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/@PhotowalksTV

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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 
9/29/25
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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 Johnston
Jacob 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 
9/23/25
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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.
Hi
The Mark Thompson Show 
9/22/25
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It’s a wild ride in the United States with cancellations, firings and censorship becoming hallmarks of the Trump administration. On the heels of holding FCC approval hostage unless late night host Jimmy Kimmel was silenced, Trump is threatening to pull licenses for any network that gives him bad publicity. Will major news agencies be able to function without the ability to tell the truth, whether it makes the president look good or bad? We will talk about it with journalists Michael sure and Jim Avila as we look at “This Week in Politics.” A CDC advisory panel is recommending restricting access to the MMRV vaccine. We’ll talk about it with Dr. Rob Davidson. He is an emergency physician and Executive Director of the Committee to Protect Healthcare. You can also find him hosting the Paging America podcast. Everyone in the camper, we’re headed to Florida for some much-needed levity. For a fabulous Florida never disappoints. Then it’s off to the movies with The Culture Blaster, Michael Snyder.

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Trump is in the UK for a state visit and today, he's expected to be at Windsor Castle. Last night, Windsor Castle was really the place to be as activists projected massive images of Trump and his best friend Jeffrey Epstein. The images on a prominent castle tower flashed from Trump and Epstein along with first lady Melania Trump to Epstein and his co-conspirator Ghislaine Maxwell to the picture of Trump's creepy birthday message to Epstein and more. Four people were arrested for the dramatically effective stunt...but the effort continues today. A truck is cruising the town of Windsor displaying massive screens with pictures of Trump and Epstein and the message "Welcome to the UK, Donald." We welcome presidential historian and political analyst John Rothmann to the show to talk politics. "It's the Planet, Stupid!" goes on location! Our eco-journalist, Belinda Waymouth, visits an energy conference and finds and a house with creative environmental solutions under construction.

Officially, there’s no clear motive in the murder of Charlie Kirk, but that hasn’t stopped conservative leaders from pointing the blame at the left. Yesterday, Trump said leftist organizations are under investigation, though he didn’t say exactly why. Today, Trump’s Transportation Secretary, Sean Duffy, put the blame squarely on colleges and universities saying they are places where young people are radicalized to the left. Places of higher learning don’t appear to have come in to play in the Kirk killing, as the suspect only attended one semester before moving to a trade school. Is it a case of MAGA trying to keep their base uneducated? 
We will ask Pulitzer Prize winning author and investigative journalist David Cay Johnston for his thoughts.
There is no doubt, given all the jockeying for position and gerrymandering already, that the 2026 midterm elections are going to be hard fought. We check in with Richard Greene the Civics Dean to talk strategy.
The Mark Thompson Show 
9/16/25
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Trump says his administration is opening investigations into leftist groups. Last night, he told reporters that “when you look at the agitator, you look at the scum that speaks so badly of our country, the American flag burning all over the place, that's the left. That's not the right."
Trump has ramped up his speech to divide the country following the killing of right wing influencer Charlie Kirk. Despite word from authorities that they are still trying to pin down a motive in the murder, Trump continues to blame what he calls the radical left. Now, he says leftist groups are already under major investigation," though it’s unclear what the investigations would be for, exactly, other than openly dissenting Trump’s lean into authoritarianism. 
We welcome iHeart Radio and TV Political Analyst Gary Dietrich to the show to talk politics.
The Mark Thompson Show 
9/15/25
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Donald Trump made an early morning appearance on Fox & Friends. He announced that a suspect in the murder of Charlie Kirk has been apprehended. A family member helped turn 22-year-old Tyler Robinson in to authorities. The president complained about the time it takes to see someone who’s found guilty punished and said the suspect ought to be tried tomorrow. We’ll bring you all the details and talk about it with journalists Michael Shure and Jim Avila. Friday, also brings a stop to Florida and a check in with The Culture Blaster, Michael Snyder, for a weekend entertainment preview.

The Mark Thompson Show 9/11/25

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Donald Trump is doubling down on the "It's not my signature" excuse regarding his troubling birthday message to convicted sex trafficker Jeffrey Epstein. The original letter from Trump to Epstein was included in documents released by the House oversight committee. When the Wall Street Journal released details of the letter in July, Vice President JD Vance said it wasn't real. Now that its reality is no longer in dispute, (the original was held by Epstein's estate) the President and his supporters are denying it's his signature, despite multiple examples of his signature at the time that match. White House Press Secretary Karoline Leavitt went so far as to say the White House would support an expert review of the signature. Who would trust a handwriting expert called by the White House? Yesterday, NBC asked Trump about the letter and he replied that he wasn't going to comment on something that’s a dead issue...oh but this issue is very much alive and is haunting Trump daily. We welcome presidential historian and political analyst John Rothmann to the show. We'll ask him about Russian drones violating Polish airspace and Trump asking the EU to slap high tariffs on Russia to apply more pressure for an end to war with Ukraine. We'll air a conversation Mark had with Gregory Lyakhov. At 17, he's the youngest nationally syndicated columnist in the US.

The Hyundai–LG battery plant construction site in Georgia is still closed after a massive ICE Raid ended with the arrests of 475 people, most of them Korean nationals.  The immigrants were placed against walls, sorted and then many were loaded on to buses to be processed 100 miles away. South Korean officials chartered a flight to take their citizens home and said they would improve their visa system for people coming to the US. The raid came after word of a $350 billion investment package that South. Korea planned to sink into the US., though South Korea's attempts to finalize the deal are being held up by foreign exchange issues. Homeland Security Secretary Kristi Noem says she doesn’t think the detention of the Hyundai /LG workers will deter that investment. 
We are following the release of materials associated with Donald Trump and Jeffrey Epstein.  The birthday letter from Trump to Epstein that Vice President JD Vance said didn't exist...exists.  Other letters are also being made public.  
We welcome Pulitzer Prize winning author and investigative journalist David Cay Johnston to talk about the immigration raids, the latest Supreme Court Ruling allowing ICE to racially profile people and the Epstein files. 
The Mark Thompson Show 
9/9/25
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ICE agents just got a lot more powerful. The Supreme Court ruled today that agents can stop and detain anyone they think may be is in the U.S. illegally, according to the LA Times, “based on little more than working at a car wash, speaking Spanish or having brown skin.” 
We welcome iHeart TV and radio political analyst Gary Dietrich to talk about this and more.
Mark has a conversation with Jamie Mustard. He’ll talk about growing up in the church of Scientology and what happened when he tried to leave it.
The Mark Thompson Show 
9/8/25
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A group of survivors from the Jeffrey Epstein human trafficking case met with a congressional committee, held a press conference and warned that if the Trump administration won’t release a client list, perhaps they’ll release one of their own. Meanwhile, it seems an accurate account of the Trump – Epstein scandal will never truly be released. Case in point: Joseph Schnitt, acting deputy chief of a Justice Department unit, was caught on hidden camera saying that the government will "redact every Republican" from an Epstein client list. He was recorded on a dating app called Hinge by a far right media group. We will break it all down with political reporter Michael Shure and former ABC White House correspondent Jim Avila as we look at This Week in Politics. Some lighthearted Friday fun is on the way with Friday Fabulous Florida, followed by The Culture Blaster, Michael Snyder. He brings word of all the fresh entertainment being released ahead of the weekend.