In a recent episode of the No Agenda podcast, fill-in hosts Darren O'Neill and Larry Bleidner dissected a week of significant political and cultural stories, including an alleged Iranian plot against President Trump, a viral political ad, and a heated controversy in the WNBA. The episode, titled "XY You're Out," aired on August 16, 2026, and continued the show's tradition of media deconstruction, a format established by regular hosts Adam Curry and the late John C. Dvorak.
Central to the discussion was a report that President Trump was smuggled off Air Force One in a catering truck after a NATO summit in Turkey, with the press left aboard as a decoy. This maneuver was reportedly a response to Iranian assassination threats. O'Neill highlighted that PBS NewsHour had reported a similar tactic used by President Bill Clinton in Islamabad in 2000, directly contradicting a guest on MS NOW (formerly MSNBC) who insisted Clinton would never have done such a thing. The hosts also referenced H.R. McMaster's analysis on CBS regarding IRGC "pattern of life" videos that targeted Barron Trump and Melania Trump, suggesting a serious security concern.
The episode also delved into Caitlyn Jenner's blunt remarks about the WNBA, where she stated, "XX, you're in. XY, you're out. It's simple. That's the catchphrase." The hosts endorsed her position, with O'Neill even joking about getting it tattooed. This comment came amid backlash involving Sophie Cunningham and Caitlin Clark, with Victor Davis Hanson offering analysis on why these players have destabilized the league's "preferred obscurity and poverty."
In the political arena, Michigan Senate candidate Abdul El-Sayed's campaign ad, which featured him in a Blue's Clues costume pitching Medicare for All, was a topic of mockery. The hosts described the ad as targeting "kidults" and questioned its effectiveness. Additionally, Chris Matthews resurfaced to warn moderate Democrats about the Democratic Socialists of America (DSA), while Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez walked back some of her "woke one" positions on ABC, indicating a shift in her rhetoric.
New York Assemblywoman Emily Gallagher redefined shoplifting as "crimes of poverty," a stance that drew criticism from the hosts. Meanwhile, the show covered a range of other stories, including the USS Abraham Lincoln's 266-day deployment, Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth's pushback from Panama, and new Canadian hate-speech guidance that treats social-media boycotts of 2SLGBTQI+ organizations as potential bias incidents. A segment from Sir Darius Unity provided insights into data-center construction protocols and reported downtime losses.
This episode underscores the importance of questioning official narratives and understanding the framing of news stories. The decoy Air Force One story raises questions about presidential security and the lengths to which authorities go to protect leaders. The WNBA controversy highlights ongoing debates about gender and sports, while the political ads and policy shifts reflect the evolving landscape of American politics. As the hosts noted, the show relies on verbatim clips and source material to let listeners draw their own conclusions, a hallmark of the No Agenda approach.
