The Mark Thompson Show

Would Ted Cruz be the first Supreme Court nominee to get a unanimous vote? President Trump thinks so...but not for the reason you'd expect. We look at Trump's latest joke about picking the Texas senator for the high court, claiming that both Democrats and Republicans would rush to confirm him just to get him out of Congress. The problem with what we perceive as being Trump's jokes is that they often end up coming to fruition (like the renaming of the Gulf of America and Lake America and the invasion of Venezuela). Cruz has repeatedly turned down the idea, but would he really turn down this job? Maybe he'd rather spend retirement in Acapulco. Today's guests include: John Rothmann - Presidential Historian, Author & Host of the podcast: Around the Political World With John Rothmann. Jared Yates Sexton is a political analyst and author. He is the co-host of The Muckrake Podcast and his writings can be found at Dispatches From a Collapsing State. https://www.jysexton.com/books Substack - https://jaredyatessexton.substack.com/ The Mark Thompson Show 10/28/26 Patreon subscribers are the backbone of the show! If you’d like to help, here’s our Patreon Link: https://www.patreon.com/themarkthompsonshow Maybe you’re more into PayPal. https://www.paypal.com/donate/?hosted_button_id=PVBS3R7KJXV24 And you’ll find everything on our website: https://www.themarkthompsonshow.com The Mark Thompson Show has an official new Facebook page. Please join! Here's the link: https://m.facebook.com/TheMarkThompsonShow/ Show sponsors: coachellavalleycoffee.com - use code MarkT at check out to save 10%

In a major ruling, a federal appeals court is rejecting the Justice Department's emergency bid to force California to set aside votes from 20,000 people it claims could be noncitizens. The 9th Circuit Court of Appeals ruled 2-1 that the court didn't have authority to step in before the district court weighed in and the judges made clear they're skeptical of the DOJ's case on the merits too. One Trump-appointed judge even said he'd rule against the government if given the chance. The case heads back to district court for a Tuesday hearing. We will discuss what this means for federal power over elections and state voting rights. Guests today include the brilliant Pulitzer prize winning author and investigative journalist David Cay Johnston. Find David online at: dcreport.org and on substack: https://substack.com/@davidcayjohnston Yanis Varoufakis, a former Finance Minister of Greece, Professor of Economics at the University of Athens, and leader of Greece's MeRA25 political party speaks with Mark about everything from the economy to affordability to the massive protests across Europe. Varoufakis is the author of Technofeudalism. His latest book is called Raise Your Soul. Find him online at: https://www.yanisvaroufakis.eu/ https://x.com/yanisvaroufakis https://substack.com/@yanisvaroufakis The Mark Thompson Show 10/27/26 Patreon subscribers are the backbone of the show! If you’d like to help, here’s our Patreon Link: https://www.patreon.com/themarkthompsonshow Maybe you’re more into PayPal. https://www.paypal.com/donate/?hosted_button_id=PVBS3R7KJXV24 And you’ll find everything on our website: https://www.themarkthompsonshow.com The Mark Thompson Show has an official new Facebook page. Please join! Here's the link: https://m.facebook.com/TheMarkThompsonShow/ Show sponsors: coachellavalleycoffee.com - use code MarkT at check out to save 10%

With Republicans facing the possibility of major losses in the midterm elections, aides and allies are reportedly bracing for a White House shake-up and a fresh wave of blame and infighting. We'll look at the growing mistrust around Trump, the high-profile disputes drawing public attention, and the uncertainty facing his administration in the final days before the vote. The Mark Thompson Show 10/21/26 Patreon subscribers are the backbone of the show! If you’d like to help, here’s our Patreon Link: https://www.patreon.com/themarkthompsonshow Maybe you’re more into PayPal. https://www.paypal.com/donate/?hosted_button_id=PVBS3R7KJXV24 And you’ll find everything on our website: https://www.themarkthompsonshow.com The Mark Thompson Show has an official new Facebook page. Please join! Here's the link: https://m.facebook.com/TheMarkThompsonShow/ Show sponsors: coachellavalleycoffee.com - use code MarkT at check out to save 10%

While Donald Trump is calling Benjamin Netanyahu a “Great Warrior Prime Minister” and endorsing his reelection, JD Vance is taking a step back. During an interview with Mark Halperin aboard Air Force Two, Vance said he is focusing strictly on American candidates for the midterms and is "not getting involved in Israeli elections." Vance's refusal to weigh in on the Israeli election is drawing attention because of his previous actions. Earlier this year, he traveled to Budapest, Hungary, specifically to support Victor Orbán, another leader endorsed by Trump, prior to Orbán's election loss. This public disagreement comes just days before the Israeli election and just after U.S. Secretary of Defense Pete Hegseth made an unannounced trip to Israel, where he met with Netanyahu and Defense Minister Israel Katz. We will ask Pulitzer Prize winning author and investigative journalist David Cay Johnston for his thoughts. You can find more of David Cay Johnston online at dcreport.org and on substack: https://substack.com/@davidcayjohnston Professor Allan Lichtman will stop through. He is an acclaimed historian, civil rights advocate, and author. He is also an expert in U.S. elections and election forecasting. We will find out why Dr. Lichtman thinks Democrats will take the Senate in the upcoming midterms. For more, see Allan Lichtman's YouTube show Lichtman Live and find his new book: Great American Presidents: The Twelve Who Transformed the Nation. https://www.amazon.com/Great-American-Presidents-Transformed-Presidency/dp/B0HJJK72C7 The Mark Thompson Show 10/20/26 Patreon subscribers are the backbone of the show! If you’d like to help, here’s our Patreon Link: https://www.patreon.com/themarkthompsonshow Maybe you’re more into PayPal. https://www.paypal.com/donate/?hosted_button_id=PVBS3R7KJXV24 And you’ll find everything on our website: https://www.themarkthompsonshow.com The Mark Thompson Show has an official new Facebook page. Please join! Here's the link: https://m.facebook.com/TheMarkThompsonShow/ Show sponsors: coachellavalleycoffee.com - use code MarkT at check out to save 10% #Trump #DavidCayJohnston #AllanLichtman #Iran #Elections #Midterms #Politics

As Republican midterm prospects look more dire, top GOP leaders are turning up the heat with more aggressive rhetoric. Trump and his allies are attacking Democratic candidates—from mocking names and questioning who "looks American" to reviving racially charged talking points about immigrants. Both Michigan's Abdul El-Sayed and Texas's James Talarico are taking major campaign trail bullying. It goes beyond running a normal race and crosses into racial,religious, and sexual orientation related personal attacks to stoke fear in voters. We have a cavalcade of superstars on the show today: Movie star Kevin Pollak will stop by to talk about the new season of Tulsa King, premiering on October 16th, 2026 on Paramount+. Check it out at: https://www.paramountplus.com/shows/tulsa-king/ From Around the Political World with John Rothmann, John Rothmann joins. Our resident presidential historian will weigh in on Trump's latest blunders. Political analyst Jared Yates Sexton will pop through to engage and inform. His insights on current events are always eye-opening. He is the co-host of The Muckrake Podcast and his writings can be found at Dispatches From a Collapsing State and online at: https://www.jysexton.com/books Substack - https://jaredyatessexton.substack.com/ Finally, our attempt to save the planet brings eco-journalist Belinda Waymouth to the show with some uplifting news about wildlife. The Mark Thompson Show 10/14/26 Patreon subscribers are the backbone of the show! If you’d like to help, here’s our Patreon Link: https://www.patreon.com/themarkthompsonshow Maybe you’re more into PayPal. https://www.paypal.com/donate/?hosted_button_id=PVBS3R7KJXV24 And you’ll find everything on our website: https://www.themarkthompsonshow.com The Mark Thompson Show has an official new Facebook page. Please join! Here's the link: https://m.facebook.com/TheMarkThompsonShow/ Show sponsors: coachellavalleycoffee.com - use code MarkT at check out to save 10%

President Trump's controversial new energy agreement with Russia is already dividing lawmakers and world leaders. Trump announced a massive diesel deal that will bring 300,000 tons of Russian fuel into the U.S. market immediately, with another 500,000 tons in November and 1 million tons after that. The stated goal is to ease global energy costs, but the reaction has been anything but smooth. Ukrainian President Zelensky calls the deal a "birthday gift" to Putin designed to "kill us, kill our children." Meanwhile, Trump also announced an energy ceasefire between Ukraine and Russia that would stop both countries from attacking each other's power grids. While Zelensky cautiously welcomed that news, he's demanding clear details and accountability from Moscow. US Lawmakers from both parties are furious, especially since the Treasury Department will have to lift sanctions on Russia to make this diesel deal happen. That's a stunning reversal considering Trump just signed off on tougher sanctions weeks ago through the Lindsey Graham act. We'll ask our resident Pulitzer Prize winning investigative journalist and author David Cay Johnson about this and more. Find more of David at dcreport.org and on Substack: https://substack.com/@davidcayjohnston Spencer Waller is an antitrust professor at Loyola Chicago. Spencer also co-produced the 2024 Broadway revival of The Who's Tommy, so he is the perfect person to weigh in on the controversy surrounding Live Nation and ticket rules. Waller's new book: Power and Greed: Monopolies, Mergers, and Cartels on the American Stage, will be released this week. The Mark Thompson Show 10/13/26 Patreon subscribers are the backbone of the show! If you’d like to help, here’s our Patreon Link: https://www.patreon.com/themarkthompsonshow Maybe you’re more into PayPal. https://www.paypal.com/donate/?hosted_button_id=PVBS3R7KJXV24 And you’ll find everything on our website: https://www.themarkthompsonshow.com The Mark Thompson Show has an official new Facebook page. Please join! Here's the link: https://m.facebook.com/TheMarkThompsonShow/ Show sponsors: coachellavalleycoffee.com - use code MarkT at check out to save 10% #Trump # DavidCayJohnston #Dieseldeal #Powerceasefire #Ukraine #Russia #ira nased

We have a captivating pre-recorded show on this holiday. It's Indigenous People's Day for some and for others Columbus Day. Trump falls into the Columbus Day category -  issuing a proclamation defending Christopher Columbus from "a vicious and merciless campaign to erase our history, slander our heroes, and attack our heritage." It's not the first time Trump has made such a proclamation. Mark will weigh in.  
We have two bright stars in the guest line-up:  
First up...John Iadarola.  He is a political analyst and a host for the Young Turks and The Damage Report. He and Mark talk politics, taking a look at Mitch McConnell's return to office after a still undisclosed medical issue and more. You can find more of John on Substack at: https://substack.com/@johniadarola
Then, we welcome Joel Dinerstein, Professor of English at Tulane University. He is the author of six books, including a new memoir about his immigrant Jewish family.  It's called 'The Last of the Ellis Island Jews: A Brooklyn Memoir.'  Professor Dinerstein paints a picture of an era filled with culture, family and music. Find more at: https://www.joeldinerstein.com
The Mark Thompson Show 
10/12/26

Abdul El-Sayed and Mike Rogers faced off in a heated debate over the Iran war, gas prices, health care and tariffs. The Michigan Senate candidates traded attacks over their political positions in a race that could help decide control of the Senate. Over at the Pentagon, Secretary of Defense Pete Hegseth wants the man who killed 13 people at the Fort Hood military base to be killed by a firing squad and wants it streamed and available to the public. This Week in Politics brings Mo Kelly and David Shuster to the show to weigh in on the current events making the biggest impact. We will lighten it up as we head into the weekend with a swing by Florida and a look at movies, courtesy of The Culture Blaster, Michael Snyder.

