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TMI Show Ep 181: “Trump Always Chickens Out to Kiev”

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Ted Rall

LIVE 10 AM Eastern time, Streaming Anytime:

Program! Program! You can’t tell where Trump stands on Russia and Ukraine without a program!

Here’s that program. On “The TMI Show” with Ted Rall and Manila Chan, the Financial Times reported that Trump asked Ukrainian President Zelensky if he was capable of bombing Moscow and St. Petersburg with long-range U.S. weapons. Zelensky reportedly said he could. But when pressed by reporters, Trump shot back that asking about capabilities isn’t the same as making a request, “No, he shouldn’t target Moscow.”

White House Press Secretary Karoline Leavitt slammed the FT for twisting Trump’s words, calling it a dying paper desperate for clicks. Leavitt insisted Trump was just asking questions, not pushing for escalation, as he works to end the war.

Meanwhile, the Kremlin’s Dmitry Peskov says the Kremlin remains open to peace talks with Kyiv, though negotiations in Istanbul this year yielded only prisoner swaps. Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov accused EU and NATO leaders of pressuring Trump to take a hardline stance. This episode unpacks the controversy, the stakes, and the global fallout.

Plus:

Hunter Biden denies the well-established conspiracy to hide his father’s health issues, blaming Democrats’ 2024 loss on disloyalty. Is he using again?

Britain’s secret Afghan relocation scheme exposed after a massive data breach. But the Taliban aren’t hunting the traitors.

This is why you need TSAPre. Customs officials uncover 1,500 smuggled tarantulas in Germany.

80 years since the Trinity nuclear test, with reparations now available for victims.

Keywords: Trump Zelensky missile talk, Financial Times Trump report, Ukraine Russia conflict, Zelensky long-range weapons, Trump Moscow strike, White House FT controversy, Kremlin fake news, Ukraine peace talks, Hunter Biden interview, Biden health conspiracy, UK Afghan data breach, tarantula smuggling Germany, Trinity nuclear test, NATO Trump pressure, TMI Show episode

Focus Keyphrase: Trump Zelensky Missile Controversy

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TMI Show Ep 180: “Trump’s Cover-Ups”

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Ted Rall

LIVE 10 AM Eastern time, Streaming Anytime:

In an era of Team Politics, will betrayal of a clear and popular campaign promise be enough to separate MAGA activists from Donald Trump? We’ll try to answer that question on “The TMI Show” today, with Ted Rall and Robby West stepping in for Manila Chan!

President Trump promised transparency, a stark contrast to the Biden administration’s secretive ways, including hiding the former president’s mental decline. But now, Trump is already facing heat for cover-ups of his own. House Republicans just blocked a Democratic amendment that would have ordered the release of the Jeffrey Epstein files—something Trump said he would do, pretended to do, then told his supporters to shut up about.

Progressive Democrats, like Rep. Ro Khanna, are calling out Trump for covering up for the crimes of the elites over the right of the people to know the truth, and some Republicans, like Rep. Ralph Norman, broke ranks, demanding answers. Trump’s people are starting to distrust him, and Democrats will keep up the heat.

Meanwhile, the Trump administration is covering up important climate data, hiding legally-mandated national-climate assessments from us. NASA said it would post these critical reports online, but is now hiding them, leaving taxpayers in the dark about climate risks to their communities. It’s a betrayal of public trust, with Trump burying science to protect his polluter buddies. Tune in for a no-nonsense breakdown of these controversies shaking up MAGA! 

Plus: 

  • How Camp Mystic’s needlessly delayed flood evacuation killed countless victims. 
  • A New Hampshire man denied the right to come home by Trump. Could you be next?

DeProgram: “Epstein Fallout, FBI Chaos, Ethnic Cleansing in Gaza”

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Ted Rall

LIVE 5:00 pm Eastern time, Streaming Anytime:

The “DeProgram show with political cartoonist Ted Rall and CIA whistleblower John Kiriakou” is now three days a week: Monday, Wednesday, Friday at 5 pm Eastern!

Let’s dig into the civil war within MAGA over Jeffrey Epstein, where the Justice Department’s denial that a “client list” exists is only sparking more cover-up allegations. Trump loyalists are urging the rank-and-file to move on lest they play into Democratic hands. Will they?

Next, John and Ted break down the chaos within the FBI. The FBI is mired in a deepening crisis, with a whistleblower alleging a leadership scandal involving Director Christopher Wray and senior officials who are accused of suppressing internal dissent and mismanaging high-profile investigations, undermining the agency’s credibility. Leaked memos reveal bitter factionalism, allegations of political interference in cases like January 6th, and a culture of retaliation against agents who raise concerns, prompting bipartisan calls for congressional oversight and radical reforms to restore public trust.

In a New York Times interview, Joe Biden defended his use of an autopen for signing clemency decisions, insisting that he personally authorized each pardon and commutation. But his denials confirm the accusations. Biden admitted to not individually approving each name for categorical pardons but claimed he set the criteria. And his answers were meandering and inarticulate.

