The Stone Zone with Roger Stone. President Donald Trump is scheduled to address the nation tomorrow evening regarding newly discovered evidence of foreign interference in the 2020 presidential election. Meanwhile, President Trump s latest moves in the Straits of Hormuz show that his new pressure campaign against Iran is working and that the conflict may finally be beginning to unwind.
00:02:31.180There are some who are saying already in the mainstream media that this is just a distraction from the 2026 elections.
00:02:39.180of those of the same people who tried, tended to downgrade the disclosures by Tulsi Gabbard
00:02:46.100when she declassified documents that proved definitively that the Russian collusion narrative
00:02:52.420was a hoax cooked up by President Barack Obama and his intelligence community leaders,
00:02:59.600including the CIA director, John Brennan, the FBI director, James Comey,
00:03:04.880the director of national intelligence, General Clapper, and so on. So once again, I expect the
00:03:12.360president to have some bombshell revelations tomorrow that the mainstream media will immediately
00:03:17.680try to poo-poo and downplay. Meanwhile, President Trump's latest moves in the Straits of Hormuz show
00:03:24.620that his new pressure campaign against Iran is working and that the conflict may finally be
00:03:30.120beginning to unwind. President Trump announced Tuesday that he's replacing a proposed 20 percent
00:03:36.500shipping reimbursement fee on major trade and investment agreements from Gulf states. At the
00:03:42.920same time, the United States will maintain a full blockade on all vessels traveling to or from
00:03:49.160Iranian ports or carrying Iranian cargo. This presumably also includes oil shipments from
00:03:55.960Karg Island to China, where 90% of Iran's oil is sent. The message is unmistakable. International
00:04:04.420shipping can now move freely, oil can keep flowing, and Iran alone will pay the price0.99
00:04:10.080for its aggression. President Trump credited the United States military with reopening the0.84
00:04:15.600straits after American forces struck Iranian coastal defenses, missile sites, drone facilities,
00:04:21.640and maritime capabilities. President Donald Trump gave peace a chance, but it's clear that the
00:04:27.600Ayatollahs will not live up to any peace agreement, including the MOU that was painstakingly negotiated0.82
00:04:34.540under the leadership of Vice President J.D. Vance. Those operations further weakened Tehran's ability0.99
00:04:41.280to threaten commercial shipping. Now Gulf nations are responding with what President Trump described
00:04:46.660his massive new investments in American factories, plants, equipment, and jobs. If you ask me, this
00:04:53.820is a master class in geopolitical maneuvering by President Trump. He's using overwhelming military
00:04:59.380strength, economic pressure, and hard bargaining to force better outcomes without trapping America
00:05:05.900in another endless ground war. The Iranian regime remains belligerent, but its position is swiftly0.53
00:05:12.500deteriorating. Its military capabilities are being degraded, its shipping is isolated,
00:05:17.720and its regional leverage appears to be shrinking. What remains of the regime may
00:05:22.380continue issuing threats, but it cannot sustain this pressure indefinitely. Conflict is far from
00:05:28.360over, but the momentum has clearly shifted. President Trump is protecting global commerce,
00:05:33.780strengthening America's economy, and tightening the noose around Tehran, all the while making0.63
00:05:38.540it clear that Iran will never obtain a nuclear weapon. Something he's been saying, by the way,
00:05:44.040since 1988, when he said it at a Portsmouth, New Hampshire, Chamber of Commerce luncheon.
00:05:52.800So President Trump's position on Iran having a nuclear weapon has been consistent. And anyone
00:05:59.660who says contrary, well, I was there. Meanwhile, Special Counsel Jack Smith, it turns out,
00:06:05.360actually spied on the text messages, the actual content of text messages, by 44 individual members
00:06:12.880of Congress. Senate Judiciary Chairman Chuck Grassley of Iowa revealed Tuesday that the
00:06:18.980former special counsel Jack Smith actually obtained text messages involving 44 members of
00:06:24.540Congress and senior White House officials during the closing months of President Trump's first term.
00:06:30.000The messages were collected after the National Archives responded to a sweeping subpoena covering records from October 2020 through January 2021.
