposal forever?
E
Well, this is where there's a reckoning. Every person who violated the Epstein Transparency act can be prosecuted for obstruction of justice. If you hid documents, if you engaged in redactions. And the next president should do something immediately, which is appoint a special counsel to deal with the Epstein issue. And that special counsel should meet with survivors, meet with survivors lawyers and really oversee the, have full transparency, have all of the files released, no redactions, and see where there need to be investigations and prosecutions. By the way, the Senate should make this the fight in the new Attorney General. I know there are many other issues, but this is the issue that the American people are outraged by, that a group of rich and powerful people have gotten away with things that they can. And we should insist that the new Attorney General release all the files and pursue investigations and prosecutions.
A
Perfect place to leave off. Congressman, as always, thanks for your voice and thanks for taking the time today.
E
Thank you, Brian. Appreciate you.
A
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B
My pleasure, Brian. Great to see you again.
A
So we've had some major news as it relates to Trump's illegal executive order blocking mail in voting. Can you talk about what you and other attorneys general around the country are doing to prevent this from taking from taking effect?
B
Absolutely. In short, when the executive order came down last week, we immediately started inspecting it for legal compliance and quickly concluded that it is not lawful. And so we brought a lawsuit by the end of the week, the same week, days later. So we have a case filed already in federal district court, specifically the District of Massachusetts. We is 23 attorneys general and Governor Shapiro in Pennsylvania and we have taken Trump to court after he took this very desperate and unlawful and unconstitutional action to try to require citizenship lists that are used to filter and potentially block vote by mail ballots from being sent to eligible voters in the United States of America.
A
Are you confident that the courts will move fast enough to prevent this from taking place if they rule in your favor?
B
We feel very confident and we can never speak for the court. The court is an independent separate branch of government, co equal branch of government who needs to act. But based on our prior lawsuit that we had with respect to Trump's executive order on elections, where we in our case, the multi state as well as multiple other cases secured orders blocking a very unconstitutional action. We feel we can do the same thing here. And the way that the executive order is crafted and designed, it can't be in effect by the June primary elections, the ones coming up. It's June for California, but it potentially could be in effect by November. So the necessity of the court blocking and stopping this executive order is more applicable to November than it is to late spring and summer elections. So there's time for courts to act. And it is very clear in Article 1 of the US Constitution, the elections clause, which very clearly states that the time, place and manner of elections will be determined by states and Congress. There's no mention of the executive branch, no mention of the president, because the president, by constitutional design, has no role, zero role in determining the time, place and manner of elections. This executive order that he issued last week is a clear affront and trespass on that prohibition. He is clearly violating the Constitution and the law more broadly, including the independence of the US Postal Service, which is designed to be independent of executive influence, presidential influence. So there's multiple ways in which Trump is breaking the law here, violating the Constitution. So we feel confident we can secure an order to block this executive order from ever being implemented.
A
Okay, so it's, it's clear that Trump as president has no ability to have some influence on elections, as you mentioned. But there is kind of the roundabout way, which is that these Republican governors, Republican attorneys general, Republican legislatures, can, can kind of read the writing on the wall, can, can heed Trump's clarion call and say, okay, well, even if his executive order doesn't stand in the courts, we still, we still got the message from him. And so is there any concern that, that notwithstanding, however well Trump's executive order does in court, that these states are still going to adopt, you know, the, the overall message that's being put forward by, by, by Trump and kind of, and kind of, you know, doing his bidding at the state level?
B
I don't see it here that maybe, but, but not the design that's in the executive order. The executive order requires a national, a federal citizenship list, and it requires the action and implementation by the U.S. postal Service. States, state legislature, state governors, state have no authority over the U.S. postal Service. Not only is the U.S. postal Service independent of the President of the United States, it's definitely independent of the states and the state legislatures and state governors. So the way that this executive order is designed, I don't see any way that states can implement it on their own.
