Late Night Live — Full program podcast · ABC Australia

Bruce Shapiro's USA, Trump’s business in the Gulf, plus the Museum of Failure

·54 min·3 clips

Samuel West explains the “Euro Club,” a golf club that doubles as a urinal, and why the ad campaign helped sink it.

1. Late Night Live — Full program podcast focuses on Bruce Shapiro’s U.S. analysis, Trump’s business in the Gulf, and the Museum of Failure. 2. David Marr speaks with Bruce Shapiro, Eric Lipton, and Samuel West; Bruce is a contributing editor with The Nation, Eric is a Pulitzer Prize-winning New York Times investigative journalist, and Samuel is a clinical psychologist and creator of the Museum of Failure. 3. The episode asks what Trump’s war, business interests, and public failures reveal about power, money, and risk. 4. Bruce Shapiro says U.S.-Iran communication is happening through intermediaries even as public statements stay contradictory. 5. He compares the situation to the Cuban Missile Crisis and the Vietnam War, where secret or third-party talks mattered. 6. Bruce says rising gas and crude oil prices are making the conflict an "own goal" for the Trump administration. 7. He says Trump has not articulated clear attainable victories, beyond degrading Iran’s short-term military capacity. 8. Bruce notes that Israel’s goals and U.S. goals are diverging, with Israel still pursuing a broader campaign against Iran and its proxies. 9. He says the Trump administration needs an exit strategy, but it is unclear whether either side will take it. 10. Bruce also says Iran is getting richer as oil prices rise, which makes the war politically and economically awkward for Washington. 11. On Homeland Security, Bruce says Mark Wayne Mullen was confirmed as secretary with some Democratic votes and a combative immigration record. 12. He says ICE agents are being sent to airports while TSA funding remains stuck in Congress, creating armed security theater. 13. Bruce describes the Pentagon press fight, where Judge Paul Friedman ruled Secretary Pete Hegseth’s reporting restrictions unconstitutional. 14. He says the Pentagon responded by trying to move the press out of the building and require escort-only access. 15. Bruce frames the court decision as another Trump loss on constitutional questions involving the press. 16. Eric Lipton says Trump’s family has expanded business in Qatar, Saudi Arabia, the United Arab Emirates, Oman, Dubai, the Maldives, and elsewhere. 17. He says the Emoluments Clause remains a live constitutional issue, but previous lawsuits over Trump Hotel stays and foreign compensation ran out of time. 18. Eric says the Trump brand, World Liberty Financial, and crypto policy have produced major gains, including a $2 billion Abu Dhabi-linked transfer and more than $4 million raised by Jared Kushner from Middle East sovereign wealth funds. 19. The tone shifts between hard-edged Washington reporting, a detailed business interview, and a lighter museum conversation that still stays analytical. 20. People interested in U.S. politics, law, crypto, and media freedom will get the most from this episode; listeners avoiding Trump, airports, or museum oddities may skip it.

Listen to the show on

Apple Podcasts Spotify

Play clips from this episode More from Late Night Live — Full program podcast