Breaking Points with Krystal and Saagar - 7/7/26: Platner Faces New SA Allegations, USA Loses To Belgium After Trump Intervention

Episode Date: July 7, 2026

Ryan and Saagar discuss Platner faces new accusations, USA loses To Belgium after Trump intervention. To become a Breaking Points Premium Member and watch/listen to the show AD FREE, uncut and 1 hour early visit: www.breakingpoints.com    Merch Store: https://shop.breakingpoints.com/   See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

This is an IHeart podcast. Guaranteed Human. Joy is essential and it's also elusive. But now, there's a new and exciting way to start your journey toward a more joyful existence. Joy 101. It's a new podcast hosted by me, Hoda Kotby. If you're craving inspiration to maximize your joy, tune into these candid, uplifting, and moving on-air chats. Open your free IHeart Radio app.

Search Joy 101 and listen now. Joy 101 with Hoda Kotfi is presented by CVS. My first guest is Paris Hilton. Shakira. Luke and Yerrin. Have surprises? Many surprises. Welcome to the Sweet 305 podcast where the group check comes to life.

What on? You're the only person I know that loves a yellow starburst. It's lemonade. This is Sweet 305. Here, oversharing is encouraged. Listen to Sweet 305 with Lele Pons on the I-Heart. radio app, Apple podcast, or wherever you get your podcasts. American soccer is exploded.

The knockout rounds are here. The U.S. won their group, and now every match is winner go home. I'm Tad Ramos. And I'm Tom Boger. On our podcast, Inside American Soccer, we'll talk about the real storylines. Discuss the tactics that actually decide matches. And give you the truth about the U.S. national team from inside the program. Whether you're a lifelong fan or this is your first World Cup.

We've got you covered. Listen, Inside American Soccer with Tom Bogart and Tab Ramos on the iHeart Radio app, Apple Podcasts, wherever you get your podcast. Hey guys, Saga and Crystal here. Independent media just played a truly massive role in this election, and we are so excited about what that means for the future of this show. This is the only place where you can find honest perspectives from the left and the right that simply does not exist anywhere else.

So if that is something that's important to you, please go to breakingpoints.com, become a member today, and you'll get access to our full shows, unedited, ad-free, and all put together for you every morning in your inbox. We need your help to build the future of independent news media, and we hope to see you at breaking points.com. Good morning, everybody. Happy Tuesday. Have an amazing show for everybody today. Bro shows. Good to see you, Ryan.

Awkward day for a bro show, but... Yeah, I was actually thinking about that. Here we are. Yeah, we may not necessarily be the best day for a bro show, but bro show is what... It's what the schedule is. Yeah, the schedule is. We don't create the news. It's good to see you, my friend. We do have an amazing show for everybody today, and it's definitely good to be back. So you probably saw, and we will give you a full rundown here of the Graham-Platner situation, a former associate of his coming out and accusing him of rape in a CNN interview and Politico's story. Plattner is weighing whether to pull out of the race. We're going to break down the full situation, just give you what you need to know and some of the fallout from that with many

Democratic leaders calling for him to drop out so that somebody else can replace him. We're also going to talk about FIFA. The United States lost yesterday 4 to 1 to Belgium, a humiliating display after Donald Trump put as much of his thumb on the scale as he possibly could. It actually, Ryan, in my opinion, would have been better if we lost when he was gone so we could just blame it all. You've got to have something. Yeah, we've got to say it was rigged. This only reason that we lost, maybe Trump will say it actually said that it was. He said he's going to say it say no matter what. If we lost.

So we're going to talk about AI. There's a new internal report in the United States Treasury that is warning of an AI bubble. We have some new polling, some other interesting data point. And Michael Burry for the, I think, umpteenth time,

is calling the AI top. You know, it's always one, big short guy, even though he has, of course, said it many other times. Caroline Levitt, some of you may have seen this, White House press secretary,

saying that Gen Z kids were born with silver spoons in their mouth and they're lazy. Now trying to clean up her comments after a honestly massive meltdown by a lot of younger voters and others who took her comments not particularly well in this economy,

especially after a lot of the Gen Z younger voters, especially of the young men, had voted for Donald Trump in the last election. And then Mitch McConnell, is he alive or not? Nobody knows. Literally nobody knows anything about his health.

He hasn't been seen for three weeks. He hasn't been home. His wife is in China. There's all kinds of rumors swirling around. Washington. We're going to break that down for everybody. It seems that he suffered a cardiac arrest, according to leaked EMS police report here for people who showed up. He's in the hospital. We don't know anything about his condition. And there's some speculation that they may be, you know, not telling the public the entire truth to prevent a primary which would allow Thomas Massey

to replace him. So we're going to break all of that down. And of course, Ryan and I are going to be doing the AMA live. Now, speaking of the AMA, this is my first time I get to promote this. This incredible product that we've been working on now for months here behind the scenes. We're going to hire another person. This is something that our premium members get access to is our newsletter, which is a written version of our show. We work so, so hard to make sure that this is something that's actually very, very useful to all of our premium subscribers. But what's even better, I think, for everybody else, is that you can just go to breakingpoints.com and you can sign up for free. The pop-up will be right there. You can put your email. You're going to get the first

top three stories. We get access to your email. We can send those to you and some other updates here from the show, which I honestly think it's a very, very useful product, includes quotes from the show, breakdowns, links, all these other types of things. And today is actually a good example because Ryan, you and I are not going to be doing that silly YouTube thing where we try to replace our words when we talk about a very, very serious situation. You know, we're just going to say what it is. That's going to hurt us in the algorithm. We know that, but that's why we need a direct, we need direct link with our audience. So please, please do sign up. It's for free.

Breaking Points.com. You can go ahead and do that, or you can support our show if you want to. All right, so hard turn. Ryan, let's break down the Platter situation. So his, he was dating on and off, a woman named Jenny Rassicoat, who was featured actually in the New York Times article

that made so much, made so many waves several weeks ago, where she said that he had come over to her house, univited. Something happened that, made her think differently about him and she basically cut him off. She called his behavior at the time reckless and unsettling. You might remember that moment.

