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 --> 00:00:16,919 Speaker 1: by clicking the link and the description to this episode. 5 00:00:17,120 --> 00:00:20,439 Speaker 1: Something that is true but that you won't read about 6 00:00:20,720 --> 00:00:26,319 Speaker 1: at least very often, is how panicked Republicans are in Washington, DC. 7 00:00:27,480 --> 00:00:30,000 Speaker 1: What I'm talking about is the panic of the party's 8 00:00:30,040 --> 00:00:34,960 Speaker 1: pollsters and election strategists. They see the writing on the wall, 9 00:00:35,520 --> 00:00:38,559 Speaker 1: they know what's coming down the pike. They know what 10 00:00:38,600 --> 00:00:43,080 Speaker 1: it means when Carrie Lake is back. The Looney conspiracy 11 00:00:43,159 --> 00:00:47,560 Speaker 1: theorist who is defeated in the Arizona gubernatorial election now 12 00:00:47,880 --> 00:00:51,120 Speaker 1: has her site set on the United States Senate, where 13 00:00:51,159 --> 00:00:55,240 Speaker 1: she can be Lauren Bobert and Marjorie Taylor Green Times 14 00:00:55,240 --> 00:01:03,320 Speaker 1: five Republicans understand that Donald Trump is going off the rails. 15 00:01:03,880 --> 00:01:09,440 Speaker 1: Look at his behavior. This man seeks again to be 16 00:01:09,560 --> 00:01:14,560 Speaker 1: the commander in chief of the most powerful military in 17 00:01:14,680 --> 00:01:21,040 Speaker 1: human history. He wants control of America's nuclear weapons arsenal, 18 00:01:22,200 --> 00:01:28,640 Speaker 1: and by any objective measurement, any standard, his conduct has 19 00:01:28,720 --> 00:01:35,000 Speaker 1: become completely deranged. His attacks on the federal judges and 20 00:01:35,080 --> 00:01:40,720 Speaker 1: judiciary his attacks and threats against the prosecutor in Atlanta, 21 00:01:41,520 --> 00:01:44,800 Speaker 1: whom he accused of having an affair with a gang member. 22 00:01:45,800 --> 00:01:51,200 Speaker 1: It's important to note that's not accidental. The Atlanta prosecutor 23 00:01:51,680 --> 00:01:56,760 Speaker 1: is tough as nails. A black woman. He's disrespecting her, 24 00:01:57,320 --> 00:02:03,440 Speaker 1: insulting her, degrading her. The attack is racist. The attack 25 00:02:03,720 --> 00:02:08,799 Speaker 1: is stereotypical everything that you would expect from Donald Trump. 26 00:02:10,040 --> 00:02:13,160 Speaker 1: He went to New Hampshire. He railed against Chris Christie, 27 00:02:13,800 --> 00:02:16,720 Speaker 1: who has moved into a tie for second place. It 28 00:02:16,800 --> 00:02:20,760 Speaker 1: is on track to win the New Hampshire primary. Donald 29 00:02:20,800 --> 00:02:24,200 Speaker 1: Trump engaged the former governor from New Jersey, calling him 30 00:02:24,240 --> 00:02:29,400 Speaker 1: a fat pig. He is lashing out, he is decomposing. 31 00:02:30,560 --> 00:02:34,160 Speaker 1: This is what one hundred felony counts will do to 32 00:02:34,240 --> 00:02:37,720 Speaker 1: a person, and that's likely the number will be up 33 00:02:37,800 --> 00:02:41,560 Speaker 1: around with all is said and done, as Donald Trump 34 00:02:41,840 --> 00:02:46,359 Speaker 1: heads to the trials. According to the polling, and perhaps 35 00:02:46,440 --> 00:02:52,799 Speaker 1: more importantly, media outlets interpretation of it, Americans are apparently 36 00:02:53,280 --> 00:02:57,880 Speaker 1: tuned out to the wall to wall Trump trial coverage. 37 00:02:58,080 --> 00:03:01,880 Speaker 1: The media is interpreting this as meaning the American people 38 00:03:02,000 --> 00:03:06,800 Speaker 1: are numb or uncaring about the trials. I think this 39 00:03:06,960 --> 00:03:11,520 Speaker 1: is wrong deeply wrong. What the American people aren't necessarily 40 00:03:11,560 --> 00:03:14,840 Speaker 1: in the mood for in the middle of summer is 41 00:03:14,960 --> 00:03:21,040 Speaker 1: wall to wall talking about the trial, between motions, between 42 00:03:21,080 --> 00:03:28,040 Speaker 1: any activity that's repetitive, that's banal, tedious, and exceedingly boring. 