1 00:00:00,160 --> 00:00:03,880 Speaker 1: We don't get to have a debate about artificial intelligence, 2 00:00:04,000 --> 00:00:07,400 Speaker 1: or how big the Navy should be, or what the 3 00:00:07,520 --> 00:00:12,240 Speaker 1: disposition of the United States towards the growing menace of 4 00:00:12,320 --> 00:00:16,360 Speaker 1: tautalitarianism should be. We have a simple debate between two 5 00:00:16,400 --> 00:00:20,439 Speaker 1: men who the country overwhelmingly doesn't want to see run 6 00:00:20,440 --> 00:00:25,120 Speaker 1: against one another, but nevertheless are profoundly different, as different 7 00:00:25,280 --> 00:00:29,600 Speaker 1: as two men could be oppositional characters in a long 8 00:00:30,080 --> 00:00:33,760 Speaker 1: story in a chain. The question at hands is will we, 9 00:00:34,240 --> 00:00:39,800 Speaker 1: with the Constitution at our backs, stop those people who 10 00:00:39,840 --> 00:00:41,760 Speaker 1: want to burn it, who want to rip it up, 11 00:00:42,000 --> 00:00:47,040 Speaker 1: so a bloviating hustler from the Queens can become an 12 00:00:47,080 --> 00:00:51,120 Speaker 1: American caesar. No thanks. It is the twenty seventh of June, 13 00:00:51,200 --> 00:00:53,600 Speaker 1: one hundred and thirty one days to go until the 14 00:00:53,720 --> 00:00:57,440 Speaker 1: last votes are cast in the twenty twenty four American 15 00:00:57,560 --> 00:01:03,600 Speaker 1: presidential election. This is the warning, and tonight is the 16 00:01:03,600 --> 00:01:10,240 Speaker 1: great debate. Truly, it is historic. There has never been 17 00:01:10,280 --> 00:01:13,880 Speaker 1: an instance in American history where two men, both presidents, 18 00:01:14,280 --> 00:01:17,440 Speaker 1: have faced off against each other. What makes the moment 19 00:01:17,520 --> 00:01:21,319 Speaker 1: more dramatic is that Joe Biden, the forty sixth president, 20 00:01:21,600 --> 00:01:26,560 Speaker 1: defeated Donald Trump, raising the stakes even higher. When he 21 00:01:26,720 --> 00:01:30,800 Speaker 1: was defeated, Donald Trump became the first president in American 22 00:01:30,959 --> 00:01:35,920 Speaker 1: history to desecrate his oath to refuse to accede to 23 00:01:36,000 --> 00:01:40,240 Speaker 1: the will of the American people. Donald Trump instead incited 24 00:01:40,280 --> 00:01:43,440 Speaker 1: a mob and then sent that mob marching on the 25 00:01:43,480 --> 00:01:46,960 Speaker 1: capital of the United States, where, finally, one hundred and 26 00:01:46,959 --> 00:01:51,240 Speaker 1: fifty eight years after Gettysburg, the Rotunda was breached by 27 00:01:51,280 --> 00:01:56,240 Speaker 1: the Confederate battleflag. When this debate begins tonight, understanding what 28 00:01:56,400 --> 00:01:59,800 Speaker 1: it is and what it is is extremely important to 29 00:01:59,840 --> 00:02:03,480 Speaker 1: be able to orient around what is happening this tonight 30 00:02:03,640 --> 00:02:08,920 Speaker 1: is not a genial conversation about differences in fiscal policy 31 00:02:09,240 --> 00:02:13,880 Speaker 1: or national security affairs. This is an existential debate about 32 00:02:13,919 --> 00:02:18,000 Speaker 1: the future of the country, which requires people to look 33 00:02:18,160 --> 00:02:22,640 Speaker 1: past the manifest flaws of both men. There is something 34 00:02:22,680 --> 00:02:25,920 Speaker 1: that is very seldom talked about on cable news or 35 00:02:26,000 --> 00:02:30,560 Speaker 1: written about in the many Washington, DC based newsletters. All 36 00:02:30,639 --> 00:02:34,680 Speaker 1: of them put politics forward in a frame where the 37 00:02:34,720 --> 00:02:39,679 Speaker 1: country is evenly and hopelessly divided. There is broad agreement 38 00:02:39,800 --> 00:02:44,880 Speaker 1: though on some things. Perhaps the most unifying political issue 39 00:02:44,919 --> 00:02:48,079 Speaker 1: of our time which is divided is the fact that 40 00:02:48,320 --> 00:02:53,080 Speaker 1: an overwhelming majority of Americans don't want the contest between 41 00:02:53,200 --> 00:02:57,360 Speaker 1: President Biden and Donald Trump. They don't want it, but 42 00:02:57,440 --> 00:03:01,240 Speaker 1: they're getting it. And that cynicism that results from that 43 00:03:01,600 --> 00:03:04,760 Speaker 1: helps one of these candidates more than the other candidate. 