WEBVTT - The Path Forward with Rep. Byron Donalds

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<v Speaker 1>So the midterm elections obviously didn't go as well as

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<v Speaker 1>we had hoped. We will win the House, unfortunately, will

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<v Speaker 1>not win the Senate, and some future stars fell a

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<v Speaker 1>little short, like Carry Lake we've had on this podcast

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<v Speaker 1>and who we really like. She's very talented. That's for

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<v Speaker 1>a few different reasons I got into the other week.

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<v Speaker 1>I think largely we didn't win independence, which you have

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<v Speaker 1>to win to win a midterm election. They are able

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<v Speaker 1>to drive out their base with the issue of abortion,

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<v Speaker 1>and then third mail and ballots and early voting Republicans,

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<v Speaker 1>we've now had her, you know, teeth knocked into elections

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<v Speaker 1>in a row on the issue of mail and ballots.

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<v Speaker 1>I mean, Democrats aren't searching for votes, they're searching for ballots.

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<v Speaker 1>They're doing a lot of this in certain states that

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<v Speaker 1>allow for it, with things like ballot harvesting. And it's

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<v Speaker 1>frustrating as Republicans to see that happen, to know that

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<v Speaker 1>they unfairly changed the rules of the game during COVID

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<v Speaker 1>using a virus that's as deadly as the flu to

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<v Speaker 1>append the political process. It's incredibly frustrating ng But you know,

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<v Speaker 1>complaining about it doesn't help. It doesn't win elections. So

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<v Speaker 1>we've learned some hard things through the midterm elections, and

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<v Speaker 1>the best thing for us to do as a party

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<v Speaker 1>moving forward is to adapt and make changes. You know,

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<v Speaker 1>we don't want to be the toys r us of politics.

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<v Speaker 1>We've got to innovate. We've got to focus on things

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<v Speaker 1>like mail and ballot it's in early voting, but it's

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<v Speaker 1>not all bad. I mean, ultimately, Republicans we are now

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<v Speaker 1>better off than we were before the midterm elections. With

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<v Speaker 1>controlling the House. Democrats have an incredibly difficult Senate map.

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<v Speaker 1>They're defending twice as many seats as we are in

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<v Speaker 1>states that are also very competitive for Republicans. So we

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<v Speaker 1>have another bite at the apple with the Senate race

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<v Speaker 1>as well, and then we'll have the presidential election as well.

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<v Speaker 1>But one thing we also discovered through the midterm elections

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<v Speaker 1>is Republicans have a lot of future stars. Governor to

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<v Speaker 1>Santa's crushed it in the state of Florida, beating Charlie

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<v Speaker 1>cris by twenty points, biggest margin in any Florida gouber

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<v Speaker 1>toil race in forty years. He won sixty two of

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<v Speaker 1>the state's sixty seven counties, winning majority Hispanic districts like

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<v Speaker 1>Miami Dade County for the first time in twenty years.

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<v Speaker 1>And we also discovered that there are other bright future

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<v Speaker 1>leaders of the Republican Party as well. We're going to

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<v Speaker 1>talk to one of them. Congressman Byron Donalds, who represents

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<v Speaker 1>Florida's nineteenth congressional district, smoked his competition in the race

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<v Speaker 1>that he had, and I had a chance to see

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<v Speaker 1>him speak. He spoke at Governor to Santis's victory party

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<v Speaker 1>in Tampa before the governor took the stage, and he

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<v Speaker 1>was incredible. I mean, it's one thing to watch people

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<v Speaker 1>on TV. And I've always liked him, have always respected him.

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<v Speaker 1>I've always thought he was really smart, always talented, and

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<v Speaker 1>I really respect him after he said he wasn't going

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<v Speaker 1>to get the vaccine because the House and Nancy Pelosi

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<v Speaker 1>they're trying to put a tremendous amount of pressure on

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<v Speaker 1>people to get it. So I have tons of respect

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<v Speaker 1>for him for saying, nope, you don't know me. I

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<v Speaker 1>do what I want on my own, man. But he

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<v Speaker 1>was phenomenal watching him on stage, and so I think

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<v Speaker 1>the bright spots from the midterm elections are our one.

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<v Speaker 1>We know what we need to work on moving forward.

