The Trump Team’s GRIFTS for Greenland, Gaza, and Beyond

Summary

Podcast Summary – Raging Moderates with Scott Galloway and Jessica Tarlov

Episode Title: The Trump Team’s GRIFTS for Greenland, Gaza, and Beyond
Date: January 23, 2026
Hosts: Jessica Tarlev (JT) & Aaron Parnas (AP)
Network: Vox Media Podcast Network

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Overview

This episode covers the latest political developments through a centrist lens, focusing on:

• Trump's disruptive presence at Davos and international grifts
• U.S.-European alliances and shifts in global order
• Kushner’s controversial Gaza redevelopment plans
• The Democratic 2028 primary calendar battle
• J.D. Vance’s marginalization as VP
• The RFK Jr. “dietary guidelines” tour and speculation about his political ambitions
  Throughout, hosts Jessica Tarlov and Aaron Parnas balance insightful political critique with their trademark humor and frankness.

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Key Discussion Points & Insights

1. Trump at Davos and the "Greenland Grift"

[02:21]–[06:28]

• Trump’s visit to Davos created market chaos after threats of tariffs over Greenland, only to later present a “framework” deal that was essentially what the U.S. already had via NATO and Denmark.
  • "It kind of seemed like all one big grift... what Trump likes to do, if you look at the stock market, he says tariffs, then the stock market falls, then people buy, then he says no more tariffs, and then the stock market's now rising again and people are making money." (AP, [03:34])
• European allies (especially Macron and Danish PM) directly confronted Trump’s claims, breaking precedent in their public rebukes.
  • "The amount of Trumpian BS that they just called out... is different than it has been in the past." (JT, [04:57])
• Mark Carney’s speech, declaring “America as a superpower is over,” signaled a turning point in the global order.
  • "[Carney] basically just said America is a superpower in the same way, is over. The global order is done." (JT, [05:19])

2. Shifting World Order and U.S.-EU/NATO Relations

[06:28]–[11:05]

• The hosts discuss a historic shift away from U.S.-centric alliances, with more countries possibly aligning with China amid American self-isolationism.

  • "I think 2026 will be defined as the year the world order shifts dramatically... More countries will kind of move closer to China as the United States really alienates itself." (AP, [06:41])

• Even a Democratic president in 2028 would likely continue many of the current policies due to realpolitik and an altered global landscape.

  • "You can't just do that. You can't keep flip flopping like this every four years...we have to recognize that the world is shifting." (AP, [10:24])

• Tarlov questions whether such deep fissures with democratic allies are inevitable, expressing concern for the future of Western partnerships.

  • "I wouldn't think that this level of fissure...was the direction we had to be going in. I think that there is a world where we could be like, it's us versus them and it's more traditional axes of evil..." (JT, [10:32])

3. Kushner’s Gaza “Palm Beach” Vision & Political Grifting

[11:52]–[14:23]

• Tarlov slams Jared Kushner’s “dystopian” plan to reconstruct Gaza:

  • "It's so unprofessional...if you are not ready to deal with the repercussions...proposing to turn Gaza into Palm Beach...what is going to happen to [the people]? How are they going to afford your condos?" (JT, [11:52])

• Parnas warns that without buy-in from Gazans, the plan is doomed, and darkly jokes about the exploitative logic behind it.

  • "You could pump whatever money you want into Gaza today. It's not going to work if you don't have sign off from the people...or you ethnically completely cleanse them...or some type of, like, internment light..." (AP, [13:10])

• Both call out the use of government influence for personal profit, referencing Kushner’s interactions with Steve Witkoff.

  • "How did we get this good fortune right, that we're able to use the government as a way to line our pockets like this..." (JT, [12:13])

4. Democratic 2028 Primary Calendar Chaos

[14:23]–[17:51]

• With no incumbent, many states lobby to go first in the primaries, each emphasizing different voter demographics.
• Parnas floats bold ideas:
  • "To me, it's either...Iowa, South Carolina, or take a big state and you make them go first—throw in California, throw in Florida...let's try something different." (AP, [15:51])
• Tarlov enjoys the hypothetical of New York primaries and the resulting political drama.
  • "Finally you're saying something that makes some sense...Imagine, like, every presidential candidate having to go in and get Zohrand's endorsement..." (JT, [17:32])

5. J.D. Vance Marginalized as VP & Trump's Media Games

[21:16]–[24:13]

• Vance makes speeches in the Midwest but seems sidelined; crucial meetings and high-profile events exclude him.
  • "I think JD Vance is being sidelined kind of worse than what they did to Kamala because he's not in any of the Important rooms. He wasn't there when we captured Maduro. He wasn't there in Davos." (AP, [22:50])
• Trump’s angry reaction to negative New York Times/Siena poll: threats to sue, as JT jokes about the toll of constant grievance.
  • "It must just be exhausting living in his body or his mind." (JT, [21:54])
• Discussion of political optics: Trump cares less about actions than how they're televised (e.g., ICE roundups).

