WEBVTT - Harry Litman & Ben Terris 0:00:00.640 --> 0:00:04.160 Hi, I'm Molly John Fast and this is Fast Politics, 0:00:04.360 --> 0:00:07.120 where we discussed the top political headlines with some of 0:00:07.160 --> 0:00:12.800 today's best minds, and Biden cancels nearly four point three 0:00:12.880 --> 0:00:17.279 billion dollars in public worker student debt. We have such 0:00:17.320 --> 0:00:21.439 a great show for you today. Talking Feds, Harry Littman 0:00:21.600 --> 0:00:25.439 tells us about Trump's latest legal aggressions. Then we will 0:00:25.480 --> 0:00:28.880 talk to the Washington Post Ben Harris about the dj 0:00:29.160 --> 0:00:33.760 who is influencing Trump and if you're thinking it's Kid Rock, spoiler, 0:00:33.960 --> 0:00:34.280 it's not. 0:00:34.680 --> 0:00:36.000 But first the news. 0:00:36.240 --> 0:00:40.120 Somali ho Man, We have a lot of you on 0:00:40.280 --> 0:00:43.000 news to go through, but first tell me what you're 0:00:43.000 --> 0:00:45.000 seeing with these judges in the Senate. 0:00:45.600 --> 0:00:51.400 So one of the really good things that Biden is 0:00:51.479 --> 0:00:55.440 doing is Trump confirmed a ton of judges. Biden has 0:00:55.560 --> 0:00:59.600 confirmed he's expected to secure his two hundred and thirty 0:00:59.640 --> 0:01:03.840 fifth judicial confirmation of his presidency as soon as Friday. 0:01:04.319 --> 0:01:09.759 This means that he will have installed one more judge 0:01:10.319 --> 0:01:14.840 than Donald Trump. And Democrats have put an extra emphasis 0:01:14.880 --> 0:01:18.560 on the federal courts following Trump's far reaching first term, 0:01:18.640 --> 0:01:22.039 where he filled three Supreme Court seats. Now Biden only 0:01:22.040 --> 0:01:26.280 got to fill one Supreme Court seat. But these federal judges, 0:01:26.360 --> 0:01:29.120 it's a big deal. It's really good. And this is 0:01:29.160 --> 0:01:33.000 the work of Senate Majority Leader Chuck Schumer. He's tied 0:01:33.080 --> 0:01:36.400 up the votes on two potential California district judges, likely 0:01:36.440 --> 0:01:39.880 to be the last judicial confirmations this year before the 0:01:39.959 --> 0:01:44.399 Senator the Congress adjourns and makes way for a new 0:01:44.440 --> 0:01:49.840 Republican led Senate. He we're seeing Schumer trying to finish 0:01:49.840 --> 0:01:52.480 all these votes by the end of Friday. The first 0:01:52.560 --> 0:01:56.600 confirmation will tie Trump's number, the second will break it. 0:01:56.680 --> 0:02:00.600 So Molly Elon Musk our new president and we didn't 0:02:00.640 --> 0:02:05.680 elect He's really messing with this CR vote. It seems 0:02:05.720 --> 0:02:07.800 like he has no clue what he's doing. But the 0:02:07.840 --> 0:02:11.480 threat of primary any Republican with all his money is 0:02:11.560 --> 0:02:12.480 scaring a lot of people. 0:02:12.560 --> 0:02:16.720 What are you seeing here, Minni Trump? Elon Musk was 0:02:17.040 --> 0:02:18.680 very excited. 0:02:18.720 --> 0:02:22.320 He was online late into the night and he said 0:02:22.440 --> 0:02:25.160 he didn't want the Democrats to pass the CR. By 0:02:25.160 --> 0:02:29.120 the way, the CR cooked up by Mike Johnson, a. 0:02:28.560 --> 0:02:32.200 Republican House speaker installed by one Donald J. Trump. 0:02:32.600 --> 0:02:40.080 All reasons why President Musk's newfound government interest was a 0:02:40.120 --> 0:02:44.080 bit strange, because he's a Republican cr put together by 0:02:44.120 --> 0:02:47.280 a Republican house that needed Democratic votes. Anyway, he was 0:02:47.480 --> 0:02:50.440 quite mad. He said, shut down the government. Don't open 0:02:50.480 --> 0:02:54.799 it till January twenty first, showing again he has no idea. Right, 0:02:54.880 --> 0:02:57.840 if you shut down the government, you have troops, you 0:02:57.880 --> 0:03:01.279 have people who work in the Federal air. 0:03:01.440 --> 0:03:04.079 The TSA at Christmas time when people fly. 0:03:04.440 --> 0:03:09.760 Right, and you also have people not able to support themselves. 