43 00:03:29,160 --> 00:03:33,280 Speaker 1: When the trials begin and there is action to cover 44 00:03:34,080 --> 00:03:37,720 Speaker 1: and to report on as the events are taking place, 45 00:03:38,040 --> 00:03:40,640 Speaker 1: I think it is safe to say the American people 46 00:03:40,680 --> 00:03:45,880 Speaker 1: will be highly engaged. Part of what is broken in 47 00:03:46,000 --> 00:03:50,760 Speaker 1: American politics is the life cycle that exists between the 48 00:03:50,880 --> 00:03:57,760 Speaker 1: media and the politicians. The ubiquity of coverage, the constant 49 00:03:57,880 --> 00:04:02,280 Speaker 1: presence of these people in our faces, is leading the 50 00:04:02,320 --> 00:04:08,119 Speaker 1: American people to turn off their televisions, to unplug their 51 00:04:08,160 --> 00:04:13,600 Speaker 1: cable boxes. The coverage of the Donald Trump story as 52 00:04:13,600 --> 00:04:17,080 Speaker 1: it moves into its eighth year, as we approached the 53 00:04:17,160 --> 00:04:23,279 Speaker 1: decade mark, has become brutally tedious. What is it that 54 00:04:23,320 --> 00:04:28,360 Speaker 1: we're supposed to talk about day after day after day 55 00:04:29,240 --> 00:04:35,840 Speaker 1: when you consider his depravity, his treachery, his treason against 56 00:04:35,839 --> 00:04:41,560 Speaker 1: the United States of America. Now, Republicans in Washington, d C. 57 00:04:42,960 --> 00:04:48,479 Speaker 1: The ones who run the elections, are deeply panicked. Alexander 58 00:04:48,560 --> 00:04:53,239 Speaker 1: Bolton of The Hill Newspaper has written a nearly perfect 59 00:04:53,400 --> 00:04:58,800 Speaker 1: lead describing the feeling in Washington, d C. Amongst the 60 00:04:58,880 --> 00:05:03,320 Speaker 1: Maga Republicans at this hour. What they see coming down 61 00:05:03,320 --> 00:05:08,320 Speaker 1: the road is Carrie Lake coming back. They see the 62 00:05:08,360 --> 00:05:13,600 Speaker 1: Arizona Conspiracy, theorist and loon who lost the gubernatorial election 63 00:05:14,320 --> 00:05:18,240 Speaker 1: keyed up and ready for a US Senate run. They 64 00:05:18,279 --> 00:05:23,600 Speaker 1: know the incredibly high price that has been paid up 65 00:05:23,600 --> 00:05:29,320 Speaker 1: and down the ballot for Trump sycophancy. They know the 66 00:05:29,360 --> 00:05:36,240 Speaker 1: cost of the appeasement, of the collaboration, of the moral cowardice. 67 00:05:36,600 --> 00:05:40,520 Speaker 1: They know the cost of what it looks like when 68 00:05:40,520 --> 00:05:45,960 Speaker 1: these candidates are made to seem idiotic under questioning that 69 00:05:46,040 --> 00:05:50,720 Speaker 1: they can't keep straight. They can't walk the fine line 70 00:05:51,560 --> 00:05:56,920 Speaker 1: between being four and against Trump. They can't possibly make 71 00:05:57,000 --> 00:06:00,919 Speaker 1: the case that they support and defend the Constitution of 72 00:06:00,960 --> 00:06:05,200 Speaker 1: the United States while standing next to the man who 73 00:06:05,240 --> 00:06:08,479 Speaker 1: tried to burn it down. They can't be on the 74 00:06:08,520 --> 00:06:12,400 Speaker 1: wrong side of Mike Pence, who said I'll always pick 75 00:06:12,480 --> 00:06:17,240 Speaker 1: the Constitution, meaning in his choice between Trump and America, 76 00:06:17,800 --> 00:06:21,840 Speaker 1: he went with America. What will their choice be? Thank 77 00:06:21,880 --> 00:06:25,840 Speaker 1: you for listening to my political commentary. If you like 78 00:06:25,920 --> 00:06:29,960 Speaker 1: what you heard today, please also consider subscribing to The 79 00:06:30,000 --> 00:06:35,560 Speaker 1: Warning daily newsletter on Substack. Our democracy hangs in the balance. 