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<v Speaker 1>But two, we do have a lot of bright future

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<v Speaker 1>leaders and Republican and conservative politics do work. They worked

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<v Speaker 1>in the state of Florida. We were able to show

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<v Speaker 1>Floridians what conservative leadership looks like and the voters responded.

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<v Speaker 1>So we're going to get into what lessons we need

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<v Speaker 1>to learn, do we need new leadership moving forward, and

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<v Speaker 1>what should the Republican Party focus on this next congress.

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<v Speaker 1>We're gonna get into all of this with Congressman Byron Donalds.

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<v Speaker 1>I loved meeting him. He's a really awesome guy and

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<v Speaker 1>we are so lucky to have him as one of

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<v Speaker 1>our future leaders in the Republican Party. Congressman Byron donald So,

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<v Speaker 1>I met you for the first time at the victory

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<v Speaker 1>night for Governor to Santis last week. It was awesome

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<v Speaker 1>meeting you. I really enjoyed it. Well, listen, it was

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<v Speaker 1>great to meet you. Like I've heard the name, I've

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<v Speaker 1>seen your having to listen to your work and I

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<v Speaker 1>was like, oh wait, this is her. So it was

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<v Speaker 1>actually awesome. So it's pleasure meeting you that night, and

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<v Speaker 1>it was a great night for Florida. Well, and it was,

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<v Speaker 1>and you spoke before Governor to Santis did. And I

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<v Speaker 1>gotta tell you, you did sech a good job. I

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<v Speaker 1>wanted to put the warp pay now on, like beat

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<v Speaker 1>my chest, go out and do push ups, run laughs,

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<v Speaker 1>like you got us all really fired up, and you

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<v Speaker 1>gave such a good speech, So you know, congrats on

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<v Speaker 1>killing it. Well, look, it was really from the heart,

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<v Speaker 1>you know, somebody who came in in the Tea Party

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<v Speaker 1>movement and was watching the country, you know, back when

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<v Speaker 1>Obama was president and really concerned about the direction. You know,

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<v Speaker 1>I got passionate about politics. And it wasn't because I

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<v Speaker 1>came up as a young kid in politics. It was

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<v Speaker 1>never a thing I wanted to do in high school

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<v Speaker 1>and college. I was an adult, I was a citizen.

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<v Speaker 1>I'm looking around the country and not seeing things that

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<v Speaker 1>look good to me, and I found conservatism. And so

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<v Speaker 1>I think when people heard on the stage from me,

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<v Speaker 1>you know, Tuesday night, was just from the heart. This

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<v Speaker 1>is what I think, this is what I feel. But

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<v Speaker 1>it's also how proud I am of Florida, proving and

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<v Speaker 1>showing what I've already known, is that Florida is a

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<v Speaker 1>is a conservative state. We are a free state, and

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<v Speaker 1>the voters said that loud and clear. Well, and it

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<v Speaker 1>was such a weird night because you know, at the

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<v Speaker 1>victory party, I mean, it was a historic night for

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<v Speaker 1>for Republicans in the state. You crushed it in your race.

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<v Speaker 1>Uh you know, does Santa's beat Charlie cris by twenty points?

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<v Speaker 1>You know, the biggest margin in any Florida gubernator race

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<v Speaker 1>in forty years, not just for Republican but for for anyone.

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<v Speaker 1>So we had this huge night and then it's like

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<v Speaker 1>you leave the party and then it just you know,

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<v Speaker 1>reality hits with what was going on in the rest

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<v Speaker 1>of the country. So what do you think happened? You know,

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<v Speaker 1>what do you think was the breakdown where Republicans fell

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<v Speaker 1>short of what we thought was going to happen. Well,

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<v Speaker 1>a couple of things. I think First, in these other states,

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<v Speaker 1>the citizens haven't had the experience of what conservative leadership

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<v Speaker 1>really means and how it impacts your life. People gotta understand,

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<v Speaker 1>Florida has been building towards this for thirty years. Um.

