Like a Broken Record: Dems Return to Racism Card

Summary

The Josh Hammer Show

Episode: "Like a Broken Record: Dems Return to Racism Card"

Date: June 10, 2026
Host: Josh Hammer
Guest: Lee Smith

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Episode Overview

In this episode, Josh Hammer delivers forceful commentary on what he calls “the left's overuse of the race card” in American political and legal discourse. The episode is split into two main parts:

• An initial, in-depth critique of the response to the recent Carmelo Anthony murder verdict and the broader use of racial narratives by Democrats and left-leaning organizations like the SPLC.
• A substantive interview with journalist and author Lee Smith focusing on U.S. policy toward Iran, recent Middle East developments, and the broader global ramifications if the U.S. response lacks resolve or clarity.

Hammer’s tone is direct, combative, and unapologetic—squarely representing the populist right/New Right perspective. He repeatedly calls out what he perceives as hypocrisy, moral confusion, and political opportunism on the left, while touting colorblindness as the American ideal on race.

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Main Themes

• Democratic Party's Use of Racial Narratives: Hammer accuses Democrats of reverting to racial arguments in political discourse, particularly around high-profile criminal cases and legislative debates.
• Coverage of Carmelo Anthony Trial: Hammer denounces the media and Democratic response to a racially charged murder trial in Texas, arguing that claims of racial injustice are misplaced.
• SPLC Under Scrutiny: Congressional scrutiny of the Southern Poverty Law Center’s activities, its alleged hypocrisy, and its controversial “hate map.”
• Middle East Policy/Iran: A conversation with Lee Smith about the Trump administration’s strategic choices with Iran and the broader meaning for global power politics.
• Optimism for Conservative Gains: Hammer predicts Republican political dominance despite inflation and international crises.
• Colorblindness vs. Race-Centrism: Repeated calls for a “colorblind” approach to public life, accompanied by criticism of left-wing racial politics.

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Key Segments & Discussion Points

1. The Carmelo Anthony Murder Trial and the "Race Card"

Timestamps: 00:30–05:31

• Hammer discusses the verdict in the Carmelo Anthony (with a “K”) murder case, emphasizing the racial dynamics injected into the coverage and public reaction.
• Critiques media for framing the incident as racially motivated and suggests it was a straightforward murder case (“the jury...deliberated for less than three hours” – 02:45).
• Condemns responses from activists and politicians, including Rep. Jasmine Crockett, characterizing their comments as emblematic of what he sees as “race hucksterism.”

Notable Quotes:

• “Well, it’s a day ending in Y and Democrats are once again resorting to the most predictable tactic... the race card.” – Josh Hammer (00:30)
• “You don’t have a right... to murder someone for lightly shoving you.” – Josh Hammer (02:14)
• “What do you want us to do? I want you to raise people to not be like Trayvon Martin, to not be like Carmelo Anthony.” – Josh Hammer (04:15)
• "Black women... live in fear and agony every single day... a fear and agony that I promise you the Metcalfs probably never spent a day living that way." – Rep. Jasmine Crockett, quoted by Hammer (05:04)

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2. SPLC Congressional Hearing & Accusations of Racism

Timestamps: 08:04–15:20

• Hammer recounts details from a congressional hearing into the SPLC, focusing on wire fraud accusations and claims that the SPLC has itself funded extremists for fundraising purposes.
• Highlights exchanges between Rep. Brandon Gill and SPLC CEO Brian Fair, mocking the SPLC’s labeling of pro-life activists as racists and pointing out the alleged foundational racism of organizations like Planned Parenthood.
• Showcases Chip Roy’s grilling of Brian Fair over SPLC’s failure to list extremist Islamic groups on their “hate map.”
• Mocks the SPLC’s framing of pro-life advocacy as “white supremacy,” suggesting the data shows the opposite.

Notable Quotes:

• “The SPLC, which has been accused of funding...Nazis, had the temerity, the chutzpah to say that pro-lifers...are racist. Well, Brandon Gill to his credit, was not having any of that.” – Josh Hammer (09:10)
• “Do you think SPLC could provide us a list of the Islamic-oriented groups you have on your hate map?” – Chip Roy (13:57)
• "We target no group because of its religion. We target groups because they express statements and engage in activities that demean and vilify." – Brian Fair (14:10)
• “Obviously not a whole lot of Islamic extremists are pro-rainbow jihad. They’re pro other forms of jihad, to be clear, but they are not pro rainbow jihad.” – Josh Hammer (14:35)

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3. Race and the American Left

Timestamps: 15:20–19:04

• Hammer argues that the Democratic Party has been fixated on race for its entire history, connecting past support for slavery and segregation to present-day “race-centricity.”
• Contrasts this with the “colorblind worldview” he advocates, grounded in the Declaration of Independence and the Civil Rights Act of 1964.
• Plays and endorses a statement from Dr. Alveda King, Martin Luther King Jr.'s niece, calling for “one blood, one human race” (17:40).

Notable Quotes:

• “Democrats, though, have an institutional interest in continuing to fester those wounds.” – Josh Hammer (11:55)
• "I dream that one day we will move beyond black power and white power and embrace God's power and human dignity...We are...one blood, one human race." – Alveda King (17:55)

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4. Iran, U.S. Foreign Policy, and Lee Smith Interview

Timestamps: 23:26–33:58

A. Current Crisis and Trump’s Dilemma

• Smith outlines the state of U.S.–Iran relations after an American helicopter was downed and connects present difficulties to policies dating back to the Obama administration’s JCPOA.
• Credits Trump’s past actions for delaying Iran’s nuclear ambitions, warns that the next Democratic administration would likely restore support for Iran.
• Discusses the challenge of achieving U.S. goals diplomatically, suggesting military action may be necessary to dismantle Iran’s nuclear program and missile inventory.

