1 00:00:00,760 --> 00:00:02,920 Speaker 1: The night. Michael Brown joins me here, the former FEMA 2 00:00:02,960 --> 00:00:03,720 Speaker 1: director of talk. 3 00:00:03,520 --> 00:00:04,520 Speaker 2: Show host Michael Brown. 4 00:00:04,640 --> 00:00:07,040 Speaker 3: Brownie, no, Brownie, You're doing a heck of a job 5 00:00:07,200 --> 00:00:08,960 Speaker 3: the Weekend with Michael Brown. 6 00:00:09,600 --> 00:00:12,319 Speaker 4: Merry Christmas, everyone, and welcome to the Weekend with Michael Brown. 7 00:00:13,000 --> 00:00:15,880 Speaker 4: Glad to have you with me. Hope everybody's planning for 8 00:00:15,920 --> 00:00:20,440 Speaker 4: a joyous and happy holiday period. Hope you get some 9 00:00:20,480 --> 00:00:23,400 Speaker 4: time off, enjoy the family, enjoy whatever it is that 10 00:00:23,440 --> 00:00:26,119 Speaker 4: you do. I certainly intend to do so. I'll be 11 00:00:26,239 --> 00:00:31,520 Speaker 4: back on January five. Text line is always open three 12 00:00:31,640 --> 00:00:34,280 Speaker 4: three one zero three key word Mike or Michael. Do 13 00:00:34,360 --> 00:00:36,960 Speaker 4: me a favor, go follow me on X at Michael 14 00:00:36,960 --> 00:00:41,440 Speaker 4: Brown USA. When I was the under Secretary of Homeland Security, 15 00:00:42,640 --> 00:00:48,120 Speaker 4: we always no matter how large or small the incident, 16 00:00:48,320 --> 00:00:51,639 Speaker 4: the disaster, whatever it might be. I mean everything from 17 00:00:51,720 --> 00:00:53,800 Speaker 4: nine to eleven. You know, after action reports on nine 18 00:00:53,840 --> 00:00:56,160 Speaker 4: to eleven, what mistakes did we make? What can we 19 00:00:56,160 --> 00:01:00,680 Speaker 4: do better? And then I went to a organization, the Corporation, 20 00:01:01,480 --> 00:01:04,880 Speaker 4: which is a quasi private government organization in d C 21 00:01:05,760 --> 00:01:08,920 Speaker 4: and helped them, or ask them to help me create 22 00:01:09,880 --> 00:01:15,039 Speaker 4: a system by which we could measure the metrics of 23 00:01:15,120 --> 00:01:18,840 Speaker 4: our after action reports, so that I could follow through 24 00:01:19,000 --> 00:01:22,080 Speaker 4: and see if we had, you know, if we had 25 00:01:22,080 --> 00:01:24,920 Speaker 4: made a mistake or something didn't work out quite right. 26 00:01:25,440 --> 00:01:28,960 Speaker 4: Did it require you know, a statutory change or regulatory change, 27 00:01:28,959 --> 00:01:33,119 Speaker 4: a policy change, did it require personnel change, whatever, whatever 28 00:01:33,200 --> 00:01:36,600 Speaker 4: the changes were, we put those into a system of 29 00:01:36,720 --> 00:01:41,080 Speaker 4: metrics so that I could track those changes being made 30 00:01:42,600 --> 00:01:45,280 Speaker 4: and that it had never been done before, and I said, 31 00:01:45,319 --> 00:01:47,440 Speaker 4: we wanted to do it. Having come from the private sector, 32 00:01:47,800 --> 00:01:50,240 Speaker 4: I wanted to know that, you know, if if we 33 00:01:50,640 --> 00:01:54,120 Speaker 4: if we screwed something up, how do we avoid that again? 34 00:01:54,960 --> 00:01:58,120 Speaker 4: And because the government again is so large, you have 35 00:01:58,240 --> 00:02:01,160 Speaker 4: to track every little thing like it's If it's a regulation, 36 00:02:01,560 --> 00:02:04,559 Speaker 4: you can't just change that overnight. That takes a period 37 00:02:04,600 --> 00:02:08,200 Speaker 4: of time. If it's a policy, yes I could change 38 00:02:08,200 --> 00:02:11,919 Speaker 4: the policy on the fly, but making sure that that 39 00:02:12,040 --> 00:02:16,400 Speaker 4: policy got down through the bureaucracy, I had to track that. 40 00:02:16,600 --> 00:02:19,080 Speaker 4: So the RAND Corporation helped me set up this system 41 00:02:19,120 --> 00:02:24,120 Speaker 4: for doing so. Most private organizations will do the same thing. 42 00:02:24,800 --> 00:02:28,360 Speaker 4: They'll track needed changes and how we go about implementing 43 00:02:28,360 --> 00:02:34,720 Speaker 4: those changes. Well, the Democrat Party is up in arms 44 00:02:35,360 --> 00:02:38,320 Speaker 4: because of a New York Times story that appeared. Let 45 00:02:38,360 --> 00:02:40,000 Speaker 4: me see if I got the date in the story here. 46 00:02:41,120 --> 00:02:44,519 Speaker 4: The date on the story was the eighteenth, So yeah, 47 00:02:44,560 --> 00:02:49,679 Speaker 4: it was on Thursday that I first read this. They're 48 00:02:49,760 --> 00:02:55,400 Speaker 4: up in arms because the Democrat National Committee is going 49 00:02:55,480 --> 00:02:59,280 Speaker 4: to scrap its report on what went wrong in twenty 50 00:02:59,320 --> 00:03:04,480 Speaker 4: twenty four. They did an after action report, what did 51 00:03:04,520 --> 00:03:07,720 Speaker 4: we mess up? And now here's what The New York 52 00:03:07,760 --> 00:03:12,119 Speaker 4: Time says. Ken Martin, the chair of the DNC, sat 53 00:03:12,160 --> 00:03:15,840 Speaker 4: on Thursday he had decided not to publish a report 54 00:03:16,240 --> 00:03:18,799 Speaker 4: that he ordered months ago into what went wrong for 55 00:03:18,880 --> 00:03:22,280 Speaker 4: the Democrat Party last year. Mister Martin will instead keep 56 00:03:22,280 --> 00:03:27,120 Speaker 4: the findings under seal oh psychon grand jury testimony. He 57 00:03:27,280 --> 00:03:30,640 Speaker 4: believes that looking back so publicly and painfully at the 58 00:03:30,720 --> 00:03:34,200 Speaker 4: past would prove counterproductive for the party as it tries 59 00:03:34,320 --> 00:03:37,720 Speaker 4: next year to take power back in Congress. According to 60 00:03:37,760 --> 00:03:41,640 Speaker 4: a DNC spokesperson who spoke on the condition of anonymity 61 00:03:42,000 --> 00:03:45,680 Speaker 4: to share the thinking behind his decision, The New York 62 00:03:45,680 --> 00:03:49,120 Speaker 4: Times reports that mister Martin said, in a statement, here's 63 00:03:49,200 --> 00:03:53,000 Speaker 4: our north star. Does this help us win? If the 64 00:03:53,120 --> 00:03:56,080 Speaker 4: answer is no, then it's a distraction from the core 65 00:03:56,200 --> 00:04:00,440 Speaker 4: mission close quote. New York Times says the parties brand 66 00:04:00,640 --> 00:04:03,600 Speaker 4: still appears deeply damaged in the eyes of many voters. 