1 00:00:09,480 --> 00:00:12,520 Speaker 1: Hey, everyone, Welcome to Bleep with Anna Navarro. I am 2 00:00:12,640 --> 00:00:15,920 Speaker 1: Ana Navarro. Thank you so much for being here today. 3 00:00:15,960 --> 00:00:19,000 Speaker 1: We have a special guest, my old friend from Florida, 4 00:00:19,160 --> 00:00:22,400 Speaker 1: Axios reporter Mark Caputo. We're going to talk about the 5 00:00:22,480 --> 00:00:26,200 Speaker 1: crazy shit going on in Florida, but also the crazy 6 00:00:26,239 --> 00:00:28,760 Speaker 1: shit going on in the country, a lot of it 7 00:00:28,880 --> 00:00:33,159 Speaker 1: involving Floridians who worked or have been fired from this administration. 8 00:00:33,920 --> 00:00:35,240 Speaker 2: But first I want us. 9 00:00:35,159 --> 00:00:39,280 Speaker 1: To talk about these numbers that came out on Trump 10 00:00:39,840 --> 00:00:43,080 Speaker 1: a few days ago. It is a poll from the 11 00:00:43,200 --> 00:00:47,400 Speaker 1: Washington Post, ABC and IPSULS and the findings I think 12 00:00:47,479 --> 00:00:50,360 Speaker 1: are something that we should spend some time talking about. 13 00:00:51,080 --> 00:00:55,480 Speaker 2: The numbers. Basically, here's the cliff notes. They suck. They 14 00:00:55,640 --> 00:00:56,720 Speaker 2: are bad. 15 00:00:57,120 --> 00:01:02,280 Speaker 1: Trump's numbers are beyond underwater. They're like in the Marianas 16 00:01:02,480 --> 00:01:03,880 Speaker 1: Trench underwater. 17 00:01:03,960 --> 00:01:07,960 Speaker 2: Okay, that's how far dep is. So let's just go through. 18 00:01:07,800 --> 00:01:09,760 Speaker 1: Some of these numbers, and I want you all to 19 00:01:09,840 --> 00:01:13,600 Speaker 1: think about what this means. So his job as precedent, 20 00:01:14,440 --> 00:01:18,440 Speaker 1: sixty two percent of the country disapproves as his job 21 00:01:18,480 --> 00:01:21,840 Speaker 1: as president. Cannot believe there's still thirty seven percent of 22 00:01:21,840 --> 00:01:27,280 Speaker 1: Americans who approve. But whatever cost of living seventy six 23 00:01:27,520 --> 00:01:33,520 Speaker 1: percent of Americans pulled disapprove of Trump's handling of cost 24 00:01:33,560 --> 00:01:34,039 Speaker 1: of living. 25 00:01:34,760 --> 00:01:38,000 Speaker 2: Why is that important, because that's why people voted. 26 00:01:37,640 --> 00:01:41,040 Speaker 1: For him, because he was going to make our eggs 27 00:01:41,080 --> 00:01:44,120 Speaker 1: and our meat and our groceries cheaper. 28 00:01:44,440 --> 00:01:45,400 Speaker 2: That has not happened. 29 00:01:45,959 --> 00:01:50,680 Speaker 1: On inflation, seventy two percent disapprove situation where they were on. 30 00:01:51,040 --> 00:01:56,240 Speaker 1: Sixty six percent disapprove relations with the US allies, sixty 31 00:01:56,320 --> 00:02:02,480 Speaker 1: five percent disapprove the economy, sixty five five percent disapproved taxes, 32 00:02:02,920 --> 00:02:10,239 Speaker 1: sixty one percent disapprove. Border with Mexico fifty four percent disapprove, 33 00:02:10,840 --> 00:02:15,480 Speaker 1: and on immigration fifty nine percent disapprove. I think those 34 00:02:15,560 --> 00:02:21,040 Speaker 1: last two numbers are so significant because so many people 35 00:02:21,400 --> 00:02:26,880 Speaker 1: voted for Trump, including some Latinos, including some immigrants, voted 36 00:02:26,919 --> 00:02:30,760 Speaker 1: for Trump because they wanted the border controlled and because 37 00:02:30,840 --> 00:02:34,280 Speaker 1: they wanted a control on immigration. But I think people 38 00:02:34,360 --> 00:02:39,760 Speaker 1: are so sick and so affected by the consistent cruelty 39 00:02:39,880 --> 00:02:43,320 Speaker 1: we have seen out of this administration, this Trump administration. 40 00:02:43,720 --> 00:02:47,560 Speaker 1: When it comes to the immigration issue, we have seen 41 00:02:48,200 --> 00:02:51,560 Speaker 1: the small children used as human being. We know there's 42 00:02:51,639 --> 00:02:56,600 Speaker 1: over four thousand children being held in deplorable conditions in 43 00:02:56,639 --> 00:03:01,080 Speaker 1: places like the Dilly Detention Center. We know oh that 44 00:03:01,639 --> 00:03:05,600 Speaker 1: almost fifty people maybe more by now have died in 45 00:03:05,639 --> 00:03:10,359 Speaker 1: ice custody. And this last week we saw one of 46 00:03:10,440 --> 00:03:15,280 Speaker 1: the most horrible cases and greatest pieces of evidence I 47 00:03:15,320 --> 00:03:19,440 Speaker 1: have ever seen for the cruelty of the Trump administration. 48 00:03:19,720 --> 00:03:21,720 Speaker 1: I don't know if you guys heard of this, but 49 00:03:21,800 --> 00:03:23,280 Speaker 1: I want you to go look it up if you 50 00:03:23,320 --> 00:03:27,680 Speaker 1: did it. It involves a young man eighteen year old. 51 00:03:28,120 --> 00:03:31,840 Speaker 1: He was born in Chicago. His name is Kevin Gonzalez, 52 00:03:33,280 --> 00:03:37,880 Speaker 1: and Kevin Gonzalez has stage four colon cancer and is dying. 53 00:03:38,240 --> 00:03:40,200 Speaker 1: If you see his pictures, if you see the video 54 00:03:40,200 --> 00:03:43,280 Speaker 1: of him, you realize this is a young man who 55 00:03:43,320 --> 00:03:47,240 Speaker 1: has weeks, days, maybe hours to live. 56 00:03:48,080 --> 00:03:50,680 Speaker 2: Kevin Gonzalez's parents are from Mexico. 57 00:03:52,000 --> 00:03:55,600 Speaker 1: They were deported in twenty eleven and Kevin Gonzalez state 58 00:03:55,640 --> 00:04:00,720 Speaker 1: in the United States living with his grandmother. Parents when 59 00:04:00,720 --> 00:04:03,360 Speaker 1: they found out what was happening with their boy with 60 00:04:03,440 --> 00:04:06,880 Speaker 1: their son, tried to get back into the United States. 61 00:04:07,560 --> 00:04:12,280 Speaker 1: They applied for a visa. They applied for a humanitarian visa, 62 00:04:12,360 --> 00:04:16,040 Speaker 1: asked for a humanitarian exemption. They were denied that visa, 63 00:04:16,200 --> 00:04:19,400 Speaker 1: so in an act of desperation to try to see 64 00:04:19,440 --> 00:04:22,320 Speaker 1: their son before he died, knowing that he was going 65 00:04:22,320 --> 00:04:26,120 Speaker 1: through treatment. They crossed the border, they were detained, and 66 00:04:26,200 --> 00:04:33,640 Speaker 1: they have been held now in detention ICE detention in Arizona. 67 00:04:34,160 --> 00:04:37,320 Speaker 1: Kevin is now in Mexico with his grandmother. There is 68 00:04:37,360 --> 00:04:40,159 Speaker 1: nothing that can be done for him. The hospital has 69 00:04:40,200 --> 00:04:43,880 Speaker 1: said there's no further treatment. He's dying. He is dying, 70 00:04:44,040 --> 00:04:48,120 Speaker 1: and he has been begging ice. He has been begging 71 00:04:48,160 --> 00:04:52,839 Speaker 1: the Trump administration public officials have been begging on his behalf. 72 00:04:52,920 --> 00:04:56,960 Speaker 1: The media has taken the case up to release his parents. 73 00:04:57,560 --> 00:05:02,080 Speaker 1: It is unbelievable to me that the same people we 74 00:05:02,120 --> 00:05:07,320 Speaker 1: see behind the White House podium wearing big crosses, quoting 75 00:05:07,360 --> 00:05:13,760 Speaker 1: the Bible, clutching the Bible, pounding their chests, these holier 76 00:05:13,800 --> 00:05:18,440 Speaker 1: than thou Christians and Catholics go visit the Pope all 77 00:05:18,480 --> 00:05:22,640 Speaker 1: things like that, do not have the compassion, did not 78 00:05:22,880 --> 00:05:26,440 Speaker 1: have the compassion to release those parents. They have now 79 00:05:26,560 --> 00:05:31,800 Speaker 1: lost precious time, precious days and hours with their dying boy. 80 00:05:31,920 --> 00:05:34,159 Speaker 1: I cannot think of something more heartbreaking. 81 00:05:34,520 --> 00:05:34,880 Speaker 2: And that. 82 00:05:36,360 --> 00:05:41,760 Speaker 1: Is why Trump's approval numbers, even on immigration are so bad. 83 00:05:42,040 --> 00:05:45,040 Speaker 1: And that is why the White House wants us to 84 00:05:45,120 --> 00:05:49,520 Speaker 1: forget about the mass deportations. Has told Republicans running for 85 00:05:49,600 --> 00:05:53,120 Speaker 1: elected office not to touch the mass deportations and not 86 00:05:53,200 --> 00:05:57,160 Speaker 1: to talk about immigration, because people are not going to 87 00:05:57,240 --> 00:06:02,680 Speaker 1: forget the pain, the torture, the tears that they have 88 00:06:02,880 --> 00:06:07,400 Speaker 1: cost Americans, particularly brown and black Americans. 89 00:06:08,480 --> 00:06:10,359 Speaker 2: And I also want to talk. 90 00:06:10,200 --> 00:06:14,240 Speaker 1: Today about I can't believe we talk about this every week, 91 00:06:14,520 --> 00:06:15,120 Speaker 1: but we have to. 92 00:06:15,160 --> 00:06:16,080 Speaker 2: What choice do we have. 93 00:06:16,800 --> 00:06:19,760 Speaker 1: We got to talk about what's happening with Trump's ballroom 94 00:06:19,800 --> 00:06:24,360 Speaker 1: because it's actually pretty outrageous. So let's just remember where 95 00:06:24,480 --> 00:06:28,480 Speaker 1: we began with this ballroom. We began with Trump saying 96 00:06:28,600 --> 00:06:31,800 Speaker 1: that this ballroom was going to cost two hundred million dollars. 