Weekly Roundup: Trump Attacks Media Over Epstein Story

Summary

The NPR Politics Podcast: Weekly Roundup – Trump Attacks Media Over Epstein Story
Release Date: July 18, 2025

In this episode of The NPR Politics Podcast, hosts Ashley Lopez, Tamara Keith, and Domenico Montanaro delve into the latest political developments surrounding former President Donald Trump and the Jeffrey Epstein saga. The discussion navigates through Trump's recent attacks on the media, internal shifts within the Department of Justice, the administration's budgeting strategies, and an in-depth analysis of Trump's foreign policy. The episode concludes with the lighthearted "Can't Let It Go" segment, highlighting memorable moments from the week.

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1. Trump and the Jeffrey Epstein Controversy

Overview: The episode opens with a focus on President Trump's ongoing battle with his political base concerning the Jeffrey Epstein case. Formerly associated with Epstein, Trump faces pressure from his supporters demanding more transparency about Epstein's death and alleged client lists.

Key Points:

• Media Scrutiny: The Wall Street Journal reported on a purported sexually suggestive birthday note Trump sent to Epstein, which included a woman's figure drawing. Trump vehemently denied the authenticity of the note, declaring, “this is a fake” and threatening legal action against the Journal (02:00).

• Trump’s Defense: Trump criticized Attorney General Pam Bondi for not releasing more information, labeling her actions as weak. He asserted, “I don't want the support of people who are gonna be saying that they are doubtful of what Pam Bondi has released” (01:21).

• Social Media Offensive: Trump increased his social media presence regarding Epstein, questioning why Democrats, who controlled relevant files, didn’t utilize them if a "smoking gun" existed. He also mocked Rupert Murdoch, owner of the Wall Street Journal, stating, “I look forward to getting Rupert Murdoch … to testify in my lawsuit against him” (03:05).

• Attorney General’s Response: Trump requested the release of grand jury testimonies related to Epstein, indicating a possible concession to his base's demands, though experts suggest this move serves more as a deflection (04:21).

Notable Quote:

“If there was a smoking gun on Epstein, why didn't the Dems who controlled the files for four years … use it?” – President Trump (03:36)

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2. Firing of Maureen Comey and DOJ/FBI Shake-Up

Overview: The Trump administration's decision to terminate Maureen Comey, a federal prosecutor involved in high-profile cases including Epstein's, signals a broader purge within the Department of Justice (DOJ) and the FBI.

Key Points:

• Maureen Comey’s Role: Comey prosecuted significant cases, including that of Ghislaine Maxwell and Sean Combs (Diddy), underscoring her professional independence separate from her father, former FBI Director James Comey (05:45).

• Possible Motivations: The exact reason for her dismissal remains unclear, though the timing coincides with Trump's apparent discomfort with her involvement in sensitive investigations related to his administration (05:45).

• Broader Implications: This move is part of a larger trend where career prosecutors and FBI agents with connections to Trump’s adversaries are being ousted, reflecting an aggressive stance against perceived opposition within federal agencies (06:25).

Notable Observation:

“This is part of a much broader bloodletting at the FBI and the Department of Justice.” – Catherine Marr (06:25)

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3. Rescission Package and Budgetary Strategies

Overview: The episode examines Congress’s approval of a rescission package requested by the White House, which seeks to cut approximately $9 billion from previously approved funding bills. This action is part of the Trump administration’s broader strategy to assert executive power over the federal budget.

Key Points:

• Nature of Rescissions: Rescission bills aim to retract allocated funds, requiring only a simple majority (50+1 votes) in the Senate, making them resilient against filibusters (07:04).

• Administration’s Approach: Russell Vogt, head of the Office of Management and Budget, indicated that this package is just the beginning, with plans to introduce more rescissions to reduce government spending further (07:04).

• Partisan Implications: Vogt advocates for a less bipartisan, more partisan approach to the appropriations process, arguing that the current system requires undue compromise that stifles their initiatives (07:04).

• Political Power Dynamics: The administration’s strategy reflects an intent to consolidate power within the executive branch, sidelining congressional authority and aiming for greater unilateral control over the budget (08:03).

