1 00:00:00,800 --> 00:00:03,760 Speaker 1: Hey, guys, ready or not, twenty twenty four is here 2 00:00:03,920 --> 00:00:06,360 Speaker 1: and we here at Breaking Points, are already thinking of 3 00:00:06,440 --> 00:00:08,639 Speaker 1: ways we can up our game for this critical election. 4 00:00:08,840 --> 00:00:11,760 Speaker 1: We rely on our premium subs to expand coverage, upgrade 5 00:00:11,800 --> 00:00:15,160 Speaker 1: the studio ad staff give you, guys, the best independent 6 00:00:15,200 --> 00:00:17,400 Speaker 1: coverage that is possible. If you like what we're all about, 7 00:00:17,440 --> 00:00:19,520 Speaker 1: it means the absolute world to have your support. What 8 00:00:19,560 --> 00:00:22,000 Speaker 1: are you waiting for? Become a premium subscriber today at 9 00:00:22,000 --> 00:00:42,400 Speaker 1: Breakingpoints dot com. Good morning, everybody, Happy Thursday. We have 10 00:00:42,400 --> 00:00:44,479 Speaker 1: an amazing show for everybody today. What do we have pristolla? 11 00:00:44,560 --> 00:00:47,159 Speaker 1: Indeed we do first and foremost, Saga is back. Nice 12 00:00:47,159 --> 00:00:49,000 Speaker 1: to have you that very nice to be back on 13 00:00:49,000 --> 00:00:51,720 Speaker 1: the side of the Atlantic and congratulations are thank you 14 00:00:51,920 --> 00:00:54,800 Speaker 1: as you appreciate it. Yes, we had fun eight Indian 15 00:00:54,800 --> 00:00:56,880 Speaker 1: food the entire time and was London. No bangers in 16 00:00:56,960 --> 00:00:59,440 Speaker 1: mash for me. Does Chilian like Indian food as much 17 00:00:59,480 --> 00:01:01,840 Speaker 1: as you do? No, But you know, while we're in London, 18 00:01:01,880 --> 00:01:03,120 Speaker 1: you know, it's one of those things we just kind 19 00:01:03,120 --> 00:01:05,240 Speaker 1: of have to go with that. Okay, we did the 20 00:01:05,280 --> 00:01:07,520 Speaker 1: whole high tea thing all right, so you know she 21 00:01:07,600 --> 00:01:10,080 Speaker 1: got her fill a very good deal. All right, there's 22 00:01:10,080 --> 00:01:11,560 Speaker 1: a lot to get into this morning. First of all, 23 00:01:11,600 --> 00:01:14,760 Speaker 1: tomorrow is the one year anniversary of Russia's invasion of Ukraine, 24 00:01:15,120 --> 00:01:17,320 Speaker 1: so there's a lot of news there. Also, we want 25 00:01:17,360 --> 00:01:18,959 Speaker 1: to just take a look back at, you know, where 26 00:01:18,959 --> 00:01:21,600 Speaker 1: we've been, where we are today, and especially we've got 27 00:01:21,600 --> 00:01:23,560 Speaker 1: some maps, we've got some polling that can kind of 28 00:01:23,560 --> 00:01:25,960 Speaker 1: assess how the American public feels about all of this, 29 00:01:26,080 --> 00:01:28,600 Speaker 1: how the world feels about this, and just what has 30 00:01:28,640 --> 00:01:31,360 Speaker 1: happened on the battlefield since the launch of that invasion 31 00:01:31,360 --> 00:01:36,880 Speaker 1: a year ago. Also, potential Trump indictments coming down from 32 00:01:37,000 --> 00:01:40,160 Speaker 1: that Grand Jury in Georgia and the fore Woman is 33 00:01:40,600 --> 00:01:42,880 Speaker 1: something else. We will show you a little bit of 34 00:01:42,920 --> 00:01:45,640 Speaker 1: that and tell you what we know. Also, Trump visited 35 00:01:45,680 --> 00:01:49,560 Speaker 1: East Palestine yesterday. Democrats continue to be sort of completely absent. 36 00:01:50,040 --> 00:01:52,360 Speaker 1: The NTSB report is expected to come out today, and 37 00:01:52,360 --> 00:01:55,080 Speaker 1: we're getting new revelations about that water testing that was 38 00:01:55,080 --> 00:01:59,640 Speaker 1: conducted apparently by the railroad twenty twenty four news rumblings 39 00:01:59,680 --> 00:02:04,840 Speaker 1: that isn't actually gonna run taking but you know, it's 40 00:02:04,840 --> 00:02:07,400 Speaker 1: important to report on it. At the same time, kind 41 00:02:07,400 --> 00:02:09,799 Speaker 1: of I have to say, as we predicted sagar as 42 00:02:09,840 --> 00:02:13,240 Speaker 1: Trump has been out there basically by himself running for 43 00:02:13,280 --> 00:02:16,800 Speaker 1: president on the Republican side. His hand is strengthening, he 44 00:02:16,960 --> 00:02:20,200 Speaker 1: is increasing in the polls, so you know he's still 45 00:02:20,200 --> 00:02:23,040 Speaker 1: the one to beat ultimately. We also have Sean Hannity 46 00:02:23,080 --> 00:02:26,160 Speaker 1: talking to Marjorie Taylor Green about her big national divorce idea. 47 00:02:26,520 --> 00:02:28,760 Speaker 1: I commented on this earlier this week with Emily, but 48 00:02:28,800 --> 00:02:33,440 Speaker 1: interesting to wait, well, we had to make sure to 49 00:02:33,480 --> 00:02:35,359 Speaker 1: bring it back for you, so everybody can hear your 50 00:02:35,360 --> 00:02:38,280 Speaker 1: thoughts as well. But let's go ahead and start with 51 00:02:38,400 --> 00:02:40,639 Speaker 1: what is going on in Ukraine? All right, So let's 52 00:02:40,639 --> 00:02:42,320 Speaker 1: go ahe and put this up there on the screen. 53 00:02:42,440 --> 00:02:45,360 Speaker 1: President Biden visiting Kiev and giving a major speech as 54 00:02:45,400 --> 00:02:48,360 Speaker 1: well as another one in Warsaw after President Vladimir Putin 55 00:02:48,360 --> 00:02:51,359 Speaker 1: delivered one in Russia. I reiterating in the unending commitment 56 00:02:51,400 --> 00:02:54,680 Speaker 1: both to NATO the Eastern Flank and specifically to Ukraine 57 00:02:54,720 --> 00:02:57,600 Speaker 1: and ongoing continued military support. Here's what he had to say. 58 00:02:57,919 --> 00:03:01,720 Speaker 1: He thought he'd get the fidelization of NATO. Instead he 59 00:03:01,840 --> 00:03:09,120 Speaker 1: got the nataization of Finland and Sweden. You thought NATO 60 00:03:09,160 --> 00:03:15,080 Speaker 1: would fracture and divide. Instead, NATO is more united and 61 00:03:15,160 --> 00:03:19,040 Speaker 1: more unified than ever. Our support you for grained, will 62 00:03:19,080 --> 00:03:22,320 Speaker 1: not waiver, NATO will not be divided, and we will 63 00:03:22,360 --> 00:03:26,560 Speaker 1: not tire so reiterating there that it's actually made NATO stronger. 64 00:03:26,600 --> 00:03:29,000 Speaker 1: It actually has increased military dispending of course Finland and 65 00:03:29,000 --> 00:03:32,200 Speaker 1: Sweden on the process of possibly being admitted. But since 66 00:03:32,200 --> 00:03:33,600 Speaker 1: it's the one year, you know, we got to take 67 00:03:33,600 --> 00:03:36,320 Speaker 1: a step back almost from the current developments and just 68 00:03:36,360 --> 00:03:39,280 Speaker 1: say what's happening and where will these things end? Obviously 69 00:03:39,320 --> 00:03:41,760 Speaker 1: we've been covering the war almost for the entire year. 70 00:03:41,840 --> 00:03:43,920 Speaker 1: Was a big moment for breaking points is when many 71 00:03:44,160 --> 00:03:46,680 Speaker 1: are of our viewers and our listeners actually joined us. 72 00:03:46,720 --> 00:03:48,480 Speaker 1: And it hasn't always been easy, been wrong a lot, 73 00:03:48,520 --> 00:03:50,920 Speaker 1: and I think that's fine. But one of the interviews 74 00:03:50,960 --> 00:03:54,440 Speaker 1: here by respected historian at Princeton Stephen Kocken, I actually 75 00:03:54,440 --> 00:03:57,120 Speaker 1: think did a fantastic job of just summing everything up 76 00:03:57,160 --> 00:03:59,360 Speaker 1: in an interview in The New Yorker with David Remlock. 77 00:03:59,440 --> 00:04:01,680 Speaker 1: Let's put this up on the screen. I'm gonna read 78 00:04:01,680 --> 00:04:04,840 Speaker 1: from this one particular passage in particular, he says, David 79 00:04:04,840 --> 00:04:07,600 Speaker 1: Remneck kind of challenging Stephen Kotkin. Last year, you told 80 00:04:07,640 --> 00:04:09,560 Speaker 1: me that Ukraine was winning on Twitter, but that Russia 81 00:04:09,600 --> 00:04:12,080 Speaker 1: was winning on the battlefield. A lot has happened since then. 82 00:04:12,200 --> 00:04:16,240 Speaker 1: Is that's still the case? He says, quote, Unfortunately. Let's 83 00:04:16,279 --> 00:04:18,479 Speaker 1: think of a house. Let's say you own a house 84 00:04:18,520 --> 00:04:20,920 Speaker 1: and it has ten rooms. Let's say I barge in 85 00:04:20,960 --> 00:04:23,840 Speaker 1: and take two of those rooms away. I wreck those rooms. 86 00:04:23,920 --> 00:04:26,440 Speaker 1: From those two rooms, I'm wrecking your other eight rooms. 