1 00:00:00,800 --> 00:00:03,760 Speaker 1: Hey, guys, ready or not, twenty twenty four is here 2 00:00:03,920 --> 00:00:06,400 Speaker 1: and we here at Breaking Points, are already thinking of 3 00:00:06,440 --> 00:00:08,639 Speaker 1: ways we can up our game for this critical election. 4 00:00:08,840 --> 00:00:11,760 Speaker 1: We rely on our premium subs to expand coverage, upgrade 5 00:00:11,800 --> 00:00:15,160 Speaker 1: the studio ad staff give you, guys, the best independent 6 00:00:15,200 --> 00:00:17,400 Speaker 1: coverage that is possible. If you like what we're all about, 7 00:00:17,440 --> 00:00:19,520 Speaker 1: it means the absolute world to have your support. What 8 00:00:19,560 --> 00:00:22,000 Speaker 1: are you waiting for? Become a premium subscriber today at 9 00:00:22,000 --> 00:00:40,120 Speaker 1: Breakingpoints dot com. Good morning, everybody, Happy Thursday. We have 10 00:00:40,159 --> 00:00:43,360 Speaker 1: an amazing show for everybody today. What do we have bristle? Indeed, 11 00:00:43,400 --> 00:00:46,440 Speaker 1: we do lots of breaking developments this morning and the 12 00:00:46,479 --> 00:00:49,280 Speaker 1: continuing asago ' on Capitol Hill trying to figure on 13 00:00:49,440 --> 00:00:51,639 Speaker 1: who will be the next Speaker of the House. Will 14 00:00:51,680 --> 00:00:53,800 Speaker 1: it be Kevin McCarthy or someone else. We have some 15 00:00:53,800 --> 00:00:55,600 Speaker 1: big updates for you on that this morning, as well 16 00:00:55,600 --> 00:01:00,240 Speaker 1: as some rumblings of talks between some Democrats and moderate Republicans. 17 00:01:00,320 --> 00:01:02,720 Speaker 1: Is there a deal in the offing? Seems unlikely, but 18 00:01:02,760 --> 00:01:05,240 Speaker 1: we'll tell you all about that. We also have some 19 00:01:05,319 --> 00:01:09,360 Speaker 1: comments from former President Trump on abortion that were quite 20 00:01:09,480 --> 00:01:12,840 Speaker 1: noteworthy and received a significant amount of backlash from within 21 00:01:12,920 --> 00:01:14,920 Speaker 1: his own party, so we'll talk to you about that. 22 00:01:15,680 --> 00:01:19,240 Speaker 1: We've got a big fine being levied on Meta from 23 00:01:19,280 --> 00:01:24,040 Speaker 1: European regulators. We also have a mega Jim Kramer take 24 00:01:24,120 --> 00:01:26,600 Speaker 1: on Crypto that we wanted to make sure to bring you. 25 00:01:26,760 --> 00:01:31,160 Speaker 1: We've got Jefferson Morley on with regards to jfk assassination documents. 26 00:01:31,240 --> 00:01:34,640 Speaker 1: What did we learn with the latest drop. But before 27 00:01:34,680 --> 00:01:37,360 Speaker 1: we get to any of that, This morning Live Show, 28 00:01:38,640 --> 00:01:42,399 Speaker 1: Live Show, go ahead. Put it up there on the screen, guys, Austin, Texas, 29 00:01:42,400 --> 00:01:45,200 Speaker 1: February third, We are coming. As I said in our 30 00:01:45,280 --> 00:01:46,959 Speaker 1: last show, I did a little drive by the theater. 31 00:01:47,000 --> 00:01:49,200 Speaker 1: I met some of the great folks in Austin, Texas 32 00:01:49,240 --> 00:01:51,560 Speaker 1: who are fans of Breaking Points. The show is selling 33 00:01:51,600 --> 00:01:53,840 Speaker 1: incredibly well right now, so if you want to go 34 00:01:53,880 --> 00:01:56,320 Speaker 1: ahead and buy tickets, is probably going to be last 35 00:01:56,360 --> 00:01:58,880 Speaker 1: chance reminder to the lifetime members out there, go ahead 36 00:01:58,880 --> 00:02:02,080 Speaker 1: and buy those VIP tikes and they will be fully reimbursed. 37 00:02:02,080 --> 00:02:03,760 Speaker 1: But other than that, we've got a great show planned 38 00:02:03,760 --> 00:02:05,440 Speaker 1: for you all. It's an awesome way to kick off 39 00:02:05,440 --> 00:02:07,480 Speaker 1: the new year, and I'm excited to go back to Austin. 40 00:02:07,520 --> 00:02:09,880 Speaker 1: I was just there and it was an awesome time. Yeah, 41 00:02:10,560 --> 00:02:12,639 Speaker 1: Austin is amazing. We've never done a live show there, 42 00:02:12,680 --> 00:02:15,520 Speaker 1: so super psyched about that. And those tickets are in 43 00:02:15,639 --> 00:02:17,840 Speaker 1: very short supply, so if you want to come, make 44 00:02:17,840 --> 00:02:20,120 Speaker 1: sure you get on top of that right away. All right, 45 00:02:20,600 --> 00:02:23,360 Speaker 1: let's get to the very latest with regards to Kevin McCarthy, 46 00:02:23,480 --> 00:02:26,639 Speaker 1: the House Republicans and what exactly is going to happen 47 00:02:26,720 --> 00:02:30,200 Speaker 1: in this speaker fight. So, as you guys know, they 48 00:02:30,200 --> 00:02:33,400 Speaker 1: have been doing round after round of speaker votes with 49 00:02:33,760 --> 00:02:37,840 Speaker 1: Kevin McCarthy consistently falling twenty votes short, and that number 50 00:02:37,880 --> 00:02:42,120 Speaker 1: has effectively been unchanged from the beginning. Last night he 51 00:02:42,200 --> 00:02:44,240 Speaker 1: finally decided, all right, we got to call it quits 52 00:02:44,240 --> 00:02:46,480 Speaker 1: for the night and go back to the negotiating table 53 00:02:46,560 --> 00:02:48,280 Speaker 1: and see what we can do to try to bring 54 00:02:48,320 --> 00:02:51,120 Speaker 1: along these twenty people who right now in the House 55 00:02:51,160 --> 00:02:54,320 Speaker 1: Republican Caucus are not willing to vote for me. There's 56 00:02:54,440 --> 00:02:58,120 Speaker 1: kind of good news and bad news for McCarthy this morning. 57 00:02:58,160 --> 00:03:00,600 Speaker 1: I'll give you the bad news first, which is that 58 00:03:00,800 --> 00:03:03,919 Speaker 1: it very much appears that there continue to be more 59 00:03:04,000 --> 00:03:08,200 Speaker 1: than four hard knows, the sort of never Kevin variety 60 00:03:08,800 --> 00:03:11,160 Speaker 1: that are sticking to their guns. Matt Gates is leading 61 00:03:11,200 --> 00:03:13,880 Speaker 1: the charge with regard to that contingent in the House 62 00:03:13,919 --> 00:03:18,440 Speaker 1: GOP Caucus. He spoke yesterday night after the group had 63 00:03:18,480 --> 00:03:21,440 Speaker 1: been meeting some of McCarthy's allies some of the dissidents. 64 00:03:21,639 --> 00:03:23,920 Speaker 1: They had been in a room trying to negotiate. Here's 65 00:03:23,960 --> 00:03:26,880 Speaker 1: what mac Gates had to say after that exchange in 66 00:03:26,919 --> 00:03:29,440 Speaker 1: some way to try to divide our conference. But look, 67 00:03:29,480 --> 00:03:33,400 Speaker 1: he's a desperate guy whose vote share is dropping with 68 00:03:33,560 --> 00:03:36,720 Speaker 1: every subsequent vote, and I'm ready to vote all night, 69 00:03:37,040 --> 00:03:40,080 Speaker 1: all week, all month, and never for that person. So 70 00:03:40,080 --> 00:03:42,560 Speaker 1: I'll tell you what when he comes out and heads 71 00:03:42,560 --> 00:03:45,200 Speaker 1: back to his squatting in the Speaker's office, which why 72 00:03:45,240 --> 00:03:47,480 Speaker 1: isn't even allowed to be there, Like is there some 73 00:03:48,160 --> 00:03:51,119 Speaker 1: basis in law or statute or rule for someone who 74 00:03:51,440 --> 00:03:54,600 Speaker 1: comes in second place and sixth consecutive speaker. So he's 75 00:03:54,600 --> 00:03:56,680 Speaker 1: talking there about the fact that Kevin McCarthy has already 76 00:03:56,680 --> 00:03:59,920 Speaker 1: taken up residence in the Speaker's office, which is, you know, 77 00:04:00,120 --> 00:04:03,800 Speaker 1: quite elaborate, and Gates taking some issue with that. But 78 00:04:04,080 --> 00:04:06,800 Speaker 1: you know, he's emblematic of a contingent that there really 79 00:04:06,840 --> 00:04:09,760 Speaker 1: is no particular demand that they need satisfied other than 80 00:04:10,000 --> 00:04:12,960 Speaker 1: they just don't want Kevin McCarthy as speaker. How many 81 00:04:13,000 --> 00:04:15,640 Speaker 1: of those are there is an open question, but the 82 00:04:15,680 --> 00:04:18,080 Speaker 1: reporting right now at least suggests there are more than four. 83 00:04:18,120 --> 00:04:21,360 Speaker 1: And again, four is that magic number. That's the maximum 84 00:04:21,400 --> 00:04:25,080 Speaker 1: number that McCarthy can lose and still win the speaker's vote. 85 00:04:25,120 --> 00:04:28,600 Speaker 1: So that's on the bad side. The good side is 86 00:04:28,680 --> 00:04:32,040 Speaker 1: that he really wanted last night to get this adjournment, 87 00:04:32,120 --> 00:04:34,120 Speaker 1: so they didn't just continue to go through the night 88 00:04:34,160 --> 00:04:36,719 Speaker 1: with these failed speaker votes. And part of why this 89 00:04:36,960 --> 00:04:39,800 Speaker 1: was important is there were starting to be rumors that 90 00:04:39,839 --> 00:04:44,680 Speaker 1: some of McCarthy's own allies might offer Steve Scalise as 91 00:04:44,720 --> 00:04:47,480 Speaker 1: an alternative to him, so it was possible he was 92 00:04:47,560 --> 00:04:50,440 Speaker 1: going to lose even more ground, and the minute you 93 00:04:50,480 --> 00:04:52,719 Speaker 1: have that sort of crumbling of your own backing, you 94 00:04:52,720 --> 00:04:55,480 Speaker 1: could see how the whole thing could ultimately fall apart. 95 00:04:55,680 --> 00:04:58,359 Speaker 1: So he desperately wanted to get this adjournment vote so 96 00:04:58,360 --> 00:04:59,919 Speaker 1: they could break for the night, so he could go 97 00:05:00,160 --> 00:05:02,640 Speaker 1: and back into negotiations and try to win over the 98 00:05:02,680 --> 00:05:05,520 Speaker 1: people that he could. It was very, very close, but 99 00:05:05,640 --> 00:05:08,320 Speaker 1: ultimately put this up on the screen, he was able 100 00:05:08,360 --> 00:05:11,719 Speaker 1: to succeed in getting that adjournment vote, which shows you, 101 00:05:12,040 --> 00:05:14,479 Speaker 1: I think two sixteen, yeah to two fourteen, So it 102 00:05:14,520 --> 00:05:16,760 Speaker 1: was as narrow as it could possibly be. All the 103 00:05:16,760 --> 00:05:19,680 Speaker 1: Democrats voted against adjournment, a few of the Republicans did 104 00:05:19,760 --> 00:05:21,760 Speaker 1: as well, but he narrowly eaks that out. So that 105 00:05:21,839 --> 00:05:23,599 Speaker 1: was seen as a good sign that he was at 106 00:05:23,680 --> 00:05:27,120 Speaker 1: least able to get his way on this one procedural vote. 107 00:05:27,160 --> 00:05:29,320 Speaker 1: There were a couple other things that seemed kind of 108 00:05:29,360 --> 00:05:31,919 Speaker 1: positive for him. The Club for Growth, which had not 109 00:05:32,040 --> 00:05:34,320 Speaker 1: been backing him, they had an issue with the way 110 00:05:34,360 --> 00:05:37,480 Speaker 1: his pack was spending in primaries. They came out after 111 00:05:37,520 --> 00:05:40,960 Speaker 1: negotiations and did explicitly back Kevin McCarthy. That was seen 112 00:05:41,000 --> 00:05:43,279 Speaker 1: as some sign of progress. And you did have some 113 00:05:43,360 --> 00:05:45,679 Speaker 1: of the hold an ounce after that meeting where Gates 114 00:05:45,720 --> 00:05:48,240 Speaker 1: was saying, Kevin McCarthy's a desperate guy, and you know 115 00:05:48,279 --> 00:05:50,440 Speaker 1: he needs to give it up. Effectively, you did have 116 00:05:50,440 --> 00:05:52,479 Speaker 1: some of the other holdouts come out of that meeting 117 00:05:52,560 --> 00:05:54,720 Speaker 1: and say that progress had been made. They didn't say 118 00:05:54,720 --> 00:05:56,599 Speaker 1: they were ready to vote for him, but even the 119 00:05:56,600 --> 00:05:58,240 Speaker 1: fact that they were willing to say, like, all right, 120 00:05:58,279 --> 00:06:00,719 Speaker 1: we made up some grounds here, We're going in right direction, 121 00:06:01,040 --> 00:06:03,560 Speaker 1: seem to be somewhat of a hopeful indicator for him 122 00:06:03,560 --> 00:06:07,240 Speaker 1: at this point. Soccer. Yes, the issue right now is 123 00:06:07,279 --> 00:06:09,440 Speaker 1: that there are effectively two camps. There are those who 124 00:06:09,480 --> 00:06:12,839 Speaker 1: want an extraordinary amount of concessions from Kevin McCarthy about 125 00:06:12,839 --> 00:06:16,440 Speaker 1: how he would run the speakership. Now, it's actually worth 126 00:06:16,440 --> 00:06:18,599 Speaker 1: explaining what some of those are. One of them is 127 00:06:18,640 --> 00:06:21,800 Speaker 1: called the motion to vacate. So the current negotiation that's 128 00:06:21,800 --> 00:06:24,880 Speaker 1: happening right now is that it would allow an older 129 00:06:24,920 --> 00:06:26,919 Speaker 1: procedure that I think hasn't been in place in the 130 00:06:26,920 --> 00:06:29,680 Speaker 1: current House of Representatives for quite some time, which would 131 00:06:29,680 --> 00:06:32,560 Speaker 1: allow any individual member to effectively call a vote of 132 00:06:32,600 --> 00:06:35,680 Speaker 1: no confidence on the speaker. That's the core demand for 133 00:06:35,839 --> 00:06:37,960 Speaker 1: Lauren Bobert and for a few of the others in 134 00:06:38,000 --> 00:06:41,440 Speaker 1: the Freedom Caucus. McCarthy has offered up five members, not 135 00:06:41,600 --> 00:06:44,479 Speaker 1: one member, effectively making it so that the House doesn't 136 00:06:44,480 --> 00:06:47,040 Speaker 1: get thrown into disarray anytime. Each with one of the 137 00:06:47,040 --> 00:06:50,120 Speaker 1: individual four hundred and thirty five members has a problem. 138 00:06:50,160 --> 00:06:53,200 Speaker 1: But the one member rule, which again actually goes back 139 00:06:53,200 --> 00:06:56,160 Speaker 1: to Thomas Jefferson and some of the original founding fathers, 140 00:06:56,320 --> 00:06:59,120 Speaker 1: is kind of a redline that people are drawing from 141 00:06:59,200 --> 00:07:01,840 Speaker 1: the Freedom Caucus, you also have the Gates type camp, 142 00:07:01,880 --> 00:07:04,159 Speaker 1: who I'm not exactly sure what their beef is with 143 00:07:04,440 --> 00:07:06,840 Speaker 1: Kevin McCarthy, but at a certain point it also doesn't 144 00:07:06,839 --> 00:07:09,400 Speaker 1: really matter. I mean, if you want to be the speaker, 145 00:07:09,720 --> 00:07:11,800 Speaker 1: then you have to be able to get two hundred 146 00:07:11,840 --> 00:07:15,440 Speaker 1: and eighteen votes with a majority in the House of Representatives, 147 00:07:15,480 --> 00:07:17,840 Speaker 1: and when you have four people who are the holdouts, 148 00:07:17,880 --> 00:07:20,960 Speaker 1: then you're simply it's not going to happen. So even 149 00:07:21,080 --> 00:07:23,960 Speaker 1: if these concessions are given by the McCarthy camp, and 150 00:07:24,040 --> 00:07:26,520 Speaker 1: right now there is actually no indication that they will 151 00:07:26,560 --> 00:07:29,320 Speaker 1: go to the one member rule. In addition to some 152 00:07:29,480 --> 00:07:33,160 Speaker 1: House Freedom Caucus members who want membership on something called 153 00:07:33,160 --> 00:07:35,960 Speaker 1: the House Rules Committee, I think another reason why it's 154 00:07:35,960 --> 00:07:41,120 Speaker 1: bear explaining that is that the House Rules Committee literally based. 