The Joy Reid Show — Cyber Monday: War Piggys | December 2, 2025

Main Theme & Purpose

This episode of The Joy Reid Show dives deep into the nexus of U.S. politics, war, and commerce during the Cyber Monday period. Joy-Ann Reid explores the administration’s escalating military interventions in the Caribbean and potential new theaters (Venezuela, Nigeria), the political fallout from recent events such as the National Guard shooting in D.C., the impact of economic policies on shopping habits, and the rise of grassroots consumer activism. The episode also spotlights representation in politics, including special interviews with Georgia gubernatorial candidate Rua Roman, Lev Parnas, and African history educator Merck.

Key Discussion Points & Segments

1. Cyber Monday, Boycotts, and Small Business Shout-Outs

• Joy opens the show (03:00) by encouraging listeners to "shop small and shop local," tying into the ongoing “We Ain’t Buying It” campaign against major corporations linked to Trump.
• She highlights two apps for ethical shopping: Blap and Shop Red Bag.
• Merch Discount Announcement: Joy offers a 25% discount on TJRS merch with the code "blackout25".
• Notable Quote: “If you don’t want to shop with the bad guys, you want to shop with the good guys.” — Joy Reid [03:34]

2. Justice for Greenwood Fundraiser & World AIDS Day

• Tonight’s donations benefit the Justice for Greenwood nonprofit (historic Black Wall Street restoration); over $589 raised as of air time.
• Joy remarks on the Biden administration’s silence and suppression of public World AIDS Day commemorations, criticizing the rollback of US global health leadership (08:00).

3. Cory Booker’s Interfaith Wedding

• Joy details Sen. Booker’s wedding to Alexis Lewis and what it represents for diversity in public life (09:00).

4. Legal & Political Fallout: Trump’s Appointee Disqualified

• Alina Haba, Trump’s legal ally, is disqualified from serving as NJ’s top federal prosecutor due to “legal and political barriers” (10:30).

5. Washington, D.C. National Guard Shooting: Political and Media Narratives

• Timeline Breakdown (13:00–18:00):

  • Judge deems Trump’s National Guard deployment to D.C. illegal (Nov. 20).
  • National Guardsmen Sarah Beckstrom and Andrew Wolf shot at Metro station (Nov. 26).
  • Trump’s reaction links incident to immigration policy, announces more federal troops.
  • Joy expresses deep skepticism regarding timing and narrative, urging media literacy:
    “When it comes to Donald Trump and the Trump regime, my personal advice is pretty simple. Believe nothing, question everything, because they almost never tell you the truth... except when Donald has one of his dementia emissions.” — Joy Reid [11:05]

• Guard Members’ Role: Mostly presence patrols and food bank volunteer work, not policing crime as claimed.

• Exploitation for Policy: Joy accuses Trump of using the shooting to bolster legal arguments for occupation and push exclusionary immigration policies.

• Media Clip: Trump blames Afghan refugee, describes him as CIA-trained; uses shooting to justify draconian measures.

6. Afghan Refugee Shooter: CIA Connections

• Background: Suspect Ramanola Lockenwal is a former "zero unit" Afghan, CIA-trained (19:15–21:00).
• Narrative Manipulation: Joy outlines how Trump and right-wing media quickly frame the shooting as justification for anti-Muslim and anti-immigrant policies:
  “The whole thing fits so neatly and perfectly with the overall MAGA strategy to get back to the tried and true Republican practice of demonizing Muslims...” — Joy Reid [23:20]
• Guest Lev Parnas (25:26): Connects the shooting and media reaction to prior incidents (e.g., Charlie Kirk shooting), systemic blame-shifting, and the “authoritarian nature” of Trump’s military solutions.

7. Trump Administration’s War Escalation & Venezuela Plot

• News Report & Guest Analysis (Lev Parnas, 33:00–43:00):
  • White House “war council” in progress to debate “how to play Venezuela.”
  • Strategy: Control oil reserves, avoid “another Vietnam,” install loyalists, leverage military intervention around alleged drug trafficking.
  • “Trump is trying to do his own Iraq War, basically. Right?” — Joy Reid [36:39]
  • Republican donors and ex-officials connected to oil contracts with Venezuela.
  • Lev reveals insider detail: “China has also signaled to the U.S. that they’re not going to stand behind just an all-out invasion into Venezuela.”

“Double Tap” & War Crimes

• Reports of US special forces executing alleged drug traffickers at sea on orders to “leave no survivors”; even Republicans are expressing concern about legality (36:39–39:11).
• Commander swap at US Southern Command hints at internal opposition to extra-judicial killings.

