1 00:00:00,160 --> 00:00:03,360 Speaker 1: I'm thrilled today to be joined by great American patriot, 2 00:00:04,000 --> 00:00:10,760 Speaker 1: Ezra Eleven, the co executive director and founder of Indivisible. Indivisible, 3 00:00:10,840 --> 00:00:16,919 Speaker 1: of course, is the organization that will one day have 4 00:00:17,400 --> 00:00:25,200 Speaker 1: more than a few cases on display at the Smithsonian, 5 00:00:26,400 --> 00:00:32,120 Speaker 1: an organization that you started that this weekend is going 6 00:00:32,240 --> 00:00:37,559 Speaker 1: to what's the number across the country d that you 7 00:00:37,680 --> 00:00:40,639 Speaker 1: think is going to be here? How many Americans are 8 00:00:40,640 --> 00:00:41,240 Speaker 1: going to be out? 9 00:00:41,680 --> 00:00:45,040 Speaker 2: Well, there are more than twenty seven hundred events that 10 00:00:45,080 --> 00:00:49,000 Speaker 2: we're seeing registered right now, and it is just gosh, 11 00:00:49,159 --> 00:00:52,479 Speaker 2: see that it is a historic number. This is the 12 00:00:52,600 --> 00:00:56,040 Speaker 2: largest peaceful protest in modern American history. I can say 13 00:00:56,040 --> 00:00:59,120 Speaker 2: that with some confidence, and I appreciate the credit. It's 14 00:00:59,160 --> 00:01:02,080 Speaker 2: not just me, It's not just Indivisible. There are two 15 00:01:02,160 --> 00:01:07,600 Speaker 2: hundred plus organizations that are involved, and more importantly, thousands 16 00:01:07,720 --> 00:01:13,080 Speaker 2: upon thousands of people, normal everyday Americans, nurses and waiters 17 00:01:13,120 --> 00:01:17,199 Speaker 2: and IT technicians and teachers who are leading this movement 18 00:01:17,240 --> 00:01:20,520 Speaker 2: on the ground. This is not led from some top 19 00:01:20,720 --> 00:01:24,400 Speaker 2: down structure. This is led by people who looked around, 20 00:01:24,840 --> 00:01:26,880 Speaker 2: saw the shit that was going down, and said, well, 21 00:01:26,920 --> 00:01:29,320 Speaker 2: I've got to do something. And what they did is 22 00:01:29,319 --> 00:01:31,680 Speaker 2: they've brought a few friends together and formed their indivisible 23 00:01:31,680 --> 00:01:34,280 Speaker 2: group where they looked at the map for no Kings 24 00:01:34,319 --> 00:01:36,600 Speaker 2: and said, well, why isn't there one in my neighborhood. 25 00:01:36,840 --> 00:01:39,119 Speaker 2: We should have it, and they brought it together. That's 26 00:01:39,160 --> 00:01:42,080 Speaker 2: where the real leadership is coming from right now. 27 00:01:43,520 --> 00:01:49,120 Speaker 1: The first two no Kings date protests did not draw 28 00:01:49,320 --> 00:01:55,120 Speaker 1: the condemnations that you're seeing from the senior MAGA leaders. 29 00:01:55,160 --> 00:02:01,000 Speaker 1: If memory serve, so, is this your first time being 30 00:02:01,040 --> 00:02:04,640 Speaker 1: denounced as an enemy of the state by the nation 31 00:02:04,960 --> 00:02:06,440 Speaker 1: senior politicians? 32 00:02:06,760 --> 00:02:08,440 Speaker 2: Well, I don't know if it's the first time, but 33 00:02:08,480 --> 00:02:11,480 Speaker 2: it's certainly the most public and gotten the most attention. 