1 00:00:00,200 --> 00:00:03,400 Speaker 1: Native Lampod is a production of iHeartRadio in partnership with 2 00:00:03,480 --> 00:00:10,320 Speaker 1: Reason Choice Media. Welcome Welcome, Welcome, Welcome, Welcome, Welcome home, y'all, 3 00:00:10,400 --> 00:00:13,240 Speaker 1: This is Angela Rai, your host today for this solo 4 00:00:13,320 --> 00:00:18,480 Speaker 1: pod for Native Lampod. This week has been filled with 5 00:00:18,600 --> 00:00:22,279 Speaker 1: news updates all over the country. I think one of 6 00:00:22,320 --> 00:00:26,120 Speaker 1: the most alarming ones I learned on the plane as 7 00:00:26,160 --> 00:00:29,120 Speaker 1: I was headed to New York. We learned of the 8 00:00:29,160 --> 00:00:32,960 Speaker 1: passing of Senator Lindsay Graham. And one of the things 9 00:00:32,960 --> 00:00:36,600 Speaker 1: that I think has been fascinating is seventy one years old, 10 00:00:36,600 --> 00:00:39,960 Speaker 1: in relatively good health, but folks have been talking about 11 00:00:40,080 --> 00:00:45,200 Speaker 1: being suspecting that there was some something, a foul, something 12 00:00:45,320 --> 00:00:48,600 Speaker 1: that did not go as originally intended. Many of you 13 00:00:48,640 --> 00:00:51,640 Speaker 1: all know he was honitored to Ukraine and the very 14 00:00:51,680 --> 00:00:56,080 Speaker 1: next day after coming back from Ukraine, he suddenly passed 15 00:00:56,120 --> 00:01:00,760 Speaker 1: after having a brief illness. This particular set is from 16 00:01:00,800 --> 00:01:04,200 Speaker 1: Senator John Cornan, who had this to say about what 17 00:01:04,240 --> 00:01:06,360 Speaker 1: the next step should be in determining the cause of 18 00:01:06,360 --> 00:01:07,679 Speaker 1: debt for Senator Graham. 19 00:01:07,800 --> 00:01:11,880 Speaker 2: Well, I think we need some transparency. I wish Satah 20 00:01:11,920 --> 00:01:16,280 Speaker 2: macconaga Is could even have done that earlier. I think 21 00:01:16,280 --> 00:01:20,280 Speaker 2: it would have resolved a lot of questions considered Graham's case. 22 00:01:20,319 --> 00:01:23,440 Speaker 2: We'll just have to wait for the toxicology tests and 23 00:01:23,480 --> 00:01:26,640 Speaker 2: the like. You know, I saw the initial diagnosis of 24 00:01:26,720 --> 00:01:31,840 Speaker 2: a dissected a order, which is terrible. I mean, obviously 25 00:01:31,880 --> 00:01:37,160 Speaker 2: that could cause his death. But given where he was 26 00:01:37,760 --> 00:01:40,480 Speaker 2: and the sorts of things he was advocating for, I 27 00:01:40,520 --> 00:01:44,280 Speaker 2: think we just start to resolve all those questions by 28 00:01:45,080 --> 00:01:48,360 Speaker 2: seeing what the toxicology reports show. You're concerned he was 29 00:01:48,360 --> 00:01:51,560 Speaker 2: poisoned Wednesday, Graham or as a precaution, I'm just saying 30 00:01:51,600 --> 00:01:56,640 Speaker 2: the needs of toxicology tests to rule out any bowel play. 31 00:01:56,840 --> 00:01:59,320 Speaker 2: You know that he was being treated for part disease. 