The Philip DeFranco Show - Trump Accidentally Exposed Himself in Epstein Panic! MAGA Civil War Gets Worse...

Episode Date: July 14, 2025

This is getting crazy… Just go to https://www.zocdoc.com/phil and download the Zocdoc app for FREE. Then find and book a top-rated doctor today! Wear your feelings @ https://BeautifulBastard.com with new tees and tanks OR fill your home with our new premium canvas prints while you can! Subscribe for New shows every Monday, Tuesday, Wednesday, & Thursday @ 6pm ET/3pm PT & watch more here: https://youtu.be/LApWOcEyIUc?si=SV0kKnWFATIu5Mkc&list=PLHcsGizlfLMWpSg7i0b9wnUyEZWI-25N3&index=1  – ✩ TODAY’S STORIES ✩ – 00:00 - Trump Accidentally Exposed Himself in Epstein Panic 10:12 - Barack Obama Tells Democrats to Stop Being Crybabies 13:11 - Sponsored by ZocDoc 14:28 - “Superman” Kills Netanyahu 18:05 - Lawmakers Visit “Alligator Alcatraz” After Being Blocked 22:28 - DOJ Fires 20 Staffers Involved in Prosecuting Trump  25:31 - Israel Strikes Military Tanks in Southern Syria -——————————   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  ———————————— For more Philip DeFranco: Apple Podcasts: https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/the-philip-defranco-show/id1278424954 Spotify: https://open.spotify.com/show/6ESemquRbz6f8XLVywdZ2V Twitter:   https://x.com/PhillyD Instagram:   https://instagram.com/PhillyDeFranco Newsletter: https://www.dailydip.co TikTok:   https://www.tiktok.com/@philipdefranco?lang=en ———————————— #DeFranco #JeffreyEpstein #DonaldTrump ———————————— Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Trump appears to have accidentally exposed himself in his Epstein panic as his MAGA civil war gets worse and worse, while Obama is now slamming Democrats, how alligator Alcatraz may actually be worse than expected after tours were allowed, and this Superman Israel controversy and box office situation has revealed a lie.

We're talking about all of that and much more on today's brand new Philip DeFranco show, you daily dive into the news, starting with this. MAGA is now refusing to just forget Epstein like Donald Trump wants, and Trump, I mean, he's going ballistic with the monster that he created is turning on it. Because for years, Trump, his family members,

and his allies, they've used the Epstein files as a dog whistle to rile up their base, repeatedly claiming that there was a client list, calling for it to be released, and just generally spreading conspiracy theories. Now, the same top officials who promised MAGA all these juicy details and the truth, they're saying there's nothing there.

Trump, he's all, Epstein, Epstein who? Oh, that Epstein. Now I was still talking about that random creep, huh? I, Donald J. Trump, have absolutely no clue why there would be any reason for all of these people to still be talking about this after we spent years telling you to fixate on it. But as it turns out, MAGA, who, you know,

they're a little more flexible on a number of things, they have not been willing to just let this go. You know, since we talked about this last week, the whole thing, it's just gone completely off the rails and it's turned into a full MAGA revolt. And as we've seen the MAGA base engaging in this civil war against each other, we've also seen key voices

that helped get Donald Trump elected turning on him. You've got guys like Andrew Schultz, who had Trump on his podcast before the election, uploading an episode of his flagrant podcast, literally titled Why Trump is covering for Epstein and how did he got off? Schultz absolutely tearing into Trump after playing the clip from the press conference last week where the president acted all surprised that people were still talking About Epstein and told them to just forget about that is like in all seriousness. That is that is I think what is

Enraging people right now is it's insulting our intelligence. Like, obviously the intelligence community is trying to cover it up. Obviously the Trump administration is trying to cover up. Something changed because they ran on this idea of exposing it all. Yep, yep, yep, yep. All these guys had great ideas,