0:03:09.800 --> 0:03:14.480 You have national parks closed. I mean it'll be you know, non. 0:03:14.320 --> 0:03:17.919 As center their favorite thing, or are not a central government. 0:03:18.160 --> 0:03:21.679 It'll be a real problem. So Musk got very excited. 0:03:21.760 --> 0:03:23.760 He said he was going to Prime with lots of people. 0:03:24.040 --> 0:03:27.000 He got, you know. But then it turned out that 0:03:27.160 --> 0:03:30.040 somebody must have explained to him how the government works. 0:03:30.080 --> 0:03:35.560 And now cooler heads are prevailing. But before that he 0:03:35.640 --> 0:03:39.640 wrote on X won't be fine for thirty three days 0:03:39.640 --> 0:03:40.880 without government funding. 0:03:41.160 --> 0:03:43.280 By the way, one of the things that when he 0:03:43.440 --> 0:03:46.840 cut this big str it's not much money for him, 0:03:46.920 --> 0:03:50.480 but it's still real money. One hundred and thirty something 0:03:50.680 --> 0:03:53.640 million dollars for kids with cancer. 0:03:54.040 --> 0:03:56.040 That's right before Christmas. 0:03:56.360 --> 0:04:01.480 It was allowing children with relapsed cancer to undergo treatments. 0:04:01.560 --> 0:04:03.800 Write this strip of language that would have allowed children 0:04:03.800 --> 0:04:06.800 with relapsed cancer to undergo treatments with a combination of 0:04:06.840 --> 0:04:10.600 cancer drugs and therapies. Currently, the Food and Drug Administration 0:04:10.760 --> 0:04:14.520 is only authorized to direct pediatric cancer trials. 0:04:14.040 --> 0:04:15.120 Of single drugs. 0:04:15.360 --> 0:04:18.440 The bill didn't include an extension of the program that 0:04:18.520 --> 0:04:22.120 gave financial lifelines in the form of vouchers too small 0:04:22.160 --> 0:04:26.160 pharmaceutical companies working on rare pediatric diseases. 0:04:26.400 --> 0:04:28.080 It also missed. 0:04:27.800 --> 0:04:31.520 Earlier provisions that would have allowed for kids on Medicare 0:04:31.680 --> 0:04:36.200 or chips, that is, poor children to access medically complex 0:04:36.320 --> 0:04:40.599 care across state lines. So right before Christmas, the richest 0:04:40.600 --> 0:04:44.280 man in the world wants to make sure that kids, 0:04:44.600 --> 0:04:48.760 poor children can't get cancer treatments. I am shocked, I 0:04:48.920 --> 0:04:52.080 tell you at how much this is resembling a Christmas store. 0:04:52.440 --> 0:04:55.000 I was literally about to say, I really hope with 0:04:55.040 --> 0:04:58.839 the ghost of Christmas past President future visit him and 0:04:59.120 --> 0:05:01.080 give him a really lovely holiday break. 0:05:01.200 --> 0:05:02.839 Personally unbelievable. 0:05:03.160 --> 0:05:05.839 So when he wasn't doing this though, what was he 0:05:05.920 --> 0:05:09.240 doing BALI he was cheering on the neo Nazi German Party. 0:05:09.760 --> 0:05:13.839 Yes, Elon Musk we know his political believes now and 0:05:13.880 --> 0:05:18.600 they're quite far right. So Mosk endorsed the alternative for Germany, 0:05:18.800 --> 0:05:22.560 the AfD, a far right, anti immigrant and anti Semitic 0:05:22.600 --> 0:05:26.960 party that's gaining popularity among conservative Germans. Elon said only 0:05:27.080 --> 0:05:31.680 the AfD can save Germany. The billionaire wrote on x 0:05:32.400 --> 0:05:37.200 Mosk has also endorsed other far right figures, Prime Minister 0:05:38.279 --> 0:05:42.800 George Maloney, who's visited many times. He loves Nigel Farage. 0:05:43.520 --> 0:05:48.080 He said that a fd's views they didn't sound extreme 0:05:48.120 --> 0:05:53.720 to him. He questioned if he was missing something. I 0:05:57.240 --> 0:06:02.120 adf his vehetmently anti immigration, particularly with regards to Muslims, 0:06:02.240 --> 0:06:06.880 calling for a net zero number of immigrants entering Germany 0:06:06.880 --> 0:06:09.080 in the coming years. It sounds a lot like what 0:06:09.200 --> 0:06:13.240 Elon believes. Leaders of the party have repeatedly made racist 0:06:13.279 --> 0:06:17.279 and anti semitic statements, emphasizing a need to return to 0:06:17.360 --> 0:06:22.000 a German ident toitay and pushing other white nationalist views. 