1 00:00:01,040 --> 00:00:03,800 Speaker 1: Good Monday morning. It is Verdict with Center, Ted Cruz, 2 00:00:03,880 --> 00:00:05,160 Speaker 1: Ben Ferguson with you. 3 00:00:05,320 --> 00:00:05,640 Speaker 2: Center. 4 00:00:05,760 --> 00:00:08,240 Speaker 1: It's nice as always to be chatting with you. And 5 00:00:08,560 --> 00:00:12,600 Speaker 1: this was a very interesting week for the Democrats, whose 6 00:00:12,680 --> 00:00:16,000 Speaker 1: secret weapon has always been use the media to Jedi 7 00:00:16,120 --> 00:00:19,800 Speaker 1: mind trick. The American people seems to not be working, 8 00:00:20,160 --> 00:00:23,119 Speaker 1: and they could also be losing their funding when it 9 00:00:23,160 --> 00:00:26,960 Speaker 1: comes to MPR and their propaganda and PBS. 10 00:00:26,840 --> 00:00:28,240 Speaker 3: Well, the gravy train is over. 11 00:00:28,520 --> 00:00:30,200 Speaker 4: And I got to say, we're two and a half 12 00:00:30,240 --> 00:00:33,040 Speaker 4: months into the Trump administration and we have never seen 13 00:00:33,120 --> 00:00:40,839 Speaker 4: such a concerted onslaught on the entire wall of left 14 00:00:40,880 --> 00:00:44,400 Speaker 4: wing control, the elites of left wing control, and in 15 00:00:44,479 --> 00:00:48,120 Speaker 4: particular going after the money. What Doze is doing, what 16 00:00:48,159 --> 00:00:51,360 Speaker 4: Trump is doing, what Elon is doing, is going after 17 00:00:51,440 --> 00:00:55,800 Speaker 4: the billions and billions of funding, whether at USAID, whether 18 00:00:55,920 --> 00:00:59,120 Speaker 4: at EPA, whether throughout the administration, that are funding the 19 00:00:59,280 --> 00:01:03,640 Speaker 4: entire apparat of the left wing. And that is proving 20 00:01:03,800 --> 00:01:08,120 Speaker 4: incredibly effective. It is sorely needed, and it is causing 21 00:01:08,440 --> 00:01:13,440 Speaker 4: absolute chaos and panic and terror. Not only that, we 22 00:01:13,520 --> 00:01:16,800 Speaker 4: saw truly catastrophic testimony from the head of NPR before 23 00:01:16,840 --> 00:01:21,960 Speaker 4: the House. NPR and PBS are both hard left propaganda 24 00:01:22,040 --> 00:01:24,840 Speaker 4: networks funded by the taxpayers, and they're both on the 25 00:01:24,880 --> 00:01:28,200 Speaker 4: chopping blocks. And the left is panicking because again the 26 00:01:28,240 --> 00:01:32,080 Speaker 4: gravy train is over. And what we're seeing among Democrats 27 00:01:32,160 --> 00:01:37,600 Speaker 4: right now is chaos, is fear, is absolute disarray and panic, 28 00:01:37,920 --> 00:01:40,240 Speaker 4: and the Democrats are scattering. We're going to break all 29 00:01:40,280 --> 00:01:44,360 Speaker 4: of that down. And finally, the democrats big attempt, the 30 00:01:44,400 --> 00:01:47,560 Speaker 4: media's big attempt to take down President Trump in these 31 00:01:47,600 --> 00:01:52,160 Speaker 4: first couple of months was Signalgate. Signal Gate. They thought, okay, 32 00:01:52,200 --> 00:01:54,320 Speaker 4: we've got them, we can take you down the entire 33 00:01:54,720 --> 00:01:58,040 Speaker 4: national security team. It was breathlessly reported on every TV 34 00:01:58,160 --> 00:02:02,640 Speaker 4: station around the clock. Democrats called for resignations. Every one 35 00:02:02,680 --> 00:02:04,600 Speaker 4: of them went out and bought pearls just so they 36 00:02:04,640 --> 00:02:07,800 Speaker 4: could clutch those pearls. And yet the polling has come 37 00:02:07,840 --> 00:02:12,840 Speaker 4: through now and the president's approval ratings remain historically strong. 38 00:02:13,320 --> 00:02:17,920 Speaker 4: Signal gait has failed despite the Democrats and the media's 39 00:02:18,160 --> 00:02:19,080 Speaker 4: full court press. 40 00:02:19,440 --> 00:02:21,639 Speaker 1: Yeah, it really is incredible, and we're going to dive 41 00:02:21,680 --> 00:02:23,680 Speaker 1: into all of that as well. I want to talk 42 00:02:23,680 --> 00:02:26,200 Speaker 1: to you real quick about the International Fellowship of Christians 43 00:02:26,200 --> 00:02:28,720 Speaker 1: and Jews. After more than a year of war, terror 44 00:02:28,760 --> 00:02:32,280 Speaker 1: and pain in Israel. The need for security essentials and 45 00:02:32,320 --> 00:02:36,640 Speaker 1: support for first responders is still critical. Israel must be 46 00:02:36,720 --> 00:02:40,320 Speaker 1: prepared for the next attack, wherever it may come from. 47 00:02:40,639 --> 00:02:44,160 Speaker 1: As Israel is surrounded by enemies on all sides. That 48 00:02:44,280 --> 00:02:47,280 Speaker 1: is where the International Fellowship of Christians and Jews has 49 00:02:47,360 --> 00:02:50,360 Speaker 1: supported and will continue to support the people of Israel 50 00:02:50,760 --> 00:02:54,519 Speaker 1: with life saving security essentials, and your gift today will 51 00:02:54,520 --> 00:02:59,080 Speaker 1: help save lives by providing bomb shelters, armored security vehicles, 52 00:02:59,480 --> 00:03:05,320 Speaker 1: armored ambulances, firefighting equipment, flat jackets and bulletproof vests and 53 00:03:05,440 --> 00:03:08,640 Speaker 1: so much more. Your generous donation today will help ensure 54 00:03:08,680 --> 00:03:10,960 Speaker 1: the people of Israel are safe and secure in the 55 00:03:11,040 --> 00:03:15,160 Speaker 1: days to come, as threats of tear remain imminent. So 56 00:03:15,240 --> 00:03:18,480 Speaker 1: give a gift to bless Israel andenter people by visiting 57 00:03:18,560 --> 00:03:26,799 Speaker 1: SUPPORTIFCJ dot org. That's one word, support IFCJ dot org. 58 00:03:27,120 --> 00:03:30,520 Speaker 1: You can also call to give eight at eight four 59 00:03:30,639 --> 00:03:34,920 Speaker 1: eight eight IFCJ that's eight at eight four eight eight 60 00:03:35,160 --> 00:03:39,440 Speaker 1: if CJ eight eight eight four eight eight four three 61 00:03:39,640 --> 00:03:44,560 Speaker 1: two five or supportif CJ dot org. All right, so, Centater, 62 00:03:44,720 --> 00:03:48,480 Speaker 1: let's start with something and again this goes back to 63 00:03:48,640 --> 00:03:51,760 Speaker 1: money is power. The Democratic Party has figured this out. 64 00:03:51,800 --> 00:03:54,640 Speaker 1: They've exploited to their advantage. And there was a very 65 00:03:54,640 --> 00:03:57,880 Speaker 1: intering article that was written about the money and the 66 00:03:57,960 --> 00:04:00,920 Speaker 1: shutting off of that valve by Bhi. Donald Trump, by 67 00:04:01,040 --> 00:04:05,320 Speaker 1: government funded patronage networks, explain this to everybody listening. 