The Tony Kennett Cast, Ep. 430: National Guard in Portland, $294M Dark Money to ANTIFA, and Political Protests

Date: October 21, 2025
Host: Tony Kennett (with Producer Nick, Jim Paf, Correspondent Angelina)

Episode Overview

This high-energy episode of The Tony Kennett Cast explores late-breaking national news, focusing mainly on unrest and protests in Portland, the role of the National Guard, the “No Kings” protests, government shutdown battles, dark money funding left-wing activism, and other contemporary political flashpoints. Tony Kennett delivers irreverent, biting commentary interspersed with analysis and interviews from his network, tackling mainstream media narratives, left-wing protests, and recent government actions with trademark sarcasm and midwestern candor.

Key Discussion Points & Insights

1. Unreported Mass Shooting Prevention at Atlanta International Airport

[00:06-02:00]

• Tony opens by highlighting a foiled mass shooting at Atlanta's airport, unreported by most major outlets (except Fox), thanks to family intervention and rapid police/FBI response.
• The would-be shooter, a felon with an AR-15, was intercepted before acting, after making a FaceTime call to his family expressing his intent.
• Tony praises the “see something, say something” mindset and credits law enforcement and the man's family.

“Thank God for the family who reported it. Thank God for the police who took it seriously. For the FBI who sent people right to the airport…This is a tragedy that has been prevented. Praise God. May his name be blessed.” — Tony Kennett [01:24]

2. National Guard Deploys to Portland; Judicial, Legal, and Media Fallout

[02:00-05:30]

• Trump administration wins a court battle, with the Ninth Circuit staying Judge Karen Immergut's order trying to block federal National Guard deployment to protect property in Portland.
• Footage described from protests: rioters throw tear gas back at police; the legacy media expresses outrage about Guard deployment.
• Legal logic discussed: The President likely acted within lawful authority (10 USC §12406).

“This upset no one more than, well, you guessed it, legacy media…They were really kerfuffled about this one.” — Tony Kennett [03:45]

“It is a big deal…at this preliminary stage, we conclude that it is likely that the President lawfully exercised his statutory authority…” — Tony Kennett quoting the Ninth Circuit [04:43]

• Notable sarcasm about Judge Immergut:

“When Judge Karen got up in front of the country and said, no National Guard, no pomegranates…” — Producer Nick [05:30]

3. Government Shutdown Blame Game—Who's Holding Who Hostage?

[05:30-11:41]

• Senate Democrats refuse to pass measures to reopen the government, despite six House proposals (including bipartisan and “clean” CRs) from Republicans.
• Hakeem Jeffries called out for rejecting a stopgap measure solely to pay essential workers, calling it a Republican political ploy.

“Hakeem goes, actually, that doesn't seem like a comprehensive approach to fixing the cabinet. And in the background, you see the cabinets falling down and all of the dishes tumbling across the kitchen floor. Incredible.” — Producer Nick [09:10]

• Analysis of public poll data: Unlike previous shutdowns, Trump’s approval hasn't dipped.
• Democrats appear to take the blame in public perception due to their voting bloc holding out.

4. Progressive Protest Theater: “No Kings” Protests, Antifa, and Left-Wing Rhetoric

[13:53-39:10]

• Portland’s situation remains chaotic, with “No Kings” protests featuring both elderly progressives and young antifa types (notably in costumes like furries and inflatable suits).
• Protesters often can’t articulate specific grievances (“It’s a metaphor”), sparking ridicule from Tony and his team.

“Is there any specific monarchist positions you believe makes President Trump a king?”
“No, and he shouldn’t try to imitate one either…” [32:34]

• Outrage over leftist rhetoric celebrating the assassination of conservative activist Charlie Kirk, including dramatizations in public and on social media.
• Examples of inappropriate activism: Chicago teacher Lucy Martinez pantomimes Kirk’s death and is subsequently wiped from her school's online presence.

Dark Money Funding for Left-Wing Protests

[38:52-41:37]

• Tony presents documentation of nearly $294 million in funding for “No Kings” and related leftist protests, from six major donors (Arabella Group, Warren Buffett, Ford Foundation, Rockefeller Foundation, George Soros, Tides Foundation).

“$294 million, $487,641. That’s a lot of money… And I must agree, that’s a lot of dinero, as the Mexican flag waivers might say.” — Producer Nick [39:22]

• Outraged reaction to establishment claims that these are purely grassroots, unfinanced actions.
• Lists official sponsors: Denver Communists, Freedom Socialist Party, Young Communist League, NYC DSA, Communist Party USA.

5. Department of Education, Special Ed Policy, and Project 2025

[15:37-17:38]

• Elizabeth Warren criticizes firings in the DoE’s special ed office during the shutdown, framing it as an attack on vulnerable kids.
• Tony calls out Warren’s lack of education credentials, details his own classroom experience, and rails against mainstreaming sped students at the expense of others, blaming the DoE’s office.

“The special education office has no contact, no curriculum, no guidance…They’re just money pushers and grant assignees.” — Tony Kennett [17:18]

• Project 2025 referenced as laying groundwork for DoE reduction.

