Latest news with #ShawnRyan
Daily Mail
26-05-2025
- Politics
- Daily Mail
Tucker Carlson can barely contain his joy as guest plunges the knife into Kash Patel
Tucker Carlson slammed several key Trump administration insiders as he and a former CIA contractor laid into FBI Director Kash Patel's handling of the 'Epstein files.' The former Fox News host broke ranks on his latest podcast alongside Shawn Ryan as they both shared their frustration over what they called a lack of transparency in the White House's bungled release of files related to the sex trafficker. Fury over the Justice Department missing self-imposed deadlines to release the Epstein files has escalated as Patel and Deputy FBI director Dan Bongino recently declared that Epstein killed himself in jail because they had 'seen the whole file.' On Carlson's podcast, he and Ryan agreed that the apparent U-turn by top FBI officials once they got into office was evidence that 'the system is rigged.' 'No matter who gets elected, you get the same foreign policy, you get the same economic policy, and the Epstein videos remain secret,' Carlson said. 'That just shows you, our system [of democracy] has no effect on the actual system.' Ryan then joked that 'we can all sleep well at night knowing that Epstein legitimately killed himself,' to which Carlson sarcastically replied: 'You weren't convinced by that?' Carlson erupted in laughter as he shared his shock over the Trump administration's handling of the controversy, asking: 'What was that?' The host said he 'loves Dan Bongino' and called him a 'friend,' but nonetheless mocked his appearance with Patel last week to state that Epstein committed suicide. Epstein's death in a Manhattan jail cell in August 2019 has long been a point of contention for the public as questions remain over how the convicted pedophile and sex trafficker was allowed to die before he faced justice. The billionaire was known for his intimate connections to high-ranking officials and business leaders, which Ryan said adds to the mystery because 'nobody has been charged' for being one of his clients. 'How do you charge a guy with sex trafficking when there's no end users that have been charged?' he questioned. 'Who did he traffic to? If that's where the trail starts, where does it end?' Seemingly alluding to Patel's reluctance to release the files now that he is in office, Ryan added that he believes 'there is a lot more going on than the majority of people know about.' The pair also took aim at another Trump insider, Sebastian Gorka, who Ryan said 'has no idea what he's doing.' Both Carlson and Ryan ripped the social media antics of Gorka, who has served as the Senior Director of Counterterrorism in the Trump White House. 'If it makes you feel better, Gorka is not taken seriously by anybody, including by his wife,' Carlson said. 'I think his job literally is just to sit on the internet and send fiery replies to people on X - I mean, I don't think he actually has a job.' Ryan joked that this made Gorka 'actually the perfect guy for the job.' Carlson's condemnation of the handling of the 'Epstein files' comes as other conservatives have criticized the White House's attempts at transparency. In the lead-up to the 2024 election, leading figures such as Patel pledged to uncover the 'truth' behind Epstein's death and his shadowy sex-trafficking ring. But the first release of the files in February was blasted for failing to live up to the hype. Attorney General Pam Bondi promised 'a lot of names, a lot of information,' but the documents were found to have largely already been circulating the public and they contained no 'bombshells.'
Daily Mail
22-05-2025
- Business
- Daily Mail
Tucker Carlson makes stunning admission about Trump move that 'seems like corruption'
Staunch MAGA loyalist Tucker Carlson has admitted some of President Donald Trump 's latest dealings with the Middle East 'seem like corruption.' The extraordinary diversion from Carlson's usual praise for the administration came during an interview with former Navy SEAL Shawn Ryan on his podcast this week. Ryan had explained that he agrees with most of what Trump says on a daily basis, and praised the administration's efforts tackling diversity, equity and inclusion practices in the workforce. But when pressed by Carlson about how overall view of 'how the administration is going so far', he paused before ultimately breathing a heavy sigh. 'F**k it,' he said. 'I'm gonna get blasted for this.' Ryan said he's been questioning the 'negotiations going on in the Middle East' on the back of revelations that a new Trump tower is slated for development in Dubai, and a Trump International Golf Course and Trump Villas in Doha. 'Did these just get done also with the deals that just happened over there, or was this earlier?' he asked. 'That stuff kind of worries me... I want to know what the real motivations are.' While Carlson clarified that he has no answers to Ryan's questions, he offered his own startling opinion. 'It seems like corruption,' Carlson said. Trump has faced mounting backlash from even his most staunch supporters over his handling of business in the Middle East. Earlier on Thursday, it was revealed he had formally accepted a $400million 'flying palace' from Qatar to serve as his Air Force One. The deal had been slammed by Republicans and Democrats alike. 'Why should our military, and therefore our taxpayers, be forced to pay hundreds of millions of Dollars when they can get it for FREE,' Trump argued. And earlier this month, Trump's son Eric revealed the family are expanding their global property empire to Dubai with a glittering Trump International Hotel & Tower. The hotel boasts the world's highest pool atop a swanky 80-story building. The luxury new accommodation is slated to be completed by the end of 2031, and will offer a combination of tourist hotel rooms and resident apartments. According to The Independent, prices for a two-bedroom apartment will start at $1million, and include a 10 year 'golden visa.' It is unclear what the 'golden visa' will afford cardholders, but back in February Trump said he would like to sell 'gold card' visas for $5million, offering wealthy buyers residency in the United States. Separately, the Trump family company struck a deal late April to build a luxury golf resort in Qatar alongside real estate developers Qatari Diar and Dar Global. The $5.5 billion development is designed as a 7 km-long mega entertainment resort district, anchored by an 18-hole golf course and a Land of Legends theme park. White House press secretary Karoline Leavitt said it's 'frankly ridiculous' to question if those profits might influence Trump's governing decisions.
