The Tony Kennett Cast (Ep. 453) Summary Date: November 25, 2025
Host: Tony Kennett, The Daily Signal
Focus: James Comey & Letitia James not “off the hook” on indictments, possible court martial for Sen. Mark Kelly, military law, immigration, foreign policy, and AI industry

Overview

This episode of The Tony Kennett Cast dives into recent judicial rulings concerning former FBI Director James Comey and New York Attorney General Letitia James, both of whom saw indictments dismissed but not necessarily concluded. Tony explores the legal weeds of these cases, implications of racial gerrymandering rulings by the Supreme Court, political theatre in Congress and the military, the surge of immigrant labor debates, US foreign policy in Ukraine and Venezuela, and the real risks (or not) of an AI bubble. The show is trademark Tony: rapid-fire, irreverent, and steeped in a Midwestern conservatism.

Key Discussion Points & Insights

1. Supreme Court Ruling on Racial Gerrymandering

• The Supreme Court overruled a Texas judicial panel that tried to block the state’s redistricting map, setting the stage for broader pushback against race-based gerrymandering, with possible repercussions for California.

  • [00:31–03:35]
  • Quote: “Supreme Court of the United States … issued a big slapdown … a smackdown of sorts … to the three judge panel of the Western District of Texas.” — Tony Kennett

• Olivia Pero will discuss California’s Prop 50 and districting in a future episode.

2. Indictment Dismissals: James Comey & Letitia James

• Clinton-appointed Judge Curry dismissed charges against Comey and Letitia James, ruling Trump-appointed Interim US Attorney Lindsey Halligan was unlawfully in office.

  • [03:35–10:00]

• Kinnett’s Legal Analysis:

  • Halligan’s 120-day appointment blamed, but precedent shows cases can proceed past this if initiated on time.
  • Statute of limitations could allow refiling within 6 months, according to 18 USC § 3288.
  • Both dismissals were "without prejudice"—not permanently absolving them.

• Comey's Response & Host's Commentary:

  • Comey calls prosecution “malevolent and incompetent,” credits career DOJ staff—Tony snarks at this as self-praise and rhetorically hollow.
    • “Parsing James Comey's rhetoric here is like herding cats. … Like playing Guess Who with Helen Keller.” — Tony Kennett [08:11]
  • Tony disputes notion the dismissal was final: “Maybe James Comey should pump the brakes on his victory lap.” [15:05–15:39]
  • Letitia James, more cautious, issues a written statement; Tony derides her “I am heartened by today's victory…” line.

• Pam Bondi’s Reaction:

  • Immediate appeals promised: “We’ll be taking all available legal action, including an immediate appeal to hold Letitia James and James Comey accountable…” [12:00]

• Technical Arguments:

  • Dismissal rooted in appointment technicality, not case merits—host expects appeals to succeed.
  • Statute of limitations not necessarily expired; re-indictment possible.

3. Congressional Political Theatre & ‘Illegal Orders’

• Focus on recent viral videos of Democratic lawmakers claiming troops should not obey “illegal orders”—especially pointed at Trump.

  • [15:45–27:00]

• Notable moments:

  • Rep. Goodlander, ex-Navy intel officer, grandstands: “Threats don't deter me, okay? I will never give up the ship.” [22:28]
  • Lisa McClain (GOP) presses: “You're asking an enlisted person for their opinion on what they think is legal or illegal... pretty slippery slope…” [24:27–24:34]
  • Tony ridicules the performative nature: “If you were a naval intelligence officer … What ship are you giving up?” [22:48]
  • Exact nature of supposed “illegal” Trump orders never made clear; discussion deemed vague, sowing confusion in ranks could be sedition.

• Military Law Underlined:

  • “Whoever with intent to interfere with, impair or influence the loyalty … of the United States military … shall be fined … or imprisoned not more than 10 years…” (10 USC § 2387) [32:01]

4. Sen. Mark Kelly & Seditious Speech

• Mark Kelly allegedly under investigation for fueling “pause” or insubordination among troops.
• Kelly fires back, listing his military record (“fruit salad” ribbons), but is questioned why similar stands were missing during COVID or the border crisis.
  • [32:09–37:04]
• Ruben Gallego defends Kelly, charges administration with “acting like fascists” for launching investigation. [37:04–37:56]

5. Immigration & Media Outrage

• NYT sympathy for illegal immigrants who commit crimes (“the first years were lonely and exhausting… started to drink… DUI…”) is mocked harshly [40:07–43:08].

