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. Flushels Has a Plan

    4d ago

    Flushels Has a Plan

    This week's "Who Said It" comes from someone who is very confident they have the evidence — despite not being a doctor — and once you hear who it is, the rest of the episode will make a lot more sense. Tesla is back up and a Wall Street investor has a theory about why — and we're going to be very polite about how wrong it is. Tesla is also threatening to sue the Canadian province of Manitoba for dropping their EV incentive, which opens up a very interesting conversation about which electric vehicles are actually made in Canada. Spoiler: Tesla isn't one of them. We also revisit the SpaceX IPO valuation and ask the one question nobody seems to want to answer out loud. Ukraine keeps innovating — rocket-boosted drones, balloon launches, mobile laser platforms — while Russia's big counter-drone reveal turned out to be a scope-mounted pistol that fires a drone with no warhead at other drones. Meanwhile Russia launched an Oreshnik missile that cost somewhere between thirty and fifty million dollars and took out a couple of garages. We have the video. We also walk through Russia's claim that Ukraine targeted a college dormitory full of children — and what happens when you run the victim photos through Google image search. AIPAC posted something after Thomas Massie's primary loss that tells you everything about how they operate — and their follow-up statement about it tells you even more. A Las Vegas home was raided for a possible biolab, the charges were dropped, and the person who dropped them has a backstory that requires some explanation about a very convenient legal loophole. West Virginia is dealing with record flooding near a brand new 1,100 acre data center, and the county's voting record adds some context we couldn't resist sharing. Flushels the Clown has a new plan to end international travel at every major blue city airport to own the libs — we run the numbers on what that actually means. And we close with some news about Pam Bondi that we have very complicated feelings about, and zero intention of pretending otherwise. Got feedback? We want to hear it.

    33 min
  2. The Hype Video Nobody Asked For

    May 22

    The Hype Video Nobody Asked For

    This week's "Who Said It" comes courtesy of the Bloodhound Gang — and if you know the song, you already know where this episode is going tonally. First up, a very important listener beef gets addressed — Boston J has some strong feelings about poutine and gravy rights, and we have some even stronger feelings back. Tesla ticks up on the SpaceX IPO filing, but once you actually read what the filing says about Tesla's involvement, the celebration might be a little premature. We break down the fine print so you don't have to. The Xi-Putin summit wrapped up and the body language alone tells you everything about where America stands in that relationship right now. Russia meanwhile is selling off its oil at bargain basement prices just to keep the war machine running — and both the US and UK have quietly found ways to keep buying it anyway. Oh, and Ukraine just figured out how to extend drone range using balloons. We're not joking. The primaries are in — and the results are going to require some conversation. Thomas Massie, who had the nerve to work across the aisle on the Epstein files, is out. Five Indiana senators who blocked gerrymandering efforts are out. And there are some vote total anomalies in Kentucky's District 4 that have people asking questions we're going to ask out loud. The big story this week is the Gaza aid flotilla — boarded in international waters, activists detained on their knees, and Israel's own Minister of National Security put out a hype video of the whole thing. We walk through what's in that video, which countries summoned their Israeli diplomats, and what the United States did instead. We also get into Hasbara — what it is, what it costs, and why one video just undid years of it. Got feedback? We want to hear it.

    35 min
  3. 174k Isn't Enough

    May 20

    174k Isn't Enough

    This week's "Who Said It" is five words that aged about as well as a no-bid contract — and by the end of the episode, you'll know exactly who said them and why that's so funny. Tesla slides back down and Wall Street is starting to ask the question that Tesla owners probably don't want to hear — what happens when the guy in charge has a shinier new toy? Elon posted something on X this week that got deleted by morning, but not before the internet made sure it lived forever. We read it. We have thoughts. Ukraine's drones just got a serious upgrade — think Charmander to Charizard — and Moscow's fuel supply is feeling it. Meanwhile Russia managed to hit a Chinese-owned ship on its way to Odessa, right before Putin's trip to visit Xi. That's going to be a fun conversation. And the Trump administration quietly extended Russian oil sanctions relief again, which we'll contextualize for you in the most polite way we can manage. Congress is having a moment — senators just voted to stop their own paychecks during a government shutdown, which sounds responsible until you read the part about backpay. Then Mike Johnson stepped in to explain that $174,000 a year just isn't cutting it and members of Congress need stock trading to get by. We run the numbers, compare them to the federal minimum wage, and let the audience draw their own conclusions. Congressman Jason Crow has some ideas about fixing this that we suspect will make him very popular with exactly the wrong people. Trump dropped his $10 billion IRS lawsuit this week, and buried in the fine print of the settlement is something that should make everyone stop and read it twice. The reflecting pool has a new look that cost a lot more than advertised. And Kentucky's primary today has more foreign money flowing into a single House seat than you'd believe — we do the math on a per-resident basis and it's genuinely staggering. Got feedback? We want to hear it.

