1 00:00:00,600 --> 00:00:04,120 Speaker 1: Hi, I'm Molly John Fast and this is Fast Politics, 2 00:00:04,360 --> 00:00:07,120 Speaker 1: where we discussed the top political headlines with some of 3 00:00:07,160 --> 00:00:11,080 Speaker 1: today's best minds, and Diane Feinstein will retire from the 4 00:00:11,160 --> 00:00:14,680 Speaker 1: Senate at the age of ninety. We have a fantastic 5 00:00:14,680 --> 00:00:19,840 Speaker 1: show today the Washington Post. Jacqueline Alimony will join us 6 00:00:19,880 --> 00:00:22,800 Speaker 1: to talk about the latest Republican congress person who has 7 00:00:22,800 --> 00:00:26,880 Speaker 1: a fictitious past. Then we'll talk to Congressman Seth Malton 8 00:00:27,080 --> 00:00:30,880 Speaker 1: about exciting things like high speed rail. But first we 9 00:00:30,960 --> 00:00:36,440 Speaker 1: have the author of Lady Justice Slates, Dahlia Lethwick. Welcome 10 00:00:37,120 --> 00:00:42,440 Speaker 1: back to Fast Politics. Dahlia. Hello, Molly, so excited to 11 00:00:42,440 --> 00:00:45,880 Speaker 1: have you back. You know, I'm a huge fan Dahlia. First, 12 00:00:45,920 --> 00:00:51,560 Speaker 1: let's talk about this idea. There's a lot of judicial 13 00:00:51,720 --> 00:00:55,440 Speaker 1: factory going on in the wake of over to It's 14 00:00:55,480 --> 00:00:59,360 Speaker 1: a very serious podcast. It's like MPR. Fuckery is in 15 00:00:59,400 --> 00:01:02,680 Speaker 1: the constant tuition, my friend is definitely in the Bill 16 00:01:02,720 --> 00:01:06,200 Speaker 1: of Rights. Yeah, exactly. There's a lot of constitutional factory 17 00:01:06,480 --> 00:01:10,480 Speaker 1: around abortion on both sides, many people, good people on 18 00:01:10,520 --> 00:01:13,200 Speaker 1: both sides. And I want to talk to you about 19 00:01:13,240 --> 00:01:15,840 Speaker 1: these two pieces you wrote this week that are sort 20 00:01:15,880 --> 00:01:19,520 Speaker 1: of different sides of a little bit the same coin, right, Yeah, 21 00:01:19,560 --> 00:01:21,600 Speaker 1: I mean I think if you're going to play hardball, 22 00:01:21,880 --> 00:01:25,080 Speaker 1: which is the first piece, then let's play hardball, which 23 00:01:25,120 --> 00:01:27,120 Speaker 1: is the second. So I think you're right. I think 24 00:01:27,120 --> 00:01:30,320 Speaker 1: it's a little bit of when they go low, you 25 00:01:30,440 --> 00:01:34,200 Speaker 1: don't walk away. I think it's what you're describing. Yeah, exactly. 26 00:01:34,319 --> 00:01:36,880 Speaker 1: So the first piece I want to talk about is 27 00:01:36,920 --> 00:01:39,720 Speaker 1: this idea, and it's not an idea. It's actually happening 28 00:01:39,760 --> 00:01:44,280 Speaker 1: in Texas, which was the state that overturned Row. Before 29 00:01:44,440 --> 00:01:47,760 Speaker 1: Row was even overturned with SBA, they now have a 30 00:01:47,880 --> 00:01:51,640 Speaker 1: judge here who is I know you're shocked to hear 31 00:01:51,720 --> 00:01:56,400 Speaker 1: this wants to outlaw the abortion pills. The read on 32 00:01:56,440 --> 00:01:59,240 Speaker 1: it explain, that's the read. And it's not just that 33 00:01:59,280 --> 00:02:02,000 Speaker 1: he wants to it's that we are all waiting because 34 00:02:02,040 --> 00:02:05,320 Speaker 1: it's likely to come in the coming days, and I 35 00:02:05,360 --> 00:02:07,880 Speaker 1: think it's going to be much like s b A 36 00:02:08,240 --> 00:02:11,600 Speaker 1: where we're all shocked when it happens. But he is 37 00:02:11,720 --> 00:02:16,280 Speaker 1: now poised to decide a lawsuit that would, if he 38 00:02:16,520 --> 00:02:19,200 Speaker 1: does what we think he's going to do, create a 39 00:02:19,440 --> 00:02:23,840 Speaker 1: nationwide injunction for the abortion pill. And just for folks 40 00:02:23,880 --> 00:02:26,000 Speaker 1: who still think about Roe, v. Wayne in terms of 41 00:02:26,000 --> 00:02:31,160 Speaker 1: surgical abortions, right, the majority of abortions now happen with 42 00:02:31,280 --> 00:02:36,400 Speaker 1: medication abortion, and he is overseeing a challenge to the 43 00:02:36,480 --> 00:02:40,160 Speaker 1: first of the two drugs in the abortion Protocol. And 44 00:02:40,280 --> 00:02:43,600 Speaker 1: if the plaintiffs in this suit get their way, he 45 00:02:43,720 --> 00:02:47,600 Speaker 1: will be able to enjoin the abortion pill nationwide. So 46 00:02:47,760 --> 00:02:49,919 Speaker 1: I want you to explain this to me, because we're 47 00:02:49,919 --> 00:02:51,920 Speaker 1: going to explain this for my dad and also for 48 00:02:52,040 --> 00:02:54,280 Speaker 1: me because I don't quite understand this. Why does a 49 00:02:54,400 --> 00:02:57,920 Speaker 1: judge in Texas get to stop people from getting abortion 50 00:02:57,960 --> 00:03:01,680 Speaker 1: pills in New York State? Well, the fair minded answer 51 00:03:02,040 --> 00:03:05,680 Speaker 1: is that you can always seek an injunction, and if 52 00:03:05,720 --> 00:03:08,200 Speaker 1: you are in your ordinary kind of suit, when you 53 00:03:08,240 --> 00:03:11,240 Speaker 1: seek an injunction, the party that has to stop doing 54 00:03:11,280 --> 00:03:14,200 Speaker 1: what they're doing is the person who's on the other 55 00:03:14,320 --> 00:03:16,600 Speaker 1: end of the suit. Right. If you think back to, 56 00:03:16,800 --> 00:03:20,160 Speaker 1: for instance, the Donald Trump travel ban that also was 57 00:03:20,320 --> 00:03:23,840 Speaker 1: enjoined by a single judge, right, a single district court 58 00:03:23,960 --> 00:03:27,120 Speaker 1: judge initially, And so the idea is, when it's the 59 00:03:27,200 --> 00:03:31,440 Speaker 1: government that is doing something unlawful, one single district court 60 00:03:31,560 --> 00:03:35,440 Speaker 1: judge has the power to enjoy that project nationwide. That 61 00:03:35,480 --> 00:03:38,600 Speaker 1: really was the travel ban and maybe you know because 62 00:03:38,640 --> 00:03:41,920 Speaker 1: there isn't just like a guy to enjoin. Theoretically you 63 00:03:42,040 --> 00:03:44,680 Speaker 1: enjoined the whole federal government. But I think the real 64 00:03:44,760 --> 00:03:48,520 Speaker 1: answer to your question is why was this thing sued 65 00:03:48,800 --> 00:03:52,320 Speaker 1: in the Amarillo Division of the Northern District of Texas 66 00:03:52,440 --> 00:03:56,520 Speaker 1: that has no connection to abortion pills, is that they 67 00:03:56,600 --> 00:03:59,760 Speaker 1: knew they would get only one judge. Donald Trump placed 68 00:03:59,800 --> 00:04:02,280 Speaker 1: this judge on the bench, and he is the only 69 00:04:02,480 --> 00:04:05,720 Speaker 1: aim in town. And so he has been involved in, 70 00:04:05,960 --> 00:04:10,440 Speaker 1: you know, a whole series of like truly crazy crazy ruling. 71 00:04:10,520 --> 00:04:14,720 Speaker 1: He sees control over the entire border policy himself. At 72 00:04:14,760 --> 00:04:19,839 Speaker 1: one point, he has defied Donald Trump's decision protecting LGBTQ employees, 73 00:04:20,240 --> 00:04:22,680 Speaker 1: and he has single handedly taking it upon himself to 74 00:04:22,760 --> 00:04:26,400 Speaker 1: restrict the access of miners to birth control. So he's 75 00:04:26,400 --> 00:04:28,840 Speaker 1: going to just do He's like a slot machine, right, 76 00:04:28,960 --> 00:04:30,640 Speaker 1: you put in a quarter, He's going to give you 77 00:04:30,680 --> 00:04:33,080 Speaker 1: what you want. And if he's the only judge, then 78 00:04:33,120 --> 00:04:37,279 Speaker 1: you just keep going to him seeking relief. That's incredible, 79 00:04:38,640 --> 00:04:43,560 Speaker 1: I mean incredibleory. So they really have found a judge 80 00:04:43,560 --> 00:04:47,000 Speaker 1: who who's basically like the Supreme Court, right and and 81 00:04:47,040 --> 00:04:50,159 Speaker 1: then to boot it goes no, it goes up to 82 00:04:50,200 --> 00:04:52,839 Speaker 1: the Fifth Circuit, right, it goes up to the Federal 83 00:04:52,960 --> 00:04:55,839 Speaker 1: like even no matter what he decides, this goes up 84 00:04:55,880 --> 00:04:59,400 Speaker 1: to the Fifth Circuit, which is the most conservative federal 85 00:04:59,400 --> 00:05:01,279 Speaker 1: appeals corres, and then it goes to the U. S. 86 00:05:01,279 --> 00:05:04,679 Speaker 1: Supreme Court, who I suspect will have no problem saying 87 00:05:04,800 --> 00:05:09,000 Speaker 1: that abortion pills can be regulated. And so this is 88 00:05:09,080 --> 00:05:11,160 Speaker 1: kind of it's not just a slot machine. It's kind 89 00:05:11,160 --> 00:05:14,719 Speaker 1: of like Russian dolls of slot machines, where every layer 90 00:05:14,839 --> 00:05:18,360 Speaker 1: up continues to give you exactly the outcome you want. Yeah, 91 00:05:18,600 --> 00:05:22,400 Speaker 1: I'll say, I mean just incredible stuff. So the piece 92 00:05:22,680 --> 00:05:26,159 Speaker 1: that you wrote after that is a sort of the 93 00:05:26,279 --> 00:05:30,040 Speaker 1: more is a sort of more normal judge trying to 94 00:05:30,120 --> 00:05:34,640 Speaker 1: figure out how to deal with this judicial overreach. Can 95 00:05:34,680 --> 00:05:37,760 Speaker 1: you explain? Yeah, I mean, essentially, you know, just for 96 00:05:37,839 --> 00:05:41,560 Speaker 1: one more beat on Texas, this is you know, these 97 00:05:41,600 --> 00:05:44,080 Speaker 1: are plaintiffs who have no standing, right, It's a bunch 98 00:05:44,160 --> 00:05:47,120 Speaker 1: of doctors who don't have any reason to be able 99 00:05:47,120 --> 00:05:49,440 Speaker 1: to walk into court. But they're saying, someday I may 100 00:05:49,520 --> 00:05:52,480 Speaker 1: give someone an abortion pill and I may hurt them 101 00:05:52,800 --> 00:05:57,359 Speaker 1: because it's unsafe. Despite twenty three years of FDA approval 102 00:05:57,800 --> 00:06:01,520 Speaker 1: and so enjoying the whole program. Stop the entire FDA 103 00:06:01,600 --> 00:06:06,000 Speaker 1: approval right, every layer of that, three layers of insane overreach. 104 00:06:06,360 --> 00:06:09,320 Speaker 1: None of these things are plausible. They have no merit right. 