68 00:04:06,080 --> 00:04:08,080 Speaker 4: Well, it's an article that was in the Daily Signal 69 00:04:08,120 --> 00:04:12,240 Speaker 4: and it's entitled how Trump is decimating the Left's patriotage 70 00:04:12,280 --> 00:04:14,880 Speaker 4: networks by Jarrett Stepman. I want to read the beginning 71 00:04:14,920 --> 00:04:17,799 Speaker 4: of it because it's really, I think, quite powerful. President 72 00:04:17,839 --> 00:04:20,599 Speaker 4: Donald Trump has launched a political counter revolution in the 73 00:04:20,600 --> 00:04:23,280 Speaker 4: early days of his second presidency. One of the most 74 00:04:23,360 --> 00:04:26,599 Speaker 4: profound ways he's doing this is by effectively cutting off 75 00:04:27,000 --> 00:04:32,320 Speaker 4: the left's massive government funded patronage networks. What's making Trump's 76 00:04:32,360 --> 00:04:35,400 Speaker 4: move so effective is that many of these networks are 77 00:04:35,440 --> 00:04:38,520 Speaker 4: based on government functions that long ago either waned in 78 00:04:38,640 --> 00:04:43,880 Speaker 4: usefulness or have completely abandoned their purpose. Environmental Protection Agency 79 00:04:43,920 --> 00:04:47,640 Speaker 4: administrator Lee Zelden appeared on One American News Wednesday and 80 00:04:47,720 --> 00:04:51,719 Speaker 4: explained how the left has insidiously transformed the federal government 81 00:04:52,120 --> 00:04:56,839 Speaker 4: into a Democratic party funding apparatus. Zelden explained how the 82 00:04:56,839 --> 00:05:00,640 Speaker 4: EPA under the bided administration was used as a slush 83 00:05:00,640 --> 00:05:05,200 Speaker 4: fund to give money to activists. Quote the EPA was 84 00:05:05,240 --> 00:05:08,559 Speaker 4: absolutely being used to push out this green slush fund 85 00:05:08,880 --> 00:05:13,360 Speaker 4: to their friends, Zelden said. Quote by design, the director 86 00:05:13,400 --> 00:05:17,360 Speaker 4: of the Greenhouse Gas Reduction Fund leaves one of these NGOs, 87 00:05:17,960 --> 00:05:20,840 Speaker 4: goes to work for the Biden administration to design this 88 00:05:20,960 --> 00:05:25,279 Speaker 4: whole setup, and then sees his former employer get five 89 00:05:25,960 --> 00:05:31,080 Speaker 4: billion dollars. Zelden said the scheme applied to contracts large 90 00:05:31,080 --> 00:05:35,120 Speaker 4: and small, to both green non governmental organization executives and 91 00:05:35,160 --> 00:05:38,440 Speaker 4: to low level activists. The EPA has been acting as 92 00:05:38,440 --> 00:05:42,479 Speaker 4: a conduit to transfer huge amounts of taxpayer money to 93 00:05:42,560 --> 00:05:46,239 Speaker 4: the left's base. Quote are we providing clean air, land, 94 00:05:46,240 --> 00:05:49,800 Speaker 4: and water? Zelden ast rhetorically, this wasn't money spent towards 95 00:05:49,800 --> 00:05:54,120 Speaker 4: remediating environmental issue. This was money going through their friends. 96 00:05:54,720 --> 00:05:55,479 Speaker 3: Indeed it was. 97 00:05:56,120 --> 00:06:01,279 Speaker 4: Zelden has canceled hundreds of contracts worth one point five 98 00:06:01,839 --> 00:06:06,640 Speaker 4: billion dollars that were tabbed to go essentially to left 99 00:06:06,680 --> 00:06:12,320 Speaker 4: wing activist networks focused on quote environmental justice. Democrats are 100 00:06:12,400 --> 00:06:17,120 Speaker 4: apoplectic about the move. Of course, big surprise, Zelden is 101 00:06:17,160 --> 00:06:21,760 Speaker 4: going hard on other climate change initiatives too, where the 102 00:06:21,800 --> 00:06:25,560 Speaker 4: big money is at stake for the less green client network. 103 00:06:26,360 --> 00:06:28,240 Speaker 3: This is only the tip of the iceberg. 104 00:06:28,880 --> 00:06:33,920 Speaker 4: One of the real misunderstandings about the modern administrative state 105 00:06:34,279 --> 00:06:37,520 Speaker 4: was demolished in recent years is that it's operated by 106 00:06:37,640 --> 00:06:45,640 Speaker 4: nonpartisan experts. Instead, it is now a funding stream. And 107 00:06:45,680 --> 00:06:47,719 Speaker 4: this is me talking and not the article on it. 108 00:06:47,720 --> 00:06:51,040 Speaker 4: It's a funding stream for the left. And understand what's 109 00:06:51,120 --> 00:06:54,640 Speaker 4: gone on. Whether it was USAID, whether it was the EPA, 110 00:06:54,760 --> 00:06:57,679 Speaker 4: whether it was every single department, the Department of Education, 111 00:06:58,040 --> 00:07:03,080 Speaker 4: the Department of Agriculture, that Apartment of Justice, every cabinet agency. 112 00:07:03,480 --> 00:07:07,720 Speaker 4: What the left has done is taking these funding spigots 113 00:07:08,520 --> 00:07:12,480 Speaker 4: and spent billions and billions of dollars funding all of 114 00:07:12,520 --> 00:07:15,320 Speaker 4: their friends, funding all of the attack apparatus. If you 115 00:07:15,400 --> 00:07:19,080 Speaker 4: wonder why things seem sometimes so skewed left and right, 116 00:07:19,480 --> 00:07:22,320 Speaker 4: a big part of the reason is the left has 117 00:07:22,400 --> 00:07:26,640 Speaker 4: been addicted to this funding. But Ben, that's what's so 118 00:07:26,840 --> 00:07:29,680 Speaker 4: powerful about cutting it off. Listen the right. You know, 119 00:07:29,720 --> 00:07:32,680 Speaker 4: when conservatives are in power, when Republicans are in power, 120 00:07:32,760 --> 00:07:35,040 Speaker 4: we don't do this. We don't fund our buddies, And 121 00:07:35,040 --> 00:07:37,480 Speaker 4: I'm glad we don't. I don't want us to. But 122 00:07:37,640 --> 00:07:41,760 Speaker 4: one strength of that is that means conservative organizations are 123 00:07:41,800 --> 00:07:46,080 Speaker 4: not addicted to the government cash. We're not suckling at 124 00:07:46,160 --> 00:07:49,400 Speaker 4: the teat of the federal government. The left right now, 125 00:07:50,080 --> 00:07:54,640 Speaker 4: they don't know what to do because their entire ecosystem everybody, 126 00:07:54,680 --> 00:07:59,760 Speaker 4: and understand this is from the big senior poohbas to 127 00:07:59,840 --> 00:08:04,320 Speaker 4: the most junior, green haired left wing radical who dropped 128 00:08:04,360 --> 00:08:07,840 Speaker 4: out of school. They're all dependent on the government money. 129 00:08:07,840 --> 00:08:11,000 Speaker 4: And it's why, you know, when you and I interviewed 130 00:08:11,000 --> 00:08:14,240 Speaker 4: Elon Musk and he was saying, you know, I asked him, 131 00:08:14,240 --> 00:08:16,520 Speaker 4: why do they hate you so much? And if you 132 00:08:16,520 --> 00:08:20,360 Speaker 4: remember his answer, he said, well, I'm taking away their goodies. 133 00:08:20,800 --> 00:08:24,840 Speaker 4: I'm taking away their money. This is what's fundamentally happening. 134 00:08:25,280 --> 00:08:28,400 Speaker 1: Well, and the way you said it is exactly the 135 00:08:28,400 --> 00:08:31,840 Speaker 1: way he was. Just kind of like, look, they're in 136 00:08:31,960 --> 00:08:36,120 Speaker 1: deep trouble because they don't know how to operate on 137 00:08:36,200 --> 00:08:39,040 Speaker 1: their own without it, and if you take it away, 138 00:08:39,160 --> 00:08:43,840 Speaker 1: then it can literally disappear, and also their reach disappears overnight. 139 00:08:44,240 --> 00:08:45,600 Speaker 2: That is so powerful. 