The Philip DeFranco Show - The Iran War Just Got Crazier! Epstein Files Probe HITS Trump AG! Talarico Wins, But Theres Problems

Episode Date: March 4, 2026

Check Out the Newest Crashing Out Episode! https://youtu.be/j9HiCqs3NAA?si=VxZAA9Uo0ZCFu5cd  SeatGeek: https://seatgeek.onelink.me/RrnK/PHIL10 use code “PHIL10” for 10% off tickets and “DEFRANCO” for $10  on returning buyers. Get an exclusive NordVPN deal at https://nordvpn.com/phil  Risk free with Nord's 30-day money back guarantee!  Use code “PHIL10” for 10% OFF your first SeatGeek order & returning buyers use code “DEFRANCO” for $10 off AND your chance at weekly $500 prizes! https://seatgeek.onelink.me/RrnK/PHIL10 Join & Support @ https://DeFrancoForFulton.com  Learn more & join Lindsay's newsletter @ https://LindsayForFulton.com  LISTEN TO THE SHOW iTunes: https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/the-philip-defranco-show/id1278424954 Spotify: https://open.spotify.com/show/6ESemquRbz6f8XLVywdZ2VWATCH CRASHING OUT w/ PHILIP & ALEX Youtube: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCergKLoy-Yv9zlPk3XQYK7Q?sub_confirmation=1 Spotify: https://open.spotify.com/episode/2DkU87umhGH9mH1z24Bi9w?si=6sSdjhVNQjyVeBQDLiXcyg Apple: https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/crashing-out-with-philip-defranco-and-alex-pearlman/id1843429519 WATCH/LISTEN TO MY NEW PODCAST w/ ADAM FRIEDLAND Spotify: https://open.spotify.com/show/2CePXwDrvdQTes844wflKp?si=55a6b6049c4841ed Youtube: https://youtube.com/acw?sub_confirmation=1 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  TODAY’S STORIES 00:00 - Iranian Warship Sunk as Iran Tries to Appoint New Supreme Leader 11:10 - Sponsored by SeatGeek 12:15 - Texas Primaries: Republicans Head to Run Off, Talarico Beats Crockett18:50 - Mamdani Announces First Steps in NYC Universal Childcare Program 21:42 - Sponsored by NordVPN 22:46 - Pam Bondi Subpoena'd & Lutnick Agrees to Testify in Epstein Probe 26:27 - Kristi Noem Accused of ICE Cover-Up in House Testimony 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 #Iran #Trump Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

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were all killed in American strikes. Right, and that is the death toll in Iran may have passed 1,0006 American troops who dead. And this morning, you had Pete Heggseth going on camera to promise more and larger waves of attacks and describing death and destruction from the sky all day long with the enthusiasm as someone who's never been on the receiving end of it.

Right, this morning, Hexeth made it clear. This is ramping up, not winding down. He said the assault on Iran is accelerating, not decelerating, that more bombers and more fighters are arriving in the region today and that additional American casualties are unexpected and acceptable costs. You also had General Dan Cain, chairman of the Joint Chiefs, reporting that Iran's ballistic missile strikes are down 86% from day one and drone strikes are down 73%. And so with that you had Hexeth claiming at the US and Israel will soon have complete control

of Iranian skies. I hope all the folks watching understand what uncontested airspace and complete control means. It means we will fly all day, all night, day and night, finding, fixing, and finishing the missiles and defense industrial base of the Iranian military. And Iran will be able to do nothing about it. B-2s, B-52s, B-1s, predator drones, fighters controlling the skies, picking targets, death and destruction from the sky all day long. He then highlighted specific operations, revealing the U.S. Sankan-Iranian naval ship with a crew of 180

off the coast of Sri Lanka using a submarine-launched torpedo, which is the first time an American submarine's actually been used to fire torpedo against an enemy ship in combat since World War II. And you which Sri Lankan officials initially reporting the incident without a known cause, saying that 30 people were rescued with a search underway for survivors. He also said that the leader of the Iranian covert unit that planned to assassinate Trump back in 2024 was killed in the strikes and he praised yesterday's hit on a building associated with the assembly of experts. Iran's senior leaders are dead.

