1 00:00:00,640 --> 00:00:04,160 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 --> 00:00:11,800 Speaker 1: today's best minds and Supreme Court Justice Sonya so Demayer 4 00:00:12,240 --> 00:00:17,320 Speaker 1: says that court decision stand whether one particular person chooses to. 5 00:00:17,320 --> 00:00:19,320 Speaker 2: Abide by them or not. 6 00:00:20,160 --> 00:00:23,120 Speaker 1: We have such a great show for you today. MSNBC 7 00:00:23,320 --> 00:00:28,440 Speaker 1: contributor Charlie Sykes comes by to talk about the state 8 00:00:28,640 --> 00:00:33,320 Speaker 1: of our world. Then we'll talk to Congresswoman Becca balland 9 00:00:33,600 --> 00:00:38,240 Speaker 1: about the Republican attempt to rewrite American culture. 10 00:00:38,760 --> 00:00:39,760 Speaker 2: But first the news. 11 00:00:40,320 --> 00:00:44,160 Speaker 3: Malli, this fella Donald Trump last night Friend of the Show, 12 00:00:44,240 --> 00:00:47,000 Speaker 3: Lauren so'donald. I think he kind of like won the 13 00:00:47,000 --> 00:00:49,720 Speaker 3: week of summing something up, and it's an image we're 14 00:00:49,720 --> 00:00:52,040 Speaker 3: going to see at the top of articles for decades 15 00:00:52,080 --> 00:00:55,080 Speaker 3: to come, calling it the most powerless image of a 16 00:00:55,120 --> 00:00:56,080 Speaker 3: president ever. 17 00:00:56,360 --> 00:01:00,640 Speaker 2: You'll be shocked to hear that Donald J. 18 00:01:00,880 --> 00:01:04,759 Speaker 1: Trump is basically working for the richest man in the world. 19 00:01:05,280 --> 00:01:10,520 Speaker 1: That video was a sort of incredible video of Elon, 20 00:01:11,040 --> 00:01:14,520 Speaker 1: one of his many children and Donald Trump, and then 21 00:01:14,600 --> 00:01:17,840 Speaker 1: Donald Trump sort of sat there whell Elon talked about 22 00:01:17,840 --> 00:01:21,039 Speaker 1: how he's running the government. There was a really good 23 00:01:21,200 --> 00:01:24,520 Speaker 1: picture of the little boy saying like you're sitting in 24 00:01:24,560 --> 00:01:28,080 Speaker 1: my dad's chair to Donald Trump, which I think really 25 00:01:28,360 --> 00:01:31,959 Speaker 1: sums the whole thing up. The best moment in the discourse, 26 00:01:32,160 --> 00:01:38,160 Speaker 1: the truly cursed discourse, was when Elon admitted that he 27 00:01:38,240 --> 00:01:43,440 Speaker 1: gets things wrong, which that was an incredible bit of sorcery. 28 00:01:44,000 --> 00:01:48,760 Speaker 1: So the best moment of the whole cluster fuckery was 29 00:01:49,120 --> 00:01:53,640 Speaker 1: Elon Musk said, so I think it's really important and representative. 30 00:01:54,040 --> 00:01:59,120 Speaker 1: Caesar had this really good point, which was Elon Musk 31 00:01:59,200 --> 00:02:02,480 Speaker 1: is looking in to these sixty five dollars a day 32 00:02:03,120 --> 00:02:06,640 Speaker 1: that grandmothers get the sort of very low payments, and 33 00:02:06,760 --> 00:02:08,960 Speaker 1: Elon Musk gets eight million dollars a day. But the 34 00:02:09,040 --> 00:02:12,800 Speaker 1: thing I wanted to talk about was Elon Musk. So 35 00:02:13,560 --> 00:02:15,360 Speaker 1: he was asked by a journalist, how can we make 36 00:02:15,400 --> 00:02:18,880 Speaker 1: sure that all the statements that you said were correct 37 00:02:19,160 --> 00:02:21,160 Speaker 1: so we can trust what you say? And he said, 38 00:02:21,200 --> 00:02:23,440 Speaker 1: some of the things I say will be incorrect and 39 00:02:23,440 --> 00:02:28,640 Speaker 1: should be corrected. Okay, I mean, please visit me in 40 00:02:28,680 --> 00:02:29,320 Speaker 1: a pineapple. 41 00:02:29,400 --> 00:02:31,480 Speaker 3: Under this, say, one would think the guy who does 42 00:02:31,560 --> 00:02:35,120 Speaker 3: everything he had to get journalistic outlets the funded and 43 00:02:35,440 --> 00:02:39,480 Speaker 3: make sure that voices that dissemboated against him get smushed. 44 00:02:39,600 --> 00:02:42,040 Speaker 3: Really feels that way, so seriously, it came from the 45 00:02:42,040 --> 00:02:42,920 Speaker 3: bottom of his heart. 46 00:02:43,000 --> 00:02:48,360 Speaker 1: I think some things I say maybe incorrect, they may 47 00:02:48,440 --> 00:02:48,880 Speaker 1: be wrong. 48 00:02:49,240 --> 00:02:51,680 Speaker 3: But what you were really taken by, Molly was little 49 00:02:51,760 --> 00:02:54,080 Speaker 3: Lex picking his nose next to Donald Trump and Donald 50 00:02:54,080 --> 00:02:55,919 Speaker 3: Trump just looking so happy about it. 51 00:02:56,280 --> 00:02:56,520 Speaker 2: Yeah. 52 00:02:56,600 --> 00:03:00,919 Speaker 1: I mean he is known to love children and germiness, 53 00:03:01,160 --> 00:03:03,440 Speaker 1: so that makes a lot of sense. 54 00:03:03,800 --> 00:03:07,560 Speaker 3: So Trump promised on day one that he would bring 55 00:03:07,639 --> 00:03:11,079 Speaker 3: down prices, and so he got his first economics report 56 00:03:11,240 --> 00:03:13,680 Speaker 3: a few weeks into office. Millian, I'm going to shock 57 00:03:13,720 --> 00:03:14,919 Speaker 3: you here. He didn't do it. 58 00:03:15,160 --> 00:03:15,480 Speaker 2: Yeah. 59 00:03:15,600 --> 00:03:17,200 Speaker 1: I want to point out that I went to go 60 00:03:17,240 --> 00:03:19,959 Speaker 1: get eggs today because I couldn't get eggs on Fresh 61 00:03:20,040 --> 00:03:22,720 Speaker 1: Direct because they were sold out, something I have not 62 00:03:23,000 --> 00:03:24,440 Speaker 1: experienced since the pandemic. 63 00:03:24,880 --> 00:03:26,440 Speaker 2: And there was a little. 64 00:03:26,160 --> 00:03:29,840 Speaker 1: Sign at the grocery store which said eggs are more expensive. 65 00:03:30,400 --> 00:03:32,680 Speaker 1: Remember when Donald Trump said he was going to make 66 00:03:32,680 --> 00:03:35,720 Speaker 1: eggs cheaper. Yeah, inflation has ticked up to three percent 67 00:03:35,760 --> 00:03:38,080 Speaker 1: from two and a half. That is the wrong direction. 68 00:03:38,400 --> 00:03:41,320 Speaker 1: He wanted to go down. In case you're wondering, up 69 00:03:41,440 --> 00:03:44,480 Speaker 1: is bad and down is good when it comes to inflation. Trump, 70 00:03:44,520 --> 00:03:48,240 Speaker 1: He's continuing on with tariffs, with the steel tariffs, he 71 00:03:48,320 --> 00:03:51,080 Speaker 1: has some of these. You know, we'th ten percent extra 72 00:03:51,120 --> 00:03:54,480 Speaker 1: on China tariffs. Look, the tariffs are going. You have 73 00:03:54,600 --> 00:03:59,400 Speaker 1: Trump fundamentally misunderstanding the tariffs do not, in fact make 74 00:03:59,480 --> 00:04:02,720 Speaker 1: money for the government. I don't know how many times 75 00:04:02,720 --> 00:04:05,440 Speaker 1: people must have explained to him how tariffs work, but 76 00:04:05,480 --> 00:04:08,520 Speaker 1: he seems still not to get it. I wonder what 77 00:04:08,720 --> 00:04:12,560 Speaker 1: inflation will have to tick up too before he gets it. 78 00:04:12,760 --> 00:04:14,760 Speaker 3: You'll be shocked to hear his response to all this 79 00:04:14,920 --> 00:04:17,000 Speaker 3: is to tweet Biden inflation. 80 00:04:16,839 --> 00:04:19,440 Speaker 1: Up, Yes, Biden inflation up. 81 00:04:19,680 --> 00:04:19,880 Speaker 4: Yes. 82 00:04:20,120 --> 00:04:23,360 Speaker 1: Donald Trump wants us to know that even though Biden 83 00:04:23,480 --> 00:04:26,040 Speaker 1: is not president, he is still president. 84 00:04:26,360 --> 00:04:30,240 Speaker 3: Yeah, obviously everything bad is Biden's president. Well, you know 85 00:04:31,040 --> 00:04:34,279 Speaker 3: I have read the QAnon post two so as well. 86 00:04:34,360 --> 00:04:39,560 Speaker 3: We last discussed on Sunday that Elon and JD were 87 00:04:40,080 --> 00:04:43,440 Speaker 3: starting to talk about disobeying judges, and now Trump of 88 00:04:43,480 --> 00:04:45,320 Speaker 3: course has to tick to the next level and he's 89 00:04:45,360 --> 00:04:46,000 Speaker 3: threatening them. 90 00:04:46,240 --> 00:04:46,400 Speaker 5: Yeah. 91 00:04:46,400 --> 00:04:50,320 Speaker 1: I'm shocked. I am shocked that Donald Trump is doing this. 92 00:04:50,480 --> 00:04:53,520 Speaker 1: Who could have seen this coming? Certainly not me. 93 00:04:53,839 --> 00:04:57,120 Speaker 4: This guy esc going things. 94 00:04:56,080 --> 00:05:00,480 Speaker 1: Never so he openly threatens judges who block his orders, 95 00:05:00,520 --> 00:05:05,159 Speaker 1: like we shouldn't be surprised. He openly threatened Congress people, 96 00:05:05,400 --> 00:05:10,680 Speaker 1: He's openly threatened senators. He's openly threatened people we know 97 00:05:10,839 --> 00:05:13,720 Speaker 1: and love. I mean, this is like the this is 98 00:05:13,839 --> 00:05:17,400 Speaker 1: the way he does it. He's this is Donald Trump's 99 00:05:17,640 --> 00:05:19,920 Speaker 1: thing is if you can't get people to do what 100 00:05:19,960 --> 00:05:22,960 Speaker 1: you want, then you threatened them. He's openly threatened Mexico 101 00:05:23,240 --> 00:05:26,719 Speaker 1: and Canada. And I mean, if you had a I mean, 102 00:05:27,160 --> 00:05:29,960 Speaker 1: isn't there a list of all the people he's threatened? 103 00:05:30,000 --> 00:05:32,120 Speaker 1: And you know this is his this is the way 104 00:05:32,160 --> 00:05:35,400 Speaker 1: he works. So the question is, and I think this 105 00:05:35,480 --> 00:05:38,920 Speaker 1: is a real question, is will these judges be brave? 106 00:05:39,400 --> 00:05:43,440 Speaker 1: Will these judges be safe? Well, I mean remember Donald 107 00:05:43,440 --> 00:05:48,400 Speaker 1: Trump has pardoned January sixth riders, So he's pardoned people 108 00:05:48,440 --> 00:05:51,840 Speaker 1: who committed violence in his name. When you look at 109 00:05:51,960 --> 00:05:55,800 Speaker 1: the way autocracies grow, it tends to be that the 110 00:05:56,040 --> 00:06:01,240 Speaker 1: autocrat wants to have a sort of defact military, a 111 00:06:01,320 --> 00:06:05,840 Speaker 1: militia that is oil only to him. So you could 112 00:06:06,040 --> 00:06:10,440 Speaker 1: see where this. You know, these people could be heard 113 00:06:10,560 --> 00:06:12,880 Speaker 1: and that's a real thing that could happen, and that 114 00:06:13,120 --> 00:06:16,960 Speaker 1: historically has happened. So I'll be watching to hope that 115 00:06:16,960 --> 00:06:20,200 Speaker 1: that does not happen, because you know, once you go 116 00:06:20,320 --> 00:06:24,440 Speaker 1: down that road of disassembling the norms and institutions that 117 00:06:24,480 --> 00:06:27,159 Speaker 1: have kept us safe for so many years, you know, 118 00:06:27,360 --> 00:06:28,920 Speaker 1: I don't know how you put the genie back in 119 00:06:28,960 --> 00:06:29,440 Speaker 1: the bottle. 