97 00:06:32,160 --> 00:06:34,760 Speaker 1: Then it went up to three hundred million dollars, then 98 00:06:34,800 --> 00:06:39,080 Speaker 1: it went up to four hundred million dollars. Well, while 99 00:06:39,120 --> 00:06:42,360 Speaker 1: we slept, while we blinked and looked the other way, 100 00:06:42,760 --> 00:06:48,279 Speaker 1: Republicans are now trying to sneak a one billion dollar 101 00:06:48,360 --> 00:06:55,320 Speaker 1: appropriation for this ballroom into a DHS funding bill. And 102 00:06:55,480 --> 00:06:58,520 Speaker 1: let's just remember, I mean, it's the countless of times 103 00:06:58,920 --> 00:07:03,479 Speaker 1: that Trump said thing like this, I'm paying for it. 104 00:07:03,880 --> 00:07:06,080 Speaker 2: I'm paying for it. The country is not. 105 00:07:07,279 --> 00:07:11,760 Speaker 1: We are donating a four hundred million dollar ballroom. Myself 106 00:07:11,880 --> 00:07:15,520 Speaker 1: and donors are giving them free of charge for nothing. 107 00:07:16,560 --> 00:07:20,680 Speaker 1: We did this at no charge to the taxpayer whatsoever. 108 00:07:21,480 --> 00:07:25,520 Speaker 1: Rich people and people are putting up the money, zero 109 00:07:25,720 --> 00:07:26,800 Speaker 1: taxpayer dollars. 110 00:07:27,200 --> 00:07:29,720 Speaker 2: And by the way, no government funds. 111 00:07:30,200 --> 00:07:33,000 Speaker 1: These are all private individuals that put up a lot 112 00:07:33,040 --> 00:07:36,960 Speaker 1: of money to build the ballroom. Not one penny is 113 00:07:37,000 --> 00:07:40,920 Speaker 1: being used from the federal government. And let's remember who 114 00:07:41,320 --> 00:07:44,120 Speaker 1: the private donors who he got all this money from. 115 00:07:44,280 --> 00:07:47,720 Speaker 2: Let's just go through some of them. These are like 116 00:07:47,760 --> 00:07:48,840 Speaker 2: the usual suspects. 117 00:07:48,880 --> 00:07:49,120 Speaker 3: Now. 118 00:07:49,440 --> 00:07:52,080 Speaker 1: People are always sucking up to Trump, kissing his ass. 119 00:07:52,680 --> 00:07:56,520 Speaker 1: Meta Suckerberg, Apple, Tim Cook, we see him at the 120 00:07:56,560 --> 00:07:59,760 Speaker 1: state dinner. We see him Amazon, of course, Jeff be 121 00:08:00,080 --> 00:08:07,200 Speaker 1: So's Google, Lockheed Martin. They get lots of contracts, government contracts. 122 00:08:07,440 --> 00:08:10,040 Speaker 1: There's people like Palenteer. They're making a lot of money 123 00:08:10,320 --> 00:08:17,239 Speaker 1: from immigration contracts. People like Next Era, like the Adolson family. 124 00:08:17,320 --> 00:08:20,800 Speaker 1: Remember Donald Trump gave Miriam Aidolson the Medal of Freedom. 125 00:08:21,440 --> 00:08:26,040 Speaker 1: People like the Betty Wall Johnson Foundation. That's Whatdy Johnson, 126 00:08:26,480 --> 00:08:31,080 Speaker 1: the owner of the New York Jets. Donald Trump made 127 00:08:31,160 --> 00:08:35,200 Speaker 1: him ambassador to England the first time. There's people like 128 00:08:35,280 --> 00:08:39,680 Speaker 1: Menhamine Leone I know him. He's from Miami. Donald Trump 129 00:08:39,720 --> 00:08:41,480 Speaker 1: made him ambassador to Spain. 130 00:08:41,600 --> 00:08:42,040 Speaker 2: Rich guy. 131 00:08:42,640 --> 00:08:45,240 Speaker 1: There's people like the Lutnik family, Howard Lutnick, you know 132 00:08:45,320 --> 00:08:48,360 Speaker 1: the liar who pretended he didn't know Epstein, that he 133 00:08:49,000 --> 00:08:50,840 Speaker 1: met him once and was never going to be seen 134 00:08:50,880 --> 00:08:53,120 Speaker 1: with him again, and actually went and visited his island. 135 00:08:53,200 --> 00:08:53,920 Speaker 2: Yeah, that guy. 136 00:08:54,640 --> 00:08:58,199 Speaker 1: There are Peppe and Emilia Fanjul Cuban Americans. 137 00:08:58,280 --> 00:08:59,800 Speaker 2: These are the sugar titans. 138 00:09:00,240 --> 00:09:02,920 Speaker 1: These are the type of people that are donating, that 139 00:09:02,960 --> 00:09:05,840 Speaker 1: have donated the supposed four hundred million dollars that was 140 00:09:05,880 --> 00:09:09,960 Speaker 1: going to cover the cost of this ballroom that is 141 00:09:10,000 --> 00:09:13,719 Speaker 1: now going to cost the American taxpayer, if Republicans get 142 00:09:13,720 --> 00:09:15,440 Speaker 1: their way, a billion dollars. 143 00:09:15,720 --> 00:09:17,520 Speaker 2: So what they're saying is that. 144 00:09:17,480 --> 00:09:21,320 Speaker 1: The billion dollars is necessary because it's going to cover security. 145 00:09:21,400 --> 00:09:24,439 Speaker 2: It's the bunker that's going to go under the ballroom. 146 00:09:24,800 --> 00:09:28,640 Speaker 1: My question is why weren't all of these things thought 147 00:09:28,760 --> 00:09:33,280 Speaker 1: of and thought out and planned for before he tore 148 00:09:33,400 --> 00:09:36,160 Speaker 1: down the East Room. I cannot tell you the amount 149 00:09:36,240 --> 00:09:41,360 Speaker 1: of Trump apologists and defenders on TV who tell me. 150 00:09:41,720 --> 00:09:42,920 Speaker 2: Well, what are we going to do? 151 00:09:43,240 --> 00:09:46,000 Speaker 1: Are we going to leave this gaping hole on the 152 00:09:46,000 --> 00:09:50,480 Speaker 1: White House grounds. Now, well, you made the fucking hole, 153 00:09:50,760 --> 00:09:53,920 Speaker 1: So why don't you all take shovels and shovel some 154 00:09:54,040 --> 00:09:58,320 Speaker 1: of the bullshit that you spill on TV on a 155 00:09:58,400 --> 00:10:01,080 Speaker 1: daily basis and fill it up with that. So, yeah, 156 00:10:01,120 --> 00:10:04,520 Speaker 1: they tore it down, didn't ask permission, didn't consult with 157 00:10:04,640 --> 00:10:09,240 Speaker 1: any of the historical trusts or experts, didn't tell Congress 158 00:10:09,320 --> 00:10:13,720 Speaker 1: a thing, tore the East wing down, this thing has ballooned, 159 00:10:13,960 --> 00:10:16,959 Speaker 1: and let's just remembered, let's just remember a couple of things. 160 00:10:17,760 --> 00:10:20,360 Speaker 1: So now the cost that started at two hundred million 161 00:10:20,559 --> 00:10:24,920 Speaker 1: is at one point four billion and growing. That's between 162 00:10:24,960 --> 00:10:27,720 Speaker 1: the private donations and what they want from the government. 163 00:10:28,160 --> 00:10:31,320 Speaker 1: Let's remember this is the same Trump and the same 164 00:10:31,600 --> 00:10:36,559 Speaker 1: DOJ that wants to haul Jerome Powell into court that 165 00:10:36,600 --> 00:10:43,520 Speaker 1: once Jerome Powell, the FED Chair, indicted for cost overruns 166 00:10:43,120 --> 00:10:47,080 Speaker 1: in the renovation of the Treasury buildings. So it's rather 167 00:10:47,280 --> 00:10:53,560 Speaker 1: rich that Donald Trump, whose ballroom is now costing almost 168 00:10:53,559 --> 00:10:58,120 Speaker 1: a billion dollars more, is going after Jerome Powell, the 169 00:10:58,160 --> 00:11:01,840 Speaker 1: Fed Chair, for cost overrun. And it is also rather 170 00:11:02,080 --> 00:11:06,080 Speaker 1: rich that all of this is happening as Americans cannot 171 00:11:06,120 --> 00:11:10,920 Speaker 1: afford gas, As Americans cannot afford groceries, as more and 172 00:11:11,040 --> 00:11:14,960 Speaker 1: more Americans have stopped paying their insurance premiums and are 173 00:11:14,960 --> 00:11:19,520 Speaker 1: going naked without insurance because they cannot continue to afford 174 00:11:19,559 --> 00:11:24,439 Speaker 1: to pay. As farmers in America are going bankrupt, cannot 175 00:11:24,520 --> 00:11:28,520 Speaker 1: secure or afford the cost of fertilizer. All of these 176 00:11:28,559 --> 00:11:33,280 Speaker 1: things are happening at the same time. So it's just, 177 00:11:34,200 --> 00:11:37,560 Speaker 1: you know, it makes no sense forty billion dollars to 178 00:11:37,640 --> 00:11:42,280 Speaker 1: bail out Argentina, to bail out Argentinian farmers, and see 179 00:11:42,320 --> 00:11:45,680 Speaker 1: her to bail out American farmers at the time he 180 00:11:45,800 --> 00:11:49,560 Speaker 1: wants a billion dollars and I guarantee you it will 181 00:11:49,559 --> 00:11:53,440 Speaker 1: grow from the American people to build his pet project. 182 00:11:53,800 --> 00:11:57,840 Speaker 1: It just makes no damn sense. So I told you 183 00:11:57,840 --> 00:11:59,760 Speaker 1: we were going to talk a lot about the Washington Post. 184 00:11:59,800 --> 00:12:03,360 Speaker 1: So on the topic of the Washington Post, they were 185 00:12:03,440 --> 00:12:07,920 Speaker 1: awarded a Pulitzer Price. Last week, the Washington Posts, along 186 00:12:07,960 --> 00:12:12,240 Speaker 1: with journalist Hannah Nathansen, were recognized and awarded a Pulitzer 187 00:12:12,360 --> 00:12:16,680 Speaker 1: in Public Service, considered the most prestigious of the Pulitzer prices, 188 00:12:17,080 --> 00:12:21,280 Speaker 1: and Hannah's reporting helped secure that award. It was notable 189 00:12:21,800 --> 00:12:26,040 Speaker 1: her reporting was about the Doge cuts and just the 190 00:12:26,080 --> 00:12:30,280 Speaker 1: effects of those haphazard, extreme cuts to. 191 00:12:30,640 --> 00:12:32,320 Speaker 2: Government workers and the government. 