0:06:22.320 --> 0:06:25.520 I wonder what happened the last time Germans did that. 0:06:26.080 --> 0:06:29.520 Yeah, I don't think this is h seem. 0:06:29.360 --> 0:06:33.159 To remember a little thing called the Holocaust. 0:06:33.560 --> 0:06:36.680 Yeah, I don't think this is a good progression in 0:06:36.720 --> 0:06:39.839 our world, but not great. You know, we don't have 0:06:39.880 --> 0:06:41.520 a crystal ball, so we don't know where that will. 0:06:41.560 --> 0:06:43.520 But you do it, Molly. You and I did not 0:06:43.600 --> 0:06:46.320 need a crystal ball to know where this Trump administration 0:06:46.520 --> 0:06:49.640 was going. And what we're seeing here is exactly what 0:06:49.680 --> 0:06:52.360 we described in the documentary we made on Project twenty 0:06:52.400 --> 0:06:52.920 twenty five. 0:06:53.279 --> 0:06:58.320 Yeah, I know you'll be shocked to know that Donald 0:06:58.320 --> 0:07:02.000 Trump is doing or at least going to do a 0:07:02.000 --> 0:07:04.839 lot of the stuff he threatened to do but then 0:07:05.000 --> 0:07:11.040 changed his mind. So Donald Trump has moved to install 0:07:11.160 --> 0:07:14.560 loyalists in jobs that Congress did not intend for a 0:07:14.600 --> 0:07:17.440 new president to replace at the start of his term. 0:07:17.800 --> 0:07:20.240 That we're thinking about, like how Donald Trump is going 0:07:20.280 --> 0:07:23.880 to Christopher Ray is now going to resign. Christopher Ray, 0:07:23.960 --> 0:07:28.080 you will remember, is the head of the FBI. He 0:07:28.160 --> 0:07:32.840 will resign. Trump is hoping to get Cash Patel into 0:07:32.880 --> 0:07:38.160 that job. You'll remember that Cash Patel is pretty much 0:07:38.800 --> 0:07:44.280 has made his number one job will be to install 0:07:44.560 --> 0:07:47.880 loyalists and to hunt Trump's enemies. 0:07:48.160 --> 0:07:50.320 Allah Jay Edgar Hoover. 0:07:50.840 --> 0:07:54.000 So Friend of the Show, Tim Miller, he talked to 0:07:54.520 --> 0:07:58.280 Steve Bennon, not Friend of the Show, about Cash Patel 0:07:58.480 --> 0:08:01.120 and if he's really serious, all the things he's going 0:08:01.160 --> 0:08:03.320 to do with his enemy's list, and Mollie, what he 0:08:03.400 --> 0:08:04.880 said does not make me feel good. 0:08:05.200 --> 0:08:07.640 Well, I mean, the one thing I will say is 0:08:07.680 --> 0:08:10.520 that what Steve Bannon does is he tries to make 0:08:10.560 --> 0:08:14.600 you scared. So just again, none of this is good. 0:08:14.720 --> 0:08:17.360 But I'm just saying, like, these people want you to 0:08:17.400 --> 0:08:21.480 be scared. So but he did say that said he 0:08:21.600 --> 0:08:25.320 said Tim Miller Cash didn't even try to hide the football. 0:08:25.360 --> 0:08:29.000 Steve Bannon didn't try. Bannon asserted, speaking in the third 0:08:29.040 --> 0:08:33.320 person as one does after speaking to America Fest, a 0:08:33.400 --> 0:08:37.640 yearly gathering of MAGA diehards hosted by Turning Point USA. 0:08:38.160 --> 0:08:42.000 He made a fucking wow, that's very nice movie called 0:08:42.080 --> 0:08:45.319 Government Gangsters, and the first guy is Mayor Garland, Okay, 0:08:45.360 --> 0:08:48.440 and Lisa Monico's in there. Who in the nation doesn't 0:08:48.480 --> 0:08:50.560 know we're trying to make these people famous. So no, 0:08:50.840 --> 0:08:53.720 first of all, it has to happen, and number two, 0:08:54.200 --> 0:08:55.200 it's going to happen. 0:08:55.440 --> 0:08:56.640 Look good stuff. 