The Stone Zone | 01-01-26
Episode Stats
Summary
In honor of the 25th anniversary of the publication of my annual Best and Worst Dressed list, I thought it would be fitting to take a trip down memory lane and look back at the best and worst dressed people of the past decade.
Transcript
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Every week, the Payne family cuts straight to the real financial story.
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The Stone Zone, entertaining and informative on the Red Apple Podcast Network.
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You are now entering The Stone Zone, our very first show of 2026.
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New Year's Day not only marks the moment that we begin striving to improve ourselves,
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but also the debut of my international 17th annual Best and Worst Dressed list.
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I've been producing this list now since the late Mr. Blackwell, a very influential
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Hollywood syndicated columnist who produced this list for 48 years, passed away in 2008. In fact,
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I have produced it every year, with one exception, that being 2019, when a corrupt federal judge
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unconstitutionally gagged me from having any public comment at all. You know, I first noticed
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in American politics when I was much younger that people who were both well-groomed and well-turned-out
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were treated much better than those who were not. I became intrigued with a silhouette,
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a specific style of tailoring that was pioneered by a company called Anderson and Shepard. Anderson
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Shepard was one of the most famous bespoke tailors on Savile Row, and they featured a very soft-shouldered,
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very fluid, very comfortable suit with a very full drape in both the chest and the back, and a very
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full-cut trouser. I really couldn't afford Savile Row tailoring. I started going to a New York tailor by
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the name of Alan Flusser, and over, I would say, a 10-year period, I probably spent, I don't know,
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$200,000, $250,000. I was a very influential Washington Wheeler dealer in that period.
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And then, incredibly, when I was arrested in the Russian collusion hoax, in an incredible rush to
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judgment, I saw my own tailor, Alan Flusser, in an interview on YouTube saying that I should go to
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jail. This, of course, was before I was later completely exonerated when Robert Mueller's full,
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final, final, unredacted report was released, and even he couldn't deny on page 178 that he'd found
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no evidence of Russian collusion, WikiLeaks collaboration, or any other crime on my part.
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So, I find it interesting now that I've picked up this important tradition. The 2025 edition of the
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International Best and Worst Dressed, because I always looked at the year retrospectively,
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has many familiar names. Some continue to embrace the fact that style is timeless. Others continue to
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pass off the latest fashion trend or hideous ghetto wardrobes as true style, forgetting that,
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unlike style, fashion is fleeting. But you see, style is forever. The core basis for inclusion on my list
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remains firm. It's not about politics. In fact, Joe Biden and Ted Kennedy have both been on my list
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in previous years. It's all about style. The ongoing train wreck of transgender fashion continues to
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bastardize the true meaning of style and has only become more vile, more putrid, and has also added to
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the grotesquely vile public displays that have no basis in either style or fashion. Men should dress like
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men, and women should dress like women. But as we've said before, it is entirely acceptable to take
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risks with your personal style. But rules exist for a reason. A basic starting point that anyone on a
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budget reading list can adhere to being stylish in your sartorial efforts. But before you break the
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rules, you need to have to understand the rules. So, just as you don't order fish in a steakhouse,
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you shouldn't wear a jean jacket to a wedding. Just as you wouldn't show up in a three-piece suit
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to a bowling alley. Workout clothes are for the gym, not the mall. As I noted in my 2018 book,
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Stone's Rules, which included a foreword by my good friend Tucker Carlson, the best-dressed person is
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the one who appropriately dresses for the activity which they intend to engage in. It's amazing how
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many people just don't get that simple point. In the past, we've made it a point to highlight those
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who have shown us that they not only know style, but they adhere to it on a daily basis. It's why we
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created the Lifetime Achievement category in order to create room for uppers and comers. So, with our
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2025 International Best and Worst International Dressed list, we unveiled the new Icon Awards for those who
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continue to wow us with their sartorial splendor. Now, in past years, we've had the Lifetime Achievement
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Award. Those would include former White House Economic Advisor Larry Kudlow, CNN's Mike Smirconish,
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CBS Sports' Shannon Sharp, rocker Mark Ronson, New York PR whiz Audrey Gelman, and Pennsylvania
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Politico Gordon Woodrow, as well as first daughter Ivanka Trump. They've all graced our
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best dressed list for multiple years, and all are once again celebrated this year. But this year,
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we have initiated something new. It's the Hall of Fame Icon Awards, and nobody deserves this more than
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Melania Trump. America has not had a more stylish, chic, cultured, and well-dressed first lady since
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Jackie Kennedy. We said this last year when she was the first official abductee of our Hall of Fame.
