1 00:00:00,440 --> 00:00:03,240 Speaker 1: This is Buck's first thoughts, the news you need to 2 00:00:03,240 --> 00:00:05,840 Speaker 1: get through your day in forty five minutes. Make sure 3 00:00:05,880 --> 00:00:08,559 Speaker 1: you subscribe on the iHeart app or wherever you get 4 00:00:08,560 --> 00:00:13,240 Speaker 1: your podcasts. So I'm here in Florida. Everybody, I've been 5 00:00:13,320 --> 00:00:15,440 Speaker 1: telling you this, I'm at sea. Pack you can hear. 6 00:00:15,520 --> 00:00:18,600 Speaker 1: And so I know the show doesn't sound like it 7 00:00:18,640 --> 00:00:21,119 Speaker 1: always does, but that's because we have thousands and thousands 8 00:00:21,160 --> 00:00:24,200 Speaker 1: of conservatives gathered around me. And I'm very appreciated for 9 00:00:24,200 --> 00:00:25,799 Speaker 1: all of those who come up to talk to me, 10 00:00:25,840 --> 00:00:28,440 Speaker 1: who want to have a chat, tell me they're part 11 00:00:28,480 --> 00:00:31,280 Speaker 1: of Team Buck. But for those of you across the country, 12 00:00:31,680 --> 00:00:33,880 Speaker 1: we have some things to get to today, as well 13 00:00:33,920 --> 00:00:38,239 Speaker 1: as a number of just excellent guests. It'll be kind 14 00:00:38,240 --> 00:00:42,159 Speaker 1: of a surprise, a whole variety. You know, I rarely 15 00:00:42,240 --> 00:00:43,919 Speaker 1: do a lot of guests here on the show, but 16 00:00:44,360 --> 00:00:48,520 Speaker 1: today because so many of my favorite conservatives are gathered 17 00:00:48,520 --> 00:00:50,159 Speaker 1: to one place. I mean to be honest with you, 18 00:00:50,479 --> 00:00:51,920 Speaker 1: we have so many people that want to come on 19 00:00:51,960 --> 00:00:54,080 Speaker 1: the show. Our biggest problem is who can we allow 20 00:00:54,120 --> 00:00:57,240 Speaker 1: on the show. Well, let's first jump into what is 21 00:00:57,280 --> 00:01:02,320 Speaker 1: it exactly that is in peril right now? What is 22 00:01:02,320 --> 00:01:07,720 Speaker 1: it that's at stake. This CEPAC is about conservatism uncanceled. 23 00:01:07,959 --> 00:01:09,920 Speaker 1: But I think one thing that brings us all together 24 00:01:10,440 --> 00:01:12,360 Speaker 1: is the recognition that no matter who you are, no 25 00:01:12,360 --> 00:01:15,160 Speaker 1: matter where you are in the country, you two face 26 00:01:15,240 --> 00:01:17,560 Speaker 1: the threat of cancelation. It doesn't matter if you're a 27 00:01:17,560 --> 00:01:19,720 Speaker 1: public person or not, it doesn't matter what you say. 28 00:01:19,880 --> 00:01:22,920 Speaker 1: I've had the social media companies, some of the most 29 00:01:23,000 --> 00:01:29,479 Speaker 1: powerful organizations corporations in the world, coming after me, censoring me, 30 00:01:30,000 --> 00:01:34,959 Speaker 1: trying to deep platform and undermine a message that I 31 00:01:35,080 --> 00:01:38,000 Speaker 1: put my life into. I mean, I'm doing everything I 32 00:01:38,040 --> 00:01:40,520 Speaker 1: can to bring the best information to the people who 33 00:01:40,520 --> 00:01:44,200 Speaker 1: listen to this show every day, and yet Facebook and 34 00:01:44,200 --> 00:01:47,840 Speaker 1: Twitter and others decide we don't like what you've said, 35 00:01:48,040 --> 00:01:50,800 Speaker 1: or rather, we're going to outsource the decision about what 36 00:01:50,880 --> 00:01:54,800 Speaker 1: you've said to somebody else. We're going to make determinations 37 00:01:54,880 --> 00:01:58,000 Speaker 1: about this through a third party, which is even more 38 00:01:58,000 --> 00:02:02,000 Speaker 1: troubling because now there's less accountability. They launder their censorship. 39 00:02:02,080 --> 00:02:04,960 Speaker 1: You see, that's the whole point. That's the decision that 40 00:02:05,000 --> 00:02:07,600 Speaker 1: they're making for all the rest of us. And if 41 00:02:07,680 --> 00:02:10,519 Speaker 1: you have an unpopular opinion right now, even if it's 42 00:02:10,560 --> 00:02:13,080 Speaker 1: popular by the numbers, in America. But if you believe 43 00:02:13,320 --> 00:02:18,200 Speaker 1: things that are outside the liberal orthodoxy, outside the liberal consensus, 44 00:02:18,840 --> 00:02:23,440 Speaker 1: you find yourself subject to destruction in the public square. 45 00:02:23,639 --> 00:02:27,480 Speaker 1: Well actually defenestration in a sense, first being kicked out 46 00:02:27,520 --> 00:02:31,080 Speaker 1: of the public square, and then perhaps also the annihilation 47 00:02:31,800 --> 00:02:35,240 Speaker 1: of your ability to be considered a person in this 48 00:02:35,320 --> 00:02:38,639 Speaker 1: country and good standing. Liberty is in greater peril right 49 00:02:38,680 --> 00:02:41,000 Speaker 1: now in America than at any time in my life. 50 00:02:41,800 --> 00:02:43,399 Speaker 1: And you know, if you've been listening to this show 51 00:02:43,440 --> 00:02:46,520 Speaker 1: for years, that when things were good with Donald Trump, 52 00:02:47,040 --> 00:02:50,359 Speaker 1: when we were in twenty seventeen, twenty eighteen, twenty nineteen, 53 00:02:50,400 --> 00:02:53,720 Speaker 1: I would stop and tell you all to smell the roses. 54 00:02:54,280 --> 00:02:57,520 Speaker 1: I told you this country was as good as you 55 00:02:57,560 --> 00:03:00,160 Speaker 1: were going to see it for a long time. That 56 00:03:00,200 --> 00:03:01,720 Speaker 1: was the truth. And I know a lot of you 57 00:03:01,760 --> 00:03:04,760 Speaker 1: now appreciated it because I said, go out se see 58 00:03:04,760 --> 00:03:09,160 Speaker 1: your family, you know, have a great cookout, see your buddies, 59 00:03:09,800 --> 00:03:13,400 Speaker 1: have some drinks in celebration, or however you celebrate, because 60 00:03:14,040 --> 00:03:16,200 Speaker 1: enjoy the good times. So I tell you the truth 61 00:03:16,240 --> 00:03:17,959 Speaker 1: about where we are in the country. You know that 62 00:03:18,280 --> 00:03:21,800 Speaker 1: I'm not a catastrophist. I don't run around saying how awful. 63 00:03:21,840 --> 00:03:23,720 Speaker 1: Everything is all the time so I can get attention. 64 00:03:24,400 --> 00:03:26,760 Speaker 1: And I'm here telling you that liberty is under greater 65 00:03:26,800 --> 00:03:28,960 Speaker 1: threat right now in America than at any time in 66 00:03:28,960 --> 00:03:33,000 Speaker 1: my lifetime, including after nine to eleven. Remember we had 67 00:03:33,040 --> 00:03:35,960 Speaker 1: a Republican president after nine to eleven, but there was 68 00:03:36,280 --> 00:03:40,920 Speaker 1: that threat of overreach. There was that considerable concern that 69 00:03:41,040 --> 00:03:45,280 Speaker 1: they would go too far. And now we see already 70 00:03:45,760 --> 00:03:48,400 Speaker 1: with the schism within the Republican Party, the possibility of 71 00:03:48,440 --> 00:03:53,320 Speaker 1: the military industrial complex trying to make a comeback. But 72 00:03:53,400 --> 00:03:56,600 Speaker 1: that's a conversation we'll continue to have here for the 73 00:03:56,680 --> 00:03:59,520 Speaker 1: years to come, I can assure you. But liberty is 74 00:03:59,560 --> 00:04:03,880 Speaker 1: under threat because the left believes that they can cancel Conservatism, 75 00:04:03,880 --> 00:04:07,000 Speaker 1: that they can actually undermine and destroy us in a 76 00:04:07,040 --> 00:04:08,680 Speaker 1: way where we will not be able to come back. 77 00:04:09,000 --> 00:04:11,040 Speaker 1: And their version of this is not that we all 78 00:04:11,320 --> 00:04:14,800 Speaker 1: go away. It's that we change what we say. It's 79 00:04:14,800 --> 00:04:17,120 Speaker 1: that we no longer have the beliefs that we hold dear. 80 00:04:17,520 --> 00:04:21,200 Speaker 1: We moderate them, we shift them. They're able to move 81 00:04:21,839 --> 00:04:25,120 Speaker 1: the realm of acceptable conversation to something that's much more 82 00:04:25,160 --> 00:04:30,640 Speaker 1: to their liking. This alone is catastrophic for us because 83 00:04:30,640 --> 00:04:33,120 Speaker 1: once they can force you to bend the knee. Then 84 00:04:33,160 --> 00:04:35,640 Speaker 1: they can force you to start to mouth the preferred slogans, 85 00:04:35,680 --> 00:04:38,599 Speaker 1: to say the things that you know are untrue, but 86 00:04:38,680 --> 00:04:40,880 Speaker 1: that if you don't say them, you can be destroyed. 87 00:04:41,960 --> 00:04:46,880 Speaker 1: And that brings me to the extreme Equality Act as 88 00:04:46,920 --> 00:04:49,359 Speaker 1: I'm calling it. Now. Let me first say one of 89 00:04:49,360 --> 00:04:52,640 Speaker 1: the central tenets of this show has always been and 90 00:04:52,640 --> 00:04:57,320 Speaker 1: will always be, to treat people, all people, with dignity 91 00:04:57,320 --> 00:05:00,440 Speaker 1: and decency, our fellow human beings. There is a love 92 00:05:00,960 --> 00:05:05,200 Speaker 1: of your fellow human beings, as people made in the 93 00:05:05,279 --> 00:05:09,120 Speaker 1: eye of God. There's a love that you must have 94 00:05:09,200 --> 00:05:12,200 Speaker 1: to be a true Conservative, and it must extend, of course, 95 00:05:12,480 --> 00:05:18,960 Speaker 1: without any reference to a person's sexuality, ethnicity, religion. You 96 00:05:19,040 --> 00:05:21,240 Speaker 1: must love your fellow human beings, or else you are 97 00:05:21,320 --> 00:05:26,159 Speaker 1: failing as a conservative, because our whole constitution, the natural 98 00:05:26,240 --> 00:05:29,320 Speaker 1: law that it is rooted in, the universal and endless 99 00:05:29,360 --> 00:05:32,480 Speaker 1: truth that is rooted in, are undermined without that love, 100 00:05:32,520 --> 00:05:36,880 Speaker 1: without that sense of commonality and understanding. On this bill, 101 00:05:36,960 --> 00:05:40,600 Speaker 1: though assessing this purely from a policy perspective, there are 102 00:05:41,040 --> 00:05:44,320 Speaker 1: real there are real areas of concern, and I know 103 00:05:44,360 --> 00:05:47,520 Speaker 1: that because they say it's an LGBTQ bill, we are 104 00:05:47,560 --> 00:05:49,880 Speaker 1: all supposed to view this as an extension of the 105 00:05:49,920 --> 00:05:54,159 Speaker 1: Civil Rights Act, but what it is actually doing to 106 00:05:54,920 --> 00:05:58,719 Speaker 1: women's sports, what it actually would do to separation of 107 00:05:58,760 --> 00:06:03,320 Speaker 1: the sexes, is both very concerning. I'm still also an 108 00:06:03,320 --> 00:06:06,120 Speaker 1: open question. We have to find more of what's really 109 00:06:06,160 --> 00:06:08,600 Speaker 1: going to happen here. I want to share with you now. 110 00:06:08,680 --> 00:06:10,920 Speaker 1: Now the Democrats in the House have already passed this bill, 111 00:06:11,000 --> 00:06:13,360 Speaker 1: but I want to share with you what Senator rand Paul, 112 00:06:13,400 --> 00:06:16,000 Speaker 1: who is an MD himself, which I like to note 113 00:06:16,040 --> 00:06:18,040 Speaker 1: because people say, oh, what does he know about science? Well, 114 00:06:18,040 --> 00:06:19,560 Speaker 1: he went to medical school and it's been a practicing 115 00:06:19,560 --> 00:06:23,760 Speaker 1: doctor for decades. He was speaking to Rachel Levine, supposed 116 00:06:23,760 --> 00:06:31,000 Speaker 1: to be a senior HHS official, and he asked Rachel 117 00:06:31,080 --> 00:06:36,000 Speaker 1: Levine about what the full scope and scale of the 118 00:06:36,040 --> 00:06:41,000 Speaker 1: Equality Act would be for children, for teenagers when it 119 00:06:41,040 --> 00:06:45,680 Speaker 1: comes to policy, now, federal government policy around transgender issues. 