The Leslie Marshall Show

No Peace Deal as Putin Steamrolls Trump; Hypocritical GOP Sends National Guard to D.C. for 'Violent Crime'

The guest host for today's show is Brad Bannon. Brad runs Bannon Communications Research, a polling, message development and media firm which helps labor unions, progressive issue groups and Democratic candidates win public affairs and political campaigns. His show, 'Deadline D.C. with Brad Bannon,' airs every Monday from 3-4pm ET.

Brad is first joined by Robert Benson, D.Phil., Associate Director for National Security and International Policy at American Progress.
The two breakdown Trump's summit with Putin, where he failed to secure a peace deal to end Russia's war with Ukraine.

Then, Brad is joined by Tara Devlin, host of the podcast, 'TARABUSTER.'
The pair exposes Trump and the GOP's hypocrisy as they deploy the National Guard to Washington D.C. with the excuse of stopping violent crime, yet they are the same people who pardoned those who violently assaulted Capitol Police Officers right in Washington D.C. on January 6th.

They also discuss California Governor Gavin Newsom's efforts to nullify Trump led efforts to gerrymander Texas congressional districts, with the goal of gaining GOP house seats, by doing the same in California, in order to gain Democratic House seats to balance things out.

The website for American Progress is http://www.AmericanProgress.org and their handle on BlueSky is @americanprogress.bsky.social‬.  Robert's handle is @robertbenson92.bsky.social‬.

Tara Devlin is a New York City based comedian, writer, and host of the unapologetically-liberal podcast "TARABUSTER.”
Tarabuster is 5-star viewer-reviewed and 100% viewer-supported.
Help keep the REAL liberal media going – and growing – by becoming a Patron of Tarabuster at Patreon.com/TaraDevlin.
You can follow Tara on BlueSky at @tarabuster.bsky.social and on Instagram at @Taradackty.

Brad writes a political column every Sunday for 'The Hill.'
He's on the National Journal's panel of political insiders and is a national political analyst for WGN TV and Radio in Chicago and KNX Radio in Los Angeles. You can read Brad's columns at www.MuckRack.com/Brad-Bannon. His handle on BlueSky is @bradbannon.bsky.social.

Economic Shocks, Tariff Talks, and Dorm Room Blocks - Manufacturing a Stronger America

Leslie welcomes back Scott Paul, President of the Alliance for American Manufacturing, for an in-depth look at four timely topics shaping the global economy and American industry.
 
They break down China’s worsening economic crisis and what it means for global markets, and unpack the latest developments in U.S. tariff negotiations with key trading partners.

The pair also highlights practical Made-in-America products perfect for outfitting a dorm room or first apartment, and finally, explores how programs like Manufacturing USA and the Manufacturing Extension Partnership are fueling innovation, strengthening supply chains, and creating good-paying jobs here at home.

AAM's website is AmericanManufacturing.org and their YouTube channel is youtube.com/@AmericanMfg (where you can watch episode's of AAM's podcast, "The Manufacturing Report")
If you want to listen to episodes of "The Manufacturing Report," visit AmericanManufacturing.org/Podcast.
Their handles on X and BlueSky are @KeepItMadeInUSA, and @keepitmadeinusa.bsky.social, respectively.
Scott's handle on X is @ScottPaulAAM.

Media Capitulation to Trump; Palestinian Children Dying of Starvation in Gaza

The guest host for today's show is Brad Bannon. Brad runs Bannon Communications Research, a polling, message development and media firm which helps labor unions, progressive issue groups and Democratic candidates win public affairs and political campaigns. His show, 'Deadline D.C. with Brad Bannon,' airs every Monday from 3-4pm ET.

Brad is first joined by Tim Karr, Senior of Director of Strategy and Communications at 'Free Press,' a nonpartisan organization fighting for your rights to connect and communicate.
The pair examines the increasingly disturbing trend of the mainstream media's capitulation to Trump and his administration.  This includes a discussion on Free Press's newly created 'Media Capitulation Index,' and a report that Tim authored on the way forward.  It's titled, "A More Perfect Media: Saving America’s Fourth Estate from Billionaires, Broligarchy and Trump."

