WEBVTT - Rick Wilson, Andy Kroll, Norm Eisen 0:00:00.680 --> 0:00:04.200 Hi, I'm Molly John Fast and this is Fast Politics, 0:00:04.400 --> 0:00:07.160 where we discussed the top political headlines with some of 0:00:07.200 --> 0:00:09.000 today's best minds. 0:00:08.960 --> 0:00:12.520 And RFK Junior staged a bike accent that involves a 0:00:12.600 --> 0:00:13.200 dead bear. 0:00:13.280 --> 0:00:13.560 Cub. 0:00:13.880 --> 0:00:16.040 What are we doing here? We have such a great 0:00:16.040 --> 0:00:18.640 show for you today. Pro Publica's Andy Kroll stops by 0:00:18.720 --> 0:00:20.840 to tell us about the latest shady right wing group 0:00:21.120 --> 0:00:23.799 coming up the works You've never heard of before, and 0:00:24.000 --> 0:00:27.240 boy is it's scary. Then we'll talk to former besser 0:00:27.440 --> 0:00:31.760 Norm Eisen about the impact of presidential debates. But first 0:00:31.920 --> 0:00:34.000 we have the host of the Enemy's List, the one, 0:00:34.040 --> 0:00:37.360 the only, the Lincoln Project's own, Rick Wilson. 0:00:37.920 --> 0:00:44.120 Welcome to Fast Politics, Rick Wilson, Molly. 0:00:43.960 --> 0:00:46.519 John Fast, as always a pleasure to be with you. 0:00:46.800 --> 0:00:49.600 I feel like the top line needs to be Joe 0:00:49.600 --> 0:00:55.440 Biden arranged a prisoner swap that was confirmed minutes before 0:00:55.560 --> 0:00:59.280 he dropped out of his re election bid. 0:00:59.440 --> 0:01:01.600 You know, Molly, this to me is the difference between 0:01:01.640 --> 0:01:05.959 serious people and trivial people, between serious people and unseerious people. 0:01:06.040 --> 0:01:09.000 Trump is a fundamentally unseerious person. I think we all 0:01:09.040 --> 0:01:12.600 know that, and Joe Biden is a fundamentally serious person. 0:01:12.920 --> 0:01:15.440 The idea that you were going to have this prisoner 0:01:15.520 --> 0:01:19.559 swap that was kept totally secret, completely on the down low. 0:01:20.080 --> 0:01:23.200 Nobody was leaking it, nobody's bragging about it, nobody was 0:01:23.240 --> 0:01:25.680 talking about it. It was just happening. They just did 0:01:25.720 --> 0:01:28.240 it under the radar screen, just took care of business. 0:01:28.319 --> 0:01:31.920 It reminds me that when you have serious people doing 0:01:31.959 --> 0:01:36.120 serious things, they can really accomplish important stuff. And a 0:01:36.160 --> 0:01:38.840 person like Trump would never have pulled this deal off. 0:01:38.880 --> 0:01:40.920 It would have been too much like what's in it 0:01:40.959 --> 0:01:43.720 for me? What am I getting personally from it? With 0:01:43.920 --> 0:01:46.240 lads to like me? I want him to like me. 0:01:46.600 --> 0:01:48.400 Do you think he thinks I'm cute? You know? 0:01:48.680 --> 0:01:52.000 I also think he might have gotten the deal done, 0:01:52.160 --> 0:01:55.120 but god knows what he would have offered and return. 0:01:55.720 --> 0:01:58.200 Well, I'll give you all of our spies in Russia. Lad, 0:01:58.400 --> 0:01:59.280 it's only fair. 0:02:00.880 --> 0:02:04.320 You were more and more likely you could take you kraying, right? 0:02:04.720 --> 0:02:07.640 Yeah? Well there would always be that, wouldn't it. You know? 0:02:07.680 --> 0:02:10.560 But look, I mean, Molly, I really believe this was 0:02:10.880 --> 0:02:14.160 something that it shows you that Joe Biden is going 0:02:14.240 --> 0:02:16.400 to go down. He may be a one term president, 0:02:16.520 --> 0:02:18.400 He will be remembered as a great one for a 0:02:18.440 --> 0:02:21.560 lot of reasons. This aspect of Joe Biden right now, 0:02:21.680 --> 0:02:24.399 where he gives a damn about his people, he gives 0:02:24.400 --> 0:02:26.560 a damn about the American people. He gives damn about 0:02:26.560 --> 0:02:29.720 the people who were counting on him to spring them 0:02:29.800 --> 0:02:33.320 from a Russian captivity. I keep coming back this, this 0:02:33.680 --> 0:02:37.079 is what a president should do. And I also think 0:02:37.320 --> 0:02:39.920 that it showed some good things about Vice President Harris, 0:02:40.240 --> 0:02:43.720 not just political for the campaign's sake, but as a leader. 