#435 - #1 Censored Radio Host: Iran War, Kash Patel & What Broke Howard Stern | Bubba The Love Sponge

Episode of Danny Jones Podcast · September 28, 2026 · 2 h 57 min

Radio host Bubba the Love Sponge Clem joins Danny Jones to discuss the Iran war, Epstein, Kash Patel's FBI, Howard Stern, Tucker Carlson and Hulk Hogan's death.

Summary

Veteran Tampa radio host Bubba the Love Sponge Clem visited Danny Jones's studio for a wide-ranging conversation. Clem described a recent bout of burnout after 40 years in broadcasting, the release of his documentary Video Killed the Radio Star, and Peter Thiel's financing of Hulk Hogan's lawsuit against Gawker, which he argued had little bearing on the verdict. The two discussed the Epstein files, the Butler assassination attempt, which Jones said was being covered up, Clem's record FCC indecency fine, and a 2001 dispute with Scientology over an on-air E-meter bit.

Much of the episode concerned the U.S. war with Iran. Relaying the views of his Deadly Intentions co-host Pete Rossini, Clem argued that the U.S. had miscalculated a planned short war, that it used Israel as a pretext to force Iran back to dollar-denominated oil trading, and that the petrodollar's decline threatened the U.S. financial position. Jones argued that opposition to endless wars, mass surveillance and Epstein secrecy were rare bipartisan sentiments. They also debated Macklemore's departure from Ed Sheeran's tour, a reported social media monitoring center at Gillette Stadium, and how online complaints have intensified cancel culture.

Clem recounted a 2007 interview in which Stormy Daniels named Donald Trump as a partner, and a later phone call with Bill Clinton that he said led to selling the tape to Michael Avenatti. He described Howard Stern's germaphobia, Joe Rogan's 2008 advice that he start a podcast, and his long friendship with Tucker Carlson. The hosts mocked Kash Patel's testimony on FBI hiring standards, discussed the Lindsay Clancy case, Terri Schiavo, parenting and schooling, steroids and peptides, and Metallica's Sphere residency.

The episode closed with Hulk Hogan stories, including a Coast Guard encounter and Hogan's Clearwater mansion. Clem said he believed someone connected to Scientology was responsible for Hogan's death, citing the lack of an autopsy or toxicology report and a quick cremation. He also claimed Scientology wields heavy influence in Clearwater, although a lookup during the show found no city council members publicly identified as Scientologists.

Chapters

  1. 1:44

    Burnout and the radio grind

    Clem praised Jones's studio and described dreading the studio for the first time in 40 years of broadcasting.

  2. 7:32

    Documentary, Peter Thiel and the Epstein files

    Clem discussed distributing his documentary, Thiel's financing of the Hogan–Gawker suit, and why Trump and Clinton appear aligned on Epstein.

  3. 14:56

    Romeo and Juliet law, FCC fines and Butler

    Clem told of a friend jailed over a 17-year-old, recalled his record FCC indecency fine, and the hosts debated the Butler shooting.

  4. 25:36

    Scientology bit and Macklemore

    Clem described being ordered to stop Scientology jokes in 2001, and the pair debated Macklemore quitting Ed Sheeran's tour over Palestine.

  5. 34:37

    Pete Rossini's theory of the Iran war

    Clem relayed his co-host's argument that the U.S. miscalculated in Iran and used Israel as a pretext to defend the petrodollar.

  6. 49:47

    Debt, gold and Bill Clinton

    Clem tied the war to U.S. debt and the end of the gold standard, and praised Clinton's balanced budget.

  7. 54:23

    The Stormy Daniels tape and a call with Bill Clinton

    Clem recounted Daniels naming Trump on his show in 2007 and how John Morgan, Clinton and Michael Avenatti became involved before 60 Minutes.

  8. 1:08:24

    Howard Stern, Joe Rogan and cancel culture

    Clem described Stern's germaphobia and wedding guests, Rogan's 2008 podcast advice, and how online complaints made edgy content impossible.

  9. 1:22:30

    Surveillance, woke politics and Kash Patel

    The hosts discussed a Gillette Stadium monitoring center, 'woke 2', bipartisan issues, and Patel's Senate testimony on FBI hiring standards.

