1 00:00:06,160 --> 00:00:08,360 Speaker 1: I'm Josh Hammer and this is the Josh Hammer Show. 2 00:00:08,720 --> 00:00:11,760 Speaker 1: Wishing all of you a happy President's Day. Technically the 3 00:00:11,800 --> 00:00:15,440 Speaker 1: federal holiday is known as Washington's Birthday. I prefer President's Day. 4 00:00:15,440 --> 00:00:17,800 Speaker 1: I'll explain to you why that is towards the end 5 00:00:17,800 --> 00:00:21,200 Speaker 1: of our show. Eric Erickson, the Syndicia Talker, also joined 6 00:00:21,280 --> 00:00:24,880 Speaker 1: us later in today's show to talk about mid term prognostications, 7 00:00:24,960 --> 00:00:28,520 Speaker 1: what Republicans could and perhaps should be doing differently to 8 00:00:29,120 --> 00:00:32,320 Speaker 1: stave off what could be could be not Wilby, but 9 00:00:32,440 --> 00:00:35,199 Speaker 1: could be some losses at the ballot box this November. 10 00:00:35,200 --> 00:00:38,199 Speaker 1: But for now we begin with this. Marco Rubio has 11 00:00:38,320 --> 00:00:40,920 Speaker 1: done it again. Marco Rubio, who is the first man 12 00:00:40,960 --> 00:00:43,760 Speaker 1: since Henry Kissinger roughly a half century ago, to serve 13 00:00:43,800 --> 00:00:47,800 Speaker 1: the dual function of Secretary of State and National Security Advisor. 14 00:00:47,840 --> 00:00:51,400 Speaker 1: Mark Rubio, who was holding so many other ancillary, secondary, 15 00:00:51,479 --> 00:00:54,960 Speaker 1: tertiary positions there that has become a week's long, months 16 00:00:55,040 --> 00:00:58,280 Speaker 1: long meme on X and social media as to what 17 00:00:58,320 --> 00:01:02,040 Speaker 1: Marco Rubio's next job would be. Mark Rubio was one 18 00:01:02,120 --> 00:01:06,520 Speaker 1: of many American officials over in Munich, Germany, this past 19 00:01:06,560 --> 00:01:09,000 Speaker 1: weekend to speak at what is known as the Munich 20 00:01:09,080 --> 00:01:13,319 Speaker 1: Security Conference now in theory the Munich Security Conference, and 21 00:01:13,400 --> 00:01:16,160 Speaker 1: to be sure, it was broadly this way during the 22 00:01:16,200 --> 00:01:19,480 Speaker 1: Abiden regime, during those four horrific and tumultuous years. The 23 00:01:19,600 --> 00:01:23,320 Speaker 1: Muse Security Conference in theory is one of these globalist 24 00:01:23,600 --> 00:01:27,479 Speaker 1: transnational boondoggles where you have the preservers of the post 25 00:01:27,520 --> 00:01:30,240 Speaker 1: World War two liberal international order and all these various 26 00:01:30,240 --> 00:01:34,480 Speaker 1: platitudes that get together on spout all sorts of nostrums 27 00:01:34,560 --> 00:01:38,839 Speaker 1: and talking points trying to just conjure up the old, 28 00:01:38,959 --> 00:01:41,600 Speaker 1: good old days and to bring the band back together 29 00:01:41,720 --> 00:01:44,320 Speaker 1: from the nineteen fifties to the nineteen eighties, really trying 30 00:01:44,360 --> 00:01:47,680 Speaker 1: to bring back this Cold War nostalgia that characterized the 31 00:01:47,760 --> 00:01:52,600 Speaker 1: Transatlantic alliance between the United States and Western Europe above 32 00:01:52,600 --> 00:01:55,360 Speaker 1: all at its heights well for two years in a row. Now, 33 00:01:55,440 --> 00:01:58,520 Speaker 1: Trump administration officials have not exactly done that, have they. 34 00:01:58,560 --> 00:02:01,840 Speaker 1: It was actually at this very conference, Themnuesecurity Conference, last 35 00:02:01,880 --> 00:02:05,000 Speaker 1: year that the Vice President Jade Vans, less than a 36 00:02:05,000 --> 00:02:07,440 Speaker 1: month or roughly a month giver take into his tenure 37 00:02:07,520 --> 00:02:10,440 Speaker 1: as Vice President United States, Jedi Vans really ruffled some 38 00:02:10,480 --> 00:02:13,400 Speaker 1: feathers in Munich at this very conference last year. He 39 00:02:13,480 --> 00:02:15,880 Speaker 1: gave what remains, I would argue to this day the 40 00:02:15,919 --> 00:02:18,600 Speaker 1: defining speech thus far of his vice presidency, where he 41 00:02:18,639 --> 00:02:25,000 Speaker 1: basically accused the Eurocrats, the Brussels bureaucratic elite, and the 42 00:02:25,000 --> 00:02:27,160 Speaker 1: cultural elites of Europe. He accused them to their face 43 00:02:27,240 --> 00:02:31,600 Speaker 1: of essentially selling out, of starting to censor in the 44 00:02:31,720 --> 00:02:35,520 Speaker 1: purported name actually a preserving freedom, of trying to crack 45 00:02:35,560 --> 00:02:38,760 Speaker 1: down on freedoms, more generally, of trying to whitewash and 46 00:02:38,800 --> 00:02:41,680 Speaker 1: to run roughshot over their entire civilization by bringing in 47 00:02:41,720 --> 00:02:44,520 Speaker 1: all sorts of third world foreigners and imports from the 48 00:02:44,560 --> 00:02:48,600 Speaker 1: broader Islamic world. Well, this year the mantle fell not 49 00:02:48,680 --> 00:02:51,840 Speaker 1: on Jade Vance, but it fell on Marc Rubio, our 50 00:02:51,880 --> 00:02:55,080 Speaker 1: secretary of State, to deliver an absolute barn burner of 51 00:02:55,080 --> 00:02:58,320 Speaker 1: a speech. The full speech is certainly worth watching there. 52 00:02:58,360 --> 00:03:01,880 Speaker 1: There is a lot lot in there, and perhaps most interestingly, 53 00:03:01,880 --> 00:03:04,840 Speaker 1: perhaps what was interesting the result of Marco Rubio's speech, 54 00:03:05,320 --> 00:03:10,600 Speaker 1: in which he essentially didn't criticize Europe so much that 55 00:03:10,680 --> 00:03:12,639 Speaker 1: was more JD events last year. Mark Rubio, the person 56 00:03:12,680 --> 00:03:16,919 Speaker 1: of the speech, really was to try to urge Europe 57 00:03:16,960 --> 00:03:20,639 Speaker 1: to make itself great again, much as Donald Trump has 58 00:03:21,160 --> 00:03:23,600 Speaker 1: has been pledging and in many ways has been doing 59 00:03:23,639 --> 00:03:26,280 Speaker 1: that here on the American home front for much of 60 00:03:26,280 --> 00:03:29,600 Speaker 1: the past decade. So it was an emotional speech that 61 00:03:29,680 --> 00:03:33,600 Speaker 1: was trying to appeal to the European powers heartstrings there. 62 00:03:33,639 --> 00:03:35,800 Speaker 1: And the most interesting data point I believe is this, 63 00:03:35,840 --> 00:03:37,720 Speaker 1: which is that at the end of the speech there 64 00:03:37,720 --> 00:03:40,440 Speaker 1: could have been a cacophony of booze. There could have 65 00:03:40,520 --> 00:03:43,560 Speaker 1: easily been just a lot of people saying, oh, boom, 66 00:03:43,640 --> 00:03:46,720 Speaker 1: get the Yankee out of here now, he doesn't belong here. 67 00:03:46,800 --> 00:03:51,320 Speaker 1: And in Germany and Munich whatever, No, Marco Rubio got applause. 68 00:03:52,280 --> 00:03:55,400 Speaker 1: It was really just astonishing stuff. Let's start here. Here 69 00:03:55,480 --> 00:03:57,880 Speaker 1: was Marco Rubio talking about the sins of the past 70 00:03:57,920 --> 00:04:00,440 Speaker 1: and how they are relevant for the present. Sure means 71 00:04:00,480 --> 00:04:01,040 Speaker 1: past weekend. 72 00:04:01,440 --> 00:04:05,080 Speaker 2: We do not seek to separate, but to revitalize an 73 00:04:05,080 --> 00:04:09,480 Speaker 2: old friendship and renew the greatest civilization in human history. 74 00:04:09,800 --> 00:04:13,320 Speaker 2: What we want is a reinvigorated alliance that recognizes that 75 00:04:13,360 --> 00:04:15,960 Speaker 2: what has ailed our societies is not just a set 76 00:04:16,000 --> 00:04:20,039 Speaker 2: of bad policies, but a malaise of hopelessness and complacency. 77 00:04:20,960 --> 00:04:23,200 Speaker 2: An alliance is what The alliance that we want is 78 00:04:23,240 --> 00:04:25,800 Speaker 2: one that is not paralyzed into an action by fear, 79 00:04:26,440 --> 00:04:29,960 Speaker 2: fear of climate change, fear of war, fear of technology. Instead, 80 00:04:30,320 --> 00:04:33,159 Speaker 2: we want an alliance that boldly races into the future, 81 00:04:33,760 --> 00:04:36,640 Speaker 2: and the only fear we have is the fear of 82 00:04:36,720 --> 00:04:40,520 Speaker 2: the shame of not leaving our nations prouder, stronger, and 83 00:04:40,600 --> 00:04:44,760 Speaker 2: wealthier for our children. An alliance ready to defend our people, 84 00:04:45,560 --> 00:04:48,000 Speaker 2: to safeguard our interests, and to preserve the freedom of 85 00:04:48,040 --> 00:04:51,440 Speaker 2: action that allows us to shape our own destiny, not 86 00:04:51,520 --> 00:04:54,520 Speaker 2: one that exists to operate a global welfare state and 87 00:04:54,600 --> 00:04:57,960 Speaker 2: atone for the purported sins of past generations. 88 00:04:58,640 --> 00:05:02,720 Speaker 1: So he's telling Europe at some point, get over your guilt, 89 00:05:03,440 --> 00:05:06,320 Speaker 1: get over this notion that Europe has been a net 90 00:05:06,720 --> 00:05:10,880 Speaker 1: negative force in human history. Look, I don't need to 91 00:05:11,120 --> 00:05:14,200 Speaker 1: dwell at length on the horrific things that have happened 92 00:05:14,240 --> 00:05:17,839 Speaker 1: on the European continents. I have here on my desk 93 00:05:17,960 --> 00:05:21,200 Speaker 1: right next to me, a rock from the crematorium of Auschwitz. 