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<v Speaker 1>I was actually with some of my colleagues in the

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<v Speaker 1>Florida delegation, people like Dan Webster and Mario Diez Blart,

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<v Speaker 1>who were in the Florida legislature when the Democrats had

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<v Speaker 1>control of the Florida legislature. So this has been building

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<v Speaker 1>for quite some time. The other states keep going back

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<v Speaker 1>and forth. Um they never you know, they never go

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<v Speaker 1>strong into the conservative lane from a policy standpoint. And

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<v Speaker 1>so in Florida, voters saw the realities and the difference

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<v Speaker 1>is very clear because of COVID nineteen, and I think

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<v Speaker 1>they responded to that. Number two and I think on

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<v Speaker 1>the national level, number two is we didn't answer the

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<v Speaker 1>bell when it comes to the Dobbs decision. I think

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<v Speaker 1>that the decision by you know, people in the Republican

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<v Speaker 1>leadership and Republican Party above, you know, they just decided

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<v Speaker 1>that it's not a big issue, we don't have to

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<v Speaker 1>focus on it, and we kept focus on on on

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<v Speaker 1>inflation and economy and crime and the border. And I'm

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<v Speaker 1>not saying those aren't key issues. They definitely are key issues.

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<v Speaker 1>But what we didn't take seriously enough, in my view,

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<v Speaker 1>is how you know how volatile uh issue like abortion is.

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<v Speaker 1>I think we should have been and we should have

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<v Speaker 1>created a position as a party. We should have stood

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<v Speaker 1>by that position as a party, and it would have

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<v Speaker 1>deflated the lies frankly, that came from the left. You know,

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<v Speaker 1>if you look at some of the campaign ads. I

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<v Speaker 1>was in different states campaigning, and if you look at

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<v Speaker 1>the campaign ads, every ad from a Democrat was about abortion,

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<v Speaker 1>every ad, and we had no counter message to that,

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<v Speaker 1>and I think that did hurt us in these other states.

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<v Speaker 1>You know, that's a really good point, and I'm guilty

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<v Speaker 1>of that as well, because I didn't think abortion would

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<v Speaker 1>supersede some of these bigger issues, or at least in

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<v Speaker 1>my mind, like crime. But what they did do was

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<v Speaker 1>use it to turn their people out. And of course,

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<v Speaker 1>we know, to win a midterm election, you've got to

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<v Speaker 1>get your base more fired up than theirs, and you've

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<v Speaker 1>got to win independence. So I think you really nailed

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<v Speaker 1>it with what you just said on that issue. And

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<v Speaker 1>you know, and I was guilty of that in Italy. Um.

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<v Speaker 1>You know, what do you think what should our priorities

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<v Speaker 1>be as a party moving forward? I think we're going

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<v Speaker 1>we're gonna have a majority in the House, so that's

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<v Speaker 1>great news. I think our priority has to be going

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<v Speaker 1>through all of the policies that we talk about and

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<v Speaker 1>passing it. And I mean, you're getting into the weeds

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<v Speaker 1>on policy. We We don't need to let the Democrats

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<v Speaker 1>get their feet settled on what they think Republicans stand

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<v Speaker 1>on our doing. We don't need the press being able

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<v Speaker 1>to lay out narratives about all the Republicans are going

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<v Speaker 1>to do this. It needs to be a very aggressive strategy,

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<v Speaker 1>and we need to go into every policy solution and

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<v Speaker 1>not shy away from it. I think if we do that,

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<v Speaker 1>the voters will see two things. One they're serious about governing,

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<v Speaker 1>and number two, they'll see the contrast that we need

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<v Speaker 1>with the Democrats. It goes back to Ronald Reagan. There

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<v Speaker 1>can't be pale pastels. There have to be bold colors,

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<v Speaker 1>and I think congress um in the House, that's what

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<v Speaker 1>we need to be focused on. Do you think that's

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<v Speaker 1>a great point? And and to your point, you know,

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<v Speaker 1>part of the reason why I think Florida and Republicans

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<v Speaker 1>did so well here is because you guys did lead

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<v Speaker 1>with a bold plan in the state of Florida and

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<v Speaker 1>really showed what leadership looks like. To your point, you know,

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<v Speaker 1>I also believe we learned some important things in the

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<v Speaker 1>process front front and we learned this in but most

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<v Speaker 1>particularly this past election with mail ballots and early voting

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<v Speaker 1>has really changed the dynamics and the political dynamics in

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<v Speaker 1>the country. I mean, we got to be more aggressive

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<v Speaker 1>on getting voters out early and getting voters to to

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<v Speaker 1>do mail and balloting as well. We've got to play

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<v Speaker 1>the games in each state as they're written in order

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<v Speaker 1>to change them. Listen, I always bring it down on this.

