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Chris Cuomo
Support comes from Brick House Nutrition. She's a brat. Doo doo doo doo House. Love Rick James. I love telling you about Brickhouse Nutrition. Why you don't have to give yourself a needle all the time in order to lower your weight. Okay? What if you want to lose weight, but you don't want painful weekly and could be risky injections, okay? Why side effects? I mean, the use of needles. I mean, a lot of different things. Even if it's the pen injection, I mean, who knows why deal with that? Okay? That's why doctors created a weight loss supplement called Lean L E A N. The studied ingredients in Lean have been shown to lower your blood sugar, burn fat by converting it into energy and curb your appetite and cravings. So, duh, you're not as hungry. But listen, lean is not for the casual dieter with only a few pounds to lose, okay? The doctors at Brickhouse Nutrition created Lean for frustrated dieters who have 10 or more pounds to lose. So if you're serious and you've got serious weight to shed, let's get you started. 20% off free rush shipping so you can add Lean to your healthy diet and exercise plan. Remember, no shortcuts, okay? If you want it to be real, you've got to do it the real way. Visit takelean.com Enter Cuomo for your discount. The promo code is cuomo@takelean.com My brothers and sisters, you do not see this war the way it is seen in the Middle East. Not politically, not psychologically, and most importantly, not practically. Why is that? Well, the proposition in America is this. Are we at mission accomplished? Is this another win? Or is it here we go again down the road of mission creep and the inexorable march of Islamism versus what Pete Hegseth is calling Christendom, but what we call freedom, right? And what is it here? Who gets to say when it ends? Who gets to say when it ends? One of those perspectives is not just about the exigency of the emergency, right? That is, it is existential here. They can all reach out and touch each other here, Right? Whereas in America, it is mostly a political football, and it's about projections of what matters in mission and purpose. The mixed messaging that we're getting from the administration has multiple purposes. One, there's a competency issue. Two, there's a cleverness to it. How much? Not that much. Okay? I'm not listing it first for a reason, and I don't even know that it's second to be true. And the third is about the politics of optics and looking strong and President Trump being able to do something, get something done, that is securing another promise of maga. Wait, what? How is this securing a promise of maga? Ah, I'm glad you asked, because in that discussion is both what is wrong and what is right in this situation, and whoever winds up owning that winds up owning the value of this in the midterms. I'm Chris Cuomo. Welcome to the Chris Cuomo Podcast. Thank you very much. Joining us on the Chris Cuomo Project, which is really what it's called, but I'm just another podcast, right. And I'm trying to give you perspective. And here's mine. Why are we here? Oh, that's deep, Chris. Did you get that from the homeland? No. The Holy Land has influenced me, yes. And I am doing a special on the death and resurrection. But it is not a metaphysical question. It is what put us in Iran. Now. Avoid single factor answers. We're here because Trump thinks it looks good. I don't think we're here because it's an emergency. They didn't even really argue that. That. Well, they were about to hit us. Some people say, well, you weren't complaining when Bush did it. Well, that's because we had just gotten the biggest domestic punch in the nose that we have ever had. There were a lot of dead people, and we were scared. Where is that in this context? Oh, yeah, but it was going to happen. No, no, no. You're not arguing that, and you're not arguing it well. So what can you argue? Regime bad, regime bad, Attack, regime good, regime bad. So what if I think the regime's bad, but I don't think the attack is good? Ah, so you don't have an answer for the regime. You're just going to let the regime fester? Wait, who's saying it's festering? Oh, I am, because I know that it's festering. They're building all these missiles and they're enriching uranium, or they're having enough, you know, industrial grade, this and that. Oh, can you show that to me? No, no, no, no. That's not how it works. You got to trust me, though. And the Israelis say to. Oh, wow, the Israelis and the Americans. I mean, you know, it can't get better than that. That's. That's like a gold standard, Right? I'm being facetious, Right? Why? Because I think that you have two players here who know how to play to advantage and to show what they want reality to be seen as to shape perception, because politics is often perception. Reality is often perception. Politics is often perspective. Perception fuels perspective. Okay, there you go. The lesson is free. It's worth what you would have costs. So here's why we're there. Trump believes it makes him look strong. Trump believes it's doing something that others couldn't do. Trump