Trump returns to Texas to rally behind Ken Paxton, whose Senate race is tighter than Republicans expected. With Paxton privately voicing concerns about Trump’s impact on the campaign, the visit could test whether the president can energize voters or deepen the party’s political tension. The rally yesterday in Texas was chaotic and full of protests causing Trump to step away from the podium at one point. Guests today include: Our friend and former federal prosecutor David Katz. He is a legal commentator with the uncanny ability to predict legal outcomes. Marcia Chatelain is the Penn Presidential Compact Professor of Africana Studies at the University of Pennsylvania. In 2021, she was awarded the Pulitzer Prize for History for her book Franchise: The Golden Arches in Black America. She shares details of her new book: How Bright the Path Grows: The Untold Story of the Women Who Made the March on Washington (Pantheon Books; September 29, 2026). Robert Pape returns for another great conversation. Pape is a professor of political science at the University of Chicago and director of the Chicago Project on Security and Threats. One of the world's leading scholars of political violence, he is best known for groundbreaking research on suicide terrorism, coercion, and the rise of political violence in democracies. His new book is called : Our Own Worst Enemies: America in the Age of Violent Populism (The New Press; September 22, 2026) The Mark Thompson Show 10-8-26 Patreon subscribers are the backbone of the show! If you’d like to help, here’s our Patreon Link: https://www.patreon.com/themarkthompsonshow Maybe you’re more into PayPal. https://www.paypal.com/donate/?hosted_button_id=PVBS3R7KJXV24 And you’ll find everything on our website: https://www.themarkthompsonshow.com The Mark Thompson Show has an official new Facebook page. Please join! Here's the link: https://m.facebook.com/TheMarkThompsonShow/ Show sponsors: coachellavalleycoffee.com - use code MarkT at check out to save 10%

Trump says U.S. poverty is at an historic low—but that doesn’t mean life feels affordable. From rent and groceries to health care and childcare, many Americans still struggle to cover the basics. We look at the gap between poverty statistics and the cost of living ahead of the midterms. Guest today include: John Rothmann. He is a presidential historian and host of the podcast ‘Around the Political World with John Rothmann.’ Allan Lichtman is an historian, author and long-time civil rights advocate. He has testified in more than 110 civil rights and voting rights cases across the US. In his upcoming book, Great American Presidents: The Twelve Who Transformed the Nation, Lichtman introduces his innovative non-partisan framework for gauging presidential performance. He considers Trump the worst president in history for many reasons, including his blatant attacks on civil rights. Jared Yates Sexton is a political analyst and author. His work has appeared in The New York Times, The New Republic, Politico, The Daily Beast, and elsewhere. He is the co-host of The Muckrake Podcast and his writings can be found at Dispatches From a Collapsing State and at: https://www.jysexton.com/books Substack - https://jaredyatessexton.substack.com/ Eco- journalist Belinda Waymouth joins for It’s the Planet, Stupid! She’ll discuss the damage oil companies leave in their wake and some better news about work to monitor oceans. The Mark Thompson Show 10/7/26 Patreon subscribers are the backbone of the show! If you’d like to help, here’s our Patreon Link: https://www.patreon.com/themarkthompsonshow Maybe you’re more into PayPal. https://www.paypal.com/donate/?hosted_button_id=PVBS3R7KJXV24 And you’ll find everything on our website: https://www.themarkthompsonshow.com The Mark Thompson Show has an official new Facebook page. Please join! Here's the link: https://m.facebook.com/TheMarkThompsonShow/ Show sponsors: coachellavalleycoffee.com - use code MarkT at check out to save 10%

Jaw dropping behavior by Trump at a rally in Grand Island, Nebraska yesterday. He brought aide Natalie Harp (nicknamed the “Human Printer”) on stage to hand him an executive order allowing tax-free purchases of red-dyed diesel. He signed it, tossed his pen into the crowd, then compared Harp’s entrance to perfect people on The Price Is Right, joking that they should take the whole thing on television. Perhaps even more shocking…Trump suggested Iran could “take out” Los Angeles or San Diego, indicating he wouldn’t mind losing those American cities. California Governor Gavin Newsom responded by call ing Trump “deranged and dangerous” saying a president’s role is to protect the country, not threaten American cities or encourage attacks on their residents. Guests today include the incredible David Cay Johnston. He is a Pulitzer Prize winning investigative journalist and a best selling author. Find David online at dcreport.org and on Substack at https://substack.com/@davidcayjohnston Legal scholar David F. Walbert will drop by to discuss his new book: Stealing Elections, American Style. It’s the right book at the right time. You can find the book here: https://www.bloomsbury.com/ca/stealing-elections-american-style-9798216391999/ The Mark Thompson Show 10/6/26 Patreon subscribers are the backbone of the show! If you’d like to help, here’s our Patreon Link: https://www.patreon.com/themarkthompsonshow Maybe you’re more into PayPal. https://www.paypal.com/donate/?hosted_button_id=PVBS3R7KJXV24 And you’ll find everything on our website: https://www.themarkthompsonshow.com The Mark Thompson Show has an official new Facebook page. Please join! Here's the link: https://m.facebook.com/TheMarkThompsonShow/ Show sponsors: coachellavalleycoffee.com - use code MarkT at check out to save 10%

With just four weeks until Election Day, Republicans are in a bad spot trying to defend states Trump won by huge margins just two years ago. The polling shows Democrats leading in races that should be safe GOP strongholds. Latino voter shifts are catching Republicans offguard. GOP messaging on the economy is not landing with voters. Add to this, high gas prices are becoming a major liability, and voters can see panic in Trump's desperate cash-giveaway pitch. It all points to disaster come November 2nd. Guests today include: Sarah Kendzior. She is a best selling author, scholar and journalist. Find Sarah online at: sarahkendzior.com https://substack.com/@sarahkendzior David Shuster is an Emmy award winning broadcast journalist best known for his work at NBC News and MSNBC and his ongoing YouTube videos on "Rebel HQ." Find David at: https://substack.com/@davidshuster

For an American president who supposedly hates communists so much that he is spending money to advertise against the dangers of such ideology, he sure seems to like pictures of himself with communist leaders. MS NOW’s Jacqueline Alemany is sharing images from the Palm Room at the White House showing gold framed photos of Trump with Chinese leader Xi Jinping and Russian President Vladimir Putin prominently displayed beside a doorway. America’s adversaries, lovingly clad in big ornate golden frames hanging in the White House. So which is it? Does Trump want communist authoritarian leaders in a place of honor or on America’s list of enemies? A picture is worth a thousand words. We welcome Michael Shure and Mo Kelly for This Week in Politics. This lively, engaging discussion on the top stories of the week is one not to miss. Friday shenanigans get underway with Friday Fabulous Florida and The Culture Blaster, Michael Snyder

Elon Musk is back in government. The SpaceX CEO has been tapped to co-lead Project Meridian, a new Department of Defense initiative studying the future of warfare. He's joined by former House Speaker Newt Gingrich and Palmer Luckey of defense tech company Anduril. The project runs 120 days and will deliver a public report with their recommendations on achieving "absolute technological dominance on the next-generation battlefield." Mark has a very interesting conversation with Marcia Chatelain. She is the Penn Presidential Compact Professor of Africana Studies at the University of Pennsylvania. She was awarded the Pulitzer Prize for History for her book Franchise: The Golden Arches in Black America. Now, she has a new book called How Bright the Path Grows: The Untold Story of the Women Who Made the March on Washington . From the federal government wanting to collect state voter rolls to deporting immigrants to third-party countries, there’s a lot to talk about on the legal front. We welcome former federal prosecutor, and now defense attorney, David Katz to the show.

Bernie Sanders is ramping up his midterm efforts with a major cash injection into races he cares about. After raising $2.8 million for his preferred candidates this cycle, Sanders is now putting hundreds of thousands of dollars directly toward key campaigns, including Lt. Gov. Peggy Flanagan in Minnesota's Senate race, Angie Nixon in Florida, and Minnesota Attorney General Keith Ellison's reelection bid. These are his first general election donations from his campaign account, marking a significant escalation in his midterm push. Beyond the money, Sanders is also spending to hire full-time organizers in Michigan, Minnesota, and Florida, while planning get-out-the-vote text campaigns for candidates he's endorsed. In this clip, Guest today include: John Rothmann. Presidential Historian, author & host of the podcast Around the Political World With John Rothmann. Jared Yates Sexton is a political analyst and author. He is the co-host of The Muckrake Podcast and his writings can be found at Dispatches From a Collapsing State. https://www.jysexton.com/books Substack - https://jaredyatessexton.substack.com/ Robert A. Pape is a professor of political science at the University of Chicago and director of the Chicago Project on Security and Threats. One of the world's leading scholars of political violence, he is best known for groundbreaking research on suicide terrorism, coercion, and the rise of political violence in democracies. His new book is called: Our Own Worst Enemies. Find more on Substack at: https://substack.com/@professorrobertpape Find the book on Amazon: https://www.amazon.com/Our-Own-Worst-Enemies-Populism/dp/1620979586/ref=sr_1_1?crid=5CP7FSHQ20N5&dib=eyJ2IjoiMSJ9.w-d4izGrZU7Ga0vjxLUYjecV3WDdsao9WqwQWKcxJiKjJ3OOcLvE-L3N0_Emk7YPG_Ex6Pt4IlypBR4vjYheWrBFtdSBm3ntbWyVOgcD7Itd_P7ouzKFp9OfFUyc5jmwZWjeteIbRUeH6b7D0RWvlg.B_1l6vD7-gzz1OPWQwzoDK43UnBkVU32sBFFHNi4pxE&dib_tag=se&keywords=our+own+worst+enemy+robert+pape&qid=1790778815&sprefix=our+own+wor%2Caps%2C166&sr=8-1 The Mark Thompson Show Patreon subscribers are the backbone of the show! If you’d like to help, here’s our Patreon Link: https://www.patreon.com/themarkthompsonshow Maybe you’re more into PayPal. https://www.paypal.com/donate/?hosted_button_id=PVBS3R7KJXV24 And you’ll find everything on our website: https://www.themarkthompsonshow.com The Mark Thompson Show has an official new Facebook page. Please join! Here's the link: https://m.facebook.com/TheMarkThompsonShow/ Show sponsors: coachellavalleycoffee.com - use code MarkT at check out to save 10%

President Trump just signed off on sweeping import restrictions on Canadian goods, and they're taking effect tonight at midnight ET (September 29, 2026). From whiskey to the whey protein in your favorite supplement to motorcycles,we’ll look at what Canada's saying about retaliation, how Trump’s trade war will raise prices for Americans yet again and why trade talks between the U.S. and Canada are stalling out. We turn to Pulitzer Prize winning author and investigative journalist David Cay Johnston to dig deeper. Find more of David’s writing on his Substack: https://substack.com/@davidcayjohnston Mark sits down with Charles Derber, eminent sociologist and prolific author. Derber says America was wired for authoritarianism long before the emergence of Trump. We dislcuss his latest book ‘Wired for Authoritarianism: American Oligarchies and How to Re-Wire America for the People.’ Find the book at: https://www.routledge.com/Wired-for-Authoritarianism-American-Oligarchies-and-How-to-Re-Wire-America-for-the-People/Derber/p/book/9781041267553 The Mark Thompson Show 9/29/26 Patreon subscribers are the backbone of the show! If you’d like to help, here’s our Patreon Link: https://www.patreon.com/themarkthompsonshow Maybe you’re more into PayPal. https://www.paypal.com/donate/?hosted_button_id=PVBS3R7KJXV24 And you’ll find everything on our website: https://www.themarkthompsonshow.com The Mark Thompson Show has an official new Facebook page. Please join! Here's the link: https://m.facebook.com/TheMarkThompsonShow/ Show sponsors: coachellavalleycoffee.com - use code MarkT at check out to save 10%

A strange Trump ad caught football fans by surprise. The taxpayer-funded advertisement aired during NFL games this past Sunday, appearing in commercial breaks of the Seahawks versus Commanders and Browns versus Panthers matchups. The spot shows Trump walking through a hallway declaring "this is the final battle" while his voiceover states he'll "cast out the communists, Marxists, and fascists" and "liberate America from these villains once and for all." The ad drew criticism from both Democrats and Republicans for using federal funds for what many argue is political campaigning. We welcome guests: Sarah Kendzior. She is a best-selling author, scholar and journalist. Find Sara at both: https://substack.com/@sarahkendzior Sarahkendzior.com David Shuster is an Emmy award winning broadcast journalist best known for his work at NBC News and MSNBC and his ongoing YouTube videos on "Rebel HQ." Find David a: https://substack.com/@davidshuster The Mark Thompson Show 9/28/26 Patreon subscribers are the backbone of the show! If you’d like to help, here’s our Patreon Link: https://www.patreon.com/themarkthompsonshow Maybe you’re more into PayPal. https://www.paypal.com/donate/?hosted_button_id=PVBS3R7KJXV24 And you’ll find everything on our website: https://www.themarkthompsonshow.com The Mark Thompson Show has an official new Facebook page. Please join! Here's the link: https://m.facebook.com/TheMarkThompsonShow/ Show sponsors: coachellavalleycoffee.com - use code MarkT at check out to save 10%

Some of Trump's advisers are pushing him to intervene in federal elections. According to The Atlantic, Peter Ticktin, a longtime Trump associate wants him to consider extraordinary measures before the midterm elections.How much influence Ticktin has remain s to be seen ? We have seen Trump’s repeated calls for greater federal control over elections, election-fraud conspiracies and voter restrictions. Now, comes this rhetoric about martial law that could create chaos and shape the political landscape heading into November. We'll talk about this and more with political analysts Michael Shure and Mo Kelly during This Week in Politics. Then it's Friday levity with Friday Fabulous Florida and the Culture Blaster, Michael Snyder.

