1 00:00:08,039 --> 00:00:11,520 Speaker 1: I'm George Severis and I'm Julia Claire, and this is 2 00:00:11,680 --> 00:00:15,040 Speaker 1: United States of Kennedy, and today we are doing something 3 00:00:15,040 --> 00:00:19,040 Speaker 1: a little bit different. It is that amazing magical week 4 00:00:19,120 --> 00:00:22,560 Speaker 1: between Christmas and New Year's. We are both just CosIng 5 00:00:22,680 --> 00:00:25,640 Speaker 1: up in front of our We're coosing up in one 6 00:00:25,640 --> 00:00:28,280 Speaker 1: of our many properties in Hanna's Port, in front of 7 00:00:28,560 --> 00:00:31,360 Speaker 1: one of our many fireplaces, and we thought it would 8 00:00:31,400 --> 00:00:34,720 Speaker 1: be a fun year end exercise to go through the 9 00:00:34,720 --> 00:00:38,720 Speaker 1: biggest Kennedy stories of the year in the news in 10 00:00:38,840 --> 00:00:41,440 Speaker 1: America globally in the Trump White House. 11 00:00:41,560 --> 00:00:44,680 Speaker 2: So often a year in exercise more like a year entreat. 12 00:00:45,000 --> 00:00:47,640 Speaker 1: That's right, Oh, I am excited to talk about a 13 00:00:47,680 --> 00:00:49,920 Speaker 1: lot of this stuff. I just think so often we 14 00:00:50,000 --> 00:00:53,200 Speaker 1: don't talk about the most interesting stuff because it's ongoing, 15 00:00:53,240 --> 00:00:55,480 Speaker 1: and we record episodes in advance and we want to 16 00:00:55,480 --> 00:00:58,440 Speaker 1: make sure we get into all the historical details. And meanwhile, 17 00:00:58,440 --> 00:01:01,520 Speaker 1: there are people showing their ass every day. A Ryan 18 00:01:01,600 --> 00:01:04,200 Speaker 1: Murphy Show would be lucky to have them as inspiration, 19 00:01:04,920 --> 00:01:06,560 Speaker 1: and so we thought it would be fun to just 20 00:01:06,720 --> 00:01:08,759 Speaker 1: gab and go back and forth and talk a little 21 00:01:08,760 --> 00:01:11,000 Speaker 1: bit about our favorite Kennedy moments of the year at. 22 00:01:11,000 --> 00:01:13,440 Speaker 2: Kennedy Year in Review if you will, It's true at 23 00:01:13,480 --> 00:01:16,080 Speaker 2: Kennedy Year in Review. What a year twenty twenty five 24 00:01:16,360 --> 00:01:19,200 Speaker 2: was for the Kennedys. One of their best, we can 25 00:01:19,240 --> 00:01:20,360 Speaker 2: all agree. 26 00:01:19,959 --> 00:01:23,160 Speaker 1: And it is tough competition, as we've learned on this podcast. 27 00:01:23,440 --> 00:01:26,000 Speaker 1: I mean, the thing with the Kennedys is that things 28 00:01:26,080 --> 00:01:31,039 Speaker 1: as big as public adultery, scandals, murder, tragedy, it just 29 00:01:31,200 --> 00:01:33,920 Speaker 1: none of it is enough to really make one year 30 00:01:34,000 --> 00:01:34,560 Speaker 1: their worst year. 31 00:01:34,640 --> 00:01:38,200 Speaker 2: Yet, Yeah, they are teflon. This family when it coast. 32 00:01:38,040 --> 00:01:40,600 Speaker 1: To it really is amazing. And I have to say, 33 00:01:40,640 --> 00:01:42,959 Speaker 1: I remember when we first started doing this podcast. I 34 00:01:43,000 --> 00:01:45,320 Speaker 1: was always like, Wow, we are in such a new, 35 00:01:45,480 --> 00:01:48,080 Speaker 1: weird era of the Kennedys because of OURFK Junior and 36 00:01:48,160 --> 00:01:51,000 Speaker 1: Jack Schlasberg and the various different Kennedies are the news. 37 00:01:51,280 --> 00:01:53,360 Speaker 1: And I actually think I don't feel that way anymore. 38 00:01:53,400 --> 00:01:57,080 Speaker 1: I think it's all a continuation of the same kinds 39 00:01:57,160 --> 00:02:00,160 Speaker 1: of cycles that have persisted since like the thirty. 40 00:02:00,560 --> 00:02:04,320 Speaker 2: I completely agree. I think that this family can't be normal, 41 00:02:05,080 --> 00:02:09,840 Speaker 2: and so much of their own self mythologizing really wants 42 00:02:10,040 --> 00:02:15,680 Speaker 2: us to believe that they are aspirational, and they've always 43 00:02:15,720 --> 00:02:18,840 Speaker 2: been very together and the truth is they haven't. And 44 00:02:18,919 --> 00:02:21,720 Speaker 2: so that exactly what you said, this current iteration, this 45 00:02:21,800 --> 00:02:25,720 Speaker 2: current crop of Kennedy's, they're not bastardizing the legacy. They're 46 00:02:25,800 --> 00:02:28,720 Speaker 2: very much keeping with the family lineage. 47 00:02:28,919 --> 00:02:31,000 Speaker 1: Yeah, it's just a new Mountain Dew flavor that has 48 00:02:31,040 --> 00:02:34,240 Speaker 1: been released for twenty twenty five, but the basic syrup 49 00:02:34,320 --> 00:02:37,720 Speaker 1: recipe is still the same. I couldn't agree more so 50 00:02:37,760 --> 00:02:39,720 Speaker 1: without further ado, we're not going to go in order, 51 00:02:39,720 --> 00:02:42,480 Speaker 1: we're not going to rank them, but we have ten moments. 52 00:02:42,480 --> 00:02:45,720 Speaker 1: We have a nice, clean ten, and we kind of 53 00:02:45,880 --> 00:02:48,120 Speaker 1: for you. Yes, I said to Julia. I was like, 54 00:02:48,160 --> 00:02:49,680 Speaker 1: you know, no one's going to notice if it's seven 55 00:02:49,760 --> 00:02:51,880 Speaker 1: or if it's six. But then we started listening them 56 00:02:51,880 --> 00:02:54,320 Speaker 1: and it really was a perfect ten. And so we're 57 00:02:54,320 --> 00:02:55,880 Speaker 1: going to go back and forth. We're going to talk 58 00:02:55,919 --> 00:02:59,240 Speaker 1: about each of them. Some are serious, some are silly, 59 00:02:59,360 --> 00:03:03,440 Speaker 1: some are culture, some are some have very big implications 60 00:03:03,440 --> 00:03:06,519 Speaker 1: for global politics. So you know, we'll be laughing, we'll 61 00:03:06,520 --> 00:03:08,720 Speaker 1: be crying, we'll be staring into space or the kind 62 00:03:08,720 --> 00:03:10,000 Speaker 1: of blankness behind our eyes. 63 00:03:10,160 --> 00:03:12,239 Speaker 2: We'll be calling our moms afterwards. 64 00:03:12,320 --> 00:03:14,760 Speaker 1: That's right. So, Julia, do you want to kick things off. 65 00:03:15,000 --> 00:03:19,480 Speaker 2: As George said, this is in no particular order, but boy, 66 00:03:19,600 --> 00:03:21,560 Speaker 2: if we were going to pick a number one, it 67 00:03:21,600 --> 00:03:24,600 Speaker 2: would probably be this. And of course you all already 68 00:03:24,600 --> 00:03:27,040 Speaker 2: know what I'm going to say, which is that RFK 69 00:03:27,320 --> 00:03:33,040 Speaker 2: Junior was confirmed as the United States Health and Human 70 00:03:33,120 --> 00:03:34,720 Speaker 2: Services Secretary. 71 00:03:34,960 --> 00:03:37,120 Speaker 1: The fact that was a year ago, Yeah it. 72 00:03:37,440 --> 00:03:39,800 Speaker 2: Was this calendar year was not even a year ago. 73 00:03:40,080 --> 00:03:42,320 Speaker 1: Yeah, that's what I mean. But does that seem longer 74 00:03:42,360 --> 00:03:45,080 Speaker 1: ago than it actually is or shorter? It actually has 75 00:03:45,200 --> 00:03:47,600 Speaker 1: just warped, I mean, as it happened during the first 76 00:03:47,600 --> 00:03:50,680 Speaker 1: Trump administration. It just warps your sense of time. And 77 00:03:50,840 --> 00:03:52,880 Speaker 1: to end, so tell us a little bit about some 78 00:03:52,920 --> 00:03:54,600 Speaker 1: of his main accomplishments. 79 00:03:54,720 --> 00:03:59,520 Speaker 2: Let's go back to earlier this year. So, as we've discussed, 80 00:03:59,600 --> 00:04:04,560 Speaker 2: our made a kind of unholy alliance with Donald Trump 81 00:04:04,720 --> 00:04:08,640 Speaker 2: after he both dropped out of the Democratic primary and 82 00:04:08,720 --> 00:04:12,920 Speaker 2: then launched a failed bid to run as an independent 83 00:04:12,960 --> 00:04:17,239 Speaker 2: in the twenty twenty four election. And from the beginning 84 00:04:17,240 --> 00:04:22,400 Speaker 2: of this alliance, it was assumed that Bobby was angling 85 00:04:22,640 --> 00:04:26,520 Speaker 2: for a cabinet position, and he got exactly what he wanted. 86 00:04:26,560 --> 00:04:31,600 Speaker 2: He was considered an extreme pick, even by Trump admin standards. 87 00:04:31,720 --> 00:04:35,280 Speaker 2: Now saying that I will say that Trump to the 88 00:04:35,279 --> 00:04:38,520 Speaker 2: cabinet picks in this administration are the wheels are off. 89 00:04:38,600 --> 00:04:41,760 Speaker 2: The wheels are fully off. And this is an extreme group. 90 00:04:41,960 --> 00:04:44,440 Speaker 2: This is the group that includes of course Pete Hegsith 91 00:04:47,320 --> 00:04:52,880 Speaker 2: and his ill So Bobby had a contentious hearing before 92 00:04:53,040 --> 00:04:56,039 Speaker 2: the Senate Finance Committee, and it was just days of 93 00:04:56,839 --> 00:05:02,760 Speaker 2: viral moments between him and certain Senate Democrats like Ron Wyden, 94 00:05:02,920 --> 00:05:07,920 Speaker 2: Bernie Sanders, Elizabeth Warren, and Maggie Hassen, really grilling him 95 00:05:08,360 --> 00:05:14,039 Speaker 2: on his record, his contradictory record, and the statements that 96 00:05:14,080 --> 00:05:16,120 Speaker 2: he has made over the years. And will play some 97 00:05:16,160 --> 00:05:17,200 Speaker 2: of that for you now. 98 00:05:17,360 --> 00:05:20,120 Speaker 3: In twenty twenty you said, and I quote, you would 99 00:05:20,120 --> 00:05:25,240 Speaker 3: do anything, pay anything to go back in time and 100 00:05:25,320 --> 00:05:31,719 Speaker 3: not vaccinate your kids. Mister Kennedy, all of these things 101 00:05:31,760 --> 00:05:37,479 Speaker 3: cannot be true. So are you lying to Congress today 102 00:05:37,560 --> 00:05:40,479 Speaker 3: when you say you are a pro vaccine or did 103 00:05:40,520 --> 00:05:43,600 Speaker 3: you lie on all those podcasts? We have all of 104 00:05:43,640 --> 00:05:46,080 Speaker 3: this on tape, by the way, In May of twenty 105 00:05:46,120 --> 00:05:49,880 Speaker 3: twenty one, you petitioned the Food and Drug Administration to 106 00:05:50,000 --> 00:05:54,840 Speaker 3: not only block Americans from having access to the COVID vaccine, 107 00:05:54,920 --> 00:06:00,000 Speaker 3: but to prevent any future access to the life saving vaccine? 108 00:06:00,320 --> 00:06:03,000 Speaker 3: Are you denying that your name is on the petition? 