80 00:06:36,320 --> 00:06:40,799 Speaker 1: The twenty twenty four presidential election is the most consequential 81 00:06:40,800 --> 00:06:45,279 Speaker 1: in America's history. It's not hyperbole, it's a fact. That 82 00:06:45,440 --> 00:06:48,479 Speaker 1: is why the mission of The Warning with Steve Schmidt 83 00:06:48,680 --> 00:06:51,640 Speaker 1: is to help readers orient to the currents that are 84 00:06:51,680 --> 00:06:56,840 Speaker 1: shaping our times and the unseen forces driving politics that 85 00:06:56,920 --> 00:07:01,360 Speaker 1: are very rarely discussed on cable news. Please sign up 86 00:07:01,400 --> 00:07:06,160 Speaker 1: at Steve Schmidt st e ve E, s C H 87 00:07:06,520 --> 00:07:11,000 Speaker 1: M I DT dot substack dot com, or at the 88 00:07:11,040 --> 00:07:15,120 Speaker 1: link in the show notes section below. Thank you to 89 00:07:15,200 --> 00:07:18,600 Speaker 1: each and every one of you for listening and watching. 90 00:07:19,880 --> 00:07:25,560 Speaker 1: The extremest threat facing America has been cooking now for 91 00:07:25,600 --> 00:07:31,800 Speaker 1: a very very long time. It has been inflamed by 92 00:07:31,840 --> 00:07:37,160 Speaker 1: social media, by the ubiquity of Trump's presence, by his 93 00:07:37,240 --> 00:07:44,760 Speaker 1: ability at any moment to with his fingers divide antagonize 94 00:07:45,440 --> 00:07:51,560 Speaker 1: in sight. A great test is coming for America, and 95 00:07:51,600 --> 00:07:56,760 Speaker 1: this is a test that is past fail. It's very simple. 96 00:07:58,440 --> 00:08:01,679 Speaker 1: We are nearly two one hundred and fifty years old 97 00:08:01,840 --> 00:08:08,560 Speaker 1: as a nation. Generations of Americans have marched into battle 98 00:08:10,160 --> 00:08:15,679 Speaker 1: to defend our freedom. They crossed bridges like the Edmund 99 00:08:15,680 --> 00:08:27,120 Speaker 1: Pettis for Justice. Americans were beaten, killed, lynched, shot so 100 00:08:27,200 --> 00:08:31,600 Speaker 1: they could have the right to vote, a say, a 101 00:08:31,800 --> 00:08:37,840 Speaker 1: stake in the future, their children's future, their country's future, 102 00:08:38,520 --> 00:08:45,360 Speaker 1: their community's future. There is no conceivable way to sustain 103 00:08:45,440 --> 00:08:50,960 Speaker 1: the United States of America outside of a system where 104 00:08:51,000 --> 00:08:56,240 Speaker 1: the people are able to pick their leaders. And this 105 00:08:56,400 --> 00:09:02,760 Speaker 1: requires something from the leaders, a willing to concede to 106 00:09:02,920 --> 00:09:07,480 Speaker 1: the sovereignty and the will of the people. Losing an 107 00:09:07,480 --> 00:09:12,640 Speaker 1: election is hard. Many people take it very, very personally, 108 00:09:14,120 --> 00:09:20,480 Speaker 1: no doubt, for some the loss breaks them. Politics attracts 109 00:09:20,640 --> 00:09:27,600 Speaker 1: all sorts of people, narcissists, the vein, the needy, the searching, 110 00:09:27,679 --> 00:09:34,960 Speaker 1: the yearning. It also attracts genuine servants, people who want 111 00:09:35,040 --> 00:09:42,080 Speaker 1: to make the country stronger, make it better, defend the country. 112 00:09:42,160 --> 00:09:46,640 Speaker 1: It's so hard sometimes to see the difference and to 113 00:09:46,720 --> 00:09:53,600 Speaker 1: tell the difference between the two, but they're there. The 114 00:09:53,720 --> 00:09:59,120 Speaker 1: test at hands means you cannot be for the man 115 00:10:00,400 --> 00:10:04,000 Speaker 1: who tried to take away the right of the American 116 00:10:04,040 --> 00:10:10,320 Speaker 1: people to choose. The test ahead means that you have 117 00:10:10,400 --> 00:10:16,520 Speaker 1: to understand. America is built on the concept that if 118 00:10:16,559 --> 00:10:23,240 Speaker 1: you lose, you acknowledge the will of the people, You 119 00:10:23,320 --> 00:10:30,360 Speaker 1: congratulate your opponent, you support him for her when you can. 120 00:10:31,040 --> 00:10:35,679 Speaker 1: If there are areas of mutual agreement for the betterment 121 00:10:36,120 --> 00:10:41,360 Speaker 1: of something bigger, bigger than you, bigger than your family, 122 00:10:42,679 --> 00:10:47,720 Speaker 1: bigger than your community, bigger than your state, and that's 123 00:10:47,760 --> 00:10:52,640 Speaker 1: the American nation. We will never live in an era 124 00:10:53,240 --> 00:10:58,320 Speaker 1: where there is an absence of threat. The crisis