The Mark Thompson Show

Trump's right hand shutdown man is Office of Management of Budge Director and Project 2025 orchestrator Russ Vought. He is reportedly delighted by the opportunity to slash and burn more government jobs. It was also Vought's grand plan to use the start of the shutdown to retaliate against Democrats by putting a hold on federal funding for major infrastructure projects in states like New York and Chicago. We will talk about that and more with political journalist Michael Shure. He stops by for 'This Week in Politics.' The Culture Blaster Michael Snyder has watched all the movies and seen all the shows and now he's ready to make his feelings known. Add Friday Fabulous Florida to the mix and it's a perfect start to the weekend.

Sure seems like Qatar just got an offer of US protection in exchange for a $400 million luxury jet. Trump announced the gift of the new Air Force One a few weeks ago and he said there were no strings attached. Now we know he granted the oil-rich country a NATO-like defense guarantee. If Qatar gets attacked, the US will respond. It’s like mafia rules on the world stage. Trump’s order says: “The United States shall regard any armed attack on the territory, sovereignty, or critical infrastructure of the State of Qatar as a threat to the peace and security of the United States.” In other words, Qatar showed respect and paid for protection. It looks like they‘re family now. We’ll discuss it with award-winning author, journalist, and scholar Sarah Kendzior. We will check in on the Supreme Court, from birthright citizenship to who Trump can and cannot fire. Former federal prosecutor and now defense attorney, David Katz joins.

Federal workers are getting hit again. After a mass layoff earlier this year as part of Trump’s DOGE, now Trump is threatening another mass layoff because of a government shut down. It officially started at midnight after Democrats fought for healthcare funding, refusing to support the Republican plan to extend monies for federal departments. Of course, it’s already getting ugly with the Trump administration using the websites for federal agencies to blame Democrats for the closure. We’ll talk about all of it with presidential historian and political analyst John Rothmann Eco-journalist Belinda Waymouth is out and about seeing the world. She sent us an amazing video with waterfalls and Beaver dam’s that we are looking forward to sharing with you.. The Mark Thompson Show 10/1/25

It cost an awful lot of money to drag every single general and admiral to Quantico, Virginia for a glorified pep rally that probably would have been better as an email. Pete Hegseth opened with, “Welcome to the Department of War.” He talked about training and grooming standards and decried “fat generals.” Trump then took the stage and talked about how successful it’s been to have the National Guard in some American cities before going on another strange rambling rant. When Google, which owns YouTube, banned Donald Trump from its platform after the January 6th insurrection of 2021, it did so because Trump was fomenting the very violence he now accuses the left of. YouTube said Trump’s ban was “in light of concerns about the ongoing potential for violence.” Trump sued over the ban and now Google is settling. They will pay more than $24 million to a nonprofit set up to build the White House ballroom. The venue, which is set to be bigger than the footprint of the White House, will be opulent and dripping with gold touches and chandeliers. Meanwhile, Trump has cut Meals on Wheels programs for seniors who have trouble getting food, food stamps for the hungry and Medicaid services for the poor. It brings to mind French royalty’s complete out of touch failure to help those struggling, “Let them eat cake!” Trump had a major cognitive incident while talking to reporters. When asked if he would be attending a massive upcoming military meeting, he didn’t understand the question - despite it being clarified three times. Finally, Vice President JD Vance had to step in to answer. It made Trump look old and incompetent and begs the question …Is Trump even capable of being in charge? Pulitzer Prize winning author and investigative journalist David Cay Johnston will discuss. Mark shares a conversation with Paul Glastris, of the Washington Monthy. In addition to his work as a journalist, Glastris was President Bill Clinton's chief speechwriter from September 1998 to the end of his presidency. It’s Tech Tuesday! Jefferson Graham will swing by to wrap up the show. The Mark Thompson Show 9/30/25 Today's Guests Links Paul Glastris - Washington Monthly https://www.youtube.com/@washingtonmonthly9554 https://washingtonmonthly.com/ Prof. David Cay Johnston at RIT, Pulitzer Prize winning Author & Investigative Journalist https://bsky.app/profile/davidcayjohnston.bsky.social Jefferson Graham https://www.youtube.com/@PhotowalksTVPatreon 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