0:02:44.120 --> 0:02:47.040 She was also involved in this. She was brought into 0:02:47.080 --> 0:02:50.320 it during the NATO security conference, met with Navalney's widow 0:02:50.560 --> 0:02:53.280 was very moved by it, became fully engaged in the process. 0:02:53.600 --> 0:02:57.120 If anyone here thinks this was not a universally good operation, 0:02:57.600 --> 0:03:00.760 I have news for him. They are mistaken. Delighted by 0:03:00.760 --> 0:03:03.519 the way that Joe Biden, Kamala Harris got to share 0:03:03.760 --> 0:03:07.440 with those families and with America a moment of joy. 0:03:07.760 --> 0:03:08.600 Yeah. 0:03:08.639 --> 0:03:14.600 It was really incredibly beautiful and just moving. And his speech, 0:03:14.960 --> 0:03:18.919 Biden's speech, You know, poor Biden has had so many 0:03:19.160 --> 0:03:21.160 you know, for a person with a stutter to have 0:03:21.280 --> 0:03:23.040 every fucking thing he says. 0:03:24.320 --> 0:03:27.280 You know, God, that's gonna sell it's got us suck. 0:03:27.400 --> 0:03:29.799 But that was a really good speech, and it showed 0:03:29.840 --> 0:03:32.519 that he really is in foll command of what he's doing, 0:03:33.160 --> 0:03:36.320 and I really was moved by it. I also was like, 0:03:36.480 --> 0:03:39.560 very happy that you and I have never said that 0:03:39.560 --> 0:03:43.000 Biden should drop out. Now, even though I'm thrilled with 0:03:43.280 --> 0:03:45.840 how this has it's been better than I think any 0:03:45.880 --> 0:03:50.440 of us could ever have dreams. And she is become 0:03:50.760 --> 0:03:54.280 the incredible orator that I had been saying she was 0:03:54.360 --> 0:03:57.800 for the last two years. But I still am grateful 0:03:58.000 --> 0:04:01.800 for his service, and I'm grateful that he was allowed to. 0:04:01.760 --> 0:04:04.240 Come to that decision on his own, and I. 0:04:04.120 --> 0:04:06.560 Am grateful that there were three weeks where he was 0:04:06.600 --> 0:04:09.760 able to really process it and that he didn't drop 0:04:09.800 --> 0:04:11.680 out right after that debate. 0:04:11.920 --> 0:04:15.760 I think the urgency of staying in command of this 0:04:15.880 --> 0:04:19.200 negotiation is the secret piece of the history. Now, this 0:04:19.320 --> 0:04:22.480 explains a lot. It wasn't just Joe Biden being a 0:04:22.520 --> 0:04:25.040 stubborn old coop and saying I'm not laving God dammit. 0:04:25.320 --> 0:04:29.000 It was Joe Biden with an agenda item that required 0:04:29.400 --> 0:04:33.880 presidential leadership at a high level, that required attention and 0:04:33.960 --> 0:04:37.480 focus at a level that only the president was credible 0:04:37.480 --> 0:04:40.440 on and the fact that he did this. I cannot 0:04:40.440 --> 0:04:44.520 express it more fully how impressed I was with how 0:04:44.640 --> 0:04:48.600 solid the negotiations looks like they were, how carefully it 0:04:48.640 --> 0:04:53.680 was crafted, how smart the multilateral diplomacy with multiple foreign 0:04:54.080 --> 0:04:57.240 governments that was required to pull this off. This is 0:04:57.320 --> 0:05:00.520 not trivial. None of this was easy. And there's no 0:05:00.640 --> 0:05:05.080 world where Donald Trump gets this steal done. None, none, whatsoever? 0:05:05.560 --> 0:05:08.600 No none. I think there's no world where Donald Trump 0:05:08.640 --> 0:05:11.599 gets his steal done. And I also think this is NATO. 0:05:11.880 --> 0:05:16.120 This is the power of NATO and two countries working 0:05:16.120 --> 0:05:21.200 together to solve problems and prevent wars. This is the goal, right, 0:05:21.440 --> 0:05:27.960 is to prevent wars, strengthen relationships, have these countries talk 0:05:28.000 --> 0:05:30.920 to each other so things, I mean remember, like so 0:05:31.120 --> 0:05:33.480 that things like World War one never happen. 