Latest / Palafox Media Network / Guardians of the Republic: The Battle for the Future: Middle East, Power, and Our Republic

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Guardians of the Republic: The Battle for the Future: Middle East, Power, and Our Republic · Palafox Media Network

• Jonathan Cole: Good evening, everyone. Welcome to another episode of Guardians of the Republic. With me as always is Tony Hughes. How are you tonight, Tony? ⁓ Tony Hughes: Hey John, I'm great, Jonathan, how are you? Jonathan Cole: doing about as well as can be expected. Tony Hughes: Well, we have descended into yet another level of a fresh level of hell, haven't we? It seems like every week there's something, some new, poof. Jonathan Cole: Okay. This is like the diamond level. There's so many facets. It's almost, we don't have enough time to talk about everything, but obviously we'll start with stating the obvious. United States jointly attacked Iran Israel. Tony Hughes: You That's true. Jonathan Cole: immediately took out the Ayatollah, the leaders inflicted a of damage and then the Iranians retaliated, oddly striking at neighbors well as the U.S. and Israel. a lot of things to consider. So first of all, kind of what's your 36,000 foot view, Tony? Tony Hughes: Mm-hmm. Hmm. you know, I'm really not a conspiracy theory guy, but if you start connecting some dots... I think you could build an argument that this was Trump's plan from day one once he got I think the main reason he ran for president was so that he could not go to prison because of all the indictments. ⁓ I ⁓ sure he likes the power and the influence and whatever, I think staying out prison was the number one objective for him. Jonathan Cole: That's why. Tony Hughes: I think secondly probably burying the Epstein files was up there in that top five. But if you go back and look at some of the that happened to him involving Iran, they out Soleimani or something like that I guess in his first term and then Iran threatened to assassinate him. I think people, I would take it personally if somebody was trying to kill me. I I'm gonna be honest about that. guess I can't blame him for that. But the fact that they were trying to assassinate him, the allegation that they were trying to influence the votes in 2020 and 2024, which we know that's a favorite thing for him. Jonathan Cole: Yeah. Yeah. Tony Hughes: I think that the fact that he put through a $113 billion increase to the defense budget, which would by and large will help pay for this war, although that was not what its stated purpose was. But you know, once they allocate that budget to DOD, that money can become somewhat fungible and... And you know, we've spent a shitload of money last four days in weapons ⁓ obviously just the personnel and... Jonathan Cole: Yeah. Tony Hughes: That was a 13 % increase in the DOD budget. So that's way beyond, that's 10 % beyond inflation, just in DOD. I think the tariffs were a method to fund this. I think he knew this was gonna happen. He was gonna make it happen and he had to find a way to fund it. And I think the tariffs come into play with that. The fact that we negotiated for what? Jonathan Cole: You Tony Hughes: three weeks with Iran. After we obliterated the nuclear, after we obliterated, that nuclear program has been obliterated. Except six months later, oh, well could have a weapon in just a few weeks. So I don't really, I don't get that. Jonathan Cole: That's what they said. Tony Hughes: But you know, we exercise diplomacy. That ⁓ the only negotiation method that Trump has, and that is to put the gun to your head and do whatever it is he wants you to say. Now, I don't want come across like I'm in favor of Iran. Iran was a terrible, terrible actor on the world stage. Ayatollah was one of the most evil men in history. ⁓ Jonathan Cole: Hahaha ⁓ Which one? Tony Hughes: All of them. mean, from his dad in 79 to this guy to whoever's coming next. I they were all bad, I think that we just... I think this... And for Trump, because Iran has been such a bad actor, if he can take Iran out of the mix, Trump puts his stamp on the Middle East for... Jonathan Cole: Yeah. Tony Hughes: is like his signature thing. I out Iran and the Middle East is now safe thanks to Donald Trump. ⁓ Except every time we've to change that dynamic in the Middle East with a war, Jonathan Cole: Mm-hmm. Right. never works out that way though. Tony Hughes: going back to, fact, I was commenting a friend's Facebook post this afternoon who was kind of saying the same idea that these regime in the Middle East never work out well for us. And I was trying to count back, are we like 0 for 3, 0 for 4, 0 for 5? mean, Afghanistan, Iraq, Libya. ⁓ Jonathan Cole: No. That's actually a lot longer. Well, long were we over there after the mission accomplished? Tony Hughes: Well, yeah, we never left. We never left. and I think that, and I think this was one reason why Trump was really on that full court press to get the Nobel Peace Prize this past year, because he knew there was no way in hell he'd get it now. ⁓ So that was like his one and only shot get it. And I think also the fact that, Jonathan Cole: You know, it's... You know. You guys have no chance of type in future. Tony Hughes: Spain and Great Britain are not playing in the sandbox with us this time. Great Britain is one of our best, Great Britain and Canada are probably our two closest allies. Great Britain's saying, no, no, we're sitting this one out. And ⁓ really a big deal with Spain because we use Diego Garcia as a base. ⁓ And is ⁓ probably the most important bases we have over there in that distant part the world. Jonathan Cole: No. Yeah. Yep. Tony Hughes: for landing our airplanes and having a supply. So like the B-2s, I mean, they're literally doing 30 hour round trips from Whiteman Air Force Base Missouri. So they off in Missouri, they fly, they never land, they drop their bombs in Iran, they fly back, they land in Missouri. Think about how many times you have to air refuel. Jonathan Cole: Exactly. Tony Hughes: to go from point A to point B and back in 37 hours, a big jet like that. It's just, mind boggling expensive to do this. And typically they would do is fly from Whiteman, drop their bombs in Iran, and then come back and land at Diego Garcia and shave about 15 hours off that trip. But we can't because Spain says, no, we're not. And I think they understand that this is just a Jonathan Cole: Yeah. All Yeah. Tony Hughes: ego trip for Trump. mean, I really think that this is an ego trip for Trump. I I'm probably soaking up all the air in the room right now, but how how many, how many excuses have we heard so far in four days for the ⁓ imminent as the justification for the