Secretary of Defense Pete Hegseth is answering questions at a House Armed Services Committee hearing. His main objective: trying to defend the 2027 military budget proposal. It shoots defense spending to an historic $1.5 trillion, in part for things like military drones, Trump Class warships and missile defense systems. Hegseth will inevitably face questions about the war in Iran, including the horrific strike on an Iranian school, killing hundreds of children .  We will have the latest details. 
Presidential historian and Middle East expert John Rothmann will join to help us break down Hegseth’s testimony. 
The Mark Thompson Show 
4/29/26
Today's Guests Links
State of the Free Press - Shealeigh Voitl
https://www.project-censored.org/shop/p/state-of-the-free-press-2025
John Rothmann https://www.spreaker.com/show/around-the-political-world
  https://www.youtube.com/@aroundthepoliticalworld_

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Spirit Airlines is in deep financial trouble. There are reports the Trump administration has a $500 million rescue plan to save the discount airline. Is propping up a failing airline necessary? Would America’s airline travelers suffer without Spirit Airlines?  We’ll look at the pros and cons.
Pulitzer prize winning investigative journalist and author David Cay Johnston joins to talk  politics. 
The Mark Thompson Show 
4/28/26
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Following a shot fired outside the White House Correspondents’ Association Dinner, President Trump spoke with Norah O’Donnell on 60 Minutes. He praised the quick response and professionalism of security teams, but fell apart when O’Donnell read excerpts from the suspect’s reported manifesto. Trump assumed the claims  of top officials being involved in heinous crimes against women and children involved himself and jumped right into denying it all. 
Authorities identified the suspect as 31‑year‑old Cole Tomas Allen, of California. During his alleged attack, a Secret Service agent was struck but protected by a vest. The suspect was taken into custody. From Trump‘s reaction  on 60 Minutes to the growing sentiment that the attack appears staged, we will dig into it all. 
We welcome, iHeart, political, television, and radio analyst Gary Dietrich to the show.
Dr. Ashely Alker stops by to discuss her new book “99 Ways To Die and How to Avoid Them.” 
The Mark Thompson Show 
4/27/26
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Donald Trump and Richard Nixon have more in common than being president. They now share the dubious distinction of having almost the same numbers when it comes to Americans supporting their impeachment. Anew Strength in Numbers/Verasight poll shows a majority of U.S. adults, or 55%, support a House impeachment vote. The poll shows 37% are opposed and 8% said they are unsure. Pollsters calculated a net “verdict” of +18, by subtracting the number of those who oppose a third Trump impeachment ftom those who approve it. The resullt has Trump very near Richard Nixon’s numbers at the height of the Watergate scandal. We’ll explore what it means and whether an impeachment is realistic as we welcome, Michael Shure and Mo Kelly for ‘This Week in Politics.’ Then we hit pure Friday mode as we slide into the weekend with a swing through Florida and a look at new movies with The Culture Blaster, Michael Snyder.

With a naval port blockade in progress and Operation Epic Fury under way, Trump & Company are ditching the leader of the US Navy. Secretary of the Navy, John C. Phelan, a wealthy financier who has held the post for one year, is departing the administration, effective immediately. They gave no explanation, but Politico reports it has to do with a large battleship that caused in fighting at the Pentagon. In his place, Undersecretary Hung Cao, a one time MAGA candidate is now the acting secretary of the navy. Phelan joins General Randy George in unemployment and becomes the second top military official fired this month, despite the ongoing war with Iran. Lawsuits and appellate decisions are flying this week. We welcome former federal prosecutor, and now defense attorney, David Katz to make sense of it all. Redistricting is a hot button issue in the state of Florida. We will check in with Jasmine Burney-Clark. She is the founder of Equal Ground, a group working hard to level the playing field and make sure the voices of all voters are counted.

President Trump is  laying down an indefinite ceasefire with Iran while he says negotiations continue- though Iran says they won’t negotiate under threat. 
Overnight, Iran fired on three Ships In Strait of Hormuz.  The fear is that it may complicate  efforts  to  get peace talks off the ground. 
We welcome presidential historian and political consultant John Rothmann to discuss it all.  
ABC-7 Weatherman Spencer Christian will stop by to talk health and recovery from a major surgery.

The Mark Thompson Show 
4/22/26
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We all saw the video of FBI Director Kash Patel boozing it up in the locker room with the U.S. Men’s Olympic Hockey Team. It seems that behavior wasn’t a one-off. New reports in The Atlantic detail accusations by those in Patel’s inner circle that he drinks to excess, passes out and has been unreachable behind the locked doors of his office. Staffers say they even have trouble waking him up. Patel denies the reports and is threatening to sue the Atlantic over the story. If it is true, it brings great concern about security in America at a time when Trump has lashed out at countries around the world, including Venezuela, Iran, Cuba, Greenland and Canada and has put a spotlight, or target, on the U.S. It’s a very bad time to have an FBI director sloppy drunk and passed out at the helm. We welcome iHeart political analyst Gary Dietrich to the show to talk about this and more.

For a man who won the presidency seemingly based on the high cost of living. Including rising grocery store prices, Trump appears to have forgotten that, “It’s the Economy, Stupid!” With Americans growing more frustrated by the day about the price of gas, Trump brushed it off yesterday saying prices are "not very high.” He said, gas is “not as high as what was expected from the war” and higher prices are worth it to keep Iran from having a nuclear weapon. By ignoring the economy in favor of war, is Trump pushing Americans away with the midterm elections coming up? We’ll discuss. From religion and the Pope to Iran and Hegseth’s impeachment charges being filed, we will cover the top stories of the week with Michael Shure and Mo Kelly. Then it’s off to swing by Suite 106 bakery to check out the new flavors on tap for Mother’s Day! We’ll roll through Florida for some Friday fabulousness. Finally, our Culture Blaster, Michael Snyder, will stop through to share his thoughts on the best movies and streaming options to watch. Happy Friday!