87 00:04:26,480 --> 00:04:28,280 Speaker 1: And you're trying to beat me back. You're trying to 88 00:04:28,320 --> 00:04:30,800 Speaker 1: evict me from the two rooms. You push out a corner, 89 00:04:30,920 --> 00:04:33,320 Speaker 1: you push out another corner, maybe, but I'm still there. 90 00:04:33,360 --> 00:04:35,720 Speaker 1: I'm still wrecking. The thing is, you need your house. 91 00:04:35,800 --> 00:04:37,640 Speaker 1: That's where you live. It's your house. You don't have 92 00:04:37,680 --> 00:04:40,240 Speaker 1: another house. Me. I have another house. My other house 93 00:04:40,279 --> 00:04:42,400 Speaker 1: has a thousand rooms. So if I wreck your house, 94 00:04:42,440 --> 00:04:45,080 Speaker 1: are you winning or am I winning? Unfortunately, that's the 95 00:04:45,120 --> 00:04:47,640 Speaker 1: situation that we're in. Ukraine has beaten back the Russian 96 00:04:47,640 --> 00:04:49,800 Speaker 1: attempt to conquer their country. They have defended their capital, 97 00:04:49,920 --> 00:04:51,680 Speaker 1: They've pushed the Russians out of some of their land 98 00:04:51,680 --> 00:04:54,320 Speaker 1: that the Russians conquered. Since February twenty fourth, they've regained 99 00:04:54,320 --> 00:04:56,440 Speaker 1: about half of it. And yet they need their house 100 00:04:56,520 --> 00:04:58,960 Speaker 1: and the Russians are wrecking it. Putin's strategy could be 101 00:04:59,000 --> 00:05:02,839 Speaker 1: described as I can't have it, then nobody can have it. Sadly, 102 00:05:03,120 --> 00:05:05,160 Speaker 1: that is where the tragedy is right now. And I 103 00:05:05,200 --> 00:05:07,640 Speaker 1: thought that was a fantastic way of kind of summing 104 00:05:07,640 --> 00:05:10,200 Speaker 1: it all up. In terms of what absolute victory would 105 00:05:10,200 --> 00:05:12,560 Speaker 1: look like on the Russian side, is that a defeat? 106 00:05:12,640 --> 00:05:14,880 Speaker 1: I mean, you know, on relative terms, yes, in terms 107 00:05:14,880 --> 00:05:18,560 Speaker 1: of international prestige, however, you know, the ongoing attrition in 108 00:05:18,600 --> 00:05:21,640 Speaker 1: the war against Ukraine is of course just making you know, 109 00:05:21,839 --> 00:05:24,960 Speaker 1: is devastating the country, requiring hundreds of billions of dollars 110 00:05:25,360 --> 00:05:29,680 Speaker 1: untold amounts of ammunition. You know. While I was in 111 00:05:30,000 --> 00:05:31,680 Speaker 1: the UK, I couldn't help but listen to some of 112 00:05:31,720 --> 00:05:33,800 Speaker 1: the news, I mean, and in terms of what the 113 00:05:33,880 --> 00:05:36,680 Speaker 1: revelations are about the NATO chiefs that were meeting in 114 00:05:36,720 --> 00:05:41,080 Speaker 1: Europe while I was gone, was the cry for ammo, Ammo, ammo. 115 00:05:41,160 --> 00:05:43,680 Speaker 1: The amount of AMMO that Ukraine is using right now 116 00:05:43,720 --> 00:05:47,320 Speaker 1: on the battlefield is just unbelievable. And that's actually before 117 00:05:47,600 --> 00:05:50,120 Speaker 1: the Russian offensive has even kicked off. There are some 118 00:05:50,160 --> 00:05:52,200 Speaker 1: rumblings today we may have, you know, have to do 119 00:05:52,200 --> 00:05:55,280 Speaker 1: a breaking news segment or something, because right tomorrow is 120 00:05:55,320 --> 00:05:57,520 Speaker 1: officially the one year anniversary of the war, that's why, 121 00:05:57,640 --> 00:06:00,240 Speaker 1: or the invasion, that's why we're covering it this way. 122 00:06:00,360 --> 00:06:03,000 Speaker 1: Right now Ukraine is saying that there are major signs 123 00:06:03,040 --> 00:06:06,680 Speaker 1: of Russian offensive exactly tomorrow on February twenty fourth, which 124 00:06:06,720 --> 00:06:09,359 Speaker 1: is only going to require even more bloodshed, ammunition, and 125 00:06:09,839 --> 00:06:11,920 Speaker 1: expenditure on their part. And the reason why I thought 126 00:06:11,920 --> 00:06:15,560 Speaker 1: that interview was important is there is an ongoing recognition 127 00:06:15,760 --> 00:06:18,680 Speaker 1: here in Washington amongst the elites. They're like, this is 128 00:06:18,680 --> 00:06:20,680 Speaker 1: going to be a long one and total victory does 129 00:06:20,720 --> 00:06:22,839 Speaker 1: not appear in sight for anybody. Let's put this up 130 00:06:22,880 --> 00:06:26,719 Speaker 1: there from Fiona Hill. She was writing in unheard So 131 00:06:27,000 --> 00:06:28,920 Speaker 1: the reason why this is important is Fiona Hill is 132 00:06:28,920 --> 00:06:31,280 Speaker 1: possibly one of the most hawkish elements of the Trump 133 00:06:31,320 --> 00:06:34,400 Speaker 1: administration on Russia, very pro Ukraine and all that, and 134 00:06:34,440 --> 00:06:36,960 Speaker 1: still writing a column which you know, frankly takes some 135 00:06:37,080 --> 00:06:40,000 Speaker 1: courage at least by telling the truth in Washington saying quote, 136 00:06:40,080 --> 00:06:43,800 Speaker 1: absolute victory over Russia just is not possible. The former 137 00:06:43,960 --> 00:06:46,760 Speaker 1: Trump advisor on the West mistakes in Ukraine. She says 138 00:06:47,720 --> 00:06:51,719 Speaker 1: specifically within all of this interview that what she given 139 00:06:51,800 --> 00:06:54,919 Speaker 1: her advice in the Bush administration and what happened with 140 00:06:55,120 --> 00:06:58,080 Speaker 1: George W. Bush. She says that there is no possibility 141 00:06:58,120 --> 00:07:01,200 Speaker 1: of quote, absolute victory for Russia of the idea that 142 00:07:01,240 --> 00:07:03,840 Speaker 1: the Putin regime was going to fall of some sort 143 00:07:03,880 --> 00:07:07,160 Speaker 1: of grand you know, some sort of grand idea that 144 00:07:07,200 --> 00:07:09,920 Speaker 1: the Ukraine's are not only going to push Russia back 145 00:07:10,000 --> 00:07:12,760 Speaker 1: through the February twenty four borders, but take back all 146 00:07:12,800 --> 00:07:15,440 Speaker 1: of CRIMEA. Yeah, if you combine Crystal, I think the 147 00:07:15,520 --> 00:07:18,680 Speaker 1: cot Can view, the Fiona Hill view, that Washington Post 148 00:07:19,120 --> 00:07:21,800 Speaker 1: article that we covered before I left, where there was 149 00:07:21,840 --> 00:07:24,400 Speaker 1: basically a note from the Biden people who are like, look, 150 00:07:24,600 --> 00:07:27,080 Speaker 1: this is it the blank check pretty much as dried 151 00:07:27,120 --> 00:07:31,520 Speaker 1: up in Congress with Republicans, America's moving on and after this, however, 152 00:07:31,560 --> 00:07:34,200 Speaker 1: you guys do in the offensive where you're going to 153 00:07:34,240 --> 00:07:36,120 Speaker 1: have to try and figure out some sort of solution 154 00:07:36,240 --> 00:07:39,080 Speaker 1: because you know, your endless supply of ammunition and all that, 155 00:07:39,320 --> 00:07:41,400 Speaker 1: it's just not sustainable. And we are already covered so 156 00:07:41,400 --> 00:07:43,680 Speaker 1: many stories here about how the war in Ukraine has 157 00:07:44,040 --> 00:07:48,760 Speaker 1: massively depleted American stockpiles of ammunition, our own defense readiness, 158 00:07:48,760 --> 00:07:51,040 Speaker 1: and in the context of any other conflict. We're probably 159 00:07:51,120 --> 00:07:52,880 Speaker 1: weaker right now than we have been in a long 160 00:07:52,920 --> 00:07:55,360 Speaker 1: time in terms of our defense readiness, not that many 161 00:07:55,360 --> 00:07:57,840 Speaker 1: of the hawks who care about that in Washington will 162 00:07:57,880 --> 00:08:00,280 Speaker 1: ever tell you. So it's a crazy situation look at 163 00:08:00,320 --> 00:08:02,960 Speaker 1: it geopolitically, and just like what the actual state is 164 00:08:03,280 --> 00:08:05,240 Speaker 1: in terms of where things can move from here. Yeah, 165 00:08:05,280 --> 00:08:09,440 Speaker 1: there is a growing sort of elite awareness that absolute 166 00:08:09,480 --> 00:08:13,400 Speaker 1: victory over Russia was a fantasy. And Katkin talks about 167 00:08:13,400 --> 00:08:16,000 Speaker 1: the fact that everybody was hoping for these sort of 168 00:08:16,080 --> 00:08:19,840 Speaker 1: shortcut solutions to the war, like, oh, maybe there'll be 169 00:08:20,040 --> 00:08:23,560 Speaker 1: a domestic revolt in Russia that will topple the Putin regime. 170 00:08:24,160 --> 00:08:27,200 Speaker 1: Not happening, ain't happening, so that one's off the table. 