6. RFK Jr. as Health Czar and Political Wildcard

[19:46], [24:13]–[27:05]

• RFK Jr. is on a "dietary guidelines" tour—politically similar to a campaign, but insists he’s not running for president.

• Speculation about his ambitions:

  • "I think he knows that he's not going to win...I think that's also old...[but] it makes me wonder if he's going to do something strange as an independent." (AP & JT, [24:33]–[25:39])

• Tarlov and Parnas are unimpressed by his nutritional policies—comparing RFK’s guidelines to the Atkins diet, questioning his qualifications, and calling it a “pyramid scheme.”

  • "He just should have gotten a job at USDA and been nowhere near HHS Secretary." (JT, [25:39])
  • "I don't know about RFK Jr. and this new pyramid scheme of his." (AP, [27:00])

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Notable Quotes & Memorable Moments

• On Trump’s market manipulation:

  • “It kind of seemed like all one big grift in a way. A grift that actually is going to make a lot of people money.” (AP, [03:34])

• European Pushback:

  • “I think the amount of Trumpian BS that they just called out to his face and on social media is different than it has been in the past.” (JT, [04:57])

• On Kushner’s Gaza Plans:

  • “Proposing to turn Gaza into Palm Beach...like, people are going to have questions. Especially because there are millions of people that live there.” (JT, [11:52])

• On J.D. Vance’s Role:

  • “He seems to be kind of just being trotted out in places the administration doesn't want to deal with...he's already on paternity leave.” (AP, [22:50], [24:09])

• On Democracy & Domino’s Pizza:

  • "[People need to calm down about Domino's.] I think it's better than most New York style pizza." (AP, [27:57])
  • "[Everyone’s] entitled to their own opinion, even if it’s wrong." (AP, [28:02])
  • JT reply: "No, I think that's how we ended up with Trump." (JT, [28:06])

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Timestamps for Key Segments

• Trump at Davos / Global Grift: [02:21]–[06:28]
• Shifting Alliances & World Order: [06:28]–[11:05]
• Kushner, Gaza, and Corruption: [11:52]–[14:23]
• Democratic Calendar Fights: [14:23]–[17:51]
• J.D. Vance and White House Power Dynamics: [21:16]–[24:13]
• RFK Jr. and the Health Policy Sideshow: [24:13]–[27:05]
• Rage and Calm: Domino’s vs. New York Pizza: [27:14]–[28:18]

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Final Thoughts – Rage & Calm Segment

• What’s making them rage:
  • AP: People not taking the ice storm seriously; Ted Cruz fleeing to Laguna Beach again. [27:14]
• What to calm down about:
  • AP: Domino’s Pizza hate—claims it’s better than most New York pizzas, to JT’s horrified bemusement. [27:57]

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Overall Tone & Style

The episode is witty, occasionally irreverent, but analytical, combining policy insight with pop culture and candid personal takes. The hosts’ centrist approach invites skepticism towards both parties and a recognition of the political theater underlying current events.

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If you missed the episode, this summary covers the full range of political drama, international intrigue, campaign maneuvering—and, of course, a slice of controversial pizza takes.

Transcript

[Aaron Parnas]

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[Jessica Tarlev]

And I think yearning can provide this sort of, like, masochistic joy too. And, like, we all need more joy in our lives right now.

[Aaron Parnas]

This week on Explain it to Me from vox. Love hurts and it hurts so good. New episodes Sundays, wherever you get your podcasts.

[Jessica Tarlev]

Welcome to Raging Moderates. I'm Jessica Tarlev, and I'm joined today by Aaron Parnas. How are you?

[Aaron Parnas]

I'm good. No, like, fancy intro today. We're just getting into it.

[Jessica Tarlev]

Oh, I'm sorry. Substacker extraordinaire. Voice of a generation.

