The Mark Thompson Show

Protests flared in Minnesota after the second shooting involving federal agents. A federal officer shot a man in the leg yesterday during an attempted traffic stop about 12 miles from where an ICE officer fatally shot Renee Nicole Good last week. The Department of Homeland Security said the shots were fired after law enforcement officials were attacked with a shovel and a broom in the midst of a targeted traffic stop. The man federal agents shot was hospitalized with injuries that are reportedly non-life-threatening. Meanwhile, Trump is now threatening to invoke the "Insurrection Act" in Minnesota. We welcome Russ Baker, Editor of WhoWhatWhy.org to discuss politics. Former Federal Prosecutor, now defense attorney, David Katz offers a legal perspective on the latest big cases.

A shocking new poll shows Americans have dramatically flipped on ICE, with public support collapsing amid growing backlash over aggressive enforcement tactics and Trump-era immigration policies. As Donald Trump doubles down on ICE, voters across the political spectrum are turning against the agency in ways that could reshape the national debate on immigration, accountability, and law enforcement power.What’s driving this sudden shift?We break down the numbers, the outrage, and the political fallout.The Mark Thompson Show 1/14/26Patreon 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

Minnesota sues the federal government after a fatal ICE shooting, escalating the case nationwide.The lawsuit directly challenges Donald Trump and federal immigration enforcement tactics.Legal expert and Minnesotan June Carbone joins to discuss this and more. Pulitzer Prize winning author and Investigative journalist David Cay Johnston will be in to talk politics and the state of the world. The Mark Thompson Show 1/13/26Patreon 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

Trump is going after Fed Chair Jerome Powell. Trump’s Department of Justice is opening a criminal investigation involving Powell — an unprecedented move threatening the Fed’s independence.The issue concerns Powell’s congressional testimony and a Federal Reserve renovation project, but critics say the bigger problem is political pressure on an institution designed to operate free from partisan control.On The Mark Thompson Show, we break down what this investigation really means — for markets, for the economy, and for the future of independent governance in the United States.iHeart radio and television political analyst Gary Dietrich will join to talk politics.The brilliant scholar and author Sarah Kendzior will stop by to look deeper into Trump’s actions. …and Mo Kelly is in the Captain’s Chair.The Mark Thompson Show 1/12/26Patreon 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 

If you’re wondering how far Trump will go when it comes to taking over other states and countries with a military show of power, he’s laid it out in a New York Times interview. Trump told the NYT the only constraint to his power as president of the US is “my own morality, my own mind”…“It’s the only thing that can stop me,” “I’m not looking to hurt people.” As far as following International Law, Trump said, “It depends on what your definition of international law is.” With the recent takeover of Venezuela and threats he’s made against Cuba, Columbia, Mexico, and Greenland, his moral compass is already in question. We welcome LA Times columnist Gustavo Arellano to the show. This week in politics brings Michael Shure and Mo Kelly back to the Mark Thompson show to talk about the biggest stories of the week. It would not be Friday in Mark Thompson land without a stop by Florida and a look at the best movies and streaming entertainment with The Culture Blaster, Michael Snyder.

America is seeing the video from different angles of a woman getting shot to death by ICE. That means people know that Trump, Kristi Noem and others in the administration are not being truthful. On Truth Social, Trump wrote that the woman was being “disorderly”: “The woman driving the car was very disorderly, obstructing and resisting, who then violently, willfully, and viciously ran over the ICE Officer, who seems to have shot her in self defense.” That is contrary to video evidence. If Americans realize that Trump is lying about what happened in Minnesota, perhaps people will start asking what other lies he is telling. We’ll bring you the latest developments on the Minnesota case and discuss the legality of an ICE agent opening fire. Former federal prosecutor and now defense attorney David Katz will join. We will dig deeper into a series of cash infusions into some big banks. Economic and legal expert professor Bill Black will join us live.