140 00:08:45,679 --> 00:08:47,680 Speaker 1: Make it on your own, but not with my tax 141 00:08:47,760 --> 00:08:49,760 Speaker 1: hour subsidizing your radical agenda. 142 00:08:50,200 --> 00:08:51,959 Speaker 4: That's exactly right. Let me read a little more of 143 00:08:52,000 --> 00:08:55,440 Speaker 4: this Daily Signal article. Like many of the federal government's projects, 144 00:08:55,520 --> 00:08:58,240 Speaker 4: USAID is in many ways a relic of a bygone 145 00:08:58,280 --> 00:09:01,120 Speaker 4: era when the US aimed to stop the influence of 146 00:09:01,120 --> 00:09:05,000 Speaker 4: communism around the globe. Sometime after the fall of the USSR, 147 00:09:05,480 --> 00:09:08,760 Speaker 4: it became a vehicle to fund various leftist projects around 148 00:09:08,800 --> 00:09:13,520 Speaker 4: the globe with little relation to US national interest. In fact, 149 00:09:13,760 --> 00:09:18,400 Speaker 4: many of these projects were downright loathed in countries that 150 00:09:18,480 --> 00:09:22,200 Speaker 4: weren't too pleased with the US government funding pride parades 151 00:09:22,640 --> 00:09:26,520 Speaker 4: in their capital city. The Trump administration is also pulling 152 00:09:26,600 --> 00:09:30,960 Speaker 4: the plug on the unofficially established Church of the Left too. 153 00:09:31,679 --> 00:09:36,320 Speaker 4: They are withdrawing or threatening to withdraw hundreds of millions 154 00:09:36,320 --> 00:09:39,840 Speaker 4: of dollars in grant money directed at colleges and universities 155 00:09:40,120 --> 00:09:43,400 Speaker 4: that failed to protect their students from anti semitism on campus. 156 00:09:43,840 --> 00:09:47,240 Speaker 4: They are threatening schools with removing even more funds if 157 00:09:47,280 --> 00:09:52,280 Speaker 4: they continue their illegal, racially discriminatory DEI programs too, and 158 00:09:52,360 --> 00:09:55,480 Speaker 4: one might add that the problem goes far beyond anti 159 00:09:55,480 --> 00:10:00,000 Speaker 4: semitism and DEI. American universities, which have in many cases 160 00:10:00,520 --> 00:10:06,440 Speaker 4: become hedge funds with schools attached, are increasingly failing to 161 00:10:06,440 --> 00:10:09,880 Speaker 4: serve the public good. Much of what they call vital 162 00:10:09,960 --> 00:10:15,160 Speaker 4: quote unquote research is bogus. In addition, there's no question 163 00:10:15,240 --> 00:10:19,319 Speaker 4: that taxpayer funded research grants allow universities to fund their 164 00:10:19,360 --> 00:10:25,640 Speaker 4: obnoxious humanities departments that are politically monolithic at nearly every school. 165 00:10:25,800 --> 00:10:28,800 Speaker 4: They are in the business of gatekeeping the American elite 166 00:10:29,200 --> 00:10:32,120 Speaker 4: and turning out generations of activists who not only run 167 00:10:32,160 --> 00:10:36,440 Speaker 4: the show on campus, but populate newsrooms, corporate boardrooms, and 168 00:10:36,480 --> 00:10:40,440 Speaker 4: government institutions. Want to know what, Nearly everyone who runs 169 00:10:40,480 --> 00:10:44,320 Speaker 4: an elite institution sounds the same, spouts the same dogmas, 170 00:10:44,320 --> 00:10:47,560 Speaker 4: and went along with every insanity of the twenty twenty 171 00:10:47,600 --> 00:10:48,439 Speaker 4: great awokening. 172 00:10:49,400 --> 00:10:50,320 Speaker 3: There's your source. 173 00:10:51,200 --> 00:10:54,240 Speaker 4: And this is fundamentally what is going on that Trump 174 00:10:54,880 --> 00:10:57,400 Speaker 4: is targeting the power at the source. 175 00:10:58,360 --> 00:11:00,000 Speaker 3: He's targeting the money. 176 00:11:00,679 --> 00:11:03,520 Speaker 1: That is a big, big deal, which brings us to 177 00:11:03,559 --> 00:11:06,360 Speaker 1: another aspect of this, and that was what happened in 178 00:11:06,440 --> 00:11:11,520 Speaker 1: Congress last week with MPR CEO and PBS a CEO 179 00:11:11,840 --> 00:11:15,360 Speaker 1: there in front of Congress having to deal with what 180 00:11:15,480 --> 00:11:19,560 Speaker 1: DOGE is doing, which is cutting waste, fraud, and abuse, 181 00:11:20,200 --> 00:11:23,200 Speaker 1: and it did not go very well for the CEOs. 182 00:11:23,280 --> 00:11:26,880 Speaker 1: It reminded me an awful lot center of when those 183 00:11:27,960 --> 00:11:30,720 Speaker 1: the presidents of the Ivy League schools had to come 184 00:11:30,760 --> 00:11:35,440 Speaker 1: and answer questions about anti Semitism on college campuses after 185 00:11:35,559 --> 00:11:39,000 Speaker 1: the attacks on Israel, and people were just in shock 186 00:11:39,160 --> 00:11:42,000 Speaker 1: how radical they were and how they were not stopping it. 187 00:11:42,080 --> 00:11:44,000 Speaker 2: That was very reminiscent of that. 188 00:11:44,080 --> 00:11:48,600 Speaker 1: With NPR CEO, very arrogant, pbsco very arrogant, like, this 189 00:11:48,640 --> 00:11:50,480 Speaker 1: is what we do. We take your money, we put 190 00:11:50,480 --> 00:11:54,120 Speaker 1: out propaganda, so sue us, That's what we've been doing forever. 191 00:11:55,080 --> 00:12:00,439 Speaker 4: Well, and Catherine Maher who's the CEO of NPR ist 192 00:12:00,679 --> 00:12:04,760 Speaker 4: dripping the arrogant. She is hard left, and it was 193 00:12:04,840 --> 00:12:08,520 Speaker 4: exactly like you're right. The president of Harvard, the president 194 00:12:08,559 --> 00:12:11,760 Speaker 4: of Penn both of them lost their jobs over there, arrogant, 195 00:12:11,760 --> 00:12:17,560 Speaker 4: out of touch testimony before the House. Where she is. Look, 196 00:12:17,640 --> 00:12:20,200 Speaker 4: she's a member of the Council on Foreign Relations. She 197 00:12:20,280 --> 00:12:23,880 Speaker 4: worked for UNISEF, She worked for the National Democratic Institute, 198 00:12:23,920 --> 00:12:26,320 Speaker 4: She worked for the World Bank in access Now, she 199 00:12:26,440 --> 00:12:28,920 Speaker 4: worked for Wikimedia Wikimedia Foundation. 200 00:12:29,160 --> 00:12:30,720 Speaker 3: She joined the Atlantic Council. 201 00:12:31,040 --> 00:12:33,720 Speaker 4: She was part of the Department of States Foreign Affairs 202 00:12:33,880 --> 00:12:38,240 Speaker 4: Policy Board. She is a hard leftist, but look don't 203 00:12:38,240 --> 00:12:41,320 Speaker 4: take my word for it. Listen to it out of 204 00:12:41,320 --> 00:12:43,080 Speaker 4: her own mouth. And I want you to listen in 205 00:12:43,120 --> 00:12:48,560 Speaker 4: particular for this back and forth with Brandon gil Brandon 206 00:12:48,640 --> 00:12:52,280 Speaker 4: Gill is a freshman House member from Texas. He's a 207 00:12:52,280 --> 00:12:56,360 Speaker 4: good friend. I campaigned hard for Brandon. I endorsed him 208 00:12:56,360 --> 00:12:58,760 Speaker 4: in the primary. Brandon is a rising star in the House. 209 00:12:59,120 --> 00:13:01,200 Speaker 4: And just listen of this back and forth as he 210 00:13:01,280 --> 00:13:04,360 Speaker 4: questions her and and and and hangs her on her 211 00:13:04,400 --> 00:13:06,720 Speaker 4: own petard with her own words. Give a listen. 