[Aaron Parnas]

Thank you.

[Jessica Tarlev]

The man, the myth, the legend, Aaron Parnas. You feel better now?

[Aaron Parnas]

An honor. An honor, truly.

[Jessica Tarlev]

I want to talk about politics, but are you watching Heated Rivalry?

[Aaron Parnas]

So.

[Jessica Tarlev]

Or have you watched it?

[Aaron Parnas]

It's on my, like, I've seen some, like, clips on Instagram that have popped up on my feed, but I like.

[Jessica Tarlev]

Sexy ones or different ones?

[Aaron Parnas]

All of the above.

[Jessica Tarlev]

There's actually not a lot that isn't sexy ones, but.

[Aaron Parnas]

Well, so for me, it's like, I watch TV shows, like, years after they're actually released. So, like, right now I'm watching season one of White Lotus.

[Jessica Tarlev]

Oh, okay. Yeah. We live in different worlds. Yeah.

[Aaron Parnas]

So Heated Rivalry will be like a 2027 project.

[Jessica Tarlev]

Okay. So before the election, I'll be like, who do you think's gonna win? Also, have you seen Heated Rivalry?

[Aaron Parnas]

And then we'll see what happens.

[Jessica Tarlev]

Okay. Anyway, I'm watching it.

[Aaron Parnas]

Oh, good.

[Jessica Tarlev]

Okay.

[Aaron Parnas]

Like a good chat? Like a family friendly show or.

[Jessica Tarlev]

No, no, the girls don't watch it. But I watching it with Brian was interesting. Cause he played football in college. And I'm like, is this what locker rooms are like? And then we talked a lot about shower setups in men's locker rooms.

[Aaron Parnas]

Based on what I understand in locker room I grew up in. That is kind of how locker rooms are. Like, in a sense of like, it's weird.

[Jessica Tarlev]

You. Yeah, but like, with a lot of heads. Like, but this was, like, my best chat ever. We'll talk more about heated rivalry later. We gotta talk about politics stuff. Big week. Trump was at Davos, made some waves. The Democrats are getting into their 2028 primary calendar fight. RFK Jr is on national tour with his new dietary guidelines, which I don't know. I hate that I'm going to ask you what you think he's actually doing out there and if he is going to try to run for president in 2028, because I just can't take that. Also, J.D. vance is in Minnesota. There's a lot going on. First to Davos, Trump went there, pitching himself as the dealmaker left, rattling markets and allies. After reigniting trade war fears and threatening tariffs over Greenland, he suddenly announced a quote, unquote, framework for a future deal, then backed off. Other European leaders just came out and said that what he told us was true, wasn't actually true, which doesn't particularly shock me. Mark Carney was the big winner of the week. I'm getting ahead of myself here. Anyway, what did you make of the Trump spectacle in Davos?

[Aaron Parnas]

It kind of seemed like all one big grift in a way. A grift that actually is going to make a lot of people money. Because what Trump likes to do, if you look at the stock market, he says tariffs, then the stock market falls, then people buy, then he says no more tariffs, and then the stock market's now rising again and people are making money. People probably close to the White House are making a good amount of money right now. Then you have this peace board of peace that the only people signed on to are some, like, small countries or like MAGA allies. And by the way, a dictator in Belarus and most of Europe hasn't signed on to it. Then you look at what Jared Kushner wants to do in terms of rebuilding Gaza, it just looked dystopian, like, we don't have buildings like that in the United States. But that's what he wants for Gaza to look like. It all kind of just seemed like one big, kind of, I don't know, grift. But I will say the whole Greenland, Denmark situation, I think what happened was, and people can correct me if they think I'm wrong, is that's just an off ramp for Trump. Right? Like, I never thought. I personally never thought we were going to invade Greenland. I thought that was a crazy thing to even suggest. I never thought that the United States would even take complete ownership of Greenland. Do I think that the United States should have more kind of military presence in and around Greenland and have some more control over the shipping routes. Of course that. I mean, you don't want China or Russia doing that. He's not fully wrong in that respect, but that Denmark was already offering that. NATO is already saying, you can do that. And so he's just getting what he already had in a way, totally, and.