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<v Speaker 1>You know. I used to cochise sports, and you know,

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<v Speaker 1>if I wasn't in Congress, that's what I would be

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<v Speaker 1>doing with my time and also in addition to my

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<v Speaker 1>financial services career and what I would always tell, you know,

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<v Speaker 1>my young kids who I would coaches. You can't complain

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<v Speaker 1>about the rules. You gotta go compete because if you

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<v Speaker 1>spend your time complaining I don't like this referee, this

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<v Speaker 1>person you know always does this, then you're already defeated.

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<v Speaker 1>So we have to just understand this is the game,

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<v Speaker 1>and we gotta get in and do it now. In

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<v Speaker 1>some of these other states, they need to adopt Florida's

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<v Speaker 1>election law, or at a minimum, Georgia's election law, because

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<v Speaker 1>though the Georgia's election law actually worked quite well despite

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<v Speaker 1>the Democrats lying to voters and gas lighting voters about

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<v Speaker 1>it being Jim Crow two point oh. Turned out Georgia

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<v Speaker 1>had successful elections just like Florida did. So we're the

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<v Speaker 1>model now for how you run elections. And it's done

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<v Speaker 1>with making sure people are requesting their ballot. Nobody else

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<v Speaker 1>is doing it for them. They can't request for like

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<v Speaker 1>ten people, they can't return ten. You can return yours

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<v Speaker 1>and another family members. That's the law on Florida. You

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<v Speaker 1>have to repress repress your ballot every election. That's the

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<v Speaker 1>law on Florida. You have to have I d UM.

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<v Speaker 1>Your supervisors of Elections are allowed to tabulate ballots um

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<v Speaker 1>starting forty days before the election as they receive them.

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<v Speaker 1>So on election night, all we're doing is just reporting

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<v Speaker 1>the numbers that we already know, as opposed to you're

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<v Speaker 1>waiting on these batches of votes and all this other stuff,

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<v Speaker 1>which actually brings more pessimism to the effective the effectiveness

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<v Speaker 1>and the efficiency of our election process. I think that's

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<v Speaker 1>where we need to go once again. The Florida model works.

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<v Speaker 1>We need to embrace it and go down that line.

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<v Speaker 1>And if we do that work, then we can be

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<v Speaker 1>focused on the things that really truly matter, the policy issues,

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<v Speaker 1>and frankly, some of the cultural war issues in our politics,

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<v Speaker 1>as opposed to then getting into this weird debate with

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<v Speaker 1>Democrats about who really supports democracy. You know, I think

0:11:56.040 --> 0:11:58.960
<v Speaker 1>that's really a joke argument from the Democrats because a

0:11:58.960 --> 0:12:01.560
<v Speaker 1>lot of them actually have a problem with suppressing free speech.

0:12:01.600 --> 0:12:04.000
<v Speaker 1>We know that through social media, we know that through

0:12:04.160 --> 0:12:07.800
<v Speaker 1>national press that they actually suppressed stories that they feel

0:12:07.800 --> 0:12:10.320
<v Speaker 1>are not advantageous to them. So we need to step

0:12:10.360 --> 0:12:12.920
<v Speaker 1>into that, into that field, into that argument. But you've

0:12:12.960 --> 0:12:14.760
<v Speaker 1>got to look at the playing field and say these

0:12:14.800 --> 0:12:17.120
<v Speaker 1>are the rules. Then let's play, and you put your

0:12:17.120 --> 0:12:20.520
<v Speaker 1>helmet on and you work hard. Quick commercial break and

0:12:20.559 --> 0:12:28.680
<v Speaker 1>then back with Congressman Byron Donald's California is liberalism taken

0:12:28.760 --> 0:12:31.880
<v Speaker 1>to its you know, final conclusion, right like. So that

0:12:31.880 --> 0:12:35.240
<v Speaker 1>that is what Democrats want California policies. And I think

0:12:35.280 --> 0:12:39.160
<v Speaker 1>Florida to the opposite of that is conservatism to its

0:12:39.240 --> 0:12:42.040
<v Speaker 1>natural conclusion, right like. And we've really led the nation

0:12:42.920 --> 0:12:45.160
<v Speaker 1>in the state of Florida in some big ways on

0:12:45.200 --> 0:12:48.440
<v Speaker 1>election laws, which you're just talking about as well. You know,

0:12:48.480 --> 0:12:51.640
<v Speaker 1>But as we look at the party moving forward, is

0:12:51.679 --> 0:12:55.280
<v Speaker 1>it time for some leadership changes? Well? I think so.