believes it's keeping us safe and will be sold that way. Why? Because isn't our election choosing up to be what it is often about, which is who's keeping you safe? Yeah, but not on a terrorism level. No, no, no, no, no. Security. Security. Islamism is a danger to us. And these guys, if they're not the head on the snake, they're definitely one of the first coils. So I'm keeping you safe, and that's about security, and that's about leadership, and that's about what you're supposed to get out of government. So this is a proxy for the affordability case, because that's about allowing you to secure in a different context. That probably matters just as much as the idea of whether we're safe from terror. I mean, that's not an everyday fear. The everyday fear is what cost of living. So let me substitute this for that. I'd rather be talking about this. Why? Because I know I'm doing the right thing. I'm trying to beat the bad guy. Well, but war is wrong. Yeah. Depends on when. Yeah, but we've done this before and it's never worked. Was never me. Yeah, but we've seen it. But now Iran is different. Well, but then you've got to get rid of the regime. Nah, the people have to rise up and do it for themselves. So you're attacking them even though there was no imminent threat. But there was a serious threat that you can't prove to us, but we should believe you. And this is the same kind of threat that you told us six, seven months ago you had obliterated. Obviously, now you're just being. See, now you're just playing gotcha, okay? Because the regime is bad and somebody had to do this and they weren't going to make a deal. They're a bunch of liars. Okay? And why didn't you do it the first time? Why? Why didn't you do it the first time? Were they better then? They were better then, huh? They were keeping their word then. Really? You see what I'm saying? He didn't need it the first time. He had the immigration argument, you know, he wasn't fucking with Islam. It was Islam hates us. Let me try to ban travel from every Muslim Country. Let me just throw all billion and a half of them in the same bucket as all potential terrorists. And that works too. And he didn't need it. Now he needs it. Why? Because the domestic agenda, the fix America first that he promised you ain't happening so good, is it? Now he's really got a harder case. He just made it harder. That's why he had the energy secretary come out and say something that was never true and will never be. That I, as the American government can control your gas prices influence a little bit. Yeah, but not this kind of move. Yeah, but it's only short term. You gotta surrender the me to the we. We're safer now. This is for long term gain. Oh, just like the tariffs. Just like the tariffs. Isn't that interesting? So you crucify your opponents for everything not happening the second it's necessary, but you get the benefit of the long term. Wait and see. Isn't that convenient? No, it's not convenient at all. It's just about the politics of advantage. Support comes from soul thc. If you've been listening to the Chris Cuomo project, you know that I believe in thc, hemp derived specifically. And that I believe in gummies over booze. Not just for having a good time, but to give me the brain relaxation that we all need. Okay? Sol's out of office. THC gummies and sparkling beverages work for me, okay? They are a healthy and happy alternative to booze because I've been more mindful about how I want to wind down and look, you can make your excuses. I'm not saying that you need to take anything, okay? I'm not saying that. But I choose to. 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Chris Cuomo
Here's why the idea that this is as simple analysis as regime bad removing good one. Why do you think they say they don't want to resume the regime? You know what that is called, both in gardening and finance? A hedge. It's called a hedge. Why? Because if I say I'm going to change the regime and I don't, then I lose. If I say I'm going to change the regime and then I have another fill in the blank of every other effort in the Middle east ever. Okay? If any other scenario arises after I think I made it better, I lose. So I don't say I want regime change. Why? That's too hard. Oh, what's easy? Beating them up from above and making it look like I removed the threat and I got to do it myself because I didn't need pesky congress. So I'm the man. I kept you safe. I'm strong. Everybody else is weak. We win. Short term suffering, long term gain. That's. That's how life works. Everybody understands that. That is the play here. What's the problem? With the play, who gets to say when it's over? The people in this part of the world have the right perspective. Who says, Iran says it's over now. Oh, because we're kicking their ass. Are you kicking the ass of someone who wants to die? Are you kicking the ass of somebody who wants to bleed? Now, I would say the argument, the first one I made is much weaker than the second. I don't think that they want to die. Some of them will, as martyrs. Why? Because they want eternal life and all the benefits that they foolishly think come