105 00:06:09,360 --> 00:06:12,560 Speaker 1: So that's Texas. So exactly what you're saying, how do 106 00:06:12,640 --> 00:06:15,159 Speaker 1: you answer for that? What is the district court judge 107 00:06:15,200 --> 00:06:18,719 Speaker 1: on the other side who thinks maybe Rovie Wade shouldn't 108 00:06:18,760 --> 00:06:20,719 Speaker 1: have been overturned? What are they to do? So this 109 00:06:20,800 --> 00:06:24,440 Speaker 1: brings us to a Loane District Court judge in Washington, 110 00:06:24,520 --> 00:06:28,320 Speaker 1: d C. This past week who was like, okay, in 111 00:06:28,360 --> 00:06:30,440 Speaker 1: a in a case by the way, that has nothing 112 00:06:30,560 --> 00:06:33,120 Speaker 1: really to do with abortion rights, to be fair, but 113 00:06:33,320 --> 00:06:37,159 Speaker 1: to do with somebody who, in violation of the Face 114 00:06:37,240 --> 00:06:41,560 Speaker 1: Act blocked clinic access in Washington, d C. And was 115 00:06:41,839 --> 00:06:45,640 Speaker 1: being sentenced over That. Explained to my dad what the 116 00:06:45,680 --> 00:06:49,279 Speaker 1: Face Act is, because I am very well versed in 117 00:06:49,320 --> 00:06:52,719 Speaker 1: the Face Act, obviously as a judicial scholar myself, but 118 00:06:52,839 --> 00:06:55,279 Speaker 1: just for my dad and for my dad too, who 119 00:06:55,360 --> 00:06:58,000 Speaker 1: also it's not well versed in the Face Act. It 120 00:06:58,160 --> 00:07:02,400 Speaker 1: is a federal statute free of access to clinic entrances, 121 00:07:02,440 --> 00:07:05,920 Speaker 1: and it essentially is just a statute that says, don't 122 00:07:05,920 --> 00:07:09,400 Speaker 1: screw around with people seeking reproductive care. It was supposed 123 00:07:09,400 --> 00:07:13,119 Speaker 1: to be the mechanism to protect folks from crazy people 124 00:07:13,160 --> 00:07:17,920 Speaker 1: who were blocking clinic entrances and harassing patients at abortion clinics. Right, 125 00:07:18,040 --> 00:07:21,160 Speaker 1: So this is a bunch of people who go they 126 00:07:21,240 --> 00:07:25,200 Speaker 1: deliberately block access to a d C clinic in they 127 00:07:25,280 --> 00:07:29,040 Speaker 1: use rope and chain, they terrorize folks inside. They're indicted 128 00:07:29,720 --> 00:07:33,800 Speaker 1: in April of two for violating this statute that says 129 00:07:33,840 --> 00:07:37,160 Speaker 1: you cannot get in the way of reproductive healthcare. And 130 00:07:37,240 --> 00:07:41,640 Speaker 1: one of the defendants, Lauren Handy, somehow claims that because 131 00:07:42,120 --> 00:07:46,440 Speaker 1: Dobbs overruled Rope, there was never a right to abortion 132 00:07:46,760 --> 00:07:49,760 Speaker 1: under the fourteenth Amendment, and so the Face Act never 133 00:07:49,840 --> 00:07:52,680 Speaker 1: applied to her because she's in a time machine and 134 00:07:52,760 --> 00:07:56,160 Speaker 1: she can go back to and in her view, there 135 00:07:56,240 --> 00:08:00,360 Speaker 1: was never a protected, constitutionally protected right to terminate a pregnancy. Okay, 136 00:08:00,400 --> 00:08:04,120 Speaker 1: So put aside space time continuum. Okay, because like you 137 00:08:04,160 --> 00:08:05,840 Speaker 1: and your dad are going to have to just deal 138 00:08:05,880 --> 00:08:08,400 Speaker 1: with the fact that she wants to say that row 139 00:08:08,520 --> 00:08:11,280 Speaker 1: was never decided in nineteen seventy three. But the real 140 00:08:11,400 --> 00:08:14,800 Speaker 1: issue here is that a judge, a Clinton appointee, is 141 00:08:14,840 --> 00:08:17,280 Speaker 1: like cool. Cool, cool. If you're going to claim that 142 00:08:17,320 --> 00:08:20,320 Speaker 1: the Face Act could never apply to you, let's go 143 00:08:20,360 --> 00:08:23,280 Speaker 1: ahead and look at Dobbs again and say, hey, they 144 00:08:23,320 --> 00:08:25,680 Speaker 1: only looked at it through the lens of the fourteenth Amendment. 145 00:08:26,000 --> 00:08:27,680 Speaker 1: I bet if we look at it through the lens 146 00:08:27,720 --> 00:08:31,720 Speaker 1: of the thirteenth Amendment, we could go ahead and fight. Right, 147 00:08:32,679 --> 00:08:36,040 Speaker 1: which is the anti slavery Amendment? Right, I mean, it's 148 00:08:36,080 --> 00:08:39,240 Speaker 1: the it's the amendment that was you know, that barred 149 00:08:39,320 --> 00:08:43,040 Speaker 1: quote involuntary servitude, as you said, and she said, since 150 00:08:43,360 --> 00:08:48,320 Speaker 1: this has applausible claim to also protect abortion rights, both 151 00:08:48,360 --> 00:08:50,920 Speaker 1: parties should just go ahead and brief for me why 152 00:08:51,040 --> 00:08:54,720 Speaker 1: the thirteenth Amendment doesn't protect abortion. So again, time space 153 00:08:54,720 --> 00:08:58,880 Speaker 1: continuum problem, right, doesn't doesn't really solve the problem of 154 00:08:58,960 --> 00:09:01,920 Speaker 1: somebody breaking the law in and then claiming it was 155 00:09:01,960 --> 00:09:05,600 Speaker 1: never the law. But notwithstanding, it's hardball, Molly, and it's 156 00:09:05,679 --> 00:09:08,800 Speaker 1: kind of cool. And what she does is she sort 157 00:09:08,840 --> 00:09:13,200 Speaker 1: of surfaces this non trivial argument that the thirteenth Amendment 158 00:09:13,240 --> 00:09:17,839 Speaker 1: really does for forbid force childbirth and that this is 159 00:09:17,880 --> 00:09:21,040 Speaker 1: a serious argument and if we can't locate protections for 160 00:09:21,120 --> 00:09:23,880 Speaker 1: reproductive freedom in the Fourteenth, let's go ahead and root 161 00:09:23,920 --> 00:09:26,520 Speaker 1: around in the thirteenth. Then you're right, it's hardball, right, 162 00:09:26,600 --> 00:09:31,480 Speaker 1: it's it's definitely answering like for like, But I don't know. 163 00:09:31,559 --> 00:09:33,640 Speaker 1: I think it's kind of cool. It's better than wringing 164 00:09:33,640 --> 00:09:36,760 Speaker 1: your hands right now. No, and look, if we're gonna 165 00:09:36,880 --> 00:09:40,439 Speaker 1: go into weird ship, let's you know that it's only 166 00:09:40,559 --> 00:09:44,280 Speaker 1: fair to do it that way. I want to ask 167 00:09:44,360 --> 00:09:49,839 Speaker 1: you about your podcast, guest. You have a Slate podcast 168 00:09:50,040 --> 00:09:54,000 Speaker 1: that talks about very fun, very good talks, but also 169 00:09:54,040 --> 00:09:59,000 Speaker 1: talks about the law, and you have on it a 170 00:09:59,120 --> 00:10:04,000 Speaker 1: state Supreme Court justice from the state of Wisconsin. Now, 171 00:10:04,520 --> 00:10:07,000 Speaker 1: the listeners of this podcast know that the state of 172 00:10:07,000 --> 00:10:11,720 Speaker 1: Wisconsin Supreme Court election is coming up in April, and 173 00:10:11,760 --> 00:10:15,400 Speaker 1: we are quite focused on it. So this adds another 174 00:10:15,480 --> 00:10:19,119 Speaker 1: element of excitement. So talk to us about what's happening 175 00:10:19,320 --> 00:10:22,840 Speaker 1: in this Wisconsin Supreme Court. Yeah, this was kind of 176 00:10:22,840 --> 00:10:27,160 Speaker 1: a cool podcast. We had Justice Jill Karovski. She was 177 00:10:27,440 --> 00:10:30,600 Speaker 1: as you know, there was a four three decision right 178 00:10:30,679 --> 00:10:35,559 Speaker 1: before Stop Steele, right before the January sixth Capital insurrection, 179 00:10:35,640 --> 00:10:39,199 Speaker 1: the Wisconsin Supreme Court ruled four to three that they 180 00:10:39,200 --> 00:10:42,920 Speaker 1: were not going to throw out votes that the Trump 181 00:10:43,160 --> 00:10:46,560 Speaker 1: administration was claiming we're stolen and unlawful and blah blah 182 00:10:46,600 --> 00:10:49,240 Speaker 1: blah and fraud and they were not going to throw 183 00:10:49,280 --> 00:10:53,040 Speaker 1: away two seven thousand votes. And by the way, the 184 00:10:53,080 --> 00:10:56,080 Speaker 1: Trump campaign only wanted to throw out votes in Dane 185 00:10:56,120 --> 00:10:59,920 Speaker 1: and Milwaukee Counties, which were the of course most div 186 00:11:00,080 --> 00:11:04,319 Speaker 1: verse racially diverse counties. For three the Wisconsin Supreme Court 187 00:11:04,440 --> 00:11:08,079 Speaker 1: opts to say, no, we're not throwing out votes. They 188 00:11:08,080 --> 00:11:11,760 Speaker 1: hand the election to Biden, as it should have been 189 00:11:11,840 --> 00:11:14,800 Speaker 1: because that was in fact who won the election. And 190 00:11:14,840 --> 00:11:18,000 Speaker 1: then she spent and this is really heartbreaking Molly. First 191 00:11:18,000 --> 00:11:21,920 Speaker 1: of all, as she was hearing oral arguments in December, 192 00:11:22,960 --> 00:11:27,720 Speaker 1: there were armed guys outside her chambers terrorizing them. Right, 193 00:11:27,760 --> 00:11:30,280 Speaker 1: So she's hearing oral argument, Well, this is happening. We 194 00:11:30,320 --> 00:11:33,360 Speaker 1: think about Ruby Freeman, right, and election workers who are 195 00:11:33,400 --> 00:11:36,440 Speaker 1: being intimidated and chilled and terrorized. But it goes all 196 00:11:36,480 --> 00:11:38,319 Speaker 1: the way up to a Supreme Court justice in a 197 00:11:38,440 --> 00:11:41,800 Speaker 1: state and then once the decision comes down, she is 198 00:11:41,880 --> 00:11:44,200 Speaker 1: just hit between the eyes. And she said this on 199 00:11:44,240 --> 00:11:50,760 Speaker 1: the podcast with horrible misogyny, horrible anti semitism threats, and finally, 200 00:11:50,800 --> 00:11:54,320 Speaker 1: a complaint filed by Trump's lawyers that they thought it 201 00:11:54,440 --> 00:11:58,679 Speaker 1: was improper and she should be disciplined because during oral arguments, 202 00:11:58,800 --> 00:12:01,800 Speaker 1: as we've both just noted, she observed that it seemed 203 00:12:01,840 --> 00:12:05,680 Speaker 1: kind of racist to only throw out votes from the 204 00:12:05,800 --> 00:12:09,280 Speaker 1: two minority heavy counties, and she said that she thought 205 00:12:09,280 --> 00:12:12,559 Speaker 1: that smacked of racism. And later in the same moral argument, 206 00:12:12,720 --> 00:12:15,679 Speaker 1: she told one of the Trump's lawyers, this felt very 207 00:12:15,760 --> 00:12:18,040 Speaker 1: much in keeping with the Federalist papers, like they were 208 00:12:18,040 --> 00:12:20,800 Speaker 1: trying to protect a king or a monarch rather than 209 00:12:21,120 --> 00:12:25,319 Speaker 1: protect democracy. For that, they sought to have her disciplined 210 00:12:25,400 --> 00:12:28,800 Speaker 1: on the Federal bench, and that complaint process lasted for 211 00:12:28,920 --> 00:12:33,520 Speaker 1: sixteen months, so it was only just dismissed against her. 212 00:12:33,720 --> 00:12:36,720 Speaker 1: And you know, what you're talking about and thinking about 213 00:12:36,760 --> 00:12:38,800 Speaker 1: on the show, and what I'm talking about and thinking 214 00:12:38,800 --> 00:12:41,360 Speaker 1: about on the show, isn't just you know that these 215 00:12:41,440 --> 00:12:45,520 Speaker 1: races are consequential, that Leonard Leo at the Federalist Society 216 00:12:45,600 --> 00:12:49,000 Speaker 1: has millions and millions and millions of dollars being poured 217 00:12:49,040 --> 00:12:53,520 Speaker 1: into these state Supreme court races, right, but this effort 218 00:12:53,559 --> 00:12:56,600 Speaker 1: here is to chill and terrorize people. And I think 219 00:12:56,600 --> 00:13:00,560 Speaker 1: it's just really worth holding up, just as Rowski, who, 220 00:13:00,640 --> 00:13:03,080 Speaker 1: by the way, having been you know, having had to 221 00:13:03,120 --> 00:13:05,760 Speaker 1: pay out of her own pocket for lawyers to defend 222 00:13:05,800 --> 00:13:09,800 Speaker 1: against this frivolous complaint, Right Jesus Christ. The first thing 223 00:13:09,880 --> 00:13:13,160 Speaker 1: she does is say out loud, like, no, they cannot 224 00:13:13,600 --> 00:13:16,320 Speaker 1: terrorize judges. We have to be able to ask questions 225 00:13:16,320 --> 00:13:19,199 Speaker 1: in oral argument. We have to be able to use analogies. 