The so-called governing council that might have selected a successor, dead, missing, or cowering in bunkers too terrified to even occupy the same room. But here's also the problem or a potential problem. You had the Iranian media downplaying the assembly strike, which isn't the most unexpected. But whatever is left to the council, they're apparently still moving ahead with choosing a new Supreme Leader. With that, you had Trump saying that the worst-case scenario would be a successor as bad as the previous person. And while there's been no official announcement yet, at least as of recording, it's looking increasingly likely that their pick will be the former Supreme Leader's own son, a reported hardliner who's believed to be favored by top revolutionary guard officials. And what I said at the beginning, that's not a hypothetical.

He didn't lose just his father in Saturday strikes. He reportedly lost his wife, his mother, and his son as well. And so you have many experts guessing that this is not going to be the subservient figurehead that the White House was hoping for. But with that, you had Israel's defense minister already vowing that if the next Supreme leader follows the same ideology, they'll become an unequivocal target for elimination. Also, you had Hegsaid downplaying reports that munition stockpiles were running low, arguing that air dominance means that the military can rely on conventional bombs

rather than its most advanced and limited weapons. Hexeth is saying they'll be using 500 pound, 1,000 pound, 2,000 pound, precision and unguided bombs, of which we have a nearly unlimited stockpile. And that echoes Trump, who posted this week that the U.S. has a virtually unlimited supply of these weapons. And adding, wars can be fought forever and very successfully using just these supplies. But in addition to people being freaked out about the president talking about forever wars, there are also real concerns about the pace of the United States is burning through its stockpile. And with that, you've got the Trump administration meeting with defense contractors at the White House on Friday

to discuss ramping up production. And there's reportedly a talk of invoking the Defense Production Act of forced companies to prioritize manufacturing the munitions that the military needs most. Also regarding a connected situation on the girls' school strike that killed at least 175 people on Saturday, you had Hegg Seth continuing to deny responsibility. All I know, all I can say is that we're investigating that. We of course never target civilian targets. Now with that, I do want to know that with the difficulty of getting information out of Iran, there is currently no undeniable proof of who is responsible. But you have many, including experts saying the probabilities there, and the other administration's credibility on civilian casualties, it's thin and it's getting thinner with every death than destruction from the sky all day long soundbite. And then as far as Israel specifically, they've been hitting Tehran hard today, including shooting down a manned Iranian warplane over the Capitol, reportedly a first for this conflict. Also the intensity of the strikes led to Iran postponing a ceremony honoring the former Supreme Leader. Then outside of the Capitol, reportedly, reportedly, the Israeli military targeted

command centers of Iran's state paramilitary forces, the ones involved in deadly protest crackdowns. And that, notably, follows earlier strikes on police stations, detention centers, and intelligence offices tied to internal security. And as we talked about yesterday, this appears aimed at weakening the regime's ability to suppress its own population and they're encouraging Iranians to rise up. And in the meantime, it's the Kurdish groups that remain the most likely to act. Right, several exiled Kurdish militant groups based in Iran. They've said that they were preparing to enter Iran and there are reports that they may be talking to or working with the CIA and the U.S. government. And you also have an Israeli outlet today reporting that thousands

of fighters have now actually launched a ground offensive. And so actually Iran, they've responded by targeting those groups' bases in Iraq with its latest strikes. Though the Iranian attacks today, they also targeted Israel, Saudi Arabia, the UAE, Qatar, and Kuwait. And actually the war, it's threatening to pull in new players. Right, Pakistan, they warned Iran that it has a mutual defense pack with Saudi Arabia, telling Iranian leadership to keep that in mind. Whether Pakistan's actually ready to enter a conflict with Iran, that's a whole other question, especially since it's already a week into heavy fighting with Afghanistan, which is then a whole other situation that we don't even have time to cover today. Right, and then you've got Turkey, a NATO member sharing a 300-mile border with Iran,

which revealed today that its air defense has shot down a ballistic missile that was heading towards its airspace. And that's really a huge one, because a confirmed attack on NATO territory could trigger the alliance's mutual defense clause and drag 32 member states into this war. Now, the missiles intended target, that's unclear right now, but there is a Turkish air base that hosts U.S. troops. And as far as Turkey, for now, they said that it will not allow its airspace to be used for attacks on Iran. Right, on that note, the use of foreign bases, it's becoming a real issue for Trump. Spain denied the use of its military bases to US forces involved in attacking Iran. But that's also not the most surprising, even that Spain's been the most vocal major European country in opposing the Trump administration,

