When You Know You Know

Today on Mea Culpa, I sit down with Matthew VanDyke, founder of Sons of Liberty International, security analyst, foreign fighter, and filmmaker, for a sobering conversation about escalating ICE operations in Minneapolis and what they reveal about the future of federal power in America. Drawing on his experience covering conflict zones around the world, VanDyke explains why the tactics being deployed resemble counterinsurgency more than traditional law enforcement. We examine how political theater, poor training, and the normalization of force are reshaping public perception, eroding civil liberties, and conditioning Americans to accept military-style policing at home. Subscribe to Michael's Substack: https://therealmichaelcohen.substack.com/ Subscribe to Michael's YouTube Channel: https://www.youtube.com/@TheMichaelCohenShow

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Today on Mea Culpa, I’m joined by political strategist Rina Shah to break down the growing crisis over the administration’s narrative about ICE and federal immigration enforcement in Minneapolis after the fatal shootings of U.S. citizens Alex Pretti and Renee Nicole Good. Shah and I examine how fear-based tactics, political loyalty, and poor crisis management have eroded public trust and fueled unrest in the Twin Cities. As senior officials have used terms like “domestic terrorism” to describe the incidents, we confront what happens when optics replace truth and government narratives clash with video evidence. Subscribe to Michael's Substack: https://therealmichaelcohen.substack.com/ Subscribe to Michael's YouTube Channel: https://www.youtube.com/@TheMichaelCohenShow

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Today on Mea Culpa, I welcome back Michael Fanone, former Metropolitan D.C. police officer, January 6 hero, author, and political activist, for a raw and unfiltered conversation about truth, trauma, and the consequences of political gaslighting. Fresh off his appearance at Special Counsel Jack Smith’s testimony last week, Fanone reflects on surviving January 6, the lasting PTSD faced by officers whose lived experiences were denied, and how confirmation bias and media distortion continue to endanger lives. Together, we examine the weaponization of misinformation, threats against truth-tellers, and the growing normalization of state violence. This episode confronts what happens when accountability disappears, and why speaking the truth remains an act of resistance. Subscribe to Michael's Substack: https://therealmichaelcohen.substack.com/ Subscribe to Michael's YouTube Channel: https://www.youtube.com/@TheMichaelCohenShow

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Today on Mea Culpa, Michael Cohen speaks candidly about truth, accountability, and what it means to stand by your lived experience in an era shaped by outrage and misinformation. Cohen addresses ongoing attacks on his credibility, clarifies the facts surrounding his knowledge of Donald Trump and Jeffrey Epstein, and draws a firm line between documented truth and deliberate falsehoods. He reflects on his journey through public reckoning, incarceration, and redemption, and explains why his advocacy for the millions of Americans living with the lifelong stigma of a felony conviction is personal. This is not about absolution or applause; it’s about facts, responsibility, and refusing to let lies replace the record. Subscribe to Michael's Substack: https://therealmichaelcohen.substack.com/ Subscribe to Michael's YouTube Channel: https://www.youtube.com/@TheMichaelCohenShow

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Today on Mea Culpa, I sit down with CNN legal analyst, former federal prosecutor, former senior official at the DOJ and DHS, and author Elliot Williams to unpack his new book Five Bullets and its relevance to the current state of public affairs under Trump. Williams explains how a single subway shooting in 1980s New York helped ignite modern vigilante culture, hardened racial fault lines, and reshaped media, politics, and public fear around crime. We draw parallels between Goetz and contemporary figures like Luigi Mangione, Kyle Rittenhouse, and Daniel Penny and explore how media spectacle and algorithms fuel outrage. We also discuss the latest breaking news from Minneapolis ICE protests to threats of a Greenland invasion. Thanks to our sponsors: Qualia: Take control of your cellular health today. Go to https://qualialife.com/COHEN and save 15% to experience the science of feeling younger. iRestore: Reverse hair loss with @iRestorelaser and get exclusive savings on the iRestore Elite, use code COHEN at https://www.irestore.com/COHEN! #irestorepod Subscribe to Michael's Substack: https://therealmichaelcohen.substack.com/ Subscribe to Michael's YouTube Channel: https://www.youtube.com/@TheMichaelCohenShow Join us on Patreon: https://www.patreon.com/PoliticalBeatdown Add the Mea Culpa podcast feed: https://megaphone.link/MTH2278738181 Add the Political Beatdown podcast feed: https://megaphone.link/MTH2574573356

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Today on Mea Culpa, I welcome back former U.S. Capitol Police Officer and January 6 hero Harry Dunn for a sobering breakdown of the ICE shooting that killed U.S. citizen Renee Nicole Good in Minneapolis. We dissect the conflicting narratives between federal officials’ claims and eyewitness and video evidence, and Harry explains why training, use-of-force standards, and accountability matter now more than ever. We also examine the FBI taking over the investigation from state authorities, the dangerous escalation of armed agents in civilian protests, the broader pattern of unchecked federal power, and rapid ICE recruitment. We explore what happens when the rule of law is replaced by fear, intimidation, and political loyalty, especially as government rhetoric and selective outrage drive tensions to an all-time high. Thanks to our sponsors: Ultra Pouches: Don’t sleep on @ultrapouches. New customers get 15% Off with code COHEN at https://takeultra.com #UltraPouches #ad IndaCloud: If you’re 21 or older, get 25% OFF your first order + free shipping on orders $89+ @IndaCloud with code COHEN at https://inda.shop/COHEN! #indacloudpod Subscribe to Michael's Substack: https://therealmichaelcohen.substack.com/ Subscribe to Michael's YouTube Channel: https://www.youtube.com/@TheMichaelCohenShow Join us on Patreon: https://www.patreon.com/PoliticalBeatdown Add the Mea Culpa podcast feed: https://www.meidastouch.com/tag/mea-culpa-with-michael-cohen Add the Political Beatdown podcast feed: https://www.meidastouch.com/tag/political-beatdown

