The Philip DeFranco Show - The NELK Netanyahu Situation is Pathetic

Episode Date: July 22, 2025

Huge Bonus Show Available Right Now: http://DeFrancoMedia.com Just go to https://www.zocdoc.com/phil and download the Zocdoc app for FREE. Then find and book a top-rated doctor today! Go to http://zbiotics.com/DEFRANCO and use code DEFRANCO at checkout to get up to 15% off your first order. ASK ME A QUESTION Got a question? Serious, silly, personal, or newsy — bring the good stuff. Send yours here: https://www.speakpipe.com/PDS  LISTEN TO THE SHOW iTunes: https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/the-philip-defranco-show/id1278424954  Spotify: https://open.spotify.com/show/6ESemquRbz6f8XLVywdZ2V  JOIN OUR COMMUNITY Instagram: https://instagram.com/PhillyDeFranco  Twitter: https://twitter.com/phillyd  TikTok: https://www.tiktok.com/@philipdefranco   – ✩ TODAY’S STORIES ✩ – 00:00 - The Nelk Boys' Pathetic Netanyahu Interview 12:54 - Sponsored by Zocdoc 14:04 - Colbert: "F--- You, Trump!" 19:16 - Congress Will Subpoena Ghislaine Maxwell 24:15 - Sponsored by Zbiotics 25:18 - Trump and Gabbard Accuse Obama of Treason 31:24 - Trump Releases MLK Jr. Files 34:54 - Brett Hankison Sentenced to 33 Months ——————————   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 #NELK #JeffreyEpstein ———————————— Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

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Shop now at ikea.ca. The Nelk Boys Net andanyahu scandal's now exposing people for the dangerous clout chasing griptors they are. Why Colbert and Stewart versus CBS and Trump matters more than many realize. We've got huge Trump Epstein scandal updates as Ghislaine Maxwell re-enters the picture. And what's truly misleading and crazy

about Trump's latest distractions from his Epstein scandal involving MLK and jailing Obama. We're talking about all that and even more on today's brand new Philip DeFranco show, you daily dive into the news. And in fact, there is so much news today that you're getting a bonus show. And in fact, that video is already out

and it's the top link in the description. It's out early on Apple podcasts and Spotify. It's a deep dive into the Trump media problem, Jubilee, maybe being a destructive Psy-op or not, and much more featuring Alex Perlman. So after this show, definitely go watch it there. And if you'd be so kind, leave us a five-star review so we can build out the show and network.

But that said, we've got a lot of big stuff to talk about in the here and now, starting with this. Someone said having Ned and Yahoo on is like having modern day Hitler. No, I saw that. Which is, honestly guys, I'll be honest. I'm here to, that's a good point. So those podcasts bro caricatures are the Nelk Boys

and they are now facing massive backlash after interviewing Benjamin Netanyahu. And these Nelk Boys, if you don't know, they got big with their prank vids and vlogs. The men getting into the podcast and streaming space, dipping their toes into politics and then actually becoming a kind of big fixture, especially in the lead up to the last election.

They ended up joining this kind of larger group of influencers, podcasters and streamers who seemingly gave Trump fixture, especially in the lead up to the last election. They ended up joining this kind of larger group of influencers, podcasters, and streamers who seemingly gave Trump a huge boost in the last election, especially with young men. And last year, just before the election, you had Trump appearing on their Full Send podcast for the second time and even inviting them on his plane. And then you fast forward to yesterday

and they had Netanyahu on the show. And he of course is the Prime Minister of Israel, which is a country that many rights groups and experts say is perpetrating a genocide in Gaza. Or with many arguing that if it's not a genocide, why is it genocide shaped? And that is Netanyahu himself is wanted by the international criminal court

on allegations of war crimes and crimes against humanity, including the use of starvation as a method of war. And one of the reasons I highlight that is because we actually talked about it again yesterday. And as the UN and rights groups have long warned would happen, we really are starting to see hunger and malnutrition take an even bigger toll in Gaza. With local officials saying today that 15 people had died

of starvation in Gaza over the previous 24 hours. With that just adding to the ever increasing number of people who were dying, including children. And again, that's on top of the nearly 60,000 people who have been directly killed so far, according to Gaza's health ministry, with more than reportedly half of them being women and children.

And even that, it doesn't touch on all the destruction of most homes and buildings, mass displacement and allegations and evidence of all sorts of other crimes. And then with all that, as far as this interview, it actually took place on July 8th, which is when Netanyahu was in the U.S. meeting with Trump. And notably you had outlets like Axios reporting at the time that the move seemed to echo Trump's campaign strategy

of building support outside of traditional mainstream channels. With them reporting, it's a sign that Netanyahu recognizes the influence of the MAGA media universe and wants to build support for Israel and the prime minister's own policies within a key segment of Trump's base. And now that the interview has been released,

you have many saying that it is clear why Netanyahu chose the NELK boys. They were completely out of their fucking depth. And at the beginning of their episode, they even seemed aware of it, but then they just continued through. This is f**king nuts, this is so crazy. We are so not qualified to do this.

