The Trump Self-Deportation Leak is Crazy & AIPAC Spent Hidden Millions to Crush Progressives

Rand Paul is a snake. Some people just need a good punch in the face. And members of Congress are legally allowed to shoot each other. those are all positions that Trump's picked ahead homeland Security just endorse, whether explicitly or implicitly under oath. Right. Because today was the Senate's confirmation hearing from Mark Wayne Mullen, a lawmaker representing Oklahoma who's supposed to replace the outgoing DHS secretary, Kristi Noem. already on paper. He's kind of a strange pic. But he's got no bachelor's degree, was a mixed martial arts fighter, and, the owner of a plumbing company before coming to Congress, even there, he's never held a prominent party leadership role. He's never served on any congressional committees related to homeland security or immigration, and he has no law enforcement experience. of course, what we've seen with Trump time and time again is that, you know, these kinds of things like experience and qualifications and competence, they're not really the top consideration. We'll get you promoted. In Trump's America is loyalty, fealty, and unconditional subservience. so Trump, he's essentially going from someone who used to shoot dogs to just having a dog. with Mullen, constantly being on TV, defending Trump. He's also been, you know, one of Trump's closest allies for a while. And in his words, a personal friend in the Senate. even today, he was literally brought to tears just talking about how the president supported him after his son suffered a brain injury. for the next 15 minutes. He did nothing but love on my son. That, Take it, I get emotional, see if I talk about my kids, I get emotional and that you can't make me cry. Mullen also voted to overturn the 2020 election results. And he's been a staunch defender of Trump's mass deportation policy. plus. He's got a real knack for that kind of distinctively Trumpian brand of political showmanship. I mean, he wears a cowboy hat on the Senate floor. in fact, I don't know if you remember this. He's the one who almost brawled with the Teamsters union president during a Senate hearing. Sanders at a time and like, chill the fuck out. In fact, you tweeted at me. Quit the tough guy act and the Senate hearings. You know where to find me. Any place, any time. Cowboy. So this is a time. This is a place you want to run your mouth. We can be two consenting adults. We can finish it here. Okay. That's fine. Perfect. You want to do it now? I'd love to do it right now. Well, stand your butt up, then. You stand your bottom. Hold up. Oh! Stop it! So you. Solution? Every problem. No, no. Sit down. Cluedo. Okay. You all know you're a United States senator. So tactical. Okay. Sit down please. so when he took to the floor for today's hearing, his attitude toward violence, it was a big point of concern, especially since he's nominated to head federal law enforcement, for Rand Paul, who chairs the Homeland Security Committee. It was very personal. he was assaulted back in 2017 by his neighbor who tackled him, put him in the hospital. And so today he confronted Mullin about his comments on that incident. decided to transfer the blame. You told the media that I was a freakin snake and that you completely understood why I had been assaulted. I just wonder if someone who applauds violence against their political opponents is the right person to lead an agency that has struggled to accept limits to the proper use of force? explain to the American public how a man who has no regrets about brawling in a Senate committee can set a proper example for over 250,000 men and women who work at the Department of Homeland Security. he had Mullin then going. Yeah, that's what I said. I simply addressed that. I said I could understand because of the behavior you were having, that I could understand why your neighbor, why the neighbor did what he did and then as for the freaking snake comment. I work around this room to try to fix problems. I've worked with many people in this room. Seems like you fight Republicans more than you work with us. but then despite that, he stressed that he has a job to do, and Partizan bickering won't get in his way. I can set it aside. If you're willing to set it aside, let me earn your respect. I'm gonna earn the job. then Rand Paul, he just wasn't having it. you said a few minutes ago we can just set it aside. Well, political differences we can. But when you say that you agree was a felon, a Trump aiding felon who attacked me somehow, you think I'm just going to set that aside? Oh, it's no big deal. You know, I lay in pain for two months, had six ribs broken, three of them separated, grinding upon bone on bone for months. Had part of my lung removed. And you think that's great? And to be extolled, and then Rand just held Mullins feet to the fire first playing that the clip that I showed you, the near brawl with the Teamsters boss and then playing other clips where Mullin displays a penchant for violence. If he got up two, would you have. Would you have gone at it right there and then I would have jumped over the dais. At that point, But every now they need to get punched in the face. Well, go back to the 1800s and 1700s. They used to have canes and duels and they you said, you know. Yeah. Right. And there was a way that men used to settle their differences. to move from. And almost by the way, I'm not afraid of biting. I will bite biting. Oh, I mean, yeah, I'm going to fight. I'm going to bite. I'll do anything. I mean, I'm not above it Right. And this is where shit gets crazy. Because when Paul asked him about that caning and dueling clip in particular, Mullen replied. What I was simply pointing out as some of the rules that still apply to this body, for instance, dealing with two consenting adults is still there. I was pointing out what is illegal for 170 years. There's no precedent for legal dueling. Even then, they fled the country.

