Part Of The Problem | Max Blumenthal

Podcast Host: Dave Smith (Part of the Problem, GaS Digital Network)
Guest: Max Blumenthal (journalist, founder of The Grayzone)
Date: September 23, 2025

Episode Overview

In this in-depth episode, Dave Smith welcomes journalist and author Max Blumenthal to discuss the latest seismic events in right-wing U.S. politics, the evolving youth revolt against Zionism within conservative circles, and the controversy surrounding the assassination of Charlie Kirk. Blumenthal brings his extensive knowledge of American politics, the Israel-Palestine conflict, and investigative reporting to dissect the machinery of the Israel lobby, its influence on rising conservative media figures, and the suspicious circumstances surrounding Kirk’s death. Throughout, the conversation is frank, at times darkly comic, and steeped in realpolitik, offering a raw and revealing portrait of the present political moment.

Key Discussion Points & Insights

1. Diplomatic Gestures Toward Palestine and the Futility of Recognition (02:09–07:22)

• Dave Smith opens by referencing the UK’s recent announcement in favor of Palestinian statehood, asking Blumenthal about the real significance.

  Max Blumenthal (03:05):
  “What they're doing here is a hollow gesture… There is no Palestinian state on the ground. The West Bank now is a prison... It's impossible for people in the West Bank to travel between their own cities.”

• Blumenthal argues that gestures like UK and EU “recognition” are diplomatically empty without concrete action, such as banning weapon shipments to Israel or imposing sanctions.

  Blumenthal (05:21):
  “Sanction the crap out of Israel until they allow Palestinians to live as citizens in their own state. But they're not going to do that because of the internal political pressure they face.”

• The current Israeli political system is deeply opposed to any genuine Palestinian state, not just Netanyahu:

  Blumenthal (06:20):
  “There's no one in Israeli politics who supports a Palestinian state.”

2. One-State vs. Two-State Solution & The Nature of the Israeli State (07:22–16:11)

• Dave reflects on his own journey from supporting a two-state solution to understanding the logic of the one-state, equal-rights position.

• They agree the two-state solution has been rendered impossible by decades of Israeli settlement policy.

  Smith (10:50):
  “The purpose of all these actions have been to make it impossible to ever have a two-state solution.”

• Max articulates the root problem:

  Blumenthal (11:41):
  “A one state solution… actually does represent a dismantlement of the exclusivist Jewish state. And that's not a problem with a one state solution. It shows what the problem with the so-called Jewish state is, which is that it's an ethno-supremacist state that provides no rights to the indigenous people…”

• Historical recap of Zionist ideology, referencing Meir Kahane, Benny Morris, and Ze’ev Jabotinsky—frank about the colonial logic underpinning Israel.

  Blumenthal (13:03):
  “Ben Gvir said... you simply cannot have a Jewish and democratic state, which is Israel’s selling point to the world. You have to choose.”

3. The U.S. Media Machine, the Zionist Lobby, and Conservative Influence Operations (18:20–32:35)

• The conversation shifts to U.S. right-wing media, exploration of the “control of the American propaganda machine” as essential for U.S. support of Israel.
• Max details the rising influence of the Israel lobby on major U.S. right-wing personalities and describes deliberate campaigns—including influencer junkets to Israel—to maintain pro-Israel sentiment among conservative youth.

On Charlie Kirk and the Conservatism-Israel "Big Tent" Dilemma

• Charlie Kirk’s unique vulnerability stemmed from his need to engage directly with the grassroots youth:

  Smith (28:54):
  “He had to keep young activists on board… These are like the true believers… and you gotta do this with a demographic where support for it… no one under 30 supports Israel.”

• Dave and Max highlight the intense, zero-mercy pressure exerted by hardline Zionist donors:

  Smith (33:11):
  “There is something… about the ultra hardcore Zionists… when you start drifting a little bit… they go, ‘you’re Adolf Hitler?’”

4. The Zionist Influence Campaign: Donors, Handlers, and the "Firm" (20:11–39:21)

• Max provides granular detail on Charlie Kirk’s entanglement with major Zionist figures and donors:

  Blumenthal (20:27):
  “He was bleeding Zionist donations… There’s no space for debate on this issue. It’s like how they say there should be no daylight between the United States and Israel. Charlie Kirk was allowing daylight.”

• Cites the involvement of Rabbi Pesach Wolicki, Israel365Action, and Bill Ackman; describes how conservative influencers are groomed and managed with talking points, WhatsApp groups, and international “retreats.”

• Parallels to “joining the firm”—accept money/privileges, but at a cost: total loyalty and potential blackballing if one strays.

  Blumenthal (38:40):
  “It’s like joining ‘The Firm.’ You learn certain secrets, if you leave, it doesn’t work out too well… Charlie Kirk was in the Firm.”

5. Israel-Lobby Sponsored Trips and Soft Power (39:21–48:14)

• Dave asks what these famous “free trips to Israel” involve. Max gives a vivid and cynical account:

  Blumenthal (40:13):
  “They’re wined and dined. There’s very little sleep… It’s a gigantic sex vacation. They’re encouraging as much sex as possible because then you’ll associate Israel with Eros…”

• Description of APAC trips for Congress members as a means of “group camaraderie,” targeted recruitment and surveillance.

• Discussion of how members on both sides of the aisle are co-opted or pressured by this system, but those who demur (e.g., Democrats like Cori Bush) are quickly targeted for political destruction.

