1 00:00:00,360 --> 00:00:04,640 Speaker 1: Thanks for listening. For earlier access to these episodes, access 2 00:00:04,680 --> 00:00:08,160 Speaker 1: to Ask Me Anything sessions, and extended breakdowns of historical 3 00:00:08,160 --> 00:00:12,760 Speaker 1: and current events, Please consider joining our Warning Premium community 4 00:00:13,320 --> 00:00:16,920 Speaker 1: by clicking the link in the description to this episode. 5 00:00:17,120 --> 00:00:21,239 Speaker 1: Out of Spots Toy Poop. The first Republican Debate on 6 00:00:21,360 --> 00:00:26,599 Speaker 1: Fox News has reached its end. Thank goodness. What is 7 00:00:26,640 --> 00:00:31,480 Speaker 1: it that the American people just saw? It was a 8 00:00:31,600 --> 00:00:36,639 Speaker 1: surreal evening. Donald Trump is ahead in this race by 9 00:00:36,760 --> 00:00:40,320 Speaker 1: forty two points, but you wouldn't know it through the 10 00:00:40,360 --> 00:00:43,800 Speaker 1: conduct of a single candidate on the stage this evening. 11 00:00:44,880 --> 00:00:49,480 Speaker 1: None of them went after Donald Trump. Chris Christy did 12 00:00:50,000 --> 00:00:54,400 Speaker 1: kind of. He talked through the booze, he fought through it, 13 00:00:55,000 --> 00:00:58,680 Speaker 1: but he didn't lay a glove on Trump. Nobody made 14 00:00:58,760 --> 00:01:03,200 Speaker 1: the case against him. The most incredible moment of the debate, 15 00:01:03,680 --> 00:01:08,039 Speaker 1: by far is when the question is asked, if Donald 16 00:01:08,080 --> 00:01:11,560 Speaker 1: Trump is convicted, would you still support him as the 17 00:01:11,600 --> 00:01:18,400 Speaker 1: Republican nominee? Now, everybody raises their hands except for Asa 18 00:01:18,520 --> 00:01:25,240 Speaker 1: Hutchinson and Chris Christy. What's incredible about that is the pious, 19 00:01:25,680 --> 00:01:29,840 Speaker 1: squinty eyed performance of Mike Pence through the entire debate, 20 00:01:30,720 --> 00:01:35,240 Speaker 1: talking angrily at times about his love and his defense 21 00:01:35,319 --> 00:01:41,080 Speaker 1: of the Constitution. As MSNBC's medias un points out, at 22 00:01:41,160 --> 00:01:45,119 Speaker 1: the moment of crisis, what did Mike Pence do? He 23 00:01:45,160 --> 00:01:48,600 Speaker 1: called dan Quayle, and dan Quayle told him, what are 24 00:01:48,640 --> 00:01:52,120 Speaker 1: you talking about? Of course you have to certify the election. 25 00:01:53,520 --> 00:01:58,920 Speaker 1: Mike Pence would support demand that tried to hang him 26 00:01:59,240 --> 00:02:03,000 Speaker 1: if he was the publican nominee again, a man he 27 00:02:03,200 --> 00:02:09,800 Speaker 1: talks about as having asked him to betray his constitutional oath, which, 28 00:02:09,840 --> 00:02:17,280 Speaker 1: according to Mike Pence is everything. It is nonsensical. And 29 00:02:17,320 --> 00:02:23,320 Speaker 1: when I talk nonsensical, that's before we get to vvak Ramaswami. 30 00:02:24,280 --> 00:02:28,840 Speaker 1: There are no words. The thirty eight year old tech 31 00:02:28,919 --> 00:02:35,920 Speaker 1: pro demagogue, the millennial fame seeker. Boy, what a performance. 32 00:02:36,880 --> 00:02:41,359 Speaker 1: The first thing to understand about vvak Ramaswami is he's 33 00:02:41,400 --> 00:02:45,760 Speaker 1: a demagogue. He reminded me of Crazy Eddy, who was 34 00:02:45,800 --> 00:02:49,239 Speaker 1: in the electronic sales business in Central New Jersey where 35 00:02:49,280 --> 00:02:52,640 Speaker 1: I was growing up. He had a deal for everybody. 