9/18/25: Trump Corrupt Crypto Deal, Kimmel Canceled After Trump Threats, Israel Mask Off On Gaza

24:32But when you have so many corporations just completely capitulating, when you have these types of brazen, illegal threats being made out in the open over, I mean, yeah, it was a dumb comment. I mean, this is like not remotely even close to anything that's like wildly offensive or over the line. Like it's not even borderline to me. It's crazy. And probably the part Trump liked the least was the legitimate joke about like, this guy who's supposed to be so close to you just died and you can't even spend two sentences talking about him before you're on your construction project. In addition, Trump had threatened Kimmel before and predicted that he would be, quote, the next to go.

25:15He can put D2 up on the screen. Everybody is saying I was solely responsible for the firing of Stephen Colbert from CBS late night. That is not true. The reason he was fired is a pure lack of talent. In fact, this deficiency was costing CBS $50 million a year in losses and it was only getting worse. Next up will be an even less talented Jimmy Kimmel and then a weak and very insecure Jimmy Fallon. The only real question is who will go first. Show business and television, very simple business. If you get ratings, you can say or do anything. If you don't, you'll always become a victim. Colbert became victim to himself.

25:46The other two will follow. So he says there, he predicts that next up, will be Jimmy Kimmel. And then lo and behold, they find a pretext to put pressure on Kimmel, to put pressure on ABC, and to cause his removal as well. And I have no doubt that the other two remaining late night hosts are going to be next because Trump is saying that outright. He is predicting that outright. And some of the Cope soccer that I've seen is like, okay, well, these are mainstream institutions. They suck anyway. People are moving away from them anyway. The ratings suck, blah, blah, blah. And it's like, guys, if you think, if like Disney can't stand up to the Trump administration, what, you think we have a chance?

26:28Like any independent media outlet. You're dead. I mean, they quash us like a bug in a heartbeat the minute that they decide to. We know Charlie Kirk, who is as close aligned with, was as close aligned with the Trump administration as you could possibly be. Even he was coming under pressure because he, you know, had some qualms about the Iran strikes and was not 100 million percent towing the line on Israel, like just even allowing some other voices in. He was under tremendous pressure. Like, this is a incredibly dark landscape. And the hypocrisy point goes, I mean, I'm sick of saying it at this point, but some of the same, Brennan Carr himself was out there.

27:08You can go and back and look at his Twitter timeline and his tweet after tweet after tweet about jawboning, about government censorship, about free speech, about how the government shouldn't have been in, you know, the Twitter files and how the government shouldn't have been involved, blah, blah, blah. Like this is so far beyond anything. And we objected to the things the Biden administration did, by the way. This is so far beyond anything that they did. It is in a completely different category. And look, there's Brennan Carr completely turning on a dime now that he has power because he knows the assignment.

27:39If he is going to stay in that position and keep his title and keep his power, he is going to operate the way Donald Trump wants him to operate. And that is what this is. It's terrifying, honestly. It's just like we were, I was thinking back, you remember the day after Charlie was shot, we did our, or was killed, we did our show. It was on 9-11. And in the reminder of what it was like at that time, Bill Maher, who I'm not a fan of, you know, I don't think that's a secret to anybody. He was on a show called Politically Incorrect. And he said something about how actually the 9-11 hijackers were not cowards because it actually took a lot of courage to like fly themselves into a building.

28:19He was immediately canceled off of the air, almost exactly what some 24 years to the day. That happened on September 17th, 2001. And in a very similar context, Ari Fleischer, the White House press secretary, went on the White House podium and said that people should be careful about what they say on TV. That is literally the only precedent I can think of for something like this. That is not where I want to be again. And in fact, like you said about the hypocrisy, what makes this worse for me in particular is that, okay, so why did you come on all of, why did you go on Glenn Greenwald's show? Why did you tweet about censorship, about jawboning, and recognize the grave threats of government censorship?

29:02Like, for example, when the Biden White House is pressuring the original Twitter to cancel Alex Berenson for spreading what he, you know, for anti-COVID vaccine views. I objected to that. When the FBI was asking Twitter to take down, you know, election quote denial posts or whatever, I thought it was outrageous. That is nothing compared to this. Like this is a completely other level. And also I see a lot of liberals, Dan Pfeiffer, I just saw his tweet where he's like, cowardly Disney. To be honest, what are you supposed to do? Disney is a shareholder driven, has a fiduciary responsibility to make money.

