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I published this talk in February of 2023. And I wanted to republish today, for all of the obvious and tragic reasons. ----------- Julie Smolyansky was born in Kyiv, Ukraine to Jewish parents. Her family immigrated to the United States in 1976 where her father founded the Kefir company, Lifeway Foods in 1986. Smolyansky joined the company in 1997 after graduating from University of Chicago with a degree in psychology.  After her father died of a heart attack in 2002, Smolyansky became the youngest CEO of a publicly traded firm in the history of our country. She then transformed Lifeway Foods into a multinational conglomerate, growing its annual revenue from 12 million to over 130 million in 2015.  Even more impressive than her tenure as a corporate executive, is her service as a board member to organizations like the Anti-Defamation League, Hebrew Immigrant Aid Society, and the Illinois Holocaust Museum and Education Center. Additionally, Smolyansky has been very active in the conversation on sexual violence of women and girls, both as an advocate and a survivor. In 2015, she served as an executive producer or the award winning documentary, The Hunting Ground, an award winning exposé of rape crimes on U.S. College campuses. Smolyansky is yet another powerful woman that has made a difference with her outreach and involvement, and why I feel lucky to have her join me on the show. Watch Episode: This is a public episode. If you'd like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit www.truethirty.com/subscribe

Joey and Sean team up to cover the latest round of Team Blue updates. We’re tracking the $22 billion Trump disclosure featuring meme coins, Binance pardons, and Larry Ellison’s shadow over CBS before pivoting to the tragicomedy that is the Freedom 250 Fair. Find out why tech bros, AI George Washington, and Photoshop can’t save the GOP from the ultimate crowd-size humiliation. Here’s what’s in the blender today: * The $22 Billion Windfall: We kick things off with a massive look at Trump’s latest 2025 financial disclosures. From a casual $14 billion pulled from crypto ventures and licensing meme coins, to a $500 million UAE buy-in and a $400 million “gift” jet from Qatar, we break down how the ultimate art of the self-deal is currently operating at the highest level of government. * The Memory of Watergate: We head over to the Nixon Library to dissect Vice President JD Vance’s recent comments, chortling at the historic scandal that took down a presidency. We trace Vance's fascinating, tragic evolution from a Yale-educated Hillbilly Elegy darling funded by Peter Thiel, who once called his current boss "Hitler" and “human fentanyl”, to a human weather vane whispering sweet nothings to an audience of one. * The Free Press Plot Twist: In a surprising turn of events, we look at the right-leaning Free Press dropping a devastating piece on Trump's deep financial corruption. We play out the inevitable corporate domino effect of what happens when the editor-in-chief of CBS News tries to poke the bear, and why the system treats DC insider trading like a legal perk while a military ranger betting on Kalshi gets instantly dragged down. * Fyre Festival 2.0 (The National Mall Edition): Finally, we wrap up with some high-quality crowd-size mockery at the “Freedom 250” Great American State Fair. It was supposed to be a massive Bicentennial-level blowout; instead, the 1,000 people who actually showed up got peeling columns, power outages, fake AI historical figures, and the single saddest, most depressed corn dog stand in American history. Grab your popcorn (If you’re not at the National Mall) and stay amused; it’s going to be a wild ride. 0:00 Trump's $22 Billion Windfall 3:00 JD Vance Dismisses Watergate 3:30 Watergate History Refresher 6:30 Nixon's Resignation and Fallout 8:00 A Two-Tiered Justice System 9:30 The Free Press Exposes Trump's Corruption 10:30 Legal vs. Illegal Corruption Debate 14:00 JD Vance's Background Story 16:30 Vance's Flip-Flop on Trump 19:30 Trump's Freedom 250 State Fair Flop This is a public episode. If you'd like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit www.truethirty.com/subscribe