But at the time, she did not go on the record with her full allegation, which is that he had unconsensual sex with her, that he raped her. He responded within, I think, six minutes of the article dropping, they had put up a video response. Let's roll that and then go through what her. allegation is. I wanted to directly address the troubling, serious, and false allegations against me. Any accusation of non-consensual behavior is categorically false. Over the last 10 months, I have been deeply humbled by the faith mayors have put in me. You have welcomed me into your

homes, into your places of work, into your restaurants, into your houses of worship. You have shown that a different kind of politics, one that puts the interest of people, over corporations is not just possible, but is inevitable. Regardless of the inaccuracy of the reporting, but mindful of the political reality it will inflict. We are taking the time to reflect on the best path forward for the state that I love, the people that I love, the movement I belong to, and the goal of defeating Susan Collins. So that was the news that was in his two-minute video, which is that just if you didn't catch exactly, regardless of whether, it's true or not, he's saying, he's aware of the political impact that it's going to have. And so he's evaluating the way forward. As of now, he has not yet dropped out. The entire

kind of democratic political universe is calling for him to drop out. And people around him suspect that it is a matter of when, not if, at this point, that his campaign is effectively over. There's some discussion about who would replace him and what leverage Platner would have in that decision. And we'll get to that on the back half of this. segment, but let's go through some of her allegations, which she made both to Politico and also in a sit-down interview with Jake Tapper at CNN. Let's roll A3 here. I remember specifically him, like, grabbing at my chest, and I, like, hit his hand, and I said, don't touch me. And I remember that during the altercation specifically.

And then he kept going. Yeah, and it was this weird mix of, like, coming in. in and out of, I don't think consciousness is a word, but like coming to and kind of falling back into that drunken, I don't know what I'm doing state. And yeah, and he just, he would apologize in those moments and then go back to doing what he was doing. So he was aware that he was doing something wrong. Yeah.

I feel like he was in moments. Is there any way that he thought this was consensual or no, just because? I don't believe that you can, can think that that scenario is consensual. You have to understand that that wasn't when somebody is repeatedly, I mean, when somebody in the middle of it says, don't touch me. Like, that's obviously not consensual.

You're not coming forward because you have any political motivation. No, not at all. That was actually one of the huge reasons that I didn't come forward and still struggled. Like, that was a huge moral conflict to feel like, Because you'd like a Democrat to be in the Senate. Yeah. Yeah. I like the things that he speaks about.

They're important. They're important to people. I'm one of those people. But at the end of the day, you feel he's not being honest. He's not being honest, no. Now, she also offered some other details about how he came over that evening and how it transpired. Let's roll A3B here. Him and I were texting back and forth, and he had taken something that I said.

as an invitation. And that's not how I meant it. And I quickly clarified. I realized, I remember it being an instant where I had recognized that he wasn't listening to me. It wasn't just that he wasn't hearing me or whatnot. And then I recognized his level of intoxication. And I knew in that moment I wasn't safe.

And I don't think I was, I don't think I was safe to physically fight back. He's big. He's strong. And I just had to evaluate my safety and come up with the least worst outcome to this situation. And so I felt like complying for my safety was the least worst option. But that's not consenting. No, complying is not consenting. Complying is letting him rape you.

Is getting it over with. So that he didn't hurt you even more? I don't know what this person is capable of. I don't think anybody does. Even people you know for years and trust, you don't know the depths of what they're capable of. You were afraid for your safety. Yeah, I was afraid for my safety.

Beyond. Not that rape isn't a horrific thing, but beyond. Right. I didn't want to find out how unsafe I could get that night or how harmed I could be that night. So Saga, her allegation there is pretty... It's graphic. It's graphic.

It's very specific. Yeah, so effectively, she says she reached out to him. Maybe he's at a bar or whatever. He's obviously drinking. Whatever she said to him, he took as an invitation to come over. She says, no, don't come over. Whether he saw that or not, he's... Next thing she knows, he's in the house.

Her house is unlocked. He shows up at her house. shows up. She says, don't come here. Right. You shouldn't be here. Right. And then, and then she says she feels, she's, he's so blackout drunk looking that she feels afraid. Right. And so just, she just complies. Which Tapper then distinguishes from consent. Right. So her version of the story, I think as everybody hears it, everybody's like, yeah, that probably happened. That feels like that was definitely her experience of how this went down. And she related to a friend in, I believe it was 2023. Yes. Which is very important because it's before his campaign starts.

and the friend is asking about him because she wants to introduce a friend, a friend of hers to him. And she says he can be charming and funny and he's a decently intelligent person. He's not all bad. But I ended up in a bad situation with him and I will just very politely call him consensually careless at times when drunk plus PTSD. And then she asks, does he force himself on people? forces himself on people. And she sends two responses. It appears that her response to that is

doesn't listen to you when drunk. Right. And so that to me is strong corroboration of her initial claim. Right. That she reached out to him, but then said, no, no, no, I don't actually want you to come over.

He came over anyway. She said, I don't want to do this. and then she was afraid and they did it anyway. And then she talks in the Tapper interview too about in the morning she says, so he slept over and in the morning she says do you even remember what happened last night?

And he says no basically. And he had tried to put his arm around her. So her impression is that he was just so blacked out he doesn't remember any of it. She's like, I don't ever want to speak to you again. He leaves. And then a few weeks, later when she wanted to make sure she wasn't pregnant because he had against her wishes.

She sent him an Instagram message saying like what you did was not all right that night. And then she waits for him to see it. It's seen. He never responds. And then after he doesn't respond, she blocks him on Instagram, blocks him on text message. Now that is her version because she's deleted her. She's deleted it. Instagram.

She says she did because she doesn't want to think about it anymore. Right, right. Canadian women are looking for more. More to themselves, their businesses, their elected leaders, and the world are at them. And that's why we're thrilled to introduce the Honest Talk podcast. I'm Jennifer Stewart. And I'm Catherine Clark. And in this podcast, we interview Canada's most inspiring women.

Entrepreneurs, artists, athletes, politicians, and newsmakers, all at different stages of their journey. So if you're looking to connect, then we hope you'll join us. Listen to the Honest Talk podcast on IHeartRadio or wherever you listen to your podcasts. Hey, I'm Hoda Kotby, host of the podcast, Joy 101 with Hoda Kotby. Okay, if you know me, you know this. I'm always searching for inspiration, for support, and useful tools to help maximize joy. So this podcast lets us uncover all of that Together, we're going to have these meaningful conversations with the world's most fascinating people. Like when actress Olivia Munn shared how she overcame fierce health challenges that she never saw coming. I've gone through breast cancer and then helped my mother through breast cancer, and that was more difficult.

