This is the inaugural podcast in the “Is It Too Late?” podcast series. We begin with Joe Kent, the decorated Green Beret, CIA paramilitary officer, and former National Counterterrorism Center Director.
As you may recall, Joe Kent resigned over the Iran war, calling it contrary to US interests, driven by Israeli lobby influence rather than any imminent threat, and at the cost of American lives with no clear strategic upside or direction.
So I asked Joe, did Trump change? Trump, for the first two to three months of his current presidency, seemed to be on track. But then something shifted, and Trump became far more Israel-focused and placed his America First agenda on the back burner.
But our governance problems and predicaments extend far beyond any one president or party. Sure, the government contains many decent, checklist-oriented workers and post-9/11 true believers. Yet most institutions prioritize self-preservation, budget fights, and risk avoidance. Over time, this becomes entrenched and self-absorbed.
Over time, a darker layer involving intelligence networks arose, as evidenced by rapid national crime-scene cleanups, blocked investigations, and Epstein pointing to an elite leverage operation involving transnational coordination.
Joe sees the two-party system functioning as a single party that consistently delivers perpetual Middle East wars, deficits, and civil-liberty erosion.
He thinks that there’s room for a new political party focused first on ending foreign wars and influence and then on the task of rebuilding America.
Is there any hope of this? Yes, he says, especially if younger people are reached and given a clear message of what’s involved and how we get there.
But is it too late for this? Never say never, but the hour is definitely late.
Timestamps
00:00 – Opening remarks / intentional patterns
00:20 – Chris intro: series premise, DC disconnect from voters, wealth gap & fiscal issues; introduces Joe Kent
03:55 – Why Joe resigned over Iran war; Israeli influence & lack of U.S. interest
06:03 – Early Trump admin optimism vs. later shift toward Iran conflict
07:42 – Good people vs. bureaucracy / deeper institutional problems (Epstein, JFK files, security failures)
12:05 – Pattern recognition: rapid cover-ups at major crime scenes
13:41 – Iran war options for Trump; risks of escalation vs. walking away
19:26 – Iran’s position, long-term strategy, energy leverage & sanctions limits
23:56 – Links between Iran & Ukraine wars; energy shocks & possible coordination
26:59 – Broader question of intent vs. incompetence in weakening the West
30:15 – Fracturing of populist/MAGA energy; factors that may have constrained Trump
35:46 – Butler & Charlie Kirk assassinations: unanswered questions & investigative blocks
45:25 – Neither major party represents anti-war + fiscal restraint; need for a real alternative
48:35 – Election integrity concerns & limits of peaceful reform
51:10 – Media influence & rise of alternative platforms
54:09 – Generational divides, reserve-currency risks, and China’s long game
01:00:48 – Building a new political vehicle; education focus
by mike-from-jersey 
