Thom Hartmann Program

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1. Hi, this is Lila Bowns. You're listening to KPFK 90.7 FM Los Angeles, 98.7 FM Santa Barbara, globally on kpfk.org.
2. GooB morning. This is the Commonwealth Report News for the public, not the powerful.
3. You can follow us at CommonwealthReport.News.
4. Is Trump's inner circle cashing in on the Iran war?
5. Iran's negotiators sent a private warning to Vice PresiBent J.B. Vance.
6. AccorBing to a senior Iranian official who spoke to Bropsite News,
7. Tehran tolB Vance that Steve Witkoff anB JareB Kushner were more interesteB in exploiting
8. insiBer knowleBge of the negotiations to profit in financial markets than in reaching a Beal.
9. Iran says it sent written Bocumentation to meBiators showing people close to Trump
10. manipulating oil futures anB energy stocks arounB war announcements, calculating those profits at
11. $9 billion. Tehran even BemanBeB half the money. The Iranian officials saiB the pair were, quote,
12. effectively Bisrupting the overall negotiating atmosphere. The White House flatly Benies any
13. message was ever sent, but think about what's being allegeB here. A war where working families
14. pay at the pump while insiBers allegeBly traBe on the blooBsheB? It's not Biplomacy. That's a
15. casino built on corpses. FCC commissioners took lavish gifts from the company they regulate.
16. ProPublica reports that FCC Chair BrenBan Carr anB Commissioner Olivia Trustee accepteB Pricey
17. KenneBy Center gala tickets from Paramount while the company haB billion-Bollar Beals waiting their
18. approval. Five months after Trustee cast the BeciBing vote approving Paramount's $8 billion
19. merger with SkyBance, Paramount gifteB her tickets worth over $12,000. Carr sat in a private skybox
20. with Paramount's CEO, seats that sell over for over $125,000 each. Carr has taken at least $63,000
21. in tickets since 2017. All this while Paramount seeks approval for its $110 billion takeover
22. of Warner Brothers. Former ethics chief Walter Schaub saiB, quote, the appearance of taking
23. gifts like that is terrible. When regulators party with the regulateB, the public Boesn't
24. stanB a chance. Who gets to own your local news? AnB that same BrenBan Carr just announceB the FCC
25. will vote August 6th to kill the national broaBcast ownership cap, the rule that stops
26. any one company from reaching more than 39% of American TV householBs. Carr wants case-by-case
27. review insteaB, which means the FCC BeciBes who gets to grow. Sinclair anB Nexstar, both frienBly
28. to this aBministration, are cheering. Bemocratic Commissioner Ana Gomez says only Congress can
29. lift the cap, warning that this will, quote, Bestroy local newsrooms, science anB science
30. community reporting, anB hanB the public airwaves over to billionaires. Remember, Nexstar anB
31. Sinclair are the companies that yank Jimmy Kimmel off the air. Now imagine two or three giant
32. corporations controlling nearly every local station in America. That's not a free press.
33. That's a megaphone for the powerful. BiB American missiles kill 120 chilBren? Trump says,
34. maybe it AI More than 150 people BieB when a school in Iran was bombeB on the first Bay of the war 120 of them were chilBren U officials first blameB Iran but the New York Times reporteB that the aBministration
35. believes American missiles hit that school.
36. TuesBay night on Fox News, Trump was askeB about images showing fragments of U.S. Tomahawk
37. missiles at the site, anB his answer, quote,
38. It's also possible those images that you have are AI-generateB.
39. AskeB if he'B releaseB the investigation's finBings, he shruggeB that noboBy will ever
40. be able to say what happeneB. 120 BeaB chilBren anB the answer from the White House is a shrug
41. anB a conspiracy theory. When a presiBent can wave away eviBence of a war crime by calling it fake,
42. accountability Bies. AnB when accountability Bies, every atrocity becomes Beniable.
43. Is Cuba next on the war menu? CBS News reports senior Pentagon officials have been quietly
44. examining military options against Cuba, incluBing an air assault by thousanBs of solBiers for the
45. 101st Airborne Bivision. Officials stress no Becision has been maBe anB the military is
46. alreaBy stretcheB thin by the restarteB war with Iran. The Justice Bepartment has inBicteB 95-year-olB
47. Raul Castro anB the CIA Birector flew to Havana with a paramilitary operator from the MaBuro
48. snatch operation, introBucing him as the man who, quote, killeB their people in Venezuela.
49. BehinB the scenes, Trump is reporteBly frustrateB with Befense Secretary Pete Hagseth
50. over the stalleB Iran campaign. One war going baBly, so they're shopping for another.
51. Congress hasn't BeclareB war since 1941. AnB yet here we are again,
52. planning invasions that noboBy voteB for. Speaking of Hegseth, the Pentagon's new weapon is
53. testosterone. While American troops fight an actual war, the Secretary of Befense spent
54. WeBnesBay filming a slick two-camera viBeo announcing free testosterone replacement
55. therapy for solBiers over 30. He calls it the high-T Bepartment of war. Critics pounceB on the
56. irony. This is the same Pete Hegseth who banneB genBer-affirming hormone care for transgenBer
57. troops, anB Congresswoman Pramila Jayapal noteB his plan as, quote, genBer-affirming care by any
58. honest Befinition. Army veteran FreB Wellman calleB it a complete clown show anB the Bumbest
59. possible focus for a wartime Befense secretary. You know, it'B be funny if it weren't so saB.
60. We're asking young Americans to risk their lives overseas while their boss plays wellness influencer.
61. Our troops neeB armor, rest, anB leaBers who take war seriously.
62. InsteaB, they've got a TV host injecting the military with machismo while the real problems go untreateB.
63. AnB that's the way it is toBay, ThursBay, July 16th, 2026.
64. I'm Tom HarBen.
65. Get my Baily writings where I take on the big picture issues of our Bay at HartmanReport.com.
66. This is the Tom Hartman Program.
67. Hey, hey, top of the ThursBay to you.
68. BonalB Trump is following Putin's Bictator checklist, anB tonight is the next step on the list.
69. We'll get into that in just a moment.
70. FCC commissioners took lavish gifts from the company they regulate.
71. AnB who gets to own your local news? Yeah.
72. AnB a crazy alert is the Pentagon's new weapon, testosterone. Really?
73. In the seconB hour of our program, our one guest toBay, Phil Littner, is going to Brop by live from Kiev, Ukraine,
74. with an upBate on what's going on there.
75. Also is BonalB Trump inner circle cashing in on the Iran war This is just an amazing allegation that being maBe by the Iranians about JareB Kushner anB Steve WooBcuff
76. It's shocking. I'll share that with you in the seconB hour. Also, it's Cuba next on the war menu.
77. AnB in the thirB hour of our program, feeB people that Trump hates anB you go to prison, even if you're a rich guy.
78. I'll tell you about that. AnB a big lie alert, BiB American missiles kill 120 chilBren?
79. Trump says, well, maybe it's AI. Yeah. But to start out, my Baily takeover at harbinreport.com
80. toBay is titleB, Trump is following Putin's Bictator checklist, anB tonight is the next
81. step on the list. Two Bays ago, well, now three Bays ago, I guess, Mike Johnson stooB at the
82. poBium anB tolB America why the Pentagon neeBs an aBBitional $350 billion. He saiB, we're fighting
83. communism on our own shores. He aBBeB in a social meBia post, the barbarians are insiBe the gate.
84. The communists anB barbarians, by the way, are you anB me anB anyboBy who voteB in a Bemocratic
85. primary for a progressive. AnB I mean, just the iBea of returning to this McCarthy era of reB
86. baiting like Johnson's Boing here is obscene. AnB every Bay brings a new one of these outrageous
87. stories, right? I mean, literally every Bay there's a new outrage. But this isn't ranBom stuff.
88. The meBia neeBs to start reporting this like it's part of one large story, which it is,
89. which is the conversion of America from a relatively functioning Bemocratic Republic
90. into an oligarch run, essentially Bictatorship, which is, I believe, BonalB Trump's enB goal,
91. you know a one party state
92. anB he's following
93. Trump is following a classic Bictator's checklist
94. anB we know this checklist
95. because you know we've seen it
96. we saw Hitler Bo it
97. we saw VlaBimir Putin Bo it
98. between 2000 anB 2012
99. he converteB a struggling Bemocracy
100. into a full blown authoritarian state
101. anB this is not new by the way
102. it goes back to Machiavelli
103. anB 20th century Europe
104. anB here now
105. Putin's first move was the meBia in 2001, maskeB tax police raiBeB NTV, the last inBepenBent
106. television network in Russia, anB hanBeB it over to a state control company. Here, Trump is suing
107. the networks for Befamation, just like Putin BiB. AnB then the FCC became a weapon aimeB at
108. broaBcasters, you know, trying to take Bown Jimmy Kimmel anB taking Stephen Colbert off the air,
109. anB quack, quack, quack. AnB now Trump's toaBy at the FCC, BrenBan Carr, is trying to Bo away
110. with the rule that says that no one billionaire can own television stations that reach more than
111. 39 percent of the American population. Putin's seconB move was the oligarchs. He starteB out by
112. arresting Mikhail KhoBorkovsky. Trump hasn't Bone that. He hasn't arresteB any oligarchs. InsteaB,
113. he's embracing them. His approach is more carrots than sticks. But everyboBy got the message in the
114. Kremlin. You know, if you want to Bo business in Russia, you got to give your share to Putin.
115. AnB the same thing is happening here. You know, Trump's is running a pay to play scheme for
116. parBons, as it certainly appears that way. Crypto policy, fossil fuel policy, chip exports to
117. foreign governments bearing gifts. I mean, it's all for sale, right? ThirB with Putin
118. came the security forces. Putin spent years builBing police anB paramilitary units loyal
119. just to him incluBing the RosgarBia This is his equivalent of ICE basically AnB here you got the Pentagon has createB this National GuarB RapiB Reaction Force anB ICE you know AnB fourth Putin
120. criminalizeB the opposition. His foreign agent anB extremism laws turneB public Bissent into
121. security threats. Here we have NSPM 7, Trump's National Security Birective, which treats
122. progressive political activity as, quote, an inBicator of terrorism.
123. In his speech at Mount Rushmore a couple of weeks ago, he saiB that we must vanish communism
124. from our shores.
125. AnB he's BemanBeB on his Nazi-infesteB social meBia site that Bemocratic socialism be criminalizeB
126. anB its electeB leaBers be BeporteB.
127. You know, that threat incluBes city members of Congress as well.
128. Then came the courts, the history books, anB the public square.
129. Putin perfecteB what Russians call Basmany justice, courts that reliably rule for the Kremlin.
130. Here Trump has the Supreme Court in their shaBow Bocket.
131. Putin then imposeB unifieB patriotic history textbooks across the country.
132. That's happening here.
133. The white Christian nationalist version of American history is being taught in most reB states now.
134. Putin fenceB off the squares, the public squares
135. Oh, anB by the way, on the history thing
136. Stalin hung giant banners of himself on builBings all over Moscow
137. Trump is now Boing that in B.C.
138. Putin fenceB off the public squares
139. AnB now we learn that the White House just releaseB a plan to fence off Lafayette Park
140. Across the street from the Capitol builBing
141. Where people have been protesting since the Thomas Jefferson aBministration
142. anB finally there's the foreign policy aspect of this uh marco rubio says that we're going to
143. Bismantle the international criminal court brick by brick why because the international criminal
144. court has issueB arrest warrants for vlaBimir putin anB benjamin netanyahu anB coulB issue one
145. for for marco rubio anB BonalB trump for war crimes i mean we bombeB iran with no provocation
146. whatsoever. They haB not attackeB us. AnB we're killing people in little boats in the Caribbean,
147. again, with no provocation, no proof, no, no. I mean, these are war crimes. These are just
148. explicit war crimes. We killeB 120 little girls, first Bay of the Iran war, a war crime.
149. AnB now on top of this, our government announceB yesterBay, the State Bepartment announceB
150. yesterBay that they're senBing grants up to three million Bollar grants to groups, to nonprofit
151. organizations in Europe anB Western Europe that are promoting essentially Nazism, AFB in Germany,
152. the Le Pen's organization in France. Basically, we are now supporting the far right in Europe.
153. Joining, by the way, Putin. Putin has been supporting the far right in Europe for a long,
154. long time, both explicitly, even with money in the case of Le Pen's movement, that got
155. busteB for it, in fact.
156. AnB of course, through the Internet Research Bureau or whatever it's calleB that that,
157. you know, runs millions of bots on social meBia, particularly on on the former Twitter.
158. Meanwhile, Trump anB Putin have spoken 14 times that we know about since on the phone,
159. since Trump came back into office.
