1 00:00:01,000 --> 00:00:01,920 Speaker 1: Good Monday morning. 2 00:00:01,920 --> 00:00:05,800 Speaker 2: It is verdict was Centator Ted Cruz Ben Ferguson with you, Senator. 3 00:00:05,920 --> 00:00:08,560 Speaker 2: It was a sleeper of a Super Bowl is just 4 00:00:08,760 --> 00:00:10,879 Speaker 2: say the least. It wasn't that great of a game, 5 00:00:11,360 --> 00:00:13,240 Speaker 2: but all of America I'm sure was watching. 6 00:00:13,440 --> 00:00:13,680 Speaker 1: Well. 7 00:00:13,680 --> 00:00:17,360 Speaker 3: It was a blowout and and congratulations to the Eagles 8 00:00:17,400 --> 00:00:20,200 Speaker 3: for for a dominating night. All of the hopes of 9 00:00:20,760 --> 00:00:24,480 Speaker 3: Kansas City having a three peet those were dashed almost 10 00:00:24,520 --> 00:00:27,720 Speaker 3: from the from the kickoff. The Eagles dominated the game. 11 00:00:27,840 --> 00:00:30,720 Speaker 3: It was uh, it was impressive to watch, although I 12 00:00:30,720 --> 00:00:32,560 Speaker 3: got to say, the guy on that field sure didn't 13 00:00:32,560 --> 00:00:35,600 Speaker 3: look like Patrick Mahomes, not the one we've uh uh 14 00:00:35,680 --> 00:00:39,160 Speaker 3: we we we've come to expect and and and listen. 15 00:00:39,200 --> 00:00:41,440 Speaker 3: The Eagles were expected to come in with a run game. 16 00:00:41,840 --> 00:00:44,720 Speaker 3: Their run game didn't materialize, but Kansas City spent so 17 00:00:44,800 --> 00:00:47,360 Speaker 3: much time trying to stop the run game that that 18 00:00:47,360 --> 00:00:49,800 Speaker 3: that kind of short and short and medium pass game 19 00:00:49,920 --> 00:00:54,200 Speaker 3: was there the entire night. And and they owned the game. Uh, 20 00:00:54,240 --> 00:00:55,480 Speaker 3: from from the beginning to the end. 21 00:00:55,800 --> 00:00:57,440 Speaker 1: It was. It was truly incredible. 22 00:00:57,680 --> 00:01:00,440 Speaker 2: What was also crazy was the fact that we had 23 00:01:00,880 --> 00:01:03,040 Speaker 2: the President United States of America that was a center 24 00:01:03,120 --> 00:01:05,560 Speaker 2: point of being at this game and the media didn't 25 00:01:05,640 --> 00:01:07,640 Speaker 2: like it. They're having a melt down about that, as 26 00:01:07,680 --> 00:01:09,479 Speaker 2: they're also melting down about Doge. 27 00:01:09,760 --> 00:01:11,880 Speaker 3: Well, that's right, and we're going to talk about that. 28 00:01:11,920 --> 00:01:15,320 Speaker 3: So I had dinner with President Trump Friday night along 29 00:01:15,360 --> 00:01:17,280 Speaker 3: with a number of other Republican senators. We're going to 30 00:01:17,319 --> 00:01:19,840 Speaker 3: talk about that. We're also going to talk about Doge. 31 00:01:19,840 --> 00:01:24,080 Speaker 3: We are twenty days into the administration, less than three weeks, 32 00:01:24,760 --> 00:01:27,720 Speaker 3: and the media and the Democrats are losing their mind 33 00:01:27,840 --> 00:01:31,720 Speaker 3: over Elon Musk's efforts to cut government spending. We're going 34 00:01:31,760 --> 00:01:33,399 Speaker 3: to break that down. We're going to talk about some 35 00:01:33,480 --> 00:01:36,960 Speaker 3: of the egregious abuses that are being uncovered, but we're 36 00:01:36,959 --> 00:01:39,080 Speaker 3: also going to walk you through what to expect how 37 00:01:39,080 --> 00:01:40,679 Speaker 3: this is going to play out in the days and 38 00:01:40,760 --> 00:01:43,720 Speaker 3: weeks ahead. We're also going to talk to you about 39 00:01:43,760 --> 00:01:48,600 Speaker 3: the CFPB, the Consumer Financial Protection Bureau, which which is 40 00:01:49,240 --> 00:01:53,080 Speaker 3: being ordered to halt all of their efforts right now 41 00:01:53,120 --> 00:01:56,040 Speaker 3: and being ordered to halt that by their new acting head. 42 00:01:56,040 --> 00:01:57,560 Speaker 3: We're going to break that down for you as well. 43 00:01:57,680 --> 00:01:59,600 Speaker 2: Yeah, really important story and it's going to affect a 44 00:01:59,600 --> 00:02:01,720 Speaker 2: lot of people lives. Want to tell you real quick 45 00:02:01,720 --> 00:02:04,559 Speaker 2: about the IFCJ. After more than a year of war, 46 00:02:04,760 --> 00:02:07,000 Speaker 2: terror and pain in Israel, there is still a great 47 00:02:07,080 --> 00:02:11,519 Speaker 2: demand for basic humanitarian aid. That is where the International 48 00:02:11,520 --> 00:02:15,160 Speaker 2: Fellowship of Christians and Jews has supported and continues to 49 00:02:15,200 --> 00:02:18,000 Speaker 2: support those in the Holy Land still facing the lingering 50 00:02:18,040 --> 00:02:20,919 Speaker 2: horrors of war, and those who are in desperate need 51 00:02:21,040 --> 00:02:25,720 Speaker 2: right now. Your ongoing monthly gift of forty five dollars 52 00:02:25,800 --> 00:02:29,200 Speaker 2: will provide critically needed aid to communities in the North 53 00:02:29,240 --> 00:02:33,519 Speaker 2: and the South devastated by the ongoing war, and your 54 00:02:33,639 --> 00:02:36,760 Speaker 2: generous donation each month will deliver help to those in need, 55 00:02:36,800 --> 00:02:41,880 Speaker 2: including evacuees and refugees from the war torn areas, also 56 00:02:42,000 --> 00:02:46,840 Speaker 2: first responders and volunteers, wounded soldiers and elderly Holocaust survivors, 57 00:02:47,200 --> 00:02:50,280 Speaker 2: families who have lost everything, and so many more. You 58 00:02:50,320 --> 00:02:53,320 Speaker 2: can provide hope during a time of great uncertainty and 59 00:02:53,360 --> 00:02:55,840 Speaker 2: the need is real. So to give a gift to 60 00:02:55,919 --> 00:02:58,680 Speaker 2: bless Israel and her people, you can do that by 61 00:02:58,720 --> 00:03:05,240 Speaker 2: visiting support IFCJ dot org. That's one word support if 62 00:03:05,360 --> 00:03:08,160 Speaker 2: CJ dot org. You can also call to give eighty 63 00:03:08,240 --> 00:03:12,639 Speaker 2: eight for eight eight I F CJ. That's triple eight 64 00:03:13,360 --> 00:03:17,040 Speaker 2: for eight eight I F CJ eighty eight four eight 65 00:03:17,160 --> 00:03:21,639 Speaker 2: eight four three two five or support IFCJ dot org. 66 00:03:22,120 --> 00:03:25,920 Speaker 2: So let's just enjoy for a moment just how different 67 00:03:26,000 --> 00:03:28,520 Speaker 2: this Super Bowl was than a year ago from a 68 00:03:28,560 --> 00:03:32,160 Speaker 2: political standpoint. Uh, the President went, a lot of other 69 00:03:32,400 --> 00:03:36,000 Speaker 2: conservatives showed up, other elected officials were there. Uh, the 70 00:03:36,080 --> 00:03:38,960 Speaker 2: media was covering Donald Trump. He was talking at the 71 00:03:39,440 --> 00:03:43,119 Speaker 2: before the super Bowl and during the flight and tweeting 72 00:03:43,120 --> 00:03:46,360 Speaker 2: out about the government working for you, and Doge and 73 00:03:46,600 --> 00:03:47,360 Speaker 2: and one of those. 74 00:03:47,640 --> 00:03:47,760 Speaker 3: Uh. 75 00:03:48,040 --> 00:03:51,280 Speaker 2: At CNN, Brian and Skelpter came out with an interesting 76 00:03:51,360 --> 00:03:54,880 Speaker 2: tweet I think you saw it as well, where he said, 77 00:03:55,000 --> 00:03:57,720 Speaker 2: I think think about it. A year ago, you could 78 00:03:57,720 --> 00:04:01,200 Speaker 2: go days without seeing or thinking about Joe Biden. Now 79 00:04:01,240 --> 00:04:04,040 Speaker 2: you're lucky if you can go hours without thinking about 80 00:04:04,080 --> 00:04:10,240 Speaker 2: President Trump. His point is he's controlling everything, and now 81 00:04:10,240 --> 00:04:13,520 Speaker 2: he says the Super Bowl is also the Trump Bowl. 82 00:04:13,840 --> 00:04:15,920 Speaker 1: I think it's amazing to watch this melt down. 83 00:04:16,080 --> 00:04:19,680 Speaker 3: Well, listen, the media is melting down. The Democrats are 84 00:04:19,720 --> 00:04:22,920 Speaker 3: melting down. I gotta tell you. This past week I 85 00:04:23,040 --> 00:04:26,360 Speaker 3: enjoyed a number of times turning to my Democrat colleague 86 00:04:26,360 --> 00:04:30,320 Speaker 3: and colleagues and just dead padding. Well, three years and 87 00:04:30,360 --> 00:04:31,240 Speaker 3: fifty weeks to go. 88 00:04:34,040 --> 00:04:37,280 Speaker 1: What's the response, Because I mean some of them you're friendly. 