Notable Quote:

“They want ultimate power. They want the minority to have no power.” – Domenico Montanaro (08:17)

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4. Trump’s Foreign Policy Doctrine

Overview: In an extended discussion with NPR’s national security correspondent Greg Myhrey, the hosts analyze President Trump’s foreign policy, assessing its coherence, effectiveness, and alignment with his campaign promises to end endless wars.

Key Points:

• Lack of a Clear Doctrine: Despite slogans like “Peace through Strength” and “America First,” Trump’s foreign policy lacks a consistent guiding framework. Decisions often appear reactionary, influenced by personal relationships with foreign leaders rather than strategic principles (11:24).

• Successes and Failures:

  • Successes: Trump's administration successfully brokered ceasefires in the Israel-Iran conflict and the India-Pakistan skirmish, earning him praise for swiftly ending immediate hostilities (12:23).
  • Failures: The Russia-Ukraine war highlighted the limitations of Trump's approach. Initial optimism for a quick deal with Putin failed, leading to increased military support for Ukraine (15:01). Similarly, the ongoing Israel-Hamas conflict remains unresolved, with humanitarian crises persisting (16:17).

• Deal-Oriented Approach: Trump emphasizes making deals and peace agreements, often celebrating short-term victories without addressing long-term solutions. This “strength without commitment” strategy has achieved temporary successes but leaves underlying issues unresolved (14:46).

• Alignment with Voter Expectations: While Trump promised to end endless wars, the administration’s mixed record has elicited varying responses from his base. Initial military disengagements have been lauded, but subsequent involvements reflect a complex and often contradictory foreign policy execution (17:59).

Notable Quotes:

“President Trump is focused on deals, peace deals, trade deals, deals for American businesses.” – Catherine Marr (11:24)
“He has come in very strong in a number of cases… strength without commitment.” – Discussion on foreign policy execution (14:46)
“You don't hear Trump talking about defending democracy or the critical need to defend human rights abroad.” – Greg Myhrey (16:28)

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5. Can't Let It Go: Memorable Moments of the Week

In the final segment, the hosts share lighthearted and entertaining stories that captured their attention over the week.

Key Highlights:

• Baseball’s All-Star Game Drama: Domenico Montanaro recounts an unprecedented resolution to a tied All-Star Game, where a mini home run derby decided the winner. He praises the sport’s blend of competition and personality showcase among young players (21:06).

• Finnish Bus Joyride: Ashley Lopez describes a quirky incident in Helsinki where a drunk man commandeered a city bus, leading to a brief, amusing "joyride" before safely exiting with passengers unharmed (22:54).

• Coldplay Concert Kiss Cam Mishap: Tamara Keith shares a humorous moment from a Coldplay concert where a couple intentionally avoided a staged kiss captured by the venue’s kiss cam. The situation was exacerbated by an AI-generated spoof statement attributed to a company CEO, adding an unexpected twist to the story (24:03).

Notable Exchange:

Domenico Montanaro: “It's the first time it's ever happened. This is why I can't let it go.” – Referring to the unique All-Star Game resolution (21:56)

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Conclusion

This episode of The NPR Politics Podcast provides a comprehensive analysis of Donald Trump's latest political maneuvers, both domestically and internationally. From his contentious interactions with the media over the Epstein case to strategic shifts within federal agencies and ambitious budgetary rescissions, the Trump administration continues to shape Washington's political landscape. Additionally, the exploration of Trump’s foreign policy reveals a complex blend of deal-making and inconsistent strategic implementation. The episode concludes with engaging lighter stories, offering a well-rounded portrayal of the week's events.

