1 00:00:00,480 --> 00:00:04,480 Speaker 1: Mister President. In eighteen eighty seven, Lord Acton wrote a 2 00:00:04,519 --> 00:00:09,840 Speaker 1: series of letters to Bishop Creighton, letters that would echo 3 00:00:10,960 --> 00:00:16,759 Speaker 1: down across the centuries. Lord Acton wrote, I cannot accept 4 00:00:16,840 --> 00:00:20,479 Speaker 1: your canon that we are to judge Pope and King 5 00:00:21,640 --> 00:00:26,759 Speaker 1: unlike other men, with a favorable presumption that they did 6 00:00:26,800 --> 00:00:30,960 Speaker 1: no wrong. If there is any presumption, it is the 7 00:00:31,080 --> 00:00:38,760 Speaker 1: other way against holders of power increasing As the power increases, 8 00:00:40,240 --> 00:00:45,040 Speaker 1: historic responsibility has to make up for the want of 9 00:00:45,200 --> 00:00:55,520 Speaker 1: legal responsibility. Power tends to corrupt. An absolute power corrupts absolutely. 10 00:00:56,920 --> 00:01:03,680 Speaker 1: Great men are almost exclusively ad men, even where they 11 00:01:03,800 --> 00:01:11,120 Speaker 1: exercise influence and not authority. Still more, when you super 12 00:01:11,200 --> 00:01:16,080 Speaker 1: add the tendency or the certainty of corruption by authority 13 00:01:18,319 --> 00:01:20,920 Speaker 1: as president, those words were true in eighteen eighty seven, 14 00:01:22,440 --> 00:01:26,320 Speaker 1: and they're true today. If you want to understand how 15 00:01:26,360 --> 00:01:32,479 Speaker 1: power corrupts, an absolute power corrupts absolutely, look no further 16 00:01:32,600 --> 00:01:37,160 Speaker 1: than the other chamber. In the United States Capital Speaker 17 00:01:37,280 --> 00:01:45,240 Speaker 1: Nancy Pelosi is drunk on power. The orders that Speaker 18 00:01:45,319 --> 00:01:57,200 Speaker 1: Pelosi is issuing are abusive and unprecedented. Speaker Pelosi has 19 00:01:57,240 --> 00:02:01,000 Speaker 1: decreed the members of the House of Representatives elected by 20 00:02:01,080 --> 00:02:04,360 Speaker 1: the people that if you dare walk onto the floor 21 00:02:04,400 --> 00:02:09,079 Speaker 1: of the House of Representatives without a mask. I, Speaker 22 00:02:09,160 --> 00:02:15,800 Speaker 1: Pelosi shall find you. Who the hell is she to 23 00:02:15,880 --> 00:02:19,040 Speaker 1: be finding members of the House. But you know what, 24 00:02:19,120 --> 00:02:22,880 Speaker 1: she's not done with that. She's not done with disrespecting 25 00:02:22,919 --> 00:02:27,400 Speaker 1: our constitution, disrespecting our democratic system that elects leaders. She 26 00:02:27,520 --> 00:02:31,160 Speaker 1: goes further to the good men and women who work 27 00:02:31,840 --> 00:02:34,240 Speaker 1: here in the United States Capital. We are surrounded by 28 00:02:34,240 --> 00:02:37,200 Speaker 1: men and women who have chosen to come and work 29 00:02:37,240 --> 00:02:41,720 Speaker 1: for the public good. And here's what Speaker Pelosi has decreed. 30 00:02:41,960 --> 00:02:49,840 Speaker 1: If you dare walk in the hallway without a mask, I, 31 00:02:50,080 --> 00:02:55,400 Speaker 1: Speaker Pelosi will arrest you. I will put you in jail. 32 00:02:55,720 --> 00:03:01,960 Speaker 1: I will find you. That is an absolute and complete 33 00:03:01,960 --> 00:03:07,840 Speaker 1: abuse of power. She has no authority to disrespect the 34 00:03:07,880 --> 00:03:10,880 Speaker 1: men and women who work here, to threaten you with 35 00:03:11,080 --> 00:03:16,880 Speaker 1: physical harm, to threaten you with imprisonment. And why does 36 00:03:16,919 --> 00:03:20,200 Speaker 1: she do so. She does so for one reason, political theater. 37 00:03:26,800 --> 00:03:30,440 Speaker 1: Welcome to hurdict with Ted Cruz. I'm Michael Knowles, Senator. 38 00:03:30,560 --> 00:03:33,760 Speaker 1: I have to compliment you. You have now very famously 39 00:03:33,840 --> 00:03:38,480 Speaker 1: read and quoted Doctor Seuss and Lord Acton on the 40 00:03:38,520 --> 00:03:42,160 Speaker 1: floor of the Senate. That is a very broad spectrum 41 00:03:42,240 --> 00:03:44,520 Speaker 1: of reading, and I think the Lord Acton quote was 42 00:03:44,600 --> 00:03:48,480 Speaker 1: absolutely apt. We have now passed the five hundredth day 43 00:03:48,520 --> 00:03:51,400 Speaker 1: of fifteen days to slow the spread, and we are 44 00:03:51,440 --> 00:03:55,960 Speaker 1: seeing the reinstitution of mask mandates, even for the vaccinated. 45 00:03:56,160 --> 00:03:59,840 Speaker 1: We are seeing the threat of lockdowns around the country. 46 00:04:00,960 --> 00:04:03,280 Speaker 1: Is it just deja vu all over again? Is there 47 00:04:03,320 --> 00:04:05,600 Speaker 1: any way to break out of this cycle? Well? I 48 00:04:05,640 --> 00:04:08,160 Speaker 1: do not like green eggs and ham, but I do 49 00:04:08,240 --> 00:04:15,040 Speaker 1: not like absolute power being abused even less. This has 50 00:04:15,080 --> 00:04:19,919 Speaker 1: been a bad week for liberty. This has been a 51 00:04:19,960 --> 00:04:22,640 Speaker 1: bad week for science. It's been a bad week for 52 00:04:22,680 --> 00:04:27,760 Speaker 1: common sense. And it is frightening because we're seeing, you know, 53 00:04:28,640 --> 00:04:31,479 Speaker 1: two decisions i'd highlight, both of which came this week. 54 00:04:32,680 --> 00:04:36,120 Speaker 1: Number one, as you know, the CDC revised its guidance. 55 00:04:36,400 --> 00:04:40,719 Speaker 1: So a couple of months ago, the CDC acknowledged what 56 00:04:41,680 --> 00:04:46,159 Speaker 1: people knew already, which is vaccines work, that actually science operates. 57 00:04:46,160 --> 00:04:50,160 Speaker 1: If you're vaccinated, the vaccine has a very high likelihood 58 00:04:50,160 --> 00:04:54,520 Speaker 1: of being successful. And so the CDC acknowledging that reality, 59 00:04:54,560 --> 00:04:56,920 Speaker 1: said people who are vaccinated don't need to wear masks. 60 00:04:57,360 --> 00:05:02,640 Speaker 1: That was right then, it's right now. But as of 61 00:05:02,680 --> 00:05:06,479 Speaker 1: this week, the CDC magically changed its guidance and now 62 00:05:06,560 --> 00:05:10,279 Speaker 1: said even if you're vaccinated, you need to wear a mask. 63 00:05:11,920 --> 00:05:16,039 Speaker 1: That wasn't science, that was politics, and it was cynical 64 00:05:16,080 --> 00:05:20,240 Speaker 1: politics at that And I think people are frustrated with 65 00:05:20,320 --> 00:05:25,599 Speaker 1: the hypocrisy from the CDC, and they're frustrated with how 66 00:05:25,680 --> 00:05:30,800 Speaker 1: Democrats are behaving. We're seeing now democratic jurisdictions imposing new 67 00:05:30,839 --> 00:05:35,520 Speaker 1: mandates and posing new mask mandates. The CDC decreed that 68 00:05:35,839 --> 00:05:39,479 Speaker 1: when school starts this fall, that every person in a 69 00:05:39,560 --> 00:05:42,560 Speaker 1: school must wear a mask, regardless of whether you're vaccinated 70 00:05:42,640 --> 00:05:46,200 Speaker 1: or not. That's not remotely based on science. That's based 71 00:05:46,200 --> 00:05:48,600 Speaker 1: on the politics of the fact that the teachers' unions 72 00:05:48,600 --> 00:05:52,280 Speaker 1: demanded that, and the CDC is basically acting like it's 73 00:05:52,360 --> 00:05:57,360 Speaker 1: it's part of the DNCS. It is a political arm 74 00:05:57,400 --> 00:06:01,080 Speaker 1: in the Biden administration. And then also this week, Nancy 75 00:06:01,120 --> 00:06:08,040 Speaker 1: Pelosi issued a decree that anyone in the House must 76 00:06:08,040 --> 00:06:10,479 Speaker 1: wear a mask, even if you're vaccinated. She said that 77 00:06:10,520 --> 00:06:13,920 Speaker 1: if you're a member of the House and you walk 78 00:06:13,960 --> 00:06:16,240 Speaker 1: onto the floor without a mask, that she will find you. 79 00:06:16,440 --> 00:06:18,640 Speaker 1: And even worse, she said, if you're a hill staffer 80 00:06:20,160 --> 00:06:23,599 Speaker 1: and you are caught without a mask, that you will 81 00:06:23,640 --> 00:06:27,320 Speaker 1: be arrested, that you will be potentially put in jails, 82 00:06:27,320 --> 00:06:30,640 Speaker 1: sentenced to jail and find if you dare not wear 83 00:06:30,680 --> 00:06:33,960 Speaker 1: a mask. And I gotta say that's just nuts. I mean, 84 00:06:34,000 --> 00:06:39,000 Speaker 1: that is an abusive power that has no link to 85 00:06:39,040 --> 00:06:43,480 Speaker 1: anything resembling medical science. You know, even a CNN anchor 86 00:06:43,839 --> 00:06:45,839 Speaker 1: pointed out the other day that the CDC has a 87 00:06:45,839 --> 00:06:48,800 Speaker 1: big credibility problem, and there's no question we've covered it 88 00:06:48,839 --> 00:06:51,440 Speaker 1: on this show that the public health officials have flip 89 00:06:51,440 --> 00:06:54,320 Speaker 1: flopped on everything. Doctor Fauci told us the masks don't work, 90 00:06:54,480 --> 00:06:56,320 Speaker 1: then he told us we all need to wear the masks. 91 00:06:56,320 --> 00:06:59,400 Speaker 1: We were told the vaccines are absolutely wonderful and they 92 00:06:59,400 --> 00:07:02,200 Speaker 1: work very very well to stop infection and transmission. Now 93 00:07:02,200 --> 00:07:04,440 Speaker 1: we're being told, well maybe they don't, so the vaccinated 94 00:07:04,560 --> 00:07:06,840 Speaker 1: need to wear the mask anyway we were We've been 95 00:07:06,839 --> 00:07:10,240 Speaker 1: told so much conflicting information. There is no question. I 96 00:07:10,280 --> 00:07:11,800 Speaker 1: think the right and the left, if they can agree 97 00:07:11,840 --> 00:07:15,040 Speaker 1: on anything, it's that the CDC has some issues. But 98 00:07:15,080 --> 00:07:18,400 Speaker 1: the question is what is the political end game here? 99 00:07:18,520 --> 00:07:21,480 Speaker 1: I suspect that you're right that this is not about 100 00:07:21,480 --> 00:07:24,320 Speaker 1: science and it is about politics, But what's the politics? 