Trump will not be waiting around to collect the Venezuelan oil to which he feels entitled. Effective immediately, Trump is directing the energy secretary to execute a plan for Venezuela to surrender as much as 50-million barrels of oil. Trump posted on social media the spoils of his takeover "will be sold at its Market Price, and that money will be controlled by me, as President of the United States of America, to ensure it is used to benefit the people of Venezuela and the United States!" We welcome Mr. Global aka Matt Randolph to explain. He is the principal partner of Sentinel Energy and an oil and gas expert. John Rothmann, our presidential historian and political analyst will join to talk politics. On Sunday evening the New York Federal Reserve made another gigantic infusion of cash into one or more Wall Street banks. Our friends at DCreport.org, co-founded by David Cay Johnston, have been reporting on cash infusions into big Wall Street Banks. First it was 17 billion the day after Christmas and this week, DCReport found that after “more than five years with little to no cash infusions from the New York Fed, one or more of the big Wall Street banks has been requiring gigantic infusions of cash since Halloween.” We will get all the details on what could possibly be happening in the banking industry and how it could affect you. Economic expert, legal scholar and whistleblower on the Keating Five, Professor, Bill Black will join us. Then, we will save the planet with Eco-journalist, Belinda Waymouth. She has new details on ways to reduce microplastic ingestion and a heartwarming story of humans going to great lengths to help bears survive. “It’s The Planet, Stupid!” Is back.

It has been five years since insurrectionists rushed the Capitol building in an effort to stop a presidential election from being certified. Five years and nothing has been done to protect America from clear lapses in policy and security. All of those arrested and convicted were recipients of a blanket pardon by Trump. ABC News details two new reports from Democrats on the House Judiciary Committee looking at the aftermath of the attack. We will examine the reports along with the latest details on the U.S. takeover over of Venezuela. Pulitzer Prize winning author and investigative journalist David Cay Johnston will stop by to discuss it all.The Mark Thompson Show 1/6/26Patreon 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   

After being snatched from his home country, Venezuelan President Nicolás Maduro appeared in a New York courtroom today. He says he is still the leader of Venezuela, that he was kidnapped in a military incursion and he pleaded not guilty to charges involving "narco-terrorism."  We will talk about all of it with iHeart political and radio political analyst Gary Dietrich.  We keep the political conversation going with author and scholar Sarah Kendzior.  Former federal prosecutor David Katz will join us to talk about his time in Venezuela.  Karen Dawn of Dawn Watch will swing by to talk about animals.  The Mark Thompson Show 1/5/26Patreon 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

The Mark Thompson Show 12/31/25Patreon 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

As Elon Musk checked out of DOGE and left government service, he promised he would be starting his own political party: the America party. Now, it appears he is back in the fickle embrace of MAGA… and it’s no accident. According to the Washington Post, Vice President JD Vance spent much of the summer and fall working to bring Musk back into the good graces of Donald Trump.Despite disagreements on the so-called “Big Beautiful Bill” and the Epstein files, Musk really wanted his associate Jared Isaacman to lead NASA. After Trump pulled the nomination, Vance reportedly paved the way for Isaacman to be re-nominated and then confirmed. The Trump-Musk truce is in place, but for how long?We welcome Pulitzer Prize winning author and investigative journalist David Cay Johnston to the show to talk politics.It’s Tech Tuesday on The Mark Thompson Show. Jefferson Graham will swing by to talk gadgets. The Mark Thompson Show 12/30/25Patreon 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

Presidential pardons for sale? The Wall Street Journal is reporting that lobbyists "close to Trump" are charging $1m and up, one went for $6m, to get presidential pardons for their clients. The Wall Street Journal says in the case of Binance founder Changpeng Zhao, Binance paid $800,000 to lobby for the pardon along with added "success fees of as much as $5 million."  Is anyone surprised?  We will talk about it with iHeart TV and radio political analyst Gary Dietrich. We’ll keep the political conversation rolling with the brilliant author and scholar Sarah Kendzior.The Mark Thompson Show 12/29/25Patreon 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