212 00:13:07,040 --> 00:13:10,040 Speaker 5: Do you believe that America is addicted to white supremacy? 213 00:13:11,120 --> 00:13:12,720 Speaker 6: I believe that I tweeted that. 214 00:13:12,760 --> 00:13:14,840 Speaker 7: And as I've said earlier, I believe much of my 215 00:13:14,920 --> 00:13:17,520 Speaker 7: thinking has evolved over the last half decade. 216 00:13:17,679 --> 00:13:19,600 Speaker 3: It is okay, stop stop, stop, stops. 217 00:13:20,360 --> 00:13:23,000 Speaker 4: I want you to notice something she says there, Much 218 00:13:23,000 --> 00:13:28,200 Speaker 4: of my thinking has evolved over the last half decade, Ben, 219 00:13:28,240 --> 00:13:29,240 Speaker 4: what's a half decade? 220 00:13:29,800 --> 00:13:30,480 Speaker 2: Five years? 221 00:13:30,640 --> 00:13:33,120 Speaker 3: That would be five years. Doesn't that half decades sound long? 222 00:13:33,440 --> 00:13:36,079 Speaker 4: I believe much of my thinking has evolved over the 223 00:13:36,160 --> 00:13:39,360 Speaker 4: last half decade. Oh crap, what I said five years ago? 224 00:13:39,520 --> 00:13:41,480 Speaker 4: Oh no, that's a real problem. Run away, run away, 225 00:13:41,480 --> 00:13:43,760 Speaker 4: all right, go back to what he's playing with has evolved. 226 00:13:43,840 --> 00:13:46,760 Speaker 4: I just like that that that that comment. Her idiocy 227 00:13:46,800 --> 00:13:47,800 Speaker 4: only gets me laugh. 228 00:13:47,920 --> 00:13:49,360 Speaker 2: As soon as I heard, I was like, this is 229 00:13:49,400 --> 00:13:51,760 Speaker 2: not going well. Keep listening, it gets evolved. 230 00:13:51,960 --> 00:13:52,960 Speaker 8: Why did you tweet that? 231 00:13:53,440 --> 00:13:56,160 Speaker 7: I don't recall the exact context, sir, so I wouldn't 232 00:13:56,200 --> 00:13:57,040 Speaker 7: be able to say. 233 00:13:57,120 --> 00:14:00,680 Speaker 5: Okay, do you believe that America believes in black plunder 234 00:14:00,720 --> 00:14:01,839 Speaker 5: in white democracy? 235 00:14:02,360 --> 00:14:04,760 Speaker 6: I don't believe that, sir. 236 00:14:05,360 --> 00:14:06,200 Speaker 8: You tweeted that. 237 00:14:06,280 --> 00:14:08,760 Speaker 5: It's reference to a book you were reading at the time, 238 00:14:08,800 --> 00:14:10,960 Speaker 5: apparently The Case for Reparations. 239 00:14:11,320 --> 00:14:12,880 Speaker 6: I don't think I've ever read that book, Sir. 240 00:14:13,480 --> 00:14:14,640 Speaker 8: You tweeted about it. 241 00:14:15,559 --> 00:14:18,000 Speaker 5: You said you took a day off to fully read 242 00:14:18,000 --> 00:14:20,560 Speaker 5: The Case for Reparations. You put that on Twitter in 243 00:14:20,640 --> 00:14:21,880 Speaker 5: January twenty twenty. 244 00:14:22,760 --> 00:14:23,440 Speaker 6: I apologies. 245 00:14:23,480 --> 00:14:26,160 Speaker 7: I don't recall that I did okay, I'd no doubt 246 00:14:26,160 --> 00:14:29,240 Speaker 7: that your tweet there is correct, but I don't recall. 247 00:14:29,640 --> 00:14:33,520 Speaker 5: Okay, do you believe that white people inherently feel superior 248 00:14:33,560 --> 00:14:34,320 Speaker 5: to other races? 249 00:14:34,440 --> 00:14:34,840 Speaker 6: I do not. 250 00:14:36,040 --> 00:14:38,960 Speaker 5: You tweeted something to that effect. You said I grew 251 00:14:39,000 --> 00:14:42,160 Speaker 5: up feeling superior. How wide of me? Why did you 252 00:14:42,160 --> 00:14:42,640 Speaker 5: tweet that? 253 00:14:43,520 --> 00:14:46,240 Speaker 7: I think I was probably reflecting on what it was 254 00:14:46,360 --> 00:14:49,280 Speaker 7: to be to grow up in an environment where I 255 00:14:49,320 --> 00:14:50,360 Speaker 7: had lots of advantages. 256 00:14:50,640 --> 00:14:53,400 Speaker 5: It sounds like you're saying that white people feel superior. 257 00:14:54,040 --> 00:14:56,640 Speaker 7: I don't believe that anybody feels that way, sir. I 258 00:14:56,800 --> 00:14:58,440 Speaker 7: was just reflecting on my own experiences. 259 00:14:58,480 --> 00:15:00,880 Speaker 8: Do you think that white people should pay rep I 260 00:15:01,200 --> 00:15:04,480 Speaker 8: have never said that, sir. Yes you did. You said 261 00:15:04,480 --> 00:15:05,840 Speaker 8: it in January of twenty twenty. 262 00:15:05,880 --> 00:15:09,840 Speaker 5: You tweeted, yes, the North, yes, all of us, Yes, America, Yes, 263 00:15:09,880 --> 00:15:13,960 Speaker 5: our original collective sin and unpaid debt. Yes, reparations, yes 264 00:15:13,960 --> 00:15:14,600 Speaker 5: on this day. 265 00:15:14,800 --> 00:15:17,560 Speaker 7: I don't believe that was a reference to fiscal reparations, sir. 266 00:15:17,800 --> 00:15:19,720 Speaker 8: What kind of reparations was it a reference to. 267 00:15:20,200 --> 00:15:21,760 Speaker 7: I think it was just a reference to the idea 268 00:15:21,800 --> 00:15:24,280 Speaker 7: that we all owe much to the people who came 269 00:15:24,280 --> 00:15:25,400 Speaker 7: before us. 270 00:15:25,200 --> 00:15:30,360 Speaker 5: That's a bizarre way to frame what you tweeted. Okay, 271 00:15:31,160 --> 00:15:33,840 Speaker 5: many How much reparations have you personally paid? 272 00:15:34,520 --> 00:15:34,760 Speaker 6: Sir? 273 00:15:35,280 --> 00:15:37,960 Speaker 7: I don't believe that I've ever paid reparations. 274 00:15:38,280 --> 00:15:41,680 Speaker 5: Okay, just for everybody else, I'm not asking anyone. Seems 275 00:15:41,720 --> 00:15:44,440 Speaker 5: to be what you're suggesting. Do you believe that looting 276 00:15:44,480 --> 00:15:45,280 Speaker 5: is morally wrong? 277 00:15:45,440 --> 00:15:48,160 Speaker 7: I believe that looting is illegal, and I refer to 278 00:15:48,160 --> 00:15:50,240 Speaker 7: it as counterproductive. I think it should be prosecuted. 279 00:15:50,240 --> 00:15:51,800 Speaker 8: Do you believe it's morally wrong though? 280 00:15:52,040 --> 00:15:52,440 Speaker 6: Of course? 281 00:15:52,800 --> 00:15:54,680 Speaker 5: Of course, then why did you refer to it as 282 00:15:54,760 --> 00:15:59,080 Speaker 5: counter productive? Very different, very different way to describe it. 283 00:15:59,080 --> 00:16:02,080 Speaker 7: It is both morally wrong and counterproductive as well as. 284 00:16:01,960 --> 00:16:04,760 Speaker 5: Being you tweeted it's hard to be mad about protests 285 00:16:04,840 --> 00:16:09,200 Speaker 5: in reference to the BLM protests not prioritizing the private 286 00:16:09,240 --> 00:16:13,560 Speaker 5: property of a system of oppression. You didn't condemn the looting. 287 00:16:13,600 --> 00:16:18,680 Speaker 5: You said that it was counterproductive. NPR also promoted a 288 00:16:18,720 --> 00:16:21,160 Speaker 5: book called Indefensive Looting. Do you think that that's an 289 00:16:21,160 --> 00:16:22,840 Speaker 5: appropriate use of taxpayer dollars? 