101 00:07:24,800 --> 00:07:28,720 Speaker 1: You know, it's hard to understand the politics other than 102 00:07:28,840 --> 00:07:33,680 Speaker 1: that Democrats, particularly now, they like power, They like arbitrary power, 103 00:07:33,760 --> 00:07:36,680 Speaker 1: they like controlling your life. You know, listen when it 104 00:07:36,720 --> 00:07:40,560 Speaker 1: comes to masks. I've never been one that's a zealot 105 00:07:40,600 --> 00:07:44,560 Speaker 1: on either side. I've never really understood some of the 106 00:07:44,600 --> 00:07:46,840 Speaker 1: folks who say, never wear a mask, no matter what. 107 00:07:47,040 --> 00:07:49,320 Speaker 1: I certainly didn't fall into that can't. Particularly in the 108 00:07:49,320 --> 00:07:51,720 Speaker 1: height of the pandemic, I wore a mask. I thought 109 00:07:51,760 --> 00:07:54,040 Speaker 1: we should do reasonable steps to slow the spread of 110 00:07:54,040 --> 00:07:56,920 Speaker 1: a disease. It's a dangerous disease. But I also never 111 00:07:57,000 --> 00:08:01,880 Speaker 1: understood the purist who would ostentatiously where a mask is 112 00:08:01,920 --> 00:08:07,200 Speaker 1: a symbol of their nobility and purity and virtue. Yet, 113 00:08:07,280 --> 00:08:10,960 Speaker 1: you know, let me take folks inside the Senate for 114 00:08:11,000 --> 00:08:15,400 Speaker 1: a minute to understand the dynamic in real time. So 115 00:08:16,760 --> 00:08:21,400 Speaker 1: early this year January, they made vaccines available to members 116 00:08:21,400 --> 00:08:23,960 Speaker 1: of Congress. Number of members of Congress got the vaccines 117 00:08:24,040 --> 00:08:27,880 Speaker 1: in early January. I didn't get the vaccine then. And 118 00:08:28,280 --> 00:08:31,280 Speaker 1: the reason I didn't get it then is at that 119 00:08:31,400 --> 00:08:34,440 Speaker 1: point it was not widely available. Most Americans hadn't gotten it, 120 00:08:34,480 --> 00:08:38,120 Speaker 1: and I'm a relatively young and healthy person. I didn't 121 00:08:38,160 --> 00:08:40,640 Speaker 1: think it was right that just because I was elected 122 00:08:40,640 --> 00:08:43,360 Speaker 1: to represent Texas in the Senate, that I should cut 123 00:08:43,360 --> 00:08:47,520 Speaker 1: in line, that I should get a vaccine before seniors did, 124 00:08:47,600 --> 00:08:53,440 Speaker 1: before people with serious immuno compromised issues did, before frontline 125 00:08:54,000 --> 00:08:58,600 Speaker 1: responders did. And so I didn't get the vaccine in January. 126 00:08:59,280 --> 00:09:01,840 Speaker 1: I waited a couple of months, and then after tens 127 00:09:01,840 --> 00:09:04,160 Speaker 1: of millions of vaccines had been distributed in the people 128 00:09:04,200 --> 00:09:06,559 Speaker 1: with the highest need had gotten it, then I got 129 00:09:06,600 --> 00:09:08,800 Speaker 1: the vaccine. I said, Okay, enough time has passed that 130 00:09:08,840 --> 00:09:11,760 Speaker 1: I think it is fair and reasonable. I'd like to 131 00:09:11,760 --> 00:09:14,959 Speaker 1: get the vaccine. I'd like to be protected against the disease. 132 00:09:15,000 --> 00:09:17,440 Speaker 1: So I did get the vaccine, and I waited a 133 00:09:17,440 --> 00:09:20,000 Speaker 1: couple of weeks so till the vaccines fully effective. So 134 00:09:20,040 --> 00:09:22,120 Speaker 1: I had both. I got the Fizer shot, and I 135 00:09:22,120 --> 00:09:24,520 Speaker 1: got both of them, and I gave the requisite time 136 00:09:25,400 --> 00:09:27,600 Speaker 1: that they said you had to wait before it's effective. 137 00:09:27,960 --> 00:09:30,200 Speaker 1: And then I decided to stop wearing my mask on 138 00:09:30,240 --> 00:09:33,800 Speaker 1: the Senate floor because vaccines work like that's the whole 139 00:09:33,800 --> 00:09:35,440 Speaker 1: science of it. The whole point of getting the damn 140 00:09:35,520 --> 00:09:40,160 Speaker 1: shot is to give you protection against catching the disease, 141 00:09:41,960 --> 00:09:44,160 Speaker 1: and so on. The Senate. It was kind of interesting. 142 00:09:44,760 --> 00:09:46,800 Speaker 1: The first person not to wear a mask was Rand 143 00:09:46,840 --> 00:09:49,080 Speaker 1: Paul and Ran never wore a mask, and look, I 144 00:09:49,120 --> 00:09:51,640 Speaker 1: love Rand, but he just said, to hell with it, 145 00:09:51,679 --> 00:09:55,120 Speaker 1: I'm not wearing a mask. And Ran had COVID and 146 00:09:55,200 --> 00:09:57,120 Speaker 1: he'd never wore a mask, and so okay, that was 147 00:09:57,160 --> 00:09:59,360 Speaker 1: his choice. For a long time, it was just Ran 148 00:09:59,480 --> 00:10:03,040 Speaker 1: with no mask, skin ninety nine senators with masks. The 149 00:10:03,120 --> 00:10:05,280 Speaker 1: second Senator not to wear a mask was me, And 150 00:10:05,440 --> 00:10:07,240 Speaker 1: after I'd gotten the vaccine, after a couple of weeks 151 00:10:07,240 --> 00:10:08,880 Speaker 1: had passed, I said, all right, I'm gonna stop wearing 152 00:10:08,880 --> 00:10:13,559 Speaker 1: the mask. The same time I did that, Roger Marshall, 153 00:10:13,920 --> 00:10:16,840 Speaker 1: who's a Republican senator from Kansas, is also a medical doctor. 154 00:10:17,800 --> 00:10:20,079 Speaker 1: He made the same decision. So Roger and I both 155 00:10:20,200 --> 00:10:23,120 Speaker 1: right about the same time stop wearing wearing our mask. 156 00:10:23,240 --> 00:10:25,400 Speaker 1: We were numbers two and three in the Senate, and 157 00:10:25,440 --> 00:10:28,560 Speaker 1: for several weeks the three of us were the only 158 00:10:28,559 --> 00:10:30,120 Speaker 1: ones not wearing a mask. And I gotta tell you, 159 00:10:30,880 --> 00:10:34,400 Speaker 1: the peer pressure is interesting. Like when you stood on 160 00:10:34,440 --> 00:10:37,439 Speaker 1: the Senate floor and everyone's wearing a mask, I mean, 161 00:10:37,480 --> 00:10:42,640 Speaker 1: you felt like you were like a rebel on the 162 00:10:42,679 --> 00:10:46,880 Speaker 1: fringe and it was interesting. Then the fourth person to 163 00:10:46,920 --> 00:10:49,200 Speaker 1: stop wearing a mask was Jim Rish from Idaho, and 164 00:10:49,240 --> 00:10:53,400 Speaker 1: he said, all right, I'm joining the no mask caucus 165 00:10:53,400 --> 00:10:57,319 Speaker 1: because he'd been vaccinated. Now, what was Bizarres. We'd gone 166 00:10:57,360 --> 00:11:01,760 Speaker 1: a couple of months with everybody wearing masks, even though 167 00:11:02,080 --> 00:11:04,720 Speaker 1: they all are virtually all were vaccinated. If you remember 168 00:11:04,800 --> 00:11:08,840 Speaker 1: Joe Biden's pseudo State of the Union address where everyone 169 00:11:09,000 --> 00:11:10,920 Speaker 1: was wearing a mask and almost every person in that 170 00:11:11,000 --> 00:11:14,440 Speaker 1: chamber was already vaccinated, it was it was political theater then. 171 00:11:14,960 --> 00:11:17,800 Speaker 1: But then what happened is the CDC issued it's it's 172 00:11:17,920 --> 00:11:20,559 Speaker 1: ruling and said if you have a if you're vaccinated, 173 00:11:20,679 --> 00:11:22,040 Speaker 1: you don't need to wear a mask. And it was 174 00:11:22,080 --> 00:11:26,640 Speaker 1: the funniest thing. Within about two days, everybody took their 175 00:11:26,640 --> 00:11:28,800 Speaker 1: mask off. One hundred percent of the senators. Chuck Schumer 176 00:11:28,840 --> 00:11:31,200 Speaker 1: took his mask off, Bernie Sanders took his mask off, 177 00:11:31,440 --> 00:11:33,920 Speaker 1: Mazie Herono took it to her mask off. Look, I 178 00:11:34,400 --> 00:11:36,439 Speaker 1: joked for some of the Democrats, I'd be much happier 179 00:11:36,440 --> 00:11:38,640 Speaker 1: if they kept their masks on. And and you know, 180 00:11:38,720 --> 00:11:41,200 Speaker 1: really my criticism was their mask needed to be tighter. 181 00:11:43,040 --> 00:11:45,080 Speaker 1: You know, we could still hear them talk so clearly 182 00:11:45,080 --> 00:11:49,240 Speaker 1: their masks were not attached sufficiently firmly. But listen, the 183 00:11:49,320 --> 00:11:53,320 Speaker 1: fact that everybody took off their mask indicates what we 184 00:11:53,400 --> 00:11:56,199 Speaker 1: all knew, which is, if you're vaccinating, wearing a mask 185 00:11:56,320 --> 00:12:00,400 Speaker 1: is stupid. Everyone knew that. All the Democrats immediately knew. Now, 186 00:12:00,720 --> 00:12:03,600 Speaker 1: when that was happening in the Senate, Nancy Pelosi was 187 00:12:03,760 --> 00:12:08,760 Speaker 1: still finding House members who didn't wear a mask on 188 00:12:08,800 --> 00:12:10,800 Speaker 1: the House floor. And so I know a number of 189 00:12:11,200 --> 00:12:15,719 Speaker 1: House Republicans who were fined five bucks apiece even though 190 00:12:15,760 --> 00:12:19,800 Speaker 1: they were vaccinated because they didn't wear a mask, literally 191 00:12:19,880 --> 00:12:22,640 Speaker 1: on the very same day that Chuck Schumer and Bernie 192 00:12:22,720 --> 00:12:27,480 Speaker 1: Sanders and every Democrat has no mask on. So people 193 00:12:27,640 --> 00:12:33,320 Speaker 1: understood the difference between reality and performance theater. All right, 194 00:12:33,400 --> 00:12:37,000 Speaker 1: let's fast forward to this week. This week Monday, we 195 00:12:37,040 --> 00:12:41,040 Speaker 1: started out this week one hundred percent of Senators had 196 00:12:41,080 --> 00:12:44,160 Speaker 1: no mask on. Every Republican had no mask, every Democrat 197 00:12:44,240 --> 00:12:49,080 Speaker 1: had no mask. Then the CDC issues their magical new rulings. 198 00:12:49,080 --> 00:12:52,160 Speaker 1: Suddenly vaccines don't work. Suddenly if you're vaccinated doesn't matter. 199 00:12:52,160 --> 00:12:54,360 Speaker 1: You got to put a mask on? Why? Because we 200 00:12:54,480 --> 00:12:56,720 Speaker 1: decree it to be so? And it was a very 201 00:12:56,800 --> 00:13:00,920 Speaker 1: funny thing. They issue the order and the Democratic Party, 202 00:13:01,200 --> 00:13:04,600 Speaker 1: I don't know, they're like docile sheep that they want 203 00:13:04,640 --> 00:13:09,400 Speaker 1: to follow the orders of whoever the dictator is and 204 00:13:09,480 --> 00:13:13,760 Speaker 1: they want to demonstrate self righteously how pious they are. 205 00:13:13,840 --> 00:13:18,360 Speaker 1: And so a day after the CDC acted, you had oh, 206 00:13:18,400 --> 00:13:21,319 Speaker 1: I don't know, maybe a third of the Democrats wearing masks. 207 00:13:22,000 --> 00:13:25,800 Speaker 1: You had people like Brian Shots from Hawaii who was 208 00:13:25,840 --> 00:13:29,600 Speaker 1: wearing a mask. You had people like Corey Booker wearing masks. 209 00:13:29,600 --> 00:13:32,600 Speaker 1: But still at least half the Democrats weren't wearying. This 210 00:13:32,640 --> 00:13:37,079 Speaker 1: was a day or two after the CDC, but the 211 00:13:37,160 --> 00:13:41,640 Speaker 1: sort of peer pressure of elected Democrats kicked in, and 212 00:13:41,800 --> 00:13:46,160 Speaker 1: by today, virtually every Democrat is wearing a mask. Kirsten 213 00:13:46,200 --> 00:13:48,160 Speaker 1: Cinema wasn't wearing a mask. She may have been the 214 00:13:48,200 --> 00:13:51,440 Speaker 1: only Democrat not wearing a mask. But what's funny is 215 00:13:51,520 --> 00:13:57,600 Speaker 1: even those Democrats wearing them, they know it's a croc look. Yesterday, 216 00:13:57,679 --> 00:13:59,880 Speaker 1: the day before, I was in an elevator in the 217 00:14:00,160 --> 00:14:03,800 Speaker 1: Russell Senate office building. I walked under the elevator. There 218 00:14:03,840 --> 00:14:05,959 Speaker 1: was a senator. He was there with two of his staff. 