including on immigration, Gaza, and the rest of Venezuelan President Maduro. And as far as Trump there, he responded by threatening to cut off all trade with Spain and suggesting he might use the base anyway, saying we could use the base if we want, we could just fly in and use it. With Israel's foreign minister also accusing Spain as standing with all the tyrants of the world, Trump then also slammed British Prime Minister Kier Starmor for waiting until Sunday to grant the US limited access to UK bases and only for the quote, specific and limited defense purpose of destroying Iran's missiles.

With Starmar saying that the UK had learned lessons from the mistakes of Iraq, was not involved in the initial strikes and will not join offensive action now. And you're the UK publishing a legal justification for its limited involvement, but still, they haven't explicitly said whether it considers the US Israeli strikes legal.

And as far as Francis Macron, he ordered his country's sole operating aircraft carrier to the Mediterranean for defensive purposes. Right, to more guns and the neighborhood, technically for defense. And also, you know, while this military buildup is accelerating, you've got hundreds of thousands of people from the West,

that are trying to get out of the region. And you've definitely had many allied governments move in way faster than the United States in announcing evacuation plans despite having little advance warning of the strikes. And on Monday, after Trump attacked Iran, the State Department urged Americans to leave more than a dozen Middle Eastern countries

using available commercial transportation. Though two problems there, they didn't announce any plans to help, and most commercial air travel from the region had been stopped. And so you saw people like, retired Major General Randy Manor, former deputy commanding general of the third US Army and Kuwait, getting stranded in the UAE and telling the New York Times, it is the epitome of absurdity,

Leave the country, but yet the airspace is closed? This is nothing less than a total failure of the US government to provide the expected assistance to American civilians who are caught in harm's way. Though yesterday you had the State Department finally saying that it was facilitating charter flights from the UAE, Saudi Arabia, and Jordan. He with Trump, posting that more than 9,000 Americans have safely returned home and urge remaining citizens

to register with the State Department and claiming, we are already chartering flights, free of charge, and booking commercial options, which we expect will become increasingly available as time goes on. And then of course, on Monday, you had Secretary of State Marco Rubio giving what might be the most self- defeating explanation for a war in modern American history. Because his claim was there was an imminent threat because we knew that if Iran was attacked and we believe they would be attacked,

that they would immediately come after us. And so if you think about what he's actually saying there, and you look at a lot of things, it appears that maybe the reason they believed Iran would be attacked is because they were helping Israel plan the attack. And so either he's admitting that a foreign leader dictated U.S. foreign policy, or he's saying that the United States just couldn't stop Israel from acting, which, as we've discussed, doesn't hold up. Israel has openly said that it coordinated with the United States for months and it wouldn't have moved without Trump's approval. And all of that, as you have Trump himself saying that he may have actually forced Israel's hand, not the other way around. But then it also gets worse because Rubio walked back that rationale and pivoted to Iran's growing weapons arsenal being the real danger.

And then you had Trump sending a letter to Congress offering a completely different explanation saying there was no imminent threat. And instead, the objective was to neutralize Iran's malign activities and advanced national interests, including ensuring the free flow of maritime commerce through the Strait of Hormuz. Except the only reason the straits on lockdown and oil prices are surging is because of what's happening now. And then also in the same letter, Trump circled back to Rubio's original rationale saying that they attacked because Israel was prepared to strike with or without the United States and Iranian counterattacks would target American troops. So to recap, the Secretary of State says that Israel forced their hand. The President says, no, he actually forced Israel's hand. The President's letter to Congress says that there was no imminent threat.

The Secretary of State says there actually was and both have offered at least three separate justifications that contradict one another. And well, there's a lot that tells you a lot. the fact that they cannot pick just one and stick with it. It tells you everything. And all the while, you've got congressional Republicans doing their best to stay in lockstep, but also the ground keeps shifting under them. You had house Speaker Mike Johnson tracking Rubio's evolution from Israel gave us no choice to the ballistic missiles, but then seemed to land on just blaming Islam.