Welcome back to another chaotic edition of True Thirty 30. This week, Joey Dumont sits down with the show’s favorite war correspondent, Tom Shanker, co-author of Age of Danger, to dissect the absolute circus surrounding Donald Trump’s latest foreign policy masterclass. It is a peace agreement with Iran that reads less like a triumph of diplomacy and more like a “let them eat cake” Marie Antoinette moment drafted by a malfunctioning AI. Here’s what’s in the blender today: * The Versailles Trolling: Trump proudly signs a Memorandum of Understanding (MOU) at the Palace of Versailles during a G7 dinner. He is seemingly oblivious to the fact that the last major treaty signed there famously guaranteed World War II. We break down the absolute glee of the White House press team celebrating their own historical ignorance while international journalists and economists look on in utter disbelief. * The GOP Backlash: It’s not just Democrats hitting the panic button. Trump’s own MAGA coalition is fracturing over the news. From Ted Cruz blasting the decision to funnel money to a theocratic lunatic to right-wing radio host Erick Erickson calling it an American surrender, the right is spiraling over a deal that looks a lot like a giant taxpayer-funded Band-Aid. * The $300 Billion Napkin Agreement: We contrast Trump’s vague, loosey-goosey MOU with Obama’s meticulously negotiated, 159-page JCPOA. Trump’s version promises massive reparations and allows Iran to collect billions by taxing the Strait of Hormuz, effectively rewarding the regime for a blockade and creating a catastrophic failure of international maritime law. * Drones, Spartans, and Rolexes: Tom and Joey dive into the reality of modern asymmetric warfare. While the Pentagon asks for another $400 billion for legacy military hardware, Iran and Ukraine have proven that a $10,000 drone can cripple a multi-million dollar superpower asset. Plus, we look at why Bibi Netanyahu’s strategy is failing, and why the Taliban’s old adage remains undefeated: America has the Rolexes, but the adversaries have all the time. Grab your popcorn and stay amused; it’s a wild, 50-minute ride through the wreckage of superpower credibility. 00:00 Welcome and Setup 00:55 Versailles Symbolism 02:48 Treaty Lessons and Reparations 04:27 MOU Not a Treaty 05:15 GOP Backlash 06:06 Trump Messaging and Money 08:45 Reading the MOU Text 11:58 Vague Terms and Proximity 14:35 Band Aid Over War 15:41 Strait of Hormuz Leverage 20:55 Drones and Asymmetric War 24:25 China Deterrence and Budget 25:49 Sanctions Relief and Oil Cash 27:22 Strait Reopening Fallout 28:16 Superpower Standing Tested 29:52 MOU as Political Cover 30:46 UN Resolution Reality Check 31:56 MOU vs JCPOA Deep Dive 36:57 Any Silver Lining Here 39:52 Israel and Bibi’s Role 41:40 Tactics vs Strategy Lessons 48:48 Why Regime Change Fails 51:30 Closing Thoughts and Thanks This is a public episode. If you'd like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit www.truethirty.com/subscribe

If you thought the political landscape couldn’t get any weirder, the modern Democratic Party just said, “Hold my beer.” This week on True Thirty, Joey Dumont and Sean X put on their “Team Red” hazard suits and laugh at why the Left is ditching the polished Ivy League elites and replacing them with candidates who feel like they were recruited outside a dive bar at 2:00 AM. Here’s what we are pouring into the blender today: * The Sex, Tattoos, and Seafood Special: Meet Graham Plattner, the Maine Democrat running for Senate. On paper, he’s a combat veteran who farms oysters. In reality, he’s a walking tabloid headline featuring an extramarital sexting scandal, a dark Reddit past, and an accidental Nazi chest tattoo that he claims he “didn’t know” was a Nazi symbol. But instead of canceling him, the Left is rebranding him as a relatable “dirtbag Democrat” because apparently, standard background checks are a thing of the past. * The “Just Trust Us” Vetting Protocol: We pull back the curtain on the progressive activists who launched Plattner’s career. When the Wall Street Journal asked them if they actually researched his background before throwing him into the race, they literally just laughed in the reporter’s face. The new strategy for winning over working-class men? Find a guy who wears Carhartt, shares an oyster farm with his mom’s restaurant, and hope nobody clicks past page one of his Google results. * Welcome to the MACA Wing (Make America Crazy Again): Then we track the shockwave hitting New York City politics, where a PhD student named Darializa Avila Chevalier (DAC) just annihilated the Democratic establishment. Her platform? Abolishing borders, defunding the police, seizing landlord property, and casually screaming “f*** Kamala Harris” on her social media timeline. Fox News talking heads are practically tripping over themselves to milk the content, and we are here for every single second of it. We don’t make the news, we just laugh at it. Lock in, hit play, and let’s get into it. This is a public episode. If you'd like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit www.truethirty.com/subscribe