29:41They are a massive media conglomerate. This is part of the reason it's always sucked that these people even own news organizations. Imagine, they have Disney Shanghai. Trump could destroy them. He could literally just cancel the visas or whatever if they want to for the amusement park business. Or they can mess up their broadcast licenses. I mean, I could go on forever. It's a massive conglomerate. Think about Harvard University or CBS News, Paramount, everything. I mean, the totality of the government's power is such that if it's going to be used in this, the biggest people can't stand up and neither can the smallest.

30:20Nobody really has anything to say in the face of this. Like, it's not possible. That's why you were saying like, you can be quashed. Yes, you actually can. Like that is the reality. And we had some binding organized norms. But like, the truth is, is like, does it matter if it's going to happen anyways? No, it really doesn't. Right. And the courts aren't going to save you. Look at the Supreme Court. They've given him everything he's, practically everything he's wanted. You know, they'll just use the shadow docket, to push it down the road, let him get away with it. So many of these news organizations have already been.

30:54And I want to emphasize the broader landscape here. You now have these massive conglomerates in the hands of Trump allies. We're talking about CBS, likely in the future, CNN, they're trying to buy, you're going to have HBO. So John Oliver, you know, for those of you who are John Oliver fans, and obviously he's very critical of Trump and does effectively like some investigative reporting, you know, that could be in danger. You have the TikTok sale into the hands of the same family will be involved with that. And then you have, and by the way, there's already censorship on TikTok. I was just reading this morning now that they have this like IDF sensor installed there as well.

31:34And you have Twitter already in the hands of Elon Musk. I mean, this really is like textbook what Orban did in Hungary. You threaten and cajole the media organizations that your allies don't directly own so that they bend the knee. And then you have allies who are in charge, who run these other giant conglomerates that just basically become like state media. And that's where we are. That is where we are. It's not coming. It's not a threat. We are here. And it's extremely dark. It is extremely dark. To your point about, well, What could they do? I mean, I just I think, listen, I do think I do think it's cowardly for, you know, these companies.

32:16But I also am under no illusions. Like, you know, I'm a leftist. I understand where capital is bread is butter. They're never going to save you from fascism. You can't rely on them for that. The best you could do is have counter pressure so that they feel like, OK, well, I know what the cost is for going against Trump. Is there going to be a cost for bending to Trump? Right. Is there going to be a cost in viewership? Is there going to be a cost for my workers? Is there going to be costs for my future potential Democratic administration to try to change the calculus? But you can't rely on them to be heroes here.

32:45That's never going to happen. Yeah, that's why I just think I love this. Like, oh, Disney's – I'm like, no. Like, here's the thing. Again, what are you supposed to do? Like, you want to invite massive legal pressure from the U.S. government over one of the most regulated businesses in the world, which is network television? Be real here. I'm just – look, it's the same when we thought earlier. Remember with the George Stephanopoulos case that they settled or CBS News and others where Trump would sue these media or they do it for a reason because the government can crush you like that's just the reality.

33:14Shortly after I enrolled at Rasmussen, I was diagnosed with breast cancer. It was like a bomb had just been dropped in my life. I reached out to Rasmussen. They immediately were like, Rosa, take what time you need. You can come back when you're ready. We are cancer-free today, and I'm just so grateful for Rasmussen for all of their support throughout my journey and for my own village. Rasmussen University. Find your seat and start now at rasmussen.edu. Apple Vacations, where your story starts. The July Savings Event from Apple Vacations is here. Book by July 23rd and save up to$400 off your flight and hotel package to Mexico, the Caribbean, Central America, Hawaii, or Europe.

33:59From all-inclusive escapes to bucket list adventures, Apple Vacations makes it easy to create memories with the people who matter most. Start today at AppleVacations.com or contact your trusted travel advisor. Apple Vacations, where your story starts. Summer is here. At Orderly Meds, we know this time is a reminder that life is full of new beginnings. Whether you're celebrating the nice weather, starting a new chapter, planning a vacation, or simply looking ahead to what's next, This season can be the perfect time to invest in yourself and your health. If you've struggled with weight loss and are curious about GLP-1 medications, Orderly Meds can help you learn about your options.