120 00:06:29,800 --> 00:06:32,919 Speaker 3: That I do not know either, speaking of genies that 121 00:06:32,960 --> 00:06:35,640 Speaker 3: are in a bottle for now to see, Gabbert has 122 00:06:35,680 --> 00:06:38,840 Speaker 3: been confirmed in will Mitch McConnell the only Republican to 123 00:06:38,920 --> 00:06:39,680 Speaker 3: vote against her. 124 00:06:40,120 --> 00:06:44,080 Speaker 1: Welcome to the Resistance, Mitch McConnell. He created the world 125 00:06:44,279 --> 00:06:47,440 Speaker 1: in which Donald Trump was able to become president. Anytime 126 00:06:47,520 --> 00:06:50,400 Speaker 1: you want to have any kind of pity for this 127 00:06:50,520 --> 00:06:53,440 Speaker 1: man who is now in a terrible position that he 128 00:06:53,480 --> 00:06:57,799 Speaker 1: put himself in, you can remind yourself that literally, none 129 00:06:57,800 --> 00:07:01,320 Speaker 1: of this would be possible without Mitch mcconne, none of it. 130 00:07:06,400 --> 00:07:09,200 Speaker 1: Charlie Sykes is the author of the Newsletter to the 131 00:07:09,279 --> 00:07:12,880 Speaker 1: Contrary and the book How the Right Lost Its Mind. 132 00:07:13,200 --> 00:07:17,240 Speaker 1: Welcome back to Fast Politics, Charlie Sykes. 133 00:07:17,600 --> 00:07:19,440 Speaker 4: Molly, good to be back with you. Are you not 134 00:07:19,680 --> 00:07:20,440 Speaker 4: entertained yet? 135 00:07:20,600 --> 00:07:24,240 Speaker 1: We're having this discussion as the answer to the question 136 00:07:24,960 --> 00:07:25,720 Speaker 1: how are you? 137 00:07:26,440 --> 00:07:28,320 Speaker 4: This is a hard question. You know, you don't want 138 00:07:28,360 --> 00:07:31,080 Speaker 4: to say, Hey, I'm living the dream. Things are going great. 139 00:07:31,240 --> 00:07:34,000 Speaker 4: It's like, Okay, my hair is actually not on fire. 140 00:07:34,360 --> 00:07:37,920 Speaker 4: You know, I haven't had an aneurysm today reading the news, 141 00:07:37,920 --> 00:07:40,160 Speaker 4: so I suppose that we're getting through it. 142 00:07:40,360 --> 00:07:44,640 Speaker 1: But damn, damn exactly. I mean, I spent the last 143 00:07:44,840 --> 00:07:52,000 Speaker 1: hour watching the Doge hearing on C on C Span three. 144 00:07:52,320 --> 00:07:55,120 Speaker 1: Did you know that there's a C Span three? I 145 00:07:55,200 --> 00:07:57,200 Speaker 1: did because you Span junkie, but. 146 00:07:57,520 --> 00:08:01,880 Speaker 4: I usually watch C spent Ocho. Hey, that's a really 147 00:08:01,920 --> 00:08:03,880 Speaker 4: inside joke that nobody remembers anymore. 148 00:08:04,200 --> 00:08:06,760 Speaker 1: I don't remember it, but I laughed because I'm polite. 149 00:08:07,080 --> 00:08:10,280 Speaker 4: Yeah, So for Lent, I'm going to give up watching 150 00:08:10,360 --> 00:08:14,000 Speaker 4: Doge hearings and all of those things. Is it Lent yet? 151 00:08:14,040 --> 00:08:14,400 Speaker 3: Please? 152 00:08:14,880 --> 00:08:16,000 Speaker 4: I just need to give it up. 153 00:08:16,160 --> 00:08:19,280 Speaker 1: It will not be hard. Let me tell you what was. 154 00:08:19,280 --> 00:08:21,800 Speaker 4: The highlight, because I actually am somewhat curious after that. 155 00:08:22,040 --> 00:08:24,720 Speaker 4: I'm looking at the picture from the Oval Office yesterday 156 00:08:25,160 --> 00:08:28,200 Speaker 4: that Laurence o'donald said, he's like the most humiliating, the 157 00:08:28,200 --> 00:08:30,360 Speaker 4: most powerless image of a president of the United States 158 00:08:30,400 --> 00:08:34,480 Speaker 4: ever created by camera, where there's a sulking Donald Trump 159 00:08:34,520 --> 00:08:38,679 Speaker 4: sitting there with Elon Musk and one of his progeny. 160 00:08:38,920 --> 00:08:43,280 Speaker 4: We live in Elon Musk's ketamine soaked world. Don't West, 161 00:08:43,520 --> 00:08:44,280 Speaker 4: do you learn anything? 162 00:08:44,640 --> 00:08:47,040 Speaker 1: I watched this hearing, I turned it on. You know 163 00:08:47,120 --> 00:08:51,559 Speaker 1: what's so interesting about watching a full congressional hearing versus 164 00:08:51,600 --> 00:08:54,960 Speaker 1: like seeing the clips, which we're also used to, is 165 00:08:55,000 --> 00:08:59,480 Speaker 1: that they're quite boring. And even the most insane member 166 00:08:59,520 --> 00:09:02,880 Speaker 1: of Congress has many minutes of saying things that are 167 00:09:03,280 --> 00:09:07,000 Speaker 1: maybe not brilliant and maybe not what you agree with, 168 00:09:07,080 --> 00:09:10,480 Speaker 1: but quite boring. So this is a Marjorie Taylor Green. 169 00:09:10,880 --> 00:09:14,200 Speaker 1: She leads this committee, if you can believe it. And 170 00:09:14,280 --> 00:09:18,160 Speaker 1: so she gave the opening statement, which was, you know, 171 00:09:18,360 --> 00:09:25,079 Speaker 1: I mean ironic. Perhaps she complained about political theater. 172 00:09:25,440 --> 00:09:27,920 Speaker 4: Can I give you the bad news, like right up front? Please, 173 00:09:28,600 --> 00:09:34,320 Speaker 4: You're never gonna get those brain cells back, Molly thy god, 174 00:09:35,040 --> 00:09:38,760 Speaker 4: you will never get the brain cells back. I would 175 00:09:38,760 --> 00:09:42,280 Speaker 4: sit and watch a Marjorie Taylor Green hearing except that 176 00:09:42,320 --> 00:09:45,520 Speaker 4: I have I don't know root canal surgery. I have 177 00:09:45,559 --> 00:09:48,719 Speaker 4: an appointment to have all my fingernail pulled out. I'm 178 00:09:48,760 --> 00:09:50,880 Speaker 4: thinking of some other things, but I don't know. I 179 00:09:50,960 --> 00:09:53,959 Speaker 4: want fire iNTS to eat my scrotum. 180 00:09:53,640 --> 00:09:54,760 Speaker 2: I mean anything. 181 00:09:55,679 --> 00:09:57,440 Speaker 4: Can I tell you my favorite story. Can we just 182 00:09:57,559 --> 00:09:59,360 Speaker 4: like change the money here because it's getting kind of 183 00:09:59,440 --> 00:10:00,480 Speaker 4: getting cut, kind of dark. 184 00:10:00,480 --> 00:10:03,160 Speaker 1: We'll stop talking about politics. It's too dark. 185 00:10:03,480 --> 00:10:07,520 Speaker 4: Go on, Yes it's about politics. But I actually find 186 00:10:07,520 --> 00:10:09,000 Speaker 4: one of the ways to stay saying is to go 187 00:10:09,040 --> 00:10:11,320 Speaker 4: to the bottom story of the day. They actually like 188 00:10:11,400 --> 00:10:13,439 Speaker 4: to you know, like it's not going to be the 189 00:10:13,520 --> 00:10:14,960 Speaker 4: end of the world. We're not gonna have a nuclear 190 00:10:15,000 --> 00:10:18,520 Speaker 4: holocaust about it. It doesn't involve ethnic cleansing or anything 191 00:10:18,559 --> 00:10:20,720 Speaker 4: like that. So this one, I think is kind of 192 00:10:20,720 --> 00:10:23,160 Speaker 4: beyond parody. You see the story that the White House 193 00:10:23,200 --> 00:10:26,520 Speaker 4: barred the AP reporter from the Oval Office, the Associated 194 00:10:26,520 --> 00:10:30,480 Speaker 4: Press reporter. Did you read the explanation? Why see? I 195 00:10:30,520 --> 00:10:32,600 Speaker 4: saw the headline and I thought, you know, this is 196 00:10:32,679 --> 00:10:36,520 Speaker 4: inside media baseball. Nobody cares, okay, so one reporter gets in, 197 00:10:36,600 --> 00:10:40,120 Speaker 4: one reporter doesn't. And then you read the details. The 198 00:10:40,160 --> 00:10:43,680 Speaker 4: White House blocked an Associated Press reporter from an event 199 00:10:43,720 --> 00:10:46,760 Speaker 4: in the Oval Office after demanding the news acn see 200 00:10:47,000 --> 00:10:50,880 Speaker 4: alter its style on the Gulf of Mexico, which President 201 00:10:50,920 --> 00:10:55,239 Speaker 4: Trump insists be renamed the Gulf of America. That's right, baby, 202 00:10:55,720 --> 00:10:58,440 Speaker 4: So much free speech, so much free speech. So now 203 00:10:58,520 --> 00:11:04,600 Speaker 4: we have the media required to use the government sanctioned language, 204 00:11:04,600 --> 00:11:08,480 Speaker 4: and if you do not use the terms from Big Orange, 205 00:11:09,080 --> 00:11:09,640 Speaker 4: you're out. 206 00:11:10,040 --> 00:11:13,880 Speaker 1: So I mean, America, Golf of America. You can't, you know, 207 00:11:14,040 --> 00:11:16,760 Speaker 1: you gotta you gotta use it. You gotta use it, 208 00:11:16,800 --> 00:11:18,880 Speaker 1: Gulf of America or else, big trouble. 209 00:11:19,120 --> 00:11:20,680 Speaker 4: The reporter is n't have to stand around in a 210 00:11:20,720 --> 00:11:23,160 Speaker 4: circle and somebody points to them and goes, what is 211 00:11:23,200 --> 00:11:25,480 Speaker 4: it called? Gulf of America, sir? Gulf of America, man, 212 00:11:25,559 --> 00:11:28,440 Speaker 4: Gulf of America. I mean, is this the new the 213 00:11:28,480 --> 00:11:29,040 Speaker 4: new normal? 214 00:11:29,280 --> 00:11:32,560 Speaker 1: Yes, yes it is. And also I have to tell 215 00:11:32,640 --> 00:11:36,960 Speaker 1: you that is maybe not as disturbing as what I noticed. 216 00:11:37,080 --> 00:11:39,960 Speaker 1: I mean, look, Golf of America. It's very stupid, but 217 00:11:40,240 --> 00:11:43,440 Speaker 1: I think it's largely harmless. Maybe I'm wrong, maybe there's 218 00:11:43,440 --> 00:11:45,280 Speaker 1: some manifest destiny. 219 00:11:45,440 --> 00:11:46,800 Speaker 4: It's all relative, right. 220 00:11:46,720 --> 00:11:51,120 Speaker 1: Right, relative, it's relatively harmless. But last afternoon in the 221 00:11:51,120 --> 00:11:52,760 Speaker 1: Oval and his kid. 222 00:11:53,040 --> 00:11:55,360 Speaker 2: You know, it's so funny. It's like, as a working mom. 223 00:11:55,600 --> 00:11:58,160 Speaker 1: Do you know how many times working moms, you know, 224 00:11:58,440 --> 00:12:01,320 Speaker 1: the babysitter doesn't show up and you have the kid 225 00:12:01,520 --> 00:12:04,200 Speaker 1: and you have to bring it. And here's Elon, who 226 00:12:04,200 --> 00:12:06,800 Speaker 1: has like the richest man in the World a staff 227 00:12:06,880 --> 00:12:10,120 Speaker 1: of like, you know, I'm sure, I mean, maybe he doesn't, but. 228 00:12:10,080 --> 00:12:13,640 Speaker 2: I would assume he has many child options. 229 00:12:13,840 --> 00:12:15,559 Speaker 4: Yeah, you can definitely for childcare. 