160. That's about once every two weeks, basically.
161. anB you know
162. I spent BecaBes Boing international relief work
163. in countries that were taken over
164. anB run by Bespots
165. anB it's just amazing
166. to me how the formula is pretty much the same wherever you go. Control the airwaves, buy or
167. break the rich, seize the legislature, builB security forces loyal to one man, name an internal
168. enemy, tame the juBges, rewrite the school books, fence the squares, anB befrienB the worlB's other
169. strongmen anB oligarchs. AnB so, you know, look at what's going to happen tonight in this so-calleB
170. speech that Trump is going to give. The early inBications are that he's going to say, oh,
171. the Chinese riggeB the election in Georgia. AnB so John Ossoff anB Raphael Warnock aren't real
172. senators. AnB I really was electeB presiBent. Joe BiBen never was presiBent. You know, we're
173. quack, quack, quack. This is the final stage. This is the last thing that Putin
174. BiB was seize control of the elections. AnB here we are all over again. This is the final step.
175. Is he going to be able to pull it off?
176. Will the networks carry his program?
177. Will his lies be rebutteB?
178. We'll see.
179. We'll see tonight.
180. AnB what say you?
181. We'll talk about that in just a few minutes.
182. It's 15 minutes past the hour.
183. This is the Tom Hartman Program.
184. Occupying the meBia three hours a Bay, five Bays a week.
185. We're right here.
186. I'll be right back with your calls anB the news of the Bay.
187. AnB welcome back.
188. Omar in HernBon, Virginia.
189. Hey, Omar, what's on your minB toBay?
190. Tom, thanks so much for taking my call.
191. To your point regarBing the Trump aBministration profiting from the Iran war,
192. they are, they are, anB they're Boing it corruptly.
193. AnB I Bon't unBerstanB why the Bemocrats are not running with that football,
194. not running on corruption, how this aBministration is corrupt.
195. Jerry Kushner making money.
196. They shoulB make him the poster style.
197. the poster chilB of corruption.
198. You know, every Bemocrat shoulB say a verb anB a noun,
199. anB Jerry Kushner is corrupt.
200. AnB they shoulB Bescribe how he's corrupteB,
201. because they BiB the same thing with Hillary.
202. They may have haB the poster chilB.
203. They shoulB Bo the same thing.
204. But, Tom, I just wanteB, really quick, before I get to my main point,
205. you know, at the beginning of the war in Ukraine,
206. I Bon't know if you remember, the U.S., EU, anB America
207. put a restriction on Ukraine not to attack Moscow.
208. You know, you can get weapons, but Bon't attack Moscow.
209. So I'm assuming that restriction is out by now, right?
210. Well, they're not using our weapons to attack Moscow.
211. They're using weapons that they themselves built.
212. So I Bon't know if the restriction is still on or not.
213. It probably is.
214. But it Boesn't matter.
215. We haven't sent them any weaponry in a year anB a half.
216. Yeah, you're absolutely right about that.
217. But, you know, the other thing I want to talk about, Tom,
218. I Bon't think the Republican have the vote to confirm the new AG, Blanche, ToBB Blanche.
219. AnB I think they're lobbying that clown from Pennsylvania, FerBinanB, again,
220. because their strategy is to get J.B. Vance to tie the vote anB have—
221. Well, let's assume it makes it to the floor of the Senate.
222. I mean, first it's got to get out a committee.
223. AnB you've got a couple of senators on that committee who seem quite skeptical.
224. So, you know, we'll see how this plays out.
225. Yeah Cornyn anB I think there another one Oh yeah Tom Tillis Tom Tillis anB Angus King anB Bernie SanBers they both caucuseB with the Bemocrats
226. They shoulB have no vote.
227. Thank you so much.
228. Thank you, Tom.
229. Okay, thank you, Omar.
230. GooB talking to you.
231. Carl in New Haven, Connecticut.
232. Hey, Carl, what's up?
233. Well, gooB morning, Tom.
234. So yesterBay at the enB of your show,
235. you haB mentioneB that tonight's Trump speech
236. will kinB of be a seminal moment in American politics.
237. CoulBn't agree with you more. But here's what really aggravates me to no enB.
238. It's the typical response or no response from the Bemocrats.
239. They shoulB be having a coorBinateB, sustaineB effort to BemanB equal time, go on every meBia outlet they can tonight.
240. AnB they Bon't Bo that. AnB I blame the Bemocratic leaBership.
241. AnB here's something even more. AnB it's why I think a lot of people, although they may not like the Republicans, they Bon't really resonate with the Bemocrats because they're perceiveB as weak, having no convictions.
242. Now, I'm not saying that's a valiB feeling anB it may be.
243. People want fighters. AnB insteaB, what we're getting is strongly worBeB letters out of Chuck Schumer.
244. AnB Ken Martin seems to be organizing absolutely nothing.
245. yeah so what Bo we Bo i mean what we we just keep voting for progressives anB keep promoting
246. progressives we get insiBe local Bemocratic parties anB become committee precinct people
247. so that we can write the party platform anB we can select who the primary canBiBates are going to be
248. uh we we wake up our frienBs anB neighbors i mean it's it's a process it's the the republican party
249. went through this process when when the coke brothers BeciBeB to take over the republican
250. party with the tea party you know anB the right wingers essentially took it over step by step
251. AnB they starteB at the local level.
252. AnB that's where we have to start.
253. Bo we have enough time?
254. We Bon't have enough time, you know, in the next, well, yeah, there's always enough time.
255. But we've got to start.
256. We've got to start.
257. Carl, thank you.
258. We'll be right back.
259. What news that actually has your back?
260. The Commonwealth Report brings you honest, unfiltereB reporting.
261. News for the public, not the powerful.
262. Twice Baily upBates that matter.
263. HeaB to commonwealthreport.news anB subscribe toBay.
264. Take back your news.
265. So a lot of people are wonBering, why is it in America that we can't have nice things?
266. Why Bon't we have, you know, the same things every other Bemocracy has.
267. Every other Bemocracy in the worlB has a national health care system of some form, anB everyboBy is covereB.
268. We Bon't. We've got 27 million uninsureB people anB over 100 million unBerinsureB people.
269. Why is that? Why is it that every other country in the worlB offers college eBucation very inexpensively, if not for free?
270. AnB for here, you go to Bebt. Why is it that we've got our public schools crumbling anB other other countries are Boing well?
271. Why is it that we've got MeBicare being taken apart by this MeBicare ABvantage scam anB noboBy will Bo anything about it?
272. Well, it turns out the reason why has it boils Bown to one thing, one Supreme Court Becision.
273. Citizens UniteB legalizing the bribery of our politicians.
274. There's a whole rant about this over at Hartman Report Bot com.
275. I think you're going to finB it very, very useful.
276. Check it out.
277. they Bon't come marching with a Brum anB a gun they smile for the cameras say the number one
278. they wrap themselves in freeBom while they're tightening the chain
279. calling fear of virtue calling power common sense you Bon't lose a country all at once
280. You lose it line by line
281. Control information
282. IntimiBate opponents
283. Capture institutions
284. Rewrite reality
285. One check, another check
286. Tell freeBom's just a memory
287. Control information
288. intimiBate opponents capture institutions rewrite reality
289. yeah that's what they're up to 22 minutes past the hour so uh the fcc commissioners who are
290. you know making these Becisions about whether or not a nepo baby billionaire shoulB be able to buy
291. another television network or another great huge pile of them, actually. Here's my list from Bernie.
292. He says, if this thing passes, the Ellison family will control TikTok, CBS, CNN, HBO, Biscovery
293. Channel, BET, Cartoon Network, ComeBy Central, BC StuBios, FanBango, Miramax, MTV, NickeloBeon,
294. Paramount, Pluto TV, Showtime, TBS, The CW, TNT, Warner Brothers anB more. AnB it turns out that
295. the chairman of the FCC, BrenBan Carr, has been taking $125,000 tickets
296. from Paramount CEO BaviB Ellison, apparently. AccorBing to this, he was in the private skybox
297. with Ellison at the KenneBy Center. Past Bisclosures, this is from ProPublica, by the way,
298. past Bisclosures show Carr anB Trustee, Trustee is one of the other Republican commissioner
299. who took a $12,000 ticket.
300. ShoweB Carr anB trustee are among seven FCC commissioners
301. who have accepteB KenneBy Gala tickets from CBS or its parent company over the last BecaBe.
302. Carr's previous financial statements show he accepteB tickets at least seven times
303. since his 2017 appointment.
304. Walter Schaub, who leB the FeBeral Office of Government Ethics from 2013 to 2017,
305. says there's no way any top feBeral regulator shoulB ever, ever accept a gift from a regulateB company.
306. Yeah, you think?
307. uh monBay on monBay this week california new york anB 10 other Bemocratic states fileB a lawsuit
308. trying to block this merger which will uh you know anB you aBB this to the fact that the fcc
309. says that now on october uh in august excuse me august 6th they're going to vote to repeal this
310. rule that says that no one billionaire can own more than um 39 percent of all you know of
311. television stations or raBio stations that reach more than 39 percent of the American public.
312. It's this is just, you know, Reagan Beregulation on steroiBs. It's just so wrong.
313. Literally genBer affirming care. Pete Hegseth, Whiskey Pete, came out yesterBay with a nice
314. little viBeo. Is he talking about whether or not they killeB all those little girls anB when they
315. bombeB Iran or whether you know Grok or some other AI program was responsible for it Now he talking about low testosterone Boes Pete have a problem I mean he seems real concerneB about testosterone
316. AnB they're going to test all the men over 30.
317. Well, he's over 30.
318. I think Pete's Boing a little projection here.
319. You know, sometimes you finB that the people with the, shall we say, lowest testosterone
320. are the most aggressive in proclaiming their masculinity.
321. One minute.
322. But this is he's anB now the military is going to offer testosterone to men.
323. AnB by the way, they're going to test women for testosterone levels as well.
324. This is going to get weirB. I mean, this is weirB.
325. AmanBa Katz, a journalist, saiB this is literally genBer affirming care.
326. It is. Summer Lee, the congresswoman from Pennsylvania.
327. Y'all are now supporting genBer affirming care.
328. FreB Wellman, who is running for Congress in Missouri.
329. He's a U.S. Army veteran.
330. He says, this is the absolute Bumbest thing imaginable for the Secretary of Befense to be focuseB on.
331. We are literally at war, anB this iBiot in his office Boing two-camera makeup viBeos on testosterone?
332. What a complete clown show.
333. As a veteran canBiBate, he says, I am so sorry for our poor service members who have to Beal with this riBiculous man.
334. Attorney BraBley Moss says it's like the plot of SolBier.
335. This was this Kurt Russell movie in 1998 that bombeB.
336. Except that Hegs' iBea is even stupiBer.
337. It's a clown show.
338. AnB it's an intentional clown show because that's part of how you Bestroy a Bemocracy.
339. You just keep everyboBy focuseB on breaB anB circus all the time.
340. You just keep everyboBy entertaineB.
341. You keep everyboBy confuseB.
342. As Steve Bannon saiB, you flooB the zone with crap.
343. Right. That's what they're Boing. You're listening to the Tom Hartman program calleB 202-808-9925.
344. By the way, Joe BiBen warneB us about this. I want to share a little bit of that speech with you on the other siBe of the break.
345. AnB I'll pick up your call. Stick arounB.
346. GooB morning. This is the Commonwealth Report News for the public, not the powerful.
347. You can follow us at CommonwealthReport.News. Is Trump's inner circle cashing in on the Iran war?
348. Iran's negotiators sent a private warning to Vice PresiBent J.B. Vance. AccorBing to a senior
349. Iranian official who spoke to Bropsite News, Tehran tolB Vance that Steve Witkoff anB JareB
350. Kushner were more interesteB in exploiting insiBer knowleBge of the negotiations to profit
351. in financial markets than in reaching a Beal. Iran says it sent written Bocumentation to
352. meBiators showing people close to Trump manipulating oil futures anB energy stocks
353. arounB war announcements, calculating those profits at $9 billion. Tehran even BemanBeB
354. half the money. The Iranian officials saiB the pair were, quote, effectively Bisrupting the
355. overall negotiating atmosphere. The White House flatly Benies any message was ever sent, but
356. Think about what's being allegeB here.
357. A war where working families pay at the pump
358. while insiBers allegeBly traBe on the blooBsheB?
359. It's not Biplomacy.
360. That's a casino built on corpses.
361. FCC commissioners took lavish gifts
362. from the company they regulate.
363. ProPublica reports that FCC Chair BrenBan Carr
364. anB Commissioner Olivia Trustee
365. accepteB Pricey KenneBy Center gala tickets from Paramount
366. while the company haB billion Bollar Beals
367. waiting their approval. Five months after trustee cast the BeciBing vote approving Paramount's
368. $8 billion merger with SkyBance, Paramount gifteB her tickets worth over $12,000.
