The Mark Thompson Show

The Mark Thompson Show 
12/15/25
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Blatant theft and an act of piracy. That's what Venezuela is calling the actions of the United States in the seizure of an oil tanker. The ship was leaving Venezuela when US Marines and Special Forces dropped down from a helicopter and took the tanker. It's the latest in a string of actions, including blowing up so called "drug boats", escalating a possible confrontation between the US and Venezuela. We'll discuss whether it was piracy or lawful with former federal prosecutor David Katz.

It appears that GOP leaders in Congress are turning away from extending tax credits that would help more than 20 million Americans pay for Affordable Care Act health insurance. They’re following President Donald Trump’s lead. He told Politico he would not endorse extending subsidies that are set to expire, despite billing himself as the affordability president. So far, Trump’s only plan for healthcare is to give people $2k to pay for it without offering details of how that would work. 
We welcome presidential historian and political analyst John Rothmann to discuss this and more. 
The Mark Thompson...

The Mark Thompson Show 
12/9/25
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Members of Congress from both parties are now supporting the release of the video showing the U.S. carrying out a double-tap strike on a speed boat in the Caribbean. The move reportedly killed two survivors of the initial attack that were in distress. With allegations of war crimes being discussed, Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth is refusing to say whether the Pentagon will be releasing the video, only that, “We're reviewing the process, and we'll see.”
We’ll visit with iHeart TV and radio political analyst Gary Dietrich and we’ll talk politics with author, journalist and scholar. Sarah Kendzior...

Even Republican senators are growing wary of Secretary of Defense Pete Hegseth. From Signalgate to allegations of war crimes in the killing of two people already in distress on an alleged drug boat, Hegseth is getting harder to support. We run though the latest developments on This Week in Politics with Michael Shure & Mo Kelly. A check in with J-L Cauvin to see how his congressional bid is going brings a big announcement. Comedian Mark Malkoff joins to talk about late night television and his new book Love Johnny Carson. We”ve got Friday Fabulous Florida and a look at mo...

Secretary of Defense Pete Hegseth is taking heat from all sides. A growing number of members of Congress, both Democrat and Republican, are vowing to provide special oversight after his the "Kill Them All" order took out two people dangling from the wreckage of a boat off the coast of Venezuela. Whether the boat was being used by fishermen or to run drugs is at question, as is whether the men posed a clear and present danger to the United States. If allegations of war crimes in that case weren't enough, the result of Pentagon's Signalgate review conclude that Hegseth...

The Mark Thompson Show 
12/3/25
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According to the White House Press Secretary, Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth authorized Admiral Frank Bradley to carry out a second strike on a burning drug boat, already hit by one US mortar, in the Caribbean. Two people were hanging off the boat after it was hit the first time and reportedly did not survive the second strike. Former Defense Secretary Leon Panetta says there is no question the second strike was a war crime. The matter brings to the forefront the question of what constitutes an illegal order and whether Admiral Bradley and those involved in carrying out such killings...

The Mark Thompson Show 
12/1/25
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Sarah Kendzior - HUGE DEAL! On Kindle   
​​If you've been wanting to read Sarah Kendzior's books, there's a cyber Monday deal today only.
     
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New details are emerging about who made the call to send a plane load full of immigrants to El Salvador, in direct conflict of a judge's order.  The Justice Department says it was Homeland Security Secretary Kristi Noem who made the choice not to comply with federal Judge James Boasberg's order to hold the deportation. Judge Boasberg is looking to revive criminal contempt proceedings against Trump administration officials who authorized the deportation flights.
We'll talk about it with political analyst and presidential historian John Rothmann. 
Bringing an early look at the Thanksgiving weekend movie releases, it's the Culture Bl...

FBI Director Kash Patel is being called out for mis-using law enforcement. Patel assigned an FBI SWAT team to protect his girlfriend Alexis Wilkins after she faced online threats. The agents didn’t live up to Patel’s standards for private security. The agents went to the Georgia World Congress Center where Wilkins was speaking and when they found the venue secured and Wilkins in no danger, they left before the event ended. Patel reportedly tore into the team's commander. It wasn’t the only time agents were assigned to watch over Wilkins. Should he have paid for her security himsel...

The Mark Thompson Show 
11/24/25
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Fresh off finger pointing at Democrats for so called violent political rhetoric, President Trump is calling for the hanging of lawmakers who made a video reminding military troops not follow unlawful orders. When asked about the President calling for the deaths of other lawmakers, House Seaker Mike Johnson dropped the word unlawful from the story and agreed that any lawmaker calling for the military not to follow orders should be punished. We’ll discuss. We’ve got Michael Shure & Mo Kelly for This Week in Politics. A little Florida news is always a Friday bright spot. Plus, The Culture Blaster, Mich...

The Trump Administration has 30 days to release the Epstein Files after Trump signed a bill requiring the information to be made public. There are some concerns that, at the urging of Trump, Attorney General Pam Bondi opened investigations into any Democrats connected to Epstein in an effort to keep a lid on many documents. We will ask legal expert David Katz for his take. He is a former federal prosecutor and now a defense attorney in Southern California. He'll talk about the Epstein Files, the Comey Case and much more.

