Ted Rall

Syndicate content Ted Rall's Rallblog
The Last Leftist Political Cartoonist
Updated: 11 hours 1 min ago

DMZ America Podcast Ep 205: “Will Dems Pay for BidenGate?”

Wed, 06/04/2025 - 08:32

Live 12 noon Eastern, Streaming Anytime Later:

Time for the “DMZ America Podcast,” where best friends from opposite politics come together. Left-wing firebrand Ted Rall and right-wing sharp-shooter Scott Stantis dive headfirst into the wild revelations about Joe Biden’s mental acuity and physical state, as exposed in Jake Tapper and Alex Thompson’s explosive book, “Original Sin: President Biden’s Decline, Its Cover-Up, and His Disastrous Choice to Run Again.” Joined by political scientist Charles Lipson, the trio unpacks the alleged cover-up that hid Biden’s condition from voters, donors, and even insiders, fueling a political scandal that’s rocking the nation.

This no-BS discussion cuts through the spin, exposing the raw truth behind a deception that tanked Biden’s campaign and reshaped America’s trust in its leaders. With Lipson’s expert insight, Rall’s progressive grit, and Stantis’ conservative edge, expect a fierce, bipartisan takedown of a constitutional crisis that’s got everyone talking. The “DMZ America Podcast” is your go-to for unfiltered takes on news, politics, and culture, recorded weekly by two cartoonists who don’t mess around. Don’t miss this electrifying episode—it’s a must-listen for anyone who cares about truth in politics!

The post DMZ America Podcast Ep 205: “Will Dems Pay for BidenGate?” appeared first on Ted Rall's Rallblog.

TMI Show Ep 152: “Exclusive: Inside the Sordid World of Tom Girardi”

Wed, 06/04/2025 - 06:14

LIVE 10 AM Eastern time, Streaming Anytime:

It’s a special behind-the-scenes episode of “The TMI Show with Ted Rall and Manila Chan,” diving into the sizzling scandal of celebrity lawyer Tom Girardi! Sentenced to 7 years in prison for embezzling $15 million from clients, Girardi’s fall from grace is wild. Once a legal titan who won millions in the Erin Brockovich case and married to “Real Housewives” star Erika Jayne, he’s also at the heart of a twisted L.A. conspiracy. Ted Rall, who had Girardi as his first lawyer against the LA Times, spills the tea on this sordid tale involving the LA Times, LAPD, former LA Times publisher Austin Beutner, and California Governor Gavin Newsom. From Girardi’s lavish lifestyle funded by stolen client money to allegations of political influence and media cover-ups, this story’s got it all—betrayal, fraud, and power plays. Find out how Girardi’s high-powered firm was a front for bigger schemes—and how it could affect the 2028 presidential race? How deep does this web of corruption go? Tune in for a no-holds-barred exposé that’ll leave you shook, exclusively on The TMI Show!

Plus:

  • Boulder Update: Family of Boulder attack suspect faces expedited deportation amid controversy over legality and fairness.
  • Trump’s BBB: Elon Musk slams Trump’s tax and immigration bill as a “disgusting abomination” threatening massive debt.
  • Kerch Bridge Attack: Ukraine’s SBU claims a new underwater strike on Russia’s Kerch Bridge, escalating tensions.
  • Dutch Government Collapse: Geert Wilders’ exit from coalition over immigration disputes triggers a political crisis.

The post TMI Show Ep 152: “Exclusive: Inside the Sordid World of Tom Girardi” appeared first on Ted Rall's Rallblog.

Poor? Homeless? Get with the Program

Tue, 06/03/2025 - 23:32

The “Big Beautiful Bill” federal budget bill passed by House Republicans, which calls for huge increases in defense spending at a time when the U.S. is not at war, reemphasizes the American capitalist system’s flawed priorities. Trump’s BBB bill allocates $144 billion for defense, while slashing $1.6 trillion from Medicaid and SNAP while imposing work requirements and funding cuts. These cuts would deny health coverage to 14 million Americans by 2034 and leave 3 million households without food. Meanwhile, Trump and the GOP plan to gut social safety net programs, which are already suboptimal, at a time when poverty and homelessness are surging. Military expansion always trumps domestic needs, as inequality keeps growing. In 2024, the U.S. poverty rate rose to 12.9%, afflicting 42 million people, while homelessness hit a record 771,000 people, an 18% increase from 2023, including 150,000 children. Why are billions funneled into defense when so many ordinary Americans face economic hardship?

