Steve points out the squishiness, Mack plays Devil’s advocate, and Anne declares war on Switzerland.
REFERENCES
The executive power shall be vested in a President:
Constitution Annotated. “ArtII.S1.C1.1 Overview of Executive Vesting Clause.” https://constitution.congress.gov/browse/essay/artII-S1-C1-1/ALDE_00013790/
President shall also be Commander in Chief of the armed forces:
Legal Information Institute. “Commander in Chief Powers.” Cornell Law School. https://www.law.cornell.edu/wex/commander_in_chief_powers
Article I, Section 8, Clause 11, like we all know:
Constitution Annotated. “Clause 11 War Powers.” https://constitution.congress.gov/browse/article-1/section-8/clause-11/
There’s this other part that says the President shall make sure that the laws be faithfully executed:
Constitution Annotated. “ArtII.S3.3.1 Overview of Take Care Clause.” https://constitution.congress.gov/browse/essay/artII-S3-3-1/ALDE_00001160/
Other than, what is war:
Merriam-Webster. “War.” https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/war
Going back to the Barbary pirates:
Office of the Historian. “Barbary Wars, 1801–1805 and 1815–1816.” https://history.state.gov/milestones/1801-1829/barbary-wars
In the Navy Act:
Bisno, Adam. “President Washington Signs the Naval Act of 1794.” March 20, 2019. Naval History and Heritage Command. https://www.history.navy.mil/browse-by-topic/heritage/origins-of-the-navy/washington-naval-act-1794.html
The famous six frigates:
Naval History and Heritage Command. “U.S. Navy’s Six Original Frigates.” https://www.history.navy.mil/browse-by-topic/ships/original-frigates.html
Or an amendment later:
U.S. Capitol Visitor Center. “An Act for the Protection of Commerce of the U.S. in the Mediterranean, Passed by the Senate February 1, 1802.” https://www.visitthecapitol.gov/artifact/act-protection-commerce-us-mediterranean-passed-senate-february-1-1802
The Law of the Sea:
National Ocean Service. “What is the Law of the Sea?” https://oceanservice.noaa.gov/facts/lawofsea.html
The U.N. Charter has a “you can act in self-defense”:
Codification Division Publications. “Chapter VII—Action With Respect to Threats to the Peach, Breaches of the Peace, and Acts of Aggression.” United Nations. https://legal.un.org/repertory/art51.shtml
Armed conflict versus war:
Save the Children. “What is Conflict and War?” https://www.savethechildren.org.uk/what-we-do/conflict-war
When did we declare war on Vietnam:
Editors of Encyclopedia Britannica. “Was the Vietnam War Technically a War?” https://www.britannica.com/question/Was-the-Vietnam-War-technically-a-war
Was there a formal declaration of war:
United States Senate. “About Declarations of War by Congress.” https://www.senate.gov/about/powers-procedures/declarations-of-war.htm
George H. W. Bush said he did not believe he needed that authorization from Congress to proceed because it was a United Nations action:
Keller, Kate. “An Unlikely Hardliner, George H. W. Bush Was Ready to Push Presidential Powers.” May 14, 2018. Smithsonian Magazine. https://www.smithsonianmag.com/history/unlikely-hardliner-george-h-w-bush-was-ready-push-presidential-powers-180969017/
Did Congress ever make a ruling on it:
United States House of Representatives. “House Passage of the 1991 Resolution Authorizing the Use of Force Against Iraq." https://history.house.gov/HistoricalHighlight/Detail?id=35252
The Vietnam war doesn’t happen without Congress at some point voting for the money for it to happen:
Hughes, Ken. “The Myth That Congress Cut Off Funding for South Vietnam.” April 28, 2010. History News Network. https://www.historynewsnetwork.org/article/the-myth-that-congress-cut-off-funding-for-south-v
A coalition of allies:
CNN Editorial Research. “Gulf War Fast Facts.” Updated July 24, 2025. CNN. https://www.cnn.com/world/middleeast/gulf-war-fast-facts
You had the Quasi-War with France, which was kind of weird:
Office of the Historian. “The XYZ Affair and the Quasi-War with France, 1798–1800.” https://history.state.gov/milestones/1784-1800/xyz
They’re landlocked:
National Geographic Kids. “Switzerland.” https://kids.nationalgeographic.com/geography/countries/article/switzerland
They have the funds:
Taylor, Chloe. “The ‘Strongest Currency on Earth’ Just Hit an 11-Year High—and It’s Stirring Up Trouble in Switzerland.” Updated January 28, 2026. CNBC. https://www.cnbc.com/2026/01/28/swiss-franc-us-dollar-price-fx-exchange-rate-trump-switzerland-snb-currency.html
That’s called portage, by the way:
Merriam-Webster. “Portage.” https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/portage
Steve is correct, Switzerland is not in the showcase of nations at EPCOT:
Magic Guides. “What Are the Countries in EPCOT?” https://magicguides.com/countries-in-epcot-world-showcase/
Mack was closest. The executive branch of Switzerland is a Federal Council:
Schweizerische Eidgenossenschaft. “Political System.” https://www.aboutswitzerland.eda.admin.ch/en/political-system
They’re going to invade our ears with their jamming music:
https://youtu.be/oqVy6eRXc7Q?si=wu03olgks0y9i0-B
What is imminent?