34 00:02:11,880 --> 00:02:14,120 Speaker 2: What do they say, Steve, First they ignore you, then 35 00:02:14,200 --> 00:02:16,120 Speaker 2: they fight you. Where at first they ignore you, then 36 00:02:16,120 --> 00:02:17,720 Speaker 2: they laugh at you, then they fight you. Then you win. 37 00:02:18,160 --> 00:02:21,320 Speaker 2: We're one step from winning, Steve. They're not ignoring, they're 38 00:02:21,320 --> 00:02:24,120 Speaker 2: not laughing, They're pushing back. And it's because there is 39 00:02:24,320 --> 00:02:30,880 Speaker 2: nothing that authoritarians fear more than peaceful, concentrated, forceful people power. 40 00:02:31,160 --> 00:02:34,160 Speaker 2: That's what they are afraid of. They want you to 41 00:02:34,160 --> 00:02:36,840 Speaker 2: believe that you're alone, that I'm alone, that they are 42 00:02:36,880 --> 00:02:39,720 Speaker 2: all powerful, that they're inevitable, that there's no point in 43 00:02:39,720 --> 00:02:42,480 Speaker 2: standing up, because if you do, they'll crack down on you. 44 00:02:42,840 --> 00:02:45,440 Speaker 2: And the way we win is by showing there more 45 00:02:45,480 --> 00:02:47,640 Speaker 2: of us than there are of them, by organizing, and 46 00:02:47,680 --> 00:02:50,600 Speaker 2: by pushing back because in America, we don't do kings. 47 00:02:50,880 --> 00:02:54,040 Speaker 2: And as they denounce me, as they announce Indivisible, as 48 00:02:54,080 --> 00:02:56,840 Speaker 2: they denounce the protests that are happening on Saturday. One 49 00:02:56,840 --> 00:03:00,720 Speaker 2: thing you'll note they rarely say no kings because they 50 00:03:00,800 --> 00:03:04,080 Speaker 2: can't say that because anybody who would hear that would say, well, 51 00:03:04,120 --> 00:03:05,800 Speaker 2: what the hell's the problem with that? We don't do 52 00:03:05,880 --> 00:03:08,360 Speaker 2: things here. That sounds like a fine protest to me. 53 00:03:09,320 --> 00:03:13,760 Speaker 2: So I mostly laugh at it as free publicity from 54 00:03:13,800 --> 00:03:16,640 Speaker 2: people who understand the power that we're building here. And 55 00:03:16,720 --> 00:03:18,920 Speaker 2: also I do take it seriously because they're trying to 56 00:03:19,240 --> 00:03:21,959 Speaker 2: dissuade people from exercising their First Amendment rights, and that's 57 00:03:22,000 --> 00:03:24,560 Speaker 2: not something that I take lightly. I think the best 58 00:03:24,560 --> 00:03:27,000 Speaker 2: way to defend our First Amendment rights is by exercising them, 59 00:03:27,040 --> 00:03:28,520 Speaker 2: and we're going to have millions of people doing just 60 00:03:28,560 --> 00:03:29,359 Speaker 2: that on Saturday. 61 00:03:30,600 --> 00:03:34,679 Speaker 1: You're going to have millions and millions of Americans out there, 62 00:03:34,720 --> 00:03:36,680 Speaker 1: and I think that one of the things that's so 63 00:03:36,760 --> 00:03:41,960 Speaker 1: important about this moment is to realize and give consideration 64 00:03:42,240 --> 00:03:49,200 Speaker 1: to the psychological effects of isolation. That when you look 65 00:03:49,280 --> 00:03:53,920 Speaker 1: at Trump and the ubiquity of his presence on television, 66 00:03:54,920 --> 00:04:00,560 Speaker 1: the sinister aspects of it, when you look at the 67 00:04:00,560 --> 00:04:04,440 Speaker 1: the production of this sick, twisted show by all the 68 00:04:04,800 --> 00:04:09,360 Speaker 1: media networks, that there are so many people out there 69 00:04:09,560 --> 00:04:14,880 Speaker 1: who think that no one stands with them and with 70 00:04:15,040 --> 00:04:19,400 Speaker 1: the country, and that's all going to be disproven in 71 00:04:19,440 --> 00:04:24,359 Speaker 1: a very shattering way and a very jarring way on 72 00:04:24,839 --> 00:04:25,839 Speaker 1: Odds Saturday. 