32 00:01:59,600 --> 00:02:02,960 Speaker 2: I did not know that. No, he seemed otherwise pretty 33 00:02:03,000 --> 00:02:03,520 Speaker 2: healthy to me. 34 00:02:04,120 --> 00:02:07,520 Speaker 1: What Senator John Cornyn was saying, essentially is he's not 35 00:02:07,680 --> 00:02:10,600 Speaker 1: willing to say that Lindsay Graham was poisoned, but he 36 00:02:10,639 --> 00:02:13,239 Speaker 1: also wants to see a toxicology report to determine the 37 00:02:13,280 --> 00:02:16,000 Speaker 1: cause of death. But I think it's important to understand 38 00:02:16,440 --> 00:02:20,239 Speaker 1: in this particular hour is Lindsey Graham was a very 39 00:02:20,360 --> 00:02:26,320 Speaker 1: loyal Trump supporter, very loyal Trump acolyte, and as you 40 00:02:26,440 --> 00:02:31,840 Speaker 1: consider next steps. It's worth noting that Donald I mean, 41 00:02:32,280 --> 00:02:36,520 Speaker 1: the governor of South Carolina, has the ability to appoint 42 00:02:37,040 --> 00:02:41,480 Speaker 1: someone in his place after his passing. Lindsay Graham's sister 43 00:02:41,520 --> 00:02:43,839 Speaker 1: will become that next appointment. And so as we look 44 00:02:43,919 --> 00:02:47,760 Speaker 1: at what is becoming a swift consolidation of power for 45 00:02:47,840 --> 00:02:50,560 Speaker 1: the Trump administration, what we know is that Lindsay Graham's 46 00:02:50,560 --> 00:02:53,960 Speaker 1: sister is not likely to be someone who will challenge 47 00:02:54,240 --> 00:02:58,679 Speaker 1: that attempt and consolidating power. Next thing that I really 48 00:02:58,680 --> 00:03:03,600 Speaker 1: want to cover is is what is happening with Todd Blanche. 49 00:03:03,840 --> 00:03:05,800 Speaker 1: You all know he's the number two at the Department 50 00:03:05,800 --> 00:03:09,400 Speaker 1: of Justice. He is supposed to be going through a 51 00:03:09,440 --> 00:03:12,639 Speaker 1: confirmation hearing tomorrow in the United States Senate. There's been 52 00:03:12,639 --> 00:03:16,680 Speaker 1: an explosive report coming out of the New York Times 53 00:03:17,040 --> 00:03:20,320 Speaker 1: talking about the many ways in which Todd Blanche has 54 00:03:20,360 --> 00:03:24,679 Speaker 1: been a driving force in Donald Trump's get back campaign 55 00:03:25,440 --> 00:03:29,680 Speaker 1: retribution campaign, making sure that every single person that has 56 00:03:29,840 --> 00:03:33,200 Speaker 1: challenged Trump and his power his authority, has tried to 57 00:03:33,200 --> 00:03:36,640 Speaker 1: hold him accountable, faces some type of consequence. And this 58 00:03:36,720 --> 00:03:39,080 Speaker 1: report is just coming out today, of course, the day 59 00:03:39,160 --> 00:03:44,600 Speaker 1: before Todd Blanche is scheduled to be before the United 60 00:03:44,600 --> 00:03:47,520 Speaker 1: States Senate to talk about how he will run the 61 00:03:47,520 --> 00:03:53,000 Speaker 1: Department of Justice since Pam Bondi's departure. Now, what I 62 00:03:53,000 --> 00:03:56,960 Speaker 1: think is important to know here is again this is 63 00:03:57,240 --> 00:04:00,600 Speaker 1: another reflection of what it means to have a cabinet. 64 00:04:00,640 --> 00:04:03,680 Speaker 1: These are people who are willing to be yes men, 65 00:04:03,800 --> 00:04:06,800 Speaker 1: yes women, yes people, at whatever the cost might be. 66 00:04:07,280 --> 00:04:10,840 Speaker 1: And Todd blanch is certainly no different. He ran his 67 00:04:11,000 --> 00:04:14,000 Speaker 1: particular division at DOJ, being the number two, as someone 68 00:04:14,240 --> 00:04:17,279 Speaker 1: who would do whatever Donald Trump says, whatever is in 69 00:04:17,320 --> 00:04:20,520 Speaker 1: the best interest of Donald Trump, country be damned. And 70 00:04:20,600 --> 00:04:23,200 Speaker 1: so next, this is something that I also think is 71 00:04:23,279 --> 00:04:26,520 Speaker 1: very important to put on y'all's radar, and that is 72 