along with it. But the second question. Oh, you think that I lose if you beat the shit out of me? No, because you don't get to say, what, I'm beaten, only I do. If you're not replacing me with something else, then the suffering is actually like when they strike down Obi Wan Kenobi. And if you're too old for that, I'll give you another kitschy film in Fight Club. Why does the alter ego want to get his ass kicked? Why is that so important for him to show that he can take a beating? Because he's the underdog. Because the struggle is the win. That's what these zealots believe. They're in it for the long game. You can kill me for a thousand years, but eventually you'll be gone. And they're multiplying and multiplying and multiplying. So it's looking pretty good from their perspective. And the regime in Iran, they want the suffering. First of all, life is cheap for them. They don't care if their people suffer. They're in the business of making their people suffer. They want to be martyrs. Get you those virgins, get you that prestige. They make a big poster of your face and put it up in your town like you were an all star. That's where they're coming from. You're not seeing it here. Dead soldiers were like, oh, no, I can't believe this is happening again. I can't believe they killed him. It's so unnecessary. In the zealots mind, it's, oh, wow, what a sacrifice. Wow, what an amazing thing. That's scary. I remember this because I'm old and I lived this the first time I saw the movie, the first time. And when we went in there and realized, oh wow, they're okay with a one for one exchange. That ain't the American way we're into. We kill 50, you kill two if you're lucky. Okay, they're not into that. They're into one for One is great. They don't see it the way we do it in the region. They get it. They get it. That's why the IDF is so brutal. That's why Hamas was so brutal on October 7th. And look, I'm not comparing the two. Why? Because that's just a football. That's just a football. There's no coincidence that you almost can't find people who are okay with Hamas who didn't vote against Trump, and you can't find that many people anymore who voted against Trump who think that Israel has a complete right to defend itself. I mean, that's where we are. Why? Because everything's advantage over the other side. And if some one side is for one thing, you gotta be for the other. So we have this rising support of fundamentalist ideologies in our country. Of course they're going to suppress the report on the increase in domestic terror threats. But did you need a report to tell you that, that there's an increase in domestic threats of terror? Really? Austin, New York City, common sense, you don't think that we see this kind of cooperation of different outrages now, you know, this is not just the Islamists who do this, where, yeah, you may be Sunni and I may be Shia and I want to kill you, but. Or really you want to kill me, but on this one, we're together. The enemy of the, of your enemy might be your friend sometimes. That's not what this is. This is the enemy of my enemy may be a common enemy. And if it is, then it's my enemy too. And then I can start fighting with, stop fighting with him and fight with someone who benefits both of us. We can then start fighting with them and that's us, that's freedom. That's freedom of choice. That's self determination, that's free will. They don't want any of those things, want to control it like a bunch of savages. Primitive really. The, these zealots, these extreme Islamists, they're, they're in the wayback machine. So in the region, they get it. In the region, they get it. In the region, they get that there is no win. It's all about just who gets to determine when this part is over. So now you say, oh yeah, and America gets to say when it's over. You just heard the President say it. And then you heard the Secretary of War once again suggest something different afterwards. Oh, but that's because they're playing a little bait and switch because they don't want the enemy to know and they want to be confusing and they want to own the media. I think that's all bullshit. And if you flip the R and the D, you feel totally differently about it on the basis of who's doing it. And that is why the system is as big an enemy as if of extreme Islamism. As far as I'm concerned, the two party system is as big a threat to me as extreme Islamism. I do. I see them both as wanting to destroy my democracy. Support comes from Irestore. Listen, my hair's looking okay, right? I know a lot of you guys aren't crazy about the color, but I'll never color my hair. But I'll tell you what, I have hair and that's not a given in my family on the male side. And I think a big reason for it is my reliance on the Irestore Protocol, the glam squad, the Irestore Elite. Okay, One of the easiest routine upgrades that you can make. And they got the spring savings going on right now. Best time to try it, right? So the Irestore Elite is an at home device. It looks like a bike helmet. It's got 300 lasers, 200 LEDs. It's very easy to use and it uses targeted light therapy to your scalp. It's clinically proven to help regrow hair. For me, so far, so good. Okay, would I like more hair? Yeah. I also wouldn't like to be 55, but that's how it is. 