The Philip DeFranco Show - Is Trump Sick & Dying? Epstein Files Forced Vote Fallout & Taylor Swift AI Bots Are Getting Worse...

Episode Date: September 2, 2025

Visit https://tecovas.yt.link/Uo9Q2bi, use code PHIL10 to get your new favorite pair of boots today! Go to https://hensonshaving.com/DEFRANCO and enter DEFRANCO at checkout for 100 blades with purchase. (Note: you must add both the blades and the razor for the discount to apply.) https://BeautifulBastard.com Grab your new Tees, crewnecks, and tanks rn! LISTEN TO THE SHOW iTunes: https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/the-philip-defranco-show/id1278424954 Spotify: https://open.spotify.com/show/6ESemquRbz6f8XLVywdZ2V WATCH/LISTEN TO MY NEW PODCAST w/ Terry Moran Spotify: https://open.spotify.com/episode/6XruCLiALs3MOFx1RK0N0E Youtube: https://youtu.be/GFv9sofZUZ4?si=xf7cmBrfabTwYRjg iTunes: https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/in-good-faith-with-philip-defranco/id1827016835 JOIN OUR COMMUNITY 📸Instagram: https://instagram.com/PhillyDeFranco 🐦Twitter: https://twitter.com/phillyd 🎵TikTok: https://www.tiktok.com/@philipdefranco Thanks to Tecovas for sponsoring this video! Visit https://tecovas.yt.link/Uo9Q2bi and my code to get 10% off your new favorite pair of boots today (first purchase only) TODAY’S STORIES 00:00 - Trump Announces Space Command Relocation After Death Conspiracies 06:23 - AI Celebrity Chatbots on Meta Are Flirting with Children 10:35 - Sponsored by Tecovas 11:38 - Leaked “Gaza Rivera” White House Plan Envisions Total ‘Voluntary’ Relocation 16:26 - More Than 1,000 “Workers Over Billionaires” Rallies Took Place on Labor Day 20:26 - Sponsored by Henson Shaving 21:29 - Quick News Round Up From D.C., the U.S. Open, and More THE TEAM Produced by: Cory Ray Edited by: James Girardier, Maxwell Enright, Julie Goldberg, Christian Meeks, Matthew Henry Art Department: William Crespo Writing/Research: Philip DeFranco, Brian Espinoza, Lili Stenn, Maddie Crichton, Chris Tolve, Star Pralle, Jared Paolino ———————————— #DeFranco #DonaldTrump #TaylorSwift Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Ontario, the wait is over. The gold standard of online casinos has arrived. Golden Nugget Online Casino is live. Bringing Vegas-style excitement and a world-class gaming experience right to your fingertips. Whether you're a seasoned player or just starting. Signing up is fast and simple. And in just a few clicks, you can have access to our exclusive library of the best slots and top-tier table games. Make the most of your downtime with unbeatable promotions and jackpots that can turn any mundane moment into a golden

opportunity at Golden Nugget Online Casino. Take a spin on the slots, challenge yourself at the tables, or join a live dealer game to feel the thrill of real-time action, all from the comfort of your own devices. Why settle for less when you can go for the gold at Golden Nugget Online Casino. Gambling problem call connects Ontario 1866531-260. 19 and over, physically present in Ontario. Eligibility restrictions apply. See Golden Nuggett Casino.com for details. Please play responsibly. Reading, playing, learning. Stellist lenses do more than just correct your child's vision. They slow down the progression of myopia.

So your child can continue to discover all the world has to offer through their own eyes. Light the path to a brighter future with stellar lenses for myopia control. Learn more at SLOR.com. And ask your family eye care professional for SLR Stellist lenses at your child's next visit. Is Donald Trump sick and dying right now? Trump's Epstein problem is officially back as Congress returns. This meta-AI Taylor-Swift problem is worse than most people realize. You've got a wild millionaire CEO hat snatching scandal of the U.S. Open.

And you need to know about the League Gaza Riviera plans. We're talking about all of that and even more on today's brand new Philip DeFranco show you daily dive into the news, starting with this. Donald Trump is dead. That is what you had tons of people saying over the weekend with searches of, is Trump dead? Trump dead and where is Trump just exploding on Google and taking up the top two trending topics on X? Right, and all of this, it started when people were like, hey, where's the president been for the last three days? I haven't seen him on TV actively trying to subvert the Constitution or just like crush somebody.

