1 00:00:00,120 --> 00:00:09,560 Speaker 1: How do you process this moment thirty four days out 2 00:00:10,440 --> 00:00:18,480 Speaker 1: as Trump appears before the national media and basically says, well, 3 00:00:18,880 --> 00:00:22,919 Speaker 1: I got you tamed. They all nod back at him, 4 00:00:23,640 --> 00:00:27,480 Speaker 1: and you got to keep being nice. Gotta be nice, 5 00:00:27,600 --> 00:00:34,280 Speaker 1: nice to Trump? How do you assess the strategic landscape politically? 6 00:00:34,800 --> 00:00:37,920 Speaker 2: I think the question is the right one because one 7 00:00:37,920 --> 00:00:40,360 Speaker 2: of my great mentors is a guy named lescal who 8 00:00:40,400 --> 00:00:42,839 Speaker 2: ran the Council on Form Relations, and he used to say, 9 00:00:42,920 --> 00:00:43,800 Speaker 2: strategy is hard. 10 00:00:43,840 --> 00:00:46,320 Speaker 3: Most people can't do strategy. And I think what you 11 00:00:46,400 --> 00:00:47,120 Speaker 3: see right. 12 00:00:46,960 --> 00:00:52,200 Speaker 2: Now is a landscape that looks like an evolving battlefield, right. 13 00:00:52,240 --> 00:00:54,320 Speaker 2: And you've got a force that's on the offensive and 14 00:00:54,440 --> 00:00:58,480 Speaker 2: is taking ground and got momentum and got energy, and 15 00:00:58,760 --> 00:01:04,720 Speaker 2: you've got a fragment to disorganize, demoralized opposition and series 16 00:01:04,760 --> 00:01:07,959 Speaker 2: of oppositions. And I think for me, I go back 17 00:01:07,959 --> 00:01:10,000 Speaker 2: to being a dad, right, And when I send my 18 00:01:10,000 --> 00:01:12,040 Speaker 2: boys off to school, we have little sayings every day. 19 00:01:12,040 --> 00:01:14,240 Speaker 2: I got two little boys, they're nine and five, and 20 00:01:14,280 --> 00:01:18,080 Speaker 2: we say strong of body, strong of heart, strong of mind, right, 21 00:01:18,120 --> 00:01:20,560 Speaker 2: And that's how I kind of steal them to think 22 00:01:20,600 --> 00:01:23,280 Speaker 2: about how they can be empowered to take on whatever 23 00:01:23,360 --> 00:01:24,920 Speaker 2: is gonna come at their day and I make the 24 00:01:24,920 --> 00:01:26,880 Speaker 2: brothers look at each other, tell them they love them, 25 00:01:26,920 --> 00:01:29,280 Speaker 2: and they go in together. Right, And every day they're 26 00:01:29,280 --> 00:01:32,480 Speaker 2: going into the unknown in New York City public school. 27 00:01:32,760 --> 00:01:34,959 Speaker 2: But when my nine year old was a kindergartener, he 28 00:01:35,040 --> 00:01:37,640 Speaker 2: was going into COVID with a mask and a temperature 29 00:01:37,720 --> 00:01:39,200 Speaker 2: check and I couldn't even go in the room. 30 00:01:39,280 --> 00:01:39,480 Speaker 3: Right. 31 00:01:39,560 --> 00:01:41,720 Speaker 2: So I kind of bring it all back to that, Steve, 32 00:01:42,200 --> 00:01:45,839 Speaker 2: because I think the most important thing for people, especially Democrats, 33 00:01:45,840 --> 00:01:49,480 Speaker 2: to understand is it's on. It's been on for years 34 00:01:49,840 --> 00:01:53,520 Speaker 2: and now it's fully unfolding. And for these folks that 35 00:01:53,560 --> 00:01:56,440 Speaker 2: are licking their wounds or they're you know, doing with 36 00:01:56,480 --> 00:01:57,960 Speaker 2: what Democrats love to do, which is like a lot 37 00:01:58,000 --> 00:02:01,160 Speaker 2: of listening sessions and roundtables. 