With the midterms just weeks away, Republican candidates are making a strategic pivot and it's pretty telling. Trump's approval rating is below 40%, with some polls putting it closer to 30%. His policies aren't polling great either. Half of Americans think his deportation agenda goes too far, and even his own MAGA base is getting tired of his foreign policy moves. So what are GOP candidates doing? They're distancing themselves and fast. Some candidates are scrubbing all Trump references from their campaign websites and eliminating him from their ads. Out of hundreds of new campaign commercials from Republicans in competitive races since August, only two have mentioned Trump. One GOP strategist put it bluntly: candidates know Trump is "kryptonite" in 2024. They can read the polls, and the polls are saying loud and clear—don't tie yourself to him if you want to win. We have some great guests on the show today, including John Rothmann, host of “Around the Political World with John Rothmann. “ He is a presidential historian and political analyst. The conversation continues with author and political analyst Jared Yates Sexton. He is the co-host of The Muckrake Podcast and his writings can be found at Dispatches From a Collapsing State. Get more Jared at: https://www.jysexton.com/books Substack - https://jaredyatessexton.substack.com/ The Mark Thompson Show 9/23/26 Patreon subscribers are the backbone of the show! If you’d like to help, here’s our Patreon Link: https://www.patreon.com/themarkthompsonshow Maybe you’re more into PayPal. https://www.paypal.com/donate/?hosted_button_id=PVBS3R7KJXV24 And you’ll find everything on our website: https://www.themarkthompsonshow.com The Mark Thompson Show has an official new Facebook page. Please join! Here's the link: https://m.facebook.com/TheMarkThompsonShow/ Show sponsors: coachellavalleycoffee.com - use code MarkT at check out to save 10%

Today's Guests Links
Prof. David Cay Johnston at RIT, Pulitzer Prize winning Author & Investigative Journalist  https://bsky.app/profile/davidcayjohnston.bsky.social
https://substack.com/@davidcayjohnston
Dmitri Mehlhorn https://www.dmitrimehlhorn.com
The dirty commie rhetoric was put away for a time while President Trump met with New York City Mayor Zohran Mamdani at Gracie Mansion. The surprisingly cordial conversation focused on one issue affecting nearly every New Yorker: the rising cost of living. The two discussed housing affordability, federal funding, immigration protections, and the safety of immigrant communities or the lack thereof. Despite their differences, Trump said Mamdani has “great potential” as mayor, while Mamdani said it's New Yorkers who will be judging his performance. We welcome Pulitzer Prize winning author and investigative journalist David Cay Johnston. We'll talk about the news outlets banned from the White House and how some of Trump's recent announcements have come as a surprise to everyone, including his own staff. Want more David Cay Johnston? Find him on Substack: https://substack.com/@davidcayjohnston and at dcreport.org We will share a great conversation with Dmitri Mehlhorn. He is the author of a new book called: Archipelago of Light. Dmitri is a triple threat...a graduate of Stanford, Harvard and Yale Law School. He is known for his work on public policy, political strategy, philanthropy and efforts to strengthen democratic institutions. Find Dmitri at: https://www.dmitrimehlhorn.com His bicoastal book launch starts on October 6th in NYC. Find more events on his website above. The Mark Thompson Show 9/22/26 Patreon subscribers are the backbone of the show! If you’d like to help, here’s our Patreon Link: https://www.patreon.com/themarkthompsonshow Maybe you’re more into PayPal. https://www.paypal.com/donate/?hosted_button_id=PVBS3R7KJXV24 And you’ll find everything on our website: https://www.themarkthompsonshow.com The Mark Thompson Show has an official new Facebook page. Please join! Here's the link: https://m.facebook.com/TheMarkThompsonShow/ Show sponsors: coachellavalleycoffee.com - use code MarkT at check out to save 10%

The whole world can see Trump trying to control information about his presidency. We know from history that... "When empires or authoritarian regimes are under threat or fall, it's common for the press to become an early casualty. Controlling the flow of information is crucial for those in power, and when that power is challenged, media censorship, suppression, or manipulation often intensifies." (savejournalism.com) We shine a spotlight on Trump's decision to remove CNN from its scheduled role as the television pool representative for the White House press corps. The move breaks with decades of precedent and follows Trump’s announcement that CNN, MS NOW, and Politico are banned from the White House. While Trump cries "fake news," the rest of the world sees a man scared of the truth closing in. The amazing Sarah Kendzior will join us. She is a best selling author, scholar and journalist. You can find her at sarahkendzior.com and follow her writing and thoughts on the issues of the day on substack at: https://substack.com/@sarahkendzior Emmy award winning news anchor David Shuster will stop through. You’ve seen him anchor on MSNBC . He’s worked for Fox News, CNN, Current TV, The Young Turks, and Al Jazeera America. Find more of David's musings at: https://substack.com/@davidshuster The Mark Thompson Show 9/21/26 Patreon subscribers are the backbone of the show! If you’d like to help, here’s our Patreon Link: https://www.patreon.com/themarkthompsonshow Maybe you’re more into PayPal. https://www.paypal.com/donate/?hosted_button_id=PVBS3R7KJXV24 And you’ll find everything on our website: https://www.themarkthompsonshow.com The Mark Thompson Show has an official new Facebook page. Please join! Here's the link: https://m.facebook.com/TheMarkThompsonShow/ Show sponsors: coachellavalleycoffee.com - use code MarkT at check out to save 10%

Republicans are facing a difficult midterm balancing act: embrace Donald Trump to energize the MAGA base and access his massive campaign war chest, or keep their distance as his approval ratings fall and some of his policies become political liabilities. We look at why vulnerable GOP candidates are divided over Trump’s involvement, and what that tension could mean for the party’s chances in November. This week in Politics brings our brilliant political analysts Michael Shure and Mo Kelly to the show. We'll talk midterms, Kennedy Center and the latest rumblings on AI. Downshifting into fun gear...Friday Fabulous Florida is on tap and the Culture Blaster, Michael Snyder, will talk movies, streaming and more.

Senator Mitch McConnell returned to the Senate Agriculture Committee for a vote on the Farm Bill, but confusion arose when his name was called. After aides and fellow Republicans appeared to prompt him, his name had to be repeated twice before he slightly raised a finger and quietly said “aye.” The moment added to concerns about the 84-year-old senator’s health following his 92-day absence from Capitol Hill. From the possibility that Trump could knock down the Kennedy Center after a judicial ruling against carving his name into the facade to his latest tirade against Supreme Court justices that went against him on mail-in ballots, there is much to discuss with former federal prosecutor, now defense attorney, David Katz. We will sit down with Arlie Russell Hochschild. After years working as a sociology professor at Cal, she has turned her focus to writing with great success. Her latest book is called "Stolen Pride: Loss, Shame, and the Rise of the Right." You can find the book at: https://thenewpress.org/books/stolen-pride/

Vice President JD Vance spoke at a closed-door House Republican conference meeting on Capitol Hill, urging lawmakers to target Democratic candidates such as Abdul El-Sayed and James Talarico. Critics condemned his advice as an embrace of racist fearmongering. The discussion also focused on voters’ economic frustrations ahead of the midterms. We welcome presidential historian John Rothmann to the show. Jon can be heard on his podcast “Around the Political World with John Rothmann ” We’ll shine a light on a new book called “Draw the Line in Ohio: How One State's Fight for Fair Maps Explains Gerrymandering in America.” The co-authors, legal analyst Rory Riley Topping and Washington Correspondent Josh Rultenberg explain the history of redistricting and how it has become one of the greatest existential threats to US democracy. The book is already #1 on the list of Amazon new releases. Find it: https://www.simonandschuster.com/books/Draw-the-Line-in-Ohio/Rory-Riley-Topping/9781493098033 And check our their new Instagram page (@mind.themaps) to learn about redistricting. Political analyst Jared Yates Sexton will stop by. His thoughtful takes on current events just make sense. Find the writings of Jared Yates Sexton at: Dispatches From a Collapsing State. https://www.jysexton.com/books Substack - https://jaredyatessexton.substack.com/ The Mark Thompson Show 9/16/26 The Rundown- 0:00 Welcome 4:49 Fetterman flame out 12:51 Kennedy Center 19:02 Mitch Mcconnell 23:34 Hegseth impeachment 31:27 John Rothmann 56:03 Comments 57:55 Jared Yates Sexton 1:19:23 gerrymandering - Rory Riley Topping & Josh Rultenberg 1:37:02 Comments Patreon subscribers are the backbone of the show! If you’d like to help, here’s our Patreon Link: https://www.patreon.com/themarkthompsonshow Maybe you’re more into PayPal. https://www.paypal.com/donate/?hosted_button_id=PVBS3R7KJXV24 And you’ll find everything on our website: https://www.themarkthompsonshow.com The Mark Thompson Show has an official new Facebook page. Please join! Here's the link: https://m.facebook.com/TheMarkThompsonShow/ Show sponsors: coachellavalleycoffee.com - use code MarkT at check out to save 10%

The US Supreme Court is blocking a Trump administration rule that would have restricted mail voting ahead of the 2026 midterm elections, and voting rights advocates are celebrating the win. The postal service rule, by presidential executive order, would have given the executive branch unprecedented control over how Americans vote by mail and let the Postal Service refuse to send ballots to voters. Legal experts warned the screening plan posed serious risks to voting access for millions of Americans. Election officials from Arizona, Texas, and Wisconsin are relieved the court recognized that election oversight belongs to the states, not the president, and that the midterms won't be disrupted by this contested rule being implemented mid-election. Pulitzer Prize winning author and investigative journalist David Cay Johnston will stop by to discuss this and more. David Cay Johnston’s Substack: https://substack.com/@davidcayjohnston Skye Perryman will join us to discuss her ongoing efforts to uphold democracy. She is the President and CEO of Democracy Forward, a nonpartisan, national legal organization that promotes democracy and progress through litigation, regulatory engagement, policy education, and research. Check out Skye's New Book: Ordinary People, Extraordinary Times: How to Reclaim Your Power, Fight for Freedom, and Reimagine Democracy, comes out Learn more at democracyforward.org https://www.penguinrandomhouse.com/books/826249/ordinary-people-extraordinary-times-by-skye-perryman/ The Mark Thompson Show 9/15/26 Today's Guests Links Prof. David Cay Johnston at RIT, Pulitzer Prize winning Author & Investigative Journalist https://bsky.app/profile/davidcayjohnston.bsky.social https://substack.com/@davidcayjohnston Skye Perryman https://democracyforward.org/ New Book, Ordinary People, Extraordinary Times https://www.penguinrandomhouse.com/books/826249/ordinary-people-extraordinary-times-by-skye-perryman/ Patreon subscribers are the backbone of the show! If you’d like to help, here’s our Patreon Link: https://www.patreon.com/themarkthompsonshow Maybe you’re more into PayPal. https://www.paypal.com/donate/?hosted_button_id=PVBS3R7KJXV24 And you’ll find everything on our website: https://www.themarkthompsonshow.com The Mark Thompson Show has an official new Facebook page. Please join! Here's the link: https://m.facebook.com/TheMarkThompsonShow/ Show sponsors: coachellavalleycoffee.com - use code MarkT at check out to save 10%