Cackeye Cash, Dan Bongino. He had clips, dog, he had bars. He was ready to tear it all down. He was ready to tear down the entire FBI office. Shut down the Hoover building day one. Day one. Them bitches still standing. Then he goes on Joe Rogan and he's like, listen, do you think if I had it, I wouldn't share

it with you? I do. Yeah, I do. I do believe that 100%. You know, it wasn't just him on the podcast saying this. Now they're saying nothing happened. So one or two things in my mind is a possible. One, you're covering it up or two two nothing really happened and you exploited the rape of thousands of children to get your man elected so which one do you want here right then you chose later going on to take aim at trump more broadly accusing the president of failing

to fulfill the campaign promises that he and many others voted on i believe when trump everything he campaigned on i believe he wanted to do and now he's doing the exact opposite thing of every single. I don't know. He's doing the exact opposite of everything I voted for. I want him to stop the wars, he's funding them. I want him to shrink spending, reduce the budget. He's increasing it. It's like everything that he said he's gonna do except sending immigrants back.

And now he's even flip-flopped on that. And you know, that's just one example. And it's not like Schultz's diehard MAGA. We does represent an important base, people that were swayed in this most recent election to go to Trump's side. I mean, on that note, I mean, you even had Joe Rogan chiming in,

kind of making fun of Trump. And again, while that matters, these are guys with huge shows. I mean, Joe Rogan has the biggest podcast in the world. The bulk of the criticism, and I think the most eye-opening, that has actually come from pretty hardcore MAGA Republicans. Both online and this weekend at the Student Action Summit Conference, hosted by Charlie Kirk's eye-opening, that has actually come from pretty hardcore MAGA Republicans.

Both online and this weekend at the Student Action Summit Conference hosted by Charlie Kirk's right-wing group, Turning Point USA. Or with the whole Epstein situation being a major focal point for many of Trump's most devout supporters. And during that summit,

you saw things like audience members erupting into boos over the administration's handling of the case. How many of you are satisfied, you can clap clap satisfied with the results of the Epstein investigation clap. Many speakers even slamming the Trump administration's handling of the case and saying that the president needs to pay attention to what the base wants. You know one of the most viral moments from the conference it was this clip of Kirk

talking to an audience full of Trump supporters. Can we pan to the audience? I'm curious, how many of you raise your hand, think this is a big deal? The Epstein thing, would you raise your hand? So, I mean, every hand, every hand has gone up. And that, as you had moments like Tucker Carlson bringing it up repeatedly in a lengthy speech that he gave as well as throughout various other interviews

and conversations throughout the event. And I think that's really at the heart of why the Epstein thing is so distressing. I mean the guy was some weird sex freak who was abusing girls. We knew that. But the fact that the US government, the one that I voted for, refused to take my question seriously and instead said, case closed, shut up, conspiracy theorist, was too much for me. And I don't think the

rest of us should be satisfied with that. What is it about Jeffrey Epstein that's so infuriating to people, so infuriating that it's actually causing seismic political problems and I hope that they'll address it and it'll get better. I really do. But what is it? I'll tell you what it is. It's the frustration of normal people watching a certain class of people get away with everything every single time.

That's what it is. And that last point is one that we've seen many others making this idea that so many people in MAGA, they view the Epstein case as central to exposing the deep state. What I mean is you had one expert explaining the Epstein narrative is a key people in MAGA, they view the Epstein case as central to exposing the deep state. What I mean is you had one expert explaining, the Epstein narrative is a key element

of MAGA's criticism of the quote ruling class and has basically become a linchpin conspiracy that forms the basis of so many other MAGA beliefs about the deep state. So by pulling that one foundational Jenga piece, Trump's essentially threatening to topple a whole tower of beliefs. Believes that he also spent years stoking

to get himself reelected. And then part is why this is such a big deal to the base. It isn't just about Epstein. By gaslighting his base about the whole situation, Trump is functionally undermining their entire system of beliefs. But some supporters even accusing the president of becoming the deep state himself,

despite the fact that they voted for him because he vowed to fight the deep state. And that including by releasing key parts of the Epstein case. And now you've got some of the biggest voices within the base saying this is enough to cause an existential crisis that could cause Republicans future elections.