00:06:41.760Jack Smith's team received the material on August 2023, shortly after indicting President Trump over his totally constitutional challenge to the 2020 election.
00:06:54.040Senator Grassley, a longtime chairman of the Judiciary Committee, says that Smith must now answer for an extraordinarily aggressive and unconstitutional, and I believe illegal, fishing expedition that reached deep into communications involving elected lawmakers in what was an egregious violation of their Fourth Amendment rights.
00:07:12.440I want to be clear, this is not just a list of who spoke to whom, but the actual texts of messages by members of Congress and senior members of the administration.
00:07:23.140These lawmakers and White House staffers committed no crimes.
00:07:27.500They were targeted because they were part of the political opposition.
00:07:30.000This is nothing short of a Soviet-style operation that was run by Jack Smith.
00:07:36.140By the way, the speech or debate clause specifically protects members of Congress
00:07:40.700from executive branch intrusion into legitimate legislative activity.
00:07:45.760That safeguard exists to prevent federal prosecutors from using government power
00:07:50.940to intimidate or control lawmakers. Smith blatantly ignored the law and his extraordinary zeal
00:07:57.600to make an example out of President Trump and his allies. Grassley, the senator from Iowa,
00:08:03.520has pledged to bring Smith before the Senate Judiciary Committee and demand accountability
00:08:08.200and answers. The latest disclosure follows earlier revelations that Smith's investigations
00:08:13.960also obtained call records connected to several Republican lawmakers, as well as Trump supporters.
00:08:22.820Americans now understand that a politically charged Justice Department crossed constitutional lines while pursuing President Trump and his allies.
00:08:31.940No prosecutor should be above scrutiny.
00:08:34.380It's time for Jack Smith to face justice.
00:08:36.980Anything short of a prosecution for treason would be letting him off easy.
00:08:42.560Meanwhile, New York's tax and spend model is driving away the very people who keep the state's finances afloat.
00:08:49.680A new Citizens Budget Commission study finds that the Empire State's share of America's millionaires fell from 12.7% in 2010 to just 8.7% in 2022.
00:09:02.600This is the steepest decline of any state in the nation.
00:09:05.900The consequences, of course, are enormous.
00:09:08.480Researchers estimate that New York would have collected roughly $10.7 billion more in personal income taxes in 2022 alone if it had simply maintained its earlier share of high-income earners.
00:09:22.480That warning comes as Socialist New York City Mayor Zoran Mamdami pushes for even higher taxes on the wealthy, despite growing evidence that punitive tax policies simply encourage residents, investors, and businesses to leave the Empire State.
00:09:39.420Governor Kathy Hochul declined to raise income or corporate tax rates, but New York still imposed a pied-Ã -terre tax on expensive second homes in the city.
00:09:50.000Mamdami, you may remember, celebrated the move outside billionaire Ken Griffith's Manhattan pet house,0.74
00:09:56.440turning tax policy into a political stunt.
00:09:59.880Griffin responded by threatening to pull $6 billion from Midtown development,
00:10:05.980exactly the kind of investment that New York really can't afford to lose.
00:10:26.660They're not handcuffed to one particular state or municipality.
00:10:30.040The Founding Fathers designed America to prevent one centralized authority
00:10:34.280from opposing top-down tyranny upon the people.
00:10:37.880New York's leaders will have to learn the hard way
00:10:39.840because Mamdami is an ideologue who will never budge on his far-left agenda.0.83
00:10:45.460The money will continue to flake, and New Yorkers will have to suffer for years before having a chance to end this particular nightmare.0.66
00:10:53.700Meanwhile, Supreme Court Justice Amy Coney Barrett delivered a sobering warning to Congress this week,
00:10:59.280and that is that threats against America's highest courts are no longer just abstract political rhetoric.
00:11:05.740They're reaching the homes and families of justices themselves.
00:11:09.100Justice Barrett appeared before a House committee to support the Supreme Court's request for more than $228 million in funding for the next fiscal year, including an additional $14.6 million for security.
00:11:21.800The proposal would expand the Supreme Court police, add six protection agents for each justice, and cover security costs when justices travel outside of Washington, D.C.
00:11:34.080Justice Barrett's testimony exposed the human cost of radical intimidation campaigns that followed the leak of the court's Roe v. Wade decision.