192 00:12:32,840 --> 00:12:36,480 Speaker 1: And Hannah had been targeted by the Trump administration for 193 00:12:36,640 --> 00:12:40,800 Speaker 1: reporting on the Trump administration's overhaul of these federal agencies 194 00:12:40,840 --> 00:12:45,599 Speaker 1: and these cuts. The FBI searched her home, searched her devices, 195 00:12:45,960 --> 00:12:49,719 Speaker 1: and so again it is hard to reconcile that the 196 00:12:49,760 --> 00:12:55,000 Speaker 1: owner of the Washington Post, Jeff Bezos, is you know, 197 00:12:55,320 --> 00:13:01,040 Speaker 1: constantly constantly sucking up and paling around with Trump at 198 00:13:01,080 --> 00:13:06,040 Speaker 1: the same time that somebody that works for that Washington Post, 199 00:13:06,120 --> 00:13:10,520 Speaker 1: that Hannah Nathansen is getting this pulletzer for reporting on 200 00:13:10,600 --> 00:13:14,080 Speaker 1: the abuses of the Trump administration and is being targeted 201 00:13:14,480 --> 00:13:18,280 Speaker 1: by the Trump administration. And another person who got a 202 00:13:18,800 --> 00:13:24,640 Speaker 1: well deserved, little delayed Pultzer prize was my friend and 203 00:13:24,880 --> 00:13:28,600 Speaker 1: somebody who's been on the show before, Julie K. Brown 204 00:13:28,920 --> 00:13:31,680 Speaker 1: from the Miami Herald, my local paper. She was on 205 00:13:31,720 --> 00:13:33,840 Speaker 1: our show back in March. If you haven't listened to 206 00:13:33,880 --> 00:13:37,160 Speaker 1: the episode, you should because she talks about the Epstein 207 00:13:38,320 --> 00:13:40,679 Speaker 1: scandal and kind of where we are with it. 208 00:13:41,160 --> 00:13:44,000 Speaker 2: Julie, if you will remember, is the reporter. 209 00:13:44,160 --> 00:13:49,920 Speaker 1: Whose Expo say about the victims back in twenty seventeen 210 00:13:50,760 --> 00:13:56,240 Speaker 1: revealed the just the failure of the government, the federal 211 00:13:56,280 --> 00:14:01,640 Speaker 1: government and having any accountability around Epstein, and basically it's 212 00:14:01,679 --> 00:14:04,920 Speaker 1: what got him arrested and back in jail again and 213 00:14:04,960 --> 00:14:10,520 Speaker 1: what brought the Epstein scandal back into the radar screen 214 00:14:10,640 --> 00:14:14,760 Speaker 1: of America. So congratulations to Hannah Nathanson and to Julie K. 215 00:14:14,880 --> 00:14:15,160 Speaker 2: Brown. 216 00:14:16,040 --> 00:14:18,440 Speaker 1: After this, we're gonna come back and we're gonna be 217 00:14:18,480 --> 00:14:21,280 Speaker 1: talking to Mark Caputo, who used to work in the 218 00:14:21,280 --> 00:14:24,600 Speaker 1: Miami Herald now works for Oxios, and it's gonna be 219 00:14:25,000 --> 00:14:27,960 Speaker 1: a lot of spilling of the tea and a very 220 00:14:28,000 --> 00:14:29,360 Speaker 1: dishy interview. 221 00:14:29,440 --> 00:14:38,960 Speaker 2: So stick with us, okay. 222 00:14:39,000 --> 00:14:42,000 Speaker 1: So I have been looking forward to having this conversation 223 00:14:42,120 --> 00:14:46,640 Speaker 1: with my old old friend from South Florida, Mark Caputo. 224 00:14:46,960 --> 00:14:49,720 Speaker 1: I first met Mark when he was covering politics for 225 00:14:49,800 --> 00:14:50,800 Speaker 1: the Miami Herald. 226 00:14:51,080 --> 00:14:52,200 Speaker 2: It was so long ago. 227 00:14:52,560 --> 00:14:55,720 Speaker 1: I used to be a staunch Republican and vote for 228 00:14:55,960 --> 00:14:59,880 Speaker 1: and campaign for every Republican running in Florida and. 229 00:15:00,000 --> 00:15:02,560 Speaker 2: The United States. Mark, how long have we known each other. 230 00:15:02,560 --> 00:15:06,360 Speaker 2: It's been two thousand and six probably. 231 00:15:06,440 --> 00:15:11,880 Speaker 1: Yeah, maybe even early, maybe two thousand and four. Yeah, 232 00:15:11,880 --> 00:15:14,120 Speaker 1: it's been a while, but I have been looking forward 233 00:15:14,200 --> 00:15:18,800 Speaker 1: to this interview. And I mean I even prepared by 234 00:15:18,840 --> 00:15:22,080 Speaker 1: pouring myself a glass of Sauvignon blanc because I know 235 00:15:22,120 --> 00:15:23,200 Speaker 1: it's going to be dishy. 236 00:15:23,640 --> 00:15:26,680 Speaker 2: So cheers my friend. Okay, Mark, cheers. 237 00:15:26,720 --> 00:15:28,280 Speaker 4: I wish I could be in studio with Mark. 238 00:15:28,360 --> 00:15:29,160 Speaker 2: Let's get into it. 239 00:15:29,440 --> 00:15:33,240 Speaker 1: So this administration has been very Florida heavy. We saw 240 00:15:33,320 --> 00:15:37,800 Speaker 1: a lot of Floridians who were in the administration early on. 241 00:15:37,880 --> 00:15:41,280 Speaker 1: Some have been fired, some are still there, and some 242 00:15:41,360 --> 00:15:44,720 Speaker 1: have moved to Florida now, including Trump. But let's talk 243 00:15:44,760 --> 00:15:47,400 Speaker 1: about I feel like, you know, you covered Tallahassee, You've 244 00:15:47,440 --> 00:15:51,320 Speaker 1: covered South Florida, you covered Tallahassee. Now you're covering national 245 00:15:51,360 --> 00:15:56,200 Speaker 1: politics for Axios. Tell Us, tell us about some of 246 00:15:56,240 --> 00:15:59,200 Speaker 1: these Florida characters. I don't think people know that much 247 00:15:59,200 --> 00:16:02,800 Speaker 1: about SUSSI. Who the hell is Susie Wiles? Where'd she 248 00:16:02,840 --> 00:16:06,040 Speaker 1: come from? And how did she end up being like 249 00:16:06,160 --> 00:16:08,640 Speaker 1: the warden or at the White House. 250 00:16:08,840 --> 00:16:13,720 Speaker 3: Well, Susie Wiles is just a very talented manager of people. 251 00:16:14,280 --> 00:16:16,880 Speaker 3: Like if she were to write a book called the 252 00:16:16,920 --> 00:16:19,280 Speaker 3: Top Ten Secrets to Management that you could buy at 253 00:16:19,280 --> 00:16:20,640 Speaker 3: an airport, it would be a bestseller. 254 00:16:21,120 --> 00:16:21,920 Speaker 4: She comes from. 255 00:16:21,800 --> 00:16:25,200 Speaker 3: Patavidro which is where she lives, sort of the Jacksonville area, 256 00:16:25,440 --> 00:16:29,160 Speaker 3: in between sort of Jacksonville and Daytona Beach. But her 257 00:16:29,200 --> 00:16:33,040 Speaker 3: real sort of coming out party in Florida politics is 258 00:16:33,120 --> 00:16:34,600 Speaker 3: the twenty. 259 00:16:34,200 --> 00:16:36,200 Speaker 4: Ten gubernatorial race. 260 00:16:36,280 --> 00:16:41,280 Speaker 3: She managed Rick Scott's campaign, and by all accounts, Rick 261 00:16:41,320 --> 00:16:42,600 Speaker 3: Scott should not have won. 262 00:16:43,080 --> 00:16:44,840 Speaker 4: And the only way Rick Scott could. 263 00:16:44,640 --> 00:16:48,280 Speaker 3: Have won that race is if he and the campaign 264 00:16:48,400 --> 00:16:52,720 Speaker 3: did everything perfectly for that time, and they did. And 265 00:16:52,800 --> 00:16:55,640 Speaker 3: so that's when Susie really sort of appears on the scene. 266 00:16:55,680 --> 00:16:59,800 Speaker 3: That's twenty ten, and then you fast forward a number 267 00:16:59,800 --> 00:17:03,560 Speaker 3: of you, here's twenty fourteen, she does the reelect. Scott wins. 268 00:17:04,200 --> 00:17:08,720 Speaker 3: Twenty sixteen, Donald Trump is launching this campaign that no 269 00:17:08,760 --> 00:17:11,280 Speaker 3: one thinks he's gonna win, and no one thinks he's 270 00:17:11,280 --> 00:17:15,399 Speaker 3: gonna win Florida, and he starts having a problem with 271 00:17:15,480 --> 00:17:18,439 Speaker 3: Florida and the polling doesn't look good, and he's told 272 00:17:18,840 --> 00:17:22,879 Speaker 3: by his friend Rick Scott, Donald Trump is, hey, you 273 00:17:22,960 --> 00:17:25,080 Speaker 3: need to hire my campaign manager, Susie Wiles. 274 00:17:25,160 --> 00:17:30,400 Speaker 4: She knows what she's doing. He hires Susie. Trump wins Florida. 275 00:17:31,520 --> 00:17:35,880 Speaker 3: So twenty eighteen, Ron de Santis runs for governor and 276 00:17:36,040 --> 00:17:38,560 Speaker 3: by all accounts people said he shouldn't win, and his 277 00:17:38,640 --> 00:17:42,199 Speaker 3: campaign was in a shambles, and his friend Donald Trump 278 00:17:42,440 --> 00:17:45,000 Speaker 3: tells DeSantis, you need to hire Susie Wiles. 279 00:17:45,440 --> 00:17:46,960 Speaker 4: Hire Susie Wiles and wins. 280 00:17:47,320 --> 00:17:49,600 Speaker 3: There's a difference between Donald Trump and Ron de Santis 281 00:17:49,640 --> 00:17:52,720 Speaker 3: is that Ron de Santis, while both of them like 282 00:17:52,840 --> 00:17:56,720 Speaker 3: to be in the spotlight, perhaps like any politician, DeSantis 283 00:17:56,840 --> 00:18:00,280 Speaker 3: really resented the idea that Susie Wiles was getting credit 284 00:18:00,320 --> 00:18:00,800 Speaker 3: for his win. 285 00:18:01,280 --> 00:18:03,560 Speaker 1: So basically, so what you're telling me is that Susie 286 00:18:03,600 --> 00:18:07,119 Speaker 1: Wyler's secret talent is to take the shittiest candidates in 287 00:18:07,160 --> 00:18:11,960 Speaker 1: the world, the most flawed candidates you could possibly find, 288 00:18:12,520 --> 00:18:14,280 Speaker 1: and somehow have them win. 289 00:18:14,400 --> 00:18:17,560 Speaker 2: Because Rick Scott is the grim Reaper. 290 00:18:17,240 --> 00:18:21,200 Speaker 1: Personified, right, he has got the political skills of a 291 00:18:21,359 --> 00:18:25,200 Speaker 1: root vegetable. Donald Trump, for the love of God, had 292 00:18:25,240 --> 00:18:31,320 Speaker 1: like dozens of sexual assault and harassment claims against him, bankruptcies, 293 00:18:31,800 --> 00:18:34,760 Speaker 1: dodged the draft, the entire thing. And Dessantis let me 294 00:18:34,800 --> 00:18:36,840 Speaker 1: not even talk about DeSantis because he's still governor. 