WEBVTT - Mike Allen in for Sloanie 12-30-25 0:00:02.920 --> 0:00:06.840 Seven hundred WLW. Mike Allen in again for Scott Sloan. 0:00:08.640 --> 0:00:09.480 Happy to do it. 0:00:10.440 --> 0:00:13.760 I don't want to be outdoors today, man, that is brutal. 0:00:14.800 --> 0:00:18.119 I got here in the weather sheet eighteen degrees. I 0:00:18.160 --> 0:00:21.720 don't know if that's the current temperature, but eighteen degrees 0:00:21.920 --> 0:00:26.320 feels like four degrees. And if I'm not mistaken Sunday, 0:00:27.000 --> 0:00:31.120 I mean we were like mid sixties. It's typical Cincinnati weather. 0:00:31.480 --> 0:00:34.360 It's the reason why I think everybody gets sick here. 0:00:34.400 --> 0:00:37.279 We got a great show for you today. I'm going 0:00:37.320 --> 0:00:40.800 to talk a little bit again about the Minnesota situation. 0:00:41.640 --> 0:00:45.839 It is the grift that keeps on giving. At nine 0:00:45.840 --> 0:00:48.280 point thirty, we're going to talk to Todd Sheets. He's 0:00:48.320 --> 0:00:53.120 going to talk about President Trump's National Security Survey. Really 0:00:53.479 --> 0:00:56.520 raised a lot of eyes when that came out, and 0:00:56.560 --> 0:00:58.960 Todd has done a deep dive on it, and we'll 0:00:58.960 --> 0:00:59.600 talk to him. 0:01:00.560 --> 0:01:01.560 I'm looking forward to this. 0:01:01.720 --> 0:01:06.800 Dan Horne, reporter, great reporter, longtime reporter for the Cincinnati Enquirer, 0:01:07.319 --> 0:01:10.800 did a really good piece on the kind of change 0:01:10.840 --> 0:01:15.720 in religious feelings in the country, and it's also demographically 0:01:16.400 --> 0:01:19.759 was able to break down Greater Cincinnati, so we'll see 0:01:19.760 --> 0:01:22.120 how we compare with the rest of the country. At 0:01:22.120 --> 0:01:25.600 eleven o'clock, Christopher Smithman, former Vice mayor of the City 0:01:25.640 --> 0:01:30.000 of Cincinnati, always always has something interesting to say men. 0:01:30.040 --> 0:01:30.959 At eleven thirty J. 0:01:31.160 --> 0:01:34.880 Ratliffe, aviation expert. We're going to talk to him, kind 0:01:34.880 --> 0:01:37.280 of get an idea where we are travel wise, and 0:01:37.440 --> 0:01:40.479 some other things that happened in the year twenty twenty 0:01:40.520 --> 0:01:47.560 five in aviation. But first, the drum beat continues in Minnesota. 0:01:47.640 --> 0:01:51.000 As I said, it is the grift that keeps on giving. 0:01:51.160 --> 0:01:52.560 We have not heard the last of it. 0:01:52.680 --> 0:01:53.000 I know. 0:01:53.400 --> 0:01:56.840 I talk a lot about it. Reason I do, because 0:01:56.840 --> 0:01:59.320 it's a big story, one of the biggest. I've ever 0:01:59.360 --> 0:02:03.360 seen this thing already, and again I've probably about that 0:02:03.520 --> 0:02:07.680 million times I've said this. We've only scratched the service already. 0:02:08.120 --> 0:02:12.760 I think, without question. It is the biggest scandal money wise, 0:02:12.760 --> 0:02:17.160 are probably otherwise in this country's history. And again it's 0:02:17.200 --> 0:02:19.520 just the tip of the iceberg. Just a couple recent 0:02:19.560 --> 0:02:24.200 developments federal funding pause. Boy, the federal government now the 0:02:24.200 --> 0:02:27.679 Trump administration is kind of circling the wagons on this thing. 0:02:27.760 --> 0:02:33.720 And the FBI yesterday Cashpateel, he confirmed that the bureau 0:02:33.800 --> 0:02:39.119 has surged personnel and investigative resources to Minnesota. And I'll 0:02:39.160 --> 0:02:42.840 tell you, the FBI's had their ups and downs, but 0:02:43.040 --> 0:02:47.320 they are still, without questioning, the best law enforcement investigative 0:02:47.360 --> 0:02:51.720 agency in the world in my humble opinion. So it's 0:02:51.760 --> 0:02:55.239 not only me that says just the tip of the iceberg. 