I mean, you had Steve Bannon, another huge Trump ally bringing up Epstein repeatedly throughout the Turning Point USA event. With him even explicitly saying at one point that this situation is deeper than Epstein and adding. It's not about just a pedophile ring and all that. This is about who governs us, right? And that's why it's not gonna go right for this to go away

You're gonna lose 10% of the MAGA movement if we lose 10% of the MAGA movement right now We ain't gonna lose 40 seats in 26. We're gonna lose the president only have to steal it. He's not alone You also had Megan Kelly saying the same thing in a conversation with Kirk. This could actually cost Trump in the midterms We need to make a smart choice right now. We can't lose any of the MAGA base. Notably with that you had her and many others repeatedly slamming Attorney General Pam Bondi throughout the event. But as far as Kirk himself, he's now saying... Honestly, I'm done talking about Epstein for the time being.

I'm gonna trust my friends in the administration. I'm gonna trust my friends in the government to do what needs to be done, solve it, balls in their hands. I've said plenty this last weekend. So if you guys wanna see my commentary on it, that's fine. And actually regarding Kirk's friends in the government, the whole situation, it appears to be causing major rifts within the Trump administration itself.

Right, because you had several outlets reporting over the weekend that Deputy FBI Director Dan Bongino is actually considering leaving his post after clashing with Bondi over her handling of the files. With one source even telling NBC, Bongino is out of control furious. This destroyed his career. He's threatening to quit and torch Pam unless she's fired.

Though very notably there, you had Trump pushing back on them. When he was asked by reporters yesterday if Bongino was still serving in his administration, the president responded, I think so. Claiming he had spoken with him that day and adding, no, I think he's in good shape. With Trump also then making a very long

and rambling post on true social, where he defended Bondi and rebuked his own base. Writing, what's going on with my boys and in some cases, gals? They're all going after attorney general, Pam Bondi, who was doing a fantastic job. We're on one team, MAGA, and I don't like what's happening.

We have a perfect administration, the talk of the world, and selfish people are trying to hurt it all over a guy who never dies, Jeffrey Epstein. With a man wildly going on to claim that the Epstein files were actually written by many of his various perceived political opponents, including President Obama, Hillary Clinton,

and quote, the losers and criminals of the Biden administration. Then adding, now my so-called friends are playing right into their hands. With Trump then claiming that if there was actually anything that would implicate him in the Epstein files, Democrats would have already released them. And then Trump went on to make false claims

about the 2020 election being stolen, arguing the DOJ needs to be spending its resources investigating that matter instead of looking into the Epstein files and then instructing his supporters to quote, not waste time and energy on Jeffrey Epstein, somebody that nobody cares about. A post that actually resulted in Trump getting ratioed on his own social media platform.

With many of the responses being, what are you talking about? Why are you gaslighting us? We care about this. With many also questioning how Trump's team can say there is no Epstein list, but then also at the same time, that thing that doesn't exist was written

by Hillary Clinton, Obama and Biden's people. And overall, it just really seemed to inflame his base even more. With it really seeming to split his base among those who see Trump as an infallible God King, there's always an explanation, and others who just genuinely took him at his word that they saw him as this tool to right wrongs.

Now, many feel deceived and especially hurt because it is a situation that involves minors getting hurt. And then on top of that, we're also now seeing some Democrats trying to capitalize on the situation. For example, we're also now seeing some Democrats trying to capitalize on the situation. For example, Democratic leaders in the house

launching an effort to force the chamber to vote on releasing the files. The one that's generally seen as a long shot, but also too has given many Democrats a talking point going into the midterms. For example, Senator Ossoff of Georgia hitting on that this weekend. President Trump promised to end the wars.

He promised to release the Epstein files. Did anyone really think the sexual predator president who used to party with Jeffrey Epstein was going to release the Epstein files? For now, we'll have to wait to see if this continues to grow, how the administration continues to handle or fumble the situation. And in the meantime, I'd really love to know your thoughts in those comments down below.

But then next up in the news, we should talk about how Obama's advice for Democrats over the weekend is essentially just stop crying like babies and do your damn jobs. What I'm saying, quote, I think it's going to require a little bit less navel gazing and a little less whining and being in fetal positions. And it's going to require Democrats to just toughen up.