89 00:04:36,920 --> 00:04:42,920 Speaker 3: With that, they start twitching with no affect at all. 90 00:04:43,000 --> 00:04:45,520 Speaker 3: I just just say those words, and I've yet to 91 00:04:45,560 --> 00:04:49,120 Speaker 3: see a Democrat who doesn't start shaking at that thought. 92 00:04:49,200 --> 00:04:52,360 Speaker 3: I mean, listen, there has never been in the history 93 00:04:52,400 --> 00:04:56,000 Speaker 3: of a country a two weeks like this. And as 94 00:04:56,040 --> 00:04:58,520 Speaker 3: I mentioned, I had dinner with President Trump on Friday. 95 00:04:59,320 --> 00:05:01,919 Speaker 3: We had a retre treed of Republican senators down in 96 00:05:01,960 --> 00:05:04,040 Speaker 3: Florida and we went to forty three of us went 97 00:05:04,080 --> 00:05:06,360 Speaker 3: and had dinner with President Trump and mar A Lago 98 00:05:06,839 --> 00:05:09,400 Speaker 3: Friday night. I got to tell you, the President was 99 00:05:09,440 --> 00:05:14,520 Speaker 3: in in great mood. He was happy, he was energized, 100 00:05:15,680 --> 00:05:20,719 Speaker 3: and and there's never been shock and awe. You know. Actually, 101 00:05:20,960 --> 00:05:23,440 Speaker 3: I have a theory about this, and I have a 102 00:05:23,480 --> 00:05:29,039 Speaker 3: theory about the speed and volume of what's coming, which 103 00:05:29,080 --> 00:05:31,960 Speaker 3: is that the media, I believe has a specific quantum 104 00:05:32,040 --> 00:05:37,280 Speaker 3: of outrage. And that quantum I call the arsenic quantum 105 00:05:37,440 --> 00:05:40,640 Speaker 3: of outrage. Now what does that mean? Ben If you 106 00:05:40,720 --> 00:05:43,720 Speaker 3: remember back to the first term of George W. Bush 107 00:05:43,760 --> 00:05:46,800 Speaker 3: in two thousand and one, one of one of the 108 00:05:46,839 --> 00:05:51,440 Speaker 3: first things Bush did is the EPA rescinded a rule 109 00:05:51,560 --> 00:05:55,600 Speaker 3: concerning arsenic and it regulated how many parts per million 110 00:05:55,640 --> 00:05:59,880 Speaker 3: of arsenic could be in water. And the media for 111 00:06:00,160 --> 00:06:04,479 Speaker 3: weeks lit their hair on fire about how evil Republicans 112 00:06:04,800 --> 00:06:07,440 Speaker 3: want to poison all our children with arsenic, and they 113 00:06:07,480 --> 00:06:09,760 Speaker 3: just went on and on and on arsenic, arsenic, arsenik. 114 00:06:10,000 --> 00:06:13,400 Speaker 3: It was on the six o'clock news night after night. Well, 115 00:06:14,560 --> 00:06:17,720 Speaker 3: my theory is that is the amount of outrage they have, 116 00:06:18,040 --> 00:06:21,000 Speaker 3: and when Trump does one hundred things, or two hundred things, 117 00:06:21,160 --> 00:06:23,800 Speaker 3: or three hundred things, they have that same quantum of outrage, 118 00:06:24,360 --> 00:06:27,039 Speaker 3: but they have to divide it up among everything, and 119 00:06:27,080 --> 00:06:29,800 Speaker 3: so instead they just just light their hair on fire 120 00:06:29,839 --> 00:06:31,000 Speaker 3: and begin running in circles. 121 00:06:31,320 --> 00:06:32,040 Speaker 1: It is weird. 122 00:06:32,160 --> 00:06:34,160 Speaker 2: And I was talking to a colleague of mine who 123 00:06:34,240 --> 00:06:38,279 Speaker 2: worked in the first Trump ministruation and he's now working 124 00:06:38,320 --> 00:06:40,640 Speaker 2: the second. And the way he described it to me 125 00:06:40,680 --> 00:06:43,480 Speaker 2: on Friday, he said, Ben, in twenty sixteen, he goes 126 00:06:43,520 --> 00:06:45,760 Speaker 2: go ask any center, any congressman that met with the president. 127 00:06:45,839 --> 00:06:48,719 Speaker 2: The meetings revolved around around Okay, what are we going 128 00:06:48,800 --> 00:06:50,760 Speaker 2: to do or what do we want to do? He said, 129 00:06:50,800 --> 00:06:53,760 Speaker 2: this time, it's all right, this is what we are doing. 130 00:06:54,040 --> 00:06:56,200 Speaker 2: And this is how we're going to do it, he said, 131 00:06:56,240 --> 00:06:59,240 Speaker 2: it's a completely different mindset. Have you found that when 132 00:06:59,240 --> 00:07:01,640 Speaker 2: you're having dinner at more of like, Hey, we're in charge, 133 00:07:01,920 --> 00:07:04,040 Speaker 2: let's go down the field. Let's use the super Bowl 134 00:07:04,040 --> 00:07:05,920 Speaker 2: now as he throw the long ball, and let's let's 135 00:07:06,000 --> 00:07:07,920 Speaker 2: make the pass, and let's get the points on the board. 136 00:07:08,120 --> 00:07:11,240 Speaker 3: Well, listen, in twenty seventeen, when President Trump came into 137 00:07:11,280 --> 00:07:15,080 Speaker 3: the White House, I don't think he was expecting to win. 138 00:07:16,120 --> 00:07:18,280 Speaker 3: I don't think his team was expecting him to win. 139 00:07:19,120 --> 00:07:21,920 Speaker 3: And and and and they came in and and he 140 00:07:22,040 --> 00:07:26,239 Speaker 3: never worked in the federal government. Virtually every senior official 141 00:07:26,280 --> 00:07:27,880 Speaker 3: in the Trump White House had never worked in the 142 00:07:27,920 --> 00:07:30,960 Speaker 3: federal government. And so they came in and did not 143 00:07:31,240 --> 00:07:34,400 Speaker 3: know how how the agencies operated. They they did. They 144 00:07:34,400 --> 00:07:40,400 Speaker 3: did not understand the machinery they were attempting to turn around, 145 00:07:40,960 --> 00:07:44,120 Speaker 3: and and and they didn't understand the deep state. They 146 00:07:44,200 --> 00:07:48,040 Speaker 3: didn't understand the embedded career bureaucrats who were going to 147 00:07:48,160 --> 00:07:53,080 Speaker 3: fight against them tooth and nail. One of the results 148 00:07:53,120 --> 00:07:55,400 Speaker 3: is is they made some real mistakes when it came 149 00:07:55,440 --> 00:07:59,120 Speaker 3: to personnel. Uh, they appointed people to senior positions to 150 00:07:59,200 --> 00:08:02,360 Speaker 3: cabinet positions who ended up fighting against the president from 151 00:08:02,440 --> 00:08:06,520 Speaker 3: day one. This time around, I think they've done a 152 00:08:06,640 --> 00:08:10,400 Speaker 3: much better job with cabinet nominees and and they've hit 153 00:08:10,440 --> 00:08:13,400 Speaker 3: the ground running. The level of preparation the executive orders 154 00:08:13,440 --> 00:08:15,480 Speaker 3: they've rolled out, one after the other after the other, 155 00:08:16,760 --> 00:08:19,440 Speaker 3: it is clear that they have had teams working on 156 00:08:19,560 --> 00:08:24,120 Speaker 3: these orders for months, if not years, that that they 157 00:08:24,200 --> 00:08:28,400 Speaker 3: came in with a fundamentally different level of understanding and 158 00:08:28,440 --> 00:08:34,040 Speaker 3: sophistication about how the government operates, about what are the 159 00:08:34,160 --> 00:08:39,960 Speaker 3: levers of power and authority within the government, and how 160 00:08:40,040 --> 00:08:47,160 Speaker 3: you turn the machine and understand they're dealing with four 161 00:08:47,280 --> 00:08:52,400 Speaker 3: years of Joe Biden the Democrats weaponizing every aspect of 162 00:08:52,440 --> 00:08:55,120 Speaker 3: the federal government. Not just doj and FBI, We've talked 163 00:08:55,160 --> 00:08:59,480 Speaker 3: a lot about that, but but weaponizing every grant they give, 164 00:08:59,520 --> 00:09:05,640 Speaker 3: weaponize every program, weaponizing from agency to agency to agency. 