Seven senators, including four Democrats (Gary Peters, Tina Smith, Jeanne Shaheen, Dick Durbin) and three Republicans (Mitch McConnell, Thom Tillis, Tommy Tuberville), have announced retirements ahead of the 2026 midterms, creating competitive open seats. These exits, driven by age, political pressures, and personal decisions, could reshape the Senate’s balance of power, with North Carolina and New Hampshire emerging as key battlegrounds.

Turning to the Middle East, Israel is openly discussing its plan to indefinitely displace Palestinians, risking derailment of fragile Gaza truce talks, risking “ethnic cleansing” charges under international law, and fueling regional unrest.

A leaked ICE memo from Acting Director Todd Lyons allows deportations of migrants to countries where they lack citizenship, often with just six hours’ notice, even without assurances that they won’t be murdered, risking thousands being sent to unfamiliar nations, including war zones. It could uproot longtime U.S. residents with work permits and families, sending them to places where they face death, persecution or torture.

TMI Show Ep 179: “No Place for Mom”

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Ted Rall

LIVE 10 AM Eastern time, Streaming Anytime:

You’ve heard the ads about senior care: let’s find “a place for mom.” If ICE and Border Patrol get their way, mom, grandma and grandpa might still have a place. But there might not be anyone to bring them food or water.

Today on “The TMI Show with Ted Rall and Manila Chan,” a look at Trump’s assault on America’s nursing homes. Trump’s immigration crackdown is hurting long-term care facilities already desperate for workers. Nursing homes, reliant on foreign-born staff, are reeling because Trump’s policies are revoking legal statuses like Temporary Protected Status, forcing workers to flee. The worker pipeline is drying up, as previously-legal employees now face deportation. What to do? Immigrants make up over a quarter of the 4 million direct care workers. Baby Boomers are aging, so demand for caregivers is skyrocketing. The Bureau of Labor Statistics projects 820,000 new caregiving jobs by 2032, but Trump’s visa restrictions and immigration slowdown are mean they’ll be impossible to fill. Facilities are still recovering from COVID-era staff losses, and now they’re losing ground again. Nurses are turning to countries like Canada and Germany for easier visas.

Plus:

  • Trump’s 30% tariffs on EU and Mexico spark fears of more trade wars.
  • Zelensky threatens deep strikes in Russia as U.S. sends even more weapons.
  • U.S. bans Mexican livestock imports over flesh-eating parasite.
  • Pepper the Florida Cat uncovers a new viral strain—again.
  • Federal judge halts Trump’s immigration sweeps in California.

DMZ America Podcast Ep 209: “Ambiguous Grief: Steve Benson Dead at 71”

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Ted Rall

LIVE 2:30 pm Eastern, and then streaming whenever you wanna hear it:

Steve Benson, former cartoonist for the Arizona Republic, a fierce critic of the Mormon Church despite his family’s prominence within it, and a notable creator of controversial cartoons during the 1990s and 2000s, has passed away. Born in 1954, Benson began his career at the Arizona Republic in 1980, where he won the Pulitzer Prize for Editorial Cartooning in 1993. His work sparked debate, reflecting his acidic stance on political and social issues, including his public critiques of the Mormon Church, which led to personal shunning and professional tensions. On the “DMZ America Podcast,” fellow political cartoonists Scott Stantis and Ted Rall discuss Benson’s life as they knew their colleague, both professionally and personally.

For Scott, who was deeply wronged by Benson, this news carries a complexity that those left behind are rarely permitted to acknowledge, let alone discuss publicly. On DMZ, we explore that strange feeling when someone who passes leaves behind a mixed legacy.

Tune in for a thoughtful, intelligent discussion about humanity and death.

TMI Show Ep 178: “Netanyahu’s Treason Against Israel”

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Ted Rall

LIVE 10 AM Eastern time, Streaming Anytime:

Happy Friday! The world is waking up to a blockbuster expose of Bibi Netanyahu in The New York Times, exposing his sinister—can we say treasonous?—machinations against his own country and its citizens. “The TMI Show” with Ted Rall and Manila Chan brings you up to speed with this latest explosive fallout of Hamas’s October 7, 2023, attack—the deadliest day in Israeli history.

Initially, Oct. 7th seemed to spell the end for Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, but nearly two years later, he’s still calling the shots. How? By masterfully prolonging the Gaza War for political survival—killing Gazans, Israeli hostages and soldiers to avoid being prosecuted.

Willfully ignoring pre-attack warnings about Israel’s vulnerabilities, Netanyahu schemed a divisive judicial overhaul, emboldening Hamas. Post-massacre, Bibi unleashed a brutal counterattack, bombing everything without any rules and killing more than 55,000 Palestinians. Rejecting U.S.-backed cease-fires, he sucked up to far-right allies like Bezalel Smotrich, who threatened his coalition. One year in, he scuttled a truce that would have freed hostages and opened Saudi peace talks. Over and over, Netanyahu refused peace. Netanyahu’s moves—purging dissenters, altering records, and smearing his critics as Hamas pawns—kept him afloat, culminating in his war with Iran.