0:05:33.800 --> 0:05:34.000 Right. 0:05:34.440 --> 0:05:39.120 The ideas behind NATO that Trump is very cavalier about 0:05:39.200 --> 0:05:40.800 and very dismissive of. 0:05:41.160 --> 0:05:45.400 And Trump's people, every one of Trump's followers, believe in 0:05:45.440 --> 0:05:46.920 this sort of anti right. 0:05:47.279 --> 0:05:51.400 We can do it about ourselves. Merca, Merca, fuck you. 0:05:52.240 --> 0:05:52.840 And you know. 0:05:52.880 --> 0:05:55.839 Mitch McConnell gave an interview today to punch Bowl News 0:05:55.839 --> 0:05:59.599 and he was talking about just how dangerous. And again 0:05:59.720 --> 0:06:02.440 I am fan of Mitch McConnell, Nora, are you no, 0:06:03.480 --> 0:06:04.839 I think that's fairy. 0:06:04.920 --> 0:06:07.080 I think that's a that would be an accurate statement. 0:06:07.560 --> 0:06:10.599 As an understatement maybe, but he was talking about how 0:06:10.839 --> 0:06:15.960 dangerous the ethos of this project twenty twenty five trumpy 0:06:16.800 --> 0:06:18.800 view of foreign policy. 0:06:18.560 --> 0:06:21.839 Is the ideas behind twenty twenty five. They were not 0:06:22.480 --> 0:06:28.640 trivial ideas. They were incredibly dangerous ideas. And folks process 0:06:28.680 --> 0:06:33.159 this When you have a person like Mitch McConnell saying, hey, 0:06:33.279 --> 0:06:36.120 not so much on this, not a great plan, you 0:06:36.120 --> 0:06:39.520 should really pay attention. There is like a weird vestigial 0:06:39.560 --> 0:06:42.840 part of Mitch McConnell that I heard out in the 0:06:43.080 --> 0:06:47.600 atmosphere this week, because as Trump has continued to decompensate 0:06:47.640 --> 0:06:51.920 and get crazier and crazier, McConnell is telling his candidates, now, 0:06:52.200 --> 0:06:54.000 if you have to back away from him, back away 0:06:54.000 --> 0:06:55.719 from him, if you have to run away from and 0:06:55.800 --> 0:06:58.360 run away from him. Now. I know that that is 0:06:58.400 --> 0:07:01.720 pissed off Trump, and it is off the Trump. 0:07:01.440 --> 0:07:03.680 Team, and he's going to get a lot of death 0:07:03.720 --> 0:07:05.880 threats from that because that they don't like that. 0:07:06.279 --> 0:07:08.560 Yeah, oh yeah, they're out. And I was saying, like, 0:07:08.720 --> 0:07:10.640 you know, we hear one thing about you not being 0:07:10.680 --> 0:07:14.360 loyal to the president, and you're done. It's over. And 0:07:14.880 --> 0:07:17.360 I believe them, you know what, they will They will 0:07:17.360 --> 0:07:20.119 go out. They would rather lose than have Trump feel 0:07:20.240 --> 0:07:22.440 like his little, tiny, delicate feelings are hurt for even 0:07:22.480 --> 0:07:23.040 one second. 0:07:23.200 --> 0:07:26.240 But the thing is, I mean, I just want for 0:07:26.280 --> 0:07:28.400 two seconds, and you and I both agree. 0:07:28.600 --> 0:07:30.720 By the way, we are going on tour, Yes. 0:07:30.560 --> 0:07:33.520 Folks, we're going We're going on tour. 0:07:33.880 --> 0:07:38.520 On tour, and we are going to many many places. 0:07:38.600 --> 0:07:41.560 We are going to so many damn places. It's absurd 0:07:41.920 --> 0:07:45.760 and it's going to be fucking fun. So many activities. Yeah, folks, 0:07:45.800 --> 0:07:48.040 We're going to be going all over the country. I'm excited. 0:07:48.480 --> 0:07:52.320 But so just back to actual normal American life for 0:07:52.360 --> 0:07:55.480 a second. Rass Mutant or as I call them, brass 0:07:55.600 --> 0:08:00.520 Smutan kind of poll that ended up in my group 0:08:00.600 --> 0:08:04.040 chat today that I would like to read to you 0:08:04.200 --> 0:08:07.440 because Rusmuton has blocked me on Twitter. 