0:02:55.560 --> 0:02:58.760 Cashpateel said, it's just the tip of a very large 0:02:58.880 --> 0:03:03.200 iceberg and stated that the FBI began this surge even 0:03:03.280 --> 0:03:10.440 before the issue gained widespread social media attention. The SBA administrator, 0:03:10.560 --> 0:03:14.080 Kelly Leffler, she announced, I think it was yesterday pause 0:03:14.160 --> 0:03:17.040 on annual funding to Minnesota. 0:03:17.160 --> 0:03:18.800 I think probably a smart move. 0:03:19.480 --> 0:03:23.880 This freeze includes over five point five million bucks in 0:03:24.160 --> 0:03:29.240 annual support to resource partners while the agency investigates are 0:03:29.280 --> 0:03:32.840 you ready for this and estimated four hundred and thirty 0:03:32.960 --> 0:03:39.920 million dollars in suspected paycheck Protection Program PPP fraud across 0:03:39.960 --> 0:03:44.240 the state. And you know, of all the COVID related giveaways, 0:03:45.000 --> 0:03:47.000 this one seems to be the one that has the 0:03:47.440 --> 0:03:52.880 most criminal problems. So they suspended money to that wisely so. 0:03:54.160 --> 0:03:59.240 And Homeland Security agents were reported in Minneapolis yesterday conducting 0:03:59.280 --> 0:04:04.160 a massive investigation into the rampant fraud. That includes reviewing 0:04:04.320 --> 0:04:10.280 thousands of unanswered calls to welfare check hotlines from the 0:04:10.280 --> 0:04:11.360 past two years. 0:04:11.440 --> 0:04:15.320 So it's going and it's going to keep continue. 0:04:15.880 --> 0:04:21.120 Reports on December twenty ninth, just yesterday, I think, yeah, 0:04:21.120 --> 0:04:24.640 it would have been yesterday, detailed claims from over Listen 0:04:24.680 --> 0:04:30.000 to this four hundred and eighty Minnesota DHS workers who 0:04:30.080 --> 0:04:35.480 alleged that Governor Walt's administration ignored or covered up years 0:04:35.600 --> 0:04:42.039 of warnings regarding the exploding fraud schemes. That is beyond belief. 0:04:42.920 --> 0:04:45.520 It really is how you're the governor of the state, 0:04:45.600 --> 0:04:48.760 how you turn a blind eye to this? And you know, 0:04:48.800 --> 0:04:51.400 I think we all know why he did it. He 0:04:51.440 --> 0:04:55.520 didn't want to be labeled an islamophobe. God forbid, you'd 0:04:55.520 --> 0:05:01.039 be called that or racist. And he's on his last leg. See, 0:05:01.040 --> 0:05:03.359 you know we really I mean, and I'm just saying 0:05:03.400 --> 0:05:06.320 it's because he's a Democrat and he's a boob. I mean, 0:05:06.320 --> 0:05:09.039 I thought he was a boob long before this. But 0:05:09.160 --> 0:05:11.560 he just needs to go. I mean, he needs to go. 0:05:12.080 --> 0:05:15.919 He's running for his third term. At least, at a minimum, 0:05:16.320 --> 0:05:20.440 take himself off the ballot. But again, that would take 0:05:20.440 --> 0:05:22.760 a little courage. I don't see it coming. 0:05:23.600 --> 0:05:24.919 Okay. Indictment totals. 0:05:25.040 --> 0:05:28.920 As of late December twenty twenty five, at least ninety 0:05:29.000 --> 0:05:33.480 two people have been charged in the years long investigation, 0:05:33.640 --> 0:05:38.279 with at least sixty convictions secured to date. Tell you 0:05:38.320 --> 0:05:40.880 the US Attorney's office, the trial lawyers that they have 0:05:41.480 --> 0:05:44.640 some of the best in the country. They don't fool around. 0:05:45.480 --> 0:05:50.000 But something that I heard yesterday, it's just unbelievable. I 0:05:50.120 --> 0:05:54.240 about fell out of my chair. Okay, So we've got 0:05:54.360 --> 0:05:58.200 this woman by the name of Marcia Gay. She is 0:05:58.480 --> 0:06:02.680 an MSNBC Now. I guess they changed the name. They 0:06:02.720 --> 0:06:07.000 probably picked up two three viewers on that Marcia Gay, 0:06:07.040 --> 0:06:10.280 and I think she's also a New York Times columnist 0:06:10.400 --> 0:06:16.680 or reporter. She was on MSNBC Now yesterday talking about this, 0:06:16.880 --> 0:06:19.599 and just take a listen to what she had to say. 0:06:19.640 --> 0:06:21.080 If you could play that clip please. 