Folks…wow. If you were with us live today, you get it. If not, get ready my friends, because this one had everything: breaking news, war-crime revelations, democracy on the line, our signature tech chaos…and an extraordinary guest who brought the fire, the facts, and real moral clarity:
.But before we dive into Rosie’s brilliance, we can get this right outta the way. David Shuster absolutely crushed it today. He went on such a brilliant rant that I—me! The guy with the really big mouth—tried to jump in not once but twice, but David was out-of-body experience good, and s*t if that didn’t set the tone for the entire show.
As I repeat many a day, I feel so lucky to get to co-host a show with David. There’s nobody—nobody—in this space who can take a classified-video/war-crime scandal, and combine law, politics, history, and human cost all into one exquisite tour-de-force on how insane and sick this scandal is the scandal allegedly perpetrated by future Coors Light mascot, Pete Hegseth.
Shuster is a reporter. The precision he brings to that craft, while still somehow making room for my historical and pop culture analogies from Herman Goering to Sean Hannity’s wounded ego, makes Amped Up purr like a kitten.
David’s the co-pilot you want when democracy is flying through a hurricane. He’ll be right there, in the eye, covering it. While Hegseth is in an “air conditioned room” chugging rubbing alcohol and searching for his fourth wife.
BAM friends,
When the Henry Cuellar pardon story broke, the coverage felt…off.
Some headlines screamed “Biden’s DOJ targeted him,” others framed it as a bribery case. A few just ran Trump’s quote as fact, no context.
So I opened Ground News—Boom, the whole picture snapped into view.
On one screen, you can see how different outlets spun the same story:
Breitbart: “Trump Pardons Texas Democrat Indicted After Criticizing Biden’s Open Borders.”
AP News: “Trump pardons Texas Democratic Rep. Cuellar in bribery and conspiracy case.”
Two Headlines. Same Event. Different Realities!
Ground News breaks it down and quantifies it: One story: 181 sources. 27% Left, 54% Center, 19% Right. Wow, transparency!
You’re behind the curtain. You see what corporate media’s hiding. You’re in control.
Subscribe to Ground News for 40% off with our link:
👉 https://ground.news/Blue
You see it, you can’t go back. So Ground News is my daily must-use tool.
—Cliff
After the rant had reached Everest’s peak, we brought on Rosie the Resister, for just a great conversation. Rosie walked us through the terrifying authoritarian drift we’re witnessing, from Trump’s extrajudicial boat bombings 1,500 miles from our shores, to ICE disappearing people on American streets, to a Republican Party that has abandoned the rule of law for rule by fear.
Rosie spoke about life inside a conservative religious system—while she was always a Democrat she was a member of the Church of Latter Day Saints until recently—and what it means to break free. She talked about how the same authoritarian mindset is part and parcel to a disturbing portion of our politics.
Rosie also talked about a great piece she wrote, making a point we at Blue Amp Media have made often. Simply “getting rid of Trump” won’t fix the rot—it’s reached the core, like most of Ted Nugent’s STDs.
I agreed, discussed how we must have accountability throughout the Trump cabal. Hegseth, Noem, Patel, Bondi—the whole cast of Mad Max characters masquerading as public servants. As Rosie said, if Democrats don’t act, if we keep “trusting lessons will be learned,” we’re handing the country over to people who think due process is optional.
Because lessons can’t be learned by those without the emotional depth of goldfish and sociopathy of Goldfinger.
Rosie then gave us the most personal moment of the show, her battle with long COVID. She shared how she’s faced medical discrimination, and we had to discuss the absolute and brutal absurdity of America’s health-care “system,” which is forcing her husband out of retirement to keep her alive.
Yet, with all this, she’s writing, resisting, fighting for justice, and holding Republicans—and “corporate Democrats” when necessary—accountable for when they fail the American people.
Rosie embodies the thing we talk about at Blue Amp Media every last damn day: courage in the face of cruelty. Truth in the face of authoritarianism. Humanity in the face of systems built to erase it.
And if you missed it live, go support her Substack, The Resistor’s Report. This is someone doing the work—while literally fighting for her life.
To Rosie: thank you.
To David Shuster: you da man
To me: Please go to sleep by 11pm tonight
And to all of you: keep fighting, keep thinking, keep questioning…and for the love of all things holy, find ways to recoup in between; a movie, a long bath, a massage, a good book. Whatever brings you to your zen, so you’ll be ready to go again when needed.
As the sun sets slowly in the west, my friends…I bid you a fond farewell.