Notable Quotes:

• “When the Barack Obama administration...struck that deal with the Iranians...that was designed to get Iran a bomb...Had Donald Trump not been elected...the Iranians would absolutely have a bomb by now.” – Lee Smith (25:00)
• "Falling short of [Trump’s] benchmarks is a problem...it’s going to take military action to get that enriched uranium and to dismantle Iran's nuclear facilities." – Lee Smith (28:12)

B. China and Global Perceptions

• Smith warns of the global message sent by perceived American indecision or weakness, particularly to China.

Timestamps: 30:33–31:32

• "The United States is bogged down somewhere else. So that means they’re not paying attention to us here in China. And so that’s a problem.” – Lee Smith (30:53)

C. Hezbollah and Lebanon

Timestamps: 31:32–33:50

• Smith sharply criticizes U.S. policy toward Lebanon, arguing it enables Hezbollah and isn't in American or Israeli interests.
• Suggests the U.S. should allow Israel to destroy Hezbollah as part of negotiations with Iran.

Notable Quotes:

• “What the administration should do is...let the Israelis destroy Hezbollah and say, we’re still negotiating, aren’t we?” – Lee Smith (33:12)

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5. Hammer’s Policy Takeaways & Domestic Politics

Timestamps: 35:03–43:45

• Hammer reiterates the need for America to "finish the job" in Iran militarily, criticizing half-measures and contrasting his approach with the failures of past U.S. interventions.
• Discusses current inflation (4.2%) as a significant challenge.
• Analyzes recent political races and predicts continued Republican success in 2026, tying Democratic difficulties to their embrace of far-left and race-centered politics.
• Argues that Democratic candidates running as progressives/socialists in red states are out of touch with local values.

Notable Quotes:

• “The cardinal sin of American foreign policy...has been starting conflicts and then not properly finishing them.” – Josh Hammer (36:06)
• "Republicans on the other hand do a pretty good job of...tailor[ing] their candidates for a particular state's demographic." – Josh Hammer (41:32)

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Most Memorable Moments & Quotes

• Hammer’s opening condemnation of race-centered narratives: "It’s a day ending in Y and Democrats are once again resorting to...the race card." (00:30)
• On Carmelo Anthony trial: “You don’t have any kind of a right to murder someone for lightly shoving you...That’s not how it works.” (02:14)
• Rep. Jasmine Crockett’s take on fear: “...black women...live in fear and agony every single day. A fear and agony that I promise you the Metcalfs probably never spent a day living that way.” (05:04)
• Alveda King’s call for unity: "I dream that one day we will move beyond black power and white power and embrace God's power and human dignity..." (17:55)
• Lee Smith on Iran policy: “…if the president...wants a genuine win…we need to dismantle their nuclear facilities entirely…those are the benchmarks the president set. So falling short of those is a problem.” (28:05)
• Smith on Lebanon: “The administration should see Lebanon and Iran as part of the same problem, and they should let the Israelis destroy Hezbollah...” (33:12)

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Timestamps for Notable Segments

• Carmelo Anthony trial/Race Dynamics: 00:30–05:31
• SPLC Hearing & Race Politics: 08:04–15:20
• Alveda King’s Remarks: 17:40–19:04
• Start of Lee Smith Interview: 23:26
• Iran Policy Deep Dive: 24:25–33:58
• Hammer’s Policy Take and Election Commentary: 35:03–43:45

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Conclusion

This episode is a combative defense of conservative principles—emphasizing colorblindness, denouncing what Josh Hammer calls “the race card,” and calling for a more decisive American foreign policy. Through pointed questions, policy analysis, and rhetorical flourishes, Hammer seeks both to rally conservatives and to call out perceived hypocrisy and strategic failures on the left. The Lee Smith interview provides a sober, hawkish, and historically informed take on the challenges facing U.S. policy in the Middle East.

Listeners will walk away with a strong sense of Hammer’s worldview—skeptical of left-wing racial politics, advocating for an assertive foreign policy, and optimistic about future conservative electoral gains against what he sees as an increasingly radicalized Democratic Party.

Transcript

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[Josh Hammer]

Well, it's a day ndy and Democrats are once again resorting to the most predictable tactic in the entire book. You guessed it, it's the race card. I'm Josh Hammer and this is the Josh Hammer Show. So an action packed news cycle over the past 24 to 36 hours. Lee Smith will join us a little bit later in the show as well to get the latest when it comes to the situation in the Middle east and Iran. And we had the verdict yesterday in the closely watched Carmelo Anthony trial. First of all, let me just say as a big basketball fan, I think it's highly unfortunate that Carmelo Anthony, who is now the convicted murderer of Austin Metcalfe there in the Dallas Fort Worth area has literally the exact same name as the former NBA all star very good player Carmelo Anthony. They have to just spell their name differently, C or K there. I presume I'm not the only basketball fan who has a thought every single time I see this name in the news. Having said that, just had to get that out of the way. Nonetheless, Carmelo with a K anth not to be confused with Carmelo with the C Anthony, Carmelo with the key. Anthony has now been found guilty of murder. This is a very, very closely watched trial. A horrific, horrific incident happening at a track and field meet there in the Collin County, Texas area. So this happened at a Frisco, Texas school district track meet. The fatal stabbing was on April 2, 2025. 17 year old Austin Metcalfe was fatally stabbed in the heart. And this trial was closely watched. One, because it's just horrific. The details are terr and just galling. Two, there's also, yes, you guessed it, the race component. So Carmel Anthony is black and Austin Metcalf, the victim of this horrific tragedy was white. And that will already give you an indication as to how this was covered from soup to not. So Austin Metcalfe, the white victim of this fatal stabbing according to even one defense witness actually at this trial, even a leading defense Witness for Anthony said that Metcalfe said over and over again that he had no interest in fighting Anthony. So someone started a shoving, like a small kind of fight. It's debate as to who started it. Basically what happened was then it was started to escalate a little bit and Metcalf was like, no, no, no, no, like I don't want to fight there. And out of nowhere, out of nowhere, Carmel Anthony pulls out a knife and stamps Austin Metcalf to death in the heart. Now, his lawyers were arguing on behalf of self defense, but as anyone who knows anything about self defense knows, including in red states such as Texas, such as my state of Florida, even states that have so called stand your ground laws, you don't have a right under statutes of the Constitution, or even a natural or moral right. You don't have any kind of a right to murder someone for lightly shoving you. That's not how it works. So this, this argument was bound to fail. And sure enough, that is why the jury in this case ultimately deliberated for less than three hours. It was a fairly straightforward open and shut case. The only reason that this case was covered as closely as it was that the mainstream media was obsessed was that they said, oh, this is racism. The white boy, Austin Metcalfe started this fight there and cry. The poor black guy was reacting in self defense. That's why you had all the race hucksters. That's why you have the Al Sharptons of the world that were in there trying to react to this verdict. And sure enough, actually outside of the courthouse yesterday, there was a supporter of Carol Anthony's who was reacting in, shall we say, unfortunate fashion when it came to the verdict. Let's go ahead and play this clip courtesy of WFLA.com, nextarmedia.