0:06:21.680 --> 0:06:24.640 The question is, you know, why is this a priority? 0:06:24.640 --> 0:06:28.560 In a different kind of way, the politicization of the 0:06:28.640 --> 0:06:32.920 DOJ and the FBI is undeniable, So whether they are 0:06:32.960 --> 0:06:37.159 reliable narrators is the big question. And this is what 0:06:37.279 --> 0:06:41.200 happens when you weaponize and politicize federal agencies that are 0:06:41.200 --> 0:06:45.160 not meant to be, you know, politicized. And I think 0:06:45.279 --> 0:06:48.040 the American people are right to ask the question, well, 0:06:48.160 --> 0:06:50.640 can we trust you? And that's a sad thing to 0:06:50.720 --> 0:06:54.200 say as an American. Let's recall too that there's also 0:06:54.920 --> 0:06:58.680 other scandals in other states, for example, the Mississippi welfare scandal, 0:06:58.680 --> 0:07:01.520 and this is not unique to politics. 0:07:01.760 --> 0:07:03.960 Americans know that. Of course. 0:07:04.200 --> 0:07:07.840 The other factor here is that because it looks like 0:07:07.880 --> 0:07:12.360 the Somali population in Minnesota, the Smali immigrant population may 0:07:12.400 --> 0:07:16.560 have been at some involved in some way, these people 0:07:16.600 --> 0:07:20.240 are being scapegoated, and that community is being scapegoaded in 0:07:20.280 --> 0:07:23.200 a way that certainly serves the far right. And so 0:07:23.520 --> 0:07:26.560 that's also something to keep an eye on, and that's inappropriate. 0:07:26.800 --> 0:07:31.360 Absolutely can you believe that? I mean really, can you? 0:07:33.720 --> 0:07:35.360 I'm not going to use the word I want to use. 0:07:35.400 --> 0:07:38.200 I like my job too much, but can you believe 0:07:38.320 --> 0:07:42.000 that this woman gets on I think she was on 0:07:42.160 --> 0:07:46.320 morning job that part of the MSNBC family, I guess, 0:07:46.800 --> 0:07:53.600 and she says that that the Somali community are being scapegoaded. 0:07:54.360 --> 0:07:59.080 Unbelievable. Listen to this, Listen to this. Okay, so far 0:07:59.400 --> 0:07:59.920 you have not. 0:08:00.040 --> 0:08:04.760 Ninety eight people charged in this thing, eighty five of 0:08:04.840 --> 0:08:10.440 them are of Somali descent. So who's being scapegoated here? 0:08:11.200 --> 0:08:15.040 It's just these people. I've always wondered, Still haven't gotten 0:08:15.080 --> 0:08:18.080 the answer. Still haven't figured it out if they really 0:08:18.160 --> 0:08:22.400 convince themselves of these things and they actually believe them, 0:08:22.800 --> 0:08:27.000 or if they just bald face lie to the American 0:08:27.040 --> 0:08:33.720 people scapegoating the Somali community. Ninety eight people charged, eighty 0:08:33.760 --> 0:08:37.640 five of the ninety eight are of Somali descent. G 0:08:38.320 --> 0:08:41.560 What does that tell you? Are you allowed to make 0:08:41.600 --> 0:08:46.200 any assumptions from that? Well, the answer to that is yes, 0:08:46.559 --> 0:08:49.079 I'm doing it. A lot of other people are doing 0:08:49.120 --> 0:08:52.800 it too. Does it mean that every person of Somalian 0:08:52.840 --> 0:08:57.760 descent in Minnesota is a crook? Absolutely not, and I'm 0:08:57.800 --> 0:09:01.920 not saying that, and I don't think anybody else's. However, 0:09:02.559 --> 0:09:06.760 there is a big, big problem. I mean, you know, 0:09:07.240 --> 0:09:10.520 you got the situation in Columbus. People up there are 0:09:10.520 --> 0:09:13.440 thinking that's gonna blow any minute now. I don't know 0:09:13.800 --> 0:09:18.160 what specifically it is, but any number of people have 0:09:18.280 --> 0:09:21.560 said stand by when that happens. But I don't know. 0:09:22.280 --> 0:09:24.800 And she said, this is another one. You know, if 0:09:24.840 --> 0:09:27.840 it were a Pinocchio deal, her nose would be growing. 0:09:28.160 --> 0:09:34.000 She talks about weaponizing and politicizing the Department of Justice. 