president taking unilateral action without congressional approvals ⁓ or Jonathan Cole: Bye. I think my favorite was Bob Johnson's. This was a preemptive strike because they were going to attack us when Israel attacked. Tony Hughes: Yeah, apparently apparently Netanyahu, balked us in and we had no choice. But did you hear, but late this afternoon, we this tidbit, intel tidbit that kind of sneak past us all. Because the intelligence, now according to the Jonathan Cole: And you know. Mm-hmm. Tony Hughes: When the Pentagon briefed congressional staffers on Sunday, they said that there was no imminent threat. had intelligence that was planning a preemptive strike against the United States. But now we find out, then, maybe they are because if Israel attacks Iran, Iran's gonna attack us, so we've not gotta go in with a joint attack with Israel? today, this afternoon around lunchtime, Trump said, well I just had a feeling. I had a feeling that they were gonna attack us first. So there you go, it was a feeling. ⁓ intel, but feelings. ⁓ Jonathan Cole: Yeah, Well. I have, yeah. Well, they had Intel. I have a good friend that has connections for lack of a better word. thinking inside the skunk world is, for brief moment in time, Trump and ⁓ had exact of the Ayatollah's whereabouts. And then they But then assassination is illegal. So what do you do? You just keep attacking and come up with five million excuses. you know, think, you the fact that they nailed the Aetola right the very beginning kind of lies that thinking. Obviously they had the right intel and it worked and they killed him within the first hour And so that looks like the focus but then well, really need to cover our butts Legally, so just keep keep attacking and claim imminent threat and regime regime change and all that but ⁓ Tony Hughes: Well, now what I read, and who knows what's true anymore, but what I read was that is the one that blew up the Al-Tawla. It was not an American bomb, it was an Israeli bomb. So we had been going after the air and the launchers and the Navy. Israel went after political infrastructure. So who knows, ⁓ but... ⁓ Jonathan Cole: interesting. I know, so... Tony Hughes: But that, know, it's kind of like, all right, so, Jonathan, if you go out and kill somebody, well, I didn't kill him, but if and I planned it and you were just the trigger puller, I'm still guilty of murder, at least in the United States, but in the plausible... ⁓ Jonathan Cole: Yeah. Yeah. Yeah. How many Mafia dons went to prison? didn't pull the trigger, but they gave the order, you know? ⁓ Tony Hughes: Yeah, yeah, just more ridiculous stuff that comes out of Washington, D.C., out of the White House. Jonathan Cole: So I've had a number of takes on this since it started. A lot of it is more in my background and my knowledge of history and political science. But thing that got out at me was like, I hear Henry Kissinger speaking loudly. am Jewish, we would never ally with Israel and attack on an Arab nation. That's just idiocy. Remember Bush senior gave himself a hernia protecting Israel from Skoda tax ⁓ they retaliated, ⁓ coalition would just crumble. Israel's enemy, we're the infidels, but if working together in the Arab world now, the actual governments not sing, we're already seeing backlash from jihad that's been called from the Tony Hughes: ⁓ yeah, yeah, please stay out. Stay out. Jonathan Cole: Pakistan and even the shooting in Texas. You got to remember with these people, and the same thing with that little arrogance of like, I don't understand why Iraq, is retaliating. They don't care. They want to die. They want to go see Allah and go screw the 70 virgins that you know, so militarily they're not good soldiers, but you strap dynamite on them and stick them in a crowd, they're perfect. Tony Hughes: That's That's right. That's right. Jonathan Cole: foot soldiers and that's why we were in 20 something years in that war the second gulf war because that it was you know we beat iraq's army months but you know we Tony Hughes: Yep. a few days. ⁓ mean. ⁓ Jonathan Cole: Yeah, really. mean, they weren't effective at all. then, you know, it was all of the, you know, and, know, all of the the participants were from Saudi Arabia. Of course, did the have anything to do with that? I'm not quite sure. But all of those guys were from Saudi Arabia. So you don't want to inflame the Middle East because. ⁓ Tony Hughes: Well, you know, one other thing, but you one other thing I thought too, Greg was, I mean, Jonathan, is that, I spent so much time talking to Greg before we got started. And I've seen his name up there as the producer on here. But one of little I thought about in my little conspiracy theory is that, Jonathan Cole: I know. Yeah. Tony Hughes: You know, has the Al-Tawla become the greater to the ⁓ Arab nations, Saudi, UAE, the ones that cut her, the ones that have been paying off Trump, mean the of dollars that he his family, his kids quote unquote are the big they're in there, the $400 million jet for Air One. I I just wondered, that was another thing, have they cut a deal, is there a deal there? Hey, give me this money, do all these things for us. Jonathan Cole: Right. Tony Hughes: and I'll take out a total for you. I'll take out a ran for you. And you know, even Venezuela, that was another thing I forgot. Venezuela to me is a key because... Jonathan Cole: Yeah. Yeah. Tony Hughes: We have Venezuelan oil. Knowing that you go after Iran, that's gonna the oil markets. That's gonna drive the price of gas up. I passed a gas station today and this is already $3.99, $4 a gallon ⁓ here Central Alabama. But if getting 80 million barrels of oil from Venezuela now, that mitigates that somewhat. So is that another little piece Jonathan Cole: Yeah, right. Tony Hughes: my conspiracy theory of how Trump was trying to the chessboard so that could take Iran out and put his mark on Middle East peace. ⁓ Jonathan Cole: Well, let's say my thinking goes to something else and it goes back to the narcissism and the ego. But this is going to be the second time that ⁓ ego is going to cost American lives. When Trump took office. We had a treaty in place with Iran it was working, but had this thing when he come in, anything with Obama is bad and I've got to rip it out. I'm already negotiate a new treaty. He did the same thing with COVID. So as came in, He defunded pandemic task force, which had successfully curtailed five pandemics like H1N1 and minimized it it went away. So ⁓ that not place. And so COVID comes the country. And then he lambast the who's trying to their job. And then he doubled down with, well, a hoax. It's a fake. There is no virus. And by the time ⁓ Tony Hughes: Mm-hmm. Jonathan Cole: got sick