0:08:57.000 --> 0:09:00.600 It's bad, But I also would say, you know, these 0:09:00.640 --> 0:09:03.480 guys really want you to be scared, So the most 0:09:03.520 --> 0:09:11.160 important thing you can do is be brave. Harry Littman 0:09:11.320 --> 0:09:13.800 is a former US attorney and the host of the 0:09:13.960 --> 0:09:15.840 podcast Talking Feds. 0:09:16.120 --> 0:09:20.200 Okay, here we are with another Molly mashup where she 0:09:20.480 --> 0:09:23.760 talked politics, I talk news and we try to figure 0:09:23.760 --> 0:09:26.560 it out together. This is like maybe half a dozen 0:09:26.679 --> 0:09:30.360 or something, but our first since November fifth. I think 0:09:30.480 --> 0:09:32.880 so kind of gruesome when a lot of stuff to 0:09:32.920 --> 0:09:33.520 talk about. 0:09:33.760 --> 0:09:37.440 How are you, Molly, I'm good, you know, just another 0:09:38.360 --> 0:09:42.319 in almost Trump's America. Actually would love you to talk 0:09:42.360 --> 0:09:45.679 about this. So Trump World has a bunch of executive 0:09:45.800 --> 0:09:49.160 orders all lined up, and we don't exactly know the 0:09:49.240 --> 0:09:51.000 structure of them, but we know that there are going 0:09:51.080 --> 0:09:52.839 to be a lot of them, and a lot of 0:09:52.880 --> 0:09:56.400 them are going to focus on immigration, and probably a 0:09:56.440 --> 0:09:59.800 lot of them are going to focus on these kind 0:10:00.280 --> 0:10:05.120 of I want to say, federal government smashing, you know, 0:10:05.440 --> 0:10:08.200 kinds of things like maybe he doesn't take apart the 0:10:08.200 --> 0:10:11.000 Department of Education like he says he wants to. 0:10:11.280 --> 0:10:12.760 So I'm wondering if you could talk to us. 0:10:12.640 --> 0:10:15.719 About the sort of legality of executive orders and what 0:10:15.760 --> 0:10:17.679 can happen and what can happen in them. 0:10:17.880 --> 0:10:21.200 Yeah, so, first, you're totally right. My sense is a 0:10:21.320 --> 0:10:25.360 whole part of the workshop of Project twenty twenty five. 0:10:25.480 --> 0:10:30.440 Maybe like third subterranean is these executive orders. The law 0:10:30.559 --> 0:10:33.800 on it, MALLI is they really only control what the 0:10:33.840 --> 0:10:38.360 executive branch does. But the executive branch at like the 0:10:38.360 --> 0:10:41.360 federal government, has it hooks in everything, so you can 0:10:41.440 --> 0:10:44.680 really influence quite a bit, even if you're just giving 0:10:44.720 --> 0:10:48.040 commands to the executive branch. Now, the thing that's going 0:10:48.120 --> 0:10:51.280 to be easiest, like twelve oh one on the twentieth, 0:10:51.320 --> 0:10:55.520 there's going to be all these executive orders rescinding Biden 0:10:55.679 --> 0:10:59.200 executive orders, and those there's really going to be very 0:10:59.240 --> 0:11:01.760 little way to challenge that. 0:11:01.720 --> 0:11:04.640 Would be things like stay in Mexico, right. 0:11:04.960 --> 0:11:09.079 Well, so that those when once we get to immigration, Yeah, 0:11:09.120 --> 0:11:11.440 I think there's there's you know, reproductive freedom, but also 0:11:11.600 --> 0:11:15.560 you know, public lands and really all kinds of shits. 0:11:15.760 --> 0:11:19.280 But there are going to be others that will, like 0:11:19.440 --> 0:11:22.160 you know, just as they're gearing up on executive orders, 0:11:22.280 --> 0:11:24.920 that people will be gearing up to sue and the 0:11:25.080 --> 0:11:27.360 and the real question is going to be whether they're 0:11:27.480 --> 0:11:32.640 divesting rights that third parties have. And you know, there's 0:11:32.679 --> 0:11:36.640 a there's a whole complicated stewol of law about when 0:11:36.800 --> 0:11:41.760 executive orders can be challenged. But Basically, the easiest time 0:11:42.240 --> 0:11:46.480 is to just order the you know, federal employees, here's 0:11:46.640 --> 0:11:49.480 my executive order. Everyone wears a tie, who works for 0:11:49.559 --> 0:11:52.200 the executive brand, not much to do about that, but 0:11:52.320 --> 0:11:57.360 the executive order. Everyone who contracts with you know, land 