94 00:05:21,520 --> 00:05:24,200 Speaker 1: It's on my desk every single day. As I said, 95 00:05:24,279 --> 00:05:27,159 Speaker 1: I do not need to elaborate on the horrors that 96 00:05:27,200 --> 00:05:29,720 Speaker 1: have happened on the European continent that has seen a 97 00:05:29,800 --> 00:05:33,039 Speaker 1: tremendous tremendous aount of bloodshed for thousands of years. But 98 00:05:33,160 --> 00:05:36,320 Speaker 1: the purpose of rubio speech, the correct and noble purpose 99 00:05:36,360 --> 00:05:39,680 Speaker 1: of this speech, is to appeal to that which Europe 100 00:05:39,680 --> 00:05:45,440 Speaker 1: has done correctly. If Western civilization was originally birthed in 101 00:05:45,680 --> 00:05:50,839 Speaker 1: both Jerusalem and Athens, this notion of revelation and reason, 102 00:05:51,440 --> 00:05:54,120 Speaker 1: then it really came to full fruition into full form 103 00:05:54,680 --> 00:05:58,279 Speaker 1: over the past fifteen hundred to two thousand years in Europe, 104 00:05:58,760 --> 00:06:01,240 Speaker 1: really accelerating over the ass to five hundred two one 105 00:06:01,279 --> 00:06:04,000 Speaker 1: thousand years, give or take. This is the tradition that 106 00:06:04,040 --> 00:06:06,839 Speaker 1: Mark Rubi is appealing to. It is not as Alesandro 107 00:06:06,960 --> 00:06:09,800 Speaker 1: Casio Cortes and others lamb Basin for it is not 108 00:06:09,839 --> 00:06:14,159 Speaker 1: an appeal to white ethnicity or to racial superiority. 109 00:06:14,240 --> 00:06:14,400 Speaker 3: No. 110 00:06:14,920 --> 00:06:17,640 Speaker 1: In fact, it is an objective statement that what we 111 00:06:17,680 --> 00:06:21,720 Speaker 1: today call Western civilization is a force for good and 112 00:06:22,000 --> 00:06:25,000 Speaker 1: has been a force for good for a very very 113 00:06:25,279 --> 00:06:31,680 Speaker 1: long time. Marc Rubio repeatedly in this speech excoriating the fictitious, 114 00:06:31,839 --> 00:06:35,920 Speaker 1: made up La la Lands notion that all cultures are 115 00:06:35,960 --> 00:06:40,760 Speaker 1: created equal. No, Rubio said very clearly, Western civilization is superior. 116 00:06:41,320 --> 00:06:45,400 Speaker 1: If you don't like it, tough, because it is because 117 00:06:45,440 --> 00:06:48,720 Speaker 1: it is a civilization founded on the rule of law, 118 00:06:48,839 --> 00:06:53,840 Speaker 1: civilization founded on private property rights, on individual dignity. Downstream 119 00:06:53,880 --> 00:06:56,080 Speaker 1: of Genesis one twenty seven, that were all made in 120 00:06:56,120 --> 00:06:59,000 Speaker 1: the image of God at the imagody imperative. These are 121 00:06:59,040 --> 00:07:02,920 Speaker 1: the various building blocks, the pillar stones of what today 122 00:07:02,920 --> 00:07:05,560 Speaker 1: we call Western civilization. And the Secretary of State went 123 00:07:05,600 --> 00:07:09,080 Speaker 1: over there to say to Europe, we are prepared to 124 00:07:09,160 --> 00:07:12,960 Speaker 1: defend this inheritance ourselves to the United States, but we 125 00:07:13,120 --> 00:07:17,160 Speaker 1: really rather partner with you. Guys, are you up to 126 00:07:17,280 --> 00:07:20,160 Speaker 1: the task? Here is more from Mark Rubio Munich. 127 00:07:20,400 --> 00:07:23,000 Speaker 2: We want allies who can defend themselves so that no 128 00:07:23,120 --> 00:07:26,520 Speaker 2: adversary will ever be tempted to test our collective strength. 129 00:07:27,560 --> 00:07:29,320 Speaker 2: This is why we do not want our allies to 130 00:07:29,360 --> 00:07:32,400 Speaker 2: be shackled by guilt and shame. We want allies who 131 00:07:32,440 --> 00:07:35,240 Speaker 2: are proud of their culture and of their heritage, who 132 00:07:35,320 --> 00:07:37,800 Speaker 2: understand that we are heirs to the same great and 133 00:07:37,880 --> 00:07:42,560 Speaker 2: noble civilization, and who together with us, are willing and 134 00:07:42,720 --> 00:07:46,120 Speaker 2: able to defend it. And this is why we do 135 00:07:46,160 --> 00:07:49,920 Speaker 2: not want allies to rationalize the broken status quo rather 136 00:07:49,960 --> 00:07:52,920 Speaker 2: than a reckon withard is what is necessary to fix it. 137 00:07:53,600 --> 00:07:56,800 Speaker 1: So this broken status quo, especially when it comes to Europe. 138 00:07:56,960 --> 00:08:00,640 Speaker 1: That Rubio is talking about is essentially this in many ways, 139 00:08:00,760 --> 00:08:04,040 Speaker 1: is a shadow of its former self. Europe is a 140 00:08:04,080 --> 00:08:08,000 Speaker 1: continent that has been totally destroyed at various parts of 141 00:08:08,040 --> 00:08:12,000 Speaker 1: the past century by multiple catastrophic world wars. It is 142 00:08:12,160 --> 00:08:15,240 Speaker 1: a continent that was essentially bailed out during the Cold 143 00:08:15,320 --> 00:08:18,440 Speaker 1: War from full on Soviet hegemony by the United States 144 00:08:18,440 --> 00:08:21,720 Speaker 1: of America. It is a continent that has dwindling militaries. 145 00:08:21,720 --> 00:08:24,720 Speaker 1: In fact, actually the largest military in all of Europe 146 00:08:24,720 --> 00:08:27,320 Speaker 1: comes from a country that is barely part of Europe. 147 00:08:27,320 --> 00:08:30,840 Speaker 1: Actually it's Turkey. There's really no other country, not Germany 148 00:08:30,960 --> 00:08:33,520 Speaker 1: or France, or Italy or the UK, that has a 149 00:08:33,600 --> 00:08:36,600 Speaker 1: military that's even a fraction, even a shade what these 150 00:08:36,720 --> 00:08:40,520 Speaker 1: various countries within what their militaries once were. So Rubia 151 00:08:40,559 --> 00:08:44,840 Speaker 1: is trying to appeal to them, stop atoning for your guilt. 152 00:08:45,920 --> 00:08:47,640 Speaker 1: You know, here in the United States we would say 153 00:08:48,040 --> 00:08:52,480 Speaker 1: stop atoning for your white guilt. We're here. White is 154 00:08:52,559 --> 00:08:57,480 Speaker 1: just a proxy for European again, the European continents, there's 155 00:08:57,520 --> 00:08:59,320 Speaker 1: been a lot of harm for a very long time, 156 00:08:59,720 --> 00:09:02,280 Speaker 1: a lot of great for a very very long time. 157 00:09:03,280 --> 00:09:05,480 Speaker 1: And if Europe is not up to the task of 158 00:09:05,520 --> 00:09:11,320 Speaker 1: defending Western civilization, then who exactly is besides the United States. 159 00:09:12,360 --> 00:09:16,640 Speaker 1: It's a genuinely unclear question. Canada certainly does not fulfill 160 00:09:16,679 --> 00:09:22,640 Speaker 1: that criterion. Canada under Justin Trudeau, under Mark Karney are 161 00:09:23,200 --> 00:09:27,640 Speaker 1: mass importing the Islamic world. Are there other countries here 162 00:09:27,679 --> 00:09:30,640 Speaker 1: in the Western hemisphere that will defend Western civilization? Okay, 163 00:09:30,640 --> 00:09:33,040 Speaker 1: maybe Hoavier and Malay in Argentina account Tim's a now 164 00:09:33,040 --> 00:09:37,120 Speaker 1: ally there, but ideally ideally, says Rubio, it really does 165 00:09:37,200 --> 00:09:40,480 Speaker 1: fall on Europe, and that takes many forms, not just 166 00:09:40,520 --> 00:09:43,560 Speaker 1: a cultural sense of renewal, Rubio calling for a cultural 167 00:09:43,559 --> 00:09:45,760 Speaker 1: and political reset to there on the confidence. It also 168 00:09:45,800 --> 00:09:52,200 Speaker 1: calls for more self sufficient, militarily stable allies. That's what 169 00:09:52,240 --> 00:09:53,719 Speaker 1: he was getting that there and that last cut that 170 00:09:53,760 --> 00:09:57,080 Speaker 1: we played. A lot of folks have this nostalgic vision 171 00:09:57,679 --> 00:09:59,840 Speaker 1: of this Cold War era, as I already alluded to, 172 00:09:59,840 --> 00:10:02,000 Speaker 1: this notion that the United States and Europe are permanent 173 00:10:02,000 --> 00:10:04,520 Speaker 1: allies here because we face the exact same threats. We well, 174 00:10:04,600 --> 00:10:07,160 Speaker 1: really do we face the same threats, so do we 175 00:10:07,240 --> 00:10:09,880 Speaker 1: view them the same way? The latter is the key 176 00:10:09,960 --> 00:10:13,160 Speaker 1: question in many ways, In recent years, we have seen 177 00:10:13,720 --> 00:10:18,880 Speaker 1: the elite Euros, whether in Germany, France, UK or elsewhere, 178 00:10:19,360 --> 00:10:22,640 Speaker 1: who take a rather different view of America's major threats, 179 00:10:23,760 --> 00:10:25,880 Speaker 1: who take a rather different view when it comes to 180 00:10:25,960 --> 00:10:30,160 Speaker 1: things like China and the Belton Road Initiative. She Jimping's 181 00:10:30,480 --> 00:10:34,559 Speaker 1: sprawling influence operation reaching to essentially every corner of the world. 182 00:10:34,880 --> 00:10:36,560 Speaker 1: There are many folks in Europe to take a very different 183 00:10:36,640 --> 00:10:41,760 Speaker 1: view to Iran, for instance. Actually, it was just a 184 00:10:41,800 --> 00:10:45,480 Speaker 1: couple of weeks ago, literally within the past month, that 185 00:10:45,559 --> 00:10:48,880 Speaker 1: the European Union for the first time declared the Islamic 186 00:10:48,920 --> 00:10:52,120 Speaker 1: Revolutionary Guard core of the Irani regime to be a 187 00:10:52,240 --> 00:10:55,640 Speaker 1: terrorist organization. So is Europe willing to make common cause 188 00:10:55,679 --> 00:11:00,280 Speaker 1: with the United States or not? It's an open question certainly. 