This is probably one of the most, if not the most controversial podcast we for sure the most have ever done. Yeah, a hundred percent. And by the way, I want to say too, I'm not claiming to be an expert on this issue or anything like that. I see so much stuff about

you know, what's going on in Israel and you know Iran and Palestine and to be honest, I just Really don't know what is going on there And of course as many others have already pointed out that the big problem with interviewing someone about something, you know Almost nothing about especially when that person has a vested interest in pushing a certain narrative But that person says something that isn't true, you can't point that out, you don't even have a chance. And when you have a massive platform like the Nelk Boys,

you're just giving them your megaphone and essentially cosigning. They're gonna argue that they're not, that's essentially what you're doing. But we will get more into the criticism later. I first wanna talk about what was actually said. Because the whole thing, it just started with Netanyahu just laying it on thick for old Donnie Trump.

I think there's never been a friend like Donald Trump in the White House for Israel. I think he's a remarkable leader. I think he's changing history. He said he'll make America great again. He's already done it. You know, America is widely admired now around the world. But of course, in reality, the opposite appears, Beecher, at least when talking about America being admired around the world. But of course, in reality, the opposite appears to be true,

at least when talking about America being admired around the world. In fact, according to a recent Ipsis poll, the number of people saying the U.S. will have a positive influence on world affairs, it fell in 26 out of 29 countries since Trump got elected. And a Pew Research poll last month similarly found that the number of people who view the U.S. favorably

has dropped in most of 24 measured countries. Then separate from that, in the interview, you also had the Nelk boys asking what Americans think about Israel. I think the broad segments of the American public support Israel, but I'm concerned that the young people in America, some of them are getting the wrong picture of Israel, vilification, demonization. You can feed them a lot of lies.

So the only way you can fight lies is with the truth. To have young Americans march and support these mass rapists, these people who beheaded men, who burned babies alive, I'm talking about the Hamas monsters, is that their ideal? They don't know nothing. I mean, they don't know what they're talking about. And I wanna bring that truth to them.

But then notably they're like, at least just with what he's saying there, it wasn't know what they're talking about. And I want to bring that truth to them. But then notably they're like, at least just with what he's saying there, it wasn't exactly the truth. Or because for sure, Hamas massacred hundreds of civilians on October 7th and took 251 people hostage. In investigations by the ICC, rights groups, and media outlets,

they have all uncovered evidence of war crimes and atrocities, including rape and sexual violence. However, those claims about beheading or burning babies, they've been discredited. And that is on the flip side, you have investigators uncovering evidence of war crimes and atrocities committed by Israel. And those include rape and sexual violence.

And overall, Israel's alleged crimes have taken place on a much bigger scale in terms of total casualty numbers. And you actually did have the NELC boys asking Netanyahu about that, though he said this. The reason we have civilian casualties in Gaza is because Hamas embeds itself in the civilian population of Gaza. We tell the Palestinians, hey, leave, because after they butchered us and raped our women

and beheaded our men and burned our babies, you know, we have to remove this threat. So we come in to take care of the Hamas terrorists. But the Hamas terrorists don't leave the civilian neighborhoods. And we say to the civilians, we call them up because we have their telephone numbers. We say, leave, please leave. We send them leaflets, millions of leaflets, please leave. We do everything that is possible, that no army has done. They want to leave. You know what Hamas everything that is possible that no army has done They want to leave

You know what Hamas does they shoot them You say we want you to stay because we want to have civilian casualties because then they can show it on CNN or all these other networks and so on and played that Israel is deliberately Doing this we're not deliberately doing anything You then also had Netanyahu similarly trying to shift blame to Hamas when asked about accusations that Israel is starving the people of Gaza. Well, because we're trying to get the food in and we let food trucks in and guess what happens when we let them in?

Hamas steals the food, takes the good chunk for itself, then sells at inflated prices. They jack up the prices and then they sell the food to its population, to its hungry population, if they give them it all. And then use the money that they take from their own people to recruit more killers into their terror machine. That's what happens. Except that's not what happens, or at least Israel for some reason hasn't provided proof

that Hamas has systematically stolen aid. And the UN, the European Commission, and major international aid organizations have all said they also have no evidence that this is happening. And then of course, you know, something that we've talked about several times now, it's not been looting, but Israeli bullets that have stopped hundreds

of Palestinians from getting aid over the past few months. Ever since the implementation of a new aid system run by the US and Israeli bank, Gaza Humanitarian Foundation. And actually speaking of the US and Israel working together, you had Netanyahu in the interview, reiterating his support for relocating people out of Gaza

with him saying that they should have the quote, freedom of choice to do that. Of course, you have experts saying it really wouldn't be a choice at all. It would likely amount to being a forced population transfer that would be considered a crime against humanity. And then with all that, you had Netanyahu in the interview getting back on topic of support for Palestine in the US

with them equating it to support for Hamas, but then also calling it anti-American. I come here and I see these protests. The people who are protesting for Hamas and against Israel, they burn American flags. They not only burn the flag of Israel, they burn American flags. They're anti-American. They're not MAGA. They're not supporters. Who do they support? They support Iran and its proxy, Hamas or Hezbollah. And interestingly, it actually led to this quick exchange about Zoran Mamdani,

the Democratic candidate in the New York Mayor's race. And this exchange, at least so far, has been one of the biggest things picked up by the mainstream media. I'm just trying to figure it out too, because even in New York City, what's Zoran? Yeah. He's an anti-Semitic guy. They're the highest, I think the highest population of Jews in New York City.