Donald Trump is pushing back against calls for stricter AI guardrails, calling them part of a “sick conspiracy” against the industry and data centers. As concerns grow over AI’s potential risks, Trump, discounting warnings of the demise of humanity from AI industry leaders, says the U.S. must keep moving fast to stay ahead of China. Guests today include: Emmy award winning news anchor David Shuster. You’ve seen him anchor on MSNBC - he’s worked for Fox News, CNN, Current TV, The Young Turks, and Al Jazeera America. Find David at: https://davidshuster.substack.com/ Comedian, impressionist & attorney J-L Cauvin will stop by the show. Check out his tour dates at: https://linktr.ee/JLComedy We welcome Common Cause CEO Virginia Kase Solomon . She is a nationally recognized leader in the fight for social justice, civil rights, and a more inclusive democracy https://www.commoncause.org/ The Mark Thompson Show Patreon subscribers are the backbone of the show! If you’d like to help, here’s our Patreon Link: https://www.patreon.com/themarkthompsonshow Maybe you’re more into PayPal. https://www.paypal.com/donate/?hosted_button_id=PVBS3R7KJXV24 And you’ll find everything on our website: https://www.themarkthompsonshow.com The Mark Thompson Show has an official new Facebook page. Please join! Here's the link: https://m.facebook.com/TheMarkThompsonShow/ Show sponsors: coachellavalleycoffee.com - use code MarkT at check out to save 10%

"I don’t care if I’m registered or not, I’m going to try to cheat like hell like they do." Donald Trump leads a crowd in a pledge to vote in the upcoming midterms, calling himself the greatest president in U.S. history and claiming that Democrats are the biggest cheaters of all. Today, marks 25 year since the September 11th attacks on America. How have we changed as a country? Kenneth Feinberg will tell us about his experience as the Special Master of the U.S. Government's September 11th Victim Compensation Fund. This Week in Politics brings journalist Michael Shure and political analyst Yasmin Khan to the show to discuss everything from Trump's midterm convention, to his call for a dividend should voters keep the house and senate red, to the soaring price of gas and diesel fuel. Follow Michael Shure on X at https://x.com/michaelshure Read Yasmin on Substack at open.substack.com/pub/yazzzzzk We'll stop by Florida to take the pulse of America's craziest state. The Culture Blaster, Michael Snyder, will swing by to talk movies. Find Michael Snyder's column in The Voice of San Francisco at thevoicesf.org

Is the president actually trying to buy this election? You might be waiting for his latest promise of cash like you're still waiting for your DOGE check. Donald Trump gave a wild "midterm convention" speech promising every adult citizen a $5,000 "Trump dividend" if Republicans keep hold of Congress in the midterms. From the sheer desperation of the pitch to the legal reality that he can't just send out trillions of dollars without Congressional approval, we're questioning if this is just another fantasy or a straight-up attempt to rig the vote. Former federal prosecutor, now defense attorney, David Katz will stop by and we'll ask him if this so called dividend based on the outcome of an election is legal. We'll also look at word that former Trump attorney Michael Cohen is in line for a pardon. Then ,we are off to save the election with reporter Greg Palast. He just released a six-part series of short video reels on the latest in vote suppression tricks. His series is called "Jim Crow Reloaded" and you can find it at: SaveYourVote.org

President Trump doled out $45,000 in cold hard cash to three White House aides as holiday bonuses. Natalie Harp, Chamberlain Harris, and Margo Martin each had a merry trip to the bank. The White House insists is totally normal. Meanwhile, Harp's been making headlines for her suspiciously close relationship with Trump, including joining him on a secret catering cart jaunt to a secret plane trip and cramming herself in the trunk of the car Trump was in so they wouldn’t be too far apart. Yeah, that’s not normal. We'll look at the details of this holiday payout and where the money came from. We are joined today by John Rothmann. John is the host of “Around the Political World with John Rothmann. You can also hear him on the Voice of San Francisco at thevoicesf.org Author and political analyst Jared Yates Sexton will stop through. You can find details about Jared’s books and more of his writing at his website and on his sub stack. https://www.jysexton.com/books Substack - https://jaredyatessexton.substack.com/ The Mark Thompson Show 9/9/26 Patreon subscribers are the backbone of the show! If you’d like to help, here’s our Patreon Link: https://www.patreon.com/themarkthompsonshow Maybe you’re more into PayPal. https://www.paypal.com/donate/?hosted_button_id=PVBS3R7KJXV24 And you’ll find everything on our website: https://www.themarkthompsonshow.com The Mark Thompson Show has an official new Facebook page. Please join! Here's the link: https://m.facebook.com/TheMarkThompsonShow/ Show sponsors: coachellavalleycoffee.com - use code MarkT at check out to save 10%

Latest polling and projections are shaking up the 2024 midterm race—and the GOP is worried. Decision Desk HQ now gives Democrats a 67% chance of flipping the House, while Senate control has shifted to a dead heat, with forecasters calling it a near 50-50 toss-up, possibly going 51-49 for Democrats. This is a reversal from earlier predictions, where Republicans seemed poised to hold the Senate. FCC chair Brendan Carr is now trying to clamp down on polling information he doesn’t like by calling it fake. Despite Republican efforts at redistricting, which came before the Democratic response to such moves, and despite work to cut polling places in certain states and stamp out mail-in voting, Trump finds himself in a pickle and he knows it. What's driving this shift in midterm voter sentiment? What does it mean for the final stretch before election day? We will break down the latest numbers and examine growing alarm within Republican ranks. Pulitzer prize winning author and investigative journalist David Cay Johnston will join us today. Find David Cay Johnston at: DCReport.org https://substack.com/@davidcayjohnston We will take a close look at Trump‘s ongoing Iran war. Trita Parsi will join us. He is the Executive Vice President of the Quincy Institute and an award-winning author. Find Trita on Substack: https://tritaparsi.substack.com/ The Quincy Institute for Responsible Statecraft: https://quincyinst.org/ The Mark Thompson Show Patreon subscribers are the backbone of the show! If you’d like to help, here’s our Patreon Link: https://www.patreon.com/themarkthompsonshow Maybe you’re more into PayPal. https://www.paypal.com/donate/?hosted_button_id=PVBS3R7KJXV24 And you’ll find everything on our website: https://www.themarkthompsonshow.com The Mark Thompson Show has an official new Facebook page. Please join! Here's the link: https://m.facebook.com/TheMarkThompsonShow/ Show sponsors: coachellavalleycoffee.com - use code MarkT at check out to save 10%

CNN’s well known conservative voice is calling for the U.S. to declare victory over Iran. Scott Jennings says it's the president's responsibility to explain to Americans how the war has been won. Meanwhile, money for the Iran war is still being spent and American warships are still deployed. Will Americans believe Trump if he claims victory or will it be perceived as another piece of propaganda in support of an unpopular war ahead of America’s midterm elections. Guests today include former federal prosecutor and now defense attorney, David Katz. We will ask him about Congress blocking a proposed constitutional amendment to keep Supreme Court justices to nine. Comedian, impressionist and attorney J – L Cauvin will stop through to talk politics and tell us about his upcoming comedy tour.

Creating election chaos could pay off big-time for Trump. He doesn't need to win every legal battle over mail-in ballots, gerrymandering, election monitors or voter confusion, he only needs the mess itself. Confusion becomes the weapon.Confusion suppresses turnout. Uncertainty over voting procedures and information discourages participation. A smaller, more demoralized electorate works in his favor. We’ll talk elections with presidential historian and host of Around the Political World. John Rothmann will join us in the first hour. Political analyst and author Jared Yates Sexton will stop through to talk politics. His brilliant insight on the issues will make you seek out his writing. He’s that good. Find Jared at : https://www.jysexton.com/books https://jaredyatessexton.substack.com/ Then, we are off to save the planet with amazing eco- journalist, Belinda Waymouth. She’ll explain how a mining company fell to opposition from Native American tribes. The Mark Thompson Show 9/2/26 Patreon subscribers are the backbone of the show! If you’d like to help, here’s our Patreon Link: https://www.patreon.com/themarkthompsonshow Maybe you’re more into PayPal. https://www.paypal.com/donate/?hosted_button_id=PVBS3R7KJXV24 And you’ll find everything on our website: https://www.themarkthompsonshow.com The Mark Thompson Show has an official new Facebook page. Please join! Here's the link: https://m.facebook.com/TheMarkThompsonShow/ Show sponsors: coachellavalleycoffee.com - use code MarkT at check out to save 10%

Here comes the Trump billion dollar ballroom we didn’t need. The Supreme Court is allowing Trump to move forward indefinitely with the construction of a new White House ballroom. In a 5–4 decision, the justices blocked lower-court rulings that would have halted work on the project’s above-ground portion. Trump’ tone deaf project, dripping with gold accents, comes ahead of the midterm elections - a time when issues of affordability are on the minds of voters. Pulitzer Prize winning author and investigative journalist David Cay Johnston stops through to talk about presidential powers, distractions and crimes. The Mark Thompson Show Patreon subscribers are the backbone of the show! If you’d like to help, here’s our Patreon Link: https://www.patreon.com/themarkthompsonshow Maybe you’re more into PayPal. https://www.paypal.com/donate/?hosted_button_id=PVBS3R7KJXV24 And you’ll find everything on our website: https://www.themarkthompsonshow.com The Mark Thompson Show has an official new Facebook page. Please join! Here's the link: https://m.facebook.com/TheMarkThompsonShow/ Show sponsors: coachellavalleycoffee.com - use code MarkT at check out to save 10%

Health concerns about President Trump are growing after he joined Trey Gowdy for a bizarre conversation covering golf, the economy, and foreign policy. Trump’s statements were so strange that critics questioned what was really going through his mind, including peculiar claims about Canada and an unusual plea asking voters to imagine him on the 2026 midterm ballots. Trump also claimed to have "largely taken care of inflation." We’ll talk about it with a star studded Monday guest list including: Emmy award-winning news anchor David Shuster, Find David: https://davidshuster.substack.com Journalist Greg Palast New series: Jim Crow Reloaded. SaveYourVote.org The Mark Thompson Show 8/31/26 Patreon subscribers are the backbone of the show! If you’d like to help, here’s our Patreon Link: https://www.patreon.com/themarkthompsonshow Maybe you’re more into PayPal. https://www.paypal.com/donate/?hosted_button_id=PVBS3R7KJXV24 And you’ll find everything on our website: https://www.themarkthompsonshow.com The Mark Thompson Show has an official new Facebook page. Please join! Here's the link: https://m.facebook.com/TheMarkThompsonShow/ Show sponsors: coachellavalleycoffee.com - use code MarkT at check out to save 10%

Trump’s latest trade-war power move is making waves. His new executive order officially renames Lake Ontario “Lake America.” The move is sparking fierce pushback from Canada, US governors, and Indigenous history advocates. Is this patriotic branding or political theater? Emmy award winning news anchor David Shuster returns to pilot the show. He'll look at "This Week in Politics" with Michael Shure and Mo Kelly, delve into the strange place that is the state of Florida and chat about movies with The Culture Blaster, Michael Snyder. Happy Friday!

More than 165 people are dead and as many as 1,500 are unaccounted for following catastrophic floods devastating towns and valleys along the Nepal-Tibet border. In Nepal's hardest-hit Rasuwa region, videos show the power of the floodwaters as they tore apart bridges and swept people away. Authorities believe the disaster was triggered by a landslide associated with a glacial event in the Himalayas, which sent a massive surge of water. Emmy award-winning news anchor David Shuster is sitting in for Mark today. He’ll speak with former federal prosecutor and now defense attorney David Katz about the recent ruling on voting by mail and so much more.

