The Rich Zeoli Show- Full Episode (10/11/2023):

3:05pm- On Saturday, the Palestinian terror group Hamas broke through barriers separating Gaza from Israel—raiding Israeli towns, killing over 1,000 civilians with another 150 civilians having been kidnapped, according to estimates. President of Israel Isaac Herzog said of the attack, “not since the Holocaust have so many Jews been killed in one day.” Meanwhile, Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu vowed that in response, Israel “will exact a price that will be remembered by [Hamas], and Israel’s other enemies, for decades to come.”

3:15pm- According to reporting from Summer Said, Benoit Faucon, and Stephen Kalin of The Wall Street Journal, “Iranian security officials helped plan Hamas’s Saturday surprise attack on Israel and gave the green light for the assault at a meeting in Beirut last Monday, according to senior members of Hamas and Hezbollah, another Iran-backed militant group. Officers of Iran’s Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps had worked with Hamas since August to devise the air, land and sea incursions.” However, the Biden Administration is denying these reports—explaining that they have not yet discovered a direct Iranian connection. If Iranian involvement in the October 7th attack on Israel is ultimately proven, will an even larger war in the Middle East breakout? You can read The Wall Street Journal’s report here: https://www.wsj.com/world/middle-east/iran-israel-hamas-strike-planning-bbe07b25

3:30pm- In a closed-door meeting held on Wednesday, Republicans selected Rep. Steve Scalise (R-LA) to be the next Speaker of the House—113 to 99. However, it is worth noting that former Speaker Kevin McCarthy won his party’s support last November with 188 votes before ultimately requiring 15-votes to officially winning the speakership.

3:35pm- Annie Karnie of The New York Times reports that the House is in recess and will not meet to hold a floor vote for the vacant speakership at 3pm, as was originally planned. Karnie writes, “The move to recess came as it became clear that Scalise would not have the votes to win the gavel on the House floor today, and members complained of a rushed process. Meanwhile, Jordan, in a private meeting with Scalise, offered to give a nominating speech on his behalf, according to his spokesman. But that gesture did not seem to move a number of Republicans from across the political spectrum who said they would not vote for Scalise on the floor. So far, the eight who deposed McCarthy are not the main problem for Scalise (although Nancy Mace and Bob Good, two of the eight, have said they are undecided on who they will support on the floor). He faces a new set of opponents, some of whom made alliances with McCarthy. Marjorie Taylor Greene, who became a McCarthy ally, for instance, has said she will vote against Scalise on the House floor.” You can read the latest news regarding a potential House vote to determine the speakership here: https://www.nytimes.com/live/2023/10/11/us/house-speaker-vote-news/745258fd-a9a5-522c-8e7c-f89fe99e23e9?smid=url-share

3:40pm- The Wall Street Journal Editorial Board writes that not only has the Biden Administration provided Iran with $6 billion in previously frozen assets, but they also “throttled back enforcement of oil sanctions, which gave Tehran billions more dollars to finance Hamas, Hezbollah and other terrorist proxies. Iran’s oil production jumped to three million barrels a day in August from 2.6 million in April, according to Organization of the Petroleum Exporting Countries data. Iran’s oil minister said in August the country’s oil production would hit 3.4 million barrels a day by the end of September, the highest since 2018 when the Trump Administration imposed sanctions. Its exports have increased even more—by about one million barrels a day this year—because it has also been shipping stored fuel, namely to China.” You can read the full editorial here: https://www.wsj.com/articles/iran-hamas-oil-sanctions-biden-administration-israel-gaza-adbace0b

3:50pm- Rich is joined by 1210 WPHT producers Anthony and Dan who are at Citizen Bank Park ahead of tonight’s game 3 playoff matchup between the Philadelphia Phillies and Atlanta Braves. The series is currently tied 1-1.

4:05pm- Daniel Turner—Founder & Executive Director of Power the Future—joins The Rich Zeoli Show to discuss the Biden Administration’s decision to reduce sanctions against Iranian oil production. Is the money from Iranian oil sales being used to support terrorists? Earlier in the day, National Security Council Coordinator for Strategic Communications John Kirby was asked if, given the Hamas-led attack on Israel and reports of Iranian involvement, the Biden Administration would consider reimposing Trump-era sanctions on Iran will concurrently ramping up domestic oil production. Kirby seemingly dismissed the idea.