109 00:06:03,640 --> 00:06:07,280 Speaker 4: Most experts agreed today, even the people who did it 110 00:06:07,320 --> 00:06:11,800 Speaker 4: back then, at COVID vaccines are inappropriate for six year 111 00:06:11,839 --> 00:06:14,520 Speaker 4: old children who basically have a zero risk. 112 00:06:15,360 --> 00:06:16,000 Speaker 1: I'm COVID. 113 00:06:16,240 --> 00:06:17,960 Speaker 4: That's why I brought that lawsuit. 114 00:06:18,800 --> 00:06:19,440 Speaker 5: I don't want to. 115 00:06:19,520 --> 00:06:21,159 Speaker 1: I want to fantasister Kennedy. 116 00:06:21,520 --> 00:06:24,839 Speaker 6: There's a lot of ways that you can influence those 117 00:06:25,000 --> 00:06:30,760 Speaker 6: future lawsuits and pending lawsuits while you are Secretary of HHS, 118 00:06:31,000 --> 00:06:34,159 Speaker 6: and I'm asking you to commit right now that you 119 00:06:34,200 --> 00:06:38,520 Speaker 6: will not take a financial stake in every one of 120 00:06:38,560 --> 00:06:42,200 Speaker 6: those lawsuits, so that what you do as secretary will 121 00:06:42,240 --> 00:06:44,960 Speaker 6: also benefit you financially down the line. 122 00:06:45,600 --> 00:06:48,800 Speaker 5: I'll comply with all the ethical Guide's not. 123 00:06:48,880 --> 00:06:50,920 Speaker 6: The question you and I you have seen. 124 00:06:51,120 --> 00:06:51,839 Speaker 2: You're asking me. 125 00:06:52,880 --> 00:06:55,480 Speaker 5: You're asking me not to serve vaccine. 126 00:06:56,680 --> 00:07:00,640 Speaker 1: Companies. Yeah, you are. That's exactly you're doing. 127 00:07:01,040 --> 00:07:04,600 Speaker 7: Do you agree with me that the United States join 128 00:07:04,720 --> 00:07:08,680 Speaker 7: every all the major country on Earth and guarantee healthcare 129 00:07:08,960 --> 00:07:12,480 Speaker 7: to all people as a human right? Yes? 130 00:07:12,720 --> 00:07:16,400 Speaker 5: No, Senator, I can't give you a yes or no 131 00:07:17,240 --> 00:07:18,040 Speaker 5: answer that question. 132 00:07:18,080 --> 00:07:19,120 Speaker 1: Health care human right? 133 00:07:19,760 --> 00:07:20,280 Speaker 3: Is healthcare? 134 00:07:20,280 --> 00:07:21,040 Speaker 1: A human right. 135 00:07:22,600 --> 00:07:26,600 Speaker 5: In the way that freeze speech the human right. I 136 00:07:26,640 --> 00:07:31,679 Speaker 5: would say it's different because if with freeze speech doesn't 137 00:07:31,680 --> 00:07:37,040 Speaker 5: cost anybody anything. But in healthcare, if you are smoke 138 00:07:37,120 --> 00:07:41,520 Speaker 5: cigarettes for twenty years and you get cancer, do you 139 00:07:41,520 --> 00:07:45,880 Speaker 5: you are now taken from the pool? Well, so are 140 00:07:45,920 --> 00:07:47,360 Speaker 5: you guaranteed. 141 00:07:46,840 --> 00:07:48,640 Speaker 1: The same or so? 142 00:07:49,120 --> 00:07:53,760 Speaker 2: Even after all of this and exposing himself as a 143 00:07:54,160 --> 00:07:58,640 Speaker 2: fraud and a charlatan, noted anti vaxxer, RFK Junior became 144 00:07:58,920 --> 00:08:03,160 Speaker 2: Trump's HH Secretary by a narrow fifty two to forty 145 00:08:03,200 --> 00:08:07,720 Speaker 2: eight vote. It was almost exactly split down partisan lines, 146 00:08:07,800 --> 00:08:12,760 Speaker 2: with the notable exception of former GOP Senate Majority Leader 147 00:08:12,760 --> 00:08:16,960 Speaker 2: Mitch McConnell, who contracted polio at two years old and 148 00:08:17,080 --> 00:08:22,720 Speaker 2: suffered lifelong complications from it. Also notably, the Senate GOP 149 00:08:23,440 --> 00:08:27,800 Speaker 2: has two medical doctors who both voted for RFK Junior, 150 00:08:27,960 --> 00:08:32,400 Speaker 2: Louisiana's Bill Cassidy and Kentucky's Ran Paul. We didn't expect 151 00:08:32,480 --> 00:08:34,480 Speaker 2: much from Rand Paul. Going to be honest, I was. 152 00:08:34,480 --> 00:08:35,840 Speaker 1: About to say, I don't know if I would say 153 00:08:35,840 --> 00:08:38,960 Speaker 1: I'm disappointed, then Rand Paul, I will say. The one 154 00:08:39,040 --> 00:08:41,000 Speaker 1: nice thing about the gerontocracy is that some of them 155 00:08:41,160 --> 00:08:43,920 Speaker 1: had polio when they were young, and so maybe that 156 00:08:44,040 --> 00:08:47,120 Speaker 1: gives them a different perspective on our K Junior's policies. 157 00:08:47,160 --> 00:08:48,880 Speaker 2: And you know what, we got to bring that up 158 00:08:48,920 --> 00:08:51,800 Speaker 2: the next time we talk about all the olds in Congress. 159 00:08:51,880 --> 00:08:53,480 Speaker 2: While if we get rid of them all, then who 160 00:08:53,480 --> 00:08:55,840 Speaker 2: we're going to tell the first hand polio stories exactly? 161 00:08:55,840 --> 00:08:57,760 Speaker 1: Who's going to have the institutional knowledge of what it 162 00:08:57,800 --> 00:09:00,800 Speaker 1: was like before we had vaccines. I'm certainly not Alexandro 163 00:09:00,880 --> 00:09:01,640 Speaker 1: Costio Cortez. 164 00:09:01,720 --> 00:09:06,040 Speaker 2: But yeah, Louisiana's Bill Cassidy. He was considered the only 165 00:09:06,080 --> 00:09:09,200 Speaker 2: other possible holdout to this confirmation, and he still would 166 00:09:09,200 --> 00:09:12,960 Speaker 2: have been confirmed anyways. But Bill Cassidy has been very 167 00:09:13,000 --> 00:09:15,520 Speaker 2: critical of Bobby since and I just want to say, 168 00:09:15,800 --> 00:09:18,920 Speaker 2: too late, Bill, It's too late. You did it. 169 00:09:19,360 --> 00:09:22,160 Speaker 1: Yeah, we do have an episode that is all about 170 00:09:22,400 --> 00:09:26,679 Speaker 1: RFK Junior's journey on what I would basically culture of 171 00:09:26,720 --> 00:09:30,040 Speaker 1: medical fan fiction and kind of his own evolving us 172 00:09:30,080 --> 00:09:33,840 Speaker 1: on vaccines and on health and wellness and all this stuff. 173 00:09:34,160 --> 00:09:36,400 Speaker 1: I mean, it's only an introduction to the grand scheme 174 00:09:36,440 --> 00:09:39,160 Speaker 1: of things. I would also recommend the big cover story 175 00:09:39,320 --> 00:09:42,080 Speaker 1: and package that New York Magazine did on the evolution 176 00:09:42,200 --> 00:09:45,320 Speaker 1: of MAHA that Make America Healthy Again movement. There's a 177 00:09:45,320 --> 00:09:48,160 Speaker 1: lot of great writing out there about RFK Junior and 178 00:09:48,240 --> 00:09:51,080 Speaker 1: about how detrimental to public health it is that he 179 00:09:51,200 --> 00:09:54,520 Speaker 1: is in charge and in fact, as we'll mention at 180 00:09:54,600 --> 00:09:57,640 Speaker 1: least two times in this episode, multiple of his own 181 00:09:58,160 --> 00:10:00,160 Speaker 1: cousins and family members have come out against him. 182 00:10:00,080 --> 00:10:08,079 Speaker 2: As well, and he continues to make extremely detrimental health 183 00:10:08,120 --> 00:10:11,560 Speaker 2: policies every day. I think it was just yesterday that 184 00:10:11,600 --> 00:10:16,880 Speaker 2: he has decided that the American Society Pediatrics their ats 185 00:10:16,960 --> 00:10:20,439 Speaker 2: Monday will be cut because they criticized him. He's a 186 00:10:20,559 --> 00:10:25,280 Speaker 2: very fragile guy, and I just can't believe it every day. 187 00:10:25,320 --> 00:10:28,000 Speaker 1: I can't believe he was bullied by Big Pediatrics. 188 00:10:29,400 --> 00:10:31,880 Speaker 2: Well, also, the thing that you just said about fan fiction, 189 00:10:32,000 --> 00:10:34,599 Speaker 2: I'm like he is something of an el Ron Hubbard. No, 190 00:10:34,679 --> 00:10:36,880 Speaker 2: it's true without the prodigious writing talent. 191 00:10:37,080 --> 00:10:39,360 Speaker 1: We'll be back with more United States of Kennedy after 192 00:10:39,400 --> 00:11:07,160 Speaker 1: this break. 193 00:10:54,280 --> 00:10:56,920 Speaker 2: And we're back with more United States of Kennedy. 194 00:10:57,120 --> 00:10:59,720 Speaker 1: There's something about all these figures. It's like they're all 195 00:10:59,760 --> 00:11:02,480 Speaker 1: out out of a pension novel or something. You and 196 00:11:02,520 --> 00:11:04,960 Speaker 1: I in our Other lives art comedians, and it's so 197 00:11:05,080 --> 00:11:08,120 Speaker 1: difficult to satirize any of this because there's just is 198 00:11:08,160 --> 00:11:11,240 Speaker 1: no right, there's no lower to go. 199 00:11:11,440 --> 00:11:12,200 Speaker 2: Yeah, exactly. 200 00:11:12,840 --> 00:11:15,760 Speaker 1: So, okay, that's the deal with RFK in his official 201 00:11:15,760 --> 00:11:19,640 Speaker 1: capacity in the Trump White House. The second big Kennedy 202 00:11:19,640 --> 00:11:22,000 Speaker 1: story of the year that we have is also related 203 00:11:22,000 --> 00:11:25,040 Speaker 1: to RFK, but it is a slightly different flavor of story. 204 00:11:25,120 --> 00:11:30,280 Speaker 1: So this is, of course the ongoing drama with a 205 00:11:30,480 --> 00:11:34,800 Speaker 1: former New York Magazine political reporter, Olivia Nuzzy and RFK Junior. 206 00:11:35,000 --> 00:11:37,800 Speaker 1: So I have a sort of debate among my various 207 00:11:37,840 --> 00:11:40,600 Speaker 1: friends who work in journalism and in the media about 208 00:11:40,960 --> 00:11:44,080 Speaker 1: how well known this story is because I feel like 209 00:11:44,120 --> 00:11:46,360 Speaker 1: I can't escape it, and yet so often when I 210 00:11:46,360 --> 00:11:49,200 Speaker 1: talk to normal people and people who don't follow this 211 00:11:49,280 --> 00:11:51,280 Speaker 1: kind of like media gossip news, they have no idea 212 00:11:51,320 --> 00:11:53,280 Speaker 1: what I'm talking about. And it makes me feel crazy 213 00:11:53,480 --> 00:11:56,000 Speaker 1: because there was a point in time in the odds 214 00:11:56,000 --> 00:11:58,440 Speaker 1: and the nineties where something like this would be on 215 00:11:58,520 --> 00:12:00,840 Speaker 1: the front page of every tabloid, everyone would know all 216 00:12:00,880 --> 00:12:03,560 Speaker 1: the names involved, like it would be the biggest story, 217 00:12:03,600 --> 00:12:06,720 Speaker 1: and it seems like it can't quite enter the mainstream 218 00:12:06,760 --> 00:12:09,319 Speaker 1: in this strange way. So I'm going to give everyone 219 00:12:09,400 --> 00:12:12,760 Speaker 1: kind of my own, very very quick, point by point 220 00:12:12,920 --> 00:12:17,160 Speaker 1: narrative of what happened. So in twenty twenty four, towards 221 00:12:17,200 --> 00:12:20,320 Speaker 1: the end of the election cycle, Olivia Nazzi, who was 222 00:12:20,400 --> 00:12:23,400 Speaker 1: a star political reporter at New York Magazine. She covered 223 00:12:23,440 --> 00:12:26,480 Speaker 1: the Trump White House since twenty sixteen. She wrote a 224 00:12:26,520 --> 00:12:30,440 Speaker 1: lot of the big, splashy cover stories about both the 225 00:12:30,440 --> 00:12:33,160 Speaker 1: Trump White House and other big politician at the time. 226 00:12:33,320 --> 00:12:36,959 Speaker 1: Olivia Nazia was fired from York Magazine because it was 227 00:12:37,520 --> 00:12:40,680 Speaker 1: exposed that she was having some sort of either emotional 228 00:12:40,760 --> 00:12:44,240 Speaker 1: or sexting affair with RFK Junior while he was running 229 00:12:44,240 --> 00:12:46,319 Speaker 1: for president. This is before he joined the Trump White House, 230 00:12:46,320 --> 00:12:48,560 Speaker 1: when he was running for president as a third party candidate. 