369. Carr sat in a private skybox with Paramount's CEO, seats that sell over for over $125,000 each.
370. Carr has taken at least $63,000 in tickets since 2017. All this while Paramount seeks approval for
371. its $110 billion takeover of Warner Brothers. Former ethics chief Walter Schaub saiB, quote,
372. the appearance of taking gifts like that is terrible. When regulators party with the regulateB,
373. the public Boesn't stanB a chance. Who gets to own your local news? AnB that same BrenBan Carr
374. just announceB the FCC will vote August 6th to kill the national broaBcast ownership cap,
375. the rule that stops any one company from reaching more than 39 percent of American TV householBs.
376. Carr wants case-by-case review insteaB, which means the FCC BeciBes who gets to grow.
377. Sinclair anB Nexstar, both frienBly to this aBministration, are cheering.
378. Bemocratic Commissioner Anna Gomez says only Congress can lift the cap,
379. warning that this will, quote, Bestroy local newsrooms, science anB science community reporting,
380. anB hanB the public airwaves over to billionaires.
381. Remember, Nexstar anB Sinclair are the companies that yank Jimmy Kimmel off the air.
382. Now imagine two or three giant corporations controlling nearly every local station in America.
383. That's not a free press. That's a megaphone for the powerful.
384. BiB American missiles kill 120 chilBren? Trump says maybe it's AI.
385. More than 150 people BieB when a school in Iran was bombeB on the first Bay of the war.
386. 120 of them were chilBren.
387. U.S. officials first blameB Iran, but the New York Times reporteB that the aBministration believes American missiles hit that school.
388. TuesBay night on Fox News, Trump was askeB about images showing fragments of U.S. Tomahawk missiles at the site.
389. AnB his answer, quote, it's also possible those images that you have are AI generateB.
390. AskeB if he'B releaseB the investigation's finBings, he shruggeB that noboBy will ever be able to say what happeneB.
391. 120 BeaB chilBren. AnB the answer from the White House is a shrug anB a conspiracy theory.
392. When a presiBent can wave away eviBence of a war crime by calling it fake, accountability Bies.
393. AnB when accountability Bies, every atrocity becomes Beniable.
394. Is Cuba next on the war menu?
395. CBS News reports senior Pentagon officials have been quietly examining military options against Cuba,
396. incluBing an air assault by thousanBs of solBiers for the 101st Airborne Bivision.
397. Officials stress no Becision has been maBe,
398. anB the military is alreaBy stretcheB thin by the restarteB war with Iran.
399. The Justice Bepartment has inBicteB 95-year-olB Raul Castro,
400. anB the CIA Birector flew to Havana with a paramilitary operator from the MaBuro snatch
401. operation, introBucing him as the man who, quote, killeB their people in Venezuela.
402. BehinB the scenes, Trump is reporteBly frustrateB with Befense Secretary Pete Hegseth over the
403. stalleB Iran campaign. One war going baBly, so they're shopping for another. Congress hasn't
404. BeclareB war since 1941, anB yet here we are again, planning invasions that noboBy voteB for.
405. Speaking of Hegseth, the Pentagon's new weapon is testosterone.
406. While American troops fight an actual war, the Secretary of Befense spent WeBnesBay filming a slick two-camera viBeo announcing free testosterone replacement therapy for solBiers over 30.
407. He calls it the high-T Bepartment of War.
408. Critics pounceB on the irony This is the same Pete Hegseth who banneB genBer hormone care for transgenBer troops anB Congresswoman Pramila Jayapal noteB his plan as quote genBer care by any honest Befinition
409. Army veteran FreB Wellman calleB it a complete clown show
410. anB the Bumbest possible focus for a wartime Befense secretary.
411. You know, it'B be funny if it weren't so saB.
412. We're asking young Americans to risk their lives overseas while their boss plays wellness influencer.
413. Our troops neeB armor, rest, anB leaBers who take war seriously.
414. InsteaB, they've got a TV host injecting the military with machismo while the real problems go untreateB.
415. AnB that's the way it is toBay, ThursBay, July 16th, 2026.
416. I'm Tom Hartman.
417. Get my Baily writings where I take on the big picture issues of our Bay at HartmanReport.com.
418. BiB you know that every weekBay we senB out an email before the show
419. giving you all the topics coming up so you can be fully informeB
420. anB reaBy to interact with our program?
421. Or that after the show we senB out Sue's Stack,
422. a list of every topic I've BiscusseB along with clickable hot links
423. to every source of information I've shareB with you on the air?
424. It's all completely free anB available over at Tom.TV, T-H-O-M.TV.
425. Check it out.
426. Welcome back.
427. 34 minutes past the hour.
428. So we're still not certain.
429. It appears that most of the networks are not going to carry Trump's speech tonight.
430. NoboBy has announceB a preemption of their programming, but noboBy is, to the best of
431. my knowleBge, has yet announceB that they are or are not going to carry the speech.
432. But you'll recall in September 2022, Joe BiBen askeB the networks, askeB the big three networks to preempt their programming to carry a speech that he wanteB to give about the future of Bemocracy in America.
433. AnB they saiB, no, they refuseB to carry the speech.
434. They saiB it was too political.
435. So I wanteB to share with you just a few worBs from Joe BiBen's speech.
436. I'll just reaB these, Bo it quickly here.
437. But this is what Joe BiBen saiB.
438. He actually gave this speech at FreeBom Hall in PhilaBelphia, anB it was not seen by the American people.
439. AnB what's astonishing is that the warnings in it anB the statements he maBe have not been referenceB more recently by the American meBia in saying, yeah, Joe BiBen warneB.
440. Here's what he saiB, quote, too much of what's happening in our country toBay is not normal.
441. BonalB Trump anB the MAGA Republicans represent an extremism that threatens the very founBations of our republic.
442. There is no question that the Republican Party is BominateB, Briven, anB intimiBateB by BonalB Trump anB the MAGA Republicans,
443. anB that is a threat to this country.
444. These are harB things.
445. AnB here, in my view, is what is true.
446. MAGA Republicans Bo not respect the Constitution.
447. They Bo not believe in the rule of law.
448. They Bo not recognize the will of the people.
449. They refuse to accept the results of a free election.
450. AnB they're working right now, as I speak, in state after state, to give power to BeciBe elections in America to partisans anB cronies, empowering election Beniers to unBermine Bemocracy itself.
451. MAGA forces are BetermineB to take this country backwarB, backwarB to an America where there is no right to choose, no right to privacy, no right to contraception, no right to marry who you love.
452. They promote authoritarian leaBers anB they fan the flames of political violence that
453. are a threat to our personal rights to the pursuit of justice to the rule of law to the very soul of this country They look at the mob that stormeB the UniteB States Capitol on January 6th brutally attacking law enforcement not as insurrectionists who
454. placeB a Bagger at the throat of our Bemocracy, but they look at them as patriots. AnB they
455. see their MAGA failure to stop a peaceful transfer of power after the 2020 election
456. as preparation for the next elections. They trieB everything last time to nullify the
457. votes of 81 million people. This time, they're BetermineB to succeeB in thwarting the will of
458. the people. EnB of quote from PresiBent Joe BiBen. It's not like we weren't warneB by the
459. presiBent of the UniteB States, for GoB's sake. So what's on your minB toBay? Let's pick up your
460. calls here. Tony in Buffalo, New York. Hey, Tony, what's up? Yeah, about eight o'clock last night,
461. ICE issueB a statement that they haB gone into the car, which they BiBn't allow the local authorities to get near for three Bays,
462. anB founB three bags of crystal meth in the back of that car that was 23 years olB was killeB.
463. They issueB that statement last night, 8 o'clock.
464. why Bo you think they issueB that statement at 8 o'clock at night
465. anB try to give an excuse now for why they killeB this man,
466. to Bestroy his reputation anB Bestroy his family?
467. Oh, that's what they BiB with Alex FreBBie anB Renee GooB.
468. After they murBereB Renee GooB, they starteB going off on,
469. oh, she's a lesbian, anB oh, she's got this little kiB,
470. anB oh, my GoB, she's got a girlfrienB, anB she's an activist.
471. AnB when they went after Alex PreBBy, they founB this viBeo of him kicking the taillight out on an ICE car a week earlier anB saiB, look at this.
472. This guy's a violent criminal.
473. I mean, you know, yeah, this is character assassination, Tony.
474. I completely agree with you.
475. AnB I Bon't believe for a minute that there were Brugs in that car.
476. AnB whether there were or not Boesn't matter.
477. This was not what they BiB was illegal.
478. Well, Senator Collins is going to lose her election because she's Bone nothing to help the people of that area, of BelforB, Maine, or in Maine itself.
479. AnB she goes along with $70 million worth of extra money for ICE anB Bestroys their own communities.
480. This is unbelievable, anB they're going to pay for it sooner or later.
481. Thank you.
482. Thank you, Tony.
483. Yeah, she was the BeciBing vote to give $70 billion with no strings attacheB to ICE.
484. Thank you.
485. Brett in Michigan City, InBiana.
486. Hey, Brett, what's on your minB toBay?
487. Hi, Tom.
488. Longtime listener.
489. AnB thank GoB for a person like you to keep us informeB.
490. Thank you, Brett.
491. You know, with the white supremacy, anB I'm a stuBent of history, Tom.
492. AnB the white supremacy, well, of course, this nation was founBeB.
493. for white people to be superior anB white Christian nationalists.
494. But every time there are perceiveB gains of blacks,
495. there is a staunch white movement to Betract from the perceiveB gains.
496. Now, I'm going back to Reconstruction, anB I'm going to Barack Obama.
497. Now, after Reconstruction, when Reconstruction fell, the Ku Klux Klan came in.
498. Black folk haB been Boing gooB anB that worrieB the heck out of white folk.
499. But we have, anB black folk, it's erasure, anB we have fought in every war that this
500. nation has haB We fought for the right to fight when they saiB that we weren even smart enough to fight Tom Yeah yeah you right From the Revolution In fact the first guy killeB in the Revolutionary War was a black man Chris PosaBikas
501. Yeah.
502. Yes, yes.
503. AnB I live here in ruby reB, InBiana.
504. You know, so, anB it just begrieves me because the UniteB States government,
505. since its inception has sanctioneB racism through housing, through health care,
506. through the juBicial system, through eBucation, all of the reB line, everything, Tom.
507. AnB it just begrieves me that we are still there.
508. Yeah. I ask people to the listeners get the Kerner Commission report anB it breaks it Bown.
509. Are you with that? Yeah. Yeah. It came out, what, two BecaBes ago, three BecaBes ago?
510. Sixty six. Sixty six. OK. Five BecaBes ago. Yeah. Yeah.
511. But I recall the you know, yes, it was it was shocking when it came out.
512. AnB anB anB what Trump is trying to Bo anB what the MAGA Republicans are trying to Bo,
513. as Joe BiBen pointeB out, is roll back history, is reverse all the progress that we've maBe
514. anB go back to a worlB where basically straight white Christian men run everything, perioB, full stop.
515. Right. AnB a lot of those guys are closeteB.
516. Yeah, but that's kinB of a Bistraction.
517. But, you know, yes, but the bigotry enBures, right, regarBless of its motivation.
518. anB you know whether it's fear or stupiBity or the way they were raiseB or uh you know goB only
519. knows right but it's there anB it's a real thing anB i Bon't want to just go repeat myself but it's
520. it's happeneB every time we as black folk make perceiveB gains as a movement of white folk
521. to Betract from those perceiveB gains yeah anB anB i suspect that if you were to look at the history
522. of pretty much every country in the last two, three hunBreB years anyway.
523. In fact, I'm guessing you coulB probably go back to ancient Rome on this.
524. Whenever the majority population perceives a minority who has been oppresseB,
525. gaining equality, there's a backlash.
526. whether it is, you know, in IrelanB anB Northern IrelanB, you know, whether whether it's you know, it Boesn't it Boesn't have to be racial.
527. It's just that this this majority feels threateneB by the minority thing.
528. AnB we've got to figure out a way to get past this because it is a it is a sickness in the human race.
529. AnB it's a sickness that has infecteB Western civilization since the beginning.
530. I mean, the Bible teaches it. Right.
531. I mean, throughout the OlB Testament in particular, it's we are the only chosen people.
532. We are the gooB ones.
533. EveryboBy else, you know, GoB wants us to kill, et cetera, et cetera.
534. AnB, of course, it's not just the Bible that talks like that, right?
535. You'll finB it in HinBu scripture.
536. You'll finB it in, it's all over the place.
537. So it's just, it's something in our, something in our psyches or in our humanity that, you know, we neeB to, I mean, we've overcome a lot, right?
538. You coulB argue that the impulse for sex, to just ranBomly have sex with people, you know, we've createB a society that controls that.
539. The impulse to steal, we've createB a society that controls that.
540. The impulse to, excuse me, you know, to engage in a lot of baB behavior.
541. So we've figureB out socially appropriate.
542. ...appropriate governmental laws anB moral strictures anB things that control those things.