[Jessica Tarlev]

Then repackaging it for us as this big victory. I do feel like a few barriers have kind of been breached or busted through by European leaders this week. I think the amount of Trumpian BS that they just called out to his face and on social media is different than it has been in the past. Like Macron knowing that it's Donald Trump and he's probably going to tell everyone what you said in your text message, which he ended up posting, and it said, I have no idea what you're doing with Greenland. And the content of his speech, where he also talked about, you know, a new era of relationships with China, that's something. Mark Carney goes to China, what just last week. And then Mark Carney's speech, speech in general, which basically just said America is a superpower in the same way, is over. The global order is done. And to some degree, we were silly for thinking that we would have it this way for so long. And I thought it was really powerful and set the tone. I'm glad that he had such an early speaking spot and was able to get that kind of messaging out there. And I think that it also gave the European Union leaders, not that the Danish prime Minister needed a lot of, a lot more like oomph to get her there, but then for her to be able to respond about this, you know, new quote, unquote framework, which was basically the stuff that they've been offering to us forever, I think was rooted in how strong people like Carney and Macron had been in pushing back against the United States.

[Aaron Parnas]

Yeah, no, I completely agree with you. I do think, though, that this is all part of the plan. And I think 2026 will be defined as the year kind of the world order shifts dramatically. I don't think we've seen such a shift in terms of U.S. eU, U.S. nATO relations since in the post World War II kind of world order. And so I think that this is kind of a recalibration of where things are heading. And I'm going to go out on a limb and say it's not just going to be Canada. I think more countries will kind of move closer to China as the United States really alienates itself. In kind of America first mantra. And ultimately it'll be to the detriment of American businesses and American consumers. As, I mean, China's GDP last year grew over 5%. It was one of their best years to date. While the American GDP could have grown more but for the tariffs. And if the Supreme Court overturns Trump's tariffs, then it's gonna be even more chaos. So I think ultimately the world is dramatically changing. And I saw your interview with Heather Cox Richardson, she's been talking about this a lot, is that people need to look at this not from like a day to day, like, okay, Trump says this, Carney says that, but look at it from a very macro level that the dynamics between the United States and other nations have fundamentally changed and it will take a very long time to get back to where it once was, if it ever does.

[Jessica Tarlev]

It makes me think like, if a Republican wins in 2028, I think things just carry on this way, even if it's someone who we feel is, quote, unquote, more sane. Like, let's say Marco Rubio is top of the ticket versus right now. I think the betting markets have it as JD Vance at the top of the ticket and Marco Rubio is the vice President. But like the Republican Party is done with the post World War II order. Except Lindsey Graham, he. He's holding on. But besides that, you know, it's kind of washed. I'm curious what you think a Democrat will do because, I mean, there are certain things that Trump has done like, you know, strengthening. It's interesting to think about it now that, like, he's a central cog in the idea that NATO could actually be torn apart. But he did strengthen NATO to a good degree. And I think it's important that people pay their fair share and things like that. But it'll be interesting to see how Dems react to it because I don't think the same old. And this goes for every topic area, whether it's domestic or foreign affairs, you know, showing up and say we're going to go back to the, you know, the norm. Right. Like, everybody is looking for things to be shaken up. And I'm curious what you think a Democrat would do if they are coming in in 2028 and they're looking at the EU, they're looking at NATO and saying, like, we want to be back with you.

[Aaron Parnas]

Well, I think you're going to see a lot of continuity, even with the Democrat. I mean, you saw that with Biden even, right. Like the Abraham Accords. Biden continued Them Biden's State Department continued to work, almost got the Saudis and the Abraham Accords. So I think you're going to see this board of peace situation to the extent that it lasts through the end of Trump's term. I think if a Democrat takes over, you're going to still have this board of peace, whatever it looks like, this organization you more countries join, you may have more of this kind of international collaborative effort. I don't know. But I do think that it's, I mean, when you look at what in the post World War II order, what, what the world has looked like, the United nations does not have the same kind of power behind it that it once did. It just doesn't. Or reputation or reputation. Most countries do not that don't need the U.N. don't really care for the U.N. and so I, I don't think it's just going to be the United States. I think you're going to have other countries come out and say, you know what, we need something different. We, we need something better. And so that's why, what I just hope that Democrats don't do is I hope they don't in 2028 just say everything Trump did over the past four years was bad and we're just going to get rid of it. Because you can't just do that. You can't keep flip flopping like this every four years when at the end of the day we have to recognize that the world is shifting. And whether or not you like how he's doing it, which is my problem, not necessarily what he's doing, but rather how he's doing it in certain respects. You have to understand that some of these things are kind of inevitable based on where we are in history.