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Quite possibly our favorite look for the first lady in 2025 was that kind of beiges, light brown,
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three-piece pant trouser she debuted during her trip to the U.S. Capitol, where she secured $25 million
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for foster children through her Be Best initiative. Also on our Icon list, the veteran journalist and
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Dateline host, Josh Mankiewicz, who's been on this list too many times to count. In the past few years,
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he's been eating healthy and embracing the benefits of daily exercise. Mankiewicz, with whom I share a
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birthday, can be subtle for the most part with his attire, but is a master of using ties and pocket
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squares to showcase a little color, a little personality. From pinstripes to solid colors, with or without a
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tie, and sometimes more casually collared shirts, he is always dressed for the occasion.
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What would any fashion list be without mentioning King Charles? Whether it's Savile Row or Old Burlington,
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the reigning monarch refuses to have the paparazzi bird dog hymn in anything but the best. The king has been
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known to have his jackets made by one tailor while his trousers are made by another, and that's the role
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of the monarch, of course, to look the part. We talk about dressing for the occasion, and thankfully for his
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highness, he knows, always knows exactly what to do. Now we go to our best dressed category. Monica
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Crowley, the former Fox News anchor, former Deputy Assistant Treasury Secretary, now serving in President
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Donald Trump's office of the Chief of Protocol for the State Department of State for the new golden age.
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While I like her inclination to mainly embrace a pastel-driven wardrobe, she can also pull off a
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simple black pantsuit with a crisp white shirt with ease. She's versatile, independent, she has flair,
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simple, and always correct. Monica Crowley deserves her position on this year's list.
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Then there's Conor McGregor, the notorious, the greatest, the legendary UFC champion in both mixed martial arts
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and UFC, a true Irish patriot with a deep love for mixing martial arts, and inside the octagon, he's
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bold, brash, and brazen, perfectly aligning with his personal persona when he exits the cage.
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But when it comes to style, the notorious has always been notoriously well turned out. Whether it's a
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pinstripe, tartan, or plaid base, McGregor not only understands proper tailoring, but also how to utilize
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all elements of a three-piece suit, just as well as the process of how to remove certain aspects to appear
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more casual when necessary. Our favorite look has been his black tie that he wore at the Mar-a-Lago
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Club in Palm Beach recently, and that pinstripe perfection he embraced during a visit to the White House.
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they say something, well, that we can't mention on a family radio show.
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Tulsi Gabbard also is on my international best dressed list for 2025. This lifelong public servant
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has gone from the state legislature to the United States Congress, to being a leading Democrat candidate
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for president of the United States, to being a Republican, and now serving as the director of
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national intelligence. All the while, she was a combat medical specialist in the U.S. Army,
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even taking leave from her role as a state representative to defend America abroad and
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serving in the war in Afghanistan. She is today a lieutenant colonel in the U.S. Army Reserve.
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That kind of public service self-defines her ethos, but her easy style is just as important. Hillary
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Clinton made pantsuits the butt of every joke, but Director Gabbard has rehabilitated the pantsuit
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and set this sartorial tone for women who want to look the part without wearing an oversized
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smock like so many others. Stephen A. Smith, the Noah Holzbard, Bronx-born sports analyst,
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undoubtedly shaped the success of ESPN with his high-energy hot takes on the world of sports.
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From first and ten to pardon the interruption to Jim Rome is burning, Stephen A.'s bombastic
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commentary has earned him his own imprint on ESPN, where he now hosts First Take. Unlike the many
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athletes-turned-commentators who throw together clashing patterns and designs, not to mention
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horrendous tailoring, Stephen A. is always bespoke and on point. Although traditionally favoring slate
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gray suits, he integrates houndtooth and plaid with ease. When he wants to be a little bolder,
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he is one of the few modern men who can pull off fuchsia and purple fabrics with aplomb.
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Mrs. Stone and I love his role as mob boss fixer Brick on General Hospital, who plays opposite
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Godfather of Port Charles boss, Sonny Corinthos.