00:04:26,760 --> 00:04:30,720 Speaker 1: what is happening with the Election Assistance Commission. Y'all, All 73 00:04:30,720 --> 00:04:33,520 Speaker 1: of these things go together, they are not separate. So 74 00:04:33,560 --> 00:04:37,120 Speaker 1: when we talk about what is happening before the country, 75 00:04:37,200 --> 00:04:40,240 Speaker 1: right now, before our own very eyes, without a lot 76 00:04:40,279 --> 00:04:42,760 Speaker 1: of challenge, with the help of the Supreme Court, with 77 00:04:42,880 --> 00:04:45,600 Speaker 1: the help of the legislative branch, because they're not passing 78 00:04:45,680 --> 00:04:49,960 Speaker 1: legislation to curtail or restraining his power, they're actually doing 79 00:04:50,000 --> 00:04:52,400 Speaker 1: things to ensure that he has even greater power. So 80 00:04:52,440 --> 00:04:58,200 Speaker 1: when we look at this Election Assistance Commission headline, we 81 00:04:58,279 --> 00:05:01,800 Speaker 1: see that we have another problem on our hands. So 82 00:05:01,880 --> 00:05:05,280 Speaker 1: this headline for NPR says, President Trump clean's house at 83 00:05:05,279 --> 00:05:10,680 Speaker 1: the Bipartisan Election Assistance Commission. Why should you care? Well, 84 00:05:10,760 --> 00:05:15,360 Speaker 1: this is, of course midterms coming up in November. We 85 00:05:15,400 --> 00:05:18,119 Speaker 1: know that they're expected to be highly contentious, that people 86 00:05:18,120 --> 00:05:20,160 Speaker 1: are ready to turn out at record numbers because of 87 00:05:20,200 --> 00:05:22,120 Speaker 1: all that is going out and going on in the country. 88 00:05:22,200 --> 00:05:25,839 Speaker 1: Right now, here's the thing. If he gets rid of 89 00:05:25,880 --> 00:05:30,159 Speaker 1: the entity that is ensuring that states have to follow 90 00:05:30,200 --> 00:05:34,520 Speaker 1: certain rules that you know, people's vote counts, votes count, 91 00:05:34,640 --> 00:05:37,680 Speaker 1: all of those things, we have a major problem if 92 00:05:37,760 --> 00:05:40,440 Speaker 1: he is so one. If the only Republican on the 93 00:05:40,440 --> 00:05:47,320 Speaker 1: commission resigned, he fired the two remaining Democratic members. And 94 00:05:47,440 --> 00:05:50,720 Speaker 1: now what we know is based on some of the 95 00:05:50,760 --> 00:05:54,160 Speaker 1: Supreme Court rulings, it's not likely that he would be 96 00:05:55,120 --> 00:05:58,840 Speaker 1: prevented from firing these particular commissioners. With the Supreme Court 97 00:05:58,960 --> 00:06:02,720 Speaker 1: recently ruled in the case regarding Lisa Cook is that 98 00:06:02,760 --> 00:06:07,200 Speaker 1: the Federal Reserve was a separate entity that based on 99 00:06:07,240 --> 00:06:10,000 Speaker 1: its history, you know, Donald Trump couldn't fire them, but 100 00:06:10,040 --> 00:06:12,839 Speaker 1: they said he could do it. With the Federal Trade Commission, 101 00:06:13,000 --> 00:06:17,040 Speaker 1: so they are likely to see the Election Assistance Commission 102 00:06:17,080 --> 00:06:20,080 Speaker 1: in the same way. This is on the heels of 103 00:06:20,160 --> 00:06:24,600 Speaker 1: the Department of Justice rating different entities that have been 104 00:06:24,680 --> 00:06:27,880 Speaker 1: responsible for helping to ensure people have access to the 105 00:06:27,920 --> 00:06:32,040 Speaker 1: ballot box. This is on the other side of the 106 00:06:32,120 --> 00:06:37,080 Speaker 1: FBI going into states like