Centered From Reality

Kash Patel’s Shadow Purge, A Gulf of Lies & Trump’s Tariff Trouble

In this episode, Alex talks about the Associated Press getting barred from White House Press Briefings after calling the Gulf of America the “Gulf of Mexico.” Alex then talks about how Trump is going to struggle to explain to Americans why he is doing the proper economic policies for the country as prices continue to increase. Finally, it looks like Kash Patel is going to get confirmed to be the next director of the FBI. The comes as there are accusations that he is already influencing the recent firings in the bureau even though he is a civilian and has not been confirmed to any political position. 

A Bleak & A Not-So-Perfect Phone Call with Putin (+ Tulsi is Confirmed)

In this episode, Alex welcomes in a winter storm late Wednesday night as he laments the confirmation of Tulsi Gabbard, questions if there are any moderate Republicans left in the Senate, and then is troubled by the news that Trump had a conversation with Putin over Ukraine. It looks like the Trump Administration will look to quickly end the war, while also normalizing Putin, ignoring Ukrainian demands, and turning its back on NATO. 

'Big Balls' Enters the Fed, Gulf of America Tours Begin & Trump Reverse Engineers a Monarchy

In this episode, Alex talks about how a nineteen year old hacker and cyber expert named online as "Big Balls" has been granted access to wide ranging facets of the federal government (without proper vetting). He also talks about the strange Monarch to Prime Minister dynamics between Elon Musk and Trump and why it looks a showdown is coming between the courts and Trump as he has defied some of their rulings. Also, the Gulf of Mexico has officially been renamed to the Gulf of America... Eggs will be cheaper now! 

Santorini Becomes a Ghost Town & Good Public Policies in Spain!

In this episode, Alex takes a needed break from American politics and turns to talking about Spain and Greece. It is bad news in Greece, as the island of Santorini is in a state of emergency, after over 7,000 small earthquakes have hit the island within a week. Over 12,000 people have fled the island and locals fear what the future of tourism may look like. Talking about Spain, Alex thinks the Spanish government is doing things that the American government should emulate. The Spanish government is testing out a 37.5 hour work week that would apply to retail, agriculture, and hospitality workers. The government is also embracing tourism while looking to regulate short term rentals so that the local population can actually afford rent. 

The Riviera of the Middle East: Gaz-a-Lago & An Emboldened Israeli Right

In this episode, Alex discusses a press conference with Donald Trump where he ranted about his plans for Gaza. Even though he may have properly diagnosed failures to find peace, Alex worries that Trump is emboldening the far-right in Israel by talking about temporarily removing Palestinians from Gaza (and using military force to do so) so they can turn Gaza into the “Riviera of the Middle East.” Alex thinks that Trump could actually use his influence to try and rebuild Gaza, but he worries that selfish entities are circling around this moment. 

The Constitutional Crisis is Here: Musk Works in Secret to Gut USAID, US Treasury Records Seized & the SharpieGate Guy Will Run NOAA!

As Elon Musk, along with young engineers without security clearances, has holed himself up in the Eisenhower Building, it looks like he has been able to gut programs, get access to Treasury Department accounts, and freeze grants. All of this has been done without hearings, oversight, or debate; Congress should stand up to these actions since Musk is unelected and Congress has the power of the purse. However, it seems like a constitutional crisis is brewing as the courts may be the only means to stop these seemingly illegal actions and Republican lawmakers seem unable to stand up to what is occurring at lightning speed. After watching what has been going on with USAID and other programs in the federal government, Alex worries that by the time the courts challenge Trump and Elon, the damage may already be irreversible. 

"I Don’t Always Engage in Trade Wars, but When I do… Dos Equis Gets F***d”

In this episode, Alex talks everything related to Trump, tariffs, and trade wars. The crisis has been temporarily averted, but Alex worries that more is coming and Trump’s isolationist tendencies will turn “America First” into “America Alone.” 

The Gitmo Gulag, Confirmation Fights, DEI Flights & A New DEI on the Right!

In this episode, Alex talks about the tragic collision at Reagan National Airport in DC. He argues that a network/system of failures led to this tragedy and it is clear that there isn’t one thing to point the blame on. However, Trump has blamed DEI and the Biden Administration; Alex thinks the right has its own form of DEI. Next, Alex gives some analysis surrounding the confirmation hearings of RFK Jr., Tulsi Gabbard, and Kash Patel. He hopes that one of these three will not be confirmed and gets into why each one of them has a uniquely bad qualifications. Finally, it looks like the Trump Administration has found a place to send the deported immigrants. Trump plans to use a holding facility in Guantánamo Bay, Cuba, to put up to 30,000 criminal migrants in until they can be sent to another country. It doesn’t take much creativity to think about how this “out of sight, out of mind” policy could turn into a legal black hole and an humanitarian crisis. 

Freezing the Swamp: Project 2025 & Why Chaos is the Point!

In this episode, Alex talks about the chaos that has occurred in Washington D.C., and around the country, as the Trump Administration released a memo on Monday that temporarily froze all funding towards federal grants and other large programs. Since this memo was released, the Trump Administration has scaled many of these freezes back. However, Alex talks about the Project 2025 side of this and why he thinks that the chaos is the point. 

The Neo-Monroe Doctrine: Trump Melds Domestic Uncertainty with International Intimidation!(?)

In this episode, Alex poses to his audience whether Donald Trump’s current administration is imposing a “Neo-Monroe Doctrine” on the Americas. Whether it is Trump’s spat with Colombia or the massive deportation campaign that has begun in the United States, it seems like Trump thinks he has an “international bully pulpit” that can be used to intimidate other countries while also using domestic issues to do so.