189 00:11:00,280 --> 00:11:01,680 Speaker 1: If you look at the polling, there are any number 190 00:11:01,679 --> 00:11:04,400 Speaker 1: of right wing parties that are ascending in many different countries. 191 00:11:04,559 --> 00:11:07,400 Speaker 1: Nigel Faraj's Reformer UK, for instance, has been surging in 192 00:11:07,440 --> 00:11:10,000 Speaker 1: the polls in the UK for at least a year 193 00:11:10,080 --> 00:11:12,840 Speaker 1: or so, as two tier cure Starmer just goes further 194 00:11:12,880 --> 00:11:16,160 Speaker 1: and further down in his own ignominy. It depends on 195 00:11:16,200 --> 00:11:20,040 Speaker 1: the country. George Maloney in Italy is an example. Victor 196 00:11:20,120 --> 00:11:22,199 Speaker 1: Or Bond in the much smaller country of Hungary is 197 00:11:22,240 --> 00:11:26,720 Speaker 1: certainly an example as well. Europe needs to renew itself 198 00:11:27,120 --> 00:11:29,880 Speaker 1: and to have confidence again. That is the spirit of 199 00:11:29,920 --> 00:11:33,720 Speaker 1: Mark Rubu's address. Rubio looking awfully presidential. Dare I say 200 00:11:33,800 --> 00:11:37,679 Speaker 1: this past weekend in Munich, Germany. We'll see if he 201 00:11:37,679 --> 00:11:39,280 Speaker 1: pulls a trigger and runs in twenty twenty eight. But 202 00:11:39,320 --> 00:11:42,400 Speaker 1: if this is his platform there, then whether it's Jade 203 00:11:42,520 --> 00:11:44,760 Speaker 1: Vans whoever else, they will have their work cut out 204 00:11:44,800 --> 00:11:47,440 Speaker 1: for them because Mark Rubio is looking very, very solid 205 00:11:47,440 --> 00:11:51,880 Speaker 1: here in these first year plus of the Trump presidency. 206 00:11:51,880 --> 00:11:53,360 Speaker 1: Stay with the spokes of the break. We'll be right 207 00:11:53,400 --> 00:12:02,120 Speaker 1: back with more on the other side. Welcome back so much. 208 00:12:02,120 --> 00:12:03,560 Speaker 1: I want to get to you on today's show again. 209 00:12:03,600 --> 00:12:07,640 Speaker 1: It's President's a Happy president Day, wishing you a somber 210 00:12:07,720 --> 00:12:11,240 Speaker 1: but also gratitude filled federal holiday. Eric Erickson and joined 211 00:12:11,280 --> 00:12:12,880 Speaker 1: us also later on the show. But for now, folks, 212 00:12:12,880 --> 00:12:14,640 Speaker 1: I want to tell you about our sponsor that is 213 00:12:14,679 --> 00:12:17,040 Speaker 1: a Bounce of Nature. Bounce of Nature has these wonderful 214 00:12:17,400 --> 00:12:20,839 Speaker 1: dietized helments. I have some fruit and veggie settlements in 215 00:12:20,880 --> 00:12:23,079 Speaker 1: my hands. 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Go to Bounce of 225 00:12:44,720 --> 00:12:47,719 Speaker 1: nature dot com order the whole health assistance elements as 226 00:12:47,720 --> 00:12:50,200 Speaker 1: a preferred customers today again the folks that has bounce 227 00:12:50,240 --> 00:12:53,120 Speaker 1: off nature dot com. So we were talking before the 228 00:12:53,160 --> 00:12:55,360 Speaker 1: break about Mark or Rubio and just the extraordinary speech 229 00:12:55,400 --> 00:12:57,640 Speaker 1: that he gave im Muni Germany this past week at 230 00:12:57,720 --> 00:13:02,600 Speaker 1: the Munich Security Conference. Rubio, as Secretary of State, is 231 00:13:02,640 --> 00:13:05,200 Speaker 1: the head of American diplomacy and as the case may be, 232 00:13:05,360 --> 00:13:09,360 Speaker 1: tomorrow on Tuesday, we are having numerous diplomatic sit downs 233 00:13:09,400 --> 00:13:12,960 Speaker 1: in Geneva, Switzerland, frankly, not all too far from Munich, Germany. 234 00:13:13,160 --> 00:13:15,600 Speaker 1: So it looks like Steve Wikoff and Jared Kushner, by 235 00:13:15,640 --> 00:13:18,040 Speaker 1: the way, a little odd. I'm sure I'm not the 236 00:13:18,120 --> 00:13:22,920 Speaker 1: one who's noticed. Jared Kushner I don't believe has a 237 00:13:22,920 --> 00:13:25,480 Speaker 1: formal title at this stage. He had a formal White 238 00:13:25,480 --> 00:13:30,000 Speaker 1: House title in the firstministration. Before this administration started, many 239 00:13:30,040 --> 00:13:32,440 Speaker 1: of us thought that Jared and Ivanka were going to 240 00:13:32,480 --> 00:13:35,319 Speaker 1: stay here in South Florida, not far from me, that 241 00:13:35,440 --> 00:13:37,840 Speaker 1: this is where they live, and really not be involved there. 242 00:13:38,080 --> 00:13:42,440 Speaker 1: I didn't have my bingo car Jared Kushner jet setting 243 00:13:42,480 --> 00:13:46,400 Speaker 1: all across the world alongside Steve Wiokoff formally representing the 244 00:13:46,480 --> 00:13:49,319 Speaker 1: United States. I'm not necessarily saying the terrible thing. I'm 245 00:13:49,360 --> 00:13:51,719 Speaker 1: just saying that it is. It's a little odd, if 246 00:13:51,760 --> 00:13:53,760 Speaker 1: nothing else, that he is doing this as far as 247 00:13:53,760 --> 00:13:57,400 Speaker 1: I'm aware, without any kind of formal title to indicate 248 00:13:57,400 --> 00:13:59,160 Speaker 1: that he represents the United States there anyway, just say 249 00:13:59,200 --> 00:14:02,400 Speaker 1: small data point if we've thought for now, but with Coffin, 250 00:14:02,480 --> 00:14:05,000 Speaker 1: Kusher will be representing the United States when it comes 251 00:14:05,040 --> 00:14:08,240 Speaker 1: to our sitdowns, these trilateral talks with Russia and Ukraine, 252 00:14:08,360 --> 00:14:12,360 Speaker 1: and then also these talks with the Iranian regime. So 253 00:14:12,440 --> 00:14:15,040 Speaker 1: this is at least the second and third round of talks. 254 00:14:15,080 --> 00:14:19,520 Speaker 1: The first round was in oman Segatary, Rubio was asked 255 00:14:19,640 --> 00:14:21,680 Speaker 1: about this over the weekend. Here's what he had to 256 00:14:21,680 --> 00:14:22,200 Speaker 1: say about it. 257 00:14:22,240 --> 00:14:25,000 Speaker 2: We'll follow whatever the lies on it, and it depends 258 00:14:25,040 --> 00:14:26,600 Speaker 2: on the circumstance, I believe to it. But right now 259 00:14:26,600 --> 00:14:29,920 Speaker 2: we're talking about negotiations. We are focused on negotiations. That's 260 00:14:29,960 --> 00:14:32,680 Speaker 2: what we're forward. The presents made that clear. If that changes, 261 00:14:32,720 --> 00:14:35,400 Speaker 2: it'll be obvious to everyone. And obviously whatever the law 262 00:14:35,480 --> 00:14:37,920 Speaker 2: requires us to do will do okay. 263 00:14:37,960 --> 00:14:41,280 Speaker 1: So that's a very diplomatic answer, not surprising for someone 264 00:14:41,320 --> 00:14:44,360 Speaker 1: who is well versed in diplomat speak. Yet he is, 265 00:14:44,360 --> 00:14:47,960 Speaker 1: after all, the US Secretary of State. Rubio's own personal 266 00:14:48,000 --> 00:14:50,840 Speaker 1: instincts on the topic of Ron are not exactly a 267 00:14:50,920 --> 00:14:53,440 Speaker 1: source of much speculation. He was deeply outspoken on this 268 00:14:53,520 --> 00:14:55,640 Speaker 1: very topic back when he was a sender from Florida. 269 00:14:56,120 --> 00:14:59,440 Speaker 1: He is certainly an ardent, adamant foe of the Iranian 270 00:14:59,480 --> 00:15:02,760 Speaker 1: regime as for that matter. As for that matter is 271 00:15:02,760 --> 00:15:05,760 Speaker 1: his boss is the alpha of the top dog, Donald J. 272 00:15:06,000 --> 00:15:10,520 Speaker 1: Trump himself. Frankly, for no other reason, then we now 273 00:15:10,560 --> 00:15:13,440 Speaker 1: know because various Iranian nationals have been indicted as such, 274 00:15:13,880 --> 00:15:17,640 Speaker 1: that the Iranians have been trying to assassinate Donald Trump 275 00:15:17,680 --> 00:15:21,520 Speaker 1: for years. I can't say who, but a friend of 276 00:15:21,560 --> 00:15:25,000 Speaker 1: mine who formerly worked in the Trump State Department said, 277 00:15:25,040 --> 00:15:27,720 Speaker 1: and I'm paraphrasing here, but he famously said that if 278 00:15:27,760 --> 00:15:30,560 Speaker 1: you don't understand that when it comes to the Middle East, specifically, 279 00:15:30,640 --> 00:15:33,840 Speaker 1: the Donald Trump hates Iran and loves Israel, then you 280 00:15:33,880 --> 00:15:35,920 Speaker 1: shouldn't work here in the State Partment. 281 00:15:36,000 --> 00:15:36,120 Speaker 2: Ok. 282 00:15:36,240 --> 00:15:37,760 Speaker 1: Yeah, I'm not gonna name a name, but that's a 283 00:15:38,600 --> 00:15:42,840 Speaker 1: former decently high ranking figure in the State Department paraphrasing 284 00:15:42,840 --> 00:15:44,480 Speaker 1: said that to me. And sure enough, Donald Trump and 285 00:15:44,480 --> 00:15:47,800 Speaker 1: Marcurvio definitely hate rom So that then raises the obvious 286 00:15:47,920 --> 00:15:51,360 Speaker 1: question as to why this prolonged song and dance routine. 