Notable Contributors:

• Ashley Lopez: Host, covers politics
• Tamara Keith: Co-host, covers the White House
• Domenico Montanaro: Co-host, senior political editor and correspondent
• Greg Myhrey: NPR National Security Correspondent

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Notable Quotes with Timestamps:

• Trump on Attorney General Pam Bondi:
  “I don't want the support of people who are gonna be saying that they are doubtful of what Pam Bondi has released.” (01:21)

• Trump on Rescissions and Media:
  “I look forward to getting Rupert Murdoch … to testify in my lawsuit against him in his pile of garbage newspaper, the Wall Street Journal.” (03:05)

• Catherine Marr on DOJ/FBI Purge:
  “This is part of a much broader bloodletting at the FBI and the Department of Justice.” (06:25)

• Domenico Montanaro on Partisan Rescissions:
  “They want ultimate power. They want the minority to have no power.” (08:17)

• Greg Myhrey on Trump’s Foreign Policy:
  “He is realistic in that sense.” (16:28)

---

Note: Times in brackets correspond to the transcript's timestamps for reference.

Transcript

[Catherine Marr]

When you walk into NPR headquarters, one of the first things you see is a big map of the country covered with little blue dots. Each dot represents a local public radio station.

[Ashley Lopez]

That's the NPR Network.

[Catherine Marr]

I'm Catherine Marr, CEO of npr. With federal funding for public media eliminated, your network is under serious threat. Help us plan for the road [e-mail] hi, this is Liam from Richmond, Virginia. I'm currently petting the belly of a stray cat that has now adopted my wife. And I love.

[Ashley Lopez]

This podcast was recorded at 12:35pm Eastern Time on Friday, July 18.

[Catherine Marr]

Things may have changed by the time you hear it, but I'll still be giving May pop a belly rub. Okay. Enjoy the show.

[Ashley Lopez]

That's so cute.

[Domenico Montanaro]

Aw. Look good in that sound.

[Ashley Lopez]

Hey there. It's the NPR Politics podcast. I'm Ashley Lopez. I cover politics.

[Catherine Marr]

I'm Tamara Keith. I cover the White House.

[Domenico Montanaro]

And I'm Domenico Montanaro, senior political editor and correspondent.

[Ashley Lopez]

And today on the show, we'll try to make sense of what is yet another busy week in Washington. Let's start with the latest development surrounding President Trump and Jeffrey Epstein. That, of course, is the disgraced financier who faced sex trafficking charges before dying by suicide in federal custody. Domenico, can you refresh our memories about why everyone was talking about Epstein earlier this week?

[Domenico Montanaro]

Well, Trump was really battling his base because his base has wanted more information to come out about his death and about this supposed client list list that the administration says does not exist and we haven't seen a lot more information about that. His base is very upset with Attorney General Pam Bondi because they feel like that she should be releasing more information. Trump has essentially said, cut it out. You're a bunch of weaklings. We don't need to hear any more of this. I don't want the support of people who are gonna be saying that they are doubtful of what Pam Bondi has released. He said he's told her to release all, all the credible information that exists.

[Ashley Lopez]

And on this front, I will say last night we got some more news. The Wall Street Journal published an article describing what is said was a sexually suggestive note that Trump sent Epstein for his 50th birthday. We should say NPR has not independently confirmed the story. But, Tam, what takeaways are significant about this latest development?

[Catherine Marr]

Well, this puts a spotlight on the fact that President Trump, before he was president and before Jeffrey Epstein was became a registered sex offender, was friends with Jeffrey Epstein, ran in the same social circles. They were both in New York, and they were both in Palm Beach. There's photo and videos of them. And the Wall Street Journal then pointed to this note from Donald Trump to Epstein that said, among other things, happy birthday. May every day be another wonderful secret. It included a line drawing of a woman's figure. And Trump spoke to the Wall Street Journal, said this is a fake. It is not something that he did and he is going nuclear on the Journal. He is threatening to sue them.

[Domenico Montanaro]

Yeah, well, you know, and Trump said that he doesn't doodle, that this is not part of his language, even though it took reporters about five minutes to find other doodles from that time. But you know, this is part of the Trump playbook in the way that he's responding, which is to lash out at the media, to make the media the story, to say that he had initially asked the Wall Street Journal to not report this. They went ahead and did so. And he and others in the administration are blaming the media now for trying to smear Trump as he sees it.

