Trump Flip-Flops! Calls For MASSIVE Increase In Defense Spending!

Summary

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The Jimmy Dore Show – Episode Summary

Episode Title: Trump Flip-Flops! Calls For MASSIVE Increase In Defense Spending!
Date: January 14, 2026
Guest Host: Chris Keane (filling in for Jimmy Dore)
Guests/Co-hosts: Kurt Metzger, Mike McRae, Caleb Maupin, Hugh Hewitt

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Overview

This episode is a sharp, satirical, and outraged examination of President Donald Trump's dramatic reversal on military spending—moving from anti-war rhetoric to announcing a colossal $1.5 trillion defense budget. The cast delves into the political, social, and economic ramifications of this shift, mocking media narratives, questioning the logic behind increased spending, and exploring the broader militaristic and surveillance state developments in the U.S. The latter part of the episode spotlights abuses of power by ICE and Border Patrol, critiquing both the erosion of civil liberties and normalization of violent law enforcement tactics. The show ends with a discussion about the geopolitics of Iran, American interventionism, and how the U.S. justifies aggressive foreign policy under the pretext of human rights.

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Key Discussion Points & Insights

1. Trump’s Flip-Flop on Defense Spending (00:46–14:29)

• Satirical Celebration of Budget Hike:
  The hosts sarcastically introduce Trump’s plan to surge the military budget to $1.5 trillion (from about $1 trillion), making this the biggest increase since WWII.

  • "We're upping the military budget – just what we need." (00:47, Chris Keane)

• Highlighting Trump’s Contradictory Statements:
  The crew mocks past Trump clips and campaign promises, replaying old audio where he advocated cutting military spending and reducing nuclear arsenals.

  • Trump (past): "There's no reason for us to be spending almost a trillion dollars on military..." (01:26)

• Cynicism on Real Power Structures:
  Kurt Metzger jokes that real power resides with tech oligarchs like Larry Ellison rather than the president.

  • "This is the benefit of Trump. We learned that the president is not in charge...The real president are the venture capitalists and oligarchs behind the president." (02:48, Kurt Metzger)
  • Critique that the increase is less about physical arms, more about funneling money to the AI and tech sectors.

• Media and Public Gullibility:
  The team lampoons public belief in Trump’s anti-war stance, calling out the performative aspect of his supposed anti-interventionism and likening his supporters’ trust to a media-manufactured myth.

  • "It's not really a thing. It's not really a thing." (12:34, Kurt Metzger, dismissing the idea of a principled MAGA movement)

• Human Cost & Policy Contradictions:
  They highlight the contradiction between record defense budgets and the suffering of average Americans.

  • "I pass by people living on my street every day that don't seem very safe and secure. They're sleeping in a blanket..." (06:16, Chris Keane)

Notable Quote:
"He talked a good game, didn't he?" (16:27, Chris Keane, on Trump's anti-war rhetoric)

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2. Skepticism Towards the Defense Spending Rationale (04:32–11:41)

• Analysis of the Budget Proposal:

  • U.S. currently spends about three times as much as China on defense, yet Trump pushes for an unprecedented hike.
  • The hosts mock the logic of equating more money with more “security”—especially in light of failed projects like the “Golden Dome” missile defense system.
  • "Most scientists...have argued that a perfect missile shield is physically impossible." (08:10, Chris Keane)

• Wider Critique of Surveillance State:

  • References to AI funding and the expanded role of tech in defense.
  • Sarcastic comparison of spending priorities—high-tech weaponry versus basic social safety nets.

Notable Quote:
"You don't worry about that. We have stuff that causes earthquakes...and weather weapons we used on Iran." (10:34, Kurt Metzger, mocking conspiracy and misplaced priorities)

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3. ICE & Border Patrol overreach: Rights, Intimidation & Abuse (17:56–39:36)

• Escalation of Border Policing and Civil Liberties Erosion:

  • The hosts unpack cases where ICE and Border Patrol agents threaten and illegally detain U.S. citizens for filming or merely being present.
  • Persistent references to agents behaving as if the First Amendment does not apply, often under the influence of IDF (Israeli military) training.

• Mockery of Law Enforcement Tactics:

  • Sarcastic parodies of police logic:
    • "If filming you is impeding you, how does anybody do their job? Since our country spies on all of us..." (25:58, Kurt Metzger)
  • Critique the normalization of violent police encounters—contrasting current events with public reaction to past incidents like Rodney King.

• Profit Motives Behind Detention:

  • The team highlight how private detention centers profit from keeping beds full, creating a perverse incentive for illegal detentions and violence.

• Normalization of Violence:

  • Observations about how recurring footage of brutality has numbed public consciousness.
  • "Maybe that's why people so easily celebrate it when someone they disagree with gets murdered. Because you're used to it." (38:40, Chris Keane)

Notable Quotes:

• "This isn't law enforcement. It's intimidation..." (28:39, Chris Keane)
• "Always film. State your rights calmly. Keep your hands visible. Narrate everything that's happening. They want silence, they want fear, they want no witnesses. Don't give it to them." (29:52, Chris Keane)

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4. U.S. Foreign Policy & Threats Toward Iran (41:32–56:58)

• Trump’s Aggressive Posture on Iran:

  • Trump threatens military retaliation if Iran cracks down on protesters, suggesting “we’re going to hit them very hard.”
  • Discussion on U.S. foreign policy’s double standards—more concerned with rights abroad than at home.
  • "I would like some more America First energy here, because I feel like he respects Iranian protesters more than American protesters..." (42:01, Hugh Hewitt)

• Geopolitical Analysis (Extended by Caleb Maupin):

  • Maupin provides in-depth background on Iran’s internal politics, social structure, and the relationship between foreign pressure and authoritarianism.
  • Explanation of how persistent foreign threat causes targeted nations to grow more repressive as a defensive measure; trade and engagement would do more for human rights than sanctions or war.
  • Insights into similar political structures in Venezuela.

Notable Quotes:

• "The more you threaten and attack countries, the more they have to solidify and prepare to fight to the death to defend their homeland." (56:54, Caleb Maupin)
• "Do you think we would be allowed to make fun of our military in the U.S. if we were surrounded by Chinese military bases? Of course not." (56:58, Hugh Hewitt, paraphrased)

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Memorable Moments & Sarcastic Jabs

• Multiple jokes about "Blue Tie Trump" versus "Red Tie Trump" as interchangeable figureheads for elite interests (02:05, 04:04).
• Repeated allusions to being ruled by oligarchs and venture capitalists over elected officials (02:48, 19:19).
• "This is evidence of that ... Trump is doing everything he can, the opposite of everything he campaigned on." (15:42, Chris Keane)
• Kurt’s running bit about there being “two Trumps” and “two of most politicians,” referring to the performance versus reality (15:53).
• Comparison of ICE agents hassling citizens to celebrities being followed by TMZ, ridiculing their contempt for public oversight (26:52).

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Timestamps for Key Segments

• Trump Budget Flip-flop & Old Statements: 00:46 – 04:07
• Military Budget Details & Rationale Critique: 04:32 – 11:41
• MAGA, Media, and Campaign Contradictions: 12:10 – 14:29
• ICE/Border Patrol: Abuse of Power: 17:56 – 39:36
• Foreign Policy/Iran Segment: 41:32 – 56:58

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Tone and Style

The tone is intensely sarcastic, profane, and confrontational. The hosts make extensive use of dark comedy, mock outrage, and hyperbole to drive home points about hypocrisy, the futility of incremental reform, and the illusion of popular control in U.S. politics. Their analysis is laced with cynicism about both major parties, the media, and systemic abuses by state power.

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Conclusion

The episode serves as a blistering critique of Trump’s total reversal on military spending, the media’s complicity in selling war, the failures of the U.S. political system to offer genuine alternatives, and the dangerous normalization of civil rights abuses both at the border and abroad. The hosts insist that real change requires sustained skepticism, organized dissent, and a relentless demand for rights in the face of rising authoritarianism—often using biting satire as their weapon of choice.

Transcript

[Mike McRae]

Come see me on tour February 20th in Lansing, Michigan. February 21st in Milwaukee. Go to Jimmy Dore.com for a link.

[Caleb Maupin]

For tickets.