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We're not seeing it the way it is and we are allowing it to be a political football that is reduced to regime, bad, war, good and now, you have people on the left who are not wrong to question what was the guiding philosophy here? What's the strategy? What's the exit? And look, you could say, well, you didn't do that when you did. Yeah, I know, but why are we so fucking comfortable constantly explaining or rationalizing a bad argument by the fact that bad arguments have been made in the past? Why is that? Okay, Seriously, who is going to be about better? And there's opportunity for that in this. Why? Well, the simple play for the left is to say you're a warmonger and you're getting run around by the nose by the idf. That doesn't work for me. Why? Because I really don't believe that's how this went down. I think that this was the United States looking for a win. And I don't know why they thought this was one. The Trump administration, that this would be a layup, which they obviously think, but that it had to be done. I might as well did it. It's a dirty job, Somebody's got to do it. Blah, blah, blah, blah. And I think that the IDF was like, great when they said to them, we gotta go, these negotiations aren't happening, let's go. I think they were like, great because they're desperate to eradicate them, because they want to be able to say, who says it's over? Okay, The IDF is in all day for that fight of controlling their own fate against their enemies militarily. All day. I do not think it works as well for America. I don't think it's as direct a threat. I don't think it's as direct a benefit. I do not. I do not. And I think that Israel, although it gets hit plenty, even from insiders, which is why, you know, there's a little bit of an asterisk to the. What do you mean they're anti Arab? 40% of Israel is Arab, and a lot of them are citizens. Okay, let's look a little deeper into that. Yeah, ish. Why? Because a lot of the Arabs in the country are not citizens. Okay. And even those who are, are not allowed to serve in the military. They have to volunteer. They got to ask to. And often the military will turn them down. Why? Because they don't trust them. So I'm not saying that that's. That's justified or unjustified, but it is kind of up just from a straight egalitarian perspective. So you're a citizen with equal rights and you can vote, but you can't serve the military. Well. Yeah. And it's not as simple, but there's a reason. Because a lot of the ins, a lot of the, the same side attacks and sabotage happen that way. That's why we don't allow it. I'm not saying there's not a basis for it. I'm just saying there's something up about that as a reality. But given that imbalance, the Israelis would much rather use the military to control their fate. And then Hezbollah did them a favor also. They made a deal a year ago to disarm America's in the region on the ground in Lebanon as a liaison to help the government in Lebanon remove Hezbollah as the driving force and to allow the laf, the Lebanese Armed Forces to take over the role of defense that Hezbollah has. And they just broke it 48 hours after the Iran attack because Iran is a pra, Is a proxy driven aggressor. And this is what they do. And so they broke the deal and started attacking and gave Israel an excuse to beat their ass. And they actually went into Lebanon and they are now raising holy hell against them and vice versa to the extent they can. Sending in hundreds of rockets into Israel. And they started it. No, they didn't. They started when they went against Iran. Okay, but who gets to say when it's over, Israel's in a much better situation on that level than America is. Why? Because America doesn't have the same risk profile that Israel does. Their bombs going off here all the time. I'm cutting chicken. Their bombs going off here. People are walking into bomb shelters and they're shooting the. And working on their phones and just waiting to go on about their day. That ain't happening in America. If we were getting bombed on a regular basis, literally a daily basis right now, you wouldn't just be going on about your day now. Eventually you would. Eventually you would because you conditioned yourself. But that's not where our risk tolerance is. Our risk appetite is right now, Austin. What we saw in New York City, man, we ain't going to take a lot more of those now. I think we are, by the way. And you know what? I do not want to be right about this. I want to be wrong, okay? And I'm not and I told you so, guy, because it's stupid and I'm wrong plenty. But I told you what was old was going to be new again with domestic terror, right? Why did I know that? Because the way the President was teeing it up with them would be pissing them off. And the stuff with Israel and Gaza was going to Be pissing them off. And this is how the zealots express themselves is terrorism. Why? Because that is the mechanism of the powerless and that's how they