219 00:14:06,000 --> 00:14:09,000 Speaker 1: Two of his staff had masks on the senator didn't 220 00:14:09,040 --> 00:14:10,959 Speaker 1: have his mask on, so he's standing in an elevator 221 00:14:11,000 --> 00:14:14,320 Speaker 1: with no mask. He sees me and like who reaches 222 00:14:14,320 --> 00:14:17,440 Speaker 1: in his pocket and quickly puts on the mask. It's 223 00:14:17,480 --> 00:14:21,000 Speaker 1: not like he suddenly became contagious. The guy's vaccinated that 224 00:14:21,080 --> 00:14:24,120 Speaker 1: the mask does nothing. But he had to put it 225 00:14:24,160 --> 00:14:28,040 Speaker 1: on because he had to show I am obedient to 226 00:14:28,080 --> 00:14:32,280 Speaker 1: the government decree. And it's really stupid and it I 227 00:14:32,320 --> 00:14:37,280 Speaker 1: think it diminishes Number One, the CDC is letting itself 228 00:14:37,280 --> 00:14:41,200 Speaker 1: be politicized. It's behaving like a political institution. I mean, Michael, 229 00:14:41,240 --> 00:14:43,560 Speaker 1: let me ask you. Has there been an institution that 230 00:14:43,640 --> 00:14:46,320 Speaker 1: has done more to damage their credibility in the last 231 00:14:46,400 --> 00:14:48,400 Speaker 1: year and a half than the CDC has a year 232 00:14:48,400 --> 00:14:49,680 Speaker 1: and a half ago, they were one of the most 233 00:14:49,720 --> 00:14:53,600 Speaker 1: respected medical and scientific organizations on the face of the planet. 234 00:14:54,200 --> 00:14:57,960 Speaker 1: And now we've seen Fauci do nineteen backflips beyond every 235 00:14:57,960 --> 00:15:01,480 Speaker 1: side of every issue. We understand he's a political player. 236 00:15:01,520 --> 00:15:05,520 Speaker 1: He's not a scientist in terms of what he says. 237 00:15:05,600 --> 00:15:09,280 Speaker 1: He says what's politically convenient at the moment, and the 238 00:15:09,440 --> 00:15:14,280 Speaker 1: damage to the credibility of the CDC and to the 239 00:15:14,400 --> 00:15:18,400 Speaker 1: scientific pontificators, I think has been really enormous to the 240 00:15:18,440 --> 00:15:21,960 Speaker 1: CDC's credibility I think is in tatters well, as you see, 241 00:15:22,080 --> 00:15:25,000 Speaker 1: just even on this issue of the vaccines. Either way, 242 00:15:25,160 --> 00:15:28,920 Speaker 1: either the vaccines do work and the decision is political 243 00:15:28,920 --> 00:15:32,040 Speaker 1: and the CDC loses credibility, or the vaccines don't work 244 00:15:32,080 --> 00:15:33,880 Speaker 1: and what we've been told is not true and so 245 00:15:33,920 --> 00:15:35,640 Speaker 1: everyone needs to wear the masks again and the CDC 246 00:15:35,720 --> 00:15:39,240 Speaker 1: loses credibility. But it seems that as the credibility collapses 247 00:15:39,680 --> 00:15:43,640 Speaker 1: the liberal establishment, you know, and that includes not just 248 00:15:43,680 --> 00:15:46,560 Speaker 1: the elected people, but the bureaucrats and the technocrats and 249 00:15:46,840 --> 00:15:49,680 Speaker 1: the other institutions, they seem to be getting more aggressive. 250 00:15:49,720 --> 00:15:51,160 Speaker 1: And I think this is what a lot of people 251 00:15:51,160 --> 00:15:54,400 Speaker 1: are worried about, speaking of pure pressure, is You've got 252 00:15:54,400 --> 00:15:57,160 Speaker 1: the White House now saying that they may move into 253 00:15:57,200 --> 00:16:01,520 Speaker 1: another lockdown. They're looking at potential teral vaccine mandates for 254 00:16:01,560 --> 00:16:03,600 Speaker 1: goodness sake, Yes, even as we're being told that the 255 00:16:03,680 --> 00:16:06,280 Speaker 1: vaccines allegedly are not working as well as we were 256 00:16:06,280 --> 00:16:08,400 Speaker 1: told they were. So anyway, there's obviously a lot of 257 00:16:08,520 --> 00:16:11,520 Speaker 1: confusion here. But but if Nancy Pelosi is going to 258 00:16:11,560 --> 00:16:14,480 Speaker 1: throw staffers in jail, they seem to mean the threats 259 00:16:14,480 --> 00:16:16,520 Speaker 1: that they're making. Yeah, I mean, you think about that. 260 00:16:16,720 --> 00:16:19,920 Speaker 1: Nancy Pelosi is saying to someone who's a twenty something, 261 00:16:20,000 --> 00:16:24,880 Speaker 1: thirty something Hill staffer is working on Capitol Hill that 262 00:16:25,360 --> 00:16:28,320 Speaker 1: if you dare not wear a mask, even if you're vaccinated, 263 00:16:28,600 --> 00:16:30,520 Speaker 1: she's going to put you in jail. I mean, that 264 00:16:31,120 --> 00:16:38,480 Speaker 1: is a level of dictatorial I don't give a damn that. 265 00:16:38,800 --> 00:16:41,200 Speaker 1: That's really frightening. And you're right. You combine it with 266 00:16:41,280 --> 00:16:44,600 Speaker 1: Joe Biden who's saying he wants to mandate federal employees 267 00:16:44,640 --> 00:16:48,640 Speaker 1: all get vaccines. He wants to mandate the military all 268 00:16:48,680 --> 00:16:53,640 Speaker 1: get vaccines. Listen my view number one, I think vaccines 269 00:16:53,680 --> 00:16:55,800 Speaker 1: are good. I'm a supporter of vaccines. I'm a supporter 270 00:16:55,840 --> 00:16:58,880 Speaker 1: of science. I've been vaccinated. Heid He's been vaccinated, My 271 00:16:58,920 --> 00:17:01,720 Speaker 1: parents have been vaccinated. At Heidi's parents have been vaccinated. 272 00:17:02,240 --> 00:17:03,960 Speaker 1: I was quite glad to get vaccinated. I want to 273 00:17:03,960 --> 00:17:07,240 Speaker 1: get the damn mask off. I wanted to be able 274 00:17:07,280 --> 00:17:10,160 Speaker 1: to go out in crowds of people and interact again 275 00:17:10,240 --> 00:17:13,880 Speaker 1: without being concerned about catching or spreading a dangerous disease. 276 00:17:14,960 --> 00:17:17,760 Speaker 1: But I also believe in individual liberty. I believe in 277 00:17:17,800 --> 00:17:19,840 Speaker 1: individual choice. The fact that I chose to get a 278 00:17:19,880 --> 00:17:22,760 Speaker 1: vaccine doesn't mean you need to make that choice. You're 279 00:17:22,760 --> 00:17:25,920 Speaker 1: an adult. You can make your own choice. You should 280 00:17:26,080 --> 00:17:28,480 Speaker 1: talk to your doctor, you should educate yourself, you should 281 00:17:28,480 --> 00:17:32,399 Speaker 1: think about the pros and cons. And I believe in 282 00:17:32,440 --> 00:17:37,000 Speaker 1: that individual responsibility. And it's amazing the Democrats. They don't 283 00:17:37,040 --> 00:17:39,240 Speaker 1: want to give you that choice. They don't want you 284 00:17:39,280 --> 00:17:41,840 Speaker 1: to be able to make your own choices about medical 285 00:17:41,880 --> 00:17:46,639 Speaker 1: treatment that you're receiving. They want the government. But you know, Senator, 286 00:17:46,680 --> 00:17:49,160 Speaker 1: the argument that they're making, the argument that they're making 287 00:17:49,320 --> 00:17:51,639 Speaker 1: is that when it comes to a pandemic, and I 288 00:17:51,640 --> 00:17:54,920 Speaker 1: guess you know the term is being redefined. It is 289 00:17:55,280 --> 00:17:57,400 Speaker 1: a little bit loose right now, but when it comes 290 00:17:57,440 --> 00:18:02,280 Speaker 1: to a pandemic, you lose your individual rights because your decision, 291 00:18:02,320 --> 00:18:04,560 Speaker 1: I mean not your decision, but someone else's decision not 292 00:18:04,600 --> 00:18:07,440 Speaker 1: to be vaccinated is a direct threat to me because 293 00:18:07,480 --> 00:18:10,760 Speaker 1: you could spread the virus to whomever. And so what 294 00:18:10,840 --> 00:18:13,480 Speaker 1: is the conservative answer to that? There's a logical flaw 295 00:18:13,520 --> 00:18:15,600 Speaker 1: in that argument, and it's really important to break it 296 00:18:15,640 --> 00:18:17,600 Speaker 1: down because you're right, the left is making it by 297 00:18:17,640 --> 00:18:20,160 Speaker 1: the way, the press is making this argument like crazy 298 00:18:20,200 --> 00:18:24,200 Speaker 1: it's very funny. On Capitol Hill, the press reporters, almost 299 00:18:24,240 --> 00:18:27,280 Speaker 1: all of them have dutifully put their masks on. There 300 00:18:27,359 --> 00:18:29,600 Speaker 1: was one one poor guy running around with two masks 301 00:18:29,600 --> 00:18:32,359 Speaker 1: because that, hey, if you've got virtue, I can have 302 00:18:32,400 --> 00:18:34,840 Speaker 1: twice as much virtue and have two masks on. Yeah, 303 00:18:35,680 --> 00:18:39,480 Speaker 1: and it just there were only a couple of reporters 304 00:18:39,480 --> 00:18:41,840 Speaker 1: who dared take their mask off. And again they were 305 00:18:41,840 --> 00:18:44,399 Speaker 1: almost like, you know, Mel Gibson and Braveheart or something. 306 00:18:44,560 --> 00:18:48,480 Speaker 1: But let's go to this argument about the unvaccinated or 307 00:18:48,560 --> 00:18:52,959 Speaker 1: endangering others. And this week I think the person who 308 00:18:53,040 --> 00:18:57,480 Speaker 1: said it most offensively was Haraldo. So Haraldo was on 309 00:18:57,480 --> 00:19:01,959 Speaker 1: on Fox and Erldo went on this this rant on 310 00:19:02,000 --> 00:19:05,000 Speaker 1: the five where he said, he said, if you're unvaccinated, 311 00:19:05,040 --> 00:19:07,560 Speaker 1: I'm going to paraphrase, but this is basically right. He said, 312 00:19:07,560 --> 00:19:11,720 Speaker 1: if you're unvaccinated, then you're arrogant, you're rude, and you're inconsiderate, 313 00:19:11,760 --> 00:19:15,600 Speaker 1: and you're jeopardizing everybody. And he was quite bombastic. I 314 00:19:15,640 --> 00:19:18,159 Speaker 1: know that's hard to believe Eraldo being bombastic, but you 315 00:19:18,359 --> 00:19:21,240 Speaker 1: just can't go imagine on this. Here's the logical flaw. 316 00:19:22,800 --> 00:19:28,240 Speaker 1: Eraldo presumably is vaccinated if not, he's a remarkable hypocrite. 317 00:19:28,240 --> 00:19:33,120 Speaker 1: So I assume he's vaccinated. If he's vaccinated, the risk 318 00:19:33,280 --> 00:19:37,719 Speaker 1: to him of getting COVID is extremely small. Depending on 319 00:19:37,720 --> 00:19:40,720 Speaker 1: which vaccine you got, if you got Fiser or MODERNA, 320 00:19:41,480 --> 00:19:43,919 Speaker 1: the risks are somewhere in the neighborhood of three percent 321 00:19:44,000 --> 00:19:46,600 Speaker 1: or maybe five percent. But if they're very small, and 322 00:19:46,680 --> 00:19:49,200 Speaker 1: if you do catch COVID, there's some percentage, some small 323 00:19:49,240 --> 00:19:51,639 Speaker 1: percentage of people who are vaccinated can catch COVID. If 324 00:19:51,640 --> 00:19:54,760 Speaker 1: you do catch COVID, the risks of it being serious, 325 00:19:54,800 --> 00:19:58,399 Speaker 1: of you being hospitalized or dying are very very small. 