290 00:16:23,560 --> 00:16:26,280 Speaker 7: I'm unfamiliar with that book, sir, and I don't believe 291 00:16:26,280 --> 00:16:26,560 Speaker 7: that was. 292 00:16:26,480 --> 00:16:28,360 Speaker 8: A tweeted that you read that book. 293 00:16:28,480 --> 00:16:30,960 Speaker 6: But I don't believe that I did read that book. 294 00:16:31,120 --> 00:16:34,320 Speaker 1: It's amazing she tweeted that she read the book. She's like, 295 00:16:34,400 --> 00:16:36,760 Speaker 1: I don't believe that I ever read that book. So 296 00:16:37,040 --> 00:16:40,000 Speaker 1: you're either lying now or you're lying. What a half 297 00:16:40,160 --> 00:16:43,400 Speaker 1: half a decade ago is? She likes to describe it right, Senator. 298 00:16:43,600 --> 00:16:50,720 Speaker 4: Look, that is a crushingly effective cross examination. And if 299 00:16:50,760 --> 00:16:55,640 Speaker 4: you look at at She is running away from everything 300 00:16:55,720 --> 00:16:58,400 Speaker 4: she's ever said, everything she's ever believed, because it is 301 00:16:58,400 --> 00:17:03,080 Speaker 4: indefensible when she said, as you know, she claimed on Twitter, 302 00:17:03,160 --> 00:17:05,040 Speaker 4: she took an entire day off to read a book 303 00:17:05,040 --> 00:17:07,040 Speaker 4: on reparations. It was so important that shed de voted 304 00:17:07,040 --> 00:17:08,960 Speaker 4: a day of her and now she has no recollection. 305 00:17:09,040 --> 00:17:11,960 Speaker 4: I'm sorry, I I you know this. This will be 306 00:17:11,960 --> 00:17:13,960 Speaker 4: before you were watching TV. But but there was an 307 00:17:14,000 --> 00:17:17,480 Speaker 4: old series. You ever watch Hogan's Heroes? Yeah, gosh, yes, okay, 308 00:17:17,560 --> 00:17:20,920 Speaker 4: well do you remember Sergeant Schultz. Yes, Sergeant Schultz, he 309 00:17:20,960 --> 00:17:21,600 Speaker 4: would say. 310 00:17:21,520 --> 00:17:23,480 Speaker 3: I see nothing, I hear nothing. 311 00:17:23,960 --> 00:17:26,760 Speaker 4: That is that's that is Catherine Marr. She sees nothing, 312 00:17:27,080 --> 00:17:28,200 Speaker 4: she hears nothing. 313 00:17:28,840 --> 00:17:29,199 Speaker 3: Uh. 314 00:17:29,240 --> 00:17:34,520 Speaker 4: And and yet this is someone charged with spending millions 315 00:17:34,560 --> 00:17:38,680 Speaker 4: of taxpayer dollars running what is a left wing propaganda network. 316 00:17:40,080 --> 00:17:43,760 Speaker 4: You know her statement, I've never called for reparations. I 317 00:17:44,000 --> 00:17:46,120 Speaker 4: gotta say, Brandon, I think does a fabulous shop? Well 318 00:17:46,200 --> 00:17:47,919 Speaker 4: yes you did, let me read you the tweet and 319 00:17:47,960 --> 00:17:51,080 Speaker 4: she says reparations yes, oh oh well, well other than 320 00:17:51,119 --> 00:17:53,080 Speaker 4: when I called for reparations. But I haven't called for 321 00:17:53,080 --> 00:17:55,400 Speaker 4: it other than when I've called for it. But but 322 00:17:55,400 --> 00:17:58,600 Speaker 4: but no, no, it's not fiscal reparations. It's it's I mean, 323 00:17:59,160 --> 00:18:01,480 Speaker 4: I mean, I mean pairing the tires on their cars. 324 00:18:01,520 --> 00:18:03,080 Speaker 4: That's that that that those are the reparations. 325 00:18:03,119 --> 00:18:03,919 Speaker 3: I mean. 326 00:18:05,640 --> 00:18:11,360 Speaker 4: She has no answer, because her answer is she desperately 327 00:18:11,400 --> 00:18:13,920 Speaker 4: wants to run away from everything she has ever said 328 00:18:14,040 --> 00:18:18,960 Speaker 4: or done. But but let me actually let's actually go 329 00:18:19,000 --> 00:18:21,600 Speaker 4: to something else that that that that she said and did, 330 00:18:22,280 --> 00:18:25,840 Speaker 4: which is what do you think she has cited as 331 00:18:25,880 --> 00:18:27,440 Speaker 4: the number one challenge? 332 00:18:28,000 --> 00:18:29,520 Speaker 3: Uh? That it that that. 333 00:18:29,600 --> 00:18:34,679 Speaker 4: Is facing uh that that is facing journalism right. 334 00:18:34,520 --> 00:18:38,840 Speaker 2: Now, knowing this woman have no idea. 335 00:18:40,080 --> 00:18:42,600 Speaker 4: Okay, Here here is a quote from her at a 336 00:18:42,640 --> 00:18:46,600 Speaker 4: panel at the Atlantic Council Research Lab. Quote, the number 337 00:18:46,640 --> 00:18:49,880 Speaker 4: one challenge that we see here is, of course the 338 00:18:49,920 --> 00:18:52,520 Speaker 4: First Amendment in the United States. 339 00:18:52,560 --> 00:18:57,760 Speaker 1: It's it's so like, it's so on Brandford, that's almost unbelievable. Though, 340 00:18:57,880 --> 00:19:01,040 Speaker 1: like a woman who says that she leaves in the 341 00:19:01,080 --> 00:19:05,240 Speaker 1: public and radio and free speed says, that's the real 342 00:19:05,359 --> 00:19:08,960 Speaker 1: problem is the First Amendment. In fact, Sedator, here's the 343 00:19:09,040 --> 00:19:12,720 Speaker 1: MPR CEO in her own words, saying exactly that the. 344 00:19:12,760 --> 00:19:16,040 Speaker 9: Number one challenge here that we see is, of course, 345 00:19:16,080 --> 00:19:19,080 Speaker 9: the First Amendment in the United States is a fairly 346 00:19:19,200 --> 00:19:24,600 Speaker 9: robust protection of rights, and that is a protection of 347 00:19:24,640 --> 00:19:26,480 Speaker 9: rights both for platforms, which I actually think is very 348 00:19:26,520 --> 00:19:28,800 Speaker 9: important that platforms have those rights to be able to 349 00:19:28,800 --> 00:19:31,320 Speaker 9: regulate what kind of content they want on their sites. 350 00:19:31,680 --> 00:19:33,600 Speaker 9: But it also means that it is a little bit 351 00:19:33,600 --> 00:19:37,760 Speaker 9: trickically addressed some of the real challenges of where does 352 00:19:37,840 --> 00:19:40,719 Speaker 9: bad information come from and sort of the influence peddlers 353 00:19:40,720 --> 00:19:42,600 Speaker 9: who have made a real market economy around it. 354 00:19:42,920 --> 00:19:45,359 Speaker 2: I mean, you listen to her, and it's just amazing. 355 00:19:46,119 --> 00:19:48,600 Speaker 1: If we could just do what we want and get 356 00:19:48,680 --> 00:19:52,040 Speaker 1: rid of everything we don't want and silence anybody that 357 00:19:52,040 --> 00:19:55,600 Speaker 1: says something that is disagreeing with us, and everything would 358 00:19:55,640 --> 00:19:59,000 Speaker 1: be fine in media and with our government, right, we 359 00:19:59,040 --> 00:20:02,480 Speaker 1: could just control everybody and shut everybody down we don't like. 360 00:20:02,600 --> 00:20:04,639 Speaker 2: That is the NPR CEO saying it. 361 00:20:05,320 --> 00:20:08,399 Speaker 4: Look, the left believes in censorship, that they don't believe 362 00:20:08,440 --> 00:20:11,120 Speaker 4: in journalism, they don't believe in media, they believe in propaganda. 