[Jessica Tarlev]

That's interesting because I wouldn't think that this level of fissure with our other democratic Western allies was the direction that we had to be going in. I think that there is a world where we could be like, it's us versus them and it's more traditional axes of evil, right. Where you're like, you know who Vladimir Putin is versus who Voldemort Zelensky is and you know who President Xi is. And you know, like I thought that that could be sustained, but I, I'm also a bit of a Pollyanna about things.

[Aaron Parnas]

I mean, I, I would hope that they could be sustained, but after it's already been a year, right, like three more years of this, you're going to have European. I wouldn't be surprised if you see over the next Three years, a significant rise in the right again in Europe, I think. I wouldn't be surprised if you saw Macron being replaced by a right wing president. You have Meloni in Italy already. Pretty right. I wouldn't be surprised if though she has these incredible.

[Jessica Tarlev]

I was much more afraid of her than what she has been in actuality. Yeah. Her line about we'll get rid of the bases and also the McDonald's is here was good.

[Aaron Parnas]

Yeah, I mean, she's been interesting. And then I wouldn't be surprised if in the UK you have like the Reform Party really making inroads before Trump leaves. So Trump could very well leave at a time where Europe and the United States are aligned in this kind of right wing respect. I don't know. I don't know what the future holds.

[Jessica Tarlev]

Yeah, I wanted to. You brought up Jared Kushner's dystopian PowerPoint presentation, which included a plea if, if everyone could just chill out for 30 days so they could, they could figure this out more. It's so unprofessional. Like, so unprofessional. And it's, it's really crazy. Like, just give up your speaking slot. Frankly, if you are not ready to deal with the repercussions of the fact that you are proposing to turn Gaza into Palm beach. Like, people are going to have questions and they are going to have reactions to that, especially because there are millions of people that live there and like, what is going to happen to them? And like, how are they going to be able to afford in your, to live in your condos? But do you think that they are going to be able to just continue to plow through with this level of grit? Because I think about that 60 Minutes episode with Steve Witkoff and Jared Kushner a lot and parts of it that were edited out that then showed up on social media but weren't in there, where Witkoff and Kushner are basically like smiling and giggling at each other. Like, how did we get this good fortune right, that we're able to use the government as a way to line our pockets like this. So what are your thoughts for Gaza, Lago and beyond?

[Aaron Parnas]

I mean, number one, I agree with you. It's kind of scary. Just even think about that. We're here at this point, I would say it's not going to work. I mean, it won't. You could pump whatever money you want into Gaza today. It's not going to work if you don't have sign off from the people in Gaza or you ethnically Completely cleanse them and say, you know, you can't live here anymore and you remove them, but where are you going to put them? Because Israel's not going to take them, Egypt's not going to take them, Jordan's not. No one's going to take the people of Gaza, the people of Palestine. So where are you going to put that? Or I guess the third option is some type of, like, internment light where you have them working on building your vision, which wouldn't put it. I wouldn't put it past them, the Trump administration, to do that. So, so I. And then, like, they, they label it as, like, we're making. We're giving you jobs. Right? Like, I, I don't know what the future holds. I don't think it'll work out because ultimately a project that, like this, to this level that Kushner is pitching takes a very long time. I mean, this is like a 10, 20 year project. This is not a thing that happens overnight. And I wouldn't be surprised if things just fall. The ceasefire deal isn't really a ceasefire. So, like, let's get to, like, the end of the ceasefire deal before we start making the Riviera of the Middle East.

[Jessica Tarlev]

That's a good point. And there are still lots of people dying in Gaza, and no one seems to pay attention to that anymore. I want to shift to the domestic side of things. Democrats are quietly making one of the most consequential decisions of the 2028 race. Who gets to go first? With no incumbent president and a wide open field, a dozen states are lobbying to shape the primary calendar and with it, the entire nomination fight. New Hampshire out there talking about how many independents they have in the state. The heavy white population, acknowledged, but growing black and Latino populations. Iowa would love to go first again, really emphasizing that they're the ones that found Barack Obama. Right. Catapulted him on his way. Also Jimmy Carter, but I don't know. I don't think that's as big of a sell as Obama. South Carolina, talking, of course, about their large black population. Also a lot of rural communities, big military communities. And then Nevada and New Mexico, emphasizing their large Latino populations, which are such a big swing category in 2024. What are your thoughts about what the calendar should look like?