165 00:09:05,720 --> 00:09:10,480 Speaker 3: That the holistic approach that the Biden administration did, that 166 00:09:10,520 --> 00:09:14,200 Speaker 3: every dollar they had was there to reward their political 167 00:09:14,240 --> 00:09:18,040 Speaker 3: allies or to punish their political enemies. And sadly, it 168 00:09:18,080 --> 00:09:20,880 Speaker 3: was all politics all the time. And I think that's 169 00:09:20,920 --> 00:09:24,199 Speaker 3: a big part of the reason why if you look 170 00:09:24,200 --> 00:09:26,440 Speaker 3: at what Elon Musk is doing it dough. She's he's 171 00:09:26,520 --> 00:09:28,960 Speaker 3: going in and he and he's working around the clock. 172 00:09:29,040 --> 00:09:31,360 Speaker 3: And and I know Elon well, he does not he 173 00:09:31,440 --> 00:09:35,520 Speaker 3: does not sleep much. And he works and and and 174 00:09:35,600 --> 00:09:38,240 Speaker 3: he is going at the federal government. And it's it's 175 00:09:38,240 --> 00:09:41,360 Speaker 3: a remarkable thing. Ben I got to say, So Trump 176 00:09:41,400 --> 00:09:44,040 Speaker 3: derangements syndrome has been a thing for a long time 177 00:09:44,520 --> 00:09:48,920 Speaker 3: that Democrats in the media going nuts. Well there's now 178 00:09:48,960 --> 00:09:52,880 Speaker 3: a new phenomena, new disease has come to Washington and 179 00:09:52,880 --> 00:09:55,160 Speaker 3: and that's called Elon derangement syndrome. 180 00:09:55,640 --> 00:09:57,360 Speaker 1: It's almost worse in some ways. 181 00:09:57,400 --> 00:09:59,800 Speaker 2: I mean they this man has become like more hated 182 00:09:59,800 --> 00:10:02,240 Speaker 2: and in some circles and even Trump, and that's hard 183 00:10:02,280 --> 00:10:02,480 Speaker 2: to do. 184 00:10:03,280 --> 00:10:05,600 Speaker 3: So I'll tell you in exchange I had last week 185 00:10:05,640 --> 00:10:09,920 Speaker 3: with several reporters, but it was following so I had 186 00:10:10,200 --> 00:10:13,120 Speaker 3: a closed door briefing from the FAA and the National 187 00:10:13,280 --> 00:10:20,720 Speaker 3: Traffic Safety Board on the horrific crash outside Reagan Airport. 188 00:10:20,920 --> 00:10:24,160 Speaker 3: And as I came out, the reporters that we were 189 00:10:24,160 --> 00:10:27,199 Speaker 3: talking about the accident and where the investigation is going. 190 00:10:27,679 --> 00:10:32,840 Speaker 3: And reporters were asking, well, aren't you worried that Elon 191 00:10:33,040 --> 00:10:38,640 Speaker 3: Musk is going to be involved in updating the technology 192 00:10:38,679 --> 00:10:44,880 Speaker 3: for air traffic control. And I just started laughing, and 193 00:10:44,920 --> 00:10:49,400 Speaker 3: I said, look, our air traffic control system is desperately 194 00:10:49,440 --> 00:10:54,360 Speaker 3: in need of modernization. We are literally using nineteen fifties technology. 195 00:10:54,400 --> 00:10:57,520 Speaker 3: We use radar and little slips of paper, that's how 196 00:10:57,520 --> 00:11:01,880 Speaker 3: they do it. And you're telling me that one of 197 00:11:01,920 --> 00:11:07,360 Speaker 3: the world's greatest technology CEOs who has ever lived, is 198 00:11:07,480 --> 00:11:11,720 Speaker 3: willing to work for free to modernize the technology for 199 00:11:11,800 --> 00:11:15,960 Speaker 3: air traffic control, to use GPS and current technology rather 200 00:11:16,000 --> 00:11:19,040 Speaker 3: than nineteen fifties technology to take us into the twenty 201 00:11:19,080 --> 00:11:22,360 Speaker 3: first century. And you somehow think that is a bad thing. 202 00:11:23,400 --> 00:11:27,040 Speaker 3: And I got to say, the reporters were just bewildered. 203 00:11:27,040 --> 00:11:30,280 Speaker 3: They're just like, no no elon bad Trump bad. That 204 00:11:30,840 --> 00:11:33,520 Speaker 3: that's the extent of analysis they're capable of. 205 00:11:34,880 --> 00:11:37,599 Speaker 2: You look at the access that he's also gained, and 206 00:11:38,640 --> 00:11:42,079 Speaker 2: it is to fifteen different government agencies. The President has 207 00:11:42,120 --> 00:11:45,840 Speaker 2: made it very clear now he believes this as part 208 00:11:45,880 --> 00:11:51,040 Speaker 2: of his mandate why the American people sent him to Washington. 209 00:11:51,559 --> 00:11:54,360 Speaker 2: And he said this in an interview on Sunday for 210 00:11:54,960 --> 00:11:58,160 Speaker 2: Super Bowl Sunday with Brett Bher where there's some people 211 00:11:58,240 --> 00:12:00,000 Speaker 2: trying to Honormine, and I think this is the machine 212 00:12:00,360 --> 00:12:02,440 Speaker 2: going after a Musk. They're trying to undermine and they're 213 00:12:02,440 --> 00:12:04,680 Speaker 2: trying to somehow get him kicked out of this or 214 00:12:04,720 --> 00:12:06,640 Speaker 2: to have some sort of press conference where Elon Musk 215 00:12:06,720 --> 00:12:08,520 Speaker 2: is no longer with us and working in you know, 216 00:12:08,840 --> 00:12:11,800 Speaker 2: in the government. We've we've dismissed him. That's what they're clearly, 217 00:12:11,880 --> 00:12:14,840 Speaker 2: it's like a way of impeaching him in essence, and 218 00:12:14,600 --> 00:12:17,120 Speaker 2: and Brett asked the question like, do you does he 219 00:12:17,160 --> 00:12:19,080 Speaker 2: have your full faith? Because this is where the media 220 00:12:19,160 --> 00:12:21,080 Speaker 2: is going, right, and so he's like, does does he 221 00:12:21,120 --> 00:12:23,600 Speaker 2: still have your full support? And I want everybody here, 222 00:12:23,640 --> 00:12:24,720 Speaker 2: this is what Trump said. 223 00:12:25,040 --> 00:12:27,040 Speaker 4: I don't know if it's kickback, so what's going on? 224 00:12:27,120 --> 00:12:29,880 Speaker 4: But the people, look, I ran on this and the 225 00:12:29,880 --> 00:12:32,400 Speaker 4: people want me to find it. And I've had a 226 00:12:32,400 --> 00:12:36,240 Speaker 4: great help with Elon Musk, who's been terrific. I'm one 227 00:12:36,320 --> 00:12:39,880 Speaker 4: you say you trust him, Trust Elon. Oh, he's not 228 00:12:40,000 --> 00:12:42,320 Speaker 4: gaining anything. In fact, I wonder how he can devote 229 00:12:42,320 --> 00:12:44,480 Speaker 4: the time to it. He's so into it. But I 230 00:12:44,559 --> 00:12:46,080 Speaker 4: told him to do that. Then I'm going to tell 231 00:12:46,160 --> 00:12:50,360 Speaker 4: him very soon, like maybe in twenty four hours to 232 00:12:50,400 --> 00:12:53,000 Speaker 4: go check the Department of Education. He's going to find 233 00:12:53,040 --> 00:12:55,080 Speaker 4: the same thing. Then I'm going to go go to 234 00:12:55,120 --> 00:12:58,440 Speaker 4: the military. Let's check the military. We're going to find billions, 235 00:12:58,720 --> 00:13:01,480 Speaker 4: hundreds of billions of DIFE is a fraud and abuse. 236 00:13:02,280 --> 00:13:04,840 Speaker 4: And you know the people elected me on that. 237 00:13:05,080 --> 00:13:05,880 Speaker 1: People elected me. 238 00:13:05,960 --> 00:13:08,760 Speaker 2: He's listening to the people and that's why it's populated 239 00:13:08,800 --> 00:13:11,120 Speaker 2: right now. Is about fifty percent fifty three percent in 240 00:13:11,120 --> 00:13:12,000 Speaker 2: one of the polls today. 241 00:13:12,559 --> 00:13:15,840 Speaker 3: Well and understand what Elon is doing. So so Elon 242 00:13:15,920 --> 00:13:19,920 Speaker 3: this weekend he tweeted the following quote. To be clear, 243 00:13:20,640 --> 00:13:23,240 Speaker 3: what the DOGE team and the US Treasury team have 244 00:13:23,400 --> 00:13:29,199 Speaker 3: jointly agreed makes sense. Is the following require that all 245 00:13:29,320 --> 00:13:35,200 Speaker 3: outgoing government payments have a payment categorization code, which is 246 00:13:35,240 --> 00:13:39,199 Speaker 3: necessary in order to pass financial audits. This is frequently 247 00:13:39,280 --> 00:13:45,400 Speaker 3: left blank, making audits almost impossible. All payments must also 248 00:13:45,520 --> 00:13:49,319 Speaker 3: include a rationale for the payment in the comment field, 249 00:13:49,679 --> 00:13:54,640 Speaker 3: which is currently left blank. Importantly, we are not yet 250 00:13:54,720 --> 00:14:00,439 Speaker 3: applying any judgment to this rationale, but simply require that 251 00:14:00,679 --> 00:14:06,679 Speaker 3: some attempt be made to explain the payment more than nothing. 