get power. So we're seeing this in America as regime bad. So war good. No, because you're not even going to remove the regime. See? So what was this about? Yeah, but I reduced their threat. Prove it. Because you told me you obliterated it and now you had to remove it again a few months later. And I should have asked you this. Shame on me the first time. Prove what you reduced and how. Prove it. Prove how the regime is less powerful. Prove that the regime is different. Well, we'll hit them again if they're not. And if they touch anybody in the Strait of Hormuz. Yeah, again, you're dealing with a bunch of martyrs. Why do you think they said we don't see any room for negotiation right now? Even Hamas never says that. When Hamas is getting the shit beat out of him, what do they say? Let's talk. Let's talk. Right, and then they break their word and they attack you again, right? They're punk ass terrorists. What's Iran saying? No, we don't want to negotiate. Well, how close are they to death or extinction if they're saying they don't want to negotiate? Or is this a reminder that they could be very close to extinction? But they're martyrs. They're martyrs. They're the guy who gets up all bloody. I haven't even started to fight yet. Try it again. You got lucky with the first 5,500. That's where that's they are. You have to kill me. You know that's who they are. You know that's all they are. So how does it make sense that you are going to come in and kick the hornet's nest and then not think anything comes along with it? Yeah, but I was. On balance, it was fine. And whatever comes with it is short term. How do we know the sun's shining, birds are singing, and all feels right in the world until the season changes and suddenly you lose your motivation to get out of bed. In fact, one in five people experience some form of depression no matter the season or time of year.
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Chris Cuomo
vision is to build a mentally healthy nation for all. Because we want you to live your best life and be your best you all year round. Please visit mentallyhealthynation.org to learn more. The idea that who gets to say when it's over they're going to do things that Reverberate back home. And not just the economic stuff. That's not them. That's Trump. Right. I mean, that's this choice structure that caused that. And the idea that, well, now he's going to secure all the. Who's he? Who is Trump, Inc. You think the President has that power of the purse strings? Oh, yeah. In this situation. Well, I've never heard of that before. We're going to ensure everybody's commerce and a ridiculously high risk situation. Really? And I know you can give me an answer of why there's an upside to that, but why should we have to do that? Why did we have to create the situation? Well, we are where we are now, so there's no accountability for how we got here. You see what I'm saying? Oh, you're being too negative. You just got tds. Really? And if a Democrat did it, you wouldn't criticize it. Oh, so you're only criticizing it because he's a Republican? No, I'd criticize it if it were anybody. Why? Because two things can be true at the same time. The regime is bad and this isn't going to end the badness. Oh, yeah, it is. Prove it. Prove it. Yellow cake boys. You ran on negating the past and saying that it was always done wrong. And if you were like me, you're not going to have a war with Iran. There'll be no war. No war. Not if I win. No, no. Remember that. I'm not a patsy. You're a patsy. I'm not a pawn. You're a pawn. Where are we now? Oh, no, this is different. Really? How do you know? Oh, you know, because we're not putting boots on the ground. Is that what he said? Why? It would be strategic. Oh, really? Does that sound familiar? Are you older than 26? Really? Do you read history at all? Okay, go back and look what we were told in 2002. 3. Go ahead. Go take a look. Not the first bombings that we did, but once we really start getting in there deep, you know, it's strategic. Surge. Surge. Remember the word surge? What was surge? Surge was more. If we do more, it'd be better. Yeah, real good. Remember how it all ended? Different administrations, same ineptitude. Why? Who gets to say when it's over? See, that's what they get in the region. Who gets to say when it's over? Israel says, I do where I'm concerned and I will kick your ass. And I will have zero. Because my people may be closely divided on it, but ultimately we all know it's also them. Is that where we are? I don't know. I don't know that. If you look at poll numbers, everything is so skewed. Bipartisan preference here. It's so hard for people to go against their side that when you have any kind of imbalance, I assume it's much greater than that. But look, you do have a counter narrative. So much of MAGA says they support what's happening right now. How when this was the opposite of what you were promised, how this is exactly what you were against, this is exactly what you called out, rightly or wrongly. And by the way, I didn't love your argument. I think that you're a little too hardcore when it comes to, you can stay