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Congresswoman Anna Polina Luna is on my best-dressed list. Ms. Luna's political stances might not be
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your cup of tea, but they're mine. But to doubt that she's one of the best-turned-out members of
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Congress is not really up for discussion. Tulsi Gabbard certainly gave her the template for success
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sartorially, which she has wholeheartedly embraced since being sworn in in 2023. However,
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Ms. Luna's crowning achievement in 2025 was pulling off a series of three-piece pantsuit looks with a
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tie to boot. To do this consistently without sacrificing feminine elements is enough to
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earn her a permanent spot on my very best-dressed list. Greg Kelly, who you can hear right here on this
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very red apple broadcast, adheres to the kiss method. That means keep it simple, stupid,
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stupid. When preparing for his live shows or his broadcasts, one cannot underestimate this
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approach, and we all have felt some moments to take a chance with our wardrobe, which is
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understandable. But as most of us like consistency in journalism, Kelly likes consistency in the
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simplicity of his ensemble. Kelly once mused on social media about taking over the authorship of
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this very list on an annual basis, and I told him he could have it as soon as I died.
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Carolina Amnesty is an incredibly devout Christian, former Florida state representative,
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been on our radar for best-dressed for a couple years. Despite being fabricated, pardon me, despite
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facing fabricated state charges that were engineered by Governor Ron DeSantis in a bogus federal
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indictment, both of which were dismissed, Amnesty's style mirrors a lot of the elements that earned
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First Lady Melania Trump a spot on our Hall of Fame icon section. Always form-fitting, versatile,
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and able to add subtle elements that pay homage to the greats like Jackie O. Pay particularly
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attention to her shoes. They're by Prada. This is her first year on the best-dressed list,
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but I really doubt it will be her last. You're listening to The Stone Zone with Roger Stone.
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Today, we're going over my 17th annual international best and worst-dressed list. These are the best
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and worst-dressed people on the planet. I know many of you are waiting to get to the worst list.
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Hold on, hold on. We'll get there in just a minute. It's harder and harder to put this list together
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every year. While it's not hard to find those who are poorly dressed, I don't want to mention any
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names, Steve Bannon, but finding those who really are exemplary in the way they present themselves to
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the public or present themselves every day just gets harder and harder. You're listening to The
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Stone Zone. Don't go away because we'll be right back.
00:14:35.280
Listen to this podcast now on the Red Apple Podcast Network. The Leadership Thread with
00:14:42.480
Dr. Peggy Polonis. I'm Dr. Peggy Polonis. Join me on each episode where I unravel the story that
00:14:48.540
shaped leaders, tracing the thread that led them where they are today, because leadership
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isn't born in adulthood. And thank you once again for joining us on the Leadership Thread,
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The Stone Zone. Entertaining and informative. On the Red Apple Podcast Network.
00:15:16.120
Welcome back to The Stone Zone. Today, I have unveiled my 17th annual international best and worst
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dressed list. It is a labor of love. Let's continue with our best dressed category. ASAP Rocky,
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the New York-born rapper, record producer, and entrepreneur, has literally every reason to
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embrace the worst of rap and hip-hop culture stylistically, whether he's stepping out for a
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quick walk or attending the annual Met Gala. Whether he's dressing for the street or a charity
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function or award show, he always addresses for the occasion. However, he caught our eye this year
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for a phenomenal look at the 2025 Met Gala. The simplicity of an all-black look, mixed with a
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perfectly fitted three-piece suit, double-breasted overcoat with a flared collar, made him not only the
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best dressed man in attendance, but also showed his refusal to dress in a feminizing or highly weird
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fashion. Thank you, President Donald Trump, for fighting for Rocky's return to the U.S. from a Swedish
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prison in 2019. Continuing with our very best dressed look, the former RNC chairwoman, Lara Trump,
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wife of Eric Trump, presidential son, dedicated mother, and a newly minted Fox News host with her
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own show, My View, that airs on the weekends, can't be held down when it comes to style. From respectable
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casual to chic to the I mean business look, you can never predict what will adorn this veteran news
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producer. Instead of this leading to a fever dream of horrible choices that you can't make any sense
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of, one can always count on the fact when she enters the room, Mrs. Trump will always turn heads for all
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the right reasons. Then, of course, there is the Secretary of the Treasury, Scott Besant, the current
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Secretary of the United States Treasury, is working overtime to restore the American economy, a job so
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stressful and vast that it would be understandable, although not acceptable, if he was lax when it
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came to his sartorial identity. Thankfully, however, the successful businessman and Yale graduate has
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proven his intelligence extends beyond being one of the most brilliant economic minds in America.