They wanted to wipe Israel off the face of the earth, and they'd like to take us out as well. We're the great Satan in their analogy and their misguided religion, and there was no way to appease them. He then suggested that Iran was pushing ahead with nuclear ambitions, with the explicit aim of killing its enemies, which isn't supported by US intelligence findings. And he also accused Iran of stalling during the Geneva talks.

They were stalling because they wanted to kill us. The side that actually ended negotiations by killing people appears to be the United States and Israel. You know, one of the other things to note here is this is at least the third time that Trump has deployed heavy force against a country that he was actively negotiating with. And so that's why you have experts saying

with the long-term damage to US diplomatic credibility, it could be huge. With one telling the New York Times, this is basically abusing diplomacy to cover up a military operation. And then warning that in the future, countries may think twice about re-engaging if you're faced with this kind of bad faith behavior. And then on top of that, you had a senior fellow at the Council on Foreign Relations putting

the nuclear implications bluntly, saying the deterrent value of the bomb is now more obvious. Everyone in the Iranian leadership recognizes that if they had the bomb, they wouldn't be getting bomb. And you know, it's not just Iran here. You have experts pointing to Kim Jong-un, saying that North Korea now has even more reason to accelerate its own capabilities. And the message that this sends to every country watching, it's simple. If you do not have nuclear weapons, you are vulnerable. If you do, you're untouchable. Right, if Kim Jong-un didn't have his nuclear, deterrent, I don't know if he and Trump would be sharing love letters to one another. You know, it changes the relationship. But also, you know, despite the contradictions, the death toll,

the economic fallout, the diplomatic damage, and despite most Americans disapproving of this war, there's seemingly nothing that's going to stop it, at least yet. Because today, you have the Senate expected to vote down a war power's resolution that's aimed at ending the conflict. With most Republicans, along with Senator John Federman, expected to vote against him. And so for now, the bombs keep falling, the justifications keep changing, and nobody in a position to stop this seems willing to do it. And while, of course, I want to know your thoughts and reactions to everything that we're talking about here. In addition to that, I'd also love to know your predictions here. In one, three, 12 months from now, do you think Iran's doing better, worse, the same? Or maybe more generally, how do you think this plays out, at least in part?

And then there's more we're going to dive into in just a minute, but first let me thank a sponsor and say, you know, springs around the corner and the events are ramping up. We've got basketball tours, Roberto Mars, Lady Gaga, BTS, Zach Bryan, Cardi B, Chris Stapleton, and more. And we've been given out $500 every week for over a year thanks to our sponsor over at Sea Geek. And somehow, some of you all still haven't entered for free. And it's been awesome seeing so many of you beautiful bastards win the $500 Geek weekly giveaway and use it to hit up concerts, games, Broadway shows, just you all live in your best lives.

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from their usual polling locations after district maps were quietly redrawn. And the chaos got so bad, you'd a judge ordering for the polls to stay open an extra two hours. But there's a lot we need to break down here. Because these primaries, they set the stage for the midterms. And the anxiety, it was real on both sides. If we lose the midterms and we lose 2028, some in this room are going to prison, myself included. Republican voter morale's dipped as the president has led the country into to war while also trying to distance himself from the Epstein files. But also, voters aren't completely sure the Democrats have the strength that capitalize either with growing internal divisions over multiple issues.

And one of the biggest questions heading into primary season has been whether aging incumbents can hold their ground against a younger generation of challengers. It's a starting with the Senate races and specifically the straightforward ones. In Arkansas, Republican Senator Tom Cotton will face Democratic challenger Hallie Schaffner. In North Carolina, former Governor Roy Cooper, a popular moderate who pulled 92% of the primary vote will be opposed by Michael Watley, who's already been endorsed by Trump. And I want to thank President Don Donald J. Trump.