226 00:13:19,320 --> 00:13:22,080 Speaker 1: That's how we do oral argument. If I can't say, 227 00:13:22,240 --> 00:13:24,840 Speaker 1: you're treating Donald Trump like a king, what the hell 228 00:13:24,840 --> 00:13:26,560 Speaker 1: am I doing on the bench? And so I just 229 00:13:26,640 --> 00:13:29,160 Speaker 1: think it is of a piece with so much of 230 00:13:29,160 --> 00:13:33,079 Speaker 1: the stuff we've been thinking about in terms of using 231 00:13:33,240 --> 00:13:38,199 Speaker 1: and abusing legal processes in systems to subvert democracy rather 232 00:13:38,240 --> 00:13:41,160 Speaker 1: than lift it up. Yeah, exactly, No, I mean, this 233 00:13:41,360 --> 00:13:45,160 Speaker 1: is just an absolute fucking nightmare. Excuse my friend. And 234 00:13:45,200 --> 00:13:48,559 Speaker 1: she's up for reelection in April. She's not up for 235 00:13:48,640 --> 00:13:51,800 Speaker 1: re election in this cycle because she was elected. Actually, 236 00:13:51,840 --> 00:13:53,960 Speaker 1: she was one of the people elected in the pandemic. 237 00:13:54,679 --> 00:13:56,880 Speaker 1: She's okay in this cycle. But I think one of 238 00:13:56,920 --> 00:14:01,360 Speaker 1: the reasons she wanted to speak out was to say, hey, world, 239 00:14:01,400 --> 00:14:05,679 Speaker 1: look at this election system, because we think we're electing 240 00:14:06,080 --> 00:14:09,680 Speaker 1: Supreme Court justices, but behind the scenes, they're being terrorized 241 00:14:09,720 --> 00:14:13,360 Speaker 1: for their decisions. Yeah, yeah, no, I mean that's absolutely right. 242 00:14:13,520 --> 00:14:17,040 Speaker 1: And that's what we're seeing again and again. Here we 243 00:14:17,120 --> 00:14:20,840 Speaker 1: are in this period. What is the Supreme Court doing 244 00:14:20,880 --> 00:14:24,960 Speaker 1: behind our backs right now? I mean the big story. 245 00:14:25,680 --> 00:14:28,880 Speaker 1: Sorry not to be paranoid, but you know they're you know, 246 00:14:29,000 --> 00:14:31,960 Speaker 1: getting you know, doing lots of crazy ship for June 247 00:14:32,200 --> 00:14:34,240 Speaker 1: so that they can leave it before they go on vacation. 248 00:14:34,480 --> 00:14:37,040 Speaker 1: I mean, look, there's two parts to that. One is 249 00:14:37,040 --> 00:14:39,400 Speaker 1: stuff we've talked about before, which is this is a 250 00:14:39,520 --> 00:14:42,800 Speaker 1: hugely consequential term. Right We've got affirmative action and higher 251 00:14:42,880 --> 00:14:44,920 Speaker 1: education that I think is coming down. We have the 252 00:14:45,040 --> 00:14:47,520 Speaker 1: Indian Child Welfare Act, I think, which is going to 253 00:14:47,560 --> 00:14:49,920 Speaker 1: get eviscerated. We have the Clean Water Act, which is 254 00:14:49,920 --> 00:14:53,280 Speaker 1: gonna get so like horrible things on the docket, nothing 255 00:14:53,400 --> 00:14:55,960 Speaker 1: good and no reason to believe. And I know we've 256 00:14:55,960 --> 00:14:59,880 Speaker 1: also talked about that independent state Legislature doctor in case, 257 00:15:00,000 --> 00:15:05,160 Speaker 1: which would in fact give state legislatures completely unreviewable plenary 258 00:15:05,240 --> 00:15:08,640 Speaker 1: power to set election procedure. It's all bad. So that's 259 00:15:08,760 --> 00:15:12,360 Speaker 1: one bucket, the it's all bad bucket. But the second bucket, 260 00:15:12,360 --> 00:15:14,960 Speaker 1: and I think it's important, is this ethic stuff that's 261 00:15:15,000 --> 00:15:17,400 Speaker 1: going on right now. Where we are finding out day 262 00:15:17,400 --> 00:15:20,040 Speaker 1: after day, week after week that like, oh, there was 263 00:15:20,080 --> 00:15:22,960 Speaker 1: an investigation into the leak, but they forgot to put 264 00:15:23,000 --> 00:15:26,560 Speaker 1: the justices or their spouses under oath, right, Oh we 265 00:15:26,640 --> 00:15:30,280 Speaker 1: don't know. Well, listen, it's certainly not them. I mean, 266 00:15:30,320 --> 00:15:34,720 Speaker 1: why would justices leak in opinion, especially one that they've 267 00:15:34,800 --> 00:15:39,040 Speaker 1: spent their whole careers focused on. It's such like big 268 00:15:39,120 --> 00:15:43,040 Speaker 1: Downton Abbey Energy right where the clerks and the elevator 269 00:15:43,080 --> 00:15:46,600 Speaker 1: operators and the cleaners are forced to sign affidavits and 270 00:15:46,600 --> 00:15:49,960 Speaker 1: get their phones searched like they're being shaken upside down 271 00:15:50,000 --> 00:15:53,560 Speaker 1: by the ankles for like evidence untild. Their careers will suffer, 272 00:15:53,920 --> 00:15:57,479 Speaker 1: and the justices are part of an iterative questioning process. 273 00:15:57,760 --> 00:16:00,160 Speaker 1: It was iterative, it must be binding. So there's a 274 00:16:00,200 --> 00:16:03,480 Speaker 1: lot to worry about in terms of why is Clarence 275 00:16:03,480 --> 00:16:06,560 Speaker 1: Thomas sitting on cases where his wife has material interest? 276 00:16:06,800 --> 00:16:09,920 Speaker 1: Why is John Robert's wife getting you know, lots and 277 00:16:09,960 --> 00:16:12,240 Speaker 1: lots of money to head hunt and place lawyers in 278 00:16:12,280 --> 00:16:14,280 Speaker 1: big DC firms that argue in front of it. So 279 00:16:14,320 --> 00:16:17,080 Speaker 1: all this stuff is going on, there is no reason 280 00:16:17,120 --> 00:16:20,080 Speaker 1: to believe that the court is going to adopt and 281 00:16:20,240 --> 00:16:23,280 Speaker 1: enforce a code of ethics as against themselves. And so 282 00:16:23,320 --> 00:16:25,360 Speaker 1: we have a court with like twenty something per cent 283 00:16:25,400 --> 00:16:29,160 Speaker 1: public approval writing and maybe that's where we started, which is, 284 00:16:29,200 --> 00:16:33,440 Speaker 1: what do you do in a country predicated on you know, 285 00:16:33,680 --> 00:16:37,720 Speaker 1: constitutional democracy and the rule of law when the institution 286 00:16:37,760 --> 00:16:40,680 Speaker 1: of the judiciary is just punching itself in the face 287 00:16:41,040 --> 00:16:45,240 Speaker 1: every single day. Yeah, exactly, wow, and punching us in 288 00:16:45,280 --> 00:16:48,800 Speaker 1: the face more specifically well when it comes to certainly 289 00:16:48,880 --> 00:16:56,720 Speaker 1: abortion and LGBTQ rights and punching not just punching us 290 00:16:56,720 --> 00:16:59,360 Speaker 1: in the face, perhaps setting us on fire. But yeah, 291 00:16:59,440 --> 00:17:02,000 Speaker 1: it's a problem, and I think, you know, at least 292 00:17:02,080 --> 00:17:04,959 Speaker 1: in my lane, it is the existential problem we're going 293 00:17:05,000 --> 00:17:06,840 Speaker 1: to have to pick our way through. But you know 294 00:17:07,160 --> 00:17:11,440 Speaker 1: it's important. Yeah, yeah, no, it certainly is. Thank you 295 00:17:11,880 --> 00:17:15,040 Speaker 1: so much for joining us. I am such a fan 296 00:17:15,359 --> 00:17:19,119 Speaker 1: and I feel like you're doing really important work that 297 00:17:19,280 --> 00:17:22,360 Speaker 1: I am not at all capable of, and just so 298 00:17:22,520 --> 00:17:26,159 Speaker 1: for that, I'm always just in complete all of you. 299 00:17:26,400 --> 00:17:29,360 Speaker 1: So thank you for joining us. Oh right back at you, 300 00:17:29,480 --> 00:17:33,800 Speaker 1: And I think that to your dad and mine, we're trying, 301 00:17:34,000 --> 00:17:37,840 Speaker 1: we're doing we're doing the best weekend to explain crazy 302 00:17:37,920 --> 00:17:44,000 Speaker 1: obscure technical ship and that too is in the Constitution exactly. 303 00:17:51,960 --> 00:17:55,360 Speaker 1: Jacqueline Alimony is a reporter at the Washington Post. Welcome 304 00:17:55,440 --> 00:17:59,200 Speaker 1: too Fast Politics, Jackie. Thanks so much for having me, Molly, 305 00:17:59,400 --> 00:18:01,560 Speaker 1: I was I did to see this story. So I 306 00:18:01,600 --> 00:18:04,560 Speaker 1: want to talk to you about the making of Anna 307 00:18:04,800 --> 00:18:09,639 Speaker 1: Paulina Luna. Um. So, this is such an interesting So 308 00:18:09,680 --> 00:18:14,720 Speaker 1: a member of Congress, she is newly elected. When did 309 00:18:14,720 --> 00:18:17,719 Speaker 1: you start to think like, perhaps this person is not 310 00:18:17,800 --> 00:18:20,679 Speaker 1: all she seems. Yes, so I have to give my 311 00:18:20,760 --> 00:18:25,200 Speaker 1: colleagues credit for that. Someone had gotten a tip that 312 00:18:25,240 --> 00:18:27,440 Speaker 1: we should look into her, but no one else in 313 00:18:27,480 --> 00:18:30,080 Speaker 1: my team really had the bandwidth to dedicate the time 314 00:18:30,800 --> 00:18:34,280 Speaker 1: needed for this kind of story. And I am, you know, 315 00:18:34,320 --> 00:18:37,840 Speaker 1: coming off the tales of covering January six, then needed 316 00:18:38,440 --> 00:18:43,399 Speaker 1: a new obsession. So happily picked this up and you know, 317 00:18:43,800 --> 00:18:48,200 Speaker 1: quickly googled her, read her campaign biography and pretty quickly 318 00:18:48,240 --> 00:18:54,000 Speaker 1: realized that her story was worth looking into. And from there, 319 00:18:54,440 --> 00:18:57,960 Speaker 1: you know, as my my colleague p K tweeted, sort 320 00:18:57,960 --> 00:19:02,919 Speaker 1: of dug into her her modern Dickens esque character that 321 00:19:03,040 --> 00:19:07,520 Speaker 1: she described, But she didn't end up being very Dickens, 322 00:19:07,640 --> 00:19:13,679 Speaker 1: did She not quite pseudo Dickens perhaps, yes, And I 323 00:19:13,720 --> 00:19:15,280 Speaker 1: know we're all trying to make sort of these George 324 00:19:15,280 --> 00:19:21,639 Speaker 1: Santos comparisons and her embellishments and the way that she 325 00:19:21,720 --> 00:19:25,560 Speaker 1: sort of stretches parts of her bio are George Santos esque, 326 00:19:25,640 --> 00:19:29,919 Speaker 1: but she's a bit more nuanced and subtle about it. 327 00:19:30,000 --> 00:19:33,320 Speaker 1: And so essentially, as her cousin told me, she takes 328 00:19:33,680 --> 00:19:37,080 Speaker 1: a grain of truth and makes a beach out of 329 00:19:37,119 --> 00:19:39,879 Speaker 1: lies with it. And so we sort of found this 330 00:19:40,040 --> 00:19:44,200 Speaker 1: pattern of her taking different parts of her upbringing her identity, 331 00:19:44,560 --> 00:19:49,480 Speaker 1: her experiences, and kind of weeding together a political persona 332 00:19:49,720 --> 00:19:54,879 Speaker 1: that doesn't necessarily reflect the reality of these incidents and 333 00:19:54,960 --> 00:19:59,159 Speaker 1: situations that she gets into. She's not a person who 334 00:19:59,480 --> 00:20:03,560 Speaker 1: is a se real, fabulous, but she has one real 335 00:20:03,680 --> 00:20:07,159 Speaker 1: similarity with George Santos, which as a Jew myself, I 336 00:20:07,280 --> 00:20:11,520 Speaker 1: continue to find completely strange, which is she lied about 337 00:20:11,520 --> 00:20:14,560 Speaker 1: being Jewish. Yeah, and this is actually a whole other 338 00:20:15,040 --> 00:20:17,720 Speaker 1: story in and of itself, sort of this trend of 339 00:20:18,080 --> 00:20:21,320 Speaker 1: Republicans claiming to be Messianic Jews. These are people who 340 00:20:21,359 --> 00:20:24,600 