How's that even possible? Well, it's possible because a lot of people have been taken in by this nonsense. I mean, what? You want to defund the police? You want to have people go into stores and rob them and be free. You think that really creates a good society. You want to crush all enterprise. You want to tax people to death.

I mean, that's a one-term effort, but sometimes you have to get mugged by reality to understand how stupid that is. Though of course, Mdani has forcefully denied accusations of antisemitism, promising to govern for Jewish New Yorkers and increase funding to combat hate. But that also, and maybe here's why Netanyahu has an issue

and he's saying all this, Mamdani has accused the Israeli government of genocide and said that he would arrest Netanyahu if he ever visited, citing the ICC's arrest warrant. Additionally, Mamdani said he will not defund the police, instead saying he wants to move resources around to make sure that officers are focusing on the most serious crimes.

In fact, he says he plans to keep the current New York Police Department head count. And then, you know, getting back to Netanyahu, I will just be, I'll just be honest here. There is just so much more we could unpack in this interview and it's because shit just went uncontested. So with the time that we have together, I then want to focus on one of the most interesting

aspects of all this and that has been the response to the interview. Because just starting with their comment section, you had them taking a fucking beating. With their own fans saying, you are platforming a war criminal and basically saying that they were being used by Israel. There just being no shortage of comments like,

this was pitched to Netanyahu like this. Don't worry, these guys are idiots. You can use their platform to push whatever propaganda you want and they won't push back on anything. And notably with all this, they actually responded to the criticism and more on a kick stream yesterday.

Someone said having Netanyahu on is like having modern day Hitler. No, I saw that. Which is honestly guys, I'll be honest. I'm here to, that's a good point. I like, we're here to learn to be honest guys. And while they're interacting with the chat, they also had like a whole cast of characters coming in

to talk to them and criticize them. Right there you have people saying that Netanyahu was just using them for public relations. Saying this was an obvious attempt to get young conservative frat guys, the kind of guys in the masculine, Man-o-sphere type streaming space in the pocket of Israel. They're saying it comes across

like they're doing image rehabilitation for him. And numerous people saying that he was interested and picked them because unlike a hard interview with a journalist, they're not image rehabilitation for him. And numerous people saying that he was interested and picked them because unlike a hard interview with a journalist, they're not gonna push back. Right, arguably the biggest or maybe only pushback really that was there was when they were talking about McDonald's versus Burger King. There was also this weird disturbing moment that happened

when other commentator, Hassan Piker went on. Because a big defense that the Nelk boys had for themselves is, you know, we try to just get a big name on and be neutral. And then with that in mind, we had this interaction play out. What about Adolf Hitler? I think we'd always kind of play the neutral role, to be honest, and just-

You would play a neutral role interviewing Adolf Hitler? I don't think that's the case. And then later regarding the platforming of, I guess an Adolf Hitler type, or people being described as neo-Nazis, we saw this. The reason why I would still choose not to platform neo-Nazis and things of that nature, regardless of how equipped I am at talking to them about these issues and being able to push back adequately, is because a lot of these guys are simply looking for any opportunity to get

their message to a broader audience. They don't actually care about the truth. They don't actually care about coming across like a good or a bad. They just want to be heard because every single time they go in front of a larger audience, they end up winning over some people in the margins to their side. But ultimately that's where we are right now. We're gonna have to wait to see what happens next, especially because the the Nelk boys said they're going to now have someone on, I guess guess next week that has the opposite point of view as Netanyahu. And so I'm very interested to see what they think that is, like where that lands between a displaced,

starving Palestinian child and like the leader of Hamas, or I don't know. But hey, in the meantime, I'd love to know your thoughts, opinions, and reactions to this whole situation and news. And then you've got more news in just a second, but first, you know, is it even adulthood if you don't have at least one mysterious pain that you've just decided to live just a second, but first, is it even adulthood if you don't have at least one mysterious pain

that you've just decided to live with? Remember that doctor's appointment that you were supposed to make a while ago? You know that dentist visit for your biannual cleaning, that overdue annual checkup that's now by decade, and that dermatologist appointment for the thing that started small but now has its own zip code?

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Oh, that's the message that Stephen Colbert and Jon Stewart had after CBS canceled the late show with Stephen Colbert. Because last week CBS announced that the show would be coming to an end in 2026 and they cited financial reasons. But many, many people have suspected that the motive was actually political

considering CBS's parent company Paramount, they controversially agreed to pay $16 million to settle a lawsuit that Trump filed against CBS News. In that settlement, it just happened to come as Paramount is seeking a merger with the media company Skydance, which they'll need approval from the Trump administration for.