Right, and those remarks were apparently delivered at a private fundraising event in New Jersey on Friday with CNN then obtaining excerpts of the speech and multiple outlets now verifying what he said. But with him really trying to push those who are currently in office to level things up and their efforts to fight Donald Trump and adding, you know, don't tell me you're a Democrat,

but you're kind of disappointed right now so you're not doing anything. Saying no, now is exactly the time that you get in there and do something. Don't say that you care deeply about free speech and then you're quiet. No, you stand up for free speech when it's hard. What's needed now is courage.

But I'm also going on to tell the party to focus on what's going on right now. Right, and that is, there's been a ton of reporting on which Democrats are trying to line themselves up for runs in 2028, tons of people focusing on that and wondering if there's a rabbit for the left to pull out of their hat at this point. But there you had Obama cautioning saying,

stop looking for the quick fix, stop looking for the Messiah. You have great candidates running races right now, support those candidates. The men reportedly specifically pointing to governor races in the states of New Jersey and Virginia. And all of this is he's not the only one that's been giving blunt messages to the party right now.

Right, you also had an interview that Mark Cuban did with the Pod Save America guys yesterday getting a ton of traction. We picked the wrong pressure points. It's just Trump sucks. That's the underlying thought of everything the Democrats do, Trump sucks. That's not the way to win.

It's just not. With Cuban also noting that it's about social strategies and Democrats are just ages behind in that regard. With Mark even saying they should essentially try to copy Mr. Beast to some degree. You gotta do what Mr. Beast does. He reversed engineers the algorithms to know what's going to sell best

and get the most engagement. Go talk to him, right? That's probably your best, you know, best person to educate you on all of this. But in a world where everybody has their own unique feed, you have to flood the zone, you have to say things that are going to be fed to each individual person in a way that may connect to them.

Right, and that's something that Cuban argued that Trump is actually good at because he's kind of like a salesperson for himself who just floods the zone and is making sure he's constantly heard. Doesn't matter if it's true or not. Say it enough times, people will believe it. You get places where it's gonna get coverage enough

so that it fills in this day and age, fills those algorithms. And so you would always see Trump in your algorithm. And of course all of this, it's happening as midterms are just around the corner. And so you have many wondering, can Democrats right the ship? Because yes, while there is backlash

to Trump's big, beautiful bill and you have mega Republicans going, okay, this Trump Epstein stuff, this feels so off. You can't just rely on bad polling for Trump. Because here's the thing, and we've talked about this, Democrats are incredibly unpopular right now. They have an approval rating of just 27% in Congress. You know, with that, while we wait to see how the plays out,

I do want to ask you, where do you think most change is needed? What's the messaging? What's is needed? What's the messaging? What's the positioning? What's the move? Because you know, the more of the same strategy while expecting a different outcome seems kind of fucking insane.

And then I've got even more news for you in just a second. But first, let me say, you know, I'm only alone here because at this point, my feed is basically just one long fever dream of wellness advice. One reel says drink olive oil, like it's pre-workout. The next says bathe in red light like a rotisserie chicken. And somehow cottage cheese is like a full-blown lifestyle now. I mean, I like it with pineapple, but I don't know.

And honestly, you know, I think it's time that we stopped taking medical advice from TikTok and start talking to actual doctors. Personally, I use ZocDoc, today's sponsor, and they're the easiest way to find real and network healthcare professionals. Because let's face it, red lights and cottage cheese, they have their place, but health advice is not a one size fits all.

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Go to zocdoc.com slash Phil or scan the QR code to find and instantly book a top rated doctor today. That's z-o-c-d-o-c.com slash Phil, zocdoc.com slash Phil. 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 next up today in big entertainment and business news, Superman killed Benjamin Netanyahu. That is part of the discourse you see playing out right now about the new release of James Gunn's Superman. The world's start is with the box office returns. Because globally, the movie brought in $217 million and actually 122 million came

from the domestic box office. Sales that made it the third biggest opening weekend of the year and it marks a strong comeback for DC after a series of letdowns. And notably this movie saw success despite the conservative backlash we saw that was facing it right before the release. Because director James Gunn had called Superman's story

an immigrant story and that caused Fox News host just had to fucking explode. I'm guessing because they didn't understand that Superman wasn't born in the US and in fact hails from a completely different planet. You know, understandably you had people wondering, is this backlash gonna impact the box office? So far, it doesn't look like it's held the movie back.

