Episodes

  • Terminally On Thin ICE

    Terminally On Thin ICE
    Mar 24 2026
    Jared Yates Sexton and Nick Hauselman take stock of a government too broke to staff its own airports and an administration whose solution is to flood them with ICE agents. An idea that originated, no joke, with a caller to the Clay Travis and Buck Sexton Show. From there, the guys trace the authoritarian logic of filling institutional vacuums with paramilitary loyalists, and what that means for the next time you try to catch a flight. They also dig into Trump's Iran ultimatum that expired without consequence, the fake negotiations that briefly bounced the markets back up, and why every country on earth is currently doing the math on going nuclear. And if you think Russia planning a fake assassination of Viktor Orban sounds familiar, Jared and Nick have some thoughts on that too. Support the show by signing up to our Patreon to hear the full Weekender episode each Friday as well as special Live Shows and access to our community discord: http://patreon.com/muckrakepodcast 00:00 Mercury in Retrograde 01:26 ICE at the Airports 07:23 Fascism Fills the Vacuum 09:20 TSA Was Always Security Theater 16:08 Iran's Ultimatum That Wasn't 20:20 Europe Bails, the Petrodollar Wobbles 27:33 Fertilizer, Fuel, and Food Prices 31:34 Democrats Move Against Schumer 38:05 Operation Game Changer 43:33 Butler PA and the USS Gerald Ford
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    46 mins
  • The Iran-y of It All

    The Iran-y of It All
    Mar 20 2026
    This is a preview of our Weekender show. To listen to the whole show and unlock lots of extras like access to our Discord discussion and Live Shows, become a patron at http://patreon.com/muckrakepodcast Co-hosts Jared Yates Sexton and Nick Hauselman dive into the escalating strikes on Iranian oil refineries and the potential death of the petrodollar to the "Two Pricks Protocol" on display during the Markwayne Mullin confirmation hearings, the guys break down the evolutionary progress toward "stupid fascism." 00:00 — Personal Christmas: NCAA tournament talk and Wisconsin's "dreaded" 5-seed. 01:10 — Black Gold: The speed run toward economic collapse via Iranian oil strikes. 10:40 — Event Horizon: How America bet the empire on a finite substance. 20:10 — Nuclear Newt: Gingrich mistakes satire for a viable military strategy. 30:50 — Two Pricks Protocol: A masterclass in punchable pedantry between Paul and Mullen. 40:20 — Watch List: Deep dives into Begonia and the capitalist insanity of Neighbors.
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    10 mins
  • Dire Strait: Brothers In Arms

    Dire Strait: Brothers In Arms
    Mar 17 2026
    Co-hosts Nick Hauselman and Jared Yates Sexton analyze a world barreling toward escalation as the Trump administration stares down a closed Strait of Hormuz. While the American economy teeters, European allies have begun navigating their own paths, negotiating directly with Iran and signaling a massive fracture in the Western alliance. The duo examines the disconnect between military reality and the hubris of an administration that seems to have ignored the tactical nightmares of Persian topography and drone warfare. From the potential collapse of the petrodollar to the suspicious timing of Chinese military sorties around Taiwan, the conversation maps out the crumbling of the American global order. This episode also dives into the bizarre rift between Donald Trump and Tucker Carlson. With Carlson alleging a CIA-led criminal referral against him, Nick and Jared peel back the layers of deep politics, investigating whether this is a genuine investigation or a shot across the bow in a brewing far-right civil war. Join our patreon and unlock a lot of great content like Live Shows and our Discord discussion: http://patreon.com/muckrakepodcast
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    48 mins
  • Eternal Florsheim Of A Plotless Mind

