Trump’s Middle East Tour: Saudi Love & Syrian Forgiveness

In this jam-packed episode of Pardon the Politics, Jeezy and Manny break down Trump’s whirlwind Middle East tour, from his $600B arms deal with Saudi Arabia to a 1.4 trillion dollar AI partnership with the UAE. Was this diplomacy or just another reality show? The hosts tackle everything from the Qatar Boeing jet scandal to the controversial lifting of sanctions on Syria and the implications for Iran and Israel. Why did Trump snub Israel? And what does it mean that he’s rekindling nuclear talks with Iran?

Meanwhile, back in the States, Walmart and Apple push back on Trump’s trade “truce” with China, hinting that price hikes may still be coming for everyday Americans. Is this economic relief or a temporary PR stunt?

With hilarious commentary, deep dives, and hot takes, this episode is a must-listen for anyone trying to make sense of global politics in 2025. Grab a snack (maybe not from Walmart) and tune in!

Transcript

WEBVTT
1
Jeezy: Go ahead and pull it up.
2
Manny: Hold on! Hold on for a second! Let me get this swig.
3
Manny: Alright
4
Manny: Halle! Hallo!
5
Manny: Hey, honey, I know. Hey! We getting there! I.
6
Jeezy: Hey? We didn't let that.
7
Manny: I've seen it in my life.
8
Manny: A millionaire, we getting there.
9
Jeezy: Hey!
10
Manny: A.
11
Jeezy: We get that money, shout out to Donald, trump.
12
Manny: Bruh.
13
Jeezy: Yes, sir, yes, sir, yes, sir, we back with another episode. So, Hello, world, Hello, world, welcome back to another episode of pardon, the politics. Podcast we are in season 2 episode 20
14
Jeezy: 20 episodes. Man, it don't feel like it. Bro.
15
Jeezy: 20 episodes this year. Yes, it does.
16
Jeezy: You're right.
17
Manny: Yes, it does.
18
Manny: It does feel like you. Right? What does that mean? I'm tired, boss.
19
Jeezy: Tired. I'm tired, Grandpa.
20
Jeezy: Dude man. Keep digging.
21
Manny: Again. I did not see this presidency being this lit, this long, this quickly, but here we are.
22
Jeezy: This. This is a this is a fast moving vehicle that is moving at such a speed that I cannot comprehend nor fathom, so shout out to our listeners, Welcome back to another episode again. Season 2. Episode 20. So I am your host, jeezy co-host, Jeezy, along with my brother and my partner in politics. Manny Manny, how you doing? My brother.
23
Manny: Brother, I'm I'm still vertical and still above room temperature.
24
Jeezy: Hey, hey? I'm glad to hear that, brother. We are here back with another episode that is filled with
25
Jeezy: plenty of spotlights, scandals, and political drama. At this point. Bro, it feels as though we're living in a reality. TV show.
26
Jeezy: right?
27
Manny: Well, speaking of reality, TV shows you you saw the national Homeland Security.
28
Jeezy: Oh, Bro.
29
Manny: From from the makers of Duck dynasty.
30
Jeezy: Brought to you by the makers of duck, dynasty and Lizard Lick.
31
Manny: I.
32
Manny: But well, and here's what's Wild Lizard Lake.
33
Jeezy: From.
34
Manny: Wizard Liktoi is probably like 5 min from where I'm at.
35
Manny: Oh, Bruh! That's crazy! That is crazy.
36
Manny: So so I did. I project that we would be in the hunger games this soon. And no, no, I thought that was, I thought that was last year last the last year. The administration would be no, no.
37
Jeezy: No, we right to it?
38
Manny: Right to it. 5 months in.
39
Jeezy: And for our listeners. This is not our 1st topic, so that should.
40
Manny: It's not.
41
Jeezy: How, how.
42
Manny: It's not.
43
Jeezy: How heavy the political salad is filled with croutons and cheese and tomatoes. There's so much that's going on that I mean, it's just crazy. But if you're not aware of what my brother is speaking of, there was talks by homeland security, the pageantry and the performative Miss Noam stated that there is a possibility of a reality TV show
44
Jeezy: where immigrants can compete.
45
Jeezy: Get that.
46
Jeezy: It's a good.
47
Manny: The us fast pass.
48
Jeezy: Right what timeline.
49
Manny: I'm always.
50
Jeezy: The end? And can the fantastic 4.
51
Manny: Thanos, Doctor Strange and Tony Stark, please help us. Help.
52
Jeezy: Somebody
53
Jeezy: just want our listeners understand. That is just a wild concept that the the people who are running our government think that this is a good idea, but I digress.
54
Manny: In their defense in their defense. They said they said allegedly that they get hundreds of ideas for game shows, documentaries all these things, and they fully vet each one.
55
Manny: To which I say, why.
56
Manny: sometimes you should just see some stuff and be like, you know what? This probably isn't a good idea.
57
Jeezy: Yeah, this sounds like the equivalent of letting my 5 year old plan a family vacation every year. Yeah.
58
Jeezy: that's smart.
59
Jeezy: Yeah, let's do this. Yeah, we'll take all these ideas seriously.
60
Manny: Absolutely.
61
Jeezy: Anyway.
62
Manny: Anyways, that that was completely not our 1st time.
63
Jeezy: That was our 1st political rant of the day.
64
Manny: Thank you far thanks for joining us on this segue.
65
Jeezy: Yep. So, as you guys know, we're here with another episode, and our 1st topic on the docket is if you can tell by our intro music that President Donald Trump got out of the White House, got off the golf course and he got on a plane.
66
Manny: Do the work for the American people.
67
Jeezy: American people. And where did he go? He went on a four-day tour to the Middle East man.
68
Jeezy: The 1st place he went to, and we're going to break this down.
69
Jeezy: The 1st place he went to was none other than Saudi Arabia. So Trump's tour commenced in Rada. And I'm gonna tell you guys, right now I am from Eastern North Carolina.
70
Jeezy: and I'm going to tell you, upfront, that I am probably at some shape, form, or fashion during this episode in this segment, going to butcher the Middle East name so for our listeners that we have a couple that listen in the Middle East.
71
Manny: We do this is no disrespect.
72
Jeezy: Oh! Disrespect!
73
Manny: We we just we we don't know the insane issue.
74
Jeezy: I'm just a country man from Eastern North Carolina, and the hardest pronunciation we have in Eastern North Carolina is trying to explain why cone toe is spelled it, said Kanita. So take that for what you will. But his tour commenced in Rada, where he announced a monumental 6
75
Jeezy: be 600 billion.
76
Manny: Ian.
77
Jeezy: Saudi investment in the Us. Spanning over defense, over energy and infrastructure sectors. So the deal includes a hundred 42 billion dollars arms package marking the largest Us. Defense cooperation agreed to date. So with this being said, how
78
Jeezy: does this signify a shift towards economic diplomacy or over military in
79
Jeezy: intervention in my mind. I think that when you, when you look at a deal of this magnitude made with Saudi Arabia.
80
Jeezy: what implications! And that's probably going to be the basis of what we're going to talk about in this segment over this Middle East tour. Middle Eastern tour is what is the significance of all of these deals that are done
81
Jeezy: with an area with a region that globally
82
Jeezy: isn't trusted as as we would probably as trump, has kind of displayed in this tour. I think it was. What's his name? From Louisiana? Senator Kelly.
83
Manny: Yep.
84
Jeezy: He. He made a funny comedy, and he's always hilarious to me.
85
Manny: That man stayed, fed up.
86
Jeezy: Right. He stayed fed up. Oh, he said, that I trust Saudi Arabia as much as I trust, a public bathroom. So when you think of this, this 1st stop and this deal made with Saudi Arabia for 600 billion dollars investment commitment. What does this signal to us as far as the Trump Administration's stance on the partnership and relationships with the Middle East.
87
Manny: Well, I think it's I think you have to step back, because I think what Saudi Arabia is doing is larger than this one deal. I think this is part of their whole, bigger, broader strategy. Where, if you watch Saudi Arabia over the last, let's say 5 years post-covid 5 years
88
Manny: before. Let's go pre-covid. I feel like that's a good good way to kind of segment it out. Pre-covid Saudi Arabia oil and oil alone.
89
Jeezy: Yeah.
90
Manny: Like. And I think even even through the Biden Administration, the the relationship between Saudi Arabia and the Us. Was largely. You provide us cheap oil.
91
Manny: We'll provide you security, and that like that was the deal. You, Saudi Arabia and Opec, will make sure that y'all still get oil for cheap for cheap, but we y'all make sure that no one's messing with us.
92
Manny: and it's largely held but what you what you've seen over the last 5 years, and we were lightly talking about it like beforehand. You know Wwe goes there every year to put on a big event. You've seen what they did with the Lvi Golf League.
93
Jeezy: Yeah, yeah, yeah.
94
Manny: See what they did with Mbappe, throwing him stupid money to come play soccer there. Saudi Arabia has been branding itself or trying to brand itself as this new
95
Manny: place of the future.
96
Manny: so now you turn to this deal, and 1st being one of the largest that we've had.
97
Manny: it's largely like you said, not really focused on energy. It's focused on security. It's focused on weapons. It's focused on it.
98
Manny: So I think with them, it's continually to like. Hey? Think when you think of Saudi Arabia? Just don't think about oil. Think about coming to vacation here, thinking about them investing in properties and companies like. So I think that is, that is, from their side, their change. And I think now you go from the Biden Administration that was very cautious and value based
99
Manny: to the trump administration, where it's a very warm personal, transactional relationship.