For his strong and unwavering support in this race. But Texas, you know, it was definitely the main event. And on the Republican side, you had Senator John Corny, and Attorney General Ken Paxton heading to a runoff after Representative Wesley Hunt split the field. And while both are actually in Trump's good graces, neither got an official endorsement before yesterday's race started, which could have actually worked in their favor with Texas Republicans having largely stuck by the president, even his national support has softened. But also today, as of recording, we're seeing reports showing that Trump is expected to endorse

Cornon in the runoff race. And the dynamic between these two, if you haven't seen it, it's very clear. Cornyn says that Paxton is a liability because of his legal troubles and controversies. Texas Republican primary voters will hear more about my record of delivering conservative victories in the United States Senate and learn more about Ken's indefensible personal behavior and failures in office. And while Cornyn, I'll say, you know, he's had more of an up and down relationship with Trump. His willingness at times to work with the Democrats and his occasional criticism of the president, it's led to Trump calling him a rhino. So you know, something to consider there as we wait to see how this plays out, but the runoff, it's set for May 26.

Right, but the Democratic primary there, it was arguably the most heated race of the night. And there you saw a state representative James Tilarico defeating second term Congresswoman, Jasmine Crockett, and he was a messy one. Right, and by most measures, Telerico ran an effective campaign that reached beyond the traditional democratic base, something that the party's been trying to figure out for years. Right, and that, well, Crockett brought a different kind of energy. She is a second term congressman who built a national profile by being blunt and confrontational in moments where other politicians maybe hedged their bets. Somebody's bleached blind, bad-built butch body

that would not be engaging in personalities, correct? If you could speak directly to Elon Musk, what would you say? Fuck off. Right, and Crackett's been a vocal advocate for black and brown communities in Texas, which actually has the highest black population in any state. But also, you had both candidates dealing with different controversies. You had Tilarico facing backlash after allegations that he referred to a former Texas representative call in Al Red as a mediocre as a mediocre black man in a private conversation.

You had Talarico denying that saying he would never say that. He was saying that Allred the way that he campaigned was mediocre. And then Crockett faced accusations online that she was a Zionist with unclear positions on Israel's relationship with the White House, though she said that those allegations were unsubstantiated. But you know, one of the things that a lot of people came back to is saying that racial dynamics were an undercurrent throughout the race. And with that, you saw Crockett pointing to what she described as dog whistles, including her deeper political experience being overlooked, and ads from Tala Rico's camp that she said darkened her skin tone. We've all seen the attack ads that have come on behalf of my primary opponent, the ads that are darkening my skin and this continual kind of if she wins, We lose, it's not even undertones right now.

It is straight up races. Now whether race was a deciding factor in the outcome, that's gonna be something that people debate, but I will say that it was clearly part of the conversation throughout. But then also, we need to talk about what happened at the actual polls, because that was something that affected voters across the board. You had many Texas voters being turned away

from locations that they'd been voting at for years. And the highest number of reported cases? It came out of Dallas County, but Williamson County, north of Boston, they saw similar problems. You had voters arriving at their usual spots, only to be told that they had to go to different precinct locations.

And this happened, because Texas congressional districts were remapped and new precinct lines were finalized in December, leaving almost no time to inform voters. Dallas County should have the second largest voter participation of any county in this state. And on top of that, Texas previously used a system where people could vote anywhere in their home county. And so there was so much confusion that it crashed the county election office's website. But then a Dallas County judge ordering polls to stay open two extra hours, but with some voters having walked miles to their original locations, only to be redirected, there were real questions about whether that was actually enough. Every vote must be counted. Every voice must be heard. The voter suppression in my home county and in Congresswoman Crockett's home county underscores the gravity of this moment.

There was a lot of confusion today. We're about to file a lawsuit to keep the voting polls open. We were able to keep the polls open, but I can tell you now that people have been disenfranchised. Or with both candidates there acknowledging the problem, and it was a very real failure that affected real voters regardless of who they were there to support. So with all this, you have Crockett's camp saying that they were preparing a lawsuit, especially after a conflicting court directive, complicated the extended hours. The Supreme Court also said that they are to separate any votes out that came in after 7 p.m. Crockett has also since conceded, citing the need for party unity heading into the midterms. And so with all of this, there is the question, okay, why did yesterday matter? What is it, what does it tell us? Well, first up, voter suppression's alive and well.

We saw it in Texas yesterday and we'll probably see it again across the country between redrawn maps, mail-in-ballot fights, disappearing, polling locations, and unrealistic wait times. And you know, while mistakes happen, and we need to be aware of that, they don't happen this often and this consistently in the same direction. This is seeming more like a feature, not a glitch. And second up, primary turnout, it's a preview of midterm energy. Where if excitement and party loyalty is strong enough to bring people out in the primaries, those same voters will likely show up in November and in 2028.

