The Mark Thompson Show

The US Supreme Court is blocking a Trump administration rule that would have restricted mail voting ahead of the 2026 midterm elections, and voting rights advocates are celebrating the win. The postal service rule, by presidential executive order, would have given the executive branch unprecedented control over how Americans vote by mail and let the Postal Service refuse to send ballots to voters. Legal experts warned the screening plan posed serious risks to voting access for millions of Americans. Election officials from Arizona, Texas, and Wisconsin are relieved the court recognized that election oversight belongs to the states, not the president, and that the midterms won't be disrupted by this contested rule being implemented mid-election. Pulitzer Prize winning author and investigative journalist David Cay Johnston will stop by to discuss this and more. David Cay Johnston’s Substack: https://substack.com/@davidcayjohnston Skye Perryman will join us to discuss her ongoing efforts to uphold democracy. She is the President and CEO of Democracy Forward, a nonpartisan, national legal organization that promotes democracy and progress through litigation, regulatory engagement, policy education, and research. Check out Skye's New Book: Ordinary People, Extraordinary Times: How to Reclaim Your Power, Fight for Freedom, and Reimagine Democracy, comes out Learn more at democracyforward.org https://www.penguinrandomhouse.com/books/826249/ordinary-people-extraordinary-times-by-skye-perryman/ The Mark Thompson Show 9/15/26 Today's Guests Links Prof. David Cay Johnston at RIT, Pulitzer Prize winning Author & Investigative Journalist https://bsky.app/profile/davidcayjohnston.bsky.social https://substack.com/@davidcayjohnston Skye Perryman https://democracyforward.org/ New Book, Ordinary People, Extraordinary Times https://www.penguinrandomhouse.com/books/826249/ordinary-people-extraordinary-times-by-skye-perryman/ Patreon subscribers are the backbone of the show! If you’d like to help, here’s our Patreon Link: https://www.patreon.com/themarkthompsonshow Maybe you’re more into PayPal. https://www.paypal.com/donate/?hosted_button_id=PVBS3R7KJXV24 And you’ll find everything on our website: https://www.themarkthompsonshow.com The Mark Thompson Show has an official new Facebook page. Please join! Here's the link: https://m.facebook.com/TheMarkThompsonShow/ Show sponsors: coachellavalleycoffee.com - use code MarkT at check out to save 10%

Donald Trump is pushing back against calls for stricter AI guardrails, calling them part of a “sick conspiracy” against the industry and data centers. As concerns grow over AI’s potential risks, Trump, discounting warnings of the demise of humanity from AI industry leaders, says the U.S. must keep moving fast to stay ahead of China. Guests today include: Emmy award winning news anchor David Shuster. You’ve seen him anchor on MSNBC - he’s worked for Fox News, CNN, Current TV, The Young Turks, and Al Jazeera America. Find David at: https://davidshuster.substack.com/ Comedian, impressionist & attorney J-L Cauvin will stop by the show. Check out his tour dates at: https://linktr.ee/JLComedy We welcome Common Cause CEO Virginia Kase Solomon . She is a nationally recognized leader in the fight for social justice, civil rights, and a more inclusive democracy https://www.commoncause.org/ The Mark Thompson Show Patreon subscribers are the backbone of the show! If you’d like to help, here’s our Patreon Link: https://www.patreon.com/themarkthompsonshow Maybe you’re more into PayPal. https://www.paypal.com/donate/?hosted_button_id=PVBS3R7KJXV24 And you’ll find everything on our website: https://www.themarkthompsonshow.com The Mark Thompson Show has an official new Facebook page. Please join! Here's the link: https://m.facebook.com/TheMarkThompsonShow/ Show sponsors: coachellavalleycoffee.com - use code MarkT at check out to save 10%