100
Jeezy: Yeah.
101
Manny: What is.
102
Jeezy: Kind of wild from my standpoint that we didn't. I don't think anyone should be shocked that we didn't hear from it from the administration, but even from the media.
103
Manny: Saudi Arabia allegedly, I'll say allegedly, because I I don't know for sure.
104
Manny: was involved with the the vicious murder
105
Manny: of a New York times journalist not too long ago.
106
Manny: and we heard almost nothing about that, and if we did so, you know.
107
Manny: Saudi, I would believe, looking all the tensions in the in the Middle East. I think us also sees Saudi Arabia as a big, a big key in trying to reel in Iran.
108
Manny: So I think this is, and sorry.
109
Manny: The the journalist who was murdered was Jamal Khashoggi. I hope I said the name right. Probably didn't charge charge.
110
Jeezy: Read Bible.
111
Manny: Yeah, you know who I'm talking about.
112
Manny: So for for that piece. And then here.
113
Manny: here's my question. Jeez, okay, if you look at the top 5
114
Manny: or even top 10 weapons and defense contractors in the world.
115
Manny: Top 5 are us.
116
Manny: We make a lot of money off of selling weapons.
117
Jeezy: Yeah.
118
Manny: And if we make so much money off of selling weapons, is it really in our interest for peace.
119
Manny: or is it the the peace through strength. Hey? I'm not. Gonna I'm not going to fire at you because you know the weapons I got.
120
Manny: and it's.
121
Jeezy: What Tony Stark had a problem with. In the 1st place.
122
Manny: No, no, no, Tony Stark said. The best weapon
123
Manny: to have is the weapon that you only have to fire once, which is the us's strategy.
124
Manny: Okay, there's notice.
125
Manny: Ain't. Ain't no one really messed with us.
126
Jeezy: Yeah, yeah. So if you giving me this, then I can obviously assume.
127
Manny: You forget what we did in Japan.
128
Manny: You forget that the weapon that you have to fire once that was Tony Stark's stance.
129
Manny: So I think it is. It is interesting to.
130
Manny: There's something that's undertoning this entire trip. But we'll say that, for after we hit all the parts of the trip. Yeah, so yeah, definitely. And then to see, I'll hit this man. Trump was fawning over
131
Manny: that Saudi leadership man.
132
Jeezy: Bruh.
133
Manny: It. It was low key, embarrassing.
134
Jeezy: It was Bro.
135
Manny: I'm sorry, and not even low key it was, it happens
136
Manny: it was very embarrassing. Man like, Come on, man.
137
Manny: now, great for the us. I think maybe I mean, 600 600 billion is not nothing.
138
Manny: That is, that is a whole lot of money to be invested in the us. So I think, from a from our economy standpoint, you know. Great, but but at what cost.
139
Jeezy: Yeah. And that's what my thought was to. At what? At what cost of this? And then what is the timetable of this in of this investment?
140
Manny: Could be. Tomorrow could be over the next 15 years.
141
Jeezy: Yeah, because my view is after this Presidency. If it's over a long standing time, which I kind of feel like, it maybe is.
142
Jeezy: what is the approach and stance of the next administration?
143
Jeezy: And then, what with this decision, and what trump is doing in the Middle East? How will this impact and effect affect the Us. Foreign policy priorities in the Middle East. Because I feel like this kind of
144
Jeezy: this type of commitment almost changes everything for anybody that comes afterwards.
145
Manny: Because you can't roll this back.
146
Jeezy: Not cleanly. No, no, no, no, no, yeah, not cleanly whatsoever. So that that will be interesting to see
147
Jeezy: with the Administration that trump has that their approach to the Middle East. How this will impact, how we go forward in in the next few administrations with approaching the Middle East, so something to look out for, so.
148
Manny: I think it's going to be very interesting to see how
149
Manny: how Saudi Arabia is viewed in the Us. Yeah. Like, would I go to Saudi Arabia on vacation.
150
Jeezy: Yeah.
151
Manny: Maybe
152
Manny: maybe I mean, but it's hot there last time I went someplace really, really high is when when we went to Houston.
153
Manny: am I.
154
Jeezy: Saudi Arabia is anything like Houston.
155
Manny: But my! My radiator ain't built for that. It's just not built for that. So.
156
Jeezy: Do we see much of trump outside in Saudi Arabia.
157
Manny: No, I think the only time I remember really seeing him outside in Saudi Arabia was him coming off of Air Force one shaking hands, you know, and everything else. He was inside.
158
Jeezy: But I had to get they had to get him in one of them. Re, those refrigerator coolers Bro.
159
Manny: That's hard. Yeah. Look, if there's 1 thing that I can say with a hundred percent confidence that me and trump got in common, it was probably the desire to immediately be in the cool.
160
Manny: Yes, sir, but it was I.
161
Manny: The other part, I'll say, about Saudi Arabia, the economic form that they had
162
Manny: trump spent a good portion of that again fawning.
163
Manny: Saudi Arabia is hot, they're hot. There's no one. I thought I was hot, but not though. Do you guys are hot.
164
Jeezy: Have a high.
165
Manny: Come on, Bro. I'm like.
166
Jeezy: My.
167
Manny: Bro. Is no one as great as him. I thought it was me, but it's him like.
168
Jeezy: Yeah, bro.
169
Manny: Bro, that's embarrassing.
170
Jeezy: You over there salivating bro like. Come on, man! All I heard every time trump was on pause. Bro.
171
Manny: Okay.
172
Jeezy: Act like you've been here for one.
173
Manny: Right man.
174
Manny: Where is it? Every 9?
175
Manny: Well, if there was not one moment we needed him to carry big us energy.
176
Jeezy: It will be.
177
Manny: Just like that. That's the time I want you to carry big us energy like.
178
Jeezy: Yeah.
179
Manny: America first.st That was not that they did not give America 1st vibes.
180
Jeezy: No, you can't be over there fantasizing and salivating. Bro. You you need to be. Be strong. Bro.
181
Manny: Maybe 2.
182
Jeezy: Well, after after that. So Saudi Arabia stop! He made another stop to Qatar, and in Duha
183
Jeezy: Trump unveiled a 96
184
Jeezy: 1 billion dollar agreement with Qatar Airways to purchase up to 210 boeing jets touted as Boeing's largest, ever wide body
185
Jeezy: order. So in this deed in this deal. It is projected to support approximately
186
Jeezy: 400,000 Us. Jobs. So controversy in this deal obviously arose because in this deal they gifted trump a 400 billion dollars, Boeing, 747, 8 jet to trump, intended for future use as Air Force one.
187
Jeezy: or for his Presidency library. And there in the media they were calling this jet, not Air Force one, but Allah force one.
188
Jeezy: So my question is, is accepting such a gift, a breach
189
Jeezy: of of any clause, of any any imagination, is is this presidential of a give of this magnitude?
190
Jeezy: Because, you know, ethics comes into mind.
191
Manny: I mean, but you know.
192
Jeezy: Foreign diplomacy.
193
Manny: What what is ethics in in 2025.
194
Manny: So, okay, so.
195
Jeezy: Got a point.
196
Manny: Let's break down this plane 1st off. Yeah, I was like, this is wild. But you know, like most things as you. If you wait long enough. More details will come out.
197
Jeezy: Becks.
198
Manny: And it came out that Qatar had this plane built for one of its princes who ain't won it
199
Manny: so.
200
Jeezy: Hold on! Hold on! Hold on! Hold on! Hold on! They built. They built this palace in the sky.
201
Jeezy: Homie said.
202
Manny: No, I'm good.
203
Jeezy: No.
204
Manny: I'm good.
205
Manny: So apparently, this jet went on. Sale
206
Manny: in 2021, 2020. They've been trying to sell this thing.
207
Jeezy: There was an article that came out talking about the sale of this jet.
208
Manny: And to which, in 2021, the author said.
209
Manny: I wonder who this will ultimately be gifted to?
210
Manny: Well, we got our answer is cause you you got.
211
Manny: Think of a 400 million dollars. Plane has to be expensive to upkeep.
212
Jeezy: Oh, facts!
213
Manny: So they're probably just leaking money
214
Manny: trying to trying to keep this up. So a low key feel not even low key, high key again. Trump like you, you taking another person's trash, really.
215
Jeezy: Yep, and I think I see him. Reference this that was like. He tried to reference this to golf, and was like, you know, if a person gives you a give, gives you a putt, you take it, and you say Thank you, and you move on. You don't argue with him, and it's like.
216
Manny: Oh!
217
Jeezy: I don't know if that I don't know if that hits, you know.
218
Manny: And we have the whole logistics of it.
219
Jeezy: And see. That's that was my mindset cause it's like
220
Jeezy: to bring this 1st of all
221
Jeezy: who flew over there with you. That's gonna bring this jet back.
222
Manny: Oh, it's already to my understanding. It was already here in the Us.
223
Jeezy: Before he left.
224
Manny: Before he left. I believe it's in Florida right now.
225
Jeezy: Bro.
226
Manny: And it's already been said they're going to have to strip this airport airplane.
227
Jeezy: Yeah, yeah, yeah.
228
Manny: All the way down, and then re-put it back together, and from an estimate I saw, they said, the new Air Force ones that trump ordered in his 1st administration will be delivered before this one is ready to go.
229
Jeezy: Bro, that's insane.
230
Manny: I'm like. So we're about to spend how much money taking apart this jigsaw puzzle and putting it back together.
231
Jeezy: Bruh! I never!