34:39Through a simple virtual process, you can connect with licensed medical professionals who can determine whether treatment may be appropriate for you. Getting started is fast, convenient, and happens online from the comfort of home. This summer, consider a new approach to feeling your best. Visit orderlymeds.com slash podcast to learn more. That's orderlymeds.com slash podcast. orderlymeds.com slash podcast. Because every new season is an opportunity to take the next step forward. Compounded medications are not FDA approved. Eligibility required and determined by a licensed provider. Individual results may vary.

35:12See website for details.

35:16This government has demonstrated their willingness to use every facet of government to destroy you. to, you know, block your deals and, you know, deny your visas or, you know, just put you on blast and, you know, create some news cycle around how terrible you are. Like, they will do anything to get their way. And, you know, this is one of the – this is such a clear-cut dire example because, again, listen, like the joke – it wasn't even – it was stupid, right? It was stupid. It was also literally not true. Like, it was factually incorrect about – Fine, issue a correction. Like, that's the way that goes.

35:54And then at the same time, I mean, let's not also be precious about this. Like, Ted Cruz was out there lying about Melissa Hortman's killer and what their political affiliation was. I seem to recall when Mike Lee was out there joking about the guy who tried to murder Paul Pelosi and beat him over the head with a hammer and fractured his skull. So, you know, like, let's not be precious about the way everybody is trying to characterize these political attempted assassins and killers. Yeah, I think, was Mike Lee, did he do the, I thought he made a joke. I don't think it was about Paul Pelosi. I think it was about the - Hortman?

36:27Yeah, he said something like, nightmare on Wall Street. Well, there were a ton, yeah, thank you for the correction. I don't want to also be wrong. I was going to say - Be canceled. I'm doing this to cover our own asses. But there were plenty on the right who thought it was hilarious and made up all kinds of lies about the lunatic who came to try to kidnap Nancy Pelosi and instead beat Paul Pelosi over the head with a hammer, you can certainly go back and take a look at that. But, you know, we all know what this is about. Trump set him in his sights. He said Jimmy Kimmel is next. And the moment they had a pretext, Brennan Carr comes out, threatens them, threatens Nextar.

37:03And do we have what Sinclair has decided they're going to do? Sinclair says that Kimmel's suspension is not enough, calls on FCC and ABC to take additional action. Sinclair's ABC stations to air a special in remembrance of Charlie Kirk during Jimmy Kimmel's live time slot. On Friday, as discussed with ABC earlier today, Sinclair decided to indefinitely preempt Jimmy Kimmel Live beginning today. Following these discussions, ABC has suspended production of Jimmy Kimmel Live. They go on and say that special ABC stations will air a special in remembrance of Charlie Kirk this Friday during Jimmy Kimmel's live slot.

37:36The special will also air across all Sinclair stations this weekend. In addition, Sinclair is offering the special to all ABC affiliates across the country. Sinclair will not lift the suspension of Jimmy Kimmel Live on our stations until formal discussions are held with ABC and their commitment to professionalism and accountability. They also called on Kimmel to issue a direct apology to the Kirk family. Furthermore, we asked Mr. Kimmel to make a meaningful personal donation to the Kirk family and to the Turning Point USA. So we're trying to compel a personal donation from Jimmy Kimmel to Turning Point USA and the Kirk family directly and airing a Charlie Kirk special in lieu of Jimmy Kimmel.

38:13Like, it's unreal. We can put the fire. St. Clair's always been one of those consumers. They are right wing. Yeah. Yeah, and Nextar is too, by the way. Isn't that the one that Alex Acosta is on the board of? No, that's Newsmax, I think. Well, I need to look at the difference. Nextar. News Nation is owned by Nextar. Yes, that's right. Which also owns our former employer. Yes, The Hill. The Hill. Thank God, yes. You guys want to see how nice it is not to be? Imagine trying to cover this. Imagine trying to cover this while working over there. Forget it. By the way, this is reality. Like, how is ABC News going to cover this shit?