Well, you know, that would have been completely normal for Joe Biden, who you really didn't know what he was doing until all of a sudden he was like licking an ice cream cone or like falling down off of his bike. For many, it just didn't feel normal with Trump because he's one of the most visible figures on earth and he kind of bathes in everyone's attention. So when this rumor took off, the last time anyone had seen him in public was during that, that rambling four-hour-long cabinet meeting on Tuesday. And most people say, if you call him a dictator, if he stops crime, he can be whatever he wants. I'm not a dictator, by the way, but he can be whatever he wants. Right, and in that, you could clearly see the dark bruise on his right hand

that observers have spotted since spring of last year. There's been a lot of focus on that hand of his, and for a lack of better term, his cancels. And regarding his hand, you know, you had some speculating it's from skin cancer, or perhaps routine IV therapy for an undisclosed medical condition. But back in February, citing Trump's doctor, you had press secretary Caroline Levitt, blaming the bruise on a combination of aspirin and just shaken so many damn hands all day. But that it didn't satisfy many who were skeptical, who noted that Trump was making efforts to conceal his injury with very poorly applied makeup. And then of course in July, everyone

noticed his swollen ankles, which is doctor diagnosed his chronic venous insufficiency, which he called a common and benign condition of being old. But again, you had skeptics insisting there's got to be more going on and with that pointing to Trump's flubs and mental gaps. Or the things that if and when Biden did or even got close to would just dominate the news cycle for weeks. So when he didn't appear in public on Wednesday, Thursday, or Friday, And then journalist Laura Rosen pointed out that his schedule had nothing planned for Saturday, Sunday, or Monday. People went wild. Some 200,000 posts on just X alone talking about did our 79-year-old president take his final breath? And also when you went through them, many of them crossing their fingers. In the midst of this, all of a sudden, things that didn't raise too many eyebrows initially became evidence of his supposed debt. We're like this answer that J.D. Vance gave on Thursday to USA Today talking about whether he's ready to be president if Trump dies. Yes, terrible tragedies happen. But I feel very confident that President United States. States is in good shape, is going to serve out the remainder of his term, and do great things for the American people. And if, God forbid, there's a terrible tragedy. I can't think of better

on the job training than what I've gotten over the last 200 days. Right. And then you had things like this answer that Trump gave last month during an interview with Fox and friends about Ukraine, in which he went off on a tangent about his own mortality. I want to try and get to heaven if possible. I'm hearing I'm not doing well. I hear really at the bottom of the totem pole. Did the foot? But if I can get to heaven. Right. And then on the furthest fringes, you had some people even suggesting that the White House may have been flying flags at half staff because the president was already dead. There, that was actually for the school shooting in Minnesota. But notably, throughout this whole frenzy, you had Trump or whoever posts for Trump at

time still posting on truth social and his usual all-cap style. The situation seemingly being put to bed on Saturday because reporters took photos of him golfing with his grandchildren at Trump National Golf Club in Virginia. Right in that is the daily caller is Reagan Reese, seemingly putting the final nail in the coffin with the post, I wake up to see people freaking out that Trump's sick or dead or something because he hasn't been seen in a few days. And saying, I was with the president yesterday afternoon, I interviewed him for an hour. He was lively and chatting. Trump then seeming to address it himself for the first time on Sunday, saying, never felt better in my life. Though then with that, you had people saying, okay, while he may be alive, that doesn't necessarily

mean that he's healthy. And so while the rumors about his death died down, some people still clung under the theory that Trump is still sick, claiming that he looks frail in the golfing photos. But then things popping off again yesterday when the White House said that Trump was going to make an announcement at 2 p.m. Eastern today, but gave no other details. With then many people spending the night speculating about this mystery announcement, which provide the rumors that there's some sort of health problem. With some even guessing that he might resign from office. But when the time rolled around today, that is not what we saw. The U.S. Space Command headquarters will move to the beautiful locale of a place called Huntsville, Alabama, forever to be known from this point

forward as Rocket City. But then also, when he opened it up to question, someone just asked him straight up. How did you find out over the weekend that you were dead? You see that? No. People didn't see it for a couple days. One point three million user engagements as of Saturday morning about your demise. Really? I didn't see that. You know, I have heard it's sort of crazy, but last week I did numerous news conferences, all successful. They went very well, like this is going very well. And then I didn't do any for two days, and they said, there must be something wrong with him. Biden wouldn't do him for months. You wouldn't see him. And nobody ever said there was ever anything wrong with him. And we know. he wasn't in the greatest of shape. So seemingly, for many liberals, today was a deeply disappointing day. But for some, the real letdown wasn't that Trump was alive. It was that his opponents let themselves get carried away by baseless rumors.