Merriam-Webster. “Imminent.” https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/imminent
What is threat?
Merriam-Webster. “Threat.” https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/threat
Unless you’re a state, actually. Article I, Section 10, Clause 3:
Constitution Annotated. “Clause 3 Acts Requiring Consent of Congress.” https://constitution.congress.gov/browse/article-1/section-10/clause-3/
I bring up Pearl Harbor:
Citino, Rob and Zemurray Stone, Samuel. “Pearl Harbor Attack, December 7, 1941.” National WWII Museum. https://www.nationalww2museum.org/war/topics/pearl-harbor-december-7-1941
Again, Mack knew what he was talking about. Here are the specifics of the Japanese fleet that attacked Pearl Harbor:
Pearl Harbor. “This of the Japanese Striking Force.” June 3, 2017. https://pearlharbor.org/blog/ships-japanese-striking-force/
Did they just turn around and go back to Japan? Where did they go afterward:
Pearl Harbor. “Japan’s Plans After Pearl Harbor.” https://pearlharbor.org/blog/japans-plans-pearl-harbor/
In case you, also, were not alive for this event:
Hartig, Hannah and Doherty, Carroll. “Two Decades Later, the Enduring Legacy of 9/11.” September 2, 2021. Pew Research Center. https://www.pewresearch.org/politics/2021/09/02/two-decades-later-the-enduring-legacy-of-9-11/
He gave the speech, “…the day that will live in infamy…”:
Library of Congress. “Speech by Franklin D. Roosevelt, New York (Transcript).” https://www.loc.gov/resource/afc1986022.afc1986022_ms2201/?st=text&r=-0.101,-0.296,1.111,1.327,0
Even during the Great Depression:
Richardson, Gary. “The Great Depression.” November 22, 2013. Federal Reserve History. https://www.federalreservehistory.org/essays/great-depression
Or are you Theodore Roosevelt and even if one American gets killed, we’re going to war:
National Park Service. “The Bull Moose in Winter: Theodore Roosevelt and World War I.” Updated March 7, 2025. https://www.nps.gov/articles/the-bull-moose-in-winter-theodore-roosevelt-and-world-war-i.htm
The War Powers Act was passed by Congress in 1973:
Britannica Editors. “War Powers Act.” January 22, 2026. https://www.britannica.com/topic/War-Powers-Act
Nixon vetoes it, expressing his belief that it is unconstitutional:
Nixon, Richard. “Veto of the War Powers Resolution.” October 24, 1973. The American Presidency Project. https://www.presidency.ucsb.edu/documents/veto-the-war-powers-resolution
Congress overrides the veto:
Congress. “War Powers Resolution. Expedited Procedures in the House and Senate.” https://www.congress.gov/crs-product/R47603
Oh, like NATO:
Barrack Obama and Libya:
Britannica Editors. “Libya Revolt of 2011.” June 15, 2025. Britannica. https://www.britannica.com/event/Libya-Revolt-of-2011
The Obama administration issues a statement:
BBC. “White House: U.S. ‘Can Act in Libya Without Congress’.” June 15, 2011. https://www.bbc.com/news/world-us-canada-13785073
Ordering the military to seize oil tankers:
Upadhyay, Brajesh and Sherman, Natalie. “U.S. Forces Seize a Sixth Venezuela-Linked Oil Tanker in Caribbean Sea.” January 15, 2026. BBC. https://www.bbc.com/news/articles/cy4qdnj5vl9o
Let’s do the lead up:
Finley, Ben; Toropin, Konstantin; and Garcia Cano, Regina. “A Timeline of U.S. Military Escalation Against Venezuela Leading to Maduro’s Capture.” January 3, 2025. PBS News. https://www.pbs.org/newshour/world/a-timeline-of-u-s-military-escalation-against-venezuela-leading-to-maduros-capture