There's a lot of people who understand postpartner depression. I was not prepared for postpartum anxiety. Olympic champ Sean Johnson revealed why she had no choice but to be a gymnast. There was something about gymnastics that was in toxic. It's given me a belief that we all have one of those treasures inside of us. We just have to find it. Listen to Joy 101 with Hoda Kotby on the IHeart Radio app, Apple Podcasts, or wherever you get your podcasts. Hey, everybody, it's the Jonas Brothers.

This week on the podcast, Hey Jonas, we're so excited to be hanging out with Mika Abdallah from the hit show off campus. Congratulations on the massive show and massive success. Got through about episode five. I left the next morning to go meet the guys. Came back. It was like, cool, let's pick up where we left off. that series had been completed without me.

Oh, no. That's like the number one rule of watching something. It's literally cheating. It's cheating. That's crazy. We talk about what it's been like watching the show become such a massive hit. What's next for season two? And just how close the off-campus cast really is.

We're genuinely so close. What's the group chat called? If you can say, if it's allowed to be said on the pod. That's a great question. One of them is off-campus Brazil. Okay. Love it. Shout out Brazil. Shout out Brazil.

Shout out Brazil. And then the, boys have their own group chat called Dean's B'I's. Our conversation with Mika Abdallah is out now. Go check it out. Listen to Hey Jonas in the IHeart Radio app, Apple Podcast, or wherever you get your podcast. As you can imagine in a situation like this, this is how our political system works at this moment. Just it's over.

The world just came down on him. You had everyone from kind of Rokana to re- have that, A7. We can put that up there on the screen. Congressman Kana, who was probably one of the, I would say, biggest supporters of Grant Platner, along with Bernie Sanders. I've been very clear that sexual assault or violence against women is a red line. These allegations are very serious and credible. Grand Platner should drop out from the race. I am withdrawing my endorsement. That was paired with the, probably more importantly, for Platner's purposes, was not just this, but we had Chuck Schumer and Kristen Gillibrand. who's the head of the Democratic campaign to elect senators saying that they would pull money if he did not drop out of the race, which is effectively death now. It means there would be no national support in this competitive Senate race. So the Senate Majority Leader, you also have, or the Senate leader Chuck Schumer, you also have Chris Gillibrand. You had a number of the super PACs, the big money efforts that were behind them. The main Democratic Party leader also came out with a statement saying that he should withdraw.

So his political support in the state and nationally has completely collapsed. He has yet to announce that he is going to withdraw. Right. And there's kind of two different things going on. And he alludes to it or references it directly in his own statement. One is the litigation of the allegations and what the consequences of those allegations should be. And then there's separately, but obviously relatedly, what the political impact of it is. Right. And in our system, it kind of doesn't matter. Like what, you know, the first doesn't matter for the second because the second happens first, the kind of the decision that this is over.

And I do think there's something troublingly kind of undemocratic about having political campaigns, getting, you know, people get fired up. And then if there is a damning story that comes out in Politico and CNN, together. Right. Within an hour, everything that all of those hundreds of thousands of people built together blows up. And there's something,

I feel like as a society, we should be taking a beat on when it comes to these questions. That's not the society we live in. Yeah, I mean, this is really complicated, right? Like you just said, it's two bros here who are talking about it. So it's a little difficult.

We can only approach it from our own perspective. But here's kind of like how I would see it. When I read this, immediately, if we're all being honest, there is not a ton of corroboration, right? We have the friend. The Facebook message is pretty persuasive. Yeah, in terms of how she saw it, but in terms of she was supposed to have told her therapist, the therapist did not respond to request for comment, right? So that wasn't supposed to be an additional thing. The therapist did not back up her story to Politico whenever she was asked.

Okay, I'm not impugning this woman in any way. I'm just saying we have to evaluate these things on its face. You're right, that the Facebook messages and all of that exists. Now, she says that there was some text message in which he felt like he was invited over. We don't know the content of this message because she deleted it. And he has not released. What was that message? And also, Jake Tapper, come on.

So you're interviewing this woman. The woman says, I sent him a message that he interpreted to be an invitation to come over. Right. You've been dating for two years. What that message is is extremely important. That's right. And we don't know what the content. Jake Tapper just blows right past it.

Well, and look, this is part of the deal. of assessing all of these things. And, you know, and I think beyond all of it, because I'm trying to separate it just from this story to the wholesome thing, in my opinion, if you're truly not guilty and this is an outrage, why would you consider even dropping out? Why wouldn't you vigorously defend yourself? Right. And the fact that he feels so contrite in the message, you can see it in his face, right? He doesn't usually talk that way. And the fact that he's saying, I'm assessing the future of my campaign. And now there's all these leaks that are coming out saying like, well, if Graham were to drop out, he would have to be replaced with

somebody who's true to his values, right? Like, so there's some negotiation. In my, again, just my opinion, considering the vigorous defense that he mounted after the original New York Times story compared to today, night and day difference, which kind of tells me, hey, at the very least, you know that something bad happened that day. I also think, and that there's more out there. And so that was the second thing. And let's put it in the totality then of what we know about Platner. This is not some Brett Kavanaugh 15-year-old situation. We're talking about this was five years ago. I mean, this show

was around whenever this allegedly happened, which is crazy to say. So this is very recent. This is literally in the lifetime of breaking points. And this is somebody who admits to having a drinking problem, PTSD, to engaging in these inappropriate relationships,

even both while he was married. So not that long ago, only a year or so ago. Ultimately, this is about bad judgment and bad character. Now, I am on the record, talking about character, judgment. I mean, to be honest, all of this behavior fits with a lot of the politicians that we know.

You have to basically be a raging narcissist to even want to do this job. It also is what makes them good at it. That's what makes you be a good communicator and then barnstorm the state and get people fired up and all of that, right? I'm just being real in terms of like the skill set if you read a history book for how it generally

seems to manifest itself. Now, all of that said, the reason why I think Plattenor is loadsome is two things, is that beyond the separate incident, so many people, you, Crystal, so many other people, they stuck their necks out for Platner. So I was in Maine on vacation,

and I'm taking a walk in Portland. It's 7.30 a.m. There are two guys in the pouring, it's pouring rain who are sitting there handing out free ice coffee for Grand Platner. They don't even have rain coats on. Maybe that's normal. For me, it was crazy.

