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David Pakman
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David Pakman
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David Pakman
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David Pakman
rules and restrictions apply today on the show. Some sad news. We may have seen this administration spend four months bombing, threatening and negotiating their way to an Iran deal. Maybe that is way weaker than the Obama deal that Trump tore up which got us into this in the first place, premature exaggeration may be the right term for what's happening. Plus a bizarre string of moments at the G7. Trump wanders off, has to be brought back, seems disconnected from reality during a group photo, delivers rambling comments that left other diplomats scratching their heads. And we will also look at the growing cracks in the administration's Iran messaging. Even Trump friendly voices have started asking good obvious questions and JD Vance can't seem to answer them in anything approximating a coherent way. Later, Trump's latest vanity project, the Reflecting Pool, is turning literally green, an algae ridden mess. And J.D. vance pounded on live TV by a group of middle aged women. And it doesn't go well for J.D. vance. All of that and much more. Today, Donald Trump suffering from premature exaggeration when it comes to ending the multi month war with Iran. Now that we are getting a sense of what is in the deal, in theory, based on the letter, we realize that the Obama deal was way better. It did much more. And it's another humiliating episode for Donald Trump who is putting forward nothing more than a shriveled, flaccid deal. And he is jealous of Obama's, which was bigger and better. So I'll tell you what we know and we'll go from there. We have a letter that outlines a period of 60 days to negotiate a deal. We don't have a deal. Even when the letter is signed Friday, which I hope it will be in Switzerland that is signing that we are starting 60 days of negotiation, they wouldn't be signing the deal they'd be saying we are signing. That will take two months to hopefully get a deal. From what is in the letter, the expectation is that this deal will have fewer restrictions on what Iran can do than the Obama nuclear deal. What happens, for example, to Iran's nuclear stockpile per the MoU, it has to be adequately addressed. That sounds very weak. That is not strong language. What does the letter say about the nuclear material that Iran has? They might get to keep it enough to make multiple weapons, by the way, and Donald Trump already seems to be surrendering on that. Yesterday when he was asked, how will you get that enriched uranium back from Iran? Trump kind of said, I don't even know that we really even need to get it back. What that means is Trump isn't going to be able to get it back. The whole point of this optional war, supposedly we've been given a lot of different explanations, but supposedly one of the main reasons to do this war in the first place was to prevent Iran from ever, ever, ever getting a nuclear weapon. And in fact, for the last 48 hours, Maga has been going around touting, we won because Iran will never, ever, ever get a nuclear weapon. Well, you know what? That's what the Obama deal did, which Trump canceled. And it's not at all clear that that's what this deal is going to accomplish. Aside from all of the other supposed goals of this optional war, none of which have been accomplished. Now, the letter also says that the United States would end all sanctions on Iran and it would release billions of dollars in frozen funds back to Iran. That would be more funds and then Obama's deal released. And remember that when Obama's deal released, funds back to the Iranians, frozen, sanctioned money, Iranian money that was being held, it was considered borderline treason. They wanted Obama investigated, removed from office, whatever. And now MAGA and Trump seem to have no problem doing the exact same thing. Now, above and beyond the release of billions in frozen funds, Iran has the possibility of getting access to $300 billion for, quote, rehabilitation and economic development. And they would be allowed to resume oil exports. That is a lot of stuff for Iran, very little for the United States, coming at the cost of months of war. Now contrast this with the Obama deal. It limited Iran's stockpile to 300 kg of low enriched uranium, period. It restricted Iran's development of new technology. It dismantled some Iranian facilities. It gave the iaea, the agency that oversees and inspects nuclear. It gave the IAEA authority to call inspections at a moment's notice. They're called snap inspections. Remember when Trump was asked, when JD Vance was asked, well, what about inspections? Vance goes, well, you know, that's something we'll have to negotiate, I guess. Trump was asked about it. Oh, it's unclear, you know, maybe, maybe not. This is a weak deal. Now, Trump has tried to hang his hat on. The letter says Iran agrees it will never produce nuclear weapons. Two important elements to that. First of all, that being in the letter does not mean it will be in the deal. There might be something in the letter which is not in the deal. Importantly, the letter hasn't been signed. And secondly, even if that is in the letter, when it is signed, that is something Iran has said before and still tried to produce nuclear weapons. So it's not really worth that much. It's sort of like when Trump went to North Korea and Kim Jong Un said, oh, we're going to do ABCD maybe. And Trump came back and goes, look at the concessions I got. And then we all knew those are the things that North Korean leaders have been saying to Americans for literally for generations. That doesn't mean that they're actually going to do them. So that's our understanding, it is about a page and a half. The letter leaked. That's our understanding of what's in the letter. Was any of this was worth four months of war? Was any of this worth Trump getting out of the Iraq? The Obama Iran nuclear deal in 2018, which at that point had been enforced for roughly three years dating back to 2015, which precipitated the 2025 bombing and ultimately this war, I would say it is so obviously not worth it. It has not been worth it. It has not panned out. The, the billions in cost, depleting our own weapons, conflict with allies, shaking up the economy and energy and raising prices for Americans on gas and oil and so many other things. And by the way, the human cost of people who have died. All of this for a weaker, more shriveled deal than what Obama had to begin with. It's funny that. It's funny and tragic that Trump has been saying this deal will be the opposite of Obama's. In reality, it's the same type of deal, it's just weaker. It's a lot of the similar types of things, but more pathetic, not lacking teeth. It's, it's humiliating. And I think it's important to remind you of the standard that Donald Trump originally put in place here, which is we need unconditional surrender from Iran. This is obviously not unconditional surrender. It's if anybody here has surrendered, it's the United States under Donald Trump. And if a Democratic president did this and then was willing to get out of it with what is in the mou, in the memo of understanding the letter as it's being known, every single right wing media outlet and MAGA Potamian would be going, they sold out. This is treason. This is pathetic. Now one other little here. The 60 day negotiation period over enriched uranium that is going to put us imagine that they signed the letter Friday, which is June 19th. 60 days puts us roughly at August 19th. That's within days of early voting starting. Iran knows that at that point, if Trump doesn't like what's in the eventual deal and he resumes the bombing, that's it for Republicans in the midterms. Iran knows, Trump knows that and Trump of course knows that. I don't think these threats from Trump that we're going to look at later, where Trump goes, if they don't do what we say, then we go right back to bombing. You're going to go right back to bombing on August 19th and destroy your guarantee, the destruction of your party in the midterms. By all means, do it, but I don't think that he's going to. And that also gives Iran more leverage, which is they know Trump must get this done because politically, he and the Republican Party simply can't go back to war at the end of August, going into September, potentially into October or even November. That would be political suicide. They know that, and that gives them leverage. As usual, Trump ends up being the weakest one. Scary moments at the G7 in France, as President Donald Trump wandered off, had to be helped back, was disoriented, and looked completely and totally lost. When they argued that this was what was happening to Biden, they demanded the immediate removal of the President of the United States. Trump doesn't know what is going on. Here is a group picture being taken. And for reasons unknown, Trump wanders off in the opposite direction of every other leader and has to be brought back. Grandpa had to be turned around.