38:44They're owned by Jimmy Kimmel or owned by Disney. They will be quaking in their boats. Every one of them. You can't say anything. Also, yeah. And your company has made it clear they're not going to stand up for you. You're on your own. How is CNN going to cover it? CNN is literally about to get bought potentially, or at least there's an all-cash offer out there by the Ellison family, to buy WBD, Warner Brothers Discovery, which is the parent company of CNN. So what are they going to say? Because if you say something, you're probably going to get axed if you get bought. And then on the other channel over on Fox News, oh, yeah, Fox has no problems whatsoever with the FCC, right?

39:16Or, of course, they'll get a free pass potentially under this administration. Well, Brennan Carr went on with Sean Hannity last night to brag about all of it. I mean, they're taking credit for it. Like, that's the thing is you can't delude yourself. They are taking credit for it. When the news came out, Brennan Carr replied to a reporter with, like, a victorious emoji. I mean, it's just, like, it's undeniable what is going on here. And they want people to know. They want media companies to know that this was them, that they did it. We can put D7 up on the screen. This is a reaction from fire. They said, the government pressured ABC and ABC Cave.

39:50The timing of ABC's decision on the heels of the FCC chairman's pledge to the network to do this the easy way or the hard way tells the whole story. Another media outlet withered under government pressure, ensuring that the administration will continue to extort exact retribution on broadcasters and publishers who criticize it. We cannot be a country where late night talk show hosts serve at the pleasure of the president. But until institutions grow a backbone and learn to resist government pressure, that is the country we are. So there you go. And last piece here, you know, like this is just the beginning of the threatened crackdown.

40:22We can put D8 up on the screen. Trump says, I'm pleased to inform our many USA patriots. I'm designating Antifa, a sick, dangerous, radical left disaster, as a major terrorist organization. I'll also be strongly recommending those funding Antifa be thoroughly investigated in accordance with the highest legal standards and practices. He did something similar to this in his first term. Antifa is not actually a real thing. Like, it's not like an organization the way that you typically think of organizations. Antifascism is an ideology of opposing fascism. And then there's, you know, Antifa is associated with like a series of confrontational tactics.

40:58But it's not like a real thing. So, you know, remains to be seen what actual impact this has because he did try to do the same thing the first time. But as was predicted, they are using the assassination of Charlie Kirk to further crush dissent, punish their political opponents and consolidate power. That's what he does. If it wasn't this, it would be something else. But this, you know, has provided also like a very heated emotional climate in which to try to do these things. And, you know, that's where we are. This is the first, like, clear-cut action under this new—it's not new, but an escalation of the previous tactics of the Trump administration to use any sort of crisis, emergency, or invented crisis or emergency to crush dissent and consolidate power.

41:48And that's where we are. Yeah, this is literally, I mean, I just looked it up. It's September 18th, 2025. 24 years and one day to the day since Bill Maher was canceled on Politically Incorrect under pressure from the Bush administration. And let me say, too, like his thing was more provocative. I don't defend him being fired. So here's what he said. It was definitely more provocative than this. But here's the thing. This is what I've come to take away. Anyway, the worst thing that happened, I saw a really insightful tweet where when Tucker recently said something about bin Laden and somebody was like, oh, Tucker would have been the guy today who would have interviewed bin Laden after 9-11.

42:26And someone said, can you imagine how different history would have been if someone had interviewed bin Laden after 9-11? And that's really stuck with me because the fact is, is that the inability to discuss, to talk, and to have any fulsome conversation about foreign policy or about the reasons that that happened led to the war in Iraq. It led to the disastrous 20-year experiment in Afghanistan. It destroyed, bankrupted the entire country, not to mention all of the downstream consequences and millions of lives that were killed. Here's what Bill Maher said. He said, quote, we have been cowards lobbing cruise missiles from 2 ,000 miles away.

43:02That's cowardly. Staying in the airplane when it hits a building, say what you want about it. It's not cowardly. And I mean, look, that is a crazy thing to say. But what is the crux of what he's trying to say is that U.S. military adventurism has led to blowback, right? That was the theory that was put forth by leftists and libertarians after the immediate aftermath of 9-11. And then when the Gen Z Zoomers rediscovered the bin Laden letter, they were like, wait, this wasn't just because they, quote, hated us for our freedoms. Some of them did. Okay, some of them actually did. They were crazy. Some of them were used, like in political terrorism ideology, would use legitimate grievances to say that is why an indictment of the American people.