Despite an embarrassing blunder during a recent debate, Darline Graham is advancing to the General Election in her South Carolina Senate Race, securing the party's nomination for the Senate seat previously held by her brother, Lindsey Graham. Darline is backed by Donald Trump, whose PAC dumped a lot of money into this race. She moves forward to face Democrat Annie Andrews in the general election. We’ll talk about it with John Rothmann. He is a presidential historian and political analyst. He’s also heard daily on his audio podcast ‘Around the Political World with John Rothmann.’ The political conversation continues with political analyst and author, Jared Yates Sexton. Find more of Jared at Substack - https://jaredyatessexton.substack.com/ “It’s the Planet, Stupid!“ brings our amazing eco-journalist Belinda Waymouth to the show. It’s worth staying to the very end to catch today’s uplifting turtle story. The Mark Thompson Show 8/26/26 Patreon subscribers are the backbone of the show! If you’d like to help, here’s our Patreon Link: https://www.patreon.com/themarkthompsonshow Maybe you’re more into PayPal. https://www.paypal.com/donate/?hosted_button_id=PVBS3R7KJXV24 And you’ll find everything on our website: https://www.themarkthompsonshow.com The Mark Thompson Show has an official new Facebook page. Please join! Here's the link: https://m.facebook.com/TheMarkThompsonShow/ Show sponsors: coachellavalleycoffee.com - use code MarkT at check out to save 10%

Here’s what happens when a racist, sexist jerk like Jesse Watters trieds to steamroll someone that can actually fight back with facts. Democratic Michigan Senate candidate Abdul El-Sayed sat down with Watters for a heated debate covering gas prices, the Iran war, Sharia law, Colin Kaepernick, gender-affirming care, and more. They had an intense exchange on the issues shaping the 2026 election. We will put it to David Cay Johnston, our Pulitzer Prize, winning investigative journalist and best selling author. The Mark Thompson Show 8/25/26 Patreon subscribers are the backbone of the show! If you’d like to help, here’s our Patreon Link: https://www.patreon.com/themarkthompsonshow Maybe you’re more into PayPal. https://www.paypal.com/donate/?hosted_button_id=PVBS3R7KJXV24 And you’ll find everything on our website: https://www.themarkthompsonshow.com The Mark Thompson Show has an official new Facebook page. Please join! Here's the link: https://m.facebook.com/TheMarkThompsonShow/ Show sponsors: coachellavalleycoffee.com - use code MarkT at check out to save 10%

A federal judge is putting a stop to the Trump administration’s freeze on immigrant visas affecting applicants from 75 countries. U.S. District Judge Jeannette Vargas ruled that Secretary of State Marco Rubio exceeded his legal authority by ordering visa denials for applicants who had otherwise been found eligible to enter the United States. The policy, introduced in January, suspended immigrant visa issuance to nationals from countries the State Department considered at high risk of public-benefit dependency. The affected nations span regions including Africa, Latin America, the Caribbean, Eastern Europe, Southeast Asia, and the Middle East. It's a star studded guest line up today: Sarah Kendzior joins us. She is a best selling author and scholar. Find her on The Mark Thompson Show Mondays at noon Pacific/3pm Eastern, check sarahkendzior.com for a quick way to buy her books and find more of Sarah on Substack at: https://substack.com/@sarahkendzior Emmy award winning news anchor David Shuster joins the Monday line-up. Find more of David: https://substack.com/@davidshuster Skye Perryman, CEO of Democracy Forward, will wrap it up with an update on the battle to uphold the Constitution . https://democracyforward.org The Mark Thompson Show 8/24/26 Patreon subscribers are the backbone of the show! If you’d like to help, here’s our Patreon Link: https://www.patreon.com/themarkthompsonshow Maybe you’re more into PayPal. https://www.paypal.com/donate/?hosted_button_id=PVBS3R7KJXV24 And you’ll find everything on our website: https://www.themarkthompsonshow.com The Mark Thompson Show has an official new Facebook page. Please join! Here's the link: https://m.facebook.com/TheMarkThompsonShow/ Show sponsors: coachellavalleycoffee.com - use code MarkT at check out to save 10%

The US-Iran conflict is at a dangerous standstill. President Donald Trump is threatening a sweeping new sanctions campaign against Iran and countries that continue doing business with it. We examine whether Washington’s “economic D-Day” can force a breakthrough, whether Iran’s sanctions-evasion networks and international alliances will undermine the strategy and whether Trump is making empty threats that may weaken the position of the United States. Mo Kelly and Yasmin Khan will join us for a look at 'This Week in Politics.' Friday Fabulous Florida highlights our weirdest state. The Culture Blaster, Michael Snyder, will slide down his rainbow to share his thoughts on the latest movies and streaming options ahead of the weekend. Let's get this Friday started!

America doesn't have an Iran deal and gas prices are skyrocketing, but don't worry, at least we have a fancy new driveway and helicopter pad at the White House. President Construction Project is back at it with another way to spend money. Trump called reporters to the South Lawn for an impromptu tour of his new driveway replacement and a look at the progress on his new helipad. Trump also says the driveway is getting an upgrade with California-mined white granite that he says is more fitting for the White House. Standing near the carved granite helipad with the presidential seal, Trump presented the construction as a central part of his legacy. Speaking of goings on at the White House, we are learning more about the odd relationship between Trump and his aide Natalie Harp. Reports indicate that she once rode in the trunk when there weren't enough seats in Trump's vehicle so they wouldn't be separated...and that for more than a year, she refused to get a security clearance.

Progressive Democrats made a surprising splash in Florida’s Senate primary as state Rep. Angie Nixon beat Alex Vindman, setting up a tough general election against GOP Sen. Ashley Moody and signaling possible left-wing momentum in President Trump’s home state. 
We will look at election results from Alaska as well, where Democrats think they may have a road to the Senate.  In Wyoming, Megan Degenfelder becomes the 5th Trump-backed gubernatorial candidate to lose a primary this election cycle.  It seems that having Trump's support isn't the key to winning anymore. 
Guests today include John Rothmann.  He is the host of the podcast "Around the Political World with John Rothmann" and a former KGO Radio host.  
Belinda Waymouth joins us to talk about the environment. Our favorite eco-journalist brings the latest on efforts to drill for oil off the coast of California, but you will leave the show feeling hopeful as she always packs positive stories about our world too. 
The Mark Thompson Show 
8/19/26
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Donald Trump’s political problems are getting harder to ignore — and his options overseas may be shrinking just as fast. A brand-new Reuters/Ipsos poll has Trump’s approval at just 33 percent, the lowest of his presidency, with 64 percent disapproving and a remarkable 80 percent of Americans now expecting the Iran war to drag on. Meanwhile, Trump’s promised quick resolution with Iran looks increasingly elusive: the negotiating period has expired without a deal, the Strait of Hormuz remains a dangerous sticking point, and Trump is escalating his rhetoric even as his practical choices for ending the conflict appear increasingly limited. We’ll look at a president boxed in abroad, battered in the polls at home, and running out of room to maneuver on both fronts. Former CNN anchor Jim Acosta may be pulling a trick from Johnny Carson’s Carnac the Magnificent when it comes to predictions. Acosta recently guessed that President Trump would check out of the White House early, before his term is up. Acosta cited trump’s issues with cognitive decline, a disasterous job on affordability and the possibility that the Democrats could sweep the midterm elections as reasons for Trump’s growing frustration. Acosta also said a major event could force Trump out, like if he is caught overtly trying to steal the midterm elections. Military analysts think a big catastrophe forcing Trump out might not be far off if he continues with his Iran plans. We will put it to our Pulitzer Prize winning author and investigative journalist David Cay Johnston. Find David Cay Johnston: https://substack.com/@davidcayjohnston https://www.dcreport.org/ Christian nationalists are gaining more of a foothold in America with Trump‘s Religious Liberty task force and the promotion of laws that would force public schools to display the 10 Commandments in classrooms. Congressman Jared Huffman will drop by to talk about his new book “No Prophets: The Fight to Save Democracy from Christian Nationalism. The book is being released today. Find it here: https://www.amazon.com/No-Prophets-Democracy-Christian-Nationalism/dp/1324130482 For more on Congressman, Jared Huffman, please check out his sub stack: https://repjaredhuffman.substack.com/ The Mark Thompson Show 8/18/26 Today's Guests Links Prof. David Cay Johnston at RIT, Pulitzer Prize winning Author & Investigative Journalist https://bsky.app/profile/davidcayjohnston.bsky.social Congressman Jared Huffman https://www.commonwealthclub.org/events/2026-08-18/congressman-jared-huffman-fight-save-democracy-christian-nationalism https://huffman.house.gov/ https://wwnorton.com/books/9781324130482 The Rundown- 0:00 Welcome 10:08 Iran and Korea 27:18 David Cay Johnston 1:04:07 Comments 1:05:58 Trump to step down 1:12:05 Congressman Jared Huffman 1:37:51 Comments Patreon subscribers are the backbone of the show! If you’d like to help, here’s our Patreon Link: https://www.patreon.com/themarkthompsonshow Maybe you’re more into PayPal. https://www.paypal.com/donate/? The Mark Thompson Show has an official new Facebook page. Please join! Here's the link: https://m.facebook.com/TheMarkThompsonShow/ Show sponsors: coachellavalleycoffee.com - use code MarkT at check out to save 10%

Georgia Senator Jon Ossoff called out Trump’s relationship with his much younger aide Natalie Harp.  We'll roll the video. 
With a spotlight on Trump’s Iran War,  it is glaringly clear that there are critical vulnerabilities in his approach to military and defense strategies. Trump talks big, relying heavily on rhetoric and posturing, but defense analysts have identified significant gaps between public statements and strategic execution. 
In addition to the declining condition of the military under Trump’s Defense Secretary, Pete Hegseth, 
Trump’s military actions, including strikes on infrastructure, have often lacked long-term planning, leaving blind spots for after effects like disruptions to shipping lanes or unintended regional escalation.
His reliance on precision munitions depleted critical inventory, compromising military readiness and leaving America more vulnerable.  Add to that the damage Trump has done to America’s alliances. He has weekend coordination and information sharing. and damaged relationships that may now be beyond repair.
We will look at how these weaknesses shape the standing of U.S. defense and what they mean for global security.
Guests today include the brilliant Sarah Kendzior. She is a best selling author and a scholar. Her research on 
authoritarian states gives her a unique perspective on the current condition of America. 
Kelly Dietrich served as a Democratic strategist and is the founder & CEO of the National Democratic Training Committee. He joins to discuss recent primaries and how Democrats should move forward. 
The Mark Thompson Show 
8/17/26
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How much would it take for you to go on Fox News and tell lie after lie day after day? We’ll take a look at some surprising salaries. Sometimes when the lies get exposed to people that swallowed them whole, it can be very surprising. It appears Joe Rogan has had a bit of an awakening. President Trump wants the Navy to go back in time, ditching key technology aboard aircraft carriers in favor of older less efficient equipment. The changeover will cost big bucks. We’ll look at the biggest stories of the week with political analysts Michael Shure and Mo Kelly. A little Friday levity comes in the form of Friday Fabulous Florida and the Culture Blaster, Michael Snyder, will stop by to talk movies. Happy Friday y’all!

President Trump took a swipe at the Secret Service as he claimed a military plane that secretly flew him out of Turkey last month was “at greater risk” of being targeted, while also insisting it was the Secret Service that made the call. He told reporters he only followed what agents and the military wanted, saying they had arranged an “equal safety” change.  When pressed, Trump suggested the aircraft he was put on would be more likely to be the one attackers might go after.
On the election front, the progressive candidate in the Wisconsin governor's race fell to the more mainstream Democratic candidate. The My Pillow guy Mike Lindell was too crazy for Minnesota voters. Despite being endorsed by Trump, Lindell was defeated in his attempt to govern Minnesota. We'll examine the election results. 
Guests on the show today include  John Rothmann.  Our friend and former KGO host now hosts his own podcast "Around the Political World With John Rothmann"
Author and political analyst Jared Yates Sexton will stop by to talk politics.  
https://www.jysexton.com/books
Substack - https://jaredyatessexton.substack.com/
Then, we save the planet with eco-journalist Belinda Waymouth.  She'll discuss jellyfish, hippos and exciting developments in battery storage with "It'is the Planet, Stupid!"
The Mark Thompson Show 
8/12/26
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President Trump's latest executive order is aimed at overhauling the nation's childhood vaccination recommendations. He is directing federal agencies to cut the number of vaccines children receive and spread out their shots across more doctor ‘s appointments. Trump’s new "gold standard" recommendations consist of only 11 core vaccinations against the most serious diseases, along with the MMR vaccine, which the president hopes will eventually be administered as separate shots rather than as a combined vaccine. Doctors are already speaking out against these changes, saying it means fewer children will be fully vaccinated. The Washington Post is reporting that President Trump had to be smuggled out of Turkey in a catering truck and onto a smaller airplane in an attempt to thwart threats against him. We’ll discuss it all with Pulitzer Prize winning author and investigative journalist David Cay Johnston. The Trump administration‘s grifting, scandals and interesting pardon policies have us following the money. We get help in that regard from Dr. Bill Black. He is a law professor and the author of “The Best Way to Rob a Bank is to Own One.” The Mark Thompson Show 8/11/26 Patreon subscribers are the backbone of the show! If you’d like to help, here’s our Patreon Link: https://www.patreon.com/themarkthompsonshow Maybe you’re more into PayPal. https://www.paypal.com/donate/?hosted_button_id=PVBS3R7KJXV24 And you’ll find everything on our website: https://www.themarkthompsonshow.com The Mark Thompson Show has an official new Facebook page. Please join! Here's the link: https://m.facebook.com/TheMarkThompsonShow/ Show sponsors: coachellavalleycoffee.com - use code MarkT at check out to save 10%

"The U.S. Supreme Court rejected Donald Trump’s previous attempt to impose restrictions on birthright citizenship, but the President hasn’t stopped trying to reinterpret the constitutional guarantee to advance his restrictive immigration agenda. In the Oval Office on Thursday, Trump signed two new executive orders on immigration—one that would exclude specific categories of U.S.-born children from getting automatic citizenship, and another that would authorize visa and entry restrictions for “birth tourism.” Guests today include: Best selling author Sarah Kendzior Author and legal expert June Carbone News anchor David Shuster

President Trump signs new executive orders aimed at narrowing birthright citizenship, citing an “unfortunate” Supreme Court decision blocking his earlier effort. The moves tighten existing limits and narrow exceptions, including rules tied to “alien enemies” and so-called birth tourism...but the Supreme Court already reaffirmed that the 14th Amendment grants citizenship to children born on U.S. soil. Is Trump trying to skirt the Constiution and the Supreme Court ruling? We'll discuss.

