Just the News No Noise with John Solomon and Amanda Head

Podcast: Real America's Voice (iHeartPodcasts)
Episode Date: December 23, 2025
Summary by Podcast Summarizer

Episode Overview

This episode, hosted by John Solomon and Amanda Head, delivers a pre-Christmas round-up of high-profile news and policy analysis, focusing on:

• Sanctions for overseas actors suppressing American free speech
• A criminal grand jury investigation involving former CIA Director John Brennan
• The Trump administration's economic performance and housing policy plans
• Declaring fentanyl a weapon of mass destruction and the fight against drug cartels
• An in-depth discussion with self-defense advocate Barry Todd on stand-your-ground laws
• Investigative reporting into home title theft and its growing threat
• Brief commentary on cultural issues and light-hearted holiday reflections

The tone is energetic, direct, and often combative, pridefully challenging mainstream narratives on politics, legislation, and culture.

Key Discussion Points & Insights

1. Sanctions on European Figures for Censorship and Brennan Investigation

[03:26–05:54]

• Solomon reports that Secretary of State Marco Rubio sanctioned five European officials for participating in efforts to censor American speech, barring them from entering the U.S.—a first in such actions and possibly a signal of further sanctions to come.
  • "They betrayed Western values and sought to censor Americans’ opinions on platforms like Twitter and Facebook..." – John Solomon [03:45]
• Breaking news: Ex-CIA Director John Brennan is reportedly a target of a federal grand jury investigation in Florida. His lawyers allege DOJ “judge shopping” in attempts to bring the case before Judge Aileen Cannon, who previously dismissed a prosecution against Trump.
  • "A target means someone who's likely to be indicted." – John Solomon [04:39]

2. U.S. Economic Update and Housing Policy

[05:54–14:53]

• GDP growth surges to 4.3%, hailed by the National Economic Council as evidence of Trump's policies. AI productivity gains and reduced trade deficits are cited as drivers.
  • “It’s a great Christmas present for the American people.” – Kevin Hassett (clip) [06:25]
• Hunter Biden makes headlines on the Sean Ryan podcast, claiming his "laptop" scandal was “a concocted, fabricated, mishmash of digital information" and expresses regret over the Burisma board position only due to the political backlash.
  • "There is no laptop...What they did is they cobbled together stolen, concocted, fabricated, mishmash of digital information." – Hunter Biden [07:44]
  • "They used that as the toe in the door to call my family the Biden crime family without any evidence." – Hunter Biden [08:49]
• Solomon rebuts these statements: “Two courts convicted Hunter Biden of crimes. His father erased that with a pardon.” [09:10]
• Housing Policy: Dr. Morris A. Davis, former White House housing economist, forecasts a transformative decade with the Trump administration aiming to create 12 million new homes via deregulatory and manufacturing reforms.
  • "Starting in 2008, the rate of housing supply fell...It got cut in half." – Dr. Morris A. Davis [12:27]
  • Rising costs blamed on local/state regulations; the need for a national model code to foster affordable, high-quality manufactured housing is emphasized.

3. Designating Fentanyl as a Weapon of Mass Destruction

[23:54–34:33]

• David Lassiter, former Deputy Assistant Secretary of Defense, discusses Trump’s new executive order labeling fentanyl a WMD, enabling greater inter-agency and military coordination and targeting both China (origin of precursor chemicals) and Mexican cartels.
  • “It provides better authority for coordination between the departments and agencies, which is absolutely vital.” – David Lassiter [24:36]
  • “When you look at the number of people who've died...it is more than World War II, Vietnam, and the Gulf wars combined.” – John Solomon [26:01]
• Example of weaponization: 2002 Russian theater siege, where fentanyl analogs used as incapacitating agents led to mass fatalities.
  • "If a chemical is used as a weapon, it is in violation of the Chemical Weapons Convention." – David Lassiter [27:57]
• Venezuela: U.S. military, economic, and legal pressure is mounting on Maduro’s regime—destroying trafficker boats, considering oil tanker seizures, and potential on-land strikes, all aiming to reduce drug flows.
  • "The pressure economically is going to be so much on Maduro that it will have an impact and he is eventually going to step down." – David Lassiter [34:00]