then after that, the committee stopped. Democrat Gary Peters got him to concede on at least one of the shootings by federal agents. You, sir, you called Alex a, quote, a deranged individual that came in to cause Max damage. like I said, there sometimes are going to make mistakes, and I own it. That one. I went out there too fast. I was responding immediately without the facts. That's my fault. That won't happen to Secretary. then when it came to Renee. Good. He said that he doesn't regret calling or shooting justified. It's very clear that an officer had to make a split decision in that case was a car was running towards him and did strike him. and then the rest of it was pretty much senator after senator, during hardball questions at him. And his answers really weren't always reassuring. if directed by the president, to take an action that would break the law, would you follow the law or follow the president's direction? the president would never ask me to do that. If confirmed, will you commit to me and the chair and member ranking member of this committee and the American people that Ice will no longer instruct agents to break into people's homes without a judicial warrant. Sir, I, I you're using the word break into people's houses very loosely. However, I have made it very clear to the staff, and I think when you and I spoke that a judicial warrant will be used to go into houses and a place of businesses, unless we're pursuing someone that enters in that place. and you wouldn't attempt to eliminate FEMA? I as I said, I think it needs to be restructured and not eliminated. also a fun one, as always. He refused to admit that Trump lost the 2020 election. And then he gave this answer about future elections. If you are Secretary of Homeland Security, do you feel you have the authority to put uniformed officers at polling locations in 2026? The only reason why my officers would be there, if there was a specific threat for them to be there, not for intimidation. Now, we thought if he does get confirmed and it does look like he is pretty solid support, he is going to have a hell of a mess to try to clean up over at DHS. River one things, the reputation it has kind of, in a dumpster fire. And he says that one of his main goals is to restore the public's trust. also, thanks to the partial shutdown, funding lapsed over a month ago. And you have Democrats saying that they're not going to pass more spending until they get some concessions on stuff like masks and body cameras. Democrats have also offered solutions where the rest of the government would be funded. Right. So you don't have issues like with the TSA. while the debate, negotiations around things around ice get handled, then there's all the chaos around DHS contracts that are piling up on Noem's desk, because she was requiring that everything above $100,000 get her personal approval. there. When asked whether he would revoke that policy, you had Mullen saying yes. Absolutely. That's called micromanaging. and among the troubles that Marquand Mullen is inheriting with DHS is its flop of a self-deportation program. because the Trump administration spent nearly $1 billion on this self-deportation program, claim that 2. 2 million people used it, and then leaked documents show that the real number is about 72,000 and more than half of those were already in Ice detention and they really didn't have a choice. so let's talk about Project Homecoming and what $1 billion actually bought. right. Because last May, the Trump administration launched this program called Project Homecoming, offering undocumented immigrants a free flight to their home country and a cash stipend to leave voluntarily. the stipend started at $1,000, and it was recently bumped up to 2600. even had an app called CBP home, ran millions of dollars in ad campaigns, it up full social media blitz and the total cost nearly $1 billion. and since launching the administration, they've released almost no data on whether it's actually working the closest thing we got was outgoing DHS Secretary Kristi Noem saying back in January that 2. 2 million undocumented immigrants had chosen to self-deport. we really don't know where that number came from. we do know that includes a ton of people who never interacted with Project Homecoming at all. DHS basically confirmed that, saying that those who use the app and the program are but a fraction of the total, and that the bigger number reflects people leaving because they know President Trump is enforcing our immigration laws. And it wasn't until December, when sworn statements were filed in court that we got any on record details an executive from Salis Worldwide Solutions, a company holding the contract to run Project Homecoming, saying that the government had authorized nearly 35,000 stipends. only about half of what had been completed at the time. and then you had CNN reviewing newly leaked internal DHS documents showing that the number had since risen to 72,000, would you want that number to be? Higher. You're supporting this program. It sounds good. Until you learn that more than half of those were already in Ice detention when they signed up. like you said, David Behar, the director of immigration studies at the Cato Institute, putting it this way, saying they're trying to claim credit for those people who are leaving. But it's not obvious to me that those people would have stayed. And the absence of this financial incentive, adding every year, hundreds of thousands of people leave the United States on their own voluntarily for various reasons. Before this app, there was a zero cost to the government. writing for the people in Ice detention, voluntarily as a word, that's doing a lot of heavy lifting. and there, you had a North Carolina immigration attorney explaining having to choose between a prolonged detention and spending a lot of money to fight their case or take a voluntary departure, get money for leaving, and potentially not to have to pay for their flight home. then looking around for specific situations. You see what happened with Lizette? Self deported to Honduras back in May after her husband was detained and deported, her saying that the separation was more than she could handle. And so she took a federal immigration officer suggestion to use the app and leave. that, as you have experts and attorneys concerned that many of the people being funneled into this program don't actually fully understand the consequences, including years long bans on reentering the United States. as far as why this matters.

