1 00:00:00,840 --> 00:00:03,000 Speaker 1: To night. Michael Brown joins me here, the former FEMA 2 00:00:03,040 --> 00:00:03,760 Speaker 1: director of talk. 3 00:00:03,640 --> 00:00:06,480 Speaker 2: Show host Michael Brown. Brownie, no, Brownie, You're doing a 4 00:00:06,480 --> 00:00:09,440 Speaker 2: heck of a job the Weekend with Michael Brown. 5 00:00:09,680 --> 00:00:13,000 Speaker 1: Broadcasting life from Denver, Colorado. You've turned tuned into the 6 00:00:13,039 --> 00:00:14,800 Speaker 1: Weekend with Michael Brown. I'm really glad to have you 7 00:00:14,880 --> 00:00:17,400 Speaker 1: with me. So if you follow me on social media, 8 00:00:17,440 --> 00:00:20,440 Speaker 1: which you really ought to be doing on exit's at 9 00:00:20,480 --> 00:00:24,000 Speaker 1: Michael Brown USA, everything else, Facebook, Instagram, all of that 10 00:00:24,200 --> 00:00:27,240 Speaker 1: is Michael D. Brown. And of course the text line 11 00:00:27,280 --> 00:00:29,720 Speaker 1: is always open twenty four hours a day, seven days 12 00:00:29,720 --> 00:00:32,280 Speaker 1: a week. That number is three three one zero three 13 00:00:32,360 --> 00:00:35,879 Speaker 1: three three one zero three. Keyword Mike or Michael. I 14 00:00:35,920 --> 00:00:38,840 Speaker 1: was gon. We're gonna talk in a minute about obviously 15 00:00:39,000 --> 00:00:42,120 Speaker 1: the news story of the week, everything that everybody's talking about, 16 00:00:42,159 --> 00:00:46,880 Speaker 1: and of course that's the crap show going on in Minneapolis, Minnesota. 17 00:00:47,800 --> 00:00:49,640 Speaker 1: But before we do, I want to go to a 18 00:00:49,680 --> 00:00:52,320 Speaker 1: text message that I saw when I opened up to 19 00:00:52,400 --> 00:00:55,240 Speaker 1: text line this morning. Then I thing might help give 20 00:00:55,360 --> 00:01:03,560 Speaker 1: some context not just to the Iranian situation, but Greenland, Iran, Minnesota, 21 00:01:04,040 --> 00:01:08,440 Speaker 1: the economy, everything. And it comes from a regular listener 22 00:01:08,560 --> 00:01:12,679 Speaker 1: out of Denver, Huber number twenty three seventy seven, and 23 00:01:13,240 --> 00:01:16,560 Speaker 1: we call her the Farmer's daughter. And Farmer's daughter writes this, 24 00:01:17,520 --> 00:01:21,160 Speaker 1: I'm listening to the second Hour podcast from Friday about Iran. 25 00:01:22,000 --> 00:01:26,039 Speaker 1: I understand that Trump is in charge as president, but 26 00:01:26,160 --> 00:01:29,959 Speaker 1: how much does the cabinet and staff play into his 27 00:01:30,160 --> 00:01:34,200 Speaker 1: multiple levels of chess? Not asking to be stupid, No, 28 00:01:34,280 --> 00:01:36,839 Speaker 1: it's not stupid. It's actually, I think a very good question. 29 00:01:37,360 --> 00:01:40,560 Speaker 1: Not asking to be stupid, but how does that decision 30 00:01:40,600 --> 00:01:43,679 Speaker 1: making process happen in the White House? What is the 31 00:01:43,680 --> 00:01:46,680 Speaker 1: best way to keep that in mind with current world 32 00:01:46,840 --> 00:01:50,920 Speaker 1: and national events? I get, Gretchen, I think it's a 33 00:01:50,920 --> 00:01:57,200 Speaker 1: great question. Let's start out by first listen, I don't 34 00:01:57,200 --> 00:02:00,480 Speaker 1: think most people understand the physical layout of the West 35 00:02:00,520 --> 00:02:04,080 Speaker 1: Wing and the old Executive Office building. If if you 36 00:02:04,080 --> 00:02:06,760 Speaker 1: look at a photograph of the White House that's normally 37 00:02:06,800 --> 00:02:10,160 Speaker 1: taken from Lafayette Park, which is just north of the 38 00:02:10,160 --> 00:02:14,519 Speaker 1: North Porticos, just across the street, that's what's referred to 39 00:02:14,600 --> 00:02:17,960 Speaker 1: as the East Wing. No, that's not what's being torn down. 40 00:02:18,400 --> 00:02:21,440 Speaker 1: What's being torn down and replaced with that ballroom was 41 00:02:21,480 --> 00:02:23,880 Speaker 1: a really small anex about the size of a double 42 00:02:23,880 --> 00:02:27,160 Speaker 1: wide trailer that was built and I forget who built it, 43 00:02:27,280 --> 00:02:30,760 Speaker 1: but it's ancient that was added to the East wing. 44 00:02:30,840 --> 00:02:34,880 Speaker 1: The East wing. The upper floors of the East wing 45 00:02:35,280 --> 00:02:38,399 Speaker 1: are what's called the residents and that's where the President, 46 00:02:38,639 --> 00:02:41,600 Speaker 1: the first lady, and baron, whoever's there guests. That's where 47 00:02:41,639 --> 00:02:45,280 Speaker 1: the Lincoln Bedroom is. That's where the family lives in 48 00:02:45,360 --> 00:02:49,240 Speaker 1: the White House. And when you come down, usually the 49 00:02:49,280 --> 00:02:51,560 Speaker 1: president comes down an elevator, but you can also take 50 00:02:51,600 --> 00:02:54,639 Speaker 1: a kind of a winding staircase up to the residence, 51 00:02:55,040 --> 00:02:59,519 Speaker 1: and sometimes the president might walk down that stairwell and 52 00:02:59,680 --> 00:03:02,120 Speaker 1: as he comes down the stairwell, he will as he 53 00:03:02,480 --> 00:03:05,359 Speaker 1: reaches the first floor of the East Wing, he can 54 00:03:05,400 --> 00:03:09,040 Speaker 1: either take a right and walk through the first floor 55 00:03:09,040 --> 00:03:12,000 Speaker 1: of the East Wing over to the West wing, or 56 00:03:12,040 --> 00:03:15,560 Speaker 1: he can walk outside, and sometimes you can walk through 57 00:03:15,560 --> 00:03:17,960 Speaker 1: the Red Room, and there are different rooms that you 58 00:03:18,000 --> 00:03:22,880 Speaker 1: can walk through that takes you out to the west portico, 59 00:03:23,320 --> 00:03:27,320 Speaker 1: which is usually where you see Marine one land, and 60 00:03:27,360 --> 00:03:30,400 Speaker 1: you can walk along the colonnade and you know, kind 61 00:03:30,400 --> 00:03:32,519 Speaker 1: of walk outside if he wants to get some fresh air, 62 00:03:32,880 --> 00:03:36,440 Speaker 1: and take a door that walks in directly into the 63 00:03:36,480 --> 00:03:39,960 Speaker 1: Oval office. So that kind of gives you a layout 64 00:03:40,040 --> 00:03:43,920 Speaker 1: of where he lives and how he comes down. And 65 00:03:44,200 --> 00:03:48,000 Speaker 1: sometimes staff, very not rarely, but sometimes staff will go 66 00:03:48,040 --> 00:03:50,800 Speaker 1: into the residence. You know, perhaps he might have a 67 00:03:50,880 --> 00:03:54,000 Speaker 1: cabinet member or the National Security Advisor, he might have 68 00:03:54,120 --> 00:03:56,440 Speaker 1: some friends over or whatever, and they'll have dinner up 69 00:03:56,440 --> 00:03:59,200 Speaker 1: in the residence. And it's quite an honor to have, 70 00:03:59,320 --> 00:04:02,400 Speaker 1: you know, to be able to do that. But once 71 00:04:02,440 --> 00:04:04,960 Speaker 1: the president comes down in the morning, makes that right 72 00:04:05,040 --> 00:04:07,520 Speaker 1: turn either inside the east wing or goes out into 73 00:04:07,520 --> 00:04:10,760 Speaker 1: the colonnade and walks into the Oval Office. I want 74 00:04:10,800 --> 00:04:12,720 Speaker 1: you to now envision the Oval Office. You've seen the 75 00:04:12,720 --> 00:04:16,360 Speaker 1: president sitting at the resolute desk and those oval windows 76 00:04:16,400 --> 00:04:18,880 Speaker 1: and the curtains and everything that he's hung up. He's 77 00:04:18,960 --> 00:04:20,760 Speaker 1: hung more crap in the Oval Office than I think 78 00:04:20,800 --> 00:04:25,840 Speaker 1: any president in the history of the country. That desk 79 00:04:26,279 --> 00:04:30,599 Speaker 1: looks to the north and that's where the fireplace is. 80 00:04:30,640 --> 00:04:33,159 Speaker 1: When you see the president sitting in the Oval Office 81 00:04:33,440 --> 00:04:36,120 Speaker 1: with a guest, a world leader, and there are two couches. 