1 00:00:00,280 --> 00:00:06,200 Speaker 1: If Donald Trump can threaten and silence Taylor Swift, then 2 00:00:06,240 --> 00:00:09,120 Speaker 1: he can do it to anybody. It's the last day 3 00:00:09,119 --> 00:00:13,840 Speaker 1: of January twenty twenty four, and this is today's warning. 4 00:00:14,960 --> 00:00:20,040 Speaker 1: There are two storylines converging today in MAGA America. Let's 5 00:00:20,040 --> 00:00:24,400 Speaker 1: get right to it. Rolling Stone reports that Donald Trump's 6 00:00:24,400 --> 00:00:30,639 Speaker 1: top lieutenants are preparing quote holy war end quote against 7 00:00:30,680 --> 00:00:34,960 Speaker 1: Taylor Swift, if the pop superstar should dare do what 8 00:00:35,080 --> 00:00:40,599 Speaker 1: she did in twenty twenty and oppose Donald Trump. We 9 00:00:40,680 --> 00:00:44,360 Speaker 1: talk often on this platform about the coming era of 10 00:00:44,440 --> 00:00:51,000 Speaker 1: retribution politics, the punishment era that Trump keeps promising. This 11 00:00:51,040 --> 00:00:55,280 Speaker 1: is what it looks like. It's important to understand something 12 00:00:55,840 --> 00:01:01,480 Speaker 1: about Taylor Swift. Taylor Swift is in a Maria, and 13 00:01:01,560 --> 00:01:07,920 Speaker 1: her right to participate, to speak, to right to think, 14 00:01:08,800 --> 00:01:14,680 Speaker 1: to assert her viewpoints and express her conscience are God given. 15 00:01:15,680 --> 00:01:20,520 Speaker 1: There is nothing that is more un American than the 16 00:01:20,800 --> 00:01:28,479 Speaker 1: concept of punishment for political opposition and dissent. It is 17 00:01:28,680 --> 00:01:39,320 Speaker 1: a cornerstone of American life that freedom requires choice, dissent 18 00:01:39,800 --> 00:01:43,240 Speaker 1: is necessary, and it is embedded in the fabric in 19 00:01:43,280 --> 00:01:49,680 Speaker 1: the DNA of the country. What we are seeing is thuggery. 20 00:01:49,800 --> 00:01:54,000 Speaker 1: This is not worthy of an American president or of 21 00:01:54,040 --> 00:01:58,360 Speaker 1: the United States. This is the type of behavior that 22 00:01:58,440 --> 00:02:05,400 Speaker 1: you expect in third world thugocracies. It is banana republicanism, 23 00:02:05,680 --> 00:02:10,280 Speaker 1: and it is the spine of Donald Trump's core message 24 00:02:10,520 --> 00:02:14,280 Speaker 1: that if you oppose him, you will be punished, that 25 00:02:14,400 --> 00:02:17,520 Speaker 1: if you stand up, he will seek retribution against you, 26 00:02:18,400 --> 00:02:21,160 Speaker 1: that he will employ all the levers of the state, 27 00:02:21,800 --> 00:02:26,400 Speaker 1: it's taxing authorities, it's military, to do whatever he can 28 00:02:26,480 --> 00:02:31,040 Speaker 1: do to assert his power, take as much as he can, 29 00:02:31,520 --> 00:02:35,520 Speaker 1: and anybody who gets in his way will be rolled over. 30 00:02:36,480 --> 00:02:39,799 Speaker 1: And there is something else implicit in the attacks and 31 00:02:39,880 --> 00:02:45,040 Speaker 1: the threats against Taylor Swift, which is this, if Donald 32 00:02:45,120 --> 00:02:50,760 Speaker 1: Trump can threaten and silence Taylor Swift, then he can 33 00:02:50,800 --> 00:02:57,000 Speaker 1: do it to anybody. There's also something else important to note. 34 00:02:57,360 --> 00:03:03,760 Speaker 1: Trump rallies team with violence US and menace and nastiness. 