    47 min
  4. The Man Getting Paid in Rubles

    May 13

    The Man Getting Paid in Rubles

    This week's "Who Said It" is directed squarely at a very specific type of keyboard warrior, and we promise it lands perfectly given what's in the news this week. Tesla's having a week — the Cybertruck is back in recall territory for a reason that's going to make you think twice about hard cornering, and Elon posted something on X that was deleted by morning but not before the internet got a screenshot. We have thoughts on what it says about the man currently in charge of your rockets. Russia's Victory Day parade happened — sort of. No tanks, no missiles, and a flyover that turned out to be more CGI than aircraft. Both sides are already accusing each other of breaking the ceasefire, the prisoner exchange that was supposed to be the big win hasn't happened, and Putin has picked a mediator for peace talks whose resume includes being on the payroll of Russian state energy companies. We couldn't make this up. Ukraine meanwhile reached out and touched something over 900 miles away, which tells you everything you need to know about where this war actually stands heading into year five. Back home, the Federal Reserve just got a new face — confirmed by a razor thin margin with one very surprising Democratic vote that we have some feelings about. Trump made his expectations about interest rates crystal clear, and the contrast with how he's handled building renovations at home is genuinely one for the books. Iran sent a response to a White House baby announcement that is going to stop you cold. Ohio Representative Max Miller is this week's Scumbag of the Week, and the details of why he earned it are not for the faint of heart. Got feedback? We want to hear it.

    38 min
  5. The Basement Nobody Asked For

    May 8

    The Basement Nobody Asked For

    This week's "Who Said It" involves the ocean — or is it "see" like vision? Either way, someone very important has some very confident statistics about it, and we start there. Tesla is pushing past $400 despite a recall on 220,000 cars — and the way Tesla handles recalls versus every other automaker is actually worth a conversation. There's also a trademark filing that tells you something big is coming, if you believe in the power of paperwork over timelines. Russia's Victory Day parade is almost here and the optics are not great — no military hardware, a stunt driver rehearsing something that defies several laws of physics, and diplomats being quietly asked to leave Kyiv before things get interesting. Meanwhile, after a phone call with Putin, Pete Hegseth announced the withdrawal of thousands of US troops from Germany. Totally unrelated, we're sure. The White House ballroom saga has a new chapter — what started as a $200 million private donor project is now a $1 billion taxpayer bill hitching a ride on a border security package, and the design plans have us asking some serious questions about who exactly is supposed to get lost in the basement. Oh, and a Luxembourg steel company is providing the materials, which pairs nicely with the US Steel deal we'll explain. The Trump sons have a new business venture in the drone interceptor space — and the timeline of when they joined the board, when the Air Force signed a contract, and what company they're merging with is one of the more brazenly entertaining conflict of interest stories we've covered. And the IOC has some thoughts on Belarus that we have some thoughts about. That car coming down in Russia https://www.dailymail.com/news/article-13580423/Horrifying-moment-police-car-stunt-goes-horribly-wrong-Ford-Focus-balancing-two-wheels-crashes-officer-driving-skills-display-survived.html#v-1135876632945408158 Got feedback? We want to hear it.