And in fact, you have places like the New York Times saying that if anything, the attention from Box News and elsewhere may have helped. And notably, they weren't just pulling that out of the rest. The advanced ticket sale tracking, it showed that the movie potentially was gonna open to a lower total. And in fact, it appears that if politics did hold

the film back, those issues would potentially have come from other parts of the globe. Or with analyst David A. Gross arguing in his newsletter, this is an outstanding domestic opening. If there's any softness here, it's overseas. In saying Superman has always been identified as a quintessentially American character and story. And in some parts of the world,

America is currently not enjoying its greatest popularity. But also noting that the film hasn't opened in all markets yet and foreign audiences often start slower. So at least the international hall, we could see an uptick there. So ultimately we're gonna have to wait to see in the weeks and months to come where the box office ends. Especially as you have people in the industry

and a lot of comic fans comparing this to the Snyder Superman release back in 2013, which technically had a lower opening and then you have people talking about, well, you have to adjust for inflation. And even with that, it had a bigger international haul. As you know, that debate is going to play out. You also had Warner Bro execs celebrating the box office

success and James Gunn also writing, I'm incredibly grateful for your enthusiasm and kind words over the past few days. We've had a lot of super and Superman over the years. And I'm happy to have made a movie that focuses on the man part of the equation, a kind person, always looking out for those in need. That that resonates so powerfully with so many people across the world is in itself a hopeful testament to the kindness and quality of human beings.

So that then brings us to the other aspect being talked about and debated in the public. Because one of the things that we're seeing is that many have found that the central conflict of the film, they think that it resembles what's happening between Israel and Palestine. With one now viral letterbox review calling it, quote, "'About as far left as a comic book movie could be "'and very anti-Israel.'" And while you have some outlets like Vulture saying, quote, "'While there are events in the film that can be read "'as parallels to Israel's occupation of Palestine,

"'the movie's geopolitical illusions "'aren't quite so specific.'" And noting that James Gunn has denied ties to the situation and saying he wrote it when the Middle Eastern conflict wasn't happening and adding it really is fictional. But you also have tons of people who have been critical of Israel's actions celebrating this narrative in the film. You know, if you've seen the movie,

I definitely would love to know your thoughts about this whole conversation and debate. You know, as far as Superman's release and how it relates to the movie industry, you have many thinking the success of this movie, it's just overall a good sign. With for example, the LA Times noting that its success is a key to a planned reboot and refresh of the DC universe.

And personally there, I'll say I went to go watch this with my kids over the weekend. We went and watched an IMAX. I thought it was pretty great. My kids absolutely loved it. It made me really excited about it. Like a cohesive, really lived in DC universe with movies and shows, which by the way,

like I know this is like the first big movie. Preacher Commandos on HBO Max, I think was the first official launch. It's an animated series. It's really good. And so now, especially after the release of this movie and kind of the world building you already see in place, I'm excited to see Supergirl, Clayface,

and just a bunch more. And so also, you know, there in addition to the controversies and debate, I'd really also love to know your thoughts if you saw the movie. But then, next up today, we need to talk about ICE's detention centers. Because ICE, they say the conditions are fine.

Detainees, they say they're starving. And lawmakers say they're being stonewalled. Right, and as far as what we know, that severe lack of food, that's what detainees that are being held at ICE detention centers are claiming in at least seven states. With that immigration advocate saying

that a lot of this can be blamed by just how overcrowded the centers are right now. Because Congress has given ICE enough money to hold 41,500 people, but as of last week, it had over 57,000. And that, as another factor, according to a former ICE official who spoke with NBC News, is that it can be hard to plan how much food will be needed at any given time.