35 00:03:04,480 --> 00:03:08,519 Speaker 1: Let's watch a few golden moments. We didn't move board together. 36 00:03:08,680 --> 00:03:11,440 Speaker 2: They screaming led to pushing and shoving as pro Trump 37 00:03:11,520 --> 00:03:15,000 Speaker 2: supporters and protesters got in each other's faces outside of 38 00:03:15,080 --> 00:03:16,120 Speaker 2: the Anaheim Arena. 39 00:03:16,280 --> 00:03:18,000 Speaker 1: Written by a nice reporter. Now the poor guy, you 40 00:03:18,040 --> 00:03:20,760 Speaker 1: gotta see this guy. Oh, I don't know what I said. Oh, 41 00:03:20,840 --> 00:03:23,240 Speaker 1: I don't remember. We're winning all over it? Do I 42 00:03:23,280 --> 00:03:24,320 Speaker 1: hear somebody over there? 43 00:03:24,800 --> 00:03:25,040 Speaker 2: All right? 44 00:03:25,160 --> 00:03:26,919 Speaker 1: You get him the hell out of here with you, plase, 45 00:03:29,160 --> 00:03:32,600 Speaker 1: get him out of here, throw them out. A Taylor 46 00:03:32,639 --> 00:03:37,400 Speaker 1: Swift concert is exactly the opposite. I went to one 47 00:03:37,480 --> 00:03:39,760 Speaker 1: this past summer with my eleven year old daughter, and 48 00:03:39,800 --> 00:03:44,680 Speaker 1: it was an astonishing experience. Eighty five thousand people jammed 49 00:03:44,680 --> 00:03:48,600 Speaker 1: into a stadium, most of them women, a lot of 50 00:03:48,600 --> 00:03:53,000 Speaker 1: them young women, handing out friendship bracelets to one another, 51 00:03:53,560 --> 00:03:58,000 Speaker 1: complimenting each other. What existed, at least for a few 52 00:03:58,160 --> 00:04:05,720 Speaker 1: hours during that concert was a culture of decency, kindness, 53 00:04:06,280 --> 00:04:10,880 Speaker 1: not a laboratory of cruelty like a Trump rally. A 54 00:04:10,960 --> 00:04:18,599 Speaker 1: Taylor Swift concert is the antithesis culturally of the menacing 55 00:04:18,720 --> 00:04:23,560 Speaker 1: mob that assaulted American freedom on January sixth of twenty 56 00:04:23,640 --> 00:04:28,800 Speaker 1: twenty one. It is the exact opposite of the insults 57 00:04:28,920 --> 00:04:32,640 Speaker 1: and the bullying, and the cruelty and the insanity in 58 00:04:32,800 --> 00:04:36,800 Speaker 1: all of the nonsense that can be found at a 59 00:04:36,839 --> 00:04:42,800 Speaker 1: Trump rally. And so it makes perfect sense why decency 60 00:04:43,320 --> 00:04:48,599 Speaker 1: has been targeted by cruelty and why Taylor Swift has 61 00:04:48,680 --> 00:04:54,680 Speaker 1: become enemy number one of the crazed Maga movement. Now 62 00:04:55,440 --> 00:05:00,599 Speaker 1: there are crackpots like vvak Ramaswami who now are saying 63 00:05:01,080 --> 00:05:05,719 Speaker 1: that the super Bowl, the Kansas City Chief's place in it, 64 00:05:05,760 --> 00:05:10,040 Speaker 1: is all part of a grand conspiracy, that the love 65 00:05:10,160 --> 00:05:13,760 Speaker 1: between Taylor Swift and Travis Kelsey is in fact a 66 00:05:13,800 --> 00:05:18,960 Speaker 1: conspiracy at the hands of the Biden crime family to 67 00:05:19,080 --> 00:05:24,359 Speaker 1: take power by somehow awakening the mob in America