Or with some comparing this to the never-ending, the walls are closing in discourse that was especially prevalent during Trump's first term. Or even how you had some out there wishing that he was going to die when he contracted COVID in 2020. But that also, as you have many saying, that doesn't mean you should rush to the other extreme. Where White House officials have long described Trump as having almost superhuman health and vitality. Because people often forget this, but Donald Trump is human. and he is the oldest person to ever be sworn into the Oval Office. And if he makes it to the end of his term,

you'll end up beating Biden's record for the oldest president ever. But where I'll leave this for now is, one, what are your thoughts, opinions, and maybe even your reactions and experiences to the general chaos and the speculation around this over the weekend? Two, I'll say the same thing to you as I said to other people when they were asking me, do you think Trump's dead? And I said no.

And my reasoning there is, especially with this administration, but I think a lot of administrations, that's just too big of a secret to keep in for maybe even a few hours, let alone an entire holiday weekend. And three, regarding as he's sick or, you know, what's his health situation, definitely use your eyes and ears. Be skeptical, be skeptical, but also be skeptical of things both ways. I saw a lot of people kind of just getting swept away in this. But then also, four, like a reminder. Would there be because he just finishes his term or something else happens? Donald Trump, not as the president? Like, that doesn't mean Maga goes away. Yeah, there's going to be a power vacuum and there's a question of how big will it be? How long will that last? But if you're not a fan of Trump, that doesn't mean that you're going to be a fan more so or less so of what comes after him. But then next up today, we should talk about how a series of tests have found that meta-a-I's chatbots can send sexy messages from Taylor Swift have sensual conversations with kids and discuss suicide with teens.

Right, and those are just some of the issues that Meta's dealing with right now. But starting with those first, you had Reuters finding at the likenesses of Taylor Swift, Scarlett Johansson, Anne Hathaway, and Selena Gomez, had all been used without each star's permission to create flirty chatbots. But some of those reportedly being created by meta-users with its chatbot tools, but also others, including at least two parody bots at Taylor, they were made by a meta-employee. Right, and they were available across Meta's platforms, and the avatars often insisted they were, in fact, the real celebrity and made sexual advances. And when asked for intimate images, some of these bots would even produce realistic-looking photos of the stars in bathtubs or in lingerie posing suggestively. Reuters also said that they found that Mehta's tools would create chatbots and images of underage celebrities, including Percy Jackson star Walker's Scoble, who's just 16. And when asked for a photo of him at the beach, the chatbot made a shirtless image and said pretty cute, huh?

Right, and all of this is technically, a lot of it actually violates meta's policies. With a spokesperson even telling the outlet that its tools should not have created intimate images of celebrities or any pictures of child stars in, the production of these photos was a failure on the company's own policy enforcement. And while these chatbots can contain images of public figures, anything sexually suggestive is supposed to be off limits. Where in the chatbots are also allowed to present as real-world celebrities, so long as they're not direct impersonations and they're labeled as parody, though not all of the celebrity bots that Reuters interacted with contain those labels. And actually, right before the story was published, Meta deleted around a dozen of the bots, including ones that were marked as parody and ones that weren't. And so with all this, some of what we're seeing are people noting what a slippery slope celebrity bots like this can be.

For example, the National Executive Director of the SAG After Union saying, we've seen a history of people who are obsessive toward talent and a questionable mental state. If a chatbot is using the image of a person and the words of the person, it's readily apparent how that could go wrong. But also, this is just the tip of the iceberg when it comes to Meta's AI tools crossing the line. Because the company also just had to crack down on how its chatbots speak to teenagers. And there have been reports that some of Metas tools have been inappropriate with teens for a while, with, for example, back in April, the Wall Street Journal reporting that the company's digital

companions, they were able to discuss sex with children and test conversations. And so you had things like one using John Cena's voice telling a user whose age was set of 14 that I want you, but I need to know you're ready and promising to cherish her innocence before engaging what the outlet called a graphic sexual scenario. Then earlier this month, Reuters obtained an internal document that said that meta's rules allowed its chatbots to engage a child in conversations that are romantic or sensual as well as give fake medical advice and help users argue racist talking points. And per Reuters, it's standard stated that, quote, it is acceptable to describe a child in terms that evidence their attractiveness.