171 00:08:27,400 --> 00:08:29,880 Speaker 1: There were all of these rumors and fantasies that maybe 172 00:08:29,960 --> 00:08:32,720 Speaker 1: Putin's really ill and maybe he's like an honest deathbed 173 00:08:32,760 --> 00:08:35,640 Speaker 1: and he's about to die. No real sign that that 174 00:08:35,800 --> 00:08:39,280 Speaker 1: is coming to pass either. So all of the shortcut 175 00:08:39,360 --> 00:08:42,880 Speaker 1: hopes for ending this conflict have faded out of you, 176 00:08:43,520 --> 00:08:45,520 Speaker 1: and so then what are you left with. Well, if 177 00:08:45,559 --> 00:08:48,120 Speaker 1: you're not going to achieve a total victory over Russia, 178 00:08:48,160 --> 00:08:51,200 Speaker 1: which again is not our assessment, it's the assessment now 179 00:08:51,280 --> 00:08:55,480 Speaker 1: of the Rand Corporation, it's reportedly, according to the Washington Post, 180 00:08:55,520 --> 00:08:59,080 Speaker 1: the assessment of US intelligence agencies. It'spparently the assessment of 181 00:08:59,080 --> 00:09:02,520 Speaker 1: Fiona Hill, an assessment of Stephen kak And who's a 182 00:09:02,640 --> 00:09:06,800 Speaker 1: liberal historian. By the way of Russia and the Soviet Union, Well, 183 00:09:07,240 --> 00:09:09,800 Speaker 1: then this is going to end at the negotiating table. 184 00:09:10,000 --> 00:09:13,040 Speaker 1: That's where we're ultimately headed. It's a question of who's 185 00:09:13,040 --> 00:09:15,280 Speaker 1: in what position when you get to that negotiating table 186 00:09:15,400 --> 00:09:18,880 Speaker 1: and what ultimately the terms are going to be. Because 187 00:09:18,920 --> 00:09:20,800 Speaker 1: the other thing cock Can points out is right now, 188 00:09:20,840 --> 00:09:23,280 Speaker 1: you're in a war of attrition, and the way that 189 00:09:23,320 --> 00:09:26,280 Speaker 1: you win a war of attrition is by number one, 190 00:09:26,600 --> 00:09:32,480 Speaker 1: disrupting your enemy's ability to produce manufacture weapons. There was 191 00:09:32,520 --> 00:09:35,720 Speaker 1: a thought that the sanctions that we levied on Russia, 192 00:09:35,760 --> 00:09:38,520 Speaker 1: which were quite overwhelming and in concert with a lot 193 00:09:38,520 --> 00:09:43,480 Speaker 1: of our allies, that that would effectively disrupt their manufacturing capability. 194 00:09:43,840 --> 00:09:46,840 Speaker 1: That has come to not and at the same time, 195 00:09:47,080 --> 00:09:50,240 Speaker 1: so one way is to disrupt their production, that's one 196 00:09:50,240 --> 00:09:51,720 Speaker 1: thing you want to do. The other piece you want 197 00:09:51,760 --> 00:09:53,760 Speaker 1: to do is ramp up your own production. Well, we're 198 00:09:53,800 --> 00:09:56,959 Speaker 1: not doing that. What we're doing is drawing down our stockpiles, 199 00:09:57,120 --> 00:09:58,600 Speaker 1: and we're getting to a place where we're going to 200 00:09:58,600 --> 00:10:01,920 Speaker 1: be limited in our ability to that. So okay, you're 201 00:10:01,920 --> 00:10:04,560 Speaker 1: not going to win the war of attrition either. And 202 00:10:04,640 --> 00:10:07,240 Speaker 1: I thought the way kat Kin talked about how do 203 00:10:07,280 --> 00:10:10,360 Speaker 1: you think about victory? Because part of this is all right, well, 204 00:10:10,400 --> 00:10:13,319 Speaker 1: what do you actually define as a win for Ukraine? 205 00:10:13,679 --> 00:10:16,040 Speaker 1: And let me read to you what he ultimately says, 206 00:10:16,080 --> 00:10:19,480 Speaker 1: because his conclusion is I'm in favor of a Ukrainian victory. 207 00:10:19,480 --> 00:10:22,800 Speaker 1: This isn't some like go Russia. Putin's actually right, dude, 208 00:10:22,960 --> 00:10:26,559 Speaker 1: He's in favor of Ukrainian victory. I'm against the Russian victory, 209 00:10:26,760 --> 00:10:30,640 Speaker 1: but I'm defining a Ukrainian victory within the circumstances in 210 00:10:30,679 --> 00:10:34,360 Speaker 1: which we live now. He says, their definition of victory 211 00:10:34,400 --> 00:10:36,680 Speaker 1: is expressed by President Salski, who has certainly more than 212 00:10:36,760 --> 00:10:40,079 Speaker 1: risen to the occasion, is to regain every inch of territory, 213 00:10:40,280 --> 00:10:44,079 Speaker 1: to have reparations, to have war crimes tribunals. So how 214 00:10:44,080 --> 00:10:46,600 Speaker 1: would Ukraine enact that definition of victory? They would have 215 00:10:46,720 --> 00:10:49,360 Speaker 1: to take Moscow. Do you all think that that's likely? 216 00:10:49,480 --> 00:10:51,640 Speaker 1: Do you think that would be good? How else can 217 00:10:51,679 --> 00:10:54,480 Speaker 1: you get reparations and war crime tribunals. They're not that 218 00:10:54,640 --> 00:10:57,640 Speaker 1: close to regaining every inch of their own territory, let 219 00:10:57,640 --> 00:11:01,160 Speaker 1: alone those other aims. Here's a better definition of victory. 220 00:11:01,520 --> 00:11:05,079 Speaker 1: Ukrainians rose up against their domestic tyrants. Why because they 221 00:11:05,080 --> 00:11:07,320 Speaker 1: wanted to join Europe. It's the same goal they have now, 222 00:11:07,360 --> 00:11:10,120 Speaker 1: and that has to be the definition of victory Ukraine 223 00:11:10,160 --> 00:11:13,160 Speaker 1: gets into the European Union. If Ukraine regains all of 224 00:11:13,160 --> 00:11:16,640 Speaker 1: its territory and doesn't get into the EU, is that 225 00:11:16,679 --> 00:11:18,960 Speaker 1: a victory as opposed to if Ukraine regains as much 226 00:11:18,960 --> 00:11:21,319 Speaker 1: of a territory as it physically can on the battlefield, 227 00:11:21,720 --> 00:11:25,400 Speaker 1: not all of it potentially, but does get EU a session. 228 00:11:25,760 --> 00:11:28,720 Speaker 1: Would that be a definition of victory? Of course it 229 00:11:28,800 --> 00:11:30,640 Speaker 1: would be. And then he goes on to talk about 230 00:11:30,640 --> 00:11:33,360 Speaker 1: those dynamics I was just mentioning before with the War 231 00:11:33,360 --> 00:11:36,360 Speaker 1: of Attrition and how it is impossible that they're going 232 00:11:36,400 --> 00:11:39,360 Speaker 1: to achieve this total victory that they have imagined and 233 00:11:39,400 --> 00:11:42,680 Speaker 1: that the Biden administration has allowed to persist as some 234 00:11:42,720 --> 00:11:45,360 Speaker 1: sort of logical endpoint to this, when in reality it's 235 00:11:45,360 --> 00:11:47,920 Speaker 1: an impossible fantasy. YEA, So let's put the maps and 236 00:11:47,960 --> 00:11:51,480 Speaker 1: I think this actually really hammers home Stephen Cootkin's point. 237 00:11:51,480 --> 00:11:53,600 Speaker 1: These are four maps. So right there you could see 238 00:11:53,640 --> 00:11:56,760 Speaker 1: on February twenty third, exactly twenty twenty two, a year ago, 239 00:11:56,800 --> 00:11:59,520 Speaker 1: where the occupied region where the Russian backed separatists. And 240 00:11:59,559 --> 00:12:01,680 Speaker 1: then you have Crimea. So then we have March thirtieth, 241 00:12:01,720 --> 00:12:04,040 Speaker 1: twenty twenty two, we have occupation in the north all 242 00:12:04,080 --> 00:12:07,680 Speaker 1: basically along the Russian Belarussian border up from Crimea into 243 00:12:08,080 --> 00:12:11,240 Speaker 1: eastern Ukraine, so significant gains. Then you have the August 244 00:12:11,280 --> 00:12:14,559 Speaker 1: thirty first lines where you had the Russian controlled areas. 