The Left Hook

Mark Bland
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  • POLITICS
  • UPDATED WEEKLY

Hosted by Mark Bland, The Left Hook is a current affairs and pop culture show with a political twist. Weekly the guys interview actors, writers, artist and a revolving cast of characters to bring you multiple views of some of the most controversial and engaging topics of our time.

  1. 3 DAYS AGO

    the Left Hook - 19 - Nostradamus Effect

    Welcome back to another explosive episode of The Left Hook, where we deliver the unfiltered truth about the MAGA nightmare gripping America. Folks, 2026 is here, and Donald Trump is spiraling faster than ever. Just before New Year's, the DOJ dropped a bombshell batch of Epstein files—thousands of pages exposing Trump's desperate attempts to bury his ties to the convicted pedophile. Among the horrors: an FBI tip alleging Trump raped a 13-year-old girl trafficked by Epstein, got her pregnant, then stood by as her uncle murdered the newborn and dumped the body in Lake Michigan. Trump fought tooth and nail to block these releases—why? Because the truth reveals he's hiding decades of depravity. On Christmas Day, while families celebrated, Trump rage-posted over 100 times on Truth Social, attacking immigrants, whining about 2020, and calling Democrats "radical left scum." No family time—just unhinged grievances from a lonely grifter. Then came Jack Smith's damning deposition: ironclad proof Trump orchestrated the 2020 election steal and January 6 insurrection. Smith nailed it—Trump's guilty, and he'd prosecute him Republican or Democrat. America, this criminal in the White House must go. Midterms are coming—vote blue to reclaim our democracy before Trump's chaos destroys us all. Rise up!

    45 min

  2. 23/12/2025

    Left Hook - 18 - The Hunger Games 2026

    Holiday Nostalgia & The Political Landscape of 2026. Hosts Mark Bland and Jason Kull kick off the final show of the year with a warm dive into holiday traditions: strict rules about when Christmas movies are allowed, mandatory Christmas Eve breakfasts, and a shared disdain for warm December weather. They reminisce about the golden age of toys, calculating that the iconic $129 G.I. Joe USS Flagg carrier from the 1980s would cost about $402 in today's dollars—roughly the price of a modern VR headset. The conversation quickly pivots to a sharp critique of the political moment. The hosts dissect President Trump's proposed "Warrior Dividend"—a $1,776 bonus for 1.5 million service members—calling it a flashy political stunt funded by shuffling existing military budgets rather than new revenue from tariffs. They express frustration with claims of an economic boom that don't match the reality of high prices and a 36% economic approval rating. Looking ahead to July 2026, they darkly compare the planned 250th anniversary celebrations—including a nationwide competition—to The Hunger Games, warning that the year could be "lit" in the most dystopian sense. Despite the heavy satire, the episode ends with a heartfelt Merry Christmas and cautious hope for stability in the year ahead.

    45 min

  3. 15/12/2025

    the Left hook - 17 - The Standard

    In this engaging episode of The Left Hook, host Mark Bland welcomes Fred Wellman, a retired Army veteran, host of the On Democracy podcast, and Democratic candidate challenging longtime Republican Rep. Ann Wagner for Missouri's 2nd Congressional District seat. Wellman, a West Point graduate, Ranger, and helicopter pilot with four combat tours—including Desert Storm and Iraq—shares what drove him to run: frustration with Republican policies that hurt working families, like cuts to healthcare and SNAP, juxtaposed against billionaire excess. He recounts personal stories, including helping his bartender son access Medicaid under the ACA, and contrasts that with GOP rhetoric dismissing young workers as "lazy." Wellman criticizes Wagner for never holding a town hall in 13 years, refusing constituent engagement, and enabling unchecked executive overreach, vowing to represent all district residents regardless of party.The conversation turns deeply personal as Wellman opens up about the heavy toll of military service—losing two soldiers in Desert Storm, his interpreter beheaded in Iraq, and profound PTSD treated through years of therapy. He reflects on survivor's guilt, the moral weight of ordering troops into harm's way, and how these experiences shape his view that leaders must take war seriously. Bland and Wellman discuss broader issues like generational wealth decline, skyrocketing housing and energy costs, abortion rights ignored despite Missouri voters passing Amendment 3, and the need for investment in education, healthcare, and veterans rather than endless cuts. Fred positions his campaign as service-driven, promising accessibility and focus on affordability for the next generation. Listeners can learn more at wellmanformo.com.