67 00:04:04,160 --> 00:04:08,120 Speaker 4: A national poll from Quinnipiac University this week found that 68 00:04:08,240 --> 00:04:13,680 Speaker 4: only eighteen percent of voters approved of how Democrats and 69 00:04:13,840 --> 00:04:17,400 Speaker 4: Congress were during their job doing their jobs. That is 70 00:04:17,480 --> 00:04:22,560 Speaker 4: a record low, The Times concludes. Since the day of 71 00:04:22,600 --> 00:04:25,800 Speaker 4: the election in February, mister Martin had promised an addit 72 00:04:25,839 --> 00:04:29,440 Speaker 4: of twenty twenty four's mistakes and a roadmap for the future. 73 00:04:30,040 --> 00:04:33,280 Speaker 4: He was adamant that it not be called an autopsy, 74 00:04:33,640 --> 00:04:37,120 Speaker 4: because he said the party was quote not dead. He 75 00:04:37,200 --> 00:04:43,960 Speaker 4: preferred the more anodyne label after action review. Well, when 76 00:04:43,960 --> 00:04:47,760 Speaker 4: he announced after The New York Times reported, oh, they're 77 00:04:47,760 --> 00:04:50,240 Speaker 4: going to bury the report, They're going to seal it, 78 00:04:50,520 --> 00:04:52,640 Speaker 4: They're going to bury it in the vault inside the 79 00:04:52,680 --> 00:04:57,560 Speaker 4: Democrat National Committee headquarters, well it was met with scorn 80 00:04:58,320 --> 00:05:02,000 Speaker 4: from the Democrats' leader, media figures and supporter. I'll give 81 00:05:02,000 --> 00:05:05,800 Speaker 4: you a couple of examples. Liz Smith, I suspect the 82 00:05:05,839 --> 00:05:08,440 Speaker 4: reasons why this isn't being released are precisely the reason 83 00:05:08,480 --> 00:05:11,359 Speaker 4: why it should be released. You know, Liz Smith is 84 00:05:11,360 --> 00:05:16,279 Speaker 4: probably right, Dan Pfeiffer, this is a very bad decision. 85 00:05:16,360 --> 00:05:19,040 Speaker 4: The reaks of the caution and complacency that brought us 86 00:05:19,080 --> 00:05:25,480 Speaker 4: to this moment. John folvro unreal the DNC's actual positions 87 00:05:25,800 --> 00:05:29,000 Speaker 4: that if the public knew more about what Democrats got 88 00:05:29,040 --> 00:05:31,440 Speaker 4: wrong in the last election, it would hurt the party's 89 00:05:31,520 --> 00:05:35,080 Speaker 4: chances in the next election. How does this rebuild trust 90 00:05:35,400 --> 00:05:40,200 Speaker 4: between the party insiders and grassroots activists and organizers. Why 91 00:05:40,240 --> 00:05:42,840 Speaker 4: does the party only trust people with the truth who 92 00:05:42,880 --> 00:05:46,760 Speaker 4: are part of their insular club, And why on earth 93 00:05:47,040 --> 00:05:50,560 Speaker 4: would the DNC think that sweep that keeping their promise 94 00:05:50,880 --> 00:05:54,839 Speaker 4: to release the report would create more of a backlash 95 00:05:54,880 --> 00:05:58,960 Speaker 4: than announcing that they're going to keep it secret. And 96 00:05:59,040 --> 00:06:05,360 Speaker 4: of course, my favorite David Hogg, Yes, the goober from 97 00:06:05,440 --> 00:06:10,560 Speaker 4: the Goober last night correct, the loser from Parkland and 98 00:06:10,680 --> 00:06:14,960 Speaker 4: loser from Harvard University tweet it out. I ran for 99 00:06:15,080 --> 00:06:18,800 Speaker 4: DNC vice chair after massive losses in twenty twenty four 100 00:06:19,320 --> 00:06:22,680 Speaker 4: because I believe we needed to change our party leadership 101 00:06:22,720 --> 00:06:24,760 Speaker 4: disagreed with my work to the primary a sleep at 102 00:06:24,760 --> 00:06:28,320 Speaker 4: the wheel incumbents and challenge the status quo. Now they're 103 00:06:28,400 --> 00:06:31,680 Speaker 4: spiking an autopsy of the election that gave us Trump 104 00:06:31,760 --> 00:06:34,680 Speaker 4: two point zero. If party leaders won't take the steps 105 00:06:34,760 --> 00:06:38,839 Speaker 4: required to build ourselves into a winning coalition. We will 106 00:06:38,880 --> 00:06:42,159 Speaker 4: take it into our own hands. That's why Leaders we 107 00:06:42,240 --> 00:06:48,640 Speaker 4: Deserve is working to elect young progressive candidates. Well seems 108 00:06:48,640 --> 00:06:53,120 Speaker 4: that mister Martin's decision pleases nobody who might be important 109 00:06:53,160 --> 00:06:56,680 Speaker 4: to the Democrat Party's future. But to be fair to 110 00:06:56,720 --> 00:07:00,880 Speaker 4: the hapless DNC chair, he had little choice. But despite 111 00:07:00,920 --> 00:07:07,440 Speaker 4: the report, conservative comic and social commentator Steven Miller hit 112 00:07:07,480 --> 00:07:09,920 Speaker 4: the nail on the head with an expost of his own. 113 00:07:11,200 --> 00:07:15,480 Speaker 4: And it's just simply a It's a picture of Kamala 114 00:07:15,520 --> 00:07:20,200 Speaker 4: Harris sitting in a chair waiting to do a press conference. 115 00:07:20,680 --> 00:07:25,400 Speaker 4: She's looking at an iPad and she's got that cackle 116 00:07:25,520 --> 00:07:29,120 Speaker 4: look on her face as if she's about the cackle. 117 00:07:30,240 --> 00:07:35,440 Speaker 4: I think that's perfect. The truth is, Ken Martin can't 118 00:07:35,520 --> 00:07:39,920 Speaker 4: release his autopsy report because of what I believe are 119 00:07:40,000 --> 00:07:45,560 Speaker 4: probably two inevitable main findings. The party's fealty to the 120 00:07:45,640 --> 00:07:52,720 Speaker 4: trans insanity. The transgender insanity is a killer of an issue. 121 00:07:52,880 --> 00:07:56,160 Speaker 4: And I think the second one, Kamala Harris was just 122 00:07:56,360 --> 00:07:58,960 Speaker 4: a well, I can't say it on the air. Let's 123 00:07:59,040 --> 00:08:02,160 Speaker 4: just say crappy that Kamala Harris was just a crappy 124 00:08:02,280 --> 00:08:06,800 Speaker 4: candidate period, and any admission by the DNC of that 125 00:08:07,200 --> 00:08:11,520 Speaker 4: first finding would do it incredible harm with the woke 126 00:08:11,640 --> 00:08:14,680 Speaker 4: segment of the Democrat base, which seems to be growing 127 00:08:14,720 --> 00:08:18,320 Speaker 4: every day. And any emission of the second obvious finding 128 00:08:18,360 --> 00:08:20,880 Speaker 4: about Kamala Harris being a crappy candidate would do the 129 00:08:20,880 --> 00:08:24,640 Speaker 4: party great harm with black women voters. They just happen 130 00:08:24,720 --> 00:08:29,160 Speaker 4: to be the most loyal and enduring voter segment. So 131 00:08:29,280 --> 00:08:34,040 Speaker 4: an autopsy, yeah, it's going to get buried, absolutely buried, 132 00:08:34,800 --> 00:08:38,360 Speaker 4: which I find hilarious for these reasons. I'll be right 133 00:08:38,400 --> 00:08:49,840 Speaker 4: back back real quickly to the DNC report. I just 134 00:08:49,880 --> 00:08:53,080 Speaker 4: find itous. I find it so typical Democrat, which is 135 00:08:53,080 --> 00:08:57,440 Speaker 4: why I find it hilarious that they have a really 136 00:08:57,800 --> 00:09:04,040 Speaker 4: bad election. And yes, I think it was their their 137 00:09:04,120 --> 00:09:08,439 Speaker 4: truncated process. It was they had a really bad candidate. 