[Catherine Marr]

The remarkable thing about this story this week is just how much the President has been posting on social media about the Jeffrey Epstein situation. He has put out multiple messages today. He says, if there was a smoking gun on Epstein, why didn't the Dems who controlled the files for four years and had Garland and Comey in charge use it? Because they had nothing. And he also said he looks forward to getting Rupert Murdoch, who owns the Wall Street Journal, to testify in my lawsuit against him in his pile of garbage newspaper, the Wall Street Journal.

[Ashley Lopez]

We should also say Trump also asked Attorney General Pambani to release some grand jury testimony related to Epstein. I mean, is that evidence, Domenico, that Trump is giving in to some of his critics or at least some of the demands they're making?

[Domenico Montanaro]

I think it's some evidence that Trump feels like he needs to give more, that more needs to be put out there. Cuz he wants to try to satisfy his base and to find some kind of ramp to this story because it's been annoying, it's been something that's continued to come up and something that he hasn't been able to get away from. But it really is a bit of deflection because it isn't about the client list, if there is one that even exists or more information from the files. This is about something completely different. Is that gonna satisfy the podcaster bros who are upset with feeling like they haven't gotten all the information they should get? I don't know. And Democrats, I should say, have been perfectly happy to glom onto this to troll Trump and to continue to say, hey, look at all of his relationships that he had with Epstein, quote, unquote. What's he hiding? And that's been an easy thing for Democrats to do, almost like a nanny, nanny poo poo kind of trolling situation.

[Catherine Marr]

But it's not just Democrats. Republicans in the House have made a lot of noise in a different way. Yes. Yeah. No, but Republicans in the House this week indicated they want more to come.

[Domenico Montanaro]

Out, too, including the speaker of the House.

[Ashley Lopez]

Yeah, yeah. Another story we're watching this week is the Trump administration fired Maureen Comey, a federal prosecutor who worked on Epstein's case as well as the case of Sean Diddy Combs. She's also the daughter of former FBI Director James Comey. Domenico. What can we read into this development?

[Domenico Montanaro]

Maybe the most important point there is her last name. Right. And, you know, I mean, we should say she's somebody who had a career in her own right. Right. This is not just like, oh, she's the daughter of a guy who was the former FB director. She was a prosecutor. She prosecuted Ghislaine Maxwell. When we're talking about the Epstein case, she prosecuted Sean Combs, otherwise known as Diddy. Right. And when Trump, I guess, found out that she was working in the department and had something to do with the Epstein case, again, perhaps a deflection, perhaps has nothing to do with it, but he sees the last name Comey, and we don't know why she's fired, but. But she was let go from her job.

[Catherine Marr]

Well, and this is part of a much broader bloodletting at the FBI and the Department of Justice. So many career prosecutors and FBI agents and others who have even glancing associations with people who are on Trump's enemies list are out.

[Ashley Lopez]

Yeah. Well, I want to shift gears a little away from Epstein. Last night, Congress passed a rescission package the White House has been asking for that cuts about $9 billion in funding Congress had previously approved. Yesterday, Russell Vogt, who runs the Office of Management and Budget, put the rescissions in the context of the administration's sort of broader budgeting strategy. Tam, what did we learn?

[Catherine Marr]

First off, this package is not gonna be the last. They plan to send up more rescission packages, which is basically like, Congress approved this funding. The president signed on the dotted line, but now we don't think we wanna spend that money, and we're asking Congress to give it the blessing. And just to explain some basic math, these rescission bills only require 50. 50 plus 1. It does not require 60 votes to get to passage in the Senate. Unlike most other things, they're filibuster proof. These bills funding the government have had to be bipartisan because there aren't enough Republicans in the House who will vote for spending bills. So they have to get some Democrats. And in the Senate, they mathematically need some Democrats. Well, what Russell Vogt said yesterday is that he believes, quote, the appropriations process has to be less bipartisan. He wants a partisan budget process. I don't know how that works.

[Ashley Lopez]

Yeah.

[Catherine Marr]

Just based on math. But he believes that these rescissions, now that they've figured out that they can actually get it through, they plan to do more.

[Domenico Montanaro]

Did he say why? Like, is it because they don't trust Democrats or they want to be able to get more of what they want?