00:11:43.840Barrett recalled having to explain to her young son what a bulletproof vest was and why his mother had to wear one simply for doing her constitutional duty.
00:11:53.100She also described a swatting attack on her home roughly six weeks ago.
00:11:57.900Her teenage son opened the door to find police vehicles responding to a false report of gunshots and raised voices.
00:12:06.240This is what happens when political activists demonize judges for refusing to serve as unelected lawmakers.
00:12:13.320Common sense Americans have warned for years that reckless attacks on the court would invite real world danger.
00:12:21.040Congress should approve the additional security funding without delay, in my opinion.
00:12:26.320Protecting Justice Barrett and her colleagues is not a partisan issue.
00:12:30.180It's a basic defense of constitutional government, judicial independence,
00:12:34.560and the rule of law against intimidation, mob pressure, and political violence in the United States.
00:12:41.380However, Justice Barrett has some recent sketchy rulings,
00:12:44.580including ruling against President Trump's prohibition on birthright citizenship.
00:12:49.500If Comey Barrett does not have a stomach to do his right in the midst of political pressure,
00:12:53.300she should actually consider resigning from the bench.
00:12:55.540However, I do believe the added security will help her rediscover her lost principles.
00:13:03.660Meanwhile, the Treasury Department is making America's 250th anniversary with new currency honoring President Trump's historic leadership.
00:13:11.280A redesigned $100 bill will carry Donald Trump's signature alongside that of Treasury Secretary Scott Bessens, among the president's very best appointees, in my view.
00:13:22.880making Donald Trump the first president to have his name printed on American paper money while he was serving.
00:13:30.680His signature will also appear across all bill denominations issued for the anniversary.
00:13:35.420Secretary Besson said the change will cost taxpayers absolutely nothing.
00:13:40.180Federal law requires U.S. currency to include In God We Trust and prohibits prohibits of living people on paper money.
00:13:48.180But presidential signatures are permitted.
00:13:51.260Treasury is also preparing a commemorative, non-circulating dollar coin featuring President Trump's portrait.
00:13:57.980Because it's a special coin rather than ordinary circulating currency,
00:14:01.440it's not restricted by the law requiring presidents to be deceased before appearing on standard presidential coins.
00:14:09.200This move recalls 1926 when Calvin Coolidge, Silent Cow,
00:14:14.520became the first sitting president portrayed on a commemorative coin during his lifetime.
00:14:19.860Besant predicts Americans will want to save bills bearing President Trump's signature,
00:14:24.620which could also benefit the Treasury when currency remains out of circulation.
00:14:29.740These new bills, which were advocated by the Treasurer, Brendan Beach, are expected to reach the public this fall.
00:14:37.020Treasury officials say the designation recognizes both the nation's semi-quincentennial
00:14:43.140and Trump's role in advancing America's current economic revival.
00:14:47.580A prototype $250 bill featuring President Trump's portrait has also been prepared, although Congress would have to authorize that.
00:14:57.320I'm Roger Stone. You're listening to The Stone Zone.
00:14:59.700When we come back, we'll talk about the federal chair of the Federal Reserve and the motives that he's making to hold down inflation.
00:15:07.980I'm Roger Stone. You're listening to The Stone Zone. Whatever you do, don't go away.
00:15:11.420The Stone Zone, entertaining and informative
00:18:02.160I point out that Jerome Powell, his predecessor, was a lawyer and not an economist,
00:18:08.360and that Powell cut interest rates when the unemployment and inflation rates
00:18:14.120were far less favorable than they are today in order to assist in the attempted re-election of Joe Biden.
00:18:20.980So the appointment of Warsh is a welcome respite from that, and these new policies, I think, are designed to have sound money and, more importantly, lower interest rates. Lower interest rates means more housing, more availability of credit, and so on. This is a key move when it comes to making America great again.
00:18:42.060I'm Roger Stone. You're listening to The Stone Zone. We're all set for President Trump's big announcement tomorrow night when he addresses the nation regarding what he says is newly found evidence of foreign interference in the 2020 election. I'll be watching. I hope you will, too. You're listening to The Stone Zone, and we'll be right back.