  10. 1:38:09

    Lindsay Clancy, Terri Schiavo and Mitch McConnell

    Clem rejected an insanity defense for Clancy, Jones suggested the case's prominence was a psyop, and they recalled Schiavo and mocked McConnell.

  11. 1:47:20

    Matt Cox, health, kids and school

    The conversation covered Matt Cox, Clem's health and testosterone use, parenting, homeschooling, college, steroids and peptides.

  12. 1:59:44

    Concrete Clem, Metallica and rock star life

    They phoned a friend, discussed Metallica at the Sphere and Raymond James, and Clem described backstage excess in the late 1990s.

  13. 2:20:27

    Friendship with Tucker Carlson

    Clem recounted Carlson's weekly calls to his show, the Daily Caller, Media Matters clips, and Fox's Dominion settlement.

  14. 2:31:41

    Hulk Hogan stories and death conspiracy

    Clem told a Coast Guard boat story and described Hogan's mansion, then argued Hogan's death was suspicious and that Scientology dominates Clearwater.

Key points

What was said, by whom, with the exact words. Timestamps jump to the moment.

  • Bubba the Love Sponge Clem

    Clem argued that the controversy over Peter Thiel's financing of Hogan's lawsuit distracted from the case and had no bearing on the outcome.

    “So everybody got so down the path with that, with that being either shady or unethical or whatever”

    Listen from 9:03 · Bollea v. Gawker

  • Danny Jones

    Jones said he believed the Butler shooting was being covered up and that the gunman was influenced by federal agents.

    “That guy was definitely pushed and coerced by federal agents. There's too many missing holes in the story”

    Listen from 24:14 · Butler, Pennsylvania assassination attempt

  • Bubba the Love Sponge Clem

    Clem called himself a First Amendment fundamentalist who defended Macklemore's right to speak, while suggesting that silence is sometimes wiser.

    “So I'm an absolute fundamentalist when it comes to the First Amendment, which falls under the umbrella of Macklemore being able to say what the fuck he wants on stage”

    Listen from 32:21 · Cancel culture

  • Danny Jones

    Jones argued that most Americans do not care about Iran and do not believe it had a nuclear weapon.

    “I don't think most people give a flying fuck about Iran. I don't think anyone believes Iran had a nuke”

    Listen from 34:08 · United States war with Iran

  • Danny Jones

    Jones predicted that Macklemore's stance on Palestine would win him more support and boost his career.

    “I think the end result is going to be way more support for him and his career is probably going to get a boost from it”

    Listen from 34:33

  • Bubba the Love Sponge Clem

    Clem argued that Trump badly miscalculated the Iran war and that the public is not being told what Iran is saying.

    “Now Trump has gotten himself into such a fucking shit show that we as Americans aren't really getting what the fuck they're saying”

    Listen from 34:37 · United States war with Iran

  • Bubba the Love Sponge Clem

    Relaying Pete Rossini's view, Clem said the U.S. used Israel as a pretext to invade Iran rather than being drawn in by Netanyahu.

    “Pete's like, no, motherfucker. We finally said yes to Netanyahu. We needed a reason to invade Iran”

    Listen from 43:36 · United States war with Iran

  • Bubba the Love Sponge Clem

    Clem argued that the U.S. would face serious trouble if the dollar lost its dominance in oil trading, and said that this is already happening.

    “The minute that the U.S. dollar is no longer the dominant currency in petroleum trading is the minute that we're in a lot of fucking trouble”

    Listen from 49:59 · Petrodollar system

  • Linked moment · 52:51Skip to 52:51 using a listen link in the info box.

    Bubba the Love Sponge Clem

    Clem said he came to view Bill Clinton as a good president because of the balanced budget, peace and economic boom of his era.

    “be mad at him because he got some head and whatever, but he really was a pretty damn good president”

    Listen from 52:51

  • Bubba the Love Sponge Clem

    Clem said Stormy Daniels first disclosed her encounter with Trump on his radio show in 2007.

    “So I can validate that they did sleep together. I can validate it. She first admitted it on my show eight years ago”

    Listen from 59:48 · Stormy Daniels–Donald Trump scandal

  • Bubba the Love Sponge Clem

    Clem attributed Howard Stern's withdrawal from public life to germaphobia worsened by COVID.