155 00:07:41,240 --> 00:07:44,360 Speaker 1: They set the rules, as the name implies, for how 156 00:07:44,360 --> 00:07:46,960 Speaker 1: the House of Representatives is run, not only from the 157 00:07:47,000 --> 00:07:49,080 Speaker 1: motion to vacate, the types of things they are going 158 00:07:49,120 --> 00:07:52,480 Speaker 1: to get brought to the floor, the exact protocols through 159 00:07:52,480 --> 00:07:55,200 Speaker 1: which things can be called up, whether things can be 160 00:07:55,240 --> 00:07:57,640 Speaker 1: discharged in the committees. People should remember that the House 161 00:07:57,640 --> 00:08:00,080 Speaker 1: of Representatives itself as well as the Senate, they they 162 00:08:00,160 --> 00:08:02,520 Speaker 1: have their own rules that they adopt. Very few of 163 00:08:02,520 --> 00:08:05,520 Speaker 1: these are actually laid out in the Constitution, and so 164 00:08:05,880 --> 00:08:09,320 Speaker 1: having people who want much more ability to basically inject 165 00:08:09,400 --> 00:08:12,000 Speaker 1: chaos into the system is kind of what makes this 166 00:08:12,400 --> 00:08:15,800 Speaker 1: so fun and interesting to cover, Because even if McCarthy 167 00:08:15,840 --> 00:08:18,560 Speaker 1: does end up as the speaker at this point, he 168 00:08:18,680 --> 00:08:22,040 Speaker 1: will be the weakest Speaker of the House in more 169 00:08:22,080 --> 00:08:24,520 Speaker 1: than a century. I mean, he will have effectively no 170 00:08:24,680 --> 00:08:28,200 Speaker 1: control over the House of Representatives. So he has hobbled 171 00:08:28,280 --> 00:08:30,360 Speaker 1: on either front right now, and I still don't really 172 00:08:30,400 --> 00:08:32,559 Speaker 1: see a path right now for him to two eighteen. 173 00:08:32,600 --> 00:08:35,640 Speaker 1: I'm curious what you think, Cristel, No, I don't. I mean, 174 00:08:35,720 --> 00:08:37,760 Speaker 1: I try to lay out the best news for him, 175 00:08:37,880 --> 00:08:40,200 Speaker 1: and you know, these things are incredibly fluid, And how 176 00:08:40,280 --> 00:08:43,280 Speaker 1: much of Gates and Bobert and their contingent, like, how 177 00:08:43,360 --> 00:08:45,000 Speaker 1: much of it is a bluff and they really are 178 00:08:45,040 --> 00:08:47,280 Speaker 1: just holding out for the most concessions they could possibly get. 179 00:08:47,280 --> 00:08:49,280 Speaker 1: There's no way to get inside of their minds and 180 00:08:49,320 --> 00:08:52,920 Speaker 1: really know that. But it appears that there are more 181 00:08:52,960 --> 00:08:56,280 Speaker 1: than four people who just do not want Kevin McCarthy. 182 00:08:56,720 --> 00:08:59,319 Speaker 1: They don't really care how long this goes on. They 183 00:08:59,320 --> 00:09:02,080 Speaker 1: don't mind being demonized in the press and all of 184 00:09:02,080 --> 00:09:05,079 Speaker 1: those things, which frankly, I mean I kind of respect 185 00:09:05,080 --> 00:09:06,839 Speaker 1: and I certainly don't mind seeing a weasel like Kevin 186 00:09:06,920 --> 00:09:11,000 Speaker 1: McCarthy twist and the wind. So it's very hard to 187 00:09:11,040 --> 00:09:15,160 Speaker 1: see how he ultimately pulls this together. And part of 188 00:09:15,200 --> 00:09:20,959 Speaker 1: what makes this complex and fascinating is the group of twenty. 189 00:09:21,360 --> 00:09:25,240 Speaker 1: It's not like they all share a similar ideology. They 190 00:09:25,280 --> 00:09:29,360 Speaker 1: all want different things. So you've got it's got. The 191 00:09:29,360 --> 00:09:32,000 Speaker 1: whole thing has a kind of mega cast to it 192 00:09:32,040 --> 00:09:35,400 Speaker 1: because Gates has been the most vocal. But actually, if 193 00:09:35,440 --> 00:09:38,760 Speaker 1: you look at the twenty members who continue to be holdouts, 194 00:09:39,200 --> 00:09:42,480 Speaker 1: more of them are House Freedom Caucus types. More of 195 00:09:42,520 --> 00:09:45,719 Speaker 1: them are sort of hardline Tea Party types, and so 196 00:09:45,760 --> 00:09:48,200 Speaker 1: some of the things that they've been demanding are like 197 00:09:48,320 --> 00:09:52,400 Speaker 1: changes to the appropriations process. You know, they're the types 198 00:09:52,440 --> 00:09:54,959 Speaker 1: that would threaten a government shut down. One of them 199 00:09:55,000 --> 00:09:57,560 Speaker 1: explicitly came out and said that his demand was that 200 00:09:57,640 --> 00:10:00,800 Speaker 1: he wanted the government to basically fault on the debt 201 00:10:00,840 --> 00:10:04,080 Speaker 1: and not lift the debt ceiling again. So it also 202 00:10:04,240 --> 00:10:08,800 Speaker 1: has more of a twenty ten twenty twelve hardcore Tea 203 00:10:08,920 --> 00:10:12,480 Speaker 1: Party throwback vibe. So you've got people who want, you know, 204 00:10:12,559 --> 00:10:18,440 Speaker 1: those sorts of like hardline radical libertarian, economic balance, the budget, 205 00:10:18,480 --> 00:10:21,880 Speaker 1: those sorts of things, and then you have the anti 206 00:10:22,000 --> 00:10:26,000 Speaker 1: establishment MAGA contingent that I think are more like they 207 00:10:26,040 --> 00:10:28,920 Speaker 1: just don't like Kevin McCarthy and don't think that he 208 00:10:29,040 --> 00:10:31,440 Speaker 1: is an ideological ally of theirs, and they're not wrong 209 00:10:31,480 --> 00:10:33,480 Speaker 1: about that, by the way. I'm McCarthy as a shape shifter. 210 00:10:33,840 --> 00:10:36,360 Speaker 1: He came into Congress. He represents a district in California. 211 00:10:36,400 --> 00:10:38,360 Speaker 1: He came into Congress or repositioning himself as more of 212 00:10:38,360 --> 00:10:40,640 Speaker 1: a moderate. He was, you know, famously one of these 213 00:10:40,679 --> 00:10:43,200 Speaker 1: young guns with Eric Carnter and Paul Ryan, both of 214 00:10:43,200 --> 00:10:45,240 Speaker 1: whom have at this point been bounced down to Congress. 215 00:10:45,240 --> 00:10:47,280 Speaker 1: Paul Ryan retired but it was not looking great for 216 00:10:47,360 --> 00:10:52,880 Speaker 1: him in his district, and Eric Canter was bounced out famously, 217 00:10:53,120 --> 00:10:55,760 Speaker 1: you know, over his positions on immigration. That was one 218 00:10:55,760 --> 00:10:57,920 Speaker 1: of the things that foretold this kind of new era 219 00:10:58,200 --> 00:11:02,440 Speaker 1: of Republican politics. And so Kevin McCarthy has tried to 220 00:11:02,960 --> 00:11:06,559 Speaker 1: mold himself to be a fit for the Republican Caucus 221 00:11:06,600 --> 00:11:09,480 Speaker 1: in the Trump era, with you know, a mixed bag 222 00:11:09,520 --> 00:11:11,880 Speaker 1: of success. But I think everybody knows. This is not 223 00:11:11,920 --> 00:11:15,160 Speaker 1: where this guy's real ideological I don't know that he 224 00:11:15,200 --> 00:11:17,800 Speaker 1: really has ideological principles. He's just one of these He's 225 00:11:17,840 --> 00:11:19,920 Speaker 1: a climber. He's wanted me Speaker of the House for 226 00:11:19,960 --> 00:11:22,040 Speaker 1: a long time, and so he's been kind of willing 227 00:11:22,080 --> 00:11:24,400 Speaker 1: to do whatever it takes to get there. So they 228 00:11:24,440 --> 00:11:27,959 Speaker 1: just frankly don't trust him. So in any case, it's 229 00:11:28,080 --> 00:11:30,800 Speaker 1: that's what makes this a difficult situation because you have 230 00:11:30,960 --> 00:11:34,840 Speaker 1: all these different people with different demands and different ideologies. 231 00:11:35,200 --> 00:11:38,040 Speaker 1: So it's not like he can give them one thing 232 00:11:38,280 --> 00:11:41,560 Speaker 1: and they'll all come to the table. There's some group 233 00:11:41,600 --> 00:11:43,800 Speaker 1: that can be negotiated with, and there may be some 234 00:11:44,000 --> 00:11:46,640 Speaker 1: group and that number may be more than four that 235 00:11:46,760 --> 00:11:50,120 Speaker 1: really can't be negotiated with. Let me move on to 236 00:11:50,200 --> 00:11:52,960 Speaker 1: this next part because this is also very interesting and 237 00:11:52,960 --> 00:11:55,960 Speaker 1: a sign of where the Republican Party is today. You know, 238 00:11:56,040 --> 00:11:58,920 Speaker 1: how does former President Trump fit into this whole dynamic? 239 00:11:58,960 --> 00:12:01,600 Speaker 1: And this is again part of the complexity here because 240 00:12:01,600 --> 00:12:04,520 Speaker 1: you have some of Trump's top allies, people like Gates, 241 00:12:04,520 --> 00:12:08,080 Speaker 1: people like Lauren Bobert, who are opposed to McCarthy, but 242 00:12:08,160 --> 00:12:13,240 Speaker 1: Trump himself has endorsed McCarthy and some of his greatest 243 00:12:13,280 --> 00:12:16,600 Speaker 1: allies are backing McCarthy. Marjorie Taylor Green is the person 244 00:12:16,600 --> 00:12:19,520 Speaker 1: who most comes to mind. So there was a question 245 00:12:19,800 --> 00:12:22,480 Speaker 1: once McCarthy was kind of on the rocks. Okay, is 246 00:12:22,520 --> 00:12:24,360 Speaker 1: Trump really going to stand by this guy or is 247 00:12:24,360 --> 00:12:25,680 Speaker 1: he going to kind of let him twist in the 248 00:12:25,679 --> 00:12:28,400 Speaker 1: wind and let the chips fall where they may where. Well, 249 00:12:28,400 --> 00:12:29,760 Speaker 1: he came in, let's goad and put this up on 250 00:12:29,760 --> 00:12:33,640 Speaker 1: the screen from Politico. Trump came in and tried to 251 00:12:33,679 --> 00:12:38,040 Speaker 1: rescue McCarthy. He gave him a strong endorsement once again. 252 00:12:38,440 --> 00:12:42,040 Speaker 1: He said, some really good conversations took place last night, 253 00:12:42,080 --> 00:12:44,439 Speaker 1: and now it's time for all of our great Republican 254 00:12:44,480 --> 00:12:47,200 Speaker 1: House members to vote for Kevin. Close the deal, take 255 00:12:47,240 --> 00:12:50,320 Speaker 1: the victory. He went on to say, Republicans do not 256 00:12:50,520 --> 00:12:53,760 Speaker 1: turn a great triumph into a giant and embarrassing defeat. 257 00:12:53,760 --> 00:12:57,439 Speaker 1: It's time to celebrate. You deserve it. Kevin McCarthy will 258 00:12:57,480 --> 00:13:00,520 Speaker 1: do a good job and maybe even a great great job. 259 00:13:00,960 --> 00:13:04,040 Speaker 1: Just watch classic Trump and stuff there. But you know, 260 00:13:04,400 --> 00:13:07,680 Speaker 1: so Trump goes out, he does this endorsement, full throated. 261 00:13:07,760 --> 00:13:09,960 Speaker 1: You know, after these negotiations have been going on, after 262 00:13:10,040 --> 00:13:14,800 Speaker 1: McCarthy's also lost already lost several votes, and what happens next. 263 00:13:14,880 --> 00:13:17,920 Speaker 1: Let's put this up on the screen. It didn't make 264 00:13:17,960 --> 00:13:23,440 Speaker 1: a difference Trump endorsement or not. McCarthy lost yet another vote. 265 00:13:23,920 --> 00:13:27,240 Speaker 1: And I think this piece is part of why he 266 00:13:27,280 --> 00:13:29,800 Speaker 1: has been able to unable to move some of the 267 00:13:29,880 --> 00:13:32,480 Speaker 1: dissidents in the caucas Sager, you pointed to this very 268 00:13:32,559 --> 00:13:36,320 Speaker 1: arrogant here. In his original meetings with this group, he 269 00:13:36,520 --> 00:13:39,720 Speaker 1: was incredibly forceful saying I earned this job, we earned 270 00:13:39,720 --> 00:13:41,640 Speaker 1: this majority, and god damn it, we're going to win 271 00:13:41,679 --> 00:13:44,720 Speaker 1: it today. This was, you know, early on in a 272 00:13:44,720 --> 00:13:47,160 Speaker 1: meeting with the whole caucus that really did not go 273 00:13:47,280 --> 00:13:48,920 Speaker 1: well for him and has sort of set the tone 274 00:13:48,920 --> 00:13:52,960 Speaker 1: for the disaster that has ensued. Yeah, and go ahead, 275 00:13:52,960 --> 00:13:54,880 Speaker 1: put the next one up there to finish Crystal's point, 276 00:13:54,880 --> 00:13:57,360 Speaker 1: which is McCarthy actually got fewer votes than he got 277 00:13:57,400 --> 00:14:00,840 Speaker 1: prior to the quote endorsement from Donald Trump. This is 278 00:14:01,000 --> 00:14:03,480 Speaker 1: the key point, and I think why he's having so 279 00:14:03,559 --> 00:14:05,800 Speaker 1: much trouble. At the end of the day, we all 280 00:14:05,800 --> 00:14:08,040 Speaker 1: know he's an as kisser. The only reason that Trump 281 00:14:08,080 --> 00:14:11,760 Speaker 1: is endorsing him is because Trump. Kevin, you used to 282 00:14:11,880 --> 00:14:16,640 Speaker 1: literally send like individual picked out Starbucks to Donald Trump 283 00:14:16,679 --> 00:14:19,240 Speaker 1: in order to curry favor with him. He is the 284 00:14:19,280 --> 00:14:22,920 Speaker 1: worst of the worst of the social climbers here in Washington. 285 00:14:23,000 --> 00:14:25,560 Speaker 1: This is his dream, he smells it. He's like the 286 00:14:25,600 --> 00:14:28,960 Speaker 1: guy who always wanted to be student council president. It's 287 00:14:29,040 --> 00:14:32,360 Speaker 1: my turn. Who probably the least effective message in the 288 00:14:32,440 --> 00:14:36,200 Speaker 1: history of American politics, and that's why he's losing. He 289 00:14:36,240 --> 00:14:38,800 Speaker 1: lost the first time for this reason. But I think 290 00:14:38,840 --> 00:14:42,080 Speaker 1: the Trump angle here is extraordinary because when you have 291 00:14:42,640 --> 00:14:45,960 Speaker 1: Lauren Bobert and Donald Matt Gates and many other of 292 00:14:46,000 --> 00:14:50,000 Speaker 1: these original kind of MAGA warriors, in addition to Freedom Caucus, 293 00:14:50,000 --> 00:14:52,800 Speaker 1: people who were very closely aligned with Trump just outright 294 00:14:52,880 --> 00:14:56,160 Speaker 1: buck him, you know, on the vote over and over 295 00:14:56,280 --> 00:15:00,240 Speaker 1: and over again. That is really kind of humiliating for him. 296 00:15:00,240 --> 00:15:04,480 Speaker 1: And Bobert actually, in a smart way, twisted Trump's words 297 00:15:04,520 --> 00:15:07,280 Speaker 1: to try and use it against McCarthy on the floor 298 00:15:07,320 --> 00:15:09,280 Speaker 1: after the endorsement. Let's take a listen to what she 299 00:15:09,320 --> 00:15:12,440 Speaker 1: said and tactics to get people to turn against us. 300 00:15:13,240 --> 00:15:17,400 Speaker 1: Even having my favorite president call us and tell us 301 00:15:17,440 --> 00:15:19,080 Speaker 1: we need to knock this off, I think it actually 302 00:15:19,080 --> 00:15:22,160 Speaker 1: needs to be reversed. The president needs to tell Kevin 303 00:15:22,240 --> 00:15:25,200 Speaker 1: McCarthy that, sir, you do not have the votes and 304 00:15:25,280 --> 00:15:29,280 Speaker 1: it's time to withdraw. With that, I yield, thank you, 305 00:15:30,320 --> 00:15:34,440 Speaker 1: very clever. No effect, no, no effect whatsoever. Yeah, And look, 306 00:15:34,520 --> 00:15:36,520 Speaker 1: I mean, that's that's got to be a massive story here. 307 00:15:36,640 --> 00:15:39,080 Speaker 1: The President of the United States, you know, especially Look, 308 00:15:39,240 --> 00:15:42,280 Speaker 1: it's his fault. It's Trump's unpopularity in the first place, 309 00:15:42,480 --> 00:15:45,120 Speaker 1: that this House majority is so slim in the first place. 