And actually, this was something that Colbert recently mocked on his show, just days before he was sacked. Now, I believe that this kind of complicated financial settlement with a sitting government official has a technical name and legal circles, it's big fat bribe. And so then when CBS announced on Thursday that Colbert show was going away, you had many going,

okay, this looks like good old fashioned censorship. Right, people saying you're just trying to appease Trump amid the merger, especially since Colbert is an outspoken Trump critic. With all of that then getting us to last night where Colbert got a chance to address all of it on his show. Folks, I'm gonna go ahead and say it. Cancel culture has gone too far.

Now for the next 10 months, the gloves are off. I can finally, yeah. I can finally speak unvarnished truth to power and say what I really think about Donald Trump, starting right now. I don't care for him. Go f*** yourself. Kubeir then did a bit of parodying that Coldplay concert

where an audience cam landed on TV hosts and comedians before landing on Trump and Paramount. But the two of them then hiding like they were having an affair and that is Colbert was not alone in calling out CBS last night with his former colleague, Jon Stewart, also ripping into the network on The Daily Show, which by the way, also falls under the Paramount umbrella.

This is not a, we speak truth to power. We don't, we speak opinions to television cameras, but we try we try every night. And if you believe as corporations or as networks you can make yourselves so innocuous that you can serve a group so flavorless that you will never again be on the boy King's radar. Why will anyone watch you and you are wrong? With Stewart then notably saying that he doesn't believe

that Colbert's cancellation was actually for financial reasons. Because there have been reports saying that, you know, CBS was losing money on the show, but it all happened so sudden. When you have a staple like that, that's actually crushing compared to the other competitors, it feels very off to many that it would just happen

and there wouldn't be a rethinking of or an attempt to really change or save things. So instead you had Stewart saying, I think the answer is in the fear and pre-compliance that is gripping all of America's institutions at this very moment. Institutions that have chosen not to fight the vengeful and vindictive actions

of our pubic hair doodling commander in chief. This is not the moment to give in. I'm not giving in. He had Stuart then closing the segment in a very John Oliver way. He repeatedly sang the phrase, "'Fuck yourself' accompanied by a gospel choir." And all of this is you've also had politicians condemning CBS

and Paramount here concerned that this is a politically motivated attack on free speech. And that is you had many arguing that you just needed to look to Trump's truth social posts celebrating Colbert's firing to know that this was actually politically motivated attack on free speech. And that is, you had many arguing that you just needed to look to Trump's Truth Social Post, celebrating Colbert's firing, to know that this was actually a political decision. And that is, you had others that, yeah, for sure, noting that late night TV is seeing better days,

saying Colbert was the highest rated program in the field. And because of that, you had people like the Writers Guild demanding an investigation into CBS's decision here, writing that for 10 years, the show has been one of the most successful, beloved, and profitable programs on CBS. And saying, given Paramount's recent capitulation to President Trump and the CBS News lawsuit,

the Writers Guild of America has significant concerns that the late show's cancellation is a bribe, sacrificing free speech to curry favor with the Trump administration as the company looks for merger approval. And saying, cancellations are part of the business, but a corporation terminating a show in bad faith due to explicit or implicit political pressure is dangerous

and unacceptable in a democratic society. Right, and that is many are also interested in more of the details of the sky dance and Paramount merger as it relates to the Trump administration. Especially since there's been reporting of a side deal with Trump previously saying that instead of just a $16 million settlement,

he got a total of around $35 million. And so actually with that, yesterday you had senators Elizabeth Warren, Bernie Sanders, and Ron Wyden releasing a statement demanding answers on what this means. Writing these reports, raise fresh questions about corruption in the Trump administration and President Trump's willingness to accept payments

from entities with significant policy interests before agencies he controls. And adding, reporting suggests that a secret side deal with Skydance may include public service announcements and other broadcast transmissions worth between 15 million and $20 million that support conservative causes supported by President Trump.

The senators and asking Skydance CEO, David Ellison to answer questions regarding whether Skydance's actions comply with federal anti-bribery laws, including about the contents of the secret deal with President Trump, whether the deals participants discussed the pending Paramount Skydance transaction and whether Skydance executives were involved in the decision to cancel the late show with Stephen Colbert.

But for now, we'll have to fully wait to see what an untethered Stephen Colbert does with his show over the next few months, as well as what happens to others. I mean, there's been talk about what's happening with Jon Stewart's career on The Daily Show. And of course, if anything comes from the calls for investigations, though there I wouldn't hold my breath

given who has power. And then next up in huge Trump Epstein news, Ghislaine Maxwell might be about to spill her secrets. Because this morning you had attorney general, Pam Bondi announcing that the DOJ is trying to meet her. And of course she is the famous imprisoned Epstein associate with Bondi posting a statement from deputy attorney, Todd Blanch saying that he had spoken with