138 00:09:08,640 --> 00:09:12,360 Speaker 4: She's still a bad candidate. Every time she appears, I 139 00:09:12,400 --> 00:09:16,240 Speaker 4: think it's just reminding people about how bad she was, 140 00:09:16,880 --> 00:09:21,040 Speaker 4: and the reality is she should move on, go run 141 00:09:21,080 --> 00:09:23,520 Speaker 4: for Senate again, go run for governor, or go do something. 142 00:09:23,559 --> 00:09:26,600 Speaker 4: But you're not going to be president. She's just not 143 00:09:26,640 --> 00:09:31,600 Speaker 4: going to be president. But I think any admission of 144 00:09:31,640 --> 00:09:37,080 Speaker 4: how bad she was would hurt the black women voters, 145 00:09:37,840 --> 00:09:41,080 Speaker 4: and any autopsy that they might want to, you know, 146 00:09:41,280 --> 00:09:44,920 Speaker 4: reveal that doesn't recognize the truth that those two factors 147 00:09:44,920 --> 00:09:48,640 Speaker 4: spelled certain doom with the polls last November probably isn't 148 00:09:48,679 --> 00:09:52,320 Speaker 4: worth publishing in any event, since it's probably a work 149 00:09:52,360 --> 00:09:56,000 Speaker 4: of fiction. What it all adds up to, though, is 150 00:09:56,040 --> 00:09:59,840 Speaker 4: that the Democrats haven't learned anything and won't learn anything 151 00:10:00,320 --> 00:10:04,560 Speaker 4: about what really caused their disaster last November, which completely 152 00:10:05,240 --> 00:10:08,559 Speaker 4: explains why we have seen such a sudden uptick and 153 00:10:08,679 --> 00:10:13,160 Speaker 4: Democrat media focus on the trans issue in recent days. 154 00:10:14,320 --> 00:10:19,800 Speaker 4: Nothing these people do happens organically. If you follow me 155 00:10:19,840 --> 00:10:25,880 Speaker 4: on the podcast, I went through how those talking points 156 00:10:25,960 --> 00:10:28,040 Speaker 4: get spread. I went through that earlier in the week. 157 00:10:28,080 --> 00:10:31,480 Speaker 4: You should go listen to that particular episode, because, as 158 00:10:31,520 --> 00:10:35,720 Speaker 4: I say, these things, what's said and what's done does 159 00:10:35,760 --> 00:10:40,240 Speaker 4: not happen organically, and once you realize that, then everything 160 00:10:40,320 --> 00:10:42,600 Speaker 4: they do and say will make perfect sense to you. 161 00:10:43,559 --> 00:10:47,800 Speaker 4: Otherwise it won't. I'd encourage you to go listen to 162 00:10:47,840 --> 00:10:54,600 Speaker 4: that episode. But something else happened this week. A raggedy 163 00:10:54,640 --> 00:10:59,360 Speaker 4: looking Jack Smith, that's the special prosecutor appointed by Merrick 164 00:10:59,440 --> 00:11:04,520 Speaker 4: Garland the Attorney General under Joe Biden, to pursue the 165 00:11:04,559 --> 00:11:08,520 Speaker 4: document's case against Donald Trump down in Florida in the 166 00:11:08,559 --> 00:11:12,560 Speaker 4: mar Alago Documents case, and to pursue the January sixth 167 00:11:12,600 --> 00:11:17,199 Speaker 4: case for inciting an insurrection against Donald Trump in the 168 00:11:17,320 --> 00:11:24,199 Speaker 4: DC courts. Well, he showed up looking pretty ragged alongside 169 00:11:24,240 --> 00:11:27,480 Speaker 4: a pack of reporters and onlookers as he made his 170 00:11:27,559 --> 00:11:32,200 Speaker 4: way to a Congressional hearing room this past Wednesday. He 171 00:11:32,240 --> 00:11:34,760 Speaker 4: was supposed to testify about his role as special counsel 172 00:11:35,320 --> 00:11:39,360 Speaker 4: under the Biden regime. He had responded to a subpoena 173 00:11:39,400 --> 00:11:42,400 Speaker 4: issued earlier this month by the House Judiciary Committee, but 174 00:11:42,480 --> 00:11:45,599 Speaker 4: he refused to answer questions shadowed by the reporters. I 175 00:11:46,160 --> 00:11:49,479 Speaker 4: get that I probably I wouldn't have done it either. 176 00:11:50,120 --> 00:11:50,280 Speaker 1: But. 177 00:11:51,960 --> 00:12:00,280 Speaker 4: It's who always. Reporters always inexplicably treat Jack Smith like 178 00:12:00,360 --> 00:12:04,120 Speaker 4: some sort of rock store star rather than the perpetual 179 00:12:04,200 --> 00:12:09,160 Speaker 4: legal loser that he actually is. Virtually every single case 180 00:12:09,280 --> 00:12:12,600 Speaker 4: that he has taken, he has lost either a trial 181 00:12:13,000 --> 00:12:18,480 Speaker 4: or he's been reversed on appeal. It's just horrible, mister. 182 00:12:18,280 --> 00:12:20,120 Speaker 3: Smith, do you have any regrets about the way your 183 00:12:20,160 --> 00:12:23,600 Speaker 3: prosecutions of the president were handled. What do you plan 184 00:12:23,679 --> 00:12:28,439 Speaker 3: to tell the committee today, sir mister Smith, do you 185 00:12:28,480 --> 00:12:38,320 Speaker 3: prefer a public setting for this hearing? Respond mister Smith, 186 00:12:38,360 --> 00:12:40,240 Speaker 3: you said you wanted a public hearing. What do you 187 00:12:40,240 --> 00:12:44,720 Speaker 3: want the public to know? Sir Smith is going to 188 00:12:44,720 --> 00:12:47,680 Speaker 3: be deposed behind closed doors by the House Judiciary Committee 189 00:12:47,679 --> 00:12:50,440 Speaker 3: that is chaired by Congressman Jim Jordan. Smith was the 190 00:12:50,440 --> 00:12:53,840 Speaker 3: special counsel who oversaw two federal criminal cases against President 191 00:12:53,880 --> 00:12:57,480 Speaker 3: Trump for alleged mishandling of classified documents and alleged attempts 192 00:12:57,520 --> 00:13:00,240 Speaker 3: to overturn the twenty twenty election. Now you'll remember merce 193 00:13:00,280 --> 00:13:02,960 Speaker 3: Smith dropped both of those cases after Trump won the 194 00:13:02,960 --> 00:13:05,960 Speaker 3: twenty twenty four elect Mister Smith, did. 195 00:13:05,840 --> 00:13:07,400 Speaker 4: You have any dropped the cases? 