295 00:18:36,840 --> 00:18:37,720 Speaker 2: He may still be. 296 00:18:37,680 --> 00:18:41,440 Speaker 1: Able to extra pain from me. So Susie Wilders, that's 297 00:18:41,480 --> 00:18:45,119 Speaker 1: her secret sauce. Now let's talk about. 298 00:18:44,960 --> 00:18:48,240 Speaker 3: Hold yeah, go ahead, let me just finish this is 299 00:18:48,240 --> 00:18:52,440 Speaker 3: this is in crucial to understanding the Susie Wylds story, Desanta's. 300 00:18:51,960 --> 00:18:52,639 Speaker 4: In twenty nineteen. 301 00:18:52,640 --> 00:18:54,960 Speaker 3: You better said, in twenty nineteen, Yes, he becomes governor. 302 00:18:55,280 --> 00:19:00,240 Speaker 3: People around DeSantis start telling DeSantis, you know, basically eating 303 00:19:00,280 --> 00:19:03,159 Speaker 3: his jealousy and his anger toward her. And someone leaks 304 00:19:03,160 --> 00:19:06,840 Speaker 3: a fundraising memo that she wrote, which was embarrassing for 305 00:19:06,880 --> 00:19:10,120 Speaker 3: DeSantis because you know, like all politicians, these guys, they fundraise, 306 00:19:10,160 --> 00:19:12,560 Speaker 3: and the way he fundraise is he get lobbyists to 307 00:19:12,600 --> 00:19:14,760 Speaker 3: do things with you and then you collect money from them. 308 00:19:14,920 --> 00:19:20,800 Speaker 3: So they're basically selling golf trips, golfing outings with the governor. 309 00:19:21,320 --> 00:19:23,959 Speaker 3: And someone leaked a memo where Susie was planning this 310 00:19:24,000 --> 00:19:27,200 Speaker 3: thing out right, which is fairly typical for both sides, 311 00:19:27,240 --> 00:19:31,040 Speaker 3: all sides of the aisle in the political system. DeSantis 312 00:19:31,560 --> 00:19:36,119 Speaker 3: accused her of leaking it trying to embarrass him. Gobber 313 00:19:36,240 --> 00:19:38,919 Speaker 3: fired from the lobby shop she was at, and then 314 00:19:38,960 --> 00:19:41,800 Speaker 3: told every other lobby shop don't hire her. If you 315 00:19:41,880 --> 00:19:44,639 Speaker 3: do all of your projects and all of your clients 316 00:19:45,119 --> 00:19:48,920 Speaker 3: will meet their demise in Tallahassee. And he tells the 317 00:19:48,960 --> 00:19:52,199 Speaker 3: Trump campaign the twenty twenty reelect not to hire her 318 00:19:52,240 --> 00:19:55,480 Speaker 3: and to fire her. Trump initially listens, but then once 319 00:19:55,480 --> 00:19:58,040 Speaker 3: again in twenty twenty, things started to go south. He 320 00:19:58,119 --> 00:20:01,320 Speaker 3: decided to bring Susie back on Trump, whin Florida loses. 321 00:20:01,160 --> 00:20:04,600 Speaker 4: The presidential race in twenty twenty one. 322 00:20:04,640 --> 00:20:06,600 Speaker 3: Trump is in the wilderness and he saw enough of 323 00:20:06,640 --> 00:20:10,480 Speaker 3: Susie Wiles's organizing ability where he said, Okay, I'm gonna 324 00:20:10,480 --> 00:20:13,680 Speaker 3: put you in charge of everything, all my political all 325 00:20:13,720 --> 00:20:16,840 Speaker 3: of this. And he did it and the rest is okay. 326 00:20:16,920 --> 00:20:19,320 Speaker 1: So Mark, she's the chief. She's now the chief of 327 00:20:19,359 --> 00:20:21,800 Speaker 1: staff at the White House. She's not my right question 328 00:20:21,840 --> 00:20:25,240 Speaker 1: always is because people who know Susie Wilds I don't say. 329 00:20:25,320 --> 00:20:29,360 Speaker 1: She is a really normal, good person, a good manager, 330 00:20:29,680 --> 00:20:30,880 Speaker 1: a mother and grandmother. 331 00:20:30,880 --> 00:20:32,680 Speaker 2: I mean, she seems like a normal human being. 332 00:20:33,359 --> 00:20:36,760 Speaker 1: Why doesn't she stop Trump from tweeting out crazy shit 333 00:20:36,840 --> 00:20:37,720 Speaker 1: at four in the morning. 334 00:20:38,040 --> 00:20:40,280 Speaker 4: Oh you can't, you can, you can you cannot. You 335 00:20:40,359 --> 00:20:44,119 Speaker 4: cannot stop the tide from rising. You can't. 336 00:20:44,160 --> 00:20:48,119 Speaker 3: You know, Trump is a planetary object. You can't stop 337 00:20:48,160 --> 00:20:51,560 Speaker 3: a hurricane from blowing right, you can't stop a tornado 338 00:20:51,640 --> 00:20:54,680 Speaker 3: from twisting like this is it? I had said during 339 00:20:54,680 --> 00:20:57,320 Speaker 3: the last campaign, that it was a two headed beast. 340 00:20:57,880 --> 00:21:00,480 Speaker 3: The Trump campaign was Susie Wiles and Chris la Sevia 341 00:21:00,520 --> 00:21:04,200 Speaker 3: were co managers of the campaign, and what I called 342 00:21:04,240 --> 00:21:08,680 Speaker 3: the Maga Serenity prayer, which was give us the strength 343 00:21:09,040 --> 00:21:11,400 Speaker 3: to accept the things we cannot change. 344 00:21:11,520 --> 00:21:12,240 Speaker 4: For them, it was. 345 00:21:12,200 --> 00:21:16,120 Speaker 3: Donald Trump and the ability to change the things they can, 346 00:21:16,160 --> 00:21:18,560 Speaker 3: which is basically everything else, and the wisdom to know 347 00:21:18,640 --> 00:21:19,040 Speaker 3: the difference. 348 00:21:19,040 --> 00:21:20,280 Speaker 4: And that's for the wisdom to know the difference. 349 00:21:20,320 --> 00:21:22,880 Speaker 3: One of Susie's lines that she had told her daughter, 350 00:21:22,880 --> 00:21:27,080 Speaker 3: who told me, is you have to understand. You have 351 00:21:27,160 --> 00:21:29,840 Speaker 3: to know, she said, in her position, when to be 352 00:21:30,119 --> 00:21:33,200 Speaker 3: indispensable and when to be invisible. And so she has 353 00:21:33,240 --> 00:21:34,280 Speaker 3: sort of mastered that art. 354 00:21:34,640 --> 00:21:36,080 Speaker 2: Well, thanks for giving us that insight. 355 00:21:36,080 --> 00:21:42,680 Speaker 1: But now let's move on to another character in this Telenoril. No, no, no, First, 356 00:21:42,840 --> 00:21:46,480 Speaker 1: let's do a Pambondi because listen, I have known Pambondy 357 00:21:47,040 --> 00:21:50,760 Speaker 1: for decades. I knew her back when she was Attorney 358 00:21:50,800 --> 00:21:53,280 Speaker 1: General of Florida. She used to come to the Biltmore 359 00:21:53,359 --> 00:21:56,800 Speaker 1: Hotel in kral Gables. That was that's owned by my ex. 360 00:21:57,040 --> 00:21:58,960 Speaker 1: We used to drink, we used to have a great time. 361 00:21:59,280 --> 00:22:02,359 Speaker 1: I never thought Pam BONDI was a legal eagle. I 362 00:22:02,520 --> 00:22:04,520 Speaker 1: never thought she was the sharpest knife in the door. 363 00:22:05,160 --> 00:22:06,640 Speaker 2: But she was nice. 364 00:22:07,000 --> 00:22:09,840 Speaker 1: She was, you know, great, She got along with people, 365 00:22:09,920 --> 00:22:11,320 Speaker 1: she could work with people. 366 00:22:11,800 --> 00:22:15,000 Speaker 2: She was courteous, she was a wonderful person to be around. 367 00:22:15,320 --> 00:22:17,320 Speaker 2: She was fun. She was fun. 368 00:22:17,720 --> 00:22:20,960 Speaker 1: And then all of a sudden, she becomes Trump's attorney 369 00:22:21,000 --> 00:22:27,000 Speaker 1: general and she morphs into Cruella Deville in front. 370 00:22:26,840 --> 00:22:27,920 Speaker 2: Of my eyes. 371 00:22:28,080 --> 00:22:31,800 Speaker 1: I mean it was like Lady macbeth monologue. 372 00:22:31,920 --> 00:22:34,879 Speaker 2: Every time she was at a congressional hearing how you 373 00:22:35,160 --> 00:22:37,160 Speaker 2: damn spot out? 374 00:22:37,560 --> 00:22:41,480 Speaker 1: I mean, she sounded like the craziest bitch I have 375 00:22:41,720 --> 00:22:44,879 Speaker 1: ever heard in my life, to the point where it 376 00:22:44,960 --> 00:22:47,480 Speaker 1: was too much even for Trump. 377 00:22:47,920 --> 00:22:52,000 Speaker 2: So what the fuck happened to Pambondie? 378 00:22:52,440 --> 00:22:54,399 Speaker 3: You know, this happens to a lot of people who 379 00:22:55,160 --> 00:22:58,359 Speaker 3: Trump demands that they take a job and they feel 380 00:22:58,400 --> 00:22:59,119 Speaker 3: they can't say no. 381 00:23:00,119 --> 00:23:01,400 Speaker 4: I have it a pretty good authority. 382 00:23:01,440 --> 00:23:04,359 Speaker 3: Well, let's rewind when Donald Trump decides who does he 383 00:23:04,440 --> 00:23:06,600 Speaker 3: really want to have as attorney general. He wants to 384 00:23:06,640 --> 00:23:08,600 Speaker 3: make sure it's a loyalist and someone he can trust 385 00:23:08,680 --> 00:23:11,040 Speaker 3: he will do what he asks, and someone who will 386 00:23:11,040 --> 00:23:13,800 Speaker 3: not screw him over. And so the guy he actually 387 00:23:13,880 --> 00:23:19,000 Speaker 3: wanted was Matt Gates. However, Matt had let's say, certain 388 00:23:19,000 --> 00:23:22,280 Speaker 3: complications in certain issues, and that just became untenable. 389 00:23:23,119 --> 00:23:27,200 Speaker 4: We can get into that. He calls up Bondie. 390 00:23:26,880 --> 00:23:29,000 Speaker 3: Trump does and says, Pam, I want you to be 391 00:23:29,040 --> 00:23:29,760 Speaker 3: Attorney general. 392 00:23:29,800 --> 00:23:30,680 Speaker 4: And you know what she does. 393 00:23:30,920 --> 00:23:34,200 Speaker 3: She almost cried on the phone with him and said 394 00:23:34,240 --> 00:23:36,600 Speaker 3: she didn't want to do it because she knew she 395 00:23:36,720 --> 00:23:39,680 Speaker 3: was living. She's leading a very happy life. She likes dogs, 396 00:23:39,840 --> 00:23:42,160 Speaker 3: she has a very handsome husband. They have a great 397 00:23:42,200 --> 00:23:44,080 Speaker 3: life together, and she didn't want to do it. 398 00:23:44,400 --> 00:23:49,399 Speaker 1: And she was making that the money, aving. 