I mean, there's a few things here, you know, the white House really not commenting on any of this, which is not surprising given how Trump feels about leaks. right. I think it's important we talk about this for two reasons. one in the year of our Lord 2026, a fewer and fewer people are starting from the base core reality, right? We're not all living at the same world. So we need to talk about what is actually happening and get the truth out there. Because especially because you have the administration trying to describe this self-deportation thing as a success story. and then secondly, when people are being terrorized or your tax dollars are being used for something you should care about, what is actually happening. Right. Not only is this $1 billion pressure campaign dressed up as a voluntary program that is also actually a bust. It is a billion of your dollars doing all these things. and so then with all that, one of the final questions is what the new DHS secretary, Mark Wayne Mullins, is going to do with do they continue saying it's a success even though it doesn't actually look that way? Do they make the stipend go up as the program quietly disappear while the war dominates the news cycle? you know, does someone in this administration actually have to answer for what, a billion taxpayer dollars bought I guess, didn't buy? and then there's more than we've got to dive into in just a minute. But first, let me take a minute to thank a sponsor and say, you know something? I love Having fun at night. But you know what I hate is the morning after. Which reminds me what I did. which is why start using today's sponsor, Z biotics, as a pre alcohol probiotic that helps you feel better in the morning after drinking. this isn't one of those, like, hydration tricks or just trust the vibes. 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You scan that QR code or head to Z biotics. com/defranco and use code DeFranco for 15% off your first order future. You will be very grateful. but then diving right back into the news, Israel took out another one of Iran's highest ranking officials. They also allegedly struck the largest natural gas field in the world. And they are continuing to sow death and destruction in Lebanon. let's start with this latest assassination, which targeted Iran's intelligence minister, a person that the Israeli military claimed oversaw surveillance, espionage and the execution of covert operations worldwide, particularly against the state of Israel and Iranian citizens, with Israel's defense minister saying in a statement afterward, intensity of the strikes in Iran is reaching a new level. Israel's policy is clear and unequivocal. one in Iran has immunity, and everyone is a target. I guess also with that, we have to mention that the civilian death toll in the country, according to Iran, is at least 1348, although that number is now several days old. And Israel's been hunting down leaders of the regime one by one. right. Today's announcement actually came a day after Israel said that it killed Iran's national security chief, who had been serving as the de facto leader of the country since the war began, as well as the commander of the powerful besieged militia. actually with that early this morning, Iran's Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps said that they had successfully struck Israel in retaliation for the latest assassinations. the Israeli Emergency Service reporting that an Iranian missile that killed two people outside of Tel Aviv and injured at least one other, bringing the overall death toll in Israel to 14, according to Israeli authorities. Officials also revealed today that missile strikes had been a major railway station in the country's main international airport, now inside of Israel. Iranian strikes have also kept up across the region, with several Gulf nations, including Kuwait, Qatar, Saudi Arabia and the UAE all saying that they were intercepting missiles and drones. Today, at one point, with Iran's Revolutionary Guards warning people to stay away from major oil and gas facilities in several of these countries, claiming that they would be targeting in the coming hours, and that coming after what Iranian state media said were Israeli airstrikes that hit what is by far the largest offshore natural gas field in the world, and actually that give you kind of an idea of what we're talking about, this place, it reportedly holds enough to supply the world's needs for about 13 years the world. And it accounts for roughly 70 to 75% of Iran's natural gas production, which is almost entirely for domestic use, including heat, hot water and cooking by most Iranians. although actually that's just the Iranian portion because these reserves are shared with Qatar. who also blamed Israel for the strikes. And you had a spokesperson warning that targeting shared energy infrastructure was a dangerous and irresponsible step that could threaten global energy security. and on that note that the impact it was almost immediate international oil prices leapt to around $108 a barrel, up from $103 earlier this morning. and that's as despite Trump's downplaying of the economic impact this war might have in the US, we're continuing to see exactly that. with the national average price of regular gas reaching $3. 