196 00:13:09,160 --> 00:13:09,240 Speaker 2: So? 197 00:13:09,920 --> 00:13:12,319 Speaker 4: I want to refer to him as Merrick Garland's fifty 198 00:13:12,360 --> 00:13:15,800 Speaker 4: million dollar man. He looks pretty glamys he makes his 199 00:13:15,840 --> 00:13:19,480 Speaker 4: way down the hallway, but apparently, according to reports, he 200 00:13:19,520 --> 00:13:22,640 Speaker 4: turned pretty feisty during the eight hour deposition behind closed doors. 201 00:13:23,480 --> 00:13:27,600 Speaker 4: Congressman Jamie Raskin, the Democrat from Maryland, emerged from the 202 00:13:27,640 --> 00:13:31,440 Speaker 4: deposition during the afternoon and claimed that Jack Smith was 203 00:13:31,520 --> 00:13:35,880 Speaker 4: quote schooling the Judiciary Committee on the professional responsibilities of 204 00:13:35,920 --> 00:13:39,560 Speaker 4: a prosecutor and the ethical duties of a prosecutor, and 205 00:13:39,800 --> 00:13:44,160 Speaker 4: also that Jack Smith became emotional and choked up while 206 00:13:44,200 --> 00:13:49,120 Speaker 4: discussing the professional fate of corrupt FBI agent Walter Giordina, 207 00:13:49,840 --> 00:13:55,800 Speaker 4: who had been fired by FBI Director Cash Pattel for 208 00:13:55,920 --> 00:13:59,960 Speaker 4: his involvement in numerous lawfare pursuits of the president, include 209 00:14:00,200 --> 00:14:05,000 Speaker 4: the Arctic Frost investigation, shortly after that agent's wife had 210 00:14:05,040 --> 00:14:11,040 Speaker 4: died of cancer. Now, as Molly Hemingway appropriately noted, you know, 211 00:14:11,520 --> 00:14:15,440 Speaker 4: family concerns are not a reason to keep shockingly bad 212 00:14:15,640 --> 00:14:20,200 Speaker 4: FBI agents on a taxpayer funded salary. Life inside the 213 00:14:20,240 --> 00:14:24,160 Speaker 4: BELTWAGH is pretty tough, and decisions have to be made 214 00:14:24,240 --> 00:14:29,720 Speaker 4: and are made irrespective of what's going on outside that 215 00:14:29,800 --> 00:14:34,320 Speaker 4: person's professional life. Now, in his opening statement that was 216 00:14:34,440 --> 00:14:38,680 Speaker 4: leaked in advance to some of his favorite reporters, Jack 217 00:14:38,720 --> 00:14:43,440 Speaker 4: Smith smugly defended the unprecedented criminal indictments that he had 218 00:14:43,440 --> 00:14:46,160 Speaker 4: brought back in twenty twenty three against the former president 219 00:14:46,400 --> 00:14:49,000 Speaker 4: and at the time, who was the leading presidential candidate. 220 00:14:49,840 --> 00:14:53,960 Speaker 4: Jack Smith insisted that his investigation into the events of 221 00:14:54,040 --> 00:14:58,880 Speaker 4: January sixth resulted in evidence that showed quote beyond reasonable 222 00:14:58,920 --> 00:15:02,640 Speaker 4: doubt President Trump engaged in the criminal scheme to overturn 223 00:15:02,680 --> 00:15:06,120 Speaker 4: the results of the twenty twenty presidential election and to 224 00:15:06,200 --> 00:15:10,160 Speaker 4: prevent the unlawful transfer of power. And Jack Smith's team 225 00:15:10,280 --> 00:15:14,800 Speaker 4: also allegedly found powerful evidence, they say, to support the 226 00:15:14,840 --> 00:15:20,760 Speaker 4: so called classified document indictment down in Florida. Now Smith 227 00:15:20,840 --> 00:15:23,840 Speaker 4: told the committee, and as you heard in that report, 228 00:15:23,920 --> 00:15:30,320 Speaker 4: James Jordan of Ohio is the chair of the committee, quote, 229 00:15:30,360 --> 00:15:33,920 Speaker 4: the decision to bring charges against President Trump was mine. 230 00:15:34,520 --> 00:15:38,120 Speaker 4: But the basis for those charges rests entirely with President 231 00:15:38,120 --> 00:15:42,160 Speaker 4: Trump and his actions as alleged in the indictments returned 232 00:15:42,160 --> 00:15:46,960 Speaker 4: by grand juries in two different districts. Now, I find 233 00:15:47,000 --> 00:15:50,480 Speaker 4: that to be a dishonest framing of the grand jury 234 00:15:50,600 --> 00:15:57,040 Speaker 4: process on his watch, and that's just one of many 235 00:15:57,080 --> 00:16:01,560 Speaker 4: of the corrupt aspects of his work. Juriam Florida brought 236 00:16:01,600 --> 00:16:05,320 Speaker 4: the first indictment against the president in June twenty twenty three, 237 00:16:05,480 --> 00:16:11,120 Speaker 4: after the entire investigation, including grand jury testimony, was conducted 238 00:16:11,160 --> 00:16:14,720 Speaker 4: in the Trump loathing cesspool known as the DC Federal 239 00:16:14,760 --> 00:16:20,560 Speaker 4: Courthouse the Biden Department of Justice. Then Smith, following his 240 00:16:20,560 --> 00:16:24,880 Speaker 4: appointment in November twenty two, kept the investigation in Washington 241 00:16:25,200 --> 00:16:26,720 Speaker 4: because they wanted to make sure they could get a 242 00:16:26,760 --> 00:16:30,520 Speaker 4: favorable ruling by a grand jury made up of voters 243 00:16:30,560 --> 00:16:34,440 Speaker 4: in a Democrat district that is ninety nine point nine 244 00:16:34,480 --> 00:16:39,760 Speaker 4: percent Democrat and was overseen by two Obama appointed Chief Judges, 245 00:16:40,000 --> 00:16:44,240 Speaker 4: Baryl Hall and James Boseburg. Yeah, that guy who rubber 246 00:16:44,280 --> 00:16:49,080 Speaker 4: stamped every single request made by the Department of Justice 247 00:16:49,320 --> 00:16:55,080 Speaker 4: relating to both sprawling investigations. Now, how does that square 248 00:16:55,120 --> 00:16:59,560 Speaker 4: with Jack Smith's testimony? Hang tight, I'll tell you that. 249 00:16:59,680 --> 00:17:10,240 Speaker 1: Next to night, Michael Brown joins me here, the former 250 00:17:10,280 --> 00:17:11,320 Speaker 1: FEMA director of talk. 251 00:17:11,200 --> 00:17:12,200 Speaker 2: Show host Michael Brown. 252 00:17:12,280 --> 00:17:14,680 Speaker 3: Brownie, No, Brownie, You're doing a heck of a job 253 00:17:14,880 --> 00:17:16,960 Speaker 3: the Weekend with Michael Brown. 254 00:17:17,400 --> 00:17:19,720 Speaker 4: Merry Christmas, and welcome back to the Weekend with Michael Brown. 