Trump Wants War, Musk Wants JD Vance, Obama Gentrified Chicago

0:28Insurance isn't one size fits all. You're listening to Newsweek Radio. Irreverent news talk and opinion without agenda. From the 72nd floor of One World Trade Center at Lower Manhattan, this is Newsweek Radio with your host, Jessie Edwards. I wanted to ask about the three US warships that are being sent to Venezuela and there's 4 ,000 Marines on board. Are you looking at possibly a boots on the ground there? What I will say with respect to Venezuela, President Trump has been very clear and consistent. He's prepared to use every element of American power to stop drugs from flooding into our country and to bring those responsible to justice.

1:09The Maduro regime is not the legitimate government of Venezuela. It is a narco-terror cartel. And Maduro, it is the view of this administration, is not a legitimate president. He is a fugitive head of this cartel who has been indicted in the United States for trafficking drugs into the country. Great. So it looks like Trump is going to war with Venezuela now. Geez, I didn't see that coming. Especially after bringing up the Bush doctrine on yesterday's show. Also interesting that he would choose Venezuela of all places, considering that's where he was planning on running off to if Kamala Harris had won the last election.

1:41Take a listen. The next time what we'll do is if something happens with this election, which would be a horror show, we'll meet the next time in Venezuela because it'll be a far safer place to meet than our country. OK, so we'll go. You and I will go and we'll have a meeting and dinner in Venezuela. Donald Trump deploys three missile destroyers, USS Gravely, the USS Jason Dunham and the USS Sampson are expected to arrive in the region soon. The deployment underscores Trump's push to use U.S. military power against cartels that he blames for driving fentanyl and other illicit drugs into American communities, as well as fueling violence in U.S.

2:15cities. Trump has also pressed Mexican President Claudia Scheinbaum to take a tougher stance against cartels than her predecessor. But Scheinbaum has drawn a sharp boundary on Mexico's sovereignty, rejecting proposals from Trump and others that involve US military intervention. Trump just wants to invade another country so bad, but he's so incredibly lazy that he's not going to go far from home to do it. To be fair, at least some sort of drastic measures against fentanyl pouring into our country is something that most of us can get behind, right? I just don't believe that Trump is of sound mind and or good moral character enough to pull it off without unmitigated disaster.

2:51That, and he's likely looking for any excuse to prolong his presidency past the three-plus years he's got left. Assuming he survives that long with them cankles he's got, practically pouring over the top of his ham hocks. Don't be rude. Speaking of time that Trump has left, did you hear the comments that he made on Fox News about trying to save lives in Ukraine and Russia so he can get into heaven? If I can save 7 ,000 people a week from being killed, I think that's a pretty... I want to try and get to heaven if possible. I'm hearing I'm not doing well. I am really at the bottom of the totem pole.

3:23But if I can get to heaven, this will be one of the reasons. All right, that is kind of a strange comment. Play that last part again one more time. I'm hearing I'm not doing well. I am really at the bottom of the totem pole. What does he mean by I'm not doing well? Not doing well in the sense that he knows he's a bad guy and he's afraid to go to hell? Or is it not doing well in the sense that he's got some sort of chronic physical condition that's putting his life in jeopardy? He says that he's hearing that he's not doing well also. Does that mean that somebody's telling him this? I'm hearing I'm not doing well.

3:51Now, does that mean that a doctor told him that he's sick or that a priest told him that he's a terrible sinner? I might be able to go either way on that one, but when he says that he's at the bottom of the totem pole, the bottom of the totem pole, it sounds more like somebody must have told him that it's time to repent and start trying to do good things, which is kind of interesting if you want to dissect his exact wording and read between the lines. A little slip like this tells me that he might actually believe that he's going about things responsibly and negotiating peace between Putin and Zelensky.

4:19That would explain why he looks like he's riding the fence more and more over this, even if still tilted far in Putin's direction. Zelensky's latest visit to the Oval Office this week was much warmer than the reception Trump gave him a few months ago. So is Trump just trying to have it both ways or trying to have his KFC and eat it too? It might explain some things, but I wish him luck actually on his journey of absolution with his maker. Even if I can't stand the guy personally, I'd never presume to know what's really going on in that little pea brain of his. Even the Grinch who stole Christmas had a change of heart eventually, though I think he should have been arrested.

4:51You know, for stealing all the presents in Whoville in the first place. Just because you return them in the end doesn't mean you weren't breaking and entering. But it does make me wonder who told Trump that he's a sinner on the bottom of the totem pole, though. I don't know, maybe he's been talking to Mike Pence again. Who knows? This episode is brought to you by Progressive Insurance. Do you ever think about switching insurance companies to see if you could save some cash? Progressive makes it easy to see if you could save when you bundle your home and auto policies. Try it at Progressive.com.