[Interviewee or Caller]

What do you want us to do?

[Josh Hammer]

That's right.

[Interviewee or Caller]

What, what do you want us to do at this point? What? I, I'm, I'm, I'm lost for it. I don't know what to do. I got five boys, I don't know why. I ain't got nothing to tell them no more. You can't walk away no more.

[Josh Hammer]

Okay, ma', am, what I want me to do, if you were the mother of five children, is to raise your children to not act like Carmelo Anthony, to not stab 17 year olds in the heart for getting into a light shoving match at a track and field high school beat. Is that really so much to ask? That is what you should do if you are the mother. What do you want us to do. I want you to raise people to not be like Trayvon Martin, to not be like Carmel Anthony. Surely that's not asking a whole lot. Jasmine Crockett, one of the dim, wittiest of all the dim, witty congressmen in the entire Congress, frankly. Really one of the dim, wittiest, dimwits in all of these United States. And in Congressman there in the Dallas Fort Worth area was saying that black women live in agony every day. And she says, I promise the Metcalfs never live through it. Go ahead and play this clip as well.

[Interviewee or Caller]

Black women, especially black women who have black male children, live in fear and agony every single day. A fear and agony that I promise you the Metcalf's probably never spent a day living that way. And we're gonna have to have just some real conversations about race in this country.

[Josh Hammer]

Okay? So first of all, I guarantee you that Austin Metcalf felt the way when he was being stabbed to death by Carmel Anthony. And I'm pretty sure that the Metcalf family felt that way when they watched their boy bleed to death at a high school track and field meet. By the way, this is obviously not about black women. The defendant, Carmel Anthony, is a black man. So even that is a little weird for Crockett to go there. Nonetheless, that is what Jasmine Crockett does. Personally, this is a. I view this as about as straightforward a homicide case as it gets in American criminal law. There's an unfortunate supreme court case from 21 years ago called Roper vs. Simmons. It's a case that held for the first time that there will be no death penalty period in America as a matter of the Eighth Amendment, which prescribes cruel and usual punishments. The Roper vs. Simmons case says that there will be no death penalty period, full stop, end of story for anyone under the age of 18. He was a hotly debated opinion, a 5 to 4 ruling. Scalia, Thomas, the conservatives, all dissenting there. I think Roper vs. Simmons was incorrectly decided there. I think that you should be eligible for the death penalty if you are at least 16, maybe even a little bit younger than that there. In my opinion, Carmel Anthony should be getting the death penalty in a straightforward homicide case of this. He's been sentenced to 35 years in prison, possibility of parole after 17 and a half years, which is really, really just not going to cut it. God willing, he will be locked up at minimum for a very, very long time. So there's actually a lot else happening in the world of race yesterday as well. Again, Democrats just beating the race car Crockett, they're all beating it so hard there. And we haven't even talked about the SPLC bombshell hearing on Capitol Hill. And before we get to that, just a brief word from one of our sponsors for today's show, which is Balance of Nature. You know, I try to eat a well rounded diet. I am big on fruits. I am big on veggies. Not a big carbs guy in general. Definitely don't do it big on the sugar. But look, we're really busy. I've got a job, I've got a family. You probably do too. And that's why I rely on Balance of Nature supplements to supplement my already well rounded diet. It supports a lifestyle of eating who foods. Balanced Nature's products are lab tested. There are no binders, fillers or flow agents. They use a tailored vacuum cold process. It's then powdered and packaged and presented in an easily digestible form for you. Balance Nature's patented whole health System gives you 47 ingredients of fruits, vegetables, spices and fibers. I've been relying on this. My Maha mom of wife loves the au natural ingredients here in Balance of Nature. So I encourage you to go to balancenature.com check out the patented Holt health system. You can use discount code hammer to get 10% off again. Our first sponsor for today's show is Balance of Nature. So over on Capitol Hill, there was a hearing on the Southern Poverty Law center and the Southern Poverty Law center, as you may recall, it's been a couple months now since the DOJ unveiled this frankly amazing indictment accusing the SPLC of, well, a number of things including wire fraud. But essentially what they were doing there was they were paying people at the infamous 2017 Charlottesville Unite the Right rally and various other areas and events. They were essentially trying to astroturf greater racism than there was for the purpose then of going ahead to actually then gin up more donations. And the head, the CEO of the SPLC Southern Party Law Center, Brian Fair, was testifying in a very, very fascinating and highly entertaining exchange with a lot of congressmen. Our pal Brandon Gill, speaking of North Texas, Brandon is from there, from the North Texas area. Brandon Gill, the young star freshman congressman, got into a very, very, very interesting back and forth with Brian Fair of the splc because the splc, which has been accused of funding, oh, I don't know, Nazis, they had the temerity, the chutzpah to say that the pro lifers out there, people like me, maybe people like you pro lifers actually are racist. Well, Brandon Gill to his credit, was not having any of that. Here was Brandon Gill with Brian Ferrisse in Congress.

