The Adult in the Room

Seattle radio host Jason Rantz (https://jasonrantz.com) has witnessed firsthand how the governing policies of large, liberal-run cities have left chaos reigning. Stores closed due to rampant theft. The mentally ill, homeless and addicted left to ravage the streets and harass residents and visitors. The graft of local governments, who are latched onto the teat of government and pour billions into ineffective programs that only create more misery. It's all the subject of his new book, What’s Killing America: Inside the Radical Left's Tragic Destruction of Our Cities. Today, Jason joins Victoria to talk about the mayhem unfolding in urban centers across the country, and what can be done about it. BUY JASON'S BOOK: https://www.amazon.com/Whats-Killing-America-Radical-Destruction/dp/B0BWGQCNFY?tag=victoriataft-20

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Dr. Rachel Ehrenfeld is the director of the American Center for Democracy and its Economic Warfare Institute. A native of Israel, she has seen firsthand the devastation the Mideast turmoil has brought to that embattled nation, both through conventional war and the horror of terrorism. She also has extensively studied how western money from the US and its allies -- much of it extracted from taxpayers -- has ended up lining the pockets of the same fundamentalists who slaughter men, women & children with equal glee. Her research into the economics of international crime & violence have led to the publication of four books on the matter including her latest, The Soros Agenda, in which she traces how both naïveté & malice have led to prominent figures in business, government, and professional activism funding the very fundamentalists, terrorists and cartels that are out to destroy them. Dr. Ehrenfeld joins the program to discuss exactly what is going on in Israel, and how foreign aid and well-intentioned charity feeds brutal jihadist groups like Hamas and Hezbollah all the way up to Al Qaeda and ISIS.

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NOTE: THIS EPISODE CONTAINS MAJOR SPOILERS FOR THE MITCH RAPP NOVEL SERIES.

New York Times bestselling author Don Bentley spent over a decade flying Apache helicopters for the US Army, including facing down Al Qaeda terrorists in Afghanistan. For his service, he can count among his accolades the Bronze Star and the Air Medal with V Device. He's worked in the private sector for military contractors, spent time as a foreign intelligence and counterintelligence agent for the FBI, and served as a SWAT officer.

But despite his dangerous career up until now, he's facing down perhaps his most harrowing challenge...pleasing extremely rabid literary fans. Having previously written novels set in the late Tom Clancy's Jack Ryan series, as well as his own series of thrillers starring his own character Matt Drake, Don has been named the newest successor to Vince Flynn's incredibly popular Mitch Rapp series of novels, taking over for his friend and departing author Kyle Mills.

On today's episode, Don talks about his experience on the war front, and gives his thoughts on America's exit from Afghanistan and the recent tragedy in Israel. But the mood will certainly lighten as he talks about his career as a writer, navigating the pitfalls of continuity management as a legacy series author, and hilarious interactions with his colleagues.

PURCHASE OFFICIAL "MITCH RAPP LIVES" APPAREL: https://cadetmaker.myshopify.com

PURCHASE DON BENTLEY'S BOOKS ON AMAZON: https://www.amazon.com/stores/Don-Bentley/author/B07VQJQX1P?tag=victoriataft-20

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Mark Twain, allegedly quoting Disraeli, once said "There are three kinds of lies: lies, damned lies, and statistics." California politicians led by Gavin Newsom seem determined to apply all three in their crusade against firearms and those who own them. They're using traditional strategies like the demonization of so-called "assault weapons" and bans of upsized magazines, but are also employing bizarre legal maneuvers such as environmental policy and exploiting stereotypes surrounding mental illness and cannabis use to crack down on what they falsely claim is the nations leading cause of death for children.

C.D. "Chuck" Michel is leading the charge as the President and General Counsel for the California Rifle & Pistol Association. Today, he joins the program to talk about Newsom's recent legislative actions against gun rights and why the secret weapon to defeat them may lie within, of all places, the 9th Circuit Court of Appeals.

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The Adult in the Room Podcast returns with a deep dive into recent gun rights developments including the overturning of California's extended magazine ban, and a critical trial in Oregon over the constitutionality of Ballot Measure 114, an onerous gun control bill passed last year that similarly bands high-capacity magazines and creates additional background check and paperwork requirements for buyers. Is the progressive left using societal violence and chaos as a weapon against the Judicial Branch? Then, we have a brief but fascinating talk with J. Christian Adams of the Public Interest Legal Foundation about the election integrity report cards going into primary season, and where he still has concerns, including a case in Maine involving suppression of speech.

