Adam Schiff on Trump's Iran War Failure

Summary

---

The Find Out Podcast — Episode Summary

Episode Title: Adam Schiff on Trump's Iran War Failure
Release Date: June 19, 2026
Host(s): Tim, Rich, Zach, and Luke (Find Out Media & Studio71)
Featured Guest: Senator Adam Schiff (California)

---

Episode Overview

This episode features a candid, often cutting discussion with California Senator Adam Schiff about the fallout from Donald Trump’s failed Iran War and the controversial new Iran deal. The hosts and Schiff unpack the deal’s provisions, the cost in dollars and lives, Trump administration mismanagement, Republican infighting, and broader implications for U.S. politics and foreign policy. The tone is irreverent and unsparing, blending political analysis with the hosts' signature dark humor and exasperation.

---

Key Discussion Points & Insights

1. The Trump-Iran Deal: “An Extraordinary Capitulation”

[02:32–05:47]

• Schiff’s Unfiltered Assessment:
  • “We really got nothing out of this. It is an extraordinary capitulation… Iran got everything.” (Schiff, 02:32)
  • Highlights include Iran’s expanded ability to charge fees after 60 days, resume oil exports, unfreeze $24 billion in assets, and a promised $300 billion reconstruction fund—“about half of which has already apparently been committed.” No meaningful concessions from Iran, only a vague reaffirmation not to seek nuclear weapons.
  • "They're allowed to keep missiles...the whole rationale of the war that you kept hearing from Marco Rubio...now the President goes beyond that to say we don't really care that much about their nukes." (Schiff, 03:25)
• Massive Costs:
  • The U.S. loses between $300–$500 billion factoring in war spending, increases at the pump, and the reconstruction fund, along with 13 U.S. service members. (05:05–05:47)

2. Administrative Incompetence & the “Pool Guy” Analogy

[05:47–08:11]

• Trump’s Team:
  • Schiff singles out White House officials—“incompetent people around you, like Hegseth, like Witkoff, like Kushner, who think they’re Middle Eastern experts… just like this pool contractor.” (Schiff, 06:55)
  • Weekend Fox host as Secretary of Defense: “He may be the first president to begin and lose a war within a matter of months.” (Schiff, 08:03)
• Reflecting Pool Fiasco:
  • Hosts lampoon Trump’s order to paint the National Mall’s reflecting pool blue, an expensive, ineffective, and algae-inducing measure analogous to the Iran deal—a costly mess for little gain.
  • "All he has done is spent millions of dollars and getting nothing in return." (Host, 05:05)

3. Republican Response & Political Fallout

[08:21–10:56]

• GOP Disarray:
  • Even Republicans privately recognize the deal’s failure: “I'm surprised...how many have already spoken publicly and just trashed this. Bill Cassidy said it was one of the worst deals he’d ever seen.” (Schiff, 08:53)
  • Some tying themselves into knots defending Trump's rationale; others outright critical—“giving billions of dollars to a murderous regime bent on our destruction—generally not a good idea.” (08:53)
  • “Certainly not reflective of all they had to say when the Obama administration was negotiating with Iran.” (Schiff, 09:46)

4. Short-Term “Peace” and Gas Prices

[10:56–13:22]

• The Deal’s Timetable:
  • The MoU lasts only 60 days; after which, Iran holds all leverage. “In two months, it’s going to be extended another couple months...maybe to push this thing off past the midterms.” (Schiff, 10:56)
• Economic Pain Lingers:
  • Brief hope for gas price relief, but “even the best case scenario…it's going to take a long time for gas prices to go back down to where they were before Trump began this war of choice." (Schiff, 12:23)

5. Domestic Discontent and the Illusion of Leadership

[13:30–15:49]

• Constituent Feedback:
  • “No one is happy with it...they are working harder and harder and having less to show for it, they're really struggling." (Schiff, 13:55)
  • The first trillionaire (Elon Musk) becomes a symbol of systemic failure—“How is it possible our economy can produce such wealth in a single person, but cannot afford adequate access to healthcare, housing, groceries?”* (Schiff, 13:55)
• White House Spectacle:
  • Trump hosts a UFC fight at the White House—“people looked at that spectacle and were reminded about how this is always, always only about Donald Trump.” (Schiff, 15:33)

6. Rampant Corruption & Cronyism

[17:21–19:52]

• Trump’s Attorney General Pick:
  • Trump appoints his former defense attorney Todd Blanche as acting AG, blurring lines between personal and national interest.
  • “The people in these roles…have never stopped being his criminal defense lawyer… It is really astounding.” (Schiff, 18:30)
  • “He's the bank robber that goes into the bank and says, ‘I'm not even wearing a mask.’ As if robbing people is okay as long as you don't try to conceal it too much.” (Schiff, 17:21)
• “Slush Fund” Schemes:
  • Trump creating avenues for self-dealing—“Trump suing Trump and Trump settles with Trump, and Trump gives Trump a ton of money to use as a slush fund. Except it's not his money. It's the taxpayer's money.” (Schiff, 19:32)

7. Republican Fractures in the Senate

[20:17–23:05]

• Senate GOP Gripes:
  • Trump’s attacks on prominent Republicans (Cassidy, Cornyn, Grassley) splinter the GOP’s unity.
  • Senate majority now at risk: “The more bad Iran deals…he is killing their chance to hold on to the majority.” (Schiff, 21:24–23:05)

8. Democratic Strategy if Senate Flips

[23:05–25:01]

• Schiff’s Blueprint:
  • “Bring down the cost of living” via legislation targeting gas, groceries, and key expenses—“that's going to be vitally important…to show two years later when we take the White House what we will do."
  • Simultaneously, “do vigorous oversight of all of the corruption that's going on…always bring it back to the cost of corruption to the American family.” (Schiff, 23:36)

---

Notable Quotes & Memorable Moments

• Schiff on the Iran Deal:

  • "We really got nothing out of this. It is an extraordinary capitulation.” (02:32)
  • “The one supposed give back from Iran was also really interesting… Iran reaffirms that it won't develop a bomb. The use of the word reaffirms was really telling… they're not promising anything new.” (04:04)
  • “No one is happy with it...their lives haven't gotten any better." (13:55)
  • “He's being very transparent about his grabs. He's the bank robber that goes into the bank and says, ‘I'm not even wearing a mask.’” (17:21)

• On Administrative Incompetence:

  • "If we want somebody to do push ups with the Ayatollah maybe a good idea." (Schiff, 07:42, on Hegseth as SecDef)
  • “He may be the first president to begin and lose a war within a matter of months.” (Schiff, 08:03)

• Panel on Trump’s Priorities:

  • “All he has done is spent millions of dollars and getting nothing in return.” (05:05)

• On Political Fallout:

  • “...giving billions of dollars to a murderous regime bent on our destruction—generally not a good idea.” (Schiff summarizing GOP critiques, 08:53)

• On White House Grift:

  • “He's out there hawking these Trump silver gold coins that were selling for $11,000...using Trump coin to pay the fighters.” (Schiff, 15:49)

• On the GOP:

  • “There is no pillar left of the Republican Party...all of the core values, every single one of them has not just been killed by Trump, but it has been killed by Trump in front of Senate and House Republicans.” (Panelist, 36:26)

---

Segment Timestamps

• [01:46] Show opens, Adam Schiff joins
• [02:32–05:47] Schiff breaks down the Iran agreement and its failures
• [05:47–08:11] Mismanagement, pool analogy, incompetence at the top
• [08:21–10:56] Republican criticisms, inability to defend deal
• [10:56–13:22] Gas prices, deal’s short-term and long-term economic impacts
• [13:30–15:49] Constituent anger, spectacle at the White House
• [17:21–19:52] Corruption in appointments and self-dealing
• [20:17–23:05] Senate GOP fractures, loss of majority at stake
• [23:05–25:01] What Dems would do with the Senate
• [25:19–33:36+] Extended riff: reflecting pool fiasco, DC inside-baseball, White House contractors
• [36:26] Withering criticism of GOP’s abandonment of principles
• [39:27+] Discussion on the future of the GOP, rise of new right-wing coalitions
• [41:39–44:45] How Democrats can appeal to rural/anti-war voters
• [44:45–50:22] U.S. military record, future of warfare, drone wars
• [50:50] Close: moving to Fridays, Juneteenth shoutout, Trump’s legacy

---

Overall Tone and Takeaways

The episode is unstintingly critical of Trump’s foreign policy, with Senator Schiff providing sharp and detailed analysis of the failed Iran initiative, painting it as a costly American fiasco. The hosts inject biting humor and incredulity at both the administration’s mismanagement (epitomized by the reflecting pool saga) and the moral collapse of the GOP. Schiff outlines both the disastrous immediate costs and long-term consequences for American credibility. The discussion broadens to how Democrats can reframe policy and messaging to win back disaffected voters and address systemic inequities, amidst a fractured, ever-shifting political landscape.