252 00:14:08,640 --> 00:14:14,160 Speaker 3: The okay, and just just keep listening. Because this is 253 00:14:14,360 --> 00:14:18,600 Speaker 3: so simple that for government at shocking. The do not 254 00:14:18,920 --> 00:14:24,160 Speaker 3: pay list of entities known to be fraudulent, or people 255 00:14:24,240 --> 00:14:28,520 Speaker 3: who are dead or are probable fronts for terrorist organizations, 256 00:14:29,320 --> 00:14:34,359 Speaker 3: or do not match congressional appropriations must actually be implemented 257 00:14:34,840 --> 00:14:40,000 Speaker 3: and not ignored. Also, it can currently take up to 258 00:14:40,080 --> 00:14:43,080 Speaker 3: a year to get on this list, which is far 259 00:14:43,120 --> 00:14:46,680 Speaker 3: too long. This list should be updated at least weekly, 260 00:14:47,080 --> 00:14:52,080 Speaker 3: if not daily. The above super obvious and necessary changes 261 00:14:52,080 --> 00:14:56,120 Speaker 3: are being implemented by existing, longtime career government employees, not 262 00:14:56,160 --> 00:15:00,680 Speaker 3: anyone from DOGE. It is ridiculous that these ch didn't 263 00:15:00,720 --> 00:15:04,720 Speaker 3: exist already. Yesterday I was told that there are currently 264 00:15:04,840 --> 00:15:09,760 Speaker 3: over one hundred billion dollars a year of entitlement payments 265 00:15:10,480 --> 00:15:15,040 Speaker 3: to individuals with no Social Security numbers or even a 266 00:15:15,160 --> 00:15:21,920 Speaker 3: temporary ID number. If accurate, this is extremely suspicious. When 267 00:15:21,960 --> 00:15:24,680 Speaker 3: I asked if anyone at Treasury had a rough guest 268 00:15:25,240 --> 00:15:29,200 Speaker 3: for what percentage of that number is unequivocal and obvious fraud, 269 00:15:29,960 --> 00:15:34,840 Speaker 3: the consensus in the room was about half, so fifty 270 00:15:35,080 --> 00:15:39,520 Speaker 3: billion a year or one billion dollars a week. This 271 00:15:39,640 --> 00:15:43,359 Speaker 3: is utterly insane and must be addressed immediately. 272 00:15:44,520 --> 00:15:47,840 Speaker 2: Why would anyone be angry at that? And I say 273 00:15:47,880 --> 00:15:52,400 Speaker 2: that look is a rhetorical question. The people that don't 274 00:15:52,400 --> 00:15:54,480 Speaker 2: want you to find this out are clearly the ones 275 00:15:54,520 --> 00:15:57,800 Speaker 2: that are abusing the system for whether it's their corruption, 276 00:15:58,000 --> 00:16:01,720 Speaker 2: family friends. The list goes on and on that has 277 00:16:01,720 --> 00:16:05,120 Speaker 2: been mentioned there. But if you are a taxpayer, I 278 00:16:05,120 --> 00:16:07,440 Speaker 2: don't care if you're a Republican or Democrat. You should 279 00:16:07,480 --> 00:16:09,480 Speaker 2: want to know where your money's going and want to 280 00:16:09,520 --> 00:16:11,720 Speaker 2: know if there's waste fraud abuse, so we get rid 281 00:16:11,720 --> 00:16:14,280 Speaker 2: of it because it could mean that we're all paying 282 00:16:14,760 --> 00:16:17,440 Speaker 2: way more in taxes than we ever could have imagined. 283 00:16:17,480 --> 00:16:19,440 Speaker 2: We should be able to pay to get great services 284 00:16:19,480 --> 00:16:21,480 Speaker 2: at a much lower rate because you get rid of 285 00:16:21,520 --> 00:16:22,400 Speaker 2: all the fraud abuse. 286 00:16:22,880 --> 00:16:27,480 Speaker 3: Well, i'll get I'll give you another interesting data. Do 287 00:16:27,520 --> 00:16:32,320 Speaker 3: you know what has what the median household income is 288 00:16:32,360 --> 00:16:35,880 Speaker 3: in Washington DC. It's one hundred and twenty one thousand 289 00:16:35,880 --> 00:16:39,120 Speaker 3: a year. That's the median. The national median is eighty 290 00:16:39,160 --> 00:16:42,240 Speaker 3: two thousand dollars a year, So Washington d C. Is 291 00:16:42,400 --> 00:16:48,440 Speaker 3: fifty percent greater. And by the way, compare that to 292 00:16:49,440 --> 00:16:53,560 Speaker 3: the only place higher is California's Bay Area. So Washington 293 00:16:53,640 --> 00:16:56,120 Speaker 3: DC has a higher median income than New York ninety 294 00:16:56,120 --> 00:16:59,640 Speaker 3: five thousand Bridgeport one hundred and eleven thousand, Chicago eighty 295 00:16:59,680 --> 00:17:04,320 Speaker 3: seven one thousand, Dallas eighty six thousand, Baltimore ninety four thousand, 296 00:17:04,359 --> 00:17:08,320 Speaker 3: New Orleans sixty one thousand, Boston one hundred and ten thousand, 297 00:17:08,440 --> 00:17:12,280 Speaker 3: Raleigh ninety six thousand, San Diego one hundred and three thousand, 298 00:17:12,440 --> 00:17:17,679 Speaker 3: Los Angeles ninety one thousand, Honolulu one hundred and three thousand, Washington, 299 00:17:17,760 --> 00:17:20,200 Speaker 3: d C. One hundred and twenty one thousand. Right at the. 300 00:17:20,160 --> 00:17:22,680 Speaker 2: Top question you got to ask yourself, is I wonder 301 00:17:22,720 --> 00:17:24,720 Speaker 2: why could it be? There's so many people there that 302 00:17:24,760 --> 00:17:28,080 Speaker 2: are getting hookups with the government and jobs and making 303 00:17:28,119 --> 00:17:30,240 Speaker 2: sure money is spent and going to the right places 304 00:17:30,240 --> 00:17:32,439 Speaker 2: that they get compensated very well for that. 305 00:17:33,359 --> 00:17:36,040 Speaker 3: Well, there are a ton of people a and senior 306 00:17:36,119 --> 00:17:40,320 Speaker 3: government jobs that are making six figure incomes and many 307 00:17:40,359 --> 00:17:45,200 Speaker 3: of the government buildings are empty. That the average across 308 00:17:45,240 --> 00:17:47,800 Speaker 3: the federal government right now for showing up to work 309 00:17:48,280 --> 00:17:51,040 Speaker 3: is five to eight percent of the employees, and they're 310 00:17:51,160 --> 00:17:53,200 Speaker 3: adamant that they have an entitlement to do this, that 311 00:17:53,800 --> 00:17:57,480 Speaker 3: it is horrific to expect them to show up to work. 312 00:17:57,520 --> 00:18:02,679 Speaker 3: They're also armies of lobbyists and contractors and people getting 313 00:18:02,800 --> 00:18:07,040 Speaker 3: rich off government, and so those two together are are 314 00:18:07,119 --> 00:18:10,359 Speaker 3: operating powerfully. And it's interesting that Elon has been able 315 00:18:10,359 --> 00:18:15,359 Speaker 3: to affect such significant change simply by starting with saying, 316 00:18:15,640 --> 00:18:19,399 Speaker 3: where is the money going? Show me the flow of 317 00:18:19,520 --> 00:18:22,639 Speaker 3: cash going out the door. I want to see it 318 00:18:22,760 --> 00:18:27,359 Speaker 3: dollar by dollar. That that is a threat right to 319 00:18:27,440 --> 00:18:32,440 Speaker 3: the heart of the deep state and and the corruption 320 00:18:32,680 --> 00:18:34,880 Speaker 3: machine the Democrats have had for a long time. 321 00:18:35,280 --> 00:18:37,320 Speaker 2: Well, let me ask you another question about dinner. And 322 00:18:37,960 --> 00:18:40,240 Speaker 2: you are one of those that this is a compliment. 