Interview Guest (Likely Political Figure or Analyst)
Excellent. Thank you. Thank you.
David Pakman
And off goes Trump. And he is brought back around. Looks completely disoriented about what's going what, where? This way? No. Oh, over here. And off we go. This was the theme of the entire day yesterday. He doesn't know what's going on. Remember when the appearance of this, the mere appearance of confusion was enough to say, remove Joe Biden today, when Biden waved to no one, even though then we got a better camera angle and Trump, Biden was waving to people, they said, that's enough to remove Biden from the presidency right now. Another moment where Donald Trump seemed, quite frankly, just to need help. Like, I'm almost feeling bad for the guy. And he uses Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi for physical support as he has to get up one step at the G7 summit. Remember that we now are aware that most events are being designed around Trump not standing much, and Trump needed help to climb a single step. Look at this and help me there. And up he goes. Embarrassing. Based on the standards that Trump established for presidents, aging is no crime. But weaponizing these issues when you are the one affected by them is something we have to call out. Then Trump embarrassing the United States as usual, arriving late to a meeting. Everybody's sitting, everybody's waiting. I know the magas will go, what a power move, Trump making everybody wait. It's just kind of pathetic that this is where we are. And Trump shows up with everybody already seated and goes, I'm the boss. And you see sort of nervous cringe, chuckling.
J.D. Vance
I'm the boss.
David Pakman
This is my sandbox, and I'll poop in it if anybody says otherwise.
Interview Guest (Likely Political Figure or Analyst)
Thank you. Okay.
David Pakman
And Trump visibly struggling to sit as well. What. What's the big picture on this? You know, MAGA didn't just move the goalposts on presidential fitness. They launched the goalposts out into the parking lot. They launched the goalposts into orbit. Trump is benefiting from a media environment that grades him on a completely different curve than they graded Joe Biden. That's what Trump benefits from. And in fact, we had this incredible moment where a Fox reporter said on the first day of the G Summit, it's amazing that Trump is even awake and upright. That he's even able to walk is amazing, really. That wasn't the standard for Joe Biden.
He.
Every stumble for Biden was a national crisis that required his immediate removal. And every stumble for Trump is a joke, is a meme. It's a power move. The greatest political skill that Trump has, and I don't think Trump is that skilled politically, but he has a couple of things that he is able to do. The greatest skill is convincing his supporters not to trust the things their own senses interpret. What do I mean by that? We can hear Trump's strained voice, limited and diminished vocabulary, and inability to communicate coherently and assess that. We can see Trump's physical problems and his disorientation and confusion, and then we make assessments on that basis. But Trump has convinced millions, tens of millions of his followers to ignore what their eyes and ears are telling them and simply to listen to the stories that people tell about Trump. Stephen Chung going, this is the most vital person. He is just so strong and energetic. Ignore everything you're seeing and hearing, but just listen to Steven Chunk or listen to Pete Hegseth or listen to Stephen Miller or whoever it is. And if Biden had done these exact same things, Republicans would have already drafted impeachment articles. They'd be demanding the 25th Amendment. And it just goes and goes. And all of this is before the talking started. So let's get to that next. His brain shut off is what the headlines are saying about Donald Trump at the G7, oblivious to what is happening around him, disconnected from his surroundings. This is a shocking bit of video where now there's a group photo being taken indoors at the table where this meeting has taken place. And Donald Trump is completely oblivious to what's happening around him. The French president, you will see sort of directing traffic and speaking to the photographer and getting organized. And Trump is hunched over, looking in the completely wrong direction and seems to have no idea what is taking place in the room. Take a look at this.
Interview Guest (Likely Political Figure or Analyst)
Thank you.
J.D. Vance
Just.
Dr. Amy Acton
Tony, put us on me.
David Pakman
Could you have a look to these guys? So what you're hearing is turnevu is turn and look that way. And Trump is. I mean, is it. Oh, it's a language barrier. But everybody at the table seems to understand we're turning, we're looking, and Trump is just hunched over, slouching, disoriented and disconnected from the world around him. Look at him,
Georgia.
Dear God. Now, there are some on Twitter who say Trump knows exactly what's going on. He is not playing nice with these people. They want the president to turn and look for a picture, and he is saying to them, no, I'm going to ignore you. There is zero evidence that that is what's going on. Just there is no, not a single shred of evidence that it is a power move. Trump seems like lost. Trump then stroking out on geography with an explanation of Middle east maps that do not comport with reality. And you see Secretary of State Marco Rubio sitting there going, oh, boy, oh, boy.
Interview Guest (Likely Political Figure or Analyst)
Working with Qatar and the people of Qatar was really a pleasure. They. They were tough, they were strong. You know, they are the closest to Iran physically. So with other countries, I noticed that to travel about 45 minutes to get there with you, you could walk right across the border. So you were in a more dangerous boy.
David Pakman
And you. Actually, this is an amazing moment. You see the emir's eyes flash around the room. When Trump goes, you can walk from Qatar to Iran. There is no land border between Iran and Qatar. They're separated by the Persian Gulf. So what Trump is saying is just not a representative representation of the physical reality of the world. And I'm going to go back a few seconds, because this moment where the Amir goes, what the hell is he talking about? And looks around the room is an. It's a representation of this entire presidency.
Interview Guest (Likely Political Figure or Analyst)
You. You could walk right across the border. So you were in a more dangerous position. But I just. I do have to say, you. You fought and you helped us.
J.D. Vance
And.
Interview Guest (Likely Political Figure or Analyst)
And with great bravery.
