We lay out why athletes shouldn’t be forced into political avatars, and why Zeoli thinks the backlash is really about punishing masculinity and patriotism—right down to Hasan Piker’s wild “Nazi” smear and the forced apology circuit.

Then Rich connects the dots to the long campaign against “toxic masculinity,” pointing to how easily narratives get weaponized—bringing up the Rolling Stone UVA story, the damage it did, and how campus Title IX processes turned into guilt-first tribunals. Zeoli takes it back to America’s founding spirit, arguing the country was built by men willing to risk everything, and that the modern panic over winners, losers, and toughness isn’t accidental.

We also get into two very different Olympic stories: Alysa Liu’s family being targeted by the Chinese government and her pride in repping the United States, versus Eileen Gu competing for China and acting shocked that people took it personally. Rich makes the case that winning isn’t a “men-only” thing—when women win we cheer, when men win we cheer, and when America wins we should act like it.

After that, Zeoli unloads on Zoran Mamdani for brushing off adults pelting police with ice as a “snowball fight,” and we talk through what that says about political hostility toward law enforcement, accountability, and what prosecutors will actually do. We wrap with a sharp Senate-hearing exchange featuring Bernie Sanders and Markwayne Mullin, plus Medicaid and Medicare fraud chatter that drags Gavin Newsom into the spotlight—before ending with a sarcastic riff on frog costumes, protest theater, and what passes for “heroism” in 2026.

00:00 - Hockey gold backlash through a dad’s eyes
00:58 “- Toxic masculinity” and why heroes get targeted
02:15 - Hasan Piker’s “Nazi pawns” rant and the apology pressure
06:06 - Women’s sports, fairness fights, and why it matters
12:35 - Title IX tribunals, presumption of guilt, and politics on campus
18:09 - Winners vs. losers and the culture war over success
23:52 - Alysa Liu, China’s spying, and American pride
26:50 - Eileen Gu controversy and why people feel betrayed
29:48 - Let men be men, let women win too, and stop the pile-on
33:32 - Zoran Mamdani calls it a “snowball fight” as cops get pelted
42:43 - Bernie Sanders vs. Markwayne Mullin in a heated hearing moment
46:21 - Dr. Oz, Medicare/Medicaid fraud, and California as the target
48:19 - Young Kim presses Newsom on $1.3B and illegal-immigrant coverage
52:06 - Frog costumes, protest theater, and a Captain America comparison

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Rich Zeoli comes to you live from the White House after President Trump’s State of the Union, and we get right into the contrast: a serious night on Capitol Hill… and a bizarre “State of the Swamp” counter-program that somehow features a harmonica-playing giraffe outfit and Robert De Niro.

We bounce from the funniest clips of the night to the sharpest fights in Washington, including Nancy Pelosi getting called out over insider trading and the weird “graded it before it happened” campus reactions to the speech. Zeoli and Matt DeSantis lay out why the whole thing matters, why the optics hit so hard, and why the other side looked frozen in place when the subject turned to basic issues like citizens, crime, and accountability.

Then we land the big interviews. We talk with Border Czar Tom Homan about sanctuary cities, cooperation with local law enforcement, cartels, fentanyl, the stakes for ICE and Border Patrol, and the push to locate children lost under the previous administration—plus Angel Mom Recognition Day and why that’s personal for him. From there, Rich sits down with Ambassador Kelly Loeffler on small business optimism, lending, deregulation, “Made in America,” and what it takes to rebuild supply chains so the U.S. isn’t dependent on China for essentials.

Zeoli also welcomes Energy Secretary Chris Wright on powering data centers, lowering electricity prices, why blue-state energy policy drives investment away, and why nuclear, natural gas, and reliability matter when demand spikes. And we wrap with health and food policy: Admiral Brian Christine on drug pricing, dietary guidelines, and the administration’s priorities at HHS, followed by Kyle Diamantis on ultra-processed foods, SNAP changes, school lunch direction, food dyes, and the debate over glyphosate.