84 a gallon today, up 29% since the war began. and of course, that's the average like we're seeing other numbers that are way worse in certain parts of the country. despite Trump's claims that everything's under control, the Strait of Hormuz remains on lockdown. At least. Anyone Iran wants. because while most shipping traffic through the strait, it's been stopped since the war began, with nearly 20 vessels getting attacked in the area, about 90 ships have actually made their way through, Iran managing to export well above 16 million barrels of oil since the beginning of March, as some ships linked to other countries are allowed to pass at times. yesterday, you, Iran's Speaker of Parliament, claiming that the Strait won't ever return to its pre-war status. And you're the country's foreign minister doubling down on that today, arguing that after the war comes to an end, countries in the Gulf, they should draft a new protocol for the Strait of Hormuz. and the aim there being to ensure that safe passage through the waterway is carried out under certain conditions aligned with Iranian and regional interests. and so it might be just getting more and more urgent

for Trump to show that there is something that he can do. although notably recent reporting from notice showed that his administration might be lacking the expertise to give him good advice, not to say that he would even listen to it, with the outlet. Speaking to several former employees and officials who said that back in July that those wrecking ball, it took out staff who would have been responsible for gaming out possible scenarios if the Strait of Hormuz was closed. that's in addition to staffers with close personal relationships at oil and gas companies in the Middle East and experts tasked with maintaining diplomatic contacts at foreign energy bureaus, with the former assistant secretary of State for Energy Resources under Joe Biden saying, I'm sure Secretary Rubio wishes he had that expertise available today. most of that institutional knowledge was lost. and also, right, the impact of those cuts, it may extend beyond this specific oil and gas expertise. you have people who quit positions at the National Security Council, the Treasury and the Department of Energy saying that the usual process of analyzing, reporting and debating before decisions are made is virtually nonexistent. Now, and with all that you're seeing things like the editorial board of the Financial Times making a similar point and an opinion that was published today claiming that Trump has undermined the US national security apparatus, arguing that Trump's emphasis on loyalty over expertise at least partially explains how he started this war against Iran without a clear objective or planned, and he is hampering America's ability to prosecute the war. And now that it has begun. and that piece also pointed to Defense Secretary Pete Headset's push for what he called unapologetic lethality, along with his gutting of a congressionally mandated assessment to help military planners of weight, civilian casualties. all of this. It's raising the question of whether all of this could have something to do with what was likely a U. S. missile strike on a girls school in Iran that killed more than 100 children. with all that, you actually had Trump today sharing an opinion from a different editorial board, that of the New York Post, which was titled, U. S. allies need to get a grip, step up and help open the Strait of Hormuz. that's also as he had some words to share himself writing in another post. wonder what would happen if we finished off what's left of the Iranian terrorist state and let the countries that use it? We don't be responsible for the so-called strait, that would get some of our non-responsive allies in gear and fast, with that appearing to be kind of just as late as lash out in response to NATO members refusing to participate in a mission to escort commercial ships through the Strait of Hormuz while Iranian missiles rained down on them. with that strategy fail and he's trying other options. Right. One to manage the effects of rising prices today temporarily waived a century old shipping law called the Jones Act to lower the cost of transporting oil, gas and other goods around the U. S... then, of course, that the military is continuing to try and degrade Iran's ability to threaten ships in the street, Centcom claiming today that it had successfully employed multiple 5,000 pound deep penetrating munitions on hardened Iranian missile sites along Iran's coastline near the Strait of Hormuz. but still, as of right now, there's no sign of the Straits opening back up. and it's becoming increasingly clear that the impact it's not just about rising prices, it's about human lives, for example, the United Nations Food Program. Now saying that because of this war, the number of people going hungry, it may go up by tens of millions worldwide. and that's partly because of the disruption of shipping lanes since the start of the conflicts, delaying deliveries of lifesaving food aid. but notably, even aid that doesn't have to pass through the Strait of Hormuz is going to be affected. it's because shipping costs have risen 18% and higher oil prices are driving up the world food programs, operating costs. plus is we've talked about it in addition to roughly 20% of the world's oil and liquid natural gas, around one third of global seaborne trade in fertilizers is typically passing through the Strait of Hormuz. so along with oil and gas, fertilizers getting more expensive and since all three are key agricultural inputs, food is likely going to get more expensive as well. and overall, the World Food Program estimates that if war in the Middle East goes on through, let's say, June, it'll push around 45 million people into acute hunger, the agency's deputy executive director and operations