231 00:12:48,640 --> 00:12:50,800 Speaker 1: So she was fired from York Magazine. It was a 232 00:12:50,880 --> 00:12:54,520 Speaker 1: huge media scandal. She basically moved to Los Angeles to 233 00:12:54,720 --> 00:12:57,640 Speaker 1: escape all the attention she was getting. In her own words, 234 00:12:57,720 --> 00:13:00,880 Speaker 1: she was in exile for a year in LA and 235 00:13:01,080 --> 00:13:02,840 Speaker 1: she was not really in the news for a while. 236 00:13:02,840 --> 00:13:05,319 Speaker 1: I think she took a year off of public life. 237 00:13:05,920 --> 00:13:09,920 Speaker 1: Cut to earlier this fall, she first burst back onto 238 00:13:09,960 --> 00:13:13,160 Speaker 1: the scene with this splashy New York Times magazine profile, 239 00:13:13,400 --> 00:13:17,040 Speaker 1: which by the way, was written by Jacob Bernstein of 240 00:13:17,120 --> 00:13:20,360 Speaker 1: Woodward and Bernstein fans. The son of Carl Bernstein was 241 00:13:20,360 --> 00:13:22,400 Speaker 1: just a funny journalism connection and. 242 00:13:22,679 --> 00:13:25,160 Speaker 2: Noora Efron and Carl Berts exactly. 243 00:13:24,920 --> 00:13:27,800 Speaker 1: The son of and Carl Burstein. So there was this big, 244 00:13:28,520 --> 00:13:32,280 Speaker 1: I would say, very overall generally speaking positive profile of 245 00:13:32,280 --> 00:13:35,880 Speaker 1: her in the Times magazine. It was accompanied by an 246 00:13:35,960 --> 00:13:40,280 Speaker 1: incredibly big photo package. There were like videos of her 247 00:13:40,280 --> 00:13:43,320 Speaker 1: writing her Mustang in Malibu. There were these beautiful black 248 00:13:43,320 --> 00:13:46,120 Speaker 1: and white photos. There was a sort of not to 249 00:13:46,200 --> 00:13:47,720 Speaker 1: use a cliche, but there was a sort of Joan 250 00:13:47,720 --> 00:13:50,160 Speaker 1: Didion esque quality that I think they were trying to 251 00:13:50,200 --> 00:13:53,800 Speaker 1: accomplish with. This is someone who is a beautiful woman 252 00:13:53,960 --> 00:13:55,559 Speaker 1: covering American depravity. 253 00:13:55,600 --> 00:13:57,520 Speaker 2: And so yeah, didn't he say that she's like a 254 00:13:57,640 --> 00:14:00,040 Speaker 2: Lanna del Rey song come to life for some. 255 00:14:00,160 --> 00:14:02,360 Speaker 1: Yes, yes, which I think is also a part of 256 00:14:02,360 --> 00:14:05,600 Speaker 1: her own self anthologizing anyway, So the point is this 257 00:14:05,679 --> 00:14:08,880 Speaker 1: profile was both to announce her entry into public life, 258 00:14:08,880 --> 00:14:11,160 Speaker 1: but then also to promote her book. So it turns 259 00:14:11,160 --> 00:14:13,720 Speaker 1: out that during this time she had been writing a 260 00:14:13,840 --> 00:14:16,240 Speaker 1: kind of I will call it, I haven't read it, 261 00:14:16,240 --> 00:14:17,640 Speaker 1: but I would call it from what I understand like 262 00:14:17,640 --> 00:14:21,880 Speaker 1: an experimental memoir in verse called American Conto, which is 263 00:14:21,920 --> 00:14:25,080 Speaker 1: about both this year of her life but then also 264 00:14:25,840 --> 00:14:29,400 Speaker 1: larger themes about kind of America and decline. And so 265 00:14:30,600 --> 00:14:33,240 Speaker 1: I think the response to the profile wasn't too bad. 266 00:14:33,280 --> 00:14:35,720 Speaker 1: I think people were interested in the book. She's always seen, 267 00:14:35,880 --> 00:14:37,440 Speaker 1: if nothing else, is like a good writer and a 268 00:14:37,440 --> 00:14:41,480 Speaker 1: good reporter. So I think I personally was cautiously excited 269 00:14:41,520 --> 00:14:45,560 Speaker 1: to see what would happen. Then she published an excerpt 270 00:14:45,600 --> 00:14:47,720 Speaker 1: on the book on Vanity Fair, where she was also 271 00:14:47,760 --> 00:14:51,360 Speaker 1: actually hired as their West Coast editor, and the excerpt 272 00:14:51,400 --> 00:14:55,520 Speaker 1: was roundly mocked online. It was bad. It's bad, you know. 273 00:14:55,600 --> 00:14:57,160 Speaker 1: People were saying, the writing is bad. We have to 274 00:14:57,240 --> 00:15:01,240 Speaker 1: be honest here. So that was the first sign that 275 00:15:01,280 --> 00:15:03,680 Speaker 1: things were not exactly going her way. And then what 276 00:15:03,800 --> 00:15:07,440 Speaker 1: happened was that her ex fiance, Ryan Lizza, who is 277 00:15:07,480 --> 00:15:09,760 Speaker 1: a big former New Yorker writer, he was at CNN, 278 00:15:09,840 --> 00:15:12,920 Speaker 1: he was a political he is who she cheated on 279 00:15:13,080 --> 00:15:15,800 Speaker 1: with RFK Junior, and then they broke off their engagement. 280 00:15:16,320 --> 00:15:21,440 Speaker 1: He started publishing a serialized soap opera esque account of 281 00:15:21,520 --> 00:15:24,120 Speaker 1: his own perspective on all of this that has been 282 00:15:24,160 --> 00:15:27,320 Speaker 1: coming out basically like once or twice a week. We're 283 00:15:27,320 --> 00:15:28,880 Speaker 1: now on part seven that we're waiting for. 284 00:15:28,920 --> 00:15:29,600 Speaker 2: Are you serious? 285 00:15:29,840 --> 00:15:30,080 Speaker 1: Yes? 286 00:15:30,200 --> 00:15:31,200 Speaker 2: Are you reading all of it? 287 00:15:31,720 --> 00:15:33,880 Speaker 1: I have read all of it. I have read her 288 00:15:33,920 --> 00:15:36,480 Speaker 1: part six, and I assume part seven is coming out 289 00:15:36,520 --> 00:15:38,920 Speaker 1: soon because part six did end with a cliffhanger. 290 00:15:38,920 --> 00:15:41,360 Speaker 2: Garra, So you're like fully behind the paywall like you are, 291 00:15:41,480 --> 00:15:42,640 Speaker 2: you're paying for the substack. 292 00:15:42,760 --> 00:15:46,280 Speaker 1: I mean, listen, while we are asking people to support us, 293 00:15:46,440 --> 00:15:49,120 Speaker 1: talk about how I'm not necessarily paying for something that 294 00:15:49,160 --> 00:15:51,360 Speaker 1: is blaning to pay well. But if you know enough people, 295 00:15:51,440 --> 00:15:54,760 Speaker 1: you know, these things get around. I'm not personally supporting 296 00:15:54,840 --> 00:15:58,240 Speaker 1: Ryan Lizz, although I wish everyone involved the best. So 297 00:15:58,440 --> 00:16:01,920 Speaker 1: basically I'm not gonna go through everything that goes on 298 00:16:01,960 --> 00:16:03,920 Speaker 1: in the Liza Philes. But one of the big thing 299 00:16:04,000 --> 00:16:05,880 Speaker 1: in terms of the Kennedy element that he accuses her 300 00:16:05,920 --> 00:16:10,000 Speaker 1: of is that he accuses her allegedly of helping RFK 301 00:16:10,240 --> 00:16:15,200 Speaker 1: Junior with his campaign behind the scenes as she's reporting 302 00:16:15,240 --> 00:16:17,120 Speaker 1: on him. I mean, she met him through doing a 303 00:16:17,120 --> 00:16:20,040 Speaker 1: story on him. So that's obviously like the journalistic ethics 304 00:16:20,360 --> 00:16:22,840 Speaker 1: angle and all of this is that she was having 305 00:16:23,200 --> 00:16:27,360 Speaker 1: some sort of affair with her subject subject. Yes, so anyway, 306 00:16:28,080 --> 00:16:31,280 Speaker 1: that's one of the most important accusations that Liza Levy is. 307 00:16:31,320 --> 00:16:33,240 Speaker 1: There's various other ones. He accuse her of lying, he 308 00:16:33,280 --> 00:16:36,240 Speaker 1: accuse her of making up stories about him. Whatever. The 309 00:16:36,320 --> 00:16:38,280 Speaker 1: series is still coming out, so we don't know how 310 00:16:38,280 --> 00:16:41,120 Speaker 1: it's going to end. But I would like to end 311 00:16:41,200 --> 00:16:44,840 Speaker 1: this story by saying that somehow the only person not 312 00:16:44,960 --> 00:16:48,520 Speaker 1: negatively impacted by all of this is RFK Junior herself. 313 00:16:48,840 --> 00:16:51,240 Speaker 1: That is the most shocking part of this is the 314 00:16:51,280 --> 00:16:53,600 Speaker 1: things that rf K Junior is doing just in his 315 00:16:53,680 --> 00:16:56,960 Speaker 1: day job in a Trump administration are so much worse 316 00:16:57,040 --> 00:16:59,600 Speaker 1: than any sort of adultery scandal he could be part 317 00:16:59,640 --> 00:17:01,760 Speaker 1: of that. It just hasn't touched him at all. I mean, 318 00:17:01,760 --> 00:17:04,359 Speaker 1: he hasn't made a public statement about it. He's not 319 00:17:04,560 --> 00:17:05,880 Speaker 1: really even like Cheryl. 