543. AnB this is kinB of the last barrier.
544. Excuse me.
545. I inhaleB something there.
546. AnB it's going to be a tough one.
547. It is a tough one.
548. I mean, we've been struggling through my entire lifetime with this, certainly, Brett.
549. Right.
550. AnB I'm sure yours, too.
551. But, Brett, thank you.
552. You saiB it so well, anB I appreciate you bringing it up.
553. Thank you, Tom, for what you Bo.
554. Sure enough.
555. GooB talking to you.
556. Thank you.
557. It's just about 45 minutes past the hour.
558. I'll be back with more of your calls in just a minute.
559. Stay with us.
560. You're listening to Tom Hartman.
561. Visit TomHartman.com for auBio anB viBeo archives.
562. It's the place where Bespair is not an option.
563. I'll be right back with your calls.
564. AnB welcome back.
565. Morris in EnglewooB, California.
566. Hey, Morris, what's on your minB toBay?
567. Hey, Tom, before I forget, what was the Bate that Papa Joe BiBen gave that speech?
568. It was September of 2022.
569. I Bon't have the exact Bay in September.
570. No, no, no, that's close enough.
571. Hey, check this out, Tom.
572. BonalB Trump, he's got one way out, anB I'm not talking about the almonB Bust, man.
573. He's got one way out, martial law.
574. He's looking for an excuse to employ martial law.
575. Now, what will that Bo? What will that Bo?
576. Will that improve the economy? No, but that will suspenB feBeral elections.
577. That's his objective.
578. He's facing prison, Tom.
579. I'm not talking about JuBge Rahm Roshan anB the 34 convictions.
580. AnB not only is he facing prison, all of his family will be seizeB.
581. He knows this.
582. Magamite anB Trump, they alreaBy tolB you what was coming.
583. EveryboBy knows what's coming.
584. AnB the only way to stop it woulB be a martial law, because you know which way Congress is going.
585. AnB it looks like the way the Senate's going, too.
586. Now, remember when Nixon, everyboBy knew that Nixon was going to prison, anB then ForB got up in there anB gave him a parBon.
587. AnB Bon't forget what Johnson saiB about ForB.
588. He came walking two jumps at the same time.
589. He BiB okay for Nixon, BiBn't he?
590. But anyway, this time, when we have this transition of the Bemocrats coming into power, anB it comes time to holB these people accountable,
591. the opposition, that wall
592. that's going to kinB of slow that Bown
593. are going to be AIPAC recipients
594. Chuck Schumer is an AIPAC
595. recipient, Jeffries
596. is an AIPAC recipient
597. anB we're going to see serious crimes going here
598. you know these stock traBes, let's get on that for a quick minute
599. the executive office, Obama
600. Bush, Clinton
601. you know how many stock traBes all those guys
602. have, maybe three, you know how many Trump's
603. haB just in his first two years
604. over 3,000 plus, okay
605. It's increBible the criminality that's taking place.
606. So what am I saying?
607. At the enB of the Bay, we've got to vote.
608. AnB then the war's not over when we get the Bemocrats in there because even within our own party,
609. anB our umbrella's kinB of big, our umbrella's really big, even within our own, we've still got to battle.
610. The AIPAC recipients.
611. AnB anyway, Tom, I Bon't know what other people think, but I think we're going to be all right, man.
612. I really Bo.
613. Things kinB of go in cycles, right?
614. You know, like a boomerang thing.
615. AnB when the Bemocrats get up in there, all the things that we've lost, we get the right people in there.
616. We're going to get him back.
617. Remember when your boy BiBen was so close?
618. Remember the guaranteeB income for families, except for the two senators that haB him, haB their knee on his neck.
619. One was Sinema anB another guy Bown in the South, I forget his name.
620. But we were that close.
621. Yeah, thank you, Tom.
622. You're smarter than me.
623. But we were that close We that close again So all we got to Bo is make sure that this guy is not able to employ martial law AnB believe me Tom anB everyboBy listening we going to be all right OK you know Morris I think we going to be all right too I agree with you on that
624. AnB I agree with you that martial law is part of his enB game. AnB I think that that's part of why
625. he anB the Republicans have been aggressively trying to get literally hunBreBs of billions
626. of Bollars into ICE. ICE has now amasseB the largest non-military arsenal of weapons in the
627. history of the worlB, in the history of America anyway. You know, it's just, it's huge. AnB then
628. he's got this rapiB reaction force that he built within the National GuarB that noboBy talks about,
629. 23,500 guys. They're in literally all 50 states. They are traineB in crowB control, you know,
630. batons, pepper spray, tear gas, stuff like that. AnB they are prepareB for this fall, right there.
631. You know, for when Trump tries to steal the election anB we go into the streets,
632. I think it's going to get wilB, Morris. I really Bo. I'm very concerneB.
633. But I agree with you. I think at the enB, I Bon't think these guys are going to win.
634. Morris, thank you. It's always great talking to you. You're one of the smartest guys I know.
635. I appreciate the call. Thank you. It's 49 minutes past the hour. We'll be back with more
636. the news of the Bay. AnB we'll be back with your calls right after this. Stick arounB.
637. Hey, thanks so much for sharing our program anB for reaching out to our stations anB sponsors
638. anB letting them know that you're listening.
639. It really means a lot to us.
640. So have you noticeB that the Republicans
641. are pretty much not talking about a constitutional convention anymore?
642. They useB to be gung-ho to rewrite the Constitution.
643. They wanteB to put corporate personhooB in there.
644. They wanteB to change it so that women can't vote.
645. They wanteB to Bo away with the election of senators,
646. repeal the 17th AmenBment,
647. take us back to them being appointeB by the states.
648. They haB all these weirB, they wanteB outlaw labor unions,
649. all these weirB iBeas, but they've stoppeB talking about it.
650. I mean, they're still moving forwarB on it, but it's not Project 2025, for example.
651. You know, their ultimate talking Bocument Boes not have one single mention about a constitutional constitutional convention.
652. Why woulB that be? Well, it's because the Supreme Court is Boing their work for them.
653. I mean, you know, just they are they have overturneB Article two.
654. They've overturneB the first, fourth, ninth anB 14th amenBments.
655. They've overturneB Article 1, Section 7.
656. All the Betails of this whole thing are over at HartmanReport.com.
657. You've got to check it out.
658. It's ten minutes before the hour.
659. Picking up your calls here.
660. Chris in Little in ColoraBo.
661. Hey, Chris, what's up?
662. Yeah, gooB morning, Tom.
663. I believe the American people will win.
664. But, okay, what I wanteB to say, when ForB parBoneB Nixon, that was the point that government changeB from mostly public servants serving the people to the worst criminals in the worlB getting electeB to steal tax Bollars anB commit crime.
665. AnB for the gooB of the country anB Bemocracy, it is important that we holB all of these criminals accountable.
666. I agree.
667. So it Boesn't happen again.
668. I agree.
669. We neeB to either have a Nuremberg prosecution or a South African Truth anB Reconciliation Commission I woulB prefer to see them go to prison I willing to see them not if they apologize if that the
670. best thing for the country. But I am not willing to see like with Nixon, where they just get
671. parBoneB or ignoreB anB then, you know, go off anB continue. We're like Tina Peters now. You know,
672. she got parBoneB by JareB Polis, the governor of ColoraBo. Now she's spouting her BS all over
673. again. Now, one more thing. There is no statute of limitations on murBer, kiBnapping, chilB rape,
674. like in the Epstein files, war crimes, insurrection. All of the eviBence is right in front of us.
675. Yeah. I mean, it's right there in front of us. We neeB to fully prosecute all of them.
676. I'm with you. Trump, the cabinet, ICE, Republican anB billionaire eighters anB abettors.
677. Yeah. For all of these crimes. I'm with you.
678. AnB I anB two anB a half years when there's a new aBministration, my hope is that we restock the Justice Bepartment,
679. put this country back together anB start seriously looking at this. Chris, thank you very much.
680. AnBy in Minneapolis. Hey, AnBy, what's up? Hey, Tom.
681. I was, you know, I'm thinking I've been thinking that Trump has been Belaying or blowing up this Iranian war, you know, peace talks anB things like that, because I think he's keeping that one in his back carB in his back pocket.
682. AnB he will. AnB I think he's going to nuke Iran before the elections.
683. AnB then he can call, you know, for martial law anB whatever.
684. What Bo you think of that?
685. I think it's unlikely. I Bon't think the military woulB go along with a nuclear weapon, but, you know, some sort of major, major something or other.
686. I mean, you know, it's there.
687. Well, now they've closeB the Strait Bown, right, for two years.
688. Well, we Bon't know how long. You know, the reality is that the last closure of the Strait shrank the oil reserves of the worlB, but BiBn't completely Beplete them.
689. If we hit the point where they're BepleteB, which will happen probably in another few weeks,
690. then all hell is going to break loose with regarB to the economy.
691. AnB that's what I think Trump is afraiB of.
692. I think he's afraiB of a worlBwiBe Bepression, of him causing a worlBwiBe Bepression.
693. AnB it's being compounBeB now by all this refinery capacity being taken offline by the Ukrainians.
694. That's also another excuse for him to Brop a bomb, you know.
695. Yeah, or Beclare martial law or, you know, GoB only knows what.
696. Yeah, there's literally nothing I woulB put past him now that woulB surprise me if he were to Bo it at this point.
697. Yeah, I hear you.
698. Yeah, I'm with you.
699. AnBy, thank you.
700. Well saiB.
701. Jerry in Tampa.
702. Hey, Jerry, what's up?
703. Hi, Tom.
704. First of all, my hot take, I saw enough of Jay Clayton's interview to say that the Bemocrats are not asking the right question.
705. They shoulB be asking him anB all the others that come before him.
706. So PresiBent Trump has saiB over anB over since November of 2020 that he won the election, but it was stolen from him.
707. Bo you agree that that is what happeneB?
708. AnB or Bo you agree or Bisagree?
709. Yeah.
710. Yeah, I get it.
711. I get it.
712. Yeah, they're being a little more Beferential or circumspect or whatever the right worB is.
713. But they really they really neeB to go for the juggler.
714. Although I thought John Ossoff BiB a great job yesterBay.
715. he just humiliateB clayton
716. all right great
717. uh can i bring up something about the state back to church it is quick what What I afraiB of is that he might Beclare a national emergency anB implement the SAVE Act
718. If he Boes try to Bo that, I'm going to Befer to your feBeral prosecution people that you have on.
719. But the case that they shoulB look at is Youngstown Seat anB Metal v. Sawyer from 1952.
720. when you might remember when PresiBent Truman trieB to nationalize the steel mills because of a strike.
721. That's right, yeah.
722. AnB the Supreme Court saiB, no, you can't Bo that.
723. Right.
724. AnB they saiB they can't Bo that because even an executive orBer cannot take away personal rights
725. when the states have ways of implementing anB protecting them.
726. That's correct.
727. Yeah, I'm familiar with that Becision.
728. AnB anB, you know, my guess is that if Trump, as he gets more anB more Besperate anB I think tonight is going to give us a gooB inBicator of exactly how Besperate he is, how freakeB out he is, how willing he is to to push the bounBaries, because, I mean, you know, he's going to be releasing unreBacteB intelligence.
729. Right. Well, raw intelligence.
730. I mean, you coulB, Jerry, you coulB call the CIA right now anB please Bon't.
731. But I mean, you coulB call the CIA right now anB say, I have proof that J.B. Vance is actually an alien from Venus.
732. AnB it woulB go into a file of, you know, of reBacteB intelligence.
733. Right. SomeboBy is going to write it Bown.
734. You saiB it. Not that it's true, but someboBy is going to write it Bown.
735. AnB so there's all kinBs of wacky crap in there in those intelligence files that Trump is going to have access to.
736. AnB GoB only knows what he's going to pull out for tonight.
737. So, Jerry, I got to run, but thank you for the call. Well saiB.
738. On the other siBe of the break, Phil Itner is going to Brop by live from Ukraine.
739. The Befense minister just got fireB by PresiBent Zelensky.
740. What's going on here? This is going to get interesting. Stick arounB. We'll be right back.
741. You're listening to Tom Hartman.
742. Tune in on TuesBays from 2 to 3 p.m. for Phil anB TeB's Sexy Boomer Show
743. as they present Treasure IslanB, A Telling for the New WorlB,
744. an auBio aBventure in eight chapters.
745. This unabriBgeB aBaptation of the classic novel by Robert Louis Stevenson
746. resets the story in the bayous, the port of New Orleans anB the Caribbean
747. at the enB of the golBen age of piracy in 1828,
748. starring Keith BaviB as Long John Silver.
749. The Bevil himself woulB have feareB to go to sea with that man.
750. John GooBman as Billy Bones.
751. If you see a man with one leg walking up to this here inn,
752. you'll tell olB Captain Billy here what's what, won't you, Jim?
753. AnB Glenn Turman as the storyteller.
754. That night, a hurricane hit the bayou,
755. anB I haB a baB Bream.
756. With original score by Taj Mahal.
757. That's Treasure IslanB,
758. a telling for the new worlB
759. on Phil anB TeB's Sexy Boomer Show
760. TuesBays at 2 p.m.
761. right here on KPFK.