310 00:15:45,280 --> 00:15:48,240 Speaker 1: And is Kevin McCarthy's fault too, for kissing his ass 311 00:15:48,240 --> 00:15:50,680 Speaker 1: and for backing all of his stop to steal candidates, 312 00:15:50,760 --> 00:15:52,840 Speaker 1: you know, wherever they may. So. I have very little 313 00:15:52,840 --> 00:15:56,320 Speaker 1: sympathy for any of the parties who are involved here. Absolutely, 314 00:15:56,400 --> 00:15:58,880 Speaker 1: I mean I have no sympathy for basically anyone who's 315 00:15:58,920 --> 00:16:01,760 Speaker 1: involved with any of this. And you know, there's a 316 00:16:01,920 --> 00:16:04,360 Speaker 1: real freak out happening on cable news about like, oh 317 00:16:04,360 --> 00:16:08,440 Speaker 1: my god, how could they write? But I personally enjoicing 318 00:16:08,560 --> 00:16:11,560 Speaker 1: the dissent. I personally think that with this kind of 319 00:16:11,800 --> 00:16:15,160 Speaker 1: you know, opening of chaos as an opportunity. But there's 320 00:16:15,200 --> 00:16:17,880 Speaker 1: also a danger on the other side, and referenced it earlier, 321 00:16:17,960 --> 00:16:22,120 Speaker 1: which is, you know, some contingent here they're not after, 322 00:16:22,640 --> 00:16:25,760 Speaker 1: you know, let's go after big tech war. Let's you know, 323 00:16:25,920 --> 00:16:28,080 Speaker 1: let's hold the deep state to let's get the January sixth, 324 00:16:28,080 --> 00:16:29,960 Speaker 1: all the January sixth documents so we can see what 325 00:16:30,000 --> 00:16:32,840 Speaker 1: the deep state was up to there. A larger contingent 326 00:16:33,120 --> 00:16:37,000 Speaker 1: is these are these hard line Tea Party type Republicans 327 00:16:37,160 --> 00:16:39,920 Speaker 1: who want things like shutting down the government, who want 328 00:16:39,960 --> 00:16:45,320 Speaker 1: things like potentially sending the country into unnecessary economic chaos 329 00:16:45,360 --> 00:16:50,480 Speaker 1: and calamity by a debt default. And McCarthy by having 330 00:16:50,600 --> 00:16:53,480 Speaker 1: such a week showing here early, by you know, being 331 00:16:53,520 --> 00:16:56,440 Speaker 1: forced into taking a lot of concessions and basically having 332 00:16:56,480 --> 00:16:59,480 Speaker 1: to give this group whatever they want, is really setting 333 00:16:59,560 --> 00:17:02,280 Speaker 1: up some very perilous economic fights that can have a 334 00:17:02,320 --> 00:17:05,919 Speaker 1: lot of consequences for ordinary Americans down the road, and 335 00:17:06,320 --> 00:17:12,560 Speaker 1: also are almost certain to be extraordinarily unpopular across the country. Like, 336 00:17:12,800 --> 00:17:16,119 Speaker 1: the country is not impressed with your debt default showdowns, 337 00:17:16,119 --> 00:17:19,480 Speaker 1: they're not impressed with your government shutdowns. And it's very 338 00:17:19,520 --> 00:17:23,840 Speaker 1: clear which party is pushing that direction of governance right now. 339 00:17:23,920 --> 00:17:26,679 Speaker 1: So I also think this is a real prelude for 340 00:17:26,800 --> 00:17:28,880 Speaker 1: some of these fights. The last thing, and then I'll 341 00:17:28,880 --> 00:17:31,320 Speaker 1: point to you here in soccer you've been really great 342 00:17:31,400 --> 00:17:33,679 Speaker 1: on the history of the one hundred years ago, and 343 00:17:33,720 --> 00:17:35,240 Speaker 1: you had the what was one hundred and thirty some 344 00:17:35,600 --> 00:17:38,040 Speaker 1: ballots before we ultimately got a speaker. Let's go and 345 00:17:38,040 --> 00:17:40,520 Speaker 1: put this up on the screen. This is from Josh Hooter. 346 00:17:41,119 --> 00:17:44,680 Speaker 1: He says, it's heartcling what exactly is happening behind closed doors. 347 00:17:44,680 --> 00:17:46,840 Speaker 1: But I think a few bits of information are particularly important, 348 00:17:46,840 --> 00:17:50,040 Speaker 1: and they're mostly not good for McCarthy. First, the opposition 349 00:17:50,160 --> 00:17:53,240 Speaker 1: is not unified except in their opposition. They don't have 350 00:17:53,280 --> 00:17:56,800 Speaker 1: a unified motive, somewhat rules, somewhat committee representation. Others just 351 00:17:56,840 --> 00:17:59,919 Speaker 1: don't want McCarthy. Why does that matter? It hinders McCarthy 352 00:18:00,200 --> 00:18:03,520 Speaker 1: levers to win over a large block of holdouts. Back 353 00:18:03,520 --> 00:18:07,159 Speaker 1: in nineteen twenty three hundred years ago, the insurgent Republicans 354 00:18:07,200 --> 00:18:11,400 Speaker 1: represented heavy agricultural districts and interest They had specific rule 355 00:18:11,440 --> 00:18:15,840 Speaker 1: demands because they had specific policy preferences, and Sager that 356 00:18:16,000 --> 00:18:18,240 Speaker 1: allowed the leaders I think it was like Longworth and 357 00:18:18,280 --> 00:18:21,040 Speaker 1: somebody else at that point to negotiate with them and 358 00:18:21,119 --> 00:18:23,480 Speaker 1: ultimately give them what they want and get the thing 359 00:18:23,560 --> 00:18:27,520 Speaker 1: across the finish line. Because you don't have a united 360 00:18:27,600 --> 00:18:31,480 Speaker 1: ideological cause here. It makes the task much more difficult 361 00:18:31,560 --> 00:18:34,919 Speaker 1: for Kevin McCarthy. So last thing before we move on 362 00:18:35,040 --> 00:18:39,160 Speaker 1: to the dem negotiation part of this that I will 363 00:18:39,160 --> 00:18:41,639 Speaker 1: say is, you know, one thing to watch for is 364 00:18:41,760 --> 00:18:45,960 Speaker 1: I mentioned yesterday there are rumors that some of McCarthy's allies, 365 00:18:46,400 --> 00:18:49,119 Speaker 1: seeing that this vote is not moving, and wanting to 366 00:18:49,119 --> 00:18:52,040 Speaker 1: get on with, you know, governing and doing whatever it 367 00:18:52,080 --> 00:18:54,320 Speaker 1: is that they want to do in the in this 368 00:18:54,400 --> 00:18:58,160 Speaker 1: next House session, they have been floating the idea of 369 00:18:58,160 --> 00:19:02,439 Speaker 1: offering up Steve Scalisee. And if you see some faction 370 00:19:02,640 --> 00:19:06,080 Speaker 1: start to break off of McCarthy's number towards a candidate 371 00:19:06,240 --> 00:19:10,480 Speaker 1: like scalise you know that I think could basically spell 372 00:19:10,680 --> 00:19:14,000 Speaker 1: doom for him and things could unravel I think quite quickly. Now. 373 00:19:14,080 --> 00:19:15,640 Speaker 1: Is that what's going to happen? I don't know. I mean, 374 00:19:15,640 --> 00:19:18,040 Speaker 1: you may, on the other hand, you may have genuine 375 00:19:18,080 --> 00:19:20,399 Speaker 1: progress made in these negotiations. You may find out that 376 00:19:20,440 --> 00:19:22,760 Speaker 1: the hardliners aren't as hardline as they insisted, that they 377 00:19:22,760 --> 00:19:25,159 Speaker 1: really had some sort of concessions they were looking for, 378 00:19:25,200 --> 00:19:27,560 Speaker 1: and once they get it, they come to heal. But 379 00:19:28,280 --> 00:19:30,200 Speaker 1: you know, at this point, if I would not really 380 00:19:30,240 --> 00:19:33,919 Speaker 1: want to be Kevin McCarthy. No, absolutely not. It's just 381 00:19:34,080 --> 00:19:35,800 Speaker 1: very very hard in order to see how he can 382 00:19:35,840 --> 00:19:37,560 Speaker 1: become the Speaker of the House. Let's tug a little 383 00:19:37,600 --> 00:19:39,439 Speaker 1: bit more on that threat, Crystal. Let's move on to 384 00:19:39,480 --> 00:19:42,520 Speaker 1: the next part here, because this is a potential kind 385 00:19:42,560 --> 00:19:46,159 Speaker 1: of crazy scenario which seems very unlikely until you know 386 00:19:46,240 --> 00:19:48,240 Speaker 1: it could only be a matter of hours till it 387 00:19:48,280 --> 00:19:52,320 Speaker 1: actually comes up. Some Democrats are talking about the possibility 388 00:19:52,400 --> 00:19:54,840 Speaker 1: of a quote, compromise candidate, So let's go ahead and 389 00:19:54,840 --> 00:19:57,440 Speaker 1: put this one up there on the screen. Rocanna was 390 00:19:57,480 --> 00:19:59,240 Speaker 1: one of the first to say, he said, quote, I 391 00:19:59,280 --> 00:20:01,760 Speaker 1: would consider them write Republicans, someone I could trust, like 392 00:20:01,800 --> 00:20:05,240 Speaker 1: Brian Fitzpatrick, Mike Gallagher, who actually spoke eloquently on the floor, 393 00:20:05,400 --> 00:20:07,920 Speaker 1: David Joyce. But there needs to be two conditions. One, 394 00:20:08,000 --> 00:20:10,080 Speaker 1: you cannot have the debt ceiling. The debate or the 395 00:20:10,080 --> 00:20:12,840 Speaker 1: shutdown is something that takes the country hostage. Two there 396 00:20:12,840 --> 00:20:15,280 Speaker 1: would have to be some agreement on subpoena power. But 397 00:20:15,359 --> 00:20:17,240 Speaker 1: I'm open to a Republican who could work to put 398 00:20:17,240 --> 00:20:21,400 Speaker 1: the interests of the American people first. AOC also sounded 399 00:20:21,560 --> 00:20:23,240 Speaker 1: kind of a similar vein Let's go to the next 400 00:20:23,280 --> 00:20:26,000 Speaker 1: one there, She says that McCarthy would not be a 401 00:20:26,080 --> 00:20:28,160 Speaker 1: unity candidate, but she was not going to rule out 402 00:20:28,200 --> 00:20:31,240 Speaker 1: working with Republicans to resolve the speaker battle, and Democrats 403 00:20:31,280 --> 00:20:34,560 Speaker 1: would need more concessions than things just like committee ratios. Quote. 404 00:20:34,560 --> 00:20:36,479 Speaker 1: But I mean, hey, if we could get some chairs, 405 00:20:36,640 --> 00:20:38,560 Speaker 1: and she said, it would be a combination of things, 406 00:20:38,600 --> 00:20:42,200 Speaker 1: including possibly the debt ceiling. Why I think that all 407 00:20:42,240 --> 00:20:45,400 Speaker 1: of this matters is that you have a situation here 408 00:20:45,440 --> 00:20:49,639 Speaker 1: where Democrats both these progressive members, but also even some 409 00:20:49,680 --> 00:20:51,920 Speaker 1: centrist types. So throw the next one up. There are 410 00:20:52,000 --> 00:20:55,480 Speaker 1: all basically proposing different ways in which they could have 411 00:20:55,720 --> 00:20:58,760 Speaker 1: either a rescue of Kevin McCarthy with concessions that they 412 00:20:58,800 --> 00:21:01,560 Speaker 1: would have, or they could try and get a centrist 413 00:21:01,600 --> 00:21:06,080 Speaker 1: type Republican who is either not particularly well known in 414 00:21:06,119 --> 00:21:08,439 Speaker 1: the caucus but would be willing to work with the 415 00:21:08,480 --> 00:21:11,960 Speaker 1: other side. This opens up all sorts of interesting possibilities. 416 00:21:12,600 --> 00:21:16,399 Speaker 1: It also reminds us of one of those long talked 417 00:21:16,400 --> 00:21:19,439 Speaker 1: about things kind of on Twitter and in political nerd circles, 418 00:21:19,600 --> 00:21:21,960 Speaker 1: which has never happened before. The Speaker of the House 419 00:21:22,000 --> 00:21:23,640 Speaker 1: does not have to be a member of the House 420 00:21:23,640 --> 00:21:26,360 Speaker 1: of Representatives. So one of the things that's being thrown out. 421 00:21:26,359 --> 00:21:28,760 Speaker 1: There is possibly having a retiring member of the House 422 00:21:28,760 --> 00:21:32,240 Speaker 1: of Representatives, Fred Upton, as a sort of consensus choice. 423 00:21:32,480 --> 00:21:35,720 Speaker 1: Loweren Boebert actually indicated on Fox News last night that 424 00:21:35,800 --> 00:21:38,960 Speaker 1: she might go ahead and nominate Donald Trump in order 425 00:21:39,000 --> 00:21:40,640 Speaker 1: to be the Speaker of the House, So that could 426 00:21:40,640 --> 00:21:44,320 Speaker 1: be the protest candidate for the group of twenty years, 427 00:21:44,359 --> 00:21:46,760 Speaker 1: the group of five, or whomever it is that's going 428 00:21:46,800 --> 00:21:50,720 Speaker 1: to be on the first ballot. This opens up negotiations 429 00:21:50,720 --> 00:21:53,800 Speaker 1: and putting things in a completely different way. That really 430 00:21:53,840 --> 00:21:56,520 Speaker 1: does bring us back to what we previously talked about 431 00:21:56,560 --> 00:21:59,399 Speaker 1: that eighteen fifty five period of one hundred and thirty 432 00:21:59,400 --> 00:22:02,119 Speaker 1: three ballots, two months in which the House was not 433 00:22:02,160 --> 00:22:05,159 Speaker 1: actually able to be sworn in because so many negotiations 434 00:22:05,320 --> 00:22:09,000 Speaker 1: were happening behind the scenes, and eventually somebody was picked. 