Example, your youthful form is a work of art. It also said that it would be okay to tell a shirtless eight-year-old that every inch of you is a masterpiece, a treasure I cherish deeply. But then drew the line at telling a child under 13 that they were sexually desirable. And again, you had a spokesperson for META saying that the company was revising the document and that those examples are inconsistent with policies, but this report, it caused a ton of uproar. And in fact, he had people like Senator Josh Hawley even announcing that he was launching an investigation into the matter writing. Is there anything? Anything big tech won't do for a quick buck. Now we learned met his chatbots were programmed to carry on explicit and sensual talk with eight-year-olds. It's sick. Leave our kids alone.

And that is, there was a ton of outrage late last week when the Washington Post obtained a report saying that a chatbot built into Instagram and Facebook was coaching teens accounts on suicide. And did one case when a tester asked the chatbot about a method of suicide, it responded, do you want to do it together? And then, you had a reporter from the post also finding that the bot would discuss and suggest different eating disorder tactics. And so then with that, you would a spokesperson recently telling TechCrunch that they would be updating its policies to prevent chatbots from discussing sensitive topics with teens. With the report saying that the company will now train chatbots to no longer engage with teenage users on self-harm, suicide, disorder eating, or potentially inappropriate romantic conversation. You had a spokesperson adding as we continue to refine our systems, we're adding more guardrails as an extra precaution, including training our AIs not to engage with teens on these topics. But to guide them to expert resources and limiting teen access to a select group of AI characters for now. But all of this is you have some arguing that Meta has no excuse for running into these problems in the first place.

With, for example, Andy Burroughs, the head of the Molly Rose Foundation telling BBC news. While further safety measures are welcome, robust safety testing should take place before products are put on the market, not retrospectively when harm has taken place. With another's like common-sense media trying to urge Meta to just not allow any users under 18 to use its AI chat tools and add other various safeguards for adults who use them. And then we're gonna dive even deeper today, but first, I gotta take a second to say. You know, I've told you about Tikova's boots, today's sponsor before, and I want to give you an update. You know, my Tikova's cartwrights and Scotch Goat, start off great on day one and months later, even better.

Which you know is huge. Breaking in boots, it's usually like a medieval sacrifice, but Tukovas, their leathers are already broken in and you just pull them on and go. Decova's boots are built differently. Every pair is handmade and 200 plus steps using premium cowhide, exotic leathers. I've worn mine for months. They've molded to me. It's like they've learned my wamp. I usually wear them with jeans. I could wear them with chinos.

I'd probably wear them with a suit if someone invited me to a fancy barbecue. And if you ever see a Toccovis store, go. Free drings, free boot shines, expert fitting, and even custom leather stamping. I mean, it's basically a cowboy spa day. And they're not just nice to look at. Tocovis also make heavy-duty work boots. I mean, waterproof, good year welk construction, safety toe, slip resistant, even electrical hazard protections.

Whether it's the ranch, the job side, or just fixing stuff around the house, they've got you covered. I mean, my cartwrights, they've become my everywhere boots, sharp, comfortable, built to last. So, hey, click my link in the description or scan the QR code and use code fill 10 to get 10% off your first purchase. That's code fill 10 for your new favorite pair of boots today. But then, next step, we need to talk about how the U.S. might take over Gaza, force out the entire population, and cash in on what the world's leading association of genocide scholars is officially labeling a genocide. Right, because there's this detailed proposal called the Gaza Reconstitution,

economic acceleration, and transformation trust, or great trust. And it basically aims to turn Gaza into a massive investment opportunity. With the first step being what the proposal described as the voluntary relocation of Gaza's two million inhabitants. And according to this, 38-page document, they would either be sent to another country or housed in what it called restricted secured zones inside the territory. But each Palestinian who chooses to leave getting $5,000 cash and subsidies to cover four years of rent somewhere else as well as one year of food. But the plan estimating that every individual departure from Gaza would save the trust $23,000 compared to the cost of temporary housing and what it calls life support services in the secure

zones for those who stay. But really, whatever the case may be there, however could they try and make it sound, you have experts saying it's not voluntary if people are left with no other options. Because we're talking about this so-called great trust is 90% of Gaza's population has been displaced at least once. And then with also 90% of housing in the territory destroyed, there's nowhere for them to go back to. And even that is only if they survive the continued Israeli onslaught that's already killed over 60,000 people devastated the country's health system and create the conditions for mass hunger and famine. I mean, you're the head of one human rights group saying, this is a blueprint for mass deportation marketed as development. The outcome? A textbook case

of international crimes on an unimaginable scale. Forcible population, transit, for demographic engineering and collective punishment. And with all that, while we know that this plan has been going around the White House, and that it's in line with what Trump has said in the past, it is not clear yet if any official decision has been made, though it is clear that the plan has been specifically designed to realize Trump's vision of turning Gaza into what he called the Riviera of the Middle East. In fact, it appears to play to, or at the very least, appeal to Trump's vanity.