chief saying would take global hunger levels to an all time record. And it's a terrible, terrible prospect. the consequences are falling on the world's most vulnerable people who are already living in dire conditions. actually with that, I will say, even without the war, the situation was bad, getting worse, and partly the fault of Donald Trump. to according to the agency, around 319 million people around the world already suffer from acute hunger, which represents a threefold increase in the last five years. but also because the U. S and several other major donors have aid funding, the agency has had to reduce rations and cut the number of people receiving food aid. It's a kids that might have lived otherwise are literally starving to death. right. And then also on the topic of dying children, we then still have to talk about Lebanon. Right. Because the Israeli military has continued to ramp up its attacks on the country, striking Beirut and other major cities, towns and villages while Israeli troops continue to ground invasion in the country South. of course, with this, you have Israel claiming that it's targeting Hezbollah. But how many strikes have hit central and eastern Beirut away from where Hezbollah is generally based, adding to fears that the area is once considered safe just aren't anymore. so in one neighborhood in central Beirut, for example, the Israeli military issued an evacuation warning for a building that it said was being used by Hezbollah. his residents fled the area during the morning call to prayer. A missile hit the building and brought it to the ground. And that's notable because while Israeli airstrikes have targeted some buildings in Beirut over the past two weeks, reportedly they haven't collapsed entire buildings until now. and that also as some Israeli strikes have reportedly hit without any warning whatsoever. or with one unannounced attack, for example, on central areas of Beirut, reportedly killing at least ten people and injuring 27 others, according to the Lebanese Health Ministry. overall, the death toll is now reported to be at least 960, including at least 110 kids. and then you also have the Norwegian Refugee Council reporting today that 1 million people are now being displaced by the fighting, which is about one sixth of the country's population. and kind of the worst fear is that we have another Gaza on our hands, which appears to be something that Israel seems absolutely giddy about. in fact, just last week, you have the Israeli army dropping leaflets over Beirut with what was seen as a mocking text saying, in light of the remarkable success in Gaza, the newspaper the new Reality arrives in Lebanon.

Where is your country heading? we also talked about the country's finance minister claiming that one part of the country would soon resemble Khan Younis, one of those cities almost obliterated by the Israeli military in Gaza. and then you also had a member of the party claiming we must conquer territory in southern Lebanon, destroy the villages there, and annex the territory to the State of Israel. and that is you a member of another party. They are calling for the implementation of a doctrine understood as the strategy of overwhelming, using disproportionate force and the destruction of civilian infrastructure. well, the war's still playing out in real time. The top intelligence officials in the country just sat in front of the Senate, and they couldn't or I guess, wouldn't answer a basic question. Did the president know that striking Iran would shut down the Strait of Hormuz and trigger attacks on our allies? because he was either told and then lied about it or he wasn't told, and his own intelligence agencies failed him. Right after three hours of testimony. We still don't know which one it's supposed to be, because Tulsi Gabbard, she spent most of the hearing insisting that it's not her job to answer. and actually that kind of set this up for you, you had the director of National Intelligence, Tulsi Gabbard, CIA Director John Ratcliffe, and other top officials testifying before the Senate Intelligence Committee yesterday on the war and broader security threats. and this is a hearing that was especially high stakes for Gabbard. she's a long time anti interventional is who has publicly opposed military action in Iran. year ago, sitting before this same committee, she downplayed Iran's nuclear weapons program, prompting Trump to publicly say she was wrong. since Trump started this Iran war, she's been almost completely silent. the only time she said anything of substance was after Joe Kent resigned as director of the National Counterterrorism Center, where he said that he couldn't support the war in that Iran didn't pose an imminent threat. with Gabbard issuing a lukewarm statement arguing that Trump has the authority to determine if there is an imminent threat and that he made his determination based on intelligence that her office provided a key thing is what she didn't say, right? She didn't say that she personally believed the intelligence showed an imminent threat. we Ken's resignation may be coming this flash when you have some speculating about how long Gabbard lasts in this administration, or at least in this role. big is a big part of Trump 2. 