Maxwell's lawyers to determine if she was willing to speak with the DOJ and claiming, "'President Trump has told us to release all credible evidence of Ghislaine Maxwell's information about anyone who has committed crimes against victims. The FBI and the DOJ will claiming, President Trump has told us to release all credible evidence of Glane Maxwell's information about anyone who has committed crimes against victims, the FBI and the DOJ will hear what she has to say. But Blanche going on to say that he expects to meet with Maxwell in the coming days and claiming

that the DOJ under previous administrations had never tried to speak with her. Very notably here, he also says that the DOJ stands by a statement it issued earlier this month, asserting that its review of the Epstein files produced no evidence that would warrant prosecution of third parties that have not been charged. And then in response,

he would have a lawyer for Maxwell issuing a statement saying, I can confirm that we are in discussions with the government and that Galen will always testify truthfully. That and we are grateful to President Trump for his commitment to uncovering the truth in this case. So of course, you know, with that, it's unclear exactly what a potential interview

with Maxwell would look like, or if any part of it would be released to the public. But this announcement, one, it's still notable because it marks yet another instance of it appearing like the Trump administration is bending to pressure as the outrage over their handling of the case has been raging on with seemingly no signs of it dying down anytime soon. Two, this latest announcement comes

as there's been a growing number of lawmakers who have been calling for Maxwell to testify about her relationship with Epstein. And that, including some who have called for her to be subpoenaed to appear before Congress. And in fact, just hours after Bondi's announcement, we saw the House Oversight Committee voting unanimously to subpoena Maxwell to testify at a deposition.

And significantly here, the motion to subpoena Maxwell was actually introduced by a Republican, Representative Tim Burchett, who said he didn't consult Trump first. And that is the committee's Republican chair, Representative James Comer, also told reporters that he too had not communicated with the White House, but that quote,

"'Republicans on the committee "'overwhelmingly support the move'," and adding, "'I know that President Trump has said he's going to release all the information they have, but we have members that want to go a little bit further, be a little more aggressive. All of this is we're seeing some Democrats arguing that this move likely won't achieve much

at the end of the day. But for example, representative Jamie Raskin arguing that the subpoena is an evasive ploy to obscure the fact that they are not doing the one thing they promised to do, which is release the Epstein file. But still saying that the Democrats will welcome the opportunity to question Maxwell, but then adding, given that Ms. Maxwell's hopes for freedom

depend on clemency and a pardon from President Trump, her testimony about Trump, his relationship with Epstein and the extent of Trump's role in any conspiracy, simply has no reliability. And then beyond that, you have many noting that while some Republicans voted for the subpoena, party leadership has been actively stonewalling efforts to release the files.

And in fact, while all of this was playing out today, you had Mike Johnson literally shutting down House business and sending the chamber to its weeks long summer recess early in order to avoid voting on legislation that could force the release of the Epstein file. And that even though one, he literally last night said that he would not send lawmakers home early.

Two, just days ago on a podcast, he said, let's get those Epstein files out there. Three, all of this, despite the fact that Johnson's actions here brought the House to a complete standstill, functionally preventing Republicans from working on any major legislative business or passing important parts of their own agenda

before the recess. That's seemingly how bad they don't want any kind of vote on the Epstein files right now. And I mean that generally for Republicans as well as Mike Johnson specifically, though it goes beyond Mike Johnson. He's essentially a sock puppet for Donald Trump And that's even as many of their own members have been pushing for and specifically this change in schedule

It came after a major blow-up on the House Rules Committee Which decides how legislation is sent to the floor and was initially planning on moving several bills for a vote before recess But then Democrats they announced their plan to force the panel to vote on a measure aimed at pressuring the DOJ to release the Epstein files while the committee teed up votes on unrelated measures. And then, seemingly instead of taking a potentially embarrassing vote that would have forced Republicans to either bend to pressure from the public to release the files or stay loyal to Trump,

GOP leaders just decided to recess the committee altogether. And because the rules committee is necessary to tee up votes on other bills, there was basically nothing left for the House to do, which is why Johnson's sending them on vacation early. But then Johnson, he also took the whole situation further. I mean, he's literally refusing to hold a vote on an Epstein-related measure from members of his own party.

Right, last week, Republicans on the rules committee were able to agree on a non-binding resolution calling for the release of Epstein-related files. A proposal that's largely symbolic because it won't legally compel the DOJ to do anything, but just allows the GOP to be on record saying they support the release of the files. But Johnson, he wouldn't even allow his own members

to go on the record before recess arguing. My belief is we need the administration to have the space to do what it is doing. And if further congressional action is necessary or appropriate, then we'll look at that. But I don't think we're at that point right now because we agree with the president. Which is why you have Democrats accusing leadership

of fleeing the Capitol early for vacation to avoid votes on the Epstein files that their own members again want to have. Claiming that they're just doing this in hopes that people are gonna forget about it or will care about something else and then they won't have to deal with it the Capitol early for vacation to avoid votes on the Epstein files that their own members again, want to have. Claiming that they're just doing this in hopes that people are gonna forget about it or will care about something else and then they won't have to deal with it

by the time they come back. Which is then why you have many Democrats vowing to continue their work on this when the session picks up again in September. You know, they're not alone with Republican representative Thomas Massie saying that he'll continue pushing to force a vote on legislation to release the files.