---

This summary delivers a comprehensive view of the episode’s substance, key exchanges, and the irreverent, analytical tone that sets The Find Out Podcast apart.

Transcript

[Pharmaceutical Advertiser]

Chronic migraine 15 or more headache days a month, each lasting four hours or more, can make me feel like a spectator in my own life. Botox Onobotulinum toxin a prevents headaches in adults with chronic migraine. It's not for those with 14 or fewer headache days a month. It's the number one prescribed branded chronic migraine preventive treatment prescription.

Botox is injected by your doctor. Effects of Botox may spread hours to weeks after injection causing serious symptoms. Alert your doctor right away as difficulty swallowing, speaking, breathing, eye problems or muscle weakness can be signs of a life threatening condition. Patients with these conditions before injecting are at highest risk. Side effects may include allergic reactions, neck and injection site pain, fatigue and headache. Allergic reactions can include rash, welts, asthma symptoms and dizziness. Don't receive Botox if there's a skin infection. Tell your doctor your medical history, muscle or nerve conditions including als, Lou Gehrig's disease, Myasthenia gravis or Lambert Eaton syndrome and medications including botulinum toxins as these may increase the risk of serious side effects.

Why wait? Ask your doctor. Visit botoxchronicmigraine.com or call 1-844botox to learn more.

[Blinds.com Advertiser]

The right window treatments change everything. Your sleep, your privacy, the way every room looks and feels. @blinds.com We've spent 30 years making it surprisingly simple to get exactly what your home needs. We've covered over 25 million windows and have 50,000 five star reviews to prove we deliver. Whether you DIY it or want a pro to handle everything from measure to install, we have you covered. Real design professionals, free samples, zero pressure. Right now get up to 50% off with minimum purchase plus get a free professional [e-mail] rules and restrictions apply.

[Commercial Voiceover]

Foreign.

[Podcast Host (Interviewer)]

Welcome back to the Find out podcast. You've got the full crew here. You've got Tim, Rich, Zach and Luke. And we have a very, very special guest today that doesn't need an introduction, but I'm going to do it anyways. We have California Senator Adam Schiff with us. Senator, thank you for joining us today.

[Senator Adam Schiff]

It's great to be with you.

[Podcast Host (Interviewer)]

So Senator, as I was just saying before we went live, there's lots of crazy stuff that we need to get to get your thoughts on, but we want to start with this Iran deal that I guess the the President just signed, they said electronically. I don't know if they sent a docusign to Iran or how that works,

[Podcast Panelist 1]

but that mean he's an auto pen.

[Podcast Host (Interviewer)]

Yeah. Right. So Senator, without I Mean, we've talked about this, but we'd just love to get your unvarnished thoughts. What is in this deal and did we get anything at all out of this?

[Senator Adam Schiff]

We really got nothing out of this. It is an extraordinary capitulation. And watching the administration officials try to defend this, it would be laughable if it wasn't so tragic. But basically, Iran gets the potential of charging fees after 60 days, something that we've never allowed to happen, but is not ruled out by this agreement. Iran gets a pretty immediate permission slip to export its oil to use banks and other financial institutions, something it couldn't do before because they were under sanctions. So they get all that oil revenue come in. There is also potentially an immediate lifting of the freeze on Iranian assets that could allow them access to 24 billion. You remember Trump just attacking Obama because in the JCPOA it gave Iran access to 1.7 billion. Well, this is 24 billion, and it's just a down payment because the doozy of them all is a $300 billion reconstruction fund, about half of which has already apparently been committed that would go to rebuilding Iran. $300 billion. They're allowed to keep missiles. So the whole rationale of the war that you kept hearing from Marco Rubio that we had to do this because of their missiles, because their missiles could protect a nuclear program. And now the President goes beyond that to say we don't really care that much about their nukes or their nuclear dust. So, total giveaway. Iran's given nothing. The one supposed give back from Iran was also really interesting because it said that Iran reaffirms that it won't develop a bomb. Well, the use of the word reaffirms was really telling because it's a patent indication that they're not promising anything new.

[Podcast Host (Interviewer)]

Right.

[Senator Adam Schiff]

Just reaffirming what they've said before to the degree that we can ever rely on them. So we got nothing. Iran got everything. And it is really quite breathtaking.

[Podcast Panelist 2]

The good news is that Trump says that we will not be spending money on that 300 billion. And we know that he is always good for his word when he says taxpayers are not going to be on the hook. Just like with his ballroom, just like with the wall between us and Mexico, there's no way that we will be on the hook for any of that 300 billion, right?

[Senator Adam Schiff]

Absolutely not. And I'm sure that if he promises to paint an Iranian reflecting pool blue, it will remain blue.

[Podcast Host (Interviewer)]

It's funny you mentioned that, Senator. We were talking about that earlier, but I Actually worked at the Interior Department during the Obama administration. So like we had, we oversaw the National Mall when he was seeing it, them painting it blue, which just means that heat absorbs more, which produces more algae. It's just another thing that Trump has done where he is trying to claim that he's made something better, but all he has done is spent millions of dollars and getting nothing in return. And I think on this Iran deal, going back to this, I've seen some estimates saying that when you factor in the 300 billion and the 24 billion and the amount of money that we spent conducting the war, we're close to half a trillion dollars, is that correct? Which I would argue we just flushed down the drain while also losing 13 service members along the way.

[Senator Adam Schiff]

That's absolutely right. And you remember, I think they initially wanted to bring before Congress a $200 billion increase in spending for the Pentagon to pay for the war. Now the current costs that they're estimating of anywhere from 25 or 35 or 45 billion, that is just the down payment for the ultimate costs of depleting all of our stocks of bombs and missiles. But you go beyond that. Americans have paid 60 billion more for gasoline. That's just for gas. All the other increased costs that we've paid. So Americans are hugely out of pocket. Iran is going to get a tremendous windfall. And one of the other articles of this MoU says the US is not going to interfere in Iranian internal affairs. Meaning good luck, Iranian dissidents, we no longer have your back. That whole rationale of regime change gone. They have an even more repressive regime. The son of the Ayatollah, the new Ayatollah, worse than the old Ayatollah. So just a terrible outcome. And I think I would say this, maybe it has in common with reflecting pool. The reason we ended up with such a bad deal is the President went into this ill informed about Iran, about the region, without a clear idea of why he was going to war, without a clear objective in mind, with no end strategy in mind. And this is what's come out of it. And you have incompetent people around you, like Hegseth, like Witkoff, like Kushner, who think they're Middle Eastern experts, just I guess like this pool contractor. And this is what you get. You get a terrible result.