0:09:34.640 --> 0:09:37.839 You know, I'd like to do some research on what 0:09:38.000 --> 0:09:41.560 she has said, miss Gay publicly, to see if she 0:09:41.760 --> 0:09:45.679 said that during the four years of the Biden administration. 0:09:46.200 --> 0:09:51.920 By the way, the administration who invented and perfected weaponizing 0:09:52.120 --> 0:09:52.880 the DOJ. 0:09:53.559 --> 0:09:55.080 You know, they seem to forget that. 0:09:55.720 --> 0:09:59.080 I would bet a chalkolate Sunday to anybody that she 0:09:59.360 --> 0:10:04.240 probably remained silent while all of their the Biden administration's 0:10:04.360 --> 0:10:10.400 weaponization happened. It's exhibit a, folks, really of just the 0:10:10.440 --> 0:10:15.480 blatant bias of the mainstream media. I mean, for her 0:10:15.559 --> 0:10:21.040 to sit there and say that the Somalian immigrants are 0:10:21.280 --> 0:10:26.080 I think her quote was involved in some way. They're 0:10:26.120 --> 0:10:28.760 involved in a pretty big way about it so far 0:10:28.840 --> 0:10:33.840 in counting a nine billion dollar way. They just don't 0:10:33.840 --> 0:10:35.800 get it. Well, I take that back, I think they 0:10:35.840 --> 0:10:38.320 do get it. They just don't care. They have no 0:10:38.600 --> 0:10:44.200 problem whatsoever with gaslighting the American people, and that's exactly 0:10:44.440 --> 0:10:47.840 what they are doing. I'll tell you there's another story 0:10:47.880 --> 0:10:50.800 that's brewing, and this thing is gonna bust at any minute. 0:10:50.800 --> 0:10:55.000 I think that's the situation with the judge. One of 0:10:55.000 --> 0:10:58.920 the judges in Minnesota, judged by the name of Joe 0:10:59.040 --> 0:11:02.640 And no, that's somebody else, judge by the name of 0:11:03.160 --> 0:11:08.440 Hennepin County Judge Sarah West. Okay, here's what she did. 0:11:08.480 --> 0:11:11.280 And I know a little bit about this stuff. She 0:11:11.480 --> 0:11:15.560 had a big, big, big trial recently. I think it 0:11:15.600 --> 0:11:20.120 was a seven point two million dollars medicaid fraud case. 0:11:20.679 --> 0:11:24.320 Shee's the trial judge there sitting in I guess it 0:11:24.360 --> 0:11:25.960 was Minneapolis. 0:11:25.320 --> 0:11:27.320 And they have this case. 0:11:27.480 --> 0:11:29.640 I don't know how long it took, but my guess 0:11:29.800 --> 0:11:35.040 is is that it probably was a lengthy case. Jury deliberates, 0:11:35.600 --> 0:11:38.760 jury comes back, I don't know how long they were out. 0:11:39.320 --> 0:11:43.599 Jury comes back with a finding of guilty, a unanimous 0:11:44.040 --> 0:11:48.400 twelve person finding of guilty. In every criminal case in 0:11:48.440 --> 0:11:52.840 this country, it has to be unanimous, not on civil cases, 0:11:52.880 --> 0:11:54.360 but on criminal cases. 0:11:54.600 --> 0:11:58.600 Well, what does her honor do? I mean, what does 0:11:58.720 --> 0:11:59.560 Judge Wes do? 0:12:00.720 --> 0:12:04.040 She does something that in all my years in the 0:12:04.080 --> 0:12:07.760 criminal justice system, I've only seen a couple of times. 0:12:08.679 --> 0:12:11.160 The amount of times I've seen it, I could count 0:12:11.200 --> 0:12:13.880 on one hand. I wouldn't need all my fingers. It 0:12:14.080 --> 0:12:19.400 is extremely rare for a judge to say, you know what, 0:12:19.880 --> 0:12:22.720 ladies and gentlemen, the jury, all twelve of you, you 0:12:22.840 --> 0:12:25.800 didn't get it. You know, you didn't get the right verdicts. 0:12:25.840 --> 0:12:29.520 So by God, I'm gonna do it for you. Is 0:12:29.559 --> 0:12:35.040 it legal? Yes in Minnesota, Yes, in Ohio, probably every state. 0:12:35.160 --> 0:12:40.600 I'm not certain though, however, extremely rare that that happens. 0:12:40.960 --> 0:12:42.640 It should not have happened. 