Then, Brad is joined by Hadar Susskind, President and CEO of 'The New Jewish Narrative."  The organization's mission statement identifies their members as "American Jews, deeply rooted in the story of our people and the history of our struggle for peace and justice. In our narrative, peace and justice are the birthright of Israelis, of Palestinians, and of all people."

The two discuss the increasingly dire situation in Gaza, where the United Nation's Humanitarian Affairs Office says that food consumption has "declined to its lowest level since the onset of the war." They report that "nearly 90% of households have resorted to extremely severe coping mechanisms to feed themselves, including taking significant risks to obtain food and scavenging from garbage."  
Gaza health authorities also report that over 200 people have died of starvation since the war began 22 months ago, and that nearly half of them were children.


Brad writes a political column every Sunday for 'The Hill.'
He's on the National Journal's panel of political insiders and is a national political analyst for WGN TV and Radio in Chicago and KNX Radio in Los Angeles. You can read Brad's columns at www.MuckRack.com/Brad-Bannon. His handle on BlueSky is @bradbannon.bsky.social.   

Trump Struggles to Distance Himself from Epstein; Trump's Family Separation 2.0 Policies

The guest host for today's show is Brad Bannon. Brad runs Bannon Communications Research, a polling, message development and media firm which helps labor unions, progressive issue groups and Democratic candidates win public affairs and political campaigns. His show, 'Deadline D.C. with Brad Bannon,' airs every Monday from 3-4pm ET.

Brad is joined by the White House Correspondent for CQ Roll Call, John Bennett.
The pair discusses President Trump's struggles to distance himself from the Jeffrey Epstein scandal that has overtaken the political world, and the put the GOP on defense.
They also discuss the humanitarian crisis happening in Gaza, as well as the Trump's attacks on the indepence of the Federal Reserve and its Chairman, Jerome Powell (who Trump appointed during his first administration).

Then, Brad is joined by Kate Lincoln-Goldfinch, an Immigration Attorney and Advocate.
The two discuss the Trump administration's family separation policies and the militarization of ICE.
Kate also tells the powerful story that led her to want to help vulnerable immigrants and their families.

The website for CQ Roll Call is www.RollCall.com and John's handle on X is @BennettJohnT. 

Kate is also the Owner and CEO of Lincoln-Goldfinch Law and their website is www.LincolnGoldfinch.com. Kate's handle is @AttorneyKLG on X, @attorneykatelg on Instagram, and @abogadakate on TikTok.

Brad writes a political column every Sunday for 'The Hill.'
He's on the National Journal's panel of political insiders and is a national political analyst for WGN TV and Radio in Chicago and KNX Radio in Los Angeles. You can read Brad's columns at www.MuckRack.com/Brad-Bannon. His handle on BlueSky is @bradbannon.bsky.social.   

United Steelworkers are Fighting to Protect Veterans

Leslie is joined by Jim Savage, Legislative Representative for the United Steelworkers (USW).

The two discuss how the U.S. Dept. of Veterans' Affairs has been understaffed and underfunded for decades, often proving to be a barrier to those who served getting the care they need.

However, rather than bolstering this vital lifeline, early on in the Trump administration, amid brutal cuts to a number of federal agencies, it announced that it would eliminate approximately 83,000 positions at the VA.

While this was part of a larger effort to gut the federal government in the name of efficiency, as in other areas, there was nothing targeted or strategic about these cuts.

Jim explains how the USW and their "Veterans of Steel" group is not only fighting these cuts, but working across the political aisle to promote common sense legislation to further help U.S. military veterans.

Follow the USW on Facebook, Instagram and X, using the handle @steelworkers, and visit their website at USW.org. Also, check them out on Blue Sky where their handle is @steelworkers.bsky.social. Jim's handle on Blue Sky is @savageusw.bsky.social‬.

