1 00:00:03,279 --> 00:00:07,720 Speaker 1: Yesterday, eighty one year old Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell 2 00:00:08,200 --> 00:00:11,600 Speaker 1: step before the podium and this is what happened. 3 00:00:12,400 --> 00:00:14,720 Speaker 2: We're on a path to finishing the NDA. 4 00:00:15,680 --> 00:00:15,800 Speaker 1: Uh. 5 00:00:17,280 --> 00:00:21,919 Speaker 2: This week has been good bye barisan cooperation and a 6 00:00:22,000 --> 00:00:48,560 Speaker 2: string of uh, wait a minute, Okay, anything else you 7 00:00:48,600 --> 00:00:50,839 Speaker 2: want to say? You Suret's go back to you. Do 8 00:00:50,880 --> 00:00:54,760 Speaker 2: you want to say anything else to the press? 9 00:00:54,880 --> 00:00:57,840 Speaker 3: Back ahead, John, We'll take leader. 10 00:00:58,040 --> 00:00:59,600 Speaker 2: Let's go back to Go ahead, John. 11 00:01:00,800 --> 00:01:06,720 Speaker 1: What is it that we see here? What's happening? Well? 12 00:01:07,560 --> 00:01:12,840 Speaker 1: At the most basic level, Mitch McConnell is a very frail, 13 00:01:13,959 --> 00:01:18,480 Speaker 1: very elderly, eighty one year old man. He was born 14 00:01:18,520 --> 00:01:24,240 Speaker 1: in February of nineteen forty two, before the Allies landed 15 00:01:24,480 --> 00:01:28,440 Speaker 1: in North Africa, before the Battle of the Coral Sea 16 00:01:29,120 --> 00:01:35,440 Speaker 1: and Midway, at the height of Nazi domination and Japanese 17 00:01:35,480 --> 00:01:42,880 Speaker 1: imperialist expansion. Those were dark days in America. Mitch McConnell, 18 00:01:43,560 --> 00:01:49,000 Speaker 1: like many of America's leaders, is in his eighties. Like 19 00:01:49,120 --> 00:01:56,320 Speaker 1: Senator Dianne Feinstein, he is clearly incapacitated for his duties, 20 00:01:57,280 --> 00:02:04,960 Speaker 1: yet he refuses to retire, to resign. He refuses to 21 00:02:05,120 --> 00:02:10,200 Speaker 1: tend to his dignity. We see Mitch McConnell like this 22 00:02:11,360 --> 00:02:16,800 Speaker 1: because he forces us to. Mitch McConnell ran in nineteen 23 00:02:16,840 --> 00:02:20,200 Speaker 1: eighty four for the United States Senate against an incumbent 24 00:02:20,320 --> 00:02:25,160 Speaker 1: named D. Huddleston. Here's a famous ad from that nineteen 25 00:02:25,240 --> 00:02:30,800 Speaker 1: eighty four campaign. It seems Senator Huddleston was making a 26 00:02:30,800 --> 00:02:35,160 Speaker 1: lot of money as a side hustle giving speeches. If 27 00:02:35,160 --> 00:02:39,680 Speaker 1: all Senator Huddleston could only have known how wealthy Mitch 28 00:02:39,760 --> 00:02:43,480 Speaker 1: McConnell would grow in his long decades of service in 29 00:02:43,520 --> 00:02:48,079 Speaker 1: the United States Senate, his reaction to the ad might 30 00:02:48,120 --> 00:02:51,000 Speaker 1: have been different than it was in the day. At 31 00:02:51,040 --> 00:02:55,360 Speaker 1: any rate, here it is my job was to find D. 32 00:02:55,480 --> 00:02:58,120 Speaker 3: Huddleson and get him back to work. Find Huddleston was 33 00:02:58,120 --> 00:03:00,919 Speaker 3: missing big votes on Social Security, the budget, It's defense, 34 00:03:01,080 --> 00:03:04,320 Speaker 3: even agriculture. Huddleson was skipping votes but making an extra 35 00:03:04,320 --> 00:03:07,560 Speaker 3: fifty thousand dollars giving speeches. I just missed him when 36 00:03:07,600 --> 00:03:09,960 Speaker 3: D skip votes for his one thousand dollars Los Angeles. 37 00:03:10,040 --> 00:03:12,120 Speaker 3: But still, boys, we got him now. I was close 38 00:03:12,400 --> 00:03:14,000 Speaker 3: at these two thousand dollars speech. 