The FBI Director Scandal That No One Saw Coming

0:00 U.S.

0:00 and Iran are now both enforcing blockades

0:02 on the Strait of Hormuz with attacks on commercial vessels.

0:04 The cease fire between the countries is set to expire tonight,

0:07 and so far, there is no confirmation that they'll even meet for talks.

0:10 writing, starting with the ceasefire that's coming into an end.

0:12 You had Trump announcing it back on April 7th,

0:14 saying it was conditional on the complete,

0:15 immediate and safe opening of the Strait of Hormuz.

0:17 while the ceasefire that took effect

0:19 the the strait it never really open back up, at least in part because the U.S.

0:22 and Iran disagreed over whether the truce extended to Lebanon.

0:24 and then after in-person talks in Pakistan ended without an agreement,

0:27 you had Trump trying to turn the tables on Iran with the U.S.

0:30 announcing that blockade on all ships, quote,

0:32 entering or departing Iranian ports and coastal areas.

0:34 then also at the end of last week, there were signs of progress.

0:36 Israel and Lebanon, they agreed to a ten day ceasefire.

0:39 so in response, Iran announced that it

0:40 would actually reopen the strait to commercial vessels,

0:42 so you had Trump celebrating the news, but also saying that the U.S.

0:45 blockade would, quote, remain in full force until such time

0:47 as our transaction with Iran is 100% complete.

0:49 And then adding.

0:50 this process should go very quickly

0:52 and that most of the points are already negotiated.

0:54 then in other statements throughout the day,

0:55 claim that Iran would hand over its highly enriched uranium to the US,

0:58 that it would, agreed to an unlimited halt to all

1:00 nuclear activities and that it wouldn't get any money in return.

1:03 even said Iran.

1:03 It agreed never to close the strait again.

1:05 then the next day, Iran, they closed the strait again,

1:08 while also rejecting all of his claims about progress on the deal.

1:11 were the country's speaker of parliament and chief negotiator.

1:13 Writing on Twitter, president of the United

1:14 States made seven claims in one hour.

1:16 All seven of which were false.

1:18 They did not win the war with these lies,

1:20 and they will certainly not get anywhere.

1:21 Negotiations either.

1:22 the continuation of the blockade, the Strait of Hormuz will not remain open.

1:25 then with all that, you had Iran's

1:27 Revolutionary Guard Corps issuing a statement saying,

1:28 we warn that no vessel of any kind

1:30 should move from its Anchorage in the Persian Gulf,

1:32 in the Sea of Oman and approaching the Strait

1:35 of Hormuz will be considered cooperation with the enemy,

1:37 and the offending vessel will be targeted.

1:39 then, within a few hours,

1:41 IRGC gunboats opened fire on a tanker off the coast of Oman,

1:43 while an unknown projectile also hit a container vessel.

1:45 so.

1:45 Yeah.

1:46 Trump the next day accusing Iran of violating the cease fire,

1:48 but then also insisting that progress was still being made,

1:51 saying, representatives are going to Islamabad, Pakistan.

1:53 They will be there tomorrow evening for negotiations.

1:55 but then he reverted back to his baseline negotiating tactic these days,

1:58 which is to threaten what appear to be war crimes.

2:00 We're offering a very fair and reasonable deal.

2:02 And I hope they take it, because if they don't,

2:04 the United States is going to knock out every

2:06 single power plant and every single bridge in Iran.

2:09 No more Mr.

2:10 Nice Guy.

2:10 Trump later revealing that an Iranian flagged

2:12 cargo ship tried to get past the blockade, but it did not go well for them.

2:15 as far as what happened,

2:16 you had American forces attacking and boarding a vessel around 30

2:18 miles south of the coast of Iran in the Arabian Sea.

2:21 the ship reportedly belong to a state owned Iranian company under U.S,

2:23 UK and EU sanctions.

2:25 company that's been described by the American State Department

2:27 as the preferred shipping line for Iranian proliferator and procurement agents.

2:30 it had reportedly been traveling back from a Chinese

2:32 chemical storage port known for shipping substances,

2:34 including a key precursor for solid rocket

2:35 fuel that Iran needs for its missile program.

2:37 the ones to be clear, it's not publicly known right now what it

2:40 may have been carrying this time, you know,

2:41 the military saying it had only gone ahead with the use of force

2:43 after six hours of warnings to the Iranian vessel to turn back.

2:46 vessel.