326 00:19:59,000 --> 00:20:01,360 Speaker 1: That's why people get the vaccine. They want to dramatically 327 00:20:01,359 --> 00:20:04,240 Speaker 1: reduce the risk of getting getting the disease, and even 328 00:20:04,280 --> 00:20:07,200 Speaker 1: more so, reduce the risk of getting it seriously. That 329 00:20:07,280 --> 00:20:10,719 Speaker 1: means for anyone who's vaccinated, the risk of people who 330 00:20:10,720 --> 00:20:15,120 Speaker 1: are unvaccinated is negligible. It's very small. Now, is there 331 00:20:15,160 --> 00:20:19,080 Speaker 1: some possibility that someone who's unvaccinated will pass the disease 332 00:20:19,119 --> 00:20:22,439 Speaker 1: onto someone else who's unvaccinated. Yes, but you know what 333 00:20:22,560 --> 00:20:26,520 Speaker 1: that someone else who's unvaccinated, they made their damn choice 334 00:20:26,720 --> 00:20:29,800 Speaker 1: like that, you're assuming that risk. If you say I'm 335 00:20:29,840 --> 00:20:32,160 Speaker 1: not going to get the vaccine. Okay, you're a big boy, 336 00:20:32,200 --> 00:20:34,640 Speaker 1: you can adult. You're an adult, you can make that risk. 337 00:20:35,440 --> 00:20:40,000 Speaker 1: But at the same time, the left jumps up and 338 00:20:40,080 --> 00:20:44,080 Speaker 1: down and says, those evil unvaccinated people are jeopardizing me. No, 339 00:20:44,160 --> 00:20:47,840 Speaker 1: if you're vaccinated, they're not. They're jeopardizing each other potentially. 340 00:20:48,240 --> 00:20:51,160 Speaker 1: And you know what, the same thing is true of smokers. 341 00:20:51,200 --> 00:20:55,640 Speaker 1: If you smoke, you may die of lung cancer. Look, 342 00:20:55,680 --> 00:20:57,679 Speaker 1: you and I are both cigar smokers. You know what 343 00:20:57,840 --> 00:21:01,480 Speaker 1: might happen. Our lips and tongues might all off. That 344 00:21:01,520 --> 00:21:03,880 Speaker 1: would suck. I really don't want my lips and tongue 345 00:21:03,880 --> 00:21:08,520 Speaker 1: to fall off. But I believe adults have the ability 346 00:21:08,600 --> 00:21:13,240 Speaker 1: to make choices and bear the consequences of your choices. 347 00:21:13,280 --> 00:21:16,120 Speaker 1: And the left doesn't agree with any of that. They 348 00:21:16,200 --> 00:21:21,360 Speaker 1: want you to be subjects and obey their decrees. Yes, 349 00:21:21,440 --> 00:21:25,280 Speaker 1: so I mean we can certainly assess risk, make prudential judgments. 350 00:21:25,359 --> 00:21:28,400 Speaker 1: We as conservatives think that the left seems less inclined 351 00:21:28,400 --> 00:21:31,080 Speaker 1: in that direction. But this gets back to that absolute 352 00:21:31,119 --> 00:21:33,919 Speaker 1: power point. Ye, the point that we opened up with 353 00:21:34,000 --> 00:21:37,639 Speaker 1: in the Lord Acton quote, which is just as a 354 00:21:37,720 --> 00:21:41,680 Speaker 1: practical matter, here we're past day five hundred of this. 355 00:21:41,680 --> 00:21:44,160 Speaker 1: This should have been over by now. We were all 356 00:21:44,200 --> 00:21:46,119 Speaker 1: told it was going to be over by now. They've 357 00:21:46,119 --> 00:21:49,719 Speaker 1: moved the goalposts. Every single time that we hit one 358 00:21:49,760 --> 00:21:52,120 Speaker 1: of them. It was slow the spread, then it flattened 359 00:21:52,119 --> 00:21:54,520 Speaker 1: the curve, then it was find a cure, then it 360 00:21:54,640 --> 00:21:58,800 Speaker 1: was and it just keeps moving. So how does this end? 361 00:21:58,960 --> 00:22:01,000 Speaker 1: I mean, how do we make sure that we don't 362 00:22:01,000 --> 00:22:03,040 Speaker 1: go from five hundred days to slow the spread two 363 00:22:03,160 --> 00:22:05,160 Speaker 1: thousand days, that we're not that we're not here again 364 00:22:05,200 --> 00:22:06,800 Speaker 1: in another year and a half. Look, if it's up 365 00:22:06,880 --> 00:22:09,960 Speaker 1: to the Democrats, I don't know that this ever does end, 366 00:22:10,720 --> 00:22:13,520 Speaker 1: because it's an excuse for power. It's an excuse for 367 00:22:13,920 --> 00:22:17,000 Speaker 1: trillions of dollars a new spending, it's excuse for trillions 368 00:22:17,000 --> 00:22:20,679 Speaker 1: of dollars of new taxes. It's an excuse for everything 369 00:22:20,720 --> 00:22:23,719 Speaker 1: they want to do anyway they want power. You know, 370 00:22:23,760 --> 00:22:26,840 Speaker 1: you look at these Democratic politicians, for example, who shut 371 00:22:26,880 --> 00:22:29,080 Speaker 1: down churches, who declared it was illegal to go to 372 00:22:29,200 --> 00:22:35,520 Speaker 1: church during the pandemic. They are just statists and authoritarians. 373 00:22:35,560 --> 00:22:37,600 Speaker 1: They don't like people who go to church. They were 374 00:22:37,680 --> 00:22:41,960 Speaker 1: quite happy to strip your religious liberty. And by the way, 375 00:22:43,160 --> 00:22:48,440 Speaker 1: anyone with a triple digit IQ or even a double 376 00:22:48,480 --> 00:22:55,520 Speaker 1: digit IQ could see the rank hypocrisy that that you 377 00:22:55,560 --> 00:22:58,960 Speaker 1: would have the media, you'd have democratic politicians, you would 378 00:22:59,000 --> 00:23:04,280 Speaker 1: have these these self declared scientific experts who would opine 379 00:23:04,359 --> 00:23:09,440 Speaker 1: that thousands of people crammed into the public streets protesting 380 00:23:09,520 --> 00:23:13,880 Speaker 1: black lives matter, zero risk of COVID transmission, that there's 381 00:23:13,880 --> 00:23:16,440 Speaker 1: no chance of it. But if you go to church 382 00:23:16,480 --> 00:23:20,080 Speaker 1: and sing hallelujah, everyone's going to die. And look, that 383 00:23:20,520 --> 00:23:23,800 Speaker 1: was on its face absurd. Everyone knew this is crap. 384 00:23:24,400 --> 00:23:28,000 Speaker 1: You have a political preference, and you're claiming that the 385 00:23:28,080 --> 00:23:31,280 Speaker 1: virus and the infection just happens to perfectly match your 386 00:23:31,359 --> 00:23:35,679 Speaker 1: political preference. We make a couple of other points. Many people, 387 00:23:35,840 --> 00:23:40,280 Speaker 1: certainly the CDC, certainly Democrats, certainly the press, but a 388 00:23:40,280 --> 00:23:43,119 Speaker 1: lot of people out of Republicans too rightly say we 389 00:23:43,160 --> 00:23:45,720 Speaker 1: should be encouraging people to get vaccinated. I agree with that. 390 00:23:45,800 --> 00:23:50,760 Speaker 1: I'm encouraging people to get vaccinated. Ironically enough, with the 391 00:23:50,800 --> 00:23:56,000 Speaker 1: CDC did this week maybe the single biggest disincentive to 392 00:23:56,000 --> 00:23:58,920 Speaker 1: get vaccinated we have seen since the vaccine was introduced. 393 00:23:59,240 --> 00:24:02,800 Speaker 1: So when the CDC initially issued its common sense ruling 394 00:24:02,800 --> 00:24:04,800 Speaker 1: that once you're vaccinated and it's effective, you can take 395 00:24:04,800 --> 00:24:08,600 Speaker 1: your mask off. That was a really good incentive to 396 00:24:08,640 --> 00:24:12,919 Speaker 1: get vaccinated. It encouraged people to get vaccinated because they 397 00:24:12,960 --> 00:24:15,600 Speaker 1: wanted the freedom. Said, by the way, this is not 398 00:24:15,720 --> 00:24:19,120 Speaker 1: hypothetical in my family. So Heidi and I were both 399 00:24:19,160 --> 00:24:21,199 Speaker 1: eager to get the vaccine. My mom got or her 400 00:24:21,240 --> 00:24:24,000 Speaker 1: parents got up. But my dad didn't want to get 401 00:24:24,000 --> 00:24:27,840 Speaker 1: the vaccine. I mean, you know my father, he's eighty 402 00:24:27,880 --> 00:24:31,080 Speaker 1: two years old, he's a pastor. He is stubborn as 403 00:24:31,119 --> 00:24:34,800 Speaker 1: all get out. And I spent probably a month arguing 404 00:24:34,800 --> 00:24:36,840 Speaker 1: with my dad about getting the vaccine. He's like, I 405 00:24:36,840 --> 00:24:39,200 Speaker 1: don't trust it. It was developed too quickly. There might 406 00:24:39,240 --> 00:24:41,960 Speaker 1: be side effects, and you know what, there may be risk. 407 00:24:42,040 --> 00:24:45,840 Speaker 1: It was developed very quickly, and often with medical innovation 408 00:24:46,000 --> 00:24:48,879 Speaker 1: you don't anticipate all of the effects of it. And 409 00:24:48,960 --> 00:24:51,119 Speaker 1: I went round around with my dad. I really wanted 410 00:24:51,160 --> 00:24:53,280 Speaker 1: him to get it, and it probably took me about 411 00:24:53,320 --> 00:24:57,080 Speaker 1: a month and eventually he agreed to get it. And 412 00:24:57,119 --> 00:24:59,680 Speaker 1: what was really compelling for him, so he's a pastor, 413 00:24:59,720 --> 00:25:02,639 Speaker 1: he been hold up at home for a lot of 414 00:25:02,640 --> 00:25:04,879 Speaker 1: this pandemic. It's really hard on him to be alone. 415 00:25:05,880 --> 00:25:07,600 Speaker 1: And I said, listen, you want to get out. You 416 00:25:07,640 --> 00:25:09,639 Speaker 1: want to be preaching again. You want to be in crowd. 417 00:25:09,640 --> 00:25:12,040 Speaker 1: Do you want to be talking to people? And at 418 00:25:12,040 --> 00:25:14,360 Speaker 1: eighty two you want to do so safely where where 419 00:25:14,440 --> 00:25:17,000 Speaker 1: you know we've seen with this virus that for people 420 00:25:17,040 --> 00:25:21,399 Speaker 1: who are your age, the risks are pretty significant. And 421 00:25:21,520 --> 00:25:24,200 Speaker 1: I'll actually take you inside and argument with my dad. 422 00:25:25,240 --> 00:25:27,320 Speaker 1: He said, well, I don't trust trust the vaccine. It 423 00:25:27,400 --> 00:25:29,440 Speaker 1: might it might be bad. And I said, well, look 424 00:25:29,760 --> 00:25:31,920 Speaker 1: here's the vaccine everyone in Congress is taking. Why don't 425 00:25:31,960 --> 00:25:33,280 Speaker 1: you take that vaccine. He's like, no, no, no no, no, 426 00:25:33,400 --> 00:25:36,479 Speaker 1: I don't trust Pelosi and Red and Schumer. I said, look, 427 00:25:36,520 --> 00:25:39,040 Speaker 1: I don't trust Pelosie and Schumer either, but do you 428 00:25:39,040 --> 00:25:42,000 Speaker 1: think they're like trying to poison themselves? Like like it 429 00:25:42,200 --> 00:25:47,119 Speaker 1: is what they're taking. He finally did it, but it 430 00:25:47,200 --> 00:25:49,720 Speaker 1: was his choice. No one had to make him. He 431 00:25:49,880 --> 00:25:51,600 Speaker 1: finally did it because he wanted to get out again. 432 00:25:51,600 --> 00:25:54,080 Speaker 1: And now my dad is back preaching in churches, he's 433 00:25:54,080 --> 00:25:58,480 Speaker 1: back giving speeches, he's traveling. He's very happy because getting 434 00:25:58,560 --> 00:26:01,800 Speaker 1: the vaccine gave him freedom that he cared about. When 435 00:26:01,840 --> 00:26:05,480 Speaker 1: the CDC gave that guidance, you get the vaccine, no mask. 436 00:26:05,960 --> 00:26:09,600 Speaker 1: It incentivized people, Hey, I want that freedom. What the 437 00:26:09,640 --> 00:26:14,560 Speaker 1: CDC did this weekend is implicitly said vaccines don't work. 438 00:26:14,920 --> 00:26:17,959 Speaker 1: Said even if you get the vaccine doesn't matter. Do everything. 