[Brian Fair]

Do you think that this should disqualify him politically from serving in the Senate? Again, I'm not sure where the line of questions is going. The splc, if you're asking me. I'm sorry, go ahead. If you're asking me if the SPLC opposes Nazis and Nazi symbols, the answer is yes. Yep. The SPLC has referred to this same tattoo as a racist skinhead symbol and tattoo. You can see the resemblance there. You wouldn't want somebody with a tattoo like that in the Senate. No, no.

[Josh Hammer]

Okay. So that club there was actually was Brian Fair struggling but ultimately conceding that Graham Plattner, he of Nazi tattoo infamy, does not belong in the US Senate. In a separate exchange there between Congressman Gill and Brian Fair, we also saw Brian Fair essentially say that banning abortion is a tool that the far right uses to maintain white supremacy. Which is really shocking because roughly 40% of abortions in America are done on black babies in the womb, despite the fact that blacks in America are roughly 13% of the national population. So frankly, if anything, if the pro abortion cause that is institutionally racist. In fact, Margaret Sanger, the founder of Planned Parenthood going back about a century or so, was an avowed eugenicist who explicitly said, and this is a matter of public record, is really not in dispute that she tried to found Planned Parenthood and tried to expand birth control and tried to expand access to abortion among other things, to try to ultimately wind down or potentially, God forbid, even exterminate the black race. These are actually things that Margaret Sanger, the literal founder of Planned Parenthood said. Again, this is not disputed stuff there. So the point is that no matter where you look, Democrats are just playing the racism card. They are just playing the racism card now, tomorrow, the day after that, probably for time immemorial. And it's a reminder just of the appeal of the race card for Democrats, for the American left. The George Floyd moral panic hit America six years ago almost to the day after October 7th, America's grand racial reckoning was surpassed in its cultural currency on the far left by the Hamas PLO Gaza cause. But now it seems like it's coming back again. Why? Because that notorious fascist Nazi Donald Trump is in the White House. But funny how that works because the left wing SPLC is funding Nazis and the Nazi tattoo dude just got nominated literally last night to the US Senate seats in Maine. Well, as always with Democrats, they are not exactly known for their intellectual consistency. There is hypocrisy for a lot of people. There's no hypocrisy to fill an entire ocean. But that doesn't hide the moral evil trying to divide Americans by race because fundamentally, this is a country that has moved beyond racial divisions. Democrats, though, have an institutional interest in continuing to fester those wounds. Folks, we'll be right back after a quick break. Stay with us.

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[Josh Hammer]

Welcome back. So, plenty more bombshells from this SPLC hearing yesterday on Capitol Hill. Again, this is the first time that the Southern Poverty Law center has had to answer to Congress when it comes to this recent DOJ indictment of the SPLC for engaging in wire fraud and essentially of just trying to prop up literal Nazis, even though they are the Southern Poverty Law Center. It's more of an a little weird to put it mildly. So one of our favorites on Capitol Hill, Chip Roy, was really just getting into it and interrogating the Southern Party Law Center CEO Brian Fair as well. Very humorous and I think very telling exchange, actually, between Chip Roy and Brian Fair when it came to Islamic extremism and the rainbow LGBT agenda. Let's go ahead and play this clip as well.

[Chip Roy]

How many extremist Islamic groups do you have of the 1500 or so organizations you have on your hate map?

[Brian Fair]

Again, anyone can go to our website.

[Chip Roy]

My office has been looking over and can't really find one.

[Brian Fair]

Again, it is the SPLCs.

[Chip Roy]

You think SPLC could provide us a list of the Islamic oriented groups do you have on your hate hate map?

[Brian Fair]

Mr. Roy? We don't target any group because of its religion.

[Chip Roy]

Really?

[Brian Fair]

I want to be clear about that.

[Chip Roy]

Really?

[Brian Fair]

Yes, that's exactly right. We target no group because of its religion. We target groups because they express statements and engage in activities that demean and vilify.

[Chip Roy]

You brought up LGBTQ groups. So you brought up LGBT groups a minute ago. So you think there's a bunch of Islamic groups that are pro lgbtq. Is that the position of the SPLC I just want to make sure the record is reflecting that.

[Josh Hammer]