[Chris Keane]

Establishment media sucks.

[Kurt Metzger]

August lighting. So good luck.

[Chris Keane]

Bullshit.

[Kurt Metzger]

We can't afford why he's fomenting this.

[Chris Keane]

Watch and see as his jack off the medium speeds and jumps the medium.

[Kurt Metzger]

And hits them head on.

[Chris Keane]

It's the chimney to show. Welcome back to the Jimmy Dore Show. I am your guest host, Chris Keane, sitting in for Jimmy. He's on tour in Hawaii right now. I'm here with Kurt Medzker. And good news, everybody.

[Kurt Metzger]

We're.

[Chris Keane]

We're upping the military budget. Just what we need. Yeah.

[Kurt Metzger]

Afraid that we only spend 1 trillion.

[Chris Keane]

It wasn't enough. Trump sparks a surge in defense stocks by calling for a $1.5 trillion in military spending. 1.5 billion.

[Kurt Metzger]

Why have I still not put money in defense stocks to this day? That's how it works.

[Chris Keane]

Yeah, we got it.

[Kurt Metzger]

I know how to make money. You invest in military. Shit.

[Chris Keane]

We're doing it wrong.

[Kurt Metzger]

And I don't. And I yet I don't.

[Chris Keane]

Why?

[Kurt Metzger]

What is wrong with me?

[Chris Keane]

$1.5 trillion budget. A lot of anti war activists are upset about this. Can hear from one of them right.

[Kurt Metzger]

Now, send ice after him.

[Donald Trump]

I say here, at some point when things settle down, I'm going to meet with China and I'm going to meet with Russia in particular, those two. And I'm going to say there's no reason for us to be spending almost a trillion dollars on military. There's no reason for you to be spending $400 billion. China is going to be at $400 billion. We're at a trillion. We're going to be at close to a trillion. And I'm going to say we can settle this on. We can spend this on other things. We don't have to spend this on military.

[Chris Keane]

This keeps happening to me on this show. They keep loading the wrong clips. That was that look like Donald Trump saying our military budget is too high. That, that's weird.

[Kurt Metzger]

All right, sorry, but that's blue tie Trump.

[Chris Keane]

Yeah, that was blue tide Trump. Sorry, Trumps. Yeah, I don't think that was the right clip.

[Donald Trump]

There's no reason for us to be building brand new nuclear weapons. We already have so many, you could destroy the world 50 times over, 100 times over. And here we are building new nuclear weapons and they're building nuclear weapons and China is building new nuclear weapons and China's trying to catch up because, you know, they're very substantially behind but within five or six years, they'll be even. And we're all spending a lot of money that we could be spending on other things that are actually hopefully much more productive.

[Chris Keane]

Are these AI, who is that guy?

[Kurt Metzger]

I don't know. I think you're being foolish for not understanding. Your president is Larry Ellison, so you never should. Look, this is the benefit of Trump. We learned that the president is not in charge. They'll say whatever. Yeah, ok. The real president are the venture capitalists and oligarchs behind the president. So Larry Ellison, who was an Obama supporter who wanted us all spied on, is going to do it. And the money isn't going to nukes. Trump said we don't need more nukes. And he's right. What we need is to give AI fucks all of our money. That's what he did. And you can't make any laws in the states against it.

[Chris Keane]

Well, I'm glad that this guy, whoever he is, let's show him again. This is an anti war protester right here. You see that guy right there? This guy hates. Hates military funding. We got another clip of this guy.

[Donald Trump]

One of the first meetings I want to have is with President Xi of China, President Putin of Russia. And I want to say let's cut our military budget in half. And we can do that. And I think we'll be able to do it.

[Chris Keane]

We're cutting it in half, Kurt, Isn't that good news?

[Kurt Metzger]

I remember this. We reported on when it first happened.

[Chris Keane]

What happened? I don't understand.

[Kurt Metzger]

Are you. Did you. Is this your first day? He went back on everything. That wasn't a promise to the Adelson. Adelson.

[Chris Keane]

Donald Trump. Donald Trump did that.

[Kurt Metzger]

I don't know why you're playing coy. We're well into this now. I don't know who that guy doing the thing.

[Chris Keane]

I don't know who that guy is. That guy really hates Trump.

[Kurt Metzger]

There's two of them.

[Chris Keane]

I said spending 1.5 trillion on the Pentagon will make America weaker, says Forbes magazine. The left wing libtar was over at Forbes.

[Kurt Metzger]

Why will it make us weaker again? What is their reasoning for that?

[Chris Keane]

This week the President took to Truth Social to announce that he would seek a $1.5 trillion military budget for fiscal year 2027, an astounding number that would be 50% higher than current levels of a jump not seen since the mobilization for World War II.

[Kurt Metzger]

World War 3 is coming. So exactly.

[Chris Keane]

That's right. World War 3 does seem to be coming.

[Kurt Metzger]

Albert pike.

[Chris Keane]

And we seem to be spearheading it between funding Israel, funding Ukraine, attacking Venezuela, Iran, Yemen. I mean, it never ends.

[Kurt Metzger]

Remember the Albert pike statue that Trump is rebuilding that was torn down during the BLM times?

[Chris Keane]

No.

[Kurt Metzger]

The stupid media, the moronic, doesn't know shit about ship. Media goes, that's because he's a Klansman. And Trump, they wait taste. But no, that's not why Albert Pike. Albert pike was the Freemason who said we have to have three world wars in his letter to Manzini. That's why Trump rebuilt that statue. And we're going to have three world wars. Buckle up.

[Chris Keane]

Yeah, it's heading that way. The President justified his call for an enormous plus up for the Pentagon as follows. After long and difficult negotiations with senators, congressmen, secretaries, and other political representatives, I have determined that for the good of our country, especially in these very troubled and dangerous times, our military budget for the year 2027 should not be $1 trillion, but rather $1.5 trillion. This will allow us to build the dream military. Oh, what I've always dreamt of, that.

[Kurt Metzger]

We have one that wins a war once.

[Chris Keane]

Yeah. That we have long been entitled to. And more importantly, that will keep us safe and secure, regardless of foe.

[Kurt Metzger]

You know, I pass people.

[Chris Keane]

I pass by people living on my street every day that don't seem very safe and secure. They're sleeping in a blanket. They have a shopping cart. They don't seem very safe and secure.

[Kurt Metzger]

And I don't. War on hunger. I guess he means we're gonna. We need 1.5 trillion so the army can combat the greatest enemy of all, hunger and homelessness.

[Chris Keane]

Yeah, exactly. That would be a good ad. Neither the President nor his congressional allies have provided a coherent argument for such a huge increase. The United States is already spending a near record $1 trillion on the Pentagon, nearly three times. China, which the Pentagon refers to as its pacing threat, spends annually for military purposes. So we spend three times what China spends. But of course, money is not a direct measure of military strength. The key is to spend defense dollars wisely and in support of a realistic strategy. The President's call for such a huge increase contradicts some of the rhetoric in the Pentagon's recent National Security Strategy document, which called for curbing endless wars in limiting US Military action to core interests. So the Pentagon's document says we should curb endless wars in curb action. Yet we're upping. Trump is going to up the military budget. He's. He's bombing Venezuela, he bombed Iran, Yemen. We're funding Israel. We're funding you. Okay. If that rhetoric were put into practice, the Pentagon budget could be reduced but not increased by $500 billion. There are also serious questions as to whether the US arms industry could use such a huge injection of funds.

[Kurt Metzger]

It's the tech industry. It's not the arms. It's for tech. It's for the AI. We're behind in AI so we've got to actually hire more Indian guys to fake being a robot in a room in a badabad with cell phones.

[Chris Keane]

Many arms facilities are already maxed out with little or no ability to produce beyond current levels. And there have been shortages of skilled workers in areas like submarine production. In addition, some of the systems the new funds may be invested in will do little to make America safer. The President's proposal for a leak proof golden dome missile defense system is a pipe dream. Most scientists who don't work for the Pentagon or the arms industry have convenient conveniently argued that a perfect missile shield is physically impossible. In an analysis from the conservative American Enterprise Institute has estimated that a golden dome system could cost anywhere from $292 billion to 3.6 trillion.

