1 00:00:00,640 --> 00:00:04,160 Speaker 1: Hi, I'm Molly John Fast and this is Fast Politics, 2 00:00:04,360 --> 00:00:07,160 Speaker 1: where we discussed the top political headlines with some of 3 00:00:07,160 --> 00:00:11,840 Speaker 1: today's best minds, and Lindsey Graham says Donald Trump technically 4 00:00:11,960 --> 00:00:16,240 Speaker 1: violated the law by firing over a dozen Inspectors General. 5 00:00:16,720 --> 00:00:19,159 Speaker 1: We have such a great show for you today. The 6 00:00:19,239 --> 00:00:23,200 Speaker 1: Linked Project's own Rick Wilson stops by to talk about 7 00:00:23,239 --> 00:00:27,400 Speaker 1: Trump's first week in office. Then we'll talk to Bloomberg's 8 00:00:27,840 --> 00:00:32,519 Speaker 1: Davy Alba and Leon Yan about how Trump's speaking to 9 00:00:32,640 --> 00:00:35,440 Speaker 1: YouTubers helped Trump win the presidency. 10 00:00:36,040 --> 00:00:40,680 Speaker 2: But first the news my Trump's first week. We'll have 11 00:00:40,760 --> 00:00:44,199 Speaker 2: concluded by the time everyone listens to this and this 12 00:00:44,440 --> 00:00:48,199 Speaker 2: IRS thing he's doing, there's a lot of stupid going on, 13 00:00:48,240 --> 00:00:50,479 Speaker 2: but this feels really stupid. 14 00:00:50,720 --> 00:00:53,279 Speaker 1: Republicans going to war with the IRS is something this 15 00:00:53,400 --> 00:00:56,720 Speaker 1: party is like obsessed with, and it's part of it 16 00:00:56,800 --> 00:01:00,400 Speaker 1: is because Biden hired a bunch of new IRS a gens. 17 00:01:01,040 --> 00:01:03,600 Speaker 1: So now he's saying he might terminate the contract of 18 00:01:03,640 --> 00:01:08,160 Speaker 1: thousands of RS workers, reviving debunk claims that the agency 19 00:01:08,280 --> 00:01:11,399 Speaker 1: had hired eighty eight thousand enforcement agents to go after 20 00:01:11,560 --> 00:01:14,480 Speaker 1: taxpayers in the past few years. Again, look, this is 21 00:01:14,520 --> 00:01:17,200 Speaker 1: this project twenty twenty five, thing like a war on 22 00:01:17,280 --> 00:01:22,480 Speaker 1: the federal government, trying to make it so useless that 23 00:01:22,959 --> 00:01:25,200 Speaker 1: you know, it just no longer works. This is the 24 00:01:25,959 --> 00:01:28,640 Speaker 1: whittle it down so it's small, so small you can 25 00:01:28,680 --> 00:01:32,559 Speaker 1: drown in a boutub and this fits that quite well. 26 00:01:33,400 --> 00:01:33,760 Speaker 3: Yep. 27 00:01:34,160 --> 00:01:38,320 Speaker 2: So last week there was a large debate over hand 28 00:01:38,360 --> 00:01:41,920 Speaker 2: gestures and one Elon musk. A lot of people pointed 29 00:01:41,920 --> 00:01:44,360 Speaker 2: out that there was a lot of evidence of why 30 00:01:44,400 --> 00:01:46,640 Speaker 2: he would do that hand gesture, and it seems he's 31 00:01:46,760 --> 00:01:48,760 Speaker 2: just poured a little more fuel on the fire. 32 00:01:49,200 --> 00:01:53,440 Speaker 1: Elon gave a speech he was zoomed into a speech 33 00:01:53,800 --> 00:01:57,760 Speaker 1: actually listened to some of it for the AfD, which 34 00:01:57,840 --> 00:02:03,720 Speaker 1: is the far right Nazi party, and he and the 35 00:02:03,800 --> 00:02:09,280 Speaker 1: chairman of Israel's official Holocaust Memorial accused Elon of insulting 36 00:02:09,280 --> 00:02:14,320 Speaker 1: the victims of Nazism and engineering Germany's democratic future. After 37 00:02:14,360 --> 00:02:18,400 Speaker 1: the billionaire addressed this rally and basically he's said so 38 00:02:18,480 --> 00:02:21,800 Speaker 1: he spoke to the AfD, the alternative for deutsch Land. 39 00:02:21,960 --> 00:02:24,840 Speaker 1: He said, and here's the quote. It's worth sort of 40 00:02:24,840 --> 00:02:28,400 Speaker 1: thinking about. There is too much focus on past guilt 41 00:02:28,560 --> 00:02:30,959 Speaker 1: and we need to move beyond that. He said to 42 00:02:31,000 --> 00:02:34,920 Speaker 1: the rally, it's just like clear where this is going. 43 00:02:35,120 --> 00:02:36,160 Speaker 4: And if you think. 44 00:02:35,919 --> 00:02:41,800 Speaker 1: About how this is a person who made a hand gesture, 45 00:02:41,919 --> 00:02:46,560 Speaker 1: he made it twice that certainly seems like it could 46 00:02:46,639 --> 00:02:51,640 Speaker 1: connect to a certain worldview, and then speaks at a 47 00:02:52,440 --> 00:02:57,399 Speaker 1: rally for a group that has a certain worldview and 48 00:02:57,480 --> 00:03:04,040 Speaker 1: then tells that group not feel bad about the Holocaust. Perhaps, 49 00:03:04,520 --> 00:03:10,800 Speaker 1: perhaps it just when everything points to a certain worldview, 50 00:03:10,960 --> 00:03:14,080 Speaker 1: one has to wonder if the person who is musing 51 00:03:14,120 --> 00:03:17,040 Speaker 1: about that worldview actually has that worldview. 52 00:03:17,520 --> 00:03:19,880 Speaker 2: When they have to, at least once a night, at 53 00:03:20,080 --> 00:03:23,680 Speaker 2: some ungodly hour of the night, reply to some person 54 00:03:23,840 --> 00:03:27,920 Speaker 2: with a Nazi thing in their timeline about something, it 55 00:03:28,080 --> 00:03:32,520 Speaker 2: just feels a little strange. So, speaking of the first buddy, 56 00:03:32,880 --> 00:03:35,560 Speaker 2: doge get into work in the first eighty hours, before 57 00:03:35,600 --> 00:03:38,840 Speaker 2: it even started, we got rid of a vak ramas swami. 58 00:03:39,360 --> 00:03:42,920 Speaker 2: And now they say that they have really done some cutting. 59 00:03:43,200 --> 00:03:46,920 Speaker 1: They announce results from its first eighty hours of work, 60 00:03:46,960 --> 00:03:49,360 Speaker 1: and they are you'll be shocked to hear a little 61 00:03:49,360 --> 00:03:53,520 Speaker 1: behind schedule. It's canceled approximately four hundred and twenty million 62 00:03:53,560 --> 00:03:56,800 Speaker 1: dollars worth of current or impending government contracts. Who even 63 00:03:56,840 --> 00:04:01,119 Speaker 1: knows what they are as well as two leads. According 64 00:04:01,120 --> 00:04:04,640 Speaker 1: to Business Insider's calculation, that amounts to canceling one hundred 65 00:04:04,760 --> 00:04:08,000 Speaker 1: and twenty six million dollars worth of contracts per day. 66 00:04:08,560 --> 00:04:12,280 Speaker 1: If the group works at that pace for all of 67 00:04:12,320 --> 00:04:16,200 Speaker 1: the five hundred and thirty days between January twentieth, twenty 68 00:04:16,240 --> 00:04:22,200 Speaker 1: twenty five and Doge's target date of July fourth, twenty 69 00:04:22,279 --> 00:04:25,240 Speaker 1: twenty six, it will cancel about sixty seven billion in 70 00:04:25,279 --> 00:04:28,760 Speaker 1: contracts each year. That would end up being three percent 71 00:04:28,920 --> 00:04:32,479 Speaker 1: of Musk's original goal of slashing two trillion from the 72 00:04:32,520 --> 00:04:36,800 Speaker 1: federal budget or his seven percent of his paradomn goal 73 00:04:36,880 --> 00:04:40,960 Speaker 1: of one trillion. Look, man, the man, he knows what 74 00:04:41,040 --> 00:04:45,320 Speaker 1: he's doing, and obviously all of us are the problem. 75 00:04:45,640 --> 00:04:49,560 Speaker 1: We shall see. Stay tuned, stay tuned, or don't. 76 00:04:50,080 --> 00:04:52,600 Speaker 2: My favorite is that, of course, because it's Elon and 77 00:04:52,640 --> 00:04:54,960 Speaker 2: his sick offense, that they have to make it as 78 00:04:55,040 --> 00:04:57,520 Speaker 2: stupid meme and make it the number four to twenty 79 00:04:57,560 --> 00:05:00,200 Speaker 2: as a marijuana reference, because that's what we're he on 80 00:05:00,279 --> 00:05:04,440 Speaker 2: with here now. So in news that I really really 81 00:05:04,480 --> 00:05:08,200 Speaker 2: don't like, Montana Republicans now have a bill that would 82 00:05:08,279 --> 00:05:10,680 Speaker 2: charge parents of trans kids with child abuse. 83 00:05:11,120 --> 00:05:13,960 Speaker 1: This was always where this is going No one should 84 00:05:13,960 --> 00:05:16,520 Speaker 1: be surprised by this. But it's the fifth time in 85 00:05:16,600 --> 00:05:21,039 Speaker 1: three years Montana State Senator John Fuller has introduced legislation 86 00:05:21,160 --> 00:05:24,440 Speaker 1: targeting transgender youth. It's the fifth time, right that he's 87 00:05:24,480 --> 00:05:28,160 Speaker 1: done this. The state Supreme Court overturned a similar law 88 00:05:28,279 --> 00:05:31,000 Speaker 1: sponsored by Fuller in twenty twenty three. And we know 89 00:05:31,800 --> 00:05:35,040 Speaker 1: there are gop thing tanks that print up these laws, 90 00:05:35,080 --> 00:05:40,320 Speaker 1: that write them for state legislatures. They give them to 91 00:05:40,600 --> 00:05:46,120 Speaker 1: these legislators and try to get them to keep putting 92 00:05:46,160 --> 00:05:50,040 Speaker 1: them on the floor. So on Wednesday, January twenty second, 93 00:05:50,080 --> 00:05:54,360 Speaker 1: Senate Bill one hundred and sixty four would criminalize gender 94 00:05:54,480 --> 00:05:57,479 Speaker 1: firm and care such as surgery, as puberty blockers, and 95 00:05:57,560 --> 00:06:03,479 Speaker 1: hormone replacement therapy for trans kids. You know how many 96 00:06:03,520 --> 00:06:07,160 Speaker 1: people is this actually? One hundred people? How many people 97 00:06:07,200 --> 00:06:11,560 Speaker 1: in Montana have a trans kid? One hundred fifty forty. 