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The fit, the cut, the classic ties all give us the perfect blend of Wall Street wizard turned public
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servant and an exemplary example of true Ivy League style. I would be remiss if I didn't mention the
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Reverend Al Sharpton. Thinner, fitter, calmer, and collected, Reverend Al is a lightning rod for sure.
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But remember, this list isn't about politics, it's about style and his ability to go through a personal
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fitness transformation while sticking to the core tenets of style over fashion are nothing short of
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remarkable. Like his politics or not, the man is always well-dressed. Long gone are the track suits
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and the gold chains. Clean eating has allowed Sharpton to embrace the power of sartorial splendor. Whether it
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is a single-breasted suit or a double-breasted suit, whether it is a white collar on a collared shirt,
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on a striped shirt, he is always outstanding. Reverend Al and I might not agree about much when it comes to
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politics, but I certainly agree with his sartorial choices. And I guess I have to re-emphasize that
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point. My international best and worst dress list now in its 17th year is not about politics. It's
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about those who are particularly well-dressed and those who are not. Listen to The Stone Zone. I'm
00:18:59.280
Roger Stone. Whatever you do, don't go away. We'll be right back with the rest of this year's list.
00:19:04.460
You're not going to want to miss this. The Stone Zone. Entertaining and informative on the Red Apple
00:19:14.540
Podcast Network. And we're back in The Stone Zone. For 17 years now on New Year's Day, I have unveiled my
00:19:24.540
international best and worst dress list. This is a custom that I picked up from the late Mr. Blackwell,
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who was a very influential syndicated Hollywood columnist. Blackwell's opinion of your clothes
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could make titans of business or movie stars, could destroy the career of a movie starlet or an
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athlete. And when he died, I picked up this tradition. Let's continue with our best dressed list.
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Laura Logan is a respected journalist with a career spanning over 30 years and the courage
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to survive her attack by radicalized Egyptians who sexually assaulted her. That would have been
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enough for others to retire, but not Laura Logan. She's a woman of courage and strength. She has not
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only maintained her stellar career, but has also maintained a strict adherence to actual style,
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not faux fashion that so many journalists become enamored or co-opted with to please their viewers
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and their bosses. She's always been talented and well-dressed. She's earned her place on this year's
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list. John Tobacco is a reporter. He works over at Newsmax, hosts the show The Wise Guys on the dogged
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alternative media platform, has stories to tell and advice to give his views. Well, that's his job,
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one that he does extremely well. Tobacco dresses with old style flair and a touch of the old neighborhood.
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Last year, he got an honorable mention. This year, he moves up to the list. Kimberly Guilfoyle,
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the current U.S. ambassador to Greece, former Fox News commentator and a one-time California
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prosecutor, has had a wide-ranging career. Guilfoyle was very famous as a prosecutor because, well,
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she never once lost a case and she famously always gave her summation to the juries without a single
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note. Her adherence to style has been one constant over the decades. She's been on the list before.