Please help us grow The Mark Thompson Show. If you can click like, make sure you're subscribed and share the show with your social media contacts, it would be most appreciated. Let's get to 200k subscribers! It's going to be a great Friday Mark Thompson extravaganza.

'This Week in Politics ' brings two favorites, Mo Kelly and Michael Shure, by the show to discuss everything from the war in Iran to Trump's freak out over word of US munitions shortages to Vice President Vance taking on some of Trump's meaner qualities. 

A litte swing by Florida will lighten the mood and then 'The Culture Blaster' Michael Snyder will carry in the joy with a look at all the new movies and streaming options to kick start your weekend.

 The Mark Thompson Show Patreon subscribers are the backbone of the show! If you’d like to help, here’s our Patreon Link:   / themarkthompsonshow   Maybe you’re more into PayPal. https://www.paypal.com/donate/?hosted... And you’ll find everything on our website: https://www.themarkthompsonshow.com The Mark Thompson Show has an official new Facebook page. Please join! Here's the link:   / themarkthompsonshow   Show sponsors: coachellavalleycoffee.com - use code MarkT at check out to save 10% Have a great sponsor in mind? Email us at TheMarkThompsonShow@gmail.com #Trump #Iran #Birthright #SCOTUS #birthrightcitizenship

When Democrats can’t agree on Democratic priorities, you know something is wrong. It was evident on Monday’s installment of ‘The Weekly Show.’ Host Jon Stewart questioned Pennsylvania’s Democratic Senator John Fetterman about his threats to leave the Democratic Party because he feels there is insufficient support for Israel. To Fetterman's claim that Israel is his "red line," Stewart said "Israel is not our country." Today’s guests include: Former federal prosecutor David Katz. We will ask him about Todd Blanche, the dropped reflecting pool cases and the possibility that the UK could open an investigation into Jeffrey Epstein and what that might mean here in America. Author and political analyst Jared Yates Sexton. The political conversation continues with Jared Yates Sexton. His take on the issues of the day will leave you thinking long after the show is over. Find Jared at: https://www.jysexton.com Substack - https://jaredyatessexton.substack.com/ “It’s the Planet , Stupid!” with eco- journalist Belinda Waymouth. Belinda will share details about continued grant funding at the EPA, damage to the environment from wildfires and a new trend involving ‘do it yourself’ solar projects.

President Trump issues a stark warning for Iran during an Oval Office signing event, declaring that this represents Iran's "last chance" to negotiate a deal with his administration. Is that just another back-and-forth or is time running out for Trump to end his war with Iran? Guests today include: David Cay Johnston is a regular Tuesday delight on The Mark Thompson Show. Johnston is a Pulitzer Prize winning author and investigative journalist. He is a professor at the Rochester Institute of technology and the founder of DC report. https://www.dcreport.org/ https://substack.com/@davidcayjohnston Christopher Armitage is an author whose work focuses on governance, institutional resilience and public policy systems. You can find him at Christopherarmitage.com or on his substack: https://cmarmitage.substack.com/

Health Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr. got some hard pushback from CNN anchor Dana Bash during a contentious 21-minute interview on “State of Union." Bash pressed him on his vaccine skepticism. The conversation turned heated as Bash challenged Kennedy’s claims about COVID-19 vaccines and their impact on children, specifically asking whether he could point to credible research demonstrating that the vaccine “did more harm than good.” Guests today include: Trita Parsi. He is an expert on foreign policy, including Iran, and serves as the Executive Vice President of the Quincy Institute. https://www.tritaparsi.com https://tritaparsi.substack.com David Shuster is an Emmy award winning news anchor. You’ve seen him on MSNBC, Fox News, CNN, Current TV, The Young Turks and more. https://substack.com/@davidshuster On YouTube - Rebel HQ Rich Logis was deep into MAGA until 2022. It was January 6th, the botched handling of Covid and Uvalde that shook his faith. Now he runs a group for those leaving MAGA. His book is called "One Betrayal Too Many: Why I left MAGA. Find him on the web at leavingmaga.org

"President Donald Trump has a choice: allow changes to a controversial court settlement and secure the confirmation of his former personal lawyer as attorney general, or thumb his nose at a pair of his few remaining Republican critics in Congress." Michael Shure and Mo'Kelly will join us to discuss the top stories of the week. The Mark Thompson Show 7/31/26

"The approval rating marks a new low for Trump’s presidency in the center’s polling. A CNN survey conducted within the same period reported an approval rating of 34 percent for the president. Seventy-six percent of GOP respondents in the July survey approved of Trump’s job performance, while 12 percent disapproved. The results are a notable difference from the university’s June 24 poll, in which 85 percent of Republicans expressed confidence in the president." David Katz will join us to discuss the top stories of the week.

Sen. Lindsey Graham was eulogized by President Trump as a "true American original" and "beloved friend"at his funeral at the National Cathedral in Washington, D.C., attended by many members of Congress, Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy."
The Mark Thompson Show 
7/29/26
Today's Guests Links
Jared Yates Sexton https://jaredyatessexton.substack.com/
  https://www.jysexton.com/
Judith Kunisch 
Former Vice President of Medical Strategies at a Fortune 100 insurer, and 
Former director of the Doctor of Nursing Practice (DNP) Healthcare Leadership program at Yale University.
Kunisch has served on boards for public and private organizations, including the Donaghue Medical Research Foundation and the Connecticut Partnership for Patient Safety, which she co-founded.
Author of  "The Center of the Star - Understanding and Changing the US Healthcare System," 
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"President Trump’s speech at a rally in Michigan Monday afternoon was interrupted by a persistent heckler. 
Someone kept yelling “pedophile protector” while Trump was extolling the benefits of his tariffs on foreign automakers. Others in the crowd eventually tried to drown him out, and when the protester stopped, the crowd cheered before breaking into a “USA” chant."
David Cay Johnston will join to discuss the top stories. 
The Mark Thompson Show 
7/28/26
Today's Guests Links
Prof. David Cay Johnston at RIT, Pulitzer Prize winning Author & Investigative Journalist  https://bsky.app/profile/davidcayjohnston.bsky.social
Christopher Berry - Nonhuman Rights Project
https://www.nonhumanrights.org/person/christopher-berry/

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"The Pentagon updated its official war casualty database over the weekend, adding more than 140 wounded service members. The Defense Casualty Analysis System (DCAS) also introduced a new casualty category labeled “Overseas Operations” for personnel killed and wounded “starting July 7”.
According to the updated database, the official toll for the earlier phase of the US-Iran war, known as Operation Epic Fury, now stands at 14 service members killed and more than 400 wounded in action."
Trita Parsi and Sarah Kendior will join us to discuss the top stories of the week.
Follow Trita Parsi:
https://x.com/tparsi
https://www.tritaparsi.com/
https://tritaparsi.substack.com/
Follow Sarah Kendzior, Author, scholar and journalist:
http://www.sarahkendziorbooks.com/
https://sarahkendzior.substack.com/
The Mark Thompson Show 
7/27/26
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"Donald Trump will address a rescheduled White House Correspondents’ Association (WCHA) dinner on Friday three months after the original event was abruptly halted after an armed assailant tried to storm it, with the alleged aim of assassinating him. The rearranged dinner has been condemned as “hypocritical” by retired journalists and press freedom groups, who are urging the association to use it to confront Trump over his administration’s intensified attacks on the media." Mr. Mo'Kelly and Michael Snyder will join us to discuss the top stories of the week.

"Democrats have accused the US House of Representatives judiciary committee of a “baseless” and “vindictive” attack on former special prosecutor Jack Smith after it referred him for criminal prosecution for allegedly lying to Congress over his investigation into Donald Trump’s efforts to overturn the 2020 election. The committee chair, Jim Jordan, an Ohio Republican, wrote to the acting US attorney general, Todd Blanche, on Wednesday night, asserting Smith “made willfully and intentionally false statements of material fact” during testimony about obtaining phone records of a number of Republican lawmakers."

"NEW YORK — New York Mayor Zohran Mamdani said late Tuesday that the city would not be able to execute an arrest warrant issued by the world's top war-crimes court for Israel's Benjamin Netanyahu, but urged the federal government to do so.
In the video Mamdani described the Israeli prime minister as a "war criminal" and said he is not welcome in New York City."
The Mark Thompson Show 
7/22/26
Today's Guests Links

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"Fox News host Laura Ingraham called on President Donald Trump to find a way out of the Iran war that he and Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu started in February.
The U.S. bombed Iran for the 10th consecutive night on Monday after Iran strikes on Jordan killed two active-duty U.S. Army soldiers over the weekend. Another U.S. soldier was killed in Iraq while disposing of an Iranian drone. At least 17 U.S. soldiers have been killed since Trump and Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu launched the war in February.
The conflict has intensified this month after a memorandum of understanding between the U.S. and Iran fell apart, leading Iran to re-close the vital Strait of Hormuz and the U.S. to reimpose its blockade of Iranian vessels in the Gulf of Oman."
Mo'Kelly and David Cay Johnston will join to discuss the top stories. 
The Mark Thompson Show 
7/21/26
Today's Guests Links
Prof. David Cay Johnston at RIT, Pulitzer Prize winning Author & Investigative Journalist  https://bsky.app/profile/davidcayjohnston.bsky.social

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"Spain's national soccer team shared a photo of the team's celebration after winning the 2026 World Cup to social media on Sunday, July 19. Notably absent from the photo was United States president Donald Trump.
As expected, Trump helped FIFA president Gianni Infantino present the World Cup trophy to Spain after La Roja won the tournament with a 1-0 victory over Argentina on Sunday.
However, Trump lingered on the podium for part of Spain's celebration, despite Infantino's apparent efforts to usher him off the stage that had been set up in the middle of the pitch."
"A Senate Democrat — for the second time in four days — criticized CBS’s coverage of President Donald Trump’s primetime speech on CBS’s own air.
Speaking with Margaret Brennan on CBS’s Face the Nation Sunday, Sen. Mark Warner (D-VA) called out network leadership for opting to air Trump’s speech about election integrity — in which numerous fact checkers found the president made a bevy of false claims.
“There are so many absurdities and falsehoods in Trump’s Thursday night speech,” Warner said. “And I’m glad that most media treated it not as serious news — and I know some folks at your network, the journalists I have huge respect for. I was disappointed that your senior management made the decision to cover it as news.”"
Mo'Kelly, Gary Dietrich, and Sarah Kendzior will join to discuss the top stories. 
Today's Guests Links
Looking for Sarah Kendzior’s substack? 
https://sarahkendzior.substack.com/
You can slso find links to Sarah’s books at: 
https://sarahkendzior.com/
The Mark Thompson Show 
7/20/26
Today's Guests Links
Gary Dietrich, CBS TV & iHeart Radio Political Analyst https://twitter.com/garydietrich
Gary Dietrich’s segment is sponsored by Bill Campbell at RE/MAX GOLD. If you’re relocating in, to or from Northern California you need a highly respected real estate professional… like Bill Campbell of RE/MAX GOLD. Call or text Bill at (530) 448-7474… (530) 448-7474.
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We examine President Trump's July 17, 2026, national address, including reactions to his remarks. "A White House teleprompter operator made more than $100,000 on Kalshi bets related to public speeches made by President Trump, two sources familiar with the matter told CBS News. The sources identified the federal employee as Gabriel Perez. A Kalshi spokesperson said the company investigated Perez's trading activity after its surveillance systems detected trades that didn't adhere to typical buying and selling patterns. Kalshi froze Perez's account, locking more than $90,000 in profits he made on the platform, the spokesperson confirmed." Mr. Mo'Kelly, Michael Shure, and Michael Snyder will join us to discuss the top stories of the week.