[Aaron Parnas]

I don't know. Honestly, I've been thinking about this. I like Iowa first, personally, just because I like the caucus. I like caucus.

[Jessica Tarlev]

They both are so bad, though. Like, I. I feel like it's one of those that you really like. You have to prove yourself on such a next level that you can handle this. I mean, I was there freezing away, sitting on air at tap dancing for hours as going back and forth.

[Aaron Parnas]

I mean, to me, it's either what. You have three options. Number one, Iowa goes first because it's a caucus and because of the historical kind of connotation with Iowa going first. Number two, South Carolina goes first because black voters are a major part of the Democratic base, and South Carolina has historically decided to who will be the Democratic nominee. South Carolina goes first. Or number three, you take a big state and you make them go first. Throw in California, throw in Florida, put one of these big states up first, which I would not be upset about, even. Especially a state like California, because by the time California is up on the ballot, the nominees almost always already decided. Give me a big state. Force them to spend a little money, force them to campaign and reach a whole different sect of people, and let's try something different. I don't think New Hampshire should go first. I don't think Nevada should go first. Like, either have the tradition, go with South Carolina or go with a big state. That's where I'm at.

[Jessica Tarlev]

It's a new tradition, but a good tradition or seemingly good. I don't know. Every time I say something about this, I aggravate a bunch of people who feel differently about it. And people take it so personally.

[Aaron Parnas]

Like, oh, I mean, if you. If you guys are watching and you take this personally, I'm sorry, but I don't really have much. I don't live in a state. I wish I lived in a state. Maybe I would take it more personally, too, if I did. I live in a district, but here we are.

[Jessica Tarlev]

Yeah, I mean, I. I do live in a state, and we were never. Obviously, you're not going to have, like, New York doing it, so we're always kind of by. By the sidelines of this. It does feel like it's going to be an interesting process to watch vis a vis Ken Martin and what's going on at the DNC and like, all of the. The infighting, I guess, and how different states are making their pitches. But I hadn't really thought about. Why don't we just, like, have a California go first or something that's.

[Aaron Parnas]

Or make New York first. Like, make New York first.

[Jessica Tarlev]

Like, well, there you go. Finally you're saying something that makes some sense.

[Aaron Parnas]

There you go. I mean, force people to compete. Yeah, but imagine, like, every presidential candidate having to go in and get Zohrand's endorsement, because that's what? You would have to get to a New York. Yeah, that would be a sight to see.

[Jessica Tarlev]

Kathy Hochul, I feel like she's just turning into a bit of a queen maker. She's like, well, I mean you'd have to go to Kathy Hochul certainly as much if not more than Mamdani because the whole state would vote. And there are some people who are a little bit less liberal who live outside of my little bubble here for sure.

[Aaron Parnas]

That's true. Outside of your very liberal community.

[Jessica Tarlev]

Yeah. No, I mean I live in a moderate hood, but yeah. Okay, let's take a quick break. Stay with us. Foreign. For the show comes from Soul. It's important to be more mindful about your healthy habits, things like workouts, sleep and bedtime routines. And one great way to do that is to cut back on alcohol and instead reach for Sol's out of office gummies, which can give a light happy buzz without the calories or the next day drag. Soul makes feeling good simple. They make delicious hemp, derives, CBD and THC products with precise dosing, clean ingredients and formulations designed for predictable feel good effects. Sole is the alcohol alternative that puts you in control of your mood. Their best selling out of office gummies deliver a customizable calming buzz from a 1.5mg microdose for a gentle lift to a 15mg for a deeper, more elevated experience. It's the easiest way to unwind without the grogginess or next day regret of alcohol. And all of Sol's products are made from organically farmed USA grown hemp. It's vegan, gluten free, low sugar and federally legal. Give yourself the gift of a healthier unwind. Right now Sole is offering my audience 30% off your entire order. Go to getsol.com and use the code moderates. That's getsoul.com promo code moderates for 30% off. Rfkjr. HHS secretary recently announced new federal dietary guidelines. Declaring war.

[Aaron Parnas]

Today our government declares war on added sugar.

[Jessica Tarlev]

Also ending war.

[Aaron Parnas]

We are ending the war on saturated fats.

[Jessica Tarlev]

In his tenure as head of hhs, RFK has ended the war on protein and declared war on ultra processed foods. And on the old food pyramid, you can see the food pyramid here.