• Tony emphasizes: victims of identity theft suffer, legal immigrants overwhelmingly oppose lowering standards.

• Labor Market Rant:

  • “Bringing people in to fulfill jobs… percentiles kind of matter… legal immigrants say a high standard is necessary.” [43:08–48:00]

6. Ukraine-Russia Peace Negotiations

• Secretary of State Marco Rubio sent to Europe to negotiate peace; potential terms favor Russian interests but also put limits on NATO expansion, with US threatening retaliation if Russia moves west again.
  • [48:57–49:57]
• Trump’s approach: wants quick end to war, bears in mind Europe’s interests, but prioritizes US, Russia, Ukraine, and Poland.

7. Venezuela, Cartels, and Military Posture

• US deploying B-52s, F-18s near Venezuela; possible kinetic actions on drug cartel-related targets.
  • Cuba may execute Maduro if he flees.
  • Tony and Robert Greenway see this as necessary for Western Hemispheric security; Rand Paul objects, worried about rules of engagement.
    • “The United States is serious about Western Hemisphere security … a third of our deployed naval assets now in the Western Hemisphere.” — Robert Greenway [57:46]

8. Muslim Brotherhood and Foreign Influence Operations

• Administration moves to declare all Muslim Brotherhood chapters terrorist organizations.
• Tony slams CAIR and “bot-driven” social media influence, expands on how much support (or lack thereof) radical Muslim causes have in the US.
  • Podcast download numbers, he claims, are artificially inflated from abroad for influencers like Candace Owens.

9. AI Bubble: Fact or Fantasy?

• Addresses fears of an AI “bubble” like dot-com crash—Tony dismisses likelihood, noting today’s firms have real revenue, products, and are mostly self-funding.

  • [65:21–end]

• Warns of cyclical investing, but insists it’s not 2000; emphasizes government initiative “Genesis Mission” to direct AI innovation toward science/discovery.

• Notable quote:

  • “The argument that we're all going to fall apart and die and it'll be horrible, incredible, whatever. No, I'm afraid not.” — Tony Kennett [65:21]

Notable Quotes & Moments

• On Comey’s self-congratulation:

  "Parsing James Comey's rhetoric here is like herding cats…like playing Guess Who with Helen Keller." — Tony Kennett [08:11]

• On Letitia James’ statement:

  "I am heartened by today's victory and grateful for the prayers…" — Letitia James [13:30], mocked by Tony.

• On military insubordination scripts:

  "If you were a naval intelligence officer, nothing I can see shows you were actually stationed on a particular ship. What ship are you giving up?" — Tony Kennett [22:48]

• On US anti-cartel action:

  "The United States is serious about Western Hemisphere security… a third of our deployed naval assets now in the Western Hemisphere… all pointed at central focal point…for Chinese, Russian, Iranian presence." — Robert Greenway [57:46]

• On AI alarmism:

  "The argument that we're all going to fall apart and die and it'll be horrible, incredible, whatever. No, I'm afraid not." — Tony Kennett [65:21]

Section Timestamps

• SCOTUS Redistricting Ruling: [00:31–03:35]
• Comey & James Judicial Dismissal Deep Dive: [03:35–15:39]
• Military 'Illegal Orders' Video Controversy: [15:45–27:00]
• Sen. Mark Kelly Under Fire: [32:09–37:56]
• Immigration Identity Theft Story: [40:07–43:08]
• Labor Market/Immigration Policy: [43:08–48:00]
• Ukraine-Russia Deal, US Interests: [48:57–49:57]
• Venezuela Crisis & US Military Moves: [50:00–58:22]
• Muslim Brotherhood/Foreign Influence: [59:13–65:20]
• AI Bubble Reality Check: [65:21–end]

Tone and Style

Fast, irreverent, openly conservative, with biting sarcasm and pop-culture snark. Tony flourishes with asides, direct quotations of statute, and playful, sometimes scathing, lampooning of political and media figures from all parties.

Conclusion

This episode challenged legal interpretations of high-profile indictments, dissected performative politics in Congress and media, and hit on pressing national security and economic themes. While courtroom dramas and Pentagon wrangling may yet play out, Tony frames the news as a union of legal nuance and political gamesmanship—all underpinned by his signature blend of mockery, legalism, and Midwestern skepticism.

For more, catch the next The Tony Kennett Cast, weeknights at 7PM ET on The Daily Signal, or check out the livestream for uninterrupted content and bonus segments.