The smoking gun’ that points to Trump’s cognitive decline | Psychologist analyses Trump
Times Radio
Nov 4, 2025
“We're in a hell of a lot of trouble. Us, America, but the world is in a lot of trouble because the most powerful man in the world is both evil and demented.”
Psychologist Dr John Gartner lays out the signs and symptoms he sees of “dementia and malignant narcissism” in Donald Trump, and explains why he thinks the president won’t make it to the end of his term “compos mentis”.
Dr John Gartner is founder of Duty To Warn and former assistant professor of psychiatry at Johns Hopkins University Medical School.
Transcript
All of these things are going to get
worse. You know, I always say, look at
Donald Trump today because that's the
best Donald Trump you're ever going to
see because dementia doesn't stay the
same and it doesn't get better. It only
gets worse. It's a rock rolling
downhill.
What do you think is wrong with
President Trump?
Two uh maybe three major things. Uh the
first thing is that he has the most
severe personality disorder actually
that a human being can have. It's called
malignant narcissism. It was originally
introduced by Eric Fro who escaped the
Nazis to explain the psychology of
Hitler and other murderous dictators
like him. Uh it's actually not in the
DSM. It's kind of a historically obscure
diagnosis, but I happen to have studied
with the person who was the world expert
on malignant narcissism. And so early on
when Trump was running for president in
2015, I recognized that this was
essentially a meteor heading towards
Earth.
uh because I knew just how destructive
um a malignant narcissistic leader can
be to a country and I saw it as
potentially fatal to our country and
unfortunately that seems to be
potentially coming true.
So is that that's your assessment of
Tom's condition?
Yes. And it has four components.
Narcissism of course but also
psychopathy uh or what we call
antisocial personality disorder. So
lying, breaking laws and norms, having
no remorse for violating the rights of
others, also paranoia, and finally
sadism. Uh, a lot of what he does is is
gleefully destructive and harmful. Uh,
and it actually gives him enormous
pleasure to hurt people and to destroy
things.
What symptoms in particular are you
seeing? Can you give us some examples?
Not obviously, we've seen some physical
things. um the bruising on the hands, um
the MRI scans that he's been to. You're
talking more mental.
Well, that's the psychiatric diagnosis.
That's where he starts. He's been that
way his whole life. What is new are the
signs of dementia that have been
developing really now for quite some
time. I and some physicians wrote some
op-eds about this in 2019. And we were
actually among the people who goed
Ronnie Jackson into giving him the mocha
during his first administration. That's
the dementia screening exam. What's
interesting now, and this has just
happened in the last week, is it's
starting to bleed out that his medical
team knows he has cognitive problems.
Um, that White House report, first of
all, they said he had his second annual
physical. Well, if you do the math, you
can't have a second annual physical.
That would be a semiannual physical. Um,
they clearly wanted to follow up on
things that concerned them. Uh, we know
he took the mocha again, but he revealed
that he took cognitive tests plural. Um,
so just to be clear, and he took an MRI.
So just to be clear, we never, and when
I say never, I mean never ever ever give
people a battery of cognitive tests or
an MRI unless there's something very
serious that we suspect or are trying to
rule out. So in other words, this is not
by any means uh normal uh or routine. Um
this is showing, you know, we've been
criticized, right, for diagnosing him
without examining him. I'm sure you were
going to get to that, but um the doctors
who are examining him are giving him a
neurosychological battery and an MRI,
which means that they suspect that he
has severe cognitive decline or
dementia. Is there something in um his
decision-m that you think points to uh
or or perhaps the way he acts at at
press conferences that points to this
dementia?
Yes, absolutely. So to diagnose
dementia, you need to see a
deterioration from the person's
baseline. Um and really not just in
language, that's language is the most
obvious one, but language, memory, uh
behavior and psychoot performance. He is
showing gross deterioration in all of
those areas. But just to pick one that
you talked about his recent behavior,
impulsivity is a sign of dementia. And I
think he was always somewhat impulsive,
but he's becoming more erratically
impulsive. And just to give you an
example, the prime minister of Canada
was in the Oval Office to discuss a
trade deal. the minister of Ottawa uh
posted a a social media
video clip of Ronald Reagan speaking
against tariffs. Ronald Reagan was very
against tariffs. Donald Trump became so
angry that they showed a video that
video that he kicked the prime minister
of of Canada out of his office. So
that's it. I'm not going to negotiate
anymore because you That's crazy, right?
That's an impulsive. It wasn't even the
prime minister of Canada who posted the
video. Plus I you don't normally cancel
international relations over you know
social media video and also of course it
was true. Um but that's typical Trump
because he lies about everything. So
that would be an example of you know
really he wakes up and you know today
I'm going to double the tariffs on
China. Tomorrow he says I'm going to
there's this very erratic arbitrary
quality to his decision-making. The
other way that we see it in plain sight
is his language. And this has been the
main thing that has really been
revealing his dementia. Uh you know when
he was uh in the 80s he was extremely
articulate. People might not believe
that uh but he spoke in polished
paragraphs not just sentences. Now he
really has difficulty completing a
sentence, a thought and sometimes even a
word. He evidences something that we
call phenemic paraphas that we only see
in dementia or other serious organic
brain disorders. It's not when you're
tired or old or drunk.
You andic paraphasia, you use a sound
that isn't an English word, but it has a
part of an English word in it and you're
struggling to say the word and you can't
get it out. You know, we have dozens and
dozens of examples of this. Right before
the election, you probably saw a lot of
these super cuts where they went from
one mis pronunciation after another.
Well, just this week, everything I'm
telling you about is this week. Okay,
this week in Trump's dementia, um, he
tweeted or he put on truth social
du du du du. Um, so some people
speculated he might have been trying to
say South Carolina, but what he what he
wrote was South C a r d.
So you rarely see a phmic paraphasia in
writing. Usually it's oral, but here
there's like this is a smoking gun. It's
it's it's right there in black and white
right before our eyes. The other thing
that we see that shows the dementia and
again just this week
number one that he was wandering in in
Japan. Uh I don't know if you saw that
film, but the prime minister three times
had to redirect him. uh he he would stop
and have a blank look and look
disoriented and she would kind of move
him along. And then finally he weirdly
kind of stops in front of the Japanese
flag and salutes it and then he just
starts to wander down the line. He's
about 20 soldiers down the line when
they realize it's kind of like when you
you take a kid to a department store and
you're like wait what the hell happened
to him? I took my eyes off him for a
second. you know, he's all the way at
the other end of the room and a soldier
has to come and escort him to where all
the other dignitaries are. And then she
takes over and starts to escort him. So
this wandering has which is also, as you
know, if anyone's ever had a p relative
with dementia, is very typical of
dementia patients, has been going on for
some time. He often wanders past his
car, wanders past his plane, wanders the
wrong side of the deis, uh wanders
around the deis. Um so again what people
need to understand about dementia is it
only gets worse. So this is a sign that
this is deteriorating. And finally this
week in terms of his language the things
that he was saying you know there's
various ways in which he shows dimension
in his language. One is just the the
deterioration in the quality of his
vocabulary and his thought that people
have done studies where they've actually
looked at you know the vocabulary level
of his speech and it started out at 12th
grade and it's down to about third grade
now you know in other words that's a
clear quantitative decline. We also have
the phmic paraphas which again is only a
sign of of dementia and then what we
also have is this tangential thinking
where he doesn't complete a thought and
he kind of moves on to another thought.
there might be some loose free
association involved, but it doesn't
really make sense. So, someone asked him
about Harvard. He went on and talked
about Harlem and then came back to
Harvard. Well, just this week, I have
two examples of his speech if you don't
mind. I'm one is short and one is long.
I'll read you the short one first. He's
speaking before the the troops on the on
the uh on an aircraft carrier on October
28th. He said, "I never like
good-looking people. I never admitted
that before." All right. So this is a
disinhibition I guess you know that he's
admitting that maybe but you see I'm
allowed to we won in the Supreme Court
based on merit. Okay. So what case in
the Supreme Court gave him the right now
to say he doesn't like attractive
people? Um and you mean you won the case
on merit? Oh no. Then he goes but you
know that's right. You know about that
right now everything in this country is
based on merit. So wait. So was the case
did he win the case on the merits? is
the case about merit and what's that got
to do with so that's a very brief
example now let me read you a slightly
longer example this is where he was
speaking in front of the his now walk of
fame uh where along the rose garden he's
got pictures of the different presidents
he says this is you see over here the
presidential walk of fame and we have
this long wall with half windows because
that used to be a swimming pool on the
other side of the wall that was the
swimming pool where Jackie would say I
hear women inside are there women inside
quite quite a famous I'm not saying
anything. This is part of a movie. And
the Secret Service said, "No, no, there
are no women inside, ma'am. You'll have
to move along, ma'am." But I hear women
inside. No, you'll have to move along,
ma'am. So, that was the famous swimming
pool. Now, it's even worse. It's been
covered over and now it's for the media.
And I think we have a small
representative group. I don't think they
allowed the rest of them. I can't
believe it. What happened? They're all
on the other side of the wall because
this was supposed to be a private event.
But there's no such thing as a private
event in politics. Lindsay, you learned
that a long time ago, right? The great
Lindsey Graham. You're up 34 points,
Lindsay. That's not bad. I'll tell you
that's not bad. So, we did the
Presidential Hall of Fame from George
Washington to Well, I think we're going
to have to rate him above me. He's less
than great. Less than George Washington.
Somebody went there. They said, you're
the third best president. And you know,
this was on television. Third best. who
had the first two, George Washington,
Abraham Lincoln. I got extremely angry
at this man. You know, you can't it's
going to be it's going to be tough to
beat.
And so, do you think this is down to his
age?
No. Um, I mean, uh, this age, there are
some declines that go with age. Um, I'm
very aware of them. I'm 67. Um, it
happens to me sometimes even in the
middle of a podcast. I can't remember a
politician's name. I go, you know, the
guy the guy from Japan, you know. Um,
but I know I'm having trouble finding
the word. Um,
and you're not the president.
And I'm not the president. Um, but but
in other words, uh, with signs of aging,
people can be slower. They can be
softer. Um, but they don't have this
complete word salad. There's there's no
connecting ideas. No one even knows what
he's talking about. There's this kind of
emperor new clothes phenomenon going in
our country, you know, where here,
imagine a press pool listening to what
you and I just heard, right? It's
obvious that the real story is the
president is babbling nonsensically.
That is the story. But that's not the
story you'll read in the newspaper or
see on TV. They'll pick some quote where
he makes some provocative statement or
some policy statement and that's what
they'll show. and they won't show you
that he's rambling on and on without any
connecting ideas. Just to give you
another example of how his um disordered
and dis disabled mind works. Um back
during the campaign, remember he said,
"Oh, these immigrants, they're coming
from the insane asylums." And then he
goes, "Anyone seen Silence of the
Lambs?" Well, because Silence of the
Lambs is a movie about an insane asylum.
So he went from immigrants are coming
from insane asylums to, "Hey, that
reminds me of a movie I saw about insane
asylums." He goes, "Oh, the late great
Hannibal Lectar. They don't like to talk
about him anymore." Well, first of all,
Hannibal Lecter is a fictional
character. So, what do you mean the late
Hannibal Lectar? And then he says they
don't talk about him anymore, implying
that, you know, he was really a great
guy and they're not giving him credit.
But, of course, he's a serial killer who
eats people and uh but then again,
actually, it tells you something about
his psychology and his unconscious,
right? That he is actually idealizing
Hannibal Lectar. But this is what I
mean. this. You know, I used to say, "Is
it going to take him babbling
nonsensically from the White House for
people to acknowledge that he is has
dementia?" Well, guess what? That's not
enough. Apparently,
does this tie more into the malignant
narcissism that you talked about? Are
they linked?
Well, here they're linked in this
regard. These are two independent
disorders. But when people develop
dementia, whatever personality or
personality dis personality problems or
personality disorders they have get
dramatically worse. And this is what's
really frightening is now he is the
worst version of himself as it were. Uh
actually malignant narcissists also get
worse when they get power. um they
become very omnipotent and grandiose and
they feel entitled to do very violent
destructive things uh which they get
pleasure from and gives them a feeling
of power. Um so you know now he wants to
go to war with Venezuela. He's blowing
up boats you know that makes him feel
powerful and he he likes to do things
like that. So his his judgment which was
always terrible now is completely
erratic and he he doesn't really know
where he is. He's talking about making
peace between India, between Iran and
Pakistan. Um, you know, well, it's India
obviously, you know, and then he starts
talking about India and saying, well,
they've had a lot of changes of of
leadership. No, that's Pakistan. So,
it's he's not just getting the names
wrong. He's confusing the names, the
countries, the facts. And he's making
erratic, impulsive decisions, and there
are no guard rails. There's no one there
to stop him say, "No, I don't think we
should go to war with Venezuela this
morning because you had a a bad
breakfast." Uh,
so we're in in a we're in a hell of a
lot of trouble. Us, America, but the
world is in a hell of a lot of trouble
because the most powerful man in the
world is both evil and demented.
Do you think there's an element that
he's perhaps playing up to this role?
You talk about him, his narcissism. Um,
is he playing up to a strong man role?
If we see there's Putin and and Kim
Jong-un and
do you think he's trying to play up to
to them and be a bit more like them and
he's not actually really like this?
No, he's really like this. He's not
playing.
You've compared him to Hitler in the
past. Do you still stand by that? And
what stage of Hitler do you think we're
seeing now?
Yeah. Well, we're, you know, we're we're
well into Hitler's first year. um he's
actually not moving that much more
slowly than Hitler did to consolidate
power and destroy uh democracy. I was
actually the one of the first people to
uh publicly compare him to Hitler back
in 2016. And then I got a lot of push
back, as you might imagine, from the
press. Uh and they say, "Well, it's not
like he's going to form concentration
camps." And I said, "Yes, he will. He
will form concentration camps for
immigrants." And lo and behold, he had
actually built out camps in the desert
to hold 250,000 immigrants. Then there
was this child separation policy that he
really got a lot of flack for and he
kind of backed off of that. Um, but just
so people understand, there's a
difference between a concentration camp
and a death camp. A concentration camp
is when we concentrate a group of
undesirable people, undesirable because
of their ethnicity or their religion or
their politics, and we confine them to a
space. the Japanese internment camps
would be an example. Um, so he is
basically already imprisoning, you know,
thousands of people in alligator
Alcatraz or whatever. And he's going to
he wants to build out more and more
concentration camp capacity, but he's
also gone to the step of death camps.
He's just outsourcing them. So he's
sending people to these third world hell
holes where it's abandon all hope ye who
enter here. Andrego Garcia, who came
back from the prison in El Salvador,
said over and over again, the guards
would say to them, "You're going to die
here. No one gets out of here alive."
So, he's just outsourcing the murder.
And you touched on this earlier, but
what do you say to those who think,
well, you've never met Trump and you
know, you can't make an assessment of
someone you've never met?
Well, I think you're referring to the
Goldwater rule. And one thing I think is
important for people to realize is the
Goldwater rule doesn't say you can't
diagnose a patient you haven't met. It
says you can't diagnose a public figure
you haven't met. You see the American
Psychiatric Association isn't a guild
organization. And what they figured out
after the there was a debacle in 1965
when a newspaper wrote an article about
Goldwater and said psychiatrists they
took a poll. Psychiatrists say
Goldwater's unstable. Goldwater sued
them. Uh and he won $75,000.
um and and they were embarrassed. Um but
it's as a if you're guarding the
profession, you don't want people in
your profession to make statements about
public figures because they could
retaliate against the profession. For
example, recently um well, not that
recently. Now, it was during the first
Trump administration, there was a lot of
people in the American Psychiatric who
wanted to relax the Goldwater rule. and
a colleague of mine and he spoke about
this to the New Yorker was in the
meeting where they discussed this with
the ethics committee and they not only
doubled down on maintaining the uh
Goldwater rule but they expanded it to
say you can't make any public statements
not just a diagnosis um and they said uh
out loud we we don't want to we have to
enforce this rule because we don't want
to piss off Trump he might reduce our
third party payments from insurance um
so in others they're watching out for
the guild so it's not a high-minded uh
ethical principle. I think you would
agree that um the lesson we learned from
World War II is when you see a Hitler
rising, being silent is never the most
ethical option.
Um well, I was just going to say psych
as psychologists, we also have another
duty. Uh we're actually what are called
mandatory reporters. If we think
someone's at risk, we need to warn that
person. Well, having studied malignant
narcissism, it was clear to me that the
entire nation was at risk and that we
had a duty to warn the nation and the
world. And I formed an organization
called Duty to War and we had thousands
of mental health professionals
participating in different ways. Um but
the American Psychiatric Association was
very effective at keeping a gag on most
of the people in the profession and then
sort of delegitimized
our diagnostic statements because as in
this interview people would always say
well but isn't that unethical or aren't
you unable to make that diagnosis? The
other reason that people don't know we
are able to make that diagnosis is
because we changed diagnostic systems in
the 1980s after the Goldwater rule where
now all of our psychiatric diagnoses are
based on observable behavioral criteria.
Um so for example I told you that I
Donald Trump is meets criteria for
antisocial personality disorder. Well
the first criteria is lying frequent
lying. Well the Washington Post has
documented like 50,000 they stopped
counting after like 50,000 lies. He's
the most documented liar. I would I
would argue he's the most documented
liar in all of recorded human history.
If you have another one, you know, whip
it out cuz I don't think you're going to
find one. Um, obviously he vi he vi he
breaks laws. He's convicted felon.
Obviously he violates other people's
rights. He's a convicted sex offender.
Um, obviously he has no remorse or an
adjudicated sex offender. Excuse me. It
was a civil case. He he he he um uh
obviously has no remorse uh about
violating these laws and whatnot. He
obviously loves to exploit other people.
He's a con man. So we we know this
without having to interview him. I don't
need to have him lie to my face to know
that he lies. So it just makes sense,
right? These diagnostic criteria are
very are all written in very common
sense language so that you know an
obvious an intelligent educated person
can observe whether or not you're seeing
those behaviors.
And sort of tying into that um how how
important do you think it is to be
honest about the health of the president
because I don't think Trump is the first
president that there's been some secrecy
around this their real health
conditions.
No, he's not. He's not the first one to
hide it. You know, I I think about
President Wilson who had a stroke and
this is before we had the 25th Amendment
or it was even uh you know, we didn't
know what to do. So, Mrs. Wilson ran the
White House for a number of months. Um
unfortunately, right now, I think we're
in a situation where Steven Miller is
running the White House. Uh and Steven
Miller is insane. Uh he really I mean uh
he's a Jewish Nazi. He really identifies
with it's a something we call in
psychology identification with the
aggressor that it's actually a
psychological defense mechanism where we
someone can ident sort of like Stockholm
syndrome someone can identify with the
aggressor. I think Steven Miller really
is has is executing at a manic pace this
anti-immigrant Nazi agenda which is
really genocidal against immigrants um
and completely indiscriminate. You've
seen the the the videos, right, where
ICE agents are smashing people's
windows, wrestling them to the ground,
slamming them on the ground, throwing
them in unmarked cars, um disappearing
them, no one can find them. I mean, this
is, you know, true police state stuff.
It's Steven Miller. I mean, Trump
approves of it, but Steven Miller is the
one that's driving this. And the other
person who's driving things is Russell
VA, the Project 2025 U, you know, author
who's uh head of OM. So basically he's
kind of delegated the destru the
destruction of democracy and um the
genocide to these guys and he's there
kind of babbling about the paper he uses
to sign uh you know um commissions and
the White House and they use gold and
they use the best grass and he he's just
kind of uh talking about irrelevant
stuff and babbling on. Uh it's sort of
like the weekend at Bernie's White House
if you saw that um movie, you know,
where Bernie is dead and they just keep
moving him around. Uh he's not he's not
dead. He's not it's not that he's not
dangerous. It's not that he's not doing
things. He is he's doing things very
erratically and impulsively. Um but as
he's becoming um more uh mentally and
cognitively disabled, what's happening
is it's empowering other people in his
administration to pursue their agenda
underneath um while praising him. uh you
know like the dear leader uh overtly
and going forward what are some of the
signs or symptoms that would indicate
Trump's deteriorating state as as you're
describing it?
Well, all of these things are going to
get worse. You know, I always say look
at Donald Trump today because that's the
best Donald Trump you're ever going to
see because dementia doesn't stay the
same and it doesn't get better. It only
gets worse. It's a rock rolling
downhill. The other area, by the way,
where we see his dementia is his
psychoot performance.
um uh he actually evidences something we
called a wide-based gate which is
typical of fronttotemporal dementia
which a lot of experts tell me they
think that's the type of dementia
there's more than one type of dementia
that's the type they think he has it
makes people very impulsive um he swings
his his right leg around in a semicircle
you might have noticed that when he met
Putin on the red carpet he kind of
zigzagged around the carpet you could
see it very prominently there that his
right leg was swinging like an arc
pushing him to the left and then he had
to over had to overcorrect. The other
thing is his memory. Um recently he had
a meeting not was a couple weeks ago uh
he had a meeting with Schumer and Hakee
Jeff about the shutdown. He said I met
with Chuck Schumer and a really nice
man. He brought a really nice man with
him.
He didn't know who I'm not talking about
forgetting names. He didn't know who
Hakee Jeff was. Hakeem Jeff is the
minority leader of the house. He deals
with Hakee Jeff on a regular basis. He's
not just some obscure congressman,
right? He is the top congressman for the
Democratic party. And he didn't even say
and I met with a I'm sorry, I'm trying
to get the name. He's not just look
forgetting the name. It's as if he'd
never met this person as if he brought
that nice man with him. That's like, you
know, if you had a relative who was in a
nursing home for dementia and you know,
you bring your sister and she goes, "Oh,
who's that nice person that you
brought?" goes, "Mom, that's your other
daughter." You know, uh it's that level
of nonrecognition that we're talking
about, but again, no one in the American
press other than the independent media
is talking about these things.
And lastly, um the room as a whole at
the minute that he's going to push for a
third term. There's already Trump 2028
going around, but constitutional matters
to one side, because that's obviously a
whole other thing. Is it even possible
from a health perspective that he could
make it that far?
That's an excellent question. I don't
think he's going to be able to make it
to the end of his term uh in in in be
composmentous.
Part 2 Anti-Anti-Nazi Barbarian Hordes are Knocking Down ...
Re: Part 2 Anti-Anti-Nazi Barbarian Hordes are Knocking Down
by admin » Wed Nov 05, 2025 6:50 am
- admin
- Site Admin
- Posts: 38413
- Joined: Thu Aug 01, 2013 5:21 am
Re: Part 2 Anti-Anti-Nazi Barbarian Hordes are Knocking Down
by admin » Wed Nov 05, 2025 6:13 pm
Headlines
by Amy Goodman
DermocracyNow
November 05, 2025
https://www.democracynow.org/2025/11/5/headlines
Democratic Socialist Zohran Mamdani Wins New York City Mayoral Race
Nov 05, 2025
Democratic socialist Zohran Mamdani was elected New York’s mayor Tuesday, becoming the first person of South Asian descent and first Muslim — and the youngest in over a century — to hold the position. The election was marked by record voter turnout. Mamdani got more than a million votes, more than any mayor since the 1960s. President Trump had threatened to withhold funding from New York City if Mamdani won. On Election Day, Trump even posted that any Jewish person who votes for Mamdani is “stupid.” Last night at his victory party in Brooklyn, Mamdani directly addressed Donald Trump.
Mayor-elect Zohran Mamdani: “This is not only how we stop Trump, it’s how we stop the next one. So, Donald Trump, since I know you’re watching, I have four words for you: Turn the volume up. … New York will remain a city of immigrants, a city built by immigrants, powered by immigrants and, as of tonight, led by an immigrant.”
Democrats Dominate First Major Elections of Trump’s Second Term
Nov 05, 2025
Mamdani’s victory comes as Democrats posted big wins across the country on Election Day. In California, voters approved a new congressional map that could help Democrats pick up five additional seats in Congress, in a move to counter Texas’s redistricting effort to gain five House seats. In New Jersey, Democratic Congressmember Mikie Sherrill won the governor’s race. In Virginia, Democrats reclaimed full control of the state’s executive branch as Abigail Spanberger flipped the governorship, becoming the state’s first female governor, and voters also chose Ghazala Hashmi to be Virginia’s lieutenant governor-elect, making her the first Muslim woman elected to statewide office anywhere in the U.S. Meanwhile, Democrat Jay Jones defeated Virginia’s incumbent Republican attorney general. In Pennsylvania, Democrats retained control of the state’s Supreme Court after three Democratic justices won their races. In Minneapolis, Democratic Mayor Jacob Frey led democratic socialist challenger Omar Fateh, but neither got more than half the vote, so the race moved to a second round of ranked-choice voting. We’ll have more on last night’s election results after the headlines.
Federal Shutdown Becomes Longest in U.S. History
Nov 05, 2025
The federal government shutdown has entered its 36th day, becoming the longest shutdown in U.S. history. On Tuesday, the Senate rejected a House-passed funding bill for the 14th time, as Democrats demand an extension to health insurance premium tax credits under the Affordable Care Act. A recent report by the Kaiser Family Foundation found that allowing the subsidies to expire would more than double the average enrollee’s out-of-pocket premium payments, with some people seeing even larger increases of over 500%.
On Tuesday, Transportation Secretary Sean Duffy warned the U.S. could be forced to close vast swaths of U.S. airspace due to severe shortages of air traffic controllers, about 11,000 of whom have gone without pay throughout the shutdown. Duffy cautioned of “mass chaos” at airports if the shutdown continues for another week. Mere hours after Duffy’s comments, a UPS freight plane crashed at a Louisville, Kentucky, airport, killing at least nine people and leaving 11 others injured.
Meanwhile, President Trump on Tuesday appeared to defy federal court orders in a social media post in which he proclaimed that SNAP food assistance benefits “will be given only when the Radical Left Democrats open up government, which they can easily do, and not before!” That’s despite orders from two separate federal judges mandating that the administration keep funding SNAP, which helps some 42 million people purchase groceries each month. Press Secretary Karoline Leavitt later walked back Trump’s threat, saying the administration is following court orders to fund SNAP using a contingency fund. The White House says it’s only partially funding SNAP. On Tuesday, lawyers for cities and nonprofits returned to court seeking an order forcing the Trump administration to pay SNAP benefits rapidly and in full. This is Daletia Chung, a SNAP recipient in Maryland who predicted any further delays could lead to civil unrest.
Daletia Chung: “They’re asking for trouble, because people got children to feed, you know, and people know, people will go off on that. Now, I don’t know if anybody is trying to declare martial law under stuff like that, but you can set off a lot of huge problems. People have to eat.”
Israel Continues Striking Gaza Despite U.S.-Brokered Ceasefire
Nov 05, 2025
In the Gaza Strip, Israel’s military is targeting eastern areas of Khan Younis and Gaza City with intense artillery fire, despite the U.S.-brokered ceasefire agreement that took effect nearly a month ago. The shelling is targeting farms, homes and other civilian areas. It comes as a U.N. official warned aid groups are in a “race against time” to get food and other necessities into Gaza. According to the Norwegian Refugee Council, Israeli authorities have rejected 23 requests from nine aid groups to bring in millions of urgently needed non-food items that remain stuck in Jordan, Egypt and Israel awaiting approval. That includes some 4,000 pallets of shelter supplies such as tents, bedding and blankets. This is Manal Salem, a Palestinian mother of seven whose family is displaced and living in a tattered tent in Khan Younis.
Manal Salem: “Winter, we do not want to talk about winter, because the fears are very big. Our tents are completely worn out. We are unable; we do not know what to do. It is not just me. Most of the tents at the school are worn out. We just say, 'God have mercy on us for the winter.' As much as we used to pray for rain to come, now we pray that rain does not come, so that we do not struggle.”
Earlier today, Israel handed over the remains of 15 Palestinians, a day after Hamas returned the body of an Israeli American soldier. That brings the total number of Palestinian bodies returned to Gaza as part of the ceasefire to 285 — just a fraction of the bodies held by Israel.
Meanwhile, the Trump administration has drafted a U.N. Security Council resolution seeking a mandate of at least two years for an international stabilization force to be deployed in Gaza. U.N. Secretary-General António Guterres warned in response that any such force must have “full international legitimacy.”
U.N. Secretary-General Warns Sudan’s Civil War Is “Spiraling Out of Control”
Nov 05, 2025
The United Nations’ top official has warned Sudan’s civil war is spiraling out of control after the Rapid Support Forces paramilitary group seized control of the city of El Fasher in Sudan’s North Darfur region. On Tuesday, U.N. Secretary-General António Guterres warned that hundreds of thousands of civilians remained trapped by fighting, with large numbers dying of malnutrition, disease and violence. Guterres cited reports of war crimes and human rights abuses, including summary executions and sexual assaults. Survivors who fled El Fasher reported mass killings following the RSF’s advance.
Abdallah Hassaballah: “Once you leave the gates, the bodies start. The bodies continue all the way to Garri. Some were killed by thirst, some by exhaustion, some by their injuries, the bleeding. Some were injured by the rockets in El Fasher. They hurt more than gunshots, the shrapnel. They get into your body. They cause your legs to swell, stop your blood flow. It exhausts you. It impacts you within two or three hours.”
Pentagon Announces Another Deadly Strike on Alleged Drug Boat
Nov 05, 2025
Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth says the U.S. has bombed another boat in the eastern Pacific Ocean. On Tuesday, Hegseth claimed, without evidence, that the latest attack targeted a boat ferrying drugs, killing two people on board. If the Pentagon’s claims are accurate, that would bring the number of vessels attacked to 16 and the death toll to at least 67. This comes as the Pentagon is deploying its largest warship, the USS Gerald R. Ford aircraft carrier, to join a buildup of U.S. forces in the Caribbean.
NBC News: Trump Admin Looking into Possible U.S. Military Mission Inside Mexico
Nov 05, 2025
The Trump administration has drafted plans to deploy U.S. troops and intelligence officers to Mexico to attack drug labs and narcotrafficking leaders. That’s according to NBC News, citing current and former U.S. officials. On Tuesday, Mexican President Claudia Sheinbaum denied the reports, declaring “it’s not going to happen.”
President Claudia Sheinbaum: “First of all, it would be a violation of our sovereignty and our independence. And second, we can collaborate. We can coordinate. But it’s not about the United States coming to say or to intervene or to have their agents, because that didn’t work, either. And it’s not about coming to use war techniques in Mexico.”
U.N.: World Likely to Surpass 1.5 Degrees Celsius Climate Goal
Nov 05, 2025
A new U.N. environment report warns nations have made very little progress in the fight against climate change, putting the world on track toward dangerous global warming as greenhouse gas emissions remain too high. The U.N.'s annual emissions gap report suggests countries will not be able to prevent global warming from surpassing 1.5 degrees Celsius, which is the main goal of the Paris Agreement that was brokered a decade ago. U.N. experts say warming is likely to reach between 2.3 and 2.5 degrees Celsius, with the possibility of even higher temperatures if countries don't fulfill their current climate pledges. This is interim director of the U.N. Environment Programme Anne Olhoff.
Anne Olhoff: “Well, it’s a guarantee that unless we do things very differently from what we have been doing in the past many years, we will not see an overshoot of 1.5 degrees, we’ll see a permanent breach of 1.5 degrees. So it’s really about making as stringent and as quick cuts as possible overall.”
*******************************
Democratic Socialist Zohran Mamdani Wins Historic NYC Mayoral Race: “The Future Is in Our Hands”
by Amy Goodman
DermocracyNow
November 05, 2025
https://www.democracynow.org/2025/11/5/ ... transcript
Democratic socialist Zohran Mamdani won the New York mayoral race, defeating former Governor Andrew Cuomo. A year ago, Mamdani was polling at just 1%, but on Tuesday he became the first New York mayoral candidate to win over a million votes since the 1960s. Mamdani won despite being vastly outspent by Cuomo, who was backed by a group of billionaires. We play part of Mamdani’s victory speech to supporters at the Brooklyn Paramount, in which he vows to stand up to President Trump and acknowledges his unlikely path to Gracie Mansion: “I am young, despite my best efforts to grow older. I am Muslim. I am a democratic socialist. And most damning of all, I refuse to apologize for any of this.”
Transcript
This is a rush transcript. Copy may not be in its final form.
AMY GOODMAN: On Tuesday, Democrats won major victories across the United States, including in California, Virginia, Pennsylvania, New Jersey and here in New York, in what’s widely being seen as a repudiation of President Trump’s agenda.
In the most closely watched race, Zohran Mamdani won the New York mayoral race, defeating former Governor Andrew Cuomo. The 34-year-old democratic socialist state assemblymember will become the first Muslim and first South Asian to serve as New York mayor. In June, he shocked the political establishment when he beat Cuomo in the Democratic primary. Cuomo went on to run in the general election as an independent, but on Tuesday, Mamdani defeated him again. A year ago, Mamdani was polling at just 1%, but he built a historic grassroots coalition to fuel what Senator Bernie Sanders has called, quote, “one of the great political upsets in modern American history,” unquote.
On Tuesday, Zohran Mamdani became the first New York mayoral candidate to win over a million votes since the 1960s — more than Rudy Giuliani or Mike Bloomberg ever received. Mamdani has received 50.4% of the votes counted so far. Cuomo is at 41.6%. Republican Curtis Sliwa is at 7.1%.
Mamdani won even though many prominent Democrats, including Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer, the New York senator, refused to endorse him. Mamdani was also vastly outspent by Cuomo, who’s backed by a group of billionaires. President Trump endorsed Cuomo and repeatedly threatened to cut off federal funds to New York if Mamdani won.
On Tuesday night, Zohran Mamdani addressed supporters who packed into the Brooklyn Paramount. He began his speech by quoting the late labor leader and socialist Eugene Debs.
MAYOR-ELECT ZOHRAN MAMDANI: The sun may have set over our city this evening, but, as Eugene Debs once said, I can see the dawn of a better day for humanity.
For as long as we can remember, the working people of New York have been told by the wealthy and the well-connected that power does not belong in their hands. Fingers bruised from lifting boxes on the warehouse floor, palms calloused from delivery bike handle bars, knuckles scarred with kitchen burns, these are not hands that have been allowed to hold power.
And yet, over the last 12 months, you have dared to reach for something greater. Tonight, against all odds, we have grasped it. The future is in our hands. My friends, we have toppled a political dynasty.
I wish Andrew Cuomo only the best in private life. But let tonight be the final time I utter his name, as we turn the page on a politics that abandons the many and answers only to the few.
New York, tonight you have delivered a mandate for change, a mandate for a new kind of politics, a mandate for a city we can afford and a mandate for a government that delivers exactly that.
On January 1st, I will be sworn in as the mayor of New York City. And that is because of you. So, before I say anything else, I must say this: thank you. Thank you to the next generation of New Yorkers who refuse to accept that the promise of a better future was a relic of the past. You showed that when politics speaks to you without condescension, we can usher in a new era of leadership. We will fight for you because we are you, or, as we say on Steinway, ana minkum wa alaikum.
Thank you to those so often forgotten by the politics of our city who made this movement their own. I speak of Yemeni bodega owners and Mexican abuelas, Senegalese taxi drivers and Uzbek nurses, Trinidadian line cooks and Ethiopian aunties — yes, aunties. To every New Yorker in Kensington and Midwood and Hunts Point, know this: This city is your city, and this democracy is yours, too.
This campaign is about people like Wesley, an 1199 organizer I met outside of Elmhurst Hospital on Thursday night, a New Yorker who lives elsewhere, who commutes two hours each way from Pennsylvania because rent is too expensive in this city. It’s about people like the woman I met on the Bx33 years ago, who said to me, “I used to love New York, but now it’s just where I live.” And it’s about people like Richard, the taxi driver I went on a 15-day hunger strike with outside of City Hall, who still has to drive his cab seven days a week. My brother, we are in City Hall now. …
Standing before you, I think of the words of Jawaharlal Nehru: “A moment comes, but rarely in history, when we step out from the old to the new, when an age ends, and when the soul of a nation, long suppressed, finds utterance.” Tonight, we have stepped out from the old into the new.
So let us speak now with clarity and conviction that cannot be misunderstood about what this new age will deliver and for whom. This will be an age where New Yorkers expect from their leaders a bold vision of what we will achieve, rather than a list of excuses for what we are too timid to attempt.
Central to that vision will be the most ambitious agenda to tackle the cost-of-living crisis that this city has seen since the days of Fiorello La Guardia, an agenda that will freeze the rents for more than 2 million rent-stabilized tenants. …
Together, we will usher in a generation of change. And if we embrace this brave new course, rather than fleeing from it, we can respond to oligarchy and authoritarianism with the strength it fears, not the appeasement it craves. After all, if anyone can show a nation betrayed by Donald Trump how to defeat him, it is the city that gave rise to him. And if there is any way to terrify a despot, it is by dismantling the very conditions that allowed him to accumulate power.
This is not only how we stop Trump, it’s how we stop the next one. So, Donald Trump, since I know you’re watching, I have four words for you: Turn the volume up.
We will hold bad landlords to account, because the Donald Trumps of our city have grown far too comfortable taking advantage of their tenants. We will put an end to the culture of corruption that has allowed billionaires like Trump to evade taxation and exploit tax breaks. We will stand alongside unions and expand labor protections, because we know, just as Donald Trump does, that when working people have ironclad rights, the bosses who seek to extort them become very small indeed.
New York will remain a city of immigrants, a city built by immigrants, powered by immigrants and, as of tonight, led by an immigrant.
So, hear me, President Trump, when I say this: To get to any of us, you will have to get through all of us.
When we enter City Hall in 58 days, expectations will be high. We will meet them. A great New Yorker once said that while you campaign in poetry, you govern in prose. If that must be true, let the prose we write still rhyme, and let us build a shining city for all.
And we must chart a new path, as bold as the one we have already traveled. After all, the conventional wisdom would tell you that I am far from the perfect candidate. I am young, despite my best efforts to grow older. I am Muslim. I am a democratic socialist. And most damning of all, I refuse to apologize for any of this.
AMY GOODMAN: Zohran Mamdani speaking at his victory party Tuesday night at the Brooklyn Paramount after he won the New York City mayoral race, defeating former Governor Andrew Cuomo. After his speech, he was joined on stage by his wife, Rama Duwaji, and his parents, the filmmaker Mira Nair and Columbia University professor Mahmood Mamdani.
*******************************
The Movement Behind Mamdani: Organizers & Supporters Celebrate Stunning Victory & Repudiation of Trump
by Amy Goodman
DermocracyNow
November 05, 2025
https://www.democracynow.org/2025/11/5/ ... transcript
Democracy Now! spoke with supporters celebrating Zohran Mamdani’s win in the New York City mayoral race Tuesday night. Volunteers with the Democratic Socialists and other campaign organizers at the Brooklyn Paramount victory party described the night as “surreal” and vowed to fight back against President Trump’s agenda. Sumaya Awad, a NYC-DSA member, describes Zohran as a politician “that doesn’t put the platform and the mission at the expense of anyone.”
“When people’s needs aren’t being met, they need an alternative, and so far, only the far right was providing an alternative in the form of authoritarianism, in the form of fascism, in the form of hate, turning against immigrants, against queer people, against Muslims,” says Fahd Ahmed, director of DRUM Beats. “What this campaign and our movement was able to do was offer a left alternative.”
Transcript
This is a rush transcript. Copy may not be in its final form.
AMY GOODMAN: This is Democracy Now!, democracynow.org, The War and Peace Report. I’m Amy Goodman.
We’re continuing our coverage of Zohran Mamdani’s historic victory in the New York mayoral race over former Governor Andrew Cuomo. On Tuesday night, Democracy Now! was at Mamdani’s victory party at the historic Brooklyn Paramount. More than a thousand people packed in. We spoke to just a few of his supporters.
SUMAYA AWAD: My name is Sumaya Awad, and I’m a member of New York City DSA. And I am — to say I’m excited and ecstatic and relieved is an understatement. I mean, we have fought so hard for this, right before the primary, and then now, in the last couple of months and last couple weeks and today. I’ve been canvassing since 9 a.m. And I feel exhausted, but it’s the best kind of exhausted, because it’s exhaustion from something that I believe in with every fiber of my body and that I know that the majority of New Yorkers believe in. And we haven’t felt that — I haven’t felt that in my lifetime.
AMY GOODMAN: Tell us what it is you believe in.
SUMAYA AWAD: It’s a politician and an agenda that is truly for working-class people, and one that doesn’t put the platform and the mission at the expense of anyone. He has not left anyone out of what he is fighting for, and he’s made it clear. Whether you support him or not, he is fighting for us.
AMY GOODMAN: What did you say?
RUBY: NBC just called in for Zohran.
AMY GOODMAN: And what do you think?
RUBY: I’m so, so happy. I’ve been awake since 4:30 in the morning today, out canvassing in Park Slope and Prospect Heights. And we’ve been working towards this for a year, and I’m just so happy to win the New York City that we deserve.
AMY GOODMAN: What’s your name? Where are you from?
RUBY: My name is Ruby. I live in Crown Heights. Whoo!
AMY GOODMAN: Hi.
HARRISON: How’s it going?
AMY GOODMAN: Can you tell me your names? And what do you think?
HARRISON: I’m Harrison, and I’m thrilled. We’ve been canvassing since February, January, and it’s so happy to see all of our work pay off.
JANIE: It feels surreal that it’s actually here and that it’s happening, yeah. It’s so crazy.
AMY GOODMAN: What does it about Zohran Mamdani that led you to support him? And what is your name?
JANIE: I’m Janie. He just has inspired hope, I feel like, across the city in a way that no one has in a long time. Yeah, a lot of us didn’t want to vote for a Democrat who we felt like we had to, you know, choose over another person. So, yeah.
AMY GOODMAN: As you can hear, they have just called it for Zohran Mamdani. And here we are in the Brooklyn Paramount. What’s your name? What are your thoughts?
BEN: My name is Ben. I couldn’t be more excited. I couldn’t be more excited.
AMY GOODMAN: What group are you with?
BEN: I’m an organizer with Jewish Voice for Peace. We’ve worked really hard for this moment. I’m so excited to celebrate with everybody.
AMY GOODMAN: Did you think you’d see this day?
BEN: I was confident. I was confident. Yeah, yeah. Thank you.
AMY GOODMAN: What do you say about Donald Trump saying today that any Jew who votes for Zohran Mamdani is stupid?
BEN: It’s antisemitic nonsense. I mean, it’s bigotry, plain and simple. And we’re sick of antisemitism being weaponized against Palestinian people and against our own communities, as well.
AMY GOODMAN: What do you want to see Zohran Mamdani do as mayor?
BEN: Making New York City a city for everybody, a city we can afford, a city where people can lead dignified lives.
ROULA HAJJAR: My name is Roula Hajjar. I really — I don’t know what to say. I mean, it’s been a very hard few years with the genocide, and this is the first good news that we’ve had, it feels like, like truly, truly good news, something to really look forward to and celebrate.
AMY GOODMAN: What about local issues here in New York? What most appeals to you about Mamdani?
ROULA HAJJAR: Well, I mean, I think that — so, I’m a social worker by training, and I think that the way that he is construing public safety issues as not — you know, not criminalizing mental health issues is very, very significant and, I think, will change how we think of safety and security in New York City, which is something that I know is on the minds of a lot of people.
JAGPREET SINGH: My name is Jagpreet Singh. I’m the political director at DRUM Beats. And I feel amazing. I feel ecstatic. I’m on top of the world. It’s going to be a couple of days until I come back down.
NABILA: Hi. My name is Nabila. I’m a youth organizer at DRUM Beats.
AMY GOODMAN: It’s well known that while young people are very enthusiastic, they’re the least likely to vote.
NABILA: Yeah.
AMY GOODMAN: What’s your response to that?
NABILA: I think this just goes to show when we have a candidate that actually cares about the popular issues that affect everyone, and someone who’s charismatic and who doesn’t talk down to youth, you finally have a youth that’s ready to show the energy they’ve always had. It’s just that they’ve been marginalized all this time.
KEANU ARPELS-JOSIAH: Hi. My name is Keanu Arpels-Josiah. I’m with Sunrise Movement New York City.
AMY GOODMAN: So, what are your feelings right now?
KEANU ARPELS-JOSIAH: I’m joyful. This is the beginning of a new future for New York City, a future where we have a politics that works for our generation, for affordability, fights the climate crisis, fights the billionaire class taking over our government, stands up to fascism and stands up for our issues. This is a moment where all of politics is changing. New York City is changing. New York City is standing up and demanding a different future for our world, for our country and for our city. I couldn’t be more excited.
AMY GOODMAN: How will it change what you do?
KEANU ARPELS-JOSIAH: It means the same for us in some ways, and it means everything is different in other ways. It means collaboration. It means a politics of working with those in office to deliver the agenda, but it also means a politics of accountability. We need to be with Zohran celebrating today, and we need to be talking with him tomorrow to make his agenda a reality. We need to be standing alongside. We can’t just be yelling at each other. But we have to have collaboration and accountability. And it means we need to fight Governor Hochul, who’s trying to build fossil fuel pipelines through New York City, that Mamdani opposes. We need to fight to tax the rich. And we need to fight Washington as it attacks our communities.
SIMONE ZIMMERMAN: My name is Simone Zimmerman. I’m a part of the Jews for Zohran campaign. I’m a board member of Jews for Racial and Economic Justice Action. And I’m over the moon. I don’t know. This is it.
Trump called the Jews who voted for Zohran stupid. But look, we’re in a moment right now where we have an administration that is using racism and fear and is sowing terror in cities around the country. And Jews are not different from any other Americans. We see the hatred and the racism that they’re spreading, and we’re terrified of it. And despite the fact that millions of dollars were poured into this race to scare the living daylights out of Jewish voters, I think we’re going to see so many people see in Zohran a vision of safety and belonging in the city that they want to be part of, despite the fact that over and over again they were told, “You don’t belong. You don’t belong.” Zohran worked so hard to go to synagogues, to reach out to Jewish communities across the city, Jewish communities of such ideological and religious diversity, and say, “You belong here.” And I think people believe him, and I think that tonight we’re seeing that.
FAHD AHMED: My name is Fahd Ahmed, and I’m the director of DRUM Beats. This campaign was successful because it had a movement behind it, and it was successful because it spoke to the material needs of people.
AMY GOODMAN: This is a very strong message to the entire country. It’s not only Republicans who were organized against Mayor Mamdani. It’s the Democratic Party, as well. What are your thoughts on that?
FAHD AHMED: Yeah. You know, in our work, we talk about that the — it is the policies of the centrists, whether they’re Democrats or some of the old Republicans, that created the conditions that caused the rise of the right. When people’s needs aren’t being met, they need an alternative, and so far, only the far right was providing an alternative in the form of authoritarianism, in the form of fascism, in the form of hate, turning against immigrants, against queer people, against Muslims. And what this campaign and our movement was able to do was offer a left alternative.
JAMES DAVIS: I’m James Davis. I’m the president of the Professional Staff Congress-CUNY, the CUNY faculty and staff union.
AMY GOODMAN: You were among the first unions to endorse Zohran Mamdani.
JAMES DAVIS: We were. I mean, we’ve known Zohran since his time in the Assembly. So we knew that even though he was a long-shot candidate, he would have tremendous message discipline. And in a time like now, when there’s Trumpism from the federal government, we also knew that his message was going to resonate among working New Yorkers.
We see what President Trump has done with the budget bill as a massive transfer of wealth to the already wealthiest. So, part of our agenda is making sure that there’s additional progressive taxation, so that the public services, including the City University of New York, can be properly funded, so we can have not just an affordable education, but a high-quality education that our students deserve.
JASMINE GRIPPER: Jasmine Gripper, co-director of the New York state Working Families Party. We are feeling proud of our success. We endorsed Zohran early. And tonight he got over 140,000 votes on the Working Families ballot line. He himself voted for himself on the Working Families ballot line. So, we’re ready to continue to build power to make his agenda a reality, to help all New Yorkers.
WALEED SHAHID: Waleed Shahid. I’m a political strategist. I’m South Asian. I’m Muslim. I think the campaign that Zohran started was based on the fact that so many Muslim Americans, South Asian Americans, Arab Americans felt left out of the Democratic Party because of the party’s support of Benjamin Netanyahu’s war crimes. And Zohran made an effort to include those people in the Democratic Party, in the Democratic primary process, in a way that so many politicians were unwilling to do. And I think you’re seeing the results of that tonight, is that not only was it Muslims and South Asians and Arabs, but young Jews, young people of all backgrounds, wanted to see a candidate who had conviction and courage, whether it was about opposing war and genocide or standing up to the real estate lobby in this city, that they want a candidate who is consistent. And I think Zohran represents that in many ways and is like the — represents the future of a lot of what American politics is going to look like.
SHAHANA HANIF: I’m Shahana Hanif, New York City councilmember representing the 39th District in Brooklyn, which includes Park Slope, Kensington. And I feel amazing.
AMY GOODMAN: So, how will the City Council operate differently now with Mayor Mamdani?
SHAHANA HANIF: Look, we’ll have a partner. We will have a partner who shares similar values and a progressive agenda, that has not been supported by Mayor Adams. You know, we had a mayor who consistently vetoed signature legislation that would transform New Yorkers’ lives. He vetoed ending solitary confinement in our city jails. He vetoed adding more accountability and transparency to our police force. He vetoed expanding vouchers for people who are in shelters, warehoused for years. This mayor, this new mayor, cares so deeply about the working people, the working-class people of New York City, and his agenda is more aligned with the current progressive — with the current progressive New York City Council.
KHALID LATIF: My name is Khalid Latif. I’m the director of the Islamic Center of New York City.
AMY GOODMAN: So, here you are. Zohran Mamdani is about to take the stage. He has won the race for mayor. He will be the first Muslim mayor. Did you ever think you’d see this day?
KHALID LATIF: Yeah, you know, it’s so remarkable. I’ve known Zohran for years, and everything you see him to be and he presents himself as is who he actually is — really sincere, deep conviction, a genuine love for people. And I think for us as Muslims in New York City, with so much of the rhetoric that we’ve seen over decades, but especially ramping up into this night, for him to come and win this so quickly, and so many people from so many walks of life being here behind him tonight, just is a testament to who it is he is. It’s really remarkable. Yeah, there we go.
AMY GOODMAN: Can you read that for me, what it says on the screen?
KHALID LATIF: Zohran right now has over 50% of the votes, 972,000 votes in total. And it’s just going to keep coming in. He’s a remarkable young man, and New York is behind him right now.
AMY GOODMAN: Did you think this was possible?
KHALID LATIF: You know, I think, early on, when he started, people probably didn’t know what to expect. But as things started to go, I was there the night of the primary, and just the hope that was in the room and the sheer shock that people had that he won so quickly, I think everybody knew we were going to get to this place right now. And it’s just the start of a lot of good things.
MAMDANI SUPPORTER: I!
MAMDANI SUPPORTERS: I!
MAMDANI SUPPORTER: I believe!
MAMDANI SUPPORTERS: I believe!
MAMDANI SUPPORTER: I believe that we!
MAMDANI SUPPORTERS: I believe that we!
MAMDANI SUPPORTER: I believe that we have won!
MAMDANI SUPPORTERS: I believe that we have won! I believe that we have won! I believe that we have won!
AMY GOODMAN: Some of the many supporters and organizers at Zohran Mamdani’s victory party Tuesday night at the Brooklyn Paramount. Mamdani thanked the more than 104,000 volunteers who propelled him to victory in the New York mayoral race. Special thanks to Democracy Now!’s Hany Massoud and Anjali Kamat.
*******************************
This Is How to Fight Fascism: Naomi Klein, AOC & Brad Lander on Mamdani Victory
by Amy Goodman
DermocracyNow
November 05, 2025
https://www.democracynow.org/2025/11/5/ ... transcript
At Zohran Mamdani’s victory party at the Brooklyn Paramount on Tuesday night, Democracy Now! spoke with Congressmember Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez. “We’re not going to be intimidated,” Ocasio-Cortez said. “We’re going to fight for working families. We’re going to stand with immigrants. We’re going to stand with the diversity of this city.”
