The Free Press’ Pro-War Podcast Is Brought To You By Palantir

The Free Press pro-war podcast, “School of War,” has a new sponsor: the U.S. defense contractor and AI surveillance firm Palantir.

Hosted by Marine veteran Aaron MacLean, the “School of War” podcast features interviews with establishment figures from both the defense and foreign policy worlds, many of whom are pro-war. (RELATED: Deep State On Steroids? Palantir Conceals Dark Agenda To Lull Conservatives Into Submission)

For example, since the start of the Iran War on Feb. 28, McClean has hosted top members of the Foundation for Defense of Democracies, a pro-war and pro-Israel think tank, on six different occasions. The most recent episode featured Republican Texas Sen. Ted Cruz calling for regime collapse in Iran and the U.S. to arm Iranian civilians.

It appears Palantir began sponsoring “School of War” on July 21 for an episode that featured New York Times reporter Jonathan Swan. This episode, and later ones, featured a sponsored message on Apple Podcasts, as well as an opening message from MacLean.

“This episode of School of War is brought to you by Maven Smart System — the builder platform for the American warfighter, fielded across the force and live on the frontline today,” reads the message on Apple Podcasts.

MacLean opened the Cruz episode by reading a 45-second Palantir script about the company’s Maven Smart System:

The “Free” Press: Honest. Independent. Fearless. And brought to you by Palantir pic.twitter.com/5bZ8WK2X7N

Through Palantir’s data integration technology, Project Maven uses AI algorithms to analyze huge quantities of surveillance data collected from a range of sources. The system’s primary objectives are intelligence gathering, surveillance and the acquisition of new military targets.

The processed data can include satellite imagery, photographs, and geolocation data, such as IP addresses, which the AI uses to identify potential military targets. These targets, along with aircraft movements, personnel positions and designated no-strike lists, are then visualized on the Maven Smart System user interface.

The U.S. military has used Project Maven for thousands of strikes against Iran throughout the war. The AI-powered system drew scrutiny early in the war after a missile strike hit an Iranian girls’ school, killing 156 civilians, including 120 children. The system may have played a role in picking out the target, which was reportedly next to an Iranian Revolutionary Guard Corps compound. Many experts and investigators believe the U.S. military was responsible.

MacLean joined CBS News as a national security analyst and Paramount-owned The Free Press as a columnist in March. He was previously a senior fellow at the Hudson Institute, a pro-war think tank funded by the defense industry.

David Ellison, the son of U.S. tech oligarch Larry Ellison, purchased The Free Press for $150 million in October 2025 through his media company, Paramount Skydance. (RELATED: The Free Press Is Now Shilling For The Surveillance Industry)

InfluenceWatch notes that Larry Ellison, the co-founder of the database software company Oracle, is a “proponent of expansive government surveillance measures” and an avid supporter of Israel. He advocated for national biometric ID cards with thumbprints and iris scans after the 9/11 terrorist attacks, and said his company could implement it for free. In 2025, he called for compiling all citizen data and genomic information into a single government database.

“We’re going to have supervision,” Ellison said at the time. “Every police officer is going to be supervised at all times, and if there’s a problem, AI will report that problem and report it to the appropriate person. Citizens will be on their best behavior because we are constantly recording and reporting everything that’s going on.”