It seems using the military against United States citizens crosses a line even Supreme Court justices aren’t comfortable, stepping over. Yesterday, the Supreme Court denied Trump’s emergency request to keep National Guard troops in Illinois. The preliminary decision may impact National Guard deployments in other states too. We will dig deeper into that ruling as we welcome presidential historian and political analyst John Rothmann to the show. Our very own J-L Cauvin is running for Congress in New Jersey. He’s at a critical stage of fundraising and has a brand new commercial that he will share.. We welcome The Culture Blaster, Michael Snyder, to look at the big holiday movie weekend ahead. *Show note: the Mark Thompson show will be dark on Christmas and the day after for Mark‘s birthday 🎂🎉 #Trump #Epstein #EpsteinFiles #EpsteinJet #EpsteinIsland #Chicago #Illinois #NationalGuard #SupremeCourt #Scotus #Venezuela #OilTankers #Politics #Political #PoliticalAnalysis #JohnRothmann #Movie #MovieReviews #Avatar #MichaelSnyder #Entertainment #MovieCritic #PoliticsOnChristmas The Mark Thompson Show 12/24/25 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 12/23/25Patreon 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

If Turning Point USA’s AmericaFest is any indicator, MAGA, conservatives and conspiracy theorists are no longer aligned. From so called ‘Heritage Americans’ being more important than other more recent Americans to America First policies and blatant racism/antisemitism, the speakers at the event ripped into each other. The infighting was so awkward, Erika Kirk said it “Feels like a Thanksgiving dinner where your family’s hashing out the family business,” JD Vance tried to laugh it off but ended up doing little to bring people together. We’ll talk about it with iHeart TV and radio political analyst Gary Dietrich Astronomy Professor Andrew Fraknoi joins to take us to the stars. The Mark Thompson Show 12/22/25Patreon 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  

Political activists are being put on notice. The Trump administration is going to try to squash what they are calling "left-wing domestic terrorism. Attorney General Pam Bondi is ordering all federal law enforcement agencies to share intelligence on “Antifa” and “Antifa-related” activities with the FBI. Bondi wants agencies to come up with lists of Americans and foreigners to investigate. Is it the end of free speech in America? We will talk about it with Michael Shure & Mo Kelly on This Week in Politics. Friday Fabulous Florida brings a crazy road rage story! Plus, The Culture Blaster, Michael Snyder, will stop by to talk movies and streaming options for the weekend ahead. Happy Friday!

The President's address to the nation last night was a smorgasboard of his favorite hits. He railed against former President Biden and touted questionable economic numbers. He did announce a bonus for members of the military. His so called "Warrior Dividend" will be paid for by his controversial tariff policies, without the approval of Congress. We will talk about Trump's odd speech and about the latest release of pictures related to Jeffrey Epstein. Former Federal Prosecutor and now defense attorney David Katz will join the conversation to talk about Friday's deadline for the Epstein Files and Ghislaine Maxwell's efforts to get out of her prison camp.

President Trump is moving to put a blockade in place around Venezuela, targeting all “sanctioned oil tankers.”  He claims Venezuela is using oil to fund drug trafficking and according to the Associated Press, Trump says he will "continue the military buildup until the country gives the U.S. oil, land and assets.  The blockade comes after the US seized an oil tanker in the region last week.  Meanwhile, the attacks on suspected "drug boats" off Venezuela continues and Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth says he will not he releasing video of the so called "second strike" video that killed two survivors of one such attack.  We'll discuss that and more with politicao analyst and presidential historian John Rothmann. The Mark Thompson Show 12/17/25Patreon 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

It may be that bad mouthing a beloved American Icon on he day he died is too much for even Trump to overcome. Usually, the public expects cruelty from Trump and his outbursts bring a collective shrug. His nasty words about actor/director Rob Reiner being killed because of Trump Derangement Syndrome seem to have been a bridge too far.  Even some MAGA faithful are turning away and finding it hard to defend Trump this time.  We will talk about it with Pulitzer Prize winning author and investigative journalist David Cay Johnston.  It's Tech Tuesday and Jefferson Graham is back from from Japan and ready to talk gadgets.  The Mark Thompson Show 12/16/25Patreon 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

The Mark Thompson Show 12/15/25Patreon 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