323 00:18:41,359 --> 00:18:44,240 Speaker 2: If you've ever had dinner with you, you're a working dinner guy. 324 00:18:44,480 --> 00:18:46,640 Speaker 2: You're one of those that just likes to get stuff done. 325 00:18:46,720 --> 00:18:48,399 Speaker 2: I think that's probably one of the reasons why you 326 00:18:48,440 --> 00:18:52,119 Speaker 2: and Eli get well get along so well. You're having 327 00:18:52,160 --> 00:18:56,639 Speaker 2: these dinners now where you're getting stuff done, and in 328 00:18:56,680 --> 00:19:00,399 Speaker 2: government that's not always the case. How happy and how 329 00:19:00,480 --> 00:19:03,400 Speaker 2: much fun is it for you personally to know now 330 00:19:03,440 --> 00:19:05,679 Speaker 2: that when you're going into these meetings with Trump and 331 00:19:05,720 --> 00:19:08,520 Speaker 2: these other senators like you guys are actually getting to 332 00:19:08,560 --> 00:19:11,640 Speaker 2: do your job, Because I know that's driven you crazy 333 00:19:11,680 --> 00:19:13,520 Speaker 2: over the years when you just feel like you're just 334 00:19:13,560 --> 00:19:16,280 Speaker 2: spinning your wheels because governments spinning their wheels and not 335 00:19:16,320 --> 00:19:17,080 Speaker 2: getting stuff done? 336 00:19:17,240 --> 00:19:19,600 Speaker 1: Is this like that? Is this what made you want 337 00:19:19,640 --> 00:19:21,679 Speaker 1: to get into politics and to serve. 338 00:19:23,119 --> 00:19:29,159 Speaker 3: Listen, it is fun and it is exciting because we 339 00:19:29,400 --> 00:19:33,399 Speaker 3: have a unique opportunity right now. You look at the 340 00:19:33,440 --> 00:19:37,479 Speaker 3: mandate from November. Obviously, the people re elected Donald Trump. 341 00:19:37,840 --> 00:19:40,800 Speaker 3: They elected a Republican Senate, not just a Republican Senate 342 00:19:41,680 --> 00:19:46,199 Speaker 3: with a relatively big majority. Fifty three Republicans is sizeable 343 00:19:46,640 --> 00:19:48,840 Speaker 3: in the Senate. They gave us a majority in the House, 344 00:19:48,880 --> 00:19:52,680 Speaker 3: albeit a very narrow one. We have an opportunity to 345 00:19:52,720 --> 00:19:55,480 Speaker 3: accomplish an enormous amount. And I'll tell you, Ben, it's 346 00:19:55,520 --> 00:19:58,760 Speaker 3: fun and exciting, but there's also a seriousness to this. 347 00:19:59,280 --> 00:20:02,879 Speaker 3: We can't screw I think failure is not an option 348 00:20:03,760 --> 00:20:06,560 Speaker 3: and and so I'm jumping out of bed every day. 349 00:20:06,560 --> 00:20:10,639 Speaker 3: I am excited to go. And you look at the work, 350 00:20:11,080 --> 00:20:14,600 Speaker 3: all right, and you see everything Elon's doing. Here, here's 351 00:20:14,640 --> 00:20:16,639 Speaker 3: a story that broke that gives you the sense of 352 00:20:16,680 --> 00:20:20,000 Speaker 3: why there's so much work to be done. Headlined from 353 00:20:20,040 --> 00:20:27,200 Speaker 3: the weekend, Biden admin filled terrorist coffers with over one billion, 354 00:20:27,880 --> 00:20:32,840 Speaker 3: three hundred million dollars before Trump took wrecking ball to 355 00:20:32,960 --> 00:20:36,600 Speaker 3: foreign aid and I'm just going to just start with 356 00:20:36,640 --> 00:20:38,960 Speaker 3: that article. More than one point three billion dollars in 357 00:20:39,000 --> 00:20:42,399 Speaker 3: taxpayer funds from the Biden administration ended up helping groups 358 00:20:42,440 --> 00:20:46,879 Speaker 3: that sponsored or committed terrorism, and the biggest part of 359 00:20:46,920 --> 00:20:51,360 Speaker 3: that was to UNRA, the United Nations Relief and Work 360 00:20:51,800 --> 00:20:58,440 Speaker 3: Work Agency. The Biden administration gave one billion, fifty three 361 00:20:58,560 --> 00:21:02,560 Speaker 3: million and four hundred thous thousand dollars in US taxpayer 362 00:21:02,600 --> 00:21:06,560 Speaker 3: money to UNRA and an UNRA. Remember but by the way, 363 00:21:06,640 --> 00:21:09,600 Speaker 3: under Trump, initially there was a ban on unrefunding because 364 00:21:09,640 --> 00:21:13,879 Speaker 3: they have been so intertwined with Hamas and Hamas terrorists. 365 00:21:14,040 --> 00:21:16,280 Speaker 3: We now know that in the wake of October seventh, 366 00:21:16,320 --> 00:21:19,520 Speaker 3: you had Hamas terrorists on the UNRA payroll. 367 00:21:20,119 --> 00:21:23,560 Speaker 2: And yet yeah, that's a fact. By the way, we 368 00:21:23,680 --> 00:21:26,720 Speaker 2: need to make that clear. That is one hundred percent confirmed. 369 00:21:26,760 --> 00:21:27,480 Speaker 2: It is a fact. 370 00:21:29,040 --> 00:21:33,280 Speaker 3: Here is intelligent. This is also from the article quote. 371 00:21:33,280 --> 00:21:37,320 Speaker 3: Intelligence officials later revealed that more than one thousand UNRA employees, 372 00:21:38,000 --> 00:21:43,160 Speaker 3: or around ten percent, were linked to the groups Hamas 373 00:21:43,840 --> 00:21:47,960 Speaker 3: and Palestinian Islamic Jihad. According to documents found on the 374 00:21:48,000 --> 00:21:54,080 Speaker 3: bodies of dead terrorists and other evidence, ten percent of 375 00:21:54,119 --> 00:22:00,560 Speaker 3: their employees were linked to Hamas and Palestinian Islam Jahad, 376 00:22:01,160 --> 00:22:04,440 Speaker 3: and the Biden administration right up till the last day 377 00:22:05,160 --> 00:22:07,080 Speaker 3: was shoveling cash. And I got to say, it's one 378 00:22:07,080 --> 00:22:11,600 Speaker 3: of the things that I think is most offensive about 379 00:22:11,600 --> 00:22:15,199 Speaker 3: what Biden the Democrats did is they didn't just spend 380 00:22:15,240 --> 00:22:19,720 Speaker 3: four years pushing a radical agenda, but after election day, 381 00:22:19,720 --> 00:22:22,200 Speaker 3: when the voters made clear, we don't like this agenda, 382 00:22:22,240 --> 00:22:25,800 Speaker 3: we want to change course. Right up until the moment 383 00:22:25,880 --> 00:22:28,560 Speaker 3: Trump was sworn in, they did everything they could to 384 00:22:28,800 --> 00:22:32,880 Speaker 3: frustrate the ability of the new administration to turn things around. 385 00:22:33,240 --> 00:22:36,560 Speaker 3: I've never seen a president do that. To the best 386 00:22:36,560 --> 00:22:39,000 Speaker 3: of my knowledge, We've never had one do that, and 387 00:22:39,040 --> 00:22:41,600 Speaker 3: it really demonstrates a contempt for the voters. 388 00:22:42,240 --> 00:22:44,600 Speaker 2: This goes back you just mentioned contempt of the voters. 389 00:22:45,520 --> 00:22:48,880 Speaker 2: Democrats now trying to figure out their footing. They had 390 00:22:49,200 --> 00:22:53,400 Speaker 2: Alamomar who went on TV today saying that Trump has 391 00:22:53,920 --> 00:22:57,320 Speaker 2: decided he will not abide by the constitution, just throwing 392 00:22:57,359 --> 00:22:58,920 Speaker 2: it out there, and then she says, by the way, 393 00:22:59,320 --> 00:23:01,520 Speaker 2: every exact kive order that's been to court now has 394 00:23:01,560 --> 00:23:02,920 Speaker 2: been shut down by the court. 395 00:23:03,000 --> 00:23:04,240 Speaker 1: That's a lie, not true. 396 00:23:04,960 --> 00:23:09,200 Speaker 2: But even face the nation try to softly correct her 397 00:23:09,680 --> 00:23:12,840 Speaker 2: because they want this to be true, right, And then 398 00:23:13,000 --> 00:23:15,720 Speaker 2: there's this new threat of like, all right, we'll just 399 00:23:15,720 --> 00:23:19,399 Speaker 2: shut down the government. I kind of laugh because for 400 00:23:19,680 --> 00:23:21,679 Speaker 2: many concerns are like, great, let's shut it down and 401 00:23:21,680 --> 00:23:23,400 Speaker 2: save some money for a while. I wish it worked 402 00:23:23,400 --> 00:23:25,480 Speaker 2: that way. I wish it was that simple. It's obviously not. 403 00:23:26,040 --> 00:23:29,440 Speaker 2: But this is the new temper tantrum of the left. 404 00:23:29,440 --> 00:23:32,280 Speaker 2: They're saying, if we aren't in charge, then we want 405 00:23:32,320 --> 00:23:35,320 Speaker 2: to destroy what the government does. Well, we want to 406 00:23:35,400 --> 00:23:37,240 Speaker 2: hurt people, and we want to shut down the government 407 00:23:37,280 --> 00:23:39,720 Speaker 2: to hurt people. So you'll blame Donald Trump. That's what 408 00:23:39,760 --> 00:23:40,760 Speaker 2: this is really all about. 409 00:23:40,800 --> 00:23:41,280 Speaker 1: Am I wrong? 