Okay, so good stuff there from Chip Roy. You heard the laughs in the room. Obviously not a whole lot of Islamic extremists are pro rainbow jihad. They're pro other forms of jihad, to be clear, but they are not pro rainbow jihad. So Brian Fair did not acquit himself well in this particular hearing at all, frankly. And we'll see if that has an effect on the ongoing legal proceedings when it comes to the current DOJ prosecution of the splc. The point, folks, is that when it comes to the issue of race, because the SPLC is going all in purportedly on the issue of racism, even though they are propping up Nazis, taking us back to the Carmelo Anthony horrific trial which reaches a verdict yesterday. There was this notion that America is a systemically racist country. Even if you have to prop up the Nazis to do it, There is still something that Democrats just cannot let go. It is one of the mother's milks, one of the mother's milks of their entire movement because they view themselves fundamentally as still fighting the 1960s Selma, Alabama, the Greensboro, North Carolina lunch counter style fights. They can't let it go. The cause du jour has moved on to an extent when it comes to Hamas, when it comes to the rainbow issues, to the gender ideology and transgenderism to an extent. But the race issue just had this unique calling card when it comes to the American left. And the tragedy is that they've always felt this way. The Democratic Party has been a race centric political party for essentially its entire existence. It was the Democratic Party that was the party of John C. Calhoun in the antebellum slavery period. John C. Calhoun infamously was the virulently racist South Carolinian who said that slavery, the so called peculiar institution there in antebellum America, he said that it is a positive good. He was infamous for making the positive good case for one of the greatest moral evils in modern Western history, chattel slavery in America. It was the Democratic Party that was the party of Jim Crow, segregation in the post Civil War south. The party of the Ku Klux Klan running roughshod over the rights of free men all across the South. And on and on and on we go. And today the dripping irony as we've known before on the show is that Democrats actually continue their race centric worldview. That is why Jasmine Crockett can still say that if you are a black woman, then you'll be more fearful of your life, period. Full end of story. Than if you are Austin Metcalfe or his family there, because they only see things through the prism of race. There is an alternative. There is a prophylactic, healthy alternative to a race centric worldview. It's called the colorblind worldview. It's called the actual view of America. The actual view of the Declaration, the actual view of the Constitution is best embodied in the Fort de Bone. The actual view of the Civil Rights act of 1964 and on and on and on. And actually speaking of the 1960s civil rights era was actually Martin Luther King Jr. S very well spoken niece Alveda King, who also was in Capitol Hill yesterday, who gave a very, very nice response to the race centricity of the Al Sharpton Brian Thayer worldview. Let's go ahead and play this great clip from Alveda King.

[Alveda King]

I reject hatred. I reject white supremacy. I reject any ideal ideology that seeks to elevate one group of people above another. But I also reject the notion that Americans who hold traditional Christian beliefs should be treated as threats or terrorists simply because we disagree with a prevailing, prevailing political thought. Today I still have a dream. I dream that one day we will move beyond black power and white power and embrace God's power and human dignity. I dream that Americans will one day see each other not as enemies, but as neighbors. I dream that we will hear each other, see each other and recognize that every human life has value, from the womb to the tomb and beyond. We are, as Scripture teaches, as science testified, one blood, one human race. And if we remember that truth, we can build a future worthy of the sacrifices made by those who came before us. We must speak out for truth and against the forces that would manufacture hate, fear, division and violence simply to line their pockets and further their political ambitions. Thank you, God bless America and I look forward to your questions. Thank you so much. God bless you.

[Josh Hammer]

Absolutely beautifully said by Alveda King, the niece of MLK mlk. By the way, Fordsworth was a reverend. Like his niece, he was a Christian. I presume that he believes in the right to life, not the right to abortion. So that also gets back to the SPLC saying that the pro life cause is racist. The whole thing doesn't add up. They are desperately, desperately, desperately trying to cling to this racial viewpoint there the Trump administration not having it. We cover the disparate impacts liability ruling from Trump's DOJ OLC essay there lots of other good stuff happening down the pipeline as well. Fundamentally, I believe that colorblindness is winning above all when it comes to the issue of race. So, folks, a lot more to get to when it comes to Iran and lots of other issues. But I also want to tell you a brief word about our other sponsor for today's show, which is Angel Studios. You know, if you are like me, you probably still have a lot of questions when it comes to COVID 19, I remember like it was yesterday, the horrors of the mandatory maskings at the very beginning, the latex gloves and then the lockdowns and the vaccine passports and this and that there. And you probably have a lot of questions because I do, too. Frankly, we don't have a whole lot of answers. And that's why Angel Studios has this brand new documentary for you called thank you Dr. Fauci. It is an investigative documentary that examines public health, scientific accountability and the possibility, frankly, of one of the greatest government coverups in modern American history. We actually just had a CIA whistleblower a few weeks ago testifying just about that. So what makes this film even more interesting is that Angel Studios is actually the only streaming platform willing to distribute this film. And that's because angel guild members, not studio executive big shots out in Hollywood, are the ones who decide what stories get seen. So if you care about truth, transparency and asking hard questions, you should Stream. Thank you, Dr. Fauci. Today, become a guild member and [e-mail] Hammer Again, Angel Studios is a sponsor for today's show. Go ahead and check out their new film. Thank you, Dr. Fauci. So in just a moment, folks, we're going to go to a brief break and we'll return with Lee Smith on the other side. And we're going to, we're going to talk about the situation when it comes to Iran. The situation with Iran, in short, is not very good because just over the past couple of days, there was an American Apache helicopter that was shot down shortly off the Omani coast near the Strait of Hormuz. And America actually, in a bit of technological genius was able to send a new drone boat called a Corsair to actually then rescue the two helicopter pilots. Thank God the two pilots from the downed helicopter are just a. Okay. Donald Trump, Wordsworth has already responded, has launched some strikes on Iran. These are some of the first direct, direct American strikes inside the Iranian proper territory. In a little while. Donald Trump just say on truth social saying that Iran is going to pay the price for stalling and stalling and stalling and for just not coming to the table. The fundamental problem, as we have said time and time again on this show, we will get into this with Lee Smith a little bit shortly is that in trying to negotiate with the unnegotiable, the non negotiable, and try to negotiate with people who are fundamentally irrational, who are imminent highs, the eschaton, to try to bring in the 12th Imam, these fanatical 72 virgins in heaven style Shiite fanatical Islamist jihadists, in what worlds do they respond to rational incentives? There is a cataclysmic cultural disparity between Western civilization, the biblical worldview and the civilization of Islam. I continue to think that Donald Trump understands this on a visceral level. The relevant question is can and will he take that understanding and translate it into the proper public policy outcome, by which I mean the actual genuine recommencement of epic fury and ultimately the fulfillment of our goals. We will see. Folks, we'll be going to a quick break on the other side. Lee Smith joins us. You won't want to miss this. We'll be right back with Lee Smith.