And that because there can be huge fluctuations in how many people are at a facility. With people often coming in waves, unlike a normal jail where it's usually a trickle at any given time. And that difference, it makes it extremely difficult to stock the correct amount of food. And then of course, making matters even worse is that a lot of these facilities are for-profit.

So they don't have an incentive to overstock on food just in case and lose money. However, there, I need to know that the problem isn't necessarily with a specific company, with advocates claiming that these problems can happen regardless of who's in charge. With, for example, a lawyer with the American Immigration Lawyers Association

putting it this way, saying, quote, we haven't seen any company specific trends It just goes to the overall detention system and how overcrowded the detention system is as a whole and according to some of the people That are being held there's not only a lack of food but a severe quality problem So for example some facilities allegedly give detainees meat that is so finely ground up that it's essentially liquid and that quote It looks like little small pebbles and that will be the ounces that they give you. Also other immigration attorneys say they've received complaints about moldy food or food that's inedible in general and the overcrowding,

it also means less food per person. According to one Russian man who's been held in Louisiana for months saying the portions got smaller. I have to deal with hunger. So I am getting used to the hunger. So I have lost weight. And all of this, it's counter to ICE's own food service standards.

Right ICE, they tell the companies that run its facilities that detainees are supposed to be fed at least three meals a day, two of which are hung. And that is no more than 14 hours can pass between dinner and breakfast. That said though, for their part, ICE has denied the allegations with a spokesperson saying, all detainees are provided with proper meals,

medical treatment, and have the opportunity to communicate with their family members and lawyers. And claiming meals are certified by dieticians, ensuring the safety, security, and wellbeing of individuals in our custody is a top priority at ICE. But whatever the reality is, the reports of these conditions, they've led to lawmakers demanding access

to the detention centers across the US. With the most controversial visit probably being this weekend when both national and state democratic lawmakers demanded to inspect the alligator Alcatraz facility. Which, you know, they're usually allowed to do on a whim as it's part of their oversight powers per the constitution. And while there are some practical limitations,

until recently it was understood that if a lawmaker showed up, they were given a tour. However, what people saw is that democratic lawmakers were initially turned away from Alligator Alcatraz on Friday. And it wasn't until Saturday after a huge number of them showed up that they were finally let in.

And then, even though they were eventually let in, the fact that they were initially blocked, it caused outrage and led to lawmakers releasing a joint statement that said, the DeSantis administration's refusal to let us in wasn't some bureaucratic misstep. It was a deliberate obstruction meant to hide what's really happening behind those gates.

And saying there is no statute that permits the governor to overrule the legislature's oversight authority. But then also as far as what the lawmakers had to say after they were finally able to check out the facility themselves, well you had US representative Debbie Wasserman Schultz describing the facility like this, saying quote, "'There are really disturbing, vile conditions

"'and this place needs to be shut the hell down. "'This place is a stunt and they're abusing human beings "'here,' and she went on to say." Packed into cages, three tiny toilets, a sink attached to it. They essentially drink, they get their drinking water and they brush their teeth where they poop, no privacy. And generally speaking,

the Democrats described the conditions as pretty shit. However, Republicans were also on the tours and they had a completely different take. With for example, state Senator Jay Collins claiming that there was no squalor and added that in general, the play seemed to be functional and appropriate. Right, it's not supposed to be a resort,

but it still allegedly had things like ways to track dietary restrictions and good sanitation systems. With Collins adding, would I want that toilet and sink combination at my bathroom at the house? Probably not, but this is a transitional holding facility. But with all of that said, as far as, you know, is anything actually gonna be done

to alleviate the alleged issues with these detention centers? Well, the short answer is yes, but it's also unclear how much things will change. Right, in some instances you have state run alternatives like alligator Alcatraz, which as we've seen has its own host of issues. And ICE is getting a huge influx of $45 billion until September, 2029,

thanks to Trump's so-called big beautiful bill. And according to the American immigration council, that means that ICE could afford at least 116,000 beds every year. But also if the Trump administration has its way, that still might not be enough. But then next up in the news, we should talk about Trump running out of lawyers

to defend his administration in court. For nearly two thirds of lawyers in the Justice Department's federal programs branch, whose job is representing the federal government in court, they have voluntarily left or announced plans to leave since Trump got elected in November. And that, according to a list compiled by a former Justice Department lawyers

that was reviewed by Reuters. And you have Reuters saying that they were able to verify the departure of all but four names on that list using court records and LinkedIn accounts. You know, to be clear here, some turnover between presidential administrations, that's normal. But this, I know everything these days can feel crazy.