39 00:03:13,800 --> 00:03:14,320 Speaker 1: In Puerto Rico. 40 00:03:14,520 --> 00:03:14,680 Speaker 3: The D. 41 00:03:14,760 --> 00:03:16,520 Speaker 1: Huddleston thank you very much. 42 00:03:16,800 --> 00:03:19,680 Speaker 3: We can't find d Maybe you gotta let him make 43 00:03:19,680 --> 00:03:21,720 Speaker 3: speeches and switch to Mitch for senators. 44 00:03:23,919 --> 00:03:29,400 Speaker 1: This issue, the age of America's political leaders, is something 45 00:03:29,440 --> 00:03:34,840 Speaker 1: that is shunned from polite discussion on television. It's something 46 00:03:34,880 --> 00:03:39,840 Speaker 1: that's not often talked about, or when it is, it's trivialized. 47 00:03:40,520 --> 00:03:46,400 Speaker 1: It's weaponized. It's used to cut for cruelty's purpose, to 48 00:03:46,520 --> 00:03:51,040 Speaker 1: make somebody feel bad, or to diminish them for a 49 00:03:51,120 --> 00:03:57,320 Speaker 1: political point, to score an election victory. The issue, though, 50 00:03:57,400 --> 00:04:00,960 Speaker 1: is much deeper than that. It goes to a fundamental 51 00:04:01,000 --> 00:04:05,400 Speaker 1: capacity for the duties, but also a vision for the job. 52 00:04:06,920 --> 00:04:09,720 Speaker 1: The simple truth is that a child born today in 53 00:04:09,760 --> 00:04:16,720 Speaker 1: America actuarily will live well in to their one hundredth year. 54 00:04:18,320 --> 00:04:23,560 Speaker 1: These children born today will live till twenty one, twenty 55 00:04:23,640 --> 00:04:29,640 Speaker 1: three or beyond. They'll live into the first quarter of 56 00:04:29,720 --> 00:04:34,520 Speaker 1: the twenty second century, and some of them beyond it. 57 00:04:34,520 --> 00:04:40,680 Speaker 1: It's extraordinary to consider. Think of the progress, the progress 58 00:04:40,720 --> 00:04:46,160 Speaker 1: of humanity since nineteen twenty three. Think of the tragedy, 59 00:04:46,880 --> 00:04:53,440 Speaker 1: the tumult, the obliteration of the Second World War, where 60 00:04:53,520 --> 00:04:57,560 Speaker 1: upwards of one hundred million people were killed, the dawn 61 00:04:57,960 --> 00:05:03,080 Speaker 1: of the nuclear age mankind has possessed, now for eighty years, 62 00:05:03,120 --> 00:05:08,440 Speaker 1: the weapons that could extinct human civilization and wipe out 63 00:05:08,560 --> 00:05:14,160 Speaker 1: in an instant, all of the progress, all of the discovery, 64 00:05:15,360 --> 00:05:19,720 Speaker 1: all of the literature and art, all of it in 65 00:05:19,760 --> 00:05:25,880 Speaker 1: an instant. Think about the age of wonder and discovery 66 00:05:25,920 --> 00:05:30,359 Speaker 1: that lies ahead. Who is best in the country to 67 00:05:30,480 --> 00:05:38,280 Speaker 1: imagine it, to lead towards it. There is an astonishing hubris, 68 00:05:38,920 --> 00:05:46,040 Speaker 1: an arrogance inherent in the conduct of Washington politicians. And 69 00:05:46,080 --> 00:05:51,039 Speaker 1: it's not a Republican issue, and it's not a democratic issue. 70 00:05:51,240 --> 00:05:56,160 Speaker 1: It's an elderly politician issue. It is an affliction that 71 00:05:56,320 --> 00:06:00,120 Speaker 1: is as equally shared by Dianne Feinstein as it is 72 00:06:00,120 --> 00:06:06,080 Speaker 1: is by Mitch McConnell. People who simply will not say 73 00:06:06,640 --> 00:06:15,440 Speaker 1: goodbye now. This is an astonishing departure from America's political traditions. 