6. Ballroom Construction at the White House: Media Outrage and Historical Context

[17:38-25:05]

• Mockery of media and liberal panic over Trump’s construction of a White House ballroom (“destroying history”), funded by private money or donors.
• Lists White House building history: every president tweaks it; compares to Obama’s basketball court, Nixon’s bowling alley.
• Trump on the new ballroom:

“We’ll have the most beautiful ballroom in the country…” — Trump [24:35]

7. Media and Administration Defenses, Biden’s Communication, and Press Coverage

[25:05-29:40]

• Karine Jean-Pierre pressed in interviews (The Bulwark, CBS) for Biden’s limited press engagement; she claims he regularly addressed the public.
• Tony and team mock her evasions, contrast Trump’s aggressive press accessibility.

8. CDL Licensure & Transportation Safety Crisis

[43:10-53:49]

• Analysis of CA’s trucking license debacle: state allegedly fails to verify English proficiency for CDL drivers, leading to safety hazards.
• Federal dollars withheld by the Trump administration as leverage; criticisms of Biden-era infrastructure spending and DEI-driven administrative priorities.
• Jim Paf: “You have Brandon Johnson getting up in front of Chicago old people and yelling about how Trump is taking money from the working class and giving it to billionaires, when right now all I am seeing is the Democrat Party taking money and safety away from the working class in their states…” [46:33]
• Defense of strong, standardized federal transportation safety policy; anecdotal experiences from working at FedEx; legislative context (Article 1, Section 8 of the Constitution).

9. Bonus Segments: DEI, Affirmative Action, Political Correctness in Scandal and Pop Culture

[59:10-62:46]

• Satirical take on James O’Keefe’s investigative exposes while dressed in disguise (“Mrs. Doubtfire”) and how political correctness enables obvious stings.
• Michelle Obama openly admits her Princeton SAT scores were poor, and that race played a key role in her admission, leading to a critique of affirmative action and college selection standards.

10. Karine Jean-Pierre, Biden Decline, and the Press

[63:40-69:39]

• Further media grilling of Jean-Pierre about whether Biden’s age/mental acuity were apparent to staffers; she denies seeing any decline, drawing skepticism.
• Panelists lampoon her evasions.

Notable Quotes & Moments

• On National Guard to Portland:
  “The President of the United States…followed the law like he—I thought he was a king. I thought he was a dictator and a fascist and a Nazi. This man even listens to Judge Karen, who screams at the top of her lungs…More Merlot?” — Producer Nick [05:30]

• On protester incoherence:
  “This is not a Halloween parade. This is the #NoKings protest…Some of them can’t seem to elaborate on why this is called the no Kings protest.” — Tony Kennett [31:43]

• On funding revelations:
  “Nobody paid anybody. Remember that.” — Whoopi Goldberg [39:05]

  “The Arabella Strategy Group in DC, $79 million. Warren Buffett, $16 million. The Ford Foundation, $51 million. Rockefeller’s foundations, $26 million. George Soros. Uh huh, $72 million. And the Tides Foundation, $45 million.” — Producer Nick [39:15]

• On schooling and policy:
  “The special education department…advocated extremely strongly to get kids out of specialized environments…they were shoved into classrooms where the kids don’t have a chance.” — Tony Kennett [17:38]

Timestamps for Major Segments

• 00:06-02:00 – Foiled Atlanta Airport shooting, law enforcement kudos
• 02:00-05:30 – National Guard to Portland, legal wrangling, media response
• 05:30-11:41 – Shutdown analysis, congressional posturing, approval ratings
• 13:53-39:10 – “No Kings” protest coverage, protester interviews, protest violence, dark money revelations
• 15:37-17:38 – DoE, special education critique, Project 2025
• 17:38-25:05 – White House ballroom construction: history, media meltdown, Trump quote
• 25:05-29:40 – Press/White House press secretary dynamics, transparency comparison
• 43:10-53:49 – CDL policy, public safety crisis, infrastructure politics, FedEx/transport anecdotes
• 59:10-62:46 – Satire: James O’Keefe investigation, Michelle Obama/affirmative action discussion
• 63:40-69:39 – Karine Jean-Pierre, Biden’s health, panel roasts evasive answers

Episode Tone and Delivery

• Largely sarcastic, cutting, and overtly skeptical of legacy media and Democratic narratives.
• Uses irreverent humor and vivid analogies.
• Frequently references personal experience in education, the Midwest, and history to underscore political stances.

Conclusion

This episode of The Tony Kennett Cast is a whirlwind tour through recent government actions, protest culture, political narratives, and media spin, always with an eye toward exposing (and mocking) what the host describes as hypocrisy, corruption, or incompetence—especially from left-wing sources. Major stories include the constitutional authority of the President to deploy the National Guard, the dynamics and blame strategies around the government shutdown, historic and contemporary White House renovations, and in-depth exploration of funding for leftist protest movements. The episode concludes with light satire and direct Q&A about public safety and government effectiveness.

[End of Detailed Podcast Summary]