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She knows and understands the rules. However, we all slip up from time to time, but Guilfoyle's record
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of being a jack-of-all-trades professionally and the brutal attacks from her by the media have not
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broken her dedication or understanding of the authentic and purposeful decisions when it comes to
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her wardrobe or her duties as the U.S. ambassador to Greece. By the way, the dress she wore recently that
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outraged Greek society through the tabloids was not sheer or see-through. It actually had a flesh-toned
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body stocking. Critics just need to step back. Wayne Allen Roots, another personality on our
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international best and worst dress list. Everyone's been told to diversify their investments, time, or
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emotional output on their passion project. Wayne, who's been on this list before, has lived an extremely
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diversified life. He was a producer of Ghost Adventures, a radio host, a television host, a
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podcast host, a candidate for vice president on the Libertarian Party. We would challenge anyone to find
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someone who's mastered the pinstripe suit, the light blue dress shirt with a unmatching white collar
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and cuffs, plus a red power tie better than Wayne. He has a great, great tailor. Bobby Jeffries is an
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up-and-coming young man. He's from the Chocolate Bubble near Hershey, Pennsylvania, a devoted practitioner,
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I might say, of Stone's Rules, probably the youngest person on this list. He has the look, impeccable
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tailoring, bold, yes timeless classic style, and a striking Kennedy-esque type charisma that evokes the
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golden age of American elegance. This staunch America first conservative activist, author, and
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rising political force pairs sharply cut suits, crisp shirts, and timeless accessories with the
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unapologetic confidence of a true modern dandy. Whether on the campaign trail or rallying the
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faithful, Bobby Jay, as he calls himself, proves that principled patriotism and sartorial splendor are a
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perfect match. His impressive debut on my international best dressed list is well-earned, and mark my words,
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it certainly won't be his last year on the list. Romero Brito, the Brazilian-born multicultural artist who's
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called Miami home since the 1980s, possesses a talent that has attracted major brands like Apple,
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IBM, BMW, Absolute, and installations spanning from JFK Airport to Hyde Park across the pond in London.
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He has allowed his work to raise vast sums of money for over 250 organizations worldwide, from the
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Prince's Trust to St. Jude's Children's Hospital. Brito, who I met recently, is a true man of style.
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I would call his style eclectic and a bit chaotic, as is cubist and pop art masterpieces, but Brito makes
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the best dressed list for the first time in 2025 because he always dresses for the occasion, but he
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also injects his personal flair each time without sacrificing fashion before style. We're sure one of
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the most collective artists in the modern history and is standing as an institution at the annual
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International Art Basel Festival in Miami Beach certainly stands as the most consequential honors
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under his belt. Perhaps his being on the best dressed list this year could be his third highest
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honor. Now, of course, we get to the worst dress before diving in to some of the truly ungodly displays of
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horrific fashion repackaged by the entertainment industry, commentators, influencers, and industry
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experts as forward-thinking acts of bravery. I want to say that this year's list of those who are
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worse dressed will be brief. There are far too many misguided souls to hold accountable for high crimes
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against good taste and breaking them down writ large assumes the risk of actually proliferating these
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grotesque displays to the extent that younger generations then turn around and mimic them simply to be
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ironic. However, a casual reminder of former nominees and a few newcomers to this list should serve as a
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casual reminder of the unspeakable fashion forward atrocities against good taste. That leads us to
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Steve Bannon. Perhaps he thinks he's pioneering toothless hobo chic, but this unbathed, unshaven, greasy-haired
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Jeffrey Epstein running buddy looks downright slovenly. I doubt that he's brushed his teeth in years.
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Frankly, the recent photos released of Bannon with his friend Jeffrey Epstein, taken long after Epstein was
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convicted of sex crimes in Florida, and Bannon was fired from his White House job, show why Bannon
00:26:37.200
refers to their recently detailed emails to Epstein as brother. Perhaps with the money he's getting from
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the CCP now to promote their AI, he can afford a better wardrobe, but don't bet on him taking a bath.
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Folks at the Turning Point USA's recent annual AmericaFest gathering in Phoenix told me he literally
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stunk. This guy is nothing short of disgusting. Congresswoman Rosa DeLauro of Connecticut. It's hard
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to believe that this woman is actually an adult. The way she dresses, the purple hair, the green eye shades,
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dressing like a child. It's asinine, childish, embarrassing. Need I say more?
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Then there is Rachel Dick Levine. Behold the unfortunate spectacle of Admiral Rachel Dick Levine,
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a figure who assaults the eyes with a relentless parade of ill-fitting frocks, dowdy dresses,
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and a complete disregard for tailoring, proportion, or the basic principles of elegance. Levine looks
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terrible as a man or a woman. This Biden-era bureaucrat, known for parading in admiral's
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uniforms that strain credibility and civilian outfits that scream, frump in a slump, lacks even
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the faintest whisper of judgment. With shoulders that overwhelm, helms that sag, and a palate is dreary
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as a government memo. Levine embodies the very antithesis of sartorial sophistication, a walking,
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talking, talking fashion catastrophe. Whether clumsily appropriating military regalia or stumbling
00:28:23.400
through public appearances in matronly ensembles that no discerning eye could endorse, this perennial
00:28:30.020
offender proves that some simply do not have the look and never will. A regrettable fixture on my
00:28:36.940
international worst address list and one that, alas, shows no signs whatsoever of redemption.