00:00 — Live from the White House after Trump’s State of the Union
00:56 — Matt DeSantis joins Zeoli and the “State of the Swamp” counter-show
01:53 — The giraffe-costume rant and the “abused spouse” line
02:49 — “Fresh out of an ICE prison”: the clip that steals the night
04:35 — “Pumpkin Spice Satan,” prizes, bingo, and the alternate-universe vibes
05:34 — Students grade the SOTU… before it happens
07:20 — Trump calls out insider trading; Pelosi reaction talk
10:20 — Tom Homan on sanctuary cities and why jails matter
12:06 — Politics vs public safety; Minnesota cooperation and New York outreach
14:41 — Deportation numbers, priorities, and the border shift
15:34 — Cartels, fentanyl, and what changes when the border tightens
17:25 — Missing kids: locating 145,000 and why the search continues
20:21 — Ambassador Kelly Loeffler: small businesses, optimism, tax policy
23:38 — SBA modernization, loan records, and cutting headcount
25:24 — Made in America, supply chains, and why it matters to buyers
27:05 — Jimmy’s Seafood, patriot branding, and community businesses
30:32 — Energy Secretary Chris Wright on AI data centers and grid realities
33:53 — Blue-state power bills, investment flight, and cheap gas that doesn’t get used
38:07 — Nuclear power, market distortions, and why reliability wins
45:50 — Admiral Brian Christine: drug pricing, TrumpRx, new dietary guidelines
50:26 — Gender dysphoria in minors report and child mental health focus
53:48 — Kyle Diamantis on ultra-processed foods and chronic disease costs
57:12 — SNAP waivers, stocking standards, and access to healthier food
58:58 — Food dyes push and the glyphosate argument

See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Rich Zeoli opens State of the Union Day by sizing up the theatrics Democrats have planned for President Trump’s address—and we start with the early preview: New Jersey Democrats rolling out a bill built around a not-so-subtle acronym, the F-ICE Act. We lay out what it’s meant to do, why it’s getting attention, and how Zeoli sees it fitting into the bigger political strategy of turning every fight into a headline.

We then get into the gold medal hockey controversy that should not be a controversy: the guys laughing at Trump’s locker-room joke. Rich explores the social media outrage. Zeoli points out how quickly a customary White House invite becomes a loyalty test, and why the players are forced to play defense instead of just being able to bask in their well-earned Olympic glory.

Can Gavin Newsom read or not? He’s getting hammered for comments on his book tour with Cornel West, unloading on him for being a racist. We discuss how Mexico was able to kill drug cartel kingpin El Mencho through a romantic connection, and a viral post about Puerto Vallarta that leads to a side question on the left’s ever-growing acronym soup.

Another arrest in Britain related to Jeffrey Epstein.DOJ recordings have Epstein discussing intelligence, blackmail, and high-level access. More evidence he was a spy?

The New York Police Department gets pelted with snowballs and it's not a fun game for kids. It's because Mayor Mamdani has created a culture of disrespect towards the cops. The Trump Justice Department is suing New Jersey over Mikie Sherrill’s order limiting ICE cooperation at prisons. Why wouldn't NJ want to hand over criminals to ICE? Criminals who are in…prison. And we end on a question you've always wanted the answer to. So don't miss today's episode!

00:00 - State of the Union night and Democrats’ “silent defiance” plan
00:58 - Gold medal hockey invite drama: men go, women decline
02:50 - “George Stephanopoulos” joke and the morning show question
03:41 - GMA clip: the team addresses the White House invite
07:06 - Don Lemon, Bill Maher’s dinner, and Larry David’s mockery
13:15 - Cornel West unloads on Gavin Newsom’s book tour claims
15:55 - “I can’t read a speech” vs. reading a whole book fast
21:37 - El Mencho tracked through a romantic partner and taken down
26:20 - Puerto Vallarta warning post and the “2S” question
30:37 - Epstein overseas: arrests, leaked documents, and spy allegations
34:08 - Audio clip: Epstein, favors, and the Barak conversation
40:39 - Newsom suggests elections won’t be “fair” unless Democrats win
42:30 - Zohran Mamdani and the voter ID/SAVE Act argument
43:23 - NYPD pelted with ice; Cuomo blasts the mayor’s silence
46:14 - New Jersey’s F-ICE Act and the DOJ lawsuit over Mikie Sherrill’s order
52:25 - Why restricting ICE around prisons raises public safety risks
54:59 - Sopranos cast politics: would Tony back Trump today?

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