David Pakman
Yeah. What's the theme here? The theme is Trump is there participating in events, sort of like tangentially on the fringes participating in events. He's not leading these events. He's not engaged. He's physically present, barely, but has zero engagement with the subject matter of what's being discussed. And obviously also with Just what's going on around him. They're taking a picture. He has no idea. They're walking off the stage this way. Trump wanders off in the wrong direction. That G7 photo op moment is a metaphor for this presidency. Everyone else knows the assignment. Trump is a step behind. He's confused and he's disoriented. And the Qatar, Iran, you know, you can walk across the border comment, it's sort of revealing because of course, nobody corrects him in real time. That's, I mean, that, that, that wouldn't really work very well. Everyone has learned to work around Trump's ignorance and his mistakes. You just, you just work around it. The standard defenses are people are nitpicking. This doesn't matter. It doesn't matter if you can't walk from Qatar to Iran. It's the big picture of it. Trump understands, but you kind of need to understand the details to understand the big picture. And Trump gets every single detail wrong. So humiliatingly awkward moments yesterday at the G7. We're going to close our G7 coverage after the break with some insane statements about Barack Obama. And there's a funny, funny, sad, ironic, I don't know. Barack Obama is playing a much larger role in Trump's behavior today than might be obvious to the casual observer, because Donald Trump is obsessed with undoing and upstaging Barack Obama. And we'll talk about why he's so obsessed. We'll look at the video and then we'll move on to other things after this short break. 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Since then the show has grown and we now are on a list@whitehouse.gov we anticipate that there is going to be drama over this book. Monday we launched the preorder campaign. I'll have information for you on Monday as to how to get signed copies of the book. I'll hopefully have one to put up here on my bookshelf behind me. More on that forthcoming, but be ready for drama because we are expecting it. Just hours ago there were high level meetings at the G7 in France and they involved unfortunately and fortunately. Fortunately because the United States is part of the G7. We want to be there. Unfortunately because Trump was the person representing the country. They devolved into demented Naderi. Trump erupting, rambling, confused, unwell, stroking out. According to some and stunning everybody in the room. Just to set it up, Trump again showing up looking worse than ever. Here he is sitting, attempting to sit down and struggling to sit down. Thank you very much, dear God.
Interview Guest (Likely Political Figure or Analyst)
Oh.
David Pakman
Now, I am not going to engage in the stuff of. Trump is sitting that way because his diaper was too full and he has to make sure that he's in a position where the edges of the diaper aren't visible. I don't have any information about that stuff. I know that everybody always writes to me about ising. David, you've got to address this head on. I don't know anything about it, all right? I just know he looks like crap. The topic of the Iran deal was a major topic during this media discussion. And Trump goes, it's a great deal. No one knows what's in it, but it's a great deal.
Interview Guest (Likely Political Figure or Analyst)
And you can't give Iran a nuclear weapon and they will never have a nuclear weapon. So that's very, very strong. It's a very strong deal. Nobody knows what it is, but it's very strong. And most people seem to be very happy. Who's really happy is the market.
David Pakman
Yeah, most people are happy about a deal that no one knows what's in it. Now, I understand the point Trump's trying to make. Trump is trying to say, I know what's in it, but we haven't made public what is in the deal. The problem is overnight, the letter, the memorandum of understanding leaked, it's weak. It's a completely flaccid deal, much worse than Obama's. And if everything that is in the letter becomes part of the deal, it's an absolutely terrible deal. People are right to be concerned about the deal. People are right to be looking around going, wait a second, we got out of the 2015 Iran nuclear deal under Obama in 2018 because Trump didn't like it. And then as a result of that, Trump bombed Iran in June of 2025. And then after that, Trump went into a multi month war with Iran. And all we're getting is. All we're getting is a weaker version of the very deal we started with. That doesn't sound so good. So Trump goes, nobody knows what's really in it. Donald Trump, in a weird Freudian slip, he wants to say Democrats caused high prices, but instead he says Democrats caused affordability. Kind of an interesting Freudian slip, I must admit.
Interview Guest (Likely Political Figure or Analyst)
Affordability, sir. Affordability. What are you doing about it? I said, I've just been here one day. They tell me about afforded. They're the ones that caused affordability.
David Pakman
Democrats caused affordability. And I destroyed it. Now Trump obviously wants to say they gave me high prices and I had to figure out how to fix it and they blamed me on day one. The reality, of course, is there are a lot of problems with the Democratic Party, but on the issue of just affordability for the day to day expenses of the average family, of course that is something that, that Democrats seem to care more about and are more proactively working towards. Democrats caused affordability. I'll take that. Would love that to be the case. Donald Trump speaking about the president of Egypt. And they fell in love. Remember when Trump fell in love with Kim Jong Un, we wrote each other love letters. Well, he is deeply in love, I guess, with the Egyptian president.
Interview Guest (Likely Political Figure or Analyst)
So he was in a hotel and I met him and we fell in love. Deeply in love.
David Pakman
I met him in a hotel and we fell in love and he didn't
Interview Guest (Likely Political Figure or Analyst)
even want to see him.
David Pakman
How weird is that? We, I didn't know him. We met at a hotel. There were rose petals on the bed and a bottle of champagne. I don't drink, by the way, because my brother had alcoholism, but it was still very nice. And that was it. We spent a night of passion together and it's been love ever since. What a bizarre way of talking about relationships with other leaders, particularly ones where we go, okay, is this, do we really have shared interests here in all cases. All right, back to the Iran deal. And it's like ping pong, just, it's like a paint by numbers where you're using the wrong colors, I guess, is the, is the way that I would call it. Trump on the deal with Iran, he goes, it's not final. Well, we know that you haven't even signed a letter to start negotiating yet. It's not final. But he goes, if I don't like what happens, I start bombing them again.
Interview Guest (Likely Political Figure or Analyst)
It's a memorandum of understanding. And if I don't like it, we'll go back to shooting at them, dropping bombs on their head. If I don't like it, if they don't behave, we'll go right back to dropping bombs right smart smack in the middle of their head, okay? Because they've misbehaved for 47 years.
David Pakman
All right, all right. The problem with this, as I mentioned earlier, is the timing. If there are now, if, if the letter to start the negotiation is signed on Friday and then they take 60 days to negotiate and Trump doesn't like what, what it ultimately looks like this deal is going to be in the last half of August, the political suicide of going back to war, as people are going to be starting to receive absentee ballots. And obviously, if you go back on August 19, you don't go back for a day. We're probably talking weeks, if not months, minimum, which puts us into a war at the time of an election. Now, there's a very interesting dynamic that I think is worth talking about. There is this conventional wisdom of 20 years ago from the George W. Bush neocon era, which is war is good for the incumbent because people don't want to change horses midstream. If he is in the middle of a war, then you let him finish the war. And this was, to a degree, considered part of why George W. Bush very narrowly defeated John Kerry in 2004. I think that that logic goes completely out the window at this point in time because this war is, number one, so unpopular. Number two, the American people, by and large don't bother buy that this was necessary. Number three, Trump ran on I'm not going to do this, and he did. And number four, the economic impact is tangible and emotionally salient for the average American. So I think that in this case, the whole idea of rally around the president, if we're at war, let's not change horses midstream. Number one, Trump's not actually on the ballot in November. It's about the Republican Party. And number two, I think there will be voters seeking to punish the Republican Party, not reward it for this war. So I think assuming that the war will bring people together and reinforce keeping the people in power. In power, I don't think that that's going to work. Finally, what is all of this really about? This is all about Donald Trump's unending envy of Barack Hussein Obama. You ever heard of him?