82 00:04:36,160 --> 00:04:38,160 Speaker 1: There are two chairs, a table in between in front 83 00:04:38,200 --> 00:04:42,080 Speaker 1: of the fireplace, and then a couch alongside that is 84 00:04:42,120 --> 00:04:45,520 Speaker 1: perpendicular to where the president and the guest might sit. 85 00:04:47,960 --> 00:04:51,320 Speaker 1: This President does tend to do a lot of work 86 00:04:51,560 --> 00:04:58,600 Speaker 1: behind the resolute desk. As he's looking at his desktop, 87 00:04:59,400 --> 00:05:02,159 Speaker 1: he can look to his right, and as he looks 88 00:05:02,200 --> 00:05:04,800 Speaker 1: to a right, there's a door that really is it's 89 00:05:05,160 --> 00:05:07,880 Speaker 1: not meant to be a hidden door, but because the 90 00:05:07,920 --> 00:05:10,960 Speaker 1: way the Oval Office is designed, you'd have to actually 91 00:05:10,960 --> 00:05:14,839 Speaker 1: look closely, because he can actually hang things on that door, 92 00:05:15,200 --> 00:05:17,160 Speaker 1: and you wouldn't see it unless you looked down and 93 00:05:17,160 --> 00:05:20,719 Speaker 1: found the knob, and that knob. That door on to 94 00:05:20,839 --> 00:05:23,839 Speaker 1: his right as he's sitting at the desk opens to 95 00:05:23,839 --> 00:05:28,960 Speaker 1: where his personal secretary sits. If you look to the left, 96 00:05:29,480 --> 00:05:32,880 Speaker 1: there are two doors, one which opens into a hallway, 97 00:05:33,360 --> 00:05:36,599 Speaker 1: and you walk directly through that across that hallway just 98 00:05:36,640 --> 00:05:41,680 Speaker 1: a couple of steps into the Roosevelt Room, or he 99 00:05:41,720 --> 00:05:45,120 Speaker 1: could make a right turn and walk a few steps 100 00:05:45,120 --> 00:05:49,320 Speaker 1: to his right again going eastward, and walk in to 101 00:05:49,920 --> 00:05:52,080 Speaker 1: go down a couple of steps, actually go up a 102 00:05:52,080 --> 00:05:54,880 Speaker 1: couple of steps and then walk into the cabinet room. 103 00:05:55,080 --> 00:05:57,440 Speaker 1: And the cabinet room kind of sits over there between 104 00:05:57,480 --> 00:06:01,120 Speaker 1: the Roosevelt Room the Personal Secretary's office in the Oval Office. 105 00:06:01,120 --> 00:06:03,640 Speaker 1: That's the cabinet room, and of course that's when you 106 00:06:03,680 --> 00:06:06,480 Speaker 1: see the cabinet meetings. That's where that's being held. And 107 00:06:06,520 --> 00:06:10,320 Speaker 1: I lay that out because I haven't described anything else 108 00:06:10,680 --> 00:06:13,359 Speaker 1: except I want to make sure you understand. It's all 109 00:06:13,520 --> 00:06:17,200 Speaker 1: very tight, all very small. And the reason I point 110 00:06:17,240 --> 00:06:21,160 Speaker 1: that out is because everybody, you know, in movies otherwise, 111 00:06:21,440 --> 00:06:24,320 Speaker 1: you get this visual that the West Wing is this huge, 112 00:06:24,480 --> 00:06:27,760 Speaker 1: you know, monstrous area, and it's not. The offices are 113 00:06:27,839 --> 00:06:30,760 Speaker 1: very tiny, very small. Other than the Oval Office, the 114 00:06:30,880 --> 00:06:33,719 Speaker 1: Roosevelt Room is not. I mean it's large, but it's 115 00:06:33,760 --> 00:06:36,440 Speaker 1: not like a giant conference room that you would see 116 00:06:36,480 --> 00:06:40,440 Speaker 1: at you know, JP Morgan Chase in Midtown Manhattan. It's 117 00:06:40,480 --> 00:06:43,720 Speaker 1: a small conference room, has a fireplace at one end, 118 00:06:44,520 --> 00:06:48,120 Speaker 1: has a Remington statue and a portrait of Theodore Roosevelt's 119 00:06:48,120 --> 00:06:50,240 Speaker 1: in one end, and that's where a lot of meetings 120 00:06:50,240 --> 00:06:52,840 Speaker 1: take place, staff meetings, other meetings will take place if 121 00:06:52,839 --> 00:06:55,400 Speaker 1: they're not taking place in the Oval Office. Also in 122 00:06:55,400 --> 00:06:58,160 Speaker 1: the Oval Office, as he's sitting at his desk, there's 123 00:06:58,200 --> 00:07:00,480 Speaker 1: that door that I just described to his left that 124 00:07:00,560 --> 00:07:04,880 Speaker 1: goes across the hall into the Roosevelt Room, and then 125 00:07:04,920 --> 00:07:08,200 Speaker 1: a little closer to him again to his left is 126 00:07:08,320 --> 00:07:11,800 Speaker 1: a private office where he can have lunch with you know, 127 00:07:11,960 --> 00:07:15,280 Speaker 1: two or three people, or by himself or whatever, and 128 00:07:15,800 --> 00:07:19,560 Speaker 1: some business takes place there. Now, if you walked outside 129 00:07:19,760 --> 00:07:23,080 Speaker 1: the Oval office to his left, and instead of going 130 00:07:23,080 --> 00:07:25,880 Speaker 1: into the Roosevelt Room, you turn to your left and 131 00:07:25,920 --> 00:07:29,040 Speaker 1: walk down that hallway, you'll eventually walk down, or you 132 00:07:29,080 --> 00:07:31,640 Speaker 1: can turn and you can walk down some steps. Probably 133 00:07:32,120 --> 00:07:34,920 Speaker 1: I don't remember exactly, but I would say anywhere between 134 00:07:34,920 --> 00:07:37,920 Speaker 1: five and ten steps downward, and that will take you 135 00:07:37,960 --> 00:07:41,120 Speaker 1: to where the White House mess is again to your 136 00:07:41,160 --> 00:07:43,120 Speaker 1: left as you go down those steps, or you could 137 00:07:43,120 --> 00:07:45,760 Speaker 1: take you right or keep going straight, and that will 138 00:07:45,760 --> 00:07:49,120 Speaker 1: take you to the White House Situation Room. That's divided 139 00:07:49,160 --> 00:07:54,560 Speaker 1: into two parts. The first part is where the Naval commanders, 140 00:07:54,600 --> 00:07:58,280 Speaker 1: all the Navy people work, the comms people. There's a 141 00:07:58,360 --> 00:08:01,120 Speaker 1: row of boxes there where you put yourself phone, and 142 00:08:01,160 --> 00:08:05,560 Speaker 1: then you could you once you get waved in, the 143 00:08:05,640 --> 00:08:07,960 Speaker 1: door will open and you walk in and that's where 144 00:08:08,240 --> 00:08:14,280 Speaker 1: the situation room, the White House sit room. That's the layout. Oh, 145 00:08:14,480 --> 00:08:16,720 Speaker 1: you know, there's one other part you should understand. You know, 146 00:08:16,720 --> 00:08:22,160 Speaker 1: in terms of the logistics, most of the staff is 147 00:08:22,640 --> 00:08:25,760 Speaker 1: located in the West Wing. By staff, I mean the 148 00:08:25,760 --> 00:08:28,320 Speaker 1: White House Press Secretary of the National Security Advisor, the 149 00:08:28,320 --> 00:08:32,360 Speaker 1: Homeland Security Advisor. There might be some comms people, the 150 00:08:32,440 --> 00:08:36,199 Speaker 1: Legislative Affairs director, those kinds of people. Though all the 151 00:08:36,280 --> 00:08:39,360 Speaker 1: chiefs of staff are all located there, and they're mostly 152 00:08:39,400 --> 00:08:43,199 Speaker 1: on a second floor just slightly above the Oval Office, 153 00:08:43,240 --> 00:08:45,760 Speaker 1: and some are actually above the Oval Office, and some 154 00:08:45,800 --> 00:08:47,480 Speaker 1: are just to the left and in front of the 155 00:08:47,480 --> 00:08:51,760 Speaker 1: Oval Office. So when you ask about how's the decision making, 156 00:08:52,360 --> 00:08:57,000 Speaker 1: how does it take place? Well, rarely Bush would do this. 157 00:08:57,120 --> 00:08:59,599 Speaker 1: Bush would go out of the Oval Office, and he 158 00:08:59,679 --> 00:09:02,280 Speaker 1: might up and see White House General Counts on the 159 00:09:02,320 --> 00:09:04,800 Speaker 1: second floor, or he might go see Andy Carr, the 160 00:09:04,920 --> 00:09:07,719 Speaker 1: chief