399 00:23:47,960 --> 00:23:50,719 Speaker 3: Tons of money at Ballard's Ballard's law firm, which, by 400 00:23:50,760 --> 00:23:52,879 Speaker 3: the way, was the law firmer Susie wils was working 401 00:23:52,920 --> 00:23:56,280 Speaker 3: at when Desants called up Ballard and told him to 402 00:23:56,320 --> 00:23:58,120 Speaker 3: fire her in twenty nineteen. 403 00:23:58,280 --> 00:24:01,919 Speaker 1: Florida is so ridiculously incestuous. Is not even funny. 404 00:24:01,960 --> 00:24:04,120 Speaker 2: It's I mean, it's like the miracle. 405 00:24:04,440 --> 00:24:07,520 Speaker 1: We all don't have, you know, issues like hemophilia or something. 406 00:24:07,640 --> 00:24:09,320 Speaker 3: We have a family, we have a family tree that 407 00:24:09,359 --> 00:24:11,159 Speaker 3: looks sort of like a broomstick. 408 00:24:11,240 --> 00:24:23,159 Speaker 1: Right, But okay, now, now, now let's get to the 409 00:24:23,480 --> 00:24:28,080 Speaker 1: biggie of Floridians in this Trump administration other than Trump himself, 410 00:24:28,440 --> 00:24:32,320 Speaker 1: and that's my old friend Marco Rubio. 411 00:24:32,800 --> 00:24:35,320 Speaker 2: Can you believe the conversion in this guy. 412 00:24:35,359 --> 00:24:38,600 Speaker 1: I mean, it's like like he has fallen victim to 413 00:24:38,720 --> 00:24:42,199 Speaker 1: the body snatchers. But but I I, you know, I was. 414 00:24:42,280 --> 00:24:45,560 Speaker 1: I was so last week he filled in for Carolyn Levitt, 415 00:24:45,560 --> 00:24:49,159 Speaker 1: who's on maternity leave, right the White House spokesperson, the 416 00:24:49,359 --> 00:24:52,480 Speaker 1: Press Secretariat, and he and he and he gave this 417 00:24:53,200 --> 00:24:58,399 Speaker 1: he this beautiful, like vintage Marco answer on something about 418 00:24:58,400 --> 00:25:01,159 Speaker 1: how in this country or the color of your skin 419 00:25:01,240 --> 00:25:03,160 Speaker 1: and your where you come from is not. 420 00:25:03,080 --> 00:25:03,719 Speaker 2: Going to be stopped. 421 00:25:03,800 --> 00:25:06,520 Speaker 1: I mean, like I have heard these lines from Marco 422 00:25:06,800 --> 00:25:10,600 Speaker 1: for decades now, and I remember being inspired by them 423 00:25:10,600 --> 00:25:14,439 Speaker 1: at some point. I remember all this aspirational tone just 424 00:25:14,520 --> 00:25:17,720 Speaker 1: lifts me up. I feel so proud of Marco right now. 425 00:25:17,800 --> 00:25:20,720 Speaker 1: I want to hide my face in shame that I 426 00:25:20,800 --> 00:25:24,320 Speaker 1: ever supported him and that I ever believed him. Anytime 427 00:25:24,440 --> 00:25:28,399 Speaker 1: I hear Marco Rubio open up his mouth or worse yet, 428 00:25:28,920 --> 00:25:33,200 Speaker 1: not open up his mouth, So what in the hell. 429 00:25:33,640 --> 00:25:36,560 Speaker 2: Has happened to Marco Rubio Marquito? 430 00:25:37,280 --> 00:25:38,760 Speaker 4: I mean in twenty. 431 00:25:38,520 --> 00:25:42,920 Speaker 3: Sixteen, like go back to twenty sixteen, Rubio decides to 432 00:25:43,000 --> 00:25:45,880 Speaker 3: run for president. He's technically not running against Jeb Bush, 433 00:25:45,920 --> 00:25:48,480 Speaker 3: but he's really running against Jeb Bush. That was the story, 434 00:25:48,560 --> 00:25:51,640 Speaker 3: like is Jeb Bush going to become president? Donald Trump 435 00:25:51,720 --> 00:25:54,560 Speaker 3: comes out of nowhere and just mops the floor with everyone, 436 00:25:54,720 --> 00:25:58,560 Speaker 3: including Rubio. Rubio's he wasn't the last guy standing in 437 00:25:58,560 --> 00:26:00,240 Speaker 3: that race, but he was sort of the last sort 438 00:26:00,280 --> 00:26:02,000 Speaker 3: of significant kind of charactery. 439 00:26:02,040 --> 00:26:02,840 Speaker 4: Ted Cruz hung on. 440 00:26:03,080 --> 00:26:05,200 Speaker 1: But by the way, hold on, let me stop you there, 441 00:26:05,320 --> 00:26:08,479 Speaker 1: because on the Jeb aspect of it, Jeb Bush was 442 00:26:08,640 --> 00:26:10,040 Speaker 1: Marco Rubio's mentor. 443 00:26:10,280 --> 00:26:12,480 Speaker 2: So was my husband, but let's leave that out of that. 444 00:26:13,200 --> 00:26:22,280 Speaker 1: But okay, okay, So Jeb Bush was Marco's mentor. Marco 445 00:26:22,359 --> 00:26:25,720 Speaker 1: became Speaker of the House in the Florida Legislature under Jeb. 446 00:26:26,880 --> 00:26:29,560 Speaker 1: You know, he owes him his career, he owes him 447 00:26:29,600 --> 00:26:32,240 Speaker 1: so much. Had said he would never run against Jeb. 448 00:26:32,480 --> 00:26:35,240 Speaker 1: And the only reason I bring this up because because 449 00:26:35,280 --> 00:26:37,000 Speaker 1: now he like plays nice with JD. 450 00:26:37,160 --> 00:26:40,800 Speaker 2: Vance and there's like, oh, Marco Rubio will never run 451 00:26:40,800 --> 00:26:41,800 Speaker 2: against JD. Vans. 452 00:26:41,920 --> 00:26:46,960 Speaker 1: Yeah, hold my Soavignyon Blanc, I've seen this movie before. 453 00:26:47,280 --> 00:26:49,960 Speaker 1: He will stab him in the back so quickly JD. 454 00:26:50,119 --> 00:26:53,800 Speaker 1: Vans won't even feel the blade going in between his ribs. 455 00:26:54,119 --> 00:26:58,840 Speaker 3: Well, Vance's people have an advanced paranoia for anyone who 456 00:26:58,920 --> 00:27:02,679 Speaker 3: might be running against Vans. They had it for Rubio 457 00:27:02,760 --> 00:27:05,920 Speaker 3: for a while, and they don't anymore. I don't think 458 00:27:06,000 --> 00:27:07,320 Speaker 3: and now this this is gonna be famous. 459 00:27:07,359 --> 00:27:08,480 Speaker 4: Last words. So what is today? 460 00:27:08,880 --> 00:27:12,159 Speaker 3: It is May seventh, four twenty three pm, right on 461 00:27:12,280 --> 00:27:15,840 Speaker 3: a Thursday. I'm gonna eat these words, I think to 462 00:27:15,880 --> 00:27:18,560 Speaker 3: your point, like, I don't think he's gonna run against 463 00:27:18,600 --> 00:27:19,600 Speaker 3: Jade Vans. 464 00:27:19,240 --> 00:27:19,760 Speaker 2: Oh I do. 465 00:27:20,640 --> 00:27:25,080 Speaker 1: So we are putting money on okay, We're putting money on, Okay, 466 00:27:25,720 --> 00:27:28,280 Speaker 1: a bottle of your favorite or a bottle of my favorite. 467 00:27:28,320 --> 00:27:29,800 Speaker 2: And I'm gonna make a real expense. 468 00:27:29,520 --> 00:27:32,879 Speaker 3: Nor your taste are too advanced and expensive feet to 469 00:27:32,920 --> 00:27:33,399 Speaker 3: a Ford. 470 00:27:34,320 --> 00:27:35,640 Speaker 4: No, no, no, oh, come on there. 471 00:27:35,720 --> 00:27:38,160 Speaker 1: Now you're now a big time national reporter. You've got 472 00:27:38,160 --> 00:27:40,800 Speaker 1: the money to pay for my for my booze. Okay, 473 00:27:40,800 --> 00:27:44,040 Speaker 1: but let's talk. Let's continue on Marco. So the Marco 474 00:27:44,119 --> 00:27:46,000 Speaker 1: Rubio you and I knew when he when he first 475 00:27:46,080 --> 00:27:49,000 Speaker 1: became you know, ran for the Senate, became senator. It 476 00:27:49,040 --> 00:27:51,800 Speaker 1: was like this amazing night under the stars again at 477 00:27:51,800 --> 00:27:56,080 Speaker 1: the Billmore Hotel in Coral Gables his victory party, he would, 478 00:27:56,119 --> 00:27:59,600 Speaker 1: you know, proudly speak about his immigrant background. Let's remember 479 00:27:59,840 --> 00:28:04,920 Speaker 1: his parents came here not fleeing fedel Castro, but fleeing poverty, right, 480 00:28:04,920 --> 00:28:09,000 Speaker 1: And that's an important distinction, because they weren't fleeing Batista. 481 00:28:09,119 --> 00:28:09,639 Speaker 2: They were poor. 482 00:28:09,880 --> 00:28:12,760 Speaker 1: They were coming here for economic reasons, like so many 483 00:28:12,800 --> 00:28:15,720 Speaker 1: of the immigrants that are getting deported right now come 484 00:28:15,840 --> 00:28:19,480 Speaker 1: for and his grandfather had a deportation order at one point. 485 00:28:19,880 --> 00:28:22,320 Speaker 2: But you know, here's Marco. 486 00:28:22,480 --> 00:28:26,320 Speaker 1: He gets to the Senate, he tries to pass immigration legislation. 487 00:28:26,800 --> 00:28:30,280 Speaker 1: I can't reconcile in my little head. How it is 488 00:28:30,359 --> 00:28:33,240 Speaker 1: possible that the man I knew to be a proud 489 00:28:33,359 --> 00:28:37,760 Speaker 1: advocate for immigrants can sit silently in that White House 490 00:28:37,760 --> 00:28:39,880 Speaker 1: because he's in the White House more than he's at 491 00:28:39,880 --> 00:28:45,400 Speaker 1: the State Department, while such cruelty is being inflicted on immigrants. 492 00:28:45,800 --> 00:28:49,640 Speaker 1: While while this is a man who advocated for temporary 493 00:28:49,640 --> 00:28:55,080 Speaker 1: protective status for Haitians, for Venezuelans, for Nicaraguan's, for Cubans, 494 00:28:55,320 --> 00:28:58,400 Speaker 1: and is sitting there silently while all of that is 495 00:28:58,440 --> 00:29:02,920 Speaker 1: being taken away. How has that happened. 