The Mark Thompson Show
11/19/25

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Trump’s new strategy to climb aboard the “Release the Epstein Files” bandwagon is already falling apart. As the ranking member on the House oversight committee, Robert Garcia reminds us
Trump “has tried everything to kill our Jeffrey Epstein investigation”… “Now [Trump’s] panickingi and has realized he is about to lose this Epstein vote to force the Department of Justice to release the files, Let’s be crystal clear: Trump has the power to release all the files today,” ... “But instead, he wants to continue this cover-up and launch bogus new investigations to deflect and slow down our investigation. It won’...

Trump is coming to grips with the fact that lawmakers trying to release the Epstein Files have enough votes in the House to make it possible. After fighting to keep the information about Epstein away from public scrutiny, Trump is now reversing course, writing on social media:
“We have nothing to hide, and it’s time to move on from this Democrat Hoax perpetrated by Radical Left Lunatics in order to deflect from the Great Success of the Republican Party,” 
Why would Trump change his mind? Did he remember his campaign promise to release the files? Did his people...

Trump & his White House team were already having a bad week with indications from the Supreme Court that the president‘s tariffs might not pass muster with justices. Trump has to contend with a public increasingly frustrated over the unaffordability of everything from food to housing. Add the Epstein emails to the mix, a mad dash to try to convince Congresswoman Lauren Boebert and other Republicans not to support releasing the Epstein files and you have White House staffers flailing. They have tried the age old tactic of blaming the media, blaming Democrats and calling the Epstein matter a hoax. Wi...

There’s panic at the White House now that Congress is back in session and the likelihood of a vote to release the Epstein files is high. The White House confirmed a meeting in the Situation Room between top Trump administration officials and a GOP lawmaker. Reports indicate Trump’s staffers are trying to sway Representative Lauren Boebert not to vote to release the files. She confirmed she had a White House meeting and that the Epstein issue did come up. White House spokesperson Karoline Leavitt said the confirmation of the meeting shows the administration is being transparent, but if they...

The House is set to vote today on a bill that would end the government shutdown. Top House Democrats are promising to stand in opposition saying it’s just a partisan spending bill that does nothing to lower healthcare costs. Plus, Senators that broke party lines to make a deal got sneaky with a jaw dropping provision that compensates a few Senators that seem to have concerns that their phones were under government surveillance.
We’ll explain. 
Presidential historian and political analyst John Rothmann will be in to talk politics with Mo 'Kelly.
Wednesday means the push to sa...

Healthcare premiums for many Americans are about to shoot through the roof, with little hope of Congressional intervention. For those hoping to get a piece of the American dream, house prices are so high, the only way some buyers will be able to get a loan is to promise to pay well into old age.  Trump is advocating a new 50-Year Mortgage that would have buyers sign their lives away. 
We’ll check in with Pulitzer Prize winning author and investigative journalist David Cay Johnston to get his thoughts. 
Tech Tuesday brings Jefferson Graham to the show. 
The Ma...

Accused of trying to overturn the U.S. Presidential election in 2020? No worries. Trump is issuing pardons across the board for more than 75 co-defendants charged in connection with an election scheme in Georgia, including Rudy Giuliani, Sidney Powell, Boris Epshteyn, John Eastman and Mark Meadows. Cheating Americans out of having a voice appears to be totally forgivable. 
The Senate is taking action to move a deal forward that would end the longest US government shutdown in history. A small group of Senators from both parties involved in the talks managed to hammer out a compromise bill that rescinds the l...

The Supreme Court heard arguments on President Trump's claim of unilateral power to impose tariffs and the justices comments and questions seemed to have an air of skepticism. Justices expressed doubt about Trump's claim that he has tariff powers under the International Economic Emergency Powers Act. We'll talk about it with political journalist Michael Shure on This Week in Politics Mo, in for Mark today, will get a crash course in Friday Fabulous Florida and The Culture Blaster, Michael Snyder will bring on the movies!

The Mark Thompson Show 11/6/25

Democrats rose to the top in yesterday's election and Donald Trump is taking it personally. From California voters overwhelming support of Prop 50, meant to directly counteract Trump's gerrymandering actions in red states, to New York's Mayoral race and the Governorships of New Jersey and Virginia, America sent a message to Trump. He responded on social media: 
 “‘TRUMP WASN’T ON THE BALLOT, AND SHUTDOWN, WERE THE TWO REASONS THAT REPUBLICANS LOST ELECTIONS TONIGHT,’ according to Pollsters,” 
In just about every victory speech last night, Democrats threw shade at Trump.  We'll roll the video and then discuss. Presidential Historian John Rothmann...

The U.S. Housing Regulator, scouring records looking for dirt on Trump’s enemies, is now being fully unleashed. That’s because Joe Allen, FHFA’s acting inspector general, the internal watchdog for the U.S. Federal Housing Finance Agency was fired. 
We’ll discuss it with Pulitzer Prize winning author and investigative journalist David Cay Johnston
Author Ruth Carlson will stop by to talk about SF and her next big event. 
Jefferson Graham returns from his travels with Tech Tuesday. 
The Mark Thompson Show 
11/4/25
Patreon subscribers are the backbone of the show! If you’d like t...