    45 min

  4. 09/12/2025

    The Left Hook - 16 - Off the Air

    Mark Bland and perennial co-host Jason Kull dive into Missouri's new porn-site age-verification law that forced Pornhub and others to block the state entirely. The duo erupts in disbelief: Republican lawmakers who scream "small government" just made it harder for adults (including themselves) to access legal porn, all while ignoring that the same voters overwhelmingly passed a pro-choice amendment the state refuses to honor. They call it peak hypocrisy: "They'll track your porn but won't release Epstein files or count your vote." The rant spirals into broader MAGA absurdities: Trump still whining about 2020 five years later, Kash Patel's cosplay FBI jacket, Pete Hegseth's boat-shooting scandal285 shooting narco-subs, pardoning Jan 6 rioters while arresting a "pipe-bomber" nobody cares about, and Joe Rogan parroting nonsense about non-citizens voting in Minnesota. Mark predicts the first big Trump cabinet casualty will be Hegseth, Bondi, or Patel, bets Jason a milkshake it'll be spun as "Biden's fault," and warns the authoritarian pendulum is swinging hard. It's raw, furious, hilarious Midwestern talk-radio at its finest — equal parts outrage and dark comedy about a country that can't even keep its porn free anymore.

    45 min

  5. 02/12/2025

    The Left Hook - 15 - Black Friday

    Mark Bland unleashes a no-holds-barred takedown of Donald Trump's chaotic second term. Coming off a personally tough holiday, Bland argues the real "black" in Black Friday 2025 isn't the shopping deals; it's the darkening economic picture the administration is desperately trying to hide. He spotlights the unprecedented cancellation of the third-quarter GDP report (the third major economic indicator scrapped in weeks), blaming mass deportations, new tariffs, and a lingering government shutdown for pushing the U.S. toward recession. Bland contrasts this year's generic, Great Value Thanksgiving dinners with the name-brand abundance Americans enjoyed under Biden, accusing Trump of gaslighting voters while quietly admitting his own policies are tanking the economy. From the turkey-pardoning stage turning into an angry rant against Chuck and Nancy, to Trump seemingly shrugging "just say yes" when asked if he's a fascist, Bland paints a picture of a presidency spiraling into pettiness, dementia-fueled loops, and authoritarian cosplay. Add Marjorie Taylor Greene's resignation, ICE detaining U.S. citizens, the abrupt collapse of Elon's DOGE experiment, and Pete Hegseth picking fights with war hero Mark Kelly, and Bland declares: the chaos isn't coming; it's already here. A passionate call for adults to demand transparency and accountability in a country that feels increasingly run like a reality-TV dictatorship.

    45 min

  6. 24/11/2025

    the Left Hook - 14 - Illegal

    In the latest firestorm episode of The Left Hook, Mark Bland and Jason Kull tore into Trump's second-term meltdown with zero apologies. Top of the list: the long-promised Epstein files. After months of stalling and letting Kash Patel twist in the wind, Trump finally signed a 30-day release order—everyone expects a comically redacted black-bar disaster because his name is all over the existing docs and the dismissed 2016 lawsuit alleging he raped a 13-year-old still haunts the files. On Air Force One, Trump pointed at a female reporter and snarled "Quiet, piggy," with Press Secretary Karoline Leavitt (who was 15 when her 60-year-old husband was 47) defending it as "frankness Americans love." A coalition of Democratic lawmakers and veterans dropped a viral video telling troops and intel officers to refuse illegal orders—cue MAGA screaming "sedition" and "death penalty" from the same crowd that pardoned January 6 insurrectionists. The Coast Guard quietly declared the OK hand gesture no longer a hate symbol, and Grok spent the week bending over backwards to call Trump's misogyny "playful" until xAI had to admit they tweaked the AI. From top to bottom, every accusation is a confession, and the mask isn't just off—it's been shredded, burned, and scattered over Mar-a-Lago's lawn.