And third up, Trump's influence is still the dominant variable on the Republican But in Texas, anything short of an official endorsement meant that voters defaulted to whoever aligned with the president most closely on the issues that mattered most to them. Right, Dan Crenshaw, the only House Republican in Texas running for reelection without Trump's endorsement and someone known for occasionally breaking from the party, you may have lost deceit because of it. And then finally, looking at the situation in exit polls, affordability appears to be cutting through everything. It was a major factor in Texas yesterday, and it's not the only place where that issue is driving votes. So both parties, they're going to have to reckon with a lot, but that also includes

the fact that voters care about what they can afford more than almost anything else. Right, you know, while you had people out there voting, voting for the futures they want to see, and other news, Momdani, he's continuing a sprint for change. New York City just took its first step toward free universal child care, and if it works, it could save families tens of thousands of dollars a year. It's part of the reason it's being called the most ambitious expansion of the social safety net in decades. But also, you know, there are real questions about whether the money is actually there to see it through. And so with that to get into the specifics, Mayor Zoran, Momdani, and Governor Kathy Hoke, will they announce that starting this fall, four communities across the city will launch a new program called 2K, offering 2,000, and free child care slots for two-year-olds.

The seats will be distributed across Upper Manhattan, the Bronx, Southeast Queens, and Central and Eastern Brooklyn, covering every borough except Staten Island. Now, is it somehow Pete Davidson's fault? We'll get there. Because this is the first phase of Mumdani's broader plan to extend the city's existing 3K

and pre-K programs to reach younger kids. You also have Hokel's office saying that around 12,000 seats will be available across all five boroughs by fall of 2027 with the goal of eventually reaching every two-year-old in the city. Advocates predict about 55,000 kids will use the program once it's fully established. And once fully implemented,

the program will provide free child to any family who needs it regardless of zip code, income, or immigration status. And as far as why these specific neighborhoods, you had officials saying that the initial communities were chosen based on economic need, demand for child care and existing access gaps. But also, a major factor was whether local providers had the capacity and infrastructure to actually launch the program sustainably. These selected areas, they're mostly low income, but they include pockets of gentrification and that's intentional. And officials explain two reasons. First, some of the highest need neighborhoods didn't have enough existing child care infrastructure to support an early rollout. And second, they want to make clear from the start that this is usually. universal childcare for all families, not just a poverty program.

With all this, you had Staten Island leaders slamming their exclusion. Or with one city council member arguing that universal childcare must mean universal, though, you had city officials pushing back saying that Staten Island will be included next year and the state had to be selective in the early stages. Then here is where it really gets complicated. The money. Hockel has committed $73 million for the first year and around $425 million for the second. But beyond that, there isn't a plan yet. Now, she did imply that she's committed to long-term funding, but she hasn't provided specifics.

And then even if the money does come through, there are worries that there are structural problem. Child care workers are low wages and retentions brutal. Also, scaling this up means negotiating with multiple unions over pay, finding and training a massive number of new employees, and building out centers that don't exist yet. But this is going to be very interesting and important to watch because the need here is undeniable. And if you're a parent, you know this, but for everyone else, child care costs have outpaced inflation nationwide. And in New York specifically, center-based care for infants and toddlers, it averages $26,000 a year, which is a 43% increase since 2019. Free 2K, it genuinely has the potential

to be life-changing, not just for the parents' wallets, but for workforce participation, early childhood development, and economic mobility across the city. But, and it's that big old but, potential and execution are two very different things. The biggest social safety net expansion in decades, it doesn't mean anything if it runs out of funding in year three. So these next couple of years, it's going to tell us whether this is a very real shift or a promising pilot that just couldn't scale. And then there's even more we've got to dive into in just a minute, but first, let me thank a sponsor and say, you know, remember when online scams could mostly be avoided by just not clicking on shady links or opening the wrong email. Because well, yay, it's 2026 and you have criminals