120 00:06:46,160 --> 00:06:48,839 Speaker 1: Here is how that exchange went. Let it go into 121 00:06:48,839 --> 00:06:51,560 Speaker 1: the record that the witness refused to answer the question. 122 00:06:52,040 --> 00:06:55,120 Speaker 1: The question is a very specific one. Should minors be 123 00:06:55,200 --> 00:06:58,440 Speaker 1: making these momentous decisions? From most of the history of medicine, 124 00:06:58,760 --> 00:07:00,520 Speaker 1: we wouldn't let you have a cut sewn up in 125 00:07:00,520 --> 00:07:03,520 Speaker 1: the er. But you're willing to let a minor take 126 00:07:03,600 --> 00:07:06,159 Speaker 1: things that prevent their puberty, and you think they get 127 00:07:06,200 --> 00:07:09,440 Speaker 1: that back. You give a woman testosterone enough that she 128 00:07:09,520 --> 00:07:11,600 Speaker 1: grows up beard, you think she's gonna go back looking 129 00:07:11,640 --> 00:07:14,000 Speaker 1: like a woman. When you stop the testosterone, you have 130 00:07:14,280 --> 00:07:18,680 Speaker 1: permanently changed them infertilities of another problem. None of these 131 00:07:18,760 --> 00:07:20,920 Speaker 1: drugs have been approved for this. They're all being used 132 00:07:20,920 --> 00:07:23,400 Speaker 1: off label. I find it ironic that the left that 133 00:07:23,440 --> 00:07:26,920 Speaker 1: went nuts over a hydroxy chloric when being used possibly 134 00:07:27,360 --> 00:07:31,040 Speaker 1: for COVID are not alarmed that these hormones are being 135 00:07:31,120 --> 00:07:34,120 Speaker 1: used off label. There's no long term studies. We don't 136 00:07:34,160 --> 00:07:36,440 Speaker 1: know what happens to them. We do know that there 137 00:07:36,480 --> 00:07:40,240 Speaker 1: are dozens and dozens of people been through this who 138 00:07:40,400 --> 00:07:43,320 Speaker 1: regret that this happening, and a permanent change happened to them. 139 00:07:43,640 --> 00:07:46,680 Speaker 1: And you know, if you've ever been around children, fourteen 140 00:07:46,760 --> 00:07:49,600 Speaker 1: year olds can't make this decision. In the gender dysphoria 141 00:07:49,640 --> 00:07:53,200 Speaker 1: clinic in England, ten percent of the kids are between 142 00:07:53,240 --> 00:07:56,560 Speaker 1: the age of three and ten. We should be outraged 143 00:07:56,640 --> 00:07:58,840 Speaker 1: that someone's talking to a three year old about changing 144 00:07:58,840 --> 00:08:05,160 Speaker 1: their sex. I can't thank you so much, Senator Levine. 145 00:08:05,240 --> 00:08:10,560 Speaker 1: Thank you for Levine's response, which we could also play 146 00:08:10,600 --> 00:08:11,800 Speaker 1: for you, but I can just tell you what it 147 00:08:11,960 --> 00:08:14,800 Speaker 1: was was to say that there's a lot of complexity here, 148 00:08:15,240 --> 00:08:16,880 Speaker 1: that there's a lot of stuff that you have to 149 00:08:16,880 --> 00:08:19,280 Speaker 1: think about, a lot of considerations that you have to have, 150 00:08:20,080 --> 00:08:23,400 Speaker 1: and wouldn't actually say anything, wouldn't actually speak to what 151 00:08:23,480 --> 00:08:26,280 Speaker 1: was going on, wouldn't give an answer to the question 152 00:08:26,320 --> 00:08:30,560 Speaker 1: at all should children be allowed to have full gender 153 00:08:30,680 --> 00:08:34,559 Speaker 1: transition as part of what they can do without parental consent, 154 00:08:34,559 --> 00:08:37,440 Speaker 1: without any change whatsoever. Should children be able to do that? 155 00:08:37,880 --> 00:08:40,440 Speaker 1: The answer from somebody who'll be a top public health 156 00:08:40,440 --> 00:08:45,320 Speaker 1: official and the Biden administration is it's really complicated. I 157 00:08:45,400 --> 00:08:48,160 Speaker 1: don't think it's really complicated. I think that we need 158 00:08:48,200 --> 00:08:50,800 Speaker 1: to have a much more honest discussion about the fact 159 00:08:50,920 --> 00:08:53,679 Speaker 1: that the very medical procedures, the science that they're advocating 160 00:08:53,720 --> 00:08:57,400 Speaker 1: for here doesn't have any long term studies, that it's 161 00:08:57,440 --> 00:09:00,319 Speaker 1: all being made up really on the fly, and there's 162 00:09:00,320 --> 00:09:04,040 Speaker 1: tremendous damage, there's tremendous risk from all of this, and 163 00:09:04,120 --> 00:09:06,000 Speaker 1: that we need to be much more serious as a 164 00:09:06,000 --> 00:09:10,560 Speaker 1: country about the risks we're putting children through. Because of 165 00:09:10,559 --> 00:09:14,320 Speaker 1: what the activists class and the extreme left wants to achieve. 166 00:09:15,960 --> 00:09:18,160 Speaker 1: And that's just one example here. We can talk about 167 00:09:18,160 --> 00:09:19,720 Speaker 1: what it does to sports, we can talk about what 168 00:09:19,720 --> 00:09:23,160 Speaker 1: it does in schools and a separation of the sexes. 169 00:09:23,360 --> 00:09:29,079 Speaker 1: But let's be very very clear here. The reality of 170 00:09:29,080 --> 00:09:32,480 Speaker 1: what we are seeing from this Biden administration is a 171 00:09:33,000 --> 00:09:39,480 Speaker 1: left wing, far progressive Biden administration that is nothing like 172 00:09:39,600 --> 00:09:42,240 Speaker 1: what we were promised in the election cycle. And we 173 00:09:42,360 --> 00:09:45,240 Speaker 1: knew it and we saw it coming. But how different 174 00:09:45,280 --> 00:09:47,679 Speaker 1: would it really be if you had had a President 175 00:09:47,720 --> 00:09:49,960 Speaker 1: Bernie Sanders at this point, or even a president AOC. 176 00:09:50,320 --> 00:09:52,800 Speaker 1: Look at what they're doing, look at what they're focusing on. 177 00:09:53,240 --> 00:09:57,280 Speaker 1: We need to understand the stakes here. Friends are high. 178 00:09:57,360 --> 00:10:00,040 Speaker 1: You're in the freedom height. Thanks for listening to a 179 00:10:00,120 --> 00:10:03,120 Speaker 1: Buck Sexton Show podcast to get the latest from Buck 180 00:10:03,160 --> 00:10:08,160 Speaker 1: at buck sexton dot com. All right, I'm here at 181 00:10:08,200 --> 00:10:10,360 Speaker 1: sea pack. You probably get that sense. You can hear 182 00:10:10,440 --> 00:10:14,280 Speaker 1: the many, many folks all around me, but I'm joined 183 00:10:14,280 --> 00:10:15,960 Speaker 1: by the man himself. I think that's how we have 184 00:10:16,000 --> 00:10:17,080 Speaker 1: to refer to you. I don't know if we call 185 00:10:17,080 --> 00:10:20,000 Speaker 1: you the czar, you know, the we know you're the chairman, 186 00:10:20,880 --> 00:10:23,679 Speaker 1: the old man from Yo man Matt slap of the 187 00:10:23,800 --> 00:10:27,240 Speaker 1: American Conservative Union. He's the chairman of the ACU. He's 188 00:10:27,280 --> 00:10:29,920 Speaker 1: here with me right now. Matt, thanks so much, Thanks Buck, 189 00:10:29,960 --> 00:10:31,679 Speaker 1: thanks for being here. It's a lot to a lot 190 00:10:31,679 --> 00:10:35,520 Speaker 1: of people. It is great and it's sunny and we 191 00:10:35,520 --> 00:10:37,719 Speaker 1: didn't close down. That's a big deal. Yeah. I got 192 00:10:37,760 --> 00:10:41,520 Speaker 1: dragged to my first Sea pack by random friends. I 193 00:10:41,559 --> 00:10:44,640 Speaker 1: think it was now almost fifteen years ago. I was 194 00:10:44,679 --> 00:10:47,360 Speaker 1: a CIA officer and I was like, and they knew, 195 00:10:47,360 --> 00:10:49,760 Speaker 1: they knew that I was a stealth conservative, you know, 196 00:10:50,160 --> 00:10:52,320 Speaker 1: and they brought me in DC and I was like, 197 00:10:52,320 --> 00:10:54,360 Speaker 1: this is awesome. So here I am not fifteen years later, 198 00:10:54,400 --> 00:10:57,960 Speaker 1: actually presenting a sepac Buck Sexton, not hiding anymore. Yeah, 199 00:10:58,200 --> 00:10:59,880 Speaker 1: you are what you are. Yeah, you can actually tell 200 00:11:00,000 --> 00:11:01,959 Speaker 1: people that you're patriotic, you love your country. Once you 201 00:11:02,080 --> 00:11:03,959 Speaker 1: work in the federal government, you know, you know you 202 00:11:04,000 --> 00:11:05,920 Speaker 1: got to keep that on the download sometimes from the 203 00:11:05,960 --> 00:11:08,920 Speaker 1: libs that are lurking behind the sea. Well that's not true. 204 00:11:09,040 --> 00:11:12,320 Speaker 1: If you work for HHS, they love you. But but 205 00:11:12,440 --> 00:11:14,960 Speaker 1: you know, Bucks X and I have developed quite a 206 00:11:15,040 --> 00:11:18,199 Speaker 1: close bond at Seapack. I held his phone yesterday. You 207 00:11:18,240 --> 00:11:20,320 Speaker 1: seemed a little nervous as I had your phone. You 208 00:11:20,360 --> 00:11:22,120 Speaker 1: wondered where I was gonna go with that. You give 209 00:11:22,200 --> 00:11:24,640 Speaker 1: them in your phone, you give them your life pretty much. 210 00:11:24,960 --> 00:11:27,000 Speaker 1: So we got people that are all across the country 211 00:11:27,000 --> 00:11:29,080 Speaker 1: list that they're gonna be watching the live stream. Matt, 212 00:11:29,120 --> 00:11:33,600 Speaker 1: tell me this, what is what is uh this year? 213 00:11:35,120 --> 00:11:38,040 Speaker 1: The thing that is setting the seapack apart? Well, I 214 00:11:38,080 --> 00:11:40,840 Speaker 1: do think it's a big deal that the title is 215 00:11:41,320 --> 00:11:46,199 Speaker 1: America uncanceled because we didn't say Conservatism uncanceled because I 216 00:11:46,720 --> 00:11:48,960 Speaker 1: you know, yeah, I run a group that has conservative 217 00:11:48,960 --> 00:11:51,000 Speaker 1: in the title. But it's not really about being a conservative. 