245 00:12:14,720 --> 00:12:16,800 Speaker 1: That's the third map for those who are watching. And 246 00:12:16,800 --> 00:12:19,120 Speaker 1: then finally you kind of have the November thirtieth, twenty 247 00:12:19,120 --> 00:12:21,839 Speaker 1: twenty two map, which shows some of the massive gains 248 00:12:21,840 --> 00:12:25,040 Speaker 1: that were made by the Ukrainians in their offensive and 249 00:12:25,160 --> 00:12:26,920 Speaker 1: have put things to where we are right now with 250 00:12:26,960 --> 00:12:29,599 Speaker 1: the currently fluctuating front line. But the point that I 251 00:12:29,640 --> 00:12:31,960 Speaker 1: think we should really look at is when we look 252 00:12:32,000 --> 00:12:34,880 Speaker 1: at retaken territory, that's fantastic. You still see a hell 253 00:12:34,920 --> 00:12:36,560 Speaker 1: of a lot of red on that map cours and 254 00:12:36,600 --> 00:12:39,320 Speaker 1: that's exactly what he's pointing to, is that with all 255 00:12:39,320 --> 00:12:41,320 Speaker 1: the red in that map, you know, for all of 256 00:12:41,360 --> 00:12:43,640 Speaker 1: the one hundred billion dollars from now that we've appropriated 257 00:12:43,679 --> 00:12:46,200 Speaker 1: to Ukraine, I think we've dispensed about half of that. 258 00:12:46,480 --> 00:12:49,559 Speaker 1: We have indications from the Biden administration that Ukraine by 259 00:12:49,559 --> 00:12:52,080 Speaker 1: the end of the summer is going to expend all 260 00:12:52,200 --> 00:12:54,560 Speaker 1: of the aid that the US military has given them. 261 00:12:54,600 --> 00:12:58,160 Speaker 1: It would require even more acts of Congress to appropriate that. 262 00:12:58,160 --> 00:13:01,079 Speaker 1: That doesn't look very likely. Republican coalition, and one of 263 00:13:01,080 --> 00:13:03,000 Speaker 1: the things we're about to talk about too is, look, 264 00:13:03,040 --> 00:13:05,800 Speaker 1: we have been the staunchest, most hawkish allies, and we 265 00:13:05,920 --> 00:13:09,319 Speaker 1: are bankrolling this war ten times more than any other 266 00:13:09,440 --> 00:13:12,640 Speaker 1: nation in all of Europe, simply because of capacity, and 267 00:13:12,640 --> 00:13:15,480 Speaker 1: because we basically underwrite the Europeans. Well, we already know 268 00:13:15,559 --> 00:13:17,559 Speaker 1: they're not going to step up. They have crippling inflation, 269 00:13:17,640 --> 00:13:19,640 Speaker 1: and they don't have the capacity even if they wanted to. 270 00:13:19,679 --> 00:13:21,360 Speaker 1: I mean, you look at the UK and you know, 271 00:13:21,400 --> 00:13:23,760 Speaker 1: for all the tanks and all that, most of what 272 00:13:23,880 --> 00:13:27,120 Speaker 1: Ukraine is using on the battlefield are bullets and artillery 273 00:13:27,200 --> 00:13:30,200 Speaker 1: and missiles, and for all the intelligence and all that, 274 00:13:30,200 --> 00:13:33,560 Speaker 1: that requires a tremendous amount of raw industrial production. We 275 00:13:33,600 --> 00:13:37,720 Speaker 1: also have major meeting that's happening today. President putin meeting 276 00:13:37,760 --> 00:13:40,800 Speaker 1: with China's top diplomat, Wang Yi, and in that we 277 00:13:40,880 --> 00:13:44,400 Speaker 1: are searing rumblings from the US intelligence community that they 278 00:13:44,400 --> 00:13:48,199 Speaker 1: are quickly going to declassify in indications that the Chinese 279 00:13:48,440 --> 00:13:51,440 Speaker 1: are considering sending lethal aid to Russia, something they have 280 00:13:51,520 --> 00:13:54,520 Speaker 1: not thought about before. Let's think about it from their perspective, 281 00:13:54,640 --> 00:13:57,280 Speaker 1: this is the greatest thing that China could ever wish for. 282 00:13:57,480 --> 00:14:01,040 Speaker 1: Why because the more that this conflict goes on, the 283 00:14:01,120 --> 00:14:05,160 Speaker 1: more American weapons that pour into Ukraine and from the 284 00:14:05,240 --> 00:14:09,959 Speaker 1: NATO alliance. This is taking a tremendous amount of expenditure. Furthermore, 285 00:14:10,000 --> 00:14:12,400 Speaker 1: you know, the economic cost of the war has got 286 00:14:12,400 --> 00:14:14,920 Speaker 1: to be in the trillions of dollars. Whenever you consider 287 00:14:15,160 --> 00:14:18,240 Speaker 1: the energy impact of the disruption to the global supply 288 00:14:18,360 --> 00:14:21,440 Speaker 1: chain wheat. I mean, who even knows the one day 289 00:14:21,680 --> 00:14:23,760 Speaker 1: the eventual accounting will we made one hundred years from 290 00:14:23,760 --> 00:14:25,760 Speaker 1: now when you can write about it this passionately, and 291 00:14:25,840 --> 00:14:27,920 Speaker 1: you are never going to you will barely be able 292 00:14:27,920 --> 00:14:31,040 Speaker 1: to believe, you know what the chicanery that's probably gone 293 00:14:31,160 --> 00:14:33,920 Speaker 1: from the global financial system. Obviously we survived here in 294 00:14:33,920 --> 00:14:35,520 Speaker 1: the West, but you know, there's a lot of poverty 295 00:14:35,560 --> 00:14:38,080 Speaker 1: actually that was written across the world. So when you 296 00:14:38,160 --> 00:14:40,560 Speaker 1: consider all that, China's got no incentive. But you know, 297 00:14:40,840 --> 00:14:42,680 Speaker 1: initially it was like, oh, China's got egg on its 298 00:14:42,720 --> 00:14:44,920 Speaker 1: face all of that. Just yesterday, what do they do. 299 00:14:45,000 --> 00:14:47,000 Speaker 1: They put out a statement and they were like, yeah, 300 00:14:47,040 --> 00:14:49,160 Speaker 1: it's the US's fault. This is entire happening. This is 301 00:14:49,200 --> 00:14:52,720 Speaker 1: the usagemony. When Ye's visit to Moscow is no accident, 302 00:14:52,800 --> 00:14:55,200 Speaker 1: especially after all this balloon stuff and more of the 303 00:14:55,200 --> 00:14:58,160 Speaker 1: frosty relations, and it wouldn't be a surprise, for a 304 00:14:58,160 --> 00:15:00,680 Speaker 1: shock at all for them to contain you start or 305 00:15:00,760 --> 00:15:03,680 Speaker 1: just start shipping lethal weapons to and if that happens, 306 00:15:03,720 --> 00:15:06,800 Speaker 1: I mean, then look, what have we done. We've this 307 00:15:06,880 --> 00:15:11,280 Speaker 1: is the nightmare that Nixon and Kissinger went out of 308 00:15:11,320 --> 00:15:15,240 Speaker 1: their way to stop, which is a total alliance between 309 00:15:15,240 --> 00:15:19,000 Speaker 1: communist China and then the Soviet Union. We always recognize 310 00:15:19,040 --> 00:15:22,240 Speaker 1: that having split between the two is to the strategic 311 00:15:22,280 --> 00:15:25,120 Speaker 1: benefit of the United States. So anyway, I think that's 312 00:15:25,160 --> 00:15:28,160 Speaker 1: a grand picture of where things are. It's very possible 313 00:15:28,160 --> 00:15:29,960 Speaker 1: there can be some breaking news tomorrow in the one 314 00:15:30,040 --> 00:15:34,000 Speaker 1: year anniversary, but going forward, it just looks like things 315 00:15:34,040 --> 00:15:37,480 Speaker 1: are relatively stuck and brutal fighting ahead in the months 316 00:15:37,480 --> 00:15:39,840 Speaker 1: to come, and the summer very likely to be a 317 00:15:39,880 --> 00:15:43,400 Speaker 1: major decision point for the West, for Ukraine, and for Russia. 318 00:15:43,920 --> 00:15:46,360 Speaker 1: At the same time, as you alluded to, and as 319 00:15:46,360 --> 00:15:49,760 Speaker 1: I did as well, polling is showing softening support here 320 00:15:49,760 --> 00:15:53,160 Speaker 1: in the US, especially among Republicans, but not only among Republicans. 321 00:15:53,200 --> 00:15:55,440 Speaker 1: It's going to put this up on the screen. Forty 322 00:15:55,440 --> 00:15:58,760 Speaker 1: eight percent, according to the AP, now say that they 323 00:15:58,800 --> 00:16:01,560 Speaker 1: favor the US providing weapons to Ukraine, with twenty nine 324 00:16:01,560 --> 00:16:03,760 Speaker 1: percent opposed, in twenty two percent saying they're neither in 325 00:16:03,800 --> 00:16:07,400 Speaker 1: favor nor opposed. Back in May of twenty twenty two, 326 00:16:07,880 --> 00:16:10,000 Speaker 1: less than three months into the war, it was not 327 00:16:10,040 --> 00:16:13,200 Speaker 1: forty eight percent. It was sixty percent of US adults 328 00:16:13,240 --> 00:16:15,880 Speaker 1: who said they were in favor of sending Ukraine weapons. 329 00:16:15,960 --> 00:16:20,120 Speaker 1: So you've seen significant erosion to now it's below majority support. 330 00:16:20,800 --> 00:16:24,400 Speaker 1: You have Americans about evenly divided on sending government funds 331 00:16:24,400 --> 00:16:26,960 Speaker 1: directly to Ukraine, so not shipping weapons, but actually just 332 00:16:27,000 --> 00:16:30,000 Speaker 1: sending aid and support, thirty seven percent in favor and 333 00:16:30,040 --> 00:16:32,920 Speaker 1: thirty eight percent opposed, with twenty three percent saying neither. 