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There's now a push to subpoena Trump's own attorney general, Pam Bondi, over the DOJ's handling of the files. And Bill Gates, Leon Black, and Goldman Sachs's general counsel, they've all been called. But starting with Commerce Secretary Howard Lutnik, you know, he's been under enormous pressure to face the House Oversight Committee over his ties to Epstein. And it eventually got to the point yesterday where he volunteered telling Axios. I look forward to appearing before the committee. I have done nothing wrong, and I want to set the record straight. And the interview is going to be held behind closed doors with the transcript to follow. And with this, you had committee chairman James Comer commending Lutnik for what he called his

demonstrated commitment to transparency and his willingness to engage with the committee. But regarding that and also why this testimony matters is last year you had Lutnik claiming that he only visited Epstein at his New York home once and had no real relationship with him. Was never in the room with him socially for business or even philanthropy. If that guy was there, I wasn't going because he's gross. But the Epstein files show a very different story. They showed the two communicated over the span of a decade, including after Epstein was convicted of sex crimes.

And in fact, he visited Epstein's Island in 2012 and his photograph with him there. So the committee, or at least some of the people on that committee, they're almost certainly gonna be pressing him on why as public statements don't match the record. But Lutnik, he's not the only target. During a hearing this morning, you had Representative Nancy Mace making a motion

to subpoena Trump's own Attorney General Pam Bondi. Chairman, I move that the committee issue a subpoena to the Honorable Pamela Joe Bondi to appear before the committee for a deposition regarding the department's handling of the investigation to Jeffrey Epstein and his associates. And this is coming as you have reports repeatedly alleging that the DOJ's been removing Epstein files with tens of thousands taken down for review, including files containing allegations against Trump. You would Representative

Rokana backing the motion posting that the afternoon vote would determine whether to stand with survivors or the Epstein class. And then actually, just as I was wrapping up today's show, Kana announced that the motion to subpoena Bondi actually passed by a vote of 24 to 19 with five Republicans joining Democrats here. As you have outlets like the New York Times emphasizing that this is really a striking rebuke to see Republicans compel a member of the Trump administration to testify. But then it also doesn't stop with just Lutnik and Bondi. Because Comer's now announced that he has asked a long list of other major names to testify, including Microsoft founder, Bill Gates, Goldman Sachs's, General Counsel, Catherine Rumler, billionaire Leon Black, and four others. With each,

receiving a letter stating the committee believes you have information that will assist in its investigation. Now, Gates, he's denied wrongdoing, but he recently apologized to staff at his foundation for ever associating with Epstein. And there, you had a spokesperson saying that he welcomes the opportunity to answer questions. And then with Rumler, who's resigning from Goldman Sachs over her Epstein ties, she said that she knew of no crimes but is happy to cooperate. And Leon Black, who is one of Epstein's biggest financial clients and a major source of income forum, issued a similar statement. And again, all of these interviews are to be held behind closed doors and transcribed. But also, lawmakers like Mace, arguing that the list needs to be much, much longer pushing for people,

including Woody Allen, Peter Attia, Steve Bannon, and Harvey Weinstein. With all that, if you're like, why does it sound like a name is missing? Yeah, Donald Trump isn't being named here. He is the one person that Democrats are most focused on getting in that share. And so far, the one person that Republicans have shown zero interesting calling. So, you know, it's worth noting that the Epstein investigation is widening faster than really at any point since the files were released. Lutnik is testifying, Bondi just got subpoenaed, Gates Black, and Rumler, they've all been called, and the DOJ is facing serious questions about whether it's been selectively removing files. You know, widening and leading to accountability are two very different things. And you have behind

closed doors depositions with transcripts release later, still leaving room for spin. The biggest name in the files still hasn't been called. And as every day drags on, without a public under oath accounting from the people who appear most frequently in the records. Survivors are left waiting for a justice system that keeps promising transparency while delivering it in carefully controlled doses. And so in the meantime, you know, we try to remain hopeful, but also, you know, we'll see where all of this goes and whether any of it actually moves the needle. Will it get to a point where we actually do get accountability? But then from that, and actually, the final thing that we need to talk about today is that half of Americans now want to abolish ICE.