00:19:03.120The Stone Zone. Entertaining and informative.
00:19:26.920You are now re-entering the Stone Zone.
00:19:30.380Joining you now from Washington, D.C.0.84
00:19:32.640Federal banking regulators are finally closing a loophole that allowed illegal immigrants to obtain loans from American financial institutions without any meaningful scrutiny of their legal status.
00:19:44.600The Office of the Comptroller of the Currency, the FDIC, and the National Credit Union Administration are now advising banks to consider proof of continuing work authorization and other documentation before deciding whether a borrower can realistically repay a loan.
00:20:03.380Regulators are also warning financial institutions to watch for concentrated lending in industries,
00:20:08.880employers, and regions likely to be affected by President Donald Trump's expanded immigration enforcement.
00:20:16.620The guidance follows Trump's main executive order, issued in May,
00:20:21.160was entitled the Restoring Integrity to America's Financial Systems Act,
00:20:25.740which directed federal agencies to strengthen identity checks
00:20:29.160and lending standards for people living in the country illegally.
00:20:34.440For years, federal law failed to clearly prevent banks from serving illegal immigrants,
00:20:39.340leaving taxpayers, depositors, and financial institutions exposed to unnecessary risk
00:20:45.680while rewarding those who violated America's immigration laws.
00:20:50.440The Consumer Financial Protection Bureau was also warned banks about obvious credit dangers
00:20:56.080of lending to people who lacked legal authorization.
00:20:59.160Obviously, the chances of repayment are about zilch.
00:21:02.840President Trump has suggested going further by shutting down accounts used to facilitate illegal immigration.
00:21:11.520American banks should serve lawful customers, protect depositors, and verify that borrowers have both the legal rights and the financial capability to repay their debts.
00:21:23.320The Trump administration is right to restore this accountability.
00:21:27.100access to America's financial system is not an entitlement
00:21:30.160for those who enter or remain in the country illegally without consequences.
00:21:35.720Meanwhile, a Minnesota sheriff is warning that political correctness
00:21:39.520and media silence are allowing a dangerous gang problem
00:21:43.700to grow across the state of Minnesota,
00:21:47.320specifically in the Minneapolis-St. Paul region.
00:21:50.860Ramsey County Sheriff Bob Fletcher says that roughly 300 young people
00:21:55.120are now associated with 12 Somali gangs operating throughout the metro area and beyond.
00:22:02.380Authorities say these gangs have been connected to more than 100 shootings and at least 14 murders
00:22:10.180over the past two years, including violence at graduations, public gatherings, and even at the
00:22:16.680Minnesota State Fair. Investigators describe the groups as young, heavily armed, and driven less
00:22:23.560by drug profits than by ego, social media attention, personal feuds, and public dispays
00:22:30.140of dominance. Fletcher criticized local media and political leaders for refusing to confront this
00:22:36.680issue honestly out of fear that discussing it could be labeled as, you guessed it, racist.
00:22:43.060That cowardice has severe consequences. Minnesota officials have been aware of organized Somali
00:22:48.940gang activity for nearly two decades. Earlier investigations documented robberies, firearms
00:22:55.300offenses, trafficking allegations, fraud, and violence spreading between several American cities.
00:23:02.140Yet the problem was repeatedly minimized when elected leaders focused more on protecting their
00:23:08.140political image than protecting innocent residents. Under the leadership of Tampon Tim Walz,
00:23:14.140the problem with Somali thuggery has gotten even worse. Law enforcement needs to target1.00
00:23:19.240violent offenders aggressively, regardless of race, religion, or national origin. Third,
00:23:25.340world savages should not be given a pass because authorities lack the testicular fortitude to root
00:23:31.160out their anti-civilization behavior. Communities must also be compelled to cooperate in identifying
00:23:37.780gang members and rejected imported clan rivalries that seem to be fueling this conflict.