4:30pm- Professor Alan Dershowitz—The Felix Frankfurter Professor of Law, Emeritus at Harvard University & Author of “Get Trump: The Threat to Civil Liberties, Due Process and Our Constitutional Rule of Law”—joins The Rich Zeoli Show to discuss the thirty-three student organizations at Harvard University that have explicitly, and outlandishly, blamed Israel for the Hamas-led attacks on Israeli citizens. Dershowitz refers to the organizational reaction as “anger inducing”—calling for the school to release the names of the students who have now openly defended barbaric acts of terrorism against women and children. Additionally, Dershowitz wonders why it took so long for university leadership to denounce the abhorrent beliefs echoed by these organizations.

4:40pm- On Wednesday, President Joe Biden met with Jewish community leaders during a roundtable discussion in Washington D.C. In a speech following the meeting, Biden reemphasized U.S. support for Israel and said that he has spoken with Iran, warning them to “be careful.”

5:00pm- In a post on the social media platform X, “Saved By the Bell” star Mario Lopez criticized Governor Gavin Newsom and California’s recent “Skittle’s Ban”—a bill that will forbid the sale of foods containing red dye No. 3. Lopez writes: “Crime is through the roof, worst drug epidemic ever & homelessness at an all time high in CA…Let’s focus on Skittles.”

5:10pm- Listeners weigh-in on the terror attacks orchestrated against Israeli citizens.

5:40pm- Annie Karnie of The New York Times reports that the House is in recess and will not meet to hold a floor vote for the vacant speakership at 3pm, as was originally planned. Karnie writes, “The move to recess came as it became clear that Scalise would not have the votes to win the gavel on the House floor today, and members complained of a rushed process. Meanwhile, Jordan, in a private meeting with Scalise, offered to give a nominating speech on his behalf, according to his spokesman. But that gesture did not seem to move a number of Republicans from across the political spectrum who said they would not vote for Scalise on the floor. So far, the eight who deposed McCarthy are not the main problem for Scalise (although Nancy Mace and Bob Good, two of the eight, have said they are undecided on who they will support on the floor). He faces a new set of opponents, some of whom made alliances with McCarthy. Marjorie Taylor Greene, who became a McCarthy ally, for instance, has said she will vote against Scalise on the House floor.” You can read the latest news regarding a potential House vote to determine the speakership here: https://www.nytimes.com/live/2023/10/11/us/house-speaker-vote-news/745258fd-a9a5-522c-8e7c-f89fe99e23e9?smid=url-share

5:50pm- When questioned by reporters on Capitol Hill, Representative Rashida Tlaib (D-MI) refused to condemn Hamas attacks on Israeli citizens.

5:55pm- While appearing on The Pat McAfee Show, Jets quarterback Aaron Rodgers challenged Chiefs tight end Travis Kelce—who recently appeared in a Pfizer commercial—to a debate on whether COVID-19 vaccines are effective.

6:05pm- The Phillies score several runs in the 3rd inning and Rich gets distracted from his own show…ring the bell!

6:10pm- At the White House on Wednesday afternoon, President Joe Biden held a press event to denounce “junk fees” impacting consumers across several industries including banking and ticket sales. With war breaking out in the Middle East, and the ongoing battle in Ukraine, is this the best use of the Biden Administration’s time?

6:30pm- Rich becomes a sports broadcaster—offering play-by-play (or his version of it, at least) for the Phillies-Braves game.

6:50pm- Is the United States looking for regime change in Georgia? According to a report from Kit Klarenberg of The Grayzone, “[t]he arrest of US regime change operatives in Tbilisi suggests a coup against Georgia’s government could be in the works. As Ukraine’s counteroffensive fails, the West appears eager to open a new front in its proxy war.” You can read the full report here: https://thegrayzone.com/2023/10/06/maidan-color-revolution-georgia/