Speaker
Jim Himes
Appearances over time
1 episodes
Episodes
1
Podcasts
Quotes & moments
Rep. Jim Himes argues the Iran memorandum of understanding gives orders of magnitude more money to Iran than the Obama 2015 JCPOA deal.
The Iran conflict caused Americans to pay $1.50 a gallon more for gasoline before the MOU ceasefire.
John Ratcliffe reportedly told Trump four months before the war that the Iranian regime would not fall and closing the Strait of Hormuz posed real dangers.
Ukraine is killing enough Russians between now and the weekend to equal all U.S. deaths in 13 years of Vietnam — a staggering pace of attrition.
Himes called the idea that Jared Kushner and real estate associates could negotiate a nuclear deal in 60 days 'crazy — it's just not going to happen.'
Himes cited the saying that Iranians never win a war but never lose a negotiation, underscoring the danger of any U.S.-Iran talks.
Himes predicted Iran will pursue nuclear weapons because it knows pipeline alternatives will render Strait of Hormuz control irrelevant within five years.
Himes called Bill Pulte's appointment as acting Director of National Intelligence probably the worst he has ever seen, citing Pulte's zero national security experience.
Himes acknowledged the Biden administration passed the largest infrastructure bill since the Eisenhower presidency, yet Connecticut built essentially nothing tangible from it.
Jim Himes worked at Goldman Sachs for roughly 12 years before leaving for public service, including doing technology banking.
Himes called Netanyahu probably the wiliest leader he has ever met and said he likely told Trump the Iranian regime would fall quickly to persuade him into war.
BetterHelp's 2026 State of Stigma report found that 74% of Americans believe society still discourages asking for help.
CIA Director John Ratcliffe reportedly told Trump four months before the war that the Iranian regime would not collapse and the Strait of Hormuz closure was a real risk. Himes says this isn't an intelligence failure — it's a leadership failure. The president simply ignored his own intelligence community.
The Iran MOU gives orders of magnitude more money to Iran than the 2015 Obama deal, empowers the regime, and recognizes its legitimacy. But Himes concedes: going back to war was crushing the global economy and spiking U.S. gas prices by $1.50 a gallon, so a bad deal beats another war.
Netanyahu tried to pull the U.S. into war with Iran under Obama, Biden, and Trump's first term — all said no. Himes says the PM likely painted a picture of Trump as a conquering hero with Trump Towers rising in Tehran, and this time it worked. America is paying the price.
Himes visited Ukraine three weeks before this episode and found a country with genuine spring in its step. Russia is losing the equivalent of all U.S. Vietnam War deaths between now and the weekend. Ukraine is no longer just defending — it's negotiating from a position of growing strength.
Every time something outrageous happens on immigration or trans rights, Democrats spend a week on it and forget to talk about housing, healthcare, and food costs. Himes isn't saying those issues don't matter — he's saying if voters don't believe you're all over their number-one concern first, they won't hear anything else.
Himes spent 12 years at Goldman Sachs doing technology banking before the dot-com bust freed him up mentally to run for Congress in 2007. He planned to lose — then Barack Obama's 2008 coattails swept him in. His advice to young people: go private sector, but have an exit strategy before the lifestyle traps you.
Himes rejects the word 'centrist' — it's not about splitting the difference between extremes. It's about understanding that you cannot govern without a majority. Democrats can tolerate pro-life members, socialists, and wide policy disagreements as long as candidates don't say things in Brooklyn basements that lose races in Arizona three milliseconds later.
Pulte has zero national security experience. While running the Federal Housing Finance Agency, he spent his time digging into the mortgage records of political opponents like Adam Schiff and Letitia James. Himes warns he's worse than a random person off the street because he's dedicated to serving Trump's political agenda.
The Biden administration passed the biggest infrastructure bill since Eisenhower and the largest climate investment in U.S. history — and Connecticut built essentially nothing from it. Voters aren't impressed by legislation they can't see. Himes says Democrats' real credibility problem isn't messaging: it's delivery.
In his twenties and thirties, Himes was afraid to admit ignorance because he thought it made him look dumb. Now approaching 60 and wielding real power, he sees listening and admitting uncertainty as the markers of genuine influence — not weakness. The MAGA conception of manhood denigrates exactly this quality.
The Iranian regime now knows it can survive America's worst military strikes. It also knows it can paralyze the global economy just by flying drones over the Strait of Hormuz. Meanwhile, Trump's threats to obliterate Iran are a bluff the Iranians can read clearly. The U.S. is left negotiating with almost no leverage.
Galloway's son just graduated. The sadness isn't the milestone — it's the list of things they were supposed to do together: the car renovation, the Alaska trip, the Pokémon conference. He missed ages 0-8 chasing economic security, lost 14-18 to boarding school, and now faces a void of plans never executed. Book the trip. Don't plan it.
Iran watched Pakistan, India, and North Korea avoid invasion by going nuclear. Now that the Strait of Hormuz card will expire in five years once Gulf pipelines are built, Himes predicts an ideologically hardened Iran will race toward a nuclear weapon as its permanent deterrent.
You don't need a navy to stop global shipping. Iran just needs to fly drones, and Lloyd's of London does the rest. Himes argues there is no realistic scenario — treaties included — under which Iran permanently cedes control of the Strait of Hormuz.
Analysis
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- Society & Culture 12%
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