Welcome back to another chaotic edition of True Thirty 30. This week, Joey Dumont and producer Sean X are diving headfirst into the absolute circus of American politics, where the news reads less like C-SPAN and more like a reality TV finale written by a caffeine-addicted raccoon. Here’s what’s in the blender today: The $1.776 Billion Illusion: We give you an update on that massive $1.776 billion political “slush fund” that got slapped down by Judge Kathleen Williams, all while checking out the frantic scramble to block the IRS from digging into Donald Trump’s financial receipts. The Lone Star Showdown: Texas is giving us the ultimate political contrast. On Team Red, we have the Republican nominee, Attorney General Ken Paxton, a man whose resume includes securities fraud, FBI investigations, a historic impeachment trial, a $6.6 million whistleblower payout (courtesy of taxpayers), and a messy divorce. And for Team Blue, we have the Democratic challenger, James Talarico, a 38-year-old former middle school teacher and seminarian whose campaign got a viral turbo-boost thanks to late-night TV drama and some very salty DNC internet comebacks. (And yes, the polls say it’s actually a tight race!) The Late-Night Timeline Meltdown: We try to decipher Donald Trump’s recent 50-post marathon on Truth Social. Spoiler alert: It’s pure, unadulterated digital chaos. The Pentagon’s New Dance Craze: Finally, we wrap up with some high-quality military mockery as Secretary of “War” Pete Hegseth tries to show off his physical prowess with a Navy deck drill, but instead gives us a dainty man tiptoeing through the tulips. Grab your popcorn and stay amused; it’s going to be a wild ride. This is a public episode. If you'd like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit www.truethirty.com/subscribe

True Thirty 30: Trump’s $1.776B IRS Leak Settlement and the Anti-Weaponization Fund. Host Joey Dumont and producer Sean X discuss a reported $1.776B settlement stemming from Donald Trump’s January lawsuit over 405,000 leaked tax records tied to IRS leaker Charles Littlejohn (now imprisoned). They argue the leak occurred under Trump’s own first administration, yet the settlement is funded by taxpayers and structured as an “Anti-Weaponization Fund” controlled by a five-member panel chosen by acting Attorney General Todd Blanche (Trump’s former personal attorney), with minimal oversight, secrecy allowed, and no appeal or judicial review. They note a judge questioned whether the case was even a valid case or controversy and suggest the government “settled with itself.” They also claim the settlement was expanded to bar future IRS audits or investigations of Trump, his family, and business for past filings, raising concerns about conflicts of interest, legality, and potential payouts to January 6 defendants. 00:00 Welcome and Setup 00:34 The Tax Leak Lawsuit 02:11 Todd Blanche Conflict 03:55 Judge Questions Standing 04:59 Settlement and Slush Fund 06:08 Secret Board Control 07:37 Who Gets Paid 09:28 Legal Risks and Signatures 12:22 Pardons and Incentives 18:31 Conservative Reactions 21:23 Fund Timeline and Grift 22:30 Wrap Up and Next Steps This is a public episode. If you'd like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit www.truethirty.com/subscribe

