Pod Save the World – "Trump's Fascist Military Jamboree"

Date: October 1, 2025
Hosts: Tommy Vietor & Ben Rhodes
Special Guest Interview: Rula Jibril

Episode Overview

This explosive episode dives into a shocking, unprecedented meeting between President Trump, Secretary of Defense Pete Hegseth, and over 800 members of the U.S. military leadership. Tommy and Ben analyze the authoritarian undertones and open calls for domestic military intervention, before breaking down Trump’s latest Gaza peace plan with Bibi Netanyahu (and the eyebrow-raising involvement of figures like Tony Blair and Jared Kushner). Other global news includes U.S. saber-rattling toward Venezuela, China’s Taiwan gambit, and Saudi Arabia’s bid to launder its image through a massive comedy festival. The episode concludes with an interview with Rula Jibril on Palestinian exclusion from peacemaking and the chilling new realities in Gaza and the West Bank.

Key Segments and Discussion Points

1. Trump & Hegseth’s Military Jamboree: Authoritarian Overtures

Timestamps: [04:00] – [19:10]

• Background:
  Trump and SecDef Pete Hegseth summoned 800+ top military leaders to Quantico, VA, on short notice, providing no reason.

• Trump's Speech (Recap & Analysis):

  • Made openly fascistic remarks about using the military to quell "internal enemies"—i.e., American citizens.
  • Suggested U.S. cities be used as "training grounds" for military and National Guard to put down domestic protests.
  • Delivered an anecdote (“they spit, we hit”) condoning violence against American protesters ([05:05]).

    "I say they spit, we hit. Is that okay? I think so." – Donald Trump ([05:33])

  • Frequently referred to Democrats as “the enemy within,” signaling dangerous politicization of the armed forces.
  • Insisted he won the 2024 popular vote, used bizarre rants to mock Biden and blue states ([10:51]).

• Host Reaction:

  • Tommy: "This is one of the most unsettling Trump speeches I've ever seen." ([06:24])
  • Ben: "...the absolute last third rail ... is when the US Military, the most powerful institution in the world, is suddenly introduced to this. ... He's telling us what he wants is the United States military in the streets of this country in the same way that they were patrolling the streets of Iraq or Afghanistan in the war on terror." ([08:10])
  • Discussion of the chilling effect such a meeting could have on military leaders—and the risk of purges or loyalty tests.
  • Noted the audience composition: predominantly white, male, with almost no visible women or minorities, underscoring DEI rollbacks ([10:12]).

• Hegseth’s Speech:

  • Emphasized purges of "woke" and DEI policies, ending with open contempt for diversity in leadership.
  • Announced new standards likely to drive out women and minorities:

    "If women can make it, excellent. If not, it is what it is. If that means no women qualify for some combat jobs, so be it." – Pete Hegseth ([16:29])

  • Obsessively attacked “fat troops” and “fat generals,” and denounced rules of engagement as “stupid”—hinting at normalization of war crimes ([16:53]+[17:40]).
  • Hosts note the performative and spectacularly political nature of the event—Hegseth viewed as angling for a political future.

Memorable Quote:

"Civilian control of an apolitical military is the ultimate guarantor of democracy." – Ben Rhodes ([13:35])

2. Trump’s 20-Point Gaza Peace Plan: No Palestinians Allowed

Timestamps: [21:48] – [36:46], [66:18]–[90:29] (interview with Rula Jibril)

• Plan Announcement:
  Netanyahu’s 4th White House visit this year used to launch a U.S.-Israel Gaza ceasefire plan—uniquely lacking Palestinian voices.

  • The plan demands total Hamas disarmament and release of all hostages within 72 hours.
  • No occupation or annexation of Gaza “promised,” but no meaningful path to Palestinian sovereignty.
  • “Transitional governance” to be overseen by the “Board of Peace” (Trump, Tony Blair, others).
  • Statehood mentioned as a caveat-riddled afterthought ([24:34], [24:52]).

• Analysis:

  • “Most important part of the speech was ... if Hamas doesn’t agree, the gloves are off.” ([24:34])
  • Ben: "Best case scenario ... [is] some agreement, the killing stops, hostages returned ... but I don’t believe the Israelis will leave Gaza. They’ll find some other pretext." ([26:00])
  • The plan is engineered so only Hamas gets to respond, letting Netanyahu and Trump peg all blame for failure on "Palestinian rejectionism."
  • Tony Blair’s involvement a source of ridicule and suspicion—seen as a proxy for powerful, unaccountable interests.

• Special Interview: Rula Jibril ([66:18]–[90:29])

  • Perspective from the Palestinian side: The plan was developed without Palestinian input, is “a charade,” and fails to address occupation or provide real sovereignty.
  • "They never consulted any Palestinian for this plan. ... They’re treating Palestinians as objects, and they're not addressing the root cause—military occupation." – Rula Jibril ([67:23])
  • Warns of ongoing ethnic cleansing in both Gaza and West Bank; discusses the growing gap between Western public opinion and government policy.
  • Calls for direct support to Palestinian civil society, boycott/advocacy campaigns, and holding politicians accountable.
  • Notes the ongoing complicity of European and Arab governments in sustaining Israeli impunity.
  • Appeals to the wider public: "If you know any Palestinian, if you have a platform anywhere, invite Palestinians, speak to them. Don't speak about them or for them, just speak to them." ([86:32])

3. U.S. Foreign Policy Escalations: Venezuela, China, and More

Timestamps: [36:46] – [53:13]

• Venezuela Regime Change ([38:00]+):

  • Leaked reports show Sec. of State Marco Rubio is leading a U.S. regime change effort in Venezuela.
  • U.S. strikes at drug boats, considers intervention on drug gang “terror” pretext—despite Venezuela being a minor source for U.S. cocaine or fentanyl.
  • Ben warns: “No legal authorization for a regime change war in Venezuela ... name one recent US regime change operation that ended well.” ([39:43])
  • "America First is not regime change. The Democratic Party does not want regime change in Venezuela. Neither does America First." – Tommy ([46:18])
  • Urges Democrats to firmly oppose war: "When Democrats become republican-lite and they draft behind these insane regime change wars, we end up wearing the jacket for it." – Ben ([46:08])

• China/Taiwan Developments ([51:01]+):

  • Xi Jinping reportedly sees Trump as desperate for an economic deal, may leverage this for concessions on Taiwan.
  • Trump may make a declaration against Taiwan independence—departing from the traditional ambiguous U.S. “One China” policy.
  • Farmers still suffering the consequences of Trump’s 2020 China trade war; U.S. farm exports to China down, leading to more government bailouts.

• Other Global Updates:

  • Madagascar: Gen Z-led protests over shortages lead to 22 deaths—part of a wave of youth activism ([53:44]).
  • France: Former President Sarkozy sentenced to prison for taking Gaddafi campaign money ([54:00]).

4. Saudi Comedy Festival & Cultural Soft Power

Timestamps: [55:09] – [62:23]

• Saudi “Comedy Festival”:

  • Saudi Arabia hosts a superstar comedy event (Chappelle, Kevin Hart, Bill Burr, etc.) as part of its image-rehabilitation campaign—despite recent executions of journalists and ongoing repression.
  • Comedians widely criticized for hypocrisy regarding “cancel culture” in comparison to Saudi repression.

  • "Comedians in this country need to grow the fuck up ... You cannot be the underdog outsider complaining about censorship and then go pick up the check in Riyadh." – Ben ([60:31])

• Broader Context:

  • Sports, music, and now comedy used for Saudi soft power.
  • Discussion of Tom Brady’s rumored $75m payday to play flag football for Saudi event ([62:04]).

5. Miscellaneous: Trump’s Accidental Honesty, Erdogan

Timestamps: [62:24] – [64:00]

• Trump, alongside Turkish President Erdogan, deadpans after mentioning "rigged elections":

  "He knows about rigged elections better than anybody." ([62:34])

  • Ben & Tommy marvel at Trump’s bizarre mixture of projection, bravado, and accidental candor.

Notable Quotes & Moments

• On the risk of military politicization:
  "Once there is no civilian control of an apolitical military, the military is an extension of the political interest of the quote, unquote leader. And you really don’t have a democracy." – Ben ([13:35])

• On Venezuela:
  "No legal authorization for regime change war in Venezuela and no one should pretend otherwise. ... Name one recent US regime change operation that ended well." – Tommy ([39:43])

• On the Gaza plan’s legitimacy:
  "There’s never Palestinian sovereignty according to this plan ... This is not a peace plan. This is a charade." – Rula Jibril ([67:23])

• On Saudi comedy festival:
  "You cannot be the underdog outsider complaining about censorship and then go pick up the check in Riyadh. It just makes you look as full of shit as every other sector of American society." – Ben ([60:31])

• On elite hypocrisy:
  "What's the point of making fuck you money if you never say fuck you?" – Tommy ([62:20])

Segment Timestamps Reference

• Military Jamboree/Trump & Hegseth speeches: [04:00] – [19:10]
• Gaza Peace Plan + Rula Jibril interview: [21:48] – [36:46], [66:18]–[90:29]
• Venezuela/Foreign policy: [36:46] – [53:13]
• China/Taiwan: [51:01] – [53:13]
• Madagascar/France updates: [53:44] – [55:09]
• Saudi Comedy Festival/Culture: [55:09] – [62:23]
• Trump & Erdogan: [62:24] – [64:00]

Flow, Tone & Language

The hosts employ a sharp, irreverent tone, oscillating between dark humor and wonky policy analysis. Their language is candid, sometimes profane (“This is the ball game. It’s fucking out the window.” – Ben), and often laced with pop culture metaphors. Rula Jibril’s interview brings a sober, urgent clarity to the Palestinian perspective, counterbalancing the hosts’ world-weary snark.

For Listeners Who Missed the Episode

• The military “jamboree” is a pivotal, dangerous development: Trump is openly courting support for using the military against domestic rivals—an historic, authoritarian escalation.
• The Gaza “peace” plan is viewed as unserious at best, a smokescreen at worst, with Palestinian input deliberately excluded.
• The U.S. appears to be gearing up for yet another destabilizing regime change operation in Venezuela, with little regard for history or legality.
• American elites—whether powerful politicians, former heads of state, or celebrity comedians—are increasingly embroiled in global corruption and authoritarian laundering.
• The episode’s interview with Rula Jibril is a standout, offering essential context often missing from mainstream discussions of Gaza and Israeli-Palestinian dynamics.

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