"I don’t care if I’m registered or not, I’m going to try to cheat like hell like they do." Donald Trump leads a crowd in a pledge to vote in the upcoming midterms, calling himself the greatest president in U.S. history and claiming that Democrats are the biggest cheaters of all. Today, marks 25 year since the September 11th attacks on America. How have we changed as a country? Kenneth Feinberg will tell us about his experience as the Special Master of the U.S. Government's September 11th Victim Compensation Fund. This Week in Politics brings journalist Michael Shure and political analyst Yasmin Khan to the show to discuss everything from Trump's midterm convention, to his call for a dividend should voters keep the house and senate red, to the soaring price of gas and diesel fuel. Follow Michael Shure on X at https://x.com/michaelshure Read Yasmin on Substack at open.substack.com/pub/yazzzzzk We'll stop by Florida to take the pulse of America's craziest state. The Culture Blaster, Michael Snyder, will swing by to talk movies. Find Michael Snyder's column in The Voice of San Francisco at thevoicesf.org

Is the president actually trying to buy this election? You might be waiting for his latest promise of cash like you're still waiting for your DOGE check. Donald Trump gave a wild "midterm convention" speech promising every adult citizen a $5,000 "Trump dividend" if Republicans keep hold of Congress in the midterms. From the sheer desperation of the pitch to the legal reality that he can't just send out trillions of dollars without Congressional approval, we're questioning if this is just another fantasy or a straight-up attempt to rig the vote. Former federal prosecutor, now defense attorney, David Katz will stop by and we'll ask him if this so called dividend based on the outcome of an election is legal. We'll also look at word that former Trump attorney Michael Cohen is in line for a pardon. Then ,we are off to save the election with reporter Greg Palast. He just released a six-part series of short video reels on the latest in vote suppression tricks. His series is called "Jim Crow Reloaded" and you can find it at: SaveYourVote.org

President Trump doled out $45,000 in cold hard cash to three White House aides as holiday bonuses. Natalie Harp, Chamberlain Harris, and Margo Martin each had a merry trip to the bank. The White House insists is totally normal. Meanwhile, Harp's been making headlines for her suspiciously close relationship with Trump, including joining him on a secret catering cart jaunt to a secret plane trip and cramming herself in the trunk of the car Trump was in so they wouldn’t be too far apart. Yeah, that’s not normal. We'll look at the details of this holiday payout and where the money came from. We are joined today by John Rothmann. John is the host of “Around the Political World with John Rothmann. You can also hear him on the Voice of San Francisco at thevoicesf.org Author and political analyst Jared Yates Sexton will stop through. You can find details about Jared’s books and more of his writing at his website and on his sub stack. https://www.jysexton.com/books Substack - https://jaredyatessexton.substack.com/ The Mark Thompson Show 9/9/26 Patreon subscribers are the backbone of the show! If you’d like to help, here’s our Patreon Link: https://www.patreon.com/themarkthompsonshow Maybe you’re more into PayPal. https://www.paypal.com/donate/?hosted_button_id=PVBS3R7KJXV24 And you’ll find everything on our website: https://www.themarkthompsonshow.com The Mark Thompson Show has an official new Facebook page. Please join! Here's the link: https://m.facebook.com/TheMarkThompsonShow/ Show sponsors: coachellavalleycoffee.com - use code MarkT at check out to save 10%

Latest polling and projections are shaking up the 2024 midterm race—and the GOP is worried. Decision Desk HQ now gives Democrats a 67% chance of flipping the House, while Senate control has shifted to a dead heat, with forecasters calling it a near 50-50 toss-up, possibly going 51-49 for Democrats. This is a reversal from earlier predictions, where Republicans seemed poised to hold the Senate. FCC chair Brendan Carr is now trying to clamp down on polling information he doesn’t like by calling it fake. Despite Republican efforts at redistricting, which came before the Democratic response to such moves, and despite work to cut polling places in certain states and stamp out mail-in voting, Trump finds himself in a pickle and he knows it. What's driving this shift in midterm voter sentiment? What does it mean for the final stretch before election day? We will break down the latest numbers and examine growing alarm within Republican ranks. Pulitzer prize winning author and investigative journalist David Cay Johnston will join us today. Find David Cay Johnston at: DCReport.org https://substack.com/@davidcayjohnston We will take a close look at Trump‘s ongoing Iran war. Trita Parsi will join us. He is the Executive Vice President of the Quincy Institute and an award-winning author. Find Trita on Substack: https://tritaparsi.substack.com/ The Quincy Institute for Responsible Statecraft: https://quincyinst.org/ The Mark Thompson Show Patreon subscribers are the backbone of the show! If you’d like to help, here’s our Patreon Link: https://www.patreon.com/themarkthompsonshow Maybe you’re more into PayPal. https://www.paypal.com/donate/?hosted_button_id=PVBS3R7KJXV24 And you’ll find everything on our website: https://www.themarkthompsonshow.com The Mark Thompson Show has an official new Facebook page. Please join! Here's the link: https://m.facebook.com/TheMarkThompsonShow/ Show sponsors: coachellavalleycoffee.com - use code MarkT at check out to save 10%