of staff, who would be on the he was 161 00:09:07,760 --> 00:09:10,160 Speaker 1: also on the second floor. But most of the time 162 00:09:10,440 --> 00:09:15,040 Speaker 1: they come to the president and whether that meeting occurs, 163 00:09:15,240 --> 00:09:18,240 Speaker 1: and it depends on who he brings in. This president 164 00:09:18,360 --> 00:09:24,480 Speaker 1: I think makes decisions primarily himself. He gets an id 165 00:09:24,600 --> 00:09:27,800 Speaker 1: in his head, he sends texts out from everything that 166 00:09:27,840 --> 00:09:29,680 Speaker 1: I've read and from people that I've known that worked 167 00:09:29,720 --> 00:09:33,840 Speaker 1: with Trump one point oh. I don't know personally, I 168 00:09:33,880 --> 00:09:36,840 Speaker 1: don't think anybody that works with Trump two point oh, 169 00:09:37,200 --> 00:09:40,480 Speaker 1: but Trump to two point oh probably works a lot 170 00:09:40,520 --> 00:09:42,880 Speaker 1: like Trump one point. Oh, and I'll tell you how 171 00:09:42,920 --> 00:09:52,880 Speaker 1: that is coming up next. I'll be right back. Welcome 172 00:09:52,920 --> 00:09:54,440 Speaker 1: back to the beginning with Michael Brown. Good to have 173 00:09:54,480 --> 00:09:56,600 Speaker 1: you with me. I appreciate you tuning in on Saturdays 174 00:09:56,880 --> 00:09:58,719 Speaker 1: or whenever you listen to the program because you know 175 00:09:58,760 --> 00:10:02,000 Speaker 1: you can listen to it almost anytime. We can time 176 00:10:02,040 --> 00:10:06,280 Speaker 1: shift everything, can't we We can time shift everything except 177 00:10:06,320 --> 00:10:09,280 Speaker 1: time itself. So I'm responding to a text message that 178 00:10:09,320 --> 00:10:12,560 Speaker 1: I think is pretty good about you know, what's the 179 00:10:12,600 --> 00:10:16,680 Speaker 1: best way to keep in mind how a president makes decision. 180 00:10:16,880 --> 00:10:19,360 Speaker 1: How involved is the staff in the cabinet in the 181 00:10:19,400 --> 00:10:23,000 Speaker 1: decision making process. Well, so I laid out in that 182 00:10:23,040 --> 00:10:26,000 Speaker 1: first segment kind of the layout of the West Wing 183 00:10:26,320 --> 00:10:30,040 Speaker 1: because it's important to understand where people are in terms 184 00:10:30,120 --> 00:10:36,079 Speaker 1: of their proximity to the potus. Now, the cabinet itself, 185 00:10:36,480 --> 00:10:41,640 Speaker 1: Marco Rubio, the second, the Secretary of Defense, the Commerce Secretary, 186 00:10:41,679 --> 00:10:46,000 Speaker 1: they're all scattered around DC. They don't have offices in 187 00:10:46,040 --> 00:10:48,720 Speaker 1: the White House, the West Wing, or even in the 188 00:10:48,760 --> 00:10:53,280 Speaker 1: old Executive Office building next door. There may be some 189 00:10:53,480 --> 00:10:57,400 Speaker 1: representatives of the different cabinet departments that may have an 190 00:10:57,440 --> 00:11:02,800 Speaker 1: office in the old Executive Office next door. But otherwise no, 191 00:11:02,960 --> 00:11:05,320 Speaker 1: they're they're out doing other things. So if they want 192 00:11:05,320 --> 00:11:08,160 Speaker 1: to meet with the President, they come to him. Now, 193 00:11:08,200 --> 00:11:10,840 Speaker 1: occasionally the president will go to the Pentagon and State Department, 194 00:11:11,320 --> 00:11:15,520 Speaker 1: but Trump really does that. He prefers everybody to come 195 00:11:15,520 --> 00:11:17,720 Speaker 1: to him. And that's fine, that's just a matter of 196 00:11:17,920 --> 00:11:23,880 Speaker 1: personal taste. But I tend to think that what Trump 197 00:11:24,000 --> 00:11:28,839 Speaker 1: does is that Trump gets something in his head and 198 00:11:29,480 --> 00:11:33,240 Speaker 1: he will pass that on to Susie Wiles, the chief 199 00:11:33,240 --> 00:11:36,200 Speaker 1: of Staff, or to his personal secretary, or to the 200 00:11:36,200 --> 00:11:39,000 Speaker 1: Cabinet secretary. It may be in the form of a 201 00:11:39,040 --> 00:11:41,160 Speaker 1: text message, it might be in the form of a 202 00:11:41,200 --> 00:11:43,959 Speaker 1: truth social post. I don't know, or it might be 203 00:11:44,040 --> 00:11:46,080 Speaker 1: just you know, he yells at one of them, you know, 204 00:11:46,440 --> 00:11:48,959 Speaker 1: to come in, or he buzzes, you know, Susie Wiles 205 00:11:48,960 --> 00:11:51,640 Speaker 1: to come in and come in the Oval office, and 206 00:11:51,840 --> 00:11:55,360 Speaker 1: he described some idea that he has, and then they 207 00:11:55,440 --> 00:11:57,520 Speaker 1: disseminate that out to the right people and have them 208 00:11:57,520 --> 00:12:01,240 Speaker 1: start vetting the idea, and eventually that idea gets vetted 209 00:12:01,280 --> 00:12:05,680 Speaker 1: through the immediate White House staff what's called the you know, 210 00:12:05,920 --> 00:12:09,079 Speaker 1: there's the Executive Office of the President and the Executive 211 00:12:09,160 --> 00:12:11,080 Speaker 1: Office of the President or all those people I just 212 00:12:11,120 --> 00:12:14,320 Speaker 1: described the chiefs of staff. You know, you have the 213 00:12:14,360 --> 00:12:16,199 Speaker 1: main chief of staff. You got a chief of staff 214 00:12:16,200 --> 00:12:18,640 Speaker 1: for operations. You've got a chief of staff for you know, 215 00:12:19,480 --> 00:12:22,600 Speaker 1: deputy chief staff. There's usually three or four of them. 216 00:12:23,120 --> 00:12:26,240 Speaker 1: You have the comms people, the Press secretary and all 217 00:12:26,280 --> 00:12:29,720 Speaker 1: of their staffs. You got the National Security Advisor their staff, 218 00:12:29,800 --> 00:12:33,920 Speaker 1: Homeland Security Advisor their staff. They're all within that West 219 00:12:33,920 --> 00:12:38,160 Speaker 1: Wing complex and in the Old Executive Office Building, including 220 00:12:38,200 --> 00:12:39,880 Speaker 1: it might add the Secret Service. I was just thinking 221 00:12:39,920 --> 00:12:42,560 Speaker 1: about the Secret Service. Who's there in the West Wing 222 00:12:42,760 --> 00:12:46,439 Speaker 1: and in the EOB, the Old Executive the OEO B, 223 00:12:46,600 --> 00:12:50,560 Speaker 1: the Old Executive Office Building. And eventually that paperwork starts 224 00:12:50,600 --> 00:12:53,840 Speaker 1: flying around and getting vetted, and at some point Trump 225 00:12:53,880 --> 00:12:56,559 Speaker 1: will either ask, or the chief of staff will say, 226 00:12:56,840 --> 00:12:59,640 Speaker 1: or the Cabinet secretary or the Personal secretary will say, 227 00:12:59,800 --> 00:13:02,079 Speaker 1: you know that idea that you mentioned, well, we want 228 00:13:02,120 --> 00:13:04,480 Speaker 1: to report that. We want to give you, you know, our 229 00:13:05,040 --> 00:13:08,160 Speaker 1: our response to it. And sometimes it might be the 230 00:13:08,240 --> 00:13:10,440 Speaker 1: a memo, it might be it might be a meeting. 231 00:13:12,000 --> 00:13:16,000 Speaker 1: There are also times when things will percolate up to 232 00:13:16,080 --> 00:13:19,000 Speaker 1: the President for the President to make a decision, and 233 00:13:19,080 --> 00:13:21,640 Speaker 1: that might that might be the result of an immediate meeting. 