Interview Guest (Likely Political Figure or Analyst)
Obama.
David Pakman
Trump is so jealous that Obama is smarter, Obama is taller, Obama is more well liked. Obama is, was respected and is still respected by global leaders in a way Trump never has been and never will be. And so here is what Trump chooses to say, which actually says a lot about how Trump is thinking of this whole Iran thing.
Interview Guest (Likely Political Figure or Analyst)
Like, oh, my, look at this money he's giving us. He tried to bribe his way out. I didn't do that. Nobody mentions that 1.7 billion and hundreds of millions of dollars. They tried to bribe their way out of it. And you know what the Iranians did? They laughed at Obama and they said, he's a stupid son of a bitch. Okay, thank you very much.
David Pakman
He's a stupid son of a bitch. You know the level of projection here is really something. Yes, Trump is unwell, yes, of course. But the truth is that Iran used Trump's, what they call mental illnesses against him in this war. There is reporting out there from, I think it's from Jeremy Scahill that part of the way that Iran handled this war is to consider and use Trump's mental deficiencies and what they describe as mental illness against him. On the other hand, maybe they thought Obama was a stupid son of a bitch, I don't know. But they stayed in the deal and they were complying with the deal until Donald Trump said, I think I'm going to cancel this deal. That's the truth. And Trump is deeply unwell and jealous of Barack Obama. Megyn Kelly and other magazines are turning on this administration, at least as far as foreign policy goes. And J.D. vance really had a rough day yesterday on his book tour. Let me kind of explain. J.D. vance was on the View. He was on Fox News. He was on with Megyn Kelly. He was on cbs. JD Vance was everywhere yesterday because he's trying to sell books. He has a book to sell, so he's on a book tour. Cool. The problem is that he showed up to do an interview with Megyn Kelly. And what is taking place with Iran is so bad for the average American and for the American people. This is an anti American decision to go to war that even Megyn Kelly now has started saying, what on earth are we doing? And she points out the Strait of Hormuz has to be open. It was open before Trump did any of this. And JD doesn't really have a good answer.
How is that different from where we were before we launched this war? I get how it's different thanks to the strikes we did last June. That was very helpful, sure. But straight open and nuclear sites destroyed and we're no longer fighting is where we were in February.
J.D. Vance
Well, we did additional destruction to their nuclear facilities and particularly their capacity to rebuild.
David Pakman
So, so wait a second, wait a second. You decimated in June, which means you've taken out 90%, you've left 10%, and it required. And that was without going in. And now you needed a full blown war to get the last 10% plus whatever they've supposedly been able to rebuild since June. That's not making a lot of sense. JD And Megyn Kelly kept going. Now I'm, I'm withholding my analysis of Megyn Kelly until we get through these clips, so bear with me. But then Megyn Kelly goes, why can't we just see the damn letter. At this point, if the letter is so good, show us the letter now. Within minutes of this being recorded, the letter leaked. We already talked about it at the top of the show, but at the time it hadn't leaked. And Megan's going show us the letter. Especially if it's good.
Why can't they see. Why can't we all see the MOU right now?
J.D. Vance
Well, yeah. So first of all, the president said by the latest Friday, possibly as early as tomorrow, we're going to release the memorandum. Understanding text.
David Pakman
Yeah, it leaked.
J.D. Vance
The reason why we haven't released it yet is there are some delicate diplomatic things going on where the Iranians, and not just the Iranians, but some of our mediators, the Pakistanis and the Qataris, have asked us to sequence this in the right way. I don't frankly, fully understand it, but there are sensitivities that exist in the Arab and Muslim world that we're trying to be responsive to. Fundamentally. Does it really matter if the deal comes out on Wednesday versus Friday?
David Pakman
No, that this is all bullshit, because this isn't the deal. It's simply a page and a half letter outlining the negotiation period of 60 days to begin. And some generalities. The idea the deal might come out, it's going to be months. Now, let me mention something, and I don't want this to come across the wrong way. This is not, oh, now we like Megyn Kelly. Megyn Kelly is now a voice of reason. This is, Megyn Kelly is horrible and deranged. But the Iran fiasco is so blatantly bad, even by the standards that Trump laid out during his campaign and the standards that people like Megyn Kelly adopted of Donald Trump, it's so bad that even Megyn Kelly realizes it and is asking skeptical questions of J.D. vance. That's the interpretation. Not, wow, Megyn Kelly. So great. It's even Megyn Kelly is in a. And there's audience capture where she has people in her audience who are going, wait a second, the anti war guy. And prices would come down and he ended up being the new war guy and prices went up. So let's not praise Megyn Kelly too much. But it's so bad, even she realizes it. She then points out, by the way, the Constitution does say you need approval to declare war.
The Constitution does say you need approval to declare war, which Trump doesn't think he did and didn't seek. But now. And, and they, and he defended him on that. But now that we're ending it, which you definitely don't need congressional approval for he wants this treated like a treaty and is demanding you go before Congress. Sir.
J.D. Vance
Well, to be clear, I, I don't think that congressional approval was required. I, I really firmly do believe that the President, this is not, was never a full scale war in the conventional or legal sense of it.
David Pakman
So we won the war, but it wasn't a war.
J.D. Vance
We definitely made sure that we dotted our I's and crossed our T's here.