2:46 Toaster motor was a toaster Baker engine.

2:51 Make your engine.

2:52 We're prepared.

2:53 Subjected to the same thing.

2:54 Fired according to the military then disable the Iranian

2:56 link ship by firing several rounds into its engine room.

3:03 then had several Marines flying over on a helicopter,

3:05 rappelling down onto the ship and then taking control.

3:07 it was actually the first time American

3:09 forces boarded a ship since the blockade began.

3:10 no.

3:11 Also, according to the military,

3:12 25 vessels have been turned back without force as of yesterday.

3:15 you then at Iran saying it would retaliate soon

3:16 for what it called an act of armed piracy,

3:18 and it gave no indication that it would

3:20 be meeting the negotiating team that Trump mentioned.

3:21 team that the white House said would once again include vice President JD Vance,

3:24 special envoy Steve Wycoff and Jared Kushner.

3:26 Right.

3:26 As I mentioned, Trump said that they would be arriving this evening.

3:28 And he even told the New York Post this morning that Vance had already left.

3:31 but then you're the New York Times reporting

3:33 that Vance was actually expected to leave the U.S.

3:35 for Pakistan tomorrow.

3:35 then as far as the Iranians, I'd you I don't spokesperson for the Foreign

3:38 Ministry claiming it to you as a John.

3:39 It wasn't serious about pursuing diplomacy and saying that no

3:42 decision had been made regarding the next round of negotiations.

3:45 but also thing to remember here is that Iranian officials made

3:47 similar comments in the lead up to the first round of negotiations.

3:49 So it's not really clear whether this is just talk.

3:51 in fact, you did later have The New York Times reporting

3:53 that an Iranian delegation was making plans to travel to Pakistan.

3:56 and you know, as we say words or words, actions are actions.

3:58 They're separate things.

3:59 And so we're gonna have to wait to see what actually happens.

4:01 but also if talks don't happen or a deal isn't reached,

4:04 Trump's claim that it is highly unlikely

4:06 that he would extend the two week ceasefire.

4:07 but going back to that saying, as we know,

4:09 his words mean almost less than nothing.

4:11 and Justice Trump has repeatedly claimed that the deal was close,

4:13 only to then be proven wrong.

4:14 He's also repeatedly made threats that he hasn't followed through on.

4:17 and notably with all this, European allies

4:18 are reportedly concerned that an inexperienced U.S.

4:20 negotiating team is so desperate for a quick fix that they

4:23 might agree to a deal that leaves most serious issues unresolved.

4:25 Are you one European diplomat telling Reuters.

4:27 The concern isn't that there won't be an agreement.

4:29 it's that there will be a bad

4:30 initial agreement that creates endless downstream problems.

4:33 and another saying there's simply not enough expertise in this U.S.

4:35 team.

4:35 And noting that roughly 200 diplomats,

4:37 financial and nuclear experts were involved in the 2015 talks and adding,

4:40 we worked on this file for two decades.

4:42 then, of course, in the meantime, all this uncertainty, the escalation,

4:45 the threats, they've just put oil prices back on the upswing.

4:48 or the price for a barrel dropping by around 5% overnight into today.

4:51 and the hardest hit region continues to be Asia.

4:53 But also, the longer that this remains unresolved,

4:55 the more that it could just be kind of a a preview for other parts of the world.

4:58 mean already experts are saying that a few more weeks like

5:00 this, it could push several countries

5:01 into greater unrest and economic recession,

5:03 while also forcing millions into poverty.

5:05 then, hey, let's say even if the Strait of Hormuz gets back to normal tomorrow,

5:08 it could take years for oil and gas output and shipping to reach pre-war levels.

5:12 and on the U.S, you know, the effects might not be as extreme.

5:14 It is increasingly seem like this is

5:16 a problem for the Republicans in the midterms.

5:17 Ordinary Americans are struggling with higher gas prices.

5:20 Trump maybe trying to act like he's not worried about the potential

5:22 blowback with him posing a series of rants and social media.

5:24 Just as I was getting the show out for you.

5:26 reclaiming in one of the deal the US is making

5:28 now will be far better than the one negotiated under Obama,

5:30 and rehashing his criticism of that agreement.

5:32 you then at him accusing Democrats of doing everything possible to hurt

5:35 the very strong position we are in with respect to Iran and writing.

5:38 read the fake news saying that I am under pressure to make a deal.