38 00:02:01,520 --> 00:02:05,320 Speaker 3: Trump is pushing his advantage very aggressively right now. 39 00:02:05,360 --> 00:02:08,919 Speaker 2: He's not taking Christmas off to handout presents to his grandkids, and. 40 00:02:08,919 --> 00:02:10,360 Speaker 3: He's going to try to run up the score. 41 00:02:10,400 --> 00:02:13,880 Speaker 2: So what's lacking is a strategy to oppose him, right, 42 00:02:13,919 --> 00:02:15,240 Speaker 2: And I think what's also lacking is. 43 00:02:15,240 --> 00:02:16,160 Speaker 3: A strategic leader. 44 00:02:16,560 --> 00:02:20,200 Speaker 2: There is no Churchill, there is no FDR, and no 45 00:02:20,200 --> 00:02:22,280 Speaker 2: one has yet emerged to be that person. 46 00:02:22,360 --> 00:02:23,959 Speaker 3: For the Democrats or for America. 47 00:02:24,360 --> 00:02:26,520 Speaker 2: And I've been talking to folks as I'm sure you have, 48 00:02:26,520 --> 00:02:28,040 Speaker 2: who are trying to figure out what to do next 49 00:02:28,080 --> 00:02:30,040 Speaker 2: to get my read and I say, look, part of 50 00:02:30,080 --> 00:02:33,160 Speaker 2: it is about betting on leaders, whether you're betting on 51 00:02:33,440 --> 00:02:36,320 Speaker 2: Steve Schmidt or you're betting on AOC, or you're betting 52 00:02:36,320 --> 00:02:40,160 Speaker 2: on Dan Osborne who ran as an independent for Senate 53 00:02:40,200 --> 00:02:43,040 Speaker 2: in Nebraska and almost one. It's not a time where 54 00:02:43,040 --> 00:02:46,720 Speaker 2: the existing organizations are nimble, dynamic, or even capable enough 55 00:02:46,720 --> 00:02:47,959 Speaker 2: to respond to this threat. 56 00:02:48,400 --> 00:02:49,520 Speaker 3: And I view it as a threat. 57 00:02:49,560 --> 00:02:51,640 Speaker 2: I still view it as a national security threat more 58 00:02:51,680 --> 00:02:54,720 Speaker 2: than anything else. And the Trump movement now is very 59 00:02:54,720 --> 00:02:57,720 Speaker 2: close to having the keys to the entire castle. But 60 00:02:57,800 --> 00:03:00,600 Speaker 2: none of it is normal. None of it is and 61 00:03:00,639 --> 00:03:01,640 Speaker 2: none of it is inevitable. 62 00:03:01,680 --> 00:03:02,239 Speaker 3: And what we're. 63 00:03:02,120 --> 00:03:04,679 Speaker 2: Lacking because we don't have strategic leaders, and we don't 64 00:03:04,720 --> 00:03:07,840 Speaker 2: have a national strategy or even enclaves of strategies to 65 00:03:07,919 --> 00:03:10,920 Speaker 2: oppose him, is we're lacking priorities, so people don't know 66 00:03:10,919 --> 00:03:12,959 Speaker 2: where to focus. And that's to Trump's advantage. He wants 67 00:03:13,000 --> 00:03:14,000 Speaker 2: to overwhelm the zone. 68 00:03:14,320 --> 00:03:14,880 Speaker 3: He throws. 69 00:03:14,960 --> 00:03:17,920 Speaker 2: Hegseth at you right after Gates and here comes Tulca 70 00:03:17,960 --> 00:03:21,080 Speaker 2: Gabbard and RFK Junior, and nobody's even paying attention to 71 00:03:21,080 --> 00:03:23,320 Speaker 2: the fact that he nominated a guy for Secretary of 72 00:03:23,360 --> 00:03:25,480 Speaker 2: the Navy who's never served in the Navy, or that 73 00:03:25,520 --> 00:03:27,359 Speaker 2: he's got a very radical pick at the Department of 74 00:03:27,440 --> 00:03:30,560 