98 00:06:12,000 --> 00:06:14,800 Speaker 1: I mean, remember the idea here is to make it 99 00:06:14,839 --> 00:06:16,680 Speaker 1: seem like it's a lot more people than it does. 100 00:06:17,200 --> 00:06:20,760 Speaker 2: Yeah, when you look at the population demographics of Fontana, 101 00:06:21,000 --> 00:06:23,600 Speaker 2: I'm betting that we may even be overestimated. 102 00:06:23,680 --> 00:06:29,560 Speaker 4: So all right. Rick Wilson is the founder of the 103 00:06:29,600 --> 00:06:33,039 Speaker 4: Lincoln project in the host of the enemy's list. Welcome back, 104 00:06:33,160 --> 00:06:33,760 Speaker 4: Rick Wilson. 105 00:06:34,000 --> 00:06:35,880 Speaker 3: Oh, he junk fast. I'm delighted to be back with you. 106 00:06:36,279 --> 00:06:37,840 Speaker 4: So are you still very sick? 107 00:06:38,320 --> 00:06:40,440 Speaker 3: No, I'm through it now. My voice is still a 108 00:06:40,480 --> 00:06:41,280 Speaker 3: little bit raspy. 109 00:06:41,480 --> 00:06:43,920 Speaker 5: But man, if you could avoid getting what I call 110 00:06:44,000 --> 00:06:47,400 Speaker 5: the Portland flu, avoid it, because I was out there 111 00:06:47,400 --> 00:06:49,680 Speaker 5: for meetings, and everyone that was at the meeting who 112 00:06:49,720 --> 00:06:52,560 Speaker 5: lived there, and everyone who went on the trip got it. 113 00:06:53,160 --> 00:06:55,400 Speaker 5: And it's taken two and a half weeks and it's 114 00:06:55,440 --> 00:06:57,280 Speaker 5: been subpar, no fun. 115 00:06:57,680 --> 00:06:58,640 Speaker 4: Yeah, that sounds bad. 116 00:06:59,200 --> 00:07:02,200 Speaker 1: It's been the first if Trump as eggs are now 117 00:07:02,279 --> 00:07:04,320 Speaker 1: much cheaper away. 118 00:07:05,120 --> 00:07:09,920 Speaker 3: Ukraine was resolved within minutes of day one day. 119 00:07:10,200 --> 00:07:10,440 Speaker 4: Yeah. 120 00:07:10,600 --> 00:07:13,680 Speaker 3: Look, and as we're recording this, we're having the great 121 00:07:13,760 --> 00:07:17,600 Speaker 3: news that Donald Trump has imposed twenty five percent sanctions 122 00:07:17,640 --> 00:07:19,360 Speaker 3: on all goods coming in from Colombia. 123 00:07:19,400 --> 00:07:21,760 Speaker 4: But tell them why Oh, because they. 124 00:07:21,600 --> 00:07:26,960 Speaker 3: Wouldn't allow him to land planes full of deportees. The 125 00:07:27,120 --> 00:07:30,560 Speaker 3: secondary issue of it was they wouldn't tell the Colombians 126 00:07:30,560 --> 00:07:32,440 Speaker 3: who was on the plane. They just said, Nope, were 127 00:07:32,480 --> 00:07:34,240 Speaker 3: landing a plane there, we're taking them back. They're coming 128 00:07:34,280 --> 00:07:36,600 Speaker 3: back to you. They didn't know if they were Guatemalans, 129 00:07:36,600 --> 00:07:38,680 Speaker 3: if they were Mexican, if they were Colombian, if they 130 00:07:38,680 --> 00:07:41,480 Speaker 3: were Venezuelan. They had no idea. So they said no, 131 00:07:41,720 --> 00:07:44,720 Speaker 3: as a sovereign nation has the right to do. Dommy 132 00:07:44,880 --> 00:07:47,400 Speaker 3: was extremely angry about that. So he puts twenty five 133 00:07:47,400 --> 00:07:49,640 Speaker 3: percent sanctions on today, and he says they'll go up 134 00:07:49,680 --> 00:07:50,760 Speaker 3: to fifty percent within a. 135 00:07:50,760 --> 00:07:52,280 Speaker 4: Week if they won't take more. 136 00:07:52,880 --> 00:07:56,880 Speaker 3: Right, So here's the thing. Enjoy your non existent eggs 137 00:07:56,920 --> 00:08:00,560 Speaker 3: with your with your thirty dollars cup of Starbucks this week, 138 00:08:00,640 --> 00:08:03,160 Speaker 3: because that's what's going to happen. He is going to 139 00:08:03,400 --> 00:08:07,280 Speaker 3: raise the prices for every person who buys drinks coffee 140 00:08:07,320 --> 00:08:10,720 Speaker 3: in this country. Luckily, no one drinks coffee in America. 141 00:08:10,840 --> 00:08:13,120 Speaker 1: So one of the things I want to point out here, 142 00:08:13,200 --> 00:08:17,000 Speaker 1: it's historically one of the big problems with mass deportation. 143 00:08:17,760 --> 00:08:20,920 Speaker 1: This has been true with every president, Democrat, Republican, and 144 00:08:20,960 --> 00:08:24,800 Speaker 1: it's also been true with dictators and other people who 145 00:08:24,840 --> 00:08:28,520 Speaker 1: wanted to rid their country of ethnic groups they don't like. 146 00:08:28,920 --> 00:08:31,360 Speaker 4: Is that there's no country that will take them. 147 00:08:31,440 --> 00:08:35,800 Speaker 1: And it doesn't matter who they is, right like, it 148 00:08:35,840 --> 00:08:41,680 Speaker 1: can be Jews in Germany, it can be Palestinians when 149 00:08:41,960 --> 00:08:46,640 Speaker 1: countries try to get rid of a group of immigrants, 150 00:08:47,120 --> 00:08:50,320 Speaker 1: they tend to have the very problem. 151 00:08:50,000 --> 00:08:51,240 Speaker 4: That Donald Trump is having. 152 00:08:51,679 --> 00:08:55,040 Speaker 1: So the question is, and I think this is a 153 00:08:55,080 --> 00:08:59,040 Speaker 1: real question, is what does Donald Trump do now? 154 00:08:59,400 --> 00:09:04,240 Speaker 3: Well, look, Trump's in a position right now where he 155 00:09:04,600 --> 00:09:08,280 Speaker 3: politically had to co out and do the performative splashy, 156 00:09:08,920 --> 00:09:11,840 Speaker 3: I'm sending them all back thing for his base. That's 157 00:09:11,880 --> 00:09:15,000 Speaker 3: one of the few things they understand. You know, those 158 00:09:15,000 --> 00:09:17,880 Speaker 3: are words and actions they understand. Did they go back 159 00:09:18,000 --> 00:09:19,960 Speaker 3: or did they not go back? They did they do 160 00:09:20,000 --> 00:09:22,280 Speaker 3: this or did they not do this? Well, it turns 161 00:09:22,360 --> 00:09:26,040 Speaker 3: out that political impulse to do this, as they always 162 00:09:26,080 --> 00:09:28,880 Speaker 3: do in every culture that tries this, ends up with 163 00:09:29,080 --> 00:09:34,120 Speaker 3: massive unintended consequences. Now in America, the consequences are somewhat different. 164 00:09:34,120 --> 00:09:38,160 Speaker 3: They're they're somewhat centered more on the economic axis, and 165 00:09:38,280 --> 00:09:43,040 Speaker 3: so you are going to see a spike in inflation, 166 00:09:43,120 --> 00:09:48,240 Speaker 3: pressure in food, in construction, in energy production, in all 167 00:09:48,280 --> 00:09:50,800 Speaker 3: these areas where folks from other countries come to our 168 00:09:50,840 --> 00:09:54,160 Speaker 3: country to work hard and pay taxes, and Donald Trump 169 00:09:54,200 --> 00:09:55,760 Speaker 3: wants to throw them all out, and a lot of 170 00:09:55,800 --> 00:09:58,920 Speaker 3: them are just stay at home now. They're just like Nope, 171 00:09:59,080 --> 00:10:01,120 Speaker 3: not going to work, going to sit this one out 172 00:10:01,120 --> 00:10:03,720 Speaker 3: and see what happens. He's at a really tough spot 173 00:10:03,800 --> 00:10:04,240 Speaker 3: right now. 174 00:10:04,520 --> 00:10:07,440 Speaker 1: It's not clear that he's deported more people, right, Like, 175 00:10:07,520 --> 00:10:09,960 Speaker 1: this first week was a lot of it was theater, right, 176 00:10:10,240 --> 00:10:14,160 Speaker 1: Like you had doctor phil embedded. 177 00:10:13,880 --> 00:10:16,880 Speaker 3: You know, built an immigration expert, doctor Ville, Chicago. 178 00:10:17,559 --> 00:10:19,800 Speaker 1: Well, but the point is, right, the point is not 179 00:10:19,840 --> 00:10:21,880 Speaker 1: to get real coverage. The point is to get the 180 00:10:22,040 --> 00:10:24,960 Speaker 1: kind of propaganda which Trump like loves. 181 00:10:25,080 --> 00:10:26,880 Speaker 3: Right, that's right, that's right, And. 182 00:10:26,800 --> 00:10:29,480 Speaker 1: So the goal is to show his people that he's 183 00:10:29,559 --> 00:10:32,480 Speaker 1: doing what he wants. But we've talked about this before, Right, 184 00:10:32,559 --> 00:10:37,400 Speaker 1: Obama deported more people than Trump did in his first term. 185 00:10:37,559 --> 00:10:40,360 Speaker 1: Obama deported twice as many people as Trump did. Now, 186 00:10:40,720 --> 00:10:44,000 Speaker 1: part of that was because Obama was quite a bit 187 00:10:44,040 --> 00:10:46,960 Speaker 1: more efficient, and part of that was because you know, 188 00:10:47,040 --> 00:10:50,600 Speaker 1: he just wasn't so liberal in some ways. And that's 189 00:10:50,640 --> 00:10:54,120 Speaker 1: not a criticism because obviously it worked for him. 190 00:10:54,160 --> 00:10:54,960 Speaker 4: But the thing is. 191 00:10:54,960 --> 00:10:59,040 Speaker 1: That I've been struck by were he got he set through, 192 00:10:59,679 --> 00:11:04,440 Speaker 1: even though McConnell voted against it, I think that's meaningful. 