44 00:03:04,840 --> 00:03:08,520 Speaker 1: That it helps is Donald Trump, who is boosted by 45 00:03:08,639 --> 00:03:12,040 Speaker 1: cynicism in the same manner that Joe Biden would be 46 00:03:12,080 --> 00:03:15,720 Speaker 1: boosted by idealism if he was able to find a 47 00:03:15,760 --> 00:03:20,640 Speaker 1: way to summons it. But idealism is deeply connected to 48 00:03:20,800 --> 00:03:23,600 Speaker 1: a vision of the future, and thus far in the 49 00:03:23,639 --> 00:03:28,600 Speaker 1: presidential campaign, the debate exists only in the present and 50 00:03:28,680 --> 00:03:32,680 Speaker 1: the past. Donald Trump stands for the proposition you never 51 00:03:32,800 --> 00:03:35,840 Speaker 1: had it better, and Joe Biden stands for the proposition 52 00:03:36,120 --> 00:03:39,360 Speaker 1: it's never been so good. James Carvell talks about this 53 00:03:39,480 --> 00:03:42,480 Speaker 1: all the time. It's the first campaign in his memory, 54 00:03:42,720 --> 00:03:47,160 Speaker 1: which is longer than mine, where nobody talks about the future. 55 00:03:47,280 --> 00:03:50,920 Speaker 1: But even that is beside the point when the forty 56 00:03:50,920 --> 00:03:55,720 Speaker 1: fifth and forty sixth President of the United States walk 57 00:03:55,760 --> 00:03:59,440 Speaker 1: out on to the stage. There have been seven hundred 58 00:03:59,480 --> 00:04:03,480 Speaker 1: million Americans ever since the beginning of the Republic. More 59 00:04:03,520 --> 00:04:06,400 Speaker 1: than half of all Americans who have ever lived are 60 00:04:06,440 --> 00:04:10,440 Speaker 1: alive right now. Think about that. Out of seven hundred 61 00:04:10,560 --> 00:04:15,120 Speaker 1: million people. There are only forty five men. Forty four 62 00:04:15,160 --> 00:04:20,039 Speaker 1: white men, all Christians of some denomination or other, no Jews, 63 00:04:20,240 --> 00:04:24,479 Speaker 1: and one black man. No women. Forty five men have 64 00:04:24,720 --> 00:04:28,640 Speaker 1: taken an oath that is written into the Constitution of 65 00:04:28,680 --> 00:04:32,279 Speaker 1: the United States. The founders of the country must have 66 00:04:32,480 --> 00:04:35,919 Speaker 1: considered that oath to be very important. They must have 67 00:04:36,040 --> 00:04:39,120 Speaker 1: thought it through because it is the only oath in 68 00:04:39,160 --> 00:04:44,440 Speaker 1: the constitution, and every American president, from George Washington through 69 00:04:44,640 --> 00:04:48,919 Speaker 1: Joseph Robinette Biden of Delaware have taken it, all of them. 70 00:04:49,080 --> 00:04:53,440 Speaker 1: Thirty five words long, and it ends with a promise 71 00:04:53,800 --> 00:05:00,720 Speaker 1: to preserve, protect, and defend the Constitution of the United States. President. 72 00:05:00,960 --> 00:05:05,720 Speaker 1: Even presidents who steered the country into disaster, like Lyndon 73 00:05:05,800 --> 00:05:10,800 Speaker 1: Johnson in Vietnam, like George W. Bush in the Middle East, 74 00:05:11,040 --> 00:05:16,200 Speaker 1: were faithful to their oath. The oath does not mean inerrancy. 75 00:05:16,600 --> 00:05:20,400 Speaker 1: It doesn't mean that you won't make mistakes. It doesn't 76 00:05:20,440 --> 00:05:23,520 Speaker 1: mean that you won't cut corners. It doesn't mean that 77 00:05:23,640 --> 00:05:27,160 Speaker 1: you won't have ethical breaches or tolerate people that do. 78 00:05:27,440 --> 00:05:32,000 Speaker 1: Every single president has done their utmost to fulfill the oath, 79 00:05:32,240 --> 00:05:36,320 Speaker 1: to apply their vision to the concrete words that are 80 00:05:36,400 --> 00:05:41,880 Speaker 1: the only commitment a president swears to him preserve, protect, 81 00:05:42,200 --> 00:05:46,640 Speaker 1: and defend the constitution of the United States of America. 