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Victoria is joined on the program by author & journalist Joe Allen, whose latest book "DARK ÆON: Transhumanism and the War Against Humanity" examines both the physical and metaphysical dangers humanity faces as we stand at the precipice of artificial general intelligence. Allen believes the transhumanist movement seeks not only to leap headfirst into critically dangerous technology, but to supplant all faith and belief with themselves as a new pantheon to a new generation of intelligent machines. What are the risks, and how can we mitigate them?

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Former White House stenographer Mike McCormick returns with more from the infamous Hunter Biden laptop files. What role did he play in connecting his father to Ukrainian firm Burisma? Why did he seemingly ditch his Secret Service detail while visiting family? And what is the Biden family's connection to a vicious Honduran cartel? Check out this episode of The Adult in the Room to hear all the details.

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"Tucker" author Chadwick Moore returns to the program to talk the book's release, and to share more stories from his research of Tucker Carlson, including stories of his faith, his sense of honor, and even a few revelations about Carlson's relationship with the controversial Hunter Biden, a man that Carlson once counted as a friend before Biden's spiral into addiction and corruption. Pick up your copy of "Tucker" on Amazon - https://www.amazon.com/Audible-Tucker/dp/B0CD9JLHTS?tag=victoriataft-20

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Attorney John Eastman, along with many members of the Trump Administration including the former President, have been indicted for a myriad of charges in the state of Georgia. Together, they are accused of conspiring to hijack the 2020 Presidential election in that state, and violations of racketeering law, charges that could result in some of the defendants spending the rest of their natural lives in prison.

But what was John Eastman's role? Is he the mastermind behind a plot to deny the will of Georgia voters? Or is he simply an attorney who suggested potential paths to victory, and whose advice was based on prior precedent and fits within a proper interpretation of both state & federal law?

Civil rights & criminal defense attorney Harvey Silverglate, who is part of the team representing Eastman, returns to the program to discuss what he can share about the case, why he believes his client will be exonerated, and what motivations the Fulton County DA might have to announce the defendants' charges at the time and in the manner that she did so.

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An Atlanta-area grand jury has handed down the 4th series of indictments to former President Donald Trump, as well as many members of his leadership team for a range of alleged offenses from RICO violations to forgery. The Article III Project's Mike Davis returns to the program to explain why he believes the charges won't stick, and what political motive he feels is the impetus for them.

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Jonathan Choe first made waves in Seattle as the lead reporter with the city's ABC affiliate, KOMO-4. After being unceremoniously booted via "hecklers veto," Choe struck out on his own, bringing his online audience uncensored, unfiltered, accurate presentations of what life is really like on the streets of Seattle, from violent activism to homelessness to the drug epidemic. Join Jonathan and Victoria as they take you inside some of his most notable recent stories and examine why the Emerald City is sliding ever further into decline.

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Miriam Grossman, M.D. is a renowned childhood & adolescent psychiatrist, and since 2006 she has been vocal about her concerns regarding the radical effects social media and internet culture have been generating in children across the country, affecting their self-esteem, sexual identities, and mental health. In her new book Lost in Trans Nation: A Child Psychiatrist's Guide Out of the Madness, Dr. Grossman examines the history and pathology of the Rapid Onset Gender Dysphoria epidemic and why pressure from bad doctors, political activists and even caregivers are contributing to a human crisis that will see thousands of young people permanently altered physically & psychologically, making already-troubling mental illness symptoms worse.

Chef Andrew Gruel, a successful California restauranteur and respected food service industry consultant, made a lot of waves when he defied California pandemic lockdown orders and continued to keep his outdoor dining area open, citing the lack of evidence of outdoor spread and Governor Gavin Newsom's own hypocritical actions. Now, he's giving his unique POV on everything from lab-grown meat to New York's proposed gas appliance ban, as well as sharing his own philosophy about food, family, and cooking-as-drama.

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In modern times, Americans sometimes take for granted the blessings of liberty that have been purchased for us both at the negotiating table and on the battlefield. On this special Independence Day episode of The Adult in the Room Podcast, Victoria welcomes a pair of very special guests.

