Luke Thomas Gets Political (LTGP)

Welcome to LTGP – Luke Thomas Gets Political. Luke Thomas is a U.S. Marine Corps veteran, a husband, a father, and a longtime resident of Washington, DC. After years of sharp analysis in the combat sports world, he brings that same unapologetic depth, intellectual rigor, and sharp commentary to a different kind of arena: politics. This channel is the official home for Luke’s political takes. Here you'll find the issues shaping our world, the debates that matter, and the conversations many have asked him to take on outside of the fight game. Whether it's thoughtful analysis, no-nonsense monologues, or a brutally honest perspective, this is where combat-sports logic meets political discourse. No tribalism. No spin. Just straight talk. Subscribe for weekly videos, livestreams, and commentary that cut through the noise.

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Episodes

Tuesday Dec 02, 2025

The RFK Jr leak and the media fallout around Olivia Nuzzi reveal a deeper problem inside American political journalism. This video breaks down how elite reporters, favored by management and insulated from consequences, shape national narratives while avoiding accountability. RFK Jr’s disturbing leaked messages are shocking on their own, but the way media institutions respond to scandals like these says even more about the state of modern journalism.We look at how insider relationships, preferential treatment, and scoop laundering create a two tier system where powerful figures and media darlings are protected while everyone else plays by a different set of rules. The transcript highlights how the incentives of elite journalism align less with informing the public and more with maintaining access, pleasing editors, and reinforcing the worldview of the powerful. When these incentives collide with political celebrity culture, scandals like RFK Jr’s become symptoms of a much larger structural rot.The discussion also explores the collapse of the traditional media ladder, why combat sports media reflects the same broken dynamics, and how the public ends up misled by institutions that no longer reward merit or ethics. The RFK Jr leak is not just an isolated embarrassment. It is a window into an ecosystem that keeps failing upward while pushing out those who refuse to play the game.Listen to the full conversation over on Luke’s Substack: https://lthomas.substack.com/If you find this kind of analysis valuable, consider subscribing to the channel for more breakdowns like this.Chapters00:00 RFK Jr leak reaction02:00 Media enabling elite favorites04:00 Why the system rewards failure06:00 Scoop trading and power laundering08:00 Olivia Nuzzi ethics problems10:00 How RFK Jr fits the pattern12:00 The rigged media ladder14:00 Broader collapse of media standards

Monday Dec 01, 2025

Kristi Noem’s $200+ million DHS ad campaign is not border security, it is self-dealing on your dime. In this video, we break down how a firm tied to Noem quietly benefited from a massive no bid contract, how shell companies in Delaware helped hide the money trail, and why this looks less like “law and order” and more like aristocrats looting the treasury.We walk through reporting on the Mount Rushmore ICE ad shoot, the mysterious contractor structure, and the parallel scandal involving Gulfstream private jets bought during a government shutdown. Then we zoom out: what does it mean when the same people screaming about “illegals” and “fiscal responsibility” are the ones burying jobs and GDP reports while siphoning public money to friends and allies through opaque deals and culture war PR?In the second half, the conversation shifts to who should actually be trusted with power. Abdul El Sayed’s work on Medicare for All, his public health background, and a real plan to stop people from dying because they are too poor to see a doctor are contrasted with the Noem style corruption model that treats government as a cash machine.If you are tired of being told to fear immigrants while your tax dollars fund private jets and propaganda, this one is for you.Listen to the full conversation over on Luke’s Substack: https://lthomas.substack.com/If you find this useful, subscribe to the channel and share the video with someone who still thinks this is about “border security” and not about who gets rich.Chapters00:00 Noem’s DHS ad scandal00:45 Mount Rushmore ICE cowboy ad01:30 No bid contracts and shell firms03:00 Private jets and shutdown hypocrisy04:15 Corruption, tariffs, and the economy05:30 Vandals of democracy and your taxes06:30 Who should run in 202207:15 Abdul El Sayed and Medicare for All08:15 Why US healthcare is collapsing