0:12:43.040 --> 0:12:47.800 And I hope someone is putting her under a microscope 0:12:47.920 --> 0:12:51.600 because I don't have specifics. I don't know that there 0:12:51.600 --> 0:12:56.040 are any specifics yet. She's kind of tied in with 0:12:56.200 --> 0:13:01.080 these people, the Somalian community that might have been involved 0:13:01.120 --> 0:13:02.480 in this in some way. But I don't want to 0:13:02.480 --> 0:13:07.040 say anything more about that because I don't have any specifics. Okay, 0:13:07.760 --> 0:13:10.720 you probably know who Andy McCarthy is. He's a former 0:13:10.920 --> 0:13:15.480 US assistant attorney. He's always on Fox News. He said 0:13:15.520 --> 0:13:19.360 the ruling her taking away the jury verdict. The ruling 0:13:19.600 --> 0:13:24.600 veered far beyond what trial judges are normally permitted to do, 0:13:25.800 --> 0:13:30.440 underscoring just what I just said, underscoring how exceptional the 0:13:30.559 --> 0:13:34.680 move was. And here's what mister McCarthy said, verbatim, quote, 0:13:35.080 --> 0:13:37.920 it is highly unusual for a judge to overturn a 0:13:38.000 --> 0:13:39.640 jury verdict in a criminal case. 0:13:40.000 --> 0:13:41.240 Yeah, I'd say so. 0:13:41.760 --> 0:13:44.160 That's what he told Fox News, noting that a judge 0:13:44.200 --> 0:13:48.920 who believes the evidence is legally insufficient supposed to stop 0:13:48.960 --> 0:13:51.880 the case before it reaches a jury. There are things 0:13:52.160 --> 0:13:55.640 in Ohio. It's rule twenty nine. After the government's case, 0:13:55.679 --> 0:13:58.959 you can make a rule twenty nine. It's a motion 0:13:59.080 --> 0:14:01.880 for judgment of a quid and the argument is, judge, 0:14:02.040 --> 0:14:03.319 you know, it's just not there. 0:14:03.440 --> 0:14:06.120 It's just not there. Judge, you got to stop it now. 0:14:06.640 --> 0:14:11.320 And that that's still very infrequent, but it happens. 0:14:11.600 --> 0:14:12.200 It happens. 0:14:12.400 --> 0:14:16.719 But this judge, for whatever reason, let the jury deliberate, 0:14:16.840 --> 0:14:20.320 and they did. And you know, jury verdicts in our 0:14:20.480 --> 0:14:21.960 system are sacred. 0:14:22.520 --> 0:14:23.320 They really are. 0:14:23.800 --> 0:14:27.560 Twelve citizens listen to all of this stuff, and I'm 0:14:27.560 --> 0:14:30.480 gonna find out how long they deliberated and came to 0:14:31.240 --> 0:14:35.600 a conclusion on this. And the conclusion was that this 0:14:35.680 --> 0:14:38.960 guy was guilty. But I guess the judge, I don't 0:14:39.000 --> 0:14:41.320 know what her decision was, what it was based on. 0:14:41.880 --> 0:14:45.200 But here's another thing too. If I can find it. 0:14:46.240 --> 0:14:50.200 Okay, So the jury for person a person by the 0:14:50.280 --> 0:14:54.000 name of Ben Walfut. What happens is with a jury, 0:14:54.480 --> 0:14:56.480 they go back. The first thing that they do is 0:14:56.520 --> 0:14:59.440 elect a four person. But anyway, this guy, the four 0:14:59.520 --> 0:15:03.320 person of this jury, told the media there that he 0:15:03.440 --> 0:15:07.400 was quote shocked close quote by West's decision and said 0:15:07.440 --> 0:15:12.680 the jury's conclusion quote was not a difficult decision whatsoever. 0:15:13.080 --> 0:15:16.800 So I mean, there you go. What's going on there. 0:15:17.160 --> 0:15:19.840 I have no specifics other than what I just said, 0:15:19.840 --> 0:15:23.400 but I think it still bears investigation. 0:15:23.920 --> 0:15:26.960 Stay tuned on this. I'm gonna keep talking about it. 0:15:27.080 --> 0:15:30.040 Not just this, but I'm gonna keep talking about it 0:15:30.360 --> 0:15:35.280 on my Saturday show, especially because this thing is building 0:15:35.360 --> 0:15:38.040 up to something that no one has ever seen before 0:15:38.120 --> 0:15:41.640 in this country. How in God's name this could have 0:15:41.720 --> 0:15:46.800 been going on and Waltz and the Attorney General sitting 0:15:46.840 --> 0:15:51.560 on their butt doing nothing. Waltz, if he had any 0:15:51.640 --> 0:15:56.000 kind of public feelings for his electorate, will just resign 0:15:56.120 --> 0:15:58.160 and just say, look, you know this is a little 0:15:58.160 --> 0:16:01.280 bit too much. People have lost faith and trust in me. 0:16:01.880 --> 0:16:04.520 I'm out of here. But don't count on it. I 0:16:04.560 --> 0:16:07.160 don't think that'll happen. Hey, we got to take a break. 