The Dan Bongino Show
The Dan Bongino Show

Can't Fix Stupid

August 18, 2026

AI Summary

5 min read

The episode opens with a specific, testable claim: Joe Kent, former director of the National Counterterrorism Center (NCTC), says he was blocked from investigating foreign involvement in the killing of Charlie Kirk. Dan Bongino’s response is not just disagreement—it is a demonstration of how to verify a factual assertion using publicly available information. Bongino argues that the entire premise is false because the NCTC lacks the statutory authority to conduct independent criminal investigations. He asks a single, dispositive question: “What investigative law enforcement authorities or powers did you have at NCTC that you were blocked from engaging?”

The Framework: Verifiable Authority vs. Asserted Grievance

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What you'll learn

  • 1 (00:10) **Episode Intro & Florida Primary** - Dan opens the show, encourages voting in the Florida primary, and endorses Byron Donalds for governor.
  • 2 (02:09) **Confronting "Folex MAGA" and the Joe Kent Lie** - Dan begins a major segment debunking a claim by former NCTC director Joe Kent, accusing him of lying to fracture the MAGA movement.
  • 3 (08:07) **The Core Mechanism: NCTC Has No Investigative Authority** - Dan provides a detailed breakdown of why Joe Kent's accusation against Kash Patel is impossible, using the statute and logic.
  • 4 (13:56) **Evidence: The Charlie Kirk Case & Kash Patel Photo** - Dan connects the Joe Kent lie to the Charlie Kirk assassination investigation, which is a state case, not an FBI case.
  • 5 (18:53) **"Stupid is a Choice" & The Socialism Poll** - Dan introduces the episode's central thesis, linking it to a poll showing 58% of Democrats view socialism positively.
  • 6 (23:34) **The Skin in the Game Theory** - Dan plays a Fox News clip about California billionaires funding a fight against a billionaire's tax, proving the "skin in the game" theory.
  • 7 (29:40) **Obama vs. Obama: The Obamacare Lie** - Dan plays a clip of Barack Obama promising that Obamacare would reduce costs, then contrasts it with the reality of exploding premiums.

+ Full timestamped outline available in the app

Guests on this episode

Show Notes

In this episode, I'll cover latest episode of stupidity from enemies of the truth--and once again, its from 'inside' our tent.


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Dan Bongino Announces Return To Syndicated Radio

https://radioink.com/2026/08/17/dan-bongino-returns-to-syndicated-radio-with-farash/


1 big thing: Trump torches allies

https://www.axios.com/newsletters/axios-am-7203d079-aa32-4251-9edc-ca16ca8c4db3.html


White House officials slam ‘cringeworthy theatre kid’ Jon Ossoff after senator’s Trump dig

https://nypost.com/2026/08/18/us-news/white-house-officials-slam-theatre-kid-jon-ossoff-after-trump-dig/


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