The guest host for today's show is Brad Bannon. Brad runs Bannon Communications Research, a polling, message development and media firm which helps labor unions, progressive issue groups and Democratic candidates win public affairs and political campaigns. His show, 'Deadline D.C. with Brad Bannon,' airs every Monday from 3-4pm ET.

Brad is first joined by CNN Military Analyst Cedric Leighton.

Col. Leighton (USAF-Ret.) provides his expert analysis on Venezuela and the Trump administration's ill-considered attack on the purported drug boat and what that might mean for how the current regime uses our military.  The two also posit the political and diplomatic implications of Trump's “name change” from the Department of Defense to the Department of War. 

Col. Leighton also breaks down the significance of Russian President Vladimir Putin and North Korean Dictator Kim Jong Un joining Xi Jinping in a show of strength as China unveiled new weapons at a huge military parade.

Finally, the Colonel gives the latest updates on the wars in Ukraine and Gaza.

 

Then, Brad is joined by Sarah Jones, the Editor-in-Chief of PoliticusUSA.

The two examine the Bureau of Labor Statistics (BLS) again handing President Trump a bleak set of jobs numbers, just one month after he fired the agency's commissioner over weak employment data. They also detail the specific damage the President's tariffs have done on the U.S. economy, as well as a new report from Goldman Sachs estimating that 86% of the tariff revenue collected so far has been paid by American businesses and consumers.

Additionally, the pair talks about the latest news surrounding the Epstein files.

Finally, they discuss the chilling implications as Trump continues working to turn the military into his own police force, which he seeks to unleash in predominantly Democratic-led American cities.

Col. Cedric Leighton is the Founder and President of Cedric Leighton Associates, a strategic risk and leadership consultancy serving global companies and organizations. He founded the company in 2010, after serving in the US Air Force for 27 years as an Intelligence Officer and attaining the rank of Colonel. His website is www.CedricLeighton.com and his handle on BlueSky is @CedricLeighton. bsky.social. 

Sarah Jones' handle on BlueSky is @politicussarah.bsky.social and the website for PoliticusUSA is www.PoliticusUSA.com.

Brad writes a political column every Sunday for 'The Hill.'

He's on the National Journal's panel of political insiders and is a national political analyst for WGN TV and Radio in Chicago and KNX Radio in Los Angeles. You can read Brad's columns at www.MuckRack.com/Brad-Bannon. His handle on BlueSky is @bradbannon.bsky.social.