Brad Lander, former mayoral candidate who cross-endorsed with Mandani in the Democratic primary, commented on the power of having a “Muslim New Yorker and a Jewish New Yorker say we are not going to allow Andrew Cuomo or Eric Adams or Donald Trump or Elon Musk or Stephen Miller to weaponize fear and pit us against each other.”
“This is such an incredible proof of concept of how to fight fascism,” added the Canadian journalist, author and activist Naomi Klein.
Transcript
This is a rush transcript. Copy may not be in its final form.
AMY GOODMAN: At the celebration, I had a chance to briefly speak with Democratic Congresswoman Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez of New York.
AMY GOODMAN: The new mayor of New York City, the first Muslim mayor of New York. Your thoughts?
REP. ALEXANDRIA OCASIO-CORTEZ: I mean, Zohran Mamdani, of course, a historic candidate, a tremendous moment for the people of New York. We showed that we’re not going to be bullied. We’re not going to be intimidated. We’re going to fight for working families. We’re going to stand with immigrants. We’re going to stand with the diversity of this city. And we’re also going to make sure that, first and foremost, that this is a city that working people will not be displaced out of.
AMY GOODMAN: What do you say to President Trump, who says he’ll withhold billions of dollars from New York, make it impossible for Zohran Mamdani to govern?
REP. ALEXANDRIA OCASIO-CORTEZ: Well, you know, I think — I think that President Trump was born in New York City, and he knows that if you mess with New York, you mess with the whole country. And so, you know, I think this isn’t a city that doesn’t fight back.
AMY GOODMAN: That’s New York Democratic Congresswoman Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez at Zohran Mamdani’s victory party. I also spoke with the Canadian journalist, author and activist and professor, Naomi Klein.
AMY GOODMAN: Start off by saying your name and your feelings right now.
NAOMI KLEIN: My name is Naomi Klein. And I’m levitating. This is such an incredible proof of concept of how to fight fascism. You know, Zohran, immediately after Trump’s election, went out and talked to Trump voters, people who had never voted for Trump before, Black and Brown people in working-class neighborhoods, didn’t vilify them, just listened to them.
I talked to Zohran for the first time a week after Trump’s election. And what he said to me was everything is broken for people. Like, the elevator in their public housing hasn’t been fixed for 10 months. Nothing is working. So it’s so easy for someone like Trump to come along and be like, “Blame the immigrant. Blame the unhoused person.” And his entire campaign was about proving that if you actually meet people’s real needs and raise the floor and say, “OK, let’s freeze the red. Let’s have free and fast buses. Let’s have universal child care. Let’s address that sense of scarcity and insecurity at its root,” that it can pull people back from the fascist abyss. And he won tonight. He proved that that is — that works. That message works.
This movement, this is anti-fascism, and it is also the antithesis of fascism, because fascists want everybody to be the same. They celebrate conformity, uniformity, sameness, hierarchy. Look in — New York is the most unruly city. The entire campaign was a love letter to the diversity, linguistic, faith, cultural diversity of the city, at a time when the Republicans never stop pouring hate onto cities and make people afraid of each other, right?
AMY GOODMAN: Naomi Klein, speaking last night at Zohran Mamdani’s victory party in Brooklyn. I also spoke to a New York official who also ran for mayor in the Democratic primary.
AMY GOODMAN: Can you identify yourself and your position and what you did with Zohran Mamdani?
BRAD LANDER: Yeah, I’m New York City Comptroller Brad Lander. You know, I was a candidate for mayor. I cross-endorsed with Zohran in the primary, as it was clear that he was the candidate with the best chance to win. We took Andrew Cuomo on together in the second mayoral debate in the primary.
AMY GOODMAN: The ranked-choice voting was so significant.
BRAD LANDER: Ranked-choice voting made a huge difference for us to build a slate of — a team of people committed to a more affordable and a more humane city, and who said he can’t be — Andrew Cuomo can’t be anywhere near City Hall. And then I worked really hard in the general election, obviously, you know, to have a Muslim New Yorker and a Jewish New Yorker say we are not going to allow Andrew Cuomo or Eric Adams or Donald Trump or Elon Musk or Stephen Miller to weaponize fear and pit us against each other. The only way that we’ll be safe is if we’re all safe.
AMY GOODMAN: And your response to President Trump saying any Jew who votes for Zohran is stupid?
BRAD LANDER: Well, what I did today was to quote Ethics of the Fathers, or Pirkei Avot, which says, you know, “Who is wise? He who learns from everyone. And who’s a fool? He who can’t learn a damn thing.” So, Donald Trump doesn’t get to tell us how to be Jewish. He sure can’t tell smart from stupid. And I’ll tell you this: Like, if he comes for New York City, it’s not going to be Donald Trump versus Zohran Mamdani. It’s going to be Donald Trump versus New York City. And I think when they write the history books, maybe they’ll say when Trump started to lose was when he came for New York after we elected Zohran. And just like we said good [bleep] riddance to Andrew Cuomo, we’ll do the same to Donald Trump.
AMY GOODMAN: So, you’re the city comptroller. You know what it means for President Trump to say he would pull billions from the city.
BRAD LANDER: Yeah, look, I mean, Elon Musk stole $80 million from New York in February, and Eric Adams couldn’t say a damn word about it. So, having a mayor who’s going to stand up and fight on our behalf, bring us together, organize us to help stand up, that’s how we win. That’s our money. It’s not Donald Trump’s money, however much he might think it is.
AMY GOODMAN: So, this is certainly a message to all of the United States, not only the Republican Party, but the Democratic Party, as well, which is clearly fighting back. I mean, the leader of the Democrats in the Senate, Senator Schumer, never even endorsed the Democratic candidate for mayor, Zohran Mamdani. What do you say to him? What do you say to the party?
BRAD LANDER: Well, yeah, but let’s be clear. In the last 24 hours, Donald Trump endorsed Andrew Cuomo. Stephen Miller endorsed Andrew Cuomo. Elon Musk endorsed Andrew Cuomo. So, Democrats who couldn’t stand up and say, “We’re with Zohran in a fight against that MAGA, you know, cabal,” like, we need a party that is broad. It’s got to include moderates. Of course it does. And when they win primaries in the right seats where they’re representing their constituents, then, of course, we’ll go support them. But when progressive candidates like Zohran win, then moderates have got to support them, as well. That’s the only way we can build a popular front that’s going to be sufficient to stand up to this authoritarian president.
AMY GOODMAN: That’s New York City Comptroller Brad Lander at Zohran Mamdani’s mayoral victory party at the Brooklyn Paramount.
When we come back, we’ll look at how Democrats scored major victories across the country, including in California, Virginia, New Jersey and Pennsylvania, in what’s been described as a repudiation of the Trump agenda. Stay with us.
[break]
AMY GOODMAN: Qais Essar and Sonny Singh, here on Democracy Now!, democarcynow.org. I’m Amy Goodman.
*******************************
“Epic Night for Democrats”: Party Wins Races Across the U.S. in Voter Rebuke to Trump
by Amy Goodman
DermocracyNow
November 05, 2025
https://www.democracynow.org/2025/11/5/ ... transcript
We get an overview of how Democrats won big across the United States in Tuesday’s elections, with Daniel Nichanian, editor-in-chief of Bolts. Democratic Congressmember Mikie Sherrill won New Jersey’s governor’s race, and Abigail Spanberger flipped Virginia’s governorship. In California, voters approved a new congressional map that could help Democrats pick up five additional congressional seats in a move to counter Texas’s redistricting plan. Local races across the countries also saw widespread Democratic wins. Nichanian says he has “never really quite seen this level of systematic win for pretty much anything that there was [for Democrats] to win.”
Transcript
This is a rush transcript. Copy may not be in its final form.
AMY GOODMAN: Tuesday’s general elections saw Democrats post big wins across the United States.
In California, voters passed Proposition 50, approving a new congressional map that could help Democrats pick up five additional congressional seats in the move to counter Texas’s redistricting effort to help Republicans gain five House seats.
In New Jersey, Democratic Congressmember Mikie Sherrill won the governor’s race, defeating Jack Ciattarelli.
In Virginia, Democrats reclaimed full control of the state’s executive branch, as Abigail Spanberger flipped the governorship, becoming Virginia’s first female governor. Virginia voters also chose Ghazala Hashmi to be Virginia’s lieutenant governor, making her the first Muslim woman elected to statewide office anywhere in the United States. Meanwhile, Democrat Jay Jones defeated Virginia’s incumbent Republican attorney general.
In Minneapolis, Democratic Mayor Jacob Frey led democratic socialist challenger Omar Fateh, but neither got more than 50% of the votes, so the race moves to a second round of ranked-choice voting.
And in Pennsylvania, Democrats retained control of the state Supreme Court, after three justices won their races.
For more, we go to Washington, D.C., where we’re joined by Daniel Nichanian, editor-in-chief of Bolts, who covered the general election closely.
We welcome you back to Democracy Now! Daniel Nichanian, start off by just talking about the national picture.
DANIEL NICHANIAN: Well, thank you for having me.
And, you know, it was really — there’s no other way to put it — an epic night for Democrats last night. I’ve been following election nights for a long time, and I’ve never really quite seen this level of systematic win for pretty much anything that there was to win between the parties for a Democratic candidate. You already named a lot of the big picture races, but it was — pretty much anywhere that there was an election yesterday, there was just a small earthquake or a big earthquake in favor of Democrats.
So, let me give you just one big picture example, that there were 13 statewide races yesterday for statewide office. There was the ones you mentioned. There was one in Jersey, three in Virginia, two in Georgia, as well as seven in Pennsylvania, all judges. And Democrats won all 13 of these races, and they won them by comfortable margins, ranging from six points to 24 points. That’s right. In Georgia, Democrats won two seats by 24 points. And what’s super interesting is that Democrats had never won a statewide race for a race that isn’t federal, for a state government, in 20 years, almost 20 years, and they won them by 24 points last night.
And if you move down-ballot to county-level races, to city races, you are seeing the same thing over and over again, of Democrats winning counties or offices that they hadn’t won for a long time. The Democrats broke the supermajority, the Republican supermajority, in the Mississippi upper chamber. Democrats won the most seats they have in the Virginia House since the ’80s. Democrats flipped Erie County, Pennsylvania. Democrats flipped Onondaga County in New York for the first time since the ’70s.
And I could go on and on, and I’m not going to do that. But also to — I think maybe another last place to look at is, even if you go all the way down to school board races, you know, that was really the center of the conservative ideological takeover in 2021, 2022, a lot of — a lot of conservative takeovers at the school board level. Even there, we’re seeing a lot of conservatives lose their seats, in Colorado, in Pennsylvania, in Texas. So, that, I think, really gives you an idea of the sort of night that we’re speaking about.
AMY GOODMAN: So, in California, Prop 50, very quickly, your response?
DANIEL NICHANIAN: Right. So, Prop 50 is a very — was a very important part of this war that is happening right now on the — for the U.S. House next year. In California, Democrats responded to efforts by Republicans elsewhere to draw maps in their favor. And that, itself, is going to shift five seats in favor of Democrats.
I think a big takeaway yesterday of the type of swings that I was just describing, as well — again, we’re talking about a 24-point win in Virginia, large wins in Virginia, Jersey — is that Republicans could get a little spooked, a little scared, about the type of maps that they’re drawing, that are not necessarily equipped to withstand the type of wave that we saw last night, so that that’s also something to watch, whether Republicans continue now to try and draw the maps in their favor, as they’ve been planning to, in places like Florida or Indiana.
AMY GOODMAN: The significance of the three liberal judges in Pennsylvania keeping their seats?
DANIEL NICHANIAN: Right. I mean, there’s so much to talk about. There were three races for the state court, for the state’s highest court in Pennsylvania, the biggest swing state in the nation. And Republicans were really hopeful to take back the court in advance of the 2028 presidential election, because this is a state where President Trump kept suing to try and overturn the 2020 result, and kept losing at the state’s highest court. And yesterday was the Republican opportunity to erase the majority that Democrats enjoy there. Democrats won those races very easily. They are now very likely to hold that court until 2029.
AMY GOODMAN: And in Minneapolis, now the — neither candidate, the mayor, Frey, or Omar Fateh, got 50%. So, explain what happens right now between Jacob Frey and Omar Fateh. It’s ranked-choice voting.
DANIEL NICHANIAN: Right. So, that is one of the main mayoral races we were watching, as a companion of what’s happening in New York that you’ve covered during the show, where there was a more centrist incumbent mayor running against a progressive challenger. In the first round of voting, there’s about a 9 percentage point gap, something like that, between Frey, who’s ahead, and Fateh, who’s second. But now we move to ranked-choice voting, their third, fourth candidate that got a large share of the vote, and a lot of them are aligned more with the left and with Omar Fateh’s campaign. So we could see a very tight election when the ranked choice is run at some point, I think, in this afternoon.
AMY GOODMAN: And the significance — he is called, Omar Fateh, the “Mamdani of the Midwest” — but of Mamdani himself, and President Trump saying, overall, he wrote, ”TRUMP WASN’T ON THE BALLOT, AND SHUTDOWN, WERE THE TWO REASONS THAT REPUBLICANS LOST ELECTIONS TONIGHT”? He refers to himself in the third person. The shutdown and that he himself wasn’t on the ballot.
DANIEL NICHANIAN: I mean, I just heard the excerpts from his speech earlier in the program and when he said, you know —
AMY GOODMAN: Mamdani.
DANIEL NICHANIAN: — “I am an immigrant,” and that’s such an important part of his win, of his victory. And that was very striking, first because of the Islamophobic campaign that really was ran against him in the final weeks of the campaign, also because, as you mentioned a few minutes ago, there was the first Muslim woman to win a statewide office anywhere in the country, that really stands in parallel — as a companion result, given that context, but also because we saw the topic of immigration and ICE, and obviously Trump’s agenda around those issues, be very important around the country. Just as one example, the Republican —
AMY GOODMAN: We have five seconds.
DANIEL NICHANIAN: — nominee for governor — OK, well, there were a lot of races where immigration was on the ballot and the big issue, and that’s what I was going to end with.
AMY GOODMAN: Daniel Nichanian, you got a lot in there, editor-in-chief of Bolts. We’ll link to your coverage of the elections at democracynow.org.
by Amy Goodman
DermocracyNow
November 05, 2025
https://www.democracynow.org/2025/11/5/headlines
Democratic Socialist Zohran Mamdani Wins New York City Mayoral Race
Nov 05, 2025
Democratic socialist Zohran Mamdani was elected New York’s mayor Tuesday, becoming the first person of South Asian descent and first Muslim — and the youngest in over a century — to hold the position. The election was marked by record voter turnout. Mamdani got more than a million votes, more than any mayor since the 1960s. President Trump had threatened to withhold funding from New York City if Mamdani won. On Election Day, Trump even posted that any Jewish person who votes for Mamdani is “stupid.” Last night at his victory party in Brooklyn, Mamdani directly addressed Donald Trump.
Mayor-elect Zohran Mamdani: “This is not only how we stop Trump, it’s how we stop the next one. So, Donald Trump, since I know you’re watching, I have four words for you: Turn the volume up. … New York will remain a city of immigrants, a city built by immigrants, powered by immigrants and, as of tonight, led by an immigrant.”
Democrats Dominate First Major Elections of Trump’s Second Term
Nov 05, 2025
Mamdani’s victory comes as Democrats posted big wins across the country on Election Day. In California, voters approved a new congressional map that could help Democrats pick up five additional seats in Congress, in a move to counter Texas’s redistricting effort to gain five House seats. In New Jersey, Democratic Congressmember Mikie Sherrill won the governor’s race. In Virginia, Democrats reclaimed full control of the state’s executive branch as Abigail Spanberger flipped the governorship, becoming the state’s first female governor, and voters also chose Ghazala Hashmi to be Virginia’s lieutenant governor-elect, making her the first Muslim woman elected to statewide office anywhere in the U.S. Meanwhile, Democrat Jay Jones defeated Virginia’s incumbent Republican attorney general. In Pennsylvania, Democrats retained control of the state’s Supreme Court after three Democratic justices won their races. In Minneapolis, Democratic Mayor Jacob Frey led democratic socialist challenger Omar Fateh, but neither got more than half the vote, so the race moved to a second round of ranked-choice voting. We’ll have more on last night’s election results after the headlines.
Federal Shutdown Becomes Longest in U.S. History
Nov 05, 2025
The federal government shutdown has entered its 36th day, becoming the longest shutdown in U.S. history. On Tuesday, the Senate rejected a House-passed funding bill for the 14th time, as Democrats demand an extension to health insurance premium tax credits under the Affordable Care Act. A recent report by the Kaiser Family Foundation found that allowing the subsidies to expire would more than double the average enrollee’s out-of-pocket premium payments, with some people seeing even larger increases of over 500%.
On Tuesday, Transportation Secretary Sean Duffy warned the U.S. could be forced to close vast swaths of U.S. airspace due to severe shortages of air traffic controllers, about 11,000 of whom have gone without pay throughout the shutdown. Duffy cautioned of “mass chaos” at airports if the shutdown continues for another week. Mere hours after Duffy’s comments, a UPS freight plane crashed at a Louisville, Kentucky, airport, killing at least nine people and leaving 11 others injured.
'Donald J. Trump
@realDonaldTrump
SNAP BENEFITS, which increased by Billions and Billions of Dollars (MANY FOLD!) during Crooked Joe Biden’s disastrous term in office (Due to the fact that they were haphazardly “handed” to anyone for the asking, as opposed to just those in need, which is the purpose of SNAP!), will be given only when the Radical Left Democrats open up government, which they can easily do, and not before! Thank you for your attention to this matter. President DJT
Nov 04, 2025, 8:06 AM
Meanwhile, President Trump on Tuesday appeared to defy federal court orders in a social media post in which he proclaimed that SNAP food assistance benefits “will be given only when the Radical Left Democrats open up government, which they can easily do, and not before!” That’s despite orders from two separate federal judges mandating that the administration keep funding SNAP, which helps some 42 million people purchase groceries each month. Press Secretary Karoline Leavitt later walked back Trump’s threat, saying the administration is following court orders to fund SNAP using a contingency fund. The White House says it’s only partially funding SNAP. On Tuesday, lawyers for cities and nonprofits returned to court seeking an order forcing the Trump administration to pay SNAP benefits rapidly and in full. This is Daletia Chung, a SNAP recipient in Maryland who predicted any further delays could lead to civil unrest.
Daletia Chung: “They’re asking for trouble, because people got children to feed, you know, and people know, people will go off on that. Now, I don’t know if anybody is trying to declare martial law under stuff like that, but you can set off a lot of huge problems. People have to eat.”
Israel Continues Striking Gaza Despite U.S.-Brokered Ceasefire
Nov 05, 2025
In the Gaza Strip, Israel’s military is targeting eastern areas of Khan Younis and Gaza City with intense artillery fire, despite the U.S.-brokered ceasefire agreement that took effect nearly a month ago. The shelling is targeting farms, homes and other civilian areas. It comes as a U.N. official warned aid groups are in a “race against time” to get food and other necessities into Gaza. According to the Norwegian Refugee Council, Israeli authorities have rejected 23 requests from nine aid groups to bring in millions of urgently needed non-food items that remain stuck in Jordan, Egypt and Israel awaiting approval. That includes some 4,000 pallets of shelter supplies such as tents, bedding and blankets. This is Manal Salem, a Palestinian mother of seven whose family is displaced and living in a tattered tent in Khan Younis.
Manal Salem: “Winter, we do not want to talk about winter, because the fears are very big. Our tents are completely worn out. We are unable; we do not know what to do. It is not just me. Most of the tents at the school are worn out. We just say, 'God have mercy on us for the winter.' As much as we used to pray for rain to come, now we pray that rain does not come, so that we do not struggle.”
Earlier today, Israel handed over the remains of 15 Palestinians, a day after Hamas returned the body of an Israeli American soldier. That brings the total number of Palestinian bodies returned to Gaza as part of the ceasefire to 285 — just a fraction of the bodies held by Israel.
Meanwhile, the Trump administration has drafted a U.N. Security Council resolution seeking a mandate of at least two years for an international stabilization force to be deployed in Gaza. U.N. Secretary-General António Guterres warned in response that any such force must have “full international legitimacy.”
U.N. Secretary-General Warns Sudan’s Civil War Is “Spiraling Out of Control”
Nov 05, 2025
The United Nations’ top official has warned Sudan’s civil war is spiraling out of control after the Rapid Support Forces paramilitary group seized control of the city of El Fasher in Sudan’s North Darfur region. On Tuesday, U.N. Secretary-General António Guterres warned that hundreds of thousands of civilians remained trapped by fighting, with large numbers dying of malnutrition, disease and violence. Guterres cited reports of war crimes and human rights abuses, including summary executions and sexual assaults. Survivors who fled El Fasher reported mass killings following the RSF’s advance.
Abdallah Hassaballah: “Once you leave the gates, the bodies start. The bodies continue all the way to Garri. Some were killed by thirst, some by exhaustion, some by their injuries, the bleeding. Some were injured by the rockets in El Fasher. They hurt more than gunshots, the shrapnel. They get into your body. They cause your legs to swell, stop your blood flow. It exhausts you. It impacts you within two or three hours.”
Pentagon Announces Another Deadly Strike on Alleged Drug Boat
Nov 05, 2025
Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth says the U.S. has bombed another boat in the eastern Pacific Ocean. On Tuesday, Hegseth claimed, without evidence, that the latest attack targeted a boat ferrying drugs, killing two people on board. If the Pentagon’s claims are accurate, that would bring the number of vessels attacked to 16 and the death toll to at least 67. This comes as the Pentagon is deploying its largest warship, the USS Gerald R. Ford aircraft carrier, to join a buildup of U.S. forces in the Caribbean.
NBC News: Trump Admin Looking into Possible U.S. Military Mission Inside Mexico
Nov 05, 2025
The Trump administration has drafted plans to deploy U.S. troops and intelligence officers to Mexico to attack drug labs and narcotrafficking leaders. That’s according to NBC News, citing current and former U.S. officials. On Tuesday, Mexican President Claudia Sheinbaum denied the reports, declaring “it’s not going to happen.”
President Claudia Sheinbaum: “First of all, it would be a violation of our sovereignty and our independence. And second, we can collaborate. We can coordinate. But it’s not about the United States coming to say or to intervene or to have their agents, because that didn’t work, either. And it’s not about coming to use war techniques in Mexico.”
U.N.: World Likely to Surpass 1.5 Degrees Celsius Climate Goal
Nov 05, 2025
A new U.N. environment report warns nations have made very little progress in the fight against climate change, putting the world on track toward dangerous global warming as greenhouse gas emissions remain too high. The U.N.'s annual emissions gap report suggests countries will not be able to prevent global warming from surpassing 1.5 degrees Celsius, which is the main goal of the Paris Agreement that was brokered a decade ago. U.N. experts say warming is likely to reach between 2.3 and 2.5 degrees Celsius, with the possibility of even higher temperatures if countries don't fulfill their current climate pledges. This is interim director of the U.N. Environment Programme Anne Olhoff.
Anne Olhoff: “Well, it’s a guarantee that unless we do things very differently from what we have been doing in the past many years, we will not see an overshoot of 1.5 degrees, we’ll see a permanent breach of 1.5 degrees. So it’s really about making as stringent and as quick cuts as possible overall.”
*******************************
Democratic Socialist Zohran Mamdani Wins Historic NYC Mayoral Race: “The Future Is in Our Hands”
by Amy Goodman
DermocracyNow
November 05, 2025
https://www.democracynow.org/2025/11/5/ ... transcript
Democratic socialist Zohran Mamdani won the New York mayoral race, defeating former Governor Andrew Cuomo. A year ago, Mamdani was polling at just 1%, but on Tuesday he became the first New York mayoral candidate to win over a million votes since the 1960s. Mamdani won despite being vastly outspent by Cuomo, who was backed by a group of billionaires. We play part of Mamdani’s victory speech to supporters at the Brooklyn Paramount, in which he vows to stand up to President Trump and acknowledges his unlikely path to Gracie Mansion: “I am young, despite my best efforts to grow older. I am Muslim. I am a democratic socialist. And most damning of all, I refuse to apologize for any of this.”
Transcript
This is a rush transcript. Copy may not be in its final form.
AMY GOODMAN: On Tuesday, Democrats won major victories across the United States, including in California, Virginia, Pennsylvania, New Jersey and here in New York, in what’s widely being seen as a repudiation of President Trump’s agenda.
In the most closely watched race, Zohran Mamdani won the New York mayoral race, defeating former Governor Andrew Cuomo. The 34-year-old democratic socialist state assemblymember will become the first Muslim and first South Asian to serve as New York mayor. In June, he shocked the political establishment when he beat Cuomo in the Democratic primary. Cuomo went on to run in the general election as an independent, but on Tuesday, Mamdani defeated him again. A year ago, Mamdani was polling at just 1%, but he built a historic grassroots coalition to fuel what Senator Bernie Sanders has called, quote, “one of the great political upsets in modern American history,” unquote.
On Tuesday, Zohran Mamdani became the first New York mayoral candidate to win over a million votes since the 1960s — more than Rudy Giuliani or Mike Bloomberg ever received. Mamdani has received 50.4% of the votes counted so far. Cuomo is at 41.6%. Republican Curtis Sliwa is at 7.1%.
Mamdani won even though many prominent Democrats, including Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer, the New York senator, refused to endorse him. Mamdani was also vastly outspent by Cuomo, who’s backed by a group of billionaires. President Trump endorsed Cuomo and repeatedly threatened to cut off federal funds to New York if Mamdani won.
On Tuesday night, Zohran Mamdani addressed supporters who packed into the Brooklyn Paramount. He began his speech by quoting the late labor leader and socialist Eugene Debs.
MAYOR-ELECT ZOHRAN MAMDANI: The sun may have set over our city this evening, but, as Eugene Debs once said, I can see the dawn of a better day for humanity.
For as long as we can remember, the working people of New York have been told by the wealthy and the well-connected that power does not belong in their hands. Fingers bruised from lifting boxes on the warehouse floor, palms calloused from delivery bike handle bars, knuckles scarred with kitchen burns, these are not hands that have been allowed to hold power.
And yet, over the last 12 months, you have dared to reach for something greater. Tonight, against all odds, we have grasped it. The future is in our hands. My friends, we have toppled a political dynasty.
I wish Andrew Cuomo only the best in private life. But let tonight be the final time I utter his name, as we turn the page on a politics that abandons the many and answers only to the few.
New York, tonight you have delivered a mandate for change, a mandate for a new kind of politics, a mandate for a city we can afford and a mandate for a government that delivers exactly that.
On January 1st, I will be sworn in as the mayor of New York City. And that is because of you. So, before I say anything else, I must say this: thank you. Thank you to the next generation of New Yorkers who refuse to accept that the promise of a better future was a relic of the past. You showed that when politics speaks to you without condescension, we can usher in a new era of leadership. We will fight for you because we are you, or, as we say on Steinway, ana minkum wa alaikum.
Thank you to those so often forgotten by the politics of our city who made this movement their own. I speak of Yemeni bodega owners and Mexican abuelas, Senegalese taxi drivers and Uzbek nurses, Trinidadian line cooks and Ethiopian aunties — yes, aunties. To every New Yorker in Kensington and Midwood and Hunts Point, know this: This city is your city, and this democracy is yours, too.
This campaign is about people like Wesley, an 1199 organizer I met outside of Elmhurst Hospital on Thursday night, a New Yorker who lives elsewhere, who commutes two hours each way from Pennsylvania because rent is too expensive in this city. It’s about people like the woman I met on the Bx33 years ago, who said to me, “I used to love New York, but now it’s just where I live.” And it’s about people like Richard, the taxi driver I went on a 15-day hunger strike with outside of City Hall, who still has to drive his cab seven days a week. My brother, we are in City Hall now. …
Standing before you, I think of the words of Jawaharlal Nehru: “A moment comes, but rarely in history, when we step out from the old to the new, when an age ends, and when the soul of a nation, long suppressed, finds utterance.” Tonight, we have stepped out from the old into the new.
So let us speak now with clarity and conviction that cannot be misunderstood about what this new age will deliver and for whom. This will be an age where New Yorkers expect from their leaders a bold vision of what we will achieve, rather than a list of excuses for what we are too timid to attempt.
Central to that vision will be the most ambitious agenda to tackle the cost-of-living crisis that this city has seen since the days of Fiorello La Guardia, an agenda that will freeze the rents for more than 2 million rent-stabilized tenants. …
Together, we will usher in a generation of change. And if we embrace this brave new course, rather than fleeing from it, we can respond to oligarchy and authoritarianism with the strength it fears, not the appeasement it craves. After all, if anyone can show a nation betrayed by Donald Trump how to defeat him, it is the city that gave rise to him. And if there is any way to terrify a despot, it is by dismantling the very conditions that allowed him to accumulate power.
This is not only how we stop Trump, it’s how we stop the next one. So, Donald Trump, since I know you’re watching, I have four words for you: Turn the volume up.
We will hold bad landlords to account, because the Donald Trumps of our city have grown far too comfortable taking advantage of their tenants. We will put an end to the culture of corruption that has allowed billionaires like Trump to evade taxation and exploit tax breaks. We will stand alongside unions and expand labor protections, because we know, just as Donald Trump does, that when working people have ironclad rights, the bosses who seek to extort them become very small indeed.
New York will remain a city of immigrants, a city built by immigrants, powered by immigrants and, as of tonight, led by an immigrant.
So, hear me, President Trump, when I say this: To get to any of us, you will have to get through all of us.
When we enter City Hall in 58 days, expectations will be high. We will meet them. A great New Yorker once said that while you campaign in poetry, you govern in prose. If that must be true, let the prose we write still rhyme, and let us build a shining city for all.
And we must chart a new path, as bold as the one we have already traveled. After all, the conventional wisdom would tell you that I am far from the perfect candidate. I am young, despite my best efforts to grow older. I am Muslim. I am a democratic socialist. And most damning of all, I refuse to apologize for any of this.
AMY GOODMAN: Zohran Mamdani speaking at his victory party Tuesday night at the Brooklyn Paramount after he won the New York City mayoral race, defeating former Governor Andrew Cuomo. After his speech, he was joined on stage by his wife, Rama Duwaji, and his parents, the filmmaker Mira Nair and Columbia University professor Mahmood Mamdani.
*******************************
The Movement Behind Mamdani: Organizers & Supporters Celebrate Stunning Victory & Repudiation of Trump
by Amy Goodman
DermocracyNow
November 05, 2025
https://www.democracynow.org/2025/11/5/ ... transcript
Democracy Now! spoke with supporters celebrating Zohran Mamdani’s win in the New York City mayoral race Tuesday night. Volunteers with the Democratic Socialists and other campaign organizers at the Brooklyn Paramount victory party described the night as “surreal” and vowed to fight back against President Trump’s agenda. Sumaya Awad, a NYC-DSA member, describes Zohran as a politician “that doesn’t put the platform and the mission at the expense of anyone.”
“When people’s needs aren’t being met, they need an alternative, and so far, only the far right was providing an alternative in the form of authoritarianism, in the form of fascism, in the form of hate, turning against immigrants, against queer people, against Muslims,” says Fahd Ahmed, director of DRUM Beats. “What this campaign and our movement was able to do was offer a left alternative.”
Transcript
This is a rush transcript. Copy may not be in its final form.
AMY GOODMAN: This is Democracy Now!, democracynow.org, The War and Peace Report. I’m Amy Goodman.
We’re continuing our coverage of Zohran Mamdani’s historic victory in the New York mayoral race over former Governor Andrew Cuomo. On Tuesday night, Democracy Now! was at Mamdani’s victory party at the historic Brooklyn Paramount. More than a thousand people packed in. We spoke to just a few of his supporters.
SUMAYA AWAD: My name is Sumaya Awad, and I’m a member of New York City DSA. And I am — to say I’m excited and ecstatic and relieved is an understatement. I mean, we have fought so hard for this, right before the primary, and then now, in the last couple of months and last couple weeks and today. I’ve been canvassing since 9 a.m. And I feel exhausted, but it’s the best kind of exhausted, because it’s exhaustion from something that I believe in with every fiber of my body and that I know that the majority of New Yorkers believe in. And we haven’t felt that — I haven’t felt that in my lifetime.
AMY GOODMAN: Tell us what it is you believe in.
SUMAYA AWAD: It’s a politician and an agenda that is truly for working-class people, and one that doesn’t put the platform and the mission at the expense of anyone. He has not left anyone out of what he is fighting for, and he’s made it clear. Whether you support him or not, he is fighting for us.
AMY GOODMAN: What did you say?
RUBY: NBC just called in for Zohran.
AMY GOODMAN: And what do you think?
RUBY: I’m so, so happy. I’ve been awake since 4:30 in the morning today, out canvassing in Park Slope and Prospect Heights. And we’ve been working towards this for a year, and I’m just so happy to win the New York City that we deserve.
AMY GOODMAN: What’s your name? Where are you from?
RUBY: My name is Ruby. I live in Crown Heights. Whoo!
AMY GOODMAN: Hi.
HARRISON: How’s it going?
AMY GOODMAN: Can you tell me your names? And what do you think?
HARRISON: I’m Harrison, and I’m thrilled. We’ve been canvassing since February, January, and it’s so happy to see all of our work pay off.
JANIE: It feels surreal that it’s actually here and that it’s happening, yeah. It’s so crazy.
AMY GOODMAN: What does it about Zohran Mamdani that led you to support him? And what is your name?
JANIE: I’m Janie. He just has inspired hope, I feel like, across the city in a way that no one has in a long time. Yeah, a lot of us didn’t want to vote for a Democrat who we felt like we had to, you know, choose over another person. So, yeah.
AMY GOODMAN: As you can hear, they have just called it for Zohran Mamdani. And here we are in the Brooklyn Paramount. What’s your name? What are your thoughts?
BEN: My name is Ben. I couldn’t be more excited. I couldn’t be more excited.
AMY GOODMAN: What group are you with?
BEN: I’m an organizer with Jewish Voice for Peace. We’ve worked really hard for this moment. I’m so excited to celebrate with everybody.
AMY GOODMAN: Did you think you’d see this day?
BEN: I was confident. I was confident. Yeah, yeah. Thank you.
AMY GOODMAN: What do you say about Donald Trump saying today that any Jew who votes for Zohran Mamdani is stupid?
BEN: It’s antisemitic nonsense. I mean, it’s bigotry, plain and simple. And we’re sick of antisemitism being weaponized against Palestinian people and against our own communities, as well.
AMY GOODMAN: What do you want to see Zohran Mamdani do as mayor?
BEN: Making New York City a city for everybody, a city we can afford, a city where people can lead dignified lives.
ROULA HAJJAR: My name is Roula Hajjar. I really — I don’t know what to say. I mean, it’s been a very hard few years with the genocide, and this is the first good news that we’ve had, it feels like, like truly, truly good news, something to really look forward to and celebrate.
AMY GOODMAN: What about local issues here in New York? What most appeals to you about Mamdani?
ROULA HAJJAR: Well, I mean, I think that — so, I’m a social worker by training, and I think that the way that he is construing public safety issues as not — you know, not criminalizing mental health issues is very, very significant and, I think, will change how we think of safety and security in New York City, which is something that I know is on the minds of a lot of people.
JAGPREET SINGH: My name is Jagpreet Singh. I’m the political director at DRUM Beats. And I feel amazing. I feel ecstatic. I’m on top of the world. It’s going to be a couple of days until I come back down.
NABILA: Hi. My name is Nabila. I’m a youth organizer at DRUM Beats.
AMY GOODMAN: It’s well known that while young people are very enthusiastic, they’re the least likely to vote.
NABILA: Yeah.
AMY GOODMAN: What’s your response to that?
NABILA: I think this just goes to show when we have a candidate that actually cares about the popular issues that affect everyone, and someone who’s charismatic and who doesn’t talk down to youth, you finally have a youth that’s ready to show the energy they’ve always had. It’s just that they’ve been marginalized all this time.
KEANU ARPELS-JOSIAH: Hi. My name is Keanu Arpels-Josiah. I’m with Sunrise Movement New York City.
AMY GOODMAN: So, what are your feelings right now?
KEANU ARPELS-JOSIAH: I’m joyful. This is the beginning of a new future for New York City, a future where we have a politics that works for our generation, for affordability, fights the climate crisis, fights the billionaire class taking over our government, stands up to fascism and stands up for our issues. This is a moment where all of politics is changing. New York City is changing. New York City is standing up and demanding a different future for our world, for our country and for our city. I couldn’t be more excited.
AMY GOODMAN: How will it change what you do?
KEANU ARPELS-JOSIAH: It means the same for us in some ways, and it means everything is different in other ways. It means collaboration. It means a politics of working with those in office to deliver the agenda, but it also means a politics of accountability. We need to be with Zohran celebrating today, and we need to be talking with him tomorrow to make his agenda a reality. We need to be standing alongside. We can’t just be yelling at each other. But we have to have collaboration and accountability. And it means we need to fight Governor Hochul, who’s trying to build fossil fuel pipelines through New York City, that Mamdani opposes. We need to fight to tax the rich. And we need to fight Washington as it attacks our communities.
SIMONE ZIMMERMAN: My name is Simone Zimmerman. I’m a part of the Jews for Zohran campaign. I’m a board member of Jews for Racial and Economic Justice Action. And I’m over the moon. I don’t know. This is it.
Trump called the Jews who voted for Zohran stupid. But look, we’re in a moment right now where we have an administration that is using racism and fear and is sowing terror in cities around the country. And Jews are not different from any other Americans. We see the hatred and the racism that they’re spreading, and we’re terrified of it. And despite the fact that millions of dollars were poured into this race to scare the living daylights out of Jewish voters, I think we’re going to see so many people see in Zohran a vision of safety and belonging in the city that they want to be part of, despite the fact that over and over again they were told, “You don’t belong. You don’t belong.” Zohran worked so hard to go to synagogues, to reach out to Jewish communities across the city, Jewish communities of such ideological and religious diversity, and say, “You belong here.” And I think people believe him, and I think that tonight we’re seeing that.
FAHD AHMED: My name is Fahd Ahmed, and I’m the director of DRUM Beats. This campaign was successful because it had a movement behind it, and it was successful because it spoke to the material needs of people.
AMY GOODMAN: This is a very strong message to the entire country. It’s not only Republicans who were organized against Mayor Mamdani. It’s the Democratic Party, as well. What are your thoughts on that?
FAHD AHMED: Yeah. You know, in our work, we talk about that the — it is the policies of the centrists, whether they’re Democrats or some of the old Republicans, that created the conditions that caused the rise of the right. When people’s needs aren’t being met, they need an alternative, and so far, only the far right was providing an alternative in the form of authoritarianism, in the form of fascism, in the form of hate, turning against immigrants, against queer people, against Muslims. And what this campaign and our movement was able to do was offer a left alternative.
JAMES DAVIS: I’m James Davis. I’m the president of the Professional Staff Congress-CUNY, the CUNY faculty and staff union.
AMY GOODMAN: You were among the first unions to endorse Zohran Mamdani.
JAMES DAVIS: We were. I mean, we’ve known Zohran since his time in the Assembly. So we knew that even though he was a long-shot candidate, he would have tremendous message discipline. And in a time like now, when there’s Trumpism from the federal government, we also knew that his message was going to resonate among working New Yorkers.
We see what President Trump has done with the budget bill as a massive transfer of wealth to the already wealthiest. So, part of our agenda is making sure that there’s additional progressive taxation, so that the public services, including the City University of New York, can be properly funded, so we can have not just an affordable education, but a high-quality education that our students deserve.
JASMINE GRIPPER: Jasmine Gripper, co-director of the New York state Working Families Party. We are feeling proud of our success. We endorsed Zohran early. And tonight he got over 140,000 votes on the Working Families ballot line. He himself voted for himself on the Working Families ballot line. So, we’re ready to continue to build power to make his agenda a reality, to help all New Yorkers.
WALEED SHAHID: Waleed Shahid. I’m a political strategist. I’m South Asian. I’m Muslim. I think the campaign that Zohran started was based on the fact that so many Muslim Americans, South Asian Americans, Arab Americans felt left out of the Democratic Party because of the party’s support of Benjamin Netanyahu’s war crimes. And Zohran made an effort to include those people in the Democratic Party, in the Democratic primary process, in a way that so many politicians were unwilling to do. And I think you’re seeing the results of that tonight, is that not only was it Muslims and South Asians and Arabs, but young Jews, young people of all backgrounds, wanted to see a candidate who had conviction and courage, whether it was about opposing war and genocide or standing up to the real estate lobby in this city, that they want a candidate who is consistent. And I think Zohran represents that in many ways and is like the — represents the future of a lot of what American politics is going to look like.
SHAHANA HANIF: I’m Shahana Hanif, New York City councilmember representing the 39th District in Brooklyn, which includes Park Slope, Kensington. And I feel amazing.
AMY GOODMAN: So, how will the City Council operate differently now with Mayor Mamdani?
SHAHANA HANIF: Look, we’ll have a partner. We will have a partner who shares similar values and a progressive agenda, that has not been supported by Mayor Adams. You know, we had a mayor who consistently vetoed signature legislation that would transform New Yorkers’ lives. He vetoed ending solitary confinement in our city jails. He vetoed adding more accountability and transparency to our police force. He vetoed expanding vouchers for people who are in shelters, warehoused for years. This mayor, this new mayor, cares so deeply about the working people, the working-class people of New York City, and his agenda is more aligned with the current progressive — with the current progressive New York City Council.
KHALID LATIF: My name is Khalid Latif. I’m the director of the Islamic Center of New York City.
AMY GOODMAN: So, here you are. Zohran Mamdani is about to take the stage. He has won the race for mayor. He will be the first Muslim mayor. Did you ever think you’d see this day?
KHALID LATIF: Yeah, you know, it’s so remarkable. I’ve known Zohran for years, and everything you see him to be and he presents himself as is who he actually is — really sincere, deep conviction, a genuine love for people. And I think for us as Muslims in New York City, with so much of the rhetoric that we’ve seen over decades, but especially ramping up into this night, for him to come and win this so quickly, and so many people from so many walks of life being here behind him tonight, just is a testament to who it is he is. It’s really remarkable. Yeah, there we go.
AMY GOODMAN: Can you read that for me, what it says on the screen?
KHALID LATIF: Zohran right now has over 50% of the votes, 972,000 votes in total. And it’s just going to keep coming in. He’s a remarkable young man, and New York is behind him right now.
AMY GOODMAN: Did you think this was possible?
KHALID LATIF: You know, I think, early on, when he started, people probably didn’t know what to expect. But as things started to go, I was there the night of the primary, and just the hope that was in the room and the sheer shock that people had that he won so quickly, I think everybody knew we were going to get to this place right now. And it’s just the start of a lot of good things.
MAMDANI SUPPORTER: I!
MAMDANI SUPPORTERS: I!
MAMDANI SUPPORTER: I believe!
MAMDANI SUPPORTERS: I believe!
MAMDANI SUPPORTER: I believe that we!
MAMDANI SUPPORTERS: I believe that we!
MAMDANI SUPPORTER: I believe that we have won!
MAMDANI SUPPORTERS: I believe that we have won! I believe that we have won! I believe that we have won!
AMY GOODMAN: Some of the many supporters and organizers at Zohran Mamdani’s victory party Tuesday night at the Brooklyn Paramount. Mamdani thanked the more than 104,000 volunteers who propelled him to victory in the New York mayoral race. Special thanks to Democracy Now!’s Hany Massoud and Anjali Kamat.
*******************************
This Is How to Fight Fascism: Naomi Klein, AOC & Brad Lander on Mamdani Victory
by Amy Goodman
DermocracyNow
November 05, 2025
https://www.democracynow.org/2025/11/5/ ... transcript
At Zohran Mamdani’s victory party at the Brooklyn Paramount on Tuesday night, Democracy Now! spoke with Congressmember Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez. “We’re not going to be intimidated,” Ocasio-Cortez said. “We’re going to fight for working families. We’re going to stand with immigrants. We’re going to stand with the diversity of this city.”
Brad Lander, former mayoral candidate who cross-endorsed with Mandani in the Democratic primary, commented on the power of having a “Muslim New Yorker and a Jewish New Yorker say we are not going to allow Andrew Cuomo or Eric Adams or Donald Trump or Elon Musk or Stephen Miller to weaponize fear and pit us against each other.”
“This is such an incredible proof of concept of how to fight fascism,” added the Canadian journalist, author and activist Naomi Klein.
Transcript
This is a rush transcript. Copy may not be in its final form.
AMY GOODMAN: At the celebration, I had a chance to briefly speak with Democratic Congresswoman Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez of New York.
AMY GOODMAN: The new mayor of New York City, the first Muslim mayor of New York. Your thoughts?
REP. ALEXANDRIA OCASIO-CORTEZ: I mean, Zohran Mamdani, of course, a historic candidate, a tremendous moment for the people of New York. We showed that we’re not going to be bullied. We’re not going to be intimidated. We’re going to fight for working families. We’re going to stand with immigrants. We’re going to stand with the diversity of this city. And we’re also going to make sure that, first and foremost, that this is a city that working people will not be displaced out of.
AMY GOODMAN: What do you say to President Trump, who says he’ll withhold billions of dollars from New York, make it impossible for Zohran Mamdani to govern?
REP. ALEXANDRIA OCASIO-CORTEZ: Well, you know, I think — I think that President Trump was born in New York City, and he knows that if you mess with New York, you mess with the whole country. And so, you know, I think this isn’t a city that doesn’t fight back.
AMY GOODMAN: That’s New York Democratic Congresswoman Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez at Zohran Mamdani’s victory party. I also spoke with the Canadian journalist, author and activist and professor, Naomi Klein.
AMY GOODMAN: Start off by saying your name and your feelings right now.
NAOMI KLEIN: My name is Naomi Klein. And I’m levitating. This is such an incredible proof of concept of how to fight fascism. You know, Zohran, immediately after Trump’s election, went out and talked to Trump voters, people who had never voted for Trump before, Black and Brown people in working-class neighborhoods, didn’t vilify them, just listened to them.
I talked to Zohran for the first time a week after Trump’s election. And what he said to me was everything is broken for people. Like, the elevator in their public housing hasn’t been fixed for 10 months. Nothing is working. So it’s so easy for someone like Trump to come along and be like, “Blame the immigrant. Blame the unhoused person.” And his entire campaign was about proving that if you actually meet people’s real needs and raise the floor and say, “OK, let’s freeze the red. Let’s have free and fast buses. Let’s have universal child care. Let’s address that sense of scarcity and insecurity at its root,” that it can pull people back from the fascist abyss. And he won tonight. He proved that that is — that works. That message works.
This movement, this is anti-fascism, and it is also the antithesis of fascism, because fascists want everybody to be the same. They celebrate conformity, uniformity, sameness, hierarchy. Look in — New York is the most unruly city. The entire campaign was a love letter to the diversity, linguistic, faith, cultural diversity of the city, at a time when the Republicans never stop pouring hate onto cities and make people afraid of each other, right?
AMY GOODMAN: Naomi Klein, speaking last night at Zohran Mamdani’s victory party in Brooklyn. I also spoke to a New York official who also ran for mayor in the Democratic primary.
AMY GOODMAN: Can you identify yourself and your position and what you did with Zohran Mamdani?
BRAD LANDER: Yeah, I’m New York City Comptroller Brad Lander. You know, I was a candidate for mayor. I cross-endorsed with Zohran in the primary, as it was clear that he was the candidate with the best chance to win. We took Andrew Cuomo on together in the second mayoral debate in the primary.
AMY GOODMAN: The ranked-choice voting was so significant.
BRAD LANDER: Ranked-choice voting made a huge difference for us to build a slate of — a team of people committed to a more affordable and a more humane city, and who said he can’t be — Andrew Cuomo can’t be anywhere near City Hall. And then I worked really hard in the general election, obviously, you know, to have a Muslim New Yorker and a Jewish New Yorker say we are not going to allow Andrew Cuomo or Eric Adams or Donald Trump or Elon Musk or Stephen Miller to weaponize fear and pit us against each other. The only way that we’ll be safe is if we’re all safe.
AMY GOODMAN: And your response to President Trump saying any Jew who votes for Zohran is stupid?
BRAD LANDER: Well, what I did today was to quote Ethics of the Fathers, or Pirkei Avot, which says, you know, “Who is wise? He who learns from everyone. And who’s a fool? He who can’t learn a damn thing.” So, Donald Trump doesn’t get to tell us how to be Jewish. He sure can’t tell smart from stupid. And I’ll tell you this: Like, if he comes for New York City, it’s not going to be Donald Trump versus Zohran Mamdani. It’s going to be Donald Trump versus New York City. And I think when they write the history books, maybe they’ll say when Trump started to lose was when he came for New York after we elected Zohran. And just like we said good [bleep] riddance to Andrew Cuomo, we’ll do the same to Donald Trump.
AMY GOODMAN: So, you’re the city comptroller. You know what it means for President Trump to say he would pull billions from the city.
BRAD LANDER: Yeah, look, I mean, Elon Musk stole $80 million from New York in February, and Eric Adams couldn’t say a damn word about it. So, having a mayor who’s going to stand up and fight on our behalf, bring us together, organize us to help stand up, that’s how we win. That’s our money. It’s not Donald Trump’s money, however much he might think it is.
AMY GOODMAN: So, this is certainly a message to all of the United States, not only the Republican Party, but the Democratic Party, as well, which is clearly fighting back. I mean, the leader of the Democrats in the Senate, Senator Schumer, never even endorsed the Democratic candidate for mayor, Zohran Mamdani. What do you say to him? What do you say to the party?
BRAD LANDER: Well, yeah, but let’s be clear. In the last 24 hours, Donald Trump endorsed Andrew Cuomo. Stephen Miller endorsed Andrew Cuomo. Elon Musk endorsed Andrew Cuomo. So, Democrats who couldn’t stand up and say, “We’re with Zohran in a fight against that MAGA, you know, cabal,” like, we need a party that is broad. It’s got to include moderates. Of course it does. And when they win primaries in the right seats where they’re representing their constituents, then, of course, we’ll go support them. But when progressive candidates like Zohran win, then moderates have got to support them, as well. That’s the only way we can build a popular front that’s going to be sufficient to stand up to this authoritarian president.
AMY GOODMAN: That’s New York City Comptroller Brad Lander at Zohran Mamdani’s mayoral victory party at the Brooklyn Paramount.
When we come back, we’ll look at how Democrats scored major victories across the country, including in California, Virginia, New Jersey and Pennsylvania, in what’s been described as a repudiation of the Trump agenda. Stay with us.
[break]
AMY GOODMAN: Qais Essar and Sonny Singh, here on Democracy Now!, democarcynow.org. I’m Amy Goodman.
*******************************
“Epic Night for Democrats”: Party Wins Races Across the U.S. in Voter Rebuke to Trump
by Amy Goodman
DermocracyNow
November 05, 2025
https://www.democracynow.org/2025/11/5/ ... transcript
We get an overview of how Democrats won big across the United States in Tuesday’s elections, with Daniel Nichanian, editor-in-chief of Bolts. Democratic Congressmember Mikie Sherrill won New Jersey’s governor’s race, and Abigail Spanberger flipped Virginia’s governorship. In California, voters approved a new congressional map that could help Democrats pick up five additional congressional seats in a move to counter Texas’s redistricting plan. Local races across the countries also saw widespread Democratic wins. Nichanian says he has “never really quite seen this level of systematic win for pretty much anything that there was [for Democrats] to win.”
Transcript
This is a rush transcript. Copy may not be in its final form.
AMY GOODMAN: Tuesday’s general elections saw Democrats post big wins across the United States.