[Catherine Marr]

Yeah, they just want more of what they want. They want ultimate power. They want what Republicans want. They want the minority to have no power. And if Democrats agree to a spending bill now, there is no reason for them to believe that it won't just be reversed two days later or 40 days later or whenever the administration decides to send up another package.

[Domenico Montanaro]

This is, again, the Trump administration trying to find ways to exert their executive power, figure out the limits of their executive power. And as much as Congress will allow Trump to do, Trump is going to do it. And he has a Republican Party that is basically fine with whatever he wants to do. And it doesn't matter to them that these are bills that have passed previously.

[Catherine Marr]

Yeah, yeah. Congress has the power of the purse. What Russell Vogt, the White House budget director, said yesterday is, yes, they absolutely have the power of the purse, but whatever they decide should be the ceiling, not the floor. Yeah, he wants to cut more.

[Domenico Montanaro]

And Trump has the power of the party.

[Ashley Lopez]

Yeah. Okay, Domenico, I'm going to give you a short break, but we'll see you back here in a few minutes for Can't Let It Go. But first we're going to dive into some foreign policy after a quick break.

[Catherine Marr]

Hi, it's Catherine Marr, CEO of npr. Federal funding for public media has been eliminated. That means that the NPR network is moving forward in an uncharted future, but our commitment to you will never waver. Please give today to support the kind of journalism that democracy relies upon. Make your [e-mail] thank you. This summer on Planet Money Summer school.

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[Greg Myhrey]

Hi there.

[Ashley Lopez]

So now that we're about like six months into the current Trump administration, we're taking a big picture look at how the president is governing. And today I wanna take a deep dive into President Trump's foreign policy doctrine. Tam, I said we're talking about Trump's foreign policy doctrine there, but I mean, is there such a thing? I mean, what have you learned about the president's approach to foreign policy?

[Catherine Marr]

There are certainly slogans like Peace through Strength and America first, but those slogans don't necessarily make for a doctrine or a guiding principle. Sure. And often it seems like his aides and supporters are trying to mold those slogans around the decisions that he makes rather than the other way around. Very clearly, President Trump is focused on deals, peace deals, trade deals, deals for American businesses. Many of those deals have proven elusive so far as we've talked about on the pod many times. He also has a very personal approach. So it's like about how he feels about the leaders of the other countries. So one day he's happy with Putin, the next day he's unhappy with Putin and his policy approach sort of changes based on that. So I called a bunch of people, including John Bolton, who is a former national security adviser. He served in the first Trump administration. And he's obviously had a falling out with Trump since then. But he watched him make decisions and this is what he said.

[Greg Myhrey]

He made thousands of decisions in his first term, many of which I agreed with. But they're out there like a big archipelago of dots you can try and connect the dots if you want, but he can't connect the dots. That's just not the way he makes foreign policy decisions.

[Catherine Marr]

Yeah. I mean, it's quite a visual.

[Greg Myhrey]

Yeah. And so with this approach, I'd say so far, it's a mixed bag. There have been successes and failures so far. Trump has. Israel has certainly inserted himself and his administration in a number of conflicts. You know, probably more than many people expected. One example I would certainly cite is the Israel, Iran fighting. Last month, Israel launched this surprise air attack. There were 12 intense days of fighting. The US was very deeply involved on the side of Israel helping Israel defend itself. And then, of course, the US Carried out one night of very major airstrikes. But after that, Trump basically unilaterally declared a ceasefire, and the ceasefire is holding. He certainly deserves credit for helping bring that fighting to an end. The other would be India, Pakistan fighting. Secretary of State Marco Rubio stepped in and brokered a truce there. It is important to note that in both these cases and in others, this didn't solve the underlying conflict. It stopped the immediate cause, the shooting. But, you know, with Israel and Iran, for example, the core issue is Iran's nuclear program. We know it's been damaged. We don't know precisely by how much, and we don't know if Iran is trying to quickly rebuild.

[Ashley Lopez]

Yeah, Those examples are ways in which Trump was given a way to like, sort of announce a win. Right.

[Catherine Marr]

He loves to announce a win.