Georgia, particularly Fulton County, demanding 107 00:06:37,520 --> 00:06:41,119 Speaker 1: voting records, demanding to see how people voted in twenty 108 00:06:41,120 --> 00:06:44,840 Speaker 1: twenty and twenty twenty four. All of this after they 109 00:06:44,880 --> 00:06:48,520 Speaker 1: said that ICE would be outside of voting locations. Well, 110 00:06:48,520 --> 00:06:51,400 Speaker 1: this is voter intimidation. If some people, even if they 111 00:06:51,440 --> 00:06:55,120 Speaker 1: are legal citizens, have their proper paper, but if they 112 00:06:55,160 --> 00:06:57,279 Speaker 1: feel like they could be subject to the same types 113 00:06:57,320 --> 00:07:00,640 Speaker 1: of harm that ICE is engaged in. Even with citizens 114 00:07:00,680 --> 00:07:04,080 Speaker 1: ICE having killed two people within the last seven days, 115 00:07:04,640 --> 00:07:06,880 Speaker 1: certainly they would be a little afraid to turn out. 116 00:07:07,160 --> 00:07:10,640 Speaker 1: So Donald Trump now is gutting the Election Assistance Commission 117 00:07:11,000 --> 00:07:14,200 Speaker 1: and the Department of Justice. I don't know if you 118 00:07:14,240 --> 00:07:16,760 Speaker 1: also have the recent picture. Hermi Dillon, of course is 119 00:07:16,760 --> 00:07:20,000 Speaker 1: the Civil Rights Division lead. But they just ushered in 120 00:07:20,040 --> 00:07:22,440 Speaker 1: a whole new class of attorneys. Very few of them 121 00:07:22,720 --> 00:07:25,360 Speaker 1: look like a rainbow coalition. Very few of them represent 122 00:07:25,560 --> 00:07:31,360 Speaker 1: the diversity of this country. It is overwhelmingly, it's overwhelmingly 123 00:07:32,200 --> 00:07:36,320 Speaker 1: overwhelmingly a white civil rights division at DJ. And this 124 00:07:36,400 --> 00:07:41,640 Speaker 1: DOJ is pursuing on all sides, trying to figure out 125 00:07:41,720 --> 00:07:46,400 Speaker 1: ways to stop our ability, to restrain our ability to vote, 126 00:07:46,560 --> 00:07:49,600 Speaker 1: and to restrain our ability to vote fairly. This is 127 00:07:49,600 --> 00:07:52,239 Speaker 1: a news clip of Hermie Dilan our News Nation recently 128 00:07:52,480 --> 00:07:54,200 Speaker 1: with this to say about elections. 129 00:07:54,680 --> 00:07:56,720 Speaker 3: So Rights Division announced to that that they will have 130 00:07:57,320 --> 00:08:01,160 Speaker 3: monitors at election sites and no as the internal elections 131 00:08:01,160 --> 00:08:03,560 Speaker 3: come out. This is a normal process that every Department 132 00:08:03,560 --> 00:08:08,280 Speaker 3: of Justice does. However, election integrity is something that voters 133 00:08:08,320 --> 00:08:10,720 Speaker 3: really care about. And so what is DOJ doing to 134 00:08:10,840 --> 00:08:14,880 Speaker 3: ensure that the vote voting booth is a place of integrity. 135 00:08:14,360 --> 00:08:16,280 Speaker 4: In the comb Well, it's a great question. So we 136 00:08:16,360 --> 00:08:18,600 Speaker 4: haven't rolled out where we're doing it in November, but 137 00:08:18,680 --> 00:08:21,240 Speaker 4: today we announced the last few days we sent letters. 