Speaker 2: Veterans Affairs that's way below the radar and getting no 75 00:03:30,880 --> 00:03:33,800 Speaker 2: coverage or even oversight. So that the strategy is to 76 00:03:33,880 --> 00:03:38,120 Speaker 2: overwhelm the country, overwhelm the press, overwhelm the government, and 77 00:03:38,600 --> 00:03:40,880 Speaker 2: get as much ground as he can so that the 78 00:03:40,920 --> 00:03:44,720 Speaker 2: midterms become irrelevant. Right people are stacking their chips for 79 00:03:44,720 --> 00:03:47,400 Speaker 2: the midterms or for four years from now. I'm saying 80 00:03:47,480 --> 00:03:49,920 Speaker 2: it's about the next thirty five days, and right now, 81 00:03:50,520 --> 00:03:55,160 Speaker 2: I think the most urgent priority is heagset because he 82 00:03:55,320 --> 00:03:58,720 Speaker 2: is the biggest move at the biggest agency in the 83 00:03:58,720 --> 00:03:59,600 Speaker 2: federal government. 84 00:04:00,000 --> 00:04:00,800 Speaker 3: He's not inevitable. 85 00:04:00,800 --> 00:04:02,680 Speaker 2: We saw that with Gates, and I think Hegseth is 86 00:04:02,720 --> 00:04:05,760 Speaker 2: the same situation. But if you're Trump and you're going 87 00:04:05,840 --> 00:04:07,960 Speaker 2: for your breaking into the house, okay, whether it was 88 00:04:08,000 --> 00:04:10,240 Speaker 2: your house or someone else's house, the first thing you 89 00:04:10,320 --> 00:04:12,640 Speaker 2: go for is the gun closet. You go for the 90 00:04:12,640 --> 00:04:15,760 Speaker 2: gun closet because it's the most dangerous, it's the most valuable, 91 00:04:16,880 --> 00:04:19,920 Speaker 2: it's got all the symbolic reasons, right, and he knows 92 00:04:19,960 --> 00:04:22,799 Speaker 2: that the Pentagon stopped him last time, so he's taken 93 00:04:22,800 --> 00:04:23,680 Speaker 2: a long shot. 94 00:04:23,920 --> 00:04:25,880 Speaker 3: He's picking the most political, the. 95 00:04:25,839 --> 00:04:29,880 Speaker 2: Most extreme, the most not just unqualified but disqualified person 96 00:04:30,839 --> 00:04:33,720 Speaker 2: to take over the largest federal agency in the government, 97 00:04:33,760 --> 00:04:36,159 Speaker 2: not just because it has and the most significant, not 98 00:04:36,240 --> 00:04:38,680 Speaker 2: just because it has two point seven million employees and 99 00:04:38,720 --> 00:04:42,479 Speaker 2: a seven hundred billion dollar budget, but because it's the 100 00:04:42,520 --> 00:04:45,640 Speaker 2: most powerful thing that stopped him last time. Right, So, 101 00:04:45,680 --> 00:04:48,279 Speaker 2: if you want to talk about things like federalizing the 102 00:04:48,360 --> 00:04:52,560 Speaker 2: National Guard to rip migrant kids out of schools, if 103 00:04:52,600 --> 00:04:56,320 Speaker 2: you want to talk about owning the military leadership so 104 00:04:56,360 --> 00:04:58,280 Speaker 2: they don't oppose you, when you want to do any 105 00:04:58,360 --> 00:05:00,919 Speaker 2: number of crazy things, the first thing you do is 106 00:05:01,000 --> 00:05:03,800 Speaker 2: hit the Pentagon. And that's what he's doing. Pete Hegseth 107 00:05:03,920 --> 00:05:07,640 Speaker 2: is like a political nuke strike. And if he goes through, 108 00:05:08,400 --> 00:05:11,120 Speaker 2: which I don't think is gonna happen, everything else is. 109 00:05:11,120 --> 00:05:14,839 Speaker 3: Easy, right, va is cake education no problem. 