Miami’s new mayor, Eileen Higgins, the city’s first Democratic mayor in 30 years and first female mayor, discusses her 19-point victory, her record as a county commissioner building 4,000 affordable/workforce housing units with 3,000 more planned, and securing federal funding for two new mass transit lines. She explains how she plans to reform City of Miami bureaucracy with process and technology changes, including same-day permitting for common home improvements, and highlights reopening a long-stalled section of Flagler Street in 30 days. Higgins describes launching her Elevate small-business initiative citywide, joining the Democratic Mayors Association to share solutions on affordability and public safety, and preparing for World Cup events, including a free Bayfront Park Fan Fest. She also addresses immigration impacts, such as changes to Temporary Protected Status, and outlines a $450M public-safety bond to rebuild deteriorating police and fire facilities without raising the tax rate, pending voter approval. True Thirty is a reader-supported publication. To receive new posts and support my work, consider becoming a free or paid subscriber. TIMESTAMPS 00:00 Historic Miami Victory 00:49 Competence and Compassion 02:45 Affordable Housing Playbook 04:29 Fighting ICE and TPS 08:55 Empathy in Politics 13:19 Elevate Small Businesses 15:50 Democratic Mayors Network 19:37 First 100 Days Reforms 20:49 Permitting and Process Fixes 24:53 Flagler Street Fast Track 26:28 Building Big Change 26:46 World Cup Fan Fest Plans 28:02 Transit Strategy Game Days 29:23 Clean Government Leadership 30:55 Mayor Moves In Office 34:35 Cottage Homes Explained 37:57 Democrats Local Politics 41:43 Next 100 Days Priorities 42:15 Public Safety Bond Push 46:02 Funding Without Tax Hike 47:26 Closing Thanks Farewell This is a public episode. If you'd like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit www.truethirty.com/subscribe

Welcome to the first episode of True Thirty 30 | a new weekly conversation where Joey and his Producer Sean X break down the biggest stories, questions, and cultural moments shaping the week. In this episode, we discuss Iran, rising gas prices, tariffs, farming pressures, and the symbolism behind the “Golden Calf” controversy. We also talk about diesel prices, California regulations, global trade pressures, and the strange state of modern political culture. TIMESTAMPS 0:00 Welcome to True Thirty 0:42 Iran War Questions 1:03 Gas Prices and Taxes 2:47 California Gas Island 3:41 Farmers Feeling the Squeeze 5:05 Tariffs Fertilizer and Margins 7:10 No End in Sight 8:01 Asymmetric War Explained 12:06 Hormuz and Global Ripple 13:29 Trump China and Ceasefire 14:57 Generational Farms at Risk 16:32 Golden Calf Statue Story 22:50 Wrap Up and Subscribe FULL TRANSCRIPT Joey Dumont: Hello, everyone. We are doing something called True Thirty 30, which is basically an idea of our members reaching out to us over the weekend with stories that they thought were either crazy, unfounded, or they wanna know more about. So that’s what we’re doing today. Some of the subjects, we’re gonna cover the Iran war for all the obvious reasons. Joey Dumont: We’re gonna talk a little bit about some of the deleterious effects of that war specific to farming. And we’re gonna end the conversation with the golden calf discussion. In case you guys don’t know what that is, you will soon find out. So I’m here with my producer, Sean X, and we are gonna go through these topics, um, as best as possible. Joey Dumont: Hey, buddy. Sean X: Hey. How you doing? Joey Dumont: I’m doing well. It’s a happy Monday. Joey Dumont: So I don’t know, why don’t you share some of the comments we got specific to the... Well, they wanna know more about what’s going on in Iran. Joey Dumont: For the most part, people have said, “Okay, what’s the nuance with the war going in Iran?” Joey Dumont: Because we keep on hearing it’s on again, it’s off again. It’s affecting prices. It’s not affecting prices. Yeah. Joey Dumont: So The New York Times has Iran war long-term energy discussions specific to Iran defended its demands for a peace deal, and President Trump called them garbage. Joey Dumont: Mr. Trump said he wanted to suspend the federal gasoline tax. So obviously everyone knows that gas has been affected by the Straits of Hormuz being shut down because of this war. We’re now seeing gas prices at what, six- Six, si- six. Sean X: It’s $6.35 Joey Dumont: For regular? Sean X: For regular in San Francisco. Yeah. It’s $6.74 for premium, and it’s- Joey Dumont: And diesel fuel is anywhere between 7 and 8 Sean X: $7.80 for diesel. Joey Dumont: Um, a lot of it is from California policies, and some of it is from the pipelines or gas can’t reach us. Yeah. We’re a gas island. If a refinery goes down, we’re screwed. So for the most part, we pay the worst gas prices, so we’re feeling the biggest effect here. Joey Dumont: So we are up over a dollar compared to the rest of you folks out there in the United