So while we wait to see what all comes from this, I gotta pass the question off to you and that is what are your thoughts here, especially regarding the possibility of a Maxwell testimony? In addition to are you interested or not? Are you skeptical or are you trusting in that situation? What do you expect?

Of course, remember this is the Philip DeFranco show. It is a news show, but it's also a conversation. So whether it's this story or something else, I'd love to hear from you. And then I've got more news for you in a second, but first, summer, it's in full swing. And that means barbecues, beach days, and plenty of reasons to have a few drinks.

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and use code Defranco at checkout for 15% off. No frills delivers. Get groceries delivered to your door from no frills with PC express. Shop online and get $15 in PC optimum points on your first five orders. Shop now at nofrills.ca. And then next up in the news state,

we need to talk about Donald Trump arresting Barack Obama. Right, because while the situation, at least in part, may be just another desperate attempt to refocus attention anywhere about the Jeffrey Epstein Trump scandal, it is a question that a lot of people are asking, is it going to happen? And understand, I say arrested,

whether it's warranted or not. Because it started when you had National Intelligence Director Tulsi Gabbard releasing a troll of documents over the weekend purporting to show that the Obama administration deliberately manufactured what they call the Russiagate hoax to undermine Trump. And specifically, she referred to an intelligence assessment

made just before Trump took office in 2017, finding that Russia interfered in the election. Namely by hacking the DNC and leaking Hillary Clinton's emails and using internet troll farms to spread disinformation. Findings that key thing were later backed up by a three-year bipartisan Senate committee probe, which then Senator and now Secretary of State

Marco Rubio chaired. Hell, even the Durham report, which was highly critical of the original investigation for its alleged bias, found no criminal conspiracy by Obama administration officials to sabotage Trump. But now, despite that, you have Tulsi Gabbard claiming the opposite

and telling Fox News. This treasonous conspiracy was directed by President Obama just weeks before he was due to leave office. So the effect of what President Obama just weeks before he was due to leave office. So the effect of what President Obama and his senior national security team did was subvert the will of the American people, undermining our democratic republic, and enacting what would be essentially a years-long coup against President Trump. And in support of that claim, you had Gabard telling the following story, saying first in the months leading up to the 2016 election

and for weeks afterward, intelligence assessments consistently found that Russia did not use cyber attacks and election infrastructure to influence the results. Then in December, she says that then President Obama had his intelligence agencies draft a new assessment detailing quote, tools Moscow used and actions it took to influence the 2016 election.

After which the White House allegedly leaked false statements to the media and released an assessment it knew to be manufactured contradicting its own previous assessment. Something that according to Gabbard laid the groundwork for everything that followed the Mueller probe, the Impeachments, the high-level indictments, heightened US-Russia tensions and more. Or in her words, A years-long coup, a years-long coup, a years-long coup, treasonous conspiracy, this treasonous conspiracy, this seditious conspiracy, a treasonous conspiracy. But, and it's a big old but, as many critics have pointed out,

including members of that Senate committee and authors of the intelligence report, Gabbard is conflating two separate things here. Because her argument here is that the claim post-election that Russia did interfere contradicts the findings pre-election that Russia didn't successfully hack voting machines. But that post-election assessment,

it never claimed that Russia hacked voting systems. It only claimed that Russia hacked the DNC and spread disinformation through troll farms. So Gabbard, she appears to be trying to pull off this sleight of hand manufacturing a conspiracy where there isn't one. Now with that, you know, on any ordinary day, this would be kind of a nothing burger again.

But Gabbard, she went on Fox and revealed that she is actually looking to put people in prison over this. We are referring all of the documents that we have uncovered to the Department of Justice and the FBI for a criminal referral. In my view, we have the evidence to be able to move forward and bring about justice, yes, to prosecute and indict those responsible. And you have the DOJ be able to move forward and bring about justice, yes,

to prosecute and indict those responsible. And you have the DOJ now confirming to Fox News that it has indeed received Gabbard's criminal referral. And so naturally one of the questions that's in people's heads is who's getting indicted? And notably in her DNI press release, Gabbard names several people in this supposed conspiracy, James Clapper, John Brennan, Susan Rice, John Kerry,

Loretta Lynch, Andrew McCabe and others. But then Gabbard, she also made it clear that she believes that Obama was personally culpable and has repeatedly stressed that everyone involved should be prosecuted no matter how high up or how powerful they are. And then after sharing those clips to Gabbard, you had Donald Trump reposting an AI generated video

on truth social of Obama getting arrested. Featuring FBI agents bursting into the Oval Office, pushing Obama to his knees and handcuffing him all while Trump looks on smiling in the song YMCA plays. But then Obama in an orange jumpsuit in jail. And so with all that, you have many going, okay, is this just another distraction? Is it a fantasy?

Is it a threat? Or is it an actual glimpse of what's to come? Today, Trump cleared all that up. He seems completely serious. The reporter asking him about Jeffrey Epstein, which he dismissed as a witch hunt, and then he said this. The witch hunt that you should be talking about is they caught President Obama absolutely cold.