43:40But imagine if we'd actually had that type of conversation and that's exactly why his cancellation and the eventual praise by the Bush administration was a tone of how things were then to come when in 2002, when we all start talking about yellow cake uranium and cheerleading, we don't want the smoking gun to be a mushroom cloud, that we invade the country of Iraq. Like, you may think I'm exaggerating. I watched all this shit happen in my entire life. The only reason I'm here is to fight against it. So to see it happen again, I don't know. It's sick. It really is sick. It really is. I think that's the best way to put it.

44:13All right, we've got a really insightful guest standing by. I just wrote a book on the failures of the attempted peace process between the Israelis and the Palestinians. So let's get to that. I think something that makes me well-studded to be a nurse is my empathy. Growing up with a big family, I think I've always kind of been a caregiver. When you care give, you get to know the family and the patient and you get really close. And Rasmussen University, they did a very, very good job of giving us the resources that we need. So just being able to apply the knowledge that I've retained to my daily life has been so amazing.

44:50Learn more at rasmussen.edu.

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45:25Summer is here. At Orderly Meds, we know this time is a reminder that life is full of new beginnings. Whether you're celebrating the nice weather, starting a new chapter, planning a vacation, or simply looking ahead to what's next, this season can be the perfect time to invest in yourself and your health. If you've struggled with weight loss and are curious about GLP-1 medications, Orderly Meds can help you learn about your options. Through a simple virtual process, you can connect with licensed medical professionals who can determine whether treatment may be appropriate for you. Getting started is fast, convenient, and happens online from the comfort of home.

46:00This summer, consider a new approach to feeling your best. Visit orderlymeds.com slash podcast to learn more. That's orderlymeds.com slash podcast. orderlymeds.com slash podcast. Because every new season is an opportunity to take the next step forward. Compounded medications are not FDA approved. Eligibility required and determined by a licensed provider. Individual results may vary. See website for details.

46:26We are extremely fortunate to be joined this morning by Robert Malley. He served in senior Middle East positions in the administrations of President Clinton, Obama, and Biden. He is president and CEO of the International Crisis Group. Author of a new book, Tomorrow is Yesterday, Life, Death, and the Pursuit of Peace in Israel-Palestine. along with his co-author Hussein Agha, and he joins us now. Great to have you, sir. Great being here. Yeah, of course. So just talk to us a little bit about why you wanted to write this book in this moment, which really details the even failed conception of the Oslo process and the peace negotiations that you were a part of.

47:04And of course, the broader context here is this book comes at a moment when the international consensus is truly formed that Israel is committing genocide in Gaza against the Palestinian people. Right. So we started from a premise after October 7th, looking at what was happening and looking at it from the Palestinian perspective. It's all a reenactment of what they've lived in the past, you know, being forced to flee their land and then forced to flee the land to which they were forced to flee. And then being struck and then being struck in a place that they were told they needed to take refuge, dispossessed, having lost everything, everything they had, all their possessions, their loved ones.

47:41So this is for them a reenactment of where they lived in 1948. In other ways, too, in terms of not having a national movement that could back them, feeling isolated, adrift, alone in their land. And on the Israeli side, October 7th was relived. Just listen to their vocabulary. It's the worst massacre of Jews since the Holocaust. It's another pogrom. So even the experience of the vocabulary is all things for my generation, for Hussein's generation, which speaks to us from the past. And which is why we entitled the book Tomorrow's Yesterday, because it is hard for anyone who's lived this, who's seen this, who's witnessed this, not to think we've been here before in the way in how Israelis and Palestinians are living their struggle, the communal existential struggle between two peoples and in terms of the vocabulary that's being used.

48:27And so the question is, what happened? How could we have had 30 years of a peace process led by the United States, where the United States was the sole superpower? And presidents, Clinton and Bush and Obama all said, this is a priority for us, is to reach peace. And here we are, as if nothing had happened, as if that peace process had just been, you know, a fleeting bunch of just hot air. So that's the story of this book is that disconnect between the realities on the ground and this artificial peace process. It was designed to reach peace and did the opposite. it. You know, Robert, how do you reflect on that?

