A progressive host tears into Senator John Kennedy over how he defended Israel during a podcast interview with comedian Theo Von — bad for Kennedy and Israel's image with US audiences.

• Kennedy brushed off the death toll in Gaza and dismissed United Nations reports on Israeli conduct as biased, prompting accusations that he was just repeating Israel's talking points.
• The pushback points to campaign money — more than a million dollars tied to the pro-Israel lobby and AIPAC — as the reason behind Kennedy's stance.
• The bigger story is shifting US public opinion: even conservative voices like Tucker Carlson now say America is too close to Israel, and polls suggest many Americans agree.
• Theo Von, a comedian with a huge audience, is shown pressing Kennedy on Palestinian child deaths, a sign the topic is spreading beyond hardcore political shows.

Outlook: Expect more mainstream and even right-leaning figures to question US support for Israel as public sympathy keeps sliding.