5:41 This is not true.

5:42 am under no pressure whatsoever.

5:43 Although it will all happen relatively quickly.

5:46 then finally you, Adam claiming I'm winning a war by a lot.

5:48 Things are going very well.

5:50 The anti-america fake news media is rooting for Iran to win.

5:52 But it's not going to happen because I'm in charge.

5:55 but of course, you know,

5:55 and being in charge is a large part of the reason the world is in this mess.

5:58 And his unhinged meltdowns on social media, they're not exactly reassuring.

6:01 but then also speaking of concerning behavior

6:03 from the people that are running our government.

6:04 We've got to talk about the cash Patel situation.

6:06 because she's.

6:06 Everyone's been dunking on him ever since.

6:08 This Atlantic article over the weekend claim that the FBI director is erratic,

6:11 frequently absent, and prone to heavy bouts of drinking.

6:13 If the fake News Mafia isn't hitting

6:15 you personally with baseless information in Washington,

6:18 DC, then you're not doing your job.

6:20 Okay, so according to The Atlantic, several officials said the Patel is known

6:23 to drink to the point of obvious intoxication,

6:25 even in the presence of other administration staff.

6:27 with him allegedly getting wasted at the private club Neds in D.C.,

6:29 in the pool room in Las Vegas, where he frequently spends parts of his weekends.

6:33 fact, you had six different sources reportedly telling

6:34 The Atlantic that early on in Patel's tenure,

6:36 meetings and briefings had to be rescheduled for later

6:38 in the day as a result of his alcohol fueled nights.

6:41 say it's to the point where his own security detail of struggle

6:43 to wake him up multiple times because he was apparently drunk.

6:45 hole.

6:45 In one instance, when Patel was unreachable behind locked doors,

6:47 officials reportedly requested reaching equipment to get him.

6:50 if true.

6:50 I mean, when the FBI's about to bust down a door

6:52 with tools usually reserved for hostage rescues to get the FBI director,

6:55 you know, wearing the the fall half of the rise and fall of the American empire.

6:59 and you had these people saying, you know, there are real consequences, right?

7:01 This isn't, like a superficial sloppiness.

7:03 officials have reportedly said that Patel's presence

7:04 at FBI headquarters and field offices has been irregular.

7:07 with them, adding that he's compounded the agency's existing

7:09 bureaucratic bottlenecks and that his chronic absence is delayed,

7:12 time sensitive decisions needed to advance investigations.

7:14 of the source told the outlet that on several occasions,

7:16 Patel's delays resulted in normally unflappable agents,

7:18 quote, losing their shit.

7:20 Those are the three words they used.

7:21 plus a big thing here is that that kind

7:22 of drinking is also just against the rules,

7:24 the DOJ's own ethics handbook states that an employee is

7:27 prohibited from habitually using alcohol or other intoxicants to excess.

7:30 the inspector general warning that off

7:31 duty alcohol consumption can impair employees judgment and make them vulnerable

7:35 to exploitation or coercion by foreign adversaries.

7:37 and so as you might expect,

7:38 some of the FBI worried that if there is a terror attack,

7:40 Patel is going to be sloshed out on a couch with a bottle of PBR in his hand.

7:43 you know, would be less than ideal at any time,

7:45 but especially not when you've just launched a war

7:47 against one of the world's leading state sponsors of terrorism.

7:50 fact, for some of the major events that we've already seen,

7:52 FBI administration officials have reportedly questioned whether

7:55 alcohol played a role in Patel's impulsive responses.

7:57 There.

7:57 maybe the most notable being him

7:59 posting premature or inaccurate information about

8:01 Charlie Kirk's assassination and the Brown

8:02 University shooting while those cases were ongoing.

8:04 you've reportedly got over two dozen

8:06 people telling The Atlantic that he's erratic, suspicious of others,

8:08 and prone to jumping to conclusions before he has the necessary evidence,

8:11 the outlet describing one story this month where Patel

8:13 reportedly struggled to log into an internal computer system,

8:15 and he quickly just became convinced that he'd been locked out.

8:17 And then he panicked, frantically calling aides and allies to announce

8:20 that he'd been fired from the white House,

8:22 with two sources calling it a freak out.

8:23 also members of Congress and even the FBI itself reportedly called

8:26 the white House to ask who is now in charge of the agency.

8:29 but of course, Patel wasn't and hasn't been fired,

8:30 though several current and former officials say that he

8:33 is deeply concerned that his head's on the chopping block.