0:11:57.440 --> 0:12:01.360 and are certain climate change stuff or whatever has to 0:12:01.440 --> 0:12:05.080 have these kinds of procedures. Now, there's gonna be lawsuits 0:12:05.160 --> 0:12:08.800 in general. There's gonna be you know, dozens and dozens 0:12:08.840 --> 0:12:11.360 of lawsuits sort of from day one. But that's the 0:12:11.400 --> 0:12:15.480 basic distinction. Anything big and nasty they want to do. 0:12:15.520 --> 0:12:18.480 If you want to talk about abortion or immigration and 0:12:18.520 --> 0:12:21.760 the like, he won't be able to do. This is 0:12:21.760 --> 0:12:24.600 a gross generalization, but it's larsi true. Just just by 0:12:24.640 --> 0:12:28.160 a stroke of the pen, then the litigation will come right. 0:12:28.280 --> 0:12:31.400 For example, when it comes to executive orders that talk 0:12:31.480 --> 0:12:36.280 about deportation, I mean from churches, from schools, from hospitals. 0:12:36.480 --> 0:12:39.720 Is there anything that legislators can do or can the 0:12:39.800 --> 0:12:42.000 courts that the courts can stop them? 0:12:42.320 --> 0:12:44.120 Yeah, So I'm first thing about the courts and the 0:12:44.160 --> 0:12:46.960 answer is yes, And that's going to be the battle 0:12:47.040 --> 0:12:49.600 is going to be really joined to two levels. Level 0:12:49.640 --> 0:12:51.960 one is going to be the people themselves, and I 0:12:51.960 --> 0:12:55.400 think you probably know there's a shadow army, really an army. 0:12:55.440 --> 0:12:59.520 It's impressive of litigators, including you know, big shot pro 0:12:59.600 --> 0:13:04.440 bona types lining up to represent people who they try 0:13:04.480 --> 0:13:06.880 to deport. And that's a very good example of something 0:13:06.880 --> 0:13:10.199 that an executive order can't just do away with. They 0:13:10.280 --> 0:13:13.640 have vested rights and there's a whole system, and the 0:13:13.679 --> 0:13:17.200 President doesn't just declare it null and voiding. That's the 0:13:17.280 --> 0:13:21.000 authority there comes from Congress. And then the other level 0:13:21.040 --> 0:13:23.160 is going to be state authorities. There's going to be 0:13:23.240 --> 0:13:26.400 Blue states especially who say you can't screw with me 0:13:26.559 --> 0:13:30.000 on that we have. These are our citizens. When you 0:13:30.080 --> 0:13:32.640 do this, it's going to really affect our economy. We 0:13:32.760 --> 0:13:35.800 have standing to challenge it, and there's going to be 0:13:35.880 --> 0:13:39.120 big court battles. Now you know something like this, it 0:13:39.200 --> 0:13:40.560 is probably going to work its way up to the 0:13:40.640 --> 0:13:43.160 US Supreme Court, and you always hold your breath there. 0:13:43.679 --> 0:13:46.520 But it's not going to be the you know, just 0:13:46.960 --> 0:13:51.120 unilateral action by court. There's you know, states have a stake, 0:13:51.280 --> 0:13:55.120 a real state and also the potential deportees themselves. And 0:13:55.160 --> 0:13:58.800 that's leaving aside, what what can states do to gear 0:13:58.920 --> 0:14:02.680 up actually legislation that could be a really big battle. 0:14:03.080 --> 0:14:07.120 You've seen that the Trump guys the borders are says 0:14:07.160 --> 0:14:11.960 that if anyone tries to harbor immigrants, we may come 0:14:12.000 --> 0:14:15.720 after them criminally under federal law. It's going to be 0:14:15.960 --> 0:14:19.520 ugly civil war reconstruction shit that. You know, We're gonna 0:14:19.760 --> 0:14:22.600 kind of a shameful episode, I think in you know, 0:14:22.640 --> 0:14:25.840 the history books. All right, my turn, So since the 0:14:25.920 --> 0:14:29.320 fifth I and and not just me, but I mean 0:14:29.320 --> 0:14:33.359 people I respect, everyone really out there saying it is happening. 