110 00:05:14,960 --> 00:05:16,600 Speaker 2: You can even you know, even if he does go down, 111 00:05:16,640 --> 00:05:19,520 Speaker 2: you can put up somebody like DeSantis and he sails through. 112 00:05:19,600 --> 00:05:21,840 Speaker 2: So I really think it's important that people understand that 113 00:05:21,880 --> 00:05:25,360 Speaker 2: Pete Hegseth was built for this moment. He was built 114 00:05:25,400 --> 00:05:28,440 Speaker 2: as a culture warrior, funded by the Koch Brothers, empowered 115 00:05:28,440 --> 00:05:31,159 Speaker 2: with a spot on Fox News, and we never thought 116 00:05:31,360 --> 00:05:33,400 Speaker 2: that he would actually get nominated because we knew his 117 00:05:33,800 --> 00:05:35,880 Speaker 2: personal life was messy. I figured he was going to 118 00:05:35,920 --> 00:05:37,880 Speaker 2: be cheap of staff or maybe press secretary. 119 00:05:38,080 --> 00:05:42,479 Speaker 3: But Trump is literally saying, and he's saying you, He's 120 00:05:42,760 --> 00:05:45,080 Speaker 3: I'm gonna roll you. I'm gonna put this guy up. 121 00:05:45,279 --> 00:05:47,640 Speaker 2: And he is a culture warrior, and he's got, you know, 122 00:05:47,720 --> 00:05:50,719 Speaker 2: tattoos that might be associated white nationalism, and he's got 123 00:05:50,720 --> 00:05:54,880 Speaker 2: three divorces, and he's openly talked about, you know, having 124 00:05:54,920 --> 00:05:57,200 Speaker 2: sex with other people's wives. I mean, this is all 125 00:05:57,200 --> 00:05:59,240 Speaker 2: out in the open. And if he can get heag 126 00:05:59,320 --> 00:06:02,800 Speaker 2: set through, then the Democrats are going to just get rolled. 127 00:06:03,400 --> 00:06:06,080 Speaker 2: And I really think that's why, you know, I continue 128 00:06:06,080 --> 00:06:09,520 Speaker 2: to bring focus towards strategic leaders that aren't political, someone 129 00:06:09,720 --> 00:06:14,000 Speaker 2: like Admiral Straviti's or maybe it's a retired Chairman of 130 00:06:14,000 --> 00:06:15,400 Speaker 2: the Joint Chiefs like Mike Mullen. 131 00:06:15,600 --> 00:06:17,719 Speaker 3: Maybe someone else will emerge. I don't have an answer 132 00:06:17,720 --> 00:06:18,040 Speaker 3: for you. 133 00:06:18,320 --> 00:06:21,880 Speaker 2: But I do think that independent Americans, especially people who 134 00:06:21,880 --> 00:06:25,320 Speaker 2: do put country first, people who took off the uniform, 135 00:06:25,440 --> 00:06:28,360 Speaker 2: especially veterans who want to continue to serve but don't 136 00:06:28,400 --> 00:06:31,160 Speaker 2: necessarily want to get in politics. This is a time 137 00:06:31,200 --> 00:06:34,600 Speaker 2: for true patriots to step up and defend our values. 138 00:06:34,800 --> 00:06:37,640 Speaker 2: Whether you're a school teacher that has to represent yourself 139 00:06:37,640 --> 00:06:39,719 Speaker 2: at the school board, or you're somebody who's been thinking 140 00:06:39,720 --> 00:06:42,320 Speaker 2: about running for Senate, you know, maybe this is your time. 141 00:06:42,360 --> 00:06:45,360 Speaker 2: But at the end of the day, he wants to 142 00:06:45,800 --> 00:06:47,920 Speaker 2: roll everybody. And I think that's the most important point 143 00:06:47,960 --> 00:06:51,400 Speaker 2: about December twenty twenty four going into January, is he 144 00:06:51,440 --> 00:06:52,279 Speaker 2: wants to come out with a. 145 00:06:52,279 --> 00:06:54,919 Speaker 3: Head of steam. This is like a blitzkree. He's putting 146 00:06:54,920 --> 00:06:55,719 Speaker 3: it all up front. 