Mari, a citizen of the US, grew up as a child of the Cuban Diaspora and returned to her homeland to become one of the first Instagram influencers in Cuba. She documented her adventures with her family and her fiancé Yoel, showing both the beauty and darkness of life in a communist nation, and gave the world one of the clearest looks into what life inside of Cuba really is like. Three years ago, she and Yoel began the process of making the move to the United States, and now Yoel -- who has spent his entire life in Cuba -- is experiencing the freedom and liberty that many of us have enjoyed for our whole lives. Together, they are recording Yoel's American immigrant experience, from the simple joy of seeing fully-stocked grocery & hardware stores, to the wild excitement of theme parks, pro sports, and foods from around the world.

Yoel & Mari join to talk about the real experience of living in the Castro regime's Cuba, especially for the younger generation who are becoming more and more aware of what life is like a mere 95 miles to the north. They explain their difficulties navigating the US immigration process, and debunk some of the myths spread by celebrities & activists that hide the truth about life on the island.Enjoy this very special episode of The Adult in the Room, and have a blessed Independence Day.

Journalist Chadwick Moore is the author of the new biography Tucker, a look at the life & career of Tucker Carlson. Moore was given unprecedented, exclusive access to Carlson & his family, uncovered fascinating stories about his work, and has assembled a compelling profile of a man that some call a journalist, others call a propagandist, who was ratings gold until being unceremoniously fired by Fox News earlier this year.

Moore shares some of the stories he has come across during the creation of the book, gives some personal anecdotes about his work with Carlson on the project, and also touches upon his personal experiences and issues he's faced as a gay man who "came out" as a conservative.

SPECIAL NOTE: In order to comply with Spotify & YouTube policies, this episode has been edited for content. The uncut version of the episode can be viewed on the Adult in the Room Odysee & Rumble channels at:

Civil rights activist & defense attorney Harvey Silverglate returns to discuss the indictment of Trump from the perspective of his years defending civil rights from the overreach of the Department of Justice, the FBI, and the current President. Silverglate also gives a small update on the ongoing John Eastman case, and also gives his thoughts on the passing of Pentagon Papers author & whistleblower Daniel Ellsberg.

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100TH EPISODE!

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In the summer of 2013, George Zimmerman went on trial in Florida for the alleged murder of teen Trayvon Martin, a key moment in the birth of the Black Lives Matter movement. But while many still believe Martin to be an innocent victim of a racist vigilante, the trial revealed another side of the story that the media ignored: a troubled youth who had been expelled for breaking the law and had a violent personality, who multiple witnesses say brutally assaulted Zimmerman before the gun was fired. Zimmerman was ultimately acquitted, but even today he is seen by some as a murderer who escaped justice, despite the evidence to the contrary. Andrew Branca from The Law of Self-Defense joins the program to analyze the trial on its 10th anniversary, and try to dispel some of the misconceptions that still circle the case.

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What exactly is wrong with being a man? If some sectors of our modern culture were honest with their beliefs, they'd say "everything." In her new book, The Toxic War on Masculinity - How Christianity Reconciles the Sexes, Professor Nancy R. Pearcey explores and examines why secular society has come to regard traditional masculine qualities as evil, and why faith -- especially Christian faith -- has led to happier couples and more satisfying relationships despite claims that such beliefs are oppressive, misogynist, and harmful. Prof. Pearcey joins the program to share some of the documented research that strongly suggests that relationships featuring traditional gender roles are happier, longer-lasting, and healthier.

The Article III Project's Mike Davis joins this breaking news update to discuss the indictments handed down today against former President Donald Trump in a Florida Federal Court!

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Jake Lang took part in the riot on the US Capitol grounds on January 6, 2021. Of that, there is no doubt. But now, over two and a half years later, Lang continues to languish in a federal penitentiary, awaiting trial at an unknown future date for his role in the fiasco, charged with an obscure crime that few have heard of. He claims he is being transferred repeatedly between facilities -- a technique referred to as "diesel therapy" -- to restrict his access to his attorneys. He accuses Capitol Police of being responsible for the death of a woman suffocated by the crowd that day. He calls himself a patriot.

Is he a martyr, a madman, or a menace? You decide.

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Author & documentarian Vince Everett Ellison grew up the child of sharecroppers on a cotton plantation in Tennessee, but his father worked hard to build a successful businesses that brought his family out of poverty and squarely into the middle class. He sees now in Black Americans a worrying lack of that same initiative, and he suspects a number of factors are responsible: A lack of religious faith. Promotion of gratuitous sex and violence as a cultural lifestyle. But, most of all, a wider plot among the progressive left to promote the notion that institutional racism is an inescapable fact of life, and to make Black Americans see themselves as eternal victims. Ellison shares his point of view with Victoria in this episode, and how through a return to faith, family-values and self-reliance the Black community can ascend to respectful prosperity, an argument that is sometimes controversial, often inspirational, and always thought-provoking.