In California, voters passed Proposition 50, approving a new congressional map that could help Democrats pick up five additional congressional seats in the move to counter Texas’s redistricting effort to help Republicans gain five House seats.
In New Jersey, Democratic Congressmember Mikie Sherrill won the governor’s race, defeating Jack Ciattarelli.
In Virginia, Democrats reclaimed full control of the state’s executive branch, as Abigail Spanberger flipped the governorship, becoming Virginia’s first female governor. Virginia voters also chose Ghazala Hashmi to be Virginia’s lieutenant governor, making her the first Muslim woman elected to statewide office anywhere in the United States. Meanwhile, Democrat Jay Jones defeated Virginia’s incumbent Republican attorney general.
In Minneapolis, Democratic Mayor Jacob Frey led democratic socialist challenger Omar Fateh, but neither got more than 50% of the votes, so the race moves to a second round of ranked-choice voting.
And in Pennsylvania, Democrats retained control of the state Supreme Court, after three justices won their races.
For more, we go to Washington, D.C., where we’re joined by Daniel Nichanian, editor-in-chief of Bolts, who covered the general election closely.
We welcome you back to Democracy Now! Daniel Nichanian, start off by just talking about the national picture.
DANIEL NICHANIAN: Well, thank you for having me.
And, you know, it was really — there’s no other way to put it — an epic night for Democrats last night. I’ve been following election nights for a long time, and I’ve never really quite seen this level of systematic win for pretty much anything that there was to win between the parties for a Democratic candidate. You already named a lot of the big picture races, but it was — pretty much anywhere that there was an election yesterday, there was just a small earthquake or a big earthquake in favor of Democrats.
So, let me give you just one big picture example, that there were 13 statewide races yesterday for statewide office. There was the ones you mentioned. There was one in Jersey, three in Virginia, two in Georgia, as well as seven in Pennsylvania, all judges. And Democrats won all 13 of these races, and they won them by comfortable margins, ranging from six points to 24 points. That’s right. In Georgia, Democrats won two seats by 24 points. And what’s super interesting is that Democrats had never won a statewide race for a race that isn’t federal, for a state government, in 20 years, almost 20 years, and they won them by 24 points last night.
And if you move down-ballot to county-level races, to city races, you are seeing the same thing over and over again, of Democrats winning counties or offices that they hadn’t won for a long time. The Democrats broke the supermajority, the Republican supermajority, in the Mississippi upper chamber. Democrats won the most seats they have in the Virginia House since the ’80s. Democrats flipped Erie County, Pennsylvania. Democrats flipped Onondaga County in New York for the first time since the ’70s.
And I could go on and on, and I’m not going to do that. But also to — I think maybe another last place to look at is, even if you go all the way down to school board races, you know, that was really the center of the conservative ideological takeover in 2021, 2022, a lot of — a lot of conservative takeovers at the school board level. Even there, we’re seeing a lot of conservatives lose their seats, in Colorado, in Pennsylvania, in Texas. So, that, I think, really gives you an idea of the sort of night that we’re speaking about.
AMY GOODMAN: So, in California, Prop 50, very quickly, your response?
DANIEL NICHANIAN: Right. So, Prop 50 is a very — was a very important part of this war that is happening right now on the — for the U.S. House next year. In California, Democrats responded to efforts by Republicans elsewhere to draw maps in their favor. And that, itself, is going to shift five seats in favor of Democrats.
I think a big takeaway yesterday of the type of swings that I was just describing, as well — again, we’re talking about a 24-point win in Virginia, large wins in Virginia, Jersey — is that Republicans could get a little spooked, a little scared, about the type of maps that they’re drawing, that are not necessarily equipped to withstand the type of wave that we saw last night, so that that’s also something to watch, whether Republicans continue now to try and draw the maps in their favor, as they’ve been planning to, in places like Florida or Indiana.
AMY GOODMAN: The significance of the three liberal judges in Pennsylvania keeping their seats?
DANIEL NICHANIAN: Right. I mean, there’s so much to talk about. There were three races for the state court, for the state’s highest court in Pennsylvania, the biggest swing state in the nation. And Republicans were really hopeful to take back the court in advance of the 2028 presidential election, because this is a state where President Trump kept suing to try and overturn the 2020 result, and kept losing at the state’s highest court. And yesterday was the Republican opportunity to erase the majority that Democrats enjoy there. Democrats won those races very easily. They are now very likely to hold that court until 2029.
AMY GOODMAN: And in Minneapolis, now the — neither candidate, the mayor, Frey, or Omar Fateh, got 50%. So, explain what happens right now between Jacob Frey and Omar Fateh. It’s ranked-choice voting.
DANIEL NICHANIAN: Right. So, that is one of the main mayoral races we were watching, as a companion of what’s happening in New York that you’ve covered during the show, where there was a more centrist incumbent mayor running against a progressive challenger. In the first round of voting, there’s about a 9 percentage point gap, something like that, between Frey, who’s ahead, and Fateh, who’s second. But now we move to ranked-choice voting, their third, fourth candidate that got a large share of the vote, and a lot of them are aligned more with the left and with Omar Fateh’s campaign. So we could see a very tight election when the ranked choice is run at some point, I think, in this afternoon.
AMY GOODMAN: And the significance — he is called, Omar Fateh, the “Mamdani of the Midwest” — but of Mamdani himself, and President Trump saying, overall, he wrote, ”TRUMP WASN’T ON THE BALLOT, AND SHUTDOWN, WERE THE TWO REASONS THAT REPUBLICANS LOST ELECTIONS TONIGHT”? He refers to himself in the third person. The shutdown and that he himself wasn’t on the ballot.
DANIEL NICHANIAN: I mean, I just heard the excerpts from his speech earlier in the program and when he said, you know —
AMY GOODMAN: Mamdani.
DANIEL NICHANIAN: — “I am an immigrant,” and that’s such an important part of his win, of his victory. And that was very striking, first because of the Islamophobic campaign that really was ran against him in the final weeks of the campaign, also because, as you mentioned a few minutes ago, there was the first Muslim woman to win a statewide office anywhere in the country, that really stands in parallel — as a companion result, given that context, but also because we saw the topic of immigration and ICE, and obviously Trump’s agenda around those issues, be very important around the country. Just as one example, the Republican —
AMY GOODMAN: We have five seconds.
DANIEL NICHANIAN: — nominee for governor — OK, well, there were a lot of races where immigration was on the ballot and the big issue, and that’s what I was going to end with.
AMY GOODMAN: Daniel Nichanian, you got a lot in there, editor-in-chief of Bolts. We’ll link to your coverage of the elections at democracynow.org.
You do not have the required permissions to view the files attached to this post.
- admin
- Site Admin
- Posts: 38413
- Joined: Thu Aug 01, 2013 5:21 am
Re: Part 2 Anti-Anti-Nazi Barbarian Hordes are Knocking Down
by admin » Wed Nov 05, 2025 6:27 pm
Donald J. Trump
@realDonaldTrump
SNAP BENEFITS, which increased by Billions and Billions of Dollars (MANY FOLD!) during Crooked Joe Biden’s disastrous term in office (Due to the fact that they were haphazardly “handed” to anyone for the asking, as opposed to just those in need, which is the purpose of SNAP!), will be given only when the Radical Left Democrats open up government, which they can easily do, and not before! Thank you for your attention to this matter. President DJT
Nov 04, 2025, 8:06 AM
You do not have the required permissions to view the files attached to this post.
- admin
- Site Admin
- Posts: 38413
- Joined: Thu Aug 01, 2013 5:21 am
Re: Part 2 Anti-Anti-Nazi Barbarian Hordes are Knocking Down
by admin » Wed Nov 05, 2025 8:37 pm
Trump SKEWERED at BIGGEST HEARING in front of SCOTUS YET
Legal AF
Nov 5, 2025
After 2.5 hours of oral argument before the Supreme Court about whether Trump's trillion dollar Tariff scheme is Unconstitutional or illegal, all comes down to which way Gorsuch and Amy Coney Barrett flip. It was a very skeptical bench today, and made the MAGA 6 squirm, as Popok explains that this could well end up a 5-4 decision to tear down the tariffs with ACB leading the way and convincing a wobbly Gorsuch to join her.
Transcript
Will Neil Gorsuch and Amy Coney Barrett
on the United States Supreme Court based
on oral argument today about the tariff
scheme of Donald Trump, will they flip
sides and side with the Liberals to form
a five to four block to throw out the
Trump tariffs? Donald Trump was scared
today. I'm sure he was scared by the
results of a sweeping win for the
Democrats on election night in America
yesterday. He didn't even bother going
to the Supreme Court because even though
he said he was going to because he was
scared of what was going to happen and
he should have been. At least they'll
give him credit for having some judgment
because it was a very hot and skeptical
bench against John Sauer, the solicitor
general of the United States, Donald
Trump's former criminal appellet lawyer,
now the number four lawyer in the
Department of Justice, whose arguments
took on water relatively quickly,
including close and hard and harsh
questioning by Justice Gorsuch and
Justice Amy Coney Barrett. And the
question is is Gorsuch and Barrett going
to ultimately side based on their
questioning with Katanji Brown Jackson
uh Sutayor and Kagan and form a five to
four block at least to strike down the
tariffs which are just taxes on the
American people and are illegal and
unconstitutional or are they at the end
going to go and run over far far
alt-right and join the other side and
what happened to the major interpretive
methods that the Supreme Supreme Court
always uses. Will they use them again?
And how should this case come out based
on comments made by the Supreme Court
justices today during the oral argument?
Let me give you a summary here in 10
minutes or less on Legal AF. Take a
minute and hit the free subscribe
button. I'm Michael Popach. Let's get to
it. If you're looking for a telltale
sign of how the argument went, look no
further to the hard questioning. Not by
Sautayor, and that was a hard
questioning, but by Amy Coney Barrett
and Gorsuch. In fact, let me play you as
we get started here how he ran into a
problem. John Sauer almost early on in
questioning by Neil Gorsuch. Then I'll
give you my view as to whether Neil
Gorsuch is ultimately going to side to
strike down these tariffs. Let's do the
first Gorsuch clip and the back and
forth there.
General, just a few questions following
up on the major questions discussions
you've had. Um you say that uh we
shouldn't be so concerned in the area of
foreign affairs because of the
president's inherent powers. That's the
gist of it as I understand it. Why we
should disregard both major questions
and non-delegation?
So could Congress delegate to the
president the power to regulate commerce
with foreign nations as he sees fit, to
delay and collect duties as he sees fit?
We we don't uh we don't assert that
here. That would be a much harder case.
Now in 179.
Isn't that the logic of your of your
view though?
I don't think so because we're dealing
with a statute that was a carefully
crafted compromise. It does have all the
limitations that I just talked about.
You're saying we shouldn't be concerned
with Yeah. I want to explain to me how
you draw the line because you say we
shouldn't be concerned because this is
foreign affairs and the president has
inherent authority and so delegation off
the books more or less. And if that's
true, what would what would prohibit
Congress from just abdicating all
responsibility to regulate foreign
commerce for that matter declare war to
the president?
We don't contend that he could do that
if it did.
Why not?
Well, because we're dealing with a
statute again that has a whole
I'm not asking about the statute,
General. I'm not asking about the
statute. I'm asking for your theory of
the constitution and why the major
questions and non-legation what bite it
would have in that case. I would say by
then you had moved from the area where
there's enormous difference to the
president actually both the political
branches where here there's inherent
authority and pile on top of that
there's a broad delegation.
You're saying there's inherent authority
in foreign affairs all foreign affairs.
So regulate commerce duties and and and
tariffs and war it's inherent authority
all the way down. You say fine Congress
decides tomorrow well we're tired of
this legislating business. We're just
going to hand it all off to the
president. What would stop Congress from
doing that?
That would be different than a situation
where there are meats and bounds, so to
speak. It would be a wholesale
application.
You say we we we we are not here to
judge meats and bounds when the foreign
that's what I'm struggling with. You
you'd have to have some test and if it
isn't the intelligible principle test or
something more with more bite than that.
You're saying it's something less. What
is that less? I think what the court has
said in its opinions is just that it
applies with much less force more
limited application in this context. So
perhaps the right to approach it is a
very very differential application of
the intellig intelligible principal test
that that sort of wholesale application
of
all right. So now you're admitting that
there is some non-legation principle at
play here and therefore major questions
as well.
Very limited very very differential and
limited is what and again the the phrase
that Justice Jackson uses it just does
not apply at least. No, but that's where
you started off and now you've retreated
from that as I understand it.
Uh uh well I think we would as our
frontline position a certain stronger
position but if the court doesn't accept
it then if there is a highly
Can you give me a reason to accept it
though? That's what I'm struggling and
waiting for. What's the reason to accept
the notion that Congress can hand off
the power to declare war to the
president?
Well, we don't content that. Again, that
would be
Well, you do. You say it's unreable.
There's no manageable standard, nothing
to be done. And now you're I I think you
tell me if I'm wrong. you backed off
that position.
Uh uh uh uh maybe that's fair to say.
Okay,
that is not a Neil Gorsuch
who is in favor of this interpretation
of the statute to give Donald Trump the
power. Let's back up a minute. What is
this case about? This case is about a
statute called the International
Economic Emergency Powers Act, AIPA,
created in 1977 by Congress to give some
limited delegation of authority to a
president in a true economic emergency
to do something about it to license to
regulate to embargo
to stop the flow of goods. But it
doesn't say a tariff. And the tariff
power has always been historically
constitutionally a power of Congress in
article one. And if the argument goes
under the major questions doctrine
invented by the Roberts court that if
they wanted to congress wanted to give
that power to the president, he they'd
have to do it expressly, not impliedly,
not by using the word regulate and
license, etc. have to be expressed. or
as AG Attorney General Bont told me
yesterday on the intersection, you don't
hide a a elephant in a mouse hole.
And they didn't do that when they
created AIPA to give powers to Jimmy
Carter. I mean, the understanding of
AIPA was to limit the power of the
president in an emergency, not to give
him broad sweeping capacious powers.
And that is the problem. and Amy Con Amy
Coney Barrett and Gorsuch were both
concerned with the separation of powers
and the argument that the Trump
administration was making. I mean, Neil
Gorsuch called it a one-way ratchet that
you couldn't get back if you took this
power away from Congress. And the other
issue besides non the major questions
doctrine is another doctrine that the
Supreme Court often uses called the
non-delegation doctrine. There are just
some things that the that Congress can't
delegate to another branch like war
making war or you know or like you know
the article 3 branch can't delegate to
the president the power to create a
court system
and here's the questioning by Neil
Gorsuch on that issue.
General if I can cut through those words
I think you're saying that no the
president doesn't have inherent
authority over tariffs in peace time.
Absolutely. That is we we do not assert
that. We say that Congress can delegate
that to him and when Congress does so as
it does when it uses the phrase regulate
importation.
And I I I follow all all of that. Okay.
Um you emphasize that Congress can
always take back its powers that you
mentioned that a couple of times. But
don't we have a serious retrieval
problem here? Because once Congress
delegates through by a bare majority and
the president signs it. And of course,
every president will sign a law that
gives him more authority,
Congress can't take that back without a
supermajority. And even, you know, even
then it's going to be veto proof. What
president's ever going to give that
power back? Pretty rare president.
So what how did how should that inform
our view of delegations and major
questions? I would look at the balance
that Congress struck cuz what Congress
did initially it had a two-house
legislative veto
and then Congress went back to the
statute and amended it. It took out the
legislative veto and left in the joint
resolution but still left the president
with all those
that's what they that's what Congress
did fair enough as a practical matter in
the real world it can never get that
power back. I disagree because in
January 2023, Congress voted to to
terminate one of the biggest IEPA
emergencies ever, the CO emergency, and
the president went along with that. So,
what the statute reflects is there's
going to be the ability for a sort of
political consensus against a declared
emergency.
What happens when the president simply
vetos legislation to try to take these
powers back?
Well, he has the authority to veto
legislation to terminate a national
emergency, for example. I mean, he
retains the powers in the background
because AEP is still on the books. But
if he declares an emergency and Congress
doesn't like it and passes a joint
resolution, yes, he can absolutely veto
that Congress.
So, Congress is a practical matter.
Now, that got picked up later on by Amy
Coney Barrett. That's why I started this
with is Amy Coney Barrett going to side
and is she going to end up being a five
to four minority or is she going to be
five to four in the majority because a
Gorsuch or maybe a Roberts, Chief
Justice Roberts sides with them. Based
on questioning, Gorsuch is in play.
Based in questioning, Amy Coney Barrett
is in play. In fact, Amy Coney Barrett
famously wrote in her last book that
she's been touring on before the s
during the summer that when you're
dealing with statutory interpretation,
what's ina
you read the statute, you read the
statute, you read the statute. Okay?
Nowhere in the statute is the word
tariff. There's license, there's
controls, but no tariff. Now, John
Sauer, the lawyer for Donald Trump,
argued, well, we also have to look to
article 2 powers of the president, and
he's got tremendous powers in the area
of foreign affairs. And that seemed to
resonate a little bit with John Roberts
because, you know, he's always looking
for a way to pump up the president. And
he's, oh, that's true. There is foreign
powers there. But there's also this
major questions doctrine. So, you see
Roberts openly struggling. How do I
reconcile this thing? I invented 10
years ago called the major questions
doctrine with the powers of the
president under article two. And yes, I
agree. You have to read the statute in
the context of the powers
constitutionally given to the branches.
But nowhere in the president's powers
list, constitutional core powers is the
power to tariff or to tax. That's in
Congress. Why? Because it's the people's
house. Because in order to impose a tax
on you, which it was what a tariff is,
you have to go through both houses of
Congress, get a majority, it has to be
signed by a president before you can
start taking money out of my pocket.
But but in these tariffs as taxes, this
is just the president. And that concerns
many people. In fact, let's play the
clip of Amy Cody Barrett going after
John Sauer for the Trump administration.
Let's play that clip. You said, "Well,
listen, you point to the uh Congress's
ability to terminate emergencies, which
it's done." But if Congress ever wanted
to get the tariffing power back, it
would have to have a veto proof majority
because regardless of the emergency, so
if Congress wanted to reject the let's
say that we adopt your interpretation of
the statute, if Congress said, "Whoa, we
don't like that. That gives a president
too much authority under AIPA." is going
to have a very hard time pulling the
tariff power out of AIPA. Correct.
I don't know if it' be a hard time.
Certainly would have to have amendment,
which would be the true of any case
where this court definitively interprets
a statute. Yes. I I think that the
definitively interpreting a statute that
grants presidential power makes it
particularly hard to get the president
to not want to veto something which as
Justice is pointing out, Justice Gorsuch
is pointing out has him lose power. Now,
that's the back and forth
with the conservatives,
right? Even later on, Gorsuch
um as I said, Gorsuch says it's a
one-way ratchet. How do we ever how does
Congress ever get the power back once
given? And then that runs into
a delegation non-delegation problem.
Then there was of course questioning
by
Justice Sotomayor as you would expect
and that didn't go well for uh John
Sauer either. I got two clips here.
Let's play the back to back
on license for the reason I just said
because it is a noun not the verb.
You're relying on regulate. Correct.
Yes.
regulate importation.
And despite the fact that no other
president in the history of AIA has ever
used has ever imported uh used tariffs
as a power under AIA.
Well, President Nixon did
under predecessor and we have all the
limitations of that. All right. Um,
number two, whenever Congress intends to
to permit taxing and regulate, it uses
the word tax and regulate in every other
statute. Correct.
I I don't concede that. I mean, two very
visible examples again are TWIA and
section 122.
We're back to the the question here.
Okay. Thank you.
Has been to tariff them. They say, well,
you can post quotas. Well, quotas are
essentially economically, you know,
economically equivalent to tariffs. So
the question is why would you be able to
quota underregulate but not tariff
underregulate when the tariffs are
themselves regulatory? And let me turn
back to the question I was g the
response I was giving. Could answer
could the answer be that in other places
where Congress wants that particular
form of regulation to be used. They say
impose duties. They say you can tax.
Mr. President here they don't say that.
Now, let me take up the plane 5,000 ft
and look down.
If I was handicapping this, and I'm
going to,
you've got
uh six votes already accounted for.
Katanji Brown Jackson, so mayor, and
Kagan, they're going to vote to strike
down the tariffs. Alto, Thomas, and
Kavanaaugh are going to vote to uphold
the tariffs because they don't want to
take out of the president's tool bag the
ability to tariff in time of war or
national crisis. Okay. So, who's in the
middle? Well, not the middle
politically, just in the middle, not
having yet chosen a side. Roberts,
Kavanaaugh, uh, Gorsuch, and Amy Coney
Barrett. I think Amy Coney Barrett is
most likely to side with the liberal or
moderate wing. So, I think we got four
votes over there. Now, how do you count?
It's now four four. You know, how do you
count to five?
If Roberts breaks for the moderates and
or if Kavanaaugh does then the tariffs
are going to be struck down. Now Donald
Trump's all upset about that. He said
it's going to cause the Great
Depression. John Sauer, the solicitor
general said it's going to cause the
Great Depression. I don't know about all
that. I mean, we've never had a
president impose 138 different tariffs.
And the last time we had anything like
it in the 1930s, it led to the Great
Depression. But Donald Trump is a is a
is a is a chicken. We know that. First,
he threatened that he was going to go to
the oral argument and then probably
after the results of last night, which
was a blue wave. He thought better of
it, especially having read the
arguments, which got worse when John
Sour argued them. He's he's almost
unlistenable. Just his his voice alone
is unlistenable.
And for those out there, just to touch
on election night last night, I had a
friend of mine write me who's Republican
who said, "Oh, that it wasn't a wipeout.
But it was just in all the blue states.
Not exactly because 13 different
delegates in Pennsylvania flipped and
became Democrat. That had been MAGA and
Trump. Uh every major position in
Virginia went blue.
Uh usually they split their ticket a
little bit more. And in governor races
like in New Jersey and in um Virginia
where the mod squad representatives of
Mikey Cheryl and um and Governor um
Spanberger,
they flipped counties that had voted for
Donald Trump the last time around and
got them back to being blue where they
belong.
So that was not a great there's no way
as Rahm Emanuel said on CNN during the
coverage last night having been in the
White House with Obama that there was no
champagne corks being popped to the
White House. There's no way to make this
a positive if you're really looking at
the numbers and the results. So I'm sure
that went into Donald Trump's idea about
maybe I shouldn't shle over to the to
the Supreme Court and have them while
I'm sitting there have them ask some
pointed questions that I don't like
about my policies. Now the ar the person
who argued Neil Katal uh Catal uh who uh
was the advocate for the main plaintiff
in the case he made it easy on the on
the court he told the court you know you
can um make this retroactive if you want
to in other words if you want to or
prospective sorry if you want to just
let Donald Trump keep all the money but
but allow going forward there to be no
tariffs that's okay too because that
might be more palatable rather than
wreck the entire administration. They
may be concerned about that as
Republicans and conservatives, but uh
it's going to wreck the administration
anyway because he's got his tariffs are
so tied in. His fingers in so many pies
about the tariffs. 90% of goods in the
world now passed through some sort of
tariff of Trump and uh and we're going
to have to undo that, unscramble that
egg. I'm sorry. He he stole power from
Congress when he shouldn't have, but
we'll continue to follow it all right
here. In the meantime, I'm Michael
Popac. You're here on Legal AF YouTube
channel. Hit the free subscribe button.
Slide over to Legal AF the Substack.
Become a paid member and help us keep
this kind of content on the air. So,
until my next report, I'm Michael
Popach. Can't get your fill of Legal AF?
Me neither. That's why we formed the
Legal AF Substack. Every time we mention
something in a hottake, whether it's a
court filing or a oral argument, come
over to the Substack. You'll find the
court filing and the oral argument
there, including a daily roundup that I
do called, wait for it, Morning AF. What
else? All the other contributors from
Legal AF are there as well. We got some
new reporting. We got interviews. We got
ad free versions of the podcast and hot
takes where Legal AF on Substack. Come
over now to free subscribe.
[Music]
Legal AF
Nov 5, 2025
After 2.5 hours of oral argument before the Supreme Court about whether Trump's trillion dollar Tariff scheme is Unconstitutional or illegal, all comes down to which way Gorsuch and Amy Coney Barrett flip. It was a very skeptical bench today, and made the MAGA 6 squirm, as Popok explains that this could well end up a 5-4 decision to tear down the tariffs with ACB leading the way and convincing a wobbly Gorsuch to join her.
Transcript
Will Neil Gorsuch and Amy Coney Barrett
on the United States Supreme Court based
on oral argument today about the tariff
scheme of Donald Trump, will they flip
sides and side with the Liberals to form
a five to four block to throw out the
Trump tariffs? Donald Trump was scared
today. I'm sure he was scared by the
results of a sweeping win for the
Democrats on election night in America
yesterday. He didn't even bother going
to the Supreme Court because even though
he said he was going to because he was
scared of what was going to happen and
he should have been. At least they'll
give him credit for having some judgment
because it was a very hot and skeptical
bench against John Sauer, the solicitor
general of the United States, Donald
Trump's former criminal appellet lawyer,
now the number four lawyer in the
Department of Justice, whose arguments
took on water relatively quickly,
including close and hard and harsh
questioning by Justice Gorsuch and
Justice Amy Coney Barrett. And the
question is is Gorsuch and Barrett going
to ultimately side based on their
questioning with Katanji Brown Jackson
uh Sutayor and Kagan and form a five to
four block at least to strike down the
tariffs which are just taxes on the
American people and are illegal and
unconstitutional or are they at the end
going to go and run over far far
alt-right and join the other side and
what happened to the major interpretive
methods that the Supreme Supreme Court
always uses. Will they use them again?
And how should this case come out based
on comments made by the Supreme Court
justices today during the oral argument?
Let me give you a summary here in 10
minutes or less on Legal AF. Take a
minute and hit the free subscribe
button. I'm Michael Popach. Let's get to
it. If you're looking for a telltale
sign of how the argument went, look no
further to the hard questioning. Not by
Sautayor, and that was a hard
questioning, but by Amy Coney Barrett
and Gorsuch. In fact, let me play you as
we get started here how he ran into a
problem. John Sauer almost early on in
questioning by Neil Gorsuch. Then I'll
give you my view as to whether Neil
Gorsuch is ultimately going to side to
strike down these tariffs. Let's do the
first Gorsuch clip and the back and
forth there.
General, just a few questions following
up on the major questions discussions
you've had. Um you say that uh we
shouldn't be so concerned in the area of
foreign affairs because of the
president's inherent powers. That's the
gist of it as I understand it. Why we
should disregard both major questions
and non-delegation?
So could Congress delegate to the
president the power to regulate commerce
with foreign nations as he sees fit, to
delay and collect duties as he sees fit?
We we don't uh we don't assert that
here. That would be a much harder case.
Now in 179.
Isn't that the logic of your of your
view though?
I don't think so because we're dealing
with a statute that was a carefully
crafted compromise. It does have all the
limitations that I just talked about.
You're saying we shouldn't be concerned
with Yeah. I want to explain to me how
you draw the line because you say we
shouldn't be concerned because this is
foreign affairs and the president has
inherent authority and so delegation off
the books more or less. And if that's
true, what would what would prohibit
Congress from just abdicating all
responsibility to regulate foreign
commerce for that matter declare war to
the president?
We don't contend that he could do that
if it did.
Why not?
Well, because we're dealing with a
statute again that has a whole
I'm not asking about the statute,
General. I'm not asking about the
statute. I'm asking for your theory of
the constitution and why the major
questions and non-legation what bite it
would have in that case. I would say by
then you had moved from the area where
there's enormous difference to the
president actually both the political
branches where here there's inherent
authority and pile on top of that
there's a broad delegation.
You're saying there's inherent authority
in foreign affairs all foreign affairs.
So regulate commerce duties and and and
tariffs and war it's inherent authority
all the way down. You say fine Congress
decides tomorrow well we're tired of
this legislating business. We're just
going to hand it all off to the
president. What would stop Congress from
doing that?
That would be different than a situation
where there are meats and bounds, so to
speak. It would be a wholesale
application.
You say we we we we are not here to
judge meats and bounds when the foreign
that's what I'm struggling with. You
you'd have to have some test and if it
isn't the intelligible principle test or
something more with more bite than that.
You're saying it's something less. What
is that less? I think what the court has
said in its opinions is just that it
applies with much less force more
limited application in this context. So
perhaps the right to approach it is a
very very differential application of
the intellig intelligible principal test
that that sort of wholesale application
of
all right. So now you're admitting that
there is some non-legation principle at
play here and therefore major questions
as well.
Very limited very very differential and
limited is what and again the the phrase
that Justice Jackson uses it just does
not apply at least. No, but that's where
you started off and now you've retreated
from that as I understand it.
Uh uh well I think we would as our
frontline position a certain stronger
position but if the court doesn't accept
it then if there is a highly
Can you give me a reason to accept it
though? That's what I'm struggling and
waiting for. What's the reason to accept
the notion that Congress can hand off
the power to declare war to the
president?
Well, we don't content that. Again, that
would be
Well, you do. You say it's unreable.
There's no manageable standard, nothing
to be done. And now you're I I think you
tell me if I'm wrong. you backed off
that position.
Uh uh uh uh maybe that's fair to say.
Okay,
that is not a Neil Gorsuch
who is in favor of this interpretation
of the statute to give Donald Trump the
power. Let's back up a minute. What is
this case about? This case is about a
statute called the International
Economic Emergency Powers Act, AIPA,
created in 1977 by Congress to give some
limited delegation of authority to a
president in a true economic emergency
to do something about it to license to
regulate to embargo
to stop the flow of goods. But it
doesn't say a tariff. And the tariff
power has always been historically
constitutionally a power of Congress in
article one. And if the argument goes
under the major questions doctrine
invented by the Roberts court that if
they wanted to congress wanted to give
that power to the president, he they'd
have to do it expressly, not impliedly,
not by using the word regulate and
license, etc. have to be expressed. or
as AG Attorney General Bont told me
yesterday on the intersection, you don't
hide a a elephant in a mouse hole.
And they didn't do that when they
created AIPA to give powers to Jimmy
Carter. I mean, the understanding of
AIPA was to limit the power of the
president in an emergency, not to give
him broad sweeping capacious powers.
And that is the problem. and Amy Con Amy
Coney Barrett and Gorsuch were both
concerned with the separation of powers
and the argument that the Trump
administration was making. I mean, Neil
Gorsuch called it a one-way ratchet that
you couldn't get back if you took this
power away from Congress. And the other
issue besides non the major questions
doctrine is another doctrine that the
Supreme Court often uses called the
non-delegation doctrine. There are just
some things that the that Congress can't
delegate to another branch like war
making war or you know or like you know
the article 3 branch can't delegate to
the president the power to create a
court system
and here's the questioning by Neil
Gorsuch on that issue.
General if I can cut through those words
I think you're saying that no the
president doesn't have inherent
authority over tariffs in peace time.
Absolutely. That is we we do not assert
that. We say that Congress can delegate
that to him and when Congress does so as
it does when it uses the phrase regulate
importation.
And I I I follow all all of that. Okay.
Um you emphasize that Congress can
always take back its powers that you
mentioned that a couple of times. But
don't we have a serious retrieval
problem here? Because once Congress
delegates through by a bare majority and
the president signs it. And of course,
every president will sign a law that
gives him more authority,
Congress can't take that back without a
supermajority. And even, you know, even
then it's going to be veto proof. What
president's ever going to give that
power back? Pretty rare president.
So what how did how should that inform
our view of delegations and major
questions? I would look at the balance
that Congress struck cuz what Congress
did initially it had a two-house
legislative veto
and then Congress went back to the
statute and amended it. It took out the
legislative veto and left in the joint
resolution but still left the president
with all those
that's what they that's what Congress
did fair enough as a practical matter in
the real world it can never get that
power back. I disagree because in
January 2023, Congress voted to to
terminate one of the biggest IEPA
emergencies ever, the CO emergency, and
the president went along with that. So,
what the statute reflects is there's
going to be the ability for a sort of
political consensus against a declared
emergency.
What happens when the president simply
vetos legislation to try to take these
powers back?
Well, he has the authority to veto
legislation to terminate a national
emergency, for example. I mean, he
retains the powers in the background
because AEP is still on the books. But
if he declares an emergency and Congress
doesn't like it and passes a joint
resolution, yes, he can absolutely veto
that Congress.
So, Congress is a practical matter.
Now, that got picked up later on by Amy
Coney Barrett. That's why I started this
with is Amy Coney Barrett going to side
and is she going to end up being a five
to four minority or is she going to be
five to four in the majority because a
Gorsuch or maybe a Roberts, Chief
Justice Roberts sides with them. Based
on questioning, Gorsuch is in play.
Based in questioning, Amy Coney Barrett
is in play. In fact, Amy Coney Barrett
famously wrote in her last book that
she's been touring on before the s
during the summer that when you're
dealing with statutory interpretation,
what's ina
you read the statute, you read the
statute, you read the statute. Okay?
Nowhere in the statute is the word
tariff. There's license, there's
controls, but no tariff. Now, John
Sauer, the lawyer for Donald Trump,
argued, well, we also have to look to
article 2 powers of the president, and
he's got tremendous powers in the area
of foreign affairs. And that seemed to
resonate a little bit with John Roberts
because, you know, he's always looking
for a way to pump up the president. And
he's, oh, that's true. There is foreign
powers there. But there's also this
major questions doctrine. So, you see
Roberts openly struggling. How do I
reconcile this thing? I invented 10
years ago called the major questions
doctrine with the powers of the
president under article two. And yes, I
agree. You have to read the statute in
the context of the powers
constitutionally given to the branches.
But nowhere in the president's powers
list, constitutional core powers is the
power to tariff or to tax. That's in
Congress. Why? Because it's the people's
house. Because in order to impose a tax
on you, which it was what a tariff is,
you have to go through both houses of
Congress, get a majority, it has to be
signed by a president before you can
start taking money out of my pocket.
But but in these tariffs as taxes, this
is just the president. And that concerns
many people. In fact, let's play the
clip of Amy Cody Barrett going after
John Sauer for the Trump administration.
Let's play that clip. You said, "Well,
listen, you point to the uh Congress's
ability to terminate emergencies, which
it's done." But if Congress ever wanted
to get the tariffing power back, it
would have to have a veto proof majority
because regardless of the emergency, so
if Congress wanted to reject the let's
say that we adopt your interpretation of
the statute, if Congress said, "Whoa, we
don't like that. That gives a president
too much authority under AIPA." is going
to have a very hard time pulling the
tariff power out of AIPA. Correct.
I don't know if it' be a hard time.
Certainly would have to have amendment,
which would be the true of any case
where this court definitively interprets
a statute. Yes. I I think that the
definitively interpreting a statute that
grants presidential power makes it
particularly hard to get the president
to not want to veto something which as
Justice is pointing out, Justice Gorsuch
is pointing out has him lose power. Now,
that's the back and forth
with the conservatives,
right? Even later on, Gorsuch
um as I said, Gorsuch says it's a
one-way ratchet. How do we ever how does
Congress ever get the power back once
given? And then that runs into
a delegation non-delegation problem.
Then there was of course questioning
by
Justice Sotomayor as you would expect
and that didn't go well for uh John
Sauer either. I got two clips here.
Let's play the back to back
on license for the reason I just said
because it is a noun not the verb.
You're relying on regulate. Correct.
Yes.
regulate importation.
And despite the fact that no other
president in the history of AIA has ever
used has ever imported uh used tariffs
as a power under AIA.
Well, President Nixon did
under predecessor and we have all the
limitations of that. All right. Um,
number two, whenever Congress intends to
to permit taxing and regulate, it uses
the word tax and regulate in every other
statute. Correct.
I I don't concede that. I mean, two very
visible examples again are TWIA and
section 122.
We're back to the the question here.
Okay. Thank you.
Has been to tariff them. They say, well,
you can post quotas. Well, quotas are
essentially economically, you know,
economically equivalent to tariffs. So
the question is why would you be able to
quota underregulate but not tariff
underregulate when the tariffs are
themselves regulatory? And let me turn
back to the question I was g the
response I was giving. Could answer
could the answer be that in other places
where Congress wants that particular
form of regulation to be used. They say
impose duties. They say you can tax.
Mr. President here they don't say that.
Now, let me take up the plane 5,000 ft
and look down.
If I was handicapping this, and I'm
going to,
you've got
uh six votes already accounted for.
Katanji Brown Jackson, so mayor, and
Kagan, they're going to vote to strike
down the tariffs. Alto, Thomas, and
Kavanaaugh are going to vote to uphold
the tariffs because they don't want to
take out of the president's tool bag the
ability to tariff in time of war or
national crisis. Okay. So, who's in the
middle? Well, not the middle
politically, just in the middle, not
having yet chosen a side. Roberts,
Kavanaaugh, uh, Gorsuch, and Amy Coney
Barrett. I think Amy Coney Barrett is
most likely to side with the liberal or
moderate wing. So, I think we got four
votes over there. Now, how do you count?
It's now four four. You know, how do you
count to five?
If Roberts breaks for the moderates and
or if Kavanaaugh does then the tariffs
are going to be struck down. Now Donald
Trump's all upset about that. He said
it's going to cause the Great
Depression. John Sauer, the solicitor
general said it's going to cause the
Great Depression. I don't know about all
that. I mean, we've never had a
president impose 138 different tariffs.
And the last time we had anything like
it in the 1930s, it led to the Great
Depression. But Donald Trump is a is a
is a is a chicken. We know that. First,
he threatened that he was going to go to
the oral argument and then probably
after the results of last night, which
was a blue wave. He thought better of
it, especially having read the
arguments, which got worse when John
Sour argued them. He's he's almost
unlistenable. Just his his voice alone
is unlistenable.
And for those out there, just to touch
on election night last night, I had a
friend of mine write me who's Republican
who said, "Oh, that it wasn't a wipeout.
But it was just in all the blue states.
Not exactly because 13 different
delegates in Pennsylvania flipped and
became Democrat. That had been MAGA and
Trump. Uh every major position in
Virginia went blue.
Uh usually they split their ticket a
little bit more. And in governor races
like in New Jersey and in um Virginia
where the mod squad representatives of
Mikey Cheryl and um and Governor um
Spanberger,
they flipped counties that had voted for
Donald Trump the last time around and
got them back to being blue where they
belong.
So that was not a great there's no way
as Rahm Emanuel said on CNN during the
coverage last night having been in the
White House with Obama that there was no
champagne corks being popped to the
White House. There's no way to make this
a positive if you're really looking at
the numbers and the results. So I'm sure
that went into Donald Trump's idea about
maybe I shouldn't shle over to the to
the Supreme Court and have them while
I'm sitting there have them ask some
pointed questions that I don't like
about my policies. Now the ar the person
who argued Neil Katal uh Catal uh who uh
was the advocate for the main plaintiff
in the case he made it easy on the on
the court he told the court you know you
can um make this retroactive if you want
to in other words if you want to or
prospective sorry if you want to just
let Donald Trump keep all the money but
but allow going forward there to be no
tariffs that's okay too because that
might be more palatable rather than
wreck the entire administration. They
may be concerned about that as
Republicans and conservatives, but uh
it's going to wreck the administration
anyway because he's got his tariffs are
so tied in. His fingers in so many pies
about the tariffs. 90% of goods in the
world now passed through some sort of
tariff of Trump and uh and we're going
to have to undo that, unscramble that
egg. I'm sorry. He he stole power from
Congress when he shouldn't have, but
we'll continue to follow it all right
here. In the meantime, I'm Michael
Popac. You're here on Legal AF YouTube
channel. Hit the free subscribe button.
Slide over to Legal AF the Substack.
Become a paid member and help us keep
this kind of content on the air. So,
until my next report, I'm Michael
Popach. Can't get your fill of Legal AF?
Me neither. That's why we formed the
Legal AF Substack. Every time we mention
something in a hottake, whether it's a
court filing or a oral argument, come
over to the Substack. You'll find the
court filing and the oral argument
there, including a daily roundup that I
do called, wait for it, Morning AF. What
else? All the other contributors from
Legal AF are there as well. We got some
new reporting. We got interviews. We got
ad free versions of the podcast and hot
takes where Legal AF on Substack. Come
over now to free subscribe.
[Music]
- admin
- Site Admin
- Posts: 38413
- Joined: Thu Aug 01, 2013 5:21 am
Re: Part 2 Anti-Anti-Nazi Barbarian Hordes are Knocking Down
by admin » Wed Nov 05, 2025 9:16 pm
WAR Comes to AMERICA as Venezuela STRIKES BACK HARD; Russia DEPLOYS Missiles!
Openminded Reporter
Nov 5, 2025
PANIC IN AMERICA! Six Russian cargo planes have just landed in Venezuela, and Washington is in shock, Donald Trump has suddenly changed tone, and even Israel is watching nervously as Moscow builds a military bridge across the Caribbean that could change everything, from the war in Ukraine to global oil power dynamics.
What was meant to be a simple U.S. power play to control Venezuela’s oil and overthrow President Nicolás Maduro has turned into a geopolitical nightmare, as Russia and Iran step in to defend Caracas with advanced weapons, anti-ship missiles, and Su-35 fighter jets capable of challenging America’s naval dominance. According to exclusive reports, six massive Russian cargo aircraft have offloaded radar systems, anti-air batteries, and elite military instructors in Caracas, signaling that the Caribbean has now become the next global flashpoint between East and West.
Trump’s administration — already under pressure for fueling Ukraine’s war while preaching peace — is being forced to rethink its moves, especially as Russia deploys S-400 air defense systems, Su-30 fighter upgrades, and Krasukha-4 electronic warfare platforms that can jam GPS and radar across hundreds of kilometers.
Meanwhile, Netanyahu and the Israeli deep state are accused of manipulating Washington into conflict to distract from Israel’s crimes in Gaza, as U.S. and NATO assets quietly prepare for a confrontation they cannot afford. Russian and Iranian instructors are reportedly training Venezuelan intelligence units to counter U.S. sabotage operations, while new reports indicate the possible deployment of Kinzhal hypersonic missiles capable of targeting U.S. naval forces in the Caribbean.
This is not just another crisis; this is the birth of a new global alignment — one where the Global South fights back, and Washington is losing its monopoly on power. From Caracas to Tehran, from Moscow to Gaza, the world is uniting against a collapsing empire.
Watch till the end as we reveal how this new alliance could bring down U.S. dominance in the Western Hemisphere, why Trump is trapped between Netanyahu and Putin’s game, and how Venezuela could become America’s next Vietnam.
Transcript
Trump's plan to seize Venezuela's vast
oil wealth through cheap propaganda and
drug war blackmail has crumbled under
the weight of unexpected resistance. His
bet that the democratic government of
Nicolas Maduro would collapse under
sanctions and sabotage has failed
spectacularly. And now his strategy is
unraveling before the world's eyes
because Russia, the one nation he
thought he could outmaneuver, has just
outplayed him on a chessboard that
stretches from Kiev to Karacus.
The latest intelligence reports reveal
that six massive Russian cargo planes
and warships have landed in Venezuela,
carrying advanced weapon systems,
aircraft components, and defense
advisers, signaling a new phase in the
standoff between Washington and the
anti-imperialist axis. And the timing
couldn't be worse for Trump, who
continues to arm Ukraine while
pretending to pursue peace. What I'm
seeing right now is not just a military
buildup. It's a diplomatic checkmate.
Russia is turning the Caribbean into its
new negotiation table, forcing Trump to
choose between escalation or
humiliation. And this move, strategic,
precise, and deeply symbolic, could very
well be Putin's way of demanding
concessions to end the war in Ukraine on
Moscow's terms. Meanwhile, the Kremlin
has approved emergency repairs and
upgrades of Venezuela's Su30 fighter
jets and the deployment of S400 missile
batteries across its northern regions. A
direct challenge to US naval supremacy
in the Caribbean and a signal that
Russia is prepared to test America's
most powerful fleet in a live
battlefield scenario. Even as Venezuelan
opposition puppets backed by the CIA
claim Russia won't stop a US invasion,
the facts on the ground tell a different
story. Take a listen. We are facing an
narco terrorist structure that has
turned Venezuelan territory, Venezuelan
resources, Venezuelan's institutions and
turned them in to to the fa to the favor
to the activities of a criminal cartel.
And this language you use,
naroterrorism, this is exactly the
language that the Trump administration
uses about Venezuela. And President
Trump is saying after the boat strikes,
the land will be next. Do you support US
military strikes on the territory of
Venezuela as part of what you call a
process?
I believe that the increase in pressure
and the escalation that's taking place
is the only way to force Maduro to
understand that it's time to go. But
despite the nonsense coming from these
CIA controlled women, my analysis stands
firm because the pattern is clear and
the evidence overwhelming. More and more
Russian cargo planes continue to touch
down in Caracus within hours of each
other. Each one carrying heavy equipment
and possibly advanced defense systems,
suggesting that Moscow is preparing
Venezuela for something bigger than
anyone expected. And this raises a
critical question. Can the United States
sustain a prolonged war of attrition in
the Caribbean? A war where it faces
Russian weapons, Iranian drones, and
possibly Vagna trained mercenaries
operating under Venezuelan command. Can
America withstand the chaos of Iranian
inspired drone swarms blinding its radar
systems before striking its aircraft
carriers in the open sea? These are no
longer hypothetical scenarios. They are
emerging realities and they terrify
Washington's war planners because this
isn't Iraq or Libya. This is the Western
Hemisphere and the stakes are enormous.
Before we break down how war criminal
Benjamin Netanyahu's influence is woven
into this crisis, take a second to like
and share this video because YouTube's
algorithm won't promote the truth we're
exposing here. And subscribe if you
haven't already because the coming days
will define a new era. Scott Ritter
believes that a US invasion would
devastate Venezuela because Russia
already stretched defending its homeland
wouldn't provide the level of support
required to repel a full-scale invasion.
But I disagree. Ritter was wrong about
Iran and he's wrong here. But before I
tell you why, listen to what he had to
say.
The Russian government has already said
there's nothing we can do for Venezuela.
That's it. You know, there's literally
nothing they can do for Venezuela.
Russia's not going to get involved in a
shooting war with the United States and
Venezuela with that logistical. Russia
can't sustain that fight. Russia's
strength is interior lines of
communication. The fact that the the you
know the war in Ukraine right now,
Russia, you know, literally is coming
from their defense industry right to
their border region and um they don't
have to go long distances. Um there
there's no significant I think people
are just reading into it too much.
Venezuela is in a very very bad position
and there's not a weapons. I mean, if I
were the Venezuelans,
I would launch a surprise attack against
the United States today with everything
I had. I would fly all my aircraft out
and try and blow up as many F-35s on the
runways. I would saturate a carrier
battle group with all the anti-shipping
missiles I had. And I would seek to sink
a ship and do damage because this is
your only shot. Once the war starts,
we're in control. We do it better than
they do it. Um, we have electronic
warfare. We have better missiles. We
have better everything. So, you know,
the the only thing we aren't going to do
well is, you know, a continued ground
presence on Venezuelan soil, especially
moving into the interior where the
jungles are. Um, then guerrilla warfare
comes in and we're not going to win that
one. We're going to lose that one. Um,
and ultimately we will lose the war in
Venezuela. Um, you know, whatever
government we put in isn't going to be
sustainable.
Respected intelligence veteran Ray
McGovern countered Ritter's position,
exposing the deeper logic behind
Moscow's long-term strategy.
Inevitably will, if they follow through.
So, my prediction, for what it's worth,
is that they'll they'll tomahawk the
hell out of Venezuela. They'll try to
hit uh they'll try to hit um Maduro,
not with a ham tomahawk, but was most
with the CIA, but I'm not sure this they
can succeed. The other thing I'd say is
this.
You know, the Russians have been
unbelievably
patient that is pooching with the
shenanigans done by this administration.
Unbelievably. I can hardly believe it.
So the US strikes out, it's it strikes
out and bombs the hell out of Iran.
And what does the Kremlin say? Well,
okay, that's a different that's a
different area. That's subordinate to
our overriding desire to create a more
decent relationship with the United
States. The Russians want that. The qu
question is whether Trump wants that. I
think he wants that, but he's really
circumscribed by these crazies around
him. So what if the Russians say, "Look,
Donald,
if you go ahead and invade Venezuela,
forget about forget about any decent
relationship with us, we're going to
pose you at every turn, and we're going
to clean up Ukraine whether you like it
or not, and embarrass the hell out of
you for being on the wrong side of this
one." If Trump allows himself to be
lured into attacking Venezuela, he'll
find himself surrounded by enemies on
all sides. First, his own MAGA base will
fracture even further, tired of endless
wars that contradict his America first
promises. Second, Venezuela itself will
become a nightmare battlefield,
fortified by Iranian advisers and
Russian contractors now training
Maduro's army for asymmetric warfare.
For nearly three weeks, reports indicate
back-to-back military drills in key
provinces with instructors teaching
Venezuelan intelligence how to identify
and neutralize US sabotage teams already
operating in Caracus. If war breaks out,
these foreign instructors will likely
become the backbone of Venezuela's
defense, fighting side by side with its
armed forces. Meanwhile, Russia has
every reason to use this crisis to test
its newest anti-hship missiles against
US naval power. And Venezuela offers the
perfect theater for it. Putin could turn
the Caribbean into a live demonstration
of Russia's sea denial strategy. A way
to signal that if Washington continues
arming Ukraine, Moscow will respond by
arming America's enemies closer to home.
It's simple reciprocity. If Ukraine
strikes deep into Russia with US
weapons, then Venezuelan missiles will
strike deep into America's economic and
symbolic centers, even Wall Street is
not untouchable in this new geopolitical
equation. Against what Ritter claims, I
argue the opposite, that Russia would
not leave Venezuela hanging. Because one
of the cornerstone systems it's likely
to deliver is the S400 Triumph
surfaceto-air missile defense system
with Venezuela reportedly requesting up
to 14 batteries. This system is a
nightmare for the US Air Force capable
of detecting targets at 400 km and
engaging 300 simultaneously, firing Mach
14 interceptors that tear through
stealth aircraft. The 2025 export
version includes anti-stalth radars that
seamlessly integrate with Venezuela's
existing S300VM network, forming a
layered air defense shield. Alongside
that, Russia could modernize Venezuela's
entire fighter fleet, supplying 12 brand
new SU35 Flanker Ejets, aerial predators
with a combat radius of 2,400 km, armed
with herbs E radars that track stealth
targets from 400 km away and R37M
missiles that can shoot down enemies
from 300 km. Even worse for the US, the
Su35 can carry Kel hypersonic missiles
designed for anti-ship strikes, making
US carriers floating targets. In real
combat, these jets could dominate beyond
visual range engagements, crippling US
air superiority and striking amphibious
landing forces before they even get
close. To complete the arsenal, Russia
could supply Venezuela with the Kasuka 4
electronic warfare system paired with
Onyx anti-ship missiles, a combination
that neutralizes US naval command
structures and air surveillance. The
Crasica jams GPS radar and
communications across 300 km while the
Onyx traveling at Mach 2.5 hits targets
800 km away sea skimming to evade
interception. This setup could paralyze
US carrier groups, isolating destroyers
and submarines while Venezuela's forces
launch counter strikes from land and
sea. The entire package worth about $300
million would turn Venezuela into a
fortress capable of blinding, jamming,
and striking America's most advanced war
machines. Truckmounted and easily
concealed along coastal deltas. These
systems could integrate with Venezuela's
existing ASU30 aircraft to deliver
coordinated precision attacks, making
any US invasion an unmititigated
disaster. So, as Trump rethinks his tone
and his strategy, the writing is already
on the wall. Russia is back in the
Americas. Iran is quietly reinforcing
the front. And Netanyahu, the
manipulator behind the curtain, is
pushing the chaos for his own ends. The
empire is trembling. And once again,
small nations are standing up to giants.
Thank you for standing with me in this
fight for truth and honest journalism.
Your support through a simple
subscription is my only ask. Stay safe,
stay aware, and God bless you.
