Ballot with Patrick Gutfield - Where Politics Meets Pop Culture

Patrick Gutfield tackles today’s triple-header of controversy: DHS and security pros warn Iranian hackers could retaliate for Trump’s “massive precision strikes,” the former president demands credit for four-or-five Nobel Peace Prizes on Truth Social, and a new directive orders National Parks to spin slavery, internment camps, and Jim Crow into feel-good patriotism—complete with QR-code snitch lin...

Patrick Gutfield pulls a weekend late-nighter to share commentary on President Trump's shocking decision to bomb three Iranian nuclear facilities with 30,000-pound bunker-buster bombs. From Truth Social announcements to congressional outrage, we break down the biggest international news story with sharp wit and political satire. Covering the Fordo facility strikes, oil price impacts, American troo...

A provocative golden statue crushes Lady Liberty on the National Mall and draws crowds—and fire. Netanyahu compares his son's postponed wedding to the London Blitz, and the internet explodes. Meanwhile, foreign students must now share their social media to get U.S. visas.  Get the show without ads. Five bucks.  For Apple users, hit the banner on your Apple podcasts app which says UNINTERRUPTED LIS...

Israel launches major strikes on Iran—and somehow, we knew it was coming thanks to a spike in Pentagon-area pizza orders. Patrick Gutfield breaks down the so-called *Pentagon Pizza Report*, the long-standing theory that pizza deliveries reveal military ops. Meanwhile, President Biden accidentally stumbles onto the set of *Reacher*, discusses quantum physics, and apparently beats Jack Reacher in ar...

President Trump raises tensions with Iran, calling its Supreme Leader an "easy target" while Israel warns Tehran residents to evacuate. Meanwhile, a dangerous heat dome threatens over 170 million Americans with record-breaking humidity and extreme temperatures. And in Washington, RFK Jr. fires all 17 members of the federal vaccine advisory committee, prompting backlash from the scientific communit...

President Trump cuts his G7 trip short to issue a dramatic evacuation warning to Tehran, escalating tensions with Iran amid rising hostilities with Israel. As nuclear threats loom and generals fall at record pace, Trump says he’s “not in the mood to negotiate”—but also floats backchannel talks. Meanwhile, he launches Trump Mobile with the $499 “T-One” phone and a $47.45/month plan referencing his...

President Trump cuts his G7 trip short to issue a dramatic evacuation warning to Tehran, escalating tensions with Iran amid rising hostilities with Israel. As nuclear threats loom and generals fall at record pace, Trump says he’s “not in the mood to negotiate”—but also floats backchannel talks. Meanwhile, he launches Trump Mobile with the $499 “T-One” phone and a $47.45/month plan referencing his...

Patrick Gutfield unpacks America’s "fertility crisis" as Trump declares himself the “Fertilization President” and floats a $1,000 baby bonus—because diapers apparently cost three bucks? Meanwhile, JD Vance thinks cat ladies shouldn’t vote, and Trump’s solution to low birth rates is… less immigration. Across the globe, China is locking down AI tools like Tencent and ByteDance during the gaokao exam...

On Trump's 79th birthday, thousands protested across all 50 states under the banner "No Kings"—while Trump marked the day with tanks, robot dogs, and a full-blown military parade. Patrick Gutfield breaks down the tear gas, the fireworks, the Vanilla Ice references, and the presidential ego trip that had all of Washington shaking. Come for the sass, stay for the sanity—and blame the A.I. for the jo...

Operation Rising Lion is the untold story of one of history's most audacious intelligence campaigns, narrated by the man who lived it. Marcus Cole spent twenty years coordinating Mossad's most sensitive operations. Now, at 52, he's ready to tell the story that's haunted him for seven years—how a midnight heist in Tehran sparked a shadow war that prevented nuclear catastrophe and cost him everythin...

President Trump contiunyes a dizzying week by paving over the Rose Garden—for high heels' sake—while launching personal flagpoles, gold Oval Office updates, and a ballroom “compliments of a man known as Donald J. Trump.” Meanwhile, he's prepping a massive birthday military parade to outshine the Pope, proposing to shut down FEMA duringhurricane season, and bringing back Confederate base names—sort...

Everything you need to know about Trump's June 14 military parade in Washington DC. Get the inside details on the $45 million cost, 18 miles of security fencing, parade route from 23rd to 15th Street, how 120 chairs became 28 tanks, and why the Army's 250th birthday celebration requires inauguration-level security. Plus: the real timeline of how this event grew from Biden-era planning to Trump's m...