    37 min
  6. Apologies on the feedback, its bad

    May 5

    Apologies on the feedback, its bad

    This week's "Who Said It" is a business quote that aged in a very funny direction — once you find out who said it and what happened next, you'll understand why we opened with it. Tesla's back on the move and this time there's actually something real behind it — the first Tesla Semi rolled off the line with some genuinely impressive specs. We break down the numbers, what it could mean for the industry, and why we're cautiously optimistic with an asterisk. Then there's the SpaceX IPO filing with a clause so brazen it makes you do a double take — Elon Musk has essentially structured it so that the only person who can fire Elon Musk... is Elon Musk. On the war front, Ukraine had a very productive week before anyone started talking ceasefires — a missile ship, a patrol boat, a shadow fleet tanker, a refinery, and oh, a drone that made it six miles from the Kremlin. Then both sides announced ceasefires — on completely different dates — and we have some questions about how that's supposed to work. There's also a pointed warning to Belarus that tells you everything you need to know about how much the situation on the ground has shifted. An aid flotilla got intercepted by the Israeli Navy in international waters — 600 miles from Gaza — and the Jerusalem Post's headline about it is genuinely one for the ages. We read it so you don't have to. NASA's new chief wants to give Pluto its planet status back, and we have a disagreement brewing. Trump gave Zambia a deadline that made our jaws drop. And May Day is tomorrow — 750 events planned, an economic blackout underway, and we have some thoughts on whether this or another approach has been more effective lately. The Spirit CEO speech link https://youtu.be/wKWJ4TIzE1o?si=VRGgBltcBFaOcKh- Got feedback? We want to hear it.

    31 min
  7. Chinooks Don't Recline

    Apr 29

    Chinooks Don't Recline

    This week's "Who Said It" is about a ballroom — and once you hear who said it and why, the rest of the episode starts to make a lot more sense. Elon just got a $114 billion payday courtesy of the courts, and we actually have some thoughts on this one that might surprise you. Ukraine hit the Tuapse oil refinery for the third time — Putin had some environmental concerns to share about that, which we found very rich coming from the man who flew a drone into a nuclear reactor's protective shell. Sunday was also the 40th anniversary of Chornobyl, so we revisit why that place is relevant right now in ways it really shouldn't be. A sanctioned Russian oligarch's half-billion dollar yacht just sailed through the Strait of Hormuz — the heart of the US-Iran conflict — without a hitch. Nobody's explaining how that happened, but we have a theory. Spirit Airlines is apparently on the bailout wishlist, and the history of what happens when Trump gets his hands on an airline is genuinely one of the funniest cautionary tales in American business history. We tell it in full, including the part about the Chinooks. The White House ballroom fight is back, and Lindsay Graham wants your tax dollars for "military stuff" and a teacup set. Then a very convenient security incident popped up at the White House Correspondents' Dinner that raises some eyebrows — we break down exactly what people caught on camera, including a human shield, a champagne grab, and someone who just kept taking pictures through the whole thing. We close with a thought on what to do with the Trumpers who are finally starting to have regrets — and our answer might just bring everyone back together. Got feedback? We want to hear it.

    37 min
  8. The Zoom Call of the Year

    Apr 24

    The Zoom Call of the Year

    This week's "Who Said It" is a blast from the past — and honestly, given everything going on right now, it hits a little different in hindsight. Tesla beat Wall Street's revenue estimate by a hair, but the CFO immediately followed that up with some news about spending that sent the stock right back down — and we explain exactly what that means for a company trying to reinvent itself in real time. Ukraine is having quite a week. A Russian oil refinery on the Black Sea has been on fire for days, oil is reportedly raining from the sky over a nearby city, and the US just quietly extended Russian oil sanctions relief — for the second time — after publicly saying it wouldn't. Meanwhile Ukraine is out here signing drone manufacturing deals on American soil, running a kill-based points system that would make a game developer blush, and pulling off what might be the greatest Zoom call in the history of warfare. We have the link and you need to see it. In domestic news, weed just got reclassified — it's a step in the right direction, but we have some thoughts on where it landed and what's still sitting next to it on the schedule. Virginia's gerrymandering vote came in razor thin, and now everyone from Lindsay Graham to DeSantis wants a piece of the action, despite some pretty loud warnings from within their own party. RFK Jr. went to Congress and introduced the country to a new kind of math. Netflix has a quiet new editorial habit that's worth paying attention to. And Hulk Hogan's documentary contains a detail about his fentanyl usage that raises some very interesting questions about how certain statistics are being calculated in Washington. We close out with a story involving a Jesus statue, an IDF soldier with a hammer, a tweet that didn't hold up to scrutiny, and an Italian battalion that quietly fixed the whole thing anyway. The Zoom call that is mentioned in the episode 🇺🇦🍿 Ukrainian Special Services disrupted the recruitment on "SVO" students from the Kuban State Agrarian University. 🔥 "We will kill anyone who comes to our land" - Translation required, pretty please : r/NAFO Got feedback? We want to hear it.

    41 min
See All (113)

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
    113
  • Rating
    Explicit
  • Copyright
    © 2026 John Wayne's Surge Protector
  • Show Website
    JWSP