In school systems across the country, parents are fighting an uphill battle against local governments over the curriculum being delivered to their kids, from political indoctrination and activist training in-class to sexually-charged and age-inappropriate reading material. Our schools have become infested with violence and even sexual assault. Exceptional students have had recognition of their achievements withheld in the name of preserving others' feelings. And when they have objected, parents have been dubbed "domestic terrorists" by members of federal agencies, and even subjected to arrest.

Ian Prior is a senior advisor at America First Legal and the author of the book Parents of the World, Unite!: How to Save Our Schools from the Left's Radical Agenda. He joins this episode to discuss all the issues facing parents of students today, and the best ways to push back against a system that insists it knows how to take care of your kids better than you do.

The US is suffering from a homelessness epidemic. In major cities across the nation, citizens and police are dealing with spikes in overdose, thefts, violent crime, and unsafe conditions.On this very special edition of The Adult in the Room, Victoria is joined by Kevin Dahlgren, an expert in the fields of homelessness and substance abuse and a community organizer for several advocacy groups who believes two major factors are making the problem worse: drug & alcohol addiction, and the validation of homelessness as a life path by progressive groups who see capitalism as the root of the problem and will even forcibly interfere with good-faith efforts to help the less fortunate -- a policy he calls "loving them to death."

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Author & former federal prosecutor John D. O'Connor joins the program to look back on a crucial moment in the history of governmental corruption and law enforcement, the Watergate scandal. O'Connor befriended & represented Mark Felt, the FBI associate director better known as the legendary whistleblower "Deep Throat," a revelation that O'Connor helped to reveal through a blockbuster article in Vanity Fair. O'Connor has authored two recent books on the scandal, and draws parallels between the FBI & press during that time and their modern successors. He discusses how he first came to know Mark Felt and how he convinced Felt to come clean about his role in Woodward & Bernstein's reports. He also addresses the connections between the Democratic party & current White House and Russian interests that led to the infamous and widely-discredited "Pee Tape" dossier, why China is an existential threat to US sovereignty, and why corruption in the executive branch proves that the DOJ, FBI & media have learned nothing from the mistakes of Watergate.

Journalist Asra Q. Nomani returns to the program to share her deeply personal story: a discussion of growing up as a first-generation American in a Muslim immigrant family from India and her first encounters with early extremism within her own extended family, the origins of Islamist extremism in the DC area, her friendship with murdered American journalist Daniel Pearl, her experience as a single mother and feminist within a deeply conservative culture, and why she believes the American left is embracing religious fundamentalism that stands in direct opposition to its stated goals of race and gender equality.

Mike McCormick served as part of the While House Stenographers Office for over 20 years, serving as part of the team tasked with preserving for posterity the official remarks of the President & Vice President under six different administrations. Now an author and independent journalist with a unique perspective on the Oval Office, Mike has taken on a new project: sorting through the sordid material on Hunter Biden's infamous laptop and matching it with official records and Joe Biden's own statements to establish a timeline that suggests corruption and backroom dealings during his time as Vice President that may have directly impacted Russia's decision to invade Ukraine, and may have even led to the COVID-19 pandemic that caused the deaths of millions worldwide.

This past December, Thomas Jefferson High School for Science & Technology -- a STEAM-centric magnet high school in Fairfax County, Virginia -- made waves after it was revealed that students who had been recognized by the National Merit Scholar program as Commended Students and Semifinalists had not been notified of the awards, costing them precious opportunities for early college admission, scholarships and more. Two parents of affected students, Shawnna Yashar and Asra Q. Nomani, decided to dig deeper and discovered TJ was ground zero for a systemic failure that has its roots in the so-called "equity" movement. Now it's been found that eighteen schools in four northern Virginia counties have similarly failed to notify students. Is it incompetence, or something more sinister?

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Twitter majority owner and CEO Elon Musk, working with some of the web's most respected independent journalists, has released a flood of new information with regards to the company's internal content moderation policies, revealing for the first time the true extent of employee efforts to suppress speech it deemed inappropriate to the platform. Special guests John D. Trudel & retired Major General Paul E. Vallely join the program to talk about the first series of releases and how Twitter's manipulation of the info stream -- from so-called "shadow banning" to outright deletion of tweets & accounts -- influenced the 2020 election cycle, violated the rights of end-users, and restricted major media outlets from being able to connect with their audience.