States of America. Joey Dumont: And Donald Trump wants to suspend the gasoline tax, which is how much? It’s eight- Sean X: 18 cents. Joey Dumont: 18 cents. Joey Dumont: So- Do, do you know what 18 cents means for those of us in California? Joey Dumont: With the gas prices I just mentioned, it’s 2 to 3%. Yeah, every little bit helps, but it’s really our California regulations that are the things that are screwing us. Joey Dumont: I read a meme recently that said, uh, “Donald Trump is so awesome that my truck only used to hold $59 worth of gas and now it holds $130 worth of gas.” Joey Dumont: Which I thought was brilliant. Um, so whoever wrote that, good for you. Um, but yeah, the, the gas tax is not gonna help us and- for us, . No. Sean X: It’s, it’s not gonna help us. Joey Dumont: Like, what we need help with is all the regulations in our state- Yeah ... and let that make us... A lot of people don’t understand. Sean X: We use different gasoline here. Joey Dumont: We do. We do. And it’s actually called CARB, um, which stands for California Air Resources Board, in case you guys have never heard of it, ‘cause I sure haven’t. And it basically means that our gas burns cleaner, reduces smog, lowers certain pollutants, and it’s chemically different from gasoline used in the rest of the country. Joey Dumont: So when they say that we’re a gas island or a, an actual island on its own, that’s what they mean by our taxes. So yeah, I don’t think the, uh, suspending the gasoline tax is gonna work. And by the way, he has to get congressional approval to do so. So there’s another wrinkle. Joey Dumont: Dude- Uh, we’ll see ... we need, we need, we need more help th- than from the federal government. Joey Dumont: So those are all problems, I can say that we have an issue with. Joey Dumont: But As we know, this is affecting everyone, not only the day-to-day people, but farmers specifically because a lot of farmers use diesel fuel as opposed to regular fuel. And, um, so let’s talk a little bit about that, dude. I just moved back to Minnesota to be with my mommy, uh, for her 86th birthday, and, uh, it was cool. Joey Dumont: And I don’t know, I think most of our listeners understand that I grew up there. I’ve been in California for now 44 years, and I have a lot of buddies both from high school here in California, as well as the people I grew up with in Minnesota who are in the farming business. Sean X: Yeah. They’re also tend to be more conservative than out, uh, out in California. Joey Dumont: I mean, it’s- All my friends from Minnesota are Red Hatters. Not all, but most. And then most of my relatives are Red Hatters as well. I’ve been talking to them for the four years that I’ve been reporting on politics. They come to me because they say I don’t judge them, and that, you know, they know I love them. Joey Dumont: And so they’re just like, “Joey, what’s actually going on?” Yeah. And that’s kind of why we wanted to start this program as well, is that it’s, if I’m reaching out to my Republican friends all the time on a DL basis, which is kind of funny, um, they don’t explain to everyone else, “Hey, I called Joey. Joey Dumont: I wanted to know what’s going on.” That’s really what I try to do with my friends and relatives the other side of the aisle, if you will. Joey Dumont: And what we tried to explain to them specific to gas is that I have a buddy of mine who’s a soybean farmer, in the Midwest, and he called me previous to the election and said, you know, “What do I need to know?” Joey Dumont: And I tried to explain to him, I said, “Hey, buddy, look at where you’re getting your potash,” because I knew he was actually getting potash. Potash, about 80% of our potash comes from Canada. In Project 2025, the Trump administration announced that they actually did want to tariff potash. And I told my buddy, I said, “Hey, just if you can, try to find another source. Joey Dumont: Look at supply chain issues. Figure out that specific to your EBITDA,” because farms, if you guys don’t know out there, farmers run at a very small margin to begin with. And if there’s increased prices specific to tariffs, which is on the potash, the Mexico-Canadian free trade agreement that Trump actually launched in 2017, which was a good free trade agreement, he blew it up, said it was the worst deal ever, and now we have supplies specific to John Deere, other maintenance issues that are going across the borders of Mexico and Canada, which is also putting up their prices. Joey Dumont: And some of the things that I talked about specific to the numerous farmers that I’ve talked to over the last month- Is that the Farmer Bureau is actually saying that, and I’ll just repeat it here, “Fertilizer pre-booking rates up 19%. 