4 chapters across the catalog
Analysts suggest that a successful summit with North Korea could lead to a Nobel Peace Prize for President Trump. The hosts contrast this potential achievement with former President Obama's prize, which they associate with increased drone strikes. They anticipate that various political forces will attempt to "submarine" the deal to prevent Trump from achieving a major foreign policy victory.
Medea Benjamin, Code Pink Interruption of President Obama
Medea Benjamin, co-founder of Code Pink, interrupted President Barack Obama three times during a major speech on drone policy and counter-terrorism. Media coverage on CNN and Democracy Now suggests the interruption may have been a staged event or "plant" to allow the President to appear as though he were engaging with the left. Benjamin defended her actions as a necessary democratic response to indefinite detention at Guantanamo Bay and the killing of innocent people via drone strikes.
Presidential Policy Directive, Anwar al-Awlaki Drone Strike
The Obama administration released a fact sheet regarding the Presidential Policy Directive (PPD) on the use of lethal force in counter-terrorism operations outside active hostilities. President Obama defended the 2011 drone strike on U.S. citizen Anwar al-Awlaki by comparing him to a sniper firing on a crowd. Critics argue that the administration attempted to kill al-Awlaki as early as 2009, well before the specific allegations used to justify his eventual execution were established.
MSNBC host Crystal Ball's monologue regarding drone policy is dissected, specifically her argument that trusting President Obama's judgment makes the program more acceptable than it was under George W. Bush. The hosts mock the partisan nature of her defense and her reading of the teleprompter.