CNN’s well known conservative voice is calling for the U.S. to declare victory over Iran. Scott Jennings says it's the president's responsibility to explain to Americans how the war has been won. Meanwhile, money for the Iran war is still being spent and American warships are still deployed. Will Americans believe Trump if he claims victory or will it be perceived as another piece of propaganda in support of an unpopular war ahead of America’s midterm elections. Guests today include former federal prosecutor and now defense attorney, David Katz. We will ask him about Congress blocking a proposed constitutional amendment to keep Supreme Court justices to nine. Comedian, impressionist and attorney J – L Cauvin will stop through to talk politics and tell us about his upcoming comedy tour.

Creating election chaos could pay off big-time for Trump. He doesn't need to win every legal battle over mail-in ballots, gerrymandering, election monitors or voter confusion, he only needs the mess itself. Confusion becomes the weapon.Confusion suppresses turnout. Uncertainty over voting procedures and information discourages participation. A smaller, more demoralized electorate works in his favor. We’ll talk elections with presidential historian and host of Around the Political World. John Rothmann will join us in the first hour. Political analyst and author Jared Yates Sexton will stop through to talk politics. His brilliant insight on the issues will make you seek out his writing. He’s that good. Find Jared at : https://www.jysexton.com/books https://jaredyatessexton.substack.com/ Then, we are off to save the planet with amazing eco- journalist, Belinda Waymouth. She’ll explain how a mining company fell to opposition from Native American tribes. The Mark Thompson Show 9/2/26 Patreon subscribers are the backbone of the show! If you’d like to help, here’s our Patreon Link: https://www.patreon.com/themarkthompsonshow Maybe you’re more into PayPal. https://www.paypal.com/donate/?hosted_button_id=PVBS3R7KJXV24 And you’ll find everything on our website: https://www.themarkthompsonshow.com The Mark Thompson Show has an official new Facebook page. Please join! Here's the link: https://m.facebook.com/TheMarkThompsonShow/ Show sponsors: coachellavalleycoffee.com - use code MarkT at check out to save 10%

Here comes the Trump billion dollar ballroom we didn’t need. The Supreme Court is allowing Trump to move forward indefinitely with the construction of a new White House ballroom. In a 5–4 decision, the justices blocked lower-court rulings that would have halted work on the project’s above-ground portion. Trump’ tone deaf project, dripping with gold accents, comes ahead of the midterm elections - a time when issues of affordability are on the minds of voters. Pulitzer Prize winning author and investigative journalist David Cay Johnston stops through to talk about presidential powers, distractions and crimes. The Mark Thompson Show Patreon subscribers are the backbone of the show! If you’d like to help, here’s our Patreon Link: https://www.patreon.com/themarkthompsonshow Maybe you’re more into PayPal. https://www.paypal.com/donate/?hosted_button_id=PVBS3R7KJXV24 And you’ll find everything on our website: https://www.themarkthompsonshow.com The Mark Thompson Show has an official new Facebook page. Please join! Here's the link: https://m.facebook.com/TheMarkThompsonShow/ Show sponsors: coachellavalleycoffee.com - use code MarkT at check out to save 10%

