The Joe Pags Show

Episodet

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  Interest Rates Just Went UP—Now What?! + Drug Czar Sara Carter Reveals the Numbers - Sept 16 Hr 1 17.09.2026 44min

  Pags starts with Vice President JD Vance's message that the administration needs to do a better job highlighting what it sees as its wins before turning to a move that hits Americans directly in the wallet: the Federal Reserve just raised interest rates for the first time in more than three years. The Fed unanimously increased its benchmark rate by a quarter point to 3.75%–4%, citing persistent inflation, and signaled that additional increases could follow. Pags breaks down the hike and what it could mean before opening up the phones. Then White House Drug Czar Sara Carter joins Pags with numbers and details from inside the administration's fight against drug trafficking. Carter takes Pags through what her office says is being accomplished, the operations targeting suspected drug-running vessels, and the broader effort against cartels and trafficking networks. U.S. forces have carried out dozens of strikes on suspected drug-trafficking vessels over the past year, although the campaign's legality and effectiveness remain disputed. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
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  Where Are the GOP Midterm Ads?! + Trump's $138 MILLION Answer - Sept 16 Hr 2 17.09.2026 44min

  Pags starts with the latest fight over the Kennedy Center after a federal judge again blocked President Trump's name from being added to the building, and Pags asks why this has become such a major argument in the first place. Then Thomas Massie's effort to impeach War Secretary Pete Hegseth gets pushed until after the midterms as the House leaves Washington early—and Pags wonders whether the whole thing has become more about publicity than actually removing Hegseth. Pags has also been asking where all the Republican midterm advertising is. Now there's an answer: Trump-aligned groups are preparing to pour more than $130 million into House and Senate races across the country. Then former Democratic fundraiser Lindy Li joins Pags for Part 1 of a revealing conversation about the Biden White House. Li gives her account of who she believes was really wielding influence inside the administration—and why she says it wasn't simply Joe Biden calling the shots. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
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  Trump's Agenda Is ON THE BALLOT + Lindy Li NAMES NAMES Inside the Biden White House - Sept 16 Hr 3 17.09.2026 44min

  Pags takes us live to North Carolina as President Trump hits the campaign trail for Republican Senate nominee Michael Whatley, with the midterms now less than two months away. Pags explains why he believes Trump's agenda is effectively on the ballot in November and what control of Congress could mean for the administration's priorities. Then major new questions emerge one year after Charlie Kirk's assassination. Kirk's family has taken the first step toward a possible lawsuit against Utah Valley University and the state, alleging serious security failures—including concerns about rooftop access that Turning Point USA says were raised before the event. Plus, Lindy Li returns for an explosive Part 2. The former Democratic fundraiser gives Pags her account of who was wielding influence inside the Biden White House, names names and explains why she's now speaking publicly about what she says she witnessed inside Democratic politics. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
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  Sept 15 Hr 1 16.09.2026 44min

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  Sept 15 Hr 2 16.09.2026 44min

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  Sept 15 Hr 3 16.09.2026 44min

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  Will Americans REALLY Get Trump's $5K Checks? + The CIA Officer Who Hunted Bin Laden - Sept 14 Hr 1 15.09.2026 44min

  Pags digs deeper into President Trump's $5,000 "dividend" promise as Speaker Mike Johnson tries to explain how it could actually happen. Congress would have to approve the payments, and Pags asks the question everyone wants answered: Could Americans really get these checks? Then former CIA officer Gary Berntsen joins Pags for Part 1 of an incredible look back at the hunt for Osama bin Laden after 9/11. Berntsen led CIA operations against al-Qaeda and the Taliban in Afghanistan and was on the ground during the battle of Tora Bora, where bin Laden ultimately escaped. Did America have an opportunity to get bin Laden years earlier? Why did he escape at Tora Bora? And why did it ultimately take nearly a decade after 9/11 to find him? Pags and Berntsen dig into the questions that still surround one of the biggest manhunts in American history. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
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  Is AI Moving TOO FAST?! + Trump Says America Can't Let China Win - Sept 14 Hr 2 15.09.2026 44min

  Pags starts with a rare Mitch McConnell sighting—and, of course, breaks out the Mitch impression—before diving back into the Lindsay Clancy case. Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis is now offering “asylum” to the lone holdout juror amid controversy surrounding him after the mistrial. Then the conversation turns to AI after layoffs hit two San Antonio television stations. Pags asks whether The Terminator is starting to feel a little less like science fiction as the debate over AI and American jobs intensifies. President Trump is pushing back against calls for additional AI guardrails, arguing that America has to stay ahead of China in the race for the technology. Pags digs into the risks, the competition with China and just how quickly this technology is changing the world. Then former CIA officer Gary Berntsen returns for Part 2, taking Pags even deeper inside the hunt for Osama bin Laden after 9/11 and the lingering questions about missed opportunities, intelligence failures and why it ultimately took nearly a decade to find him. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
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  Democrats Push ANOTHER Trump Impeachment + Don Jr. FIRES BACK at the Media - Sept 14 Hr 3 15.09.2026 44min