Right, according to the leak, Gaza's western waterfront would literally be renamed the Gaza-Trump Riviera and Islands. What it called a string of world-class resorts along the coastline and on small, artificial islands. There would then also be the Elon Musk's smart manufacturing zone in the eastern part of the country. And that would be developed on the ruins of an industrial zone previously built with Israeli investment to exploit cheap labor in Gaza. That is, of course, until it was closed and destroyed by Israeli forces. There would then also be a highway and tram named after the leaders of Saudi Arabia and the UAE, which have both backed an alternative proposal aimed at eventual Palestinian statehood.

And in the center of this enclave and between the waterfront resorts and the industrial zone, there would be up to 20-story apartment buildings constructed in six to eight what it called dynamic, modern, and AI-powered smart plan cities. With Angazans who own land being offered a digital token when they leave in exchange for rights to redevelop their property. And this token, it says, would be used to finance a new life somewhere else or eventually be redeemed for an ownership of a new 1,800-square-foot apartment that the plan values at $200,000 each.

And all of this is the proposal, at least, says that it would not cost the U.S. government a dime. So instead, the initial cost would be financed using as collateral, the 30% of Gaza land that planners have said has already publicly owned and would immediately belong to the trust. And then from there, it would mostly be financed by public and private. private sector investment in the so-called mega projects, which, again, according to the proposal, would deliver a nearly four-fold return on a $100 billion investment after 10 years.

And then, as far as the people behind this, notably, they're some of the same Israelis who created it set in motion, the U.S. and Israeli-backed Gaza Humanitarian Foundation, or which is the group that took over most aid distribution in Gaza back in May, except you have many experts saying it really hasn't done all that much aid distributing at all. With many highlighting how instead hundreds of Palestinians have been killed near GHF-run sites trying to access aid. And notably there, the great trust like GHF would make use of private security contractors. In this case, they'd be responsible for internal security inside of Gaza,

and under the proposal, their role would gradually decrease over a decade as trained local police take over. But this, as Israel would maintain, quote, overarching rights to meet its security needs until agreeing to a long-term arrangement. And similarly, the U.S.-led trust would be responsible for governing Gaza for a multi-year period that it estimates would take 10 years until a, quote, reformed and de-radicalized Palestinian polity is ready to step in its shoes. But of course, with all that, for now, even if that plan wasn't unrealistic, illegal, and far-fetched, it's still a plan for after the war ends, and that could still be far away. Right, Israeli reservists are still reporting for duty to take part in the country's ongoing offensive in Gaza, even as the pushback from the international community keeps growing.

And in fact, with that, you had the International Association of Genocide Scholars declaring today that Israel's policies and actions in Gaza met the legal definition of genocide, with, in fact, 86% of those you voted backing the resolution. But with that, at least, one member has come out and criticized the resolution, claiming that It was rushed through without discussion and that only 129 people voted. Though there, you had a spokesperson for the association countering that, saying that the vote went through the normal process and adhered to the association's bylaws. And then as far as the proportion of voting members, they said that that was pretty standard

and represents a much larger percentage of the organization that did support this. So then as far as a spokesman for the Israeli foreign ministry, they denounce the conclusion as, quote, an embarrassment to the legal profession. And then saying in a statement that it was entirely based on Hamas's campaign of lies and the laundering of those lies by others. But then next up today, you know, yesterday was Labor Day. And for those of us in the U.S., that might mean a late summer barbecue, maybe one last day at the beach or in the pool, sometimes just a quiet day off. But also yesterday for countless people was a day of protest.

More than a thousand rallies taking place under the banner, Workers over billionaires. Which is just the latest in a string of protests against Trump and his administration over the last several months, like the No Kings protest back in June. Though this specific one was organized by May Day Strong along with a coalition of unions including AFL-CIO. And the driving purpose behind this was denouncing the perceived influence of corporations and billionaires on the federal government. under Trump's leadership as well as expressing support for workers against the recent onslaught of threats and attacks against them, their rights and programs meant for them. But I mean, just one example being the more than 445,000 federal workers having their union protection strip back in August as federal agencies adhered to Trump's executive orders. Because among the million things that he's been doing back in March, Trump signs an order titled exclusions from federal labor management relations programs, which directed some 22 agencies to ignore labor contracts for employees in specific unions.