00:28:43.940
Then there is Senator John Fetterman of Pennsylvania. Now, Fetterman has turned out to be a true
00:28:51.900
moderate. I have to admit that I do respect his political stances, but this towering Pennsylvania
00:28:57.740
senator has turned the U.S. Capitol into his personal gym locker. Baggy Carhartt hoodies paired with gym
00:29:06.360
shorts, sneakers, and a perpetual just-rolled-out-of-bed vibe, even at formal events like presidential
00:29:12.780
inaugurations or a State of the Union speech. This isn't casual Friday. It's perpetual slob Sunday.
00:29:20.320
A grown man in one of the world's most prestigious legislative bodies dressing like he's headed to a
00:29:27.140
pickup basketball game or a sheets run. Decorum demands dignity, but Fetterman delivers the opposite.
00:29:34.820
A deliberate middle finger to tradition, respect, and, well, basic decorum. Suits exist for a reason,
00:29:42.980
Senator, and this endless parade of sweatshop chic is a wardrobe misdemeanor that became a felony.
00:29:50.900
For a man who exudes common sense and is emerging as a true moderate, I just wish he would dress
00:30:00.660
Then, of course, there is Congresswoman Kat Kamek.
00:30:04.440
Florida is known for the ironic Florida man memes and legends, but
00:30:08.620
Congresswoman Kat Kamek is what you would find in
00:30:11.800
Merriam's Webster's Dictionary above the definition of Florida woman.
00:30:17.600
She rode her way to the United States Congress for sure,
00:30:20.640
but not before securing agreement from Taco Bell, demanding two family-sized party packs daily
00:30:27.440
in return for recognizing them on the floor of the U.S. House for their, quote,
00:30:32.920
organic ingredients. She thinks she's going to be lieutenant governor, but I think that's unlikely.
00:30:38.240
She's better dressed to be an inmate in the Clay County, Florida jail. That's Congresswoman Kat Kamek.
00:30:45.420
And, of course, here is an honorable mention for this year. That would be Teddy Swims.
00:30:51.300
Teddy Swims' meteoric rise has led him to consistently smashing records in Billboard No. 1 spots
00:30:58.000
longer than any other artist in history. However, his cross-genre appeal musically also is apparent
00:31:06.040
sartorial. Yes, he periodically blends fashion, which is fleeting with style, which is, as I say,
00:31:12.160
timeless. But this is acceptable because he understands the critical importance of dressing
00:31:17.380
for the occasion. When he's performing at the Vatican with opera icon Andre Bocelli,
00:31:25.320
his first concert ever at the Vatican, he embraces a traditional approach with enough flair to be unique
00:31:31.180
without creating a distraction. Too many stars on the uptick go full Hollywood to appease fleeting
00:31:37.540
fashion trends, justifying crimes against style to collect a check, but not Teddy Swims.
00:31:44.540
So, congratulations to those who've earned a spot on our best and worst dress list.
00:31:51.180
We will produce this list again next year. I'm particularly proud that I produced it in the
00:31:57.660
same year that I produced my own line of menswear. I got tired of not being able to find what I wanted
00:32:05.360
at a reasonable price. Many times I find that young men will say to me, well, I'd love to dress better,
00:32:11.820
but I just can't afford it. See, that's a misnomer too, because you can go to websites like
00:32:19.200
etsy.com or poshmark.com and you can find literally anything. You can search by brand or you can search
00:32:28.600
by garment, but you can find gently used, but in many, many cases, what's called new old stock.
00:32:35.600
Those are garments that have never been worn before. By the way, they're particularly good for shoes.
00:32:43.400
So, let me recommend them to you again, etsy.com and poshmark.com. Both of them show that you don't
00:32:50.640
have to be wealthy. In fact, you don't even have to have a lot of money to be particularly well-dressed.