David Pakman
So I wanted to defend the they didn't. Trump was in Florida when they launched the war. J.D. vance was in the Situation room. They have no clue what they're doing. So we've got a few important pillars here. Megyn Kelly's questions Number one, if things are basically where they were before the war, what did we really gain? And the only thing J.D. vance was able to come up with as well, we did some more destruction to nuclear sites. No regime change, no elimination of their ballistic missiles capabilities. No guarantee that they will never have a nuclear weapon. None of it. No, we did a little more destruction. The White House wants credit for the military strike and they want credit for the peace deal. Even though these narratives don't really fit together because the whole thing was optional and nothing was gained. They want everybody to celebrate a deal that as of this recording of that interview that we played, hadn't even been released and it wasn't even a deal. It was a letter to start negotiating the deal. And then they go. It wasn't technically a war in order to bypass Congress, but also we won the war. So I don't think Megyn Kelly is the real story here. It's the contradictions are now so obvious that even Trump friendly voices are noticing. And just wait until you see what happened when J.D. vance was interrogated by the middle aged ladies of the View who did a phenomenal job in exposing him for the fraud that he is. There isn't one mattress that's perfect for everybody. Some people want firmer, somewhat softer. Some are side sleepers, back sleeper sleepers. A mattress that's good for one person might not be the right one for somebody else. That is the idea behind our sponsor, Helix Sleep. Instead of one generic mattress, hoping it works for everyone, Helix sends you a mattress that is based on your specific sleeping needs and preferences. I've been sleeping on a Helix mattress for years now. It fits my sleep style perfectly because before I got it, I took the Helix Sleep quiz. I answered questions and I was matched perfectly with the right mattress for me. Support but not too stiff cushioning but not too much. And Helix also has free shipping, 120 night sleep trial and a limited lifetime warranty. Helix is giving my audience 20% off site wide, 25% off luxe mattresses and 30% off elite mattresses. Go to helix sleep.com/pacman. The link is in the description when it comes to what you're getting dad for Father's Day, don't overthink it. Get him something that will keep him comfortable every day. Something practical. Sheath Underwear delivers exactly that. Our sponsor Sheath makes premium pouch underwear with a smart front design that will separate and support and give everything room to breathe. The room everything deserves, which is very important during the hot summer months coming up. Sheath's lineup includes soft bamboo and modal options along with different cuts and colors. You can give them an everyday essential without being boring. She fuses fabric that's lightweight, breathable, built for comfort through long days at the office, work days or just lounging around the house for Father's Day. Get dad the underwear he would probably never think to buy for himself but will be glad he owns when he's got it. Go to sheath underwear.com and use code Father for 30% off until June 21st. The link is in the description A critical gubernatorial race is in the state of Ohio and today we're speaking with Dr. Amy Acton, former director of the Ohio Department of Health and Democratic nominee for governor of Ohio. Great to speak to you. Really appreciate your time today.
Dr. Amy Acton
Thank you so much for having us. David means a lot.
David Pakman
You know, this is such an important race. There's a lot of discussion about will Democrats take the House of Representatives. It looks like probably yes. There's discussion about what's going to happen in the senate. It looks 50, 50. It's more of an uphill battle for Democrats. But gubernatorial races are extraordinarily important, as my audience knows, because governors are really administrators on a day to day level for the residents of their state. That includes citizens, but also people who are noncitizens living in the state. These races, I believe are of critical importance this year. Talk to us about how Ohio has kind of shifted more red recently. I mean, there was a period where it was really like this. This is a purple state now. It's a state that can go either way. It's considered a lean Republican state. Now according to most analysis. What do you think has happened in the state over the last couple cycles?
Dr. Amy Acton
Well, I can tell you that Ohio is actually in play this cycle at every level. But you know, we are a state that is mostly Independent, I'd say maybe slightly pink if anything under normal conditions. But unfortunately we are very corrupt. We have one of the most corrupt states, state houses in the country and very heavily gerrymandered. And so you know, in Ohio, like where I grew up in Youngstown, Ohio, you know, we went Obama twice and then we went Trump. And what we're seeing now is that Ohioans life isn't getting better. They're feeling the effects of all these terrible policies and they're ready for change.
David Pakman
Your opponent, Vivek Ramaswamy, who's been a guest on this program before, he called me viscous, which was an unusual insult. I'd never been called that before. He is a he, he's, I don't believe he's a billionaire, but he's certainly got hundreds of millions of dollars. He's backed by a billionaire, Donald Trump. Yes, unfortunately that does confer a significant, significant amount of influence in American politics. How do you deal with that as a candidate up against that sort of spending?
Dr. Amy Acton
Well, first of all, I just have to say, you know, I'm a very unusual candidate. I am six years old, I am a physician, not a traditional politician. My, my last election was actually in high school student council president which I did win David. So we're one for one in elected office. But I am a lifelong public servant. I've actually worked with five different governors. It has not known party because I'll work with anyone who actually wants, wants to solve problems instead of make problems and solve the problems affecting everyday lives of everyday Ohioans. And what we actually, when we entered this race, you know, I was well known to Ohioans. I had a constituency that absolutely doesn't know party and we have been on the ground for two and a half years going everywhere in this state, going places quite frankly, Dems haven't been in a while and we listen deeply and we are fighting in this race to make Ohio affordable again. That's what I'm hearing about. People are working harder than they ever have. I've been traveling the state in my old jeep while my opponent has been traveling this state when he's in state in his sort of Air Force One type jet from Columbus, Ohio to Akron, which is a very easy car drive away. That is has become somewhat of a meme that epitomizes so much of this. My opponent is a self funding billionaire who wants to buy this state. Make no mistake, we've been very blessed. We've had set records every single quarter in fundraising. We've been either neck and neck or head in every single poll. We are in double digits ahead with independents. We're getting tons of Republicans and now Republican institutions crossing over. And we actually outraised a self funding billionaire the last two reporting cycles. And what's fascinating is that we did it. We collapsed the secretary of state website. It can't take the number of individual donors and the average gift. We just learned this morning,$23. 95 of our gifts out raising him were under a hundred dollars. So this is a movement of the people every day. Oh, how are going to tell Mr. Ramaswamy in no uncertain terms that you cannot buy our state, you can't buy Ohio and you can't buy us that
David Pakman
talked about your background, which I find very interesting as the son of a doctor myself, you being a physician.
Dr. Amy Acton
Yeah.
David Pakman
This whole I'm not a politician thing has become very popular. And what's interesting in your race is that you are a doctor, not a politician. Your opponent says he's a businessman, not a politician. What is this basically a question of whether a doctor or a businessman would make a better governor or is it bigger than that?