410 00:23:42,560 --> 00:23:46,040 Speaker 3: Well, look, understand, there's a battle going back and forth, 411 00:23:46,240 --> 00:23:48,440 Speaker 3: and at some level, this battle is inherent in the 412 00:23:48,440 --> 00:23:52,520 Speaker 3: structure of our government. It's inherent in the Constitution. Congress. 413 00:23:52,560 --> 00:23:55,800 Speaker 3: Under Article one, all legislative power is vested in the 414 00:23:55,800 --> 00:24:00,359 Speaker 3: Congress of the United States. Congress passes the laws, the 415 00:24:00,359 --> 00:24:04,400 Speaker 3: President signs into law, and that are then binding federal law. 416 00:24:05,960 --> 00:24:09,600 Speaker 3: The executive all executive power is vested in the President 417 00:24:09,640 --> 00:24:12,200 Speaker 3: of the United States. That's under Article two of the Constitution, 418 00:24:13,200 --> 00:24:16,320 Speaker 3: and the president is charged with has given the authority 419 00:24:16,320 --> 00:24:21,600 Speaker 3: to and also the responsibility to quote take care that 420 00:24:21,720 --> 00:24:25,920 Speaker 3: the laws be faithfully executed. That's the Constitution's language, and 421 00:24:26,000 --> 00:24:28,440 Speaker 3: so a lot of you know, it's interesting as I 422 00:24:28,480 --> 00:24:30,720 Speaker 3: travel around and talk to people back back home in 423 00:24:30,760 --> 00:24:34,760 Speaker 3: Texas or around the country, they ask, Okay, so is 424 00:24:34,800 --> 00:24:38,520 Speaker 3: what Elon's doing? Is what Trump is doing cutting off 425 00:24:38,520 --> 00:24:43,560 Speaker 3: funding at USAID pausing other funding? Is that going to stick? 426 00:24:43,600 --> 00:24:47,240 Speaker 3: And this is a battle back and forth between the 427 00:24:47,320 --> 00:24:50,520 Speaker 3: executive and legislature that has occurred since the very first 428 00:24:50,600 --> 00:24:53,440 Speaker 3: days of the Republic. And one of the things right 429 00:24:53,480 --> 00:24:59,280 Speaker 3: at the heart of this battle is about something called impoundment. Now, 430 00:24:59,280 --> 00:25:02,880 Speaker 3: what is in pound mean? Impoundment is when the president 431 00:25:02,880 --> 00:25:07,040 Speaker 3: of the United States decides not to spend money that 432 00:25:07,080 --> 00:25:11,600 Speaker 3: has been appropriated by the US Congress. Now you might ask, okay, 433 00:25:11,680 --> 00:25:14,960 Speaker 3: is impoundment some crazy theory that Donald Trump cooked up 434 00:25:15,040 --> 00:25:18,760 Speaker 3: or Elon Musk cooked up? Well, no, no, impoundment has 435 00:25:18,800 --> 00:25:21,480 Speaker 3: been around for more than two hundred years. The first 436 00:25:21,520 --> 00:25:25,560 Speaker 3: president to exercise impoundment was Thomas Jefferson, and he did 437 00:25:25,560 --> 00:25:29,240 Speaker 3: so in eighteen oh one. And if you look at 438 00:25:29,840 --> 00:25:34,680 Speaker 3: what Thomas Jefferson did, the first use of impoundment involved 439 00:25:34,720 --> 00:25:39,120 Speaker 3: a refusal to spend fifty thousand dollars, which fifty thousand 440 00:25:39,119 --> 00:25:41,880 Speaker 3: dollars in twenty twenty three dollars is about one point 441 00:25:41,920 --> 00:25:45,399 Speaker 3: twenty four million in funds that were appropriated for the 442 00:25:45,440 --> 00:25:50,000 Speaker 3: acquisition of gunboats for the United States Navy, and Thomas 443 00:25:50,080 --> 00:25:53,280 Speaker 3: Jefferson said in eighteen oh three that quote, the sum 444 00:25:53,320 --> 00:25:57,040 Speaker 3: of fifty thousand dollars appropriated by Congress for providing gunboats 445 00:25:57,520 --> 00:26:01,720 Speaker 3: remains unexpended. The favor and peaceful turn of affairs on 446 00:26:01,720 --> 00:26:07,600 Speaker 3: the Mississippi rendered an immediate execution of that law unnecessary. Now, 447 00:26:08,119 --> 00:26:10,480 Speaker 3: Jefferson did so, and in the years that went on, 448 00:26:11,520 --> 00:26:16,119 Speaker 3: presidents did so for two hundred years. Now what happened, well, 449 00:26:16,320 --> 00:26:20,720 Speaker 3: in the nineteen seventies, Richard Nixon had a battle with Congress, 450 00:26:21,440 --> 00:26:24,720 Speaker 3: and Congress got angry with Richard Nixon and felt he 451 00:26:24,800 --> 00:26:30,119 Speaker 3: was using impoundment too aggressively, and Congress passed a law 452 00:26:30,920 --> 00:26:35,840 Speaker 3: called the Congressional Budget and Impoundment Control Act of nineteen 453 00:26:35,960 --> 00:26:41,200 Speaker 3: seventy four that purported to remove the power of impoundment, 454 00:26:41,240 --> 00:26:45,360 Speaker 3: or at least to severely curtail it. And the Supreme 455 00:26:45,400 --> 00:26:49,399 Speaker 3: Court heard a decision. It was a decision called Train 456 00:26:49,560 --> 00:26:54,040 Speaker 3: versus City of New York, where the Supreme Court upheld 457 00:26:55,200 --> 00:27:01,320 Speaker 3: the Impoundment Control Act and significantly red reduced the president's 458 00:27:01,359 --> 00:27:06,400 Speaker 3: power to exercise impoundment. Now, by the way that there 459 00:27:06,480 --> 00:27:10,240 Speaker 3: was a subsequent wrinkle in this in that Congress came 460 00:27:10,320 --> 00:27:15,040 Speaker 3: back afterwards and passed a bill called the Line Item 461 00:27:15,119 --> 00:27:18,800 Speaker 3: Veto Act of nineteen ninety six. This happened after the 462 00:27:18,840 --> 00:27:23,280 Speaker 3: Republican takeover of Congress, Knut Gingrich came in, and the 463 00:27:23,280 --> 00:27:26,000 Speaker 3: line Audam Veto Act gave the president the power of 464 00:27:26,280 --> 00:27:30,320 Speaker 3: line Adam Vito, which Bill Clinton used on the federal 465 00:27:30,359 --> 00:27:35,800 Speaker 3: budget eighty two times. However, that law was struck down 466 00:27:35,840 --> 00:27:38,159 Speaker 3: in nineteen ninety eight by the Supreme Court. It was 467 00:27:38,200 --> 00:27:41,080 Speaker 3: a five to four vote. Actually, my former boss and 468 00:27:41,240 --> 00:27:43,639 Speaker 3: very good friend, Chuck Cooper, the man who taught me 469 00:27:43,680 --> 00:27:46,840 Speaker 3: how to be a lawyer, argued that case. Unfortunately, he 470 00:27:46,920 --> 00:27:49,000 Speaker 3: was on the losing side of that case and lost 471 00:27:49,000 --> 00:27:54,600 Speaker 3: five to four. The point what Elon is doing and 472 00:27:54,680 --> 00:27:57,800 Speaker 3: what Trump is doing, there's a long history of presidents 473 00:27:57,800 --> 00:28:01,560 Speaker 3: saying I don't want to spend money is wasteful and 474 00:28:01,600 --> 00:28:03,560 Speaker 3: I'm not going to Now there's also a history of 475 00:28:03,600 --> 00:28:09,760 Speaker 3: Congress pushing back what's likely to happen. There is already 476 00:28:09,840 --> 00:28:14,879 Speaker 3: and there will be more a crap ton of litigation 477 00:28:15,760 --> 00:28:21,800 Speaker 3: challenging these actions. We're seeing Democrat attorneys general bringing lawsuits. 478 00:28:21,880 --> 00:28:25,760 Speaker 3: We're going to see Democrat interest groups being bringing lawsuits. 479 00:28:25,800 --> 00:28:32,359 Speaker 3: We're going to see activist judges striking down actions executive orders. 480 00:28:32,920 --> 00:28:35,840 Speaker 3: And this is going to test the legal boundaries. At 481 00:28:35,880 --> 00:28:38,880 Speaker 3: the end of the day. Part of what is going 482 00:28:38,960 --> 00:28:42,280 Speaker 3: on is this is designed to go to the Supreme 483 00:28:42,360 --> 00:28:46,760 Speaker 3: Court and to restore the power of impoundment to the president. 484 00:28:47,000 --> 00:28:48,680 Speaker 3: I think that would be a very good thing. I 485 00:28:48,680 --> 00:28:52,240 Speaker 3: think it is consistent. It is an inherent authority of 486 00:28:52,280 --> 00:28:57,560 Speaker 3: the president to exercise the authority of impoundment. But understand, 487 00:28:57,680 --> 00:29:03,800 Speaker 3: we're going to see a mitigation battle Royale and it'll 488 00:29:03,840 --> 00:29:05,320 Speaker 3: take in all likelihood. 