Speaker 1: identify as Jewish and say they believe Jesus is the Messiah, 341 00:20:24,680 --> 00:20:30,640 Speaker 1: but are not considered Jewish by Jews. Jews, my actual 342 00:20:31,000 --> 00:20:35,199 Speaker 1: real Jews were Jewish. But yes, yeah, and you know, 343 00:20:35,359 --> 00:20:40,760 Speaker 1: I communicated extensively with Congresswoman Luna's mother about this, because 344 00:20:41,040 --> 00:20:44,800 Speaker 1: no one in her family were called her father dabbling 345 00:20:44,960 --> 00:20:49,720 Speaker 1: in Messianic Judaism, Judaism, any anything of the sort. Remember 346 00:20:49,800 --> 00:20:53,520 Speaker 1: him actually citing scripture from the Bible. And Luna's mother 347 00:20:53,560 --> 00:20:56,040 Speaker 1: herself said that he was a Christian that embraced the 348 00:20:56,040 --> 00:20:59,560 Speaker 1: Messianic faith. And she also said, you know, eventually down 349 00:20:59,600 --> 00:21:02,200 Speaker 1: the line he started attending a Messianic Jewish church in 350 00:21:02,240 --> 00:21:04,720 Speaker 1: Orange County. And I know it can kind of seem 351 00:21:04,800 --> 00:21:08,040 Speaker 1: like we're sort of tracy flicking this that, like we're being, 352 00:21:08,720 --> 00:21:11,880 Speaker 1: you know, a little bit nitpicky with the language here. 353 00:21:11,920 --> 00:21:17,560 Speaker 1: But all of these embellishments and sort of slight fabrications 354 00:21:17,600 --> 00:21:19,800 Speaker 1: they all add up. And and not only is she 355 00:21:20,000 --> 00:21:22,520 Speaker 1: was she not raised as a Messianic Jew, but it 356 00:21:22,560 --> 00:21:24,800 Speaker 1: actually turns out that there's sort of a big gap 357 00:21:24,920 --> 00:21:27,840 Speaker 1: in a part of her upbringing and her family history 358 00:21:27,880 --> 00:21:30,639 Speaker 1: that she's she has conveniently skimmed over, which is the 359 00:21:30,680 --> 00:21:35,160 Speaker 1: fact that her father's father, her grandfather, who actually played 360 00:21:35,160 --> 00:21:38,040 Speaker 1: a significant part in raising her before he passed away 361 00:21:38,160 --> 00:21:41,639 Speaker 1: because her father lived in his house when he couldn't 362 00:21:41,680 --> 00:21:43,480 Speaker 1: get on his feet, and lived in the garage where 363 00:21:43,480 --> 00:21:47,240 Speaker 1: Anna would come visit him. He was actually identified as 364 00:21:47,240 --> 00:21:50,600 Speaker 1: a Roman Catholic and immigrated to Canada from Germany nineteen 365 00:21:50,640 --> 00:21:53,560 Speaker 1: fifty four and was part of the armed forces of 366 00:21:53,680 --> 00:21:56,960 Speaker 1: Nazi Germany when he was a teenager in the nineteen forties. 367 00:21:57,400 --> 00:21:59,600 Speaker 1: Now he was a Nazi. But we need to again 368 00:21:59,640 --> 00:22:01,399 Speaker 1: provide a little bit of a nuance here. You know, 369 00:22:01,720 --> 00:22:04,719 Speaker 1: if you were a Roman Catholic born in that time period, right, 370 00:22:04,960 --> 00:22:08,159 Speaker 1: you probably didn't really a choice. You were forced to 371 00:22:08,280 --> 00:22:10,959 Speaker 1: enroll in Hitler Youth the you know, the moment you 372 00:22:11,200 --> 00:22:14,520 Speaker 1: turned a certain age. And then we obtained pictures of 373 00:22:14,560 --> 00:22:17,679 Speaker 1: him in his Warmont uniform that were provided by members 374 00:22:17,720 --> 00:22:20,800 Speaker 1: of Luna's family. We were told that he was actually 375 00:22:20,840 --> 00:22:22,960 Speaker 1: held in a prisoner of war camp for an extended 376 00:22:22,960 --> 00:22:26,400 Speaker 1: period of time and that this was a big part 377 00:22:26,480 --> 00:22:30,520 Speaker 1: of his life. I mean, this is traumatizing for anyone. Oh, 378 00:22:30,560 --> 00:22:32,600 Speaker 1: he was a Nazi held in a prisoner of war 379 00:22:32,760 --> 00:22:35,320 Speaker 1: camp after he was captured. Okay, I was like, oh, 380 00:22:35,359 --> 00:22:38,320 Speaker 1: he wasn't participating with the Nazis, but now he was 381 00:22:38,359 --> 00:22:41,800 Speaker 1: being held by the Americans. That is unclear. We were 382 00:22:41,880 --> 00:22:45,120 Speaker 1: told that he went into battle and was pretty soon 383 00:22:45,240 --> 00:22:49,560 Speaker 1: captured in France. And in these details we ultimately actually 384 00:22:49,560 --> 00:22:51,880 Speaker 1: did not include in the story because they're they're sort 385 00:22:51,880 --> 00:22:55,080 Speaker 1: of fuzzy. But what is not fuzzy is that he 386 00:22:55,240 --> 00:22:59,639 Speaker 1: was in Hitler's army. We also reviewed these other indications 387 00:23:00,000 --> 00:23:02,600 Speaker 1: of his family's associations and ties. You know, his mother 388 00:23:02,760 --> 00:23:07,240 Speaker 1: was awarded this Cross of the Mother award that we 389 00:23:07,240 --> 00:23:10,119 Speaker 1: reviewed that Hitler gives. Hitler gave at the time to 390 00:23:10,280 --> 00:23:12,440 Speaker 1: women who had a certain amount of children. So there's 391 00:23:12,560 --> 00:23:15,720 Speaker 1: there's no question about about that. I can only speak 392 00:23:15,720 --> 00:23:17,760 Speaker 1: to my own experience, but if I were related to 393 00:23:17,800 --> 00:23:20,960 Speaker 1: a Nazi, I would probably not lie about being Jewish. Yeah, 394 00:23:21,000 --> 00:23:23,720 Speaker 1: and you know, look, there are politicians who have dealt 395 00:23:23,720 --> 00:23:25,639 Speaker 1: with this before. You know, we should not bear the 396 00:23:25,680 --> 00:23:29,280 Speaker 1: sins of our ancestors, and no, exactly, we shouldn't bear 397 00:23:29,280 --> 00:23:32,280 Speaker 1: the sins of our ancestors. That said, you would think 398 00:23:32,280 --> 00:23:34,719 Speaker 1: you would be a little more sensitive if you are 399 00:23:34,840 --> 00:23:37,439 Speaker 1: related to an actual Nazi or sort of you know, 400 00:23:37,520 --> 00:23:41,280 Speaker 1: pullin Arnold Schwarzenegger and just get it out there, address 401 00:23:41,320 --> 00:23:44,440 Speaker 1: it and say that you don't affiliate with it, right? 402 00:23:44,720 --> 00:23:47,000 Speaker 1: What she did not do? I want to just get 403 00:23:47,040 --> 00:23:49,040 Speaker 1: a little bit on the background here. She is a 404 00:23:49,119 --> 00:23:53,400 Speaker 1: Turning Point. She comes up to Turning Point right. Yeah, exactly. 405 00:23:53,480 --> 00:23:56,800 Speaker 1: And for people like my dad who are not completely 406 00:23:56,960 --> 00:24:00,560 Speaker 1: versed on the culture of Turning Point, you us say, 407 00:24:00,600 --> 00:24:03,280 Speaker 1: can you explain to us a little bit about what 408 00:24:03,359 --> 00:24:07,240 Speaker 1: it is and how it has created these many celebrities. Yea. 409 00:24:07,359 --> 00:24:13,960 Speaker 1: So Turning Point USA is a conservative grassroots organization founded 410 00:24:13,960 --> 00:24:17,000 Speaker 1: by this guy, Charlie Kirk to sort of appeal to 411 00:24:18,119 --> 00:24:23,440 Speaker 1: young conservatives and disaffected white youth right and Kirk has 412 00:24:23,680 --> 00:24:29,760 Speaker 1: developed a track record for recruiting, successfully recruiting candidates um 413 00:24:29,840 --> 00:24:34,320 Speaker 1: and elect getting them elected to public office. And there 414 00:24:34,760 --> 00:24:36,320 Speaker 1: seems to be a track record of the sort of 415 00:24:36,359 --> 00:24:40,240 Speaker 1: a very specific type of candidate that he likes to recruit. 416 00:24:40,400 --> 00:24:42,160 Speaker 1: There are a few people that have come up through 417 00:24:42,440 --> 00:24:45,800 Speaker 1: Turning Point in USA, and like who I believe the 418 00:24:45,840 --> 00:24:50,240 Speaker 1: most recent person would probably be louren Overt. Oh wow, Okay, 419 00:24:50,280 --> 00:24:53,600 Speaker 1: so idiots, you can't say it, but I can. I 420 00:24:53,640 --> 00:24:57,080 Speaker 1: do think that, you know, there's been an interesting and 421 00:24:57,119 --> 00:24:59,520 Speaker 1: Jonathan Martin actually pointed to this out. I think you 422 00:24:59,560 --> 00:25:01,520 Speaker 1: can they're a lot of takeaways from this piece on 423 00:25:01,520 --> 00:25:03,440 Speaker 1: Anna Paulina Luna, but one of them could be sort 424 00:25:03,440 --> 00:25:07,240 Speaker 1: of there is a new crop of lawmakers who are 425 00:25:07,280 --> 00:25:11,439 Speaker 1: not you know, your student body presidents and valedictorians, but 426 00:25:11,600 --> 00:25:15,280 Speaker 1: rather these sort of people in the mold of of 427 00:25:15,400 --> 00:25:20,360 Speaker 1: influencers turned politicians like Candice Owens, who is a big 428 00:25:20,440 --> 00:25:25,600 Speaker 1: Turning Point alum, and Luna is is the most recent example, 429 00:25:25,800 --> 00:25:29,639 Speaker 1: and she was found by Charlie Charlie Kirk on Instagram. 430 00:25:30,000 --> 00:25:31,760 Speaker 1: You know, she was someone who while she was in 431 00:25:31,800 --> 00:25:34,040 Speaker 1: the military, she was doing a bunch of modeling. She 432 00:25:34,160 --> 00:25:37,080 Speaker 1: was the Maxim hottie of the week at one time. 433 00:25:37,480 --> 00:25:40,400 Speaker 1: She was trying to make a living off of modeling 434 00:25:40,440 --> 00:25:44,240 Speaker 1: while in their force. And eventually this sort of turned 435 00:25:44,280 --> 00:25:49,280 Speaker 1: into modeling with big guns a R fifteens and pulling 436 00:25:49,320 --> 00:25:53,919 Speaker 1: off these sort of gadfly photo shoots and Berkeley's school 437 00:25:53,960 --> 00:25:57,679 Speaker 1: campus and she she developed a legitimate following on Instagram 438 00:25:57,960 --> 00:26:00,560 Speaker 1: and it caught the attention of Charlie Kirk, who reached 439 00:26:00,560 --> 00:26:04,520 Speaker 1: out to her and ultimately brought her onto Turning Points 440 00:26:04,720 --> 00:26:12,160 Speaker 1: as the director of Hispanic Engagement. She Ispanic, she is Hispanic. Yep. Yeah, 441 00:26:12,200 --> 00:26:16,800 Speaker 1: But what we gathered in our during our reporting journey 442 00:26:16,800 --> 00:26:20,960 Speaker 1: about her was that she didn't really identify as Hispanic 443 00:26:21,200 --> 00:26:23,520 Speaker 1: while growing up, and actually her name was Anna Paulina 444 00:26:23,600 --> 00:26:28,240 Speaker 1: Mayer Hoffer, and when she signed on to work as 445 00:26:28,280 --> 00:26:31,840 Speaker 1: the as Turning Points as director of Hispanic Engagement, she 446 00:26:32,359 --> 00:26:35,800 Speaker 1: dropped her last name and eventually became Anna Paulina Luna, 447 00:26:35,880 --> 00:26:40,080 Speaker 1: which is her grandmother's maiden name, and her mother actually 448 00:26:40,359 --> 00:26:42,879 Speaker 1: just recently changed her last name to Luna as well. 449 00:26:43,040 --> 00:26:47,120 Speaker 1: This isn't a conversation really about questioning her Hispanic credentials. 450 00:26:47,200 --> 00:26:50,520 Speaker 1: That's she's definitely Hispanic, but it's not something that she 451 00:26:50,640 --> 00:26:54,639 Speaker 1: really publicly embraced and made central to her identity and 452 00:26:54,760 --> 00:27:00,000 Speaker 1: to her political persona until she started getting involved in politics. Right. 