00:23:44.140public safety is not racism. Enforcing the law is not discrimination. Minnesota's leaders must
00:23:51.320stop making excuses, support police, prosecute violent criminals, and restore order before the
00:23:58.020rule of the jungle replaces the rule of law. Meanwhile, the Trump administration is launching
00:24:04.880a campaign to defend American sovereignty against the International Criminal Court, or ICC,
00:24:10.860as it's known. In a July 13 statement, the State Department said it is considering sanctions,
00:24:17.200visa revocations, travel bans, and diplomatic pressure on foreign governments supporting the
00:24:23.240court while relying on American aid. The goal is to stop unelected international bureaucrats
00:24:29.340from claiming power over U.S. troops and officials. You see, America never joined the International
00:24:36.260criminal court. Yet the court still claims authority to investigate and prosecute Americans0.58
00:24:41.680for actions taken in countries that recognize its jurisdiction. Secretary of State Marco Rubio
00:24:48.140called that an intolerable attack on American independence and sovereignty. He warned that the
00:24:53.980International Criminal Court is waging war against the United States through statutes,
00:24:58.440treaties, and so-called international law rather than bullets. Rubio correctly stated the court
00:25:05.000has evolved into a radical global tribunal staffed by unaccountable bureaucrats who believe their
00:25:10.560power has no limits. This administration is also urging other nations to withdraw from the
00:25:16.500International Criminal Court and warns that countries cannot expect American assistance
00:25:21.080while helping foreign judges target American citizens. President Trump has opposed this court
00:25:27.320for years, especially after prosecutors examined allegations involving U.S. personnel in Afghanistan.
00:25:33.720this is not about shielding criminals it's about preserving the constitutional right
00:25:38.800of americans to be judged under american law the nation fought a revolution to escape distant
00:25:45.740rulers claiming authority over its people the trump administration is right to make the point
00:25:50.560that no foreign court will sit in judgment of american servicemen officials or our sovereignty
00:25:56.420and after we get rid of the world of the scourge that is the international criminal court
00:26:01.600we need to get out of the united nations again while we're at it meanwhile the house delivered
00:26:07.080a victory for common sense on tuesday voting 308 to 117 to end the wasteful ritual of changing
00:26:15.620america's clocks twice a year the sunshine protecting act would make daylight saving
00:26:21.000times permanent across most of the country keeping the current march to november schedule in place
00:26:27.120year-round unless individual states choose to opt out before the law takes effect.
00:26:32.920Republican leadership celebrated this vote. I celebrate it myself. It's just common sense.
00:26:38.720Representative Scott DeJarlis of Tennessee marked the moment by playing the Beatles
00:26:43.760Here Comes the Sun as a final tally was announced. President Trump has strongly backed this measure,
00:26:50.340calling the twice-yearly clock change a ridiculous production that costs Americans time,
00:26:55.520money, and peace of mind. President Trump has pledged to work hard to get the bill signed into
00:27:01.460law, describing it as both a practical reform and a political win for common sense. The legislation
00:27:08.140now heads to the Senate, where it faces a tougher road, as Senator Tom Cotton of Arkansas will stand
00:27:13.780in the legislation's way, arguing that the status quo is somehow superior. Public frustration with
00:27:20.280clock switching has grown for decades, as more have realized the pointlessness and inconvenience
00:27:25.500of daylight savings time, originally designed when we had a largely agricultural economy.
00:27:31.62019 states have already approved measures supporting permanent daylight savings times if
00:27:35.780Congress gives the green light. The Senate passed a similar bill in 2022, but then the House failed
00:27:42.120to act. This time, the House has done its job. We have to see if the Senate will act. It's now time
00:27:47.920to find out whether the Senate will preserve an outdated government mandate or finally give
00:27:52.560americans a stable predictable clock i'll be watching meanwhile uh this is a distasteful
00:28:00.480story but federal and state health officials are investigating whether taco bell restaurants
00:28:05.280may be connected to a major cyclospora outbreak with lettuce and other salad ingredients
00:28:11.380under scrutiny as possible sources michigan has reported more than 2600 cases making this the
00:28:18.200largest outbreak of the parasite in state history and one of the nation's biggest in years.
00:28:25.820Psychosporza is a microscopic parasite that can cause severe gastrointestinal illness,
00:28:31.820which I'm not going to describe here in detail because it is, well, too distasteful.