0:12:55.440 --> 0:12:58.079
<v Speaker 1>I mean, look, I'm running for a leadership posts in

0:12:58.360 --> 0:13:02.520
<v Speaker 1>the House of Representatives right now, Um, and so I

0:13:02.559 --> 0:13:07.280
<v Speaker 1>definitely think so. Look, we have had essentially the same

0:13:07.400 --> 0:13:12.720
<v Speaker 1>leadership for eight, nine, ten years, and so you know,

0:13:12.840 --> 0:13:15.160
<v Speaker 1>my attitude is is that you know, if you if

0:13:15.200 --> 0:13:17.480
<v Speaker 1>you're if you're winning Super Bowls every other year, and

0:13:17.520 --> 0:13:19.560
<v Speaker 1>then great, but if you're not, you got to really

0:13:19.600 --> 0:13:22.240
<v Speaker 1>evaluate that. And I think it requires not just the

0:13:22.280 --> 0:13:26.120
<v Speaker 1>electorate but also the members to have frank and honest conversations. Now,

0:13:26.160 --> 0:13:29.320
<v Speaker 1>if through those those those conversations you come back to

0:13:29.440 --> 0:13:31.680
<v Speaker 1>saying no, this is the best foot forward, then that's fine.

0:13:32.400 --> 0:13:35.560
<v Speaker 1>But look, I'll take the United States Senate. In the Senate,

0:13:36.040 --> 0:13:39.760
<v Speaker 1>there is no vote for Mitch McConnell because nobody decides

0:13:39.800 --> 0:13:42.040
<v Speaker 1>to step up and run against Mitch. And that's not

0:13:42.120 --> 0:13:45.000
<v Speaker 1>a pro mid statement or anti Mitch statement. That's just

0:13:45.040 --> 0:13:48.480
<v Speaker 1>saying that that Senate Republicans they have to look at

0:13:48.520 --> 0:13:51.080
<v Speaker 1>this as well and say, you know what, maybe there's

0:13:51.080 --> 0:13:53.280
<v Speaker 1>a better way to do this and not be so

0:13:53.320 --> 0:13:56.000
<v Speaker 1>concerned about well so and so will punish me if

0:13:56.040 --> 0:13:59.360
<v Speaker 1>I oppose them, Because these lots of leadership aren't shouldn't

0:13:59.360 --> 0:14:03.000
<v Speaker 1>just be taken by acclamation. They should be given by

0:14:03.040 --> 0:14:04.839
<v Speaker 1>the will of the members who get voted on the

0:14:04.920 --> 0:14:07.800
<v Speaker 1>serve up here, because we get our authority from the

0:14:07.800 --> 0:14:09.720
<v Speaker 1>will of the voters who sent us from back home.

0:14:09.800 --> 0:14:11.880
<v Speaker 1>It's a great point, you know, Congress, I always liked

0:14:11.880 --> 0:14:13.840
<v Speaker 1>you when I saw you on TV. Obviously I thought

0:14:13.840 --> 0:14:15.640
<v Speaker 1>you're awesome when I met you in person. But when

0:14:15.679 --> 0:14:17.720
<v Speaker 1>I really started being like, I like this guy a

0:14:17.720 --> 0:14:20.240
<v Speaker 1>lot was when you didn't get vaccinated, just because there's

0:14:20.280 --> 0:14:23.720
<v Speaker 1>so much pressure, especially in Congress, to to force you

0:14:23.720 --> 0:14:27.480
<v Speaker 1>guys to submit right to to Nancy Pelosi's will, and

0:14:27.840 --> 0:14:30.160
<v Speaker 1>you refused and you stood strong. Why did you make

0:14:30.160 --> 0:14:33.640
<v Speaker 1>that decision for yourself? Because, UMT three years old, and

0:14:33.680 --> 0:14:36.760
<v Speaker 1>I'm healthy, and the data was pretty clear that if

0:14:36.800 --> 0:14:40.040
<v Speaker 1>you're a healthy individual under the age of sixty five, um,

0:14:40.360 --> 0:14:43.920
<v Speaker 1>you'll recover from COVID nineteen just fine. And if you

0:14:43.960 --> 0:14:46.120
<v Speaker 1>were older, if you're older than five, then yeah, you