193 00:11:04,720 --> 00:11:07,200 Speaker 1: I don't think that any of these people are like, 194 00:11:07,440 --> 00:11:10,240 Speaker 1: know how the vote count is going to go. I mean, 195 00:11:10,520 --> 00:11:13,480 Speaker 1: I think somehow they told Tillis that if he didn't 196 00:11:13,640 --> 00:11:16,600 Speaker 1: vote for heg Seth, blah blah blah blah blah. God 197 00:11:16,720 --> 00:11:19,720 Speaker 1: knows what they told him. I think you have a 198 00:11:19,800 --> 00:11:23,680 Speaker 1: real chance now that there are three Republican senators who 199 00:11:23,760 --> 00:11:27,040 Speaker 1: you could lose on a cash battel, and then you 200 00:11:27,200 --> 00:11:27,959 Speaker 1: only need one. 201 00:11:28,000 --> 00:11:33,800 Speaker 3: Mores every day passes Molly Trump's power wings and heg 202 00:11:33,840 --> 00:11:36,440 Speaker 3: Seth was a big lift. And I heard from a 203 00:11:36,480 --> 00:11:39,640 Speaker 3: couple of folks in the Senate side, one Republican staff 204 00:11:39,679 --> 00:11:42,520 Speaker 3: or one Democratic staffer that I knew pretty well, both 205 00:11:42,559 --> 00:11:45,040 Speaker 3: of them independently of one another, had the same take, 206 00:11:45,120 --> 00:11:47,160 Speaker 3: which was we gave him heg Seth. It's going to 207 00:11:47,240 --> 00:11:49,280 Speaker 3: be a lot harder for Tulsi. It's going to be 208 00:11:49,320 --> 00:11:51,800 Speaker 3: a lot harder for RFK particularly. 209 00:11:52,040 --> 00:11:53,160 Speaker 4: But Tulsi is. 210 00:11:53,040 --> 00:11:56,360 Speaker 1: A meaningless job. I mean, Will it's a sort of 211 00:11:56,360 --> 00:11:59,719 Speaker 1: a fake job. I mean, it's real, but it's also vague. 212 00:11:59,520 --> 00:12:02,360 Speaker 3: Right, But go on, Yeah, but you don't want Tulca Gabbard. 213 00:12:02,440 --> 00:12:07,600 Speaker 3: And I think the serious people inside of the inside 214 00:12:07,600 --> 00:12:10,480 Speaker 3: of the administration, and there are you know, at the 215 00:12:10,520 --> 00:12:13,520 Speaker 3: Susie Wiles sort of tier, they're going to listen I 216 00:12:13,520 --> 00:12:17,440 Speaker 3: think more closely on this. And look, there's a reason 217 00:12:17,480 --> 00:12:20,640 Speaker 3: Trump wanted hecseeth and put Markers down for hegseth. It's 218 00:12:20,679 --> 00:12:24,080 Speaker 3: that Fox News chemistry. And he really believes that the 219 00:12:24,080 --> 00:12:27,280 Speaker 3: Defense Department is going to be a centerpiece of his 220 00:12:27,320 --> 00:12:31,480 Speaker 3: anti immigration strategy, of his invasion of Canada or Greenland 221 00:12:31,520 --> 00:12:33,280 Speaker 3: or wherever the hell he gets up his ass and 222 00:12:33,320 --> 00:12:35,480 Speaker 3: decides to do one morning. I think there are some 223 00:12:35,600 --> 00:12:39,200 Speaker 3: senators who are feeling shaky. I think they do understand. Again, 224 00:12:39,400 --> 00:12:42,360 Speaker 3: this is Donald Trump's very best week. He is at 225 00:12:42,400 --> 00:12:45,960 Speaker 3: forty seven percent approval, which is about where he always is. 226 00:12:46,040 --> 00:12:48,439 Speaker 3: He never gets much higher, he never gets much lower. 227 00:12:48,559 --> 00:12:49,800 Speaker 3: He got lower during COVID. 228 00:12:49,960 --> 00:12:51,280 Speaker 4: He's going to get a lot lower. 229 00:12:51,320 --> 00:12:52,959 Speaker 3: I mean he's going to get a lot lower. 230 00:12:52,679 --> 00:12:55,080 Speaker 1: When people figure out that he's not going to make 231 00:12:55,120 --> 00:12:57,760 Speaker 1: anything cheaper. I think that that is not going to 232 00:12:57,840 --> 00:12:58,600 Speaker 1: be great for him. 233 00:12:59,080 --> 00:13:01,320 Speaker 3: I truly believe we're in a moment right now where 234 00:13:01,360 --> 00:13:04,680 Speaker 3: Donald Trump has a you know, I've started the Golden age. 235 00:13:05,240 --> 00:13:07,640 Speaker 3: And if it's not a golden age, because that's a 236 00:13:07,679 --> 00:13:11,160 Speaker 3: pretty clear thing, that's a pretty simple bright line test. 237 00:13:11,320 --> 00:13:13,240 Speaker 3: Is it a Golden age or not. Are things better 238 00:13:13,360 --> 00:13:16,120 Speaker 3: or worse? Is the price of eggs up or down? 239 00:13:16,600 --> 00:13:20,120 Speaker 3: And frankly, the price of eggs is not going down. 240 00:13:20,559 --> 00:13:23,600 Speaker 3: Is gas up or down? It's not down. Are the 241 00:13:23,679 --> 00:13:28,760 Speaker 3: things that he promises people even viable, even imaginable, and 242 00:13:28,800 --> 00:13:31,320 Speaker 3: they're really not. It's going to be a lot harder 243 00:13:31,320 --> 00:13:34,199 Speaker 3: for them to bullshit themselves a week from now or 244 00:13:34,280 --> 00:13:36,719 Speaker 3: ten days from hour, two months from now on the 245 00:13:37,520 --> 00:13:41,680 Speaker 3: real outcomes of what Trump has promised. This is a 246 00:13:41,720 --> 00:13:45,640 Speaker 3: guy who has always been able to distract his base 247 00:13:45,720 --> 00:13:47,320 Speaker 3: and move on to the next thing and the next 248 00:13:47,320 --> 00:13:50,080 Speaker 3: thing and the next thing. And in some ways, you know, 249 00:13:50,160 --> 00:13:52,760 Speaker 3: right now, the nomination fights for the next few weeks 250 00:13:52,800 --> 00:13:54,920 Speaker 3: are still going to have static in the in the 251 00:13:54,960 --> 00:13:58,520 Speaker 3: system effect. People are going to be watching RFK and 252 00:13:58,720 --> 00:14:00,880 Speaker 3: Cash Patel and all this their stuff. But when it 253 00:14:00,920 --> 00:14:02,680 Speaker 3: gets down to governing, when you get down to having 254 00:14:02,720 --> 00:14:05,679 Speaker 3: to do things like, you know, do another cr and 255 00:14:05,840 --> 00:14:08,520 Speaker 3: pass the tax bill he wants, and pass an immigration 256 00:14:09,040 --> 00:14:11,040 Speaker 3: you know system that he wants, and do all these 257 00:14:11,040 --> 00:14:13,720 Speaker 3: things that are going to require the White House to 258 00:14:13,760 --> 00:14:17,400 Speaker 3: do more than write performative press releases and executive orders. 259 00:14:17,520 --> 00:14:19,480 Speaker 3: I think it becomes more complicated, and I think he 260 00:14:19,560 --> 00:14:22,880 Speaker 3: has a much much a substance of chance of persuading 261 00:14:22,920 --> 00:14:25,520 Speaker 3: people that the only thing stopping me is, you know, 262 00:14:25,720 --> 00:14:28,400 Speaker 3: Mitch McConnell wouldn't vote for Pete hegg Seth or whatever. 263 00:14:28,880 --> 00:14:32,000 Speaker 1: No, I definitely think they squandered a lot of goodwill 264 00:14:32,040 --> 00:14:34,520 Speaker 1: on Pete hagg Seth. And again there's just the optics 265 00:14:34,520 --> 00:14:39,440 Speaker 1: of having a Defense secretary who was a tie break vote. 266 00:14:39,600 --> 00:14:41,480 Speaker 1: I think there's no historical precedent for that. 267 00:14:41,680 --> 00:14:45,560 Speaker 3: Zero, No, none. I have worked with one and consulted 268 00:14:45,640 --> 00:14:49,680 Speaker 3: for another one, and known four of the Defense secretaries 269 00:14:49,720 --> 00:14:52,840 Speaker 3: in my lifetime in some capacity. And they had to 270 00:14:52,880 --> 00:14:54,800 Speaker 3: cash a lot of checks, They had to burn a 271 00:14:54,800 --> 00:14:57,520 Speaker 3: lot of favors for Pete hegg Sith. He was not qualified. 272 00:14:57,840 --> 00:15:00,480 Speaker 3: They knew it. Even some of their lobbying behind the 273 00:15:00,480 --> 00:15:03,680 Speaker 3: scenes was don't worry, he'll have smart people around him. 274 00:15:03,760 --> 00:15:06,560 Speaker 3: To members of the Senate, don't worry, he'll be taking 275 00:15:06,600 --> 00:15:08,640 Speaker 3: guidance from Donald directly. 276 00:15:08,520 --> 00:15:10,720 Speaker 4: And oh well, that makes everyone feel better. 277 00:15:11,360 --> 00:15:13,040 Speaker 3: What could possibly go rock? 278 00:15:13,680 --> 00:15:16,800 Speaker 1: It is interesting to watch right now because you know, 279 00:15:16,920 --> 00:15:22,680 Speaker 1: Trump has this kind of he's pretty interested in, like 280 00:15:22,840 --> 00:15:25,160 Speaker 1: a lot of stuff that the American people had no 281 00:15:25,280 --> 00:15:29,920 Speaker 1: buy in for so I'm thinking about things like the 282 00:15:29,960 --> 00:15:33,120 Speaker 1: one I'm thinking about the most is more with Greenland, 283 00:15:33,520 --> 00:15:37,960 Speaker 1: right conquering the Panama Canal, Like, what's the play there? 