334 00:16:33,840 --> 00:16:37,840 Speaker 1: And you also have dismal views of Biden's handling. At 335 00:16:37,840 --> 00:16:39,960 Speaker 1: this point, only nineteen percent of Americans say they have 336 00:16:40,000 --> 00:16:42,120 Speaker 1: a great deal of confidence in Biden's ability to handle 337 00:16:42,160 --> 00:16:45,360 Speaker 1: the situation. Thirty seven percent say they have some confidence, 338 00:16:45,640 --> 00:16:49,520 Speaker 1: forty three percent say they have hardly any And also, 339 00:16:49,600 --> 00:16:51,440 Speaker 1: by the way, you know, at the beginning of this conflict, 340 00:16:51,480 --> 00:16:55,920 Speaker 1: IgA remember we were covering with some credulity the polling 341 00:16:56,000 --> 00:16:58,280 Speaker 1: saying that Americans will, like, we will pay higher gas 342 00:16:58,320 --> 00:17:01,360 Speaker 1: prices if it means supporting Ukraine. They're not quite feeling 343 00:17:01,920 --> 00:17:04,760 Speaker 1: the same way to those days. Fifty nine percent now 344 00:17:04,800 --> 00:17:07,280 Speaker 1: say limiting damage to the US economy is more important 345 00:17:07,520 --> 00:17:10,320 Speaker 1: than effectively sanctioning Russia, even if that means sanctions are 346 00:17:10,400 --> 00:17:13,240 Speaker 1: less effective. Back in March of twenty two, the situation 347 00:17:13,359 --> 00:17:16,480 Speaker 1: was reverse. A majority fifty five percent said it was 348 00:17:16,480 --> 00:17:20,040 Speaker 1: a bigger priority to sanction Russia effectively. And you can 349 00:17:20,080 --> 00:17:22,800 Speaker 1: see we're going to talk more about Trump in this show, 350 00:17:22,920 --> 00:17:25,760 Speaker 1: but you can see this guy's sniffed down where the 351 00:17:25,800 --> 00:17:29,320 Speaker 1: wins are heading. He can see not only a clear 352 00:17:29,359 --> 00:17:32,760 Speaker 1: divide on Ukraine that he can capitalize in the GOP primary, 353 00:17:33,040 --> 00:17:35,159 Speaker 1: but also it's a smart bet for the general election. 354 00:17:35,359 --> 00:17:38,280 Speaker 1: In terms, this is increasingly going to become a partisan issue, 355 00:17:38,320 --> 00:17:41,840 Speaker 1: which I actually think is really unfortunate because there's no 356 00:17:41,960 --> 00:17:44,199 Speaker 1: reason why the line should be drawn in a clearly 357 00:17:44,280 --> 00:17:49,040 Speaker 1: partisan way. But you can see independence in particular, moving 358 00:17:49,080 --> 00:17:54,040 Speaker 1: more to Ukraine, skepticism and wondering, hey, how does this end? 359 00:17:54,440 --> 00:17:57,840 Speaker 1: How does this end? Which I have never heard Joe 360 00:17:57,880 --> 00:18:00,280 Speaker 1: Biden be able to articulate, not even that, just because look, 361 00:18:00,280 --> 00:18:02,040 Speaker 1: this is only February twenty third, this is before even 362 00:18:02,040 --> 00:18:04,080 Speaker 1: the heavy fighting season. What's going to happen in the 363 00:18:04,119 --> 00:18:06,760 Speaker 1: summer When look, Biden says no more a to Ukraine, 364 00:18:06,760 --> 00:18:08,360 Speaker 1: we all know that they're going to at least ask 365 00:18:08,359 --> 00:18:10,800 Speaker 1: Congress and try and blame the Republicans when they're like, no, 366 00:18:10,840 --> 00:18:14,000 Speaker 1: actually we need another fifty billion for an extra six months, 367 00:18:14,000 --> 00:18:15,639 Speaker 1: and then that would bring the total to one hundred 368 00:18:15,680 --> 00:18:18,160 Speaker 1: and fifty billion, more than we've ever spent on any 369 00:18:18,440 --> 00:18:22,320 Speaker 1: foreign military aid ever in American history, going all the 370 00:18:22,320 --> 00:18:25,919 Speaker 1: way back to the beginning of the Republic. Really, I mean, 371 00:18:26,000 --> 00:18:28,240 Speaker 1: just consider what that will look like, and then think 372 00:18:28,280 --> 00:18:30,560 Speaker 1: about it a year later. Let's say there's some miracle 373 00:18:30,800 --> 00:18:32,840 Speaker 1: that that path, or not even a miracle, you know, 374 00:18:32,880 --> 00:18:34,720 Speaker 1: sas there's a lot of bipartis to support. Let's say 375 00:18:34,720 --> 00:18:37,320 Speaker 1: that extra fifty billion, put it a year from now, 376 00:18:37,600 --> 00:18:39,560 Speaker 1: or even a year and a half in the midst 377 00:18:39,760 --> 00:18:42,480 Speaker 1: of the twenty twenty for election, and you can just 378 00:18:42,520 --> 00:18:45,879 Speaker 1: sniff out exactly where the trends here are all going. Now, 379 00:18:45,920 --> 00:18:47,639 Speaker 1: I wouldn't say, you know, I wouldn't bank on it 380 00:18:47,680 --> 00:18:49,800 Speaker 1: saying that there's no more aid or you know that 381 00:18:49,800 --> 00:18:51,800 Speaker 1: the conflict. Look, the conflict could even be over by that. 382 00:18:51,920 --> 00:18:54,200 Speaker 1: We may not even be talking about it. I highly 383 00:18:54,240 --> 00:18:57,520 Speaker 1: doubt it, but it's certainly a possibility politically though. Trump 384 00:18:57,600 --> 00:19:00,760 Speaker 1: is clearly on the moving side of this issue, and 385 00:19:00,840 --> 00:19:03,880 Speaker 1: support has eroding exactly as I think we both predicted 386 00:19:03,880 --> 00:19:07,639 Speaker 1: this entire time. Another really important one is how is 387 00:19:07,680 --> 00:19:09,960 Speaker 1: the rest of the world feeling? And this is where look, 388 00:19:10,000 --> 00:19:13,000 Speaker 1: you know, global public opinion is also always difficult, So 389 00:19:13,040 --> 00:19:14,879 Speaker 1: take some of these with a grain of salt, but 390 00:19:14,920 --> 00:19:16,840 Speaker 1: I think we could take from this at least something. 391 00:19:16,840 --> 00:19:19,359 Speaker 1: So let's put this up there on the screen. It 392 00:19:19,440 --> 00:19:23,560 Speaker 1: shows various different countries, not only the United States, but 393 00:19:23,960 --> 00:19:26,040 Speaker 1: many others. So we have and we can go ahead, 394 00:19:26,200 --> 00:19:29,720 Speaker 1: guys and put up a six please, is you have India, 395 00:19:29,960 --> 00:19:32,560 Speaker 1: which has a fifty four percent, saying that the ConFlat 396 00:19:32,600 --> 00:19:34,920 Speaker 1: between Russian and Ukraine needs to stop as soon as possible, 397 00:19:35,080 --> 00:19:38,440 Speaker 1: even if it means Ukraine giving up control of territory Turkey, 398 00:19:38,520 --> 00:19:40,880 Speaker 1: and I'll remind you Turkey is a NATO ally saying 399 00:19:40,920 --> 00:19:44,000 Speaker 1: forty forty eight percent. Russia say say forty four percent, 400 00:19:44,320 --> 00:19:47,080 Speaker 1: China they say forty two the EU, Great Britain, in 401 00:19:47,080 --> 00:19:49,720 Speaker 1: the United States with the much lowest. But you also 402 00:19:49,760 --> 00:19:53,840 Speaker 1: see a major approval of this statement, of course in Russia, 403 00:19:53,960 --> 00:19:56,360 Speaker 1: saying Western dominance of the world needs to be pushed backed, 404 00:19:56,400 --> 00:19:59,560 Speaker 1: even if it means accepting Russian territorial aggression. Thirty percent 405 00:19:59,600 --> 00:20:04,040 Speaker 1: of RUSSI apparently supporting that. Very minimal numbers in India 406 00:20:04,040 --> 00:20:06,600 Speaker 1: and in Turkey, but at least twelve percent there in China. 407 00:20:06,680 --> 00:20:09,240 Speaker 1: And then finally you have Ukraine needs to regain all 408 00:20:09,240 --> 00:20:12,080 Speaker 1: of its territory, with some moderate support there from India 409 00:20:12,080 --> 00:20:15,680 Speaker 1: and Turkey, zero support in Russia, moderate support in China, 410 00:20:15,720 --> 00:20:18,320 Speaker 1: but then significant support or the most significant really in 411 00:20:18,359 --> 00:20:21,480 Speaker 1: the EU, in Great Britain and here in the US. 412 00:20:21,560 --> 00:20:24,200 Speaker 1: So I think looking at that and then also really 413 00:20:24,240 --> 00:20:27,639 Speaker 1: just considering the way that people look at Russia and 414 00:20:27,760 --> 00:20:31,240 Speaker 1: also with the United States. There's a separate part here 415 00:20:31,359 --> 00:20:35,080 Speaker 1: where they ask whether they which best best reflects your 416 00:20:35,119 --> 00:20:37,560 Speaker 1: view on Russia as it pertains to your country. In 417 00:20:37,600 --> 00:20:40,000 Speaker 1: the US, fifty five percent say it's an adversary, in 418 00:20:40,040 --> 00:20:42,160 Speaker 1: the EU fifty four percent. In Great Britain they say 419 00:20:42,200 --> 00:20:45,160 Speaker 1: sixty five percent. But in India fifty one percent say 420 00:20:45,200 --> 00:20:48,080 Speaker 1: it's a necessary partner which we must strategically cooperate, and 421 00:20:48,119 --> 00:20:51,000 Speaker 1: some say it's even an ally that shares our interest 422 00:20:51,080 --> 00:20:53,199 Speaker 1: and values. China and Russia is the same way, and 423 00:20:53,240 --> 00:20:56,760 Speaker 1: significantly also in Turkey, fifty five and fourteen percent, respectively, 424 00:20:56,880 --> 00:20:59,480 Speaker 1: both say that Russia is a necessary partner and an 425 00:20:59,520 --> 00:21:02,320 Speaker 1: ally reflecting, you know, the difference of how Turkey, which 426 00:21:02,359 --> 00:21:04,920 Speaker 1: is a key NATO member, has behaved in all of this, 427 00:21:05,040 --> 00:21:07,879 Speaker 1: and part of the reason why the initial talks between 428 00:21:07,960 --> 00:21:10,919 Speaker 1: Ukraine and Russia, some of it was being broken in Istanbul. 