Trump's Epstein Ties Under Scrutiny; Inflation and CPI Rise as Trump Tariffs Take Hold

The guest host for today's show is Brad Bannon. Brad runs Bannon Communications Research, a polling, message development and media firm which helps labor unions, progressive issue groups and Democratic candidates win public affairs and political campaigns. His show, 'Deadline D.C. with Brad Bannon,' airs every Monday from 3-4pm ET.

Brad is first joined by Sarah Jones, the Editor-in-Chief of PoliticusUSA.
The two discuss the Wall Street Journal Report that, in 2003, Trump sent Jeffrey Epstein, his then close friend, a graphic birthday card with a self-drawn picture of a naked woman, with the message, "Happy Birthday — and may every day be another wonderful secret."

Then, Brad is joined by Dr. Robert Shapiro, Chairman of Sonecon, an economic advisory firm and a Senior Fellow of the McDonough School of Business at Georgetown University.
The pair examines the new economic data showing that both inflation, and the consumer price index (CPI) rose in June.
This shows that the Trump tariffs are raising both inflation, and prices for goods that the American people purchase regularly.
Brad also talks with Dr. Shapiro about his new piece for Washington Monthly, titled, "Trump's Budget Could Break the Economy."
(Link: https://washingtonmonthly.com/2025/07/20/trumps-deficits-could-break-the-economy/)

Sarah Jones' handle on BlueSky is @politicussarah.bsky.social‬ and the website for PoliticusUSA is www.PoliticusUSA.com.

Dr. Shapiro's website is www.sonecon.com, where you can find his latest blog posts as well.

Brad writes a political column every Sunday for 'The Hill.'
He's on the National Journal's panel of political insiders and is a national political analyst for WGN TV and Radio in Chicago and KNX Radio in Los Angeles. You can read Brad's columns at www.MuckRack.com/Brad-Bannon. His handle on BlueSky is @bradbannon.bsky.social.  

Made in America - Manufacturing, Trade, and the Fight for the Middle Class

Leslie is joined by Scott Paul, President of the Alliance for American Manufacturing (AAM), a partnership established by some of America’s leading manufacturers and the United Steelworkers union.

The pair first discusses a new piece that Scott wrote for 'Industry Week' that finally puts to rest one of U.S. manufacturing naysayers’ favorite lines: “Who wants to work in a factory anyway?”

Next, they explore what progress has the Trump administration made on all of their attempted trade deals after the White House extended its reciprocal tariff pause to August 1st, with the hope of securing more deals.

Third, Scott and Leslie explain why Americans should be pleased about a new 10-year end to 'the de minimis exemption,' a Customs loophole that Chinese e-commerce behemoths like Temu and DHGate had been exploiting.

Fourth, Leslie asks Scott about an FTC letter sent on the same day Amazon launched its Prime Day sale this week, which called on the e-commerce giant (and Walmart) to put a stop to false “Made in USA” claims on its website. This comes after Amazon’s marketplace has increasingly become a Wild West of products from third-party vendors as it seeks to emulate SHEIN and Temu. 

Finally, both Leslie and Scott applauded Senator Elissa Slotkin for a recent speech she gave outlining her “Economic War Plan."  They also found this particular line from the speech very timely: "As a CIA officer and Pentagon official by training, I believe that the single, greatest security threat to the United States is *not* coming from abroad. It’s the shrinking middle class here at home."

Here is where you can find more of Scott and the AAM's work:

WEBSITE: AmericanManufacturing.org

YouTube Channel: youtube.com/@AmericanMfg (where you can watch episode's of AAM's podcast, "The Manufacturing Report")

X: 1. AAM - @KeepItMadeInUSA  2. Scott Paul - @ScottPaulAAM

BlueSky: @keepitmadeinusa.bsky.social

How Trump's 'Big, Beautiful Bill' Affects Student Loans Now and In the Future

The Student Debt Crisis Center takes over the airwaves of 'the Leslie Marshall Show,' where they explain how President Trump's "One Big Beautiful Bill" will affect anyone who has or plans to take out a student loan in the future. 

They also discuss what these changes could mean for the economy as a whole, and what folks can do right now if they have defaulted student loans.