Health concerns about President Trump are growing after he joined Trey Gowdy for a bizarre conversation covering golf, the economy, and foreign policy. Trump’s statements were so strange that critics questioned what was really going through his mind, including peculiar claims about Canada and an unusual plea asking voters to imagine him on the 2026 midterm ballots. Trump also claimed to have "largely taken care of inflation." We’ll talk about it with a star studded Monday guest list including: Emmy award-winning news anchor David Shuster, Find David: https://davidshuster.substack.com Journalist Greg Palast New series: Jim Crow Reloaded. SaveYourVote.org The Mark Thompson Show 8/31/26 Patreon subscribers are the backbone of the show! If you’d like to help, here’s our Patreon Link: https://www.patreon.com/themarkthompsonshow Maybe you’re more into PayPal. https://www.paypal.com/donate/?hosted_button_id=PVBS3R7KJXV24 And you’ll find everything on our website: https://www.themarkthompsonshow.com The Mark Thompson Show has an official new Facebook page. Please join! Here's the link: https://m.facebook.com/TheMarkThompsonShow/ Show sponsors: coachellavalleycoffee.com - use code MarkT at check out to save 10%

Trump’s latest trade-war power move is making waves. His new executive order officially renames Lake Ontario “Lake America.” The move is sparking fierce pushback from Canada, US governors, and Indigenous history advocates. Is this patriotic branding or political theater? Emmy award winning news anchor David Shuster returns to pilot the show. He'll look at "This Week in Politics" with Michael Shure and Mo Kelly, delve into the strange place that is the state of Florida and chat about movies with The Culture Blaster, Michael Snyder. Happy Friday!

More than 165 people are dead and as many as 1,500 are unaccounted for following catastrophic floods devastating towns and valleys along the Nepal-Tibet border. In Nepal's hardest-hit Rasuwa region, videos show the power of the floodwaters as they tore apart bridges and swept people away. Authorities believe the disaster was triggered by a landslide associated with a glacial event in the Himalayas, which sent a massive surge of water. Emmy award-winning news anchor David Shuster is sitting in for Mark today. He’ll speak with former federal prosecutor and now defense attorney David Katz about the recent ruling on voting by mail and so much more.

Despite an embarrassing blunder during a recent debate, Darline Graham is advancing to the General Election in her South Carolina Senate Race, securing the party's nomination for the Senate seat previously held by her brother, Lindsey Graham. Darline is backed by Donald Trump, whose PAC dumped a lot of money into this race. She moves forward to face Democrat Annie Andrews in the general election. We’ll talk about it with John Rothmann. He is a presidential historian and political analyst. He’s also heard daily on his audio podcast ‘Around the Political World with John Rothmann.’ The political conversation continues with political analyst and author, Jared Yates Sexton. Find more of Jared at Substack - https://jaredyatessexton.substack.com/ “It’s the Planet, Stupid!“ brings our amazing eco-journalist Belinda Waymouth to the show. It’s worth staying to the very end to catch today’s uplifting turtle story. The Mark Thompson Show 8/26/26 Patreon subscribers are the backbone of the show! If you’d like to help, here’s our Patreon Link: https://www.patreon.com/themarkthompsonshow Maybe you’re more into PayPal. https://www.paypal.com/donate/?hosted_button_id=PVBS3R7KJXV24 And you’ll find everything on our website: https://www.themarkthompsonshow.com The Mark Thompson Show has an official new Facebook page. Please join! Here's the link: https://m.facebook.com/TheMarkThompsonShow/ Show sponsors: coachellavalleycoffee.com - use code MarkT at check out to save 10%

Here’s what happens when a racist, sexist jerk like Jesse Watters trieds to steamroll someone that can actually fight back with facts. Democratic Michigan Senate candidate Abdul El-Sayed sat down with Watters for a heated debate covering gas prices, the Iran war, Sharia law, Colin Kaepernick, gender-affirming care, and more. They had an intense exchange on the issues shaping the 2026 election. We will put it to David Cay Johnston, our Pulitzer Prize, winning investigative journalist and best selling author. The Mark Thompson Show 8/25/26 Patreon subscribers are the backbone of the show! If you’d like to help, here’s our Patreon Link: https://www.patreon.com/themarkthompsonshow Maybe you’re more into PayPal. https://www.paypal.com/donate/?hosted_button_id=PVBS3R7KJXV24 And you’ll find everything on our website: https://www.themarkthompsonshow.com The Mark Thompson Show has an official new Facebook page. Please join! Here's the link: https://m.facebook.com/TheMarkThompsonShow/ Show sponsors: coachellavalleycoffee.com - use code MarkT at check out to save 10%