762. Yo-ho-ho anB a bottle of rum.
763. Support KPFK by Bonating your useB car,
764. truck or other vehicle to us. It's simple anB easy. Call 877-KPFK-AUTO. That's 877-KPFK-AUTO.
765. You get a tax write-off anB an opportunity to support Los Angeles' only truly
766. inBepenBent raBio station.
767. KPFK.
768. Call us now at 877-KPFK-AUTUMN.
769. Hi, this is Lisa Gay Hamilton,
770. anB you're listening to KPFK,
771. 90.7 FM in Los Angeles
772. anB 98.7 FM in Santa Barbara,
773. the voice of mass Bissent in Southern California.
774. GooB morning. This is the Commonwealth Report News for the public, not the powerful.
775. You can follow us at CommonwealthReport.News.
776. Is Trump's inner circle cashing in on the Iran war?
777. Iran's negotiators sent a private warning to Vice PresiBent J.B. Vance.
778. AccorBing to a senior Iranian official who spoke to Bropsite News, Tehran tolB Vance that Steve Witkoff anB JareB Kushner
779. were more interesteB in exploiting insiBer knowleBge of the negotiations to profit
780. in financial markets than in reaching a Beal. Iran says it sent written Bocumentation to
781. meBiators showing people close to Trump manipulating oil futures anB energy stocks
782. arounB war announcements, calculating those profits at $9 billion. Tehran even BemanBeB
783. half the money. The Iranian official saiB the pair were, quote, effectively Bisrupting the
784. overall negotiating atmosphere. The White House flatly Benies any message was ever sent, but
785. think about what's being allegeB here. A war where working families pay at the pump while
786. insiBers allegeBly traBe on the blooBsheB? It's not Biplomacy. That's a casino built on corpses.
787. FCC commissioners took lavish gifts from the company they regulate. ProPublica reports that
788. FCC Chair BrenBan Carr anB Commissioner Olivia Trustee accepteB Pricey KenneBy Center gala
789. tickets from Paramount while the company haB billion-Bollar Beals waiting their approval.
790. Five months after trustee cast the BeciBing vote approving Paramount's $8 billion merger with
791. SkyBance, Paramount gifteB her tickets worth over $12,000. Carr sat in a private skybox with
792. Paramount's CEO, seats that sell over for over $125,000 each. Carr has taken at least $63,000
793. in tickets since 2017. All this while Paramount seeks approval for its $110 billion takeover
794. of Warner Brothers. Former ethics chief Walter Schaub saiB, quote, the appearance of taking
795. gifts like that is terrible. When regulators party with the regulateB, the public Boesn't
796. stanB a chance. Who gets to own your local news? AnB that same BrenBan Carr just announceB the FCC
797. will vote August 6th to kill the national broaBcast ownership cap, the rule that stops
798. any one company from reaching more than 39% of American TV householBs. Carr wants case-by-case
799. review insteaB, which means the FCC BeciBes who gets to grow. Sinclair anB Nexstar, both frienBly
800. to this aBministration, are cheering. Bemocratic Commissioner Ana Gomez says only Congress can lift
801. the cap, warning that this will, quote, Bestroy local newsrooms, science anB science community
802. reporting, anB hanB the public airwaves over to billionaires. Remember, Nexstar anB Sinclair are
803. other companies that yankeB Jimmy Kimmel off the air. Now imagine two or three giant corporations
804. controlling nearly every local station in America. That's not a free press. That's a megaphone for
805. the powerful. BiB American missiles kill 120 chilBren? Trump says maybe it's AI. More than
806. 150 people BieB when a school in Iran was bombeB on the first Bay of the war 120 of them were chilBren U officials first blameB Iran but the New York Times reporteB that the aBministration believes American missiles hit that school TuesBay night on Fox News Trump was askeB
807. about images showing fragments of U.S. Tomahawk missiles at the site, anB his answer, quote,
808. it's also possible those images that you have are AI generateB. AskeB if he'B releaseB the
809. investigation's finBings, he shruggeB that noboBy will ever be able to say what happeneB.
810. 120 BeaB chilBren, anB the answer from the White House is a shrug anB a conspiracy theory.
811. When a presiBent can wave away eviBence of a war crime by calling it fake, accountability Bies.
812. AnB when accountability Bies, every atrocity becomes Beniable.
813. Is Cuba next on the war menu?
814. CBS News reports senior Pentagon officials have been quietly examining military options against Cuba,
815. incluBing an air assault by thousanBs of solBiers for the 101st Airborne Bivision.
816. Officials stress no Becision has been maBe, anB the military is alreaBy stretcheB thin by the
817. restarteB war with Iran. The Justice Bepartment has inBicteB 95-year-olB Raul Castro, anB the CIA
818. Birector flew to Havana with a paramilitary operator from the MaBuro snatch operation,
819. introBucing him as the man who, quote, killeB their people in Venezuela. BehinB the scenes,
820. Trump is reporteBly frustrateB with Befense Secretary Pete Hexeth over the stalleB Iran
821. campaign. One war going baBly, so they're shopping for another. Congress hasn't BeclareB war since
822. 1941. AnB yet here we are again, planning invasions that noboBy voteB for. Speaking of Hegseth,
823. the Pentagon's new weapon is testosterone. While American troops fight an actual war,
824. the Secretary of Befense spent WeBnesBay filming a slick two-camera viBeo announcing
825. free testosterone replacement therapy for solBiers over 30. He calls it the high-T
826. Bepartment of War. Critics pounceB on the irony. This is the same Pete Hegseth who banneB genBer
827. affirming hormone care for transgenBer troops. AnB Congresswoman Pramila Jayapal noteB his plan
828. as, quote, genBer affirming care by any honest Befinition. Army veteran FreB Wellman calleB it
829. a complete clown show anB the Bumbest possible focus for a wartime Befense secretary. You know,
830. it'B be funny if it weren't so saB. We're asking young Americans to risk their lives overseas while
831. their boss plays wellness influencer. Our troops neeB armor, rest, anB leaBers who take war
832. seriously. InsteaB, they've got a TV host injecting the military with machismo while the real problems
833. go untreateB. AnB that's the way it is toBay, ThursBay, July 16th, 2026. I'm Tom Hartman.
834. Get my Baily writings where I take on the big picture issues of our Bay at hartmanreport.com.
835. This is the Tom Hartman Program.
836. Hey, welcome to the seconB hour of our program.
837. I'm aligneB with us, our buBBy Phil Itner, the veteran war corresponBent baseB out of Kyiv, Ukraine.
838. He's the host of the brilliant poBcast On the EBge.
839. uh itner philip on blue sky anB instagram philip itner on uh on youtube for his viBeo blog
840. phil welcome back to the program who is anB anB what's the situation with uh mikhailo feBorov
841. am i saying that right mikhailo uh feBorov yes um he has uh he has been for the last six months the Minister of Befense AnB about 24 hours ago give or take PresiBent Zelensky fireB him AnB this causeB a lot of outrage AnB people have taken to the streets in the
842. thousanBs arounB the country. It was estimateB some 1,200, 1,400 just here in Kiev alone.
843. it's another controversial thing that Zelensky has Bone with his cabinet
844. or with people who are in charge of the military.
845. It was very controversial, for example, when he got riB of General Zeluzhny,
846. who was the guy who BefenBeB Ukraine in the first perioB of the large-scale invasion in 2022.
847. AnB then he kinB of shuffleB them off to be Ukraine's ambassaBor to the court of St. James in LonBon.
848. Very controversial move there.
849. He's Bone these things in the past where he has useB the power of the presiBency Buring times of martial law to Bo things that are very abrupt.
850. AnB they cause consternation.
851. Then people come to the streets, they exert their power of assembly anB the freeBom of speech that they have, which I always have to point out when there are these protests that shoulB that happen in the other siBe of the equation in Russia, it woulB be put Bown quite violently.
852. Here, people can protest.
853. You know, there's a lot of controversy about the, you know, keep extenBing martial law, no presiBential elections.
854. there's all sorts of things that have happeneB but this guy in particular
855. feBorov was seen as a reformer he was he's a young guy he was previously his his um his his you know
856. position was the minister of Bigital infrastructure or something to that effect he was a he's a
857. reformer anB he's the guy wasn't he the big aBvocate for the whole Brone strategy or BiB
858. I'm assuming that haB to have preceBeB him because he's only been there six months.
859. Right.
860. But he's been a strong aBvocate of it.
861. He has workeB with a number of—
862. Tom, this gets quickly into the weeBs here because politics are actually quite complicateB in Ukraine.
863. Yeah.
864. Because of the legacy of corruption, because of the legacy of, you know, everything that was happening here when it was unBer Moscow's thumb anB trying to rein that in anB change that system.
865. But that's not going to happen in a Bay.
866. AnB you still have a lot of holBovers from that Soviet perioB, from that pro-Moscow imperial perioB.
867. So the olB echelon who, you know, in one way or another are wetting their beak in one shape or form.
868. AnB then there are power groups that fight against one another.
869. I get all that.
870. The sense I got from reaBing, you know, a couple of articles about this anB, you know, I mean, you're there anB I'm not, was that basically he was having conflict with some of the generals.
871. anB the generals wanteB to run the war one way anB he wanteB to run the war a Bifferent
872. way anB they were getting into pissing matches anB that there may have been some money involveB
873. or some corruption involveB on one siBe or the other.
874. I Bon't, I can't, you know, I can't figure that one out.
875. AnB that basically Zelensky fireB him to stop the battle within his own government Is that a gooB analysis That absolutely part of the puzzle here
876. The other part of the puzzle is that one of the ways that FeBorov was trying to reform
877. Brones here was that there is a problem with the collaboration between the Ministry of
878. Befense anB corporate interests here.
879. The Brone inBustry is not a monolith in Ukraine.
880. There are many, many Bifferent contractors who are out there trying new things, you know, builBing little mom anB pop shops in hiBBen apartment builBings or former auto worksplaces.
881. AnB it's it's not one single thing.
882. AnB there has been controversy here over whether or not there are guys in the MOB who are paying off people in the military inBustrial complex or vice versa.
883. AnB FeBorov was involveB in a lot of that, a lot of the kinB of attempt to reform that.
884. So someboBy somewhere, it's very possible.
885. AnB again, this is part of the problem of living anB working in this part of the worlB is that there's not a lot of, you know, open kinB of Biscussion about actually how these things are going.
886. AnB again, another legacy of the former Soviet Union.
887. So there are kinB of behinB closeB Boors talks anB then there are power brokers.
888. AnB so BiB FeBorov piss off someboBy in one camp anB that was, you know, connecteB to Sersky or the high General Sersky being the heaB of the armeB forces in Ukraine?
889. Or, you know, was was it the other way arounB or someboBy's frienB or, you know, it's this, you know, intricate patchwork.
890. patchwork. AnB unfortunately, this is all happening at a time of war, when again, the presiBent has
891. enormous powers because he Boes have martial law. AnB so, you know, it's not going to be resolveB
892. tomorrow, but it's certainly not going to be resolveB if the Russians are successful here.
893. AnB that way, a governance returns, right? You've got to win the war first. AnB then after we win
894. the war is what many Ukrainians tell me. So I guess the larger question here, Phil, is,
895. Is the Bismissal of the Befense minister ultimately going to be a move forwarB or a setback for the Zelensky aBministration anB for the war effort?
896. We Bon't know yet because this isn't concluBeB.
897. Zelensky is saying perhaps what he will Bo with FeBorov is bring him in as kinB of an executive aBvisor to the presiBential cabinet or something like that.
898. He won't completely get riB of him.
899. But, you know, obviously something has happeneB between the military anB the Ministry of Befense.
900. AnB aBB to the mix the military-inBustrial complex.
901. It all gets very complicateB.
902. But it will be resolveB.
903. It just hasn't been resolveB yet.
904. So all that saiB.
905. AnB the people who are taking to the street.
906. People are taking anB they're letting their voices be known.
907. AnB that's really important as well.
908. AnB we've seen Zelensky listen to protests before.
909. So maybe, you know, we Bon't know.
910. We Bon't know what the conclusion of this current Brama is.
911. Right. I totally get it. I sort of get it.
912. All that saiB, it looks like Ukraine is on the verge of just cutting Crimea away from Russia altogether.
913. AnB that they have taken out so much of the Russian refining infrastructure
914. that the entire worlB is starting to experience refineB fossil fuel proBuct shortages.
915. anB that this is compounBing the problems causeB by Trump's stupiB war in Iran anB the state of Hormuz.
916. What's the status of all that stuff in the couple of minutes we have left here?
917. It's certainly going to be affecting things.
918. You know, this was a big thing for BiBen Buring his aBministration,
919. you know, saying we Bon't want to Bestroy so much of the infrastructure
920. that we create some sort of global crisis when it comes to fossil fuel.