82 00:05:46,760 --> 00:05:52,280 Speaker 1: It's all that matters. The perpetuity of the country. Its longevity, 83 00:05:52,360 --> 00:05:58,400 Speaker 1: its existence, its endurance is profoundly more important than any 84 00:05:58,520 --> 00:06:03,000 Speaker 1: single person, specially a president of the United States, who 85 00:06:03,080 --> 00:06:07,240 Speaker 1: should know this more than any other person. A president 86 00:06:07,480 --> 00:06:09,800 Speaker 1: is part of a chain, and a chain is only 87 00:06:09,880 --> 00:06:13,840 Speaker 1: as strong as its weakest link. Donald Trump is that 88 00:06:13,920 --> 00:06:18,800 Speaker 1: weak link. A liar, a con man, a rapist, an ignorant, 89 00:06:18,920 --> 00:06:23,760 Speaker 1: convicted felon, and bully. But all of those things do 90 00:06:23,920 --> 00:06:29,560 Speaker 1: not necessarily disqualify him. What disqualifies him is what he 91 00:06:29,680 --> 00:06:32,680 Speaker 1: did when he lost the election. He thought it was 92 00:06:32,760 --> 00:06:35,560 Speaker 1: all right to tear up the oak to burn it. 93 00:06:35,560 --> 00:06:38,279 Speaker 1: It's much worse than burning the flag. That would have 94 00:06:38,320 --> 00:06:42,080 Speaker 1: been a misdemeanor compared to what Trump did. He incited 95 00:06:42,200 --> 00:06:47,200 Speaker 1: chaos and mayhem, and his mob tore down the American 96 00:06:47,279 --> 00:06:51,279 Speaker 1: flag and they raised up his fascist Maga banner in 97 00:06:51,400 --> 00:06:56,000 Speaker 1: its stead. The American flag was turned into a weapon 98 00:06:56,240 --> 00:06:59,440 Speaker 1: to beat black men who are defending the capital of 99 00:06:59,480 --> 00:07:02,640 Speaker 1: the United United States from the armed mob. They were 100 00:07:02,680 --> 00:07:06,239 Speaker 1: abused by that mob. That mob abused all of us. 101 00:07:06,440 --> 00:07:09,600 Speaker 1: They shit on the floor of the United States House 102 00:07:09,640 --> 00:07:13,320 Speaker 1: of Representatives, and in the United States Senate they screened 103 00:07:13,440 --> 00:07:17,000 Speaker 1: the N word over and over and over again. Is 104 00:07:17,040 --> 00:07:21,480 Speaker 1: they rampaged looking to kill the Vice President of the 105 00:07:21,600 --> 00:07:27,160 Speaker 1: United States who dared to fulfill his constitutional oath. That's 106 00:07:27,320 --> 00:07:30,520 Speaker 1: what this debate is about tonight. It's not about policy. 107 00:07:30,720 --> 00:07:34,400 Speaker 1: It's not about tax rates, it's not about spending. Though 108 00:07:34,440 --> 00:07:36,960 Speaker 1: all of these things are important. We don't get to 109 00:07:37,080 --> 00:07:41,000 Speaker 1: have a debate about artificial intelligence, or how big the 110 00:07:41,160 --> 00:07:45,080 Speaker 1: Navy should be, or what the disposition of the United 111 00:07:45,080 --> 00:07:50,200 Speaker 1: States towards the growing menace of tautalitarianism should be. We 112 00:07:50,320 --> 00:07:53,520 Speaker 1: have a simple debate between two men who the country 113 00:07:53,720 --> 00:07:57,240 Speaker 1: overwhelmingly doesn't want to see run against one another, but 114 00:07:57,320 --> 00:08:01,880 Speaker 1: nevertheless are profoundly different, as different as two men could 115 00:08:01,920 --> 00:08:06,880 Speaker 1: be oppositional characters in a long story, in a chain, 116 00:08:07,120 --> 00:08:12,440 Speaker 1: two links next to each other, permanently connected and intertwined 117 00:08:12,600 --> 00:08:16,520 Speaker 1: for all time by events, by history that will endure 118 00:08:17,080 --> 00:08:21,120 Speaker 1: long past their mortal lives. These two men, linked forever 119 