138 00:08:21,280 --> 00:08:23,640 Speaker 4: We announced today that we're doing it in the upcoming 139 00:08:23,680 --> 00:08:27,880 Speaker 4: primaries in sixth states. So we're looking at a specific 140 00:08:28,120 --> 00:08:35,000 Speaker 4: problem hotspots in Arizona, in Massachusetts, Maine, Minnesota, New Hampshire, 141 00:08:35,040 --> 00:08:37,920 Speaker 4: and Virginia. And this is all in places where there 142 00:08:37,920 --> 00:08:42,400 Speaker 4: have been election monitors before. You see the Attorney General 143 00:08:42,440 --> 00:08:45,640 Speaker 4: in Michigan, her hair is on fire at the allegation 144 00:08:45,760 --> 00:08:48,480 Speaker 4: that there have been some irregularities, but there are regularities 145 00:08:48,480 --> 00:08:51,480 Speaker 4: in the last few elections as well, and when President 146 00:08:51,520 --> 00:08:56,000 Speaker 4: Biden's DOJ sent monitors there. It's incredibly important that all 147 00:08:56,000 --> 00:08:58,960 Speaker 4: Americans who are entitled to vote go out and vote, 148 00:08:59,000 --> 00:09:01,800 Speaker 4: and frankly for that, given the irregularities we've seen in 149 00:09:01,840 --> 00:09:05,199 Speaker 4: elections year after year, DOJ has sent monitors for decades, 150 00:09:05,240 --> 00:09:07,320 Speaker 4: and so this is normal. You're going to see a 151 00:09:07,400 --> 00:09:09,400 Speaker 4: much more expanded than what I just said in the 152 00:09:09,800 --> 00:09:12,640 Speaker 4: general election their places all over the country. I want 153 00:09:12,640 --> 00:09:15,840 Speaker 4: every American to vote who's entitled to only vote once 154 00:09:16,240 --> 00:09:18,599 Speaker 4: and then feel comfortable and believe in the outcome of 155 00:09:18,640 --> 00:09:21,880 Speaker 4: those elections. So stay tuned for more developments on the 156 00:09:21,960 --> 00:09:22,520 Speaker 4: voting rights. 157 00:09:23,400 --> 00:09:26,880 Speaker 1: Okay, so y'all, we're gon we're going to end this 158 00:09:27,679 --> 00:09:30,160 Speaker 1: early because I'm having some connectivity issues. But you get 159 00:09:30,160 --> 00:09:34,360 Speaker 1: the gist. The consolidation of power is something that is 160 00:09:34,400 --> 00:09:36,920 Speaker 1: real and we're seeing it on every side. From Donald 161 00:09:36,920 --> 00:09:40,880 Speaker 1: Trump's interest in firing commissioners that have different responsibilities to 162 00:09:41,200 --> 00:09:45,439 Speaker 1: this Election Assistance Commission firing right before midterms is highly 163 00:09:45,520 --> 00:09:50,800 Speaker 1: dangerous to appoint Todd blanche as the next DOJ Attorney general. 164 00:09:51,000 --> 00:09:54,199 Speaker 1: This nation's attorney general is highly problematic because it's focus 165 00:09:54,240 --> 00:09:58,520 Speaker 1: is on ensuring that Donald Trump is able to punish 166 00:09:58,600 --> 00:10:03,000 Speaker 1: his political rivals and enemy. We understand that even with 167 00:10:03,120 --> 00:10:06,640 Speaker 1: Lindsay Graham's passing, part of what that would have afforded 168 00:10:06,960 --> 00:10:09,720 Speaker 1: this country is someone who would be willing to push 169 00:10:09,760 --> 00:10:12,800 Speaker 1: back against Donald Trump. We all remember Lindsey Graham when 170 00:10:12,800 --> 00:10:14,920 Speaker 1: he was willing to push back against Donald Trump. We 171 00:10:14,920 --> 00:10:18,080 Speaker 1: all remember when he was willing to challenge him, and 172 00:10:18,120 --> 00:10:21,400 Speaker 1: then there was like a sudden shift like so many others, 173 00:10:21,400 --> 00:10:24,880 Speaker 1: including like Ted Cruz. So what needs to happen is 174 00:10:24,920 --> 00:10:28,920 Speaker 1: that there's someone who is put in those seats elected 175 00:10:28,960 --> 00:10:33,080 Speaker 1: by voters, who will ensure that they say not on 