[Kurt Metzger]

It's not a missile defense system. It's a cage for you. So it'll work?

[Chris Keane]

That's right.

[Kurt Metzger]

Don't worry. It'll work fine.

[Chris Keane]

As, as Bill Burr said about the wall, we're going to be the ones wanting to go over it once they build that thing. That's what this is.

[Kurt Metzger]

Because he went to Saudi Arabia.

[Chris Keane]

You don't listen to him anymore.

[Kurt Metzger]

Ever since he sold out by going to Riyadh and he took blood money.

[Chris Keane]

Kurt's pissed. Kurt is pissed.

[Kurt Metzger]

Yo, Riyadh. That Riyadh thing, I mean, Jimmy's wrong on that too by the way. Riyadh. I would go in a heartbeat. And I would apologize for how shitty America is. I would love the chance to apologize.

[Chris Keane]

I would go too. But only because I love the kingdom of Saudi Arabia. Kurt. It's just.

[Kurt Metzger]

It's a big More slaves than them. Just so you know. Slavery was never go look at the numbers. The most slaves in the world are in America. Did you know that? Did you? We legalized slavery with the 18amendments. We imprison the most people of any country more than China. So that means we have the most slaves. Slavery is not about a job. It's about being owned.

[Chris Keane]

That's true. That's true.

[Kurt Metzger]

Nobody knows anything.

[Chris Keane]

The Pentagon is going to is going full speed ahead with a new intercontinental ballistic missile that is already far over its original cost estimate. Even as experts like former Secretary of Defense have said that ICBMs are the most dangerous weapon we have because the President would have only a matter of minutes to decide whether to launch them upon warning of attack, increasing the chances of an accidental nuclear war caused by a false alarm.

[Kurt Metzger]

I'm glad we're spent way beyond that nonsense.

[Chris Keane]

This is what we're spending our money on. Weapons that could easily trigger an accidental nuclear war. That's great.

[Kurt Metzger]

You don't worry about that. We have stuff that causes earthquakes. Do you understand that? And we have weather weapons that we used on around Iran.

[Chris Keane]

We don't have snap benefits for people in New York, but we have that. We have that.

[Kurt Metzger]

Yes, because that's what's important. Ruling the entire world unilaterally.

[Chris Keane]

What's going to be left of it to rule? I don't know, but that's great. Golden Dome and the new ICBM are just two of many systems that should be reconsidered as the Pentagon develops a more realistic strategy appropriate to a rapidly changing global security landscape. The Pentagon doesn't need more spending. It needs more spending, disciplined. Even more importantly, we need a new strategy that doesn't involve a quest to be able to fight anywhere in the world on short notice. Instead of cheering on the huge proposed increase for the Pentagon, Congress should be asked asking tough questions on exactly what the new spending is likely to achieve. When it comes to making America and its allies secure, it is highly likely that they will find that we can craft a better defense for less Money alone won't provide safety.

[Kurt Metzger]

This is horseshit, this article. Because Forbes is a horseshit magazine. Forbes is a. Is a twat. And this is some silly fake being against the program, which they're not against at all.

[Chris Keane]

Okay, I hear you.

[Kurt Metzger]

Yeah, they always do this token. Oh, no, we're spending more. Is everybody going to stop falling for this at any point? Oh, we're going to fake complain now after the thing that he lied about? None of them are against what's happening. None of them especially. Who wrote this? I want to know the name of the writer.

[Chris Keane]

The writer, I can tell you, it looks like his name is William William Hartung. William Hartung.

[Kurt Metzger]

Our tongue.

[Chris Keane]

Is that a friend of yours, Kurt? Anyways, I don't know, like tongue. What I don't understand is why MAGA would be on board for any of this.

[Kurt Metzger]

It's not. It's not. It's not really a thing. It's not really a thing.

[Chris Keane]

Well, Trump ran on being anti interventionist, anti the anti war candidate, anti regime change. War. And when he first got into office, as we showed at the beginning, he was talking about cutting the budget in half. Now, I don't know who believed that was actually going to happen, but by.

[Kurt Metzger]

The way, 13th amendment, not 18th. I got corrected by somebody.

[Chris Keane]

Oh, okay.

[Kurt Metzger]

13Th amendment legalized slavery.

[Chris Keane]

Again, we're fact checking Kurt in the.

[Kurt Metzger]

Yeah, people are fact checking me in.

[Chris Keane]

This world either way. I don't know why, why MAGA would be on board with this. This is the opposite of what Trump ran on. We already have a military budget that is astronomical. Meanwhile, we have people sleeping on the street. I see them every day when I leave my house. We have 35 million people living in poverty. We have a million homeless people, yet we have trillions of dollars for war. And it seems like we're ramping up for World War 3, as Kurt just said.

[Kurt Metzger]

Yes, that is exactly what is happening. This is this and it's going to happen. And you're being dragged. Well, I don't know how old you are, but if you're in your 20s, you're going to war. So you and your gender blob friends better do some push ups because you're going to die face down in Venezuela.

[Chris Keane]

Look, I'm just happy Kurt thinks I'm in my 20s, all right? That's.

[Kurt Metzger]

You're going before me. That's all I know.

[Chris Keane]

That made my day. Yeah, so anyways, I don't know how anyone can support this, especially if you're maga. This is the opposite of what I thought was voted for. Now, I didn't vote for Trump, but I thought I did appreciate the anti. The alleged anti war sentiment during the campaign.

[Kurt Metzger]

Yeah, me too.

[Chris Keane]

This, yeah, this is the exact opposite of that. So.

[Kurt Metzger]

Well, now you're ruled by Israel and is. Well, not Israel. Israeli billionaires or Zionist billionaires who would never themselves live in Israel unless they got caught as being PDF files.

[Chris Keane]

It's certainly, yeah, it's certainly the oligarchy that benefits from all this. And they don't really care what happens to you or I or our country or anything, as long as they're profiting and benefiting.

[Kurt Metzger]

That's why as long as they cover them. Epstein files with big black rectangles. That's all they care.

[Chris Keane]

Yeah, they could take over Greenland and Venezuela and all these places and everyone can just be living in poverty as long as they stay in power and they stay rich. That seems to be the.

[Kurt Metzger]

And you'll show real gratitude. See, once you're. Once you've had your living situation lowered yet Again. Then you'll show real gratitude when they tell the wokies to go F themselves. Then you'll go, oh, I can say women don't have wieners now. Thanks, Trump.

[Chris Keane]

That is.

[Kurt Metzger]

Before I didn't have the freedom to say, I don't think ladies have pee pees. But now I can. I'm so grateful.

[Chris Keane]

That is, that is how they divide. That is how they get you. Exactly. There's, there, I'm sure there's people that voted for Trump just for those reasons, just because they were sick of being told, don't say this.

[Kurt Metzger]

Most people, most people that vote, that actually vote have problems that they think voting will help with.

[Chris Keane]

Well, yeah.

[Kurt Metzger]

So saying, why would MAGA do this and that. I don't believe MAGA is ever a thing. I believe there's people with problems. The MAGA part is the media construction, just like all of it. And that's why they can flip on a dime and you go, is MAGA gonna put up. The people never were on board for this. It's been a scam the whole time. Yeah, I mean the. Literally America's democracy. I don't mean just.

[Chris Keane]

Well, this is, this is evidence of that. This is fully evidence of that. I mean, Trump is doing everything he can. The opposite of everything he campaigned on, he's doing. So I, I don't if that's not.

[Kurt Metzger]

As Dick Gregory claimed. Dick Gregory said there's two Trumps.

[Chris Keane]

And, and to be fair.

[Kurt Metzger]

Tell me a better explanation.

[Chris Keane]

To be fair, there's two of most politicians. Most politicians are maybe all of them honestly campaign saying one thing and then do another. This is the same old story, a.

[Kurt Metzger]

Clone of Jamie Foxx on top of it.

[Chris Keane]

And people, people thought, I think there were people that think, thought that Trump was different. He's not. He's just, I hope.

[Kurt Metzger]

But I didn't have faith because only a fool would have faith in a human secular government. Only an imbecile would put their faith in the democratic process. But I had hope because he talked a good game, didn't he?