Openminded Reporter
Nov 5, 2025
PANIC IN AMERICA! Six Russian cargo planes have just landed in Venezuela, and Washington is in shock, Donald Trump has suddenly changed tone, and even Israel is watching nervously as Moscow builds a military bridge across the Caribbean that could change everything, from the war in Ukraine to global oil power dynamics.
What was meant to be a simple U.S. power play to control Venezuela’s oil and overthrow President Nicolás Maduro has turned into a geopolitical nightmare, as Russia and Iran step in to defend Caracas with advanced weapons, anti-ship missiles, and Su-35 fighter jets capable of challenging America’s naval dominance. According to exclusive reports, six massive Russian cargo aircraft have offloaded radar systems, anti-air batteries, and elite military instructors in Caracas, signaling that the Caribbean has now become the next global flashpoint between East and West.
Trump’s administration — already under pressure for fueling Ukraine’s war while preaching peace — is being forced to rethink its moves, especially as Russia deploys S-400 air defense systems, Su-30 fighter upgrades, and Krasukha-4 electronic warfare platforms that can jam GPS and radar across hundreds of kilometers.
Meanwhile, Netanyahu and the Israeli deep state are accused of manipulating Washington into conflict to distract from Israel’s crimes in Gaza, as U.S. and NATO assets quietly prepare for a confrontation they cannot afford. Russian and Iranian instructors are reportedly training Venezuelan intelligence units to counter U.S. sabotage operations, while new reports indicate the possible deployment of Kinzhal hypersonic missiles capable of targeting U.S. naval forces in the Caribbean.
This is not just another crisis; this is the birth of a new global alignment — one where the Global South fights back, and Washington is losing its monopoly on power. From Caracas to Tehran, from Moscow to Gaza, the world is uniting against a collapsing empire.
Watch till the end as we reveal how this new alliance could bring down U.S. dominance in the Western Hemisphere, why Trump is trapped between Netanyahu and Putin’s game, and how Venezuela could become America’s next Vietnam.
Transcript
Trump's plan to seize Venezuela's vast
oil wealth through cheap propaganda and
drug war blackmail has crumbled under
the weight of unexpected resistance. His
bet that the democratic government of
Nicolas Maduro would collapse under
sanctions and sabotage has failed
spectacularly. And now his strategy is
unraveling before the world's eyes
because Russia, the one nation he
thought he could outmaneuver, has just
outplayed him on a chessboard that
stretches from Kiev to Karacus.
The latest intelligence reports reveal
that six massive Russian cargo planes
and warships have landed in Venezuela,
carrying advanced weapon systems,
aircraft components, and defense
advisers, signaling a new phase in the
standoff between Washington and the
anti-imperialist axis. And the timing
couldn't be worse for Trump, who
continues to arm Ukraine while
pretending to pursue peace. What I'm
seeing right now is not just a military
buildup. It's a diplomatic checkmate.
Russia is turning the Caribbean into its
new negotiation table, forcing Trump to
choose between escalation or
humiliation. And this move, strategic,
precise, and deeply symbolic, could very
well be Putin's way of demanding
concessions to end the war in Ukraine on
Moscow's terms. Meanwhile, the Kremlin
has approved emergency repairs and
upgrades of Venezuela's Su30 fighter
jets and the deployment of S400 missile
batteries across its northern regions. A
direct challenge to US naval supremacy
in the Caribbean and a signal that
Russia is prepared to test America's
most powerful fleet in a live
battlefield scenario. Even as Venezuelan
opposition puppets backed by the CIA
claim Russia won't stop a US invasion,
the facts on the ground tell a different
story. Take a listen. We are facing an
narco terrorist structure that has
turned Venezuelan territory, Venezuelan
resources, Venezuelan's institutions and
turned them in to to the fa to the favor
to the activities of a criminal cartel.
And this language you use,
naroterrorism, this is exactly the
language that the Trump administration
uses about Venezuela. And President
Trump is saying after the boat strikes,
the land will be next. Do you support US
military strikes on the territory of
Venezuela as part of what you call a
process?
I believe that the increase in pressure
and the escalation that's taking place
is the only way to force Maduro to
understand that it's time to go. But
despite the nonsense coming from these
CIA controlled women, my analysis stands
firm because the pattern is clear and
the evidence overwhelming. More and more
Russian cargo planes continue to touch
down in Caracus within hours of each
other. Each one carrying heavy equipment
and possibly advanced defense systems,
suggesting that Moscow is preparing
Venezuela for something bigger than
anyone expected. And this raises a
critical question. Can the United States
sustain a prolonged war of attrition in
the Caribbean? A war where it faces
Russian weapons, Iranian drones, and
possibly Vagna trained mercenaries
operating under Venezuelan command. Can
America withstand the chaos of Iranian
inspired drone swarms blinding its radar
systems before striking its aircraft
carriers in the open sea? These are no
longer hypothetical scenarios. They are
emerging realities and they terrify
Washington's war planners because this
isn't Iraq or Libya. This is the Western
Hemisphere and the stakes are enormous.
Before we break down how war criminal
Benjamin Netanyahu's influence is woven
into this crisis, take a second to like
and share this video because YouTube's
algorithm won't promote the truth we're
exposing here. And subscribe if you
haven't already because the coming days
will define a new era. Scott Ritter
believes that a US invasion would
devastate Venezuela because Russia
already stretched defending its homeland
wouldn't provide the level of support
required to repel a full-scale invasion.
But I disagree. Ritter was wrong about
Iran and he's wrong here. But before I
tell you why, listen to what he had to
say.
The Russian government has already said
there's nothing we can do for Venezuela.
That's it. You know, there's literally
nothing they can do for Venezuela.
Russia's not going to get involved in a
shooting war with the United States and
Venezuela with that logistical. Russia
can't sustain that fight. Russia's
strength is interior lines of
communication. The fact that the the you
know the war in Ukraine right now,
Russia, you know, literally is coming
from their defense industry right to
their border region and um they don't
have to go long distances. Um there
there's no significant I think people
are just reading into it too much.
Venezuela is in a very very bad position
and there's not a weapons. I mean, if I
were the Venezuelans,
I would launch a surprise attack against
the United States today with everything
I had. I would fly all my aircraft out
and try and blow up as many F-35s on the
runways. I would saturate a carrier
battle group with all the anti-shipping
missiles I had. And I would seek to sink
a ship and do damage because this is
your only shot. Once the war starts,
we're in control. We do it better than
they do it. Um, we have electronic
warfare. We have better missiles. We
have better everything. So, you know,
the the only thing we aren't going to do
well is, you know, a continued ground
presence on Venezuelan soil, especially
moving into the interior where the
jungles are. Um, then guerrilla warfare
comes in and we're not going to win that
one. We're going to lose that one. Um,
and ultimately we will lose the war in
Venezuela. Um, you know, whatever
government we put in isn't going to be
sustainable.
Respected intelligence veteran Ray
McGovern countered Ritter's position,
exposing the deeper logic behind
Moscow's long-term strategy.
Inevitably will, if they follow through.
So, my prediction, for what it's worth,
is that they'll they'll tomahawk the
hell out of Venezuela. They'll try to
hit uh they'll try to hit um Maduro,
not with a ham tomahawk, but was most
with the CIA, but I'm not sure this they
can succeed. The other thing I'd say is
this.
You know, the Russians have been
unbelievably
patient that is pooching with the
shenanigans done by this administration.
Unbelievably. I can hardly believe it.
So the US strikes out, it's it strikes
out and bombs the hell out of Iran.
And what does the Kremlin say? Well,
okay, that's a different that's a
different area. That's subordinate to
our overriding desire to create a more
decent relationship with the United
States. The Russians want that. The qu
question is whether Trump wants that. I
think he wants that, but he's really
circumscribed by these crazies around
him. So what if the Russians say, "Look,
Donald,
if you go ahead and invade Venezuela,
forget about forget about any decent
relationship with us, we're going to
pose you at every turn, and we're going
to clean up Ukraine whether you like it
or not, and embarrass the hell out of
you for being on the wrong side of this
one." If Trump allows himself to be
lured into attacking Venezuela, he'll
find himself surrounded by enemies on
all sides. First, his own MAGA base will
fracture even further, tired of endless
wars that contradict his America first
promises. Second, Venezuela itself will
become a nightmare battlefield,
fortified by Iranian advisers and
Russian contractors now training
Maduro's army for asymmetric warfare.
For nearly three weeks, reports indicate
back-to-back military drills in key
provinces with instructors teaching
Venezuelan intelligence how to identify
and neutralize US sabotage teams already
operating in Caracus. If war breaks out,
these foreign instructors will likely
become the backbone of Venezuela's
defense, fighting side by side with its
armed forces. Meanwhile, Russia has
every reason to use this crisis to test
its newest anti-hship missiles against
US naval power. And Venezuela offers the
perfect theater for it. Putin could turn
the Caribbean into a live demonstration
of Russia's sea denial strategy. A way
to signal that if Washington continues
arming Ukraine, Moscow will respond by
arming America's enemies closer to home.
It's simple reciprocity. If Ukraine
strikes deep into Russia with US
weapons, then Venezuelan missiles will
strike deep into America's economic and
symbolic centers, even Wall Street is
not untouchable in this new geopolitical
equation. Against what Ritter claims, I
argue the opposite, that Russia would
not leave Venezuela hanging. Because one
of the cornerstone systems it's likely
to deliver is the S400 Triumph
surfaceto-air missile defense system
with Venezuela reportedly requesting up
to 14 batteries. This system is a
nightmare for the US Air Force capable
of detecting targets at 400 km and
engaging 300 simultaneously, firing Mach
14 interceptors that tear through
stealth aircraft. The 2025 export
version includes anti-stalth radars that
seamlessly integrate with Venezuela's
existing S300VM network, forming a
layered air defense shield. Alongside
that, Russia could modernize Venezuela's
entire fighter fleet, supplying 12 brand
new SU35 Flanker Ejets, aerial predators
with a combat radius of 2,400 km, armed
with herbs E radars that track stealth
targets from 400 km away and R37M
missiles that can shoot down enemies
from 300 km. Even worse for the US, the
Su35 can carry Kel hypersonic missiles
designed for anti-ship strikes, making
US carriers floating targets. In real
combat, these jets could dominate beyond
visual range engagements, crippling US
air superiority and striking amphibious
landing forces before they even get
close. To complete the arsenal, Russia
could supply Venezuela with the Kasuka 4
electronic warfare system paired with
Onyx anti-ship missiles, a combination
that neutralizes US naval command
structures and air surveillance. The
Crasica jams GPS radar and
communications across 300 km while the
Onyx traveling at Mach 2.5 hits targets
800 km away sea skimming to evade
interception. This setup could paralyze
US carrier groups, isolating destroyers
and submarines while Venezuela's forces
launch counter strikes from land and
sea. The entire package worth about $300
million would turn Venezuela into a
fortress capable of blinding, jamming,
and striking America's most advanced war
machines. Truckmounted and easily
concealed along coastal deltas. These
systems could integrate with Venezuela's
existing ASU30 aircraft to deliver
coordinated precision attacks, making
any US invasion an unmititigated
disaster. So, as Trump rethinks his tone
and his strategy, the writing is already
on the wall. Russia is back in the
Americas. Iran is quietly reinforcing
the front. And Netanyahu, the
manipulator behind the curtain, is
pushing the chaos for his own ends. The
empire is trembling. And once again,
small nations are standing up to giants.
Thank you for standing with me in this
fight for truth and honest journalism.
Your support through a simple
subscription is my only ask. Stay safe,
stay aware, and God bless you.
- admin
- Site Admin
- Posts: 38413
- Joined: Thu Aug 01, 2013 5:21 am
Re: Part 2 Anti-Anti-Nazi Barbarian Hordes are Knocking Down
by admin » Wed Nov 05, 2025 9:52 pm
SNAP Update: USDA Tells Grocery Stores Not to Give Discounts to Customers
By Alia Shoaib
News Reporter
Newsweek
Nov 03, 2025 at 04:48 AM EST
Nov 04, 2025 at 06:30 AM EST
https://www.newsweek.com/snap-update-us ... s-10980294
The U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) has told grocery stores not to give special discounts to around 42 million Americans who use food stamps.
An email sent by the department to stores, posted on X by Catherine Rampell, co-host of MSNBC's The Weekend: Primetime, said: “You cannot treat SNAP-EBT customers differently than any other customer.”
The directive comes as benefit payments remain on hold during the ongoing federal government shutdown.
Newsweek contacted USDA via its website on Monday, outside of regular working hours for comment.
Why It Matters
The Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP) provides millions of low- and no-income Americans with federal funds to buy groceries.
Payments have been halted as the federal government shutdown drags into its second month, with USDA saying in a notice on its website that “the well has run dry” and no benefits would be issued on November 1.
What To Know
USDA emailed grocery stores around the country telling them not to offer special discounts or deals to SNAP recipients amid the freeze, warning that doing so would violate the program’s “Equal Treatment Rule.”
That rule requires stores to sell eligible food items to SNAP-EBT customers at the same prices and under the same conditions as other shoppers.
The email said: “Offering discounts or services only to SNAP-eligible customers is a SNAP violation unless you have a SNAP equal treatment waiver.”
Rampell said that she was aware of at least two stores which had offered struggling customers a discount, only to withdraw it after receiving the email.
[x]
A We Accept Food Stamps sign hangs in the window of a grocery store on October 31, 2025, in Miami. | Joe Raedle/Getty Images
Two federal judges have ruled that the government must pay for food stamps using emergency funds, following lawsuits from 25 states.
President Donald Trump's administration previously declined to use a contingency fund to continue benefits, arguing that the money was needed for emergencies like natural disasters.
Trump wrote on Truth Social on Friday that government lawyers did not think the administration has the legal authority to pay for SNAP with the available money.
“I have instructed our lawyers to ask the Court to clarify how we can legally fund SNAP as soon as possible,” he said, adding: “Even if we get immediate guidance, it will unfortunately be delayed while States get the money out.”
Republicans and Democrats have blamed each other for the shutdown, which began on October 1 and has become the second-longest in history.[/b][/size]
What People Are Saying
President Donald Trump said on Truth Social on Friday: “If we are given the appropriate legal direction by the Court, it will BE MY HONOR to provide the funding, just like I did with Military and Law Enforcement Pay.”
District Court Judge John J. McConnell Jr. of Rhode Island wrote: "There is no question that the congressionally approved contingency funds must be used now because of the shutdown."
What Happens Next
SNAP payments remain in limbo as the Trump administration explores whether emergency funds can be used, leaving millions of families unsure if or when they will get full benefits.
Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent said on Sunday that the payments could resume as soon as Wednesday.
By Alia Shoaib
News Reporter
Newsweek
Nov 03, 2025 at 04:48 AM EST
Nov 04, 2025 at 06:30 AM EST
https://www.newsweek.com/snap-update-us ... s-10980294
The U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) has told grocery stores not to give special discounts to around 42 million Americans who use food stamps.
An email sent by the department to stores, posted on X by Catherine Rampell, co-host of MSNBC's The Weekend: Primetime, said: “You cannot treat SNAP-EBT customers differently than any other customer.”
The directive comes as benefit payments remain on hold during the ongoing federal government shutdown.
Newsweek contacted USDA via its website on Monday, outside of regular working hours for comment.
Why It Matters
The Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP) provides millions of low- and no-income Americans with federal funds to buy groceries.
Payments have been halted as the federal government shutdown drags into its second month, with USDA saying in a notice on its website that “the well has run dry” and no benefits would be issued on November 1.
What To Know
USDA emailed grocery stores around the country telling them not to offer special discounts or deals to SNAP recipients amid the freeze, warning that doing so would violate the program’s “Equal Treatment Rule.”
That rule requires stores to sell eligible food items to SNAP-EBT customers at the same prices and under the same conditions as other shoppers.
The email said: “Offering discounts or services only to SNAP-eligible customers is a SNAP violation unless you have a SNAP equal treatment waiver.”
Rampell said that she was aware of at least two stores which had offered struggling customers a discount, only to withdraw it after receiving the email.
[x]
A We Accept Food Stamps sign hangs in the window of a grocery store on October 31, 2025, in Miami. | Joe Raedle/Getty Images
Two federal judges have ruled that the government must pay for food stamps using emergency funds, following lawsuits from 25 states.
President Donald Trump's administration previously declined to use a contingency fund to continue benefits, arguing that the money was needed for emergencies like natural disasters.
Trump wrote on Truth Social on Friday that government lawyers did not think the administration has the legal authority to pay for SNAP with the available money.
“I have instructed our lawyers to ask the Court to clarify how we can legally fund SNAP as soon as possible,” he said, adding: “Even if we get immediate guidance, it will unfortunately be delayed while States get the money out.”
Republicans and Democrats have blamed each other for the shutdown, which began on October 1 and has become the second-longest in history.[/b][/size]
What People Are Saying
President Donald Trump said on Truth Social on Friday: “If we are given the appropriate legal direction by the Court, it will BE MY HONOR to provide the funding, just like I did with Military and Law Enforcement Pay.”
Donald J. Trump
@realDonaldTrump
SNAP BENEFITS, which increased by Billions and Billions of Dollars (MANY FOLD!) during Crooked Joe Biden’s disastrous term in office (Due to the fact that they were haphazardly “handed” to anyone for the asking, as opposed to just those in need, which is the purpose of SNAP!), will be given only when the Radical Left Democrats open up government, which they can easily do, and not before! Thank you for your attention to this matter. President DJT.
Nov 04, 2025, 8:06 AM
District Court Judge John J. McConnell Jr. of Rhode Island wrote: "There is no question that the congressionally approved contingency funds must be used now because of the shutdown."
What Happens Next
SNAP payments remain in limbo as the Trump administration explores whether emergency funds can be used, leaving millions of families unsure if or when they will get full benefits.
Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent said on Sunday that the payments could resume as soon as Wednesday.
- admin
- Site Admin
- Posts: 38413
- Joined: Thu Aug 01, 2013 5:21 am
Re: Part 2 Anti-Anti-Nazi Barbarian Hordes are Knocking Down
by admin » Wed Nov 05, 2025 10:58 pm
Trump ATTACKS VANCE As Term Collapses After ELECTION DISASTER!
Jack Cocchiarella
Nov 5, 2025 Jack Cocchiarella Show
Political commentator Jack Cocchiarella reacts to Donald Trump's meltdown over his MASSIVE election loss.
Transcript
Election night was not just a
humiliation for Donald Trump. The
ramifications are so much bigger than
that. Just look at the Republican party
right now. It is in complete shambles.
Marjgerie Taylor Green is on a media
tour mocking her colleagues and the
president right now. All the while
Donald Trump can't get his Republican
senators to fall in line. And so, as he
melts down over an election result that
proved that people hate him more than
ever, Donald Trump is looking to cast
some blame. And apparently he's going to
direct it at JD Vance, who Donald Trump
had some pretty rude comments for this
morning and an absolute meltdown that
we're going to get into. But before we
do, if I could quickly ask you to leave
a like on this video and if you haven't
already and you enjoy our channel to hit
that subscribe button because it goes a
long way in supporting our work. Now,
before we get into how Donald Trump
attacked and mocked JD Vance, I want to
start with how the MAGA media is working
their hardest to frame this as not a
humiliation for Donald Trump, but a
liberal on Fox shut down that narrative
pretty quick.
Winning in blue states.
When's the last time a Republican won in
Virginia in the president's presidential
election? 20 years.
I was sitt When's the last time they won
in New Jersey? More than that, blue
states. I was sitting at Fox a year ago
when we talked about we couldn't call
Virginia till very late in the night. We
talked about New Jerseys shift
rightward. We all talked about how young
men were fleeing the Democratic party.
What happened in the terms? Democrats
overperformed. It doesn't always
a year ago by the way at the same time
that the Democrats have no national
party leader and the DNC is is useless.
Despite all of that, we beat Republicans
across the country. And I will say,
was 2021 predictive of 2022?
I will I will say I we sat here in 2024
and we said we've lost young men. We've
lost Latinos. Mikey Cheryl outperformed
with Latinos by huge margins in New
Jersey. So all of these trends we've
been talking about for a year.
Republicans should not take them for
granted. Last night was not just a
Democratic socialist here in New York.
It was Democrats moderates running
across the country breaking the back.
MAGA is constantly moving the goalpost.
We were told going into election night
that there was a real chance for an
upset in New Jersey, that there was a
real chance that Zoron would not pull
this out. Every single Democrat,
doubledigit victories,
where was the red wave? Where was the
shock and awe? I I was told by many that
it would come down to a point or two in
New Jersey. And Mikey Cheryl blew Jack
Chidarelli out of the water. And now
people won't be in my mentions on
Twitter getting us confused because of
the Italian last names. And of course,
we're going to have a Democratic
governor in New Jersey. And I think
that's probably more important, but it
still stands. I still think that it's
important. But MAGA, try your hardest to
say that this wasn't a referendum on
Donald Trump. It absolutely was. The
core issue of all of these campaigns was
affordability. A crisis that Donald
Trump has spiked with his idiotic
tariffs, which are actually being blown
up before the Supreme Court right now.
And of course, ICE raids as well. Donald
Trump's literal attacks on communities.
Those are the issues. This was a
referendum on Trump. And as much as he
tried to intimidate us across the
country with poll watchers, threats of
violence, didn't work because people, as
AOC said right here before we can what
Donald Trump's response is, they're
meeting the moment.
Trump promised um as he has in recent
days, that he will give only the bare
minimum to New York as a result of this
election. What do you say to that?
I think he should um be careful about
the threats that he issues and what
cities he threatens because um New York
City is not a city as we see from this
electorate. These are not people and our
people are not people who are who easily
back down, who take well to threats and
um and I just don't think that Americans
take well to leaders who try to coers
them through hostile messaging. I think
they want public servants who work for
them and not against them. And I think
that the results that we've seen in
Georgia, in Virginia, in New Jersey, and
in New York City demonstrate that
we are meeting this moment, and we are
understanding this moment. It may have
taken a little bit of time and probably
too much time for Democrats to get it
together. But as as Gavin Newsome said,
and I'm going to do the hands, we kind
of have our we kind of have our mojo
back. We do. And so we should take the
energy of the candidates who won last
night. That fighting spirit and that
aspirational vision. We need to bring it
into the midterms, but we need it right
now. Of course, we are in the middle of
this shutdown. And Donald Trump, it
knows it's politically toxic. It's the
reason he was yelling at Republican
senators this morning. And not just say
that we want to make sure that we're
fighting for people's healthcare. Of
course, we are. But there's something
better on the other side of this. It's
not just a battle for the status quo. Of
course, we have to fight against Donald
Trump right now, but there is more. and
we can expect more and want more out of
our politics. Donald Trump does not want
that.
He does not want a better America.
He wants more, and the more that he wants
is loyalty to him, which is why he was
taking shots at JD Vance this morning,
and just a total humiliation. Jealous
Trump wants Vance scared just like
rivals lackeys. Donald Trump spent part
of his latest public ramble wishing the
vice president could cower like one of
Xi Jinping's deputies.
"I put a 100%
tariff on China as soon as I heard it.
Within 20 minutes, I put a 100% tariff
on China with President Xi, who's really
a friend of mine, as much as he could be
a friend of mine," Trump said at the
American Business Forum in Miami on
Wednesday.
From there, he swerved into
praising Xi's cowering aids, and setting
up a punchline with Trump admitting he
wants that kind of fear in his own ranks.
"But at least 1.4 billion people without
question, in fact, during the meeting
were there. A couple of you were
there, and some of you saw it. So here
he's got about six people
on each side, and every one of those
people were standing like this," he
said, mimicking soldiers standing to
attention." I made a comment to one of
them, and I got no response. I said, are
you going to answer me? I got no
response, and President Xi didn't let him
have any," Trump said. "The 79-year-old
president veered away from boasting
about his tariffs to making a glowing
but strange tribute to China's leader.
Trump said he wanted Vice President JD
Vance exhibiting the same submissive
tone that Chinese aids show around Xi.
The crowd roared when Trump made it
clear he wanted obedience. "I said, 'I
want my cabinet to behave like that. I'm
demanding that I want them sitting up
like that, Tim. Just nice and straight,'"
he said, pointing pointing towards an
aid. "I never saw posture like that.
I've never seen men so scared in their
lives. 'They have the equivalent of a
vice president,' I said, 'Are you going
to answer my question?'" Trump continued,
"He doesn't move. I said, What's wrong
with this guy? Then came the imitation,
robotic and stiff. I will answer all
questions,'" Trump barked, turning to Vice
President JD Vance. "Why don't you behave
like that? JD, don't you behave like
that? JD buds into conversations. I want
to have that for at least a couple of
days. Okay, we'll keep you longterm, but
a couple of days of that would be very
nice.".
What is it even like at this point
to be JD Vance, and to kind of just be
like this humiliation that Donald Trump
gets to do? like this humiliation ritual
where he barks at you, and he instructs
you, and you have no power, and you're
just kind of bossed around.
We know
that JD is a ladder climber. We know JD
has bigger aspirations. We know JD
doesn't care about Donald Trump, but
it's good to know that Donald Trump also
doesn't care about JD Vance. And to be
like, "I want you to shut up and sit
straight because that's your only job to
do that in public," -- My god, in front of
people televised.
But Donald Trump like he is just so
clearly and this internal struggle for
the the respect that he has always
wanted and he feels it more than ever.
He he certainly must after another
crushing election defeat when he must
have been telling himself this entire
time through this entire term. He sees
bad poll after bad poll, but he says
he's he's up more than ever before. And
I'm sure that after his surprising
victory last year, he thought, "Well,
these polls must be wrong. People love
me. People love me now." And to see that
that's not the case must be such a
crushing blow for just the most insecure
person in the country. And so last night
he was tweeting that it's because he
wasn't on the ballot. This wasn't a
referendum on me. Oh no, they they're
not thinking about me. It's it's
anything but me. They love me still.
They have to love me. That's what Trump
was tweeting. He also said that his 60
Minutes interview was the biggest ever.
Nothing had ever been bigger. Trump is
clearly trying to to ground himself and
his narcissism, trying to make himself
be feel better. The the cope is crazy at
this point. And then turning to JD Vance
and being like, "You should shut up and
sit up straight when I talk to you is
just so funny. It's hilarious. He is so
insecure. Then he needs his aids to like
sit at attention and like salute all the
time. It's like when he was talking
about Kim Jong-un and he's like, "Well,
they they stand at attention and they do
whatever he wants and he's a dictator
and maybe we should get some of that
here in America."
I don't even know if he wants the power
as much as he just wants the respect
because he knows he's never gotten it in
his life. Nobody respects Donald Trump.
But what's so funny about him is the guy
that he is demanding that complete
feelalty from JD Vance. No one has ever
respected him either. Nobody likes JD
Vance. Nobody thinks JD Vance is a real
person. He's not. JD Vance is a is a
puppet for whatever he thinks is
politically expedient in that moment.
There's nothing sincere about him. So
Donald Trump mocking him is just perfect
because even he knows that JD Vance is
just a little [ __ ] And that's how we
all see him. And that is not how we see
the Democrats who won last night. They
won because they were strong. They won
because Gavin Newsome said this time is
different. They won because Damon Madani
was relentless in talking about
affordability.
Driving a clear message that wasn't just
anti-Trump but aspirational and
affirmative that our politics can be
better than this.
It's the reason he won in a blowout and
it is why his message will continue to
resonate. Really piss off Donald Trump
as we saw as he immediately hit back at
him and ICE this morning and this club.
President Trump would be threatening to
deploy the National Guard to the top 10
states of crime, eight out of which are
all Republican led, but because of that
party, he won't actually be doing so.
So, you say you won't be intimidated.
How do you stand up to it?
I think there's a number of ways. The
first thing is you actually utilize the
courts. You stop treating things as
being law just by virtue of the fact
that President Trump is saying them. You
can look at the example of California
where you find the attorney general, the
governor, and the mayor of LA coming
together filing a lawsuit in opposition
to the deployment of the National Guard.
A federal judge found in their favor.
And the attorney general estimated that
for every dollar they spent, they
recovered more than $30,000 in funds
that would have otherwise been seized by
the federal government.
How about crime? Have you convinced
Commissioner Tish to stand the police
commissioner? You know, I am I've made
my decision to retain Commissioner Tish,
and I've done so because Eric Adams had
stacked the upper echelons of the NYPD
with incompetence and corruption. She
came in, started to tackle that, deliver
accountability, and reduce crime across
the five burrows. That is what we would
build upon under Amdani administration
in addition to creating a department of
community safety to tackle the mental
health and homelessness crisis head on.
You've made your decision. Has she made
hers? I am looking forward to continue
to having conversations with her and to
assembling a government of the best and
the brightest to deliver on this agenda.
You know, last night you also said you
wanted to reach out to New Yorkers who
didn't vote for you. Probably highest on
that list is Jewish New Yorkers. It
looks like there was about a 30-point
gap according to the exit polls between
you and former Governor Cuomo. How do
you convince those voters that your
vision of New York includes them and
your victory is not a threat to them?
You know, I was on the M57 not too long
ago, which is the slowest bus in New
York City, 4.9 m an hour, and I was
seated next to a woman who introduced
herself to me as a speech therapist. And
she told me that she was Jewish, and she
said that her daughter is a huge fan and
phone banks from college, and that she
wasn't so sure. And I asked her to
share, and she shared her thoughts about
what it also means to be Jewish in New
York City today. And the scourge of
anti-semitism that often worries her,
that she was trying to sell her
apartment, a realtor told her to put
away, in her words, the Jewish books on
her bookshelf. And I told her that this
was unacceptable. That we were fighting
for a city that didn't just protect
Jewish New Yorkers, but celebrated and
cherished those same New Yorkers. This
is the messaging that we need. And God,
it feels so [ __ ] good to say this is
the messaging that we're getting because
Zoron is the mayor elect. We have
governors elect. We have propositions
passing. It's very exciting morning. I
hope you're as stoked as I am. We're
going to continue to talk about it.
Skeleton sticking around. And if you
want to support that, as always, you can
hit that subscribe button, leave a like
on this video. of you stuck around to
the end. Drop a blue heart in the
comments. Keep on fighting y'all. Don't
let them silence you.
Jack Cocchiarella
Nov 5, 2025 Jack Cocchiarella Show
Political commentator Jack Cocchiarella reacts to Donald Trump's meltdown over his MASSIVE election loss.
Transcript
Election night was not just a
humiliation for Donald Trump. The
ramifications are so much bigger than
that. Just look at the Republican party
right now. It is in complete shambles.
Marjgerie Taylor Green is on a media
tour mocking her colleagues and the
president right now. All the while
Donald Trump can't get his Republican
senators to fall in line. And so, as he
melts down over an election result that
proved that people hate him more than
ever, Donald Trump is looking to cast
some blame. And apparently he's going to
direct it at JD Vance, who Donald Trump
had some pretty rude comments for this
morning and an absolute meltdown that
we're going to get into. But before we
do, if I could quickly ask you to leave
a like on this video and if you haven't
already and you enjoy our channel to hit
that subscribe button because it goes a
long way in supporting our work. Now,
before we get into how Donald Trump
attacked and mocked JD Vance, I want to
start with how the MAGA media is working
their hardest to frame this as not a
humiliation for Donald Trump, but a
liberal on Fox shut down that narrative
pretty quick.
Winning in blue states.
When's the last time a Republican won in
Virginia in the president's presidential
election? 20 years.
I was sitt When's the last time they won
in New Jersey? More than that, blue
states. I was sitting at Fox a year ago
when we talked about we couldn't call
Virginia till very late in the night. We
talked about New Jerseys shift
rightward. We all talked about how young
men were fleeing the Democratic party.
What happened in the terms? Democrats
overperformed. It doesn't always
a year ago by the way at the same time
that the Democrats have no national
party leader and the DNC is is useless.
Despite all of that, we beat Republicans
across the country. And I will say,
was 2021 predictive of 2022?
I will I will say I we sat here in 2024
and we said we've lost young men. We've
lost Latinos. Mikey Cheryl outperformed
with Latinos by huge margins in New
Jersey. So all of these trends we've
been talking about for a year.
Republicans should not take them for
granted. Last night was not just a
Democratic socialist here in New York.
It was Democrats moderates running
across the country breaking the back.
MAGA is constantly moving the goalpost.
We were told going into election night
that there was a real chance for an
upset in New Jersey, that there was a
real chance that Zoron would not pull
this out. Every single Democrat,
doubledigit victories,
where was the red wave? Where was the
shock and awe? I I was told by many that
it would come down to a point or two in
New Jersey. And Mikey Cheryl blew Jack
Chidarelli out of the water. And now
people won't be in my mentions on
Twitter getting us confused because of
the Italian last names. And of course,
we're going to have a Democratic
governor in New Jersey. And I think
that's probably more important, but it
still stands. I still think that it's
important. But MAGA, try your hardest to
say that this wasn't a referendum on
Donald Trump. It absolutely was. The
core issue of all of these campaigns was
affordability. A crisis that Donald
Trump has spiked with his idiotic
tariffs, which are actually being blown
up before the Supreme Court right now.
And of course, ICE raids as well. Donald
Trump's literal attacks on communities.
Those are the issues. This was a
referendum on Trump. And as much as he
tried to intimidate us across the
country with poll watchers, threats of
violence, didn't work because people, as
AOC said right here before we can what
Donald Trump's response is, they're
meeting the moment.
Trump promised um as he has in recent
days, that he will give only the bare
minimum to New York as a result of this
election. What do you say to that?
I think he should um be careful about
the threats that he issues and what
cities he threatens because um New York
City is not a city as we see from this
electorate. These are not people and our
people are not people who are who easily
back down, who take well to threats and
um and I just don't think that Americans
take well to leaders who try to coers
them through hostile messaging. I think
they want public servants who work for
them and not against them. And I think
that the results that we've seen in
Georgia, in Virginia, in New Jersey, and
in New York City demonstrate that
we are meeting this moment, and we are
understanding this moment. It may have
taken a little bit of time and probably
too much time for Democrats to get it
together. But as as Gavin Newsome said,
and I'm going to do the hands, we kind
of have our we kind of have our mojo
back. We do. And so we should take the
energy of the candidates who won last
night. That fighting spirit and that
aspirational vision. We need to bring it
into the midterms, but we need it right
now. Of course, we are in the middle of
this shutdown. And Donald Trump, it
knows it's politically toxic. It's the
reason he was yelling at Republican
senators this morning. And not just say
that we want to make sure that we're
fighting for people's healthcare. Of
course, we are. But there's something
better on the other side of this. It's
not just a battle for the status quo. Of
course, we have to fight against Donald
Trump right now, but there is more. and
we can expect more and want more out of
our politics. Donald Trump does not want
that.
He does not want a better America.
He wants more, and the more that he wants
is loyalty to him, which is why he was
taking shots at JD Vance this morning,
and just a total humiliation. Jealous
Trump wants Vance scared just like
rivals lackeys. Donald Trump spent part
of his latest public ramble wishing the
vice president could cower like one of
Xi Jinping's deputies.
"I put a 100%
tariff on China as soon as I heard it.
Within 20 minutes, I put a 100% tariff
on China with President Xi, who's really
a friend of mine, as much as he could be
a friend of mine," Trump said at the
American Business Forum in Miami on
Wednesday.
From there, he swerved into
praising Xi's cowering aids, and setting
up a punchline with Trump admitting he
wants that kind of fear in his own ranks.
"But at least 1.4 billion people without
question, in fact, during the meeting
were there. A couple of you were
there, and some of you saw it. So here
he's got about six people
on each side, and every one of those
people were standing like this," he
said, mimicking soldiers standing to
attention." I made a comment to one of
them, and I got no response. I said, are
you going to answer me? I got no
response, and President Xi didn't let him
have any," Trump said. "The 79-year-old
president veered away from boasting
about his tariffs to making a glowing
but strange tribute to China's leader.
Trump said he wanted Vice President JD
Vance exhibiting the same submissive
tone that Chinese aids show around Xi.
The crowd roared when Trump made it
clear he wanted obedience. "I said, 'I
want my cabinet to behave like that. I'm
demanding that I want them sitting up
like that, Tim. Just nice and straight,'"
he said, pointing pointing towards an
aid. "I never saw posture like that.
I've never seen men so scared in their
lives. 'They have the equivalent of a
vice president,' I said, 'Are you going
to answer my question?'" Trump continued,
"He doesn't move. I said, What's wrong
with this guy? Then came the imitation,
robotic and stiff. I will answer all
questions,'" Trump barked, turning to Vice
President JD Vance. "Why don't you behave
like that? JD, don't you behave like
that? JD buds into conversations. I want
to have that for at least a couple of
days. Okay, we'll keep you longterm, but
a couple of days of that would be very
nice.".
What is it even like at this point
to be JD Vance, and to kind of just be
like this humiliation that Donald Trump
gets to do? like this humiliation ritual
where he barks at you, and he instructs
you, and you have no power, and you're
just kind of bossed around.
We know
that JD is a ladder climber. We know JD
has bigger aspirations. We know JD
doesn't care about Donald Trump, but
it's good to know that Donald Trump also
doesn't care about JD Vance. And to be
like, "I want you to shut up and sit
straight because that's your only job to
do that in public," -- My god, in front of
people televised.
But Donald Trump like he is just so
clearly and this internal struggle for
the the respect that he has always
wanted and he feels it more than ever.
He he certainly must after another
crushing election defeat when he must
have been telling himself this entire
time through this entire term. He sees
bad poll after bad poll, but he says
he's he's up more than ever before. And
I'm sure that after his surprising
victory last year, he thought, "Well,
these polls must be wrong. People love
me. People love me now." And to see that
that's not the case must be such a
crushing blow for just the most insecure
person in the country. And so last night
he was tweeting that it's because he
wasn't on the ballot. This wasn't a
referendum on me. Oh no, they they're
not thinking about me. It's it's
anything but me. They love me still.
They have to love me. That's what Trump
was tweeting. He also said that his 60
Minutes interview was the biggest ever.
Nothing had ever been bigger. Trump is
clearly trying to to ground himself and
his narcissism, trying to make himself
be feel better. The the cope is crazy at
this point. And then turning to JD Vance
and being like, "You should shut up and
sit up straight when I talk to you is
just so funny. It's hilarious. He is so
insecure. Then he needs his aids to like
sit at attention and like salute all the
time. It's like when he was talking
about Kim Jong-un and he's like, "Well,
they they stand at attention and they do
whatever he wants and he's a dictator
and maybe we should get some of that
here in America."
I don't even know if he wants the power
as much as he just wants the respect
because he knows he's never gotten it in
his life. Nobody respects Donald Trump.
But what's so funny about him is the guy
that he is demanding that complete
feelalty from JD Vance. No one has ever
respected him either. Nobody likes JD
Vance. Nobody thinks JD Vance is a real
person. He's not. JD Vance is a is a
puppet for whatever he thinks is
politically expedient in that moment.
There's nothing sincere about him. So
Donald Trump mocking him is just perfect
because even he knows that JD Vance is
just a little [ __ ] And that's how we
all see him. And that is not how we see
the Democrats who won last night. They
won because they were strong. They won
because Gavin Newsome said this time is
different. They won because Damon Madani
was relentless in talking about
affordability.
Driving a clear message that wasn't just
anti-Trump but aspirational and
affirmative that our politics can be
better than this.
It's the reason he won in a blowout and
it is why his message will continue to
resonate. Really piss off Donald Trump
as we saw as he immediately hit back at
him and ICE this morning and this club.
President Trump would be threatening to
deploy the National Guard to the top 10
states of crime, eight out of which are
all Republican led, but because of that
party, he won't actually be doing so.
So, you say you won't be intimidated.
How do you stand up to it?
I think there's a number of ways. The
first thing is you actually utilize the
courts. You stop treating things as
being law just by virtue of the fact
that President Trump is saying them. You
can look at the example of California
where you find the attorney general, the
governor, and the mayor of LA coming
together filing a lawsuit in opposition
to the deployment of the National Guard.
A federal judge found in their favor.
And the attorney general estimated that
for every dollar they spent, they
recovered more than $30,000 in funds
that would have otherwise been seized by
the federal government.
How about crime? Have you convinced
Commissioner Tish to stand the police
commissioner? You know, I am I've made
my decision to retain Commissioner Tish,
and I've done so because Eric Adams had
stacked the upper echelons of the NYPD
with incompetence and corruption. She
came in, started to tackle that, deliver
accountability, and reduce crime across
the five burrows. That is what we would
build upon under Amdani administration
in addition to creating a department of
community safety to tackle the mental
health and homelessness crisis head on.
You've made your decision. Has she made
hers? I am looking forward to continue
to having conversations with her and to
assembling a government of the best and
the brightest to deliver on this agenda.
You know, last night you also said you
wanted to reach out to New Yorkers who
didn't vote for you. Probably highest on
that list is Jewish New Yorkers. It
looks like there was about a 30-point
gap according to the exit polls between
you and former Governor Cuomo. How do
you convince those voters that your
vision of New York includes them and
your victory is not a threat to them?
You know, I was on the M57 not too long
ago, which is the slowest bus in New
York City, 4.9 m an hour, and I was
seated next to a woman who introduced
herself to me as a speech therapist. And
she told me that she was Jewish, and she
said that her daughter is a huge fan and
phone banks from college, and that she
wasn't so sure. And I asked her to
share, and she shared her thoughts about
what it also means to be Jewish in New
York City today. And the scourge of
anti-semitism that often worries her,
that she was trying to sell her
apartment, a realtor told her to put
away, in her words, the Jewish books on
her bookshelf. And I told her that this
was unacceptable. That we were fighting
for a city that didn't just protect
Jewish New Yorkers, but celebrated and
cherished those same New Yorkers. This
is the messaging that we need. And God,
it feels so [ __ ] good to say this is
the messaging that we're getting because
Zoron is the mayor elect. We have
governors elect. We have propositions
passing. It's very exciting morning. I
hope you're as stoked as I am. We're
going to continue to talk about it.
Skeleton sticking around. And if you
want to support that, as always, you can
hit that subscribe button, leave a like
on this video. of you stuck around to
the end. Drop a blue heart in the
comments. Keep on fighting y'all. Don't
let them silence you.
- admin
- Site Admin
- Posts: 38413
- Joined: Thu Aug 01, 2013 5:21 am
Re: Part 2 Anti-Anti-Nazi Barbarian Hordes are Knocking Down
by admin » Thu Nov 06, 2025 12:15 am
Part 1 of 3
Good Muslim, bad Muslim - The Grayzone live
Max Blumenthal and Aaron Mate
The Grayzone
Started streaming 2 hours ago
Max Blumenthal and Aaron Mate discuss the US elections that brought Zohran Mamdani to power in NYC, and the unhinged reaction to his victory, as well as the civil war erupting inside the US right over Israel. They will also cover Trump's looming Venezuela war plans, an especially revealing Israeli political scandal, and the legacy of Dick Cheney.
Transcript
Hey, what's up everybody? Thanks for waiting. Uh, welcome to welcome back to the gray zone. It's
another gray zone live. Max Blumenthal here with Aaron Mate. I don't even know
why I needed to say that. It's It's morning in America.
Communist jihadism has taken over the country. Exactly. It's morning as in like m o ur
r n i n g because uh a lot of people are mourning today with the election of a
guy who wants to give uh free buses to working people and who happens to be Muslim which is an absolute nightmare
for some people in charge who can't handle that. Daryl says I've never worked in a factory
because I would be fired. Well, I was fired from a number of restaurant jobs.
I didn't work in a factory. There weren't that many factories to find on the different coasts of the US
I've lived on. And also in fairness to factories, uh, a factory is a lot different than a YouTube uh, live stream.
A lot different. Well, we're like a fact factory. Exactly. Yeah, we're a fact factor, but but that's about it. Uh, yeah. Yeah.
Well, yeah, a lot to talk about and uh I hope we'll be able to cover all the topics we said we were going to cover
because we are also hoping to talk to the the filmmaker of a propaganda film
by Betar USA, the film that provides the first behindthe-scenes look at the most
militant Zionist street group in the US by a member. So, we are going to speak
to someone who was a a member of Betar USA who filmed very intimate interviews
with its leadership, including about uh whether they think it's legitimate to
threaten to bomb Zoran Mani's car um and uh how they got the Trump administration
to deport or attempt to deport pro Palestine student activists and their
role in boosting the career of everyone from
Eric Adams, the outgoing New York mayor to Richie Torres. So, I think that's going
to be an exciting interview. It's sort of, you know, a coming out party for this firsttime filmmaker who made what I
think is one of the most powerful pieces we've ever published at the Grey Zone. But uh Zoron Mdani is the mayor of New
York. Uh former CIA agent is the new governor of Virginia. A former naval
intelligence agent is the new Democratic governor of New Jersey. And the Democrats scored some big local wins
elsewhere. Um doesn't look very promising for the
Republicans going into the midterms. And we didn't send a correspondent to Zoron mom Donniey's victory party because like
why the hell would we do something like that? Uh and we didn't want to be sitting around talking to Hassan
all night. So, but we'll we'll we'll talk about it now. I mean, I'm mainly here for the
meltdown.
Aaron, what is your what what what are your thoughts on the campaign that Zoron Mdani ran and the significance of his
victory? We actually highlighted his run very early on when he was polling at 1% just because he was making some
interesting videos about uh the you know the the collapsing
support for the political duopoly and anger about oligarchy in the US.
Yeah, listen, I think he's a real talent and I think this whole victory is exciting. Uh there was a big grassroots
movement behind him. A big source of the momentum for him was just absolute
anger, outrage over the bipartisan support for the Gaza genocide in Gaza on
top of the fact that he centered real issues unlike most of the Democrats. And um whatever becomes of him, personally,
I don't I don't think he'll become a sellout. I don't think we're looking at another Obama. Obama after you know
posing as the savior of the country and having a lot of grassroots support basically shut down his grassroots
apparatus and became a centrist technocrat like all the democrats before
and after him. I don't think Zar Madam Dani will do that. But even if I'm wrong on that, his victory alone, I think, is
just something to celebrate because as as you said, look at all the people upset by it. All the people who have
been um using their great wealth to manufacture consent and obedience for
the Gaza genocide, who um don't want to see working people in power, don't want to see people of color involved in
politics, immigrant communities. So just the symbolism of his victory alone I I think is a was a wonderful thing. And
you know even if he does completely sell out which I don't think he will but even if he did I'm still celebrating this
victory because of what it represents. I don't know what's to sell out like
the I I think the expectations have been set way too high and I don't even know if he should be held entirely
responsible for that. Uh, a selling out would mean not arresting Netanyahu if he
comes to New York, not even stepping up, not bail uh getting rid of Israel bonds.
It would mean not attempting to uh finance free bus fair for the city. It
would mean capitulating to the landlords, the slum lords. But but these
are all sort of vague objectives that are reformist in nature. Democratic
socialism is closely resembles what uh the Democratic party looked like before
the Clinton era and definitely before the Jimmy Carter era. It's not that
sweeping of a proposal that he's putting forward. I mean, even Ryan Grim, someone who's been very enthusiastic and much
more electoral-minded than us, said the same thing that, you know, he's not actually promising that much. I see it
as sort of just a reformist campaign that he ran uh to take the party back before the
neoliberal era, before developers and Wall Street were in charge of every
policy to to stand more on the backs of unions,
but it's not something like that radical. his opponents have made him out to be a communist jihadist.
Which I think is ex, you know, interesting and ironic in light of his father Mahmud Mdani's
work uh on the issue of communism and jihadism, his book, Good Muslim, Bad
Muslim. I don't know if it's it's like around here somewhere behind me. It helped inspire my book, The Management
of Savagery. So I, you know, since he showed up on stage at the victory party, I decided that's what I'd call this
stream. And because of, uh, you know, the debate over Zoran Mani's
religious heritage, the book is basically about how the CIA created the
jihadist so-called terrorist threat that was invoked after 911 by the likes of Dick
Cheney to justify a permanent global war. and a unitary executive which
Donald Trump is now using to even justify uh regime change in Venezuela on
the basis that its government is are narco terrorists folding the war on drugs into the war on terror. So the
idea that a communist jihadist could be mayor is just absolutely absurd. And it
was, I think, the these absurd formulations that were thrown at Manny,
not just within the Democratic party, but from the right and the injection of Murdoch media and Donald Trump's forces
into the New York campaign along with Netanyahu's forces, Netanyahu's cutouts in New York City that actually benefited
him and fueled popular outrage and him and wound up tainting not just the
political campaign of Andrew Cuomo, but Andrew Cuomo's entire entire legacy which was like one scandal and
neoliberal policy after another and this is really the moment it started when Mandani was confronted with the
essential logic of Zionism in a debate. We've showed this clip before and I think this is really what put him you
know vaulted him to the top. It was this exchange.
I would visit the Holy Land. Given the hostility and the anti-semitism, go to Israel.
Yeah. I'd make my fourth trip to Israel. My goal would be to take my first trip to Israel. Mr. Manny,
I would stay in New York City. My plans are to address New Yorkers across the five burrows and focus on that.
Mr. Mani, can I just jump in? Would you visit Israel as mayor? I will be doing as the mayor. I'll be
standing up for Jewish New Yorkers and I'll be meeting them wherever they are across the five burrows. Yes or no? Do you believe in a Jewish
state of Israel? I believe Israel has the right to exist as a Jewish state as a state with equal
rights. It was no. He won't visit Israel. I answer question directly.
That was brilliant. Um he showed first of all that he cares about the city that
he's elected to represent, not a foreign apartheid state. And on the issue of Israel's so-called right to exist, he
said, "Yeah, I believe in a state with equal rights, which exposes, as you said, uh, Zionism for what it is, which
is that supporting a state that's based on Jewish supremacy." And the fact that that triggered his opponents, but yet
they couldn't really articulate why that was so angering them, because to that, you have to admit that you support apartheid, you support um a state that
privileges one group over another, that that really helped him out. And yeah, it was his opponents who made Palestine the
issue. it wasn't a big part of his campaign, but because they're so triggered by his support for equal
rights for for basic Palestinian rights, they made it a big issue and that helped him tap into all the outrage there is
over our political class's um support for Israel.
And it it was that which I'd been waiting for a candidate to get on stage
with Democrats in a Democratic primary and declare that I am the only candidate that does not support apartheid. I'm the
only candidate that supports sanctions on Israel. To actually distinguish yourself,
they would benefit from so much popular energy and support. And so he did that. It goes back to his time as a student
activist. uh he was organizing talks on Palestine and BDS when he was in college
and it goes back to the education he received uh under his father's watch and
he never really seemed to capitulate on that issue even as he made enormous I I
think went a little too far on the anti-semitism issue which we'll talk
about in a second because it's it's it's already everything that I predicted last week is apparently happening uh with
manufactured anti-semitism incidents. But um I think it's important to cover the the the meltdown on the day
after is pretty hilarious. Here's one clip. Uh this is the day this is on
election day. One of the most hilariously satisfying
pieces of video posted by Lizzie Sevetski, who is one of the
members of the 7K mafia. Do you want a sticker? Yeah, I have a question. Why do you guys
like crime so much? I don't like You don't? No. So, what how do you feel about the NYPD? So the the woman who's
harassing people in a fur coat posted this of herself. She was actually proud of herself behaving this way.
Yeah. Good. You like crime? You like radical Islam?
You like terrorism? Defund the NYPD? No. Oh, you don't? You know that Zoron has
tweeted multiple times about defunding the police. You want to defund the NYPD? I do.
Yeah, you do. That's good. I'm so glad to hear that you hate this city. Are you saving New York City from socialism?
We're going to bankrupt this city. Good luck. Good day. You too. Have a fabulous day.
So, that's Lizzie Sevetsky, who's one of those $7,000 per post influencers recruited by Israel. Her husband is a
prominent plastic surgeon, which uh raises questions about his skill level. and she's obviously very
wealthy and she's screaming at New Yorkers on a street looks like somewhere in like the West Village about their
willingness to vote for Sauron Mandani. She's in a petulant frenzy
and and and she's proud to post this. Yeah. And it really con it encapsulates the
behavior of his opponents perfectly. They just can't contain themselves. And the response was so New York from those
people just basically ignoring her like just another lunatic on the street kind of jaded New Yorkers.