and got an injection, 200-some thousand Americans died because the Zika. ⁓ And he's still like... Tony Hughes: Mm-hmm. Yep. Yep. ⁓ Jonathan Cole: He waffles sometimes he tells people you need to get the injection and he gets booze and ⁓ no no it was a hoax and all that. So now we a treaty in place and he he could do better but Iran wasn't going to with that ⁓ and it frustrated that after all this time they wouldn't just knuckle under to him so ⁓ what do you You use ⁓ a sledgehammer to a walnut because you can do that as a pre... ⁓ Tony Hughes: you Mm-hmm. Mm-hmm. Yeah. Jonathan Cole: then even then, you're getting into other at that point. At what does this transcend the War Powers Act and get into where we're just really at war with Iraq, Iran, ⁓ and Congress to take over here. Tony Hughes: Yeah. Yeah. Well, you know, I think to me at least, and I am all for the president having some authority to deploy our military forces in the, in, to an imminent threat. And I haven't, I felt like I, I I haven't put the definition of imminent on my Facebook page yesterday because I've heard so many MAGA people trying to, trying to say, well, you know, Jonathan Cole: Yes. Right. Tony Hughes: Let's go back to when they took our American embassy people hostage back in 1979 and they had this litany of things that have happened over the last 40 something years and as justification. It's like, well, wait, there's nothing imminent about that though. I mean, if that was the justification for going to war with Iran, Jonathan Cole: Yeah. Yeah. Tony Hughes: Number one, why didn't Trump run on it, you know, when he ran for reelection in 2024? wasn't it mentioned in the presidential State of the Union address? Why haven't his minions been out there on TV? Why haven't you as a MAGA person been beating your chest to say, we need to go to war against for the horrors that they have caused this country and the hundreds, if not thousands of Americans that Iran Jonathan Cole: Yeah. Tony Hughes: responsible for killing over the last 47 years. Why haven't we? I mean, that's the case, and it was something that you had actually thought about 45 minutes ago before Trump said it, you why weren't you already saying it? ⁓ But were silent, not you, Jonathan, but Magna was completely silent about going to war with Iran over their past sins. Jonathan Cole: Yeah. I know. Well. ⁓ Tony Hughes: until starts trying to find ways to justify what he did with the War Powers Act. You know, to me, if, okay, China has just launched a salvo of nuclear missiles at the United States, okay, push the damn button and send some over to them before we lose them. I I'm all for that. We don't need a resolution to Congress to do that. You know, he can go to war with another country if someone is attacking our nation, if someone's attacking our troops, Jonathan Cole: Mm-hmm. Tony Hughes: But, if you've got honest to God intelligence that says, hey, the finger is that close to the button at this other country, we need to act now. Okay, act now. But that's not the case. There's been no indication that that's the case other than Trump's feeling that, I just feel like they're gonna attack us. So ⁓ I Jonathan Cole: All Well, as maga people could think he's the smartest human who's ever lived, so I guess we should listen to that. Tony Hughes: But you know, there's a lot of magi and there's, Some people, I just have to believe in my heart of hearts, that some people on a daily basis that are MAGA are realizing that Trump feels like they're all a bunch of idiots. Jonathan Cole: Mm-hmm. Tony Hughes: because whatever he says comes out of his mouth, he believes you're gonna believe it no matter what. No matter how ridiculous, no matter how crazy it is, he thinks that you're gonna believe it. And I've just got to believe that little by little by little, some of these people get cabbed off because no, you know, I... Jonathan Cole: Right. Tony Hughes: I'm not to quote Rush Limbaugh, know, when he talked about, you know, his followers, people, people would accuse his followers of being numbed robots. Well, that is what MAGA kind of is, ⁓ hopefully, hopefully a little bit at a time, the MAGA people start to figure things out. And it's like, well, wait a second. Yeah, this is, we didn't, we, we thought it was America first. We thought we were getting out of foreign wars. We thought we were not, we were no longer going to intervene. Jonathan Cole: Mm-hmm. ⁓ definitely, Well. Yeah. Well, yeah. Tony Hughes: I even had a good friend and she is an intelligent person on Facebook page. She posted a video supposedly from 1939 of people holding up signs that were opposing against Hitler. Jonathan Cole: Mm-hmm. Tony Hughes: And caption was, know, ⁓ people, left-wing people, you think they live in this utopian society, but there's not bad people, they're not bad actors. And they were saying, well, these were all, these were left-wing people then ⁓ opposing intervention Hitler, and now they're opposing intervention against ⁓ Iran. It's completely opposite. Jonathan Cole: except in 1939 exactly. Yeah. Tony Hughes: They're totally screwed up because it was truly the American first isolationists, which were largely Republican, poster child Charles Lindbergh, that were the isolationists. Jonathan Cole: in that. Well, I think I, Yep, I think I sent you a video the day of a Nazi rally in Madison Square Garden in 1939. There were thousands of people there and they were all in uniform, full of salutes, you know. Tony Hughes: Mm-hmm. thousand people there. Yep. Jonathan Cole: And you know, but there was always this, always been right wing. It was the right wingers who didn't put us the League of Nations. It was right wingers who, ⁓ you know, us into isolationist nation and ⁓ to his credit, sometimes they say discredit, but Roosevelt did some things shouldn't but he got us ready for the war that was coming, you know. ⁓ Tony Hughes: Yeah. Yeah. Yeah, and he was an interventionist. tried to do something, ⁓ politically they couldn't do it until Pearl Harbor. And then once Pearl Harbor happened, they said, okay, well, we can go, because even after Pearl Harbor, we didn't go after Japan. First we went after Germany, ⁓ Germany was a bigger threat. They were the bigger threat. Jonathan Cole: But he... when was the agreement? Exactly. two years before Harbor, he had the army, brought in the draft, ⁓ and through land ⁓ increased war production exponentially ⁓ so when attacked, we weren't where we were in War I. ⁓ Tony Hughes: ⁓ yeah, ⁓ yeah. Yep, to Europe. ⁓ Jonathan Cole: with a 30,000 person army and no ⁓ ⁓ ⁓ had to borrow airplanes from the French and the British to fight the war. So ⁓ he us ready. you know... Tony Hughes: Yep. Yeah. I