The post Poor? Homeless? Get with the Program appeared first on Ted Rall's Rallblog.

TMI Show Ep 151: “Artificial Blood Breakthrough”

Tue, 06/03/2025 - 05:25

LIVE 10 AM Eastern time, Streaming Anytime:

Today brings you a heart-pounding episode of “The TMI Show with hosts Ted Rall and Manila Chan,” diving into a game-changing medical revolution! Japan’s Nara Medical University, led by Professor Hiromi Sakai, is making waves with clinical trials for universal artificial blood. Rare blood type? No problem! Nara has you covered with fake blood.

This purple-hued, hemoglobin-based blood, usable for all blood types and storable for two years at room temperature, could solve global blood shortages, especially in emergencies and low-income nations with sketchy refrigeration facilities. With only 40% of the world’s 118 million annual blood donations coming from high-income countries, millions of sick people lack access to the kind of transfusions that saved Ted’s life in 1984, costing lives in trauma, surgery, and childbirth.

Sakai’s lab is out to eliminate infection risks, blood type mismatches, and short shelf life, hoping to launch by 2030. But it’s not without risks—previous artificial blood trials in the U.S. and U.K. raised safety concerns like toxicity and immune reactions. Will Japan’s project solve these issues or face similar setbacks? Tune in for a deep dive into this potential lifesaver and its global impact.

Plus:

A Boulder man’s chilling plot to attack a pro-Israel group with Molotov cocktails, for which he has been charged as a hate criminal.

The dish behind Ukraine’s daring “Operation Spiderweb” drone strikes that destroyed Russian bombers, forcing global defense strategists to rethink everything.

The post TMI Show Ep 151: “Artificial Blood Breakthrough” appeared first on Ted Rall's Rallblog.

TMI Show Ep 150: “Outrage Over Boulder Attack”

Mon, 06/02/2025 - 05:54

LIVE 10 AM Eastern time, Streaming Anytime:

After the terror attack in Boulder, “The TMI Show with Ted Rall and Manila Chan” analyzes this latest clash over Israel’s war against the Palestinian people in Gaza. Mohamed Sabry Soliman, a 45-year-old Egyptian national, is accused of unleashing chaos at a pro-Israel vigil calling attention to hostages held by Hamas on Boulder’s Pearl Street Mall, yelling “Free Palestine” while hurling Molotov cocktails and using a makeshift flamethrower.

Eight people, aged 67 to 88, were injured, some with severe burns, during a “Run For Their Lives” demonstration for Israeli hostages. The FBI calls it a targeted terrorist act, tied to rising antisemitic violence amid the Israel-Hamas conflict. So far, however, the evidence only points to anti-Zionism. This assault, coinciding with the Jewish holiday Shavuot, follows the “Free Palestine” double murder of Israeli embassy staffers in Washington. Israeli PM Benjamin Netanyahu condemned the “vicious” assault, praying for victims’ recovery. A witness captured harrowing footage of bystanders dousing flames on a woman set ablaze. The controversy? Soliman’s illegal immigration status and cries of “End Zionists” fuel debates over immigration and ideological violence. Tune in as Ted and Manila unpack this tragedy with unfiltered insight.

Plus:

  • Russia-Ukraine peace talks resume in Istanbul, with Ukraine proposing a ceasefire and prisoner swaps amid intensified drone strikes.
  • Trump’s nuclear deal proposal to Iran faces scrutiny after a leaked UN report reveals secret uranium enrichment.
  • Poland’s new president, Karol Nawrocki, wins on a conservative platform, signaling shifts in EU relations.

 

The post TMI Show Ep 150: “Outrage Over Boulder Attack” appeared first on Ted Rall's Rallblog.