And by the way, I mean, he doesn't now call for defunding the police. He's walked that back during his candidacy
for mayor. Some people might think that's a sellout move. I thought that was politically smart if you look at the polls. I think that was a smart thing to
do. And also, I mean, what he really says is we should not put all of our resources into policing. He wants to
create a department of community safety which would, you know, reduce the role of of police in certain situations that
are like non-violent basically, which I also think is smart. So, what how are you gonna de you're going to defund the police? Like the NYPD is a
a state within a state. It's bigger than most armies. He's not going to defund it. That wasn't what the call was about
anyway. It was about reducing funding. Yeah. But yeah, he's not an abolitionist. He kept Jessica Tish. That was the first
major capitulation. someone who is a pro-Israel Zionist who's the NYPD police
commissioner. He kept her on. Uh so yeah, ridiculous.
One one prediction after another for uh another 911. Bill Aman had some really
revealing takes. I think we should get to those. um just before election night.
I think he predicted a Quomo victory.
Well, look, if you spend that much money on a race, you're going to want a return on your investment. You know, like
you're going to want to be optimistic because Bill Aman and many other Jewish supremacist billionaires spend a lot of
money, like more than $40 million trying to defeat Zaram Mandani. So yeah,
I'm going to be an optimist and say Andrew Cuomo is going to get the win. Uh but then if he if he doesn't, let's
all blame Curtis Siwa, which is ridiculous because SWA didn't even exceed the margin of error or he didn't
actually exceed the gap between Mandani and Cuomo as far as I know. And and not
everyone who's going to vote for Lewa would have otherwise voted for Cuomo because they're furious about Cuomo's
policies on COVID. So it's absurd. I don't know if Bill Aman had some deal with Poly Market here
or this was related to some short which led him to a Cuomo victory but
there was absolutely no evidence anywhere that Cuomo was going to
come close and then Mani wins and Aman uh
suddenly loses his fast ball. Congrats on the win. Now you have a big responsibility. If I can help New York,
just let me know what I can do. Unfortunately, Bill Aman doesn't it doesn't look like he's going to be leaving New York.
So, Bill Aman after campaigning so viciously against Manny and supporting
all the Islamophobic smears against him now offers to help out mom Donnie. I mean, how much do you want to bet that
right as he's sending out that tweet of um consiliation to M Donnie, he's also
like sending off missives to his aids. I'm like, what's next on how we can bring this guy down? I just don't buy
that now. He wants to uh make nice. But um I asked him if he bribed uh Eric Adams
or he knows who did because he praised Eric Adam Eric Adams as a a study in
elegance in class for dropping out of the race. Yeah. I mean Eric Adams doesn't do anything
unless you bribe him. Anyway, no response from Aman yet. It
you know it was actually closer than I thought. I mean got over ju just over 50%.
Quomo and SLE were together still would have lost but only by like a few percentage points. So this wasn't like a
total landslide as or at least as much as I expected. But at the same time turnout was unprecedented almost double
the turnout of the last mayor election and Manny got more than 1 million votes which is more than anyone's gotten in
many many decades. So he does have a mandate and um that's a problem for
people like Bill Aman and many other Zionist billionaires who who tried to stop him.
Zor Zoran Mdani, one of the takes was, you know, he won over the PMC gentrified
downwardly mobile class who thinks they're working class because they have student loans and uh they work as like
baristas or something like well that he did win that group of people over. Uh he
also won the Bronx, which he did not win in the primary against Cuomo. I think he
won a majority of the black vote, which he didn't win in the primary. He
won a majority of Latinos who are not uh, you know, Latinos in New York, Dominicans, Puerto Ricans. That's not
who's being described among that PMC class. He obviously won a large number
of Asians, like South Asians voted for him. Muslims in New York came out and voted for him in record numbers. He won,
I think, more votes than any Democrat has won in a long time.
He won districts all across the city that are not gentrifier districts. He
got clobbered in Staten Island, which is where all the cops live. And he narrowly
lost white people. And I wonder what his percentage of Jewish votes was. I
suspect it could have even it could have been a majority. Well, the New York Times said it was
about a third, but uh he won onethird of Jews. Yeah. at least one third. But yeah, I I
suspect it could be more. Um, somebody who was really surprised that it was uh
Trump's so-called envoy for combating anti-semitism, Leo Terrell. Uh, let's let's bring this
up. He's shocked. 30% of Jewish Americans voted for Mandani.
Why? Multiple question marks. He just can't believe it. all Jewish. I didn't vote for him
because I couldn't. Leo Terrell is like the low rent Van Jones.
Yes. Exactly. Exactly. And he's Van Jones. He's he he literally he's Trump's envoy for combating
anti-semitism, which is literally one of the fakest positions any government has ever created in world history because
all you're doing a is uh trying to silence critics of Israel in the name of anti-semitism. And you're actually spreading anti-semitism in the process
by conflating Israel with Jews. So um no surprise that he can't understand why
some Jewish people at least onethird if polls are to be believed voted for Amdani. So 33% of 35% of New York voted
for him. It kind of contradicts It definitely cuts against the idea that
there's a Jewish vote. There's a lobby but not a vote.
Exactly. Exactly. Uh should we go for through some more hits? I mean there's
Yeah. Yeah. I mean just a few. There's so many it's hard to keep track of. I I didn't They're all the They're all They
all kind of blend into one. All right, here's one of the biggest intellectual frauds in in the world. Uh
Bernard Enrique Levie, a French writer. All New Yorkers, all New Yorkers at Oh, Max, you want to
do the honors? Go ahead. No, no, no. You do it. Well, maybe maybe you want to do his his his pretentious French accent. Uh
if I Wait, wait, wait. I have to do this like
Oh. Unbutton your shirt. Yeah. Also get on your heels to look, you know, as tall as
possible. Oh, New Yorkers at hot or in morning today. Wait, but you're a French Canadian. You're kind of ke
Yeah. And actually, what's funny is your French accent sounds very Israeli. The Nothing justifies anti-semitism.
That's good. No social program, no concern from minorities, nothing. Nothing. Mr. Mandan's
anti-semitism is not an opinion. It is a climb. That's very good. That's
Dominic Stra Khan is my friend. He raped hundreds of women. I'm starting to talk
like Israeli. Many Israeli I know they pretend to be French and they open restaurant and say
they're Mediterranean. So people go there and don't know they're supporting genocide machine.
That's very good. Uh so so wait, there's a lot going on there.
Yes. How can all New Yorkers at heart be in mourning today if he won the election? Like they had to many of them
voted for him. Well, I think he means that like the true New Yorkers, the ones at heart,
like people like him, like French intellectuals like him, they're the real New Yorkers at heart, whereas the actual residents of New Yorkers of New York are
not New Yorkers, right? So he's a New Yorker at heart. Yes. Yes.
He he's a real New Yorker. Yeah. Bernard Ari. Yeah. like he used to I mean
he used to run the block on 125 in Amsterdam. BHL.
Yeah, BHL was uh he was like the fifth member of MOP in
Brownsville. Oh god. All right. There's so many
I mean what what he's calling it a crime. that he was elected basically that he
should be criminalized. This is unhinged and it's foreign interference.
It's it's uh French interference.
Well, that's the thing. Um speaking of foreign interference, that's just what I find so it's it's so brazen that even
Chuck Schumer can acknowledge that he opposed his own party's nominee because
of a foreign government. This is from the New York Times talking about why Chuck Schumer did not endorse mom
Donnie. Uh people close to Schumer say that uh Schumer's decision to stay on
the sidelines of the race was driven in large part by his self-conception as a guardian of Israel. So Chuck Schumer
didn't endor Schumer. He calls himself share. Share. Yes. Yes. Which does mean guardian?
It means protector in Hebrew. Protector. Yeah. Yeah. Yeah. So, so Chuck Shroom is admitting that, you
know, his fidelity to a foreign apartheid state superseded uh his own city and his own party and his own
constituents. It's just unbelievable. Um but I love the honesty and um you know,
Chuck Schumer hopefully I mean like the fact that Mam Donnie won again this wasn't just about Palestine for his
voters because he also he he's so much more than that and he didn't center Palestine in his campaign. But hopefully
this is the start of a new era where someone in Chuck Schumer's position, it won't be tenable for them to prioritize
Israel anymore over everything else as Chuck Schumer does versus someone like Mam Donnie who who benefited from
opposing genocide, from opposing apartheid. Hopefully that's that's the start of a new trend.
It was pretty funny last night watching CNN. I don't have the footage of it, but Rahm Emanuel was on a panel with Bill
Delasio who was one of my mom Donniey's biggest backers and you could tell Emanuel was so unhappy and Jake Tapper
was hosting and Jake Tapper was seething and Bill Delasio was ba was like on the
verge of having an orgasm. I mean it was pretty hilarious. Rahm Emanuel same
thing despises mom Donnie because of his views on Israel where Rahm Emanuel lost
a finger in a kitchen accident where he was pretending to be a soldier and it's the same with Hakee Jeff
although he praised his victory Jeff is uh has been aptly referred to as
Apac Shakur. Yes I mean these guys are creations of the Israel lobby. There's another issue
here, which is that they are afraid that Manny will be hung around their neck by
the Republicans as a kind of albatross come midterms and
and the national election and they'll use him to paint the Democratic party as communist jihadists among white people
in swing districts and it'll cost them. uh which is just
a great attitude to have after you've lost so many elections pursuing the centrist strategy. And so what they're
trying to do is point to Abigail Spanberger, the former CIA agent and centrist governor of Virginia who beat a
Republican in what is increasingly a blue state. Like there's a sup almost a supermajority in the Virginia House of
Delegates for the Democrats. They're trying to paint Spanberger, who's so boring, gave the most boring, long-
winded acceptance speech. Uh they're trying to paint her as the future of the party. And she actually underperformed.
And uh I I I love how like they they say, "Oh, Mam Donnie's experience. He lacks experience." Spanberger's
experience, we don't even know what it is. She became a CIA officer in 2006.
And so there's this whole missing part of her bio where we don't know what she was doing and that's her experience. And
and uh same with Mickey, what's her name? Mickey Cheryl in V in New Jersey.
Naval Intelligence. So that's what the Democrats want to put forward. The Republicans want to make
the national election about Mom Donnie. That's partly why this freakout is taking place. I think it will alienate
people uh against Trump. Anyway, let's let's see a few more.
I think you're muted.
For some reason, we can't hear Aaron. Um, he was just putting up
the uh Democrats for pro-Israel majority statement, which is pretty hilarious.
Oh, you're back. I'm back. Okay. Welcome back. All right. All right. So, yeah, you're looking well. Thank you. Thank you. This is from the
Democratic Majority for Israel. This is so funny. I'm sorry it's a little hard to read, but basically in the first
paragraph, they brag about how strong mainstream Democratic pro-Israel governors uh Abigail Spanberger and
Mickey Sharelle, who we just talked about, won their states, right? So, in these states in in Virginia and New
Jersey, pro-Israel people won, and that's a great thing. Okay? So, they're celebrating the fact that these two candidates who won in these states are
pro-Israel. the very next paragraph and this speaks to just the complete absence of self-awareness that zios have. Um
they turn to Zora Mandani and they say at the same time while we congratulate Mayor elect Zora Mamani we urge him to
prioritize fulfilling his campaign promises to bring down costs not foreign policy issues that are unrelated to the
everyday lives of most New Yorkers. Okay. So Zar Mammdani, okay, he can't get into foreign policy obviously
because he's critical of Israel and its genocide campaign. In the in the first paragraph though, the two pro-Israel
candidates, they can be congratulated because they're pro-Israel. It's just like the lack of self-awareness is just
unbelievable. Yeah. Democratic majority for Israel's basically an Apac appendage inside the
party. Yeah. Constantly attacked him and now they're like saying they're ready to work with him.
They got to bow down on some level. Yeah, go ahead.
Here's the fraud father, uh, Jonathan Greenblat of the Anti-Defamation League, aka the Apartheid Defense League. Uh, in
light of Mayor Elect Manny's long disturbing record on issues of deep concern to the Jewish community, we will
approach the next four years with resolve. And the ADL has just announced that they're going to have some new like
M Donnie tracker where they're going to specially look at who he's appointing to come. Donni monitor.
The the Mammi monitor. Yeah. So, what they're going to basically do is try to uh cancel and dox and harass any Manny
staffer who believes Palestinians are equal human beings. That's essentially what this comes down to.
I'm looking at it right now. They don't have anything about him up. Um but they they claim they have 976
anti-semitic incidents in New York City, the highest count of any US city
since ADLB began tracking such incidents. The problem is the ADL
defines an anti-Semitic incident as a pro Palestine chant or a pro Palestine
rally. In other words, an anti-genocide rally is an anti-semitic incident. No wonder they were so high that year. What
what else was going on? Oh, yeah. Uh, Israel was carrying out various antihuman incidents um by murdering
children with quadricopters as they went to fetch a pale of water in Gaza.
And this is where Mamani, you know, I think the one part of his victory speech last night that I, you know, wasn't a
fan of is when he talked about the scourge of anti-semitism. Um given that the you know biggest
fear-mongering about anti-semitism conflates anti-semitism with criticism of Israel as you just talked about then
you know I I think it's a mistake to play into it. You know like there to to
the extent there's a scourge of anti-semitism it's a scourge of groups like the ADL weaponizing the legacy of
anti-semitism to try to silence critics. And I don't think he should play into that. think he's got to call out these
people for what they are, just fraudsters, and that he's not going to be intimidated by them, and that they can't get away with conflating criticism
of Israel with anti-semitism. And maybe for politically, for a Muslim to do that, he doesn't feel comfortable. But
then he should get his his Jewish surrogates to do that and do that more forcefully because to, you know, as we saw with Jeremy Corbin, you can't give
these people an inch. It's not a matter of reasoning with rational people.
they're just fraudsters and there's no point in at all catering to their their fraudulent narrative.
So on that note, there is an anti-semitic incident just a day after uh Zoron is elected
and Zoron rises to the occasion. I mean, I don't know what else he's supposed to do unless, you know, they can determine
who did this. Oh, I have to click some extra. Streamyard has changed and uh you have
to do you have to do more to get things on screen. Sorry about that. This is
uh Isaac Chua who is at a
who's a member of a Jewish congregation in Brooklyn far out in Brooklyn where
the uh Syrian Jewish community lives. And there's a swastika there. You can
see it on the window was spray painted on the window. This is
a disgusting and heartbreaking act of anti-semitism and it has no place in our beautiful city. As mayor, says Zoronqame
Mam Dani, I will always stand steadfast with our Jewish neighbors to root the scourge of anti-semitism out of our
city. Um, and scroll down so we can see the swastika. Look, let's click. Yeah. So, there's a
yeshiva and someone painted a swastika on it. And yeah, listen, Max, so like last week on our last stream, you talked
about false flag events to be done to delegitimize Mum Donnie and uh, you
know, try to corner him on this uh, contrived anti-semitism thing. And I think it's totally fair to speculate
that this is one of those th this is what they do. We've seen them do this before. I mean, we called out remember
on my stream of, you know, one of my favorite moments of a Greyzone stream is when we're watching the video of like
two guys with their faces concealed in cafillas and they're saying, "We're going to do October." Never forget the
7th of October. We're going to do it a thousand. These are Jewish guys pretending to be Palestinians or
every part of their face was covered. Yeah. Yeah. They were wearing like Palestinian flags like football hooligans.
Yeah. Yeah. So, I wouldn't be surprised if this is exactly that as well. These people are so desperate and they do this
uh there's a long history of this and going back to the early days of Zionism where Zionists literally bomb synagogues
in Arab countries to try to encourage immigration of of Jews and countries
like Iraq to Palestine to steal Palestinian land. So I wouldn't be surprised at all if that legacy that
Zionist legacy is continuing now in New York City. Here's some incidents of
staged swastikas over the months and last two years. Another
swastika GW. This is 2015. This one was posted by a Jewish student. Jewish woman
busted for swirling swastikas in Brooklyn's Burough Park. 2022. Hate
crime at Jewish cafe was all fake, police say. Now 2019, Jewish man
arrested after spray painting swastikas on his own home in upstate New York. 2017 and on and on. I remember actually
uh when I was given the uh I was I was uh offered a speech at the Toronto
Public Library by Penn Canada to talk about my book on Gaza, the first the the
um Operation Protective Edge, uh the 51-Day War.
And you know, it was considered scandalous that PEN Canada was honoring
me in any way for my work. And the Jewish Defense League, which is
basically a terrorist organization historically connected to the Kahanist movement in Israel, came out, brought
out guys with shaved heads and combat boots, all seated like in the front row
to try to intimidate me. They're actually a bunch of clowns. And right before my speech, and they had riot
police like surrounding me. It was crazy. Right before my speech, I went to the bathroom in the public library and I
saw there was a guy in there from the JDL with his little combat boots on and he was scrolling swastikas all over the
bathroom stalls. I'm like, and I just looked at him. I'm like, "What the hell are you doing?" And
he looked like so ashamed that I caught him. Um, but obviously he was trying to
do the same thing. Oh, we're going to make it look like Max Blumenthal is emboldening anti-semites and bringing
anti-semmites out. I mean, even the like anti-semites of today, they don't they
don't look like the neo-Nazis of old. They don't tend to look like that.
And the idea that one of them is going to go all I mean, it's possible. Maybe it happened. I don't know. Maybe someone
just went all the way down uh what's the line you have to take all the way down to like Ocean Park. You got to take a
long subway ride down there or sit in traffic for a long time down Ocean Parkway to get to one of those
synagogues and then just spray some swastika on there the day after mom Donniey's elected just because you feel
emboldened like oh mom Donnie got elected now we're going to take out the Jews that's what we're going to do that
that's the bat signal came like it just seems so implausible and
yet Bernard Levy is calling mom Donnie a crime now they're doing all the
predictable attacks are coming in in Mandani. His first statement as mayor mayor elect is
about anti-semitism. So they they're already kind of like doing what I predicted in order to dictate the
conversation, the narrative, and the direction that he goes in.
There also there was also a a phony terror a manufactured terror plot in Michigan in Dearbornne by the FBI. They
don't even know what the plot is according to FBI statements. They don't even know that whe whether it
was active or not. And yet they staged a military-style raid on a home in Dearbornne and claimed
that jihadists were going to attack on Halloween. The only thing they know is that two Muslim men were at a gun range
and they mentioned pumpkin day according to the It's not even an indictment. It's a criminal complaint.
So look for more of that. I know. I I just I just know which direction they're going to go. It's the same playbook year
after year after year. And it's it's time someone stands up against it.
Uh Alex Soros is causing a lot of controversy.
Did you see that one? Alex Soros. No, I did not. Forgot to put I forgot to get it in the
notes. Here we go. Well, I think he should have released this um during the campaign.
So proud to be a New Yorker. The American dream continues. Alex Soros is like
it it it's it's like I don't know what to compare him to, but he always posts
these pictures of Democratic politicians kissing the ring in his apartment, which
doesn't look like an apartment any New Yorker can afford where he's towering above New York.
It doesn't look like someone who just rose up to that uh level of penthouse
like George Jefferson did and finally got a piece of the pie. He looks the part of nepotism.
He is the the the the perfect foil for the right
wing and its all of its billionaires who control all of its policies. and he and he decides to post this the day after
mom Donnie or the the moment mom Donnie gets elected and it taints his victory
but there's a reality there of course mom Donnie is working with Soros Soros funds the entire party from top to
bottom and uh people close to mom Donnie have been people who've come out of open
societies institute are working uh very close with mom Donnie very closely with
him and they're sort of a bridge between him and Obama. That's just the reality.
Again, he's not a really like a socialist candidate. He's not going to be able to do actual socialist things.
He's a reformist candidate who's trying he's trying to bring some basic reforms to New York. So, this doesn't shock me
in any way, but it's being treated as as a scandal. And of course, it it gives the right
what they want. It makes him seem like controlled opposition whether he is or
not. I think it's it's it's kind of like why do that? Yeah. Well, I mean, my problem with the
right and their critique of Soros is they critique the Soros family for the wrong reasons. I do think the Soros family through open society has some uh
projects that are, you know, um detestable. I mean, he's communist
billionaire. Well, well, I was going to say otherwise. I was going to say like some of the projects are actually I think are noble like domestically. Domestically, I
I think they fund some good things like on criminal justice. I think and on immigrant rights I I think they fund but
but on foreign policy obviously they've helped destabilize foreign governments on behalf of of the US and that's where
they've done a lot of damage but the right doesn't oppose them for that what I'm saying is I think the right sometimes opposes the soros money for
things that I I think are actually laudable yeah sure I mean it's it's just it's
unfortunate that any billionaire sets the agenda but they're setting the agenda in the Democratic party they're
setting it in the Republican party George Soros is an imperialist wizard as
Covert Action Quarterly put it. And that's that's a legendary piece written in 2001.
Good Muslim, bad Muslim - The Grayzone live
Max Blumenthal and Aaron Mate
The Grayzone
Started streaming 2 hours ago
A Propaganda Film By Betar USA
The Grayzone
502K subscribers
Nov 1, 2025 #TheGrayzone
The Grayzone presents a behind-the-scenes portrait of Betar USA, the militant Zionist street group that claims credit for guiding the Trump administration's jailing and attempted deportation of pro-Palestine student activists.
After joining Betar, the producer of this documentary filmed a series of intimate interviews with Ronn Torossian, a famed New York public relations professional who helped establish Betar USA as a vehicle for advancing the ideology of the late Rabbi Meir Kahane in the US.
Presenting Torrossian and his henchmen in their own words, without an editorial filter or narration, this film offers a raw, bracing portrait of the most radical edge of American Zionism.
Max Blumenthal and Aaron Mate discuss the US elections that brought Zohran Mamdani to power in NYC, and the unhinged reaction to his victory, as well as the civil war erupting inside the US right over Israel. They will also cover Trump's looming Venezuela war plans, an especially revealing Israeli political scandal, and the legacy of Dick Cheney.
Transcript
Hey, what's up everybody? Thanks for waiting. Uh, welcome to welcome back to the gray zone. It's
another gray zone live. Max Blumenthal here with Aaron Mate. I don't even know
why I needed to say that. It's It's morning in America.
Communist jihadism has taken over the country. Exactly. It's morning as in like m o ur
r n i n g because uh a lot of people are mourning today with the election of a
guy who wants to give uh free buses to working people and who happens to be Muslim which is an absolute nightmare
for some people in charge who can't handle that. Daryl says I've never worked in a factory
because I would be fired. Well, I was fired from a number of restaurant jobs.
I didn't work in a factory. There weren't that many factories to find on the different coasts of the US
I've lived on. And also in fairness to factories, uh, a factory is a lot different than a YouTube uh, live stream.
A lot different. Well, we're like a fact factory. Exactly. Yeah, we're a fact factor, but but that's about it. Uh, yeah. Yeah.
Well, yeah, a lot to talk about and uh I hope we'll be able to cover all the topics we said we were going to cover
because we are also hoping to talk to the the filmmaker of a propaganda film
by Betar USA, the film that provides the first behindthe-scenes look at the most
militant Zionist street group in the US by a member. So, we are going to speak
to someone who was a a member of Betar USA who filmed very intimate interviews
with its leadership, including about uh whether they think it's legitimate to
threaten to bomb Zoran Mani's car um and uh how they got the Trump administration
to deport or attempt to deport pro Palestine student activists and their
role in boosting the career of everyone from
Eric Adams, the outgoing New York mayor to Richie Torres. So, I think that's going
to be an exciting interview. It's sort of, you know, a coming out party for this firsttime filmmaker who made what I
think is one of the most powerful pieces we've ever published at the Grey Zone. But uh Zoron Mdani is the mayor of New
York. Uh former CIA agent is the new governor of Virginia. A former naval
intelligence agent is the new Democratic governor of New Jersey. And the Democrats scored some big local wins
elsewhere. Um doesn't look very promising for the
Republicans going into the midterms. And we didn't send a correspondent to Zoron mom Donniey's victory party because like
why the hell would we do something like that? Uh and we didn't want to be sitting around talking to Hassan
all night. So, but we'll we'll we'll talk about it now. I mean, I'm mainly here for the
meltdown.
Aaron, what is your what what what are your thoughts on the campaign that Zoron Mdani ran and the significance of his
victory? We actually highlighted his run very early on when he was polling at 1% just because he was making some
interesting videos about uh the you know the the collapsing
support for the political duopoly and anger about oligarchy in the US.
Yeah, listen, I think he's a real talent and I think this whole victory is exciting. Uh there was a big grassroots
movement behind him. A big source of the momentum for him was just absolute
anger, outrage over the bipartisan support for the Gaza genocide in Gaza on
top of the fact that he centered real issues unlike most of the Democrats. And um whatever becomes of him, personally,
I don't I don't think he'll become a sellout. I don't think we're looking at another Obama. Obama after you know
posing as the savior of the country and having a lot of grassroots support basically shut down his grassroots
apparatus and became a centrist technocrat like all the democrats before
and after him. I don't think Zar Madam Dani will do that. But even if I'm wrong on that, his victory alone, I think, is
just something to celebrate because as as you said, look at all the people upset by it. All the people who have
been um using their great wealth to manufacture consent and obedience for
the Gaza genocide, who um don't want to see working people in power, don't want to see people of color involved in
politics, immigrant communities. So just the symbolism of his victory alone I I think is a was a wonderful thing. And
you know even if he does completely sell out which I don't think he will but even if he did I'm still celebrating this
victory because of what it represents. I don't know what's to sell out like
the I I think the expectations have been set way too high and I don't even know if he should be held entirely
responsible for that. Uh, a selling out would mean not arresting Netanyahu if he
comes to New York, not even stepping up, not bail uh getting rid of Israel bonds.
It would mean not attempting to uh finance free bus fair for the city. It
would mean capitulating to the landlords, the slum lords. But but these
are all sort of vague objectives that are reformist in nature. Democratic
socialism is closely resembles what uh the Democratic party looked like before
the Clinton era and definitely before the Jimmy Carter era. It's not that
sweeping of a proposal that he's putting forward. I mean, even Ryan Grim, someone who's been very enthusiastic and much
more electoral-minded than us, said the same thing that, you know, he's not actually promising that much. I see it
as sort of just a reformist campaign that he ran uh to take the party back before the
neoliberal era, before developers and Wall Street were in charge of every
policy to to stand more on the backs of unions,
but it's not something like that radical. his opponents have made him out to be a communist jihadist.
Which I think is ex, you know, interesting and ironic in light of his father Mahmud Mdani's
work uh on the issue of communism and jihadism, his book, Good Muslim, Bad
Muslim. I don't know if it's it's like around here somewhere behind me. It helped inspire my book, The Management
of Savagery. So I, you know, since he showed up on stage at the victory party, I decided that's what I'd call this
stream. And because of, uh, you know, the debate over Zoran Mani's
religious heritage, the book is basically about how the CIA created the
jihadist so-called terrorist threat that was invoked after 911 by the likes of Dick
Cheney to justify a permanent global war. and a unitary executive which
Donald Trump is now using to even justify uh regime change in Venezuela on
the basis that its government is are narco terrorists folding the war on drugs into the war on terror. So the
idea that a communist jihadist could be mayor is just absolutely absurd. And it
was, I think, the these absurd formulations that were thrown at Manny,
not just within the Democratic party, but from the right and the injection of Murdoch media and Donald Trump's forces
into the New York campaign along with Netanyahu's forces, Netanyahu's cutouts in New York City that actually benefited
him and fueled popular outrage and him and wound up tainting not just the
political campaign of Andrew Cuomo, but Andrew Cuomo's entire entire legacy which was like one scandal and
neoliberal policy after another and this is really the moment it started when Mandani was confronted with the
essential logic of Zionism in a debate. We've showed this clip before and I think this is really what put him you
know vaulted him to the top. It was this exchange.
I would visit the Holy Land. Given the hostility and the anti-semitism, go to Israel.
Yeah. I'd make my fourth trip to Israel. My goal would be to take my first trip to Israel. Mr. Manny,
I would stay in New York City. My plans are to address New Yorkers across the five burrows and focus on that.
Mr. Mani, can I just jump in? Would you visit Israel as mayor? I will be doing as the mayor. I'll be
standing up for Jewish New Yorkers and I'll be meeting them wherever they are across the five burrows. Yes or no? Do you believe in a Jewish
state of Israel? I believe Israel has the right to exist as a Jewish state as a state with equal
rights. It was no. He won't visit Israel. I answer question directly.
That was brilliant. Um he showed first of all that he cares about the city that
he's elected to represent, not a foreign apartheid state. And on the issue of Israel's so-called right to exist, he
said, "Yeah, I believe in a state with equal rights, which exposes, as you said, uh, Zionism for what it is, which
is that supporting a state that's based on Jewish supremacy." And the fact that that triggered his opponents, but yet
they couldn't really articulate why that was so angering them, because to that, you have to admit that you support apartheid, you support um a state that
privileges one group over another, that that really helped him out. And yeah, it was his opponents who made Palestine the
issue. it wasn't a big part of his campaign, but because they're so triggered by his support for equal
rights for for basic Palestinian rights, they made it a big issue and that helped him tap into all the outrage there is
over our political class's um support for Israel.
And it it was that which I'd been waiting for a candidate to get on stage
with Democrats in a Democratic primary and declare that I am the only candidate that does not support apartheid. I'm the
only candidate that supports sanctions on Israel. To actually distinguish yourself,
they would benefit from so much popular energy and support. And so he did that. It goes back to his time as a student
activist. uh he was organizing talks on Palestine and BDS when he was in college
and it goes back to the education he received uh under his father's watch and
he never really seemed to capitulate on that issue even as he made enormous I I
think went a little too far on the anti-semitism issue which we'll talk
about in a second because it's it's it's already everything that I predicted last week is apparently happening uh with
manufactured anti-semitism incidents. But um I think it's important to cover the the the meltdown on the day
after is pretty hilarious. Here's one clip. Uh this is the day this is on
election day. One of the most hilariously satisfying
pieces of video posted by Lizzie Sevetski, who is one of the
members of the 7K mafia. Do you want a sticker? Yeah, I have a question. Why do you guys
like crime so much? I don't like You don't? No. So, what how do you feel about the NYPD? So the the woman who's
harassing people in a fur coat posted this of herself. She was actually proud of herself behaving this way.
Yeah. Good. You like crime? You like radical Islam?
You like terrorism? Defund the NYPD? No. Oh, you don't? You know that Zoron has
tweeted multiple times about defunding the police. You want to defund the NYPD? I do.
Yeah, you do. That's good. I'm so glad to hear that you hate this city. Are you saving New York City from socialism?
We're going to bankrupt this city. Good luck. Good day. You too. Have a fabulous day.
So, that's Lizzie Sevetsky, who's one of those $7,000 per post influencers recruited by Israel. Her husband is a
prominent plastic surgeon, which uh raises questions about his skill level. and she's obviously very
wealthy and she's screaming at New Yorkers on a street looks like somewhere in like the West Village about their
willingness to vote for Sauron Mandani. She's in a petulant frenzy
and and and she's proud to post this. Yeah. And it really con it encapsulates the
behavior of his opponents perfectly. They just can't contain themselves. And the response was so New York from those
people just basically ignoring her like just another lunatic on the street kind of jaded New Yorkers.
And by the way, I mean, he doesn't now call for defunding the police. He's walked that back during his candidacy
for mayor. Some people might think that's a sellout move. I thought that was politically smart if you look at the polls. I think that was a smart thing to
do. And also, I mean, what he really says is we should not put all of our resources into policing. He wants to
create a department of community safety which would, you know, reduce the role of of police in certain situations that
are like non-violent basically, which I also think is smart. So, what how are you gonna de you're going to defund the police? Like the NYPD is a
a state within a state. It's bigger than most armies. He's not going to defund it. That wasn't what the call was about
anyway. It was about reducing funding. Yeah. But yeah, he's not an abolitionist. He kept Jessica Tish. That was the first
major capitulation. someone who is a pro-Israel Zionist who's the NYPD police
commissioner. He kept her on. Uh so yeah, ridiculous.
One one prediction after another for uh another 911. Bill Aman had some really
revealing takes. I think we should get to those. um just before election night.
I think he predicted a Quomo victory.
Well, look, if you spend that much money on a race, you're going to want a return on your investment. You know, like
you're going to want to be optimistic because Bill Aman and many other Jewish supremacist billionaires spend a lot of
money, like more than $40 million trying to defeat Zaram Mandani. So yeah,
I'm going to be an optimist and say Andrew Cuomo is going to get the win. Uh but then if he if he doesn't, let's
all blame Curtis Siwa, which is ridiculous because SWA didn't even exceed the margin of error or he didn't
actually exceed the gap between Mandani and Cuomo as far as I know. And and not
everyone who's going to vote for Lewa would have otherwise voted for Cuomo because they're furious about Cuomo's
policies on COVID. So it's absurd. I don't know if Bill Aman had some deal with Poly Market here
or this was related to some short which led him to a Cuomo victory but
there was absolutely no evidence anywhere that Cuomo was going to
come close and then Mani wins and Aman uh
suddenly loses his fast ball. Congrats on the win. Now you have a big responsibility. If I can help New York,
just let me know what I can do. Unfortunately, Bill Aman doesn't it doesn't look like he's going to be leaving New York.
So, Bill Aman after campaigning so viciously against Manny and supporting
all the Islamophobic smears against him now offers to help out mom Donnie. I mean, how much do you want to bet that
right as he's sending out that tweet of um consiliation to M Donnie, he's also
like sending off missives to his aids. I'm like, what's next on how we can bring this guy down? I just don't buy
that now. He wants to uh make nice. But um I asked him if he bribed uh Eric Adams
or he knows who did because he praised Eric Adam Eric Adams as a a study in
elegance in class for dropping out of the race. Yeah. I mean Eric Adams doesn't do anything
unless you bribe him. Anyway, no response from Aman yet. It
you know it was actually closer than I thought. I mean got over ju just over 50%.
Quomo and SLE were together still would have lost but only by like a few percentage points. So this wasn't like a
total landslide as or at least as much as I expected. But at the same time turnout was unprecedented almost double
the turnout of the last mayor election and Manny got more than 1 million votes which is more than anyone's gotten in
many many decades. So he does have a mandate and um that's a problem for
people like Bill Aman and many other Zionist billionaires who who tried to stop him.
Zor Zoran Mdani, one of the takes was, you know, he won over the PMC gentrified
downwardly mobile class who thinks they're working class because they have student loans and uh they work as like
baristas or something like well that he did win that group of people over. Uh he
also won the Bronx, which he did not win in the primary against Cuomo. I think he
won a majority of the black vote, which he didn't win in the primary. He
won a majority of Latinos who are not uh, you know, Latinos in New York, Dominicans, Puerto Ricans. That's not
who's being described among that PMC class. He obviously won a large number
of Asians, like South Asians voted for him. Muslims in New York came out and voted for him in record numbers. He won,
I think, more votes than any Democrat has won in a long time.
He won districts all across the city that are not gentrifier districts. He
got clobbered in Staten Island, which is where all the cops live. And he narrowly
lost white people. And I wonder what his percentage of Jewish votes was. I
suspect it could have even it could have been a majority. Well, the New York Times said it was
about a third, but uh he won onethird of Jews. Yeah. at least one third. But yeah, I I
suspect it could be more. Um, somebody who was really surprised that it was uh
Trump's so-called envoy for combating anti-semitism, Leo Terrell. Uh, let's let's bring this
up. He's shocked. 30% of Jewish Americans voted for Mandani.
Why? Multiple question marks. He just can't believe it. all Jewish. I didn't vote for him
because I couldn't. Leo Terrell is like the low rent Van Jones.
Yes. Exactly. Exactly. And he's Van Jones. He's he he literally he's Trump's envoy for combating
anti-semitism, which is literally one of the fakest positions any government has ever created in world history because
all you're doing a is uh trying to silence critics of Israel in the name of anti-semitism. And you're actually spreading anti-semitism in the process
by conflating Israel with Jews. So um no surprise that he can't understand why
some Jewish people at least onethird if polls are to be believed voted for Amdani. So 33% of 35% of New York voted
for him. It kind of contradicts It definitely cuts against the idea that
there's a Jewish vote. There's a lobby but not a vote.
Exactly. Exactly. Uh should we go for through some more hits? I mean there's
Yeah. Yeah. I mean just a few. There's so many it's hard to keep track of. I I didn't They're all the They're all They
all kind of blend into one. All right, here's one of the biggest intellectual frauds in in the world. Uh
Bernard Enrique Levie, a French writer. All New Yorkers, all New Yorkers at Oh, Max, you want to
do the honors? Go ahead. No, no, no. You do it. Well, maybe maybe you want to do his his his pretentious French accent. Uh
if I Wait, wait, wait. I have to do this like
Oh. Unbutton your shirt. Yeah. Also get on your heels to look, you know, as tall as
possible. Oh, New Yorkers at hot or in morning today. Wait, but you're a French Canadian. You're kind of ke
Yeah. And actually, what's funny is your French accent sounds very Israeli. The Nothing justifies anti-semitism.
That's good. No social program, no concern from minorities, nothing. Nothing. Mr. Mandan's
anti-semitism is not an opinion. It is a climb. That's very good. That's
Dominic Stra Khan is my friend. He raped hundreds of women. I'm starting to talk
like Israeli. Many Israeli I know they pretend to be French and they open restaurant and say
they're Mediterranean. So people go there and don't know they're supporting genocide machine.
That's very good. Uh so so wait, there's a lot going on there.
Yes. How can all New Yorkers at heart be in mourning today if he won the election? Like they had to many of them
voted for him. Well, I think he means that like the true New Yorkers, the ones at heart,
like people like him, like French intellectuals like him, they're the real New Yorkers at heart, whereas the actual residents of New Yorkers of New York are
not New Yorkers, right? So he's a New Yorker at heart. Yes. Yes.
He he's a real New Yorker. Yeah. Bernard Ari. Yeah. like he used to I mean
he used to run the block on 125 in Amsterdam. BHL.
Yeah, BHL was uh he was like the fifth member of MOP in
Brownsville. Oh god. All right. There's so many
I mean what what he's calling it a crime. that he was elected basically that he
should be criminalized. This is unhinged and it's foreign interference.
It's it's uh French interference.
Well, that's the thing. Um speaking of foreign interference, that's just what I find so it's it's so brazen that even
Chuck Schumer can acknowledge that he opposed his own party's nominee because
of a foreign government. This is from the New York Times talking about why Chuck Schumer did not endorse mom
Donnie. Uh people close to Schumer say that uh Schumer's decision to stay on
the sidelines of the race was driven in large part by his self-conception as a guardian of Israel. So Chuck Schumer
didn't endor Schumer. He calls himself share. Share. Yes. Yes. Which does mean guardian?
It means protector in Hebrew. Protector. Yeah. Yeah. Yeah. So, so Chuck Shroom is admitting that, you
know, his fidelity to a foreign apartheid state superseded uh his own city and his own party and his own
constituents. It's just unbelievable. Um but I love the honesty and um you know,
Chuck Schumer hopefully I mean like the fact that Mam Donnie won again this wasn't just about Palestine for his
voters because he also he he's so much more than that and he didn't center Palestine in his campaign. But hopefully
this is the start of a new era where someone in Chuck Schumer's position, it won't be tenable for them to prioritize
Israel anymore over everything else as Chuck Schumer does versus someone like Mam Donnie who who benefited from
opposing genocide, from opposing apartheid. Hopefully that's that's the start of a new trend.
It was pretty funny last night watching CNN. I don't have the footage of it, but Rahm Emanuel was on a panel with Bill
Delasio who was one of my mom Donniey's biggest backers and you could tell Emanuel was so unhappy and Jake Tapper
was hosting and Jake Tapper was seething and Bill Delasio was ba was like on the
verge of having an orgasm. I mean it was pretty hilarious. Rahm Emanuel same
thing despises mom Donnie because of his views on Israel where Rahm Emanuel lost
a finger in a kitchen accident where he was pretending to be a soldier and it's the same with Hakee Jeff
although he praised his victory Jeff is uh has been aptly referred to as
Apac Shakur. Yes I mean these guys are creations of the Israel lobby. There's another issue
here, which is that they are afraid that Manny will be hung around their neck by
the Republicans as a kind of albatross come midterms and
and the national election and they'll use him to paint the Democratic party as communist jihadists among white people
in swing districts and it'll cost them. uh which is just
a great attitude to have after you've lost so many elections pursuing the centrist strategy. And so what they're
trying to do is point to Abigail Spanberger, the former CIA agent and centrist governor of Virginia who beat a
Republican in what is increasingly a blue state. Like there's a sup almost a supermajority in the Virginia House of
Delegates for the Democrats. They're trying to paint Spanberger, who's so boring, gave the most boring, long-
winded acceptance speech. Uh they're trying to paint her as the future of the party. And she actually underperformed.
And uh I I I love how like they they say, "Oh, Mam Donnie's experience. He lacks experience." Spanberger's
experience, we don't even know what it is. She became a CIA officer in 2006.
And so there's this whole missing part of her bio where we don't know what she was doing and that's her experience. And
and uh same with Mickey, what's her name? Mickey Cheryl in V in New Jersey.
Naval Intelligence. So that's what the Democrats want to put forward. The Republicans want to make
the national election about Mom Donnie. That's partly why this freakout is taking place. I think it will alienate
people uh against Trump. Anyway, let's let's see a few more.
I think you're muted.
For some reason, we can't hear Aaron. Um, he was just putting up
the uh Democrats for pro-Israel majority statement, which is pretty hilarious.
Oh, you're back. I'm back. Okay. Welcome back. All right. All right. So, yeah, you're looking well. Thank you. Thank you. This is from the
Democratic Majority for Israel. This is so funny. I'm sorry it's a little hard to read, but basically in the first
paragraph, they brag about how strong mainstream Democratic pro-Israel governors uh Abigail Spanberger and
Mickey Sharelle, who we just talked about, won their states, right? So, in these states in in Virginia and New
Jersey, pro-Israel people won, and that's a great thing. Okay? So, they're celebrating the fact that these two candidates who won in these states are
pro-Israel. the very next paragraph and this speaks to just the complete absence of self-awareness that zios have. Um
they turn to Zora Mandani and they say at the same time while we congratulate Mayor elect Zora Mamani we urge him to
prioritize fulfilling his campaign promises to bring down costs not foreign policy issues that are unrelated to the
everyday lives of most New Yorkers. Okay. So Zar Mammdani, okay, he can't get into foreign policy obviously
because he's critical of Israel and its genocide campaign. In the in the first paragraph though, the two pro-Israel
candidates, they can be congratulated because they're pro-Israel. It's just like the lack of self-awareness is just
unbelievable. Yeah. Democratic majority for Israel's basically an Apac appendage inside the
party. Yeah. Constantly attacked him and now they're like saying they're ready to work with him.
They got to bow down on some level. Yeah, go ahead.
Here's the fraud father, uh, Jonathan Greenblat of the Anti-Defamation League, aka the Apartheid Defense League. Uh, in
light of Mayor Elect Manny's long disturbing record on issues of deep concern to the Jewish community, we will
approach the next four years with resolve. And the ADL has just announced that they're going to have some new like
M Donnie tracker where they're going to specially look at who he's appointing to come. Donni monitor.
The the Mammi monitor. Yeah. So, what they're going to basically do is try to uh cancel and dox and harass any Manny
staffer who believes Palestinians are equal human beings. That's essentially what this comes down to.
I'm looking at it right now. They don't have anything about him up. Um but they they claim they have 976
anti-semitic incidents in New York City, the highest count of any US city
since ADLB began tracking such incidents. The problem is the ADL
defines an anti-Semitic incident as a pro Palestine chant or a pro Palestine
rally. In other words, an anti-genocide rally is an anti-semitic incident. No wonder they were so high that year. What
what else was going on? Oh, yeah. Uh, Israel was carrying out various antihuman incidents um by murdering
children with quadricopters as they went to fetch a pale of water in Gaza.
And this is where Mamani, you know, I think the one part of his victory speech last night that I, you know, wasn't a
fan of is when he talked about the scourge of anti-semitism. Um given that the you know biggest
fear-mongering about anti-semitism conflates anti-semitism with criticism of Israel as you just talked about then
you know I I think it's a mistake to play into it. You know like there to to
the extent there's a scourge of anti-semitism it's a scourge of groups like the ADL weaponizing the legacy of
anti-semitism to try to silence critics. And I don't think he should play into that. think he's got to call out these
people for what they are, just fraudsters, and that he's not going to be intimidated by them, and that they can't get away with conflating criticism
of Israel with anti-semitism. And maybe for politically, for a Muslim to do that, he doesn't feel comfortable. But
then he should get his his Jewish surrogates to do that and do that more forcefully because to, you know, as we saw with Jeremy Corbin, you can't give
these people an inch. It's not a matter of reasoning with rational people.
they're just fraudsters and there's no point in at all catering to their their fraudulent narrative.
So on that note, there is an anti-semitic incident just a day after uh Zoron is elected
and Zoron rises to the occasion. I mean, I don't know what else he's supposed to do unless, you know, they can determine
who did this. Oh, I have to click some extra. Streamyard has changed and uh you have
to do you have to do more to get things on screen. Sorry about that. This is
uh Isaac Chua who is at a
who's a member of a Jewish congregation in Brooklyn far out in Brooklyn where
the uh Syrian Jewish community lives. And there's a swastika there. You can
see it on the window was spray painted on the window. This is
a disgusting and heartbreaking act of anti-semitism and it has no place in our beautiful city. As mayor, says Zoronqame
Mam Dani, I will always stand steadfast with our Jewish neighbors to root the scourge of anti-semitism out of our
city. Um, and scroll down so we can see the swastika. Look, let's click. Yeah. So, there's a
yeshiva and someone painted a swastika on it. And yeah, listen, Max, so like last week on our last stream, you talked
about false flag events to be done to delegitimize Mum Donnie and uh, you
know, try to corner him on this uh, contrived anti-semitism thing. And I think it's totally fair to speculate
that this is one of those th this is what they do. We've seen them do this before. I mean, we called out remember
on my stream of, you know, one of my favorite moments of a Greyzone stream is when we're watching the video of like
two guys with their faces concealed in cafillas and they're saying, "We're going to do October." Never forget the
7th of October. We're going to do it a thousand. These are Jewish guys pretending to be Palestinians or
every part of their face was covered. Yeah. Yeah. They were wearing like Palestinian flags like football hooligans.
Yeah. Yeah. So, I wouldn't be surprised if this is exactly that as well. These people are so desperate and they do this
uh there's a long history of this and going back to the early days of Zionism where Zionists literally bomb synagogues
in Arab countries to try to encourage immigration of of Jews and countries
like Iraq to Palestine to steal Palestinian land. So I wouldn't be surprised at all if that legacy that
Zionist legacy is continuing now in New York City. Here's some incidents of
staged swastikas over the months and last two years. Another
swastika GW. This is 2015. This one was posted by a Jewish student. Jewish woman
busted for swirling swastikas in Brooklyn's Burough Park. 2022. Hate
crime at Jewish cafe was all fake, police say. Now 2019, Jewish man
arrested after spray painting swastikas on his own home in upstate New York. 2017 and on and on. I remember actually
uh when I was given the uh I was I was uh offered a speech at the Toronto
Public Library by Penn Canada to talk about my book on Gaza, the first the the
um Operation Protective Edge, uh the 51-Day War.
And you know, it was considered scandalous that PEN Canada was honoring
me in any way for my work. And the Jewish Defense League, which is
basically a terrorist organization historically connected to the Kahanist movement in Israel, came out, brought
out guys with shaved heads and combat boots, all seated like in the front row
to try to intimidate me. They're actually a bunch of clowns. And right before my speech, and they had riot
police like surrounding me. It was crazy. Right before my speech, I went to the bathroom in the public library and I
saw there was a guy in there from the JDL with his little combat boots on and he was scrolling swastikas all over the
bathroom stalls. I'm like, and I just looked at him. I'm like, "What the hell are you doing?" And
he looked like so ashamed that I caught him. Um, but obviously he was trying to
do the same thing. Oh, we're going to make it look like Max Blumenthal is emboldening anti-semites and bringing
anti-semmites out. I mean, even the like anti-semites of today, they don't they
don't look like the neo-Nazis of old. They don't tend to look like that.
And the idea that one of them is going to go all I mean, it's possible. Maybe it happened. I don't know. Maybe someone
just went all the way down uh what's the line you have to take all the way down to like Ocean Park. You got to take a
long subway ride down there or sit in traffic for a long time down Ocean Parkway to get to one of those
synagogues and then just spray some swastika on there the day after mom Donniey's elected just because you feel
emboldened like oh mom Donnie got elected now we're going to take out the Jews that's what we're going to do that
that's the bat signal came like it just seems so implausible and
yet Bernard Levy is calling mom Donnie a crime now they're doing all the
predictable attacks are coming in in Mandani. His first statement as mayor mayor elect is
about anti-semitism. So they they're already kind of like doing what I predicted in order to dictate the
conversation, the narrative, and the direction that he goes in.
There also there was also a a phony terror a manufactured terror plot in Michigan in Dearbornne by the FBI. They
don't even know what the plot is according to FBI statements. They don't even know that whe whether it
was active or not. And yet they staged a military-style raid on a home in Dearbornne and claimed
that jihadists were going to attack on Halloween. The only thing they know is that two Muslim men were at a gun range
and they mentioned pumpkin day according to the It's not even an indictment. It's a criminal complaint.
So look for more of that. I know. I I just I just know which direction they're going to go. It's the same playbook year
after year after year. And it's it's time someone stands up against it.
Uh Alex Soros is causing a lot of controversy.
Did you see that one? Alex Soros. No, I did not. Forgot to put I forgot to get it in the
notes. Here we go. Well, I think he should have released this um during the campaign.
So proud to be a New Yorker. The American dream continues. Alex Soros is like
it it it's it's like I don't know what to compare him to, but he always posts
these pictures of Democratic politicians kissing the ring in his apartment, which
doesn't look like an apartment any New Yorker can afford where he's towering above New York.
It doesn't look like someone who just rose up to that uh level of penthouse
like George Jefferson did and finally got a piece of the pie. He looks the part of nepotism.
He is the the the the perfect foil for the right
wing and its all of its billionaires who control all of its policies. and he and he decides to post this the day after
mom Donnie or the the moment mom Donnie gets elected and it taints his victory
but there's a reality there of course mom Donnie is working with Soros Soros funds the entire party from top to
bottom and uh people close to mom Donnie have been people who've come out of open
societies institute are working uh very close with mom Donnie very closely with
him and they're sort of a bridge between him and Obama. That's just the reality.
Again, he's not a really like a socialist candidate. He's not going to be able to do actual socialist things.
He's a reformist candidate who's trying he's trying to bring some basic reforms to New York. So, this doesn't shock me
in any way, but it's being treated as as a scandal. And of course, it it gives the right
what they want. It makes him seem like controlled opposition whether he is or
not. I think it's it's it's kind of like why do that? Yeah. Well, I mean, my problem with the
right and their critique of Soros is they critique the Soros family for the wrong reasons. I do think the Soros family through open society has some uh
projects that are, you know, um detestable. I mean, he's communist
billionaire. Well, well, I was going to say otherwise. I was going to say like some of the projects are actually I think are noble like domestically. Domestically, I
I think they fund some good things like on criminal justice. I think and on immigrant rights I I think they fund but
but on foreign policy obviously they've helped destabilize foreign governments on behalf of of the US and that's where
they've done a lot of damage but the right doesn't oppose them for that what I'm saying is I think the right sometimes opposes the soros money for
things that I I think are actually laudable yeah sure I mean it's it's just it's
unfortunate that any billionaire sets the agenda but they're setting the agenda in the Democratic party they're
setting it in the Republican party George Soros is an imperialist wizard as
Covert Action Quarterly put it. And that's that's a legendary piece written in 2001.