439 00:26:18,040 --> 00:26:21,160 Speaker 1: Have all of your liberties curtailed, just like you did 440 00:26:21,160 --> 00:26:25,879 Speaker 1: before you got the vaccine. That's terrible, it's stupid. And 441 00:26:25,960 --> 00:26:29,399 Speaker 1: by the way, they relied on no science or no 442 00:26:29,520 --> 00:26:32,160 Speaker 1: data to basis what they said. It was really quite ironic. 443 00:26:32,200 --> 00:26:35,280 Speaker 1: They said, well, we have scientific studies that back this up. 444 00:26:35,840 --> 00:26:37,400 Speaker 1: We're just not going to tell you what they are. 445 00:26:37,640 --> 00:26:41,000 Speaker 1: We have data, but it's double supersecret and no one 446 00:26:41,000 --> 00:26:44,280 Speaker 1: actually gets to see the data. But trust us because 447 00:26:44,280 --> 00:26:47,720 Speaker 1: we've shown we're such a political credible scientist that we 448 00:26:47,840 --> 00:26:51,680 Speaker 1: just say whatever is politically convenient and then change it tomorrow. 449 00:26:52,400 --> 00:26:56,480 Speaker 1: And it's listen, here's what I think, Michael. I think 450 00:26:56,520 --> 00:27:01,880 Speaker 1: we should have no government mandates on COVID period. That 451 00:27:01,920 --> 00:27:05,679 Speaker 1: means no vaccine mandates, That means no mask mandates, that 452 00:27:05,720 --> 00:27:09,800 Speaker 1: means no vaccine passports, that means no shutdowns, that means 453 00:27:09,800 --> 00:27:13,520 Speaker 1: schools being open. What does the left think? What do 454 00:27:13,600 --> 00:27:16,160 Speaker 1: the Democrats think they want to see all those things mandated? 455 00:27:16,200 --> 00:27:19,000 Speaker 1: And what people I think are most concerned about is 456 00:27:19,000 --> 00:27:20,919 Speaker 1: they're going to drive us off the cliff again of 457 00:27:20,960 --> 00:27:26,359 Speaker 1: shutdowns and shutting schools, and that did massive damage. I 458 00:27:26,400 --> 00:27:29,480 Speaker 1: think it is now abundantly clear that the politicians who 459 00:27:29,600 --> 00:27:35,399 Speaker 1: ordered shutdowns committed a catastrophic mistake, a mistake that I 460 00:27:35,440 --> 00:27:39,960 Speaker 1: hope people study for decades never to make again, because 461 00:27:39,960 --> 00:27:44,720 Speaker 1: they destroyed lives, they destroyed businesses, they hurt children profoundly. 462 00:27:45,160 --> 00:27:47,480 Speaker 1: And the problem is Joe Biden the Democrats are eager 463 00:27:47,480 --> 00:27:50,200 Speaker 1: to do it again. I mean, just even the economic 464 00:27:50,240 --> 00:27:55,040 Speaker 1: effects were so catastrophic, which does bring to another another 465 00:27:55,119 --> 00:27:59,000 Speaker 1: issue here, which is while Nancy Pelosi is busy throwing 466 00:27:59,320 --> 00:28:03,280 Speaker 1: staffers into jail, the other topic that the legislators are 467 00:28:03,280 --> 00:28:07,200 Speaker 1: taking up on Capitol Hill is this infrastructure bill that 468 00:28:07,280 --> 00:28:11,359 Speaker 1: you know, it's not quite as sexy as the coronavirus 469 00:28:11,400 --> 00:28:14,040 Speaker 1: lockdowns and the mandates, and it's it's not pulling at 470 00:28:14,080 --> 00:28:17,800 Speaker 1: people's interest quite as much. But this is a major 471 00:28:17,840 --> 00:28:20,760 Speaker 1: piece of legislation, yea. And it's very unclear, at least 472 00:28:20,760 --> 00:28:23,440 Speaker 1: from my read on the reporting, how this is being 473 00:28:23,440 --> 00:28:26,480 Speaker 1: built and where it's going to go. So this get 474 00:28:26,720 --> 00:28:29,320 Speaker 1: gets complicated. But let me let me try to explain 475 00:28:29,520 --> 00:28:33,000 Speaker 1: some of what's going on. So Joe Biden and Pelosi 476 00:28:33,080 --> 00:28:36,720 Speaker 1: and Schumer want to spend a crap ton of money 477 00:28:37,320 --> 00:28:40,360 Speaker 1: that that, by the way, is a technical term. That 478 00:28:40,440 --> 00:28:44,120 Speaker 1: they're looking to spend somewhere six seven trillion dollars, which 479 00:28:44,120 --> 00:28:50,360 Speaker 1: even in federal government terms is is a staggering, terrifying sum. 480 00:28:50,400 --> 00:28:52,880 Speaker 1: They've already spent one point nine trillion in their first 481 00:28:52,880 --> 00:28:55,400 Speaker 1: bill that they called the COVID Relief Bill, of which 482 00:28:55,680 --> 00:28:58,400 Speaker 1: you'll recall, only nine percent of that was healthcare spending 483 00:28:58,400 --> 00:29:02,040 Speaker 1: on COVID and that was a long left wing special 484 00:29:02,040 --> 00:29:06,680 Speaker 1: interest spending list. So the next bill they're trying to 485 00:29:06,320 --> 00:29:10,200 Speaker 1: take up is what they call an infrastructure bill, and 486 00:29:10,320 --> 00:29:13,200 Speaker 1: the Democrats have proposed three and a half trillion dollars. 487 00:29:14,240 --> 00:29:17,440 Speaker 1: Now the COVID Relief bill, only nine percent of it 488 00:29:17,480 --> 00:29:20,000 Speaker 1: was healthcare spending on COVID. They decided, okay, that was 489 00:29:20,040 --> 00:29:25,680 Speaker 1: too much, so they're three point five trillion dollars infrastructure bill. 490 00:29:25,760 --> 00:29:30,000 Speaker 1: Only five percent of it is roads and bridges. Like 491 00:29:30,680 --> 00:29:33,280 Speaker 1: the reason they call it infrastructure because infrastructure is popular. 492 00:29:33,280 --> 00:29:35,480 Speaker 1: People like roads and bridges. People think we ought to 493 00:29:35,520 --> 00:29:38,320 Speaker 1: spend some money to have highways that don't have potholes 494 00:29:38,320 --> 00:29:40,680 Speaker 1: in them, that have bridges that don't fall down. We 495 00:29:40,760 --> 00:29:42,840 Speaker 1: ought to have airports that work. We ought to have 496 00:29:42,920 --> 00:29:46,880 Speaker 1: ports that we can have commerce. So infrastructure spending is popular. 497 00:29:46,880 --> 00:29:49,640 Speaker 1: It is popular with Democrats, popular with Republicans. But what 498 00:29:49,680 --> 00:29:53,880 Speaker 1: you're saying is the infrastructure bill is not an infrastructure bill. Correct. 499 00:29:54,120 --> 00:29:58,280 Speaker 1: It is purely a label because it pulls well, and 500 00:29:58,320 --> 00:30:02,280 Speaker 1: it's a whole series of things, of childcare subsidies, of 501 00:30:03,000 --> 00:30:08,920 Speaker 1: senior care subsidies, of expanding medicaid. Now, listen, expanding medicaid. 502 00:30:08,920 --> 00:30:11,240 Speaker 1: You might think that's a good policy. We can debate 503 00:30:11,240 --> 00:30:13,880 Speaker 1: about whether that's a good policy or not. But the 504 00:30:13,960 --> 00:30:16,920 Speaker 1: one thing you ought agree it ain't infrastructure, Like it's 505 00:30:16,960 --> 00:30:20,800 Speaker 1: not a frigging road. But Senator, this brings up what 506 00:30:21,360 --> 00:30:24,000 Speaker 1: one of the most prominent talking points right now among 507 00:30:24,040 --> 00:30:27,200 Speaker 1: the Democratic Party, which is that everything is infrastructure. And 508 00:30:27,200 --> 00:30:29,520 Speaker 1: they've actually said this. I don't think I'm misrepresenting them. 509 00:30:29,520 --> 00:30:34,400 Speaker 1: They'll say healthcare is infrastructure. You know, weightlifting is infrastructure. 510 00:30:34,440 --> 00:30:36,600 Speaker 1: That might be a little hyperbolic, but they say basically, 511 00:30:36,640 --> 00:30:40,920 Speaker 1: anything that they want they now reclassify as infrastructure because 512 00:30:41,160 --> 00:30:43,960 Speaker 1: infrastructure polls well, and they know the media will not 513 00:30:44,080 --> 00:30:46,400 Speaker 1: drill into anything they say and will just repeat their 514 00:30:46,400 --> 00:30:51,360 Speaker 1: talking points, and so the media are their propagandists. So there, 515 00:30:51,440 --> 00:30:53,360 Speaker 1: and by the way, this three point five trillion dollar 516 00:30:53,400 --> 00:30:57,960 Speaker 1: infrastructure bill is paid for by trillions and new taxes. 517 00:30:58,000 --> 00:31:01,320 Speaker 1: They want to have massive new tax So it's a 518 00:31:01,440 --> 00:31:05,200 Speaker 1: terrible bill if and when it's taken up and voted on, 519 00:31:05,280 --> 00:31:08,960 Speaker 1: it'll get zero Republican votes. No Republicans, even the squishiest 520 00:31:09,000 --> 00:31:11,280 Speaker 1: Republican is not going to vote for trillions and new 521 00:31:11,360 --> 00:31:14,360 Speaker 1: taxes and just out of control spending. So what did 522 00:31:14,360 --> 00:31:17,600 Speaker 1: we do this week? Well, unfortunately, there was a group 523 00:31:17,680 --> 00:31:23,600 Speaker 1: of ten or twelve Republicans who really, really really want 524 00:31:23,640 --> 00:31:26,040 Speaker 1: to cut a deal, like desperately want to cut a deal. 525 00:31:26,600 --> 00:31:29,960 Speaker 1: And so they've been negotiating with Democrats. What's what they're 526 00:31:30,000 --> 00:31:34,160 Speaker 1: calling the Bipartisan Infrastructure Bill. And listen, on the face 527 00:31:34,200 --> 00:31:36,560 Speaker 1: of it, the bill that they're negotiating, it's it's not 528 00:31:36,600 --> 00:31:39,080 Speaker 1: a terrible bill. On the face of it. It's about 529 00:31:39,120 --> 00:31:41,320 Speaker 1: one point two trillion dollars, so it's a lot of money, 530 00:31:42,520 --> 00:31:45,560 Speaker 1: but it is directed much of it is directed at 531 00:31:45,680 --> 00:31:48,440 Speaker 1: at real infrastructure. Much of it is directed at things 532 00:31:48,440 --> 00:31:52,000 Speaker 1: like roads and bridges and airports and ports, not all 533 00:31:52,040 --> 00:31:53,920 Speaker 1: of it. There's some garbage in it, but it is 534 00:31:54,280 --> 00:31:57,440 Speaker 1: there's a much higher percentage of the bill that is 535 00:31:57,480 --> 00:32:02,640 Speaker 1: actually infrastructure, and it doesn't have the massive tax increases 536 00:32:02,640 --> 00:32:06,440 Speaker 1: that the Democrat proposal did. And so these Republicans they 537 00:32:06,480 --> 00:32:08,720 Speaker 1: met on and on and on and on, and we're 538 00:32:08,800 --> 00:32:12,560 Speaker 1: dancing the hokey pokey with the Democrats. And we've spent 539 00:32:13,360 --> 00:32:17,040 Speaker 1: the last several weeks, if not the last month, in 540 00:32:17,080 --> 00:32:21,960 Speaker 1: our Republican lunches with these these self declared bipartisan negotiators 541 00:32:21,960 --> 00:32:26,480 Speaker 1: reporting to us on a regular basis about what's happening now. 542 00:32:26,840 --> 00:32:30,360 Speaker 1: My view on it is, if they could actually negotiate 543 00:32:30,400 --> 00:32:35,440 Speaker 1: a bipartisan deal, which