453 00:27:00,560 --> 00:27:03,480 Speaker 1: Did Charlie Cark have many comments on any of this. 454 00:27:03,760 --> 00:27:06,560 Speaker 1: We had enough sourcing and people that we were speaking 455 00:27:06,560 --> 00:27:09,119 Speaker 1: with it. We didn't speak with Charlie Kirk directly, but 456 00:27:09,240 --> 00:27:12,000 Speaker 1: after the fact he sort of added to the pile 457 00:27:12,080 --> 00:27:17,000 Speaker 1: on some of these extremists. I feel like the difference 458 00:27:17,160 --> 00:27:22,359 Speaker 1: between Santos, where there are just constantly everyday stories and again, 459 00:27:22,560 --> 00:27:25,720 Speaker 1: Anna Polina is not George Santos, right, Right, It did 460 00:27:25,840 --> 00:27:29,479 Speaker 1: seem like the right, nobody sort of took a break 461 00:27:29,600 --> 00:27:32,000 Speaker 1: and was like, oh, maybe this is not for us. 462 00:27:32,080 --> 00:27:35,200 Speaker 1: They all just sort of doubled down, and we're like, 463 00:27:35,400 --> 00:27:38,240 Speaker 1: she's our girl, and we're sticking with her. Yeah. And 464 00:27:38,280 --> 00:27:40,520 Speaker 1: I mean to be clear that people who were defending 465 00:27:40,560 --> 00:27:43,560 Speaker 1: her are not the most popular members of the House 466 00:27:43,600 --> 00:27:48,000 Speaker 1: GEOP conference. It was people like MATC. Gates, Thomas Massey, 467 00:27:48,320 --> 00:27:51,879 Speaker 1: Lauren Bobert who have caused some major headaches already for 468 00:27:52,359 --> 00:27:57,879 Speaker 1: the new House Leader, Kevin McCarthy. But what unfortunately happened 469 00:27:57,920 --> 00:28:01,720 Speaker 1: was we made one tiny or that we ultimately had 470 00:28:01,760 --> 00:28:05,680 Speaker 1: to correct about. We used, unfortunately an erroneous voter registration 471 00:28:05,800 --> 00:28:08,880 Speaker 1: database and had said that that that Luna was registered 472 00:28:08,880 --> 00:28:11,040 Speaker 1: as a Democrat when she was living in Washington State. 473 00:28:11,480 --> 00:28:14,560 Speaker 1: But Washington State obviously only requires voters to declare their 474 00:28:14,600 --> 00:28:17,879 Speaker 1: party affiliation when they cast a ballot in the presidential primary. 475 00:28:18,000 --> 00:28:20,919 Speaker 1: And we think that potentially this database that we were 476 00:28:21,000 --> 00:28:25,680 Speaker 1: using might have pulled some like predictive modeling. Anyways, we 477 00:28:25,680 --> 00:28:29,320 Speaker 1: were wanted to be extremely transparent immediately corrected it. Also, 478 00:28:29,440 --> 00:28:31,840 Speaker 1: it was not sort of the crux of the story 479 00:28:31,920 --> 00:28:35,080 Speaker 1: or essential to the story. I mean, we had multiple 480 00:28:35,119 --> 00:28:38,480 Speaker 1: people saying that that Luna what when they knew her 481 00:28:38,720 --> 00:28:42,240 Speaker 1: pre running for Congress, that that she was pro Obama, 482 00:28:42,280 --> 00:28:45,920 Speaker 1: pro choice, held liberal beliefs. But you know, this day 483 00:28:45,920 --> 00:28:50,120 Speaker 1: to give some people to sort of attack the article 484 00:28:50,160 --> 00:28:54,000 Speaker 1: in bad faith, including Luna, who just contined that we 485 00:28:54,040 --> 00:28:57,080 Speaker 1: said that we're going to retract the whole thing when 486 00:28:57,120 --> 00:28:59,959 Speaker 1: it's just not true. I mean, that is of corners. 487 00:29:00,120 --> 00:29:03,800 Speaker 1: Like the typical tact of the far right is that, 488 00:29:04,360 --> 00:29:08,160 Speaker 1: you know, a mainstream outlet will make a mistake and corrected, 489 00:29:08,440 --> 00:29:12,440 Speaker 1: and then the far right will say, see, this was 490 00:29:12,480 --> 00:29:17,400 Speaker 1: on purpose. There's never room for a mistake that's been corrected. 491 00:29:17,840 --> 00:29:20,560 Speaker 1: These people live on the internet and are quite good 492 00:29:20,600 --> 00:29:23,360 Speaker 1: at it. You know, they've come after me numerous times, 493 00:29:23,360 --> 00:29:25,240 Speaker 1: and like they kind of do that in the hopes 494 00:29:25,320 --> 00:29:27,880 Speaker 1: that you won't write about them anymore. I sort of 495 00:29:27,960 --> 00:29:30,120 Speaker 1: just tried to put my phone down and yeah, there 496 00:29:30,160 --> 00:29:33,800 Speaker 1: was really no touch of grating. But it's challenging when 497 00:29:33,880 --> 00:29:36,000 Speaker 1: I'm sure you understand this when you've worked on something 498 00:29:36,040 --> 00:29:40,760 Speaker 1: for a month, you've communicated extensively with members of her family, 499 00:29:40,800 --> 00:29:43,880 Speaker 1: including her mother, and feel like you really did your 500 00:29:43,880 --> 00:29:48,000 Speaker 1: best to be as fair and accurate as possible and 501 00:29:48,120 --> 00:29:52,360 Speaker 1: Essentially every single sentence other than the one stupid error 502 00:29:52,440 --> 00:29:55,040 Speaker 1: that we made, it has been fact checked to death. 503 00:29:55,400 --> 00:29:58,560 Speaker 1: You can't really control the rest of the way it 504 00:29:58,680 --> 00:30:00,800 Speaker 1: plays out after that, and so you know, I want 505 00:30:00,840 --> 00:30:05,560 Speaker 1: to of course clarify every single I thought intellectually dishonest 506 00:30:05,560 --> 00:30:08,320 Speaker 1: attack on the piece, but right, right, right, you can't 507 00:30:08,320 --> 00:30:11,120 Speaker 1: do that. I know that our readers they're smarter than that, 508 00:30:11,240 --> 00:30:15,040 Speaker 1: and they can have their ways. Look, this is the 509 00:30:15,080 --> 00:30:18,600 Speaker 1: far right playbook, right. They don't want anyone in the 510 00:30:18,600 --> 00:30:22,360 Speaker 1: mainstream media covering them because his scrutiny is, you know, 511 00:30:22,480 --> 00:30:26,440 Speaker 1: exposes the corruption and or even not the corruption, but 512 00:30:26,640 --> 00:30:30,520 Speaker 1: exposes the lawe. I mean, I think that ultimately is 513 00:30:30,960 --> 00:30:33,040 Speaker 1: part of the reason that they pushed back so hard. 514 00:30:33,400 --> 00:30:35,840 Speaker 1: And I know, I feel like I've gotten to this 515 00:30:35,920 --> 00:30:38,480 Speaker 1: debate with a few people, um where we can get 516 00:30:38,520 --> 00:30:41,080 Speaker 1: sort of cynical and feel like, well, you know, Luna 517 00:30:41,160 --> 00:30:43,400 Speaker 1: is not that different from any other member of Congress 518 00:30:43,400 --> 00:30:46,040 Speaker 1: who co opts certain part of her identity in order 519 00:30:46,360 --> 00:30:49,680 Speaker 1: to be more appealing to certain groups or to and 520 00:30:50,000 --> 00:30:54,000 Speaker 1: to win a seat and win over their constituents. I 521 00:30:54,000 --> 00:30:57,440 Speaker 1: think she's pretty different though, even though she's not George Santos. 522 00:30:57,560 --> 00:31:01,120 Speaker 1: I do think that voters deserved to know their lawmakers are, 523 00:31:01,160 --> 00:31:04,720 Speaker 1: what their qualifications are, what their backgrounds are, and whether 524 00:31:04,840 --> 00:31:07,000 Speaker 1: or not that is consistent with the person that they've 525 00:31:07,000 --> 00:31:11,040 Speaker 1: been presented, right. I mean I also think ultimately Trump 526 00:31:11,160 --> 00:31:13,600 Speaker 1: did this thing where he said, you know, you can 527 00:31:13,960 --> 00:31:15,880 Speaker 1: you know, you don't have to be governed by the 528 00:31:15,960 --> 00:31:20,000 Speaker 1: normal tenants of truth at all. And so I do 529 00:31:20,120 --> 00:31:25,240 Speaker 1: think it's really important for journalists to expose this kind 530 00:31:25,240 --> 00:31:28,520 Speaker 1: of stuff when it happens, because otherwise everyone in office 531 00:31:28,560 --> 00:31:31,719 Speaker 1: is going to be you know, some some shade of 532 00:31:31,720 --> 00:31:35,440 Speaker 1: a fabulous I think something that this story also sort 533 00:31:35,480 --> 00:31:38,120 Speaker 1: of raised with some of the gaps in local reporting. 534 00:31:38,120 --> 00:31:41,160 Speaker 1: I mean, the Tampa Bay Times did an excellent first 535 00:31:41,160 --> 00:31:45,520 Speaker 1: stab at this in when she first ran and ultimately lost. 536 00:31:46,040 --> 00:31:49,880 Speaker 1: But I do think this is, you know, the textbook 537 00:31:50,080 --> 00:31:54,400 Speaker 1: case for why local news is so important, because sometimes 538 00:31:54,440 --> 00:31:58,240 Speaker 1: these people just slipped through the cracks of national news coverage, 539 00:31:58,640 --> 00:32:03,040 Speaker 1: but it ultimately does affect those local communities. Yeah, and 540 00:32:03,080 --> 00:32:06,400 Speaker 1: also everyone because she is a member of Congress, do 541 00:32:06,480 --> 00:32:11,240 Speaker 1: we think that there will be any I mean, certainly McCarthy, 542 00:32:11,280 --> 00:32:13,600 Speaker 1: you know, with his five votes, is not going to 543 00:32:13,600 --> 00:32:16,760 Speaker 1: touch this do you think that there will be any 544 00:32:16,760 --> 00:32:21,520 Speaker 1: blowback that isn't just partisan. I think that GOP leadership 545 00:32:21,600 --> 00:32:25,800 Speaker 1: treatment of George Santos and they're very hands off approach 546 00:32:26,120 --> 00:32:28,440 Speaker 1: to him kind of I think says what we need 547 00:32:28,480 --> 00:32:30,880 Speaker 1: to know about the way that they would they'd handle 548 00:32:31,240 --> 00:32:34,960 Speaker 1: in a Paulina Luna, or whether or not they'll address 549 00:32:35,040 --> 00:32:37,840 Speaker 1: this in any way. But what I'm on the lookout 550 00:32:37,880 --> 00:32:40,040 Speaker 1: for now is sort of any follow ups to this. 551 00:32:40,240 --> 00:32:44,320 Speaker 1: Maybe sometimes these kinds of stories, as we saw with Santos, 552 00:32:44,600 --> 00:32:48,480 Speaker 1: people come out with more right. Yeah, the damn breaks 553 00:32:48,600 --> 00:32:54,000 Speaker 1: and other things about their either their campaign, fundraising practices 554 00:32:54,480 --> 00:32:57,520 Speaker 1: or other parts of their background get more scrutiny and 555 00:32:57,560 --> 00:33:00,960 Speaker 1: come to light in the aftermath. So interesting. I hope 556 00:33:00,960 --> 00:33:03,080 Speaker 1: you'll come back. Thank you so much for having me. 557 00:33:03,880 --> 00:33:07,680 Speaker 1: I know you, our dear listeners are very busy and 558 00:33:07,720 --> 00:33:09,880 Speaker 1: you don't have time to sort through the hundreds of 559 00:33:09,920 --> 00:33:14,040 Speaker 1: pieces of pundentry each week. This is why every week 560 00:33:14,080 --> 00:33:18,000 Speaker 1: I put together a newsletter of my five favorite articles 561 00:33:18,000 --> 00:33:20,880 Speaker 1: on politics. If you enjoy the podcast, you will love 562 00:33:20,960 --> 00:33:24,800 Speaker 1: having this in your inbox every Friday. So sign up 563 00:33:24,840 --> 00:33:28,160 Speaker 1: at Fast Politics pod dot com and click the tab 564 00:33:28,240 --> 00:33:35,280 Speaker 1: to join our mailing list. That's Fast Politics pod dot com. 565 00:33:35,400 --> 00:33:41,160 Speaker 1: Congressman Seth Malton represents Massachusetts sixth district. Welcome to you, 566 00:33:41,720 --> 00:33:45,560 Speaker 1: Fast Politics Congressman Seth Malton. That's great to be here. 567 00:33:45,800 --> 00:33:49,560 Speaker 1: We are going to ultimately dork out on high speed trains, 568 00:33:49,960 --> 00:33:53,640 Speaker 1: but first I wanted to ask you about a little 569 00:33:53,640 --> 00:33:58,520 Speaker 1: bit about what you know. You were marine, You have 570 00:33:59,280 --> 00:34:04,400 Speaker 1: done four tours in Iraq, you have a lot of perspective. 