49:06It's been 25 years since Camp David. You were literally there. There was a lot of hope in that moment. So how do you think back on the legitimacy of the Camp David process itself? Was it a useful exercise? What did it teach you? Well, obviously, at a personal level, I have to reflect, as does Hussein, at the fact that we were both actors in a lot of these episodes. And so we were guilty of the same illusions, illusions, and even deceit that was part of this process. I mean, Camp David, the reason we spent some time in the book talking about it is that I've heard so many politicians and officials and former officials in the U.S.

49:41say, well, if only the Palestinians had said yes at Camp David, we wouldn't be here. And therefore, they incur responsibility, which one level is pretty egregious to say in any event that Palestinian people would incur the responsibility of what, as you just said, increasing number of people are calling a genocide because of something that happened 25 years ago. But as we lay out, Camp David itself was based on a hoax, which is the fundamental misunderstanding between the two sides of what they thought the Oslo process was about for the Palestinians. They thought this was about self-determination, justice, redemption, and for Israelis thought this was about absolute security.

50:21What they cared about was not granting Palestinian rights, but achieving security and that sort of talking past each other with the U.S. not playing the role of really trying to mediate, but putting its thumb on the scale. For one side, I think we could look back. Yes, it was a missed opportunity in the sense that it failed. But we were never close. Contrary to what I may have believed at the time, there was no congruence between the visions of Israelis and Palestinians about where they were headed and what the conflict was about. Let's put E3 up on the screen here and connect what you're saying to the modern day.

50:57We've got Bezalel Smotrich, who, you know, just makes plain. He describes Gaza as a potential real estate bonanza. Israel is talking with the U.S. about how to divide it up. You know, Israel has been was was given more or less a carte blanche from the Biden administration. But, I mean, truly carte blanche here with regard to the Trump administration, the number of countries they've bombed. You know, there was maximalist fringe characters getting their way in terms of, you know, as we speak, there's a ethnic cleansing. going on. There's a plan in place backed by the president of the United States to complete that ethnic cleansing and, you know, in service of, I guess, his real estate ambitions here.

51:36So, you know, how do you view the U.S.'s role now as we come to this moment where, I mean, not only does peace not seem possible, just basic survival doesn't seem possible from the Palestinian perspective? First, I'd say, obviously, what you just showed again, an echo from the past, It's not that long ago that Israelis were talking in those terms about ridding the land of all Palestinians, greater Israel ethnic cleansing. Again, on both sides, you see really a reenactment of the past. But in terms of the U.S. role, yes, what President Trump is doing so far has been giving a cork launch and enabling Israel basically to do whatever it wishes.

52:13I don't think that can make the Biden administration look much better because, frankly, what the Biden administration did was pave the way by normalizing a set of behaviors, attitudes, policies, whether it's the use of food as a weapon of war, whether it is indiscriminate targeting of Palestinians. All of that was done under the Biden administration with greater criticism, vocal rhetorical criticism on the part of the Biden administration, but essentially not doing anything that would stop it. So, yes, the Trump administration is making this significantly worse, but the ground was laid in the term that preceded it.

52:52Yeah, I think that's very important to say. So, Robert, in terms of how you see the future and how the U.S. should handle or I mean, for years, as I think you're pointing to, the two state solution was a mantra. It was a shibboleth. It's what we're doing. It's what we're working towards. The Israelis, they don't even pretend anymore that it's a pretense of something that will exist. So in that environment, what can and should the diplomatic position of the U.S. be? It's a great question. And having, again, as I said, been part of failed attempts and attempts of chasing an illusion, it's hard for me to be in the position of now saying I know what to do.

53:28I do think it's an interesting thought experiment, at least to think about what the world would have been like if the U.S. had not even tried, pretended, tried to reach peace, if it had stayed out, if it had not warped the playing field in a way that provided Israel with impunity and allowed Israel not to live through the consequences of its actions, convinced the Palestinians that somehow the U.S. was going to rectify the vast asymmetry of power between the two sides, propped up a feckless Palestinian authority, which actually was acting as a subcontractor for Israel. security and not doing a very good job at that.