comes 125 00:10:58,920 --> 00:11:03,679 Speaker 1: when there is an absence of character, of national character 126 00:11:04,440 --> 00:11:11,959 Speaker 1: to meet the threat. The fascist threat was crushed because 127 00:11:12,000 --> 00:11:15,840 Speaker 1: of the will and the power and might impart of 128 00:11:15,880 --> 00:11:22,160 Speaker 1: the American people, the same with global communism. But absent 129 00:11:22,280 --> 00:11:27,200 Speaker 1: that will, what would have happened? And so the question 130 00:11:27,360 --> 00:11:31,560 Speaker 1: must be asked, what will happen in the absence of 131 00:11:31,679 --> 00:11:36,440 Speaker 1: will to stop extremism from taking root? In an election 132 00:11:36,600 --> 00:11:42,600 Speaker 1: in the United States? What will happen is Trump's minority 133 00:11:43,559 --> 00:11:49,560 Speaker 1: will grow with its apathetic partners into a very small 134 00:11:49,640 --> 00:11:54,920 Speaker 1: majority and be in a position to take power. And 135 00:11:55,000 --> 00:12:01,040 Speaker 1: if they do, they will begin immediately tearing a part 136 00:12:01,360 --> 00:12:06,720 Speaker 1: the institutions and structures of the government to make sure 137 00:12:07,520 --> 00:12:12,680 Speaker 1: that never again would there be a check or a balance, 138 00:12:13,559 --> 00:12:19,040 Speaker 1: or any limitations whatsoever to the use of Donald Trump's 139 00:12:19,040 --> 00:12:24,480 Speaker 1: authority and power, including deciding if he's ready to retire 140 00:12:26,480 --> 00:12:32,520 Speaker 1: or once to keep ongoing for a third or fourth term. 141 00:12:32,640 --> 00:12:35,760 Speaker 1: These things aren't far fetched. At the eight year mark. 142 00:12:35,800 --> 00:12:39,760 Speaker 1: With Donald Trump, we've watched it all play out for 143 00:12:39,840 --> 00:12:44,720 Speaker 1: a very long time now. Donald Trump said he wouldn't 144 00:12:44,760 --> 00:12:48,800 Speaker 1: concede the election for the first time in twenty fifteen, 145 00:12:49,800 --> 00:12:54,080 Speaker 1: and he went on to do exactly what he said 146 00:12:54,120 --> 00:12:57,720 Speaker 1: he was going to do. And we now know, because 147 00:12:57,760 --> 00:13:01,480 Speaker 1: of the revelation of a secret memo that was not 148 00:13:01,920 --> 00:13:06,680 Speaker 1: uncovered by the January sixth Committee, that in fact, the 149 00:13:06,760 --> 00:13:13,360 Speaker 1: Trump campaign the conspiracy to take power through an American coup. 150 00:13:14,480 --> 00:13:23,400 Speaker 1: It's highly organized, replanned, premeditated, and very deliberate. And this 151 00:13:24,400 --> 00:13:29,680 Speaker 1: is at the heart the greatest core part of the 152 00:13:29,720 --> 00:13:35,960 Speaker 1: American tragedy over these last eight years. Donald Trump behaved 153 00:13:36,360 --> 00:13:40,960 Speaker 1: in the White House precisely like many of us expected 154 00:13:41,040 --> 00:13:48,440 Speaker 1: him to. Many of us understood that the presidency reveals character, 155 00:13:49,720 --> 00:13:54,160 Speaker 1: it doesn't create it. And we saw from Donald Trump 156 00:13:54,679 --> 00:14:00,720 Speaker 1: an exposition of the lowest character amongst the whole of 157 00:14:00,800 --> 00:14:05,440 Speaker 1: the American people. Truly, the country brought to the White 158 00:14:05,440 --> 00:14:10,960 Speaker 1: House and put into power the worst from amongst us. 159 00:14:12,400 --> 00:14:17,959 Speaker 1: And there he sat degrading the country, attacking its systems 160 00:14:18,360 --> 00:14:25,600 Speaker 1: and its institutions. This cannot be abided any longer. The 161 00:14:25,640 --> 00:14:31,640 Speaker 1: American people have a choice to make. Will a deranged 162 00:14:31,720 --> 00:14:38,520 Speaker 1: man take power again? Because if we do, because if 163 00:14:38,560 --> 00:14:43,320 Speaker 1: we allow it, we're flushing it all down the toilet, 164 00:14:44,800 --> 00:14:49,280 Speaker 1: and that will be the greatest tragedy in all of 165 00:14:49,360 --> 00:14:50,320 Speaker 1: American history.