0:14:46.160 --> 0:14:48.520
<v Speaker 1>had a legitimate decision to make about getting vaccinated. That

0:14:48.600 --> 0:14:51.040
<v Speaker 1>was always been my position. UM, I wasn't gonna let

0:14:51.120 --> 0:14:54.240
<v Speaker 1>media or public pressure make me do that because that's

0:14:54.280 --> 0:14:56.680
<v Speaker 1>just not how we should be making decisions for our

0:14:56.680 --> 0:14:59.920
<v Speaker 1>own personal situations. And number three, and this is a

0:15:00.040 --> 0:15:02.000
<v Speaker 1>thing that really, you know, it really pissed me off

0:15:02.040 --> 0:15:06.800
<v Speaker 1>in the whole COVID debate. For for all of human biology,

0:15:07.000 --> 0:15:09.200
<v Speaker 1>we've known that when you get a virus, you develop

0:15:09.280 --> 0:15:12.680
<v Speaker 1>antibodies because you actually contracted it and you got over

0:15:12.720 --> 0:15:15.440
<v Speaker 1>it and you pass it and then you have antibodies.

0:15:15.600 --> 0:15:19.160
<v Speaker 1>But they're a COVID nine team. The entire media establishment

0:15:19.240 --> 0:15:22.760
<v Speaker 1>just ignored the fact that antibodies exists. It was the

0:15:22.840 --> 0:15:25.600
<v Speaker 1>craziest thing to me because the people who were saying

0:15:25.600 --> 0:15:28.800
<v Speaker 1>you gotta follow the science have basically ignored the base

0:15:28.880 --> 0:15:32.320
<v Speaker 1>scientific fact that all of us had learned in high school.

0:15:32.800 --> 0:15:35.080
<v Speaker 1>So that's just that kind of stuff. This doesn't sit

0:15:35.120 --> 0:15:37.280
<v Speaker 1>well with me. You know, my I'm somewhat I can

0:15:37.320 --> 0:15:39.800
<v Speaker 1>be a contrarian at times. It's like my base nature.

0:15:40.080 --> 0:15:42.520
<v Speaker 1>And even my wife will tell you, if you push

0:15:42.560 --> 0:15:45.120
<v Speaker 1>on him to do something, he's going to just like

0:15:45.160 --> 0:15:47.800
<v Speaker 1>get his back up just because you're pushing on him.

0:15:47.840 --> 0:15:50.640
<v Speaker 1>If you have the logic and the facts behind you, hey,

0:15:50.720 --> 0:15:53.000
<v Speaker 1>I can be supportive of that and actually champion it.

0:15:53.240 --> 0:15:55.440
<v Speaker 1>But if it's just gonna be this thing where we

0:15:55.480 --> 0:15:57.640
<v Speaker 1>all have to have to have to have to genuinely,

0:15:57.880 --> 0:16:00.280
<v Speaker 1>because that's where the whole group is going I don't

0:16:00.320 --> 0:16:02.400
<v Speaker 1>respond well to that. I was. I was smiling to

0:16:02.440 --> 0:16:04.560
<v Speaker 1>myself as you were saying that, because I'm like, I

0:16:04.560 --> 0:16:07.600
<v Speaker 1>feel like you're describing me like I I as soon

0:16:07.640 --> 0:16:11.240
<v Speaker 1>as someone tries to force me to do something, I'm like, whoa, Nope, Nope,

0:16:11.360 --> 0:16:13.720
<v Speaker 1>this is not this is not going to work with me.

0:16:13.920 --> 0:16:16.680
<v Speaker 1>I do hope that the House changes all the COVID

0:16:16.800 --> 0:16:19.240
<v Speaker 1>rules and gets rid of proxy voting, makes people show

0:16:19.280 --> 0:16:22.160
<v Speaker 1>up in person, and and changes, uh, you know some

0:16:22.240 --> 0:16:24.680
<v Speaker 1>of those things. You know. I know you're a busy man.