A federal judge is putting a stop to the Trump administration’s freeze on immigrant visas affecting applicants from 75 countries. U.S. District Judge Jeannette Vargas ruled that Secretary of State Marco Rubio exceeded his legal authority by ordering visa denials for applicants who had otherwise been found eligible to enter the United States. The policy, introduced in January, suspended immigrant visa issuance to nationals from countries the State Department considered at high risk of public-benefit dependency. The affected nations span regions including Africa, Latin America, the Caribbean, Eastern Europe, Southeast Asia, and the Middle East. It's a star studded guest line up today: Sarah Kendzior joins us. She is a best selling author and scholar. Find her on The Mark Thompson Show Mondays at noon Pacific/3pm Eastern, check sarahkendzior.com for a quick way to buy her books and find more of Sarah on Substack at: https://substack.com/@sarahkendzior Emmy award winning news anchor David Shuster joins the Monday line-up. Find more of David: https://substack.com/@davidshuster Skye Perryman, CEO of Democracy Forward, will wrap it up with an update on the battle to uphold the Constitution . https://democracyforward.org The Mark Thompson Show 8/24/26 Patreon subscribers are the backbone of the show! If you’d like to help, here’s our Patreon Link: https://www.patreon.com/themarkthompsonshow Maybe you’re more into PayPal. https://www.paypal.com/donate/?hosted_button_id=PVBS3R7KJXV24 And you’ll find everything on our website: https://www.themarkthompsonshow.com The Mark Thompson Show has an official new Facebook page. Please join! Here's the link: https://m.facebook.com/TheMarkThompsonShow/ Show sponsors: coachellavalleycoffee.com - use code MarkT at check out to save 10%

The US-Iran conflict is at a dangerous standstill. President Donald Trump is threatening a sweeping new sanctions campaign against Iran and countries that continue doing business with it. We examine whether Washington’s “economic D-Day” can force a breakthrough, whether Iran’s sanctions-evasion networks and international alliances will undermine the strategy and whether Trump is making empty threats that may weaken the position of the United States. Mo Kelly and Yasmin Khan will join us for a look at 'This Week in Politics.' Friday Fabulous Florida highlights our weirdest state. The Culture Blaster, Michael Snyder, will slide down his rainbow to share his thoughts on the latest movies and streaming options ahead of the weekend. Let's get this Friday started!

America doesn't have an Iran deal and gas prices are skyrocketing, but don't worry, at least we have a fancy new driveway and helicopter pad at the White House. President Construction Project is back at it with another way to spend money. Trump called reporters to the South Lawn for an impromptu tour of his new driveway replacement and a look at the progress on his new helipad. Trump also says the driveway is getting an upgrade with California-mined white granite that he says is more fitting for the White House. Standing near the carved granite helipad with the presidential seal, Trump presented the construction as a central part of his legacy. Speaking of goings on at the White House, we are learning more about the odd relationship between Trump and his aide Natalie Harp. Reports indicate that she once rode in the trunk when there weren't enough seats in Trump's vehicle so they wouldn't be separated...and that for more than a year, she refused to get a security clearance.