    “COVID fucked Howard up. COVID fucked a lot of people up. COVID fucked Howard up. He's a germaphobe”

    Listen from 1:08:56

  • Bubba the Love Sponge Clem

    Clem recounted that Joe Rogan advised him in 2008 to start a podcast, advice he dismissed and later regretted.

    “I'm telling you, bro, you need to, after your serious show, get the guys around and do like a 45 minute podcast”

    Listen from 1:14:09

  • Bubba the Love Sponge Clem

    Clem argued that the ease of complaining online, rather than a lack of audience demand, is what prevents edgy content today.

    “So the act of people being able to more efficiently complain and cancel you is really the problem”

    Listen from 1:20:01 · Cancel culture

  • Danny Jones

    Jones argued that releasing the Epstein files is a bipartisan demand opposed only by those implicated.

    “Everyone who's not some fucking high-level criminal file running the government agrees that the Epstein file should be released”

    Listen from 1:28:34 · Jeffrey Epstein

  • Danny Jones

    Jones speculated that relaxed FBI hiring standards are meant to give leverage over agents who might speak out about Thomas Crooks.

    “if you work for the FBI and you want to get a little bit loud mouth about Thomas Matthew Crooks and who he really was, we're going to say, you better shut your mouth”

    Listen from 1:37:54 · Federal Bureau of Investigation

  • Danny Jones

    Jones suggested that the sudden prominence of the Lindsay Clancy story may have been an orchestrated distraction.

    “is it possible that this thing was just like sitting on a back burner? And at one point somebody said, okay, engage the Lindsay Glancy PSYOP”

    Listen from 1:38:45 · Lindsay Clancy case

  • Bubba the Love Sponge Clem

    Clem argued that Clancy's mental state should not excuse the killings and criticized jurors open to an insanity verdict.

    “for us to have a whole community that wants to think that that's okay, regardless of what your mental fucking state was at the time, doesn't make any sense”

    Listen from 1:40:12 · Lindsay Clancy case

  • Bubba the Love Sponge Clem

    Clem opposed homeschooling, arguing that children need the social exposure of public school, including bullying.

    “I think that a kid needs the social interaction and the potential bullying and the things that you're exposed to through the public school system”

    Listen from 1:54:31 · Homeschooling

  • Bubba the Love Sponge Clem

    Clem argued that college is not for everyone and endorsed gap years and trade school.

    “And I think that a fucking college isn't for everybody. And trade school could be like a guy”

    Listen from 1:56:43

  • Danny Jones

    Jones said that he has experimented extensively with peptides but noticed little difference.

    “I think probably I never really noticed much of a difference”

    Listen from 1:58:14

  • Bubba the Love Sponge Clem

    Clem said that Fox News did not fully control Tucker Carlson but steered him away from certain subjects, and that he became freer online.

    “I wouldn't say he was bought and paid for, but he was directed on what landmines to stay away from”

    Listen from 2:25:29

  • Bubba the Love Sponge Clem

    Clem asserted that Scientology was responsible for Hulk Hogan's death.

    “telling you right now, man, the fucking Scientology killed him. The Scientologist killed him”

    Listen from 2:42:06 · Death of Hulk Hogan

  • Bubba the Love Sponge Clem

    Clem said he believes Hogan's doctor cut him off from pain pills months before his death and that Hogan turned to street drugs.

    “I think Fitzgerald cut him off on the pills six months before he died and he needed to find more pills”

    Listen from 2:43:47 · Death of Hulk Hogan

  • Bubba the Love Sponge Clem

    Clem said Scientology's property holdings in Clearwater have grown even as its membership has declined.

    “as their membership has dwindled, their property presence has quadrupled”

    Listen from 2:51:27 · Scientology

  • Bubba the Love Sponge Clem

    Clem claimed Scientology is the largest employer of off-duty Clearwater police officers.