to 68 00:05:24,480 --> 00:05:28,359 Speaker 1: do what exactly, who knows. It's an interesting aside to 69 00:05:28,440 --> 00:05:33,400 Speaker 1: all of this that another Maga appendage, the Army of 70 00:05:33,440 --> 00:05:39,320 Speaker 1: God Trucker Convoy, has completely dissipated and unraveled under the 71 00:05:39,360 --> 00:05:44,800 Speaker 1: devouring weight of its own conspiracies, turning on themselves. It 72 00:05:44,880 --> 00:05:48,599 Speaker 1: turns out the Army of God has melted away because 73 00:05:48,600 --> 00:05:51,680 Speaker 1: they're worried that the Army of God Trucker Convoy could 74 00:05:51,720 --> 00:05:56,640 Speaker 1: in fact be a deep state plot to ensnare all 75 00:05:56,720 --> 00:06:00,240 Speaker 1: of the soldiers who were going in their trucks to 76 00:06:00,360 --> 00:06:06,400 Speaker 1: the Texas border. Crazy is as crazy does, but the 77 00:06:06,520 --> 00:06:11,960 Speaker 1: danger should not be underestimated. Taylor Swift is being targeted 78 00:06:12,960 --> 00:06:17,320 Speaker 1: because she has a big platform, and she influences a 79 00:06:17,320 --> 00:06:22,799 Speaker 1: lot of people, and she influences them in a positive direction. 80 00:06:24,240 --> 00:06:28,640 Speaker 1: She has no apparent animosity for anybody. She doesn't want 81 00:06:28,680 --> 00:06:35,240 Speaker 1: to inflict punishment on anybody. Four years ago, she said, 82 00:06:35,680 --> 00:06:39,920 Speaker 1: I support Joe Biden, which is her right to do. 83 00:06:41,040 --> 00:06:43,800 Speaker 1: The idea that a political party and a movement and 84 00:06:43,839 --> 00:06:48,159 Speaker 1: its chief lieutenants and targets would target one of America's 85 00:06:48,160 --> 00:06:54,480 Speaker 1: biggest musicians for daring to speak is a fundamental misunderstanding 86 00:06:54,680 --> 00:07:00,360 Speaker 1: of the role of the artist in American society. John 87 00:07:00,480 --> 00:07:04,320 Speaker 1: Kennedy understood it very well. I'm going to leave you 88 00:07:04,360 --> 00:07:07,760 Speaker 1: with an excerpt from a speech about it. He gave 89 00:07:07,839 --> 00:07:12,400 Speaker 1: this in Amherst College in October of nineteen sixty three. 90 00:07:13,480 --> 00:07:18,280 Speaker 1: It was the last major address before his assassination, and 91 00:07:18,320 --> 00:07:22,280 Speaker 1: it is perfectly clear about the role of the artist 92 00:07:22,760 --> 00:07:29,720 Speaker 1: in American society. And it explains absolutely why the magalloons 93 00:07:30,480 --> 00:07:36,080 Speaker 1: conceive of Taylor Swift as such a threat. Let's watch 94 00:07:36,160 --> 00:07:39,760 Speaker 1: John Kennedy explain it like only he could. 95 00:07:40,520 --> 00:07:44,360 Speaker 3: I look forward to an America which will reward achievement 96 00:07:44,400 --> 00:07:48,960 Speaker 3: in the art as we reward achievement in business or 97 00:07:49,040 --> 00:07:54,000 Speaker 3: state craft. I look forward to an America which will. 98 00:07:53,800 --> 00:07:59,240 Speaker 2: Steadily raise the standards of artistic accomplishment, and which will 99 00:07:59,240 --> 00:08:03,880 Speaker 2: steadily in law cultural opportunities for all of our citizens. 