California’s Democratic Governor, Gavin Newsom, is standing up to Trump with his Election Rigging Response Act. It’s an effort to counter Texas, which at Trump’s demand, drew up new congressional districts where voters would likely elect Republican representatives. The new Texas maps could also mean incumbent Democratic representatives could face each other in some districts. It’s an effort to keep the House under GOP control in the 2026 midterm elections. Governor Newsom is asking California voters to allow redrawn maps in to keep Republicans from unethically stealing Democratic seats. Newsom wants state lawmakers to allow a November ballot measure where voters would weigh in on his plan to temporarily change districts. We’ll talk redistricting and politics with Philip Bump. He is known for his work as a national columnist for The Washington Post and his coverage of politics for The Atlantic Wire. Bump’s book “The Aftermath: The Last Days of the Baby Boom and the Future of Power in America” looks at the upheaval in American politics and the U.S. economy. Find him at pbump.com Our segment “This Week in Politics” brings former ABC White House correspondent Jim Avila to the show to talk about current events. We’ll sprinkle in some Friday Fabulous Florida and add a dash of Culture Blaster Michael Snyder with movie and streaming reviews and it’s a perfect Friday.

Trump has a 30 day emergency time period to maintain control of policing Washongton, D.C. but he wants more time. To do that, he needs the approval of Congress. Now, he's saying he will be moving forward with or without approval from lawmakers. During his Kennedy Center honoree speech yesterday, Trump alluded to circumventing Congress multiple times, saying that if they failed to approve an extension, he would just declare a national emergency. We will ask our legal expert to weigh in on the legality of all of it. Former federal prosecutor, now defense attorney, David Katz will be in to discuss.

This may only be the start of Trump using the National Guard. According to the Washington Post, there is a Pentagon plan that would create a military ‘reaction force’ for civil unrest. In the case of massive protests, documents suggest a plan to have hundreds of National Guard troops ready at any given time. We'll share the details.

We welcome Everett Kelley to the show. He is the president of the American Federation of Government Employees (AFGE) - the largest union representing federal and D.C. government employees.

The Mark Thompson Show
8/13/25

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#Trump #Epstein #TrumpEpstein #NationalGuard #DC #immigration #samesexmarriage #SCOTUS #VotingRights #politics #political #EverettKelley #FederalWorkers



Transcript

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There are 800 National Guard troops on duty now to carry out President Trump's order to address crime in the Washington, D.C. But is there a big emergency? Local leaders say crime rates are the lowest they've been in 30 years. D.C. Mayor Muriel Bowser says "This year, crime isn’t just down from 2023, it’s also down from 2019 before the pandemic, and we’re at a 30-year violent crime low," Meanwhile, Attorney General Pam Bondi is in control of the police in D.C. We welcome Pulitzer Prize winning author David Cay Johnston to talk about the Trump-Epstein connection, the latest National Guard deployment and much more. Tech Tuesday brings Jefferson Graham to the show. The Mark Thompson Show 8/12/25 Today's Guests Links Prof. David Cay Johnston at RIT, Pulitzer Prize winning Author & Investigative Journalist https://bsky.app/profile/davidcayjohnston.bsky.social Jefferson Graham https://www.youtube.com/@PhotowalksTV Patreon subscribers are the backbone of the show! If you’d like to help, here’s our Patreon Link: https://www.patreon.com/themarkthompsonshow Maybe you’re more into PayPal. https://www.paypal.com/donate/?hosted_button_id=PVBS3R7KJXV24 And you’ll find everything on our website: https://www.themarkthompsonshow.com

Trump wand to force homeless people out of Washington, D.C. with a use of force. Once again, Trump plans to use the National Guard against civilians. Hundreds of troops are preparing to be activated. The person that plans to hold a press conference later this morning, but did post a message on social media reading:
“The Homeless have to move out, IMMEDIATELY. We will give you places to stay, but FAR from the Capital. The Criminals, you don’t have to move out. We’re going to put you in jail where you belong.”
We welcome Elex Michaelson to the show to talk politics. He is the host of California’s political discussion show “The Issue Is…” and a news anchor on Fox LA. 
The Mark Thompson Show 
8/11/25
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Homeland Security Secretary Kristi Noem comes off as a villain in real life and on TV. South Park features the normally heavily made-up Noem with her mask of cosmetics melting off as she shoots puppies. Did they take it too far or get it just right? We welcome journalists Michael Shure and Jim Avila to talk about the issues of the day. From the Trump-Epstein mess to tariffs, they’ll hit the highlights with “This Week in Politics.” Come along for a peek at some wild southern living with Friday Fabulous Florida. The Culture Blaster, Michael Snyder, is bringing you all the entertainment info you need to get your movie going and streaming sessions just right.