This is crazy crazy. Something different appears to be happening. I mean, the people who have left reportedly include at least 10 of 23 supervisors, many of whom have already served across presidential administrations. And with that, while some employees, you know, they left over policy differences,

many had reportedly already served in the first Trump administration. And you know, they viewed their role as defending the government, no matter what party was in power. But that apparently has become something harder and harder to believe in. With some reportedly saying they fear

Trump's policies violated the constitution or were put in place without following the processes that were more defensible in court. With for example, one former employee saying, many of those people came to work at federal programs to defend aspects of our constitutional system and asking how could they participate in the project of tearing it down?

And then with that, you had some career lawyers reportedly fearing being pressured to misrepresent facts or legal issues in court, potentially violating attorney ethics rules. And to that point, a former supervisor in another branch of the DOJ filed a whistleblower complaint just last month. With him alleging there that he faced pressure

from administration officials to make unsupported legal arguments and adopt faulty interpretations of rulings in three immigration cases. And key thing that came after the administration accused him of failing to adequately defend the administration's position in the case of Kilmar Abrego Garcia, the man wrongly deported to El Salvador.

Of course, the White House has denied that. And then as far as the reports about people leaving by choice, you had a White House spokesperson saying in a statement, the department has defeated many of these lawsuits all the way up to the Supreme Court and will continue to defend the president's agenda to keep Americans safe.

And then adding, any sanctimonious career bureaucrat expressing faux outrage over the president's policies while sitting idly by during the rank weaponization by the previous administration has no grounds to stand on. Whatever your opinion or reaction to all that is, what we do know is that the department is reportedly scrambling to fill vacancies. But according to Reuters, more than a dozen lawyers

have now temporarily been reassigned to the federal programs branch from other parts of the DOJ. Not to mention, it's been exempted from the federal government hiring freeze. And that, of course, in contrast to the purge that seems to be happening across much of the department. You know, the administration, they have fired dozens of lawyers involved

in prosecuting corruption cases or January 6th. And then this week with attorney general Pam Bondi, while her connection with Epstein and what's going on there has been kind of the focus, she fired 20 employees who had at some point been involved in prosecuting Donald Trump, including two prosecutors who worked under former special counsel, Jack Smith,

or the guy that led the department's investigation into Trump's efforts to overturn Joe Biden's 2020 election victory as well, as a separate case focused on Trump's handling of classified documents found at Mar-a-Lago. And those new dismissals, they bring the total Smith-related firings to about 35, and actually there you had Axios reporting

that 15 more could face termination as well. And so this is gonna be a thing to focus on, because the changes at the DOJ, they are big, they are widespread, some of it on purpose, some of it not,, some of it not. But all of it, it matters greatly and is going to have an impact. But then next up from that important international news,

we need to talk about Israel and Syria. Because dozens have now been killed in armed clashes between Bedouin tribes and Druze militias in southern Syria and Israel has carried out strikes in response. But also, this is just the latest outbreak of deadly sectarian violence in the country since rebel forces overthrew Bashar al-Assad back in December And there's also a lot in general that we need to talk about with the whole situation

But starting with this latest violence It can reportedly be traced back to members of a Bedouin tribe setting up a checkpoint and attacking and robbing a young vegetable seller Belonging to the Druze religious minority with that then leading to back-and-forth attacks and kidnappings between the two groups and on Sunday You saw the violence just reaching a new level with the fighting breaking out in the mostly Druze city of Sueda, but within a predominantly Bedouin neighborhood. Druze fighters were really encircling

and seizing that part of the city. And then it spread into other parts of the province with tribesmen reportedly launching attacks on Druze towns and villages to the north and west. And according to the UK based Syrian Observatory for Human Rights, two towns got shelled and residents of another village were forced to flee after armed men came and set fire to several homes.