232
Jeezy: I would never accept a gift that I got to fix like I'm I'm not accepting that, and and I think that people should be aware, as Americans.
233
Jeezy: that we're paying.
234
Manny: Oh, yeah.
235
Jeezy: So we just we just wasted. We took a gift, and then our money is going to
236
Jeezy: do whatever needs to be done logistically, to make sure that this plane is safe for the President of the United States.
237
Jeezy: and then ultimately it may just sit in the library.
238
Manny: Yeah, well, and I look, I don't believe this will sit in the library.
239
Jeezy: I. Bro. If he flies.
240
Manny: I believe he is going. We all know trump Force one his his big jet with trump. I think they're gonna repaint it, and that's about to be. And I'm not mad at it completely. I'm like, Yeah.
241
Jeezy: Yeah, I'm not. But don't use the taxpayer dollars to do it.
242
Manny: Yes, also that.
243
Manny: But you know we're here now.
244
Jeezy: We are here now.
245
Jeezy: gonna do that, I mean, can we do like a like bezos with his, with his with his rocket ship going up in the sky, can I? Can I get an Airbnb listing where I can kind of sleep up there for a night like.
246
Manny: But when you, when you come in from from DC down to Raleigh, can, can I just hop on?
247
Manny: Yeah, yeah, I got. I got him. Yeah, I'll just take one normal seats, man.
248
Manny: Here, I think what is also lost on the whole visit to Qatar
249
Manny: 1st off Qatar is right there. Next to Iran, they they share a border.
250
Manny: but we have one of our largest military bases in Qatar.
251
Manny: that, and we've had it for years, and let's also not forget, you know the role that Qatar has also played in trying to get the negotiations done to end the violence in Israel. So Qatar has been with us for a while.
252
Manny: but what was also lost is, while he was there they he signed a 1 1.2 trillion dollars
253
Manny: over the next decade from Qatar to the Us.
254
Jeezy: Bro.
255
Manny: And here's how that's breaking down about 250 billion around defense and security. You know, another 200 billion with aviation. So that's part of the Boeing deal. And to pause on that for a second, like Boeing has needed some help.
256
Manny: You know. You can't have multiple planes crash, and then a door just pop off a plane. Right?
257
Manny: They said. Sales had gone down to almost 0. So this definitely breathes some life into Boeing. So definitely some help there. 300 billion in infrastructure. So there's going to be major Us. Investments in Qatari, natural gas transport and storage.
258
Manny: real estate development, healthcare and biotech
259
Manny: and sporting events. So sporting events, there's 30 billion. But the the one quiet piece about that that, I think, is going to be major to watch how this plays out is this 150 billion that's targeted for a joint AI training center.
260
Manny: Now, the to run these AI centers. You need very high processing AI chips at like Nvidia stuff that they just can't get. Yeah. So
261
Manny: if you're doing it jointly with the Us. That then gets all that access
262
Manny: to these chips to this processing power.
263
Manny: This could be a transformational deal for Qatar and the Us. Just just in the AI space.
264
Manny: So the quiet and this one was done quietly, so quietly, because we were all focused on.
265
Jeezy: That big old jab.
266
Manny: Big old plane there, a lot of money going back and forth between the Us and Qatar. So
267
Manny: like, there's 80 billion for a joint pharmacy, pharmaceutical production facilities in the Us.
268
Manny: Yeah, the Qatari Foundation is going to be establishing a Us. Research wing on genomics.
269
Manny: So a lot a lot came from Qatar. Now.
270
Manny: everyone's still focused on the plane. But Qatar has done a lot for us, and I think
271
Manny: some of this investment is also a future payment for Qatar.
272
Manny: because there's some stuff pops off with with with Iran.
273
Jeezy: We need to trust you.
274
Manny: Oh, there, we need to trust you. We have one of your biggest bases. So we we're going to need you to just also do what we tell you to do.
275
Jeezy: Yeah.
276
Manny: So I think this one will definitely be some, some cause. But
277
Manny: yeah. And then a large portion of those defense funds will also modernize the Us. Military presence at Al Udeid is the Us. Air base there, so.
278
Jeezy: Well, it sounds like with the deal that's been made.
279
Jeezy: Guitar. It sounds like it was in
280
Jeezy: mine is mine is the gift of the plane. I think it was in the best interest.
281
Jeezy: potentially for the United States
282
Jeezy: especially with some of the details of us having that that large air base, and some of those things are
283
Jeezy: beneficial, especially to the trajectory of where the Middle East will be
284
Jeezy: in the future, and the instability that may be going on, and the uncertainty that's going on that we have somewhere, or someone that we know we can count on, that is a partner in the region.
285
Manny: Yep.
286
Jeezy: So I think I think that's major so I think that we can say
287
Jeezy: that we're gonna we're gonna put a green check beside Qatar.
288
Manny: I mean we got to. We, you know. There again always been warm and friendly with us like.
289
Manny: Been a key ally for us, so it doesn't freak me out as much, but it.
290
Jeezy: Watch it.
291
Manny: We gotta watch it. We gotta watch it.
292
Jeezy: You know
293
Jeezy: this, I think you take away the plane. Yeah. And I think that's a completely different other feeling.
294
Jeezy: Yeah, yeah, yeah. Yeah. Yeah. Facts.
295
Jeezy: Okay? Well, we're going to move to the next region, which is the Uae trump, concluded his tour of the Uae, announcing a 1 point
296
Jeezy: 4 trillion dollars investment over the next decade. In Us. Artificial intelligence sectors, he plans the plans actually include constructing the largest AI data center outside the Us. Spanning over 10 square miles in Abu Dhabi. So with this partnership in AI investment with Uae, could this partnership position the Uae as a global AI leader.
297
Manny: Yeah, absolutely. Could.
298
Jeezy: Yeah.
299
Manny: Absolutely, and it is the here we go.
300
Jeezy: Do I say? Do I? Do? I need to queue somewhere.
301
Manny: Get it, get it warmed up. Get it warmed up.
302
Manny: Pause.
303
Manny: One thing that I believe that the Administration has done
304
Manny: is really lean into technology and really lean into AI and crypto.
305
Manny: But.
306
Manny: brother, this this, how we about to get the Terminator technology, this is this is where.
307
Jeezy: Say the Terminator technique.
308
Jeezy: Oh, right?
309
Manny: My biggest concern over all this investment is.
310
Manny: what are the rules like? This is
311
Manny: Pope. Pope. Bobby even called out, like, Hey, we need a we need to be careful with this AI thing like, what are the rules?
312
Manny: I'm gonna say, it was rumor. I'm gonna say, rumor, I've it's been a long time since I read or saw this, but
313
Manny: there was. It was rumored that when Chat Gpt
314
Manny: the company, Openai tried to release their newest model, for this is widely used right now
315
Manny: that 3 saw it and was like.
316
Manny: and try to hide itself in the code. Now, I don't know if that was rumored.
317
Jeezy: Or there's more tinfoil hat.
318
Manny: But either way.
319
Manny: the fact that a story like that could even be talked about with a level of validity.
320
Jeezy: Yeah.
321
Manny: We? We have to be careful with AI and our plans around it.
322
Manny: because it could very quickly, after you get the genie out of the Lamb.
323
Jeezy: Yeah.
324
Manny: You can't put it back in.
325
Manny: Now, the also, the belief is like, well, we're in a race for China, because so if we don't do it, you know they're going to do it. True, but I also think it's in China's. It is in everyone's interest that this thing doesn't run off the rails, and I just don't know if I'm confident enough that it is not going to run off the rails.
326
Jeezy: Yeah, when I when I think about this, it makes me think of you know what are the implications for the United States as far as our national security and just in general
327
Jeezy: for us to be
328
Jeezy: technology leaders. I wonder if the implications of a deal of of this magnitude does not put us at risk of from a national security standpoint, but also just where are we trying to get as our technological advancement? I think that we can all agree that from a technological advancement and leadership perspective.
329
Jeezy: we're we're not number one at all.
330
Jeezy: So if we're trying to get in that driver's seat? Are we making deals that are
331
Jeezy: Putting others on a pedestal while we just reap some of the benefits of that partnership? Or are we trying to be the leader, the number one, the one in the driver's seat. In this, in this arena.
332
Manny: It depends on what you mean, on like being the the innovators. Because I think if you've watched the Us over this last technology technological age
333
Manny: we are. Our economy largely is built on thought, leadership.
334
Jeezy: Okay.
335
Manny: So coming up with the ideas trying to figure out how to do is not necessarily the facilitating.
336
Jeezy: Yeah.
337
Manny: Because what you we come up with an idea for a product right now, are we gonna make that in the Us. Absolutely not. We're gonna work with some company that's going to build it
338
Manny: and then ship it out. So I think for some of these things, it will allow us to be more focused on the thought leadership, the idea generation, the creation.
339
Jeezy: Thank you.
340
Manny: And I think some of these other companies, these other, you know, places are always all going to be about manufacturing it. The facilitation of the idea.
341
Manny: Now, the problem is, eventually you get tired of being the facilitator of the idea.
342
Manny: and you you realize all that you have to do to be able to facilitate it, and you can be like
343
Manny: I could do this myself.
344
Jeezy: Yep.
345
Manny: That's why you see the battle with the China and the Us. Over Taiwan.
346
Manny: Why? Because the Taiwan facilitates a lot of this chip development for the Us.
347
Manny: And China building its own infrastructure, getting larger. And they're like, well, they're our company. We could just tell them to stop.