496 00:29:03,400 --> 00:29:05,680 Speaker 3: I mean, I think part of him has changed, and 497 00:29:05,720 --> 00:29:08,080 Speaker 3: part of the reality is is that people who reach 498 00:29:08,720 --> 00:29:12,840 Speaker 3: these high levels of power make deals. And part of 499 00:29:12,880 --> 00:29:17,400 Speaker 3: signing up and getting on the Trump train is following 500 00:29:17,440 --> 00:29:22,880 Speaker 3: through on immigration policies that back then would seem unthinkable, 501 00:29:23,000 --> 00:29:27,440 Speaker 3: like years ago. The Rubios of the world or his 502 00:29:27,520 --> 00:29:30,800 Speaker 3: advisors would explain that the left has changed, and these 503 00:29:30,880 --> 00:29:33,040 Speaker 3: various things that I can go into if you want, 504 00:29:33,440 --> 00:29:35,800 Speaker 3: But the fact is is that to get a seat 505 00:29:35,840 --> 00:29:38,160 Speaker 3: at the Trump table, you have to buy into the 506 00:29:38,200 --> 00:29:40,360 Speaker 3: Trump agenda, and to a degree, he has to buy 507 00:29:40,400 --> 00:29:43,680 Speaker 3: into yours. I think Trump chose Rubio because of his 508 00:29:43,760 --> 00:29:46,440 Speaker 3: foreign policy, but there's certainly a trade off. 509 00:29:46,560 --> 00:29:50,680 Speaker 1: And for Rubio, I think Trump chose Rubio because he 510 00:29:50,840 --> 00:29:55,040 Speaker 1: owed the Cuban American community. I think Trump chose Rubio, yes, 511 00:29:55,080 --> 00:29:58,000 Speaker 1: because of his foreign policy, Yes, because he's a normally Republican, 512 00:29:58,360 --> 00:30:01,880 Speaker 1: but also because Trump managed to win Miami Dade County 513 00:30:01,920 --> 00:30:05,800 Speaker 1: thanks to the Cuban American community. And I think, you know, 514 00:30:06,160 --> 00:30:08,280 Speaker 1: and he's you know, and he's repaid that debt. That 515 00:30:08,360 --> 00:30:11,920 Speaker 1: is the one Latino community he hasn't fuck. Actually he 516 00:30:12,000 --> 00:30:14,840 Speaker 1: is screwing them because he's like deporting them and sending 517 00:30:14,880 --> 00:30:16,200 Speaker 1: them to Sudan and Congo. 518 00:30:16,280 --> 00:30:16,760 Speaker 2: But whatever. 519 00:30:17,120 --> 00:30:20,640 Speaker 3: In the twenty sixth after Trump becomes president twenty seventeen, 520 00:30:21,160 --> 00:30:25,440 Speaker 3: Rubio is then the chair of Western Hemisphere of the 521 00:30:25,520 --> 00:30:26,720 Speaker 3: Foreign Affairs Committee. 522 00:30:26,760 --> 00:30:30,680 Speaker 1: And Rubio is the guy who recommends alex Acosta, who 523 00:30:30,760 --> 00:30:33,720 Speaker 1: then had to resign in infamy, and in the midst 524 00:30:33,800 --> 00:30:36,320 Speaker 1: of the Epstein scandal, and the Rubio was the guy 525 00:30:36,360 --> 00:30:40,160 Speaker 1: who recommended alex Acosta as Labor Secretary, and in the 526 00:30:40,200 --> 00:30:41,520 Speaker 1: first Trump term. 527 00:30:41,840 --> 00:30:45,840 Speaker 2: But listen, last last time. The last week. 528 00:30:45,680 --> 00:30:48,480 Speaker 1: We saw Rubio going to the Vatican and meeting with 529 00:30:48,520 --> 00:30:51,400 Speaker 1: Pope Leo. And I was asking myself and I and 530 00:30:51,440 --> 00:30:54,080 Speaker 1: I heard him in this in this new when he 531 00:30:54,120 --> 00:30:56,040 Speaker 1: was doing this press conference at the White House last 532 00:30:56,080 --> 00:30:59,480 Speaker 1: week talking about the Pope being the Vicar of Christ 533 00:30:59,560 --> 00:31:00,400 Speaker 1: and this and that. 534 00:31:00,520 --> 00:31:03,960 Speaker 2: Okay, So Marco in his childhood. 535 00:31:03,520 --> 00:31:09,360 Speaker 1: Was a Mormon because his parents lived in Utah. 536 00:31:08,040 --> 00:31:12,959 Speaker 2: And then moved to Florida and became I in Nevada. 537 00:31:13,040 --> 00:31:18,520 Speaker 1: I knew Marco as a devout Catholic. I remember being 538 00:31:18,560 --> 00:31:20,760 Speaker 1: at his daughter's first community. This is something that he 539 00:31:20,800 --> 00:31:24,800 Speaker 1: took incredibly seriously. Then for a while he was going 540 00:31:24,920 --> 00:31:29,800 Speaker 1: to a Christian megachurch in Miami, the Fellowship of Christ. 541 00:31:30,280 --> 00:31:32,520 Speaker 1: And so I thought, okay, maybe he's no longer Catholic. 542 00:31:32,520 --> 00:31:35,640 Speaker 1: And then I guess now he's returned to the Catholic Church. 543 00:31:35,680 --> 00:31:40,200 Speaker 1: But I go back to this mark, how do you 544 00:31:40,320 --> 00:31:44,920 Speaker 1: stay silent while Donald Trump attacks the as a Catholic 545 00:31:45,480 --> 00:31:49,280 Speaker 1: while Donald Trump attacks the Pope, while Donald Trump is 546 00:31:49,520 --> 00:31:55,560 Speaker 1: posting means of himself as Jesus Christ, while Donald Trump 547 00:31:55,600 --> 00:31:59,520 Speaker 1: is doing things as Unchristian as having people who are 548 00:32:00,240 --> 00:32:04,520 Speaker 1: protesting in favor of immigrants shot and killed by his 549 00:32:05,280 --> 00:32:09,800 Speaker 1: ice and his DHS law enforcement, and not say a 550 00:32:09,920 --> 00:32:10,840 Speaker 1: damn thing. 551 00:32:11,040 --> 00:32:12,360 Speaker 2: I just can't with that. 552 00:32:12,720 --> 00:32:14,680 Speaker 4: Maybe I've covered politics too long. 553 00:32:14,760 --> 00:32:17,600 Speaker 2: But yeah, you have. You are so jaded. It's your 554 00:32:17,640 --> 00:32:18,760 Speaker 2: your opinions are long. 555 00:32:19,360 --> 00:32:21,959 Speaker 3: I just the thing is is like, yeah, it's it's 556 00:32:22,120 --> 00:32:26,280 Speaker 3: it's hard for me to you know, I guess the 557 00:32:26,280 --> 00:32:29,000 Speaker 3: line for that Bob Dylan song you say you lost 558 00:32:29,000 --> 00:32:31,240 Speaker 3: your faith. You know, it's not like that you have 559 00:32:31,320 --> 00:32:33,520 Speaker 3: no faith to begin with, and you know it. Uh, 560 00:32:33,560 --> 00:32:37,200 Speaker 3: the you know, my my my Twitter avatar is doubting Thomas. 561 00:32:37,240 --> 00:32:42,320 Speaker 3: And so I understand. Rubio is a is excellent at speaking. 562 00:32:42,720 --> 00:32:46,520 Speaker 3: He's he's a smart guy. He's very well informed. But 563 00:32:46,680 --> 00:32:51,360 Speaker 3: this is power. I mean, in order to ascend any 564 00:32:51,400 --> 00:32:52,960 Speaker 3: of these levels, this is what they do. 565 00:32:53,320 --> 00:32:55,720 Speaker 2: He's did he go to Turkey and get a hair 566 00:32:55,800 --> 00:32:57,320 Speaker 2: transplant while we didn't look? 567 00:32:58,560 --> 00:33:02,280 Speaker 1: Because I feel like I feel like he had three 568 00:33:02,440 --> 00:33:05,160 Speaker 1: strands of hair left, and all of a sudden, that 569 00:33:05,240 --> 00:33:07,680 Speaker 1: hair is looking so much better. And I'm like it 570 00:33:07,960 --> 00:33:10,600 Speaker 1: was Marco gone for a while because or what is 571 00:33:10,640 --> 00:33:11,800 Speaker 1: he putting on his head? 572 00:33:12,080 --> 00:33:14,040 Speaker 4: I don't like I saw him the other day. 573 00:33:14,440 --> 00:33:16,400 Speaker 3: I was at the White House a few weeks ago, 574 00:33:16,520 --> 00:33:20,520 Speaker 3: and like I went prematurely gray, you know, like, yeah. 575 00:33:20,400 --> 00:33:21,240 Speaker 2: But you still have hair. 576 00:33:21,280 --> 00:33:23,280 Speaker 4: My hair is like I still hair. 577 00:33:23,320 --> 00:33:24,760 Speaker 3: But I'm just like I look at the guy and 578 00:33:24,880 --> 00:33:27,040 Speaker 3: like he's two years older than I am or so, 579 00:33:27,240 --> 00:33:29,640 Speaker 3: and like he looks like way younger than me. 580 00:33:29,720 --> 00:33:31,959 Speaker 2: I'm telling you, I want to see his passport. I 581 00:33:32,000 --> 00:33:32,560 Speaker 2: think he went. 582 00:33:32,640 --> 00:33:34,920 Speaker 1: I think he went to Turkey and got himself a 583 00:33:34,920 --> 00:33:35,600 Speaker 1: hair transplant. 584 00:33:35,800 --> 00:33:36,720 Speaker 2: Something happened there. 585 00:33:37,080 --> 00:33:40,800 Speaker 1: Something happened either that or he made not one pack 586 00:33:40,880 --> 00:33:43,360 Speaker 1: with the Devil, but two, and in that second pack 587 00:33:43,480 --> 00:33:48,720 Speaker 1: he got himself ahead of hair. But listen, Mark, can 588 00:33:48,760 --> 00:33:53,160 Speaker 1: we talk about what happened in Miami? A few days 589 00:33:53,160 --> 00:33:57,760 Speaker 1: ago in a courtroom in Miami. Let's just I okay, go, 590 00:33:58,400 --> 00:34:00,080 Speaker 1: just go, because I don't even know how what to 591 00:34:00,120 --> 00:34:00,640 Speaker 1: say about it. 592 00:34:01,160 --> 00:34:05,920 Speaker 3: David Rivera, who was who was the guy that really 593 00:34:06,080 --> 00:34:10,040 Speaker 3: helped Marco Rubio become what he became. 594 00:34:10,960 --> 00:34:14,840 Speaker 4: His longtime friend is. 595 00:34:13,680 --> 00:34:15,680 Speaker 2: His no, not friend, best friend. 596 00:34:15,880 --> 00:34:19,040 Speaker 1: They they owned a house together in Tallahassee, the. 597 00:34:19,040 --> 00:34:21,640 Speaker 3: Facto uncle to his kids. I think some of them 598 00:34:21,719 --> 00:34:24,279 Speaker 3: called called him uncle David at one point, at least 599 00:34:24,280 --> 00:34:26,319 Speaker 3: I was told that by one or two people. Yeah, 600 00:34:26,320 --> 00:34:28,480 Speaker 3: they co owned a house in Tallahassee. 601 00:34:28,000 --> 00:34:29,399 Speaker 4: And they're both state legislators. 602 00:34:29,840 --> 00:34:32,920 Speaker 3: They both got elected to Congress, David to the Lower 603 00:34:32,920 --> 00:34:37,440 Speaker 3: House to the US House representive and Rubio to Senate 604 00:34:37,440 --> 00:34:40,640 Speaker 3: in twenty ten. I mean, these guys were close. Rivera 605 00:34:40,760 --> 00:34:43,520 Speaker 3: was as much a close friend, a best friend as 606 00:34:43,520 --> 00:34:45,560 Speaker 3: he was a mentor to Rubio. 