Progressive Democrats made a surprising splash in Florida’s Senate primary as state Rep. Angie Nixon beat Alex Vindman, setting up a tough general election against GOP Sen. Ashley Moody and signaling possible left-wing momentum in President Trump’s home state. We will look at election results from Alaska as well, where Democrats think they may have a road to the Senate. In Wyoming, Megan Degenfelder becomes the 5th Trump-backed gubernatorial candidate to lose a primary this election cycle. It seems that having Trump's support isn't the key to winning anymore. Guests today include John Rothmann. He is the host of the podcast "Around the Political World with John Rothmann" and a former KGO Radio host. Belinda Waymouth joins us to talk about the environment. Our favorite eco-journalist brings the latest on efforts to drill for oil off the coast of California, but you will leave the show feeling hopeful as she always packs positive stories about our world too. The Mark Thompson Show 8/19/26 Patreon subscribers are the backbone of the show! If you’d like to help, here’s our Patreon Link: https://www.patreon.com/themarkthompsonshow Maybe you’re more into PayPal. https://www.paypal.com/donate/?hosted_button_id=PVBS3R7KJXV24 And you’ll find everything on our website: https://www.themarkthompsonshow.com The Mark Thompson Show has an official new Facebook page. Please join! Here's the link: https://m.facebook.com/TheMarkThompsonShow/ Show sponsors: coachellavalleycoffee.com - use code MarkT at check out to save 10%

Donald Trump’s political problems are getting harder to ignore — and his options overseas may be shrinking just as fast. A brand-new Reuters/Ipsos poll has Trump’s approval at just 33 percent, the lowest of his presidency, with 64 percent disapproving and a remarkable 80 percent of Americans now expecting the Iran war to drag on. Meanwhile, Trump’s promised quick resolution with Iran looks increasingly elusive: the negotiating period has expired without a deal, the Strait of Hormuz remains a dangerous sticking point, and Trump is escalating his rhetoric even as his practical choices for ending the conflict appear increasingly limited. We’ll look at a president boxed in abroad, battered in the polls at home, and running out of room to maneuver on both fronts. Former CNN anchor Jim Acosta may be pulling a trick from Johnny Carson’s Carnac the Magnificent when it comes to predictions. Acosta recently guessed that President Trump would check out of the White House early, before his term is up. Acosta cited trump’s issues with cognitive decline, a disasterous job on affordability and the possibility that the Democrats could sweep the midterm elections as reasons for Trump’s growing frustration. Acosta also said a major event could force Trump out, like if he is caught overtly trying to steal the midterm elections. Military analysts think a big catastrophe forcing Trump out might not be far off if he continues with his Iran plans. We will put it to our Pulitzer Prize winning author and investigative journalist David Cay Johnston. Find David Cay Johnston: https://substack.com/@davidcayjohnston https://www.dcreport.org/ Christian nationalists are gaining more of a foothold in America with Trump‘s Religious Liberty task force and the promotion of laws that would force public schools to display the 10 Commandments in classrooms. Congressman Jared Huffman will drop by to talk about his new book “No Prophets: The Fight to Save Democracy from Christian Nationalism. The book is being released today. Find it here: https://www.amazon.com/No-Prophets-Democracy-Christian-Nationalism/dp/1324130482 For more on Congressman, Jared Huffman, please check out his sub stack: https://repjaredhuffman.substack.com/ The Mark Thompson Show 8/18/26 Today's Guests Links Prof. David Cay Johnston at RIT, Pulitzer Prize winning Author & Investigative Journalist https://bsky.app/profile/davidcayjohnston.bsky.social Congressman Jared Huffman https://www.commonwealthclub.org/events/2026-08-18/congressman-jared-huffman-fight-save-democracy-christian-nationalism https://huffman.house.gov/ https://wwnorton.com/books/9781324130482 The Rundown- 0:00 Welcome 10:08 Iran and Korea 27:18 David Cay Johnston 1:04:07 Comments 1:05:58 Trump to step down 1:12:05 Congressman Jared Huffman 1:37:51 Comments Patreon subscribers are the backbone of the show! If you’d like to help, here’s our Patreon Link: https://www.patreon.com/themarkthompsonshow Maybe you’re more into PayPal. https://www.paypal.com/donate/? The Mark Thompson Show has an official new Facebook page. Please join! Here's the link: https://m.facebook.com/TheMarkThompsonShow/ Show sponsors: coachellavalleycoffee.com - use code MarkT at check out to save 10%