Today, the Trump administration is facing a noon deadline to let a federal judge know what it plans to do to comply with a court order requiring the Agriculture Department to disperse SNAP payments to the nation’s poor. The benefit payments dried up November 1st because of the government shutdown. The legal cases over Trump’s refusal to use contingency funds to make SNAP payments are mounting. Last week, Democratic leaders from 25 states joined to file a lawsuit against the Agriculture Department. 
CBS iHeart Television & Radio Political Analyst Gary Dietrich will swing by to discuss this and more. 
 ...

Our favorite Britisher, Anthony Davis, will stop by to talk politics. Will ask him about the man formally known as Prince Andrew being stripped of his title and his house. “This Week in Politics” brings Mo ‘Kelly by the show to talk about the shutdown, the takeovers and word that ICE is keeping people they’ve detained in secret rooms. We’ll take a virtual trip to Florida and check out entertainment options for the Halloween weekend ahead.

The United States hasn’t tested nuclear weapons since 1992, but President Trump may be changing that. He is ordering Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth and his “Department of War” to “immediately” start testing nuclear weapons "on an equal basis" with other nations. He is specifically trying to compete with Russia and China, but it has also been decades since those countries tested nuclear weapons. It’s unclear if that means America will wait for any nuclear action before launching tests or not. Trump announced the move on Truth Social ahead of his meeting today with Chinese President Xi Jinping in South Korea in wha...

With the constitutionality of Trump imposing tariffs without the backing of Congress headed to the Supreme Court, legislators finally seem to be taking the matter back into their own hands. Five Senate Republicans joined Democrats in voting against the president’s use of emergency powers to impose 50% tariffs on Brazil. Republican Senators Rand Paul, Mitch McConnell, Thom Tillis, Susan Collins and Lisa Murkowski joined Democrats in giving Senate approval but the House will not consider the matter until early next year.
We’ll talk about it with our political analyst and presidential historian John Rothmann.
Dr. Jennifer Conrad stop...

With the government shutdown in its fourth week and the fight over extending Affordable Care Act subsidies nowhere near over, the federal workers union is now calling for Democrats to abandon the effort. The American Federation of Government Employees wants Congress to pass a “clean” stopgap funding bill now so their workers can get paid, but others in favor of health care subsidies say holding out a little longer is key. That’s because next week,  Republicans may also feel pressure as Americans insured via the Affordable Care Act will see wildly higher costs.
We’ll talk about it with Puli...

The Mark Thompson Show 
10/27/25
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Trump is losing his mind over an advertisement featuring the real voice of Ronald Reagan, not AI, that obliterates Trump’s tariff policy. Doug Ford, the Premier of Ontario, is among those behind the ad. He says “We’re going to repeat that message to every Republican district there is right across the entire country.”  It’s a one minute video 
with excerpts from a radio address by Reagan warning of the long-term economic issues brought on by tariffs on foreign imports sold to Americans. Trump seems to understand that it makes him look incredibly foolish and he’s lashing out bi...

Is America headed for war with Venezuela? On The Mark Thompson Show, we've been following the strikes against what the Trump Administration claims are "narco-boats" carrying drugs to the US and other countries. Though no proof has been offered in support of that, America continues to blast small boats off the coast of Venezuela to smithereens. So far, the US has blown up at least seven such boats, killing dozens of people. Trump is declaring an “armed conflict” with drug trafficking groups he has deemed international terrorists. He is also positioning dozens of warships, planes and thousands of U.S. troo...

230-Million dollars.  That's how much Trump wants to be compensated from the Department of Justice for criminally investigating him.  Trump says he's owed damages for the alleged Russian interference investigation in the 2016 Presidential election and for the FBI search of his Mar-a-Lago home related to the handling of classified documents. Trump says whatever money he gets he'll give to charity (Ballroom fund perhaps?)  Whatever number he wants, he will probably get because Trump and those in his administration trying to stay in his good graces will be responsible for approving a payout.
John Rothmann, our presidential historian and political ana...

More lies from the Trump White House.  Trump said work to add an opulent 90-thousand square foot ballroom would not interfere with the historic East Wing, but video evidence shows backhoes tearing a chunk of the building apart to make way for the entrance to the ballroom.  Initially, Trump said...
     “It won’t interfere with the current building. It won’t be. It’ll be near it but not 
     touching it — and pays total respect to the existing building, which I’m the 
     biggest fan of“..."It’s my favorite. It’s my favorite place. I love it."
A US appeals court co...

The Mark Thompson Show 
10/20/25
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The Wall Street Journal is reporting that Trump and his administration will be using the IRS to go after the left. The report indicates that Trump is “overhauling the Internal Revenue Service’s crime investigation unit to better target left-leaning groups and donors.” It comes on the heels of Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent threating to go after dissenting political groups, calling the murder of Charlie Kirk a domestic 9/11. He intends to use the Treasury Department to track political opponents like Treasury followed terrorist financial networks after the Sept. 11, 2001, attacks. Economics expert Dr. Bill Black will join the show to discuss the we...