    Eternal Florsheim Of A Plotless Mind
    Mar 13 2026
    Support the show by signing up to our Patreon and get access to the full Weekender episode each Friday as well as special Live Shows and access to our community discord at patreon.com/muckrakepodcast Nick Hauselman returns to join Jared Yates Sexton just in time to survey a global landscape that grows more barren by the second. This week, the pair dives deep into the worsening quagmire in the Strait of Hormuz. The Trump administration’s "mission accomplished" rhetoric has met the cold reality of an Iranian "kill box." As the economic soil thins and the President takes strategic advice from a Vladimir Putin phone call, Jared and Nick wonder if there’s any off-ramp left before the drone footage starts hitting home. These analysts also examine the absurd dominance rituals currently defining the West Wing. This includes Kash Patel’s pathetic UFC-inspired FBI training alongside the strange revelation that JD Vance and Marco Rubio are clomping around in oversized $150 Florsheim shoes. The episode wraps with some much-needed cultural escapism. They discuss the perfection of Silence of the Lambs and the disco-country stylings of Johnny Blue Skies. It’s a world where the adults have left the building. The guys in charge are more worried about their shoe size than a global supply chain collapse. Buckle in for a bumpy weekend.
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    10 mins
  • The Iran Mess Worsens

    The Iran Mess Worsens
    Mar 10 2026
    Nick Hauselman is out, leaving Jared Yates Sexton to handle operations. In this episode, Jared gets into the weeds regarding the quagmire in Iran, where the U.S. has no plan and things keep trending in the direction of chaos and destruction. With each passing day, off-ramps continue to disappear, so what are we to make of this crisis? To support the show, head over to http://patreon.com/muckrakepodcast and become a patron. You'll gain access to the Friday Weekender episode and future live shows, including mailbags where Jared and Nick answer your questions.
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    42 mins
  • Noem Man’s Land

    Noem Man’s Land
    Mar 6 2026
    The humiliation of Kristi Noem is finally complete as co-hosts Jared Yates Sexton and Nick Hauselman discuss Donald Trump shipping her off to a fake "envoy" role to make room for Senator Mark Wayne Mullen. It is a transition from calculated propaganda to pure, unadulterated incompetence at the head of the DHS. While the administration celebrates the end of "woke" military restraint, the actual war in Iran is turning into a localized catastrophe. A recent strike on an Iranian school has claimed the lives of over 100 children because a hallucinating AI program flagged it as a military target. This is the new face of American warfare where accountability is offloaded to an algorithm while Pete Hegseth postures on cable news. We are burning a billion dollars a day on a conflict that has no exit strategy and a commander-in-chief who treats war crimes like a branding exercise.
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    10 mins
  • Ayatollah Be Thy Name: Trump’s War Without a Plan

    Ayatollah Be Thy Name: Trump’s War Without a Plan
    Mar 3 2026
    The U.S. and Israel have officially decapitated the Iranian leadership. Co-hosts Jared Yates Sexton and Nick Hauselman break down the first 48 hours of a conflict that is rapidly spiraling out of control. While the administration claims a swift victory, the reality suggests a massive regional war is only just beginning. Donald Trump is already shifting his timeline for the conflict in every media appearance. The hosts examine his rambling press availability where he discussed military projections and ballroom curtains in the same breath. It is clear that the leader of the free world has no long-term goal for this campaign. The conversation dives into the terrifying logistics of the Iranian response. Iran is currently firing missiles in all directions to test the limits of American munitions. The hosts discuss the high cost of defense and the possibility of running out of interceptors within weeks. This episode also covers growing dissent within the American military apparatus. Leaks from the officer class suggest the Pentagon explicitly warned against this strike. Finally, the duo looks at domestic fallout and the immediate push for authoritarian crackdowns. The empire is flagging and the people at the wheel are currently eating the game piec
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    45 mins
  • U.S. Attacks Iran Emergency Pod

    U.S. Attacks Iran Emergency Pod
    Mar 1 2026
    Is this the start of a wider war, or just the opening punch of something worse? In this emergency episode, Jared Yates Sexton and Nick Hauselman react to the U.S. and Israel launching a joint attack on Iran. They talk through the removal of the Ayatollah, the immediate retaliation across the region, and what it means when the Strait of Hormuz effectively closes. They dig into Trump popping up at Mar-a-Lago looking wrecked, floating regime change fantasies, and shrugging at the idea that Americans might die. They ask what the end game is when missile strikes cannot create a new government and when boots on the ground is the only ugly path that even pretends to answer that question. They also hit the corruption story underneath it, the bipartisan permission structure forming in real time, and the nightmare detail that Kash Patel is running the FBI if blowback comes home. It’s Saturday. Everything is fine.
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    30 mins