218 00:11:51,040 --> 00:11:54,000 Speaker 1: It's like I don't believe in communism. I think Marxism 219 00:11:54,040 --> 00:11:56,120 Speaker 1: is bad. Like our coalition could be so much bigger, 220 00:11:56,720 --> 00:11:58,880 Speaker 1: Like you can disagree with this on all kinds of issues, 221 00:11:58,880 --> 00:12:00,760 Speaker 1: but do you think like we should have constitution? How 222 00:12:00,800 --> 00:12:03,960 Speaker 1: about that one? Right? Like there are on our side now, 223 00:12:04,080 --> 00:12:07,240 Speaker 1: you know? So uh, And then they we physically were canceled. 224 00:12:07,280 --> 00:12:08,959 Speaker 1: We were told by the state of Maryland, which has 225 00:12:09,000 --> 00:12:11,280 Speaker 1: a you know, one of these Republican governors who's not 226 00:12:11,320 --> 00:12:13,640 Speaker 1: so good, is uh, it's not safe to do this, 227 00:12:13,720 --> 00:12:16,480 Speaker 1: Like no matter how many masks you where, it's not safe. 228 00:12:16,480 --> 00:12:19,880 Speaker 1: And just because I thought masks are highly effective and 229 00:12:20,080 --> 00:12:22,240 Speaker 1: you have social distancing as we really are in masks 230 00:12:22,240 --> 00:12:23,719 Speaker 1: as we do. A really good point. I thought it 231 00:12:23,720 --> 00:12:25,920 Speaker 1: was supposed to be highly Not only is the mask 232 00:12:26,320 --> 00:12:29,360 Speaker 1: apparently not enough to make you safe. Now we're told 233 00:12:29,360 --> 00:12:31,959 Speaker 1: that even when you get the vaccine, which I haven't gotten. 234 00:12:32,000 --> 00:12:33,440 Speaker 1: My mother's gotten it and she's going to be here 235 00:12:33,400 --> 00:12:36,199 Speaker 1: if parents got them the apparently that doesn't keep you 236 00:12:36,240 --> 00:12:38,040 Speaker 1: safe because even when you get the vaccine, you have 237 00:12:38,080 --> 00:12:40,840 Speaker 1: to stay locked into your freezer, your basement. Do you 238 00:12:40,880 --> 00:12:43,839 Speaker 1: know when you're safe, Matt, it's actually when doctor Fauci says, yes, 239 00:12:43,960 --> 00:12:46,560 Speaker 1: that's actually the science. Actually you would have been safe 240 00:12:46,679 --> 00:12:49,480 Speaker 1: is after he threw out that pop fly at the 241 00:12:50,160 --> 00:12:52,160 Speaker 1: at the game at the Gnats. You would have been 242 00:12:52,200 --> 00:12:54,000 Speaker 1: safe if you sat by him in the stands when 243 00:12:54,000 --> 00:12:56,080 Speaker 1: he took off his mask. There you go. Yeah. And 244 00:12:56,120 --> 00:12:58,080 Speaker 1: also not much of a heater or across home plate, 245 00:12:58,160 --> 00:12:59,800 Speaker 1: let's be honest. So if you were getting hit by 246 00:12:59,800 --> 00:13:02,320 Speaker 1: that one heater, that was a cooler, that was not 247 00:13:02,360 --> 00:13:05,000 Speaker 1: a heater. Yeah. So I'm so glad to be down 248 00:13:05,040 --> 00:13:06,280 Speaker 1: here in Florida. You know, one of the things we 249 00:13:06,320 --> 00:13:08,960 Speaker 1: talk about a lot on the show and we've got, 250 00:13:09,120 --> 00:13:12,160 Speaker 1: you know, a number of big stations in Miami and 251 00:13:12,280 --> 00:13:14,559 Speaker 1: Tampa and elsewhere across the state. One of the things 252 00:13:14,600 --> 00:13:16,640 Speaker 1: that we discuss is just what it's like to go 253 00:13:16,760 --> 00:13:20,640 Speaker 1: from the unfree state of whatever, New York, California, to 254 00:13:20,679 --> 00:13:23,520 Speaker 1: the free state of Florida. How much credit do you 255 00:13:23,559 --> 00:13:26,240 Speaker 1: think Ronda Santist really deserves for this. I call him 256 00:13:26,280 --> 00:13:29,760 Speaker 1: America's governor. He's great on opening up, he's great on 257 00:13:29,920 --> 00:13:32,760 Speaker 1: using common sense. On covid or Corona. He doesn't like 258 00:13:33,280 --> 00:13:35,079 Speaker 1: say it doesn't exist or it's a Matthew says, no, 259 00:13:35,160 --> 00:13:37,800 Speaker 1: it's real. But think about Florida. He's got an aged 260 00:13:37,920 --> 00:13:40,360 Speaker 1: population because it's a place where people come to retire. 261 00:13:40,640 --> 00:13:43,000 Speaker 1: He's got better numbers than all the governors who shut 262 00:13:43,040 --> 00:13:44,960 Speaker 1: things down. I said on the stage a few moments 263 00:13:44,960 --> 00:13:47,920 Speaker 1: ago that some of his colleagues got an Emmy for acting. 264 00:13:47,920 --> 00:13:51,160 Speaker 1: He deserves the people Choice People's Choice Award because he's 265 00:13:51,200 --> 00:13:56,880 Speaker 1: just conservatism. Even if you don't like the word constitutionalism, 266 00:13:56,920 --> 00:14:00,840 Speaker 1: Americanism is just common sense. That's really what it comes 267 00:14:00,840 --> 00:14:02,560 Speaker 1: down to. You get to make your decisions. If you 268 00:14:02,600 --> 00:14:05,040 Speaker 1: make bad decisions, you're probably gonna have a crappy life 269 00:14:05,280 --> 00:14:07,280 Speaker 1: and then don't turn to me to fix all your problems. 270 00:14:07,640 --> 00:14:10,120 Speaker 1: So the only other person that could also be referred 271 00:14:10,160 --> 00:14:13,080 Speaker 1: to perhaps as the big guy or you know, the 272 00:14:13,200 --> 00:14:16,400 Speaker 1: chief or whatever that's a seapack would be here on Sunday. 273 00:14:16,440 --> 00:14:18,679 Speaker 1: I believe, Yeah, I thought that, mister Donald Trump. Right, 274 00:14:18,679 --> 00:14:20,960 Speaker 1: It's it's either it's either mister Schlab or mister Trump. 275 00:14:21,000 --> 00:14:23,000 Speaker 1: That's the way it goes at seapack. So Trump's gonna 276 00:14:23,040 --> 00:14:26,440 Speaker 1: be here. What are we expecting him to say? I know, 277 00:14:26,480 --> 00:14:28,440 Speaker 1: we don't know, and no one knows until the words 278 00:14:28,440 --> 00:14:30,200 Speaker 1: actually come out of his mouth. But what are you thinking? 279 00:14:30,400 --> 00:14:32,440 Speaker 1: You know? I think it's interesting. I think he's trying 280 00:14:32,440 --> 00:14:35,120 Speaker 1: to figure out, like what his political role is, you know, 281 00:14:35,520 --> 00:14:38,600 Speaker 1: how he's gonna do endorsements, How does he play this 282 00:14:38,640 --> 00:14:41,000 Speaker 1: game as a former president. I talk to someone who's 283 00:14:41,040 --> 00:14:43,360 Speaker 1: a close intimate of his. I won't I won't say 284 00:14:43,360 --> 00:14:45,960 Speaker 1: who he or she is, but I do think everyone 285 00:14:46,000 --> 00:14:49,640 Speaker 1: who's had interactions with him he's really at peace. He 286 00:14:49,720 --> 00:14:52,200 Speaker 1: seems like a happy guy, maybe even a happier guy. 287 00:14:52,680 --> 00:14:55,760 Speaker 1: You know, he's a little a few steps removed from 288 00:14:55,760 --> 00:15:00,440 Speaker 1: like this constant attacking that would happen. And and I 289 00:15:00,880 --> 00:15:03,600 Speaker 1: expect that to come through, just like he's he's at 290 00:15:03,640 --> 00:15:06,240 Speaker 1: ease with the situation. I think the left believes that 291 00:15:06,280 --> 00:15:09,480 Speaker 1: he's like a bad evil, almost demonic person when they 292 00:15:09,520 --> 00:15:11,760 Speaker 1: don't believe in the devil, but a bad evil guy. 293 00:15:11,880 --> 00:15:15,840 Speaker 1: And he doesn't recycle, so that means yeah, And he 294 00:15:15,840 --> 00:15:18,560 Speaker 1: doesn't have a fake dog, so that that too. But 295 00:15:18,640 --> 00:15:21,280 Speaker 1: they really do think that, like he's a devious person. 296 00:15:21,440 --> 00:15:24,560 Speaker 1: And you know, people are a combination of virtue's and vices. 297 00:15:24,560 --> 00:15:27,800 Speaker 1: They're a cocktail of interesting things. And there's so much 298 00:15:27,880 --> 00:15:29,880 Speaker 1: good and decent and wonderful about the guy. He's such 299 00:15:29,880 --> 00:15:31,840 Speaker 1: a great guy. Everybody would love to have a beer. 300 00:15:31,880 --> 00:15:34,280 Speaker 1: He of course wouldn't because he doesn't drink with him. 301 00:15:34,320 --> 00:15:36,280 Speaker 1: And so I think that's gonna come through on the stage. 302 00:15:36,320 --> 00:15:38,960 Speaker 1: I think you and I talked about this. Conservatives don't 303 00:15:38,960 --> 00:15:43,480 Speaker 1: overly emotionalize, We don't think with our passions by and large, 304 00:15:43,880 --> 00:15:45,400 Speaker 1: but I do think this is a kind of an 305 00:15:45,400 --> 00:15:49,360 Speaker 1: emotional moment. They silenced the man. It's it's disgusting, it's outrageous, 306 00:15:49,400 --> 00:15:52,360 Speaker 1: and he's gonna be unplugged. And I think that's gonna 307 00:15:52,360 --> 00:15:55,400 Speaker 1: be a really important moment. Yeah, because of the Twitter 308 00:15:55,480 --> 00:15:58,560 Speaker 1: band and the other social media platforms that have taken 309 00:15:58,600 --> 00:16:00,480 Speaker 1: the former leader of the free world and said that 310 00:16:00,520 --> 00:16:04,400 Speaker 1: you don't have access to the digital public square. This 311 00:16:04,440 --> 00:16:06,880 Speaker 1: will be the first. While the Ayatola can have his. 312 00:16:07,040 --> 00:16:10,200 Speaker 1: Of course, terrorists can have theirs, and Black Lives Matter 313 00:16:10,280 --> 00:16:12,040 Speaker 1: can have theirs, and all these people get to have 314 00:16:12,120 --> 00:16:16,480 Speaker 1: theirs who are who have done terrible things, but this 315 00:16:17,000 --> 00:16:20,280 Speaker 1: president can. And do you think it's fair to say, 316 00:16:20,280 --> 00:16:24,040 Speaker 1: as we're having sepac here, that free speech is under 317 00:16:24,080 --> 00:16:26,800 Speaker 1: the greatest threat in your lifetime? I always say in 318 00:16:26,840 --> 00:16:29,240 Speaker 1: my lifetime, but I can't speak for others right now 319 00:16:29,280 --> 00:16:31,840 Speaker 1: in this country. And do you also feel like liberty 320 00:16:31,880 --> 00:16:34,920 Speaker 1: is in more duress? Yeah? I just talked to Senator 321 00:16:35,040 --> 00:16:38,080 Speaker 1: Langford who gave great remarks on think about this. How 322 00:16:38,080 --> 00:16:42,040 Speaker 1: crazy is it that the Abraham Accords, this great accomplishment 323 00:16:42,040 --> 00:16:47,160 Speaker 1: of President Trump. These Muslim countries agreed to have religious 324 00:16:47,160 --> 00:16:49,600 Speaker 1: freedom in their countries as a part of those accords, 325 00:16:50,480 --> 00:16:53,640 Speaker 1: while the United States Senate and the United States House 326 00:16:53,760 --> 00:16:58,200 Speaker 1: is literally taking away our religious freedoms in this Equality Act. 327 00:16:58,280 --> 00:17:02,000 Speaker 1: It literally says, specifically, you can't use your faith or 328 00:17:02,040 --> 00:17:04,719 Speaker 1: anything to do with your faith as a reason not 329 00:17:04,800 --> 00:17:07,879 Speaker 1: to be compelled by the government has never happened in 330 00:17:07,920 --> 00:17:11,760 Speaker 1: this country. Matt, thanks so much for putting this all together. 