234 00:13:22,160 --> 00:13:24,520 Speaker 1: They're sitting in a cabinet meeting and something comes about 235 00:13:24,559 --> 00:13:26,680 Speaker 1: and he can you might see him lean over to 236 00:13:27,200 --> 00:13:30,199 Speaker 1: you know, if if Rubio is sitting on generally I'm 237 00:13:30,240 --> 00:13:32,960 Speaker 1: trying to think, Rubio would be on his right, Haigsith 238 00:13:33,000 --> 00:13:35,719 Speaker 1: would be on his left, and he might whisper in 239 00:13:35,760 --> 00:13:37,760 Speaker 1: their ear. You know, hey, listen, let's let's follow up 240 00:13:37,760 --> 00:13:40,200 Speaker 1: on X y Z where he might look right across 241 00:13:40,240 --> 00:13:42,800 Speaker 1: the table where JD Vans, the Vice President, is sitting, 242 00:13:43,080 --> 00:13:45,160 Speaker 1: and say, hey, JD, follow up on that and find out, 243 00:13:45,280 --> 00:13:48,800 Speaker 1: you know, what we can or cannot do. It's a 244 00:13:48,920 --> 00:13:52,920 Speaker 1: constant flow back and forth, but that flow, and I 245 00:13:52,960 --> 00:13:57,200 Speaker 1: think what he learned from the first administration and president. 246 00:13:57,240 --> 00:14:01,720 Speaker 1: You know, presidents that don't allow the staff to control 247 00:14:02,160 --> 00:14:04,520 Speaker 1: or at least somehow have their fingers on the flow 248 00:14:04,559 --> 00:14:07,640 Speaker 1: of information or you can get they're gonna get overwhelmed. 249 00:14:07,960 --> 00:14:10,280 Speaker 1: Jimmy Carter, Bill Clinton. You know, everybody talked about how 250 00:14:10,320 --> 00:14:14,040 Speaker 1: they were policy wonks. Barack Obama policy wonks that one. 251 00:14:14,280 --> 00:14:17,360 Speaker 1: You know, they get into every single little detail that 252 00:14:17,520 --> 00:14:21,040 Speaker 1: mires them down, and it slows down the decision making process, 253 00:14:21,680 --> 00:14:24,760 Speaker 1: and it gets you know, mired in the bureaucracy of 254 00:14:24,840 --> 00:14:27,960 Speaker 1: the Executive Office of the President. I don't think Trump 255 00:14:28,000 --> 00:14:33,320 Speaker 1: does that. I heard Scott Besant yesterday say in response 256 00:14:33,360 --> 00:14:35,640 Speaker 1: to I think lord Ingram or somebody I forget where 257 00:14:35,680 --> 00:14:38,320 Speaker 1: I heard it was on the plane with him and 258 00:14:38,400 --> 00:14:40,280 Speaker 1: they were having breakfast or something on the plane as 259 00:14:40,280 --> 00:14:42,960 Speaker 1: they were going to some meeting, and she asked, you know, 260 00:14:43,000 --> 00:14:46,560 Speaker 1: what's it like working with Trump? And his response was, 261 00:14:47,080 --> 00:14:50,560 Speaker 1: it's NonStop. You can't keep up with him. He's always 262 00:14:50,600 --> 00:14:53,080 Speaker 1: two or three steps ahead of you. And I think 263 00:14:53,160 --> 00:14:58,000 Speaker 1: that's why the decision making process emanates primarily from the 264 00:14:58,040 --> 00:15:01,680 Speaker 1: Oval Office, so they they're getting fed all of these 265 00:15:01,720 --> 00:15:04,800 Speaker 1: things that he wants to do at the same time 266 00:15:04,880 --> 00:15:07,200 Speaker 1: that all the other things that he's wanted to do 267 00:15:07,400 --> 00:15:10,960 Speaker 1: or they want to do. It's twenty four hours a day, 268 00:15:11,000 --> 00:15:14,760 Speaker 1: seven days a week for people like the Treasury Secretary, 269 00:15:14,840 --> 00:15:17,880 Speaker 1: the Secretary of State, Secretary of War, all of these people, 270 00:15:18,160 --> 00:15:22,920 Speaker 1: it is constant. And for the deputy secretaries and the undersecretaries, 271 00:15:23,200 --> 00:15:26,960 Speaker 1: it's actually even worse because while I might have had 272 00:15:27,080 --> 00:15:31,880 Speaker 1: a portfolio that was my responsibility as the Undersecretary of 273 00:15:32,080 --> 00:15:38,680 Speaker 1: Land Security, nonetheless I had inputs constantly from other cabinet departments. 274 00:15:39,040 --> 00:15:41,440 Speaker 1: I was constantly getting briefed by the CIA or the 275 00:15:41,480 --> 00:15:44,600 Speaker 1: DoD or for that matter, I was constantly being called 276 00:15:44,600 --> 00:15:45,840 Speaker 1: by the White House, Hey, we need you to come 277 00:15:45,840 --> 00:15:47,600 Speaker 1: over for a meeting. So I might be in the 278 00:15:47,600 --> 00:15:49,840 Speaker 1: middle of something and suddenly I'm next thing I know, 279 00:15:49,920 --> 00:15:51,840 Speaker 1: I'm in the car, headed over to the West Wing, 280 00:15:52,320 --> 00:15:54,560 Speaker 1: walking in and s bluing into the Roosevelt Room for 281 00:15:54,600 --> 00:15:58,920 Speaker 1: a meeting that was impromptu, or sometimes he would get scheduled, 282 00:15:58,960 --> 00:16:00,800 Speaker 1: and you would know that every two at six am 283 00:16:00,960 --> 00:16:03,040 Speaker 1: or six thirty am, you've got to be over in 284 00:16:03,040 --> 00:16:05,760 Speaker 1: the Roosevelt Room ready for because you know, Bush or 285 00:16:05,800 --> 00:16:08,320 Speaker 1: Cheney or somebody's got something going on, or the chiefs 286 00:16:08,360 --> 00:16:11,320 Speaker 1: of staff are having a meeting. So this this is 287 00:16:11,360 --> 00:16:16,040 Speaker 1: a constant, constant flow of information back and forth. One 288 00:16:16,120 --> 00:16:19,600 Speaker 1: thing that I think is probably more so true with 289 00:16:19,720 --> 00:16:26,480 Speaker 1: Trump than and it is certainly true with with Bush Biden. 290 00:16:26,600 --> 00:16:28,560 Speaker 1: I have no clue. I know. I only know with 291 00:16:28,560 --> 00:16:32,040 Speaker 1: Biden that there was a decision making process, but at 292 00:16:32,160 --> 00:16:34,880 Speaker 1: least with my personal experience with Bush, and I think 293 00:16:34,920 --> 00:16:39,080 Speaker 1: it's probably true also with Trump, is that the inputs 294 00:16:39,880 --> 00:16:44,880 Speaker 1: are very tightly controlled by three people Susie Wiles, the 295 00:16:44,960 --> 00:16:48,240 Speaker 1: chief of staff, and I don't remember their names. But 296 00:16:48,640 --> 00:16:51,760 Speaker 1: the cabinet secretary. You've seen the guy that comes in 297 00:16:52,040 --> 00:16:54,640 Speaker 1: and hands Trump the executive orders and explains what that 298 00:16:54,720 --> 00:16:59,080 Speaker 1: executive order is. That's the cabinet secretary. And what he's 299 00:16:59,120 --> 00:17:02,760 Speaker 1: doing is he is helping control the flow of information 300 00:17:02,840 --> 00:17:06,879 Speaker 1: to the president also along with the personal secretary, who 301 00:17:07,000 --> 00:17:09,399 Speaker 1: not only takes care of the flow of information and 302 00:17:09,960 --> 00:17:13,639 Speaker 1: the appointment schedule and everything else, but also helps control 303 00:17:13,680 --> 00:17:16,879 Speaker 1: the flow of paper into Trump. I kind of gather 304 00:17:16,960 --> 00:17:20,119 Speaker 1: from just watching Trump. He doesn't like paper. He just 305 00:17:20,160 --> 00:17:24,479 Speaker 1: wants to hear what's happening. And he has a mind 306 00:17:24,640 --> 00:17:28,360 Speaker 1: that I think never stops. Is constantly on the move. 307 00:17:28,720 --> 00:17:32,200 Speaker 1: The brain cells are constantly vibrating, and so he wants 308 00:17:32,240 --> 00:17:36,000 Speaker 1: to hear what's going on because he just immediately responds 309 00:17:36,000 --> 00:17:40,200 Speaker 1: to that. He makes the impromptu decisions, and is also 310 00:17:40,280 --> 00:17:42,359 Speaker 1: at the time he makes a little decision, is thinking 311 00:17:42,600 --> 00:17:47,120 Speaker 1: two or three steps ahead. So generally speaking, I would 312 00:17:47,160 --> 00:17:51,800 Speaker 1: say that's the decision making process. And the apparatus is 313 00:17:52,640 --> 00:17:56,640 Speaker 1: very fast paced. It never lets up, and with somebody 314 00:17:56,720 --> 00:17:59,520 Speaker 1: like Trump, it's twenty four hours a day, seven days 315 00:17:59,520 --> 00:18:02,879 Speaker 1: a week, so if they ever slip up, think about, 316 00:18:03,760 --> 00:18:05,560 Speaker 1: how would you like to work twenty four to seven, 317 00:18:05,960 --> 00:18:08,200 Speaker 1: always getting phone calls or texts in the middle of 318 00:18:08,240 --> 00:18:18,680 Speaker 1: the night. I'll be right back to night. Michael Brown 319 00:18:18,760 --> 00:18:19,160 Speaker 1: joins me. 320 00:18:19,119 --> 00:18:23,119 Speaker 2: Here, the former FEMA director talk show host Michael Brown. Brownie, no, Brownie, 321 00:18:23,119 --> 00:18:25,200 Speaker 2: You're doing a heck of a job the Weekend with 322 00:18:25,320 --> 00:18:26,400 Speaker 2: Michael Brown. 