73 00:04:27,000 --> 00:04:30,640 Speaker 2: Look, Trump is a showman and he's good at it. 74 00:04:30,800 --> 00:04:34,000 Speaker 2: He is good at getting attention. He is a skilled 75 00:04:34,440 --> 00:04:38,320 Speaker 2: show business guy. And one of the things he just 76 00:04:38,360 --> 00:04:42,200 Speaker 2: can't stand is not being the center of attention. When 77 00:04:42,200 --> 00:04:44,080 Speaker 2: we did the first Note Kings on June fourteenth, that 78 00:04:44,120 --> 00:04:46,719 Speaker 2: was Flag Day, it was Trump's seventy ninth birthday. It 79 00:04:46,800 --> 00:04:49,160 Speaker 2: was the day that he was planning to hold this 80 00:04:49,520 --> 00:04:53,120 Speaker 2: ridiculous military birthday parade for himself, and his goal was 81 00:04:53,160 --> 00:04:56,120 Speaker 2: to look like a Sean man. So why why is 82 00:04:56,160 --> 00:04:59,400 Speaker 2: that the goal of an authoritarian? Because he's not operating 83 00:04:59,440 --> 00:05:01,600 Speaker 2: from a place of strength. He is implementing one of 84 00:05:01,680 --> 00:05:05,679 Speaker 2: the least popular policy agendas in American history. His approval 85 00:05:05,760 --> 00:05:09,200 Speaker 2: numbers are in the toilet. His Congress is fracturing under 86 00:05:09,240 --> 00:05:11,960 Speaker 2: the pressure of right now, a unified Democratic Congress pushing 87 00:05:12,000 --> 00:05:14,880 Speaker 2: back against them for this budget bill. He knows the 88 00:05:14,920 --> 00:05:17,520 Speaker 2: time is ticking on his grip on power, so he 89 00:05:17,600 --> 00:05:21,120 Speaker 2: is lashing out. He needs to project strength when we 90 00:05:21,200 --> 00:05:24,000 Speaker 2: come together and say, whoa, whoa, whoa, whoa, whoa. We 91 00:05:24,040 --> 00:05:27,600 Speaker 2: don't support a secret police forced terrorizing communities. We don't 92 00:05:27,640 --> 00:05:31,080 Speaker 2: support the invasion and occupation of American cities. We don't 93 00:05:31,080 --> 00:05:35,240 Speaker 2: support our healthcare premium skyrocking by double that's not what 94 00:05:35,400 --> 00:05:39,719 Speaker 2: we want. Stop this. We can build an enormous tint 95 00:05:39,839 --> 00:05:42,560 Speaker 2: that says we might not agree on everything, but we 96 00:05:42,640 --> 00:05:45,320 Speaker 2: agree we don't do kings in America, and that you're right. 97 00:05:45,360 --> 00:05:49,360 Speaker 2: The psychological impact of making clear to folks in red states, 98 00:05:49,440 --> 00:05:52,080 Speaker 2: in blue states, in rural areas, in suburban areas, in 99 00:05:52,160 --> 00:05:55,279 Speaker 2: deepest red country, we have twenty seven hundred events, it's 100 00:05:55,360 --> 00:05:59,320 Speaker 2: everywhere that you might not agree on everything, but we 101 00:05:59,360 --> 00:06:01,360 Speaker 2: can agree on that, and we're coming out because we're 102 00:06:01,360 --> 00:06:03,520 Speaker 2: not afraid to make our voices heard. That's how you 103 00:06:03,600 --> 00:06:07,240 Speaker 2: build an effective movement against authoritarianism. That's the way it's 104 00:06:07,279 --> 00:06:09,440 Speaker 2: worked all around the world. When it has. 105 00:06:09,360 --> 00:06:13,960 Speaker 1: Worked, How do you see this going from here? So 106 00:06:14,320 --> 00:06:19,800 Speaker 1: let's say that you have an eight figure amount of 107 00:06:19,960 --> 00:06:25,760 Speaker 1: people out on the streets, we're moving into autumn, to 108 00:06:26,400 --> 00:06:28,520 Speaker 1: winner and to spring. 109 00:06:28,600 --> 00:06:30,200 Speaker 2: When when is the next one? 110 00:06:30,800 --> 00:06:34,479 Speaker 1: When? When? How do you how do you see the 111 00:06:34,480 --> 00:06:35,920 Speaker 1: the rhythm of the season? 112 00:06:36,480 --> 00:06:40,000 Speaker 2: This is the question. So there are two ways to 113 00:06:40,080 --> 00:06:43,640 Speaker 2: judge the success of a protest like this, and one 114 00:06:43,720 --> 00:06:45,880 Speaker 2: is do you bust through? Do you have an historic 115 00:06:45,960 --> 00:06:48,440 Speaker 2: number of people out? Are new people coming out? Do 116 00:06:48,520 --> 00:06:51,680 Speaker 2: you break through beyond just the activist classes? It become 117 00:06:51,720 --> 00:06:55,200 Speaker 2: a cultural moment? Are are you? Are you defining the 118 00:06:55,279 --> 00:06:57,920 Speaker 2: air in some way by showing up in these numbers. 119 00:06:57,920 --> 00:07:01,120 Speaker 2: That's one, you get a new people out, But the 120 00:07:01,200 --> 00:07:03,919 Speaker 2: second is really important to mate the second measure of 121 00:07:03,920 --> 00:07:09,200 Speaker 2: success because any individual protest is a tactic. Steve it 122 00:07:09,279 --> 00:07:13,000 Speaker 2: is a tactic. You do not win with just a tactic. 123 00:07:13,320 --> 00:07:16,200 Speaker 2: It's got to fit into a broader strategy that helps 124 00:07:16,240 --> 00:07:19,200 Speaker 2: you achieve your goal. And our goal is to prevent 125 00:07:19,240 --> 00:07:24,440 Speaker 2: the slide into authoritarianism, to fracture the authoritarian coalition, retake power, 126 00:07:24,480 --> 00:07:28,080 Speaker 2: and usher in an era of reform. And accountability. That's 127 00:07:28,080 --> 00:07:32,280 Speaker 2: where we're heading now. The way we accomplish that is 128 00:07:32,520 --> 00:07:35,120 Speaker 2: through a lot of different tactics. And this is what 129 00:07:35,560 --> 00:07:38,560 Speaker 2: when I think of the success of this movement, what 130 00:07:38,640 --> 00:07:42,360 Speaker 2: I'm looking for is not that tomorrow suddenly the horrors 131 00:07:42,480 --> 00:07:45,960 Speaker 2: of this regime in. That's not a realistic measure of success. 132 00:07:46,240 --> 00:07:50,160 Speaker 2: One of the really dangerous parts about an authoritarian overreach 133 00:07:50,240 --> 00:07:53,000 Speaker 2: moment is they're going to do a lot of damage 134 00:07:53,040 --> 00:07:54,680 Speaker 2: every single day, and we're not going to be able 135 00:07:54,720 --> 00:07:57,600 Speaker 2: to stop every part of it. They are doing damage 136 00:07:57,600 --> 00:08:00,640 Speaker 2: every day. And this is why I think of our 137 00:08:00,720 --> 00:08:04,280 Speaker 2: enemy as not being this president. It's not Trump, it's 138 00:08:04,280 --> 00:08:06,920 Speaker 2: not the regime. It's not Maggot, it's not Republicans, it's 139 00:08:06,960 --> 00:08:10,280 Speaker 2: not Democrats who refuse to fight back. Those are opponents 140 00:08:10,480 --> 00:08:12,360 Speaker 2: in this fight from time to time. They're not the enemy. 141 00:08:12,440 --> 00:08:17,880 Speaker 2: The real enemy is nihilism and fatalism and cynicism about 142 00:08:17,920 --> 00:08:20,240 Speaker 2: the system, a sense that there's nothing we can do, 143 00:08:20,600 --> 00:08:23,480 Speaker 2: so why should we even bother. When you talk to 144 00:08:23,480 --> 00:08:28,720 Speaker 2: authoritarian experts, what they say is the measure of success 145 00:08:28,760 --> 00:08:31,160 Speaker 2: for a movement like this is one, are you bigger 146 00:08:31,160 --> 00:08:32,000 Speaker 2: than you were before? 147 00:08:32,240 --> 00:08:32,440 Speaker 1: Two? 148 00:08:32,840 --> 00:08:35,840 Speaker 2: Are you more unified? Than where you were before. Three 149 00:08:36,040 --> 00:08:39,760 Speaker 2: are your tactics prolifering? Are you doing different stuff than 150 00:08:39,800 --> 00:08:42,559 Speaker 2: you were before? And four? Is the regime less popular 151 00:08:42,600 --> 00:08:45,120 Speaker 2: than it was before? That's how we need to measure 152 00:08:45,120 --> 00:08:47,559 Speaker 2: a success. And I can tell you are we bigger 153 00:08:47,559 --> 00:08:49,880 Speaker 2: than we were before? Yes? Are we more unified? Yes? 154 00:08:49,960 --> 00:08:52,560 Speaker 2: Are we doing new stuff? Yes? And is this regime 155 00:08:52,600 --> 00:08:55,360 Speaker 2: less popular? Yes? Where do we go from here? We 156 00:08:55,400 --> 00:08:57,760 Speaker 2: need to get bigger, we need to do more things, 157 00:08:57,800 --> 00:09:01,040 Speaker 2: and we need to continue unifying our side and fracturing theirs. 158 00:09:01,360 --> 00:09:03,720 Speaker 2: I take inspiration from what we accomplished with Disney and 159 00:09:03,760 --> 00:09:05,960 Speaker 2: ABC News and Kimel. So when I think of what 160 00:09:06,040 --> 00:09:08,280 Speaker 2: happens next, Yeah, there are going to be more single 161 00:09:08,320 --> 00:09:10,840 Speaker 2: day protests. There will probably be a no Kings Day three. 162 00:09:10,960 --> 00:09:13,280 Speaker 2: I look forward to it. But I'm more interested in 163 00:09:13,440 --> 00:09:17,160 Speaker 2: what are the immediate opportunities to combine our power and 164 00:09:17,280 --> 00:09:21,760 Speaker 2: push the pillars of democracy. Businesses, universities, media institutions to 165 00:09:21,960 --> 00:09:25,319 Speaker 2: recognize there's a counter bailing force out there and there 166 00:09:25,320 --> 00:09:27,760 Speaker 2: are going to be consequences if they buckle to this 167 00:09:27,800 --> 00:09:30,240 Speaker 2: regime's pressure. I think we did it with Disney. We 168 00:09:30,320 --> 00:09:31,600 Speaker 2: need to be on the lookout for how we can 169 00:09:31,600 --> 00:09:34,400 Speaker 2: do it again. And that's that's where I'm excited to go. 170 00:09:34,559 --> 00:09:36,840 Speaker 2: Not just another protest in a month or two months, 171 00:09:37,040 --> 00:09:39,560 Speaker 2: but how are we using our collective pressure now? 172 00:09:40,160 --> 00:09:43,440 Speaker 3: I'm Steve Schmidt. This is the warning. I invite you 173 00:09:43,480 --> 00:09:46,720 Speaker 3: to join this community where I promise to be honest, 174 00:09:47,040 --> 00:09:50,640 Speaker 3: blunt and direct about what is happening in this country. 175 00:09:50,840 --> 00:09:55,240 Speaker 3: America is in crisis. Follow and subscribe to this channel 176 00:09:55,320 --> 00:09:56,920 Speaker 3: and on substack. Thank you.