331 00:17:11,920 --> 00:17:14,760 Speaker 1: Thanks for being here, well here working folks who are 332 00:17:15,040 --> 00:17:17,080 Speaker 1: curious to be able to watch this on a stream 333 00:17:17,560 --> 00:17:19,760 Speaker 1: or on YouTube, well you can go to our website 334 00:17:19,800 --> 00:17:22,040 Speaker 1: at conservative dot org. That's the best place to go. 335 00:17:22,080 --> 00:17:23,520 Speaker 1: But I'll be honest with you, Buck, we've had some 336 00:17:23,600 --> 00:17:28,560 Speaker 1: issues already. I hope the center holds and that conservatives 337 00:17:28,560 --> 00:17:31,040 Speaker 1: when they come together and liberals. We talked about Alex 338 00:17:31,080 --> 00:17:34,000 Speaker 1: Barnson being here, formerly of the New York Times. Everyone 339 00:17:34,040 --> 00:17:35,520 Speaker 1: should be able to speak on that stage. And if 340 00:17:35,560 --> 00:17:38,600 Speaker 1: any of these companies throttle us, stop us, cancel us, 341 00:17:38,920 --> 00:17:40,880 Speaker 1: there is going to be hell to pay. And that 342 00:17:41,000 --> 00:17:43,560 Speaker 1: is what's going to rip this country apart. In the end. 343 00:17:43,640 --> 00:17:47,440 Speaker 1: It'll be these people with power from the left who 344 00:17:47,520 --> 00:17:50,960 Speaker 1: say that conservatives must be silenced. They will rip America 345 00:17:51,000 --> 00:17:53,720 Speaker 1: apart and it'll be irrevocably. And so let's hope that 346 00:17:53,760 --> 00:17:55,840 Speaker 1: the center holds and they do the right thing. Matt 347 00:17:56,000 --> 00:17:58,760 Speaker 1: Lap Chairman of the ACU. Matt goodness, Buck talk to 348 00:17:58,760 --> 00:18:03,719 Speaker 1: you on stage. You're listening to the Buck Sexton Shoe podcast. 349 00:18:03,960 --> 00:18:06,280 Speaker 1: Make sure you subscribe to the podcast on the iHeart 350 00:18:06,400 --> 00:18:10,400 Speaker 1: radio app or wherever you get your podcasts. I'm at Seedpack. 351 00:18:10,480 --> 00:18:13,320 Speaker 1: But China is on a lot of people's minds given 352 00:18:13,320 --> 00:18:15,639 Speaker 1: the challenge they post the United States and what it 353 00:18:15,680 --> 00:18:18,439 Speaker 1: means for our economy, for national security. I'm gonna be 354 00:18:18,520 --> 00:18:20,920 Speaker 1: on a panel talking about the Russian I'm actually speaking 355 00:18:20,920 --> 00:18:23,960 Speaker 1: abot the Russian side of it, and Chinese cyber threats 356 00:18:23,960 --> 00:18:26,440 Speaker 1: and big tech threats to the US. What I've got 357 00:18:26,480 --> 00:18:29,040 Speaker 1: the man himself here to talk to us about what's 358 00:18:29,040 --> 00:18:31,840 Speaker 1: going on with China in all regards. Gordon Chang is 359 00:18:31,880 --> 00:18:33,600 Speaker 1: with us and he is the author of the Great 360 00:18:33,680 --> 00:18:36,720 Speaker 1: US US China Tech War. Gordon is always good to 361 00:18:36,720 --> 00:18:38,920 Speaker 1: see you. Thank you so much, Buck and Gordon G. 362 00:18:39,200 --> 00:18:41,560 Speaker 1: Chang is his Twitter folks, You should follow him and 363 00:18:41,600 --> 00:18:45,280 Speaker 1: read his latest research and analysis on these topics. Gordon, 364 00:18:45,560 --> 00:18:49,800 Speaker 1: what is right now for the Biden administration The biggest 365 00:18:49,920 --> 00:18:52,600 Speaker 1: challenge that they have with China that you're worried they're 366 00:18:52,640 --> 00:18:56,040 Speaker 1: gonna fail, Well, probably it's gonna be the South China. 367 00:18:56,080 --> 00:18:59,960 Speaker 1: See in Taiwan. You remember on January twenty three, China's 368 00:19:00,240 --> 00:19:03,560 Speaker 1: H six K bombers. They're nuclear capable. While they were 369 00:19:03,600 --> 00:19:07,240 Speaker 1: threatening Taiwan by going through its air defense identification zone. 370 00:19:07,480 --> 00:19:11,240 Speaker 1: They also simulated an attack on the Theodore Roosevelt Carrier 371 00:19:11,320 --> 00:19:14,200 Speaker 1: Strike Group, which was in the vicinity. So that was 372 00:19:14,240 --> 00:19:17,600 Speaker 1: a message not only to Taipei, but certainly an extremely 373 00:19:17,640 --> 00:19:21,480 Speaker 1: pointed message to the Biden administration. Now, if somebody asks 374 00:19:21,520 --> 00:19:24,240 Speaker 1: you to gauge the biggest challenge we have from China 375 00:19:24,440 --> 00:19:28,760 Speaker 1: on the cyber front, something that's getting talked about a 376 00:19:28,760 --> 00:19:31,920 Speaker 1: bit here at CEPAC, how do you view that Going 377 00:19:32,000 --> 00:19:35,320 Speaker 1: from the US perspective right now, I think the problem is, 378 00:19:35,520 --> 00:19:39,199 Speaker 1: you know, China's cyber criminals. I get that, But the 379 00:19:39,240 --> 00:19:42,119 Speaker 1: most the biggest threat is that we're not defending ourselves. 380 00:19:42,359 --> 00:19:44,320 Speaker 1: This is our country. We know that they've been doing 381 00:19:44,359 --> 00:19:47,719 Speaker 1: this for decades. We don't do enough about it, and 382 00:19:47,800 --> 00:19:51,880 Speaker 1: so it's really I think a problem of American inability 383 00:19:51,960 --> 00:19:55,720 Speaker 1: to defend our own networks. Just give you one example, 384 00:19:56,320 --> 00:19:58,119 Speaker 1: and this is the one that really sticks in my 385 00:19:58,240 --> 00:20:02,760 Speaker 1: craw and this goes back to twenty fourteen. That was 386 00:20:02,840 --> 00:20:06,920 Speaker 1: the time of the cyber attack on Sony Pitchers Entertainment 387 00:20:07,280 --> 00:20:11,080 Speaker 1: obviously came from North Korea, but those North Koreans were 388 00:20:11,160 --> 00:20:14,560 Speaker 1: actually on Chinese soil. When they launched that attack, they 389 00:20:14,600 --> 00:20:19,200 Speaker 1: were launched from Chinese IP addresses. Now, the FBI at 390 00:20:19,240 --> 00:20:24,080 Speaker 1: the time was asked, is any other country involved? The 391 00:20:24,200 --> 00:20:29,680 Speaker 1: answer was no, that is just impossible because China maintains 392 00:20:29,680 --> 00:20:33,160 Speaker 1: the Great Firewall. It is the world's most sophisticated set 393 00:20:33,160 --> 00:20:35,879 Speaker 1: of Internet controls. The Chinese knew, of course about the 394 00:20:35,920 --> 00:20:39,120 Speaker 1: North Grand hackers, that they're permanently on Chinese soil, but 395 00:20:39,200 --> 00:20:42,520 Speaker 1: they launched it went through the Great Firewall. They Chinese 396 00:20:42,520 --> 00:20:45,240 Speaker 1: obviously saw it go out. They saw the hundreds of 397 00:20:45,359 --> 00:20:49,000 Speaker 1: terabytes of data exfiltrated from Sony that came back into 398 00:20:49,040 --> 00:20:53,240 Speaker 1: the China, and yet the FBI was saying no, no 399 00:20:53,320 --> 00:20:56,560 Speaker 1: other country involved. That shows you this is a failure 400 00:20:56,680 --> 00:20:59,800 Speaker 1: of the United States to defend our networks when the 401 00:20:59,800 --> 00:21:02,800 Speaker 1: f B I wasn't willing to tell the truth. Gordon, 402 00:21:03,240 --> 00:21:06,480 Speaker 1: In terms of the tech race that we have right 403 00:21:06,480 --> 00:21:09,439 Speaker 1: now with China, five g comes to mind. There are 404 00:21:09,440 --> 00:21:11,240 Speaker 1: a number of areas. I mean, if the US is 405 00:21:11,240 --> 00:21:15,200 Speaker 1: going to maintain its position as the global leader really 406 00:21:15,440 --> 00:21:18,240 Speaker 1: in all senses, but but particularly in a commercial and 407 00:21:18,320 --> 00:21:22,000 Speaker 1: economic sense, technology is absolutely critical. You mentioned that there's 408 00:21:22,000 --> 00:21:26,480 Speaker 1: cyber that the Chinese Communist Party has a vast network 409 00:21:26,480 --> 00:21:29,080 Speaker 1: of cyber theft going on has for a long time. 410 00:21:30,160 --> 00:21:32,800 Speaker 1: How far ahead are we when it comes to Chinese 411 00:21:32,800 --> 00:21:34,959 Speaker 1: technology and where are areas where we may even be 412 00:21:35,080 --> 00:21:37,880 Speaker 1: at risk of falling behind? Well, there are areas where 413 00:21:37,920 --> 00:21:41,600 Speaker 1: we are behind, and we're years behind. So, for instance, 414 00:21:41,680 --> 00:21:45,800 Speaker 1: quantum communications, the Chinese have it, we do not. And 415 00:21:45,800 --> 00:21:49,000 Speaker 1: this is particularly galling because it was an American who 416 00:21:49,240 --> 00:21:55,640 Speaker 1: discovered really the principles that that permit quantum communications, Albert Einstein. 