According to a CNN report, a group of top Trump administration officials were set to meet last night at Vice President JD Vance’s residence to discuss whether to publish details of Deputy Attorney General Todd Blanche’s meetings with Ghislaine Maxwell. Both Trump and Vance called the report fake news, but CNN says the meeting was to include Vance, White House chief of staff Susie Wiles, Attorney General Pam Bondi, FBI Director Kash Patel and Todd Blanche. Trump is also saying, and expects us to believe, that he hasn’t been briefed on what Maxwell told Blanche during their two meetings and that he wasn’t aware of the decision to move Maxwell to a prison camp in Texas. We welcome former U.S. Pardon attorney Liz Oyer to The Mark Thompson Show. We’ll ask her about a potential Maxwell pardon and how that might play out.

The fight over maps is getting uglier in Texas. There are threats to get the FBI involved in tracking down Democrats from the Texas State House who left rather than see Republicans hijack the midterm elections. Can they do that? We will ask former federal prosecutor and now defense attorney David Katz to weigh in. Spooked By mRNA technology, RFK Jr. is trying to turn back the clock on medical advancements. He is terminating 22 contracts meant to boost developing mRNA vaccines. He’s also closing out other federal investments in mRNA technology, As the Health and Human Services Secretary, Robert F. Kennedy Jr. is supposed to be looking ahead toward future health emergencies, but is putting the brakes on the very same science that was crucial to moving us forward after Covid closed down the world. Save the planet? Yes, please. Eco-journalist Belinda Waymouth join for “It’s the Planet, Stupid!”

Texas House Democrats, who thwarted Republican plans to vote on redrawing Congressional district maps by leaving the state, are being threatened with civil arrest. Their colleagues across the aisle 
voted to approve civil arrest warrants for those lawmakers who bailed before a vote could be taken. Republican Governor Greg Abbott says he will kick the Democratic lawmakers out of office for abandonment and he is threatening to send law enforcement to force them to return to Texas. 
Is it all bravado and bluster?
We’ll ask Pulitzer Prize winning author and investigative journalist David Cay Johnston for his take. Plus, we’ll dig into the latest on the Trump-Epstein connection and why Epstein’s co-conspirator Ghislaine Maxwell is suddenly in a lower security prison camp. 
Trump’s approval ratings may be dropping, but hardcore MAGA faithful are still holding on tight. From disasterous tariffs, to lies about Jeffrey Epstein to undermining the Constitution and slicing the safety net for America’s poor, it seems Trump has given MAGA ample reason to wake up. So why haven’t they? We welcome Dr. Steven Hassan. He is a world-renowned cult expert and the author of The Cult of Trump.
Plus, Tech Tuesday brings Jefferson Graham to the show for gadgets and good times. 
The Mark Thompson Show 
8/5/25
Patreon subscribers are the backbone of the show! If you’d like to help, here’s our Patreon Link:
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More than 50 Texas Democrats walked off their jobs serving constituents in the legislature and left the state Sunday. The move was an effort to stop any forward movement by Texas Republicans who planned to vote in the state House on a new congressional district map that will add five GOP seats in the U.S. House of Representatives.. Democrats brought legislative business to a halt, leaving their body without a quorum (the necessary number of legislators needed present to conduct business.) 
We’ll talk about this situation with iHeart Radio and television political analyst Gary Dietrich. 
From vaccines to research to medicaid policy, we’ll get the latest with our emergency room Dr. Michael Daignault.
Then, it’s “A Word About Animals” with Karen Dawn of Dawn Watch. Let’s give some love to all the creatures.
The Mark Thompson Show 
8/4/25
Patreon subscribers are the backbone of the show! If you’d like to help, here’s our Patreon Link:
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Maybe you’re more into PayPal.  
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And you’ll find everything on our website: https://www.themarkthompsonshow.com