0:16:07.160 --> 0:16:09.520 But when we get back. And by the way, I've 0:16:09.520 --> 0:16:12.880 got open lines from ten o'clock to ten thirty this morning. 0:16:13.160 --> 0:16:17.320 Seven four nine, big one are the numbers if you 0:16:17.360 --> 0:16:20.760 want to get involved. I do have an early guest though, 0:16:20.840 --> 0:16:23.560 Boy he's a good one, Todd Sheets. Some of you 0:16:23.600 --> 0:16:27.360 may have heard about President Trump unrolling rolling out I 0:16:27.360 --> 0:16:32.000 guess the National Security Survey. It's a very important thing. 0:16:32.080 --> 0:16:35.480 It's where the a document says where the United States 0:16:35.480 --> 0:16:39.960 should be heading internationally. Todd did a deep dive on that. 0:16:40.120 --> 0:16:43.080 Not a lot of people are happy about the outcome 0:16:43.280 --> 0:16:46.080 of the National Security Survey. We're going to talk to 0:16:46.160 --> 0:16:49.000 him when we get back. Mike Allen in for Slowey 0:16:49.120 --> 0:16:54.240 seven hundred WLW slooney. You probably heard about this. If 0:16:54.520 --> 0:16:58.240 you follow current events and world events, you would. President 0:16:58.240 --> 0:17:04.160 Trump recently unveiled his national security strategy that changes years 0:17:04.400 --> 0:17:08.679 of prior strip strategy and it focuses on guess what 0:17:09.520 --> 0:17:15.240 America first imagine that, but not everyone likes it. My 0:17:15.359 --> 0:17:19.160 next guest is Todd Sheets. Mister Sheets, author to report. 0:17:19.520 --> 0:17:22.240 It was an op ed piece that and it was 0:17:22.280 --> 0:17:29.520 titled Finally Political Consensus. Everyone hates the National Security Strategy. 0:17:30.480 --> 0:17:33.760 Todd's the author of the newsletter on Wealth and Progress, 0:17:34.119 --> 0:17:39.479 currently available free of charge on Substack, also available on YouTube. 0:17:39.280 --> 0:17:40.960 Spotify, and Apple. 0:17:41.320 --> 0:17:44.960 He is also the author of the acclaimed book two 0:17:45.000 --> 0:17:47.040 thousand and eight, What Really Happened? 0:17:47.320 --> 0:17:49.600 Todd? Thanks so much for joining us this morning. 0:17:50.800 --> 0:17:52.199 Mike, it's a pleasure to be with you. 0:17:52.520 --> 0:17:54.879 Hey, let me ask you first if you could explain 0:17:54.960 --> 0:17:59.040 to my listeners and me, really, what exactly is the 0:17:59.200 --> 0:18:03.520 National Secure Already strategy? I know, standing alone, it kind 0:18:03.520 --> 0:18:06.440 of speaks for herself, but I mean it's an actual document, 0:18:06.560 --> 0:18:06.919 is it not. 0:18:08.400 --> 0:18:10.800 Yes, this year it was a report that was right 0:18:10.800 --> 0:18:15.160 around thirty pages long. Okay, it's required by Congress. It's 0:18:15.160 --> 0:18:17.920 supposed to come out every year. It doesn't necessarily come 0:18:17.920 --> 0:18:21.600 out every year, but usually, you know, at least once 0:18:21.640 --> 0:18:24.200 every couple of years in administration will put one out 0:18:24.200 --> 0:18:27.320 that kind of, you know, sets the tone for what 0:18:27.359 --> 0:18:30.840 their strategy is, you know, in the international arena. 0:18:31.520 --> 0:18:35.280 I think the Trump administration surprised some people on this, 0:18:35.440 --> 0:18:38.480 maybe not because he hasn't had a lot good to 0:18:38.560 --> 0:18:41.760 say about Europe, I guess since he started his second term. 0:18:41.840 --> 0:18:44.679 But can you kind of explain what the issue is 0:18:44.720 --> 0:18:46.800 and what the problem is. And you make the point 0:18:46.800 --> 0:18:50.040 in your article that both the New York Times and 0:18:50.119 --> 0:18:53.680 the Wall Street Journal criticized the report. I guess are 0:18:53.680 --> 0:18:56.919 saying it's an abdication of our traditional role as the 0:18:56.920 --> 0:18:57.960 world's policeman. 