NOTE: This piece was first published on NYNewsPress.com.
By Richard Luthmann with Michael Volpe
‘TRUMP DESERVES THE NOBEL’: MIDDLE EAST ON BRINK OF PEACE
Richard Luthmann didn’t hesitate. “Trump should get the Nobel Peace Prize,” he said flatly during Episode 45 of The Unknown Podcast. “He’s on the verge of delivering peace in the Middle East.”
Luthmann praised President Trump’s reported breakthrough—a tentative ceasefire agreement between Israel and Hamas brokered with help from Qatar and Egypt.
“Iran is the head of the snake,” Luthmann said. “We’ve cut off the monetary flow, bombed the nuclear sites, and applied sanctions that are suffocating them. Terrorism is drying up.”
Michael Volpe echoed the sentiment, calling it a massive shift.
“When Trump took office in 2017, only two countries recognized Israel. By 2021, it was six. He doubled it.”
Volpe predicted Saudi Arabia would formally normalize ties with Israel before Trump’s second term ends.
“Most of the Middle East now sees Israel as an engine for prosperity,” he said. “Technology, tourism, trade—it’s a win-win.”
Luthmann credited the shift to Trump’s policy of strength.
“This isn’t about globalism,” he said. “The Sunnis are embracing modernization and exchange on their own terms. The Shia—the obstructionists—are being sidelined.”
And he made sure to drive the point home: “Trump has done what no other president could. Peace is within grasp. Give the man the damn Nobel.”
THE UNKNOWN PODCAST 45: TRUMP, THE FIRST AMENDMENT, AND THE ‘NATIONAL SECURITY’ EXCEPTION
Volpe wasn’t buying all the Trump hype.
“Trump calls himself a First Amendment president,” Volpe said, “but he sues anyone who prints a poll he doesn’t like. He wants to target journalists for reporting leaks. That’s not pro-free speech.”
Luthmann pushed back hard.
“There’s a boundary—national security,” he snapped. “If a journalist is holding state secrets, they don’t get a free pass. Go to court. Let a judge decide whether they should give up their source. And they can always sit in jail for a few months for contempt. I would.”
The two argued over the leaked DIA report on Iran’s nuclear program. Volpe called it a “non-lethal leak” that didn’t threaten national security. Luthmann disagreed.
“Leaking classified info is a serious federal crime,” he said. “People can die. That’s why we have the Espionage Act.”
When Volpe cited past abuses under Obama and Bush, Luthmann agreed—but added that Trump is “doing more to expose the rot.”
He added, “Trump is the only one forcing this system to correct itself. And he’s funding his presidential library with the settlement checks from these bogus lawsuits.”
Volpe shot back, “He sues people to bully them. That’s not the First Amendment. That’s control.”
Luthmann wasn’t swayed.
“If you trust the justice system, take it to court. If not, you’re Snowden—go to Russia.”
THE UNKNOWN PODCAST 45: LIA THOMAS ERA ENDS: ‘IVY LEAGUE EATS CROW’
The co-hosts finally found common ground on the topic of trans athletes.
Volpe called it “a humiliating reversal.” The University of Pennsylvania, under federal pressure, agreed to retract Lia Thomas’s swimming records and issue formal apologies.
“Men have no place in women’s sports,” said Luthmann. “This is an 80-20 issue? No—it’s 90-10.”
He credited Trump, Linda McMahon, and Riley Gaines for driving the policy shift.
“Linda hit the ground running at the Department of Education. Riley exposed the insanity. President Trump enforced it.”
Volpe agreed.
“Thomas went from 500th in men’s rankings to number one as a woman. That’s absurd. It’s about time.”
Luthmann added, “The Ivy League had no choice but to embrace common sense. Trump’s administration delivered. This is promises made, promises kept.”
Both praised the settlement’s requirement that Penn apologize to female swimmers who were forced to compete against Thomas.
“That’s real justice,” Luthmann said. “It sends a message: no more men in women’s sports.”
THE UNKNOWN PODCAST 45: DIDDY’S LAWYERS BLEW IT—‘ARTHUR AIDALA WOULD’VE WALKED HIM OUT OF THE COURTROOM’
The last segment of the current events roundup tackled the Sean “Diddy” Combs RICO trial—and whether the rapper’s wild lifestyle crossed into organized crime.
Volpe questioned the government’s case.
“Is this really a criminal conspiracy,” he asked, “or just a rich guy throwing illegal parties?”
Luthmann wasn’t so forgiving.
“Diddy ran a corrupt organization,” he said. “The freakout parties, the drugs, the violence—it all furthered his business.”
But his harshest critique was saved for Diddy’s legal team.
“They didn’t put on a real defense,” Luthmann said. “No showmanship. No counter-narrative.”
He had one man in mind who could’ve changed the outcome: Arthur Aidala.
“If Diddy had Arthur, he walks,” Luthmann said. “Aidala got Harvey Weinstein acquitted on major charges. He’s the best criminal defense attorney in New York. He sells snow to Eskimos.”
Luthmann continued, “Arthur wouldn’t have put Diddy on the stand. But he would have turned the trial into a spectacle. The media would’ve eaten every word.”
Volpe agreed that the defense flopped.
“They let the prosecution control the story,” he said. “No alternate version, no rebuttal. That’s fatal.”
Ultimately, both predicted some guilty verdicts for Combs.
“He’s in the jackpot,” Luthmann said. “He’s doing some prison time.”
But Luthmann’s takeaway was clear: “If Diddy had called Arthur Aidala, he’d be walking free right now.”
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