571 00:34:05,400 --> 00:34:09,360 Speaker 1: Let's do like two minutes on the Chinese spy balloon, alright, 572 00:34:09,880 --> 00:34:12,920 Speaker 1: because I hate myself and I haven't it just there 573 00:34:12,960 --> 00:34:15,480 Speaker 1: hasn't been enough Chinese spy balloon coverage. We got to 574 00:34:15,480 --> 00:34:18,640 Speaker 1: talk about the balloon. So it strikes me that the 575 00:34:19,080 --> 00:34:23,000 Speaker 1: sense here is that as long as Biden, I mean 576 00:34:23,080 --> 00:34:27,400 Speaker 1: Biden did say last Wednesday that he had said shoot 577 00:34:27,440 --> 00:34:30,319 Speaker 1: it down and that the military had wanted to wait 578 00:34:30,400 --> 00:34:34,520 Speaker 1: until it was over water, Republicans obviously have decided that 579 00:34:34,560 --> 00:34:37,480 Speaker 1: this is that he should be impeached. I mean, what 580 00:34:37,680 --> 00:34:40,360 Speaker 1: is your thinking here? My thinking is that the commander 581 00:34:40,400 --> 00:34:44,520 Speaker 1: in chief should follow the best military advice he's given. Right, 582 00:34:44,560 --> 00:34:46,800 Speaker 1: the last commander in chief used to go on Fox 583 00:34:46,800 --> 00:34:49,880 Speaker 1: and Friends and get military advice. This Commander in chief 584 00:34:49,920 --> 00:34:52,960 Speaker 1: actually listens to the Joint chiefs of staff and they said, 585 00:34:53,080 --> 00:34:55,480 Speaker 1: wait until it's over water to shoot it down. They 586 00:34:55,480 --> 00:34:57,200 Speaker 1: had to use a missile to shoot it down. We 587 00:34:57,200 --> 00:35:00,239 Speaker 1: don't need a missile falling on somebody's head, right, That 588 00:35:00,360 --> 00:35:02,520 Speaker 1: was my sense. It's twice the size of a seven 589 00:35:02,560 --> 00:35:04,800 Speaker 1: four seven. You don't want, if you know, if you 590 00:35:04,920 --> 00:35:08,600 Speaker 1: kill one person, game over. Actually someone said to me 591 00:35:08,719 --> 00:35:10,680 Speaker 1: is if you kill somewhere, if you kill one person, 592 00:35:10,719 --> 00:35:13,200 Speaker 1: it's like right out of Veep. But I feel like 593 00:35:13,280 --> 00:35:16,480 Speaker 1: VP isn't quite that dark. But the sense I get 594 00:35:16,960 --> 00:35:21,200 Speaker 1: is that the Chinese spy balloon, they have satellites that 595 00:35:21,239 --> 00:35:23,520 Speaker 1: can do what this balloon did. Well, we don't know 596 00:35:23,680 --> 00:35:28,640 Speaker 1: exactly what the balloon capabilities are. That's why we're investigating it. 597 00:35:28,680 --> 00:35:31,320 Speaker 1: That's why we're collecting the pieces to put it back together. 598 00:35:31,680 --> 00:35:33,719 Speaker 1: So we don't actually know if that's true. But we 599 00:35:33,800 --> 00:35:36,279 Speaker 1: do know for sure that there have been a lot 600 00:35:36,320 --> 00:35:39,040 Speaker 1: of balloons floating around for a while. So the idea 601 00:35:39,120 --> 00:35:41,080 Speaker 1: that leaving this up for an extra day or two 602 00:35:41,160 --> 00:35:43,480 Speaker 1: is really going to make a difference in their intelligence 603 00:35:43,480 --> 00:35:47,480 Speaker 1: collection just doesn't really hold water, right, And there have 604 00:35:47,560 --> 00:35:52,440 Speaker 1: been balloons during different administrations and also across different countries. 605 00:35:52,800 --> 00:35:55,600 Speaker 1: I want to talk to you about where we are 606 00:35:55,760 --> 00:35:58,839 Speaker 1: right now with China because it does seem like much 607 00:35:58,920 --> 00:36:03,120 Speaker 1: sort of more prepared, yes, than where we are with Russia, 608 00:36:03,160 --> 00:36:07,320 Speaker 1: and a certain way, well, I think they're both somewhat precarious. 609 00:36:09,400 --> 00:36:12,560 Speaker 1: Bows can be bad, but yes, both can be pretty bad. 610 00:36:12,719 --> 00:36:15,640 Speaker 1: Here's the problem with Russia. We're doing well in Ukraine. 611 00:36:15,800 --> 00:36:18,680 Speaker 1: Ukraine is pushing the Russians back, but we still have 612 00:36:18,760 --> 00:36:22,239 Speaker 1: trouble answering that big looming question, the elephant in the 613 00:36:22,280 --> 00:36:24,799 Speaker 1: room question, which is how does this end? How do 614 00:36:24,840 --> 00:36:28,600 Speaker 1: we defeat Pudent? So we never tries this again without 615 00:36:28,640 --> 00:36:30,960 Speaker 1: forcing him into a corner. So we does something really 616 00:36:31,040 --> 00:36:34,320 Speaker 1: rash and stupid. And that's why the next year in Ukraine, 617 00:36:34,920 --> 00:36:38,000 Speaker 1: This year could be much more difficult than the last, 618 00:36:38,320 --> 00:36:40,319 Speaker 1: even though I think we're going to see the Ukrainians 619 00:36:40,600 --> 00:36:44,200 Speaker 1: do well on the ground and have more victories city 620 00:36:44,280 --> 00:36:48,160 Speaker 1: to city. But with China, look, tensions have been escalating 621 00:36:48,239 --> 00:36:50,680 Speaker 1: for a long time, and for a long time, this 622 00:36:50,840 --> 00:36:53,839 Speaker 1: just has not been on our radar. Pardon the pun. 623 00:36:54,440 --> 00:36:57,359 Speaker 1: We've missed the balloons, but the American people have also 624 00:36:57,400 --> 00:37:00,359 Speaker 1: just missed this threat, Like, we haven't understood why this 625 00:37:00,440 --> 00:37:03,760 Speaker 1: is such a big deal. And yet if you spend 626 00:37:03,760 --> 00:37:06,920 Speaker 1: some time looking at the classified intelligence, you realize, oh, whoa, 627 00:37:07,040 --> 00:37:09,759 Speaker 1: this this is a big deal. We gotta watch out here. Yeah, 628 00:37:09,840 --> 00:37:12,760 Speaker 1: I mean, it's it seems like a very big deal. Also, 629 00:37:13,040 --> 00:37:16,440 Speaker 1: I mean, i mean, again, there's a lot going on 630 00:37:16,600 --> 00:37:21,080 Speaker 1: with China, but like, where are you with situations like TikTok. Well, 631 00:37:21,120 --> 00:37:24,040 Speaker 1: this is what's so interesting about this new China Select 632 00:37:24,120 --> 00:37:26,680 Speaker 1: Committee that was just stood up and I've been appointed 633 00:37:26,719 --> 00:37:29,480 Speaker 1: to it, is that we're not just looking at the 634 00:37:29,480 --> 00:37:32,759 Speaker 1: military side of things, the military deterrent side of things. 635 00:37:32,800 --> 00:37:35,520 Speaker 1: How do we tell China militarily you don't want to 636 00:37:35,520 --> 00:37:37,520 Speaker 1: have a war in the Pacific. We're looking at all 637 00:37:37,600 --> 00:37:41,279 Speaker 1: the economic implications as well. Uh. And we're looking at 638 00:37:41,400 --> 00:37:45,320 Speaker 1: social media all the different ways that we have daily interactions, 639 00:37:45,360 --> 00:37:48,200 Speaker 1: not just with China, but with the Chinese Communist Party. 640 00:37:48,440 --> 00:37:50,959 Speaker 1: Here's the problem with TikTok. If your kids are mine 641 00:37:50,960 --> 00:37:54,840 Speaker 1: are on TikTok, then the Chinese Communist Party is collecting 642 00:37:54,840 --> 00:37:59,160 Speaker 1: their information and influencing their behavior. I'm not sure that's 643 00:37:59,160 --> 00:38:01,560 Speaker 1: why I want for my kids. In fact, I'm pretty 644 00:38:01,600 --> 00:38:05,360 Speaker 1: confident that I don't. But we can't just ban TikTok 645 00:38:05,400 --> 00:38:09,200 Speaker 1: because then they'll be, you know, TikTok to uh next week. 646 00:38:09,280 --> 00:38:12,239 Speaker 1: So we've got to have a comprehensive policy here to 647 00:38:12,360 --> 00:38:16,960 Speaker 1: address this very real threat to the American people. But 648 00:38:17,000 --> 00:38:19,200 Speaker 1: that's not going to be something we figure out overnight. 649 00:38:19,239 --> 00:38:21,480 Speaker 1: That's why we've got some deliberations to come on this 650 00:38:21,520 --> 00:38:25,560 Speaker 1: special committee. I mean, now we're in this Republican House now, 651 00:38:26,280 --> 00:38:31,440 Speaker 1: I mean I watched the Weaponization Subcommittee hearing today. Some 652 00:38:31,520 --> 00:38:34,440 Speaker 1: of these Republicans don't seem very interested in like actually 653 00:38:34,480 --> 00:38:40,200 Speaker 1: finding solutions more just making content for Fox News, No doubt, 654 00:38:40,239 --> 00:38:44,160 Speaker 1: absolutely that's what they're there for. But fingers crossed. The 655 00:38:44,280 --> 00:38:47,400 Speaker 1: China Select Committee is actually different. They've they've appointed a 656 00:38:47,440 --> 00:38:50,120 Speaker 1: whole different crop of Republicans and we have a very 657 00:38:50,160 --> 00:38:52,600 Speaker 1: talented group of Democrats as well, who are going to 658 00:38:52,719 --> 00:38:55,520 Speaker 1: take a serious look at this in as bipartisan a 659 00:38:55,560 --> 00:38:59,520 Speaker 1: way as possible, because this is a massive national security threat, 660 00:38:59,560 --> 00:39:03,120 Speaker 1: and it's in that anomics security threat, it's across the board. 661 00:39:03,640 --> 00:39:07,800 Speaker 1: Competition with the Chinese Communist Party is a very real thing, 662 00:39:08,239 --> 00:39:10,040 Speaker 1: and we've got to have a better strategy to deal 663 00:39:10,080 --> 00:39:12,160 Speaker 1: with it. To make sure we win well. It does 664 00:39:12,280 --> 00:39:16,040 Speaker 1: seem like the Biden administration is pushing back a lot 665 00:39:16,120 --> 00:39:20,600 Speaker 1: when it comes to manufacturing and the chips America's problems 666 00:39:20,640 --> 00:39:24,560 Speaker 1: with China that aren't necessarily will China take Taiwan though 667 00:39:24,600 --> 00:39:27,920 Speaker 1: that is obviously an anxiety that I think most of 668 00:39:28,000 --> 00:39:31,920 Speaker 1: us have, but more problems of you know, like they're 669 00:39:32,000 --> 00:39:36,080 Speaker 1: beating America and manufacturing in ways that America can't keep up, 670 00:39:36,400 --> 00:39:39,000 Speaker 1: and so some of that is being addressed with this 671 00:39:39,160 --> 00:39:41,839 Speaker 1: Chips Act, which is in some ways is sort of 672 00:39:42,440 --> 00:39:45,480 Speaker 1: it's kind of I mean, it's kind of strange to 673 00:39:45,560 --> 00:39:48,399 Speaker 1: see that we now have two parties that are sort 674 00:39:48,440 --> 00:39:52,000 Speaker 1: of working on trying to sort of figure out trade 675 00:39:52,280 --> 00:39:56,640 Speaker 1: in a way that fixes America's deficit. I mean, isn't 676 00:39:56,640 --> 00:39:59,720 Speaker 1: it crazy and strange that two parties could work together 677 00:39:59,760 --> 00:40:01,759 Speaker 1: on the something like that? Right? I mean, because that's 678 00:40:01,760 --> 00:40:04,400 Speaker 1: where we are in our politics. But after the stuff 679 00:40:04,400 --> 00:40:07,719 Speaker 1: Ice today, I have a hard time imagine that these 680 00:40:07,719 --> 00:40:11,000 Speaker 1: Republicans are serious about doing anything. But I do hear 681 00:40:11,040 --> 00:40:13,520 Speaker 1: what you're saying, and the truth is both Democrats and 682 00:40:13,520 --> 00:40:17,319 Speaker 1: Republicans have a very similar are both on the same 683 00:40:17,320 --> 00:40:20,879 Speaker 1: page when it comes to China. Really ultimately, I mean, 684 00:40:21,120 --> 00:40:24,680 Speaker 1: Republicans will say like it's because Biden has some kind 685 00:40:24,719 --> 00:40:27,720 Speaker 1: of relations, you know, some kind of lie about Hunter Biden, 686 00:40:27,800 --> 00:40:31,640 Speaker 1: but ultimately, really they're quite aligned. I mean, let's not 687 00:40:31,640 --> 00:40:34,560 Speaker 1: forget that Trump also asked Sijing ping for help winning 688 00:40:34,640 --> 00:40:38,640 Speaker 1: his election so well, and Trump has a Chinese bank account. 