100 00:08:04,720 --> 00:08:11,840 Speaker 1: Yesterday in Levittown, Pennsylvania, young Justin Mohne released a YouTube video. 101 00:08:12,840 --> 00:08:16,240 Speaker 1: Here's what he had to say. The federal government of 102 00:08:16,280 --> 00:08:22,320 Speaker 1: America has declared war on America's citizens and the American States. 103 00:08:22,880 --> 00:08:26,520 Speaker 1: America is rotting from the inside out as far as 104 00:08:26,560 --> 00:08:31,680 Speaker 1: left woke mobs rampage our once prosperous cities, turning them 105 00:08:31,680 --> 00:08:36,360 Speaker 1: into lawless zones. Taxpayer dollars are printed and used for 106 00:08:36,440 --> 00:08:40,440 Speaker 1: anything but the taxpayers, with little to no accountability, which 107 00:08:40,480 --> 00:08:44,720 Speaker 1: has inflated the economy to near destruction and has made 108 00:08:44,760 --> 00:08:49,640 Speaker 1: it so most Americans can no longer afford the American dream. 109 00:08:50,920 --> 00:08:55,400 Speaker 1: Justin then lifted up a plastic bag with his father's 110 00:08:55,840 --> 00:08:59,840 Speaker 1: severed head in it, and he continued, this is the 111 00:08:59,880 --> 00:09:05,920 Speaker 1: head of Mike Mohan, a federal employee of over twenty years, 112 00:09:06,600 --> 00:09:12,280 Speaker 1: and my father he is now in hell for eternity 113 00:09:12,960 --> 00:09:18,560 Speaker 1: as a traitor to his country. Well, we can say 114 00:09:18,600 --> 00:09:23,840 Speaker 1: this for Justin Mohan. He certainly has the MAGA talking 115 00:09:23,920 --> 00:09:33,240 Speaker 1: points down perfectly. Congratulations to MAGA, to Donald Trump, Matt Gates, 116 00:09:33,320 --> 00:09:37,520 Speaker 1: Marjorie Taylor Green, and all the rest of the faithful 117 00:09:37,880 --> 00:09:43,239 Speaker 1: across the spectrum, from Fox News to OAM and Newsmax. 118 00:09:44,000 --> 00:09:48,280 Speaker 1: Your message hit its mark. Thank you for listening to 119 00:09:48,320 --> 00:09:52,120 Speaker 1: my political commentary. If you like what you heard today, 120 00:09:52,640 --> 00:09:58,440 Speaker 1: please also consider subscribing to The Warning daily newsletter on Substack. 121 00:09:58,840 --> 00:10:02,560 Speaker 1: Our democracy hangs in the balance. The twenty twenty four 122 00:10:02,679 --> 00:10:07,559 Speaker 1: presidential election is the most consequential in America's history. It's 123 00:10:07,600 --> 00:10:11,560 Speaker 1: not hyperbole, it's a fact. That is why the mission 124 00:10:11,600 --> 00:10:14,800 Speaker 1: of The Warning with Steve Schmidt is to help readers 125 00:10:14,880 --> 00:10:18,800 Speaker 1: orient to the currents that are shaping our times and 126 00:10:18,880 --> 00:10:23,800 Speaker 1: the unseen forces driving politics that are very rarely discussed 127 00:10:24,280 --> 00:10:29,679 Speaker 1: on cable news. Please sign up at Steve Schmidt s T, E, 128 00:10:29,840 --> 00:10:33,600 Speaker 1: VE E, S C, H M I d T dot 129 00:10:33,679 --> 00:10:42,240 Speaker 1: substack dot com again Steve Schmidt dot substack dot com, 130 00:10:42,520 --> 00:10:45,240 Speaker 1: or at the link in the show notes section below. 131 00:10:45,600 --> 00:10:48,800 Speaker 1: Thank you to each and every one of you for 132 00:10:49,000 --> 00:10:50,480 Speaker 1: listening and watching.