Popular podcast host Theo Von joined Democratic Rep. Ro Khanna (Calif.) Friday in taking a hard stance against potential U.S. involvement in the Israel-Iran conflict.
Khanna appeared on Von’s podcast “This Past Weekend” to discuss several topics, from foreign affairs to AI. At one point in the segment, Khanna promoted the War Powers Resolution, a bipartisan bill he introduced with Republican Rep. Thomas Massie (Ky.) aimed at prohibiting U.S. armed forces from unauthorized hostilities in Iran.
During his discussion with Von, Khanna noted several people in MAGA’s base who have been vocal about the U.S. not going to war with Iran, including Tucker Carlson and Rep. Marjorie Taylor Greene (Ga.). Von agreed with the two conservatives, stating, “this is a horrible idea.”
“Yeah, people say, ‘Well, you don’t know a ton about the Middle East.’ Like, that’s fine. I don’t want people I know, my friends, getting called up. I don’t want the children of my friends getting called over to die,” Von said. “I don’t even understand how it’s an option.”
Von, who had Donald Trump on his podcast last year, helped the president reach younger male voters during the 2024 presidential election.
Khanna remarked on the influence of Von’s interview with Trump, stating the podcaster made the president “the most human that I’ve actually seen him,” after the two opened up about the president’s brother, alcoholism and cocaine.
Last month, Von performed a controversial comedy act at a military base in Qatar before Trump addressed U.S. and Qatari troops. The podcast host has seemingly gotten closer to the Trump family, even having dinner with Ivanka and her husband, Jared Kushner, after they attended his comedy show in Miami.
Now, however, Von is beginning to question the “America First” claims that Trump made during his campaign. When Khanna asked Von if he knew anyone who was supporting the idea of the U.S. going to war with Iran, Von responded, “Nobody.”
Von went on to tell Khanna that “it feels like we are just working for Israel,” and that he believes a lot of Americans are beginning to feel “disillusioned” by U.S. leaders.
“I felt like it was supposed to be America first, like, we’re focusing on, like, ‘What are we doing to get things back into America,’ right? To like, increase like the purpose of being an American, to refill our hearts with blood and … make us feel something again here, and make us be excited about being an American,” Von said.