0:14:33.520 --> 0:14:36.960 Look at the FBI, look at the media, look at 0:14:37.000 --> 0:14:40.880 the nominees. It's happening here and now, and it does 0:14:41.120 --> 0:14:45.360 feel like it's hard to get the message through. You've 0:14:45.360 --> 0:14:49.960 made some comments about the Democratic Party and its friendliness 0:14:50.080 --> 0:14:52.680 is one way you put it, But it's certainly not 0:14:52.920 --> 0:14:57.200 you know, not being a kind of vehement opposition party, 0:14:57.440 --> 0:14:58.880 is it? The Democratic Party? 0:14:59.080 --> 0:14:59.200 Is that? 0:14:59.360 --> 0:15:03.320 The media? How do you account for the kind of 0:15:03.440 --> 0:15:07.560 lack of panic or even focus out there in the 0:15:07.600 --> 0:15:10.320 world you know we live in, but also you know, 0:15:10.400 --> 0:15:13.600 America to what seems to me and a lot of 0:15:13.600 --> 0:15:16.160 people I respect, I mean, I really think it's so 0:15:16.680 --> 0:15:21.320 to be in real time before our eyes now real 0:15:21.400 --> 0:15:24.120 assaults on norms and democratic rule. 0:15:24.440 --> 0:15:27.000 Well, I think there are two problems here. 0:15:27.200 --> 0:15:30.560 One is that Donald Trump has not taken office yet. 0:15:30.680 --> 0:15:33.720 So I'm not defending Donald Trump by any stretch imagination. 0:15:33.880 --> 0:15:36.840 But we're not there yet, right, He's not president yet. 0:15:36.920 --> 0:15:39.480 I mean, he's acting like he's president and he may 0:15:39.720 --> 0:15:43.040 shut down the government, but he's not actually president. So 0:15:43.120 --> 0:15:45.960 I think part of my thinking, at least when I 0:15:46.040 --> 0:15:52.000 think about how to talk about Donald Trump's assault on democracy, 0:15:52.280 --> 0:15:55.280 which we think is coming, and he's certainly picked. 0:15:55.080 --> 0:15:57.440 Up we think is here, but go ahead. 0:15:57.520 --> 0:15:59.280 But yeah, but he's not in office, right. 0:15:59.320 --> 0:16:03.920 He has cabinet picks that are ranging from unseerious, too scary, 0:16:04.280 --> 0:16:07.560 and some are okay, like Marco Rubio, don't agree with him, 0:16:07.600 --> 0:16:10.400 but hard to imagine a world where Marco Rubio. 0:16:10.200 --> 0:16:11.200 Grown up isn't. 0:16:11.280 --> 0:16:16.440 Yeah, but I think that until he starts doing things, 0:16:16.720 --> 0:16:19.360 the promise of doing things is not the same as 0:16:19.400 --> 0:16:22.239 doing things, and so I do think that is reasonable. 0:16:22.400 --> 0:16:24.560 I also think people are exhausted. 0:16:25.040 --> 0:16:28.800 Where I would fault Democrats if you want to get 0:16:28.840 --> 0:16:31.560 into faulting Democrats, which maybe don't. 0:16:31.360 --> 0:16:32.280 Here's what I would say. 0:16:32.400 --> 0:16:36.400 Democrats did much better down ballot than they probably deserve to, 0:16:36.720 --> 0:16:41.600 considering the anti incumbent headwinds. But I would also say 0:16:42.040 --> 0:16:44.800 they lost some races they shouldn't have lost, like that 0:16:44.880 --> 0:16:50.360 Pennsylvania Center race. And also they lost all of the 0:16:50.560 --> 0:16:53.760 swingy states, so every single one, and they lost by 0:16:53.760 --> 0:16:57.640 one point five points, which is in this polarized world, 0:16:57.800 --> 0:17:00.760 quite a lot. So I would say, if you were 0:17:00.800 --> 0:17:05.200 to pause and sort of be reflective of this, there 0:17:05.240 --> 0:17:09.320 were there was clearly some problems with Joe Biden that 0:17:09.400 --> 0:17:12.800 were not addressed soon enough, and that you know, it 0:17:12.840 --> 0:17:15.000 was a maybe it was a messaging problem. Maybe it 0:17:15.040 --> 0:17:20.840 was an inability to transmit the economy that was really 0:17:21.680 --> 0:17:26.320 humming along under Biden. That maybe perhaps Democrats were not 0:17:26.440 --> 0:17:31.080 good enough at addressing the problem of inflation, explaining it 0:17:31.119 --> 0:17:33.960 in a way that was helpful for people. Whatever, there 0:17:34.000 --> 0:17:36.359 are any number of reasons. The other thing that I 0:17:36.400 --> 