36 00:02:53,480 --> 00:02:56,400 Speaker 1: I think he went to prison for tax evasion. Eventually. 37 00:02:57,639 --> 00:03:04,800 Speaker 1: Vvak Ramaswami has no idea what he is talking about whatsoever. 38 00:03:04,600 --> 00:03:08,920 Speaker 2: At climate change policies than they are of actual climate 39 00:03:08,960 --> 00:03:12,000 Speaker 2: pitch and where you beating every is down by all 40 00:03:12,120 --> 00:03:14,360 Speaker 2: and was in the last sentence I said, listen, listen, 41 00:03:14,639 --> 00:03:16,920 Speaker 2: no wait, you know I don't have enough. 42 00:03:17,440 --> 00:03:21,240 Speaker 3: I had enough already tonight of a guy who sounds 43 00:03:21,280 --> 00:03:28,280 Speaker 3: like chat Gypt standing up with us. And the last 44 00:03:28,360 --> 00:03:30,639 Speaker 3: person in one of these debates bread who stood in 45 00:03:30,680 --> 00:03:33,480 Speaker 3: the middle of the stage and said, what's a skinny 46 00:03:33,520 --> 00:03:36,240 Speaker 3: guy with an odd last name doing up here? Was 47 00:03:36,280 --> 00:03:38,920 Speaker 3: Barack Obama. And I'm afraid we're dealing with the same 48 00:03:39,000 --> 00:03:40,400 Speaker 3: type of amateur sa. 49 00:03:40,440 --> 00:03:44,880 Speaker 2: Med say, Stevia, give me an id just like you 50 00:03:44,880 --> 00:03:47,760 Speaker 2: didn't all the SENSI average, and you'll help elect me 51 00:03:47,920 --> 00:03:50,920 Speaker 2: just like the same type of answer. 52 00:03:51,040 --> 00:03:55,480 Speaker 1: He is an uber, wealthy diletante who's trying on political 53 00:03:55,560 --> 00:04:02,760 Speaker 1: extremism for attention. He's a hutch. Seemed perfectly normal and 54 00:04:02,800 --> 00:04:06,839 Speaker 1: therefore has no chance in this MAGA movement. The North 55 00:04:06,920 --> 00:04:12,280 Speaker 1: Dakota governor seemed interesting, but every one of them, from 56 00:04:12,360 --> 00:04:16,360 Speaker 1: Nikky Haley on down, when the question the matter came, 57 00:04:17,680 --> 00:04:21,440 Speaker 1: they all raised their hands. Four more years of Trump. 58 00:04:21,480 --> 00:04:26,040 Speaker 1: In the end, there's no reason whatsoever why Donald Trump 59 00:04:26,040 --> 00:04:29,159 Speaker 1: will show up to the second debate. Why would he? 60 00:04:30,320 --> 00:04:35,000 Speaker 1: This is like a model Congress. It's not real. It's 61 00:04:35,080 --> 00:04:41,760 Speaker 1: pretend the champ isn't in the ring, and nobody laid 62 00:04:41,800 --> 00:04:46,960 Speaker 1: a glove on him tonight. What a pathetic spectacle. The 63 00:04:47,080 --> 00:04:52,919 Speaker 1: other thing that's worth noting is the extremism. Each candidate 64 00:04:53,520 --> 00:04:56,440 Speaker 1: was in a bidding war to outdo the one next 65 00:04:56,480 --> 00:05:00,200 Speaker 1: to them on who could be the biggest extremist in 66 00:05:00,240 --> 00:05:03,560 Speaker 1: the row. If you want the federal government of the 67 00:05:03,680 --> 00:05:08,520 Speaker 1: United States in your bedroom, in your doctor's office, and 68 00:05:08,600 --> 00:05:12,839 Speaker 1: in your church, with your priest involved in your most 69 00:05:12,839 --> 00:05:17,839 Speaker 1: intimate moments, then those candidates were the right crew for you. 70 00:05:19,279 --> 00:05:22,520 Speaker 1: At the end of the day, the Republican Party is 71 00:05:22,560 --> 00:05:26,960 Speaker 1: the third oldest in the world. What this