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[Josh Hammer]

Welcome back. So as mentioned, we are delighted to bring on our guest for today's show. And that man is Lee Smith making his return appearance here to the Josh Hammer Show. So Lee Smith is the best selling author of, among other books, the China Matrix, the epic story of how Donald Trump shattered a deadly path, is also a writer for Tablet magazine and he tweets prolifically at Lee SmithDC. So, Lee, you're a gentleman and a scholar. We appreciate you. You rejoined the show. The China issue aside, you are also something of an expert when it comes to the Middle East. And I want to bring you on Lee to try to figure out, as we discussed a little bit already on today's show, what the heck is going on when it comes to the situation with Iran? It seems to me that Donald Trump is giving off a desperation for a deal. The ceasefire was called on April 8th. It's been over two months now. Clearly this fanatical regime is not interested in playing ball now that they downed Apache helicopter, the United States has already responded there. What is happening and what do you make of Donald Trump's internal calculations and how he sees his conflict at this time?

[Lee Smith]

Well, we saw that the president said something today to a reporter about, well, you know, we've given the Iranians a big chance and they're just stringing us along and so maybe I'm going to start bombing their bridges and, you know, energy infrastructure. Unfortunately, at this point, you know, these, these threats have been made before and they haven't been realized. And what we're seeing is the Iranians continue to string the President along. We saw, we saw details recently in a New York Times article about what they're, you know, about what the issues are, whether it's enrichment, whether it's the nuclear facilities, whether it's about IAEA inspections. Excuse me for that. These have been the issues for quite a while. These were the issues under the Obama administration. So, yes, I think that people are right to be concerned with one caveat, and that is this, is that when the Barack Obama administration came up with the JCPOA, when they struck that deal with the Iranians July 15, 2015, so nearly 11 years ago now, that was designed to get Iran a bomb. So had Donald Trump not been elected two times, first in 2016 and then again in 2024, the Iranians would absolutely have a bomb by now. That was the point of the jcpoa, to put Iran's nuclear weapons program under a U S backed security umbrella. So the Iranians would already have the bomb and yeah, had it not been for Donald Trump and perhaps as well as Benjamin Netanyahu because remember, Netanyahu was the prime minister then as well. He hasn't changed. He's always been opposed to the nuclear deal and he's always been warning about Iran. So it's Donald Trump's presidency that's really moved things along. That said, I concur with you, Josh, and others who are worried about this because what we'll be seeing in 2028 is almost certainly a Democratic administration coming and they will look to restore Iran's nuclear weapons program. They'll just start flooding them with cash and they'll start giving them assistance to help them rebuild all of their facilities once again. So, yeah, there are concerns, but again, with the caveat that we are where we are. We are in a much better position now than we would have been had that had Obama's dream of an Iranian nuclear weapons program been realized.

[Josh Hammer]

Yeah, and it's worth emphasizing as well. And again, folks, we're chatting with the great Lee Smith. You can follow him on Xi SmithDC. I think it's worth emphasizing Lee. It's very easy to get lost in the conversation. I don't think this job is finished, to be clear, and I've been very clear about that. But clearly the Iranian regime is in a worse place right now than it was prior to February 28th. And that is a very important detail that should not be overlooked. Having said that, the job is not dumb, despite Donald Trump's somewhat of a desperation to try to reach a deal. I think he's probably looking at rising gasoline prices and poll numbers, et cetera, et cetera. But the situation is what it is and there's no point in playing Monday morning quarterback, so to speak. I think, I think the relevant question is what to do right now. So how should this actually unfold from here? If you were talking to the President, the vice president, Susie Wilde, etc. There, what is the best course of action, regardless of what should have happened or should not have happened in April, May, what is the best course of action when it comes to the Iran situation right at this time?

[Lee Smith]

Well, I mean, it would have been possible back in April for the president to set certain parameters and say, we win, we're going home and I'm going to get our GCC allies to pay the Iranians to open up or the remnants of the Mueller regime to reopen the Strait of Hormuz. That's how it's going to go down. And it would have been possible, I think, to message that that was a genuine win for the United States and for the Trump administration. But because the president and I think rightly set certain benchmarks saying we need all of that, all of the stockpiled uranium, including not just the stuff that was enriched to 60%, but the stuff that's enriched to lower levels. We need all of that. We need to dismantle their nuclear facilities entirely. Either they have to agree to do it or we're gonna do it ourselves. Those are the benchmarks the president set. So falling short of those is a problem. It's not gonna happen in negotiations because the negotiat the way they've been conducted, they've signaled to the Iranians that they're in the catbird seat. So, you know, I'm loathe to portray the Iran hawk here with you, Josh, that I am in real life. But nonetheless, let that be the case. Yeah, it's going to take for the president to get what he said the United States has to get for a win it's going to take military action to get that enriched uranium and to dismantle Iran's nuclear facilities. And also another big deal is, as we see now, the ballistic missiles program. That's all gonna have to be done by military action. The Iranians are not gonna give that up through negotiations.

[Josh Hammer]

And I guess what I'm afraid of, Lee, is that a deal will be reached and we'll be sold it in somewhat Obama echo chamber esque fashion as the deal of the century. And it probably will be better if it happens than the horrific jcpoa. It probably will be, frankly. But unless it actually does what you just said, and that's very hard to do diplomatically without increased military force, perhaps even impossible. Unless that happens, we simply will not have achieved our objectives. So let's, let's zoom out a little bit and take it then from Middle east to the broader geopolitical scene. You wrote a whole book on China. China is one of Iran's top allies on the world stage. If America fails to finish the job properly, as our goals have been since day one, when it comes to the Iranian quagmire, what message does that send to China? And will China be notably emboldened by that?