429 00:21:11,160 --> 00:21:17,000 Speaker 1: So how Istanbul and Erdowan specifically navigate future NATO expansion 430 00:21:17,000 --> 00:21:19,600 Speaker 1: that's still not a guarantee with Finland and with Sweden 431 00:21:19,600 --> 00:21:22,080 Speaker 1: from what I've read so far, but also what the 432 00:21:22,119 --> 00:21:25,680 Speaker 1: future looks like in terms of a NATO participatory who 433 00:21:25,800 --> 00:21:27,880 Speaker 1: might be able to speak, you know, with both sides 434 00:21:27,920 --> 00:21:29,760 Speaker 1: of the conflict and bring things to an end. You 435 00:21:29,760 --> 00:21:33,119 Speaker 1: can see some inclination of what that all would look like. 436 00:21:33,240 --> 00:21:35,359 Speaker 1: I think what is really clear when you look at 437 00:21:35,400 --> 00:21:37,480 Speaker 1: all of these polls, and they have a lot of 438 00:21:37,520 --> 00:21:41,040 Speaker 1: interesting breakdowns here, is that the West, and especially the 439 00:21:41,160 --> 00:21:43,680 Speaker 1: US and the UK have one view of this conflict 440 00:21:44,040 --> 00:21:46,199 Speaker 1: and one view of Russia, and the rest of the 441 00:21:46,200 --> 00:21:49,840 Speaker 1: world has a very different view. And if you'll recall Soger, 442 00:21:50,000 --> 00:21:54,760 Speaker 1: when Lula was here from Bill and there was a 443 00:21:54,760 --> 00:21:58,320 Speaker 1: lot of shock over his comments about the war and 444 00:21:58,400 --> 00:22:01,280 Speaker 1: about his desire to remain neutral so that he could 445 00:22:01,280 --> 00:22:04,120 Speaker 1: potentially serve in some sort of a diplomatic war role 446 00:22:04,160 --> 00:22:06,399 Speaker 1: to ultimately broker a piece. There was a lot of 447 00:22:06,480 --> 00:22:10,159 Speaker 1: shock about those comments, but in reality, he's reflecting what 448 00:22:10,240 --> 00:22:12,840 Speaker 1: most of the rest of the world thinks about this conflict. 449 00:22:12,840 --> 00:22:14,639 Speaker 1: And the one that stood out to me the most 450 00:22:15,160 --> 00:22:16,760 Speaker 1: is they ask this question, Okay, what do you think 451 00:22:16,800 --> 00:22:19,719 Speaker 1: is the main reason the US stands behind Ukraine? And 452 00:22:20,000 --> 00:22:22,800 Speaker 1: the only people who are really buying the like it's 453 00:22:22,840 --> 00:22:27,000 Speaker 1: about democracy is the US. The other even the other 454 00:22:27,040 --> 00:22:31,080 Speaker 1: European countries, they see it more as either to defend 455 00:22:31,160 --> 00:22:35,040 Speaker 1: Western dominance or to defend our own security. So they 456 00:22:35,080 --> 00:22:37,840 Speaker 1: don't see it as much of this big conflict over 457 00:22:37,880 --> 00:22:41,560 Speaker 1: democratic values. They see it as more of a classic 458 00:22:41,760 --> 00:22:48,520 Speaker 1: geopolitical strategic interest kind of a conflict. And certainly, you know, China, Russia, Turkey, 459 00:22:48,560 --> 00:22:51,480 Speaker 1: and India see it more that way as well. Russia 460 00:22:51,480 --> 00:22:54,399 Speaker 1: and China say this is we're involved with Ukraine to 461 00:22:54,480 --> 00:22:58,879 Speaker 1: defend Western dominance, and Turkey says predominantly to defend our 462 00:22:58,920 --> 00:23:01,560 Speaker 1: own security. So the rest of the world is not 463 00:23:01,680 --> 00:23:04,720 Speaker 1: viewing this as this grand conflict over values in the 464 00:23:04,720 --> 00:23:07,800 Speaker 1: gloss that we put on it. They're seeing it in 465 00:23:07,840 --> 00:23:12,000 Speaker 1: a much more sort of realism or realist way perspective, 466 00:23:12,000 --> 00:23:14,280 Speaker 1: which I think is interesting as well. Absolutely, So that's 467 00:23:14,280 --> 00:23:16,200 Speaker 1: where it is in terms of Ukraine right now. It 468 00:23:16,240 --> 00:23:17,879 Speaker 1: gave you the first top kind of a summary of 469 00:23:17,880 --> 00:23:20,080 Speaker 1: where things might be headed, and second with global public 470 00:23:20,119 --> 00:23:22,360 Speaker 1: opinion and where things are. And just keep in mind, 471 00:23:22,400 --> 00:23:24,160 Speaker 1: you know, the longer this thing goes on, the trend 472 00:23:24,200 --> 00:23:25,880 Speaker 1: is only going in one direction and the ain going 473 00:23:26,119 --> 00:23:29,120 Speaker 1: the other way. Even if Russian attacks have actually increased, 474 00:23:29,119 --> 00:23:31,920 Speaker 1: as possible a new renewed Russian offensive could change things, 475 00:23:31,920 --> 00:23:33,720 Speaker 1: but I don't see how that would ever change the 476 00:23:33,800 --> 00:23:36,480 Speaker 1: shock of the initial bombing of Kiev and much of 477 00:23:36,480 --> 00:23:38,960 Speaker 1: the brutality that we saw in those early days. Now 478 00:23:39,040 --> 00:23:41,080 Speaker 1: is really just you know, battle of attrition and then 479 00:23:41,920 --> 00:23:44,479 Speaker 1: the air war in terms of bombings and all that 480 00:23:44,480 --> 00:23:46,960 Speaker 1: that been going on so absent that it's very likely 481 00:23:47,000 --> 00:23:49,120 Speaker 1: that this all will move in a similar direction going. 482 00:23:49,359 --> 00:23:52,840 Speaker 1: I mean, sadly, that's probably the best case scenario, because 483 00:23:52,840 --> 00:23:55,359 Speaker 1: certainly Russia has other tools and other weapons that they 484 00:23:55,359 --> 00:23:57,760 Speaker 1: could deploy, not just in Ukraine but around the world. 485 00:23:58,119 --> 00:24:02,600 Speaker 1: So a grinding, horrifying war of attrition that involves much 486 00:24:02,640 --> 00:24:07,320 Speaker 1: more economic destruction and many more deaths, including civilian deaths, 487 00:24:07,760 --> 00:24:10,200 Speaker 1: is probably in the short term like the best case scenario, 488 00:24:10,200 --> 00:24:15,320 Speaker 1: which is absolutely horrifying. Okay, big domestic news this broke 489 00:24:15,440 --> 00:24:19,679 Speaker 1: just yesterday that grand jury in Georgia in that Trump 490 00:24:19,720 --> 00:24:22,760 Speaker 1: inquiry about the fake elector schemes specifically in that state, 491 00:24:22,960 --> 00:24:27,200 Speaker 1: they recommended multiple indictments. This is according to the Fore Women. 492 00:24:27,720 --> 00:24:29,399 Speaker 1: Fore Women has had a lot to say. Let me 493 00:24:29,440 --> 00:24:31,320 Speaker 1: read a little bit of details from the article. They say, 494 00:24:31,480 --> 00:24:34,359 Speaker 1: a special grand jury that investigated election interference by former 495 00:24:34,400 --> 00:24:37,760 Speaker 1: President Trump and his allies in Georgia recommended indictments for 496 00:24:37,960 --> 00:24:41,359 Speaker 1: multiple people on a range of charges in their final report, 497 00:24:41,440 --> 00:24:44,960 Speaker 1: most of which remains sealed. Special grand juries. This is 498 00:24:45,000 --> 00:24:49,680 Speaker 1: important to note in Georgia do not have indictment powers themselves. 499 00:24:50,359 --> 00:24:53,320 Speaker 1: Fanny t Willis, who's the District Attorney of Fulton County, Georgia. 