was always a big fan of George Patton. And think I've read every book on Patton I can get my hands on. And of course, Patton was part of... Jonathan Cole: Yeah. Yeah. Why don't we just keep going? Tony Hughes: Patton was part of that army that was woefully unprepared for World War II until, mean, were still having this discussion, tanks horses for the cavalry. And of Patton was a tank guy. ⁓ And I his name. I'll think about it probably in a minute when I'm not trying to, but they were tank people. But I remember that they had this massive in Louisiana, which was be Jonathan Cole: Uh-huh. Yep, ⁓ Yeah. Tony Hughes: to exercise a massive land campaign in Europe. And was an abject disaster because we weren't ready. But it the weaknesses and gave us something to work on so we could fix it so that when the war did come to our doorstep, we were in fact ready. But it was thanks to Roosevelt for that. ⁓ Jonathan Cole: Yep. Yep. Louisiana War Games. Exactly. Yeah, exactly. But as far as the MAGA people peeling off a little at a time, that's kind of good. But from my opinion, if we're going to save this republic, I think of what Jesus said, what you're doing, get done more quickly. Because it's crazy. as I mentioned to you earlier today, there's little things appearing in the tea leaves that have me interested. Tony Hughes: Yeah. ⁓ Yeah. Jonathan Cole: One is that JD Vance has been excruciatingly silent on this issue. the MAGA people are all up in arms. But you remember when he wrote the op-ed in 2023 praising Trump. But ⁓ what he praise him for? He's not to take us into foreign wars. ⁓ Well, now Trump's lied him, which you should have known, but he wasn't ever ⁓ Tony Hughes: you Right. Yep. Yeah. Did you see Marjorie Taylor's green, comments about JD Vance? I think it was yesterday because she called him out by name to say, ⁓ looking for, think and Nancy Mace calling them both out by name to say, look, you campaigned on this ⁓ and was your promise that Trump was not taking us into foreign wars. And here we are. So I'm expecting to hear from you. Jonathan Cole: Uh-uh. ⁓ really? Yeah. Yeah. might that might happen here and there's the other one of the other tidbits in the tea leaves and wish I could share the screen and show the video but Tulsi Gabbard on the air today and just crucified and said ⁓ Yeah, that's a office here ⁓ Tony Hughes: ⁓ yeah. That's who the other one was, it Tulsa Gabbard. Yeah, it was Vance and Tulsa Gabbard that she called out, the MTG called out. Jonathan Cole: Yeah, but I mean, they're there. went on the record. He's he's doing is illegal. What you can't keep doing this. When is Congress going to intervene? So again, ⁓ I wish could send you the video. I wish I could share it here. I have Greg. ⁓ Tony Hughes: She said that today? I hadn't seen that. ⁓ Yeah. Well, she'll get fired tomorrow then. Jonathan Cole: more than likely, but it actually is leading to something else. Again, this other friend of mine that is connected, we started talking things. Project could be the ⁓ advocate the 25th Amendment, because all takes is JD Vance and a majority the cabinet to write that letter to the Speaker of the House and the President of Senate, and this vote happens. And there's a lot of people that sign up for this ⁓ are going to be more than happy to ⁓ yes. Trump is capable, he needs to be removed. Or. ⁓ Tony Hughes: Mm-hmm. Jonathan Cole: They could secretly work behind the scenes impeachment, but with actually obtaining the conviction. Because more and more Republicans are speaking out to him, and it started with the files, that call, and then more and more now, the John Birch which has always been extremely right wing, is condemning Trump for getting involved in a war. ⁓ So there are cracks to but Tony Hughes: Mm-hmm. Mm-hmm. Yep. Mm. ⁓ ⁓ Jonathan Cole: there a movement afoot maybe to try to get Trump removed from internally? ⁓ Tony Hughes: Hmm. I don't know. I tell you what though, think that if truly blows up in its face, and like it's been with every excursion we've had into the Middle East, militarily, we will kick ass. I mean, they can't stand up to our military. Our military is too strong, it's too professional, it's too technical. It's a completely unfair which is exactly how our military is organized to fight. It's supposed to be unfair fight with us with it being a banish to the United States. Jonathan Cole: Until... Until... Tony Hughes: But what after that? What after that? You've taken the regime. You've taken out the Al-Tola. Trump said today, said, ⁓ OK, well, who you want to be there? He said, well, I had two or three guys, but they've all been killed already. So which makes me wonder if there's really a great coordination between the target list, between what Israel, if it is in fact true that Israel is the one taking out the political assassination. Jonathan Cole: Okay. Tony Hughes: we're just there for show, to say, you know, to say, too, we're in here too. But I don't they have any idea. Jonathan Cole: But. Tony Hughes: saw the Shah's son making his pitch, the Crown Prince, to come back in. ⁓ hell, hadn't been in Iran since He was 60-something years old. He was a teenager when the Shah was exiled. ⁓ he's old because he's younger than I am. But he hasn't been in Iran for years. So I can't see that. Jonathan Cole: Mm-hmm. Yep. Yeah. Tony Hughes: of people in Iran that are happy that the Atoll is dead, a lot of people in Iran and across the Middle East that are pissed off that the Atoll is dead. So is this going to be a jihad? The mullahs come in and asking for jihad again and it's already started. This could be... Jonathan Cole: Exactly. Well... But it's already started. It's going to happen because they broke the first rule of diplomacy in the Middle East. You don't partner with Israel. But even beyond that, ⁓ had the most powerful military in the world since World War II, but Vietnam, Afghanistan, we... Tony Hughes: Yeah, yeah, that's just a great sight. Afghanistan, Libya, Syria. Jonathan Cole: That has no effect when you're fighting little individuals running around bombing you, setting mind a personnel. You know, you I see many people walking around with those. Hook for thesis you know, they're got a leg missing. I know where it It happened in one of those two Arab countries. They stepped on something, you know that went on for 20 years. So just because you defeat, know they're not learning any of the lessons from Bush. Tony Hughes: Mm-hmm. Mm-hmm. Yep. Yep. Yep. Jonathan Cole: Just because you defeat someone militarily doesn't mean the war is over. with Vietnam. We won all the battle ⁓ we lost the war. ⁓ Tony Hughes: Mm-hmm. Mm-hmm. That's right. And there's just, and I have not heard any plan