The Rick Smith Show

On today’s Rick Smith Show, labor reporter Michael Sainato discussed the profound impact of recent ICE raids on workers, highlighting the fear and economic instability these operations create for immigrant communities and their employers. Investigative journalist Greg Palast then explored the fallout from the Trump-Musk breakup, analyzing its political and social implications, and what it reveals...

The Rick Smith Show features Phil Glover, AFGE Vice President, and Sam Newton, communications director of the Democratic Governors Association, discussing Donald Trump’s attacks on workers and the poor. Guests highlight threats to federal worker protections, union rights, and essential public services under Trump’s policies.  Don’t miss our daily TV show on Free Speech TV:  www.freespeech.org Fin...

Rick talks Trump overreach and bad trade policy Advertising Inquiries: https://redcircle.com/brands Privacy & Opt-Out: https://redcircle.com/privacy

Rick talks One Big Beautiful Nightmare bill with Bobby Kogan from the Center for American Progress and Trump DOL Apprenticeship funding with LIUNA's John LeConche. Advertising Inquiries: https://redcircle.com/brands Privacy & Opt-Out: https://redcircle.com/privacy

Rick Smith shares a working-class perspective on America’s unraveling social safety net. He recounts encounters with homeless individuals, highlighting how government cuts to Medicaid, housing, and food assistance leave vulnerable people behind. Smith blames decades of pro-wealthy policies, urging collective action to restore dignity and support for struggling Americans. Advertising Inquiries: htt...

So it looks like the next mayor of New York City is going to be a Democratic Socialist, and everyone who does politics for a living is freaking out about it. We discuss the campaign that brought us Zohran Mamdani and the policies and energy that he's promising to bring to NYC. Our guests are comedian and podcaster Pete Dominick and Scott Paul of The Alliance for American Manufacturing. Don’t m...

He doesn't know what he doesn't know. That may be the best way to describe Trump "discovering" that Middle East conflicts are complicated, and you can't just waltz in and drop a few bombs and change the dynamics. But this is what happens when the president watches Fox News - Fox News becomes US foreign policy, and that should scare us all. Veteran and podcast host Rich Ojeda is...

Some may have missed Trump's odd rant against national holidays, when he said that there are too many holidays and that all of us need to work more than we already do. But the fact he said this on Juneteenth isn't a coincidence. And while Trump's racism is pretty easy to see these days, it should not be missed that he also seems to think that working people have it too easy. Like we al...

After campaigning as the "no more wars" candidate, Trump has just started another foreign war. That makes his promise worth the same as his promise to bring down prices, or the promise to end the Ukraine War in 24 hours. Literally nothing he promised has happened, and in most cases, he did the opposite of what he said he would do. Is this enough to break MAGA? Maybe. We spend some time dis...

While our media is busy ranting about Iran, the GOP is busy doing what they do best - stealing. The new crypto bill moving through Congress is set to do exactly what every GOP bill does, make it easy for rich people to make money and even easier for working class folks to lose money. We discuss this and much more with special guest Morris Pearl of The Patriotic Millionaires. Don’t miss our daily T...

It seems that our wealth class will never run out of ways to steal from the rest of us. Their latest legislative nightmare is about crypto currency, and it is sure to do what every other GOP law does - remove money from working people and put it in the hands of the immorally rich. Meanwhile, the rest of us get cuts and a loss of the benefits our hard work pays for. We discuss this and more with Al...

Unfortunately, cruelty is now commonplace in America, and we start today's show with an example of it in our healthcare system. Then we are joined by two special guests - Marcus Chambers of The Communications Workers of America (CWA) and Daniel Rangel of Rethink Trade. Join us as we try to sort out the policy, make sense of the lies and deception, and find our way back to some sense of communi...

Many in America are actively looking for ways out of the mess we have created for ourselves, and we should be looking to labor for the answers. Today we speak to two union leaders - John Schleuss of Newsguild and Josh Zivalich of the Teamsters - about where we are, and about how solidarity is the way back to the America we remember. Don’t miss our daily TV show on Free Speech TV:  www.freespeech.o...

After yet another act of hate by the right-wing hate machine, lawmakers are beginning to endorse the violence. At least two US Senators are blaming the death of Minnesota legislators on Democrats, even though the perpetrator is a lifelong Republican and avid Trump supporter. Unfortunately, the lack of any condemnation of the acts means that more violence is almost certainly on the way. Our guests...

The Trump Administration may is trying to look tough by assaulting a US Senator, but their weakness is on full display now that Israel has defied the regime by attacking Iran and killing any chance of a nuclear deal that Trump thought would bring him a Nobel Prize. This clown car of an administration just can't seem to do anything right ... and working families are the ones paying the price. O...

Trump's immigration crackdown may be playing well with his base, but that base is shrinking and the rest of us are rising up to oppose his many abuses of our Constitution. With the "No Kings" protest coming soon, we discuss the state of American democracy with longtime friends Matias Vernengo of Bucknell University, and former GOp Congressman Bob Ney. Don’t miss our daily TV show on Fr...

Trump is leaning into the authoritarian use of our military, and he's banking on the assumption that middle America will see him as strong for doing so. And he may be right. Our guests today are Arthur Stamoulis of the Citizens Trade Campaign, and Mike Lux of American Family Voices. Don’t miss our daily TV show on Free Speech TV:  www.freespeech.org Find us on: ·       DirecTV (Channel 348) · ...

Trump just sent the Marines into Los Angeles because that's what authoritarians do. He's sending soldiers to face off against peaceful protesters because it isn't violence he fears - it's dissent that scares him. America is on the brink, folks, and how this ends is anyone's guess. Scott Paul of The Alliance for American Manufacturing and Dave Midland of The Center for American...

Less than 6 months into Trump's term, and we're kidnapping people off the streets and sending them to prisons in random countries, the economy is faltering, and now we're arresting judges, members of Congress, and union presidents. If you don't think fascism has fully arrived in America, then you're not paying attention. Sarah Burris of Raw Story is our guest. Don’t miss our da...

Elect a clown - expect a circus. That's about all we can say about the latest Trump/Musk feud. But while the mean girls are squabbling, the rest of us are stuck with a government that can't do anything at all to make our live better. Maybe we should have thought this one through before voting last November. Today we are joined by Henry Burke of The Revolving Door Project and Scott Paul of...

After Joni Ernst angered Iowans with her "We're all going to die" nonsense, one of our favorite Iowans has decided to fight back. JD Scholten, progressive Democrat and longtime friend of the program has stepped up, and we couldn't be happier about it. JD joins us on today's show, and so does union leader Johnny Jones of AFGE. Get ready for an hour of policy talk for working fam...

It appears that the presidential bromance is over, as Elon leaves the White House and takes to Twitter to bash Trump's "big, beautiful bill." For anyone who pays attention to Trumpworld, this is just how it goes, but for the American working people, this is just more nonsense that we are going to end up paying for. Our guests today are Jeff Hauser of The Revolving Door Project, and Mic...

Every day now feels like just one more step closer to authoritarianism, but while it is here and terrible, American are fighting back. But new attacks happen every day, and we must be ready for them. Our guests today are Ryan Mulholland of The Center for American Progress, and Will Attig of The United Veterans Council. Don’t miss our daily TV show on Free Speech TV:  www.freespeech.org Find us on:...

Don’t miss our daily TV show on Free Speech TV:  www.freespeech.org Find us on: ·       DirecTV (Channel 348) ·       Dish (Channel 269) ·       Sling ·       Roku ·       Apple TV ·       Amazon Fire TV ·       Get the FSTV iOS app  HERE Did you miss last night’s show? Miss part of the #RickShow on your local radio station? Want to listen at work, or around the house? Download the podcast on our...

Tacos tacos everywhere. The memes are all over the internet, and for those who don't know the meaning of it, it means "Trump Always Chickens Out" and he earned the acronym by talking tough and acting weak, which is nothing new. However, it looks like Trumpworld is very upset by the jab at Trump's ego, but so far, Mr. "Art of the Deal" hasn't been able to shake off the i...