In a show of what is supposed to be amphibious strength, the military is set to hold an event in California called “From Sea to Shore.“ It includes the possibility of live missiles being fired from Navy ships from toward Southern California. The military had planned to close stretches of Interstate-5 over the weekend between Los Angeles and San Diego, but now says the road will stay open. Vice President JD Vance and Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth are expected to attend the celebration of the Marine Corps 250th anniversary. Democrats have a new demand when it comes to reopening the fede...

The Mark Thompson Show 10/15/25 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

We know that serious discussions are underway in the White House about possibility of Trump invoking the IInsurrection Act. If it happened this weekend, Pulitzer Prize winning author and journalist David Cay Johnston, who joins us today, says it could run up against the “No Kings” protests. Because of the shutdown, federal court are expected to run out of money by Friday. If courts close, demonstrators who get arrested might be stuck with little recourse. We’ll explore the possibilities. We will check in with Mo Kelly, talk a little politics and welcome him into the Mark Thompson Show fold as a r...

Trump is in Egypt for a global summit on the future of Gaza’s. It's part of an effort to be present for a U.S.-brokered ceasefire with Hamas. Of the ceasefire, Trump said: “Everybody said it’s not possible to do. And it’s going to happen. And it is happening before your very eyes.” We'll talk about it with iHeart tv and radio political analyst Gary Dietrich.

600 National Guard troops from Texas are in Illinois preparing to be sent out into the streets, but they will have to wait. Yesterday, a judge put a two week block on National Guard Deployment In Illinois, finding no substantial evidence of any “danger of rebellion.” The judge called the deployment unconstitutional saying Trump’s move violated the 10th Amendment, granting certain powers to states, and the 14th Amendment, assuring due process and equal protection. Trump‘s National Guard deployment to Portland, Oregon is also on hold pending a legal case.  With his hands tied by courts, there is a word Trump is...

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

Across America, flight cancelations and delays are affecting travel because of Trump’s government shutdown. Air Traffic Controllers will not get paid if the shutdown continues much longer. The Department of Transportation reports an increase in air traffic controllers calling in sick since the shutdown started, though their union denies any coordinated work actions. The National Air Traffic Controllers Association says this highlights the ongoing issues of being critically staffed with unreliable equipment. Hundreds of Texas National Guard troops arrived in Illinois yesterday. Their presence heightens the showdown between Donald Trump and Illinois governor JB Pritzker, who says he neither ne...

The Mark Thompson Show 
10/7/25
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A federal judge is temporarily putting a hold on Trump's plans to deploy any National Guard units, including troops from California and Texas, to Oregon.  U.S. District Judge Karin Immergut, appointed during Trump's first term, granted the temporary restraining order. Her first order on Saturday prevented Oregon National Guard troops from descending on Portland.  She was not having any end runs around her order on Sunday either, telling Trump's team, "How could bringing in federalized National Guard from California not be in direct contravention of the TRO I issued yesterday?” 
Meanwhile, Trump is sending Texas National Guard troops to Il...

Trump's right hand shutdown man is Office of Management of Budge Director and Project 2025 orchestrator Russ Vought. He is reportedly delighted by the opportunity to slash and burn more government jobs. It was also Vought's grand plan to use the start of the shutdown to retaliate against Democrats by putting a hold on federal funding for major infrastructure projects in states like New York and Chicago. We will talk about that and more with political journalist Michael Shure. He stops by for 'This Week in Politics.' The Culture Blaster Michael Snyder has watched all the movies and seen all...

Sure seems like Qatar just got an offer of US protection in exchange for a $400 million luxury jet. Trump announced the gift of the new Air Force One a few weeks ago and he said there were no strings attached. Now we know he granted the oil-rich country a NATO-like defense guarantee. If Qatar gets attacked, the US will respond. It’s like mafia rules on the world stage. Trump’s order says: “The United States shall regard any armed attack on the territory, sovereignty, or critical infrastructure of the State of Qatar as a threat to the peace and securi...

Federal workers are getting hit again. After a mass layoff earlier this year as part of Trump’s DOGE, now Trump is threatening another mass layoff because of a government shut down. It officially started at midnight after Democrats fought for healthcare funding, refusing to support the Republican plan to extend monies for federal departments. Of course, it’s already getting ugly with the Trump administration using the websites for federal agencies to blame Democrats for the closure. We’ll talk about all of it with presidential historian and political analyst John Rothmann Eco-journalist Belinda Waymouth is out and about seeing...

It cost an awful lot of money to drag every single general and admiral to Quantico, Virginia for a glorified pep rally that probably would have been better as an email. Pete Hegseth opened with, “Welcome to the Department of War.” He talked about training and grooming standards and decried “fat generals.” Trump then took the stage and talked about how successful it’s been to have the National Guard in some American cities before going on another strange rambling rant. When Google, which owns YouTube, banned Donald Trump from its platform after the January 6th insurrection of 2021, it did so because...

Free Speech is in peril. A terrifying presidential memo linking words to violence seems to be an effort to stamp out any kind of dissent. The memo links the recent “political” violence (only listing GOP related incidents) to “a culmination of sophisticated, organized campaigns of targeted intimidation, radicalization, threats, and violence.” The memo says these “organized campaigns” are “designed to silence opposing speech, limit political activity, change or direct policy outcomes, and prevent the functioning of a democratic society,” and defeating them requires the government to adopt “a national strategy to investigate and disrupt networks, entities, and organizations that foment political violence...

