Joan Esposito and guest Chris Bury are joined by Illinois Congressman Mike Quigley, Democrat representing the 5th District of Illinois (which covers parts of Cook and Lake counties, touching Chicago, Arlington Heights, Des Plaines, Palatine, Mount Prospect, Lake Zurich, and North Barrington). They discuss concerns regarding U.S. foreign policy, national security readiness, and threats to democratic stability.

Summary
- Congressman Quigley criticizes President Trump's handling of international conflicts, including Trump's recent threat to bomb Oman and decision to scale back joint U.S.-South Korea military exercises
- Quigley expresses concern that reducing military exercises in the Pacific and moving aircraft carriers to the Middle East undermines security in Tokyo and Seoul.
- He argues that the United States is losing global trust by prioritizing relationships with dictators and cutting USAID programs.
- The congressman notes that depleted missile defense systems and high war costs are negatively impacting military readiness and the national debt.
- Quigley asserts that the intelligence community is currently led by inexperienced individuals and sycophants rather than career professionals.
-He notes that as a member of the House Intelligence Committee his access to intelligence under the current administration is diminished. "I am in my 10th year on the committee, where you're supposed to get briefed on everything," he told WCPT. "This is the first time I feel like I'm in the dark about critical issues."
- Quigley expresses concern about potential conflicts of interest involving Trump family members and cryptocurrency banking interests involving foreign investors.
- Regarding election integrity, he suggests that rhetoric about voting interference may be an attempt to create a pretext for challenging future results.
- The congressman emphasizes that because elections are run by states, local protections must be strengthened against potential federal intimidation or false-flag claims.

Catch "Joan Esposito: Live, Local and Progressive" weekdays from 2:00 to 5:00 p.m. Central on WCPT (heartlandsignal.com/programs/live-local-progressive).

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