00:08:21,360 --> 00:08:25,360 Speaker 1: by a chain will stand in a fairly empty, hermetically 120 00:08:25,400 --> 00:08:28,880 Speaker 1: sealed room tonight. Most of the country will watch this debate, 121 00:08:29,080 --> 00:08:32,920 Speaker 1: it will shatter records for CNN. People say the American 122 00:08:33,000 --> 00:08:36,440 Speaker 1: people don't care about politics, they're tuned out. That will 123 00:08:36,440 --> 00:08:39,720 Speaker 1: be refuted tonight. What they're tuned out to is the 124 00:08:40,200 --> 00:08:43,840 Speaker 1: nonsense that plays out on so much of the cable 125 00:08:43,920 --> 00:08:46,840 Speaker 1: news stations. They've turned it off. But for the main 126 00:08:46,920 --> 00:08:50,360 Speaker 1: event about the country's future, they'll tune in. And when 127 00:08:50,400 --> 00:08:54,920 Speaker 1: they do, no matter what flaws seem to manifest themselves, 128 00:08:55,120 --> 00:08:59,280 Speaker 1: what trip ups or stumbles or stutters, what moments of 129 00:08:59,400 --> 00:09:03,640 Speaker 1: contra day or just errantcy, none of it matters. Only 130 00:09:03,679 --> 00:09:07,640 Speaker 1: one thing does. Donald Trump was given the greatest honor 131 00:09:07,840 --> 00:09:11,680 Speaker 1: the American people can bestow on a fellow citizen. He 132 00:09:11,800 --> 00:09:15,440 Speaker 1: was made Commander in Chief. He was made head of State. 133 00:09:15,720 --> 00:09:20,120 Speaker 1: He was inaugurated President of the United States of America. 134 00:09:20,200 --> 00:09:23,319 Speaker 1: And when the American people, in their wisdom said he 135 00:09:23,440 --> 00:09:28,040 Speaker 1: was dismissed and discharged from those duties. When the American 136 00:09:28,120 --> 00:09:32,480 Speaker 1: people turned the ship of state and chose the former 137 00:09:32,559 --> 00:09:36,120 Speaker 1: Vice President Joe Biden to be the commander in chief, 138 00:09:36,200 --> 00:09:41,719 Speaker 1: Donald Trump did something that no predecessor had done. He refused, 139 00:09:42,120 --> 00:09:46,000 Speaker 1: He refused to bow to submit to the will of 140 00:09:46,040 --> 00:09:51,000 Speaker 1: the American people. Because he lacks humility and character and decency. 141 00:09:51,280 --> 00:09:55,480 Speaker 1: He tried to become a dictator in the United States, 142 00:09:55,840 --> 00:09:59,680 Speaker 1: and incredibly he's brought along thirty percent of the country 143 00:09:59,679 --> 00:10:03,320 Speaker 1: for the ride. But it's not enough. What he needs 144 00:10:03,600 --> 00:10:07,320 Speaker 1: is apathy to join his coalition, and we must not 145 00:10:07,440 --> 00:10:11,800 Speaker 1: let it happen. This oath breaker has disqualified himself, not 146 00:10:11,920 --> 00:10:16,480 Speaker 1: through his raps, not through his treacheries, not through his 147 00:10:16,640 --> 00:10:22,640 Speaker 1: cons not through his felonies, not through his contradictions bullying, abuse, 148 00:10:22,679 --> 00:10:27,240 Speaker 1: and lives, but because he shattered his oath, the only 149 00:10:27,320 --> 00:10:31,559 Speaker 1: one that our founders thought important enough to put into 150 00:10:31,640 --> 00:10:36,000 Speaker 1: the Constitution. The question at hands is will we, with 151 00:10:36,160 --> 00:10:41,960 Speaker 1: the Constitution at our backs, stop those people who want 152 00:10:42,000 --> 00:10:44,080 Speaker 1: to burn it, who want to rip it up, so 153 00:10:44,280 --> 00:10:50,600 Speaker 1: a bloviating hustler from the Queen's can become an American caesar. 154 00:10:51,000 --> 00:10:54,760 Speaker 1: No thanks. Remember that when you're watching the debate tonight. 155 00:10:55,040 --> 00:10:59,280 Speaker 1: This is the warning. I'm Steve Schmidt. This is the warning, 156 00:10:59,400 --> 00:11:02,760 Speaker 1: and I invite you to join. Subscribe on our substack 157 00:11:03,160 --> 00:11:07,480 Speaker 1: on our YouTube channel, follow us. Welcome to the community.