323 00:18:26,760 --> 00:18:28,720 Speaker 1: You're listening to the Weekend with Michael Brown. Glad to 324 00:18:28,720 --> 00:18:32,119 Speaker 1: have you with me. I'd greatly appreciate it if you 325 00:18:32,119 --> 00:18:35,679 Speaker 1: would subscribe to the podcast. On your podcast app, search 326 00:18:35,800 --> 00:18:39,840 Speaker 1: for The Situation with Michael Brown. The search the Situation 327 00:18:39,960 --> 00:18:42,760 Speaker 1: with Michael Brown. Once you find that, hit that subscribe 328 00:18:42,760 --> 00:18:45,960 Speaker 1: button and that will download the weekday program. We do 329 00:18:46,080 --> 00:18:49,240 Speaker 1: a weekday program Monday through Friday, and then it'll also 330 00:18:49,359 --> 00:18:51,360 Speaker 1: get you a Saturday program, so you'll get all six 331 00:18:51,440 --> 00:18:54,399 Speaker 1: days of Michael Brown. The Situation with Michael Brown. Go 332 00:18:54,440 --> 00:18:57,320 Speaker 1: download that right now. He'll subscribe to it. By the way, 333 00:18:57,400 --> 00:18:59,240 Speaker 1: leave a five star review because that helps us with 334 00:18:59,280 --> 00:19:03,359 Speaker 1: the stupid algorithm when they start syndicating out the podcast. 335 00:19:03,960 --> 00:19:08,879 Speaker 1: One other thing I enjoy talking about this layout and 336 00:19:08,960 --> 00:19:13,720 Speaker 1: decision making because it's something that not everybody gets to 337 00:19:13,800 --> 00:19:19,000 Speaker 1: experience the goober number nine two four nine rights. Michael, 338 00:19:19,040 --> 00:19:21,399 Speaker 1: listening to your explanation of the White House compound, I 339 00:19:21,440 --> 00:19:25,000 Speaker 1: often see members of the administration talking with the press 340 00:19:25,160 --> 00:19:28,639 Speaker 1: outside in an area that looks like they're small cottages 341 00:19:28,680 --> 00:19:32,160 Speaker 1: behind them. Where is this one? Are those small cottage 342 00:19:32,400 --> 00:19:39,000 Speaker 1: cottage like buildings. That's what we call Pebble Beach. Now, 343 00:19:39,119 --> 00:19:43,000 Speaker 1: Pebble Beach is the informal name for what's really the 344 00:19:43,640 --> 00:19:47,280 Speaker 1: television stand up area. It's on the north Lawn, just 345 00:19:47,440 --> 00:19:51,480 Speaker 1: off the West Wing driveway, and that's where the networks 346 00:19:51,480 --> 00:19:53,800 Speaker 1: in the cables or whoever's been, you know, according to 347 00:19:53,840 --> 00:19:58,000 Speaker 1: the White House Correspondence Association, whoever gets you know, DIBs 348 00:19:57,680 --> 00:20:00,760 Speaker 1: on those locations. That's where they set up for their 349 00:20:00,800 --> 00:20:04,760 Speaker 1: live shots, and that gives them the North Portico, the 350 00:20:04,840 --> 00:20:08,240 Speaker 1: kind of rounded front porch with the columns that gives 351 00:20:08,280 --> 00:20:12,320 Speaker 1: the North Portico as the backdrop to their news stories. Now, 352 00:20:12,359 --> 00:20:15,119 Speaker 1: it got the nickname back in the nineteen nineties because 353 00:20:15,160 --> 00:20:18,160 Speaker 1: at that time the ground was covered in gravel, and 354 00:20:18,200 --> 00:20:20,800 Speaker 1: so it kind of resembled, you know, a pebble beach, 355 00:20:21,400 --> 00:20:24,119 Speaker 1: and the name stuck even after it was it was 356 00:20:24,160 --> 00:20:27,239 Speaker 1: finally rebuilt in stone and paint, you know, kind of 357 00:20:27,480 --> 00:20:31,440 Speaker 1: stone and asphalt combination. But it was called Pebble Beach 358 00:20:31,520 --> 00:20:34,320 Speaker 1: because of well the golf course Pebble Beach out in 359 00:20:34,320 --> 00:20:37,560 Speaker 1: in California. It was I think it was back in 360 00:20:38,880 --> 00:20:42,120 Speaker 1: during the Bush, so maybe in two thousand and two, 361 00:20:42,119 --> 00:20:45,360 Speaker 1: two thousand and three it was rebuilt with that smooth 362 00:20:45,480 --> 00:20:49,040 Speaker 1: stone surface and kind of a eater layout, but they 363 00:20:49,040 --> 00:20:52,399 Speaker 1: still call it Pebble Beach. The tents those are a 364 00:20:52,440 --> 00:20:57,520 Speaker 1: series of small enclosed stand up booths or tents that 365 00:20:57,640 --> 00:21:00,560 Speaker 1: get assigned to all the major TV networks and some 366 00:21:00,600 --> 00:21:04,000 Speaker 1: other you know outlets, and that's what is used for 367 00:21:04,040 --> 00:21:06,440 Speaker 1: the live shots and the interviews. So if it's kind 368 00:21:06,440 --> 00:21:08,920 Speaker 1: of nasty out they can go stand in those. They 369 00:21:09,000 --> 00:21:11,040 Speaker 1: can keep their computer and equipment, all of that in 370 00:21:11,480 --> 00:21:15,320 Speaker 1: and they're just simply described as network booths or stand 371 00:21:15,400 --> 00:21:19,320 Speaker 1: up positions or live shot positions, and they've got lights, power, 372 00:21:19,400 --> 00:21:22,040 Speaker 1: sometimes they'll have heat and air conditioning so that the 373 00:21:22,080 --> 00:21:24,560 Speaker 1: correspondence can work and you know, whatever the weather is. 374 00:21:25,200 --> 00:21:29,040 Speaker 1: And each of the major networks has its own reserve 375 00:21:29,160 --> 00:21:33,240 Speaker 1: space and it creates this row of branded tent booths 376 00:21:33,280 --> 00:21:35,480 Speaker 1: where they can you know, they can file their packages, 377 00:21:35,520 --> 00:21:37,399 Speaker 1: and they can do their hits for their shows, and 378 00:21:37,440 --> 00:21:40,080 Speaker 1: then they can wait under the cover between the live shots. 379 00:21:40,720 --> 00:21:44,200 Speaker 1: And if you ever see that from that angle from 380 00:21:44,200 --> 00:21:48,080 Speaker 1: the north Portico, you'll see what's called the Northwest Gate. 381 00:21:48,880 --> 00:21:50,919 Speaker 1: And there's a funny story about the Northwest Gate. At 382 00:21:50,960 --> 00:21:54,280 Speaker 1: least it's funny to me, maybe not to you. But 383 00:21:55,080 --> 00:21:59,400 Speaker 1: when I first went to work for Bush, the day 384 00:21:59,440 --> 00:22:02,000 Speaker 1: that I know, the day after I arrived in DC, 385 00:22:02,720 --> 00:22:04,760 Speaker 1: I have a meeting with White House Council. Now I've 386 00:22:04,760 --> 00:22:09,720 Speaker 1: been in the White House twice before that, but under 387 00:22:09,800 --> 00:22:14,360 Speaker 1: very controlled conditions. It was one time to meet President 388 00:22:14,400 --> 00:22:18,919 Speaker 1: Reagan and one time to meet George H. W. Bush, 389 00:22:19,280 --> 00:22:22,160 Speaker 1: And so it was a very tidy controlled deal where 390 00:22:22,400 --> 00:22:25,000 Speaker 1: you know, I go to the visitor's entrance on the 391 00:22:25,320 --> 00:22:28,119 Speaker 1: kind of the far end of the East Wing, on 392 00:22:28,680 --> 00:22:31,440 Speaker 1: the east side of the East Wing, and I get 393 00:22:31,560 --> 00:22:33,159 Speaker 1: escorted in, so I don't have to do anything. I 394 00:22:33,200 --> 00:22:35,720 Speaker 1: just have to follow whoever's escorting me in. But this 395 00:22:35,840 --> 00:22:39,080 Speaker 1: day I have an appointment with the General Council, my 396 00:22:39,160 --> 00:22:41,479 Speaker 1: first day, in fact, I know the General Council at 397 00:22:41,480 --> 00:22:44,840 Speaker 1: the time, White