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It’s a brutal time to be a federal worker. On the heels of mass federal layoffs, another round looms. Project 2025 orchestrator and now leader of the White House budget office, Russel Vought, is telling federal agencies to ready reduction-in-force plans for mass firings in the event of a government shutdown. These would not be furloughs but permanent firings. He is specifically targeting employees attached to programs that are not legally required to continue and don’t align with Trump’s priorities. We are very excited to welcome our newest, regular guest, author, Sarah Kendzior, to discuss this and more. Former...

Jimmy Kimmel came back to raucous applause last night, showing heart, empathy and humor. At some points, his voice cracked with emotion as he talked about political violence never being the answer, about Erika Kirk forgiving her husband’s killer and about everyone who offered support over the last few days as he fought to keep his show alive. His strongest moments may have been those talking about freedom of speech in America. Despite everything, Kimmel showed an unwillingness to back down in the face of pressure from Trump and his FCC. Kimmel’s grace and strength seemed to bring out...

President Trump is doing the very thing he accused President Biden of doing: weaponizing the Department of justice. There is no illusion of pulling strings behind the scenes either. Trump’s demands that the DOJ prosecute his political enemies are blatant and public. Over the weekend, Trump posted on social media that he wanted to see justice served up in the form of criminal investigations into people like Senator Adam Schiff from California, New York Attorney General Letitia James and former FBI Director James Comey, writing that, "We can't delay any longer, it's killing our reputation and credibility." 
We wil...

At the weekend memorial to remember Charlie Kirk, President Trump pointed out their differences saying that while Kirk didn’t hate his enemies or want bad things to happen to them, Trump does hate his enemies and wants bad things to happen to them. The eulogy quickly shifted into a Trump rally instead of the somber celebration of life it was intended to be. 
We’ll talk about it with iHeart television and radio political analyst Gary Dietrich.
Our favorite Astronomy Professor, Andrew Fraknoi, will drop by to talk about the latest findings on Mars and the possibility of ha...

It’s a wild ride in the United States with cancellations, firings and censorship becoming hallmarks of the Trump administration. On the heels of holding FCC approval hostage unless late night host Jimmy Kimmel was silenced, Trump is threatening to pull licenses for any network that gives him bad publicity. Will major news agencies be able to function without the ability to tell the truth, whether it makes the president look good or bad? We will talk about it with journalists Michael sure and Jim Avila as we look at “This Week in Politics.” A CDC advisory panel is recommending restri...

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Trump is in the UK for a state visit and today, he's expected to be at Windsor Castle. Last night, Windsor Castle was really the place to be as activists projected massive images of Trump and his best friend Jeffrey Epstein. The images on a prominent castle tower flashed from Trump and Epstein along with first lady Melania Trump to Epstein and his co-conspirator Ghislaine Maxwell to the picture of Trump's creepy birthday message to Epstein and more. Four people were arrested for the dramatically effective stunt...but the effort continues today. A truck is cruising the town of Windsor...

Officially, there’s no clear motive in the murder of Charlie Kirk, but that hasn’t stopped conservative leaders from pointing the blame at the left. Yesterday, Trump said leftist organizations are under investigation, though he didn’t say exactly why. Today, Trump’s Transportation Secretary, Sean Duffy, put the blame squarely on colleges and universities saying they are places where young people are radicalized to the left. Places of higher learning don’t appear to have come in to play in the Kirk killing, as the suspect only attended one semester before moving to a trade school. Is it a case of...

Trump says his administration is opening investigations into leftist groups. Last night, he told reporters that “when you look at the agitator, you look at the scum that speaks so badly of our country, the American flag burning all over the place, that's the left. That's not the right."
Trump has ramped up his speech to divide the country following the killing of right wing influencer Charlie Kirk. Despite word from authorities that they are still trying to pin down a motive in the murder, Trump continues to blame what he calls the radical left. Now, he says leftist gr...

Donald Trump made an early morning appearance on Fox & Friends. He announced that a suspect in the murder of Charlie Kirk has been apprehended. A family member helped turn 22-year-old Tyler Robinson in to authorities. The president complained about the time it takes to see someone who’s found guilty punished and said the suspect ought to be tried tomorrow. We’ll bring you all the details and talk about it with journalists Michael Shure and Jim Avila. Friday, also brings a stop to Florida and a check in with The Culture Blaster, Michael Snyder, for a weekend entertainment preview.

The Mark Thompson Show 9/11/25

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Donald Trump is doubling down on the "It's not my signature" excuse regarding his troubling birthday message to convicted sex trafficker Jeffrey Epstein. The original letter from Trump to Epstein was included in documents released by the House oversight committee. When the Wall Street Journal released details of the letter in July, Vice President JD Vance said it wasn't real. Now that its reality is no longer in dispute, (the original was held by Epstein's estate) the President and his supporters are denying it's his signature, despite multiple examples of his signature at the time that match. White House Press...