255 00:17:19,760 --> 00:17:21,600 Speaker 4: Glad to have you with me. Appreciate you tuning in. 256 00:17:21,880 --> 00:17:24,000 Speaker 4: Text line of course has always opened three three one 257 00:17:24,080 --> 00:17:26,920 Speaker 4: zero three keyword Michael, Michael go follow me on ex 258 00:17:26,960 --> 00:17:30,400 Speaker 4: at Michael Brown USA. So we're talking about this testimony 259 00:17:30,440 --> 00:17:33,959 Speaker 4: by Jack Smith, this special counsel that went after Trump 260 00:17:34,119 --> 00:17:37,119 Speaker 4: on the January sixth case in the document's case, and 261 00:17:37,200 --> 00:17:40,480 Speaker 4: he testified before the House Judiciary Committee in a closed 262 00:17:40,520 --> 00:17:44,399 Speaker 4: door deposition, and of course Jamie Raskin and some of 263 00:17:44,440 --> 00:17:47,080 Speaker 4: the Democrats want to come out and spend it as 264 00:17:47,160 --> 00:17:51,760 Speaker 4: quickly as they can. And they talked about how Jack 265 00:17:51,760 --> 00:17:57,760 Speaker 4: Smith testified that you know, the grand Jury brought these indictments. Well, 266 00:17:57,840 --> 00:18:06,159 Speaker 4: turns out that is true, except those indictments were originally 267 00:18:06,240 --> 00:18:12,280 Speaker 4: handed down in d C by two judges appointed by Obama, 268 00:18:12,760 --> 00:18:17,400 Speaker 4: Beryl Howe, and of course Jeff Boseburg. Boseburg has been 269 00:18:17,400 --> 00:18:21,679 Speaker 4: the one that has been supporting all of the nationwide 270 00:18:21,680 --> 00:18:27,040 Speaker 4: injunctions and going after contempt charges against the Department of 271 00:18:27,200 --> 00:18:32,720 Speaker 4: Justice simply for oh, the flight taking those Trendo Arragua 272 00:18:33,200 --> 00:18:37,720 Speaker 4: gangsters back to Guatemala wherever they were headed to. Those 273 00:18:37,760 --> 00:18:42,159 Speaker 4: flights were already in international airspace when the judge just 274 00:18:42,280 --> 00:18:44,600 Speaker 4: said from the bench, dinition in order until later, but 275 00:18:44,720 --> 00:18:47,000 Speaker 4: just said from the bench, make the planes turn around. 276 00:18:47,320 --> 00:18:50,200 Speaker 4: He has no authority of those planes. Those planes are 277 00:18:50,240 --> 00:18:56,640 Speaker 4: already outside US territory. But does anybody believe the federal 278 00:18:57,320 --> 00:19:03,280 Speaker 4: Florida judge, particularly Judge alling Aileen Cannon in the Southern 279 00:19:03,320 --> 00:19:08,280 Speaker 4: District of Florida, would has cited the crime fraud exception 280 00:19:09,359 --> 00:19:13,560 Speaker 4: in authorizing the disclosure of highly privileged attorney client correspondence 281 00:19:14,000 --> 00:19:18,560 Speaker 4: between Trump and his lawyer, as Hal did back in 282 00:19:18,640 --> 00:19:23,200 Speaker 4: Martia twenty twenty three. Smith's use of a DC based 283 00:19:23,200 --> 00:19:27,439 Speaker 4: grand jury until the very end of the investigation. The 284 00:19:27,440 --> 00:19:30,880 Speaker 4: New York Times suggested that the pre indictment switched from 285 00:19:30,960 --> 00:19:35,240 Speaker 4: Washington to Florida, which is the appropriate jurisdiction, since the 286 00:19:35,240 --> 00:19:38,520 Speaker 4: alleged crimes supposed he took place at mar A Lago 287 00:19:38,760 --> 00:19:44,439 Speaker 4: in Palm Beach, Florida involved quote prosecutors simply having to 288 00:19:44,520 --> 00:19:48,800 Speaker 4: read the early grand jury transcripts to the new grand 289 00:19:48,880 --> 00:19:52,639 Speaker 4: jury or having federal agents offer them a summary of 290 00:19:52,680 --> 00:19:58,000 Speaker 4: the most important points. That was regularly questioned by Judge 291 00:19:58,080 --> 00:20:01,760 Speaker 4: Cannon Down in Florida during the court proceedings. There was 292 00:20:01,800 --> 00:20:05,479 Speaker 4: even at one point that she suggested Trump's lawyers should 293 00:20:05,480 --> 00:20:10,879 Speaker 4: pursue an abuse of grand jury investigations. So then after 294 00:20:11,000 --> 00:20:14,800 Speaker 4: she the federal judge in Florida busted the Special Council's 295 00:20:14,800 --> 00:20:18,000 Speaker 4: office for operating two grand juries in the case, one 296 00:20:18,040 --> 00:20:22,280 Speaker 4: in Washington won in Florida. Smith shut down the DC 297 00:20:22,480 --> 00:20:27,280 Speaker 4: based one in August to twenty twenty three. Then the 298 00:20:27,320 --> 00:20:32,679 Speaker 4: Biden Department of Justice and Judge Boseburg repeatedly refused to 299 00:20:32,720 --> 00:20:36,720 Speaker 4: turn over grand jury materials to a fellow judge, Judge 300 00:20:36,720 --> 00:20:39,640 Speaker 4: Eileen Cannon down in Florida, as late as one year 301 00:20:39,640 --> 00:20:46,639 Speaker 4: into that case. Monkey business, funny business, absolutely, And while 302 00:20:47,240 --> 00:20:51,359 Speaker 4: Smith Jack Smith, continues to defend the legitimacy of the 303 00:20:51,400 --> 00:20:56,400 Speaker 4: document's case, the Special Council I think was lucky that 304 00:20:56,680 --> 00:21:00,040 Speaker 4: Judge Eileen Cannon down in Florida dismissed the indictment in 305 00:21:00,119 --> 00:21:06,120 Speaker 4: July twenty twenty four, after determining that Jack Smith's appointment 306 00:21:06,720 --> 00:21:10,840 Speaker 4: violated the constitution. Not only was the case falling apart 307 00:21:10,840 --> 00:21:17,400 Speaker 4: amid credible allegations related to prosecutorial misconduct, doctored and missing evidence, 308 00:21:17,440 --> 00:21:22,879 Speaker 4: remember the photos, an unsubstantiated basis for obstruction of the 309 00:21:23,240 --> 00:21:29,720 Speaker 4: obstruction counts and damning details of the FBI's armed raid 310 00:21:30,160 --> 00:21:34,600 Speaker 4: of Marlogo and August twenty twenty two. What was Judge 311 00:21:34,600 --> 00:21:38,920 Speaker 4: Eileen Cannon actually doing? She was blowing the lid off 312 00:21:39,320 --> 00:21:44,200 Speaker 4: the Department of Justice collaboration with the National Archives and 313 00:21:44,240 --> 00:21:49,680 Speaker 4: the Biden White House to concoct that document's case. As 314 00:21:49,720 --> 00:21:53,160 Speaker 4: I've tried to explain to my local audience numerous times, 315 00:21:54,240 --> 00:21:59,560 Speaker 4: what was happening. So Trump leaves office, and when a 316 00:21:59,600 --> 00:22:03,600 Speaker 4: president it leaves office, it's total chaos. It's truly, it's 317 00:22:03,680 --> 00:22:08,320 Speaker 4: organized chaos, but it's chaos. Boxes are put together, bankers 318 00:22:08,359 --> 00:22:11,400 Speaker 4: boxes are filled like they'll go to the Oval office. 