0:16:24.720 --> 0:16:27.000
<v Speaker 1>You've got a lot going on, sir. Is there anything

0:16:27.120 --> 0:16:29.520
<v Speaker 1>you'd like to leave us with before we go? The

0:16:29.520 --> 0:16:31.840
<v Speaker 1>biggest thing is like, look, I know that it looks

0:16:31.840 --> 0:16:35.960
<v Speaker 1>like elections didn't turn out the way we wanted, but

0:16:36.080 --> 0:16:39.200
<v Speaker 1>people should not lose heart because I think, and this

0:16:39.280 --> 0:16:42.240
<v Speaker 1>is something that comment Up made to my members has

0:16:42.240 --> 0:16:45.440
<v Speaker 1>really shown us, is that the American people are sick

0:16:45.480 --> 0:16:48.400
<v Speaker 1>of the Democrats. But the other problem is they're not

0:16:48.480 --> 0:16:51.440
<v Speaker 1>quite sure that they love Republicans, and so I think

0:16:51.480 --> 0:16:53.880
<v Speaker 1>I think the silver lining is that there is an

0:16:53.880 --> 0:16:56.960
<v Speaker 1>opportunity for us to make our case and to demonstrate

0:16:57.000 --> 0:17:00.280
<v Speaker 1>with bold leadership why people should be choosing not just

0:17:00.320 --> 0:17:04.040
<v Speaker 1>a Republican Party, but conservatism more, more, more and more

0:17:04.080 --> 0:17:07.159
<v Speaker 1>appropriate overall. And I think we have a golden opportunity

0:17:07.200 --> 0:17:10.080
<v Speaker 1>to do that across so many demographic groups that were

0:17:10.119 --> 0:17:13.080
<v Speaker 1>not open to conservatism before, they're open to it today.

0:17:13.400 --> 0:17:15.120
<v Speaker 1>And so it's our job just to leave with our

0:17:15.160 --> 0:17:17.960
<v Speaker 1>ideas and really understand all the issues that exist in

0:17:17.960 --> 0:17:21.000
<v Speaker 1>America and not be afraid of the solutions that'll be bringing.

0:17:21.320 --> 0:17:24.919
<v Speaker 1>That's really well said. Um, totally agree with you, Congressman.

0:17:24.960 --> 0:17:27.399
<v Speaker 1>I'm glad that you represent the state of Florida, my

0:17:27.480 --> 0:17:30.520
<v Speaker 1>home state now, and uh, you know, I hope you

0:17:30.600 --> 0:17:32.880
<v Speaker 1>have a bright future in the Republican Party and hopefully

0:17:32.920 --> 0:17:35.720
<v Speaker 1>leadership as well. So I appreciate you taking the time.

0:17:36.160 --> 0:17:38.159
<v Speaker 1>Great to have met you last week and great to

0:17:38.280 --> 0:17:39.919
<v Speaker 1>have a chance to talk to you for the for

0:17:39.960 --> 0:17:42.439
<v Speaker 1>the podcast. So thanks so much, No, awesome, thanks for

0:17:42.480 --> 0:17:45.040
<v Speaker 1>your time, Lisa, really appreciate it. And hey, I can't

0:17:45.040 --> 0:18:03.680
<v Speaker 1>wait to do it again. Yeah. So that was Congressman

0:18:03.960 --> 0:18:08.320
<v Speaker 1>Byron Donald's. I really like the guy. He's incredibly smart.

0:18:08.680 --> 0:18:11.159
<v Speaker 1>Uh you know, I love the fact he stood strong

0:18:11.480 --> 0:18:15.159
<v Speaker 1>on vaccines and I gotta tell you watching him speak

0:18:16.200 --> 0:18:18.800
<v Speaker 1>before the Governor. He just he crushed it. He did

0:18:18.800 --> 0:18:20.960
<v Speaker 1>such a good job, so really cool having him on

0:18:21.560 --> 0:18:24.440
<v Speaker 1>the podcast, especially as a fellow Floridia and I appreciate

0:18:24.480 --> 0:18:26.919
<v Speaker 1>you guys at home for listening every Monday and Thursday,

0:18:26.960 --> 0:18:29.159
<v Speaker 1>but you can listen throughout the week. I always love

0:18:29.200 --> 0:18:31.919
<v Speaker 1>when you give me reviews on Apple Podcasts or you

0:18:32.000 --> 0:18:34.200
<v Speaker 1>leave us a rating. Those are fun to see and read.

0:18:34.600 --> 0:18:36.919
<v Speaker 1>I want to thank my producer, John Cassio for putting

0:18:36.920 --> 0:18:39.399
<v Speaker 1>this together and for you at home listening. Thank you

0:18:39.440 --> 0:18:39.800
<v Speaker 1>so much.