287 00:15:52,280 --> 00:15:54,440 Speaker 1: This has been happening now for at least a month, 288 00:15:54,520 --> 00:15:56,280 Speaker 1: month and a half. Look, don't get me wrong, we 289 00:15:56,320 --> 00:16:00,240 Speaker 1: are absolutely not warmongers. We in theory, always prefer or 290 00:16:00,880 --> 00:16:04,600 Speaker 1: non war and diplomatic off ramps to or The problem 291 00:16:04,680 --> 00:16:09,640 Speaker 1: with this specific situation is twofold. On the one hand, 292 00:16:09,840 --> 00:16:13,320 Speaker 1: you are dealing with a regime where you can not, 293 00:16:13,600 --> 00:16:16,800 Speaker 1: for the life of you trust these people. I wish 294 00:16:16,840 --> 00:16:20,360 Speaker 1: it were not the case, but you can't. Whether it's 295 00:16:20,880 --> 00:16:24,000 Speaker 1: the islmuss fanatics in Tehran whether it's the Islmus's fanatics 296 00:16:24,320 --> 00:16:28,360 Speaker 1: in Hamas leadership al Qaeda. This very much goes to 297 00:16:28,400 --> 00:16:32,120 Speaker 1: the core oft repeated maxim going back decades about how 298 00:16:32,160 --> 00:16:35,720 Speaker 1: the United States does not negotiate with terrorists. We don't 299 00:16:35,720 --> 00:16:38,240 Speaker 1: make a habit of it for the very simple reason that, 300 00:16:38,640 --> 00:16:42,400 Speaker 1: on the one hand, it indicates a certain level of weakness. 301 00:16:43,040 --> 00:16:47,840 Speaker 1: On the other hand, what's the point you cannot trust them? 302 00:16:48,000 --> 00:16:50,920 Speaker 1: So even if in theory, even if in theory the 303 00:16:50,920 --> 00:16:55,120 Speaker 1: greatest deal we're reached here where there's no nuclear sites, 304 00:16:55,440 --> 00:16:58,760 Speaker 1: there's no ballistic missiles. Heck, let's say further, let's say 305 00:16:58,760 --> 00:17:02,240 Speaker 1: the regime agrees to abdicate, they agreed to go see 306 00:17:02,280 --> 00:17:05,240 Speaker 1: political asylum in Moscow like Bashar al Asad their former 307 00:17:05,320 --> 00:17:09,080 Speaker 1: clients did. How is that going to be enforced? Exactly? 308 00:17:09,119 --> 00:17:12,240 Speaker 1: How is any of that going to be enforced? And unfortunately, 309 00:17:12,280 --> 00:17:16,200 Speaker 1: therein lies the rub. The other reason that I don't 310 00:17:16,240 --> 00:17:20,080 Speaker 1: see this playing out that way is because Donald Trump 311 00:17:20,200 --> 00:17:25,200 Speaker 1: has forced his own hand the red line, the red line. 312 00:17:25,920 --> 00:17:28,520 Speaker 1: He went even boulder on the red line than Barack Obama. 313 00:17:29,000 --> 00:17:32,440 Speaker 1: So the basic choice at this point is, as a 314 00:17:32,520 --> 00:17:35,639 Speaker 1: Salem colleague, Q Qutta said, does Donald Trump want to 315 00:17:35,680 --> 00:17:40,120 Speaker 1: be another Jimmy Carter, Barack Obama, Joe Biden figure when 316 00:17:40,119 --> 00:17:41,880 Speaker 1: it comes to iron or does he want to have 317 00:17:42,680 --> 00:17:46,240 Speaker 1: is Ronald Reagan? And dare I say Donald Trump himself moment? 318 00:17:46,920 --> 00:17:50,000 Speaker 1: Donald Trump himself took out costume Stuelmani in twenty twenty 319 00:17:50,119 --> 00:17:53,120 Speaker 1: the IRGC cuds forrest head, the head of the IRN 320 00:17:53,160 --> 00:17:57,320 Speaker 1: in terror network. And also Donald Trump bombed Ran last June. 321 00:17:57,600 --> 00:18:00,760 Speaker 1: So our foreign policy is not this foreign policy. We're 322 00:18:00,760 --> 00:18:03,520 Speaker 1: not fans of the red line stuff. I'm really not honest, Scott, 323 00:18:03,560 --> 00:18:06,119 Speaker 1: I really kind of hate it, actually, but he boxed 324 00:18:06,200 --> 00:18:09,840 Speaker 1: himself in. Mister President, What you definitely definitely don't what 325 00:18:09,920 --> 00:18:12,280 Speaker 1: to do is give off the indication that you were 326 00:18:12,280 --> 00:18:16,320 Speaker 1: your supporters take a rosy view of the Irani regime, 327 00:18:16,720 --> 00:18:20,000 Speaker 1: similar to the fanatics on the American left. And on 328 00:18:20,000 --> 00:18:22,840 Speaker 1: that note, actually, I was pleased to join Mark Levan 329 00:18:22,960 --> 00:18:27,000 Speaker 1: last night on his Fox News show on Sunday evening 330 00:18:27,000 --> 00:18:28,680 Speaker 1: there and we actual talk about this. Mark has asked 331 00:18:28,680 --> 00:18:32,280 Speaker 1: me about why the left seems to never criticize Iran 332 00:18:32,359 --> 00:18:34,720 Speaker 1: may they're actually cheering them on. Go ahead and watch this, 333 00:18:34,720 --> 00:18:36,959 Speaker 1: we'll expending on the other side. Well, Mark, to the 334 00:18:37,000 --> 00:18:39,840 Speaker 1: extent that the Democrats are involved in the Iran discussion, 335 00:18:40,040 --> 00:18:43,320 Speaker 1: they're on the wrong side. They're actually very much on 336 00:18:43,440 --> 00:18:46,840 Speaker 1: the side of the regime. You mentioned David Horrowitz that 337 00:18:46,880 --> 00:18:49,240 Speaker 1: the late great David Horwitz had this famous quote, Mark 338 00:18:49,240 --> 00:18:53,520 Speaker 1: where he said that inside every progressive is a totalitarian 339 00:18:53,600 --> 00:18:56,679 Speaker 1: waiting to get out, and that has more than a 340 00:18:56,760 --> 00:18:59,040 Speaker 1: kernel of truth to it. I mean, let's go back 341 00:18:59,080 --> 00:19:01,080 Speaker 1: and think hundreds of you years ago. Let's think about 342 00:19:01,119 --> 00:19:03,080 Speaker 1: the origins of what it actually means to be on 343 00:19:03,119 --> 00:19:06,359 Speaker 1: the modern political left. In many ways, our modern left 344 00:19:06,440 --> 00:19:10,160 Speaker 1: right political divide has his origins in the late eighteenth 345 00:19:10,160 --> 00:19:13,119 Speaker 1: century with the French Revolution. Back then, what it meant 346 00:19:13,160 --> 00:19:15,240 Speaker 1: to be on the left was to be with the Jacobins, 347 00:19:15,240 --> 00:19:18,360 Speaker 1: to be with Robespierre, to ultimately leading to the guillotine. 348 00:19:18,520 --> 00:19:21,399 Speaker 1: The left has long had somewhere between a fetish and 349 00:19:21,440 --> 00:19:25,000 Speaker 1: an outright fixation when it comes to political violence. So 350 00:19:25,040 --> 00:19:29,040 Speaker 1: when they see things like this particular regime, this ideological regime, 351 00:19:29,240 --> 00:19:31,840 Speaker 1: much like the communist regime in Cuba, much like to 352 00:19:31,880 --> 00:19:34,879 Speaker 1: every totalitan regime over the past one hundred, one hundred 353 00:19:35,080 --> 00:19:37,320 Speaker 1: and fifty years, there I think, in many ways, Mark 354 00:19:37,560 --> 00:19:41,119 Speaker 1: folks on the left, including left of Democrats, see something 355 00:19:41,119 --> 00:19:44,800 Speaker 1: of an ideological ally. Let's not forget that this rock 356 00:19:44,840 --> 00:19:48,120 Speaker 1: prochemont with the Irani regime was a sina Qua non. 357 00:19:48,160 --> 00:19:51,240 Speaker 1: It was a necessary condition for Barack Obama's entire foreign 358 00:19:51,280 --> 00:19:54,399 Speaker 1: policy trying to bring them in get closer to Iran, 359 00:19:54,680 --> 00:19:56,920 Speaker 1: this infamous notion of trying to put a greater daylight 360 00:19:56,960 --> 00:19:59,560 Speaker 1: between the United States and Israel, so trying to cozy 361 00:19:59,640 --> 00:20:03,359 Speaker 1: up to Iran and to at best whitewashed away the 362 00:20:03,400 --> 00:20:07,119 Speaker 1: regimes myriad horrific crimes against humanity, or at worst to 363 00:20:07,600 --> 00:20:10,439 Speaker 1: just out to praise it somewhere between that there. I 364 00:20:10,440 --> 00:20:13,840 Speaker 1: think this is very much part of who the Democrats are. 365 00:20:13,920 --> 00:20:15,919 Speaker 1: So to me, it's not shocking that they're not calling 366 00:20:15,920 --> 00:20:18,880 Speaker 1: for the regime to fall, frankly, because in many ways 367 00:20:18,880 --> 00:20:21,840 Speaker 1: are actually cheering on the butchery and the barbarism and 368 00:20:22,000 --> 00:20:25,000 Speaker 1: the worst fear if they can pick up right there 369 00:20:25,640 --> 00:20:30,639 Speaker 1: is that by not acting now again, unless it's the 370 00:20:30,760 --> 00:20:34,199 Speaker 1: deal of a lifetime, the deal of a thousand lifetimes, 371 00:20:34,720 --> 00:20:40,760 Speaker 1: the regime addicates no nuclear enforcement, no ballistic missiles. I get. 372 00:20:40,880 --> 00:20:42,960 Speaker 1: How do you enforce this right? Are you personally going 373 00:20:43,040 --> 00:20:45,800 Speaker 1: to escort the malus on the flight to seek asylum 374 00:20:45,880 --> 00:20:48,719 Speaker 1: to put in the Moscow I don't know. But unless 375 00:20:48,760 --> 00:20:51,879 Speaker 1: that is there, if you settle for anything less and 376 00:20:51,920 --> 00:20:53,960 Speaker 1: then call that a victory, you clap your hands, pat 377 00:20:54,000 --> 00:20:56,159 Speaker 1: yourself in the back, and walk away and say that 378 00:20:56,240 --> 00:21:00,720 Speaker 1: my redline has been forced. That's dangerous stuff. You are 379 00:21:00,760 --> 00:21:03,760 Speaker 1: emboldening the worst actors on the face of the earth. 380 00:21:04,040 --> 00:21:06,800 Speaker 1: And maybe maybe you are not out there openly cheering 381 00:21:06,840 --> 00:21:10,160 Speaker 1: on the massacre of at least twenty five to forty 382 00:21:10,160 --> 00:21:12,960 Speaker 1: five thousand, potential upwards of eighty two hundred thousand Iranians. 