0:08:07.520 --> 0:08:09.360 Let's not put you find a point on it. They're 0:08:09.720 --> 0:08:10.840 rather trumpy. 0:08:10.560 --> 0:08:11.960 Yes, they're rather trumpy. 0:08:12.280 --> 0:08:17.320 Twenty twenty four General election Harris forty seven, Trump forty two, 0:08:17.560 --> 0:08:18.840 and Kennedy six. 0:08:19.320 --> 0:08:21.520 That's three thousand registered voters. 0:08:21.760 --> 0:08:25.000 You know, Kennedy is dropping off the radar one day 0:08:25.000 --> 0:08:27.320 at a time. Okay, I mean remember this was a 0:08:27.320 --> 0:08:30.080 guy who was at twenty percent for a while. Yeah, 0:08:30.120 --> 0:08:32.160 and now he's at rounding error. 0:08:32.240 --> 0:08:34.960 Well the picture of him eating that's not a. 0:08:34.840 --> 0:08:39.120 Dog, right, It wasn't a dog. It was actually I mean, 0:08:39.559 --> 0:08:41.640 it was actually a goat, which makes it much better. 0:08:41.679 --> 0:08:42.520 By the way, if you. 0:08:42.520 --> 0:08:45.760 Are part of a discourse that involves he was eating 0:08:45.920 --> 0:08:47.280 it wasn't a dog. 0:08:47.480 --> 0:08:47.960 You lose. 0:08:48.200 --> 0:08:51.280 Right. Yeah, It's like today's discourse with did Trump take 0:08:51.280 --> 0:08:53.959 a ten million dollar bride from the Egyptians? If you're 0:08:54.040 --> 0:08:56.120 debating whether or not you took a ten million dollar 0:08:56.160 --> 0:08:59.079 bride from the Egyptians, you're already losing the discussion. 0:08:59.200 --> 0:08:59.920 But can we have. 0:09:00.080 --> 0:09:04.000 Two seconds on the Egyptian's incredible bipartisanship. 0:09:04.240 --> 0:09:04.760 Way to go. 0:09:04.920 --> 0:09:08.280 Egyptians they bribe both the left. 0:09:08.240 --> 0:09:11.000 And the right and the right. Yep, God bless them. 0:09:11.200 --> 0:09:12.439 They're not shy about it. 0:09:12.640 --> 0:09:17.040 Why are the Egyptians trying to bribe all of our politicians. 0:09:16.679 --> 0:09:17.760 Because they're bribeable. 0:09:19.440 --> 0:09:20.800 That is not a good answer. 0:09:21.640 --> 0:09:23.640 I'm aware that is not an answer that you wanted 0:09:23.640 --> 0:09:25.680 to hear, but that is the answer. 0:09:25.600 --> 0:09:28.640 Why Egypt, Like there are so many countries that it 0:09:28.640 --> 0:09:29.280 would seem. 0:09:29.200 --> 0:09:31.640 Like need more from America than Egypt. 0:09:31.880 --> 0:09:33.720 Do you think Egypt is the only one? 0:09:34.000 --> 0:09:35.240 Right? That's a good point. 0:09:35.600 --> 0:09:38.920 Corruption is an equal opportunity to disease, right. And you know, 0:09:38.960 --> 0:09:43.240 as Robert Menindez just abundantly show. Yeah, and God bless 0:09:43.400 --> 0:09:46.160 many of the Democrats with a certain high level exception 0:09:47.160 --> 0:09:49.160 who basically came out and said, this guy's got a 0:09:49.200 --> 0:09:52.559 fucking go No, we can't have this. If you're debating 0:09:53.160 --> 0:09:55.559 with people like did you take a ten million dollar bribe? 0:09:55.600 --> 0:09:59.560 Did you eat a dog? A sign you are not 0:10:00.000 --> 0:10:02.120 I'm the up end of you're not on the upside 0:10:02.160 --> 0:10:03.400 of the political argument. 0:10:04.240 --> 0:10:05.040 It's really bad. 0:10:05.200 --> 0:10:08.680 I have to say, like things have really degraded in 0:10:08.720 --> 0:10:13.280 this selection cycle. Let's talk about where Trump is right now. 0:10:13.480 --> 0:10:17.360 He still has Chris la Savida, who is supposedly really 0:10:17.360 --> 0:10:22.720 good ran swift Boat Veterans, ruined John Kerry's career, so as. 0:10:22.559 --> 0:10:24.320 A longtime lib I'm not a fan. 0:10:24.920 --> 0:10:28.320 And you have Susie Wiles, who is like kind of 0:10:28.520 --> 0:10:31.240 incredible Florida political operative. 