417 00:21:56,160 --> 00:22:00,720 Speaker 1: He talked about the spooky phenomena of particles at distances 418 00:22:00,760 --> 00:22:04,960 Speaker 1: moving in tandem that permits quantum communications. Yet the Chinese 419 00:22:05,000 --> 00:22:07,680 Speaker 1: were able to develop this with a lot of resources 420 00:22:07,880 --> 00:22:10,640 Speaker 1: and also bringing in a lot of foreign talent, and 421 00:22:11,040 --> 00:22:14,760 Speaker 1: it's unhackable. So they've got it, we do not. You know, 422 00:22:14,960 --> 00:22:18,560 Speaker 1: artificial intelligence, we probably are still ahead, maybe by a 423 00:22:18,560 --> 00:22:22,280 Speaker 1: few years. Quantum computing where maybe ahead by a couple 424 00:22:22,280 --> 00:22:25,480 Speaker 1: of years. But there are a lot of things where 425 00:22:25,600 --> 00:22:29,639 Speaker 1: you know, it's really very very close. How should we 426 00:22:29,680 --> 00:22:32,040 Speaker 1: look at the changes that are already happening that you 427 00:22:32,080 --> 00:22:34,760 Speaker 1: expect to happen, which in the US approach to China, 428 00:22:34,800 --> 00:22:37,520 Speaker 1: I mean, I know there was this almost maniacal focus 429 00:22:37,520 --> 00:22:40,320 Speaker 1: on Russia during the Trump administration. Now we're in the 430 00:22:40,320 --> 00:22:44,680 Speaker 1: Bide administration, there seems to be a broader recognition because 431 00:22:44,720 --> 00:22:47,720 Speaker 1: of the politics having shifted here that China is a 432 00:22:47,840 --> 00:22:52,560 Speaker 1: much bigger concern challenge across the board for America than 433 00:22:52,640 --> 00:22:54,520 Speaker 1: Russia is. Russia still has stuff they can do, but 434 00:22:54,600 --> 00:22:57,600 Speaker 1: China is a bigger concern. How is the Biden administration 435 00:22:57,680 --> 00:23:01,240 Speaker 1: doing things differently so far? And where do you expect 436 00:23:01,280 --> 00:23:04,320 Speaker 1: them to do even more things differently going forward? Well, 437 00:23:04,359 --> 00:23:07,320 Speaker 1: we have as executive orders, and that tells us what 438 00:23:07,440 --> 00:23:11,480 Speaker 1: he's been doing, and that is particularly distressing. So, for instance, 439 00:23:11,960 --> 00:23:15,359 Speaker 1: just a little background. May first, twenty twenty, President Trump 440 00:23:15,400 --> 00:23:20,240 Speaker 1: issues an EO executive Order which says, no, you American 441 00:23:20,359 --> 00:23:23,880 Speaker 1: utility or grid operator can buy equipment from China because 442 00:23:23,920 --> 00:23:28,280 Speaker 1: it could be sabotaged. What does Biden do, first hours 443 00:23:28,280 --> 00:23:31,680 Speaker 1: of his presidency on January twenty, he issues an executive 444 00:23:31,720 --> 00:23:37,680 Speaker 1: order that repeals that prohibition. Now, I understand every administration 445 00:23:37,760 --> 00:23:40,879 Speaker 1: wants to review the China policy of its predecessor, but 446 00:23:41,200 --> 00:23:44,720 Speaker 1: leave the protections in place. What Biden did was indefensible. 447 00:23:44,800 --> 00:23:49,520 Speaker 1: It's leaving America vulnerable to sabotage. I can't explain why 448 00:23:49,520 --> 00:23:53,040 Speaker 1: he would do that. Now we've seen also similar moves 449 00:23:53,080 --> 00:23:55,359 Speaker 1: on the part of the Biden administration to take down 450 00:23:55,400 --> 00:23:59,000 Speaker 1: Trump era protections, and so that gives you a sense, 451 00:24:00,040 --> 00:24:03,919 Speaker 1: you know, trumpet Biden administration officials sometimes save some very 452 00:24:03,960 --> 00:24:06,280 Speaker 1: good things music to the ears of people who are 453 00:24:06,320 --> 00:24:08,320 Speaker 1: concerned about China. But we got to see what they 454 00:24:08,320 --> 00:24:11,280 Speaker 1: were doing, and so far this is a big giveaway. 455 00:24:11,359 --> 00:24:13,840 Speaker 1: And one more thing, Buck, I'm sorry, no, go forward. 456 00:24:15,200 --> 00:24:17,680 Speaker 1: What Biden did with regard to China and his executive 457 00:24:17,760 --> 00:24:22,679 Speaker 1: orders were giveaways. They were unilateral decisions and actions. We 458 00:24:22,720 --> 00:24:25,040 Speaker 1: didn't get anything in return. How do you think the 459 00:24:25,119 --> 00:24:28,560 Speaker 1: Chinese economy is going to do? Given that they have 460 00:24:28,640 --> 00:24:30,320 Speaker 1: seemed to at least try to get out of the 461 00:24:30,760 --> 00:24:34,000 Speaker 1: get out of the lockdown situation faster than we have 462 00:24:34,080 --> 00:24:35,920 Speaker 1: here in the US. That's at least been a goal. 463 00:24:36,280 --> 00:24:38,760 Speaker 1: Are you expecting China to go back to a year 464 00:24:38,800 --> 00:24:42,080 Speaker 1: of major economic growth in part because they view this 465 00:24:42,119 --> 00:24:45,119 Speaker 1: as an opportunity to get ahead of the US right 466 00:24:45,160 --> 00:24:47,320 Speaker 1: to close that gap a little bit more coming out 467 00:24:47,320 --> 00:24:49,879 Speaker 1: of COVID, Well, they certainly view it that way. In 468 00:24:50,200 --> 00:24:53,439 Speaker 1: the Chinese state media and their friends say eight percent 469 00:24:53,480 --> 00:24:57,159 Speaker 1: growth for Beijing this year. That's really unlikely. And the 470 00:24:57,240 --> 00:25:00,160 Speaker 1: reason is that no economy is going to do well 471 00:25:00,240 --> 00:25:04,040 Speaker 1: unless a country has safe and effective vaccines and they've 472 00:25:04,040 --> 00:25:06,000 Speaker 1: been able to put them into the arms of people. 473 00:25:06,520 --> 00:25:10,840 Speaker 1: You know, we've got three vaccines now, Fiser, Maderna, and 474 00:25:11,040 --> 00:25:14,760 Speaker 1: Johnson and Johnson, which was recently given FDA approval a 475 00:25:14,760 --> 00:25:19,119 Speaker 1: couple of days ago. China doesn't have any vaccine that 476 00:25:19,240 --> 00:25:22,320 Speaker 1: is both safe and proven to that has proven safe 477 00:25:22,320 --> 00:25:25,320 Speaker 1: and to be effective. There are vaccines, you know, have 478 00:25:25,480 --> 00:25:29,480 Speaker 1: had trials of thirty five percent effective, you know, up 479 00:25:29,560 --> 00:25:33,399 Speaker 1: ale to fifty percent effective, maybe some sixty five percent, 480 00:25:33,920 --> 00:25:36,560 Speaker 1: but they haven't been proven safe and we haven't seen 481 00:25:36,600 --> 00:25:40,920 Speaker 1: the data. And countries will only accept Chinese vaccines if 482 00:25:40,960 --> 00:25:45,480 Speaker 1: they can't get Maderna, Johnson and Johnson. What is the 483 00:25:45,680 --> 00:25:49,639 Speaker 1: what do we know at this stage about the Wuhan 484 00:25:50,280 --> 00:25:54,240 Speaker 1: lab facility theory? Right? Where are we in that investigation? 485 00:25:54,320 --> 00:25:56,959 Speaker 1: Bring us into the COVID discussion here, what's the latest 486 00:25:56,960 --> 00:25:59,040 Speaker 1: and what do we know about where this thing actually 487 00:25:59,040 --> 00:26:02,280 Speaker 1: came from? Well, the World Health Organization mission to Wuhan, 488 00:26:02,600 --> 00:26:05,800 Speaker 1: which wrapped up about two weeks ago, said that it 489 00:26:05,880 --> 00:26:09,760 Speaker 1: was extremely unlikely that it was a lab leak. But 490 00:26:09,800 --> 00:26:13,359 Speaker 1: also we also know that the Trump administration felt that 491 00:26:13,400 --> 00:26:17,160 Speaker 1: it was the most credible likely source of the disease. 492 00:26:17,800 --> 00:26:21,240 Speaker 1: You gotta remember just just put everything aside for the moment. 493 00:26:21,640 --> 00:26:25,760 Speaker 1: We know that the lab was looking at coronaviruses, we 494 00:26:25,840 --> 00:26:28,280 Speaker 1: know that they were engineering to make them more dangerous. 495 00:26:28,440 --> 00:26:31,440 Speaker 1: We know it wasn't endeering to safety protocols, and this 496 00:26:31,520 --> 00:26:35,240 Speaker 1: virus just happens to start twenty miles from that lab. 497 00:26:35,680 --> 00:26:38,320 Speaker 1: So I think it's certainly the most credible source, and 498 00:26:38,359 --> 00:26:40,920 Speaker 1: there's a lot of more scientific evidence to shows that's 499 00:26:40,920 --> 00:26:43,040 Speaker 1: the case. What are you going to be looking for 500 00:26:43,119 --> 00:26:44,680 Speaker 1: if you were if you were sitting on the other 501 00:26:44,680 --> 00:26:47,680 Speaker 1: side of the chess board and looking to see two two, 502 00:26:47,760 --> 00:26:52,040 Speaker 1: I should say get ahead of what Shijin Ping would 503 00:26:52,080 --> 00:26:55,440 Speaker 1: like to do. Would like to accomplish visa VUS policy 504 00:26:55,720 --> 00:26:59,240 Speaker 1: in the next two years. He wants to overthrow our government. 505 00:26:59,480 --> 00:27:01,520 Speaker 1: Whether he can do that this year or next year, 506 00:27:01,600 --> 00:27:03,680 Speaker 1: or maybe five years down the road, that's what he's 507 00:27:03,720 --> 00:27:05,600 Speaker 1: trying to do. You have to look at what he's 508 00:27:05,640 --> 00:27:08,520 Speaker 1: doing to incite violence on American streets, which is what 509 00:27:08,600 --> 00:27:11,920 Speaker 1: China did last year and what China did in January 510 00:27:11,920 --> 00:27:15,480 Speaker 1: of this year. Gordon Chang. Everybody follow him Gordon g. 511 00:27:15,920 --> 00:27:19,520 Speaker 1: Chang dot com. Also on Twitter Gordon g. Chang, and 512 00:27:19,600 --> 00:27:23,520 Speaker 1: you can check out the Great US China Tech War. Gordon. 513 00:27:23,560 --> 00:27:25,439 Speaker 1: I always appreciate it. Thanks so much for joining us. 514 00:27:25,440 --> 00:27:28,520 Speaker 1: Thank you so much. Buck, You're in the Freedom Height. 515 00:27:28,920 --> 00:27:32,040 Speaker 1: Thanks for listening to the Buck Sexton Show podcast. Get 516 00:27:32,080 --> 00:27:37,159 Speaker 1: the latest from Bucket buck Sexton dot com. All right 517 00:27:37,200 --> 00:27:40,240 Speaker 1: here at SEPAK with Senator Mike Lee of the Great 518 00:27:40,280 --> 00:27:42,160 Speaker 1: State of Utah, Sally. Good to see. It's been a while. 519 00:27:42,200 --> 00:27:45,520 Speaker 1: Good to see. So I am angry about something that's 520 00:27:45,520 --> 00:27:47,040 Speaker 1: going on in America right now. I want to ask 521 00:27:47,040 --> 00:27:48,679 Speaker 1: you about looks. I'm hoping you're going to try to 522 00:27:48,680 --> 00:27:50,720 Speaker 1: help fix them. I believe that's part that's part of 523 00:27:50,720 --> 00:27:52,560 Speaker 1: your job, part of your mandate. Right in the Senate, 524 00:27:52,760 --> 00:27:56,200 Speaker 1: I want to start with big tech. The suppression of 525 00:27:56,920 --> 00:27:59,960 Speaker 1: ideas and speech that's going on right now is unlike 526 00:28:00,160 --> 00:28:03,440 Speaker 1: anything we've ever seen before in this country. Big tech 527 00:28:03,560 --> 00:28:06,640 Speaker 1: is now effectively acting as an arm of the DNC. 528 00:28:07,480 --> 00:28:09,719 Speaker 1: You're trying to deal with the legislative side of this. 529 00:28:10,000 --> 00:28:12,040 Speaker 1: You get a lot of pushback from people saying you're 530 00:28:12,040 --> 00:28:14,120 Speaker 1: either not doing it the right way or not doing enough. 531 00:28:14,440 --> 00:28:16,159 Speaker 1: You're telling me you have a bill right now to 532 00:28:16,200 --> 00:28:18,720 Speaker 1: deal with big tech. How do we tackle this giant 533 00:28:18,720 --> 00:28:20,760 Speaker 1: so that we have free speech again in America. We 534 00:28:21,240 --> 00:28:25,760 Speaker 1: tackle it by identifying what the problem is. We've had 535 00:28:25,800 --> 00:28:29,040 Speaker 1: at the outset some challenge and the fact that when 536 00:28:29,160 --> 00:28:31,520 Speaker 1: government acts to restrict free speech, we've got one set 537 00:28:31,560 --> 00:28:34,600 Speaker 1: of tools, the First Amendment tools when a non government 538 00:28:34,640 --> 00:28:38,960 Speaker 1: actor does it, ironically, it's the same thing, the First 539 00:28:38,960 --> 00:28:42,160 Speaker 1: Amendment that serves as a tool against that. But the 540 00:28:42,200 --> 00:28:44,560 Speaker 1: way we should address this is by recognizing that, well, 541 00:28:45,120 --> 00:28:47,160 Speaker 1: anyone has the power to start a company, start a 542 00:28:47,240 --> 00:28:50,720 Speaker 1: business and be liberal hacks, be liberal shills, you know, 543 00:28:51,160 --> 00:28:53,400 Speaker 1: to do whatever they want to get their message out there. 