435 00:22:09,240 --> 00:22:11,800 Speaker 1: You know, it all remains to be seen as to 436 00:22:12,000 --> 00:22:13,720 Speaker 1: what that would look like. But I think that we're 437 00:22:13,760 --> 00:22:17,639 Speaker 1: only a couple of days away from actually trying to 438 00:22:17,680 --> 00:22:21,080 Speaker 1: get a very different compromise solution, and this could be 439 00:22:21,359 --> 00:22:22,959 Speaker 1: kind of the first tip of the iceberg of what 440 00:22:22,960 --> 00:22:25,159 Speaker 1: that would look like. I would be I mean, it 441 00:22:25,200 --> 00:22:27,440 Speaker 1: would be wild. Just say, you know that this isn't 442 00:22:27,680 --> 00:22:32,040 Speaker 1: totally a crazy idea. This actually just happened in the 443 00:22:32,119 --> 00:22:37,720 Speaker 1: Pennsylvania State House. So yes, here's what happened. Republicans and 444 00:22:37,760 --> 00:22:40,800 Speaker 1: Congress are feuding. Meanwhile, in Pennsylvania, there was a fight 445 00:22:40,840 --> 00:22:43,720 Speaker 1: for control of the state House. Democrats technically one more 446 00:22:43,760 --> 00:22:46,440 Speaker 1: state House seats by just one seat in theory, making 447 00:22:46,440 --> 00:22:49,200 Speaker 1: it one o two to one oh one. But one 448 00:22:49,359 --> 00:22:53,399 Speaker 1: of the Democratic state representatives actually died in October, a 449 00:22:53,440 --> 00:22:56,200 Speaker 1: month before the election. So now you've got it one 450 00:22:56,240 --> 00:22:58,399 Speaker 1: on one, one on one. And what they ended up 451 00:22:58,440 --> 00:23:02,400 Speaker 1: doing is coming up with this consensus pick, and that 452 00:23:02,480 --> 00:23:07,680 Speaker 1: person is actually technically going to maintain an independent status, 453 00:23:07,760 --> 00:23:10,439 Speaker 1: but they effectively, you know, the more modern Republicans, the 454 00:23:10,480 --> 00:23:12,679 Speaker 1: more moderate Democrats got together and they came up with 455 00:23:12,720 --> 00:23:16,359 Speaker 1: this consensus pick. So it's not crazy like things like 456 00:23:16,400 --> 00:23:19,520 Speaker 1: this have happened in other situations in the past. Now, 457 00:23:19,720 --> 00:23:22,240 Speaker 1: I am skeptical that this is going to be how 458 00:23:22,240 --> 00:23:24,399 Speaker 1: it goes down here in Congress, just because the partisan 459 00:23:24,440 --> 00:23:28,160 Speaker 1: divisions are so incredibly hard and fast. You know, if 460 00:23:28,160 --> 00:23:31,200 Speaker 1: you're Kevin McCarthy and you're making a deal with AOC 461 00:23:31,400 --> 00:23:33,920 Speaker 1: or any other Democrat, you can imagine the way you're 462 00:23:33,920 --> 00:23:37,280 Speaker 1: going to be demonized by the more maga or hard 463 00:23:37,359 --> 00:23:40,479 Speaker 1: right sort of Tea party type Republicans. But you know, 464 00:23:40,640 --> 00:23:43,400 Speaker 1: if you're Democrats, you're thinking about, all right, what would 465 00:23:43,400 --> 00:23:47,120 Speaker 1: it be worth it for us to do to rescue 466 00:23:47,119 --> 00:23:50,280 Speaker 1: the Republicans and pull them out of their impass here. 467 00:23:50,640 --> 00:23:53,320 Speaker 1: I think, in my opinion, it's less likely that they 468 00:23:53,359 --> 00:23:55,760 Speaker 1: would want to really rescue Kevin McCarthy. They would be 469 00:23:55,800 --> 00:23:59,439 Speaker 1: more likely to look for a different, separate candidate that 470 00:23:59,480 --> 00:24:02,159 Speaker 1: they could get the Fred Hupton path rather than the 471 00:24:02,320 --> 00:24:05,000 Speaker 1: rescuing Kevin McCarthy path. But the fact that you have 472 00:24:05,080 --> 00:24:08,920 Speaker 1: rumblings of this and talk means that it is theoretically possible, 473 00:24:09,320 --> 00:24:13,200 Speaker 1: especially as the Republicans kind of continue to beat their 474 00:24:13,200 --> 00:24:16,840 Speaker 1: head against a wall with no progress. So I think 475 00:24:16,880 --> 00:24:21,440 Speaker 1: if you see another day of twenty people in lockstep 476 00:24:21,640 --> 00:24:24,760 Speaker 1: voting against Kevin McCarthy and things that like a total 477 00:24:24,760 --> 00:24:27,480 Speaker 1: standstill in terms of any sort of progress, then I 478 00:24:27,520 --> 00:24:32,520 Speaker 1: think something more unusual like this potential deal become a 479 00:24:32,520 --> 00:24:36,800 Speaker 1: somewhat more likely outcome. Yeah, I think that's correct. And 480 00:24:36,840 --> 00:24:38,879 Speaker 1: you know, while we're on the subject of crazy stuff, 481 00:24:38,920 --> 00:24:42,600 Speaker 1: there's also some talk of potentially nuking the rule that 482 00:24:42,640 --> 00:24:45,160 Speaker 1: you need to have a majority in order to win 483 00:24:45,560 --> 00:24:49,800 Speaker 1: the speakership and trying to go instead for a plurality Now, 484 00:24:49,840 --> 00:24:52,560 Speaker 1: why would that be a problem Because right now the 485 00:24:52,600 --> 00:24:56,760 Speaker 1: person who is winning pluralities is Hakeem Jeffries, it is 486 00:24:56,800 --> 00:25:00,640 Speaker 1: not Kevin McCarthy. So it could end up in situation 487 00:25:00,720 --> 00:25:04,600 Speaker 1: where they try to you basically change the rules for 488 00:25:04,680 --> 00:25:09,040 Speaker 1: a plurality type vote or through absentees and you know, 489 00:25:09,600 --> 00:25:13,240 Speaker 1: strategic absences and all of that. But they could backdoor 490 00:25:13,280 --> 00:25:17,240 Speaker 1: themselves into a very precarious situation where Hakim Jeffries himself 491 00:25:17,440 --> 00:25:19,840 Speaker 1: could end up becoming the speaker in some sort of 492 00:25:19,880 --> 00:25:23,160 Speaker 1: crazy florified It does not seem likely that that would 493 00:25:23,200 --> 00:25:25,040 Speaker 1: be the case, just because so many of the people 494 00:25:25,200 --> 00:25:27,840 Speaker 1: who are against Kevin McCarthy would not likely assent to 495 00:25:27,920 --> 00:25:31,160 Speaker 1: the plurality rule change. But the longer this goes on, 496 00:25:31,359 --> 00:25:34,720 Speaker 1: a lot of Democrats have a lot of leverage here 497 00:25:35,080 --> 00:25:38,320 Speaker 1: if the holdouts on the Republican side continue to go So, 498 00:25:38,720 --> 00:25:41,240 Speaker 1: you know, look, it's all about something's got to give. 499 00:25:41,960 --> 00:25:43,520 Speaker 1: I do kind of want to bring it back though 500 00:25:43,640 --> 00:25:45,600 Speaker 1: to what we were saying earlier, at this point, if 501 00:25:45,640 --> 00:25:48,080 Speaker 1: I'm Kevin McCarthy, why do you even want to be 502 00:25:48,200 --> 00:25:51,399 Speaker 1: speaker when you would deal with one of the most 503 00:25:51,480 --> 00:25:55,560 Speaker 1: raucous houses in over a century, where somebody can call 504 00:25:55,600 --> 00:25:58,600 Speaker 1: a vote of no confidence on you any second of 505 00:25:58,640 --> 00:26:02,040 Speaker 1: the day. It's like, the People's House is already crazy. 506 00:26:02,400 --> 00:26:04,760 Speaker 1: So why would you even want to be in a 507 00:26:04,800 --> 00:26:10,160 Speaker 1: situation where you are probably the weakest you know, speaker? Yeah? Literally, 508 00:26:10,240 --> 00:26:12,840 Speaker 1: what are the weakest speakers in American history? At this point, 509 00:26:13,000 --> 00:26:15,199 Speaker 1: I don't even know why it would possibly be worth it, 510 00:26:15,240 --> 00:26:18,240 Speaker 1: But you know, for these resume climber types, I guess 511 00:26:18,240 --> 00:26:20,480 Speaker 1: it's all the title. Yeah, I mean, I think he's 512 00:26:20,480 --> 00:26:23,600 Speaker 1: been dreaming about this one for a long time. You recall, 513 00:26:23,720 --> 00:26:25,840 Speaker 1: I mean he was up to be potentially speaker back 514 00:26:25,880 --> 00:26:28,000 Speaker 1: in what was that twenty fifteen or something like that, 515 00:26:28,520 --> 00:26:31,160 Speaker 1: and he kind of blew himself up on that one 516 00:26:31,359 --> 00:26:34,760 Speaker 1: because he gave up the game that the Bengazi hearings 517 00:26:34,800 --> 00:26:38,120 Speaker 1: were an effort to bring down Hillary Clinton's favorabilities, And 518 00:26:38,280 --> 00:26:39,560 Speaker 1: you know, it was kind of a different time in 519 00:26:39,600 --> 00:26:41,840 Speaker 1: politics where things like that would make a difference. I 520 00:26:41,840 --> 00:26:43,840 Speaker 1: think at this point that would be water off a 521 00:26:43,880 --> 00:26:46,080 Speaker 1: ducts ass no one would care. But at that point 522 00:26:46,119 --> 00:26:49,240 Speaker 1: it kind of revealed. It also revealed a level of 523 00:26:49,760 --> 00:26:52,639 Speaker 1: sloppiness and kind of that he wasn't really up to 524 00:26:52,720 --> 00:26:55,240 Speaker 1: the task at that point, and so he got pushed aside, 525 00:26:55,280 --> 00:26:58,600 Speaker 1: and then you end up with with Paul Ryan. You know, 526 00:26:58,680 --> 00:27:01,400 Speaker 1: the saga of Republicans speakers over on that side has 527 00:27:01,440 --> 00:27:04,680 Speaker 1: been fraught with drama for a while now, and that's 528 00:27:04,680 --> 00:27:06,760 Speaker 1: why I think this is you know, another thing that's 529 00:27:06,760 --> 00:27:10,800 Speaker 1: interesting about this is the Republicans have had raucous majorities 530 00:27:10,920 --> 00:27:14,200 Speaker 1: ever since the Tea Party era, and so in some 531 00:27:14,280 --> 00:27:16,639 Speaker 1: ways this is new and different and it has a 532 00:27:16,800 --> 00:27:21,040 Speaker 1: mega anti establishment flavor to it, but it also has 533 00:27:21,400 --> 00:27:25,600 Speaker 1: a throwback Tea Party era flavor to it. And as 534 00:27:25,600 --> 00:27:28,040 Speaker 1: I was saying, a lot of the concessions are more 535 00:27:28,200 --> 00:27:32,359 Speaker 1: in that like hard right libertarian economic vein of we 536 00:27:32,400 --> 00:27:34,560 Speaker 1: want to balance budget amendment, we want to you know, 537 00:27:34,600 --> 00:27:36,680 Speaker 1: default on the debt, we want to shut down the government, 538 00:27:36,760 --> 00:27:39,639 Speaker 1: we want to have these key positions on the appropriation 539 00:27:40,000 --> 00:27:42,720 Speaker 1: and change the appropriations process. Tho though we don't pass 540 00:27:42,800 --> 00:27:45,520 Speaker 1: such large spending bills anymore. It has a lot of 541 00:27:45,520 --> 00:27:49,320 Speaker 1: those vibes as well, injected and infused with the new 542 00:27:50,000 --> 00:27:53,280 Speaker 1: Maga flavor too. So very hard to see. I mean, 543 00:27:53,720 --> 00:27:57,920 Speaker 1: usually in Washington there isn't real drama. Everything has resolved 544 00:27:57,960 --> 00:28:00,879 Speaker 1: behind the scenes and these closed door and goociations and 545 00:28:00,880 --> 00:28:04,320 Speaker 1: the American people don't really get to see it. So personally, 546 00:28:04,400 --> 00:28:07,399 Speaker 1: I enjoy having this all kind of out in the open, 547 00:28:07,680 --> 00:28:09,879 Speaker 1: having the American people be able to process, you know, 548 00:28:09,960 --> 00:28:12,160 Speaker 1: who they agree with, who they don't, how they want 549 00:28:12,160 --> 00:28:15,560 Speaker 1: these processes to unfold, rather than it all being done 550 00:28:15,760 --> 00:28:18,159 Speaker 1: behind the scenes. And then the last thing you have 551 00:28:18,240 --> 00:28:20,240 Speaker 1: to say about this is, you know, this is the 552 00:28:20,320 --> 00:28:23,520 Speaker 1: identical situation that the Squad was in last time around, 553 00:28:23,720 --> 00:28:27,600 Speaker 1: when Democrats had a very narrow majority in the House, 554 00:28:27,920 --> 00:28:30,520 Speaker 1: there was pressure on them to do something with their 555 00:28:30,840 --> 00:28:34,440 Speaker 1: numbers to get their own concessions, whether that was key 556 00:28:34,760 --> 00:28:37,280 Speaker 1: committee positions or whether it was certain votes on the 557 00:28:37,560 --> 00:28:41,400 Speaker 1: floor of the House. And they have completely taken a 558 00:28:41,400 --> 00:28:44,440 Speaker 1: different tact. And I think we see now with the 559 00:28:44,520 --> 00:28:46,800 Speaker 1: level of concessions that this group has already been able 560 00:28:46,840 --> 00:28:50,160 Speaker 1: to extract from McCarthy that and the way that the 561 00:28:50,160 --> 00:28:53,120 Speaker 1: Squad has been completely sidelined in the Democratic Party, that 562 00:28:53,240 --> 00:28:55,840 Speaker 1: was clearly the wrong approach. They thought they could play 563 00:28:55,840 --> 00:28:58,040 Speaker 1: an inside game, They thought that would be the way 564 00:28:58,160 --> 00:29:02,200 Speaker 1: to ultimately pursue and their policy objectives, and it just 565 00:29:02,280 --> 00:29:04,840 Speaker 1: has not ultimately been the case. So in terms of 566 00:29:04,880 --> 00:29:08,800 Speaker 1: political strategy and what works, it helps to have a 567 00:29:08,880 --> 00:29:12,040 Speaker 1: few sort of asshole bomb throwers like Matt Gates on 568 00:29:12,080 --> 00:29:15,400 Speaker 1: your team. You know something I think about a lot 569 00:29:15,480 --> 00:29:17,880 Speaker 1: is the forty eight Laws of Power. Its great book 570 00:29:17,880 --> 00:29:19,760 Speaker 1: if people Evan haven't read it. One of my favorite 571 00:29:19,760 --> 00:29:23,520 Speaker 1: ones is called create compelling spectacles. You can't deny this 572 00:29:23,560 --> 00:29:26,800 Speaker 1: is a compelling spectacle. I mean, the entire country is 573 00:29:26,840 --> 00:29:28,920 Speaker 1: tuned in to this. You know, I have normal people 574 00:29:29,080 --> 00:29:30,680 Speaker 1: messaging me. But who do you think is going to 575 00:29:30,720 --> 00:29:33,160 Speaker 1: get the speakership? I mean, since when do people care 576 00:29:33,200 --> 00:29:37,320 Speaker 1: about such our teams? But it can't be glued away, 577 00:29:37,440 --> 00:29:39,640 Speaker 1: and so this is Look, I'm not saying I even 578 00:29:39,640 --> 00:29:41,480 Speaker 1: agree with some of the aims here about you know, 579 00:29:41,720 --> 00:29:44,640 Speaker 1: nuking the debt ceiling or whatever. But as a tactic 580 00:29:44,800 --> 00:29:47,960 Speaker 1: it clearly from the level of media attention, the capture 581 00:29:48,240 --> 00:29:51,440 Speaker 1: of attention, this would be a way to elevate message. 582 00:29:51,480 --> 00:29:54,040 Speaker 1: So for the dissonents, who are real dissidents out there, 583 00:29:54,760 --> 00:29:59,440 Speaker 1: I guess take note. Let's go to the next park here, 584 00:29:59,480 --> 00:30:02,120 Speaker 1: which is important story in its own right, which is 585 00:30:02,320 --> 00:30:06,200 Speaker 1: Donald Trump of sweet sometimes forget is running for president again. 586 00:30:06,280 --> 00:30:08,440 Speaker 1: It's not like he does all that many events, but 587 00:30:08,520 --> 00:30:11,160 Speaker 1: every once in a while he pops off on national politics. 