We started by bombing boats:
Associated Press. “U.S. Forces Carry Out First Known Strike on Alleged Drug Boat Since Maduro’s Capture.” January 23, 2026. PBS News. https://www.pbs.org/newshour/world/u-s-forces-carry-out-first-known-strike-on-alleged-drug-boat-since-maduros-capture
We’ve been intercepting boats into our country running drugs for years:
Laliberte, Daniel A. “Enforcing the Law at Sea—The Rise of Drug Smugglers [Commentary].” March 28, 2025. United States Coast Guard. https://www.mycg.uscg.mil/News/Article/4138215/enforcing-the-law-at-sea-the-rise-of-drug-smugglers/
This is an administration that has not had a real good track record with the idea of truth/evidence:
Desjardins, Lisa and Loffman, Matt. “Why Politifact Has Labeled 2025 the ‘Year of the Lies’ [Video and transcript].” December 31, 2025. PBS News. https://www.pbs.org/newshour/show/why-politifact-has-labeled-2025-the-year-of-the-lies
Experts in the field, who know both about drug running, the country of Venezuela, and war tactics in international waters:
Singer, Jeffery A. “Trump’s Venezuela Gambit: An Incoherent Encore in a Failed Drug War.” December 3, 2025. CATO Institute. https://www.cato.org/blog/trumps-venezuela-gambit-incoherent-encore-failed-drug-war
Morgan, Annie W. and Halsell, James. “Drug Boats: Where Questions of Lethality and Legality Meet.” September 2025. U.S. Naval Institute. https://www.usni.org/lethality_and_legality
Venezuela does not border the eastern Pacific:
McCoy, Jennifer L. “Venezuela.” Updated January 4, 2026. Britannica. https://www.britannica.com/place/Venezuela
Unless you go through the Panama Canal:
Gordon, Burton L. “Panama Canal.” Updated December 8, 2025. Britannica. https://www.britannica.com/topic/Panama-Canal
Venezuela is known for cocaine:
Ramirez Uribe, Maria. “Was Nicolas Maduro ‘Flooding’ the U.S. With Fentanyl, as White House Claims?” January 15, 2026. Aljazeera. https://www.aljazeera.com/features/2026/1/15/was-nicolas-maduro-flooding-the-us-with-fentanyl-as-white-house-claims
They killed a lot of people:
Finley, Ben and Toropin, Konstantin. “Death Toll From U.S. Strikes on Alleged Drug Boats Reaches 126 People.” January 26, 2026. AP News. https://apnews.com/article/boat-strikes-military-death-toll-venezuela-20cef307b035c386f390df846b6056b7
Before the war crime incident:
Finley, Ben and Toropin, Konstantin. “Experts Explain What the Law Says About Killing Survivors of a Boat Strike.” December 1, 2025. AP News. https://apnews.com/article/boat-strikes-survivors-hegseth-72b0a498ca08615b2589c772a1d9e642
They released a video of the initial strike on the boat, and then refused to release the second strike on the boat:
Stein, Chris. “Pentagon Won’t Release Full Video of Caribbean Strike That Killed Two People, Hegseth Says.” December 16, 2025. The Guardian. https://www.theguardian.com/world/2025/dec/16/pentagon-wont-release-full-video-caribbean-attack
The powers that be right now, in the United States, ordered that to happen:
Pigliucci, Cai; FitzGerald, James; and Drenon, Brandon. “Admiral Testified Hegseth Did Not Give ‘Kill them all’ order, U.S. lawmakers say.” December 4, 2025. BBC. https://www.bbc.com/news/articles/cwyxjd6pxzro
It is in two different manuals:
Finley, Ben and Toropin, Konstantin. “Experts Explain What the Law Says About Killing Survivors of a Boat Strike.” December 1, 2025. AP News. https://apnews.com/article/boat-strikes-survivors-hegseth-72b0a498ca08615b2589c772a1d9e642