284 00:15:38,080 --> 00:15:40,800 Speaker 1: I mean, does he think voters will forget about that? 285 00:15:41,520 --> 00:15:44,760 Speaker 3: I think that Donald Trump is no longer kidding about 286 00:15:44,760 --> 00:15:46,720 Speaker 3: those things. They may have started out as a joke. 287 00:15:47,040 --> 00:15:49,960 Speaker 3: They may have started out as a Trump sort of trollish, 288 00:15:50,200 --> 00:15:52,960 Speaker 3: prankish whatever, but I actually think he really believes that 289 00:15:53,000 --> 00:15:55,560 Speaker 3: stuff now. I actually think he really thinks of some 290 00:15:55,600 --> 00:15:58,800 Speaker 3: sort of American imperium, at least in the Western hemisphere. 291 00:15:59,040 --> 00:16:01,880 Speaker 3: And the fuck is that? How do you think it 292 00:16:02,040 --> 00:16:04,560 Speaker 3: ends up us trying to invade Greenland? And we're not 293 00:16:04,600 --> 00:16:07,400 Speaker 3: going to buy Greenland. The Danes aren't going to sell 294 00:16:07,400 --> 00:16:08,680 Speaker 3: Greenland to Donald Trump. 295 00:16:08,960 --> 00:16:09,480 Speaker 6: There are a. 296 00:16:09,640 --> 00:16:12,440 Speaker 1: Number of people who don't want that to happen, including 297 00:16:12,480 --> 00:16:13,640 Speaker 1: the people of Greenland. 298 00:16:14,080 --> 00:16:17,360 Speaker 3: Correct this idea that we're going to seize the Panama 299 00:16:17,400 --> 00:16:19,960 Speaker 3: Canal in some way. I was around for the last 300 00:16:20,000 --> 00:16:21,960 Speaker 3: time we invaded Panama. It was pretty simple then, it 301 00:16:22,000 --> 00:16:24,280 Speaker 3: was pretty easy, or we were going to stick around. 302 00:16:24,680 --> 00:16:27,040 Speaker 3: This is something where he is essentially saying we're going 303 00:16:27,080 --> 00:16:31,280 Speaker 3: to at the minimum make Panama an American territory of something. 304 00:16:31,480 --> 00:16:33,880 Speaker 3: It's a sovereign nation. These things are not as like 305 00:16:33,920 --> 00:16:36,440 Speaker 3: a lot of things with Trump. They're not as easy 306 00:16:36,480 --> 00:16:38,640 Speaker 3: as they look like in his brain or on his 307 00:16:38,720 --> 00:16:41,360 Speaker 3: Twitter or on his true social feed. And I think 308 00:16:41,520 --> 00:16:45,360 Speaker 3: all of these things cost him political capital, and the 309 00:16:45,480 --> 00:16:47,640 Speaker 3: silliness of it cost him political capital. 310 00:16:48,000 --> 00:16:51,560 Speaker 1: Yeah, I mean it seems ridiculous. So let's talk about 311 00:16:51,680 --> 00:16:53,320 Speaker 1: what's on the docket. 312 00:16:53,360 --> 00:16:57,080 Speaker 4: Now. What do you think Democrats should be doing right now? 313 00:16:57,440 --> 00:16:59,680 Speaker 3: Well, they should be trying to make viral videos about 314 00:16:59,680 --> 00:17:04,440 Speaker 3: Tunis sandwiches. Obviously, yes, this is I'm making it. 315 00:17:05,040 --> 00:17:08,480 Speaker 1: Let people talk about this. We're not talking about this. 316 00:17:08,480 --> 00:17:14,040 Speaker 1: This leaked conversation from inside a meeting where supposedly they 317 00:17:14,040 --> 00:17:18,760 Speaker 1: were musing about a viral anything that is that's restricted 318 00:17:18,800 --> 00:17:19,639 Speaker 1: on this podcast. 319 00:17:19,760 --> 00:17:20,760 Speaker 4: So go on that. 320 00:17:20,800 --> 00:17:23,959 Speaker 3: Sort of thing of like trying to say, be funny, haha, 321 00:17:25,040 --> 00:17:27,480 Speaker 3: make a funny meme. No stop. 322 00:17:27,760 --> 00:17:30,600 Speaker 1: I want to point out that, like the people who 323 00:17:30,920 --> 00:17:37,560 Speaker 1: instructed Harris and Hillary Clinton and Biden were all super 324 00:17:37,600 --> 00:17:41,359 Speaker 1: timid and cautious and terrified of their people doing their 325 00:17:41,400 --> 00:17:44,720 Speaker 1: own tweets, doing their own videos, doing their own anything. 326 00:17:44,800 --> 00:17:47,520 Speaker 1: I mean, the Biden world, he didn't do that many interviews. 327 00:17:47,560 --> 00:17:50,800 Speaker 1: He didn't do his own social He was the least 328 00:17:50,840 --> 00:17:55,760 Speaker 1: accessible president ever, and I am starting to suspect that may. 329 00:17:55,680 --> 00:17:56,560 Speaker 4: Not have served him. 330 00:17:56,840 --> 00:17:58,560 Speaker 3: It did not, It did not. 331 00:17:58,960 --> 00:18:02,719 Speaker 4: I would rather more of them out there than less. 332 00:18:03,000 --> 00:18:07,040 Speaker 3: I'd rather see clumsy authenticity. Then when someone says, we're 333 00:18:07,080 --> 00:18:10,000 Speaker 3: bringing in a social media consultant right over. 334 00:18:10,080 --> 00:18:13,600 Speaker 1: Focused group nightmare they put out there that didn't connect 335 00:18:13,640 --> 00:18:14,760 Speaker 1: with anyone. 336 00:18:14,800 --> 00:18:18,000 Speaker 3: Right, that is never an outcome that ends well anymore. 337 00:18:18,160 --> 00:18:22,240 Speaker 3: The lack of authenticity is detectable and immediate and powerful. 338 00:18:22,560 --> 00:18:26,000 Speaker 3: And if you don't fix it quickly with the Democrats, 339 00:18:26,240 --> 00:18:29,760 Speaker 3: Trump will be seen as flawed but authentic. 340 00:18:30,160 --> 00:18:32,400 Speaker 4: Right, Well, that's what happened, right. 341 00:18:32,840 --> 00:18:34,760 Speaker 3: Yeah, We've got to live in the world as it is, 342 00:18:34,800 --> 00:18:37,280 Speaker 3: not as we want it to be. And that's what happened, right. 343 00:18:37,480 --> 00:18:43,960 Speaker 1: I mean, I'm definitely seeing Democrats doing videos. They seem good, 344 00:18:44,200 --> 00:18:47,159 Speaker 1: I mean, narrating what's happening. If they don't kind of 345 00:18:47,280 --> 00:18:50,240 Speaker 1: get that out there, I wonder who does. 346 00:18:51,240 --> 00:18:53,800 Speaker 3: Look, they need to do the high and the low. 347 00:18:54,280 --> 00:18:56,920 Speaker 3: They need to do the stake and the sizzle. And 348 00:18:57,240 --> 00:18:59,600 Speaker 3: part of this is going to be if you're going 349 00:18:59,640 --> 00:19:01,919 Speaker 3: to be the opposition to Donald Trump. You have to 350 00:19:01,960 --> 00:19:05,720 Speaker 3: oppose him. So I get it. The most powerful thing 351 00:19:05,720 --> 00:19:09,119 Speaker 3: in Washington, and I know they're Polsters and their focus 352 00:19:09,200 --> 00:19:11,880 Speaker 3: group people like they just want us to get along there. 353 00:19:12,200 --> 00:19:15,600 Speaker 3: They want us to all cooperate. And again, if Donald 354 00:19:15,640 --> 00:19:20,600 Speaker 3: Trump was President Ted Cruz or President Mike Lee or 355 00:19:20,640 --> 00:19:25,199 Speaker 3: President Tom Tillis or whomever, that would be perfectly acceptable 356 00:19:25,200 --> 00:19:29,000 Speaker 3: and ordinary and explicable. But every time you get in 357 00:19:29,480 --> 00:19:31,720 Speaker 3: the trough with this pig, you come up covered in 358 00:19:31,760 --> 00:19:38,520 Speaker 3: pig shit. This is not the kind of relationship that 359 00:19:38,880 --> 00:19:43,200 Speaker 3: presidents and their counterparts have traditionally had. So we want 360 00:19:43,200 --> 00:19:44,800 Speaker 3: to give him a little bit of the shitty things 361 00:19:44,800 --> 00:19:46,119 Speaker 3: he wants to do. Is that the way we're going 362 00:19:46,160 --> 00:19:49,159 Speaker 3: to do this thing. I disagree with that approach because 363 00:19:49,400 --> 00:19:52,240 Speaker 3: the voters, they have told us kind of clearly now, 364 00:19:52,480 --> 00:19:56,440 Speaker 3: they are not looking for the Democrats at this point 365 00:19:56,840 --> 00:20:00,639 Speaker 3: to come out and offer seven thousand page policy proposals. 366 00:20:01,080 --> 00:20:04,159 Speaker 3: They are looking for God save us, they are looking 367 00:20:04,160 --> 00:20:07,639 Speaker 3: for people who can be engaging and contemporary. 368 00:20:07,920 --> 00:20:10,880 Speaker 1: But I also think Democrats have a bigger problem, which 369 00:20:10,920 --> 00:20:14,360 Speaker 1: is there isn't much in the mainstream media left, So 370 00:20:14,600 --> 00:20:16,920 Speaker 1: if they don't narrate what's happening. 