JWSP

Alex Midway and Eric Halsey
  • 5.0 (5)
  • Politics
  • Updated Weekly

John Wayne's Surge Protector podcast is two guys discussing the world around us on a twice weekly basis. We try to look at things that we think are huge deals and sometimes those items are also flying under the radar for a lot of other media channels. Having known each other for many years some of the jokes you hear may not come off as jokes. Keep listening and you will get in the loop soon enough as well. We have a link to leave any feedback in most of the episodes so don't hesitate to reach out. 

  1. 18h ago

    Reasonable Probability of Death

    Episode Summary: Yes that is a real picture that the Department of Education put out and there's no way you can convince me that the guy in the blue doesn't look like Epstein.  This week's "Who Said It" is one of the most heartbreaking things we've read on this show — and once you find out who said it and where, it reframes everything that follows about who's winning and who's losing this war. Tesla ticked up on a deal with a Swedish trucking company that chose them over their hometown hero — we have a beta dad analogy ready and a new stock pick to go with it. SpaceX dropped after a marketing professor said the shares are worth somewhere between $10 and $30, and we are very curious to see how Elon responds to that on social media. Russia launched another multi-hour overnight attack on Kyiv — missiles, drones, the works — because when you can't win on the battlefield, Soviet doctrine says you go after apartments. Meanwhile Ukraine's campaign against Russian oil infrastructure is showing up in the actual numbers now, and a waterborne drone off the coast of Romania just tried to take out a project that would make Europe energy independent by 2027. We have a theory about who sent it. We address the Fedorov situation and the protests in Kyiv honestly — because we don't just cover the good news — and we explain why one person's very quick pivot tells you everything about their actual motives. Pete Hegseth just disbanded the Army's drone warfare battalion — the one set up specifically to absorb lessons from Ukraine — and we have a theory about how he decides what to cut that involves Ctrl+F and one very specific search term. The US just hit $40 trillion in debt and we break down exactly how much of that belongs to one man in six years. Blueberries have been upgraded to "reasonable probability of death." Iran responded to Trump's new economic war threat with a statement so calm and so precise it should make every pro-war American very uncomfortable. Fox News figured out why progressive politicians keep winning — it's the thirst traps. An otter showed up in the Bronx River for the first time in a century. Karoline Leavitt is gone, and Mike Lindell wants a recount of a primary that only Republicans could have rigged. We end there, because nothing we write could top that. Volvo Electric Trucks Our electric truck range Got feedback? We want to hear it.

    Reasonable Probability of Death

  2. 2d ago

    Pittsburgh is catching strays today

    This week's "Who Said It" is about a brand new Middle East defense pact — and the person celebrating it has some very specific financial reasons to be excited that have nothing to do with regional stability. Tesla is flat but Cathie Wood is buying like it's on sale, with a price target that implies something in the neighborhood of 700% upside. We let you do the math on what it would take for that to be right. SpaceX finally revealed who actually owns it — 23 accounts control over 80% of reported shares — and one of the names on that list is going to make the whole "national security" conversation about Elon feel very different. Russia's only anti-war party just had its appeal rejected and its deputy leader sentenced to 11 years — we note that they had about a 3% approval rating, which apparently was still 3% too many. Meanwhile Wildberries employees near Moscow have apparently decided that if the warehouse is burning anyway, they might as well help themselves first. We respect the hustle. Russia's second-largest bank's chief economist went on record about the state of the wartime economy — and then was immediately fired, because in Russia the messenger doesn't just get shot metaphorically. Trump is scaling back joint military exercises with South Korea for reasons that include the cost, Kim Jong Un's feelings, and South Korea's failure to help denuclearize Iran — we unpack all three and let the audience rank them by logic. The USS Abraham Lincoln situation gets a replacement and Pete Hegseth has some thoughts about the reporting that carefully avoid contesting any of the actual facts. And Trump just ordered the Navy to rip out a system that saves $100 million a year and go back to steam catapults that haven't been manufactured in 20 years. The retired Rear Admiral who used to command that carrier group has some words about that. Todd Blanche made a promise about the Attorney General's office that is funny for a very specific reason once you remember who previously held that job and what they were asked to do. Mamdani is handing out $8 million to small businesses and Netanyahu put him on a billboard — we explain why that's actually a sign of something. And a couple dozen of the internet's saddest men gathered in a Miami parking lot to do pushups for Andrew Tate, and the internet responded in a way that is going to make your week. The Trump Interview link https://www.facebook.com/share/r/19WtVV4DuK/ SBA Kelly Loeffler robot link https://www.reddit.com/r/TikTokCringe/s/6yMV8dhUJ1 Got feedback? We want to hear it.