A
You know, you had listed a few other states that were, that were jumping in on this effort with you in California. Now, why are there no Republicans who are joining in on this effort, recognizing that the state of Utah, for example, is an all mail in voting state? I mean, Trump himself votes by mail. And it's not like the guy doesn't have a plane that can get him to Florida whenever he wants to be able to cast his ballot in person. And so a lot of these states rely on the infrastructure that they have. Republicans also vote by mail. And in fact, in large part it was negligible the difference before Trump, of course, came in and vilified mail in voting. But prior to that, the difference between who cast ballots Democratic or Republican voters was literally negligible. And so how come your Republican counterparts in red states aren't also standing up to protect the infrastructure that they've built and the fact that they have Republican constituents who also want to take advantage of the convenience, accuracy and safety of mail in voting?
B
Par for the course for Republican states, for red states, for Republican AGs to take the knee and cave and capitulate and allow the president to run roughshod over their constituents, rights, their freedoms, to take their funding away and to do nothing. And I've always believed that they were secretly rooting for Democratic AGs who were fighting for all those things, for rights, for freedoms, for funding, and that they would be able to benefit from our, from our work. And they were sort of, you know, with the, the metaphor of cyclists, they were drafting behind us and benefiting from our work. But, you know, it's. It's them just caving to, you know, the, the Mad King and his conspiracy theories. And let's be clear, widespread voter fraud does not exist. It's only a figment of the imagination of Trump, of conspiracy theorists and crackpots. And the Republican AGs are buying into this wild and crazy belief of the president and allowing their voters to have their right to vote suppressed and their voters to be disenfranchised in the process. And I say this with disappointment and with hope for a better future and with knowledge that Democratic AGs and Republican AGs right now are working on a number of cases together, including lawsuits against meta and against TikTok, a lawsuit that's in trial right now, going to closing argument later this week against Ticketmaster, Live Nation. There is still some bipartisanship, but not when it comes to challenging Trump's attacks on voting rights, on funding, on rights and freedom. So it's very disappointing that they're not. They can and they should. But again, par for the course. Shocking, but not surprising.
A
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B
I think they're more likely to share that information with fellow Republicans than with Democrats, you know, across the aisle. But I have seen a number of signs supporting what I believe when we interact with certain Republicans, they have a different posture and demeanor and approach than they do publicly. Their sort of private demeanor is cooperative and collaborative, at least on the issue that we're working on. And the issues may be limited, but the ones that come to mind are antitrust work, holding corporations who are violating antitrust law and disrupting free markets accountable, and also child safety work, like the mental health of kids on social media platforms like Meta and TikTok. They're reasonable, they're collaborative. We've worked towards a common goal. They don't criticize Trump in those settings, nor do we. We're just working on a common goal together and realize that common ground may be limited. So let's try to occupy it together instead of going quickly to the area where we might not agree that could disrupt the relationship. But I think most American people, regardless of party affiliation, are good and they're decent and they want good things and they see decency and goodness in others. And it's obvious, painfully obvious, that Trump is neither good nor decent and doesn't have a lot of redeeming factors. And I think, you know, the supermajority of the American people see that in his personal conduct, but also as reflected in some of his policies as well.
A
And finally, you know, I had just touched upon the post or truth that Donald Trump had done earlier today about, you know, basically promising the annihilation of the entire civilization of Iran. He since walked that back and, you know, taken his two week break, I think as many people expected. But can I have your reaction to the idea that somebody who campaigned expressly on no new wars in the Middle east has not only launched a new war in the Middle east, but taken it so far as to threaten nuclear war in that region?
B
And this is someone who was complaining about the injustice he suffered. He was so aggrieved by not getting the Nobel Peace Prize, you know, and that thing.
A
Well, I mean, arguably a better prize. And that was the, the FIFA Peace Prize. You can't write that off.
B
The FIFA Peace Prize.
E
That's right.
A
They don't just give that out to anybody.
B
Yes, yes, he received that one on demand. There was no process nor any peace requirements as part of that Peace Prize. But, you know, this is someone who wants the adulation. He wants the prize. He wants his ego fed. He can't stand that President Obama got it. But he didn't. And he, you know, it's not commensurate with his conduct. And he's showing his true self. And look, he promised on the campaign trail, no endless wars. He promised release the Epstein files. He promised he's going to reduce costs on day one and he's raised costs. He has not released the Epstein files and he has started new wars. And so he's completely hypocritical, sadly, as expected. And it's par for the course for him. And this bluster and this bluffing about total annihilation and kind of the taco Trump. Trump always chickens out and he goes 100 miles per hour. Then he backs down, then he threatens and dangles the threat again. That's what he does. But he's way over his head here. I think he thought this was gonna be quick, easy. He's learning a tough lesson in why there are endless wars. And he's dragged the United States into one despite his promises. Raised gas prices in the process, and he's suffering the consequences with respect to his approval ratings. But let's be real, Americans are dying. This is not a war we need to be in. This is not a set of risks we need to be taking. And I think he's trying to get out of it as soon as he can, but he's finding how difficult it is. And, you know, his, his social media posts seemingly are at escalating levels of, you know, ridiculousness and inappropriateness.