"Pete Hegseth wants a manly military. And he really, really wants you to know how badly he wants a manly military. In his 2024 book, The War on Warriors, Hegseth worried that the military risked becoming “effeminate, and apologetic”; he insisted that what liberals really want is “soft men, and a weak military,” and he scolded “Pentagon pussies” who refuse to stand up for soldiers on the battlefield. As secretary of defense, Hegseth has blocked the promotion of female military officers, removed the first woman to lead the Navy, and ordered a review of women’s “effectiveness” in ground-combat roles. He has also used the Defense Department’s social-media channels to post a steady stream of tougher-than-thou videos." Mr. Mo'Kelly and David Katz will join us to discuss the top stories of the week. The Mark Thompson Show 7/16/26

Todd Blanche is getting grilled today as he faces what could be the toughest test of his confirmation process to become Attorney General. Senators are expected to press him on the Justice Department’s handling of the Jeffrey Epstein files, allegations of politically motivated prosecutions, his close ties to President Trump, and his support for a proposed $1.8 billion “anti-weaponization” fund. With Republicans holding only a narrow advantage on the Senate Judiciary Committee, today’s hearing is likely to produce sharp exchanges and revealing answers. We’ll break down the biggest moments, what Blanche says under oath, and what it all means for the future of the Justice Department and the confirmation fight ahead. 
"Donald Trump has threatened to expand US strikes on Iran next week to target power plants and bridges if Tehran does not agree to a deal amid a continuing dispute over the strait of Hormuz.
“Next week it gets really bad for them because next week comes the power plants. Next week comes the bridges,” the US president said in a Fox News interview on Tuesday. “We’re going to knock out all their power plants. We’re going to knock out all their bridges unless they get to the table and negotiate.”
Trump made similar comments in March, when he threatened to “obliterate” Iran’s power stations and fresh water plants if Tehran did not agree to peace terms “shortly”. Destroying civilian infrastructure such as power and water facilities would be illegal under international humanitarian law and would probably constitute a war crime."
Michael Shure, John Rothmann, and Jared Yates Sexton will join us to discuss the top stories of the week.
The Mark Thompson Show 
7/15/26

Today's Guests Links
David Ost https://thenewpress.org/books/red-pill-politics/
Mike Musheiesh https://www.detroitaxle.com/
Jared Yates Sexton https://jaredyatessexton.substack.com/
        https://www.jysexton.com/
John Rothmann https://www.spreaker.com/show/around-the-political-world
  https://www.youtube.com/@aroundthepoliticalworld_
Jared Yates Sexton https://jaredyatessexton.substack.com/
  https://www.jysexton.com/
MichaelShure https://twitter.com/michaelshure
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"A federal judge on Monday imposed professional penalties against lawyers representing President Trump in a civil lawsuit he brought against the IRS and harshly criticized the Justice Department for its handling of the case, concluding that the suit was brought for an "improper purpose."
In a scathing 56-page decision, U.S. District Judge Kathleen Williams referred one of Mr. Trump's lawyers, Alejandro Brito, to the Florida Bar for potential disciplinary action. The judge limited the ability of a second lawyer, Daniel Epstein, to practice in the Southern District of Florida."
"US military says latest strikes will ‘continue imposing a heavy cost on Iranian forces and degrade their ability to attack innocent civilians and commercial shipping’ in strait of Hormuz
Donald Trump’s announcement that the US will start charging ships for safe passage through the strait of Hormuz comes after his administration has until now insisted the waterway should remain open to all without tolls – as it was before the US and Israel attacked Iran in late February."
Michael Shure and David Cay Johnston will join to discuss the top stories. 
The Mark Thompson Show 
7/14/26
Today's Guests Links
Gary Lucks https://www.garylucks.com/
Prof. David Cay Johnston at RIT, Pulitzer Prize winning Author & Investigative Journalist  https://bsky.app/profile/davidcayjohnston.bsky.social

Prof. David Cay Johnston at RIT, Pulitzer Prize winning Author & Investigative Journalist  https://bsky.app/profile/davidcayjohnston.bsky.social
Michael Shure https://twitter.com/michaelshure
The Rundown-

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"President Donald Trump said on Monday that the United States was reinstating a naval blockade on Iran and would be reimbursed 20% on all cargo shipped through the Strait of Hormuz after ​Tehran claimed it had closed the vital waterway.
"The Hormuz Strait is OPEN, and will remain OPEN, ‌with or without Iran. We are reinstating THE IRANIAN BLOCKADE," Trump said on Truth Social."
"Sen. Mitch McConnell, R-Ky., said Sunday in his first public statement since he was hospitalized nearly a month ago that he was “briefly unconscious” after he suffered a fall.
In the statement, accompanied by a photo of McConnell smiling in a hospital chair alongside his wife, Elaine Chao, he said doctors have not yet cleared him to return to the Senate floor to vote.
“But rest assured that, in the meantime, I’m not taking a break from the Senate business that matters to you,” McConnell said. “I’ve also been keeping in touch with my Senate colleagues on the appropriations process, midterm politics, and everything in between.”
McConnell, 84, said he has “submitted to every test” doctors can think of to figure out what prompted the fall and has moved from the hospital to a rehabilitation center where, he said, he will “keep regaining my strength.”"
Michael Shure, Gary Dietrich, and Sarah Kendzior will join to discuss the top stories. 
Looking for Sarah Kendzior’s substack? 
https://sarahkendzior.substack.com/
You can slso find links to Sarah’s books at: 
https://sarahkendzior.com/
The Mark Thompson Show 
7/13/26
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#News #Politics #TheMarkThompsonShow

"An erratic and at times irascible Donald Trump has said he felt a “tremendous love” from western leaders at the Nato summit, only hours after lambasting them over their defence spending and not helping the US in attacking Iran." "President Donald Trump on Wednesday blundered his way through a briefing with reporters during a crunch summit of the NATO military alliance in Ankara, Turkey. While sitting alongside Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy, the president bragged about the U.S. military’s ability to resist attacks from Iran, specifically an assault on the U.S.S. Abraham Lincoln." Mr. Mo'Kelly and David Katz will join us to discuss the top stories of the week. The Mark Thompson Show 7/9/26

CNN's Scott Jennings claims to have recently spoke to Mitch McConnell on the phone while he's been in the hospital. Unfortunately, Republican cable news analysts aren't the most trustworthy people in the world so who knows how much of his claim is true...
Michael Shure, John Rothmann, and Jared Yates Sexton will join us to discuss the top stories of the week.
The Mark Thompson Show 
7/8/26
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A major controversy has erupted in Maine's U.S. Senate race after a 41-year-old woman publicly accused Senate candidate Graham Platner of sexually assaulting her five years ago. The allegation has thrown his campaign into turmoil, with numerous Democratic voices calling on him to withdraw from the race.
Donald Trump pretty much admitted on Monday he meddled in the World Cup over a red card given to a USA team player during Wednesday’s game against Bosnia-Herzegovina.
According to the rules, Folarin Balogun should’ve been suspended for Monday’s game against Belgium, but FIFA lifted the suspension on Sunday after Trump asked officials to review the call ― despite the lack of an official appeals process for appealing the penalty.
David Cay Johnston and Mo Kelly will join us to discuss the top stories of the week.
The Mark Thompson Show 
7/7/26
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On the 250th anniversary of American independence, hundreds of masked members of Patriot Front, a neo-fascist, white supremacist organization, marched through Washington DC. To the horror of many onlookers, the group gathered at Union Station carrying banners, including the Confederate flag, before marching toward Capitol Hill.The group was also spotted riding the DC Metro, drawing concerned reactions from other passengers. We’ll explore what this reveals about extremism in America and whether it’s inflamed by Trump and his MAGA movement. 
iHeart Political Analyst Gary Dietrich will stop by to talk politics. 
The conversation continues with author and scholar Sarah Kendzior. 
The Mark Thompson Show 
7/3/26
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There is a Presidential package option for the wealthy to watch Trump’s fireworks extravaganza. The Kennedy Center is offering a $25,000 VIP fireworks experience for the Fourth of July display in Washington, D.C. Meanwhile, the mishaps continue with a big chunk of the stage at the Great American Fair crashing down and narrowly missing a group of dancers. Is Trump cutting corners on this celebration? We are following the indictment of three-time U.S. Olympian David Hearn over alleged damage to the National Mall reflecting pool, and the questions surrounding President Trump's reported $1.4 billion in cryptocurrency income and what it could mean for his tax bill. Michael Shure and Mo Kelly will join us to discuss the top stories of the week. We will check in on our friends in Florida for some Friday Fabulous Florida craziness. The Culture Blaster, Michael Snyder, will wrap it up with a look at the latest theater and streaming options for the weekend ahead.

Tucker Carlson is now openly talking about helping build a new third party after breaking with the GOP over Trump’s war with Iran — a major sign of fracture inside the MAGA/right-wing coalition. Once one of Trump’s loudest media allies and a key voice pushing JD Vance into the VP slot, Carlson now says the Republican Party has abandoned “America First” principles and become indistinguishable from Democrats on war and finance. His proposed third-party push could expose a deeper rebellion inside Trump’s base — one driven by anger over foreign wars, immigration, and distrust of both major parties. Controversial continues to follow President Trump's new presidential aircraft. In his first flight aboard the Boeing 747 donated by the Qatari royal family, Trump has acquired what he calls a plane "nobody's ever seen anything like it." This $400 million jumbo jet was anything but free though it was gifted by Qatar's royal family. Taxpayer-funded military and communications upgrade costs could total $1 billion, in addition to the legal questions surrounding foreign gifts to government officials. Considering that Trump plans to take the plane with him when he leaves office and it makes for a thick jungle full of government ethics, presidential perks, and the use of taxpayer money. This unprecedented acquisition represents one of the most extravagant presidential decisions in U.S. history, and we're breaking down everything you need to know about it. Former federal prosecutor and now defense attorney, the brilliant David Katz will join us to give us his take on the most recent Supreme Court decisions and more.