[Chris Keane]

He did.

[Mike McRae]

Hey, you know, here's another great way you can help support the show is you become a premium member. We give you a couple of hours of premium bonus content every week and it's a great way to help support the show. You can do it by going to jimmy dork.com, clicking on join premium. It's the most affordable premium program in the business and it's a great way to help put your thumb back in the eye of the bastards. Thanks to everybody. Who was already a premium member. And if you haven't, you're missing out. We give you lots of bonus content. Thanks for your support. Confronting high credit card debt can feel scary. But the good news is if you owe $10,000 or more in credit card debt, financial relief options are now available. National Debt Relief is currently offering debt relief designed to reduce what you owe and put you on the fast track to becoming debt free. If you qualify for debt relief, you may be able to pay back less than what you owe and save thousands of dollars. Just visit nationaldebtrelief.com Imagine only paying one low monthly program payment you can afford and saving money as you become debt free. National Debt Relief has already helped bring debt relief to over 550,000 US consumers, earning thousands of five star reviews and an A rating with the Better Business Bureau. You're stronger than your credit card debt. Let today be the day you start turning things around. Take the first step and Visit National Debt Relief.com to see what debt relief you may qualify for. That's National Debt Relief dot com.

[Chris Keane]

Welcome back to the Jimmy Dore Show. I'm your guest host, Chris Keane, filling in for Jimmy. He's on tour in Hawaii. I'm here with Kurt Medzker. And we got one more ICE story today. We got some clips of ICE being very restrained and looking out for our best interest. Breaking ice. Border Patrol agents were caught on camera admitting that following and filming them is legal and then illegally threatening US Citizens with arrest. Anyways, that's great.

[Kurt Metzger]

Yeah, we're not doing. How's it going? You guys need to stop following. First and last warning.

[Chris Keane]

It's not illegal.

[Kurt Metzger]

I know, but it is illegal.

[Chris Keane]

We're not impeding. In what way are we impeding?

[Kurt Metzger]

A warning.

[Chris Keane]

For what?

[Kurt Metzger]

An illegal warning.

[Caleb Maupin]

Not impeded.

[Kurt Metzger]

No, this isn't an illegal warning. Impeding is a violation of 18 USC 111.

[Chris Keane]

No.

[Caleb Maupin]

18 USC 111 says you can publicly observe.

[Hugh Hewitt]

No, I'm not.

[Caleb Maupin]

Yes, it does. Yes, it does.

[Chris Keane]

For what? Tell us how we're impeding.

[Mike McRae]

Tell.

[Chris Keane]

Tell us how. Tell us how.

[Caleb Maupin]

Sir.

[Kurt Metzger]

Tell us how we are.

[Chris Keane]

Tell us. Tell us how we are impeding. Tell us how we are impeding traffic. We are not impeding traffic. We are following every traffic law. We are keep. That is illegal. We are following every traffic law and we are not getting in your way. We are just filming, which is our First Amendment right. Get out of here.

[Caleb Maupin]

Get on foot.

[Chris Keane]

Get on foot.

[Kurt Metzger]

Oh, so is that the First Amendment?

[Chris Keane]

Yeah.

[Kurt Metzger]

I hope they support it. All the time.

[Chris Keane]

Yeah. I mean, is that de escalation? Is that. I mean, it's like they want a conflict.

[Kurt Metzger]

Those guys were clearly Mexican. They put the masks on.

[Chris Keane]

I. But again, I don't think of it. Yeah, it is ironic, but if anything, that's even more of an argument against all the identity politics garbage, you know, that we were talking about earlier in the show, that your race doesn't define who you are as a person and all that. But I mean, is this de escalation? Is this what you're supposed. Is this them looking out for? First of all, they stop their car and confront people following them and filming them. Those people have the right to follow them and film them. They're not getting in the way. They're not impeding. So these ICE agents stop and confront them when they. They have no right to be doing that. And then they say, if you do, if you keep following us, you're going to be arrested. That's not. That's not how the law works here. We have tweet in the video, two agents approach the people filming and say, you need to stop following us. This is your first and last warning. The filmer responds correctly, that's not illegal. An agent then says the quiet part out loud. I know, but immediately pivots to, it's illegal to impede. Well, they're not impeding, they say, which the agents themselves had already acknowledged. Uh, filming and following on a public roadway is legal. The agents admit they understand this and still issue a warning anyways. When pressed to explain that what law is being violated, the agents falsely cite 18 1, 1, which does not criminalize public observation of filming. When challenged, they back off, walk away, and then escalate again. One agent yells, next time I pull you over, you're going to get arrested. For what? Who knows? There's no explanation. Arrested for what? He can't say. Only after repeated questioning how. How they are impeding does the agent suddenly claim impeding traffic. The only people that look like they're impeding traffic in that clip are. Is the ICE car that stopped to. In the middle of the road to confront these people for no reason. Um, even though the citizens were only stopped because the agents unlawfully confronted them in the first place. That's the point. This is the same pattern we saw when they murdered Renee Good. Illegal stops, manufactured violations. Escalation created by the agents themselves. Threats, intimidation and force justified after the fact. They corner people, provoke a situation, then use the situation they created to claim authority, even when they admit no law was broken. This isn't law enforcement. It's entrapment, intimidation, and a reckless abuse of power. And we've already seen where the pattern leads. That is correct. Here we have caught on tape a federal agent threatens a US citizen and then smacks her phone out of her hand. Have y' all not learned from the past couple of days? He says, never mind training. They need mental health. Mental evaluation. Says this guy. Shame on you.

[Kurt Metzger]

Listen.

[Mike McRae]

Have y' all not learned from.

[Kurt Metzger]

The past couple of days?

[Mike McRae]

Have you not learned?

[Caleb Maupin]

Learned what?

[Chris Keane]

What's our lesson here?

[Caleb Maupin]

What do you want us to learn? Following federal agents?

[Chris Keane]

Give me like. You can't do that. How do you not know? Is that de escalation? Is that what you're trained for? Who trained you to assault somebody?

[Kurt Metzger]

Do you not know that More of these. You're ready for a lot more.

[Chris Keane]

Yeah, there's going to be a lot more.

[Kurt Metzger]

And because the dumb leftists have. Have valued their white lives at nothing, you're not going to get any BLM reactions. You're not. That's a fact.

[Chris Keane]

It could be true. For standing. So the ICE border agent once again threatens to illegally arrest a US Citizen. Again. These are citizens. These aren't like illegal immigrants or Dane or violent criminals that we're trying to. Allegedly. Is the whole point of this.

[Kurt Metzger]

They were cheating. Don't I feel fat. Don't put me on camera. I don't feel safe.

[Chris Keane]

Kurt, you look great. Kurt, I think you look great.

[Kurt Metzger]

This is your final warning.

[Chris Keane]

All right, so they. So the agent threatens to arrest a US Citizen for standing on a public sidewalk and filming them. In the video. In Oregon, multiple agents swarm a man who is doing nothing more than observing and recording from a public sidewalk something that is 100% legal and protected by the First Amendment. An agent claims they know who he is and accuses him of driving erratically and being a danger to the public. Which is rich coming from an agency with a long history of hitting people with vehicles, assaulting women and children, and accidentally firing or dropping loaded firearms. But even so, they are not police and cannot arrest someone for a traffic violation. Then the threats start.

[Kurt Metzger]

We have your plate number.

[Caleb Maupin]

We saw you driving erratically, very dangerous to the public.

[Chris Keane]

How you doing?

[Kurt Metzger]

Interfering with her operations.

[Chris Keane]

You can be arrested under 18 USC 111. We will arrest you. You have been interfering with our operations.

[Donald Trump]

We're following us yesterday.

[Chris Keane]

What you're doing, dude, Numerous times.

[Kurt Metzger]

Not interference.

[Chris Keane]

Yes, you are.

[Kurt Metzger]

No, I am not.

[Chris Keane]

If you continue, you will be in handcuffs. You will be arrested.

[Hugh Hewitt]

You will be prosecuted code 111.

[Donald Trump]

Get that through your head.

[Kurt Metzger]

There's a lot of numbers you just remember. Good job. I'm not breaking the law, you know. Not breaking the law and you fucking know it. Never got in front of everyone.