was was 72 00:05:27,000 --> 00:05:32,040 Speaker 1: a sordid spectacle, a type of reality show, a type 73 00:05:32,040 --> 00:05:38,120 Speaker 1: of a hideous version of America's Got Talent. It was 74 00:05:38,160 --> 00:05:42,320 Speaker 1: an abomination at a lot of levels. It meant little 75 00:05:44,040 --> 00:05:48,160 Speaker 1: Donald Trump is sitting back somewhere tonight, watching it all 76 00:05:49,080 --> 00:05:54,480 Speaker 1: fore ahead, getting ready to turn himself in tomorrow. Donald 77 00:05:54,520 --> 00:05:58,200 Speaker 1: Trump has been charged at four jurisdictions with ninety two 78 00:05:58,240 --> 00:06:03,200 Speaker 1: felony counts, and Fox News couldn't get through it quick enough. 79 00:06:04,960 --> 00:06:10,800 Speaker 1: Donald Trump is being arraigned tomorrow for a conspiracy that 80 00:06:10,960 --> 00:06:14,960 Speaker 1: sought to burn down the constitution of the United States. 81 00:06:16,560 --> 00:06:21,320 Speaker 1: That's what the criminal charges are about. None of those 82 00:06:21,360 --> 00:06:29,360 Speaker 1: people defended America, most of them averted Trump's wrath, none 83 00:06:29,440 --> 00:06:33,080 Speaker 1: of them made a case tonight to be president of 84 00:06:33,120 --> 00:06:37,800 Speaker 1: the United States, and all but two of them disqualify 85 00:06:37,920 --> 00:06:44,159 Speaker 1: themselves by promising to support someone they all acknowledged, save 86 00:06:44,279 --> 00:06:50,880 Speaker 1: vvak Ramaswami, is utterly unfit for the job. There are 87 00:06:50,960 --> 00:06:54,440 Speaker 1: almost no words in the English language that suffice to 88 00:06:54,560 --> 00:06:58,680 Speaker 1: describe the disgrace of the first Republican debate that took 89 00:06:58,720 --> 00:07:04,080 Speaker 1: place on Fox News. It's a cry for help from 90 00:07:04,120 --> 00:07:08,599 Speaker 1: a wounded country. What the American people saw last night 91 00:07:09,400 --> 00:07:12,440 Speaker 1: was a window into the anger that has been stoked 92 00:07:12,440 --> 00:07:16,280 Speaker 1: by Fox News. Whether it's the out of control, jeering, 93 00:07:16,400 --> 00:07:20,400 Speaker 1: booing crowd that doesn't want to hear things like there 94 00:07:20,520 --> 00:07:25,080 Speaker 1: was in fact an insurrection or that Donald Trump in 95 00:07:25,160 --> 00:07:32,000 Speaker 1: fact lost the election, the Fox News crowd is reflective 96 00:07:32,080 --> 00:07:40,880 Speaker 1: of Fox Nation, bitter, aggrieved, angry, and completely looney. The 97 00:07:41,040 --> 00:07:46,560 Speaker 1: idea that somebody like vivek Ramaswami is on a presidential 98 00:07:46,600 --> 00:07:51,400 Speaker 1: debate stage is ludicrous. He is a full on fame 99 00:07:51,480 --> 00:07:57,480 Speaker 1: seeking millennial demagogue who knows nothing about the world. It's 100 00:07:57,560 --> 00:08:01,480 Speaker 1: very important for the American people to understand something about 101 00:08:01,520 --> 00:08:05,640 Speaker 1: the war in Ukraine. The United States is not fighting 102 00:08:05,680 --> 00:08:10,560 Speaker 1: in Ukraine. The United States is arming the Ukrainians. So 103 00:08:10,720 --> 00:08:15,120 Speaker 1: no American soldier ever has to fight. Should Vladimir Putin 104 00:08:15,560 --> 00:08:19,800 Speaker 1: win in Ukraine and decide to move his aggression west 105 00:08:20,440 --> 00:08:24,960 Speaker 1: across a NATO border, This is a very simple concept 106 00:08:24,960 --> 00:08:31,480 Speaker 1: to understand. The Ukrainians are fighting, not Americans. The chances 107 00:08:31,480 --> 00:08:37,040 Speaker 1: of Americans fighting go up if the Ukrainians lose. The 108 00:08:37,120 --> 00:08:42,480 Speaker 1: fact that presidential candidates don't understand this concept is very alarming. 