House General Counsel Al Gonzalez, who went 398 00:22:44,880 --> 00:22:47,400 Speaker 1: on to be Attorney General for a while. He was 399 00:22:48,040 --> 00:22:53,480 Speaker 1: one of President Bush's Texas Supreme Court judges, and All 400 00:22:53,560 --> 00:22:55,000 Speaker 1: and I had known each other for a couple of 401 00:22:55,080 --> 00:22:57,800 Speaker 1: years before Bush got elected. So I show up that 402 00:22:57,880 --> 00:23:00,960 Speaker 1: day at the Northwest Gate and I check in with 403 00:23:01,000 --> 00:23:02,800 Speaker 1: the Secret Service. I give my name, and my ID 404 00:23:03,320 --> 00:23:05,080 Speaker 1: tell him, you know, I've got an appointment with, you know, 405 00:23:05,840 --> 00:23:07,840 Speaker 1: with the General counsel at you know, let's say it's 406 00:23:07,840 --> 00:23:10,320 Speaker 1: at nine am. And so I'm there at you know, 407 00:23:10,400 --> 00:23:13,040 Speaker 1: eight or eight thirty, and they, you know, they checked, 408 00:23:13,200 --> 00:23:15,680 Speaker 1: They check the log. Yes, I'm on the calendar, and 409 00:23:15,720 --> 00:23:17,919 Speaker 1: I go through the magnetometer. This is before I had 410 00:23:18,000 --> 00:23:20,600 Speaker 1: my White House pass or anything, so I'm getting checked 411 00:23:20,640 --> 00:23:23,119 Speaker 1: just like any other visitor. And I get through and 412 00:23:23,160 --> 00:23:26,720 Speaker 1: they open the door and I step out on to 413 00:23:27,160 --> 00:23:29,640 Speaker 1: where Pebble kind of where the end of Pebble Beach 414 00:23:29,760 --> 00:23:34,560 Speaker 1: is and I stop. I think to myself, I have 415 00:23:34,680 --> 00:23:38,240 Speaker 1: no freaking idea where I'm going. I haven't turned or 416 00:23:38,280 --> 00:23:41,080 Speaker 1: anything yet. And I hear this voice behind me, and 417 00:23:41,080 --> 00:23:44,359 Speaker 1: it's the it's the uniform Secret Service guy who says, 418 00:23:45,040 --> 00:23:47,600 Speaker 1: you don't know where you're going, do you? I kind 419 00:23:47,600 --> 00:23:50,240 Speaker 1: of chuckled. Look, look looked at him and said, no, 420 00:23:50,359 --> 00:23:52,840 Speaker 1: I really have no idea where I'm going. He says, 421 00:23:52,960 --> 00:23:56,560 Speaker 1: just just follow Pebble Beach down and see this door. 422 00:23:56,640 --> 00:23:59,399 Speaker 1: You look and it's it kind of slopes because the 423 00:23:59,400 --> 00:24:02,880 Speaker 1: west wing is slightly lower than the east wing. He says, 424 00:24:02,960 --> 00:24:04,840 Speaker 1: kind of sea the top of that door. I said, yes, sir, 425 00:24:05,119 --> 00:24:07,560 Speaker 1: he says, just walk in that door. There's a reception 426 00:24:07,680 --> 00:24:11,840 Speaker 1: person there. They know you're coming, and they will, you know, 427 00:24:11,960 --> 00:24:14,440 Speaker 1: you'll have you can sit and they'll, you know, call 428 00:24:14,480 --> 00:24:17,560 Speaker 1: you when you're you're when you cure turn. So I 429 00:24:17,720 --> 00:24:20,040 Speaker 1: go in. I walk in and I sit down, and 430 00:24:20,080 --> 00:24:21,920 Speaker 1: sure enough, there's a really nice woman sitting at the 431 00:24:21,960 --> 00:24:25,040 Speaker 1: reception desk and she says, hello, mister Brown, have a seat. 432 00:24:25,080 --> 00:24:27,080 Speaker 1: You know, mister Gonzalez will be with you in a moment. 433 00:24:28,200 --> 00:24:31,600 Speaker 1: And you sit in this area, and if you've never 434 00:24:31,640 --> 00:24:36,200 Speaker 1: been there before and it's your first time, you'll never 435 00:24:36,280 --> 00:24:40,080 Speaker 1: forget it because you look around and there are all 436 00:24:40,200 --> 00:24:45,720 Speaker 1: of these amazing historical artifacts. You know, a painting of 437 00:24:45,760 --> 00:24:49,160 Speaker 1: George Washington or Thomas Jefferson, or you know, there might 438 00:24:49,160 --> 00:24:51,800 Speaker 1: be another remington, a piece of art. There might be, 439 00:24:51,960 --> 00:24:54,439 Speaker 1: you know, in a glass case, a gift that you know, 440 00:24:54,560 --> 00:24:57,879 Speaker 1: maybe maybe Queen Elizabeth gave, you know, Richard Nixon or something. 441 00:24:58,080 --> 00:25:00,159 Speaker 1: And it's sitting there and you're just sitting there in 442 00:25:00,320 --> 00:25:03,240 Speaker 1: awe of all of this stuff. And then of course, 443 00:25:03,359 --> 00:25:07,680 Speaker 1: the the secretary or whoever it is, the chief of 444 00:25:07,680 --> 00:25:10,119 Speaker 1: staff or somebody for the White House counsel came and 445 00:25:10,160 --> 00:25:12,440 Speaker 1: down and got me. And you know, you start going 446 00:25:12,600 --> 00:25:15,320 Speaker 1: winding your way through and you walk up the staircase 447 00:25:15,359 --> 00:25:18,600 Speaker 1: and you go into the into the office. And I 448 00:25:18,640 --> 00:25:21,040 Speaker 1: and that's what I did, and I sat down in 449 00:25:21,160 --> 00:25:25,520 Speaker 1: Al Gonzalez's office and I just simply said, Wow, this 450 00:25:25,600 --> 00:25:29,679 Speaker 1: is this is pretty damn cool. Al, who's you know, 451 00:25:31,320 --> 00:25:33,679 Speaker 1: been there for a few days too. This is just 452 00:25:33,680 --> 00:25:37,080 Speaker 1: shortly after the inauguration. He kind of whispers to me like, Yeah, 453 00:25:37,080 --> 00:25:40,600 Speaker 1: it really is cool, isn't it. It's simply amazing. And 454 00:25:40,640 --> 00:25:44,480 Speaker 1: then you it's it's funny how over time, because I mean, 455 00:25:44,480 --> 00:25:46,960 Speaker 1: that's that's day one for me. That's day one. No 456 00:25:47,040 --> 00:25:51,680 Speaker 1: clue where I'm going at all. Now fast forward and 457 00:25:52,000 --> 00:25:54,119 Speaker 1: you know, I'm I'm I'm in the White House occasionally, 458 00:25:54,160 --> 00:25:56,280 Speaker 1: not not a lot, but I'm in the White House occasionally. 459 00:25:56,680 --> 00:25:59,240 Speaker 1: But then nine to eleven happens, and the next thing, 460 00:25:59,280 --> 00:26:02,480 Speaker 1: you know, I've got a security detail. I've got a 461 00:26:02,520 --> 00:26:07,479 Speaker 1: second presidential nomination and another confirmation hearing coming up, and 462 00:26:07,520 --> 00:26:09,480 Speaker 1: I now have a security detail. I now have a 463 00:26:09,480 --> 00:26:12,960 Speaker 1: White House pass, and I now have unfedered access to 464 00:26:13,000 --> 00:26:17,800 Speaker 1: the West Wing. It's it's simply, it's it's really amazing 465 00:26:18,200 --> 00:26:20,080 Speaker 1: and I'll never forget that. And one of the great 466 00:26:20,080 --> 00:26:22,440 Speaker 1: things that I got to do when I was the undersecretary, 467 00:26:23,280 --> 00:26:25,760 Speaker 1: my parents came in for a weekend and I didn't 468 00:26:25,800 --> 00:26:27,280 Speaker 1: tell them what we were doing. I just said we 469 00:26:27,280 --> 00:26:30,280 Speaker 1: were going to dinner. And you know, the security people 470 00:26:30,320 --> 00:26:33,080 Speaker 1: are outside. But today they've got an extra car because 471 00:26:33,080 --> 00:26:34,560 Speaker 1: I've got my mom and dad with me and we 472 00:26:34,600 --> 00:26:38,440 Speaker 1: can't all fit into one car. So we walk out 473 00:26:38,560 --> 00:26:42,359 Speaker 1: the townhouse and you know, my detail puts my parents 474 00:26:42,400 --> 00:26:43,680 Speaker 1: in a car and I get in a car and 475 00:26:44,760 --> 00:26:48,000 Speaker 1: we go to dinner, and of course they're they're amazed, 476 00:26:48,080 --> 00:26:51,440 Speaker 1: because wow, why do you have a detail? Well, because 477 00:26:51,520 --> 00:26:55,159 Speaker 1: you know, it's for security reasons. We finished dinner in 478 00:26:55,160 --> 00:26:57,960 Speaker 1: Georgetown and I say, come on, we're going to do 479 00:26:58,000 --> 00:27:02,679 Speaker 1: something fun. And again, because I've got the past, and 480 00:27:02,720 --> 00:27:07,320 Speaker 1: because my security detail have their passes. We don't have 481 00:27:07,400 --> 00:27:12,320 Speaker 1: to walk from a gate. They stop at the gate 482 00:27:13,200 --> 00:27:16,080 Speaker 1: you may have seen on the on the south side 483 00:27:16,119 --> 00:27:19,520 Speaker 1: of the White House. You see that fence where people 484 00:27:19,600 --> 00:27:22,760 Speaker 1: walk and they're usually protests and things going along where 485 00:27:22,760 --> 00:27:25,120 Speaker 1: there's a drive on just the other side of that fence. 