363 00:20:11,520 --> 00:20:14,440 Speaker 4: And you and I on this podcast covered last year 364 00:20:15,680 --> 00:20:18,800 Speaker 4: a story that was written in The Free Press by 365 00:20:18,880 --> 00:20:21,800 Speaker 4: Yuri Berliner, and it was in April of twenty four 366 00:20:22,240 --> 00:20:25,159 Speaker 4: and it was entitled I've been at NPR for twenty 367 00:20:25,160 --> 00:20:27,679 Speaker 4: five years. Here's how we lost to America's trust. And 368 00:20:27,680 --> 00:20:29,000 Speaker 4: I just want to read the beginning of it again 369 00:20:29,040 --> 00:20:31,119 Speaker 4: because we did a good chunk of a podcast just 370 00:20:31,200 --> 00:20:35,640 Speaker 4: on this story, but it really sets up the absolute disaster. 371 00:20:35,320 --> 00:20:38,639 Speaker 3: That is NPR today. How Uri Billinner began. 372 00:20:39,400 --> 00:20:42,760 Speaker 4: You know, the stereotype of the NPR lister, an ev driving, 373 00:20:42,840 --> 00:20:46,920 Speaker 4: wordle playing, tote bag carrying, coastal elite. It doesn't precisely 374 00:20:46,960 --> 00:20:50,480 Speaker 4: describe me, but it's not far off. I'm Sarah Lawrence, educated, 375 00:20:50,880 --> 00:20:54,040 Speaker 4: was raised by a lesbian peace activist mother. I drive 376 00:20:54,040 --> 00:20:57,439 Speaker 4: a super room and Spotify says my listing habits are 377 00:20:57,480 --> 00:20:59,400 Speaker 4: most similar to people in Berkeley. 378 00:21:00,480 --> 00:21:02,600 Speaker 3: I fit the NPR mold. I'll cop to that. 379 00:21:03,080 --> 00:21:04,960 Speaker 4: So when I got a job here twenty five years ago, 380 00:21:04,960 --> 00:21:06,919 Speaker 4: I never looked back. As a senior editor on the 381 00:21:06,920 --> 00:21:09,720 Speaker 4: business desk, where news is always breaking, We've covered up 382 00:21:09,720 --> 00:21:12,720 Speaker 4: peeples in the workplace, supermarket prices, social media, and AI. 383 00:21:13,359 --> 00:21:16,359 Speaker 4: It's true NPR always had a liberal bent, but during 384 00:21:16,359 --> 00:21:19,640 Speaker 4: most of my tenure here, an open minded, curious culture prevailed. 385 00:21:20,160 --> 00:21:23,800 Speaker 4: We were nerdy, not knee jerk activists or scolding. In 386 00:21:23,920 --> 00:21:27,800 Speaker 4: recent years, however, that has changed Today those who listen 387 00:21:27,880 --> 00:21:31,040 Speaker 4: to NPR or read its coverage online find something different 388 00:21:31,560 --> 00:21:35,199 Speaker 4: the distilled worldview of a very small segment of the 389 00:21:35,280 --> 00:21:39,200 Speaker 4: US population. If you are a conservative, you will read 390 00:21:39,240 --> 00:21:43,199 Speaker 4: this and say, duh, it's always been this way, but 391 00:21:43,320 --> 00:21:43,840 Speaker 4: it hasn't. 392 00:21:44,359 --> 00:21:44,920 Speaker 3: For decades. 393 00:21:44,920 --> 00:21:47,359 Speaker 4: Since its founding in nineteen seventy, a wide swath of 394 00:21:47,400 --> 00:21:51,639 Speaker 4: America turned into NPR for reliable journalism and gorgeous audio 395 00:21:51,680 --> 00:21:55,119 Speaker 4: pieces with birds singing in the Amazon. Millions came to 396 00:21:55,200 --> 00:21:58,199 Speaker 4: us for conversations that exposed us to voices around the country, 397 00:21:58,200 --> 00:22:02,639 Speaker 4: in the world radically different from our engaging precisely because 398 00:22:02,680 --> 00:22:06,639 Speaker 4: they were unguarded and unpredictable. No image generated more pride 399 00:22:06,640 --> 00:22:10,080 Speaker 4: within NPR than the farmer listening to Morning Edition from 400 00:22:10,080 --> 00:22:13,920 Speaker 4: his or her tractor at sunrise. Back in twenty eleven, 401 00:22:14,080 --> 00:22:17,320 Speaker 4: although NPR's audience is tilted a bit to the left, 402 00:22:17,920 --> 00:22:21,640 Speaker 4: it still bore a resemblance to America at large. Twenty 403 00:22:21,680 --> 00:22:24,920 Speaker 4: six percent of listeners described themselves as conservative, twenty three 404 00:22:24,960 --> 00:22:27,879 Speaker 4: percent as middle of the road, and thirty seven percent 405 00:22:27,920 --> 00:22:31,760 Speaker 4: as liberal. By twenty twenty three, the picture was completely different. 406 00:22:32,320 --> 00:22:36,600 Speaker 4: Only eleven percent described themselves as very or somewhat conservative. 407 00:22:36,680 --> 00:22:39,479 Speaker 4: Twenty one percent as middle of the road, and sixty 408 00:22:39,520 --> 00:22:42,640 Speaker 4: seven percent of listeners said they were very or somewhat liberal. 409 00:22:43,040 --> 00:22:46,360 Speaker 4: We weren't just losing conservatives, we were also losing moderates 410 00:22:46,359 --> 00:22:50,960 Speaker 4: and traditional liberals. An open minded spirit no longer exists 411 00:22:50,960 --> 00:22:55,280 Speaker 4: within NPR, and now, predictably, we don't have an audience 412 00:22:55,320 --> 00:22:56,600 Speaker 4: that reflects America. 413 00:22:57,000 --> 00:22:59,120 Speaker 2: So you see where we are with this. 414 00:22:59,359 --> 00:23:02,560 Speaker 1: It's very clear that she was exposed for what she 415 00:23:02,720 --> 00:23:06,720 Speaker 1: believes and just how radical. You even had a Congressman, 416 00:23:07,119 --> 00:23:11,000 Speaker 1: William Timmins, who is asking her a basic question about, Hey, 417 00:23:11,200 --> 00:23:13,640 Speaker 1: you claim that you guys aren't biased, and he asked 418 00:23:13,640 --> 00:23:16,440 Speaker 1: her about her editorial board. I want people to hear 419 00:23:16,520 --> 00:23:19,400 Speaker 1: what she said about her editorial board members. 420 00:23:19,800 --> 00:23:23,640 Speaker 10: Listen, you're a rabid progressive, and do you not think 421 00:23:23,680 --> 00:23:28,760 Speaker 10: it's a problem that your political leanings make it seem 422 00:23:28,840 --> 00:23:31,360 Speaker 10: to the American people that you're not biased and you're 423 00:23:31,400 --> 00:23:33,520 Speaker 10: not doing your job because you agree that your job 424 00:23:33,600 --> 00:23:34,880 Speaker 10: is to have journalistic integrity. 425 00:23:34,960 --> 00:23:38,399 Speaker 7: Right, absolutely, But there is a strong firewall between the 426 00:23:38,440 --> 00:23:39,800 Speaker 7: newsroom and anything that I. 427 00:23:39,920 --> 00:23:43,440 Speaker 10: Let's talk about the newsroom. You have eighty seven registered Democrats, 428 00:23:43,480 --> 00:23:46,800 Speaker 10: not a single Republican in your editor boards. I mean, 429 00:23:47,040 --> 00:23:50,000 Speaker 10: how does that work to give us the perception that 430 00:23:50,040 --> 00:23:53,200 Speaker 10: you're doing your job of actually delivering unbiased information. 431 00:23:53,600 --> 00:23:55,280 Speaker 7: I would agree with you that that number is a 432 00:23:55,320 --> 00:23:57,439 Speaker 7: concern if it is accurate. I do believe that we 433 00:23:57,520 --> 00:23:59,879 Speaker 7: need to have journalists who represent the full breadth of 434 00:24:00,160 --> 00:24:02,480 Speaker 7: the American society so that we can report well for 435 00:24:02,560 --> 00:24:03,440 Speaker 7: all Americans. 