383 00:21:13,040 --> 00:21:16,760 Speaker 1: Maybe you're not joining the true excesses of the scum 384 00:21:16,800 --> 00:21:20,840 Speaker 1: of the earth left in doing that. But de facto, 385 00:21:21,040 --> 00:21:23,959 Speaker 1: even if you're not literally cheering them on, you're essentially 386 00:21:23,960 --> 00:21:29,199 Speaker 1: telling them that they're not all that wrong. It is 387 00:21:29,240 --> 00:21:32,480 Speaker 1: a bad, bad path to go down. So fine, play 388 00:21:32,520 --> 00:21:34,639 Speaker 1: out the diplomacy a little bit more. Let's see what 389 00:21:34,680 --> 00:21:38,520 Speaker 1: happens to Geneva tomorrow. I wouldn't get my hopes up, frankly, 390 00:21:38,600 --> 00:21:40,760 Speaker 1: if I were you. What dald Trump does after this 391 00:21:40,880 --> 00:21:43,879 Speaker 1: is anyone's guest there, Mister President, you have the opportunity 392 00:21:43,920 --> 00:21:45,960 Speaker 1: to be a true figure of history even more than 393 00:21:46,040 --> 00:21:49,000 Speaker 1: you already have in there. Please, please don't let your 394 00:21:49,080 --> 00:21:56,520 Speaker 1: nation down. Well, our guests say, it really needs no introduction. 395 00:21:56,640 --> 00:21:59,199 Speaker 1: He is Eric Ericson. Eric Erison is the host of 396 00:21:59,280 --> 00:22:02,440 Speaker 1: the Nationals Indicated to the Eric Ericson Show, heard weekdays 397 00:22:02,560 --> 00:22:04,480 Speaker 1: noon to three pm Eastern Time. You can find a 398 00:22:04,520 --> 00:22:07,399 Speaker 1: station or sign up for EGGS newsletter at Eric Ericson 399 00:22:07,920 --> 00:22:10,040 Speaker 1: dot com. Let me just say also on a personal note, 400 00:22:10,200 --> 00:22:12,520 Speaker 1: I am eternally grateful to our guests that Eric Erickson 401 00:22:12,800 --> 00:22:15,240 Speaker 1: for being the one who gave tiny little me my 402 00:22:15,520 --> 00:22:19,400 Speaker 1: very first foray into Rite of center medium many years ago. Eric, 403 00:22:19,440 --> 00:22:21,919 Speaker 1: I read your stuff every day. I definitely owe you 404 00:22:21,920 --> 00:22:23,480 Speaker 1: a debta gratitude and thank you for joining us. We 405 00:22:23,520 --> 00:22:24,480 Speaker 1: really do appreciate him. 406 00:22:24,720 --> 00:22:25,159 Speaker 3: Thanks for it. 407 00:22:25,640 --> 00:22:27,760 Speaker 1: Yeah, you bet, of course. And as someone who follows 408 00:22:27,800 --> 00:22:32,080 Speaker 1: you and reads every single day, first of all, really 409 00:22:32,119 --> 00:22:35,400 Speaker 1: you write about all topics you your breath is very large. 410 00:22:35,560 --> 00:22:38,679 Speaker 1: But I pay attention these days, perhaps most importantly to 411 00:22:38,880 --> 00:22:41,520 Speaker 1: your mid term analysis. And I feel like the Eric 412 00:22:41,560 --> 00:22:43,120 Speaker 1: that you've been sound the alarm and when it comes 413 00:22:43,200 --> 00:22:47,840 Speaker 1: to this November, probably louder and more clamorously, we might say, 414 00:22:47,960 --> 00:22:51,400 Speaker 1: than many other in the commentariat. But let's just start there. 415 00:22:51,680 --> 00:22:53,760 Speaker 1: What are you seeing out there that is giving you 416 00:22:53,800 --> 00:22:56,760 Speaker 1: such reservations when it comes to Republicans' chances at the 417 00:22:56,760 --> 00:22:57,800 Speaker 1: ballot box this November. 418 00:22:58,400 --> 00:23:03,159 Speaker 3: The incompetence, it actually is my chief frustration with the 419 00:23:03,200 --> 00:23:07,760 Speaker 3: Republicans right now is there's no desired demand or expectation 420 00:23:07,880 --> 00:23:11,800 Speaker 3: by the Republican base that the president's team behave competently, 421 00:23:12,160 --> 00:23:14,920 Speaker 3: and as a result, they're not getting the competence. Whether 422 00:23:14,960 --> 00:23:17,960 Speaker 3: it's Christy Nome and Corey Landowski at Department Full Land 423 00:23:17,960 --> 00:23:21,280 Speaker 3: Security alienating Hispanic voters around the country in ways that 424 00:23:21,560 --> 00:23:24,520 Speaker 3: they didn't have to, or their inability to get anything 425 00:23:24,560 --> 00:23:28,560 Speaker 3: done in Congress, dropping a second reconciliation package, or just 426 00:23:28,640 --> 00:23:32,560 Speaker 3: the raw campaigning around the country of finding competent candidates 427 00:23:32,600 --> 00:23:37,320 Speaker 3: to fill seats at a time that voters naturally tend 428 00:23:37,359 --> 00:23:40,200 Speaker 3: to go against the party in the White House. Without 429 00:23:40,200 --> 00:23:42,840 Speaker 3: an expectation for competence, there's no reason to get better. 430 00:23:42,880 --> 00:23:46,000 Speaker 3: And I mean, we're just blowing what could actually be 431 00:23:46,520 --> 00:23:49,920 Speaker 3: a mitigated midterm when most Americans still hate the Democrats 432 00:23:49,920 --> 00:23:50,840 Speaker 3: more than Donald Trump. 433 00:23:51,080 --> 00:23:53,119 Speaker 1: So there's a detail that you snuck in there that 434 00:23:53,119 --> 00:23:55,800 Speaker 1: I think it's probably worth packing out. Why exactly are 435 00:23:55,840 --> 00:23:59,240 Speaker 1: Republicans apparently planning to ditch a second reconciliation bill. I 436 00:23:59,280 --> 00:24:00,880 Speaker 1: think a lot of folks not paying attention. 437 00:24:00,520 --> 00:24:03,560 Speaker 3: To this because the President said so the other day, 438 00:24:03,600 --> 00:24:05,760 Speaker 3: which just kind of blows my mind. If you will recall, 439 00:24:05,800 --> 00:24:09,040 Speaker 3: when he came into office, he told Republican voters, don't 440 00:24:09,080 --> 00:24:11,800 Speaker 3: worry about the first reconciliation package, We'll do a second one, 441 00:24:11,840 --> 00:24:14,320 Speaker 3: and last week announced that he didn't see the need 442 00:24:14,320 --> 00:24:17,439 Speaker 3: for a reconciliation package, which there's no way to submit 443 00:24:17,520 --> 00:24:20,199 Speaker 3: a number of the president's policies, including some of the 444 00:24:20,280 --> 00:24:23,920 Speaker 3: environmental changes that the President has made, without doing a 445 00:24:23,960 --> 00:24:27,640 Speaker 3: second reconciliation package. Every single thing can be rolled back 446 00:24:27,720 --> 00:24:31,520 Speaker 3: by executive order unless we do a second reconciliation package. 447 00:24:31,680 --> 00:24:33,840 Speaker 1: It really makes no sense. I mean, I frankly, just 448 00:24:33,920 --> 00:24:36,960 Speaker 1: the mind just reels. I mean, I don't understand what 449 00:24:37,000 --> 00:24:38,679 Speaker 1: the explanation of this would be. Hopefully it is not 450 00:24:38,720 --> 00:24:41,560 Speaker 1: too late to change course. We shall see Eric Irrison again, folks, 451 00:24:41,560 --> 00:24:43,199 Speaker 1: the host of the Eric Erison Show. Follow him on 452 00:24:43,400 --> 00:24:46,080 Speaker 1: x at E. W. Erickson. Eric, I know that you're 453 00:24:46,080 --> 00:24:48,399 Speaker 1: a native of Louisiana, and we here on the Josh 454 00:24:48,400 --> 00:24:51,280 Speaker 1: Ammer Show. We are fans to some extent, I will 455 00:24:51,280 --> 00:24:54,120 Speaker 1: caveat that, to some extents of a very famous Louisian, 456 00:24:54,160 --> 00:24:56,359 Speaker 1: the Raging Cajun. We're not big fans of his politics 457 00:24:56,359 --> 00:24:58,800 Speaker 1: per se, but we are big fans. Yes, well he 458 00:24:58,920 --> 00:25:02,200 Speaker 1: is a look, I mean, he's literally a living legend, right, 459 00:25:02,440 --> 00:25:05,600 Speaker 1: But we're not as like big fans of his political proclivities, 460 00:25:05,640 --> 00:25:08,199 Speaker 1: but we're certainly big fans of his timeless advice that 461 00:25:08,240 --> 00:25:11,280 Speaker 1: it is the economy stupid. And we see this over 462 00:25:11,280 --> 00:25:12,720 Speaker 1: and over and over again. We go back to the 463 00:25:12,760 --> 00:25:15,560 Speaker 1: off off your elections. This past November Zor Mamdania in 464 00:25:15,560 --> 00:25:18,400 Speaker 1: New York City, the Virginia, New Jersey gubernatory race is there. 465 00:25:18,720 --> 00:25:22,159 Speaker 1: It seems that the first three or four issues in 466 00:25:22,200 --> 00:25:25,520 Speaker 1: any given exit poll or some combination of inflation, affordability, 467 00:25:25,600 --> 00:25:29,600 Speaker 1: cost of living, healthcare, housing. Frankly, the percentage Americans living 468 00:25:29,640 --> 00:25:31,800 Speaker 1: paycheck to paycheck. I think most people don't realize this. 469 00:25:31,800 --> 00:25:35,080 Speaker 1: It's roughly two thirds. It's incredibly high right now. So look, 470 00:25:35,080 --> 00:25:37,520 Speaker 1: we're getting some better economic data that the inflation number 471 00:25:37,560 --> 00:25:39,439 Speaker 1: this past priority was down to two point four percent 472 00:25:39,880 --> 00:25:42,960 Speaker 1: on the CPI monthly. That lows has been in roughly 473 00:25:43,280 --> 00:25:47,360 Speaker 1: a year or so, But overall, Eric, there's this persistent, 474 00:25:47,440 --> 00:25:52,040 Speaker 1: this persistent, almost indescribable kind of ethereal notion that the 475 00:25:52,040 --> 00:25:55,199 Speaker 1: economy still isn't working for the working men and women's country. 476 00:25:55,240 --> 00:25:57,320 Speaker 1: Why is that and how can it change? 477 00:25:57,720 --> 00:26:00,680 Speaker 3: Well, first of all, I have to say Republicans themselves 478 00:26:00,680 --> 00:26:02,720 Speaker 3: in the same position the Democrats were in, with Joe 479 00:26:02,720 --> 00:26:07,239 Speaker 3: Biden telling the American public, don't believe your feelings about it. 480 00:26:07,280 --> 00:26:10,399 Speaker 3: Here's the data. It's good, and people got very upset 481 00:26:10,440 --> 00:26:14,479 Speaker 3: about that. Perception in politics is reality, and people perceive 482 00:26:14,520 --> 00:26:17,000 Speaker 3: it's not good. And they perceive it's not good because 483 00:26:17,040 --> 00:26:21,919 Speaker 3: grocery prices have still been high. Beef prices are astronomically 484 00:26:22,040 --> 00:26:25,600 Speaker 3: high right now, their cost of living is high. Insurance 485 00:26:25,680 --> 00:26:28,840 Speaker 3: rates have not come back down during the spike after COVID. 