319 00:22:11,440 --> 00:22:16,359 Speaker 4: Just start filling bankers boxes and ship them to wherever 320 00:22:16,440 --> 00:22:18,720 Speaker 4: the president's moving to in this case mar A Lago. 321 00:22:19,760 --> 00:22:25,359 Speaker 4: Then the president, his lawyers, his staff start negotiations with 322 00:22:25,440 --> 00:22:33,119 Speaker 4: the National Archives, who is the holder of these presidential documents, 323 00:22:33,920 --> 00:22:37,560 Speaker 4: trying to determine what ones he can keep, which ones 324 00:22:37,560 --> 00:22:43,359 Speaker 4: can he not keep. Those were ongoing negotiations when Jack 325 00:22:43,400 --> 00:22:47,560 Speaker 4: Smith intervened and brought the document's case and said he 326 00:22:47,680 --> 00:22:55,760 Speaker 4: was illegally holding those documents, including some allegedly classified documents. Hmmm, 327 00:22:56,760 --> 00:23:02,280 Speaker 4: why wouldn't you let the negotiations continue? I think because 328 00:23:03,000 --> 00:23:06,920 Speaker 4: they didn't care about the negotiations. They wanted to go 329 00:23:07,160 --> 00:23:13,840 Speaker 4: after Trump for holding classified documents, irrespective of the fact 330 00:23:14,280 --> 00:23:19,000 Speaker 4: that the National Archives, which is the main repository of 331 00:23:19,040 --> 00:23:22,879 Speaker 4: those documents, was in negotiations with Trump and his team. 332 00:23:23,720 --> 00:23:28,800 Speaker 4: Jack Smith didn't care. And even further, Jack Smith's team 333 00:23:29,600 --> 00:23:33,840 Speaker 4: and Judge Cannon were increasingly at odds with each other 334 00:23:33,960 --> 00:23:37,760 Speaker 4: in the courtroom one day after her court ordered docketing 335 00:23:37,960 --> 00:23:42,880 Speaker 4: of the marlogul Raid documents. Judge Cannon actually warned David Harbuck, 336 00:23:42,960 --> 00:23:45,359 Speaker 4: one of Jack Smith's leads attorneys in the case, to 337 00:23:45,840 --> 00:23:49,840 Speaker 4: calm down during one of his temper tantrums in May 338 00:23:49,880 --> 00:23:53,600 Speaker 4: of twenty twenty four. She said to him, I still 339 00:23:53,680 --> 00:23:58,919 Speaker 4: have inherent authority to oversee this proceeding and ensure that 340 00:23:59,040 --> 00:24:03,840 Speaker 4: professionalism and is maintained. And she had already warned Harbuck 341 00:24:04,160 --> 00:24:07,280 Speaker 4: earlier that if he could not be respectful in court 342 00:24:07,520 --> 00:24:10,040 Speaker 4: she was going to remove him from his courtroom from 343 00:24:10,040 --> 00:24:13,920 Speaker 4: her courtroom. Now, things weren't going much better for Smith 344 00:24:13,920 --> 00:24:16,640 Speaker 4: at the time. In the January sixth case in DC, 345 00:24:17,920 --> 00:24:23,320 Speaker 4: the Supreme Court remember they they dropped their immunity immunity 346 00:24:23,440 --> 00:24:27,720 Speaker 4: decision on July one, of four and that gutted a 347 00:24:27,840 --> 00:24:33,160 Speaker 4: significant portion of Jack Smith's for count indictment against the President, 348 00:24:33,640 --> 00:24:37,800 Speaker 4: resulting in the removal of nine pages and one unindicted 349 00:24:37,880 --> 00:24:43,600 Speaker 4: co conspirator, a former DOJ official, Jeffrey Clark. Now, although 350 00:24:43,640 --> 00:24:48,600 Speaker 4: Smith's revised indictment included the president's communications with then Vice 351 00:24:48,640 --> 00:24:52,640 Speaker 4: President Mike Smith, the Supreme Court indicated in the historic 352 00:24:52,680 --> 00:25:00,240 Speaker 4: decision that those interactions rightfully so are covered by presidential immunity. Yeah, 353 00:25:00,280 --> 00:25:03,360 Speaker 4: Jack Smith didn't care what the Supreme Court said. He 354 00:25:03,440 --> 00:25:08,359 Speaker 4: continued to push. So, Smith, who resigned in January, is 355 00:25:08,720 --> 00:25:12,080 Speaker 4: arrogantly insisting that his case against the president. Oh, it's 356 00:25:12,200 --> 00:25:14,760 Speaker 4: error tight and it was scuttled only because Trump won 357 00:25:14,800 --> 00:25:19,360 Speaker 4: the election. A review of recent history in both matters 358 00:25:20,040 --> 00:25:27,800 Speaker 4: proves otherwise. Now it's incumbent upon congressional Republicans to make 359 00:25:27,840 --> 00:25:33,240 Speaker 4: sure that Smith's unearned bravado crumbles under the harsh light 360 00:25:33,320 --> 00:25:38,240 Speaker 4: of reality as the investigation into his conduct continues. 361 00:25:38,840 --> 00:25:41,480 Speaker 5: I would like to hear the truth. 362 00:25:43,359 --> 00:25:48,480 Speaker 2: Gets hard and unlikely to interested in an outcome punishing someone. 363 00:25:48,520 --> 00:25:51,960 Speaker 3: Hears and the. 364 00:25:51,880 --> 00:25:55,520 Speaker 4: Stone gloss over that this is Senator to Kennedy from Louisiana. 365 00:25:55,840 --> 00:25:58,199 Speaker 4: I'd like for Jack Smith to start telling the truth. 366 00:25:59,000 --> 00:26:00,760 Speaker 4: And it's going to be hard for him to do 367 00:26:00,840 --> 00:26:03,480 Speaker 4: that because what he was doing, he was just indicting 368 00:26:03,520 --> 00:26:05,240 Speaker 4: somebody that he didn't like. 369 00:26:06,160 --> 00:26:12,720 Speaker 2: You're interested in an outcome, punishing someone, and I think 370 00:26:12,760 --> 00:26:13,720 Speaker 2: he's going to be held. 371 00:26:13,600 --> 00:26:16,360 Speaker 5: Account So we will see shortly how m I say 372 00:26:16,400 --> 00:26:18,159 Speaker 5: get out of this one search for answers on the 373 00:26:18,240 --> 00:26:21,920 Speaker 5: Hill a short time from now, former Special Counsel Jacksmith 374 00:26:21,960 --> 00:26:25,320 Speaker 5: said to go behind closed doors and face House lawmakers 375 00:26:25,359 --> 00:26:28,000 Speaker 5: about his investigations into Donald Trump, and we'll see how 376 00:26:28,000 --> 00:26:28,719 Speaker 5: he answers that. 377 00:26:29,960 --> 00:26:32,400 Speaker 4: And now we're starting to find