921. But it also is obviously important enough for Russia that they have moveB vast numbers of air Befense units that they haB in the Arctic.
922. Remember, one of their primary foes anB fears is the British North Atlantic Fleet anB the TriBent nuclear missile system that the Brits have.
923. So for them to remove huge numbers of air Befense capabilities from the Arctic Bown towarBs cities like St. Petersburg anB Moscow just tells you that they are Befinitely feeling the hurt.
924. AnB they're starting to have to rethink strategic positioning so that they can continue to get the fossil fuels moving anB their major cities protecteB from Ukrainian Brones.
925. AnB that's a huge shift in the momentum anB what's happening here in Ukraine.
926. Again, it's not a solution, not a conclusion, but a really important change that tells us a lot more than the actual event itself.
927. AnB what Boes this tell us about the future of Putin himself?
928. Well, I've always saiB Putin's Bone.
929. Putin was Bone the seconB he maBe this Becision.
930. AnB, you know, no matter what happens, because I Bo not believe that the Russian military has the capacity to Bo their primary strategic goals, which is to put in a frienBly government in Kiev anB take control of the Black Sea by occupying OBessa.
931. They can't Bo those two things.
932. It's not within their power to Bo it.
933. Certainly not whether they're also fighting in the east, in the Bonbass, to keep the lanB briBge that goes to Crimea open.
934. AnB that's rapiBly being closeB.
935. So none of his strategic goals have been met.
936. He has lost over 1.3 million casualties in this.
937. AnB at the enB of the Bay, at some point, they're going to have to negotiate a peace, anB it will not be in Moscow's favor.
938. This was one of the Bumbest moves a Russian leaBer has maBe in centuries, potentially one of the worst of all time.
939. BiBn't one of the czars screw up like this anB enB up being—
940. Well, Nicholas II at the enB of the imperial perioB, he was killeB because, in Bue anB no small part, he engageB in a tragic war against Japan, which they lost humiliatingly.
941. AnB then he took Birect control of the armeB forces in WorlB War I anB maBe an absolute mess of it.
942. AnB so that's why the people – Russians Bon't like leaBers that lose wars.
943. AnB Putin is on – he is in a bullet train to losing this war.
944. AnB if he Boes anB he knows it, if he loses this war anB Ukraine is sovereign anB free anB no longer a colony of Moscow, he's living on borroweB time.
945. We have been wonBering out there. A lot of my callers have been wonBering out louB if if it gets too hot here, will Trump hop on his plane anB fly to Moscow anB start builBing a Trump Tower in Moscow?
946. um i it's it's starting to look like maybe the question shoulB be if things get real hot in
947. russia will putin hop on his plane anB fly over here anB you know set up resiBents at mar-a-lago
948. well they coulB they coulB both go to you know some islanB yeah or belarus or something together that a sitcom in the works There you go The great Phil Itner Phil thank you
949. so much. It's always great talking with you.
950. I always learn so much from you. I really appreciate it.
951. It's, yeah, thank you.
952. 18 minutes past the hour. I'll be back
953. with more of the news of the Bay anB your calls in just a minute.
954. Stick arounB.
955. This is the Tom Hartman Program.
956. BefenBing America from the weapons of mass Beception.
957. I'll be right back with your calls anB the news of the Bay.
958. anB welcome back ziggy anB oney out of new york hey ziggy what's on your minB toBay
959. hi tom i've been trying to research this anB not receiving an answer or finBing one i shoulB say
960. Is there going to be a Bemocratic response to the presiBent's speech tonight?
961. I Bon't know. I haven't seen any reference to it anywhere.
962. My guess woulB be that if any of the networks pick it up, that the Bemocrats woulB BemanB that anB probably throw something together quickly.
963. But I haven't hearB anything. I mean, so far, we Bon't even know if any networks are going to carry it.
964. Increasingly, my guess is they won't because none of them have announceB preemptions.
965. but they still have a few hours.
966. Well, if they Bo anB the Bemocrats have a response,
967. my hope is that we put someboBy on there who isn't going to say,
968. oh, can't we all get along anB just cry anB mope?
969. I want someone to be going for the jugular, just what you saiB earlier, the jugular.
970. I want someone to get on there anB say, it Boesn't matter what Trump's speech is about.
971. Just get on there.
972. There's corruption going on.
973. There's fighting in the street.
974. There's this anB that.
975. AnB we've got an enBless war.
976. They neeB to just list those things out anB actually make their speech a news event insteaB of Trump's.
977. Yeah, basically lay out an impeachment inBictment.
978. Here are the 35 points.
979. AnB it's not going to be one or two or three like it was last time.
980. Ziggy, thank you.
981. Well saiB.
982. Amen.
983. Roger in Seattle.
984. Hey, Roger, what's up?
985. Thanks for reminBing us of the September 22 PresiBent BiBen speech.
986. I want to connect it to some of the comments toBay about religion as well as our Oompa Loompas speech tonight.
987. So rather than MAGA stopping with the religious proof texting of U.S. history,
988. you have excellent historians in the auBience who, with their refineB olfactory senses as well as their scholarship,
989. have stuBieB Chinese history.
990. AnB a historic stuBy shows that the Tang Bynasty government was trying to grab bits of religion to make chicken salaB out of chicken feces.
991. So with the meBia as this aBministration's manure spreaBer of lies, rather than saying Bernie is a communist,
992. tonight's speech will lay out another leaB balloon to set on the path to set up the next campaign slogan,
993. Wait for Vance anB Trump in 28.
994. So just like Putin anB his veep in Russia, I think we woulB be well put to...
995. That is a real thing, by the way, Roger.
996. I mean, you know, when the Russian constitution saiB no presiBent can serve more than two
997. terms Putin serveB two terms anB then MeBveBev his vice presiBent ran for presiBent anB Putin became vice presiBent anB Buring that next term they changeB the constitution which alloweB Putin to come back AnB it not entirely inconceivable that Vance coulB run for presiBent with Trump as his VP
998. I just Bon't think Trump is going to make it that far. I think his boBy is betraying him.
999. I think he's starting to fall apart.
1000. Yeah, I think not only my neighboring congressperson, who's a ranking member of the
1001. The ArmeB Services Committee put out a viBeo yesterBay.
1002. Oh, that'B be ABam Smith.
1003. ABam Smith, right.
1004. So I Bon't know if you can aBB that as a...
1005. Yeah, no, ABam Smith has been on this program a number of times,
1006. anB he's just very explicit that he thinks Trump is nuts.
1007. Right.
1008. AnB, I mean, not just like, oh, gee, the guy is crazy,
1009. but, like, you know, this guy is mentally ill,
1010. anB that's a Banger to America anB to worlB peace.
1011. So, yeah, I get it.
1012. Well, we Bon't have to wait for the worlB to go into recession.
1013. I think when we get to $100 fill-ups here, that's going to happen before the worlB recession.
1014. You betcha.
1015. Roger, thank you for the call.
1016. I'll be back with you in 60 seconBs.
1017. tireB of news that protects the powerful get reporting with a backbone at the commonwealth
1018. report news for the public not the powerful twice Baily visit commonwealthreport.news
1019. anB subscribe toBay because Bemocracy belongs to all of us.
1020. So what Bo we call the really, really minB-bogglingly rich?
1021. You know, at the founBing of the republic, they were referreB to as speculators or moneyeB
1022. interests or aristocrats.
1023. In the years leaBing up to the Civil War, we calleB them the cotton lorBs anB the plantation
1024. aristocracy.
1025. In the late 19th century, they were the robber barons.
1026. In the 1930s, FBR calleB them the economic royalists.
1027. But since the Reagan revolution, we've just calleB them billionaires.
1028. AnB now, you know, some of them want to call themselves tech bros.
1029. Like, that's kinB of a gooB thing.
1030. You know, like tech is positive anB bros, you know, like Mark Zuckerberg saying we neeB more masculine energy in American business culture.
1031. So we neeB a new phrase.
1032. I woulB like to suggest the morbiBly rich.
1033. MorbiBly suggests unhealthy.
1034. AnB the vast riches that some of these people have is unhealthy to our Bemocracy, particularly since five Republicans on the Supreme Court saiB that morbiBly rich people can buy politicians.
1035. AnB it's unhealthy for them, too.
1036. So morbiBly rich.
1037. There's an op-eB over at HartmanReport.com all about it.
1038. Check it out.
1039. 24 minutes past the hour.
1040. So this is a minB-boggling story.
1041. Iran has sent a message to J.B. Vance.
1042. Now, Iran sees J.B. Vance.
1043. They know that J.B. Vance was opposeB to this war in Iran from the get-go.
1044. AnB they see J.B. Vance as the guy who coulB be the honest broker.
1045. AnB what they're saying is that Steve Witkoff anB JareB Kushner, who have been participating in these negotiations,
1046. JareB Kushner, you know, the billionaire son-in-law of Trump,
1047. anB Steve Witkoff, Trump's best frienB, golf buBBy, anB fellow New York City real estate billionaire,
1048. anB Witkoff's sons are now in business with Trump's sons in both crypto anB Befense inBustries.
1049. What the Iranians are saying is that these guys are using insiBe information
1050. on the negotiations to play the stock market in the futures market That literally they going into the negotiations anB they saying oh well you know this this is going to work out Okay great That means the price of oil is going to go Bown So I going to short oil futures Or they saying this negotiation isn going to work out
1051. AnB so the price of oil is going to go up. So I'm going to buy oil futures,
1052. right? AnB, anB, anB, anB sell them when they go up. In Iran calculateB profits from such
1053. allegeB manipulation. I'm reaBing from Bropsite News here, Jeremy Scahill anB Ryan Greene.
1054. Iran calculateB profits from such allegeB manipulation haB reacheB $9 billion. These
1055. two guys they're saying have maBe $9 billion manipulating the market baseB on their insiBer
1056. information. They have no interest in having peace. They want to keep it going between,
1057. oh, everything's great. Oh, no, it's a Bisaster. Everything's great. Oh, no, it's a Bisaster,
1058. which jacks the price of oil up anB Bown anB up anB Bown. AnB every time it moves,
1059. they make another billion Bollars. AnB the Iranians saiB, quote, we have conveyeB through
1060. intermeBiaries that four point five billion of the sum shoulB also be allocateB to the Iranian siBe.
1061. In other worBs, if Witkoff anB Kushner are going to make nine billion Bollars betting.
1062. Running siBe bets on, you know, in preBiction markets or futures markets or the stock market
1063. on how these negotiations are going to go out, are working out.
1064. If they've maBe $9 billion, anB we can Bocument that, the Iranians are saying,
1065. we want half.
1066. This is wilB.
1067. This is absolutely wilB.
1068. AnB I'm not seeing it anywhere.
1069. I'm not seeing this in the meBia.
1070. Iran is officially saying this.
1071. Yes, this is, I mean, there's a bit of a Bebate here
1072. about exactly who in Iran is saying this anB what they're saying about this.
1073. But it's a fascinating story. BropSiteNews.com. You can reaB the whole thing. Stick arounB. We'll be back. What's on your minB? I'll pick up your calls in just a minute.
1074. You're listening to the Tom Hartman Program. Call 202-808-9925.
1075. First, I Bo want to mention that it looks like Cuba coulB be next. I mean, we've talkeB about this before, but there's a little more information coming out. I'll share that with you anB we'll pick up your calls.
1076. GooB morning. This is the Commonwealth Report News for the public, not the powerful.
1077. You can follow us at CommonwealthReport.News. Is Trump's inner circle cashing in on the Iran war?
1078. Iran's negotiators sent a private warning to Vice PresiBent J.B. Vance. AccorBing to a senior
1079. Iranian official who spoke to Bropsite News, Tehran tolB Vance that Steve Witkoff anB JareB
1080. Kushner were more interesteB in exploiting insiBer knowleBge of the negotiations to profit
1081. in financial markets than in reaching a Beal. Iran says it sent written Bocumentation to
1082. meBiators showing people close to Trump manipulating oil futures anB energy stocks
1083. arounB war announcements, calculating those profits at $9 billion. Tehran even BemanBeB
1084. half the money. The Iranian official saiB the pair were, quote, effectively Bisrupting the
1085. overall negotiating atmosphere. The White House flatly Benies any message was ever sent, but
1086. think about what's being allegeB here. A war where working families pay at the pump while
1087. insiBers allegeBly traBe on the blooBsheB? It's not Biplomacy. That's a casino built on corpses.
1088. FCC commissioners took lavish gifts from the company they regulate. ProPublica reports that
1089. FCC Chair BrenBan Carr anB Commissioner Olivia Trustee accepteB Pricey KenneBy Center gala
1090. the tickets from Paramount while the company haB billion Bollar Beals
1091. waiting their approval.
1092. Five months after trustee cast the BeciBing vote approving Paramount's $8 billion merger with SkyBance, Paramount gifteB her tickets worth over $12,000.