A
Lunacy. Yeah.
B
I wonder what's gonna happen tomorrow.
A
Well, we will, of course, keep the conversation going as soon as we have any update on the. The results or first steps of the lawsuit to rein in Donald Trump's illegal executive order regarding mail in voting. I'll, I'll be happy to have you back. So thank you for the work you're doing. Thanks for taking the time today.
B
Of course. Thanks, Brian. Good to see you.
A
Thanks again to Ro Khanna and Rob Bonta. That's it for this episode. Talk to you on Sunday. You've been listening to no Lie with Brian Tyler Cohen, produced by Sam Graeber, music by Wellesley and interviews edited for YouTube by Nicholas Nicoterra. If you want to support the show, please subscribe on your preferred podcast app and leave a five star rating and a review. And as always, you can find me Rienteller Cohen on all of my other channels. Or you can go to briantylercohen.com to learn more. What would you do if your online store converted 36% more shoppers? You could take 36% more vacation.
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No Lie with Brian Tyler Cohen – April 8, 2026
Political commentator Brian Tyler Cohen analyzes the fallout from Donald Trump’s recent deal with Iran, arguing that the supposed diplomatic win is in fact a strategic debacle for the United States. Brian details the concessions made by the U.S., the consequences for both global security and domestic politics, and features interviews with Congressman Ro Khanna and California Attorney General Rob Bonta on issues ranging from the Iran crisis to attacks on voting rights and the lack of elite accountability.
The Context and Claims
What Iran Gets (00:44):
U.S. Costs:
Memorable Reaction:
Brian’s Sarcasm:
Fox News Clip:
Brian’s Judgment:
Brian asks about cabinet action to remove Trump:
Rep. Khanna Response (09:09):
The ‘Negotiation’ Excuse Rebuttal:
On Cabinet Loyalists Roadblocking Action (11:04):
On Risk of Polarization (12:11–13:06):
Pam Bondi's Refusal to Testify:
If Bondi Refuses and DOJ Won’t Act:
Message to Trump Loyalists:
Summary of Lawsuit:
Likelihood of Success (21:23):
States Circumventing the Order?
Why No GOP AGs Join the Suit (25:46):
| Time | Segment Description | |----------|-------------------------------------------------------------------| | 00:16 | Episode opens; Brian’s summary of the Iran deal’s fallout | | 02:18 | Trump’s “joint venture” quote reaction | | 03:20 | Brian on the insanity of partnering with Iran | | 05:11 | Fox News struggles to spin the deal’s failure | | 06:04 | Brian underscores the magnitude of the strategic loss | | 08:44 | Interview: Rep. Ro Khanna | | 09:09 | Khanna on the 25th Amendment, Trump’s threats | | 14:34 | Khanna on Pam Bondi subpoena showdown | | 16:51 | Khanna on consequences for noncompliance and elite accountability | | 20:08 | Interview: AG Rob Bonta on mail-in voting executive order | | 21:23 | Bonta’s confidence in legal challenge’s success | | 24:06 | Why states can’t replicate Trump’s order on their own | | 25:46 | Bonta on Republican AGs’ refusal to stand up to Trump | | 30:14 | Private bipartisanship vs. public posture | | 32:41 | Trump’s hypocrisy and failed promises (nuclear threat, Iran war) | | 34:49 | Bonta: “Americans are dying. This is not a war we need to be in.” |
This episode offers a scathing indictment of Trump’s Iran policy and broader presidency, spotlighting both the strategic disadvantages incurred and the moral boundaries crossed. Through rigorous analysis and insightful interviews, Brian makes the case for urgent political action, legal challenges, and holding the powerful to account—while illuminating the troubling new normal in American governance and partisanship.