1
00:00:00,600 --> 00:00:04,120
Speaker 1: Hi, I'm Molly John Fast and this is Fast Politics,

2
00:00:04,360 --> 00:00:07,120
Speaker 1: where we discussed the top political headlines with some of

3
00:00:07,160 --> 00:00:11,440
Speaker 1: today's best minds, and Donald Trump found a way to

4
00:00:11,600 --> 00:00:15,680
Speaker 1: make the Monterey Park shooting all about him. We have

5
00:00:15,840 --> 00:00:19,840
Speaker 1: a thrilling show. Today. We talked to Andrew Weissman, former

6
00:00:19,960 --> 00:00:24,320
Speaker 1: d o J prosecutor and author of Where the Law Ends,

7
00:00:24,360 --> 00:00:28,720
Speaker 1: about the latest in Trump's many legal jeopardies. Then we'll

8
00:00:28,760 --> 00:00:34,839
Speaker 1: talk to Puck's resident Silicon Valley billionaire expert Teddy Schleifer

9
00:00:35,200 --> 00:00:39,240
Speaker 1: about SPF and the rest of the tech world gone mad.

10
00:00:39,600 --> 00:00:43,000
Speaker 1: But first we have Vanity Fair political reporter Best Levin.

11
00:00:43,280 --> 00:00:48,040
Speaker 1: Welcome to Fast Politics. Best Levin, Oh, thank you so

12
00:00:48,159 --> 00:00:51,600
Speaker 1: much for having me such an honor. We're very excited

13
00:00:51,640 --> 00:00:55,280
Speaker 1: to have you, fellow Vanity Fair writer. First, let's talk

14
00:00:55,280 --> 00:00:58,600
Speaker 1: about it Trump having left behind thirty four million dollars

15
00:00:58,600 --> 00:01:02,760
Speaker 1: of assets when she died into why discuss that's really surprising.

16
00:01:02,920 --> 00:01:05,399
Speaker 1: I don't want to stereotype, I don't I don't want

17
00:01:05,400 --> 00:01:08,240
Speaker 1: to speak ill of the dead, but I'm surprised that

18
00:01:08,280 --> 00:01:09,920
Speaker 1: she had that amount of money when she died. I

19
00:01:10,000 --> 00:01:12,319
Speaker 1: would have thought that she sort of would have been,

20
00:01:13,760 --> 00:01:16,440
Speaker 1: you know, she had the huge townhouse. But I would

21
00:01:16,440 --> 00:01:18,000
Speaker 1: have thought it would have been kind of like a

22
00:01:18,280 --> 00:01:20,360
Speaker 1: an E. D. Beal situation where it was just like

23
00:01:20,480 --> 00:01:24,080
Speaker 1: ruins and there was no money left. Right, Yeah, it's

24
00:01:24,160 --> 00:01:27,679
Speaker 1: kind of amazing. Well, they will say the town houses

25
00:01:27,760 --> 00:01:32,120
Speaker 1: twenty six point five million, so that's part of the

26
00:01:32,120 --> 00:01:36,120
Speaker 1: thirty four. Yes, that's like a large part of it. Right,

27
00:01:36,200 --> 00:01:39,760
Speaker 1: So that's still she still had over ten million. Or

28
00:01:40,240 --> 00:01:42,160
Speaker 1: if I'm doing my math right, in the bank, that's

29
00:01:43,040 --> 00:01:46,960
Speaker 1: maybe she had great um financial advisors. Yeah, I mean

30
00:01:47,240 --> 00:01:51,120
Speaker 1: she certainly didn't invest with her acts, right exactly. She didn't.

31
00:01:51,200 --> 00:01:54,240
Speaker 1: She didn't put some money in truth social Trump and

32
00:01:54,320 --> 00:01:59,000
Speaker 1: Trump Steaks, Trump Steaks, Trump Water. Um, here we are,

33
00:01:59,160 --> 00:02:02,840
Speaker 1: we are in the weird hundred and eighteen Congress best,

34
00:02:03,280 --> 00:02:07,080
Speaker 1: very weird. What do you think? I mean, it seems

35
00:02:07,120 --> 00:02:10,320
Speaker 1: like Trump is gone, or at least he's in his elbow.

36
00:02:10,800 --> 00:02:12,639
Speaker 1: What do you think about I mean it does it

37
00:02:12,760 --> 00:02:16,440
Speaker 1: certainly feels like the dysfunction is not going away anytime soon.

38
00:02:16,800 --> 00:02:19,920
Speaker 1: Oh no, it almost seems like the dysfunction is worse

39
00:02:19,960 --> 00:02:23,280
Speaker 1: than ever you have the Kevin's and the never Kevin's

40
00:02:23,760 --> 00:02:27,400
Speaker 1: you have. I mean, how amazing was that fourteen losses

41
00:02:27,440 --> 00:02:32,120
Speaker 1: in a row until he finally each one out. Is

42
00:02:32,160 --> 00:02:36,480
Speaker 1: he one of these people who is just so detached

43
00:02:36,520 --> 00:02:39,280
Speaker 1: from reality that he's like, you know, this is like

44
00:02:39,360 --> 00:02:41,200
Speaker 1: can he look himself in the mirror? Like can he

45
00:02:41,320 --> 00:02:43,680
Speaker 1: look at his children when he goes home? Or is

46
00:02:43,680 --> 00:02:46,720
Speaker 1: he like ashamed or is it totally fine? I don't know.

47
00:02:46,760 --> 00:02:48,839
Speaker 1: But so you've got that, you've got Marjorie Taylor Green

48
00:02:49,040 --> 00:02:52,400
Speaker 1: running things. And also she thinks she's president, as I'm

49
00:02:52,400 --> 00:02:55,120
Speaker 1: sure you saw she said she's not. She's not signing

50
00:02:55,120 --> 00:02:59,639
Speaker 1: any of these bills. I love her so much. I mean,

51
00:03:00,280 --> 00:03:06,200
Speaker 1: she's terrible for American democracy, but she's very good, right right, right, right,

52
00:03:06,200 --> 00:03:08,839
Speaker 1: she's fighting in the bathroom with Lauren Boebert, and then

53
00:03:09,080 --> 00:03:12,119
Speaker 1: Lauren Boubert's new land when she, by the way, has

54
00:03:12,160 --> 00:03:15,760
Speaker 1: now tweeted, by the way, Lauren Boebert's tweets, both Lauren

55
00:03:15,800 --> 00:03:19,080
Speaker 1: Boebert and Marjorie Taylor Green have decided that they are

56
00:03:19,080 --> 00:03:21,519
Speaker 1: going to have gravitas. Now. I don't know if you've

57
00:03:21,560 --> 00:03:25,840
Speaker 1: noticed this. Oh right, it's amazing, it's amazing. So so

58
00:03:26,040 --> 00:03:29,800
Speaker 1: Lauren Boebert was like, we are here because she's very psyched.

59
00:03:29,800 --> 00:03:33,320
Speaker 1: She's on oversight lulls, and so she was like over

60
00:03:33,639 --> 00:03:36,600
Speaker 1: So she has all these oversight tweets now, which I

61
00:03:36,640 --> 00:03:40,880
Speaker 1: think are incredible. It's amazing. Yeah, and also Margie is

62
00:03:40,920 --> 00:03:44,240
Speaker 1: also on homeland security, which is amazing because she said

63
00:03:44,320 --> 00:03:46,120
Speaker 1: the other day. I don't know if she I don't

64
00:03:46,120 --> 00:03:47,840
Speaker 1: know if she said it flatly or if it was

65
00:03:47,880 --> 00:03:51,040
Speaker 1: just the suggestion that Hillary Clinton had JFK Jor killed

66
00:03:51,080 --> 00:03:57,000
Speaker 1: because he was her competition for becoming senator. Yes, that's right, Yes,

67
00:03:57,120 --> 00:04:00,120
Speaker 1: I remember it well. But like as people know, it's

68
00:04:00,160 --> 00:04:04,680
Speaker 1: incredible because if these two weren't, you know, in Congress,

69
00:04:04,800 --> 00:04:09,320
Speaker 1: or maybe even if they were, like you can easily

70
00:04:09,520 --> 00:04:12,680
Speaker 1: see them being the two people at the bar where

71
00:04:12,720 --> 00:04:15,160
Speaker 1: one of them cuts in line the other person for

72
00:04:15,240 --> 00:04:17,600
Speaker 1: the bathroom and the other one smashes a beer bottle

73
00:04:17,680 --> 00:04:21,640
Speaker 1: over the other one's head. And now, yeah, and then

74
00:04:21,800 --> 00:04:26,880
Speaker 1: and then we've got Mr Santos. Yes, all right, so

75
00:04:27,040 --> 00:04:33,920
Speaker 1: Sandos dog killing eleven Holocaust. I mean, the drag thing

76
00:04:34,000 --> 00:04:37,680
Speaker 1: is the best part about him. He's Jewish Ish Jewish.

77
00:04:37,720 --> 00:04:40,320
Speaker 1: He never said he was, he never knew Jewish. He

78
00:04:40,440 --> 00:04:44,000
Speaker 1: put the emphasis on Ish. And and you people are

79
00:04:44,040 --> 00:04:48,280
Speaker 1: disgusting for suggesting otherwise. I don't know how you live

80
00:04:48,320 --> 00:04:51,560
Speaker 1: with yourself. I mean, yes, and then the tweets. Now

81
00:04:51,920 --> 00:04:56,320
Speaker 1: he's got this real righteous indignation. Oh god, they're so good,

82
00:04:56,760 --> 00:05:00,680
Speaker 1: They're so good. I will not be distracted by this. Right,

83
00:05:00,880 --> 00:05:05,800
Speaker 1: the people of NASA elected me as the child of

84
00:05:05,839 --> 00:05:10,080
Speaker 1: Holocaust survivors to serve in Congress, and now that I'm

85
00:05:10,120 --> 00:05:14,240
Speaker 1: not the child of Holocaust survivors, it's amazing. And like

86
00:05:14,279 --> 00:05:17,359
Speaker 1: we haven't even talked about these people make Jim Jordan's

87
00:05:17,480 --> 00:05:22,480
Speaker 1: somehow look look serious. I don't know it's but he's not. Obviously,

88
00:05:22,760 --> 00:05:26,680
Speaker 1: Today's punch Bowl was all about Jim Jordan's and the

89
00:05:26,720 --> 00:05:29,560
Speaker 1: ways in which he is pushing the levers. I'm sorry,

90
00:05:29,720 --> 00:05:36,480
Speaker 1: Jim Jordan's. Yeah, former wrestling coach, Jim Jordan, these are

91
00:05:36,480 --> 00:05:39,960
Speaker 1: the people you want making our laws and doing our

92
00:05:40,240 --> 00:05:43,480
Speaker 1: doing our thing. It's crazy. No, so yes, I agree

93
00:05:43,480 --> 00:05:47,599
Speaker 1: with you that the insanity and the dysfunction is seemingly

94
00:05:47,800 --> 00:05:50,360
Speaker 1: worse than ever. Jim Jordan is going to end up

95
00:05:50,480 --> 00:05:55,360
Speaker 1: being the head of disiary. What that will look like,

96
00:05:55,760 --> 00:05:57,960
Speaker 1: I mean, I assume it's going to be a lot

97
00:05:58,040 --> 00:06:01,159
Speaker 1: of Hunter Biden, right, And do we think it's gonna

98
00:06:01,200 --> 00:06:03,160
Speaker 1: be much of anything else. I mean, are they the

99
00:06:03,240 --> 00:06:07,520
Speaker 1: people who will drag I mean, he's gonna yell at

100
00:06:07,640 --> 00:06:11,240
Speaker 1: Jerry Nadler a lot, because Jerry Nadler is the minority

101
00:06:11,320 --> 00:06:14,479
Speaker 1: member who besides Hunter Biden. Do you think they're going

102
00:06:14,560 --> 00:06:18,400
Speaker 1: to haul before them for questioning? There's definitely will be

103
00:06:18,440 --> 00:06:22,400
Speaker 1: impeachments right right, Oh, they're already talking about the Homeland

104
00:06:22,440 --> 00:06:26,240
Speaker 1: guy Biden. I don't know. I mean, their majority is

105
00:06:26,320 --> 00:06:28,800
Speaker 1: so slim. They're gonna talk on impeachment every single day

106
00:06:28,800 --> 00:06:31,279
Speaker 1: from the next two years. They're gonna probably drop articles.

107
00:06:31,279 --> 00:06:33,679
Speaker 1: But what do you think of them actually being able

108
00:06:33,720 --> 00:06:38,480
Speaker 1: to impeach Biden? Like, given how Kevin McCarthy is bid

109
00:06:38,560 --> 00:06:44,280
Speaker 1: for they'll actually be successful. I can't imagine a world

110
00:06:44,440 --> 00:06:49,360
Speaker 1: where they are able to actually do anything in this Congress.

111
00:06:49,440 --> 00:06:51,240
Speaker 1: But I do think there'll be a lot of stram

112
00:06:51,240 --> 00:06:53,640
Speaker 1: and drama. I mean, look, good thing that is imminent

113
00:06:53,839 --> 00:06:59,960
Speaker 1: is the debt ceiling. Yes, I mean June is when

114
00:07:00,040 --> 00:07:02,880
Speaker 1: we run up to this, all right, we already Yesterday

115
00:07:02,960 --> 00:07:04,560
Speaker 1: was when we ran up to the dead ceiling, but

116
00:07:04,640 --> 00:07:09,160
Speaker 1: Jenny Yellen said she could do some weird accounting and

117
00:07:09,360 --> 00:07:15,200
Speaker 1: had to worry until June. It's important to note that

118
00:07:15,240 --> 00:07:18,400
Speaker 1: no other country has this dead ceiling. It's a completely

119
00:07:18,440 --> 00:07:21,080
Speaker 1: made up fiasco. It has been taken, it has been

120
00:07:21,080 --> 00:07:24,920
Speaker 1: weaponized by the by Jim Jordan's and his people in

121
00:07:24,920 --> 00:07:30,600
Speaker 1: the Freedom Caucus. So these are fake problems that Jim

122
00:07:30,680 --> 00:07:34,640
Speaker 1: Jordan World has decided are going out them right. Oh,

123
00:07:34,680 --> 00:07:38,520
Speaker 1: and they'll definitely use them for you know, hostage situations

124
00:07:38,600 --> 00:07:42,320
Speaker 1: and tactics for sure, because they don't actually care about

125
00:07:42,320 --> 00:07:45,120
Speaker 1: the economy, right, I mean, and they certainly don't care

126
00:07:45,160 --> 00:07:48,800
Speaker 1: about like spending less. I mean, oh god, no, I

127
00:07:48,800 --> 00:07:51,760
Speaker 1: mean that. I feel like that is like an amazing

128
00:07:51,840 --> 00:07:54,600
Speaker 1: little bit of sorcery right there. Oh yeah, No, they

129
00:07:54,640 --> 00:07:59,920
Speaker 1: don't care at all. If a Republican president is in office,

130
00:08:00,280 --> 00:08:02,560
Speaker 1: They're like, spend it all, spend it all. I do

131
00:08:02,640 --> 00:08:06,240
Speaker 1: all the tax cuts, it doesn't matter. And now they're like,

132
00:08:06,680 --> 00:08:11,840
Speaker 1: screw you, Joe Biden, you that beat piece of ship.

133
00:08:12,400 --> 00:08:16,960
Speaker 1: I do think it is an incredible bit of sorcery.

134
00:08:17,040 --> 00:08:19,400
Speaker 1: I want to get back to Santos for a minute,

135
00:08:19,440 --> 00:08:22,760
Speaker 1: because we moved too quickly through this. He is one

136
00:08:23,120 --> 00:08:27,400
Speaker 1: of the four votes that McCarthy desperately needs in order

137
00:08:27,440 --> 00:08:32,880
Speaker 1: to stay speaker. But every day is another embarrassing revelation.

138
00:08:33,200 --> 00:08:40,280
Speaker 1: So it's incredible, the scarf right, the dog killing, the Holocaust.

139
00:08:40,920 --> 00:08:43,440
Speaker 1: One of my favorites, the little One, is that he

140
00:08:43,520 --> 00:08:47,040
Speaker 1: was a volleyball star at Burke College and like help

141
00:08:48,320 --> 00:08:52,920
Speaker 1: to new replacements and help them beat Harvard and Yale,

142
00:08:53,000 --> 00:08:55,440
Speaker 1: which oh, it turns out they never played Yale when

143
00:08:55,480 --> 00:08:58,240
Speaker 1: he claims to have gone there, Like, it's just it's

144
00:08:58,280 --> 00:09:03,040
Speaker 1: so amazing, but yeah, the k staff is truly truly terrible.

145
00:09:03,400 --> 00:09:08,200
Speaker 1: If it were me and I were lying about something

146
00:09:08,640 --> 00:09:13,040
Speaker 1: as ridiculous as what sport I played in college, I

147
00:09:13,080 --> 00:09:16,080
Speaker 1: don't think I would have picked volleyball. Yeah, I mean,

148
00:09:17,000 --> 00:09:19,280
Speaker 1: I guess he's tall, so maybe he thought it would

149
00:09:19,280 --> 00:09:22,440
Speaker 1: be believable. I agree with you that I don't know.

150
00:09:22,559 --> 00:09:25,000
Speaker 1: Volleyball is kind of I don't want to offend your

151
00:09:25,040 --> 00:09:28,080
Speaker 1: volleyball listeners, but maybe volleyball team is kind of lame.

152
00:09:28,559 --> 00:09:31,840
Speaker 1: But maybe he thought, maybe he thought it would be believable.

153
00:09:32,040 --> 00:09:34,320
Speaker 1: He was like, I can't get away with saying football.

154
00:09:34,360 --> 00:09:37,800
Speaker 1: Does Brew College have a football team? May even have

155
00:09:37,880 --> 00:09:41,680
Speaker 1: a volleyball team. I'm not sure they do. I think

156
00:09:41,960 --> 00:09:45,000
Speaker 1: I think shockingly they do. And I only say shockingly

157
00:09:45,080 --> 00:09:48,320
Speaker 1: because like literally he doesn't tell the truth about anything.

158
00:09:48,600 --> 00:09:51,800
Speaker 1: It is a city college. Apparently, what his pattern is

159
00:09:51,880 --> 00:09:54,679
Speaker 1: is he steals stories from other people he knew, and

160
00:09:54,760 --> 00:09:58,880
Speaker 1: he stole that from someone he knew. Oh okay, And

161
00:09:59,120 --> 00:10:01,280
Speaker 1: just like the scar off, the barbary scarf that he

162
00:10:01,320 --> 00:10:05,240
Speaker 1: wore the January fifth and he said he he loved

163
00:10:05,320 --> 00:10:09,400
Speaker 1: for employees and the Pulse shooting, Like, what's true at all?

164
00:10:09,520 --> 00:10:13,240
Speaker 1: It's not true at all, Like what I once had

165
00:10:13,320 --> 00:10:16,520
Speaker 1: this date with a guy like years ago before I

166
00:10:16,559 --> 00:10:19,199
Speaker 1: was married. I've been married ten million years. He said

167
00:10:19,400 --> 00:10:22,520
Speaker 1: he grew up next to Chernobyl and my husband was like,

168
00:10:23,040 --> 00:10:25,319
Speaker 1: I was like, you know, that's a lie. Right. It

169
00:10:25,440 --> 00:10:27,880
Speaker 1: was like, no, it's possible, and he was like, no,

170
00:10:28,000 --> 00:10:30,640
Speaker 1: it's a lie. And like I was thinking back on

171
00:10:30,720 --> 00:10:34,280
Speaker 1: this idea that like you can't have too many of

172
00:10:34,280 --> 00:10:40,720
Speaker 1: those things, right, he has all of them. The Holocaust, Bolt, nightclubs, shooting.

173
00:10:41,920 --> 00:10:46,439
Speaker 1: It's incredible. It's ah, it's amazing. He almost makes Trump

174
00:10:46,520 --> 00:10:50,679
Speaker 1: look like a person who doesn't have trouble telling the truth,

175
00:10:50,800 --> 00:10:57,600
Speaker 1: like almost speaking of Valdemort. Yeah. Yeah, this reporting today

176
00:10:57,920 --> 00:11:01,000
Speaker 1: is like I want to say, like, is the worst

177
00:11:01,000 --> 00:11:05,040
Speaker 1: person you know? Me? Right? Donald Trump says and I

178
00:11:05,080 --> 00:11:08,520
Speaker 1: mean again, we never talk about like Donald Trump. I

179
00:11:08,559 --> 00:11:11,160
Speaker 1: don't want to pay him a compliment because obviously I

180
00:11:11,200 --> 00:11:13,040
Speaker 1: don't want to pay him a compliment, but I do

181
00:11:13,160 --> 00:11:20,599
Speaker 1: think it's an interesting He does have some smart political instincts.

182
00:11:21,120 --> 00:11:25,000
Speaker 1: And you will remember when Roe was overturned, he said

183
00:11:25,240 --> 00:11:27,040
Speaker 1: this is going to be real fucking bad for the

184
00:11:27,040 --> 00:11:30,679
Speaker 1: Republican Party, and he turned out to be right. And

185
00:11:30,800 --> 00:11:35,079
Speaker 1: so today the Oracle of Palm Beach, which he is not,

186
00:11:35,800 --> 00:11:39,400
Speaker 1: said that under no circumstances should Republicans vote to cut

187
00:11:39,400 --> 00:11:43,480
Speaker 1: a single petty from Medicare or Social Security because the

188
00:11:43,600 --> 00:11:50,120
Speaker 1: dumbest person you know is actually maybe smarter than Kevin McCarthy. Yeah,

189
00:11:50,160 --> 00:11:53,000
Speaker 1: it's interesting he does. You know. That's the really annoying

190
00:11:53,040 --> 00:11:57,439
Speaker 1: thing about him. It's like sometimes he's kind of funny

191
00:11:57,480 --> 00:12:00,440
Speaker 1: things like that, right, I know, Well that's you know,

192
00:12:00,559 --> 00:12:02,920
Speaker 1: that's how won the nomination. It's the whole thing with

193
00:12:03,000 --> 00:12:05,280
Speaker 1: like the santast terrible and I think he would be

194
00:12:05,360 --> 00:12:09,319
Speaker 1: just as bad as Trump. But then people are like,

195
00:12:09,720 --> 00:12:14,760
Speaker 1: he doesn't have trumps like I think the I think yeah,

196
00:12:14,760 --> 00:12:18,800
Speaker 1: I think New York Magazine called it trump sinister charisma exactly.

197
00:12:19,200 --> 00:12:22,800
Speaker 1: He doesn't have that he's just like terrible. And that's

198
00:12:22,840 --> 00:12:25,400
Speaker 1: the problem with Trump. It's like it would be great

199
00:12:25,440 --> 00:12:30,040
Speaker 1: if you just weren't present, you were just this uh,

200
00:12:30,080 --> 00:12:33,280
Speaker 1: you know, circus sideshow that we could like sometimes laugh

201
00:12:33,320 --> 00:12:37,440
Speaker 1: at without being like it's really bad for society and humanity.

202
00:12:37,720 --> 00:12:40,559
Speaker 1: But yeah, he's smarter than Kevin McCarthy. He's so bad

203
00:12:40,600 --> 00:12:44,560
Speaker 1: at politicking. It feels like he's so obvious and everything

204
00:12:44,600 --> 00:12:48,800
Speaker 1: he does. And I agree, like he he's somehow like

205
00:12:49,160 --> 00:12:52,800
Speaker 1: not the crazy sentence, but like not as smart as Trump.

206
00:12:53,080 --> 00:12:56,600
Speaker 1: What this is in no way an endorsement of anything.

207
00:12:56,600 --> 00:12:59,880
Speaker 1: I mean, Trump is a core idiot and he's a terrible,

208
00:13:00,080 --> 00:13:02,880
Speaker 1: terrible human being, a terrible politician. But I'm not sure

209
00:13:02,920 --> 00:13:06,040
Speaker 1: he would have lost four teen speakership races in a row.

210
00:13:06,280 --> 00:13:09,160
Speaker 1: I don't think so either. Now would that be because

211
00:13:09,400 --> 00:13:11,400
Speaker 1: he would like send out his goons to send a

212
00:13:11,480 --> 00:13:16,080
Speaker 1: method that there would be broken kneecaps or or black

213
00:13:16,120 --> 00:13:18,199
Speaker 1: mailed people or be like I'm going to write a

214
00:13:18,240 --> 00:13:21,920
Speaker 1: book and I know that stuff like maybe that could

215
00:13:21,920 --> 00:13:24,120
Speaker 1: be part of it. So we can't just say it

216
00:13:24,160 --> 00:13:26,640
Speaker 1: wouldn't be through underheaded tactics. But I agree with you,

217
00:13:26,800 --> 00:13:29,640
Speaker 1: I can't see him losing fourteen votes. And we just

218
00:13:29,720 --> 00:13:32,800
Speaker 1: had a guest on here yesterday who talked about or whenever.

219
00:13:32,840 --> 00:13:35,880
Speaker 1: The last episode of this was where she said that

220
00:13:36,000 --> 00:13:38,600
Speaker 1: Kevin McCarthy has thought of as a dead man walking

221
00:13:38,720 --> 00:13:42,640
Speaker 1: at this point. Yeah, oh totally. I mean he's beholden

222
00:13:42,720 --> 00:13:48,079
Speaker 1: to George Santos. Yes, he needs to keep George Santos happy.

223
00:13:48,200 --> 00:13:50,920
Speaker 1: How does this play out in your mind? I mean,

224
00:13:51,000 --> 00:13:52,440
Speaker 1: I don't know. Do you think they're going to fire

225
00:13:52,520 --> 00:13:54,640
Speaker 1: him at some point or do you think they like

226
00:13:54,880 --> 00:13:59,720
Speaker 1: having him to like push around? He will not resign, right, clear,

227
00:14:00,000 --> 00:14:03,040
Speaker 1: will now resign? Oh sorry, I thought you meant with McCarthy.

228
00:14:03,040 --> 00:14:06,360
Speaker 1: Oh McCarthy, Well, you only need one person, right, so

229
00:14:06,480 --> 00:14:08,600
Speaker 1: like right, yeah, you have to bring it to a vote.

230
00:14:08,600 --> 00:14:11,280
Speaker 1: He gave them that that was their thing, right so,

231
00:14:11,440 --> 00:14:14,160
Speaker 1: chip Roy, I mean, I think there's a likely scenario

232
00:14:14,280 --> 00:14:19,760
Speaker 1: where the debt ceiling brinkmanship ultimately pushes a new car.

233
00:14:19,880 --> 00:14:25,000
Speaker 1: I mean, look the dream my West wing brain, right,

234
00:14:25,600 --> 00:14:29,440
Speaker 1: you know that this sort of terrible. The TV brain

235
00:14:29,600 --> 00:14:34,760
Speaker 1: says like moderates will come together and save the American credit.

236
00:14:35,160 --> 00:14:37,240
Speaker 1: But you know if they do that, they all lose

237
00:14:37,280 --> 00:14:41,600
Speaker 1: their parmers. The Republicans anyway, so that even if they're

238
00:14:41,640 --> 00:14:44,040
Speaker 1: in a swing district. So, I mean that is the

239
00:14:44,120 --> 00:14:47,479
Speaker 1: sort of amazing thing about this situation is that McCarthy

240
00:14:47,560 --> 00:14:50,480
Speaker 1: has gone along and gone along and gone along, and

241
00:14:50,520 --> 00:14:53,080
Speaker 1: now he finds himself in a situation where he is

242
00:14:53,080 --> 00:14:56,680
Speaker 1: in bed with people that you can't that will you know,

243
00:14:56,880 --> 00:15:00,560
Speaker 1: knife him. And you know, you have all of these

244
00:15:00,600 --> 00:15:05,080
Speaker 1: candidates who are in these Biden districts, these Republicans who

245
00:15:05,200 --> 00:15:08,360
Speaker 1: cannot you know, if they shut down the government, they

246
00:15:08,400 --> 00:15:11,720
Speaker 1: will lose their reelection, but if they make a deal,

247
00:15:11,960 --> 00:15:15,400
Speaker 1: they will lose their primaries. Right. I don't think anything

248
00:15:15,520 --> 00:15:18,800
Speaker 1: good can come of this situation. And also especially for McCarthy,

249
00:15:18,840 --> 00:15:22,160
Speaker 1: I think this is a terrible, terrible idea to become

250
00:15:22,240 --> 00:15:26,120
Speaker 1: speakers and prayers. What are you gonna do? In terms

251
00:15:26,160 --> 00:15:29,040
Speaker 1: of Santo's playing out, Oh, he'll never resign never. I

252
00:15:29,080 --> 00:15:33,400
Speaker 1: think the only way he's out within this term is if,

253
00:15:33,440 --> 00:15:40,880
Speaker 1: like he is arrested. Doesn't right exactly, But otherwise I

254
00:15:41,000 --> 00:15:45,400
Speaker 1: don't think he's going I mean, I'm sort of like, Okay,

255
00:15:45,440 --> 00:15:48,120
Speaker 1: if he runs for reelection, how does how does he

256
00:15:48,200 --> 00:15:51,080
Speaker 1: do it? Again? Now that the people of Nasau County.

257
00:15:51,400 --> 00:15:53,440
Speaker 1: So I think he's gonna I think he's gonna ride

258
00:15:53,440 --> 00:15:56,440
Speaker 1: out these two years and then who knows what his

259
00:15:56,600 --> 00:15:59,760
Speaker 1: next act is. The thing that is amazing Man Santos

260
00:15:59,880 --> 00:16:03,160
Speaker 1: is the money stuff doesn't make any sense, right, Like

261
00:16:03,440 --> 00:16:05,880
Speaker 1: he donates more money than he's ever made in his

262
00:16:05,960 --> 00:16:10,120
Speaker 1: life to his own campaign, right, that seems suspicious. He

263
00:16:10,200 --> 00:16:15,440
Speaker 1: has this relationship with a Russian oligarch. All good, that's

264
00:16:17,760 --> 00:16:21,160
Speaker 1: there's a real likely scenario where we see him. You know,

265
00:16:21,240 --> 00:16:24,920
Speaker 1: there's either a legal situation or you know, I mean

266
00:16:24,960 --> 00:16:27,400
Speaker 1: those guys, I'm not sure you want to do a

267
00:16:27,440 --> 00:16:31,240
Speaker 1: lot of like money borrowing with Russian oligarchs. No, I

268
00:16:31,240 --> 00:16:35,120
Speaker 1: don't think so seems bad. It seems like it would

269
00:16:35,160 --> 00:16:37,680
Speaker 1: be a bad idea. Also, like can we just talk

270
00:16:37,720 --> 00:16:39,920
Speaker 1: about this is just reminding me of the money and

271
00:16:39,960 --> 00:16:44,000
Speaker 1: the Kevin the fact that he had a staffer on

272
00:16:44,120 --> 00:16:47,880
Speaker 1: his campaign who was raising money, calling up donors and

273
00:16:47,960 --> 00:16:52,400
Speaker 1: impersonating Kevin McCarthy's chief of staff. And they admit that happening,

274
00:16:52,440 --> 00:16:55,040
Speaker 1: Like I read them the other day where Kevin McCarthy's

275
00:16:55,080 --> 00:16:56,840
Speaker 1: office was like, yeah, when it came to our attention,

276
00:16:56,960 --> 00:16:59,600
Speaker 1: like we resolved it, Like what we resolved at the

277
00:16:59,720 --> 00:17:06,040
Speaker 1: first So supposingly McCarthy was like, Santos fired the staffer

278
00:17:06,200 --> 00:17:08,679
Speaker 1: who was involved in that. You're like, yeah, it was

279
00:17:08,720 --> 00:17:13,719
Speaker 1: the staffer, and that's exactly it was. Obviously Santos idea,

280
00:17:14,119 --> 00:17:17,119
Speaker 1: or maybe Santos is the guy doing the impersonating right

281
00:17:17,280 --> 00:17:20,959
Speaker 1: or whatever his name. They may not even be Santos.

282
00:17:21,320 --> 00:17:23,800
Speaker 1: And if it's just like one of his lives, imagine

283
00:17:23,800 --> 00:17:27,360
Speaker 1: if we heard that just you know, pick any random

284
00:17:27,880 --> 00:17:31,520
Speaker 1: elected official Democrat or Republican, Like what if we heard

285
00:17:31,560 --> 00:17:38,639
Speaker 1: that Katie Porter's communications person was impersonating Nancy Pelosi, Like

286
00:17:38,760 --> 00:17:40,640
Speaker 1: that would be a huge, frea good deal. And it's

287
00:17:40,720 --> 00:17:46,200
Speaker 1: just like tenth on his list of bullshit. But it's incredible, right, well, Democrats,

288
00:17:46,600 --> 00:17:50,840
Speaker 1: it's never a crime when when Republicans do it right obviously, obviously,

289
00:17:51,040 --> 00:17:54,520
Speaker 1: thank you so much, best. I hope you'll come back.

290
00:17:54,680 --> 00:18:03,159
Speaker 1: Oh of course, please help me. Andrew Weiseman is a

291
00:18:03,160 --> 00:18:06,639
Speaker 1: former Department of Justice prosecutor and author of Where the

292
00:18:06,720 --> 00:18:10,920
Speaker 1: Law Ends. Welcome Too Fast Politics, Andrew Wiseman, So nice

293
00:18:10,960 --> 00:18:15,760
Speaker 1: to be here. Finally, I'm delighted. Um. I have so

294
00:18:15,920 --> 00:18:20,159
Speaker 1: many questions for you, um all our listeners. No, I

295
00:18:20,160 --> 00:18:24,840
Speaker 1: mean you have worked in every part of the legal world.

296
00:18:25,040 --> 00:18:27,080
Speaker 1: I'm sure there are some parts you haven't, but I

297
00:18:27,200 --> 00:18:29,280
Speaker 1: wanted to ask you. I mean, the first question I

298
00:18:29,359 --> 00:18:32,359
Speaker 1: have is, I think we have talked about the Fanny

299
00:18:32,440 --> 00:18:36,879
Speaker 1: Willis grand jury. Can you explain to our listeners because

300
00:18:36,960 --> 00:18:41,360
Speaker 1: I think there still needs to be another grand jury. Yeah. So,

301
00:18:41,480 --> 00:18:44,439
Speaker 1: you know, this is a bit of an anomaly in

302
00:18:44,920 --> 00:18:50,760
Speaker 1: Georgia state law, and there's sort of an investigative grand jury,

303
00:18:50,800 --> 00:18:53,320
Speaker 1: and that's what everyone's would have been following when you've

304
00:18:53,320 --> 00:18:57,280
Speaker 1: been looking at you know, well, Juliani testify, will Lindsay

305
00:18:57,320 --> 00:19:01,000
Speaker 1: Graham testify, etcetera. And they get to issue a report,

306
00:19:01,320 --> 00:19:05,760
Speaker 1: and next week there's a whole contretemp that's scheduled about

307
00:19:05,880 --> 00:19:08,600
Speaker 1: whether that report will be made public and if so, when,

308
00:19:09,080 --> 00:19:11,720
Speaker 1: and then there's another grand jury that gets to decide

309
00:19:11,720 --> 00:19:14,639
Speaker 1: whether to indict or not. Now, the good news for

310
00:19:14,720 --> 00:19:17,240
Speaker 1: people who want to see things move along quickly is

311
00:19:17,400 --> 00:19:20,199
Speaker 1: funny Willis doesn't have to wait to and panel that

312
00:19:20,320 --> 00:19:23,680
Speaker 1: grand jury and to present evidence, nor does she actually

313
00:19:23,680 --> 00:19:27,160
Speaker 1: have to represent all of the evidence, meaning she doesn't

314
00:19:27,160 --> 00:19:30,199
Speaker 1: have to call all those live witnesses back. She can

315
00:19:30,359 --> 00:19:34,360
Speaker 1: have an agent summarize what was said, she can present

316
00:19:34,600 --> 00:19:38,080
Speaker 1: the transcripts of what was said to the new grand jury,

317
00:19:38,280 --> 00:19:41,199
Speaker 1: so all of that could be quite quick if she

318
00:19:41,280 --> 00:19:44,440
Speaker 1: decides to go forward. Is it true that the reason

319
00:19:44,560 --> 00:19:48,320
Speaker 1: that this is happening that this Fanny Willis has this

320
00:19:48,480 --> 00:19:53,040
Speaker 1: jurisdiction because she's elected, and she is, you know, a man,

321
00:19:53,160 --> 00:19:56,520
Speaker 1: she's great, but she's a partisan. Ultimately, the reason she

322
00:19:56,600 --> 00:20:01,720
Speaker 1: has this jurisdiction is is because of Jenna Us and Rudy.

323
00:20:01,760 --> 00:20:05,159
Speaker 1: I think it's because in each of the states where

324
00:20:05,520 --> 00:20:09,000
Speaker 1: there was an effort to get a slate of fake

325
00:20:09,080 --> 00:20:14,680
Speaker 1: electors and also pressure put on people to change the election,

326
00:20:14,760 --> 00:20:18,200
Speaker 1: as we heard on the tape between Trump and Ravensburger,

327
00:20:18,640 --> 00:20:23,200
Speaker 1: all of those states would have jurisdiction to go forward.

328
00:20:23,520 --> 00:20:26,960
Speaker 1: It just so happens that this d A has taken

329
00:20:27,000 --> 00:20:29,240
Speaker 1: a bit and and run with it to mix a

330
00:20:29,280 --> 00:20:34,400
Speaker 1: lot of metaphors. So she's trying to vindicate the Georgia

331
00:20:34,600 --> 00:20:36,960
Speaker 1: state process. And of course, you know the fact that

332
00:20:37,000 --> 00:20:40,120
Speaker 1: there was that tape makes it that much more compelling

333
00:20:40,119 --> 00:20:42,040
Speaker 1: because it puts Trump right in the middle of it.

334
00:20:42,400 --> 00:20:46,359
Speaker 1: The other is everyone focuses on that and the federal case,

335
00:20:46,440 --> 00:20:50,040
Speaker 1: but long term, like if I were Donald Trump or

336
00:20:50,160 --> 00:20:53,200
Speaker 1: his defense counsel. It's the Georgia case that I'd worry

337
00:20:53,240 --> 00:20:57,040
Speaker 1: the most about because he can't be federally pardoned. If,

338
00:20:57,119 --> 00:21:00,800
Speaker 1: for instance, Trump were to win the presidency or de

339
00:21:00,920 --> 00:21:04,679
Speaker 1: Santis or any other Republican, they can't do anything about

340
00:21:04,760 --> 00:21:08,639
Speaker 1: state charges. The pardon doesn't apply. So, you know, I

341
00:21:08,680 --> 00:21:11,720
Speaker 1: really think keeping our eye on what happens in Georgia

342
00:21:11,880 --> 00:21:15,480
Speaker 1: and potentially in the Manhattan d A's office also, since

343
00:21:15,520 --> 00:21:19,640
Speaker 1: they're now making some noises about resurrecting their investigation, can

344
00:21:19,680 --> 00:21:25,960
Speaker 1: we talk about the Manhattan d A because he's been

345
00:21:26,000 --> 00:21:29,760
Speaker 1: back and forth on that. That's um Alvin Bragg, he

346
00:21:29,840 --> 00:21:32,879
Speaker 1: had said, And remember there were the two people who quit,

347
00:21:33,400 --> 00:21:36,240
Speaker 1: and I'm sure you know these guys, and then they

348
00:21:36,840 --> 00:21:39,560
Speaker 1: were quite furious, and then there's back and forth, and

349
00:21:39,640 --> 00:21:42,199
Speaker 1: now he's saying he might do it. What is happening?

350
00:21:42,640 --> 00:21:45,200
Speaker 1: I'm not sure myself. You know, I know so many

351
00:21:45,240 --> 00:21:49,159
Speaker 1: of the players there. I bet I can see, like

352
00:21:49,280 --> 00:21:53,440
Speaker 1: Carrie Dunn, who was the general counsel there and litigated

353
00:21:53,520 --> 00:21:56,040
Speaker 1: twice in the Supreme Court, is by all accounts a

354
00:21:56,119 --> 00:21:59,360
Speaker 1: street shooter and a superb lawyer. You know. For him

355
00:21:59,400 --> 00:22:03,200
Speaker 1: to leave, you know, suggests what the hell is going on.

356
00:22:03,200 --> 00:22:06,480
Speaker 1: On the other hand, um, the team that just tried

357
00:22:06,720 --> 00:22:12,400
Speaker 1: Weisselberg and others there who I also know are also wonderful, aggressive,

358
00:22:12,400 --> 00:22:17,080
Speaker 1: appropriately aggressive prosecutors. So you know, where I hope this

359
00:22:17,200 --> 00:22:20,600
Speaker 1: comes out is that there was just a disagreement about

360
00:22:21,520 --> 00:22:25,639
Speaker 1: the necessary quantum of proof and some people thought that

361
00:22:25,680 --> 00:22:28,320
Speaker 1: there was more that was needed and others thought there wasn't.

362
00:22:28,600 --> 00:22:31,280
Speaker 1: You know, that's sort of my best guess because I

363
00:22:31,320 --> 00:22:33,680
Speaker 1: sort of assumed good faith on both sides. And also

364
00:22:33,760 --> 00:22:37,080
Speaker 1: it's not like Alvin Bragg had some political motive to

365
00:22:37,200 --> 00:22:40,720
Speaker 1: delay things. I mean, he was sort of very politically

366
00:22:41,160 --> 00:22:43,800
Speaker 1: it would be you know, it would be good for

367
00:22:43,880 --> 00:22:46,560
Speaker 1: him to bring the case, and so you kind of

368
00:22:46,600 --> 00:22:50,359
Speaker 1: want your prosecutors to not be operating that way and

369
00:22:50,359 --> 00:22:53,560
Speaker 1: to be trying to do a fair assessment of the case.

370
00:22:53,560 --> 00:22:55,280
Speaker 1: On the other hand, you also don't want to be

371
00:22:55,359 --> 00:23:00,199
Speaker 1: afraid of bringing a righteous case and and a rate

372
00:23:00,240 --> 00:23:03,680
Speaker 1: of losing, or afraid of the controversy. So I think

373
00:23:03,680 --> 00:23:06,080
Speaker 1: there's more to more on that, And you know that

374
00:23:06,080 --> 00:23:08,480
Speaker 1: the latest on that is Mark Pomerantz, one of the

375
00:23:08,520 --> 00:23:12,359
Speaker 1: lawyers who quit, is apparently has written a book and

376
00:23:12,400 --> 00:23:15,400
Speaker 1: there's a whole back and forth because he apparently did

377
00:23:15,440 --> 00:23:18,880
Speaker 1: not submit it for what's called pre publication review, which

378
00:23:19,160 --> 00:23:21,440
Speaker 1: I wrote a book that you're supposed to do that.

379
00:23:22,080 --> 00:23:24,200
Speaker 1: You know, I did it. It's not a fun experience,

380
00:23:24,240 --> 00:23:26,280
Speaker 1: but you agree to do that up front. So he

381
00:23:26,320 --> 00:23:28,720
Speaker 1: apparently didn't do that. So it'll be interesting to see

382
00:23:28,720 --> 00:23:31,119
Speaker 1: what happens with that, because I know when Pete Struck

383
00:23:31,200 --> 00:23:33,000
Speaker 1: had to do it, I mean, it was a real

384
00:23:33,080 --> 00:23:36,840
Speaker 1: pain for him. But they can sue you if you

385
00:23:36,880 --> 00:23:39,920
Speaker 1: don't do that. Yeah, they can sue for all sorts

386
00:23:39,920 --> 00:23:42,680
Speaker 1: of things. That the least is that they can take

387
00:23:42,720 --> 00:23:45,919
Speaker 1: all of your proceeds and profits, and the worst is

388
00:23:46,040 --> 00:23:49,680
Speaker 1: if you aren't careful and you have revealed grand jury

389
00:23:49,720 --> 00:23:53,760
Speaker 1: information that actually is a crime. Now, in Mark's case,

390
00:23:54,040 --> 00:23:57,439
Speaker 1: it's hard to imagine somebody with his pedigree and experience

391
00:23:57,480 --> 00:24:00,240
Speaker 1: that he would do that, right, I mean, he's he's

392
00:24:00,240 --> 00:24:03,320
Speaker 1: so experienced that you would assume he sanitized it of

393
00:24:03,400 --> 00:24:07,320
Speaker 1: that information. Right. But it's a ballsy move, right, It's

394
00:24:07,359 --> 00:24:09,679
Speaker 1: definitely a ballsy move. I Mean my reaction to it was,

395
00:24:09,960 --> 00:24:15,360
Speaker 1: you know, even John Bolton went through pre publication review

396
00:24:16,000 --> 00:24:18,840
Speaker 1: and you know, and he's not exactly your model but

397
00:24:19,080 --> 00:24:23,880
Speaker 1: you know, even he did, it's so interesting. I mean,

398
00:24:23,920 --> 00:24:26,960
Speaker 1: it's just such a sort of like we really do

399
00:24:27,160 --> 00:24:32,720
Speaker 1: find ourselves in this strange situation. So Trump has all

400
00:24:32,760 --> 00:24:37,600
Speaker 1: of these legal cases against him. The documents case was

401
00:24:38,480 --> 00:24:44,000
Speaker 1: until there were these Biden Center documents found, the Documents

402
00:24:44,040 --> 00:24:48,720
Speaker 1: case was the sort of most open and shut, sort

403
00:24:48,720 --> 00:24:54,520
Speaker 1: of slam dunk case against Trump. Now did the Biden documents,

404
00:24:54,560 --> 00:24:57,320
Speaker 1: which are obviously not the same thing, even a little,

405
00:24:57,680 --> 00:24:59,960
Speaker 1: But do they hurt the Trump case? And you know,

406
00:25:00,000 --> 00:25:02,120
Speaker 1: I'm going to give you a legal answer that you'll hate,

407
00:25:02,119 --> 00:25:05,760
Speaker 1: which is yes and no. Right. I mean, that's that's

408
00:25:05,800 --> 00:25:09,600
Speaker 1: why people hate lawyers to say the no is. You know,

409
00:25:09,680 --> 00:25:11,879
Speaker 1: at the Department, what you do is you're trained to

410
00:25:12,400 --> 00:25:15,280
Speaker 1: look at the facts in the law and to differentiate cases.

411
00:25:15,320 --> 00:25:17,800
Speaker 1: And as you said, Molly, it's like the cases, at

412
00:25:17,880 --> 00:25:20,600
Speaker 1: least what we know about them, couldn't be more different.

413
00:25:20,920 --> 00:25:24,080
Speaker 1: One has criminal intent and obstruction of justice, and by

414
00:25:24,119 --> 00:25:27,200
Speaker 1: all accounts, the Biden one does not. There's no question

415
00:25:27,240 --> 00:25:29,200
Speaker 1: that he turned the documents over as soon as he

416
00:25:29,359 --> 00:25:31,080
Speaker 1: is aware of them, so far as we know at

417
00:25:31,119 --> 00:25:33,679
Speaker 1: this point, and there's no evidence of obstruction of justice,

418
00:25:34,119 --> 00:25:39,960
Speaker 1: so legally there should be a recommendation from Jack Smith

419
00:25:40,000 --> 00:25:43,080
Speaker 1: to go forward on his case, and you would expect

420
00:25:43,160 --> 00:25:46,160
Speaker 1: for Rob her the special counsel, and the Biden case

421
00:25:46,200 --> 00:25:49,280
Speaker 1: to recommend against it. But that being said, it is

422
00:25:49,359 --> 00:25:53,080
Speaker 1: so important that if a former president is going to

423
00:25:53,119 --> 00:25:55,800
Speaker 1: be charged for the first time in our history, that

424
00:25:55,880 --> 00:26:00,560
Speaker 1: there'll be public acceptance and understanding as to why that

425
00:26:00,720 --> 00:26:04,960
Speaker 1: is appropriate and why he's being treated just like anyone else.

426
00:26:05,680 --> 00:26:08,119
Speaker 1: And if you look at the Department of Justice precedent

427
00:26:08,160 --> 00:26:11,320
Speaker 1: and there's the other cases they brought, there's no question.

428
00:26:11,520 --> 00:26:13,520
Speaker 1: And I unfortunately I'm a nerd and I've done a

429
00:26:13,600 --> 00:26:16,600
Speaker 1: huge deep dive in that there's no question that Donald

430
00:26:16,600 --> 00:26:19,359
Speaker 1: Trump UM should be charged if he's going to be

431
00:26:19,400 --> 00:26:21,760
Speaker 1: treated the same as other people, because people who did

432
00:26:21,800 --> 00:26:24,679
Speaker 1: far less than than he have been charged. But I

433
00:26:24,720 --> 00:26:26,880
Speaker 1: think it is going to hurt a sort of public

434
00:26:26,920 --> 00:26:31,080
Speaker 1: acceptance aspect, and that is such a huge part of

435
00:26:31,119 --> 00:26:34,160
Speaker 1: bringing the case um. But I do think that's where

436
00:26:34,760 --> 00:26:38,080
Speaker 1: people like us are going to be really important to

437
00:26:38,080 --> 00:26:42,080
Speaker 1: to for the Department and for commentators to really talk

438
00:26:42,119 --> 00:26:44,840
Speaker 1: about why there is a difference and why they are

439
00:26:44,840 --> 00:26:48,960
Speaker 1: appropriately treated differently. If we end up in that position, Yeah,

440
00:26:49,000 --> 00:26:50,960
Speaker 1: I mean I don't know, you know what Trump has

441
00:26:51,000 --> 00:26:54,199
Speaker 1: been teflon for so long. The thing that I was

442
00:26:54,320 --> 00:26:57,760
Speaker 1: talking to Hugo Lowell about before, just to name Drob,

443
00:26:58,680 --> 00:27:02,000
Speaker 1: before we did this interview, was this idea that Trump

444
00:27:02,040 --> 00:27:06,560
Speaker 1: had actually mixed documents, and so he had documents that

445
00:27:06,720 --> 00:27:10,959
Speaker 1: were um sort of high level classified documents mixed with

446
00:27:11,160 --> 00:27:15,399
Speaker 1: more recent documents, and that that might show intent. Yeah.

447
00:27:15,480 --> 00:27:18,960
Speaker 1: Absolutely so. The fact that he would have documents mixed

448
00:27:18,960 --> 00:27:22,240
Speaker 1: with personal documents but also ones that are recent would

449
00:27:22,280 --> 00:27:26,240
Speaker 1: suggest that he actually knew of the documents and was

450
00:27:26,280 --> 00:27:29,240
Speaker 1: aware of them at the time. I mean, because you know,

451
00:27:29,280 --> 00:27:32,480
Speaker 1: a normal defense for sort of senior people, whether you're

452
00:27:32,480 --> 00:27:34,959
Speaker 1: talking about a corporation you know, I prosecuted the end

453
00:27:35,000 --> 00:27:38,919
Speaker 1: on executives, or you're talking about a gang or political leaders.

454
00:27:38,920 --> 00:27:41,680
Speaker 1: In all of those situations, the normal defenses, I didn't

455
00:27:41,720 --> 00:27:44,040
Speaker 1: really know what the low level people were doing. It's like,

456
00:27:44,200 --> 00:27:45,840
Speaker 1: you know, they were just sort of on their own.

457
00:27:46,240 --> 00:27:48,880
Speaker 1: I mean, Biden is clearly saying that, and it could

458
00:27:48,960 --> 00:27:52,760
Speaker 1: very well be true. So, but Trump, the evidence on

459
00:27:52,880 --> 00:27:56,000
Speaker 1: that is he's been you know, he hasn't helped himself

460
00:27:56,119 --> 00:27:59,680
Speaker 1: by um saying you know, these were mine, and he

461
00:27:59,720 --> 00:28:02,960
Speaker 1: would the one who ordered and kept very close hold

462
00:28:03,040 --> 00:28:05,119
Speaker 1: on sort of how they would be taken from the

463
00:28:05,119 --> 00:28:08,040
Speaker 1: White House and what where they were going and where

464
00:28:08,040 --> 00:28:10,440
Speaker 1: they were kept at Mara a Lago. So I think

465
00:28:10,560 --> 00:28:12,760
Speaker 1: that kind of defense is going to be really hard

466
00:28:12,840 --> 00:28:15,600
Speaker 1: for him. Um. I was recently asked, can you think

467
00:28:15,600 --> 00:28:18,600
Speaker 1: of a defense in that case? And the interest No,

468
00:28:19,560 --> 00:28:21,760
Speaker 1: you know, and we really tried. I mean I was

469
00:28:21,800 --> 00:28:24,240
Speaker 1: part of this group where we we did a sample

470
00:28:24,320 --> 00:28:27,119
Speaker 1: prosecution memo and it was this group at n y U,

471
00:28:27,320 --> 00:28:30,240
Speaker 1: and we really tried to flesh out any and all

472
00:28:30,320 --> 00:28:33,359
Speaker 1: plausible defenses, and you know, we did, but none of

473
00:28:33,400 --> 00:28:36,280
Speaker 1: them worked because there was so much counter evidence, some

474
00:28:36,400 --> 00:28:40,560
Speaker 1: of which coming directly from Donald Trump's mouth, you know,

475
00:28:40,600 --> 00:28:43,520
Speaker 1: which is yeah, exactly. And so you know, as a

476
00:28:43,520 --> 00:28:47,560
Speaker 1: defense lawyer, that's always the worst possible thing. Um. You know,

477
00:28:47,640 --> 00:28:50,200
Speaker 1: you you're basically you know, you want client control to

478
00:28:50,280 --> 00:28:54,959
Speaker 1: basically shut up. It's super interesting, especially when we have

479
00:28:55,600 --> 00:28:59,720
Speaker 1: these documents. The thing I was struck by was that

480
00:29:00,040 --> 00:29:03,880
Speaker 1: the Trump people were all like immediately like in my mind,

481
00:29:03,920 --> 00:29:06,560
Speaker 1: I thought, wow, they put a special prosecutor on the

482
00:29:06,600 --> 00:29:09,640
Speaker 1: Biden documents much more quickly than they put the special

483
00:29:09,680 --> 00:29:13,520
Speaker 1: prosecutor on the Trump documents. That is pretty shocking. But

484
00:29:13,600 --> 00:29:16,800
Speaker 1: the Trump people immediately started making the case that the

485
00:29:16,880 --> 00:29:20,720
Speaker 1: special prosecutor that Biden had gotten was actually a deep

486
00:29:20,720 --> 00:29:24,880
Speaker 1: state planned because he had worked to the FBI for

487
00:29:24,960 --> 00:29:28,000
Speaker 1: the FBI, the head of the FBI who was appointed

488
00:29:28,520 --> 00:29:31,080
Speaker 1: by Trump. I mean, I worked at the FBI. I

489
00:29:31,120 --> 00:29:34,080
Speaker 1: was the general counsel there. That's not exactly a deep

490
00:29:34,160 --> 00:29:37,800
Speaker 1: state institution. I mean the idea that this is somehow

491
00:29:38,440 --> 00:29:42,240
Speaker 1: democratic stronghold is sort of is, you know, this is

492
00:29:42,240 --> 00:29:44,680
Speaker 1: the world we live in where it's all sort of

493
00:29:44,680 --> 00:29:49,440
Speaker 1: our well and double speak. Rob her is a hardcore Republican,

494
00:29:49,880 --> 00:29:53,000
Speaker 1: and he is a Republican. He was appointed by Trump

495
00:29:53,040 --> 00:29:55,680
Speaker 1: to be a U S attorney. He worked for Rod Rosenstein.

496
00:29:56,080 --> 00:29:58,200
Speaker 1: You know, one of the controversial things he did when

497
00:29:58,200 --> 00:30:00,280
Speaker 1: he worked for Rod Rosenstein is he gave it press

498
00:30:00,320 --> 00:30:02,920
Speaker 1: conference announcing a criminal case. And where did he do

499
00:30:03,040 --> 00:30:07,400
Speaker 1: the press conference from the White House, which, by the way,

500
00:30:07,600 --> 00:30:10,880
Speaker 1: talk about like blurring the line between the what's supposed

501
00:30:10,880 --> 00:30:13,240
Speaker 1: to be the independent Department of Justice in the White House.

502
00:30:13,520 --> 00:30:15,479
Speaker 1: So the idea that they're going to try and paint

503
00:30:15,600 --> 00:30:19,680
Speaker 1: him as a deep state democrat is this is just

504
00:30:20,040 --> 00:30:23,120
Speaker 1: black as white territory. My sense is they're doing this

505
00:30:23,280 --> 00:30:26,760
Speaker 1: because they know that this document case against Biden is

506
00:30:26,800 --> 00:30:29,480
Speaker 1: not the same as the document case against Trump. Yeah,

507
00:30:29,560 --> 00:30:32,640
Speaker 1: unless something breaks, you know, based on all the facts

508
00:30:32,640 --> 00:30:35,880
Speaker 1: that we have so far, this is one where I

509
00:30:35,880 --> 00:30:39,520
Speaker 1: would expect a thorough fast investigation that leads to a

510
00:30:39,640 --> 00:30:43,400
Speaker 1: recommendation of a declination. I have a question about this

511
00:30:43,680 --> 00:30:46,840
Speaker 1: Trump's Chinese bank account. I feel like we had that

512
00:30:46,960 --> 00:30:51,000
Speaker 1: news and it just like disappeared. Obviously, a president is

513
00:30:51,040 --> 00:30:53,960
Speaker 1: not supposed to have a bank account in China. I'm

514
00:30:54,000 --> 00:30:56,000
Speaker 1: not even sure that any of us are supposed to

515
00:30:56,000 --> 00:30:59,120
Speaker 1: have one in China for the American citizens. I mean,

516
00:30:59,200 --> 00:31:01,600
Speaker 1: I guess it's not a legal technically, but I mean

517
00:31:01,640 --> 00:31:04,640
Speaker 1: there's no legal consequences for any of this kind of stuff.

518
00:31:04,640 --> 00:31:08,240
Speaker 1: It's just sketchy. It is sketchy and a concern because

519
00:31:08,240 --> 00:31:10,280
Speaker 1: you want to know why it's there, and what its

520
00:31:10,320 --> 00:31:13,920
Speaker 1: purpose was, and who is putting money into it for

521
00:31:14,000 --> 00:31:16,200
Speaker 1: what ends. I mean, So there are all sorts of

522
00:31:16,280 --> 00:31:20,480
Speaker 1: concerns about from a national security perspective as well as

523
00:31:20,520 --> 00:31:23,920
Speaker 1: just a sort of foreign influenced perspective. But there is

524
00:31:23,960 --> 00:31:26,320
Speaker 1: a way in which a sort of very obvious way

525
00:31:26,440 --> 00:31:29,760
Speaker 1: in which it could be illegal, and I stressed could um.

526
00:31:29,760 --> 00:31:32,480
Speaker 1: And that's because, for instance, in the Paul Manifort case,

527
00:31:32,560 --> 00:31:34,640
Speaker 1: one of the things he did is he had all

528
00:31:34,680 --> 00:31:38,920
Speaker 1: of these foreign bank accounts on his United States tax returns.

529
00:31:38,920 --> 00:31:42,560
Speaker 1: A standard question that's in all of our federal tax

530
00:31:42,600 --> 00:31:45,800
Speaker 1: resourns is a question about whether you have any foreign accounts.

531
00:31:45,880 --> 00:31:50,040
Speaker 1: He checked off repeatedly for years. No. He told his

532
00:31:50,120 --> 00:31:53,840
Speaker 1: tax advisors the answer was no. And instead he got

533
00:31:53,880 --> 00:31:57,360
Speaker 1: all of this income that she didn't report from Ukraine

534
00:31:57,440 --> 00:31:59,880
Speaker 1: and other places, and he used it to pay for

535
00:32:00,000 --> 00:32:02,920
Speaker 1: things like his very fancy gardener in the Hampton's and

536
00:32:03,000 --> 00:32:06,920
Speaker 1: his maide service and his Ostrich jacket and all sorts

537
00:32:06,920 --> 00:32:10,240
Speaker 1: of other things. And he just paid from his accounts

538
00:32:10,240 --> 00:32:13,800
Speaker 1: in Cyprus. It's tax fraud, yeah, exactly. So he was.

539
00:32:13,840 --> 00:32:15,880
Speaker 1: One of the charges he faced was simply lying to

540
00:32:15,960 --> 00:32:18,080
Speaker 1: the I R S about his foreign account. I know,

541
00:32:18,120 --> 00:32:20,840
Speaker 1: obviously we had to show that he you know, that

542
00:32:21,040 --> 00:32:24,200
Speaker 1: he personally knew he had that account, and that he

543
00:32:24,320 --> 00:32:27,720
Speaker 1: knew that he had told the I R S that

544
00:32:27,840 --> 00:32:30,720
Speaker 1: he didn't have those accounts. But that wasn't very hard

545
00:32:30,760 --> 00:32:34,120
Speaker 1: to show. So again, one of the I think sort

546
00:32:34,120 --> 00:32:37,520
Speaker 1: of disappointing things in terms of the Department of Justice

547
00:32:37,560 --> 00:32:40,960
Speaker 1: is there has been apparently a tax audit for now

548
00:32:41,120 --> 00:32:44,360
Speaker 1: years and years and years by the I R S

549
00:32:44,560 --> 00:32:47,960
Speaker 1: about Trump's taxes, and then it doesn't seem like that's

550
00:32:48,040 --> 00:32:50,920
Speaker 1: going anywhere. While the state has looked at that and

551
00:32:51,000 --> 00:32:54,840
Speaker 1: prosecuted successfully his companies, it doesn't appear that there's really

552
00:32:54,880 --> 00:32:59,280
Speaker 1: an active federal investigation into that. And then recently we've

553
00:32:59,320 --> 00:33:02,160
Speaker 1: heard the tax authorities say, well, you know, it was

554
00:33:02,200 --> 00:33:05,800
Speaker 1: just too hard, which he was too complex, and that

555
00:33:06,000 --> 00:33:08,400
Speaker 1: I have to say, as as a farmer, you know,

556
00:33:08,440 --> 00:33:11,760
Speaker 1: federal prosecutor, it's like, are you joking. I mean, that's

557
00:33:11,800 --> 00:33:14,760
Speaker 1: your job. I mean the idea. It's like, listen, you

558
00:33:14,800 --> 00:33:17,360
Speaker 1: know your crime was sophisticated. So that's kind of above

559
00:33:17,360 --> 00:33:20,360
Speaker 1: our pay grade. Is not a great answer in terms

560
00:33:20,400 --> 00:33:25,480
Speaker 1: of your obligations to the American public. Trump got a

561
00:33:25,560 --> 00:33:30,880
Speaker 1: lot of like legal risk taps recently. Right, Like that

562
00:33:31,200 --> 00:33:34,680
Speaker 1: judge who just said that his lawyer who was a

563
00:33:34,760 --> 00:33:38,480
Speaker 1: conservative television host, can you talk about that, because that's

564
00:33:38,520 --> 00:33:43,720
Speaker 1: pretty interesting. That's Harbor, right, her name is exactly um.

565
00:33:43,760 --> 00:33:46,560
Speaker 1: So there was a fun of almost a million dollars

566
00:33:46,600 --> 00:33:50,560
Speaker 1: sanctioning the lawyers were bringing a frivolous case. And I

567
00:33:50,640 --> 00:33:55,720
Speaker 1: actually think it's a good indication that the lower courts

568
00:33:56,880 --> 00:34:01,040
Speaker 1: have really buy and large made be leaving Judge Cannon

569
00:34:01,080 --> 00:34:04,160
Speaker 1: aside have done a really good job of applying the

570
00:34:04,240 --> 00:34:07,040
Speaker 1: rule of law, whether it's a judge appointed by Donald

571
00:34:07,080 --> 00:34:11,520
Speaker 1: Trump or by a Democrat and really saying, you know what,

572
00:34:11,719 --> 00:34:15,480
Speaker 1: we are a separate institution and we're not gonna green

573
00:34:15,600 --> 00:34:18,160
Speaker 1: light your fraud claims. We're going to hold you to

574
00:34:18,239 --> 00:34:21,000
Speaker 1: account and refer you to bar associations if you make

575
00:34:21,000 --> 00:34:24,680
Speaker 1: sprivolous fine filings. And this is a really I think

576
00:34:24,719 --> 00:34:28,400
Speaker 1: an important fine to say, you know, you can this

577
00:34:28,560 --> 00:34:31,799
Speaker 1: whatever you're doing in the public sphere and like tweeting

578
00:34:32,000 --> 00:34:35,440
Speaker 1: and disseminating all sorts of garbage to the public, when

579
00:34:35,440 --> 00:34:37,600
Speaker 1: you do it in a court of law, there are

580
00:34:37,719 --> 00:34:41,240
Speaker 1: sanctions for that. And so I really applaud the judges

581
00:34:41,280 --> 00:34:44,080
Speaker 1: who are are taking that seriously. So I want to

582
00:34:44,120 --> 00:34:47,000
Speaker 1: ask you about this for a minute, because then the

583
00:34:47,120 --> 00:34:52,040
Speaker 1: next day Trump withdrew his lawsuit against the New York

584
00:34:52,040 --> 00:34:54,520
Speaker 1: State A g Leticia James. Is that do you think

585
00:34:54,560 --> 00:34:58,840
Speaker 1: that's related? Also? For Donald Trump to bring any civil lawsuit.

586
00:34:59,000 --> 00:35:02,360
Speaker 1: It's so ridiculous because he would then be subjecting himself

587
00:35:02,400 --> 00:35:04,920
Speaker 1: to being deposed. That's not a good look. I mean,

588
00:35:04,960 --> 00:35:08,080
Speaker 1: we just saw the deposition transcript and the Gene Carroll case,

589
00:35:08,200 --> 00:35:10,839
Speaker 1: and you know, he looks ridiculous. I remember when he

590
00:35:11,120 --> 00:35:13,799
Speaker 1: threatened to sue the New York Times and the New

591
00:35:13,840 --> 00:35:16,360
Speaker 1: York Times General Council wrote a really funny letter that

592
00:35:16,400 --> 00:35:20,560
Speaker 1: he made public that basically said, bring it on. You

593
00:35:21,200 --> 00:35:25,160
Speaker 1: want to see us great, looking forward to it. Andrew,

594
00:35:25,480 --> 00:35:27,919
Speaker 1: this was so interesting. I hope you will come back

595
00:35:27,960 --> 00:35:32,040
Speaker 1: because you are way above our pay grade here, so

596
00:35:32,239 --> 00:35:35,799
Speaker 1: we really appreciate it. Don't be silly. I'd love to.

597
00:35:36,000 --> 00:35:39,960
Speaker 1: I'd love to. I know you, our dear listeners are

598
00:35:40,120 --> 00:35:42,600
Speaker 1: very busy and you don't have time to sort through

599
00:35:42,600 --> 00:35:45,680
Speaker 1: the hundreds of pieces of pundentry each week. This is

600
00:35:45,719 --> 00:35:50,319
Speaker 1: why every week I put together a newsletter of my

601
00:35:50,440 --> 00:35:53,640
Speaker 1: five favorite articles on politics. If you enjoy the podcast,

602
00:35:53,680 --> 00:35:57,160
Speaker 1: you will love having this in your inbox every Friday.

603
00:35:57,360 --> 00:36:00,600
Speaker 1: So sign up at Fast Politics pod dot com um

604
00:36:00,600 --> 00:36:03,239
Speaker 1: and click the tab to join our mailing list. That's

605
00:36:03,320 --> 00:36:10,680
Speaker 1: Fast politics pod dot com. Teddy Schleifer is a tech

606
00:36:10,760 --> 00:36:15,400
Speaker 1: reporter at Puck News, Welcome too fast politics, Teddy, thanks

607
00:36:15,400 --> 00:36:17,880
Speaker 1: for having me. Very excited to have you all right,

608
00:36:17,960 --> 00:36:22,080
Speaker 1: So first we have to talk about Sam Bankman freed

609
00:36:22,840 --> 00:36:25,799
Speaker 1: and his jailhouse. Except he wasn't in his jail house.

610
00:36:25,840 --> 00:36:29,240
Speaker 1: He was in his parents house, his parents house interview.

611
00:36:29,880 --> 00:36:33,040
Speaker 1: He just decided to have you over discuss a little

612
00:36:33,040 --> 00:36:36,520
Speaker 1: a little team trumpets on a Friday night in Paul Alto.

613
00:36:36,719 --> 00:36:39,760
Speaker 1: I mean, he's not going anywhere right right. The reason

614
00:36:39,800 --> 00:36:42,560
Speaker 1: why I think he wants to talk and want to

615
00:36:42,600 --> 00:36:48,319
Speaker 1: talk in reason why we see him, you know, with

616
00:36:48,480 --> 00:36:50,839
Speaker 1: a sub stack. You know, he's he's tweeting through it.

617
00:36:50,960 --> 00:36:53,799
Speaker 1: I think he feels like lots of people on your

618
00:36:54,640 --> 00:36:57,840
Speaker 1: enormous scrutiny doo, he feels misunderstood, he feels wrong, he

619
00:36:57,880 --> 00:37:01,440
Speaker 1: feels mischaracterized by you know, the media, and whether or

620
00:37:01,480 --> 00:37:03,759
Speaker 1: not he is correct or not as sort of irrelevant

621
00:37:03,800 --> 00:37:06,279
Speaker 1: to me. It's an opportunity. As a reporter, you know,

622
00:37:06,800 --> 00:37:08,960
Speaker 1: you live for that right, You live for the opportunity

623
00:37:09,200 --> 00:37:12,680
Speaker 1: to get the access to people when they're like walking

624
00:37:12,719 --> 00:37:15,319
Speaker 1: the tight room. And so Sam had me over when

625
00:37:15,400 --> 00:37:18,839
Speaker 1: we talked for a couple of hours about everything from

626
00:37:18,840 --> 00:37:22,319
Speaker 1: his case to his life under house arrests to you

627
00:37:22,360 --> 00:37:24,879
Speaker 1: know what his family and friends think about him right now?

628
00:37:25,239 --> 00:37:28,800
Speaker 1: It's surreal right to think that one of the greatest

629
00:37:28,800 --> 00:37:31,879
Speaker 1: alleged frousters of our generation is just come on over

630
00:37:31,920 --> 00:37:34,840
Speaker 1: for tea pretty wild stuff. Did you feel when you

631
00:37:34,880 --> 00:37:39,200
Speaker 1: were doing this interview like you were getting con Sometimes

632
00:37:39,239 --> 00:37:41,440
Speaker 1: I feel like when you're doing an interview with someone,

633
00:37:41,920 --> 00:37:45,000
Speaker 1: you all of a sudden are like, you know, yes, sister,

634
00:37:45,160 --> 00:37:47,040
Speaker 1: Like all of a sudden you start sort of rooting

635
00:37:47,040 --> 00:37:50,480
Speaker 1: for them. But sometimes you really do get the sense

636
00:37:50,480 --> 00:37:52,960
Speaker 1: you're getting you're that there. They think they're pulling it

637
00:37:53,040 --> 00:37:55,200
Speaker 1: over on you. Did you have one or the other

638
00:37:55,280 --> 00:37:59,319
Speaker 1: on that right, someone's always getting the kernalist conning the

639
00:37:59,360 --> 00:38:02,279
Speaker 1: subject or the subject counting in the journalists. Sometimes it's

640
00:38:02,280 --> 00:38:03,879
Speaker 1: a little bit of both. I don't know if any

641
00:38:03,960 --> 00:38:06,839
Speaker 1: interaction with the recorder on the table is an authentical one,

642
00:38:06,960 --> 00:38:08,520
Speaker 1: Like I think there are some that are more than

643
00:38:08,719 --> 00:38:12,120
Speaker 1: than others. Look, I mean, for him, um, he probably

644
00:38:12,120 --> 00:38:14,359
Speaker 1: thinks that you know, he's calming me, right, is he

645
00:38:14,400 --> 00:38:17,200
Speaker 1: gets the opportunity to talk about things he wants to

646
00:38:17,239 --> 00:38:19,279
Speaker 1: on his terms. You know this is not under ah,

647
00:38:19,280 --> 00:38:22,080
Speaker 1: there's no real consequences for it. You know, he gets

648
00:38:22,080 --> 00:38:25,480
Speaker 1: to pain himself as a sympathetic boy. No one wants

649
00:38:25,520 --> 00:38:27,840
Speaker 1: to be his friend anymore. He's donalant to leave the house,

650
00:38:27,920 --> 00:38:30,080
Speaker 1: and he has this dog, and like, you know, he

651
00:38:30,080 --> 00:38:32,200
Speaker 1: gets to pain and more sympathetic torture than the SDN.

652
00:38:32,239 --> 00:38:35,520
Speaker 1: Wise pointing, so, is there a KLN element on me? Like? Sure,

653
00:38:35,760 --> 00:38:37,800
Speaker 1: I think I think there's always a kind of element

654
00:38:37,800 --> 00:38:40,800
Speaker 1: when there's an on the record interview. But as a reporter,

655
00:38:40,920 --> 00:38:42,279
Speaker 1: you know, I might think I'm kind of him, like

656
00:38:42,320 --> 00:38:47,040
Speaker 1: I'm getting access to a person who isn't really doing

657
00:38:47,040 --> 00:38:50,920
Speaker 1: other interviews, and is you know, obviously there's enormous public

658
00:38:50,920 --> 00:38:53,080
Speaker 1: interest in kind of what his life is like. So

659
00:38:53,360 --> 00:38:55,719
Speaker 1: Colonel Rand the best kind of corn. One of the

660
00:38:55,760 --> 00:38:59,440
Speaker 1: things I've found really interesting about this whole case is

661
00:38:59,480 --> 00:39:04,000
Speaker 1: that Elon Musk feels that he is getting better treatment

662
00:39:05,239 --> 00:39:08,000
Speaker 1: then Ellen. You know, Ellen was like, no one's ever

663
00:39:08,040 --> 00:39:11,000
Speaker 1: going to investigate him because he's a Democrat, and then

664
00:39:11,080 --> 00:39:13,840
Speaker 1: like the next day he got extradited. He's sort of

665
00:39:13,880 --> 00:39:17,640
Speaker 1: a rorshack yeah or shock yes. But also I might

666
00:39:17,719 --> 00:39:20,920
Speaker 1: argue that he is like kind of universally hated, but

667
00:39:21,040 --> 00:39:25,200
Speaker 1: for different reasons, right for conservatives, you know, he's this

668
00:39:25,280 --> 00:39:28,360
Speaker 1: big limb who got a free path in the media

669
00:39:28,719 --> 00:39:32,040
Speaker 1: for too long because he was buddy buddies with everybody

670
00:39:32,080 --> 00:39:34,880
Speaker 1: and getting everybody money and doing any too liberals and

671
00:39:35,080 --> 00:39:38,000
Speaker 1: saying all the right things about making the world a

672
00:39:38,000 --> 00:39:40,719
Speaker 1: better place. Blah blah blah. It's funny because on the

673
00:39:40,840 --> 00:39:43,120
Speaker 1: left there are lots of leftists who I saw him

674
00:39:43,160 --> 00:39:47,200
Speaker 1: as this like crypto student who was bringing the party

675
00:39:47,520 --> 00:39:52,200
Speaker 1: into unsavory and non savory industry and as neoliberal agenda,

676
00:39:52,560 --> 00:39:55,440
Speaker 1: you know, hanging out with Tony Blair and Anthony stron

677
00:39:55,520 --> 00:39:59,560
Speaker 1: Mucci and spreading gospel capitalism. So like to say nothing

678
00:39:59,560 --> 00:40:02,200
Speaker 1: of the fact obviously he's now a you know, albatross

679
00:40:02,400 --> 00:40:05,200
Speaker 1: Democratic Party is you know, groups have listens themselves from

680
00:40:05,200 --> 00:40:08,000
Speaker 1: Sam Like look, I mean, it's not like Bernie Madoff

681
00:40:08,040 --> 00:40:10,719
Speaker 1: had friends by the end of this politically, or you know,

682
00:40:10,760 --> 00:40:13,560
Speaker 1: Elizabeth Homes or urban never and everyone hates stand back

683
00:40:13,560 --> 00:40:15,960
Speaker 1: and free. You know, Elon used to be like a

684
00:40:16,120 --> 00:40:19,879
Speaker 1: hero all the left until like six seventeen when he's

685
00:40:19,920 --> 00:40:22,080
Speaker 1: kind of started going on his own. He was tweeting then,

686
00:40:22,120 --> 00:40:24,239
Speaker 1: but like, you know, the public opinion on the line

687
00:40:24,400 --> 00:40:27,120
Speaker 1: has transformed over the last five years I don't know

688
00:40:27,160 --> 00:40:29,640
Speaker 1: what he is a chooser own adventure. People are mad

689
00:40:29,640 --> 00:40:31,880
Speaker 1: at him for any number of things. I mean, he

690
00:40:31,920 --> 00:40:36,160
Speaker 1: did also give money to Republicans to write. Yeah, I've

691
00:40:36,160 --> 00:40:38,480
Speaker 1: done some reporting on this, and it's just that it

692
00:40:38,640 --> 00:40:41,759
Speaker 1: was Sam did donate some money to Republicans. Could I

693
00:40:41,800 --> 00:40:44,279
Speaker 1: believe based on my reporting at Sam donated like, you know,

694
00:40:44,719 --> 00:40:48,040
Speaker 1: ten twenty million bucks to Republican interest groups or to

695
00:40:48,120 --> 00:40:52,200
Speaker 1: see for words like sure, But the proponderance of Sam's

696
00:40:52,239 --> 00:40:55,120
Speaker 1: money was still going to democratically, to make no mistake

697
00:40:55,120 --> 00:40:57,279
Speaker 1: about it, right, Yeah, I think he was like lots

698
00:40:57,320 --> 00:41:00,680
Speaker 1: of donors who were in heavily regulated industry, spread the

699
00:41:00,719 --> 00:41:03,840
Speaker 1: leve around to everybody on the House Final Services Committee,

700
00:41:03,840 --> 00:41:06,600
Speaker 1: and their politics are just whatever is good for their

701
00:41:06,600 --> 00:41:09,200
Speaker 1: bottom line, not unlike you know, Elon Musk. Is he

702
00:41:09,239 --> 00:41:13,600
Speaker 1: a Republican. No, But Sam has some Republican connections. And frankly,

703
00:41:13,800 --> 00:41:16,640
Speaker 1: one of Sam's main deputies was this gunn in Ryan Salem,

704
00:41:16,640 --> 00:41:19,719
Speaker 1: who was a Republican donor who was hanging out with

705
00:41:19,960 --> 00:41:22,640
Speaker 1: Trump Jr. And his girlfriend was running for Congress as

706
00:41:22,680 --> 00:41:25,759
Speaker 1: a Republican. So one of the problems for the right

707
00:41:25,800 --> 00:41:28,120
Speaker 1: as they try to go after Sam is that there's

708
00:41:28,160 --> 00:41:30,320
Speaker 1: plenty of f t X money on their side of

709
00:41:30,320 --> 00:41:34,040
Speaker 1: the Aisland as well. Some places are paying back the money, right,

710
00:41:34,200 --> 00:41:38,120
Speaker 1: I saw that Samaphore is paying back the money. Yes,

711
00:41:38,520 --> 00:41:42,560
Speaker 1: so every entity would be quite dumb at this point

712
00:41:42,560 --> 00:41:45,000
Speaker 1: and not prepare for the possibility that they need to

713
00:41:45,520 --> 00:41:48,000
Speaker 1: send them money back to somewhere. The challenges of them

714
00:41:48,000 --> 00:41:49,760
Speaker 1: all is like, if you put yourself in a position

715
00:41:49,840 --> 00:41:52,719
Speaker 1: of some recipient, so what do you do? Right? I mean,

716
00:41:52,960 --> 00:41:54,719
Speaker 1: you don't want to give the money back to you

717
00:41:54,719 --> 00:41:57,759
Speaker 1: know this, you know this alleged criminal to you know,

718
00:41:57,880 --> 00:42:01,080
Speaker 1: standing on illegal defense LUSS and do feel pressured to

719
00:42:01,120 --> 00:42:05,680
Speaker 1: do something as like some Democratic congressional candidates in November,

720
00:42:05,960 --> 00:42:08,800
Speaker 1: or like do need money to charity. There's a chance

721
00:42:08,840 --> 00:42:13,080
Speaker 1: that like FTX, creditors might hit those correctional campaigns for

722
00:42:13,160 --> 00:42:15,840
Speaker 1: money again, in which case you could have to pay twice.

723
00:42:16,239 --> 00:42:18,560
Speaker 1: So I think the most prudent course of action that

724
00:42:18,680 --> 00:42:21,400
Speaker 1: lots of committees are taking right now, whether they're if

725
00:42:21,400 --> 00:42:24,600
Speaker 1: you receive money from SAM through a nonprofit or renceive

726
00:42:24,640 --> 00:42:28,799
Speaker 1: the investment from SAM, everyone is basically trying to put

727
00:42:28,840 --> 00:42:32,359
Speaker 1: it in some Escoro account or some wait and see segulgable.

728
00:42:32,920 --> 00:42:36,719
Speaker 1: You know, money pot to figure it out later, and

729
00:42:36,760 --> 00:42:38,600
Speaker 1: you can announce that right, and you feel good about

730
00:42:38,600 --> 00:42:41,120
Speaker 1: yourself and you resist pressure from the media for just

731
00:42:41,200 --> 00:42:44,400
Speaker 1: pressure from employees to you know, not be laundering Sam's money.

732
00:42:44,480 --> 00:42:46,960
Speaker 1: But you wait a couple of months until it's clear

733
00:42:47,120 --> 00:42:50,080
Speaker 1: where you're gonna send it. So that is where lots

734
00:42:50,360 --> 00:42:56,120
Speaker 1: of SPF tainted committees and nonprofits are ultimately going to

735
00:42:56,280 --> 00:42:59,360
Speaker 1: put the money. Isn't like, hey, I got a million

736
00:42:59,360 --> 00:43:01,319
Speaker 1: bucks from Sam, I'm gonna put it in you know,

737
00:43:01,840 --> 00:43:04,760
Speaker 1: this account over here, and you know, whatever the government

738
00:43:04,760 --> 00:43:07,120
Speaker 1: tells us to do with it, we'll do. But obviously

739
00:43:07,200 --> 00:43:11,120
Speaker 1: this is a huge problem for anybody who's gotten in cash,

740
00:43:11,560 --> 00:43:14,080
Speaker 1: like I'm thinking about like lead of politics. I mean,

741
00:43:14,120 --> 00:43:18,480
Speaker 1: there are there are super PACs that raise money right

742
00:43:18,520 --> 00:43:22,520
Speaker 1: and spend every dollar, every dime, every penny before the

743
00:43:22,520 --> 00:43:24,720
Speaker 1: mid terms or before the election day. Like there aren't

744
00:43:24,800 --> 00:43:27,720
Speaker 1: just groups that are like sitting on now five million bucks.

745
00:43:27,920 --> 00:43:30,760
Speaker 1: So suddenly when you know, House Majority Packed for instance,

746
00:43:31,000 --> 00:43:34,360
Speaker 1: needs to return five million dollars from sand bankmant free

747
00:43:34,640 --> 00:43:36,600
Speaker 1: like after the election is over, like the group could

748
00:43:36,640 --> 00:43:38,600
Speaker 1: have no cash, so you have to go out and

749
00:43:38,719 --> 00:43:42,960
Speaker 1: raise money basically to recoup the money you're spending from

750
00:43:42,960 --> 00:43:45,040
Speaker 1: San Magnat Free that you're putting in this account. It's

751
00:43:45,040 --> 00:43:46,960
Speaker 1: a cluster. Can you get me up to speed on

752
00:43:47,040 --> 00:43:50,520
Speaker 1: what's happening with the Elan and Twitter? He seems mad

753
00:43:50,760 --> 00:43:55,239
Speaker 1: at his advertisers, who he desperately needs, but also vassilates

754
00:43:55,320 --> 00:43:59,520
Speaker 1: between mad and look, they're all coming back what is happening,

755
00:44:00,000 --> 00:44:03,319
Speaker 1: So they're going to towards the Twitter revenues down stuff

756
00:44:03,320 --> 00:44:06,319
Speaker 1: in the middle from this in the tradition from advertising

757
00:44:06,440 --> 00:44:10,520
Speaker 1: to subscription, right where he is obviously bringing the platform

758
00:44:10,600 --> 00:44:13,800
Speaker 1: into making it less safe for you know, the products

759
00:44:13,840 --> 00:44:16,800
Speaker 1: and gamble of the world to you know, flog their toothpastes,

760
00:44:17,120 --> 00:44:21,600
Speaker 1: but people aren't necessarily paying the eight dollars a month

761
00:44:22,080 --> 00:44:26,200
Speaker 1: for subscription. Here in the situation now where advertisers don't

762
00:44:26,200 --> 00:44:28,719
Speaker 1: want to be on the platform at least as much

763
00:44:28,760 --> 00:44:31,439
Speaker 1: as they did, you know, six months ago, but there's

764
00:44:31,480 --> 00:44:35,439
Speaker 1: not the subscriber subscriber base of people who are love

765
00:44:35,520 --> 00:44:38,880
Speaker 1: with this thing. So ultimately, like elut be very thankful

766
00:44:38,880 --> 00:44:41,040
Speaker 1: to secribe the company of that effort for earnings Corps

767
00:44:41,080 --> 00:44:45,160
Speaker 1: really because the equity value of this thing is done

768
00:44:45,440 --> 00:44:48,520
Speaker 1: I think it's possible that Twitter and a subscription product

769
00:44:49,040 --> 00:44:51,239
Speaker 1: can work, though there's gonna be a lot of pain

770
00:44:51,320 --> 00:44:53,960
Speaker 1: on the way, and obviously it will be like any

771
00:44:54,000 --> 00:44:58,759
Speaker 1: subscription product will have smaller audience but could entertain the

772
00:44:58,800 --> 00:45:01,960
Speaker 1: same amount of cultural and fluence by having a third

773
00:45:01,960 --> 00:45:04,640
Speaker 1: as many people were all spending much more money on

774
00:45:04,640 --> 00:45:08,000
Speaker 1: a product millar before. Maybe I don't think the idea

775
00:45:08,040 --> 00:45:12,080
Speaker 1: of converting Twitter into a subcription business is a bad one.

776
00:45:12,160 --> 00:45:14,759
Speaker 1: What do you think my senses? I'm I've been wrong

777
00:45:14,800 --> 00:45:17,160
Speaker 1: about so much here that I don't even want to

778
00:45:17,160 --> 00:45:20,200
Speaker 1: touch it. But my feeling is that he just gets

779
00:45:20,239 --> 00:45:24,040
Speaker 1: bored and decides. I mean, I just wonder how long

780
00:45:24,120 --> 00:45:27,239
Speaker 1: until he gets bored doing this. When he first took over,

781
00:45:27,800 --> 00:45:31,719
Speaker 1: everyone was, you know, like all the people on the

782
00:45:31,840 --> 00:45:34,680
Speaker 1: right were delighted, right, and they were like, He's gonna

783
00:45:35,200 --> 00:45:38,960
Speaker 1: get us what we've always deserved. But ultimately, you know,

784
00:45:39,040 --> 00:45:45,120
Speaker 1: you can't. This entitlement is unquenchable. So you know, after

785
00:45:45,120 --> 00:45:48,319
Speaker 1: a while, they were like, why hasn't Ellen, you know,

786
00:45:48,520 --> 00:45:52,920
Speaker 1: delivered me millions of followers and you know, Ben Shapiro money.

787
00:45:53,120 --> 00:45:56,239
Speaker 1: I'm not convinced, Like, why does he want to do this?

788
00:45:56,360 --> 00:45:58,799
Speaker 1: Now everyone is mad at him. His like you know,

789
00:45:58,960 --> 00:46:02,799
Speaker 1: Cat Turned, who was his bestie, is like torturing him.

790
00:46:02,800 --> 00:46:04,759
Speaker 1: I mean, like, why doesn't he want to just go

791
00:46:04,800 --> 00:46:08,680
Speaker 1: back to doing rockets? Sure, if you look at Elon's

792
00:46:08,920 --> 00:46:12,719
Speaker 1: own Twitter feed and like who he replies to, do

793
00:46:12,719 --> 00:46:14,600
Speaker 1: you ever look at stuff like that? It's a fascinating

794
00:46:14,640 --> 00:46:18,200
Speaker 1: window and into just like why he might be doing

795
00:46:18,239 --> 00:46:20,200
Speaker 1: this right he is? Like I think you and I

796
00:46:20,239 --> 00:46:22,080
Speaker 1: are sitting there saying like, wow, this doesn't seem to

797
00:46:22,120 --> 00:46:24,200
Speaker 1: be going well. But if you put yourself and elant

798
00:46:24,440 --> 00:46:26,480
Speaker 1: musk shoes, like, you know, he is the hero of

799
00:46:26,719 --> 00:46:29,960
Speaker 1: kind of the online right right now. You know, obviously

800
00:46:30,000 --> 00:46:32,000
Speaker 1: he thinks the mainstream media is to get him, as

801
00:46:32,040 --> 00:46:34,400
Speaker 1: we just talked about, But there's obviously sort of a

802
00:46:34,400 --> 00:46:37,160
Speaker 1: warped sense of reality that he has about how things

803
00:46:37,160 --> 00:46:40,600
Speaker 1: are going. Um, and I'm not totally sure that what

804
00:46:40,640 --> 00:46:43,160
Speaker 1: we think matters. It does seem to me like this

805
00:46:43,320 --> 00:46:46,239
Speaker 1: just doesn't. I guess you think as long as he's

806
00:46:46,239 --> 00:46:48,920
Speaker 1: having fun, he'll keep doing it. Yes, as long as

807
00:46:48,920 --> 00:46:52,680
Speaker 1: he's having fun, as long as there's not pressure from

808
00:46:52,760 --> 00:46:56,680
Speaker 1: his own investors and his own creditors to cut the

809
00:46:56,800 --> 00:46:59,759
Speaker 1: bullshit out right Ultimately, there are smart people who gave

810
00:46:59,840 --> 00:47:02,200
Speaker 1: him money to invest the money in this company. And

811
00:47:02,440 --> 00:47:04,520
Speaker 1: if Elon Musk is having a great time, but this

812
00:47:04,600 --> 00:47:07,600
Speaker 1: company is is tanking financially, there's got to be some

813
00:47:07,680 --> 00:47:10,640
Speaker 1: come to Jesus moment eventually that I think is what matters,

814
00:47:10,920 --> 00:47:14,880
Speaker 1: not what we think is. You know, the only dose

815
00:47:15,320 --> 00:47:18,040
Speaker 1: of reality that's coming for eluding must is when people

816
00:47:18,040 --> 00:47:20,880
Speaker 1: a sequit capital or at the banks that loans of

817
00:47:20,920 --> 00:47:24,280
Speaker 1: money to say to Eline, so how does that turnaround

818
00:47:24,280 --> 00:47:28,160
Speaker 1: going over there right right? Right? I mean, or you know,

819
00:47:28,200 --> 00:47:31,080
Speaker 1: he loses control at Tesla, right, that's the other kind

820
00:47:31,080 --> 00:47:33,920
Speaker 1: of financial pressure. Teddy, this was so great, Thank you

821
00:47:34,080 --> 00:47:42,840
Speaker 1: so much for coming on, Molly Jung Fast, Jessie Cannon.

822
00:47:43,520 --> 00:47:47,600
Speaker 1: So obviously the GOP now owns that they gave Marjorie

823
00:47:47,640 --> 00:47:50,520
Speaker 1: Taylor Green a seat on the oversight committee and represented

824
00:47:50,640 --> 00:47:52,799
Speaker 1: McCall of Texas. He had to defend it on the

825
00:47:52,800 --> 00:47:56,040
Speaker 1: Sunday shows and he said, I will tell you she

826
00:47:56,160 --> 00:47:59,160
Speaker 1: has matured. I think she realizes she doesn't know everything,

827
00:47:59,520 --> 00:48:01,960
Speaker 1: and she store and it became I think more of

828
00:48:01,960 --> 00:48:05,480
Speaker 1: a team player. And you know what she said. Yet,

829
00:48:05,560 --> 00:48:12,239
Speaker 1: Marjorie Taylor Green spent the day spinning conspiracy theories on

830
00:48:13,160 --> 00:48:16,480
Speaker 1: the internet. And again, this is something that anti vactors

831
00:48:16,520 --> 00:48:20,759
Speaker 1: have started doing a lot, and it's just mind numbingly

832
00:48:21,000 --> 00:48:26,000
Speaker 1: amazingly stupid. Diamond and Silk, who are pro Trump pundits.

833
00:48:26,400 --> 00:48:32,520
Speaker 1: One of them, Diamond died, and again we don't know

834
00:48:33,320 --> 00:48:36,120
Speaker 1: how she died. There was I think in autopsy, but

835
00:48:36,160 --> 00:48:39,160
Speaker 1: it has not been revealed. But Diamond and Silk were

836
00:48:39,840 --> 00:48:45,239
Speaker 1: serious anti vactors who believed that lockdowns and masks and

837
00:48:45,400 --> 00:48:50,320
Speaker 1: vaccines all, you know, we're much worse than actually being safe.

838
00:48:51,040 --> 00:48:55,640
Speaker 1: Marjorie Taylor Green furious. I demand immediate investigation into COVID

839
00:48:55,719 --> 00:48:59,279
Speaker 1: vaccines and the dramatic increase of people dying suddenly this

840
00:48:59,400 --> 00:49:01,759
Speaker 1: can no longer are be ignored and not and is

841
00:49:01,760 --> 00:49:04,560
Speaker 1: not political. Well, first of all, it's absolutely political, right,

842
00:49:04,600 --> 00:49:07,560
Speaker 1: she's an antivaccer. But second of all, Diamond was a

843
00:49:07,600 --> 00:49:11,680
Speaker 1: big anti vaxxor So does that mean Diamond was secretly vaccinated?

844
00:49:12,440 --> 00:49:14,640
Speaker 1: I know, and you know it's so weird. The one

845
00:49:14,719 --> 00:49:16,920
Speaker 1: time they got mad at Trump, the only time they

846
00:49:16,920 --> 00:49:19,200
Speaker 1: were across him, was when he pushed the vaccine. You

847
00:49:19,239 --> 00:49:22,480
Speaker 1: can be an anti vaxer, but you can't then say

848
00:49:22,680 --> 00:49:28,000
Speaker 1: you were killed by the vaccine. Yeah, well, or can you?

849
00:49:28,120 --> 00:49:30,879
Speaker 1: Or can you? You haven't matured the rules, don't better

850
00:49:30,960 --> 00:49:35,839
Speaker 1: to you. That's a simple physics. There. That's it for

851
00:49:35,880 --> 00:49:39,720
Speaker 1: this episode of Fast Politics. Tune in every Monday, Wednesday,

852
00:49:39,719 --> 00:49:42,640
Speaker 1: and Friday to your the best minds and politics makes

853
00:49:42,680 --> 00:49:45,959
Speaker 1: sense of all this chaos. If you enjoyed what you've heard,

854
00:49:46,360 --> 00:49:49,240
Speaker 1: please send it to a friend and keep the conversation going.

855
00:49:49,680 --> 00:49:51,360
Speaker 1: And again, thanks for listening.