out of things, but that's who you were. And now the guy you voted for on that basis is doing more abroad than like everybody else in modern history together. You know, I'm saying like, you know, modern, modern history. You know what I mean? Like, you know, in the last 25, 30 years, let's say no Bush, but not in as many different scenarios. We got attacked on 9, 11. How can you forget that part of it? So you don't get how it is gotten over here. And that really matters why? In terms of how you process what they want, of course the Iranian people want you to stay and take out the regime and help them and support them. Why wouldn't they? Why wouldn't they? The sketchy part is the President saying, yeah, no, you're going to have to fight for yourselves. You're going to have to do it yourselves. But then why did you come in here and start doing this? Why did you tell the help's on the way? Well, this is help. We're weakening the regime, but not enough for them to take it over. And by the way, who's going to pay the wages of the vengeance? You don't think the Iranian people are going to be punished for celebrating this and wanting this? Really? That's a very optimistic view. How you see the war matters. And if your frame of reference is just regime bad so that anything you do to get rid of it is good, or if you question anything that's going on to get rid of it, then you like the regime. You don't get it. This is binary bullshit thinking, because that's what we're stuck in. Because that is the game. Change the game, don't let the game change. You see the stakes differently. Who gets to say when it's over, you think that America is just going to Walk away and that Iran's not going to keep doing things and call on others to do it. Hell, did you see that tweet from Sean King? I was scared. I'm going to reach out to him and ask him, exactly what are you talking about, man? Because it sounds like you're saying all Muslims need to come together and fight against the people who are attacking you. That sounds like me. That sounds like the people in his country. And I know he's a Muslim, but he's an American too, right? I mean, I get it. I mean, a lot of people are. Faith first. I'm not. I'm not judging any of it. I'm trying to understand it. I mean, it was a really, really aggressive suggestion. But that's for him to answer and for you to look at and figure out what it means. My last point is change how you see what this proposition is. It's not as simple as the binary because the binary is designed for what the two sides. And this has got to be about what your strategy is that allows you to be the one to say when it's over. And that's not what I see with the administration. That's why you have all the misdirection. That's why you have a layered messaging. That's why you have the moving of the goalposts. That's why you have now shifting back to the economic agenda. Why it's about take the win and get out. Change the story, keep going, keep distracting. You say what the facts are and you change the facts to fit the narrative and you keep going. Everything else is fake news. See the game. Realize that the way the Middle east sees it is not the way we're seeing it back home. And the difference of perspective makes all the difference. Thank you for subscribing and following. Thank you for checking me out on News Nation at 8pm midnight every weekday night. Thank you for checking me out in the morning. You got morning, noon and night. You Got me in SiriusXM Radio 124, the Potish Channel, 7 to 9 Eastern in the morning. You have me in the podcast here. There are multiple different layers of subscription that you can pick at YouTube now and I encourage you to do so. Please leave substack and go to YouTube because I don't think substack works as well for me. I like the platform. I wish it well. I'm not telling you substack bad, because I don't believe that. But YouTube is better for me. The different layers of it. I'm going to Be taking you on a fitness journey that I've been on. I'm going to do it for about four or five months, and I'm going to share with certain level of subscribers everything I'm doing and what is working and not working and why. And you know, you can use that information as you want, but I'm not going to give it to everybody because everybody is not. They don't. What's the right word? Not everybody deserves that kind of access to my life. I'm allowed to keep certain things private and be selective with certain things. Am I not? Am I not? So thank you for checking out the merch as well. And go into the store and I'll put up a little thingy on the page and by I mean Greg, so that you can click on it and go to the store and wear your independence. Get your merch, show your message. I am not you. I am different. I'm not a lemming. I'm a free agent. I'm a critical thinker. Get it? We'll crowdsource the money that comes into it, and we'll give it to people that we can all feel good about. Okay, Ladies and gentlemen, the challenges are real. You got to be a critical thinker. You got to feed your brain and make choices that reflect what you know and what you value. Let's get after it.