320 00:17:05,760 --> 00:17:07,400 Speaker 2: Hines, his wife went on a book tour. 321 00:17:07,600 --> 00:17:09,320 Speaker 1: She went on a book tour. One of the sort 322 00:17:09,320 --> 00:17:12,840 Speaker 1: of funny little tidbits about all this is that initially 323 00:17:12,880 --> 00:17:14,840 Speaker 1: Olivia's book was going to be released the same day 324 00:17:14,880 --> 00:17:17,000 Speaker 1: as Cheryl Hines's book, and she had to push it 325 00:17:17,040 --> 00:17:19,720 Speaker 1: back a couple of weeks because of that. Wow. Oh, 326 00:17:19,760 --> 00:17:22,679 Speaker 1: I should also say Olivia Nazi ended up parting ways 327 00:17:22,680 --> 00:17:24,600 Speaker 1: with Vanity Fair, so Vandy Fair hired her to be 328 00:17:24,640 --> 00:17:26,960 Speaker 1: the West Coast editor, and then after some of the 329 00:17:27,000 --> 00:17:29,639 Speaker 1: Liza stuff started coming out, they ended up parting ways. 330 00:17:29,720 --> 00:17:31,840 Speaker 1: I have no idea what the future looks like for her. 331 00:17:32,160 --> 00:17:33,879 Speaker 1: The book, I'm sorry to say, it did not do 332 00:17:34,040 --> 00:17:37,520 Speaker 1: very well. Allegedly it sold twelve hundred print copies in 333 00:17:37,560 --> 00:17:39,720 Speaker 1: its first week, which is not good. 334 00:17:40,800 --> 00:17:43,640 Speaker 2: So I would say that if any of our listeners 335 00:17:43,720 --> 00:17:46,199 Speaker 2: are hearing about this for the first time, boy, are 336 00:17:46,240 --> 00:17:47,720 Speaker 2: you in for a world of hurt? 337 00:17:47,920 --> 00:17:50,600 Speaker 1: And it really is A yeah, it's a wormhole you 338 00:17:50,640 --> 00:17:51,800 Speaker 1: really can get lost in. 339 00:17:52,000 --> 00:17:55,959 Speaker 2: But I really recommend the tell all profile that Brian 340 00:17:56,000 --> 00:17:59,720 Speaker 2: Phillips at The Ringer did about this. It's really funny too, 341 00:18:00,119 --> 00:18:05,119 Speaker 2: and it publishes some of the poems from RFK Junior 342 00:18:05,119 --> 00:18:09,800 Speaker 2: that were excerpted in Ryan Lizza's substack posts. It's really funny. 343 00:18:09,800 --> 00:18:10,600 Speaker 2: You got to read it. 344 00:18:10,840 --> 00:18:12,879 Speaker 1: It's and thank you for bringing up the poems. I 345 00:18:12,960 --> 00:18:15,399 Speaker 1: forgot about that, and I believe it was in the 346 00:18:15,440 --> 00:18:19,200 Speaker 1: first part of Liza's series. Word for Word, various poems 347 00:18:19,200 --> 00:18:21,800 Speaker 1: written by Bobby Junior were republished and. 348 00:18:21,720 --> 00:18:24,639 Speaker 2: They are explicit and they're gross, but you got to 349 00:18:24,680 --> 00:18:28,399 Speaker 2: read it. It's really funny and sad. And yeah, he 350 00:18:28,440 --> 00:18:31,040 Speaker 2: also talks about that too. That it just really has 351 00:18:31,080 --> 00:18:33,520 Speaker 2: not stuck to Bobby at all, maybe because we all 352 00:18:33,560 --> 00:18:34,600 Speaker 2: just think he's so insane. 353 00:18:34,640 --> 00:18:37,200 Speaker 1: Anyways, I mean, it's the same thing with Trump. It's 354 00:18:37,200 --> 00:18:40,280 Speaker 1: the media strategy no one was dumb enough to think of, 355 00:18:40,560 --> 00:18:42,439 Speaker 1: is like, just be crazy and then you can get 356 00:18:42,480 --> 00:18:44,200 Speaker 1: away with anything. Yeah, you know, we could talk about 357 00:18:44,200 --> 00:18:47,640 Speaker 1: this for hours, unfortunately because we both have a sickness. 358 00:18:48,040 --> 00:18:50,440 Speaker 1: But I think that's all we have to say for it. 359 00:18:50,600 --> 00:18:53,600 Speaker 1: That's all we got for now about the nuzzy Kennedy 360 00:18:53,960 --> 00:18:57,080 Speaker 1: Liza Love triangle. And it's very much an ongoing story. 361 00:18:57,119 --> 00:18:59,040 Speaker 1: I mean, there might be a new chapter of it 362 00:18:59,080 --> 00:19:00,800 Speaker 1: by the time this comes out. So all right, Julia, 363 00:19:00,920 --> 00:19:01,560 Speaker 1: what's next? 364 00:19:01,680 --> 00:19:06,760 Speaker 2: Okay? So number three is another light one Jay's case. 365 00:19:06,960 --> 00:19:12,480 Speaker 2: Only living grandson, Jack Schlosberg, the son of Caroline Kennedy, 366 00:19:12,640 --> 00:19:18,040 Speaker 2: announced his bid for New York's twelfth congressional district. He 367 00:19:18,400 --> 00:19:21,240 Speaker 2: is running to replace the seat that is going to 368 00:19:21,280 --> 00:19:25,520 Speaker 2: be vacated by Jerry Nadler. He is yet another Kennedy 369 00:19:25,560 --> 00:19:28,199 Speaker 2: who's just throwing his hat into the political ring. We 370 00:19:28,240 --> 00:19:32,000 Speaker 2: did a whole episode on this a few episodes back, 371 00:19:32,040 --> 00:19:34,520 Speaker 2: and it was really fun. I recommend that one a lot. 372 00:19:34,560 --> 00:19:38,800 Speaker 2: We talked all about Jack Schlosberg, the public figure and 373 00:19:38,840 --> 00:19:42,400 Speaker 2: now the political candidate, and the kind of weird identity 374 00:19:42,440 --> 00:19:43,920 Speaker 2: crisis he seems to be having. 375 00:19:44,080 --> 00:19:46,720 Speaker 1: Yeah, yeah, he can't decide if he is a comedian, 376 00:19:46,840 --> 00:19:53,040 Speaker 1: a social media influencer, a politician, a serious politician versus 377 00:19:53,080 --> 00:19:56,400 Speaker 1: a trollish figure that's running for office. I got to say, 378 00:19:56,440 --> 00:19:59,760 Speaker 1: you know, I'm no expert here. I don't think this 379 00:20:00,040 --> 00:20:02,199 Speaker 1: and paign is going to be successful. Yeah, it's a 380 00:20:02,240 --> 00:20:04,840 Speaker 1: crowded field, and there are a lot of like heavy hitters, 381 00:20:05,119 --> 00:20:09,240 Speaker 1: both in terms of older, serious people that were mentored 382 00:20:09,240 --> 00:20:11,280 Speaker 1: by Jerry Nabler and people who have worked in York 383 00:20:11,280 --> 00:20:15,639 Speaker 1: govern for a while, and also interesting younger upstarts and 384 00:20:15,720 --> 00:20:18,560 Speaker 1: people that are buzzy and catering to the youth votes. 385 00:20:18,560 --> 00:20:21,840 Speaker 1: So there's not really an opening for him. I feel 386 00:20:21,960 --> 00:20:23,840 Speaker 1: we were talking about this in the episode, like he 387 00:20:24,080 --> 00:20:28,480 Speaker 1: isn't even the hottest youngest candidate, Like he could at 388 00:20:28,600 --> 00:20:30,920 Speaker 1: least in a different world he could be like, oh, 389 00:20:31,000 --> 00:20:34,080 Speaker 1: I'm the one that's not musty and old, and it's like, no, actually, 390 00:20:34,560 --> 00:20:37,520 Speaker 1: the cool gay Parkland team is also running and is 391 00:20:37,520 --> 00:20:38,320 Speaker 1: twenty three. 392 00:20:39,960 --> 00:20:41,880 Speaker 2: So Jack, we wish you the best. Yeah. 393 00:20:42,040 --> 00:20:44,040 Speaker 1: So, on a more serious note, the fourth moment we 394 00:20:44,119 --> 00:20:47,440 Speaker 1: have is and I'll talk about this only for a 395 00:20:47,480 --> 00:20:50,560 Speaker 1: little bit because it's it's really a very sad story 396 00:20:50,640 --> 00:20:53,399 Speaker 1: and you can read about it more in The New Yorker. 397 00:20:53,480 --> 00:20:58,000 Speaker 1: But Jack's sister Tatiana wrote this very lovely essay in 398 00:20:58,040 --> 00:21:00,760 Speaker 1: The New Yorker a couple months ago about being diagnosed 399 00:21:00,760 --> 00:21:03,080 Speaker 1: with terminal cancer and being told that she had one 400 00:21:03,160 --> 00:21:06,040 Speaker 1: year to live. It is really beautifully written, and in 401 00:21:06,080 --> 00:21:09,840 Speaker 1: the scheme of all this crazy stuff and all these 402 00:21:10,119 --> 00:21:13,600 Speaker 1: tabloid stories and RF case wreckage and the Trump administration, 403 00:21:13,680 --> 00:21:16,879 Speaker 1: in Jack Schlosberg posting crazy shirtless videos of himself, it 404 00:21:16,960 --> 00:21:20,960 Speaker 1: kind of lives up to the Kennedy mythology of being 405 00:21:21,040 --> 00:21:26,679 Speaker 1: these serious patriotic people that have grace and are articulate 406 00:21:26,720 --> 00:21:29,199 Speaker 1: and are able to American royals. Yes, it's like the 407 00:21:29,200 --> 00:21:33,000 Speaker 1: American royals thing. So it's beautifully written. On a sentence level, 408 00:21:33,080 --> 00:21:34,640 Speaker 1: she's clearly someone who has given a lot of thought 409 00:21:34,640 --> 00:21:36,439 Speaker 1: to this. And then also it should be said she 410 00:21:36,480 --> 00:21:41,560 Speaker 1: does publicly condemn RFK Junior's policies, including reducing NIH funding 411 00:21:41,560 --> 00:21:44,199 Speaker 1: which affects cancer research, so it's clearly like a personal 412 00:21:44,240 --> 00:21:48,080 Speaker 1: thing for her, and also including the CDC directives on 413 00:21:48,240 --> 00:21:52,200 Speaker 1: vaccine misinformation. So that is available on the New Yorker website. 414 00:21:52,760 --> 00:21:55,080 Speaker 1: And that was a rare moment of grace during all 415 00:21:55,119 --> 00:21:57,840 Speaker 1: of this kind of crazy research that we had to 416 00:21:57,880 --> 00:21:59,960 Speaker 1: do for this episode. So that's moment number four. 417 00:22:01,600 --> 00:22:05,720 Speaker 2: So continuing with more kind of criticisms of R of 418 00:22:05,760 --> 00:22:10,680 Speaker 2: CA Junior from his family. Number five is that Caroline Kennedy, 419 00:22:11,040 --> 00:22:16,280 Speaker 2: the daughter of JFK, made a very rare public statement 420 00:22:17,000 --> 00:22:22,040 Speaker 2: to rebuke R of CA Junior during his confirmation hearings, 421 00:22:22,400 --> 00:22:25,679 Speaker 2: and we will play a clip from that. 422 00:22:25,840 --> 00:22:26,080 Speaker 1: Now. 423 00:22:26,600 --> 00:22:29,040 Speaker 8: I've known Bobby my whole life. We grew up together. 424 00:22:29,160 --> 00:22:31,639 Speaker 8: It's no surprise that he keeps birds of prey as 425 00:22:31,720 --> 00:22:35,920 Speaker 8: pets because Bobby himself is a predator. He's always been charismatic, 426 00:22:36,119 --> 00:22:39,160 Speaker 8: able to attract others through the strength of his personality, 427 00:22:39,280 --> 00:22:42,119 Speaker 8: his willingness to take risks and break the rules. I 428 00:22:42,160 --> 00:22:44,760 Speaker 8: watch his younger brothers and cousins follow him down the 429 00:22:44,760 --> 00:22:48,360 Speaker 8: path of drug addiction, his basement, his garage, his dorm room. 430 00:22:48,400 --> 00:22:51,280 Speaker 8: We're always the center of the action where drugs were available, 431 00:22:51,480 --> 00:22:54,440 Speaker 8: and he enjoyed showing off how he put baby chickens 432 00:22:54,480 --> 00:22:56,800 Speaker 8: and mice in a blender to feed to his hawks. 