Dr. Amy Acton
I think what Ohioans are looking for are people that they can connect with who understand their values and I would say know how to do the job. There is no one in my state more qualified to do this job than I am. Or I first trained in my residency in preventive medicine. Again treating whole communities as your patient. Whole states, whole countries. What it is are the social, environmental, economic determinants of our well being. And I did my residency training when Bob Taft was governor, Republican governor, learned leadership, learned how to work all the levers. Ohio and Sami once again do that. When we went through one of the most unprecedented crises where I had to run all of government. But the unheard thing and the part of being a public servant which I would asterisk, you know, there's being a politician and quite frankly I'm learning and knowing quite a bit about that. I've been blessed to be trained by a group that's helped every woman governor since Ann Richards. But. But what I am is a public servant who, who knows how to make life better for Ohioans using those levers. And a governor above all things. And we sometimes forget that it's not just knowing how to run 54,000 employees and endless boards and commissions. A governor above all has an opportunity to be a catalyzer and a convener. Because the wicked hard problems we face, the ones I've been working on my whole life, housing, child care, trying to Figure out what to do about our economy, which used to be one of the best in the state and now is struggling 45th in growth in GDP, unemployment there, and our biggest export being young people. The way you solve wicked hard things, like I did in Covid, is you put the hard cards on the table, and I'm trained to do that. We became very well known for that all over the country. Then you get the right people around the table. And often it's not just government alone. It's how you're going to work with the business sector. It's how you're going to work with academia and universities and with unions. I happen to be sitting today, just received a big building trades endorsement that meant the world to me. Someone who grew up in a town that was all about unions. It's about sitting with nonprofits. It's about sitting with everyone to solve the wicked hard problems. That's what I've done my whole life, and that's what I'll do as governor.
David Pakman
You mentioned the pandemic. Your opponent is targeting your pandemic record, saying you were state health director. You, quote, shut down the state of Ohio state. How do you characterize what you did? How do you respond to that?
Dr. Amy Acton
Well, I have to tell people it is an honor and a privilege to be a public servant and serve during a moment like that. The heroism in the state knew no bounds. It was an honor to serve with Governor Mike DeWine, who was a leader amongst Republican governors. And we actually reached across the aisle instantly to row together with our Democratic partners, Gretchen Whitmer, Andy Beshear. I was a representative for the whole Midwest to the White House. What we did in Ohio is we took swift and decisive action on a pandemic playbook George W. Bush made, recognizing after 9 11, it was the gravest security risk above all things to this country. We saved a lot of lives in Ohio, and we actually reopened earlier and got back to life sooner because of doing that. You know, we had the supply chain completely collapsed before single order was ever written. And we knew that bad actors would take advantage of it. So I'm proud of the work Ohioans did. We're always learning. I'm a big proponent that we always learn from everything we did. But I can't say enough. Ohio was a leader and was able to get back to life sooner, but I also had to stand up to someone during that. You know, ultimately I wouldn't sign orders that was coming from a speaker of the House. We had at the time very special interest. I keep Saying to people it's no longer about Republican or Democrat. It is now about extreme wealth, power, ideology, playbooks shoved through these state houses where no one can name who works there. And that is a big change from the state houses I worked in my entire career. What has taken hold in these corrupt gerrymandered states with these playbooks? And this gentleman wanted orders that frankly would have killed people. I wouldn't sign those orders. I told the governor I keep advising him, which I have, and we still talk, we still work together, but I did not sign those orders. Two weeks later he was arrested in the largest scandal in Ohio's history. 60 million in bribes. He's now in federal prison. Energy company scandal, biggest scandal in this country's history. And sadly Ohio is now the complete lineup of HBO Max with docu series on our corruption. That's another thing. We are fighting to make life affordable and we're fighting to end the corruption. I'm running with David Pepper. My, my running mate, we pick our algae in Ohio wrote a book called Laboratories of Autocracy explaining what's been happening in our state houses and how they're being used in this way and what Ohioans want, quite frankly, they don't even care what party you are anymore. They want you to be a public servant who solves problems of our everyday lives. They want you to take this vitriol and hate and chaos down to help us all row together. And they want a good quality of life and they want you to end that corruption. And David Pepper, who wrote a book on it is the dwarf's enemy of corruption. I believe we can do this in our state. We're so blessed. Sherrod Brown is running for Senate again. He is very helped. I am now considered flip opportunity in the country for governor's races. You will probably be seeing, we've seen some of those rating systems go to toss up and I think you'll be seeing that soon after the Cook report and some of this data and fundraising. We just outraised him again and I think you know, we now actually the state's project is investing heavily. We need six more House seats and we're going to break. I think we're going to have many more in this cycle. We're breaking the super majority in my state state. We're going to get veto power back and then in 27 we're ending gerrymandering in Ohio once and for all in a bipartisan way that'll give us good public servants again whose job it is to answer to us get to work on solving things for Ohioans. I absolutely know we're capable of this and I'm honored to be in this fight.
David Pakman
In the last few minutes we have, I do want to talk a little bit about state taxes. Your opponent wants to eliminate the state income tax and then cut property taxes and cut capital gains taxes at the state level. Tell it, talk to, talk to us about your tax plan. What, what would you do and how have you decided that that's what makes sense and not his plan?
Dr. Amy Acton
You know, in Ohio we have a balanced budget. You must have a balanced budget. But what state budgets are is a reflection of your values and your priority. His priorities are very clear. He's not just out of touch. This man is out for himself and he's using Ohio as a pass through on his way to run for president. This is a man who literally made his money in pump and dump schemes pumping up stocks of drugs he knew didn't work. He's on record where his mother did the face the trials in Bermuda and dropped that drug and and left everyone hanging. That's how he began his fortune. Some man who moved his business to Tex before running for governor of Ohio. This is a man who has said that Medicaid and Medicare are mistakes. He wants to completely dismantle them. And he got kicked out of doge, something he created saying that people are lazy and mediocre, not working hard enough. What we want in taxes and tax policy is fair tax policy. That is taxes that go to things that make life better for Ohioans, that help with housing and education and jobs and childcare. Things that my corrupt state house won't work on at all. The 95% of things I'm hearing about from Ohioans that they want done that my opponent took $20 million from a guy in Philadelphia into his pack called victors, not victims because he wants to end public schools as we know it. When Ohio literally was founded by saying we're going to invest in public schools, unlike the east coast, in Europe and everyone in the Northwest ordinance, they chopped up the blocks of land and everyone would have access to education. It made us a great state. A president's industrial revolution later. Rock stars and astronauts later. But we're going backwards on every single measure. Because he and his running mate who architected this gave tax breaks to people at a billion plus instead of tax breaks for the rest. We are putting forward tax breaks for everyday working Ohioans. We're doing a child tax credit. We're increasing the earned income tax credit on top of the federal tax credit instead of giving breaks. You know, we have a governor, a public governor that said if you eliminate the income tax, which is already low in Ohio, 2.5 flat, you don't need to do that. That's not what's keeping businesses from coming here. It's not having housing and childcare and great jobs. It's creating an environment with strange culture wars by a super majority that is corrupt. That literally have an entire generation saying a meme right now over the entire country that, that is so Ohio, which means that we're weird and cringy and backwards, which is a travesty. A travesty that's not going to attract business to this state. And what he wants to do, he came in the door saying he wants to eliminate all property tax. Our property taxes are going up in Ohio because of failed policies by this super majority that's had the state house, by the way, the corruption and fraud also under their watch that they're saying and, and that eliminating that would basically end our state budget. It's a reckless claim to say that when that is our schools and our, our police that they're defunding. That is the mental health and disability services that we rely on and so much more in our communities. They went up because they won't fully fund our local funds in a state that has home rule. Instead they gave tax breaks to people at a million plus and argued about a $600 million break for a very wealthy individual building a football stadium. That's what we got in Ohio. So our values are taking care of fair taxpayers policy. For the rest of us.