689 00:40:38,760 --> 00:40:40,560 Speaker 1: There are a lot of problems with with Trump and 690 00:40:40,600 --> 00:40:43,759 Speaker 1: the extreme Republicans here, and you're not going to see 691 00:40:43,760 --> 00:40:47,000 Speaker 1: the extreme Republicans in the House be helpful on any 692 00:40:47,040 --> 00:40:49,920 Speaker 1: of these efforts. They're just trying to score political points, 693 00:40:49,960 --> 00:40:53,680 Speaker 1: for sure. But there are serious Republicans working with a 694 00:40:53,680 --> 00:40:57,279 Speaker 1: lot of serious Democrats on this challenge. And you're right, 695 00:40:57,360 --> 00:40:59,759 Speaker 1: it's so many different things. It's how do we deal 696 00:40:59,800 --> 00:41:01,560 Speaker 1: with TikTok, It's how do we deal with the fact 697 00:41:01,640 --> 00:41:04,680 Speaker 1: that we're trying to develop a green energy grid and 698 00:41:04,680 --> 00:41:07,880 Speaker 1: we seem to be buying all our green energy supplies 699 00:41:07,920 --> 00:41:11,120 Speaker 1: like solar panels from China. Doesn't make sense. I want 700 00:41:11,120 --> 00:41:15,239 Speaker 1: to be buying solar panels. They're manufactured in America. So 701 00:41:15,600 --> 00:41:17,920 Speaker 1: we've got a lot of work to do. There are 702 00:41:17,920 --> 00:41:20,160 Speaker 1: a lot of climate change implications, there are a lot 703 00:41:20,200 --> 00:41:23,520 Speaker 1: of economic implications. There are implications to how we live 704 00:41:23,520 --> 00:41:26,879 Speaker 1: our lives every single day on social media. It's a 705 00:41:26,920 --> 00:41:30,600 Speaker 1: real serious challenge, but there are also some exciting opportunities. 706 00:41:30,600 --> 00:41:33,279 Speaker 1: And and and I do think that there's at least 707 00:41:33,360 --> 00:41:35,680 Speaker 1: some hope that on this committee we can do things 708 00:41:35,680 --> 00:41:38,279 Speaker 1: in a bipartisan way. But we'll see. I mean, it's 709 00:41:38,320 --> 00:41:42,440 Speaker 1: interesting because there's such like an appetite for bipartisanship. And 710 00:41:42,560 --> 00:41:44,759 Speaker 1: one of the things Biden has really done is a 711 00:41:44,760 --> 00:41:48,800 Speaker 1: lot of passing, a lot of bipartisan administrator you know, infrastructure, 712 00:41:48,960 --> 00:41:51,360 Speaker 1: et cetera. The chips ack you mentioned, that's that was 713 00:41:51,400 --> 00:41:55,440 Speaker 1: toy bipartisan, right, But I know that the reproblicanveys loves 714 00:41:55,440 --> 00:41:59,560 Speaker 1: this kind of craziness. They do. Talk to me about 715 00:41:59,600 --> 00:42:01,160 Speaker 1: the trains. Let's do the trains. I want to hear 716 00:42:01,160 --> 00:42:04,200 Speaker 1: about the trains. I love the trains, big train person. 717 00:42:04,320 --> 00:42:06,839 Speaker 1: I took a train to die. It's crazy that we 718 00:42:06,880 --> 00:42:09,600 Speaker 1: don't have high speed rail in America. And look like 719 00:42:09,840 --> 00:42:13,080 Speaker 1: in the last few weeks we had six thousand, three 720 00:42:13,200 --> 00:42:17,360 Speaker 1: hundred flights canceled. I think flights were canceled on the 721 00:42:17,360 --> 00:42:22,680 Speaker 1: Monday after Christmas alone, Southwest canceled sevent of their flights 722 00:42:23,080 --> 00:42:26,480 Speaker 1: and Every country in the world is developing high speed 723 00:42:26,560 --> 00:42:30,960 Speaker 1: rail except US. Look at Morocco. Morocco has a half 724 00:42:31,000 --> 00:42:33,759 Speaker 1: a percent of our GDP okay, so they don't have 725 00:42:33,760 --> 00:42:36,360 Speaker 1: a lot of money to waste, and they just invested 726 00:42:36,760 --> 00:42:40,480 Speaker 1: two point two billion dollars in a two high speed 727 00:42:40,680 --> 00:42:44,040 Speaker 1: railroad because they get a better return on investment. It's 728 00:42:44,080 --> 00:42:47,359 Speaker 1: better for the environment, and it's cheaper, and it's less 729 00:42:47,400 --> 00:42:51,440 Speaker 1: weather dependent, all those things. Imagine, you know, So think 730 00:42:51,480 --> 00:42:53,960 Speaker 1: about this. The busiest high speed rail line in the 731 00:42:53,960 --> 00:42:55,960 Speaker 1: world right now is actually a pretty new one is 732 00:42:55,960 --> 00:42:59,640 Speaker 1: from Beijing to Shanghai. That's about the same distance as 733 00:42:59,719 --> 00:43:02,440 Speaker 1: Chica Ago to Atlanta. So imagine being able to go 734 00:43:02,480 --> 00:43:05,359 Speaker 1: from Chicago to Atlanta with never a weather delay, train 735 00:43:05,440 --> 00:43:08,880 Speaker 1: every thirty minutes, don't have to go through arduous security, 736 00:43:08,880 --> 00:43:11,000 Speaker 1: you don't have to wait in lines forever. Your seats 737 00:43:11,040 --> 00:43:13,640 Speaker 1: about three times as big as a seat on on 738 00:43:13,680 --> 00:43:16,279 Speaker 1: an airplane, bigger than first class on an airplane. How 739 00:43:16,280 --> 00:43:19,160 Speaker 1: long does it take? Four or five hours? Yeah, that's 740 00:43:19,200 --> 00:43:22,680 Speaker 1: pretty good. And not only is that great for Chicago 741 00:43:22,760 --> 00:43:25,520 Speaker 1: and great for Atlanta, it's great for all the cities 742 00:43:25,520 --> 00:43:28,799 Speaker 1: and states in between that are totally left out of 743 00:43:28,920 --> 00:43:32,440 Speaker 1: air travel between those two cities. High speed rail is 744 00:43:32,480 --> 00:43:36,680 Speaker 1: not just a better, faster, cleaner option for Americans as 745 00:43:36,680 --> 00:43:39,520 Speaker 1: opposed to traveling by plane. It's also a way to 746 00:43:40,040 --> 00:43:43,239 Speaker 1: knit together this country, right and we need that right now. 747 00:43:43,560 --> 00:43:46,560 Speaker 1: We need people in rural America to have access to 748 00:43:46,680 --> 00:43:49,200 Speaker 1: jobs in the city so they can get those jobs 749 00:43:49,239 --> 00:43:52,000 Speaker 1: if they want them. That We need parts of America 750 00:43:52,040 --> 00:43:54,160 Speaker 1: that are just in you know, what we call flyover 751 00:43:54,239 --> 00:43:58,680 Speaker 1: country to actually be connected to the coast. That's one 752 00:43:58,719 --> 00:44:02,000 Speaker 1: of the beautiful things about high speed rail. But a 753 00:44:02,040 --> 00:44:04,319 Speaker 1: lot of Americans just don't know how nice it is 754 00:44:04,360 --> 00:44:06,360 Speaker 1: to get on a train that's going to be smooth 755 00:44:06,400 --> 00:44:09,800 Speaker 1: and fasten Aurora and arrive on time. And in Spain, 756 00:44:10,280 --> 00:44:12,480 Speaker 1: if your train is thirty minutes late, you get a 757 00:44:12,520 --> 00:44:16,520 Speaker 1: full refund. Imagine that from any American airline. Imagine the 758 00:44:16,560 --> 00:44:18,719 Speaker 1: Southwest said, oh, you have any plane that's thirty minutes late, 759 00:44:18,760 --> 00:44:21,239 Speaker 1: You're gonna get a full refund. That's just unimaginable for 760 00:44:21,320 --> 00:44:24,240 Speaker 1: us today. Yeah, that's amazing. This is what we're missing. 761 00:44:24,400 --> 00:44:26,960 Speaker 1: I mean, is there appetite for this? There absolutely is. 762 00:44:27,000 --> 00:44:29,520 Speaker 1: I mean everywhere I go in America, people who have 763 00:44:29,600 --> 00:44:32,040 Speaker 1: written high speed trains anywhere else in the world say 764 00:44:32,320 --> 00:44:35,240 Speaker 1: we need this here. The problem is a lot of people, 765 00:44:35,239 --> 00:44:37,920 Speaker 1: a lot of my colleagues even have never been on 766 00:44:37,920 --> 00:44:40,200 Speaker 1: a high speed train, so they don't know what they're missing. 767 00:44:40,480 --> 00:44:43,240 Speaker 1: I believe that if we get one good high speed 768 00:44:43,320 --> 00:44:46,040 Speaker 1: rail line built in America, it will start to change 769 00:44:46,040 --> 00:44:48,719 Speaker 1: things completely. There was actually a lot of opposition to 770 00:44:48,719 --> 00:44:51,200 Speaker 1: building high speed rail in Spain. It's it's it's a 771 00:44:51,280 --> 00:44:55,680 Speaker 1: very provincial country. The provinces didn't want a tentacle from Madrid, 772 00:44:55,719 --> 00:44:58,920 Speaker 1: they called it. But one high speed rail line was built. 773 00:44:59,000 --> 00:45:01,640 Speaker 1: Every other province wanted one. So I think if we 774 00:45:01,680 --> 00:45:04,240 Speaker 1: get one good high speed rail line built in America, 775 00:45:04,680 --> 00:45:07,160 Speaker 1: it could literally set off a revolution. What is the 776 00:45:07,320 --> 00:45:09,759 Speaker 1: high speed rail line you're trying to get built right now? 777 00:45:10,239 --> 00:45:12,400 Speaker 1: I actually think that the best one to build. And 778 00:45:12,440 --> 00:45:15,080 Speaker 1: I'm biased here, I'll admit that because I worked on 779 00:45:15,120 --> 00:45:17,520 Speaker 1: this project in the private sector. Oh, I see where 780 00:45:17,560 --> 00:45:20,839 Speaker 1: this is going. Yes is Texas and good for you? 781 00:45:21,280 --> 00:45:23,480 Speaker 1: And here's why. The reason why it's in and and look, 782 00:45:23,920 --> 00:45:26,319 Speaker 1: I don't represent Texas in case you haven't figured that out. 783 00:45:26,480 --> 00:45:29,520 Speaker 1: But the reason why Texas is important is because all 784 00:45:29,560 --> 00:45:32,680 Speaker 1: the environmental approvals are done it's ready to go. It 785 00:45:32,760 --> 00:45:36,640 Speaker 1: just needs an infusion of capital, and it will show 786 00:45:36,960 --> 00:45:39,839 Speaker 1: America that this isn't just an East coast thing. This 787 00:45:39,880 --> 00:45:43,319 Speaker 1: isn't just a sella corridor thing. This is something that 788 00:45:43,440 --> 00:45:46,719 Speaker 1: can work in all parts of America, including Red America. 