And I think about those kids. because I'm like, these guys, they got themselves out of bed at 7.30 a.m. just to stop random bypassers and give him ice coffee and say, let me tell you about the campaign. That's who Platner betrayed. And when I say betrayed, it's not just in his behavior. It was his decision to run and it was secondary. Don't forget that in that Politico story that broke a month ago, after Platner meets with the entire Democratic caucus, Elizabeth Warren asked him straight up. She's like, look, be honest here, man. What else is out there? And he's, said there is nothing else that is out there. There are no more scandals. It was based on that word, which many of his supporters took to the bank, that if you knew that you were doing some stuff like this, again, not 25 years ago, I'm talking about five years ago. If you knew that you were rolling around blackout drunk, you know, in very questionable sexual relationships with a bunch of different women all across Maine, dude, you don't, you know, this is the post-me-to era. You who knew that there was some stuff out there. And frankly, especially,

I mean, a message like that, the fact that you didn't even respond, allegedly, according to her, that he didn't respond to that, that's a piece of shit behavior. That's right. At the very least, you should say, I'm very sorry that you felt that way. I don't know. I mean, something. Right. And it cuts against his, deeply narcissistic. It cuts against the story that he's been telling of redemption. Redemption. Because if he is finding redemption in community, which was the part of the story that that's so kind of moved me. That, well, you knew him. So I'm curious for how you feel. I mean, you've known him for a. long time. I can relate. I've also known politicians who, you know, who really stab you in the back. You stick your neck out for them and then you, you really, you feel burned. So I get it. To not, to not respond to that message. To not just sit down and have coffee. Right. And just hear her. Like, apparently he doesn't remember any of this. Right. Then ask her, tell, tell me what, like, what happened? Like, let me hear from you what happened. Like to just completely ignore cuts against this idea that he's, she's not on birth. control. So she's sitting around waiting, did I get pregnant? I mean, that's horrific. I mean, that is, that is horrific. It's not good. And relatedly, and I bet he would agree with this, when he moved

back to Maine, he starts oystering and he's starting to kind of find his meaning and purpose, guy should have quit drinking. Right. And he's talked about his problems with alcohol abuse. The problem with talking about that is that he's still drinking. Yeah, exactly. And it's not, It's not obvious that it's like under control. Certainly wasn't that night. Like that there's absolutely no question about that. Canadian women are looking for more. More to themselves, their businesses, their elected leaders, and the world are at them.

And that's why we're thrilled to introduce the Honest Talk podcast. I'm Jennifer Stewart. And I'm Catherine Clark. And in this podcast, we interview Canada's most inspiring women. Entrepreneurs, artists, athletes, politicians, and newsmakers, all at different stages of their journey. So if you're looking to connect, then we hope you'll join us. Listen to the Honest Talk podcast on IHeartRadio or wherever you listen to your podcasts. Hey, I'm Hoda Kotby, host of the podcast, Joy 101 with Hoda Kotby. Okay, if you know me, you know this. I'm always searching for inspiration,

for support, and useful tools to help maximize joy. So this podcast lets us uncover all of that Together, we're going to have these meaningful conversations with the world's most fascinating people. Like when actress Olivia Munn shared how she overcame fierce health challenges that she never saw coming. I've gone through breast cancer and then helped my mother through breast cancer, and that was more difficult. There's a lot of people who understand postpartner depression. I was not prepared for postpartum anxiety. Olympic champ Sean Johnson revealed why she had no choice but to be a gymnast. There was something about gymnastics that was in toxic.

It's given me a belief that we all have one of those treasures inside of us. We just have to find it. Listen to Joy 101 with Hoda Kotby on the IHeart Radio app, Apple Podcasts, or wherever you get your podcasts. Hey, everybody, it's the Jonas Brothers. This week on the podcast, Hey Jonas, we're so excited to be hanging out with Mika Abdallah from the hit show off campus. Congratulations on the massive show and massive success. Got through about episode five. I left the next morning to go meet the guys. came back, was like, cool, let's pick up where we left off.

And that series had been completed without me. Oh, no. That's like the number one rule of watching something. It's literally cheating. It's cheating. That's crazy. We talk about what it's been like watching the show become such a massive hit. What's next for season two?

And just how close the off-campus cast really is. We're genuinely so close. What's the group chat called? If you can say, if it's allowed to be said on the pod. That's a great question. One of them is off-campus Brazil. Okay. Love it.

Shout up Brazil. Abra-Zal. And then the boys have their own group chat called Dean's Bs. Our conversation with Mika Abdallah is out now. Go check it out. Listen to Hey Jonas in the IHeart Radio app, Apple Podcasts, or wherever you get your podcast. To your point about the people who were so driven to support him, when those people sort of drop, it's one thing when the politicians leave you, because they have their own self-preservation. to think. They hated him anyways.

Well, yes, that's true. But not all of them. Yeah. In the ones that liked him, they have their own interests as well. The volunteers who were just there for him and his movement, more particularly the movement and the message that he's delivering, they were dropping very quickly. We put this next element. It's A6. This is from Nathan Bernard drop site reporter who's been covering the race for us, flagged a bunch of these.

This is his volunteer discourse. And like one person says, for instance, I don't necessarily want Graham to win. I want his, parentheses, our political ideas to win. He is not coming back from this and we should find someone to carry the ideals now. People can be flawed. This is the discord of the volunteers. People can be flawed and become better. But hanging your movement on the coattails of somebody credibly accused of sexual assault is the exact thing we are trying to do better than. Another person says, if this is all true, I am obviously the most heartbroken for this poor woman. who lived through something no woman should ever have to endure. But I'm also, to a lesser extent, heartbroken for all the volunteers, who believed in Graham his message in his campaign and really thought he was a vehicle for change. And I'm ashamed I supported someone who could do something like that again, waiting for more to come out and not rushing to a snap judgment, but this is my gut reaction. Another person's Graham had great policies.

I hope someone whose character aligns with those policies steps up. Another person says, I'm in so much pain. and other says he needs to drop out now and the whole thing is really heartbreaking. And this was the sentiment kind of across the volunteer chat that a feeling of betrayal, but also a commitment that what they were fighting for was bigger than just one person. They very quickly started gravitating towards, we can put up the next element here. This is also from Nathan Bernard, people saying, This is very early on.

Good run, guys, back Troy Jackson. Another person says, Troy has virtually the same politics. I feel like he's the obvious answer. Anyone else that reads as a more establishment picked and were definitely cooked. Honestly, somebody else says, having him endorse someone like Troy

could be an interesting moment to see how this kind of politics polls without any baggage. And in the Troy, Jackson Discord, people started popping too, Because this is... Why don't you tell us about Troy Jackson? Troy Jackson, so he's a really interesting case. He, you would actually like him.

He, because, listen to this, he got his start in politics. He was politicized as an anti-immigrant activist. Really? Wow. Now, there's some contours. So he's a Bernie guy? There's some contours to this. He's a logger from Northern Maine. Yes.