486 00:26:28,880 --> 00:26:31,360 Speaker 3: People are feeling it there, they're feeling it in healthcare, 487 00:26:31,400 --> 00:26:33,920 Speaker 3: they're feeling it in their general lives. And so many 488 00:26:33,960 --> 00:26:36,639 Speaker 3: people are now abandoning public schools, sending their kids to 489 00:26:36,680 --> 00:26:40,120 Speaker 3: private school that then adds costs to their families. It's 490 00:26:40,240 --> 00:26:44,640 Speaker 3: become a real problem. And Republicans their solution was tariffs, 491 00:26:45,000 --> 00:26:47,679 Speaker 3: which economically aren't good. In fact, there's a report of 492 00:26:47,680 --> 00:26:50,919 Speaker 3: the Wall Street Journal today that after a year of 493 00:26:51,400 --> 00:26:53,639 Speaker 3: companies thinking they could weigh out the tariffs and the 494 00:26:53,640 --> 00:26:55,680 Speaker 3: President would change his mind, they've given up and they're 495 00:26:55,680 --> 00:26:58,439 Speaker 3: going to start raising prices and already have in some cases. 496 00:26:58,480 --> 00:27:02,440 Speaker 3: Amazon's saying that of cert impacting purchases at Amazon already, 497 00:27:02,680 --> 00:27:06,120 Speaker 3: where a lot of Americans buy cheap goods. It's Americans 498 00:27:06,119 --> 00:27:08,120 Speaker 3: can feel it, and they're tired of being gas lit 499 00:27:08,560 --> 00:27:12,919 Speaker 3: by both Democrats and Republicans who's ever in power insisting no, no, 500 00:27:13,040 --> 00:27:14,320 Speaker 3: what you're feeling isn't real. 501 00:27:14,640 --> 00:27:16,720 Speaker 1: You know, there's another issue out there as well as 502 00:27:17,400 --> 00:27:21,399 Speaker 1: part of the broader sense of economic insecurity, and it's 503 00:27:21,400 --> 00:27:24,000 Speaker 1: an issue that Republicans historically don't talk much about it. 504 00:27:24,520 --> 00:27:27,800 Speaker 1: It's the issue of healthcare. But frankly, in the polling, 505 00:27:27,840 --> 00:27:29,679 Speaker 1: if you just look at all the general polling, the 506 00:27:29,680 --> 00:27:33,439 Speaker 1: exit polling, kind of just anecdotal evidence from my day 507 00:27:33,480 --> 00:27:36,800 Speaker 1: to day conversations with voters probably yours two imagine healthcare 508 00:27:36,880 --> 00:27:39,640 Speaker 1: is an issue that Americans care a lot about. And 509 00:27:40,119 --> 00:27:42,840 Speaker 1: it's an issue Eric that I've heard from numerous friends 510 00:27:42,840 --> 00:27:45,160 Speaker 1: on Capitol Hill. They've said to me don't worry, Josh. 511 00:27:45,240 --> 00:27:47,080 Speaker 1: Republicans have a plan. You're going to see that in 512 00:27:47,320 --> 00:27:49,680 Speaker 1: the first few months of twenty twenty six. And sure enough, 513 00:27:49,680 --> 00:27:51,359 Speaker 1: we haven't seen a plan. Frankly, if there's not going 514 00:27:51,400 --> 00:27:53,520 Speaker 1: to get a reconciliation bill, I'm not even sure that matters, 515 00:27:53,520 --> 00:27:55,879 Speaker 1: because that plan would have no chance of passage. But 516 00:27:56,200 --> 00:27:57,840 Speaker 1: you know, in theory when it comes to things like 517 00:27:57,840 --> 00:28:01,200 Speaker 1: healthcare and frankly housing as well, is there anything specifically 518 00:28:01,280 --> 00:28:02,359 Speaker 1: that you would hope to see out there in the 519 00:28:02,400 --> 00:28:03,040 Speaker 1: next few months. 520 00:28:03,359 --> 00:28:04,960 Speaker 3: Look, I don't think we're ever going to see a 521 00:28:05,000 --> 00:28:08,240 Speaker 3: Republican healthcare plan. They've had an opportunity since two thousand 522 00:28:08,280 --> 00:28:10,879 Speaker 3: and nine to present a comprehensive reform of healthcare and 523 00:28:11,080 --> 00:28:14,720 Speaker 3: they've never done it. They run against Obamacare and continue 524 00:28:14,760 --> 00:28:18,280 Speaker 3: to prop it up, So I'm not expecting anything. What 525 00:28:18,320 --> 00:28:22,040 Speaker 3: they could, however, do, is meaningfully help families lower prices 526 00:28:22,080 --> 00:28:25,119 Speaker 3: one if they did reconciliation, another tax cut round for 527 00:28:25,160 --> 00:28:27,360 Speaker 3: the middle class would be very good. Or to help 528 00:28:27,440 --> 00:28:30,280 Speaker 3: companies because you know, we saw when the president's first 529 00:28:30,359 --> 00:28:33,800 Speaker 3: term was here, when they reformed corporate taxes, a lot 530 00:28:33,800 --> 00:28:37,480 Speaker 3: of corporations refunded money not to themselves and their shareholders, 531 00:28:37,480 --> 00:28:40,160 Speaker 3: but to employees and bonuses, and it actually had a 532 00:28:40,200 --> 00:28:43,120 Speaker 3: meaningful impact on people. There are ways for the President's 533 00:28:43,120 --> 00:28:46,040 Speaker 3: team to do this pretty rapidly and dramatically with the 534 00:28:46,120 --> 00:28:48,600 Speaker 3: right conciliation package, but he says they're not going to 535 00:28:48,600 --> 00:28:48,840 Speaker 3: do it. 536 00:28:49,200 --> 00:28:51,120 Speaker 1: Eric Garrison is the host again of The Eric Irrison 537 00:28:51,160 --> 00:28:53,280 Speaker 1: Show and nationally syndicate of fall him on x at 538 00:28:53,360 --> 00:28:56,240 Speaker 1: ew Rickson Erica. In our maintime, I'd like to shift 539 00:28:56,240 --> 00:28:58,239 Speaker 1: gear still a little bit. Earlier in the show, I 540 00:28:58,280 --> 00:29:01,160 Speaker 1: was talking about the Iran debates, and Iran is an 541 00:29:01,160 --> 00:29:03,960 Speaker 1: issue that has well, really, it's been an issue for 542 00:29:04,000 --> 00:29:05,840 Speaker 1: as long as I've been alive, probably as long as 543 00:29:05,840 --> 00:29:08,720 Speaker 1: you've been alive, just about as well. But it's been 544 00:29:08,840 --> 00:29:10,560 Speaker 1: very much in the news, this kind of will he 545 00:29:10,640 --> 00:29:12,480 Speaker 1: won't teed debate. Now, it's been going on for a 546 00:29:12,560 --> 00:29:15,000 Speaker 1: very long time. It's been happening for at least a month. 547 00:29:15,080 --> 00:29:19,080 Speaker 1: Donald Trump doubled down on his red line around January fifteen. 548 00:29:19,160 --> 00:29:22,480 Speaker 1: January sixteenth basically told the Iranian protesters get out there, 549 00:29:22,560 --> 00:29:24,400 Speaker 1: help is on the way, and here we are. Has 550 00:29:24,440 --> 00:29:26,720 Speaker 1: been a month and we've seen Steve Wickoff and Jerry 551 00:29:26,800 --> 00:29:29,640 Speaker 1: Kushner meet with the Iranian foreign minister. Apparently they are 552 00:29:29,640 --> 00:29:32,760 Speaker 1: going to be more talks tomorrow in Geneva. Frankly, Eric, 553 00:29:32,920 --> 00:29:35,560 Speaker 1: I'm of the opinion that you can't trust these guys to, 554 00:29:35,920 --> 00:29:38,760 Speaker 1: you know, to keep a ten dollars wager, let alone 555 00:29:39,080 --> 00:29:40,960 Speaker 1: a deal when it comes to blist of missiles or 556 00:29:41,000 --> 00:29:44,080 Speaker 1: nuclear weapons there. So, what exactly are we doing here 557 00:29:44,160 --> 00:29:46,320 Speaker 1: and what is your prediction when push comes to shove 558 00:29:46,360 --> 00:29:47,840 Speaker 1: as to what Donald Trump will do in this theater. 559 00:29:48,320 --> 00:29:51,360 Speaker 3: He has the opportunity to be more than Barack Obama 560 00:29:51,640 --> 00:29:55,160 Speaker 3: or Barack Obama. Barack Obama gave lip service dur the 561 00:29:55,200 --> 00:29:57,600 Speaker 3: herb Spring to the Iranian protesters, many of whom got 562 00:29:57,680 --> 00:29:59,800 Speaker 3: killed then, and then he turned us back on him. 563 00:29:59,800 --> 00:30:01,800 Speaker 3: And that's what it looks like Donald Trump has done. 564 00:30:01,800 --> 00:30:04,160 Speaker 3: After telling people to get into the streets, he actually 565 00:30:04,440 --> 00:30:07,640 Speaker 3: did more than Barack Obama encouraging them to protest against 566 00:30:07,680 --> 00:30:10,280 Speaker 3: the government. Now he's saying he thinks regime change would 567 00:30:10,320 --> 00:30:12,520 Speaker 3: be best. We're sending the Jerald Ford, the largest and 568 00:30:12,560 --> 00:30:15,760 Speaker 3: most advanced aircraft carrier, to join the Lincoln there. I'm 569 00:30:15,880 --> 00:30:19,200 Speaker 3: hoping that the President does something, and I understand the 570 00:30:19,240 --> 00:30:22,680 Speaker 3: hesitancy of some of the Arab partners, many of whom 571 00:30:22,840 --> 00:30:26,240 Speaker 3: are frustrated with Iran but are afraid that what could 572 00:30:26,320 --> 00:30:29,640 Speaker 3: come next would be even more destabilizing. I understand that, 573 00:30:30,040 --> 00:30:33,640 Speaker 3: except they're all being targeted right now by Iranian terrorism. 