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Today on Mea Culpa, I welcome back Ally Sammarco, political strategist, consultant, and content creator, for a breakdown of Trump’s unprecedented seizure of Venezuelan President Nicolás Maduro and why it crosses a clear international red line. We examine how the administration is attempting to justify what legal experts warn could be considered an act of war, the dangers of normalizing hostage-style geopolitics, and the complete absence of congressional authorization. We explain how this move destabilizes global norms, invites potential retaliation by authoritarian regimes, and exposes an administration willing to abandon international law for spectacle and profit. Thanks to our sponsor: Ultra Pouches: Don’t sleep on @ultrapouches. New customers get 15% Off with code COHEN at https://takeultra.com #UltraPouches #ad Subscribe to Michael's Substack: https://therealmichaelcohen.substack.com/ Subscribe to Michael's YouTube Channel: https://www.youtube.com/@TheMichaelCohenShow Join us on Patreon: https://www.patreon.com/PoliticalBeatdown Add the Mea Culpa podcast feed: https://www.meidastouch.com/tag/mea-culpa-with-michael-cohen Add the Political Beatdown podcast feed: https://www.meidastouch.com/tag/political-beatdown

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Today on Mea Culpa, I welcome back Maria Cardona, Democratic strategist, CNN commentator, Principal at the Dewey Square Group, and founder of Latinovations, for an honest conversation about the ICE shooting that killed U.S. citizen Renee Nicole Good in Minneapolis on Wednesday. We break down the video evidence contradicting federal claims, the Trump administration’s rapid misinformation campaign, and what the killing reveals about unchecked federal power, reckless ICE recruitment, and the normalization of state violence. We also examine the broader implications for civil rights, public trust in law enforcement, and the weaponization of “domestic terrorism” labels. Most importantly, we explore why this moment marks a dangerous turning point for American democracy and accountability itself. Thanks to our sponsors: Superpower: Head to https://Superpower.com and use code COHEN at checkout for $20 off your membership. Live up to your 100-Year potential. #superpowerpod Qualia: Take control of your cellular health today. Go to https://qualialife.com/COHEN and save 15% to experience the science of feeling younger. Subscribe to Michael's Substack: https://therealmichaelcohen.substack.com/ Subscribe to Michael's YouTube Channel: https://www.youtube.com/@TheMichaelCohenShow Join us on Patreon: https://www.patreon.com/PoliticalBeatdown Add the Mea Culpa podcast feed: https://www.meidastouch.com/tag/mea-culpa-with-michael-cohen Add the Political Beatdown podcast feed: https://www.meidastouch.com/tag/political-beatdown

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Today on Mea Culpa, I’m joined by constitutional scholar and former U.S. Attorney Harry Litman for a critical conversation about unchecked presidential power, secrecy, and the erosion of democratic guardrails. We break down Trump’s escalating foreign policy threats—from Iran to Venezuela—his normalization of military action without congressional oversight, and how retaliation-based governance is replacing the rule of law, from freezing federal funds in Minnesota to vetoing a bipartisan clean water bill in Colorado. Harry, a former Deputy Assistant Attorney General who has argued before the Supreme Court, explains why these moments matter, how Congress’s silence enables executive overreach, and what happens when loyalty replaces legality. In a time when chaos is mistaken for strength and secrecy becomes policy, this episode confronts how close we are drifting toward government by vendetta—and why the law still matters. Qualia: Go to https://QualiaLife.com/COHEN for up to 50% OFF! Superpower: Head to https://Superpower.com and use code: COHEN for $20 oFF your membership Subscribe to Michael's Substack:⁠ https://therealmichaelcohen.substack.com/⁠ Subscribe to Michael's YouTube Channel:⁠ https://www.youtube.com/@TheMichaelCohenShow⁠ Join us on Patreon:⁠ https://www.patreon.com/PoliticalBeatdown⁠ Add the Mea Culpa podcast feed:⁠ https://www.meidastouch.com/tag/mea-culpa-with-michael-cohen⁠ Add the Political Beatdown podcast feed:⁠ https://www.meidastouch.com/tag/political-beatdown

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Today on Mea Culpa, I’m revisiting the very first episode of the podcast—recorded in September 2020, when I was fresh out of prison and still confined to my home—with my first-ever guest, Rosie O’Donnell. What began as a conversation between two people deeply harmed by Donald Trump became something more urgent: a documentation of character, cruelty, and power. We talk about Trump not as a political movement, but as a man—his brittle ego, his need for submission, and his use of humiliation and fear as tools of control. Drawing from my years as his fixer and Rosie’s experience as his first public feud, we examine how loyalty is demanded, dissent is punished, and moral lines slowly disappear inside Trump’s orbit. From cult-like manipulation and normalized abuse to the personal cost paid by families and institutions alike, this episode serves as both confession and warning—one that proved tragically predictive of the damage that would follow when truth, decency, and accountability are sacrificed in service of one man’s ego. Subscribe to Michael's Substack: https://therealmichaelcohen.substack.com/ Subscribe to Michael's YouTube Channel: https://www.youtube.com/@TheMichaelCohenShow Join us on Patreon: https://www.patreon.com/PoliticalBeatdown Add the Mea Culpa podcast feed: https://www.meidastouch.com/tag/mea-culpa-with-michael-cohen Add the Political Beatdown podcast feed: https://www.meidastouch.com/tag/political-beatdown

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