A Lame GOP Putsch vs. a Successful Democratic Coup

Sun, 06/01/2025 - 23:24

Democrats were understandably furious at the Jan. 6th Capitol rioters who tried to subvert the result of the 2020 presidential election. Now, however, we know that Biden and the coterie of Democrats around him undermined democracy themselves, by misrepresenting Biden as being of sound mind and body, when they knew he was anything but. Recent revelations confirm this silent coup d’état, including a former aide’s admission that White House staff hid Biden’s cognitive decline. and a new book that details how senior Democrats and media allies lied to remain in power. If the Jan. 6th rioters were guilty of treason and deserved long prison sentences for attempting to disrupt democracy, what should happen to the Democratic politicians and journalists who, unlike the Republicans, succeeded in executing a coup by deceiving the public about Biden’s fitness to lead? They subverted the democratic process more than the Capitol riot.

The post A Lame GOP Putsch vs. a Successful Democratic Coup appeared first on Ted Rall's Rallblog.

DeProgram: Steel Deal, Immigrants Under Threat, Iran Nuke Talks, Sean Combs

Sat, 05/31/2025 - 05:26
LIVE at 9 am Eastern time and Streaming 24/7 Anytime After That:

It’s time to get DeProgrammed! Join political cartoonist Ted Rall and CIA whistleblower John Kiriakou, who bring you incisive analysis on today’s most urgent issues. Today, Ted and John dive into the latest developments shaking everything from economics to a fallen rap baron. Trump makes a bold move to double tariffs on steel imports to 50%, an attempt to reindustrialize the Rust Belt while supporting Biden’s stalled Nippon Steel-US Steel partnership in Pittsburgh, drawing $14 billion in investment. Will this acquisition, justified under trade laws but contested for Trump’s referring to immigration and drug trafficking, revive the steel industry or fall flat? Next, immigration takes center stage as the Supreme Court allows Trump administration to end Biden-era humanitarian legal protections from 500,000 immigrants from Cuba, Haiti, Nicaragua, and Venezuela, paving the way toward mass deportations. Additionally, ICE has escalated entrapment at courthouses, nabbing migrants immediately after the government drops deportation charges. Will people stop showing up? We pivot to the Iran talks, where Gulf leaders are pushing Iran to engage while pushing the US to restrain Israel, as Israel itself faces growing pressure from Europe over Gaza. Finally, the Sean Combs trial continues as testimony from his ex-assistant “Mia” described severe emotional distress and alleged assaults—but defense attorney Brian Steel is challenging her via her social media posts and texts from 2016. The sex trafficking and racketeering trial reminds us that we are not past the point of he-says-she-says. Tune in for unfiltered, hard-hitting commentary that cuts through the noise, unpacking these stories with the sharp wit and outsider perspective only Rall and Kiriakou can provide.

The post DeProgram: Steel Deal, Immigrants Under Threat, Iran Nuke Talks, Sean Combs appeared first on Ted Rall's Rallblog.

TMI Show Ep 149: “True Crime: Our National Obsession”

Fri, 05/30/2025 - 06:31

LIVE 10 AM Eastern time, Streaming Anytime:

Brace yourself for a chilling episode of “The TMI Show with Ted Rall and Manila Chan,” delving into the haunting 20th anniversary of Natalee Holloway’s murder. In 2005, the 18-year-old woman vanished during her high school graduation trip to Aruba, sparking global headlines. Natalee was last seen with Joran van der Sloot, who was arrested multiple times but never convicted of her murder due to Aruba’s statute of limitations. Finally,in 2023, van der Sloot confessed to killing her following his signing to a plea deal for extortion and wire fraud, admitting that he bludgeoned her and dumped her body in the sea. This closure, after nearly two decades, has reignited debates over justice, international law, and travel safety. Why did it take so long to get the answers? How do legal loopholes impact cases like this?

Join guest Ally Pennington, Artifacts and Programs Manager at the “Alcatraz East Crime Museum,” for an interview exploring these questions. The museum’s new exhibit, “International Journey to Justice: Catching Natalee Holloway’s Killer,” opened April 18th to mark this milestone. We’ll also unpack why Americans are obsessed with grisly crimes and what draws millions to crime museums? What else awaits at Alcatraz East? Expect a wild ride through history with artifacts like Ted Bundy’s VW Beetle and O.J. Simpson’s Ford Bronco.