0:17:41.160 would say that I think is really important is Democrats 0:17:41.240 --> 0:17:44.399 said when they were running, they said that Trump is 0:17:44.400 --> 0:17:50.200 an existential threat against democracy. Now I absolutely one hundred 0:17:50.200 --> 0:17:53.119 percent believe that, But then if Donald Trump is an 0:17:53.160 --> 0:17:57.879 existential threat against American democracy, then every single thing you 0:17:58.080 --> 0:18:03.080 do should be when you're a democratic legislator should be 0:18:03.160 --> 0:18:06.159 at least well, you still have the Senate and the 0:18:06.160 --> 0:18:09.320 Presidency and a very close margin in the House, should 0:18:09.359 --> 0:18:13.160 be trying to safeguard those norms and institutions and not 0:18:13.359 --> 0:18:18.000 say worrying about the country's bald eagle and making sure 0:18:18.040 --> 0:18:19.280 that that becomes the bird. 0:18:19.600 --> 0:18:23.960 If you think that this is D Day, I don't mean. 0:18:23.880 --> 0:18:27.320 Real D Day, I mean philosophical D Day, then you 0:18:27.400 --> 0:18:30.160 should be thinking about the ways in which you can 0:18:30.320 --> 0:18:33.000 protect the norms and institutions. 0:18:32.720 --> 0:18:35.440 So they are not the follow where you think huh. 0:18:35.440 --> 0:18:38.680 I think you can't make that case unless you really 0:18:38.760 --> 0:18:42.600 believe it. And if you really believe it, then you 0:18:42.640 --> 0:18:45.840 should not be doing bald egle bills. You should be 0:18:45.880 --> 0:18:52.000 doing protecting the sort of even just the nuts break yeah, 0:18:52.240 --> 0:18:55.080 not even breaking glass, because remember you of one party 0:18:55.119 --> 0:18:58.119 that believes in norms and another that doesn't. So but 0:18:58.280 --> 0:19:01.960 at least safe, at the very minimum, safeguarding the things 0:19:02.000 --> 0:19:02.440 we hold. 0:19:02.640 --> 0:19:05.000 So, dear amen, okay, your turn. 0:19:05.359 --> 0:19:09.360 My question is you have an enemy's list. You have 0:19:09.560 --> 0:19:13.600 a very very distinct possibility that cash Fattel could end 0:19:13.680 --> 0:19:16.560 up in charge of the FBI. How much you and 0:19:16.600 --> 0:19:21.200 I were probably not on the first, second, or third list. 0:19:21.600 --> 0:19:26.320 But we're probably somewhere on a list somewhere. So what 0:19:26.520 --> 0:19:29.679 kind of protections? And I'm certainly not asking this question 0:19:29.720 --> 0:19:37.200 for myself. Protections absolutely, guy happens to if your name 0:19:37.280 --> 0:19:41.119 rhymes with Holly, should you what should you be doing? 0:19:41.680 --> 0:19:45.359 Okay, very personal question, and I'll like I myself, so 0:19:45.440 --> 0:19:48.639 I tend to agree. I've just determined to try to 0:19:48.760 --> 0:19:51.639 live my life, and I think they'd have to be 0:19:51.720 --> 0:19:55.240 digging really deep before my name would come up. That said, 0:19:55.920 --> 0:20:00.560 I have now a somewhat robust defamation policy so that 0:20:00.920 --> 0:20:06.200 if I get hit with a bogus defamation lawsuit that's 0:20:06.240 --> 0:20:08.960 really about nuisance value and making me spend a lot 0:20:09.000 --> 0:20:11.639 of money, that money will be spent out of insurance. 0:20:11.640 --> 0:20:13.960 God forbid I get hit with a legitimate one. But 0:20:14.040 --> 0:20:18.680 that's sort of on me. I'm being damned sure that 0:20:18.800 --> 0:20:24.360 my taxes are in order and going through with accountants now, 0:20:24.440 --> 0:20:26.720 because that's going to be I mean, if they're if 0:20:26.720 --> 0:20:29.760 they're really If your your name Molly comes up on 0:20:29.800 --> 0:20:32.600 the list, the question I think will be first and foremost, 0:20:32.680 --> 0:20:35.480 how to harass you, how to make you miserable, how 0:20:35.520 --> 0:20:39.119 to drag you through the mud rather than you know, 0:20:39.240 --> 0:20:44.160 the threats now against Liz Cheney contemptible on louder Molk's part, 0:20:44.359 --> 0:20:46.240 but they don't. They're not going to have anything criminal 0:20:46.280 --> 0:20:49.119 on her, and if that happened, the courts would be 0:20:49.160 --> 0:20:52.800 there to protect. But there's things they can do to really. 