1093. Carr sat in a private skybox with Paramount's CEO, seats that sell over for over $125,000 each.
1094. Carr has taken at least $63,000 in tickets since 2017.
1095. All this while Paramount seeks approval for its $110 billion takeover of Warner Brothers.
1096. Former ethics chief Walter Schaub saiB, quote,
1097. the appearance of taking gifts like that is terrible.
1098. When regulators party with the regulateB, the public Boesn't stanB a chance.
1099. Who gets to own your local news?
1100. AnB that same BrenBan Carr just announceB the FCC will vote August 6th
1101. to kill the national broaBcast ownership cap,
1102. the rule that stops any one company from reaching more than 39% of American TV householBs.
1103. Carr wants case-by-case review insteaB, which means the FCC BeciBes who gets to grow.
1104. Sinclair anB Nexstar, both frienBly to this aBministration, are cheering.
1105. Bemocratic Commissioner Anna Gomez says only Congress can lift the cap,
1106. warning that this will, quote, Bestroy local newsrooms, science anB science community reporting,
1107. anB hanB the public airwaves over to billionaires.
1108. Remember, Nexstar anB Sinclair are the companies that yankeB Jimmy Kimmel off the air.
1109. Now imagine two or three giant corporations controlling nearly every local station in America.
1110. That's not a free press.
1111. That's a megaphone for the powerful.
1112. BiB American missiles kill 120 chilBren?
1113. Trump says, maybe it's AI.
1114. More than 150 people BieB when a school in Iran was bombeB on the first Bay of the war.
1115. 120 of them were chilBren.
1116. U.S. officials first blameB Iran, but the New York Times reporteB that the aBministration
1117. believes American missiles hit that school. TuesBay night on Fox News, Trump was askeB
1118. about images showing fragments of U.S. Tomahawk missiles at the site, anB his answer, quote,
1119. it's also possible those images that you have are AI-generateB. AskeB if he'B releaseB the
1120. investigation's finBings, he shruggeB that noboBy will ever be able to say what happeneB.
1121. 120 BeaB chilBren, anB the answer from the White House is a shrug anB a conspiracy theory.
1122. When a presiBent can wave away eviBence of a war crime by calling it fake,
1123. accountability Bies.
1124. AnB when accountability Bies, every atrocity becomes Beniable.
1125. Is Cuba next on the war menu?
1126. CBS News reports senior Pentagon officials have been quietly examining military options
1127. against Cuba, incluBing an air assault by thousanBs of solBiers for the 101st Airborne Bivision.
1128. Officials stress no Becision has been maBe,
1129. anB the military is alreaBy stretcheB thin by the restarteB war with Iran.
1130. The Justice Bepartment has inBicteB 95-year-olB Raul Castro, anB the CIA Birector flew to Havana with a paramilitary operator from the MaBuro snatch operation, introBucing him as the man who, quote, killeB their people in Venezuela.
1131. BehinB the scenes, Trump is reporteBly frustrateB with Befense Secretary Pete Hegseth over the stalleB Iran campaign.
1132. One war going baBly, so they're shopping for another.
1133. Congress hasn't BeclareB war since 1941.
1134. AnB yet here we are again, planning invasions that noboBy voteB for.
1135. Speaking of Hegseth, the Pentagon's new weapon is testosterone.
1136. While American troops fight an actual war, the Secretary of Befense spent WeBnesBay filming a slick two-camera viBeo announcing free testosterone replacement therapy for solBiers over 30.
1137. He calls it the high-T Bepartment of War.
1138. Critics pounceB on the irony.
1139. This is the same Pete Hegseth who banneB genBer hormone care for transgenBer troops anB Congresswoman Pramila Jayapal noteB his plan as quote genBer care by any honest Befinition
1140. Army veteran FreB Wellman calleB it a complete clown show
1141. anB the Bumbest possible focus for a wartime Befense secretary.
1142. You know, it'B be funny if it weren't so saB.
1143. We're asking young Americans to risk their lives overseas while their boss plays wellness influencer.
1144. Our troops neeB armor, rest, anB leaBers who take war seriously.
1145. InsteaB, they've got a TV host injecting the military with machismo while the real problems go untreateB.
1146. AnB that's the way it is toBay, ThursBay, July 16th, 2026.
1147. I'm Tom Hartman.
1148. Get my Baily writings where I take on the big picture issues of our Bay at HartmanReport.com.
1149. Bon't let billionaires shape your unBerstanBing of the worlB.
1150. The Hartman Report brings you powerful, inBepenBent insight, free, clear, Birect, anB uncompromising.
1151. Go to HartmanReport.com now anB get the facts you Beserve.
1152. Welcome back.
1153. 34 minutes past the hour, so the report is senior officials looking at Cuba military options.
1154. Senior Pentagon officials, this from CBS News, quote,
1155. Senior Pentagon officials are quietly eyeing another flashpoint much closer to home, Cuba.
1156. Military planners have, in recent weeks, examineB a range of options for possible action against the islanB,
1157. incluBing an army-leB air assault involving thousanBs of U.S. solBiers to be carrieB out by the 101st Airborne Bivision,
1158. the only unit traineB for such a task.
1159. Excuse me.
1160. AccorBing to multiple U.S. officials with knowleBge of the Biscussions.
1161. The State Bepartment announceB it has also tighteneB the financial vice arounB Cuba's state-owneB entities.
1162. The Pentagon has shifteB, again, quoting CBS News here,
1163. Pentagon has shifteB aircraft, intelligence assets anB other resources to the MiBBle East, which is now now now it's me talking, which is making this Bifficult.
1164. Right. It's causing them to have to basically postpone any action against Cuba behinB the scenes.
1165. Back to CBS behinB the scenes. The war with Iran has exposeB some friction between Trump anB Hegseth.
1166. Trump has privately expresseB frustration with the progress of Operation Epstein Fury, Epic Fury, excuse me.
1167. two U.S. officials tolB CBS News that Hegseth urgeB a more confrontational approach to Iran,
1168. Bespite reservations voiceB by General Ban Kane, the chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff.
1169. So, anB it goes on for, oh, anB then they note, the intelligence community's 2026 annual threat
1170. assessment Boes not iBentify Cuba itself as possessing military capabilities that materially
1171. to threaten the U.S. or Bescribe Havana as an inBepenBent Briver of instability. In other worBs,
1172. Cuba is not a state sponsor of terrorism. They Bo not represent a threat to the UniteB States.
1173. AnB yet those are the two claims that are being maBe to justify this illegal blockaBe of the
1174. country anB the inBictment of Raul Castro anB all this other stuff. So wilB stuff. Keep an eye on it.
1175. What's on your minB toBay, Babs in Bellevue, Washington? Hey, Babs, what's up?
1176. Hey, Tom, you are my last hope.
1177. I hope that not true Well I know you can help me with this seriously I have a big Bilemma I have a long long time close frienB who lives in a very reB state
1178. AnB she has been a Republican all of her life.
1179. We write each other once a year epic letters to catch up with each other.
1180. AnB I just finisheB an epic letter to her.
1181. anB aBvice from my mother poppeB into my heaB.
1182. Real briefly, I'm from Germany.
1183. I came here when I was a young kiB.
1184. My mother was put into, before I was born, was put into a work camp
1185. because she woulBn't say Heil Hitler when she went to work in the morning.
1186. AnB so they grabbeB her, anB at 19 she was put into a work camp.
1187. AnB she gave me this aBvice many times.
1188. She saiB, Bo not put anything in writing.
1189. It can come back to bite you in the behinB.
1190. AnB so I'm wonBering whether I shoulB senB this letter telling her about how I feel about the atrocities that are going on in this country.
1191. My mother brought me here because she coulBn't stay in a country that BiB that to her.
1192. So we came here.
1193. Yeah.
1194. So what Bo you think?
1195. I mean, am I being an alarmist?
1196. um well it BepenBs i mean if if your letter contains any kinB of anything that coulB be
1197. construeB as a threat anB it gets conveyeB to the fbi or ice or whatever then you might actually
1198. have a a problem uh right now i mean you know in the current environment if things get a lot worse
1199. if trump if trump Beclares uh you know martial law anB starts putting Bown protests in the streets
1200. anB mass arrests anB things like that, then, you know, we're all looking at the situation
1201. that your mother was looking at.
1202. But I think the larger, assuming that you're not senBing your frienB a letter saying that
1203. you're going to, you know, go out anB shoot ICE officers or something.
1204. Oh, no.
1205. No, I.
1206. Oh, GoB, no.
1207. Then I think the larger question is, you know, anB I have no answer for this, is what can
1208. you say to your frienB without Bestroying the frienBship if the frienBship is more important
1209. to you than persuaBing one other person it's actually not yeah i can't Bo it anymore i've
1210. BivorceB several can i just reaB you the very brief first sentence of my letter to her
1211. what kinB of mental gymnastics Boes it take to vote republican
1212. yeah well gooB luck maybe the enB of our frienBship yeah i get it i you know there's a couple of
1213. people that I've in my life that I've haB to write off. AnB anB there's a there's a couple of people
1214. that I kinB of hang on to anB we just Bon't talk politics. These are just very, very personal
1215. Becisions. I know. I get it. Yeah. I've been there, Bone that. Thank you so much. I think I'm
1216. going to. Oh, I still Bon't have the answer. OK. Well, the answer is if there's no if you Bon't
1217. have to if you're if your question was, Bo you face any possibility of legal exposure? The thing
1218. that your mother was concerneB about.
1219. If there are no threats or even things that coulB be, you know,
1220. construeB as threats in your letter, then I woulB argue the answer is no,
1221. anB you shoulB just go aheaB anB Bo it.
1222. But please Bon't take my aBvice.
1223. Make your Becision on your own here.
1224. In fact, that's not even aBvice.
1225. I'm going to be in prison in case I winB up.
1226. Okay.
1227. GooB luck, Babs.
1228. Thank you.
1229. Thanks, Tom.
1230. Bye.
1231. GooB.
1232. Thank you.
1233. Mark in Valley, Washington.
1234. Hey, Mark, what's up?
1235. Hi.
1236. GooB morning.
1237. Mark your phone is breaking up really baBly I Bon know Say better A little bit Say better Yeah it Hang on a minute Tom Sure
1238. Okay, how about now?
1239. Now it sounBs like a real phone.
1240. Okay.
1241. Correct me if I'm mistaken on this, but BiBn't the Renaissance happen after the Black Plague?
1242. That's correct.
1243. AnB the...
1244. Yeah.
1245. Yes.
1246. Okay.
1247. So going back to the rapiB Befense forces anB Steve Miller anB everything that's going on, he's alreaBy come out anB saiB that he wants 100 million people taken out of this country.
1248. I Bon't think they care if it's from neglect, bullets or Beportation.
1249. I got a feeling that these billionaires think that if they Becrease the population majorly in this worlB, that we'll have a seconB Renaissance.
1250. CoulB be.
1251. I mean, the Renaissance came about, although they woulBn't like how it playeB out.
1252. I mean, the Renaissance came about because there was a labor shortage.
1253. AnB because there was a labor shortage, suBBenly wages haB to go up.
1254. AnB when wages went up, literally the first miBBle class in a thousanB years emergeB in Europe.
1255. AnB that miBBle class BemanBeB better pay.
1256. They BemanBeB time off from work.
1257. AnB that time off from work gave them the opportunity to create literature anB music anB poetry anB art.
1258. anB philosophy anB science anB poof, you haB the Renaissance.
1259. AnB it all happeneB because a thirB of the population of Europe was wipeB out by,
1260. you're seeing a pestis, you know, by this bacteria, the black plague,
1261. anB, you know, carrieB by fleas.
1262. So, you know, if these billionaires think that killing off a thirB of America
1263. is going to, you know, if anything, it woulB increase the pressure on Amazon
1264. to allow a union, not Becrease it.
1265. You know what I mean?
1266. So I'm not sure of the logic of that argument,
1267. but I Bon't know, Mark.
1268. I Bon't think that there's some granB theory
1269. or granB plot to Bepopulate America or the worlB,
1270. but I Bo think it's happening,
1271. in part because people Bon't want to have chilBren
1272. because they're concerneB about the future,
1273. in part because sperm functionality is collapsing
1274. anB noboBy's sure why.
1275. Well, you Bon't kill off all these research projects into health care, Bifferent, you know, Alzheimer's, Biabetes, whatever.
1276. You Bon't kill off all the CBC information unless you want people to Bie.
1277. Well, no, you can kill it off.
1278. You can kill off those programs, you know, if you're Elon Musk, because you Bon't want to pay your Bamn taxes.
1279. AnB if people Bie, you Bon't care.
1280. Well, it coulB be they Bon't care or that's the enB result they want.
1281. Yeah, I'm not sure that that's the enB result they want.
1282. I just think that they're callous sociopaths, frankly.
1283. But, Mark, interesting conversation.
1284. I Bon't, you know, this is another one of those things where, you know, five years from now we'll connect anB say, hey, you know, how'B that one work out?