433 00:22:56,920 --> 00:23:00,760 Speaker 8: It was often a perverse scene of despair, and that 434 00:23:00,960 --> 00:23:03,520 Speaker 8: was a long time ago, and people can change. Through 435 00:23:03,560 --> 00:23:06,080 Speaker 8: his own strength and the many second chances he was 436 00:23:06,080 --> 00:23:08,560 Speaker 8: given by people who felt sorry for the boy who 437 00:23:08,600 --> 00:23:11,400 Speaker 8: lost his father, Bobby was able to pull himself out 438 00:23:11,440 --> 00:23:14,720 Speaker 8: of illness and disease. I admire the discipline that took 439 00:23:14,800 --> 00:23:18,520 Speaker 8: and the continuing commitment it requires. But siblings and cousins 440 00:23:18,560 --> 00:23:23,399 Speaker 8: who Bobby encouraged down the path of substance abuse suffered addiction, illness, 441 00:23:23,440 --> 00:23:27,080 Speaker 8: and death. While Bobby has gone on to misrepresent, lie 442 00:23:27,440 --> 00:23:30,280 Speaker 8: and cheat his way through life. Today, while he may 443 00:23:30,359 --> 00:23:34,359 Speaker 8: encourage a younger generation to attend AA meetings, Bobby is 444 00:23:34,400 --> 00:23:38,080 Speaker 8: addicted to attention and power. Bobby prays on the desperation 445 00:23:38,240 --> 00:23:41,560 Speaker 8: of parents of sick children, vaccinating his own kids while 446 00:23:41,560 --> 00:23:45,800 Speaker 8: building a following hypocritically discouraging other parents from vaccinating theirs. 447 00:23:45,960 --> 00:23:49,359 Speaker 8: Even before he fills this job. His constant denigration of 448 00:23:49,359 --> 00:23:52,840 Speaker 8: our health care system and the conspiratorial half truths he's 449 00:23:52,880 --> 00:23:57,600 Speaker 8: told about vaccines, including in connection with Samoa's deadly twenty 450 00:23:57,680 --> 00:23:59,960 Speaker 8: nineteen outbreak of measles, have cost life. 451 00:24:00,359 --> 00:24:04,200 Speaker 2: This is just really notable because Caroline Kennedy has really 452 00:24:04,520 --> 00:24:08,240 Speaker 2: sidestepped public view for many decades now. She has not 453 00:24:08,400 --> 00:24:12,679 Speaker 2: been really interested in courting public attention. She is a 454 00:24:12,760 --> 00:24:17,080 Speaker 2: very private person, so the fact that she decided to 455 00:24:17,119 --> 00:24:21,119 Speaker 2: come out and make this extremely public statement and send 456 00:24:21,160 --> 00:24:25,439 Speaker 2: a letter to Congress really says a lot. Notably, she 457 00:24:26,080 --> 00:24:29,280 Speaker 2: calls him a predator, she calls him addicted to attention 458 00:24:29,400 --> 00:24:32,760 Speaker 2: and power, and she characterizes him as someone who prays 459 00:24:32,800 --> 00:24:38,000 Speaker 2: on the desperation of parents of autistic children. Obviously, this 460 00:24:38,119 --> 00:24:41,679 Speaker 2: didn't have the effect that everyone wanted, but it is 461 00:24:42,000 --> 00:24:44,560 Speaker 2: powerful nonetheless, and it will be like on the public 462 00:24:44,600 --> 00:24:45,280 Speaker 2: record forever. 463 00:24:46,480 --> 00:24:49,240 Speaker 1: And it's interesting this kind of thing in a different 464 00:24:49,280 --> 00:24:51,840 Speaker 1: world would have an impact because it is meaningful that 465 00:24:51,920 --> 00:24:56,160 Speaker 1: someone who generally doesn't make these kinds of public statements did, right, 466 00:24:56,680 --> 00:25:00,199 Speaker 1: But in the Trump universe, all it does is just 467 00:25:00,440 --> 00:25:06,280 Speaker 1: add to this constant invective and constant negativity. It almost 468 00:25:06,359 --> 00:25:09,680 Speaker 1: has the opposite intended effect. To me, it's very powerful, 469 00:25:09,720 --> 00:25:11,760 Speaker 1: but to the average person, it's like, oh, well, I 470 00:25:11,800 --> 00:25:15,160 Speaker 1: guess another person's yelling about politics. It really just doesn't 471 00:25:15,480 --> 00:25:18,280 Speaker 1: When everything is always at one hundred, it doesn't have 472 00:25:18,480 --> 00:25:21,000 Speaker 1: quite the same amount of power. Right in the same 473 00:25:21,040 --> 00:25:23,280 Speaker 1: way that, by the way, Tatiana's essay in a different 474 00:25:23,320 --> 00:25:26,520 Speaker 1: world would be such a moment that could bring about 475 00:25:26,600 --> 00:25:29,360 Speaker 1: change or something that this Kennedy family member is being 476 00:25:29,400 --> 00:25:31,800 Speaker 1: so vulnerable. You know, the people that are likely to 477 00:25:31,840 --> 00:25:33,760 Speaker 1: agree with that agree with it, and everyone else moves on. 478 00:25:34,480 --> 00:25:36,919 Speaker 2: And I'm sure that the way that the Trump world 479 00:25:37,040 --> 00:25:40,320 Speaker 2: and especially the Maha world spun, this was just like 480 00:25:40,440 --> 00:25:44,080 Speaker 2: another member of the establishment is coming out against RFK 481 00:25:44,520 --> 00:25:46,760 Speaker 2: and now he is the establishment. 482 00:25:46,240 --> 00:25:48,080 Speaker 1: And as a Kennedy he was before us. 483 00:25:48,240 --> 00:25:50,400 Speaker 2: But you have to be honest, We're going to take 484 00:25:50,400 --> 00:26:07,600 Speaker 2: a short break, stay with us, and we're back with 485 00:26:07,680 --> 00:26:09,280 Speaker 2: more United States of Kennedy. 486 00:26:09,520 --> 00:26:11,880 Speaker 1: So for something a little more light, Moment number six, 487 00:26:11,960 --> 00:26:14,920 Speaker 1: I really feel like I'm an entertainment news host counting 488 00:26:14,960 --> 00:26:17,080 Speaker 1: down these moments. Moment number six. This was a pet 489 00:26:17,119 --> 00:26:21,160 Speaker 1: favorite of mine. So this story was a fun pop 490 00:26:21,200 --> 00:26:23,639 Speaker 1: culture story. It was very viral on social media. So 491 00:26:24,200 --> 00:26:28,760 Speaker 1: Ryan Murphy is working on an upcoming series called American 492 00:26:28,760 --> 00:26:32,240 Speaker 1: Love Story that is about JFK. Junior and Carolyn Besset Kennedy. 493 00:26:32,480 --> 00:26:34,960 Speaker 1: We've done episodes on both of them in the archives, 494 00:26:35,119 --> 00:26:40,879 Speaker 1: and they released photos during the production, specifically of JFK 495 00:26:41,000 --> 00:26:43,399 Speaker 1: Junior and Carolyn Bessett. So the JFK Junior photos I 496 00:26:43,400 --> 00:26:45,600 Speaker 1: think didn't make a huge splash, and I actually think 497 00:26:45,880 --> 00:26:47,600 Speaker 1: the guy that they cast actually does. 498 00:26:47,400 --> 00:26:49,120 Speaker 2: Look like he does K Jr. 499 00:26:49,760 --> 00:26:52,200 Speaker 1: But they released photos of the actress Sarah Pidgeon, who's 500 00:26:52,200 --> 00:26:54,080 Speaker 1: actually a really great actress. I've seen her on stage 501 00:26:54,080 --> 00:26:57,480 Speaker 1: in Saraphonic in New York. She plays Carolyn Besset Kennedy. 502 00:26:57,600 --> 00:27:04,000 Speaker 1: And they and the styling just were not correct, and 503 00:27:04,760 --> 00:27:08,320 Speaker 1: it was just all the fashion enthusiasts, all the Carolyn 504 00:27:08,480 --> 00:27:12,840 Speaker 1: enthusiasts across the internet came out and roundly mocked these photos. 505 00:27:12,880 --> 00:27:15,600 Speaker 1: I mean, the hair was too blonde, it was not 506 00:27:15,760 --> 00:27:18,720 Speaker 1: chunky enough, the wig was not sitting on her head 507 00:27:18,720 --> 00:27:20,840 Speaker 1: correctly she was. I think in one of the photos 508 00:27:20,880 --> 00:27:22,919 Speaker 1: she was wearing Converse, which is just not how you 509 00:27:22,960 --> 00:27:23,880 Speaker 1: imagine Carolyn. 510 00:27:24,359 --> 00:27:27,920 Speaker 2: The clothes were, they looked cheap. I think what everyone 511 00:27:28,200 --> 00:27:31,840 Speaker 2: kept saying was it looked like Zara attempted to do 512 00:27:32,080 --> 00:27:34,040 Speaker 2: a Carolyn Bissett collection, which. 513 00:27:33,800 --> 00:27:36,080 Speaker 1: Is interesting because say what you want about Ryan Murphy, 514 00:27:36,080 --> 00:27:39,240 Speaker 1: but the last few shows of his I've seen the budget, 515 00:27:39,280 --> 00:27:41,720 Speaker 1: and specifically the clothing budget is off the charts. I 516 00:27:41,720 --> 00:27:45,119 Speaker 1: mean the number of structured blazers that Nissi Nash wears 517 00:27:45,160 --> 00:27:46,200 Speaker 1: and all spare. 518 00:27:46,800 --> 00:27:49,200 Speaker 2: And the really and the budget for wigs. 519 00:27:49,400 --> 00:27:53,280 Speaker 1: Yes, so to their credit, it has been fixed. Like, yeah, 520 00:27:53,320 --> 00:27:55,840 Speaker 1: there have now been you photos released. I've seen videos 521 00:27:55,880 --> 00:27:58,119 Speaker 1: that people just take on their phones because it's filming 522 00:27:58,160 --> 00:28:00,960 Speaker 1: in New York, and everyone does look much better, and 523 00:28:01,040 --> 00:28:03,760 Speaker 1: it's funny. This really makes me think that there's some 524 00:28:03,800 --> 00:28:06,399 Speaker 1: sort of Kennedy, if not cursed, then something in the 525 00:28:06,440 --> 00:28:09,639 Speaker 1: ether that's connecting me to this family, because I keep 526 00:28:09,880 --> 00:28:12,800 Speaker 1: coincidentally meeting people working on this show. I'm not kidding. 527 00:28:12,880 --> 00:28:17,040 Speaker 1: The wife of a friend of my husband's, who is 528 00:28:17,080 --> 00:28:18,960 Speaker 1: a writer that used write a magazines, was in the 529 00:28:19,000 --> 00:28:20,840 Speaker 1: writer's room of this show and we just had dinner 530 00:28:20,840 --> 00:28:23,280 Speaker 1: and she mentioned it. Then my other friend who lives 531 00:28:23,280 --> 00:28:26,280 Speaker 1: in la who so far I've only known him as 532 00:28:26,280 --> 00:28:29,280 Speaker 1: a comedy writer was also in the room. Then this 533 00:28:29,359 --> 00:28:31,960 Speaker 1: girl that goes to my gym turns out is an 534 00:28:32,000 --> 00:28:34,320 Speaker 1: actress and is in the show. I go to her 535 00:28:34,359 --> 00:28:36,920 Speaker 1: Christmas party, I meet Sarah Pigeon, who plays Carolyn in 536 00:28:36,960 --> 00:28:40,240 Speaker 1: the show. I've never had so many coincidences in my life, 537 00:28:40,560 --> 00:28:42,320 Speaker 1: so I have to say many of them are listening. 