371 00:20:17,600 --> 00:20:18,440 Speaker 4: I'm not sure. 372 00:20:18,240 --> 00:20:21,760 Speaker 3: Who does the collapse of the mainstream media. As as 373 00:20:21,760 --> 00:20:24,080 Speaker 3: somebody joked here the day, It's like at some point 374 00:20:24,200 --> 00:20:26,440 Speaker 3: Doug Balloon at a New York Times pitch pot, it 375 00:20:26,600 --> 00:20:31,879 Speaker 3: stopped being just ironic, it started being descriptive. And you 376 00:20:31,880 --> 00:20:33,760 Speaker 3: know the Washington Post. We're seeing it at the LA Times, 377 00:20:33,760 --> 00:20:36,280 Speaker 3: We're seeing it at CNN, We're seeing it. The networks 378 00:20:36,280 --> 00:20:39,680 Speaker 3: are all saying things, you know, with a couple of exceptions. Obviously, 379 00:20:39,800 --> 00:20:42,560 Speaker 3: they're taking what I consider, in my opinion to be 380 00:20:42,600 --> 00:20:45,000 Speaker 3: the wrong lesson of Trump, and that wrong lesson is 381 00:20:45,480 --> 00:20:47,560 Speaker 3: that he won a sweeping landslide and we have to 382 00:20:47,600 --> 00:20:51,040 Speaker 3: now accommodate his bullshit. I mean, the job of journalism, 383 00:20:51,160 --> 00:20:53,400 Speaker 3: to my mind, at least the last time I checked 384 00:20:53,440 --> 00:20:57,120 Speaker 3: before all this was not to comfort the comfortable, but 385 00:20:57,160 --> 00:20:59,600 Speaker 3: to afflict the afflicted. I fucked that up somehow. 386 00:20:59,640 --> 00:21:01,960 Speaker 4: But you know, right, I know you mean though, And. 387 00:21:01,960 --> 00:21:05,200 Speaker 3: Lawrence O'Donnell pointed out today one of those first press 388 00:21:05,200 --> 00:21:08,280 Speaker 3: conferences in the Oval office, they weren't yelling over each other, 389 00:21:08,320 --> 00:21:11,120 Speaker 3: they weren't screaming over each other. They weren't asking about 390 00:21:11,160 --> 00:21:13,560 Speaker 3: his mental acuity when he was saying stupid things or 391 00:21:13,600 --> 00:21:16,800 Speaker 3: weird things, or things that didn't seem logical. It was 392 00:21:17,040 --> 00:21:19,119 Speaker 3: I won't say bending the knee, but there are a 393 00:21:19,160 --> 00:21:21,960 Speaker 3: lot of journalists right now who are kind of smug 394 00:21:22,280 --> 00:21:25,640 Speaker 3: about the moment we're in. I think they believe that 395 00:21:25,920 --> 00:21:29,280 Speaker 3: Trump does represent some kind of alteration in a permanent 396 00:21:29,320 --> 00:21:33,400 Speaker 3: sense of the American polity, and I think they're covering 397 00:21:33,480 --> 00:21:36,360 Speaker 3: him in a way that reflects that belief. 398 00:21:36,880 --> 00:21:37,399 Speaker 4: Thank you. 399 00:21:37,680 --> 00:21:43,680 Speaker 1: Rick Wilson, d v Alba, and Leon Yen are reporters 400 00:21:43,680 --> 00:21:49,800 Speaker 1: at Bloomberg. Welcome, Too Fast Politics. Excellent Bloomberg team. We 401 00:21:49,840 --> 00:21:51,360 Speaker 1: have two out of four of. 402 00:21:51,320 --> 00:21:56,240 Speaker 6: You right out of let's see, oh gosh, five. 403 00:21:56,440 --> 00:22:01,000 Speaker 1: Now, Davy and Leon, while come to both of you. 404 00:22:01,400 --> 00:22:03,200 Speaker 6: Thanks for having us, Thanks for having us. 405 00:22:03,359 --> 00:22:05,560 Speaker 1: Whoever wants to go first, I'm going to let you 406 00:22:05,600 --> 00:22:10,000 Speaker 1: guys decide amongst yourselves. Explain to us about this investigation, 407 00:22:10,200 --> 00:22:15,400 Speaker 1: which basically answers the question should there be a liberal 408 00:22:15,520 --> 00:22:19,080 Speaker 1: Joe Rogan. What this piece does is an interesting investigation 409 00:22:19,200 --> 00:22:25,240 Speaker 1: of how male conservative YouTubers helped each other. So explain 410 00:22:25,359 --> 00:22:28,080 Speaker 1: to us, Davey, why don't you start by explaining us 411 00:22:28,119 --> 00:22:29,960 Speaker 1: how you got to this piece. 412 00:22:30,760 --> 00:22:37,199 Speaker 6: Yeah, we know that these podcasters are extremely popular and 413 00:22:37,359 --> 00:22:42,840 Speaker 6: influential and increasingly started to have a role in politics. 414 00:22:43,600 --> 00:22:46,880 Speaker 6: You know, I think the scenes from the inauguration weekend 415 00:22:46,960 --> 00:22:51,480 Speaker 6: where Joe Rogan was in the Capitol rotunda as Trump 416 00:22:51,560 --> 00:22:54,840 Speaker 6: was being sworn in, really speaks to that and symbolizes 417 00:22:54,880 --> 00:22:59,159 Speaker 6: it so perfectly, while you know, someone like Ron DeSantis, 418 00:22:59,200 --> 00:23:03,960 Speaker 6: who's a public and luminary, was confined to overflow. So 419 00:23:04,480 --> 00:23:10,760 Speaker 6: we know that these podcasters are extremely influential and that 420 00:23:11,359 --> 00:23:15,280 Speaker 6: they are increasingly involved in politics. We also know that 421 00:23:15,480 --> 00:23:21,000 Speaker 6: they are influential among young men, not for politics, but 422 00:23:21,440 --> 00:23:25,520 Speaker 6: just for speaking about pop culture and you know, sort 423 00:23:25,520 --> 00:23:31,080 Speaker 6: of influencer beef, online gambling, pranks, all those sorts of 424 00:23:31,119 --> 00:23:34,159 Speaker 6: topics that seemingly don't have anything to do with politics. 425 00:23:34,160 --> 00:23:38,480 Speaker 6: But in watching you know, over two thousand videos, we 426 00:23:38,680 --> 00:23:45,399 Speaker 6: found that these podcasters sandwich political topics among some of 427 00:23:45,440 --> 00:23:51,880 Speaker 6: these seemingly apolitical discussions, and that as the election neared, 428 00:23:52,160 --> 00:23:57,760 Speaker 6: the frequency of political messages increased and there was a 429 00:23:57,840 --> 00:24:01,520 Speaker 6: real push to get the audience to go out and vote. 430 00:24:01,600 --> 00:24:04,879 Speaker 6: And you know, you can't exactly say that there was 431 00:24:05,320 --> 00:24:09,560 Speaker 6: you know, this is a causative thing that these podcasters 432 00:24:09,560 --> 00:24:12,399 Speaker 6: caused the election to it to be one for Trump. 433 00:24:12,440 --> 00:24:15,280 Speaker 6: But I think we can say that these podcasters are 434 00:24:15,320 --> 00:24:20,879 Speaker 6: extremely influential. We know that this election swung hard for Trump, 435 00:24:21,119 --> 00:24:24,840 Speaker 6: for young men especially. You know, it's there are some 436 00:24:24,880 --> 00:24:28,359 Speaker 6: statistics that say that this is the biggest swing among 437 00:24:28,400 --> 00:24:32,320 Speaker 6: that demographic in the last two decades. And we wanted 438 00:24:32,359 --> 00:24:37,119 Speaker 6: to investigate what exactly is the draw of these podcasters, 439 00:24:37,160 --> 00:24:40,080 Speaker 6: what do they talk about, how did they start to 440 00:24:40,160 --> 00:24:44,320 Speaker 6: get into politics, and what will their role be now 441 00:24:44,359 --> 00:24:47,280 Speaker 6: that Trump is in power? And I think that that 442 00:24:47,600 --> 00:24:50,000 Speaker 6: is something that will continue to watch and that we 443 00:24:50,119 --> 00:24:53,280 Speaker 6: expect that, you know, the grievances that they talk about 444 00:24:53,320 --> 00:24:57,920 Speaker 6: on these podcasts will be transformed to policy and that 445 00:24:58,000 --> 00:25:00,680 Speaker 6: could have lasting effects even beyond Trump's term. 446 00:25:01,320 --> 00:25:06,000 Speaker 1: So, Leon, there's a sort of interesting synchronicity to these 447 00:25:06,080 --> 00:25:07,680 Speaker 1: podcasts and each other. 448 00:25:07,960 --> 00:25:09,080 Speaker 4: Can you explain that does? 449 00:25:09,400 --> 00:25:12,680 Speaker 7: Yeah? I mean, first and foremost, like these channels, they're 450 00:25:12,720 --> 00:25:16,440 Speaker 7: all they're men who create content primarily for other men, 451 00:25:16,600 --> 00:25:19,919 Speaker 7: right Like, their identity as men is so central to 452 00:25:20,520 --> 00:25:23,240 Speaker 7: their messaging and their audience. A lot of what they 453 00:25:23,280 --> 00:25:27,200 Speaker 7: discuss is kind of about the you know, social hierarchy 454 00:25:27,240 --> 00:25:29,679 Speaker 7: of where where men are in America, and you know, 455 00:25:29,760 --> 00:25:32,320 Speaker 7: given what's going on with the economy, a lot of 456 00:25:32,359 --> 00:25:35,000 Speaker 7: young people feel like they don't have the opportunities that 457 00:25:35,000 --> 00:25:36,920 Speaker 7: they're promised, Like where's my American dream? 458 00:25:37,000 --> 00:25:37,240 Speaker 3: Right? 459 00:25:37,320 --> 00:25:40,320 Speaker 7: Why are other people getting you know, advantages when I'm not? 460 00:25:40,880 --> 00:25:43,280 Speaker 7: And so so much of what is discussed kind of 461 00:25:43,400 --> 00:25:45,560 Speaker 7: puts that right in the core about you know, like 462 00:25:45,720 --> 00:25:47,919 Speaker 7: how do we get here? Is it fair? And so 463 00:25:48,040 --> 00:25:51,919 Speaker 7: oftentimes when they talk about these politics, it's all about 464 00:25:51,960 --> 00:25:54,000 Speaker 7: the social order, right. A lot of it is about, 465 00:25:54,160 --> 00:25:56,320 Speaker 7: you know, what is masculinity in this era? Right, Like 466 00:25:56,320 --> 00:25:57,840 Speaker 7: what does it mean to be a man? What are 467 00:25:58,040 --> 00:26:00,360 Speaker 7: like where what happened to traditional gender roles? And that 468 00:26:00,520 --> 00:26:04,000 Speaker 7: inevitably lends itself to so many other topics like immigration, right, 469 00:26:04,080 --> 00:26:06,399 Speaker 7: like why are immigrants allowed to get in this country 470 00:26:06,440 --> 00:26:08,560 Speaker 7: to take jobs that you know I should be having. 