70% of farmers being interviewed are unable to afford all the fertilizer they need,” so they’re actually planting less, “And farm diesel prices have increased by 46% since the end of February.” Joey Dumont: So nearly six in 10 farmers report worsening finances, rising fertilizer, fuel cost during plant season, and the immediate economic assistance to keep these open is probably gonna help this year, but they’re worried, they’re very worried about next year. Yeah. So that’s the big- Sean X: So, well, a lot of them, as you said, they pre-book. Joey Dumont: So they’ll pre- Well, they’re running out. That’s the problem. Sean X: They’ll order, and now it’s running out. Yeah. So now the effects are hitting them. Yeah. So what, what were their main concern to you? What, what are they asking you? Joey Dumont: They’re just asking me what I think based on my reporting, based on the homework we’re doing here at True Thirty to figure out, you know, what do you guys see an end to this war? Joey Dumont: President Trump has said very publicly that there is so much disarray in Iran that there is actually no leadership to negotiate with. And if you read up on this, the Iranian leadership specifically are a Basarashi- Sean X: Well, that is a problem when you bomb their leadership. Joey Dumont: I- Well, he did mention that. He did mention that. He didn’t kill the people they wanted to replace, Khomeini. But, uh, yeah, I, I, I don’t see an end to the war. Obviously, there’s a lot of people talking about that. We’ve had some war correspondents on the show to talk about the externalities of this war and the longevity and the possibly forever war specific to anything in the Middle East based on our history, based on us being the United States. Joey Dumont: I think what we’re gonna try to explore here at True Thirty, some of the experts we’re bringing on in the next couple months will be talking about what they have referred to as a asymmetric war, and the wa

What happens when military brilliance outruns political strategy? In this episode, Joey Dumont talks with veteran national security journalist Thom Shanker about the war with Iran, the intelligence used to justify it, and the dangerous gap between what America can destroy and what it can actually solve. The conversation argues that the opening strikes may have been tactically impressive, but that tactical success is not the same as strategic clarity. Shanker raises a central question: what changed so dramatically that Iran had to be attacked now? If the intelligence community could not clearly show an imminent new threat, then the public rationale for war starts to look alarmingly fuzzy. From there, the episode follows the consequences outward — the Strait of Hormuz, asymmetric retaliation, drones, sleeper cells, missile depletion, and the growing possibility that the U.S. has stepped into an escalation trap without a clear off-ramp. More broadly, the discussion is about how America keeps repeating the same error: defining threats in ways that justify force, while failing to define an achievable political end state. Iraq, Afghanistan, and the post-9/11 national security mindset all hover over this conversation. The result is a sober and deeply nuanced look at whether Washington understands the war it has started — and whether anyone in power has a realistic plan for how it ends. This is a public episode. If you'd like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit www.truethirty.com/subscribe