From your perspective, who should the DOJ target as part of their investigation? What specific figures in the Obama administration? Well, based on what I read, and I read pretty much what you read, it would be President Obama. He started it. It's there. He's it. It's there.

He's guilty. This was treason. This was every word you can think of. Barack Hussein Obama is the ringleader. Hillary Clinton was right there with him, and so was Sleepy Joe Biden. We found absolute — this isn't like evidence or — this is like proof, irrefutable proof that Obama was sedacious,

that Obama was trying to lead a coup. So yeah, that's the current president calling to prosecute two former presidents and one former presidential candidate for treason. So you know, just another Tuesday in America. But however serious Donald Trump is about this, that doesn't mean that he can actually do what he's threatening to do.

We actually saw Jim Himes, the top Democrat on the Senate Intelligence Committee, expressing skepticism. Four, five, six weeks from now, let's see if this administration, Tulsi Gabbard accusing a former president of treason, let's see if they bring charges. They won't, they won't,

because there's not a judge in the land, not a single judge who will treat this with anything other than laughter. And now we're gonna be an Epstein world where like, wait a minute, treasonous conspiracy by a former president. Why isn't the Department of Justice bringing charges? And the answer to that question is that it is a lie.

And so, you know, while all of this, it could just be yet another distraction to try to get people to look away from the Trump-Eppstein relationship and scandal. It's still very much worth paying attention to because even if this has no merit, and understand based off of what we've seen right now, it really doesn't seem like it does,

that does not mean that they probably can't make a number of people's lives miserable for a certain period of time. Especially as it has emerged that one of the Trump administration's main tactics is just do something, even if it's gonna get stopped eventually, we can break systems and people in the meantime.

And then in other news, in his latest attempt to distract from the Trump Epstein scandal, Donald Trump just dropped previously classified files on MLK's assassination against the family's wishes. We have the National Archives on the orders of Donald Trump publishing 6,000 documents with hundreds of thousands of pages relating

to the death of Martin Luther King Jr. back in 1968. With officials saying the files include notes on the leads investigators pursued, interviews with people who knew the assassin, James Earl Ray, and previously unreleased details of interactions with foreign intelligence services during the manhunt. And we're talking about upwards of 200,000 pages

of documents that were sealed back in 1977. With the Department of National Intelligence saying in a statement that the release includes internal FBI memos and never before seen CIA records behind the hunt for MLK's killer. But huge, very key thing, what was absent that the release includes internal FBI memos and never before seen CIA records behind the hunt for MLK's killer. But huge, very key thing, what was absent from the release was the FBI wiretap recordings of MLK

that still remain under court seal until 2027. Which is really the big red meat that people have been demanding and wanting. And all of this is, you know, while Trump did make the promise while on the campaign trail to release these files along with those pertaining to the deaths of JFK and RFK, this drop yesterday, it came with no notice.

Right, which just lent itself to the argument that this was an obvious attempt to distract from what's happening with Trump and Epstein. Though with the release yesterday, you had the director of national intelligence, Tulsi Gabbard, saying in a statement, along with the publication yesterday, the American people have waited nearly 60 years

to see the full scope of the federal government's investigation into Dr. King's assassination. Under President Trump's leadership, we are ensuring that no stone is left unturned in our mission to deliver complete transparency on this pivotal and tragic event in our nation's history. And that is you at Attorney General,

Pam Bondi echoing that and saying that the American people deserve answers decades after the horrific assassination of one of our nation's great leaders. But again, given the timing, the sudden nature of the release and the fact that it didn't have the FBI wiretaps, you had people saying, it's obvious what's happening here.

Arguing this is an obvious and clumsy attempt by Trump to divert attention. For example, Reverend Dowell Sharpton, the civil rights activist saying, Trump releasing the MLK assassination files is not about transparency or justice. And instead saying, it's a desperate attempt to distract people from the firestorm engulfing Trump

over the Epstein files and the public unraveling of his credibility among the MAGA base. And you also saw things like Bernice King, MLK's daughter, who we're gonna talk about more in a second, sharing a post on X following the release saying, "'Now do the Epstein files.'" But also, regardless of the motives behind this release, it's also not clear exactly how much insight

these documents actually provide. With the same, for example, David Garrow, the author of an award-winning biography on MLK, as well as a book about the FBI spying campaign on him, saying, "'There was little of public interest in the files.'" Or with him adding, "'I saw nothing that struck me as new. And that is others have also expressed outright skepticism

like Larry Sabato, for example, the director of the Center for Politics at the University of Virginia, who is reviewing this latest drop with his own team of researchers who told the New York Times, you've got to read this carefully and don't take it at face value.

And then going on to know that he's wary of anything from the FBI regarding MLK, because there's a chance agents inflated or manufactured material to appease J. Edgar Hoover. It was a bottom explaining that Hoover wanted dirt on MLK, his movements and his associates. Additionally, we're seeing questions about the actual readability of some of the documents.