  Pags starts with breaking news from the Supreme Court on mail-ballot rules ahead of the 2026 midterms before impeachment takes center stage. Hakeem Jeffries isn't ruling out another Trump impeachment, while Rep. Al Green is moving to force a House-wide impeachment vote. Pags asks where the actual accountability is as the administration raises concerns about suspected fraud—and why more isn't being done. Then he gets into the latest media firestorm surrounding Donald Trump Jr.'s wedding. Don Jr. and Bettina Anderson are pushing back hard on the coverage, saying there is “no conspiracy” and “no mystery” behind the wedding funding story. Plus, Kay Hill joins Pags to tackle the growing fight over green cards, immigration and taxpayer-funded benefits as cities challenge the Trump administration's new public-charge policy. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
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  Sept 11 Hr 1 12.09.2026 44min

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  Sept 11 Hr 2 12.09.2026 44min

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  Sept 11 Hr 3 12.09.2026 44min

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  Remembering Charlie Kirk: One Year Later - Sept 10 Hr 1 11.09.2026 44min

  One year after Charlie Kirk was assassinated at Utah Valley University, Joe Pags dedicates the hour to remembering the man, his message and the legacy he left behind. Pags recalls exactly where he was when the news broke—interviewing Ben Carson when the world learned Charlie had died—and reflects on why he believes anyone who truly took the time to listen to Charlie knew exactly where he stood and the kind of man he was. Pags takes us to Utah Valley University as Charlie is remembered one year later and shares Vice President JD Vance's words about his friend. Then the show reaches back into the archives for something special: Pags' 2022 interview with Charlie Kirk, recorded when The College Scam had just been released. Charlie was warning about what he saw happening on college campuses even then, while also talking about the family and faith that would become such an important part of his legacy. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
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  Trump's $5K Dividend Is Gaining Steam + How Public Security Changed After Charlie Kirk - Sept 10 Hr 2 11.09.2026 44min

  Pags takes us live to the Republican midterm convention in Dallas as Gov. Greg Abbott takes the stage. Pags gets into the battle for Texas and sounds off on James Talarico before checking in on Mike Lawler's race in New York. Then comes President Trump's huge new promise: $5,000 for American adults if Republicans sweep the midterms. Can Trump actually do it? Pags explains why Congress would have to act and gets into the growing Republican support for the proposal. Then former Secret Service member Darin Kinder joins Pags one year after Charlie Kirk's assassination. Kinder offers incredible insight into how security has changed, what public speakers need to do differently now and the precautions that could save lives. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
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  Why Did Kimmel Move Talarico to YouTube?! + Preserving Charlie Kirk's Own Words - Sept 10 Hr 3 11.09.2026 44min

  Pags dives into what happened to late-night television, looking back at David Letterman and Jay Leno before asking why today's biggest shows have become so openly political. Then Pags gets into Jimmy Kimmel moving his interview with James Talarico to YouTube amid concerns about the FCC's equal-opportunities rules for political candidates. Pags spends time breaking down what those rules actually mean for broadcasters and why putting an interview online changes the equation. Then Pags takes us live to the Republican midterm convention before welcoming Christy Edwards Lawton, who has compiled Charlie Kirk's public statements and positions into a new book. One year after Kirk's assassination, Lawton explains why she wanted to create a reference to Charlie's own words—giving readers a way to see exactly where he stood across the issues he spent years discussing. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
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  Trump Says the Iran War Ends AFTER the Midterms?! + What's REALLY Happening in Hormuz? - Sept 9 Hr 1 10.09.2026 44min

  The Republican midterm convention is officially underway in Dallas, but Joe Pags quickly turns to President Trump's striking new prediction: He says the Iran war will end "immediately after" the November election, arguing Tehran is trying to influence the midterms and can't withstand U.S. economic pressure much longer. Oil prices are surging amid renewed fighting, and while Trump says negotiations remain possible, he says they're not what the administration is currently pursuing. Pags also gets into Russia and Ukraine after Trump says the biggest obstacle to a deal is that Vladimir Putin and Volodymyr Zelenskyy simply "hate each other," while contrasting Trump's frequent exchanges with reporters with the previous administration. Then Secretary of State Marco Rubio delivers the latest on Iran before the phones open up. Plus, former U.S. Marine Mike Jernigan joins Pags for a deep dive into one of the biggest questions of the conflict: Is the Strait of Hormuz actually open or closed? What's happening to ships trying to move through it, why is Kharg Island so strategically important to Iran's oil exports, and what should Americans understand about the battle for one of the world's most critical waterways? Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
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  Rubio Goes After the Narco-Terrorists + Roger Stone on the Midterms & Russia Collusion - Sept 9 Hr 2 10.09.2026 44min