was let's do the one point 544 00:32:35,440 --> 00:32:40,480 Speaker 1: two trillion dollar bipartisan deal instead of the three point 545 00:32:40,560 --> 00:32:44,400 Speaker 1: five trillion dollar monstrosity, that might be a good deal. 546 00:32:44,840 --> 00:32:47,080 Speaker 1: Look like, if they did the one instead of the other, 547 00:32:48,320 --> 00:32:50,000 Speaker 1: I think it would get a lot of Republicans. I 548 00:32:50,040 --> 00:32:52,560 Speaker 1: might even support it. We actually haven't seen the details 549 00:32:52,600 --> 00:32:55,000 Speaker 1: of the so called bipartisan bill, so I would want 550 00:32:55,040 --> 00:32:57,720 Speaker 1: to actually see the details before I decided if I 551 00:32:57,720 --> 00:33:01,880 Speaker 1: would support it. But if it were that instead of 552 00:33:01,920 --> 00:33:06,400 Speaker 1: the other one that could make some sense. What are 553 00:33:06,400 --> 00:33:08,800 Speaker 1: the Democrats doing. They're saying, hey, let's pass this one 554 00:33:08,800 --> 00:33:11,400 Speaker 1: point two trillion, and then we're going to do the 555 00:33:11,440 --> 00:33:13,880 Speaker 1: three point five trillion on top of it, so it's 556 00:33:13,960 --> 00:33:18,200 Speaker 1: four point seven trillion minimum, and we're just going to 557 00:33:18,280 --> 00:33:23,200 Speaker 1: do everything we want, massively blow out the budget, massively 558 00:33:23,280 --> 00:33:27,280 Speaker 1: increased taxes, and we'll get a whole bunch of Republicans 559 00:33:27,320 --> 00:33:29,760 Speaker 1: to get their fingerprints on at least part of this, 560 00:33:30,360 --> 00:33:32,920 Speaker 1: so Joe Biden can go around the country and say, hey, look, 561 00:33:32,960 --> 00:33:35,120 Speaker 1: this was bipartist and these Republicans are part of it. 562 00:33:35,160 --> 00:33:39,040 Speaker 1: And by the way, among other things, we're seeing inflation 563 00:33:39,200 --> 00:33:42,560 Speaker 1: going up in a very troubling way. We're seeing the 564 00:33:42,600 --> 00:33:44,880 Speaker 1: price of gas going up, We're seeing the price of 565 00:33:44,920 --> 00:33:47,240 Speaker 1: food going up. We're seeing the price of lumber going 566 00:33:47,320 --> 00:33:49,680 Speaker 1: up a lot, We're seeing the price of homes going 567 00:33:49,760 --> 00:33:52,680 Speaker 1: up a lot. And that inflation is being fueled in 568 00:33:52,760 --> 00:33:56,440 Speaker 1: very significant part by this massive spending in debt spree 569 00:33:57,200 --> 00:33:59,400 Speaker 1: that the Democrats are doing right now. It's one hundred 570 00:33:59,400 --> 00:34:02,480 Speaker 1: percent the Democrats. It's all Biden and Schumer and Pelosi. 571 00:34:02,480 --> 00:34:04,080 Speaker 1: They've done one hundred percent of it. Not a single 572 00:34:04,120 --> 00:34:10,600 Speaker 1: Republican supported it with this bipartisan bill. Suddenly Republicans have 573 00:34:10,640 --> 00:34:15,000 Speaker 1: their fingerprints on this inflation bomb that is exploding. And 574 00:34:15,080 --> 00:34:16,800 Speaker 1: so I got to tell you, Michael, at our lunches 575 00:34:16,920 --> 00:34:21,719 Speaker 1: we have had, you know, the term of art in 576 00:34:21,800 --> 00:34:28,360 Speaker 1: Washington is candid discussions. The sort of way of putting 577 00:34:28,400 --> 00:34:31,120 Speaker 1: it is, we've been yelling at each other, and there 578 00:34:31,120 --> 00:34:36,399 Speaker 1: have been Republican senators yelling at these these the bipartisan negotiators. 579 00:34:36,440 --> 00:34:40,080 Speaker 1: Why are you giving the Democrats everything they want? Like, like, 580 00:34:40,200 --> 00:34:43,719 Speaker 1: what do we get in this deal if you sign 581 00:34:43,800 --> 00:34:45,759 Speaker 1: on to part of their package and they get every 582 00:34:45,800 --> 00:34:48,279 Speaker 1: other terrible part of the package and tax increases and 583 00:34:48,320 --> 00:34:52,960 Speaker 1: trillions in debt, Like, what are we getting out of this? Unfortunately, 584 00:34:53,080 --> 00:34:58,080 Speaker 1: we have anywhere from a third or more of the 585 00:34:58,120 --> 00:35:01,200 Speaker 1: Republican conference that's so eager to cut a deal that 586 00:35:01,640 --> 00:35:04,920 Speaker 1: they're willing to embrace at least part of the Democrats 587 00:35:04,960 --> 00:35:07,600 Speaker 1: spending agenda. I think, I think that's really unfortunate and 588 00:35:07,680 --> 00:35:10,759 Speaker 1: a bad mistake. Well, I think this is a very 589 00:35:10,760 --> 00:35:14,000 Speaker 1: important tie ind that has not really been publicized I think, 590 00:35:14,200 --> 00:35:17,120 Speaker 1: which is, yes, Democrats are going to spend a ton 591 00:35:17,160 --> 00:35:20,640 Speaker 1: of money. Yes, Republicans don't have very much power right now. Yes, 592 00:35:20,960 --> 00:35:23,880 Speaker 1: some moderate to liberal Republicans are going to want to 593 00:35:23,880 --> 00:35:26,879 Speaker 1: cut a deal on anything. But it's not just pie 594 00:35:26,920 --> 00:35:28,759 Speaker 1: in the sky. This is not just a well, we're 595 00:35:28,800 --> 00:35:31,480 Speaker 1: spending money, but so what the debts a little higher now. 596 00:35:32,160 --> 00:35:36,439 Speaker 1: This is directly tied to inflation, which is a major threat. 597 00:35:36,440 --> 00:35:38,359 Speaker 1: It's not just a threat, it's actually happening right now, 598 00:35:38,480 --> 00:35:41,800 Speaker 1: and it is affecting people's bottom lines on gas, on food, 599 00:35:41,840 --> 00:35:43,319 Speaker 1: and it's about to affect us on a lot of 600 00:35:43,320 --> 00:35:48,640 Speaker 1: other things too, that's right. And an inflation is a 601 00:35:48,640 --> 00:35:54,480 Speaker 1: automatic tax that hurts. It hurts working families, it hurts seniors, 602 00:35:54,520 --> 00:35:57,520 Speaker 1: you know, seniors who have saved their whole lives for retirement, 603 00:35:57,760 --> 00:36:00,600 Speaker 1: but maybe on a fixed income. And when inflation kicks 604 00:36:00,600 --> 00:36:05,960 Speaker 1: in and prices go up, it really hurts low income 605 00:36:06,000 --> 00:36:09,440 Speaker 1: and moderate income people and seniors on fixed incomes. And 606 00:36:09,760 --> 00:36:13,600 Speaker 1: look this is where Michael, you're and my age differential 607 00:36:13,680 --> 00:36:17,360 Speaker 1: kicks in a little bit. You don't remember, Jimmy Carter, 608 00:36:18,239 --> 00:36:22,160 Speaker 1: I do so. I was born in nineteen seventy My 609 00:36:22,280 --> 00:36:26,600 Speaker 1: first political memory was the election in nineteen seventy six, 610 00:36:27,640 --> 00:36:31,000 Speaker 1: and in particular, it was the fight that my parents 611 00:36:31,000 --> 00:36:35,640 Speaker 1: had because my mother voted for Jimmy Carter. No, you're 612 00:36:35,719 --> 00:36:38,640 Speaker 1: oh my gosh, I would never have guessed. Well, she 613 00:36:38,800 --> 00:36:41,279 Speaker 1: just thought Ford was an idiot. She's like the guy 614 00:36:41,320 --> 00:36:43,800 Speaker 1: as a bumbling moron. I don't like him. And Jimmy 615 00:36:43,800 --> 00:36:47,120 Speaker 1: Carter seems like such a nice guy. And my dad, 616 00:36:47,160 --> 00:36:49,200 Speaker 1: my dad at the time wasn't a US citizen. He 617 00:36:49,200 --> 00:36:52,000 Speaker 1: was a Canadian citizen at the time, and so he 618 00:36:52,040 --> 00:36:55,440 Speaker 1: didn't have a vote, and so my father viewed my 619 00:36:55,520 --> 00:36:58,880 Speaker 1: mom's vote as like the family vote. And I remember 620 00:36:58,960 --> 00:37:03,360 Speaker 1: my dad just apoplectic. How could you vote for Jimmy Carter. 621 00:37:03,719 --> 00:37:05,879 Speaker 1: And when I tell this story now, my mom gets 622 00:37:05,920 --> 00:37:08,239 Speaker 1: upset and she's like, I'm sorry I was wrong, like 623 00:37:08,239 --> 00:37:12,680 Speaker 1: like she is not a Jimmy Carter family. Yeah, but look, 624 00:37:12,680 --> 00:37:21,120 Speaker 1: with Jimmy Carter, we saw the same failed policies we're 625 00:37:21,160 --> 00:37:23,880 Speaker 1: seeing right now, and we saw something called stagflation. What 626 00:37:23,960 --> 00:37:27,960 Speaker 1: a stagflation. Stagflation is when the economy is stagnant, so 627 00:37:28,000 --> 00:37:32,120 Speaker 1: there's not growth, plus you have super high inflation and 628 00:37:32,280 --> 00:37:35,960 Speaker 1: it's a vicious like it was ugly under Jimmy Carter 629 00:37:36,360 --> 00:37:40,120 Speaker 1: and inflation got so high. I mean, you were seeing 630 00:37:40,280 --> 00:37:44,600 Speaker 1: home mortgages that were going up fourteen, fifteen, sixteen, seventeen, 631 00:37:44,680 --> 00:37:48,880 Speaker 1: eighteen nineteen percent on home mortgages. You know, we just 632 00:37:49,160 --> 00:37:52,080 Speaker 1: refinanced our home mortgage. I think we pay two point 633 00:37:52,120 --> 00:37:57,480 Speaker 1: six five percent. People have gotten used to insanely low 634 00:37:58,360 --> 00:38:01,879 Speaker 1: interest rates. Imagine your home mortgage at let's not even 635 00:38:01,960 --> 00:38:05,000 Speaker 1: say eighteen nineteen percent. Imagine your home mortgage at ten percent. 636 00:38:06,760 --> 00:38:09,080 Speaker 1: You know what it means. It means you can buy 637 00:38:09,120 --> 00:38:12,200 Speaker 1: basically a third as big a house as you can 638 00:38:12,280 --> 00:38:14,680 Speaker 1: right now. It triples the cost of your mortgage just 639 00:38:14,760 --> 00:38:18,200 Speaker 1: going from three percent to ten percent. That is a 640 00:38:18,280 --> 00:38:22,960 Speaker 1: massive cost. And for seniors, it destroys their savings. I 641 00:38:23,000 --> 00:38:26,920 Speaker 1: think Biden and Schumer and Pelosi they're repeating those same mistakes. 