607 00:34:45,760 --> 00:34:48,399 Speaker 1: But in twenty seven and I think, I think, I think, 608 00:34:48,680 --> 00:34:51,920 Speaker 1: I think David Rivera was the henchman so that Rubio 609 00:34:51,960 --> 00:34:54,959 Speaker 1: could look like the angel, right. David Rivera was doing 610 00:34:55,000 --> 00:34:58,040 Speaker 1: the dirty work so Rubio could be above the fray, 611 00:34:58,080 --> 00:34:58,680 Speaker 1: above it all. 612 00:34:58,960 --> 00:35:03,200 Speaker 3: He was a guy, if you wanted a figurative body 613 00:35:03,239 --> 00:35:06,040 Speaker 3: to be disposed of. And if you were a Marco Rubio, 614 00:35:06,160 --> 00:35:07,759 Speaker 3: David Rivera would be the first guy you call. 615 00:35:08,120 --> 00:35:11,759 Speaker 1: And by the way, and as a caveat and to 616 00:35:11,800 --> 00:35:15,839 Speaker 1: be transparent, David Rivera was a good friend of. 617 00:35:15,760 --> 00:35:18,240 Speaker 2: Mine and worked for my husband. 618 00:35:19,880 --> 00:35:24,080 Speaker 3: But I mean, so Rivera helps Rubio, He's not the 619 00:35:24,080 --> 00:35:27,000 Speaker 3: only one. He helps him rise through the ranks, helps 620 00:35:27,080 --> 00:35:28,520 Speaker 3: him become house speaker. 621 00:35:28,680 --> 00:35:32,040 Speaker 1: So the bottom line is these guys were more than 622 00:35:32,080 --> 00:35:36,719 Speaker 1: best friends. They were practically brothers from different mothers for decades. 623 00:35:37,000 --> 00:35:39,840 Speaker 1: They I mean, they were as close as two people 624 00:35:39,920 --> 00:35:44,040 Speaker 1: can be without exchanging bodily fluids. 625 00:35:44,560 --> 00:35:46,200 Speaker 2: And what happened last week. 626 00:35:46,360 --> 00:35:52,239 Speaker 3: Rivera gets convicted in a lobbying scandal that the Venezuelan 627 00:35:52,280 --> 00:35:56,440 Speaker 3: government in twenty seventeen paid him what gave him a 628 00:35:56,600 --> 00:35:58,520 Speaker 3: massive contract and gave him the first one. 629 00:35:58,520 --> 00:36:00,280 Speaker 2: Fifty million dollar. 630 00:36:00,680 --> 00:36:05,880 Speaker 1: So David Rivera gets convicted for not registering as a 631 00:36:05,920 --> 00:36:11,240 Speaker 1: foreign agent while lobbying for the Maduro regime and having 632 00:36:11,360 --> 00:36:16,280 Speaker 1: signed a contract for fifty million dollars. 633 00:36:16,080 --> 00:36:18,600 Speaker 3: And they and they paid out twenty million dollars on it. 634 00:36:19,080 --> 00:36:20,520 Speaker 3: And this is typical one of the things people have 635 00:36:20,560 --> 00:36:25,120 Speaker 3: to understand about David Rivera David Rivera was is congenitally sneaky. 636 00:36:25,560 --> 00:36:30,399 Speaker 4: Now use a Spanish term maranya, which is a thick, 637 00:36:30,719 --> 00:36:31,360 Speaker 4: a thicketive. 638 00:36:31,680 --> 00:36:33,520 Speaker 2: Look at you've being web. 639 00:36:33,320 --> 00:36:36,520 Speaker 3: That's someone weed you like that marna And like David 640 00:36:36,920 --> 00:36:39,479 Speaker 3: would always come up with schemes. People for a long 641 00:36:39,520 --> 00:36:42,840 Speaker 3: time believed that he was connected to the CIA because 642 00:36:42,840 --> 00:36:46,960 Speaker 3: he kept escaping indictments at the state level, at the 643 00:36:46,960 --> 00:36:50,600 Speaker 3: federal level. Uh and I finally caught up with him 644 00:36:51,040 --> 00:36:55,919 Speaker 3: and the the Venezuelan government through a through a go 645 00:36:56,000 --> 00:37:00,480 Speaker 3: between came to Rivera in too fifty million dollar contract. 646 00:37:00,120 --> 00:37:02,640 Speaker 2: No way way. The goal between was like a. 647 00:37:02,560 --> 00:37:08,160 Speaker 1: Convicted drug dealer who served time in prison, right Ugo Pereira, 648 00:37:08,640 --> 00:37:12,480 Speaker 1: who then connected David to like a guy close to 649 00:37:12,560 --> 00:37:14,880 Speaker 1: Madua Venezuela rooms to Madua burn. 650 00:37:15,400 --> 00:37:17,640 Speaker 2: So this is really really. 651 00:37:17,360 --> 00:37:22,480 Speaker 1: Complicated, but the bottom line is this, Marco Rubio's best 652 00:37:22,640 --> 00:37:26,040 Speaker 1: friend of decades with whom he shared a house with 653 00:37:26,160 --> 00:37:27,880 Speaker 1: whom he shared everything. 654 00:37:28,120 --> 00:37:30,840 Speaker 2: Was just convicted in federal court. 655 00:37:30,680 --> 00:37:35,759 Speaker 1: In South Florida for a fifty million dollar lobbying contract. 656 00:37:35,680 --> 00:37:38,160 Speaker 4: For for scheme. 657 00:37:38,520 --> 00:37:42,719 Speaker 1: Lobbying for madure too and he where he met with 658 00:37:42,800 --> 00:37:47,520 Speaker 1: his friend, Marco Rubio several times as he was advancing 659 00:37:48,080 --> 00:37:50,840 Speaker 1: his agenda. I feel Mark, I feel like this story 660 00:37:50,880 --> 00:37:55,680 Speaker 1: has gotten precious little attention. I mean, the long time, 661 00:37:55,960 --> 00:37:59,319 Speaker 1: decades long best friend of the Secretary of State and 662 00:37:59,440 --> 00:38:04,200 Speaker 1: White House National Security Advisor just got convicted in federal 663 00:38:04,200 --> 00:38:07,959 Speaker 1: court in South Florida for having a fifty million dollar 664 00:38:08,120 --> 00:38:13,400 Speaker 1: lobbying contract for Nicolas Maduro. And I feel like nobody 665 00:38:13,440 --> 00:38:16,360 Speaker 1: even blinked at the fact. I mean like if Shonda 666 00:38:16,520 --> 00:38:20,479 Speaker 1: Rhimes had written this for Scanty as a plot line 667 00:38:20,520 --> 00:38:23,600 Speaker 1: for Scandal, the show, she would have been rejected for 668 00:38:23,640 --> 00:38:25,319 Speaker 1: it being too much of a fantasy. 669 00:38:25,800 --> 00:38:27,520 Speaker 2: So at what point do we know? 670 00:38:28,000 --> 00:38:30,320 Speaker 1: I don't even know if it's already happened. Did Marco 671 00:38:30,360 --> 00:38:32,840 Speaker 1: and when did Marco and David stop being friends? 672 00:38:33,120 --> 00:38:36,440 Speaker 3: They never really stop being friends. You know, when you 673 00:38:36,480 --> 00:38:38,960 Speaker 3: grow up in South Florida, you're gonna have friends who 674 00:38:38,960 --> 00:38:41,320 Speaker 3: are going to be criminals. 675 00:38:41,400 --> 00:38:42,879 Speaker 4: Not all of us, some of us. 676 00:38:43,000 --> 00:38:46,520 Speaker 3: Well, ye, you're gonna you're gonna wind up with some criminals, right, 677 00:38:46,920 --> 00:38:53,560 Speaker 3: And they had a slow drifting apart, David and uh Marco, 678 00:38:54,239 --> 00:38:56,399 Speaker 3: probably like around twenty twelve or so. 679 00:38:56,800 --> 00:38:59,160 Speaker 4: I mean, you know, they. 680 00:38:59,600 --> 00:39:03,160 Speaker 3: There was never a firm break, right, They were very 681 00:39:03,200 --> 00:39:06,200 Speaker 3: close friends for a long time. But Rubio in twenty 682 00:39:06,280 --> 00:39:08,600 Speaker 3: ten starts to become a real national figure and he 683 00:39:08,640 --> 00:39:11,759 Speaker 3: starts to ascend, and the people around Marco, some of 684 00:39:11,760 --> 00:39:15,799 Speaker 3: his advisors, really hated David. They hated David because they 685 00:39:15,880 --> 00:39:18,440 Speaker 3: knew David was bad news. They knew that David was 686 00:39:18,480 --> 00:39:21,120 Speaker 3: involved in various schemes, and they knew that this was 687 00:39:21,280 --> 00:39:22,799 Speaker 3: just a taking time bomb that would blow up. 688 00:39:22,800 --> 00:39:23,799 Speaker 2: Okay, here's the bottom line. 689 00:39:23,840 --> 00:39:26,320 Speaker 1: Everybody who's listening to this podcast, I want them to 690 00:39:26,400 --> 00:39:30,920 Speaker 1: go look up David rivera federal case, Marco Rubio, because 691 00:39:31,080 --> 00:39:35,760 Speaker 1: when we talk about baggage, this is a steamer trunk. 692 00:39:36,239 --> 00:39:38,640 Speaker 2: I want to ask you about two more things. 693 00:39:39,040 --> 00:39:46,280 Speaker 1: One the redistricting in Florida. So basically, Ron de Santas 694 00:39:46,400 --> 00:39:48,440 Speaker 1: was waiting for this Supreme Court case, and as soon 695 00:39:48,480 --> 00:39:51,279 Speaker 1: as it came down, he ran over to the legislature 696 00:39:51,320 --> 00:39:53,040 Speaker 1: and had this renew redisisi. 697 00:39:53,200 --> 00:39:57,120 Speaker 3: No, he did it before the Supreme He did in anticipation. 698 00:39:57,280 --> 00:39:59,000 Speaker 2: I feel like it happened in tandem. 699 00:39:59,200 --> 00:40:00,879 Speaker 4: Well it's he looks that way. 700 00:40:00,960 --> 00:40:03,920 Speaker 3: And do remember that Ron des Santis counts Clarence Thomas 701 00:40:04,000 --> 00:40:06,240 Speaker 3: as a friend, like a real friend. 702 00:40:06,520 --> 00:40:09,080 Speaker 1: Okay, So what's gonna happen in Florida? Because I because 703 00:40:09,120 --> 00:40:11,319 Speaker 1: I I this is horrible. I mean, are they going 704 00:40:11,360 --> 00:40:14,200 Speaker 1: to be able to steal the House because of this 705 00:40:14,280 --> 00:40:16,239 Speaker 1: new congressional Florida map? 706 00:40:16,520 --> 00:40:18,400 Speaker 3: I don't think that in the end, because of the 707 00:40:18,480 --> 00:40:21,640 Speaker 3: dynamics of the nation, that what Florida is doing by 708 00:40:21,680 --> 00:40:24,759 Speaker 3: carving four additional Republican seats. 