Wednesday Nov 26, 2025

Luke Thomas: Donald Trump’s “hang them” posts about Democratic lawmakers show how far his political violence and authoritarian rhetoric have gone, and what that means for American democracy. In this video, Luke Thomas breaks down why calls to execute political opponents are not just “trolling,” and why pretending they are harmless is part of how fascistic ideas get slowly normalized.Luke walks through Trump’s confusion over a dementia screening he bragged about as an “IQ test,” the sharp decline from his 2015–2016 debate performances, and whether we are now in 25th Amendment territory. He looks at the viral video from veteran lawmakers reminding troops that their oath is to the Constitution, not to a commander in chief, and explains why Stephen Miller’s “sedition” attacks on them are so dangerous.From Trump’s dehumanizing content about protesters to his push to criminalize “anti-capitalist” or “anti-Christian” beliefs under NSPM 7, Luke connects the dots between escalating rhetoric, state power, and a movement that may not accept losing elections again. The question is not just what Trump is saying, but whether anyone around him is willing to stop it before tragedy follows.If you value independent political commentary on Trump, political violence, fascism in America, and the health of our democracy, make sure you’re subscribed and share this video with someone who needs to see it.Listen to the full conversation over on Luke’s Substack: https://lthomas.substack.com/Subscribe for more in-depth breakdowns and weekly political analysis.Chapters00:00 Trump “Hang Them” threat00:40 25th Amendment for Trump01:10 Trump “Trolling” to Fascism01:40 Illegal Orders And The Oath02:10 Stephen Miller Screams “Sedition”02:40 Will MAGA leave after losing?03:20 Dehumanizing Protesters, Targeting ActBlue04:05 NSPM 7 And “Extremism” List05:00 Weaponizing The State Against Rivals

Wednesday Nov 26, 2025

Luke Thomas: Immigration reform, Social Security, and exploding healthcare premiums collide in this political commentary as Luke Thomas breaks down how Homeland Security, ACA subsidies, and Stephen Miller’s agenda are reshaping the safety net. He starts with a New York Times report on DHS pulling agents off CSAM, terrorism, and cartel cases and reassigning them to immigration work, then walks through the human and economic cost of that choice.Luke argues that far from being a “drain,” immigrants are a long term financial lifeline for Social Security, Medicare, and basic government functions, especially as the US population ages. He explains how expiring ACA subsidies will spike premiums, how private equity in hospitals is already linked to worse outcomes, and why entitlement programs are mathematically unsustainable without a serious expansion of legal immigration.Along the way he contrasts the US with Canada and Japan, both of which are already “immigration beggars,” and warns that an ethnostate fantasy leads directly to a government that cannot fund disaster relief, healthcare, or education for your kids. The clip closes with Luke, a former USMC artilleryman, answering whether he would enlist under today’s leadership and geopolitical reality.#lukethomaspolitics #lukethomas #usimmigration If you want more independent analysis on the intersection of immigration, economics, and national security, make sure you subscribe to the channel and turn on notifications so you do not miss future breakdowns.Listen to the full conversation over on Luke’s Substack: https://lthomas.substack.com/Chapters:00:00 DHS shifts child exploitation agents to border00:35 Human cost of deporting mixed-status families01:10 Immigrants as net taxpayers and workers01:45 ACA subsidies expire and premiums spike02:30 Entitlements, aging population and immigration math03:20 Canada, Japan become immigration beggars04:20 Militarized policing, detention and remix culture05:20 Immigration as ticking time bomb06:40 Ethnostate fantasy or functioning government07:20 Why this USMC vet will not enlist

Thursday Nov 20, 2025

Luke Thomas discusses Pres. Donald Trump inviting Mohammad Bin Salman to the White House only to try to exonerate him under questioning about the brutal murder of journalist Jamal Khashoggi.#trumpnews #lukethomaspolitics #lukethomas

Monday Nov 17, 2025

Luke Thomas: UFC fighter Brendan Royval’s White House UFC fight comments ignite a bigger question about real fans vs billionaires, while new Epstein emails, Trump mentions, and reporting by Murtaza Hussein at Drop Site News raise fresh questions the media glossed over, as Luke Thomas breaks it all down.In this video, we start with Royval’s “Hunger Games” critique and whether a White House card would actually serve the diehard fight fans or mostly seat VIPs and DC power players. We assess the realities of security, who likely gets in, and why fight sports should feel communal rather than like a museum exhibit for the ultra‑rich. Then we pivot to the week’s document dump: what the Epstein emails do and don’t show, why some outlets chased the lurid while missing the “shadow diplomacy” story, and the possibility Epstein functioned as an intelligence asset of some kind—an angle that deserves far more daylight. We close with takeaways for fans, media, and anyone trying to separate spectacle from substance.If you value independent analysis on combat sports and politics, subscribe and share this with a friend who cares about keeping the focus on the fans and the facts.Listen to the full conversation over on Luke’s Substack: https://lthomas.substack.com/Chapters00:00 Royval’s “Hunger Games” take00:45 UFC White House crowd reality02:00 Who actually gets in UFC White House 03:05 Billionaires vs real UFC fans04:20 What fight sports are for05:35 Fans deserve the seats06:38 Epstein emails overview07:20 Shadow diplomacy reporting08:30 Was Epstein an asset09:40 What media missed