  Pags dives into Secretary of State Marco Rubio's trip to Ecuador, where Rubio is expanding the U.S. fight against drug trafficking organizations, announcing plans for additional security assistance and designating Los Tiguerones as a foreign terrorist organization. Pags reacts as Rubio speaks bluntly to reporters about the violent groups behind the drug trade. Then things get personal as Pags gives an update on Mama Pags recovering from hip surgery, talks about why "temporary" really does mean temporary, and celebrates the explosive growth of his bodycam YouTube channel. The midterm convention is officially underway in Dallas, and James Talarico is walking back his past statement about there being six sexes, saying there are two and admitting he "missed the mark." Then longtime political strategist Roger Stone joins Pags for a wide-ranging conversation spanning his days working for Richard Nixon, the 2026 midterms, the Russia-collusion investigation and questions surrounding the origins of that narrative, allegations involving foreign interference in the 2020 election, and Stone's perspective on the political landscape heading toward November. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
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  Hunter Biden for PRESIDENT?! + An AI Insider's Terrifying Warning - Sept 9 Hr 3 10.09.2026 44min

  Pags keeps one eye on the Republican midterm convention in Dallas as Dr. Mehmet Oz speaks about fraud and Rep. Byron Donalds fires up the crowd, while Pags asks the bigger question: What is the future of the country going to look like—and are Americans actually going to show up and vote? The convention is a two-day Republican gathering centered on the midterms and President Trump's agenda. Then Hunter Biden raises eyebrows by saying he "may have to" run for president in 2028, although he stopped short of announcing a campaign. Things get much more serious when Pags reacts to a senior Anthropic safety researcher estimating a greater than 10% chance that advanced AI could kill all humans within the next decade—an estimate Pags says should be ZERO. Experts emphasize that such probabilities are subjective estimates, not scientifically established odds. And for the stupid story of the day, Seattle police spark ridicule after an official referred to people known for gun violence as "trigger-pullers." Plus, Roger Stone returns for Part 2 of his wide-ranging conversation with Pags. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
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  Lindsay Clancy's Lawyer Wants TRUMP to Step In?! + The Mistrial Twist That Has Pags FURIOUS - Sept 8 Hr 1 09.09.2026 44min

  Pags dives into the stunning fallout from the Lindsay Clancy mistrial—and somehow the story keeps getting more unbelievable. After an 11–1 jury split favoring a not-guilty-by-reason-of-insanity verdict, Clancy's attorney is now publicly asking President Trump to consider a pardon, despite the case involving Massachusetts state charges outside presidential pardon power. Pags wants prosecutors to seek a retrial and reacts to jurors revealing just how close Clancy came to being acquitted of murder, with one holdout refusing to join the other 11. Then another horrifying case enters the conversation: an Illinois mother accused of killing her young son had reportedly shown an interest in the Clancy case. Pags takes calls and sounds off on the disturbing stories and theories people will believe before turning to the tragedy in Miami, where authorities have identified five victims killed in the Amazon cargo plane crash. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
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  Trump's Wild Map Has Everyone Talking + One Year Without Charlie Kirk - Sept 8 Hr 2 09.09.2026 44min

  Pags starts with the Republican midterm convention in Dallas and argues it shouldn't simply turn into another Trump rally as Republicans try to make their case to voters. Ken Paxton is campaigning in Texas with major outside support, while President Trump is once again trolling the internet—this time posting a map showing Canada, Mexico, Greenland and more covered in the American flag. Pags asks the bigger question: Do posts like this actually persuade anyone to vote Republican in November, or are they just memes for people who already support him? Then Attorney General Todd Blanche honors Rudy Giuliani before Pags turns to a much more serious moment: the approaching one-year anniversary of Charlie Kirk's death. The Dallas convention itself is planning a remembrance of Kirk, whose assassination left a major void in conservative youth politics. Kay Hill joins Pags for Part 1 to examine where the Republican Party stands today, Kirk's lasting impact on younger voters, whether anyone has stepped up to fill the messaging void he left behind, and what Republicans need to communicate as they head into the midterms. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices