Useful Idiots with Katie Halper and Aaron Maté

Useful Idiots, LLC
  • 4.5 (4.4K)
  • Politics
  • Updated Weekly

Useful Idiots is an informative and irreverent politics podcast with journalist Aaron Maté and podcaster/writer Katie Halper. Episodes feature analysis of the political news of the week and exclusive interviews, with humor, commentary and dissection of why both Republicans and Democrats suck. Join Aaron and Katie as they examine important stories that have slipped through the cracks and what the media got wrong – and laugh about whatever is left to laugh about.

  1. 1d ago

    Murdering 2 Birds with 1 Stone: Republicans shill for Israel while ALSO getting to call a Muslim politician a terrorist

    Pre-order Aaron's new book on the Ukraine war: Their Blood, Our Bullets https://orbooks.com/catalog/their-blood-our-bullets/ Go to https://groundnews.com/useful to get 40% off the unlimited access Vantage plan and unlock world-wide perspectives on the stories shaping our world. Check out Quince and use our code https://quince.com/useful for a great deal: https://www.quince.com Check out Avocado Green Mattress: https://avocadogreenmattress.com/IDIOTS Check out Chilipad and use my code sleep.me/USEFUL for a great deal: https://sleep.me/useful ------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------ Support our work and get the extended interview with Eli Clifton: https://www.usefulidiotspodcast.com/p/extended-interview-aipac-lashes-out Watch the Friday Free-For-All: Laura Ingraham Wants to Rip Abdul El-Sayed's Tight, Communist Shirt Off and Yell At Him All Over https://www.usefulidiotspodcast.com/p/laura-ingraham-wants-to-rip-abdul?r=je5va&utm_campaign=post&utm_medium=web Join us LIVE on Youtube every Monday at 10am EST for Monday Mourning, where we watch the Sunday morning news shows so that you don't have to. Our Sponsors: * Check out Mint Mobile and use my code mintmobile.com/USEFUL for a great deal: https://www.mintmobile.com * Check out Quince and use my code quince.com/USEFUL for a great deal: https://www.quince.com Advertising Inquiries: https://redcircle.com/brands Privacy & Opt-Out: https://redcircle.com/privacy

  2. 5d ago

    AIPAC Lashes Out After $32 Million Loss to Abdul El-Sayed

    Pre-order Eli's new book: Israel's Lobby: America in the Grip of a Foreign Power https://bookshop.org/p/books/israel-s-lobby-america-in-the-grip-of-a-foreign-power-eli-clifton/16ed5a856e6a2af0?ean=9781668210840&next=t&next=t&affiliate=124839 Pre-order Aaron's new book on the Ukraine war: Their Blood, Our Bullets https://orbooks.com/catalog/their-blood-our-bullets/ Go to https://groundnews.com/useful to get 40% off the unlimited access Vantage plan and unlock world-wide perspectives on the stories shaping our world. Check out Quince and use our code https://quince.com/useful for a great deal: https://www.quince.com Check out Avocado Green Mattress: https://avocadogreenmattress.com/IDIOTS Check out Chilipad and use my code sleep.me/USEFUL for a great deal: https://sleep.me/useful ------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------ Support our work and get the extended interview with Eli Clifton: https://www.usefulidiotspodcast.com/p/extended-interview-aipac-lashes-out Watch the Friday Free-For-All: Laura Ingraham Wants to Rip Abdul El-Sayed's Tight, Communist Shirt Off and Yell At Him All Over https://www.usefulidiotspodcast.com/p/laura-ingraham-wants-to-rip-abdul?r=je5va&utm_campaign=post&utm_medium=web Join us LIVE on Youtube every Monday at 10am EST for Monday Mourning, where we watch the Sunday morning news shows so that you don't have to. Congresswoman Haley Stevens (D-MI), the cartoonish caricature of a Zionist liberal who once claimed that “Israel comes to me in my dreams,” was thrust into the national spotlight when AIPAC pumped $32 million into her senate campaign, the largest single donation from any PAC or donor for any Democratic in this election cycle. This week, that proved to be poison when Abdul El-Sayed narrowly beat her for the Democratic nomination. El-Sayed, who joins the growing train of progressives toppling the Democratic establishment in places like New York City and Colorado, used this Big Money donation (which amounted to about $62 million, creating a 12-1 donation advantage over El-Sayed) against her in debates, speeches, and campaign ads. AIPAC’s main response to El-Sayed’s attacks was that Stevens would fare better come November against “evil” Republican Mike Rogers. But one day after El-Sayed’s victory, Israel’s hypocrisy shines as always as AIPAC begins donations to Rogers’ campaign. Our guest, investigative journalist Eli Clifton, whose new book with Ian Lustick Israel’s Lobby: America in the Grip of a Foreign Power is now available for pre-order, explains why he expects AIPAC to well outspend its $32 million primary efforts in November, as well as why the campaign is about to get “much uglier.” 00:00 Intro 02:16 Stephen Miller can't cope with Abdul El-Sayed 06:12 Ted Cruz also has a meltdown 08:23 But Laura Ingraham thinks El-Sayed is hot 11:11 Eli Clifton interview 13:29 People in Michigan HATE AIPAC 16:52 Van Jones gets WRECKED 25:07 How AIPAC stole the presidency from Jimmy Carter 34:18 How AIPAC has responded to Eli's reporting on them Our Sponsors: * Check out Mint Mobile and use my code mintmobile.com/USEFUL for a great deal: https://www.mintmobile.com * Check out Quince and use my code quince.com/USEFUL for a great deal: https://www.quince.com Advertising Inquiries: https://redcircle.com/brands Privacy & Opt-Out: https://redcircle.com/privacy

  3. Aug 3

    Is Trump's New Iran Deal Just A Ploy to Momentarily Bump the Stock Market?

    Go to https://groundnews.com/useful to get 40% off the unlimited access Vantage plan and unlock world-wide perspectives on the stories shaping our world. Pre-order Aaron's new book on the Ukraine war "Their Blood, Our Bullets": https://orbooks.com/catalog/their-blood-our-bullets/ Check out Quince and use our code https://quince.com/useful for a great deal: https://www.quince.com Check out Avocado Green Mattress: https://avocadogreenmattress.com/IDIOTS Check out Chilipad and use my code sleep.me/USEFUL for a great deal: https://sleep.me/useful ------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------ Support our work and get the ad-free interview with Lt. Col. Daniel Davis: https://open.substack.com/pub/usefulidiots/p/ad-free-lt-col-daniel-davis-warns?r=je5va&utm_campaign=post-expanded-share&utm_medium=web Watch the Friday Free-For-All: Rahm Emanual Stands Up to Zohran Mamdani in a Fake Story He Made Up About His Own Terrorist Dad https://www.usefulidiotspodcast.com/p/rahm-emanual-stands-up-to-zohran?r=je5va&utm_campaign=post&utm_medium=web Join us LIVE on Youtube every Monday at 10am EST for Monday Mourning, where we watch the Sunday morning news shows so that you don't have to. Our Sponsors: * Check out Mint Mobile and use my code mintmobile.com/USEFUL for a great deal: https://www.mintmobile.com * Check out Quince and use my code quince.com/USEFUL for a great deal: https://www.quince.com Advertising Inquiries: https://redcircle.com/brands Privacy & Opt-Out: https://redcircle.com/privacy

  4. Jul 31

    Lt. Col Daniel Davis WARNS U.S. Running Out of Weapons Against Iran

    Go to https://groundnews.com/useful to get 40% off the unlimited access Vantage plan and unlock world-wide perspectives on the stories shaping our world. Pre-order Aaron's new book on the Ukraine war "Their Blood, Our Bullets": https://orbooks.com/catalog/their-blood-our-bullets/ Check out Quince and use our code https://quince.com/useful for a great deal: https://www.quince.com Check out Avocado Green Mattress: https://avocadogreenmattress.com/IDIOTS Check out Chilipad and use my code sleep.me/USEFUL for a great deal: https://sleep.me/useful ------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------ Support our work and get the ad-free interview with Lt. Col. Daniel Davis: https://open.substack.com/pub/usefulidiots/p/ad-free-lt-col-daniel-davis-warns?r=je5va&utm_campaign=post-expanded-share&utm_medium=web Watch the Friday Free-For-All: Rahm Emanual Stands Up to Zohran Mamdani in a Fake Story He Made Up About His Own Terrorist Dad https://www.usefulidiotspodcast.com/p/rahm-emanual-stands-up-to-zohran?r=je5va&utm_campaign=post&utm_medium=web Join us LIVE on Youtube every Monday at 10am EST for Monday Mourning, where we watch the Sunday morning news shows so that you don't have to. Returning to Useful Idiots this week is 4-time combat veteran and host of Daniel Davis Deep Dive on YouTube: Lt. Col. Daniel Davis! In the early stages of the second Trump administration, Davis was considered for a top job under the now-former Director of National Intelligence, Tulsi Gabbard. He almost got the job until Laura Loomer intervened. That’s right. The Islamophobic, arch-Zionist bigot who’s currently visiting Ukraine and extolling the virtues of arming Zelensky’s government got Daniel Davis’s nomination quashed because Davis has been critical of Israel. So of course that’s a no-go in the so-called America First administration. This week, we tap into his military expertise to discuss the growing conflicts under Trump’s watch, from the Ukraine proxy war to the regime-change war against Iran. Subscribe to support our work and get the ad-free version of the interview. 00:00 Intro 00:54 Trump mocks Lindsey Graham at his own funeral 03:25 Lindsey Graham EXPOSED collaborating with Netanyahu against ICC 07:44 Rahm Emanuel tells FAKE story about confronting Zohran Mamdani 08:14 Lt. Col. Daniel Davis interview 13:51 Davis SHREDS "ignorant" pro-war general 26:20 Trump fakes death count of US soldiers 28:57 More making fun of Lindsey Graham 40:14 Ukraine joins the Iran War Our Sponsors: * Check out Mint Mobile and use my code mintmobile.com/USEFUL for a great deal: https://www.mintmobile.com * Check out Quince and use my code quince.com/USEFUL for a great deal: https://www.quince.com Advertising Inquiries: https://redcircle.com/brands Privacy & Opt-Out: https://redcircle.com/privacy

  5. Jul 27

    The US Weapons Stockpile is NOT Depleted and Anyone Who Says it is Should Go to Prison for Leaking Classified Information

    Pre-order Aaron's new book on the Ukraine war "Their Blood, Our Bullets": https://orbooks.com/catalog/their-blood-our-bullets/ Go to https://groundnews.com/useful to get 40% off the unlimited access Vantage plan and unlock world-wide perspectives on the stories shaping our world. Check out Quince and use our code https://quince.com/useful for a great deal: https://www.quince.com Check out Avocado Green Mattress: https://avocadogreenmattress.com/IDIOTS Check out Chilipad and use my code sleep.me/USEFUL for a great deal: https://sleep.me/useful ------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------ Support our work and get the full interview with Rania Khalek: https://open.substack.com/pub/usefulidiots/p/full-interview-trump-censors-iran?r=je5va&utm_campaign=post-expanded-share&utm_medium=web Watch the Friday Free-For-All: Arrest Zohran? Israeli Ambassador Embarrasses Himself when Confronted on Latest Threat https://usefulidiotspodcast.com Join us LIVE on Youtube every Monday at 10am EST for Monday Mourning, where we watch the Sunday morning news shows so that you don't have to. Our Sponsors: * Check out Mint Mobile and use my code mintmobile.com/USEFUL for a great deal: https://www.mintmobile.com * Check out Quince and use my code quince.com/USEFUL for a great deal: https://www.quince.com Advertising Inquiries: https://redcircle.com/brands Privacy & Opt-Out: https://redcircle.com/privacy

  6. Jul 24

    Trump CENSORS Iran War Reporting After Military Failure

    Follow Rania's reporting at https://breakthroughnews.org/ and sign the petition to stop the government's attack on their free speech: https://breakthroughnews.org/2026/07/22/breakthrough-news-is-under-attack/ Pre-order Aaron's new book on the Ukraine war "Their Blood, Our Bullets": https://orbooks.com/catalog/their-blood-our-bullets/ Go to https://groundnews.com/useful to get 40% off the unlimited access Vantage plan and unlock world-wide perspectives on the stories shaping our world. Check out Quince and use our code https://quince.com/useful for a great deal: https://www.quince.com Check out Avocado Green Mattress: https://avocadogreenmattress.com/IDIOTS Check out Chilipad and use my code sleep.me/USEFUL for a great deal: https://sleep.me/useful ------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------ Support our work and get the full interview with Rania Khalek: https://open.substack.com/pub/usefulidiots/p/full-interview-trump-censors-iran?r=je5va&utm_campaign=post-expanded-share&utm_medium=web Watch the Friday Free-For-All: Arrest Zohran? Israeli Ambassador Embarrasses Himself when Confronted on Latest Threat https://usefulidiotspodcast.com Join us LIVE on Youtube every Monday at 10am EST for Monday Mourning, where we watch the Sunday morning news shows so that you don't have to. This week, the Republican-led House Ways and Means Committee issued a subpoena to the independent online news outlet Breakthrough News, demanding all of the organization’s internal communications, financial records, and more. This comes on the heels of Marco Rubio’s State Department issuing a near-100 page report on communism in Cuba and its left-wing international supporters, describing Breakthrough News as being “intimately linked to the Cuban regime.” To discuss this, we spoke with journalist and host at Breakthrough News, friend-of-show Rania Khalek. 00:00 Intro 02:37 Why's the Washington Post this excited about killing Iranians? 08:48 A blatant and definitional call for US war crimes 10:38 Rania Khalek interview 27:05 Is Israel blackmailing Lebanon's president? 36:51 Rania DESTROYS Israeli Emily Schrader 44:02 Hezbollah is blocking an army of rapists from invading Our Sponsors: * Check out Mint Mobile and use my code mintmobile.com/USEFUL for a great deal: https://www.mintmobile.com * Check out Quince and use my code quince.com/USEFUL for a great deal: https://www.quince.com Advertising Inquiries: https://redcircle.com/brands Privacy & Opt-Out: https://redcircle.com/privacy

  7. Jul 20

    Jake Tapper's Israel Gotcha BACKFIRES After Perfect Response from Abdul El-Sayed

    Go to https://groundnews.com/useful to get 40% off the unlimited access Vantage plan and unlock world-wide perspectives on the stories shaping our world. Pre-order Aaron's new book on the Ukraine war "Their Blood, Our Bullets": https://orbooks.com/catalog/their-blood-our-bullets/ Read more of Elijah Magnier's work here: https://ejmagnier.com/ Check out Quince and use our code https://quince.com/useful for a great deal: https://www.quince.com Check out Avocado Green Mattress: https://avocadogreenmattress.com/IDIOTS Check out Chilipad and use my code sleep.me/USEFUL for a great deal: https://sleep.me/useful Visit www.functionhealth.com/USEFUL and use gift code USEFUL25 for a $25 credit toward your membership. Check out the Peace Corps at https://peacecorps.gov/serve Check out Webroot: https://webroot.com/USEFUL Check out Mint Mobile: https://mintmobile.com/useful ------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------ Support our work and get the ad-free interview with Elijah Magnier: https://open.substack.com/pub/usefulidiots/p/ad-free-iran-is-retaliating-journalist?r=je5va&utm_campaign=post-expanded-share&utm_medium=web Watch the Friday Free-For-All: JD Vance Just Called Out Trump on Joe Rogan https://usefulidiotspodcast.com Join us LIVE on Youtube every Monday at 10am EST for Monday Mourning, where we watch the Sunday morning news shows so that you don't have to. Our Sponsors: * Check out Mint Mobile and use my code mintmobile.com/USEFUL for a great deal: https://www.mintmobile.com * Check out Quince and use my code quince.com/USEFUL for a great deal: https://www.quince.com Advertising Inquiries: https://redcircle.com/brands Privacy & Opt-Out: https://redcircle.com/privacy