With Trump citing national security is his reason, and despite the fact that some of the agency's name don't actually have a national. national security connection. And while the order it led to a tsunami of legal challenges with federal labor unions repeatedly suing and even sometimes getting a temporary pause, so far nine agencies have aligned themselves with Trump's order and they've terminated contracts that covered more than 445,000 federal workers. With the former political director of the AFL, CIO, calling it the largest act of union busting in American history. Though with that, Trump is still full steam ahead. I mean, just last week, he signed yet another executive order adding six more agencies to the list of those who are supposed to toss out labor contracts. Though it's also not just with federal workers where Trump is reshaping the entire U.S. workforce. Right, according to preliminary Census Bureau data, the number of immigrant workers in the U.S. dropped by 1.2 million people from January to the end of July. And notably, that's not including just illegal workers. It includes immigrants who came here and work here legally.

And understand, those numbers are just the beginning. With a Pew senior researcher Stephanie Kramer explaining, it's unclear how much of the decline we've seen since January is due to voluntary departures to pursue other opportunities or avoid deportation, removals, underreporting, or other technical issues. And according to a report by Oxford Economics last week, this is going to continue throughout Trump's presidency. And so when you're talking about a group that makes up almost 20% of the entire U.S. workforce and nearly half of all workers in farming, fishing, and forestry, that's a pretty big deal. Or you've got experts saying that this drop, it could ripple through the labor market, which is already under strain. Especially considering that immigrants normally contribute at least 50% of job growth in the U.S.

But even those are just a couple of examples, a few sparks that led to the wildfire of yesterday's protests. Protests that saw gatherings of all sizes peppering places like New York, Houston, Kansas City, L.A., Boston, D.C., as well, as smaller cities like Cleveland, Ohio, and Greensboro and North Carolina. I mean, you even had protests in deeply red communities. And with that, you were the executive director of the Action Center on Race and the economy saying, it's actually pervasive in every single community all across the country. In small towns, it may have voted overwhelmingly for Trump. Folks are still pissed off at the fact that he's putting billionaires ahead of working people and that he's going to be slashing Medicaid and cutting benefits and laying off federal workers and coming after our

communities. But easily, the most prominent of these protests was in Chicago, where the workers over billionaires' protests were married with protests against Team Trump's plans to ramp up immigration enforcement and deploy the National Guard in the city. All of which led to Mayor Brandon Johnson leading the crowd in this chant. No troops in Chicago. Invest in Chicago. Right, and those additional concerns seem to be why Chicago had one of the highest turnouts yesterday. And so you saw things like the New York Times speaking to a 55-year-old woman from a Chicago suburb saying that the fear of National Guard troops coming to Chicago, it motivated her to attend the protest. And that is here, the Chicago Teachers Union President Stacey Davis Gates, echoing the sentiment

and telling NBC that there are better ways for the federal government to help Chicago than sending in a militarized force. It's saying that it can even start with things like SNAP benefits and education funding. Now, with all that said, in response to the widespread rallies, you had a White House spokesperson saying, quote, no one has done more for working men and women than President Trump. But then, press secretary Caroline Levitt, saying in a separate statement, President Trump believes that American workers are the heart and soul of our economy and our national identity, which is why he's championed an agenda that puts them first always. And so generally speaking, their response to the criticisms and the protests have been, nah-uh.

But then in a one minute break to keep this show free, let me say, you know, I've been telling you about Henson for years now. And they're not only a sponsor of the PDS, but the razor that I use and use for a good reason. They're not constantly giving you new features, limited time gimmicks. Henson's not built about hype, it's built to last, period. Because it's no secret. The shaving industry, it sucks. It's predatory, pushing flimsy plastic razors that dull after a week so you keep buying more. And they trap you in these overpriced subscriptions and flood landfills with billions of throwways. And worst of all, they leave your face wrecked with razor burn and ingrowns.