0 is you don't get fired, you get kind of just moved around. actually with all this, one of the things we saw was Ratcliffe pushing back on Ken's claims directly. I think Iran has been a constant threat to the United States for an extended period of time. And posed an immediate threat. At this time. when asked if an Iranian missile could threaten the U. S. within six months, he didn't give a timeline. Gabbard. Meanwhile, she noted in her opening statement that a previous Defense Intelligence Agency report said that Iran couldn't build a viable missile to reach the U. S before 2035. when Senator Ossoff pressed her on whether the intelligence community assessed an imminent nuclear threat, which is what the white House claimed is justification for the war. She tried to kind of pass the buck. Was it the intelligence community's assessment that nevertheless, despite this obliteration, there was a, quote, imminent nuclear threat posed by the Iranian regime? Yes or no? It is not the intelligence community's responsibility to determine what is and is not an imminent threat. Okay, that is up. Here's the problem on a volume. No, it is. It is precisely that he it is precisely your responsibility to determine what constitutes a threat to the United States. This is the world wide threats hearing You're here to be timely, objective and independent of political considerations. What I'm doing. No, you're evading a question because to provide a candid response to the committee would contradict a statement from the white House. also, the other major line of questioning was whether the intelligence community warned Trump about what would happen to the Strait of Hormuz and to U. S. allies in the Gulf, because Trump has publicly said multiple times that nobody predicted Iran would attack its neighbors or shut down the strait. And, you know, the senators wanting to know, is that true? Or did he just ignore what he was told? And you had Senator Biden going first? every problem we're seeing now was not only foreseeable, but was actually predicted by the intelligence agencies. So, director, in the lead up to the start of this war three weeks ago, did the intelligence agencies stick to their assessment that in response to an attack, the Iranians had the capability to shut down the Strait of Hormuz? Thank you, Senator Wyden. And the intelligence community has continued to provide the president and his team with the intelligence, related to this operation and Iran the senator then asking Gabbard if Intel agencies assessed that Iran could strike U. S. partners. then widened. Brought up Trump's own words Donald Trump was asked about Iranian strikes on the Gulf states. He said and I quote nobody, no, no, the greatest experts, nobody thought they were going to hit the Gulf states. You all are supposed to be the greatest experts. That's what we have you there for. Director Gabbard, did the intelligence agencies assessed that Iran could conduct strikes on our own partners in the region if it was attacked? The intelligence community has continued to assess the potential threats to the region, the existing and providing those assessments to the policy makers you also had Senator Angus King then pressing harder. any predictions to the president about the Strait of Hormuz? All you got to do is look at a map and you'll see that the vulnerability the Strait of Hormuz was, that was that part of the briefing? The vector Gabbard I think the director, Ratcliffe, made the point here is that, this has long been an assessment of the IC

that Iran would likely hold the Strait of Hormuz as leverage. My question is, was that communicated to the president in the lead up to this? Because of that longstanding assessment that the IC has continued to report that the Department of War took the preemptive planning measures that it did. Well, they've stated that they did not plan for the Strait of Hormuz. The president said, who knew that was going to happen also Ratcliffe was slightly less evasive here. Senator, I'll answer the question. So, with regard to briefings, the president gets briefings constantly about intelligence. both Gabbard and Ratcliffe claiming that they weren't aware of Trump's public statements, saying that nobody predicted these outcomes, of course, is incredibly hard to believe, given that he has been saying this thing repeatedly for days. Why, Why do they lie? Like, this is a question I constantly ask myself. Right. And so then with all this, the Democratic senators were visibly furious. we're trying to figure out if the president knew what the downside was of the Strait of Hormuz being closed. And I'm having a hard time finding out whether the white House asked or whether there was a brief whether the president knew, did he know this was going to happen or did he just disregard it? part of the reason or, I guess, part of the supposed reason for the, the tight lips is that these officials are also testifying in a closed door session today where they can discuss more sensitive matters. Right. Including the prospect of boots on the ground in Iran. And so in theory, some of these answers may be coming. But again, in theory. now with all of this, we should talk about this moment that kind of put a bow on everything, because you had Senator Mark Kelly pulling up a fundraising email for a pro-Trump committee in this email here where there's multiple links to donate money. It says as a national security briefing member, you'll receive my private national security briefings. Director Gabbard or Director Radcliffe, do you think the public should be able to? Supporters of the president should be able to pay and receive his private national security briefings. regardless of what that, that. I don't know, that document is. But regardless what it says, it didn't happen. with Gabbard also saying she was unfamiliar with the email as well. And so just to recap, administration