538 00:28:42,440 --> 00:28:44,400 Speaker 1: I personally am really rooting for this show. I think 539 00:28:44,480 --> 00:28:46,720 Speaker 1: it could be really fun. Sarah Pigeon is a really 540 00:28:46,760 --> 00:28:47,440 Speaker 1: great actress. 541 00:28:47,680 --> 00:28:49,440 Speaker 2: I'm really excited for the show. And by the way, 542 00:28:49,440 --> 00:28:52,719 Speaker 2: if anyone connected to the show is listening, come on 543 00:28:52,760 --> 00:28:54,400 Speaker 2: the show. We'd love to have you. 544 00:28:54,600 --> 00:28:56,520 Speaker 1: So that's what's going on over there. But yes, the 545 00:28:56,560 --> 00:28:59,160 Speaker 1: controversy around the photos was a nice fun week on 546 00:28:59,200 --> 00:28:59,640 Speaker 1: the internet. 547 00:29:00,520 --> 00:29:05,520 Speaker 2: Earlier this year in the spring, Maria Shriver, one of 548 00:29:05,760 --> 00:29:10,520 Speaker 2: the children of Eunice Kennedy, released her memoir. She was 549 00:29:10,560 --> 00:29:14,720 Speaker 2: also very famously married to Arnold Schwarzenegger and was First 550 00:29:14,760 --> 00:29:16,880 Speaker 2: Lady of California when he was governor, and. 551 00:29:16,800 --> 00:29:18,800 Speaker 1: She is the mother of Patrick Schwarzenegger, who will get 552 00:29:18,800 --> 00:29:19,280 Speaker 1: to later. 553 00:29:19,520 --> 00:29:23,200 Speaker 2: So earlier this year she released her memoir, which is 554 00:29:23,240 --> 00:29:27,320 Speaker 2: her second memoir, called I Am Maria, My Reflections and 555 00:29:27,480 --> 00:29:32,040 Speaker 2: Poems on Heartbreak, healing, and finding your way Home. 556 00:29:32,680 --> 00:29:35,120 Speaker 1: You know this family loves poetry. I know all right, 557 00:29:35,160 --> 00:29:37,280 Speaker 1: So tell us all about Maria Shriver's memoir. 558 00:29:37,360 --> 00:29:40,480 Speaker 2: Okay, So I just want to say, full disclosure, I 559 00:29:40,520 --> 00:29:43,280 Speaker 2: did not read it, but I have read many excerpts 560 00:29:43,320 --> 00:29:46,280 Speaker 2: of it now, and I have read several of the poems. 561 00:29:46,320 --> 00:29:51,960 Speaker 2: So it's a very candid memoir, I mean, as candid 562 00:29:51,960 --> 00:29:54,160 Speaker 2: as any of the Kennedy's will ever be. I think, 563 00:29:54,720 --> 00:29:59,239 Speaker 2: And Maria had initially written her first memoir, I Think, 564 00:29:59,280 --> 00:30:02,640 Speaker 2: in the early twoth in a very sort of leaning way, 565 00:30:02,760 --> 00:30:06,120 Speaker 2: like Here's how I became a successful woman. This one 566 00:30:06,160 --> 00:30:09,400 Speaker 2: is much more personal. It talks about her earliest memories 567 00:30:09,680 --> 00:30:13,400 Speaker 2: on the JFK campaign trail with her mother Eunice, and 568 00:30:14,040 --> 00:30:17,760 Speaker 2: talks about her family dynamics and the cultural of competition 569 00:30:18,160 --> 00:30:22,480 Speaker 2: within the family, and how even after her mother's two 570 00:30:22,560 --> 00:30:27,960 Speaker 2: brothers were violently murdered, Unie never spoke to Maria nor 571 00:30:28,000 --> 00:30:30,959 Speaker 2: her siblings about how she felt or anything like that. 572 00:30:31,120 --> 00:30:35,080 Speaker 2: She talks about meeting Arnold and how no one in 573 00:30:35,160 --> 00:30:40,280 Speaker 2: the family understood their connection, and she describes it as 574 00:30:40,440 --> 00:30:44,280 Speaker 2: very carnal, and she's just so horny for him, amazing, 575 00:30:44,360 --> 00:30:47,440 Speaker 2: and that is their connection. He's a Republican and he 576 00:30:47,600 --> 00:30:50,200 Speaker 2: is Austrian and he lives in a one bedroom apartment 577 00:30:50,400 --> 00:30:54,400 Speaker 2: and he's a bodybuilder, and nobody gets it. But she's like, 578 00:30:54,440 --> 00:30:56,160 Speaker 2: you don't have to get it because I'm so horny 579 00:30:56,200 --> 00:30:56,480 Speaker 2: for him. 580 00:30:56,760 --> 00:30:59,680 Speaker 1: It's amazing to be like, yeah, I'm attracted to this bodybuilder. 581 00:31:00,040 --> 00:31:03,720 Speaker 1: One gets it. I think I get it. 582 00:31:04,720 --> 00:31:09,160 Speaker 2: And she talks about her early desires to become a 583 00:31:09,200 --> 00:31:13,120 Speaker 2: news anchor and her career working her way up at 584 00:31:13,160 --> 00:31:16,800 Speaker 2: CBS News and then NBC News. She says that she 585 00:31:16,880 --> 00:31:19,680 Speaker 2: was told when she initially wanted to become a newscaster, 586 00:31:20,200 --> 00:31:23,680 Speaker 2: she was told to lose a lot of weight, which 587 00:31:23,840 --> 00:31:25,880 Speaker 2: I don't know why really shocked me, Maybe because I 588 00:31:25,960 --> 00:31:28,160 Speaker 2: think this is not a person who have to lose weight, 589 00:31:28,200 --> 00:31:29,640 Speaker 2: but society's terrible to. 590 00:31:29,720 --> 00:31:33,520 Speaker 1: Women, even Kennedy women especially. 591 00:31:34,280 --> 00:31:34,480 Speaker 7: Yeah. 592 00:31:34,480 --> 00:31:39,600 Speaker 2: Absolutely, and then basically, when Arnold announced that he was 593 00:31:39,680 --> 00:31:43,719 Speaker 2: running for governor, NBC News asked for her resignation, and 594 00:31:43,840 --> 00:31:46,480 Speaker 2: I think she kind of hadn't really anticipated that, but 595 00:31:46,560 --> 00:31:49,440 Speaker 2: she did have to give up her career to become 596 00:31:49,480 --> 00:31:53,480 Speaker 2: First Lady of California. And then she talks about her 597 00:31:53,520 --> 00:31:57,920 Speaker 2: life really falling apart all in one year. Her time 598 00:31:57,960 --> 00:31:59,840 Speaker 2: as First Lady of California came to an end. This 599 00:31:59,920 --> 00:32:02,400 Speaker 2: was in the early two thousands, her marriage of twenty 600 00:32:02,400 --> 00:32:06,000 Speaker 2: five years ended because it was discovered that Arnold had 601 00:32:06,120 --> 00:32:10,560 Speaker 2: fathered a child with one of their longtime domestic staff, 602 00:32:10,880 --> 00:32:15,440 Speaker 2: and her parents, Eunice and Sergeant Schreiver, died very close 603 00:32:15,480 --> 00:32:20,760 Speaker 2: to one another. She completely breaks down, as anyone would. 604 00:32:21,000 --> 00:32:26,520 Speaker 2: I think that is just an unimaginable string of events 605 00:32:26,520 --> 00:32:29,400 Speaker 2: to happen to anyone, let alone someone who has been 606 00:32:29,560 --> 00:32:33,440 Speaker 2: under lifelong public scrutiny. But I just wanted to read 607 00:32:33,600 --> 00:32:36,920 Speaker 2: this one excerpt from the book that I thought was 608 00:32:37,800 --> 00:32:41,480 Speaker 2: kind of funny about what she did in the immediate aftermath. 609 00:32:41,840 --> 00:32:44,880 Speaker 2: So here it is. I even went across the country 610 00:32:44,920 --> 00:32:47,840 Speaker 2: to a cloistered convent. At the end of my stay there, 611 00:32:48,160 --> 00:32:52,120 Speaker 2: mother Dolores took me aside and, in what once again 612 00:32:52,240 --> 00:32:54,440 Speaker 2: felt like a scene right out of the sound of music, 613 00:32:54,880 --> 00:32:58,560 Speaker 2: said to me, Maria, I understand that you like it 614 00:32:58,560 --> 00:33:01,160 Speaker 2: here very much, but if you're thinking you can come 615 00:33:01,200 --> 00:33:03,800 Speaker 2: and live with us, let me tell you you can't. 616 00:33:04,120 --> 00:33:07,800 Speaker 2: Our cutoff age is fifty and you're fifty five. Oh no, 617 00:33:08,800 --> 00:33:11,760 Speaker 2: she said, I think what you're really looking for, my child, 618 00:33:12,480 --> 00:33:16,320 Speaker 2: is permission to leave your marriage to be Maria. She 619 00:33:16,440 --> 00:33:21,480 Speaker 2: hugged me and then we both wept. And then there's 620 00:33:21,520 --> 00:33:25,200 Speaker 2: poetry and the poems. I'm sorry, the poems are a lot. 621 00:33:25,200 --> 00:33:27,040 Speaker 1: Did they at the convent? Did they afterwards? 622 00:33:27,040 --> 00:33:32,160 Speaker 2: Sing Maria, they must have, And I can only assume, 623 00:33:32,440 --> 00:33:35,480 Speaker 2: but yeah, the poems are a lot. And she said 624 00:33:35,520 --> 00:33:38,320 Speaker 2: that she was hesitant about sharing the poems, but she 625 00:33:38,360 --> 00:33:40,360 Speaker 2: read them to her friends, and her friends said, Maria, 626 00:33:40,440 --> 00:33:42,240 Speaker 2: you have to share these poems with the world. 627 00:33:42,760 --> 00:33:45,680 Speaker 1: I mean, the thing with someone like Maria Shriver is, 628 00:33:45,760 --> 00:33:48,400 Speaker 1: you know, her gal pals are like, you have to 629 00:33:48,400 --> 00:33:51,040 Speaker 1: share your poems. That is the most supportive group of 630 00:33:51,120 --> 00:33:53,080 Speaker 1: ladies you can ever imagine. 631 00:33:53,400 --> 00:34:00,920 Speaker 2: I'm imagining it's the Nancy Meyer's classic. It's complicated exactly. Wow. 632 00:34:01,160 --> 00:34:03,640 Speaker 1: Well you know what good for her in the grand 633 00:34:03,680 --> 00:34:06,479 Speaker 1: scheme of things, Maria Shriver? You know, pretty good Kennedy. 634 00:34:07,040 --> 00:34:10,399 Speaker 2: Yeah, she's a pretty good one. I did learn via 635 00:34:10,440 --> 00:34:13,360 Speaker 2: her Wikipedia page while I was researching this that she 636 00:34:13,800 --> 00:34:17,160 Speaker 2: became an independent. She left the Democratic Party officially in 637 00:34:17,280 --> 00:34:19,560 Speaker 2: twenty eighteen, which is a weird year to do that. 638 00:34:19,600 --> 00:34:21,320 Speaker 1: Funny time, funny time, funny time. 639 00:34:21,120 --> 00:34:24,360 Speaker 2: To do that. But love and light to you, Maria Shriver. 640 00:34:25,160 --> 00:34:28,160 Speaker 1: Yes, and now we are moving on from Maria Shriver 641 00:34:28,280 --> 00:34:30,960 Speaker 1: to Maria Shriver's I was about to say hot Sun 642 00:34:31,239 --> 00:34:33,840 Speaker 1: thinky Son hunky hunky. Yeah, I don't want to be 643 00:34:34,440 --> 00:34:36,560 Speaker 1: It's not a subjective opinion. I just think he has 644 00:34:36,600 --> 00:34:38,160 Speaker 1: been sold as hunky. 645 00:34:38,320 --> 00:34:40,520 Speaker 2: I mean his dad was mister Universe. 646 00:34:40,680 --> 00:34:44,759 Speaker 1: Yes, exactly, exactly. So basically, moment number eight in our 647 00:34:44,760 --> 00:34:49,319 Speaker 1: big countdown is Patrick Schwarzenegger's big break in The White Lotus. So, 648 00:34:49,360 --> 00:34:52,880 Speaker 1: Patrick Schwarzenegger has been in a bunch of other stuff. 