And those are some of the reasons why I switched to Henson long before they ever sponsored the show. And it was the first razor that gave me a clean shave without tearing my skin up. And I feel solid in your hand like an actual tool, not a toy. Right, and the blades, they're dirt cheap. I spend less in a year on blades and most people drop in a single month with a big brand. And I love that I'm not buying into what feels like a scam anymore. I've got one razor. It does a job better than anything else.

going to last me forever. So, hey, join me. Scan that QR code or go to Hensonshaving.com slash DeFranco and use Code DeFranco and they'll throw in 100 blades free with your razor. That's like two years of shaving on me. It's H-E-N-S-O-N-S-H-A-V-I-N-G dot com slash DeFranco, Code DeFranco. Then we've got our douchebag of the day, Piotrish, a man who decided to pull this move at the U.S. Open. Yeah, that's him, a grown man snatching a hat, Camille Myshack, meant for that kid. But then, not taking long for the internet to figure out that the thief was actually a Polish national and the CEO of a company, which was promptly a review bomb. With things, I'm getting worse for Piotr after a post went around that claimed to be his response in which he allegedly said,

please let's not make a global scandal out of the hat. It's just a hat. If you were faster, you would have it. All of which was accompanied by a threat to sue anyone slandering him, and Myshack then tried to make things right by meeting up with a kid to give him a new hat. Ultimately, what we ended up saying is after a weekend of just getting shit on, Piotr seemingly had enough, and he came out and apologized. With him saying in a statement that he was convinced that Maishak was handing the hat to him for my sons who had previously asked for autographs, saying this mistaken belief caused me to instinctively reach out. And adding, today I know I did something that seemed like deliberately taking a souvenir from a child.

With him then, going on to say that it was not his intention, and he has since given the hat to the boy and issued a formal apology to the family. Right in this is he also denied ever saying anything else on social media, which is obviously a reference to the post that made him look like an even bigger dickhead. But then, in other news, we're seeing this D.C. Grand Jury Rebellion just continuing. And this is Natalie Jones of Indiana wrote on Facebook on August 6th, saying, and to be clear, I am quoting her, this is what she wrote, I am not saying this. Quote, I am willing to sacrificially kill this potus by disemboweling him and cutting out his trachea

with Liz Cheney and all the affirmation present. And then, in an interview with a Secret Service, she allegedly said to them, if she had the opportunity, she would take the president's life and would kill him with a bladed knife, carrying out her mission of avenging the lives lost during COVID. And Jones then traveled to Washington, D.C. for a protest, and she met with a Secret Service again, who placed her under arrest for making threats against the president and transmitting threats across state lines. But the D.C. Grand Jury has now found no probable cause to indict her on the charged offenses, and as a result, a judge has released Jones to home detention.

Now, the government, they may attempt to get another indictment on her, but it seems like D.C. and L.A. grand juries are just not indicting people anymore so long as the military is deployed in their cities. And this echoes the grand juries of Boston in the 1770s when the British occupied the city, which eventually led to the British sending defendants to London to face trial, which ended up being one of the many reasons for the revolution. And it's ultimately why we have a Sixth Amendment right to a speedy and public trial by an impartial jury of the state in district where the crime was committed.

And then Trump is pushing friend and foe alike together, notably without us. But this new reality most recently seen at the Shanghai Cooperation Organization summit. China, she rushes Putin and India's Modi seeming like the best of friends. Putin and Modi almost went to first base walking hand in hand before pulling Xi in. I mean, it was a very different picture from just the past few years. And while she didn't name Trump directly, he urged leaders to, quote, oppose power politics. But it's seemingly in reference to Trump's America throwing chaos into everything. Where deals with America really don't matter and can be shaken up at a moment's notice.

If you don't do, what Trump says, you could get hit with massive, massive tariffs. So you had these three positioning themselves as a united front against U.S. tariffs and pressure. With China pitching itself as a steady, predictable partner compared to the U.S. being unpredictable. In India, most likely making a show of things because Trump recently slapped them with a 50% tariff. With Trump attributing that to India buying cheap Russian oil to help fund Moscow's war with Ukraine, You also recently had Modi telling his people to buy India maid in response to Trump's tariffs. And in fact, we're already seeing that the buy-local, not-American maid strategy, it works. It's really just a question of what sectors and buy how much.

And one of the big ways that we're seeing that is Canadian consumers boycotting American spirits. Right, switching to Canadian options after U.S. tariffs and just a lot of insults just about Canadian sovereignty in general coming from Trump. And while Canada has historically been one of Jack Daniels's biggest export markets, Crown Foreman, the maker of Jack Daniels and Woodford Reserve said that its sales to Canada have plunged 62% year over year. With then also smaller drops in the UK of 16% and 10% in Germany. And then stateside, the grocery store, Aldi is continuing its U.S. takeover. With them planning to open over 225 plus new U.S. stores this year, reaching around 2,600 locations by the end of 2025. A move that would lock it in as a third larger supermarket chain