109 00:08:43,600 --> 00:08:48,040 Speaker 1: But it's so much more than that. It's the rampant dishonesty. 110 00:08:49,040 --> 00:08:54,600 Speaker 1: It's the utter lack of vision, the total detachment from 111 00:08:54,640 --> 00:09:00,320 Speaker 1: obligation and responsibility to the contry. The hollow men and 112 00:09:00,360 --> 00:09:05,120 Speaker 1: women who stood on that debate stage after decrying the 113 00:09:05,160 --> 00:09:09,160 Speaker 1: things that Donald Trump did to a person, with the 114 00:09:09,200 --> 00:09:13,920 Speaker 1: exception of Asa Hutchinson and Chris Christy, raised their hand 115 00:09:14,480 --> 00:09:19,040 Speaker 1: and promised their devotion to Trump, even if he's a 116 00:09:19,080 --> 00:09:25,320 Speaker 1: nominee from prison. It was a ludicrous event and there's 117 00:09:25,400 --> 00:09:29,720 Speaker 1: no reason why Donald Trump after it will ever attend 118 00:09:30,000 --> 00:09:35,440 Speaker 1: another Republican debate. It was a surreal affair between the 119 00:09:35,520 --> 00:09:40,400 Speaker 1: people who are losing to Donald Trump by fifty points. 120 00:09:41,280 --> 00:09:44,840 Speaker 1: As scary as the Republican debate show was, it wasn't 121 00:09:44,880 --> 00:09:48,480 Speaker 1: as scary as the show playing out over on what 122 00:09:48,720 --> 00:09:53,040 Speaker 1: used to be known as Twitter X between Tucker Carlson 123 00:09:53,640 --> 00:09:54,600 Speaker 1: and Donald Trump. 124 00:09:55,040 --> 00:09:58,720 Speaker 4: The trajectory since twenty fifteen when you got into politics, 125 00:09:58,960 --> 00:10:03,840 Speaker 4: you know, for real, and then one started with protests 126 00:10:03,840 --> 00:10:07,080 Speaker 4: against you, massive protests, organized protests by the left, and 127 00:10:07,120 --> 00:10:11,960 Speaker 4: then it moved to impeachment twice and now indictment. I 128 00:10:11,960 --> 00:10:14,720 Speaker 4: mean the next stage is violence. Is are you worried 129 00:10:14,720 --> 00:10:16,360 Speaker 4: that they're going to try and kill you? Why wouldn't they. 130 00:10:16,280 --> 00:10:16,840 Speaker 2: Try and kill you? 131 00:10:16,880 --> 00:10:20,360 Speaker 4: Honestly, they're savage animals. 132 00:10:20,640 --> 00:10:23,800 Speaker 2: They are people that are sick, really sick. 133 00:10:24,880 --> 00:10:29,160 Speaker 1: The first thing to notice about this interview is its demagoguery, 134 00:10:29,880 --> 00:10:36,720 Speaker 1: its malice, and how dangerously it incites violence against who 135 00:10:36,760 --> 00:10:42,560 Speaker 1: you ask, well against the They listen to it in 136 00:10:42,640 --> 00:10:48,120 Speaker 1: the interview over and over and over again. There is 137 00:10:48,280 --> 00:10:57,440 Speaker 1: always a day, a secret, lurking, insidious day, wild dangerous animals. 138 00:10:57,840 --> 00:11:02,160 Speaker 1: As Trump puts it, Now, let's be clear about something. 