649 00:34:52,920 --> 00:34:54,880 Speaker 1: He's been a working actor for a while. He actually 650 00:34:54,880 --> 00:34:57,239 Speaker 1: at some point dated Miley Cyrus. He's been kind of 651 00:34:57,239 --> 00:35:00,560 Speaker 1: a you know, sorry to say, bless to actor for 652 00:35:00,640 --> 00:35:02,680 Speaker 1: a while. But the White Lotus was a huge role 653 00:35:02,719 --> 00:35:05,320 Speaker 1: for him. He was part of the most provocative storyline 654 00:35:05,320 --> 00:35:07,200 Speaker 1: in the whole season. And I'm sorry to spoil for 655 00:35:07,200 --> 00:35:10,160 Speaker 1: anyone who hasn't watched, but he was involved in a 656 00:35:10,200 --> 00:35:15,120 Speaker 1: gay incest storyline with his brother in the show, who 657 00:35:15,320 --> 00:35:18,160 Speaker 1: is also actually an Eppo baby. It's Emily Mortimer Soon. 658 00:35:18,800 --> 00:35:21,360 Speaker 2: Wow, so really all incest. 659 00:35:20,960 --> 00:35:24,560 Speaker 1: On incest, incest on incests. Yes, so you know he 660 00:35:24,960 --> 00:35:27,120 Speaker 1: got to do those scenes. It has to be said, 661 00:35:27,160 --> 00:35:28,719 Speaker 1: he was pretty good in the show. I thought he 662 00:35:28,760 --> 00:35:31,080 Speaker 1: really like held his own among all these other very 663 00:35:31,120 --> 00:35:34,080 Speaker 1: good actors. He got to play Parker Posi's son. He 664 00:35:34,200 --> 00:35:38,560 Speaker 1: was relatively charming in all the press interviews. So I 665 00:35:38,560 --> 00:35:41,879 Speaker 1: think overall, a very good moment in Patrick's career. And 666 00:35:42,080 --> 00:35:45,800 Speaker 1: speaking of Patrick, I learned while researching this got married 667 00:35:45,840 --> 00:35:48,720 Speaker 1: in twenty twenty five to a model named Abby Champion, 668 00:35:48,840 --> 00:35:55,120 Speaker 1: So congratulations. I'm sure they have really fascinating conversations. We'll 669 00:35:55,120 --> 00:36:24,520 Speaker 1: be back with more United States of Kennedy after this break. 670 00:36:12,360 --> 00:36:15,000 Speaker 2: And we're back with more United States of Kennedy. 671 00:36:15,400 --> 00:36:17,920 Speaker 1: So I think that's it in terms of the Shreiver clan, 672 00:36:18,080 --> 00:36:20,040 Speaker 1: and that our final two moments are a little more 673 00:36:20,080 --> 00:36:21,440 Speaker 1: front page New York Times. 674 00:36:21,200 --> 00:36:23,640 Speaker 2: News parentheses derogatory. 675 00:36:23,200 --> 00:36:27,319 Speaker 1: Parentes is very derogatory. Yes, So this next one, this 676 00:36:27,440 --> 00:36:31,000 Speaker 1: is kind of an ongoing story in some ways, as 677 00:36:31,000 --> 00:36:33,560 Speaker 1: I'll explain it a bit. So this is basically the 678 00:36:33,600 --> 00:36:37,560 Speaker 1: overarching story of Trump's relationship with the Kennedy Center. So 679 00:36:38,040 --> 00:36:41,680 Speaker 1: initially we were gonna make this moment Trump posts Kennedy 680 00:36:41,680 --> 00:36:43,959 Speaker 1: Center Honors for the first time, And as we were 681 00:36:44,320 --> 00:36:46,799 Speaker 1: working on this episode, it was also announced that he 682 00:36:46,960 --> 00:36:50,160 Speaker 1: just renamed the Kennedy Center, the Trump Kennedy Center, so 683 00:36:50,719 --> 00:36:53,160 Speaker 1: that is also part of this. In fact, just a 684 00:36:53,239 --> 00:36:56,160 Speaker 1: day before this recording, the new facade was unveiled and 685 00:36:56,239 --> 00:36:59,080 Speaker 1: the name is now the Donald J. Trump and the 686 00:36:59,160 --> 00:37:02,200 Speaker 1: John F. Kennedy Memorial Center for the Performing Arts, which 687 00:37:02,280 --> 00:37:03,480 Speaker 1: really rolls off the tongue. 688 00:37:03,520 --> 00:37:05,720 Speaker 2: So really rolls off the tongue. And I have to say, 689 00:37:05,920 --> 00:37:08,839 Speaker 2: I hate to make a the office reference, but it's 690 00:37:08,960 --> 00:37:10,920 Speaker 2: very much like you missed one hundred percent of the 691 00:37:10,960 --> 00:37:13,800 Speaker 2: shots you don't take, Wayne Gretzky, Michael Scott. 692 00:37:15,840 --> 00:37:18,880 Speaker 1: Yes, exactly, Oh my god. I mean it also reminds 693 00:37:18,920 --> 00:37:20,880 Speaker 1: me of one of my favorite books and movies is 694 00:37:20,960 --> 00:37:23,279 Speaker 1: Wild by Cheryl Strade, as you know, and of course 695 00:37:23,360 --> 00:37:26,160 Speaker 1: when she's on the path, she writes a quote and 696 00:37:26,239 --> 00:37:28,719 Speaker 1: it'll be the quote and then it'll say Emily Dickinson 697 00:37:28,920 --> 00:37:32,560 Speaker 1: and Cheryl Strade. So she's kind of going office mode 698 00:37:32,560 --> 00:37:36,480 Speaker 1: there as well. Yeah, so basically, very quickly. Trump took 699 00:37:36,520 --> 00:37:39,080 Speaker 1: over as president of the board for the Kennedy Center 700 00:37:39,120 --> 00:37:43,120 Speaker 1: earlier this year, claiming it was deteriorating. He was heavily 701 00:37:43,160 --> 00:37:47,600 Speaker 1: involved in selecting this year's nominees, which included Sylvester Stallone 702 00:37:47,719 --> 00:37:50,920 Speaker 1: the band Kiss, Gloria Gaynor, who I found out is 703 00:37:51,000 --> 00:37:54,680 Speaker 1: now Maga I did not know, George Strait, and Michael Crawford, 704 00:37:54,719 --> 00:37:57,560 Speaker 1: who is a funny one because he originated the lead 705 00:37:57,640 --> 00:38:00,120 Speaker 1: role in Phantom of the Opera. And of course, I 706 00:38:00,160 --> 00:38:02,719 Speaker 1: hate to say, one of Trump's most charming qualities is 707 00:38:02,760 --> 00:38:05,880 Speaker 1: his love of Broadway. He loves Phantom of the Opera, 708 00:38:05,960 --> 00:38:08,760 Speaker 1: he loves cats. He just loves like big, big, big, 709 00:38:09,160 --> 00:38:13,200 Speaker 1: touristy Broadway productions. So there is something kind of sweet 710 00:38:13,600 --> 00:38:17,120 Speaker 1: about Trump awarding Michael Crawford. This is something I think 711 00:38:17,160 --> 00:38:23,439 Speaker 1: we haven't quite digested yet because the full video of 712 00:38:23,600 --> 00:38:26,160 Speaker 1: the ceremony has not been released yet. It's actually gonna 713 00:38:26,160 --> 00:38:28,839 Speaker 1: air on CBS probably honestly by the time this comes out, 714 00:38:29,280 --> 00:38:32,239 Speaker 1: but we haven't seen it yet. But he hosted it. 715 00:38:32,280 --> 00:38:35,080 Speaker 1: So usually presidents take a back seat at the ceremony 716 00:38:35,120 --> 00:38:38,680 Speaker 1: and are kind of sitting they and they clap. Yes, 717 00:38:38,719 --> 00:38:40,719 Speaker 1: they sit in the backway and they clap, and it's 718 00:38:40,760 --> 00:38:43,520 Speaker 1: a big moment because the people being honored are close 719 00:38:43,560 --> 00:38:46,000 Speaker 1: to them, and they're wearing those rainbow sort of neck 720 00:38:46,160 --> 00:38:47,279 Speaker 1: slashes whatever they're called. 721 00:38:47,480 --> 00:38:49,600 Speaker 2: I think that they're going to be camo now. 722 00:38:50,400 --> 00:38:53,080 Speaker 1: In fact, they're going to be blue. I read serious, Yes, 723 00:38:53,120 --> 00:38:55,040 Speaker 1: I read this. I read this story I think on 724 00:38:55,160 --> 00:38:58,520 Speaker 1: NPR that said that he's changing them from rainbow to 725 00:38:58,600 --> 00:39:01,399 Speaker 1: an understated blue, which is the first time Trump has 726 00:39:01,400 --> 00:39:02,759 Speaker 1: made something more understated. 727 00:39:02,960 --> 00:39:04,640 Speaker 2: Just not a man known for his subtlety. 728 00:39:04,719 --> 00:39:07,840 Speaker 1: Obviously, the rainbow has some associations with, you know, gay pride. 729 00:39:07,840 --> 00:39:10,239 Speaker 1: But if it wasn't for that, it's exactly the kind 730 00:39:10,280 --> 00:39:12,480 Speaker 1: of color battle Trump would choose. So I would say 731 00:39:12,560 --> 00:39:14,920 Speaker 1: it would be either rainbow or fully gold gold. 732 00:39:15,080 --> 00:39:17,680 Speaker 2: Yeah, absolutely, So I was very. 733 00:39:17,600 --> 00:39:20,080 Speaker 1: Intrigued by that. And blue is interesting because he's not 734 00:39:20,120 --> 00:39:22,279 Speaker 1: going for red, which is of course his famous color 735 00:39:22,680 --> 00:39:26,879 Speaker 1: Maga red. But yes, so he hosted it himself. He's 736 00:39:26,960 --> 00:39:29,120 Speaker 1: on the red carpet. Could not be more happy. There's 737 00:39:29,160 --> 00:39:31,239 Speaker 1: a sum red carpet interview where they're like, oh, how 738 00:39:31,239 --> 00:39:33,000 Speaker 1: did you prepare and he's like, I don't know, maybe 739 00:39:33,040 --> 00:39:35,240 Speaker 1: I didn't prepare. Maybe it'll be exciting to be loose. 740 00:39:36,200 --> 00:39:38,560 Speaker 1: So Trump is now president of the board at the 741 00:39:38,600 --> 00:39:41,920 Speaker 1: Kennedy Center. The center itself is renamed the Trump Kennedy Center, 742 00:39:42,000 --> 00:39:45,960 Speaker 1: and he just hosted by himself as president the show 743 00:39:46,160 --> 00:39:50,239 Speaker 1: and honored the band kiss and Sylvester Stallone. So it 744 00:39:50,360 --> 00:39:51,880 Speaker 1: is an amazing time to be an American. 745 00:39:52,000 --> 00:39:54,920 Speaker 2: It's an amazing time to be alive. And if this 746 00:39:54,960 --> 00:39:57,040 Speaker 2: were happening in a vacuum, I would be like, Oh, 747 00:39:57,080 --> 00:39:59,319 Speaker 2: this is what he was always meant to do, is 748 00:39:59,360 --> 00:40:04,240 Speaker 2: to host these big, frankly gay cultural events. 749 00:40:04,320 --> 00:40:11,600 Speaker 1: Yes, it's amazing. It really is. Again, like I know, 750 00:40:11,760 --> 00:40:13,680 Speaker 1: I mean that used to be his place in culture. 751 00:40:13,800 --> 00:40:16,719 Speaker 1: He was a campy, draggy figure that would just make 752 00:40:16,800 --> 00:40:20,120 Speaker 1: cameos and. 753 00:40:19,080 --> 00:40:21,879 Speaker 2: He would be so good as a panelist on Drag Race. 754 00:40:21,920 --> 00:40:22,759 Speaker 2: I do I know that. 755 00:40:23,040 --> 00:40:26,520 Speaker 1: Yeah, what's that old fashioned you know, sort of tic 756 00:40:26,560 --> 00:40:30,640 Speaker 1: tac toe celebrities Hollywood Squares, thank you? Oh my gosh, 757 00:40:30,680 --> 00:40:32,200 Speaker 1: he would be amazing on Hollywood Squares. 