436 00:24:03,640 --> 00:24:06,080 Speaker 10: Well, I think that you are failing. I realize you 437 00:24:06,080 --> 00:24:08,080 Speaker 10: don't even there for a year, but I just really 438 00:24:08,119 --> 00:24:11,000 Speaker 10: think that while it is a small portion of your budget, 439 00:24:11,040 --> 00:24:15,639 Speaker 10: you very much should expect to restructure your revenue streams 440 00:24:15,640 --> 00:24:19,040 Speaker 10: because I don't think that MPR is necessarily worth saving. 441 00:24:19,600 --> 00:24:22,040 Speaker 1: I love these I don't think MPR is necessarily worth 442 00:24:22,080 --> 00:24:26,879 Speaker 1: saving the fact that their editorial board has eighty seven members, 443 00:24:27,560 --> 00:24:31,120 Speaker 1: all of them registered Democrats. Center, there's not even independence. 444 00:24:31,160 --> 00:24:34,040 Speaker 1: Are like non registered people on their board. You don't 445 00:24:34,080 --> 00:24:36,800 Speaker 1: apparently become an editorial board member unless you are a 446 00:24:36,840 --> 00:24:42,080 Speaker 1: card carrying Democrat. Even independence be damned, forget Republicans, you 447 00:24:42,160 --> 00:24:47,640 Speaker 1: got zero. MPR is blatantly partisan in balance, that's obvious. 448 00:24:48,000 --> 00:24:52,960 Speaker 1: But then the question becomes, Okay, what happens next. We 449 00:24:53,080 --> 00:24:56,600 Speaker 1: know it, we've confirmed it, We've witnessed it. We heard 450 00:24:56,600 --> 00:24:58,600 Speaker 1: her testimony. I don't think she's going to lose her 451 00:24:58,680 --> 00:25:02,399 Speaker 1: job over this, but will she actually lose our taxpayer 452 00:25:02,440 --> 00:25:05,160 Speaker 1: dollars that are funding them. 453 00:25:04,960 --> 00:25:09,040 Speaker 4: Well, And the stat of the eighty seven registered Democrats 454 00:25:09,080 --> 00:25:12,720 Speaker 4: actually comes from that that article Uriberliner wrote in the 455 00:25:12,760 --> 00:25:16,480 Speaker 4: Free Press, and he wrote last year, he said, quote, 456 00:25:16,760 --> 00:25:19,760 Speaker 4: concerned by the lack of viewpoint diversity, I looked at 457 00:25:19,840 --> 00:25:24,120 Speaker 4: voter registration for our newsroom in DC, where NPR's headquarters 458 00:25:24,160 --> 00:25:27,480 Speaker 4: and many of us live. I found eighty seven registered 459 00:25:27,520 --> 00:25:32,400 Speaker 4: Democrats working in editorial positions and zero Republicans. 460 00:25:32,960 --> 00:25:33,280 Speaker 3: None. 461 00:25:34,280 --> 00:25:37,000 Speaker 4: So, on May third, twenty twenty one, I presented the 462 00:25:37,040 --> 00:25:40,120 Speaker 4: findings at an all hands editorial staff meeting. Now note 463 00:25:40,560 --> 00:25:43,480 Speaker 4: this is a senior editor at NPR who's reporting this. 464 00:25:44,480 --> 00:25:46,960 Speaker 4: Here's what he writes. The response was when I suggested 465 00:25:46,960 --> 00:25:49,880 Speaker 4: we had a diversity problem with a score of eighty 466 00:25:49,920 --> 00:25:54,840 Speaker 4: seven Democrats and zero Republicans. The response wasn't hostile, it 467 00:25:55,000 --> 00:26:00,240 Speaker 4: was worse. I was met with profound indifference. A few 468 00:26:00,240 --> 00:26:04,040 Speaker 4: messages from surprised, curious colleagues, but the messages were of 469 00:26:04,080 --> 00:26:07,520 Speaker 4: the oh wow, that's weird variety, as if the lopsided 470 00:26:07,560 --> 00:26:10,520 Speaker 4: tally was a random an anomaly rather than a critical 471 00:26:10,560 --> 00:26:14,000 Speaker 4: failure of our diversity north Star. In a follow up 472 00:26:14,000 --> 00:26:16,919 Speaker 4: email exchange, a top NPR News executive told me that 473 00:26:16,960 --> 00:26:20,040 Speaker 4: she had been skewered for bringing up diversity of thought 474 00:26:20,080 --> 00:26:23,240 Speaker 4: when she arrived at NPR, so she said, I want 475 00:26:23,280 --> 00:26:28,240 Speaker 4: to be careful how we discuss this publicly. Look, NPR 476 00:26:28,520 --> 00:26:31,600 Speaker 4: is nothing but a left wing propaganda out let, PBS 477 00:26:31,680 --> 00:26:35,520 Speaker 4: is the same. And the very best witness to demonstrate 478 00:26:35,560 --> 00:26:40,520 Speaker 4: this is Katherine Marr, who is an absolute zealot. She's 479 00:26:40,560 --> 00:26:44,720 Speaker 4: someone who, when Tim Waltz said let's put tampons in boys' bathrooms, 480 00:26:44,720 --> 00:26:48,439 Speaker 4: I'm sure Katherine Marr said, oh you hero, you social 481 00:26:48,640 --> 00:26:52,760 Speaker 4: justice warrior. That's the world she's coming from. She's someone 482 00:26:52,800 --> 00:26:58,119 Speaker 4: who I suspect only refers to latin X because Latinos 483 00:26:58,160 --> 00:27:05,960 Speaker 4: and Latinos do not exist in her elite, left wing, blinkered, 484 00:27:06,200 --> 00:27:10,399 Speaker 4: bizarre world. And you know what, Catherine Maher is entitled 485 00:27:10,440 --> 00:27:13,520 Speaker 4: to her opinions. I will defend her right to spout 486 00:27:13,560 --> 00:27:16,960 Speaker 4: innateities for the rest of her life. I just don't 487 00:27:16,960 --> 00:27:18,760 Speaker 4: want to pay for him, and I don't think you 488 00:27:18,800 --> 00:27:21,000 Speaker 4: should have to pay for him if she wants to 489 00:27:21,040 --> 00:27:24,720 Speaker 4: spout idiocies. She needs to find some left wing billionaire 490 00:27:24,720 --> 00:27:28,080 Speaker 4: to pay for her. It shouldn't be the American taxpayers 491 00:27:28,119 --> 00:27:31,720 Speaker 4: forced to subsidize her efforts at propaganda. 492 00:27:32,160 --> 00:27:36,480 Speaker 1: So will we actually have the funding of these two platforms? 493 00:27:36,560 --> 00:27:39,280 Speaker 2: What is your best guess now? After these hearings were 494 00:27:39,320 --> 00:27:39,879 Speaker 2: so clear. 495 00:27:40,440 --> 00:27:43,760 Speaker 4: Look, I very much hope so that this gets to 496 00:27:43,760 --> 00:27:46,199 Speaker 4: the sixty four thousand dollars question coming out of all 497 00:27:46,240 --> 00:27:49,199 Speaker 4: of Doze, which is how much of what DOGE is 498 00:27:49,280 --> 00:27:53,600 Speaker 4: doing right now will be memorialized in legislation that Congress 499 00:27:53,640 --> 00:27:57,400 Speaker 4: can pass. And that is an open question right now, Ben, 500 00:27:57,480 --> 00:28:01,040 Speaker 4: because anything that goes through what's called regular order in 501 00:28:01,080 --> 00:28:03,840 Speaker 4: the Senate means that it takes sixty votes to pass, 502 00:28:04,240 --> 00:28:08,800 Speaker 4: which means that Democrats can block it. And so we 503 00:28:08,840 --> 00:28:12,919 Speaker 4: will try to use exceptions to the filibuster rule, the 504 00:28:12,920 --> 00:28:16,520 Speaker 4: most important of which is is reck budget reconciliation to 505 00:28:16,640 --> 00:28:19,480 Speaker 4: do as much of that as possible. But I don't 506 00:28:19,560 --> 00:28:22,400 Speaker 4: know if Congress will succeed on getting the job done. 507 00:28:22,520 --> 00:28:24,400 Speaker 4: I certainly hope so, and I can tell you this, 508 00:28:24,840 --> 00:28:26,760 Speaker 4: I'm fighting tooth and nail to make it happen. 