709 00:40:24,960 --> 00:40:27,480 Speaker 4: Is going to ultimately make a difference. 710 00:40:27,520 --> 00:40:31,359 Speaker 3: But obviously if it's a narrow divide after the November elections, Yeah, 711 00:40:31,360 --> 00:40:34,480 Speaker 3: because remember, if you create four new Republican seats, you 712 00:40:34,600 --> 00:40:37,520 Speaker 3: take four Democratic seats away, so that becomes a margin 713 00:40:37,560 --> 00:40:40,240 Speaker 3: of eight. And that's what DeSantis is essentially drawn. 714 00:40:40,440 --> 00:40:41,880 Speaker 2: But de Santis controls. 715 00:40:41,960 --> 00:40:44,680 Speaker 1: DeSantis has firm control over this Florida Supreme Court. 716 00:40:44,719 --> 00:40:46,080 Speaker 3: Well, I don't know if he does. And that's what 717 00:40:46,120 --> 00:40:48,560 Speaker 3: we're really going to see. DeSantis has appointed six of 718 00:40:48,600 --> 00:40:49,360 Speaker 3: the seven members. 719 00:40:49,400 --> 00:40:52,200 Speaker 1: Okay, Mark, I'm gonna I'm gonna turn serious for one 720 00:40:52,239 --> 00:40:57,640 Speaker 1: hot minute. As we h had this conversation. Yeah, oh no, 721 00:40:59,520 --> 00:41:02,319 Speaker 1: you are at your dad's house. Your dad is the 722 00:41:02,320 --> 00:41:06,920 Speaker 1: most incredible human being. His name is phil Philip Capudo, 723 00:41:07,360 --> 00:41:12,920 Speaker 1: and he is a hugely respected writer, particularly about the 724 00:41:13,000 --> 00:41:18,919 Speaker 1: Vietnam War era. Tell him about where tell us about 725 00:41:18,920 --> 00:41:21,160 Speaker 1: what you're doing or where you are and how that's going. 726 00:41:21,600 --> 00:41:23,279 Speaker 4: Well, I'm in Connecticut. 727 00:41:24,000 --> 00:41:24,239 Speaker 1: You know. 728 00:41:25,440 --> 00:41:28,239 Speaker 3: One of the reasons I like to do I like 729 00:41:28,280 --> 00:41:30,800 Speaker 3: to work right now is because I don't have to 730 00:41:30,800 --> 00:41:33,640 Speaker 3: think about where I am Connecticut. I'm upstairs at his house. 731 00:41:33,880 --> 00:41:41,520 Speaker 3: He's downstairs dying, and so I've been standing. I've been 732 00:41:41,560 --> 00:41:45,840 Speaker 3: standing watch over him as his son in his final days. 733 00:41:46,200 --> 00:41:49,840 Speaker 3: And you know, I mean, I'm not special in this regard, 734 00:41:49,880 --> 00:41:52,120 Speaker 3: although I'm blessed with being able to have a job 735 00:41:52,120 --> 00:41:54,840 Speaker 3: where I can, you know, work from here or from anywhere. 736 00:41:55,400 --> 00:41:55,520 Speaker 1: Uh. 737 00:41:55,960 --> 00:42:00,000 Speaker 3: And you know, he's just he's he's he's a lie 738 00:42:00,120 --> 00:42:03,640 Speaker 3: of a man, and he's been laid low by cancer. 739 00:42:04,040 --> 00:42:06,239 Speaker 3: But to give people an idea of who he is, 740 00:42:06,280 --> 00:42:10,640 Speaker 3: he wrote the first book of a soldier's account of 741 00:42:10,680 --> 00:42:13,759 Speaker 3: the Vietnam War that published in nineteen seventy seven, called 742 00:42:13,840 --> 00:42:17,520 Speaker 3: A Rumor of War. He's published nineteen or eighteen books since. 743 00:42:18,160 --> 00:42:21,719 Speaker 3: In nineteen seventy two, he was part of the team 744 00:42:21,760 --> 00:42:25,479 Speaker 3: at the Chicago Tribune that uncovered voting fraud by Mayor 745 00:42:25,600 --> 00:42:29,759 Speaker 3: Daily in Chicago, and they won the Pulitzer Prize for that. 746 00:42:31,200 --> 00:42:34,840 Speaker 3: He became a foreign correspondent and covered every sort of 747 00:42:34,920 --> 00:42:38,320 Speaker 3: major conflict you can think of for years in the seventies, 748 00:42:38,360 --> 00:42:42,080 Speaker 3: from the fall of Saigon in nineteen seventy five to 749 00:42:42,160 --> 00:42:46,040 Speaker 3: the war in Eritrea to the wars in the Middle East. 750 00:42:46,520 --> 00:42:49,360 Speaker 3: While in station in Beirut, at one point he was 751 00:42:49,400 --> 00:42:52,680 Speaker 3: captured by Palestinian militants suspected of being a spy. 752 00:42:52,760 --> 00:42:53,360 Speaker 4: They let him go. 753 00:42:54,120 --> 00:42:56,719 Speaker 3: Months later, or maybe it was a year later or so, 754 00:42:57,640 --> 00:43:01,000 Speaker 3: as the civil war in Beirut broke out, he wound 755 00:43:01,080 --> 00:43:03,640 Speaker 3: up getting stopped at a checkpoint as he came out 756 00:43:03,680 --> 00:43:09,800 Speaker 3: of the office and he was threatened. He tried to 757 00:43:09,880 --> 00:43:12,600 Speaker 3: run away. They shot him. He got shot in the foot, 758 00:43:12,680 --> 00:43:15,479 Speaker 3: luckily as he was rolling over by an AK forty seven, 759 00:43:15,520 --> 00:43:17,600 Speaker 3: not in the head. It happened on the border of 760 00:43:17,640 --> 00:43:20,200 Speaker 3: the Christian district. He was able to crawl into the 761 00:43:20,280 --> 00:43:23,880 Speaker 3: Christian district and was rescued, fortunately on the doorstep of 762 00:43:23,920 --> 00:43:27,200 Speaker 3: a doctor. And even in middle age. He went to 763 00:43:27,200 --> 00:43:31,839 Speaker 3: Afghanistan and covered the war there. So he's survived a 764 00:43:31,840 --> 00:43:33,280 Speaker 3: lot of conflicts over the years. 765 00:43:33,719 --> 00:43:34,800 Speaker 2: How was he as a father? 766 00:43:36,680 --> 00:43:41,680 Speaker 3: I am not the son of any other father, but 767 00:43:41,760 --> 00:43:43,560 Speaker 3: my own. But I'm pretty sure that I had the 768 00:43:43,600 --> 00:43:46,800 Speaker 3: best father in the world, and I've told him that repeatedly. 769 00:43:47,000 --> 00:43:52,200 Speaker 3: And you know, I'd happily give a year off of 770 00:43:52,200 --> 00:43:55,839 Speaker 3: my own life or however many to bring him back, 771 00:43:56,000 --> 00:43:59,200 Speaker 3: but I don't get that choice. And you know, everyone dies, 772 00:43:59,239 --> 00:44:00,719 Speaker 3: you don't get out of this lighte for life. So 773 00:44:00,920 --> 00:44:05,840 Speaker 3: I'm just I cannot think outside of being, you know, 774 00:44:05,960 --> 00:44:11,640 Speaker 3: just so lucky for having a father that was a 775 00:44:11,719 --> 00:44:17,200 Speaker 3: real man, who who taught me the values of not 776 00:44:17,360 --> 00:44:21,640 Speaker 3: just being a father and a man, but also the 777 00:44:21,719 --> 00:44:25,200 Speaker 3: values of what I do as a journalist. But I 778 00:44:25,239 --> 00:44:28,319 Speaker 3: am just privileged enough to be able to take the 779 00:44:28,400 --> 00:44:32,680 Speaker 3: time and have spent this last week with him as 780 00:44:32,760 --> 00:44:34,360 Speaker 3: as he started to slip away. 781 00:44:34,640 --> 00:44:37,360 Speaker 4: So you know, I've just I've been able to stand 782 00:44:37,440 --> 00:44:38,839 Speaker 4: watch as his son Mark. 783 00:44:39,040 --> 00:44:41,879 Speaker 1: Can we as we end this interview, can we raise 784 00:44:41,920 --> 00:44:44,200 Speaker 1: a glass to Philippolo. 785 00:44:45,719 --> 00:44:48,120 Speaker 4: Thank you. I appreciate you. 786 00:44:47,280 --> 00:44:47,520 Speaker 1: And here. 787 00:44:49,719 --> 00:44:52,080 Speaker 3: I didn't think you would ambush me with this, and 788 00:44:52,120 --> 00:44:53,880 Speaker 3: I was not prepared to talk about. 789 00:44:53,680 --> 00:44:56,120 Speaker 1: It, but I'm glad you did, and I'm and I'm 790 00:44:56,160 --> 00:44:57,799 Speaker 1: glad we we learned about it. 791 00:44:58,520 --> 00:45:00,520 Speaker 4: Well, I guess this is a first time ever cried 792 00:45:00,560 --> 00:45:01,520 Speaker 4: on camera, but here. 793 00:45:01,719 --> 00:45:04,480 Speaker 1: I am, well, sweetheart, you could be Jeffrey Tube and 794 00:45:04,480 --> 00:45:05,480 Speaker 1: you could be masturbating. 795 00:45:05,840 --> 00:45:12,680 Speaker 3: Okay with that, By the way, I think I do 796 00:45:12,760 --> 00:45:14,560 Speaker 3: have a good sense of humor. And it's the great 797 00:45:14,600 --> 00:45:17,279 Speaker 3: it's it's among the greatest gifts my father has given 798 00:45:17,320 --> 00:45:20,040 Speaker 3: me and and so and that spirit. 799 00:45:20,400 --> 00:45:22,959 Speaker 1: Well, your dad gave me the gift of you and 800 00:45:23,040 --> 00:45:28,480 Speaker 1: our friendship and us being able to gossip. So thank 801 00:45:28,520 --> 00:45:30,560 Speaker 1: you for spending this time. I know you're going through 802 00:45:30,600 --> 00:45:32,920 Speaker 1: a lot right now. Thank you for being with us 803 00:45:32,960 --> 00:45:37,680 Speaker 1: today and for being dishy and gossip ye about the 804 00:45:37,760 --> 00:45:39,240 Speaker 1: crazy shit from Floyda. 805 00:45:39,560 --> 00:45:41,400 Speaker 4: Thank you. I appreciate you, Eva, I really do. 806 00:45:43,680 --> 00:45:47,000 Speaker 1: And that's all for today. Thanks to Mark Caputo for 807 00:45:47,040 --> 00:45:49,480 Speaker 1: his time. Thank you to all of you for tuning in. 808 00:45:49,600 --> 00:45:52,880 Speaker 1: See you next week. Bleep with Anna Navarro is a 809 00:45:52,920 --> 00:45:57,440 Speaker 1: High Finite Media group production in partnership with Iheartmichael Duda 810 00:45:57,520 --> 00:46:00,680 Speaker 1: podcast Network. For more of your favorite shows, visit the 811 00:46:00,719 --> 00:46:04,799 Speaker 1: iHeartRadio app, Apple Podcasts, or wherever you get your podcasts.