out that the way 378 00:26:32,400 --> 00:26:35,960 Speaker 4: he's going to answer a lot of this is simply, oh, 379 00:26:36,320 --> 00:26:39,200 Speaker 4: I was right all along and there's nothing to see here. 380 00:26:40,520 --> 00:26:40,639 Speaker 1: Now. 381 00:26:40,680 --> 00:26:43,520 Speaker 4: I understand why the deposition was held behind closed doors 382 00:26:44,240 --> 00:26:48,280 Speaker 4: because you want no distructions. You don't want anybody playing 383 00:26:48,280 --> 00:26:51,560 Speaker 4: to the cameras. You just want to have and in 384 00:26:51,640 --> 00:26:55,960 Speaker 4: the deposition it can at times become confrontational and at 385 00:26:55,960 --> 00:27:00,600 Speaker 4: times conversational, and you want to if you're the lawyers 386 00:27:00,640 --> 00:27:03,879 Speaker 4: representing either the Democrat members of the House or the 387 00:27:03,920 --> 00:27:06,400 Speaker 4: Republican members of the House, you want to be able 388 00:27:06,400 --> 00:27:08,560 Speaker 4: to ask any and all questions, just like you can 389 00:27:08,680 --> 00:27:12,359 Speaker 4: in a regular deposition, even though some of those questions 390 00:27:12,400 --> 00:27:15,920 Speaker 4: in a courtroom might be objected and never allowed in 391 00:27:15,920 --> 00:27:20,000 Speaker 4: in a deposition, you have to answer the questions. Whether 392 00:27:20,040 --> 00:27:24,440 Speaker 4: there's a legitimate objection or not, that's to be determined later. 393 00:27:25,080 --> 00:27:27,320 Speaker 4: So I'm glad that this was held, and I hope 394 00:27:27,359 --> 00:27:30,320 Speaker 4: at some point we get to see the deposition, because 395 00:27:30,880 --> 00:27:34,680 Speaker 4: just like with the NGOs, just like with the Epstein files, 396 00:27:34,760 --> 00:27:36,879 Speaker 4: just like with everything we've talked about so far in 397 00:27:36,880 --> 00:27:41,960 Speaker 4: this program, the truth slowly makes its way out, and 398 00:27:42,000 --> 00:27:48,119 Speaker 4: we see that there is such Trump derangement syndrome among 399 00:27:48,160 --> 00:27:52,800 Speaker 4: the Democrat Party, the ruling eleite Democrats, the cabal in general, 400 00:27:53,440 --> 00:27:57,639 Speaker 4: that they're never going to stop. And you and I 401 00:27:57,720 --> 00:28:00,840 Speaker 4: know the reason why as much, which is Trump may 402 00:28:00,880 --> 00:28:05,760 Speaker 4: do some stuff that I find offensive or not exactly presidential. 403 00:28:06,400 --> 00:28:11,080 Speaker 4: The one thing, the one singular thing that Donald Trump 404 00:28:11,200 --> 00:28:15,919 Speaker 4: is doing that we all wanted, was to change the 405 00:28:16,040 --> 00:28:22,119 Speaker 4: direction of how things operate in DC. And that's what 406 00:28:22,440 --> 00:28:28,000 Speaker 4: has Democrats and quite frankly, some Republicans scared to death. 407 00:28:28,480 --> 00:28:37,119 Speaker 4: I'll be right back, Welcome back to the Weekend with 408 00:28:37,160 --> 00:28:43,280 Speaker 4: Michael Brown as we close out this year together, because 409 00:28:43,640 --> 00:28:46,600 Speaker 4: I am taking off next weekend and I'll be back 410 00:28:47,160 --> 00:28:51,800 Speaker 4: on my regular weekday program on January five, and then 411 00:28:52,080 --> 00:28:56,080 Speaker 4: that Saturday i'll be back live again. So as we 412 00:28:56,160 --> 00:28:58,239 Speaker 4: close out this year together, I want to take a 413 00:28:58,280 --> 00:29:02,040 Speaker 4: moment to just step back from the politics, all of 414 00:29:02,080 --> 00:29:06,760 Speaker 4: the headlines, all of the noise, to say something pretty simple, 415 00:29:07,800 --> 00:29:13,840 Speaker 4: thank you, thank you you. Listing right now, whether you're 416 00:29:13,840 --> 00:29:17,160 Speaker 4: in your car, in your kitchen, you're out on the 417 00:29:17,240 --> 00:29:21,680 Speaker 4: road somewhere across this great nation. You're listing on the stream, 418 00:29:22,640 --> 00:29:25,680 Speaker 4: or maybe you're listening later on a an affiliate that 419 00:29:25,760 --> 00:29:28,440 Speaker 4: carries a program later in the day, or you're listening 420 00:29:28,520 --> 00:29:34,040 Speaker 4: on a podcast. Wherever you are, however you're listening, you're 421 00:29:34,080 --> 00:29:37,640 Speaker 4: the reason I do the program. You keep me honest, 422 00:29:38,320 --> 00:29:40,800 Speaker 4: you challenge me on things occasionally on the text line, 423 00:29:41,720 --> 00:29:46,440 Speaker 4: and you remind me every weekend that this country is 424 00:29:46,480 --> 00:29:51,800 Speaker 4: still packed full of thoughtful, curious people who truly care 425 00:29:51,880 --> 00:29:58,800 Speaker 4: about what's happening around them in your neighborhood, in your community, 426 00:29:59,320 --> 00:30:01,600 Speaker 4: whether you live in or a rural area, an urban area, 427 00:30:02,200 --> 00:30:05,560 Speaker 4: Red state or blue state, all the three hundred and 428 00:30:05,560 --> 00:30:08,800 Speaker 4: fifty plus affiliates across the country, you really do care 429 00:30:08,840 --> 00:30:12,720 Speaker 4: about what's happening around you. When this program airs every 430 00:30:12,760 --> 00:30:16,320 Speaker 4: weekend on stations from coast to coast, it's more than 431 00:30:16,360 --> 00:30:19,680 Speaker 4: just a radio program, I hope. I like to think 432 00:30:19,720 --> 00:30:23,680 Speaker 4: of it as an opportunity to make you think, the 433 00:30:23,800 --> 00:30:27,360 Speaker 4: national conversation in which you think, and you can respond 434 00:30:27,760 --> 00:30:32,640 Speaker 4: through social media through the text line anyway. But you 435 00:30:32,640 --> 00:30:37,360 Speaker 4: wouldn't understand or maybe don't. Maybe you do understand that 436 00:30:37,440 --> 00:30:41,640 Speaker 4: this program depends on voices like yours. So when you write, 437 00:30:42,440 --> 00:30:45,920 Speaker 4: when you weigh in online, when you bring your perspective 438 00:30:46,120 --> 00:30:51,440 Speaker 4: to my show, prep, that tells me something important, and 439 00:30:51,480 --> 00:30:55,880 Speaker 4: that is that you really do want to hear maybe 440 00:30:55,920 --> 00:30:59,960 Speaker 4: sometimes a different perspective, or you want me to help 441 00:31:00,080 --> 00:31:05,320 Speaker 4: put in words what you really believe, or there's a 442 00:31:05,400 --> 00:31:09,920 Speaker 4: topic that you don't fully understand, but you come here 443 00:31:10,840 --> 00:31:13,520 Speaker 4: and I hope that I help explain it to you. 444 00:31:14,240 --> 00:31:17,440 Speaker 4: That you want substance, not slogans, and I think you 445 00:31:17,720 --> 00:31:21,880 Speaker 4: prove that every time that you tune in. And now 446 00:31:21,920 --> 00:31:25,560 Speaker 4: as we look ahead to another year, I think we 447 00:31:25,600 --> 00:31:31,520 Speaker 4: ought to be really honest about the challenges that's facing information, 448 00:31:32,360 --> 00:31:36,440 Speaker 4: it's facing politics. Frankly, I think it's facing truth itself. 