0:18:58.240 --> 0:19:00.000 Could you kind of expound on that, please. 0:19:01.440 --> 0:19:05.080 Yeah, that's kind of both the thinking I think reflected 0:19:05.160 --> 0:19:08.960 in their perspectives and in general. 0:19:09.080 --> 0:19:10.840 You know, it reflects. 0:19:10.960 --> 0:19:14.200 Almost one hundred years of history in Europe and even 0:19:14.240 --> 0:19:16.800 more if we go back to our founding ideals, but 0:19:16.800 --> 0:19:19.200 if we focus on the twentieth century, and I'll try 0:19:19.240 --> 0:19:21.760 and be very brief with this, you know, through World 0:19:21.840 --> 0:19:25.800 War One, World War two, and the Cold War, you know, 0:19:25.840 --> 0:19:30.159 we built up a coalition with Europe to try and 0:19:30.240 --> 0:19:34.359 defend democracy in the arena where it was most relevant 0:19:34.400 --> 0:19:38.119 obviously to Europe, but also to us because of the 0:19:38.160 --> 0:19:41.359 threats to Western Europe and the need for the United 0:19:41.400 --> 0:19:44.800 States to help step in and help them fight off 0:19:44.840 --> 0:19:46.880 the Germans in the first two Wars and then the. 0:19:46.840 --> 0:19:48.520 Soviet Union in the Cold War. 0:19:49.000 --> 0:19:51.600 And you know, we developed a mentality out of that, 0:19:51.760 --> 0:19:55.320 and Europe certainly did where there was this very you 0:19:55.320 --> 0:20:00.600 know deeply connected alliance between the two sides that was 0:20:00.680 --> 0:20:04.879 crucial to maintaining peace and balance throughout the world. And 0:20:04.920 --> 0:20:06.919 I think the fact of the matter is which Trump 0:20:06.960 --> 0:20:10.199 has recognized, but I think the traditionalists have not, and 0:20:10.400 --> 0:20:12.199 you know, have a hard time letting go of on 0:20:12.280 --> 0:20:14.560 both the left and the right. As you pointed out, 0:20:15.359 --> 0:20:20.040 is that circumstances have changed dramatically, you know, since the 0:20:20.080 --> 0:20:23.119 fall of the Soviet Union in the early nineteen nineties, 0:20:23.359 --> 0:20:25.320 and it is time for us to look at all 0:20:25.320 --> 0:20:28.520 of this from a very different perspective, taking those changes 0:20:28.520 --> 0:20:29.240 into account. 0:20:29.840 --> 0:20:33.200 And I guess a big part of it is withdrawing 0:20:33.280 --> 0:20:36.520 some of the troops from Europe over there. I know 0:20:36.640 --> 0:20:39.600 we have done that throughout that I think the past 0:20:39.640 --> 0:20:42.680 twenty or so years. My father was in the Air Force. 0:20:42.720 --> 0:20:45.639 He was a civil engineer, and he was there in 0:20:45.680 --> 0:20:49.919 Germany about five years from about nineteen fifty five to 0:20:50.000 --> 0:20:53.760 nineteen sixty working on rebuilding. And you know, he said 0:20:53.800 --> 0:20:56.120 that Americans, especially the. 0:20:56.080 --> 0:20:57.400 Troops, were everywhere. 0:20:57.960 --> 0:21:00.840 And I guess the thought is makes sense to me, 0:21:01.080 --> 0:21:04.040 is that it's time to kind of shift focus to 0:21:04.240 --> 0:21:08.800 perhaps the two bad guys, if you will, communists China 0:21:08.880 --> 0:21:09.480 and Russia. 0:21:09.600 --> 0:21:11.399 Is that kind of the gist of it. 0:21:12.800 --> 0:21:14.560 Yeah, that's a very big part of it. And I 0:21:14.640 --> 0:21:16.960 think one of the things that's very important to keep 0:21:16.960 --> 0:21:21.760 in mind is Russia today is nowhere near the threat 0:21:22.119 --> 0:21:25.040 that was posed by the Soviet Union during the Cold War. 0:21:25.080 --> 0:21:26.520 And that's one of the things I think that the 0:21:26.640 --> 0:21:29.160 left and the right, you know, the critics haven't quite 0:21:29.720 --> 0:21:31.520 fully accepted today. 