So in the late 1990s, Canada and Maine got in a fight over labor rights, and a bunch of Canadian loggers started taking jobs in dangerous working conditions and lower pay from Maine loggers. And so when I say anti-immigrant, he's anti-Canadian immigrant. That's fine. Yeah. I don't discriminate. Yeah, exactly. You don't discriminate your anti-immigrant.

And so he is at the time basically not political. He's in the union of loggers. And he participates in protests and even civil disobedience. They filed something like 137 complaints through different OSHA labor boards and otherwise fighting against what they saw as the Canadian exploitation of Canadian migrant labor. And they were getting nowhere. So they started engaging in civil disobedience as well. then he gets into politics and he runs for the state legislature as a Republican. That's what I'm saying you really love him.

He loses a very close race against this very entrenched Democrat. It's one of these rural main areas that had been Democratic for decades. He then runs the next cycle as an independent and beats the Democrat. So unseats this guy over time he converts then to a Democrat. He then ends up becoming president of the Senate. So he becomes like a significant figure in the state, as significant as you can be in a small state like that, but his president of the Senate.

He ran for a governor in this cycle, and he came very close to winning. Because of the ranked choice voting process, it looked like he very much had a chance even after election day to end up, end up with a nomination. He fell a little bit short. Platner endorsed him.

He endorsed Platner. They kind of ran together as this working class ticket. And people would often say that Troy Jackson was what people thought Platner was. Because Platner had this complicated background with his dad's a lawyer.

He was a rich kid. And he spent a year at the Hotchkiss. Then he goes to the Marines. Whereas Troy Jackson, his mom, mom was 16. It's like actual logger. He didn't.

It's not for me to decide who's a real mainer. But you guys can decide. His mom was 16 when she had him. He went to community college and then he became a logger. Right. Like, so that that's, that's a kind of more straightforward understanding of what that. But the question now is, and this is part of it, this is, look, I mean, to your point, you're not wrong. Like, there is an undemocratic nature to this.

The current traction, you correct me if I'm wrong, is I understand it. main Democratic Party is considering doing some sort of super delegate convention where they get to decide who the nominee is going to be. I mean, I got to be honest, I do have a problem with that. Like, that is a little bit like what happened with Biden and Kamala. And it was kind of a disaster. And so. No, no, no, it's not at all. Oh, sorry, no, you're right, because there wasn't even a super delegate process. So you tell me, I mean, I don't know the composition of the main Democratic Party. Is it the similar nature? I mean, because Janet Mills, obviously, it did not look like.

Platner was beloved by the Maine Democratic establishment. He was a total outsider who ran overwhelmingly won the primary. However, you know, now you basically have the hands back in the establishment, you know, for not just Janet Mills, but all these super delicate people. And they're going to choose. Like one of the people apparently who's being floated is like, what, Biden's CDC director? I mean, it doesn't take a political genius to say, that may be a little bit of a problem up in Maine. Right.

Just my opinion. Who shot? Yeah. Yeah. Yeah. And which is funny, somebody asked Nirov Shah on Twitter yesterday, is, would you take A-PAC money and Israel committing a genocide? And immediately he's like, they're committing a genocide wouldn't take A-PAC money. So it's funny, like now you have political candidates pandering in the opposite direction.

Like, I don't know whether he believes that or not. Right. But he clearly understands that given the momentum that Graham Platner had, like, you're not, you're not, you're not, getting into this position with with public support. Maybe you can get it. The establishment could force you on on the party, but you're going to lose then at that point. Like you need.

Yeah, but is it legitimate? It's one of those where, you know, is it, look, I don't know anything. For me, CDC director under COVID, I'm like, no, it's like, I'm a crazy person. I think that's ridiculous. Certainly he's in the running. I think it'd be ridiculous if he ran for governor as well.

It did not win. It would be ridiculous if they go, if they go, if they go with him. But, so they have until the 13th or 14th for Platner to drop out. Six days. Yeah. And so he has leverage in that sense. Because if he doesn't drop out, then they lose the seat.

So he can say, look, I will drop out in exchange, and this is my understanding of what's going on, I will drop out in exchange for this. For Jackson. Maybe for Jackson, or for a genuinely fair process that allows, the real grassroots energy in the party to pick at a kind of shotgun rapid convention to pick a nominee. And that's not just Janet Mills's team picking somebody. And Mills, as far as I can tell, nobody's interested in her being the nominee,

and she's not interested in being the nominee. It seems like. I think she's not obtuse enough to try to obtain it. But, I mean, long story short. Yeah, go ahead. So in 2020-2040, I was urging Democrats to have this snack. convention. Like, just have a three-week.

Right, a mini-primary. Bite it out on CNN, do the polls, and then let the delegates vote. And yes, there's super deliots, but there's also delegates. So a lot of these party activists in Maine and county chairs and county vice chairs. Like, they liked Grand Platner a lot. They didn't like Mills, obviously. Mills lost. So maybe let that process play out.

That has to happen, I think, by the 26th, the 7th or something like that. So it has to happen fairly. So it has to happen fairly quickly. But you could then say, okay, here are the, Nirov Shah wants to get in, Troy Jackson wants to get in, we go to the convention, and there will be polling at the same time. So even though it's not a statewide vote, like right, there's a poll circulating right now that shows Jackson beating Collins by five. And he has the highest gap head to head of any of the other ones that are being floated. we're going to continue to see those polls get published between now and the end of July, and that will factor into how these state party actors decide.

I will say having just been to Maine, you know, it's a very competitive primary. Not a lot of signs. They're like, not just like no signs, like no political signs. It's nice. So thank you, Mainers. It's beautiful. It's like everyone's the weather's just so good. They're like, forget about it.

We're all just going to hang out. You know, I'm curious, you know, if you want to go into any of it, just like how. should the left be thinking about? Because I think there's probably a lot of people out there were very heartbroken. And, you know, I mean, does it make you assess like how it handled the Lindsay Fyfield thing and get questions about his character?

Because to be honest, for me, I thought that the New York Times story was bullshit. And I'm not saying that about Lindsay. I'm saying, this is total, he said, this isn't the fact that she's Republican. And you could say Sauger, but this one is like that too. And I'm like, you're right, but it's a little bit

different. Like when we're talking about forcible rape versus like, oh, he grabbed my arm in a drunken situation. I mean, you have no idea, right? And something like that. And this one, you know, it's like the implications are so horrendous. It's basically a crime, right? Yeah. With this being alleged here, like a category one felony or whatever, class eight felony.