For example, the New York Times reported that many pages have been rendered nearly illegible by time and the digitization process. But then also the kicker here is that these files were reportedly released against the wishes of MLK's family. And there you had his children, Bernice King and Martin Luther King III being given advanced access to the documents.

And they also released a statement following their release asking the public to view the files quote, within their full historical context and with empathy, restraint and respect for our family's continuing grief. Going on to say that their father was unfairly targeted by J Edgar Hoover and the FBI. So they're concerned that these files

may paint a skewed picture of their father and affect the public opinion of them. And they maintained their long held position that MLK's killer, James Earl Ray, was not solely responsible for their father's death. In saying, as we review these newly released files, we will assess whether they offer additional insights beyond the findings our family has already accepted.

And then next up in the news, Brett Hankison just got sentenced to nearly three years in prison for his involvement in the raid that killed Breonna Taylor. A ruling that actually marks a major rebuke of the Trump administration. Because you see Hankison, he was one of the officers involved in the botched raid where Taylor was fatally shot by Louisville police.

With the officers there serving a warrant and a drug investigation into a former boyfriend of Taylor. But Taylor's current boyfriend believed that the officers were intruders, so he got his gun and he fired a warning shot that struck one of the officers in the thigh. Then three of the officers firing numerous rounds into the apartment apartment killing Taylor. And you had Hankison specifically firing 10 shots

through a glass door and window on the side of her building, even though they were both covered by blinds and curtains. And while ultimately investigators found that none of the bullets that Hankison specifically fired had hit anyone, they had traveled in a neighboring apartment. And so as a result, Hankison was indicted on charges for endangering Taylor's neighbors, which also made him the only one of seven officers involved

who faced any charges. But in 2022, a jury found him not guilty, which also made him the only one of seven officers involved who faced any charges. But in 2022, a jury found him not guilty, which then prompted the Justice Department under Biden to file its own charges. With the DOJ accusing Hankison of violating the constitutional rights of Taylor and three of her neighbors by blindly firing into the building.

With then, after a mistrial and retrial, a jury ultimately found Hankison guilty of violating Taylor's rights through the use of excessive force. A conviction that very notably carries a maximum sentence of life in prison. But then last week you had Trump's justice department sending a highly unusual letter asking the federal judge

overseeing the case to sentence Hankison to just one single day in prison and three years of supervised release. With him arguing that he doesn't pose a public threat. And that with the department also asking for time that Hankison already served, it count towards his sentence. Right, so he wouldn't actually have to go to prison at all. And specifically what you saw

is that the Trump administration argued that the DOJ under Biden should not have prosecuted Hankison on the civil rights charges, even though a jury literally found him guilty. And you had administration officials claiming that Hankison, he's already been punished enough, stating that Hankison didn't shoot Taylor or anyone else and isn't responsible for her death.

But then on the other side, you had lawyers for Taylor's family hitting back at that and issuing a scathing statement saying that her mother is once again heartbroken and angry and adding, this recommendation is an insult to the life of Breonna Taylor and a blatant betrayal of the jury's decision. When a police officer is found guilty

of violating someone's constitutional rights, there must be real accountability and justice. Right, and then beyond that, you also had experts arguing that the sentencing requested by the DOJ would set a dangerous precedent and indicates that the agency won't hold officers accountable when they violate the law. And that was also echoed by US District Judge

Rebecca Grady Jennings, who very notably is actually a Trump appointee. With Jennings officially sentencing him to 33 months in prison and three years of supervised release, arguing that the DOJ's recommendation was, quote, not appropriate and would undermine the jury's verdict. And while she acknowledged that the officers were responding to the gunshot fired by Taylor's boyfriend,

she added that does not allow officers to then do what they want and then be excused. And then beyond that, Jennings also slammed the DOJ, making what she called a 180 degree turn in its approach to the case after Trump took control of the agency. Judge Jennings, who again is a Trump appointee, even going as far as to openly claim

that the agency's recommendation of one day seems to have been influenced by political factors. Right into that point, you also had Breonna's family and their lawyers making similar arguments, noting that under Biden, the DOJ had forcefully pushed this case and poured tons of resources into it. But Taylor's mother even accusing Trump's DOJ of acting as another defense team for Hankison

and arguing, the judge did the best she could with what she had to work with. There was no prosecution in there for us. There was no prosecution in there for Breonna. And that is he had the family's lawyer, Ben Crump, accusing the Trump prosecutor for fighting for Hankison instead of the family, saying he had never seen a prosecutor argue so adamantly for a convicted felon

who had been convicted by a jury who heard all the evidence. Though despite all that, you still had Taylor's family and their legal team issuing a statement saying, while they were upset that Hankison didn't receive a harsher sentence, they were happy that the judge rejected the DOJ's recommendation, saying, "'While today's sentence is not what we had hoped for, "'nor does it fully reflect the severity of the harm caused.

"'It is more than what the Department of Justice saw.' "'That in itself is a statement.'" But then my friend, you beautiful bastard, is the end of today's show. Though remember, you got a bonus video and show just one link away. It's that top one, it says defrancomedia.com. And don't worry, it's free like all the content that I do.

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