00:32:56.640
If you have ideas about who should be on the list next year, you can send it to me at
00:33:03.920
askstone at stonezone.com or stone at stonezone.com. I'd be happy to have your suggestions for next
00:33:13.180
year's list. That, at least for this period, ends our presentation of my 17th annual International
00:33:22.560
Men's and Women's Best Dressed List. Thanks for listening. You're listening to Roger Stone
00:33:28.900
right here in the Stone Zone, and we'll be right back.
00:33:35.440
The Stone Zone. Entertaining and informative. On the Red Apple Podcast Network.
00:33:42.500
Welcome back to the Stone Zone. In the closing months of 2025, amid an even deeper federal probe
00:33:49.320
into Minnesota's never-ending Feed Our Future fraud scandal, Rose Lake Capital, co-founded
00:33:56.220
by Congresswoman Ilhan Omar's husband, Tim Minette, quietly removed the names and biographies
00:34:03.660
of nine high-profile officers and advisors from their website. Among them were several Obama-era
00:34:11.040
officials and ambassadors, eliminating any remaining trace of their once-celebrated connections.
00:34:18.280
Now, when Congresswoman Ilhan Omar entered Congress in 2019, her 2018 financial disclosure
00:34:25.180
showed a negative net worth of about $45,000, largely due to debts outweighing modest assets.
00:34:33.680
But by 2024, the household net worth had zored to an estimated $30 million. That's a 3,500%
00:34:43.740
increase. Federal disclosure laws require joint spousal reporting, and these apparent gains stem
00:34:50.540
almost entirely from her husband, Tim Minette's ventures, which entered filings after their March
00:34:56.960
2020 marriage. Key assets, including Rose Lake Capital, founded in 2022, which jumped from under $1,000
00:35:06.360
in value, as well as somewhere between $5 and $25 million in value, as well as a California winery they
00:35:17.940
owned, valued at between $1,000 and $5,000, now being valued at over $1 million. Smaller amounts came from
00:35:28.640
retirement and congressional savings accounts, and the minimal income from said winery. Offsets often
00:35:36.300
included student loans and credit card debt with no reported income from Rose Lake in 2024. This
00:35:42.440
explosive wealth growth has ignited fierce criticism and speculation, particularly since it coincides with
00:35:49.740
the massive Minnesota fraud that has been effectuated now regarding federal spending having to do with
00:35:58.520
childcare, transportation, and other COVID-related costs. Before it's over, this will be a multi-billion
00:36:07.100
dollar scandal, and will spill over from Minnesota into Michigan, into Ohio, into Washington State,
00:36:14.360
into Oregon. According to President Trump, we're going to hear more about it in both California and New
00:36:21.180
York. I go back to the very most basic of questions. Ilhan Omar married her own brother in order to illegally
00:36:32.160
enter the United States. So why she has not been deported, why she has not been denaturalized,
00:36:40.020
I really don't understand. Unless, of course, there are different rules for different people.
00:36:45.960
And while we're at it, I ask one more time, what did Governor Tim Waltz know, and what did he know
00:36:52.800
it? What did Timpon Tim know about the fleeting, multi-million, soon-to-be-billion-dollar epic
00:37:00.660
fraud against the taxpayers that were taking place in Minnesota? It's a question that I'll let you
00:37:07.480
answer. I'm still waiting for the New York Times, the Washington Post, the Associated Press,
00:37:12.940
MSNBC, CNN, and all the usual suspects to report on this massive fraud against the taxpayers. But then,
00:37:22.040
I don't get my news from CNN for the same reason I don't drink out of the toilet. I'm Roger Stone.
00:37:28.680
You'll be listening to The Stone Zone. We appreciate your listening to us last year. We're delighted to
00:37:33.620
have you with us this year. We're particularly happy that you were here today for the unveiling of my
00:37:39.360
17th annual international best and worst dress list. I'm Roger Stone. Until tomorrow, God bless you
00:37:49.400
Every week, the Payne family cuts straight to the real financial story.
00:37:54.280
The one question, Bob, everyone's asking is, are we in an artificial intelligence bubble? You've been
00:38:00.340
through boom and busts. What do you think? No hype, no myths, just what actually matters to your money.
00:38:07.320
Does feel very similar to what we experienced in the 90s. Where are we though? Are we in 1995,
00:38:12.440
1997, 1999? Listen to the Payne Points of Wealth on the Red Apple Podcast Network.