4. Self-Defense, Stand-Your-Ground Laws, and Second Amendment Rights

[38:00–46:34]

• Captain Barry Todd recounts his legal ordeal after using a firearm in self-defense in Arizona, exposing flaws in the justice system.
  • “The police never looked at the videos before they charged me. They took the witness statements of the friends of the people that assaulted my wife and I." – Barry Todd [39:36]
  • Judge repeatedly sent the case back for neglecting self-defense laws before full exoneration.
  • Prosecutorial misconduct highlighted: “I had the prosecutor on tape saying to my attorney, 'I do not care what the law reads.'” [42:51]
• Solomon and Todd discuss a new Civil Rights Division at DOJ tasked with safeguarding Second Amendment rights—unprecedented federal oversight.
  • “The problem is...there are consequences for your action...the police are there to investigate, not protect.” – Barry Todd [45:00]
• Critique of gun control laws as ineffective and turning law-abiding citizens into targets for prosecution.

5. Home Title Theft: America’s Silent Property Crisis

[51:11–58:25]

• John Sommer, investigative reporter, describes a case where an elderly Hawaiian woman’s home was lost to title theft, with the crime not considered criminal in many states—victims thrust into costly, slow civil litigation.
  • "Many, many states still don't consider title theft or deed theft or house stealing to be a crime. They see it as civil." – John Sommer [54:08]
  • Increasingly done via the internet and AI, often targeting the elderly.
• Home Title Lock is recommended for monitoring and remediation, noting “they alert you if something fishy happens...they will work with you up to a million dollars to restore your title.” [56:10]
• Public urged to be proactive, as “they don’t discriminate—equity or not, you can be a target.” – John Sommer [57:13]

6. Cultural Commentary and Holiday Traditions

[62:48–64:57]

• Amanda Head shares her experience in a Canadian airport men’s bathroom with tampon dispensers—discussed as a sign of cultural shifts, with humorous asides.
  • "My husband...dumped the entire basket into the trash. And I guess he was not the only one because now they are locked up in a dispenser. We're winning." – Amanda Head [63:07]
• Hosts swap personal Christmas Eve traditions: baking, donating to shelters, church services, and eating Chinese food.

Notable Quotes & Memorable Moments

• On Free Speech Sanctions:
  • “They betrayed Western values and sought to censor Americans’ opinions...” – John Solomon [03:45]
• On Biden’s Laptop Controversy:
  • “There is no laptop...they cobbled together stolen, concocted, fabricated, mishmash of digital information.” – Hunter Biden [07:44]
  • "As Ted Lasso would say, I beg to differ, Claudia Schiffer." – Amanda Hedge [08:12]
• On the Fentanyl Crisis:
  • “It is more than World War II, Vietnam, and the Gulf wars combined.” – John Solomon [26:01]
• On Stand-Your-Ground Law Abuse:
  • “They took the witness statements of the friends of the people that assaulted my wife and I." – Barry Todd [39:36]
  • “It’s up to each individual to be able to protect their life, their liberty and their property. It's their family.” – Barry Todd [45:11]
• On Home Title Theft:
  • "If somebody steals a title, they can cure the loan on it and then just sell it. It's very easy to do." – John Sommer [57:13]

Timestamps for Key Segments

• Sanctions and Brennan Investigation: [03:26–05:54]
• Economic Update & Housing: [05:54–14:53]
• Fentanyl as WMD / Counter-Drug Strategy: [23:54–34:33]
• Stand-Your-Ground Laws & 2A Rights: [38:00–46:34]
• Home Title Theft: [51:11–58:25]
• Light / Holiday Segment: [62:48–64:57]

Conclusion

This episode delivers a dynamic discussion on some of today’s hottest topics, consistently expressing skepticism toward government and mainstream narratives, and advocating for strong individual freedoms and accountability. Through interviews and panel discussion, John Solomon and Amanda Head underscore their stance on economic optimism, civil rights, national security, and personal responsibility, all while adding moments of humor and seasonal warmth.