[Ashley Lopez]

Yeah.

[Catherine Marr]

I mean, there is probably nothing he loves more than announcing wins. And sometimes those are real wins, and sometimes those are sort of temporary wins with a lot of complications underlying that big, splashy announcement up front. I talked to another foreign policy expert named Heather Conley at the American Enterprise Institute who was like, you know what it is? It's just there's not the follow through. You know, like he likes the art of the deal, but he doesn't necessarily like the thing that comes the day after. And so she said it's not peace through strength, like Reagan used to say. It's more like strength without commitment. Because he has come in very strong in a number of cases. You could also include the tariff policy in that. Like, he comes on strong, he says your tariff's gonna be 40%. But then what comes next?

[Ashley Lopez]

Yeah.

[Catherine Marr]

And those deals haven't happened.

[Ashley Lopez]

Yeah. And I mean, there is a part of his foreign policy right now where he hasn't even been able to announce even a short term win. Right. And we're talking about the Russ, Russia, Ukraine, war. What does that conflict tell us about Trump's approach overall?

[Greg Myhrey]

Well, I think it does highlight the limitations Tam has just pointed out. It's a good example of Trump wanting a quick deal, even though it doesn't appear to be a realistic option. You know, he had this long standing working relationship with Putin, often praising him. He thought he could swiftly work out a deal, make a few phone calls, perhaps send an envoy, and they would sort it out. And in turn was very dismissive of Ukraine's leader, Volodymyr Zelenskyy. Basically kicked him out of the white. But that didn't go anywhere. That didn't work. I mean, Trump acknowledged that publicly this week, said, I have these nice phone calls with Putin and then as soon as I hang up, the rockets start landing in Ukraine. And after three or four times you say, hey, the talk doesn't mean anything. So Trump formally adopted this very different stance this week. He now plans to sell weapons to NATO, which will send them on to Ukraine. He's continuing to criticize Putin, threatening punitive measures against Russia. So this is an example where Trump thought he could do it quickly, but he couldn't. Just mentioned one other conflict, the Israel Hamas fighting in Gaza. Trump actually inherited a ceasefire on day one of this term, but that ended with an Israeli offensive in March. The conflict is now grinding on and the humanitarian crisis in Gaza is as bad or worse than it's ever been.

[Ashley Lopez]

Greg, I also think it's worth noting that Trump sees the world in a different way than his predecessors do, which might give him more leans when it comes to foreign policy that maybe like presidents before him had.

[Greg Myhrey]

Yeah, I think that's absolutely true. You don't hear Trump talking about defending democracy or the critical need to defend human rights abroad. He's just not talking often about these values. He talks in very practical, deal oriented terms. And I have talked to a number of foreign policy analysts who take this stuff very seriously. They do it for a living and they may not agree with Trump on a lot of things, but they'll say he is realistic in that sense. And the Israel Palestinian feud is a real example. Every president since Harry truman in the 1940s has tried to solve it and hasn't been able to. Well, Trump is not talking about creating a Palestinian state or a two state solution, and quite frankly, that just seems utterly unrealistic at this point. He's focused on a ceasefire, and that's about as far as it goes right now. So they'll say that Trump may be more successful, at least in a small specific nature of getting a ceasefire, doing a deal, and not really worrying about larger issues that have defined U.S. foreign policy for many presidents and many decades.

[Ashley Lopez]

Yeah. I do wonder, though, Tam. I mean, we both covered Trump voters at his rallies ahead of the election, and something that came up a lot when I talked to voters was Trump's promise to end endless wars. Right. I wonder how, you think, how his foreign policy agenda sort of played out so far, how it sort of aligns with these promises and the hopes that his voters have.

[Catherine Marr]

Yeah, I mean, I think that there was initially a lot of disappointment with the Iran strikes because it's like you said you were gonna get us out of foreign wars, you weren't gonna get us into entanglements like this. But then it was one and done. And very quickly, even people who had been critical of him, they circled the wagons and the base came back around and was like, look, he's ending wars with strength. That's what I meant when I talked about sort of slogans getting molded around the actions. So I think that for now, he has been given a bit of grace by his base. You know, it's interesting because we talked earlier about the Epstein situation, where the base hasn't necessarily completely come into line, but with foreign policy, I think it's different. I think a lot of voters are somewhat less invested in foreign policy, or at least key voters who came over to Trump's side in 2024 are somewhat less invested in major foreign policy stuff than they are in this Epstein thing.