642 00:38:26,920 --> 00:38:28,520 Speaker 1: And it's really hard to get out of when you've 643 00:38:28,560 --> 00:38:31,080 Speaker 1: got inflation roaring. And by the way, one of the 644 00:38:31,120 --> 00:38:34,560 Speaker 1: big problems with inflation also a huge part of our 645 00:38:34,560 --> 00:38:37,640 Speaker 1: federal budget is interest on the debt. Now we are 646 00:38:37,680 --> 00:38:40,560 Speaker 1: living in sort of the magical time that the land 647 00:38:40,600 --> 00:38:43,719 Speaker 1: that time forgot because interest is so low that the 648 00:38:43,840 --> 00:38:46,600 Speaker 1: cost of interest on the debt it is still massive 649 00:38:47,120 --> 00:38:50,320 Speaker 1: in the hundreds of billions of dollars. But if interest 650 00:38:50,400 --> 00:38:53,160 Speaker 1: rates go up a lot. Interest on the debt will 651 00:38:53,200 --> 00:38:55,400 Speaker 1: become the single biggest element on the federal budget, and 652 00:38:55,400 --> 00:39:01,240 Speaker 1: so it becomes this spiral where it keeps getting worse 653 00:39:01,280 --> 00:39:04,719 Speaker 1: and worse and worse. And I think it's crazy that 654 00:39:04,800 --> 00:39:08,279 Speaker 1: Republicans are complicit in any way. And that's certainly what 655 00:39:08,320 --> 00:39:12,560 Speaker 1: I'm arguing to my colleagues, and most of my colleagues agree, 656 00:39:12,640 --> 00:39:15,759 Speaker 1: but a significant chunk of them do not. Well. This 657 00:39:15,840 --> 00:39:18,920 Speaker 1: is an important point because even forgetting the merits of 658 00:39:18,960 --> 00:39:21,520 Speaker 1: the bill or the infrastructure spending or what have you, 659 00:39:21,800 --> 00:39:24,920 Speaker 1: just the political ramifications here. It seems that a number 660 00:39:24,920 --> 00:39:27,880 Speaker 1: of centrist Republicans think that they're going to get political 661 00:39:27,920 --> 00:39:31,440 Speaker 1: pats on the back for looking as though they're compromising 662 00:39:31,520 --> 00:39:36,600 Speaker 1: and conciliatory. But this could be a huge liability. Forget 663 00:39:36,640 --> 00:39:38,279 Speaker 1: that it's a bad idea in the first place, this 664 00:39:38,360 --> 00:39:41,840 Speaker 1: could be a huge, huge political liability. Before we go, Senator, 665 00:39:41,880 --> 00:39:44,319 Speaker 1: I do have to get to the mail bag. There 666 00:39:44,320 --> 00:39:46,480 Speaker 1: are some great mail back questions. Her first one is 667 00:39:46,560 --> 00:39:49,440 Speaker 1: very simple from Michael, not me. Do you intend to 668 00:39:49,480 --> 00:39:54,719 Speaker 1: wear a mask in the capital? Hell? No, I had 669 00:39:54,760 --> 00:39:57,360 Speaker 1: a feeling I knew the answer to that question. Simple questions, 670 00:39:57,440 --> 00:40:02,000 Speaker 1: simple answer, and absolutely a correct one. Matthew asks a 671 00:40:02,000 --> 00:40:04,799 Speaker 1: tougher question, but it does get to what we're talking about. 672 00:40:05,080 --> 00:40:06,960 Speaker 1: And by the way, let me throw a caveat on that. 673 00:40:07,800 --> 00:40:12,319 Speaker 1: So I do still wear masks on airplanes because they 674 00:40:12,360 --> 00:40:14,239 Speaker 1: make you. They'll throw you off the plane if you don't. 675 00:40:14,280 --> 00:40:18,520 Speaker 1: And and I filed legislation to end that stupid policy. 676 00:40:18,560 --> 00:40:21,440 Speaker 1: It's it makes no sense to require mask on air planes. 677 00:40:21,480 --> 00:40:25,239 Speaker 1: And and it is it is the Biden administration being 678 00:40:25,320 --> 00:40:29,120 Speaker 1: unreasonable that is putting that requirement in. And by the way, 679 00:40:29,320 --> 00:40:30,880 Speaker 1: all right, so, just a couple of weeks ago, in 680 00:40:30,920 --> 00:40:35,680 Speaker 1: the Commerce Committee, we had a vote on an amendment 681 00:40:35,719 --> 00:40:38,799 Speaker 1: to end the requirement that you wear masks on airplanes. 682 00:40:39,320 --> 00:40:41,480 Speaker 1: And there was an argument back and forth tween Republicans 683 00:40:41,480 --> 00:40:44,560 Speaker 1: and Democrats, and every Democrat on the Commerce Committee voted no. 684 00:40:45,440 --> 00:40:48,160 Speaker 1: Now at the time, one of those Democrats, Brian Shots, 685 00:40:48,280 --> 00:40:50,960 Speaker 1: is a Democrat from from Hawaii. It's a nice guy. 686 00:40:50,960 --> 00:40:53,840 Speaker 1: He and I get along well. Um, we played hoops together. 687 00:40:53,920 --> 00:40:58,600 Speaker 1: I mean, he's nice enough fellow. Um he said at 688 00:40:58,640 --> 00:41:01,360 Speaker 1: the hearing, he said, you know, if it didn't mandate 689 00:41:01,440 --> 00:41:05,080 Speaker 1: that they changed the policy, but if the bill was 690 00:41:05,160 --> 00:41:10,560 Speaker 1: simply a sense of the Senate that the FAA should 691 00:41:10,600 --> 00:41:13,439 Speaker 1: change the policy and not require masks on airplanes. He said, 692 00:41:13,719 --> 00:41:16,040 Speaker 1: then I would support it, and I stopped and said, okay, 693 00:41:16,320 --> 00:41:17,920 Speaker 1: if we did a sense of the Senate, it has 694 00:41:18,000 --> 00:41:19,600 Speaker 1: less teeth, but you'd support it. I'd be like, look, 695 00:41:19,640 --> 00:41:21,560 Speaker 1: if we can actually get this done and get rid 696 00:41:21,560 --> 00:41:23,640 Speaker 1: of the ridiculous mask requirement on planes, that'd be a 697 00:41:23,680 --> 00:41:28,200 Speaker 1: good thing. He said yes, and unfortunately so it was 698 00:41:28,280 --> 00:41:31,520 Speaker 1: Rick Scott's amendment. And I asked Rick at the hearing, 699 00:41:31,560 --> 00:41:33,640 Speaker 1: I said, would you be willing to change your amendment 700 00:41:33,680 --> 00:41:35,839 Speaker 1: to do what Shots wants to do, because that would 701 00:41:35,840 --> 00:41:38,680 Speaker 1: get Democrats and it would pass. Rick said no, he 702 00:41:38,719 --> 00:41:40,160 Speaker 1: didn't want to do that. He wanted to vote on 703 00:41:40,200 --> 00:41:42,920 Speaker 1: the one with full force. I said okay. So we 704 00:41:43,080 --> 00:41:46,840 Speaker 1: voted on it and it failed. Afterwards, Shots approached me 705 00:41:46,840 --> 00:41:49,360 Speaker 1: and said, hey, let's do a bill that is the 706 00:41:49,440 --> 00:41:55,239 Speaker 1: sense of the Senate that we should end masks on airplanes. 707 00:41:55,239 --> 00:41:56,920 Speaker 1: I said great, So I said, I'll have my staff 708 00:41:57,000 --> 00:41:59,360 Speaker 1: draft it, we'll get it to you tomorrow. Let's do it. 709 00:41:59,440 --> 00:42:03,000 Speaker 1: This could be a big deal, you and me together, bipartisan. 710 00:42:03,560 --> 00:42:05,719 Speaker 1: Let's end this ridiculous requirement. And by the way. The 711 00:42:05,760 --> 00:42:08,719 Speaker 1: poor guy had just gotten off an airplane from Hawaii, 712 00:42:09,040 --> 00:42:11,279 Speaker 1: which he would fly every week, and that's a long 713 00:42:11,360 --> 00:42:13,920 Speaker 1: way to fly with a mask when you've already been vaccinated. 714 00:42:14,600 --> 00:42:16,719 Speaker 1: So we drafted it. I showed it to him. Long 715 00:42:16,719 --> 00:42:20,120 Speaker 1: and short of it is, he declined to sign on 716 00:42:20,239 --> 00:42:24,400 Speaker 1: because when he talked to Democratic leadership, basically they cracked 717 00:42:24,480 --> 00:42:28,480 Speaker 1: the whip and said you must obey, and we don't 718 00:42:28,520 --> 00:42:31,360 Speaker 1: want you to do this. So he bailed. I filed 719 00:42:31,360 --> 00:42:34,279 Speaker 1: it anyway, but I filed it with just Republicans. Now, 720 00:42:34,360 --> 00:42:36,719 Speaker 1: by the way, I had even like Susan Collins as 721 00:42:36,719 --> 00:42:39,320 Speaker 1: a co sponsor. There are not a lot of things 722 00:42:39,400 --> 00:42:43,759 Speaker 1: that had me and Susan Collins together, but it was 723 00:42:43,800 --> 00:42:46,160 Speaker 1: supposed to have Democrats, and none of the Democrats would 724 00:42:46,200 --> 00:42:49,000 Speaker 1: do it. So fast forward to this week. One of 725 00:42:49,000 --> 00:42:53,280 Speaker 1: the very first Democrats to be docily wearing his mask 726 00:42:53,480 --> 00:42:57,319 Speaker 1: was Brian Shots and I just kind of had the 727 00:42:57,440 --> 00:43:00,399 Speaker 1: laugh at weight. Two weeks ago, you knew this was ridicus. 728 00:43:01,000 --> 00:43:05,440 Speaker 1: You still know it's ridiculous, But now the Democratic Party 729 00:43:05,520 --> 00:43:08,400 Speaker 1: is such that you must obey, and so you you 730 00:43:08,560 --> 00:43:11,600 Speaker 1: uniquely do so and gotta get in line. Well, so 731 00:43:12,239 --> 00:43:17,000 Speaker 1: these tactical issues I think motivate this next question from Matthew. 732 00:43:17,560 --> 00:43:20,160 Speaker 1: Trying to talk facts and logic with the left doesn't 733 00:43:20,160 --> 00:43:23,200 Speaker 1: seem to be working, and being a jerk doesn't help either. 734 00:43:23,719 --> 00:43:26,120 Speaker 1: What's another approach we can use to get along and 735 00:43:26,160 --> 00:43:29,920 Speaker 1: have useful discourse? Or is the era of bipartisanship and 736 00:43:30,000 --> 00:43:34,839 Speaker 1: common ground deader than disco? The only way to move 737 00:43:34,880 --> 00:43:37,400 Speaker 1: forward is to beat them, is to beat them of 738 00:43:37,440 --> 00:43:41,080 Speaker 1: the ballot box. And and you know, let me answer 739 00:43:41,160 --> 00:43:45,720 Speaker 1: that by making a reference to a series of books 740 00:43:45,719 --> 00:43:47,080 Speaker 1: that I read as a kid. So, when I was 741 00:43:47,080 --> 00:43:48,719 Speaker 1: a kid, I was a big fan of It's a 742 00:43:48,760 --> 00:43:51,719 Speaker 1: seven book series that's called The Great Brain. Or did 743 00:43:51,719 --> 00:43:54,320 Speaker 1: you ever read The Great Brain? No? No, I didn't, Okay, 744 00:43:54,360 --> 00:43:59,080 Speaker 1: So it's so it's it's by a guy named John 745 00:43:59,680 --> 00:44:04,920 Speaker 1: John D. Fitzgerald, and it is about a family in 746 00:44:05,120 --> 00:44:08,440 Speaker 1: Utah on the late eighteen hundreds, so at the turn 747 00:44:08,440 --> 00:44:13,840 Speaker 1: of the century. And they're three brothers, John D. Fitzgerald, 748 00:44:13,880 --> 00:44:17,239 Speaker 1: who's the youngest brother, Tom D. Fitzgerald, who's the middle 749 00:44:17,239 --> 00:44:19,839 Speaker 1: of brother, and swend Fitzgerald, who is the oldest brother. 750 00:44:20,400 --> 00:44:23,120 Speaker 1: And the middle brother, Tom D is the Great Brain, 751 00:44:23,160 --> 00:44:25,719 Speaker 1: and he's a little con man he's basically a swindler, 752 00:44:26,120 --> 00:44:28,520 Speaker 1: and you know, it's sort of like Tom Sawyer, but 753 00:44:28,640 --> 00:44:32,480 Speaker 1: it's it's sort of clever cons And I read these 754 00:44:32,520 --> 00:44:34,719 Speaker 1: when I was I think in junior high. I read them. 755 00:44:34,760 --> 00:44:37,640 Speaker 1: They're great kids books I have. Unfortunately, I haven't been 756 00:44:37,640 --> 00:44:39,319 Speaker 1: able to get either of my daughters to read them. 757 00:44:39,320 --> 00:44:43,719 Speaker 1: But they're great kids books. But the opening chapter to 758 00:44:43,840 --> 00:44:48,239 Speaker 1: the first book is John d the little brother, is 759 00:44:48,239 --> 00:44:49,920 Speaker 1: the author of all of them, and he's telling the 760 00:44:49,960 --> 00:44:54,600 Speaker 1: stories about his conman middle brother, Tom d And he said, 761 00:44:55,640 --> 00:44:58,200 Speaker 1: he said, you know, we're growing up in Utah the 762 00:44:58,280 --> 00:45:02,640 Speaker 1: late eighteen hundreds, and he said, virtually everyone in the 763 00:45:02,680 --> 00:45:05,160 Speaker 1: town where we live as Mormon. And he said, we're 764 00:45:05,200 --> 00:45:10,840 Speaker 1: not Mormon. And he said, but but they're very tolerant 765 00:45:10,880 --> 00:45:13,680 Speaker 1: and it's okay. And he said, it was simply a 766 00:45:13,719 --> 00:45:17,520 Speaker 1: matter of me learning to whip every boy my age, 767 00:45:17,800 --> 00:45:20,280 Speaker 1: and Tom Dee learning to whip every boy his age, 768 00:45:20,680 --> 00:45:24,839 Speaker 1: and Swende learning to whip every boy his age. And 769 00:45:24,880 --> 00:45:28,840 Speaker 1: he said, they're very tolerant of us. Now, it's amazing 770 00:45:28,920 --> 00:45:31,399 Speaker 1: how tolerant someone can be when you can whip them. 771 00:45:32,480 --> 00:45:37,200 Speaker 1: And and that statement there's enormous wisdom in it. It's 772 00:45:37,280 --> 00:45:39,719 Speaker 1: it's always I've always thought of that statement when I 773 00:45:39,719 --> 00:45:43,360 Speaker 1: think about Israel's foreign policy. It's amazing how tolerant Israel's 774 00:45:43,360 --> 00:45:46,319 Speaker 1: neighbors are when the fact is Israel can beat them militarily. 