139 00:11:03,120 --> 00:11:07,120 Speaker 1: The wild animal that Donald Trump is referring to, that 140 00:11:07,200 --> 00:11:11,319 Speaker 1: he's talking about, is the woman that he constantly smears 141 00:11:11,679 --> 00:11:15,760 Speaker 1: that he's obsessed by, that he's fixated on. She's a 142 00:11:15,840 --> 00:11:20,560 Speaker 1: law enforcement official who has levied charges against him. It's 143 00:11:20,600 --> 00:11:24,880 Speaker 1: Franny Willis from the state of Georgia, the District Attorney 144 00:11:25,120 --> 00:11:30,280 Speaker 1: of Fulton County. And what is it that happens to rabbit? 145 00:11:30,960 --> 00:11:35,520 Speaker 1: Dangerous animals the type of animals that Donald Trump is 146 00:11:35,600 --> 00:11:41,960 Speaker 1: talking about. They get killed, and more than that, it's 147 00:11:42,160 --> 00:11:48,600 Speaker 1: justified to kill them. Donald Trump, for seven years, when 148 00:11:48,720 --> 00:11:54,560 Speaker 1: any hypothetical question arose about his potential loss, about him 149 00:11:55,040 --> 00:12:00,520 Speaker 1: not getting political power or losing political power, his answer 150 00:12:00,960 --> 00:12:07,040 Speaker 1: was always the same. It was an intimation towards violence, 151 00:12:07,800 --> 00:12:13,400 Speaker 1: a threat levied against the country, A proverbial gun held 152 00:12:13,440 --> 00:12:19,040 Speaker 1: to America's head, with Donald Trump overly declaring, you pick 153 00:12:19,240 --> 00:12:24,120 Speaker 1: me or I cause chaos. You make me the president, 154 00:12:24,440 --> 00:12:29,240 Speaker 1: or I pull the trigger. That's the Trump message. Thank 155 00:12:29,280 --> 00:12:33,240 Speaker 1: you for listening to my political commentary. If you like 156 00:12:33,320 --> 00:12:37,360 Speaker 1: what you've heard today, please also consider subscribing to the 157 00:12:37,400 --> 00:12:42,960 Speaker 1: Warning Daily newsletter on substack. Our democracy hangs in the balance. 158 00:12:43,720 --> 00:12:48,200 Speaker 1: The twenty twenty four presidential election is the most consequential 159 00:12:48,200 --> 00:12:52,680 Speaker 1: in America's history. It's not hyperbole, it's a fact. That 160 00:12:52,840 --> 00:12:55,880 Speaker 1: is why the mission of the Warning with Steve Schmidt 161 00:12:56,080 --> 00:12:59,040 Speaker 1: is to help readers orient to the currents that are 162 00:12:59,080 --> 00:13:04,240 Speaker 1: shaping our times and the unseen forces driving politics that 163 00:13:04,320 --> 00:13:08,760 Speaker 1: are very rarely discussed on cable news. Please sign up 164 00:13:08,800 --> 00:13:13,160 Speaker 1: at Steve Schmidt s T E, VE E, S C, 165 00:13:13,520 --> 00:13:18,840 Speaker 1: H M I d T dot substack dot com again 166 00:13:19,520 --> 00:13:25,280 Speaker 1: Steve Schmidt dot substack dot com or at the link 167 00:13:25,360 --> 00:13:29,440 Speaker 1: in the show notes section below. Thank you to each 168 00:13:29,480 --> 00:13:33,200 Speaker 1: and every one of you for listening and watching. Let's 169 00:13:33,240 --> 00:13:37,680 Speaker 1: look at this life sized portrait of George Washington that 170 00:13:37,920 --> 00:13:44,440 Speaker 1: hangs in the Capitol rotunda. It's from It depicts the 171 00:13:44,480 --> 00:13:50,920 Speaker 1: scene where Washington resigns his commission. The chair where his 172 00:13:51,080 --> 00:13:54,679 Speaker 1: cloak is draped is a bit bigger than the others 173 00:13:54,720 --> 00:13:58,800 Speaker 1: in the room, larger than the chairs the members of 174 00:13:58,880 --> 00:14:03,880 Speaker 1: Congress are sitting in. But it goes unoccupied. George Washington 175 00:14:04,320 --> 00:14:09,600 Speaker 1: refuses the throne. He lays down and drapes his military 176 00:14:09,760 --> 00:14:13,240 Speaker 1: cloak over the chair. He will not be a caesar. 