Just Ask the Press - Trillionaires, Situation Rooms, and Cage Matches

From Just Ask the Question Podcast by Brian Karem

June 16, 2026 · 1h 18m · Episode 399

About this episode

Brian Karem discusses a chaotic week in news with experts Mark Zaid and Nolan Higdon, covering topics from Elon Musk's wealth to legal battles involving Donald Trump.

This week on Just Ask the Press, Brian Karem is joined by national security and FOIA expert Mark Zaid and journalism professor Nolan Higdon to unpack an incredibly chaotic week in news, politics, and media. The trio kicks off the episode reacting to Elon Musk officially becoming the world’s first trillionaire after SpaceX went public on the NASDAQ. They delve into his sci-fi aspirations for Mars and debate whether his staggering wealth is inherently dangerous for democracy or a catalyst for taking risks that governments won't. Next, the panel breaks down blockbuster reporting exposing a high-level, secret Situation Room meeting from the summer of 2025. Trump administration officials scrambled to manage damning, unreleased Epstein files, sparking an internal civil war over transparency—and a rogue strategy proposed by JD Vance. Later, Mark Zaid guides us through a packed week in the legal system, detailing the dramatic, eleventh-hour removal of Donald Trump’s name from the Kennedy Center, a federal judge definitively halting a $1.776 billion "slush fund," and why a last-minute lawsuit failed to stop a massive UFC extravaganza on the White House lawn. Finally, the team scrutinizes…

People in this episode

Host: Brian Karem

Guests: Mark Zaid, Nolan Higdon

Topics covered

trillionaires
national security
media chaos
politics
legal system
transparency
Iran war

Keywords

Elon Musk
trillionaire
SpaceX
Trump administration
legal issues
UFC
Iran
transparency
media

Mentioned in this episode

Organizations: SpaceX, Trump administration, Kennedy Center, Department of Justice, Paramount, Warner Bros., UFC

Places: Iran, New York