Trump’s Pool Disaster

(And weird, I couldn’t get the show to start normally - and it did do something funky with the view angle. No idea why. Sorry!)On tonight’s show I’ll be discussing the continuing Trump Reflecting Pool debacle, and how the story keeps getting more absurd: the supposed 300-foot gash, the box cutter claim, tire damage, hydrogen peroxide, a dead duckling, runaway algae, Trump insisting the pool lining is “so strong” you couldn’t cut it with a knife, and now taxpayers potentially being on the hook because Trump says it wasn’t the contractor’s fault. We’ll also talk about the bizarre new security around the pool, CCTV, police roaming the area, people reportedly being arrested for touching the water, and the National Guard yelling at a Swedish TV crew.Then I’ll get into the latest on Iran: the Strait of Hormuz threat, Iran agreeing again to IAEA inspections, the temporary lifting of 40-year-old oil sanctions worth around $10 billion, Qatar snubbing JD Vance, and warnings that oil could spike as high as $135 a barrel if there isn’t a lasting deal. And of course, the cost to Americans keeps rising, with Moody’s putting the taxpayer and consumer hit from the war at at least $132 billion.I’ll also be talking about Trump attacking Giorgia Meloni again, and Meloni firing back that being Trump’s friend has only hurt her popularity -- and maybe he should worry about his own polls. Plus, the Air Force flu outbreak after mandatory vaccinations were ended, the Justice Department quietly deleting thousands of January 6 press releases, Lawfare restoring them, and Trump’s Arctic people apparently wanting Greenland so they can bring back all-you-can-eat shrimp at Red Lobster.We’ll cover Trump’s latest nonsense about renaming ICE “NICE,” the Trump administration paying hundreds of millions of dollars to cancel more wind projects, and the Qatar “gift” Air Force One that taxpayers still had to spend a billion dollars on -- only for Trump to use it briefly and then apparently hand it off to his library.And finally, I’ll be discussing the latest Ukraine news: the new book alleging Scott Bessent called Zelensky vile names and told Trump not to host him, Zelensky warning Belarus to remove Russian missile guidance systems or Ukraine will do it for them, Ukraine putting pressure on Crimea and the Kerch Bridge, and a Ukrainian drone hitting a target more than 2,000 kilometers from the front. Plus, the Washington Post’s deep dive into Tulsi Gabbard’s cult ties, including documents allegedly showing cult leaders directing her political messaging and boosting her online with fake accounts. This is a public episode. If you'd like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit aravosis.substack.com/subscribe