    Pittsburgh is catching strays today

  3. Aug 12

    More Than Switzerland

    This week's "Who Said It" is about New York, California, Illinois, and Florida — and the person who said it is going to make you question what exactly counts as a compliment in 2026. Tesla ticked up, but the bigger story involves a very famous NFL coach, a dropped phone, and a Autopilot system that apparently couldn't tell the difference between a modern obstacle and a Japanese fighter plane from 1942. Kyle is fine. The timeline is not. SpaceX is essentially flat since IPO day and Deutsche Bank says the revenue targets are "likely very achievable" — these are the same people who financed Trump's casinos, so take that with the appropriate amount of salt. Russia barred the only anti-war political party from their parliamentary vote this week — a party that had 3% support — because apparently even 3% is too much dissent to risk. Ukraine meanwhile has been busy at distances that are going to make you pull up a map: a rocket fuel plant 1,500 miles away, an S-400 system taken offline, and an electronic warfare system that was disrupting Starlink in a 20 square kilometer radius. We'll tell you what else is right around that area and let you sit with it. Ukraine just signed a $280 million Turkish arms deal and the shopping list is going to make the North Koreans who just showed up very uncomfortable. We also get into why Lockheed and Raytheon are blocking Patriot sales to Ukraine, and the reason is so nakedly about protecting profit margins over human lives that it genuinely requires a moment of silence. Trump switched planes inside a catering truck in Turkey — for a president who "didn't take a salary" — and is now being protected by a missile defense system on his New Jersey golf course because Iran might strike him mid-backswing. The picture writes itself. Todd Blanche is now officially Attorney General, confirmed 50-49 with one notable abstention due to probable death. Mamdani's "tag it and it gets fixed" movement keeps growing and he's now going after Amazon's contractor loophole. And Amazon — fresh off scrapping their net zero pledge — is building a data center in Texas that will emit more carbon than the entire country of Switzerland. Their spokesperson's explanation is one of the most efficient sentences ever delivered by a corporate human being. Piñata time. The Byron Donalds clip  Instagram Got feedback? We want to hear it.

    More Than Switzerland

  4. Aug 8

    Salem Brought a Guillotine

    This week's "Who Said It" is about the moon, factories, and robots — and the person who said it has a very specific financial interest in you believing every word of it. Tesla ticked up on news that deserves about as much celebration as a contractor showing up on the day they said they would. SpaceX jumped because interest rates stayed the same, which tells you everything about how these valuations actually work. We run the math so you don't have to embarrass yourself at a dinner party. Russia is throwing everything it has at Kyiv right now and the weapons they're using are banned by an international treaty that neither Russia nor the US ever signed — which raises some uncomfortable questions about the moral high ground. North Korea also brought the whole crew, and the US response was to announce there's no immediate threat — we have thoughts about what "immediate" means when you're lobbing missiles at a European capital. Ukraine's Patriot stockpile is at a third of last year's levels and Trump has stalled on the replacements, but Honeybadgerstan keeps innovating — a new drone debuted this week that's going to make you look up the F-117 Nighthawk, and a certain drone factory director had a very bad week that ended in a hospital somewhere. Trump is suing Capital One and JPMorgan Chase for "debanking" him after January 6th — a story that left the news cycle in under 24 hours, right around the same time the White House announced a crackdown on undocumented immigrants using the financial system. We connect those dots slowly and carefully. Salem, Oregon brought a guillotine to a city council meeting about an AI data center and we are giving them a standing ovation. Andy Ogles lost his primary despite a full Trump endorsement, and Max Miller is doubling down on a race he's losing by double digits for reasons that become very clear once you hear what's come out in his divorce proceedings. It is not a glory hole. It is considerably worse. In case you want to read more about the Ukrainian Bravo drone, here's the link Triada Robotics’ “Bravo”: Can It Catch Up to Russia? Got feedback? We want to hear it.