147 00:06:55,960 --> 00:06:58,360 Speaker 2: He wants to push it through because once he gets 148 00:06:58,400 --> 00:07:00,200 Speaker 2: the keys to not just the gun closet at the 149 00:07:00,279 --> 00:07:03,360 Speaker 2: kitchen and the security system and everything else, then everything 150 00:07:03,400 --> 00:07:05,760 Speaker 2: else becomes easier. So I think it's really important that 151 00:07:05,800 --> 00:07:09,080 Speaker 2: you lay out that landscape where we can't count on 152 00:07:09,120 --> 00:07:11,440 Speaker 2: the Democrats. I've never been been counting on the Democrats. 153 00:07:11,480 --> 00:07:13,160 Speaker 2: I don't think you have either, But I think it's 154 00:07:13,200 --> 00:07:15,280 Speaker 2: kind of a wake up moment for America to go, hey, 155 00:07:15,520 --> 00:07:17,680 Speaker 2: they're not going to fucking save you here, and we 156 00:07:17,800 --> 00:07:20,080 Speaker 2: have to look to other leaders and other structures and 157 00:07:20,120 --> 00:07:23,440 Speaker 2: other tactics and to have a strategy on a very 158 00:07:23,440 --> 00:07:26,760 Speaker 2: basic level to defend our values, defend our constitution. 159 00:07:27,000 --> 00:07:28,640 Speaker 3: And let's start with defending our. 160 00:07:28,560 --> 00:07:31,040 Speaker 2: Military from a guy who says he doesn't want women 161 00:07:31,040 --> 00:07:33,360 Speaker 2: in combat when we've got two hundred thousand women in 162 00:07:33,400 --> 00:07:34,120 Speaker 2: combat and. 163 00:07:34,120 --> 00:07:35,400 Speaker 3: Has all this other shit. 164 00:07:35,760 --> 00:07:38,360 Speaker 2: Let's start with focusing on Pete hagg Seth and not 165 00:07:38,440 --> 00:07:40,480 Speaker 2: all the other shiny stuff, because this is a very 166 00:07:40,520 --> 00:07:43,000 Speaker 2: important fight, and it's the fight that is right in 167 00:07:43,000 --> 00:07:45,520 Speaker 2: front of us, and we'll dictate I think the pace 168 00:07:45,560 --> 00:07:46,960 Speaker 2: for everything else for years to come. 169 00:07:47,320 --> 00:07:50,040 Speaker 3: I want to talk about Pete Hagsath. That was a 170 00:07:50,080 --> 00:07:51,280 Speaker 3: lot to throw at you when we start. 171 00:07:51,480 --> 00:07:55,600 Speaker 1: No, no, indeed, and I agree, I agree, I agree 172 00:07:55,600 --> 00:08:01,360 Speaker 1: with you. Obviously, he is unfit at such a profound 173 00:08:01,520 --> 00:08:04,720 Speaker 1: and deep level. It's tough to find the words. I'm 174 00:08:04,760 --> 00:08:07,760 Speaker 1: gonna do my best as we get, as we get, 175 00:08:08,080 --> 00:08:10,120 Speaker 1: as we get into it. But but I want to 176 00:08:10,280 --> 00:08:17,320 Speaker 1: I want to play Devil's advocate to you about something 177 00:08:17,560 --> 00:08:20,760 Speaker 1: that I think is fundamental that we we got to 178 00:08:20,800 --> 00:08:24,800 Speaker 1: put on the table and talk about more in the country, 179 00:08:24,880 --> 00:08:30,120 Speaker 1: which is an honest reckoning about how we have arrived 180 00:08:30,280 --> 00:08:34,120 Speaker 1: at this situation. In the military, as you as you know, 181 00:08:34,400 --> 00:08:38,520 Speaker 1: after every action there's gonna be an after action review. Uh, 182 00:08:38,559 --> 00:08:43,640 Speaker 1: it's important to have an appreciation right of how it 183 00:08:43,880 --> 00:08:50,600 Speaker 1: is they arrived at whatever situation one finds oneself in 184 00:08:50,600 --> 00:08:54,320 Speaker 1: in order to get out of it, right and and 185 00:08:54,320 --> 00:08:59,040 Speaker 1: and so in that sense, let me ask you a 186 00:08:59,080 --> 00:09:06,239 Speaker 1: couple a couple things. Is it possible that Pete Hegseth 187 00:09:06,320 --> 00:09:12,280 Speaker 1: could be worse in that position than Donald Rumsfeld and 188 00:09:12,360 --> 00:09:13,920 Speaker 1: Robert McNamara were. 189 00:09:14,640 --> 00:09:22,880 Speaker 2: Thousand percent yes, okay, absolutely, totally and completely. How because 190 00:09:22,920 --> 00:09:26,920 Speaker 2: on a very basic level you may have disagreed with 191 00:09:27,040 --> 00:09:31,280 Speaker 2: McNamara or Rumsfeld on policy right like whether. 192 00:09:31,080 --> 00:09:33,560 Speaker 3: To bomb Cambodia, whether to stay in Iraq. 193 00:09:34,640 --> 00:09:39,439 Speaker 2: This is compromising the entire integrity of the establishment. It's 194 00:09:39,559 --> 00:09:43,400 Speaker 2: it's making it a political wing of Trump's agenda. And 195 00:09:43,400 --> 00:09:45,720 Speaker 2: I think that's why this is very important, right because 196 00:09:45,760 --> 00:09:48,600 Speaker 2: everything that Trump wants to get done on everything from 197 00:09:48,760 --> 00:09:53,720 Speaker 2: migrants to banning trans people, right the entire spectrum of 198 00:09:53,760 --> 00:09:58,640 Speaker 2: his agenda will start with Pete Hegseth at the Pentagon. Right, 199 00:09:58,679 --> 00:10:00,880 Speaker 2: So let's use an example that that is maybe you know, 200 00:10:01,120 --> 00:10:04,640 Speaker 2: maybe not a great one, but maybe like trans people's rights. 201 00:10:04,720 --> 00:10:07,800 Speaker 2: Right day one, at the Pentagon, they flip the switch, 202 00:10:07,880 --> 00:10:10,760 Speaker 2: there's a trans band. Anybody who's trans gets pulled out 203 00:10:10,800 --> 00:10:12,800 Speaker 2: of a unit, you get kicked out of the military, 204 00:10:13,000 --> 00:10:15,240 Speaker 2: you get processed out, and we start there. 205 00:10:15,559 --> 00:10:15,719 Speaker 3: Right. 206 00:10:15,800 --> 00:10:18,120 Speaker 2: It is going to be easier at the Pentagon than 207 00:10:18,200 --> 00:10:20,920 Speaker 2: the Department of Justice or the Department. 208 00:10:20,440 --> 00:10:22,840 Speaker 3: Of Labor, or at education or at home. 209 00:10:23,360 --> 00:10:27,000 Speaker 2: The Depentagon is going to be the fulcrum for everything 210 00:10:27,080 --> 00:10:29,640 Speaker 2: because it will be present presented as a position on 211 00:10:29,720 --> 00:10:33,240 Speaker 2: national security. If we don't do this, the Chinese will 212 00:10:33,240 --> 00:10:36,360 Speaker 2: have an advantage. If we don't do this, our enemies 213 00:10:36,440 --> 00:10:38,040 Speaker 2: will be at an advantage. Right, And that's going to 214 00:10:38,080 --> 00:10:40,560 Speaker 2: be true for trans bands, that's going to be true 