[Greg Myhrey]

And I'll also add that every president very quickly learns the lesson that it's a big, messy world out there and you don't have control over.

[Catherine Marr]

For.

[Ashley Lopez]

At Planet Money, we know that economic jargon can sometimes feel like speaking another language.

[Domenico Montanaro]

Yeah, like arbitrage, alpha, otarchy.

[Ashley Lopez]

That's just what's in the news these days.

[Greg Myhrey]

There's also absolute advantage.

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Aggregate demand, aggregate supply.

[Domenico Montanaro]

And this is just the A's.

[Greg Myhrey]

Oh, animal spirits.

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That's a pretty good one. Planet Money from npr. We help you translate the economy so you can understand the world.

[Catherine Marr]

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This week on Consider this. Tariffs are starting to fuel inflation. We track how higher Costs are winding.

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Where you could see them. And air traffic controllers say a Trump administration push to modernize their equipment won't fix deeper problems. Hear why on Consider this. Listen on the NPR app or wherever you get your podcasts.

[Greg Myhrey]

Foreign policy. Two countries start to fight and suddenly there's calls for the US to get involved. The US does have clout. It does have influence. Do you use that influence? Do you stay out of it? Do you risk getting dragged in for a long time? And these are things that no president can control. Very easy to do while you're campaigning. Very difficult to do once you're in office.

[Ashley Lopez]

Yeah. All right. Well, thank you so much for joining us, Greg.

[Greg Myhrey]

My pleasure.

[Ashley Lopez]

All right, we're going to take a quick break, and when we get back, it's time for Can't Let It Go. And we're back. And welcome back, Domenico.

[Domenico Montanaro]

Thank you for having me back.

[Ashley Lopez]

It's time to end the show like we do every week with Can't Let It Go. This is the part of the show where we talk about the things from the week that we just can't stop thinking about politics or otherwise. Domenico, can we start with you? What can't you let go of this week?

[Domenico Montanaro]

Sure. I know I talk a lot about baseball on this podcast, but I'm gonna do it one more time. And that's because this week was the All Star Game, and it was a lot of fun, honestly. I was watching the game and it looked like it might get tied. And I was like, what are they going to do if it's tied? They seem like they've used up all their pitchers. That's a problem. They started to say that the game would not end in a tie, but it would also not go to extra innings. And I said, well, what are they going to do? And they came up with this really kind of clever, fun thing where you had three batters on each side have to come up and whoever hit the most home runs in three swings.

[Catherine Marr]

So it's like the home run Derby at the end of the All Star.

[Domenico Montanaro]

In a mini version. And it was dramatic. It was 2 to 1.

[Ashley Lopez]

How typical is that?

[Catherine Marr]

I don't think I ever.

[Domenico Montanaro]

It's atypical. It's the first time it's ever happened. This is why I can't let it go. But it was pretty dramatic because the American League was winning two to one after the first set of hitters. And then came the Phillies. Kyle Schwaber, who, if anyone sees him, he looks like somebody who's 55 years old and has been playing softball his whole life and just mashes home runs with beer and cigarettes. He's like a tank, but he's not. He is like a tank, but he is a phenomenal home run hitter. And he comes up and just dramatically all three swings. He hits a home run. And the American League guy could not catch up after that. They win, yada yada. He gets mvp. National League wins. It was just kind of fun. It was a fun. It seemed like a fun weekend. And I kind of also just like love that Major League baseball is sort of a young sport now. Like, there's a lot of new all stars, fun young players. They're allowed to sort of like, show their personalities. I just kind of love that.

[Catherine Marr]

So, Ashley, what can't you let go of?