588 00:30:11,160 --> 00:30:13,120 Speaker 1: And look, you know, we should never count him out. 589 00:30:13,280 --> 00:30:17,520 Speaker 1: His new tweet or truth I should say on abortion 590 00:30:17,840 --> 00:30:20,720 Speaker 1: is ruffling a lot of feathers, revealing something about the 591 00:30:20,760 --> 00:30:24,400 Speaker 1: inside of his psyche gop tactics, how exactly things went 592 00:30:24,440 --> 00:30:26,280 Speaker 1: for the midterms, and who's to blame. So let's go 593 00:30:26,280 --> 00:30:27,880 Speaker 1: ahead and put it up there on the screen and 594 00:30:27,920 --> 00:30:30,280 Speaker 1: I will read from it in full. Quote. It wasn't 595 00:30:30,320 --> 00:30:32,880 Speaker 1: my fault that Republicans didn't live up to expectations in 596 00:30:32,920 --> 00:30:35,280 Speaker 1: the midterms. I was two hundred and thirty three to 597 00:30:35,360 --> 00:30:37,760 Speaker 1: twenty to talking about his endorsement record. It was the 598 00:30:37,840 --> 00:30:43,080 Speaker 1: quote abortion issue poorly handled by many Republicans, especially those 599 00:30:43,360 --> 00:30:47,000 Speaker 1: that firmly insisted on no exceptions even in the case 600 00:30:47,040 --> 00:30:49,320 Speaker 1: of rape incests or the life of the mother, that 601 00:30:49,440 --> 00:30:53,240 Speaker 1: lost large numbers of voters. Also, the people that pushed 602 00:30:53,280 --> 00:30:56,120 Speaker 1: so hard for decades against abortion got their wish from 603 00:30:56,160 --> 00:30:59,200 Speaker 1: the US Supreme Court and just plain disappeared not to 604 00:30:59,240 --> 00:31:04,600 Speaker 1: be seen again. Plus Mitch stupid monies. My personal favorite 605 00:31:04,640 --> 00:31:10,080 Speaker 1: is the Mitch stupid Moneys. That means it could mean 606 00:31:10,120 --> 00:31:12,720 Speaker 1: a variety of things. It could say that Mitch did 607 00:31:12,720 --> 00:31:15,160 Speaker 1: not spend enough money in the right areas, although here 608 00:31:15,160 --> 00:31:18,600 Speaker 1: we're talking about the midterms, not the Senate races or 609 00:31:18,760 --> 00:31:21,920 Speaker 1: the House, not the Senate races necessarily. Look, I think 610 00:31:21,920 --> 00:31:24,400 Speaker 1: that this is all about blame casting, and it is 611 00:31:24,440 --> 00:31:27,640 Speaker 1: also a very precarious situation that Trump finds himself in. 612 00:31:27,960 --> 00:31:30,480 Speaker 1: He of course, was the most I guess pro life 613 00:31:30,520 --> 00:31:33,520 Speaker 1: champion in modern American history. He appointed the justices that 614 00:31:33,600 --> 00:31:37,360 Speaker 1: overturned Roe versus Wade. At the same time, Trump, Look, 615 00:31:37,400 --> 00:31:39,720 Speaker 1: I'll just say this, I don't think he ever really 616 00:31:39,720 --> 00:31:42,720 Speaker 1: cared about the abortion issue. He thought he could use 617 00:31:42,760 --> 00:31:45,120 Speaker 1: it in order to garner votes, and he certainly did, 618 00:31:45,360 --> 00:31:48,440 Speaker 1: but he at a core level also kind of understood 619 00:31:48,520 --> 00:31:54,280 Speaker 1: just how fundamentally unpopular the abortion ban position is. He 620 00:31:54,400 --> 00:31:57,920 Speaker 1: is now basically trying to square out an abortion moderate 621 00:31:57,920 --> 00:32:01,600 Speaker 1: position for the Republican Party, which is definitely more in 622 00:32:01,640 --> 00:32:04,760 Speaker 1: step with the opinions of the American people, but widely 623 00:32:04,800 --> 00:32:08,400 Speaker 1: out of step with almost every Republican elected official, and 624 00:32:08,440 --> 00:32:11,760 Speaker 1: specifically the pro life base, who have really held them 625 00:32:11,760 --> 00:32:14,640 Speaker 1: hostage or really just garnered purity tests from them for 626 00:32:14,680 --> 00:32:18,120 Speaker 1: a long time. The reason I'm really worried, I'm really 627 00:32:18,160 --> 00:32:23,080 Speaker 1: like tracking this is because the pro life groups themselves 628 00:32:23,520 --> 00:32:27,000 Speaker 1: are now in a very interesting situation. Where are they 629 00:32:27,040 --> 00:32:29,600 Speaker 1: going to speak out against somebody who they went to 630 00:32:29,640 --> 00:32:33,560 Speaker 1: bat for in twenty sixteen and then will it induce 631 00:32:33,800 --> 00:32:36,880 Speaker 1: other people like Ron DeSantis, Mike Pence and others to 632 00:32:37,000 --> 00:32:40,480 Speaker 1: garner their support in an upcoming presidential primary. So let's 633 00:32:40,480 --> 00:32:42,520 Speaker 1: put the next one that is up there on the screen, 634 00:32:42,560 --> 00:32:46,160 Speaker 1: because this is very important. You have basically a pro 635 00:32:46,240 --> 00:32:50,120 Speaker 1: life group that is actually firing back at Trump after 636 00:32:50,200 --> 00:32:53,640 Speaker 1: having backed him and his policies while he was in 637 00:32:53,680 --> 00:32:57,600 Speaker 1: the administration for years. So to have that Susan b. 638 00:32:57,720 --> 00:33:02,320 Speaker 1: Anthony group go back again against Trump actually shows you 639 00:33:02,600 --> 00:33:04,640 Speaker 1: that these are people who went to bat for him 640 00:33:04,840 --> 00:33:08,560 Speaker 1: in twenty sixteen. They really appreciated having Mike Pence on 641 00:33:08,600 --> 00:33:10,840 Speaker 1: the ballot with Trump. For them to actually come out 642 00:33:10,880 --> 00:33:13,920 Speaker 1: against him and now in a potential to primary situation 643 00:33:14,000 --> 00:33:18,000 Speaker 1: almost crystal. It just creates a dynamic where I think 644 00:33:18,000 --> 00:33:22,160 Speaker 1: it almost ensures some sort of Mike Pence candidacy which 645 00:33:22,160 --> 00:33:25,040 Speaker 1: will bleed some seven percent or something of the vote 646 00:33:25,160 --> 00:33:28,080 Speaker 1: Mike Pompeo as well possibly trying to get that, And 647 00:33:28,080 --> 00:33:31,520 Speaker 1: then you know Ron Destantas, and you're almost recreating a 648 00:33:31,600 --> 00:33:35,080 Speaker 1: twenty sixteen dynamics. So we have two storylines here, Like 649 00:33:35,120 --> 00:33:37,600 Speaker 1: one is the actual political analysis that I think Trump 650 00:33:37,680 --> 00:33:41,680 Speaker 1: is fundamentally correct about, of course conveniently erases stop the 651 00:33:41,680 --> 00:33:44,960 Speaker 1: steal as well being a major problem. And then the 652 00:33:45,000 --> 00:33:49,080 Speaker 1: second part is it opens up a major political opportunity 653 00:33:49,280 --> 00:33:52,360 Speaker 1: for pro lifers in a Republican primary, not necessarily with 654 00:33:52,400 --> 00:33:55,520 Speaker 1: the general electorate. Yeah, well twenty sixteen worked out well 655 00:33:55,560 --> 00:33:58,840 Speaker 1: for him, didn't it. So I personally actually think that 656 00:33:58,880 --> 00:34:02,480 Speaker 1: this was an intelligent on his part. Yes, the Republican 657 00:34:02,560 --> 00:34:04,880 Speaker 1: base is in a different place than most of the 658 00:34:04,920 --> 00:34:07,240 Speaker 1: country on abortion, but you have I just looked it up. 659 00:34:07,920 --> 00:34:12,560 Speaker 1: Only eight percent of adults say abortion should be against 660 00:34:12,560 --> 00:34:16,600 Speaker 1: the law in all cases without exception. So Trump is 661 00:34:17,080 --> 00:34:19,279 Speaker 1: on the correct side with regards to American people. He's 662 00:34:19,360 --> 00:34:22,120 Speaker 1: also strongly on the correct side with regard to the 663 00:34:22,160 --> 00:34:25,799 Speaker 1: Republican base. And it does remind me of that like 664 00:34:25,880 --> 00:34:28,719 Speaker 1: twenty fifteen, twenty sixteen dynamic for the first time in 665 00:34:28,760 --> 00:34:31,400 Speaker 1: a long time, where remember Trump would say something that 666 00:34:31,440 --> 00:34:33,080 Speaker 1: I was supposed to be like, oh, you can't say 667 00:34:33,080 --> 00:34:35,120 Speaker 1: that if you're running in the Republican Party, and the 668 00:34:35,200 --> 00:34:38,080 Speaker 1: Rock War being case in point, but other economic issues 669 00:34:38,080 --> 00:34:40,160 Speaker 1: as well, like saying we're going to preserve social security 670 00:34:40,160 --> 00:34:42,440 Speaker 1: and medicare supposed to be like, you can't say that 671 00:34:42,480 --> 00:34:46,000 Speaker 1: and win a Republican primary. But it turned out he 672 00:34:46,200 --> 00:34:50,240 Speaker 1: understood what the actual voters in the Republican base thought 673 00:34:50,280 --> 00:34:53,600 Speaker 1: a lot more so than the other candidates who were 674 00:34:53,600 --> 00:34:56,759 Speaker 1: more in step with what this sort of like activist 675 00:34:57,000 --> 00:35:00,719 Speaker 1: organization leaders what they thought on the issues. So, you know, 676 00:35:00,800 --> 00:35:03,680 Speaker 1: the other thing that this does for him effectively is 677 00:35:04,000 --> 00:35:06,399 Speaker 1: he was half right in this analysis because he said 678 00:35:06,400 --> 00:35:09,319 Speaker 1: abortion was a problem for Republicans. That's true. The part 679 00:35:09,320 --> 00:35:11,080 Speaker 1: that he was half wrong on was saying it had 680 00:35:11,120 --> 00:35:13,560 Speaker 1: nothing to do with me. I'm actually great, And you 681 00:35:13,560 --> 00:35:15,680 Speaker 1: know he didn't say this directly, but stop the steal 682 00:35:15,760 --> 00:35:17,920 Speaker 1: was no problem for these candidates. That clearly is not 683 00:35:18,040 --> 00:35:21,239 Speaker 1: the case. But by setting up this abortion fight, he's 684 00:35:21,280 --> 00:35:23,840 Speaker 1: on a stronger ground for himself. It kind of causes 685 00:35:23,880 --> 00:35:27,040 Speaker 1: people to, you know, debate this issue and was this 686 00:35:27,080 --> 00:35:29,319 Speaker 1: the problem for Republicans and where do people stand on 687 00:35:29,360 --> 00:35:32,440 Speaker 1: this particular issue and puts him on stronger ground with 688 00:35:32,440 --> 00:35:36,400 Speaker 1: regards to the primary. So I actually personally think politically 689 00:35:36,480 --> 00:35:39,080 Speaker 1: it was an intelligent move. I think opening up a 690 00:35:39,160 --> 00:35:42,080 Speaker 1: lane for a Mike Pence or a like evangelical right 691 00:35:42,160 --> 00:35:44,000 Speaker 1: candidate to get in be the hard line I want 692 00:35:44,000 --> 00:35:47,520 Speaker 1: the national abortion being candidate. I think having more candidates 693 00:35:47,560 --> 00:35:51,360 Speaker 1: in the race ultimately only benefits Trump. Now again, I 694 00:35:51,400 --> 00:35:55,239 Speaker 1: continue to think he is a significantly weakened position from 695 00:35:55,239 --> 00:35:59,239 Speaker 1: where he was previously. Our commentary about the Speaker's race 696 00:35:59,239 --> 00:36:01,880 Speaker 1: and how he's endorsment and had literally no effect on it, 697 00:36:01,920 --> 00:36:04,239 Speaker 1: if anything, had actually set things backwards a little bit 698 00:36:04,320 --> 00:36:06,120 Speaker 1: after he came out in full throat and support for 699 00:36:06,200 --> 00:36:09,680 Speaker 1: Kevin McCarthy is an emblem of that weakness. But this 700 00:36:09,880 --> 00:36:13,480 Speaker 1: was the first little throwback vibes to the old Trump 701 00:36:13,520 --> 00:36:17,520 Speaker 1: that I've seen in a while. I agree, and that's 702 00:36:17,560 --> 00:36:19,960 Speaker 1: why I was. It was intrigued to see it happen, 703 00:36:20,040 --> 00:36:21,719 Speaker 1: and then I was like, oh, no, this is going 704 00:36:21,800 --> 00:36:25,560 Speaker 1: to cause a raucous primary situation, which probably only more 705 00:36:25,600 --> 00:36:31,359 Speaker 1: guarantees his at least renomination for the GOP Party. I mean, 706 00:36:31,600 --> 00:36:34,080 Speaker 1: it is just look, I mean, I think his biggest 707 00:36:34,160 --> 00:36:37,840 Speaker 1: problem is with stop the steal. Can he actually be 708 00:36:38,040 --> 00:36:41,040 Speaker 1: disciplined because by leaving it out, you know, not only 709 00:36:41,120 --> 00:36:44,200 Speaker 1: from the tweet, but also we shouldn't forget he did 710 00:36:44,239 --> 00:36:47,880 Speaker 1: not mention abortion in his re election announcement and or 711 00:36:48,120 --> 00:36:52,120 Speaker 1: I guess his subsequent election announcement and he did not 712 00:36:52,280 --> 00:36:55,279 Speaker 1: mention stop the steal. But he has since backtracked on 713 00:36:55,320 --> 00:36:57,560 Speaker 1: stop the steel has been true thing some insane stuff 714 00:36:57,840 --> 00:37:00,120 Speaker 1: about the vote being stolen. I have not yet I've 715 00:37:00,120 --> 00:37:02,840 Speaker 1: seen him do any real public appearance though where he 716 00:37:02,920 --> 00:37:05,040 Speaker 1: has mentioned it. That said, he hasn't done a lot 717 00:37:05,040 --> 00:37:07,080 Speaker 1: of public appearances. So it all comes down to the 718 00:37:07,160 --> 00:37:09,719 Speaker 1: question of, like his own message discipline, do we get 719 00:37:09,760 --> 00:37:12,760 Speaker 1: old Trump, who's kind of ideologically all over the place, 720 00:37:12,880 --> 00:37:15,799 Speaker 1: or do we just get the self obsessed narcissists. I'm 721 00:37:15,840 --> 00:37:18,200 Speaker 1: personally always going to bet on the ladder, but you know, 722 00:37:18,280 --> 00:37:20,719 Speaker 1: you never know in terms of how long he can 723 00:37:20,719 --> 00:37:23,600 Speaker 1: actually keep it together. Yeah, Well, he also has something 724 00:37:23,640 --> 00:37:26,760 Speaker 1: compelling that he can say if he does feel himself 725 00:37:26,800 --> 00:37:29,560 Speaker 1: on shaky ground with the evangelical right, which turned out 726 00:37:29,560 --> 00:37:32,960 Speaker 1: to be his most fervent and committed base of support, 727 00:37:33,000 --> 00:37:34,960 Speaker 1: which is he's the one who got it done. He's 728 00:37:34,960 --> 00:37:36,759 Speaker 1: the one who got the justices on the bench that 729 00:37:36,840 --> 00:37:39,800 Speaker 1: gave them their big win. And so, you know, Trump 730 00:37:39,920 --> 00:37:43,080 Speaker 1: doesn't hold himself to any sort of ideologically consistent position. 731 00:37:43,520 --> 00:37:45,640 Speaker 1: So when he's in front of those audiences and he 732 00:37:45,680 --> 00:37:47,840 Speaker 1: feels like he needs to shore up their support, he 733 00:37:47,880 --> 00:37:50,600 Speaker 1: can tell them what they need to hear, while also 734 00:37:50,680 --> 00:37:53,600 Speaker 1: signaling to others who are, you know, not in the 735 00:37:53,800 --> 00:37:58,560 Speaker 1: eight percent that believe abortion should be illegal in all instances, 736 00:37:58,600 --> 00:38:00,640 Speaker 1: including you know, rape in stide life and the mother, 737 00:38:00,680 --> 00:38:03,280 Speaker 1: et cetera. You know, when he's talking to that group, 738 00:38:03,320 --> 00:38:05,440 Speaker 1: he can sound these sorts of notes and sound a 739 00:38:05,440 --> 00:38:08,960 Speaker 1: lot more reasonable. So again, I agree with you. I 740 00:38:08,960 --> 00:38:11,719 Speaker 1: think his brain is so addled and so obsessed with 741 00:38:12,400 --> 00:38:15,600 Speaker 1: stop the steal and election conspiracies. And I think he's 742 00:38:15,600 --> 00:38:17,719 Speaker 1: been in this Marra a Lago bubble, and I think 743 00:38:17,719 --> 00:38:20,800 Speaker 1: he's been in the truth social like social media ghetto 744 00:38:20,920 --> 00:38:24,759 Speaker 1: echo chamber for too long. You could see signs of 745 00:38:24,800 --> 00:38:27,160 Speaker 1: that already even before he left office. I think that 746 00:38:27,239 --> 00:38:30,800 Speaker 1: has only hardened more. But this was the first little 747 00:38:30,800 --> 00:38:33,160 Speaker 1: glimmer of like, oh, yeah, I remember why this guy 748 00:38:33,239 --> 00:38:38,680 Speaker 1: romped through the twenty fifteen, twenty sixteen Republican primaries. Yeah, smart, point. 