[Lee Smith]

Well, I think that things have changed since the ceasefire. I was hugely optimistic back in March and April, saying this is a very impressive show of force. The United States working with what is clearly the greatest ally the US has ever had at wartime Israel. I mean, it was astonishing display of power, coordination, allyship. It was remarkable. And you tried to imagine what that looked like in Beijing two months later. I imagine the picture looks very different. It looks the way that pro China, the way that Beijing usually messages. It's like, oh, good, the United States is bogged down somewhere else. So that means they're not paying attention to us here in China. And so that's a problem. Again, the picture has changed around the world, not just in Washington, and not just for the American public, but as our adversaries are looking at this as well. Yeah, the picture looks much better for them than it did two months ago.

[Josh Hammer]

And Lee, just about a minute or so left here, before I let you go, I do want to ask about the Hezbollah situation. So there's been a concerted effort by the Iranians to tie the Israeli Hezbollah conflict to the US Iran conflict. And I think the Netanyahu has tried to separate them. President Trump has to an extent as well, perhaps not quite earnestly enough. How does that ultimately unfold there? Is Hezbollah going to be dealt with in a meaningful way. Or if there is a deal reach between the US And Iran, will Hezbollah essentially just stay in power in South Lebanon as well?

[Lee Smith]

Yeah, I mean, this is one of the indications that negotiations have gone bad, or rather that the administration doesn't really know which way it's going because Lebanon policy is always a loser's play. If you look back at basically last 50 years of U.S. policy, whenever people start turning to Lebanon, it just turns into a loser's play. All of this stuff about strengthening the Lebanese armed forces to disarm Hezbollah and strengthening the Lebanese government. And we've heard this time and time again, most recently, or most Significantly rather, in 2006, at the conclusion of the Second Lebanon War, when this is what the George W. Bush administration was saying because. Because it had lost so. Or wasn't winning in Iraq or Afghanistan, and it looked to the Cedar Revolution as something of a win. Since that time, we've seen, you know, billions of dollars poured into the Lebanese armed forces, which is worthless. I mean, basically, it's just cover for Hezbollah, as is unifil. So, no, what the administration should do is the administration should see Lebanon and Iran as part of the same problem, and they should let the Israelis destroy Hezbollah and say, we're still negotiating, aren't we? This is part of our negotiations as Israel destroys Hezbollah. If you want to talk, come sit at the table and get serious. In the meantime, we want Israel to do whatever they can to uproot Hezbollah.

[Josh Hammer]

Why?

[Lee Smith]

Because it's important for American interest and it's important for an American ally, which is Israel. Maybe someday Lebanon and its government will be allied with the United States, but it's not now. And there are problems inside the administration. There are problematic figures working out of the State Department, not the secretary himself, but other figures who have a. A profoundly.

[Josh Hammer]

No doubt about that, Lee. Unfortunately, we're out of time. But the great Lee Smith does follow him on X. Lee SmithDC. He writes for Tabl magazine. Lee, we really appreciate you joining the program. Thank you so much again.

[Lee Smith]

Thank you, Josh.

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[Josh Hammer]