0:10:31.480 --> 0:10:34.480 She's currently spending a lot of her time waging a 0:10:34.640 --> 0:10:36.120 war with Kelly and Conway. 0:10:36.360 --> 0:10:39.760 Explain, and you are in Florida as opposed to me, 0:10:39.920 --> 0:10:40.960 who is not in Florida. 0:10:41.120 --> 0:10:43.640 Thank god, I am the Florida man. All the rumors 0:10:43.640 --> 0:10:46.320 that you're hearing about unhappiness with Jade Vance have been 0:10:46.360 --> 0:10:50.520 really pissing Trump off, Okay, like I mean a lot, okay, 0:10:50.679 --> 0:10:54.760 pissing him off. And Susie Wiles has identified that Kelly 0:10:54.800 --> 0:10:57.280 and Conway is one of the sources of those rumors. 0:10:57.360 --> 0:10:59.280 Oh, and that's why that story leaked. 0:10:59.559 --> 0:11:02.080 That's why that story leaked. And if Susie wants to 0:11:02.080 --> 0:11:04.760 prove me wrong, have at it. Come to Daddy. I 0:11:04.800 --> 0:11:06.520 know the style, and I know who she's talking to, 0:11:06.600 --> 0:11:09.080 and I know the way the story got covered was 0:11:09.080 --> 0:11:12.640 as Susie Wilde special, Chris Losovita is trying to save 0:11:12.720 --> 0:11:16.400 himself because Trump's mad at him. But Chris Lolsovita is 0:11:16.400 --> 0:11:19.280 now out bragging I'm the one who killed Project twenty 0:11:19.320 --> 0:11:19.920 twenty five. 0:11:20.200 --> 0:11:21.400 But it's still going. 0:11:21.840 --> 0:11:25.560 Yeah, our sources said that was a lie. It's still going. 0:11:25.760 --> 0:11:28.920 Chris is swinging at defenses. He's mad because We're running 0:11:28.920 --> 0:11:31.080 an ad right now down in mar A Lago and 0:11:31.120 --> 0:11:33.960 at Bedminster saying to Trump, Wow, you really think that 0:11:34.080 --> 0:11:36.360 Chris Losovita and Susie Wilds are doing a good job 0:11:36.400 --> 0:11:38.280 for you. They helped you pick Jad Evans. He's so 0:11:38.320 --> 0:11:41.839 embarrassing Donald. They keep making mistakes Donald. That's why, of 0:11:41.920 --> 0:11:44.720 course Trump is tweeting that the perverts at the failed 0:11:44.720 --> 0:11:49.760 Lincoln Project are taking me. Yes, I'm you and. 0:11:49.760 --> 0:11:52.559 George Conway have been doing these audience of one ads 0:11:52.679 --> 0:11:56.040 right yep, in order to completely freak out Trump and 0:11:56.080 --> 0:11:58.880 make him lose his mind and lose and it works. 0:11:59.200 --> 0:12:01.960 I was peeking out about something and I'm talking to 0:12:02.000 --> 0:12:05.000 George Conway, and George Conway's like, you know, he's tweeting 0:12:05.040 --> 0:12:07.280 about me and saying terrible things, and I was like, 0:12:07.640 --> 0:12:10.720 how does this not freak you out? I'm like, when 0:12:10.760 --> 0:12:13.560 one person hates me, I believe my life is over. 0:12:14.360 --> 0:12:17.640 I know. But for me and for George, we have 0:12:17.679 --> 0:12:21.200 a certain like political combat sensibility about this guy. I 0:12:21.240 --> 0:12:23.440 always tell people like the Lincoln Project, Wes, we do 0:12:23.480 --> 0:12:26.079 these viral ads, we do these anti Trump ads, and they're 0:12:26.080 --> 0:12:28.680 all fine and good, right, They're exciting people like them 0:12:28.840 --> 0:12:33.319 gets Trump crazy. But every second he's not attacking Kamala Harris, 0:12:33.520 --> 0:12:36.560 he's losing. Every second he's paying attention to me or 0:12:36.640 --> 0:12:40.880 George or anybody else, he's losing that sense of being 0:12:40.920 --> 0:12:44.080 out of control, not having the campaign that he wants. 