544 00:28:53,840 --> 00:28:55,920 Speaker 1: They can do that if they won't. But what they 545 00:28:55,960 --> 00:28:58,960 Speaker 1: can't do is defraud people in the process of doing it, 546 00:28:59,040 --> 00:29:02,160 Speaker 1: deceive people into thinking they're offering one service when they're 547 00:29:02,160 --> 00:29:05,240 Speaker 1: in fact offering another. The bill I have introduced recently 548 00:29:05,240 --> 00:29:08,600 Speaker 1: in the Senate, it's called the Promise Act, would give 549 00:29:08,720 --> 00:29:13,160 Speaker 1: the Federal Trade Commission the authority to pursue aggressive enforcement 550 00:29:13,200 --> 00:29:17,840 Speaker 1: action against any online provider, including an especially social media 551 00:29:17,880 --> 00:29:21,320 Speaker 1: companies who say one thing about their content moderation policies, 552 00:29:21,920 --> 00:29:24,960 Speaker 1: say one thing on their policies themselves or through their CEOs, 553 00:29:25,320 --> 00:29:27,920 Speaker 1: who say, oh, we're not going to tip the political 554 00:29:27,920 --> 00:29:31,320 Speaker 1: scales one way or another, and then do the opposite, 555 00:29:31,440 --> 00:29:36,960 Speaker 1: where they facilitate leftist speech but they suppress and deep 556 00:29:36,960 --> 00:29:41,040 Speaker 1: platform conservative speech. That's what's been happening. Would that open up, 557 00:29:41,080 --> 00:29:45,280 Speaker 1: then the lawsuits that seem to be necessary to get 558 00:29:45,320 --> 00:29:48,320 Speaker 1: these big tech companies to stop the obvious suppression of 559 00:29:48,360 --> 00:29:50,400 Speaker 1: some ideas they don't like me. What would be actions? 560 00:29:50,680 --> 00:29:52,600 Speaker 1: What would be the teeth in the bill? Okay, so 561 00:29:52,680 --> 00:29:56,240 Speaker 1: the action would be an order from the Federal Trade Commission, 562 00:29:56,360 --> 00:29:59,200 Speaker 1: which would then have the power to issue heavy fines 563 00:30:00,040 --> 00:30:03,920 Speaker 1: and otherwise punish companies that do this. There was another 564 00:30:03,920 --> 00:30:06,080 Speaker 1: proposal that we considered a few months ago that I 565 00:30:06,120 --> 00:30:08,160 Speaker 1: still think has some potential of we could get enough 566 00:30:08,200 --> 00:30:11,280 Speaker 1: votes on it that we were working on the Senate 567 00:30:11,320 --> 00:30:14,480 Speaker 1: Judiciary Committee on which I sit. It would itself open 568 00:30:14,600 --> 00:30:17,600 Speaker 1: up a private right of action for aggrieved persons against 569 00:30:17,640 --> 00:30:21,440 Speaker 1: some of these individuals. This bill deals with it from 570 00:30:21,440 --> 00:30:23,880 Speaker 1: the government end, and it gives the government the enforcement 571 00:30:23,880 --> 00:30:27,560 Speaker 1: authority to go after companies that deceive there would be customers. 572 00:30:27,880 --> 00:30:30,640 Speaker 1: What about Section two thirty in all of this, it 573 00:30:30,760 --> 00:30:33,440 Speaker 1: got a lot of attention in the last year of 574 00:30:33,440 --> 00:30:37,080 Speaker 1: Trump's presidency. Obviously Democrats aren't talking about it a lot 575 00:30:37,160 --> 00:30:40,320 Speaker 1: right now, what's your position now on it? And would 576 00:30:40,360 --> 00:30:43,120 Speaker 1: it be enough or would it be wise even to 577 00:30:43,240 --> 00:30:46,720 Speaker 1: remove Section to thirty protection from these companies so that 578 00:30:46,760 --> 00:30:50,320 Speaker 1: forever when listening. This is the publisher versus platform dichotomy 579 00:30:50,360 --> 00:30:52,880 Speaker 1: that's allowed them to, as people say, have their cake 580 00:30:52,920 --> 00:30:54,560 Speaker 1: and eat it two on this issue where they're not 581 00:30:54,680 --> 00:30:57,920 Speaker 1: liable for pretty much anything posted on their sites, which 582 00:30:57,920 --> 00:31:00,240 Speaker 1: is understandable because third parties have to be able use 583 00:31:00,280 --> 00:31:02,840 Speaker 1: them and interact with them. But then they also decide, well, 584 00:31:02,840 --> 00:31:05,880 Speaker 1: we're going to actually act as publisher in an editorial 585 00:31:05,880 --> 00:31:07,840 Speaker 1: sense as well. Yeah, so how do you view this? 586 00:31:08,000 --> 00:31:10,680 Speaker 1: We don't want them to have their cake and eat 587 00:31:10,720 --> 00:31:14,080 Speaker 1: it two, and I think significant reform to two thirty 588 00:31:14,120 --> 00:31:16,479 Speaker 1: is necessary, and that's one of the things that we 589 00:31:16,480 --> 00:31:18,760 Speaker 1: were undertaking in the Judiciary Committee last year, where we 590 00:31:18,800 --> 00:31:23,040 Speaker 1: cobbled together various reforms to make them actually accountable under it, 591 00:31:23,280 --> 00:31:26,720 Speaker 1: and in some cases even to subject them to civil liability. 592 00:31:27,720 --> 00:31:30,880 Speaker 1: A third party and not just by government. If they 593 00:31:30,920 --> 00:31:34,440 Speaker 1: want to have this advantage to operate online, they need 594 00:31:34,480 --> 00:31:36,600 Speaker 1: to be clear about what their policies are, and they 595 00:31:36,640 --> 00:31:40,200 Speaker 1: need to be honest and consistent and not political hacks 596 00:31:40,280 --> 00:31:42,320 Speaker 1: about how they dispense with it. We do have a 597 00:31:42,400 --> 00:31:47,680 Speaker 1: unique feature today in that most people on any given 598 00:31:47,760 --> 00:31:51,760 Speaker 1: day might well get substantial share or even a majority, 599 00:31:52,080 --> 00:31:55,760 Speaker 1: of their information from some online source. Many of them 600 00:31:55,960 --> 00:32:01,479 Speaker 1: get it almost exclusively through social media. A small handful 601 00:32:01,520 --> 00:32:06,200 Speaker 1: of individuals are now sort of imbued with the power 602 00:32:06,480 --> 00:32:09,880 Speaker 1: to decide what information people get access to in which 603 00:32:09,920 --> 00:32:12,400 Speaker 1: they don't. This came to a head and I had 604 00:32:12,400 --> 00:32:17,200 Speaker 1: a moment of real alarm. Starting in September and October, 605 00:32:17,320 --> 00:32:20,160 Speaker 1: as we got closer to the November election, we saw 606 00:32:20,200 --> 00:32:23,800 Speaker 1: even more aggressive, blatant action by these They suppressed the 607 00:32:23,800 --> 00:32:26,120 Speaker 1: New York Post story about Hunter Biden's last for example, 608 00:32:26,160 --> 00:32:28,240 Speaker 1: on Twitter. I mean that is clear. That's really effectively 609 00:32:28,280 --> 00:32:31,200 Speaker 1: an incon donation to the Democrats in an election cycle 610 00:32:31,280 --> 00:32:35,960 Speaker 1: from Twitter. Likewise, with Facebook, with the American Principles Project 611 00:32:36,040 --> 00:32:40,920 Speaker 1: advertisement that was revoked taken down from their website because 612 00:32:41,080 --> 00:32:46,840 Speaker 1: it went after Joe Biden and went after one of 613 00:32:46,840 --> 00:32:48,760 Speaker 1: the Democrats in the Senate based on a piece of 614 00:32:48,840 --> 00:32:53,440 Speaker 1: legislation that they support, and Facebook took it down, saying 615 00:32:53,840 --> 00:32:56,160 Speaker 1: we had to take it down because it lacked context. 616 00:32:56,920 --> 00:33:00,440 Speaker 1: I asked them, in what respect does that differentiate it 617 00:33:00,800 --> 00:33:04,400 Speaker 1: from any other political advertisement, or for that matter, any 618 00:33:04,400 --> 00:33:08,080 Speaker 1: other advertisement at all. When Cooke runs an ad, are 619 00:33:08,120 --> 00:33:10,400 Speaker 1: you gonna say it lacks context because in that same 620 00:33:10,440 --> 00:33:13,239 Speaker 1: ad there wasn't a line about pepsi or about some 621 00:33:13,280 --> 00:33:18,000 Speaker 1: other beverage. Now you wouldn't do that. I later sat 622 00:33:18,080 --> 00:33:20,960 Speaker 1: through two hearings with Jack Dorrissey of Twitter and with 623 00:33:21,720 --> 00:33:25,640 Speaker 1: Mark Zuckerberg of Facebook, and I asked them about these questions, 624 00:33:25,720 --> 00:33:27,840 Speaker 1: and they said, well, look, we've got Democrats unhappy with 625 00:33:27,920 --> 00:33:30,440 Speaker 1: us and Republicans so we're even handed, so we're all good. 626 00:33:30,480 --> 00:33:32,680 Speaker 1: And I said, no, no no, no, no, you're not understanding me. 627 00:33:32,800 --> 00:33:35,960 Speaker 1: Everyone can rattle of five, ten, fifteen, twenty examples of 628 00:33:36,000 --> 00:33:39,600 Speaker 1: conservative interests or candidates or individuals who have been deep 629 00:33:39,600 --> 00:33:42,640 Speaker 1: platformed or whose speech has been suppressed. Can you name 630 00:33:42,680 --> 00:33:47,480 Speaker 1: me one corresponding example on the left? Even one? They couldn't. Yeah, 631 00:33:47,480 --> 00:33:51,240 Speaker 1: it's very clear that this is ideologically motivated, and anybody 632 00:33:51,240 --> 00:33:53,680 Speaker 1: who knows people as I do who work in some 633 00:33:53,720 --> 00:33:56,160 Speaker 1: of these Silicon Valley giants will tell you that the 634 00:33:56,200 --> 00:33:59,320 Speaker 1: wokeness has really overtaken it. I mean, they're even people 635 00:33:59,360 --> 00:34:01,920 Speaker 1: that under stand that this might not be long term 636 00:34:02,160 --> 00:34:05,640 Speaker 1: and long term smart for their business model, are afraid 637 00:34:05,920 --> 00:34:09,440 Speaker 1: of getting mobbed by the by the PC police inside 638 00:34:09,440 --> 00:34:11,840 Speaker 1: their own institution. We're speaking to Senator Mike Lee of 639 00:34:11,960 --> 00:34:14,879 Speaker 1: Utah for everybody who's joining us at Senator Lee, at 640 00:34:14,880 --> 00:34:17,320 Speaker 1: the state level, I know you're you're handlings at the 641 00:34:17,320 --> 00:34:20,479 Speaker 1: federal level, but you're also men who understands the law 642 00:34:20,480 --> 00:34:24,760 Speaker 1: and the constitutionality of these issues. Is there much that Utah, 643 