[Aaron Parnas]

It's upside down. A lot of you will say, but it was actually upside down before and we just righted it.

[Jessica Tarlev]

The Trump administration has pushed companies to eliminate food dyes and in the first bill signing of the new year says schools can now serve whole milk, whole.

[Aaron Parnas]

Milk and it's whole with a W.

[Jessica Tarlev]

For those of you that have a problem on Today explained the push from the top to revamp the American diet. Today explained drops every weekday.

[Aaron Parnas]

In the mid-1980s, Nintendo basically single handedly saved the gaming industry with the Nintendo Entertainment System. And then a toy company convinced Nintendo that maybe the future of gaming wasn't controllers, but was instead this weird arm sleeve glove thing that let you control video games with your fingers. It was called the Power Glove and it was awful. This week on Version History, a new chat show about old technology, we traced the whole story of the Power Glove, which failed spectacularly and also kind of invented VR. That's version history wherever you get podcasts.

[Jessica Tarlev]

All right, welcome back. J.D. vance out on the road. He's in Minnesota. He gave a big economic speech talking about all the major gains that folks have, he hopes, felt in their pockets since Trump became president. Talking about wage growth, GDP growth, et cetera. Also, I don't know if you saw the New York Times Siena poll came out today, which was just like absolutely disastrous for Trump personally underwater on every single major issue. But not just like six points.

[Aaron Parnas]

Like, did you see?

[Jessica Tarlev]

No, they're getting the an seltzer treatment.

[Aaron Parnas]

Yeah. He said he's going to sue the New York Times after that poll came out.

[Jessica Tarlev]

It must just be exhausting living in his body or his mind.

[Aaron Parnas]

I don't think so because he could just say any. I mean, think about it. I feel like it'd be so freeing.

[Jessica Tarlev]

Aggrieved all the time and that, mad like to carry that around because I know how bad it feels when I'm angry about things. And then it's like if you're literally angry at every single person that exists out of a your little circle. And he's probably angry at his little circle all the time, too.

[Aaron Parnas]

Well, it's either that or he just doesn't give a shit at all. And he's just like saying whatever comes to his head. Like, to me, I feel like it's kind of freeing. Like you could just say whatever you want. You'll have zero consequences. No one's holding you in check. You can do whatever you want, whenever you want it.

[Jessica Tarlev]

I don't know, you move the markets, then you move it back anyway. And JD Vance is also going to do a roundtable discussion about ice enforcement in Minnesota. What do you make of his day's activities?

[Aaron Parnas]

I think JD Vance is being sidelined kind of worse than what they did to Kamala because he's not in any of the Important rooms. He wasn't there when we captured Maduro. He wasn't there in Davos. Traditionally, you'd have a VP in Davos. Wasn't there. He seems to be kind of just being trotted out in places the administration doesn't want to deal with, because Minneapolis. For what it's worth, Trump is furious that everyone on TV is seeing little kids being taken by ICE officials. He is upset. He's not upset that it's happening. He's upset that we're seeing it. And so what does he do? He's sending out Vance to handle it. I just. I don't think it's weird. I really feel as though he's kind of, like, chosen his successor. And it's Rubio and it's not Vance. That's kind of how I felt the past few weeks.

[Jessica Tarlev]

Interesting. I saw that JD Vance and Usha Vance are having their fourth child. Congratulations on that. But then I was like, thinking, oh, maybe he'll just go on paternity leave for forever if, like, Trump isn't into him and he'll just.

[Aaron Parnas]

I do wonder if they give paternity leave in this White House.

[Jessica Tarlev]

I think. I don't know. Caroline Lovett's definitely going to take some form of maternity leave.

[Aaron Parnas]

Yes.

[Jessica Tarlev]

I think Kayleigh McEnany did that when she was press secretary, at least for a couple months. I don't know about paternity leave. It's not very, quote, unquote masculine by their definition of masculinity.

[Aaron Parnas]

We'll see. I mean, it's not like JD's doing much anyway right now. So there you go.

[Jessica Tarlev]

He's already on paternity leave. Last thing, RFK Jr saying that he's not running for president, but he just kicked off national tour in a key swing state in a state capital to cheering crowds and MAGA hats. Officially, it's about the new dietary guidelines. Politically, looks a lot like a campaign rally. Do you think that he still has presidential ambitions?

[Aaron Parnas]

Yeah, but I think he knows that he's not going to win. And I think that's also old.