Can the PM survive the exposure of this breathtaking cynical self-preservation at the expense of thousands of innocent people’s lives? Tune in for a no-holds-barred breakdown of this political criminal.

Plus: 

  • Secret Service suspends six agents without pay for lapses in Trump assassination attempt. 
  • Ryan Routh, charged with Trump assassination attempt, wants to represent himself in court. 
  • Federal judge blocks Trump’s birthright citizenship ban, citing 14th Amendment. 
  • Ted and Manila share hot weekend film picks!

TMI Show Ep 177: “To Russia with (Straight) Love”

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Ted Rall

LIVE 10 AM Eastern time, Streaming Anytime:

Tired of America? Russia’s new “shared values” visa program wants you! Learn all about how you can ditch Uncle Sam and wokeness on “The TMI Show “with hosts Ted Rall and Manila Chan! Since President Vladimir Putin started the program a year ago, nearly 700 conservative Americans, have been granted “spiritual asylum” under a new Russian “anti-woke” visa. Promoted by Russian state media, the program frames Russia as a haven for traditional family values. Disillusionment with U.S. politics, gender debates, and immigration are all reasons for Americans to move, and many like Putin’s policies. But breaking up with the U.S. is not always easy—some families face fraud, frozen accounts, and bureaucratic nightmares. Not to mention, the challenge of learning Russian! Steve Gill, who has spent time in Russia, joins the discussion.

Backed by Maria Butina and RT, Russia is pitching itself as a conservative utopia, offering affordable healthcare, free education, and traditional gender norms. Is this a genuine refuge or a geopolitical flex? Tune in to see whether you want to become a “values refugee.”

Plus:

  • Channel Migration Crisis: Record-breaking 21,117 migrants crossed the English Channel this year, up 55% from last year, straining the UK.
  • U.S. Doctor Visa Delays: Trump’s travel bans delay foreign medical residents, worsening U.S. physician shortages.
  • Nvidia’s $4T Milestone: Nvidia hits $4T market value, dominating AI chip demand.

DeProgram: “RussiaGate Revisited, Epstein, ICE at War, AI Little Marco”

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Ted Rall

LIVE 6:00 pm Eastern time, Streaming Anytime:

Never a dull moment on the “DeProgram” show with political cartoonist Ted Rall and CIA whistleblower John Kiriakou, deprogramming you about the news that matters.

RussiaGate Revisited: The Justice Department finally launches criminal probes into former CIA Director John Brennan and former FBI Director James Comey over their roles in the Trump-Russia investigation. A “lessons learned” review of the creation of the 2017 Intelligence Community Assessment (ICA) that alleged Russia tried to influence the 2016 presidential election to help then-candidate Trump found that the process of the ICA’s creation was rushed with “procedural anomalies,” and that officials diverted from intelligence standards. It also determined that the “decision by agency heads to include the Steele Dossier in the ICA ran counter to fundamental tradecraft principles and ultimately undermined the credibility of a key judgment.” Whoopsie! Will the media stop pushing RussiaGate now?

The Epstein Circular File: Controversy surrounds Attorney General Pam Bondi as she claims there’s nothing to see and no one to prosecute in the Jeffrey Epstein case. A DOJ memo that denies the existence of a “client list” fails the smell test as Team Trump seems to be indulging in a cover-up.

ICE at War: Democratic senators are about to propose a bill to ban ICE agents from wearing masks, prompted by reports of impersonators committing crimes. Examples include Carl Thomas Bennett, 37, arrested in Raleigh, North Carolina, for impersonating an ICE officer and sexually assaulting a woman at a Motel 6. Bennett allegedly displayed a business card with a badge and threatened to deport the victim if she didn’t comply. A man in Philadelphia, wearing a tactical vest labeled “Security Enforcement Agent,” robbed an auto repair shop while posing as an ICE agent. He detained a 50-year-old Dominican woman using zip-ties and stole $1,000. A man in Texas posed as an ICE agent to rob a couple, blocking their car and demanding cash. The couple fought back, with the wife and husband firing weapons, hitting the suspect, who fled and was later hospitalized. Meanwhile, 11 people allegedly used fireworks and vandalism to lure ICE agents before ambushing them with 20-30 rounds, injuring a police officer in the neck at Prairieland Detention Center in Alvarado, Texas.

AI Officials: Speaking of fakery, an AI-generated imposter used a fake Signal account to mimic Secretary of State Marco Rubio, contacting three foreign ministers, a U.S. governor, and a congressmember. This scam followed a similar AI-driven impersonation of Trump’s chief of staff, Susie Wiles. Ted’s 2020 graphic novel “The Stringer” envisioned a world in which a bad actor would start wars using AI deep fakes. Could it happen now?

Zohran Zooming: Zohran Mamdani leads the general election race in a new poll. Mamdani gets 35%, followed by Cuomo with 25%, Sliwa with 14%, Adams—the corporate establishment favorite—at 11% and attorney Jim Walden at 1%. Never has the Democratic establishment been so out of touch.

Don’t miss the unfiltered truth on these pivotal stories.

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