489 00:29:05,560 --> 00:29:07,160 Speaker 2: So this is that you're saying, this is a fight 490 00:29:07,280 --> 00:29:09,320 Speaker 2: that we want to go to the Spring Court and 491 00:29:09,520 --> 00:29:12,160 Speaker 2: and and if it does go to the Supreme Court and 492 00:29:12,200 --> 00:29:14,360 Speaker 2: it plays to our advantage the way that you're describing 493 00:29:14,400 --> 00:29:16,240 Speaker 2: it with the law, how long is it going to 494 00:29:16,240 --> 00:29:17,320 Speaker 2: take us to get it there? 495 00:29:17,440 --> 00:29:19,480 Speaker 3: Probably a couple of years, two to three years. 496 00:29:19,480 --> 00:29:21,200 Speaker 2: So and so in the next two or three years, 497 00:29:21,400 --> 00:29:25,000 Speaker 2: we're going to be just dealing with pure fights with 498 00:29:25,000 --> 00:29:27,960 Speaker 2: with the media. Democrats coming after and trying to stop 499 00:29:28,000 --> 00:29:30,480 Speaker 2: everything that they're trying to cut with waste, fraud, abuse. 500 00:29:30,800 --> 00:29:35,560 Speaker 3: Yes, and and understand Elon and Doze that they're embodying 501 00:29:35,640 --> 00:29:39,080 Speaker 3: right now, the Silicon Valley mantra of move fast and 502 00:29:39,120 --> 00:29:42,719 Speaker 3: break things. I mean, that's what they're doing. Not everything 503 00:29:43,360 --> 00:29:45,720 Speaker 3: that they do is going to be upheld. There will 504 00:29:45,760 --> 00:29:49,320 Speaker 3: be injunctions issued, and I think they understand that, and 505 00:29:49,360 --> 00:29:54,040 Speaker 3: I think they're trying to They're trying to implement the 506 00:29:54,080 --> 00:29:58,080 Speaker 3: mandate that came from the voters as rapidly and effectively 507 00:29:58,120 --> 00:30:02,160 Speaker 3: as possible. Listen. One, I'm excited about that. And and 508 00:30:02,520 --> 00:30:04,960 Speaker 3: I think if you look at some of the egregious 509 00:30:05,000 --> 00:30:08,680 Speaker 3: abuses that have been uncovered so far, it gives an 510 00:30:08,680 --> 00:30:10,640 Speaker 3: illustration of just how important this is. 511 00:30:11,360 --> 00:30:14,080 Speaker 2: Before we move on to the federal financial watchdog order 512 00:30:14,120 --> 00:30:15,920 Speaker 2: to ce se activity, and that's important we're gonna do 513 00:30:15,960 --> 00:30:18,160 Speaker 2: with that. In a second, one final question on this, 514 00:30:19,200 --> 00:30:21,920 Speaker 2: we could go back I think whenever the sale was 515 00:30:22,040 --> 00:30:24,480 Speaker 2: a year and a half whatever it was, when Elon 516 00:30:24,640 --> 00:30:29,160 Speaker 2: Musk took over Twitter and we saw the Twitter files 517 00:30:29,200 --> 00:30:32,040 Speaker 2: and then we saw the corruption. I actually think you 518 00:30:32,040 --> 00:30:34,920 Speaker 2: can trace this all the way back to there. When 519 00:30:35,000 --> 00:30:37,600 Speaker 2: people really start paying attention to saying I don't trust 520 00:30:37,600 --> 00:30:40,080 Speaker 2: the government. You add COVID in there, and the lies 521 00:30:40,080 --> 00:30:42,000 Speaker 2: of the vaccine and the and the two weeks stuff, 522 00:30:42,000 --> 00:30:44,320 Speaker 2: the spread, and then we want into virology, and then 523 00:30:44,560 --> 00:30:47,560 Speaker 2: the lies over the hunter Byden laptop. And there started 524 00:30:47,600 --> 00:30:50,520 Speaker 2: to be these moments that were big where people are like, Okay, 525 00:30:51,080 --> 00:30:54,040 Speaker 2: maybe I shouldn't be so trusting of the news, Maybe 526 00:30:54,040 --> 00:30:56,200 Speaker 2: I shouldn't be trusting of the government, the deep state, 527 00:30:56,480 --> 00:31:01,200 Speaker 2: the president, and then you have him take over or 528 00:31:01,280 --> 00:31:03,800 Speaker 2: Twitter now X. Part of the reason why I think 529 00:31:03,800 --> 00:31:06,720 Speaker 2: Donald Trump's having so much success now is because we're 530 00:31:06,760 --> 00:31:09,760 Speaker 2: getting the word out about the waste and the fraud 531 00:31:10,120 --> 00:31:12,280 Speaker 2: and getting the line out of it, and people are 532 00:31:12,320 --> 00:31:16,120 Speaker 2: seeing it. Because before you go back twenty sixteen, center, 533 00:31:16,400 --> 00:31:18,400 Speaker 2: big tree falls in the forest, no one's around. 534 00:31:18,440 --> 00:31:21,000 Speaker 1: Does it make a sound, right? The answer is no. 535 00:31:21,520 --> 00:31:24,080 Speaker 2: But now what we're getting in the info that we're 536 00:31:24,080 --> 00:31:27,080 Speaker 2: getting and it's getting out because big tech can't suppress 537 00:31:27,120 --> 00:31:30,600 Speaker 2: it on X, how valuable is that to saving our democracy? 538 00:31:31,080 --> 00:31:35,160 Speaker 3: Look, I think it's incredibly valuable. I believe Elon Musks 539 00:31:35,200 --> 00:31:39,760 Speaker 3: buying Twitter was the most important development for free speech 540 00:31:39,800 --> 00:31:45,040 Speaker 3: in modern times because it turned around the rampant censorship 541 00:31:45,360 --> 00:31:48,800 Speaker 3: from big tech. It put positive pressure on the rest 542 00:31:48,840 --> 00:31:52,200 Speaker 3: of big tech, and it created a vehicle for the 543 00:31:52,360 --> 00:31:54,760 Speaker 3: truth to get out. So you know, we've gone through 544 00:31:54,760 --> 00:31:58,560 Speaker 3: in previous podcasts all the examples, not all the examples, 545 00:31:58,560 --> 00:32:02,080 Speaker 3: but a number of examples of abuse. Of spending two 546 00:32:02,320 --> 00:32:07,120 Speaker 3: million dollars for sex changes in Guatemala. Now, who the 547 00:32:07,160 --> 00:32:11,080 Speaker 3: hell can defend that? Why US taxpayers are paying for 548 00:32:11,120 --> 00:32:14,720 Speaker 3: sex changes in Guatemala money to the BBC, the British 549 00:32:14,760 --> 00:32:18,840 Speaker 3: Broadcasting Corporation, By the way, that why the hell are 550 00:32:18,840 --> 00:32:22,800 Speaker 3: American taxpayers paying for the BBC? The last I checked, 551 00:32:22,840 --> 00:32:25,000 Speaker 3: the United Kingdom is a major developed country. They can 552 00:32:25,040 --> 00:32:28,040 Speaker 3: pay for their own damn television station. What we need? 553 00:32:28,120 --> 00:32:30,360 Speaker 3: What do we need to pay for that? And what's 554 00:32:30,400 --> 00:32:33,000 Speaker 3: amazing is the Democrats are just digging in. Give a 555 00:32:33,040 --> 00:32:38,640 Speaker 3: listen to Senator Chris Coons defending spending twenty million dollars 556 00:32:38,640 --> 00:32:42,360 Speaker 3: on American taxpayer money for Sesame Street in Iraq. Give 557 00:32:42,360 --> 00:32:42,760 Speaker 3: a listen. 558 00:32:43,320 --> 00:32:48,600 Speaker 5: Is funding Sesame Street a judicious use of soft power? Well, 559 00:32:48,600 --> 00:32:50,719 Speaker 5: Michael the way you put it is the way I 560 00:32:50,840 --> 00:32:54,239 Speaker 5: hope folks considering your poll today will think about it. 561 00:32:54,560 --> 00:32:58,200 Speaker 5: This isn't just funding a kid show for children, millions 562 00:32:58,200 --> 00:33:02,040 Speaker 5: of children in countries like it's a show that helps 563 00:33:02,080 --> 00:33:06,560 Speaker 5: teach values, helps teach public health, helps prevent kids from 564 00:33:06,680 --> 00:33:13,600 Speaker 5: dying from dysentery and disease, and helps push values like collaboration, peacefulness, 565 00:33:13,760 --> 00:33:18,920 Speaker 5: cooperation in a society where the alternative is isis extremism 566 00:33:19,200 --> 00:33:23,000 Speaker 5: and terrorism. And to your point, it's pennies on the dollar. 567 00:33:23,480 --> 00:33:26,800 Speaker 5: The US Department of Defense has an annual budget of 568 00:33:26,840 --> 00:33:31,880 Speaker 5: about eight hundred and fifty billion dollars. USAID was spending 569 00:33:31,920 --> 00:33:35,920 Speaker 5: about thirty billion dollars. It is a small proportion of 570 00:33:35,960 --> 00:33:38,760 Speaker 5: our total federal spending. And as Joe and I would 571 00:33:38,800 --> 00:33:42,600 Speaker 5: often say, it's not just soft power, it's smart power. 