Plus:

  • Russia’s fossil fuel billions help its war in Ukraine, with €883bn earned since 2022 despite Western sanctions, evidencing that sanctions never work.
  • A paranoid NATO plans a massive troop boost, raising 120–130 brigades to counter Russia, with Germany urged to add 40,000 soldiers.

The post TMI Show Ep 149: “True Crime: Our National Obsession” appeared first on Ted Rall's Rallblog.

Looking For the Real Democracy Killer

Thu, 05/29/2025 - 23:28

Ted Rall’s cartoon calls out the media for covering up and deflecting Biden’s mental decline— hilariously and absurdly while promising to investigate who was responsible. Outlets like The Washington Post—whose reporters and editors had to have known the truth the whole time—are vowing to find who concealed Biden’s condition, as our trust in institutions continues to erode. 

The post Looking For the Real Democracy Killer appeared first on Ted Rall's Rallblog.

TMI Show Ep 148: “Crazy Bibi Wants to Bomb Iran”

Thu, 05/29/2025 - 06:20

LIVE 10 AM Eastern time, Streaming Anytime:

It’s global crisis Thursday on “The TMI Show with Ted Rall and Manila Chan,” diving into a geopolitical powder keg! Ten years ago, President Obama pushed for a nuclear deal with Iran while Israeli PM Benjamin Netanyahu rattled sabers and threatened to bomb Tehran’s nuclear-power enrichment facilities. Now, Trump faces the same threat from the Bibster, but the stakes are higher. Netanyahu’s coalition leans on far-right extremists, and Iran is weaker than ever—its proxies Hamas and Hezbollah are battered, and Assad’s regime in Syria just collapsed. Bibi’s threats to strike Iran’s nuclear sites might not be just talk this time.

Back in 2015, the JCPOA forced Iran to gut its nuclear program and allow inspections in exchange for sanctions relief, though it was permitted to enrich uranium at low levels until 2030. Trump scrapped the deal in 2018, slapping sanctions back on. Now, Iran has enriched uranium to 60% purity—experts say it’s less than a year from a bomb if it wants one. (It says it doesn’t—and the CIA believes them.) Netanyahu sees a nuclear Iran as an existential threat and wants it crushed, while Trump thinks Iran’s vulnerability makes it ripe for a deal. Just yesterday, Trump told Bibi to hold off on bombing.

Public support for Israel is waning in wake of its genocide against the Palestinians in Gaza—only 46% of Americans still support Israel, the lowest in 25 years, with even some conservative voices like Tucker Carlson backing away. Will Trump and Netanyahu clash, or will diplomacy win?

The post TMI Show Ep 148: “Crazy Bibi Wants to Bomb Iran” appeared first on Ted Rall's Rallblog.

Biden’s Many “Original Sins”

Thu, 05/29/2025 - 06:05

Original Sin: President Biden’s Decline, Its Cover-Up, and His Disastrous Choice to Run Again,” by Jake Tapper and Alex Thompson, pulls from 200 interviews in order to expose Democrats’ cover-up of Joe Biden’s cognitive and physical decline from his son Beau’s death in 2015 through his presidency and into his misbegotten 2024 reelection campaign. The book’s thesis is that Trump’s return to power was the direct result of Biden’s decision to run again despite his dementia, symptoms of which caused his catastrophic debate performance and subsequent withdrawal from the race.

Like a motorist gawking at the debris of a gruesome accident, I couldn’t put down this eulogy for American electoral democracy. Part of it, I’ll admit, was how thoroughly “Original Sin” vindicated my own assessments of Biden dating back to 2020, which did not make me popular with Democrats. Mainly, though, it’s a page-turner.

What Biden and his coterie of minders did to himself, the Democratic Party and the country—far and away the biggest political scandal in U.S. history—is too big to fit into one book, no matter how essential or well-written, both of which “Original Sin” is.

An “original sin” is a metaphor that recalls Adam eating the forbidden apple. It is a foundational error, systemic problem or inherent defect that leads to future negative consequences. Frederick Douglass argued that slavery was the “great sin and shame of America”—the nation’s original sin. William Jennings Bryan said “the fruits of imperialism…is the one tree of which citizens of a republic may not partake.”