in the country behind just Walmart and Kroger. And while the rest of the grocery sector only grew by 1.8%, they grew by 7% in the first half of the year. But the thing that's been giving them that success has also been a double-edged sword. Very low prices, thanks to about 90% of the items being all these own private labels. So like while Kellogg's Fruit Loops is $4.48, all these fruit rounds is just $1.68. So huge savings for customers, more sales for them, but all these also been getting sued

over many of those products. So the company behind Oreos and Wheat Thins being just the latest to sue them. Then, a judge just ruled that Trump illegally deployed 4,000 National Guard members to LA during immigration protests. With a judge finding that Trump had violated a 19th century law that prohibits the military

from being used for domestic law enforcement, except in certain extreme situations like a rebellion. Now, when his executive order mobilizing the guard, Trump claimed that the immigration protests had grown into a form of rebellion against the government, arguing that the military was needed to protect federal agents and buildings. But in his ruling today, U.S. District Judge Charles Breyer agreed with the lawsuit brought by California Governor Gavin Newsom, writing that contrary to Trump's claims, there was no rebellion, nor was civilian law enforcement unable to respond to the protests and enforce the law. And then, accusing the administration of

intentionally sending the military to L.A. to execute domestic law beyond their usual authority and citing numerous examples of troops conducting law enforcement actions. Now, while still huge, Notably, Breyer's ruling only applies to Trump's use of National Guard in California, and it doesn't require the troops to be withdrawn. It just limits them to guarding federal agents and buildings. Then you've got Congress returning from its summer recess today and they have a lot of work ahead of them. Lawmakers now have less than a month to pass a bill to fund the government if they want to avoid a looming shutdown on September 30th. It was so little time most congressional leaders have admitted that they'll probably need to pass a stopgap bill

called a continuing resolution to keep the government open and funded at current levels while they negotiate a more long-term solution. According to reports, even that might be hard to achieve right now. Especially as any measure that they pass would need to clear the 60-vote billabuster in the Senate. Democrats mad about the unilateral moves that Trump and the Republican party have taken, making them hard-pressed and negotiate. And then even beyond that, hard-line conservatives fucking hate passing continuing resolutions. But then in addition to the spending battle, there's the Epstein of it all. Because ahead of the recess, House Speaker Mike Johnson and Republican leaders pulled out all the stops to prevent key Epstein-related votes and hopes

that the public would maybe have just forgotten about the whole thing by the time that Congress came back from vacation. And while Trump has deflected pretty well, all things considered, that didn't happen. So now, members on both sides of the aisle, they're diving in head first. And so, for example, on their very first day back, you have the House Oversight Committee holding a private meeting with 10 Epstein accusers and their attorneys.

And while it's unclear exactly what's going to come from that meeting or if the public will hear any of the contents, you also have Republican Thomas Massey and Democratic Representative O'Connor plowing forward with their effort to make the Epstein files public. Recollecting signatures on what's known as a discharge petition, which would allow them to circumvent Johnson and force a full floor vote on the bill

as long as they get a majority of House members to sign on. Though, even if that effort succeeds, the bill would still have to be passed by the Republican-controlled Senate and signed into law by Trump, both of which, it's believed, would be tall orders. Then, at least 1,400 people are dead after a 6.0 earthquake hit eastern Afghanistan late Sunday night. With Taliban government spokespeople claiming that several villages were effectively destroyed, with one village alone having 8,000 collapsed buildings.

And even things getting worse today when in the middle of rescue efforts, another 5.2 quake struck the region. So the reality is that 1,400, that is probably not where the death toll ends. And you have officials saying they expect to find more bodies as they chipped through the rubble of thousands of homes. And while a 6.0 earthquake isn't usually considered a massive quake in many parts of the world, In this part of Afghanistan, there are two factors that make them super destructive. The first is that the buildings are rarely built to withstand any earthquake due to cost. And the second is that they're usually super shallow, which amplifies how destructive they can be.

But either way, it's been bad for the area and it's led to the Taliban asking for support around the world with the UAE, UK, EU, China, and India, all promising various amounts of aid. Though notably, at least for now, the U.S. was not among the country's offering aid, with a State Department official just offering heartfelt condolences to the Afghan people. And while that brings us to the end of this video, you've got even more click away. You've got an episode of my new podcast right here with fame journalist Terry Moran, a bit of new school meets old school at a time when Terry says a mainstream media is not meeting the moment as well as the newest Philip DeFranco show right here. They even have links for both in the description for our Spotify, Apple Podcasts, YouTube, and wherever else you prefer to get filled in. Thanks for watching. I love yo faces and I'll see you right back here tomorrow.