- admin
- Site Admin
- Posts: 38413
- Joined: Thu Aug 01, 2013 5:21 am
Re: Part 2 Anti-Anti-Nazi Barbarian Hordes are Knocking Down
by admin » Thu Nov 06, 2025 4:21 am
Part 2 of 3
Go back to go back to that to see what a slime George Source is. But but we
despise him for reasons that are totally different from the right. I mean, as far as taking on socialism is concerned,
he's actually been opposed to socialist governments all around the world, including the one in Venezuela. Open
Societies Institute has kicked in millions of dollars to support the radical pushist Venezuelan opposition.
Nicaragua, Cuba, they've been all over that. Syria, Soros has openly called for
regime change in Syria. And uh obviously Russia, he is a mortal enemy of Putin
and wants to see Russia bulcanized so he can uh make off with their assets.
And that's why Zoran Mandani is not a third worldist as his father is critiqued as. He's not someone who
actually wants to challenge Western hegemony. Let's just do away with that idea.
He really Go ahead. I mean I don't know what's I mean we don't know what's in his heart. No, we do. We do. We do. But I mean,
he went to South Florida, Aaron, and called Maduro a vicious dictator. Okay. Well, um, where I agree with you
is that he's certainly not going to be, uh, like governing as like a anti-imperialist. I I agree with you.
He's going to be a, you know, a reformist moderate candidate. And, um,
yeah, I mean, there there's no dispute there. I I I agree with you. The hype around him from the right of being like
him being like a Marxist and all that, it's it's totally overblown. uh he's he's pretty reformist uh in in his
political orientation. I'm just saying I've never talked to him, so I don't know what he actually really believes. You know, in the past, I've seen him
tweet some great some some great things on the anti-imperialist front that I really agree with, but it's not as if I
think that's ever going to translate to his his policies in office.
Yeah. Uh sure. I think the mom Zoran Mamani
doesn't want to deal with those issues. When he was in South Florida, he's put on the spot. So, he says the most
predictable thing you can say to make sure that he doesn't catch any heat from the Gusano industrial complex.
And he's seeding ground on the anti-semitism issue as well. He said he will have Zionists working for him. He's
not taking a militant line on these things. I don't that's why I'm not really that focused on electoralism and
I'm not going to get caught, you know, popping champagne and doing shots at the bar with Hassan at his victory
party or whatever because I just, you know, I'm I'm I I feel like I'm
tempering my expectations and I know what's possible in American politics and it's really not that much. And uh there
was someone I was whose name I was groping for uh like Andrew Cuomo was groping
campaign aids allegedly and it's uh Patrick Gaspard. He was the head of open
societies for several years and he's now an adviser to Zoron Mani. So this is like well-known stuff and he was he came
to Mam Donnie I think through an Obama connection. Obama by the way has refused to endorse Mom Donnie.
So, it's a still it's a it's it's a defeat for the Israel lobby. It's a blow to them. It's a blow to their sense of
control. It's a blow to that wing of the Democratic party that they can't control
the largest city in the US. It's a sign of things to come as including um
generational shifts, demographic shifts in blue states. And I don't I don't
think there's much mom Donnie can do to implement a militant socialist agenda,
let alone to uh make New York more affordable despite his best efforts because the array of forces the forces
arrayed against him are are enormous. And uh where can you make housing more
affordable in New York? It would have to be like in the outer burrows by building more housing unless you can really
really take it to the developers. Um, and that would be a massive fight. I
think it would it would it would mean he has to win several terms.
You know, can I say one more thing about the issue of Zarmani in Cuba in Cuba and Venezuela? Because I'm I'm just reading
about it now. And initially, he was interviewed by Jorge Ramos, the the uh
journalist who infamously tried to interview Maduro and got um you know, and basically tried to corner Maduro
with all the typical regime change talking points. And then you had a run in with Max and in that interview he
actually didn't take Joseé Ramos's bait. He declined. He said, "I haven't really thought much about Cuba and Venezuela
and he didn't call them a dictator then." And then after that there was an uproar and then the campaign issue issued a statement. So that's what I'm
saying is like I don't know what's in like own heart and yeah politicians will sometimes then be pressured to make
certain statements that they might they didn't necessarily agree with. And that that that strikes me as what happened
here. I don't think he's like a your typical Democrat when it comes to foreign
policy. I think he has certain instincts that obviously then get tempered when he has to deal with the reality of the
campaign and how hard it is to like have an openly anti-imperialist position. And I'm not trying to say that this like
means he's like a you know that I share all this politics, but I just don't think in terms of ranking all the
Democratic Party sellouts. I just don't think he belongs in the same category as all the other as all the normal
politicians we're used to, including Bernie Sanders. Yeah. Well,
I'm I'm uh I'm almost out of things to say about this
and I don't want to be unfair to anyone, but my expectations are low because it's
US politics and at the same time
it culturally is a positive sign suggests there's more possibilities out
there for other candidates. It's there's a civil war going on on the right right
now and it's because Trump is president. There's a civil war taking place on Israel. And because Trump has been so
Israel first, it's cartoonish. This will return to the Democratic party
if a Democrat secures victory in 2028.
And mom Donnie is also a proxy for that fight, for that coming fight. So the
reason I think the reason to focus on this election and
to be interested in it isn't purely because he pro he pledged to freeze the
rents and so on. It's because it is a sign of something much larger taking
place, a cultural and political shift. And I question whether there will be
even one candidate who will take it as far as he has on the issue of Israel Palestine in the Democratic primary in
2028. And if there isn't, it's going to damage
the party and depress turnout. So I definitely want to talk about the
civil war on the right that's taking place. There's probably even more to say about that than about this election,
unless you have anything to add. Anything to add here. Here's one thing I thought was funny. All of a
sudden, Trump now is sounding like Mam Donnie. He says uh uh the day after the
election, affordability is our goal, right? And like what was the centerpiece of Mdan's campaign was affordability. So
that's Trump I think recognizing that uh Zarani's message actually resonates with people beyond, you know, progressives in
New York City. I mean, Trump promised to lower grocery prices, do all those things. But, of course, what has he done
for working people? Nothing. He's taken away Medicaid. He's now um denying
people food assistance through SNAP that's been uh cut off because of the
shutdown. And uh but the fact that he even feels pressured to declare now that he supports Zara Modi's like key
promise, um that's a good sign, I think. And that's that's one uh thing I'm I'm
really happy about in all this. And hopefully not just Trump but Democrats follow suit. Like that's where I think
Arma can play a really positive role in US politics. Like whatever else you think about him. Well, it shows he lost the shutdown
fight. Most Americans, according to every poll I've seen, are blaming Trump for the shutdown, and they're unhappy
about it. And it's going to be the longest shutdown in history. And it's going to start resulting in the
termination of programs that fund heating for poor people. So along with
the grocery prices going up, affordability was actually one of Trump's campaign promises. So that's
gone. all of the the campaign promises that
brought people over who were independents, uh, a small percentage of black and
Latino people, the um, a few Democrats, some Democrats in swing districts,
that's all, all of that is gone. And he was damaged last night, badly damaged.
So, uh, yeah, I think that attribute we can attribute his shift in messaging to his failure
in the shutdown. Most Americans aren't blaming the Democrats. Um,
so yeah, I think
the midterms don't look good for Trump and that will have international
implications as well on going to war on
whether Israel can lean on Trump to bail it out of another Iran attack on Iran.
And it's worth keeping in mind. So, do you want to talk about what's happening on the right?
Yeah. Well, uh, there's been a big effort, a big push on the right to basically cancel Tucker Carlson because
of his increased criticism of Israel. And I guess like, uh, a galvanizing
incident was the president of the Heritage Foundation making some statement like saying like, "We're not going to cancel, uh, Tucker." I guess we
can play some of that. Um, this is Kevin Roberts. president of the Heritage Foundation. I
actually haven't seen this, so this will be uh
coming days. But today, I want to be clear about one thing. Christians can critique the state of Israel without
being anti-semitic. And of course, anti-semitism should be condemned. My loyalty as a Christian and as an
American is to Christ first and to America always. When it serves the interest of the United States to cooperate with Israel and other allies,
we should do so with partnerships on security, intelligence, and technology. But when it doesn't, conservatives
should feel no obligation to reflexively support any foreign government, no matter how loud the pressure becomes from the globalist class or from their
mouthpieces in Washington. The Heritage Foundation didn't become the intellectual backbone of the conservative movement by cancelelling
our own people or policing the consciences of Christians. And we won't start doing that now. We don't take
direction from comments on X, though we are grateful for the robust free speech debate. We also don't take direction
from members or donors, though we are inherently grateful for their support and we're adding more every day. This is
the robust debate we invite with our colleagues, our movement friends, our members, and the American public.
All right. Well, seems like a good statement
uh on its face. I think it's a little more complex than that, but just to
cover what's happened in the recent in in the last few days and hours, uh Kevin
Roberts has backtracked. Kevin Roberts is the head of the outsourced brain of the Republican
party, the Heritage Foundation. The Heritage Foundation is located a few blocks from Capitol Hill. It's the most
influential think tank in America. Probably it's more influential than any Democratic Party think tank. all the
Republican policies. Project 2025, it all came out of there going back to the
1980s. Future Hill staffers, they sleep in the dorms that the Heritage
Foundation has established right next to Union Station and they're they're they're sort of trained and drilled in
how to be effective Republican apparatics and operatives there. Again, there's nothing like it.
So, it's it's highly significant that he is welcoming a debate which is
ostensibly about Israel, but which goes much deeper than that. And he's sticking
up for Tucker Carlson, who I assume he has a long-standing relationship with, who has a relationship with the Heritage
Foundation. Um, the Heritage Foundation is also responsible for Project Esther, which
was a straightup call for criminalizing pro Palestine activism and was a
blueprint for all of the persecution we see under the Trump administration, the federal persecution of anti-war and
Palestine solidarity groups. So, Roberts comes under pressure from the inside. This is Kurt Mills from American
Conservative. He's being literally extorted according to Mills. his original video statement where he said
that Israel criticism isn't necessarily anti-semitism uh is is uh facing extortion from
subordinates in his own ranks. And who are those who are threatening
the Heritage Foundation and the anti-semitism tax task force? It's pastor Luke Moon, a Christian Zionist
pastor. Victoria Coats who was the main author of the of Project Esther. Ellie
Coanim, who we've talked about before, who's like a ludnik operative, and another Christian Zionist pastor, and
they demanded that he delete that video statement that you just saw, which everyone has already seen. I mean, it
wouldn't matter if he deleted it at this point. There there have been several highlevel
uh departures from the Heritage Foundation, resignations, and uh I think like two hours ago,
Roberts issued an apology.
Can I get this on screen, man? He said, "I made a mistake and I let you
down and I let down this institution." Period. Full stop. And and the mistake is what? Calling for
free speech and saying he's not going to be intimidated by pro-Israel donors. That's that's the mistake.
He was asked to condemn this. Nick Fuentes, the
guru of the Gripers, was invited onto Tucker Carlson's show
and went up to Maine, where Tucker lives, and they had a very friendly interview
um following a personal war between Tucker and Nick Fuentes.
And uh Roberts defended Tucker's right to host Nick Fuentes,
which was taken by his antagonists as an endorsement of
Nick Fuentes's views as a streamer who has not been very sympathetic to Jews.
So it's not just about Israel. I mean, Nick Fuentes talks about Jewish power, Jewish influence, Jew, the Jewish
religion, uh, that the Talmud instructs Jews to, uh, carry out devious acts.
He's very open about that. And he was welcomed by Tucker and by like a who's
who of right-wing or right-leaning podcasters, like the major ones, all
within the course of like a month. So, that's what this is about. And I
think, you know, they the real target here is not Nick Fuentes per se,
although it will be in the future. The target was Tucker Carlson.
Tucker Carlson is the is the number one target of Israel. Tucker Carlson is hated by
Netanyahu. They fear him, too. He's just he's a very credible right-wing voice
who spoke at the Republican convention, who's been close to Trump, who is now in
a I think in in up until the Fuentes interview in a very tactical way
helping to bring out longstanding conservative opposition to Israel
controlling the US government. When you bring Fuentes in there, you're waving the red flag and you're giving
your enemies sort of what they want in order to portray you as an anti-semite. They took the hole and ran right through
it. And it's just been non-stop. Notice the attacks are on Tucker, not Nick
Fuentes, per se. Uh but it has benefited Fuentes and benefited the Gropers to see
how much influence he's attained and that someone like Tucker whose family was denigrated and dehumanized by Nick
Fuentes basically stood down and made nice with him at his home.
This has elevated Fuentes's profile. I actually should have brought this on screen. Um,
I think it was Michelle Goldberg in the New York Times called Fuentes the Charlie the new Charlie Kirk.
Here it is. And I mean this is this is major
in a way, but it's also strategic on the part of a writer like Michelle
Goldberg who represents a faction of the Democratic Party.
Nick Fuentes is with Charlie Kirk's bitter enemy. Now he's becoming successor. and they have this photo that
makes him look like he's walking into uh you know like like he's a celebrity,
like he's James Dean, like he's um a character in in
Zoolander. And why would someone like Michelle Goldberg, who's a stalwart Democrat at
the New York Times, who kind of understands what's going on in the right better than most liberal columnists, why
would she say this? It's because the Democrats want to build Nick Fuentes up so that they can try to hang him around
the neck of the GOP in 2028 and specifically around the neck of JD Vance
the way that the Republicans are doing with Zoran Mandani and the National Democratic Party. That's the that's
their play right here. But for Fuentes and the Gropers, it's like a great moment. They have triumphed and he, you
know, triumphed over Tucker Carlson when Tucker Carlson he he started the fight. He threw the first punch. He called Nick
Fuentes like a weird gay kid who's possibly a fed. And now Nick Fuentes is
on what Gropers call a generational run. He's been on like every podcast.
Um green Glenn Greenwald, Red Scare, Patrick Bet David,
uh what else? Dave Smith. And this is a guy who was considered so toxic to
any anyone remotely close to mainstream political culture just a few years ago.
Uh who was associated with the Charlottesville riot was associated with they would you know just call him a
Nazi. He's now mainstream and very influential. So that's why this happened. And now there's a full-on
civil war on the right, which is larger than anything that happened previously, where, for example, we saw the National
Review kick out Joseph Soon because of what Soon said about Jewish influence and Jewish power. Uh, or the National
Review under Buckley, who was a a complete Israel tool, uh, attacking Pat Buchanan, the whole war over
Buchananism. The neocons won that fight.
There's another reason this is happening too, which is Israel just spent two years committing genocide and people on
the right and left who've been paying attention on social media are disgusted and they're disgusted with seeing their
government just fall into line. So
this this this is a a moment where I think the neocon ludnik faction in the
right is making their
make this is like their Normandy landing. They want to put this to bed completely
and what they want to do is drive Tucker out. It's about Tucker using Nick Fuentes to drive out Tucker. And so that
played out all at the Republican Jewish Coalition event at Sheldon Add's Sands
Casino in Las Vegas. Sheldon Add and various other Israel First billionaires
run this group. And this really put on display who the forces are who want to
destroy Tucker and recapture the Republican party for Israel. For Israel
first, here's a clip.
This is the anti-American,
anti-Israel, anti-West crowd to understand something.
You're going to have to come through me and millions of people just like me, and
you're not going to make it. You think your stupid little podcast or your stupid little subscription program or
your little TV show or maybe you have a little radio show is going to change the world like hell it is. Not if I and
everybody else have something to say about it. And I just want Wow. Well, okay. So, shots fired. By the
way, like Mark Leven has a radio show, so I don't even know what he's trying to disparage there. He's also a radio broadcaster. He also yells into a
microphone paranoid rants about Muslims and uh lefties. And so yeah. Um, so
what's the takeaway here? Tucker made a he Tucker effed up. He brought on Nick
Fuentes, who I honestly I've never paid attention to. So I I I don't you know,
like before you explain all that, I didn't even know what all the fuss was about. So basically, Nick Fuentes sounds like he is an actual anti-semite. That's
fair to say, right? I I don't I I would I would say he's not very friend
favorable towards Jews. Whenever he wants to respond to anything I say or attack me, he'll just be like, "You're a
Jew." Okay. Got it. Got it. So Tucker for some reason thought it was a good idea to bring him on.
Well, I don't I don't know what's going something else is going on here. Yeah. Because he suddenly starts doing every
major podcast in the course of like two or three weeks. Everybody's just having him on. I
feel like if you're going if you're going to be the next Charlie Kirk after Charlie Kirk's death, and his tone
shifted slightly after Charlie Kirk's death, by the way, there's going to be
I'm I'm not saying he's a fed. I'm not saying the CIA is behind this or something, but in American culture, if
you're going to really rise, first you're gonna have a popular base. He has that. You're going to be charismatic.
He's very charismatic. I mean, if you'd watched him in the past, you know, it's it's like highly entertaining. He's it's
it's it's not just like, you know, Father Coughlin Nazi rants. Like, he's
he's saying funny stuff. And there's going to be capital there.
There's capital behind all of these major podcasts that he was on. Lots of capital. And so I feel like there there
are forces that are propelling Fuentes into the mainstream for whatever
reason. It may be that they want to force this debate on the right, but something is going on that's bigger than
these personalities on the right. And I mean, it ultimately comes down to
rage about Netanyahu and the role he's playing. But for Tucker to have him on,
well, you're not just going to be talking about Israel anymore. or your outrage about Israel uh Israeli settlers
burning down Christian villages in the West Bank, you're you're going to be talk you're going to be dealing with someone who wants to talk about Jews and
the role of Jews in America, the malign role in his view of Jews. And so now that's the debate and that's the debate
that the Republican Jewish Coalition and Zionists want to have. Republican Jews
are almost all ultraionists. In addition to being social reactionaries, they're all ultrainist
and they see no distinction between Israel and Jews, right?
Sure. Yeah. Okay. Gropers also see no distinction between Israel and Jews. They see Israel
and all of its crimes as a reflection of uh Jew not just Jewish supremacy but
sort of the essential deformity of the Jewish religion and
culture. And that's the debate that's that that's that's that the Zionists want to have.
So you think possibly there's an interest among ultraionists in promoting Nick Fuentes and making him the face of
I have no idea. I I I don't think they're promoting him. I don't know if they're promoting him. I'm not saying
there's some secret Zionist force behind there. It may have been someone who
agrees with him, right? But there are larger forces at play
here. And the Zionists think they can win this debate now against Tucker or they can
isolate Tucker now. Did you see those signs that they had had like uh mass
printed at the RJC? Tucker is not MAGA. No, I I missed that.
And they have no grassroots base themselves. It's just in a way they're
being the stereotype Nick Fuentes says they are. It's just capital. It's just
liquidnik Jewish money that they're putting up against Tucker, but they're using this moment.
It's not like uh the civil war that played out in the 80s and early 90s where it was a war between intellectuals
and the right. This is a war between podcasters and billionaires.
And the podcast world is so wrapped up within the billionaire world. I mean, Peter Teal funds so many of these
podcasts. It's like Tim Dylan said, like, as soon as I started getting popular, I got approached by Peter Teal
and I got offered a meeting with JD Vance.
So, uh, they've got Robert, they got Kevin Roberts by the balls. I mean, they
made him whimper because they could threaten him with money. He runs the Heritage Foundation. Who's paying for
Project Esther? Ludnik billionaires. Yeah. Well, that's why Kevin going back to a statement. He talks about like uh
we don't cow to donors like of course you do. And and like he says like no matter like what the globalists want,
like who are the globalists in this equation? I understand like who he's referring to because he's right now in
power. The Trump administration uses his policies. So, who are the supposed globalists that he thinks he's standing
against? Sorry, who who referred to globalists?
Kevin Roberts. He talks about like like the globalists. I the globalist. It's like a it's it's a
it's a word you use when you can't you can't criticize capitalists. Uh but there are there are a wing of like
globalist billionaires like Bill Gates would be a globalist. Okay. Who he doesn't care about he he doesn't
align himself with the west necessarily. He aligns himself with any leadership in
which he can which can help him assist his agenda. So he'll form friendly relations with uh China's Xi at the same
time that he forms forges friendly relationships with the Democratic party in the US. But I mean that's just a
small that's a codery of billionaires. I mean it's globalism is different than in many ways transatlanticism because
that's centered exclusively in the west uh against
you know, counter-hedgemonic powers. And then you have uh George Soros. I mean,
is he a globalist? Ultimately, he's just a capitalist like the billionaires sponsoring the Heritage Foundation. But
anyway, we're getting off track here. I mean, the threats that Mark Levvin was making there are not about having a war
of the ideas, a war of ideas. It's about shutting down debate using the
prepundonderance of financial power on his side. And uh that's how he intends to shut
down Tucker Carlson. It's what is happening right before our eyes with the
purchase of Tik Tok by Andre Horowitz. David Horowitz is a mentor to many of
those who took over the the the Republican party on behalf of the neocons. His son is Ben Horowitz and
Andre Horowitz. They own Tik Tok. Paramount, Larry Ellison, David Ellison.
I mean, they're they're doing what they can to take those with their little
podcast and their little radio shows and isolate them by just buying everything up, which fuels anti-Jewish attitudes on
the right. What what what it's about is the Wasps. I mean, this was always about
this. The wasps from the old kind of
you know, Burkian conservative traditions, the Buchananites,
the Sam Francis's, the Joe Sobons versus the Ellis Islanders like MIJ
Dector and Norman Pedoritz and Irving Crystal who came in and basically
formed forged an alliance with the Christian right to pump tons and tons of
money through right-wing foundations. into the right and make it more
neoconservative. The Christian right is basically taking the neocon side here, the corporate
Christian right that's Christian Zionist. Um, you mentioned the Ellison. One thing I I
wanted a clip I want to play was Trump recently gave an interview with 60 Minutes which is now under the editorial
direction of Barry Weiss who was installed by the Ellison because she's a pro activist and he Trump Trump openly
praised Barry Weiss in her new role. So funny
and actually 60 Minutes paid me a lot of money and you don't have to put this on because I don't want to embarrass you
and I'm sure you're not. Uh, you have a great I think you have a great new leader, frankly, because the young woman that's leading your whole enterprise is
a great from what I know, I don't know, she's a great person, but 60 Minutes was for us to pay me a lot of money.
So, he's he's he's so happy that Barry Weiss is now in control at 60 Minutes. And it recently came out that Barry
Weiss after she came in on the job, she was texting directly with Benjamin Netanyahu, Jared Kushner, and Hillary
Clinton. Um so that is the establishment right there that
yeah they well it shows the role that CBS plays in a partisan sense but
obviously there's a there's a deeper there's
it also plays a role in a much more consequential way that
will go beyond Trump which is as a vehicle for Israel's politics in the US.
So, you know, expect a 60 Minutes hit piece on uh Tucker Carlson and then one
on Nick Fuentes. I mean, that's where this is going to go. And they're just going to use their institutional and
financial power to crush this. But at the same time, in doing so, they're inspiring more and propelling more
anti-semitism. This is the problem. Republican Jews are only 30% at most of Jews overall in the
United States. We're not like some huge outliers here in what we believe. Like a
lot of Jews are silent about this, but we come from uh you know a more
well-rooted left-wing Jewish tradition in the US that finds Republican neoconic
Jews to be disgusting. Uh that opposes them. And so they
represent a m and then what what is the population percentage of population that Jews represent in the US? 3% 4%.
So they are 30% of 3%. They're a minority within a minority. and they're
going out in public fashion and declaring control over an entire party
that's mostly Protestant uh that has this entire wing of wasps
who don't like being bossed around who are like blueb bloodoods and they are confusing
consent with control. They never received consent for what they were doing. They just attained control by
pulling the strings of a corrupt capitalist system and a corrupt party that represents the most extreme
iteration of politics in a neoliberal capitalist society. Well, control is
being tested and they realize they don't have the consent and so they are
making this out to be a fight over the Jewish future and they're bringing all
Jews in America as a human shield for their own agenda and the hatred that
they have inspired within their own party. That's the danger. But yet, Israeli officials still brag
about how much control they have over the Trump administration. Uh this is from the Republican Jewish Coalition
gathering. This is uh Ron Durmer, close aid, top aid to Netanyahu. Uh basically saying that Trump does
whatever Sheldon Adlesen and his wife Miriam tells Trump to do. Sheldon Eden
Sheldon Aden has since passed, but um when he was alive and as you can see from this clip, even after he's gone,
Trump still is doing is doing whatever he he is told. remind me of somebody who we should
recognize who is a mentor of Matt's and somebody who's one of the greatest Jews that I've met in my lifetime who who's
not with us anymore and his wife is not with us here today and that's Sheldon add he was a man of tremendous courage
and he told me when I was ambassador many times he said what is the use of all these people very prominent and
influential Jewish Americans what is the use of them having all this access if they're not going to be there when it
counts if you're not going to actually go to your elected official and say this is what has to be done and you need to
take a stand and Sheldon when I was ambassador would do that time after time after time. You just heard from
President Trump and as my prime minister has said time and again we've never had a friend like President Trump. Never.
But I remember with Roa going out to dinner with Sheldon and Mary every time they would come to Washington. And yeah,
you'd think Sheldon had such a tremendous role in in in helping convince President Trump to go and
recognize Jerusalem as Israel's capital was a very important issue for Sheldon. But he didn't stop there. The next time
he met the president, he went and talked to him about something else and then something else and then something else. It was never about access for Sheldon
add. It was about doing the right thing. And he supported people who he believed in. And he said, "The reason why I
believe in you is because you say that you stand for something and now when you get into office, stand for something. actually do it. And so he's a profiling
courage. We miss him uh deep. Yes. I mean, it's just it's unbelievable. It's a brazen admission
that a foreign state and their mega donors get the US government to do what they want and they're bragging about it.
I mean, again, and recall that the first Trump administration was shaped by this
conspiracy theory, this concoction that he was controlled by Russia. Now out in the open, another government, Israel, it
brags about how the fact that their donors get Trump to do what they want and whatever that's considered normal.
That is such a disgusting scene. That's Ron Durmer, whose father was the mayor of Miami Beach, Miami Beach, USA.
He speaks English with an American accent. He's from here. He's from the
American Jewish world. and he's the top adviser to a foreign leader, Benjamin Netanyahu. And he's the guy who
shattered every ceasefire until Trump and Steve Wickoff finally isolated him.
He made sure that like no negotiation with Hamas would go through and kept the genocide going for two years. He was the
main figure behind Netanyahu and he's from here. And now he's praising a US
billionaire, a dead US billionaire whose wife is Israeli for the role that he
played in convincing Donald Trump. Convincing meaning basically bribing. I mean everything with Trump is legal
bribery. Like that's why the the the Binance CEO is is getting off. Just straight up
bribery. Trump said, "Oh, I don't remember that. It's like old Reagan clips except he can't claim to have
Alzheimer's about Iran Contra." Just straight up bribery. And when Aaron, do you ever see uh clips of, you know, the
Democratic Progressive Jewish Coalition uh going viral or Jewish voice for peace
there? I don't know about Democratic progressive, but Jewish voice for peace clips going viral. You you don't you see
this going viral? These are the Jews that people see because they're the ones in charge right now.
Yeah. And they are the most odious class class element on the planet. I
mean, they take the cake. Like they're worse than the Gusanos in many ways. They're similar to the Gusanos, but they look a lot worse.
And they all, you know, because they're more they tend to be more religious or overt overtly religious. They have to all wear keeps. I mean, they're putting
all the Jewish symbols out there. It's just like a giant anti-semitism machine that they're cranking up. And they want
it. They wanted to raise money for the ADL and their Mandani tracker. You had Israeli officials. Um the head of the
Ministry of Diaspora Affairs, what's his name? Called for Jews in America to relocate to Israel after Mamani's win.
They love anti-semitism. They love it fab manufacturing it and then benefiting from it. So, uh, it's no surprise this
is happening on the right and that a figure like Nick Fuentes, who admittedly is charismatic, but it's no surprise
he's actually getting so popular right now. What I do have questions about is
uh you know how this managed to get so deep into the conservative mainstream
and uh I I am sure the Democrats are very happy about this development as
well which is bad for those of us uh or those of you who are on the left who
would like to see the Democrats someday like apply sanctions on Israel. bill,
you know, this this is only going to benefit the faction of the Democratic party, the Rahm Emanuel faction who want
to take any debate over the role of the Israel lobby and Apac out of the debates
within that party. But that's down the line. That's like 2028. I could talk about this for like another hour. Uh, we
have the maker of propaganda, a propaganda film by Betar USA in the
digital green room. And I I think there are a few other things we should cover. Aaron, uh, you know, can we get your
reaction to Dick Cheny's death? Well, listen, I thought you had the best
take, which is that uh, yes, Dick Cheney is gone, but his legacy remains and it's entrenched in both parties. Uh, not only
was Dick Cheney welcomed as a resistance hero, as the New York Times portrayed
him in their obituary, but you know, Kla Harris openly touted his endorsement, said Dick Cheney was highly respected
and uh thought that was a good strategy to defeat Trump, whereas Trump pretended
to be against the Cheney legacy even while he continues it as well with um his staunch support for Israel, his
regime change campaign that's now escalating in Venezuela. So, yes, Dick
Cheney, the man has passed, but as a political project, he's very much alive. Yeah. I mean, he
Well, here's Biden guided by a strong set of conservative values. Dick Cheney devoted his life to public service, blah
blah blah. He believed as I do. All right. He believed as I do. You're never
gonna I mean, if you're saying Dick Cheney believed as I do, you should be kept as far away from power as possible.
that family is the beginning, blah blah blah. You know, wasn't written by Joe Biden. Joe Biden's staring at a blank
wall drooling right now. But this is something Biden would have approved of. He's repeatedly said in public that he
liked Dick Cheney. He helped whip the vote for Dick Cheny's illegal Iraq war.
Dick Cheney was really the seinal figure in ushering in the war on terror which
changed our society indelibly for the worse. Uh
consolidated control of the security state over every aspect of American politics.
He helped design the torture program and conceal it. He revealed the identity of
an undercover CIA operative Valerie Plain because her husband, former ambassador to Iraq Joe Wilson, exposed
the WMD yellow cake lie in the New York Times, which should have been a crime
that he spent a long time in prison for according to US law. You know,
I don't see the FBI investigating him. And now the war on terror has been spun into and and dicty did all this because
partly because he had Hallebertton stock after resigning as CEO and he made Hallebertton billions of dollars in Iraq
increasing his own stocks. He made enormous amounts of money off a
war that maimed thousands of American soldiers, killed hundreds of thousands of Iraqis, millions across the Middle
East, according to the Brown University um institute for the what is it the the
um the um the the cost of war initiative at
Brown University. Mil 4.1 million dead resulting from Iraq and US wars in the
Middle East. That was Dick Cheneyy's legacy. And now Donald Trump is fulfilling Dick Cheny's wildest
fantasies in a pursuit for lucrative plunder in Venezuela, invoking the war
on terror and Ronald Reagan's phony war on drugs. The bombing of Iran, that was a Dick
Cheney fantasy that Donald Trump fulfilled. The difference is Dick Cheney ran as Dick Cheney. He ran as a war president,
as a wararmonger. Donald Trump didn't. He ran as a peace president and still vying for the Nobel Peace Prize. And
then as Aaron, you pointed out, the Democrats rehabilitated Dick Cheny's legacy just
because Liz Cheney was outspoken against January 6th and came to their side and
became the Republican chair of the completely Democratic J6 committee.
And now they're praising Dick Cheney as some honorable man. Kla Harris praised him on the campaign trail. It's just and
they never asked Liz Cheney to disown any of her beliefs which were the same as her fathers.
So Dick Cheney really his spirit lives on through the leadership of both
political parties in the US regime. You know from a partisan point of view if you really think of it Dick Cheney
represents even though he's a Republican him and his family uh him and his daughter Liz they represent everything
that have caused the Democrats to fail so much. Trump took advantage of the Chinese neocon legacy to pretend that
he's against regime change wars and also meanwhile the Democrats rather than
embracing you know economic populism they got into fixations like the January
6th committee and before that Russia gate and Jack Smith and uh the
classified documents case and the hush money payments for Stormmy Daniels. all these issues that are completely
disconnected from people's lives and do nothing to stop um economic decline and
and perpetuate the war state because also what did January 6 do? What did Russia gate do? Like it propped up the
uh intelligence community and you know the the FBI were like the heroes and institutions were our heroes. All these
issues that were totally divorced from people's lives. So it's crazy the chain the Chinese despite being Republicans
really it was de Democrats chose to prop them up and in doing so really hurt themselves for for a long time to come.
This is partly why Kla Harris lost. I mean, it's like she's already so
odious on so many levels. And then she brings out Liz Cheney as
her main campaign surrogate. Like she was touring her final campaign message. Remember she stopped on the tarmac and
uh in order to condemn Trump for calling for uh you know for for like attacking
Liz Cheney to defend Cheney. That's what she's doing in the middle of, you know, a cost
of living crisis in America. They're never going to get over it.
It feels like punching down at this point to go after Kla Harris. It was just such a Well, it would, but she keeps talking
about running again. There's no way. This is absolutely no way. There's no way.
Um, meanwhile, yeah, as I mentioned, Donald Trump is
looking for opportunities in Venezuela. Uh, this is Dick Cheney politics.
This is something that will come out in an investigation I'm working on with Wyatt Reed about uh Jordan Gudro's coup
plot in 2019. You can watch my interview with Jordan Gudro who is now missing. He's disappeared following an order for
his arrest. Um, I don't know if there's a manhunt. I don't know what's going on with him.
An order for his arrest here in the US. In the US, the FBI has called uh issued
an order for his arrest because he failed to post bail on one of his court cases. And he is now, as far as I know,
missing, but I interviewed him. This is the author of the Operation Gideon, so-called Bay of Piglets, mercenary
invasion of Venezuela, which failed in early 2020. and he just detailed for me the
highlevel Trump connections that were that he claims were involved in his coup plot as well as the Venezuelan
opposition connections and the CIA connections. And uh we're going to
reveal all that in detail in writing, you know, just in in in in
print so everyone can see the documentation and judge for themselves. And but one of the key takeaways is
there was this group global governments which initially recruited Jordan Gudro of Trump associates Keith Schiller who's
now a lobbyist for Pakistan. He's been hunting for rare earth minerals in Greenland. He's Trump's longtime bodyman
and security man. Uh they formed this group simply to look for contracts in a post Maduro Venezuela
to make money off regime change to monetize regime change. It's just right out there in the open.
And what we're seeing now is a quest to monetize regime change using the US
military and not some small fry former US Green Beret and a bunch of rag tag uh
Venezuelan deserters in the jungles of Colombia. It's the USS Gerald Ford. It's the US Navy. It's the US uh special
forces operatives are being positioned to uh capture Maduro and to take over
Venezuelan airfields. There's discussion in the New York Times and Miami Herald of looming attacks once the Gerald Ford
arrives on Venezuelan military bases. This is all about the Benjamins as Trump
pressures Venezuela investors see major opportunities. This is semaphore. Um there was a meeting world IMF World
Bank meetings Barlays was involved to talk about investment opportunities with Maria Karina Machado who is the pinocha
and drag figure Venezuelan opposition leader backed by the US government who will deliver all this
and uh you know so this goes even beyond Trump UBS was there
Amazon Starbucks it's all about the money it's all about just straight up imperial theft. And uh
here's Maria Karina Machado promising it again. I mean, she just
keeps saying, "I'm going to let you steal whatever you want from Venezuela once you take out Maduro and slaughter
all the Chavistas and and start another migrant wave to the north.
We will open Venezuela for foreign investment." I am talking about a $1.7
trillion dollar opportunity not only in oil and gas which is huge and you know
that the opportunities because we will open all all upstream middleream downstream to all companies but also in
mining in gold in infrastructure power. We have our grid right now has a 17
gawatt opportunity of of of of of energy potential that needs to be rehabbed.
Certainly for technology and I AI and and and tourism, you know, Venezuela has
2,800 kil kilometers of pristine Caribbean coastline ready to be developed. So this
is going to be huge. We will bring rule of law. We will open markets. we will have security for foreign investment and
a transparent massive privatization uh program that is waiting for you.
I mean she she's acting as like almost like a plunder minister, tourism plunder
minister with a bright smile on her face, promising to let foreign investors take over
Venezuela's coastline to just hand over her country in exchange for her coming to power on the back of a US Abrams
tank. It doesn't get more obvious. And she's the recipient of the Nobel
Peace Prize. Um, incredible that the winner of the Nobel Peace Prize can be uh openly basically
calling for the plunder of her country and regime change literally like she's
called for military force to achieve it. And this sets her apart from other members of the Venezuelan opposition who
at least have the dignity to not call for to beg the US to come and destroy their country. Whereas uh but she
doesn't have any hesitation to do it. It's it it's really um it's really extraordinary. And there's a long
history of plunder that already precedes this that's already set the stage for this where the US stole Venezuela's oil
company or at least the US subsidiary of its sit. Anya talks about in her great book the corporate coup. You recently
Max gave a speech about it um which you put up on the grazing which I encourage people to watch. So it's like we've
already and and of course the theft of Venezuela's gold in a UK bank. So
there's already been plunder in this regime change operation and if it goes further, if they actually achieve the overthrow of Maduro, they'll take it to
an unprecedented level without a doubt. and it will destabilize
Venezuela and the the region. It will be a disaster for the region.
And they've already destabilized Venezuela again and again with their various plots, but they've all failed.
The pretext for this, what is the pretext? that Maduro heads a narot terror cartel called Cartel of the Suns,
which was actually created by the CIA in the early 90s as documented by CBS
News's 60 Minutes back when Mike Wallace was alive when they reported on the CIA and not on behalf of the CIA. Go watch
that. It's all there. The whole thing, it's the most shameless fraud that will about that's about to be folded into a
new kind of manifest destiny or turn of the century
era of banana war, oil war and you know the Nobel Prize. How can
anyone take that seriously ever again? What's the other pretext? It's
why we let the Norwegians decide like it's just a bunch of Norwegian people.
The other pretext that they use against Maduro is that they accuse him of rigging the last election. But I'm sorry. First of all, even if that were
true and you know, I wasn't there after the election, so I have no way to judge. We have no right to impose regime change
on countries just because uh we don't like how they run their elections. And second of all, and moreover, after more
than two decades of trying to destroy Venezuela's democracy and reverse multiple elections, the first coup
against Chavez, the first coup attempt against Maduro, you have a right to weigh in on another country's democracy
when you've been trying to destroy it for more than two decades. Not just through coup attempts, at least two of
them, but also through economic sanctions that destroy a country. Nobody in Venezuela voted for Joe Biden or
Donald Trump to decide whether or not they can have an economy. but that Donald Trump and and Joe Biden decided
that they are effectively the rulers of Venezuela and they can destroy its economy because they want to overthrow their government. So in that situation
when you've been trying to rig another country's democracy and destroy it for
more than 20 years because this goes back to the Bush administration and then Obama declares Venezuela to be a
so-called national security threat and you know gets the ball rolling on regime change too. You just don't have the
right to weigh in on what other countries do in their elections.
Well, I guess we deserve to be uh put placed under naval siege and
sanctioned after the 2000 election that George W. Bush clearly stole. Exactly. I mean, it's ridiculous. Nothing could
be more undemocratic than what's being done to Venezuela. Yeah. And again, and that's not a fair comparison because everyone recognized
that Venezuela's multiple elections under Chavez and then under Maduro, at least the early ones, were totally fair.
The Carter Center monitored uh Venezuelan elections where where so it's
like you can't even So, it's like, you know, but of course, what would like what what would we have done if a
country had sanctioned us for the 2000 election when there was some fraud going on when Bush probably did steal that
election? Of course, we never allowed that. Y
Go back to go back to that to see what a slime George Source is. But but we
despise him for reasons that are totally different from the right. I mean, as far as taking on socialism is concerned,
he's actually been opposed to socialist governments all around the world, including the one in Venezuela. Open
Societies Institute has kicked in millions of dollars to support the radical pushist Venezuelan opposition.
Nicaragua, Cuba, they've been all over that. Syria, Soros has openly called for
regime change in Syria. And uh obviously Russia, he is a mortal enemy of Putin
and wants to see Russia bulcanized so he can uh make off with their assets.
And that's why Zoran Mandani is not a third worldist as his father is critiqued as. He's not someone who
actually wants to challenge Western hegemony. Let's just do away with that idea.
He really Go ahead. I mean I don't know what's I mean we don't know what's in his heart. No, we do. We do. We do. But I mean,
he went to South Florida, Aaron, and called Maduro a vicious dictator. Okay. Well, um, where I agree with you
is that he's certainly not going to be, uh, like governing as like a anti-imperialist. I I agree with you.
He's going to be a, you know, a reformist moderate candidate. And, um,
yeah, I mean, there there's no dispute there. I I I agree with you. The hype around him from the right of being like
him being like a Marxist and all that, it's it's totally overblown. uh he's he's pretty reformist uh in in his
political orientation. I'm just saying I've never talked to him, so I don't know what he actually really believes. You know, in the past, I've seen him
tweet some great some some great things on the anti-imperialist front that I really agree with, but it's not as if I
think that's ever going to translate to his his policies in office.
Yeah. Uh sure. I think the mom Zoran Mamani
doesn't want to deal with those issues. When he was in South Florida, he's put on the spot. So, he says the most
predictable thing you can say to make sure that he doesn't catch any heat from the Gusano industrial complex.
And he's seeding ground on the anti-semitism issue as well. He said he will have Zionists working for him. He's
not taking a militant line on these things. I don't that's why I'm not really that focused on electoralism and
I'm not going to get caught, you know, popping champagne and doing shots at the bar with Hassan at his victory
party or whatever because I just, you know, I'm I'm I I feel like I'm
tempering my expectations and I know what's possible in American politics and it's really not that much. And uh there
was someone I was whose name I was groping for uh like Andrew Cuomo was groping
campaign aids allegedly and it's uh Patrick Gaspard. He was the head of open
societies for several years and he's now an adviser to Zoron Mani. So this is like well-known stuff and he was he came
to Mam Donnie I think through an Obama connection. Obama by the way has refused to endorse Mom Donnie.
So, it's a still it's a it's it's a defeat for the Israel lobby. It's a blow to them. It's a blow to their sense of
control. It's a blow to that wing of the Democratic party that they can't control
the largest city in the US. It's a sign of things to come as including um
generational shifts, demographic shifts in blue states. And I don't I don't
think there's much mom Donnie can do to implement a militant socialist agenda,
let alone to uh make New York more affordable despite his best efforts because the array of forces the forces
arrayed against him are are enormous. And uh where can you make housing more
affordable in New York? It would have to be like in the outer burrows by building more housing unless you can really
really take it to the developers. Um, and that would be a massive fight. I
think it would it would it would mean he has to win several terms.
You know, can I say one more thing about the issue of Zarmani in Cuba in Cuba and Venezuela? Because I'm I'm just reading
about it now. And initially, he was interviewed by Jorge Ramos, the the uh
journalist who infamously tried to interview Maduro and got um you know, and basically tried to corner Maduro
with all the typical regime change talking points. And then you had a run in with Max and in that interview he
actually didn't take Joseé Ramos's bait. He declined. He said, "I haven't really thought much about Cuba and Venezuela
and he didn't call them a dictator then." And then after that there was an uproar and then the campaign issue issued a statement. So that's what I'm
saying is like I don't know what's in like own heart and yeah politicians will sometimes then be pressured to make
certain statements that they might they didn't necessarily agree with. And that that that strikes me as what happened
here. I don't think he's like a your typical Democrat when it comes to foreign
policy. I think he has certain instincts that obviously then get tempered when he has to deal with the reality of the
campaign and how hard it is to like have an openly anti-imperialist position. And I'm not trying to say that this like
means he's like a you know that I share all this politics, but I just don't think in terms of ranking all the
Democratic Party sellouts. I just don't think he belongs in the same category as all the other as all the normal
politicians we're used to, including Bernie Sanders. Yeah. Well,
I'm I'm uh I'm almost out of things to say about this
and I don't want to be unfair to anyone, but my expectations are low because it's
US politics and at the same time
it culturally is a positive sign suggests there's more possibilities out
there for other candidates. It's there's a civil war going on on the right right
now and it's because Trump is president. There's a civil war taking place on Israel. And because Trump has been so
Israel first, it's cartoonish. This will return to the Democratic party
if a Democrat secures victory in 2028.
And mom Donnie is also a proxy for that fight, for that coming fight. So the
reason I think the reason to focus on this election and
to be interested in it isn't purely because he pro he pledged to freeze the
rents and so on. It's because it is a sign of something much larger taking
place, a cultural and political shift. And I question whether there will be
even one candidate who will take it as far as he has on the issue of Israel Palestine in the Democratic primary in
2028. And if there isn't, it's going to damage
the party and depress turnout. So I definitely want to talk about the
civil war on the right that's taking place. There's probably even more to say about that than about this election,
unless you have anything to add. Anything to add here. Here's one thing I thought was funny. All of a
sudden, Trump now is sounding like Mam Donnie. He says uh uh the day after the
election, affordability is our goal, right? And like what was the centerpiece of Mdan's campaign was affordability. So
that's Trump I think recognizing that uh Zarani's message actually resonates with people beyond, you know, progressives in
New York City. I mean, Trump promised to lower grocery prices, do all those things. But, of course, what has he done
for working people? Nothing. He's taken away Medicaid. He's now um denying
people food assistance through SNAP that's been uh cut off because of the
shutdown. And uh but the fact that he even feels pressured to declare now that he supports Zara Modi's like key
promise, um that's a good sign, I think. And that's that's one uh thing I'm I'm
really happy about in all this. And hopefully not just Trump but Democrats follow suit. Like that's where I think
Arma can play a really positive role in US politics. Like whatever else you think about him. Well, it shows he lost the shutdown
fight. Most Americans, according to every poll I've seen, are blaming Trump for the shutdown, and they're unhappy
about it. And it's going to be the longest shutdown in history. And it's going to start resulting in the
termination of programs that fund heating for poor people. So along with
the grocery prices going up, affordability was actually one of Trump's campaign promises. So that's
gone. all of the the campaign promises that
brought people over who were independents, uh, a small percentage of black and
Latino people, the um, a few Democrats, some Democrats in swing districts,
that's all, all of that is gone. And he was damaged last night, badly damaged.
So, uh, yeah, I think that attribute we can attribute his shift in messaging to his failure
in the shutdown. Most Americans aren't blaming the Democrats. Um,
so yeah, I think
the midterms don't look good for Trump and that will have international
implications as well on going to war on
whether Israel can lean on Trump to bail it out of another Iran attack on Iran.
And it's worth keeping in mind. So, do you want to talk about what's happening on the right?
Yeah. Well, uh, there's been a big effort, a big push on the right to basically cancel Tucker Carlson because
of his increased criticism of Israel. And I guess like, uh, a galvanizing
incident was the president of the Heritage Foundation making some statement like saying like, "We're not going to cancel, uh, Tucker." I guess we
can play some of that. Um, this is Kevin Roberts. president of the Heritage Foundation. I
actually haven't seen this, so this will be uh
coming days. But today, I want to be clear about one thing. Christians can critique the state of Israel without
being anti-semitic. And of course, anti-semitism should be condemned. My loyalty as a Christian and as an
American is to Christ first and to America always. When it serves the interest of the United States to cooperate with Israel and other allies,
we should do so with partnerships on security, intelligence, and technology. But when it doesn't, conservatives
should feel no obligation to reflexively support any foreign government, no matter how loud the pressure becomes from the globalist class or from their
mouthpieces in Washington. The Heritage Foundation didn't become the intellectual backbone of the conservative movement by cancelelling
our own people or policing the consciences of Christians. And we won't start doing that now. We don't take
direction from comments on X, though we are grateful for the robust free speech debate. We also don't take direction
from members or donors, though we are inherently grateful for their support and we're adding more every day. This is
the robust debate we invite with our colleagues, our movement friends, our members, and the American public.
All right. Well, seems like a good statement
uh on its face. I think it's a little more complex than that, but just to
cover what's happened in the recent in in the last few days and hours, uh Kevin
Roberts has backtracked. Kevin Roberts is the head of the outsourced brain of the Republican
party, the Heritage Foundation. The Heritage Foundation is located a few blocks from Capitol Hill. It's the most
influential think tank in America. Probably it's more influential than any Democratic Party think tank. all the
Republican policies. Project 2025, it all came out of there going back to the
1980s. Future Hill staffers, they sleep in the dorms that the Heritage
Foundation has established right next to Union Station and they're they're they're sort of trained and drilled in
how to be effective Republican apparatics and operatives there. Again, there's nothing like it.
So, it's it's highly significant that he is welcoming a debate which is
ostensibly about Israel, but which goes much deeper than that. And he's sticking
up for Tucker Carlson, who I assume he has a long-standing relationship with, who has a relationship with the Heritage
Foundation. Um, the Heritage Foundation is also responsible for Project Esther, which
was a straightup call for criminalizing pro Palestine activism and was a
blueprint for all of the persecution we see under the Trump administration, the federal persecution of anti-war and
Palestine solidarity groups. So, Roberts comes under pressure from the inside. This is Kurt Mills from American
Conservative. He's being literally extorted according to Mills. his original video statement where he said
that Israel criticism isn't necessarily anti-semitism uh is is uh facing extortion from
subordinates in his own ranks. And who are those who are threatening
the Heritage Foundation and the anti-semitism tax task force? It's pastor Luke Moon, a Christian Zionist
pastor. Victoria Coats who was the main author of the of Project Esther. Ellie
Coanim, who we've talked about before, who's like a ludnik operative, and another Christian Zionist pastor, and
they demanded that he delete that video statement that you just saw, which everyone has already seen. I mean, it
wouldn't matter if he deleted it at this point. There there have been several highlevel
uh departures from the Heritage Foundation, resignations, and uh I think like two hours ago,
Roberts issued an apology.
Can I get this on screen, man? He said, "I made a mistake and I let you
down and I let down this institution." Period. Full stop. And and the mistake is what? Calling for
free speech and saying he's not going to be intimidated by pro-Israel donors. That's that's the mistake.
He was asked to condemn this. Nick Fuentes, the
guru of the Gripers, was invited onto Tucker Carlson's show
and went up to Maine, where Tucker lives, and they had a very friendly interview
um following a personal war between Tucker and Nick Fuentes.
And uh Roberts defended Tucker's right to host Nick Fuentes,
which was taken by his antagonists as an endorsement of
Nick Fuentes's views as a streamer who has not been very sympathetic to Jews.
So it's not just about Israel. I mean, Nick Fuentes talks about Jewish power, Jewish influence, Jew, the Jewish
religion, uh, that the Talmud instructs Jews to, uh, carry out devious acts.
He's very open about that. And he was welcomed by Tucker and by like a who's
who of right-wing or right-leaning podcasters, like the major ones, all
within the course of like a month. So, that's what this is about. And I
think, you know, they the real target here is not Nick Fuentes per se,
although it will be in the future. The target was Tucker Carlson.
Tucker Carlson is the is the number one target of Israel. Tucker Carlson is hated by
Netanyahu. They fear him, too. He's just he's a very credible right-wing voice
who spoke at the Republican convention, who's been close to Trump, who is now in
a I think in in up until the Fuentes interview in a very tactical way
helping to bring out longstanding conservative opposition to Israel
controlling the US government. When you bring Fuentes in there, you're waving the red flag and you're giving
your enemies sort of what they want in order to portray you as an anti-semite. They took the hole and ran right through
it. And it's just been non-stop. Notice the attacks are on Tucker, not Nick
Fuentes, per se. Uh but it has benefited Fuentes and benefited the Gropers to see
how much influence he's attained and that someone like Tucker whose family was denigrated and dehumanized by Nick
Fuentes basically stood down and made nice with him at his home.