230 00:12:15,760 --> 00:12:19,640 Speaker 1: Yeah, just dragging that kid around pretty amazing. But what 231 00:12:19,800 --> 00:12:23,960 Speaker 1: actually got me really agitated last night was that Elon 232 00:12:24,120 --> 00:12:26,960 Speaker 1: was talking about how this was important for democracy. 233 00:12:27,400 --> 00:12:30,040 Speaker 4: Of course, at the risk of becoming a little serious, 234 00:12:30,120 --> 00:12:32,120 Speaker 4: I think that one of the things that's really interesting 235 00:12:32,480 --> 00:12:35,760 Speaker 4: is watching as this process goes on, how how language 236 00:12:35,840 --> 00:12:38,520 Speaker 4: is drained of its meaning. And again, this is not 237 00:12:38,640 --> 00:12:41,320 Speaker 4: something that was not predicted. I mean, George o'well wrote 238 00:12:41,320 --> 00:12:44,240 Speaker 4: about this, but all of the language of democracy, the 239 00:12:44,679 --> 00:12:49,480 Speaker 4: forms of democracy, the rituals of democracy used to underline 240 00:12:49,480 --> 00:12:53,000 Speaker 4: and destroy democracy. And we're watching this in real time 241 00:12:53,160 --> 00:12:55,760 Speaker 4: and it is it is almost like watching a like 242 00:12:55,800 --> 00:12:59,400 Speaker 4: a fictional account of and how would the media report this, 243 00:12:59,559 --> 00:13:02,280 Speaker 4: what would this look like? How would the news report 244 00:13:02,280 --> 00:13:04,800 Speaker 4: this sort of thing? And we are seeing he had 245 00:13:05,040 --> 00:13:07,959 Speaker 4: Elon must talking about democracy and transparency. 246 00:13:08,320 --> 00:13:12,440 Speaker 1: He said, restoring democracy. That was what he said. He's 247 00:13:12,559 --> 00:13:17,480 Speaker 1: restoring democracy. I guess from Trump's first term. I don't know, 248 00:13:17,559 --> 00:13:19,440 Speaker 1: you know, there's a continue Yes. 249 00:13:19,520 --> 00:13:22,960 Speaker 4: How many votes did he get? By the way, I mean, yes, 250 00:13:23,160 --> 00:13:24,840 Speaker 4: I mean, I know this is going to get old, 251 00:13:24,880 --> 00:13:26,560 Speaker 4: but it's not going to get old for me. Who 252 00:13:26,559 --> 00:13:30,120 Speaker 4: elected Elon Musk. I love listening to these guys talk 253 00:13:30,120 --> 00:13:34,480 Speaker 4: about the unelected bureaucrats. And you know, the most powerful 254 00:13:34,520 --> 00:13:38,240 Speaker 4: unelected bureaucrat in history, of course is Elon Musk, right. 255 00:13:38,200 --> 00:13:40,599 Speaker 1: Made rich through government subsidies. 256 00:13:40,920 --> 00:13:42,959 Speaker 4: Yes, and and by the way, apparently he's going to 257 00:13:43,000 --> 00:13:46,000 Speaker 4: self police all of his conflicts of interest. 258 00:13:46,400 --> 00:13:47,120 Speaker 1: I trust him. 259 00:13:47,280 --> 00:13:48,080 Speaker 2: Why would he lie? 260 00:13:48,440 --> 00:13:52,120 Speaker 4: Why would he lie? So my newsletter to the country 261 00:13:52,160 --> 00:13:55,520 Speaker 4: newsletter today is you know, making America corrupt again. And 262 00:13:55,559 --> 00:13:57,440 Speaker 4: it's like, you list all the things that Trump has 263 00:13:57,480 --> 00:13:59,440 Speaker 4: done over the last I mean, nobody should be surprised 264 00:13:59,440 --> 00:14:02,439 Speaker 4: by any of them, right, but but it is kind 265 00:14:02,440 --> 00:14:07,240 Speaker 4: of amazing that you just run through the pardons of 266 00:14:07,320 --> 00:14:11,560 Speaker 4: Eric Adams, the pardons of Rod Bogoyevitch, you know, firing 267 00:14:11,679 --> 00:14:15,680 Speaker 4: the the head of the Office of Government Ethics, saying 268 00:14:15,720 --> 00:14:18,760 Speaker 4: we're not going to enforce the law against you know, bribery, 269 00:14:18,960 --> 00:14:22,280 Speaker 4: you know formula, all those things, and then there's Elon 270 00:14:22,400 --> 00:14:26,120 Speaker 4: Musk standing there and it's like holding my beer, you know, 271 00:14:26,400 --> 00:14:29,760 Speaker 4: I mean, I am the biggest moocher in America right now. 272 00:14:29,960 --> 00:14:32,400 Speaker 4: This is this is a conflict of interest that is 273 00:14:32,440 --> 00:14:35,040 Speaker 4: like a biblical scale, and we're at the point now 274 00:14:35,320 --> 00:14:37,520 Speaker 4: it's kind of shrugging about we're probably gonna get through 275 00:14:37,520 --> 00:14:40,440 Speaker 4: this entire podcast without talking about the fact that apparently 276 00:14:40,480 --> 00:14:46,440 Speaker 4: Cash Battel perjured himself the FBI, because that's like, so 277 00:14:46,560 --> 00:14:47,840 Speaker 4: a member of Donald. 278 00:14:47,560 --> 00:14:50,360 Speaker 1: Trump's yes, go on, go go go. 279 00:14:50,560 --> 00:14:54,040 Speaker 4: I member, a member of Donald Trump's cabinet of future 280 00:14:54,080 --> 00:14:57,120 Speaker 4: felons actually perjured himself because it was a day that 281 00:14:57,240 --> 00:14:59,000 Speaker 4: ends and why I mean that that's where we're at 282 00:14:59,080 --> 00:15:00,360 Speaker 4: here right Yes. 283 00:15:00,520 --> 00:15:03,960 Speaker 1: I mean that was, by the way, an incredible, incredible scoop. 284 00:15:04,080 --> 00:15:07,440 Speaker 1: I was on Nicole yesterday. We love Nicole, one of 285 00:15:07,440 --> 00:15:10,040 Speaker 1: the greats. You and I are both big Nicole fans. 286 00:15:10,360 --> 00:15:13,680 Speaker 1: And Dick Derbin was on in the middle and he 287 00:15:13,840 --> 00:15:19,120 Speaker 1: was talking ashion faced right talking about how Cash Patel 288 00:15:19,320 --> 00:15:23,480 Speaker 1: they had an FBI member go to the whistleblower to 289 00:15:23,760 --> 00:15:28,480 Speaker 1: talk about how he had seen Cash Pattel perjer himself. 290 00:15:28,240 --> 00:15:32,160 Speaker 4: And it won't matter the woke FBI, Yeah, it won't matter. 291 00:15:32,360 --> 00:15:34,920 Speaker 4: This is where we're at right now. So did Dick 292 00:15:34,960 --> 00:15:38,640 Speaker 4: Durbin provide any indication that Okay, now we Democrats are 293 00:15:38,640 --> 00:15:39,760 Speaker 4: going to do something about this. 294 00:15:40,120 --> 00:15:44,680 Speaker 1: No, in fact, he said there's something easy. But he did, 295 00:15:44,720 --> 00:15:47,240 Speaker 1: in fact say there's really nothing we could do. I 296 00:15:47,280 --> 00:15:51,520 Speaker 1: was like, okay, but we laugh to keep from crying. 297 00:15:51,800 --> 00:15:54,960 Speaker 1: And also I would like to add, I do think 298 00:15:54,960 --> 00:15:57,720 Speaker 1: it's good. I want to say something a little bit 299 00:15:57,800 --> 00:16:00,960 Speaker 1: nice about Democrats. Please. I know that's not in vogue 300 00:16:01,000 --> 00:16:03,000 Speaker 1: right now, but it is good that they set up 301 00:16:03,040 --> 00:16:04,880 Speaker 1: a whistleblower line. 302 00:16:05,400 --> 00:16:07,440 Speaker 4: Yes, no, I mean those are the kinds of things 303 00:16:07,440 --> 00:16:09,600 Speaker 4: that you need to do, the problem is that all 304 00:16:09,640 --> 00:16:12,800 Speaker 4: the mechanisms are collapsing. So I mean this this comes 305 00:16:12,840 --> 00:16:16,400 Speaker 4: back to, you know, what everybody is talking about, because 306 00:16:16,640 --> 00:16:19,200 Speaker 4: it is I think the biggest question what happens if 307 00:16:19,240 --> 00:16:22,400 Speaker 4: the administration ignores the courts, because right now the only 308 00:16:22,440 --> 00:16:25,680 Speaker 4: guardrail that is left that's going to stop this or 309 00:16:25,680 --> 00:16:28,760 Speaker 4: hold him accountable is the federal judiciary and the US 310 00:16:28,960 --> 00:16:31,560 Speaker 4: Supreme Court. But there's you know, and I am I'm 311 00:16:31,560 --> 00:16:34,480 Speaker 4: not as cautiously optimistic as my friend David French is 312 00:16:34,480 --> 00:16:37,880 Speaker 4: about the Supreme Court. But the larger question. You can 313 00:16:37,920 --> 00:16:41,040 Speaker 4: see that MAGA is already gearing up to say that 314 00:16:41,200 --> 00:16:44,200 Speaker 4: you know, you made your ruling. You enforce it. JD. 315 00:16:44,360 --> 00:16:46,640 Speaker 4: Vance is out there. Hey, by the way, can I 316 00:16:46,640 --> 00:16:48,080 Speaker 4: just mention that my Jada Advance? 317 00:16:48,240 --> 00:16:50,120 Speaker 2: Wow, that fucking guy. 318 00:16:50,360 --> 00:16:52,640 Speaker 4: Oh yeah, that fucking guy. What a shitty week, heesa, 319 00:16:52,640 --> 00:16:53,000 Speaker 4: haven't it? 320 00:16:53,040 --> 00:16:54,040 Speaker 2: Wait? Tell me why? 321 00:16:54,360 --> 00:16:57,320 Speaker 4: Three things? I mean? Number one, during that Super Bowl interview, 322 00:16:57,400 --> 00:17:00,560 Speaker 4: Donald Trump throws him under the bus, right, not go 323 00:17:00,640 --> 00:17:04,920 Speaker 4: on yet, not my success. But then yesterday JD. Vans 324 00:17:05,400 --> 00:17:10,200 Speaker 4: gets bitch slapped by are you ready for this? The 325 00:17:10,359 --> 00:17:15,040 Speaker 4: Pope and the ABA, the American Bar Association, which is 326 00:17:15,200 --> 00:17:17,639 Speaker 4: a long statement about you know, how we ought to 327 00:17:17,680 --> 00:17:19,320 Speaker 4: respect the rule of love. But let's go back to 328 00:17:19,359 --> 00:17:22,359 Speaker 4: the Pope, because JD. Vans was giving us the gospel 329 00:17:22,400 --> 00:17:25,200 Speaker 4: according to JD. Vans, you know, the order of Love, 330 00:17:25,520 --> 00:17:27,560 Speaker 4: which meant that we can basically fuck over the rest 331 00:17:27,600 --> 00:17:29,560 Speaker 4: of the world and as long as we take care 332 00:17:29,600 --> 00:17:33,080 Speaker 4: of our own family. And JD. Vans is like, mister Catholic, 333 00:17:33,200 --> 00:17:37,199 Speaker 4: I am a Catholic, a Roman Catholic. The Pope himself 334 00:17:37,600 --> 00:17:41,080 Speaker 4: issues a letter basically saying JD. You're full of shit 335 00:17:41,600 --> 00:17:44,119 Speaker 4: and reminding him of the parable of the Good Samaritan, 336 00:17:44,600 --> 00:17:47,439 Speaker 4: which means, of course that maga which is all about 337 00:17:47,600 --> 00:17:50,080 Speaker 4: God and religion and Christianity is going to have to 338 00:17:50,080 --> 00:17:53,159 Speaker 4: go to war with the Church. And I am personally 339 00:17:53,240 --> 00:17:56,160 Speaker 4: sitting here waiting. I would love to hear with Cardinal 340 00:17:56,160 --> 00:18:00,040 Speaker 4: Timothy Dolan, who's been sipping up to Donald Trump and 341 00:18:00,119 --> 00:18:03,480 Speaker 4: actually is a longtime friend of mine. I would like 342 00:18:03,520 --> 00:18:09,520 Speaker 4: to know, So, Cardinal Dolan, damn, we're going here. You're 343 00:18:09,560 --> 00:18:11,960 Speaker 4: going going with your new buddy Donald or with the 344 00:18:12,040 --> 00:18:16,240 Speaker 4: Pope who is saying that Donald and jd are full 345 00:18:16,280 --> 00:18:18,040 Speaker 4: of shit? I just really want to know the answer 346 00:18:18,119 --> 00:18:18,280 Speaker 4: to this. 347 00:18:18,359 --> 00:18:23,040 Speaker 1: I really yeah, I'm not hard to imagine that. Is 348 00:18:23,080 --> 00:18:25,760 Speaker 1: he allowed to say no to Trump? 