David Pakman
We've been speaking with Dr. Amy Acton, the Democratic nominee for governor of Ohio. Really appreciate your time today. We'll be watching the race.
Dr. Amy Acton
Thank you so much. Please be with us. And Acton for governor dot com. Please come learn more about this fight. As goes Ohio, so goes the nation and Ohio's ground zero. Be well.
David Pakman
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CNN Reporter
And we're going to scoop up a water sample to see if we can get this tested.
Blinds.com Advertisement Narrator
Look at this.
CNN Reporter
CNN independently took the sample of water and consulted with a pool store that regularly tests water to help read the results. It showed phosphate levels far higher than what is recommended to keep algae at bay, based on estimates for a pool that holds 6.5 million gallons of water.
Interview Guest (Likely Political Figure or Analyst)
If there's already some phosphate fertilizer in the water, that's really opportunistic, especially for the blue green algae that can fix nitrogen. So they are having a field day out here, probably.
CNN Reporter
The Department of Interior says they believe some of the initial problem was residual algae that had accumulated in pipes and insists the filtration system called the ozone nanobubbler is working.
David Pakman
Yeah, this is just, you know, it's like, as I said yesterday, the whole project is embarrassing enough. The no bid contract is embarrassing enough. The fact that Trump brags about the project by comparing the length of the pool, which he didn't build, he just repainted the bottom. Trump goes, this pool is longer than many buildings are tall. And it's like, cool, my finger is bigger than an ant. What does it matter? All of that would be bad enough. But then the thing just, it looks like crap. It's all green, it's greener than it ever has been. So the algae is a funny story. It's not really the story. The story is spending millions and ending up where you started. We spent billions in Iran and we're ending up worse than where we started. We've spent 14, 15 million on the reflecting pool and it's ending up in exactly the place place where it started. And seeing people dump in chemicals is like a metaphor for this administration. They do like, what can we visibly do? Let's get guys there with gallon bottles and dump them in. Rather than, let's be thoughtful, let's meet and do due diligence and go through the correct processes for these things. And the more that they publicly try to fix this thing, it becomes more and more obvious that the original fix failed. Now I wouldn't be surprised if they end up having to dump in millions more in order to try to really deal with this algae issue. Because it's not residual algae or phosphate or whatever, I wouldn't be surprised if that happens and it just ends up coming out of our pockets again because this is all taxpayer money that's going to this. Think back, close your eyes for a second. Think. If a Democratic mayor, okay, spent $15 million on this in a city and it failed in days, right wingers would be going, this is the scourge of Democrat cities and left wing mayors screwing up and wasting money. And it's embarrassing and they should be fired. The project was supposed to be like a symbol of how competent we are. Very quickly. I'm so Good at pools. I've built many pools. I've built buildings. This is my area of expertise, is what Donald Trump said. And it's become another one of these symbols of wasting taxpayer money, overpromising under delivering and ending up much like with Iran, after spending a ton of money where we were or in an even worse place. Now, bigger picture, did anyone really care about the state of the reflecting pool? Now, I. Let me make that comment a little clearer. Of course. I think one of the great things to be proud about about a country is look at our cities. Look at these great cities. Public transit and housing, restaurants, cultural institutions, all this different stuff. Great, I love it. But was the reflecting pool specifically the algae, the color? Was this really something that people were using to evaluate the state of Washington, D.C. or the state of infrastructure or whatever it was? They used an emergency process to do this and it was barely on the radar of anybody. So another pathetic failure for the Trump administration. This is Trump's area of expertise, foreign policy. He's not so good at building pools and structures and rebar and all of the stuff he's an expert in. And it is another pathetic failure. JD Vance is on book tour. We already looked at his appearance with Megyn Kelly. Didn't go particularly well. He spent the entire day yesterday during appearance, doing appearances, trying to sell books, and very few of these appearances went well. JD Vance appeared on the View, they were ready for him. And JD Tried to do the old dance song and dance around the Epstein files and around Iran and around all these different things and it just doesn't work. Take a look at this. The ladies were ready for him, that's for sure.
J.D. Vance
What I disagree with is the idea that the White House wasn't committed to full transparency. We have to remember, like I was inside the room when some of these decisions were made. The Epstein files transparency act, the one that the President signed, the one that led to all these files that were still seeing the emails, by the way. Again, sorry, do I do have to defend my boss? I know you guys don't always appreciate this, but you know, one of the things you see in the Epstein emails is that Jeffrey Epstein hated Donald Trump and that Donald Trump literally reported Jeffrey Epstein to the police. That's one of the things that came
Anna (Likely Anna Paulina Luna or Anna Navarro, Political Commentator)
out of these friends for about a decade. And remember, he signed that transparency act under duress. When some Republican women congresswomen like Lauren Boebert, like Marcus Jerry Taylor Greene, did not give in to his pressure of not signing, he brought Lauren Boebert into the situation room to pressure her into caving on not voting for that bill.
J.D. Vance
So let me respond to that.
David Pakman
So it's all true.
J.D. Vance
Let me, let me respond to that. So number one is, yes, Donald Trump, he said this. He knew Jeffrey Epstein back in the 1980s. He also threw Jeffrey Epstein out of his club when he found out it was a creep and reported untrue to the police. That's.
David Pakman
Remember that the timing doesn't line up with that. Trump threw Epstein out apparently after Epstein stole an employee. It had nothing to do with the found out he was a creep.