5:19Progressive Casualty Insurance Company and Affiliates. Potential savings will vary. Not available in all states. Another interesting development that's popped up on my radar is this apparent bromance that's forming between Elon Musk and J.D. Vance of all people. And the implications are getting my conspiracy theory chills tingling like crazy up and down my spine. It's either that or I'm having a mild stroke. But let's get to the headline before we dive into my crazy thoughts. Elon Musk responds to report that he's pumping the brakes on third-party plans. Yeah, I'm guessing that he ran the numbers and realized that we're way too polarized for that.

5:55And there's nobody quite interesting enough to lead a new cause right now. Certainly not Musk himself. Ugh, I mean, give me a break. The guy's got a personality of a wetsuit. Wall Street Journal reported that Musk has slowed his third-party fantasies to focus on his companies. that he's reluctant to alienate Republican leaders, and that he's even considering backing Vice President J.D. Vance in a 2028 run. Wow, that's kind of interesting. Does he know something about J.D. Vance that maybe we don't? Yeah, it's probably time to put on the tinfoil hats for this one. There we go. Now, roll with me here.

6:26Considering Musk's epic fallout with Trump, where he flat out said that Trump is on the Epstein list. Are you still talking about Jeffrey Epstein? Why on earth would Musk suddenly pivot to cozying up with Vance unless he knew that Vance was planning on turning on Trump? Think about it. Vance started out hating Trump. He called him dangerous and noxious and America's Hitler for crying out loud. And now? Now he's playing the loyal sidekick and the understudy, the guy standing in the corner nodding along with everything. And if you've even watched five minutes of professional wrestling from back in the 80s, you know how this script goes.

7:01Because the tag team partner always turns, and when he does, it's the biggest pop of the night. So here's my bet. J.D. Vance is just faking it as long as he can. He's just waiting patiently and soaking up Trump's spotlight until the old man inevitably collapses like a ton of Kentucky Fried Chicken. And when that moment comes, you know, under my fantasy scenario here, J.D. Vance will not hesitate to drop the chair on Donald Trump's back, Play the survivor card and suddenly look like the guy who rescued America from chaos. That's how you go from a mega understudy to the main event overnight. We can take off our tinfoil hatch now.

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8:23And I'm not joking, neighborhood leftists are accusing Barack Hussein Obama of gentrification. Yeah, wrap your head around that for one minute. I'll wait here. Just kidding. Chicago natives told the Daily Mail that the center will cause negative issues in the local area like rent increases. I don't know. It kind of looks like an eyesore to me. Sort of a giant brutalist structure. I don't know. What appears to be in a corridor of apartments and subsidized housing. I would be pissed off too if this monstrosity was in my backyard. I mean, besides, it's 2025. 25, I think our presidents can have virtual libraries from now on, can't they?

8:56But don't worry, the project is privately funded and does not rely on taxpayer dollars. Uh, insert a joke about what Trump's presidential library would look like. I don't know, a big golden toilet? I've never been to a presidential library, and nor would I ever want to. It's just a modern museum, okay? And maybe if it was someone like an actual founding father or Abraham Lincoln, if the exhibit is packed with real artifacts, That's got to be one of the top 100 most annoying things to me on this planet. Is museums made up of nothing but pictures and panels that you get to read? And those disgusting things where you have to put on headphones that 300 other people smeared on their heads the day before?

9:32Just to hear some boring audio archive. No thanks. Yeah, that's not a museum. That's homework. And what are people really going to see at the Obama library that's going to knock their socks off to justify a billion dollars? Let me guess, some cheesy modern art with an interactive video display? Let's see if we can find out what's really in this thing. Oh, here it is. Four floors of dynamic exhibitions delve into the Obama presidency, its policies, challenges, and accomplishments, and broader themes of democracy and civic engagement. You better hope there's a Starbucks inside of this thing because I'm falling asleep already.

10:03You might just be bored. On the top floor, the Sky Room offers panoramic views of Lake Michigan, downtown Chicago, and the South Side. A reflective space encouraging visitors to pause and take in the vistas. Okay, great. This sounds like about as fun as a nursing home so far. You've lost your way, brother. A new branch of the Chicago Public Library will sit within the center. Its offerings include interactive digital media spaces. See, I told you, there it is. What else? Children's programming, vocational and informational resources for adults, and a welcoming reading room. Oh, good. That means the local fentanyl junkies will have somewhere to sleep during the day.

10:38That's great. A rooftop fruit and vegetable garden pavilion featuring a teaching kitchen and public restrooms will compliment the library. Yes, a teaching kitchen. Listen, unless Michelle Obama herself is jumping out from behind a wall to make everybody grilled cheese sandwiches and tomato soup, I'm not going to show up for this snore fest. You can't just sit around like some good time Charlie waiting for luck to see you through. It's across the street from subsidized housing. And I'm sure the last thing these people are interested in seeing is a billion dollar monument to the very system that they're losing in.

11:09What value does any of this bring to those people's lives? I hope it does, but to me, it just looks like a giant waste of cash. Is that rude to say out loud? I don't know, maybe, but until we can do it again, it's Newsweek Radio. I'm Jesse Edwards. Catch you next time. Bye. And we say bye-bye. Newsweek Radio is a member of the Trust Project. I don't see you doing any better in the booty department.