The Hyundai–LG battery plant construction site in Georgia is still closed after a massive ICE Raid ended with the arrests of 475 people, most of them Korean nationals.  The immigrants were placed against walls, sorted and then many were loaded on to buses to be processed 100 miles away. South Korean officials chartered a flight to take their citizens home and said they would improve their visa system for people coming to the US. The raid came after word of a $350 billion investment package that South. Korea planned to sink into the US., though South Korea's attempts to finalize the deal are...

ICE agents just got a lot more powerful. The Supreme Court ruled today that agents can stop and detain anyone they think may be is in the U.S. illegally, according to the LA Times, “based on little more than working at a car wash, speaking Spanish or having brown skin.” 
We welcome iHeart TV and radio political analyst Gary Dietrich to talk about this and more.
Mark has a conversation with Jamie Mustard. He’ll talk about growing up in the church of Scientology and what happened when he tried to leave it.
The Mark Thompson Show  Duration: 02:00:04

A group of survivors from the Jeffrey Epstein human trafficking case met with a congressional committee, held a press conference and warned that if the Trump administration won’t release a client list, perhaps they’ll release one of their own. Meanwhile, it seems an accurate account of the Trump – Epstein scandal will never truly be released. Case in point: Joseph Schnitt, acting deputy chief of a Justice Department unit, was caught on hidden camera saying that the government will "redact every Republican" from an Epstein client list. He was recorded on a dating app called Hinge by a far right...

Two county clerks in Missouri say they were contacted by Trump’s Department of Justice. The clerks, both serving in Republican leaning counties, say the DOJ official wants access to Dominion voting machines ahead of the 2026 midterm elections. The Missouri Independent says the DOJ official making the calls is Andrew McCoy “Mac” Warner who, while serving as West Virginia’s secretary of state, falsely claimed the CIA and FBI colluded with Facebook’ to steal the 2020 presidential election from Trump. We’ll dig deeper into this story and see whether states are going to be able to keep the voting machines out of the h...

Just like the hyped up release of previous long awaited documents from cases including Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. and JFK assassinations, the release of 3k pages of Epstein case documents were a big nothingburger. Everything released had been the subject of record requests before and had been posted on the Florida Attirney Gebersl’s website. Will Trump be able to dupe MAGA with documents that were already public? We’ll ask Pulitzer Prize winning author and investigative journalist David Cay Johnston to weigh in. More politics with our presidential historian John Rothmann. Then, we’re off to save the planet...

Concerns started with large dark bruises on President Trump‘s hands. Then comments were made about how large his ankles appeared. He’d been spotted wandering back-and-forth along the red carpet when he met Vladimir Putin in Alaska. Add to that, Trump’s nonsensical ramblings, inability to focus or remember things, and there are serious worries about whether Trump is okay. Vice President JD Vance spoke to the media and said he was ready to step in if needed but to him, the president seemed healthy. Over the weekend, some pictures were posted of the President leaving to play golf, but pe...

It looks like Chicago will be the site of President Trump's immigration crackdown. Several reports say ICE is planning expanded operations as soon as next week, much like the ones recently carried out in Los Angeles. The White House is prepping contingency plans to send in the National Guard if any ICE protests get out of hand. Illinois Governor JD Pritzker and Chicago Mayor Brandon Johnson both have both said the stepped up enforcement is not welcome in the city. We'll talk about it with journalists Michael Shure and Jim Avila as we wrap up This Week in Politics. A...

The White House fired CDC Director Susan Monarez after about a month on the job. The reason? Her attorney says it’s because Monarez refused to rubber-stamp unscientific, reckless directives and would not fire dedicated health experts. A White House spokesperson says it’s because she refused to resign and is “not aligned with the President's agenda of Making America Healthy Again.” After her firing yesterday, at least four other CDC officials turned in their resignations too, citing the political weaponizing of science and the spread of misinformation hurting public health, The shake up comes amid new strict CDC Covid vaccine...

Trump is finding a handy enforcer in an unexpected place. Instead of focusing on the housing finance system, America’s top housing regulator is honing in on Trump’s political enemies. Bill Pulte is searching through property records looking for ways to accuse people (Senator Adam Schiff, NY AG Letitia James and Fed. Governor Lisa Cook) of mortgage fraud with the threat of a criminal investigation. How did Pulte’s new job as the director of the Federal Housing Finance Agency and chair of Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac end up morphing into this attack dog position? Presidential historian and politi...

The Mark Thompson Show 8/26/25 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 Mayor of Chicago says the city does not need an occupation by the military and an attempt by Trump to do so would be a flagrant violation of the Constitution. The Washington Post reports that Trump ‘s Pentagon has been planning a military deployment to Chicago for weeks. Illinois Governor JB Pritzker says he has not requested federal help. If Trump is concerned about cleaning up a crime ridden Windy City, Chicago police data shows that overall crime has declined 15 percent since 2023 and incidents like shootings are all down compared to last year.
IHeart TV & radio political analyst Ga...

It was supposed to be Trump joining troops and or police for a patrol last night, but that didn't happen. Instead, it was a but photo opportunity. Trump showed up with food to pass out and took pictures with officers. He also spoke to the officers and guardsmen saying: “We’re going to make it safe, and we’re going to then go on to other places, but we’re going to stay here for a while.” The use of the military in a civilian setting comes as DC officials say their crime rates have dropped and are no the emergency...