348
Jeezy: Yeah.
349
Manny: So, yeah.
350
Jeezy: Well, I think that when you, when you look at this, you know, I think, that there are certainly some questions to be raised about that. And where do we? Where do we stand? As far as that? Facilitating? Because.
351
Jeezy: you know, at some point like you said with the battle with Taiwan. You know
352
Jeezy: what happens, or what are the implications of
353
Jeezy: the influence of China? What is the implications of some of these things shifting and having the influence of other nations. And though we may be the leaders in facilitating and creating the ideas, what happens when someone else steps in and starts doing the facilitating and the creating. Where does that put us at? Where? Where do we find our place in there? And I even think that what you're saying, too, also with the manufacturing. It sounds like trump wants. Some of this manufacturing to come here
354
Jeezy: is that
355
Jeezy: indicative of a deal that he has made with this 1.4 trillion dollar AI investment. Where does that leave us? How does that look? Is that? Is that really the goal of where he wants us to be in this, in this arena.
356
Manny: We have currently, I believe, upwards of a million jobs. If I've heard the number correctly, a million manufacturing jobs
357
Manny: right now with our current manufacturing load, which is
358
Manny: peanuts compared to to other places.
359
Manny: Where are you getting all these people.
360
Jeezy: Bye.
361
Manny: Where are you getting now?
362
Manny: Because you're not going to get it? That's not how our economy is built. No, you know. Now, if you want to really adjust standard of living here in the Us.
363
Manny: To make those jobs more appealing.
364
Manny: If you could make a hundred plus dollars an hour consistently
365
Manny: at whatever like manufacture. I won't even say a hundred. Let's let's go $40 an hour, 40, $50 an hour
366
Manny: in manufacturing in the Us. And it might be higher. I do not know these numbers, you know.
367
Manny: Maybe that would do it, but you would have to be able to do that in concert with everything else. So I think the the manufacturing play for the Us. Is not feasible unless other things happen that make it feasible.
368
Jeezy: Got you.
369
Manny: Yeah.
370
Jeezy: I wonder how long it will take for this investment to hold, and I feel like that's kind of the umbrella on. All of this is.
371
Jeezy: you know this is over, I believe, is reported to be the next decade. What does that look like? Obviously this administration will be done and gone unless trump gets that 3rd term, I mean.
372
Jeezy: But you know, what does this look like, and what is the precedent set for the next administration? When you think about the impact on our national security and technological leadership globally.
373
Jeezy: So moving along, we have our another region that.
374
Manny: And before we go I went and looked up the numbers. So
375
Manny: on average, the hourly wage, which is a lot higher than I thought all manufacturing employees as of April 2025 make about $35 an hour. Now
376
Manny: that's that's high. Now, if you look at just factory workers that's in the the teens where manufacturing, starting out, you know high teens.
377
Manny: So I think it. It's all about cause. Obviously you have your executives, your management and your lower level people. So you know that there's obviously a range there. But I think you would almost need to see at our current cost of living. You would need to see all of these numbers probably double.
378
Jeezy: Yeah.
379
Manny: To make up for the loss of well, not the loss. Make up for the standard of living to, for people to really go after these jobs.
380
Jeezy: That's that's an interesting, interesting point.
381
Jeezy: so I want to go with our next region. That was a surprising move by President Trump. But in this move Trump announced that he was lifting the Us. Sanctions on Syria, aiming to provide the nation with a chance quote chance at greatness. So this decision that he made follow his meeting with the Syrian
382
Jeezy: interim President when he was in Rhoda, and in this move of removing these, this sanction, and I don't know. You may have the number. I don't know how long this sanction has been in place that he lifted, but I'm assuming that it's been for.
383
Manny: It's been there for a hot minute. Yeah.
384
Jeezy: So
385
Jeezy: when you think of him lifting this, and this is, I'm assuming by being such a while since the sanction has been in place, that there have been Presidents who obviously thought that this was not ideal. How might this affect our our relations, the Us. Relations with others that are in the region that we consider to be allies doing something of this magnitude.
386
Manny: I think it's a couple couple things. So the 1st part is, I think it was.
387
Manny: It's weird. It's weird. They just had a massive regime change. But I think if you look at all the countries he stopped in.
388
Manny: they all want to invest in Syria.
389
Manny: but could not do it, or would not try to do it with with us sanctions in place. So I think removing the sanctions
390
Manny: allows that investment to help kind of rebuild Syria.
391
Manny: But let's not forget. I believe we had a
392
Manny: a 10 million dollar bounty on.
393
Jeezy: Oh, yeah. Yeah. Yeah.
394
Manny: Mr. Al Shahar's head like that's not that. That's a lot of money, let me tell you.
395
Jeezy: I don't think that you get that big of a bounty on your head.
396
Manny: We're doing nothing.
397
Jeezy: For for just running a red light right? Not at all.
398
Manny: So I think it's interesting. You know. Trump's statement that Syria needs a future, not a funeral.
399
Manny: It. I think it's
400
Manny: it is a fair statement that you know you want to see a country that has just survived regime change, be able to survive and to ultimately, you know, the hope is that they would thrive.
401
Manny: So I think it is. It's a really good play
402
Manny: from just for the people of Syria, because we all know, with sanctions. The the biggest impact is to the people, you know, no matter what leadership of all these countries will be perfectly fine. But when you talk about these sanctions. You're really hurting the people. So I think I'm glad to hear it, for the people.
403
Jeezy: Yeah.
404
Manny: But on top of that I don't think this is done without knowing that these other Gulf States are going to hop in and be investing in there. So it's not necessarily us money, but of course there will be some Us. Money, because
405
Manny: we're America, and that's what we do.
406
Manny: We will put money in there, and you know he did
407
Manny: propose a 20 billion joint Arab Us. Fund for rebuilding Syria cities and critical infrastructures. You know, again, Syria, we getting good with Syria as they're rebuilding. That's a lot more pressure on Iran, you know. Trump also pushed for the normalization of a relationship between Syria and Israel.
408
Jeezy: So. Yeah, but
409
Jeezy: but to me it sounds like a gamble in trusting the new regime that is in Syria.
410
Jeezy: That will hopefully do what is what is right, and I don't know if
411
Jeezy: I would be so quick to to.
412
Manny: Trust a person that we had a 10 million dollars bounty on his head to lead them to economic prosperity.
413
Jeezy: Yeah, I don't know if that's how that should go. And I want to remind our listeners of why there were sanctions on Israel. I mean. Excuse me, sorry on Syria. In the 1st place, they had issues with human rights, abuse, supporting terrorism.
414
Jeezy: Pursuing weapons of mass destruction, so do we have enough faith and believe that.
415
Jeezy: Oh, serious change! Now, you know, that's.
416
Manny: There!
417
Jeezy: Like having someone being in a relationship with someone who's a habitual cheater, and they say, I promise I won't cheat again, even though I've cheated 20 times already. I'm different now. Do we believe that Siri is different now?
418
Manny: I mean, it's you know Assad left.
419
Manny: He led like he ran off.
420
Manny: How? But how much of his regime is still there?
421
Jeezy: And and see. That's what I'm thinking. If you bring up
422
Jeezy: the prosperity of this of this nation.
423
Jeezy: who's to say that this will not also bring up the prosperity of these. These extremist groups.
424
Manny: There we go!
425
Jeezy: That can lead to ultimately causing us to have to backtrack the work that we've done. So I don't know if lifting the sanction I would have may have came from the approach of maybe announcing
426
Jeezy: that we were in talks of of something of the sort, but I don't know if I would have went to the region and announced this. And you said something that's interesting to me. You said that a lot of the nations that he had visited on this tour want to support Syria. So then to me, that leads well, if I don't know what I'm getting in Syria.
427
Jeezy: But the people that I've talked to the nations I've talked to want to support Syria. Then, if I can't trust wholeheartedly, Syria, how much trust can I have in these other regions, as well too.
428
Manny: Yeah, what 2 of the 2 comments that were out there? Chris Murphy, Democratic Senator from Connecticut, said Trump, is laundering Assad's war crimes through diplomacy.
429
Manny: And then Tim, Tom Cotton said, this is another deal with a dictator who hasn't paid for using chemical weapons.
430
Jeezy: What those comments that makes me think, furthermore, that this deal may may be premature man.
431
Manny: Hey? You know whatever I mean. But you know it's 2025, man.
432
Manny: it's 2025. Man. There is no time like the present.
433
Manny: But yeah, you were. I mean, everything you said has been spot on
434
Manny: This is, I think, the big win here, though, was for the Gulf States to be able to show like, hey, they got the Us. To kind of back down here, and like we've had.
435
Manny: we've had sanctions on them, for you know, for about 15 years.
436
Jeezy: Yeah.
437
Manny: So it's been a hot minute, and
438
Manny: I don't know. I am hoping and praying for the best.
439
Manny: but, like everything in this administration, you just wonder.
440
Jeezy: Bruh.
441
Manny: You just wonder.
442
Jeezy: This is like getting that cracker jack box
443
Jeezy: when you were a kid, and you just hope that it was a ring. But sometimes you just got a sticker.
444
Manny: Yes, guys wasn't even a sticker you liked.
445
Jeezy: Sticker that you like, and it didn't stick. Well, it didn't stick well.
446
Manny: You. You put that on your shirt or your notebook has fallen off in about 47 seconds.
447
Jeezy: Yup, it's over with. So was it really worth it? Was it really.
448
Manny: What good is it for a man to gain the world.
449
Jeezy: And lose it so.