486 00:27:25,800 --> 00:27:28,480 Speaker 1: And there is a gate on the what would be 487 00:27:28,720 --> 00:27:31,960 Speaker 1: the east end. And our two cars drive up. They 488 00:27:32,000 --> 00:27:35,040 Speaker 1: wave us through. They we drive along that gate. We're 489 00:27:35,080 --> 00:27:37,840 Speaker 1: now inside the fence, and of course I wish I'd 490 00:27:37,880 --> 00:27:40,159 Speaker 1: been in the car with my parents, but you know, 491 00:27:40,200 --> 00:27:42,639 Speaker 1: they now realize, oh, they're on the White House grounds. 492 00:27:43,720 --> 00:27:46,359 Speaker 1: And then we pull up to West Executive Drive. There's 493 00:27:46,359 --> 00:27:49,280 Speaker 1: two cars stop right on the entrance to the to 494 00:27:49,320 --> 00:27:52,200 Speaker 1: the West Wing and they get out. They open the 495 00:27:52,320 --> 00:27:54,120 Speaker 1: door for me, and they open the door for my parents, 496 00:27:54,560 --> 00:27:56,160 Speaker 1: and I just say, come on, we're gonna go take 497 00:27:56,160 --> 00:27:59,280 Speaker 1: a tour. And we walk in and we walk through. 498 00:28:00,359 --> 00:28:02,960 Speaker 1: I show them the Oval office, We walk down. I 499 00:28:03,000 --> 00:28:05,120 Speaker 1: show them where I can't take them into the White 500 00:28:05,119 --> 00:28:07,399 Speaker 1: House Situation room, by show them where the mess is. 501 00:28:07,400 --> 00:28:08,840 Speaker 1: I show them the cabinet room. I show them the 502 00:28:08,920 --> 00:28:11,440 Speaker 1: Roosevelt Room. We walk down the East Wing a little 503 00:28:11,480 --> 00:28:13,600 Speaker 1: bit and see you know, just on the first floor. 504 00:28:13,720 --> 00:28:16,159 Speaker 1: Can't obviously, can't go up to the residents, and I 505 00:28:16,200 --> 00:28:18,680 Speaker 1: just take a tour of the White House. We step 506 00:28:18,680 --> 00:28:21,240 Speaker 1: out on the north portico, let them see that, step 507 00:28:21,280 --> 00:28:24,080 Speaker 1: out into the south side, let them see the south side. 508 00:28:24,760 --> 00:28:29,920 Speaker 1: And it's just amazing because and one thing they noticed too, 509 00:28:29,960 --> 00:28:32,640 Speaker 1: which I think everybody who ever goes for the first time, 510 00:28:33,280 --> 00:28:37,080 Speaker 1: is they commented to about, oh, this is much smaller 511 00:28:37,119 --> 00:28:42,760 Speaker 1: than we expected. Yes, it's just not very large at all. 512 00:28:42,880 --> 00:28:46,040 Speaker 1: So that's it. That's the logistics, that's that's kind of 513 00:28:46,040 --> 00:28:49,480 Speaker 1: how the layout is. So I've described the layout and 514 00:28:49,600 --> 00:28:52,320 Speaker 1: the decision making, and so I think now when you 515 00:28:52,360 --> 00:28:55,000 Speaker 1: see these things on TV, it'll give you a little 516 00:28:55,040 --> 00:28:59,960 Speaker 1: different perspective of everything else that's going on behind those cameras, 517 00:29:00,600 --> 00:29:03,000 Speaker 1: because all you see here the camera's pointed at the 518 00:29:03,040 --> 00:29:06,760 Speaker 1: president or whoever's sitting with him in front of the fireplace. 519 00:29:06,920 --> 00:29:16,800 Speaker 1: I'll be right back, Welcome back to the Weekend with 520 00:29:16,840 --> 00:29:18,800 Speaker 1: Michael Brown. Glad to have you with me, Appreciate you 521 00:29:18,840 --> 00:29:21,520 Speaker 1: tuning in. Let's get moving on some of the news 522 00:29:21,520 --> 00:29:26,400 Speaker 1: going on. Let's talk about obviously, I think what's probably 523 00:29:26,440 --> 00:29:31,000 Speaker 1: one of them, you know, there's so many stories. The 524 00:29:31,040 --> 00:29:35,440 Speaker 1: world is moving so rapidly right now. Things are shifting 525 00:29:36,040 --> 00:29:41,000 Speaker 1: so quickly, and mostly in a good way. But even 526 00:29:41,080 --> 00:29:44,640 Speaker 1: though he may have you know, some of the globalists, 527 00:29:44,640 --> 00:29:47,520 Speaker 1: particularly from the EU, and you know the United Nations 528 00:29:47,600 --> 00:29:50,520 Speaker 1: and others, really all you know in a dither about 529 00:29:50,560 --> 00:29:54,480 Speaker 1: some of the things that is happening worldwide. Nonetheless, at 530 00:29:54,480 --> 00:29:59,080 Speaker 1: this point, I actually see the direction we're going, and 531 00:29:59,200 --> 00:30:03,320 Speaker 1: the fact that there is such a visceral reaction negatively 532 00:30:03,440 --> 00:30:06,560 Speaker 1: toward what's going on tells me that, yeah, we must 533 00:30:06,600 --> 00:30:11,000 Speaker 1: be on the right track. If we're the target right now, 534 00:30:11,560 --> 00:30:14,280 Speaker 1: then we must be doing something right. So we could 535 00:30:14,360 --> 00:30:17,880 Speaker 1: talk about what's going on in Tehran, well not just Tehran, 536 00:30:17,960 --> 00:30:21,080 Speaker 1: but the entire country of Iran. Or we could talk 537 00:30:21,120 --> 00:30:25,320 Speaker 1: about Minnesota. We can talk eventually about Portland, Oregon. We 538 00:30:25,320 --> 00:30:27,240 Speaker 1: can talk about the economy and the jobs numbers. We 539 00:30:27,280 --> 00:30:29,720 Speaker 1: can talk about any number of things. But I want 540 00:30:29,720 --> 00:30:36,440 Speaker 1: to start out primarily with Minneapolis because the attack against 541 00:30:36,440 --> 00:30:39,280 Speaker 1: an and I've tried to choose my words carefully here, 542 00:30:40,040 --> 00:30:44,240 Speaker 1: the attack against an ICE agent in Minneapolis was not 543 00:30:44,400 --> 00:30:49,840 Speaker 1: an accident, and it was not a sort of random strategy, 544 00:30:51,160 --> 00:30:54,480 Speaker 1: and it wasn't I don't think now again, we'll have 545 00:30:54,520 --> 00:31:00,760 Speaker 1: an investigation. The FEDS will investigate, and I mean there's 546 00:31:00,880 --> 00:31:08,040 Speaker 1: no jurisdictional authority for the locals or the states to investigate, 547 00:31:08,720 --> 00:31:13,040 Speaker 1: but there's nothing that prevents them from conducting their own investigation. Now, 548 00:31:13,040 --> 00:31:17,320 Speaker 1: they may not have access to all the materials that 549 00:31:17,360 --> 00:31:19,440 Speaker 1: the Feds are going to have, but if they want 550 00:31:19,480 --> 00:31:22,280 Speaker 1: to conduct their own investigation, then have at it. But 551 00:31:22,360 --> 00:31:26,720 Speaker 1: this is purely a federal issue because a federal crime 552 00:31:27,480 --> 00:31:33,840 Speaker 1: was probably committed. So I know that like a lot 553 00:31:33,840 --> 00:31:38,080 Speaker 1: of people, I probably too am. You know, maybe I 554 00:31:38,080 --> 00:31:41,280 Speaker 1: should wait until the investigation comes out, but I can't 555 00:31:41,280 --> 00:31:45,040 Speaker 1: do that as long as all of this other disinformation 556 00:31:45,160 --> 00:31:48,720 Speaker 1: keeps getting fed to us. I do not believe, for example, 557 00:31:48,800 --> 00:31:51,959 Speaker 1: this was some random accident, and I don't think it 558 00:31:52,000 --> 00:31:58,480 Speaker 1: was just a misunderstanding. Instead, I think this is the 559 00:31:58,640 --> 00:32:07,320 Speaker 1: direct result of a far left wing Marxist undertow undercurrent 560 00:32:08,600 --> 00:32:16,640 Speaker 1: no longer covert overt that is trying to actually facilitate 561 00:32:17,360 --> 00:32:21,800 Speaker 1: physical confrontation with law enforcement, and they're trying to portray 562 00:32:21,840 --> 00:32:25,800 Speaker 1: it as something that is morally okay, And quite honestly, 563 00:32:25,800 --> 00:32:29,760 Speaker 1: they're doing it because it's useful to them. Politically. Now, 564 00:32:29,800 --> 00:32:33,840 Speaker 1: when that culture kind of you know, runs into a 565 00:32:34,280 --> 00:32:38,200 Speaker 1: moving or a moving vehicle runs into an office officer. 