Day: May 28, 2026

Trump Threatens to Blow Up Oman as Qatar and Bahrain Secretly Pay Bribes to Iran Not to Bomb Them

We begin with Trump threatening to blow up Oman, a US ally and important mediator and assess how that is playing in the Gulf as intelligence sources indicate that Qatar and Bahrain are paying bribes to Iran so as not to be struck by their missiles or drones which Kuwait and the UAE are not doing and they are getting hit. Joining us is Eli Clifton, a senior advisor at the Quincy Institute and investigative-journalist-at-large at Responsible Statecraft who holds a masters degree from the London School of Economics. He is the author of the new book available for pre-order, Israel’s Lobby: America in the Grip of a Foreign Power.  

Trump Sells Out NATO to Putin Just as Ukraine Turns the Battlefield Against Russia

Then we examine how the bully Trump is meek as a lamb when it comes to rolling over for Putin and speak with Olga Lautman, a Non-resident Senior Fellow at the Center for European Policy Analysis who is also the creator and co-host of the Kremlin File podcast series, which features expert discussions on the Kremlin’s internal affairs, global operations, and tactics used from their hybrid warfare toolkit to destabilize Western democracies. She has a Substack newsletter covering Russia, Ukraine, Eastern, and Central Europe with a focus on Russia’s intelligence operations available at olgalautman.substack.com where her latest articles include “As Ukraine Hits Deeper Into Russia, Putin Retreats Into Isolation” and “Trump Moves to Cut NATO Bombers, Submarines, and Warships in Major Win for Russia.

How a Democratic Socialist Beat Machine Politics and Even Won Over Donald Trump

Then finally we speak with Theodore Hamm, professor and chair of journalism and new media studies at St. Joseph’s University in New York. He is the author of Bernie’s Brooklyn: How Growing Up in the New Deal City Shaped Bernie Sanders’ Politics. His articles about New York City politics and the 2025 mayor’s race appeared in The Indypendent, Drop Site and Jacobin. His latest book is Run Zohran Run!, now out in the updated version, Meet Mayor Mamdani: The Spectacular Victory of a Democratic Socialist in New York City and we discuss how a Democratic Socialist defeated the hatred, lies and prejudices spewed by machine politicians to become Mayor of New York City and even win over Donald Trump.