  8. Jul 17

    "RETALIATING”: Journalist Warns Iran’s Tanker War ESCALATION

    Go to https://groundnews.com/useful to get 40% off the unlimited access Vantage plan and unlock world-wide perspectives on the stories shaping our world. Pre-order Aaron's new book on the Ukraine war "Their Blood, Our Bullets": https://orbooks.com/catalog/their-blood-our-bullets/ Read more of Elijah Magnier's work here: https://ejmagnier.com/ Check out Quince and use our code https://quince.com/useful for a great deal: https://www.quince.com Check out Avocado Green Mattress: https://avocadogreenmattress.com/IDIOTS Check out Chilipad and use my code sleep.me/USEFUL for a great deal: https://sleep.me/useful Visit www.functionhealth.com/USEFUL and use gift code USEFUL25 for a $25 credit toward your membership. Check out the Peace Corps at https://peacecorps.gov/serve Check out Webroot: https://webroot.com/USEFUL Check out Mint Mobile: https://mintmobile.com/useful ------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------ Support our work and get the ad-free interview with Elijah Magnier: https://open.substack.com/pub/usefulidiots/p/ad-free-iran-is-retaliating-journalist?r=je5va&utm_campaign=post-expanded-share&utm_medium=web Watch the Friday Free-For-All: JD Vance Just Called Out Trump on Joe Rogan https://usefulidiotspodcast.com Join us LIVE on Youtube every Monday at 10am EST for Monday Mourning, where we watch the Sunday morning news shows so that you don't have to. There is chaos in West Asia as a result of Trump continuing his war on Iran: The latest US strikes on Iran hit near a children’s cancer hospital, forcing patients to flee; Israel continues to break the MOU by destroying and stealing more land in Lebanon; and Iraq is back in the picture as Trump cuts off its money in an attempt to break their support of Iran. In order to make sense of the pandemonium, we spoke with veteran journalist and war correspondent Elijah Magnier, who gives his analysis of the expanding conflict, reacts to JD Vance’s thinly-veiled callout of Trump for getting tricked by the Israelis to oppose diplomacy, and explains why Trump is powerless when it comes to taking the Strait of Hormuz or Kharg Island. Elijah Magnier: Threatening to occupy an island is very easy for US forces to do with a heavy bombardment on several days. But they can’t stay because the cost will be extremely heavy: Iran has the ability to bomb this island or to bomb the Strait of Hormuz or anywhere in the Gulf. Therefore, this plan is actually not feasible.Donald Trump doesn’t have an offer to really propose to end the war in a way that everybody comes out not a loser. He wants to be the winner, and the Iranians aren’t allowing him to be. Iran doesn’t need to win. Iran is not losing because it’s defending itself.And by Donald Trump threatening Kharg Island or the Strait of Hormuz, it means he doesn’t really know the consequences and, militarily speaking, what can be credible or not. His plan in this way is not credible because he can’t hold on to what he potentially can occupy. And then he cannot face the Americans with such a heavy bill.Watch or listen to the full interview with Elijah Magnier where we react to Trump getting called out in JD Vance’s Joe Rogan interview, mocking Syria’s President (and former al-Qaeda founder) Ahmed al-Sharaa to his face, and embarrassing Iraq’s Prime Minister over the Trump-ordered assassination of an Iraqi military leader. 00:00 Intro 02:34 The Massie Amendment STOPS Aid to Israel 05:09 The Dems Who Voted PRO-ISRAEL 08:45 Worse than Netanyahu 13:07 Elijah Magnier interview 17:12 Fmr CENTCOM Commander wants Trump to take the Strait of Hormuz 45:08 Trump's disastrous meetings with foreign leaders 54:16 JD Vance throws Trump shade on Joe Rogan Our Sponsors: * Check out Mint Mobile and use my code mintmobile.com/USEFUL for a great deal: https://www.mintmobile.com * Check out Quince and use my code quince.com/USEFUL for a great deal: https://www.quince.com Advertising Inquiries: https://redcircle.com/brands Privacy & Opt-Out: https://redcircle.com/privacy

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Useful Idiots is an informative and irreverent politics podcast with journalist Aaron Maté and podcaster/writer Katie Halper. Episodes feature analysis of the political news of the week and exclusive interviews, with humor, commentary and dissection of why both Republicans and Democrats suck. Join Aaron and Katie as they examine important stories that have slipped through the cracks and what the media got wrong – and laugh about whatever is left to laugh about.

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