215 00:10:40,600 --> 00:10:42,839 Speaker 2: for activating the national card. 216 00:10:43,200 --> 00:10:47,480 Speaker 1: I want to say that as a political argument, Okay, 217 00:10:48,120 --> 00:10:52,360 Speaker 1: if you lead with we have to protect national security 218 00:10:52,480 --> 00:10:57,760 Speaker 1: by opposing Trump's trans band on day one, right, this 219 00:10:57,800 --> 00:10:59,959 Speaker 1: is this is the first thing we're running at. 220 00:11:00,600 --> 00:11:03,040 Speaker 2: I'm using that as an example because it's because it's 221 00:11:03,040 --> 00:11:06,000 Speaker 2: the easiest one for him, right, and it's what he 222 00:11:06,080 --> 00:11:07,959 Speaker 2: ran on, right, it's what he ran on, it's what 223 00:11:08,040 --> 00:11:10,320 Speaker 2: he weaponized, it's what he used as as kind of 224 00:11:10,320 --> 00:11:10,920 Speaker 2: a boogeyman. 225 00:11:11,120 --> 00:11:16,439 Speaker 1: Right to me, Right, you Trump is going to impose 226 00:11:16,559 --> 00:11:20,959 Speaker 1: a ban on all transgender service members. They're going to 227 00:11:21,040 --> 00:11:26,000 Speaker 1: be honorably discharged. And there's nothing not honorably not anybody 228 00:11:26,040 --> 00:11:30,559 Speaker 1: can do to stop that. Well, they'll be generally generally discharged. 229 00:11:30,000 --> 00:11:33,120 Speaker 2: They'll probably be dishonorably discharge or at least general discharge. 230 00:11:33,120 --> 00:11:36,760 Speaker 2: They probably won't get benefits. And this is why it's important, 231 00:11:36,840 --> 00:11:39,040 Speaker 2: right because in some ways you could argue that trans 232 00:11:39,040 --> 00:11:41,439 Speaker 2: people are the most vulnerable, or the weakest or the 233 00:11:41,760 --> 00:11:45,440 Speaker 2: most politicized. Right, so you you start with them, right, 234 00:11:45,559 --> 00:11:47,680 Speaker 2: And so when you want to do something like take 235 00:11:47,720 --> 00:11:51,320 Speaker 2: women out of combat, which which is bigger than it seems, 236 00:11:51,400 --> 00:11:55,160 Speaker 2: because what it is is it's saying women are not equal. Right, 237 00:11:55,360 --> 00:11:57,280 Speaker 2: women are not equally that's the bottom line. You can't 238 00:11:57,280 --> 00:11:59,440 Speaker 2: do the same things that we do, and therefore you 239 00:11:59,480 --> 00:12:02,719 Speaker 2: will not have this same opportunities, rights, etc. So if 240 00:12:02,760 --> 00:12:05,720 Speaker 2: you succeed in achieving a lack of equality for women 241 00:12:05,760 --> 00:12:10,760 Speaker 2: at depentagon, abortion rights, everything else is a downhill slide 242 00:12:10,800 --> 00:12:12,640 Speaker 2: from there. So when you ask me, is he more 243 00:12:12,720 --> 00:12:17,400 Speaker 2: dangerous than McNamara or Rumsfeld? You know, yes, because the 244 00:12:17,920 --> 00:12:21,000 Speaker 2: agenda is much more extreme. I would argue that you 245 00:12:21,000 --> 00:12:23,800 Speaker 2: could at least count on Rumsfeld on some levels to 246 00:12:23,840 --> 00:12:25,920 Speaker 2: put country over party. 247 00:12:26,120 --> 00:12:26,280 Speaker 3: Right. 