So the question I think is, I mean, the red crumbs were there. Like when we put this one with the rest of them, it does make sense. And I think that's the problem. It's like, yep, drunken behavior, sexual philanderer, bad, you know, bad judge with the tattoo, which, can we all just acknowledge he knew it was a Nazi tattoo? Ryan, he obviously knew. When he got it? Huh?

Yeah, he knew. I think he learned at some point. Dude, he knew it was a Nazi tattoo. Everybody in the Marine... Here's his defense. There are a bunch of Marine Corps guys who have the same tattoo, all right? I don't particularly care. His buddies say they didn't know it either.

Come on, dude. This is very good. Marine Scout snipers, all these other people. They brag about it. They're like, it's a Toten coffee tattoo. For them, you know, it's, like, they can give you a whole explanation about Waffen SS versus SS. whatever. All right, you know, are they truly Nazis in their heart? No, I don't think so. And, like,

that's what it came down to. But I'm saying his adrenaline, adventure seeking, total, you know, look, he joined Blackwater or whatever. It was called. He was an adrenaline junkie. He had bad judgment. He was an alcoholic. Like, you know, the signs were there, right? Yeah, I'm kind of of two minds of it. On the one hand, the people who were saying there are red flags everywhere, beware, are obviously vindicated. Yeah. Like that, Their spidey sense went off. They sensed something. And now they can say what I told you so.

At the same time, I do want to draw a line at where exactly were you getting those red flags? If it's that he codes as this gruff kind of working class guy, I do not want to concede that, therefore, he's probably a rapist. And that we need to just kind of cordon off all of those people from our, from decent society. So I do not regret it all drawing that line. You meet people where they are. And then when new information emerges, you evaluate that information. You do not assume the worst about a person based on how they look. Like this is America.

We understand that for every gender and race. we have to also apply that to white working class men as well. Yes, obviously. So on the other hand, when people are like, well, yeah, but if you look at some of the Reddit posts and you get deeper into them, you see some real dehumanizing language, and that is the red flag I'm talking about. For somebody who says that, I'm like, okay, you know what?

Yeah. That was, that's being born out. That's being an anecdote where he's like, I want somebody to break in so I can rape them. Like, it looks a little different now, right? You know, it's like, and I mean, I think you're right is we have to meet people where they are. His story was one of redemption. This was five years ago, man.

I'm not saying you can't redeem yourself, but it's like, dude, you're full-blown alcoholic, obviously. You have problems. You're PTSD. We can all understand that. You know, anybody who has dealt with veterans. However, you know, some behavior is genuinely like it's bad, right? And it's one of those. And it's also pretty deep into his redemption arc.

Obviously, redemption is not one day you wake up and you're a good person. person. Right. On the other hand, this is like an extreme violation. And it's pretty far into after having gone back and doing the, he's oystering, he's with his community, his family. So, and yeah, I do think it goes back to the self-medicating with alcohol and alcohol abuse. Yeah. And that, which is not an excuse for what he did. Not at all. Yeah, we can see here. So I don't know. I mean, I really do, because I met some of them in Portland. They were so excited. That's where I'm like Platner, man, you're loathsome because you fucked those people.

Like you, they went out there literally in the pouring rain to go and to talk to people. And you told them nothing else was coming. And you betrayed their trust. And a lot of other people stuck their next hour for you and a lot of other people. And it's like, man, like that. To me, there is no higher crime than that as a politician because people believe in. And I felt this way, you know, when you believe in somebody. And it's not that they stab you in the back because they betray what they told you that they were going to do.

I mean, there's no higher crime, right? Especially on the fringes. At the same time, I do want to say all these people, Pearl Clutching in Washington, you better be real careful, all right, because, you know, I've heard plenty of stories about a lot of different people who are in this town. That is also very true. You know, just because you're doing it while you're wearing a tuxedo and you've got the power broker behind, you doesn't make it better, I'm just saying.

And I do think it, as a society, I do think we need to sit with this rush, this, this, very fast rush to judgment that we do. Right. And it's... Yeah, I've always been anti-Meetoo. This is fine. It's like because, you know, it gets completely out of control. I will say, though, you know, in the pantheon of all of them, like this, because this accusation is in Weinstein territory, not Aziz Ansarian territory, right?

If you'll recall, like, there's a big different, right? And so there's breadcrumbs that were kind of Azizanari-ish to the middle, and now you have this. It does make it genuinely, genuinely different. So there you go. That's our long take. And I hope it was helpful and for everybody thinking about it. We're going to do a hard left turn.

Let's go to FIFA. Canadian women are looking for more. More to themselves, their businesses, their elected leaders, and the world are out of them. And that's why we're thrilled to introduce the Honest Talk podcast. I'm Jennifer Stewart. And I'm Catherine Clark. And in this podcast, we interview Canada's most inspiring women, entrepreneurs, artists, athletes, politicians, and newsmakers, all at different stages of their journey.

So if you're looking to connect, then we hope you'll join us. Listen to the Honest Talk podcast on IHartRadio or wherever you listen to your podcasts. Hey, I'm Hoda Kotby, host of the podcast, Joy 101 with Hoda Kotby. Okay, if you know me, you know this. I'm always searching for inspiration, for support, and useful tools to help maximize joy. So this podcast lets us uncover all of that together. We're going to have these meaningful conversations with the world's most fascinating people. Like when actress Olivia Munn shared how she overcame fierce health challenges that she never saw coming.

I've gone through breast cancer and then helped my mother through breast cancer. And that was more difficult. There's a lot of people who understand postpartner depression. I was not prepared for postpartum anxiety. Olympic champ Sean Johnson revealed why she had no choice. but to be a gymnast. There was something about gymnastics that was intoxicating to me.

It's given me a belief that we all have one of those treasures inside of us. We just have to find it. Listen to Joy 101 with Hoda Kotby on the IHeart Radio app, Apple Podcasts, or wherever you get your podcasts. Hey, everybody, it's the Jonas Brothers.

This week on the podcast, Hey Jonas, we're so excited to be hanging out with Mika Abdallah from the hit show off campus. Congratulations on the massive show and massive success. Got through about episode I left the next morning to go meet the guys.

Came back, I was like, cool, let's pick up where we left off. And that series had been completed without me. Oh, no. That's like the number one rule of watching something. It's literally cheating. It's cheating. Like, that's crazy. We talk about what it's been like watching the show become such a massive hit. What's next for season two?