509 00:28:27,760 --> 00:28:30,160 Speaker 1: Which center brings us to another story, and it may 510 00:28:30,160 --> 00:28:32,360 Speaker 1: have been one of the biggest fails that we've seen 511 00:28:32,400 --> 00:28:35,359 Speaker 1: a long time from the media. They grabbed onto what 512 00:28:35,400 --> 00:28:38,480 Speaker 1: they described as signal gait. They were demanding that people 513 00:28:38,520 --> 00:28:40,840 Speaker 1: resign or be fired by the president. That was never 514 00:28:40,920 --> 00:28:43,640 Speaker 1: going to happen. But really what it was they were 515 00:28:43,720 --> 00:28:46,200 Speaker 1: hoping that the American bee would turn on Donald Trump, 516 00:28:46,240 --> 00:28:49,800 Speaker 1: it would tank as approval rating and stop the momentum 517 00:28:49,800 --> 00:28:52,840 Speaker 1: with doge and everything else. It turns out the American 518 00:28:52,840 --> 00:28:55,440 Speaker 1: people actually care more about killing terrorists than they do 519 00:28:55,520 --> 00:28:59,880 Speaker 1: about who's on a signal chat and CBS poll numbers 520 00:28:59,880 --> 00:29:01,920 Speaker 1: are proving that to be true. 521 00:29:02,120 --> 00:29:05,400 Speaker 4: Well, you know, the left is not subtle. The Democrats 522 00:29:05,400 --> 00:29:07,920 Speaker 4: in the media, they tell you exactly what they're doing, 523 00:29:08,200 --> 00:29:10,959 Speaker 4: and they're all monolithic because they believe in censorship, they 524 00:29:10,960 --> 00:29:13,480 Speaker 4: believe in propaganda. Every one of them says exactly the 525 00:29:13,520 --> 00:29:16,880 Speaker 4: same thing one hundred percent of the time. And listen, 526 00:29:17,080 --> 00:29:21,320 Speaker 4: it's clear they hate Donald Trump, they want to destroy him, 527 00:29:21,360 --> 00:29:24,440 Speaker 4: they hate everything he's doing. And they looked at this 528 00:29:24,600 --> 00:29:28,120 Speaker 4: signal text thread as their big chance. This was going 529 00:29:28,200 --> 00:29:30,800 Speaker 4: to be their Russia Russia, Russia, that they were going 530 00:29:30,840 --> 00:29:32,800 Speaker 4: to use it to go after the President. To go 531 00:29:32,880 --> 00:29:36,120 Speaker 4: after every one of his appointees. And so we've seen 532 00:29:36,320 --> 00:29:39,720 Speaker 4: for the better part of a week breathless coverage in 533 00:29:39,760 --> 00:29:44,320 Speaker 4: the media, every Democrat demanding investigations, demanding firings. You know, 534 00:29:44,360 --> 00:29:47,800 Speaker 4: one of the funniest was Eric Swalwell, who even among 535 00:29:48,120 --> 00:29:52,200 Speaker 4: left wing nutcases, managed to really stand out. You know, 536 00:29:52,240 --> 00:29:54,960 Speaker 4: he tweeted out every person on the signal thread should 537 00:29:55,000 --> 00:29:58,000 Speaker 4: be fired. Yeah, okay, I'm sure that's the great idea there, 538 00:29:58,000 --> 00:30:00,680 Speaker 4: the vice president, secretary of State, Secretary of Events, every 539 00:30:00,760 --> 00:30:03,840 Speaker 4: national security official in the entire administration. Okay, sure, I 540 00:30:04,160 --> 00:30:08,000 Speaker 4: know why you want that, I understand, but America's. 541 00:30:07,520 --> 00:30:09,280 Speaker 1: Not You didn't have the same guy that slept with 542 00:30:09,600 --> 00:30:12,440 Speaker 1: a spy. I just want to make sure I get 543 00:30:12,480 --> 00:30:13,480 Speaker 1: the connection here, right. 544 00:30:15,040 --> 00:30:17,240 Speaker 3: I don't know why you'd hold that against him. 545 00:30:17,720 --> 00:30:19,680 Speaker 2: Got it? Yeah, that's a little rich from that guy, 546 00:30:19,680 --> 00:30:20,320 Speaker 2: But keep going. 547 00:30:21,320 --> 00:30:27,160 Speaker 4: Look everything they wanted to destroy Trump, and they were 548 00:30:27,200 --> 00:30:32,200 Speaker 4: convinced this was their this was their opportunity. And look, 549 00:30:32,280 --> 00:30:34,600 Speaker 4: you and I did a podcast to media after this 550 00:30:34,680 --> 00:30:36,520 Speaker 4: broke where we pointed out, yeah, it was a screw 551 00:30:36,600 --> 00:30:39,280 Speaker 4: up to include the editor of The Atlantic on it. 552 00:30:39,320 --> 00:30:40,080 Speaker 3: That was a mistake. 553 00:30:40,120 --> 00:30:43,160 Speaker 4: It was a pretty an embarrassing mistake, but the underlying 554 00:30:43,160 --> 00:30:45,560 Speaker 4: substance of the text exchange was great. It was actually 555 00:30:45,600 --> 00:30:48,640 Speaker 4: the president of the National Security Team taking out terrorists 556 00:30:48,680 --> 00:30:52,640 Speaker 4: who were attacking Americans, who had been attacking American shipping lanes, 557 00:30:52,840 --> 00:30:55,840 Speaker 4: who Biden had ignored and done nothing, and who had 558 00:30:55,840 --> 00:30:58,560 Speaker 4: been driving up costs for American consumers because it was 559 00:30:58,600 --> 00:31:01,520 Speaker 4: so expensive to get through the Sue Canal. And President 560 00:31:01,560 --> 00:31:04,080 Speaker 4: Trump said, open up the shipping lanes, take out the 561 00:31:04,120 --> 00:31:06,800 Speaker 4: houthy radical Islamic terrorists. And they did, and it was 562 00:31:06,800 --> 00:31:11,040 Speaker 4: an incredible success. So the substance of it was all 563 00:31:11,360 --> 00:31:15,400 Speaker 4: strong and successful. But yet the media and the Democrats thought, Aha, 564 00:31:16,040 --> 00:31:18,720 Speaker 4: we finally got through this mistake. The way to go 565 00:31:18,800 --> 00:31:23,640 Speaker 4: after Trump well. On Sunday CBS poll CBS released a 566 00:31:23,680 --> 00:31:27,120 Speaker 4: new poll, and it turns out their entire attack on 567 00:31:27,480 --> 00:31:31,440 Speaker 4: Signal Gate failed. CBS polls shows fifty percent of Americans 568 00:31:31,440 --> 00:31:34,880 Speaker 4: approve of Donald Trump, fifty percent disapprove. In other words, 569 00:31:35,240 --> 00:31:38,880 Speaker 4: their entire effort to take him down failed utterly. 570 00:31:40,480 --> 00:31:42,560 Speaker 2: Gotta love it. Don't forget me to this show Monday, 571 00:31:42,600 --> 00:31:43,520 Speaker 2: Wednesday Friday. 572 00:31:43,600 --> 00:31:47,440 Speaker 1: Hit that subscriber auto download button and share this podcast. 573 00:31:47,520 --> 00:31:47,840 Speaker 2: Please. 574 00:31:48,560 --> 00:31:50,480 Speaker 1: You can text it to your friends. You can put 575 00:31:50,520 --> 00:31:54,000 Speaker 1: it on X or on Facebook or on Instagram. Make 576 00:31:54,040 --> 00:31:55,960 Speaker 1: sure you get it out there so other people hear 577 00:31:56,000 --> 00:31:58,000 Speaker 1: what we're doing and the Senate and I will see 578 00:31:58,000 --> 00:31:59,840 Speaker 1: you back here on Wednesday morning.