And that's not a progressive talking point. That's the polling. And today you had DHS Secretary Christy Noam sitting in front of the house to answer for the agency's conduct the killings of Renee Good and Alex Prattie and the detention of American citizens who were never even charged with a crime. And also if you're confused, you're like, wait, I'm getting the craziest sense of deja vu. Yesterday was her Senate hearing and now you have the House hearing and Democrats came in swinging. You had Representative Jamie Raskin opening up by accusing her of a cover-up over the Good and Prattie killings. There have been three homicides in Minneapolis in 2026. Your agents committed two of them. Rather than work with state and local authorities to solve these homicides, you barred Minnesota's investigative.

from the crime scenes. You're denying them access to all the evidence that you have about the deaths of their citizens. It smells like a cover-up, and it makes me wonder who the real domestic terrorists are. With Raskin, then walking you through a series of yes or no questions about the use of lethal force. Is it lawful for federal agents to shoot and kill a person

for engaging in peaceful protest and nothing else? That's a yes or no question. Each instance is in peaceful protests? No, it's not. Okay, good. Is it lawful for federal agents, to shoot and kill a person for filming them on a public street? Yes or no? No.

Okay. Is it lawful for federal agents to shoot and kill a person just because that person is lawfully carrying a holstered firearm under the Second Amendment and state law? No. And finally, yes or no, is it lawful for federal agents to shoot an innocent person or even a criminal suspect just for driving away from them

according to the Supreme Court? No. Then you had Representative Primala Gaiapal turning to ICE, detaining American citizens. With her noting that yesterday, Nome told the Senate that ICE agents can arrest citizens if they have reason to question their citizenship, if they're obstructing law enforcement or for probable cause.

And Jayapal actually brought American citizens who were detained by ICE into the hearing and turned to them directly. Raise your hand if you were not charged with any crime following your detention. Not a single one of you were charged with a crime. Now raise your hand if any of you were not even asked to prove that you were U.S. citizens during your detention. Not a single one of you were even asked about your citizenship status, making it clear that DHS agents simply don't care that they're arresting U.S. citizens.

Now please raise your hand if you were detained by ICE simply for legally protesting or monitoring ICE activity under your First Amendment rights. All four U.S. citizens have raised their hands. And then when she asked Nome if she'd like to apologize, Nome said that she'd need more context. And Jayapal just didn't let that slide. You have actually turned the United States government against its own residence. Yours is a case of failed leadership secretary. You need to resign, be fired, or be impeached.

And like everything right now, this is not happening in a bubble. The public is turning on ice in numbers that are very hard to ignore. According to you, Gov, 50% of Americans now support abolishing ice compared to 39% who oppose it. That is the first time in that outlet's polling that it has hit that threshold. And the breakdown is 77% of Democrats want to abolish it 52%. percent of independence and nearly a quarter of Republicans. And then even with those who don't want to abolish the agency outright, the majority want restrictions. Fifty nine percent say that aiden shouldn't be allowed to wear masks and 75 percent, including over half of Republicans, say that

officers should wear uniforms that clearly identify them as ICE. And so ultimately, you know, Noam, she can dodge questions in it. Hearing, she can ask for more context when confronted with citizens that are agency detained without cause. She can deflect to Biden and try to blame the media, but she cannot dodge the numbers. Half the country wants her agency gone even more, want it reformed, and the people that are agents killed and detained. they're showing up to these hearings in person. They're raising their hands. They are putting their faces on the record.

And whether any of this translates to real consequences, I think it largely depends on the midterms in 2028. But in the meantime, the gap between what ICE is doing and what the American public is actually gonna tolerate, that's widening fast. And every hearing like this one, it makes it harder to pretend otherwise. But that right there, my friends,

you beautiful bastards is the end of your Wednesday, Philip de Franco show. But that's also not where this rodeo has to end for you. And that's because in addition to maybe watching last night's Philip de Franco show, if you missed it, I just uploaded this week's brand new crashing out, with myself and Alex Perlman, and it was a doozy.

Go watch, enjoy, subscribe if you haven't already, but no matter what you do, I'll see you right back here for even more tomorrow. What? What? You're the messenger on this? I'm 41 years old. I've lived through how many of these fucking idiots goddamn mistakes.

They broke Alex, they broke him. Oops, here I go killing again. I just can't stop doing it. Hey, there might be this guy where there's a billion red flags, but you can change him. Primordial forces.