just can't get on the same page about why this war started. The top intelligence officials won't say whether the president was warned about the consequences. And Trump is he's out here treating national security briefings like a Patreon subscription, where his biggest donors get exclusive content. Oh, wow. The intelligence community's job is to tell the president the truth. president's job is to make decisions based on that truth. and then the public's job through their elected representatives, is to hold both accountable. and so since one or both of the first two seem to just be broken. the story. In addition to keeping you up to date, it also serves as a reminder. You, I, we, the public. We have a job to do. Whether it be a special election, a primary, the midterms, a big general. it's part of the reason why it's so important to be formed and knowledgeable about what's happening. It's not just so that we could just feel horrible about the state of the world. It is so we are equipped to do something about it, whether it be voting, whether it be donating time, donating money, whatever. Getting the word out so we all can collectively be the change we want to see. And there's, I don't know, some sort of accountability. and well at this point, that word seems miles away. You got to have eyes on the prize. the truth of the matter is, no one is coming to save us. It's on all of us. and then there's even more that we've got to dive into today. But first, let me thank a sponsor and say, you know, spring is a magical time of year, and it's the time of year when your yard starts begging for help in broad daylight. with that, you don't have to worry, because today's sponsor, Fast Growing Trees, helps you get your home and yard ready with plants and trees that are built to thrive, not just look good for a week. yeah. Before looking into it, I used to think that buying a tree, it was like, okay, that one looks nice, it turns out it's more about climate, soil, sunlight, water. And, you know, I just I never really thought about these things. then you have fast growing trees, the largest online nursery in the US. Shipping quality trees and plants straight to your door. they make it easy. Just plug in your location and they show you what actually works in your climate. No guessing. No. Maybe this grows here. No wasting money on plants. You accidentally do. They've got everything. Fruit trees, privacy trees, flowering trees, shrubs and more. plus they back every plant where they're alive and thrive guarantees. So there's no risk. maybe you have questions. No worries there. Plant experts offer ongoing support. even if you're brand new to gardening, they make it easy to build a yard that you're proud So just go to fast growing trees. com/defranco and use code DeFranco at checkout to get 20% off your first order. that's fast growing trees. Dot com slash DeFranco Co. DeFranco, offers valid for a limited time. Terms and conditions may apply. but then diving right back into the news, we've got to talk about how left leaning Democrats got wiped out in the Illinois primaries yesterday. And the money trail, it tells a big part of the story. Right. A PAC affiliated groups, crypto PACs and AI industry donors poured over $32 million into just four Chicago House races. with them winning most of them, there are now real questions about whether these groups are quietly reshaping what the Democratic Party actually looks especially as, among other things, the war in Iran makes their influence more controversial than ever. so Cook County Commissioner Donna miller, former representative Melissa Bean and lieutenant Governor Julia Stratton. One big yesterday. With Miller beating former Representative Jesse Jackson Jr at $1. 4 million from the top I super PAC after receiving nearly $4. 5 million from an iPAC affiliated group.

API groups also through $4 million behind being Stratton back largely by governor JB Pritzker with $14. 4 million. Written by Representative Robin Kelly. and not only are these not small numbers, they tell a bigger story about who's actually picking the candidates. right. Beane's ad campaign painted her opponent as a friend of Elon Musk and fossil fuel interests, even though he's a fairly progressive politician. meanwhile, being herself is generally seen as a centrist lawmaker. But heavy ad support from AI and crypto PACs betrayed her is more progressive than she's likely to govern. into Illinois's ninth district, AP spent most of the race attacking Evanston Mayor Daniel Biss. Because that's not the only person they went after. And because this one anyway, in their candidate loss, they kind of just pivoted seamlessly, posting on Twitter that they were proud to have helped defeat Abu Ghazali, a fiercely anti-Israel candidate, and would be squad member. and that PR move, it didn't go unnoticed. are you at? At senior house progressive telling Axios iPAC wanted Daniel Biss to lose and adding it seems they're spending harmed their candidate because it's so toxic in this politically active district. and then there's the transparency issue. apex funneled its Illinois spending through new super PACs called Elect Chicago Women and Chicago Progressive Partnership. Names that don't exactly scream Israeli lobby. and they only claimed credit after the results were in which is also wild because you had people shouting, hey, that's anti-Semitic. When you had people saying that a PAC was doing this. but also with all these races, the scale is hard to overstate for Chicago house candidates for more than $32 million in outside spending, led