74 00:06:15,880 --> 00:06:19,919 Speaker 1: Thank you for listening to my political commentary. If you 75 00:06:20,080 --> 00:06:24,080 Speaker 1: like what you heard today, please also consider subscribing to 76 00:06:24,160 --> 00:06:29,200 Speaker 1: The Warning Daily newsletter on substack. Our democracy hangs in 77 00:06:29,240 --> 00:06:33,640 Speaker 1: the balance. The twenty twenty four presidential election is the 78 00:06:33,680 --> 00:06:38,960 Speaker 1: most consequential in America's history. It's not hyperbole, it's a fact. 79 00:06:39,480 --> 00:06:42,240 Speaker 1: That is why the Mission of the Warning with Steve 80 00:06:42,279 --> 00:06:45,760 Speaker 1: Schmidt is to help readers orient to the currents that 81 00:06:45,800 --> 00:06:50,440 Speaker 1: are shaping our times and the unseen forces driving politics 82 00:06:51,040 --> 00:06:55,400 Speaker 1: that are very rarely discussed on cable news. Please sign 83 00:06:55,520 --> 00:07:05,360 Speaker 1: up at Steve Schmidt Steve SDMDT dot substack dot com 84 00:07:05,400 --> 00:07:11,920 Speaker 1: again Steve Schmidt dot substack dot com, or at the 85 00:07:11,960 --> 00:07:16,040 Speaker 1: link in the show notes section below. Thank you to 86 00:07:16,080 --> 00:07:19,480 Speaker 1: each and every one of you for listening and watching. 87 00:07:20,640 --> 00:07:25,240 Speaker 1: Why was George Washington great? We know he was not 88 00:07:25,320 --> 00:07:29,400 Speaker 1: a perfect person. When he was young, he was headstrong 89 00:07:29,480 --> 00:07:35,560 Speaker 1: and arrogant. He was a slave owner, Yet he was 90 00:07:35,760 --> 00:07:42,640 Speaker 1: universally respected in his era. He was unanimously voted for 91 00:07:43,040 --> 00:07:47,040 Speaker 1: to be President of the United States by the Electoral College. 92 00:07:47,440 --> 00:07:50,920 Speaker 1: There was really no question about who would command the 93 00:07:50,960 --> 00:07:56,480 Speaker 1: revolutionary army or who would lead the nation. What did 94 00:07:56,520 --> 00:08:05,520 Speaker 1: George Washington do that was exceptional? Extraordinary? Time and time again, 95 00:08:06,800 --> 00:08:12,440 Speaker 1: when power was his fur the taking, When George Washington 96 00:08:12,520 --> 00:08:17,760 Speaker 1: could have been a military dictator, an emperor, or a king, 97 00:08:18,880 --> 00:08:25,240 Speaker 1: what did he do? He walked away from power. His adversary, 98 00:08:25,360 --> 00:08:30,400 Speaker 1: King George the Third, was astonished by this, he said 99 00:08:30,840 --> 00:08:34,200 Speaker 1: when he asked and was told that Washington would go 100 00:08:34,280 --> 00:08:39,240 Speaker 1: home to his farm in Virginia. George the third said 101 00:08:39,520 --> 00:08:43,680 Speaker 1: that would make Washington the greatest man of that or 102 00:08:43,760 --> 00:08:50,280 Speaker 1: any age he walked away from power, setting the stage 103 00:08:50,559 --> 00:08:56,920 Speaker 1: for a tradition. The American system is built on the 104 00:08:56,960 --> 00:09:03,880 Speaker 1: service of citizens who occupy political offices for short periods 105 00:09:03,880 --> 00:09:10,840 Speaker 1: of time. Those offices are vested with lawful power and authority. 106 00:09:11,760 --> 00:09:17,080 Speaker 1: They exist within the framework of constitutional government that protects 107 00:09:17,480 --> 00:09:24,120 Speaker 1: forever the rights of individuals, removing them beyond the power 108 00:09:24,200 --> 00:09:30,200 Speaker 1: of government to ever interfere with, while severely constraining the 109 00:09:30,320 --> 00:09:36,040 Speaker 1: power of government. We do not have, and never have had, 110 00:09:36,600 --> 00:09:42,160 Speaker 1: a permanent class of politicians in this country. It's not healthy, 111 00:09:43,280 --> 00:09:49,280 Speaker 1: it's unwise, and the American people deserve better because this 112 00:09:49,440 --> 00:09:56,200 Speaker 1: feature of our politics is driving tremendous cynicism about the 113 00:09:56,240 --> 00:10:03,520 Speaker 1: political system. Let's look at Mitch McConnell again. Let's look 114 00:10:03,559 --> 00:10:07,520 Speaker 1: at the care being expressed for him by his middle 115 00:10:07,559 --> 00:10:12,920 Speaker 1: aged colleagues all around him. The important thing to understand 116 00:10:12,960 --> 00:10:18,680 