This has elevated Fuentes's profile. I actually should have brought this on screen. Um,
I think it was Michelle Goldberg in the New York Times called Fuentes the Charlie the new Charlie Kirk.
Here it is. And I mean this is this is major
in a way, but it's also strategic on the part of a writer like Michelle
Goldberg who represents a faction of the Democratic Party.
Nick Fuentes is with Charlie Kirk's bitter enemy. Now he's becoming successor. and they have this photo that
makes him look like he's walking into uh you know like like he's a celebrity,
like he's James Dean, like he's um a character in in
Zoolander. And why would someone like Michelle Goldberg, who's a stalwart Democrat at
the New York Times, who kind of understands what's going on in the right better than most liberal columnists, why
would she say this? It's because the Democrats want to build Nick Fuentes up so that they can try to hang him around
the neck of the GOP in 2028 and specifically around the neck of JD Vance
the way that the Republicans are doing with Zoran Mandani and the National Democratic Party. That's the that's
their play right here. But for Fuentes and the Gropers, it's like a great moment. They have triumphed and he, you
know, triumphed over Tucker Carlson when Tucker Carlson he he started the fight. He threw the first punch. He called Nick
Fuentes like a weird gay kid who's possibly a fed. And now Nick Fuentes is
on what Gropers call a generational run. He's been on like every podcast.
Um green Glenn Greenwald, Red Scare, Patrick Bet David,
uh what else? Dave Smith. And this is a guy who was considered so toxic to
any anyone remotely close to mainstream political culture just a few years ago.
Uh who was associated with the Charlottesville riot was associated with they would you know just call him a
Nazi. He's now mainstream and very influential. So that's why this happened. And now there's a full-on
civil war on the right, which is larger than anything that happened previously, where, for example, we saw the National
Review kick out Joseph Soon because of what Soon said about Jewish influence and Jewish power. Uh, or the National
Review under Buckley, who was a a complete Israel tool, uh, attacking Pat Buchanan, the whole war over
Buchananism. The neocons won that fight.
There's another reason this is happening too, which is Israel just spent two years committing genocide and people on
the right and left who've been paying attention on social media are disgusted and they're disgusted with seeing their
government just fall into line. So
this this this is a a moment where I think the neocon ludnik faction in the
right is making their
make this is like their Normandy landing. They want to put this to bed completely
and what they want to do is drive Tucker out. It's about Tucker using Nick Fuentes to drive out Tucker. And so that
played out all at the Republican Jewish Coalition event at Sheldon Add's Sands
Casino in Las Vegas. Sheldon Add and various other Israel First billionaires
run this group. And this really put on display who the forces are who want to
destroy Tucker and recapture the Republican party for Israel. For Israel
first, here's a clip.
This is the anti-American,
anti-Israel, anti-West crowd to understand something.
You're going to have to come through me and millions of people just like me, and
you're not going to make it. You think your stupid little podcast or your stupid little subscription program or
your little TV show or maybe you have a little radio show is going to change the world like hell it is. Not if I and
everybody else have something to say about it. And I just want Wow. Well, okay. So, shots fired. By the
way, like Mark Leven has a radio show, so I don't even know what he's trying to disparage there. He's also a radio broadcaster. He also yells into a
microphone paranoid rants about Muslims and uh lefties. And so yeah. Um, so
what's the takeaway here? Tucker made a he Tucker effed up. He brought on Nick
Fuentes, who I honestly I've never paid attention to. So I I I don't you know,
like before you explain all that, I didn't even know what all the fuss was about. So basically, Nick Fuentes sounds like he is an actual anti-semite. That's
fair to say, right? I I don't I I would I would say he's not very friend
favorable towards Jews. Whenever he wants to respond to anything I say or attack me, he'll just be like, "You're a
Jew." Okay. Got it. Got it. So Tucker for some reason thought it was a good idea to bring him on.
Well, I don't I don't know what's going something else is going on here. Yeah. Because he suddenly starts doing every
major podcast in the course of like two or three weeks. Everybody's just having him on. I
feel like if you're going if you're going to be the next Charlie Kirk after Charlie Kirk's death, and his tone
shifted slightly after Charlie Kirk's death, by the way, there's going to be
I'm I'm not saying he's a fed. I'm not saying the CIA is behind this or something, but in American culture, if
you're going to really rise, first you're gonna have a popular base. He has that. You're going to be charismatic.
He's very charismatic. I mean, if you'd watched him in the past, you know, it's it's like highly entertaining. He's it's
it's it's not just like, you know, Father Coughlin Nazi rants. Like, he's
he's saying funny stuff. And there's going to be capital there.
There's capital behind all of these major podcasts that he was on. Lots of capital. And so I feel like there there
are forces that are propelling Fuentes into the mainstream for whatever
reason. It may be that they want to force this debate on the right, but something is going on that's bigger than
these personalities on the right. And I mean, it ultimately comes down to
rage about Netanyahu and the role he's playing. But for Tucker to have him on,
well, you're not just going to be talking about Israel anymore. or your outrage about Israel uh Israeli settlers
burning down Christian villages in the West Bank, you're you're going to be talk you're going to be dealing with someone who wants to talk about Jews and
the role of Jews in America, the malign role in his view of Jews. And so now that's the debate and that's the debate
that the Republican Jewish Coalition and Zionists want to have. Republican Jews
are almost all ultraionists. In addition to being social reactionaries, they're all ultrainist
and they see no distinction between Israel and Jews, right?
Sure. Yeah. Okay. Gropers also see no distinction between Israel and Jews. They see Israel
and all of its crimes as a reflection of uh Jew not just Jewish supremacy but
sort of the essential deformity of the Jewish religion and
culture. And that's the debate that's that that's that's that the Zionists want to have.
So you think possibly there's an interest among ultraionists in promoting Nick Fuentes and making him the face of
I have no idea. I I I don't think they're promoting him. I don't know if they're promoting him. I'm not saying
there's some secret Zionist force behind there. It may have been someone who
agrees with him, right? But there are larger forces at play
here. And the Zionists think they can win this debate now against Tucker or they can
isolate Tucker now. Did you see those signs that they had had like uh mass
printed at the RJC? Tucker is not MAGA. No, I I missed that.
And they have no grassroots base themselves. It's just in a way they're
being the stereotype Nick Fuentes says they are. It's just capital. It's just
liquidnik Jewish money that they're putting up against Tucker, but they're using this moment.
It's not like uh the civil war that played out in the 80s and early 90s where it was a war between intellectuals
and the right. This is a war between podcasters and billionaires.
And the podcast world is so wrapped up within the billionaire world. I mean, Peter Teal funds so many of these
podcasts. It's like Tim Dylan said, like, as soon as I started getting popular, I got approached by Peter Teal
and I got offered a meeting with JD Vance.
So, uh, they've got Robert, they got Kevin Roberts by the balls. I mean, they
made him whimper because they could threaten him with money. He runs the Heritage Foundation. Who's paying for
Project Esther? Ludnik billionaires. Yeah. Well, that's why Kevin going back to a statement. He talks about like uh
we don't cow to donors like of course you do. And and like he says like no matter like what the globalists want,
like who are the globalists in this equation? I understand like who he's referring to because he's right now in
power. The Trump administration uses his policies. So, who are the supposed globalists that he thinks he's standing
against? Sorry, who who referred to globalists?
Kevin Roberts. He talks about like like the globalists. I the globalist. It's like a it's it's a
it's a word you use when you can't you can't criticize capitalists. Uh but there are there are a wing of like
globalist billionaires like Bill Gates would be a globalist. Okay. Who he doesn't care about he he doesn't
align himself with the west necessarily. He aligns himself with any leadership in
which he can which can help him assist his agenda. So he'll form friendly relations with uh China's Xi at the same
time that he forms forges friendly relationships with the Democratic party in the US. But I mean that's just a
small that's a codery of billionaires. I mean it's globalism is different than in many ways transatlanticism because
that's centered exclusively in the west uh against
you know, counter-hedgemonic powers. And then you have uh George Soros. I mean,
is he a globalist? Ultimately, he's just a capitalist like the billionaires sponsoring the Heritage Foundation. But
anyway, we're getting off track here. I mean, the threats that Mark Levvin was making there are not about having a war
of the ideas, a war of ideas. It's about shutting down debate using the
prepundonderance of financial power on his side. And uh that's how he intends to shut
down Tucker Carlson. It's what is happening right before our eyes with the
purchase of Tik Tok by Andre Horowitz. David Horowitz is a mentor to many of
those who took over the the the Republican party on behalf of the neocons. His son is Ben Horowitz and
Andre Horowitz. They own Tik Tok. Paramount, Larry Ellison, David Ellison.
I mean, they're they're doing what they can to take those with their little
podcast and their little radio shows and isolate them by just buying everything up, which fuels anti-Jewish attitudes on
the right. What what what it's about is the Wasps. I mean, this was always about
this. The wasps from the old kind of
you know, Burkian conservative traditions, the Buchananites,
the Sam Francis's, the Joe Sobons versus the Ellis Islanders like MIJ
Dector and Norman Pedoritz and Irving Crystal who came in and basically
formed forged an alliance with the Christian right to pump tons and tons of
money through right-wing foundations. into the right and make it more
neoconservative. The Christian right is basically taking the neocon side here, the corporate
Christian right that's Christian Zionist. Um, you mentioned the Ellison. One thing I I
wanted a clip I want to play was Trump recently gave an interview with 60 Minutes which is now under the editorial
direction of Barry Weiss who was installed by the Ellison because she's a pro activist and he Trump Trump openly
praised Barry Weiss in her new role. So funny
and actually 60 Minutes paid me a lot of money and you don't have to put this on because I don't want to embarrass you
and I'm sure you're not. Uh, you have a great I think you have a great new leader, frankly, because the young woman that's leading your whole enterprise is
a great from what I know, I don't know, she's a great person, but 60 Minutes was for us to pay me a lot of money.
So, he's he's he's so happy that Barry Weiss is now in control at 60 Minutes. And it recently came out that Barry
Weiss after she came in on the job, she was texting directly with Benjamin Netanyahu, Jared Kushner, and Hillary
Clinton. Um so that is the establishment right there that
yeah they well it shows the role that CBS plays in a partisan sense but
obviously there's a there's a deeper there's
it also plays a role in a much more consequential way that
will go beyond Trump which is as a vehicle for Israel's politics in the US.
So, you know, expect a 60 Minutes hit piece on uh Tucker Carlson and then one
on Nick Fuentes. I mean, that's where this is going to go. And they're just going to use their institutional and
financial power to crush this. But at the same time, in doing so, they're inspiring more and propelling more
anti-semitism. This is the problem. Republican Jews are only 30% at most of Jews overall in the
United States. We're not like some huge outliers here in what we believe. Like a
lot of Jews are silent about this, but we come from uh you know a more
well-rooted left-wing Jewish tradition in the US that finds Republican neoconic
Jews to be disgusting. Uh that opposes them. And so they
represent a m and then what what is the population percentage of population that Jews represent in the US? 3% 4%.
So they are 30% of 3%. They're a minority within a minority. and they're
going out in public fashion and declaring control over an entire party
that's mostly Protestant uh that has this entire wing of wasps
who don't like being bossed around who are like blueb bloodoods and they are confusing
consent with control. They never received consent for what they were doing. They just attained control by
pulling the strings of a corrupt capitalist system and a corrupt party that represents the most extreme
iteration of politics in a neoliberal capitalist society. Well, control is
being tested and they realize they don't have the consent and so they are
making this out to be a fight over the Jewish future and they're bringing all
Jews in America as a human shield for their own agenda and the hatred that
they have inspired within their own party. That's the danger. But yet, Israeli officials still brag
about how much control they have over the Trump administration. Uh this is from the Republican Jewish Coalition
gathering. This is uh Ron Durmer, close aid, top aid to Netanyahu. Uh basically saying that Trump does
whatever Sheldon Adlesen and his wife Miriam tells Trump to do. Sheldon Eden
Sheldon Aden has since passed, but um when he was alive and as you can see from this clip, even after he's gone,
Trump still is doing is doing whatever he he is told. remind me of somebody who we should
recognize who is a mentor of Matt's and somebody who's one of the greatest Jews that I've met in my lifetime who who's
not with us anymore and his wife is not with us here today and that's Sheldon add he was a man of tremendous courage
and he told me when I was ambassador many times he said what is the use of all these people very prominent and
influential Jewish Americans what is the use of them having all this access if they're not going to be there when it
counts if you're not going to actually go to your elected official and say this is what has to be done and you need to
take a stand and Sheldon when I was ambassador would do that time after time after time. You just heard from
President Trump and as my prime minister has said time and again we've never had a friend like President Trump. Never.
But I remember with Roa going out to dinner with Sheldon and Mary every time they would come to Washington. And yeah,
you'd think Sheldon had such a tremendous role in in in helping convince President Trump to go and
recognize Jerusalem as Israel's capital was a very important issue for Sheldon. But he didn't stop there. The next time
he met the president, he went and talked to him about something else and then something else and then something else. It was never about access for Sheldon
add. It was about doing the right thing. And he supported people who he believed in. And he said, "The reason why I
believe in you is because you say that you stand for something and now when you get into office, stand for something. actually do it. And so he's a profiling
courage. We miss him uh deep. Yes. I mean, it's just it's unbelievable. It's a brazen admission
that a foreign state and their mega donors get the US government to do what they want and they're bragging about it.
I mean, again, and recall that the first Trump administration was shaped by this
conspiracy theory, this concoction that he was controlled by Russia. Now out in the open, another government, Israel, it
brags about how the fact that their donors get Trump to do what they want and whatever that's considered normal.
That is such a disgusting scene. That's Ron Durmer, whose father was the mayor of Miami Beach, Miami Beach, USA.
He speaks English with an American accent. He's from here. He's from the
American Jewish world. and he's the top adviser to a foreign leader, Benjamin Netanyahu. And he's the guy who
shattered every ceasefire until Trump and Steve Wickoff finally isolated him.
He made sure that like no negotiation with Hamas would go through and kept the genocide going for two years. He was the
main figure behind Netanyahu and he's from here. And now he's praising a US
billionaire, a dead US billionaire whose wife is Israeli for the role that he
played in convincing Donald Trump. Convincing meaning basically bribing. I mean everything with Trump is legal
bribery. Like that's why the the the Binance CEO is is getting off. Just straight up
bribery. Trump said, "Oh, I don't remember that. It's like old Reagan clips except he can't claim to have
Alzheimer's about Iran Contra." Just straight up bribery. And when Aaron, do you ever see uh clips of, you know, the
Democratic Progressive Jewish Coalition uh going viral or Jewish voice for peace
there? I don't know about Democratic progressive, but Jewish voice for peace clips going viral. You you don't you see
this going viral? These are the Jews that people see because they're the ones in charge right now.
Yeah. And they are the most odious class class element on the planet. I
mean, they take the cake. Like they're worse than the Gusanos in many ways. They're similar to the Gusanos, but they look a lot worse.
And they all, you know, because they're more they tend to be more religious or overt overtly religious. They have to all wear keeps. I mean, they're putting
all the Jewish symbols out there. It's just like a giant anti-semitism machine that they're cranking up. And they want
it. They wanted to raise money for the ADL and their Mandani tracker. You had Israeli officials. Um the head of the
Ministry of Diaspora Affairs, what's his name? Called for Jews in America to relocate to Israel after Mamani's win.
They love anti-semitism. They love it fab manufacturing it and then benefiting from it. So, uh, it's no surprise this
is happening on the right and that a figure like Nick Fuentes, who admittedly is charismatic, but it's no surprise
he's actually getting so popular right now. What I do have questions about is
uh you know how this managed to get so deep into the conservative mainstream
and uh I I am sure the Democrats are very happy about this development as
well which is bad for those of us uh or those of you who are on the left who
would like to see the Democrats someday like apply sanctions on Israel. bill,
you know, this this is only going to benefit the faction of the Democratic party, the Rahm Emanuel faction who want
to take any debate over the role of the Israel lobby and Apac out of the debates
within that party. But that's down the line. That's like 2028. I could talk about this for like another hour. Uh, we
have the maker of propaganda, a propaganda film by Betar USA in the
digital green room. And I I think there are a few other things we should cover. Aaron, uh, you know, can we get your
reaction to Dick Cheny's death? Well, listen, I thought you had the best
take, which is that uh, yes, Dick Cheney is gone, but his legacy remains and it's entrenched in both parties. Uh, not only
was Dick Cheney welcomed as a resistance hero, as the New York Times portrayed
him in their obituary, but you know, Kla Harris openly touted his endorsement, said Dick Cheney was highly respected
and uh thought that was a good strategy to defeat Trump, whereas Trump pretended
to be against the Cheney legacy even while he continues it as well with um his staunch support for Israel, his
regime change campaign that's now escalating in Venezuela. So, yes, Dick
Cheney, the man has passed, but as a political project, he's very much alive. Yeah. I mean, he
Well, here's Biden guided by a strong set of conservative values. Dick Cheney devoted his life to public service, blah
blah blah. He believed as I do. All right. He believed as I do. You're never
gonna I mean, if you're saying Dick Cheney believed as I do, you should be kept as far away from power as possible.
that family is the beginning, blah blah blah. You know, wasn't written by Joe Biden. Joe Biden's staring at a blank
wall drooling right now. But this is something Biden would have approved of. He's repeatedly said in public that he
liked Dick Cheney. He helped whip the vote for Dick Cheny's illegal Iraq war.
Dick Cheney was really the seinal figure in ushering in the war on terror which
changed our society indelibly for the worse. Uh
consolidated control of the security state over every aspect of American politics.
He helped design the torture program and conceal it. He revealed the identity of
an undercover CIA operative Valerie Plain because her husband, former ambassador to Iraq Joe Wilson, exposed
the WMD yellow cake lie in the New York Times, which should have been a crime
that he spent a long time in prison for according to US law. You know,
I don't see the FBI investigating him. And now the war on terror has been spun into and and dicty did all this because
partly because he had Hallebertton stock after resigning as CEO and he made Hallebertton billions of dollars in Iraq
increasing his own stocks. He made enormous amounts of money off a
war that maimed thousands of American soldiers, killed hundreds of thousands of Iraqis, millions across the Middle
East, according to the Brown University um institute for the what is it the the
um the um the the cost of war initiative at
Brown University. Mil 4.1 million dead resulting from Iraq and US wars in the
Middle East. That was Dick Cheneyy's legacy. And now Donald Trump is fulfilling Dick Cheny's wildest
fantasies in a pursuit for lucrative plunder in Venezuela, invoking the war
on terror and Ronald Reagan's phony war on drugs. The bombing of Iran, that was a Dick
Cheney fantasy that Donald Trump fulfilled. The difference is Dick Cheney ran as Dick Cheney. He ran as a war president,
as a wararmonger. Donald Trump didn't. He ran as a peace president and still vying for the Nobel Peace Prize. And
then as Aaron, you pointed out, the Democrats rehabilitated Dick Cheny's legacy just
because Liz Cheney was outspoken against January 6th and came to their side and
became the Republican chair of the completely Democratic J6 committee.
And now they're praising Dick Cheney as some honorable man. Kla Harris praised him on the campaign trail. It's just and
they never asked Liz Cheney to disown any of her beliefs which were the same as her fathers.
So Dick Cheney really his spirit lives on through the leadership of both
political parties in the US regime. You know from a partisan point of view if you really think of it Dick Cheney
represents even though he's a Republican him and his family uh him and his daughter Liz they represent everything
that have caused the Democrats to fail so much. Trump took advantage of the Chinese neocon legacy to pretend that
he's against regime change wars and also meanwhile the Democrats rather than
embracing you know economic populism they got into fixations like the January
6th committee and before that Russia gate and Jack Smith and uh the
classified documents case and the hush money payments for Stormmy Daniels. all these issues that are completely
disconnected from people's lives and do nothing to stop um economic decline and
and perpetuate the war state because also what did January 6 do? What did Russia gate do? Like it propped up the
uh intelligence community and you know the the FBI were like the heroes and institutions were our heroes. All these
issues that were totally divorced from people's lives. So it's crazy the chain the Chinese despite being Republicans
really it was de Democrats chose to prop them up and in doing so really hurt themselves for for a long time to come.
This is partly why Kla Harris lost. I mean, it's like she's already so
odious on so many levels. And then she brings out Liz Cheney as
her main campaign surrogate. Like she was touring her final campaign message. Remember she stopped on the tarmac and
uh in order to condemn Trump for calling for uh you know for for like attacking
Liz Cheney to defend Cheney. That's what she's doing in the middle of, you know, a cost
of living crisis in America. They're never going to get over it.
It feels like punching down at this point to go after Kla Harris. It was just such a Well, it would, but she keeps talking
about running again. There's no way. This is absolutely no way. There's no way.
Um, meanwhile, yeah, as I mentioned, Donald Trump is
looking for opportunities in Venezuela. Uh, this is Dick Cheney politics.
This is something that will come out in an investigation I'm working on with Wyatt Reed about uh Jordan Gudro's coup
plot in 2019. You can watch my interview with Jordan Gudro who is now missing. He's disappeared following an order for
his arrest. Um, I don't know if there's a manhunt. I don't know what's going on with him.
An order for his arrest here in the US. In the US, the FBI has called uh issued
an order for his arrest because he failed to post bail on one of his court cases. And he is now, as far as I know,
missing, but I interviewed him. This is the author of the Operation Gideon, so-called Bay of Piglets, mercenary
invasion of Venezuela, which failed in early 2020. and he just detailed for me the
highlevel Trump connections that were that he claims were involved in his coup plot as well as the Venezuelan
opposition connections and the CIA connections. And uh we're going to
reveal all that in detail in writing, you know, just in in in in
print so everyone can see the documentation and judge for themselves. And but one of the key takeaways is
there was this group global governments which initially recruited Jordan Gudro of Trump associates Keith Schiller who's
now a lobbyist for Pakistan. He's been hunting for rare earth minerals in Greenland. He's Trump's longtime bodyman
and security man. Uh they formed this group simply to look for contracts in a post Maduro Venezuela
to make money off regime change to monetize regime change. It's just right out there in the open.
And what we're seeing now is a quest to monetize regime change using the US
military and not some small fry former US Green Beret and a bunch of rag tag uh
Venezuelan deserters in the jungles of Colombia. It's the USS Gerald Ford. It's the US Navy. It's the US uh special
forces operatives are being positioned to uh capture Maduro and to take over
Venezuelan airfields. There's discussion in the New York Times and Miami Herald of looming attacks once the Gerald Ford
arrives on Venezuelan military bases. This is all about the Benjamins as Trump
pressures Venezuela investors see major opportunities. This is semaphore. Um there was a meeting world IMF World
Bank meetings Barlays was involved to talk about investment opportunities with Maria Karina Machado who is the pinocha
and drag figure Venezuelan opposition leader backed by the US government who will deliver all this
and uh you know so this goes even beyond Trump UBS was there
Amazon Starbucks it's all about the money it's all about just straight up imperial theft. And uh
here's Maria Karina Machado promising it again. I mean, she just
keeps saying, "I'm going to let you steal whatever you want from Venezuela once you take out Maduro and slaughter
all the Chavistas and and start another migrant wave to the north.
We will open Venezuela for foreign investment." I am talking about a $1.7
trillion dollar opportunity not only in oil and gas which is huge and you know
that the opportunities because we will open all all upstream middleream downstream to all companies but also in
mining in gold in infrastructure power. We have our grid right now has a 17
gawatt opportunity of of of of of energy potential that needs to be rehabbed.
Certainly for technology and I AI and and and tourism, you know, Venezuela has
2,800 kil kilometers of pristine Caribbean coastline ready to be developed. So this
is going to be huge. We will bring rule of law. We will open markets. we will have security for foreign investment and
a transparent massive privatization uh program that is waiting for you.
I mean she she's acting as like almost like a plunder minister, tourism plunder
minister with a bright smile on her face, promising to let foreign investors take over
Venezuela's coastline to just hand over her country in exchange for her coming to power on the back of a US Abrams
tank. It doesn't get more obvious. And she's the recipient of the Nobel
Peace Prize. Um, incredible that the winner of the Nobel Peace Prize can be uh openly basically
calling for the plunder of her country and regime change literally like she's
called for military force to achieve it. And this sets her apart from other members of the Venezuelan opposition who
at least have the dignity to not call for to beg the US to come and destroy their country. Whereas uh but she
doesn't have any hesitation to do it. It's it it's really um it's really extraordinary. And there's a long
history of plunder that already precedes this that's already set the stage for this where the US stole Venezuela's oil
company or at least the US subsidiary of its sit. Anya talks about in her great book the corporate coup. You recently
Max gave a speech about it um which you put up on the grazing which I encourage people to watch. So it's like we've
already and and of course the theft of Venezuela's gold in a UK bank. So
there's already been plunder in this regime change operation and if it goes further, if they actually achieve the overthrow of Maduro, they'll take it to
an unprecedented level without a doubt. and it will destabilize
Venezuela and the the region. It will be a disaster for the region.
And they've already destabilized Venezuela again and again with their various plots, but they've all failed.
The pretext for this, what is the pretext? that Maduro heads a narot terror cartel called Cartel of the Suns,
which was actually created by the CIA in the early 90s as documented by CBS
News's 60 Minutes back when Mike Wallace was alive when they reported on the CIA and not on behalf of the CIA. Go watch
that. It's all there. The whole thing, it's the most shameless fraud that will about that's about to be folded into a
new kind of manifest destiny or turn of the century
era of banana war, oil war and you know the Nobel Prize. How can
anyone take that seriously ever again? What's the other pretext? It's
why we let the Norwegians decide like it's just a bunch of Norwegian people.
The other pretext that they use against Maduro is that they accuse him of rigging the last election. But I'm sorry. First of all, even if that were
true and you know, I wasn't there after the election, so I have no way to judge. We have no right to impose regime change
on countries just because uh we don't like how they run their elections. And second of all, and moreover, after more
than two decades of trying to destroy Venezuela's democracy and reverse multiple elections, the first coup
against Chavez, the first coup attempt against Maduro, you have a right to weigh in on another country's democracy
when you've been trying to destroy it for more than two decades. Not just through coup attempts, at least two of
them, but also through economic sanctions that destroy a country. Nobody in Venezuela voted for Joe Biden or
Donald Trump to decide whether or not they can have an economy. but that Donald Trump and and Joe Biden decided
that they are effectively the rulers of Venezuela and they can destroy its economy because they want to overthrow their government. So in that situation
when you've been trying to rig another country's democracy and destroy it for
more than 20 years because this goes back to the Bush administration and then Obama declares Venezuela to be a
so-called national security threat and you know gets the ball rolling on regime change too. You just don't have the
right to weigh in on what other countries do in their elections.
Well, I guess we deserve to be uh put placed under naval siege and
sanctioned after the 2000 election that George W. Bush clearly stole. Exactly. I mean, it's ridiculous. Nothing could
be more undemocratic than what's being done to Venezuela. Yeah. And again, and that's not a fair comparison because everyone recognized
that Venezuela's multiple elections under Chavez and then under Maduro, at least the early ones, were totally fair.
The Carter Center monitored uh Venezuelan elections where where so it's
like you can't even So, it's like, you know, but of course, what would like what what would we have done if a
country had sanctioned us for the 2000 election when there was some fraud going on when Bush probably did steal that
election? Of course, we never allowed that. Y
- admin
- Site Admin
- Posts: 38413
- Joined: Thu Aug 01, 2013 5:21 am
Re: Part 2 Anti-Anti-Nazi Barbarian Hordes are Knocking Down
by admin » Thu Nov 06, 2025 8:28 pm
Part 3 of 3
Yet, we give ourselves the right to destroy other countries because we don't like the way they vote. And we do
this over and over and over. Same thing in so many Latin American countries going back many years.
Yeah. Caribbean, too. Haiti. Um, and by the way, that's another reason why our
elites hate the Venezuelan government is because they they they've not only tried to use their resources to help their own
people, but other people in the region, too, through Petro Karibbe, subsidi subsidize oil for countries like Haiti,
subsidize oil for low-income families here in the US. That's been that's been Venezuela's main intervention in the US
is trying to help low lowincome people. And that's what our elites can't absolutely stand.
No, they're going to cut programs all like the major program that
subsidizes heating in poor people's homes next week due to the shutdown.
I mean, it's it's pathetic. So, uh we've wasted we we we we've gone way
over time uh or we're not on schedule. We're not we're not running on time because I'd
wanted to bring in the maker of Betar USA, a propaganda film by Betar USA a
little bit earlier, but we I guess had so much to talk about
that uh here we are and this will be the first time that we'll be seeing his face
and hearing about the story about how this incredible behindthe-scenes film was made. Um, let me just play the
trailer for this film for those of you who haven't seen it yet and don't understand how explosive it is. Uh, this
is the trailer to a propaganda film by Betar USA.
Things said in the press that are true. Whoops. There are a lot of things said in the press that aren't true. There's a group called BetAr. Can you
confirm whether that organization is providing lists to the Trump administration? the the Trump
administration. I'm I don't the uh work that we're doing uh whether it exists or
not, I won't confirm. We can't discuss on camera too much about the specifics of a lot of different things, but of course, Betar
submits information to the government. You are a terrorist. Terrorist terrorist. Terrorist
terrorist. Get away from her. Petar made a joke about handing a beeper
to a terrorist. I see a beeper. There's a tremendous sense of Jewish pride now holding a beeper. Free free pages. Free free free pages.
Who are you to judge us? Something is going to happen very very soon. You who put nails in the coffins of our
kids. You who raped us in in in Kutsbury. You who beat us in the streets of New York have nothing to say to us
because we are the good. [Music]
Okay. Well, that was the trailer for a propaganda
film by Betar USA. You can see the film on our YouTube channel. I posted it the
in it in in its entirety on Twitter X where if you try to watch it and you're
not logged in, you try to watch it from a laptop while logged out, it is age restricted content even though there is
nothing in that film that would be rated R. At best, at worst it would be rated
PG-13. Um, and meanwhile on Twitter X, you can see all kinds of violent and
pornographic content, as well as uh Pete Hegsets's snuff films of the US
massacring men on fishing boats in the Caribbean. So, with that, we'll we'll bring in the
maker of this film. I'll let him introduce himself. Welcome to the Grey Zone, Betar USA member.
Can you hear me? Yeah. Cool. Thank you for having me. got a great show so far. Yeah.
Yeah. So, please uh introduce yourself to the Greyzone. Um my name is Adam. Uh longtime watcher,
consumer of the Grey Zone. Uh big fan. Um yeah.
Adam, do you have a last name that you want to share? Maybe not.
Okay. So, um,
you approached me. I didn't I didn't know you, didn't know about
anything about you, but you approached me about kind of a project that you were doing related to Betar USA. I mean,
describe the genesis of this film, which I guess it didn't begin with making a
film. Betar has accused you of infiltrating them. Um, how did you get involved there with the most militant
Zionist street group, which is essentially a front group for the Kahanist movement of Israel?
Yeah. Um I sent them an email and asked to join and uh I joined as a video
editor um initially uh and you know they didn't respond to
my email about being a video editor but once I kind of said that I had
infiltrated the pro Palestinian movement in Texas they responded immediately gave
me a phone number gave me Yoni Quitzell's phone number who I had a conversation That's the guy you see in the trailer
who's saying having a pager is a is is Jewish pride.
Yoni Yonyi is a is the social media manager of Betar um and the comed
standup comedian um in his own right and uh
just a um you know generally just a a good hang and we talked on the phone
uh and the only you know accreditation process to join joining was being
Jewish. Um, and having been, you know, they the vetting process was like, uh,
how many times have you been to Israel? You know, and I was like, so many. And, uh, yeah, and then I, uh, joined and
started making some videos for their for their Twitter page. They would send they would send me uh, you know, protest
counterprotest footage that they had. You basically signed up as their video editor and they brought you in simply on
the basis of you being Jewish and having been to Israel. Yeah. And having been to Israel.
Yeah. I don't know if that would have been, you know, I don't I didn't Yeah. But those two things were the uh Yeah.
And uh Yeah. And I uh you know I I made
a few videos for them and they put some of them out and they were kind of just like uh just bad poorly edited just sort
of uh you know just cra ridiculous videos. I kind of I was kind of trying to see if they had any um idea of what
you know what they wanted or what was good. I kind of put out I kind of tested the the waters of of of uh the kinds of
things that they would want and the anything goes really. They kind of put up anything on their Twitter. Um all
trolling, you know, just trolling material, these kinds of things. Um and then uh you know, yeah, at at a
at a certain point that got boring. Um, and
the time that Makmu Khalil got uh detained,
I proposed to both Ron and Yoni to make a PR film about the organization.
Um, Ron is heavily Ron Terosian, the head of Betar USA, the the founder of
this iteration, uh, is a is very concerned with PR. He's a PR guru
himself. Um, we can talk about that maybe a little, but uh, he, you know, he he I kind of I I presented an idea to,
um, make a PR film about Betar to kind of counter what was being said in the
media. they were starting to get some press um as for for they were they were starting to get press because they were
taking credit for uh ML's detainment among other uh pro Palestinian
they basically took credit by saying that they had this kind of AI technology that allowed them to flag to to match
the faces of pro Palestine student activists and show that they were here
on green cards and that they supplied the names of those on green cards to the Trump administration. ation and the
Trump administration went after Mahmud Khalil first.
So should we watch a a scene from the film related to that
if you want? Yeah, I mean sure. So the um I just wanted to say I think
you took out the the music from the trailer. That music is actually licensed. I I have permission to uh you
have permission to use that music. Okay. I'm just saying.
Yeah. I'm worried. Yeah. A lot of the music is licensed in the film, so this may get us demonetized, but we'll see what happens.
on the streets of Atlanta, on the streets of New Orleans, on the streets of Dallas, on the streets of San Diego,
on the streets of Boston, and on the streets of This is Ron Terrosian, who's the main subject of this film, who's the head of
Betar USA and helped bring Meer Kahana and his movement to thei back to the
United States uh and infiltrate other organizations
on behalf of the Kahanist ideology. and he's a major PR uh executive in New York
of New Orleans, you have no place in this country. If you come from a Middle Eastern nation where you do not have
freedoms and you come to this country and you speak about Antifonda and you speak about killing Jews, some of us
won't be quiet. Some of us will stand up and some of us will damn right say the American government, they have no place
here. Uh I think the Khalil wrote a letter in jail blaming Betar. Um I can't get into
details exactly what that role is but I think for sure there's a real role played by betar in deportations
on just that one or kind of all of them um at least at least
many of them that's yonyi kletzel the spirit that we bring to New York that they don't understand you know
these people they can't fathom it you know there's a lot of layers behind this that um so tell us what's happening here this is
a famous infamous scene. Yeah. So that's Romea Ourk who uh was
getting her doctorate in um she had she had gotten her masters in developmental
and child psychology and she was she was actually on a she was a she's a fullbrite scholar so she's kind of like
impressive woman who uh was at TUS and she had written a uh well you know what
we're seeing on screen is her getting detained by ICE. Um but the reason for that is that she wrote a op-ed uh in
March of 2024. Um she co-authored it. What? Yeah. She she co-authored it with
with three other I believe three other um people uh that basically just it was
just urging the president of the university to acknowledge resolutions that had already been passed by the TUS
community uh union senate. Um, and this was almost a a half a year into Israel's
genocide. So, well into the genocide, she co-authored this uh piece in the t
in TUS daily and that was uh, you know, enough for to get marked. Um,
took credit for for this. uh who who who knows if they they were actually the ones to uh you know uh flag her. I I I
can't say. But yeah, this is this this um this very scary interaction. And I and I put it throughout the film and I
didn't put it there to exploit her or her situation. It's just a very alarming
scene that I think represents a lot of uh I mean it it just shows what happened
to people. And this one just happened to be caught on a CCTV or whatever was
filming. It just Yeah, it just happened to get caught on it. But there was many other instances like this that we just
haven't seen because it just didn't get caught on camera. Um and then she got Romea got taken to a bunch of different
facilities and ended up in a notoriously bad um po a a ice facility that has poor
conditions, terrible conditions. Um and she was there for a month and a half and
she wrote about her experience in Vanity Fair uh in this article even God cannot
hear us. It's I recommend people read that to hear her hear about her um
experience in uh the facility. Yeah, this is a scene of secret police
of you know the brain police thought police in the US streets. That's why I
think the scene is so significant and this is what the film opens with but this is uh you know where Betar explains
their role in they believe influencing these kinds of arrests. You know I I I'm hesitant to speak of
for reasons you can imagine you know it's um you know but it's good we tell the story because people should
understand more about us and like this we're going to educate them about it.
I want to be your Jewish uncle. I want to be a Jewish aunt. I want to be a Jewish brother. I want to be a Jewish sister. You guys really don't need to be
doing all of that. Happy fake. Amy,
this is Ko. Hi, Amy. Um, yeah, they they just like handcuffed
him and took him. I don't know what to do. You know, one of my biggest dreams for Betar this year, I'll say in uh June
2025, is I hope by June 2026, we have a lot of BAR marriages. I want more BAR babies.
Excuse me. They're Nobody's They're not talking to me. I don't know. I look to Excuse me.
This is his pregnant wife, Mahmud Khaliel's pregnant wife, panicking over him being led away in handcuffs.
The lawyer would like to speak to somebody. Oh my god, they're literally running away from me. Every decision that a berine makes needs
to be based off one very simple concept. Is it good for the Jews? Is it good for the Jews? Of course, one of our roles as
we grow is to advocate for Jews to have weapons. Our people wear masks in the street because they are fighting in the
streets to protect the Jewish people and their neighbors want to kill them. So
our job is to teach Jews it's okay to stand up and as you wear a mask in Gaza
when you're fighting you're fighting in little Gaza in parts of Paris. Jebatinsky wrote, "Only kind of children
I have ever loved are mischief makers. Betar are those mischief makers.
Free free pages. Free free free pagers. Yo, I got this wrong beeper.
Give it to the swallow. He forgot it.
Back the up. What is Majid Nur al Islam?
How How many 9year-olds do they have in here? Stop the children.
Why did Muhammad suck so much dick?
Muhammad. Stop raping nineyear-olds. This is where the children come in. This is where the
children come in. We're coming here right afterwards.
I'm a pretty uh disturbing. That was a betar member
basically. Uh there was a a BAR member outside a
mosque in New York City harassing Muslims. You saw them uh
handing out free pagers. I think they handed out a free pager to a p a pager to harass Norman Finkelstein. They
handed out a pager to Secretary General UN Secretary Secretary General Antonio
Gutirez. And um did they hand one to Zoran Mandani as well?
Sorry, I can't hear you.
Please c can can you try talking?
Maybe this. Yeah. No, I can hear you now. You can hear me now? Yeah. So, and you were on that Zoom call
that you recorded there, right? Yeah. Yeah. There was Can you can hear
me right? Yes. Um yeah, there was a there was a Zoom
call um where it was like an hour long and um there's a there's you know
there's only like I think like maybe like 12 people in there or something. But uh I don't know, they just like kept
saying stuff that was worthy of going in the film. And that's actually where I learned that Ron had met Yoni
um randomly in Grand Central while Yonyi was just handing out uh you know beepers
in Grand Central and Ron kind of it's in the film but Ron kind of gives this uh he's very proud of he's very proud of
Yonyi and what he's doing and you know continuing this legacy um I guess that
uh Ron views as valuable and Ron I think Ron kind of sees himself in Yoni because
Yonyi is a settler. Yoni goes to the West Bank and, you know, lives in illegal Jewish outposts. Uh, that's in
the film as well. He's he's in in one of the scenes in the in the Zoom call,
Yonyi is at a outpost just sort of like spotted, you know.
Really? Yeah. He's spotted up and he's talking about how he's there and Ron's, you
know, and and I say that there's a legacy there because Ron has a history
of helping build illegal Jewish settlements. Ron uh, you know, assisted
Kohanim um in the 90s and he helped build the settlement of Haroma.
Really? Yeah. He bought bulldozers um for that project to speed up the
construction. So a ter kanim is the group that displaces Palestinians in East Jerusalem
and will move in Jewish settlers almost overnight.
And Ron Ron Terosian I mean he's a very significant figure in New York politics.
He claimed credit to you for raising lots of money for Richie Torres, the Democrat in the Bronx, who's one of the
Israel lobby's biggest tools. And uh he claimed credit to you for raising lots of money for Eric Adams, the outgoing
New York mayor. Claims to be their biggest donors. He hosted Eric Adams's uh victory party
when uh in 2021 when he became mayor in New York City.
He's proud of it. very, you know, it's funny like uh I I think sometimes people are like uh you know, you have to like
figure these things out and you're like, "Oh, God." You know, I got you. He's Ron is very proud of his influence, his his
political influence and his influence in general to his his proximity to power. He's he's proud of that.
Yeah. I mean, I think that's one of the strengths of this film is it just lets you let Ron speak for himself and Yonyi
Kletzel speak for themselves and you show them you show what they truly are.
And 99% of our audience will reel in horror at what they genuinely
authentically are. So there's no need to apply an editorial lens or turn this
into a hit a hit piece or for you to narrate. You're just showing people what they believe and what they do. And in
some ways, I think Betar would be wise to kind of embrace it because I don't think you twisted their beliefs in any
way. They they have I think they have embraced it. They they've commented on
the Twitter video, uh, great Britar promo, fund fund us now, and then they
post in their GoFundMe. You know, they they are shameless. Um they I think they
I think uh you know I don't know how they feel about the film but they're definitely using the attention it is
gathering to their uh advantage. And again that comes down to that comes back to Ron and his uh PR uh background.
Yeah. Yeah. I I at the same time I don't think this film is uh flattering
is a very flattering profile of them and it highlights the reality the
political reality of Betar's connection to a violent extremist group a group
that was defined by the FBI as a violent extremist group that is very still powerful in New York politics. The
Jewish Defense League founded by Myra Kahana which has carried out acts of terrorism inside the United States. the
killing of Alex OD for example the western regional director of the Arab Anti-Discrimination League they bombed
his office they've carried out firebombings of diplomats and uh Dove
Hiken was involved in th some of those attacks and he is now an assembly member in New York who has been really
sorry former assembly member former assembly member he's in your film um you can see him in there and you know
sorry he's he's not in the I I didn't he's actually not in in the film. I just put him in the trailer. Um
I just I didn't need to I'm just saying cuz he uh he was he was at the uh rally
outside the um Iranian mission to the UN and he gave this fiery speech um to a
crowd uh before Ron. He opened for for Ron at the at this protest. Um I sent
Aaron the speech he gave. I don't know if we have time to play it, but it's it's an interesting it's a very
foreoding apocalyptic speech that he gave. President of the United States, God
bless him, mentioned that it's within two weeks, America's going to the side what they're
going to do. So, I want to give you the news. It ain't going to happen in two
weeks. The president does not need two weeks. He knows exactly what the situation is. He knows who he's dealing
with. I just hope anything and I guarantee you stay tuned. Listen
to your watch your phones. Listen to your radios. I guarantee you something is going to
happen very very soon.
Yeah. And this is like day a few days before the US bombs Iran.
So he had a direct line to the White House. Um, I don't know. I But you know, Dove
Hiken is an interesting figure. Um, yeah, he was a leader in the JDL and an
assemblyman for 40 years. And he would he's a registered Democrat who would
like secure Burough Park, the Orthodox Burough Park voting block
for Republicans, people like Rudy Giuliani, um, and in exchange for them just
unconditionally supporting Israel. Um, yeah, I would recommend uh David Sheen,
David Sheen's work on Kahanists and, you know, democrat democratic politics in
the US for kind of like a very uh he's he's he's a great journalist scholar on
on kahanist on the kahanist movement um in the US. Well, here's a a segment from your film
about the kahanist roots of the uh of Betar USA.
What's up?
Matinski spoke about the tree in terms of what his movement needs to look like.
Betar was always the ideological branch of the tree. The Likun party today is essentially the modern-day Jabatinsky
movement. Betar has traditionally been the youth movement of the Likun.
Sit. You must sit. You must sit. There you go.
The Arab is a cancer in our midst. And you don't coexist with a cancer.
a cancer you either cut out and throw out or you die.
Back in the 60s, this 53-year-old rabbi founded the JDL in the United States, a
group that used tactics of violence and confrontation in defense of Jews. 13 years ago, he moved to Israel, where he
now crusades to throw all Arabs out of that country. Violence is
a terrible thing, but sometimes it's terribly necessary.
[Applause]
[Music] [Applause] Because I respect the Arab, I want to throw him out. You do a 10-minute video of
Kahan. They've never heard him speak. Kahana was the most amazing speaker and he was so smart and he was so right. At
the end of the day, we can't live with them. And it's painful to say it, but you can't live with them. Finished. It's over. It's done. You can't live with
them. The murder of Rabbi Mayor Kahana was a
dark night in the history of the Jewish people. But just as the sun sets, so does it rise. Binyamin Zev Kahana, the
devoted son of Rabbi Mayor Kahana, has stepped forward to continue the work of his father through Kahanai.
He is the campus coordinator of Kahanai, Mr. Ben Israel.
This is Ron Terosian [Applause] with a young man.
Friends, we are gathered here today for the fourth year that we have not had the
greatest Jewish leader ever, Rabbi Mayor Kahana.
Kahana Kahana lives on. Kahana lives on.
[Music]
So basically this organization is intim is is in is
connected to the Trump administration and it bears the legacy of Meer Kahana
who was the genocidal
leader of Kak which was actually even banned inside Israel for a time and
represents Zionism in its rawest form. form because it believes there can be no Jewish and democratic state because the
democracy is a cancer within the Jewish ethnosupreist state because it allows
the presence of non-Jewish Arabs or Palestinians
and your film pretty strongly establishes that. Yeah, Ron is uh you know when we were
doing the interview at his office is his 5WPR office. He talks about Jabatinsky
and this is his ideologue. This is kind of his uh you know he constantly quotes him. He always refers back to him
whenever he kind of like gets lost in a train of thought. Um, but you know, over the phone, the the the phone calls that
that we have throughout the film, he's more referring to Kahana than Jabotinsky
or he's just refer he's referring to Kahana. Um, and that's, you know, that's
because you're not supposed to openly uh be kahanist. this is something that is uh let's say uh it's you know he
you're not supposed in private you know we're we're he's talking about kahana this way
um and and how would you assess the influence of kahanism within the broader
pro-Israel world after October 7th? It seems to me that it's become almost
mainstream. Um, I don't know if I'm qualified to
answer that, but uh, through your experience with Betar, for example, I mean,
oh, well, um, it's almost normative. Um, in this in
the sense that they it it feels like there can't be any consequences for
saying just the most outlandish things because there isn't any consequences for
saying those kinds of things. Um, I mean the the the stuff that they say online
is absurd. It's not, you know, it's not absurd. It's insane. It's it's uh it's
but it's there's been no repercussions. Um
there's been nothing. They're a nonprofit. This group is a registered nonprofit. They're a 50c3.
Um, and so are like a bunch of other Zionist organizations that funnel money
to Israel and to the IDF and to to settlements. They're not unique. This is not a unique group um by any means. Ron
is a odd strange character. um he's
very dramatic and um theatrical and he kind of has this
presence, but I I don't think Betar is that unique of a group. You know, the the thing that makes them unique is is
how um unabashed they are. They're they're just not they're not how how they they have no shame. Um there are
other organizations that do the same kinds of things that they do. you know, Canary Mission does these doc doxes
people, puts people on a list. They've been doing it for 10 over 10 years. Um, but they just don't they don't go out,
they don't have a public face. They don't go out in public and brag about it. Um, the ADL, the ADL has been
putting people on lists since the 60s with Irwin Irwin Saul for for 30 years,
making making uh list like, you know, they they the ADL the the ironic thing
about Ron um criticizing what he sees as, you know, the Jewish left, which he
sees as the ADL, which is absurd, is that the ADL has laid the groundwork for
Betar to do the kinds of things that they're time. The ADO has been spying on US citizens for decades. They have made
lists of, you know, over 10,000 American citizens, mostly Arabs, mostly Arab
Americans and Palestinians, and and they've sent them sent those lists to
the US government, but also to the Israeli government. Um, and the ADL, you
know, Ron during our interview, Ron took every moment to criticize the ADL. He he
constantly criticized them. I actually sent you a audio clip of him criticizing them. I don't know if you want to play
it. It's pretty explicit. But um you know the ADL does the actual
bureaucratic work that gets stuff policy things done and
Betar C sort of cashes in on it. They they can criticize them publicly but but
really they're they're they have somewhat of the same. I don't you know they're working towards the same end in
in in a certain sense. Yeah.
Well, sorry I was muted. Um the ADL is like the Uptown Betar and they have long-standing ties to US federal law
enforcement, the Israeli the heart of the Israeli government and you know
intelligence. They're they're they have an office in Silicon Valley. So, they're taking up all the space and BAR is trying to move
into that space with a more honest raw distillation of Zionism.
Yeah. And and Jonathan Greenblat, you know, he when he was trying to talk about the the media
war or whatever, um the information war, he, you know, he was giving a speech, I think it was in in Israel, and he, you
know, he references the the beeper uh this this this terrorist attack of uh
the the pagers and the walkie-talkies. He references it in this sort of like innovative the way the media talked
about it, you know, as if it was this innovative thing um that didn't, you know, maim
hund uh you know, thousands of innocent people. Like it it was uh it's absurd.
you know, he said, you know, we need to embrace the same innovation that the Mossad employed with the pager attack in uh
tamping down on quote unquote anti-semitism, meaning anything that challenges the objectives of Israel
inside the US. And here is a recording that this is an outtake from your film
on Betar. This is a recording of Ron Terosian that you taped during a phone
call about his his views of the Anti-Defamation League. ADL called us an extremist organization. Did you know
that? Okay, so listen to me. They called an organization that I founded that I'm a member of my whole life. They
called us an extremist hate organization without so much as calling me. I I I I
told them I'm going to show up in your house now. You're speaking to me. I'm the grandson of Holocaust
survivors, a student of Zeb Jabatinsky, who you've probably never even heard of. AL. He's writing a report. I'm going
there to your face. I'm from New York. You're not going to tell me what to do. I'm an Israeli. You're not going to tell me what to do. How come I'm the only
Jewish American parent who have gotten arrested? How can it be? How can it be? What an outrage. You understand,
brother? Are you with me? Oh, yeah. Yeah. And and what he's referring to at
the end there is uh getting arrested at his daughter's university. Um
uh you know, for just doing whatever. I don't I don't really know what he did, but uh he this this this arrest led to
him starting Betar. It was a reaction. Yeah, it was a reaction. He you know he says it in the
dock. It was a reaction of him getting arrested and you know this was what he did
and you know so so Ron Terosian he's clearly unhinged from these interactions
that you recorded. He's unashamed of his
fanatical views which have a lot of currency right now particularly within
the Zionist world and a lot of these stories of his unhinged behavior I first became aware
of reading outlets that covered the New York PR public relations and marketing
world because he was a major PR executive who represented high-profile
clients in New York who were some of some of Ron Terrosian's clients and what happened with his business.
Um, some of his Yeah, he's a he runs 5WPR
uh which is one of the biggest uh PR companies in New York City. Uh 5W
standing for the five the five W's, what who when you know this kind of thing. And uh his biggest his big clients uh he
he represents a lot of entertainers. He's represented uh Snoop Dogg, Little Kim, uh P. Diddy. Um, Pitbull. Um, you
know, he he's So, he has a lot of black entertainers that he's um Ice Cube.
Ice. Yeah. Um, yeah. And and but also political figures, too, like uh the the
boxer turned mayor of Kiev. Um, Klitschko, Vitali Klitschko.
Yep. And the Eric Trump Foundation. Um and other kinds of media syndicates like
uh Sinclair Broadcasting Group uh and Trinity Broadcasting Group.
these big media concing
syndicate and Trinity is, you know, Rexella and Jack Vanimpy and Charles
Stanley and all of the Christian Wright kind of husters. Yeah.