54:01So, and elbowing out other actors and delegitimizing other forms of activism, whether it's civil disobedience, boycotts, sanctions, international justice and accountability. So the U.S. has played in many ways a very negative role in perpetuating the status quo. So at least as a thought experiment, if the U.S. really took a time out and wasn't involved, it'd be interesting to think of how things would evolve. Right now, I think there's only one priority. It's priority one, two, and three. It should have been those priorities under the Biden administration, which is to end the carnage that's taking place in Gaza and everything else.

54:40We could talk about the future at some point. We could talk about, you know, whatever is happening at the UN in terms of recognizing a Palestinian state that doesn't exist and won't exist. But there's only one thing that, which is to stop this, which means that Israel should be put in a position where it will pay the consequence of its actions if it continues. And everything else is pure rhetoric. Does U.S. public opinion matter in this at all? Because obviously, you know, the base of the Democratic Party, I think some 80 percent see it as a genocide. They are overwhelmingly appalled at what is happening.

55:11They want to cut off funds to Israel. They want to do what it takes to end the carnage. You know, you have some Democratic politicians who are belatedly getting on board. You had Bernie Sanders yesterday and Ro Khanna and Becca Ballant being the latest to come forward and say, yes, this is a genocide. We accept the international consensus. Independence, by and large, there as well. And even young Republicans. I mean, this is part of the questions swirling around the pressure that was being put on Charlie Kirk in the days and weeks before he was assassinated. I wanted to play for you this clip from Megyn Kelly, who has been very pro-Israel.

55:46She's certainly pro-Zionist and largely on that side. But even she is sounding the alarm about young people and their view of Israel and the way that it's shifted dramatically. This is E1, guys. Let's go ahead and play this. And let's face it. Charlie was like an unofficial spokesperson for the youth of America, in particular conservative youth. And I don't know if people have checked, but they no longer support Israel. Everybody under 30 is against Israel. Charlie was 31. Everybody under 30, like they don't support Israel is what Megyn Kelly is saying. I mean, does this matter? at all? Is it too late?

56:21Does U.S. public opinion move the needle in terms of what our government is ultimately going to do and how they're going to react for the future? Oh, it's interesting. I mean, one of the benefits of having been around for a long time is experience. The flip side is cynicism. And so I have to check my cynicism because it's been a long time that people have said maybe that the U.S. political system will change and it hasn't. I do think things are different now. And, you know, my current profession is to teach. And I see students And I always think to myself, these students, something is going to shape their foreign policy vision about how they view America and the role that America should play in the world.

56:58For me personally, it was the Vietnam War through my parents who opposed it. And then the war in Iraq, which I opposed. Those were the sort of the signal milestones in my foreign policy education. for today's generation and next generation of kids, those who are going to have positions of power in the future, it's the war in Gaza, American complicity, American enabling of, again, what increasing number of people are calling a genocide, American support for the military operations there, and it's hypocrisy. And I think all that inevitably is going to have an impact. You just mentioned it has an impact on young Democrats.

57:36And then you mentioned something equally important, which is what's happening on some of the Republican side. You mentioned some of the people there, but someone like David Smith, I think he's one of the most articulate opponents of a view of changing American policy to be more consistent with our moral compass and at a minimum more consistent with our interests because it's hard to see how siding with a country that is increasingly or siding with policies of a country that are increasingly being isolated and is going to give rise to a generation. I hate to say this, but it's the truth. It's the truth, the generation of Palestinians and Arabs, whose only memory is going to be of what happened in Gaza, will have nothing to lose because they've lost everything.

58:16And the hatred, of course, is going to be directed at Israel. It's going to be directed at others in the world who didn't lift a finger. And of course, it's going to be directed at America. So it's hard to see how we are investing in anything positive for our future. And I think that's part of why you're seeing on both the Republican and Democratic side for different reasons. And they come at it from a different point of origin and they land not exactly in the same place. But both of them are questioning why the United States has been so one sided in its approach towards this conflict for so long and how that possibly could serve national interests.

58:48Yeah, well said. Robert, thank you so much for joining us. We appreciate it. Thanks for having me. Thank you guys so much for watching. We appreciate it. Again, thank you all for your support. Friday show tomorrow. We'll see you then.

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