And then in response to that, you had the Syrian Interior Ministry saying in a statement, this dangerous escalation comes in light of the absence of relevant official institutions leading to worsening chaos, a collapse of the security situation and the local community's inability to contain the crisis despite repeated calls for calm.

And so then with that, the ministry announced that in coordination with the defense ministry, it would quote, begin direct intervention in the area to end the conflict and impose order. But also the governor of the province calling on residents to exercise self restraint and respond to national calls for reform. And then with all of that, you had a local activist

who were on news outlet reporting that mediation between Bedouin and Drew's leaders aimed at deescalating tensions had actually resulted in the release of people kidnapped by both sides during the clashes. Then this morning you had that same outlet reporting that fighting had erupted in the nearby countryside after drones attacked villages.

With that as government forces were also now deployed in nearby areas of a neighboring province. And actually with that, we've seen reports that some members of the government security forces were actively participating in support of the Bedouins. Right in the Syrian Observatory for Human Rights reported at least 89 dead, including two children, two women, and 14 members of the security forces.

And then on top of that, the IDF carried out a strike against several tanks in the area where all of this was happening, seemingly to send a message. Because you see the Druze, they're seen as a loyal minority in Israel, and many even serve in the armed forces, and Israel has already acted in their defense before.

In May, for example, they struck a site near the presidential palace in Damascus after dozens were killed in fighting between pro-government gunmen and Druze fighters. And then beyond that, of course, Israel, you know, they've just been in Syria. Right after Assad fell, Israeli forces seized a UN-monitored buffer zone on Syrian territory

and have since launched hundreds of airstrikes on military sites in Syria. And with that, you have Israeli officials saying, they want to completely demilitarize the southern Syria area and not allow any armed groups to enter it and gain a foothold, including those of the new Syrian government. But notably at the same time,

the two countries have been having what's been described as the most serious talks between them in more than a decade. With that partly being because both are wary of Iran, which was a close ally of Assad during the civil war. You know, that new Syrian government, they don't want Iran-backed proxy groups getting a foothold any more than Israel.

Not that there hasn't been other violence. I mean, sometimes with the involvement of the government. Right at the beginning of March, for example, government forces took part in the killing of 1,500 people from the Alawite religious minority. And last month the suicide bomber killed more than 20 people in attack on a Greek Orthodox Church, which the government claimed ISIS was behind. And then actually on the note of ISIS we should talk about the Kurds as well because the US has relied heavily on Kurdish led groups including the Syrian defense forces to fight ISIS. But that has also been another point of tension with the new Syrian government, even after the US helped broker a deal to bring the SDF

into the new Syrian national army. Or you had a US envoy saying last week that the two sides are still unable to actually agree on how to go about doing that. And in particular there, whether the SDF would remain as a single unit in the new army or it would be dissolved and its members individually absorbed into the new military. And as the US has kept up a role in those talks,

it's not the only way that it's been getting involved. I mean, the key turning point came back in May when Trump announced that the US would lift decades of sanctions imposed on Assad's government. But then also last week, the Trump administration decided to take away the terrorism designation of the insurgent group that led the effort to oust Assad. And then on the flip side,

it's actually the US becoming less involved on the humanitarian front that's potentially making it harder for Syria to recover. Because for better or worse, the US was Syria's largest donor of aid, providing more than $18 billion in assistance during the country's 13 year war. And now you're seeing things like one humanitarian worker,

for example, saying that the US cuts with shrinking contributions from European governments have been catastrophic for healthcare. And so ultimately, you know, the situation on the ground is as complicated as ever. The violence has been over. We're seeing lots of new developments. And for now, we're gonna have to wait to see

how those play out. But then my friends, is the end of today's show. Thank you for subscribing and I'll see you right back here tomorrow. Cause remember, I got a brand new show for you every Monday, Tuesday, Wednesday, and Thursday at 6 p.m. Eastern, 3 p.m. Pacific. Love you, mean it, bye.