449 00:31:37,720 --> 00:31:41,600 Speaker 4: The very idea of news and what I thought of 450 00:31:41,720 --> 00:31:45,360 Speaker 4: as news when I was growing up. Wow, it's changing 451 00:31:45,440 --> 00:31:48,000 Speaker 4: faster than most of us can can keep up with 452 00:31:49,480 --> 00:31:53,600 Speaker 4: artificial intelligence AI. It's just not in the background anymore. 453 00:31:53,960 --> 00:31:57,880 Speaker 4: It's in the newsroom. It's an ad campaigns. It's starting 454 00:31:57,960 --> 00:32:00,440 Speaker 4: to shape the content that we see and that we here. 455 00:32:01,560 --> 00:32:05,680 Speaker 4: That can be exciting, but I also find it very dangerous, 456 00:32:06,560 --> 00:32:11,040 Speaker 4: particularly if we stop asking questions. And I know it's frustrating. 457 00:32:11,920 --> 00:32:14,320 Speaker 4: You ought to do show prep. You ought to try 458 00:32:14,320 --> 00:32:18,840 Speaker 4: to prepare. You know, I prepare for three hours every 459 00:32:18,840 --> 00:32:23,840 Speaker 4: Monday through Friday, and then three hours every Saturday. There's 460 00:32:23,840 --> 00:32:28,520 Speaker 4: a lot of show prep, and it frustrates me as 461 00:32:28,680 --> 00:32:32,440 Speaker 4: I find something that I think at, you know, on 462 00:32:32,520 --> 00:32:34,880 Speaker 4: the top line, Oh that's pretty interesting, that's fact or 463 00:32:34,920 --> 00:32:37,880 Speaker 4: I'm curious about that. And as you know, I've said 464 00:32:37,880 --> 00:32:40,600 Speaker 4: it many times, I talk about things that interest me 465 00:32:40,880 --> 00:32:43,640 Speaker 4: because if I'm interested in it, then I bring a 466 00:32:43,640 --> 00:32:47,360 Speaker 4: different level of enthusiasm, a different level of intensity to 467 00:32:47,440 --> 00:32:50,240 Speaker 4: a topic than something that somebody might hand me and say, 468 00:32:50,240 --> 00:32:52,680 Speaker 4: please talk about this. Well, I'm not interested in that. 469 00:32:53,320 --> 00:32:55,640 Speaker 4: But as I go through and I find things that 470 00:32:55,720 --> 00:32:59,680 Speaker 4: pique my curiosity, it really is frustrating to start to 471 00:32:59,720 --> 00:33:03,120 Speaker 4: dig into it and to find out that it's completely false. 472 00:33:05,320 --> 00:33:10,120 Speaker 4: So it is exciting, but it's dangerous. So you've got 473 00:33:10,160 --> 00:33:14,520 Speaker 4: to just like I do, to keep asking questions, never 474 00:33:14,840 --> 00:33:19,760 Speaker 4: stop questioning. I know you've seen because I certainly have 475 00:33:21,120 --> 00:33:26,040 Speaker 4: the AI creating fake images. They go viral in just seconds, 476 00:33:26,640 --> 00:33:31,880 Speaker 4: pictures that truly look perfectly real, but never happened. We've 477 00:33:31,920 --> 00:33:36,520 Speaker 4: seen influencers. You've seen influencer stage events or twist clips 478 00:33:36,760 --> 00:33:40,040 Speaker 4: to go viral, and they do it for profit, or 479 00:33:40,080 --> 00:33:42,840 Speaker 4: they do it for politics, or they do it for both. 480 00:33:44,240 --> 00:33:47,720 Speaker 4: And we've watched as the cabal rushes to publish stories 481 00:33:48,080 --> 00:33:51,840 Speaker 4: that are based on half verified air quotes, here facts 482 00:33:52,600 --> 00:33:58,920 Speaker 4: because speed now matters more than accuracy. Well, that's not journalism. 483 00:33:59,200 --> 00:34:04,680 Speaker 4: That's just chaos dressed up as headlines pretending to be journalism. 484 00:34:06,080 --> 00:34:08,120 Speaker 4: So this is my challenge to you as we cross 485 00:34:08,200 --> 00:34:12,400 Speaker 4: into a new year, be as I've always said, a 486 00:34:12,480 --> 00:34:17,000 Speaker 4: discerning consumer of news. Don't give up on staying informed, 487 00:34:17,760 --> 00:34:23,960 Speaker 4: but don't take anything at face value. Look for primary sources, 488 00:34:24,760 --> 00:34:28,640 Speaker 4: check more than one outlet. Ask yourself whether the story 489 00:34:28,760 --> 00:34:31,959 Speaker 4: even feels designed to inform you or is it trying 490 00:34:31,960 --> 00:34:36,840 Speaker 4: to manipulate you? Because remember, the truth really does still matter, 491 00:34:37,719 --> 00:34:42,000 Speaker 4: even when the tools of deception get fancier, more difficult 492 00:34:42,120 --> 00:34:47,480 Speaker 4: to analyze, and more difficult to discern. Oh, is it 493 00:34:47,520 --> 00:34:50,120 Speaker 4: fake or is it real? Is it real or is 494 00:34:50,160 --> 00:34:54,840 Speaker 4: it memoris Now beyond the news, there's the political process itself, 495 00:34:55,520 --> 00:34:59,879 Speaker 4: a heartbeat of this republic. It doesn't run on autopilot. 496 00:35:00,400 --> 00:35:05,200 Speaker 4: Democracy and the democratic republic survives only when citizens step up, vote, 497 00:35:05,239 --> 00:35:08,640 Speaker 4: stay engaged, Stay engaged. I've spent years enough in government 498 00:35:08,680 --> 00:35:10,840 Speaker 4: to tell you this. When people tune out, the worst 499 00:35:10,880 --> 00:35:13,880 Speaker 4: voices take over. Decisions get made by those who show up, 500 00:35:13,960 --> 00:35:17,279 Speaker 4: not those who shrug. So in the year ahead, show up, 501 00:35:18,200 --> 00:35:23,000 Speaker 4: show up, get involved locally. Thanks for tuning in. I 502 00:35:23,040 --> 00:35:26,560 Speaker 4: hope you'll share this program with your friends and relatives. Everybody, 503 00:35:26,600 --> 00:35:30,759 Speaker 4: have a merry Christmas and a prosperous new Year. I'll 504 00:35:30,760 --> 00:35:34,360 Speaker 4: see you next year.