And just how close the off-campus cast really is. We're genuinely so close. What's the group chat called? If you can say, if it's allowed to be said on the pod. That's a great question. One of them is off-campus Brazil. Okay, love it. Shout up Brazil.

Shout up Brazil. And then the boys have their own group chat called Dean's B'I. Our conversation with Mika Abdallah is out now. Go check it out. Listen to Hey Jonas in the IHeart Radio app, Apple Podcast, or wherever you get your podcast. Turning now to FIFA, for those of you who stayed up late to watch Team USA lose to Belgium. Late for Sala. Very late for me.

Oh, my God. All right. Let's put this one up here on the show. screen. There it is. 4 to 1, one of which was a humiliating goal against the United States. This all despite President Trump's intervention on behalf of Team USA for this huge game, which took place in Seattle yesterday. We had, I know you guys covered it and Ryan, you cheered it. I cheered it on as well for once, you know, you use corruption to benefit the country. I also think, I defend it. You should defend it. And you know why? Because, you know, this is what, look, I mean, I'm not. I'm not

not a huge soccer president. Even before this, I did not watch a lot of the World Cup. It was while I was off. Some of my family were watching it. And that kind of, you know, I got bitten by the bug. And this is a higher stakes to knockout and all that. So I started watching some more of the games. And it genuinely was fun, really fun to root for Team USA. So I do actually think it was one of those moments where, you know, say what you will, Kamala would not have gotten the red card. Okay? We all know it. Like, we know this. She's not making that call. She would never make the call. She also wouldn't win the FIFA Peace Prize. And she would not win the FIFA. a piece prize, the most coveted prize

that there is. So here's Trump confirming yes, I mean, I guess we should meditate here on the Trump curse because remember the one Nick's game that he went to they lost and now the one game where he put his thumb on the scale, we lost. I forget who said, it's like a part in my

take thing where they're like one of the reasons why you should never go to automatic roughing is because fans need something to blame. Like we need people. You know, we need to be like, it was total bullshit Balagan, like it was a reggae, we would have won that game. And now you're like, I don't know.

What can you say? It's a disaster, right? We need that hope. But here's Trump confirming, and I think, you know, this isn't just going to be about the team USA loss. It's actually about how Trump has opened up, this can of worms, where now every major leader in the world is trying to use their influence on FIFA and is actually doing it to to some effect. So here is Trump talking about his phone call with FIFA's Infantino,

specifically about how he pressured him to take the balligan Red Card away. Let's take a listen. You're asking me about the whole soccer thing? So yeah, I did. I spoke to Johnny, who's highly respected. I saw the play, and I'm a person that loves sports and was a good athlete, and I understand sports really well, really well. And that's a person. And that's a person. That wasn't a foul. That wasn't even an infraction. There was two guys running full speed that happened to crash into each other. You can't take your foot and properly place it on somebody else's foot when you're going, no, these were two great athletes that got tangled up. And this referee who is a little bit suspect? If you check his past, I don't want to say that because I don't like to create. controversy, but very suspect. If you'd like, I'll provide you with the past. He made a call that nobody could believe.

You know, even people on the other side, they said, oh, we got lucky, wow, that's, and it's very interesting. They say they don't show them in slow motion, and I never realize that, I never heard of that before, that they're not allowed to review in slow motion because it's so different, because you'll take one little quarter of a second and you'll see that a hand is touching a neck or you see something. Yes, I asked for a review by FIFA. I spoke to a man who's highly respected,

and by the way, whose level of respect has gone up tenfold. This game would have a big mark on it. If we lost, if we won, no matter what happened, you have to let them use their best players. And the game tonight's going to be amazing, and we're going to have a full team, and Belgium's going to have a full team. And you know what? If they beat us, then they can be really proud. The other way, if they beat us, we'll say it was, I say it was rigged, just like the election was rigged in 2020. But Trump, the athlete, describing his phone call. I mean, he, objectively, the red card was complete BS, right? If you, I'm an American, I have to agree. Yeah. Right. So, what was funny, though, about this was everyone in American leadership was very high on the hog,

because they really believe this is it. We're going to. win. And so, for example, here's the Secretary of State. Let's put this one up here on the screen, Secretary of State, Rubio. He was at a meeting yesterday. We would play the audio for you, but it's really messed up. He was at a meeting at the State Department. Today, him and Trump are actually meeting in Ankara with the entire NATO delegation. And so he will come face to face with the, I think it's prime minister, right, of Belgium. And Rubio here says, maybe turning it into an international incident, I don't know. Maybe we'll bring it up at NATO tomorrow with the Belgians and everybody else.

Quote, if you're Belgium, why would you want to play a game and win a match and then everybody will argue that you didn't really win it, right? And so, yeah, I agree, right? I mean, we should have had it so that we could all blame the fact that he did not show up. And we also had, this is just some other hilarious stuff here in terms of FIFA. Let's put B5 up here on the screen. The president of FIFA, Gianni Inventino, he says, I have seen the public comments regarding the decision of independent FIFA disciplinary committee related to the suspension of Valagan,

and I would like to reiterate a fundamental principle of FIFA governance. FIFA's judicial bodies are independent. They operate autonomously, apply the disciplinary code, and decide cases based on the applicable regulations and specific facts before them. Their independence is essential to the credibility and integrity of football, and this must always be respected. Yes, I regularly discuss matters related to the FIFA World Cup with the president of the United States. And on this matter, I did receive a call from President Trump, just as I received

calls from heads of state, government officials, football stakeholders, and business executives from around the world on many different issues. During our conversation, I explained that there was an ongoing legal process involving FIFA independent judicial body and that the case would be decided in due course. That is how the FIFA system works. And as a principle, I will always uphold. So he says, he says, I even read the decision sometimes, and I'm surprised, sometimes I agree, and sometimes I disagree. And he says, finally, respect for independent institutions and the rule of law is what protects the integrity of our competitions and the credibility of FIFA at all times. And you will be shocked to learn that even, even SEP bladder, who is one of the most corrupt, you know, FIFA officials

literally of all time, had said that you can't be doing this. So let's put the B6 up here on the screen. He says red cards are not overturned by political phone calls. They're overturned by rules, evidence, and independent bodies if a U.S. President intervenes with the FIFA president and a player is suddenly cleared before a World Cup knockout match. The question is unavoidable. I cannot say these words. Was it Kuo Vadie FIFA? Football must never become a playground for political power. So, there you have it, right? When Step Ladder is calling you out, you have a problem. You have a problem. It's so fun. Well, first of all, the credibility of FIFA is such a funny phrase Yes.