8:35 Which.

8:35 Yeah, I mean, it appears to be warranted.

8:37 There have been rumors about him getting fired soon, anyway,

8:39 and The Atlantic reports that senior

8:40 officials are already discussing who might replace

8:42 though I will say as far as Trump's feelings on this, the outlets findings,

8:44 there were kind of a let's, let's call it ambiguous.

8:46 the one hand, he's reportedly unbothered

8:48 by grumblings about Patel from within the FBI.

8:50 And he's been pleased with Patel's efforts to purge the agency.

8:52 then also, on the other hand, Trump is reportedly complaining that Patel

8:54 has seemed unprepared for TV appearances and that Patel hasn't moved quickly

8:57 enough on investigating the president's enemies.

8:59 plus there's the whole thing that Trump's

9:00 reportedly not a big fan of alcohol, right?

9:02 His brother died after struggling with alcoholism.

9:03 so, actually, when Patel was filmed chugging beer with the U.S.

9:06 men's Olympic hockey team in February,

9:07 Trump reportedly called him to convey his unhappiness.

9:10 However, with all this, it does seem like Patel

9:12 knows how to work with or work Trump specifically.

9:15 or with Patel seemingly trying to get back into Trump's

9:17 good graces with this answer on Fox about the 2020 election.

9:20 I am never going to let this go because they not only

9:23 a personally attacked the presidency of the United States and President Trump,

9:26 but they tried to thwart our elections and rigged the entire system

9:29 can announce on your show that we've got all the information we need.

9:32 We're working with our prosecutors,

9:34 the Department of Justice and their attorney general, Todd Blanch.

9:36 And we are going to be making arrest.

9:39 And it's coming.

9:40 And I promise you, it's coming soon.

9:42 and actually, on the note of him being litigious,

9:44 he addressed the Atlantic article about him as well.

9:46 They can beat their drums and stand next to toxic waste all they want,

9:49 but that doesn't make it toxic waste.

9:50 And, Maria, I'm happy to announce on your show

9:53 that we are not going to take this lying down.

9:55 You want to attack my character?

9:56 Come at me.

9:57 Bring it on.

9:58 I'll see you in court.

9:59 yeah, it appears he meant it because today he sued the Atlantic,

10:02 and it's reporter Sarah Fitzpatrick for $250 million, alleging defamation.

10:06 with him, claiming that his lawyers in a letter the outlet

10:07 denying the claims and asking for more time to refute them,

10:10 but that The Atlantic went ahead and published them anyway.

10:11 now, to win this battle would have to prove actual malice.

10:14 Meaning that won the information printed in the article is false.

10:17 And two, The Atlantic either knew

10:18 that or recklessly ignored doubts about its accuracy.

10:21 but they're you also have some experts saying, you know,

10:23 getting to the truth of that, it would require discovery,

10:25 the evidence gathering phase of the case.

10:26 And you have some wondering, would Patel actually want to do that?

10:29 then also in the meantime is is playing out.

10:31 Democrats have just pounced on this, or with, for example,

10:33 Gavin Newsom's press office posting an AI

10:35 generated video of a drunken Patel being

10:37 carried out by a security detail with a caption just seen Cash's night out?

10:41 there's more that we've got to dive into in just a minute.

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11:44 then diving right back into the news.

11:46 The president signed a $50 million executive order to fast

11:48 track research on a psychedelic aimed at ending opioid addiction.

11:51 it's called ibogaine.

11:52 And it apparently only took one text from Joe Rogan to get the ball rolling.

11:55 with one dose of ibogaine,

11:57 more than 80% of people are free of that addiction with two doses.

12:01 It's more than 90%.

12:03 I send him that information.

12:05 The text message, but came back.

12:07 Sounds great.

12:07 Do you want FDA approval?

12:09 Let's do it.

12:10 where people have gone to or go

12:11 to countries like Mexico to use ibogaine for PTSD,

12:14 addiction and other health issues.

12:15 But in the United States, it's a schedule one drug.

12:17 well different groups have tried to get it approved.

12:18 You have to check a lot of boxes

12:20 on the business side of things to make that work.

12:21 there really hasn't been much progress before.

12:23 But then as far as a question of why does someone like Rogan care about it?

12:25 I mean, it could be because of his audience.