LINKS TO THE TWITTER FILES:

Part 1 via Matt Taibbi: https://twitter.com/mtaibbi/status/1601352083617505281

Part 2 via Bari Weiss: https://twitter.com/bariweiss/status/1601007575633305600

Part 3 via Matt Taibbi: https://twitter.com/mtaibbi/status/1601352083617505281

Part 4 via Michael Shellenberger: https://twitter.com/shellenbergermd/status/1601720455005511680

Part 5 via Bari Weiss: https://twitter.com/bariweiss/status/1602364197194432515

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Pastor Anatoly Kaluzhny  returns as winter settles over eastern Europe. Russia's strike on Ukraine, which they predicted would last weeks at the most, has now dragged on for over 10 months. Thousands of lives have been lost or irrevocably changed on both sides of the line and Russia is allegedly so desperate for troops that they are press-ganging random civilians. Questions have arisen in the wake of FTX's collapse about the financial aid being sent to Ukraine, with many wondering whether the Ukrainian leaders are really any better than the Russian oligarchs who started the conflict. And in the middle are people like Pastor Anatoly and his flock, who struggle with electricity shortages, lack of food and medical supplies, and severed access to gas and heating oil as the coldest part of the year approaches. Hear in his own words how Kiev is coping with the struggle, and how they are maintaining morale and spiritual strength in the face of a winter at war.

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Chris Queen & J. Christian Adams join Victoria for a special look at the aftermath of the 2022 midterms, in which the anticipated "red tsunami" failed to materialize. But not all is lost for Republicans, as the midterms also served as the coming-out party for Florida Governor Ron DeSantis, whose obliteration of former Governor Charlie Crist and the dominance of his endorsed candidates have drawn both excitement from conservative voters and the ire of former President Donald Trump. Plus, discussion about the much smoother election count -- except for Maricopa County, Arizona -- and Brian Kemp's success in Georgia even as football legend Herschel Walker struggles ahead of a December runoff.

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Attorney Ron Coleman has a stellar reputation for defending intellectual property and free speech through his New York-area firm. Now, he's taking on the collusion between big tech and the US government, a partnership that he believes has enabled civil liberty violations by the feds under the protection of a private umbrella. He also gives his thoughts on Elon Musk's purchase of Twitter, and why he thinks it's a game-changer for free speech.

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J. Christian Adams is the President and General Counsel of the Public Interest Legal Foundation, a contributor to the Federalist Society, and a former member of the Department of Justice. Today, he joins Victoria to talk about the ramifications of both previous and upcoming elections -- how elections represent our American values, why he believes early and mail-in voting is problematic for election integrity, and why cultural concerns should be so deeply considered when you go to the polls. Plus, enjoy a sneak peek at the next releases from Flamingo Audiobooks!

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In this special 2-part series, Victoria chats with Professor Nancy Pearcey about the cultural shift over the last decade regarding what had previously been considered settled philosophies regarding sex and gender. Why are teens and young adults seeking out radical, irreversible alterations to their bodies? Is our culture gaslighting young people into believing they have severe gender dysphoria when they are actually experiencing normal changes and discomfort due to adolescence and adulthood?

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ABOUT THE GUEST

In this special 2-part series, Victoria chats with Professor Nancy Pearcey about the cultural shift over the last decade regarding what had previously been considered settled philosophies regarding sex and gender. Why are teens and young adults seeking out radical, irreversible alterations to their bodies? Is our culture gaslighting young people into believing they have severe gender dysphoria when they are actually experiencing normal changes and discomfort due to adolescence and adulthood?

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ABOUT THE GUEST

First up on this episode of The Adult in the Room, Pennsylvania gun attorney Dillon Harris joins the program to discuss the Clarence Thomas-penned decision in New York State Rifle & Pistol Assn. v. Bruen, which declared "May Issue" regulations on carry permits to be unconstitutional, and its repercussions for firearm limitation laws throughout the country.

Then, attorney and former Multnomah County GOP Chair James Buchal joins to discuss the acquittal of Joey Gibson, the founder of the right-wing activist group Patriot Prayer who was on trial for his alleged role in a massive, violent brawl that broke out on May 1, 2019 at the now-shuttered ANTIFA-friendly Cider Riot taphouse in Portland.

WATCH THE CIDER RIOT BRAWL VIDEO: https://youtu.be/kMwTqRSqUzo

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