8. US Geopolitics Shifts: Nigeria and the Sahel

• Guest Segment: Merck (46:36–67:40)
  • U.S. leveraging “Christian persecution” narrative to justify intervention in Nigeria, where oil reserves are plentiful.
  • Breakdown of the true causes of regional instability: aftermath of U.S./NATO intervention in Libya, weapons flooding south, growth of criminal-terrorist networks.
  • Merck details how U.S. interests align chaos and “Christian rescue” narratives to justify resource control: “Within chaos, it’s much easier to exploit... you deal with somebody who’s a militia leader, you pay him off, he gives you what you need, and you move on.” — Merck [54:11]
• Strategy explained: Ongoing PR campaign frames invasions as “rescuing Christians,” facilitating U.S. access and internal destabilization for resource grab.
• Historical Context: How Gaddafi and Saddam kept order and their removal led to instability and opportunity for outside exploitation.

9. Representation in Politics: Rua Roman’s Candidacy for Georgia Governor

• Interview Highlights [81:29–98:54]:
  • Discusses challenges and hopes as a Muslim, Palestinian-American woman running for governor.
  • Addresses voter suppression in Georgia and the struggle for fair access.
  • Speaks about her progressive platform: raising the minimum wage, hospitals, tackling corporate greed.
  • On anti-Muslim rhetoric:
    “I think we have been prepared for this. We are ready for this. And I meant what I said when I said now is the time to be brave and we need to be showing what that looks like.” — Rua Roman [81:50]
  • Addresses the “uncommitted” movement during the 2024 Democratic primary—her near-inclusion as DNC convention speaker, and why this dialogue is crucial for mobilizing disaffected voters.

10. The K-Shaped Economy & Grassroots Consumer Movements

• Joy unpacks misleading Black Friday/Cyber Monday spending headlines (101:57–104:25).
  • Raw sales numbers do not account for inflation or who is actually spending.
  • Spending is up for the wealthy, but the working class is curbing consumption.
• Guest Nalini Stamp (Working Families Party): On retail worker strikes, boycotts, and creative protests.
  • Corporate PR masks reality: “They don’t want to show a dent in the economy.”
  • Viral protest with song at Home Depot challenges deportations with joy.
• Encouragement for listeners to “exercise the muscle of self liberation” by boycotting corporations that oppose DEI or fund Trump.

Notable Quote:

“If they don’t like you, why are you giving them your money?...It’s not personal.”
— Joy Reid [118:31]

Notable Quotes & Moments

- On Government Manipulation of Narrative:

“The shooting turns out to be really, really convenient for Trump’s appeal in December, in which he will now be able to argue to the Supreme Court that D.C. is under a violent emergency from foreign domestic terroristic assailants.”
— Joy Reid [12:14]

- Lev Parnas on Trump Pressers:

“Now you’re starting to see the real Donald Trump — the nastiness, the way he talked, the way he enjoys belittling down.”
— Lev Parnas [29:24]

- On Nigeria & Resource Wars:

“America needs you to support them in doing this because they need the moral high ground in order to go into Nigeria. That is what separates America from China and Russia...you’ve got to run a PR campaign which is what they’re doing now.”
— Merck [60:09]

- Rua Roman on Representation:

“Now is the time to be brave and we need to be showing what that looks like.”
— Rua Roman [81:50]

- Jennifer Lewis’ Protest Anthem:

“Cause this Friday ain’t black, ‘cause we ain’t buying...We ain’t buying sh*t.”
— Jennifer Lewis Moment of Joy [117:15]

Important Timestamps for Key Segments

• [03:00] — Cyber Monday, Shop Local, "We Ain't Buying It" campaign intro
• [08:00] — World AIDS Day & US leadership
• [13:00] — National Guard shooting timeline and legal context
• [19:15] — CIA-trained Afghan refugee details
• [25:26] — Lev Parnas joins, analysis of media and political manipulation
• [33:00] — Venezuela “war council,” war crimes discussion
• [46:36] — Nigeria, Sahel, “Christian persecution” and the real imperial aims
• [81:29] — Rua Roman interview: representation, policy, and organizing
• [101:57] — The K-shaped economy, how retail data is misleading
• [106:30] — Joyful Home Depot protest music
• [117:15] — Jennifer Lewis’ “We Ain’t Buying” song

Conclusion

Joy Reid’s Cyber Monday episode weaves critical news analysis, trenchant skepticism of government/military narratives, anti-corporate activism, intersections of faith and politics, and global geopolitics with a lively, irreverent tone. With in-depth interviews and musical moments of protest and joy, the show underscores the agency and creativity of marginalized voices in shaping both electoral and consumer futures.

(For full context, skip to the timestamps above for segments of particular interest.)