12:27 in addition to his own interest in psychedelics,

12:28 he's hosted plenty of that to say that, you know,

12:30 they just don't get enough support when they come home from battle.

12:32 politicians love it.

12:34 They love to send, you know, 18 to 26 year old men and women.

12:38 They love to send them to war.

12:40 What they hate is paying the fucking bill, right?

12:43 That's what they hate.

12:44 They hate paying for the after effects.

12:46 They hate standing by their word in the sense of, hey,

12:50 we're going to take care of you.

12:52 Your all your health problems,

12:53 it's a PTSD could be more common for vets and it is

12:56 for civilians are also more likely to come home with chronic pain and treatment.

12:59 It can cause people to slip into addiction.

13:00 And so, Rogan, this is something that he obviously cares the we

13:03 also understand like this is an issue that doesn't just stop with veterans.

13:06 We have a gigantic opiate problem in this country, obviously.

13:09 In 2024, more than 80,000 people died of overdoses.

13:14 It's a horrible number.

13:16 And there's more than 5 million people that are addicted to opiates right now

13:20 in this country We've lost roughly a million people to opioid since the mid 90s.

13:23 So yeah it's an understood I think by most that we need better treatment.

13:26 also one of the things you're seeing here is,

13:28 a lot of people skeptical about how this came to be saying,

13:30 why does it feel like a podcaster, to some degree is calling the shots?

13:33 it's really not surprising that Trump would really care what Rogan thinks.

13:35 He has over 20 million subscribers on just YouTube alone.

13:37 His audience is massive.

13:39 I mean, he had them on before they had the election.

13:41 Many credit Rogan to giving him the white House,

13:43 and people have been talking about his political influence for years now.

13:45 so that also brings us to the next part here.

13:46 When he started slamming Trump for the war in Iran,

13:49 well, his approval rating was already taking a nosedive.

13:51 Things look shaky.

13:52 but you also reports saying that he and Trump

13:53 are usually pretty buddy buddy with each other.

13:55 which could also be why we haven't seen Trump cut ties

13:57 with Rogan the way that he did with his other critics.

13:58 one that note.

13:59 Rogan was taken shots over the weekend.

14:01 there was no shortage of people calling him a coward and a hypocrite.

14:03 calling him a liar for saying

14:04 that he's politically homeless and how he'll heavily

14:06 criticize the administration but then appear they're

14:08 right behind Donald Trump without an apple box,

14:10 which was kind of rude on Donald Trump's part.

14:12 many seeing Joe Rogan there smiling ear to ear,

14:14 praising Trump and going, oh, his words are empty.

14:16 of course, there's also no shortage of Rogan defenders, people saying, you know,

14:19 there's more nuance here and that you can't just throw everything out.

14:22 then also with the situation,

14:23 you have some saying, well, there's actually another problem.

14:25 claiming they're not actually telling the whole story

14:27 about why ibogaine got banned in the first place.

14:29 They did it to target the civil rights movement and the antiwar movement.

14:33 It's not because these drugs harm people.

14:35 And for 56 years, we've lived under those terrible conditions.

14:42 We're free of that now.

14:43 those also, one of the only reasons, Ibogaine can also cause cardiac arrest.

14:46 Researchers are concerned about its high potential for abuse.

14:49 And in rare cases, it can be fatal.

14:50 understand.

14:50 That is not to say that this drug could end up

14:52 being extremely valuable for veterans and people who are addicted to opioids.

14:55 We just don't fully know yet.

14:56 so that's why you're seeing folks like the founder

14:58 of a DC based psychedelic advocacy organization stressing.

15:00 next phase will depend on the strength of the clinical data

15:02 and how these therapies are integrated into the existing health care system.

15:05 you still have many scientists that are worried

15:06 that the Trump administration is going to try

15:08 to bypass the very strict and rigorous

15:09 benchmarks that come with this type of research,

15:11 just so they can claim, with a quick win.

15:12 while we wait to see what researchers make of all

15:14 this, we could move on to the next drug.

15:15 In today's episode.

15:16 maha aligned influencers and conservatives instead of, you know, raw milk.

15:20 They have this new dangerous product that they're hawking,

15:22 though it's not really new.

15:23 And that is nicotine.

15:24 you seeing numerous health influencers and other prominent right wing voices

15:27 heavily pushing it to millions and millions of their collective followers?

15:30 you're seeing them claim that nicotine actually

15:31 has a ton of different health benefits, and it's just really been unfairly

15:34 stigmatized by the mainstream medical establishment.