This episode's SDCC hosts are President and Founder, Natalia Abrams, Executive Director, Sabrina Calazans, Special Projects & 'Free the Degree' Director, Sabrina Ashley Cereceres, and Communications Associate Ángel Rentería.

The Student Debt Crisis Center (SDCC) is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit that centers the needs and voices of borrowers, and partners with allies, to impact public policy and end the student debt crisis.
The SDCC website is www.StudentDebtCrisis.org and their handle on X, Instagram and Facebook is @DebtCrisisOrg. 
Their handle on BlueSky is @debtcrisisorg.bsky.social‬.

Bipartisan Advocacy Organization for Children says BBB Puts Kids Last

Leslie is joined by Bruce Lesley, President of First Focus on Children, a bipartisan advocacy organization working to make children the priority in federal policy and budget decisions.

Bruce explains how the newly passed 'Big Beautiful Bill' "chooses billionaires over babies, and puts the nation’s children in unprecedented peril."

Here are just a few ways that the new law will hurt the nation’s children: 

Cuts $1 trillion from Medicaid and CHIP: Medicaid and CHIP provide health insurance to over 37 million children in the United States and Medicaid covers nearly 40% of births. H.R.1 includes the largest funding cuts to these programs in their history and creates administrative burdens, such as lock-out periods and work requirements. 

Defunds the largest child anti-hunger program: One-in-five children experience food insecurity. This bill cuts food assistance by cutting more than $200 billion from SNAP and places a larger cost share burden on states. This cost shift could cause states to end their programs or limit enrollment. Advocates argue that losing SNAP benefits could also impact free school meals, further risking a rise in child hunger.

Leaves children behind in tax policy: This legislation offers an inadequate Child Tax Credit. While some will see an increased credit amount, the increase still fails to keep pace with inflation. Even worse, the new structure keeps more than 20 million children from receiving the full credit and blocks 2.6 million kids from receiving any credit at all.

Undermines public schools: H.R.1 creates a new tax benefit for wealthy donors that jeopardizes the future of our public schools. This education voucher tax credit will offer 2-3x the benefit of other non-profit donations, incentivizing donations over other organizations. It is important to note research shows vouchers do not improve academic outcomes and disproportionately benefit families who already send their children to private schools.

Threatens the child care workforce: There is already a child care shortage in the country. H.R.1 will make it harder to recruit and train new child care professionals by prohibiting the use of federal student loans for sectors that do not earn over the median high school graduate salary. We must further invest in this profession and work to increase pay for providers, not create additional barriers to building a strong child care workforce.

Increases funding for family separation: H.R. 1 dramatically raises funding for immigration enforcement. This funding will lead to increased family separation and detention. These immigration practices disrupt entire communities and are known to create childhood trauma, adversely affecting child health and development.

Cancels efforts to address the climate crisis: H.R. 1 eliminates investments in solar and renewable energy leaving our children to deal with greater effects of climate change in the future. This measure comes as kids are experiencing adverse environmental health effects and natural disasters.

Forces kids to shoulder our ballooned national debt: H.R. 1 drives up the national debt by $3 trillion in order to give tax breaks to billionaires and industries like gun manufacturers. This bill expects our children to shoulder the cost of these tax breaks when they become adults while stripping them of essential services today. 

The website for First Focus on Children is FirstFocus.org and their handle on BlueSky is @FirstFocus.bsky.social.  Bruce's handle there is @BruceLesley.bsky.social. 

Teamsters Talk State of Sanitation Industry and Ongoing Strikes at Republic Services

Leslie is joined by Victor Mineros, Proud Secretary-Treasurer of Teamsters Local 396, Western Region International Vice President, and Director of the Teamsters Solid Waste and Recycling Division, which represents tens of thousands of sanitation workers across the country.

The two discuss what’s happening in the U.S. sanitation industry, the ongoing strikes at Republic Services, and why this moment matters for working families across the country.

Visit Teamster.org for more information. Follow them on X and Instagram, where their handle is @Teamsters, and “like” them on Facebook at Facebook.com/Teamsters.