574 00:30:33,640 --> 00:30:35,640 Speaker 3: I grew up in Dubai. The Iranians tried to blow 575 00:30:35,720 --> 00:30:37,720 Speaker 3: up my school when I was in elementary school. That 576 00:30:38,000 --> 00:30:41,640 Speaker 3: they're not getting better, They're not going to change the 577 00:30:41,680 --> 00:30:44,400 Speaker 3: world would be better off without them. And I hope 578 00:30:44,440 --> 00:30:48,360 Speaker 3: that the president, who's been pretty aggressive and recognizing that 579 00:30:48,640 --> 00:30:52,080 Speaker 3: we need to shake up the growing axis between China, Russia, 580 00:30:52,080 --> 00:30:56,560 Speaker 3: and Iran, would realize destabilizing Iran actually helps our long 581 00:30:56,640 --> 00:30:58,520 Speaker 3: term interest against China and Russia as well. 582 00:30:58,840 --> 00:31:02,320 Speaker 1: Yeah, Ron is very much a proxy of sorts of 583 00:31:02,480 --> 00:31:06,480 Speaker 1: of of the China Russia alliance and frankly Iran now 584 00:31:06,480 --> 00:31:08,640 Speaker 1: with Venezuela Maduro as well. There there have been two 585 00:31:08,680 --> 00:31:12,960 Speaker 1: examples now of these Russian Chinese cats pod these sage 586 00:31:12,960 --> 00:31:16,680 Speaker 1: Freeze if you will, whose weaponry has failed them. Iran's 587 00:31:16,920 --> 00:31:20,640 Speaker 1: missile defense epically failed them last June. Maduro's Cuban thugs 588 00:31:20,680 --> 00:31:22,880 Speaker 1: and help me very much in January either there. So 589 00:31:23,160 --> 00:31:25,480 Speaker 1: another blow against Ron definitely would be a severe blow 590 00:31:25,520 --> 00:31:27,640 Speaker 1: to this horrific access. Well again, folks, Eric Erickson. You 591 00:31:27,680 --> 00:31:29,680 Speaker 1: can listen to the Eric Erickson Show. It's not just 592 00:31:29,840 --> 00:31:31,640 Speaker 1: indicate to check him out at Eric Erison dot com, 593 00:31:31,760 --> 00:31:34,400 Speaker 1: follow him on x at E. W. Ericson. Eric known 594 00:31:34,400 --> 00:31:35,960 Speaker 1: you a long time now, I still thought your work 595 00:31:36,040 --> 00:31:37,880 Speaker 1: very closely. We really appreciate something by the join us, 596 00:31:37,880 --> 00:31:38,120 Speaker 1: my friend. 597 00:31:38,160 --> 00:31:39,720 Speaker 3: Thank you very much, Josh, thanks for having me. 598 00:31:40,040 --> 00:31:41,760 Speaker 1: Keep best stay with this, folks. We will be right 599 00:31:41,840 --> 00:31:44,000 Speaker 1: back on the other end of just a very short 600 00:31:44,040 --> 00:31:54,160 Speaker 1: commercial break. Welcome back. One of my pet peeps in 601 00:31:54,280 --> 00:31:57,520 Speaker 1: American life in general is that when it comes to 602 00:31:57,600 --> 00:32:03,400 Speaker 1: so many of our great national holloway and our nationalistic ones, 603 00:32:04,000 --> 00:32:06,920 Speaker 1: the ones that really should inspire a source of pride, 604 00:32:07,960 --> 00:32:11,120 Speaker 1: a sense of being, a sense that we are part 605 00:32:11,160 --> 00:32:16,440 Speaker 1: of this great in intergenerational link of history, linking the 606 00:32:16,480 --> 00:32:18,320 Speaker 1: great men of yesteryear to the great men of say 607 00:32:18,360 --> 00:32:21,360 Speaker 1: to the great men of tomorrow, in this wonderful experiments 608 00:32:21,400 --> 00:32:23,320 Speaker 1: in order liberty that we call America. One of my 609 00:32:23,360 --> 00:32:25,160 Speaker 1: pet peeves that many of our holidays they are meant 610 00:32:25,240 --> 00:32:29,480 Speaker 1: to do that to evoke that mentality, are on the 611 00:32:29,520 --> 00:32:33,760 Speaker 1: one hand, overly commercialized. On the other hand are just 612 00:32:33,960 --> 00:32:37,360 Speaker 1: not even thought about at all. They're not pondered. Is 613 00:32:37,360 --> 00:32:41,360 Speaker 1: it too much to ask that this nation's holidays be 614 00:32:41,440 --> 00:32:44,960 Speaker 1: given a little bit of thought. We see this all 615 00:32:44,960 --> 00:32:48,400 Speaker 1: throughout the calendar year. Memorial the day weekend for most 616 00:32:48,680 --> 00:32:52,280 Speaker 1: is not a weekend. It is not a day to 617 00:32:52,360 --> 00:32:56,560 Speaker 1: actually think about the fallen those who laid all down 618 00:32:56,560 --> 00:33:00,280 Speaker 1: and gave their lives to defend the land the way 619 00:33:00,280 --> 00:33:04,960 Speaker 1: of life that they love. On July fourth, usually for 620 00:33:05,080 --> 00:33:08,400 Speaker 1: most people, it's not an opportunity to take out that 621 00:33:08,560 --> 00:33:11,800 Speaker 1: dusty old copy of the Decoration of Independence and to 622 00:33:11,880 --> 00:33:19,200 Speaker 1: actually reread these timeless, immortal words, the notion, as we'll 623 00:33:19,240 --> 00:33:23,080 Speaker 1: read altogether on our nation's two hundred fifty that anniversary 624 00:33:23,280 --> 00:33:26,520 Speaker 1: this July, the notion that all men are created equal. 625 00:33:26,600 --> 00:33:28,000 Speaker 1: We hold these truths be self evident. The all men 626 00:33:28,040 --> 00:33:30,360 Speaker 1: are create equal, They are endowed by their creator with 627 00:33:30,520 --> 00:33:33,840 Speaker 1: certain inhaliable rights. When those are life, liberty, in the 628 00:33:33,840 --> 00:33:36,840 Speaker 1: pursuit of happiness. You could do that on July fourth. 629 00:33:36,880 --> 00:33:40,360 Speaker 1: You also could just drink a bunch of beers and 630 00:33:40,360 --> 00:33:43,080 Speaker 1: eat a lot of hot dogs and watch them fireworks. 631 00:33:43,160 --> 00:33:45,520 Speaker 1: Not even think about it, Not even think about the 632 00:33:45,560 --> 00:33:49,600 Speaker 1: fact that John Adams, or second President, famously said that 633 00:33:49,640 --> 00:33:52,920 Speaker 1: the date of July fourth, as nation independence, should be 634 00:33:52,960 --> 00:33:58,000 Speaker 1: forever solemnized, should be held solvemn and sacred for hundreds, 635 00:33:58,040 --> 00:34:01,720 Speaker 1: perhaps even with thousands of years after this, with bonfires 636 00:34:01,760 --> 00:34:07,720 Speaker 1: and guns and shows entertainment. How about Thanksgiving, my personal 637 00:34:07,800 --> 00:34:10,480 Speaker 1: favorite holiday of them all on the American civic calendar? 638 00:34:11,400 --> 00:34:14,160 Speaker 1: Do we really think much about Thanksgiving? Well, I mean 639 00:34:14,200 --> 00:34:15,720 Speaker 1: when I was growing up, we did to an extent. 640 00:34:15,760 --> 00:34:17,080 Speaker 1: We all ran on the table and said what we 641 00:34:17,080 --> 00:34:20,800 Speaker 1: were grateful for these days? Though really do most people 642 00:34:20,800 --> 00:34:24,480 Speaker 1: do that? For most people, it's just about turkey, the 643 00:34:24,560 --> 00:34:28,760 Speaker 1: Dallas Cowboys, and trying not to tick off your ornery uncle. 644 00:34:30,080 --> 00:34:34,399 Speaker 1: So too. Now the calendar turns to President's Day. Now, 645 00:34:34,440 --> 00:34:37,960 Speaker 1: the formal name of the holidays day is actually officially 646 00:34:38,000 --> 00:34:42,600 Speaker 1: in the federal government records, it is known as Washington's 647 00:34:42,640 --> 00:34:47,719 Speaker 1: Birthday and is formerly celebrated on the third Monday of February, 648 00:34:48,360 --> 00:34:52,200 Speaker 1: so because the first Monday was pretty early on the calendar, 649 00:34:52,280 --> 00:34:55,560 Speaker 1: Now on Monday, February sixteenth, it is President's Day aka 650 00:34:55,719 --> 00:34:58,839 Speaker 1: Washington's Birthday. There's a lot of me said about this 651 00:34:58,960 --> 00:35:03,080 Speaker 1: particular holiday. The first time it was actually render national 652 00:35:03,080 --> 00:35:06,839 Speaker 1: holiday was the year eighteen seventy nine. The first thing 653 00:35:06,880 --> 00:35:10,840 Speaker 1: to say is that I happen to object to the 654 00:35:10,880 --> 00:35:14,080 Speaker 1: formal name of the holiday. For what it's worth. Informally 655 00:35:14,120 --> 00:35:16,160 Speaker 1: this is known as President's Day. In my mind, that's 656 00:35:16,160 --> 00:35:19,440 Speaker 1: really what it ought to be known as. George Washington's 657 00:35:19,440 --> 00:35:21,640 Speaker 1: birthday is a curious name for a holiday to extent, 658 00:35:21,680 --> 00:35:25,200 Speaker 1: because he actually has a birthday. It's February twenty seconds. 659 00:35:26,040 --> 00:35:28,480 Speaker 1: How do I know that. I'll tell you how I 660 00:35:28,520 --> 00:35:32,440 Speaker 1: know that because my best friend from childhood was born 661 00:35:32,960 --> 00:35:38,080 Speaker 1: on George Washington's birthday. I was born on Abraham Lincoln's birthday. 662 00:35:38,200 --> 00:35:40,560 Speaker 1: It was just this past Thursday. Actually, happy belated birthday 663 00:35:40,600 --> 00:35:43,760 Speaker 1: to me. That's February twelfth. So Lincoln's on the twelfth, 664 00:35:44,160 --> 00:35:47,480 Speaker 1: Washington's on the twenty seconds. In theory, that's why we 665 00:35:47,560 --> 00:35:51,200 Speaker 1: have the third Monday in February to be the federal 666 00:35:51,200 --> 00:35:55,279 Speaker 1: holiday to celebrate the two men that most historians recognize 667 00:35:55,719 --> 00:35:57,959 Speaker 1: as our greatest leaders of all time. So I've always 668 00:35:58,000 --> 00:36:02,120 Speaker 1: known another opinion here that Abraham Lincoln gets somewhat short shrift. 669 00:36:03,040 --> 00:36:04,839 Speaker 1: I think back to my childhood and my friend Line 670 00:36:04,880 --> 00:36:08,600 Speaker 1: would have these fun debates, actually who was the greater president? 