[Jessica Tarlev]

Is he 71 now? Right. Yeah.

[Aaron Parnas]

Okay. But does. Does that matter? I mean, Trump is.

[Jessica Tarlev]

Should. Did you see that Rahm Emanuel is proposing that no one over 75 can be in government? It's just like, you turn 75, you're out.

[Aaron Parnas]

I did see that. But also, Rahm Emanuel, like, stopped trying to run for president. But that's besides the point.

[Jessica Tarlev]

I mean, he's not going to stop. It's. He's running for president. So you got a long while to go, if that's your attitude.

[Aaron Parnas]

Rfk, I don't. I don't think he's going to run for president. I think it. I think 2028 will be a very crowded field, and then you'll only have two people on top. Like, it'll be like, Marco at 30%, JD at 25%, and everyone else below 7%. And I think that's how it'll be the entire race. But I think you'll have, like, a bunch of candidates on the right who try to jump in. I don't think RFK does it because I just don't think he. I don't think he wants. I don't think he. I think he knows that he won't win. Like, I don't. I don't think anyone will want to stomach RFK for four years, but who knows?

[Jessica Tarlev]

No, I mean, I certainly don't. But it makes me wonder if he's going to do something strange as an independent, because I feel like he has no real claim to the Republican stratosphere. But as a spoiler, RFK Jr. Works a lot better. Do you have any thoughts on the dietary guidelines changes? I mean, the only thing that sticks out for me. Well, two things. One, I always say this. He just should have gotten a job at USDA and been nowhere near HHS secretary. And then that huge study about how safe it is for women to take Tylenol during pregnancy. You saw there was another new one, and, like, not a peep out of this administration about the fact that they went out there and lied to all of these millions of women who are scared and just spend those nine months freaking out about keeping this treasure safe inside of them. And it infuriates me that there will be no comment.

[Aaron Parnas]

I agree. I mean, I don't know anything about this food. New food thing that he rolled out. I kind of did some research into it. Low carb. Yeah.

[Jessica Tarlev]

I mean, to me, you know, it's like Atkins, basically. Yeah.

[Aaron Parnas]

Don't know what that is either. I was kind of like, okay, oh.

[Jessica Tarlev]

My God, you're so young because you haven't, like, gained a pound or had to lose one. I feel like, no.

[Aaron Parnas]

I'm currently on a diet trying to lose weight, but I'm also marathon training, so that's different. Yeah.

[Jessica Tarlev]

But anyway, I mean, it's not the same thing.

[Aaron Parnas]

I don't know about RFK Jr. And this new pyramid scheme of his.

[Jessica Tarlev]

Well, that topic really sailed quickly. Before we go, one thing we should calm down about. And one thing that's making you rage.

[Aaron Parnas]

One thing that's making me rage is the fact that people aren't taking this giant ice storm seriously enough that's coming to, like, the east coast, like. And the fact that Ted Cruz left again to Laguna beach.

[Jessica Tarlev]

Again. I know, again.

[Aaron Parnas]

It's like, I sound like.

[Jessica Tarlev]

Have you learned nothing?

[Aaron Parnas]

The three. What is it in the Bible? The three horsemen or whatever. The three signs of the Apocalypse. Of the Apocalypse. Ted Cruz leaving. Check. Waffle House closing. And Jim Cantore on the ground. So we'll see if the next two materialize. And then one thing that we should all calm down about is. Oh, this is a good one. People really get on me for loving Domino's Pizza. Like, I think it's better than most New York style pizza. So people need to calm down about it.

[Jessica Tarlev]

I'm sorry, what?

[Aaron Parnas]

Yeah, it's my.

[Jessica Tarlev]

Like, I'm calm, but you're really wrong.

[Aaron Parnas]

Yeah, I mean, listen, everyone's entitled to their own opinion, even if it's wrong.

[Jessica Tarlev]

No, I think that's how we ended up with Trump.

[Aaron Parnas]

Okay, well, flat out, no. Yeah. You started Domino's Pizza when you were in New York.

[Jessica Tarlev]

I sent you to all these great pizza places and you're telling me that you would have rather been at Domino's?

[Aaron Parnas]

Yeah, probably. I just had it last night. It was fantastic.

[Jessica Tarlev]

Aaron Parnas's maybe last Friday on Raging Moderates. It was great to see you.

[Aaron Parnas]

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[Jessica Tarlev]

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