349 00:18:26,040 --> 00:18:28,000 Speaker 4: Well, I don't know. Is he allowed to say no 350 00:18:28,160 --> 00:18:32,399 Speaker 4: to the Pope? Is the Catholic See Molly, you hear 351 00:18:32,440 --> 00:18:35,480 Speaker 4: the thing about the Catholic Church. They had this hierarchy 352 00:18:35,560 --> 00:18:39,280 Speaker 4: thing and there's all kinds of like traditions and stuff. Now, 353 00:18:39,480 --> 00:18:42,120 Speaker 4: I do understand that for a lot of Catholics that 354 00:18:42,320 --> 00:18:44,720 Speaker 4: we of course will obey the pope as long as 355 00:18:44,760 --> 00:18:47,080 Speaker 4: we agree with him. But if he breaks with say 356 00:18:47,119 --> 00:18:49,639 Speaker 4: Donald Trump, you know that's a bridge too far. So 357 00:18:49,920 --> 00:18:52,280 Speaker 4: you know, I don't expect that you'll see like a 358 00:18:52,400 --> 00:18:56,880 Speaker 4: mass rethinking of Christian doctrine as a result of all 359 00:18:56,920 --> 00:18:58,880 Speaker 4: of this, like, I'm still in favor of these mass 360 00:18:58,960 --> 00:19:04,119 Speaker 4: deportations because of John twenty three of whatever. I just 361 00:19:04,200 --> 00:19:06,880 Speaker 4: I really do would like to know. I wouldn't would 362 00:19:07,160 --> 00:19:11,280 Speaker 4: kill my brain cells kill me. In the Gospel according 363 00:19:11,280 --> 00:19:15,679 Speaker 4: to Luke, where Jesus talks about why mass deportations are 364 00:19:15,720 --> 00:19:21,400 Speaker 4: a good thing because generally deportations are negatively portrayed. Okay, 365 00:19:21,400 --> 00:19:22,720 Speaker 4: I'm getting on the Bible. 366 00:19:22,800 --> 00:19:25,199 Speaker 1: Yeah they are getting a little biblical here, but yes, no, 367 00:19:25,680 --> 00:19:29,439 Speaker 1: a really good point about you never want the pope 368 00:19:29,720 --> 00:19:32,560 Speaker 1: to be subtweeting you. I mean that is a sign 369 00:19:32,600 --> 00:19:34,480 Speaker 1: that things have gone horribly sideways. 370 00:19:34,840 --> 00:19:37,560 Speaker 4: I think that's fair, mister Catholic. I mean, you know, 371 00:19:37,640 --> 00:19:39,560 Speaker 4: I mean a lot of people wouldn't care at all 372 00:19:39,640 --> 00:19:42,320 Speaker 4: about that. But given the fact that they've wrapped themselves, 373 00:19:42,359 --> 00:19:45,000 Speaker 4: and what would Jesus do? And here you have the 374 00:19:45,040 --> 00:19:47,680 Speaker 4: Pope going, excuse me, mister Frans, you asked what would 375 00:19:47,720 --> 00:19:52,600 Speaker 4: Jesus do? Jesus would not do this. Yes, no, he wouldn't. 376 00:19:52,280 --> 00:19:56,520 Speaker 1: Say yes, yes, no. Listen, I watched conclave, so I 377 00:19:56,560 --> 00:19:58,200 Speaker 1: know all about Catholicism. 378 00:19:58,640 --> 00:20:00,920 Speaker 4: Okay, good, I have to. 379 00:20:00,840 --> 00:20:02,800 Speaker 1: Say, I really it was quite I thought it was 380 00:20:02,880 --> 00:20:05,000 Speaker 1: very good. But I'm not a Catholic. But I do 381 00:20:05,040 --> 00:20:08,040 Speaker 1: think what you're saying is really important that while this 382 00:20:08,119 --> 00:20:11,520 Speaker 1: is going on and there's a lot of criticism, there's 383 00:20:11,640 --> 00:20:14,280 Speaker 1: you know, people are really mad, mad at the Democrats, 384 00:20:14,280 --> 00:20:18,240 Speaker 1: mad at the Republicans, mad about the sort of all 385 00:20:18,280 --> 00:20:20,960 Speaker 1: of it. But and the Pope is mad with good reason. 386 00:20:21,000 --> 00:20:23,719 Speaker 1: But I wonder as we're sort of looking at this, 387 00:20:24,000 --> 00:20:26,600 Speaker 1: I'm going to say something that's that is actually keeping 388 00:20:26,600 --> 00:20:29,680 Speaker 1: me up at night, which is Trump's polling is still 389 00:20:30,000 --> 00:20:31,680 Speaker 1: not as bad as it should be. 390 00:20:32,119 --> 00:20:34,000 Speaker 4: Discuss Okay, Yeah. 391 00:20:34,000 --> 00:20:35,280 Speaker 1: Isn't that upsetting you? Like? 392 00:20:35,320 --> 00:20:36,320 Speaker 4: Did you see that? Agay? 393 00:20:36,400 --> 00:20:36,639 Speaker 5: Like what? 394 00:20:37,040 --> 00:20:39,440 Speaker 4: Okay, Well, let's see, he said, Molly, when you put 395 00:20:39,480 --> 00:20:42,720 Speaker 4: this in the long train of things that have upset 396 00:20:42,800 --> 00:20:46,080 Speaker 4: and depressed us, it's just like in case case you 397 00:20:46,160 --> 00:20:50,080 Speaker 4: missed it, he won this election. So as a never Trumper, 398 00:20:50,520 --> 00:20:52,840 Speaker 4: going back from at the time he came down the 399 00:20:52,840 --> 00:20:55,919 Speaker 4: Golden escalator, I would say, Molly that I've I've had 400 00:20:55,920 --> 00:20:59,720 Speaker 4: a lot of practice with disappointments. I have, I think. 401 00:21:00,560 --> 00:21:03,399 Speaker 1: And again, we're not laughing because this is funny. We're 402 00:21:03,480 --> 00:21:06,360 Speaker 1: laughing because this is so incredibly tragic. 403 00:21:06,600 --> 00:21:10,080 Speaker 4: Continue, Yeah, because we have to find the humor in tragedy. 404 00:21:10,200 --> 00:21:14,480 Speaker 4: So it is distressing. However, this is one where I think, 405 00:21:14,760 --> 00:21:18,040 Speaker 4: take a deep breath and see how this all plays out. 406 00:21:18,080 --> 00:21:20,640 Speaker 4: So what's the big story this morning inflation is we're 407 00:21:20,720 --> 00:21:24,480 Speaker 4: ring back. He's talking about ethics, gaza and doing this, 408 00:21:25,000 --> 00:21:28,880 Speaker 4: and I'm thinking, okay, right now, we have this kind 409 00:21:28,880 --> 00:21:34,760 Speaker 4: of psycho sexual dopamine hit of breakage and strength and movement, 410 00:21:35,400 --> 00:21:39,000 Speaker 4: and it is you know, the entertainment value is strong, 411 00:21:39,040 --> 00:21:41,360 Speaker 4: as as anyone that ran the Colisseum and would would 412 00:21:41,359 --> 00:21:44,080 Speaker 4: tell you about it. There's there's the moment where you go, shit, 413 00:21:44,200 --> 00:21:46,720 Speaker 4: how many of those Christians written by lions don't bring 414 00:21:46,760 --> 00:21:49,560 Speaker 4: on some more lions. But once we figured out all 415 00:21:49,600 --> 00:21:52,000 Speaker 4: the things that are broken and what it means for 416 00:21:52,040 --> 00:21:54,960 Speaker 4: them to be broken, it will return to normal. Now. 417 00:21:55,400 --> 00:21:57,920 Speaker 4: The bad news is America is not going to wake 418 00:21:58,000 --> 00:22:00,840 Speaker 4: up and go, you know, fuck this guy. Seventy percent 419 00:22:00,840 --> 00:22:03,399 Speaker 4: of Americans disapproved, but I think he's going to go 420 00:22:03,480 --> 00:22:07,280 Speaker 4: back down to his normal low forties, upper thirties in 421 00:22:07,359 --> 00:22:10,680 Speaker 4: terms of popularity because a lot of things that he's 422 00:22:10,720 --> 00:22:13,600 Speaker 4: doing right now, it's all happening too fast to process. 423 00:22:13,600 --> 00:22:14,800 Speaker 4: I mean, you and I do this for a living. 424 00:22:14,880 --> 00:22:17,320 Speaker 4: It's too fast for us to process. The average person 425 00:22:17,359 --> 00:22:20,880 Speaker 4: who's living their life just is not doing it. However, 426 00:22:21,560 --> 00:22:25,160 Speaker 4: sooner or later this is going to impact people's lives. 427 00:22:25,200 --> 00:22:27,040 Speaker 4: And the thing about Elon. 428 00:22:26,880 --> 00:22:29,320 Speaker 1: Musk, the richest man in the world, who. 429 00:22:29,400 --> 00:22:31,919 Speaker 4: Does not know the damage he's doing, He doesn't know 430 00:22:32,200 --> 00:22:34,200 Speaker 4: the downstream effects, and he doesn't give a shit. 431 00:22:34,520 --> 00:22:37,440 Speaker 1: A good example of this is I tweeted this weekend, 432 00:22:37,640 --> 00:22:40,560 Speaker 1: the richest man in the world is cutting funding for 433 00:22:40,640 --> 00:22:44,280 Speaker 1: cancer research, and he wrote back because he knows he's 434 00:22:44,320 --> 00:22:46,160 Speaker 1: the richest man in the world. By the way, can 435 00:22:46,200 --> 00:22:49,040 Speaker 1: we pause for a minute. Here is he searching the 436 00:22:49,119 --> 00:22:51,320 Speaker 1: richest man in the world on Twitter? 437 00:22:51,560 --> 00:22:53,440 Speaker 4: Elon Musk knows who you are. 438 00:22:53,880 --> 00:22:56,600 Speaker 1: Oh, no, I'm going to the camps. But the point is, 439 00:22:56,720 --> 00:23:00,639 Speaker 1: he said, WT, I'm not doing that right, So, but 440 00:23:00,720 --> 00:23:04,160 Speaker 1: it cuts to the nah are cuts to cancer research, 441 00:23:04,280 --> 00:23:08,959 Speaker 1: are cuts to food allergy research, their cuts to environmental research, 442 00:23:08,960 --> 00:23:13,639 Speaker 1: they're cuts to all autoimmune diseases, everything, Right, So do 443 00:23:13,760 --> 00:23:17,760 Speaker 1: you think here's the twenty billion dollar question. Do you 444 00:23:17,800 --> 00:23:21,520 Speaker 1: think that he doesn't is he lying or does he 445 00:23:21,680 --> 00:23:24,240 Speaker 1: just is not clear to him that that's what's happening. 446 00:23:24,600 --> 00:23:26,760 Speaker 4: See, these are all excellent questions, and let me go 447 00:23:26,800 --> 00:23:30,239 Speaker 4: back to your tweet, because you were actually dead on 448 00:23:30,960 --> 00:23:35,879 Speaker 4: this is happening. Cancer researchers all across America are saying 449 00:23:35,920 --> 00:23:39,600 Speaker 4: that it's happening. One university after another is saying, you 450 00:23:39,760 --> 00:23:43,439 Speaker 4: understand that this will be this effect. For some reason, 451 00:23:43,440 --> 00:23:45,320 Speaker 4: this got under his skin and he felt the need 452 00:23:45,400 --> 00:23:48,160 Speaker 4: to respond. I think with Elon Musk, and of course 453 00:23:48,160 --> 00:23:49,720 Speaker 4: we always have to have a little bit of humility 454 00:23:49,760 --> 00:23:51,639 Speaker 4: and trying to get inside the minds of these guys. 455 00:23:51,680 --> 00:23:54,920 Speaker 4: And depends what the drug load is on any given day. 456 00:23:55,440 --> 00:23:57,199 Speaker 4: I don't think number one, I don't think he has 457 00:23:57,240 --> 00:24:00,600 Speaker 4: any idea the effect. This is what my point is. 458 00:24:00,880 --> 00:24:03,199 Speaker 4: They're breaking things, but they don't know what they have 459 00:24:03,320 --> 00:24:07,040 Speaker 4: broken yet, they don't know all of the effects. There's 460 00:24:07,080 --> 00:24:10,640 Speaker 4: no way. He thinks of himself as the richest, most powerful, 461 00:24:10,680 --> 00:24:13,359 Speaker 4: smartest man on earth, but he is not the smartest man. 462 00:24:13,720 --> 00:24:16,800 Speaker 4: He doesn't know what he's doing. He's throwing gasoline around, 463 00:24:16,840 --> 00:24:18,960 Speaker 4: he's burning shit, and then people come up and say, 464 00:24:19,040 --> 00:24:21,320 Speaker 4: look look what you just burned down. He goes, oh, no, no, 465 00:24:21,359 --> 00:24:23,640 Speaker 4: I didn't do that. Well, you may not have meant 466 00:24:23,640 --> 00:24:26,120 Speaker 4: to do that, but you did do that. Now there's 467 00:24:26,160 --> 00:24:28,080 Speaker 4: the other part of Elon MS that I think is 468 00:24:28,119 --> 00:24:30,639 Speaker 4: a complete sociopath where he doesn't give a fuck, He 469 00:24:31,160 --> 00:24:34,840 Speaker 4: does not he does not care. But look, the reality 470 00:24:35,080 --> 00:24:38,640 Speaker 4: is that many of the people who are ultimately going 471 00:24:38,680 --> 00:24:42,120 Speaker 4: to you know, I have to decide on the nation's priorities. 472 00:24:42,720 --> 00:24:46,879 Speaker 4: They may you know, be deplorable, but they're also elected officials, 473 00:24:47,240 --> 00:24:51,720 Speaker 4: and I think that there are certain things that even 474 00:24:51,960 --> 00:24:55,400 Speaker 4: the congressmen and senators are gonna like win SAT. They 475 00:24:55,440 --> 00:24:59,880 Speaker 4: may go along with cutting off aid to Africa foreign aid. 476 00:25:00,119 --> 00:25:04,080 Speaker 4: That may be okay, but when it's their constituentatie. 477 00:25:03,119 --> 00:25:06,840 Speaker 1: Bread in Alabama, if you're cutting a percentage of the 478 00:25:07,040 --> 00:25:11,879 Speaker 1: largest employer in the entire state of Alabama. So much 479 00:25:12,240 --> 00:25:17,840 Speaker 1: of history is filled with wealthy people making philanthropic donations 480 00:25:17,920 --> 00:25:21,639 Speaker 1: in order to quell the peasant class. You and I 481 00:25:21,720 --> 00:25:25,399 Speaker 1: are in the class here, so because we're not billionaires. 482 00:25:25,400 --> 00:25:27,440 Speaker 4: So bread and circuses, right. 483 00:25:27,640 --> 00:25:31,159 Speaker 1: You know, you think of the MEDICIESE to the Rockefellers 484 00:25:31,200 --> 00:25:35,080 Speaker 1: to the you know, the Great University is museums, libraries, 485 00:25:35,400 --> 00:25:39,199 Speaker 1: Carnegie is robber barons, all of them donating money to charity. 486 00:25:39,640 --> 00:25:42,679 Speaker 1: Is this reverse philanthropy is this the opposite. 487 00:25:43,040 --> 00:25:46,320 Speaker 4: That's a really interesting point that and what would we call. 488 00:25:46,240 --> 00:25:48,879 Speaker 1: That reverse philanthropy. I wrote about it this week in 489 00:25:48,960 --> 00:25:49,399 Speaker 1: my column. 490 00:25:49,600 --> 00:25:52,480 Speaker 4: Yeah, okay, well I need to go back because that's 491 00:25:52,560 --> 00:25:56,440 Speaker 4: exactly what's going on here. And I think that's one 492 00:25:56,440 --> 00:25:59,520 Speaker 4: of the reasons why I think that this may have 493 00:25:59,560 --> 00:26:03,800 Speaker 4: an expiration date. You mentioned the polls. The polls are 494 00:26:03,840 --> 00:26:06,800 Speaker 4: suggesting that a lot of voters, including Republican voters, are 495 00:26:06,840 --> 00:26:10,560 Speaker 4: already souring on Elon Musk and the influence that he has. 496 00:26:10,960 --> 00:26:15,000 Speaker 4: Donald Trump obviously is still all in. But you know 497 00:26:15,040 --> 00:26:18,119 Speaker 4: those pictures yesterday, And I'm sorry to trivialize this, I'm 498 00:26:18,119 --> 00:26:19,160 Speaker 4: sorry to dumb this down. 499 00:26:19,320 --> 00:26:21,160 Speaker 1: No, No, I think it's an important point. 500 00:26:21,280 --> 00:26:24,119 Speaker 4: Yes, those are humiliating pictures. And the one thing that 501 00:26:24,160 --> 00:26:28,000 Speaker 4: Donald Trump understands is humiliation. He cannot tolerate it. But 502 00:26:28,080 --> 00:26:29,840 Speaker 4: as I've said before, and I think I've said this 503 00:26:29,920 --> 00:26:31,639 Speaker 4: to you, but this is a big problem for Donald 504 00:26:31,680 --> 00:26:34,720 Speaker 4: Trump getting rid of Elon Musk. How do you get 505 00:26:34,840 --> 00:26:36,960 Speaker 4: rid of a problem like Elon Musk? How do you 506 00:26:37,040 --> 00:26:39,920 Speaker 4: fire Elon Musk? He's too powerful, He's got his own 507 00:26:39,920 --> 00:26:42,400 Speaker 4: cult of personality. He can do a lot of damage. 508 00:26:42,760 --> 00:26:45,400 Speaker 4: Donald Trump does not want to feel that he's beholden 509 00:26:45,440 --> 00:26:47,879 Speaker 4: to anybody. But you are right, and I think that 510 00:26:48,119 --> 00:26:51,600 Speaker 4: this is the age of the you know, the billionaire broligarchs, oligarchs. 511 00:26:51,840 --> 00:26:57,080 Speaker 4: But the average American is not seeing them doing wonderful 512 00:26:57,200 --> 00:27:01,880 Speaker 4: humanitarian things. What they're seeing them I'm doing is cutting 513 00:27:02,000 --> 00:27:06,560 Speaker 4: safety nets, cutting programs, you know, cutting programs for children 514 00:27:06,600 --> 00:27:10,399 Speaker 4: and the poor and for medical researchers. And I don't know, Mollie, 515 00:27:10,760 --> 00:27:14,080 Speaker 4: the rules of politics have changed almost beyond recognition. But 516 00:27:14,480 --> 00:27:17,240 Speaker 4: my gut tells me that you know there will be 517 00:27:17,240 --> 00:27:17,800 Speaker 4: a reckoning. 518 00:27:18,200 --> 00:27:19,200 Speaker 1: Charlie Sikes. 519 00:27:19,240 --> 00:27:22,280 Speaker 4: Please come back, Molly John Fast anytime. 520 00:27:24,240 --> 00:27:30,639 Speaker 1: Becca Ballant represents Vermont's Soul Congressional district. Welcome back to 521 00:27:30,880 --> 00:27:33,719 Speaker 1: Fast Politics, congress Woman beck Up. 522 00:27:34,080 --> 00:27:35,840 Speaker 5: Nice to be here, Mollie. Love talking with you. 523 00:27:36,119 --> 00:27:39,040 Speaker 1: Before we started recording, you said I was at a 524 00:27:39,080 --> 00:27:43,679 Speaker 1: crazy committee hearing, and I said, oh, I was just 525 00:27:43,800 --> 00:27:50,800 Speaker 1: watching doge the Marjorie Taylor Green committee hearing on C 526 00:27:50,920 --> 00:27:55,760 Speaker 1: Span three, which involved her saying that she did not 527 00:27:55,880 --> 00:27:57,399 Speaker 1: believe in political theater. 528 00:27:58,280 --> 00:28:01,440 Speaker 6: I was like, really, that is literally all she does, 529 00:28:01,920 --> 00:28:06,560 Speaker 6: literally all she does, and so I nearly choked on 530 00:28:06,600 --> 00:28:09,040 Speaker 6: my die Coke when she said that, So tell me 531 00:28:09,080 --> 00:28:10,560 Speaker 6: what committee you were on. 532 00:28:11,000 --> 00:28:14,159 Speaker 5: I was a judiciary committee, and that is headed up 533 00:28:14,200 --> 00:28:15,480 Speaker 5: by Jim Jordan. 534 00:28:15,880 --> 00:28:19,680 Speaker 1: It's known to be actually a serious committee as opposed 535 00:28:19,760 --> 00:28:20,640 Speaker 1: to Doge. 536 00:28:21,160 --> 00:28:24,719 Speaker 5: It is a serious committee. And yet were we dealing 537 00:28:24,760 --> 00:28:28,040 Speaker 5: with serious issues that we could be dealing with around 538 00:28:28,119 --> 00:28:30,000 Speaker 5: civil rights or anti trust. 539 00:28:30,119 --> 00:28:33,520 Speaker 1: I'm gonna guest, now, tell us what you were cracking 540 00:28:33,600 --> 00:28:34,040 Speaker 1: down on. 541 00:28:34,560 --> 00:28:41,240 Speaker 5: We were once again cracking down on the Biden Harris administration. Censorship. 542 00:28:41,440 --> 00:28:43,240 Speaker 4: They're not in office anymore. 543 00:28:43,800 --> 00:28:45,480 Speaker 2: Wait, what are they censoring? 544 00:28:45,760 --> 00:28:49,160 Speaker 5: Literally, we have so many examples of what the Trump 545 00:28:49,200 --> 00:28:52,840 Speaker 5: administration is doing right now to censor information and speech. 546 00:28:52,960 --> 00:28:55,840 Speaker 5: And so you come out of these hearings sometimes you 547 00:28:55,920 --> 00:28:59,840 Speaker 5: just feel like we are living in alternate realities when 548 00:28:59,880 --> 00:29:02,719 Speaker 5: the folks are in charge. It's really disturbing, Molly, I mean, 549 00:29:02,720 --> 00:29:04,400 Speaker 5: I laugh about it, but it's really disturbing. 550 00:29:04,920 --> 00:29:07,920 Speaker 1: Yeah, no, no, I think what's important here. We laugh 551 00:29:08,000 --> 00:29:10,760 Speaker 1: to keep from crying, but also we laugh because it's 552 00:29:11,040 --> 00:29:17,000 Speaker 1: so depressing. But this is not just about weaponizing government. 553 00:29:17,120 --> 00:29:19,240 Speaker 1: This is for fun and for free. You know, this 554 00:29:19,400 --> 00:29:22,680 Speaker 1: is not just about saying Pithy's stuff on Fox News, 555 00:29:22,720 --> 00:29:25,560 Speaker 1: though it doesn't even need to be pithy for these guys. 556 00:29:25,880 --> 00:29:31,320 Speaker 1: This is actually about taking away Medicare, Medicaid, cutting government programs, 557 00:29:31,320 --> 00:29:33,080 Speaker 1: and we're seeing that happen in real time. 558 00:29:33,320 --> 00:29:37,440 Speaker 5: Absolutely, and it's about gutting government programs that we all 559 00:29:37,480 --> 00:29:42,360 Speaker 5: rely on. But it is also a textbook playbook for authoritarianism. 560 00:29:42,560 --> 00:29:47,760 Speaker 5: Everything that they're doing, attacking education, right, attacking knowledge, the 561 00:29:47,880 --> 00:29:53,040 Speaker 5: propaganda machines, the firing civil servants, getting civil servants to 562 00:29:53,120 --> 00:29:56,000 Speaker 5: spy on each other. I mean, it is textbook. And 563 00:29:56,200 --> 00:29:57,920 Speaker 5: you know, one of the things that I talked about 564 00:29:58,040 --> 00:30:01,800 Speaker 5: in the last committee here was there are even banning 565 00:30:01,840 --> 00:30:05,040 Speaker 5: words like women in federal research. You know, he just 566 00:30:05,120 --> 00:30:10,000 Speaker 5: keeps telling people this is not about fighting Republicans on policy. 