0:12:44.240 --> 0:12:47.040 We're all building up this matrix of ideas around him 0:12:47.160 --> 0:12:49.520 in his brain that he can't trust anybody, that he's 0:12:49.559 --> 0:12:51.520 got to go out and do his own thing, play 0:12:51.559 --> 0:12:54.240 it his way. For instance, this week at the National 0:12:54.280 --> 0:12:57.880 Association of Black Journalists, he thought, I'm going to go out, 0:12:57.960 --> 0:13:00.560 I'll show those colored people, I'll tell how it's going 0:13:00.640 --> 0:13:03.800 to be. And sure enough, he completely fucked it up. 0:13:03.880 --> 0:13:06.280 And he fucked it up in part because all of 0:13:06.320 --> 0:13:08.440 us were in his brain all week, making him not 0:13:08.559 --> 0:13:12.920 trust the professionals around him, and so now he's panicked. 0:13:13.160 --> 0:13:15.240 There was a scoop from Axios. 0:13:15.679 --> 0:13:18.640 Basically, Trump said that the reason he was thirty five 0:13:18.679 --> 0:13:22.080 minutes late was because the equipment wasn't working on stage, which, 0:13:22.120 --> 0:13:25.600 of course, because I'm a complete moron and don't assume 0:13:25.600 --> 0:13:28.760 that everybody is lying, I have believed. But then just 0:13:28.920 --> 0:13:34.319 now a scoop from Axios yesterday Trump didn't want to 0:13:34.360 --> 0:13:39.160 be fact Check live at the NABJ refusing to go 0:13:39.240 --> 0:13:45.800 on stage, a stalemate so prolonged NABJ leaders were prepping 0:13:45.840 --> 0:13:47.720 a statement to say why. 0:13:47.400 --> 0:13:49.839 Trump wouldn't show yep. 0:13:49.960 --> 0:13:54.760 As ken Lemon was preparing it, Trump walked on stage. 0:13:54.360 --> 0:13:58.080 The idea that it was a technical problem. The minute 0:13:58.080 --> 0:13:59.920 it came out of Trump's mouth as an answer, Paul 0:14:00.120 --> 0:14:02.640 just of Trump, I was like, that is a lie, 0:14:03.080 --> 0:14:04.280 and we all knew it was a lie. 0:14:04.559 --> 0:14:06.079 I was sure it was true. 0:14:06.679 --> 0:14:10.640 Oh god, No. Trump can't stop himself, Molly. Yeah, his 0:14:10.679 --> 0:14:14.199 impulse control is zero. He cannot control himself to take 0:14:14.240 --> 0:14:16.800 the opposite of anything the guy ever says. And this 0:14:17.080 --> 0:14:21.440 was exactly that it was a complete lie. And the 0:14:21.480 --> 0:14:25.600 idea that it was technical problems. You know, they they 0:14:25.720 --> 0:14:27.840 already started, like you could see the look on their 0:14:27.880 --> 0:14:29.440 face when he said it, because they were like, the 0:14:29.520 --> 0:14:30.960 fuck is this right? 0:14:31.080 --> 0:14:31.160 Right? 0:14:31.240 --> 0:14:31.400 Right? 0:14:31.960 --> 0:14:35.160 Nothing about Trump should ever be taken seriously. It's just 0:14:35.680 --> 0:14:38.000 the way it is. The guy is always going to 0:14:38.040 --> 0:14:39.800 lie because he can't do anything else. 0:14:40.360 --> 0:14:43.600 Yeah, this is why autocrats hate journalists so much. Just 0:14:43.600 --> 0:14:47.640 because this was a lie. This journalist from Axios just 0:14:47.760 --> 0:14:50.400 went and talked to the people who run the organization, 0:14:50.760 --> 0:14:53.360 and they were able to explain that that wasn't true. 0:14:53.720 --> 0:14:55.920 And I think that you really do see why there's 0:14:55.960 --> 0:14:58.800 so much hostility and animus towards journalists. 0:14:59.000 --> 0:15:02.240 Yeah. Look, as Donald Trump has consistently in his entire 0:15:02.280 --> 0:15:04.880 time in public life, not only while when he ran 0:15:04.920 --> 0:15:08.400 for office, but well before, nothing for Trump is real 0:15:08.640 --> 0:15:11.000 unless he makes it so in his head. Nothing for 0:15:11.040 --> 0:15:14.000 Trump is legitimate unless he makes it up and turns 0:15:14.000 --> 0:15:16.720 it into a story about him. And this was a 0:15:17.720 --> 0:15:20.880 really strong case to show that. As much as people 0:15:20.920 --> 0:15:24.360 have always thought a lot of reporters, particularly oh, Trump 0:15:24.400 --> 0:15:27.560 is such a brilliant operator. He's so good on his feet. 0:15:27.840 --> 0:15:32.480 He manipulates everybody. Honestly, that performance was sad. He was 0:15:32.520 --> 0:15:35.720 a broken toy on that stage. He had five or 0:15:35.760 --> 0:15:38.520 six of his little shticky answers he wanted to use, 0:15:38.680 --> 0:15:40.880 and none of them were working. Harris Faulkner may be 0:15:40.920 --> 0:15:43.560 an ally of Trump, but he was on that stage 0:15:43.640 --> 0:15:46.680 embarrassing himself almost from the first moment he walked out. 0:15:46.760 --> 0:15:48.960 You could see it in his body language, this sort 0:15:49.000 --> 0:15:52.360 of like hands between the knees bent over. He was 0:15:52.400 --> 0:15:55.680 not confident, he was not happy, he was not ready 0:15:55.680 --> 0:15:58.000 to go in there and answer questions. None of it. 0:15:58.120 --> 0:16:00.480 The illusion of Trump's keeps getting shattered more and more 0:16:00.520 --> 0:16:01.000 every day. 0:16:01.320 --> 0:16:02.800 Yeah, absolutely true. 0:16:03.040 --> 0:16:06.400 Rick Wilson, Molly John Fast, a pleasure as always, and 0:16:06.440 --> 0:16:08.040 I will see you on the road. 0:16:08.400 --> 0:16:17.800 Yes, did you know Bally, John Fast and Rick Wilson 0:16:17.840 --> 0:16:19.720 are heading out on tour together to bring you a 0:16:19.800 --> 0:16:22.560 knight of laughs, to bring some lightness to our dark 0:16:22.600 --> 0:16:25.720 political landscape. Join us on August twenty sixth in San 0:16:25.760 --> 0:16:28.600 Francisco at the Swedish American Hall, or in la on 0:16:28.640 --> 0:16:31.040 August twenty seventh at the Region Theater. Then we'll hit 0:16:31.080 --> 0:16:33.680 the Midwest at the Bavariam in Milwaukee on the twenty 0:16:33.720 --> 0:16:36.040 first of September, and the twenty second we'll be in 0:16:36.120 --> 0:16:38.680 Chicago at City Winery. Then we'll be on the East 0:16:38.680 --> 0:16:42.120 coast September thirtieth, in Boston at the Armory the first 0:16:42.120 --> 0:16:45.280 of October and Philly at City Winery, and then DC 0:16:45.480 --> 0:16:48.000 on the second at the Miracle Theater, with a few 0:16:48.040 --> 0:16:50.040 more dates to come. If you need to laugh as 0:16:50.080 --> 0:16:52.440 we get through this election and hopefully never hear from 0:16:52.440 --> 0:16:54.640 this guy who lives in a golf club again, we 0:16:54.760 --> 0:16:57.440 got you covered. Join us along with some surprise guests 0:16:57.480 --> 0:16:59.440 to help you laugh instead of cry your way through 0:16:59.440 --> 0:17:02.720 this selection season and get the inside analysis of what's 0:17:02.760 --> 0:17:05.240 really going on right now. Buy your tickets now by 0:17:05.240 --> 0:17:09.920 heading to Politics as Unusual dot bio. That's Politics as 0:17:10.119 --> 0:17:14.560 Unusual dot bio. Andy Kroll is a reporter at Pro 0:17:14.760 --> 0:17:15.200 public O. 0:17:15.840 --> 0:17:19.120 Welcome to Fast Politics, Andy Kroll. I'm Mollie John Fust 0:17:19.160 --> 0:17:20.119 and I run a kennel. 0:17:21.760 --> 0:17:24.520 Happy to be guests here at your beautiful kettle. 0:17:24.800 --> 0:17:25.000 Right. 0:17:25.080 --> 0:17:30.040 We occasionally interviewed journalists when not running the kennel. Andy, 0:17:30.520 --> 0:17:35.280 You've done such incredible reporting Leonard Leo all of the 0:17:35.359 --> 0:17:39.560 Supreme Court craziness. But now you have found yet another 0:17:39.880 --> 0:17:42.240 Republican secret society discuss. 