[Podcast Host (Interviewer)]

Yeah. Are you suggesting that having the weekend anchor of Fox and Friends as your Secretary of Defense is a bad idea?

[Blinds.com Advertiser]

It is.

[Senator Adam Schiff]

Well, if we, if we want somebody to do push ups with the Ayatollah maybe a good idea.

[Podcast Host (Interviewer)]

I don't know if he'd win. Senator, we saw the videos.

[Podcast Panelist 1]

Look very good.

[Podcast Panelist 3]

It didn't look great.

[Podcast Panelist 1]

We should have a bad look to rename the department to, to Department of War. Rename yourself the Secretary of War and then lose your first war. It's not a good look.

[Senator Adam Schiff]

Yeah. He may be the first president to begin and lose a war within a matter of months.

[Podcast Host (Interviewer)]

Right.

[Podcast Panelist 2]

We should have sent the.

[Senator Adam Schiff]

The pool.

[Podcast Panelist 2]

The pool guy to negotiate the contract for us because he got himself a really, really good deal, you know, 15 million on a $1 million contract.

[Podcast Panelist 3]

Yeah.

[Podcast Host (Interviewer)]

Well, Senator, I'm curious because obviously, like, you know, we're. We're seeing. Because we, you know, obviously monitor a lot of the chatter online, and we're not really, you know, all the conservative influencers and independent media are kind of keeping their mouth shut about this, which suggests that there's not much to defend here. But I'm curious, and I know they're not going to tell you this publicly, but privately, have you, like, what do the senator, the Republican senators say about this? Because even if you just, like, take the names out of it and you just hand the situation to somebody, there's no way to say that this was a net positive for America.

[Senator Adam Schiff]

There is no way to say this is a net positive. And I'm surprised, actually, how many have already spoken publicly and just trashed this. I think Bill Cassidy said that it was one of the worst deals he'd ever seen. You have others saying that he was, I think, most charitably saying that he was, he was poorly advised. That's always the disclaimer made. Trump never makes bad decisions. He's just poorly advised. But then you have others saying giving billions of dollars to a murderous regime bent on our destruction generally not a good idea. So there have been a number of Republicans already, and I think more in the coming days, who are trashing this. Others are just tying themselves into knots trying to defend it. So one of my colleagues trying to defend, allowing them to have this missile capability and saying, well, you know, they've got to defend themselves. And he was asked again, really, does Iran need missiles to defend itself? And he said, yeah, yeah, they do. That is an amazing position for the GOP to be in right now. Certainly not reflective of all they had to say when the Obama administration was negotiating with Iran.

[Podcast Host (Interviewer)]

Yeah, I mean, it's crazy because they lost their minds about that. 1.7. We heard so much about pallets of cash, right? Pallets of cash being sent to Tehran. And now, you know, I know inflation has been bad in this country, but it hasn't been that bad. That 1.7 in 2012 or whenever it was, is 24 million in 2026. So this is like a massive capitulation. I mean, this, I hate to use the word surrender, but in the. From the President's perspective, it seems like he got into something that he was told by his leadership and probably Bibi Netanyahu, that this would be a quick, easy job, like lop off the top and then let freedom reign. Sort of like Iraq. That worked so well there. I mean, am I right to think that, that we kind of just signed this to get out because there was no other way to extract ourselves from this?

[Senator Adam Schiff]

I think that's exactly right. And here's the problem. This MoU is basically good for 60 days. The Iranians know that in 60 days, when we're 60 days closer to the midterm elections, the last thing Donald Trump is going to want to do is start bombing Iran, sort of closing the strait, start having gas prices spike again. And so Donald Trump will have absolutely no leverage in two months. He will have less leverage then than he does now. And I think what you can expect in two months, because the Iranians are not going to agree to a good deal. Why should they, given how weak the President is, is in two months it's going to be extended another couple months. Another couple months maybe to push this thing off past the midterms. And then I have no idea what Trump does. Maybe he goes back to bombing. Maybe he, I don't know, cut some crypto deal with the Iranians. But it just doesn't look like it's going to get much better in the future.

[Blinds.com Advertiser]

No.

[Podcast Host (Interviewer)]

And I mean, I think we know that gas prices are going to remain high because it's not like you can just reopen the Strait of Hormuz and all these ships are, are just going to go to port and dump oil because most of them have to go fuel up themselves. And I think I've heard estimates that it could be two years before we see prices return to normal. Is that, I'm curious to get your take on, you know, your estimate of, like, when we may see relief at the, at the pump.

[Senator Adam Schiff]

You know, I'm guessing that there will be some very near term relief right now in the sense that there will be hope that this, at least this memorandum will stop the shooting and allow ships through the straits. So you'll see some of the excess windfall profits the oil companies have been taking by gouging us maybe a little that is eased up just in the near, very near term. But as we start to get back to two months from now and concerns start to escalate again that there's not going to be a deal, you may very well see gas prices going up again. Certainly if there is no face saving, I don't know what to call it, agreement to make an agreement two months from now, then you're going to see prices spike again. So we're not out of the woods. But even the best case scenario that there's no shooting that continues, it's going to take a long time for gas prices to go back down to where they were before Trump began this war of choice.

[Podcast Host (Interviewer)]

Yeah, I mean, I think that. And that's another thing that's going to going to hit him and I'm sure is why he extracted himself, because the pump, the prices are just out of control.

[Commercial Voiceover]

Right.

[Podcast Host (Interviewer)]

I bet there's some places in California, there's still over $6. I live in New York City sitting around $4. And in the south, it's bad, too. I would be curious to hear your perspective on what your constituents are telling you, Senator, when you go home and they come to you, whether they're in blue areas or red areas. Like, is anybody, anybody happy with the direction the country is going in right now?

[Senator Adam Schiff]

No, no one is happy with it. And I think at many levels, most particularly because their lives haven't gotten any better. Their lives haven't gotten any easier. They're working harder and harder and having less to show for it, they're really struggling. And this is a phenomena that frankly began before Trump. It's been going on for decades. But now it's to the point where we have our first trillionaire. And this was interesting to see what the reaction would be to the first trillionaire. Elon Musk and I think the way people are reacting is this is a really good illustration of how badly broken our system is that there are millions of people that can't afford health care and we have somebody who is basically 1,000 billionaires rolled into one. How is it possible that our economy can produce such wealth in a single person, but cannot afford adequate access to healthcare, can't afford housing, can't afford groceries. How is that economy working? So this is, I think the ordinary concerns people have that is not that they're out of work necessarily, mostly that they are working, working harder than their parents did, harder than they ever did, and still not able to really catch up or Keep up.

[Podcast Host (Interviewer)]

Yeah. Well, Ed, Senator, did any of them say to you, you know, like, all of those things are terrible, but I feel so much better about Donald Trump now because he had a UFC fight at the White House so that I can. Could enjoy myself watching that spectacle. Did that impress anybody, Senator?

[Senator Adam Schiff]

No. You know, I think that people looked at that spectacle and were reminded about how this is always, always only about Donald Trump.

[Commercial Voiceover]

Yep.

[Senator Adam Schiff]

That. Okay. He doesn't have time to focus on my bills, my groceries, my costs, my whatever. He doesn't have time to focus on Iran. No, he's focused on a big bash for his birthday. He's focused on basically doing some more grift in the meantime. He's out there hawking during this fight, hawking these Trump silver gold coins that were selling for $11,000. He's out there with the logos on this cage. Advertising firms that his kids are advisors and investors in. The announcers are announcing they're using Trump coin to pay the fighters. It was just another opportunity for glamour, grift and graft at the White House.

[Podcast Panelist 3]

But what about Joe Biden and the Biden crime family? Right? Imagine if they had.

[Podcast Panelist 1]

I can't believe they had a pride celebration when Biden was in office.