Welcome back. So which way is President Trump going to go? Is this latest retribution for the downed departure helicopter going to be something along the lines of a symbolic strike of a pinprick strike? Or is the full wrath and Fury of the U.S. armed Forces, is that going to be released yet again when it comes to Iran, Here is how it should play out from here. Again, I'm not interested in Monday morning quarterbacking. I am not interested in revisiting the fact that there was a premature ceasefire on April 8. I am not interested in revisiting the fact that. That we have looked desperate and on and on. The fact that there has now been a tragically downed Apache helicopter. Again, praise be to God that both of the American pilots are a. Okay. The fact that there has now been a direct assault on American military vehicle. If Donald Trump decides that he has no choice but to re engage, which is our stance here on the show, then this would be a particularly good time to do so in earnest. I understand the President wants gasoline prices to go down. Guess who else wants gasoline prices to go down? Me. This guy, Literally everyone. High gas prices stink. And it's actually not just gas prices. There was an unfortunate inflation report that came out just this morning where we have a new monthly inflation number for the month of May 2026, showing inflation coming in at roughly 4.2%. That's higher than we wanted. The most recent numbers were in the high 3% range. Now we have crossed the 4% barrier. That's not great. That's not great. I think some of our money is in a savings accounts currently paying high 3% interest. So inflation stays at 4 plus percent and you're losing money there. The whole thing's a mess. Inflation is ultimately the great thing that destroys societies. So I am not blind. No one is blind to the issues here. When it comes to the Hormuz Strait, when it comes to gas, when it comes to inflation, the easiest and most straightforward solution to all of this has always been to rip the band aid off quickly. The cardinal sin of American foreign policy for decades and decades and decades has been starting conflicts and then not properly finishing them. And finishing is a relative term. I don't necessarily mean trying to sculpt Madisonian, Jeffersonian institutions of democracy as a way of trying to finish the fight. This was the fatal conceit of of Bush era foreign policy when it came to Taliban over on Afghanistan or the Bathis desert sands of Iraq or so forth. That's definitely not my stance. But fundamentally I think about the so called rule of Pottery Barn. If you're shopping in a Pottery Barn or some other place like that, anthropology or whatever the store may be, if you break it, you gotta pick it up. And there's some but there's some truth there. Again, pick it up is relative term. We're not calling here for nation building. But at a bare minimum you have to actually finish what you started. That's really the point that we're getting at here. America has not finished what we started. We demonstrably have not. We just haven't. The ballistic missile program has taken a hit, but some estimates say that roughly 70% of Iran's missiles still remain. When it comes to the 60% or even more percent enriched uranium that still remains as well. Despite what happened in Midnight Hammer last June and Epic Fury, a lot of the enriched uranium still remains. So there is more work left to be done here. And if you didn't want to get in this mess, then the best thing to do would have been to not get into the mess in the first place. There easily could have been a decision made last late December, early January when Iran started butchering tens and tens of thousands of some people. The administration could have said this is terrible, but we are, you know, insert your catchphrase of choice. We are not the moral policeman of the world. We are not this, we're not that there. We want to focus on our own border. You can imagine a million different things that could have been said. That's not what Trump said. He drew a red line. That red line was crossed. He essentially boxed himself in again. I'm not upset about that. I've been a supporter of this conflict since day one. But that's just the reality as to how it's happening. You have to finish the job. You simply, simply, simply have to finish the job at this point. So in other domestic news as well, last night was also election nights all across America, or at least in various states. So as expected, Graham Platner is now the formal nominee for U.S. senate in the state of Maine. We covered Mr. Plattner at some length on yesterday's show. He is a horrific human being, I think would be a bit of an understatement. He won 72% of the vote in the main Senate primary last evening. I think, I think it's notable that Janet Mills, who is the sitting incumbent governor of Maine, that despite the fact that she spended her campaign a while ago, like a month And a half, two months ago, she still got 19 plus percent of the vote. So a large protest vote constituency when it comes to the state of Maine there. And in a memo that Politico got this morning, a memo that was distributed from MAGA Inc. Which is one of the top pro Trump, pro GOP outside PACs in this election cycle, a memo that was obtained by Politico said I believe that the nrsc, the official GOP Senate campaign campaign arm also has corroborated this, that they view Maine as one of the indispensable cogs of making sure the Republicans control the Senate come January 2027. So, so, so there are some doomer lines of thought who think that the House is gone. They say that oh, the house is gone. Gasoline inflation, this, this that. I actually don't agree with that. Recall that Republicans swept the floor with Democrats when it came to the redistricting iterative back and forth battle. They will net double digit number of seats on redistricting grounds alone. Real the success of Texas and Florida, Virginia and on and on and on. Republicans are going to win seats on that alone. Now will it cost in the House anyway despite, despite reducing what's happening in Iran, inflation maybe as possible the Senate, I continue to think Republicans are in very good shape to hold there. Democrats not do themselves any favors certainly when it comes to Graham Platner. But it's worth noting that this is who they are. This is who they are. Speaking of Politico, Politico having had a story that came out this morning about how Bernie Sanders candidates just keep winning the Vermont Center's primary endorsement hot streak continued on Tuesday. Sanders, as you can imagine, was a big fan of Graham Plattner, the guy with the Nazi tattoo who now is running as a communist. Try to square that circle. If you know anything about 20th century history, I don't think Bernie Sanders is frankly trying to square that circle. But Sanders is basically the ideological kingmaker inside the Democratic Party to this day. Yes, Bernie Sanders, who is well into his 80s there, a guy who really should have resigned like any good decent Jew did. Just bro, just get a condo down in Florida and just call it quits there. He should have done that a long time ago. Nonetheless, he is still traveling the country trying to make the Democratic Party ever more socialist, ever more Marxist, ever more communist. And gosh darn it, he is doing a pretty good job of it because Graham Platner is just the tip of the spear of what this party believes. Look at Tofu James Talarico down in Texas. Talarico running on a socialist lights platform as well. Well, in the Lone Star states of all states, they're actually not even trying to moderate their viewpoints when it comes to some of these nations foundational red states. That ultimately is going to be the Democrats undoing. No matter what you think about inflation, no matter what you think about gas prices, no matter what you think about Iran, Hezbollah or any of the above, the notion that the people of Texas think that God is non binary, the notion that the evangelicals in Texas think that the immaculate conception proves that abortion should be legal is nuts. It is freaking nuts. Republicans on the other hand, do a pretty good job of trying, for the most part, not always of trying to tailor their candidates for a particular state's demographic. So look at Steve Hilton now in California. So Steve Hilton is now confirmed to go to this mano a mano runoff to get the governor's mansion in Sacramento alongside Xavier Becerra, the former HHS secretary under Barack Obama. Steve Hilton, the very eloquent former TV show host, is running a California Republican kind of campaign. He's talking about quality of life, he's talking about needles and feces on the street. He's talking about homelessness, he's talking about crime, he's talking about illegal alien crime. The hard hitting issues that voters think about day to day. I mentioned gasoline prices. Why does California have by far the highest gasoline prices? By far? I can really by far in the nation? Well, Steve Hilton is talking about it. Is he going to win in California? Probably not, to be honest with you. I wish him frankly, nothing but the best. But this is a bit of a discrepancy. Look at Hilton running a California Republican campaign versus Tofu Talarico running, let's call it a Vermont Democrat campaign deep in the heart of Texas. Good luck bro. It's not going to work. It's really not. So I continue to be more bullish. I think a lot of my colleagues in this broader space when it comes to who will control Congress come 2027. And if I'm correct, if I'm correct, then Trump has even more leeway than he thinks to meaningfully finish this job against Iran. I understand that the poll numbers can look a little dicey. I understand that inflation is 4.2%. That's not great. It's really not great there. And interest rates should not be cut. Contrast on what Trump says to Kevin Warren, the new Fed chair. But if nothing else, if nothing else, I think there is more than enough ammunition here to try to finish the job with Iran once and for all to try to avenge the Apache helicopter and all of our brave men who have fallen in battle since its operation started. Folks, have a great rest of your evening. Josh Hammer signing off. We'll be right back. As always, tomorrow.

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