758 00:40:32,280 --> 00:40:32,480 Speaker 2: Yeah. 759 00:40:32,800 --> 00:40:34,320 Speaker 1: Anyway, unfortunately he's President Trump. 760 00:40:34,360 --> 00:40:36,399 Speaker 2: Call us, We've got ideas for you. 761 00:40:38,120 --> 00:40:40,120 Speaker 1: All right. So this has led us to the final 762 00:40:40,760 --> 00:40:43,080 Speaker 1: and I definitely would say buzziest story of the year. 763 00:40:43,120 --> 00:40:44,160 Speaker 1: So Julia take it away. 764 00:40:44,280 --> 00:40:47,000 Speaker 2: Yeah, this was a buzzy one. But also it did 765 00:40:47,040 --> 00:40:50,799 Speaker 2: seem to kind of come and go very quickly. And 766 00:40:50,840 --> 00:40:54,560 Speaker 2: what I'm talking about is that the JFK and RFK 767 00:40:55,040 --> 00:41:01,120 Speaker 2: assassination files were released this year. And in March, over 768 00:41:01,440 --> 00:41:06,319 Speaker 2: sixty three thousand pages of documents were released related to 769 00:41:06,920 --> 00:41:11,719 Speaker 2: the JFK assassination. This was one of the biggest declassification 770 00:41:11,960 --> 00:41:17,320 Speaker 2: projects in recent times, especially related to the assassination of 771 00:41:17,400 --> 00:41:20,680 Speaker 2: a president. It kind of immediately came under criticism because 772 00:41:20,719 --> 00:41:25,560 Speaker 2: certain declassification protocols were not followed, like, for example, they 773 00:41:25,600 --> 00:41:30,560 Speaker 2: didn't redact social security numbers, which feels like a whoopsie daisy, 774 00:41:30,600 --> 00:41:34,160 Speaker 2: probably should have done that. And basically many of these 775 00:41:34,560 --> 00:41:37,839 Speaker 2: files again had never been released, and they had never 776 00:41:37,880 --> 00:41:41,040 Speaker 2: even been digitized. They had just been sitting in government 777 00:41:41,120 --> 00:41:45,560 Speaker 2: storage for over half a century. The JFK files detail 778 00:41:45,800 --> 00:41:50,200 Speaker 2: a lot of tension between the CIA and the Kennedy administration, 779 00:41:50,400 --> 00:41:54,160 Speaker 2: which we allude to in our Bay of Pigs episode, 780 00:41:54,200 --> 00:41:56,200 Speaker 2: and a lot of that information came out this year, 781 00:41:56,239 --> 00:41:59,680 Speaker 2: but it was already loosely known by historians, but this 782 00:41:59,719 --> 00:42:01,960 Speaker 2: really put it in black and white, the tension there 783 00:42:01,960 --> 00:42:05,560 Speaker 2: between the administration and the CIA. And then the following month, 784 00:42:05,719 --> 00:42:10,080 Speaker 2: ten thousand pages of documents were released related to the 785 00:42:10,120 --> 00:42:14,360 Speaker 2: assassination of Robert F. Kennedy in nineteen sixty eight. Again, 786 00:42:14,480 --> 00:42:17,799 Speaker 2: nothing like that had ever been released related to the 787 00:42:17,920 --> 00:42:23,040 Speaker 2: RFK assassination. Both of these big deed classification projects were 788 00:42:23,400 --> 00:42:26,479 Speaker 2: projects of the Trump administration, who say that they want 789 00:42:26,719 --> 00:42:33,040 Speaker 2: increased transparency and the RFK files include scans of handwritten 790 00:42:33,080 --> 00:42:37,960 Speaker 2: notes from rfk's assassin, Sir Hans Sirhan, saying that Bobby 791 00:42:38,239 --> 00:42:41,680 Speaker 2: had to quote be disposed of like his brother. It 792 00:42:41,719 --> 00:42:45,840 Speaker 2: also includes interviews with people in Sir Hans Sarhan's life, 793 00:42:46,200 --> 00:42:49,560 Speaker 2: including a neighbor who claimed that he had threatened to 794 00:42:50,080 --> 00:42:53,759 Speaker 2: kill Bobby when they were talking about who they were 795 00:42:53,760 --> 00:42:58,200 Speaker 2: going to vote for. Classic it feels relevant to today. 796 00:42:58,400 --> 00:43:01,480 Speaker 2: And yeah, I would say that there were not any 797 00:43:01,840 --> 00:43:03,360 Speaker 2: huge revelations from. 798 00:43:03,440 --> 00:43:05,440 Speaker 1: I know, it's funny. I called it buzzy and then 799 00:43:05,680 --> 00:43:07,680 Speaker 1: there was one of those things that's landed with a thud. 800 00:43:07,760 --> 00:43:09,879 Speaker 1: I'm sure in the conspiracy community there are things we're 801 00:43:09,920 --> 00:43:12,560 Speaker 1: not aware of that you know, flames I'm sure were 802 00:43:12,560 --> 00:43:13,840 Speaker 1: fanned in some way. 803 00:43:13,920 --> 00:43:15,839 Speaker 2: But right, so, if you're a member of the conspiracy 804 00:43:16,320 --> 00:43:19,759 Speaker 2: theory community, please right into the show. We want to 805 00:43:19,800 --> 00:43:21,520 Speaker 2: hear from you, and we know you. 806 00:43:21,440 --> 00:43:23,200 Speaker 1: Have a lot to say, and guess what we do 807 00:43:23,280 --> 00:43:27,960 Speaker 1: occasionally hear from you and we really appreciate it. Yes, 808 00:43:28,040 --> 00:43:29,880 Speaker 1: I think this is one of those things that I 809 00:43:29,920 --> 00:43:32,239 Speaker 1: don't think the official narrative is really changing in any way, 810 00:43:32,440 --> 00:43:35,080 Speaker 1: but it is, of course, especially the JFKs as nation, 811 00:43:35,160 --> 00:43:38,200 Speaker 1: But you know, both of them, they are. There are 812 00:43:38,400 --> 00:43:41,120 Speaker 1: some central mysteries that people are always gonna care about. 813 00:43:41,200 --> 00:43:44,200 Speaker 1: I'm sure there's other stuff that is yet to be declassified. 814 00:43:44,280 --> 00:43:46,520 Speaker 1: I'm sure there are things we don't know. If I 815 00:43:46,600 --> 00:43:49,160 Speaker 1: were to guess, I would guess that it's not the 816 00:43:49,160 --> 00:43:53,680 Speaker 1: most salacious place your mind would go. But who knows. 817 00:43:53,840 --> 00:43:56,840 Speaker 2: But if you're looking for random people's social Security numbers, 818 00:43:56,920 --> 00:43:57,960 Speaker 2: you can do a lot. 819 00:43:57,840 --> 00:44:02,200 Speaker 1: Worse right place. Yeah, well, I think those are our 820 00:44:02,239 --> 00:44:03,440 Speaker 1: top ten Kennedy moments. 821 00:44:03,640 --> 00:44:05,319 Speaker 2: What a year twenty twenty five was? 822 00:44:05,400 --> 00:44:08,319 Speaker 1: Yes? What are your twenty twenty five was? And a 823 00:44:08,360 --> 00:44:10,399 Speaker 1: lot of these stories are ongoing. I mean, the Ryan 824 00:44:10,480 --> 00:44:13,560 Speaker 1: Murphy Show is going to be released next year. Jack 825 00:44:13,600 --> 00:44:18,240 Speaker 1: Schlossberg's election is next year. The Ryan Lizza files concerning Olivia, 826 00:44:18,280 --> 00:44:20,319 Speaker 1: NSI and r f K Junior are ongoing. I assume 827 00:44:20,360 --> 00:44:22,600 Speaker 1: there's going to be at least twenty seven parts so 828 00:44:22,800 --> 00:44:25,080 Speaker 1: and about twenty twenty eight will have the full story 829 00:44:25,120 --> 00:44:27,600 Speaker 1: of what happened. By that time, there will be no 830 00:44:27,719 --> 00:44:31,000 Speaker 1: magazines or media or maybe you know American. 831 00:44:30,640 --> 00:44:33,920 Speaker 2: Government, and maybe by that time Ryan Murphy will be 832 00:44:33,920 --> 00:44:36,760 Speaker 2: making the Olivia Yes, RFK Junior Story. 833 00:44:36,560 --> 00:44:38,880 Speaker 1: American Love Story, Olivia Asi and r f K Junior. 834 00:44:39,400 --> 00:44:41,440 Speaker 1: The ratings will be horrible because no one will know 835 00:44:41,440 --> 00:44:44,160 Speaker 1: what it's about, but you know what, in my household, 836 00:44:44,360 --> 00:44:48,600 Speaker 1: it will be tuning in every Friday. So thank you 837 00:44:48,640 --> 00:44:51,320 Speaker 1: for joining us this year on the United States of Kennedy. 838 00:44:51,400 --> 00:44:54,120 Speaker 1: It has been so much fun. We have so much 839 00:44:54,120 --> 00:44:55,839 Speaker 1: more to talk about. Right after this, we have an 840 00:44:55,840 --> 00:44:58,440 Speaker 1: episode that I am very excited about, and I think Julia, 841 00:44:58,520 --> 00:44:59,880 Speaker 1: especially you are very excited. 842 00:45:00,440 --> 00:45:02,160 Speaker 2: That's right, and we're not going to tell you what 843 00:45:02,160 --> 00:45:02,840 Speaker 2: it is, and we're. 844 00:45:02,680 --> 00:45:03,839 Speaker 1: Not going to tell you what it is, but it's 845 00:45:03,840 --> 00:45:05,799 Speaker 1: a real doozy and we have a lot of great 846 00:45:05,840 --> 00:45:08,520 Speaker 1: guests coming up. I think twenty twenty six will be 847 00:45:08,520 --> 00:45:09,120 Speaker 1: a lot of fun. 848 00:45:09,400 --> 00:45:11,320 Speaker 2: And Dar I say, twenty twenty six is going to 849 00:45:11,360 --> 00:45:11,799 Speaker 2: be our year. 850 00:45:12,160 --> 00:45:13,959 Speaker 1: It's gonna be it's gonna be our year. It's gonna 851 00:45:13,960 --> 00:45:15,600 Speaker 1: be our year, and it's gonna be the Kennedy's biggest 852 00:45:15,680 --> 00:45:20,040 Speaker 1: year yet. So thank you for listening, and you can 853 00:45:20,239 --> 00:45:24,280 Speaker 1: follow subscribe The United States of Kennedy for All Things Kennedy. 854 00:45:24,360 --> 00:45:25,080 Speaker 1: Every week We. 855 00:45:25,080 --> 00:45:27,759 Speaker 2: Love You, Happy New Year. United States of Kennedy is 856 00:45:27,800 --> 00:45:30,480 Speaker 2: hosted by me Julia Clair and George Saveres. 857 00:45:30,840 --> 00:45:33,520 Speaker 1: Original music by Joshua Chipolski. 858 00:45:33,200 --> 00:45:35,000 Speaker 2: Editing by Graham Gibson. 859 00:45:34,800 --> 00:45:36,800 Speaker 1: Mixing and mastering by Doug Bame. 860 00:45:37,000 --> 00:45:39,480 Speaker 2: Research by Dave Bruce and Austin Thompson. 861 00:45:39,680 --> 00:45:41,280 Speaker 1: Our producer is Carmen Laurent. 862 00:45:41,520 --> 00:45:43,680 Speaker 2: Our executive producer is Jenna Cagele. 863 00:45:43,880 --> 00:45:45,160 Speaker 1: Created by Lyra Smith. 864 00:45:45,360 --> 00:45:52,840 Speaker 2: United States of Kennedy is a production of iHeart Podcasts.