The Mark Thompson Show

After embarrassing the Trump administration and the Department of Defense multiple times with the careless treatment of America’s most sensitive secrets, there are reports that Secretary of Defense Pete Hegseth is being replaced. NPR quotes an anonymous source as saying the White House is already trying to find someone else for the job. White House spokesperson Karoline Leavitt calls it “fake news” We welcome Pulitzer Prize winning author and investigative journalist David Cay Johnston to discuss We’ll talk tariffs and a faltering economy with Michael Hiltzik, an award winning journalist with the LA Times. The Mark Thompson Show 4/22/25 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

Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth appears to be a prolific texter of America’s secrets. Because a journalist was mistakenly added to texts on the Signal platform about the timing of a bombing in Yemen, that incident was well reported. Now, there is word of a second Signal group chat regarding the same attack. Even more egregious, this one reportedly happened on his personal phone and included his wife, lawyer and brother. Damaging Infomation about Hegseth is surfacing after the ouster at least four former Pentagon officials Hegseth fired last week. Michael Shure helms the show today. The Mark Thompson Show 4/21/25 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

Despite everything laid out in Project 2025, Trump 2.0 is a chaotic disaster. While it seems Trump and friends are trying to follow the script, they just can’t seem to get anything right. Trump‘s tariff plan put the global economy in the dumpster and made him look like an amateur. His immigration policy, while slowing traffic at the border, has put him on a head-on collision course with the courts. Even his beloved Supreme Court allies are rolling their eyes at the bumbling Trump clown car. The move to cut government spending resulted in an on again off again firing spree, making it difficult for federal workers to function. From measles outbreaks to plane crashes to a ridiculous focus on retribution instead of tackling pressing matters, Trump’s second term looks like a full on mess. John Aravosis will stop by to talk politics. You may know him from his wildly successful offerings AmeriBlog or The Aravosis Report on TikTok. We welcome journalists Michael Shure and Jim Avila to the show to recap this week in politics. Their insight, wisdom and witty banter make this a segment not to be missed. We’ll pay a visit to our friends in Florida for a little levity on a Friday. Plus, The Culture Blaster Michael Snyder will slide in to share the best in streaming and movies in theaters.

Two judges, overseeing different deportation related cases brought against the Trump administration, are getting more frustrated. Trump officials are ignoring or outright defying federal court orders. It has District Judge James Boasberg announcing that there is probable cause to find the government in contempt after the showing what he called "willful disregard" for his order to stop planes carrying alleged gang members to El Salvador. Federal Judge Paula Xinis says that despite her order for Trump officials to facilitate the return of the deported alleged gang member Kilmar Abrego Garcia, whom the Trump administration admitted was deported by error, they have not communicated any movement on progress . For that inaction, Judge Xinis is considering whether to hold officials in contempt. We welcome long time talk show host and friend of the show Pat Thurston in the first hour. Then, Former federal prosecutor and now defense attorney, David Katz will join to share his thoughts on the contempt, enforcement of judicial orders and more.

The U.S. District Court Judge overseeing the case of Kilmar Abrego Garcia, the man deported to a notorious prison in El Salvador by the Trump administration in what they claim was an administrative error, wants to know what Trump officials have done so far to facilitate his return to the United States. Judge Paula Xinis says the Supreme Court has spoken on the matter and she is now ordering the testimony of four Trump administration from ICE, Homeland Security and the State Department. We welcome Pulitzer Prize winning author and investigative journalist David Cay Johnston to the show. We are taking the pulse of our environment with eco-journalist Belinda Waymouth. She joins us for “It’s the Planet, Stupid!”

Congresswoman Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez is pointing out her colleague Marjorie Taylor Green as an example of the reason a ban on lawmakers trading individual stocks is necessary. A disclosure filing showed the Republican Congresswoman dropped thousands on shares in multiple companies before Trump announced a 90 day pause on tariffs. The Democrat had some harsh words: “We saw Marjorie Taylor Greene buy that dip. I got one question for her: How much did you make? How much did you make off of people’s despair? How much did you make off that panic? How much did you make off of that suffering?” We’ll go over the details with presidential historian and political analyst John Rothmann Today, we celebrate the finale of Mark’s Madness 2025. Mark will stop in to talk about the contest, the winner and how it all went down. Then, comedian JL Cauvin climbs aboard to help Kim and Tony drive The Mark Thompson Show station wagon. Tech Tuesday brings Jefferson Graham in to talk gadetry and innovation.

Over the weekend, we learned that electronic items will be exempt from tariffs only to find out a day later that isn’t permanent. It was great news for tech investors for a few hours. Now, we understand Trump is putting tariffs on semiconductors, which will include electronic products like phones. Pharmaceuticals will have tariffs soon as well. Senator Elizabeth Warren says Trump is playing a game of “Red-light, Green light” with the economy. Major investors are calling the back and forth disruptive. Internally, GOP members are having more trouble with the president’s policies. CBS iHeart television and radio political analyst Gary Dietrich will stop by the show to talk about that and more. The Mark Thompson Show 3/14/25 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

Nearly every well regarded economist is looking at Trump’s tariff plan with disdain. Former Treasury Secretary Janet Yellen called it “the worst self-inflicted wound that I have ever seen an administration impose on a well-functioning economy” to Nobel laureate Paul Krugman who says, “Anyone sounding the all-clear on tariffs, or Trump economic policy in general, should be kept away from sharp objects and banned from operating heavy machinery.” With markets still reacting to an uncertain future, and the possibility of more tariffs, we are not out of the woods yet. We’ve got journalist, Jim Avila and Michael Shure, who will stop by to talk about the top political stories of the week. We’ll stop in to see how the folks of Florida are handling this crazy week. The Culture Blaster Michael Snyder will bring us all the latest details on movies and streaming. Add to that, Mark’s Madness and Friday is looking pretty sweet!

Trump‘s next tariff target could mean a big hit to the pocketbook for many Americans. With many people already having to make tough decisions between daily necessities and medical care, Trump’s next move could make things so much worse. The reaction of the stock markets following Trump‘s wild swings with tariffs appear to be predictable. That has some asking whether Trump was trying to manipulate the markets on purpose. We’ll explore. Former federal prosecutor and now defense attorney, David Katz joins us to talk about the law and politics.

““Please, please sir, make a deal. I’ll do anything sir.” -Trump President Trump is relishing attempts by world leaders lining up to negotiate better tariff deals. He described foreign leaders as groveling to get out of his new tariffs. It seems Trump isn’t in the mood to talk. Many leaders who have reached out say they’re still waiting for a reply or haven’t been successful in avoiding increased tariffs. President Trump is exploring legal pathways to “deport” U.S. citizens to El Salvador. You read that right…U.S. citizens. White House press secretary Karoline Leavitt says it would be limited to people who have committed major crimes. We’ll get thoughts from presidential historian and political analyst John Rothmann. “It’s the Planet, Stupid!” with eco-journalist Belinda Waymouth brings word of damage done by oil to a wetland area in Louisiana.

As if Trump’s tariff fallout isn’t bad enough, now he is threatening China and they are having none of it. China announced plans to retaliate against Trump’s tariff with a matching 34% tariff against the U.S. Trump claims that if China retaliates, he will raise their tariff to 50%. China is calling Trumps posturing a mistake on top of a mistake as the trade war escalates, markets crash and investors panic. Pulitzer Prize winning author David Cay Johnston joins with a unique perspective about both Trump and the economy. Tech Tuesday brings Jefferson Graham by the show to talk about the latest in gadgets and gear. The Mark Thompson Show 4/8/25 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

Asian markets took a nose dive overnight. The Nikkei dropped more than 8%. Global markets are caught in the undertow of Trump’s new tariffs. Over the weekend, as Trump flew off to play golf, he said of the market downturn, “sometimes you have to take medicine to fix something.” This as markets continue to plummet. Iheart TV and radio political analyst Gary Fietrich will be in to talk about the tariff fallout and more. We welcome David Sirota to The Mark Thompson Show. David is the founder and editor-in-chief of The Lever, an investigative news site focused on exposing the negative influence of corporate corruption. Karen Dawn, of Dawn Watch, will stop through to talk about animals. The Mark Thompson Show 4/7/24 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

Trump’s tariff liberation day sent shock waves across world markets and now economists say the move is increasing the risk of recession. Trump seemed unaffected saying, “ The markets are going to boom, the stock is going to boom and the country is going to boom.” We’ll talk about it as we wrap up “This Week in Politics” with journalists Jim Avila and Michael Shure. Emergency Room Dr. Michael Daignault stops by to talk about an escalating measles outbreak and cuts made by Health and Human Services. Throw in fun times with Friday Fabulous Florida and The Culture Blaster Michael Snyder and you’ve got a winning Friday show!

Trump's Day of Liberation (the day of his big tariff announcement) has economists describing the plan as a “worse than the worse case scenario." The tariffs range from 10% to 49%. The higher tariffs went to countries Trump considers the “worst offenders” in trade relations. It's a bad sign for tech investors as companies like Apple and Nvidia will likely get slammed by the tariffs Trump is placing on China and Taiwan. Markets are already reacting severely. It turns out, National Security Advisor Mike Waltz and the chatters from Signal-Gate have been using the platform to discuss other international matters of importance. At least 20 Signal conversations on issues like Ukraine and Gaza have taken place. We welcome Emmy-winning anchor and investigative reporter Suzanne Rico to the Mark Thompson Show. She has covered major news events and written a best-seller and now Suzanne has a new podcast. Former Federal Prosecutor and now defense attorney David Katz joins us to weigh in on the stories of the day.

Despite the 28 million dollars that Elon Musk splashed out on the Wisconsin State Supreme Court race, his candidate, Republican Brad Schimel lost. County judge Susan Crawford’s victory means the nonpartisan court's 4-3 liberal majority will remain in place. More lies from Elon Musk. We already know that he spread around lies that millions of dead people are collecting Social Security. Now, he’s saying noncitizens are getting Social Security cards and using them to get benefits and to vote. The lies are another effort by Musk to justify massive governmental cuts. We’ll talk about it with presidential historian and political analyst John Rothmann. It’s the planet stupid brings our eco-journalist Belinda Waymouth to the show. She has good news about a couple actions humans taking to help wild animals survive in a changing landscape.

President Trump is telling the media he is the most successful president in history. Traffic at the southern border is down, but some costs remain high. Doge seems to be backfiring and lawsuits are flying over some of his executive orders. Plus, there is a lot of anxiety when it comes to the markets. Is doing a lot more important than doing a lot the right way? We have a poll up this morning asking whether you think Trump has been a successful president so far, based on whether he has done what he has set out to do well or whether he has not done it well. We welcome former ABC White House correspondent Jim Avila to talk about the situation at the border and And Weather deporting criminals is worth the risk of deporting people who have done nothing wrong, and the even bigger risk of disregarding our Constitution. Mark recently sat down with Mike Papantonio. He is an attorney, Podcaster and the author of a new thriller called Middle Man. Pulitzer Prize winning author and investigative journalist David Cay Johnston stops by. We will ask him about senators from both sides of the aisle lining up against Trump’tariffs on Canada. It is Tech Tuesday and that brings Jefferson Graham by the show. He’ll talk AI and takes a look at reviews of the latest version of Alexa. The Mark Thompson Show 4/1/25 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

Elon Musk really wants to turn the Wisconsin state Supreme Court red. With possible congressional redistricting on the line, Musk says this is about the “future of our civilization.” Donald Trump says he’s not joking about being president for a third term but how would that work when it seems the Constitution is against him on this issue. Former federal prosecutor and now defense attorney, David Katz joins to explain. iHeart television and radio political analyst Gary Dietrich stops by the show to talk politics. Mark sat down with author and progressive talk host Thom Hartman for conversation you won’t want to miss. The Mark Thompson Show 3/31/25 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 Signal scandal may have been touched off by National Security Advisor Mike Waltz, but it’s highlighting the inexperience of Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth. Hegseth’s texting of military operational details about an impending attack on a terrorist organization is making some Trump administration officials question whether he has the good judgement needed to handle a real crisis. We’ll recap the week in politics with former ABC White House corrrespondent Jim Avila and journalist Michael Shure. Mark’s Madness continues, Friday Fabulous Florida spotlights our most interesting state and The Culture Blaster, Michael Snyder, brings the best in entertainment right to you.

Blame and lies are flying as high level officials with the Trump administration try to save face in the aftermath of the Signal scandal. National security advisor Mike Waltz, who allegedly added the reporter from the Atlantic to a private group chat discussing military attack plans, now says he’s never even met the reporter. Like magic, two pictures of them standing shoulder to shoulder emerged. Meanwhile, Secretary of State Marco Rubio did his best to try to distance himself from the scandal, CIA director John Ratcliffe and Director of National Intelligence Tulsi Gabbard, both happened to be testifying in front of Congress and did their best to avoid trouble. We’ll, lay it all out as we welcome political analyst, and presidential historian John Rothmann to the show. The court cases against President Trump are many. Two fresh rulings against Trump are bringing him ire. We will run it past former federal prosecutor, now defense attorney, David Katz.

In addition to multiple lawmakers calling for the resignations of Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth and National Security Adviser Mike Waltz following a ridiculously irresponsible failure to manage our national military plans, comes a damaging op-ed in the National Review. The publication’s executive editor called for President Trump to set an example and “hold someone accountable” for actions that if not criminal were in the very least “extraordinarily foolish” and “unbecoming of their offices.” We are excited to welcome author Sarah Kendzior to The Mark Thompson Show. Mark is a huge fan of her writing. Kendzior is the bestselling author of The View from Flyover Country, Hiding in Plain Sight, They Knew and her most recent, The Last American Roadtrip. She’s a former podcaster and she has a doctorate in Anthropology. She has a long history of covering the Trump administration. This is an interview you won’t want to miss! *Sign up for Sarah’s newsletter at: sarahkendzior.com “It’s the Planet, Stupid!” returns with Belinda Waymouth. Our eco-journalist is looking at the wild goings on at the EPA - with Trump’s plans to get rid of EPA Office of Research and Development and the cancelations of Biden’s designated National Monuments. Belinda also has the latest on a huge trillion ton iceberg that ran aground near South Goergia Island. *Programming note: John Rothmann joins us on Thursday this week.