0:20:53.040 --> 0:20:56.040 Make your life annoying and maybe. 0:20:55.760 --> 0:20:58.919 Even a little more than annoying. So I am, in 0:20:59.080 --> 0:21:03.960 fact assuring that up I do. I feel a little 0:21:04.000 --> 0:21:06.280 bit like crap. I can't believe it's come to this, 0:21:06.400 --> 0:21:09.040 but I do a final read of everything I write, 0:21:09.640 --> 0:21:13.480 and for the lay people out there when you think 0:21:13.520 --> 0:21:17.159 about defamation, any thing about statements of opinion versus statements 0:21:17.160 --> 0:21:19.440 of fact, and I just have in my mind red 0:21:19.520 --> 0:21:22.399 light green lights sort of all the way down. But 0:21:22.560 --> 0:21:25.720 that's all I mean. I'm like, I do think we've 0:21:25.800 --> 0:21:29.720 seen this part of what your last answer was media 0:21:29.880 --> 0:21:34.159 really being you know, Colt and kind of tacking his 0:21:34.280 --> 0:21:37.800 way because of fear of what they'll do. And I, 0:21:37.800 --> 0:21:41.000 if anything, become tried to become more independent. You know, 0:21:41.080 --> 0:21:44.480 I left the La Times so I don't have to 0:21:44.560 --> 0:21:50.359 be subject to others kinds of coward or whatever, or flinching, 0:21:51.040 --> 0:21:54.520 you know, on that basis, I mainly myself. The main 0:21:54.600 --> 0:21:58.000 thing I'm doing is you know, self therapy or whatever. 0:21:58.080 --> 0:22:02.280 They just like be sured that the north Star is 0:22:02.359 --> 0:22:06.000 telling the truth and you know, trying not to be 0:22:06.240 --> 0:22:10.600 too nervous as a result. But I got the defamation policy, 0:22:10.920 --> 0:22:13.800 and then there's some things. If it really really gets ugly, 0:22:14.280 --> 0:22:16.959 you know, and you get a subpoena for something, I've 0:22:17.000 --> 0:22:19.680 got to suck it up. At that point. There really 0:22:19.760 --> 0:22:23.040 is a phalanx of people out there, I think, ready 0:22:23.119 --> 0:22:25.919 to help against people who are being here at you. 0:22:26.400 --> 0:22:28.800 Yeah, but also do you know we got to be brave. 0:22:28.880 --> 0:22:30.639 I mean, it's what, George, that's it. 0:22:30.680 --> 0:22:31.920 I mean, that's right. 0:22:32.359 --> 0:22:33.920 I have a question for you. 0:22:33.920 --> 0:22:39.560 No you don't because it's my turn. You post an Instagram. Well, 0:22:39.560 --> 0:22:43.119 I'll just cut to the chase. Elon Musk, you said 0:22:43.800 --> 0:22:47.000 he's birthed the mini Trump and his name is Elon Musk. 0:22:47.200 --> 0:22:49.320 I wonder if you see it. But I wonder more 0:22:49.560 --> 0:22:52.520 this is a little less politics and more psychology. But like, 0:22:52.840 --> 0:22:56.080 what is the deal there? Is he gonna you know, 0:22:56.320 --> 0:23:00.359 regret it down the line? Will Trump turn on him? 0:23:00.480 --> 0:23:04.160 Is he you know a patriarch? They're making like Russia. 0:23:04.520 --> 0:23:05.200 What's the deal? 0:23:05.560 --> 0:23:09.120 Let's look to Trump one point oh right, So who 0:23:09.119 --> 0:23:11.879 were the people who surrounded Trump and Trump? 0:23:11.920 --> 0:23:15.840 One point zho? And why are none of them helping Trump? 0:23:15.920 --> 0:23:16.520 Two point zero? 0:23:16.840 --> 0:23:18.560 None of them are back? I guess that's right. 0:23:18.640 --> 0:23:24.040 Huh Right, Rudy is whatever and losing his rings mind. 0:23:24.160 --> 0:23:25.399 Yeah, but he's also. 0:23:25.160 --> 0:23:28.680 Losing his like you know, he had World Series rings 0:23:28.840 --> 0:23:31.320 or something, I mean his watch collection. 0:23:31.600 --> 0:23:32.560 So you got. 0:23:32.440 --> 0:23:37.359