In Episode 1870 of the No Agenda Show, hosts Adam Curry and John C. Dvorak deconstruct a week marked by Vice President JD Vance's unprecedented turn at the White House podium, Representative Thomas Massie's primary defeat, and the federal indictment of former Cuban dictator Raul Castro. Broadcasting from the Texas Hill Country and California's Refinery Row, the hosts examine how major outlets framed these stories, highlighting what they consider media manipulation and omission.
The episode, titled "VBS," opens with Vice President Vance substituting for Press Secretary Karoline Leavitt, fielding questions on Iran, gas prices, and the ongoing ceasefire. Curry argues that Vance is making the press briefing "exciting again," while Dvorak notes the strategic significance of the VP's direct engagement with the press. The discussion then shifts to Representative Massie's loss to Trump-backed Ed Gallrein in Kentucky, a race influenced by a reported $32 million campaign and an alleged AI-driven smear campaign involving Massie and Lauren Boebert. Dvorak explains that the smear, which suggested Massie had affairs after his wife's death, was largely ignored by legacy outlets, while Curry points to a listener letter alleging the story was manufactured to target both Massie and Boebert.
Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth's Hatch Act–adjacent campaign appearance and Tucker Carlson's combative Channel 13 Israel interview are also covered. The hosts then pivot to the DOJ's indictment of Raul Castro for the 1996 Brothers to the Rescue shootdown, framed by Acting Attorney General Todd Blanche and Secretary of State Marco Rubio. Dvorak speculates that President Trump is "completing the Bay of Pigs operation that Kennedy chickened out on," noting the Nimitz strike group's entry into the Caribbean. Other segments include the $1.776 billion anti-weaponization fund from Trump's settled IRS lawsuit, his 3,700 stock trades attributed to algorithmic trading, Polymarket insider-betting concerns involving Donald Trump Jr., Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent's "Economic Fury" sanctions targeting UK-domiciled tanker operators, the San Diego Islamic Center shooting, and Google's $190 billion Gemini Spark rollout at I/O.
The episode underscores how media coverage shapes public perception, particularly when stories like the Massie smear and Castro indictment receive disproportionate attention or neglect. Curry and Dvorak's analysis reveals the undercurrents of algorithmic campaigns, geopolitical maneuvering, and corporate interests that drive news cycles, making this episode a critical listen for understanding the 2026 midterm landscape.