566 00:32:38,440 --> 00:32:42,800 Speaker 1: When when the culture causes a vehicle to move and 567 00:32:42,880 --> 00:32:47,480 Speaker 1: hit an armed officer, it's catastrophic and it's tragic, and 568 00:32:47,520 --> 00:32:53,040 Speaker 1: it's unfortunate, and I think it's deliberate. Now, many people 569 00:32:53,520 --> 00:32:57,400 Speaker 1: may say, oh, you can't come to that conclusion yet, Well, 570 00:32:58,120 --> 00:33:03,920 Speaker 1: it seems to me that liber rules the Marxists, the globalists, 571 00:33:03,920 --> 00:33:06,840 Speaker 1: the people that are trying to undermine everything. There's let 572 00:33:06,840 --> 00:33:08,280 Speaker 1: me put it this way. Let me put it in 573 00:33:08,360 --> 00:33:16,200 Speaker 1: a in a more neutral term, that is, I think, hmmm, unequivocal. 574 00:33:17,720 --> 00:33:20,880 Speaker 1: It is a furtherance of the attempt started by Barack 575 00:33:20,920 --> 00:33:28,000 Speaker 1: Obama to fundamentally transform this country. That's what we're witnessing progressivism, 576 00:33:28,400 --> 00:33:31,880 Speaker 1: which is being quietly, you know, kind of subtly trying 577 00:33:31,920 --> 00:33:35,600 Speaker 1: to you know, propagandize us into thinking that, you know, 578 00:33:35,720 --> 00:33:38,120 Speaker 1: our compassion should be taken care of, you know, our 579 00:33:38,520 --> 00:33:41,120 Speaker 1: take we should take care of everybody. It's less fortunate 580 00:33:41,120 --> 00:33:43,440 Speaker 1: than you and me that the government should do that, 581 00:33:44,520 --> 00:33:47,640 Speaker 1: or that you know, we're we're a horrible force. We're 582 00:33:47,640 --> 00:33:49,920 Speaker 1: an evil force in the world. When I think we're 583 00:33:49,920 --> 00:33:53,000 Speaker 1: a good force in the world. And I think that 584 00:33:53,080 --> 00:33:57,560 Speaker 1: these Marxists are serious about a civil war. I think 585 00:33:57,560 --> 00:34:02,040 Speaker 1: they're serious about tearing the country apart. Listen to Larry Krasner. 586 00:34:02,160 --> 00:34:07,240 Speaker 1: He's the District Attorney of Philadelphia, having been installed by 587 00:34:07,760 --> 00:34:11,719 Speaker 1: top Democrat Doner George Soros. Listen to this. 588 00:34:12,120 --> 00:34:17,080 Speaker 2: If any law enforcement agent, any ice agent, is going 589 00:34:17,160 --> 00:34:18,319 Speaker 2: to come to Philly. 590 00:34:20,160 --> 00:34:24,000 Speaker 1: To commit crimes, then you can get the oh, gotta stop, 591 00:34:25,880 --> 00:34:31,000 Speaker 1: is going to commit crimes? What? Oh? Then you've got 592 00:34:31,040 --> 00:34:33,920 Speaker 1: to get out of here, you know. But they all 593 00:34:33,960 --> 00:34:36,239 Speaker 1: like to use the F bomb. You got to get 594 00:34:36,239 --> 00:34:36,799 Speaker 1: the f out of. 595 00:34:36,800 --> 00:34:44,240 Speaker 2: Here, because if you do that here, I will charge 596 00:34:44,280 --> 00:34:49,000 Speaker 2: you with those crimes. You will be arrested, you will 597 00:34:49,040 --> 00:34:53,879 Speaker 2: stand trial, you will be convicted. Whether it's in state 598 00:34:53,960 --> 00:34:56,520 Speaker 2: or federal court. It's my office prosecuting it. 599 00:34:56,560 --> 00:34:57,680 Speaker 1: That's how the law works. 600 00:34:58,680 --> 00:35:00,279 Speaker 2: And you will do your time. 601 00:35:02,120 --> 00:35:06,720 Speaker 1: Wow, what crime was committed? You see that. What they've 602 00:35:06,760 --> 00:35:10,839 Speaker 1: done is they have managed to now elevate something that 603 00:35:11,000 --> 00:35:13,080 Speaker 1: we've all I shouldn't say all of us, because some 604 00:35:13,120 --> 00:35:15,480 Speaker 1: of us didn't vote for them, but I voted for this. 605 00:35:15,920 --> 00:35:19,680 Speaker 1: I voted for several things, but the first one was 606 00:35:20,320 --> 00:35:25,520 Speaker 1: stop filling the bathtub, seal the border. So Trump did that, 607 00:35:25,800 --> 00:35:28,520 Speaker 1: he sealed the border, and we now have we still 608 00:35:28,520 --> 00:35:30,840 Speaker 1: get a few trickles, but we don't have this flood 609 00:35:30,840 --> 00:35:33,760 Speaker 1: that we had. But then I wanted somebody to mop 610 00:35:33,880 --> 00:35:37,280 Speaker 1: up all of the water that's been flooding the entire house, 611 00:35:37,320 --> 00:35:40,600 Speaker 1: flooding the entire country. And we're doing that, and we're 612 00:35:40,640 --> 00:35:43,640 Speaker 1: doing that by deporting to people who are here illegally. 613 00:35:44,840 --> 00:35:48,520 Speaker 1: And quite frankly, we started out with guess those that 614 00:35:48,560 --> 00:35:51,880 Speaker 1: are the worst of the worst, and we should continue 615 00:35:51,880 --> 00:35:55,280 Speaker 1: to focus on those. But I don't have a problem 616 00:35:55,520 --> 00:35:58,040 Speaker 1: if you're in the country illegally. I don't have a 617 00:35:58,080 --> 00:36:02,880 Speaker 1: problem if you get swept up in a raid and 618 00:36:03,440 --> 00:36:06,880 Speaker 1: you can't prove that you have a green card or 619 00:36:06,920 --> 00:36:09,600 Speaker 1: that you're you know, you're here illegally, and then you 620 00:36:09,640 --> 00:36:12,160 Speaker 1: came here illegally. I don't have any problems you being deported, 621 00:36:13,000 --> 00:36:17,640 Speaker 1: none whatsoever. And I have to admit, if you brought 622 00:36:17,640 --> 00:36:20,640 Speaker 1: your family here, I kind of feel sorry for your 623 00:36:20,680 --> 00:36:23,480 Speaker 1: family because maybe they didn't have a choice. But nonetheless, 624 00:36:23,480 --> 00:36:27,400 Speaker 1: you're all here illegally, so time to go home. Because 625 00:36:27,400 --> 00:36:29,560 Speaker 1: there are a lot of people in this country. If 626 00:36:29,600 --> 00:36:31,520 Speaker 1: we are as that left likes to say, a nation 627 00:36:31,600 --> 00:36:36,759 Speaker 1: of immigrants. Then those immigrants, generally speaking other than early 628 00:36:36,800 --> 00:36:40,840 Speaker 1: in the eighteen hundreds, came here through a lawful process, 629 00:36:41,840 --> 00:36:44,840 Speaker 1: through a lawful process, most of which came through Ellis 630 00:36:44,840 --> 00:36:49,800 Speaker 1: Island or they came through San Francisco. And those people 631 00:36:50,480 --> 00:36:55,080 Speaker 1: deserve better, Those people deserve the same respect of the 632 00:36:55,160 --> 00:36:57,960 Speaker 1: rule of law that they showed when they came to 633 00:36:57,960 --> 00:37:03,040 Speaker 1: this country. So Chraissner starts out a district, an elected, 634 00:37:03,440 --> 00:37:08,440 Speaker 1: an elected law enforcement officer of Philadelphia just summarily accusing 635 00:37:08,520 --> 00:37:12,000 Speaker 1: Ice of committing crimes. That's why I think they're actually 636 00:37:12,000 --> 00:37:14,840 Speaker 1: serious about a civil war. We'll go deeper into that 637 00:37:15,480 --> 00:37:15,800 Speaker 1: next