177 00:14:13,600 --> 00:14:19,840 Speaker 1: It will go unoccupied. George Washington submits to civilian authority. 178 00:14:20,240 --> 00:14:24,840 Speaker 1: He bows before the Congress in a highly scripted ceremony. 179 00:14:25,360 --> 00:14:29,800 Speaker 1: That painting, which was described by its painting as depicting 180 00:14:30,120 --> 00:14:34,360 Speaker 1: the most noble act in history, an act of profound 181 00:14:34,560 --> 00:14:39,280 Speaker 1: humility and submission that breathed life into the United States. 182 00:14:39,560 --> 00:14:45,080 Speaker 1: He described it as history's most noble act. That painting 183 00:14:45,160 --> 00:14:48,920 Speaker 1: was hanging on the walls of the Capitol rotunda as 184 00:14:48,960 --> 00:14:54,760 Speaker 1: the insurrectionist came as the Confederate flagcane and marched by it. 185 00:14:54,760 --> 00:14:58,680 Speaker 1: It was the darkest day in American history yet, dere 186 00:14:58,800 --> 00:15:03,040 Speaker 1: Tucker Carlson and Donald Trump said, telling the American people 187 00:15:03,200 --> 00:15:09,200 Speaker 1: about its abject beauty, how sick can you possibly get? 188 00:15:10,440 --> 00:15:16,640 Speaker 1: Understand what this is? It is a window into angry America, 189 00:15:17,440 --> 00:15:21,760 Speaker 1: to the hearts of the aggrieved, to the hearts of 190 00:15:21,840 --> 00:15:26,640 Speaker 1: the faithless, to the people who, for whatever reason, as 191 00:15:26,680 --> 00:15:30,120 Speaker 1: we approach the two hundred and fiftieth anniversary of this country, 192 00:15:30,440 --> 00:15:35,280 Speaker 1: have risen up and want to burn it down. It's 193 00:15:35,360 --> 00:15:41,320 Speaker 1: happened because of cowardice and weakness. A political class invested 194 00:15:41,440 --> 00:15:45,440 Speaker 1: in its own power, that regards itself as above the 195 00:15:45,560 --> 00:15:50,840 Speaker 1: country has refused to stop this. This country stands at 196 00:15:50,880 --> 00:15:55,200 Speaker 1: an hour where it needs to wake up. What played 197 00:15:55,240 --> 00:16:00,880 Speaker 1: out on a debate stage was a travesty aim for 198 00:16:00,920 --> 00:16:07,520 Speaker 1: a free society. These debates fundamentally raise a question that 199 00:16:07,600 --> 00:16:11,200 Speaker 1: we thought was settled in seventeen eighty three. In this country, 200 00:16:12,520 --> 00:16:19,200 Speaker 1: are we capable of governing ourselves? Is this nation of 201 00:16:19,320 --> 00:16:26,240 Speaker 1: three hundred and thirty million people capable of decent, honest 202 00:16:26,280 --> 00:16:32,240 Speaker 1: self government or has it collapsed? Because if it has, 203 00:16:33,560 --> 00:16:39,320 Speaker 1: we are about to regress back into the darkness. Because 204 00:16:39,320 --> 00:16:43,760 Speaker 1: for Americans, unlike the other people of the world, there 205 00:16:44,000 --> 00:16:47,800 Speaker 1: is no other place for us to go if liberty 206 00:16:48,200 --> 00:16:51,760 Speaker 1: is lost in this land. And when you watch the debate, 207 00:16:52,440 --> 00:16:58,080 Speaker 1: the Republican debate, and Donald Trump's and Donald and Tucker 208 00:16:58,120 --> 00:17:03,800 Speaker 1: Carlson's travesty on air, anybody who thinks that liberty in 209 00:17:03,840 --> 00:17:06,679 Speaker 1: this country is not imperiled is a fool