749 00:38:39,360 --> 00:38:41,600 Speaker 1: All right, So we've got a lot actually of news 750 00:38:41,640 --> 00:38:44,680 Speaker 1: coming out of the tech sector, which you know they've 751 00:38:44,680 --> 00:38:46,759 Speaker 1: been there have been tons of layoffs, and now the 752 00:38:46,880 --> 00:38:48,840 Speaker 1: very latest, let's go and put this up on the screen, 753 00:38:49,320 --> 00:38:54,360 Speaker 1: is that Meta is facing a large fine in the EU. 754 00:38:54,520 --> 00:38:57,799 Speaker 1: This New York Times article says Metta's ad practices were 755 00:38:57,840 --> 00:39:02,080 Speaker 1: ruled illegal under EU law. So that decision includes a 756 00:39:02,080 --> 00:39:04,279 Speaker 1: fine of three hundred and ninety million euros that's about 757 00:39:04,280 --> 00:39:06,759 Speaker 1: four hundred and fourteen million dollars, and it has the 758 00:39:06,800 --> 00:39:10,280 Speaker 1: potential to require Meta to make some really costly changes 759 00:39:10,360 --> 00:39:13,799 Speaker 1: to their advertising based business in the European Union, that's 760 00:39:13,840 --> 00:39:16,200 Speaker 1: one of its largest markets. So the EU passes regulation 761 00:39:16,760 --> 00:39:21,440 Speaker 1: with regards to data privacy, giving users more control over 762 00:39:21,760 --> 00:39:24,200 Speaker 1: how their data can be used, what can be collected, 763 00:39:24,360 --> 00:39:27,840 Speaker 1: who it can be sent to. And these regulators basically 764 00:39:28,080 --> 00:39:31,280 Speaker 1: looked at Metas policy and said, you are not giving 765 00:39:31,400 --> 00:39:35,080 Speaker 1: users the power and the control that this law dictates 766 00:39:35,120 --> 00:39:38,759 Speaker 1: you must give. Now, why does this matter? Ultimately it's 767 00:39:38,880 --> 00:39:40,680 Speaker 1: you know, the fine is a hefty amount of money, 768 00:39:40,719 --> 00:39:43,960 Speaker 1: but they could stomach that. The problem is that it 769 00:39:44,000 --> 00:39:46,319 Speaker 1: really cuts to the core of their advertising business. I mean, 770 00:39:46,520 --> 00:39:50,640 Speaker 1: huge percentage of both Facebook and Instagram. Revenue comes from 771 00:39:50,680 --> 00:39:54,960 Speaker 1: the ability to serve people these personalized ads based on 772 00:39:55,280 --> 00:39:58,239 Speaker 1: farming all of their data. So if you are now 773 00:39:58,320 --> 00:40:00,799 Speaker 1: saying you can't really do that, you have to give 774 00:40:00,880 --> 00:40:04,719 Speaker 1: users a clear way to opt out of having this 775 00:40:04,840 --> 00:40:07,920 Speaker 1: data collected and sold to third party providers and use 776 00:40:08,000 --> 00:40:11,680 Speaker 1: for this ad program. That could take a significant chunk 777 00:40:11,880 --> 00:40:15,239 Speaker 1: out of their revenue and their profitability. So Meta has 778 00:40:15,280 --> 00:40:17,319 Speaker 1: three months to outline how they're going to comply with 779 00:40:17,360 --> 00:40:20,920 Speaker 1: this ruling. The decision doesn't specify specifically what they have 780 00:40:21,080 --> 00:40:24,600 Speaker 1: to do, but again, it could result in Meta allowing 781 00:40:24,680 --> 00:40:27,040 Speaker 1: users to choose whether they want their data use for 782 00:40:27,080 --> 00:40:30,040 Speaker 1: such targeted promotions, and if a large number say no, 783 00:40:30,719 --> 00:40:32,640 Speaker 1: that would cut off one of the most valuable parts 784 00:40:32,640 --> 00:40:37,279 Speaker 1: of Meta's business. We have some numbers here. Those practices 785 00:40:37,440 --> 00:40:41,480 Speaker 1: helped Meta generate one hundred and eighteen billion dollars in 786 00:40:41,560 --> 00:40:45,279 Speaker 1: revenue in twenty twenty one. So number one, you know 787 00:40:45,320 --> 00:40:47,239 Speaker 1: this is this is a real business issue for them. 788 00:40:47,600 --> 00:40:50,880 Speaker 1: Number two, euregulators have come under a lot of fire 789 00:40:51,000 --> 00:40:53,399 Speaker 1: for you know, they have this this rule, this law, 790 00:40:53,440 --> 00:40:56,640 Speaker 1: this regulation in place, but they haven't really enforced it. 791 00:40:56,680 --> 00:40:58,759 Speaker 1: This is one of the first big examples where they're 792 00:40:58,800 --> 00:41:02,360 Speaker 1: actually cracking down, and you know it, we should have. 793 00:41:02,480 --> 00:41:05,200 Speaker 1: We don't have anything like this in the US that 794 00:41:05,280 --> 00:41:09,320 Speaker 1: gives customers and users here a similar level of control 795 00:41:09,400 --> 00:41:11,440 Speaker 1: over their data, and I think it would really be 796 00:41:11,480 --> 00:41:14,920 Speaker 1: a benefit here as well. Well. It's really interesting to 797 00:41:14,920 --> 00:41:17,960 Speaker 1: see exactly why and what it means because we put 798 00:41:18,000 --> 00:41:20,680 Speaker 1: this together with a bunch of other different elements, because 799 00:41:21,000 --> 00:41:23,879 Speaker 1: it is a bad time just for the American tech 800 00:41:23,920 --> 00:41:27,879 Speaker 1: sector writ large. The meta is having problems, not only 801 00:41:27,880 --> 00:41:30,600 Speaker 1: on the business side. We shouldn't forget. They've had two 802 00:41:30,640 --> 00:41:35,840 Speaker 1: subsequent quarters of down growth, largely due to actually less 803 00:41:36,200 --> 00:41:39,560 Speaker 1: active users on the platform than ever before, and pouring 804 00:41:39,640 --> 00:41:43,080 Speaker 1: billions and billions of advertising dollars from the profitable part 805 00:41:43,160 --> 00:41:46,640 Speaker 1: into VR with the major bet on the metaverse hasn't 806 00:41:46,640 --> 00:41:49,640 Speaker 1: materialized yet. You know, I get you'd have to sell 807 00:41:49,640 --> 00:41:51,480 Speaker 1: a hell of a lot of oculuses or whatever the 808 00:41:51,480 --> 00:41:53,600 Speaker 1: hell they're called now in order to make all of 809 00:41:53,600 --> 00:41:56,640 Speaker 1: that up. Now, that means that their core business is 810 00:41:56,640 --> 00:41:58,680 Speaker 1: not doing as well. They've got a big bet, which 811 00:41:58,719 --> 00:42:00,319 Speaker 1: is more of like a decade long thing, but they're 812 00:42:00,320 --> 00:42:03,360 Speaker 1: not necessarily it's working out for them at the same time, 813 00:42:03,719 --> 00:42:07,479 Speaker 1: revenue itself across the entire industries down in almost every 814 00:42:07,520 --> 00:42:10,040 Speaker 1: single sector. You know, you pulled this one, Crystal. Let's 815 00:42:10,040 --> 00:42:12,760 Speaker 1: put it up there on the screen. Salesforce, the sales 816 00:42:13,000 --> 00:42:17,800 Speaker 1: tracking technology. They're cutting ten percent of their entire staff 817 00:42:18,080 --> 00:42:22,520 Speaker 1: and actually downsizing their location at the classic Salesforce tower 818 00:42:22,840 --> 00:42:26,840 Speaker 1: in San Francisco. Why does this matter? Salesforce itself is 819 00:42:26,880 --> 00:42:29,319 Speaker 1: like the back end system for a hell of a 820 00:42:29,320 --> 00:42:32,000 Speaker 1: lot of business activity. So if you have less business 821 00:42:32,080 --> 00:42:34,360 Speaker 1: activity in the overall economy, that means you're going to 822 00:42:34,400 --> 00:42:36,799 Speaker 1: have less use of the Salesforce platform, which means they 823 00:42:36,840 --> 00:42:39,200 Speaker 1: get less revenue, which had less fees, which means that 824 00:42:39,239 --> 00:42:41,799 Speaker 1: they have to go ahead and fire people. But then 825 00:42:42,120 --> 00:42:44,799 Speaker 1: second and a third here, what I think is even 826 00:42:45,040 --> 00:42:48,000 Speaker 1: probably the most important, was Amazon with the news that 827 00:42:48,040 --> 00:42:50,440 Speaker 1: broke last night. Let's put this up there. They are 828 00:42:50,480 --> 00:42:55,440 Speaker 1: now laying off seventeen thousand workers, which is actually more 829 00:42:55,719 --> 00:42:59,160 Speaker 1: than they had initially scheduled for layoff. So to have 830 00:42:59,239 --> 00:43:02,040 Speaker 1: to lay off actually over eighteen thousand workers now the 831 00:43:02,120 --> 00:43:06,440 Speaker 1: number has been updated to have almost eighteen thousand represents 832 00:43:06,640 --> 00:43:09,920 Speaker 1: like five percent, it says, of the elements of its workforce, 833 00:43:09,960 --> 00:43:13,000 Speaker 1: and about one percent of the overall one point five 834 00:43:13,040 --> 00:43:15,160 Speaker 1: million employees. So on the one hand, it may not 835 00:43:15,239 --> 00:43:18,400 Speaker 1: sound like a lot, but Amazon, because it is the 836 00:43:18,520 --> 00:43:21,759 Speaker 1: second largest employer in the entire United States, has a 837 00:43:21,840 --> 00:43:25,320 Speaker 1: far disproportionate impact in terms of how people look over 838 00:43:25,680 --> 00:43:28,280 Speaker 1: the economy, how exactly you know, what the job market 839 00:43:28,320 --> 00:43:31,360 Speaker 1: looks like, you know, in more down market areas of 840 00:43:31,400 --> 00:43:33,839 Speaker 1: the country, just because unfortunately it's one of the only 841 00:43:33,880 --> 00:43:37,160 Speaker 1: places that still employs a lot of people. You put 842 00:43:37,200 --> 00:43:40,040 Speaker 1: this all together, it's not setting twenty twenty three up 843 00:43:40,360 --> 00:43:44,120 Speaker 1: for a good you know, boom, quote unquote, especially because 844 00:43:44,400 --> 00:43:47,319 Speaker 1: tech makes up so much of the S and P 845 00:43:47,440 --> 00:43:51,480 Speaker 1: five hundred indexes and other stock market retirement funds and 846 00:43:51,560 --> 00:43:54,920 Speaker 1: other et cetera. It's actually disportionately weighted in how we 847 00:43:55,000 --> 00:43:57,600 Speaker 1: think about the US economy because it was the biggest 848 00:43:57,719 --> 00:44:00,960 Speaker 1: driver from over the last twenty years. We're all, I think, 849 00:44:01,040 --> 00:44:03,520 Speaker 1: all of this just paints a really dim picture for 850 00:44:03,640 --> 00:44:07,640 Speaker 1: tech going into twenty twenty three, Oh no doubt about it. 851 00:44:07,840 --> 00:44:11,719 Speaker 1: And you know, the economy continues to be very univen 852 00:44:12,239 --> 00:44:16,000 Speaker 1: these mass tech layoffs, which is not just Salesforce and Amazon, 853 00:44:16,120 --> 00:44:19,080 Speaker 1: but really company after a large company in the sector 854 00:44:19,120 --> 00:44:21,319 Speaker 1: which you know, what happened is during the pandemic, people 855 00:44:21,320 --> 00:44:23,960 Speaker 1: are at home, so they're using They're on Zoom, they're 856 00:44:23,960 --> 00:44:27,360 Speaker 1: buying on Amazon, they're you know, Salesforce became more important. 857 00:44:27,400 --> 00:44:30,719 Speaker 1: All of these tech companies became super critical to the 858 00:44:31,560 --> 00:44:35,000 Speaker 1: work at home economy during the pandemic. Now that people 859 00:44:35,080 --> 00:44:38,359 Speaker 1: are back out and about, they've taken a hit, many 860 00:44:38,440 --> 00:44:41,280 Speaker 1: of them have admitted. Mark Benioff, the CEO of Salesforce, 861 00:44:41,320 --> 00:44:44,440 Speaker 1: for example, admitted they staffed up too quickly. I love 862 00:44:44,480 --> 00:44:47,799 Speaker 1: the way that these like, you know, CEO types can 863 00:44:47,880 --> 00:44:50,400 Speaker 1: just be like, oops, my bad, sorry guys, now I 864 00:44:50,480 --> 00:44:52,600 Speaker 1: get a layoff tens of thousands of you. But that's 865 00:44:52,640 --> 00:44:55,439 Speaker 1: the way that they ultimately roll. So you have these 866 00:44:55,520 --> 00:44:59,000 Speaker 1: huge layoffs across the tech sector. You have their stock 867 00:44:59,040 --> 00:45:03,320 Speaker 1: prices taking a huge hit, and the tech sector has basically, 868 00:45:03,960 --> 00:45:07,560 Speaker 1: you know, really driven the sort of upper middle class. 869 00:45:08,560 --> 00:45:12,040 Speaker 1: So when you have that group of society no longer 870 00:45:12,080 --> 00:45:14,680 Speaker 1: really safe in the way that they were. But on 871 00:45:14,719 --> 00:45:18,720 Speaker 1: the other hand, you have a different dynamic among service 872 00:45:18,760 --> 00:45:24,320 Speaker 1: sector workers where a lot of those retailers, you know, hospitality, 873 00:45:24,680 --> 00:45:27,799 Speaker 1: those that sector, they're struggling to get workers. They're still 874 00:45:27,840 --> 00:45:30,400 Speaker 1: having to compete. Now, Listen, let's be clear. With inflation, 875 00:45:30,480 --> 00:45:33,440 Speaker 1: people are still getting pay cuts, but workers actually have 876 00:45:33,440 --> 00:45:36,879 Speaker 1: a little more power in the service sector economy than 877 00:45:36,880 --> 00:45:41,440 Speaker 1: they did previously. So the combination of those two trends 878 00:45:41,719 --> 00:45:45,640 Speaker 1: is really remaking the economy overall, and I think is 879 00:45:45,640 --> 00:45:47,640 Speaker 1: going to be one of the big trends of twenty 880 00:45:47,680 --> 00:45:51,360 Speaker 1: twenty three to follow in the impact that has on inequality, 881 00:45:51,360 --> 00:45:53,239 Speaker 1: on the impact that hasn't a job market, on the 882 00:45:53,239 --> 00:45:55,520 Speaker 1: impact that has to low wage workers, the middle class, 883 00:45:55,520 --> 00:45:58,640 Speaker 1: the upper middle class. You know, these these things are 884 00:45:58,760 --> 00:46:01,400 Speaker 1: just starting to shake out because those Amazon layoffs, the 885 00:46:01,440 --> 00:46:05,960 Speaker 1: eighteen thousand plus are predominantly white collar workers. You know, 886 00:46:06,000 --> 00:46:08,600 Speaker 1: these are quote unquote knowledge economy workers. This was the 887 00:46:08,640 --> 00:46:10,919 Speaker 1: thing that our whole economy has been built on for 888 00:46:11,040 --> 00:46:14,080 Speaker 1: several decades now, starting with Bill Clinton. The fact that 889 00:46:14,080 --> 00:46:16,600 Speaker 1: they're taking hit by tens of thousands of workers is 890 00:46:16,640 --> 00:46:19,000 Speaker 1: going to have a huge impact with big ripple effects 891 00:46:19,040 --> 00:46:20,600 Speaker 1: that I think we're only just beginning to wrap our 892 00:46:20,640 --> 00:46:23,480 Speaker 1: head around. Oh yeah, so, I mean there's just no 893 00:46:23,560 --> 00:46:26,160 Speaker 1: way to We just