450
Manny: And lose his soul, you know.
451
Jeezy: We'll never know.
452
Manny: Yeah.
453
Jeezy: But
454
Jeezy: On this great Middle Eastern tour that trump was on, he did some other things as well, too. Trump read started back the nuclear talks with Iran.
455
Jeezy: Setting a two-month deadline, he gave him a deadline for dismantling its nuclear program with potential us and Israel Israeli intervention. If unmet. So these negotiations have been going on. This is not the 1st time with Iran insisting on this right to uranium enrichment. They feel it's their right. So
456
Jeezy: with this deadline is a strict deadline, effective when it comes to nuclear diplomacy.
457
Manny: We'll find out, that's all I gotta know. We'll find out, you know. Trump trump love a good deadline.
458
Jeezy: Right.
459
Manny: Love get done.
460
Jeezy: He love a deadline so much that he should talk to Cash Patel, that I'm sure that we are aware of that deadline has gone in
461
Jeezy: budget, and last I checked. They still ain't got it so.
462
Manny: I don't count, though that'll pay.
463
Manny: That's it.
464
Jeezy: His employee. That's his employee. So
465
Jeezy: I wonder with him setting this deadline? What are the risks for escalating the tension with Iran? Because tensions are already a little high, so
466
Jeezy: I wonder? Don't know. Israel got their hands full.
467
Manny: Bro.
468
Manny: Hands, but you know what they always got smoke. If Iran.
469
Jeezy: Oh, Brad, yeah, it's all it's up, and it's stuck with Iran.
470
Manny: Site on site. These? Well, because how many, how many episodes? What about a month ago.
471
Manny: We came out that Israel was about to pop off on them. The Us. Was like, Hey, Bro, chill, chill. Let's try to figure this out.
472
Jeezy: So put it on your calendar market that you have 2 months, and we'll see what escalates when that when that time comes. I'm also in the region you have Yemen. So there was a Us. Houthi
473
Jeezy: ceasefire agreement. So the Us. Agreed to halt bombing campaigns against Yemen's Houthis. The rebels after they conceded to stop targeting, targeting.
474
Manny: 3.
475
Jeezy: Yeah, I know that.
476
Manny: Alright!
477
Jeezy: Sound like Medea
478
Jeezy: targeting Red Sea Shipping Lane. So the ceasefire does not extend to Israeli targets, as was previously stated by the Houthis. So is this ceasefire a step towards a lasting peace, or a temporary measure.
479
Manny: It's temporary.
480
Jeezy: It's.
481
Manny: It's always temporary when we're talking about the Houthis, and we're talking about any any Iranian back group.
482
Jeezy: Yep.
483
Manny: Like we're gonna be here for about 5 to 10 min winning chill.
484
Manny: And then it's going to be on and pop. Someone's going to do something. Someone's gonna do something, and everyone's back mad again.
485
Jeezy: Bro, this is, it's not gonna last long. We all we all know that so. But he he did get a ceasefire agreement. So you you gotta add that on his, on his.
486
Manny: I mean.
487
Jeezy: To do list that he.
488
Manny: He's collecting these pokemon badges. Man.
489
Jeezy: Yeah.
490
Jeezy: I don't know how long they're gonna last, but.
491
Manny: -
492
Jeezy: He is collecting them. But I want to bring something to your attention just to move on.
493
Jeezy: I thought there was something that was very strange and and notable about his tour in the Middle East. He went to all these these areas on the 4 days, and you know he got some deals done with some other nations, and what have you? But I thought that it was very ironic
494
Jeezy: that he excluded Israel from his tour. He did not include them on his tour, and from what has been spoken of in the media is that this has been raising concerns about the Us. Commitment to its traditional ally. Israel officials express an unease about being sidelined. They feel some type of way you you came. You was in my city. We all been there before you was in the city. You ain't let me know
495
Jeezy: you ain't hear me.
496
Jeezy: You ain't come see me. You ain't gonna holler at me. So especially they fell sidelined with the ongoing conflicts with Gaza. So does this signify in any any way a shift in us foreign policy priorities that trump went to all these Middle Eastern regions.
497
Jeezy: Nations! And talked and struck deals. But his boy, Big Benny.
498
Jeezy: he! He want to go see the golden. He want to go, see, or or fantasize.
499
Manny: Oh, my!
500
Jeezy: That golden dome that he got Paul's.
501
Manny: I. I, too, also found it very interesting. He he didn't stop on his way through or his way leaving.
502
Manny: I think 2 things are at play here, the 1st being.
503
Manny: I think, there. There is likely some Us. Frustration
504
Manny: that they have not been able to get this whole thing with Gaza wrapped up.
505
Jeezy: Yeah.
506
Manny: And be because here's what we also saw. We saw the last Us. Hostage
507
Manny: known alive, us hostage released by Hamas this week as well.
508
Manny: so I think you have that.
509
Jeezy: Hey, look, we, our people.
510
Manny: Out!
511
Jeezy: We out.
512
Manny: But then also quietly behind the scenes, China is, is starting to become a major player. Here.
513
Jeezy: Hey! -Oh.
514
Manny: So, you know, and then let's again.
515
Manny: Trump is transactional, and as much as he wanted the he's wanted.
516
Manny: I was going to say, Syria. That is not the correct country. Saudi Arabia, if you want, is Saudi Arabia to be part of the Abraham accords? Yeah. And they didn't. Saudi Saudi Arabia said, No, you know we're not going in this with Israel until they recognize a Palestinian state.
517
Manny: and to see to see that historically, they're like, no, we want a Palestinian state, and until they recognize it we're not going to be cool like that.
518
Manny: So to see that, and then to see trump, not go there.
519
Jeezy: Yeah.
520
Manny: I think it makes sense, you know. How does it? How does it look for Saudi Arabia? You just did all this deals with trump.
521
Manny: And then you went. You went and talked to the guy that you know. We know that you cool with. Yeah. But you went on the same trip like that. I could. I can see why Trump politically, would have stopped that. And it's like, Oh, we'll come back through later on a trip, that's all. You know, all. Israel, focus.
522
Jeezy: Yeah.
523
Manny: I could see that being in the play, but, like
524
Manny: the block around Israel, a little bit hot.
525
Jeezy: Away!
526
Manny: Little bit, hot.
527
Jeezy: Y'all got too much. You got too much dip on your chip.
528
Jeezy: Why, it.
529
Manny: We are not that far removed from the drone attack from Iran, like.
530
Jeezy: Hmm.
531
Manny: Maybe they're like, no, we good, we good. We're not. We're not. We're not dealing with this. So I think it is interesting. I think it's something that we we watch. Yeah,
532
Manny: But for that much activity to be done in the region, yeah. And big Nettie and Company not
533
Manny: really being.
534
Jeezy: Acknowledge.
535
Manny: Acknowledged, you know allegedly through the Israeli press and their commentary the responses have ranged from like, you know, Israel was strategically snubbed to. Oh, this is just a temporary diplomatic readjustment of the order.
536
Manny: hey? You know
537
Manny: we. And you know they got to feel salty. The salty about this whole Syria thing like, Hey, y'all start playing nice with Syria. They they don't rock with Syria like that, either.
538
Jeezy: Sure! Don'.
539
Manny: So this is really interesting.
540
Jeezy: Yeah, I think this is going to be talked about quite a bit, because, as the conflict continues to grow, and there is no deal. And do you have those in the region pushing, saying, Hey, we want, you know, statehood for Palestine.
541
Manny: Oh!
542
Jeezy: Where does that leave the us? Could it be? I'm not. I wouldn't be surprised to see them say, Hey, we got our people out way too long. You need to figure it out.
543
Jeezy: because, you know, get your people involved.
544
Manny: Here. Here is the one thing you can say comfortably about Donald Trump, and where he lives Donald Trump is going to live where the money resides.
545
Jeezy: Where the money resides, where the.
546
Manny: Where is that?
547
Manny: That's where he's going to live? Yep, and you know, Israel, you might be.
548
Manny: You might be moving to pickle status.
549
Jeezy: Hey, Bruh! You in a pickle, but I think.
550
Manny: I think it is interesting. You know I
551
Manny: would. I be shocked if there's a trip announced some somewhere here over the next couple months for him to go to to Israel and check on his boy. Yeah, I wouldn't be shocked by that. I almost expected at this point. But I think you you allow some time. Let those 1st couple of checks. Let's see how the stock market reacts on Monday.
552
Jeezy: Yeah.
553
Manny: And and before you go, like, okay, you know.
554
Manny: Yeah. Then we go with the then we can go check on our boy. See how he's doing.
555
Jeezy: You know, and it may be, is a possibility.
556
Jeezy: To one of the things you said earlier. Maybe this was a you know realignment. Maybe Trump's whole agenda was to strictly hit where he hit, and that was it, and he saved something separately for Israel.
557
Manny: You know, that's like a bit. Maybe it's like man going to Israel. That's like vacation. I'm linking up with my boys. This is a business trip. Yeah.
558
Jeezy: Yeah, yeah, maybe he like, yeah, big Benny, I'm on business. So.
559
Manny: I'm on business. Yeah, I need. I need to come through when I can just chill with.
560
Jeezy: Yeah, yeah, when I can really enjoy myself. So. But I.
561
Manny: One of the biggest thing I want peace for Israel, or at least need look. I've been to Israel. It is a fantastic place. I would love an opportunity to go back
562
Manny: like I enjoyed myself thoroughly there.
563
Manny: But the block is hot, man, I we.
564
Jeezy: Gotta get the heat down.
565
Manny: You.
566
Jeezy: Mj. The kitchen a little too high.
567
Manny: A little too high. Y'all, y'all at a 10. I need y'all at least to be at a 3. Yeah.
568
Jeezy: Got to get it down, big man. So, Ben, if you're listening, man, get the block less hype. So the boys.
569
Manny: Boys trying to come through.
570
Jeezy: Yes, indeed. So that is our coverage of Trump's Middle Eastern tour. I don't know if you followed it much as a listener, but one thing I could tell you, that trump was definitely sleepy, that jet Lag had got to.
571
Manny: Bro. Bro. Working him. They got those clips of him going knock, hitting those meetings.
572
Jeezy: Anytime that somebody claps that you got a delayed clap. It's already like, yeah. Bro, you you hurting! He was hurting that 1st day that he got over there. But that's our coverage, some deals, and we'll see how those things transpire, what they will mean, how they will
573
Jeezy: redefine, re-enhance, or reshape our our viewpoint, our perspective on the Middle East, and if that will ultimately be a benefit to us, or will we find ourselves
574
Jeezy: back in another situation, and ultimately having to backtrack some of the work that has been done, or the deals that's been done in the Middle East.
575
Jeezy: So on the topic of deals. There was another deal that was made this previous week.
576
Manny: We announced on the pod.
577
Jeezy: Yeah, the boy. Yeah, the boys announced it last week, if you, if you listen to our last episode. But the Us. And China ended up having a trade agreement that was announced.
578
Manny: I like to call it a trade truce.
579
Jeezy: A trade truce. So this has been marked and detailed as a temporary de-escalation, and I want to make sure that you understand that this is temporary de-escalation in the ongoing trade tensions between the 2 nations, so I believe that the deal trade agreement is a 90 day accord that reduces Us. Tariffs on Chinese imports from
580
Jeezy: 145% to 30%, while China lowers its tariffs from on Us. Goods from
581
Jeezy: 125% to 10%. So despite this short-term relief
582
Jeezy: underlying structural issues remain unresolved, leading to businesses being cautious about the future of this deal, so the tariff reduction has provided a temporary boost for global markets, while Us. Stock entities have responded, I would say, for the most part positively. But however, you know you got those E people that trump can't stand.
583
Manny: Economist.
584
Jeezy: They have warned that the deal's limited scope and duration means that inflationary pressures and supply chain disruptions
585
Jeezy: could persist and consumer sentiment have been affected with many Americans expressing concerns about raising prices and economic uncertainty. And one of those that have responded is the big, the big the big star in the sky. Walmart.
586
Manny: Hmm.
587
Jeezy: Walmart is one of the Us's largest retailers, and they announced plans to increase prices on a range of products, including essentials like bananas and children's car seats citing the ongoing impact on tariffs. Did you see, did you see that.
588
Manny: But.
589
Jeezy: Or that true from trump.
590
Manny: He came he came out and said, Oh, no, you not?
591
Manny: Oh, no, you not!
592
Manny: We're not gonna hey?
593
Manny: Where do? Okay? I'll start here.
594
Manny: Where are y'all gonna sharp shop? Then y'all y'all going to target because target's more expensive.
595
Jeezy: Yep.
596
Manny: So you could go to target and shop at Target, where it's more expensive. But I almost guarantee that the tariff that Walmart was going to add to the prices still are not going to equal the tariff prices that you see from target.
597
Jeezy: What a.
598
Manny: So so what are we gonna do there?
599
Manny: But let's take a step back.
600
Jeezy: Okay.
601
Manny: 90 days. Man, 90 days it.
602
Manny: I think it. This shows initial optimism that both sides have recognized that. Hey, this is not good for any of us.
603
Jeezy: Yeah.
604
Manny: Now, here's what I think is getting ready to happen.
605
Manny: I think US. Companies that can
606
Manny: are going to spend this next 3 months catching by.
607
Jeezy: You already.
608
Manny: Everything.
609
Jeezy: You already knew.
610
Manny: Everything. Christmas is going to be popping because they are going. If you want $30 like trump, been saying that we get $30 you can have your. They are going to go through and buy as much stock as possible.
611
Jeezy: Yep.
612
Manny: So.
613
Manny: so balance sheets at the end of Q. 2 might look interesting, but I think that should be expected.
614
Manny: it will be interesting to see if they can get a long-term deal done.
615
Jeezy: Yeah. Them 90 days gonna go by fast.
616
Manny: Real fast. We already 7 days in.
617
Manny: Yep, because not only do we
618
Manny: you got 90 days, 90 days would be going by fast if nothing else was going on.
619
Jeezy: Yeah.
620
Manny: But we got lots of stuff also going on like we are. We are doing stuff on every front.
621
Manny: So good luck we'll see.
622
Jeezy: Yeah.
623
Manny: You know, if you you plan for Christmas early.
624
Manny: you might be trying to look at this next 90 day window to go ahead and
625
Manny: go ahead and inquire some stuff. Throw it up in your your closet. Hope your kids don't get too too investigative to try to find some stuff, but
626
Manny: I think for me, the biggest thing I think, that most people should take from this is that both the China and the Us. Realize this is going to be problematic for everybody. So it's in our best interest to at least chill out for a little bit and and talk
627
Manny: so. At least they're talking, you know, if you're talking, even if you're yelling, you're still communicating.
628
Jeezy: You're still communicating. I wonder, though, will they be able to strike a deal within those 90 days?
629
Jeezy: that's going to be very interesting, because I think that a lot has to go on. I think a lot of
630
Jeezy: cooler heads need to prevail.
631
Jeezy: To make this make sense, and not be one sided.
632
Manny: Absolutely.
633
Jeezy: I hope that they don't wait until Day 80 to start taking this serious. I hope.
634
Manny: Well, look, how many times have we been! How long we we waiting on a tiktok deal? Well, they we got a kick in a can.
635
Jeezy: Yeah, we, yeah, we we very good at that. So I think that.
636
Manny: We could. We could be here on Episode 47, and be like, well, the china deal got extended another another 120 days. Let's see if we get this one done.
637
Jeezy: But that that ultimately leads me to think that if if that is the case and that does happen, then
638
Jeezy: who's leading the charge of these negotiations. And are we really getting anywhere? Because if we're serious about getting a deal done?
639
Jeezy: Page 67 of the art of the deal tells us that well.
640
Manny: And here's where I think that you know, with the Treasury, with Scott Besson at the Treasury Secretary, Secretary.
641
Manny: the man man has been in private equity. He understands what's going on here, so I think he he knows what it's going to take to get a deal done. And I think it's just ultimately how long it takes to get there.
642
Jeezy: So with that being said, and the response that Walmart has given, because Walmart is saying as a company, they have emphasized that even with the reduced tariffs. The cost pressures are too significant to
643
Jeezy: absorb entirely, so as we.
644
Manny: I mean, your entire stock almost your entire stock has now jumped 30% in cost of acquisition,
645
Jeezy: So this isn't how economics work.
646
Jeezy: Criticizing this decision.
647
Manny: So he, he's basically told the company. They need to eat the tariffs. They need to do it instead of passing the cost to consumers. But.
648
Jeezy: That is.
649
Manny: That's not how
650
Manny: tariff works. That's not how the stock market works. Let's just roll with that. So much of earnings and raising of money in these markets are built around the profitability of these companies. So you are now instinctively telling Walmart to be less, you know, less profitable to be able to navigate through this. I don't think this is this going to work. I don't think this is going to work the way he expects it to work.
651
Jeezy: Sucking. I know that sucking is either.
652
Jeezy: but you know, Walmart leadership responded by highlighting the challenges of maintaining low prices and narrow regional retail margins in the increased import calls. So that has been something that he has widely criticized. But I think that Walmart's operating within the confines of what
653
Jeezy: we believe how tears and how they operate and respond as a company, and as the concern of the consumer, how they fall.
654
Jeezy: We've been saying this for quite a while now of how this is operating, and I think that which is kind of crazy when you think about Walmart saying their prices is going to go up. But then, like you said before, with the 90 days, companies are going to be getting this product in and stuff, you would think there'd be some lessening of the pressure, but I think Walmart is trying to get in where they fit in.
655
Jeezy: Just in case this deal doesn't work out. They got a little bit of buffer.
656
Manny: Yep.
657
Jeezy: And ultimately can sustain the storm. But Walmart wasn't the only one that had a response or a position. On this.
658
Jeezy: The good old apple
659
Jeezy: had a had a position on where they fell in this as well, too. So Apple is reportedly considering raising prices on this upcoming iphone models, despite the tariff reductions, and the anticipated price hike is attributed to new features and design changes, which is, that might be a lack of apple.
660
Manny: Bro.
661
Jeezy: Y'all don't be y'all. Don't be changing too much now, like.
662
Manny: The I got my 1st iphone after all this outward pressure from all my friends, since since it's inception.
663
Jeezy: Option.
664
Manny: Finally got an iphone.
665
Manny: I got this. And I said, This does pretty much everything. My my Google Pixel did.
666
Jeezy: - but.
667
Manny: Look, the Internet.
668
Jeezy: In a debate.
669
Jeezy: Yeah, we've had.
670
Manny: The integration with my macbook.
671
Jeezy: Yep.
672
Manny: It. It is kind of clean.
673
Jeezy: We? We're not getting paid by apple. So.
674
Manny: Not bad not about to pump apple, but but but Timmy.
675
Jeezy: But timing.
676
Manny: That could change.
