1 00:00:00,320 --> 00:00:01,200 Speaker 1: Thanks for listening. 2 00:00:01,639 --> 00:00:05,240 Speaker 2: For earlier access to these episodes, access to Ask Me 3 00:00:05,320 --> 00:00:09,120 Speaker 2: Anything sessions, and extended breakdowns of historical and current events, 4 00:00:09,600 --> 00:00:14,120 Speaker 2: Please consider joining our Warning Premium community by clicking the 5 00:00:14,160 --> 00:00:22,720 Speaker 2: link in the description to this episode. I'm very pleased 6 00:00:22,720 --> 00:00:27,640 Speaker 2: today to be joined by third District Arizona Congressman Reuben Diego, 7 00:00:27,800 --> 00:00:31,680 Speaker 2: a candidate of the Democratic Party for the United States Senate, 8 00:00:32,520 --> 00:00:36,400 Speaker 2: one of the most interesting members of Congress currently serving 9 00:00:36,479 --> 00:00:40,159 Speaker 2: of the four hundred and thirty five, A person that 10 00:00:40,200 --> 00:00:45,959 Speaker 2: I regard as somebody who is an idealist, a conviction 11 00:00:46,159 --> 00:00:51,880 Speaker 2: based politician in an era of cynicism, precisely the type 12 00:00:51,880 --> 00:00:56,160 Speaker 2: of person that you want in public service. I don't 13 00:00:56,200 --> 00:01:00,360 Speaker 2: think that politics should be an issue litmus test should 14 00:01:00,360 --> 00:01:03,880 Speaker 2: be a character based enterprise, and so that's why I'm 15 00:01:03,880 --> 00:01:08,760 Speaker 2: so pleased to be able to be joined by Ruben Gago. Welcome, 16 00:01:09,440 --> 00:01:13,560 Speaker 2: Thank you, Thank you, Steve. I want to start with 17 00:01:13,800 --> 00:01:19,960 Speaker 2: your first government service. Take us back to arriving at 18 00:01:20,200 --> 00:01:24,679 Speaker 2: Marine Corps recruit depot. Were you West Coast or were 19 00:01:24,680 --> 00:01:25,880 Speaker 2: you at Paris Island? 20 00:01:26,040 --> 00:01:27,080 Speaker 1: I was at Paris Island. 21 00:01:27,480 --> 00:01:31,679 Speaker 2: And take us to that moment where the bus pulls 22 00:01:31,720 --> 00:01:35,520 Speaker 2: into the Paris Island Gates with twenty eight year old 23 00:01:35,760 --> 00:01:37,880 Speaker 2: Ruba Giago aboard twenty. 24 00:01:38,600 --> 00:01:40,479 Speaker 1: I mean, I was excited. This is something that I'd 25 00:01:40,480 --> 00:01:43,680 Speaker 1: always wanted to do. I wanted to serve my country, 26 00:01:44,200 --> 00:01:47,600 Speaker 1: and you know, I joined, you know, pre nine to 27 00:01:47,640 --> 00:01:51,160 Speaker 1: eleven because you know, not that I wanted to go 28 00:01:51,200 --> 00:01:53,400 Speaker 1: to war, not that I did not want to go 29 00:01:53,440 --> 00:01:55,800 Speaker 1: to war, but I, you know, wanted to repay my 30 00:01:55,840 --> 00:01:58,560 Speaker 1: country in a small way. And that small way I 31 00:01:58,600 --> 00:02:01,960 Speaker 1: thought about was being in the Marie Corps reserves. You know, 32 00:02:02,000 --> 00:02:05,320 Speaker 1: I'm the son of immigrants, and through ups and downs, 33 00:02:05,520 --> 00:02:07,800 Speaker 1: you know, a lot at that point in my life, 34 00:02:07,800 --> 00:02:11,000 Speaker 1: a lot more downs than up, the country had always 35 00:02:11,800 --> 00:02:14,280 Speaker 1: really taken care of me. And I felt that, as 36 00:02:14,320 --> 00:02:18,920 Speaker 1: a first generation American, that I need to find at 37 00:02:19,000 --> 00:02:21,800 Speaker 1: least a small repayment to that, and had found the 38 00:02:21,960 --> 00:02:24,799 Speaker 1: opportunity to do that. In a weird way. I got 39 00:02:24,880 --> 00:02:27,840 Speaker 1: kicked out of Harvard and they told me to go 40 00:02:27,880 --> 00:02:31,440 Speaker 1: take some time off or transfer school treats Traither School, 41 00:02:32,680 --> 00:02:35,600 Speaker 1: and I decided that I'll take tech option number two, 42 00:02:35,639 --> 00:02:38,919 Speaker 1: which is take some time off and reapply to finish 43 00:02:39,000 --> 00:02:40,560 Speaker 1: your degree. And so that's what I did. I use 44 00:02:40,639 --> 00:02:44,080 Speaker 1: my time off to join the Marine Corps, became a 45 00:02:44,080 --> 00:02:47,560 Speaker 1: reservist infantry men. That's what I always loved, the infantry. 46 00:02:47,680 --> 00:02:51,480 Speaker 1: Love always imagine missile being infantry men. And you know, 47 00:02:51,720 --> 00:02:55,400 Speaker 1: got on the bus and I really didn't tell people 48 00:02:56,160 --> 00:02:59,520 Speaker 1: much of anything. Actually, I certainly didn't tell any of 49 00:02:59,560 --> 00:03:03,000 Speaker 1: my marine buddies or my drill structures that I had 50 00:03:03,040 --> 00:03:05,200 Speaker 1: been at Harvard or that I was planning going back 51 00:03:05,200 --> 00:03:07,560 Speaker 1: to Harvard, because I knew that that's that was gonna 52 00:03:07,560 --> 00:03:09,760 Speaker 1: be a whole lot of three months of pure hazing. 53 00:03:10,880 --> 00:03:13,760 Speaker 1: So I actually kept it off my records. And it 54 00:03:13,840 --> 00:03:18,680 Speaker 1: wasn't really until two months into my three month boot 55 00:03:18,720 --> 00:03:21,680 Speaker 1: camp that one of my friends messed up and sent 56 00:03:21,760 --> 00:03:24,520 Speaker 1: me a course book for me to start picking out 57 00:03:24,560 --> 00:03:27,880 Speaker 1: my classes because Harvard had reaccepted me in the meantime 58 00:03:27,919 --> 00:03:31,000 Speaker 1: while still in training, and at that point, my drill 59 00:03:31,040 --> 00:03:36,000 Speaker 1: instructors just lit up for one whole month, just just 60 00:03:36,680 --> 00:03:40,800 Speaker 1: good old fashion Marine Corps hazing. And you know, it 61 00:03:40,840 --> 00:03:42,760 Speaker 1: was fine with me. I was older than most of 62 00:03:42,760 --> 00:03:46,200 Speaker 1: the boys there. I was two years older, and really, 63 00:03:46,280 --> 00:03:49,440 Speaker 1: after a week, a lot of the drill structures understood that, 64 00:03:49,520 --> 00:03:51,680 Speaker 1: you know what, that I was a good, good marine, 65 00:03:52,040 --> 00:03:53,520 Speaker 1: that I was going to be a good marine, and 66 00:03:53,600 --> 00:03:57,600 Speaker 1: you know, they laid off me largely for me, you know, 67 00:03:57,800 --> 00:03:59,880 Speaker 1: being a and their whole big problem is the fact 68 00:03:59,880 --> 00:04:02,480 Speaker 1: that I was enlisted in not going to be an officer. 69 00:04:03,080 --> 00:04:03,360 Speaker 1: M h. 70 00:04:03,760 --> 00:04:05,520 Speaker 2: Do you do you remember the first thing the drill 71 00:04:05,560 --> 00:04:06,560 Speaker 2: instructor said to you. 72 00:04:08,000 --> 00:04:13,160 Speaker 1: When I got off the Uh, yeah, well, not the 73 00:04:13,200 --> 00:04:14,880 Speaker 1: first first thing. I'm sure there was a lot of things. 74 00:04:14,880 --> 00:04:16,720 Speaker 1: It was kind of a roggy night. I mean the 75 00:04:17,200 --> 00:04:19,240 Speaker 1: way that we get down there from Boston Toro where 76 00:04:19,240 --> 00:04:21,000 Speaker 1: I joined, You have to I remember I was like 77 00:04:21,040 --> 00:04:22,920 Speaker 1: taking a couple of legs of different flights and then 78 00:04:22,920 --> 00:04:25,720 Speaker 1: you boarded a bus in Uh. I think it was 79 00:04:25,760 --> 00:04:28,719 Speaker 1: like Charleston in the middle of the night. The first 80 00:04:28,720 --> 00:04:32,560 Speaker 1: thing I got there was that, I remember it was 81 00:04:32,600 --> 00:04:35,599 Speaker 1: I They asked us to pull out a piece of 82 00:04:35,640 --> 00:04:40,280 Speaker 1: paper and to start writing our letters to our family, 83 00:04:40,320 --> 00:04:43,640 Speaker 1: saying we got here, right. That was the first opportunity, 84 00:04:43,680 --> 00:04:46,720 Speaker 1: your first opportunity really to contact your family. And so 85 00:04:46,800 --> 00:04:50,599 Speaker 1: I remember getting a piece of paper and then getting 86 00:04:50,640 --> 00:04:53,760 Speaker 1: a notebook and actually using the notebook to write on 87 00:04:53,800 --> 00:04:55,479 Speaker 1: the you make it easier to run, And he just 88 00:04:55,520 --> 00:05:00,680 Speaker 1: came and slapped that notebook out of my hand and 89 00:05:00,800 --> 00:05:03,080 Speaker 1: just yelled at me, you know, saying, recruit, did I 90 00:05:03,080 --> 00:05:05,320 Speaker 1: tell you to pick up anything else besides the piece 91 00:05:05,360 --> 00:05:09,239 Speaker 1: of paper and this pencil? And you know, I said, no, sir, 92 00:05:09,440 --> 00:05:11,400 Speaker 1: And then that's when I got hit, not hit, but 93 00:05:11,680 --> 00:05:15,240 Speaker 1: that's when he nailed me for, you know, jumping ah 94 00:05:15,640 --> 00:05:17,120 Speaker 1: and using the word I think I use the word I, 95 00:05:17,279 --> 00:05:18,800 Speaker 1: sir or something like that. And there's a lot of 96 00:05:18,800 --> 00:05:20,680 Speaker 1: words you're not supposed to use when you're in boot camp. 97 00:05:20,720 --> 00:05:25,680 Speaker 1: But that was my first real real indication about where 98 00:05:25,800 --> 00:05:27,279 Speaker 1: was at What he told me, like why did you 99 00:05:27,320 --> 00:05:30,599 Speaker 1: pick up that pad of paper? That was very specific 100 00:05:30,680 --> 00:05:33,159 Speaker 1: and it was a definitely something that kind of just 101 00:05:33,200 --> 00:05:33,960 Speaker 1: stuck in my brain. 102 00:05:34,160 --> 00:05:37,640 Speaker 2: Not a lesson they teach at Harvard, but Marine Corps 103 00:05:37,680 --> 00:05:39,200 Speaker 2: has a tried and true approach. 104 00:05:39,240 --> 00:05:41,359 Speaker 1: Apparently it does work. I mean, like a lot of 105 00:05:41,360 --> 00:05:44,200 Speaker 1: the stuff that I've actually used in politics, some of 106 00:05:44,200 --> 00:05:47,160 Speaker 1: it actually comes from Marine Corps training, and it's simple 107 00:05:47,200 --> 00:05:50,320 Speaker 1: stuff like discipline, focus, but even other kind of values 108 00:05:50,360 --> 00:05:51,680 Speaker 1: that I think are very important to. 109 00:05:52,480 --> 00:05:56,200 Speaker 2: Nine to eleven happened, and you wind up in Iraq 110 00:05:56,880 --> 00:06:01,880 Speaker 2: and you wind up with the storied third Battalion, twenty 111 00:06:01,920 --> 00:06:06,599 Speaker 2: fifth Marines, in Leema Company and this goes on to 112 00:06:06,680 --> 00:06:11,880 Speaker 2: become the highest casualty unit they in Iraq during your service, 113 00:06:12,360 --> 00:06:16,320 Speaker 2: which you do not as an officer, as an enlisted man. 114 00:06:16,400 --> 00:06:17,680 Speaker 2: You're a lance corporal. 115 00:06:18,240 --> 00:06:21,960 Speaker 1: Yep. Yeah. I was the assistant machine gunner on a 116 00:06:22,000 --> 00:06:24,840 Speaker 1: fire team. So you that's as low as you can get. 117 00:06:24,880 --> 00:06:29,360 Speaker 1: And you know, we were emerged unit. I I was 118 00:06:29,400 --> 00:06:33,400 Speaker 1: an infantry men. They were asking for infantry men when 119 00:06:33,400 --> 00:06:37,479 Speaker 1: we got activated, and so I stuck with the guys 120 00:06:37,480 --> 00:06:39,960 Speaker 1: that I had trained with. And you know, proud of 121 00:06:39,960 --> 00:06:43,560 Speaker 1: my service. You know, I'm never never going to deny that. 122 00:06:43,680 --> 00:06:47,560 Speaker 1: You know, it wasn't hard. I wasn't a hero of 123 00:06:47,600 --> 00:06:51,040 Speaker 1: any sort, you know, no Bronze stars or any of 124 00:06:51,120 --> 00:06:53,680 Speaker 1: that stuff. But I did my job as an infantry man, 125 00:06:53,720 --> 00:06:56,080 Speaker 1: and I took care of my marines and more and 126 00:06:56,240 --> 00:06:58,159 Speaker 1: just as important, took care of my dignity and honor. 127 00:06:59,000 --> 00:07:03,200 Speaker 2: How is how does that affect you when you see 128 00:07:03,240 --> 00:07:10,160 Speaker 2: a general officer coming down the committee aisleway about to 129 00:07:10,240 --> 00:07:14,360 Speaker 2: sit before you, flanked by the phalanx of aids. You 130 00:07:14,400 --> 00:07:17,360 Speaker 2: have talked about the fact you don't like it when 131 00:07:17,360 --> 00:07:21,680 Speaker 2: a member of Congress addresses a general officer in the 132 00:07:22,480 --> 00:07:25,440 Speaker 2: army as a yes, sir, they're not in the chain 133 00:07:25,480 --> 00:07:29,880 Speaker 2: of command. The appropriate title is general. Famous story FDR 134 00:07:30,040 --> 00:07:35,320 Speaker 2: called everybody by their first names, with one exception, and 135 00:07:35,680 --> 00:07:39,320 Speaker 2: that was General Marshall, who told him quite directly that 136 00:07:39,360 --> 00:07:42,880 Speaker 2: he that he wanted to be called general, whether it 137 00:07:42,920 --> 00:07:45,960 Speaker 2: was the King of England. Everybody FDR was on the 138 00:07:46,240 --> 00:07:48,000 Speaker 2: was on the first name. But what what do you 139 00:07:48,200 --> 00:07:52,800 Speaker 2: see when when you see a major general or lieutenant general, 140 00:07:52,920 --> 00:07:55,160 Speaker 2: one of the one of the big guys coming down, 141 00:07:55,840 --> 00:07:56,920 Speaker 2: coming down the aisle. 142 00:07:57,720 --> 00:07:59,600 Speaker 1: Well, I think that the first thing that I see 143 00:07:59,680 --> 00:08:04,560 Speaker 1: is that, you know, civilian authority should be that it 144 00:08:04,600 --> 00:08:08,200 Speaker 1: is civilian authority over the military. And I don't like 145 00:08:08,240 --> 00:08:14,080 Speaker 1: you when politicians call military officials by call them sir. 146 00:08:14,240 --> 00:08:16,400 Speaker 1: You can call them by their rank and title. I 147 00:08:16,440 --> 00:08:20,280 Speaker 1: think that's fine, But calling them sir means that you 148 00:08:20,320 --> 00:08:24,080 Speaker 1: are subservient to debt. And that's not the way this 149 00:08:24,160 --> 00:08:26,840 Speaker 1: constitution is set up. That's not the way that our 150 00:08:26,840 --> 00:08:29,520 Speaker 1: civilian military divide is. And I think it's a very 151 00:08:29,560 --> 00:08:34,280 Speaker 1: bad message to send out to even our public because again, 152 00:08:34,400 --> 00:08:38,320 Speaker 1: it's the civilian side that's in charge of that. Number two. 153 00:08:38,960 --> 00:08:45,120 Speaker 1: We need to preserve the jurisdiction of the civilian side 154 00:08:45,480 --> 00:08:50,120 Speaker 1: of control of the military, to also question the military, 155 00:08:50,240 --> 00:08:52,959 Speaker 1: because there are times, actually there's lots of times where 156 00:08:53,000 --> 00:08:57,440 Speaker 1: the military has been wrong. The military was wrong about Afghanistan. 157 00:08:57,800 --> 00:09:00,720 Speaker 1: We should have pulled out Afghanistan a long time ago. 158 00:09:00,840 --> 00:09:03,240 Speaker 1: We should have pulled it out under Obama, We should 159 00:09:03,240 --> 00:09:06,959 Speaker 1: have pulled out under Trump. You know, we could all 160 00:09:06,960 --> 00:09:09,400 Speaker 1: have discussions about what happened under Biden. I think he 161 00:09:09,440 --> 00:09:10,760 Speaker 1: did the right thing. They could have been a better 162 00:09:10,760 --> 00:09:12,480 Speaker 1: way for do it to do it, to be honest, 163 00:09:13,360 --> 00:09:16,160 Speaker 1: But if it wasn't for Biden making that final push 164 00:09:16,200 --> 00:09:18,840 Speaker 1: to get it done, we would still be in Afghanistan 165 00:09:18,880 --> 00:09:22,160 Speaker 1: because all these generals didn't they none of them wanted 166 00:09:22,240 --> 00:09:25,560 Speaker 1: to be the last general to lose Afghanistans. So instead 167 00:09:25,960 --> 00:09:29,600 Speaker 1: we lost all these men that I served with and women, 168 00:09:30,160 --> 00:09:34,840 Speaker 1: you know, eighteen nineteen twenty year old boys, because these men, 169 00:09:35,320 --> 00:09:37,240 Speaker 1: and I guess say, at least at the general officer level, 170 00:09:37,240 --> 00:09:40,559 Speaker 1: these men were afraid of their pride. And then it 171 00:09:40,640 --> 00:09:44,880 Speaker 1: drives me even crazier when those generals that cause a 172 00:09:44,880 --> 00:09:47,400 Speaker 1: lot of these mistakes are kind of trotted out every 173 00:09:47,480 --> 00:09:50,760 Speaker 1: cycle to bring their opinion even back, you know, now 174 00:09:50,800 --> 00:09:53,480 Speaker 1: they come back as consultants to the you know, to 175 00:09:53,640 --> 00:09:56,319 Speaker 1: the Armed Services Committee, And so that's my problem. The 176 00:09:56,320 --> 00:09:58,000 Speaker 1: other thing, and this is the thing that that really 177 00:09:58,000 --> 00:10:00,000 Speaker 1: frustrates me kind of now being at the top level 178 00:10:00,320 --> 00:10:05,160 Speaker 1: of the decision making process and jurisdiction of power over 179 00:10:05,280 --> 00:10:10,360 Speaker 1: these things, is that when they talk about the use 180 00:10:10,440 --> 00:10:13,680 Speaker 1: of military force, they're always talking in this kind of 181 00:10:13,720 --> 00:10:17,360 Speaker 1: like grander, esoteric kind of idea of it. They forget 182 00:10:17,400 --> 00:10:21,600 Speaker 1: that there is a very very scared eighteen nineteen year 183 00:10:21,600 --> 00:10:24,400 Speaker 1: old man or woman that's the first person that has 184 00:10:24,440 --> 00:10:27,240 Speaker 1: to make that first action. And I remember, you know, 185 00:10:27,320 --> 00:10:29,360 Speaker 1: one of a good example when I was when I 186 00:10:29,400 --> 00:10:30,960 Speaker 1: was twenty five, when I was in Iraq, and I 187 00:10:31,000 --> 00:10:34,160 Speaker 1: was considered old. One of the largest operations that we 188 00:10:34,240 --> 00:10:40,839 Speaker 1: did that that year. My platoon was the first motion 189 00:10:41,040 --> 00:10:44,040 Speaker 1: to movers in that and I was the first fire team, 190 00:10:44,160 --> 00:10:45,840 Speaker 1: and I was the first guy of my fire team 191 00:10:45,920 --> 00:10:49,080 Speaker 1: to step off our vehicle and have to go run 192 00:10:49,120 --> 00:10:52,079 Speaker 1: and secure you know, some space to make sure that 193 00:10:52,120 --> 00:10:55,640 Speaker 1: insurgents didn't leave. So this whole great plan that was 194 00:10:55,920 --> 00:11:00,199 Speaker 1: planned by these great i'm sure generals and kernels was 195 00:11:00,240 --> 00:11:02,880 Speaker 1: all dependent on me. And and you know, a bunch 196 00:11:02,880 --> 00:11:06,400 Speaker 1: of other guys on average, were only in our early 197 00:11:06,440 --> 00:11:09,280 Speaker 1: twenties making sure we did everything. But I guarantee you 198 00:11:09,760 --> 00:11:11,600 Speaker 1: they don't think about us. They only think about this. 199 00:11:11,679 --> 00:11:13,920 Speaker 1: And this is how we end up in situations where 200 00:11:13,960 --> 00:11:16,040 Speaker 1: I was, where the reason we lost so many men 201 00:11:16,520 --> 00:11:18,920 Speaker 1: is because they didn't give us the armor that we needed. 202 00:11:19,480 --> 00:11:23,160 Speaker 1: They didn't give us the enough manpower considering the area 203 00:11:23,200 --> 00:11:25,440 Speaker 1: that they wanted us to control. Me they wanted us 204 00:11:25,440 --> 00:11:27,640 Speaker 1: to control the air the size of West Virginia with 205 00:11:28,080 --> 00:11:31,160 Speaker 1: you know, maybe the quarter of the men that we 206 00:11:31,280 --> 00:11:35,720 Speaker 1: actually needed. And that's because you know, these politicians, these 207 00:11:35,920 --> 00:11:40,120 Speaker 1: you know generals, these these big thing take geniuses, never 208 00:11:40,160 --> 00:11:42,080 Speaker 1: really think about, you know, the little guy when it 209 00:11:42,120 --> 00:11:44,719 Speaker 1: comes to you know, honestly, when shit hits the fan. 210 00:11:46,040 --> 00:11:49,480 Speaker 2: So so you have an institution, the Pentagon, which is 211 00:11:50,160 --> 00:11:54,319 Speaker 2: the most respected institution in the country by by rank, 212 00:11:54,559 --> 00:11:59,480 Speaker 2: order of institutions. But I don't think necessarily the American 213 00:11:59,559 --> 00:12:04,120 Speaker 2: people are admiring the management of the Pentagon, the bureaucracy 214 00:12:04,240 --> 00:12:08,040 Speaker 2: of the Pentagon, the decision making of the Brass and 215 00:12:08,080 --> 00:12:13,160 Speaker 2: the Pentagon. They're admiring the core values and then of 216 00:12:13,200 --> 00:12:17,320 Speaker 2: the service. And so this is an institution that has 217 00:12:17,440 --> 00:12:22,319 Speaker 2: really fulfilled Eisenhower's warning to the country. At the end 218 00:12:22,320 --> 00:12:26,320 Speaker 2: of his presidency, Ike says to the country, the tradition 219 00:12:26,480 --> 00:12:28,720 Speaker 2: of our country is that we have not had a 220 00:12:28,760 --> 00:12:34,199 Speaker 2: permanent armaments industry that we could turn our plowshares into 221 00:12:34,320 --> 00:12:38,960 Speaker 2: swards when necessary. But now, in the aftermath of World 222 00:12:39,040 --> 00:12:42,960 Speaker 2: War Two and the security challenges, we have this permanent 223 00:12:43,080 --> 00:12:47,560 Speaker 2: industrial complex. And he warned about it. So jumping forward here, 224 00:12:47,640 --> 00:12:51,880 Speaker 2: I guess sixty years it is so big none of 225 00:12:51,920 --> 00:12:56,079 Speaker 2: the Pentagon can pass a basic audit to know where 226 00:12:56,120 --> 00:12:58,560 Speaker 2: any of the trillion dollars goes. So I guess what 227 00:12:58,760 --> 00:13:02,880 Speaker 2: question for you is is when you hear the recommendations, 228 00:13:03,280 --> 00:13:07,439 Speaker 2: you hear the assertions about our posture in the Pacific 229 00:13:08,040 --> 00:13:12,280 Speaker 2: vis a vis the Chinese commandant of the Marine Corps says, 230 00:13:12,320 --> 00:13:15,920 Speaker 2: the Marines are at thirty six percent strength. From a 231 00:13:16,000 --> 00:13:24,000 Speaker 2: munition's perspective, we have quantities of munitions that will from 232 00:13:24,040 --> 00:13:29,240 Speaker 2: an inventory perspective, last a week. We have carriers that 233 00:13:29,320 --> 00:13:34,800 Speaker 2: are susceptible to Chinese hypersonic missiles, carrying fifty three hundred 234 00:13:34,840 --> 00:13:40,040 Speaker 2: American sailors and marines with seemingly very little imagination on 235 00:13:40,080 --> 00:13:44,199 Speaker 2: the part of policy makers that a near peer adversary 236 00:13:44,280 --> 00:13:48,280 Speaker 2: could sink one of those carriers in the Taiwan Straits. 237 00:13:48,559 --> 00:13:51,880 Speaker 2: How do you think about these issues at a dangerous 238 00:13:52,040 --> 00:13:55,440 Speaker 2: moment in the world. Do we need a bigger navy? 239 00:13:55,880 --> 00:14:00,120 Speaker 2: Do we need a bigger marine corps? Do we need 240 00:14:00,320 --> 00:14:05,400 Speaker 2: increased expenditures? Do we need different types of appropriations within 241 00:14:05,440 --> 00:14:08,640 Speaker 2: the Pentagon budget? What do you say to people who 242 00:14:08,800 --> 00:14:11,160 Speaker 2: say that we need to cut it or is it 243 00:14:11,200 --> 00:14:15,440 Speaker 2: a question of efficiency? Very difficult argument to make. Hey, 244 00:14:15,480 --> 00:14:18,720 Speaker 2: I need constantly more money. If I was sitting in 245 00:14:18,760 --> 00:14:22,600 Speaker 2: your shoes as a Republican member of Congress, my constant 246 00:14:22,640 --> 00:14:25,760 Speaker 2: answer would be, Admiral, you got to pass an audit 247 00:14:25,800 --> 00:14:28,760 Speaker 2: before you think have more money. Simple, simple as that. 248 00:14:29,760 --> 00:14:31,920 Speaker 1: I think we need to match the way to think 249 00:14:31,920 --> 00:14:34,480 Speaker 1: about it. I think we need to match our security 250 00:14:34,520 --> 00:14:38,440 Speaker 1: threats to what we need. Sometimes we're not actually matching 251 00:14:38,480 --> 00:14:42,800 Speaker 1: a security disliity, we're matching what maybe the national defense 252 00:14:42,840 --> 00:14:46,760 Speaker 1: industry wants or for this kind of brander, you know, 253 00:14:46,840 --> 00:14:48,680 Speaker 1: I think render idea of what we should be doing 254 00:14:48,720 --> 00:14:52,760 Speaker 1: around the world right now. I do think that we 255 00:14:52,800 --> 00:14:57,040 Speaker 1: are our budget is way over suspected. I do think 256 00:14:57,040 --> 00:15:00,240 Speaker 1: that we need cuts and efficiencies. I think, I think, 257 00:15:00,840 --> 00:15:03,320 Speaker 1: particularly what happens in Ukraine is gonna be a big, 258 00:15:03,320 --> 00:15:05,720 Speaker 1: big determinant determinant of what we do. I think what 259 00:15:05,760 --> 00:15:10,200 Speaker 1: we know now is that Russia is a secondary power 260 00:15:10,320 --> 00:15:15,040 Speaker 1: with nuclear weapons. We know that with proper training, Eastern Europe, 261 00:15:15,720 --> 00:15:18,440 Speaker 1: with some small backing from the United States will always 262 00:15:18,480 --> 00:15:22,080 Speaker 1: we'll be able to deter Russia. Especially now that Finland 263 00:15:22,440 --> 00:15:26,280 Speaker 1: and Sweden are joining NATO, You're going to have you know, 264 00:15:26,480 --> 00:15:30,760 Speaker 1: essentially a true alliance from you know, the northern US, 265 00:15:31,000 --> 00:15:33,520 Speaker 1: you know, I'm sorry, from the Arctic Circle all the 266 00:15:33,560 --> 00:15:36,240 Speaker 1: way down to the Mediterranean to a point where we 267 00:15:36,320 --> 00:15:39,680 Speaker 1: can very much contain Russia. And what that means is, 268 00:15:39,680 --> 00:15:42,440 Speaker 1: I think we can start really shifting a lot of 269 00:15:42,440 --> 00:15:47,160 Speaker 1: our budget priorities away from Europe and looking at what 270 00:15:47,320 --> 00:15:50,520 Speaker 1: truly is a you know, a danger zone in the 271 00:15:50,600 --> 00:15:53,280 Speaker 1: Indo pecom area. But it doesn't mean what we do 272 00:15:53,360 --> 00:15:55,520 Speaker 1: is we take all the money and all the armaments 273 00:15:55,680 --> 00:15:59,560 Speaker 1: from Europe and just throw them all into this small 274 00:15:59,600 --> 00:16:03,640 Speaker 1: little way area of into pay con because there aren't 275 00:16:03,640 --> 00:16:06,960 Speaker 1: that many spaces for us to put our manpower, our 276 00:16:07,040 --> 00:16:12,360 Speaker 1: prepositioning military capabilities in the bigger you are the more 277 00:16:12,480 --> 00:16:15,480 Speaker 1: targets you are, Like you mentioned about hypersonic missiles hitting 278 00:16:15,480 --> 00:16:18,480 Speaker 1: our cruise ships, right, so we're gonna have to I 279 00:16:18,480 --> 00:16:22,000 Speaker 1: think we should do a rebalancing that actually matches the 280 00:16:22,040 --> 00:16:25,880 Speaker 1: real threat. What is the real threat is China creating 281 00:16:25,920 --> 00:16:30,360 Speaker 1: a scenario that invades Taiwan and then kind of ends 282 00:16:30,400 --> 00:16:34,480 Speaker 1: up creating a kind of a growth of war within 283 00:16:34,560 --> 00:16:39,120 Speaker 1: that area. But what we should probably try to focus 284 00:16:39,240 --> 00:16:42,480 Speaker 1: is how to defend Taiwan with the least amount of 285 00:16:42,800 --> 00:16:47,000 Speaker 1: man power that we can't and I think right now 286 00:16:47,080 --> 00:16:50,840 Speaker 1: having eight aircraft carriers that could all get knocked out 287 00:16:50,840 --> 00:16:53,400 Speaker 1: with hypersonics, by the way, not in the straits of 288 00:16:53,440 --> 00:16:58,320 Speaker 1: Taiwan anymore, now in between Guam and Taiwan, which tells 289 00:16:58,360 --> 00:17:02,160 Speaker 1: us it's even a bigger danger. That is not a 290 00:17:02,200 --> 00:17:05,480 Speaker 1: way to really stop China. And then we have a 291 00:17:05,480 --> 00:17:09,880 Speaker 1: secondary problem, what do we do with the political situation 292 00:17:10,480 --> 00:17:12,720 Speaker 1: when two aircraft carriers go down and we have to 293 00:17:12,720 --> 00:17:15,240 Speaker 1: explain to people how we got into the situation and 294 00:17:15,240 --> 00:17:18,520 Speaker 1: why we're going to continue sacrificing in this very tense situation. 295 00:17:18,680 --> 00:17:22,639 Speaker 1: So helping Taiwan defend itself to be goal number one, 296 00:17:23,119 --> 00:17:27,399 Speaker 1: but number two always expanding people, big is not always better, 297 00:17:28,080 --> 00:17:31,000 Speaker 1: And then when it comes to the military budgets, bigger 298 00:17:31,080 --> 00:17:34,600 Speaker 1: and more bloated could also be extremely dangerous, to the 299 00:17:34,640 --> 00:17:37,600 Speaker 1: point where we end up being less combat efficient than 300 00:17:37,600 --> 00:17:40,600 Speaker 1: when we were smaller and more agile. Hey. 301 00:17:40,640 --> 00:17:43,320 Speaker 2: Yeah, it's a profoundly important point in one that's not 302 00:17:43,480 --> 00:17:48,040 Speaker 2: made very often in Washington, d c. And you certainly 303 00:17:48,040 --> 00:17:52,440 Speaker 2: have the expertise to make it, both from your legislative 304 00:17:52,480 --> 00:17:56,320 Speaker 2: experience but also from your lived experience as an enlisted 305 00:17:56,400 --> 00:18:00,199 Speaker 2: combat soldier in the Marine Corps. You are in the 306 00:18:00,240 --> 00:18:06,800 Speaker 2: Senate race running against Kristen Cinema. What is your what 307 00:18:07,119 --> 00:18:11,760 Speaker 2: is your pop line criticism of her? 308 00:18:12,280 --> 00:18:17,200 Speaker 1: She is well, I mean, honestly like it. She's disconnected. 309 00:18:19,080 --> 00:18:22,040 Speaker 1: You hardly see her in Arizona, and when she is here, 310 00:18:22,119 --> 00:18:26,080 Speaker 1: she only is answering to the elites of Arizona. If 311 00:18:26,119 --> 00:18:28,800 Speaker 1: you are an everyday constituent and you want to meet 312 00:18:28,920 --> 00:18:31,000 Speaker 1: with Kirsten Cinema, she will not give you that time 313 00:18:31,040 --> 00:18:34,080 Speaker 1: of day unless there's a check attached to that. But 314 00:18:34,320 --> 00:18:35,800 Speaker 1: you know that's not just her, This is this is 315 00:18:35,840 --> 00:18:38,960 Speaker 1: a probably politicians all over this country nowadays, they don't 316 00:18:38,960 --> 00:18:42,639 Speaker 1: meet with their constituents right. I you know, I have 317 00:18:42,720 --> 00:18:46,439 Speaker 1: a monthly town hall and it is shocking the amount 318 00:18:46,520 --> 00:18:50,800 Speaker 1: of members, sorry, constituents from other congressional districts that come 319 00:18:50,840 --> 00:18:55,720 Speaker 1: to my town hall because their congressman is not talking 320 00:18:55,760 --> 00:18:59,560 Speaker 1: to them. And so when Kirsten has had a ton 321 00:18:59,600 --> 00:19:02,000 Speaker 1: of uncour years, that's a problem. But the problem is 322 00:19:02,400 --> 00:19:05,879 Speaker 1: she'll do things such as, you know, vote to preserve uh, 323 00:19:06,119 --> 00:19:09,440 Speaker 1: you know, some of the benefits that the prestriction drugs 324 00:19:09,480 --> 00:19:12,080 Speaker 1: companies get, you know, so they don't have to compete 325 00:19:12,560 --> 00:19:15,960 Speaker 1: in their pricing. You know, that's her prerogative to do it, 326 00:19:16,040 --> 00:19:18,320 Speaker 1: but at least come back and explain yourself and talk 327 00:19:18,359 --> 00:19:20,360 Speaker 1: to your constituents about it. And she never did that. 328 00:19:21,000 --> 00:19:23,840 Speaker 1: So that's the most important thing. Her values are no 329 00:19:23,920 --> 00:19:27,760 Speaker 1: longer aligned with Arizona values, and she's completely disconnected from 330 00:19:27,800 --> 00:19:29,080 Speaker 1: from them. 331 00:19:29,240 --> 00:19:31,639 Speaker 2: I think that one of the things in politics is 332 00:19:32,040 --> 00:19:35,240 Speaker 2: that I'd like to get your reaction to this, this 333 00:19:35,480 --> 00:19:42,000 Speaker 2: idea that we have outrun the labels that we attach, 334 00:19:42,320 --> 00:19:46,280 Speaker 2: so you will be routinely described as a progressive. 335 00:19:47,200 --> 00:19:50,480 Speaker 1: I spent most of my socialist right, and I spent 336 00:19:50,600 --> 00:19:53,440 Speaker 1: out now like now they're using pedal groomers or something 337 00:19:53,480 --> 00:19:53,840 Speaker 1: like that. 338 00:19:54,320 --> 00:19:57,320 Speaker 2: Yeah, And I have all that you know from from 339 00:19:57,400 --> 00:20:00,000 Speaker 2: opposing Trump, and you know it was on the try 340 00:20:00,080 --> 00:20:04,320 Speaker 2: On Bomber list and and all all the crazy, all 341 00:20:04,359 --> 00:20:08,440 Speaker 2: the crazy stuff. I spend most of my career in 342 00:20:08,480 --> 00:20:11,320 Speaker 2: the Republican Party. I served in the Bush White House. 343 00:20:11,400 --> 00:20:16,160 Speaker 2: I grew up in a tradition of moderate Republicanism. I'm 344 00:20:16,240 --> 00:20:19,480 Speaker 2: from the state of New Jersey. But I wonder when 345 00:20:19,520 --> 00:20:24,520 Speaker 2: we talk about progressivism today, what I hear you talking 346 00:20:24,600 --> 00:20:30,879 Speaker 2: about is a rejection of corporatism and corruption of a 347 00:20:31,040 --> 00:20:34,239 Speaker 2: system that I think is very badly broken, and I 348 00:20:34,280 --> 00:20:37,960 Speaker 2: think very analogous to the period of time at the 349 00:20:38,000 --> 00:20:41,760 Speaker 2: beginning of the twentieth century where we had the launch 350 00:20:41,840 --> 00:20:47,800 Speaker 2: of a progressive movement that really reoriented society and rewaited 351 00:20:47,840 --> 00:20:51,760 Speaker 2: it the on behalf of what you have termed the 352 00:20:51,840 --> 00:20:56,639 Speaker 2: little guy against big and so, do you have a 353 00:20:56,760 --> 00:20:58,720 Speaker 2: point of view as you kind of look out in 354 00:20:58,880 --> 00:21:04,480 Speaker 2: politics that in forms you about big big tech, big banks, 355 00:21:04,560 --> 00:21:09,760 Speaker 2: big defense, big form of big media, big politics. Because 356 00:21:10,000 --> 00:21:13,520 Speaker 2: from where I sit right the days of making an 357 00:21:13,560 --> 00:21:18,320 Speaker 2: investment in a stock where looking for value competing against 358 00:21:18,440 --> 00:21:24,760 Speaker 2: the the technology, the traders, the machine, all of it, right, 359 00:21:24,840 --> 00:21:29,320 Speaker 2: it's none of it is rigged to create a level 360 00:21:29,400 --> 00:21:34,399 Speaker 2: playing field for the proverbial little guy, right, and and 361 00:21:34,400 --> 00:21:38,000 Speaker 2: and so so. Talk about how you see the world 362 00:21:38,640 --> 00:21:41,960 Speaker 2: from that, from that perspective, if you would, you know, 363 00:21:42,080 --> 00:21:45,560 Speaker 2: without as much as you can the traditional kind of 364 00:21:45,600 --> 00:21:48,480 Speaker 2: political labels of the moment, I. 365 00:21:48,480 --> 00:21:50,000 Speaker 1: Think, I mean, I think the most important thing to 366 00:21:50,040 --> 00:21:54,320 Speaker 1: remember being at anti corporatist or anti big corporation. Does 367 00:21:54,320 --> 00:21:58,720 Speaker 1: that mean you're anti capitalists of anything? The big It 368 00:21:58,760 --> 00:22:01,919 Speaker 1: is better for capitalism not have these big corporations, of 369 00:22:01,920 --> 00:22:06,160 Speaker 1: course taking the end up creating you know, monopolies, right, 370 00:22:06,200 --> 00:22:12,119 Speaker 1: and monopolistic economies by nature are anti capitalists and end 371 00:22:12,200 --> 00:22:16,000 Speaker 1: up becoming you know, somewhat of a government entity onto 372 00:22:16,119 --> 00:22:19,720 Speaker 1: themselves in terms of they're able to control power. And 373 00:22:19,760 --> 00:22:24,120 Speaker 1: so it what matters to me and my whole kind 374 00:22:24,119 --> 00:22:29,800 Speaker 1: of like perspective when it is people versus corporations, people 375 00:22:29,880 --> 00:22:35,439 Speaker 1: versus government, people versus your military industrial complex, is that 376 00:22:35,440 --> 00:22:39,800 Speaker 1: that it cannot be slanted against the people. Right. There's 377 00:22:39,840 --> 00:22:44,479 Speaker 1: a reason why we have gotten together, you know, as 378 00:22:44,560 --> 00:22:47,040 Speaker 1: a country and have decided that we are a you 379 00:22:47,080 --> 00:22:50,239 Speaker 1: know democracy, and of course you know are with our 380 00:22:50,280 --> 00:22:54,200 Speaker 1: custutal republic origins and we have decided that we are 381 00:22:54,240 --> 00:22:59,840 Speaker 1: going to be a hedge against the power of bigness essentially. 382 00:23:00,400 --> 00:23:03,280 Speaker 1: And so when there are rules that are stacked to 383 00:23:03,320 --> 00:23:06,080 Speaker 1: basically help those that have a lot of power, whether 384 00:23:06,119 --> 00:23:10,960 Speaker 1: it's elites, whether it's big corporations, whether it's politicians, it 385 00:23:11,080 --> 00:23:14,119 Speaker 1: is the rule I think of electeds like us to 386 00:23:14,200 --> 00:23:17,960 Speaker 1: be the advocate, the fighters, and the lobbyists for those 387 00:23:18,960 --> 00:23:21,960 Speaker 1: that can pay for it. And so I say this 388 00:23:22,240 --> 00:23:25,639 Speaker 1: all the time. You know, for example, a pharma has 389 00:23:25,840 --> 00:23:29,320 Speaker 1: three lobbyists for every member of Congress. Three so there's 390 00:23:29,359 --> 00:23:31,040 Speaker 1: five hundred three to five members of Congress is by 391 00:23:31,040 --> 00:23:34,680 Speaker 1: one thousand, six hundred ish registered pharma lobbyists. 392 00:23:34,880 --> 00:23:37,120 Speaker 2: And they spend how much lobbying a year, one. 393 00:23:37,160 --> 00:23:41,720 Speaker 1: Hundred and eighty five million dollars a year lobby in 394 00:23:41,800 --> 00:23:45,080 Speaker 1: American money, in American money, and that doesn't count what 395 00:23:45,200 --> 00:23:50,760 Speaker 1: happens in states. Right, So the little guy that wants 396 00:23:50,800 --> 00:23:54,719 Speaker 1: to have cheaper drug prices, unless there is somebody fighting 397 00:23:54,760 --> 00:23:57,680 Speaker 1: for them because they believe in actually being their advocate, 398 00:23:57,680 --> 00:23:59,600 Speaker 1: the lobby is never going to have a chance. So 399 00:23:59,640 --> 00:24:01,040 Speaker 1: I want to I want to be in this country 400 00:24:01,040 --> 00:24:03,840 Speaker 1: for so long. You know, there's a reason we prioritize 401 00:24:04,720 --> 00:24:08,960 Speaker 1: the profits of gross profits, because I'm not against profits. Again, 402 00:24:09,200 --> 00:24:13,560 Speaker 1: you could be a capitalist in this society, but they've capitalized. 403 00:24:13,600 --> 00:24:16,600 Speaker 1: They've been more emphasizing gross profits for these companies than 404 00:24:16,720 --> 00:24:20,280 Speaker 1: for taking care of people in terms of even smaller companies. 405 00:24:20,520 --> 00:24:23,280 Speaker 1: These companies get so big and become so monopolistic. It 406 00:24:23,320 --> 00:24:25,640 Speaker 1: doesn't encourage capitalism because you can't even get in there 407 00:24:25,760 --> 00:24:28,600 Speaker 1: because they have so much power. And then so what 408 00:24:28,680 --> 00:24:31,359 Speaker 1: is that what happens right, the whole system is is 409 00:24:31,400 --> 00:24:35,600 Speaker 1: corrupt because people can't compete and there's no competition, you know, 410 00:24:35,840 --> 00:24:39,720 Speaker 1: corporations get lazy. But then also the consumer itself has 411 00:24:39,800 --> 00:24:43,640 Speaker 1: less options and so that causes inflationary prices to go up. 412 00:24:43,840 --> 00:24:46,639 Speaker 1: So this is the perspective we shall keep, is we shouldn't. 413 00:24:46,720 --> 00:24:48,720 Speaker 1: There needs to be the balance, and the people that 414 00:24:48,800 --> 00:24:52,679 Speaker 1: create that balance is is people that are elected in office. 415 00:24:53,240 --> 00:24:55,800 Speaker 2: Now, one of the things I think is really interesting 416 00:24:55,840 --> 00:24:59,400 Speaker 2: about you is the sense of gratitude that you have. 417 00:25:00,240 --> 00:25:06,120 Speaker 2: And so you talked earlier about your parents, about being 418 00:25:06,160 --> 00:25:10,840 Speaker 2: in an immigrant family, and so it's not until you 419 00:25:10,920 --> 00:25:14,160 Speaker 2: get to Harvard and you get to a dorm room 420 00:25:15,160 --> 00:25:22,000 Speaker 2: for ninety nine point nine nine percent of your fellow 421 00:25:22,040 --> 00:25:27,040 Speaker 2: Harvard students is a big come down arriving in that 422 00:25:27,160 --> 00:25:30,000 Speaker 2: dorm room from wherever it is that they arrived from 423 00:25:30,119 --> 00:25:35,240 Speaker 2: almost universally so, but for you, this is a this 424 00:25:35,320 --> 00:25:38,760 Speaker 2: is a big step up. Tell us about. 425 00:25:38,520 --> 00:25:41,679 Speaker 1: That, Well, it was. It was the first bed that 426 00:25:41,720 --> 00:25:48,480 Speaker 1: I had in about probably eight to nine years. So again, 427 00:25:48,680 --> 00:25:50,600 Speaker 1: I'm very grateful for what this country has been. 428 00:25:50,840 --> 00:25:53,320 Speaker 2: That's what I wanted, That's where I wanted, That's where 429 00:25:53,359 --> 00:25:56,320 Speaker 2: I wanted to talk about the conversation. Right, your sense 430 00:25:56,359 --> 00:25:59,160 Speaker 2: of gratitude, because I think there's so many people out there, 431 00:25:59,200 --> 00:26:01,840 Speaker 2: young people. You say so much that the company, the 432 00:26:01,920 --> 00:26:05,960 Speaker 2: country gave me right, but it didn't give you things right. 433 00:26:06,000 --> 00:26:11,760 Speaker 2: It didn't right. The country gave you opportunity and and 434 00:26:11,760 --> 00:26:16,440 Speaker 2: and you're a person. And I found this fascinating about 435 00:26:16,480 --> 00:26:21,480 Speaker 2: you is how you took out of respect your mother's 436 00:26:21,600 --> 00:26:27,280 Speaker 2: name after your dad abandoned the family. And your mom 437 00:26:27,440 --> 00:26:30,399 Speaker 2: sounds like a pretty remarkable woman. There's a lot of 438 00:26:30,480 --> 00:26:34,160 Speaker 2: consultants out there that make a lot of money coaching 439 00:26:34,240 --> 00:26:37,119 Speaker 2: kids into Harvard, but your mom figured out how to 440 00:26:37,200 --> 00:26:38,040 Speaker 2: raise two of them. 441 00:26:38,600 --> 00:26:40,520 Speaker 1: Oh yeah, no, well, I mean she threatened, she she 442 00:26:40,640 --> 00:26:42,800 Speaker 1: threatened to kill us. I mean, that's that's what you 443 00:26:42,840 --> 00:26:45,240 Speaker 1: know moms do, which which fell us a lot. No, 444 00:26:45,359 --> 00:26:50,280 Speaker 1: she's I mean, she's an amazing and motivated ass kicker, 445 00:26:50,520 --> 00:26:55,159 Speaker 1: you know. And you know when I saw her working 446 00:26:55,200 --> 00:26:59,200 Speaker 1: as far as she could just to keep the family together, 447 00:27:00,480 --> 00:27:03,840 Speaker 1: you know, that inspired me. When you know, she didn't 448 00:27:03,880 --> 00:27:07,960 Speaker 1: know much about Harvard or about you know, college, but 449 00:27:08,080 --> 00:27:11,080 Speaker 1: she did, you know, have two beliefs, right. Number one, 450 00:27:11,400 --> 00:27:15,000 Speaker 1: she believed in her kids, and number two, she also 451 00:27:15,000 --> 00:27:17,360 Speaker 1: had a fundamental belief in the fairness of this country. 452 00:27:17,920 --> 00:27:21,040 Speaker 1: That if you know, my kids keep their knees, their 453 00:27:22,400 --> 00:27:25,600 Speaker 1: their nose clean, they get good grades, that they're going 454 00:27:25,640 --> 00:27:27,360 Speaker 1: to be able to succeed. And those are the two 455 00:27:27,400 --> 00:27:30,919 Speaker 1: things that helped, I think motivate her to push us. 456 00:27:31,320 --> 00:27:33,080 Speaker 1: And you know, one of the I tell this all 457 00:27:33,119 --> 00:27:34,680 Speaker 1: the time on the campaign, trill like, if you want 458 00:27:34,680 --> 00:27:37,600 Speaker 1: to know a good example of the American dream, the 459 00:27:37,640 --> 00:27:40,199 Speaker 1: American story, you know, if you had gone to the 460 00:27:40,200 --> 00:27:42,600 Speaker 1: little apartment that we were living in twenty five years ago, 461 00:27:42,840 --> 00:27:45,800 Speaker 1: it was me, my three sisters, and my mother in 462 00:27:45,840 --> 00:27:48,720 Speaker 1: that apartment. There was nobody with a college degree. You know, 463 00:27:48,840 --> 00:27:50,879 Speaker 1: twenty five years later, if you come to one of 464 00:27:50,920 --> 00:27:54,480 Speaker 1: our family dinners, and you bet every ready because we're 465 00:27:54,520 --> 00:27:57,920 Speaker 1: very loud. We have you know, one, two, three, four 466 00:27:58,480 --> 00:28:01,840 Speaker 1: college degrees and fifth because my mom went back to 467 00:28:01,840 --> 00:28:04,479 Speaker 1: school and got her college degree after she put all 468 00:28:04,480 --> 00:28:07,919 Speaker 1: the kids through. And then we also have another sister 469 00:28:08,000 --> 00:28:10,720 Speaker 1: who has a master's degree. I have another sister who's 470 00:28:10,760 --> 00:28:14,960 Speaker 1: a doctor and you know, deals with blood cancer. So 471 00:28:15,040 --> 00:28:16,600 Speaker 1: guess who's the real cool one in the family. It's 472 00:28:16,600 --> 00:28:18,520 Speaker 1: not the congressman. I have a sister who you know, 473 00:28:18,600 --> 00:28:21,959 Speaker 1: runs a book publishing company. So this is a you know, 474 00:28:22,000 --> 00:28:24,760 Speaker 1: this is a family that is successful because of a 475 00:28:24,760 --> 00:28:28,760 Speaker 1: combination of you know, a strong family unit led by 476 00:28:28,920 --> 00:28:33,320 Speaker 1: a strong woman. But also there was a government at 477 00:28:33,320 --> 00:28:36,440 Speaker 1: that point that also believed in kids like us. Right 478 00:28:36,480 --> 00:28:38,760 Speaker 1: we were on the free lunch program. I went to 479 00:28:38,760 --> 00:28:44,920 Speaker 1: school on telegrams, Stafford loans work program. You know, they 480 00:28:45,320 --> 00:28:48,160 Speaker 1: they believed in that kids that you know, didn't come 481 00:28:48,160 --> 00:28:51,640 Speaker 1: from the best or the highest rung of society should 482 00:28:51,640 --> 00:28:54,880 Speaker 1: have an opportunity to rise. And for that I will 483 00:28:54,880 --> 00:28:57,640 Speaker 1: always be grateful. And you know, it wasn't easy. You know, 484 00:28:57,680 --> 00:29:00,760 Speaker 1: we lived in an apartment we sacked so we could 485 00:29:00,760 --> 00:29:03,600 Speaker 1: stay in a better part of Chicago. We lived in 486 00:29:03,640 --> 00:29:07,640 Speaker 1: a small suburb called Everbeen Park that had decent schools, 487 00:29:07,720 --> 00:29:09,960 Speaker 1: and uh, the only thing we could afford to stay 488 00:29:10,000 --> 00:29:13,360 Speaker 1: there was for someone to not have a bedroom, and 489 00:29:13,400 --> 00:29:17,320 Speaker 1: so I slept on the floor for many years. And 490 00:29:19,200 --> 00:29:21,320 Speaker 1: you know, college was my first bedding quite a while, 491 00:29:21,440 --> 00:29:24,320 Speaker 1: and I was very excited about it. And uh, you know, 492 00:29:24,560 --> 00:29:28,200 Speaker 1: I I think there's a lot obviously that could have 493 00:29:28,200 --> 00:29:31,040 Speaker 1: gone better growing up, but it's also important to be 494 00:29:31,080 --> 00:29:32,160 Speaker 1: grateful for what you have. 495 00:29:33,240 --> 00:29:36,880 Speaker 2: When when people talk about loving their country, one of 496 00:29:36,920 --> 00:29:39,880 Speaker 2: the things offset is that very difficult to love your 497 00:29:39,920 --> 00:29:44,640 Speaker 2: country if you hate half the people in it. But 498 00:29:44,640 --> 00:29:48,440 Speaker 2: but talk about love of country, what does that mean 499 00:29:48,480 --> 00:29:48,760 Speaker 2: to you? 500 00:29:49,600 --> 00:29:52,040 Speaker 1: Well, you know, people actually say that to me all 501 00:29:52,080 --> 00:29:53,560 Speaker 1: the time, like how do you you know? Because I 502 00:29:54,200 --> 00:29:58,720 Speaker 1: do go after Trump and and Mada people, but I 503 00:29:58,760 --> 00:30:02,120 Speaker 1: love everybody. I mean, like my Marine Corps friends that 504 00:30:02,200 --> 00:30:05,600 Speaker 1: are like brothers to me. I mean, if I pulled, 505 00:30:05,640 --> 00:30:08,840 Speaker 1: I think probably half at a minimum would be Trump supporters, 506 00:30:09,000 --> 00:30:11,200 Speaker 1: and I still love them. And there's you know, they 507 00:30:11,280 --> 00:30:13,960 Speaker 1: just are Trump supporters and not necessarily it's extreme as 508 00:30:13,960 --> 00:30:19,200 Speaker 1: some and so, you know, I think it's important to 509 00:30:19,240 --> 00:30:22,760 Speaker 1: always give everyone a chance in this country. And give 510 00:30:22,800 --> 00:30:25,600 Speaker 1: it everyone politically a chance, even if you don't agree 511 00:30:25,640 --> 00:30:28,560 Speaker 1: with them. But number two, even if you don't agree 512 00:30:28,560 --> 00:30:31,320 Speaker 1: with them, doesn't mean you can't be friends. You know, 513 00:30:31,360 --> 00:30:33,960 Speaker 1: at some level, you know they might have some core 514 00:30:34,040 --> 00:30:36,760 Speaker 1: values that you both can ascribe to. And I've found 515 00:30:36,800 --> 00:30:39,240 Speaker 1: that separate piece with some of my friends that are 516 00:30:39,600 --> 00:30:43,160 Speaker 1: strong Republicans, but they're you know, not hateful. You know 517 00:30:43,200 --> 00:30:46,200 Speaker 1: they're strong Republicans, but do believe in the Constitution, the 518 00:30:46,240 --> 00:30:49,120 Speaker 1: idea of you know, the passage of government from one 519 00:30:49,280 --> 00:30:52,600 Speaker 1: hand to another. Believe January six was a atrocity upon 520 00:30:52,680 --> 00:30:58,800 Speaker 1: this country, and you know, we find ways to get along, 521 00:30:58,960 --> 00:31:03,520 Speaker 1: and I'm that, but I also think that if you 522 00:31:03,560 --> 00:31:06,840 Speaker 1: love this country, you love it no matter what, and 523 00:31:06,960 --> 00:31:11,200 Speaker 1: it doesn't mean you forget about the problems. You understand 524 00:31:11,200 --> 00:31:13,440 Speaker 1: that those problems and you try to get those get 525 00:31:13,440 --> 00:31:16,440 Speaker 1: them fixed. You try to fix it because you believe 526 00:31:16,440 --> 00:31:20,360 Speaker 1: in this longer idea of this more perfecting country. And 527 00:31:20,440 --> 00:31:22,200 Speaker 1: if you do believe that this is a country that's 528 00:31:22,200 --> 00:31:24,720 Speaker 1: always kind of perfecting itself, then you should be part 529 00:31:24,760 --> 00:31:27,080 Speaker 1: of that and not just try to reject it and 530 00:31:27,200 --> 00:31:29,120 Speaker 1: kind of go into your little corner and create your 531 00:31:29,120 --> 00:31:33,200 Speaker 1: little safe space. And I say that for Republicans and Democrats, 532 00:31:34,240 --> 00:31:36,320 Speaker 1: and you know, I'm not going to give up on 533 00:31:36,360 --> 00:31:39,760 Speaker 1: this country. This country never gave up on me. And 534 00:31:39,800 --> 00:31:41,760 Speaker 1: for us just to say, well, things are bad, things 535 00:31:41,760 --> 00:31:44,120 Speaker 1: are rough, everyone hates each other, let's just give up 536 00:31:44,160 --> 00:31:47,000 Speaker 1: on it. It's ridiculous. You know, there's you know, hundreds 537 00:31:47,000 --> 00:31:51,120 Speaker 1: of thousands of men and women that sacrificed themselves to 538 00:31:51,440 --> 00:31:54,840 Speaker 1: keep this country alive and moving forward. And you know, 539 00:31:54,880 --> 00:31:57,560 Speaker 1: we shouldn't be the first generation to give up on 540 00:31:57,600 --> 00:31:58,520 Speaker 1: this grand experiment. 541 00:31:59,160 --> 00:32:02,160 Speaker 2: I think, I think think that when we look at 542 00:32:02,160 --> 00:32:07,280 Speaker 2: the Trump era, as you get older, you relate to 543 00:32:07,400 --> 00:32:11,840 Speaker 2: time differently. You know, seven years is a long time 544 00:32:12,000 --> 00:32:15,200 Speaker 2: for an eighteen year old. It's not so long to 545 00:32:15,280 --> 00:32:19,360 Speaker 2: me anymore at fifty two. But it's been almost ten 546 00:32:19,480 --> 00:32:25,560 Speaker 2: years since Trump came down the escalator, really asserted himself 547 00:32:25,600 --> 00:32:30,719 Speaker 2: into national life. There was a moment in time where 548 00:32:31,120 --> 00:32:40,320 Speaker 2: Republicans and Democrats largely stood in complete united revulsion around 549 00:32:40,360 --> 00:32:44,280 Speaker 2: this man and the things he said. I was in 550 00:32:44,320 --> 00:32:48,240 Speaker 2: the Republican Party for twenty nine years. At one moment, 551 00:32:48,800 --> 00:32:54,800 Speaker 2: everybody was never Trump. And then one by one by one, 552 00:32:54,840 --> 00:32:59,160 Speaker 2: by one by one, all the way until we have 553 00:32:59,240 --> 00:33:05,080 Speaker 2: an insurrect and literally you have Adam Kitzinger and Liz Cheney. 554 00:33:05,680 --> 00:33:10,320 Speaker 2: There are two left, right. So the the absence of love, 555 00:33:10,960 --> 00:33:14,680 Speaker 2: I think produces a type of moral cowardice. 556 00:33:14,880 --> 00:33:16,800 Speaker 1: And I want to ask. 557 00:33:16,600 --> 00:33:23,800 Speaker 2: You about moral cowardice, the capitulation of so many across 558 00:33:23,880 --> 00:33:29,720 Speaker 2: a party to their oaths, looking putting themselves on the record, 559 00:33:29,760 --> 00:33:34,440 Speaker 2: whether it's Marco Rubio, Ted Cruz, Lindsey Graham, every one 560 00:33:34,480 --> 00:33:39,360 Speaker 2: of these people knew exactly who Trump was, talked about it, 561 00:33:39,840 --> 00:33:46,640 Speaker 2: but every single one of them submitted, collaborated, and became 562 00:33:46,840 --> 00:33:50,719 Speaker 2: stooges to him. Do do you think that that is 563 00:33:50,960 --> 00:33:56,240 Speaker 2: possible to happen inside the Democratic Party? Could have could 564 00:33:56,240 --> 00:34:01,719 Speaker 2: a could a demagogue like Trump eyes in the Democratic Party? 565 00:34:01,800 --> 00:34:06,520 Speaker 2: Or do you think the institution is different enough, diverse 566 00:34:06,680 --> 00:34:11,719 Speaker 2: enough that it's more insulated from that type of that's 567 00:34:11,719 --> 00:34:12,680 Speaker 2: typing virus. 568 00:34:13,320 --> 00:34:17,440 Speaker 1: It's not the institution, because all institutions can be corrupted 569 00:34:18,640 --> 00:34:21,880 Speaker 1: by nature. If you have any organizations that can have power, 570 00:34:22,000 --> 00:34:26,080 Speaker 1: it can actually be corrupted. It's just it's the people 571 00:34:27,120 --> 00:34:29,160 Speaker 1: of that make up the Democratic Party because we are 572 00:34:29,200 --> 00:34:31,719 Speaker 1: so different, right, one of the hardest things about being 573 00:34:31,719 --> 00:34:34,080 Speaker 1: a Democrat is for us to put a coalition together 574 00:34:34,120 --> 00:34:37,160 Speaker 1: to win right every year, we have to get young 575 00:34:37,239 --> 00:34:41,160 Speaker 1: people out, our labor people out. African American voters, Latino 576 00:34:41,200 --> 00:34:45,360 Speaker 1: voters are lgbticulate, you name it, right, and the diversity 577 00:34:45,400 --> 00:34:48,160 Speaker 1: of that community. Right. They don't listen to the same 578 00:34:48,960 --> 00:34:51,600 Speaker 1: TV stations, they don't listen to the same news. They 579 00:34:51,600 --> 00:34:54,960 Speaker 1: don't you know, even speak the same language. When I 580 00:34:54,960 --> 00:34:56,960 Speaker 1: say speak the same language, they speak English, but they're 581 00:34:56,960 --> 00:35:00,000 Speaker 1: speaking very different languages and they have very very differ 582 00:35:00,000 --> 00:35:06,640 Speaker 1: different experiences in life. And so demogogues when they take over, 583 00:35:07,440 --> 00:35:11,879 Speaker 1: they are largely taking over uniform societies that have i think, 584 00:35:12,280 --> 00:35:18,440 Speaker 1: very much centralized messaging course, right, So if you see it, 585 00:35:18,520 --> 00:35:20,160 Speaker 1: you know it's not just the United States, by the way, 586 00:35:20,160 --> 00:35:23,600 Speaker 1: but the history of a demogogu's taking power. They have 587 00:35:23,680 --> 00:35:26,880 Speaker 1: a couple of things in common, very much uniform societies, 588 00:35:28,400 --> 00:35:34,920 Speaker 1: massive communications networks that they control, and you know, economic 589 00:35:34,960 --> 00:35:39,520 Speaker 1: times that actually gives rise to anxiety. I think in 590 00:35:39,560 --> 00:35:42,000 Speaker 1: the case of Trump, there was a combination of economic 591 00:35:42,040 --> 00:35:45,440 Speaker 1: times and also demographic anxiety that was able to kind 592 00:35:45,440 --> 00:35:50,040 Speaker 1: of feed feed through that, and so that's what happened. 593 00:35:50,440 --> 00:35:53,920 Speaker 1: But there is no excuse though for the politicians that 594 00:35:54,000 --> 00:35:58,080 Speaker 1: have been cowers about you don't have to go through 595 00:35:58,120 --> 00:36:00,400 Speaker 1: with this. You don't have to be a part of it. 596 00:36:01,880 --> 00:36:05,319 Speaker 1: You don't have to also be a martyr, but you 597 00:36:05,360 --> 00:36:08,000 Speaker 1: certainly don't have to be a part of it. And 598 00:36:08,080 --> 00:36:09,759 Speaker 1: being a cheerleader and some of the people that I've 599 00:36:09,800 --> 00:36:14,439 Speaker 1: seen that become a cheerleader for this kind of you know, 600 00:36:14,920 --> 00:36:19,279 Speaker 1: autocracy neurotoxicy of its hit has been disturbing. And you know, 601 00:36:19,320 --> 00:36:23,040 Speaker 1: for me, you know, I always kind of make you know, 602 00:36:23,080 --> 00:36:26,640 Speaker 1: my uh my observation. I'm making decisions, and I'm not 603 00:36:26,680 --> 00:36:29,520 Speaker 1: talking about everyday decisions. You know, every day politicians do 604 00:36:29,640 --> 00:36:32,400 Speaker 1: have to make an opportunity costs analysis of what they 605 00:36:32,400 --> 00:36:35,440 Speaker 1: should should not be doing versus wild term fights. But 606 00:36:35,560 --> 00:36:40,919 Speaker 1: sometimes sometimes, uh there are and and hopefully you never 607 00:36:40,960 --> 00:36:43,279 Speaker 1: have to make those choices. You have to make a 608 00:36:43,360 --> 00:36:45,440 Speaker 1: choice about who you are and who you're going to 609 00:36:45,480 --> 00:36:48,719 Speaker 1: be for the rest of your life. And for me, 610 00:36:49,239 --> 00:36:51,040 Speaker 1: I had to make that choice unfortunate at a very 611 00:36:51,080 --> 00:36:53,719 Speaker 1: young age. I to decide whether I was going to 612 00:36:53,719 --> 00:36:55,880 Speaker 1: be a coward or not, if I was going to 613 00:36:55,920 --> 00:36:59,080 Speaker 1: stay behind and find a reason to get out of 614 00:36:59,360 --> 00:37:02,200 Speaker 1: the Iraq War, or even when I was in Iraq, 615 00:37:02,239 --> 00:37:03,560 Speaker 1: I had to make a decision whether or not I 616 00:37:03,600 --> 00:37:07,640 Speaker 1: was going to stay safely you know, in you know, 617 00:37:07,760 --> 00:37:11,400 Speaker 1: my my bunker or safely behind a wall when you know, 618 00:37:11,440 --> 00:37:14,200 Speaker 1: people started shooting at us, when terroriststarted shooting us, I 619 00:37:14,239 --> 00:37:16,160 Speaker 1: had to make that decision and make this through decision. 620 00:37:16,920 --> 00:37:18,239 Speaker 1: Who did I want to be for the rest of 621 00:37:18,280 --> 00:37:21,400 Speaker 1: my life if I survived. And I realized that that 622 00:37:21,440 --> 00:37:24,719 Speaker 1: young is at twenty five, that I didn't want to 623 00:37:24,719 --> 00:37:27,520 Speaker 1: live the rest of my life knowing that when the 624 00:37:27,560 --> 00:37:31,160 Speaker 1: country asked me to do the best that I could be, 625 00:37:31,800 --> 00:37:34,359 Speaker 1: or when I needed to be the person that I 626 00:37:34,480 --> 00:37:36,120 Speaker 1: that I always thought I was going to be someone 627 00:37:36,120 --> 00:37:39,239 Speaker 1: that was you know, brave, and and therefore his you know, 628 00:37:39,280 --> 00:37:41,799 Speaker 1: felt like countrymen that I was going to fail them. 629 00:37:42,120 --> 00:37:46,879 Speaker 1: I didn't. I couldn't do it. So I couldn't run away, 630 00:37:46,960 --> 00:37:49,200 Speaker 1: and I went and I did my job. And so 631 00:37:49,480 --> 00:37:52,000 Speaker 1: for for politics, it is easy for me because I 632 00:37:52,080 --> 00:37:55,319 Speaker 1: made that decision early on that I was not going 633 00:37:55,360 --> 00:37:57,520 Speaker 1: to be that type of person. I couldn't look themselves 634 00:37:57,520 --> 00:38:01,440 Speaker 1: in the face and and and shy away from, you know, 635 00:38:01,480 --> 00:38:04,359 Speaker 1: from from some tough situations. And what happens right now 636 00:38:04,360 --> 00:38:09,799 Speaker 1: with these politicians is that they're they don't they don't 637 00:38:09,840 --> 00:38:11,719 Speaker 1: understand what they're doing to themselves, and they're not they 638 00:38:11,719 --> 00:38:14,600 Speaker 1: don't understand what they're doing to their country. You know, 639 00:38:14,719 --> 00:38:20,000 Speaker 1: I said this on the night of Jeremy six, after 640 00:38:20,040 --> 00:38:22,400 Speaker 1: we got back to the floor where that you know, 641 00:38:22,960 --> 00:38:25,200 Speaker 1: I can't remember exactly what I said, but I said, 642 00:38:26,000 --> 00:38:28,239 Speaker 1: tell you that there's very few times in this life 643 00:38:28,280 --> 00:38:30,720 Speaker 1: where the country asks you to be pure, to be strong. 644 00:38:30,840 --> 00:38:32,560 Speaker 1: This is one of them. This is the message to 645 00:38:32,600 --> 00:38:35,840 Speaker 1: my Republicans, my present friends, and it was so disappointed 646 00:38:35,840 --> 00:38:39,680 Speaker 1: to see them not understand, not seize the moment, because 647 00:38:39,920 --> 00:38:43,000 Speaker 1: you know, very very few times people actually get that opportunity, 648 00:38:43,040 --> 00:38:44,440 Speaker 1: and they lost it. 649 00:38:45,800 --> 00:38:50,480 Speaker 2: So I'm gonna. I couldn't I couldn't agree. I couldn't 650 00:38:50,480 --> 00:38:56,480 Speaker 2: agree more with everything you said right there. When you 651 00:38:56,520 --> 00:39:01,680 Speaker 2: when you think about Christian cinema, you talked about her 652 00:39:01,760 --> 00:39:08,080 Speaker 2: being disconnected. As a general proposition, most members of Congress 653 00:39:08,120 --> 00:39:14,759 Speaker 2: are not particularly difficult to figure out. You are in 654 00:39:14,800 --> 00:39:18,000 Speaker 2: a in a in a rare kind of minority in 655 00:39:18,080 --> 00:39:23,160 Speaker 2: my view, and now you're a genuine bonafide idealist. You're 656 00:39:23,200 --> 00:39:27,520 Speaker 2: a person who gratified gratitude means something to you are. 657 00:39:27,760 --> 00:39:31,920 Speaker 2: You're a bonafide patriot. You're exactly the type of person 658 00:39:32,320 --> 00:39:34,680 Speaker 2: before you even get to your voting record, just as 659 00:39:34,719 --> 00:39:37,279 Speaker 2: a matter of character, all of the all of the 660 00:39:37,280 --> 00:39:42,560 Speaker 2: things there. I've never been able to quite figure her out, 661 00:39:42,840 --> 00:39:46,200 Speaker 2: uh where she's coming from. And I don't think I'm 662 00:39:46,239 --> 00:39:50,759 Speaker 2: alone in that, but I think her senatorial term, if 663 00:39:50,800 --> 00:39:52,200 Speaker 2: I had to use a word. 664 00:39:53,680 --> 00:40:00,560 Speaker 1: Dileton, I mean, I think at the end the day, 665 00:40:01,280 --> 00:40:04,200 Speaker 1: you know you're when you're elected, and you're elected by 666 00:40:04,239 --> 00:40:07,279 Speaker 1: the people, the most important thing you could do is 667 00:40:07,320 --> 00:40:13,759 Speaker 1: just be responsive. And look, I everyone likes having fun, 668 00:40:14,360 --> 00:40:18,040 Speaker 1: likes doing uh, you know, spend time with their family, 669 00:40:18,040 --> 00:40:21,439 Speaker 1: spend time with their friends. I don't ever falter for that, 670 00:40:23,000 --> 00:40:25,560 Speaker 1: but you need to be responsive to the people that 671 00:40:25,640 --> 00:40:28,720 Speaker 1: put you there. That is the you know, the social 672 00:40:28,880 --> 00:40:34,160 Speaker 1: contract of politics, the basics. And I think the. 673 00:40:34,120 --> 00:40:36,560 Speaker 2: Fact of leadership too, right, I mean, it's you know 674 00:40:36,680 --> 00:40:37,920 Speaker 2: marine officers eat. 675 00:40:37,880 --> 00:40:41,880 Speaker 1: Last well, it's it's even, it's not even. You can't 676 00:40:41,880 --> 00:40:45,360 Speaker 1: be a leader if you don't understand who you're serving. 677 00:40:46,800 --> 00:40:48,960 Speaker 1: If you if you don't, you know, you'll never be 678 00:40:49,000 --> 00:40:51,399 Speaker 1: able to really be a leader. If you don't really 679 00:40:51,520 --> 00:40:56,319 Speaker 1: understand who puts you in power and why you are there. Right, 680 00:40:56,360 --> 00:40:58,799 Speaker 1: One of the things that they teach us, you know, 681 00:40:58,840 --> 00:41:01,560 Speaker 1: in the Marine Corps is that you, you know, leadership 682 00:41:01,840 --> 00:41:05,240 Speaker 1: it comes from accountability, and when you are not holding 683 00:41:05,239 --> 00:41:08,279 Speaker 1: yourself accountable, then you definitely aren't. You know, you're not 684 00:41:08,360 --> 00:41:10,480 Speaker 1: leading anybody, you know. And I think a lot of 685 00:41:10,480 --> 00:41:13,840 Speaker 1: politicians lie to themselves and say that they are leaders, 686 00:41:14,360 --> 00:41:17,360 Speaker 1: but when in fact they're not. They're just they're pressing 687 00:41:17,360 --> 00:41:22,240 Speaker 1: a little button there. So she, you know, we don't 688 00:41:22,239 --> 00:41:25,239 Speaker 1: have to have her, you know, explain to any of 689 00:41:25,320 --> 00:41:28,160 Speaker 1: us you know her, you know, her psychic val or 690 00:41:28,200 --> 00:41:30,840 Speaker 1: anything else like that. She just needs to be responsive 691 00:41:30,880 --> 00:41:34,279 Speaker 1: to voters, and like any politician needs to be responsive 692 00:41:34,360 --> 00:41:36,960 Speaker 1: to voters. I mean, I'll be like, I think I 693 00:41:37,000 --> 00:41:39,359 Speaker 1: have a town hat at the end of this month, right, 694 00:41:39,520 --> 00:41:41,320 Speaker 1: I'm going to be there. They're gonna ask me everything 695 00:41:41,400 --> 00:41:45,359 Speaker 1: that underneath the moon. And you know, I'm sure I'm 696 00:41:45,360 --> 00:41:46,799 Speaker 1: going to get a lot of people not in their heads, 697 00:41:46,800 --> 00:41:48,480 Speaker 1: and I'm sure there's gonna be twenty percent of people 698 00:41:48,680 --> 00:41:51,720 Speaker 1: that disagree with me. But you need to put yourself 699 00:41:51,760 --> 00:41:55,640 Speaker 1: out there. It's your job, I mean, it's your basic, 700 00:41:55,719 --> 00:41:56,399 Speaker 1: basic job. 701 00:41:58,120 --> 00:42:01,040 Speaker 2: What's the toughest vote you've taken in your career. 702 00:42:07,080 --> 00:42:10,759 Speaker 1: I think the JCPOA bill was probably the hardest one 703 00:42:10,840 --> 00:42:14,359 Speaker 1: for me. Obviously it's a big national sorry. The Ran 704 00:42:14,440 --> 00:42:17,799 Speaker 1: nuclear deal that was very difficult for me, you know, 705 00:42:17,880 --> 00:42:20,799 Speaker 1: as someone that had to dodge some of the Iranian 706 00:42:22,880 --> 00:42:27,719 Speaker 1: IDs in Iraq and then having to deal with this 707 00:42:27,800 --> 00:42:31,160 Speaker 1: reality that you know, do we get into this deal 708 00:42:31,239 --> 00:42:35,000 Speaker 1: with them and contain Iran and and hopefully stop us 709 00:42:35,000 --> 00:42:38,080 Speaker 1: from really triggering rolling into a war, or do we 710 00:42:38,600 --> 00:42:42,400 Speaker 1: try to use other methods to exert you know, some 711 00:42:42,520 --> 00:42:45,359 Speaker 1: power them and hopefully really move back. And the way 712 00:42:45,400 --> 00:42:48,319 Speaker 1: that it was kind of breaking out in the conversations 713 00:42:48,320 --> 00:42:51,600 Speaker 1: out there was that this this deal to Iran was 714 00:42:51,640 --> 00:42:55,000 Speaker 1: too generous. It only empower them. You know, there was 715 00:42:55,040 --> 00:42:59,080 Speaker 1: conversations among veterans and veterans community that we can't do 716 00:42:59,160 --> 00:43:00,799 Speaker 1: this because we're it's a pay off to them after 717 00:43:00,800 --> 00:43:05,680 Speaker 1: they killed so many of us are men, and you know, 718 00:43:05,719 --> 00:43:07,120 Speaker 1: it was my it was my first big boot. I 719 00:43:07,120 --> 00:43:09,040 Speaker 1: had just gotten elected, you know, so there was a 720 00:43:09,040 --> 00:43:13,239 Speaker 1: lot of pressure of pressure also being exerted, and you know, 721 00:43:13,960 --> 00:43:15,680 Speaker 1: at the end of the day, I just couldn't I 722 00:43:15,719 --> 00:43:20,520 Speaker 1: couldn't give peace a chance. That's the one thing I 723 00:43:20,560 --> 00:43:23,400 Speaker 1: thought about. I couldn't give it a chance. I couldn't 724 00:43:23,400 --> 00:43:26,520 Speaker 1: give it a chance that maybe if we actually get 725 00:43:26,520 --> 00:43:31,279 Speaker 1: into this agreement UH with Iran in other countries, that 726 00:43:31,360 --> 00:43:35,680 Speaker 1: we may avoid another war in the Middle East, because 727 00:43:35,680 --> 00:43:39,160 Speaker 1: I always think that war is always an option. But 728 00:43:39,239 --> 00:43:41,319 Speaker 1: once you get to war, it's it's tough to come 729 00:43:41,360 --> 00:43:43,759 Speaker 1: back for more. But you know, if you if you 730 00:43:43,760 --> 00:43:45,799 Speaker 1: can hold on to peace as long as possible, then 731 00:43:45,840 --> 00:43:48,160 Speaker 1: then there's then there's hope. And I you know, I 732 00:43:49,760 --> 00:43:52,040 Speaker 1: had to think about it just a lot, and that 733 00:43:52,160 --> 00:43:54,600 Speaker 1: was probably one of the last people to vote out. 734 00:43:54,640 --> 00:43:56,360 Speaker 1: I mean, the thing, you know, we had had a 735 00:43:56,360 --> 00:44:00,719 Speaker 1: lot of you know, people call me from the you know, 736 00:44:01,120 --> 00:44:03,560 Speaker 1: the Apex of the World, had me O the president, 737 00:44:03,800 --> 00:44:05,759 Speaker 1: you know, also calling me, the Vice president call me. 738 00:44:06,640 --> 00:44:10,920 Speaker 1: You know. Eventually, it was you know, conversations with some 739 00:44:10,960 --> 00:44:14,080 Speaker 1: of the guys that I served with that made me 740 00:44:14,160 --> 00:44:17,239 Speaker 1: realize that, you know, I'm gonna give piece of chance. 741 00:44:17,280 --> 00:44:18,959 Speaker 1: When I say the guys I sat with my friends 742 00:44:18,960 --> 00:44:21,880 Speaker 1: that are buried at Arlington. It was my conversation with 743 00:44:21,920 --> 00:44:27,560 Speaker 1: them that made me decide that I was going to 744 00:44:27,640 --> 00:44:29,800 Speaker 1: give this approach because I just didn't want to see, 745 00:44:30,320 --> 00:44:33,200 Speaker 1: you know, another Middle East war if. 746 00:44:33,040 --> 00:44:37,040 Speaker 2: I Could's the fundamentally, and I hope everyone who is 747 00:44:37,080 --> 00:44:40,040 Speaker 2: watching this will take that away, is that we have 748 00:44:40,120 --> 00:44:44,680 Speaker 2: an absence, a dearth of wisdom in the highest elected 749 00:44:44,760 --> 00:44:48,839 Speaker 2: offices in the land. And what you just said is profoundly, 750 00:44:49,200 --> 00:44:52,160 Speaker 2: profoundly important and one of the great lessons of the 751 00:44:52,200 --> 00:44:55,799 Speaker 2: twenty first century, which is that it's a lot easier 752 00:44:56,400 --> 00:44:59,279 Speaker 2: for this country to start wars than it is for 753 00:44:59,360 --> 00:45:00,960 Speaker 2: us to end a hunt. 754 00:45:01,840 --> 00:45:07,920 Speaker 1: Yep, you to peace piece is hard, but it's cheap 755 00:45:09,000 --> 00:45:13,200 Speaker 1: or to start as easy, but very expensive. And I'm 756 00:45:13,239 --> 00:45:15,760 Speaker 1: not just talking about money. 757 00:45:16,840 --> 00:45:20,520 Speaker 2: We have a couple minutes left. I wanted to ask you, 758 00:45:22,040 --> 00:45:26,360 Speaker 2: when you look down the road, where do you seek 759 00:45:26,600 --> 00:45:30,640 Speaker 2: for this country to be twenty years from now, twenty 760 00:45:30,719 --> 00:45:34,400 Speaker 2: five years from now? What is your hope for America 761 00:45:35,360 --> 00:45:38,799 Speaker 2: quarter century from now? Look, I mean, I think we're 762 00:45:38,840 --> 00:45:40,319 Speaker 2: always going to be a country that. 763 00:45:40,400 --> 00:45:47,600 Speaker 1: Is in I would say in a conversation right now, 764 00:45:47,600 --> 00:45:50,399 Speaker 1: we're in conflict. It doesn't have to be that way. 765 00:45:50,480 --> 00:45:54,600 Speaker 1: I think we can have great American values with you know, 766 00:45:54,719 --> 00:45:58,400 Speaker 1: different viewpoints, you know, Democrats, Republicans, independence, you know. By 767 00:45:58,440 --> 00:46:02,120 Speaker 1: then there's probably be more parties, but I you know what, 768 00:46:02,160 --> 00:46:04,360 Speaker 1: I'm hoping this is going to be a basic understanding 769 00:46:04,800 --> 00:46:08,520 Speaker 1: between everybody that we're all American, We're all in this 770 00:46:08,560 --> 00:46:12,880 Speaker 1: book together, uh, and that when one side of America 771 00:46:13,000 --> 00:46:15,520 Speaker 1: is doing better, is doing well, it doesn't mean that 772 00:46:15,560 --> 00:46:19,560 Speaker 1: you're going to do works and that you know what, 773 00:46:19,600 --> 00:46:21,919 Speaker 1: we may be different, but doesn't mean that I hate 774 00:46:21,960 --> 00:46:25,239 Speaker 1: you because of your difference. You know, If anything, it 775 00:46:25,280 --> 00:46:28,680 Speaker 1: should be something that we respect. And right now it's 776 00:46:28,719 --> 00:46:31,319 Speaker 1: too easy for us to hate each other because we're 777 00:46:31,719 --> 00:46:35,560 Speaker 1: we're different and it and and people will they pull 778 00:46:35,719 --> 00:46:38,120 Speaker 1: us apart because of that. There's people that now that 779 00:46:38,280 --> 00:46:43,879 Speaker 1: make profit from you know, Americans hating other Americans, both 780 00:46:43,920 --> 00:46:47,440 Speaker 1: political profit and natural real my entire profit. And I 781 00:46:47,520 --> 00:46:50,080 Speaker 1: just hope that this country, you know, twenty years from 782 00:46:50,120 --> 00:46:54,319 Speaker 1: now and we'll all be talking about you know, some 783 00:46:54,440 --> 00:46:57,960 Speaker 1: very mon dane shit, uh and really having you know, 784 00:46:58,080 --> 00:47:02,040 Speaker 1: conversations about you know, where we should again still be 785 00:47:02,080 --> 00:47:03,600 Speaker 1: going as a country, because I think we'll always be 786 00:47:03,600 --> 00:47:07,520 Speaker 1: trying to perfect ourselves. But this day of existential threats 787 00:47:08,000 --> 00:47:12,200 Speaker 1: where if the Democrats win, Republicans are you know, Republicans 788 00:47:12,239 --> 00:47:15,399 Speaker 1: are over or where Republicans win, the Democrats feel it's 789 00:47:15,400 --> 00:47:17,799 Speaker 1: all over. I don't want to. I don't want our 790 00:47:17,800 --> 00:47:20,719 Speaker 1: country feeling that way. I want us to feel someday like, man, 791 00:47:20,760 --> 00:47:23,759 Speaker 1: the Republicans just you know, just took control of the Congress. Well, 792 00:47:23,800 --> 00:47:25,319 Speaker 1: it's gonna be a little difficult, but at least we'll 793 00:47:25,320 --> 00:47:27,359 Speaker 1: all you feel like, you know what, it's still going 794 00:47:27,400 --> 00:47:29,280 Speaker 1: to be a democratic country. We're going to be fine. 795 00:47:29,920 --> 00:47:32,120 Speaker 1: We'll just have to try to win the next time around. 796 00:47:32,520 --> 00:47:34,200 Speaker 1: When I want the Republicans feel the same way, when 797 00:47:34,280 --> 00:47:36,560 Speaker 1: Democrats around that that this country is not going to 798 00:47:37,120 --> 00:47:40,160 Speaker 1: die on the grapevine because you know, we got elected 799 00:47:40,320 --> 00:47:44,080 Speaker 1: and you know, and I think most Americans want that. 800 00:47:44,080 --> 00:47:46,640 Speaker 1: I don't think Americans want to live in this world 801 00:47:46,719 --> 00:47:50,640 Speaker 1: where every two years they feel like it's a you know, 802 00:47:50,760 --> 00:47:55,640 Speaker 1: catalystic cataallyismic occurrence about to happen because most of them 803 00:47:55,680 --> 00:47:57,560 Speaker 1: did not grow up that way. I don't think I 804 00:47:57,600 --> 00:48:00,000 Speaker 1: will want my kids growing up that way. And still 805 00:48:00,040 --> 00:48:04,040 Speaker 1: think fundamentally that's the way that this country was even 806 00:48:04,120 --> 00:48:07,399 Speaker 1: created within that vision of what we're supposed to be doing. 807 00:48:09,000 --> 00:48:11,200 Speaker 2: Last thing I wanted to ask you is just to 808 00:48:11,280 --> 00:48:15,480 Speaker 2: react to the historic indictment of a former president of 809 00:48:15,480 --> 00:48:20,400 Speaker 2: the United States, thirty seven specific charges, seven counts on 810 00:48:20,520 --> 00:48:26,120 Speaker 2: the on the indictment. Tragic day for the country. 811 00:48:26,280 --> 00:48:28,680 Speaker 1: Thank you for saying that. By the way, I think 812 00:48:28,719 --> 00:48:32,719 Speaker 1: there's been too much. A lot of people that are 813 00:48:32,800 --> 00:48:35,200 Speaker 1: very excited about this, and like, look, I'm not a 814 00:48:35,239 --> 00:48:37,319 Speaker 1: Trump support I have never been a Trump supporter. I've 815 00:48:37,320 --> 00:48:39,680 Speaker 1: always been one of the first people that was on 816 00:48:39,719 --> 00:48:42,400 Speaker 1: the floor of the House of Representatives right after the 817 00:48:42,400 --> 00:48:45,279 Speaker 1: elections warning about the danger of what was coming. But 818 00:48:45,360 --> 00:48:47,600 Speaker 1: there's just a tragic day. This is a day that 819 00:48:48,440 --> 00:48:52,399 Speaker 1: I'm glad happened. But I'm glad happened because we should 820 00:48:52,480 --> 00:48:55,719 Speaker 1: believe in the rule of law. That's what should be 821 00:48:55,800 --> 00:48:58,279 Speaker 1: cheered up. We shouldn't cheer the fact that a ford 822 00:48:58,360 --> 00:49:00,719 Speaker 1: president conducted himself in a matter that he brought, that 823 00:49:00,760 --> 00:49:04,600 Speaker 1: he brought this we should be ruling. We should be 824 00:49:04,640 --> 00:49:07,120 Speaker 1: cheering that there's gonna be due process for this American 825 00:49:08,320 --> 00:49:10,360 Speaker 1: and that he is going to have every opportunity to 826 00:49:11,200 --> 00:49:15,360 Speaker 1: represent himself. And I'm here to support the rule of 827 00:49:15,400 --> 00:49:18,759 Speaker 1: law and do process. But it is not a good 828 00:49:18,840 --> 00:49:21,640 Speaker 1: day that this has occurred, and I hope it never 829 00:49:21,719 --> 00:49:25,200 Speaker 1: happens again. I hope that our leaders look at this 830 00:49:25,200 --> 00:49:27,960 Speaker 1: as a really good example and they understand that no 831 00:49:28,000 --> 00:49:32,040 Speaker 1: one's above the rule of law, Democrats or Republicans. And 832 00:49:32,120 --> 00:49:36,560 Speaker 1: I really wish that some of my Republican colleagues. If 833 00:49:36,560 --> 00:49:38,680 Speaker 1: you're not going to say that, if you're not going 834 00:49:38,719 --> 00:49:40,920 Speaker 1: to say, you know, I you know, this is a 835 00:49:41,000 --> 00:49:44,200 Speaker 1: very serious event. Let's let the judicial process carry itself out. 836 00:49:44,200 --> 00:49:46,439 Speaker 1: That's what we're saying. By the way, I'm sorry, that's 837 00:49:46,440 --> 00:49:49,960 Speaker 1: what I'm saying that. Just don't say anything, because by 838 00:49:50,040 --> 00:49:53,560 Speaker 1: going and cheering it on and questioning everything, you're not 839 00:49:53,840 --> 00:49:56,560 Speaker 1: helping Trump. You're hurting the rule of law, one of 840 00:49:56,600 --> 00:49:59,719 Speaker 1: the core tenants that has kept his country together. And 841 00:49:59,760 --> 00:50:01,680 Speaker 1: that's the most important thing that needs to come out 842 00:50:01,680 --> 00:50:07,240 Speaker 1: of this. Whatever happens with this indictment and the process 843 00:50:07,320 --> 00:50:10,120 Speaker 1: b has to happen. The rule of law has to 844 00:50:10,239 --> 00:50:12,520 Speaker 1: come out as the premier winner of this, because we 845 00:50:12,560 --> 00:50:15,040 Speaker 1: will be stronger as a country in the long. 846 00:50:16,480 --> 00:50:18,520 Speaker 2: I would just say one thing, and I was going 847 00:50:18,600 --> 00:50:22,560 Speaker 2: to leave it there, But it's incredible to read the 848 00:50:22,719 --> 00:50:26,960 Speaker 2: stories in the indictment because they all come around back 849 00:50:27,080 --> 00:50:29,680 Speaker 2: to one thing that you talked about in the beginning, 850 00:50:29,680 --> 00:50:32,680 Speaker 2: with the drill instructor. When he slapped the notepad out 851 00:50:32,680 --> 00:50:34,319 Speaker 2: of your hand, he said, I told you to pick 852 00:50:34,400 --> 00:50:37,680 Speaker 2: up a piece of paper. In the concept here is 853 00:50:37,760 --> 00:50:39,760 Speaker 2: Trump wanted these documents. 854 00:50:40,160 --> 00:50:40,399 Speaker 1: Yep. 855 00:50:40,480 --> 00:50:47,400 Speaker 2: They did everything they could to ask, ask nicely, forty times, 856 00:50:48,080 --> 00:50:50,480 Speaker 2: give them back, give them back, and he wouldn't give 857 00:50:50,520 --> 00:50:53,680 Speaker 2: them back. And as somebody who's walked into the Oval 858 00:50:53,719 --> 00:50:59,080 Speaker 2: office was a White House staffer. What I find I'm 859 00:50:59,120 --> 00:51:01,800 Speaker 2: the person who plays the phone call from John McCain 860 00:51:01,920 --> 00:51:06,680 Speaker 2: to Barack Obama to concede the election. What I find 861 00:51:06,719 --> 00:51:11,680 Speaker 2: most incredible psychologically is apparently there were there was no one, 862 00:51:12,360 --> 00:51:17,239 Speaker 2: not one person in the Republican Party of any stature, 863 00:51:17,960 --> 00:51:21,759 Speaker 2: who who could look Donald Trump in the eye kind 864 00:51:21,760 --> 00:51:24,040 Speaker 2: of just maybe you have to do it alone. Look left, 865 00:51:24,040 --> 00:51:28,160 Speaker 2: look right. You fucking lost. You lost, you lost the election. 866 00:51:28,280 --> 00:51:32,200 Speaker 2: I don't know what to tell it. More people voted 867 00:51:32,200 --> 00:51:35,320 Speaker 2: for the other guy. It happens. It's one of the 868 00:51:35,360 --> 00:51:37,600 Speaker 2: two possible outcomes if you volunteer. 869 00:51:39,120 --> 00:51:43,480 Speaker 1: Yeah, I mean, ccally, I never had that outcore. But look, 870 00:51:43,680 --> 00:51:45,879 Speaker 1: I'll be honest, like I think a lot of politicians 871 00:51:45,960 --> 00:51:48,400 Speaker 1: is not just Trump. You know, they surround themselves with 872 00:51:48,480 --> 00:51:53,200 Speaker 1: yes men and yes women and they they created this 873 00:51:53,280 --> 00:51:56,320 Speaker 1: culture around them that is basically like a little bubble 874 00:51:56,360 --> 00:52:01,239 Speaker 1: culture that allows them to you know, do whatever they want. Uh. 875 00:52:01,800 --> 00:52:04,440 Speaker 1: And you know it's a really it's a mark horrible 876 00:52:04,520 --> 00:52:07,400 Speaker 1: leader by the way that does that. A leader is 877 00:52:07,440 --> 00:52:10,520 Speaker 1: not afraid of criticism. I'm certainly not afraid of people 878 00:52:10,560 --> 00:52:14,200 Speaker 1: giving them, you know, direction. And you know, Trump was 879 00:52:14,280 --> 00:52:17,279 Speaker 1: never a leader. Trump was never in his life had 880 00:52:17,280 --> 00:52:19,840 Speaker 1: ever been a leader because you know, he basically was 881 00:52:20,239 --> 00:52:23,080 Speaker 1: a bully that got to power one way or the other, 882 00:52:23,200 --> 00:52:28,120 Speaker 1: with politics or whether it was business. And you know, 883 00:52:28,800 --> 00:52:32,320 Speaker 1: there was never a check on that type of power 884 00:52:32,400 --> 00:52:34,480 Speaker 1: until he hit you know, the one area where there 885 00:52:34,560 --> 00:52:36,920 Speaker 1: is a check, and that's called the people United States. 886 00:52:36,960 --> 00:52:40,440 Speaker 1: So you know you are who you surround yourself with. 887 00:52:41,320 --> 00:52:43,840 Speaker 1: That's all I would say. And in my world, I 888 00:52:43,880 --> 00:52:47,440 Speaker 1: have so many no men and women that I sometimes 889 00:52:47,480 --> 00:52:49,600 Speaker 1: had to fight just for yes. But that's a good thing. 890 00:52:51,080 --> 00:52:54,000 Speaker 2: Leave it there. I'll just say this, you know, to 891 00:52:54,120 --> 00:52:58,920 Speaker 2: people that are watching you want to fix some American politics, 892 00:52:59,640 --> 00:53:04,360 Speaker 2: you need to a lack of leaders. Leader. So like 893 00:53:04,600 --> 00:53:09,160 Speaker 2: this guy rut being gago with, I's on big media. 894 00:53:09,200 --> 00:53:11,919 Speaker 2: You take on big business, you take on a big 895 00:53:12,000 --> 00:53:13,799 Speaker 2: tech and you stand up for the little guy, they 896 00:53:13,840 --> 00:53:18,359 Speaker 2: try to silence you by drowning you in campaign donations 897 00:53:18,360 --> 00:53:21,680 Speaker 2: to your opponent. So if you're going to fight for 898 00:53:21,680 --> 00:53:24,759 Speaker 2: the little guy, which Rubigogo does every day, what that 899 00:53:24,880 --> 00:53:28,760 Speaker 2: means is that he needs support from regular people out there, 900 00:53:28,920 --> 00:53:32,240 Speaker 2: a couple bucks at a time. And so so we'll 901 00:53:32,280 --> 00:53:35,400 Speaker 2: be talking more about this campaign here on the warning. 902 00:53:35,480 --> 00:53:38,759 Speaker 2: It's one to watch. This is a national leader on 903 00:53:38,800 --> 00:53:42,319 Speaker 2: the rise and important voice. And let me just say 904 00:53:42,520 --> 00:53:45,719 Speaker 2: in conclusion, we could do a lot worse off than 905 00:53:45,800 --> 00:53:50,160 Speaker 2: having a retired lance corporal from the United States Marine 906 00:53:50,160 --> 00:53:55,040 Speaker 2: Corps and Infantry Marine in the United States Senate Congressman, 907 00:53:55,120 --> 00:53:56,359 Speaker 2: thank you very much for your time. 908 00:53:56,719 --> 00:53:58,319 Speaker 1: Thank you, Steve. That says you have a good one. 909 00:53:58,800 --> 00:53:59,160 Speaker 2: You bet