[Ashley Lopez]

So what I can't let go of this week is a crime story out of Finland, but it's not like a murder. Recently, police in Helsinki received a call about a man who had stolen a city bus. This man had taken over the bus while the driver, I guess, stepped off the bus for a short break. This man then proceeded to drive towards, like, the city's downtown. And he even managed to pick someone up from a bus stop on what was described as a 10 minute joyride from police. And it turns out, I mean, this is gonna be no surprise to no one. This man was drunk.

[Catherine Marr]

I want an interview with a passenger. That's what I want.

[Ashley Lopez]

Yeah. What a great story. Some drunk guy commandeered the bus and I got on and made it out okay.

[Domenico Montanaro]

Wow. There was also some story about someone who, like, went for a joyride in a plane, which is. Oh, that is very different situation.

[Ashley Lopez]

I thought this was, like, delightful. You know, I'm from Florida. I'm Florida man. Stories that start with a drunk man end up in really weird and kind of dark places. But I thought this was delightful. And when he was interviewed by police, he told them that stealing the bus was an impulsive, spur of the moment idea. I love when an impulsive thought takes over. All right, Tam, what can't you let go of this week?

[Catherine Marr]

So we all know about kiss cams. They're charming, you know, at a ball game or apparently at a concert. So there was a Coldplay concert this week where they start putting happy, loving people up on the Jumbotron. And I think we should just listen to what happened in this TikTok.

[Ashley Lopez]

Oh, look at these two. All right, come on.

[Catherine Marr]

You're okay.

[Ashley Lopez]

Oh.

[Greg Myhrey]

What?

[Ashley Lopez]

Either they're having an affair or they're just very shy.

[Catherine Marr]

So it turns out. Yeah. So what happens? This couple, very cozy, shows up on the kiss cam, but instead of kissing, she, like, covers her face and turns around. He ducks.

[Domenico Montanaro]

Yeah. He had his, like, arms around her waist. They see each other on the kiss cam thing or whatever, and just both, like, went on.

[Catherine Marr]

Absolutely mortified.

[Domenico Montanaro]

The thing that I couldn't let go of with that story is the response to it where there was a statement that was going around the Internet that everyone thought was from this guy who happened to be a CEO of a company.

[Catherine Marr]

Oh, and she happened to be the chief people officer of the company, head of hr.

[Domenico Montanaro]

Yes. And. But the statement that everyone thought was from him was actually generated by AI.

[Ashley Lopez]

Oh, my God.

[Domenico Montanaro]

Not something he put out.

[Catherine Marr]

He runs an AI company.

[Domenico Montanaro]

I just thought Chris Martin, the lead singer, narrating their avoidance was a cold play.

[Catherine Marr]

Oh, and we end it with a dad joke. Thank you, Dominica.

[Ashley Lopez]

I feel like you got to do my job.

[Domenico Montanaro]

I have a reputation to maintain.

[Ashley Lopez]

It's what you're brought here for. All right, that's a wrap for today. Our executive producer is Muthoni Muturi. Our editor is Rachel Bay. Our producers are Casey Morell and Bria Suggs. Thanks to Krishnadev Kalamer. I'm Ashley Lopez. I cover politics.

[Catherine Marr]

I'm Tamara Keith. I cover the White House.

[Domenico Montanaro]

And I'm Domenico Montanaro, senior political editor and correspondent.

[Ashley Lopez]

And thank you for listening to the NPR Politics podcast. This Message comes from ZipRecruiter. Finding great candidates to hire can be like trying to find a needle in a haystack. Unless you use ZipRecruiter. ZipRecruiter doesn't depend on candidates finding you. It finds them for you. That's why four out of five employers who post a job on ZipRecruiter get a quality candidate within the first day. And right now, you can try ZipRecruiter for free at ZipRecruiter.com Zip. That's ZipRecruiter.com Zip.

[Domenico Montanaro]

Hey, everybody, it's Ian from How to Do Everything. On our show, we attempt to answer your how to questions. We don't know how to do anything, so we call experts. Last season, both Tom Hanks and Martha Stewart stopped by to help. Our next season is launching in just a few months, so get us your questions now by emailing howtopr.org, or calling 1-800-424-2935.