    Salem Brought a Guillotine

  5. Aug 5

    The Vacation Guide to Texas

    This week's "Who Said It" is a question about freedom of movement — and once you find out who asked it and who they were asking it about, it reframes a whole lot of what's happening in the Middle East right now. SpaceX beat sales expectations by $400 million and jumped 20% — we run the math on what that actually means for a company valued at $1.65 trillion and let you decide if those numbers live on the same planet. Tesla followed the coattails up and we have a theory about how those two stocks are basically holding hands at this point. Ukraine had another productive week — Engels-2 airbase got a visit, refineries in Saratov and Ufa are on the list, and Wildberries absorbed more losses across multiple regions including one with a video so perfectly scored it could be a short film. We also have a breaking update out of the Vladimir Region and a private Russian company that just accidentally made a very loud political statement about Crimea. Russian new recruits meanwhile showed up to graduation with hardware that debuted before the Beatles did, and a drone warfare university near the Ukrainian border made a very predictable enrollment decision. The reflecting pool saga gets its most satisfying chapter yet — the charges were dropped, the reason cited in the motion is going to make you smile, and both Trump and Doug Burgum immediately turned on the person who dropped them. So do facts matter again? We investigate. Tucker Carlson, MTG, and Thomas Massie sat down for a photo in Maine and didn't say they were starting a movement, which is exactly what people starting a movement say. We have complicated feelings about this and we're going to be honest about all of them. Texas decided that synthetic weed deserves harsher penalties than drunk driving, punching strangers, or running naked downtown — we built the vacation guide so you don't have to. And New York City's plan to put trash in trash cans has somehow generated architectural opposition. Got feedback? We want to hear it.

    The Vacation Guide to Texas

  6. Aug 1

    11 Million Square Freedom Units

    This week's "Who Said It" involves a plane crash, Iran, and a sitting governor — and the logic connecting all three is going to tell you everything you need to know about how accountability works in 2026. Tesla bounced back for a reason that has more to do with how humans read numbers than anything the company actually did, and SpaceX continues its quiet slide toward a reckoning that the lockup calendar is about to force. We have a theory about meme stocks and gravity. Ukraine has now taken out over a million square meters of warehouse space in two weeks — and we take a moment to explain why this campaign is so much more strategically brilliant than it looks on the surface. The dots connecting online military haul videos, civilian trucks, front line resupply, and one very flammable retailer tell a story that deserves the full breakdown. Firepoint's contest is still running and the prizes are getting easier to pick. There's a Gaza deal — sort of. Hamas agreed to something, Israel hasn't publicly agreed to anything, and the structure of the arrangement will remind you of a very specific scene from Wolf of Wall Street. We'll let you place which one. Back home, DC just got two gold horses for $5 million, a 60-year-old airport is getting a $22.5 billion glow-up, and the guy promising it won't cost taxpayers a dime has a very creative definition of "free." Doctor Oz ended a Medicare drug subsidy that affects 25 million seniors, Freedom 250 blew through $100 million and needs $10 million more, and the FBI wants to use AI to figure out who's a threat before they do anything wrong — which lands a little differently once you hear what Claude has apparently been up to. We close with the Christian alpha gym movement, and Eric has some theories about what's really going on there that are going to stay with you. Got feedback? We want to hear it.