by AP groups at upward of $20 million with crypto and AI PACs filling in the rest. I understand that's just Illinois. Reports say that AP, the AI industry and the crypto sector, they have collectively had about $340 million to spend on political efforts at the start of this year and yesterday's primaries. They were just a test run for reshaping the Democratic Party heading into the midterms. and the influence, I mean, it was visible even before the election. you saw some of these candidates openly posting pro AI and pro crypto positions, essentially flirting with these industries to attract financial backing. and then on the other side of this, the left had a rough night. Congressional Progressive Caucus led to just one of its four endorsed candidates, bis, Justice Democrats, the group that had success unseating moderate and Cummins in the past. They also came up short, that's being seen as a real blow coming off of the energy that Mamdani is rising New York in the new Jersey special election. For things that give a lot of progressives hope that the party was pulling more and more left as the primaries progressed. but after yesterday. You have some saying not so fast and others arguing. You know, you need different kinds of Democrats in different kinds of places, though I would also argue, especially as you look at a lot of these races with just a lot of people, it's a really good argument for ranked choice voting. Right. Whether it's the surprise like in Boca Raton, Florida, of all of a sudden a dem won by like 1 to 5 votes, with well under 50% of the votes, there's that or best beating Abu Ghazali even though they were both well under 50%. of course, that's just me with my eyes pointed towards the future and not the current situation on the ground, which obviously every candidate is going to have to navigate. then also with everything we're talking about today, what makes all of this even messier is the war in Iran AP money that is backing Democratic candidates. It now comes with a war tag attached. Stratton the favorite to win her general election, which would actually make her a part of the first time three black women have served in the Senate simultaneously. She's pro Israel. Miller oppose U. S. military aid to Israel, but supports a two state solution. Beans a returning centrist. And these are the candidates that apex money help select. And voters now have to weigh. You know what that money means for where these people land on the biggest foreign policy crisis in a generation. so you're seeing some Democrats saying things like, it's difficult to trust politicians who take money from weapons manufacturers and AIPAC, all of whom are for this war, and for those politicians to then stand up and say they are against the war. more progressive Democrats think the party should be rejecting a PAC donations entirely to avoid the conflict of interest. though you then have moderates saying, you know, you can take the money and then still oppose the war, accusing progressives of manufacturing a conflict for electoral gain. you know, all of this, it's the tension that the Democratic Party is going to have to figure out and figure it out fast. Because Apple and its allies, they have the money to pick winners. They just proved that in Illinois. but that money also comes with strings that are becoming harder and harder to ignore. As the war is raging on in the Middle East and voters are paying closer and closer attention to where their candidates funding is coming from. seemingly, the party supposed to be anti-war. Its donor class is backing pro-Israel candidates, its progressive wing is getting outspent, and the infighting over whether to accept AIPAC money. It's exactly the kind of internal fracture that could cost Democrats seats that they need. In November. the Democrats aren't the only ones split on a pack In his resignation letter from the National Counterterrorism Center, Jo Catt warned against apex influence on our government. And that was also something that wasn't received well by some on the right, like Ben Shapiro. letter is deeply, deeply conspiratorial. It states openly that, quote, Iran posed no imminent threat to our nation. And it is clear that we started this war due to pressure from Israel and its powerful American lobby. Now, that is conspiracy trash. right. And $340 million. It buys a lot of candidates. We are seeing that. But the question that remains is whether it buys a party where voters actually want to show up for while time will tell how all this shakes out. In the meantime, I love know your thoughts in those comments down below. but that, my friends, you beautiful bastards, is the end of your Wednesday Philip DeFranco show. Dive into the news. Thank you for being a part of another one. And remember, the show doesn't have to end. because you just a click or tap away from today's brand new episode of Crashing Out with myself and Alex Perlman. Enjoy. Today we're going to crash out about a lot of different things, so buckle up. Everyone could be lying about every single thing. Is Tucker Carlson going to be the next president of United States? We exist in a fucking clown country. No one is afraid of cash. Patel. We need to talk about your replacements in the bathroom. Did he provide proof that he was attacked by demons?

He was like, no, they semen jack me while I was sleeping. That's what happened to my sheets. If it's a mirror, I'm just watching another dude pee. My apartment in 2012 was $700 and I lived alone. It was nice. I like the way my body looked. I'm so glad we're doing this podcast.