In the same way that a number of factors contributed to humanity’s expulsion from the Garden of Eden—Eve’s insistence, Adam’s deference and curiosity, and of course that rascally snake—the Democratic Party’s plot to install a mentally-diminished Biden into the White House, keep their ruse going for four years and overplay their hand by trying for another four stemmed from motivations and had ramifications that don’t appear in Tapper and Thompson’s book.

When I evaluate sin—is it one? if so, how serious?—I put myself in the shoes of the perpetrator and ask myself: might I have done the same thing in the same circumstances? Reading “Original Sin,” I have to say, no way. No one with a scintilla of decency would have done what Jill Biden and a cabal of self-appointed Biden gatekeepers nicknamed “the Politburo”—Chief of Staff Ron Klain, Senior Advisor Mike Donilon, Senior Advisor Anita Dunn, and Deputy Chief of Staff Jen O’Malley Dillon—did.

They carried out a silent coup d’état.

They’re traitors.

It gets short shrift in the book, but a big portion of the original sin of the Biden presidency is the raison d’être of his first campaign—to stop Bernie Sanders. Bernie was the early favorite in the Democratic primaries. Party bosses should have been pleased. He consistently led Trump in national head-to-head polls during February and early March 2020, with margins ranging from 4 to 9 points, often outperforming or matching other Democratic candidates like Joe Biden, who finished fourth in Iowa, fifth in New Hampshire and a distant second in Nevada.

But Sanders’ attacks on corporations and the “billionaire class” and promise to turn away big-money contributions pissed off the party’s wealthy donors and corporate-aligned leaders. His proposals to break up big banks and tax billionaires threatened the financial elite who held sway over the DNC. Better to lose with a corporate candidate, they decided, than to win with a self-described “democratic socialist.” On February 27, 2020, The New York Times ran a piece with a shocking headline: “Democratic Leaders Willing to Risk Party Damage to Stop Bernie Sanders.” A few days later, the day before Super Tuesday, party leaders secretly orchestrated joint high-profile endorsements from rival candidates Pete Buttigieg, Amy Klobuchar and Beto O’Rourke, who dropped out and backed Biden.

Would it really have been so awful to raise the minimum wage to $15 an hour and give sick people access to Medicare For All? For the billionaire class, obviously yes.

But why Biden and not one of the other 21 primary contestants? Klobuchar didn’t have enough name recognition. Buttigieg didn’t do well with Blacks. Like Bernie, Elizabeth Warren was too radical for the big corporate donors.

Establishment Democrats claimed Biden was the most electable. But that wasn’t why they elevated him. Bernie, after all, was at least as electable as Biden. It came down to politics—Biden was a corporatist—and familiarity. And Biden was mentally and physically weak. For the big money people, the ability to push him around was a feature, not a bug.

Roughly 40% of American vice presidents become president, whether by succession or getting elected on their own. The main job of a vice president is to be qualified and prepared to become commander-in-chief.

Choosing a vice presidential running mate, therefore, is obviously not a decision to be undertaken lightly. That goes double when the president is, at age 78, the oldest ever elected. According to “Original Sin,” the universal consensus in Bidenworld was that Kamala Harris was unpleasant, untalented and not up to the job of running for president, much less serving as one. When the president dropped his reelection bid, most people in the party leadership didn’t want her to jump in because her polls were no better than his.

The book doesn’t spend much time on how and why Harris got the nod for veep. But surely a significant part of the original sin that led to Trump 2.0 was the party’s inability to quickly transition to an appealing figure to replace Biden. Kamala’s campaign was such a disaster, polling in the low single digits, that she was forced to withdraw in 2019, without having participated in a primary. On that basis alone, she never should have been considered to run with Biden.

Biden pulled out of the race in July 2024. Four years too late.

By all accounts, he had become utterly incapable of doing the job as president. Yet he remained in office another six months. What if World War III had broken out during that time? It made no sense to tacitly admit Biden was senile while allowing him to continue pretending to work as president.

He should have resigned when he dropped out, leaving Harris as the incumbent president. Her campaign would have benefited from the optics of taking the oath of office, governing, and being seen with foreign leaders. And Biden would have made history by bringing about the first presidency by a woman of color.

