3 Martini Lunch – Political Humor & Commentary · Jim Geraghty & Greg Corombos – Political Humor Commentary

Kristi Noem Under Fire Over $220M DHS Contracts

·29 min·1 clip

Greg says Noem lied under oath if Trump did not sign off on the $220 million ad campaign.

1. Three Martini Lunch centers this episode on Kristi Noem, DHS contracts, February jobs data, and the Iran war. 2. Greg Karambas of Radio America and Jim Garrity of National Review host the segment and frame the Noem story as a federal-spending and political-liability issue. 3. The episode asks whether Noem’s DHS spending and testimony made her a liability for Donald Trump and the department. 4. Greg and Jim cite a $220 million DHS advertising campaign and say Senator Kennedy challenged how the money was spent. 5. They describe DHS saying four companies were chosen for advertising, media buying, campaign development, and media production because of an “immediate need.” 6. The hosts say Kennedy raised concerns about Safe America Media being formed 11 days before the award. 7. They also mention a strategy group linked to Tricia McLaughlin, Corey Lewandowski, and Trump influencer Erica Knight. 8. Greg compares the DHS ad buy to Abigail Spanberger’s $28.4 million in TV ads. 9. Greg says the campaign would be among the most expensive television series ever if it were a series. 10. The hosts then move to the February jobs report, which showed nonfarm payrolls down 92,000 and unemployment at 4.4%. 11. Jim notes that foreign-born workers lost 519,000 jobs over the last year while native-born workers gained 128,000. 12. The discussion says federal government employment fell by 10,000 in February and by 330,000, or 11%, since October 2024. 13. Jim argues that Americans have been unhappy with the economy because prices still feel high despite low historical unemployment. 14. Greg says the gap between stock-market performance and household experience still matters for Republican politics in the midterms. 15. They connect recent market declines and higher gas prices to war in Iran and wider economic anxiety. 16. Greg says people know their gas and grocery costs and cannot be spun into believing they are better off than they are. 17. The tone stays conversational and argumentative, with Greg and Jim trading examples, numbers, and political judgments. 18. The episode mixes news commentary with sponsor reads, then shifts into a more serious close on public corruption and economic frustration. 19. Best for listeners who want Republican politics, federal spending, and economic commentary. 20. Skip if you want a tightly focused, nonpartisan policy discussion.

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