All of a sudden, Latin American drug cartels are such a pressing problem that the U.S. must deploy military assets? Trump, who has been using the military a lot lately, is ordering 3 warships to go on patrol along the South American coast. Like the recent use of the U.S. Marines and National Guard in LA and the National Guard in DC, it smacks of bringing out the big guns to distract and divert attention from his ties to the Epstein scandal. It’s a double lawyer day on The Mark Thompson Show. Thursday brings former federal prosecutor, now de...

Security clearances are being stripped from 37 current and former National Security officials. National Intelligence Director Tulsi Gabbard publicly named those affected in a press release saying they had politicized and manipulated intelligence, and in some cases leaked classified intelligence. Some of those who lost clearance credentials worked on the intelligence assessment that Russia interfered in the 2016 presidential election. Is it just another stop on Trump‘s retribution tour? We’ll discuss. We welcome Anthony Davis, host of “5 Minute News” to talk politics. The conversation continues with former opinion editor for the San Francisco Chronicle John Diaz. A major doctor’s organizati...

First, there were Epstein files waiting to be reviewed by Attorney General Pam Bondi. Then, Bondi said there were no files and no Epstein client list. Then, the clients were well known Democrats, according to Trump & Co. Now, there are Epstein files and they are being sent to Congress as part of House Oversight Committee chair James Comer’s ridiculous effort to keep the attention off the Trump-Epstein connection. 
The Justice Department will reportedly start to turn over Epstein-related materials this Friday. After the roller coaster ride of disinformation regarding the files, does anyone believe that Trump allies haven’t san...

It's another day with the war between Russia and Ukraine front and center as Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky arrives at the White House to meet with Trump.  He will be joined by other European leaders in a show of support.  Trump is already putting pressure on Zelensky to reach a peace deal, though after meeting with Vladimir Putin, of Russia, Trump is insisting Ukraine not be allowed to join NATO and that Russia keep the Crimean territory that it illegally took in 2014.  
iHeart television and radio political analyst Gary Dietrich will join to talk about the latest developments with war...

California’s Democratic Governor, Gavin Newsom, is standing up to Trump with his Election Rigging Response Act. It’s an effort to counter Texas, which at Trump’s demand, drew up new congressional districts where voters would likely elect Republican representatives. The new Texas maps could also mean incumbent Democratic representatives could face each other in some districts. It’s an effort to keep the House under GOP control in the 2026 midterm elections. Governor Newsom is asking California voters to allow redrawn maps in to keep Republicans from unethically stealing Democratic seats. Newsom wants state lawmakers to allow a November ballot m...

Trump has a 30 day emergency time period to maintain control of policing Washongton, D.C. but he wants more time. To do that, he needs the approval of Congress. Now, he's saying he will be moving forward with or without approval from lawmakers. During his Kennedy Center honoree speech yesterday, Trump alluded to circumventing Congress multiple times, saying that if they failed to approve an extension, he would just declare a national emergency. We will ask our legal expert to weigh in on the legality of all of it. Former federal prosecutor, now defense attorney, David Katz will be in...

This may only be the start of Trump using the National Guard. According to the Washington Post, there is a Pentagon plan that would create a military ‘reaction force’ for civil unrest. In the case of massive protests, documents suggest a plan to have hundreds of National Guard troops ready at any given time. We'll share the details.

We welcome Everett Kelley to the show. He is the president of the American Federation of Government Employees (AFGE) - the largest union representing federal and D.C. government employees.

The Mark Thompson Show
8/13/25

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There are 800 National Guard troops on duty now to carry out President Trump's order to address crime in the Washington, D.C. But is there a big emergency? Local leaders say crime rates are the lowest they've been in 30 years. D.C. Mayor Muriel Bowser says "This year, crime isn’t just down from 2023, it’s also down from 2019 before the pandemic, and we’re at a 30-year violent crime low," Meanwhile, Attorney General Pam Bondi is in control of the police in D.C. We welcome Pulitzer Prize winning author David Cay Johnston to talk about the Trump-Epstein connection, the la...

Trump wand to force homeless people out of Washington, D.C. with a use of force. Once again, Trump plans to use the National Guard against civilians. Hundreds of troops are preparing to be activated. The person that plans to hold a press conference later this morning, but did post a message on social media reading:
“The Homeless have to move out, IMMEDIATELY. We will give you places to stay, but FAR from the Capital. The Criminals, you don’t have to move out. We’re going to put you in jail where you belong.”
We welcome Elex Michaels...

Homeland Security Secretary Kristi Noem comes off as a villain in real life and on TV. South Park features the normally heavily made-up Noem with her mask of cosmetics melting off as she shoots puppies. Did they take it too far or get it just right? We welcome journalists Michael Shure and Jim Avila to talk about the issues of the day. From the Trump-Epstein mess to tariffs, they’ll hit the highlights with “This Week in Politics.” Come along for a peek at some wild southern living with Friday Fabulous Florida. The Culture Blaster, Michael Snyder, is bringing you all th...