from Trump or any administration official so far that says, well, what, what happened? All right. So after the military mission is over, it whether it lasts two weeks, three weeks, four weeks, five weeks, at some point in time, we'll run out of targets to bomb. Jonathan Cole: Mm-hmm. Tony Hughes: Now, are we gonna send in troops? I hope not. Because think he would probably get impeached if had to send troops in. But he won't rule it out. ⁓ He's ruling it out. Jonathan Cole: Well, Iran has a much larger population than Iraq did. Tony Hughes: 90 million citizens. How many of them are friendly to the United States? Probably very few, if I had to guess. I don't know. Never been there before. But what happens next? If this does not work perfectly, that, so we've taken out the Ayatollah, we take out the Iran's military, we take out their Navy, we take out their air defense, we have air superiority over the entire country, and Jonathan Cole: Very few. Tony Hughes: Here's this wonderful leader that 90%, 80%, 75 % of the Iranian population rallies behind to make them the leader, he's friendly to the West, and he brings Iran back into the 21st century. Perfect. Great ending to the story. Congratulations, Donald Trump. You got lucky. You've made your mark on the history of the Middle East, and we all live happily ever after. But boy, howdy. If that didn't work out, if, and you know what usually happens in this, what happened in Iraq, what happened in Afghanistan, group has all the guns and the other group doesn't. And ones that have the guns, Jonathan Cole: Stay. ⁓ Tony Hughes: are the bullies, they're the bad guys and they're the ones that want to take it over. And if it we had to go in, that's why we had to put military in Afghanistan. That's why you had to put military in Iraq. That's why we lost thousands of soldiers. So what's gonna happen? ⁓ Jonathan Cole: you So, and again, do we learn from history? ⁓ Somoza, ⁓ ⁓ ⁓ Batista, Somoza, ⁓ the Dien brothers in Vietnam, ⁓ over and over the Shah. We these corrupt... Tony Hughes: It's insanity, it's insanity John. We're gonna do the same thing over and over again, but we're expecting a different outcome this time. Yeah. Jonathan Cole: dictators in just because they didn't like Russia. the people hated them and we we paid the price for it. There was a book written the late 50s called The Ugly American and it about that kind of very subject as we go to these countries we dump a of money in, hey be our friends, but they just don't like because we don't listen. And we're about to do all over again unless Congress finds its balls. Tony Hughes: Yep. Yep. Jonathan Cole: and does something, you Johnson has far, I said, he's official colonoscopy for Donald Trump. He can tell you what's on in the upper GI tract. ⁓ I know. ⁓ Tony Hughes: ⁓ no question about it. You can't even see his ankles anymore. He's so far up Donald Trump's ass. Can't even see his ankles anymore. Jonathan Cole: But at what point does everybody realize, okay, we can't worry about the base votes for us anymore. We just have to do duty to the country. When do reach that point? And then I wanted your opinion on development. So, you know, talked a while back about the Mark Kelly thing and the, you have to follow every order. And like, no, you But Hexas, they said, you ⁓ you to follow everywhere. Hexas went on record the other day ⁓ Trump was anointed by Jesus to light signal fire in Iran ⁓ cause Armageddon and mark his return to Tony Hughes: Now I've heard that, I haven't actually heard that attributed to Hegsath. But I heard there was, I just heard military commanders were telling their troops ⁓ it could very well be head say. I mean that sounds like something, I mean it sounds like something he would say. ⁓ Jonathan Cole: ⁓ it's all over the news. I'll send you all the... It came from the top. There's video. ⁓ So since then, been a hanger. ⁓ Tony Hughes: That's Christian nationalism, even though Charlie Kirk was, as I understand, vehemently opposed to any military action against Iran, but nonetheless, here we are. by the way, that shows ⁓ misunderstanding of the book of Revelation too, by the way, because Armageddon is at the ⁓ of the tribulation. The rapture comes first. All the Christians are poof, they're ⁓ Jonathan Cole: Yeah. Yeah, but so in the last few days Yeah. Tony Hughes: they're immediately taken up to be into heaven. And then that starts the tribulation. Jonathan Cole: But we've already established his face isn't very bright. But there have been 110 complaints in the military based on this assertion filed. I was reading one of the stories here and how... Tony Hughes: Yeah, yeah, yeah, I saw that. Jonathan Cole: how they're calling out the military for using basically calling us a Christian jihad. What are you going to do? to Iran? Iran tried to establish Christianity as a state religion? I can tell you how that's going to end. Tony Hughes: Yeah, Feels... So like the, so, so like the cruise, in words, like the crusades. Jonathan Cole: Yeah, exactly. That's not going to end well at all. ⁓ you know, ⁓ whole thing all along that ⁓ was God's you sword or whatever and that, you know, everything he did was furtherance of divine ⁓ Tony Hughes: That didn't end well. That didn't end well either. Well, God literally pushed the assassin's bullet away so it killed somebody else, not Trump. I mean, that's... Jonathan Cole: Well, actually, there's a little different scenario there. I got you. ⁓ Tony Hughes: Well, what they say because Trump is anointed and God pushed the bullet away. And sorry for guy that he did kill, ⁓ but ⁓ weren't ⁓ Jonathan Cole: That's what they say. Yeah. No, I've enough evidence myself now that that was a put-up job. But to honest, they killed an innocent man to make it look real. ⁓ Tony Hughes: Yeah. Well, I will tell you the... Two years ago, I read the Bible from cover to cover, but I read a chronological Bible, which was fascinating to read. We might have talked about this. Because then it reads like a history book, especially the Old Testament, because the Old Testament is kind of unreadable to me, a lot because of way they have the books grouped. But when you read it in chronological order, so you may be reading part of this book today, Jonathan Cole: Okay. My video would be interesting, because it does jump around. Yeah. Yeah. Tony Hughes: you may read from three different books of the Old Testament on the same day because it's talking about the same thing. It just, makes so much more sense. I cannot recall, and I've actually talked to several of my own personal spiritual mentors that are pastors that know a lot more about the Bible than I do. Has God ever called up an ungodly leader to punish a nation