[Caleb Maupin]

Never.

[Chris Keane]

One more time and I will put you in handcuffs. One more time. Keep it up.

[Caleb Maupin]

No, no.

[Kurt Metzger]

I'll stand right here, pal. Right. I like this guy.

[Chris Keane]

Worthless.

[Kurt Metzger]

Go work at Staples. Go back to your job at Staples. That's funny as that that pig thought. I'm all for that. When somebody knows the law and is well within it. Now see, that's great. That's great.

[Chris Keane]

Yes.

[Kurt Metzger]

Not like being a hysterical lesbian and slamming your gas.

[Chris Keane]

Yes, that is not ideal. But that guy, that guy was hilarious. I mean that was like an SNL sketch. But.

[Kurt Metzger]

Well, I mean anybody knows the law and a real cop probably knows the law as well. But these are fake cops. They were not trained.

[Chris Keane]

Right, they're not trained. I mean that guy especially, he just seems like some. Somebody's angry grandpa. They got off the street, put a mask on him and told him go round some people up. I don't.

[Kurt Metzger]

If filming you is impeding you. How does anybody do their job? Since our country spies on all of.

[Chris Keane]

Us, it's that that's hilarious. It's clearly not impeding them, but they. This is what I don't get. They, they choose to create these altercations. They know that they're. We have the right to film them.

[Kurt Metzger]

And well, mass cops deserve no respect. The fact that they're wearing a mask, that's what everyone should be talking about non stop. How is that allowed?

[Chris Keane]

I have no idea.

[Kurt Metzger]

Real cops, they have their name on their badge.

[Chris Keane]

That's right.

[Kurt Metzger]

They have a badge number. So you can complain.

[Chris Keane]

And these people work for us, do they not? Do they not work for us? Is that, Isn't that what it's supposed to be?

[Kurt Metzger]

Well, I mean I wouldn't throw that one out to any cop. I don't think that's going to get you anywhere. But the fact that the guy knew the law, that's great. You do stay within the law and do what you can do. Let him arrest you if they want. It'll be a lawsuit on them. Yep, that's the way you do it.

[Chris Keane]

Here we go. You are interfering with our operations. You could be arrested. We will arrest you again. The man is standing on a sidewalk, not blocking anyone, not touching anyone, not saying anything beyond asserting his rights. Another agent jumps in with. You were following us yesterday. Cool story. Still not illegal. They Repeatedly claim he has interfered with operations, yet the only behavior they can actually point to is observing them. It's funny, they're acting like celebrities when TMZ follows them around. You know what I mean? That's how they're acting.

[Kurt Metzger]

Exactly what they are. Like. Yep.

[Chris Keane]

This is like Kanye hitting the photographer or something.

[Kurt Metzger]

I don't know why my. One of my lights went out. Now I have film noir lighting.

[Chris Keane]

Oh, you look good. They repeatedly claim he's inter. He has interfered with operations, yet the only behavior they can actually point to is observing them, existing near them, filming them. Them. When the man calmly says, I'm not interfering, the response is, if you continue, you will be in handcuffs. Let's be crystal clear about what that means. ICE agents are threatening to arrest a U.S. citizen for continuing to legally observe and film them in his own neighborhood.

[Kurt Metzger]

You know, in Israel, they can tell you to stop filming and then put you in handcuffs. We're going to be like Israel. Well, Israel has no First Amendment because they have no constitution.

[Chris Keane]

Yeah.

[Kurt Metzger]

Get ready for more Israel, everyone. I don't live like that.

[Hugh Hewitt]

Now.

[Chris Keane]

I'd like for that to not be the case.

[Kurt Metzger]

Well, too late. It's too late.

[Chris Keane]

Is that true? Yeah. The IDF has even been training these guys.

[Caleb Maupin]

Yeah.

[Chris Keane]

Oh, I didn't even know that. Okay.

[Kurt Metzger]

Yeah. Who else would you get for this kind of stomping on your rights? Remember Shlomo Kramer explaining we're going to have to not have our First Amendment?

[Chris Keane]

Oh, that's right. I forgot about.

[Kurt Metzger]

Yeah.

[Chris Keane]

When the man states the obvious, I'm not breaking the law and you know it. The agent completely loses it. He steps inches from the man's face, points at him, shoves into his shoulder or chest, and screams, one more time and I will put you in handcuffs. This isn't law enforcement. This is intimidation. The man tells him to get off of him. The agent responds, no, I'll stand right here, pal. Right here. All day. While continuing to press into him.

[Kurt Metzger]

That's great. That's great. That guy did that. See, this is the kind of protest and cops that I really appreciate.

[Chris Keane]

Yes, this is smart. The citizen points out that cops in the wrong.

[Kurt Metzger]

If he does anything, he's in the wrong. That's how you do it.

[Chris Keane]

Yep. The citizen points out the setup perfectly. If I touch you, you're going to arrest me, right? Exactly. That's the game. That's when the agent snaps completely screaming that the man is worthless and has no honor, which feels like projection. This video shows exactly what ICE and Border Patrol are doing. Across the country, they are trying to scare people into not filming. They are trying to bully citizens out of exercising their rights. And when intimidation doesn't work, they escalate, which is the opposite of what they're supposed to be doing, because they know that cameras expose them. So here's the takeaway. Always film. State your rights calmly. Keep your hands visible and on your phone. Narrate everything that's happening. They want silence, they want fear, they want no witnesses. Don't give it to them.

[Kurt Metzger]

Yeah. Don't create a scene. Do within your rights and make them at fault. That's MLK did this.

[Chris Keane]

Overall, I just don't see how this is helping our immigration US Have a reasonable immigration reform in the country. How is citizens fighting barely trained ICE officers in front of high schools and street corners?

[Kurt Metzger]

It's just eliminating political enemies. And meanwhile, Trump's going to let in OnlyFans H1B visas. He's going to take those jobs. It's all nothing. Nothing is for you. Everything is for other countries and oligarchs and venture capitalists and billionaires.

[Chris Keane]

Yeah, that's it. It's true. The only people this seems to benefit is oligarchs. Exactly. So. Breaking warning, disturbing footage yesterday in Minneapolis. ICE agents brutally beaten, illegally arrested illegal US Resident. All caught on camera. Again, all of these have been citizens. These aren't. These aren't illegal immigrants. Oh, I got messed up here. Hold on a second. Okay, that won't play. Uh, in the video, five ICE agents are seen on top of a man who is face down on the concrete. One agent repeatedly knees him in the face while the the man does not resist. He is motionless, in pain and screaming in agony. The assault only stops when the agent realizes a legal observer is filming. This is not an allegation. It is recorded violence. And it gets worse. The man, identified as Juan Carlos, is currently unhoused and living out of his car. So now. Now we've got them fighting homeless people. This is. We're fighting homeless people now? This is great. ICE agents unlawfully approached him, ripped him from his vehicle, violently beat him, arrested him, and transported him to the Whipple Detention Facility. Well, at least he has a place to stay for the night. Juan Carlos posed no threat. He is a legal US Resident, yet he was assaulted and treated like a criminal. While in custody, he began having difficulty breathing. Only then did agents transport him to a hospital, still in shackles. He had blood in his ears from the beating, yet he was denied medical care until he was in medical distress. Once at the hospital ICE agents attempted to intimidate medical staff and interfere with care. After approximately two hours, they finally issued Juan Carlos a ticket and left. To be absolutely clear, ICE agents beat a legal US Resident. They illegally arrested him. They attempted to hold him in a detention facility. They withheld medical care until his condition worsened. They only backed down once. They were witnesses, video evidence, and hospital staff present. If Juan Carlos had not been taken to the hospital, a place with mandated witnesses and documentation, it is very possible a legal US Resident would still be sitting in an immigration detention center today. And this is the part they don't want you to realize. Immigration detention is a profit driven system. Private prison corporations make money by keeping beds full. Every illegal arrest, every unlawful hold, every person thrown into a detention center without cause is revenue for a private company. Mike Timpson is telling me something. A few stills before it started. Okay, I'm gonna try to get that video to play one last time here. Let's see if I can get it to play. Oh, here we go. Okay, here it.

[Caleb Maupin]

Is.