According to a CNN report, a group of top Trump administration officials were set to meet last night at Vice President JD Vance’s residence to discuss whether to publish details of Deputy Attorney General Todd Blanche’s meetings with Ghislaine Maxwell. Both Trump and Vance called the report fake news, but CNN says the meeting was to include Vance, White House chief of staff Susie Wiles, Attorney General Pam Bondi, FBI Director Kash Patel and Todd Blanche. Trump is also saying, and expects us to believe, that he hasn’t been briefed on what Maxwell told Blanche during their two me...

The fight over maps is getting uglier in Texas. There are threats to get the FBI involved in tracking down Democrats from the Texas State House who left rather than see Republicans hijack the midterm elections. Can they do that? We will ask former federal prosecutor and now defense attorney David Katz to weigh in. Spooked By mRNA technology, RFK Jr. is trying to turn back the clock on medical advancements. He is terminating 22 contracts meant to boost developing mRNA vaccines. He’s also closing out other federal investments in mRNA technology, As the Health and Human Services Secretary, Robert F...

Texas House Democrats, who thwarted Republican plans to vote on redrawing Congressional district maps by leaving the state, are being threatened with civil arrest. Their colleagues across the aisle 
voted to approve civil arrest warrants for those lawmakers who bailed before a vote could be taken. Republican Governor Greg Abbott says he will kick the Democratic lawmakers out of office for abandonment and he is threatening to send law enforcement to force them to return to Texas. 
Is it all bravado and bluster?
We’ll ask Pulitzer Prize winning author and investigative journalist David Cay Johnston for his...

More than 50 Texas Democrats walked off their jobs serving constituents in the legislature and left the state Sunday. The move was an effort to stop any forward movement by Texas Republicans who planned to vote in the state House on a new congressional district map that will add five GOP seats in the U.S. House of Representatives.. Democrats brought legislative business to a halt, leaving their body without a quorum (the necessary number of legislators needed present to conduct business.) 
We’ll talk about this situation with iHeart Radio and television political analyst Gary Dietrich. 
From vaccines to r...

It’s a big Friday show! We’ll look at Trump’s latest back and forth tariff ultimatums and extensions as he scrambles to make more trade deals.
We’ll get details on whether Trump’s new tax policy will make it easier to slide control of social security to private companies. Alex Lawson with Social Security Works will lay it all out. 
Oscar nominated writer and director Billy Ray will stop in to talk movies, Hollywood and politics. 
This Week in Politics brings our beloved Jim Avila and Michael Shure to the show. These heavy hitting journalists...

The Mark Thompson Show 
7/31/25
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The man who helped Trump out of jam after jam and, according to whistleblowers, told Trump administration officials to ignore judicial rulings is now himself a federal judge. It’s a lifetime appointment for Emil Bove. Loyalty pays off. 
Political analyst and presidential historian John Rothmann joins to talk politics. 
Eco-journalist Belinda Waymouth helps us save the planet. 
Oh, and Mark is back!
The Mark Thompson Show 
7/30/25
Patreon subscribers are the backbone of the show! If you’d like to help, here’s our Patreon Link:
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Here comes the “flying palace.”  It turns out that “free” jet from Qatar will cost US taxpayers nearly one billion dollars to renovate. That money is coming frm a fund meant to upgrade aging U.S. nuclear weapons. Reports indicate that at the end of Trump’s term, the plane will go to the Trump Presidential Library Foundation. That’s a big gift from both Qatar and the Amercan people. 
Pulitzer Prize winning author and investigative reporter David Cay Johnston joins to discuss.
The Mark Thompson Show 
7/29/25
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With her information on Iran’s nuclear capabilities brushed aside by Trump, National Security Director Tulsi Gabbard found a new way into the spotlight and Trump’s good graces. With allegations that former President Obama lied about Russia’s election interference in 2016, Congressman Jason Crow says Tulsi Gabbard has made herself a “weapon of mass distraction.” 
Michael Shure will be in the Captain’s chair to talk about it with iHeart TV & radio political analyst Gary Dietrich. 
The Mark Thompson Show 
7/28/25
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It is shaping up to be a difficult September for Attorney General Pam Bondi. Republican leaders in the House are going after information in the Epstein files. Files Bondi reportedly told Trump his name was featured in multiple times, but told the public there were no files to release. MAGA is losing confidence in Bondi and some GOP House members seem to be feeling the same way. Subpoenas are flying and the Epstein case and its bungling will likely carry past the House recess in August and continue to follow Bondi into the fall. We welcome former ABC White House...

In May, Trump was briefed and knew his name is all over the Epstein files. Since that briefing, the DOJ’s move has been to seal the evidence and keep the public in the dark. Attorney General Pam Bondi's deputy, Todd Blanche (Trump’s former defense attorney) are visiting with Ghislaine Maxwell — Epstein’s longtime co-conspirator — in prison. It would seem a deal is in the offing. Meanwhile, Trump distracts by raging at Obama, and Tulsi Gabbard happily tosses more gasoline on the conspiracy bonfires about Obama. Award-winning journalist Gil Gross and former federal prosecutor David Katz join us to expose the...