that's doing what it's to be doing? and especially the children of Israel because they're famous for, you know, they get right, then they get wrong, then they get right, they get wrong. They've got good kings, bad kings, kings that come in and invade them and punish them. you know, they certainly have, certainly used bad people to the of Israel for ⁓ rewards. But didn't anywhere, I was actually looking for this. I never saw where God called up an ungodly ⁓ Jonathan Cole: Yeah. Tony Hughes: leader to punish his people that were doing the right thing. you argue today, and this is one thing I, and I Israel with an Astrid next to it. ⁓ If you the New Testament, ⁓ if you that Jesus is the son of God, if you believe as Christians do, that Jesus is path to your salvation, Jonathan Cole: Yeah. Tony Hughes: then why is God still protecting the Jewish people? Because they rejected his son, they rejected the savior of the world. So why would he still be rewarding them and why would they expect us as a Christian nation that has embraced a Christian nation, Christian nation? ⁓ Jonathan Cole: because they can't understand the concept of New Jerusalem. It's not the one that's there. It's something totally different. But we've spent 70, 80 years coloring our foreign policy based on misrepresentation of prophecy. Tony Hughes: That's right. Yeah. Now, have no problem with helping Israel because, really because of the Holocaust. I think that those people, that their people, they subjected to a genocide by Hitler and the German nation. And ⁓ think give them a chance to get back on their feet again, I got no problem with that. They got a lot of countries that don't like them. They need help with defense. I got no problem selling the weapons to them. I have no problem with that at all. But, Jonathan Cole: Yeah. you Tony Hughes: If it is in fact true that what Rubio said that, well, Israel was about to attack Iraq and Iraq was then going to attack us. So we had to preemptively attack Iraq. mean, Iran. All right, I'm going to throw the bullshit flag on that because we're the big dog. Israel's the little dog. And if we can't control Israel, if we can't tell Israel. Jonathan Cole: Okay Yeah. Yeah. Tony Hughes: You know, hey, we believe that we're going to get attacked by Iran if you attack them, so don't do it. And we mean it. And we got the money. I mean, if Trump is big negotiator and he likes to use the money and the things that we do for other countries as his big leverage, use that leverage to tell Israel, you don't attack Iran. We're going to work with diplomacy a little bit longer so we can't figure out a way to fix this. Jonathan Cole: Yeah. Well... Tony Hughes: short of military, because military is always supposed to be the absolute last option. The last option, not the first one. Yeah, well, we tried for three weeks. It's not going to work. know? I mean, they want to do a deal. don't want to do it. I mean, Trump said, day before yesterday, they wanted to do a deal, then they didn't want to do a deal, then they want to do a deal, then they didn't want to do a deal. So we just attacked them. Jonathan Cole: Yeah. Look, minus three is our, yeah. Not the negotiations aren't going right, you know? Yeah, yeah. But... Yeah. Tony Hughes: It's like, really? Jonathan Cole: My heartburn for years has been knowing the history of how all this came about. know, yeah, what happened Holocaust was terrible. We have to take accommodation for that. But the nation of Israel founded by terrorists. They took over land that wasn't theirs. British didn't know how to stop it. They blowing up ⁓ hotels British facilities, and they muscled their way in. ⁓ And then fought war after war to stay in. So, you know, the horse is out of the barn, so I support the nation of Israel, but it was an illegitimate nation. they played that sympathy card to the hill, and took over land that, to be honest, had no business to. hadn't been there since 70 CE, when the Romans kicked out. And it's caused nothing but in this world since then. ⁓ Tony Hughes: Well, Israel would argue that that land was given to them as a promised land when they came out of Egypt. Jonathan Cole: Well that was before God used Nebuchadnezzar in the Roman Empire to kick them out twice. Tony Hughes: that was a years before the Roman ⁓ Empire. So we're talking the pharaohs at this point. ⁓ But I'm saying that's Israel's argument. That's Israel's argument. Jonathan Cole: Yeah. So, but when I read Revelation, yeah, but I mean, it's, you know, yeah. But I mean, they interjected themselves into a land that was already populated by the descendants of Isaac, ⁓ not Isaac, his half brother, ⁓ you know, they've hated each other ever since. So. Tony Hughes: Here's me on. Here's me on. Jonathan Cole: course it's going to create chaos. It's going to create issues. that, you know, the Muslim nations like the whites anyway, but you know, they really don't like the Israelites. you know, and then, you know, this writing Israel a blank check for all these years has not paid off well either. You know, we've been turning our back on the, on the, they shut up our ship, the Liberty there in 67, you know, it's just like, we don't know how to tell them no. Trump's the worst that. So ⁓ Tony Hughes: Well, there's a lot of Jewish money and a lot of Jewish influence, political influence in this country. So I think that's more than just this Christian biblical sense of obligation to Israel. I think there's a reality of there's a lot of money behind the Jewish people in this country and that they're trying to appease them. Jonathan Cole: ⁓ no, definitely. No, it is back to normal. You look at the lineup of people who wanted dead. ⁓ was actually one of them because of the nuclear plant at Myanmar that Kennedy insisted, what his name? ⁓ I remember now. Like, you can't do this. And then he killed and then Lyndon Johnson, they all can certainly do this, you know. ⁓ Tony Hughes: Yeah, yeah, yeah Jonathan Cole: You know, we're all behind you. And so they've been a player in the nuclear field. So in a way, if true, why can't be a nuclear player? ⁓ know, we ⁓ all the ⁓ on the book. Tony Hughes: Yep. Yeah. Jonathan Cole: We played a very strange game with the Middle East for years, but even then, like I said, the unbreakable rule was we partner with Egypt in attacking Arab nations. It just doesn't end well. ⁓ Tony Hughes: Mm-hmm. Mm-hmm. Yeah. Well, it's the, Cullen Powell pottery barn rule. You break it, you buy it. You break it, you own it. And haven't seen the for what if, mean, Jonathan Cole: Mm-hmm. Yep. Tony Hughes: If there is no consensus within the Iranian people on who their leader is going to be and it becomes a civil war, ⁓ then do we