Last but certainly not least, the book barely touches upon the Gaza War. It takes note of the fact that many younger voters decided not to vote at all rather than to turn out for Biden due to his age. But many were also furious at both Biden and Harris for supporting the Israeli onslaught against the innocent people of Palestine.

So many original sins! Sadly for the nation, it’s not just Democrats who must atone.

(Ted Rall, the political cartoonist, columnist and graphic novelist, is the author of “Never Mind the Democrats. Here’s WHAT’S LEFT.” Subscribe: tedrall.Substack.com.

The post Biden’s Many “Original Sins” appeared first on Ted Rall's Rallblog.

DeProgram: “Musk Flees the DOGE House”

Wed, 05/28/2025 - 13:38

LIVE 5 PM Eastern time, Streaming Anytime:

On the “DeProgram” show with controversial political cartoonist Ted Rall and brilliant CIA whistleblower John Kiriakou, we tackle the news of Elon Musk’s departure from Washington, DC. Musk, a key advisor to Trump, has stepped back from his role in the Department of Government Efficiency (DOGE), after five fiery months. Musk says he’s shifting to focus on Tesla and SpaceX, with plans to spend only one or two days a week on government policy issues. Musk’s exit follows backlash over DOGE’s aggressive cuts, including the dismantling of USAID, which Musk boasted about “feeding into the wood chipper.” Critics like Rep. Mark Pocan say he’s scooting to dodge scrutiny, pointing to controversies like his alleged Nazi salute at Trump’s inauguration and ties to Germany’s far-right AfD party. With Tesla facing brand damage and declining sales, Musk’s move raises questions about his influence on Trump’s agenda and DOGE’s future. Join us for a smart dissection of this unfolding saga.

Plus:

  • US-Iran talks escalate as Trump signals a potential nuclear deal breakthrough.
  • Gaza Humanitarian Foundation lambasted after fatal food distribution fiasco.
  • New Russia sanctions? Trump considers them amid heightened Ukraine tensions.
  • Trump’s dismissal of military historians stirs fears of historical revisionism.

 

 

The post DeProgram: “Musk Flees the DOGE House” appeared first on Ted Rall's Rallblog.

TMI Show Ep 147: “FBI Targeting Climate Activists”

Wed, 05/28/2025 - 07:17

LIVE 10 AM Eastern time, Streaming Anytime:

Prepare for a frightening episode of “The TMI Show with hosts Ted Rall and Manila Chan,” joined by Dr. Reese Halter. We’re tackling disturbing reports that the Trump Administration has directed the FBI to surveil, question, and harass peaceful climate-change and environmental activists. In Boston, at least six activists, including members of Extinction Rebellion, were visited at their homes by FBI agents with no clear motive, evidently intended as intimidation.

Elsewhere, groups like the Appalachian Community Capital Corporation and DC Green Bank, funded by Biden-era grants, face FBI probes for alleged fraud, which looks like harassment ordered by right-wing EPA Administrator Lee Zeldin to push against environmental justice initiatives.

These actions threaten free speech and the right to advocate for environmental causes. Why are nonviolent activists in the government’s sights? What does this mean for civil liberties and environmental justice? With sharp analysis, Ted, Manila, and Dr. Halter, a renowned environmental scientist, will unpack the motives behind this crackdown, examining its chilling effect on activism. The TMI Show delivers unfiltered insights, cutting through mainstream narratives to reveal the truth. This critical discussion is a must-watch for those concerned about government overreach and the future of environmental advocacy. Tune in live or stream anytime to stay informed on this urgent issue. Join The TMI Show for a compelling exploration of power, policy, and principle.

The post TMI Show Ep 147: “FBI Targeting Climate Activists” appeared first on Ted Rall's Rallblog.

Remember When It Was Just a Stutter?

Tue, 05/27/2025 - 23:20

Ted Rall’s cartoon digs into how Democrats and media desperately worked to hide the obvious mental decline of former President Joe Biden during his four years in office. People around him said Biden had speech trouble, with no real proof. while keeping quiet about his dementia. Now recent news about Biden’s cancer, described as aggressive prostate cancer spreading to his bones, seems intended to make us feel sorry for him instead of angry.