    “Because I think they're the number one employer of Clearwater off duty PD”

    Listen from 2:52:48 · Scientology

People

In the conversation

  • Danny JonesAmerican podcaster and host of the Danny Jones Podcast
  • Bubba the Love Sponge ClemAmerican radio broadcasting personality, host of The Bubba Army and co-host of the Deadly Intentions Show

Discussed

  • Hulk HoganAmerican professional wrestler represented by Prince, who died before the recording
  • Peter ThielInvestor and author of Zero to One
  • Nick DentonFounder of Gawker Media
  • Jeffrey EpsteinFinancier and convicted sex offender
  • Donald TrumpPresident of the United States whose conduct of the Iran war is the episode's main subject
  • Bill ClintonU.S. president Jiang associates with the Washington Consensus and Oslo peace process
  • Pete RossiniFormer federal prisoner and Clem's co-host on the Deadly Intentions Show
  • Benjamin NetanyahuPrime Minister of Israel
  • Vladimir PutinPresident of Russia
  • MacklemoreAmerican rapper removed from Ed Sheeran's tour after pro-Palestine remarks
  • Robert KraftOwner of the New England Patriots and Gillette Stadium
  • Stormy DanielsAdult film actress who alleged an affair with Trump
  • Michael AvenattiFormer attorney for Stormy Daniels, imprisoned for fraud and extortion
  • John MorganFlorida personal injury attorney
  • Howard SternAmerican radio host on whose show Stallone's parents argued in 1992
  • Joe RoganAmerican comedian and host of The Joe Rogan Experience
  • Kash PatelDirector of the Federal Bureau of Investigation
  • Lindsay ClancyMassachusetts mother whose criminal case divided public opinion
  • Terri SchiavoFlorida woman at the center of a right-to-die case
  • Mitch McConnellRepublican U.S. senator from Kentucky
  • Tucker CarlsonConservative broadcaster cited as part of right-wing media
  • Brooke HoganHulk Hogan's daughter
  • John TravoltaActor and Scientologist who Clem said offered to buy Hogan's house
  • Matt CoxFormer con man turned podcaster and friend of both hosts
  • John KiriakouFormer CIA counterterrorism officer and whistleblower
  • Thomas CrooksGunman in the Butler, Pennsylvania assassination attempt

Topics

More from Danny Jones Podcast

From the publisher

Watch every episode ad-free & uncensored on Patreon: https://patreon.com/dannyjones Bubba the Love Sponge Clem is a legendary radio broadcasting personality and currently hosts @TheBubbaArmy & @DeadlyIntentionsShow on YouTube. SPONSORS https://butcherbox.com/danny - Get $20 off your first box, plus your choice of free ribeye, new york strip, or filet mignon in every box for a year. https://pplx.ai/danny - For a limited time only, our listeners can try Perplexity Computer FREE. https://blueprint.bryanjohnson.com - Use code DANNY for 20% off + free shipping. https://mengotomars.com - Get 50% off for life, free shipping, & 3 free gifts. https://whiterabbitenergy.com/?ref=DJP - Use code DJP for 20% off. EPISODE LINKS @TheBubbaArmy @DeadlyIntentionsShow *NEW* DJP MERCH https://dannyjonespodcast.com Get paid to make clips from the show: https://discord.com/invite/dannyjones FOLLOW DANNY JONES https://www.instagram.com/dannyjones https://twitter.com/jonesdanny OUTLINE 00:00 - Bubba's recent meltdown 05:59 - Releasing Video Killed the Radio Star 07:21 - Peter Thiel & lawsuit financing 13:19 - The Romeo & Juliet Law 17:57 - Bubba's on-air acts of indecency 21:01 - The Butler shooting conspiracy 27:48 - Macklemore should've kept his mouth shut 33:05 - "Rain Man" breaks down the Iran War 41:38 - We used Netanyahu 48:21 - The U.S. Dollar crisis 52:46 - Stormy Daniels' 2007 Trump confession & Bill Clinton 57:11 - Bubba's call with Bill Clinton 01:03:40 - The lawyer who tried to extort Nike 01:07:05 - Howard Stern's wedding guest list 01:11:22 - Why Joe Rogan & Howard Stern don't get along 01:17:17 - The new cancel culture 01:20:55 - Gillette Stadium secret command center 01:21:29 - Geotargeting & monitoring online speech 01:25:00 - Shift from Woke 1 to Woke 2 01:28:09 - Kash Patels weird new FBI hiring policy 01:36:35 - Bubba's take on Lindsay Clancy 01:41:15 - Terry Schivo 01:45:42 - Bubba's friendship with Matt Cox 01:49:25 - Parenting & the modern school system 01:55:56 - St…

Summary, chapters and key points were generated from the episode transcript on October 31, 2026. Quotes are checked word for word against the transcript.

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