Exactly. Credibility of FIFA. On the other hand, I don't know whether or not the people in the U.S. understand, like, how this is perceived internationally. Like, it's just, it just looks like the most kind of grotesque and blunt bullying from a bull in a FIFA china shop here. Like, also, I think you're not supposed to get called. this blatantly trying to exert political influence.

Like you're supposed to like meet at the four seasons and talk about a future contract that you're going to give to whatever quote unquote independent judge is on this football panel. See, I prefer it out. Miraculously they get this contract and all of a sudden they're living. They've got a really nice vacation home in Greece somewhere. Right. You don't, but we're just so like Trump is just so. he's corrupt from the chest

in this case though don't you prefer it you're like yeah I call them he's like we're the host country it's bullshit I'm the most powerful leader in the world no we can't be having this soon as the story came out I knew like yeah oh as soon as Trump has a press conference we're gonna hear all the details of this corruption if he was Nixon yeah oh he would never be talk about it right no Trump would

no but if Trump were president in the 70s he's like yeah he's like I want I sent the I sent my guys into Ellsberg's psychiatrist's office because he's crazy and I wanted to prove it to the American people and the DNC is trying to rig the economy and they're in the water gate so I sent my guys in there.

I mean, yeah, I mean... And there's some truth to it, right? I guess that's it. That's it, that's it. But here's my favorite part is now, let's put B7 up here on the screen, is after this whole situation, the French Football Federation

has now appealed to FIFA to rescind one of their players yellow cards during the World Cup last 16 win over Paraguay. The star player was booked after an altercation who went to ground holding his face, but replace Joe, he was actually holding his shirt. And so the French are like, hey, you know, we're pretty good. We're powerful. We have nuclear weapons. Yeah, we do. Hey, we really, soccer is our sport, right? You know, it's one of our major sports. If you're handing out favors, let's hand out a few. We also have this one. Let's put B8 up here on the screen.

man, these people, it's crazy. Honestly, again, I had no idea how much influence there was here. So apparently, this just happened. Kier Starmar helped stop an earlier kickoff between England and Mexico. So the outgoing prime minister gave English players, quote, a few extra hours to acclimatize to the Mexico City altitude. FIFA wanted to rescheduled England's football match in Mexico City by several hours, keeping the kickoff set for 1 a.m. Monday morning UK time. FIFA had considered starting it at 7 p.m. UK time, friendlier for British viewers, but tougher on English players who had to acclimatize to Mexico City's grueling high elevation.

The departing PM was contacted by the English Football Association to alert him before a full-blown diplomatic intervention by the government. Because it is, what is this, like 7,000 feet up or something, in Mexico City. So now all of a sudden you've got heads of state. Again, you've got a nuclear arm power here. They're like, hey, you know, we once ruled a cease. It's like you have to listen to us here. Premier League and all the half of our players are playing now currently here in FIFA. So you've got to listen, I think, to a little bit of us.

But I think the overwhelming consensus here is just a classic FIFA moment. As I understand, again, I'm very new to this. So please forgive me. I'm doing my best. If Crystal were here, she would do much better than I do. She watched like the entire World Cup. But as I, from what I know here, you know, I watched the documentary about FIFA and Qatar and all of their insane corruption going back decades. Like this very much fits with FIFA as a World Cup as to how it all went down, the Peace Prize, Trump's overall intervention.

And then the poetic, you know, justice, I guess, for us is that we lost in humiliating fashion. So there it is. That's it. So I guess we'll see. Does Norway have the juice to rig this to rig it for them? Because that's why I'm rooting for now. I don't know about you, right? I might have even been in that documentary.

Were you in that documentary? You're in everything. One of this crazy. Ryan was in the Jolo documentary, which one of my favorite books, billion dollars. What is it, billion dollar whale? Aweil, great, great book. The, yeah, because I did the story about how the UAE devised this entire plan to tank Cutter's currency and hold it hostage. The Gattari Real?

Yeah, in order to then force them to share the World Cup. It did it with Prince Andrew. That is so crazy. And this bank that Prince Andrew was associated with. I was going to high school in Qatar when they got the World Cup. And I was looking around, I was like, here? I was like, it's 130 degrees outside. I was like, how is anybody going to play here?

I was like, you can't even drink in this country. How is this going to work? I was totally right, by the way. This is why you got to sign up for the newsletter because I'll put the link to that article about the UAE and Qatar and the World Cup in the newsletter. It's only in the newsletter. Rakeapapointe. It's only in the newsletter.

Who are you written for? I'm going for Norway. The Halang guy, I love this dude. Norway, I would love to see this. We got to see his Viking physiognomy is just so funny to me. It's hilarious. And, yeah, I mean, English, it's like, we got to see, we got to see the Vikings triumph, you know, over, over the English and just win. It just really funny.

It is really fun. You're rooting for Spain? I think so. Okay. But I would be, I'd be pleased to see the Viking guy with it. Yeah, yeah. I mean, he needs it. You know, America loves this guy.

He's wearing cowboy hats in Texas is great. Joy is essential and it's also elusive. But now, there's a new and exciting way to start your journey toward a more joyful existence. Joy 101. It's a new podcast hosted by me, Hoda Kotby. If you're craving inspiration to maximize your joy, tune into these candid, uplifting, and moving on-air chats. Open your free IHeart Radio app. Search Joy 101 and listen now.

Joy 101 with Hoda Kotopi is presented by CVS. My first guest is Terence Hilton, Shakira, Luke, and Yerrin. You have surprises? Many surprises. Welcome to the Sweet 305 podcast where the group check comes to life. What on? You're the only person I know that loves a yellow starburst. It's lemonade.

This is Sweet 305. Here, oversharing is encouraged. Listen to Sweet 305 with Lele Pons on the IHart Radio app. podcast or wherever you get your podcasts. American soccer has exploded. The knockout rounds are here. The U.S. won their group, and now every match is winner go home. I'm Tad Ramos.

And I'm Tom Boger. On our podcast, Inside American Soccer, we'll talk about the real storylines. Discuss the tactics that actually decide matches. And give you the truth about the U.S. national team from inside the program. Whether you're a lifelong fan or this is your first World Cup. We've got you covered. Listen, Inside American Soccer with Tom Bowman. and Tabramas on the IHeart Radio app, Apple Podcasts, wherever you get your podcast.

This is an IHeart podcast. Guaranteed Human.