Ali Jackson
If you're a podcast host, listen up. This one's for you. My name is Ali Jackson. I'm the host of Finding Mr. Height, a dating and relationship podcast that I've been doing for four years now, sharing my positive and practical approach to dating that's built on my own life experience. And I wanted to share another experience that I've had, my secret behind monetizing my show. It's called Red Circle. And I was just telling my colleague about how much I love their platform. With Red Circle, not only am I getting a seamless hosting experience, but I also love the support I receive in ad sales. It's not just typical ad sales either. It's targeted opportunities based on my show and my life. And the platform is super simple. You just set your preferences and Red Circle matches you with sponsors that align with your show. You can vet every opportunity and their platform gives you great analytics. More recently, too, my Red Circle team has brought me opportunities outside of my podcast on social media to really augment the podcast partnerships. Bring them full circle. I just can't recommend them enough. If you want to give it a try, go to redcircle.com to get your free trial. That's redcircle.com for a free trial.
Date: March 12, 2026
Host: Chris Cuomo
In this solo episode, Chris Cuomo offers a sharp critique of how the Iran War is perceived and discussed in the U.S. versus in the Middle East. He addresses the political gamesmanship, the simplification of “regime bad, war good,” the lack of strategic vision, and how the American understanding fundamentally misses the existential and psychological stakes as seen by those in the region. Cuomo challenges both sides of the U.S. political spectrum and encourages listeners to see beyond binary thinking to understand the true complexity of the conflict.
Perception Gap:
Quote:
Trump Administration’s Calculus:
Election Framing:
Oversimplification:
Quote:
Martyrdom and Resistance:
American Short-termism:
Daily Stakes:
Quote:
Two-Party System Critique:
Binary Thinking:
No Exit, No Metrics:
Quote:
| Timestamp | Speaker | Quote | |-----------|----------------|-------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------| | 00:46 | Chris Cuomo | “You do not see this war the way it is seen in the Middle East. Not politically, not psychologically, and most importantly, not practically.” | | 04:45 | Chris Cuomo | “So what if I think the regime’s bad, but I don’t think the attack is good? Ah, so you don’t have an answer for the regime. You’re just gonna let the regime fester?” | | 07:15 | Chris Cuomo | “Politics is often perception. Reality is often perception... Perception fuels perspective.” | | 13:55 | Chris Cuomo | “You don’t get to say when I’m beaten, only I do.” | | 17:22 | Chris Cuomo | “The two-party system is as big a threat to me as extreme Islamism.” | | 23:12 | Chris Cuomo | “Their bombs going off here all the time... That ain’t happening in America.” | | 25:31 | Chris Cuomo | “Why are we so fucking comfortable constantly explaining or rationalizing a bad argument by the fact that bad arguments have been made in the past?” | | 28:05 | Chris Cuomo | “Prove how the regime is less powerful. Prove that the regime is different.” | | 36:51 | Chris Cuomo | “Change the game, don’t let the game change you.” |
Chris Cuomo’s line is direct, irreverent, and challenging. He uses humor, self-awareness, and rhetorical questions to break down complex issues, unafraid of criticizing both political sides or invoking pop culture for illustration (e.g., Star Wars, Fight Club). The message is urgent: do not settle for simplistic answers, see beyond binary narratives, and demand more critical thinking from leaders and media.
This episode is essential listening for anyone seeking a more nuanced, less politically fraught understanding of the U.S.-Iran dynamic and the broader realities of Middle East conflict. Cuomo’s synthesis of reportage, skepticism, and personal conviction offers listeners both context and motivation to dig deeper.