do? Because we broke it. ⁓ broke it. Yeah, the Atolla's gone. Jonathan Cole: Yeah. Yep. Tony Hughes: those 48, 49 ⁓ that were part of that evil regime are dead. Good. I mean, I'm glad. I mean, I really am glad about that. I mean, if they had just... Jonathan Cole: Yeah. ⁓ Yeah. Tony Hughes: flown over there and taking those guys out and that's all they did. Okay, actually pretty good with that. Just like when we took Soleimani out. It's just Soleimani 48 other bad guys as far as I'm concerned. But it's ⁓ all out that we are in right now that... Jonathan Cole: Yeah. We'll not leave that. Tony Hughes: that if a RAN becomes destabilized, if a RAN, I don't know what the percentages are, don't think anybody does, but. I did ask CHAT GPT last night, what are the odds? know, what are the odds? You know, what are the issues? And I the artificial intelligence says 500,000 Iranians could die if it becomes a civil war. If it becomes a full blown five year long civil war, a half a a half a billion, I'm sorry, half a Iranians could die in the process. Now I don't know that's fact or not, Jonathan Cole: Yeah. Yeah. Well, you know. Tony Hughes: But I don't think anybody else does either. I'm sure the CIA's got an estimate of it. is it even accurate? Nobody knows. Jonathan Cole: Maybe. Who knows? CIA estimates have always been historically very inaccurate. ⁓ but it's, thing is, study years of political science and diplomacy things, is like, I had an worry about the second. Tony Hughes: Yeah. ⁓ Jonathan Cole: Gulf War as far as going in Iraq. was all for going after the big, know, but the whole, weapons of mass destruction, he's a threat, he's a terrible human being. Tony Hughes: Afghanistan, absolutely. Jonathan Cole: I was worried about taking him out because I didn't want to create a power vacuum in a Middle Eastern country because Muslims have their own prophecies. They're looking for the next Mohammed to a holy war. And it happen Iraq, thank goodness, but it could happen in because they're much more fundamentalist than they're belief. I mean, we ⁓ talk them not liking regime, but they weren't ⁓ Tony Hughes: Yep. Mm-hmm. Yeah. Jonathan Cole: bitching a whole lot. ⁓ But what if some charismatic person were to pop up and claim that role? Nasser kind of did that in Egypt in the 50s, 60s, until ⁓ died. It to wars that didn't end well, but he had the entire Arab world fighting Israel to some extent. ⁓ It could happen again. Tony Hughes: Yep. Mm-hmm. Yep. Yep. Jonathan Cole: except this time we would be smack dab in the middle of it where we weren't in 6773. So yeah, I'm not an isolationist, but I do think there are times we don't need to stick our nose in stuff. Tony Hughes: Yep. Yep. Well, I think that we, I think if we leave the Middle East alone, mean, and again, I'm only pointing to our actual experience over there, which has never ended well. Militarily, you know, look, again, very close some of the people in the military. I was actually this with another friend on Facebook today. My very first, Jonathan Cole: Yeah. Yeah. Tony Hughes: Civic leader gig with the Air Force as an honorary commander at the ⁓ Fighter Wing. And lost airmen in the Cobar Towers blast. And every year, they a memorial there at the wing on the Air Force base. And every year they have a memorial ceremony and families of the people that were, the airmen that were killed still attend. I every year, ⁓ I mean, I was already commander Jonathan Cole: and ⁓ Tony Hughes: there beginning in 2003. So it's going on 23 years now and I have probably not missed more than five or six of them over the last 20 something years. So I've met the families of some these airmen. So I've seen these Gold Star families and I... Jonathan Cole: ⁓ huh. Tony Hughes: I know the stories behind all of them and they were and what they were doing for the fighter wing. They were all enlisted. so seen, I mean, I've seen the terror the Iranian regime ⁓ did with us at Qobar there Lebanon. ⁓ But I just don't think you go to war with them today over Qobar towers. mean, then was the time go. Jonathan Cole: Okay. Yeah, Tony Hughes: And we didn't. ⁓ Jonathan Cole: Yep. Tony Hughes: I mean, what else can you do? What can you say? I mean, it's just not the right thing to do today without having something tangible to say, okay, well, they had a nuclear weapon. were fixing a launch. They had a dirty bomb. They were about to detonate in New York City. Okay, those imminent threats. Those ⁓ are threats are gonna happen in a matter of days, hours, or days. Jonathan Cole: No. But also... Exactly. Mm-hmm. Tony Hughes: something that I have a feeling, have a feeling that they might, no, that's not an imminent threat. That's just not the criteria we use. ⁓ Jonathan Cole: Well... And like I said, my concern is also, tend to look at the governments in the Middle East, but that's not where the power is at. And a number that's always been very important to me because it affected people I knew, and it part of my generation. 241. It was the servicemen killed in the Marine barracks blast in Lebanon, which by the way, and I'm stepping on your toes, but our president did nothing to retaliate for that. And the Hezbollah are still in power. So it's not Iraq, it's not Iran, it's not Afghanistan, it's Hezbollah, it's the Taliban, it's all these splinter groups that have power, money, and can cause considerable damage to the United States, and already have to an extent. Tony Hughes: Yep. Yeah. Yep. Mm-hmm. Mm-hmm. Mm-hmm. Jonathan Cole: Be honest, we didn't really we didn't really defeat al-qaeda or the Taliban. They're still there ⁓ You know, did we take out bin Laden? Yeah took a while but All those forces could mobilize again very quickly we're right at square one again ⁓ Tony Hughes: Yeah. ⁓ Mm-hmm. Yeah. Al Qaeda is still out there. ISIS is still out there. Do you know, heard today that Trump talked to representatives of the Kurds in Iraq. Jonathan Cole: Yes, and that's... ⁓ you Tony Hughes: And remember how in just, or was it Syria, we just sacrificed the Kurds. They helped us, and then when it came time for us to help them, we walked away. ⁓ I do we really think the Kurds are gonna help in Iran? That was just, that's mind blowing me. Jonathan Cole: Exactly. Yep. We have a long history of that. No. ⁓ If anything, they're going to trick Lindy and attack us. Tony Hughes: Yeah, I mean, and I look. Jonathan Cole: We haven't endeared to the Arab world, so it's gonna happen. Tony Hughes: I want to shift gears on you one thing. know we're going to run out of time here soon, but today, Kristi Noem testified to some Senate committee hearing and it was horrendous for her. I and I would encourage you to go find some of the, there's lots of links