Podcast Summary: Part of the Problem – "Trump is Incredible"

Host: Dave Smith (with Robbie the Fire Bernstein)
Release Date: April 7, 2026

Episode Overview

This episode of Part of the Problem dives deep into the latest developments in U.S. foreign policy, with a sharp focus on President Donald Trump’s escalating rhetoric and actions toward Iran. Host Dave Smith and co-host Robbie the Fire Bernstein critique both the media narratives and political strategies shaping America’s role in the ongoing Middle Eastern conflict. They dissect propaganda, shifting justifications for war, and the rationalizations for tactics that border on or cross into war crimes—all while maintaining a characteristically irreverent and skeptical libertarian lens.

Key Discussion Points & Insights

1. The Iran Conflict and War Propaganda

• Dave and Robbie highlight the revolving door of justifications for American military action, noting how narratives are swiftly replaced as facts on the ground shift.
• Recent Iranian claims of shooting down US aircraft and conflicting US government denials become fodder for the podcast's skepticism of official narratives.
• The hosts critically examine how military "victories" are often just returns to the status quo, spun to maintain public support.

Quote [06:37]:
"It is unbelievable how much they spin anything... war propaganda works... the way the lies of 5 minutes ago get exposed and everyone just moves on." – Dave Smith

2. Trump’s Escalating Rhetoric & The Strait of Hormuz Ultimatum

• Trump’s recent public statements—specifically threats to bomb Iranian civilian infrastructure—are analyzed for their reckless tone and legal implications (e.g., potential war crimes).
• Jake Tapper's CNN segment is dissected for "normalizing" the language of collective punishment and dual-use justifications.

Quote [13:24]:
"Just announcing war crimes, just announcing straight up like, this is what we're gonna do... we're declaring war on the civilian population if you guys do not open the straits." – Dave Smith

Quote [15:45]:
"Maybe in theory it'll make us safer today. I don't know that it makes us a safer country in a thousand years from now." – Robbie the Fire Bernstein

3. Media Narratives and Moving Goalposts

• The hosts call out the American media, especially cable news, for rapidly shifting the rationale for intervention—from liberation to collective punishment.
• The evolving Trump administration justifications demonstrate how U.S. policy can drift from stated ideals to open threats against civilian populations with little pushback from war advocates.

Quote [25:06]:
"Seems like a pretty big gap from liberating their people to [destroying their lives]. And all the people arguing for liberating the people are not bothered by the fact that we're now at war with the civilian population." – Dave Smith

4. Arming Protestors & CIA Interference

• Trump admits to sending weapons to Iranian protestors through Kurdish intermediaries—an admission that fundamentally alters the narrative of “peaceful protests.”
• The ensuing discussion notes the recurrent pitfalls of the U.S. arming proxy groups, with the potential for those arms to be used against American forces or to fuel further chaos.

Quote [38:45]:
"We sent guns, a lot of guns... They were supposed to go to the people... The people that they sent them to kept them because they said, 'What a beautiful gun. I think I'll keep it.' So I'm very upset with a certain group of people and they're going to pay a big price for that." – Donald Trump [38:45]

• Robbie underscores how this cycle—arming groups, losing control of the weapons—repeats across administrations and theaters of war.

5. The Domestic Political Fallout

Trump's Delusions of Support

• Trump cites a "100% support" CNN poll among MAGA voters as evidence of his popularity, which Dave and Robbie roundly mock as misleading and divorced from broader public sentiment.

Quote [60:55]:
"100% support... I've never had a 100% poll at anything before... Do you support Trump MAGA people, which is, by the way, mostly Republican?" – Donald Trump

Quote [65:44]:
"The MAGA line is essentially: 100% of the people that agree with me still agree with me." – Robbie the Fire Bernstein

Dwindling Independent Support

• The hosts note Trump's plummeting approval ratings among independents, even lower than those of George W. Bush post-Iraq and Richard Nixon pre-resignation.

6. The Dangers of Escalation and U.S. Exceptionalism

• The show critiques the precedent being set for international norms, noting that U.S./Israeli interpretations of "dual-use" justifications render civilian infrastructure a legitimate target, which could blow back severely in future global conflicts.
• Comparisons are drawn between current U.S. actions and past NATO/Axis atrocities, with the warning that abandoning the moral high ground undermines the ability to object to similar actions by other powers (e.g., China, Russia).

Quote [26:02]:
"...how are we gonna oppose China taking Taiwan or whatever China does in other countries or what Russia does in other countries? Who's gonna... what claim is there, even against terrorism at that point?" – Robbie the Fire Bernstein

7. The Broader Regional Chaos

• Israel’s expansion of hostilities into Lebanon and its apparent indifference to world opinion are highlighted as examples of dangerous nationalist recklessness.
• The shutting down of satellite imagery over Iran is linked to efforts to obscure the true scale of devastation.

Quote [46:35]:
"If only Adolf Hitler had called it that, it would have been okay." – Dave Smith (on Israel’s “strategic demilitarized zone” in Lebanon)

Notable/Memorable Moments with Timestamps

• [05:00] Dave confesses to having "Break My Stride" stuck in his head after a recent debate saga, providing comic relief.
• [11:48] Trump's shifting positions on the Strait of Hormuz are lampooned.
• [15:45] Robbie's deadpan critique of war crimes: "Why Jake Tapper won't praise Allah... I find that offensive."
• [25:06] Dave’s takedown of shifting rationales in war propaganda.
• [38:45] Trump’s admission on live TV of losing control of weapons shipments in Iran.
• [53:02] Trump claims Iranians want to "hear bombs" to be liberated, a statement ridiculed by the hosts.
• [59:14] Robbie predicts endless escalation: "What are you going to blow up, their stones?"
• [60:55] Trump boasts of "100% MAGA support"—to the hosts’ exasperation.

Conclusion

Dave Smith and Robbie the Fire Bernstein paint a portrait of U.S. foreign policy gone off the rails, driven by incoherent leadership, compliant media, and a political establishment eager to rationalize whatever tactics suit the moment—even if openly criminal or self-defeating. With biting humor and conviction, they warn of the dangers ahead, both for America’s standing in the world and for the true victims of war: ordinary civilians abroad and truth at home.

For Upcoming Events:

• Dave and Robbie are performing stand-up in Stamford, CT (April 11) and then on their favorite run at Rosemont and Chicago Zanies.

Recommended:

• Listen for further context, but this episode gives a robust encapsulation of current libertarian skepticism about war, empire, and political self-delusion.