Monday Nov 17, 2025

Luke Thomas: Craig Jones just dropped a scathing essay comparing Dana White to a “fight pimp,” and it might be the clearest breakdown yet of how UFC power and fighter pay really work. In this video, we walk through Craig’s Iceberg Slim metaphor, the illusion of wealth around top fighters, and why so much of MMA media has completely abandoned any meaningful criticism of power.Craig argues that fighters are not just competing, they are performing a lifestyle borrowed from the promotion itself: rented sports cars, sponsored private jets, and a dream that is more illusion than reality. We talk about why that illusion is “contagious,” how it keeps fighters defending the very system that exploits them, and what it means for anyone who depends on the industry for access or opportunity.From there, the discussion turns personal. I explain why I left a previous career in DC politics, what it did to my health, and why I refuse to build a second life around telling powerful people what they want to hear. If truth about fighter pay and MMA power structures cannot be spoken out loud, what is the point of knowing it at all.If you care about fighter pay, free speech, and what it actually costs to criticize the UFC, this conversation is for you.#lukethomas #lukethomaspolitics #craigjones Listen to the full conversation over on Luke’s Substack: https://lthomas.substack.com/If you find this useful, hit subscribe and stick around for more deep dives on MMA, politics, and power.Chapters00:00 Craig Jones “fight pimp” video01:05 Iceberg Slim metaphor and UFC02:20 Illusion of fighter wealth04:10 Why MMA media stays quiet06:00 Truth, power and access in MMA07:45 Leaving DC and refusing silence09:20 Costs of speaking honestly on UFC10:30 Why voices like Craig Jones matter

Friday Nov 14, 2025

Luke Thomas on why Megan Kelly and other MAGA media boosters are trying to find any defense possible of Trump as the Epstein Files scandal continues to cause problems for them.#lukethomas #donaldtrump #megankelly

Why YOUNG MEN Are Swinging LEFT

Thursday Nov 06, 2025

Thursday Nov 06, 2025

Young men are turning away from the right—and the political establishment isn’t ready for what comes next. This conversation explores why younger voters, especially men, are shifting left across recent elections and what that could mean for the country’s populist future.We look at Zohran Mamdani’s victory in New York City, his focus on affordability, childcare, and free transit, and why that message resonated so powerfully. The discussion also touches on the economic lockout facing younger generations—rising housing costs, medical debt, and the loss of real community in modern life—and how that instability threatens democracy itself.Luke examines what it would take for progressive movements to rebuild trust with young men: not just online rhetoric, but real-world organizing, affordability, and community. What happens when young people are locked out of stability, family, and belonging? And can the left fill that void before reactionary politics does?Listen to the full conversation over on Luke’s Substack: https://lthomas.substack.com/Subscribe for more in-depth political breakdowns every week.Chapters00:00 Why young men are swinging left01:00 The left’s disconnect from young voters02:20 Populism and the challenge of governing03:00 Zohran Mamdani’s unexpected success04:00 Affordability and the new populist message05:30 Why home ownership matters for democracy06:00 Tim Wu and the “Age of Extraction”07:00 The economic lockout crisis08:20 Medicare for All as the only solution left09:00 Building real community again10:00 Why reconnecting young men is essential

Thursday Nov 06, 2025

Tuesday’s results may be the clearest sign yet that the MAGA era is collapsing under the weight of its own failures. The right promised strength, prosperity, and national revival. Instead, they’ve delivered chaos, economic decline, and a government that wages war on its own citizens.In this clip, we examine why the MAGA project was doomed from the start. From extrajudicial killings and deportation raids to tariffs wrecking rural economies, every decision has deepened the rot. Labor shortages are worsening, inflation is rising again, and whole communities are being torn apart.The central question isn’t whether MAGA can win another election — it’s whether they can govern at all. When your movement’s only tools are cruelty and propaganda, collapse isn’t an accident. It’s the plan.Listen to the full conversation over on Luke’s Substack: https://lthomas.substack.com/Subscribe for more political commentary and weekly breakdowns of the biggest stories in U.S. politics.Chapters00:00 The beginning of MAGA’s end01:00 Extrajudicial killings and oil wars02:00 Families torn apart by ICE03:00 The economic cost of deportations04:00 Tariffs and rural depressions05:00 Inflation and fake emergencies06:00 Steven Miller’s ethnostate project07:00 The Supreme Court backlash08:00 Can the GOP actually govern?09:00 MAGA’s failures with Latinos10:00 The future of the right

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