775 00:45:46,760 --> 00:45:48,960 Speaker 1: In terms of dealing with the Democrats, we're not going 776 00:45:49,000 --> 00:45:54,239 Speaker 1: to persuade Nancy Pelosi. What we will do, and I 777 00:45:54,280 --> 00:45:57,279 Speaker 1: believe we will do it in twenty twenty two, is 778 00:45:57,320 --> 00:45:59,480 Speaker 1: we can persuade the American people and we can beat 779 00:45:59,480 --> 00:46:02,640 Speaker 1: them at the bottot box and retire Nancy Pelosi by 780 00:46:02,680 --> 00:46:06,760 Speaker 1: taking the House back. And we can retire Chuck Schumer's 781 00:46:06,800 --> 00:46:09,520 Speaker 1: majority leader by taking the Senate back. And we can 782 00:46:09,680 --> 00:46:12,120 Speaker 1: retire Joe Biden, although not sure he would know it 783 00:46:12,760 --> 00:46:17,839 Speaker 1: by winning in twenty four. But the only way they 784 00:46:17,880 --> 00:46:21,759 Speaker 1: will not stop. The angry socialist, crazy left will not 785 00:46:21,880 --> 00:46:25,200 Speaker 1: stop until they get trounced at the ballot box. And 786 00:46:25,280 --> 00:46:29,080 Speaker 1: if and when they get trounced, then I think there's 787 00:46:29,120 --> 00:46:35,400 Speaker 1: some realistic prospect that at least some reasonable Democrats will say, well, gosh, 788 00:46:35,440 --> 00:46:39,080 Speaker 1: maybe we shouldn't have gone so crazy far left, maybe 789 00:46:39,120 --> 00:46:42,720 Speaker 1: we should recalibrate. But that takes some time to have happened, 790 00:46:43,000 --> 00:46:45,399 Speaker 1: and they ain't gonna do it until they lose. If 791 00:46:45,440 --> 00:46:50,319 Speaker 1: they haven't lost, the chances of them shifting away from 792 00:46:50,320 --> 00:46:53,279 Speaker 1: this radical agenda I think or zero. The only way 793 00:46:53,320 --> 00:46:58,799 Speaker 1: they shift is after they lose, and hopefully lose resoundingly. Right. 794 00:46:58,800 --> 00:47:01,080 Speaker 1: And it's not just because they're no good, awful, rotten, 795 00:47:01,239 --> 00:47:03,440 Speaker 1: terrible democrats. I mean, we could talk about that at 796 00:47:03,440 --> 00:47:07,200 Speaker 1: great length, but it's it's because they've got all the power. 797 00:47:07,239 --> 00:47:09,080 Speaker 1: They've got all the power, and so it actually doesn't 798 00:47:09,080 --> 00:47:11,040 Speaker 1: even make sense for them to try to give in 799 00:47:11,080 --> 00:47:13,279 Speaker 1: on these thing. Didn't Lord Acton say something like that? 800 00:47:14,320 --> 00:47:17,239 Speaker 1: You know, there's this strange coincidence here reminds me of 801 00:47:17,280 --> 00:47:20,120 Speaker 1: a quote from Lord Acton. And absolutely, I am with 802 00:47:20,160 --> 00:47:23,160 Speaker 1: your senator. The only way that we are going to 803 00:47:23,480 --> 00:47:26,359 Speaker 1: reconcile and come back together is if we pull some 804 00:47:26,440 --> 00:47:28,840 Speaker 1: of that power back from the people who have taken 805 00:47:28,880 --> 00:47:30,879 Speaker 1: all of it. We've got to end it there. I'm 806 00:47:30,920 --> 00:47:42,759 Speaker 1: Michael Knowls. This is verdict with Ted Cruz. We are 807 00:47:42,760 --> 00:47:44,560 Speaker 1: going to be taking verdict on the road. We are 808 00:47:44,600 --> 00:47:48,320 Speaker 1: partnering with the Young America's Foundation. We're going to multiple 809 00:47:48,360 --> 00:47:51,239 Speaker 1: school I think we're going to six schools and universities 810 00:47:52,000 --> 00:47:55,640 Speaker 1: with YAF. You can go to yaf dot org slash 811 00:47:55,840 --> 00:48:00,280 Speaker 1: verdict right now to request that we come to your cool. 812 00:48:00,520 --> 00:48:04,720 Speaker 1: The deadline is August eighteenth, Senator. Should we go to 813 00:48:04,760 --> 00:48:08,960 Speaker 1: the really nice, wonderful conservative schools with the Young America's Foundation, 814 00:48:09,000 --> 00:48:12,160 Speaker 1: or should we go to the crazy leftist, insane schools 815 00:48:12,239 --> 00:48:13,440 Speaker 1: that are going to run us out of town on 816 00:48:13,480 --> 00:48:15,200 Speaker 1: the rail. Well, it seems to me that should be 817 00:48:15,280 --> 00:48:17,719 Speaker 1: up to the listeners of Verdict to decide. And so 818 00:48:17,840 --> 00:48:20,040 Speaker 1: so you tell us if you're a student right now, 819 00:48:20,760 --> 00:48:23,640 Speaker 1: you might be at one of the few havens of 820 00:48:23,719 --> 00:48:26,840 Speaker 1: sanity and you say, hey, come, come cheer us on 821 00:48:27,120 --> 00:48:31,080 Speaker 1: and and and reach out to us. On the other hand, 822 00:48:31,120 --> 00:48:34,480 Speaker 1: you might be behind enemy lines, surrounded by Bolsheviks and 823 00:48:34,520 --> 00:48:39,000 Speaker 1: Mensheviks and and and and looking for a Berlin airlift. 824 00:48:39,640 --> 00:48:42,000 Speaker 1: You know, my guess is we're open to do it 825 00:48:42,040 --> 00:48:44,560 Speaker 1: a little of both. But but it's really the incredible 826 00:48:44,640 --> 00:48:47,880 Speaker 1: listeners a Verdict who are going to make that decision. 827 00:48:48,200 --> 00:48:50,600 Speaker 1: We want to free the students on campus, We want 828 00:48:50,600 --> 00:48:52,799 Speaker 1: to free all of us here in this country. So 829 00:48:52,840 --> 00:48:54,879 Speaker 1: make sure you get those names in yaft dot org 830 00:48:55,160 --> 00:48:58,480 Speaker 1: slash verdict. August eighteenth is the deadline. We're sitting here 831 00:48:58,560 --> 00:49:01,120 Speaker 1: right now. It is too forty two in the morning. 832 00:49:01,200 --> 00:49:06,080 Speaker 1: You've come here straight from the hill. Senator Ted Cruz 833 00:49:06,200 --> 00:49:12,879 Speaker 1: was a nightly podcast called Verdict. AOC says I'm happy 834 00:49:12,880 --> 00:49:15,920 Speaker 1: to work with Republicans, just not Ted Cruz, and then 835 00:49:15,920 --> 00:49:19,200 Speaker 1: she called your murderer. Apparently I will continue my murderous 836 00:49:19,280 --> 00:49:22,239 Speaker 1: rampage down in Miami. Can you just take us through 837 00:49:22,239 --> 00:49:24,600 Speaker 1: this process a little bit. Those rules are designed so 838 00:49:24,719 --> 00:49:26,960 Speaker 1: you don't have senators screaming at each other. The house 839 00:49:27,040 --> 00:49:29,080 Speaker 1: has a lot of that. I still remember when they 840 00:49:29,120 --> 00:49:31,520 Speaker 1: pulled up porn on the screen. Justice O'Connor just went, 841 00:49:31,760 --> 00:49:37,840 Speaker 1: oh my, you're saying Ukraine and not Russia that logical 842 00:49:37,880 --> 00:49:41,520 Speaker 1: construct x and not why they're engaging in lawyerly sleight 843 00:49:41,560 --> 00:49:44,600 Speaker 1: of hand. The fact checkers declared it a lot if 844 00:49:44,640 --> 00:49:46,720 Speaker 1: you said Biden was in fact that a band fractic. 845 00:49:46,880 --> 00:49:50,040 Speaker 1: Right boom, what happens? He gets elected and now the 846 00:49:50,080 --> 00:49:52,759 Speaker 1: fact checkers are saying it's a lot that he ever 847 00:49:52,800 --> 00:49:56,000 Speaker 1: said he wasn't good a band fractic. The US government 848 00:49:56,520 --> 00:50:01,360 Speaker 1: was funding the Chinese research at the hun Institute of Rologe. 849 00:50:01,600 --> 00:50:06,160 Speaker 1: The Senate acquitted President Trump about four thirty in the afternoon. 850 00:50:06,400 --> 00:50:09,000 Speaker 1: That's right, they're not done. This is released the hound 851 00:50:09,080 --> 00:50:11,279 Speaker 1: that what can the hell are you frigging nuts on? 852 00:50:11,400 --> 00:50:14,520 Speaker 1: As the casino, Joe Biden was saying, I'm not against fracking, 853 00:50:14,520 --> 00:50:17,120 Speaker 1: I'm not against cole. Literally, what Biden is doing and 854 00:50:17,160 --> 00:50:20,520 Speaker 1: what Kerry is doing is screwing the environment. You guys 855 00:50:20,520 --> 00:50:24,120 Speaker 1: are not frigging overlord, get off your power trip. It 856 00:50:24,239 --> 00:50:26,560 Speaker 1: still doesn't matter if there is a quid pro quo. Okay, 857 00:50:26,600 --> 00:50:29,359 Speaker 1: you showed off your Latin into the episodes. There's been 858 00:50:29,360 --> 00:50:31,839 Speaker 1: a real cynicism in this whole issue of the protests. 859 00:50:31,880 --> 00:50:34,279 Speaker 1: Just a week ago we were told if you go 860 00:50:34,360 --> 00:50:37,880 Speaker 1: outside to do anything, you're killing grandma. You're endangering people 861 00:50:38,080 --> 00:50:40,880 Speaker 1: because of the coronavirus, and then this week we're told 862 00:50:41,040 --> 00:50:45,480 Speaker 1: everybody should go out to protest. The world's number one 863 00:50:45,600 --> 00:50:49,080 Speaker 1: podcast and number one in news. We passed Joe Rogan. 864 00:50:49,160 --> 00:50:52,400 Speaker 1: We rose to number one. We are beating the New 865 00:50:52,520 --> 00:50:54,600 Speaker 1: York Times. Okay, I'm sorry, could you say that again. 866 00:50:54,719 --> 00:50:57,440 Speaker 1: We're taking Verdict on the road. We will be at 867 00:50:57,560 --> 00:51:03,720 Speaker 1: Yaff's Freedom Timeference Miami. The novel one podcast and the entiretment. 868 00:51:04,120 --> 00:51:10,439 Speaker 1: What is a podcast? This episode of Verdict with Ted 869 00:51:10,520 --> 00:51:13,120 Speaker 1: Cruz is being brought to you by Jobs, Freedom and 870 00:51:13,239 --> 00:51:19,040 Speaker 1: Security Pack, a political action committee dedicated to supporting conservative causes, organizations, 871 00:51:19,120 --> 00:51:22,720 Speaker 1: and candidates across the country. In twenty twenty two, Jobs 872 00:51:22,760 --> 00:51:26,240 Speaker 1: Freedom and Security Pack plans to donate to conservative candidates 873 00:51:26,320 --> 00:51:30,080 Speaker 1: running for Congress and help the Republican Party across the nation.