248 00:12:26,480 --> 00:12:29,400 Speaker 2: He may have agreed with his allegiances or his politics, 249 00:12:29,559 --> 00:12:31,240 Speaker 2: but I think on a basic level there was some 250 00:12:31,360 --> 00:12:35,000 Speaker 2: kind of integrity there around the institution and the world 251 00:12:35,120 --> 00:12:37,600 Speaker 2: wasn't as dangerous Steve. I mean, we've got, you know, 252 00:12:37,640 --> 00:12:39,800 Speaker 2: a land war in Eastern Europe. We've got the Chinese 253 00:12:39,840 --> 00:12:42,600 Speaker 2: threat of Taiwan. We've got all these other threats that 254 00:12:42,640 --> 00:12:46,640 Speaker 2: are real but also in a position to be exaggerated, 255 00:12:46,960 --> 00:12:49,400 Speaker 2: not just by Trump but by Hegseth, who I think 256 00:12:49,400 --> 00:12:54,000 Speaker 2: too many Democrats dismissed these people. Hegseth is a masterful communicator. 257 00:12:54,360 --> 00:12:58,040 Speaker 2: He is brilliant at doing this, at selling, at communicating, 258 00:12:58,080 --> 00:13:01,600 Speaker 2: at motivating people. And he's a multi sport athlete who 259 00:13:01,640 --> 00:13:04,040 Speaker 2: can go on Joe Rogan, but can host a show 260 00:13:04,080 --> 00:13:07,160 Speaker 2: on Fox and also entangle with the reporters on Capitol 261 00:13:07,240 --> 00:13:10,400 Speaker 2: Hill and spin a weakness into his strength. And that's 262 00:13:10,440 --> 00:13:14,240 Speaker 2: why this is the playbook for the rest of the administration. Right, 263 00:13:14,240 --> 00:13:16,520 Speaker 2: It's the same kind of skill set Tulsey Gabbert has. 264 00:13:16,720 --> 00:13:18,400 Speaker 2: You could argue it's the same kind of skill set 265 00:13:18,440 --> 00:13:20,600 Speaker 2: other people in the cabinet, how even like someone like 266 00:13:20,600 --> 00:13:21,320 Speaker 2: a Christy Nome. 267 00:13:21,520 --> 00:13:22,640 Speaker 3: But they're good on TV. 268 00:13:22,960 --> 00:13:28,000 Speaker 2: They're able to communicate to people, you know, foreign and domestic, and. 269 00:13:27,920 --> 00:13:29,720 Speaker 3: They're good at this. They're good at this thing. You 270 00:13:29,760 --> 00:13:32,280 Speaker 3: may not like the thing, but they are very very 271 00:13:32,360 --> 00:13:32,800 Speaker 3: good at it. 272 00:13:32,840 --> 00:13:35,600 Speaker 2: And if you have a pete Hegsev controlling everything from 273 00:13:35,640 --> 00:13:41,120 Speaker 2: our nukes to who gets to join right, that drives 274 00:13:41,160 --> 00:13:44,120 Speaker 2: the culture for the entire country. So if you don't 275 00:13:44,240 --> 00:13:47,640 Speaker 2: understand why Joe Rogan is important, you probably don't understand 276 00:13:47,640 --> 00:13:50,200 Speaker 2: why the Pentagon's so important. And that's the parallel that 277 00:13:50,240 --> 00:13:53,360 Speaker 2: I think democrats and many liberals in this country are 278 00:13:53,400 --> 00:13:55,000 Speaker 2: really failing to understand. 279 00:13:55,040 --> 00:13:57,120 Speaker 3: It's much bigger than about politics. 280 00:13:57,160 --> 00:14:01,560 Speaker 2: It's about culture and manipulating American pagetriotism into something much 281 00:14:01,600 --> 00:14:02,440 Speaker 2: more nefarious. 282 00:14:03,320 --> 00:14:06,080 Speaker 1: I'm Steve Schmidt. This is the warning, and I invite 283 00:14:06,080 --> 00:14:10,280 Speaker 1: you to join. Subscribe on our substack, on our YouTube channel, 284 00:14:10,480 --> 00:14:16,800 Speaker 1: follow us. Welcome to the community.