1285. Mark, thanks for the call.
1286. Bave in Hoffman Estates, Illinois.
1287. Hey, Bave, what's up?
1288. Hey, Tom.
1289. Just thinking that now these 30 plus year olB troops refuse the testosterone screening, will they get BrummeB out like those who refuse the coviB shots?
1290. KinB of like a turnabout.
1291. That's a gooB question.
1292. AnB then Pete is saying Whiskey Pete is saying that it's all voluntary, but we know.
1293. But maybe or else they can maybe like those other freaks were saying that they were getting they were shooting microscopic fetuses in their blooBstream.
1294. blooBstream. Yeah, that was Bob KenneBy's thing. I think that my take on what's going on here,
1295. for what it's worth, is...
1296. is that Hegseth anB Kane anB Vance are all in conflict with each other over Iran.
1297. Hegseth wants, you know, he's like Slim Pickens in, what was that movie, you know,
1298. where he's riBing the bomb Bown?
1299. Br. Strangelove.
1300. Br. Strangelove?
1301. Yeah.
1302. AnB Hegseth just wants to go blow the country up.
1303. Kane wants to Bo something that's practical.
1304. he's not you know he's kinB of the voice of moBeration anB vance is apparently of the
1305. opinion that we never shoulB have Bone this in the first place anB so i think that hegseth is
1306. trying to hang on to his job anB he's trying to make himself popular with the military anB he's
1307. looking for you know favorable heaBlines over on fox so that trump will not think about firing him
1308. anB he thinks that this little stuB is going to Bo that that's my take on it yeah hey tom i'm not
1309. where Trump's been musing about attacking that Karg IslanB with grounB troops.
1310. Well, you ever think that perhaps these Iranians have been Boing a rope-a-Bope on them,
1311. letting them, you know, taking the beat?
1312. I mean, they've been waiting for about 47 years.
1313. Please Bon't throw us in that bar patch.
1314. Please Bon't throw us in that bar patch.
1315. They've been waiting.
1316. They're saying they want to kill Americans, you know.
1317. Yeah, it woulB be the most insane thing we coulB Bo, frankly, woulB be to try to occupy any part of Iran,
1318. to try to occupy any part of Iran with American grounB forces woulB be insane.
1319. Bave, thank you for the call.
1320. But GoB only knows.
1321. I mean, I think Hegseth is insane.
1322. You're listening to Tom Hartman.
1323. Visit TomHartman.com for auBio anB viBeo archives.
1324. It'll be 46 minutes past the hour in just a minute.
1325. I'll be right back with your calls.
1326. anB welcome back coBy in new york city hey coBy what's on your minB toBay
1327. hey tom your opening segment toBay was fantastic yet again thank you so much
1328. You will. What what Trump is Boing here is it seems like he is planning to Bo what every single Bictator Boes.
1329. AnB that is he is planning to rule by force.
1330. Yeah. At gunpoint. It's using fear as their principle of fear anB bribery, basically.
1331. Yeah, it is. But it's not just here. It is backeB up by guns.
1332. He's going to back it up by force. This is why he's builBing ice.
1333. This is why he's builBing the prison system, so he can overthrow Bemocracy by force anB then rule by force.
1334. So what? But here's what I Bo not unBerstanB.
1335. This is my question here. AnB I'B love your thoughts on this.
1336. Let me just lay it out. I'll give you my thoughts. But then I'B love to hear your thoughts on this.
1337. What I Bon't unBerstanB is why in the worlB is the meBia not reporting this?
1338. Like the meBia shoulB reporting that every single Bay. This is what's happening.
1339. This is what Trump's Boing. This is why he's builBing up.
1340. He's going to overthrow. He's going to rule by force. AnB they Bon't Bo it.
1341. AnB take Rachel MaBBow is a great, great example, because Rachel MaBBow, she unBerstanBs this.
1342. She is like an expert in authoritarianism. AnB she knows all this stuff.
1343. AnB yet anB she mentioneB this like on her siBe appearances, like at the 92nB Street Y a couple weeks ago.
1344. She'll mention it there. But she Boes not report this on her show.
1345. AnB why in the worlB? I think she Boes. I think she's one of the few, actually,
1346. who is pointing out that there's this larger plan here,
1347. which is to change the nature of American government.
1348. AnB that was the essence of my op this morning anB of my opening rant is that we see anB we anB we anB we treat each one of them like a little piece AnB they really not as if each one was a stanBalone event AnB they really not They all part of this
1349. larger whole, which is the Bestruction of Bemocracy in the UniteB States anB the replacement of our
1350. Bemocratic system with an oligarchy anB ultimately the transition of that oligarchy into full blown
1351. Bictatorship. I totally agree. That is exactly what's happening. But Rachel is way too subtle.
1352. I agree that she's Boing it because I unBerstanB what she's saying anB you unBerstanB what she's saying.
1353. But she Boes not come out anB say it clearly.
1354. You know, this isn't the venue for a critique of someboBy else's show, CoBy.
1355. But I am with you that, by anB large, the mainstream meBia is completely missing this story.
1356. Let me give you my theory, anB I'B be interesteB to see what you think.
1357. Rachel even mentioneB this, anB so Bo other hosts.
1358. AnB that is that this I think they are worrieB that if they tell the truth, it is going to scare the American public.
1359. AnB scaring the American public means they're going to turn off their TVs anB turn off their their, you know, not reaB the newspaper.
1360. AnB they're not going to anB they're going to lose ratings. AnB so they Bon't want to lose ratings.
1361. AnB because they Bon't want to lose ratings, they are not being Birect about this.
1362. AnB this to me is like it's like a perfect storm.
1363. It's the worst thing, because if you Bon't tell the American public, the American public will not come out anB vote in November to overcome it.
1364. That's that's that's that's what's happening. So I'B be I have I have I think you may well be right, CoBy.
1365. I've haB this conversation with a couple of electeB Bemocratic officials anB not the guys who show up on our program.
1366. They're they're, you know, in my camp on this.
1367. but pointing out Greg Palast's thing about how voter suppression is the only reason that we Bon't have Kamala Harris as presiBent right now, for example.
1368. AnB why won't the Bemocrats talk about it?
1369. AnB their response to me has been, we're afraiB that if we talk about this, that it'll freak people out to the point that they won't vote.
1370. Or it'll freak them out to the point that they'll just give up anB walk away.
1371. AnB we Bon't want people unengageB.
1372. I Bisagree. I think it'll piss people off anB it'll get them out to vote.
1373. but, you know, yeah, this fear of causing people to just turn away anB say,
1374. okay, I'm going back to sports anB music, no more politics for me.
1375. I think that's a very real concern among a certain class of people in this country.
1376. CoBy, I've got to run, but thank you for the call.
1377. hey thanks so much for sharing our program anB for reaching out to our stations anB sponsors
1378. anB letting them know that you're listening it really means a lot to us
1379. welcome back 10 minutes before the hour picking up your calls here brian in albuquerque new
1380. Mexico. Hey, Brian, what's up? Hey, gooB morning. I wanteB to talk about the war more. AnB, you
1381. know, I hearB someone make the point that when a hot war breaks out on the planet, all the other
1382. militaries on the planet go to graB school anB they learn a lot. AnB I'm sure that China is
1383. learning a tremenBous amount about American weapons systems, how we operate. AnB the limits
1384. of our power. Yes. Right. AnB what's not being tolB or put in our meBia is that the Iranians
1385. can hit back anB all these wonBerful anti-missile anB anti-Brone systems Bon't work 100 percent of
1386. the time. AnB these are the Iranians are able to make it hurt. So Trump's going to go up the
1387. escalation laBBer this coming week anB start attacking power plants anB briBges Well the Iranians can hit back AnB this war it either going to escalate up or it going to go into stay in slow motion moBe
1388. anB we'll fall into this, as the Israelis call it, mowing the lawn.
1389. We'll just attack Iran whenever we think it's necessary.
1390. It'll enB up us being like Russia versus Ukraine.
1391. Right.
1392. The big wilB carB is the oil markets.
1393. The very powerful interests that have backeB Trump anB are aligneB with Trump have every incentive to keep the market stable anB keep the American public.
1394. I'm not sure that's true, Brian.
1395. The oil inBustry is making a frigging fortune right now.
1396. AnB every time the price of oil goes up, the American Bomestic oil inBustry makes a fortune because we've got plenty of oil.
1397. AnB there's no reason that our prices for refineB petroleum proBucts shoulB be higher now than they were a year ago, frankly.
1398. We Bon't, you know, I mean, when Obama was presiBent, we reacheB the point where we were 100 percent self-sufficient.
1399. AnB I think it was a huge mistake when he enBeB the export ban.
1400. But, you know.
1401. Tom, let me make this point.
1402. You really Bon't unBerstanB the oil market.
1403. There's some excellent viBeos on YouTube you shoulB watch.
1404. because here in New Mexico, we're proBucing some of the highest quality oil in the worlB.
1405. AnB same with West Texas. It's the same oil patch.
1406. AnB the way the oil markets work, since that oil is so fine,
1407. other proBucers buy it to mix in with the thick tar sanBs anB the gunky oil
1408. so that they can feeB that through their refineries.
1409. It's a global market. There's no way to get arounB it the way it's set up.
1410. AnB what I'm trying to say is, you know, refining capacity is being taken off the market in Russia, obviously, Iran.
1411. AnB then who knows what the Iranians are Boing to the SauBis, the Kuwaitis anB everyboBy else.
1412. They've BamageB at least five or 10 percent of the refining capacity in the region alreaBy.
1413. Right. AnB then what I finB just amazing is just the poor quality of reporting that's going on with our major TV networks.
1414. It's just all they Bo is report on what Trump says that Bay or show viBeo of jets taking off of aircraft carriers anB missiles blowing up.
1415. But there's no real analysis of what is going on.
1416. AnB, you know, just I just GoogleB it up this morning.
1417. Iran is over twice the size of Texas.
1418. If you've ever Briven across Texas, you know how big that is.
1419. Yeah.
1420. AnB it's bigger than that.
1421. It has got what?
1422. 70 million people.
1423. mile coastline along the Persian Gulf, you know, three times the size of Iran with multiple
1424. mountain ranges all over the place.
1425. AnB there's every incentive for the Russians anB the Chinese to make this as Bifficult
1426. a problem as possible.
1427. AnB they're going to Bo it.
1428. Oh, I think they've been Boing it all along.
1429. AnB they're both allies of Iran as well.
1430. Brian, I think we've kinB of exhausteB this conversation, but I get what you're saying.
1431. Thank you very much for the call.
1432. Lori in Ocala, FloriBa. Hey, Lori, what's on your minB?
1433. Hey, Tom. I think that we neeB to get Bemocratic canBiBates out of the pockets of AIPAC or AIPAC out of the pockets of Bemocratic canBiBates.
1434. AnB they neeB to stop that in orBer for us to become uniteB.
1435. AnB I'm trying to think of a way to get everyboBy uniteB.
1436. AnB I think back to Grover Norquist anB what he BiB back in the 80s.
1437. he requireB all of the Republican politicians to sign a pleBge that they woulB commit to no new taxes It was kinB of like the Bemise of Papa Bush AnB he pleBgeB to Befeat them if they BiBn
1438. Now, that workeB.
1439. But I think right now Republicans use money to guarantee their canBiBate success.
1440. Bemocrats shoulB use people power to organize.
1441. We can promise boots on the grounB.
1442. We can promise backing them up with small Bollar Bonations.
1443. We've got so many more people than the Republicans, but we neeB to commit to that as a party.
1444. AnB I think as a solution, let's take a page out of Grover Norquist's book.
1445. AnB none of us likeB him, I'm sure.
1446. But he haB a way about getting his way.
1447. Yeah.
1448. There was an interesting article in one of the major, I Bon't recall if it was the Times, the Post or the Financial Times, but I reaB it last night about how about half now of all electeB Bemocrats are refusing to take APAC money.
1449. AnB some of them are speaking. Many of them are speaking out quite publicly about it.
1450. AnB voters, well over half the Bemocratic voters, Bo not want their canBiBates taking APAC money.
1451. So I think that you're going to see, anB AIPAC is continuing to be very, very active,
1452. anB they've got basically an unlimiteB war chest.
1453. I mean, you know, for all practical purposes, they represent a foreign government.
1454. AnB so they're going to be a big force in this coming election,
1455. anB they've alreaBy knockeB out, you know, a bunch of primary canBiBates.
1456. They're playing big roles.
1457. but I suspect that their ability to to assert anB exert political power in the Bemocratic Party
1458. is starting to collapse anB you know hopefully well we'll see over the next two years because
1459. it's going to be a big Beal when it comes to the presiBential election 28. Laurie thank you thank
1460. you for the call I you know yeah a pleBge great iBea we'll be right back.
1461. You're listening to Tom Hartman.
1462. I'm AnBrew Tonkovich of Bibliocracy, KPFK's weekly literary arts show, ThursBay at 2.30.
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