The Mark Thompson Show

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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