The post Remember When It Was Just a Stutter? appeared first on Ted Rall's Rallblog.

DMZ America Podcast Ep 204: “BidenGate: We Told You So”

Tue, 05/27/2025 - 14:18
LIVE 12 noon, and then streaming whenever you wanna hear it:

It’s time for a payback episode of the “DMZ America Podcast”! Hosts Ted Rall (from the Left) and Scott Stantis (from the Right) dive into the jaw-dropping revelations of Jake Tapper and Alex Thompson’s Original Sin: President Biden’s Decline, Its Cover-Up, and His Disastrous Choice to Run Again. The book confirms what Ted and Scott have been shouting from the rooftops for years: Joe Biden’s mental and physical decline started as early as 2015, after Beau’s death, with telltale signs like forgetting aides’ names, losing focus, and even blanking on George Clooney at a 2024 fundraiser. Despite being mocked and slammed as “conspiracy nuts,” Ted and Scott stuck to their guns, and now Tapper’s exposé backs them up, detailing a calculated cover-up by Biden’s family and aides to hide his condition from voters, donors, and even Cabinet members. This deception propped up Biden’s doomed reelection campaign, crashing in a debate disaster that paved the way for Trump’s comeback. Critics now blast Tapper for cashing in on a story some say he soft-pedaled before the election, while Biden’s team calls the claims overblown, insisting he led effectively. Ted and Scott unpack the facts, the vindication, and the fallout for America’s political trust. This ain’t just a podcast—it’s a no-BS reckoning of a scandal that’s got the nation buzzing. Tune in for a raw, bipartisan take that cuts through the spin!

The post DMZ America Podcast Ep 204: “BidenGate: We Told You So” appeared first on Ted Rall's Rallblog.

TMI Show Ep 146: “Southern Accents: Gone with the Wind”

Tue, 05/27/2025 - 06:15
LIVE 10 AM Eastern time, Streaming Anytime: “The TMI Show with Ted Rall and Manila Chan” is back from the holiday weekend, droppin’ some serious knowledge on a cultural shift that’s got everyone talkin’—talking vanilla English, that is!

The Southern dialect among Black people in Atlanta has been fading fast over recent decades, and it’s all tied to the “Reverse Great Migration.” Back in the day, from 1910 to 1970, African Americans left the South for northern cities like New York, Detroit, and Chicago during the Great Migration. Now, their grandkids and great-grandkids—many college-educated—are moving back . A study shows the Southern accent among Black Gen Z (born 1997–2012) has dropped off big time, largely because over 5.8 million people have flooded the U.S. South in the 2020s, bringing speech patterns that dilute the classic drawl. Researchers, who previously studied white Atlantans, note that younger generations are leaning toward a pan-regional accent, sounding more like Californian dudes and babes than their Boomer grandparents. Cultural homogenization, social mobility, and even stereotypes are pushing kids to switch up their speech. But not everyone agrees—some argue the shift isn’t just due to migration but a sign of broader identity changes, sparking debates on what “Southern” even means anymore. Tune in for a convo that’s as real as it gets! Plus:
  • Trump may pull out of the Ukraine peace process, frustrated by stalled progress, per the New York Times.
  • Israel faces growing pressure from allies like the U.S. and Germany to end its Gaza operations.
  • A shocking moment unfolds as Mrs. Macron’s slapping the President of France makes headlines.

The post TMI Show Ep 146: “Southern Accents: Gone with the Wind” appeared first on Ted Rall's Rallblog.

As Scandals Go, Bidengate Is Low on the Drama Meter

Sun, 05/25/2025 - 23:04

Ted Rall’s cartoon concerns the countless questions about former President Joe Biden’s mental capacity during his 2020 campaign and presidency. Echoing Senator Howard Baker’s Watergate query about what Nixon knew and when, Americans are now asking what Biden’s inner circle knew about his cognitive state and when. Recent reports, including a book by Jake Tapper and Alex Thompson, reveal that aides discussed putting Biden in a wheelchair due to his physical deterioration. Another story highlights Biden’s struggles in his 2023 special counsel interview, which featured numerous verbal stumbles and memory lapses. Biden is a figure more pathetic than Nixons.