00:34:24,800 --> 00:34:27,759 Speaker 1: perhaps Texas, other states can do to deal with this? 644 00:34:27,880 --> 00:34:30,640 Speaker 1: I know, I know Governor DeSantis of Florida had said 645 00:34:30,680 --> 00:34:33,680 Speaker 1: that he's trying to provide state level protections. How do 646 00:34:33,680 --> 00:34:36,359 Speaker 1: you see their role in this? Because while you're in 647 00:34:36,400 --> 00:34:38,600 Speaker 1: the Senate right now, as we know, the Democrats have 648 00:34:38,600 --> 00:34:40,480 Speaker 1: a day facto majorities, you have to you might have 649 00:34:40,480 --> 00:34:42,080 Speaker 1: to wait a little while before this bill can get 650 00:34:42,080 --> 00:34:44,520 Speaker 1: through that you're proposing, what can states do to protect 651 00:34:44,560 --> 00:34:46,800 Speaker 1: people so that they actually have free speech rights in 652 00:34:46,800 --> 00:34:52,919 Speaker 1: the digital public square? Okay, So, first and foremost, it's 653 00:34:53,040 --> 00:34:56,680 Speaker 1: at the state level, where most law enforcement should happen, 654 00:34:56,840 --> 00:34:59,200 Speaker 1: rather than at the federal government. We can't ever allow 655 00:34:59,200 --> 00:35:01,240 Speaker 1: it to be constant traded so much at the federal 656 00:35:01,320 --> 00:35:07,560 Speaker 1: level that states don't have authority. It is also worth 657 00:35:07,600 --> 00:35:10,719 Speaker 1: pointing out here that when someone is defrauded within their 658 00:35:10,719 --> 00:35:13,239 Speaker 1: own state, when someone is lured in with one set 659 00:35:13,239 --> 00:35:16,520 Speaker 1: of promises, it turns out to be false as can 660 00:35:16,680 --> 00:35:20,839 Speaker 1: as can be the case with digital online service providers 661 00:35:20,840 --> 00:35:25,080 Speaker 1: of one sort or another, including social media companies, that 662 00:35:25,400 --> 00:35:28,320 Speaker 1: can also be a state offense. Yeah. In fact, most 663 00:35:28,840 --> 00:35:34,120 Speaker 1: criminal offenses, most nearly all torts our state offenses. So 664 00:35:34,160 --> 00:35:38,920 Speaker 1: if we analogize this to a state tort of some 665 00:35:38,960 --> 00:35:41,560 Speaker 1: sort of deceptive trade practice, yeah, that ought to be 666 00:35:41,600 --> 00:35:44,279 Speaker 1: something that states can and should enforce on their own, 667 00:35:44,520 --> 00:35:47,359 Speaker 1: independently of anything Congress is able to put in place. 668 00:35:47,560 --> 00:35:49,920 Speaker 1: I want to pose to you something, just a general question. 669 00:35:49,960 --> 00:35:54,560 Speaker 1: I want your reaction to it. The statement that the 670 00:35:54,640 --> 00:35:59,280 Speaker 1: constitution and individual liberty seem to be under more direst 671 00:35:59,440 --> 00:36:01,920 Speaker 1: more threat for the last twelve months in this country, 672 00:36:01,960 --> 00:36:05,520 Speaker 1: basically since the start of the pandemic than in living memory. 673 00:36:05,800 --> 00:36:09,000 Speaker 1: What do you think of that? And why haven't courts 674 00:36:09,040 --> 00:36:11,240 Speaker 1: stepped up. Why hasn't there been more of an effort 675 00:36:11,640 --> 00:36:14,560 Speaker 1: to restore liberty, whether it's religious freedom, whether it's freedom 676 00:36:14,560 --> 00:36:18,840 Speaker 1: of assembly, areas where there's a clear constitutional violation and 677 00:36:18,960 --> 00:36:22,960 Speaker 1: overreached by these lockdown policies. It's because this effort has 678 00:36:23,000 --> 00:36:25,759 Speaker 1: arisen during an emergency. And this is one thing that 679 00:36:25,800 --> 00:36:28,759 Speaker 1: we've got to be clear about every single time we talk. 680 00:36:28,920 --> 00:36:31,520 Speaker 1: There is no country on earth that has moved in 681 00:36:31,560 --> 00:36:36,640 Speaker 1: a socialistic direction or towards any type of totalitarian regime 682 00:36:37,080 --> 00:36:40,840 Speaker 1: in the absence of a purported emergency. The existence of 683 00:36:41,040 --> 00:36:44,600 Speaker 1: an emergency, including a global pandemic, is not a reason 684 00:36:45,000 --> 00:36:49,960 Speaker 1: to disregard the protections of the Constitution. It's quite to 685 00:36:50,000 --> 00:36:52,960 Speaker 1: the contrary, are a reason to be more vigilant about 686 00:36:52,960 --> 00:36:55,759 Speaker 1: them than we ever have been. People have assumed that 687 00:36:55,800 --> 00:37:00,879 Speaker 1: it's somehow okay to restrict the freedom of assembly during 688 00:37:00,920 --> 00:37:03,399 Speaker 1: the pandemic. People can choose to do that if they want, 689 00:37:03,440 --> 00:37:06,319 Speaker 1: and they may want to consider that for one or 690 00:37:06,320 --> 00:37:09,239 Speaker 1: more healthful reasons that they may have. That always has 691 00:37:09,239 --> 00:37:11,440 Speaker 1: to be up to the individual or to the organization 692 00:37:12,320 --> 00:37:16,360 Speaker 1: in the private sphere. My reading of the Constitution, my 693 00:37:16,440 --> 00:37:19,160 Speaker 1: reading of that portion of the First amendment says that 694 00:37:19,280 --> 00:37:21,719 Speaker 1: that's not an option for the government. We should never 695 00:37:21,800 --> 00:37:25,560 Speaker 1: let it be. Senator mike lea Utah, appreciate you coming by. 696 00:37:25,600 --> 00:37:27,399 Speaker 1: Thanks so much for joining us today. Thank you, Buck. 697 00:37:27,800 --> 00:37:30,600 Speaker 1: This is bucks first thoughts the news you need to 698 00:37:30,600 --> 00:37:33,200 Speaker 1: get through your day in forty five minutes. Make sure 699 00:37:33,239 --> 00:37:35,879 Speaker 1: you subscribe on the iHeart app or wherever you get 700 00:37:35,920 --> 00:37:42,320 Speaker 1: your podcasts. The man himself live and in person for 701 00:37:42,360 --> 00:37:44,080 Speaker 1: the first time here on the Buck Sexton Show. We 702 00:37:44,160 --> 00:37:48,759 Speaker 1: got Alex Barrenson, author of several books on Amazon of 703 00:37:49,000 --> 00:37:52,920 Speaker 1: unreported truths about COVID nineteen. Also, please go by his 704 00:37:53,000 --> 00:37:56,760 Speaker 1: latest thriller novel you support his work on COVID nineteen 705 00:37:56,880 --> 00:37:59,920 Speaker 1: truth go by The Power Couple or one of his 706 00:38:00,160 --> 00:38:02,279 Speaker 1: other excellent spy thrillers. Alex good to see in person, 707 00:38:02,280 --> 00:38:05,120 Speaker 1: minut Buck. It's nice to media face. Yeah, how are 708 00:38:05,120 --> 00:38:07,160 Speaker 1: we doing here? Man? It feels to me like we're 709 00:38:07,239 --> 00:38:09,640 Speaker 1: not We're not learning the lessons we need to about 710 00:38:09,719 --> 00:38:13,080 Speaker 1: COVID and now we're really descending into crazy town with 711 00:38:13,480 --> 00:38:17,000 Speaker 1: even after the vaccine, things have to stay the same. Yes, 712 00:38:17,280 --> 00:38:20,080 Speaker 1: I mean, why is that? And if we are, you know, 713 00:38:20,160 --> 00:38:22,160 Speaker 1: close to herd immunity, which By the way, that was 714 00:38:22,160 --> 00:38:24,000 Speaker 1: a phrase you were not allowed to use in the 715 00:38:24,040 --> 00:38:26,840 Speaker 1: media until Joe Biden became the president. It was, you know, 716 00:38:26,840 --> 00:38:29,640 Speaker 1: equivalent to saying that Grandma was going to die. Now, 717 00:38:29,760 --> 00:38:33,520 Speaker 1: you know, people are acknowledging that perhaps one hundred million, 718 00:38:33,560 --> 00:38:36,439 Speaker 1: perhaps one hundred and fifty million Americans have already been 719 00:38:36,480 --> 00:38:39,479 Speaker 1: infected and recovered from this. The official count is way low, 720 00:38:39,880 --> 00:38:42,800 Speaker 1: and yet somehow nothing is going to change. I don't 721 00:38:43,320 --> 00:38:45,719 Speaker 1: I don't understand the public health logic of it. I 722 00:38:45,760 --> 00:38:47,719 Speaker 1: don't understand the political logic of it, and I don't 723 00:38:47,760 --> 00:38:49,880 Speaker 1: understand why people are putting up with it. I have 724 00:38:49,920 --> 00:38:52,560 Speaker 1: to wonder, at what point does it become clear you 725 00:38:52,600 --> 00:38:55,960 Speaker 1: think to everybody that the answer to the question we 726 00:38:56,000 --> 00:38:59,520 Speaker 1: get to try to achieve normalcy Again. First of all, 727 00:38:59,520 --> 00:39:01,440 Speaker 1: they're tending that they don't know what normal is. Now 728 00:39:01,480 --> 00:39:03,680 Speaker 1: I'm sure you've seen that what is normal really and 729 00:39:06,280 --> 00:39:08,880 Speaker 1: so normal has has has shifted as a term. But 730 00:39:09,000 --> 00:39:14,000 Speaker 1: beyond that, we can stop wearing masks. When Fauci says 731 00:39:14,040 --> 00:39:16,640 Speaker 1: so that really seems to be the actual policy, I'm 732 00:39:16,640 --> 00:39:20,440 Speaker 1: being serious. Yeah, I mean, who who died and made 733 00:39:20,520 --> 00:39:25,400 Speaker 1: him king? Um? You know this is always one of 734 00:39:25,400 --> 00:39:28,239 Speaker 1: the signal mistakes we made at the beginning here was 735 00:39:28,320 --> 00:39:31,520 Speaker 1: giving public that public health establishment much too much power 736 00:39:31,640 --> 00:39:34,880 Speaker 1: their technicians. Okay, their job is to present various courses 737 00:39:34,880 --> 00:39:36,440 Speaker 1: of action. Here's what it might look like if you 738 00:39:36,520 --> 00:39:38,120 Speaker 1: shut down, Here's what it might look like if you 739 00:39:38,520 --> 00:39:41,319 Speaker 1: if you stay the course. And here's what beds we 740 00:39:41,400 --> 00:39:44,799 Speaker 1: might need. And for our leaders, whose job it is 741 00:39:44,800 --> 00:39:47,080 Speaker 1: to represent the interests of everybody, not just people who 742 00:39:47,200 --> 00:39:50,040 Speaker 1: might get very sick from COVID, but children who might 743 00:39:50,080 --> 00:39:52,799 Speaker 1: be affected by school closures, business owners, these are these 744 00:39:52,840 --> 00:39:55,359 Speaker 1: are decisions that shouldn't be left to the public health 745 00:39:55,440 --> 00:39:57,759 Speaker 1: establishment any more than the question of whether or not 746 00:39:57,800 --> 00:40:00,600 Speaker 1: to drop the atomic bomb on Japan and nineteen forty 747 00:40:00,640 --> 00:40:03,520 Speaker 1: five should have been left to Robert Oppenheimer. Right, Truman 748 00:40:03,560 --> 00:40:06,200 Speaker 1: made that decision. That's a that's a political choice based 749 00:40:06,280 --> 00:40:12,560 Speaker 1: on