671 00:36:08,640 --> 00:36:11,799 Speaker 1: Was it George Washington or Abraham Lincoln. There's really no 672 00:36:11,880 --> 00:36:14,480 Speaker 1: right or wrong answer to this question, by the way. 673 00:36:14,680 --> 00:36:18,680 Speaker 1: You can debate this every day, and there's there's so 674 00:36:18,800 --> 00:36:23,280 Speaker 1: much amazing goodness, frankly, about both of these men, George 675 00:36:23,320 --> 00:36:26,359 Speaker 1: Washington one of there's again, there's so much to say. 676 00:36:26,480 --> 00:36:28,520 Speaker 1: But one of the most important things he did was 677 00:36:28,520 --> 00:36:32,480 Speaker 1: he established the line of succession. He established that he 678 00:36:32,560 --> 00:36:34,879 Speaker 1: was not going to be a tyrant. Do you know 679 00:36:34,960 --> 00:36:39,960 Speaker 1: how much temptation there was for George Washington after finishing 680 00:36:40,000 --> 00:36:43,799 Speaker 1: his second term, after putting down the Whiskey Rebellion in 681 00:36:43,840 --> 00:36:48,240 Speaker 1: the early seventeen nineties, after presiding over these incredible debates 682 00:36:48,239 --> 00:36:52,160 Speaker 1: in Congress between the nationalist Party of Oxander Hamilton John 683 00:36:52,200 --> 00:36:54,840 Speaker 1: Adams and the more liberal party of Thomas Jefferson and 684 00:36:54,920 --> 00:36:58,840 Speaker 1: James Madison, after again the country started, do you know 685 00:36:58,920 --> 00:37:02,560 Speaker 1: how easy would have been for George Washington say, you 686 00:37:02,600 --> 00:37:06,080 Speaker 1: know what the president calls recommended in chief, why not 687 00:37:06,360 --> 00:37:10,360 Speaker 1: just make me a king? But he didn't. He bowed out, 688 00:37:10,680 --> 00:37:13,239 Speaker 1: and his farewell address to this day remains one of 689 00:37:13,239 --> 00:37:16,960 Speaker 1: the most beautiful things ever spoken written in American history. 690 00:37:17,400 --> 00:37:20,880 Speaker 1: One of my favorite lines from Washington's farewell Address or 691 00:37:20,960 --> 00:37:25,360 Speaker 1: fair Paragraphs. Reality is as follows. Washington speaking says, quote 692 00:37:25,640 --> 00:37:29,120 Speaker 1: of all the dispositions and habits which lead to political prosperity, 693 00:37:29,280 --> 00:37:33,640 Speaker 1: religion and morality are indispensable supports in vain. Would that 694 00:37:33,760 --> 00:37:37,200 Speaker 1: man claim the tribute to patriotism? Who should labor to 695 00:37:37,280 --> 00:37:40,720 Speaker 1: subvert these great pillars of human happiness, These firmest props 696 00:37:40,719 --> 00:37:43,680 Speaker 1: of the duties of men and citizens. The mere politician, 697 00:37:43,840 --> 00:37:46,520 Speaker 1: equally with the pious man, ought to respect and to 698 00:37:46,600 --> 00:37:50,200 Speaker 1: cherish him. A volume could not trace all their connections 699 00:37:50,200 --> 00:37:53,640 Speaker 1: with private and public felicity. Let it simply be asked, 700 00:37:53,800 --> 00:37:58,239 Speaker 1: where is the security for property, reputation for life? If 701 00:37:58,239 --> 00:38:02,799 Speaker 1: the sense of religious obligation deserts the oaths, which are 702 00:38:02,800 --> 00:38:06,600 Speaker 1: the instruments of investigations in courts of justice, And let 703 00:38:06,680 --> 00:38:10,880 Speaker 1: us caution leads with caution indulged the supposition that morality 704 00:38:10,920 --> 00:38:15,040 Speaker 1: can be contained without religion. That's one of the key 705 00:38:15,080 --> 00:38:18,440 Speaker 1: lines there, This notion that he's saying, don't think that 706 00:38:18,520 --> 00:38:23,200 Speaker 1: calling yourself spiritual but not religious is enough. No, that 707 00:38:23,520 --> 00:38:29,120 Speaker 1: quickly wanders off into subjectivism, into sollipsism. Frankly, the philosophical 708 00:38:29,160 --> 00:38:32,520 Speaker 1: delusion that only you exist and nothing else is real. 709 00:38:33,360 --> 00:38:36,879 Speaker 1: You need revelation, need real biblical religion. It's a core 710 00:38:36,960 --> 00:38:38,680 Speaker 1: theme and why both came out last year, and it's 711 00:38:38,680 --> 00:38:41,440 Speaker 1: a core theme of Washington's feral address as well. On 712 00:38:41,480 --> 00:38:43,360 Speaker 1: the other hand, of course, you have Abraham Lincoln, my 713 00:38:43,480 --> 00:38:45,839 Speaker 1: personal favorite figure in all of American history, the man 714 00:38:45,920 --> 00:38:48,840 Speaker 1: who saved the Union, who brought us to our better 715 00:38:48,880 --> 00:38:52,640 Speaker 1: angels by eradicating our original sin, the sin of chattel slavery. 716 00:38:53,200 --> 00:38:56,239 Speaker 1: A man who did not want to put down the 717 00:38:56,239 --> 00:38:59,719 Speaker 1: Confederate insurrection, with whose hand was forced, A man who 718 00:39:00,040 --> 00:39:04,080 Speaker 1: voted the Bible time and time again throughout his public speeches, 719 00:39:04,280 --> 00:39:09,560 Speaker 1: channeling that Washington notion. Men of famous who referred to 720 00:39:09,640 --> 00:39:13,960 Speaker 1: the Decoration of Independence as the golden apple, for which 721 00:39:13,960 --> 00:39:18,080 Speaker 1: the Constitution is merely the surrounding frame of silver. Lincoln, 722 00:39:18,120 --> 00:39:21,759 Speaker 1: a man who believes so strongly and so powerfully in 723 00:39:21,800 --> 00:39:26,080 Speaker 1: the political theory of these United States. Look, we have 724 00:39:26,120 --> 00:39:29,120 Speaker 1: separation of powers in this country. Article one is the Congress. 725 00:39:29,520 --> 00:39:33,000 Speaker 1: Article two is the presidency. Article three is judiciary. The 726 00:39:33,080 --> 00:39:37,200 Speaker 1: fair minded observer might ask, Okay, if there is a 727 00:39:37,239 --> 00:39:40,560 Speaker 1: President's Day, why isn't there a Congress day, or a 728 00:39:40,680 --> 00:39:44,760 Speaker 1: judiciary day of Supreme Court day. Perhaps it's a fair question, 729 00:39:45,880 --> 00:39:48,480 Speaker 1: maybe in fact even there should be, But I admit 730 00:39:48,560 --> 00:39:53,560 Speaker 1: to you that the answer is this. Since time memorial, 731 00:39:53,680 --> 00:39:58,760 Speaker 1: since governments were first instituted among men, we have looked 732 00:39:58,880 --> 00:40:02,200 Speaker 1: to individuals. Try to be the tribune of the masses. 733 00:40:02,520 --> 00:40:05,160 Speaker 1: Try to be a spokesman for the people. The worst 734 00:40:05,200 --> 00:40:09,800 Speaker 1: excess of this have resulted in demagoguay and oftentimes tyranny. 735 00:40:09,840 --> 00:40:13,520 Speaker 1: But a tribune to the people who truly channels the 736 00:40:13,560 --> 00:40:17,920 Speaker 1: people's sentiments and seeks not merely to just give them 737 00:40:17,920 --> 00:40:20,960 Speaker 1: what they want, but to ennoble them, to elevate them. 738 00:40:21,640 --> 00:40:24,880 Speaker 1: That is the mark of a true statesman. And sometimes 739 00:40:24,880 --> 00:40:27,600 Speaker 1: that can only happen in the form of an individual. 740 00:40:28,800 --> 00:40:31,759 Speaker 1: There's nothing wrong with having individuals that we revere and 741 00:40:31,760 --> 00:40:36,120 Speaker 1: look up to. In fact, it is a very important thing. 742 00:40:37,520 --> 00:40:41,080 Speaker 1: There's only one God, but you're allowed to have heroes 743 00:40:41,280 --> 00:40:45,560 Speaker 1: here in this mortal coil, in this particular realm, outside 744 00:40:45,560 --> 00:40:49,280 Speaker 1: of the realm of the transcendental. So whatever you're doing today, 745 00:40:49,280 --> 00:40:51,319 Speaker 1: whatever you plan to do today, whatever you've already done, 746 00:40:51,440 --> 00:40:53,600 Speaker 1: whatever a time you have leve before you go to sleep, 747 00:40:54,160 --> 00:40:57,600 Speaker 1: just think about these themes. Think about George Washington, think 748 00:40:57,600 --> 00:41:00,920 Speaker 1: about Abraham Lincoln. Maybe do your own debate who's the 749 00:41:00,920 --> 00:41:04,200 Speaker 1: better president Washington, who found the Republic or Lincoln, who 750 00:41:04,239 --> 00:41:06,759 Speaker 1: saved the Republic. There's no right answer, really, there isn't. 751 00:41:06,920 --> 00:41:09,040 Speaker 1: You're all title to your opinion. I have plenty of mine. 752 00:41:09,960 --> 00:41:13,000 Speaker 1: But this country is so beautiful, and it will not 753 00:41:13,040 --> 00:41:15,719 Speaker 1: sustain itself from one generation to the next unless we 754 00:41:15,800 --> 00:41:18,960 Speaker 1: act on it. Another President, Ronald Reagan famously said, of course, 755 00:41:19,200 --> 00:41:21,719 Speaker 1: that a freedom is only one generation from extinction in 756 00:41:21,760 --> 00:41:24,760 Speaker 1: every generation. That is our task to fight to preserve 757 00:41:24,800 --> 00:41:26,719 Speaker 1: it from this generation to the next, so that our 758 00:41:26,800 --> 00:41:30,560 Speaker 1: children and our grandchildren may yet again inherit this wonderful 759 00:41:30,560 --> 00:41:33,200 Speaker 1: experiment in order liberty. Folks have a great rest of evening. 760 00:41:33,239 --> 00:41:35,839 Speaker 1: Happy President's Day. Josh hammer' hunning off will be right 761 00:41:35,880 --> 00:41:38,719 Speaker 1: back tomorrow.