677
Jeezy: Very much, so.
678
Manny: That could change today. But yeah, I mean.
679
Manny: now, Apple is saying that this is there is because of their features and design changes rather than direct tariff impacts, which I think is a lie, because Apple has been gradually shifting their productions to countries like India, to quote quote unquote, diversify its supply chain. I'm trying to find a cheap.
680
Manny: Who can make this the the cheapest? Who's who's gonna help me out here?
681
Jeezy: Now the company had previously entered into a 275 billion dollars agreement with Chinese officials in 2016 to invest in China's economy and ease regulatory pressures. But a deal, and this deal continues to influence its operations. So it seems like
682
Jeezy: there is. Trump has obviously criticized this of what Apple's doing? Because he was saying, well, Apple said, they're going to invest these billions of dollars into the Us. But for some reason I'm seeing that they're moving stuff from China, not to the Us, but to to India. So with these moves being made and China and this deal with the us.
683
Jeezy: Apple's not budging either.
684
Jeezy: This isn't working out for the betterment of what Trump's plan is. And I ultimately just think, Manny, that
685
Jeezy: this this is how this works.
686
Jeezy: This isn't how this goes.
687
Manny: And Apple's got long money.
688
Jeezy: Oh, they got.
689
Manny: They got they
690
Manny: that was bad.
691
Jeezy: Right that we.
692
Manny: They!
693
Jeezy: Have a they.
694
Manny: They have a large sum. They have a large sum of money in their bank accounts that enables them to be able to do things
695
Manny: that other companies may not have that ability to do.
696
Jeezy: Right? Right? So I think that would you, with 2 major players like Apple, and like Walmart, with this being done and trump ultimately criticizing them, and it seems, I would say, probably to pressure them into quote unquote doing the right thing. It seems like this.
697
Manny: Yeah.
698
Jeezy: Seems like this is not playing out in his favor in the way that he would hope that it would now granted there could be a deal that could happen in this 90 days that could cause these 2 major companies to
699
Jeezy: do or bend the knee to what trump would rather them do. But I think ultimately we're seeing them playing out, saying, Yeah, no, I'm not doing that. Bro, right. I gotta see. You got to show me a little more, and you doing this little deal isn't enough for me to to bend the knee or to do the things that you're hoping that we do as a company.
700
Manny: Yep, absolutely. Absolutely.
701
Jeezy: Well, good luck, us, and good luck, China, you guys play fair.
702
Jeezy: get a deal done so that the betterment of both of our nations can succeed and prosper. But yeah.
703
Jeezy: maybe it'll happen.
704
Manny: Or maybe it won't, or maybe a new wall. Who knows?
705
Manny: Who knows?
706
Jeezy: Only only time will tell man, only time will tell. So that is our coverage on the Us. And China trade deal that will probably go on for
707
Jeezy: much of a of a great deal of time. We got 90 days, and anything can happen in that 90 days, so we shall see. So at this point in the episode, we are at our favorite segment, and that is the pickle.
708
Jeezy: The week we've got your pickle we got your pickle.
709
Jeezy: We got your pickup
710
Jeezy: all right, all right.
711
Manny: We got who we got, who we got.
712
Jeezy: So, brother, we have not just an individual that is, in the pickle of the week, but we have an organization that is in the pickle of the week.
713
Jeezy: and that pickle of the week is none other than the DNC. The Democratic National Committee
714
Jeezy: is in a pickle.
715
Manny: And might I say and add, as contest they may be.
716
Jeezy: Eating their own pickle.
717
Manny: Whoa! Whoa! Sir! Whoa!
718
Jeezy: As a political pickle. The reason why I make that statement is that
719
Jeezy: they're in a bit of a friction point right now in the establishment of the Democrats. There's a young man that you may be familiar with by the name of David Hogg.
720
Jeezy: He's 25 year old activist and a Parkland shooting survivor. Back in February of 2025 he was elected as one of the Dnc's
721
Jeezy: vice chairs. However, this week the Dnc's credentials committee voted to annul his election, due to procedural violations during the voting process. So, while the official reason cited was a procedural error, many perceived this move as politically motivated, stemming from Hogg's outspoken criticism of the party's direction and his plans to invest 20
722
Jeezy: 1 million dollars through his organization leaders. We deserve to challenge longstanding Democratic incumbents in primary bro
723
Jeezy: they got a pickle. Now Hogg has argued that the Democratic party is out of touch with its base.
724
Jeezy: particularly younger votes
725
Jeezy: voters, and has called for significant reforms to make the party more responsive to contemporary issues. His efforts have sparked a broader debate within the Dnc. About the balance between maintaining party unity and embracing progressive change. So,
726
Jeezy: this, this is this, they're they're in a serious pickle.
727
Manny: Good look. I.
728
Jeezy: And I think we have been very spoken about this. So it's crazy, because if for our listeners, if you go back, me and Manny has stated.
729
Jeezy: If they don't get, they don't figure it out and get their crap together. They gonna be in a bind, and they are in a bind.
730
Manny: But let me let me put my big r hat on.
731
Jeezy: Okay.
732
Manny: The Dems from an organizational standpoint. One of the things that I hate that the Dems do.
733
Manny: Is this whole super super delegate thing. I think it is a way for them to put the finger on the scale from selecting their Presidential nominee.
734
Manny: But I think it's real convenient
735
Manny: that this he's been in this position for a minute. You knew when y'all held the y'all, I would.
736
Jeezy: Already knew.
737
Manny: That there was a credentials committee that checked people who were running for this spot. So y'all knew that y'all have the numbers to meet this, and y'all still let it through. And now it's just at a convenient time. You're like we got to get this guy out. So we're going to bring this back up.
738
Jeezy: Y'all sit with that. Yeah, y'all made a decision. Y'all sit with that.
739
Jeezy: Yep.
740
Manny: Because in some of the stuff he's saying he's not wrong.
741
Jeezy: Oh, oh, fact!
742
Manny: He's not wrong now it's it is from both political parties. It is very out of out of place for a person in an executive position to actually
743
Manny: challenge or say, Hey, we're going to put someone in a primary against a sitting elected official that that's seen as very taboo. But this is what y'all voted on.
744
Manny: Y'all brought him in to do change, and now he doing the change, and y'all don't like that change. So now you got something to say, No, y'all sit with this.
745
Jeezy: No, from this move is is been widely stated that
746
Jeezy: the Democratic National Committee is taking taking steps backwards primarily with their young voters, because their young voters and their activists, which we've seen the numbers in the previous election and the young voter turnout
747
Jeezy: young voters and activists. They like bold action. And I think that's something that I've stated with the Democratic party. We don't need the performatives we need bold action we need. We need. We need to be moving furniture. We need to be doing something, but a move like this seems to signify that leadership favors this cautious strategy of approaching what they're trying to do, but that has not gained them or gotten them anywhere. And I'm gonna tell you one thing that's probably going to piss you off
748
Jeezy: While they did this. One thing that we can be sure of, that the Democratic National Committee is going to do is they're going to make sure that they have their performatives.
749
Manny: Oh, yeah.
750
Jeezy: So the Dnc. Also trolled trump by flying a banner, reading, Welcome to Qatar Alargo above Mar-a-largo.
751
Jeezy: mocking trump for the alleged 400 million dollars Qatari plane gift.
752
Jeezy: while some may think that that's funny. It drew some criticism for lacking policy weight and distracting from the internal fractures that they have.
753
Jeezy: So here we go again.
754
Jeezy: Being performative.
755
Jeezy: We have someone that is a part of a movement trying to change and bringing in the young vote, the young activists. And we for some reason think that oh, we finally found a procedural violation that we had no clue about. And now this guy is investing these 20 million dollars to.
756
Manny: He's able to run his. He's able to get his own money and do what he want with it with his organization. Now y'all upset.
757
Jeezy: I think it's very, very. But I think one thing that's very, very telling of this is that he's doing this to challenge
758
Jeezy: these incumbents.
759
Manny: Oh!
760
Jeezy: People that that have been here too long.
761
Manny: The block is getting hot.
762
Jeezy: Oh, it's getting! Oh, it's steamy!
763
Manny: On the black side.
764
Jeezy: Which have we not said for both parties that there are people that have made a career out of this that need to get out of the way, and we need to get fresh new leaders and ideas in the driver's seat to evolve and uplift the party into something that is better than what we see it as today, and we had a young man that was doing it with his own money, and now he's.
765
Manny: He got his own money.
766
Jeezy: That is old money.
767
Jeezy: He got his own money.
768
Jeezy: You coming up with a year and some change of being in a midterm election. Where does that lead? The Democratic party.
769
Manny: In a pickle.
770
Jeezy: Bingo!
771
Manny: Why, that's right.
772
Jeezy: See is the pickle of the week. That's how I'm closing the segment out. That's that's why they're pickle of the week. What are you? What are you doing? What are you really doing at this point.
773
Manny: Wasting time.
774
Jeezy: Wasted a whole lot of time. Now you got to clean that mess up and then hopefully get your.
775
Manny: Because no.
776
Jeezy: Written.
777
Manny: One wins, no one wins from a political in battle. From this.
778
Jeezy: Jay Z said it best. Nobody wins when the family feuds.
779
Manny: But no one, no one wins.
780
Jeezy: No one wins with a family feud.
781
Jeezy: So Dnc.
782
Manny: Welcome to the Bryan.
783
Jeezy: Welcome to the bride. You're in a pickle. I hope you don't stay that long, but at the rate you're going you're gonna be there for a while.