567 00:30:10,080 --> 00:30:14,640 Speaker 5: This is about a whole hostile takeover of government. And 568 00:30:15,200 --> 00:30:17,360 Speaker 5: it's so scary and I think people don't want to 569 00:30:17,480 --> 00:30:20,120 Speaker 5: necessarily see it for what it is, but that's what's happening. 570 00:30:20,520 --> 00:30:24,080 Speaker 1: Yeah, So let's talk about the inspector generals. The most 571 00:30:24,120 --> 00:30:27,880 Speaker 1: important thing is yesterday we had Elon in the Oval 572 00:30:27,920 --> 00:30:31,080 Speaker 1: office with his kid. Yes one does, by the way, 573 00:30:31,400 --> 00:30:34,240 Speaker 1: bringing his kid to work, because obviously the richest man 574 00:30:34,360 --> 00:30:37,040 Speaker 1: in the world could not find a babysitter for his 575 00:30:37,400 --> 00:30:40,400 Speaker 1: three or four year old and instead decided to bring 576 00:30:40,480 --> 00:30:41,000 Speaker 1: him to work. 577 00:30:41,240 --> 00:30:43,880 Speaker 2: And then he talked about. 578 00:30:43,640 --> 00:30:48,920 Speaker 1: How he wanted to restore democracy, which I thought was 579 00:30:49,080 --> 00:30:49,959 Speaker 1: very Orwellian. 580 00:30:50,160 --> 00:30:51,200 Speaker 4: Yes, it is. 581 00:30:51,520 --> 00:30:55,479 Speaker 1: Right, And then he also mused and mused and mused 582 00:30:55,520 --> 00:30:58,560 Speaker 1: about waste on the same day that Donald Trump had 583 00:30:58,560 --> 00:31:03,160 Speaker 1: fired more inspector general. So explain to me how they're 584 00:31:03,200 --> 00:31:07,160 Speaker 1: going to fight waste and fraud, right, and programs they 585 00:31:07,160 --> 00:31:09,840 Speaker 1: don't like which they consider to be waste and fraud 586 00:31:10,160 --> 00:31:13,040 Speaker 1: by firing the people who are supposed to monitor waste 587 00:31:13,040 --> 00:31:13,400 Speaker 1: in fraud. 588 00:31:13,560 --> 00:31:16,000 Speaker 5: Yeah, And as you said, you know it's it's Orwellian. 589 00:31:16,080 --> 00:31:18,239 Speaker 5: And folks who don't know that reference, right, it is, 590 00:31:18,600 --> 00:31:22,120 Speaker 5: you know, looking at essentially the real thought police. Right 591 00:31:22,160 --> 00:31:25,680 Speaker 5: when people tell you in Manny of Orwell's novels that 592 00:31:26,000 --> 00:31:28,240 Speaker 5: what you see is actually not the truth. We control 593 00:31:28,320 --> 00:31:30,680 Speaker 5: the truth. And you know, it goes back to Trump 594 00:31:30,840 --> 00:31:34,560 Speaker 5: naming his social media company truth Social. I mean, it's 595 00:31:34,600 --> 00:31:38,600 Speaker 5: the same as the state news agency in Russia, right, 596 00:31:38,720 --> 00:31:42,040 Speaker 5: as a similar name. Right. So, there were so many 597 00:31:42,040 --> 00:31:45,320 Speaker 5: things that were fascinating about that press conference. One of 598 00:31:45,360 --> 00:31:47,920 Speaker 5: the ones that I thought was just so revealing is 599 00:31:47,960 --> 00:31:50,000 Speaker 5: that Musk said, oh, yeah, well, I'm going to say 600 00:31:50,040 --> 00:31:54,240 Speaker 5: things that are inaccurate. It's like, that's that's I want 601 00:31:54,240 --> 00:31:56,160 Speaker 5: to say things that are inaccurate. I'm going to spread 602 00:31:56,160 --> 00:31:59,680 Speaker 5: them on my social media platform. Trump meanwhile, is sitting 603 00:32:00,240 --> 00:32:02,680 Speaker 5: on the side sort of as an add on this 604 00:32:02,720 --> 00:32:06,040 Speaker 5: seems pretty clear who was in charge of running that. 605 00:32:06,240 --> 00:32:08,880 Speaker 5: And yeah, if you fire the inspector generals, if you 606 00:32:09,080 --> 00:32:12,560 Speaker 5: tell entire agencies not to show up for work, which 607 00:32:12,560 --> 00:32:15,120 Speaker 5: is what has been happening right whether it's the Consumer 608 00:32:15,160 --> 00:32:18,400 Speaker 5: Financial Protection Bureau again a bureau set up to fight 609 00:32:18,720 --> 00:32:22,080 Speaker 5: waste fraud and abuse, or if it is firing people 610 00:32:22,120 --> 00:32:25,640 Speaker 5: who are or laying people off or telling them, you know, 611 00:32:25,720 --> 00:32:28,320 Speaker 5: to stop work while we continue to pay them while 612 00:32:28,320 --> 00:32:32,560 Speaker 5: they're not working, and you have billions of pounds of 613 00:32:32,560 --> 00:32:36,600 Speaker 5: food aids sitting in warehouses and nobody is watching over 614 00:32:36,640 --> 00:32:39,880 Speaker 5: those programs. That isn't going to fight waste fraud and abuse. 615 00:32:40,040 --> 00:32:43,320 Speaker 5: It is saying one thing while doing something completely different. 616 00:32:43,360 --> 00:32:46,680 Speaker 5: And let's not forget the man that we have looking 617 00:32:46,760 --> 00:32:51,040 Speaker 5: supposedly at waste fraud and abuse is not a disinterested actor. 618 00:32:51,280 --> 00:32:55,320 Speaker 5: He has billions of dollars in federal subsidies. And federal 619 00:32:55,360 --> 00:32:58,320 Speaker 5: contracts from you know, this government, and people are like, no, 620 00:32:58,400 --> 00:32:59,960 Speaker 5: he's doing this out of the goodness of his heart. 621 00:33:00,200 --> 00:33:03,760 Speaker 5: No way, nothing that Musk has ever done has been 622 00:33:03,760 --> 00:33:06,400 Speaker 5: out of the goodness obvious heart. He's a billionaire businessman. 623 00:33:06,480 --> 00:33:09,280 Speaker 5: He's always looking at his bottom line. That is why 624 00:33:09,560 --> 00:33:14,440 Speaker 5: he intervened in our last budget negotiations in the last Congress, 625 00:33:14,480 --> 00:33:18,200 Speaker 5: because there was something in that bill that would impact 626 00:33:18,240 --> 00:33:20,760 Speaker 5: his business in China. That's what that was all about. 627 00:33:20,760 --> 00:33:22,160 Speaker 5: We have to keep following the money. 628 00:33:22,400 --> 00:33:27,880 Speaker 1: Yeah, No, I mean I'm struck by how much billionaires 629 00:33:27,880 --> 00:33:31,959 Speaker 1: have really proven themselves to be very bad stewards. I mean, 630 00:33:32,080 --> 00:33:34,920 Speaker 1: look at them in journalism, right. You know, we were 631 00:33:35,000 --> 00:33:38,600 Speaker 1: told that if we sold all the newspapers to billionaires, 632 00:33:39,000 --> 00:33:45,600 Speaker 1: that billionaires would be philanthropic with their desire to help journalists. 633 00:33:45,640 --> 00:33:49,200 Speaker 1: But in fact, what they meant was that they were 634 00:33:49,240 --> 00:33:53,640 Speaker 1: going to do whatever helped to their bottom line or 635 00:33:53,680 --> 00:33:56,640 Speaker 1: in this case, spaceships. I mean, if you think about 636 00:33:56,880 --> 00:34:00,560 Speaker 1: the situation with the spaceships, I mean, bezos biked an 637 00:34:00,640 --> 00:34:03,240 Speaker 1: editorial and I would even pause for a minute and 638 00:34:03,240 --> 00:34:07,120 Speaker 1: pull back for a second and say billionaires were super 639 00:34:07,200 --> 00:34:11,399 Speaker 1: mad at the Biden administration for the work they did 640 00:34:11,440 --> 00:34:13,600 Speaker 1: with the antitrust. I mean, there are other things that 641 00:34:13,640 --> 00:34:15,360 Speaker 1: made them mad, but that was one of the big things. 642 00:34:15,400 --> 00:34:20,800 Speaker 1: Biden administration was so ham handed and unable to explain 643 00:34:20,960 --> 00:34:24,440 Speaker 1: what they were doing that most voters didn't know about it. 644 00:34:24,719 --> 00:34:26,719 Speaker 1: But I would love you to talk a little bit 645 00:34:26,760 --> 00:34:29,440 Speaker 1: about that sort of antitrust stuff and the consumer stuff 646 00:34:29,480 --> 00:34:33,160 Speaker 1: that the Biden administration did do that made billionaires so mad. 647 00:34:33,480 --> 00:34:38,880 Speaker 5: Right It's clear that these billionaires sitting right behind the 648 00:34:38,920 --> 00:34:42,160 Speaker 5: president on an inauguration day in front of people that 649 00:34:42,200 --> 00:34:44,960 Speaker 5: he even tapped to be in his cabinet, was a 650 00:34:45,080 --> 00:34:48,560 Speaker 5: very public statement. It was meant to indicate who had 651 00:34:48,600 --> 00:34:51,200 Speaker 5: the real power. Is meant to chill all of the 652 00:34:51,239 --> 00:34:53,600 Speaker 5: work that we're trying to do in Congress. And look, 653 00:34:54,000 --> 00:34:57,040 Speaker 5: we have gross economic inequality right now in this country. 654 00:34:57,080 --> 00:35:00,440 Speaker 5: It's been building in earnest for the last four days. 655 00:35:00,760 --> 00:35:04,440 Speaker 5: Any kind of action that would actually help working people 656 00:35:04,520 --> 00:35:07,280 Speaker 5: right now is not the work that's being done in Congress. 657 00:35:07,360 --> 00:35:10,320 Speaker 5: Right So, right now they have the House, the Senate, 658 00:35:10,520 --> 00:35:14,400 Speaker 5: and the White House. Have they introduced anything around prescription 659 00:35:14,480 --> 00:35:18,240 Speaker 5: drug pricing? Have they kepped the interest rates on credit cards? 660 00:35:18,480 --> 00:35:22,160 Speaker 5: Have they built more housing. Nothing that they're doing is 661 00:35:22,200 --> 00:35:25,120 Speaker 5: fundamentally going after the way in which big business is 662 00:35:25,160 --> 00:35:27,719 Speaker 5: doing really, really well and the rest of us are 663 00:35:28,400 --> 00:35:30,640 Speaker 5: getting squeezed. And so we should have had a hearing 664 00:35:30,719 --> 00:35:35,080 Speaker 5: today on the fact that inflation is rising once again, right, 665 00:35:35,680 --> 00:35:38,439 Speaker 5: that would have been an issue that we all could 666 00:35:38,440 --> 00:35:41,840 Speaker 5: have gotten behind. But instead we're back to Hunter, Biden 667 00:35:41,880 --> 00:35:44,600 Speaker 5: and the laptop over and over and over again. And 668 00:35:44,640 --> 00:35:48,799 Speaker 5: it shows, in my opinion, it shows a deep contempt 669 00:35:49,160 --> 00:35:52,719 Speaker 5: for the people who voted for Trump and all of 670 00:35:52,719 --> 00:35:56,440 Speaker 5: these Republican members in the House who are supposedly standing 671 00:35:56,520 --> 00:35:59,560 Speaker 5: up for them. It is just so disrespectful to the people. 672 00:36:00,040 --> 00:36:03,560 Speaker 1: Yeah, yeah, I mean no, obviously, And the reality is 673 00:36:03,640 --> 00:36:06,439 Speaker 1: all of this is theater, right, they don't not care 674 00:36:06,640 --> 00:36:09,839 Speaker 1: about I mean, you saw that the Trump administration cut 675 00:36:09,880 --> 00:36:12,800 Speaker 1: something from negotiating Medicare prices. 676 00:36:13,040 --> 00:36:15,440 Speaker 5: Yeah, I mean you know this. You've been following this 677 00:36:15,480 --> 00:36:18,319 Speaker 5: as closely as I have, which is it is about 678 00:36:18,360 --> 00:36:21,360 Speaker 5: the chaos, It is about flooding the zone, making it 679 00:36:21,480 --> 00:36:24,520 Speaker 5: difficult for us to follow all the threads of what 680 00:36:24,640 --> 00:36:27,720 Speaker 5: they're doing. But what it adds up to is they're 681 00:36:27,840 --> 00:36:31,560 Speaker 5: absolutely not looking out for working people right now, because 682 00:36:31,560 --> 00:36:34,640 Speaker 5: if they were, they would be trying to negotiate down 683 00:36:34,760 --> 00:36:38,200 Speaker 5: the drug prices that so many seniors in this country 684 00:36:38,480 --> 00:36:41,839 Speaker 5: right depend on. They would be standing up to all 685 00:36:41,880 --> 00:36:44,560 Speaker 5: of the price gouging that happens within, you know, the 686 00:36:44,600 --> 00:36:45,480 Speaker 5: grocery industry. 687 00:36:45,480 --> 00:36:46,000 Speaker 2: And they're not. 688 00:36:46,320 --> 00:36:48,880 Speaker 5: They're absolutely not, And they're starting at trade war with 689 00:36:48,960 --> 00:36:51,280 Speaker 5: our closest friend and ally, Canada. 690 00:36:51,680 --> 00:36:54,840 Speaker 2: Yeah. I feel like when you cover the Trump admin. 691 00:36:55,040 --> 00:37:00,760 Speaker 1: There are things that are stupid, but theatrics, like Golf 692 00:37:00,800 --> 00:37:06,640 Speaker 1: of America. Then there are things that are direct threats 693 00:37:06,680 --> 00:37:12,080 Speaker 1: to democracy, like the impoundment stuff with the OMB right 694 00:37:12,120 --> 00:37:15,000 Speaker 1: where the Office of Management and Budget is holding money 695 00:37:15,120 --> 00:37:19,680 Speaker 1: that's congrecially allocated that is now being held because Trump 696 00:37:19,760 --> 00:37:21,799 Speaker 1: doesn't want to do it right. That's the sort of 697 00:37:21,880 --> 00:37:24,640 Speaker 1: second basket. And then there's the third, which are the 698 00:37:24,719 --> 00:37:28,200 Speaker 1: things that it's not clear or what is what? What 699 00:37:28,200 --> 00:37:30,840 Speaker 1: do you think are the sort of things you're seeing 700 00:37:30,960 --> 00:37:34,600 Speaker 1: right now that are the most kind of troubling. 701 00:37:34,960 --> 00:37:37,440 Speaker 5: Yeah, I would say the overarching answer to that is 702 00:37:37,480 --> 00:37:41,480 Speaker 5: it's incredibly troubling to me that my Republican colleagues are 703 00:37:41,520 --> 00:37:43,920 Speaker 5: willing to give up all of the power that we 704 00:37:44,120 --> 00:37:47,600 Speaker 5: have as members of Congress, as members of the legislative 705 00:37:47,600 --> 00:37:51,479 Speaker 5: branch to be a check on the executive power right there, 706 00:37:52,000 --> 00:37:55,400 Speaker 5: and that Speaker Johnson, who is Speaker of the entire House, 707 00:37:55,520 --> 00:37:58,880 Speaker 5: that is his job, right is to protect our power 708 00:37:58,920 --> 00:38:02,600 Speaker 5: and our authority are to be a check on the 709 00:38:02,640 --> 00:38:05,640 Speaker 5: executive make sure that our bills and the money that 710 00:38:05,680 --> 00:38:09,960 Speaker 5: we have appropriated goes to those programs that help our 711 00:38:10,040 --> 00:38:13,239 Speaker 5: constituents back home. And the fact that there has been 712 00:38:13,360 --> 00:38:17,640 Speaker 5: no pushback about the impounment issues, that there has been 713 00:38:17,719 --> 00:38:22,360 Speaker 5: no pushback, that Johnson is giving up all of his power, 714 00:38:22,400 --> 00:38:25,960 Speaker 5: and our Chair of Appropriation, Tom Cole, someone who in 715 00:38:26,000 --> 00:38:28,960 Speaker 5: the past has been seen as kind of a reasonable, 716 00:38:29,320 --> 00:38:33,040 Speaker 5: governing minded Republican, is falling right in line. That is 717 00:38:33,080 --> 00:38:37,200 Speaker 5: the most terrifying thing, because democracy only works if there 718 00:38:37,320 --> 00:38:40,000 Speaker 5: is a countervail enforce. If there isn't, then it's not 719 00:38:40,040 --> 00:38:40,759 Speaker 5: a democracy. 720 00:38:40,920 --> 00:38:43,879 Speaker 1: So clearly, some of these people think that they are 721 00:38:43,920 --> 00:38:46,760 Speaker 1: able to manipulate Prompt Right, some of these people clearly 722 00:38:46,800 --> 00:38:49,960 Speaker 1: think that they can go along with some stuff but 723 00:38:50,040 --> 00:38:52,040 Speaker 1: not go along with other stuff, and that if they 724 00:38:52,120 --> 00:38:56,359 Speaker 1: do that, eventually they'll get the better of him. Right, 725 00:38:56,480 --> 00:38:59,840 Speaker 1: I mean, that does seem possible. I don't know that 726 00:39:00,040 --> 00:39:03,480 Speaker 1: anyone has ever that that's ever worked, But that's clearly 727 00:39:03,600 --> 00:39:06,520 Speaker 1: the play. And some of these people really do, just 728 00:39:07,000 --> 00:39:10,680 Speaker 1: like MTG, have just given up and just want to 729 00:39:10,800 --> 00:39:13,560 Speaker 1: help mister Trump. Is there still the thing where there 730 00:39:13,719 --> 00:39:17,640 Speaker 1: was in Trump twenty sixteen where Republicans are like, this guy, 731 00:39:18,000 --> 00:39:20,160 Speaker 1: we just have to manipulate him, We just have to 732 00:39:20,160 --> 00:39:20,799 Speaker 1: get through it. 733 00:39:21,120 --> 00:39:25,680 Speaker 5: Yeah. I mean there's a handful who are are clear 734 00:39:25,800 --> 00:39:30,120 Speaker 5: rid about the fact that he's not really in charge here. 735 00:39:30,520 --> 00:39:32,759 Speaker 5: They don't actually like that. 736 00:39:33,200 --> 00:39:36,000 Speaker 2: They don't like that Elon's in charge exactly. 737 00:39:36,280 --> 00:39:38,759 Speaker 5: They won't speak up, they won't push back. There are, 738 00:39:38,760 --> 00:39:41,040 Speaker 5: as you said, there's the true believers. There's a lot 739 00:39:41,080 --> 00:39:44,200 Speaker 5: of opportunists, Molly, a lot of opportunists. 740 00:39:44,320 --> 00:39:48,000 Speaker 1: Well they are politicians, right, I hate hey, tell you 741 00:39:48,040 --> 00:39:49,040 Speaker 1: no offense or anything. 742 00:39:49,200 --> 00:39:53,160 Speaker 5: But they are amassing power for power's sake. I know 743 00:39:53,239 --> 00:39:55,239 Speaker 5: from speaking to some of them, they think that they 744 00:39:55,239 --> 00:39:59,480 Speaker 5: can outlast Trump and trump Ism. But what they've created 745 00:39:59,520 --> 00:40:02,880 Speaker 5: a monster here that black is white, up is down. 746 00:40:03,080 --> 00:40:06,480 Speaker 5: There is no truth, there are no facts. Nobody trusts 747 00:40:06,920 --> 00:40:09,640 Speaker 5: government anymore. They created that, right, It's been a twenty 748 00:40:09,719 --> 00:40:13,279 Speaker 5: five year drumbeat of this, and so do they not 749 00:40:13,400 --> 00:40:16,120 Speaker 5: think at some point they will also turn on them 750 00:40:16,239 --> 00:40:20,040 Speaker 5: because they're in charge. Now they're in charge, it falls 751 00:40:20,040 --> 00:40:23,200 Speaker 5: to them to actually do better for their constituents. But 752 00:40:23,840 --> 00:40:26,960 Speaker 5: I can't tell you how difficult it is to watch 753 00:40:27,200 --> 00:40:30,360 Speaker 5: day in and day out these people be such horrible 754 00:40:30,760 --> 00:40:34,040 Speaker 5: cowards when they know that what is happening is not 755 00:40:34,360 --> 00:40:37,920 Speaker 5: good for our country and it's not good for their constituents. 756 00:40:38,200 --> 00:40:41,439 Speaker 1: Yes, agreed. Now what do you think the play here 757 00:40:41,719 --> 00:40:44,200 Speaker 1: is that they're just trying to sort of not have 758 00:40:44,320 --> 00:40:45,160 Speaker 1: the mean tweets? 759 00:40:45,239 --> 00:40:46,319 Speaker 5: I mean, what are they afraid of? 760 00:40:46,600 --> 00:40:50,640 Speaker 1: Well, if you're a normal Republican, if you are someone 761 00:40:50,719 --> 00:40:55,759 Speaker 1: who is not a celebrity, right, like a person who 762 00:40:55,800 --> 00:40:58,440 Speaker 1: actually works. I don't want to say who, but just 763 00:40:58,440 --> 00:41:00,560 Speaker 1: like someone like that. 764 00:41:00,000 --> 00:41:02,760 Speaker 2: They are, you know, not Nancy Mays. 765 00:41:03,080 --> 00:41:07,160 Speaker 1: And you are pretty sane and you're trying to represent 766 00:41:07,200 --> 00:41:07,760 Speaker 1: your district. 767 00:41:07,960 --> 00:41:09,359 Speaker 2: You don't want to get. 768 00:41:09,280 --> 00:41:11,279 Speaker 1: The mean tweeds, and you don't want to end up 769 00:41:11,280 --> 00:41:13,840 Speaker 1: in the crosshairs, and you don't want to primary challenge. 770 00:41:13,880 --> 00:41:16,120 Speaker 1: But you're thinking is what You're gonna put your head 771 00:41:16,160 --> 00:41:20,640 Speaker 1: down and survive for four years because this won't end 772 00:41:20,680 --> 00:41:23,200 Speaker 1: in tears. I mean, doesn't everyone see where this is going. 773 00:41:23,440 --> 00:41:25,800 Speaker 5: That is what is so shocking is they don't seem 774 00:41:25,840 --> 00:41:27,640 Speaker 5: to see where this is going. But yeah, it's that 775 00:41:27,760 --> 00:41:30,440 Speaker 5: sense of like I'm going to keep myself and my 776 00:41:30,640 --> 00:41:33,880 Speaker 5: family and my staff out of the bullseye. And I 777 00:41:33,920 --> 00:41:36,719 Speaker 5: just want to connect a dot here too, that the 778 00:41:36,880 --> 00:41:41,160 Speaker 5: House and Republicans in the House are not seeing profiles 779 00:41:41,200 --> 00:41:44,400 Speaker 5: and courage in the Senate. Okay, you just had Tulsea 780 00:41:44,480 --> 00:41:48,719 Speaker 5: Gabbard confirmed as the Intelligence chief, and you know that 781 00:41:48,800 --> 00:41:51,200 Speaker 5: there are senators who know full well that that is 782 00:41:51,280 --> 00:41:55,480 Speaker 5: incredibly dangerous Republicans, and so if the House members are 783 00:41:55,480 --> 00:41:59,600 Speaker 5: thinking in themselves, Look, those folks have six year protections 784 00:41:59,600 --> 00:42:02,440 Speaker 5: on their and they're not sticking their necks out. And 785 00:42:02,520 --> 00:42:04,239 Speaker 5: I've only got two years. Why the hell should I 786 00:42:04,239 --> 00:42:07,240 Speaker 5: stick my neck out. It's sick, It's absolutely sick. 787 00:42:07,520 --> 00:42:10,080 Speaker 1: It's a little bit contagious, right exactly. 788 00:42:10,120 --> 00:42:14,120 Speaker 5: And this cowardice is contagious. Encourage is contagious, and we're 789 00:42:14,120 --> 00:42:16,279 Speaker 5: not seeing a whole lot of courage right now. It's 790 00:42:16,320 --> 00:42:18,319 Speaker 5: basic human dignity too, and I'll see a whole lot 791 00:42:18,320 --> 00:42:18,799 Speaker 5: of that either. 792 00:42:19,080 --> 00:42:22,840 Speaker 1: Yeah, I wonder if you could sort of explain to 793 00:42:22,880 --> 00:42:25,840 Speaker 1: me what people are very mad and they're mad at 794 00:42:25,920 --> 00:42:26,839 Speaker 1: democrats too. 795 00:42:27,080 --> 00:42:30,279 Speaker 2: I have to say, like, there was an article on Axios. 796 00:42:29,880 --> 00:42:35,080 Speaker 1: Yesterday about how leadership was mad at all those organizations 797 00:42:35,160 --> 00:42:38,439 Speaker 1: for being so on them. Who knows if it's true, 798 00:42:38,440 --> 00:42:41,439 Speaker 1: it's Axios, whatever, But I wonder if you could talk 799 00:42:41,480 --> 00:42:44,799 Speaker 1: about are your constituents mad and if so, do you 800 00:42:44,960 --> 00:42:47,640 Speaker 1: feel that you're able to fight for them in the 801 00:42:47,680 --> 00:42:50,400 Speaker 1: way that you want to? And do you feel that 802 00:42:50,520 --> 00:42:51,719 Speaker 1: leadership is listening to you? 803 00:42:52,200 --> 00:42:57,200 Speaker 5: Yeah? So I would say there are certainly some segments 804 00:42:57,239 --> 00:43:00,839 Speaker 5: of my constituency that are feeling mad. I would say 805 00:43:00,880 --> 00:43:05,640 Speaker 5: the overarching sentiment right now is fear and anxiety. And 806 00:43:05,760 --> 00:43:10,040 Speaker 5: I hear a lot from constituents how deeply concerned they 807 00:43:10,040 --> 00:43:14,080 Speaker 5: are that we are heading towards authoritarianism. Is an ex 808 00:43:14,160 --> 00:43:17,480 Speaker 5: book case of taking this step by step. I have 809 00:43:17,680 --> 00:43:20,880 Speaker 5: tried in earnest in the last few weeks to just 810 00:43:21,000 --> 00:43:24,759 Speaker 5: be as open and as transparent and as direct as 811 00:43:24,760 --> 00:43:28,000 Speaker 5: I can with constituents about what I'm doing, what's happening, 812 00:43:28,480 --> 00:43:32,359 Speaker 5: communicating as much as I possibly can to help them 813 00:43:32,680 --> 00:43:35,640 Speaker 5: feel less anxious and less scared. But look, we need 814 00:43:35,920 --> 00:43:39,400 Speaker 5: the three prongs, right, We need legislation, but we don't 815 00:43:39,400 --> 00:43:42,040 Speaker 5: have the we don't have control. Right, we can still 816 00:43:42,080 --> 00:43:45,319 Speaker 5: introduce legislation, but we need three Republicans to join us. 817 00:43:45,520 --> 00:43:48,600 Speaker 5: So we can try to do things legislatively to help 818 00:43:48,640 --> 00:43:52,080 Speaker 5: this situation, but we also have to litigate. Individual members 819 00:43:52,080 --> 00:43:54,920 Speaker 5: of Congress can't have standing to sue. So we are 820 00:43:55,000 --> 00:43:57,360 Speaker 5: partnering with our outside partners, and yeah, we do need 821 00:43:57,440 --> 00:43:59,359 Speaker 5: to agitate, which is why I've been out in front 822 00:43:59,360 --> 00:44:02,720 Speaker 5: of the Treasury and the Consumer or Financial Protection Bureau 823 00:44:02,880 --> 00:44:05,280 Speaker 5: and the Agency of Education. And I think it's really 824 00:44:05,320 --> 00:44:10,680 Speaker 5: important that my constituents see me out there raising their 825 00:44:10,800 --> 00:44:13,920 Speaker 5: voices for them because they're on little back roads of Vermont. 826 00:44:13,920 --> 00:44:18,120 Speaker 5: They're not here in DC, and so I understand the 827 00:44:18,160 --> 00:44:21,080 Speaker 5: frustration and anger that I've heard from from some of 828 00:44:21,120 --> 00:44:24,400 Speaker 5: the groups. They want us to be in the fight, 829 00:44:25,040 --> 00:44:28,359 Speaker 5: and so I have, like I said, I've been trying 830 00:44:28,400 --> 00:44:31,719 Speaker 5: to do everything to indicate to my constituents that that's 831 00:44:31,760 --> 00:44:34,560 Speaker 5: where we are. I haven't seen the Axios article that 832 00:44:34,600 --> 00:44:37,640 Speaker 5: I certainly have heard the murmur ins on Capitol Hill. 833 00:44:37,880 --> 00:44:41,320 Speaker 5: I know what can be hard sometimes is when people 834 00:44:41,360 --> 00:44:45,520 Speaker 5: feel like we need three Republicans to join us, and 835 00:44:45,640 --> 00:44:48,840 Speaker 5: yet our offices are getting flooded. But the Republicans aren't. 836 00:44:48,960 --> 00:44:50,960 Speaker 1: Do you think that's true, though? I mean, I'm sure 837 00:44:50,960 --> 00:44:52,840 Speaker 1: the Republicans are also going to be flooded. 838 00:44:53,160 --> 00:44:54,840 Speaker 5: Yeah, I can't speak to that, right, I think it 839 00:44:54,920 --> 00:44:57,320 Speaker 5: is a perception. I will tell you one thing, though, Molly, 840 00:44:57,360 --> 00:44:59,799 Speaker 5: which is to give you the level of like what 841 00:45:00,360 --> 00:45:03,400 Speaker 5: can sometimes creep us out when people say we're not 842 00:45:03,400 --> 00:45:06,440 Speaker 5: fighting hard enough. I just heard this yesterday. Please a 843 00:45:06,480 --> 00:45:09,120 Speaker 5: dear friend of mine, she's in a frontline district, and 844 00:45:09,200 --> 00:45:11,160 Speaker 5: she was on the phone with a constituent last night 845 00:45:11,160 --> 00:45:14,440 Speaker 5: who was really angry and yelling at her, and she said, 846 00:45:14,920 --> 00:45:18,400 Speaker 5: it's not enough for members of Congress to try to 847 00:45:18,440 --> 00:45:21,719 Speaker 5: get into the Department of Education. You know, because I 848 00:45:21,719 --> 00:45:24,000 Speaker 5: don't know if you saw that clip, a bunch of 849 00:45:24,120 --> 00:45:26,760 Speaker 5: us were down there. This person literally said to her, 850 00:45:27,320 --> 00:45:30,520 Speaker 5: you need to be breaking down the door and getting shot. 851 00:45:30,640 --> 00:45:33,040 Speaker 5: That's the only thing that's going to grab the attention 852 00:45:33,760 --> 00:45:34,960 Speaker 5: of the American people. 853 00:45:35,280 --> 00:45:36,680 Speaker 2: Yeah, that's not so good. 854 00:45:36,840 --> 00:45:37,480 Speaker 4: That's not good. 855 00:45:37,800 --> 00:45:40,360 Speaker 5: Right. So we got a channel. We got to channel 856 00:45:40,400 --> 00:45:44,719 Speaker 5: that anxiety and that fear, that worry into action. And 857 00:45:44,800 --> 00:45:46,400 Speaker 5: I think we do need to do a better job 858 00:45:46,480 --> 00:45:49,279 Speaker 5: as Democrats telling people what are the actions that they 859 00:45:49,280 --> 00:45:52,480 Speaker 5: can take while also educating, like what does it mean 860 00:45:52,600 --> 00:45:54,560 Speaker 5: when you're not in charge of the House. You don't 861 00:45:54,560 --> 00:45:57,120 Speaker 5: control the gabbles, you don't control the committee, right, all 862 00:45:57,160 --> 00:45:59,680 Speaker 5: of those things. I had a constituency to me the 863 00:45:59,680 --> 00:46:01,960 Speaker 5: other day, Well, why can't you just bring a bill 864 00:46:02,280 --> 00:46:04,680 Speaker 5: to the floor of the House and make it a 865 00:46:04,719 --> 00:46:06,839 Speaker 5: bipartisan bill and get people to vote with you. I said, 866 00:46:06,840 --> 00:46:10,080 Speaker 5: I don't. I can't do that. That's just like not 867 00:46:10,280 --> 00:46:13,919 Speaker 5: possible in the minority. And so, you know, I want 868 00:46:14,000 --> 00:46:19,960 Speaker 5: us to be making the case really strongly, really forcefully 869 00:46:20,080 --> 00:46:24,160 Speaker 5: about why it is that we are standing with working people. 870 00:46:24,200 --> 00:46:26,240 Speaker 5: We've got to do a better job there, and I'm 871 00:46:26,320 --> 00:46:27,960 Speaker 5: trying to do my part every single day. 872 00:46:28,160 --> 00:46:32,280 Speaker 2: Thank you, thank you, thank you, thank you, Becca. 873 00:46:32,320 --> 00:46:32,799 Speaker 1: Thank you. 874 00:46:33,080 --> 00:46:34,040 Speaker 5: Always love talking with you. 875 00:46:34,080 --> 00:46:42,640 Speaker 1: Molly, No moment, Jesse Cannon, Somali Young Fast. 876 00:46:42,760 --> 00:46:47,120 Speaker 3: If you don't call the Golf of Mexico Golf of America, 877 00:46:47,400 --> 00:46:48,080 Speaker 3: you're going to pay. 878 00:46:48,480 --> 00:46:52,759 Speaker 1: Yeah, this is really so stupid. It's hard to imagine 879 00:46:53,320 --> 00:46:57,400 Speaker 1: something stupid are than this, but we have hit on 880 00:46:57,560 --> 00:47:00,439 Speaker 1: it Donald Trump's Golf of America gate. 881 00:47:00,600 --> 00:47:00,920 Speaker 2: Again. 882 00:47:01,840 --> 00:47:05,000 Speaker 1: The idea here is that language. You know, they hate 883 00:47:05,000 --> 00:47:09,759 Speaker 1: the mainstream media. They're furious with writers, and yet they're 884 00:47:09,800 --> 00:47:13,240 Speaker 1: obsessed with language, So go figure. 885 00:47:13,560 --> 00:47:14,120 Speaker 2: I don't know. 886 00:47:14,560 --> 00:47:18,319 Speaker 1: This is one of the stupider things. He was mad 887 00:47:18,360 --> 00:47:21,440 Speaker 1: that the AP would not put it put the Gulf 888 00:47:21,480 --> 00:47:24,080 Speaker 1: of Mexico as the Gulf of America, and is to 889 00:47:24,280 --> 00:47:29,000 Speaker 1: punish the associated pressure, he did not allow their journalists 890 00:47:29,040 --> 00:47:34,520 Speaker 1: in to his press briefing. But again I'm reminded of 891 00:47:34,680 --> 00:47:39,960 Speaker 1: Acosta in twenty seventeen. There's precedent for torturing journalists. It's 892 00:47:40,080 --> 00:47:43,759 Speaker 1: like kind of his thing. That's it for this episode 893 00:47:43,840 --> 00:47:50,000 Speaker 1: of Fast Politics. Tune in every Monday, Wednesday, Thursday, and 894 00:47:50,200 --> 00:47:54,200 Speaker 1: Saturday to hear the best minds and politics make sense 895 00:47:54,239 --> 00:47:58,600 Speaker 1: of all this chaos. If you enjoy this podcast, please 896 00:47:58,600 --> 00:48:01,640 Speaker 1: send it to a friend and keep the conversation going. 897 00:48:02,120 --> 00:48:03,240 Speaker 1: Thanks for listening.