Free Speech is in peril. A terrifying presidential memo linking words to violence seems to be an effort to stamp out any kind of dissent. The memo links the recent “political” violence (only listing GOP related incidents) to “a culmination of sophisticated, organized campaigns of targeted intimidation, radicalization, threats, and violence.” The memo says these “organized campaigns” are “designed to silence opposing speech, limit political activity, change or direct policy outcomes, and prevent the functioning of a democratic society,” and defeating them requires the government to adopt “a national strategy to investigate and disrupt networks, entities, and organizations that foment political violence.”Legal experts say the memo could target people for saying things Trump doesn't like...according to the memo anyone who foments “anti-Americanism, anti-capitalism, and anti-Christianity; support for the overthrow of the United States Government; extremism on migration, race, and gender; and hostility towards those who hold traditional American views on family, religion, and morality,” is subject to suspicion.We'll talk about it with legal expert Liz Oyer.  She's a former US Pardon attorney with a unique perspective on Trump's approach to the US Constitution. iHeart TV and Radio Political Analyst Gary Dietrich will stop by to talk about the possibility of a government shutdown and what may lie ahead for California Governor Gavin Newsom. The Mark Thompson Show 9/29/25Patreon subscribers are the backbone of the show! If you’d like to help, here’s our Patreon Link:https://www.patreon.com/themarkthompsonshowMaybe you’re more into PayPal.  https://www.paypal.com/donate/?hosted_button_id=PVBS3R7KJXV24And you’ll find everything on our website: https://www.themarkthompsonshow.com

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

It’s a brutal time to be a federal worker. On the heels of mass federal layoffs, another round looms. Project 2025 orchestrator and now leader of the White House budget office, Russel Vought, is telling federal agencies to ready reduction-in-force plans for mass firings in the event of a government shutdown. These would not be furloughs but permanent firings. He is specifically targeting employees attached to programs that are not legally required to continue and don’t align with Trump’s priorities. We are very excited to welcome our newest, regular guest, author, Sarah Kendzior, to discuss this and more. Former Federal Prosecutor David Katz offers legal analysis on possible action against the U.S. from the maker of Tylenol and AG Pam Bondi being told to investigate Trump’s adversaries right now or else.

Jimmy Kimmel came back to raucous applause last night, showing heart, empathy and humor. At some points, his voice cracked with emotion as he talked about political violence never being the answer, about Erika Kirk forgiving her husband’s killer and about everyone who offered support over the last few days as he fought to keep his show alive. His strongest moments may have been those talking about freedom of speech in America. Despite everything, Kimmel showed an unwillingness to back down in the face of pressure from Trump and his FCC. Kimmel’s grace and strength seemed to bring out the worst in Trump who posted a litany of nasty remarks about Kimmel followed by big legal threats against ABC. We’ll talk about this and more with presidential historian and political analyst John Rothmann The brilliant Thom Hartmann, author and progressive host, joins Mark for a conversation you won’t want to miss. https://ideas.bkconnection.com/en/the-last-american-president-thom-hartmann Plus, eco-journalist, Belinda Waymouth checks in from Colorado. 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

President Trump is doing the very thing he accused President Biden of doing: weaponizing the Department of justice. There is no illusion of pulling strings behind the scenes either. Trump’s demands that the DOJ prosecute his political enemies are blatant and public. Over the weekend, Trump posted on social media that he wanted to see justice served up in the form of criminal investigations into people like Senator Adam Schiff from California, New York Attorney General Letitia James and former FBI Director James Comey, writing that, "We can't delay any longer, it's killing our reputation and credibility." We will run it past our resident Pulitzer Prize winning investigative journalist, author David Cay JohnstonJacob Ward will swing by the show. He is a former reporter for CNN, NBC and Al Jazeera. Jacob currently hosts The Rip Current. It is Tech Tuesday and Jefferson Graham is in town this week. He’ll stop by to tell us what he has learned about the new iPhones and whether it’s worth upgrading..The Mark Thompson Show 9/23/25Patreon subscribers are the backbone of the show! If you’d like to help, here’s our Patreon Link:https://www.patreon.com/themarkthompsonshowMaybe you’re more into PayPal.  https://www.paypal.com/donate/?hosted_button_id=PVBS3R7KJXV24And you’ll find everything on our website: https://www.themarkthompsonshow.com

At the weekend memorial to remember Charlie Kirk, President Trump pointed out their differences saying that while Kirk didn’t hate his enemies or want bad things to happen to them, Trump does hate his enemies and wants bad things to happen to them. The eulogy quickly shifted into a Trump rally instead of the somber celebration of life it was intended to be. We’ll talk about it with iHeart television and radio political analyst Gary Dietrich.Our favorite Astronomy Professor, Andrew Fraknoi, will drop by to talk about the latest findings on Mars and the possibility of habitable planets.HiThe Mark Thompson Show 9/22/25Patreon subscribers are the backbone of the show! If you’d like to help, here’s our Patreon Link:https://www.patreon.com/themarkthompsonshowMaybe you’re more into PayPal.  https://www.paypal.com/donate/?hosted_button_id=PVBS3R7KJXV24And you’ll find everything on our website: https://www.themarkthompsonshow.com