have to consider, like how much 894 00:46:26,200 --> 00:46:29,680 Speaker 1: tech has basically dominated the US economy since what the nineties, 895 00:46:29,760 --> 00:46:32,400 Speaker 1: are really with the dot com bubble and onward, and 896 00:46:32,440 --> 00:46:35,840 Speaker 1: then think about what, especially with zero interest rates going away, 897 00:46:36,200 --> 00:46:39,759 Speaker 1: what that entire industry looks like. So you know, look, 898 00:46:39,840 --> 00:46:42,279 Speaker 1: it'll be an interesting year. I've learned not to make 899 00:46:42,320 --> 00:46:45,640 Speaker 1: any predictions. Let's just leave it at that bottom line. 900 00:46:45,680 --> 00:46:49,560 Speaker 1: Maybe don't learn to code, right, yeah, maybe don't or 901 00:46:49,600 --> 00:46:52,200 Speaker 1: maybe maybe don't learn you know, could pay off, could 902 00:46:52,239 --> 00:46:55,239 Speaker 1: pay off in the future. Let's move to the final one, 903 00:46:55,480 --> 00:46:57,960 Speaker 1: our fun segment here of the day. We just had 904 00:46:57,960 --> 00:47:00,560 Speaker 1: to cover it. Anytime Jim Kramer opened his mouth with 905 00:47:00,600 --> 00:47:03,799 Speaker 1: the prediction is usually wrong, although maybe it's right. Here's 906 00:47:03,840 --> 00:47:06,920 Speaker 1: what he's now saying on crypto it's not too late 907 00:47:06,960 --> 00:47:09,400 Speaker 1: to sell losers right now. That's my model for the 908 00:47:09,400 --> 00:47:11,360 Speaker 1: first part of twenty hundred three, because I fear it 909 00:47:11,800 --> 00:47:13,799 Speaker 1: will be too late if you wait until the second 910 00:47:13,840 --> 00:47:16,359 Speaker 1: and a half. First and list of it's not too 911 00:47:16,440 --> 00:47:18,960 Speaker 1: late to sell is crypto anything? Crypto hard of the 912 00:47:19,040 --> 00:47:21,320 Speaker 1: day goes by where we don't get more horrific headlines 913 00:47:21,320 --> 00:47:23,719 Speaker 1: from crypto world. We all know about the travails of 914 00:47:23,760 --> 00:47:27,240 Speaker 1: Sam Bankman Free, but there's constant wars among former colleagues 915 00:47:27,320 --> 00:47:29,640 Speaker 1: all over the place in this industry. I know this 916 00:47:29,640 --> 00:47:32,520 Speaker 1: sounds like inside baseball, but these interesting wars among major 917 00:47:32,560 --> 00:47:35,720 Speaker 1: players are classic signs of a financial world that's actually 918 00:47:35,760 --> 00:47:40,000 Speaker 1: fully apart, falling apart. Sell all of your crypto from 919 00:47:40,200 --> 00:47:42,520 Speaker 1: Jim Kramer, although so this is the issue usually that 920 00:47:42,560 --> 00:47:45,319 Speaker 1: means you should just buy everything on the opposite of 921 00:47:45,320 --> 00:47:48,839 Speaker 1: what he said. Look, you know the Kramer etf as, 922 00:47:48,840 --> 00:47:50,680 Speaker 1: I understand it in terms of betting on things that 923 00:47:50,719 --> 00:47:54,000 Speaker 1: he said, not to betting against everything of his predictions 924 00:47:54,040 --> 00:47:57,480 Speaker 1: apparently has done quite well. I think let's put it 925 00:47:57,520 --> 00:48:00,439 Speaker 1: more in the context of there's now an institution turn 926 00:48:00,480 --> 00:48:03,279 Speaker 1: on Wall Street against crypto. I think that's probably a 927 00:48:03,280 --> 00:48:04,960 Speaker 1: fair way to look at it, which is that you 928 00:48:05,080 --> 00:48:08,600 Speaker 1: had JP Morgan and you know, CEO Jamie Diamond against crypto, 929 00:48:08,680 --> 00:48:10,520 Speaker 1: but then kind of co opting a little bit of 930 00:48:10,520 --> 00:48:12,879 Speaker 1: crypto during the boom so many of the other Wall 931 00:48:12,880 --> 00:48:16,080 Speaker 1: Street CEOs and others. Kramer is kind of the mouthpiece 932 00:48:16,120 --> 00:48:19,600 Speaker 1: of like the most brain dead establishment take on Wall Street. 933 00:48:19,640 --> 00:48:22,000 Speaker 1: So for him to now be saying this, especially in 934 00:48:22,040 --> 00:48:25,600 Speaker 1: the context of SBF and bitcoins, a lack of performance 935 00:48:25,640 --> 00:48:28,480 Speaker 1: over the last year, and not even just that really 936 00:48:28,560 --> 00:48:32,440 Speaker 1: just more of the collapse of the NFT market itself, 937 00:48:32,480 --> 00:48:35,719 Speaker 1: and even trouble, you know, for Coinbase, the company which 938 00:48:35,800 --> 00:48:38,520 Speaker 1: actually broke last night, let's put it up there on 939 00:48:38,560 --> 00:48:41,040 Speaker 1: the screen. They have to go ahead and pay a 940 00:48:41,280 --> 00:48:47,600 Speaker 1: massive settlement for violating money laundering provisions with New York regulators. 941 00:48:47,880 --> 00:48:50,319 Speaker 1: This isn't to say that they themselves had been doing 942 00:48:50,360 --> 00:48:52,480 Speaker 1: money laundering, but the problem was that they had not 943 00:48:52,840 --> 00:48:56,680 Speaker 1: proper institutions in place inside of their company to make 944 00:48:56,719 --> 00:48:59,680 Speaker 1: sure that they weren't allowing potential criminal activity on the 945 00:48:59,719 --> 00:49:03,359 Speaker 1: plot subject really to the same regulations that any US 946 00:49:03,400 --> 00:49:05,640 Speaker 1: based bank is going to have to pay. But I mean, 947 00:49:05,680 --> 00:49:08,600 Speaker 1: one hundred million dollars definitely hurts, especially when their stock 948 00:49:08,640 --> 00:49:12,520 Speaker 1: has already been going down pretty precipitously. After all of 949 00:49:12,560 --> 00:49:15,080 Speaker 1: the stuff that's going on with SBF, I can't think 950 00:49:15,120 --> 00:49:18,400 Speaker 1: of a single major crypto exchange or really crypto bank 951 00:49:18,440 --> 00:49:20,880 Speaker 1: out there, as my friends at the Bankless podcast like 952 00:49:20,960 --> 00:49:23,360 Speaker 1: to talk about them. I can't think of a single 953 00:49:23,440 --> 00:49:27,279 Speaker 1: one of them which is doing well in business right now, 954 00:49:27,320 --> 00:49:30,800 Speaker 1: which reflects I think Jim Kramer's comments. Yeah, I think 955 00:49:30,880 --> 00:49:34,520 Speaker 1: your point is the correct one, which is that the 956 00:49:34,600 --> 00:49:37,240 Speaker 1: business press has a lot of egg on their face 957 00:49:37,520 --> 00:49:40,680 Speaker 1: over the way that they failed to do any due diligence, 958 00:49:40,760 --> 00:49:44,240 Speaker 1: not just on SBF and FTX, but on any of 959 00:49:44,280 --> 00:49:46,560 Speaker 1: these companies, and how legit. I mean, they just took 960 00:49:46,600 --> 00:49:49,200 Speaker 1: their word for it on everything. There was no real 961 00:49:49,239 --> 00:49:51,439 Speaker 1: sort of transparency and many of them didn't have any 962 00:49:51,520 --> 00:49:55,000 Speaker 1: like boards to be accountable, nothing, and they just took 963 00:49:55,040 --> 00:49:59,839 Speaker 1: their word for it. They helped to Shephard a lot 964 00:49:59,840 --> 00:50:02,920 Speaker 1: of casual investors who didn't really know and just sort 965 00:50:02,960 --> 00:50:05,239 Speaker 1: of trusted the word God forbid of people like Jim 966 00:50:05,280 --> 00:50:08,160 Speaker 1: Kramer and others of what they should be get putting 967 00:50:08,200 --> 00:50:11,600 Speaker 1: investing their money into. And so I think now there 968 00:50:11,719 --> 00:50:14,239 Speaker 1: is an effort to you know, to come to what 969 00:50:14,320 --> 00:50:16,359 Speaker 1: I believe is the correct position of like, you know what, 970 00:50:16,400 --> 00:50:18,759 Speaker 1: this stuff is really not safe, especially not now, so 971 00:50:18,840 --> 00:50:23,480 Speaker 1: I guess better late than ever. Yeah, it's funny, nonetheless, 972 00:50:23,480 --> 00:50:26,720 Speaker 1: so take it with what you will. For Jim Kramer's prediction, 973 00:50:27,280 --> 00:50:29,759 Speaker 1: what exactly it all means, I guess we'll all find out. 974 00:50:29,920 --> 00:50:32,120 Speaker 1: Some people are telling me that bitcoin's going to a million, 975 00:50:32,200 --> 00:50:34,239 Speaker 1: I'm like, you know, I'm just going to say, I 976 00:50:34,280 --> 00:50:37,480 Speaker 1: don't think that's going to happen this year, this year, 977 00:50:38,080 --> 00:50:40,120 Speaker 1: this week. In terms of the hype pros that are 978 00:50:40,160 --> 00:50:42,600 Speaker 1: out there. Yeah, well, love you put the caveat out there. Look, 979 00:50:42,719 --> 00:50:45,360 Speaker 1: I never know. I'm not afraid of being accused of 980 00:50:45,680 --> 00:50:48,520 Speaker 1: fud here. Bitcoin is not going to a million this year, 981 00:50:48,920 --> 00:50:53,879 Speaker 1: mark my words. All right, chrissel, what are you taking 982 00:50:53,880 --> 00:50:57,160 Speaker 1: a look at? Well? Commerson Alex Santos, if that is 983 00:50:57,200 --> 00:51:00,480 Speaker 1: indeed his real name, arrived in Washington this week. The 984 00:51:00,520 --> 00:51:03,560 Speaker 1: man who lied about everything from his job, to his school, 985 00:51:03,640 --> 00:51:06,399 Speaker 1: to his race to the way his own mother died, 986 00:51:06,719 --> 00:51:08,920 Speaker 1: was mostly shunned by his new colleague. Sitting there in 987 00:51:08,920 --> 00:51:12,200 Speaker 1: sullen silence as the whole Kevin McCarthy drama unfolded. In 988 00:51:12,280 --> 00:51:16,080 Speaker 1: his successful congressional bid, Santos claimed that he himself was 989 00:51:16,120 --> 00:51:19,239 Speaker 1: the American dream now at present that actually might be 990 00:51:19,239 --> 00:51:20,920 Speaker 1: a little closer to the truth than we'd really like 991 00:51:20,960 --> 00:51:23,920 Speaker 1: to admit. He appears to have told everyone he encountered 992 00:51:24,000 --> 00:51:26,720 Speaker 1: the lies that they wanted to hear. To gop elites, 993 00:51:26,760 --> 00:51:29,920 Speaker 1: he was a wealthy Wall Street type. To Republican Jewish coalition, 994 00:51:30,000 --> 00:51:32,480 Speaker 1: he was a proud Jewish American and the grandson of 995 00:51:32,520 --> 00:51:36,120 Speaker 1: Holocaust survivors. To his moderate to liberal Long Island electorate, 996 00:51:36,239 --> 00:51:39,239 Speaker 1: he was a gay minority trailblazer. Lord knows what he 997 00:51:39,280 --> 00:51:41,840 Speaker 1: told the donors who very likely funneled illegal millions to 998 00:51:41,920 --> 00:51:44,280 Speaker 1: him to float his campaign and a new Potempkin village 999 00:51:44,320 --> 00:51:47,880 Speaker 1: of luxury living. In the end, only one fact really mattered. 1000 00:51:48,040 --> 00:51:50,280 Speaker 1: He is a con man, an archetype, which is indeed 1001 00:51:50,360 --> 00:51:52,640 Speaker 1: as American as apple pie. And at a time when 1002 00:51:52,640 --> 00:51:55,279 Speaker 1: the American dream of stable middle class prosperity has never 1003 00:51:55,360 --> 00:51:58,359 Speaker 1: been more fraudulent, it's only fitting that the man who 1004 00:51:58,400 --> 00:52:01,960 Speaker 1: described himself as the American dream personified also turned out 1005 00:52:01,960 --> 00:52:04,719 Speaker 1: to be a complete fraud. So how is it that, 1006 00:52:04,800 --> 00:52:07,839 Speaker 1: in an age of social media investigations and massive, well 1007 00:52:07,880 --> 00:52:11,240 Speaker 1: funded opposition research, that this dude was able to pull 1008 00:52:11,280 --> 00:52:14,759 Speaker 1: off this con? Well, we shouldn't really be surprised. Look 1009 00:52:14,800 --> 00:52:17,239 Speaker 1: around the country, Look around the globe. We are a 1010 00:52:17,480 --> 00:52:20,320 Speaker 1: wash in a sea of scam artists, millions of people 1011 00:52:20,520 --> 00:52:24,200 Speaker 1: being preyed upon every day by a crypto bros, Ponzi schemers, 1012 00:52:24,200 --> 00:52:29,239 Speaker 1: and Internet influencers, people promising easy money, status meaning beauty, happiness, love, 1013 00:52:29,400 --> 00:52:32,160 Speaker 1: whatever it is you want. Is it really so shocking 1014 00:52:32,200 --> 00:52:34,279 Speaker 1: that the voters of the third Congressional District of New 1015 00:52:34,360 --> 00:52:37,360 Speaker 1: York would be any different. The most successful con artists, 1016 00:52:37,400 --> 00:52:40,080 Speaker 1: they always play into whatever it is we want to 1017 00:52:40,120 --> 00:52:42,719 Speaker 1: hear the most, And we're living in an era where 1018 00:52:42,760 --> 00:52:45,080 Speaker 1: a lot of people are desperate to hear a whole 1019 00:52:45,120 --> 00:52:48,200 Speaker 1: lot of things. As zum er Haik writes at his substack, 1020 00:52:48,440 --> 00:52:51,280 Speaker 1: this is the golden age of the con with people's 1021 00:52:51,280 --> 00:52:54,480 Speaker 1: bank accounts increasingly crunched, at the same time that supposed 1022 00:52:54,560 --> 00:52:56,680 Speaker 1: lifestyles of ease and abundance have never been put on 1023 00:52:56,760 --> 00:53:00,000 Speaker 1: more prominent display. Everyone's out there looking for a side hustle, 1024 00:53:00,120 --> 00:53:02,400 Speaker 1: a way to make it, and the traditional paths to 1025 00:53:02,520 --> 00:53:06,000 Speaker 1: basic prosperity and stability have been barred shut. In such 1026 00:53:06,000 --> 00:53:08,719 Speaker 1: a climate of desperation, people become easy marks the moment 1027 00:53:08,719 --> 00:53:11,520 Speaker 1: that a charismatic salesperson targets them with the pitch that 1028 00:53:11,640 --> 00:53:15,560 Speaker 1: most matches their yearnings and their fears. Crypto promise young 1029 00:53:15,560 --> 00:53:18,880 Speaker 1: men that fortune favors the brave, evoking in one tagline 1030 00:53:18,920 --> 00:53:21,240 Speaker 1: a hero narrative to shake them out of their listless, 1031 00:53:21,239 --> 00:53:25,000 Speaker 1: emasculated lives, promising them richest status girls, all of the 1032 00:53:25,040 --> 00:53:28,600 Speaker 1: things that the capitalist establishment had shut them out of. Meanwhile, 1033 00:53:28,680 --> 00:53:31,920 Speaker 1: there's an entire ecosystem of MLM schemes pitched to depressed 1034 00:53:31,960 --> 00:53:35,480 Speaker 1: housewives looking at a little financial independence and autonomy without 1035 00:53:35,480 --> 00:53:39,560 Speaker 1: sacrificing their time with their kids. Leggings Empire Lularoe perfect 1036 00:53:39,560 --> 00:53:42,040 Speaker 1: example here, but there are dozens, if not hundreds of 1037 00:53:42,120 --> 00:53:45,120 Speaker 1: other ones. Work part time, be a local maven of 1038 00:53:45,120 --> 00:53:49,440 Speaker 1: fashion or beauty or healing, earn cash, feel interesting, feel relevant, 1039 00:53:49,480 --> 00:53:51,640 Speaker 1: and like you exist as a human being and not 1040 00:53:51,800 --> 00:53:55,319 Speaker 1: just a mommy. The latest fallen scammer is one Andrew Tait, 1041 00:53:55,520 --> 00:53:58,680 Speaker 1: currently being held by Romanian authorities for alleged involvement in 1042 00:53:58,719 --> 00:54:01,920 Speaker 1: a sex trafficking ring. Now, his innovation was to combine 1043 00:54:02,080 --> 00:54:06,160 Speaker 1: grindset manisphere influence pedaling with an actual pyramid scheme in 1044 00:54:06,200 --> 00:54:09,120 Speaker 1: his Hustler's University scam. I mean, he is in jail 1045 00:54:09,160 --> 00:54:12,080 Speaker 1: at the moment, but he's not really fallen. His fans 1046 00:54:12,080 --> 00:54:15,080 Speaker 1: are still legion and they're still die hard, still seduced 1047 00:54:15,080 --> 00:54:17,880 Speaker 1: by his promises to help them escape the quote matrix 1048 00:54:18,200 --> 00:54:20,680 Speaker 1: term that's a useful stand in for whateverice making them 1049 00:54:20,680 --> 00:54:23,440 Speaker 1: feel miserable in their own lives, even though in reality 1050 00:54:23,480 --> 00:54:26,120 Speaker 1: Tait is actually just offering them a juiced up version 1051 00:54:26,160 --> 00:54:28,840 Speaker 1: of the world that already exists. Loo. You aspire to 1052 00:54:28,920 --> 00:54:31,520 Speaker 1: luxury goods exactly like the corporate world wants you to. 1053 00:54:31,719 --> 00:54:35,000 Speaker 1: How rebellious Hustler University teaches you how to run an 1054 00:54:35,040 --> 00:54:38,080 Speaker 1: Amazon side hustle for the benefit of Jeff Bezos. Wow, 1055 00:54:38,080 --> 00:54:41,680 Speaker 1: that's revolutionary. Hack is right. The downward mobility is left 1056 00:54:41,719 --> 00:54:44,200 Speaker 1: many vulnerable to these types of scams. But I go 1057 00:54:44,280 --> 00:54:46,759 Speaker 1: a layer deeper. Here we are in an era of 1058 00:54:46,800 --> 00:54:51,320 Speaker 1: fallen ideologies. Soviet communism failed, now neoliberal capitalism has failed. 