500 00:24:53,480 --> 00:24:56,679 Speaker 1: She's led the investigation and she will ultimately decide what 501 00:24:56,880 --> 00:25:00,959 Speaker 1: charges to bring before a regular grand jury. So this 502 00:25:01,040 --> 00:25:04,880 Speaker 1: group can recommend and then Fanny t Willis will make 503 00:25:04,920 --> 00:25:08,000 Speaker 1: the decision what to then take to a regular grand jury. 504 00:25:08,040 --> 00:25:10,359 Speaker 1: So that's important to note. Now, let's talk about this 505 00:25:10,440 --> 00:25:12,359 Speaker 1: jury for a woman, because she made a number of 506 00:25:12,400 --> 00:25:16,119 Speaker 1: cryptic comments and then made a number of strange cable 507 00:25:16,160 --> 00:25:20,520 Speaker 1: news TV appearances that have just not been great in 508 00:25:20,640 --> 00:25:24,919 Speaker 1: terms of this whole situation. So she initially was asked 509 00:25:24,960 --> 00:25:27,360 Speaker 1: by The New York Times whether the jurors had recommended 510 00:25:27,400 --> 00:25:30,439 Speaker 1: indicting Trump. She would not answer directly, but said, quote, 511 00:25:30,520 --> 00:25:33,399 Speaker 1: you're not going to be shocked. It's not rocket science, 512 00:25:33,480 --> 00:25:36,760 Speaker 1: adding you won't be too surprised. I will tell you 513 00:25:36,800 --> 00:25:39,239 Speaker 1: that if the judge releases the recommendations, it's not going 514 00:25:39,320 --> 00:25:41,960 Speaker 1: to be some giant plot twist. You probably have a 515 00:25:42,000 --> 00:25:44,399 Speaker 1: fair idea of what may be in there. I'm trying 516 00:25:44,520 --> 00:25:48,000 Speaker 1: very hard to say that delicately. First, let me get 517 00:25:48,000 --> 00:25:51,399 Speaker 1: your reaction to that, because it feels to me like 518 00:25:51,480 --> 00:25:54,480 Speaker 1: she is very strongly suggesting that Trump is going to 519 00:25:54,520 --> 00:25:57,359 Speaker 1: be indicted. But then I mean, I don't really know, 520 00:25:57,680 --> 00:26:00,359 Speaker 1: and nobody really knows other than these people, but it 521 00:26:00,440 --> 00:26:03,160 Speaker 1: seems like she really wants to come all the way 522 00:26:03,240 --> 00:26:05,440 Speaker 1: up to the edge of saying Trump's going to be 523 00:26:05,480 --> 00:26:09,040 Speaker 1: indicted without technically violating like whatever secrecy she's supposed to 524 00:26:09,119 --> 00:26:11,080 Speaker 1: keep if she was a rational person, And I'll show 525 00:26:11,119 --> 00:26:12,960 Speaker 1: you a little bit why I think she might be irrational. 526 00:26:13,000 --> 00:26:14,800 Speaker 1: That's the way I would have read it. But also, 527 00:26:15,040 --> 00:26:18,680 Speaker 1: you can't probably underestimate the fact this is clearly a 528 00:26:18,680 --> 00:26:22,440 Speaker 1: person who's enjoying fifteen minutes of fame, teasing the media her, 529 00:26:22,520 --> 00:26:25,080 Speaker 1: you know, a little time in the spotlight, and it's 530 00:26:25,080 --> 00:26:27,440 Speaker 1: possible that she could be ginning everybody up and trying 531 00:26:27,480 --> 00:26:29,600 Speaker 1: to give out some right. So I'm actually on the 532 00:26:29,640 --> 00:26:32,200 Speaker 1: mind that this all could just be a fake media 533 00:26:32,240 --> 00:26:35,440 Speaker 1: side show for Edigut on TV. True, because what I 534 00:26:35,520 --> 00:26:37,840 Speaker 1: kept asking me is like, she says, Okay, you're not 535 00:26:37,840 --> 00:26:40,600 Speaker 1: going to be surprised, Well, what would be more surprising 536 00:26:40,640 --> 00:26:43,480 Speaker 1: Trump doesn't get indicted or Trump is indicted, right, it 537 00:26:43,480 --> 00:26:46,520 Speaker 1: would be more indicting former president of the United States 538 00:26:46,680 --> 00:26:49,080 Speaker 1: is pretty shocking development. I don't know if you call 539 00:26:49,119 --> 00:26:51,600 Speaker 1: it surprising at this point, but maybe I don't know. 540 00:26:51,680 --> 00:26:53,560 Speaker 1: So that's why I find it surprising. I don't know 541 00:26:53,560 --> 00:26:56,280 Speaker 1: what to make of all of this. But she also, 542 00:26:56,359 --> 00:26:58,480 Speaker 1: as I mentioned before she went on CNN, it was 543 00:26:58,520 --> 00:27:00,640 Speaker 1: a strange appearance. Let's take a little and how that went. 544 00:27:00,960 --> 00:27:05,800 Speaker 1: Our indictment's recommended, of course, is it more than twelve people? 545 00:27:05,840 --> 00:27:09,760 Speaker 1: Is it more than twenty people? I think if you 546 00:27:09,800 --> 00:27:12,160 Speaker 1: look at the page numbers of the report, there's about 547 00:27:13,000 --> 00:27:17,440 Speaker 1: six pages in the middle that got cut out allow 548 00:27:17,520 --> 00:27:21,960 Speaker 1: for spacing. It's not a short list, not a short list. 549 00:27:23,040 --> 00:27:25,679 Speaker 1: More personally, we want to hear from the former I 550 00:27:25,720 --> 00:27:28,320 Speaker 1: wanted to hear from the former president, but honestly, I 551 00:27:28,400 --> 00:27:30,560 Speaker 1: kind of wanted to disappeared the former president because I 552 00:27:30,560 --> 00:27:33,080 Speaker 1: got to swear everybody in, and so I thought it'd 553 00:27:33,080 --> 00:27:35,520 Speaker 1: be really cool to get sixty seconds with President Trump 554 00:27:35,920 --> 00:27:37,879 Speaker 1: of me looking at him and being like, do you 555 00:27:37,920 --> 00:27:40,520 Speaker 1: solemnly swear I'm beginning to swear him in. I just 556 00:27:41,040 --> 00:27:42,960 Speaker 1: I kind of just thought that would be an awesome moment. 557 00:27:43,080 --> 00:27:46,080 Speaker 1: And if it was just a perjury charge or perjury charges, 558 00:27:46,359 --> 00:27:49,439 Speaker 1: would that be acceptable too. That's fine. I will be 559 00:27:49,440 --> 00:27:54,920 Speaker 1: happy as long as something happens. I mean, I see 560 00:27:54,960 --> 00:27:57,280 Speaker 1: what I'm talking about, and she seems stone cold crazy. 561 00:27:57,320 --> 00:28:00,360 Speaker 1: I'm gonna be honesk you like. I mean, listen, it's 562 00:28:00,400 --> 00:28:03,959 Speaker 1: never been on TV before. Nervous laughter. I don't know, 563 00:28:04,080 --> 00:28:06,080 Speaker 1: but here's what I'll say. Go and put this next 564 00:28:06,080 --> 00:28:08,679 Speaker 1: piece up on the screen. So there's already news from 565 00:28:08,760 --> 00:28:11,720 Speaker 1: Robert Costa that CBS News has learned lawyers close to 566 00:28:11,760 --> 00:28:14,720 Speaker 1: several Goop witnesses in Fulton County investigation were preparing to 567 00:28:14,760 --> 00:28:18,800 Speaker 1: move to quash any possible indictments by the DA based 568 00:28:18,840 --> 00:28:20,600 Speaker 1: on the public statements by the fore one of the 569 00:28:20,640 --> 00:28:23,320 Speaker 1: special grand jury, per two people familiar with the discussion. 570 00:28:23,400 --> 00:28:26,680 Speaker 1: So the lawyers for the people who could be accused 571 00:28:26,680 --> 00:28:29,240 Speaker 1: here or indicted here are seizing on this to say 572 00:28:29,240 --> 00:28:32,600 Speaker 1: this is all improper. We want this all you nullified 573 00:28:32,680 --> 00:28:35,800 Speaker 1: because of her public statements. I don't know that that 574 00:28:35,920 --> 00:28:40,200 Speaker 1: will work, but she's certainly not doing anyone any favors 575 00:28:40,240 --> 00:28:44,960 Speaker 1: in terms of inspiring confidence in the process. Listen, I mean, 576 00:28:45,040 --> 00:28:49,360 Speaker 1: the nature of juris is it's a group of your peers. 577 00:28:49,400 --> 00:28:52,720 Speaker 1: It's regular citizens who have, in many times instances not 578 00:28:52,800 --> 00:28:54,760 Speaker 1: done this before, who come to it with whatever their 579 00:28:54,800 --> 00:28:58,360 Speaker 1: personality quirks and traits and biases happen to be. So 580 00:28:58,480 --> 00:29:01,520 Speaker 1: that is not unusual. But even you know her talking about, Oh, 581 00:29:01,560 --> 00:29:03,560 Speaker 1: I really wanted to swear in President Trump, and that's 582 00:29:03,560 --> 00:29:05,480 Speaker 1: why I wanted to subpoena him. Like, that's not a 583 00:29:05,480 --> 00:29:08,680 Speaker 1: good reason to subpoena someone because you personally when I 584 00:29:08,720 --> 00:29:10,760 Speaker 1: have some face to face time with them. So it 585 00:29:10,880 --> 00:29:15,320 Speaker 1: definitely gives if Trump is indicted out of this, it 586 00:29:15,400 --> 00:29:18,920 Speaker 1: definitely gives him a lot to work with in terms 587 00:29:19,040 --> 00:29:21,200 Speaker 1: of trying to make the argument to the public that 588 00:29:21,280 --> 00:29:24,440 Speaker 1: this was all unfair, that this was, you know, kangaroo court. 