The Jimmy Dore Show

Episode: Here’s The BIGGEST Surprise From Zelensky’s White House Meeting!

Date: August 20, 2025
Host: Jimmy Dore
Guests: Kurt Metzger, Ryan Christiansen (Last American Vagabond)

Overview:

This episode dives into the surprising developments from Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky’s latest visit to the White House. Jimmy Dore and co-host Kurt Metzger provide their signature irreverent commentary on U.S. foreign policy, media spin, and political theater surrounding the Ukraine war, the shifting stances of Western leaders, and corporate media’s rebranding efforts. Later, independent journalist Ryan Christiansen joins to discuss the controversy surrounding RFK Jr. and the ongoing development of universal vaccines.

Key Discussion Points & Insights

1. Zelensky’s White House Visit: The Suit, the Optics, and the Desperation

Timestamp: 00:22 – 10:59

• Zelensky’s wardrobe shift: The episode opens with Jimmy poking fun at Zelensky for finally wearing a black suit rather than his signature military T-shirt at the White House.

  • “I love it. You don’t look like a bum anymore.”—Jimmy Dore impersonating Trump (00:22)
  • Kurt observes the "all black, on black, on black" suit and mocks the theatricality.

• War and Peace Negotiations:

  • Jimmy notes Trump’s meeting with Putin in Alaska to potentially broker an end to the Ukraine war, setting up Zelensky’s sudden trip to the White House.
  • Tweets from Zelensky highlight his public gratitude for U.S. support and lofty, bullet-point statements about peace and security guarantees.
    • “Those are like Coke tweets. That sounds like someone’s on Coke and they don’t want to stop to make a new paragraph…”—Jimmy (05:30)

• Sanctions Critique:

  • Zelensky asks for a 19th sanctions package against Russia, prompting skepticism:
    • “Oh, so the first 18 didn’t work, but let’s do another one.”—Jimmy (06:05)

• Dore’s Famous “Pattern” Segment:

  • Jimmy highlights America’s recurring tactic of arming foreign leaders, then abandoning or killing them:
    • “We supplied him with weapons and then we killed him—Osama bin Laden… Saddam Hussein. And now there’s Zelensky. To be continued.” (08:57)

• Outlook on Ukraine War:

  • Jimmy insists the war is lost for Ukraine and sees the suit as a sign of Zelensky’s increasing desperation.
    • “The last time it didn’t go well at the White House for him. The war is lost.”—Jimmy (10:59)

2. U.S., Europe & The War’s Endgame: Geopolitical Games

Timestamp: 06:51 – 12:31

• Trump’s Leverage Game:

  • Guest tweet by @LordBebo outlines a behind-the-scenes timeline: Trump wants peace, Europeans want war, Trump uses it as leverage, and Alaska summit catches Europe by surprise.

• Europe & Zelensky’s Posturing:

  • Jimmy and Kurt contend Zelensky and European leaders don’t really want the war to end, citing “ridiculous demands” and the ever-increasing conscription age in Ukraine.
    • “I think that’s why they don’t want the war to end.”—Jimmy (09:31)
    • “They’re finally allowing 60-year-olds to join, which means they are forcing 60-year-olds to join the military.”—Kurt (12:23)

3. Media Mockery: MSNBC’s “Ms. Now” Rebranding & Corporate Spin

Timestamp: 12:45 – 25:59

• MSNBC Rebrands as “Ms. Now”:

  • Extended satire and playful banter as they mock the cable news network’s attempt to rebrand itself as “independent” and “insurgent.”
    • “They’re a corporate news show spun off from a conglomerate… MSNBC is changing its name to Ms. Now. It’s short for My Source for News, Opinion and the World.”—Jimmy (13:44, 14:15)

• Insurgent Networks Irony:

  • Kurt and Jimmy ridicule the idea, especially as it’s recited by well-groomed anchors.
    • “Isn’t it kind of amazing… ‘We’re insurgents. We’re rebels,’ says the guy with the pocket square at 7 in the morning.”—Jimmy (19:36)

• Algorithmic Truths:

  • The duo question the network’s online popularity and claim about being YouTube’s most-watched news source.
    • “No way they are number one. Even that story was wrong.”—Kurt (23:10)

4. RFK Jr., Universal Vaccines, and “Head Fake” Policy Changes

Guest Segment with Ryan Christiansen
Timestamp: 27:53 – 47:30

• RFK Jr. & the Universal Vaccine Flap:

  • Ryan discusses RFK Jr.’s now-deleted tweet touting a universal NIH vaccine platform, sparking backlash from the "MAGA" and anti-mandate community.
    • “RFK Jr says we’re developing a universal vaccine at NIH… A vaccine that mimics natural immunity.”—Jimmy (29:05)
    • “He got a lot of pushback… people saying, ‘That’s not what you promised.’”—Ryan (31:05, 47:21)

• Are mRNA Contracts Actually Ending?

  • Despite RFK Jr.’s claim that $500M in mRNA contracts were cut, Ryan finds little evidence of meaningful change: some contracts are merely renamed or slightly altered, self-amplifying mRNA platforms continue.
    • “Just for the conversation, let’s assume those are all being cancelled… But HHS released a document… They weren’t really ending mRNA, just the specific contracts.”—Ryan (31:05–34:36)

• Self-Amplifying mRNA Explained:

  • Differentiates between conventional mRNA and self-amplifying mRNA, but asserts current COVID shots effectively behaved like self-amplifying versions.
    • “The original shots we were given during COVID-19… were self-amplifying shots. I think you can clearly prove that.”—Ryan (42:16)
  • Raises concerns about ongoing animal and food uses, new contracts, and Bill Gates' involvement.

• Key Critiques:

  • The “platform shift” is mostly window dressing; the policy direction remains the same:
    • “It was a deception… a head fake that RFK Jr. did when they announced they’re cancelling $500 million for research… when they’re just actually shifting it.”—Jimmy (44:14)
    • “People act like we’re saving money. All they did was move that money right back into other versions of it.”—Ryan (44:38)

5. Israeli Protests Against Netanyahu and the Gaza War

Timestamp: 48:51 – 56:00

• Massive Domestic Pushback:

  • Coverage of Tel Aviv’s massive anti-war protests, reported at 300,000 to 2.5 million across Israel.
    • “How come even Israelis are sick of the Gaza genocide but not American Zionists? Isn’t that wild?”—Jimmy (52:24)

• Narrative Control & Political Implications:

  • Dore argues that Netanyahu prolongs the war to ensure his own political survival, not for national security.
    • “The hostages' only chance is based around Benjamin Netanyahu’s removal from power.”—Jimmy (58:45)

Notable Quotes & Memorable Moments

• On Zelensky’s Suit:

  • “That’s how you know he needs our tax dollars bad, because he’s wearing a suit.”—Phantom Platypus, read by Jimmy (02:10)

• On Western Media’s “Independence”:

  • “Isn’t it amazing how they got everything wrong—Covid, the vaccine, the virus’s origin, Russiagate, the Syria war. But they’re insurgents.”—Jimmy (13:45, 18:38)

• On Ukraine’s Conscription Crisis:

  • “They’re forcing 60-year-olds to join the military.”—Kurt (12:23)

• On Ongoing mRNA Policy:

  • “It certainly is one way to frame it… There’s no difference, they’re self-replicating. Now they’re telling you that’s the future, even though it’s the same thing that hurt a lot of people during COVID-19.”—Ryan (43:19)

• On Israeli Anti-War Protests:

  • “Netanyahu losing the Jews was not on my bingo card this decade, I’ll tell you that.”—Jimmy (55:05)

Timestamps for Key Segments

• 00:22 – 10:59: Zelensky's White House visuals, peace rhetoric, sanctions fatigue, and U.S. relationships.
• 06:51 – 12:31: U.S./Europe backchannel maneuvering, Ukraine’s ultimate fate, and shifting age limits for soldiers.
• 12:45 – 25:59: MSNBC’s rebrand lampooned, “insurgent” media mocked, YouTube/algorithm manipulation.
• 27:53 – 44:52: RFK Jr. universal vaccine controversy, mRNA contract “head fake,” self-amplifying RNA vaccine explanation.
• 48:51 – 56:00: Mass Israeli protests against Gaza war, Netanyahu’s waning support, political ramifications for hostage negotiations.

Final Takeaways

• Zelensky’s wardrobe change was emblematic of his precarious political and diplomatic position—the panel sees it as a sign of desperation, not strength.
• The Ukraine war, according to Dore, is effectively over and Western/European leaders are more interested in playing geopolitical games than real peace.
• Corporate media’s rebranding efforts are dismissed as hollow, and their claim to independence called a farce.
• RFK Jr.’s policy and the vaccine narrative remain under heavy scrutiny—the core claim is that the administration’s ostensibly anti-mRNA pivot is little more than a PR move.
• Massive Israeli protests show rapidly shifting domestic opinion against the Gaza war and Netanyahu’s administration, a move that Jimmy frames as both historic and underreported in the U.S.
• Throughout, the episode maintains Dore’s trademark style—biting satire, skepticism toward establishment narratives, and dark comic asides.

For listeners seeking uncensored, critical takes on mainstream narratives regarding foreign policy, public health, and media spin, this episode is a quintessential Jimmy Dore Show experience.