[Senator Adam Schiff]

What about Hunter Biden's painting?

[Podcast Host (Interviewer)]

Oh, my God. Do I have to say, I don't know if you've seen Hunter on Twitter lately. Like, it has been actually quite incredible. Not politically correct, necessarily, but I have appreciated that he has been pointing out the grift because, like, he was accused of that. Right. And then he's like, well, wait a minute. What about Jared Kushner getting $2 billion from the Saudis? All of these deals or this, that basically any government that wants to do business with the United States has to go through the Trump kids and their businesses. It's just completely out of control. So my question. Yeah, go ahead, Senator. Go ahead.

[Senator Adam Schiff]

You know what the White House has to say about that. He's being very transparent about his grabs. He's the bank robber that goes into the bank and says, I'm not even wearing a mask. As if robbing people, robbing the country is okay as long as you don't try to conceal it too much. Of course, there's a lot of concealed graph, too. You can only imagine if this is what they're open about, how much is going on behind the scenes. But. But, yeah, they seem to say, well, you know, it can't be that bad if we're stealing in front of you.

[Podcast Panelist 2]

It's authentic, you know, People really value authenticity these days.

[Podcast Host (Interviewer)]

Oh, yeah, yeah, it's. And then to pivot slightly, but kind of same like the fact that he is putting personal allies. He's dominating personal allies for some of the most important jobs in the federal government. I think the first one in particular is obviously Todd Blanche, who is the acting Attorney general right now. Was his personal attorney, like, defense attorney. How. How in the world is that okay?

[Senator Adam Schiff]

It shouldn't be okay. And in fact, in the beginning of the Trump administration, the number one, the number two, and the number three lawyers at the Justice Department were all Trump criminal lawyers. There was criminal defense lawyers or his impeachment lawyer. I mean, it is really astounding. And the problem for the American people is the people in these roles, like Todd Blanche, have never stopped being his criminal defense lawyer. So Blanche is talking to Ghislaine Maxwell in prison. Is he representing the country? Is he representing the Justice Department? Now he's there representing Donald Trump to make sure she doesn't say anything that could be problematic for Donald Trump. And what does she get? She gets put in a cushy jail. After that, it's Todd Blanche negotiating on behalf of. We're not sure. To resolve the president's tax liabilities and make them go away. This is Todd Blanche signing that deal. Is he signing it on behalf of the American people? No, he's signing it as Donald Trump's criminal defense lawyer. The slush fund, the same thing. This is a dispute between the right hand and the left hand between Trump and Trump. Trump suing Trump and Trump settles with Trump, and Trump gives Trump a ton of money to use as a slush fund. Except it's not his money. It's your money. It's the taxpayer's money.

[Podcast Panelist 2]

And then, and then when he talks about it, he says it exactly like you just did, all in the third person senatorship. First, I didn't actually say this right

[Senator Adam Schiff]

off the top iteration of BO Knows graft.

[Podcast Host (Interviewer)]

Yes.

[Senator Adam Schiff]

That's a deep cut for you.

[Podcast Host (Interviewer)]

I got it. I don't know if everyone got it, but I got it. Rich, go ahead.

[Podcast Panelist 2]

First off, big fan of how much you got Trump to hate you in his first term. Like, I didn't say that off the, off the top. You were my favorite troll through the whole first term. And I say that in the most loving way pop possible. But on, on the, on that last thread, you know, I've been, I've been following up or reading up on, like, Bill Pulte and Jay Clayton, this whole, like, dumpster fire that's happening. We talked earlier about all the Republicans who have, including, like, Roger Wicker, who have just come out vocally against the Iran deal. When I look at, like Bill Cassidy and I, and I look at, or Kennedy. Yeah, no, Bill Cassidy. And we look at Thom Tillis, like, how much has Donald Trump lost Senate Republicans? Like, he's still trying to push for the Save America Act. He won't even let them vote on a, let you guys vote on a confirmation hearing because he still wants the Save America Act. This insane voter ID bill, which John Thune has said like a thousand times, is not going to happen. What are, what are you seeing inside the Senate? Like, is this a, is he cooked in the Senate or are Republicans still looking for a way to play ball with him?

[Senator Adam Schiff]

Republicans are still going to play ball with him. They're still afraid of him. But in going after their colleagues and going after Bill Cassidy, John Cornyn, he was going after not just members of their conference that they see every day and have lunch with every week, but also some that were very well liked among the Republican conference when he attacked Chuck Grassley. Chuck Grassley very well liked in his conference. And they're defensive of each other. And so I think it squandered a ton of whatever kind of will he has with the Republican conference. But then it keeps making their lives more difficult. So pulling the hearing, the potential confirmation hearing of Jay Clayton and doing so at the last minute, et cetera, it was very telling. A reporter said, what do you think of his pulling? What do you think the president's motives are in pulling Jay Clayton or something like this? And I don't remember exactly what his response was, but it was a little bit like, well, that's a good question. Like, what is he thinking? I have no idea. He continually makes their lives more difficult. But more important than all of that, he is threatening their majority in the Senate. Yeah, the Senate was out of play a year ago. The Senate is very much in play now. There are multiple pathways to flip the Senate. And they realize the more he's out there with his stupid reflecting pool and his UFC fights, the more he's showing the American people he doesn't care about them. The more bad Iran deals and all the rest of that. He is killing their chance to hold on to the majority.

[Podcast Host (Interviewer)]

Yeah, I totally agree. You led it to my final question because we know you're busy. We got to get you out of here. But so, so I, I actually agree. I think that there's multiple paths, as you said, there are places that we never expected to play like Alaska, for example, with Mary Patola, who I actually think has got a real shot at winning that race, and Sherrod Brown and in Ohio. And I do think Grand Platter's got a shot in Maine as well. But to wrap this up and to get you out of here, if Democrats retake the Senate next year, what are the things that they are going to do first to hold the Trump administration accountable?

[Senator Adam Schiff]

Well, I would say we should do two things simultaneously. The first is we're campaigning on bringing down the cost of living. So we need to be introducing bills and advancing bills to bring down the cost of gas and groceries. The cost of living, generally, that's going to be vitally important. Now, some of that won't get to the president. Some of that the president will veto. But it's important for us to show two years later when we take the White House, what we will do if we're given that power. But we also need to do vigorous oversight of all of the corruption that's going on. And similarly, though, always bring it back to what is the cost of corruption to you, the American family? So, for example, all the machinations behind these mergers of Paramount and Warner Brothers and Skydance, what is the cost of that? If that was a corrupt bargain, if it had to do with changing the content at CNN or cbs, if it was about placating the president or paying him personally, as CBS did, what is the cost of that corruption? And the cost is a lot of lost jobs in the industry. The cost is you're paying a lot more for your streaming services. You're getting a lot less content. Consumers are being hurt because the cost of corruption is the president not focused on you, but focused on what's in it for him. So every time we do oversight of whatever kind of corruption, we always need to bring it back to why it's hurting the American people.

[Podcast Host (Interviewer)]

Great. Well, Senator, thank you very much for joining us. We have been big fans for a long time, and we really appreciate that you've always used your voice to hold Trump accountable, whether it was in the first term in the House or in this term in the Senate. So best of luck holding him accountable. We'll be rooting for you along the way, and we'll have to have you back here pretty soon.

[Senator Adam Schiff]

Sounds good. And I'm headed off now to look at the kelp forest in the reflecting pool.

[Podcast Host (Interviewer)]

Well, don't touch it.

[Podcast Panelist 2]

Bubbling up to the surface.

[Podcast Host (Interviewer)]

Don't touch it because it's filled with. It's filled with Hydrogen peroxide now so you got to be careful over there.

[Podcast Panelist 2]

So that should burn you.

[Podcast Host (Interviewer)]

All right. Thank you Senator, we'll talk to you soon.

[Commercial Voiceover]

Ryan Reynolds here from Mint Mobile. I don't know if you knew this but anyone can get the Same premium wireless for 15amonth Plan that I've been enjoying. It's not just for celebrities. So do like I did and have one of your assistants and assistance switch you to Mint Mobile today. I'm told it's super easy to [e-mail]

[Pharmaceutical Advertiser]

Switch upfront payment of $45 for 3 month plan equivalent to $15 per month required intro rate first 3 months only. Then full price plan options available. Taxes and fees, extra default terms@mint mobile.com Take care.

[Podcast Host (Interviewer)]

All right, we are back. What you didn't see, and I am going to say it, you aren't going to see it. But when we got off with the senator, I had mentioned to him that he, that my, my in laws are, are constituents of his. So without prompting I was actually saying goodbye. He was like hold on, let me record something. And he sent a very, very kind and a very nice note to my mother in law I guess basically telling her how amazing I am. Which was pretty nice.

[Podcast Panelist 3]

Yeah, it was.

[Podcast Panelist 1]

Technically he started with how he had low expectations for you.

[Podcast Host (Interviewer)]

But I'm telling you all that because like that was. Some politicians are a little rough and like that was a very, very nice kind thing to do. And so when, when politicians do nice kind things they should be recognized. And he did not ask us to do that. I am just doing that. So anyways. But what a great guy. I, I'm, I'm so glad we got to do that. And you know like that little algae joke at the end was pretty good forest which is terrible.

[Podcast Panelist 2]

Dude.

[Podcast Panelist 1]

The videos that are of the paint coming up today.

[Podcast Panelist 2]

Paint coming up.

[Podcast Panelist 1]

Oh my God. It's coming up in sheets.

[Podcast Host (Interviewer)]

Literal sheets.

[Podcast Panelist 2]

It's almost like dump which is triple quadruple strength hydrogen peroxide by the gallon into the water and then scrubbing the out of the paint to try to get the algae off. It's almost like that's a bad waiting

[Podcast Panelist 1]

around in there for days, dude.

[Podcast Panelist 2]

Yeah.

[Podcast Panelist 1]

I mean what they should have done is had Stephen Miller come in, just let him bottom feed his way around the bottom. He'd have gotten cleaned off.

[Podcast Panelist 2]

He'd look like Stephen, looks like Stephen Bannon.

[Podcast Host (Interviewer)]

You know, that was what he had on his head and that beat the press. That was algae. It was just, they just made it, they dried it again I wouldn't make fun of someone's appearance if they weren't a terrible piece of shit. But I will do that with him.

[Commercial Voiceover]

I would.

[Podcast Host (Interviewer)]

I think I mentioned maybe it was on air or not, but like, as you know, I worked at the theory department which oversees national parks including the National Mall. You can't paint something with direct sun in a dark color because it, it absorbs the heat. And what does algae need to grow? Heat and water. And they just made that infinitely worse. This is why a lot of southern places, they paint the roofs white, because white reflects more heat and it doesn't absorb into the house, it actually lowers. I mean, the cost of cooling. These fucking idiots spent people are brain dead.

[Podcast Panelist 2]

White's his favorite color. I can't believe he didn't paint it white.

[Podcast Panelist 1]

It's the same I said yesterday, I

[Podcast Host (Interviewer)]

said this the other day.

[Podcast Panelist 1]

It's the same reason conservative meth labs are always blowing up. Because they don't understand basic science.

[Podcast Host (Interviewer)]

They're too stupid.

[Podcast Panelist 2]

I, I can't help but think, like, what did they not do to the surface of the inside of the pool that they should have done? Because this thing's had algae in it for 100 fucking years. Like, can you imagine how slimy. And these are porous surfaces. Like you can't just.

[Podcast Panelist 1]

It's granite.

[Podcast Panelist 2]

Like you can't just scrub them clean and then paint over that shit. Like it was probably all slimy with, with algae, which is why the frickin paint didn't stick. And it's all coming up.

[Podcast Host (Interviewer)]

It is so many.

[Blinds.com Advertiser]

Hilarious.

[Podcast Panelist 2]

I think it's fucking hilarious.

[Podcast Host (Interviewer)]

It is a still body of water that has direct sunlight for as long as the sun is up. Those trees don't cover any of it. It's hot as shit in D.C. in the summer. And it is humid. It is actually on a swamp. So it's humid. Like you walk outside in D.C. in August and it smacks you in the face. There's no way to make that go away unless they put this massive filtration system in. Also, I think that water is being pulled in from the Potomac, which is cleaner than it used to be, but it's still the Potomac.

[Podcast Panelist 1]

That's where the, that's where most of the algae comes from, is the filtration system.

[Senator Adam Schiff]

And it didn't fix that.

[Podcast Panelist 2]

Yeah, they, they used to use, I was reading about this this morning. They used to use fresh water, but it was coming at the cost of like 40 million gallons of drinking water a year to keep the pool because it's when it's 100 degrees outside and it's sitting in full sun, it turns out a lot of that water evaporates. So they. They started, you know, they plumbed it in with. With fresh water, with. With natural water, but natural water's got all sorts of in it. So it's like they all. They knew all of this. They knew all of this. This is why there are challenges. So just draining it and painting it with your pool guy. Like, at least get a real. Like a commercial pool guy. Let's get a real guy the size of a skyscraper. You guys, the crazy thing about that

[Podcast Panelist 1]

hydrogen peroxide is that they did it with one gallon. Home Depot concentrated.

[Podcast Panelist 2]

Stephen Miller went to Home Depot.

[Podcast Panelist 1]

My fair share of chemistry in college. I did the math. It could have been. It would have been like a quarter of the price to do it with 30% hydrogen peroxide, and it would have been like four times as. As effective.

[Podcast Host (Interviewer)]

Or you suggesting buying in bulk would save you money? Right? That's.

[Pharmaceutical Advertiser]

Indeed.

[Podcast Panelist 2]

But I do that.

[Podcast Panelist 1]

Like, what was higher concentration and in bulk?

[Podcast Host (Interviewer)]

So. But I will tell you, I know exactly how this went, because this is similar to what happened in the first term. Remember when he lost his mind about the crowd photos at the mall? Well, a person who used to work for me took those photos. So, like, I know this how that all went. And I heard behind the scenes how he called. He personally called the director of the Park Service and was screaming at him. And the director of the Park Service is a career employee. It is not right. Well, I guess you can appoint somebody, but they're generally from the ranks. So he screamed at them. So I'm sure this time he was like, they need no, no algae. Got to get rid of all the algae. And they just be in like. He calls Bart Bargum the secretary, or Bergam, whatever his name is, and I guarantee you he just went to the Park Service and said, just fucking do it. Whatever it costs, just do it as fast and as fast as possible to

[Podcast Panelist 2]

be done by his birthday. That's the biggest thing.

[Podcast Host (Interviewer)]

So they found Joe, Joe the painter, and they bring him in because they interviewed the guy who. The company. He was like, oh, yeah, we did a great job. Of course he said that. Was he gonna be like, well, I guess, kind of.

[Podcast Panelist 1]

I bet he got a. A lot of sales after that.

[Podcast Host (Interviewer)]

$15 million, right? Was what it cost.

[Blinds.com Advertiser]

Yep.

[Podcast Host (Interviewer)]

And it's. And it's no different, except it's blue.

[Podcast Panelist 1]

Here's just. Wait, they're going to find out that he cracked that granite when he drove the beast across it. And it's going to have draining issues, I promise you. I promise you. Granite is so fragile, and the beast is £20,000.

[Podcast Host (Interviewer)]

Wait, did they take that up to the Lincoln Memorial?

[Podcast Panelist 2]

They drove it. They drove in the pool. In the pool.

[Podcast Host (Interviewer)]

Oh, that's right. They did do that. Oh, yeah, that would do it. Exactly.

[Podcast Panelist 1]

I know.

[Podcast Host (Interviewer)]

Also, that area is very like. It's. You're basically at water level there, right. Like, that area used to be swamp, and they drained it and dredged it. And like, that area didn't. Part of that part of D.C. didn't exist. So, like, that's also like your low water table. So if you're putting a fucking beast on that, which is like you said, because it's basically impenetrable. It weighs a ton. It probably gets three miles a gallon. Yeah. Putting that in there. Why did they do that?

[Podcast Panelist 2]

If only he could walk 200ft.

[Podcast Panelist 1]

10 tons. It weighs 10 tons.

[Podcast Host (Interviewer)]

You know that Obama walked to Interior once. There was like a whole to do about that in his Tanzan state of.

[Podcast Panelist 3]

The video.

[Podcast Host (Interviewer)]

It wasn't in the. It wasn't that dark day. No, that was. That was a.

[Podcast Panelist 1]

Did you see what happened at the Obama presidential library today?

[Senator Adam Schiff]

No, what?

[Podcast Panelist 1]

The guy, one of the speakers wore a tan suit. Obama gave him a shout out.

[Podcast Host (Interviewer)]

I like that.

[Podcast Panelist 1]

I love that tan suit.

[Podcast Host (Interviewer)]

That is definitely the dumbest controversy that this guy.

[Podcast Panelist 1]

So a tan suit?

[Podcast Host (Interviewer)]

Yeah. Well, did you see the lineup of performers at. Oh, my God, compared to the.

[Commercial Voiceover]

What?

[Podcast Panelist 2]

The Great American Fair.

[Podcast Panelist 3]

Whatever.

[Podcast Panelist 2]

The State Farm.

[Podcast Host (Interviewer)]

The State Farm Fair.

[Podcast Panelist 3]

I don't know what.

[Podcast Panelist 2]

It's an insurance commercial.

[Podcast Host (Interviewer)]

It was like, for Obama, it was like Stevie Wonder and Beyonce and for Trump, it was like one half of CNC Music Factory and Vanilla Ice and. But even the 1/2 of milli Vanilli bounced.

[Podcast Panelist 2]

Yeah.

[Podcast Panelist 1]

I think they have one performer left.

[Podcast Host (Interviewer)]

There was.

[Podcast Panelist 1]

Might be. Even Kid Crack Rock said he wouldn't do it. And also was upset about that thing at the UFC about. About Hokit calling Michelle Obama a man.

[Podcast Host (Interviewer)]

Wait, even he was against. Kid Rock was bad about that.

[Podcast Panelist 1]

They. He was upset about it.

[Podcast Panelist 3]

Okay, that's.

[Podcast Panelist 2]

All right.

[Podcast Panelist 3]

Well, you.

[Podcast Host (Interviewer)]

You know that Kid Rock performed at one of the inaugural balls in 2008 for Obama. Yeah, because I was there.

[Podcast Panelist 2]

Oh.

[Podcast Host (Interviewer)]

You know who the other one was? Kanye.

[Podcast Panelist 1]

It is funny that all of the. All of the living. That the living first ladies and former presidents that are literate were at the Obama presidential opening day. And the one that's alive, that's not literate, was not there.

[Podcast Panelist 3]

Yeah, yeah.

[Podcast Host (Interviewer)]

All the former presidents hate it. It's fucking crazy.

[Podcast Panelist 1]

Even going back to the Iran thing, he claims, he's still claiming to the press that the 300 billion dollar thing is not real. And then they released, oh yeah, like footage pictures of the, the formal document with his signature directly next to the 300 billion dollar.

[Podcast Host (Interviewer)]

Oh, he's just lying about it because he knows he's on it.

[Podcast Panelist 2]

No, it's, it's in it and it's. I, I was just looking at Politico has the, the quotes from all the Republicans on that specifically like Roger Wicker, who's the chair of the Armed Services Committee, kind of an important committee in the Senate, said, like, said it's not going to happen. The Iranian regime has not renounced its ultimate goal of death to America, death to Israel. We will continue to fight that. Bill Cassidy called it the worst foreign policy blunder in decades. Reagan is rolling over in his grave. Rick Scott.

[Podcast Panelist 1]

Oh, I saw.

[Podcast Panelist 2]

Not a good person. Rick. Rick Scott. Senator Rick Scott of Florida said the 300 billion fund is, quote, not something that's going to happen, end quote. And then Mike Rounds was like, from South Dakota was like, I have some concerns about the release of foreign assets.

[Podcast Host (Interviewer)]

Those are very, those are not the people that you normally hear. But I will say fuck you Bill Cassidy. And I'm going to tell you why I say fuck you Bill Cassidy.

[Podcast Panelist 2]

Wait until they're angry.

[Podcast Host (Interviewer)]

Yeah, well, first of all, so Bill Cassidy is the one that just lost his primary and Trump endorsed the other guy.

[Podcast Panelist 2]

Yeah.

[Podcast Host (Interviewer)]

And Bill was like, I don't know what happened. And he rubber stamped rfk becoming the HHS secretary. And he is a doctor, he knew better. He was saying he's full of shit and he voted to confirm him anyways because he was trying to protect his own ass. So fuck Bill Cassidy. Now I'm done.

[Podcast Panelist 3]

I'm with you.

[Podcast Panelist 2]

Transactional, it's all transactional for these people. I just didn't know how much of their Souls, which is 100% of their souls that they would sell out for Maga, you know, like 10, 15 years ago, even five, six years ago, it didn't feel like they would let go of everything. But they have officially the military, they've given away religion, they've given away their family, they've given away fiscal conservatism. Like there is no pillar left of the Republican Party. Even like classic conservatism, all of the core values, every single one of them has not just been killed by Trump, but It has been killed by Trump in front of Senate and House Republicans. And they're still just sitting there, like running on the same ticket as if they believe in these things while they vote for Trump, who is dismantling everything in front of them.

[Podcast Panelist 3]

They have no choice. I mean, that's, that's the bottom line. Trump has weaponized the idiots of America and been like, they're all with me. What you gonna do? That's it, right?

[Podcast Panelist 2]

Yeah, we want the idiots too.

[Podcast Host (Interviewer)]

Yeah, well, and Brian, Brian Andrews was talking about this last night when Brian and Luke were doing a, a tick Tock Live and. Yeah, yeah, you know, I was talking about like, what's happening now is maybe even we, you know, maybe even more dangerous because now they're moving to this quote, unquote, America First Christian evangelical like movement that is much more rooted in religion than even maga. Because MAG is really, I mean, they use it, right?

[Pharmaceutical Advertiser]

They try.

[Podcast Panelist 1]

Mostly the racism thing though.

[Podcast Host (Interviewer)]

It's a race, it's more race. This is like, you know, there's these videos now at these conferences of these trad wives saying, oh, it's, I don't need to vote if my husband, you know, it's fine. And they're young, they're young and we have to be very, very careful to not get into the situation where it's like, well, when Trump's gone, it will be okay. It's not.

[Podcast Panelist 2]

No, I, I think the thing that they have, the evangelical right, like, that's, that's the, the, the turning Point usa, the, all of their little, the little Erica Kirk thing that they just did, Women's Leadership conference where they're like, women should not lead.

[Podcast Host (Interviewer)]

Right.

[Podcast Panelist 2]

That's the last pillar they have. But they're going to lose those other pillars. Like they're, I was just laughing about the ufc, like, plot that was busted. It's like a bunch of little white dudes with guns and they were all obsessed with Ruby Ridge. And it's like the, the, those people were coming after Trump because they don't think he's done enough to do what their little libertarian anarchist accelerationist dream, you know, wants to see. He's going to, like, the coalition is going to collapse after him. They're gonna still exist, like, as individual groups of people, but just not as a coalition. Right. And, and, and there right now is not somebody to pull them together because like, JD Vance is not going to get the libertarian gun nuts on his side. Like, he's the, he's, he's gone all in on the turning Points USA Evangelical, you know, Bible thumping religious. Right.

[Podcast Panelist 3]

Yeah. I mean that's the thing that's interesting about when Trump goes because like I think the infrastructure they built can survive. Like it all makes sense. The problem is there's no fear left. Nobody's afraid of a single person.

[Senator Adam Schiff]

Right.

[Podcast Panelist 3]

So it's very hard to enforce this system. Whereas Trump now is like, don't do it. If you don't do it, you, you're gonna be. Your whole career is over. J.D. vance isn't gonna be able to do that.

[Podcast Panelist 2]

Nobody's gonna come and be a kingmaker in a prime Republican primary. And they're events endorsed my opponent.

[Podcast Panelist 3]

No, the eyeliner guy. Like, give me a break, dude. It's insane.

[Podcast Host (Interviewer)]

Do you see how he was caked on heavy in the view?

[Podcast Panelist 3]

Oh yeah.

[Podcast Host (Interviewer)]

It was some serious eyeliner.

[Podcast Panelist 3]

Oh yeah.

[Podcast Host (Interviewer)]

Which for these like macho brosi like look smackers or whatever the that is. And he's like again, wear whatever you want.

[Podcast Panelist 2]

I like look smackers. I like look smackers.

[Podcast Panelist 3]

Was that like looks Maxers, but I

[Podcast Panelist 2]

think you call them look smackers.

[Podcast Panelist 3]

Which Smuckers.

[Podcast Host (Interviewer)]

But smackers.

[Podcast Panelist 2]

I prefer look smackers personally.

[Podcast Panelist 3]

It's better than smackers.

[Podcast Host (Interviewer)]

Right, but here's a question though, and I think Democrats have to figure this out. How do we. So with this, if that starts to even go further.

[Pharmaceutical Advertiser]

Right.

[Podcast Host (Interviewer)]

I got to get a point. Right, not left. And how do Democrats peel off maybe the last remnants of people who theoretically could be open to hearing our message? Because I think there's probably, it's probably a small but not insignificant number if we change some things. But the question is, what is it?

[Podcast Panelist 3]

I mean it's, I think it's obvious. I mean it's because most of those folks are from rural America and small town America. There's no question about it. I mean maybe there's a couple who aren't. But it's about giving a. About the things that are that whole community like that that's really all it is. Like if they can functionally come in like even like. So Biden was taking good first steps with it. Right? You know, the Infrastructure Act I think was an incredible thing bringing broadband to those places. Like things people can just feel on a day to day basis. You got to do like that where they, they walk around and go, oh, that's better. That's interesting. Who did that? And it's us. That's really the only way I think because other like otherwise it's just you saying. And they're like, I've heard You say for ever. I don't give a what you have to say. Show me something. And so little things will be enough. We just got to pay attention to like the communities that are getting destroyed. And I think that'll that could get some people, not a lot of them.

[Podcast Host (Interviewer)]

But what do you think about being. And when I say this I mean for real anti war because there is a, there is a very strong segment and I think it's the Tucker Carlson crew that have sort of broken from Trump. Is there any benefit to that? Because I would argue we should be doing that anyways. But I'm curious if that is appealing. I agree with you that the things in the communities like the opioid epidemic like shit like that is more important. But are those pieces also things that at least some of them would either at least not consider us evil.

[Podcast Panelist 3]

Right. I, I think the challenge is not. I think you're right on the message. Right. The right. The message is correct. I think they like the anti war. The problem is as messengers of that it's very easy for them to turn around and be like the left hates the military, they hate veterans. And the second we're like we shouldn't use our military for this, this and this, they're like yeah, because you don't trust like there's an easy way for them to turn it and be like they just hate the, the veterans in this country. It's like so like I, I just, that's a tougher one for me just because I think it, it treads back into that weakness territory too where it's like, oh, Democrats just don't want to use the military. They want to take all the military funding. It just, it opens up a whole can of worms.

[Podcast Panelist 2]

I'm like, I think we have a, I think we have a better chance with that than we did maybe 10, 15 years ago because the, the, the military, the veteran pillar under the Republican Party was really strong through like Reagan, George H.W. bush, George W. Bush. It was a ton of military people. But young people are tend to be anti war. Like nobody wants to go to war. They don't want to have to join the military. You look at like Ron Paul did really well you know, ahead of the Obama presidency. Dennis Kucinich had a place. There's always a sort of like there's. He had his, he didn't have a lot but his. There is always a place for the anti war pacifists if you can do that. Right. And I think parrot like Zach is describing if you pair that with A pro domestic agenda. We shouldn't be killing other people when we have our own people to take care of here. You know, then you can start, like, you keep that cohesive. And it's not just like, well, I'm scared to use the military. Like, I'm scared to fight for freedom or whatever. Like George W. Bush would say.

[Podcast Panelist 3]

Yeah, I agree with that.

[Podcast Host (Interviewer)]

Yeah, I, Yeah, I mean, I think, I'm not suggesting that we will, like, completely shift the dynamics of politics in the country, but I do think that it does seem like there may be a vacuum once Trump is actually gone. And I would actually argue that, like, if Democrats take the House, let alone the Senate, he is essentially, he's a lame duck starting on November 4th. Oh, yeah, because they're not going to get shit done because the Democrats are going to be like, fuck off. We're not doing any of this shit. We're just going to yank your people up on the Oversight Committee every goddamn day. And, you know, like. But I, you know, I. So I think there's some opportunities. But you're right. Like, it has to be played the right way. It can't be from a. As much as I would be fine with it, a pacifist perspective.

[Podcast Panelist 2]

It's like, yeah, right.

[Podcast Host (Interviewer)]

We haven't won. We. I mean, let's be honest. When was the last war we won?

[Podcast Panelist 3]

That's a good question. I don't know.

[Podcast Host (Interviewer)]

Well, I would argue Gulf one, probably. But, but even that, though, like, didn't like, but George H.W. bush held off going into Baghdad to finish the job. So then that led to the other pieces. But I also understand why he did that. But there's an argument to be made that we didn't win in Afghanistan. The Taliban is back.

[Podcast Panelist 3]

We did not win in Afghanistan. Holy.

[Podcast Host (Interviewer)]

Spent trillions of dollars. We did get bin Laden, but, like, you know, but, but we spent trillions of dollars and Iraq, like, we destabilized

[Podcast Panelist 2]

the entire region to leave bin Laden in Pakistan. When we got him, though, he was,

[Podcast Panelist 3]

and it's not like, near the border, but.

[Podcast Host (Interviewer)]

Yes.

[Podcast Panelist 3]

Yeah, he was in. I forget the name of the town, but either way, he was like, getting bin Laden had also nothing to do with our war efforts. Like, it was all the CIA, like, all. It was like, like really, really random pieces of information paired together that the CIA was able to do, not because we were at war. So even then, you can't credit the war with getting bin Laden, you know.

[Podcast Host (Interviewer)]

Well, they also, and also there was a situation earlier in the war in which there was the. Possibly. They thought he was in the mountains and I guess they like called off strikes or something like that. He was. They could have actually gotten him then.

[Commercial Voiceover]

Yeah.

[Podcast Panelist 3]

I don't know why they didn't.

[Podcast Host (Interviewer)]

So. Yeah. So I mean, I think, like, I, I know that's an uncomfortable conversation for America, but like, yeah, we're. We don't have a great record.

[Podcast Panelist 3]

No. We're terrible at this.

[Podcast Host (Interviewer)]

You know, it's like real wars that. In which, like the world would collapse. We've done.