572 00:33:42,960 --> 00:33:44,960 Speaker 5: Let me leave you with one other quote, Michael, if 573 00:33:45,000 --> 00:33:47,800 Speaker 5: I could, Jim Mattis, who is a four star Marine 574 00:33:47,840 --> 00:33:51,880 Speaker 5: Corps general and Trump's Secretary of Defense in his first term, 575 00:33:52,200 --> 00:33:56,040 Speaker 5: in a hearing back then said if you slash development 576 00:33:56,160 --> 00:34:00,120 Speaker 5: and AID spending, then I'm going to need more bullets 577 00:34:00,120 --> 00:34:00,800 Speaker 5: for our troops. 578 00:34:01,040 --> 00:34:03,520 Speaker 2: I mean, you want to talk about stretching he's saying, 579 00:34:03,560 --> 00:34:05,560 Speaker 2: Sesame's He's going to save us from extremism? 580 00:34:05,560 --> 00:34:06,640 Speaker 1: Are we kidding ourselves? 581 00:34:07,000 --> 00:34:11,279 Speaker 3: Well, look, the Democrats are dug into defending everything to 582 00:34:11,360 --> 00:34:15,200 Speaker 3: defending all of the money that was just flowing out 583 00:34:15,239 --> 00:34:19,520 Speaker 3: with no checks whatsoever. And I think these examples are 584 00:34:19,520 --> 00:34:22,239 Speaker 3: having a real effect of pissing people off, saying, why 585 00:34:22,360 --> 00:34:25,960 Speaker 3: is my money going to that? By the way, if 586 00:34:26,280 --> 00:34:28,600 Speaker 3: Democrats think that's such a good idea, let them give 587 00:34:28,640 --> 00:34:30,399 Speaker 3: their own money for that. But what right do they 588 00:34:30,400 --> 00:34:33,080 Speaker 3: have to take your money that you're working hard to 589 00:34:33,120 --> 00:34:35,719 Speaker 3: provide for your kids and your family, to take it 590 00:34:35,800 --> 00:34:39,359 Speaker 3: and spend it on every radical agenda item they want 591 00:34:39,360 --> 00:34:43,120 Speaker 3: to push. That's what's been happening. It happened at egregious 592 00:34:43,200 --> 00:34:45,680 Speaker 3: levels under the Biden administration, and I think that's what 593 00:34:45,760 --> 00:34:48,000 Speaker 3: Trump's working very hard to turn around. 594 00:34:48,680 --> 00:34:49,520 Speaker 1: Yeah, great point. 595 00:34:49,560 --> 00:34:51,680 Speaker 2: Finally, I want to ask you about this because I 596 00:34:51,680 --> 00:34:53,880 Speaker 2: think it should be on listeners, radar screen. It's an 597 00:34:53,920 --> 00:34:56,839 Speaker 2: important issue. The New York Times is coming out talking 598 00:34:56,880 --> 00:35:01,239 Speaker 2: about this. The federal financial watchdog has been ordered to 599 00:35:01,280 --> 00:35:06,520 Speaker 2: see activity, known as the Consumer Financial Protection Bureau. Why 600 00:35:06,600 --> 00:35:08,040 Speaker 2: is this happening and what does this mean? 601 00:35:09,120 --> 00:35:13,319 Speaker 3: Well, the CFPB the Consumer Financial Protection Bureau was was 602 00:35:13,360 --> 00:35:16,440 Speaker 3: created by the Dodd Frank Law. This is a creation 603 00:35:16,640 --> 00:35:20,560 Speaker 3: of Elizabeth Warren and and and it is. It has 604 00:35:21,360 --> 00:35:26,920 Speaker 3: descended like locusts putting putting all sorts of regulations and costs. 605 00:35:26,920 --> 00:35:31,880 Speaker 3: It brings abusive litigation. It is it is an avenue 606 00:35:32,680 --> 00:35:39,440 Speaker 3: for for left wing bureaucrats to try to control community banks, 607 00:35:39,480 --> 00:35:44,520 Speaker 3: smaller financial institutions, and to drive up costs. And the CFPB. 608 00:35:45,360 --> 00:35:51,440 Speaker 3: I've introduced repeatedly legislation to eliminate the Cfpbuh. What happened 609 00:35:51,440 --> 00:35:55,440 Speaker 3: this week is russ vote was confirmed leave the Office 610 00:35:55,480 --> 00:35:58,040 Speaker 3: of Management and Budget. And Russ's is a good friend. 611 00:35:58,080 --> 00:36:02,200 Speaker 3: He's a good guy. He he ran omb under Trump 612 00:36:02,280 --> 00:36:05,440 Speaker 3: during the first term. And Russ was just confirmed. We 613 00:36:05,520 --> 00:36:07,960 Speaker 3: just confirmed him this past week to run o and 614 00:36:08,040 --> 00:36:11,359 Speaker 3: be again. And on Friday he was also named the 615 00:36:11,400 --> 00:36:15,960 Speaker 3: acting director of the of the Consumer Financial Protection Beer 616 00:36:16,120 --> 00:36:21,320 Speaker 3: the CFPB, and as a result, he issued an order 617 00:36:21,360 --> 00:36:25,239 Speaker 3: for them to halt what they're doing. So one chunk 618 00:36:25,280 --> 00:36:29,560 Speaker 3: of it. So the way Elizabeth Warren structured it, Congress 619 00:36:29,560 --> 00:36:32,240 Speaker 3: does not appropriate money to the CFPB, which is weird. 620 00:36:32,280 --> 00:36:35,240 Speaker 3: By the way, if you look at virtually every federal agency, 621 00:36:35,280 --> 00:36:38,200 Speaker 3: Congress appropriates money for them. That's part of the checks 622 00:36:38,200 --> 00:36:42,080 Speaker 3: and balances of how the federal government is set up well. 623 00:36:43,560 --> 00:36:49,000 Speaker 3: Dodd Frank instead has the CFPB funded with money from 624 00:36:49,000 --> 00:36:52,960 Speaker 3: the Federal Reserve that flows automatically, so Congress doesn't get 625 00:36:53,239 --> 00:36:57,640 Speaker 3: to appropriate and engage in the oversight that comes with that. So, 626 00:36:57,760 --> 00:37:04,360 Speaker 3: as a result, on Saturday, Russ Vote wrote that he 627 00:37:04,480 --> 00:37:08,920 Speaker 3: had notified the Federal Reserve that the CFPB quote will 628 00:37:08,960 --> 00:37:14,280 Speaker 3: not be taking its next straw of unappropriated funding because 629 00:37:14,320 --> 00:37:18,120 Speaker 3: it is not reasonably necessary to carry out its duties. 630 00:37:19,080 --> 00:37:22,040 Speaker 3: The bureau's current balance of seven hundred and eleven point 631 00:37:22,080 --> 00:37:25,560 Speaker 3: six million dollars is in fact excessive in the current 632 00:37:25,560 --> 00:37:31,880 Speaker 3: fiscal environment. This spigot, long contributing to CFPB's unaccountability is 633 00:37:32,000 --> 00:37:35,839 Speaker 3: now being turned off. That is fantastic. And I'll tell 634 00:37:35,880 --> 00:37:41,360 Speaker 3: you what. I've introduced legislation that will zero out the CFPB, 635 00:37:41,480 --> 00:37:44,960 Speaker 3: that will shut it down permanently. I believe we will 636 00:37:44,960 --> 00:37:51,560 Speaker 3: get that done as part of budget reconciliation, and so 637 00:37:51,840 --> 00:37:57,120 Speaker 3: eliminating the CFP would be a major victory for lowering inflation, 638 00:37:57,320 --> 00:38:01,960 Speaker 3: for lowering burdensome regulation, for lowering the nanny state control 639 00:38:02,080 --> 00:38:04,360 Speaker 3: of big government, and if we get that done, that's 640 00:38:04,400 --> 00:38:08,319 Speaker 3: a huge victory. I'll tell you Russ vote taking over 641 00:38:08,360 --> 00:38:10,600 Speaker 3: as acting director in the past few days was a 642 00:38:10,600 --> 00:38:12,160 Speaker 3: major step forward in that regard. 643 00:38:13,080 --> 00:38:16,480 Speaker 2: Yeah, incredible. Don't forget. We do this show Monday, Wednesday, Friday. 644 00:38:16,560 --> 00:38:19,319 Speaker 2: Hit that subscribe or auto download button so you don't 645 00:38:19,360 --> 00:38:20,359 Speaker 2: miss an episode. 646 00:38:20,800 --> 00:38:23,120 Speaker 1: Please run us a five star review. It helps us reach. 647 00:38:22,960 --> 00:38:25,600 Speaker 2: More people and tell your family and friends again about 648 00:38:25,640 --> 00:38:28,640 Speaker 2: this show as it continues to grow, especially with all 649 00:38:28,680 --> 00:38:32,359 Speaker 2: the news we're giving you in this new Trump Ara. 650 00:38:32,600 --> 00:38:34,680 Speaker 2: It's a lot of fun. Don't miss an episode. We'll 651 00:38:34,680 --> 00:38:36,200 Speaker 2: see you back here Wednesday morning.