The Independent
21-05-2025
- Business
- The Independent
Tucker Carlson says Trump's deal to build hotel in the Middle East ‘seems like corruption'
Tucker Carlson, a former Fox News host with a history of praising President Donald Trump, is raising concerns over the commander-in-chief's plans to build hotels and resorts in Oman, Qatar, the United Arab Emirates and Saudi Arabia. Earlier this month, NBC News reported the Trump Organization signed deals to build a Trump International Hotel and Tower in Dubai, a Trump Tower in Jeddah and a golf resort in Doha. The company also has a hotel under construction in Muscat. The president spent four days in the Middle East earlier this month, touring Saudi Arabia, Qatar and the United Arab Emirates. Carlson made the remarks during an episode of The Tucker Carlson Show this week after his guest, Shawn Ryan, a former Navy Seal said he was 'losing hope' with the administration, adding it needed 'a lot of work.' While approving of the president's crack down on DEI initiatives and efforts to secure the southern border, Ryan took issue over the botched efforts to release the Epstein Files, before offering a scathing review of dealings in the Middle East. 'I see all these negotiations going on in the Middle East and then, I don't know when these buildings were approved or when these deals got done, but then I also see like, oh, there's a brand new hotel going up in Dubai or Abu Dhabi, and another one going up in Doha,' Ryan told Carlson. 'I'm like, did these just get done also with the deals that just happened over there, or was this earlier? You would probably know.' Carlson responded: 'No, I don't know. I've not made one dollar in the Middle East. Not one.' 'You're a lot more on the inside than I am,' said Ryan in response, to which Carlson protested: 'No, no, no, I'm just a visitor and a traveler and watcher.' Ryan continued: 'That stuff kind of worries me.' 'Well it seems like corruption, yeah,' Carlson added.
Yahoo
10-05-2025
- Health
- Yahoo
After leaving the Navy, I was doing cocaine, popping pills, and drinking over a fifth of vodka a day. Then, I had a 'death experience' that changed everything.
Shawn Ryan was a Navy SEAL for nearly six years, then joined the CIA. During these high-stress jobs, he was in a nearly constant fight-or-flight mode. After he left, he struggled to adapt to a normal life. He says a psychedelic experience helped. This as-told-to essay is based on a conversation with Shawn Ryan, a former Navy SEAL and CIA contractor, and host of the "Shawn Ryan Show." It's been edited for length and clarity. Ryan is not a medical professional. Psilocybin is illegal in the US federally and in most states. There is no medical consensus about whether it has benefits, including those described below, and the drug comes with risks. When I left the Navy, I wasn't ready for what came next. I had been a SEAL for five and a half years. After that, I worked as a contractor with the CIA. The tempo stayed high. I did 60 days on, 60 days off, sometimes 45 and 45. I was still running hard, living in fight-or-flight mode. When that ended, I crashed—hard. I didn't know how to slow down. I wasn't used to dealing with normal life. All I knew was intensity. I needed that adrenaline hit every day — and when I couldn't get it from missions anymore, I found other ways. I got into sleeping pills. Ambien, Valium, Xanax, Lorazepam — you name it, I was taking it. On top of that, I was using opiates like hydrocodone and tramadol. Eventually, I moved out of the country and started living in Medellín, Colombia. That's where I got really into cocaine. I would go into the worst neighborhoods I could find to score. I didn't want it easy, I wanted the risk, to feel something. When that got boring, I'd go to another country and do it again. At my lowest point, I was drinking two fifths of vodka a day. I'd wake up with mini bottles stashed all around the house — under pillows, in drawers, in the car, in my coat pockets. After dinner, I'd go to the freezer, pull out a bottle, and that's how I'd wash down my sleep meds. Except by the end, they didn't even put me to sleep anymore. In the morning, I'd take a stimulant — Adderall or something else — to start the cycle again. That was my life. It went on for years. Eventually, I hit a point where I knew I couldn't keep going. A friend told me about psychedelic therapy, and I decided to try it. The first was Ibogaine. It's a 12-hour experience. I basically watched my entire life play out from a different perspective. Every memory, every trauma — it's all there. After the Ibogaine effects wore off, I did another psychedelic called 5-MeO-DMT, sometimes called the "God molecule." The trip is described as an ego death, or death experience. It was the most intense, intuitive thing I've ever felt. I came out of it seeing the world differently. I could feel energy flowing from the ocean, onto the shore, through the trees. For the first time in my life, I realized everything is connected. Everything is one. That hit me in a way nothing else ever