    11 Million Square Freedom Units

  7. Jul 30

    They Noticed

    This week's "Who Said It" is a preview of a presidential speech — and whoever wrote that description has either never met this president or knows him better than anyone. Bonus quote involves a very specific roadkill request that got vetoed at the last minute. Tesla just broke through the floor it wasn't supposed to break through, and the reason involves an interview with a woman named Zanny that went so badly even Greg Gutfeld had to admit it. Elon's response on Twitter was entirely predictable and entirely on brand. SpaceX keeps drifting back toward earth and the lockup clock is ticking — we'll be watching that number very closely. Ukraine has essentially declared war on one specific Russian retailer and at this point it's personal. We're now at multiple cities, multiple warehouses, and an 8-hour ASMR fireplace video that the Ukrainian Armed Forces published as a public service. The sellers trying to get their money out are hitting a new wall, Pavel Durov just got hit with a charge that has nothing to do with what it claims to be about, and a machine gun just did something to a cruise missile that we need you to hear described out loud. The Flamingo made a return appearance — deep inside Russia, during a work shift, with a warhead that took its time getting to the point. Russia's Navy Day celebrations went ahead as planned, which is to say they did not go ahead at all — but there was a submarine. Sort of. The White House Correspondents' Dinner happened, Trump showed up with a hat, and the best moment of the night involved a journalism award, a birthday album, and a name that made the room go very quiet. Meanwhile the Pentagon quietly did something to its casualty numbers that somebody noticed — and the explanation they gave when caught deserves a full breakdown, because the math they're using to describe this war has gotten very creative. P.S. The album art for this week is not AI it came from the Dept of War account and although they have since deleted it (for obvious reasons) this was posted by whoever runs the account. Real life sometimes is more hilarious than anything AI could create.  Got feedback? We want to hear it.

    They Noticed

  8. Jul 24

    Don't Blame Taco Bell

    This week's "Who Said It" comes from a group of millionaires with a message for their new Prime Minister — and once you hear who they are and what they're asking for, it reframes every financial story in the rest of the episode in a very satisfying way. Tesla had a rough earnings week and the stock is feeling it — but don't worry, the robot is coming. SpaceX keeps sliding toward a reckoning that a certain lockup period is about to accelerate, and the world's first trillionaire is no longer the world's first trillionaire. We have a moment of silence ready. Ukraine went back to the same shopping mall twice this week — different locations, same results — and the response from the founder has us revisiting a very specific Star Wars analogy. The sellers trying to get their stuff back are running into a message that tells the whole story in four words. The new Commander in Chief has made his intentions clear, and with a very familiar face back in his old role, the forecast for Russian logistics is not improving. The House took a swing at banning lawmakers from trading stocks — and the vote breakdown, the poison pill tucked inside, and the follow-up from a bipartisan group tells you everything about how seriously anyone in DC actually wants this to happen. Meanwhile Trump just signed a nuclear cooperation deal with Saudi Arabia, and once you map out the Kushner payments, the Trump Organization contract, the Abraham Accords conditions, and what "domestic uranium enrichment" has meant in every other recent news cycle — we'll let you connect those dots yourself. And then there's the Taco Bell story. We will not spoil the Taco Bell story. Just know that Eric has strong feelings, the FDA changed their mind, and there is a billionaire involved. Live Más. Got feedback? We want to hear it.

    Don't Blame Taco Bell
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Ratings & Reviews

5
out of 5
5 Ratings

About

John Wayne's Surge Protector podcast is two guys discussing the world around us on a twice weekly basis. We try to look at things that we think are huge deals and sometimes those items are also flying under the radar for a lot of other media channels. Having known each other for many years some of the jokes you hear may not come off as jokes. Keep listening and you will get in the loop soon enough as well. We have a link to leave any feedback in most of the episodes so don't hesitate to reach out. 

Information

  • Creator
    Alex Midway and Eric Halsey
  • Years Active
    2025 - 2026
  • Episodes
    133
  • Rating
    Explicit
  • Copyright
    © 2026 John Wayne's Surge Protector
  • Show Website
    JWSP