The post As Scandals Go, Bidengate Is Low on the Drama Meter appeared first on Ted Rall's Rallblog.

DeProgram: Trump vs. Harvard! Plus Art Spiegelman, Police Killings and Israel vs. Iran

Sat, 05/24/2025 - 08:48

Live 12 noon Saturday and available via streaming afterwards:

Tune into “DeProgram” with fiery political cartoonist Ted Rall and brilliant CIA whistleblower John Kiriakou, diving headfirst into the expanding war between President Trump and Harvard University over Kristi Noem’s ban on foreign students, which account for 27% of the student body. Trump’s moves to block international students from Harvard and other elite universities has sparked a fierce debate, with the administration arguing it’s a matter of national security and economic protection. Critics, including Harvard, slam it as xenophobic, claiming that it guts academic freedom and global collaboration. The policy, tied to Trump’s broader immigration crackdown, has led to lawsuits, with Harvard alleging the ban stifles its First Amendment rights and unfairly targets students from the Middle East and Asia. Protests have erupted on campus, and faculty are pushing back. Rall and Kiriakou unpack the legal, cultural, and political fallout of this high-stakes showdown, cutting through the noise with their no-BS analysis. Will Harvard’s defiance crush the White House, or will the school succumb to pressure? Tune in for a raw, unfiltered take on a fight shaking the nation’s intellectual core. Plus:

Art Spiegelman claims PBS censored him over anti-Trump content, raising free speech alarms.
Five years post-George Floyd, police killings continue to climb, fueling calls for reform.
Tensions spike as Israel eyes a potential strike on Iran’s nuclear program, risking regional chaos.

The post DeProgram: Trump vs. Harvard! Plus Art Spiegelman, Police Killings and Israel vs. Iran appeared first on Ted Rall's Rallblog.

TMI Show Ep 145: “Iran Warns Israel: Back Off!”

Fri, 05/23/2025 - 06:58

LIVE 10 AM Eastern time, Streaming Anytime:

On today’s “TMI Show with Ted Rall and Manila Chan,” we dive into the powder keg of the nuclear standoff between Iran, Israel and the U.S. Iran’s Revolutionary Guards are throwing down the gauntlet, vowing a “devastating and decisive response” if Israel dares to strike their nuclear sites. This fiery warning follows U.S. intelligence reports hinting that Israel might be gearing up to bomb Iran’s nuclear facilities, escalating tensions as Tehran and Washington head into a critical fifth round of nuclear talks in Rome today. At the heart of the clash: Iran’s refusal to halt uranium enrichment, now at 60% purity—way past the 3.67% limit set by the 2015 JCPOA, which Trump ditched in 2018. Iran insists its program is for civilian use, but the West and Israel see a clear path to nukes, raising fears of a preemptive strike that could spark a regional firestorm. With the IAEA meeting in June and the JCPOA’s October deadline looming, these talks are a global flashpoint. Will diplomacy work, or are we on the brink of a new war in the Middle East? Tune in for a no-holds-barred breakdown!

Plus:

Harvard’s international student ban rocks the academic community.

• House Republicans’ “One Big Beautiful Bill” sparks Senate debate.

• The U.S. penny’s production ends.

The post TMI Show Ep 145: “Iran Warns Israel: Back Off!” appeared first on Ted Rall's Rallblog.

Clash of the Democratic Trump Wannabes

Thu, 05/22/2025 - 23:31

Ted Rall’s cartoon skewers Democratic hopefuls copying Trump playbook. Last week Gavin Newsom faced backlash for proposing deep cuts to immigrant health care while vowing to crack down on the homeless. Pete Buttigieg stirred debate by endorsing Trump style tariffs to protect American jobs. Gretchen Whitmer drew criticism for rejecting birthright citizenship to appeal to conservative voters. Yet Democratic voters expressed frustration with these candidates for mimicking Trump policies while opposing him. Rall mocks this hypocrisy as Newsom, Buttigieg and Whitmer chase Trump voter base by adopting his tactics. The irony lies in their anti Trump stance while embracing his ideas.

The post Clash of the Democratic Trump Wannabes appeared first on Ted Rall's Rallblog.