471 00:26:08,720 --> 00:26:11,840 Speaker 7: Why are we talking about transgender people so much? I 472 00:26:11,880 --> 00:26:14,080 Speaker 7: don't know any transgender people. They seem to have an 473 00:26:14,080 --> 00:26:18,800 Speaker 7: advantage in sports. Children are seemingly transitioning in an alarming rate, 474 00:26:18,920 --> 00:26:21,560 Speaker 7: like something is clearly going on. And then often that 475 00:26:21,600 --> 00:26:24,680 Speaker 7: conversation lends itself to be like, well, it's probably because 476 00:26:24,840 --> 00:26:29,840 Speaker 7: of the political establishment, the media establishment, the medical establishment, 477 00:26:30,040 --> 00:26:33,760 Speaker 7: right Like, in addition to the centering the American man 478 00:26:33,800 --> 00:26:38,240 Speaker 7: in the narrative, it's also extremely anti establishment, and the 479 00:26:38,359 --> 00:26:41,600 Speaker 7: establishment is what is is kind of viewed as a 480 00:26:41,680 --> 00:26:44,120 Speaker 7: source of problems. And by tuney and join the team, 481 00:26:44,160 --> 00:26:47,000 Speaker 7: you are anti establishment. Who is the most anti established 482 00:26:47,160 --> 00:26:50,120 Speaker 7: man there is? It is Donald Trump, and so inevitably 483 00:26:50,240 --> 00:26:52,280 Speaker 7: the votes kind of led to him. But it didn't 484 00:26:52,280 --> 00:26:55,160 Speaker 7: start that way. You know, we saw that RFK and 485 00:26:55,359 --> 00:26:58,960 Speaker 7: Vek Ramaswami other you know, Republican candidates made the rounds, 486 00:26:59,040 --> 00:27:02,520 Speaker 7: right besides Trump. RFK was booked in six or seven 487 00:27:02,640 --> 00:27:04,720 Speaker 7: of the shows of the nine that we looked at, 488 00:27:04,800 --> 00:27:06,560 Speaker 7: but he didn't garner that many views. And then when 489 00:27:06,600 --> 00:27:09,760 Speaker 7: he turned to join the Trump administration, a lot of 490 00:27:09,800 --> 00:27:12,520 Speaker 7: that kind of following join too, and so a sources 491 00:27:12,640 --> 00:27:14,520 Speaker 7: kind of referred to this as like salting the earth, 492 00:27:14,520 --> 00:27:17,200 Speaker 7: where these candidates made the rounds. You know, Jade Vance 493 00:27:17,240 --> 00:27:19,479 Speaker 7: showed up as well, and then eventually Donald Trump, and 494 00:27:19,520 --> 00:27:22,919 Speaker 7: so the talking points we saw were salted, and so 495 00:27:23,040 --> 00:27:26,080 Speaker 7: were the political pundits and candidates that would follow to 496 00:27:26,160 --> 00:27:28,480 Speaker 7: and then Trump eventually, and then they repeat the exact 497 00:27:28,520 --> 00:27:31,320 Speaker 7: same talking points on these political topics about the election 498 00:27:31,480 --> 00:27:35,280 Speaker 7: was stolen. You know, the pandemic is in the vaccine 499 00:27:35,280 --> 00:27:37,359 Speaker 7: are used to control the public and to tell you 500 00:27:37,359 --> 00:27:38,679 Speaker 7: what to do and to profit from that. 501 00:27:38,760 --> 00:27:41,960 Speaker 1: It goes on on, Davie, can you explain to us 502 00:27:42,000 --> 00:27:44,919 Speaker 1: sort of what the landscape looks like, who's sort of 503 00:27:44,920 --> 00:27:47,960 Speaker 1: the biggest and who are sort of more and how 504 00:27:48,040 --> 00:27:49,440 Speaker 1: they communicate with each other. 505 00:27:49,840 --> 00:27:52,679 Speaker 6: Yeah, it's really interesting when you start looking at the 506 00:27:52,720 --> 00:27:56,240 Speaker 6: guest networks of these folks, and just to list out 507 00:27:56,320 --> 00:27:59,600 Speaker 6: who we're talking about, we looked at the podcasters and 508 00:27:59,640 --> 00:28:04,760 Speaker 6: streamer Aiden Ross, Andrew Schultz, the Neelk Boys, Logan, Paul 509 00:28:05,160 --> 00:28:09,920 Speaker 6: Joe Rogan, Lex Friedman, Patrick Bett, David Sean Ryan and 510 00:28:09,960 --> 00:28:13,760 Speaker 6: Theo Vaughn and all of these podcasters and streamers had 511 00:28:13,800 --> 00:28:16,840 Speaker 6: Trump on as a guest in the months leading to 512 00:28:17,600 --> 00:28:20,680 Speaker 6: the election. So we started there and you know, once 513 00:28:20,720 --> 00:28:24,320 Speaker 6: you start watching, you start to see the same names repeated. 514 00:28:24,800 --> 00:28:32,119 Speaker 6: Dana White, the CEO of the Ultimate Fighting Championship UFC, is. 515 00:28:32,560 --> 00:28:33,640 Speaker 4: A friend of the shows. 516 00:28:33,680 --> 00:28:38,560 Speaker 6: He's often invoked rfks as well. And you know there 517 00:28:38,560 --> 00:28:41,640 Speaker 6: are these friends of the shows, but there's also who 518 00:28:42,320 --> 00:28:47,160 Speaker 6: are the guests who draw in the most number of views, 519 00:28:47,720 --> 00:28:50,200 Speaker 6: and when you start to look at that, I was 520 00:28:50,200 --> 00:28:54,160 Speaker 6: pretty surprised that Andrew Tait was up there right after 521 00:28:54,240 --> 00:28:58,760 Speaker 6: Donald Trump in drawing views. He appeared on three podcasts 522 00:28:59,040 --> 00:29:04,040 Speaker 6: and he has eighty million views in total. He is 523 00:29:04,200 --> 00:29:07,920 Speaker 6: someone who has been banned from YouTube to be clear, 524 00:29:08,040 --> 00:29:11,960 Speaker 6: for you know, his hateful rhetoric and you know he's 525 00:29:12,000 --> 00:29:16,920 Speaker 6: he's currently under investigation by Romanian officials for human trafficking. 526 00:29:17,320 --> 00:29:19,360 Speaker 6: He's he's been kicked off a lot of platforms, but 527 00:29:19,400 --> 00:29:22,760 Speaker 6: there's a policy loophole on YouTube that allows him to 528 00:29:22,800 --> 00:29:26,600 Speaker 6: be a guest. So he is the number two guest 529 00:29:26,840 --> 00:29:30,160 Speaker 6: on these shows. The next few sort of guests by 530 00:29:30,440 --> 00:29:35,560 Speaker 6: viewership include Tucker Carlson, Elon Musk, and Shane Gillis, who's 531 00:29:35,600 --> 00:29:39,560 Speaker 6: a comedian. Jadie Vance is up there, Ben Shapiro. We 532 00:29:39,680 --> 00:29:43,360 Speaker 6: have the full list in our GitHub. If people want 533 00:29:43,400 --> 00:29:46,560 Speaker 6: to go and look at that list, it's available there. 534 00:29:46,920 --> 00:29:51,360 Speaker 6: But yeah, I think that what we showed is how 535 00:29:51,880 --> 00:29:57,080 Speaker 6: these podcasters network with each other, invite the same people on. 536 00:29:57,440 --> 00:30:01,680 Speaker 6: You know, inevitably, the guests have their spiel and message 537 00:30:01,720 --> 00:30:06,280 Speaker 6: and that is repeated throughout this network, and then it 538 00:30:06,360 --> 00:30:09,280 Speaker 6: really takes hold among their audiences. 539 00:30:09,640 --> 00:30:13,920 Speaker 7: A lot of these folks are the comedians, their Internet superstars, right, 540 00:30:13,960 --> 00:30:16,320 Speaker 7: their streamers, and you know, many of them have their 541 00:30:16,560 --> 00:30:20,040 Speaker 7: origins reality TV. So everyone is sort of coming from 542 00:30:20,080 --> 00:30:23,959 Speaker 7: this like kind of idea of like spectacle and clashing 543 00:30:24,200 --> 00:30:28,960 Speaker 7: right of personalities, and YouTube has always rewarded that kind 544 00:30:29,000 --> 00:30:31,400 Speaker 7: of behavior, right, Like the most viral things on YouTube. 545 00:30:31,440 --> 00:30:33,640 Speaker 7: I mean take a Logan Paul for example, right, Like 546 00:30:33,720 --> 00:30:36,920 Speaker 7: Logan Paul, he's a vine star, right, he moved to YouTube. 547 00:30:36,920 --> 00:30:39,160 Speaker 7: There's that controversy when he was in Japan. He was 548 00:30:39,240 --> 00:30:42,400 Speaker 7: live streaming in this forest and they found someone at 549 00:30:42,440 --> 00:30:45,000 Speaker 7: their own life, and you know, they upload on YouTube 550 00:30:45,040 --> 00:30:47,840 Speaker 7: and it went gangbusters and then I think it was removed. 