had. When I came back from that psychedelic experience, I didn't need the pills anymore. I didn't need the vodka. I quit everything. I've been sober for two and a half years. I quit smoking cannabis. I stopped using stimulants. And for the first time in a long time, I was fully present with my family. That experience changed everything. It gave me a second chance. That's why I started talking about this publicly on my podcast, the "Shawn Ryan Show." I wanted other veterans — other guys like me — to know there's a way out. A lot of them have been through the same thing — addiction, trauma, broken families, suicidal thoughts. When they hear that someone else made it through, they start to believe that maybe they can too. So many of us come back broken. We lose ourselves. We spiral. But healing is possible. Recovery is possible. If you have a unique military story that you would like to share, please email the editor, Jessica Orwig, at jorwig@ This story was adapted from Ryan's interview for Business Insider's series, "Authorized Account." Learn more about his life before and after the Navy SEALs in the video below: Read the original article on Business Insider
Business Insider
10-05-2025
- Health
- Business Insider
After leaving the Navy, I was doing cocaine, popping pills, and drinking over a fifth of vodka a day. Then, I had a 'death experience' that changed everything.
This as-told-to essay is based on a conversation with Shawn Ryan, a former Navy SEAL and CIA contractor, and host of the "Shawn Ryan Show." It's been edited for length and clarity. Ryan is not a medical professional. Psilocybin is illegal in the US federally and in most states. There is no medical consensus about whether it has benefits, including those described below, and the drug comes with risks. When I left the Navy, I wasn't ready for what came next. I had been a SEAL for five and a half years. After that, I worked as a contractor with the CIA. The tempo stayed high. I did 60 days on, 60 days off, sometimes 45 and 45. I was still running hard, living in fight-or-flight mode. When that ended, I crashed—hard. I didn't know how to slow down. I wasn't used to dealing with normal life. All I knew was intensity. I needed that adrenaline hit every day — and when I couldn't get it from missions anymore, I found other ways. I got into sleeping pills. Ambien, Valium, Xanax, Lorazepam — you name it, I was taking it. On top of that, I was using opiates like hydrocodone and tramadol. Eventually, I moved out of the country and started living in Medellín, Colombia. That's where I got really into cocaine. I would go into the worst neighborhoods I could find to score. I didn't want it easy, I wanted the risk, to feel something. When that got boring, I'd go to another country and do it again. At my lowest point, I was drinking two fifths of vodka a day. I'd wake up with mini bottles stashed all around the house — under pillows, in drawers, in the car, in my coat pockets. After dinner, I'd go to the freezer, pull out a bottle, and that's how I'd wash down my sleep meds. Except by the end, they didn't even put me to sleep anymore. In the morning, I'd take a stimulant — Adderall or something else — to start the cycle again. That was my life. It went on for years. The 'death experience' that changed my life Eventually, I hit a point where I knew I couldn't keep going. A friend told me about psychedelic therapy, and I decided to try it. The first was Ibogaine. It's a 12-hour experience. I basically watched my entire life play out from a different perspective. Every memory, every trauma — it's all there. After the Ibogaine effects wore off, I did another psychedelic called 5-MeO-DMT, sometimes called the "God molecule." The trip is described as an ego death, or death experience. It was the most intense, intuitive thing I've ever felt. I came out of it seeing the world differently. I could feel energy flowing from the ocean, onto the shore, through the trees. For the first time in my life, I realized everything is connected. Everything is one. That hit me in a way nothing else ever had. When I came back from that psychedelic experience, I didn't need the pills anymore. I didn't need the vodka. I quit everything. I've been sober for two and a half years. I quit smoking cannabis. I stopped using stimulants. And for the first time in a long time, I was fully present with my family. That experience changed everything. It gave me a second chance. That's why I started talking about this publicly on my podcast, the "Shawn Ryan Show." I wanted other veterans — other guys like me — to know there's a way out. A lot of them have been through the same thing — addiction, trauma, broken families, suicidal thoughts. When they hear that someone else made it through, they start to believe that maybe they can too. So many of us come back broken. We lose ourselves. We spiral. But healing is possible. Recovery is possible. . This story was adapted from Ryan's interview Authorized Account." Learn more about his life before and after the Navy SEALs in the video below:
