1 00:00:01,680 --> 00:00:07,160 Speaker 1: Also media, Welcome to another episode if it can happen here. 2 00:00:07,360 --> 00:00:10,600 Speaker 1: I am your guest co host Bridget Todd, host of 3 00:00:10,640 --> 00:00:11,840 Speaker 1: There Are No Girls on the Internet. 4 00:00:12,240 --> 00:00:13,120 Speaker 2: I'm joined by the. 5 00:00:13,080 --> 00:00:17,840 Speaker 1: Lovely Molly, host of award winning podcast on Pool Zone, 6 00:00:18,120 --> 00:00:19,040 Speaker 1: Weird Little Guys. 7 00:00:19,480 --> 00:00:21,160 Speaker 2: Molly, how you doing great? 8 00:00:21,200 --> 00:00:22,960 Speaker 3: Glad to be here in bridget Okay. 9 00:00:23,040 --> 00:00:25,480 Speaker 1: So I wish we were here to talk about all 10 00:00:25,520 --> 00:00:28,640 Speaker 1: the exciting stuff going on in your life. But I 11 00:00:28,640 --> 00:00:30,840 Speaker 1: wanted to bring this topic to the it could happen 12 00:00:30,880 --> 00:00:32,560 Speaker 1: here audience because I live. 13 00:00:32,479 --> 00:00:33,120 Speaker 2: In the district. 14 00:00:33,320 --> 00:00:35,239 Speaker 1: I know you're a Virginia Gail, so you might know 15 00:00:35,280 --> 00:00:36,920 Speaker 1: a little bit more about how it works in the 16 00:00:36,920 --> 00:00:39,519 Speaker 1: district than your average person. But I don't know that 17 00:00:39,560 --> 00:00:43,559 Speaker 1: people really understand what is happening to residents of the 18 00:00:43,560 --> 00:00:46,520 Speaker 1: District of Columbia like myself. So I live in DC, 19 00:00:46,640 --> 00:00:48,600 Speaker 1: I've lived here for most of my life. I have 20 00:00:48,680 --> 00:00:51,000 Speaker 1: a lot of like hometown pride. This is not just 21 00:00:51,040 --> 00:00:53,800 Speaker 1: where I happen to live. It's like my city, my home. 22 00:00:53,840 --> 00:00:54,560 Speaker 2: Do you know what I mean? 23 00:00:54,760 --> 00:00:58,240 Speaker 3: And you don't have representation, It's true, right, It's something 24 00:00:58,280 --> 00:00:59,640 Speaker 3: that infuriates me. 25 00:00:59,680 --> 00:01:01,840 Speaker 1: And so so you know, the first thing to know 26 00:01:01,920 --> 00:01:04,000 Speaker 1: about DC is that it's not a state. So that 27 00:01:04,080 --> 00:01:07,880 Speaker 1: means that what happens federally has a huge impact on 28 00:01:07,959 --> 00:01:10,600 Speaker 1: the day to day minutia of the life of people 29 00:01:10,680 --> 00:01:12,600 Speaker 1: like me who live in the district. If you don't 30 00:01:12,640 --> 00:01:15,319 Speaker 1: live in the district, when it comes to decisions about 31 00:01:15,319 --> 00:01:19,800 Speaker 1: how your like local tax dollars are spent, that usually 32 00:01:19,840 --> 00:01:22,399 Speaker 1: lies with like your state and local leaders. That's not 33 00:01:22,480 --> 00:01:24,759 Speaker 1: really the case for me and the other like over 34 00:01:24,880 --> 00:01:27,920 Speaker 1: half a million residents of the district. All of this 35 00:01:27,959 --> 00:01:29,920 Speaker 1: has made worse but the fact that we are essentially 36 00:01:30,000 --> 00:01:33,240 Speaker 1: disenfranchised just like you said, right, all of this stuff 37 00:01:33,319 --> 00:01:35,520 Speaker 1: is playing out in our home, like all of these 38 00:01:35,560 --> 00:01:38,360 Speaker 1: big national conversations are happening in our own backyard, and 39 00:01:38,480 --> 00:01:42,160 Speaker 1: we arguably have less electoral power and agency because we 40 00:01:42,200 --> 00:01:42,800 Speaker 1: aren't a state. 41 00:01:43,240 --> 00:01:45,280 Speaker 2: Fun fact, DC residents only. 42 00:01:45,120 --> 00:01:47,520 Speaker 1: Got the right to vote in nineteen sixty one in 43 00:01:47,560 --> 00:01:51,840 Speaker 1: presidential elections. What I know, Like I didn't know that 44 00:01:51,920 --> 00:01:54,000 Speaker 1: we have not been voting in presidential elections for very 45 00:01:54,000 --> 00:01:55,920 Speaker 1: long when you think about it, in the fullness of time. 46 00:01:56,880 --> 00:01:59,600 Speaker 1: So when people are like, oh, you know, call your 47 00:01:59,640 --> 00:02:02,640 Speaker 1: congress person, call you're lesson official to oppose X y 48 00:02:02,800 --> 00:02:06,720 Speaker 1: Z we really have like nobody to call our congressional representative, 49 00:02:06,760 --> 00:02:09,519 Speaker 1: Eleanor Holmes. Norton cannot vote on bills that are being 50 00:02:09,560 --> 00:02:12,040 Speaker 1: considered by the full House, and so we really just 51 00:02:12,200 --> 00:02:14,799 Speaker 1: like don't have us say whenever those big campaigns are 52 00:02:14,800 --> 00:02:16,320 Speaker 1: going on. I'm like, oh, it must be nice to 53 00:02:16,320 --> 00:02:18,720 Speaker 1: have even if that person ignores you, it must be 54 00:02:18,800 --> 00:02:20,240 Speaker 1: nice to have someone you can call. 55 00:02:20,520 --> 00:02:23,720 Speaker 3: Wouldn't know, it always seems disrespectful to be like, oh, yeah, 56 00:02:23,720 --> 00:02:26,120 Speaker 3: you guys, you guys have a representative. But it doesn't 57 00:02:26,120 --> 00:02:29,120 Speaker 3: do anything exactly. It's just vibes. 58 00:02:29,520 --> 00:02:30,520 Speaker 2: It's just vibes. 59 00:02:31,360 --> 00:02:34,400 Speaker 1: So all of this matters for Trump's return to my 60 00:02:34,440 --> 00:02:38,040 Speaker 1: hometown because as President, Trump has a lot more authority 61 00:02:38,080 --> 00:02:40,880 Speaker 1: to dictate how things are run locally for DC residents 62 00:02:40,880 --> 00:02:43,520 Speaker 1: like myself. You know, we all know that the Trump 63 00:02:43,560 --> 00:02:46,480 Speaker 1: administration is hell bent on making all of our lives worse. 64 00:02:46,760 --> 00:02:49,359 Speaker 1: But imagine if Trump was also in charge of how 65 00:02:49,440 --> 00:02:52,880 Speaker 1: your local police force in your city policed your city, 66 00:02:52,960 --> 00:02:53,920 Speaker 1: Like that would. 67 00:02:53,760 --> 00:02:56,400 Speaker 3: Be horrible, right, that sounds a good nightmare. 68 00:02:56,320 --> 00:02:59,560 Speaker 1: And that is that threat is like literally the reality 69 00:02:59,560 --> 00:03:03,760 Speaker 1: that we are here in DC. So there's been some 70 00:03:03,840 --> 00:03:07,239 Speaker 1: pretty big changes this time around in the Trump administration. 71 00:03:07,360 --> 00:03:11,080 Speaker 1: During his first administration, I feel like Trump largely ignored DC, 72 00:03:11,320 --> 00:03:12,960 Speaker 1: like he would pick a fight every now and then, 73 00:03:13,280 --> 00:03:15,320 Speaker 1: but he didn't really seem to meddle and how DC 74 00:03:15,600 --> 00:03:18,200 Speaker 1: was run like locally, that does not mean that he 75 00:03:18,280 --> 00:03:21,200 Speaker 1: was not like out in the district doing terrible things, 76 00:03:21,200 --> 00:03:24,760 Speaker 1: which he very much was. You might recall in twenty twenty, 77 00:03:25,120 --> 00:03:27,680 Speaker 1: during the racial Justice uprisings in the wake of George 78 00:03:27,680 --> 00:03:31,600 Speaker 1: Floyd's death, Trump cleared protesters using chemical agents so that 79 00:03:31,639 --> 00:03:33,840 Speaker 1: he could go out in front of Saint John's Church. 80 00:03:33,680 --> 00:03:36,840 Speaker 3: And like post upside down Bible, side down Bible. Remember 81 00:03:36,840 --> 00:03:38,720 Speaker 3: that distressing. 82 00:03:39,840 --> 00:03:41,800 Speaker 2: It was distressing. I was there that. 83 00:03:41,880 --> 00:03:47,000 Speaker 1: Day, and I'll say, like it was like genuinely very excessive. 84 00:03:47,520 --> 00:03:49,400 Speaker 1: I'm not going to get into the nitty gritty of it, 85 00:03:49,480 --> 00:03:52,280 Speaker 1: but in the after mess of that event, internal reports 86 00:03:52,320 --> 00:03:54,640 Speaker 1: made it clear that like it wasn't exactly clear what 87 00:03:54,760 --> 00:03:57,480 Speaker 1: happened and under what authority, Like was it DC's local 88 00:03:57,640 --> 00:04:01,640 Speaker 1: police force, Metropolitan PD, was it Park Police? Like It 89 00:04:01,720 --> 00:04:06,120 Speaker 1: really underscored the tensions of DC locally versus the federal government. 90 00:04:06,320 --> 00:04:08,720 Speaker 3: And it doesn't help that there's half a dozen different 91 00:04:08,760 --> 00:04:11,520 Speaker 3: police forces operating on any given block of d C. 92 00:04:11,760 --> 00:04:15,440 Speaker 1: Oh my god, girl, Like you genuinely never know when 93 00:04:15,480 --> 00:04:18,920 Speaker 1: you see flashing blue and red lights, you genuinely is like, 94 00:04:18,960 --> 00:04:21,800 Speaker 1: this could be federal, Like this could be federal. 95 00:04:21,839 --> 00:04:24,440 Speaker 3: You never know if I just committed a federal traffic 96 00:04:24,520 --> 00:04:25,719 Speaker 3: violation exactly. 97 00:04:26,480 --> 00:04:29,480 Speaker 1: And so the New York Times actually described that event 98 00:04:29,800 --> 00:04:32,800 Speaker 1: as quote a burst of violence unlike any scene in 99 00:04:32,800 --> 00:04:35,880 Speaker 1: the shadow of the White House in generations, and possibly 100 00:04:36,160 --> 00:04:38,400 Speaker 1: one of the defining moments of the Trump presidency. And 101 00:04:38,440 --> 00:04:41,640 Speaker 1: so I remember that as like a moment that played 102 00:04:41,680 --> 00:04:43,600 Speaker 1: out nationally, but also it. 103 00:04:43,560 --> 00:04:45,560 Speaker 2: Felt very local and like I think it. 104 00:04:45,600 --> 00:04:50,720 Speaker 1: Underscored how we really felt the impacts of how militarized 105 00:04:50,720 --> 00:04:54,400 Speaker 1: the city could locally get during Trump's first administration. 106 00:04:54,480 --> 00:04:56,880 Speaker 2: So that was like something that really sticks out to me. 107 00:04:57,560 --> 00:05:00,320 Speaker 3: I mean, I I rarely visit d C because I'm 108 00:05:00,560 --> 00:05:03,080 Speaker 3: afraid of traffic, Like just the act of driving to 109 00:05:03,240 --> 00:05:05,640 Speaker 3: through northern Virginia too yet to d C is too 110 00:05:05,640 --> 00:05:07,960 Speaker 3: frightening for me, So I try not to go. But 111 00:05:08,160 --> 00:05:10,400 Speaker 3: I think people who don't live in the area don't 112 00:05:10,400 --> 00:05:12,440 Speaker 3: think of DC as a place where people live. They 113 00:05:12,440 --> 00:05:14,880 Speaker 3: don't think of it as anyone's home, right It's like 114 00:05:15,120 --> 00:05:17,960 Speaker 3: Congress lives there, the laws live there, but like a 115 00:05:18,000 --> 00:05:20,840 Speaker 3: lot of people live there, people who have nothing to 116 00:05:20,880 --> 00:05:23,760 Speaker 3: do with the federal government, mostly a lot of black people. Honestly, 117 00:05:24,200 --> 00:05:24,599 Speaker 3: I mean. 118 00:05:24,520 --> 00:05:26,880 Speaker 1: DC used to be called chocolate City for a reason. 119 00:05:26,960 --> 00:05:30,240 Speaker 1: These things were more like like a latte city. But exactly, 120 00:05:30,640 --> 00:05:35,040 Speaker 1: I can confirm that people don't think of the you know, 121 00:05:35,160 --> 00:05:38,080 Speaker 1: over half a million DC residents who have nothing to 122 00:05:38,120 --> 00:05:40,719 Speaker 1: do with the federal government, sometimes who nothing with politics, 123 00:05:40,760 --> 00:05:43,159 Speaker 1: who justike live here and is our home, Like I 124 00:05:43,279 --> 00:05:45,560 Speaker 1: was born in DC, like this is I didn't just 125 00:05:45,640 --> 00:05:48,320 Speaker 1: you know, move here to work in politics, like my 126 00:05:48,400 --> 00:05:50,440 Speaker 1: family can be traced back to our roots in the 127 00:05:50,480 --> 00:05:53,599 Speaker 1: district through generations. And so I have a be in 128 00:05:53,640 --> 00:05:57,440 Speaker 1: my bonnet about this because I feel very unseen, and 129 00:05:57,480 --> 00:05:59,599 Speaker 1: I think the way that the Trump administration is playing out, 130 00:06:00,240 --> 00:06:05,160 Speaker 1: I feel like the reporting really can sometimes overlook the 131 00:06:05,200 --> 00:06:07,400 Speaker 1: way that this is playing out in the lie the 132 00:06:07,440 --> 00:06:11,240 Speaker 1: life of your average you know, DC resident who might 133 00:06:11,279 --> 00:06:12,919 Speaker 1: have nothing to do with politics or you know, the 134 00:06:12,920 --> 00:06:14,080 Speaker 1: federal government. 135 00:06:13,920 --> 00:06:15,760 Speaker 3: Like seventh graders trying to get to middle school. 136 00:06:16,000 --> 00:06:20,800 Speaker 1: Exactly that exactly that so during Trump's first administration, after 137 00:06:20,880 --> 00:06:22,880 Speaker 1: the incident at Saint John's Church. 138 00:06:23,600 --> 00:06:27,080 Speaker 3: Our mayor, DC's Mayor, Muriel Bowser. She's still the mayor. 139 00:06:27,160 --> 00:06:30,240 Speaker 2: She's still the mayor. She's still the mayor. She's old 140 00:06:30,320 --> 00:06:30,880 Speaker 2: and strong. 141 00:06:32,600 --> 00:06:36,200 Speaker 1: She erected what became known as Black Lives Matter Plaza, 142 00:06:36,480 --> 00:06:39,520 Speaker 1: where she wrote black Lives Matter in like big yellow 143 00:06:39,640 --> 00:06:40,960 Speaker 1: letters outside of the White House. 144 00:06:41,000 --> 00:06:41,479 Speaker 2: You remember this. 145 00:06:42,040 --> 00:06:44,640 Speaker 3: I've had some unpleasant experiences in that zone. 146 00:06:44,720 --> 00:06:47,880 Speaker 2: Yes, yes, you and me both. This could be a 147 00:06:47,880 --> 00:06:48,800 Speaker 2: separate conversation. 148 00:06:49,400 --> 00:06:51,560 Speaker 1: And so I will say when she did that, it 149 00:06:51,680 --> 00:06:54,000 Speaker 1: was largely like a symbolic move, and a lot of 150 00:06:54,040 --> 00:06:56,640 Speaker 1: DC activists thought the mayor was kind of co opting 151 00:06:56,720 --> 00:06:59,720 Speaker 1: or racial justice ethos that she didn't really embody and practice. 152 00:07:00,120 --> 00:07:02,479 Speaker 1: But I do think that that really is at the 153 00:07:02,520 --> 00:07:06,560 Speaker 1: tone for the mayor's relationship with Trump during his first term. 154 00:07:06,600 --> 00:07:08,680 Speaker 1: Like she was defiant, she was someone who was going 155 00:07:08,720 --> 00:07:11,920 Speaker 1: to stand up to him publicly. And something to know 156 00:07:12,360 --> 00:07:15,320 Speaker 1: about DC's Mayor Muriel Bauser is that she kinda. 157 00:07:15,240 --> 00:07:16,320 Speaker 2: Has two modes. 158 00:07:16,680 --> 00:07:20,080 Speaker 1: Defiant like the version of herself that painted Black Lives 159 00:07:20,120 --> 00:07:23,040 Speaker 1: Matter outside of the Trump White House, and then sort 160 00:07:23,040 --> 00:07:25,720 Speaker 1: of diplomatic, right, like somebody who like wants to find 161 00:07:25,760 --> 00:07:28,520 Speaker 1: common ground, which I think is the is the version 162 00:07:28,560 --> 00:07:30,640 Speaker 1: of her that we're seeing this time around that is 163 00:07:30,760 --> 00:07:33,720 Speaker 1: very different than how she was the last time around, 164 00:07:33,720 --> 00:07:37,080 Speaker 1: Like she started trump second term sort of counting the 165 00:07:37,120 --> 00:07:39,240 Speaker 1: goals they have in common, and like she met with 166 00:07:39,320 --> 00:07:42,400 Speaker 1: him even before he was in office. And so I 167 00:07:42,440 --> 00:07:45,160 Speaker 1: have a lot of critiques about DC's marriage, like anybody 168 00:07:45,160 --> 00:07:46,360 Speaker 1: would have their political leader. 169 00:07:46,600 --> 00:07:47,440 Speaker 2: But I do think it is. 170 00:07:47,400 --> 00:07:51,640 Speaker 1: Important that folks understand that she is navigating something that 171 00:07:51,720 --> 00:07:54,840 Speaker 1: literally no other lected official in the United States has 172 00:07:54,920 --> 00:07:58,040 Speaker 1: to because of DC's lack of statehood. Like we our 173 00:07:58,080 --> 00:08:01,120 Speaker 1: city is uniquely threatened by Trump, and she knows this, 174 00:08:01,240 --> 00:08:03,960 Speaker 1: and Trump knows this, and so she really has to 175 00:08:04,000 --> 00:08:07,840 Speaker 1: like walk a tight rope, greased and shit if you will. 176 00:08:08,560 --> 00:08:12,720 Speaker 1: She's like navigating this public relationship with an unstable, lying 177 00:08:12,880 --> 00:08:15,200 Speaker 1: fascist and has to do so in a way that's 178 00:08:15,240 --> 00:08:17,320 Speaker 1: going to end up with like what's best for the city. 179 00:08:17,400 --> 00:08:18,840 Speaker 2: So you could say whatever you want. 180 00:08:18,680 --> 00:08:21,640 Speaker 1: About mayor Bouser, like I certainly do, but this is 181 00:08:21,720 --> 00:08:24,120 Speaker 1: a complicated thing to navigate. 182 00:08:24,760 --> 00:08:26,720 Speaker 2: I do not advocate. 183 00:08:26,280 --> 00:08:30,400 Speaker 1: For anybody complying in advance with a fascist, but in 184 00:08:30,440 --> 00:08:33,600 Speaker 1: this situation, I do think it's fair to ask life 185 00:08:33,600 --> 00:08:36,760 Speaker 1: well would being defiant toward Trump make things worse for 186 00:08:36,840 --> 00:08:37,839 Speaker 1: DC residents like. 187 00:08:37,760 --> 00:08:40,280 Speaker 3: Myself, but it results in martial law in the city. 188 00:08:40,120 --> 00:08:43,280 Speaker 1: Exactly exactly, So like I don't like it, but I 189 00:08:43,480 --> 00:08:45,600 Speaker 1: get it. I guess if there was like a mantra 190 00:08:45,920 --> 00:08:48,000 Speaker 1: for my feelings on this, it's like I don't like 191 00:08:48,040 --> 00:08:49,000 Speaker 1: it at all, but. 192 00:08:49,000 --> 00:08:49,800 Speaker 2: I get it. 193 00:08:49,800 --> 00:08:50,960 Speaker 3: It's a no win situation. 194 00:08:51,440 --> 00:08:53,240 Speaker 2: It is a no win situation. 195 00:08:54,000 --> 00:08:57,160 Speaker 1: And you know, Trump spent even when he was on 196 00:08:57,200 --> 00:09:00,439 Speaker 1: the campaign trail before he was president, he talked this 197 00:09:00,520 --> 00:09:02,680 Speaker 1: time around about how he was planning to take over 198 00:09:02,840 --> 00:09:05,080 Speaker 1: the city and because DC is on a state like, 199 00:09:05,360 --> 00:09:08,640 Speaker 1: any president does have the authority to interfere with how 200 00:09:08,800 --> 00:09:11,280 Speaker 1: DC is run. Like any president can take over the 201 00:09:11,280 --> 00:09:13,559 Speaker 1: police department and the powers of the mayor and in 202 00:09:13,640 --> 00:09:16,640 Speaker 1: the DC City Council. Any president has the power to 203 00:09:16,720 --> 00:09:21,120 Speaker 1: federalize DC's like local police force, metropolitan police, deputize the 204 00:09:21,200 --> 00:09:24,600 Speaker 1: National Guard, and give law enforcement powers in DC, and 205 00:09:24,679 --> 00:09:28,120 Speaker 1: activate the military and federal law enforcement agencies such as 206 00:09:28,120 --> 00:09:29,440 Speaker 1: the Park Police in DC. 207 00:09:29,679 --> 00:09:32,640 Speaker 3: So oh, I didn't need so, Like the governor of 208 00:09:32,640 --> 00:09:34,839 Speaker 3: any state has control of their national guard, but DC 209 00:09:34,960 --> 00:09:36,840 Speaker 3: has its own national guard, right correct? 210 00:09:37,000 --> 00:09:37,760 Speaker 2: And that you don't have. 211 00:09:37,720 --> 00:09:40,160 Speaker 3: A governor, so those are the President's national Guard. 212 00:09:40,200 --> 00:09:40,600 Speaker 2: Correct. 213 00:09:41,520 --> 00:09:42,200 Speaker 3: That's not great. 214 00:09:42,280 --> 00:09:44,000 Speaker 2: So it's not great. It's not great. 215 00:09:44,120 --> 00:09:47,760 Speaker 1: And you know the prospect of just just like let 216 00:09:47,840 --> 00:09:50,720 Speaker 1: that sink in, the prospect of Trump having its own 217 00:09:50,800 --> 00:09:54,360 Speaker 1: military and police force in the district. Like, I cannot 218 00:09:54,400 --> 00:09:57,040 Speaker 1: tell you how much this terrifies me. Like I cannot 219 00:09:57,080 --> 00:09:59,400 Speaker 1: stress to listeners how much of as shit hitting the 220 00:09:59,400 --> 00:10:01,480 Speaker 1: fan moment this would be for the city to give 221 00:10:01,520 --> 00:10:03,560 Speaker 1: you a sense, like I have a go bag, and 222 00:10:03,600 --> 00:10:05,800 Speaker 1: I like, get the fuck out plan for that scenario 223 00:10:05,880 --> 00:10:06,360 Speaker 1: playing out. 224 00:10:06,480 --> 00:10:09,280 Speaker 3: Virginia's so close you no, I mean yeah. 225 00:10:09,200 --> 00:10:11,960 Speaker 1: Honestly, anybody in the DMV, if you're in Maryland, Virginia, 226 00:10:12,120 --> 00:10:24,760 Speaker 1: you should all be thinking about this. The Trump has 227 00:10:24,800 --> 00:10:28,200 Speaker 1: continued to like pressure the mayor and threatening to like 228 00:10:28,320 --> 00:10:30,640 Speaker 1: take over if she will not do the things that 229 00:10:30,679 --> 00:10:33,280 Speaker 1: he says, things like clean up the city. 230 00:10:33,559 --> 00:10:35,240 Speaker 2: Trump notified Mayor Bowser that. 231 00:10:35,200 --> 00:10:38,120 Speaker 1: She has to clean up all the unsightly homeless encampments 232 00:10:38,120 --> 00:10:41,040 Speaker 1: in the district, especially around federal buildings. If she is 233 00:10:41,040 --> 00:10:43,040 Speaker 1: not capable of doing so, we will be forced to 234 00:10:43,080 --> 00:10:45,480 Speaker 1: do it for her, he said. And so far, her 235 00:10:45,480 --> 00:10:49,520 Speaker 1: strategy has really been one of like quiet appeasement, so 236 00:10:49,559 --> 00:10:53,520 Speaker 1: that Black Lives Matter plaza that she erected in defiance 237 00:10:53,600 --> 00:10:55,920 Speaker 1: during his first term that came down. 238 00:10:56,080 --> 00:10:57,920 Speaker 3: Did it really they'd painted over it. 239 00:10:58,520 --> 00:11:01,600 Speaker 1: I think they paint they dismantle. I think that they 240 00:11:01,679 --> 00:11:04,679 Speaker 1: were like, Oh, we're going to like take it up 241 00:11:04,720 --> 00:11:08,280 Speaker 1: so that it can go someplace else, but we're removing 242 00:11:08,320 --> 00:11:11,079 Speaker 1: it from this part of the city, if that make sense. 243 00:11:11,520 --> 00:11:13,720 Speaker 3: That's I mean, that's a symbolic moment, right, just like 244 00:11:13,760 --> 00:11:16,040 Speaker 3: pouring the asphalt over the words black Lives Matter. 245 00:11:16,520 --> 00:11:19,560 Speaker 1: Yeah, And I do really think it it underscores this 246 00:11:19,760 --> 00:11:21,160 Speaker 1: moment that we're in right now. 247 00:11:21,240 --> 00:11:23,640 Speaker 2: Where it does? I mean, I'm curious for your thoughts. 248 00:11:23,640 --> 00:11:26,240 Speaker 1: It does sort of feel like a pendulum swing in 249 00:11:26,320 --> 00:11:31,439 Speaker 1: some ways where all of these like largely symbolic gestures 250 00:11:31,720 --> 00:11:36,840 Speaker 1: are now like being bulldozed over, oftentimes like voluntarily, like 251 00:11:36,920 --> 00:11:39,080 Speaker 1: without even really being pressured into doing so. 252 00:11:39,720 --> 00:11:39,840 Speaker 2: Right. 253 00:11:39,840 --> 00:11:42,120 Speaker 3: I guess it's hard, right because like painting Black Lives 254 00:11:42,160 --> 00:11:45,199 Speaker 3: Matter on the sidewalk did nothing for black people, right, 255 00:11:45,280 --> 00:11:48,160 Speaker 3: Like did that help you to that materially improve your life? No, 256 00:11:48,200 --> 00:11:52,199 Speaker 3: it was purely symbolic. But negating that symbolic gesture I 257 00:11:52,280 --> 00:11:54,640 Speaker 3: think does a lot more harm than never having had 258 00:11:54,679 --> 00:11:57,040 Speaker 3: it right, because that is a that is an imposition 259 00:11:57,280 --> 00:12:01,920 Speaker 3: of of will over over. It was again a symbol 260 00:12:01,960 --> 00:12:04,120 Speaker 3: that did nothing and accomplished nothing and didn't actually help 261 00:12:04,160 --> 00:12:07,719 Speaker 3: anyone or change any situation. But taking the time out 262 00:12:07,720 --> 00:12:11,360 Speaker 3: of your day to bulldoze that symbol sends a strong message. 263 00:12:11,640 --> 00:12:15,120 Speaker 1: I feel the exact same way, and Republican Representative Andrew 264 00:12:15,160 --> 00:12:17,680 Speaker 1: Clyde actually wants it to go further. He introduced a 265 00:12:17,720 --> 00:12:20,959 Speaker 1: bill that would have amended the US Code to withhold 266 00:12:21,040 --> 00:12:24,640 Speaker 1: certain funds from DC unless Black Lives Matter was taken 267 00:12:24,679 --> 00:12:28,320 Speaker 1: off the street and that area was renamed quote Liberty 268 00:12:28,320 --> 00:12:31,040 Speaker 1: Plaza and for the district to remove all Black Lives 269 00:12:31,040 --> 00:12:34,640 Speaker 1: Matter Plaza references from city websites and official documents. So 270 00:12:34,640 --> 00:12:37,120 Speaker 1: they want to like memory hol it and be like 271 00:12:37,160 --> 00:12:38,080 Speaker 1: it never happened. 272 00:12:38,640 --> 00:12:41,200 Speaker 3: That's such cribyby bullshit too for the like these free 273 00:12:41,200 --> 00:12:43,640 Speaker 3: speech warriors right like, oh the facts, don't care about 274 00:12:43,640 --> 00:12:45,400 Speaker 3: your feelings. Free see the most important thing, like the 275 00:12:45,480 --> 00:12:47,880 Speaker 3: marketplace of ideas, Like I guess you can't compete in 276 00:12:47,880 --> 00:12:49,040 Speaker 3: the marketplace of ideas. 277 00:12:48,760 --> 00:12:52,880 Speaker 1: Buckoh exactly, Clyde said, quote it's time for our nation 278 00:12:53,000 --> 00:12:55,679 Speaker 1: to leave this failed agenda behind, starting with the removal 279 00:12:55,920 --> 00:12:58,839 Speaker 1: BLM Plaza from America's capital. Trump is what one hundred 280 00:12:58,840 --> 00:13:01,320 Speaker 1: percent right, we must clean up for the American people. 281 00:13:01,720 --> 00:13:04,160 Speaker 1: I believe that removing blm Plaza must be part of 282 00:13:04,160 --> 00:13:07,720 Speaker 1: this critical effort. After all, BLM is a radical defund 283 00:13:07,760 --> 00:13:08,720 Speaker 1: the police organization. 284 00:13:09,000 --> 00:13:11,000 Speaker 2: But we are not a defund the police nation. 285 00:13:11,960 --> 00:13:13,680 Speaker 3: So I know this. You know, clean up the city 286 00:13:13,760 --> 00:13:16,599 Speaker 3: rhetoric is sort of fascist in and of itself, like 287 00:13:16,679 --> 00:13:20,240 Speaker 3: that that's scary rhetor regardless, but pairing it with like 288 00:13:20,320 --> 00:13:21,880 Speaker 3: back to back in the same breath, like we have 289 00:13:21,920 --> 00:13:23,200 Speaker 3: to clean up the city, we have to get rid 290 00:13:23,240 --> 00:13:26,280 Speaker 3: of BLM plaza. Like are you saying being reminded that 291 00:13:26,320 --> 00:13:29,800 Speaker 3: black people have civil liberties is dirty to you? That 292 00:13:29,800 --> 00:13:32,040 Speaker 3: that's what's making the city dirty is the black people. 293 00:13:32,280 --> 00:13:34,120 Speaker 3: I would argue that's exactly what he's saying. 294 00:13:34,160 --> 00:13:36,800 Speaker 1: But DC is like getting upset about black people. It's 295 00:13:36,840 --> 00:13:38,679 Speaker 1: like go into the beach and getting upset with when 296 00:13:38,679 --> 00:13:40,920 Speaker 1: they're sand right. It's like, we could have a whole 297 00:13:40,920 --> 00:13:43,960 Speaker 1: conversation about DC's demographics, but like a, we are. 298 00:13:43,880 --> 00:13:46,120 Speaker 2: A black city, like that is what makes DC what 299 00:13:46,160 --> 00:13:46,360 Speaker 2: it is? 300 00:13:46,480 --> 00:13:49,280 Speaker 1: Is like why I continue to live here, right, So, like, 301 00:13:49,520 --> 00:13:51,840 Speaker 1: I think that's exactly what he's saying, is we don't 302 00:13:51,880 --> 00:13:55,240 Speaker 1: want our nation's capital to be one that honors the 303 00:13:55,559 --> 00:13:59,000 Speaker 1: you know, agency of black people, black bodies, and black lives. 304 00:13:59,080 --> 00:14:00,800 Speaker 3: Right, Like, I think that's like what he said, then 305 00:14:00,840 --> 00:14:02,679 Speaker 3: moved the White House to South Boston. I guess I 306 00:14:02,679 --> 00:14:05,600 Speaker 3: don't know what to tell you. 307 00:14:05,640 --> 00:14:08,880 Speaker 1: So, you know, the mayor pretty quickly relented and bielm 308 00:14:08,920 --> 00:14:12,440 Speaker 1: plazas no more. She basically said, like, you know, we've 309 00:14:12,480 --> 00:14:16,040 Speaker 1: got bigger fish to fry, like focusing on DC's autonomy 310 00:14:16,080 --> 00:14:18,400 Speaker 1: and budget, and to be honest, like a lot of 311 00:14:18,480 --> 00:14:20,760 Speaker 1: residents agreed with her that like it probably was not 312 00:14:20,840 --> 00:14:21,400 Speaker 1: worth the fight. 313 00:14:21,520 --> 00:14:23,520 Speaker 2: That's kind of that's kind of the theme here is. 314 00:14:23,480 --> 00:14:27,480 Speaker 1: That all of these little things that individually are probably 315 00:14:27,520 --> 00:14:30,640 Speaker 1: not worth the fight, but then collectively you're like, well. 316 00:14:30,480 --> 00:14:32,080 Speaker 2: Who is sort of in charge of this city? 317 00:14:32,120 --> 00:14:34,320 Speaker 3: You know, when if none of these little things are 318 00:14:34,320 --> 00:14:35,720 Speaker 3: worth the fight? Are you fighting? 319 00:14:36,280 --> 00:14:39,000 Speaker 1: That's a great question. Are you fighting? If nothing is 320 00:14:39,040 --> 00:14:40,440 Speaker 1: worth the fight? Are you fighting? 321 00:14:40,960 --> 00:14:42,560 Speaker 3: And I feel like that's kind of I don't know, 322 00:14:43,080 --> 00:14:46,320 Speaker 3: on a larger scale, sort of the National Democratic Party's 323 00:14:46,640 --> 00:14:48,240 Speaker 3: line has always been. We got to keep her power dry. 324 00:14:48,240 --> 00:14:49,960 Speaker 3: We gotta keep her power dry, keep it drive for 325 00:14:50,000 --> 00:14:53,440 Speaker 3: fucking what dog right, You're gonna end the war, you know, 326 00:14:53,440 --> 00:14:55,360 Speaker 3: with the pile of bodies and a bunch of dry powder. 327 00:14:56,120 --> 00:14:56,680 Speaker 2: Exactly. 328 00:14:58,040 --> 00:15:00,120 Speaker 1: So the next demand that Trump made a bows Or 329 00:15:00,400 --> 00:15:03,320 Speaker 1: was the need to clear homeless encampments near the White House, 330 00:15:03,320 --> 00:15:05,200 Speaker 1: saying that if Bowser didn't do it, he would. 331 00:15:05,000 --> 00:15:06,000 Speaker 2: Be forced to do it for her. 332 00:15:06,240 --> 00:15:09,920 Speaker 1: So within hours of Trump's call to Bowser, DC city 333 00:15:09,960 --> 00:15:12,800 Speaker 1: crews arrived at these encampments to tell residents they had 334 00:15:12,840 --> 00:15:15,840 Speaker 1: to be out the next day. It's not great, like, 335 00:15:15,920 --> 00:15:18,200 Speaker 1: to be clear, it is not like our mayor does 336 00:15:18,240 --> 00:15:21,480 Speaker 1: not clear encampments in DC. In fact, her administration said 337 00:15:21,480 --> 00:15:23,520 Speaker 1: they have been planning to clear the encampment in question, 338 00:15:23,880 --> 00:15:26,200 Speaker 1: but just doing so in like a more planned, rolled 339 00:15:26,200 --> 00:15:28,280 Speaker 1: out way. So it's not like she's like someone who 340 00:15:28,360 --> 00:15:32,600 Speaker 1: is not, you know, down with clearing encampments. The Washington 341 00:15:32,640 --> 00:15:35,320 Speaker 1: Post spoke to some of the people who were residents 342 00:15:35,360 --> 00:15:38,200 Speaker 1: of those encampments when they were cleared. Shelley Byer's is 343 00:15:38,200 --> 00:15:40,120 Speaker 1: someone they spoke to who has been chronically homeless in 344 00:15:40,200 --> 00:15:42,400 Speaker 1: DC for three years. She was living at an encampment 345 00:15:42,440 --> 00:15:44,520 Speaker 1: that was cleared in twenty twenty three before winding up 346 00:15:44,520 --> 00:15:46,680 Speaker 1: at the one that Trump wanted cleared, and she said 347 00:15:46,680 --> 00:15:49,320 Speaker 1: they were basically given no notice that they needed to vacate. 348 00:15:49,400 --> 00:15:52,000 Speaker 1: She said, now we have only less than twenty four 349 00:15:52,000 --> 00:15:54,080 Speaker 1: hours to get out, as she threw her clothing out 350 00:15:54,120 --> 00:15:54,520 Speaker 1: of her tent. 351 00:15:54,760 --> 00:15:55,480 Speaker 2: I liked it here. 352 00:15:55,520 --> 00:15:57,440 Speaker 1: They keep shoving us off from place to place, making 353 00:15:57,480 --> 00:15:59,560 Speaker 1: it so we don't have anywhere to go. The post 354 00:15:59,600 --> 00:16:02,040 Speaker 1: also to the president of Miriam's Kitchen, which is a 355 00:16:02,040 --> 00:16:05,160 Speaker 1: big nonprofit here in DC that provides services for the homeless, 356 00:16:05,600 --> 00:16:07,960 Speaker 1: and he said that it wasn't even clear, like he 357 00:16:08,000 --> 00:16:11,160 Speaker 1: wasn't even sure if the city followed proper protocols with 358 00:16:11,280 --> 00:16:15,600 Speaker 1: this hasty encampment clearing at Trump's direction. Encampment residents are 359 00:16:15,640 --> 00:16:18,320 Speaker 1: meant to be given two weeks notice, but people who 360 00:16:18,320 --> 00:16:20,600 Speaker 1: were cleared so that they only learned about that action 361 00:16:21,000 --> 00:16:23,920 Speaker 1: within twenty four hours. And so I think that's part 362 00:16:24,000 --> 00:16:28,240 Speaker 1: of the issue here. DC, like any city, has issues 363 00:16:28,280 --> 00:16:32,240 Speaker 1: like crime and homelessness, but like hitting people housed takes time, 364 00:16:32,400 --> 00:16:35,200 Speaker 1: like just wanting to quickly move people who might have 365 00:16:35,200 --> 00:16:37,840 Speaker 1: anywhere else to go because they look as Trump said, 366 00:16:37,960 --> 00:16:41,120 Speaker 1: unseemly or unsightly is not solving the problem. What you're 367 00:16:41,120 --> 00:16:44,440 Speaker 1: actually doing is just traumatizing people who are already vulnerable 368 00:16:44,640 --> 00:16:46,880 Speaker 1: and then forcing them to go elsewhere, exactly like that 369 00:16:46,920 --> 00:16:47,840 Speaker 1: woman told the post. 370 00:16:48,560 --> 00:16:51,120 Speaker 3: Really, even in the best case scenario, even the most 371 00:16:51,280 --> 00:16:54,280 Speaker 3: organized clearing of an encampment is I mean, it's violent, 372 00:16:54,320 --> 00:16:56,920 Speaker 3: and it's inhumane, and it doesn't really serve a greater 373 00:16:56,960 --> 00:16:59,520 Speaker 3: purpose other than I don't know, so that people don't 374 00:16:59,520 --> 00:17:01,800 Speaker 3: have to think about homelessness on their way to work. 375 00:17:02,080 --> 00:17:03,800 Speaker 3: But there is a way to do it that is, 376 00:17:04,119 --> 00:17:09,880 Speaker 3: at least theoretically could result in something that is not monstrous, 377 00:17:09,920 --> 00:17:11,199 Speaker 3: you know what I mean. Like I said, there's no 378 00:17:11,280 --> 00:17:13,560 Speaker 3: good way to clear an encampment unless you're giving everyone 379 00:17:13,600 --> 00:17:16,399 Speaker 3: an apartment. But right like, you're giving people two weeks notice, 380 00:17:16,440 --> 00:17:19,080 Speaker 3: let's social services get involved, lets them go, you know, 381 00:17:19,320 --> 00:17:21,640 Speaker 3: tent to tent for those two weeks, talking to people 382 00:17:21,680 --> 00:17:24,760 Speaker 3: about where they could go, giving them options, connecting them 383 00:17:24,760 --> 00:17:27,480 Speaker 3: with services if that's what they choose. But if you're 384 00:17:27,560 --> 00:17:30,000 Speaker 3: just rolling up overnight and throwing people's show a way, 385 00:17:30,000 --> 00:17:31,880 Speaker 3: you're not You're not solving a problem. You're not even 386 00:17:31,880 --> 00:17:33,399 Speaker 3: trying to solve a problem. You're not even pretending that 387 00:17:33,440 --> 00:17:34,600 Speaker 3: you're trying to solve a problem. 388 00:17:35,080 --> 00:17:38,440 Speaker 1: But I think that's exactly how Trump thinks about this issue. 389 00:17:38,440 --> 00:17:41,719 Speaker 1: It's just like looks bad and unseemly to him. So 390 00:17:41,760 --> 00:17:43,159 Speaker 1: I don't care where they go. I don't care how 391 00:17:43,200 --> 00:17:45,680 Speaker 1: you do it, just I don't want to be looking. 392 00:17:45,480 --> 00:17:47,720 Speaker 3: At them, right, because for him, it's not about getting 393 00:17:47,760 --> 00:17:50,240 Speaker 3: these people connected to services so that they might eventually 394 00:17:50,359 --> 00:17:52,480 Speaker 3: find stable housing. It's about I don't want to fucking 395 00:17:52,480 --> 00:17:55,440 Speaker 3: see these people because they're gross, exactly. 396 00:17:55,000 --> 00:17:58,000 Speaker 1: And like he is encroaching on how our city is run, right, 397 00:17:58,040 --> 00:18:00,359 Speaker 1: and so like if that is the ethos that you have, 398 00:18:00,480 --> 00:18:02,040 Speaker 1: I don't want to see these gross people. I don't 399 00:18:02,080 --> 00:18:04,440 Speaker 1: care where they go. This is not an ethos that 400 00:18:04,440 --> 00:18:07,600 Speaker 1: that responsibly is able to run a city like that. 401 00:18:07,720 --> 00:18:11,359 Speaker 3: Like that is really disruptive. Yeah, it's absolutely disruptive because 402 00:18:11,359 --> 00:18:13,919 Speaker 3: they'll go somewhere else. They'll go somewhere else, and now 403 00:18:13,960 --> 00:18:16,080 Speaker 3: they now their lives have been uprooted, they don't have 404 00:18:16,160 --> 00:18:18,040 Speaker 3: maybe the documents got thrown away, and it's going to 405 00:18:18,080 --> 00:18:19,919 Speaker 3: be even harder for them to find stability. Like you 406 00:18:19,960 --> 00:18:22,120 Speaker 3: have not addressed the problem. 407 00:18:22,160 --> 00:18:25,640 Speaker 1: Exactly, and I think that's what that's like the name 408 00:18:25,640 --> 00:18:28,240 Speaker 1: of the game. With the way that Trump has already been, 409 00:18:28,680 --> 00:18:31,280 Speaker 1: you know, meddling in the way that DC runs its 410 00:18:31,320 --> 00:18:35,399 Speaker 1: local affairs. This next example, I got to say, it 411 00:18:35,440 --> 00:18:39,200 Speaker 1: really gets to me. So DC's Attorney General Ryan Schwab 412 00:18:39,560 --> 00:18:42,359 Speaker 1: recently dropped a lawsuit against the Proud Boys and the 413 00:18:42,400 --> 00:18:46,600 Speaker 1: Oathkeepers for their behavior during January sid So. The suit 414 00:18:46,760 --> 00:18:49,560 Speaker 1: was initially filed by the former DC Attorney General carl A. 415 00:18:49,680 --> 00:18:50,400 Speaker 2: Racine. 416 00:18:50,600 --> 00:18:53,080 Speaker 1: It initially marks the first effort by a government agency 417 00:18:53,119 --> 00:18:56,480 Speaker 1: to hold the individuals and organizations civilly liable for violence 418 00:18:56,560 --> 00:18:59,600 Speaker 1: at the Capitol on January sixth, but a federal judge 419 00:18:59,600 --> 00:19:02,680 Speaker 1: in DC granted the district's request to dismiss that case. 420 00:19:03,400 --> 00:19:05,879 Speaker 1: The suit was fashioned after a modern version of the 421 00:19:05,880 --> 00:19:08,280 Speaker 1: eighteen seventy one law known as the klu Klux klan 422 00:19:08,320 --> 00:19:10,760 Speaker 1: At that was enacted after the Civil War to safeguard 423 00:19:10,800 --> 00:19:14,040 Speaker 1: government officials carrying out their duties to protect civil rights. 424 00:19:14,359 --> 00:19:17,639 Speaker 1: This was actually a similar challenge that prevailed against groups 425 00:19:17,640 --> 00:19:20,560 Speaker 1: involved in the Unite the Right rally in Charlottesville, which Molly, 426 00:19:20,600 --> 00:19:21,960 Speaker 1: I know you might know a thing or two about. 427 00:19:22,080 --> 00:19:25,639 Speaker 3: Let's just see very familiar with Clan Act lawsuits, and 428 00:19:25,680 --> 00:19:28,440 Speaker 3: they are effective. They're effective. It's one of the only 429 00:19:28,480 --> 00:19:30,919 Speaker 3: things that we still have from reconstruction that hasn't been 430 00:19:30,960 --> 00:19:33,720 Speaker 3: taken away from us is this civil remedy for civil 431 00:19:33,800 --> 00:19:38,240 Speaker 3: rights violations. And it works. It works, but like you 432 00:19:38,359 --> 00:19:39,879 Speaker 3: have to carry it out, and. 433 00:19:40,200 --> 00:19:42,720 Speaker 1: Basically the city decided that it wasn't worth it given 434 00:19:42,760 --> 00:19:45,760 Speaker 1: all of the threats to DC's autonomy by the Trump administration. 435 00:19:46,200 --> 00:19:48,679 Speaker 3: So it's extortion. I mean, yeah, like that's exactly what 436 00:19:48,720 --> 00:19:52,280 Speaker 3: it feels like. I mean, this is extortion. They're being prevented, 437 00:19:52,320 --> 00:19:55,320 Speaker 3: they're being prevented from seeking a viable civil remedy through 438 00:19:55,320 --> 00:19:59,920 Speaker 3: the courts out of fear of retaliation. That seems very bad. 439 00:20:00,160 --> 00:20:03,199 Speaker 1: It's like, I mean, I'm glad that you use the 440 00:20:03,200 --> 00:20:06,640 Speaker 1: word extortion, because it really does feel like if you've 441 00:20:06,640 --> 00:20:08,879 Speaker 1: seen one of my favorite movies, Goodfellas, it feels like 442 00:20:08,880 --> 00:20:13,000 Speaker 1: what Henry Hill the mobster calls real grease ball shit, right, like, ooh, 443 00:20:13,359 --> 00:20:15,359 Speaker 1: great city you have here. It would be a shame 444 00:20:15,440 --> 00:20:17,960 Speaker 1: if something were to uh happen to it. 445 00:20:18,080 --> 00:20:23,119 Speaker 3: Like extortion, right, God. But usually, I mean, sometimes you 446 00:20:23,200 --> 00:20:25,240 Speaker 3: get something out of a protection racket. DC's not even 447 00:20:25,240 --> 00:20:26,359 Speaker 3: fucking getting anything out of it. 448 00:20:26,600 --> 00:20:29,639 Speaker 1: I guess you could argue that they are like not 449 00:20:30,160 --> 00:20:33,159 Speaker 1: raising the iyre further of the Trump administration, and that 450 00:20:33,280 --> 00:20:35,720 Speaker 1: like that might lead to DC having more autonomy and 451 00:20:35,800 --> 00:20:39,240 Speaker 1: like DC, you know, like Trump officials not meddling in 452 00:20:39,320 --> 00:20:40,400 Speaker 1: DC's affairs. 453 00:20:40,760 --> 00:20:42,680 Speaker 3: I mean, I don't know if any of these people 454 00:20:42,760 --> 00:20:48,119 Speaker 3: have read a book, but appeasing of fascist is historically 455 00:20:48,160 --> 00:20:50,000 Speaker 3: not resulted in you getting what you want. 456 00:20:50,160 --> 00:20:53,720 Speaker 1: No, And I gotta be honest, girl, this one's fucking stung. 457 00:20:53,880 --> 00:20:57,600 Speaker 1: Like it sucks hearing people like the Proud Boys leader 458 00:20:57,680 --> 00:21:02,040 Speaker 1: Enrique Terrio basically brad about having this case dropped. The 459 00:21:02,080 --> 00:21:05,159 Speaker 1: oath Keeper's founder, Stuart Rhodes, his attorney, said, we are 460 00:21:05,240 --> 00:21:07,280 Speaker 1: very pleased to see the District of Columbia has come 461 00:21:07,320 --> 00:21:09,639 Speaker 1: to the same conclusion that the American public and President 462 00:21:09,640 --> 00:21:12,360 Speaker 1: Trump have the narrative that January sixth was some sort 463 00:21:12,400 --> 00:21:15,240 Speaker 1: of armed insurrection to overthrow the government plus falls from 464 00:21:15,240 --> 00:21:19,639 Speaker 1: the very beginning. Enriquetario posted after the district requested to 465 00:21:19,640 --> 00:21:23,399 Speaker 1: dismiss this lawsuit, saying another exoneration. If God is with us, 466 00:21:23,440 --> 00:21:26,040 Speaker 1: who can be against us? Like he just chaps my 467 00:21:26,040 --> 00:21:27,240 Speaker 1: ass to hear this shit. 468 00:21:27,359 --> 00:21:29,560 Speaker 3: Like, God didn't do this, baby, God didn't do this. 469 00:21:31,040 --> 00:21:35,840 Speaker 1: You also have DC's Metro Police investigating the vandalization of 470 00:21:35,920 --> 00:21:41,000 Speaker 1: tesla's as a hate crime. This again, like it really 471 00:21:41,040 --> 00:21:44,080 Speaker 1: makes me wonder, Like, as far as I know, Trump 472 00:21:44,240 --> 00:21:47,080 Speaker 1: is not in charge of our Metropolitan Police department, but 473 00:21:47,119 --> 00:21:48,200 Speaker 1: stuff like this makes me wonder. 474 00:21:48,240 --> 00:21:50,000 Speaker 2: We're like, is he kind of in charge? 475 00:21:50,040 --> 00:21:51,840 Speaker 3: I mean, pressure's clearly being exerien correct. 476 00:21:52,200 --> 00:21:55,680 Speaker 1: Basically, if somebody wrote quote political hate speech on a Tesla, 477 00:21:56,280 --> 00:21:58,560 Speaker 1: the statement from the Metropolitan Police departments that they were 478 00:21:58,560 --> 00:22:02,359 Speaker 1: investigating these offends as being motivated by hate or bias. 479 00:22:02,760 --> 00:22:05,080 Speaker 2: To be clear, Mayor Bowser was like, I. 480 00:22:04,960 --> 00:22:06,639 Speaker 1: Didn't tell them to do this, Like she was like, 481 00:22:06,680 --> 00:22:08,720 Speaker 1: I have nothing to do with the police department's decision 482 00:22:08,760 --> 00:22:10,280 Speaker 1: making on this, Like that's them. 483 00:22:10,600 --> 00:22:14,920 Speaker 3: I hate crime typically implicates a protected class like race, gender, religion, 484 00:22:15,080 --> 00:22:17,600 Speaker 3: national origin. What is the protected class of being a 485 00:22:17,600 --> 00:22:21,320 Speaker 3: Tesla owner? It's like it's being a big loser of protected. 486 00:22:20,920 --> 00:22:25,359 Speaker 1: Class unclear, And they wouldn't even say, like, what was 487 00:22:25,400 --> 00:22:27,320 Speaker 1: the nature of what was written on this car that 488 00:22:27,760 --> 00:22:29,480 Speaker 1: made it a potential hate crime? 489 00:22:29,640 --> 00:22:31,120 Speaker 2: We don't even know, which. 490 00:22:31,000 --> 00:22:33,280 Speaker 3: Is so funny. Because these guys never believed in hate 491 00:22:33,280 --> 00:22:34,159 Speaker 3: crimes before. 492 00:22:33,960 --> 00:22:36,720 Speaker 1: Unless it's against like Elon Musk and people who like 493 00:22:36,800 --> 00:22:37,480 Speaker 1: him something. 494 00:22:37,600 --> 00:22:38,679 Speaker 2: That's the best I can figure. 495 00:22:39,000 --> 00:22:42,879 Speaker 3: But I've heard full throadd arguments against the existence of 496 00:22:42,920 --> 00:22:45,800 Speaker 3: the category of hate crime, and now suddenly they're very important. Yeah, 497 00:22:45,840 --> 00:22:47,119 Speaker 3: now they're very important, and I. 498 00:22:47,160 --> 00:22:49,600 Speaker 1: Do think, I mean, like, when I heard about this, 499 00:22:50,200 --> 00:22:53,720 Speaker 1: it really made me think about how different categories of 500 00:22:53,760 --> 00:22:56,960 Speaker 1: crime and legislation around it is like very well intended 501 00:22:56,960 --> 00:22:59,680 Speaker 1: and well meaning, and like I understand who hate crime 502 00:22:59,880 --> 00:23:02,520 Speaker 1: just is meant to protect, but then you also have 503 00:23:02,600 --> 00:23:05,240 Speaker 1: the ways that it can be sort of like perverted 504 00:23:05,359 --> 00:23:08,240 Speaker 1: to protect a protected class. 505 00:23:07,960 --> 00:23:10,119 Speaker 3: That is not a protected class, right, like it, I mean, 506 00:23:10,480 --> 00:23:12,679 Speaker 3: it's the same as the language around terrorism, right that, Like, 507 00:23:12,920 --> 00:23:15,600 Speaker 3: terrorism wasn't something that we were talking about or charging. 508 00:23:15,600 --> 00:23:17,520 Speaker 3: It's not even very well defined in the law, to 509 00:23:17,560 --> 00:23:19,800 Speaker 3: be honest, But it's something that became part of the 510 00:23:19,840 --> 00:23:22,800 Speaker 3: conversation when America became very afraid of Muslims, became very 511 00:23:22,800 --> 00:23:25,440 Speaker 3: afraid of Middle Eastern people, right, So terrorism had that 512 00:23:25,520 --> 00:23:28,040 Speaker 3: implication for a very long time, and then there was 513 00:23:28,080 --> 00:23:30,200 Speaker 3: this brief window in the last couple of years where 514 00:23:30,240 --> 00:23:33,520 Speaker 3: they were using it against domestic white extremists. And now 515 00:23:33,600 --> 00:23:35,639 Speaker 3: they're not doing that anymore, and they're just going to 516 00:23:35,720 --> 00:23:39,000 Speaker 3: charge you with terrorism for looking sideways at a Tesla exactly. 517 00:23:39,560 --> 00:23:42,080 Speaker 1: Here's how my co host and friend Michael Shaeffer, who 518 00:23:42,280 --> 00:23:44,840 Speaker 1: writes the Capital City's column for Political put it. He says, 519 00:23:45,440 --> 00:23:48,000 Speaker 1: now the White House is beating the drums about Tesla vandalism, 520 00:23:48,119 --> 00:23:51,119 Speaker 1: creating another incentive for locals to play ball. The FBI 521 00:23:51,200 --> 00:23:55,320 Speaker 1: director called tesla vandalism domestic terrorism. The President suggested sending 522 00:23:55,400 --> 00:23:58,800 Speaker 1: vandals to jail and l Salvador if likening the run 523 00:23:58,800 --> 00:24:01,639 Speaker 1: of the mill political graffiti to criminal bigotry. It's what 524 00:24:01,720 --> 00:24:04,120 Speaker 1: it takes to keep the FEDS from padlocking city Hall. 525 00:24:04,359 --> 00:24:06,119 Speaker 1: The logic goes, maybe it's worth it. 526 00:24:06,320 --> 00:24:06,840 Speaker 3: No, it's not. 527 00:24:06,880 --> 00:24:07,679 Speaker 2: I would say it's not. 528 00:24:08,000 --> 00:24:10,560 Speaker 3: No, it's not Maybe they want to do through you 529 00:24:10,680 --> 00:24:14,160 Speaker 3: extraordinary rendition to vandals, but maybe it's worth No, it's 530 00:24:14,200 --> 00:24:14,560 Speaker 3: not worth it. 531 00:24:14,960 --> 00:24:15,800 Speaker 2: It's not worth it. 532 00:24:15,920 --> 00:24:17,760 Speaker 3: You're not gonna you're not holding back the tide of 533 00:24:17,800 --> 00:24:19,879 Speaker 3: fascism if you allow fascism to happen. 534 00:24:20,960 --> 00:24:24,960 Speaker 1: Unlike local governments in Cleveland or Boston, DC is really 535 00:24:24,960 --> 00:24:28,040 Speaker 1: stuck between a rock and a hard place. And I mean, like, 536 00:24:28,400 --> 00:24:35,399 Speaker 1: I understand why city officials are taking this like appeasement angle. 537 00:24:35,359 --> 00:24:38,720 Speaker 2: But like I guess, as you said, like, I don't know. 538 00:24:38,720 --> 00:24:41,080 Speaker 1: How you can make the argument that it's like worth it, Like, 539 00:24:41,160 --> 00:24:44,160 Speaker 1: what are we getting if every single day it's going 540 00:24:44,200 --> 00:24:46,560 Speaker 1: to be a new threat to DC's autonomy, a new 541 00:24:46,560 --> 00:24:49,560 Speaker 1: threat to DC, a new EO from the Trump administration? 542 00:24:49,680 --> 00:24:50,120 Speaker 2: What are we. 543 00:24:50,080 --> 00:24:52,000 Speaker 3: Really getting by playing ball in this way? 544 00:24:52,680 --> 00:24:52,800 Speaker 1: Right? 545 00:24:52,800 --> 00:24:54,560 Speaker 3: And if you're saying you're saving your energy for the 546 00:24:54,560 --> 00:24:56,399 Speaker 3: big fight, it's like, well, what do you think the 547 00:24:56,400 --> 00:24:58,080 Speaker 3: big fight is going to be If it's not the 548 00:24:58,200 --> 00:25:01,159 Speaker 3: slow erosion of the safety and civil liberties of everyone 549 00:25:01,160 --> 00:25:05,200 Speaker 3: who lives here. Exactly what is the big fight? 550 00:25:13,800 --> 00:25:17,080 Speaker 1: Well, some might say the big fight is DC's tense 551 00:25:17,200 --> 00:25:19,040 Speaker 1: budget showdown, which is ongoing. 552 00:25:19,480 --> 00:25:21,320 Speaker 3: It's a little in the weedze, So like, I'm not 553 00:25:21,359 --> 00:25:22,399 Speaker 3: going to get too too. 554 00:25:22,240 --> 00:25:23,679 Speaker 1: Into it, but I'll try to give the quick and 555 00:25:23,680 --> 00:25:26,639 Speaker 1: dirty version of what's going on. The district is overseen 556 00:25:26,680 --> 00:25:29,199 Speaker 1: by Congress thanks to provision in the Constitution, So this 557 00:25:29,320 --> 00:25:32,520 Speaker 1: means that DC is occasionally treated like a federal agency 558 00:25:32,600 --> 00:25:34,800 Speaker 1: rather than like a city or a local government under 559 00:25:34,880 --> 00:25:37,919 Speaker 1: various laws. This used to mean that DC's budget was 560 00:25:37,960 --> 00:25:40,440 Speaker 1: regularly delayed. Because of this, the city had to wait 561 00:25:40,480 --> 00:25:44,720 Speaker 1: for Congress to approve DC's local budget alongside other federal agencies, 562 00:25:44,840 --> 00:25:47,720 Speaker 1: which Congress is like almost never does on time. So 563 00:25:47,760 --> 00:25:50,320 Speaker 1: pretty much everybody agreed like this was a problem, So 564 00:25:50,359 --> 00:25:52,320 Speaker 1: in the early two thousands, they changed it so that 565 00:25:52,359 --> 00:25:55,640 Speaker 1: if Congress was behind schedule, DC could just keep spending 566 00:25:55,680 --> 00:25:59,040 Speaker 1: at its current budget levels without disruption until Congress is 567 00:25:59,080 --> 00:26:02,240 Speaker 1: able to formally prove a new budget. But in March 568 00:26:02,480 --> 00:26:05,320 Speaker 1: that all changed because the language was omitted from a 569 00:26:05,359 --> 00:26:08,000 Speaker 1: new funding bill that Congress passed in March that would 570 00:26:08,040 --> 00:26:12,680 Speaker 1: basically force DC to omit one billion dollars from its budget. 571 00:26:12,880 --> 00:26:15,480 Speaker 1: Just to be clear, like, if DC were to omit 572 00:26:15,600 --> 00:26:18,280 Speaker 1: one billion dollars from the budget, we basically could not 573 00:26:18,359 --> 00:26:19,879 Speaker 1: function as a city. The things that you need to 574 00:26:19,960 --> 00:26:23,120 Speaker 1: run a city, schools, garbage collection, all of that would 575 00:26:23,160 --> 00:26:25,159 Speaker 1: be cut to the point of like not being viable. 576 00:26:25,200 --> 00:26:27,600 Speaker 1: I'm not even sure what that would mean for the 577 00:26:27,640 --> 00:26:30,760 Speaker 1: city to make that deep of a cut. And the 578 00:26:30,800 --> 00:26:35,959 Speaker 1: worst part is nobody really knows why Congress did this. Like, 579 00:26:36,200 --> 00:26:38,919 Speaker 1: in my capacity as co host for a local DC podcast, 580 00:26:38,960 --> 00:26:41,520 Speaker 1: City CASDC. I've spoken to a lot of people in 581 00:26:41,600 --> 00:26:44,520 Speaker 1: DC government and reporters, and the best I can come 582 00:26:44,600 --> 00:26:47,640 Speaker 1: up with is that Congress just really does not understand 583 00:26:47,720 --> 00:26:49,680 Speaker 1: what they have done. A reporter that I spoke to 584 00:26:49,720 --> 00:26:52,320 Speaker 1: you said that there seemed to be confusion with lawmakers 585 00:26:52,720 --> 00:26:56,000 Speaker 1: that we were talking about DC's local tax money and 586 00:26:56,080 --> 00:26:58,800 Speaker 1: not federal money. And so this was happening in March, 587 00:26:58,880 --> 00:27:03,240 Speaker 1: during the height of like those efficiency I'm putting efficiency 588 00:27:03,280 --> 00:27:04,479 Speaker 1: in like heavy scare quotes. 589 00:27:04,760 --> 00:27:07,480 Speaker 2: It was at the height of that, and so the best. 590 00:27:07,240 --> 00:27:10,920 Speaker 1: I could think was that lawmakers thought, like, oh, this 591 00:27:10,960 --> 00:27:13,600 Speaker 1: will we will be able to like say that, you know, 592 00:27:13,680 --> 00:27:16,960 Speaker 1: making DC cut a billion dollars from the budget will 593 00:27:16,960 --> 00:27:20,400 Speaker 1: be a big show of federal tax dollar savings. 594 00:27:20,440 --> 00:27:21,960 Speaker 2: But we're not talking about federal money. 595 00:27:21,960 --> 00:27:24,840 Speaker 1: We're talking about local tax money, not federal money. Doesn't 596 00:27:24,840 --> 00:27:27,480 Speaker 1: save anybody any federal money. And so I think that 597 00:27:27,840 --> 00:27:30,760 Speaker 1: from what I've heard, it sounds like people like Mike 598 00:27:30,840 --> 00:27:33,160 Speaker 1: Johnson just maybe like did not really have a good 599 00:27:33,240 --> 00:27:34,000 Speaker 1: understanding of that. 600 00:27:34,480 --> 00:27:36,159 Speaker 2: It is a little bit complicated, but like if you're 601 00:27:36,200 --> 00:27:38,520 Speaker 2: a lawmaker, like come on, dude, But. 602 00:27:38,520 --> 00:27:41,480 Speaker 3: Again, because you have no representative who is really involved 603 00:27:41,480 --> 00:27:44,120 Speaker 3: in this process, Like there's nobody in that room going 604 00:27:44,160 --> 00:27:46,359 Speaker 3: to bat for DC. There's nobody in that room whose 605 00:27:46,400 --> 00:27:50,600 Speaker 3: constituency is DC who understands what it means to run 606 00:27:50,680 --> 00:27:51,880 Speaker 3: DC exactly. 607 00:27:52,359 --> 00:27:55,000 Speaker 1: And what's funny is that, Like for all the talk 608 00:27:55,040 --> 00:27:57,480 Speaker 1: about like how how like we're not a defund the 609 00:27:57,520 --> 00:28:00,600 Speaker 1: police nation, this bill would kind of defund a police. 610 00:28:00,600 --> 00:28:02,439 Speaker 3: It would have to mean who defund everything? 611 00:28:02,440 --> 00:28:04,359 Speaker 1: I mean like it would mean like sixty seven million 612 00:28:04,400 --> 00:28:06,560 Speaker 1: dollars caught from the DC police budget, along with cutting 613 00:28:06,680 --> 00:28:09,719 Speaker 1: funding for DC public schools and the Department of Human Services, 614 00:28:09,760 --> 00:28:12,200 Speaker 1: which serves the city's forest residents. Right, So, like it 615 00:28:12,240 --> 00:28:15,240 Speaker 1: would defund everything, including the police. So it's like funny 616 00:28:15,240 --> 00:28:17,520 Speaker 1: to be like, we're not down with defund the police, 617 00:28:17,560 --> 00:28:19,480 Speaker 1: but we are down with this bill that kind of 618 00:28:19,560 --> 00:28:19,800 Speaker 1: does it. 619 00:28:20,720 --> 00:28:22,639 Speaker 3: We're like, who do you think is gonna fill the potholes? 620 00:28:23,040 --> 00:28:25,000 Speaker 3: Who's gonna mow the grass? Like nothing will get done, 621 00:28:25,000 --> 00:28:25,920 Speaker 3: the city will fall apart. 622 00:28:26,000 --> 00:28:28,560 Speaker 1: Well, So our mayor has really been doing her diplomacy 623 00:28:28,600 --> 00:28:31,600 Speaker 1: thing and appealing to exactly that, right, Like Trump has 624 00:28:31,640 --> 00:28:33,879 Speaker 1: been really clear about all these goals he has for 625 00:28:33,920 --> 00:28:36,879 Speaker 1: the district, like beautifying DC and cracking down on crime 626 00:28:36,920 --> 00:28:39,320 Speaker 1: and homelessness. There is no way to do that if 627 00:28:39,360 --> 00:28:41,760 Speaker 1: you are slashing the budgets of these departments that are 628 00:28:41,760 --> 00:28:44,080 Speaker 1: meant to work on those things by tens of millions 629 00:28:44,080 --> 00:28:44,600 Speaker 1: of dollars. 630 00:28:44,880 --> 00:28:47,440 Speaker 3: Who's gonna prune the cherry trees? Donald, I mean, ifo's 631 00:28:47,440 --> 00:28:48,000 Speaker 3: gonna prove. 632 00:28:47,920 --> 00:28:50,600 Speaker 1: Almost as if Trump doesn't really care about doing any 633 00:28:50,640 --> 00:28:52,560 Speaker 1: of this stuff. He's just like talking big and doesn't 634 00:28:52,560 --> 00:28:54,320 Speaker 1: give a shit about how it actually plays out. 635 00:28:54,480 --> 00:28:56,400 Speaker 3: He doesn't know how anything works. 636 00:28:57,000 --> 00:29:00,160 Speaker 1: Yeah, I mean that's really the bottom line for me 637 00:29:00,280 --> 00:29:05,080 Speaker 1: is that when you have Trump really loudly talking about 638 00:29:05,080 --> 00:29:06,600 Speaker 1: the ways that he is meddling in the way that 639 00:29:06,680 --> 00:29:10,200 Speaker 1: DC is run. He's not someone who is good at 640 00:29:10,240 --> 00:29:13,400 Speaker 1: efficiently governing. And so like, you know, say what you 641 00:29:13,400 --> 00:29:15,440 Speaker 1: know about DC. We had a function we have a 642 00:29:15,480 --> 00:29:19,880 Speaker 1: functioning local government, a functioning city. Putting somebody like Trump 643 00:29:19,960 --> 00:29:23,400 Speaker 1: in charge of how things get done. What happens to encampments, 644 00:29:23,440 --> 00:29:26,200 Speaker 1: what happens to education, what happens to Crome Like, like. 645 00:29:26,160 --> 00:29:28,640 Speaker 2: That's just a terrible, terrible move for the city. 646 00:29:29,160 --> 00:29:31,000 Speaker 3: I mean it's like, you know, at a shitty retail job, 647 00:29:31,000 --> 00:29:33,000 Speaker 3: you get a new assistant store manager and they try 648 00:29:33,040 --> 00:29:34,680 Speaker 3: to change the way the schedule gets made, just so 649 00:29:34,720 --> 00:29:36,360 Speaker 3: they can look like they're doing something, so they can 650 00:29:36,360 --> 00:29:38,360 Speaker 3: feel like they're in charge. And it's like, yeah, dog, 651 00:29:38,400 --> 00:29:40,640 Speaker 3: that's just not how things work at this store, Like 652 00:29:40,680 --> 00:29:42,880 Speaker 3: it won't function if the keyholder doesn't open. 653 00:29:43,360 --> 00:29:46,360 Speaker 1: I wish I could tell Trump that, Like I'm taken 654 00:29:46,400 --> 00:29:48,400 Speaker 1: back to my days of working retail at the mall 655 00:29:48,520 --> 00:29:51,560 Speaker 1: or where you could just be like, actually, Greg, that's 656 00:29:51,560 --> 00:29:53,240 Speaker 1: not how it works here at this Claire's. 657 00:29:54,920 --> 00:29:56,040 Speaker 2: I used to work at Claires. 658 00:29:56,640 --> 00:30:00,040 Speaker 3: It just won't work like that. Like I know, so 659 00:30:00,120 --> 00:30:01,960 Speaker 3: you're very important and you're in charge here, but it's 660 00:30:02,000 --> 00:30:03,040 Speaker 3: just like it won't work. 661 00:30:03,120 --> 00:30:04,080 Speaker 2: It won't work. 662 00:30:05,080 --> 00:30:08,200 Speaker 1: So yeah, I mean, as of today, there has not 663 00:30:08,320 --> 00:30:11,880 Speaker 1: been a vote on DC's budget. Trump actually signaled that 664 00:30:11,920 --> 00:30:14,280 Speaker 1: he is on board for a fix that would prevent 665 00:30:14,440 --> 00:30:16,360 Speaker 1: this billion dollar cut, and he urged the Senate to 666 00:30:16,400 --> 00:30:18,520 Speaker 1: vote for it. He posted, the House should take up 667 00:30:18,520 --> 00:30:21,160 Speaker 1: the DC funding fix that the Senate passed and get 668 00:30:21,200 --> 00:30:24,520 Speaker 1: it done immediately, all caps. But everybody's on recess and 669 00:30:24,560 --> 00:30:27,040 Speaker 1: so in the meantime, like it's not clear what's going 670 00:30:27,080 --> 00:30:29,360 Speaker 1: to happen. And the city did announce that they're looking 671 00:30:29,360 --> 00:30:32,640 Speaker 1: at making cuts and furlowing staff because it's not clear 672 00:30:32,840 --> 00:30:35,400 Speaker 1: what's going to happen. So, you know, so it's not 673 00:30:35,840 --> 00:30:37,440 Speaker 1: that the city doesn't have them. It's not like the 674 00:30:37,480 --> 00:30:39,440 Speaker 1: city's broke. Like the city has the money, they're just 675 00:30:39,560 --> 00:30:40,680 Speaker 1: not allowed to budget it. 676 00:30:40,760 --> 00:30:43,480 Speaker 3: Yes, exactly that and for no reason. 677 00:30:43,760 --> 00:30:44,120 Speaker 2: Problem. 678 00:30:44,280 --> 00:30:47,400 Speaker 1: It's a fake it's a fake problem. But again, I 679 00:30:47,440 --> 00:30:50,520 Speaker 1: don't know that people like Mike Johnson understand that there 680 00:30:50,520 --> 00:30:53,320 Speaker 1: are people who live here who you know, just want 681 00:30:53,320 --> 00:30:54,720 Speaker 1: to have their trash pickn out this, want to be 682 00:30:54,760 --> 00:30:56,360 Speaker 1: able to educate their kids, just want to be able 683 00:30:56,360 --> 00:30:58,800 Speaker 1: to like live our lives in the city. And I 684 00:30:58,840 --> 00:31:01,280 Speaker 1: think I said this on happened here before. But I 685 00:31:01,320 --> 00:31:05,720 Speaker 1: have to feel like it's punitive, right like DC nobody 686 00:31:06,040 --> 00:31:08,520 Speaker 1: didn't vote for Trump, Like DC didn't vote for Trump, 687 00:31:08,600 --> 00:31:12,440 Speaker 1: like you know, Nicky Hayley won DC's Republican primary, not 688 00:31:12,480 --> 00:31:14,320 Speaker 1: even Trump, right, so like we have made it very 689 00:31:14,320 --> 00:31:15,719 Speaker 1: clear that we don't like him and we don't want 690 00:31:15,800 --> 00:31:18,120 Speaker 1: him here. And I guess I just have to say 691 00:31:18,120 --> 00:31:21,560 Speaker 1: the only thing that makes sense as to why Congress 692 00:31:21,560 --> 00:31:22,640 Speaker 1: would do this, it's punitive. 693 00:31:22,640 --> 00:31:24,440 Speaker 2: This to be like fuck DC. 694 00:31:24,360 --> 00:31:27,800 Speaker 1: And the progressive, hippie, dippy educated people who live there, 695 00:31:27,800 --> 00:31:30,040 Speaker 1: Like it just feels like like a punitive attack on 696 00:31:30,280 --> 00:31:30,880 Speaker 1: the district. 697 00:31:31,360 --> 00:31:34,360 Speaker 3: But again just like shooting themselves in the dick because 698 00:31:34,400 --> 00:31:36,960 Speaker 3: like if the city falls apart, like you still work here, 699 00:31:37,160 --> 00:31:38,760 Speaker 3: you still have to drive on the streets here. 700 00:31:39,720 --> 00:31:43,480 Speaker 1: Well, I mean, if Trump gets his way and DC 701 00:31:43,720 --> 00:31:46,320 Speaker 1: just becomes like a instead of a city, like a 702 00:31:46,360 --> 00:31:50,600 Speaker 1: military compound that is controlled by like his goons. 703 00:31:51,080 --> 00:31:53,280 Speaker 3: Right, Like it's sort of like a Trump Vatican City 704 00:31:53,280 --> 00:31:55,760 Speaker 3: where he's the king of this little tiny country. 705 00:31:55,880 --> 00:31:59,520 Speaker 1: That is my ultimate biggest fear about what is on 706 00:31:59,560 --> 00:32:01,600 Speaker 1: the horizon, And for DC, that is like the ultimate 707 00:32:01,680 --> 00:32:05,360 Speaker 1: ultimate like negative fear that I have. 708 00:32:05,880 --> 00:32:08,680 Speaker 2: And I guess bottom line is like this. 709 00:32:08,720 --> 00:32:12,400 Speaker 1: Is why DC needs statehoods, Like we are facing such 710 00:32:12,520 --> 00:32:15,440 Speaker 1: unique threats from the Trump administration that no other place 711 00:32:15,440 --> 00:32:18,160 Speaker 1: in the United States faces. You know, there are a 712 00:32:18,200 --> 00:32:20,520 Speaker 1: million reasons for DC to become a state, but this 713 00:32:20,720 --> 00:32:22,920 Speaker 1: just I think that the way that Trump is acting 714 00:32:23,000 --> 00:32:26,000 Speaker 1: toward our city, toward our our mayor toward our council 715 00:32:26,680 --> 00:32:29,240 Speaker 1: with regards to our budget, like it all just makes 716 00:32:29,280 --> 00:32:31,920 Speaker 1: so much sense that our residents should not be at 717 00:32:31,920 --> 00:32:34,960 Speaker 1: the behest of somebody like Trump to have our. 718 00:32:34,880 --> 00:32:36,640 Speaker 2: City run the way that we want it to be run. 719 00:32:36,920 --> 00:32:39,000 Speaker 3: And yeah, it just doesn't make sense. It doesn't make sense. 720 00:32:39,000 --> 00:32:41,080 Speaker 3: It doesn't mean the city should be able to make 721 00:32:41,080 --> 00:32:43,360 Speaker 3: its own budget. There's no reason for it to function 722 00:32:43,480 --> 00:32:43,760 Speaker 3: like this. 723 00:32:44,120 --> 00:32:47,400 Speaker 1: There is no reason for it. So from your lips 724 00:32:47,440 --> 00:32:48,360 Speaker 1: to God's ears. 725 00:32:50,480 --> 00:32:52,959 Speaker 3: Yeah, So, like, I guess what should people look for? 726 00:32:53,040 --> 00:32:56,080 Speaker 3: Like what's the next step in this process? Like when's 727 00:32:56,080 --> 00:32:57,040 Speaker 3: the next vote on this? 728 00:32:57,600 --> 00:33:00,960 Speaker 1: So when lawmakers are back in set, we should have 729 00:33:01,040 --> 00:33:03,520 Speaker 1: some sense of what's going on with DC's budget. The 730 00:33:03,520 --> 00:33:06,040 Speaker 1: thing I would end with is like give a shit 731 00:33:06,120 --> 00:33:09,880 Speaker 1: about DC, Like, don't be somebody who perpetuates the idea 732 00:33:09,960 --> 00:33:13,040 Speaker 1: that the only thing happening in DC is like national politics, 733 00:33:13,080 --> 00:33:16,760 Speaker 1: and like where national conversations are happening, because you know, 734 00:33:16,960 --> 00:33:19,560 Speaker 1: there are six hundred thousand people who live here and 735 00:33:20,080 --> 00:33:23,160 Speaker 1: we want to be able to control our city and 736 00:33:23,200 --> 00:33:26,400 Speaker 1: control our tax money. Like I pay taxes just like 737 00:33:26,440 --> 00:33:29,080 Speaker 1: anybody else, and it's ridiculous that I get less of 738 00:33:29,080 --> 00:33:29,600 Speaker 1: a say. 739 00:33:29,440 --> 00:33:30,240 Speaker 3: Than everybody else. 740 00:33:30,400 --> 00:33:32,280 Speaker 1: So if you don't live in DC and you hear 741 00:33:32,320 --> 00:33:34,880 Speaker 1: about Congress or the Senate voting on stuff that impacts 742 00:33:34,960 --> 00:33:37,280 Speaker 1: DC residents, like you might hear about them voting on 743 00:33:37,320 --> 00:33:40,720 Speaker 1: the DC budget fixed bill. You can call your representatives 744 00:33:40,720 --> 00:33:43,200 Speaker 1: and advocate on our behalf and kind of be our 745 00:33:43,280 --> 00:33:46,239 Speaker 1: voice because we don't really get one. Hopefully this all 746 00:33:46,280 --> 00:33:47,960 Speaker 1: gives you a sense of what's at stake for us, 747 00:33:48,000 --> 00:33:49,880 Speaker 1: So please give a shit about DC. 748 00:33:50,080 --> 00:33:52,640 Speaker 3: Give a shit about DC, and hopefully you guys still 749 00:33:52,640 --> 00:33:54,000 Speaker 3: have garbage services. 750 00:33:54,800 --> 00:33:55,480 Speaker 2: We'll see. 751 00:33:57,440 --> 00:34:00,320 Speaker 1: Molly, thank you for running through all of this with me. 752 00:34:00,360 --> 00:34:01,400 Speaker 1: You're such a good co host. 753 00:34:01,840 --> 00:34:04,600 Speaker 3: Yeah, this was fun. Yeah, I listened to Bridges' podcasts. 754 00:34:04,600 --> 00:34:06,480 Speaker 3: There are no girls on the internet listen to Weird 755 00:34:06,480 --> 00:34:09,440 Speaker 3: Little Guys, a Webby Award winning podcast. 756 00:34:09,560 --> 00:34:13,480 Speaker 1: Yes, so deserved. Are you like keeping your wedding secret? 757 00:34:13,520 --> 00:34:14,600 Speaker 1: Is that something I can talk about? 758 00:34:14,800 --> 00:34:14,960 Speaker 2: Well? 759 00:34:15,000 --> 00:34:16,960 Speaker 3: I did tell the listeners, just because there's gonna be 760 00:34:17,000 --> 00:34:20,000 Speaker 3: some reruns coming out. I'm getting married soon, so I 761 00:34:20,040 --> 00:34:22,239 Speaker 3: will be out of town for a little bit. But yeah, 762 00:34:22,280 --> 00:34:23,759 Speaker 3: so I got a lot going on. I got my 763 00:34:23,800 --> 00:34:27,279 Speaker 3: Weird Little Guys, I got my weird little wedding. Well, congratulations. 764 00:34:27,600 --> 00:34:29,920 Speaker 1: I was telling you off Mike that, like, I love 765 00:34:29,960 --> 00:34:33,000 Speaker 1: it when women who do work in the like extremism 766 00:34:33,120 --> 00:34:36,520 Speaker 1: right wing space have happy, thriving personal lives. 767 00:34:36,520 --> 00:34:38,240 Speaker 2: So it brings me a lot of joy. 768 00:34:38,480 --> 00:34:42,680 Speaker 3: Deeply, congratulations, thank you. Yeah, I am experiencing a lot 769 00:34:42,719 --> 00:34:43,080 Speaker 3: of joy. 770 00:34:43,440 --> 00:34:45,319 Speaker 2: You deserve it. Thank you. 771 00:34:49,640 --> 00:34:52,160 Speaker 4: It Could Happen Here is a production of cool Zone Media. 772 00:34:52,360 --> 00:34:55,400 Speaker 4: For more podcasts from cool Zone Media, visit our website 773 00:34:55,480 --> 00:34:59,040 Speaker 4: Coolzonemedia dot com, or check us out on the iHeartRadio app, 774 00:34:59,120 --> 00:35:02,880 Speaker 4: Apple Podcasts, or wherever you listen to podcasts can now 775 00:35:02,920 --> 00:35:05,120 Speaker 4: find sources for it Could Happen Here, listed directly in 776 00:35:05,200 --> 00:35:07,400 Speaker 4: episode descriptions. Thanks for listening.