New financial disclosures show President Donald Trump reported more than $2.2 billion in income during 2025, a dramatic increase from the roughly $600 million he reported the previous year. The filings indicate that much of the surge came from cryptocurrency ventures, digital tokens, licensing agreements, and other business interests that expanded after his return to the White House. The disclosures are already fueling renewed debate over presidential ethics, conflicts of interest, and whether a sitting president should be able to profit from private business ventures while serving in office.
A federal judge is dealing the Pentagon another legal setback, blocking a policy that required journalists from The New York Times to be escorted by government officials while reporting inside the Pentagon. The ruling found the restriction likely infringed on press freedoms and underscored the constitutional role of an independent press in holding government accountable. 
We we welcome  presidential historian John Rothmann, host of the podcast ‘Around the Political World With John Rothmann’ to talk politics. 
The conversation continues with the wonderful author Jared Yates Sexton.
The Mark Thompson Show 
7/1/26
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In a major victory for Donald Trump, the Supreme Court cleared the way for the president to remove members of independent federal agencies, marking one of the most significant expansions of presidential authority in decades. The ruling allows the administration to move forward with the firings of officials at agencies such as the Federal Trade Commission, while broader legal challenges continue, and it signals that longstanding protections designed to insulate independent regulators from political pressure may no longer hold. 
It’s a double whammy powerhouse kind of show as we welcome Pulitzer Ptize winning author and investigative journalist David Cay Johnston and amazing author and scholar Sarah Kendzior. 
The Mark Thompson Show 
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The Supreme Court handed Donald Trump another major legal setback, delivering rulings that pack significant consequences.
Underwhelming. That seems to be the consensus of attendees of The Great American State Fair. It’s President Trump's official 250th-anniversary celebration on the National Mall  going on through July. The fair was organized by Freedom 250, that’s the Trump administration-created group that seemed formed to compete with the congressionally established America250 organization. Most states participated,  but Maine, Massachusetts, and Pennsylvania refused to send delegations, citing costs, scheduling conflicts, and politicization concerns. Other states left their booths unstaffed, with visitors finding empty displays at Hawaii and Alaska. From the sparse crowds to the half-empty booths, the fair highlights a fractured nation struggling to celebrate together. 
iHeart political analyst Gary Dietrich will stop by to talk politics. 
*programming note: Sarah Kendzior will be on the show Tuesday this week instead of her usual Monday.
The Mark Thompson Show 
6/29/26
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Here we go again. Ship traffic in the Strait of Hormuz is at a standstill again. The United Nations International Maritime Organization halted its plan to evacuate stranded ships after a British military report confirmed a vessel was struck by a projectile off the coast of Oman. The attack occurred just hours after Iran threatened ships using the UN-backed evacuation route without Tehran's permission. Iran's newly established Persian Gulf strait authority has now warned that any transit outside its designated routes will not receive safe passage guarantees. Meanwhile, US Secretary of State Marco Rubio, visiting the Gulf to reassure American allies, emphasized Washington's commitment to keeping the strait open saying "If that stops, then we're going to have a problem.” We’ll talk about the back and forth nature of the Iran War negotiations and the complications of Trump’s attempted exit ramp out of this conflict. Michael Shure and Mo Kelly join for ‘This Week in Politics.’ A little love for our Florida friends and a trip to the movies with The Culture Blaster Michael Snyder and we are ready for the weekend.

For years, the Trump family organization cultivated lucrative relationships with Persian Gulf allies, but according to recent reporting, his decision to wage war on Iran and his unpredictable leadership have severely damaged his standing in the region. Now, major business figures and government officials, once friendly with Trump, are feeling betrayed. .Analysts say regional leaders that actively tried to prevent the war are angry over Trump's decision-making. That includes Emirati business leaders and government officials that say Trump's war reversed years of strategic cooperation. We’ll examine the growing rift between Trump and his once-loyal Gulf supporters. Corey Brettschneider is a political science professor at Brown University. He will join us to talk politics. Former federal prosecutor, now defense attorney, David Katz will stop by the show to look at big cases and recent court rulings.

In a stunning political move this week, President Donald Trump cancelled a planned ceremonial signing of a major bipartisan housing affordability bill at the Capitol. The bill, which passed both chambers of Congress by overwhelming margins, would have addressed critical housing affordability challenges facing Americans.
Trump is using the bill as leverage to force lawmakers to pass his proposed "SAVE AMERICA ACT," which would implement a radical overhaul of voting procedures. In a post on Truth Social, Trump declared the housing news conference and signing cancelled "until such time as we pass the desperately needed SAVE AMERICA ACT, which I consider to be a National Emergency."
There has also been a significant legal setback for the Trump administration's immigration enforcement agenda comes from the ruling of a federal judge. U.S. District Judge P. Casey Potts ruled that ICE agents can no longer conduct arrests at immigration courthouses across the country. Judge Pitts, a Biden appointee, vacated the Trump administration's policies that were implemented via executive order last year, determining that the Department of Justice failed to provide adequate legal justification for the enforcement tactics. He called them "arbitrary and capricious," and said the Trump administration did not properly consider how arresting noncitizens at courthouses would impact people pursuing lawful immigration status. 
We welcome John Rothmann - presidential historian and the host of ‘Around the Political World with John Rothmann’ to the show to discuss this and the latest on negotiations to end Trump‘s Iran war.
The conversation continues as we welcome author and political commentator Jared Yates Sexton to the show
The Mark Thompson Show 
6/24/26
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Vice President JD Vance says there is "very good" progress in Switzerland  with Iran negotiations. He says Iran is agreeing to allow nuclear inspectors back into the country following initial negotiations . Was he sitting at the same table as Iran’s negotiators? Iran's foreign ministry spokesman says nope, there  are no "plans for IAEA inspections" of nuclear sites,  Iran maintains the Strait of Hormuz will "never return to its pre-war conditions" and that Iran will maintain control of the vital waterway. Vance painted a positive picture with a new communication line established between negotiators to prevent incidents and ensure safe commercial transit through the Strait of Hormuz. Meanwhile, the U.S., Iran, and Lebanon are creating a "deconfliction cell" to enforce the agreed ceasefire across all fronts. If negotiations are going so well, why is the Pentagon seeking roughly $80 billion to cover costs of the U.S. war against Iran? It’s part of a massive $1.5 trillion military budget proposal. However, lawmakers are expressing skepticism about Trump's memorandum of understanding with Iran and hesitation over increased Pentagon funding amid rising costs of living for Americans. 
On the matter of the botched renovation of the reflecting pool, journalists pushed President Trump for proof after he claimed a very long slit was made in the paint at the bottom of the reflecting pool. There’s no evidence to back up those claims, but Trump seems to be laying the blame squarely on vandalism as the pool now has to be re-emptied and repaired.
We put it all to David Cay Johnston, Pulitzer Prize winning author and investigative journalist, from Iran to the mishaps on the national mall. 
Plus, entertainment reporter Lisa Joyner will join  us to talk about Hollywood,  podcasting  and  her love of animals.
The Mark Thompson Show 
6/23/26
Today's Guests Links
Lisa Joyner https://www.youtube.com/@PlusOnewithLisaandMorgan
Prof. David Cay Johnston at RIT, Pulitzer Prize winning Author & Investigative Journalist  https://bsky.app/profile/davidcayjohnston.bsky.social

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Iran negotiations are causing uncertainty inside the Trump administration. President Trump recently joked that if the negotiations succeed, he'll take full credit, but if it fails, he's handing the blame to Vice President JD Vance. It might seem like a joke on the surface, but it may also indicate that Trump is positioning Vance as the face of the Iran negotiations, despite Vance's initial opposition to the war. Vance has had to come to the president’s defense repeatedly over this very unpopular war. Could it impact Vance's 2028 presidential aspirations?  Is Vance’s role allowing Secretary of State Marco Rubio to stay under the radar?
 We welcome iHeart TV and Radio political analyst Gary Dietrich to the show to discuss.
The brilliant author and scholar Sarah Kendzior will stop through to talk politics.
The Mark Thompson Show 
6/22/26
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More than 160 military recruits at Lackland Air Force Base in San Antonio, Texas are battling a flu outbreak instead of completing training. Just weeks before the outbreak, Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth ended mandatory flu vaccination for the military, citing bodily autonomy and concerns about "overreaching mandates.” According to The Guardian, after the vaccine became optional in April 2026, only about 40% of recruits chose to get vaccinated. Now, at least 160 servicemembers living in tight quarters are sick and they're being ordered to get vaccinated as part of containment efforts. This outbreak highlights the consequences of policy changes in military medicine and raises critical questions about military readiness and individual choice versus collective safety in environments where isolation isn't an option. In addition, there seems to be trouble with Trump‘s Iran deal. The US/Iran talks set to be held in Switzerland are being called off. That’s because Israel and Hezbollah are still attacking each other in Lebanon. On top of that, Trump said the Strait of Hormuz would reopen but now, a surprise: Iran says fees/tolls to cover cost of managing the strait will take effect at end of 60-day negotiation period. So now the world will pay the price for Trump‘s decision to attack Iran? Mo Kelly is in for Mark Thompson. We welcome Michael Shure for a look at ‘This Week in Politics’ and Michael Snyder for a look at the latest movies. Add a sprinkle of Friday Fabulous Florida and it’s another great show to ease you into your weekend,

American “hardliners” opposing the US–Iran memorandum of understanding, are being accused of selectively trusting Iranian state-linked messaging while dismissing diplomatic progress. Details of the agreement remain incomplete. Vice President JD Vance is saying sanctions relief and un-freezing assets would be conditioned on Iran’s follow-through in upcoming technical talks over the next two months. Responses are mixed: hardliners inside Iran are protesting, some US and Israeli critics warn of risks, while other international leaders call the deal a potential game-changer. 
We will talk about it with John Rothmann. He is a  presidential historian, a Middle East expert with a particular point of viewand the host of a
Around the Political World with John Rothmann.
Jayar Jackson, from The Young Turks, will stop by to talk politics. 
The conversation continues with author and political commentator Jared Yates Sexton.
The Mark Thompson Show 
6/17/26
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Is Trump’s Iran War and apparent peace deal a win or another Trump headline in search of substance?  
President Trump is touting a new Iran deal as a major breakthrough, but lawmakers on both sides of the aisle are asking what’s actually in this agreement. 
The reported deal comes with big promises about stability, security, and reopening the Strait of Hormuz, but details are scarce and even some Republicans say they’ll need answers before declaring victory.
We will run it past Pulitzer Prize winning author and investigative journalist David Cay Johnston. 
Mark talks politics with progressive host and author Thom Hartmann.
The Mark Thompson Show 
6/16/26
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Trump’s UFC White House stunt was quite the spectacle. President Trump’s birthday party/UFC fight event on the White House lawn brought out the bros, from Meta’s Mark Zuckerberg, Kris Marszalek, CEO of Crypto.com and David Ellison, the CEO of Paramount Skydance to Pete Hegseth and Kash Patel. Was the event intended to rescue a “macho” image for a president that seems to be getting weaker  and sleepier by the day? A president made to look even weaker by not being able to steamroll Iran as he planned?  Mark will discuss. 
The conversation continues with author and scholar Sarah Kendzior. You can always find more from Sarah at  https://sarahkendzior.substack.com/
The Mark Thompson Show 
6/15/26
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Elon Musk has built some of the most valuable companies on Earth, but how much of that success comes from innovation, and how much comes from a system that gives billionaires a different set of rules? As SpaceX’s valuation soars and IPO speculation grows, we look at the regulations, government support, private market advantages, and exceptions that critics say helped fuel the Musk empire. Were the rules bent ? Here we go again with the back-and-forth on Trump’s Iran War. Trump says a deal is imminent, but Iran says there’s no final decision on that. It’s contrary to what President Trump told reporters - that a settlement has been reached and a memorandum of understanding could be signed soon, likely in Europe. In keeping with that statement, Trump called off planned hard strikes on Iran. Meanwhile, there’s word that Iran tried to strike commercial ships trying to get through the Strait of Hormuz and US officials shot down Iranian attack drones. The reports are conflicting from all angles. Is this part of Trump’s strategy or does the Trump administration, once again, not really have a handle on what it’s doing? We’ll put the question to Michael Shure and Mo Kelly who join us for ‘This Week in Politics.’ Then, it’s all about weekend frivolity with a swing by the state of Florida to check in on the craziness and a look at movies with The Culture Blaster, Michael Snyder. Bring on the weekend! The Mark Thompson Show 6/12/26

Bill Gates has some big regrets when it comes to convicted sex offender Jeffrey Epstein. Yesterday, Gates testified to the House Oversight Committee about his past ties to Epstein. In a closed-door hearing, Gates said Epstein attempted to leverage information about Gates’s extramarital affairs “to pressure me to re-engage with him” after Gates had begun to cut ties. Gates said he regretted meeting with Epstein, but had never seen Epstein commit criminal conduct, and denied victimizing anyone. He acknowledged the meetings were a “grave error in judgment” that risked his reputation and his philanthropic work. Meanwhile, Epstein‘s longtime former personal assistant is reportedly giving Congress some names of people connected to Epstein. This comes as the House Oversight Committee Chair is reportedly working to bring acting AG Todd, Blanche in to testify. We welcome former federal prosecutor, and now defense attorney, David Katz to talk about the new revelations and whether there may be any legal fallout. We are excited to talk politics with Russ Baker. He is the founder of news organization whowhatwhy.org Then, we’ll find out what’s new to sip and wear at Coachellavalleycoffee.com as Roastmaster General Cliff Young stops by the show.