Governor Gavin Newsom sues Trump over military deployments in LA as protests over immigration heat up. Trump fires back, suggesting Newsom should be arrested. Meanwhile, JD Vance plays peacemaker between Trump and Elon Musk, Marines wait in Seal Beach, and Gavin maybe kicks off his 2028 campaign a little early. Plus, a deep dive into the horrifying health inspection score at Trump National Golf Cl...

Marines in LA? Dr. Phil on ICE raids? Trump and Elon in a billionaire brawl that’s nuking Tesla’s stock? Oh, and gas stations now serve pizza better than your local pizzeria. In today’s episode, we break down the chaos: President Trump sends 700 Marines to Los Angeles, Gavin Newsom tells him to bring it on, and somehow Dr. Phil gets involved. Meanwhile, Elon Musk and Trump are in a full-on feud th...

Breaking down the Los Angeles immigration protests that turned violent, Governor Gavin Newsom's lawsuit against Trump's unauthorized National Guard deployment, and the bizarre TSA announcement that Costco membership cards don't count as valid travel ID. From downtown LA clashes to constitutional law battles, here's what's really happening in California's standoff with the federal government - plus...

Feuds: Power, Pride, and Payback takes you inside the most explosive conflicts between the world's most powerful people. From Hollywood legends to political titans, tech billionaires to music superstars, we explore the psychology behind epic battles that captivate the public and reshape industries. When current events heat up—presidential administrations fracturing over policy, tech moguls clashin...

The bromance is dead, the knives are out, and four astronauts might be collateral damage. Donald Trump and Elon Musk just had the most expensive Twitter spat in history—complete with threats to cancel government contracts, wipe out Tesla’s market cap, and even strand astronauts in space. Elon dragged Epstein files into it. Trump threatened deportation. Stephen Bannon is sharpening pitchforks. And...

From North Korea, where our show is now apparently the state-sponsored podcast of choice, this is Ballot. We’re diving into Kim Jong Un’s latest tech paranoia: a smartphone that autocorrects your slang to propaganda and takes screenshots for the government every five minutes. Big Brother just updated his OS.Then: Trump gives himself a portrait do-over because his first one made him look like a Bon...

From Washington, D.C., where apparently we're all amateur meteorologists now, this is Ballot. Today we talk about the massive Saharan dust cloud blanketing the Caribbean like it booked a long weekend on JetBlue, and how it's dimming the sun, irritating lungs, and reminding Florida that yes, weather can be worse. Then: Trump flirts with the idea of pardoning Diddy—yes, that Diddy—and 50 Cent jumps...

Canada's wildfires are causing smoky skies from coast to coast, with smoke reaching as far south as Florida. But wait, is it Biden or one of his clones behind it? Meanwhile, Mount Etna erupts in Sicily, and the acting head of FEMA has a disaster of his own. Don't miss the latest antics of Trump and his social media obsession. Get the rundown on these fiery, smoky, and controversial events. Come fo...

In this episode, we dive into the absurdity of Trump’s ambitious plan to build a National Garden of American Heroes—250 statues by next year, but it’s already facing serious roadblocks from sculpture experts. We also unpack the quirks of Gen Z and their bar tab anxiety—because apparently, leaving a tab open is just too much commitment. Meanwhile, Goodyear celebrates a century of their blimp with a...

United Airlines is making passengers check in 15 minutes earlier, but will it really help with delays? Meanwhile, Turkey cracks down on early standers during landing with fines, tackling a major airplane etiquette issue. As summer approaches, the U.S. braces for another heatwave with the West facing droughts and the East dealing with humidity. Get the scoop on travel chaos, airplane behavior, and...

President Trump is sending mixed signals on Russia, going from praising Vladimir Putin as a "nice gentleman" to accusing him of "playing with fire" amid stalled peace negotiations. Meanwhile, RFK Jr. stirs controversy by removing COVID vaccine recommendations for pregnant women and children, without informing the CDC. French President Emmanuel Macron and his wife Brigitte create a viral moment wit...

President Trump steps in to pardon Todd and Julie Chrisley, reality TV stars convicted of tax evasion and fraud. The White House calls it a second chance for "unfairly targeted" Americans, but critics aren't so sure. Meanwhile, Trump stirs the pot with Canada, offering them free missile defense protection if they become the U.S.'s 51st state—though Canada’s prime minister is having none of it. Las...

Scientists say it’s already too late to stop the polar ice caps from melting. But sure, go ahead and drop $39 million on Obama’s Martha’s Vineyard estate—it comes with ocean views, emphasis on ocean. Plus, archaeologists in Naples open a sealed 2,000-year-old tomb, because clearly no one has ever seen a mummy movie. The climate is doomed, real estate is absurd, and history wants a word. Hosted by...