[Hugh Hewitt]

Yeah.

[Caleb Maupin]

Hey, stop kneeing him in the face.

[Chris Keane]

Knee him in the face. On the ground with five guys on him.

[Caleb Maupin]

Stop it.

[Chris Keane]

Back up or you'll be arrested for impeding.

[Caleb Maupin]

I am backing up as I see.

[Chris Keane]

Be careful. When stuff like this happened in the 90s when I was a kid, like with Rodney King, it was national news, national outrage. I feel like this happens every five seconds now. Maybe it was then. It just wasn't filmed.

[Kurt Metzger]

Okay, so because the fervor of wanting. Remember they flooded illegals into the country on purpose to lower everyone's wage. Everybody's sick of it. Who's not an imbecile, so. And also the people that would care about it. And by the way, this is crazy what they're doing right here on camera and threatening somebody. But that's how the dialectic works. You make it so everybody hates the other side. And so that's why it's not going to be on the news. Because all the news going to do is going to be we be more like Israel, more Israel style policing and more like Israel and Israel. And that's what you're looking at.

[Chris Keane]

It's crazy. And we got some more here. Breaking border. Border Patrol just illegally arrested a US citizen, a teenager. Now we're going after teenagers in Minnesota. The teen was working at Target when agents tackled him and arrested him while his passport was in his pocket, fully identifying himself as a citizen. None of that mattered. How does that not matter? He has his passport on him.

[Kurt Metzger]

Why? There's more to this story than this maybe.

[Chris Keane]

Yeah, there could be. When a coworker asked who to call, he said, my mom. Think about that. Your teenage son goes to work, Border patrol kidnaps him. This isn't an isolated incident. ICE and Border Patrol have repeatedly illegally arrested U.S. citizens, especially in Minnesota and after agents murdered a U.S. citizen who tried to drive away from illegal detention. This should outrage every single American. And this, this was a back and forth I found interesting. That was on an article about this. This is two people commenting on an article about all this. I'm all for deporting illegal criminals with no real job and are sponging off our government, but this is going way too far now. Profiling people who are living productive lives, invading private property. They are no longer helping. They are occupying and destroying our society. It's time to start knowing your rights and fighting back. That's 100% true. That's all these videos. This is, this is not.

[Kurt Metzger]

Is there any transparency of the protocols for why they would arrest someone? Do we. Does anybody have that information? Is it public in any way? That's my question.

[Chris Keane]

I don't know. I.

[Kurt Metzger]

Because the thing of like, okay, what are they, what are they authorized to do? You said before they're not authorized to go into a school or something, but somehow they claim school. So what? And then what are. If they are wrong? What. What's the true, like, what is your recourse if they're wrong? You know?

[Chris Keane]

Yeah.

[Kurt Metzger]

Does anybody know that? I don't really trust any of these people. Put it. Posting anything. Because I feel like these are a lot of setup things that are to get you mad one way or the other. And I'm trying to understand, like what is the actual written down law? Because I didn't know until you showed me that that lady hit the gas. Well, it turns out that guy's supposed to get out of the way according to what it says in the statue. So I was wrong.

[Chris Keane]

According to their own guidance, they're supposed to not be in front of a car. They're supposed to get out of the way or not.

[Kurt Metzger]

That's what's supposed to be concrete. Is that so? I'm just curious. I. I haven't seen what their rules of engagement are at all, anywhere.

[Chris Keane]

And then there's one more comment here. Exactly. Let's remove true criminals and people who take but don't contribute. In my experience, most immigrants work pretty hard and raise their children to be responsible and hardworking. Sure, there are bad cases and they should be dealt with, but treating normal People like dangerous criminals is a characteristic of a dictatorship or police state.

[Kurt Metzger]

That's a stupid comment. We're not talking about immigrants. We're talking about illegal. So the crime is being here illegally. That makes you a criminal because there's a law that you can't do that. Why does no one acknowledge there's a difference between immigrants and illegal immigrants? Do you see them deliberately not mentioning the difference over and over?

[Caleb Maupin]

Why?

[Chris Keane]

I agree there is a difference between those two things. A lot of this stuff is targeting. Targeting citizens, though, at this point, or it's affecting citizens.

[Kurt Metzger]

Why? Why would they be able to target a citizen? I don't understand that. And both these comments look like they're not telling me part of the story.

[Chris Keane]

No, I. You know what? Mike Timpson has something to say here I like to hear.

[Caleb Maupin]

No, just saying. I think it's all just a demoralization campaign.

[Chris Keane]

You know what I mean? Like, it doesn't matter that their rules and their guidelines and everything, they're breaking everything, doing it right in your face. And they're getting used to it. You know what I mean? They're basically making this the norm, the new normal. Yeah, that's a good point. Yeah. This is, like, normal.

[Kurt Metzger]

I got used to it when they told me women have dicks and I better say that or else. I got used to it then. So I don't know what this is doing. Remember when they said that and we all argued about it for 12 years, but you should never look down on Muslims again after that, because one thing they didn't do is argue that, did they?

[Chris Keane]

A lot. A lot of violence has been normalized. Like, Mike was just saying it's normal to see cops do this. Now, when I was a kid in the 90s and the Rodney King thing happened, people were like, oh, my God. Now, you see videos of this every day. You see kids dead in Gaza. You see violence everywhere you look. It's like this stuff has become more and more normalized, and maybe that's why people. Maybe that's why people so easily celebrate it when someone they disagree with gets murdered. Because you're used to it.

[Kurt Metzger]

No, I'm mad all day, and I don't feel like I have power. But there's another group that I don't like, and I'm not talking about we're Russia and the weather. I'm not talking about the three W's. These people again, they're gonna execute white people, and no one's gonna give a. Because remember, we're not talking about all Lives matter. So guess what? White lives don't matter. Isn't that ironic? Liberals. So now the Gestapo police, who. Some of whom, I promise you, are here illegally. I promise you there's illegal ICE agents working, okay? And they're gonna shoot white lesbians. And no one's gonna give a. Because everybody hates liberals now, and that's called the dialectic, and you're going through it again. It's a cycle, Kurt.

[Chris Keane]

If someone caps your white ass, I promise I. I will care. I'll be on the phone.

[Kurt Metzger]

No one's gonna.

[Chris Keane]

Well, look, I'll be on the front lines, protest.

[Kurt Metzger]

And also, I don't do stupid shit. Where.

[Chris Keane]

Like, I've seen.

[Kurt Metzger]

I've seen your act.

[Chris Keane]

I've seen your act. Come on.

[Kurt Metzger]

That's not provocative. Provocative is this. And tell me if you've heard this. Somebody that I like says to me about. Like, if you have a gun, if somebody's, you know, attacking you, you have a gun, won't that provoke them more? Have you ever heard someone say that?

[Chris Keane]

Yeah, I've heard that.

[Kurt Metzger]

What kind of an imbecile would say something that's stupid? No, the gun means you settled the down, right? If you're provoked by me having a gun, then I should shoot because you're a crazy maniac. Yeah, they see the de escalation is, I'll kill you if you don't fucking stop. That's called de escalation, asshole. And a bunch of imbeciles have been trained that they're gonna get extra mad because you pull. Well, that's not how guns work, stupid. Okay? They're legal. So that's the left wing. That's what they fed people, moronic shit like that. That's why Kyle Rittenhouse, who Jimmy correctly pointed out we should be acquitted because we saw the video. Imbecile liberals went, but if you have a gun, it might make the person angry. Do you hear yourself?

[Chris Keane]

You know, yeah, I see what you're saying. I'm with you, Kurt.

[Kurt Metzger]

Well, listen, I. Maybe I will say something bad, and you'll have to. Really. However I die, I want everyone to know it's murder, even if it was my own fault.

[Chris Keane]

Technically, no one murder Kurt Metzger. That is the. That is the synopsis of this.

[Kurt Metzger]

Even if I. Whatever.

[Hugh Hewitt]

Welcome to the Jimmy Dore show, everybody. Keaton Weiss here with special guest Caleb Maupin. Trump is threatening Iran. Trump is very concerned with the rights of Iranian protesters. Man, talk about. I mean, I would like. I would like some more America First Energy Here, because I feel like he respects Iranian protesters more than American protesters, ranchers. Just like he respects Argentinian cattle ranchers more than American cattle ranchers. Right. This seems like America. What is it? So you got Iran, or what do you got? Israel, Ukraine, Argentina, Iran. So it's America first. It feels more like America fifth. That's what it feels like. Maybe that's what he meant. Maybe America fifth, not America first. But anyway, here he is essentially threatening Iran with harsh consequences if they abuse the rights of their protesters.

[Donald Trump]

Probably better than anybody. They're doing very poorly and as you know, probably better than anybody. They're doing very poorly. And I have let them know that if they start killing people, which they tend to do during their riots, they have lots of riots. If they do it, we're going to hit them very hard.

[Kurt Metzger]

Now, dozens have been killed. I know you don't do red lines, but have you communicated to them what that limit of your patience is?

[Donald Trump]

Well, some have been killed by, you know, problems of crowd control and other things. We're watching it very closely. The crowds are so large. There's been a stampede. There's been three stampedes, and people have been killed in that. And I'm not sure I can necessarily hold somebody responsible for that, but they know, and they've been told very strongly, even more strongly than I'm speaking to you right now, that if they do that, they're going to have to pay.

[Chris Keane]

Hell, do you that.

[Hugh Hewitt]

That's Hugh Hewitt getting old. That guy hasn't had an erection since the first Gulf War. So I understand why he's. He's hungry for an Iran war. Right. Something's got to get you going in in your old age. Maybe that'll do the trick. Here's President Trump's senior advisor for Arab and African affairs, Massad Boulos, saying the fate of Iran is up to its people. But killing protesters is a red line.

[Kurt Metzger]

Today, obviously, taking out Maduro and bringing him to the United States to answer tough questions. The President is clearly not opposed to regime change. Do you see that happening in Iran? The President has talked about that, and we are not into. Involved in that kind of business.

[Chris Keane]

Really.

[Kurt Metzger]

This is up to the Iranian people, but we are in the Western hemisphere. Yeah, but he gave. He gave a clear warning regarding the demonstrations that. That have been happening and killing of civilians.

[Mike McRae]

So.

[Kurt Metzger]

So let's see what happens. If I were in the Ayatollah, should I be worried that somebody's going to get me out of my house? Well, I'm not sure about that, but the president gave a clear warning. Yeah, yeah, it's a red line. You know, killing of civilians that are exercising the right of free speech and demonstrating in the streets is a red line to President Trump and he gave a clear warning to that effect.

[Hugh Hewitt]

Yeah, I wish you would give ICE that same warning, but I guess we'll wait and see about that. Will hit them very hard. Trump threatens Iran again as protest death toll rises President Donald Trump doubled down on his threats to attack Iran on Thursday in response to its government's increasingly violent crackdown on ongoing protests. They start killing people, which they tend to do during their riots. They have lots of riots. If they do it, we're going to hit them very hard, he said. Addressing the Iranian people, he added, you must stand up for your right to freedom. There is nothing like freedom. You are a brave people. It's a shame what's happening to your country. I feel like he's talking to us. No such luck. The Norway based Iran Human Rights reported on Thursday that Iranian security forces have killed at least 45 protesters since demonstrations against the regime began in late December. Wednesday was the bloodiest day yet, with 13 people reportedly killed. On Thursday, Iranian authorities shut down Internet access for the population, which has limited the flow of information in and out of the country. The protest kicked off in response to the sudden collapse in the value of Iran's currency, the rial, which exacerbated the country's already spiraling cost of living crisis, heightening inflation and putting many basic goods out of reach for many Iranians. This economic crisis has been shifted into hyperdrive since Trump returned to office last year and re implemented his maximum pressure strategy against Iran, including more severe economic sanctions and a 12 day war in June, during which US struck several Iranian nuclear sites. Over the past year, the average cost of food has increased by 70%, while the cost of medicine has increased by 50%. On Tuesday, US Senator Lindsey Graham, a leading proponent of regime change, warned Iran's leaders that if you keep killing your people who are demanding a better life, Donald J. Trump is going to kill you. Let's take a look at that video.

[Mike McRae]

Trump is not Barack Obama.

[Caleb Maupin]

He has your back.

[Mike McRae]

And to the Ayatollahs, you need to understand, if you keep killing your people.

[Caleb Maupin]

Who are demanding a better life, Donald.

[Mike McRae]

J. Trump is going to kill you. Change is coming to Iran. It'll be the biggest change in the history of the Mideast to get rid of this Nazi regime.

[Caleb Maupin]

To the people of Iran, help is on the way.

[Hugh Hewitt]

Yeah, help is on the way. Help is on the way. I'm sure they appreciate those words. So, yeah, I mean, the winds of war seem to be a blowing. And it seems to me, you know, one of the theories that I've heard that I think there's a lot too, is that part of why we're so adamant about controlling Venezuela's oil is so that oil prices will be stabilized in the event of a war with Iran, which of course we know Israel wants very much. So looking at all of this, to the extent that these issues connect or diverge, I mean, whatever context you view it through, do you think we're getting a war with Iran this year?

[Caleb Maupin]

I don't. You know, it would be a very stupid thing to do. Iran is poised to defend itself. But more pressure on Iran, more hostility toward Iran is definitely what the Netanyahu government wants. It's definitely what, you know, Wall street and the oil companies want. I've spent a lot of time in Iran. I've actually made a film about being in Iran you can watch on the CKI website, Iranian Dream. And I, I've been to Iran a number of times. And there are two factors that we have to keep in mind here. On the one hand, there are some internal contradictions in Iran. Right. When Iran had its revolution in 1979, it was not just an anti imperialist and anti Israeli revolution. It was also an anti capitalist revolution, they said, not capitalism, but Islam, neither East nor west, war of poverty against wealth. And they were not Marxists. They rejected Marxism as a secular, their godless ideology, but they were against capitalism as not being consistent with Islam. In the 90s, Iran very much pivoted into a pro Western kind of position because of the fact that Saddam Hussein was America's main enemy and for a number of reasons. The Soviet Union had fallen and there were a number of reasons. But then with the rise of Ahmadinejad, Iran, you know, looked like it was getting friendlier to the Bolivarian countries. And you know, Ahmadinejad had been a leftist and you know, he implemented a lot of social programs and really kind of emphasized the anti capitalist teachings of the Islamic Republic. And now there's a lot of confusion in Iran about where to go, economically speaking. Right. And that there are a lot of people in the country that love the revolution, that love the Islamic Republic, but feel like they have let the rich people get away with too much. They've deregulated banking, they're not providing for the people in the way that the, the Islamic revolution's found founders wanted.

[Hugh Hewitt]

Right.

[Caleb Maupin]

And that's the hardliner movement. I actually have interviewed Ibrahim Razi, one of the Iranian president who died. I actually had the opportunity to interview him and he was a hardliner. And that was part of the hardliner positions. We need to go back to the more socialistic aspects of our revolution. Whereas the reformists and the moderates, you know, like Rouhani, they were saying, well, we need to just make friends with America and, you know, have market and privatizations, etc. So, so Iran is adjusting its economy right now due to the new circumstances. That's the one thing. On the other hand, there's a layer of people in Iran that are just agents of the west, right? You have the Mujahideen cult, a group of like weird terrorists, you know, that, that started out as communists and then became Israeli agents working with Mossad. You've got a lot of very, very wealthy people that, that want the Shah back and are monarchists. And there's a layer of people that when they get a call from America, they go out and riot and break windows and destroy property and do whatever they, they want basically on command. It's almost like they have a button in the White House. And every so often they'll, they'll see that there's like a perfect storm. There's a contradiction. There's some problems in the Iranian economy and they, I'm exaggerating. There's not literally a button, but it's almost like that they just push a button and certain people just go out and break because they want to overthrow the Islamic Republic. And so, so there's, there's a contradiction. There's, there's two stories there. But at the end of the day, right now the Internet is off in Iran, which, that they have the same thing in America. Do you remember that? The kill switch, we have that here. They can turn the Internet off over here if we have a domestic emergency. So, you know, I, I mean, if people are saying that Iran is bad because, and it's not everywhere, I believe it's in certain areas they've turned off the Internet. We have that here. I believe Obama signed it into law that if they declare a national emergency, they can turn off the Internet in America too. Most countries at this point have such a possibility policy. It looks like in Iran that, that there's some anger about the economic situation. And so forces that are aligned with the United States and aligned with Israel are going out and rioting and breaking things. And so the Islamic Republic, seeing, you know, the bombing that they faced earlier and seeing, you know, what's happened and the assassination of prominent leaders. They're, they've, they've, they're taking care of business. And it's probably pretty ugly and it's probably pretty heavy handed, but it's because you look at Iran, Iran in terms of countries in that region is a very stable, safe country, right? Iran, you know, the amount of terrorist attacks, the amount of killing, the rate of crime is particularly low. But look at their border. They got Iraq, Iraq's not a very safe place. They got Afghanistan, not a very safe place. They've got Syria, not a very safe place. They've got instability all around them. And the Islamic Republic, part of why they are loved and respected is they have kept the country relatively safe. Every so often something might happen, but it's very rare. And they have provided stability and even people in the country. When I was in Iran, I walked around some of the wealthier neighborhoods where people don't like the Islamic Republic. But even a lot of the wealthier people said, I don't want the instability that would come from bringing down the Islamic Republic. I don't want to go through that. And some of the older folks remembered how chaotic the 1979 revolution was, was and how scary it was and confusing when it wasn't clear who was going to come to power. They don't want that to happen again. The Islamic Republic, they have what are called Basij councils in every neighborhood. Basij means mobilized, oppressed. And they're the people that carry out the goals of the revolution. On a community level. That country is locked and loaded. They are ready to fight and they've been ready to fight. I mean, they repelled the Iraqi invasion in the 1980s. They've got pictures of martyrs of people who gave their lives fighting the Iraqi invaders in every neighborhood. And you know, it's interesting, when I went to Venezuela, when I went to Iran, and a lot of countries that are, you know, what you call anti imperialist countries, you can almost divide the population. It's kind of a new formula, right? It wasn't like this in the, in the time of the Cold War. But these countries are kind of a third. A third, a third. You have a third of the people that are, they buy the idea that their problems are because of the government. They buy into American propaganda or whatever. They're anti government. And then you have a third of the people that are, are pro government, but they're not very passionate about it. They're like, hey, you know, the government gave us health care. The government has built schools and hospitals don't necessarily agree with their ideology, but, you know, hey, they're doing a good job, whatever. Not my problem. They're not. They're kind of indifferent, but they're pro. And then you have a layer of people who are dedicated, who are ready to die for the revolution, right? In Iran, you have the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps, that is a paramilitary, a military, military organization that's actually accountable only to the Supreme Leader. And you go to the neighborhoods where they run things, and they are the biggest economic entity in Iran, and they are ready to be martyrs. They are ready to die. They believe. I, I went and saw the Supreme Leader speak in 2015 during the Iran negotiations. And I mean, I was in a room full of people that they just started sobbing as soon as he came into the room. All the men extend their hands and shout, the blood in my vessels belongs to the spirit, Supreme Leader. There's a layer of people there that, that will go down fighting. And you know, Venezuela, not an Islamic country, they have the same thing. I visited a commune in central Caracas, a collectivo, and I met people who talked about, you know, the fact that, you know, if it wasn't for Hugo Chavez, they wouldn't be able to speak Spanish. They, they only spoke indigenous languages. They talked about how, you know, how it was Chavez that brought running water and brought health care into their neighborhoods. And you know, those folks, the Bolivarian militias, they call it, they are locked and loaded and they are ready to fight and die for socialism. And they have those Bolivarian, socialist, Bolivarian circles in every neighborhood, and they're ready to go. And, and Venezuela is similar, where I'd say it's about a third. A third, A third, right? You have a third of the people that are against, a third of the people that are pro, but kind of a different. But then you have that solid core of people, that solid core of people that are like, this is my movement. I am loyal to this revolution and I am against the imperialist, and I'm ready to go. And that, that, that is kind of a new formula, right? During the Cold War, I think that, you know, the Soviet Union tried to make that, that very dedicated third. Everybody, right? They tried to have everybody, you know, be that way. And that, that's not going to work. Some people are just not into it. They want to start their own business, they, whatever. But, but these anti imperialist states in our time, they've maintained a layer of the population that is very solid and very dedicated. And that's what, that's why these Governments are able to withstand all these attacks. And look, at the end of the day, right, if you are concerned about human rights in Iran or in Venezuela or China or any of these countries, you should want America to trade with these countries. Because when countries are under attack and they're isolated and they are, you know, preparing for a foreign invasion, they're locking down at that point. They have to protect themselves and they have to have rigid discipline. And all the authoritarianism people don't like about North Korea that wouldn't be there if there weren't thousands of U.S. troops in South Korea and U.S. nuclear submarines, you know, you know, potentially loaded with nukes to attack them, right? That countries that are, you know, locked out of the global economy, that are facing threats of invasion, they have to be authoritarian and rigid. They have to. It's the only way they can. They can stand themselves. But when countries are part and trading on the world economy and when they're more prosperous economically, then they can be more open. So don't ever believe that US Attacks on Iran are done about concerns for human rights in Iran. Don't ever believe that. That U.S. attacks on Venezuela are done out of concern for human rights. Because the more you threaten and attack countries, the more they have to solidify and prepare to fight to the death to defend their homeland.

[Hugh Hewitt]

Yeah, it's funny. I mean, that last piece about how, you know, you know, we demonize these countries as being very repressive, yet we impose upon them the threats of essentially, you know, overthrow. Why wouldn't they be repressive? There was a story about a. A comedian in China a few years back who got, you know, fines for making fun of the military and, oh, you know, look at this country. You know, look at how authoritarian they are. They made them pay a fine for telling a joke. If this country were surrounded by Chinese military bases, do you think we would be allowed to make fun of our military in the United States? Of course not. It's not even a question. All right, Caleb, I gotta run because we have another guest that we gotta bring in. But I always learn so much from talking to you. The book, book is called the Siege Has Failed why Venezuela Stands Strong Against Globalism and Imperialism. And you have an event coming up this Sunday. You want to just plug that one last time before you go?

[Caleb Maupin]

Monday at the Holiday Inn near the Newark Airport in New Jersey. It's going to be a great event. You know, doors open at 1:30. See you there.

[Hugh Hewitt]

They have a great coffee machine in the lobby, too. I used to get free Coffee. As a tour guide, when I would go into hotels, I knew all the hotels with free coffee machines. Machines. So I would go in. If anybody asked me if I was a guest of the hotel, I would just say, no, I'm a tour guide picking up a guest here. Oh, and then one time they busted me. One time, the guy said, what's the name of your guest? What's. What's your guest's name that you're picking up? So I just looked at an old manifest and I picked the most common name off the list. You know, Smith, whatever. It was the Hampton Inn on 8th Avenue. I figured, it's a thousand people here, there's gotta be some Smith here. Sure enough, there was. And he said, okay, yeah, all right, cool. I said, yeah, I'm just waiting for him. He says, yeah. No, he says, I didn't mean to. I didn't mean to, like, put you on the spot. It's just there are a lot of people who take advantage. And I said, no, I understand. Believe me. Believe me. I get it. All right. Thank you, Caleb. Appreciate it. Great to see you as always. We will talk to you again soon on one channel or another, wherever I end up on any given day. Thank you, man. Appreciate you.

[Caleb Maupin]

Sure thing. Always a pleasure.

[Kurt Metzger]

Hey.

[Mike McRae]

Become a premium member. Go to jimmy dorecomedy.com sign up. It's the most, most affordable premium program in the business. All the voices performed today are by the one and only, the inimitable Mike McRae. He can be found at mikemcrae.com that's it for this week. You be the best you can be, and I'll keep being me.

[Chris Keane]

Freak out.

[Caleb Maupin]

Don't freak out. Don't freak out.

[Kurt Metzger]

Don't freak out.

[Chris Keane]

Don't freak out. Don't freak out.

[Caleb Maupin]

Do not freak out. I'm not kidding.

[Kurt Metzger]

Do not do that. Don't freak out.

[Mike McRae]

Do not freak out.