Eric Litchfield is a retired captain from the Santa Rosa Police Department in northern California. During his tenure, he managed divisions and programs that included patrol, traffic, tactical teams, incident management, detectives, professional standards and training, recruiting, and promotion assessments. Captain Litchfield has extensive experience in personnel investigations, policy development, recruiting, crowd control tactics, and managing large scale critical incidents. He is also a graduate of the POST Command College Strategic Foresight program, and a former fellow with the Institute for American Policing Reform. During our time together, we discussed the specific training differences between the men and women who serve as peace officers vs. the training of ICE and Border Patrol agents today in the Trump administration. We talked at length about the tone, tenor, and screening of ICE officers and how their specific training is not focused on working with the public, and why this has proven to be deleterious to the institution of ICE, its agents on the ground, and to American citizens writ large. We also discussed the leadership of J.D. Vance, Kristi Noem, and Steven Miller…specifically…how they have publicly declared “Immunity” for their federal officers, vs. the Qualified Immunity standard they will be held to in a court of law. Captain Litchfield helped me better understand the importance of training, screening, and governance of both state and federal officers and agents. I hope you find this helpful as well. *Note that this episode was recorded before the killing of Alex Pretti on January 24, 2026.* Watch Episode: This is a public episode. If you'd like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit www.truethirty.com/subscribe

Today, I am joined by two of my oldest friends and colleagues from the advertising business. Jimmy is our resident Oxford scholar and proud libertarian, and Kevin is a former media executive, and very vocal Trump supporter. As shared during our interview, the three of us have been jarring about politics on a private thread for over a decade now…and please note that we argue like brothers (without the fisticuffs), while eventually hugging it out. During our chat, we walked through the November 4th elections, specifically the Governors races with Mikie Sherrill of New Jersey, and Abigail Spanberger of Virginia respectively. We then dove into Zohran Mamdani’s decisive win as New York City’s new mayor, and his many lofty promises and remedies to NYC’s myriad problems on affordability. Our next areas of debate included why ICE is failing in its duty, how blowing up boats in the Caribbean is probably not a good idea, why Congress is failing for our least fortunate on SNAP, and why Trump’s tariffs are not working as planned. We all had a blast…and I hope you learn something (other than Kevin is wrong most of the time) :-) Watch Episode: This is a public episode. If you'd like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit www.truethirty.com/subscribe

In today’s episode, I sat down with three conservative people I’ve never met before named Bill, Mary, and Stephen, to talk about all things Trump. And I wanted to host such a show to highlight that we (Left and Right) are not as divided and hateful to one another when we sit down and talk like adults. And… this episode proved just that. Bill was the resident MAGA representative during our debate. I encountered Bill due to his daily arguments with my friend Terry on Facebook. To say it nicely, Bill likes to stir up shit as a proud member of MAGA, and is a very vocal fan of President Trump. I’ve watched Bill interact online for the better half of a year, and decided to debate him on a subject about a week or so ago… which he refused to do, while offering up whataboutisms as a repeated response to my many questions. So… knowing that I wasn’t getting anywhere with our online interaction, I asked Bill to join me on the show so we could debate in person… and he graciously accepted. He then asked “Do you mind if I bring my friends Mary and Steve?” Well… how could I say no? Both Mary and Steve agreed to do this interview as long as I did not publish our Zoom interview on my YouTube channel…so this interview is in audio only. We began our chat by discussing the tragedy of the Charlie Kirk assassination…which quickly moved to our discussions on Erika Kirk’s heartfelt speech about her husband at his recent memorial/rally in Arizona. We discussed the recent drama about the “indefinite suspension” of Jimmy Kimmel and Brandon Carr’s overreach and public comments as the head of the FCC. When then free-formed a bit around topics like our federal government becoming the largest shareholder in Intel, and why that may be a conflict worth analyzing - which quickly jumped to the Trump tariffs and how these specific actions are affecting our farmers here in America. We closed our debate by discussing the many constitutional violations of ICE, and why the J6’ers deserved a blanket clemency by President Trump (yes, many folks believe this level of nonsense). The good news…we held a very spirited and sometimes contentious debate…without any name calling, or ad hominems of any kind. And as you will soon hear, it wasn’t because we agreed on everything (we did not). I hope you learn as much as I did from our debate. And please leave your comments…I will respond in kind. This is a public episode. If you'd like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit www.truethirty.com/subscribe

