The Joe Pags Show

Pags and the crew tackle a huge question for the conservative movement: Who steps up next? Is Vice President JD Vance the future of the Republican Party, could Marco Rubio eventually make a run for the White House, and has Rubio shown a side of himself that even Pags didn't know was there? With Vance already drawing significant 2028 attention, Pags uses a baseball analogy to ask who the conservative movement's next "cleanup hitter" really is. Then, with the 25th anniversary of 9/11 approaching, Pags reflects on just how dramatically America—and New York City politics—have changed since that seemingly normal week before the attacks. Kay Hill returns for Part 2 as the one-year anniversary of Charlie Kirk's assassination approaches. Kirk's influence on young conservatives remains significant, while Turning Point USA continues trying to carry his political and organizational legacy forward. Can anyone fill the void he left? And with Republicans gathering in Dallas for an unusual midterm convention this week, Pags and Hill dig into the GOP's messaging challenge and the future voices competing to shape the party.

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The verdict is in—or rather, there isn't one. The Lindsay Clancy trial ends in a mistrial after an 11–1 deadlock, and Joe Pags has serious questions about how it got here. Why wasn't this jury sequestered? Why did the defense reportedly try to remove the lone holdout juror? And is it normal to try to remove a juror simply because they won't agree with everyone else? The phones light up before former Bexar County DA and current defense attorney Nico LaHood joins Pags for Part 1 of an incredible legal breakdown. What could the prosecution or defense have done differently? Who actually requests jury sequestration? What instructions does a judge give jurors, and could the judge individually question them about whether they're following the law? Most importantly, how did 11 jurors end up on one side with just one refusing to move? LaHood takes Pags inside the courtroom strategy and explains what happens next after a case that has left listeners furious.

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Pags kicks things off with a surprisingly relatable battle over iCloud storage before turning to Maria Bartiromo and the growing speculation that she could become President Trump's next press secretary. Would she actually make the jump from television to the White House podium? Then former Bexar County DA and current defense attorney Nico LaHood returns for Part 2 of the Lindsay Clancy mistrial discussion. How did this jury end up split 11–1? Why was there one holdout when the others were ready to decide the case differently? Who could have requested sequestration, and could keeping the jury together have changed the outcome? LaHood also explains how judges handle deadlocked juries, whether jurors can be questioned individually about following the law, and when—if ever—a juror can be removed simply because they refuse to agree with everyone else.

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Pags starts with some lighter stories, including a so-called "prophet of doom" getting credit for predicting the death of a 96-year-old—and Pags has a little fun with just how impressive that prediction really was. Then things get serious as Enes Kanter Freedom files a federal lawsuit over his removal from a WNBA game. Pags breaks down the case and explains why he thinks Enes Freedom is ultimately going to lose, drawing a comparison to the bodycam videos he's been covering and the way a simple traffic stop—like getting pulled over for not using a blinker—can quickly turn into a much bigger confrontation. Then Evita Duffy joins Pags for a fun change of pace, talking about the Great American Road Trip, life on the road and her perspective as one of the country's outspoken young conservative voices.

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Pags digs into the escalating U.S.-Canada "trade war" and asks the question a lot of Americans are probably wondering: What is actually happening here? President Trump hosts travel executives in the Oval Office and doesn't mince words about Canada, while Pags breaks down why America trades certain goods with its northern neighbor in the first place—and why he believes more of that production is now coming back home. Callers jump in with their own takes before Pags turns to the Lindsay Clancy trial, where the jury has been released after reaching a second deadlock. Pags compares it with the 2019 South Carolina case of a father convicted of murdering his five children, where jurors reportedly took just two hours to agree on the death penalty. Why such dramatically different outcomes? Pags puts the cases side by side in an incredible breakdown of guilt, mental state and how juries view two horrific crimes.

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Pags dives into the latest from Iran as President Trump floats putting his own name on the Strait of Hormuz and Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent says the U.S. and China actually share some important goals when it comes to Iran. Then breaking news erupts during the show as Pags reports live on multiple people, including police officers, being shot in downtown Minneapolis. Back overseas, Iran is reportedly attempting to hack U.S. infrastructure, Trump addresses the Strait from the Oval Office, and Pags says he's ready to see the conflict wrapped up. But reports claim White House aides are worried about escalation ahead of the midterms—is that really what's happening, or another anonymously sourced media narrative? Plus, former congressman and judge Ted Poe joins Pags for a fascinating constitutional debate: Can a communist legally run for office in America? What happens if elected officials attempt to fundamentally dismantle the constitutional system? Poe breaks down the 10th versus 14th Amendments, the limits of government power, and why Democrats are opposing an effort to permanently set the Supreme Court at nine justices.

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Pags unloads on Jasmine Crockett and asks what Democrats are doing in Texas after Colin Allred—who polling suggested could have been far more competitive against Ken Paxton—was pushed aside as Crockett emerged in the race. Then Rep. Summer Lee weighs in with claims Pags says plenty of people will unfortunately believe, before he tackles an even bigger question: Has birthright citizenship become a threat to American values? Pags digs into "birth tourism," why the issue is uniquely important in America and what needs to change. Plus, ICE arrests remain at record levels despite protests and changing tactics, while the DOJ tells sanctuary states they must report people in the country illegally to receive certain federal welfare funding—a move Pags LOVES. Then investigative journalist Richie McGinniss joins Pags for a fascinating conversation about his extensive investigation into the Jan. 6 pipe bomber. McGinniss was credentialed at the Capitol that day before losing his credentials, and now he's raising questions about whether the bomber stopped to interact with someone undercover. From Jan. 6 to Kenosha and the Rittenhouse shooting to Portland and CHAZ, McGinniss has witnessed some of America's most explosive events firsthand—and Pags asks the question hanging over it all: Is there more going on behind the scenes than we've been told?

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Pags dives straight into the latest bombshell from the Lindsay Clancy trial as the jury reports it's deadlocked. Pags isn't surprised—but he does have a major problem with jurors being allowed to go home instead of being sequestered during such a consequential case. He breaks down the latest developments before the phones explode, with women calling in furious over the case. Pags agrees, saying that as a father and grandfather he finds the entire situation completely sickening. Then Sen. Ted Cruz joins the show for a wide-ranging conversation about the great state of Texas, his remarkable sit-down with Supreme Court Justice Clarence Thomas and the book that came from it, Cruz's own long history in law and politics, and the increasingly important battle for Texas in the U.S. Senate race.

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Pags starts with the push to condemn socialism in America before absolutely unloading on members of Congress making $174,000 a year while getting bonuses and then failing to show up and vote. Then the focus turns overseas as the Trump administration dramatically increases pressure on Iran. Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent is vowing to financially "asphyxiate" the regime by targeting IRGC money, offshore accounts and luxury assets, while the U.S. launches another round of strikes around the Strait of Hormuz. With Vladimir Putin backing Iran and the CIA director recently traveling to Moscow, Pags asks what is really happening behind the scenes—and argues that squeezing Tehran financially is exactly the direction America should be taking. Plus, Sen. Ted Cruz returns for Part 2, having some fun at James Talarico's expense before tackling the huge midterm question: Can Republicans hold both the House and Senate? Cruz also goes deeper into his new book and the extraordinary life and career of Justice Clarence Thomas.

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Pags starts with the House officially condemning socialism—but wait until you see how many lawmakers refused to support it. Then ICE operations ramp up in New York City as DHS Secretary Markwayne Mullin details "Operation Rotten Apple," and Pags breaks down what is happening on the ground. Republicans have delivered on two huge promises—the border and bringing egg prices down—but Pags says the problems have shifted and the GOP still has a serious messaging problem. Then breaking news hits the show as the accused Charlie Kirk shooter pleads not guilty and is ordered to stand trial for murder. Plus, House Oversight Chairman James Comer joins Pags to talk about the vote condemning socialism, why John Thune is still leading the Senate, the midterms and a major unanswered question from the Biden years: What happened to the migrant children the government lost track of?

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