A more thorough explanation of what happened during the attack of Venezuela than we give in the podcast:
Nicholas, Peter; Tsirkin, Julie; Dixon, Matt; Alba, Monica; and Kube, Courtney. “A CIA Team, Steel Doors, and a Fateful Phone Call: How the U.S. Captured Maduro in Venezuela.” January 3, 2026. NBC News. https://www.nbcnews.com/politics/donald-trump/us-venezuela-strike-nicolas-maduro-captured-how-timeline-trump-rcna252041
Was arraigned a few days ago:
Intarasuwan, Kiki; Czachor, Emily May; Walsh, Joe; and Quinn, Mellisa. “Ousted Venezuelan President Maduro Arraigned in U.S. Court; Trump Threatens Other Nations.” Updated January 6, 2026. CBS News. https://www.cbsnews.com/live-updates/venezuela-trump-maduro-charges/
Maduro was an asshole:
McCoy, Jennifer L. “The Presidency of Nicolás Maduro.” Updated January 4, 2026. Britannica. https://www.britannica.com/place/Venezuela/The-presidency-of-Nicolas-Maduro
Did not recognize him as the current head of state:
Harrison, Chase; Gerbaud, Gladys; and Robertson, Khalea. “How Have International Leaders Responded to Venezuela’s 2024 Election?” August 19, 2024. Americas Society/Council of the Americas. https://www.as-coa.org/articles/how-have-international-leaders-responded-venezuelas-2024-election
What is he being charged with:
Slack, Donavan; Goodwin, Grace Eliza; and Epstein, Kayla. “What is Maduro Charged With and What is the Evidence?” January 5, 2026. BBC. https://www.bbc.com/news/articles/cwyndnqqey5o
In 1989, Manuel Noriega:
Britannica Editors. “Manuel Noriega.” Updated November 6, 2025. Britannica. https://www.britannica.com/biography/Manuel-Noriega
The canal zone is still controlled by the United States:
Roy, Diana. “Who Controls the Panama Canal?” Updated January 29, 2025. Council on Foreign Relations. https://www.cfr.org/articles/who-controls-panama-canal
There was a U.S. marine killed. Panama had declared war on the U.S.:
History.com Editors. “The U.S. Invades Panama.” Updated December 3, 2025. History.com. https://www.history.com/this-day-in-history/december-20/the-u-s-invades-panama
It’s not like it’s settled law that that was fine:
Scheffer, David J. “Maduro’s Capture and International Law: The Noriega Precedent.” January 6, 2026. Council on Foreign Relations. https://www.cfr.org/articles/maduros-capture-and-international-law-noriega-precedent
The President, immediately, told the American public, we’re going to go into Venezuela and run it:
Jacobson, Louis and Ramirez Uribe, Maria. “Fact-Checking Trump’s Claims After U.S. Strike on Venezuela and Capture of Maduro.” January 4, 2026. PBS News. https://www.pbs.org/newshour/politics/fact-checking-trumps-claims-after-u-s-strike-on-venezuela-and-capture-of-maduro
Thank God, it’s Marco Rubio:
U.S. Department of State. “Marco Rubio.” https://www.state.gov/biographies/marco-rubio/
We’re fine with the Vice President as long as they do what we say:
Adams, Paul. “Analysis: Why Trump Chose Maduro’s VP Over Nobel Winner.” January 7, 2026. BBC. https://www.bbc.com/news/articles/c77krp7m362o
Venezuela came in at some point and nationalized/took it all from them:
Gore, D’Angelo. “Explaining Trump’s Claim That Venezuela ‘Stole’ U.S. Oil.” January 14, 2026. https://www.factcheck.org/2026/01/explaining-trumps-claim-that-venezuela-stole-u-s-oil/
People are trying to discern what the strategic objective of the administration was:
Jeyaretnam, Miranda and de Guzman, Chad. “What’s Happening With the U.S. and Venezuela Explained.” January 12, 2026. Time. https://time.com/7344628/us-venezuela-trump-maduro-oil-drugs-war-explainer-questions-answered/
We might not actually see money from the oil:
Atwood, Kylie. “Before Capturing Maduro, Trump Admin Sought Lessons From Iraq War to Get Venezuela’s Oil Flowing.” January 29, 2026. CNN. https://www.cnn.com/2026/01/29/politics/maduro-venezuela-oil-iraq-war-trump
They offered him to go into exile in comfort in Turkey:
Turkish Minute. “U.S. Senator Backs Reports Maduro was Offered Exile in Turkey Before Raid.” January 5, 2026. https://www.turkishminute.com/2026/01/05/us-senator-backs-reports-maduro-was-offered-exile-in-turkey-before-raid/
You just pardoned the President of Honduras for cocaine charges:
Yousif, Nadine. “What Was Honduras Ex-president Convicted of and Why has Trump Pardoned Him?” December 2, 2025. BBC. https://www.bbc.com/news/articles/c9qewln7912o
He was asked that at a press conference:
https://youtu.be/bI2hzRw73Bw?si=WcBre0QmGHVm8nCH
Marco Rubio, who was asked about that later:
https://youtu.be/tLGHbe4qgys?si=kILnMisDVeuVcTLE
Why do certain personalities subscribe to conspiracy theories:
Moul, Russell. “A Conspiracy Theory Mindset Can be Predicted by These Two Psychological Traits.” January 6, 2026. IFLScience. https://www.iflscience.com/a-conspiracy-theory-mindset-can-be-predicted-by-these-two-psychological-traits-82128
This is the Keystone cops:
https://youtu.be/GwUUUqgfu-E?si=4qhuKvTuT61sl5Hi
Soyer Au Champagne, from an Atlas Obscure article:
https://www.atlasobscura.com/articles/soyer-au-champagne-cocktail
Saratoga:
https://www.diffordsguide.com/cocktails/recipe/2196/saratoga-cocktail
Steve’s 12 Bottle Bar book:
Dave Solmonson. The 12 Bottle Bar: Make Hundreds of Cocktails With Just 12 Bottles. 2014. Workman Publishing Company.
The first of two Bobby Burns:
https://www.liquor.com/recipes/bobby-burns/
Burns Night in Scotland:
Scotland.org. “Burns Night.” https://www.scotland.org/events/burns-night
A variation on a Bobby Burns:
https://www.diffordsguide.com/cocktails/recipe/2313/bobby-burns-crocketts-recipe
Craddock…:
Sutcliffe, Theodore. “Harry Craddock.” Difford’s Guide. https://www.diffordsguide.com/encyclopedia/2345/people/harry-craddock
…versus Crockett:
Cameron, Ian. “Albert Stevens Crockett.” Difford’s Guide. https://www.diffordsguide.com/encyclopedia/2864/people/albert-stevens-crockett
Fibonacci numbers:
Math is Fun. “Fibonacci Sequence.” https://www.mathsisfun.com/numbers/fibonacci-sequence.html
What’s called the golden spiral or the golden rectangle or golden ratio:
Mathnasium. “Nine Examples of the Golden Ratio in Nature, From Pinecones to the Human Body.” July 25, 2024. https://www.mathnasium.com/blog/golden-ratio-in-nature
Disney World:
https://disneyworld.disney.go.com/
It’s a World’s Fair:
Findling, John. “World’s Fair.” Updated December 10, 2025. Britannica. https://www.britannica.com/topic/worlds-fair
It’s a Small World:
Walt Disney World. “It’s a Small World.” https://disneyworld.disney.go.com/attractions/magic-kingdom/its-a-small-world/
Mack is correct, her name was Mary Blair:
Canemaker, John. “About Mary Blair.” The Magic of Mary Blair. https://magicofmaryblair.com/about-mary/
We are the ultimate check—the primaries in Texas are on March 3:
And “global thermonuclear war” is a reference to the movie WarGames. But you already knew that.