15:36 so it's actually pretty similar to other controversial products.

15:38 The Maha movement's promoted like peptides,

15:39 beef tallow, and of course, raw milk.

15:41 then with that you have many saying,

15:43 like with other health concepts that have been pushed by Maha,

15:45 unfairly stigmatized by the mainstream medical establishment,

15:48 it sometimes just translates to scientifically proven to be dangerous.

15:51 right.

15:51 As far as nicotine experts widely agree that it raises your blood pressure,

15:54 adrenaline and heart rate, creating a number of cardiovascular issues over time.

15:57 things that include an increased risk for heart disease and heart attack.

16:00 according to the CDC, nicotine can also harm brain development,

16:02 which continues until you're around 25.

16:04 know, while public health officials say

16:05 regarding nicotine patches or pouches like Zen's

16:07 is a safer alternative for people who are trying to quit smoking cigarets,

16:10 one, you're comparing apples to cancer.

16:12 Death sticks.

16:12 So, you know, it doesn't mean that nicotine is safe.

16:14 And two, it is still highly addictive.

16:16 so it still carries big risks for former tobacco users.

16:18 But the main concern is that it's going to hook people,

16:20 especially young people who have never used nicotine before.

16:22 According to the American Lung Association, only about 35% of Americans who

16:25 use nicotine patches have previously smoked cigarets.

16:28 And of those, only 1 in 10 were able to stop smoking and switch to pouches.

16:32 in fact, research is actually shown that when people who

16:34 weren't previously addicted to tobacco

16:35 started using tobacco free nicotine products,

16:37 it actually increases their likelihood of addiction to tobacco products.

16:41 which is then why you have many experts arguing that nicotine products,

16:43 which are mainly produced by the tobacco industry,

16:45 it's just another tactic for big tobacco

16:47 to hook a whole new generation of users.

16:49 that's just super significant because when you look

16:50 at most of the major allies hawking nicotine products,

16:53 they aren't just trying to promote it as a safer alternative to smoking.

16:56 They're actively pushing it as some kind of wonder drug.

16:58 easily one of the best examples of this.

17:00 And one of the single biggest voices in this space has been Tucker Carlson.

17:03 But he has repeatedly touted what he said are the benefits of nicotine,

17:05 saying at one point that he's been using it

17:07 for 40 years now since he quit smoking in college.

17:09 Tucker then also claims of the benefits

17:11 go way beyond transitioning from cigarets.

17:12 He's also repeatedly promoted various nicotine products.

17:15 Is miraculous cure alls.

17:16 This is the largest in tin in the.

17:18 The volume of nicotine in here could save the world.

17:21 There's enough nicotine in this container to alter the course of history.

17:25 Zen is Not a sin.

17:27 Zen is a lifesaving medical product

17:29 that enhances male vitality and mental acuity.

17:32 Zen is like the hand of God

17:33 reaching down and massaging your central nervous system.

17:35 then there was also that viral clip from an interview

17:37 we did with the Auvergne a few years ago.

17:38 Yeah, but the truth is,

17:40 Zen is a powerful work enhancer and also a male enhancer,

17:44 if you know what I mean.

17:46 Really?

17:46 Talking erection?

17:49 Yep.

17:49 There's no election for I was in.

17:51 Wow.

17:52 I don't know if I want to Zen supported wiener.

17:56 You know, I don't know.

17:57 I think you do.

17:58 I think you you think so?

17:59 Oh, yeah.

18:00 Because you want people to get addicted.

18:01 so one weird.

18:03 Two.

18:04 Right now, there's zero scientific evidence to back up

18:06 his claims about nicotine enhancing male vitality or whatever.

18:09 if anything, the opposite actually appears.

18:10 Which you're right.

18:11 Studies show that nicotine can cause numerous reproductive issues for men,

18:14 including erectile dysfunction, reduce fertility, and decreased libido.

18:17 no, I will say it.

18:17 Maybe Tucker is speaking, at least in part from personal experience.

18:20 Just close your eyes.

18:22 Oh, it's like that.

18:24 That's a neighbor saying, hey, it's real quiet over there.

18:26 Whack it on the nightstand.

18:28 Oh.

18:29 then also beyond that, you would Philip Morris.

18:30 Which manufacturers end actually sending Carlson a cease

18:33 and desist letter after that podcast telling

18:34 him to stop saying shit about their products

18:36 because even if he was joking, quote.