Rich Klein is the Managing Partner of McLarty Media…a repeat guest…and someone I now consider a friend. Rich was part of the 1992 Clinton/Gore presidential campaign, helping to craft policy and messaging on emerging global issues… and was subsequently appointed by President Clinton to head the speechwriting staff and be part of the policy planning office at the Department of Commerce. I invited Rich back on the program to talk about his recent piece on his own Subtack called, “The Wisdom of David Gergen”. I was so touched by the piece that I wanted to share it with our listeners. During our chat, we talked about Mr. Gergen’s decency, his acumen in bipartisan politics…and Rich shared a few personal stories about their friendship along the way. I hope you enjoy your time with Rich as much as I did. Watch Episode: This is a public episode. If you'd like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit www.truethirty.com/subscribe

Fay Johnson is an expert in the field of Trust & Safety. Johnson’s tenure combines deep expertise in behavioral science with hands-on experience in product development, content moderation, and online safety at leading technology companies including Meta, Twitter, and Nextdoor. Johnson has designed and implemented systems that promote respectful interactions, fairness, and community trust, shaping how billions of people engage online. While at Meta, Fay was the product lead on designing and building the Oversight Board, and its integration into the broader Facebook ecosystem. She is currently a fellow at Harvard University’s Berkman Klein Institute for Internet and Society where she is doing applied research and product development focused on depolarization and increasing civility in online discourse. During our chat, we discussed Meta’s decision to cut back on Fact Checking, which includes both long-term and short-term consequences. We also dove into the roles of platforms like Meta, Twitter, and Nextdoor – specifically, if they have any moral or ethical responsibility with their Tenants and Conditions. We then talked specifically about some of the lessons she learned while running her product teams, and what the future may hold for these platforms with technology and systems like AI and Community Notes as possible remedies for what ails our online communities. I hope you learn as much as I did from Fay. Watch Episode: This is a public episode. If you'd like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit www.truethirty.com/subscribe

Tobias Rose-Stockwell is a writer, technologist and media researcher who explores the effects of social media on society and democracy. His work has been featured in major outlets such as FastCompany, Quartz, Medium, NPR, the BBC and many others. As a media researcher, he has advised the directors of Gannett, one of the largest news organizations in America, as well as local news outlets in the US, on digital strategy. Tobias was previously a guest lecturer at Stanford University on the topic of social enterprise design and technology ventures. He is currently a strategic advisor to Jonathan Haidt's organization, OpenMind, which focuses on depolarizing communities online. During our chat, we talked at length about his new book: Outrage Machine: How Tech Amplifies Discontent, Disrupts Democracy―And What We Can Do About It. The topics discussed include all of the usual suspects: Are our phones hurting our children? Has social media retrained our brains? Have algorithms remapped our chosen content? How is technology changing the industry of journalism and our democracy at large? I had a wonderful time learning from Tobias, and I hope you also enjoy hearing about his story…and his decades-long focus on how technology is changing our world. Watch Episode: This is a public episode. If you'd like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit www.truethirty.com/subscribe