And he also represented, didn't he represent the company that controls Pornhub? MindGeek. Yeah.
Yeah. He's Yeah, he's got his uh he's got a his foot he's got his feet and everything and and McDonald, you know,
he's done work with McDonald's. Um he got his start in PR. It always comes
back to Israel. He got his start in PR uh with the Lakood party. Um and and
before before he started 5WPR, he gave a tour of uh he
brought Peter Voluone Senior, who was running for governor of New York in the 90s, and he brought him to uh visit
Israel and to visit specifically as many illegal settlements as possible, including Hebrron. Um and yeah, and and
this sort of leads him into the PR business. Um, yeah, he wrote a
book. Uh, he wrote a book. I don't want to, you know, he wrote a book and, uh,
you can read that. Just sold him some books. Yeah. I mean, I, you know, we're, me and
Ron are good friends and I think that I, you know, I find him fascinating and I
wanted to, you would say Ron is a friend of yours now. I don't know. We haven't talked since
the film came out. Um, but look, why did you go to the gray zone with
this film? These uh Jew haters who want us to put nails in the coffins
of our kids? I mean, you don't think he'd be mad at you for making this or
I can't I don't know. Um I I don't know, man. I uh I I'll have to see. I haven't
talked to him. I could call him, but um I would like to see the result of that. But but again, I mean, you're sh you're
you're presenting his real authentic views without editorial filter and it's not a hit piece. Um
yeah, I I find him I I find Ron fascinating, you know, and I wanted to create a portrait of of him and present
him, you know, to to the world. And that was the goal. I wasn't, you know, yeah,
it was it wasn't a hit piece. And it was I don't even view it as an expose to be frank. I uh just wanted to I found his
group really interesting. Um and the work that I I think it is an it is an expose
because the corporate mainstream media will not do this kind of reporting and
show everyone what Zionism truly is at the street level. They will not let them
present their authentic views and they will not say my Kahana he's pretty influential. They just won't do it. It's
It's always an interview that's very sanitized with Benjamin Netanyahu and like Patrick Bet David asking him
softball questions. Some guy with the IQ of a toaster oven uh that Netanyahu hand
selects. Yeah. And this while not being a hit piece is
pretty uh I mean it to me it's damning because of my political perspective.
Yeah. Are you are you an anti-ionist? Um,
yeah. I mean, I Yeah, you Yeah, we can. Yeah. So, you're a Jewish anti-ionist.
Yeah. How did you come to that
to that point? Um, and how did that influence your desire to
u better understand Betar and make this film? Um, I made this film because I was full
of dread and hopelessness every day watching Israel commit a genocide and I
didn't know what to do and this seemed like something to do, something I was
capable of doing. um getting access to them is something that you know only you
can you can't as I said you know the requirements to joining this group were being Jewish. Yeah.
And so I took advantage of that and tried to
get inside of a group that yeah most people can't access and and show it in its on its honest face. You're right. It
is you know maybe you know maybe you're right it is an expose um in that sense.
Um and I yeah I mean I came yeah I came to the I came to the conclusion of how I
you know what I think because I think it's obvious you know uh
yeah I mean I just was your family is your family supportive of what you're doing?
Uh no they're not. They're Zionist.
Yeah. Do do you fear backlash from this film
or fear for your safety at all? I mean, producing what could be seen as an expose of a a violent group?
Yeah, it's possible. I don't care. I mean, yeah. Yeah, it's possible. Yeah, it's entirely Yeah. I mean, they're
these people. Yeah, they're they they they you know, they they they do they do bad
things. So it's a So but I don't but I that that's not too much of a concern
for me to be honest. Yeah. Um yeah. Yeah. I don't I don't know.
There's something about like um I don't know. There's something very inspiring about
um Palestinian resistance that that has sort of inspired me to not really fear
some a person like Ron or Yonyi. I mean, you know, there's just there's nothing they can do to me.
Yeah. I think when you when you see what they're doing in Gaza, it makes you more willing to make a
sacrifice like this in which you could, you know, face consequences.
I because I feel like we all have to do something and one of the things you can do as a Jewish anti-ionist is get on the
inside where others can't. I mean, it was my horror at the first major assault
on the Gaza Strip, Operation Cassled, back in 2008, 2009, that motivated me to
do the Goliath project and, you know, go places inside Israeli society that I I
could only go as a Jew um and use my knowledge of that world to
gain access and show people the real Israel that the rest of the US media wasn't showing. owing them. I think
disclosure, real disclosure is a revolutionary act when we live in a society with so much censorship and
conditioning and indoctrination and control and particularly in the Jewish world with all the indoctrination that
takes place there in order to maintain generational continuity. What you're doing here is to me is revolutionary. So
there's a lot of people in the comments that they don't really understand who they are. They're suspicious. But you're
a first-time filmmaker, so you're not going to be as um gung-ho with your beliefs as I am. This is the first time
you've kind of come out and done a public film project or any journalism. Is that correct?
Yeah, I made the Yeah, I just uh before this I was just making comedy videos um
in Texas with like some some comics like Casey Rocket and Union Brooks and Conrad
Fagan and these people that some people know, some people don't. Um but yeah, this is my first uh I guess documentary.
Yeah, it's very well made. I mean, it's it's almost like,
you know, well, we we talked over the course of your production of it, but I I didn't I don't think I had that much
input. You would occasionally ask me some questions, but you were pretty much off in your own on your own, wherever
you are, making this. And I think just as a piece of art, it's very well done. And it speaks to me
just as a as someone who's made films um you managed to convey the subject matter
and the sub and the subject really well without any narration.
It kind of it didn't remind me of the early films of Adam Curtis before it just his films became so um convoluted
and impossible to follow. Is that is that what you were going for? I mean talk about your artistic vision.
Oh man. Um, yeah, I love Adam Curtis. Uh, Power of Nightmares is an incredible documentary.
I I love everything he does. Um, and something that's cool is that the music
that one of the artists that is in the film that I have that is licensed is Py
Corner Audio, which is a British musician who um sort of that drone synth
that kind of reappears throughout the film. That's a Porner Pie Corner Audio is consistently in Adam Curtis's films.
Um, so that was like a cool connector kind of kind of thing. Um,
yeah, but I, you know, I got some help along the way. I don't want to put a target on anyone's back, but David Sheen
was incredibly helpful. You Yousef Munier was incredibly helpful. Jack Pollson was helpful. Um Jeremy Lefredo
of the of the Grey Zone was someone who I first got in contact with before I got in contact with you and he he kind of
his experience was very useful and he he was connecting me with people and he was
a great resource. He's a he's a great guy and and um yeah I mean you know I didn't it wasn't this kind of like
singular uh vision. This project went through many drafts. I had a version that I was like in it and narrating and
you know ch it it changed a lot and I got a lot of help. um from my friends here as well through uh you know along
the way. So I can't pretend to kind of have this uh vision of what it was supposed to be. It kind of just ended up
what it was. David Sheen's definitely an important
resource. Um I wish he were doing more interviews. He's actually, you know,
despite being a friend, he's not accepting my interview requests, but he has a major project coming out about the
temple movement and the real apocalyptic direction of
Jewish Israeli politics post Netanyahu. I think it's one of the most important coming projects. So, I'm hoping to
interview him about that. And uh um I can see his influence on this film.
Yeah, I had I had a lot more stuff about kahanism that I cut uh just for time,
but yeah, he he he he was a tremendous help and and you know, just in general
like alternative media that I've been consuming was a was a great uh you know,
resource for for making this, you know, the gray zone, but also you know like electronic and um east as a podcast, the
anti-mpire project, millennials are killing capitalism. You know, um certain books,
uh Our American Israel by Amy Kaplan, um you know, there's certain works uh this
this book specifically actually from underneath uh uh The Time Beneath the
Concrete. This is a great great book. I highly recommend it. From underneath the concrete.
Yeah, The Time Beneath the Concrete. It's a fantastic book about the refugee camps and UNRA. Um just all sorts of sc
you know just people making uh art and writing and speaking about
this subject has been um you know it's the reason this project got made.
Amy Kaplan was a friend who encouraged me when I was younger in the work I was doing when she was at University of
Pennsylvania, my alma mater. And uh she's unfortunately no longer with us.
Her last project was about uh the power of Israel in the US and connecting the
Israeli colonial project to US settler colonialism historically.
Uh so that's great that you mentioned her. Let's watch another clip. Uh an outtake that didn't make the the cutting room
floor but is pretty revoly.
This is Yoni Klitzel. Ron's underling
going to Time Square.
What's up? What do you ask today, man? Do you think Iran should have nuclear weapons?
Every country should have nuclear weapons. Who the are we to tell anybody what they can't have, man? What if they nuke the world?
That's why every country got nukes. They going to nuke them back.
Oh no. [Music]
So you think I ranch have nuclear weapons? No. Do it now. Do it now. What if they nuke you? What if they nuke
you? What if you get nuked? What's up, Bob? I'm Yoni. What's your names? Linda. What's your name?
Yoni. Yi. Yi. Yi. That's a I know.
You are what you eat. Oh, my bad. I put explicit on the
but yeah. Yeah. Kind of seems like kind of a a sad individual who's kind of lost.
Well, yeah, we we did that after we went uh after the interview at Ron's. We went
with Yonyi and uh filmed some street street interview content. Um and uh you
know, Yonyi gets paid $8,000 a month. um which
to to you know like harass um Muslim college girls online and like do Tik Tok
content. So you know by who what who who who who who's pwning up that
kind of money? I mean this is like the se we talking about the 7K cartel 7,000 per post. Um I mean this is you have to
work a little bit harder than those clowns but that's still a lot of money. I mean,
it's a Yeah, he's he's working for his for his checks and uh but uh yeah, Yonyi
Yeah, I mean, he you can go on his Twitter
x the everything app page and you can check him out uh and look at the kinds of things that he's making. Um and you
know, um yeah, I don't know what I'm saying. So, what do you what what should I mean
what do you think should happen with this film project? I think there should be screenings. Um, what would you like
to see happen? Um, I don't know. I I think people are
watching it. So, that's that was the first That's good. Um, I I have no plan.
I have no plans for for for this really to be honest. The goal was to get it on the gray. The goal is to get it on the
gray zone and it that that happened. So, I'm in like I'm in disbelief still for
that. So, I don't know what else. Life goal unlocked. Look, I wouldn't have published it if it wasn't an
incredible film. Like, I didn't know what you were going to hand me, and I was just like glued to my laptop
watching it. It it got darker and better as it went on. And it
um you packed it all into an hour and I think in an expert way, you knew what to
cut out and kept the most important parts in.
uh when I work I I do a lot of editing of you know other documentarians work
and I'm doing a lot of editing on them. There's a lot of back and forth on this. There was very little back and forth
because I liked it so much. So I'd like to have some screenings. I think this is an important piece of polit
an important vehicle for political education. So hopefully uh we can we can do that at
some uh future Greyzone events and you can participate. Um but yeah, thanks so
much for coming out and showing your face and being with us.
Yeah, thank you. Thank you for having me. I just wanted to can if if it's if it's okay, I just wanted to shout out
three resources for Gaza that I think are important. Um the the lifeline for
Gaza is a is a website that takes these
donation campaigns and kind of filters them um to arrange for like the the last
time someone donated. So so some some of them don't get donated for weeks and
that goes to the front and that's a good resource. Um, Rebuild Gaza 24 is a um
campaign of building water wells in Gaza. Um, you know, they've destroyed
pretty much all the water wells in Gaza. So, that's a great um campaign. And
there's one more called the TROM. It's tr.org.
And they are it's an orphan sponsorship program that provides aid and housing
for orphans in Gaza. So, I think those are three good resources um to, you
know, contribute to to donate to. Uh sorry, I just wanted to Yeah. No, thank thank you for those
shout outs. I'm always um interested as well in how we can get aid to Gaza since
it's still just trickling in. It's barely reaching Gaza. No rebuilding is taking place um except by the Gaza
municipality, which I've heard can be supported legally through the US. Um,
you know, I remember one of the last conversations we had before you turned
this film in. I think it was like during one of the darkest moments of the genocide.
Um, you basically asked me how how do you stay sane? Like how do you keep going doing this kind of stuff? And it's
like by doing these projects. Uh, by doing the work we're doing. That's the
only way I can keep sane. And also uh I don't really know how to do anything else. So, uh I hope that this project
was therapeutic for you as well. Uh it's
it can be uh definitely agonizing to be a Jewish anti-ionist in this environment.
Yeah. Well, thanks for thanks for having me. I I mean, it's an honor to be on the gray zone. This is crazy.
Thanks for joining us and uh yeah, we hope to do more with this film and and and um
I hope this is the first of many film projects from you and we'll learn your last name someday.
Yeah, we'll see. Yeah, and someone said it's agonizing being any kind of anti-ionist. For sure.
I mean, it's probably more agonizing being a Palestinian anti-ionist in the UK right now where you can get arrested
just for speaking. Uh, but yeah, thank you everybody for being
here, for subscribing to the Greyzone, uh, for supporting projects like this. I mean, this project is supported by
people like you and uh, like this stream. We're
suppressed. We are algorithmically suppressed, but we reached our 500,000th subscriber on YouTube, which means
according to uh free press math, our valuation is something like $300 million. And we look forward to any
Zionist billionaire buying the gray zone tomorrow at that
since we have something like 150 or 175,000 subscribers more on YouTube than
Barry Weiss's free press. and I'll look forward to taking over NBC.
Um, and then we'll show this film at 8:00 PM on Monday.
But, uh, in the meantime, we'll continue growing the gray zone. Thanks a lot everybody for being here. Thanks to Eric
Thomas, Eric T. Red for holding down the chat. Uh, we'll see you next week. Oh, yeah.
Thanks to Aaron who uh, isn't here right now. Peace, everybody.
Peace to Bill Aman. Looking forward to uh your collaborations.
Yet, we give ourselves the right to destroy other countries because we don't like the way they vote. And we do
this over and over and over. Same thing in so many Latin American countries going back many years.
Yeah. Caribbean, too. Haiti. Um, and by the way, that's another reason why our
elites hate the Venezuelan government is because they they they've not only tried to use their resources to help their own
people, but other people in the region, too, through Petro Karibbe, subsidi subsidize oil for countries like Haiti,
subsidize oil for low-income families here in the US. That's been that's been Venezuela's main intervention in the US
is trying to help low lowincome people. And that's what our elites can't absolutely stand.
No, they're going to cut programs all like the major program that
subsidizes heating in poor people's homes next week due to the shutdown.
I mean, it's it's pathetic. So, uh we've wasted we we we we've gone way
over time uh or we're not on schedule. We're not we're not running on time because I'd
wanted to bring in the maker of Betar USA, a propaganda film by Betar USA a
little bit earlier, but we I guess had so much to talk about
that uh here we are and this will be the first time that we'll be seeing his face
and hearing about the story about how this incredible behindthe-scenes film was made. Um, let me just play the
trailer for this film for those of you who haven't seen it yet and don't understand how explosive it is. Uh, this
is the trailer to a propaganda film by Betar USA.
Things said in the press that are true. Whoops. There are a lot of things said in the press that aren't true. There's a group called BetAr. Can you
confirm whether that organization is providing lists to the Trump administration? the the Trump
administration. I'm I don't the uh work that we're doing uh whether it exists or
not, I won't confirm. We can't discuss on camera too much about the specifics of a lot of different things, but of course, Betar
submits information to the government. You are a terrorist. Terrorist terrorist. Terrorist
terrorist. Get away from her. Petar made a joke about handing a beeper
to a terrorist. I see a beeper. There's a tremendous sense of Jewish pride now holding a beeper. Free free pages. Free free free pages.
Who are you to judge us? Something is going to happen very very soon. You who put nails in the coffins of our
kids. You who raped us in in in Kutsbury. You who beat us in the streets of New York have nothing to say to us
because we are the good. [Music]
Okay. Well, that was the trailer for a propaganda
film by Betar USA. You can see the film on our YouTube channel. I posted it the
in it in in its entirety on Twitter X where if you try to watch it and you're
not logged in, you try to watch it from a laptop while logged out, it is age restricted content even though there is
nothing in that film that would be rated R. At best, at worst it would be rated
PG-13. Um, and meanwhile on Twitter X, you can see all kinds of violent and
pornographic content, as well as uh Pete Hegsets's snuff films of the US
massacring men on fishing boats in the Caribbean. So, with that, we'll we'll bring in the
maker of this film. I'll let him introduce himself. Welcome to the Grey Zone, Betar USA member.
Can you hear me? Yeah. Cool. Thank you for having me. got a great show so far. Yeah.
Yeah. So, please uh introduce yourself to the Greyzone. Um my name is Adam. Uh longtime watcher,
consumer of the Grey Zone. Uh big fan. Um yeah.
Adam, do you have a last name that you want to share? Maybe not.
Okay. So, um,
you approached me. I didn't I didn't know you, didn't know about
anything about you, but you approached me about kind of a project that you were doing related to Betar USA. I mean,
describe the genesis of this film, which I guess it didn't begin with making a
film. Betar has accused you of infiltrating them. Um, how did you get involved there with the most militant
Zionist street group, which is essentially a front group for the Kahanist movement of Israel?
Yeah. Um I sent them an email and asked to join and uh I joined as a video
editor um initially uh and you know they didn't respond to
my email about being a video editor but once I kind of said that I had
infiltrated the pro Palestinian movement in Texas they responded immediately gave
me a phone number gave me Yoni Quitzell's phone number who I had a conversation That's the guy you see in the trailer
who's saying having a pager is a is is Jewish pride.
Yoni Yonyi is a is the social media manager of Betar um and the comed
standup comedian um in his own right and uh
just a um you know generally just a a good hang and we talked on the phone
uh and the only you know accreditation process to join joining was being
Jewish. Um, and having been, you know, they the vetting process was like, uh,
how many times have you been to Israel? You know, and I was like, so many. And, uh, yeah, and then I, uh, joined and
started making some videos for their for their Twitter page. They would send they would send me uh, you know, protest
counterprotest footage that they had. You basically signed up as their video editor and they brought you in simply on
the basis of you being Jewish and having been to Israel. Yeah. And having been to Israel.
Yeah. I don't know if that would have been, you know, I don't I didn't Yeah. But those two things were the uh Yeah.
And uh Yeah. And I uh you know I I made
a few videos for them and they put some of them out and they were kind of just like uh just bad poorly edited just sort
of uh you know just cra ridiculous videos. I kind of I was kind of trying to see if they had any um idea of what
you know what they wanted or what was good. I kind of put out I kind of tested the the waters of of of uh the kinds of
things that they would want and the anything goes really. They kind of put up anything on their Twitter. Um all
trolling, you know, just trolling material, these kinds of things. Um and then uh you know, yeah, at at a
at a certain point that got boring. Um, and
the time that Makmu Khalil got uh detained,
I proposed to both Ron and Yoni to make a PR film about the organization.
Um, Ron is heavily Ron Terosian, the head of Betar USA, the the founder of
this iteration, uh, is a is very concerned with PR. He's a PR guru
himself. Um, we can talk about that maybe a little, but uh, he, you know, he he I kind of I I presented an idea to,
um, make a PR film about Betar to kind of counter what was being said in the
media. they were starting to get some press um as for for they were they were starting to get press because they were
taking credit for uh ML's detainment among other uh pro Palestinian
they basically took credit by saying that they had this kind of AI technology that allowed them to flag to to match
the faces of pro Palestine student activists and show that they were here
on green cards and that they supplied the names of those on green cards to the Trump administration. ation and the
Trump administration went after Mahmud Khalil first.
So should we watch a a scene from the film related to that
if you want? Yeah, I mean sure. So the um I just wanted to say I think
you took out the the music from the trailer. That music is actually licensed. I I have permission to uh you
have permission to use that music. Okay. I'm just saying.
Yeah. I'm worried. Yeah. A lot of the music is licensed in the film, so this may get us demonetized, but we'll see what happens.
on the streets of Atlanta, on the streets of New Orleans, on the streets of Dallas, on the streets of San Diego,
on the streets of Boston, and on the streets of This is Ron Terrosian, who's the main subject of this film, who's the head of
Betar USA and helped bring Meer Kahana and his movement to thei back to the
United States uh and infiltrate other organizations
on behalf of the Kahanist ideology. and he's a major PR uh executive in New York
of New Orleans, you have no place in this country. If you come from a Middle Eastern nation where you do not have
freedoms and you come to this country and you speak about Antifonda and you speak about killing Jews, some of us
won't be quiet. Some of us will stand up and some of us will damn right say the American government, they have no place
here. Uh I think the Khalil wrote a letter in jail blaming Betar. Um I can't get into
details exactly what that role is but I think for sure there's a real role played by betar in deportations
on just that one or kind of all of them um at least at least
many of them that's yonyi kletzel the spirit that we bring to New York that they don't understand you know
these people they can't fathom it you know there's a lot of layers behind this that um so tell us what's happening here this is
a famous infamous scene. Yeah. So that's Romea Ourk who uh was
getting her doctorate in um she had she had gotten her masters in developmental
and child psychology and she was she was actually on a she was a she's a fullbrite scholar so she's kind of like
impressive woman who uh was at TUS and she had written a uh well you know what
we're seeing on screen is her getting detained by ICE. Um but the reason for that is that she wrote a op-ed uh in
March of 2024. Um she co-authored it. What? Yeah. She she co-authored it with
with three other I believe three other um people uh that basically just it was
just urging the president of the university to acknowledge resolutions that had already been passed by the TUS
community uh union senate. Um, and this was almost a a half a year into Israel's
genocide. So, well into the genocide, she co-authored this uh piece in the t
in TUS daily and that was uh, you know, enough for to get marked. Um,
took credit for for this. uh who who who knows if they they were actually the ones to uh you know uh flag her. I I I
can't say. But yeah, this is this this um this very scary interaction. And I and I put it throughout the film and I
didn't put it there to exploit her or her situation. It's just a very alarming
scene that I think represents a lot of uh I mean it it just shows what happened
to people. And this one just happened to be caught on a CCTV or whatever was
filming. It just Yeah, it just happened to get caught on it. But there was many other instances like this that we just
haven't seen because it just didn't get caught on camera. Um and then she got Romea got taken to a bunch of different
facilities and ended up in a notoriously bad um po a a ice facility that has poor
conditions, terrible conditions. Um and she was there for a month and a half and
she wrote about her experience in Vanity Fair uh in this article even God cannot
hear us. It's I recommend people read that to hear her hear about her um
experience in uh the facility. Yeah, this is a scene of secret police
of you know the brain police thought police in the US streets. That's why I
think the scene is so significant and this is what the film opens with but this is uh you know where Betar explains
their role in they believe influencing these kinds of arrests. You know I I I'm hesitant to speak of
for reasons you can imagine you know it's um you know but it's good we tell the story because people should
understand more about us and like this we're going to educate them about it.
I want to be your Jewish uncle. I want to be a Jewish aunt. I want to be a Jewish brother. I want to be a Jewish sister. You guys really don't need to be
doing all of that. Happy fake. Amy,
this is Ko. Hi, Amy. Um, yeah, they they just like handcuffed
him and took him. I don't know what to do. You know, one of my biggest dreams for Betar this year, I'll say in uh June
2025, is I hope by June 2026, we have a lot of BAR marriages. I want more BAR babies.
Excuse me. They're Nobody's They're not talking to me. I don't know. I look to Excuse me.
This is his pregnant wife, Mahmud Khaliel's pregnant wife, panicking over him being led away in handcuffs.
The lawyer would like to speak to somebody. Oh my god, they're literally running away from me. Every decision that a berine makes needs
to be based off one very simple concept. Is it good for the Jews? Is it good for the Jews? Of course, one of our roles as
we grow is to advocate for Jews to have weapons. Our people wear masks in the street because they are fighting in the
streets to protect the Jewish people and their neighbors want to kill them. So
our job is to teach Jews it's okay to stand up and as you wear a mask in Gaza
when you're fighting you're fighting in little Gaza in parts of Paris. Jebatinsky wrote, "Only kind of children
I have ever loved are mischief makers. Betar are those mischief makers.
Free free pages. Free free free pagers. Yo, I got this wrong beeper.
Give it to the swallow. He forgot it.
Back the up. What is Majid Nur al Islam?
How How many 9year-olds do they have in here? Stop the children.
Why did Muhammad suck so much dick?
Muhammad. Stop raping nineyear-olds. This is where the children come in. This is where the
children come in. We're coming here right afterwards.
I'm a pretty uh disturbing. That was a betar member
basically. Uh there was a a BAR member outside a
mosque in New York City harassing Muslims. You saw them uh
handing out free pagers. I think they handed out a free pager to a p a pager to harass Norman Finkelstein. They
handed out a pager to Secretary General UN Secretary Secretary General Antonio
Gutirez. And um did they hand one to Zoran Mandani as well?
Sorry, I can't hear you.
Please c can can you try talking?
Maybe this. Yeah. No, I can hear you now. You can hear me now? Yeah. So, and you were on that Zoom call
that you recorded there, right? Yeah. Yeah. There was Can you can hear
me right? Yes. Um yeah, there was a there was a Zoom
call um where it was like an hour long and um there's a there's you know
there's only like I think like maybe like 12 people in there or something. But uh I don't know, they just like kept
saying stuff that was worthy of going in the film. And that's actually where I learned that Ron had met Yoni
um randomly in Grand Central while Yonyi was just handing out uh you know beepers
in Grand Central and Ron kind of it's in the film but Ron kind of gives this uh he's very proud of he's very proud of
Yonyi and what he's doing and you know continuing this legacy um I guess that
uh Ron views as valuable and Ron I think Ron kind of sees himself in Yoni because
Yonyi is a settler. Yoni goes to the West Bank and, you know, lives in illegal Jewish outposts. Uh, that's in
the film as well. He's he's in in one of the scenes in the in the Zoom call,
Yonyi is at a outpost just sort of like spotted, you know.
Really? Yeah. He's spotted up and he's talking about how he's there and Ron's, you
know, and and I say that there's a legacy there because Ron has a history
of helping build illegal Jewish settlements. Ron uh, you know, assisted
Kohanim um in the 90s and he helped build the settlement of Haroma.
Really? Yeah. He bought bulldozers um for that project to speed up the
construction. So a ter kanim is the group that displaces Palestinians in East Jerusalem
and will move in Jewish settlers almost overnight.
And Ron Ron Terosian I mean he's a very significant figure in New York politics.
He claimed credit to you for raising lots of money for Richie Torres, the Democrat in the Bronx, who's one of the
Israel lobby's biggest tools. And uh he claimed credit to you for raising lots of money for Eric Adams, the outgoing
New York mayor. Claims to be their biggest donors. He hosted Eric Adams's uh victory party
when uh in 2021 when he became mayor in New York City.
He's proud of it. very, you know, it's funny like uh I I think sometimes people are like uh you know, you have to like
figure these things out and you're like, "Oh, God." You know, I got you. He's Ron is very proud of his influence, his his
political influence and his influence in general to his his proximity to power. He's he's proud of that.
Yeah. I mean, I think that's one of the strengths of this film is it just lets you let Ron speak for himself and Yonyi
Kletzel speak for themselves and you show them you show what they truly are.
And 99% of our audience will reel in horror at what they genuinely
authentically are. So there's no need to apply an editorial lens or turn this
into a hit a hit piece or for you to narrate. You're just showing people what they believe and what they do. And in
some ways, I think Betar would be wise to kind of embrace it because I don't think you twisted their beliefs in any
way. They they have I think they have embraced it. They they've commented on
the Twitter video, uh, great Britar promo, fund fund us now, and then they
post in their GoFundMe. You know, they they are shameless. Um they I think they
I think uh you know I don't know how they feel about the film but they're definitely using the attention it is
gathering to their uh advantage. And again that comes down to that comes back to Ron and his uh PR uh background.
Yeah. Yeah. I I at the same time I don't think this film is uh flattering
is a very flattering profile of them and it highlights the reality the
political reality of Betar's connection to a violent extremist group a group
that was defined by the FBI as a violent extremist group that is very still powerful in New York politics. The
Jewish Defense League founded by Myra Kahana which has carried out acts of terrorism inside the United States. the
killing of Alex OD for example the western regional director of the Arab Anti-Discrimination League they bombed
his office they've carried out firebombings of diplomats and uh Dove
Hiken was involved in th some of those attacks and he is now an assembly member in New York who has been really
sorry former assembly member former assembly member he's in your film um you can see him in there and you know
sorry he's he's not in the I I didn't he's actually not in in the film. I just put him in the trailer. Um
I just I didn't need to I'm just saying cuz he uh he was he was at the uh rally
outside the um Iranian mission to the UN and he gave this fiery speech um to a
crowd uh before Ron. He opened for for Ron at the at this protest. Um I sent
Aaron the speech he gave. I don't know if we have time to play it, but it's it's an interesting it's a very
foreoding apocalyptic speech that he gave. President of the United States, God
bless him, mentioned that it's within two weeks, America's going to the side what they're
going to do. So, I want to give you the news. It ain't going to happen in two
weeks. The president does not need two weeks. He knows exactly what the situation is. He knows who he's dealing
with. I just hope anything and I guarantee you stay tuned. Listen
to your watch your phones. Listen to your radios. I guarantee you something is going to
happen very very soon.
Yeah. And this is like day a few days before the US bombs Iran.
So he had a direct line to the White House. Um, I don't know. I But you know, Dove
Hiken is an interesting figure. Um, yeah, he was a leader in the JDL and an
assemblyman for 40 years. And he would he's a registered Democrat who would
like secure Burough Park, the Orthodox Burough Park voting block
for Republicans, people like Rudy Giuliani, um, and in exchange for them just
unconditionally supporting Israel. Um, yeah, I would recommend uh David Sheen,
David Sheen's work on Kahanists and, you know, democrat democratic politics in
the US for kind of like a very uh he's he's he's a great journalist scholar on
on kahanist on the kahanist movement um in the US. Well, here's a a segment from your film
about the kahanist roots of the uh of Betar USA.
What's up?
Matinski spoke about the tree in terms of what his movement needs to look like.
Betar was always the ideological branch of the tree. The Likun party today is essentially the modern-day Jabatinsky
movement. Betar has traditionally been the youth movement of the Likun.
Sit. You must sit. You must sit. There you go.
The Arab is a cancer in our midst. And you don't coexist with a cancer.
a cancer you either cut out and throw out or you die.
Back in the 60s, this 53-year-old rabbi founded the JDL in the United States, a
group that used tactics of violence and confrontation in defense of Jews. 13 years ago, he moved to Israel, where he
now crusades to throw all Arabs out of that country. Violence is
a terrible thing, but sometimes it's terribly necessary.
[Applause]
[Music] [Applause] Because I respect the Arab, I want to throw him out. You do a 10-minute video of
Kahan. They've never heard him speak. Kahana was the most amazing speaker and he was so smart and he was so right. At
the end of the day, we can't live with them. And it's painful to say it, but you can't live with them. Finished. It's over. It's done. You can't live with
them. The murder of Rabbi Mayor Kahana was a
dark night in the history of the Jewish people. But just as the sun sets, so does it rise. Binyamin Zev Kahana, the
devoted son of Rabbi Mayor Kahana, has stepped forward to continue the work of his father through Kahanai.
He is the campus coordinator of Kahanai, Mr. Ben Israel.
This is Ron Terosian [Applause] with a young man.
Friends, we are gathered here today for the fourth year that we have not had the
greatest Jewish leader ever, Rabbi Mayor Kahana.
Kahana Kahana lives on. Kahana lives on.
[Music]
So basically this organization is intim is is in is
connected to the Trump administration and it bears the legacy of Meer Kahana
who was the genocidal
leader of Kak which was actually even banned inside Israel for a time and
represents Zionism in its rawest form. form because it believes there can be no Jewish and democratic state because the
democracy is a cancer within the Jewish ethnosupreist state because it allows
the presence of non-Jewish Arabs or Palestinians
and your film pretty strongly establishes that. Yeah, Ron is uh you know when we were
doing the interview at his office is his 5WPR office. He talks about Jabatinsky
and this is his ideologue. This is kind of his uh you know he constantly quotes him. He always refers back to him
whenever he kind of like gets lost in a train of thought. Um, but you know, over the phone, the the the phone calls that
that we have throughout the film, he's more referring to Kahana than Jabotinsky
or he's just refer he's referring to Kahana. Um, and that's, you know, that's
because you're not supposed to openly uh be kahanist. this is something that is uh let's say uh it's you know he
you're not supposed in private you know we're we're he's talking about kahana this way
um and and how would you assess the influence of kahanism within the broader
pro-Israel world after October 7th? It seems to me that it's become almost
mainstream. Um, I don't know if I'm qualified to
answer that, but uh, through your experience with Betar, for example, I mean,
oh, well, um, it's almost normative. Um, in this in
the sense that they it it feels like there can't be any consequences for
saying just the most outlandish things because there isn't any consequences for
saying those kinds of things. Um, I mean the the the stuff that they say online
is absurd. It's not, you know, it's not absurd. It's insane. It's it's uh it's
but it's there's been no repercussions. Um
there's been nothing. They're a nonprofit. This group is a registered nonprofit. They're a 50c3.
Um, and so are like a bunch of other Zionist organizations that funnel money
to Israel and to the IDF and to to settlements. They're not unique. This is not a unique group um by any means. Ron
is a odd strange character. um he's
very dramatic and um theatrical and he kind of has this
presence, but I I don't think Betar is that unique of a group. You know, the the thing that makes them unique is is
how um unabashed they are. They're they're just not they're not how how they they have no shame. Um there are
other organizations that do the same kinds of things that they do. you know, Canary Mission does these doc doxes
people, puts people on a list. They've been doing it for 10 over 10 years. Um, but they just don't they don't go out,
they don't have a public face. They don't go out in public and brag about it. Um, the ADL, the ADL has been
putting people on lists since the 60s with Irwin Irwin Saul for for 30 years,
making making uh list like, you know, they they the ADL the the ironic thing
about Ron um criticizing what he sees as, you know, the Jewish left, which he
sees as the ADL, which is absurd, is that the ADL has laid the groundwork for
Betar to do the kinds of things that they're time. The ADO has been spying on US citizens for decades. They have made
lists of, you know, over 10,000 American citizens, mostly Arabs, mostly Arab
Americans and Palestinians, and and they've sent them sent those lists to
the US government, but also to the Israeli government. Um, and the ADL, you
know, Ron during our interview, Ron took every moment to criticize the ADL. He he
constantly criticized them. I actually sent you a audio clip of him criticizing them. I don't know if you want to play
it. It's pretty explicit. But um you know the ADL does the actual
bureaucratic work that gets stuff policy things done and
Betar C sort of cashes in on it. They they can criticize them publicly but but
really they're they're they have somewhat of the same. I don't you know they're working towards the same end in
in in a certain sense. Yeah.
Well, sorry I was muted. Um the ADL is like the Uptown Betar and they have long-standing ties to US federal law
enforcement, the Israeli the heart of the Israeli government and you know
intelligence. They're they're they have an office in Silicon Valley. So, they're taking up all the space and BAR is trying to move
into that space with a more honest raw distillation of Zionism.
Yeah. And and Jonathan Greenblat, you know, he when he was trying to talk about the the media
war or whatever, um the information war, he, you know, he was giving a speech, I think it was in in Israel, and he, you
know, he references the the beeper uh this this this terrorist attack of uh
the the pagers and the walkie-talkies. He references it in this sort of like innovative the way the media talked
about it, you know, as if it was this innovative thing um that didn't, you know, maim
hund uh you know, thousands of innocent people. Like it it was uh it's absurd.
you know, he said, you know, we need to embrace the same innovation that the Mossad employed with the pager attack in uh
tamping down on quote unquote anti-semitism, meaning anything that challenges the objectives of Israel
inside the US. And here is a recording that this is an outtake from your film
on Betar. This is a recording of Ron Terosian that you taped during a phone
call about his his views of the Anti-Defamation League. ADL called us an extremist organization. Did you know
that? Okay, so listen to me. They called an organization that I founded that I'm a member of my whole life. They
called us an extremist hate organization without so much as calling me. I I I I
told them I'm going to show up in your house now. You're speaking to me. I'm the grandson of Holocaust
survivors, a student of Zeb Jabatinsky, who you've probably never even heard of. AL. He's writing a report. I'm going
there to your face. I'm from New York. You're not going to tell me what to do. I'm an Israeli. You're not going to tell me what to do. How come I'm the only
Jewish American parent who have gotten arrested? How can it be? How can it be? What an outrage. You understand,
brother? Are you with me? Oh, yeah. Yeah. And and what he's referring to at
the end there is uh getting arrested at his daughter's university. Um
uh you know, for just doing whatever. I don't I don't really know what he did, but uh he this this this arrest led to
him starting Betar. It was a reaction. Yeah, it was a reaction. He you know he says it in the
dock. It was a reaction of him getting arrested and you know this was what he did
and you know so so Ron Terosian he's clearly unhinged from these interactions
that you recorded. He's unashamed of his
fanatical views which have a lot of currency right now particularly within
the Zionist world and a lot of these stories of his unhinged behavior I first became aware
of reading outlets that covered the New York PR public relations and marketing
world because he was a major PR executive who represented high-profile
clients in New York who were some of some of Ron Terrosian's clients and what happened with his business.
Um, some of his Yeah, he's a he runs 5WPR
uh which is one of the biggest uh PR companies in New York City. Uh 5W
standing for the five the five W's, what who when you know this kind of thing. And uh his biggest his big clients uh he
he represents a lot of entertainers. He's represented uh Snoop Dogg, Little Kim, uh P. Diddy. Um, Pitbull. Um, you
know, he he's So, he has a lot of black entertainers that he's um Ice Cube.
Ice. Yeah. Um, yeah. And and but also political figures, too, like uh the the
boxer turned mayor of Kiev. Um, Klitschko, Vitali Klitschko.
Yep. And the Eric Trump Foundation. Um and other kinds of media syndicates like
uh Sinclair Broadcasting Group uh and Trinity Broadcasting Group.
these big media concing
syndicate and Trinity is, you know, Rexella and Jack Vanimpy and Charles
Stanley and all of the Christian Wright kind of husters. Yeah.
And he also represented, didn't he represent the company that controls Pornhub? MindGeek. Yeah.
Yeah. He's Yeah, he's got his uh he's got a his foot he's got his feet and everything and and McDonald, you know,
he's done work with McDonald's. Um he got his start in PR. It always comes
back to Israel. He got his start in PR uh with the Lakood party. Um and and
before before he started 5WPR, he gave a tour of uh he
brought Peter Voluone Senior, who was running for governor of New York in the 90s, and he brought him to uh visit
Israel and to visit specifically as many illegal settlements as possible, including Hebrron. Um and yeah, and and
this sort of leads him into the PR business. Um, yeah, he wrote a
book. Uh, he wrote a book. I don't want to, you know, he wrote a book and, uh,
you can read that. Just sold him some books. Yeah. I mean, I, you know, we're, me and
Ron are good friends and I think that I, you know, I find him fascinating and I
wanted to, you would say Ron is a friend of yours now. I don't know. We haven't talked since
the film came out. Um, but look, why did you go to the gray zone with
this film? These uh Jew haters who want us to put nails in the coffins
of our kids? I mean, you don't think he'd be mad at you for making this or
I can't I don't know. Um I I don't know, man. I uh I I'll have to see. I haven't
talked to him. I could call him, but um I would like to see the result of that. But but again, I mean, you're sh you're
you're presenting his real authentic views without editorial filter and it's not a hit piece. Um
yeah, I I find him I I find Ron fascinating, you know, and I wanted to create a portrait of of him and present
him, you know, to to the world. And that was the goal. I wasn't, you know, yeah,
it was it wasn't a hit piece. And it was I don't even view it as an expose to be frank. I uh just wanted to I found his
group really interesting. Um and the work that I I think it is an it is an expose
because the corporate mainstream media will not do this kind of reporting and
show everyone what Zionism truly is at the street level. They will not let them
present their authentic views and they will not say my Kahana he's pretty influential. They just won't do it. It's
It's always an interview that's very sanitized with Benjamin Netanyahu and like Patrick Bet David asking him
softball questions. Some guy with the IQ of a toaster oven uh that Netanyahu hand
selects. Yeah. And this while not being a hit piece is
pretty uh I mean it to me it's damning because of my political perspective.
Yeah. Are you are you an anti-ionist? Um,
yeah. I mean, I Yeah, you Yeah, we can. Yeah. So, you're a Jewish anti-ionist.
Yeah. How did you come to that
to that point? Um, and how did that influence your desire to
u better understand Betar and make this film? Um, I made this film because I was full
of dread and hopelessness every day watching Israel commit a genocide and I
didn't know what to do and this seemed like something to do, something I was
capable of doing. um getting access to them is something that you know only you
can you can't as I said you know the requirements to joining this group were being Jewish. Yeah.
And so I took advantage of that and tried to
get inside of a group that yeah most people can't access and and show it in its on its honest face. You're right. It
is you know maybe you know maybe you're right it is an expose um in that sense.
Um and I yeah I mean I came yeah I came to the I came to the conclusion of how I
you know what I think because I think it's obvious you know uh
yeah I mean I just was your family is your family supportive of what you're doing?
Uh no they're not. They're Zionist.
Yeah. Do do you fear backlash from this film
or fear for your safety at all? I mean, producing what could be seen as an expose of a a violent group?
Yeah, it's possible. I don't care. I mean, yeah. Yeah, it's possible. Yeah, it's entirely Yeah. I mean, they're
these people. Yeah, they're they they they you know, they they they do they do bad
things. So it's a So but I don't but I that that's not too much of a concern
for me to be honest. Yeah. Um yeah. Yeah. I don't I don't know.
There's something about like um I don't know. There's something very inspiring about
um Palestinian resistance that that has sort of inspired me to not really fear
some a person like Ron or Yonyi. I mean, you know, there's just there's nothing they can do to me.
Yeah. I think when you when you see what they're doing in Gaza, it makes you more willing to make a
sacrifice like this in which you could, you know, face consequences.
I because I feel like we all have to do something and one of the things you can do as a Jewish anti-ionist is get on the
inside where others can't. I mean, it was my horror at the first major assault
on the Gaza Strip, Operation Cassled, back in 2008, 2009, that motivated me to
do the Goliath project and, you know, go places inside Israeli society that I I
could only go as a Jew um and use my knowledge of that world to
gain access and show people the real Israel that the rest of the US media wasn't showing. owing them. I think
disclosure, real disclosure is a revolutionary act when we live in a society with so much censorship and
conditioning and indoctrination and control and particularly in the Jewish world with all the indoctrination that
takes place there in order to maintain generational continuity. What you're doing here is to me is revolutionary. So
there's a lot of people in the comments that they don't really understand who they are. They're suspicious. But you're
a first-time filmmaker, so you're not going to be as um gung-ho with your beliefs as I am. This is the first time
you've kind of come out and done a public film project or any journalism. Is that correct?
Yeah, I made the Yeah, I just uh before this I was just making comedy videos um
in Texas with like some some comics like Casey Rocket and Union Brooks and Conrad
Fagan and these people that some people know, some people don't. Um but yeah, this is my first uh I guess documentary.
Yeah, it's very well made. I mean, it's it's almost like,
you know, well, we we talked over the course of your production of it, but I I didn't I don't think I had that much
input. You would occasionally ask me some questions, but you were pretty much off in your own on your own, wherever
you are, making this. And I think just as a piece of art, it's very well done. And it speaks to me
just as a as someone who's made films um you managed to convey the subject matter
and the sub and the subject really well without any narration.
It kind of it didn't remind me of the early films of Adam Curtis before it just his films became so um convoluted
and impossible to follow. Is that is that what you were going for? I mean talk about your artistic vision.
Oh man. Um, yeah, I love Adam Curtis. Uh, Power of Nightmares is an incredible documentary.
I I love everything he does. Um, and something that's cool is that the music
that one of the artists that is in the film that I have that is licensed is Py
Corner Audio, which is a British musician who um sort of that drone synth
that kind of reappears throughout the film. That's a Porner Pie Corner Audio is consistently in Adam Curtis's films.
Um, so that was like a cool connector kind of kind of thing. Um,
yeah, but I, you know, I got some help along the way. I don't want to put a target on anyone's back, but David Sheen
was incredibly helpful. You Yousef Munier was incredibly helpful. Jack Pollson was helpful. Um Jeremy Lefredo
of the of the Grey Zone was someone who I first got in contact with before I got in contact with you and he he kind of
his experience was very useful and he he was connecting me with people and he was
a great resource. He's a he's a great guy and and um yeah I mean you know I didn't it wasn't this kind of like
singular uh vision. This project went through many drafts. I had a version that I was like in it and narrating and
you know ch it it changed a lot and I got a lot of help. um from my friends here as well through uh you know along
the way. So I can't pretend to kind of have this uh vision of what it was supposed to be. It kind of just ended up
what it was. David Sheen's definitely an important
resource. Um I wish he were doing more interviews. He's actually, you know,
despite being a friend, he's not accepting my interview requests, but he has a major project coming out about the
temple movement and the real apocalyptic direction of
Jewish Israeli politics post Netanyahu. I think it's one of the most important coming projects. So, I'm hoping to
interview him about that. And uh um I can see his influence on this film.
Yeah, I had I had a lot more stuff about kahanism that I cut uh just for time,
but yeah, he he he he was a tremendous help and and you know, just in general
like alternative media that I've been consuming was a was a great uh you know,
resource for for making this, you know, the gray zone, but also you know like electronic and um east as a podcast, the
anti-mpire project, millennials are killing capitalism. You know, um certain books,
uh Our American Israel by Amy Kaplan, um you know, there's certain works uh this
this book specifically actually from underneath uh uh The Time Beneath the
Concrete. This is a great great book. I highly recommend it. From underneath the concrete.
Yeah, The Time Beneath the Concrete. It's a fantastic book about the refugee camps and UNRA. Um just all sorts of sc
you know just people making uh art and writing and speaking about
this subject has been um you know it's the reason this project got made.
Amy Kaplan was a friend who encouraged me when I was younger in the work I was doing when she was at University of
Pennsylvania, my alma mater. And uh she's unfortunately no longer with us.
Her last project was about uh the power of Israel in the US and connecting the
Israeli colonial project to US settler colonialism historically.
Uh so that's great that you mentioned her. Let's watch another clip. Uh an outtake that didn't make the the cutting room
floor but is pretty revoly.
This is Yoni Klitzel. Ron's underling
going to Time Square.
What's up? What do you ask today, man? Do you think Iran should have nuclear weapons?
Every country should have nuclear weapons. Who the are we to tell anybody what they can't have, man? What if they nuke the world?
That's why every country got nukes. They going to nuke them back.
Oh no. [Music]
So you think I ranch have nuclear weapons? No. Do it now. Do it now. What if they nuke you? What if they nuke
you? What if you get nuked? What's up, Bob? I'm Yoni. What's your names? Linda. What's your name?
Yoni. Yi. Yi. Yi. That's a I know.
You are what you eat. Oh, my bad. I put explicit on the
but yeah. Yeah. Kind of seems like kind of a a sad individual who's kind of lost.
Well, yeah, we we did that after we went uh after the interview at Ron's. We went
with Yonyi and uh filmed some street street interview content. Um and uh you
know, Yonyi gets paid $8,000 a month. um which
to to you know like harass um Muslim college girls online and like do Tik Tok
content. So you know by who what who who who who who's pwning up that
kind of money? I mean this is like the se we talking about the 7K cartel 7,000 per post. Um I mean this is you have to
work a little bit harder than those clowns but that's still a lot of money. I mean,
it's a Yeah, he's he's working for his for his checks and uh but uh yeah, Yonyi
Yeah, I mean, he you can go on his Twitter
x the everything app page and you can check him out uh and look at the kinds of things that he's making. Um and you
know, um yeah, I don't know what I'm saying. So, what do you what what should I mean
what do you think should happen with this film project? I think there should be screenings. Um, what would you like
to see happen? Um, I don't know. I I think people are
watching it. So, that's that was the first That's good. Um, I I have no plan.
I have no plans for for for this really to be honest. The goal was to get it on the gray. The goal is to get it on the
gray zone and it that that happened. So, I'm in like I'm in disbelief still for
that. So, I don't know what else. Life goal unlocked. Look, I wouldn't have published it if it wasn't an
incredible film. Like, I didn't know what you were going to hand me, and I was just like glued to my laptop
watching it. It it got darker and better as it went on. And it
um you packed it all into an hour and I think in an expert way, you knew what to
cut out and kept the most important parts in.
uh when I work I I do a lot of editing of you know other documentarians work
and I'm doing a lot of editing on them. There's a lot of back and forth on this. There was very little back and forth
because I liked it so much. So I'd like to have some screenings. I think this is an important piece of polit
an important vehicle for political education. So hopefully uh we can we can do that at
some uh future Greyzone events and you can participate. Um but yeah, thanks so
much for coming out and showing your face and being with us.
Yeah, thank you. Thank you for having me. I just wanted to can if if it's if it's okay, I just wanted to shout out
three resources for Gaza that I think are important. Um the the lifeline for
Gaza is a is a website that takes these
donation campaigns and kind of filters them um to arrange for like the the last
time someone donated. So so some some of them don't get donated for weeks and
that goes to the front and that's a good resource. Um, Rebuild Gaza 24 is a um
campaign of building water wells in Gaza. Um, you know, they've destroyed
pretty much all the water wells in Gaza. So, that's a great um campaign. And
there's one more called the TROM. It's tr.org.
And they are it's an orphan sponsorship program that provides aid and housing
for orphans in Gaza. So, I think those are three good resources um to, you
know, contribute to to donate to. Uh sorry, I just wanted to Yeah. No, thank thank you for those
shout outs. I'm always um interested as well in how we can get aid to Gaza since
it's still just trickling in. It's barely reaching Gaza. No rebuilding is taking place um except by the Gaza
municipality, which I've heard can be supported legally through the US. Um,
you know, I remember one of the last conversations we had before you turned
this film in. I think it was like during one of the darkest moments of the genocide.
Um, you basically asked me how how do you stay sane? Like how do you keep going doing this kind of stuff? And it's
like by doing these projects. Uh, by doing the work we're doing. That's the
only way I can keep sane. And also uh I don't really know how to do anything else. So, uh I hope that this project
was therapeutic for you as well. Uh it's
it can be uh definitely agonizing to be a Jewish anti-ionist in this environment.
Yeah. Well, thanks for thanks for having me. I I mean, it's an honor to be on the gray zone. This is crazy.
Thanks for joining us and uh yeah, we hope to do more with this film and and and um
I hope this is the first of many film projects from you and we'll learn your last name someday.
Yeah, we'll see. Yeah, and someone said it's agonizing being any kind of anti-ionist. For sure.
I mean, it's probably more agonizing being a Palestinian anti-ionist in the UK right now where you can get arrested
just for speaking. Uh, but yeah, thank you everybody for being
here, for subscribing to the Greyzone, uh, for supporting projects like this. I mean, this project is supported by
people like you and uh, like this stream. We're
suppressed. We are algorithmically suppressed, but we reached our 500,000th subscriber on YouTube, which means
according to uh free press math, our valuation is something like $300 million. And we look forward to any
Zionist billionaire buying the gray zone tomorrow at that
since we have something like 150 or 175,000 subscribers more on YouTube than
Barry Weiss's free press. and I'll look forward to taking over NBC.
Um, and then we'll show this film at 8:00 PM on Monday.
But, uh, in the meantime, we'll continue growing the gray zone. Thanks a lot everybody for being here. Thanks to Eric
Thomas, Eric T. Red for holding down the chat. Uh, we'll see you next week. Oh, yeah.
Thanks to Aaron who uh, isn't here right now. Peace, everybody.
Peace to Bill Aman. Looking forward to uh your collaborations.
- admin
- Site Admin
- Posts: 38413
- Joined: Thu Aug 01, 2013 5:21 am
Return to United States Government Crime
Who is online
Users browsing this forum: No registered users and 17 guests