Speaker 1: about the McConnell incident is one it's severe. We all 117 00:10:18,720 --> 00:10:24,280 Speaker 1: saw what happened. Mitch McConnell is saying he's fine. Many 118 00:10:24,360 --> 00:10:27,760 Speaker 1: of us have dads who after an episode like that 119 00:10:28,559 --> 00:10:35,079 Speaker 1: might respond precisely like Mitch McConnell did, I'm fine, basically 120 00:10:35,160 --> 00:10:38,839 Speaker 1: code for leave me alone. I'm going to get on 121 00:10:38,880 --> 00:10:44,120 Speaker 1: with my day. But unfortunately, or fortunately, depending on how 122 00:10:44,160 --> 00:10:46,920 Speaker 1: you look at the world, Mitch McConnell is not the 123 00:10:47,000 --> 00:10:51,439 Speaker 1: national dad. He's the Senate Majority leader, and he's eighty 124 00:10:51,480 --> 00:10:55,640 Speaker 1: one years old, and he froze like a deer in 125 00:10:55,679 --> 00:11:00,640 Speaker 1: the proverbial headlights. And the reason that happened was a 126 00:11:00,679 --> 00:11:05,880 Speaker 1: medical reason. It could be as simple as dehydration, or 127 00:11:05,920 --> 00:11:11,240 Speaker 1: it could be something much more severe. Who knows. The 128 00:11:11,360 --> 00:11:15,959 Speaker 1: point is, all around the United States Senate we are 129 00:11:16,080 --> 00:11:23,240 Speaker 1: led by elderly people and their frailty, their weakness, and 130 00:11:23,280 --> 00:11:30,680 Speaker 1: in Mitch McConnell's case, is decrepitude is showing severely. Youth 131 00:11:31,559 --> 00:11:35,720 Speaker 1: is an important, impotent force of energy in a nation. 132 00:11:37,600 --> 00:11:41,840 Speaker 1: We need in America the vision to see things differently, 133 00:11:42,920 --> 00:11:50,160 Speaker 1: to look ahead with optimism. Optimism is not happiness, nor 134 00:11:50,280 --> 00:11:54,920 Speaker 1: is it a conviction that things will turn out without hardship. 135 00:11:56,800 --> 00:12:01,360 Speaker 1: What optimism suggests is that after a lifetime of struggle, 136 00:12:02,960 --> 00:12:08,160 Speaker 1: things can be better. That no matter what sadness, what grief, 137 00:12:09,240 --> 00:12:15,400 Speaker 1: whatever hardship comes, that you will persevere. The problem with 138 00:12:15,480 --> 00:12:21,480 Speaker 1: Mitch McConnell and the decrepti octogenarians and nonagenarians that are 139 00:12:21,480 --> 00:12:25,160 Speaker 1: inhabiting some of the most powerful offices in Washington, DC 140 00:12:25,960 --> 00:12:31,160 Speaker 1: is that they are the defenders, the centurions of a 141 00:12:31,240 --> 00:12:37,040 Speaker 1: status quo that the American people despise, that they have 142 00:12:37,200 --> 00:12:41,840 Speaker 1: lost faith in, that they have lost trust in. The 143 00:12:41,880 --> 00:12:47,640 Speaker 1: American people have grown apathetic because they see unresponsiveness in government. 144 00:12:48,000 --> 00:12:51,360 Speaker 1: It doesn't matter that eighty plus percent of the American 145 00:12:51,440 --> 00:12:56,160 Speaker 1: people want common sense gun legislation. It doesn't matter that 146 00:12:56,200 --> 00:13:00,880 Speaker 1: eighty percent of the American people want common sense immigrant reform. 147 00:13:02,480 --> 00:13:09,439 Speaker 1: The unresponsiveness of America's political classes and out of touch 148 00:13:09,559 --> 00:13:15,480 Speaker 1: business elites and out of touch media mandarins has produced 149 00:13:16,280 --> 00:13:21,000 Speaker 1: the field and the conditions on which a demagogue can rise. 150 00:13:22,080 --> 00:13:26,200 Speaker 1: And we all know who that demagogue is. It's this man, 151 00:13:26,880 --> 00:13:31,800 Speaker 1: Donald Trump, who, at seventy eight, compared to Mitch McConnell, 152 00:13:32,160 --> 00:13:36,920 Speaker 1: looks fit, healthy, and ready for battle.