0:17:43.000 --> 0:17:47.000 Yeah, we just can't get enough of the religious right 0:17:47.240 --> 0:17:52.479 secret donor Shenanigans. Can we glutton for whatever that is? 0:17:52.680 --> 0:17:52.920 Yes? 0:17:53.200 --> 0:17:55.960 Our latest story of Pro PUBLICA it's a joint effort 0:17:56.200 --> 0:17:59.360 with myself and Nick Sergey at this website documented. It's 0:17:59.359 --> 0:18:04.040 about a group called called Zicklag. Zicklag is basically trying 0:18:04.080 --> 0:18:10.280 to do for evangelical conservative Christians what the Koch Brothers 0:18:10.520 --> 0:18:15.320 did for, you know, billionaire industrialists who just wanted to 0:18:15.320 --> 0:18:19.720 get rid of government regulation and defeat Obama. This group Zicklag, 0:18:19.760 --> 0:18:21.960 which your listeners probably haven't heard of, because we're kind 0:18:21.960 --> 0:18:24.480 of the first big story about it. They have brought 0:18:24.520 --> 0:18:29.199 together all these ultra wealthy Christian families, some of whom 0:18:29.320 --> 0:18:32.760 folks have probably heard of, the U Line family out 0:18:32.760 --> 0:18:37.000 of Wisconsin, the hobby Lobby family, and the folks actually 0:18:37.000 --> 0:18:40.280 who are the Jockey apparel company. So for all you 0:18:40.440 --> 0:18:44.600 jockey underwear buyers out there, tune in, I guess. So 0:18:44.640 --> 0:18:47.320 we've written about this group that is planning to spend 0:18:47.960 --> 0:18:52.080 more than twelve million dollars at least this year trying 0:18:52.200 --> 0:18:54.960 to help the Republican sile the Ledger, trying to help 0:18:55.040 --> 0:18:58.320 the Trump campaign, and they're doing it with this very 0:18:58.359 --> 0:19:01.960 sort of Christian right, Christian nationalist point of view, where 0:19:01.960 --> 0:19:04.919 basically they think they want to elect Republicans because this 0:19:05.040 --> 0:19:09.240 is how you quote take dominion over the seven Mountains 0:19:09.359 --> 0:19:13.200 of Influence, which is a Christian sort of ideology. Basically 0:19:13.240 --> 0:19:15.720 basically how you take dominion over all the big industries 0:19:15.760 --> 0:19:18.879 that matter at American life. So it's very very modest stuff, 0:19:18.880 --> 0:19:21.000 as you can tell, but it's an interesting project that 0:19:21.000 --> 0:19:21.440 they're doing. 0:19:21.720 --> 0:19:25.160 So first stop and explain to us about and most 0:19:25.160 --> 0:19:27.600 seners of this podcast, if you listen to every episode 0:19:27.640 --> 0:19:31.320 like my dad does, you will know what seventh dominion 0:19:31.800 --> 0:19:34.480 is the call to have in all of this craziness. 0:19:34.520 --> 0:19:36.439 But give us the sort of TLDR on that. 0:19:36.680 --> 0:19:38.160 Yeah, and Hi, Molly's dad. 0:19:38.320 --> 0:19:43.080 So the Seven Mountain Mandate is this way of thinking 0:19:43.359 --> 0:19:47.800 for the Christian right about how do you return the 0:19:47.800 --> 0:19:50.679 country to what they believe is the sort of true 0:19:50.800 --> 0:19:55.320 Christian origin or Christian identity of the United States of America. 0:19:55.359 --> 0:19:58.159 I remember, Christian nationalism at its core is a belief 0:19:58.200 --> 0:20:03.080 that everything should flow downhill from biblical teachings and quote 0:20:03.200 --> 0:20:07.080 unquote biblical truth that if the US becomes a less 0:20:07.160 --> 0:20:11.600 Christian country, it ceases to be a country that the laws, 0:20:11.760 --> 0:20:15.919 the culture, education, and everything about our everyday lives should 0:20:16.000 --> 0:20:19.520 flow from a Christian worldview, that is Christian nationalism. Then 0:20:19.800 --> 0:20:22.920 this Seven Mountain Mandate is this way of trying to 0:20:23.160 --> 0:20:26.760 take that kind of amorphous ideology and put it into action. 0:20:27.040 --> 0:20:30.760 And so the Seven Mountains are these basically stand ins 0:20:30.840 --> 0:20:33.320 for the things that matter in American culture. So we're 0:20:33.359 --> 0:20:38.680 talking about arts and media, education, family, religion, government, business, 0:20:38.960 --> 0:20:43.159 all of the things that shape what American society actually is. 0:20:43.600 --> 0:20:47.280 They want to in this seven Mountain mandate, get Christians 0:20:47.280 --> 0:20:49.440 to the top of the mountain, hence the mountain metaphor, 0:20:49.560 --> 0:20:53.920