balancing various needs. Instead, we anointed you know, Anthony Faucci, 750 00:40:13,239 --> 00:40:16,560 Speaker 1: a bureaucrat, really a mid to upper level bureaucrat, as 751 00:40:16,680 --> 00:40:19,400 Speaker 1: our boss. And guess what he likes it and does not? 752 00:40:19,719 --> 00:40:22,400 Speaker 1: Is there no hurry to give back this power? Now? 753 00:40:22,760 --> 00:40:27,680 Speaker 1: How would you assess how the Biden administration has acted 754 00:40:27,800 --> 00:40:31,680 Speaker 1: since taking taking the White House and taking over after 755 00:40:31,719 --> 00:40:35,360 Speaker 1: the inauguration. On COVID policy so far, I mean, how 756 00:40:35,600 --> 00:40:37,560 Speaker 1: do you score them based on what we've actually seen? 757 00:40:37,800 --> 00:40:40,800 Speaker 1: What have they done? They you know that they they've 758 00:40:41,040 --> 00:40:45,480 Speaker 1: supposedly improved vaccine distribution, the results of which you know, 759 00:40:46,400 --> 00:40:49,359 Speaker 1: basically that's a state level issue. Anyway, They've now said 760 00:40:49,360 --> 00:40:52,160 Speaker 1: they're going to send twenty five million masks to you know, 761 00:40:52,200 --> 00:40:55,479 Speaker 1: people who live in senior homes, and they keep every 762 00:40:55,560 --> 00:40:58,640 Speaker 1: day they come out with a new warning. You know, 763 00:40:58,840 --> 00:41:01,799 Speaker 1: today things are terrible, Tomorrow things will be great. The 764 00:41:01,840 --> 00:41:04,080 Speaker 1: next day things will be terrible again. Their messaging has 765 00:41:04,080 --> 00:41:07,239 Speaker 1: been sort of completely inconsistent. And on schools, which to 766 00:41:07,320 --> 00:41:10,600 Speaker 1: me is the most important issue of all, they have 767 00:41:10,600 --> 00:41:12,480 Speaker 1: not really stood up to the teachers unions in any 768 00:41:12,520 --> 00:41:14,960 Speaker 1: meaningful way. They have this, they have this sort of 769 00:41:15,320 --> 00:41:17,840 Speaker 1: you know, roadmap to open schools, which would actually result, 770 00:41:17,880 --> 00:41:20,719 Speaker 1: if it were followed closely, in schools being closed. Okay, 771 00:41:20,880 --> 00:41:23,560 Speaker 1: in Florida's schools are open right now. Florida would have 772 00:41:23,600 --> 00:41:25,960 Speaker 1: to close many of those schools if it followed the roadmap. 773 00:41:26,000 --> 00:41:28,960 Speaker 1: It doesn't even seem like there's an argument when you're 774 00:41:28,960 --> 00:41:33,680 Speaker 1: talking about whether schools should be open or not. There 775 00:41:33,719 --> 00:41:37,120 Speaker 1: are schools opens many that they are fine. That's there's 776 00:41:37,160 --> 00:41:40,840 Speaker 1: no problems. So what are we even talking about? What 777 00:41:40,920 --> 00:41:43,399 Speaker 1: are we what? How is there even a conversation about 778 00:41:43,440 --> 00:41:45,880 Speaker 1: schools not being open in New York? They're talking about 779 00:41:46,360 --> 00:41:49,239 Speaker 1: where in person learning will be next fall. That's right, 780 00:41:49,760 --> 00:41:51,840 Speaker 1: it's what are we talking about. We're talking about a 781 00:41:51,880 --> 00:41:56,000 Speaker 1: bunch of frightened teachers, unfortunately, who are being led by 782 00:41:56,000 --> 00:41:58,880 Speaker 1: a bunch of the most cynical union leaders in history, 783 00:41:59,200 --> 00:42:01,400 Speaker 1: and who I guess see this as a chance to, 784 00:42:01,560 --> 00:42:05,719 Speaker 1: you know, chisel out some more concessions. And meanwhile they're look, 785 00:42:06,360 --> 00:42:11,760 Speaker 1: I don't understand it. If, unfortunately, schooling is not you know, Unfortunately, unfortunately, 786 00:42:11,760 --> 00:42:13,719 Speaker 1: schooling is mostly a local issues, so this battle has 787 00:42:13,760 --> 00:42:15,920 Speaker 1: to be fought locally over and over again. But if 788 00:42:15,920 --> 00:42:18,279 Speaker 1: it were a national level issue, and if you know, 789 00:42:18,320 --> 00:42:21,680 Speaker 1: anybody reasonable, we're in charge the responsibility. We are opening 790 00:42:21,680 --> 00:42:24,919 Speaker 1: all our schools, not K through five, not K through eight. 791 00:42:24,920 --> 00:42:27,399 Speaker 1: We are opening all our schools. And if you don't 792 00:42:27,400 --> 00:42:30,040 Speaker 1: want to teach, that's fine. You don't have to show 793 00:42:30,120 --> 00:42:32,880 Speaker 1: up for work. You'll be fired. That's what should happen, 794 00:42:33,320 --> 00:42:38,360 Speaker 1: and unfortunately it has not happened. Why should grocery store 795 00:42:38,440 --> 00:42:41,920 Speaker 1: workers and people delivering the mail and I just went 796 00:42:41,960 --> 00:42:43,920 Speaker 1: to the DMV, for heaven's sakes in New York. Why 797 00:42:43,960 --> 00:42:45,719 Speaker 1: shouldn't they have to show up for their jobs? And 798 00:42:45,760 --> 00:42:48,480 Speaker 1: many of them have been doing it really from the beginnings, right, 799 00:42:48,640 --> 00:42:50,919 Speaker 1: But teachers don't. Don't. I don't understand that. I don't 800 00:42:51,000 --> 00:42:54,000 Speaker 1: understand it either. It's yeah, it makes you wonder if 801 00:42:54,000 --> 00:42:56,880 Speaker 1: they can really keep the title essential for those teachers 802 00:42:56,880 --> 00:42:59,280 Speaker 1: that refuse to go and teach. And why should teachers 803 00:42:59,280 --> 00:43:02,279 Speaker 1: in all almost every other country be showing up for work? 804 00:43:02,320 --> 00:43:05,719 Speaker 1: You know, in France, okay, France has strong unions. They 805 00:43:05,800 --> 00:43:08,360 Speaker 1: like to strike, and they like to strike. The teachers 806 00:43:08,440 --> 00:43:12,160 Speaker 1: knew that in person's schooling was important and they insisted 807 00:43:12,200 --> 00:43:14,440 Speaker 1: on it. And the French schools are open, you know, 808 00:43:14,760 --> 00:43:18,719 Speaker 1: come the false surge, the schools stayed open. Our schools 809 00:43:18,760 --> 00:43:22,120 Speaker 1: should be open. Are people reaching out to you now 810 00:43:22,239 --> 00:43:26,359 Speaker 1: in back channel? Who we're you know, we're either very 811 00:43:26,400 --> 00:43:28,400 Speaker 1: critical in the beginning. I mean, if I if on 812 00:43:28,480 --> 00:43:31,040 Speaker 1: the scale of heat for one's COVID beliefs, you know, 813 00:43:31,160 --> 00:43:33,719 Speaker 1: if we're on like a ten point scale, I think 814 00:43:33,800 --> 00:43:36,520 Speaker 1: I get like a six you're in a nine point 815 00:43:36,600 --> 00:43:40,520 Speaker 1: five right about twenty eighth. You're way off at the 816 00:43:40,560 --> 00:43:42,719 Speaker 1: top of the scale of the heat you get for 817 00:43:42,840 --> 00:43:45,040 Speaker 1: telling people things that you always do back up with 818 00:43:45,080 --> 00:43:47,400 Speaker 1: research in facts that we're speaking Alex Parentson and folks 819 00:43:47,480 --> 00:43:50,160 Speaker 1: get his book The Power Couple, but also unreported Truths 820 00:43:50,160 --> 00:43:52,799 Speaker 1: about COVID power couples a novel. But support people who 821 00:43:52,840 --> 00:43:54,800 Speaker 1: are doing good work on issues where they're getting a 822 00:43:54,840 --> 00:43:58,279 Speaker 1: lot of pushback. Are people starting to say, finally, you 823 00:43:58,280 --> 00:44:00,319 Speaker 1: know what, you actually were right about this? Not so 824 00:44:00,440 --> 00:44:02,879 Speaker 1: much that it's not that those people, those people will 825 00:44:02,880 --> 00:44:05,920 Speaker 1: never admit they're wrong. What I am hearing about is physicians, 826 00:44:05,920 --> 00:44:09,040 Speaker 1: a lot of physicians, a lot of scientists saying, you know, 827 00:44:09,480 --> 00:44:12,439 Speaker 1: I had you know, I've done some research and I'm 828 00:44:12,440 --> 00:44:14,759 Speaker 1: sort of afraid to share it anywhere else. Can you 829 00:44:14,760 --> 00:44:17,479 Speaker 1: publish this for me? You know, there's something it could 830 00:44:17,520 --> 00:44:22,640 Speaker 1: be in sort of several different domains that has happened recently. 831 00:44:22,960 --> 00:44:24,799 Speaker 1: And on the one hand, that's great for me as 832 00:44:24,840 --> 00:44:27,240 Speaker 1: a journalist that you know, like there's nobody else to approach, 833 00:44:27,280 --> 00:44:30,120 Speaker 1: so they're approaching me. On their hand, it's terrible. There 834 00:44:30,120 --> 00:44:32,520 Speaker 1: should be ten people like me or fifty people like 835 00:44:32,600 --> 00:44:35,040 Speaker 1: me out there, speaking loudly and getting the truth out, 836 00:44:35,360 --> 00:44:38,279 Speaker 1: and that, you know, instead instead there's like four of us. 837 00:44:38,400 --> 00:44:42,000 Speaker 1: It's really bad, Alex. Where do you think this goes? 838 00:44:43,320 --> 00:44:46,160 Speaker 1: I mean, I would hope that, you know, assuming that this, 839 00:44:46,440 --> 00:44:49,560 Speaker 1: you know, that the decline in cases and hospitalizations continues, 840 00:44:51,560 --> 00:44:54,000 Speaker 1: we will be at a place where everybody's eyes are 841 00:44:54,040 --> 00:44:56,480 Speaker 1: open to the fact that this is almost over and 842 00:44:56,560 --> 00:44:59,319 Speaker 1: people just stop listening to the nonsense that's coming out 843 00:44:59,360 --> 00:45:02,160 Speaker 1: of Fauction's or other people's mouths. Whether or not that happens, 844 00:45:02,160 --> 00:45:03,719 Speaker 1: I don't know, but that's what I hope. Do you 845 00:45:03,760 --> 00:45:06,880 Speaker 1: think there's a level at which everybody will realize that 846 00:45:06,920 --> 00:45:08,920 Speaker 1: it's it's really time. I start to worry that this 847 00:45:08,960 --> 00:45:11,839 Speaker 1: has now become a mindset and almost a religion for people. Well, 848 00:45:11,840 --> 00:45:14,719 Speaker 1: it's the Emperor has no clothes, right, you know, when 849 00:45:14,719 --> 00:45:17,719 Speaker 1: the little boy pointed it out, everyone finally admitted it. 850 00:45:17,760 --> 00:45:20,839 Speaker 1: I hope that's what happens. We'll have to see go 851 00:45:20,880 --> 00:45:23,839 Speaker 1: get unreported truths about COVID nineteen on Amazon as long 852 00:45:23,880 --> 00:45:28,080 Speaker 1: as Amazon still, but you could definitely get The Power Couple, 853 00:45:28,160 --> 00:45:30,560 Speaker 1: which is a great novel written by Alex Barnson Alex 854 00:45:30,840 --> 00:45:33,959 Speaker 1: in person, we get to shake hands. Thanks so much,