176 00:10:33,160 --> 00:10:35,800 Speaker 1: our watch. This to not be a partisan issue, y'all. 177 00:10:36,160 --> 00:10:39,960 Speaker 1: This should be bipartisan and in fact nonpartisan. You want 178 00:10:40,360 --> 00:10:44,120 Speaker 1: texts and balances across the board in every branch of 179 00:10:44,160 --> 00:10:51,400 Speaker 1: government and in those instances, in those instances when people say, 180 00:10:51,559 --> 00:10:53,839 Speaker 1: you know what we're going to do, whatever this man says, 181 00:10:53,880 --> 00:10:57,040 Speaker 1: whatever the commander in chief says, without any second guessing, 182 00:10:57,320 --> 00:11:01,360 Speaker 1: without any question at all, that is where the problem lies. 183 00:11:02,200 --> 00:11:05,160 Speaker 1: So what we don't want is to just turn over 184 00:11:05,240 --> 00:11:08,480 Speaker 1: this country all of its keys, all of the power, 185 00:11:08,640 --> 00:11:10,760 Speaker 1: the all of the power that exists and should be 186 00:11:10,840 --> 00:11:14,040 Speaker 1: in our hands as the people. We should not willfully 187 00:11:14,080 --> 00:11:16,800 Speaker 1: turn that over to the president. He needs to be challenged. 188 00:11:17,040 --> 00:11:19,440 Speaker 1: He needs to appoint people who represent the best of 189 00:11:19,440 --> 00:11:22,760 Speaker 1: this country and the best interests of this country. And 190 00:11:22,800 --> 00:11:26,880 Speaker 1: that can't be done with United States senators, members of Congress, 191 00:11:27,120 --> 00:11:30,480 Speaker 1: and a Supreme Court, and even the folks in his 192 00:11:30,600 --> 00:11:35,640 Speaker 1: cabinet completely unwilling to challenge him in his ignorance, completely 193 00:11:35,720 --> 00:11:40,680 Speaker 1: unwilling to challenge him on his power, on his abusive power, 194 00:11:40,920 --> 00:11:45,600 Speaker 1: on violating the Monuments Clause, on being just just an 195 00:11:45,640 --> 00:11:50,080 Speaker 1: inappropriate human being, and a piss poor representation of what 196 00:11:50,160 --> 00:11:54,560 Speaker 1: this country should be about. That is what we're up 197 00:11:54,559 --> 00:11:56,600 Speaker 1: against in this moment. I hope you all can hear 198 00:11:56,679 --> 00:12:00,400 Speaker 1: me as as as my as my internet in and 199 00:12:00,400 --> 00:12:03,240 Speaker 1: out again. Hopefully heard that last part. But I just 200 00:12:03,400 --> 00:12:06,320 Speaker 1: want to impress upon you all to pay attention to 201 00:12:06,360 --> 00:12:08,880 Speaker 1: the consolidation of power if they're just so happen to 202 00:12:08,920 --> 00:12:12,360 Speaker 1: be an independent Republican, a Green Party member, a libertarian 203 00:12:12,440 --> 00:12:14,640 Speaker 1: listening to this, I hope that you will at least 204 00:12:14,960 --> 00:12:19,720 Speaker 1: concede the point that no individual in power is worth 205 00:12:19,920 --> 00:12:24,079 Speaker 1: yielding all of your power too. That is not democracy, 206 00:12:24,240 --> 00:12:26,120 Speaker 1: and that is what we should be priding to protect. 207 00:12:26,400 --> 00:12:42,120 Speaker 1: Look of on y'all. Native Lampard is a production of 208 00:12:42,160 --> 00:12:45,520 Speaker 1: iHeart Radio and partnership with Reason Choice Media. For more 209 00:12:45,559 --> 00:12:49,480 Speaker 1: podcasts from iHeartRadio, visits iHeartRadio app, Apple Podcasts, or wherever 210 00:12:49,520 --> 00:12:51,280 Speaker 1: you listen to your favorite shows.