J.D. Vance
Something that the media often misses when it reports the story. They tell the fact that they knew each other in the 80s, which the president himself admits. They ignore the fact that he narked on him to the police and led ultimately to Jeffrey Epstein's downfall. To that point, Anna, you know the Republican Party well, it's one of the things that led to law enforcement investigation. But on the point that you made
Anna (Likely Anna Paulina Luna or Anna Navarro, Political Commentator)
was allegedly over a real estate deal that they hadn't got into a fight over.
J.D. Vance
But the email says, the email says
Anna (Likely Anna Paulina Luna or Anna Navarro, Political Commentator)
actually he know each other. Let's just be truthful and transparent here. They didn't just know each other. They were incredibly close friends.
J.D. Vance
He reported him to the police. That's what I'm saying. That is objective, that is objectively true. Another point that I think, if I may be a very important point, this question about did Donald Trump release these files only under duress from Republicans. And Anna, you know the Republican Party probably better than I do. The idea that Donald Trump runs around afraid of Republican congressmen as opposed to the other way around is kind of crazy. But because the Republicans control the House and the Senate, particularly the Senate, you need the Republican sign off. What the President did is. Look, I will, I will say this again.
David Pakman
I was, this is such a dumb explanation too, because it's like what happened is they all were fine covering it up. It then became the case. It then became the case that Republicans, sort of like in the Nixon era, where Republicans went to Nixon and they went, listen, our constituents are furious. We're going to have to impeach you. It'd be better if you resigned. Similarly, Republicans went to Trump and they go, listen, we're not going to be able to hold this thing back. People want this out. We are going to have to vote to release this thing. It'd be better if you signed it. And it was out of desperation that
J.D. Vance
they did that there in the meetings. He was very frustrated that the Democrats were making this about him when he's like, look, I threw the guy out of my club. I am the guy who reported him to the police or one of the people who reported to the police. The president was frustrated about that. Absolutely. But he eventually came to say, you know what? Let's just get everything out there. Let's have this out in the public.
Interview Guest (Likely Political Figure or Analyst)
Oh, yeah.
J.D. Vance
He actually called the senators. I was there. He called the senators and said, you know what? Pass this bill, I'll sign it. And that was it.
David Pakman
You know what's really interesting about that? But J.D. oh, this is so fascinating. When J.D. goes, Trump realize, let's just get all of this stuff out there and get past it. Trump never realized that there is independent reporting, that it was Vance who had that perspective. There is. We talked last week about this meeting that took place where it was Vance saying, hey, let's get this stuff out there and let's simply get beyond it. And Susie Wiles said, Trump doesn't want it out. And that was the end of the conversation. JD now goes, trump wanted to have it all out. No, he didn't. Vance wanted it out. And he may have had his own reasons for wanting it out. Another conversation from the View here. The topic is inflation.
Anna (Likely Anna Paulina Luna or Anna Navarro, Political Commentator)
So President Trump has called affordability a hoax. He said that, not me. He's pouring money into this ballroom of his and the reflecting pool. Oh, don't forget the arch trumpet, I call it. And a White House cage. A White House cage match. All these things. Why is he doing them when. When you, you, you just. Everybody knows that Americans are struggling. What is he spending all this money for?
J.D. Vance
Well, I got to defend the president on the hoax point. What the president said is the idea that Republicans cause the affordability problem is a hoax. And I think that's true.
Anna (Likely Anna Paulina Luna or Anna Navarro, Political Commentator)
True.
J.D. Vance
If you go back to the Biden administration, inflation got up to 9% under the Biden administration. Okay. Right now is at 3.5%, by the way. Too high. We're doing everything that we can to bring it back down.
David Pakman
It's at 4.2, 2 1/2 percent, which
J.D. Vance
is where most people would like to see it. But we inherited an affordability problem. We're doing a lot to.
David Pakman
They inherited 3% and it's up to 4.2.
J.D. Vance
Make it better. It's going to take a little bit of time. There's a lot more work to do. But the President knows that a lot of Americans are struggling. In fact, he ran on that, he talked about it, and we've done some things and made some good progress on that. Point.
Anna (Likely Anna Paulina Luna or Anna Navarro, Political Commentator)
He loves the inflation.
J.D. Vance
What he said, Anna, what he said is that he loves the fact that the inflation is going to come down when this war is over. That's. That's what he said.
Anna (Likely Anna Paulina Luna or Anna Navarro, Political Commentator)
That wasn't a direct. Or are you his vice president?
J.D. Vance
Well, look, look, I, what the president said, people were asking about the inflation. They were asking about the affordability problem, which is Michigan is very.
David Pakman
And he said he loves it. This is so dumb. Like, why would Trump say he loves it if it's going to come down that I love bananas and I'll never eat one again? Wait a second. If you love them, why wouldn't you eat them? I love inflation. What he meant was he loves that it's going to be coming down very quickly. J.D. vance isn't good at this. Now, I guess this probably still helps him sell books.
J.D. Vance
And what he said is up again.
David Pakman
I, there's probably some people who watch the View who would see this interview and go, I'm going to go buy J.D. vance's book. I'd like to meet him and I'd like to know whether he actually ever read the damn thing. But these appearances have not been going well. We have a phenomenal bonus show where we will look at some prominent Republican hawks who are furious that Trump did cave to Iran. We'll talk about the Georgia results and we will talk about American doubts about the future of the United States. This is scary. All of those stories and more on the bonus show. Sign up@join pacman.com and be ready. Monday, the preorder launch for my newest book starts. I will be asking you consider preordering the book. It would mean a lot to me. More on Monday about that.
Date: June 17, 2026
Host: David Pakman
In this episode, David Pakman delivers a scathing analysis of the Trump administration's much-promoted Iran deal, arguing that celebrations are premature given the deal's many unresolved weaknesses. Pakman also examines troubling moments at the recent G7 Summit—highlighting Trump's apparent confusion and declining fitness—while unpacking contrasting media standards for presidential competence. The episode features a substantive interview with Dr. Amy Acton, Democratic nominee for Ohio governor, and ridicules the costly and inept attempts to "fix" the Lincoln Memorial Reflecting Pool. The performance of J.D. Vance, as he faces tough questions on his media tour, also comes under critical scrutiny.
Summary:
Summary:
This episode is a comprehensive attack on the idea of premature victory laps in politics, whether it’s international nuclear diplomacy, domestic infrastructure fixes, or the public image of political candidates. Pakman’s analysis underscores the dangers of spin over substance, and the ways in which media—and the American public—are asked to doubt their own senses in the face of obvious failure.