00:28:36.680Michigan health officials say that evidence points towards lettuce or salad greens,
00:28:41.140although other foods have not been ruled out. Investigators have not identified a specific farm
00:28:47.260supplier or type of produce responsible. Signs recently posted at some Detroit area Taco Bell
00:28:54.860location said lettuce, cilantro, onions, pica de gallo, and guacamole were unavailable because
00:29:02.000what it described as a national recall. However, the Food and Drug Administration has not publicly
00:29:08.520announced such a recall or formally linked Taco Bell to the outbreak. And we have no evidence
00:29:14.100here at the Stone Zone that clearly indicates that Taco Bell is responsible. That lack of clear
00:29:20.560information raises serious questions about government transparency and food supply
00:29:25.400accountability. Americans deserve immediate, accurate answers when thousands of people
00:29:30.280may have been exposed to contaminated food. Taco Bell, for example, serves more than 40 million
00:29:36.280customers every week in the United States, meaning any potential connection must be investigated
00:29:43.040quickly and without bureaucratic delay. No deaths have been reported, but the source remains unknown.
00:29:50.320Health agencies must identify where the contamination began, hold negligent suppliers'
00:29:55.720accountability, and tell the public exactly what the officials knew and when they knew it.
00:30:01.420Protecting American families should come before protecting corporate food producers. If Taco
00:30:06.960Bell is guilty in perpetuating this crisis, they should be held accountable for their unsanitary
00:30:11.220practices. If they are not, well, we should know that as well. Meanwhile, a coalition of 12
00:30:17.320Democrat-led states is trying to derail Paramount's $81 billion takeover of Warner Brothers. Discovery
00:30:24.360and the timing makes it clear that the lawsuit is a shameless political stunt. The merger would
00:30:30.420combine Paramount, CBS, Paramount Plus, Warner Brothers, HBO Max, CNN, and film libraries under
00:30:39.400one company. State attorneys general claimed the deal would reduce competition, raise prices,
00:30:45.080and threaten entertainment jobs. Paramount says the lawsuit twists antitrust law is meant to
00:30:52.060protect dominant streaming giants like the disgustingly woke Netflix from a strong arrival.
00:30:59.000Trump Justice Department is reviewing the transaction and declined to challenge it,
00:31:02.960concluding that the combined company would increase competition and benefit both consumers
00:31:08.180and workers. Notably, every state suing is led by a Democrat. In other words, no Republican
00:31:15.240attorney general has joined this case. That matters because Paramount has moved to a more
00:31:20.460conservative direction since Sundance took control. CBS has also undergone leadership
00:31:26.360and editorial changes, which has deeply triggered the entrenched journalistic establishment at
00:31:31.26060 Minutes, where the Trump administration has openly welcomed the possibility that CNN
00:31:36.800would receive a long overdue shake-up under its new ownership. Now, Democrat officials,
00:31:43.700liberal unions, and Hollywood activists are suddenly demanding that courts freeze the merger.
00:31:49.980They call it antitrust enforcement, but Americans have seen this playbook before.
00:31:55.600When conservatives begin gaining influence inside a major institution, the left always calls for
00:32:01.040government overreach to stop it. The court should examine the facts, not enforce a liberal agenda
00:32:06.800meant to dominate the airwaves. A stronger paramount could challenge big tech, revive
00:32:12.360theatrical competition, preserve jobs, and bring ideological balance to an entertainment industry
00:32:18.460dominated for decades by the progressive left. They're losing their stranglehold on the minds
00:32:24.300of the public, and they're not happy. The rise of paramount is a serious game changer for common
00:32:30.040sense Americans. Six years after the COVID lockdowns were in full force, the catastrophic
00:32:36.880failure of America's pandemic response is undeniable. Public health experts discarded
00:32:42.840decades of established planning, embraced flawed data from China, and ignored early warnings from
00:32:49.520epidemiologists like Dr. Jay Bhattacharya that the virus had already spread widely.
00:32:55.900The results were lockdowns, mask mandates, vaccine passports, and school closures that dragged on for years,
00:33:03.620devastating lives, destroying the economy, and hurting children while changing the course of history.
00:33:09.740I'm Roger Stone. You're listening to The Stone Zone. Don't go away because we'll be right back.
00:33:15.320The Stone Zone. Entertaining and informative.