    45 min

  7. 18/11/2025

    The Left Hook - 13 - Dropped Ball

    Centrist host Mark Bland is done with the modern Democratic Party. In a fiery 40+ minute solo rant, he declares the 2024 loss wasn't just Trump's win; it was self-inflicted by spineless liberal leadership. The trigger? Eight Democratic senators (Fetterman, Kaine, Durbin, Shaheen, Hassan, Rosen, Cortez Masto, Angus King) broke ranks and voted with Republicans to reopen the government, restoring SNAP benefits but surrendering all leverage. Bland calls it the ultimate capitulation: "Checks and balances are real, but folding the second things get hard is why we lost." He torches Schumer, Fetterman ("a really tall idiot"), and the entire 2025 liberal class as "feckless and useless," accuses senators of pocketing massive retroactive paychecks while Americans suffered, and says local St. Louis-area liberals flake on commitments the same way national Dems flake on principle. Bland, a longtime moderate who's pulled from both sides, now sounds the alarm: the party needs a complete leadership purge before 2026 midterms. He's still pro-liberal policies (universal healthcare, etc.) but refuses to carry water for cowards anymore. Bonus burns: Trump got mercilessly booed at a Commanders game, Epstein files are allegedly coming, and the party that claims to fight the rich just handed senators fat checks. Mark Bland is officially off the plantation. The Left Hook just went fully independent.

    45 min

  8. 12/11/2025

    the Left Hook - 12 - Precursor to Change

    On *The Left Hook* podcast, host Mark Bland dissected a seismic political earthquake shaking Donald Trump's second term. In New York City, 34-year-old Democratic Socialist Zohran Mamdani demolished former Gov. Andrew Cuomo and Republican Curtis Sliwa with a commanding victory—the highest turnout in 50 years, exceeding 2 million ballots—becoming the city's first Muslim, first South Asian, and first African-born mayor, and the youngest in over a century. Mamdani's victory roar, "Donald Trump, turn the volume up!", vowed free childcare, universal buses, and a crackdown on predatory landlords like Trump, framing it as a mandate for working families amid national chaos. Bland hailed it as the opening salvo of a 2026 blue tsunami, amplified by Nancy Pelosi's retirement after 39 years, clearing the path for AOC and Gavin Newsom to lead the resistance. Meanwhile, Trump's tariffs are crushing households with a $1,200 annual tax hike, driving inflation to 3% and core prices higher for apparel and furniture—eggs linger at $5–6 a dozen, gas far from $2. The 46-day government shutdown, ending November 10 after bipartisan Senate passage, gutted SNAP benefits, furloughed feds, and slashed flights 10%—worse than the worst U.S. cancellation day, every day—while Trump refused negotiations. Elon Musk branded Mamdani a "charismatic swindler" on Joe Rogan's podcast, stumbling when pressed for proof—pure projection, Bland declared, after Musk's own chainsaw stunts with Trump. New York's message rings clear: Trumpism is toxic. Bland urged listeners to organize; Impeachment 3.0 is loading.

    45 min
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About

Hosted by Mark Bland, The Left Hook is a current affairs and pop culture show with a political twist. Weekly the guys interview actors, writers, artist and a revolving cast of characters to bring you multiple views of some of the most controversial and engaging topics of our time.

Information

  • Creator
    Mark Bland
  • Years Active
    2012 - 2026
  • Episodes
    464
  • Rating
    Clean
  • Copyright
    © All rights reserved
  • Show Website
    The Left Hook