18:38 statements lack a scientific foundation, adding, given Mr.

18:41 Carlson's popularity and reach,

18:42 these statements could promote a misunderstanding and misuse of our products.

18:45 then you had Carlson slamming the company for that rebuke.

18:48 And in fact, he cited it as part of his reason

18:50 that he launched his own brand of nicotine pouches,

18:52 called out, he then touted as an alternative to so-called

18:55 woke products like Zen because apparently Zinn is woke now.

18:59 Tucker is also not the only person who

19:00 gets direct financial benefit from pushing nicotine products.

19:02 right.

19:02 Dave Asprey, for example, a biohacking influencer with millions of followers.

19:05 He's also been one of the biggest proponents, belief that, you know,

19:08 I'm sure has nothing to do with the fact

19:09 that he's reportedly invested in the nicotine pouch company.

19:11 Lucien done consulting work for Philip Morris.

19:13 right.

19:13 Nice phrase.

19:14 Repeatedly echoed Tucker's claims that nicotine can increase cognitive function,

19:17 reverse Alzheimer's, and help people live longer.

19:19 and that's also been then echoed by Jillian Michaels,

19:21 Omaha line celebrity fitness influencer who's

19:23 repeatedly talked about her use of nicotine

19:25 and made wild claims about its health benefits on her podcast and beyond.

19:28 They're claiming in one interview that she uses low

19:29 doses of nicotine to protect against Alzheimer's and Parkinson's disease,

19:32 as well as to sharpen focus and help treat her ADHD,

19:35 saying at one point that nicotine is

19:36 not toxic and claiming that it's actually beneficial.

19:39 again, all the signs that we have right

19:40 now shows that nicotine is in fact toxic.

19:42 And there's no real evidence to back up these sweeping claims.

19:44 Right.

19:45 Experts say that, like literally any other stimulant,

19:47 nicotine can make you slightly more alert,

19:48 but it doesn't improve cognitive function or make you more intelligent.

19:51 in fact, as we noted before,

19:52 it can actually harm brain development in those 25 and under,

19:54 and it can even harm concentration in the long run,

19:57 because users build up a tolerance and then

19:59 can struggle to concentrate without and then it's where

20:01 the various kind of miracle cure claims like

20:03 that nicotine can prevent diseases like Parkinson's or Alzheimer's.

20:05 experts say that the research there is very preliminary and far from definitive,

20:09 with many also arguing that it's incredibly alarming for supposed

20:11 health influencers to be pushing these products to their fans.

20:14 but then you also have some in the Maha camp hitting back,

20:16 claiming, as they have with many other products,

20:18 that the medical establishment is intentionally hiding information about natural

20:21 cures while pushing prescription medications that just make people sicker.

20:24 right.

20:24 Last year, for example, leading Maha influencer Alex Clark did

20:27 a podcast titled Nicotine is Not the Villain.

20:29 What big Pharma hides from parents.

20:31 then it.

20:31 She interviewed an alternative medicine practitioner who

20:33 claimed that the pharmaceutical industry has buried

20:35 information on nicotine benefits and argued

20:37 that it could treat Covid, cancer and more.

20:39 those of Clark herself telling viewers that everything

20:41 they've been told about nicotine has been a lie.

20:43 know, to close this one out, I, I am interested I am curious also what you make

20:47 of this, especially if you're someone who uses or has used nicotine products.

20:50 Right.

20:50 Because nicotine this is definitely like an outsider looking in situation.

20:54 I had smoker parents kept me miles away from this stuff.

20:57 And also I'm just scared of anything that's addictive.

20:59 like, I feel like I'm addicted to chocolate.

21:01 So I feel like I have no shot on nicotine.

21:02 And so I've never tried it.

21:03 anecdotally, like 90% of the people that have used it

21:06 or do use it in my life, they regret it.

21:09 that, my friends, is the end of your Monday.

21:10 Dive into the news.

21:11 though I'll say what a week we have in store ahead.

21:13 the also that's where I'll leave because I don't want to ruin anything.

21:15 Just make sure that you're subscribed.

21:16 You have your notifications turned on.

21:17 And also, if you're in North America, maybe text me at 81321234423.

21:21 Your choice for no specific reason.

21:22 with that said, thank you for watching.

21:24 I love your faces.

21:25 And I'll see you right back here tomorrow