551 00:30:47,920 --> 00:30:50,640 Speaker 7: But there's this long history of spectacle here. I mean 552 00:30:50,680 --> 00:30:53,959 Speaker 7: the knelt Boys that you know, they had become or 553 00:30:54,040 --> 00:30:56,600 Speaker 7: more openly right wing, you know, before they're kind of 554 00:30:56,640 --> 00:30:59,360 Speaker 7: just about partying, you know, partying pranks like they gave 555 00:30:59,440 --> 00:31:02,280 Speaker 7: Tucker Carl and a giants in container that I think 556 00:31:02,320 --> 00:31:04,320 Speaker 7: a helicopter flew in, right, And so they are all 557 00:31:04,360 --> 00:31:07,200 Speaker 7: these really viral moments. And the nature of much of 558 00:31:07,240 --> 00:31:11,200 Speaker 7: this content, it's unedited, it's hours long, and so inevitably 559 00:31:11,240 --> 00:31:13,680 Speaker 7: they do cover politics, right, but they cover in the 560 00:31:13,720 --> 00:31:16,760 Speaker 7: same way where it's kind of like spectacle, right, like 561 00:31:16,960 --> 00:31:20,240 Speaker 7: what's outrageous? And I think that that really lends itself 562 00:31:20,280 --> 00:31:22,719 Speaker 7: to why I think this works so well in this 563 00:31:22,800 --> 00:31:25,080 Speaker 7: kind of content, because politics is just a piece of it, 564 00:31:25,200 --> 00:31:27,360 Speaker 7: but by making it a piece and not the primary, 565 00:31:27,400 --> 00:31:31,120 Speaker 7: actually arguably becomes a better vehicle for the message, even 566 00:31:31,160 --> 00:31:34,120 Speaker 7: if that's not their intention necessarily, which we'll never know. 567 00:31:34,320 --> 00:31:37,520 Speaker 6: I would also add that I think something that was 568 00:31:37,560 --> 00:31:40,000 Speaker 6: surprising to me as we looked at this network was 569 00:31:40,000 --> 00:31:43,400 Speaker 6: that you might think of a character like Andrew Tait 570 00:31:43,520 --> 00:31:46,560 Speaker 6: as someone who is sort of in the far right, 571 00:31:46,800 --> 00:31:51,920 Speaker 6: extreme spectrum of politics, and I think what we've shown 572 00:31:52,000 --> 00:31:56,200 Speaker 6: here is that that is not true. He is pretty mainstream. 573 00:31:56,440 --> 00:32:00,240 Speaker 6: You know, all of these podcasts are mainstream, and we've 574 00:32:00,280 --> 00:32:03,440 Speaker 6: sort of been calling it the new mainstream media because 575 00:32:04,000 --> 00:32:06,640 Speaker 6: just the viewership and influence. 576 00:32:06,160 --> 00:32:08,440 Speaker 4: And isn't it much bigger than cable news. 577 00:32:08,920 --> 00:32:12,120 Speaker 6: Yes, we had looked at some numbers that showed that 578 00:32:12,360 --> 00:32:16,080 Speaker 6: the most popular channel on Election night was Fox News, 579 00:32:16,200 --> 00:32:20,600 Speaker 6: and Nielsen has them at drawing in around ten million 580 00:32:21,080 --> 00:32:26,040 Speaker 6: viewers on Election night, and Trump's episode alone drew in 581 00:32:26,200 --> 00:32:31,600 Speaker 6: one hundred million plus views over the inauguration weekend when 582 00:32:31,640 --> 00:32:36,840 Speaker 6: Spotify and youtubeer holding events in DC. Someone from Spotify 583 00:32:37,000 --> 00:32:41,680 Speaker 6: said that it was their biggest episode ever on podcasts 584 00:32:41,720 --> 00:32:45,400 Speaker 6: on the platform. So the reach and influence of this 585 00:32:45,560 --> 00:32:47,840 Speaker 6: network is really really something. 586 00:32:48,280 --> 00:32:51,280 Speaker 1: Just say more about this idea that this media complex 587 00:32:51,440 --> 00:32:54,120 Speaker 1: is made up of reality television actors. 588 00:32:54,600 --> 00:32:59,360 Speaker 6: Donald Trump is a reality TV president in so many ways. Well, 589 00:32:59,440 --> 00:33:03,440 Speaker 6: his star began to rise with shows like The Apprentice, 590 00:33:03,680 --> 00:33:06,959 Speaker 6: and this really fits I think this, this this network 591 00:33:07,000 --> 00:33:09,920 Speaker 6: really fits in with that. As Leon was talking about 592 00:33:10,200 --> 00:33:15,240 Speaker 6: spectacle and you know, these outrageous moments, this is the 593 00:33:15,480 --> 00:33:17,920 Speaker 6: kind of thing that the audience is really looking for 594 00:33:18,400 --> 00:33:24,680 Speaker 6: and are really sticking to these podcasts for so I 595 00:33:24,800 --> 00:33:30,360 Speaker 6: think that as they became such a key vehicle for 596 00:33:30,520 --> 00:33:34,440 Speaker 6: political messages ahead of the election, you know, we expect 597 00:33:34,600 --> 00:33:38,840 Speaker 6: that Trump will continue to turn to them. We have 598 00:33:38,880 --> 00:33:42,800 Speaker 6: a source who told us that he expects Trump to 599 00:33:42,960 --> 00:33:46,720 Speaker 6: treat them as an alternative press core and that we 600 00:33:46,800 --> 00:33:52,320 Speaker 6: will continue to see millions of Americans receive their messages. 601 00:33:52,560 --> 00:33:56,080 Speaker 6: The news, the you know, what they learn will be 602 00:33:56,360 --> 00:33:59,920 Speaker 6: tied to these podcasts and how they talk about issue 603 00:34:00,120 --> 00:34:05,360 Speaker 6: is It's an incredibly powerful way for Trump to build 604 00:34:05,400 --> 00:34:07,600 Speaker 6: support for his political agenda. 605 00:34:07,760 --> 00:34:10,759 Speaker 7: Many of the kind of hosts they say they're independent 606 00:34:11,160 --> 00:34:13,640 Speaker 7: or you know, many of them like don't outright say 607 00:34:13,640 --> 00:34:16,120 Speaker 7: that they're Trump and many, maybe some of them didn't 608 00:34:16,200 --> 00:34:18,840 Speaker 7: vote for Trump. It's it's very likely that happening because 609 00:34:18,880 --> 00:34:22,440 Speaker 7: they kind of are operating and kind of like what's spectacular? 610 00:34:22,480 --> 00:34:24,560 Speaker 7: What's the w right, Like what's the most epic they 611 00:34:24,560 --> 00:34:28,200 Speaker 7: could do? Getting Trump on was pretty epic and anti establishment? 612 00:34:28,280 --> 00:34:32,200 Speaker 7: But now because he has the ultimate position again, what 613 00:34:32,320 --> 00:34:35,480 Speaker 7: now he's no longer the underdog, right, he's you know, 614 00:34:35,560 --> 00:34:38,560 Speaker 7: the establishment, so his establishment what happens now? Right? I 615 00:34:38,600 --> 00:34:40,560 Speaker 7: mean that one of the things that strikes me is 616 00:34:40,560 --> 00:34:43,359 Speaker 7: that a lot of the messaging is anti war. You know, 617 00:34:43,440 --> 00:34:45,080 Speaker 7: a lot of the messagings like young men like you 618 00:34:45,120 --> 00:34:47,040 Speaker 7: don't want to go to war, right, Like we got to. 619 00:34:47,000 --> 00:34:48,799 Speaker 4: Stop spending money in wars, which is true. 620 00:34:48,840 --> 00:34:52,080 Speaker 7: But now Trump is talking about you know, seasoned Greenland 621 00:34:52,200 --> 00:34:54,680 Speaker 7: and the golf and like that sounds a lot like 622 00:34:54,760 --> 00:34:57,239 Speaker 7: war to me. You know, So, like what happens when 623 00:34:57,239 --> 00:35:00,320 Speaker 7: the reality sets in that the kind of selling points 624 00:35:00,719 --> 00:35:03,799 Speaker 7: you know, deteriorate, Like we just don't know, but that's 625 00:35:03,800 --> 00:35:05,360 Speaker 7: something that I'm watching closely. 626 00:35:05,640 --> 00:35:08,560 Speaker 1: So this is a continual argument I have with Democrats. 627 00:35:08,600 --> 00:35:12,359 Speaker 1: It's like they could have gone on these podcasts. I mean, 628 00:35:12,640 --> 00:35:17,160 Speaker 1: Bernie has gone on Joe Rogan, and Rogan invited Harris 629 00:35:17,440 --> 00:35:21,279 Speaker 1: and the Milk Boys. I mean, these podcasters. Maybe some 630 00:35:21,360 --> 00:35:24,040 Speaker 1: of them are super ideological, but as you're talking, a 631 00:35:24,040 --> 00:35:27,240 Speaker 1: lot of them are not. And they could have gone 632 00:35:27,320 --> 00:35:29,400 Speaker 1: on these podcasts and they chose not to. 633 00:35:30,040 --> 00:35:33,040 Speaker 6: Yeah, I think that's right. I mean, you know what, Yes, 634 00:35:33,200 --> 00:35:37,920 Speaker 6: Democrats have definitely been on these podcasts. Bernie Sanders is 635 00:35:38,280 --> 00:35:40,920 Speaker 6: when you mentioned she was also on THEO Vaughn and 636 00:35:41,200 --> 00:35:45,120 Speaker 6: spoke at length there. John Fetterman has kind of made 637 00:35:45,120 --> 00:35:49,680 Speaker 6: the rounds on these podcasts too. It seemed like Harris's 638 00:35:49,719 --> 00:35:53,279 Speaker 6: strategy ahead of the election was It's worth saying she 639 00:35:53,360 --> 00:35:56,440 Speaker 6: did go on some podcasts such as Call Her Daddy. 640 00:35:56,360 --> 00:36:00,799 Speaker 1: But I mean Rogan, Milk Boys, Theovon, I mean to 641 00:36:01,080 --> 00:36:04,880 Speaker 1: appeal to that group. And I love Alex Cooper. I 642 00:36:04,880 --> 00:36:08,040 Speaker 1: think she's a genius, but it's a different audience. I mean, 643 00:36:08,080 --> 00:36:10,839 Speaker 1: that's the thing that I am so struck by. You 644 00:36:10,880 --> 00:36:13,279 Speaker 1: don't get in front of these people unless you go 645 00:36:13,360 --> 00:36:14,720 Speaker 1: on their shows. 646 00:36:14,440 --> 00:36:18,000 Speaker 6: Right, Yes, and you have to meet them somewhat on 647 00:36:18,080 --> 00:36:22,160 Speaker 6: their terms. Trump traveled to Austin, Texas. I believe to 648 00:36:22,719 --> 00:36:26,040 Speaker 6: do the Joe Rogan podcast, and you have to agree 649 00:36:26,160 --> 00:36:30,000 Speaker 6: that you will do like an hour's long interview. 650 00:36:29,520 --> 00:36:30,520 Speaker 4: For three hours. 