out there with some of the testimony, but Tom Tillis just. Jonathan Cole: Well, we didn't expect less. Tony Hughes: dismantled her today. was, was, it was, I mean, I almost felt sorry for Kristi Noem. He never asked a question. was all, was, it was, used his entire time just to give her what he called, what he called a, what he calls a performance evaluation. And, and you know, she's just an abject failure at really at everything she's done. Jonathan Cole: She doesn't. Yeah. Yeah. Well, she also doesn't have Pam Bondi's ability to be a mean girl and to push it off. She sits there and thinks. Tony Hughes: No. But you even John, I ⁓ that Tom Tillos ⁓ I he's, you know. not gonna run for your election. so he's, when he crossed Trump, Trump after him and he said, look, I'm just, not gonna, I wish we had more politicians that would put, that would stand up to Trump. But Kennedy, credit John Kennedy in Louisiana, he had really tough for Kristi Noem today about what all happened in Minneapolis and especially the Stephen Miller angle Jonathan Cole: Yeah. Tony Hughes: asked her pointedly, you know, who does Tom Homan work for? You or the president? Well, she works for the president. We said, isn't it a problem that the person that as the head of DHS is not in charge ⁓ the that were happening in Minneapolis ⁓ and things that Tom Homan is doing now? That really should be your job because you're the secretary of Homeland Security. ⁓ And then he was talking Jonathan Cole: Yep. Mm-hmm. Yeah. Well. Tony Hughes: about you know we wanted why did you call a domestic terrorist well I didn't well yes you which is what was an anonymous source said no ma'am you were quoted by this newspaper they quoted you as saying he was a domestic terror well Jonathan Cole: Mm-hmm. Yep. Tony Hughes: Apparently there's a difference, Jonathan, and I learned this today. I learned this today. There's a difference between being a domestic terrorist and committing an act of domestic terrorism. Apparently you can commit an act of domestic terrorism and not be a domestic terrorist. I was today years old when I learned that. Jonathan Cole: Well yeah, they established that. They established that the January 6th ⁓ Tony Hughes: Yep, yep. In fact, Tom Toulouse even brought that up because it's like, don't want anybody ever say I don't support law enforcement because we're going to put a plaque up in the house here honoring the Capitol police that helped defend us and this building on January the 6th, even though every thug that they had to defend us against was pardoned by the president. It's ridiculous. Jonathan Cole: Mm-hmm. Well and another issue we've been talking about recently is like ice need to be? continually Pretty much Hispanic people or this should be the out there hunting down Muslim extremists instead know right That's imminent threat not not people that might take your that you would never work in million years anyway ⁓ Tony Hughes: Well, this is one of the things that Tom Tiller said, you know, we have limited resources. You know, why are we out detaining innocent American citizens? ⁓ Jonathan Cole: Mm-hmm. Yep. Tony Hughes: when we should be out actually getting the hardened criminals. know, there's allegedly 1.3 million what they call guideaways, people that didn't report to a board patrol facility to claim asylum. They you they paid the cartel to sneak them into the country and you never saw them after that again. So why are we going after them? I mean, that's one point, they say that's 1.3 million people. Jonathan Cole: Well... Tony Hughes: that have any paperwork at all. They're here claiming asylum. They're not here doing any... They paid the cartel to sneak them in. ⁓ Go them. Jonathan Cole: Well, but again, now that we've started this little war... we're looking for the wrong people to be honest, because if we prosecuted that harder before 9-11, we might've found those guys beforehand, but we didn't. So we're wasting resources and time on the wrong people. course, then also ICE agents are not prepared to deal with Muslim extremists that could have dynamite wrapped around their chest in a dead man's switch. Tony Hughes: Yeah. Yeah. Well, they're not going to prepare for housewives in Minneapolis, much less suicide bombers. Jonathan Cole: It's ⁓ ⁓ No, it's and actually there were two court rulings today that went against DHS New Jersey and Texas. The in Texas who was a bishop pointy said with one person, look. Tony Hughes: Hmm Jonathan Cole: either have a bail hearing or releasing one or the other. But judge in New Jersey made the point, there been 50 court rulings that DHS has ignored. And he said, this is going to stop, you know? And now you've division and where you got bondi and hurt people, but then you got the appellate judges and the bench judges that are trying to, you know. do their job and render constitutional decisions. Tony Hughes: So Jonathan, I'll leave you with one question that we can ponder this. We'll talk about next week because we'll have the War Powers Resolution, but will have taken place before we, by the time we meet again next week. Congress does wind up passing a resolution in the House and the Senate that limits ⁓ President's war-making power in Iran, will he honor it? Jonathan Cole: Yeah. Yeah. Ha Well, I've been saying that all along, and they're looking for that test case of where he defies everyone. And that's where you start your despotism. That's where authoritarian rule in this country starts. going to enforce that law on the president and executive branch? This is things I've worried about. And I told three different times, and you voted for this is what you're getting. I don't care what the person looked like. This is what you're getting. the chickens are coming home roost. know, ⁓ sure. ⁓ Tony Hughes: Yep. It'll be an interesting week. They've always been interesting weeks, haven't they? We've never had a lack of anything to talk about, have we? Jonathan Cole: or the rest of them. No, especially this week because there's a lot of things we didn't even bring up yet. There was a lack of time. so yeah, so we'll leave it with that tonight. We'll stick a pin in it where we visit next week. but again, we appreciate everyone tuning in again to the Guardians of the Republic. A blue person and a red person with one universal thought. We have to save this republic from the orange person. So again, thanks, Tony. Tony Hughes: I I do. Yep. Jonathan Cole: as always, appreciate it. We thank everyone for tuning in and welcome. Please tune in next week as we talk the same things but in a different story. All right, have a good evening. ⁓ Thanks. ⁓ ⁓ Tony Hughes: Thanks Jonathan. Have a good week. Thanks again. Thanks a lot. Bye bye.