[Podcast Panelist 2]

Okay.

[Podcast Host (Interviewer)]

World War I, World War II.

[Podcast Panelist 3]

Yeah.

[Podcast Host (Interviewer)]

Okay. Korea. Stalemate. That war is technically still going on. Vietnam. Ha. Definitely not. Do you consider the invasion of Grenada a victory in the 80s? Does that count?

[Podcast Panelist 3]

I don't think so.

[Podcast Host (Interviewer)]

Tiny little island or getting Manuel Noriega in Panama. That's not really a war. So then you're left with Desert Storm or. Desert Storm. Afghanistan, Iraq and Iran. Yep. We didn't win any of them.

[Podcast Panelist 2]

No.

[Podcast Host (Interviewer)]

Well, Gulf War.

[Podcast Panelist 2]

But now look at what Ukraine is doing to the Soviet Union.

[Podcast Panelist 3]

Right.

[Podcast Panelist 2]

Sorry. Russia.

[Podcast Host (Interviewer)]

Oh, they've turned the tag.

[Podcast Panelist 2]

Attacking Moscow last night, blowing up oil refineries. Like.

[Podcast Panelist 3]

Yep.

[Podcast Host (Interviewer)]

It was like 600 drones they sent.

[Podcast Panelist 2]

Yeah. There's the asymmetrical warfare. I mean, it's the reason why we beat The British like 250.

[Podcast Host (Interviewer)]

Same damn thing.

[Podcast Panelist 3]

Yeah.

[Podcast Panelist 2]

You can't just line up people and be like, everybody line up your guys and you all at each other until. No, until like two people are left and then whoever that whatever country they're from, that they win the war. That's basically what we're doing. We're like, look at all of our ships. And they're like, we have ten thousand, you know, two. Two thousand dollar drones. And you can't.

[Podcast Host (Interviewer)]

They're like, they're like five. They're Ukrainian. Five hundred. Five hundred bucks.

[Blinds.com Advertiser]

Yeah.

[Podcast Panelist 3]

Right.

[Podcast Host (Interviewer)]

I. And I think honestly the drone stuff, because it happened to us too. Because Iran was using drones. Yeah. That's where those 13 service members were killed. Is that. I actually think hopefully that these drones will make it more of a deterrent because it's very, very easy for somebody, a resistance to use drones to knock out an invading force.

[Commercial Voiceover]

Sure.

[Podcast Host (Interviewer)]

The other way around doesn't work as well.

[Podcast Panelist 2]

Yeah.

[Podcast Panelist 3]

No.

[Podcast Host (Interviewer)]

So, like, there's two situations now that we're. I mean, Russia is getting the ship beat out of them.

[Podcast Panelist 3]

Oh, yeah.

[Podcast Host (Interviewer)]

They have basically said that the tide has turned in the last few months. It is because of the drones.

[Commercial Voiceover]

Oh, yeah.

[Podcast Host (Interviewer)]

And apparently even Donald Trump is now. Now that he's seen that Russia fleet

[Podcast Panelist 2]

on the White House.

[Podcast Host (Interviewer)]

Yeah. Oh, I'm a big, big sport of Ukraine. You're like what?

[Podcast Panelist 3]

Oh, I know when. Yeah.

[Podcast Panelist 2]

Esports team from, from Wharton School of Business to like be up there with little controllers and they're going to be flying drones around. Yeah, I'm sure.

[Podcast Host (Interviewer)]

But I do hope anyways, we'll see.

[Podcast Panelist 3]

I don't know. It's. We're also, we're just. You know what it is though? We're bad on offense. We're really good on defense. Like a. It's very easy to defend us just geo. You know, geographically we have a huge advantage but it's also just like all this shit we're spending money on. It's just a big flex being like try us. And they're like no, never mind, we won't. And that's it. Like that's, that's, that's American diplomacy in one fucking sentence.

[Podcast Host (Interviewer)]

We're going to, we're going to destroy. Demolish you. There's nothing left.

[Podcast Panelist 3]

And then when we actually have to go on offense, like are you good at this? Or like I don't know.

[Podcast Panelist 2]

I'm going to be curious when they, when it comes time to write some like postmortems on this era of, of conflicts. I think Ukraine, we didn't see this coming, but Ukraine exposing the Russia as sort of a failed superpower militarily and Iran exposing the United States as maybe not the undefeatable 800 pound gorilla in the room. Like these might be conflicts that essentially turn it into like mutually assured destruction, but just in a different way. It's not nuclear, it's drone spray and pray chaos. Like nobody's going to want to. To fight one. Nobody else wants to fight one of these wars now like you think France or Spain or Germany, do you think they want to be in a freaking drone war with some little scrappy little.

[Podcast Host (Interviewer)]

Well, did you know that there are. That Ukraine also has ground drones that Russian troops are surrendering to.

[Podcast Panelist 3]

Really?

[Podcast Host (Interviewer)]

They're like coming out to these, these ground drones which are, which have machine guns on them by the way.

[Podcast Panelist 3]

That's terrible.

[Podcast Host (Interviewer)]

And are like. And there's some probably 20 year old UK kid and Keith.

[Podcast Panelist 2]

Yeah.

[Podcast Host (Interviewer)]

Like getting ready to line them up and then it's like they're like capturing.

[Podcast Panelist 2]

Yeah, it's like a gunner guy in like the Mandalorian or like in Fallout. There's like the droids that just drive around like shooting people and robbing them.

[Podcast Panelist 3]

I love it.

[Podcast Panelist 2]

It's the future that Peter Thiel wants for us. I love it.

[Podcast Panelist 3]

Terrifying.

[Podcast Host (Interviewer)]

From his new home in Arizona or wherever he moved. Where did he move to? Did he move to Argentina?

[Podcast Panelist 2]

He and Kurtina Curtis Yarvin live in a bunker together. They're waiting out God, waiting out the Justice Department for the next eight years.

[Podcast Host (Interviewer)]

Well, on that. On that light note, we were going to end with maybe war is over. And then we had to bring Peter Thiel into the mix. But, you know, it's okay.

[Podcast Panelist 2]

I mean, maybe it is, you know. Well, maybe the AI wars are about to begin, so we got to make some space.

[Commercial Voiceover]

Great.

[Podcast Host (Interviewer)]

Great. I'm super excited for that. Well, on that lovely note, I think we're gonna wrap today, so thank you for listening to our first Friday episode. We're gonna stay on Fridays now, and we'll be doing Tuesdays and Fridays moving forward. You rich? Do you have something you would like to say?

[Podcast Panelist 2]

Happy Juneteenth, everyone. Did you say Happy Juneteenth?

[Podcast Host (Interviewer)]

No, we didn't.

[Podcast Panelist 2]

Do you say Happy Juneteenth, though? I don't want to say.

[Podcast Panelist 3]

I don't know if you say it, but let's.

[Podcast Host (Interviewer)]

We're recognizing it's a celebratory event. Yeah, right.

[Podcast Panelist 3]

Yeah, sure.

[Podcast Host (Interviewer)]

I mean, Happy Juneteenth.

[Commercial Voiceover]

Yeah.

[Podcast Panelist 3]

It's a holiday.

[Podcast Host (Interviewer)]

Sure.

[Podcast Panelist 2]

Yeah. Yeah.

[Podcast Host (Interviewer)]

No, it's. It is. And Donald Trump complains about it even though he signed it into law. And he's mad. It's like, oh, cost billions of dollars. I'm like, hey, buddy, you just spent half a trillion dollars. You just flushed it down the fucking drain. So I think you can sit this

[Podcast Panelist 2]

one out anyways and all the rest of them, too.

[Podcast Host (Interviewer)]

Thank you all for watching or listening. We will be back on Tuesday. Bye, everybody.