651 00:36:30,880 --> 00:36:34,359 Speaker 6: Yeah. Absolutely. Some of the podcasts we listened to were 652 00:36:34,719 --> 00:36:38,799 Speaker 6: three plus hours long and no topic off limits, you 653 00:36:38,840 --> 00:36:42,399 Speaker 6: know that sort of thing. And we'll probably look back 654 00:36:42,440 --> 00:36:46,040 Speaker 6: on this and try to understand, like, was this missed 655 00:36:46,080 --> 00:36:48,200 Speaker 6: opportunity for the Democrat. 656 00:36:48,480 --> 00:36:51,080 Speaker 4: We don't have to look back. It was. Thank you 657 00:36:51,120 --> 00:36:53,799 Speaker 4: guys so much. Appreciate you both. I'm sorry to cut 658 00:36:53,800 --> 00:36:54,640 Speaker 4: you off, but we're out of time. 659 00:36:54,719 --> 00:36:57,360 Speaker 1: Please keep going and come back when you have another 660 00:36:57,719 --> 00:36:58,640 Speaker 1: investigation like this. 661 00:36:58,840 --> 00:37:00,800 Speaker 4: So interesting things our pleasure. 662 00:37:00,840 --> 00:37:01,480 Speaker 7: Thank you so much. 663 00:37:01,640 --> 00:37:03,200 Speaker 6: Absolutely, Yeah, we'd be happy to. 664 00:37:05,160 --> 00:37:07,680 Speaker 4: A moment fuck. 665 00:37:08,440 --> 00:37:09,960 Speaker 3: Hey, so Molly, it's good to be back with you. 666 00:37:10,000 --> 00:37:11,160 Speaker 3: Are we doing fuckery today? 667 00:37:11,560 --> 00:37:14,480 Speaker 4: Yes, let's talk about our moment of fuckery. 668 00:37:15,120 --> 00:37:18,680 Speaker 3: I think that the moment of fuckery here is firing 669 00:37:19,040 --> 00:37:23,600 Speaker 3: either fifteen or seventeen inspector eighteen. Now what the body 670 00:37:23,719 --> 00:37:27,799 Speaker 3: count keeps rising? Inspector generals? On Friday Night? This generation's 671 00:37:27,840 --> 00:37:28,840 Speaker 3: Friday Night massacre. 672 00:37:29,200 --> 00:37:35,919 Speaker 1: Trump cites changing priorities, so inspector generals. It's actually sort 673 00:37:35,960 --> 00:37:41,359 Speaker 1: of interesting. It's a post Nixonian anti corruption thing put 674 00:37:41,480 --> 00:37:46,160 Speaker 1: in place for obvious reasons after the last corrupt Republican 675 00:37:46,200 --> 00:37:51,239 Speaker 1: president to have these inspector generals in each branch of 676 00:37:51,280 --> 00:37:55,560 Speaker 1: the federal government, and their job is to root a corruption, 677 00:37:56,400 --> 00:37:58,759 Speaker 1: to hold the agency accountable. 678 00:37:59,280 --> 00:38:03,000 Speaker 3: Inspector rules and again, yes, they were codified in the 679 00:38:03,040 --> 00:38:07,520 Speaker 3: post Watergate environment. Inspector generals have existed in governments for 680 00:38:07,719 --> 00:38:11,080 Speaker 3: generations in America, they were codified and protected in such 681 00:38:11,080 --> 00:38:14,520 Speaker 3: a way, especially in the post Trump era of Trump one, 682 00:38:15,200 --> 00:38:18,440 Speaker 3: where before you fire an inspector general, Congress must be 683 00:38:18,480 --> 00:38:21,000 Speaker 3: given thirty days notice. You may have noticed they were 684 00:38:21,040 --> 00:38:25,359 Speaker 3: fired on day five a not thirty five. What does 685 00:38:25,360 --> 00:38:27,960 Speaker 3: it tell you? It tells you Trump does not want 686 00:38:28,320 --> 00:38:32,040 Speaker 3: any kind of oversight function in any government department. He 687 00:38:32,120 --> 00:38:35,080 Speaker 3: wants his own people to be able to run roughshots. 688 00:38:35,120 --> 00:38:37,920 Speaker 3: So if Cash Patel decides one day, hey, I'm going 689 00:38:37,960 --> 00:38:40,080 Speaker 3: to send Rick Wilson and Molly Jong fast and to 690 00:38:40,160 --> 00:38:42,759 Speaker 3: get moo, he doesn't want an inspector general in there 691 00:38:42,800 --> 00:38:45,919 Speaker 3: who goes in and says, hey, Champ, that's against the law. 692 00:38:46,000 --> 00:38:47,799 Speaker 3: You can't do that, and I have to issue a 693 00:38:47,800 --> 00:38:51,400 Speaker 3: public report. Yeah, he wants his people to be protected 694 00:38:51,440 --> 00:38:52,800 Speaker 3: from oversight and scrutiny. 695 00:38:53,000 --> 00:38:58,960 Speaker 1: Michael Horowitz, the DOJ's inspector General, has not been fired. 696 00:38:59,239 --> 00:38:59,440 Speaker 3: You know. 697 00:39:00,280 --> 00:39:02,080 Speaker 4: Interesting, just something to think about. 698 00:39:02,400 --> 00:39:03,280 Speaker 3: It is interesting. 699 00:39:03,440 --> 00:39:05,600 Speaker 1: We're not going to speculate because we don't want to 700 00:39:05,600 --> 00:39:08,880 Speaker 1: get sued, but it's just something to think about. Interesting 701 00:39:09,000 --> 00:39:11,800 Speaker 1: that some people are getting fired and not other people. 702 00:39:12,480 --> 00:39:14,239 Speaker 3: Well, I think one of the things you've have to 703 00:39:14,239 --> 00:39:16,640 Speaker 3: watch for here, along with a lot of other things 704 00:39:16,680 --> 00:39:20,720 Speaker 3: he's trying to do with these executive orders, is they're 705 00:39:20,760 --> 00:39:24,440 Speaker 3: going to be legal problems for the administration, who they 706 00:39:24,480 --> 00:39:26,400 Speaker 3: do not want to believe that their courts and their 707 00:39:26,480 --> 00:39:30,080 Speaker 3: judges will will do anything against Trump. But there are 708 00:39:30,080 --> 00:39:33,799 Speaker 3: some bright line, black letter legal questions here that are 709 00:39:33,880 --> 00:39:37,600 Speaker 3: not going to be easily waved away on the spectro generals, 710 00:39:37,600 --> 00:39:40,720 Speaker 3: on birthrate, citizenship, and a lot of things both constitutional 711 00:39:40,800 --> 00:39:44,600 Speaker 3: and legislative and statutory requirements that don't go away just 712 00:39:44,640 --> 00:39:46,839 Speaker 3: because Donald Trump's fat ass is city in the oval 713 00:39:46,880 --> 00:39:47,480 Speaker 3: office again. 714 00:39:47,719 --> 00:39:52,560 Speaker 1: And the interesting thing in my mind is Trump has 715 00:39:52,600 --> 00:39:57,200 Speaker 1: immunity forever and ever for everything. But you know who 716 00:39:57,280 --> 00:40:02,480 Speaker 1: doesn't Everyone around him everybody out, so Trump feels even 717 00:40:02,520 --> 00:40:06,000 Speaker 1: more embolden, and that's going to lead to I think 718 00:40:06,080 --> 00:40:08,000 Speaker 1: a lot of people getting in trouble in a way 719 00:40:08,040 --> 00:40:11,239 Speaker 1: that they might not have had he not have that 720 00:40:11,320 --> 00:40:14,040 Speaker 1: same kind of broad sweeping at immun today. 721 00:40:14,520 --> 00:40:17,279 Speaker 3: Yes, and he'll be saying to them, Oh, shut up, 722 00:40:17,320 --> 00:40:19,440 Speaker 3: just do it, I'll pardon you. I think that's not 723 00:40:19,640 --> 00:40:22,160 Speaker 3: really the same. I think that's not really the same 724 00:40:22,280 --> 00:40:25,080 Speaker 3: level of certainty that people want when they're working for 725 00:40:25,120 --> 00:40:26,920 Speaker 3: the president of the United States and potentially going to 726 00:40:27,000 --> 00:40:28,120 Speaker 3: jail for breaking the law. 727 00:40:28,520 --> 00:40:32,560 Speaker 1: Well, I just think we've seen people around Trump be 728 00:40:32,840 --> 00:40:36,080 Speaker 1: very loyal and ultimately end him in jail. 729 00:40:36,719 --> 00:40:41,040 Speaker 3: Well, you know, Roger Stone, Paul Mannifort, a certain ex 730 00:40:41,200 --> 00:40:44,359 Speaker 3: army general, a whole bunch of other people, Gates, all 731 00:40:44,400 --> 00:40:46,480 Speaker 3: these people that were around Trump in the first administration 732 00:40:47,040 --> 00:40:49,960 Speaker 3: ran into a legal buzz sauce, and he pardoned them 733 00:40:50,280 --> 00:40:53,920 Speaker 3: to protect himself from their testimony and from sending them 734 00:40:53,960 --> 00:40:56,560 Speaker 3: to prison for long, long hauls. And he pardoned the 735 00:40:56,640 --> 00:40:59,680 Speaker 3: January sixth idiots because he wants a shock troop army 736 00:40:59,680 --> 00:41:02,160 Speaker 3: out there, people who have already been proven to be 737 00:41:02,200 --> 00:41:04,200 Speaker 3: willing to do violence for him, that he can pardon 738 00:41:04,200 --> 00:41:05,480 Speaker 3: again if they do bad things. 739 00:41:05,840 --> 00:41:10,280 Speaker 1: So pretty interesting stuff. Thank you, Rick Wilson. 740 00:41:10,320 --> 00:41:12,920 Speaker 3: As always, looking forward to being with you again next time. 741 00:41:13,719 --> 00:41:18,080 Speaker 1: That's it for this episode of Fast Politics. Tune in 742 00:41:18,400 --> 00:41:23,840 Speaker 1: every Monday, Wednesday, Thursday and Saturday to hear the best 743 00:41:23,920 --> 00:41:28,239 Speaker 1: minds and politics make sense of all this chaos. If 744 00:41:28,239 --> 00:41:31,320 Speaker 1: you enjoy this podcast, please send it to a friend 745 00:41:31,760 --> 00:41:33,360 Speaker 1: and keep the conversation going. 746 00:41:33,840 --> 00:41:34,960 Speaker 4: Thanks for listening.