784
Jeezy: So that is our pickle of the week. So as we have reached the conclusion of episode 20 season, 2. Part in the politics, podcast we always like to give you our spotlights of the week. So, my brother, what spotlights do you have that you're keeping up with in the upcoming week?
785
Manny: I had had so many to choose from. But I'm I'm just gonna mention a couple because I don't feel like there's enough details around the first, st
786
Manny: you know. Here at the pod, we want to send our thoughts and prayers to the individuals impacted by the F 3 tornado that tore through cities, this past weekend.
787
Manny: At this point there's 17 confirmed, dead. There is obviously a political angle that I would love to explore. But now is not the time. The focus really needs to be part of focused on the people who are now trying to put back their their lives together. So our thoughts and prayers with you again.
788
Manny: Y'all hit up the Red Cross. They always need the things, you know, guys that that's gonna be who we're going to direct largely everything to.
789
Manny: So that was I was going to go into that and the political things about that. I was like.
790
Manny: but then I saw
791
Manny: this Mexican naval boat hitting the Brooklyn Bridge killing 2. But I was like, Nope. Let's get a little bit more investigation onto that one.
792
Manny: But then.
793
Jeezy: Yeah, cause that's wild.
794
Manny: But then, boy, they've been dragging your man, our man Joey B. Up and down these streets.
795
Jeezy: About his health and his fitness for office.
796
Manny: But then came the news a little bit right before we recorded this, that President Joe Biden
797
Manny: is
798
Manny: Joey B. Has the has the big C
799
Manny: within the P. So he is. Pause. Big pause on that. But Joe Biden is has been diagnosed with prostate cancer that is metastasized to his bones. It is treatable.
800
Manny: so there's there's definitely thoughts and prayers to him as he. He picks up this battle. But he's had a rough week. I don't know when he got this diagnosis, but Jake Tapper. And if you had on my Bingo card for this year, Jake Tapper helping write a book, talking about the suitability for Donald. Sorry the suitability. See? See?
801
Jeezy: I mean. No, that's true, too.
802
Manny: Keep going. See you
803
Manny: suitability of of Joe Biden like even to the thing they were talking about like, Hey, if he won, we're going to need to roll him around in a wheelchair, and the cognitive design cognitive decline. There were reports in this book allegedly, that's coming out. That Cabinet secretaries were no longer talking directly to him, that it was all going through Aids. But that leads me to this thought.
804
Manny: If y'all were just talking to the aides who was making the decisions. Was it his chief of staff? Was it Big Mala? What's going on? So you know, they're obviously concerns, but obviously highlighted that it was probably the correct decision for him to not run for a second term, albeit probably about 3 years too late.
805
Manny: But yeah, so definitely. Thoughts and prayers to Joe Biden and the Biden family. You know cancer is horrible is absolutely horrible, you know, and I just pray that he is able to to battle that with the the grit and might that he's always shown in his political career. And you know thoughts and prayers to to him and his family as they. They go to through this new chapter, that we are all rooting for you, and
806
Manny: every now and then trump does something trump, I think gets a ball, and I'm just like, is he going to spike it, or is he just going to, you know, act like he's been here before in his early comments, you know. Thoughts and prayers like
807
Manny: just calmly went into the end zone, did not look to spike the ball kudos to you for not taking the opportunity, because I was fully prepared that you would be now.
808
Jeezy: Yep.
809
Manny: This. This was the 1st comment. We'll see what happens, you know, a week from now.
810
Jeezy: 4 4. No, I'm gonna give it about 4 am. In the morning.
811
Jeezy: you know. He get he trouble.
812
Jeezy: Get off the late night. I got to use the bathroom tweaks
813
Jeezy: them twitter the twitter, finger skips, gets fired.
814
Jeezy: get get real nasty in the middle of the night. Pause
815
Jeezy: you know for Biden. And I want our listeners to understand. No matter where you fall on the political aisle, whether you be Democratic, Republican, or just an independent
816
Jeezy: yeah, cancer has been something that has has plagued many families, and this is a yet again, another family having to take this battle with a loved one. So I hope that while you may not agree with the political views of an individual, you can certainly agree that we should support and have prayers and thoughts for a President of the United States, and that hopefully
817
Jeezy: he will be able to battle this with the strength, as Manny said, that he has shown in his, in his presidency and just in his political career, and just shout out to his family, we know Dr. Jill Biden be working to take care of her man.
818
Jeezy: That's a good woman. She's a good woman, and I'm sure, just as she has supported this man from the time they've been together until his presidency, and up until this moment I'm sure that she will continue to do that for her husband, so strength for her to help him, and that the family make the best decision of how to tackle this disease, that he has so.
819
Manny: No, absolutely because I think when you go through that our thoughts immediately go to the person. But as they should. But, like cancer is a family. It's a family battle. Everybody is in here so definitely thoughts to you, Jill, and the kids and the grandkids.
820
Jeezy: Yeah, every all of them.
821
Manny: All impacted parties.
822
Jeezy: Yep. So we, we will definitely keep our eye on that situation going forward. So.
823
Manny: Are my spotlights? Hopefully, yours are a little bit funnier.
824
Jeezy: Well, I just have one, and that is on
825
Jeezy: it's on journalism, man. Over the past week the New York Times has faced a surge of internal, yet again, some internal criticism by an organization. Public scrutiny after it disciplined several journalists for allegedly violating social media policies related to their comments about the Israel Gaza War. There was a leaked internal letter that showed that dozens of staffers were pushing back accusing leadership of stifling them from public press freedom
826
Jeezy: and selectively enforcing policies that may be disproportionately impacting those that had a voice on what was taking place with Palestine. So why this matters is that the Times Magazine normally sets the tone for mainstream journalism worldwide.
827
Jeezy: So if its integrity and internal cohesion is that question, it may be signaling a deeper issue within media institutions navigating sensitive, geopolitical topics, which I'm pretty sure something of this nature probably has trump
828
Jeezy: grinning ear to ear of hearing something like this. But what we should be watching for is that will the Times backtrack from what they're doing internally? Or would they double down on this policy enforcement?
829
Jeezy: And when you think about this, I just want to prompt you to think, should our media outlets allow journalists to be more free to have more freedom to express their personal views on social media? Or is this something that is of of great concern, that this is a stifling of what personal views, because I think that when it comes to we, I would consider ourselves within maybe the bottom tier of this of this journalism. But we have the app, the platform to be able to share how we feel
830
Jeezy: on our issues freely. How does this affect those that are in major organizations that have an opinion and want to share them freely, but are censored, or being disciplined for.
831
Manny: Why it is.
832
Jeezy: Yeah, quieted for what they have said and what they have done. So I think that as the New York Times handles this situation, I think it's a very delicate situation, and it to me it leads to in journalism that the battle lines aren't just political, but you have an issue now where this can be.
833
Jeezy: this could be ideological, this could be professional. This can really have some implications. So I think we should really watch how the New York Times handles this situation and keep this situation under a spotlight of how this will ultimately have a trickle down effect, depending on how they they handle this situation, so
834
Jeezy: we'll keep our eye on that. You keep your eye on that as well listeners, and also, too, as we stated at the beginning of the episode. Keep your eye out for that reality TV show for the immigrants. I think that's really wild.
835
Manny: But here we are with it, so so is everything.
836
Jeezy: So is everything. So there's a lot of things going on as you could tell by this episode. There's a lot of moving pieces moving at one time, and it's a lot to keep up with. But hopefully the right things will be done to preserve democracy, to preserve the integrity of the United States, both domestically and globally, and also the freedom that we have, as far as the press and our journalists
837
Jeezy: freedom to be able to share our political views without being scrutinized, will be held intact as well, too. So that's my spotlight of the week, man.
838
Jeezy: So
839
Jeezy: with that being said, we have reached the conclusion of our episode, and we want to just thank you for being a part of our episode. We thank you for tuning in. We thank you for listening, continue to like share. Follow us on social media. If there's any topics as always, that you would like to hear our viewpoint on it, please send it to the boys here at the pod, and we would greatly love to share our thoughts with you. So
840
Jeezy: with that being said, brother, my my heart and mind is clear. Is there anything that you have, brother?
841
Manny: Just real quickly. Trump was saluting Saudi Arabian soldiers and military. That's mad, weird!
842
Manny: Oh, God!
843
Manny: Forgot about that! I was like.
844
Jeezy: I forgot all about that.
845
Manny: That's weird, but we won't. We won't unpack that again. But yeah, that's weird.
846
Jeezy: Wow!
847
Manny: Yeah, okay.
848
Manny: cool. But I, yeah, I didn't want us to get out of here without us calling attention. That like, that's weird, that. Yeah.
849
Jeezy: Lot of weirdness going on. Bro.
850
Manny: All right. I'm good now. I'm all headed head and harder, clear.
851
Jeezy: Well, we thank you all for tuning in, and, as always, we say here at the pod, if don't nobody love, you just know the boys here at the pod. We love you to the bottom of our hearts, and we just thank you.
852
Jeezy: We got to come up with a name for our listeners. Bro. Like we I don't know like should they be the part.
853
Manny: Amazing.
854
Jeezy: Years.
855
Manny: All right. So here's here's what we're gonna do. Late announcement. Actually, no, we're going to save it for the next pod. We got an announcement coming next. Pod.
856
Jeezy: Okay, all right, you hear this. So that's reason for you. That's incentive for you to tune into the next episode. So I'll be ready for that announcement. But take care, hope! This episode finds you well, and we will see you at the next episode. So take care, world.