789 00:45:47,719 --> 00:45:50,759 Speaker 1: And once you get Republicans behind high speed rail in 790 00:45:50,800 --> 00:45:54,440 Speaker 1: Washington like Democrats already are, then you could see high 791 00:45:54,440 --> 00:45:58,239 Speaker 1: speed rail all over this country. That's totally fascinating. One 792 00:45:58,239 --> 00:46:01,839 Speaker 1: of my kids is very into the Marines and being 793 00:46:01,840 --> 00:46:04,759 Speaker 1: of service, and I'm just curious, are you tight with 794 00:46:04,800 --> 00:46:10,160 Speaker 1: the other serviceman Congressman. Yes, we have a great veterans caucus. 795 00:46:10,200 --> 00:46:13,879 Speaker 1: It's somewhat selected. We've actually kicked out some veterans who 796 00:46:13,880 --> 00:46:16,840 Speaker 1: were just two parts of it and were working across 797 00:46:16,880 --> 00:46:18,759 Speaker 1: the Yeah. So, I mean, it's not like a rule 798 00:46:18,840 --> 00:46:22,239 Speaker 1: that every veteran in Congress uh is a good guy 799 00:46:22,320 --> 00:46:24,799 Speaker 1: or or you know, a good woman. I mean, this 800 00:46:24,880 --> 00:46:28,120 Speaker 1: is it's a select group. But the veterans that are 801 00:46:28,160 --> 00:46:30,720 Speaker 1: part of this caucus we work together, we meet together, 802 00:46:30,760 --> 00:46:33,600 Speaker 1: we find places where we can come together, and we've 803 00:46:33,600 --> 00:46:35,759 Speaker 1: done some good things. I mean, it was my bill 804 00:46:35,840 --> 00:46:39,520 Speaker 1: to establish nine eight eight as the National Mental Health hotline, 805 00:46:39,880 --> 00:46:42,480 Speaker 1: and it's made an incredible difference. Calls are up. Forty 806 00:46:42,920 --> 00:46:45,600 Speaker 1: thousands of lives are being saved today that weren't being 807 00:46:45,640 --> 00:46:48,759 Speaker 1: saved a year ago because this hotline exists. And I 808 00:46:48,800 --> 00:46:51,960 Speaker 1: passed that with the Republican veteran with a veteran who 809 00:46:52,080 --> 00:46:56,440 Speaker 1: understands mental health issues because of dealing with friends and 810 00:46:56,480 --> 00:46:59,320 Speaker 1: colleagues who've had post traumatic stress as I have myself. 811 00:46:59,520 --> 00:47:01,560 Speaker 1: And so we got this past. We got it done, 812 00:47:02,120 --> 00:47:06,480 Speaker 1: and that's what Democrats and Republicans coming together can actually do. 813 00:47:06,719 --> 00:47:09,759 Speaker 1: That makes the different American people. So who got kicked out? 814 00:47:10,280 --> 00:47:13,040 Speaker 1: I don't know. Maybe I shouldn't say, Oh, you should 815 00:47:13,040 --> 00:47:16,920 Speaker 1: definitely say now, I don't want to say, actually I 816 00:47:16,960 --> 00:47:20,560 Speaker 1: had to ask, So anyway, that's fine. It's entirely up 817 00:47:20,560 --> 00:47:23,640 Speaker 1: to you to tell our listeners who was kicked out 818 00:47:23,680 --> 00:47:27,320 Speaker 1: of the Veterans Caucus. We will all just go online 819 00:47:27,320 --> 00:47:29,120 Speaker 1: and try to figure it out. You can probably figure 820 00:47:29,120 --> 00:47:32,000 Speaker 1: it out. But the point is to know that we're serious, 821 00:47:32,120 --> 00:47:33,839 Speaker 1: we want to work together, and we want to get 822 00:47:33,880 --> 00:47:36,720 Speaker 1: things done. Yeah. I mean, I've asked you this question 823 00:47:37,280 --> 00:47:39,680 Speaker 1: during our interview in a couple of different ways, but 824 00:47:39,960 --> 00:47:42,719 Speaker 1: I really do I just you know I was at 825 00:47:42,719 --> 00:47:46,080 Speaker 1: this event last night, this congressional event where Nancy may 826 00:47:46,200 --> 00:47:49,319 Speaker 1: escape this speech. She was funny. She was not fun night. 827 00:47:49,960 --> 00:47:52,360 Speaker 1: I am telling you I have now heard her twice, 828 00:47:53,080 --> 00:47:54,840 Speaker 1: and she may be a friend of yours. I know 829 00:47:54,960 --> 00:47:56,920 Speaker 1: she went to the citadel. I know she was of service. 830 00:47:56,960 --> 00:47:59,600 Speaker 1: But like the first time I heard her, I thought, 831 00:47:59,600 --> 00:48:02,640 Speaker 1: this will and is really smart. Like she may have 832 00:48:03,080 --> 00:48:05,280 Speaker 1: views I don't agree with, but this time I thought, 833 00:48:05,480 --> 00:48:08,480 Speaker 1: this woman is this is really inappropriate? Like there were 834 00:48:08,480 --> 00:48:11,200 Speaker 1: a lot of really inappropriate jokes. I thought. I thought 835 00:48:11,200 --> 00:48:13,480 Speaker 1: it was a little beyond the pale. Honestly, sorry I do, 836 00:48:13,840 --> 00:48:16,839 Speaker 1: but I was curious, like so I have just been 837 00:48:16,880 --> 00:48:19,680 Speaker 1: struck by and you know, Marjorie Taylor Green was there. 838 00:48:19,800 --> 00:48:23,440 Speaker 1: There were so many Republicans who who made their stick, 839 00:48:23,640 --> 00:48:27,239 Speaker 1: you know, the attack on democrats. I mean, how are 840 00:48:27,280 --> 00:48:29,080 Speaker 1: you guys going to be able to work with these people? 841 00:48:29,440 --> 00:48:31,879 Speaker 1: You don't work in Marjorie Taylor Green? Right, you don't 842 00:48:31,880 --> 00:48:34,520 Speaker 1: know When I first ran for Congress, I mean back 843 00:48:34,520 --> 00:48:37,360 Speaker 1: in the heavy days of which it feels like a 844 00:48:37,400 --> 00:48:40,479 Speaker 1: long time ago politically because things have gotten so much worse. 845 00:48:40,880 --> 00:48:44,919 Speaker 1: I ran on a platform of bipartisanship, but people would 846 00:48:44,920 --> 00:48:46,319 Speaker 1: ask me, Seth, like, how are you going to work 847 00:48:46,320 --> 00:48:48,160 Speaker 1: with Ted Cruz, And the answer is simple, I don't 848 00:48:48,200 --> 00:48:50,920 Speaker 1: work with Ted Cruz. I've never even met Ted Cruz 849 00:48:51,280 --> 00:48:53,879 Speaker 1: in in in eight years in Congress because he's not 850 00:48:53,960 --> 00:48:57,879 Speaker 1: interested in working with anyone across the aisle. And he's 851 00:48:57,960 --> 00:49:00,960 Speaker 1: frankly a jerk, to put it politely, and everyone who 852 00:49:00,960 --> 00:49:03,560 Speaker 1: knows them agrees with that. Right. I think he'd delight 853 00:49:03,680 --> 00:49:07,160 Speaker 1: in the descriptor he'd take that as a compliment. Yeah, 854 00:49:07,200 --> 00:49:10,000 Speaker 1: but you've got to find Republicans you can work with, 855 00:49:10,400 --> 00:49:12,799 Speaker 1: like Chris Stewart in Utah that I teamed up with 856 00:49:12,880 --> 00:49:16,840 Speaker 1: the PASS, Like Mike Gallagher on the Armed Services Committee, 857 00:49:16,840 --> 00:49:20,080 Speaker 1: fellow Marine veteran who I'm working with on the Select 858 00:49:20,080 --> 00:49:24,120 Speaker 1: Committee on the Chinese Communist Party. So there are Republicans 859 00:49:24,160 --> 00:49:25,799 Speaker 1: you can work with, but you've got to find the 860 00:49:25,800 --> 00:49:29,960 Speaker 1: ones you actually can. Republicans have until George Sandos gets arrested, 861 00:49:30,280 --> 00:49:33,919 Speaker 1: they have a five seat majority. I mean it's close, right, 862 00:49:34,160 --> 00:49:37,400 Speaker 1: it could be closer, and so that means that you know, 863 00:49:37,440 --> 00:49:41,799 Speaker 1: they kind of either just continue barely passing legislation that 864 00:49:41,880 --> 00:49:44,320 Speaker 1: means nothing and is obviously not going to go anywhere. 865 00:49:44,320 --> 00:49:49,040 Speaker 1: In the Democratic Senate, or they can decide, hey, Speaker McCarthy, 866 00:49:49,200 --> 00:49:51,480 Speaker 1: let's actually get something done. And that means they're going 867 00:49:51,560 --> 00:49:54,240 Speaker 1: to have to find some Democrats to come on board 868 00:49:54,280 --> 00:49:57,400 Speaker 1: and do things that are actually reasonable. So look, I 869 00:49:57,400 --> 00:49:59,440 Speaker 1: don't have a lot of hope. We all know that 870 00:49:59,520 --> 00:50:03,960 Speaker 1: McCarthy got elected by pandering to these extremists on the right. 871 00:50:04,280 --> 00:50:06,520 Speaker 1: But there is a chance, and if there's a chance, 872 00:50:06,880 --> 00:50:09,960 Speaker 1: it's worth trying because the American people need us to 873 00:50:09,960 --> 00:50:13,680 Speaker 1: get things done. Seth Malton, thank you so much, thanks 874 00:50:13,680 --> 00:50:23,200 Speaker 1: for having me on. It's an honor. Jesse Cannon. So 875 00:50:23,239 --> 00:50:26,560 Speaker 1: the Republicans would really really like to pretend that they 876 00:50:26,560 --> 00:50:29,480 Speaker 1: don't want to cut Medicare and fake out their voters, 877 00:50:29,560 --> 00:50:32,839 Speaker 1: but one Russia, Ron Johnson is not having it. He's 878 00:50:32,920 --> 00:50:35,120 Speaker 1: holding the line and saying, cut it, baby, cut it. 879 00:50:35,239 --> 00:50:40,080 Speaker 1: Let's take a listen again. It is a legal Ponzi scheme. Yes, 880 00:50:40,520 --> 00:50:42,120 Speaker 1: I got accused in two thousand and ten that I 881 00:50:42,160 --> 00:50:44,520 Speaker 1: called a ponzi scheme. I admitted it. Yes, it's a 882 00:50:44,680 --> 00:50:48,200 Speaker 1: legal Ponzi scheme. It operates the same way as any 883 00:50:48,200 --> 00:50:52,280 Speaker 1: other Ponzi scheme, except that this is sanctioned by the government. 884 00:50:52,480 --> 00:50:55,640 Speaker 1: But it's no, it's no more uh, it's no less 885 00:50:55,719 --> 00:50:59,319 Speaker 1: irresponsible than a Ponzi scheme. From that stampoint, I love 886 00:50:59,440 --> 00:51:04,720 Speaker 1: Ron and On. He is the dumbest member of the Senate. 887 00:51:05,320 --> 00:51:09,800 Speaker 1: And actually that two of her would like a word well. 888 00:51:09,840 --> 00:51:14,520 Speaker 1: And also, I mean there's a Cindy Hyde Smith who 889 00:51:14,719 --> 00:51:18,400 Speaker 1: once dressed in a Confederate uniform. So I don't wanna 890 00:51:18,800 --> 00:51:21,880 Speaker 1: leave out some of the other Republicans, but she is 891 00:51:22,080 --> 00:51:26,680 Speaker 1: really a stupid idiot. And Republicans have been pretending that 892 00:51:26,719 --> 00:51:31,239 Speaker 1: they don't want to cut social Security. After Biden said 893 00:51:31,239 --> 00:51:33,719 Speaker 1: they wanted to cut social Security, they went after him 894 00:51:33,760 --> 00:51:36,640 Speaker 1: and we're like, Biden is a liar, this isn't true. 895 00:51:36,719 --> 00:51:39,880 Speaker 1: We don't want to cut social security. Here's Ron and 896 00:51:40,000 --> 00:51:43,759 Speaker 1: Non saying that social Security is a Ponzi scheme, and 897 00:51:43,880 --> 00:51:49,200 Speaker 1: for that, that is our moment of fuy. That's it 898 00:51:49,400 --> 00:51:53,000 Speaker 1: for this episode of Fast Politics. Tune in every Monday, 899 00:51:53,000 --> 00:51:56,120 Speaker 1: Wednesday and Friday to hear the best minds in politics 900 00:51:56,120 --> 00:51:59,200 Speaker 1: makes sense of all this chaos. If you enjoyed what 901 00:51:59,239 --> 00:52:01,879 Speaker 1: you've heard, please send it to a friend and keep 902 00:52:01,920 --> 00:52:08,880 Speaker 1: the conversation going. And again, thanks for listening. M HM.