1059 00:54:51,560 --> 00:54:54,400 Speaker 1: The old mythology and narratives ways of being Those are 1060 00:54:54,440 --> 00:54:56,480 Speaker 1: all gone, but the new ones are still struggling to 1061 00:54:56,480 --> 00:54:59,600 Speaker 1: be born. People are unsettled. There drifts psychologically as much 1062 00:54:59,600 --> 00:55:02,000 Speaker 1: as they are financially. And I'm not talking about other people. 1063 00:55:02,040 --> 00:55:04,480 Speaker 1: I'm talking about me. I'm talking about you. So word 1064 00:55:04,520 --> 00:55:08,080 Speaker 1: to the whys. Be careful of anyone or any product, 1065 00:55:08,160 --> 00:55:10,880 Speaker 1: or any news item that seems too perfect, that's too 1066 00:55:10,880 --> 00:55:13,960 Speaker 1: good to be true, that too neatly fits your prior convictions, 1067 00:55:14,000 --> 00:55:16,960 Speaker 1: that lands too close to your unspoken fears and desires. 1068 00:55:17,400 --> 00:55:19,640 Speaker 1: There is no get rich quickski. There is no quick 1069 00:55:19,680 --> 00:55:23,439 Speaker 1: and easy answer to intractable political problems, no simplistic good 1070 00:55:23,440 --> 00:55:25,480 Speaker 1: and evil narratives. That let you switch your brain off. 1071 00:55:25,840 --> 00:55:28,759 Speaker 1: No one charismatic figure who's going to save you or 1072 00:55:28,760 --> 00:55:33,040 Speaker 1: save the world. George Santos arriving in DC, perfect emblem 1073 00:55:33,120 --> 00:55:36,239 Speaker 1: of the era, congressman scam artist taking a seat in 1074 00:55:36,320 --> 00:55:39,360 Speaker 1: the golden age of the con. This dude was a 1075 00:55:39,480 --> 00:55:42,040 Speaker 1: d rate scammer, and he still managed a fool a 1076 00:55:42,120 --> 00:55:44,839 Speaker 1: lot of intelligent people, separating them from their money and 1077 00:55:44,880 --> 00:55:47,480 Speaker 1: their votes on his way to federal office by telling 1078 00:55:47,480 --> 00:55:50,960 Speaker 1: them all exactly what they wanted to hear. As we 1079 00:55:51,040 --> 00:55:54,799 Speaker 1: enter twenty twenty three, make this resolution for yourself and 1080 00:55:54,880 --> 00:55:58,240 Speaker 1: a world of con artists. Do not be an easy mark. 1081 00:55:58,680 --> 00:56:00,680 Speaker 1: And Sager been thinking a lot of about this one. 1082 00:56:00,760 --> 00:56:02,640 Speaker 1: This is and if you want to hear my reaction 1083 00:56:02,800 --> 00:56:06,359 Speaker 1: to Crystal's monologue, become a premium subscriber today at Breakingpoints 1084 00:56:06,400 --> 00:56:11,560 Speaker 1: dot Com. All right, Sager, what are you looking at? Well, 1085 00:56:11,680 --> 00:56:13,319 Speaker 1: it's the new year. A lot of people have New 1086 00:56:13,360 --> 00:56:15,880 Speaker 1: Year's resolutions. The gyms are full, a lot of people 1087 00:56:15,920 --> 00:56:17,960 Speaker 1: want to lose weight. I sympathize. I've been in that 1088 00:56:18,000 --> 00:56:20,719 Speaker 1: position many many times, and I got to say it's 1089 00:56:20,719 --> 00:56:24,640 Speaker 1: one of the toughest journeys because there's so much information 1090 00:56:24,840 --> 00:56:27,000 Speaker 1: out there and trying to make sense of it is 1091 00:56:27,040 --> 00:56:29,800 Speaker 1: so difficult as an individual person when you're up against 1092 00:56:29,960 --> 00:56:32,600 Speaker 1: some really titanic forces. That's what I want to focus 1093 00:56:32,640 --> 00:56:36,799 Speaker 1: on today with a really interesting and really just revolutionary 1094 00:56:36,840 --> 00:56:40,280 Speaker 1: new expos by somebody who used to consult for Coca Cola. 1095 00:56:40,440 --> 00:56:42,080 Speaker 1: Let's go ahead and put this up there on the screen. 1096 00:56:42,080 --> 00:56:44,840 Speaker 1: I'm going to read this thread in full. Cali means 1097 00:56:45,120 --> 00:56:48,279 Speaker 1: he says quote earlier in my career, I consulted for 1098 00:56:48,320 --> 00:56:51,320 Speaker 1: Coke to ensure that sugar tax has failed and soda 1099 00:56:51,360 --> 00:56:54,760 Speaker 1: was included in food stamp funding. Coke's policies are evil 1100 00:56:54,880 --> 00:56:57,319 Speaker 1: because I saw inside the room. The first step in 1101 00:56:57,360 --> 00:57:00,560 Speaker 1: the playbook was paying the NAACP and other civil rights 1102 00:57:00,600 --> 00:57:04,200 Speaker 1: group to call opponents racist. Coke gave millions of dollars 1103 00:57:04,200 --> 00:57:07,399 Speaker 1: to NAACP and the Hispanic Federation directly and through front 1104 00:57:07,400 --> 00:57:10,200 Speaker 1: groups like the American Beverage Association. This picked up in 1105 00:57:10,200 --> 00:57:13,200 Speaker 1: twenty eleven to twenty thirteen when the Farm Bill and 1106 00:57:13,280 --> 00:57:17,200 Speaker 1: soda taxes were under consideration. The conversations inside the room 1107 00:57:17,520 --> 00:57:20,920 Speaker 1: was deeply transactional. Quote, we will give you money you 1108 00:57:21,080 --> 00:57:24,320 Speaker 1: need to pay opponents of us as racists, and the 1109 00:57:24,400 --> 00:57:27,800 Speaker 1: worst part is the effort was successful. The message was 1110 00:57:27,800 --> 00:57:31,640 Speaker 1: carried in thousands of articles. Coke's position was that soda 1111 00:57:31,680 --> 00:57:34,080 Speaker 1: is one of the cheapest ways to get calories, which 1112 00:57:34,120 --> 00:57:36,520 Speaker 1: is of course an inaccurate statement when you factor in 1113 00:57:36,560 --> 00:57:40,640 Speaker 1: health consequences. He even watched as the FDA actually funneled 1114 00:57:40,680 --> 00:57:44,280 Speaker 1: money to professors at leading universities and think tanks on 1115 00:57:44,320 --> 00:57:47,080 Speaker 1: the left and right to create studies showing soda taxes 1116 00:57:47,160 --> 00:57:49,919 Speaker 1: hurt the poor. They also paid for studies that said 1117 00:57:49,920 --> 00:57:53,880 Speaker 1: that drinking soda did not cause obesity. Not mentioned in 1118 00:57:53,920 --> 00:57:57,360 Speaker 1: any of those studies is the obvious link between sugary drinks, 1119 00:57:57,560 --> 00:58:01,680 Speaker 1: obesity and diabetes, and that the soda companies themselves, as 1120 00:58:01,720 --> 00:58:05,720 Speaker 1: Cali points out, are deeply embedded in the USDA, so 1121 00:58:05,840 --> 00:58:09,000 Speaker 1: much so that the agency actually has talking points on 1122 00:58:09,040 --> 00:58:11,920 Speaker 1: its websites that quote, there are no bad foods, there 1123 00:58:11,960 --> 00:58:15,720 Speaker 1: are only bad diets, which of course ignores the world 1124 00:58:15,760 --> 00:58:18,840 Speaker 1: of sugar. And even the worst part that I think 1125 00:58:18,880 --> 00:58:22,360 Speaker 1: that he really exposes is that whenever Coke was doing 1126 00:58:22,360 --> 00:58:25,440 Speaker 1: this lobbying campaign, they were trying to keep soda spending 1127 00:58:25,760 --> 00:58:29,160 Speaker 1: inside of the food stamp program, specifically to make sure 1128 00:58:29,160 --> 00:58:34,080 Speaker 1: that it was available to lower income communities who disproportionately drink, drink, 1129 00:58:34,120 --> 00:58:37,440 Speaker 1: and eat some of the unhealthiest foods imaginable, except this 1130 00:58:37,600 --> 00:58:40,440 Speaker 1: part they're doing with government assistants. So the reason that 1131 00:58:40,480 --> 00:58:43,200 Speaker 1: I wanted to highlight this thread is because it just 1132 00:58:43,480 --> 00:58:46,280 Speaker 1: highlights how difficult it is for so many of us 1133 00:58:46,280 --> 00:58:48,840 Speaker 1: to try and parse through all of the information when 1134 00:58:48,920 --> 00:58:51,720 Speaker 1: the world around us is being shaped by major forces 1135 00:58:51,760 --> 00:58:53,800 Speaker 1: which are just trying to make money and which you're 1136 00:58:53,800 --> 00:58:58,040 Speaker 1: really making a lot of us unhealthier at a baseline level. 1137 00:58:58,200 --> 00:59:00,760 Speaker 1: I think what's so important in this threat is to 1138 00:59:00,880 --> 00:59:04,680 Speaker 1: just not trust so much of the meta ma mass 1139 00:59:04,760 --> 00:59:07,840 Speaker 1: cultural marketing that we're seeing from a lot of different forces. 1140 00:59:07,960 --> 00:59:10,800 Speaker 1: I don't want to make this into some cringe you know, 1141 00:59:10,920 --> 00:59:15,400 Speaker 1: reacting to a fat fat positivity ad or something, but 1142 00:59:15,440 --> 00:59:17,560 Speaker 1: I do want to say that when you see that, 1143 00:59:17,840 --> 00:59:20,680 Speaker 1: you should realize that it's part of a concerted campaign 1144 00:59:20,960 --> 00:59:23,800 Speaker 1: in order to make money. It's used in a way 1145 00:59:23,840 --> 00:59:26,720 Speaker 1: to co opt possibly you know, the well meaning notion 1146 00:59:26,760 --> 00:59:29,400 Speaker 1: that we shouldn't bull ay anybody, or you shouldn't intentionally 1147 00:59:29,400 --> 00:59:31,840 Speaker 1: try and make people feel bad. Of course, nobody wants 1148 00:59:31,880 --> 00:59:35,240 Speaker 1: to have racism exists in our society, but to combine 1149 00:59:35,360 --> 00:59:37,920 Speaker 1: these forces which actually co opt them then for profit 1150 00:59:38,120 --> 00:59:40,960 Speaker 1: and to push something on you which is fundamentally not 1151 00:59:41,040 --> 00:59:42,720 Speaker 1: good for you. So I'm not going to tell you 1152 00:59:42,760 --> 00:59:44,520 Speaker 1: what to do, because I barely know what to do. 1153 00:59:44,560 --> 00:59:47,400 Speaker 1: I'm literally struggling with it right now myself. I will 1154 00:59:47,440 --> 00:59:49,600 Speaker 1: tell you, though, that you should be very skeptical of 1155 00:59:49,600 --> 00:59:51,640 Speaker 1: a lot of the information that is out there. There 1156 00:59:51,720 --> 00:59:53,760 Speaker 1: is no get you know what Crystal just covered. There's 1157 00:59:53,760 --> 00:59:55,960 Speaker 1: no get rich quick scheme. There's also no just no 1158 00:59:56,320 --> 00:59:58,920 Speaker 1: scheme in order to just lose weight immediately. It's a 1159 00:59:59,080 --> 01:00:03,880 Speaker 1: very concerted, difficult process. And on top of that, losing 1160 01:00:03,920 --> 01:00:06,640 Speaker 1: weight at the same time is trying to be sustainably 1161 01:00:06,680 --> 01:00:08,680 Speaker 1: healthy for the rest of your life. It's going to 1162 01:00:08,680 --> 01:00:10,440 Speaker 1: be one of the most difficult journeys that allowed of 1163 01:00:10,520 --> 01:00:12,400 Speaker 1: us are going to embark on. But the one thing 1164 01:00:12,440 --> 01:00:14,680 Speaker 1: that we do know is that the big food companies, 1165 01:00:14,800 --> 01:00:17,720 Speaker 1: a specifically the US government right now is not on 1166 01:00:17,960 --> 01:00:20,320 Speaker 1: our side, Crystal. That's what I really just wanted to 1167 01:00:20,400 --> 01:00:22,720 Speaker 1: highlight for everybody in this thread. And if you want 1168 01:00:22,720 --> 01:00:25,840 Speaker 1: to hear my reaction to Sager's monologue, become a Premium 1169 01:00:25,880 --> 01:00:31,720 Speaker 1: subscriber today. At breakingpoints dot Com. All right, guys, thank 1170 01:00:31,720 --> 01:00:33,360 Speaker 1: you so much for bearing with us while I was 1171 01:00:33,400 --> 01:00:35,840 Speaker 1: on the road. I'll be back in the studio on Monday. 1172 01:00:36,000 --> 01:00:39,480 Speaker 1: Awesome Counterpoints show yesterday. I actually listened to it right 1173 01:00:39,520 --> 01:00:41,720 Speaker 1: after it came out, and they did really a phenomenal job. 1174 01:00:41,720 --> 01:00:43,240 Speaker 1: Thank you to Krystal for bearing with me and for 1175 01:00:43,320 --> 01:00:46,000 Speaker 1: doing the breaking news segments. And I'm excited to get 1176 01:00:46,000 --> 01:00:47,920 Speaker 1: back in the studio. It's going to be fun. It's 1177 01:00:47,960 --> 01:00:49,680 Speaker 1: going to be a great year. We got some big 1178 01:00:49,760 --> 01:00:51,520 Speaker 1: updates for you that we're going to bring to you 1179 01:00:51,560 --> 01:00:54,520 Speaker 1: next week. And Cosign Ryan and Emily's coverage of the 1180 01:00:54,880 --> 01:00:57,800 Speaker 1: McCarthy Speaker drama has been fantastic because Emily has a 1181 01:00:57,800 --> 01:01:00,760 Speaker 1: great understanding of the different factions than you. Ryan is 1182 01:01:00,800 --> 01:01:04,160 Speaker 1: a great understanding of congressional Hill procedure. He's broken some 1183 01:01:04,200 --> 01:01:07,720 Speaker 1: of the most significant stories in this whole drama, so 1184 01:01:07,760 --> 01:01:10,320 Speaker 1: we're super lud to have them on top of all 1185 01:01:10,400 --> 01:01:13,080 Speaker 1: of this. We love you, guys, have you twenty twenty three. 1186 01:01:13,120 --> 01:01:14,400 Speaker 1: We'll see you back here next week.