6. The Collapse of Corporate Media, New Media, and The Israel Lobby’s Panic (48:14–52:39)

• Younger generations get information outside the corporate media ecosystem; the Zionist lobby’s loss of narrative control is leading to ever more desperate and, at times, absurd PR campaigns.

7. The Culture of Right-Wing Pro-Zionist Influencers (52:39–56:31)

• Max breaks down how right-wing influencers (especially Black “personalities” and attractive women) are recruited, revealing how the whole operation is equal parts “casting couch” and social engineering.

  Blumenthal (53:25):
  “Bill Ackman was part of a WhatsApp group of 50 Zionist billionaires… One of their major action items was paying black personalities to do what they wanted…”

8. The Self-Destructive Spiral & Anti-Semitism Spike (56:31–60:28)

• How Israel’s policies and their U.S. defenders are driving a real increase in anti-Semitism—not because of mere “hate,” but backlash against transparently egregious lobbying, manipulation, and justification for atrocities.

The Charlie Kirk Assassination: Official Story, Theories, and Realities (60:28–73:12)

Theories, Suspicions and the Lack of Transparency

• Dave’s position: There is rampant speculation (especially on the pro-Palestine Internet) that Kirk was killed by Israel/the Mossad, but there is no hard evidence.

  Smith (56:31):
  “A lot of people are jumping on this Israel did it theory. And I’m like, look, guys, there really just is no evidence for this...”

• Max agrees, adding nuance:

  Blumenthal (60:28):
  “I don’t have any evidence of an Israeli government or Israeli role… What they would have done… is to character assassinate Charlie Kirk if he continued to go off message.”

• Both agree: the lack of trust in official narratives is justified, given so many manipulations and cover-ups.

• Serious questions remain: oddities in police/FBI briefings; strange text message wording (“retrieve the weapon from the vehicle and leave it at the drop point”), handling of crime scene footage, and peculiar reaction from stakeholders.

  Blumenthal (62:53):
  “…The exchange between this shooter Tyler Robinson and his supposed furry trans lover roommate… read like something written by a 65 year old federal law enforcement officer.”

• The “presumption of guilt” lands with Israel because of its well-documented history of assassinations and character assassinations; Netanyahu's unsolicited denials on TV do not help dispel suspicion.

• Dave warns against jumping to conclusions, but affirms suspicion is warranted given America’s intelligence and media record.

  Smith (66:11):
  “Even… I wouldn’t be honest if I didn’t admit that they deserve this presumption of guilt that they’re getting…”

The Real Political Risk: Weaponizing the Assassination

• U.S. security state (and pro-Israel actors) could use Kirk’s assassination to crack down on dissent, demonize the left, and expand surveillance—regardless of the actual facts.

  Blumenthal (69:04):
  “The narrative is already set... [it's] to… keep the United States in a perpetual state of emergency in order to expand the power of the executive and the surveillance state…”

• The critical, strategic unity is in challenging the elite, not falling for forced “civil war” narratives.

  Blumenthal (73:12):
  “The most threatening thing right now… is unity against those forces of surveillance, apartheid, genocide, authoritarian control of the United States and the profiting from surveillance that Palantir represents.”

Notable Quotes & Memorable Moments

• On the pressure campaign against Kirk:

  “Just imagine having that… giving you enormous amounts of money… constantly calling you... They were planning to set up a WhatsApp group to feed Charlie talking points throughout his tour.”
  (Blumenthal, 22:06)

• On the identity of the modern Israeli state:

  “You simply cannot have a Jewish and democratic state, which is Israel's selling point to the world. You have to choose.”
  (Blumenthal, 13:03)

• On the post-corporate media landscape:

  “Once you get into this new decentralized media and they don’t have that control… it’s just too bizarre for people to not see it.”
  (Smith, 48:28)

• On anti-Semitism and Zionist strategy:

  “…We’re being used as Jews, all Jews, as a human shield for [these billionaires] and for Netanyahu.”
  (Blumenthal, 56:08)

• On the system’s real strategy:

  “They always want to make it so that you think your fellow countrymen are your enemy so that you don’t focus on the fact that it’s actually them… and perpetual support for Israel, which all seem to somewhat be interrelated.”
  (Smith, 73:26)

Timestamps for Important Segments

• UK recognition of Palestine—significance: 02:09–07:22
• Two-state vs. one-state debate: 07:22–16:11
• The history of Zionism and colonial logic: 13:03–18:20
• Charlie Kirk and the influencer war: 20:11–39:21
• How Zionist lobbying operates, 'the Firm': 38:40–39:21
• The “Birthright” and APAC Israel trips: 39:21–48:14
• Black and female pro-Israel influencers, and the “casting couch”: 52:39–56:31
• Anti-Semitism and the self-fulfilling prophecy: 56:31–60:28
• The Charlie Kirk assassination—official narrative/suspicions: 60:28–66:11
• Media, manipulation, and the danger of weaponized narratives: 69:04–73:12
• Closing thoughts on political unity & media victories: 73:12–75:34

Final Thoughts

This episode takes listeners on a sobering, highly detailed journey through the intersecting worlds of U.S. conservatism, the Israel lobby, media manipulation, and the perils of the present political moment. Both Smith and Blumenthal urge skepticism of narratives handed down by the powerful and call for critical, strategic unity against the real elite—the war profiteers and their political clients—not among ordinary Americans themselves.

For full disclosure and more investigative reporting, visit The Grayzone and follow Max Blumenthal’s work.