0:21:31.640 --> 0:21:33.560 Russia's GDP, which is, you. 0:21:33.600 --> 0:21:37.800 Know, their gross domestic product, which determines how much economic 0:21:37.880 --> 0:21:42.040 resources they can put into their military operations. Today they're 0:21:42.080 --> 0:21:46.000 about the size of Italy or Canada, so they are 0:21:46.040 --> 0:21:50.359 significantly smaller. Yes, back in the fifties and the sixties, 0:21:50.680 --> 0:21:53.359 they were roughly two thirds you know, the GDP of 0:21:53.359 --> 0:21:56.480 the United States, the Soviet Union i'm speaking of, they 0:21:56.520 --> 0:22:00.800 were clearly the global threat. Today, the only country that 0:22:00.920 --> 0:22:04.160 is even close to that is China, which you mentioned 0:22:04.440 --> 0:22:06.320 is the place where we need to be shifting our 0:22:06.359 --> 0:22:08.760 focus as well as to the you know, North and 0:22:08.840 --> 0:22:10.960 South America to the Western hemisphere. 0:22:11.240 --> 0:22:13.040 And what's going on here and. 0:22:12.920 --> 0:22:15.040 So what's happened is Russia is so. 0:22:15.080 --> 0:22:19.960 Much smaller, you know, their lack of power and their 0:22:20.040 --> 0:22:22.480 lack of a threat for example, to the United States 0:22:22.840 --> 0:22:25.960 is reflected in what happened in the War with Ukraine 0:22:26.080 --> 0:22:28.600 where they went in. Ukraine's even much smaller than. 0:22:28.560 --> 0:22:30.120 Russia is, and yet. 0:22:29.960 --> 0:22:32.280 Here we are four years later where. 0:22:32.119 --> 0:22:35.800 They're struggling to make advances. So that should be a 0:22:35.960 --> 0:22:41.560 regional conflict that Europe should be responsible for dealing with. 0:22:42.080 --> 0:22:46.200 And unfortunately, they have mismanaged themselves. 0:22:45.640 --> 0:22:48.800 So much that even countries like you. 0:22:48.720 --> 0:22:53.600 Know, Great Britain, France, Germany, who are much larger economically 0:22:53.640 --> 0:22:56.760 than Russia is today multiples of what Russia is, you know, 0:22:56.800 --> 0:22:59.280 they're basically kind of sitting back and waiting for the 0:22:59.359 --> 0:23:02.680 United States to come in and play the leading role 0:23:02.760 --> 0:23:06.600 in dealing with what is really a relatively it's not 0:23:06.800 --> 0:23:08.919 minor to the people. I don't mean to diminish it 0:23:08.960 --> 0:23:12.800 from that perspective, but from the global perspective and certainly 0:23:12.840 --> 0:23:13.080 from the. 0:23:13.160 --> 0:23:15.400 United States' perspective, this. 0:23:15.400 --> 0:23:19.920 Should be a relatively minor conflict in Eastern Europe that 0:23:20.000 --> 0:23:23.000 Western Europe should be responsible for dealing with. 0:23:23.359 --> 0:23:24.960 And I think that's what the Trump. 0:23:24.800 --> 0:23:27.720 Administration is driving at with, you know, with this new 0:23:27.760 --> 0:23:31.280 strategy and with their approach to Europe. Is like, hey, guys, 0:23:31.760 --> 0:23:34.040 it's time for you guys to deal with things like 0:23:34.119 --> 0:23:37.639 this so we can focus on our own hemisphere and 0:23:37.880 --> 0:23:40.000 today's real threat, which is China. 0:23:40.400 --> 0:23:40.840 You know what. 0:23:41.119 --> 0:23:44.159 And Trump say what you will about him, but the 0:23:44.200 --> 0:23:46.960 guy says what he's going to do, and he does it. 0:23:47.000 --> 0:23:49.520 And that was part of the campaign to kind of 0:23:49.520 --> 0:23:52.000 take a new look at it, you know, in your 0:23:52.040 --> 0:23:53.600 and you mentioned it just before. 0:23:54.119 --> 0:23:55.760 It's really it's staggering. 0:23:56.200 --> 0:24:01.320 Russia's economic resources, their GDP less than those of Italy 0:24:01.480 --> 0:24:05.360 and Canada, and you know, no better indication of their 0:24:05.400 --> 0:24:08.760 military decline. Now the one thing that Russia does have, 0:24:08.800 --> 0:24:13.240