White House Attacks Reporter Over Natalie Harp, Trump Becoming Lame-Duck, David Cay Johnston Joins
The Mark Thompson ShowShow Notes
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%
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With Republicans facing the possibility of major losses in the midterm elections, aides and allies are reportedly bracing for a White House shake-up and a fresh wave of blame and infighting. We'll look at the growing mistrust around Trump, the high-profile disputes drawing public attention, and the uncertainty facing his administration in the final days before the vote. The Mark Thompson Show 10/21/26 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%
While Donald Trump is calling Benjamin Netanyahu a “Great Warrior Prime Minister” and endorsing his reelection, JD Vance is taking a step back. During an interview with Mark Halperin aboard Air Force Two, Vance said he is focusing strictly on American candidates for the midterms and is "not getting involved in Israeli elections." Vance's refusal to weigh in on the Israeli election is drawing attention because of his previous actions. Earlier this year, he traveled to Budapest, Hungary, specifically to support Victor Orbán, another leader endorsed by Trump, prior to Orbán's election loss. This public disagreement comes just days before the Israeli election and just after U.S. Secretary of Defense Pete Hegseth made an unannounced trip to Israel, where he met with Netanyahu and Defense Minister Israel Katz. We will ask Pulitzer Prize winning author and investigative journalist David Cay Johnston for his thoughts. You can find more of David Cay Johnston online at dcreport.org and on substack: https://substack.com/@davidcayjohnston Professor Allan Lichtman will stop through. He is an acclaimed historian, civil rights advocate, and author. He is also an expert in U.S. elections and election forecasting. We will find out why Dr. Lichtman thinks Democrats will take the Senate in the upcoming midterms. For more, see Allan Lichtman's YouTube show Lichtman Live and find his new book: Great American Presidents: The Twelve Who Transformed the Nation. https://www.amazon.com/Great-American-Presidents-Transformed-Presidency/dp/B0HJJK72C7 The Mark Thompson Show 10/20/26 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 #DavidCayJohnston #AllanLichtman #Iran #Elections #Midterms #Politics