589 00:29:24,480 --> 00:29:26,760 Speaker 1: I think he's already used that word, that this was 590 00:29:26,800 --> 00:29:31,040 Speaker 1: all ridiculous and unserious. And even Maggie Haberman is saying, 591 00:29:31,200 --> 00:29:33,440 Speaker 1: put this up on the screen. She thinks that Trump 592 00:29:33,520 --> 00:29:37,040 Speaker 1: indictment is probably likely based on these comments, but the 593 00:29:37,200 --> 00:29:41,760 Speaker 1: Georgia jury blabbermouth is not helpful. So that's kind of 594 00:29:41,760 --> 00:29:44,240 Speaker 1: where things stand. Yeah, I mean, Anderson Cooper actually did 595 00:29:44,240 --> 00:29:46,800 Speaker 1: an entire reaction to this last night on CNN. So 596 00:29:46,880 --> 00:29:48,960 Speaker 1: I was looking at all the establishment press, the smart 597 00:29:49,000 --> 00:29:51,320 Speaker 1: ones like Maggie Haberman and Anderson coop A I geest 598 00:29:51,360 --> 00:29:54,400 Speaker 1: smart in this context, are like, hey, this is probably 599 00:29:54,400 --> 00:29:57,120 Speaker 1: not good and how can you look if Trump calls 600 00:29:57,160 --> 00:29:59,080 Speaker 1: it a political witch hun all you gotta do is 601 00:29:59,120 --> 00:30:02,240 Speaker 1: play that lady on Loop who was on national television 602 00:30:02,520 --> 00:30:05,080 Speaker 1: divulging all of these details. Also, look, I don't know, 603 00:30:05,120 --> 00:30:06,520 Speaker 1: I'm not a a lawyer, you know, I don't know all 604 00:30:06,560 --> 00:30:09,840 Speaker 1: of the exact you know, maneuvering and all that. But 605 00:30:09,880 --> 00:30:14,040 Speaker 1: clearly the costa news about filing and saying that it 606 00:30:14,080 --> 00:30:16,920 Speaker 1: was politically motivated and some sort of challenge and even 607 00:30:16,960 --> 00:30:19,120 Speaker 1: in a future appellate court seems very like he's made 608 00:30:19,120 --> 00:30:22,440 Speaker 1: the prosecutor's job incredibly difficult, actually, because now this is 609 00:30:22,480 --> 00:30:25,320 Speaker 1: going to be materially important in terms of the trial 610 00:30:25,360 --> 00:30:27,800 Speaker 1: and bringing the charges in the first place. And then 611 00:30:27,880 --> 00:30:30,320 Speaker 1: look in the realm that's the most important, the realm 612 00:30:30,360 --> 00:30:33,680 Speaker 1: of public opinion, this is now effectively I think, been negated. 613 00:30:33,760 --> 00:30:36,040 Speaker 1: I mean, I don't think that you can walk away 614 00:30:36,280 --> 00:30:37,880 Speaker 1: from the fact that you have a fore woman who's 615 00:30:37,960 --> 00:30:41,920 Speaker 1: clearly politically motivated on national television before a charge even 616 00:30:42,000 --> 00:30:44,880 Speaker 1: drops talking about all of this, and then you know, 617 00:30:44,960 --> 00:30:47,480 Speaker 1: indictment and all that. I've always looked at it as 618 00:30:47,720 --> 00:30:50,040 Speaker 1: fifty to fifty as to how all of this would 619 00:30:50,040 --> 00:30:52,440 Speaker 1: actually yeah proceed. So you know, public opinion, I think 620 00:30:52,480 --> 00:30:55,880 Speaker 1: is and legitimacy is probably the most important one through 621 00:30:55,920 --> 00:30:58,040 Speaker 1: all of this. I think they've given a lot. You know, 622 00:30:58,160 --> 00:31:02,400 Speaker 1: I didn't necessarily get full motivated on her comments. I 623 00:31:02,520 --> 00:31:06,640 Speaker 1: just got unseerious, and that damages the credibility of the 624 00:31:06,680 --> 00:31:09,120 Speaker 1: process as well. I mean again, like I said, on 625 00:31:09,200 --> 00:31:12,080 Speaker 1: any jury, you're going to have people who are come 626 00:31:12,120 --> 00:31:16,400 Speaker 1: from a wide variety of views, perspectives, backgrounds, levels of competence, 627 00:31:17,280 --> 00:31:20,360 Speaker 1: et cetera. But you would like to keep a sort 628 00:31:20,400 --> 00:31:22,640 Speaker 1: of cloak of secrecy around so you can imagine that 629 00:31:22,720 --> 00:31:25,640 Speaker 1: this is like a group of very serious, very credible 630 00:31:25,640 --> 00:31:27,760 Speaker 1: people who aren't making decisions about, you know, something as 631 00:31:27,800 --> 00:31:30,680 Speaker 1: serious dis obpoenion the president based on their own desire 632 00:31:30,760 --> 00:31:32,280 Speaker 1: to be face to face with him and like have 633 00:31:32,320 --> 00:31:34,480 Speaker 1: their little sixty second moment with him. Now, maybe that's 634 00:31:34,480 --> 00:31:37,040 Speaker 1: a joke, Maybe she's just kidding. Maybe this is all 635 00:31:37,680 --> 00:31:41,160 Speaker 1: you know what I just like her awkward desire to 636 00:31:41,160 --> 00:31:43,160 Speaker 1: get in front of the cameras, et cetera, et cetera. 637 00:31:43,280 --> 00:31:45,160 Speaker 1: But you know, I keep coming back to what you 638 00:31:45,200 --> 00:31:49,440 Speaker 1: said Saga originally with the whole classified document situation being 639 00:31:49,480 --> 00:31:52,720 Speaker 1: revealed that Biden had classified documents too, Like this man 640 00:31:52,840 --> 00:31:56,240 Speaker 1: is so lucky, He is so lucky. And I think 641 00:31:56,280 --> 00:32:01,320 Speaker 1: that I increasingly feel confident in our early assessment and 642 00:32:01,400 --> 00:32:05,520 Speaker 1: prediction that if he does get indicted, it should have 643 00:32:05,600 --> 00:32:07,640 Speaker 1: a political impact. But I don't really think it's going 644 00:32:07,680 --> 00:32:10,400 Speaker 1: to and not just not only with the Republican base, 645 00:32:10,520 --> 00:32:14,520 Speaker 1: Like the longer this goes on, and the more distance 646 00:32:14,600 --> 00:32:17,200 Speaker 1: there is from January sixth and from Stop the Steal, 647 00:32:17,280 --> 00:32:19,720 Speaker 1: and the more he talks about Ukraine and social security 648 00:32:19,720 --> 00:32:23,000 Speaker 1: instead of like obsessing over election conspiracies, which I'm shocked 649 00:32:23,040 --> 00:32:26,280 Speaker 1: to see the somewhat intelligent maneuvers he's making in his 650 00:32:26,360 --> 00:32:29,200 Speaker 1: campaign right now, you know, the more that some of 651 00:32:29,200 --> 00:32:32,480 Speaker 1: this the bite is taken out of a potential indictment. 652 00:32:32,960 --> 00:32:36,600 Speaker 1: So so I don't know, it's a crazy situation we're 653 00:32:36,640 --> 00:32:39,600 Speaker 1: in where it's never been more clear that he is 654 00:32:39,760 --> 00:32:42,920 Speaker 1: probably pretty likely to get indicted, and I just don't 655 00:32:42,960 --> 00:32:46,720 Speaker 1: think it's going to be the blockbuster or shattering political 656 00:32:46,800 --> 00:32:51,760 Speaker 1: world overturning moment that it once seemed possible to be 657 00:32:51,880 --> 00:32:53,560 Speaker 1: at this point. They built it up for seven years. 658 00:32:53,600 --> 00:32:55,560 Speaker 1: It never ends up happening. And now even if it does, 659 00:32:55,680 --> 00:32:57,320 Speaker 1: it's going to be in a manner in a case 660 00:32:57,360 --> 00:33:00,200 Speaker 1: where you know, even the details are very unclear. Maybe 661 00:33:00,280 --> 00:33:02,200 Speaker 1: it might help the Democratic Party. I think it will 662 00:33:02,200 --> 00:33:05,360 Speaker 1: only solidify Trump support within the GOP, just like after 663 00:33:05,400 --> 00:33:08,080 Speaker 1: the mar A Lago Grade when everybody came behind him 664 00:33:08,080 --> 00:33:10,240 Speaker 1: and ultimately, you know, that sense of persecution. You know, 665 00:33:10,240 --> 00:33:13,000 Speaker 1: Trump is an identification of a lot of Republicans as 666 00:33:13,280 --> 00:33:16,120 Speaker 1: a man who embodies like there want to like say 667 00:33:16,120 --> 00:33:18,680 Speaker 1: screw you to the cultural left. Well that only makes 668 00:33:18,720 --> 00:33:21,320 Speaker 1: it even better, you know, so from a fighting perspective, 669 00:33:21,360 --> 00:33:23,280 Speaker 1: and then he would actually have to get convicted, which 670 00:33:23,360 --> 00:33:25,240 Speaker 1: you know, look it is Georgia. It's still a fifty 671 00:33:25,240 --> 00:33:27,840 Speaker 1: to fifty state last time I checked, you know, so 672 00:33:27,960 --> 00:33:30,360 Speaker 1: Electro you know how how that would all play out too, 673 00:33:30,400 --> 00:33:34,400 Speaker 1: Like it's not a foregone conclusion on any of this. Yeah, absolutely, 674 00:33:37,240 --> 00:33:42,000 Speaker 1: all right, guy. Speaking of Trump, he traveled to East Palestine, Ohio. 675 00:33:42,120 --> 00:33:45,080 Speaker 1: We have of course been covering the aftermath of that 676 00:33:45,160 --> 00:33:48,000 Speaker 1: train derailment and their decision to do a quote unquote 677 00:33:48,000 --> 00:33:51,320 Speaker 1: controlled release which was a giant fireball of toxic chemicals 678 00:33:51,640 --> 00:33:55,600 Speaker 1: that has had lingering impacts on the community and that 679 00:33:55,920 --> 00:33:58,800 Speaker 1: politicians have been very slow to react to. All right, 680 00:33:58,880 --> 00:34:02,960 Speaker 1: so backdraw is, remember we tracked this very close. Lever 681 00:34:03,080 --> 00:34:06,680 Speaker 1: News has done the best coverage of detailing the way 682 00:34:06,760 --> 00:34:12,279 Speaker 1: that industry corruption has consistently stripped safety regulations, starting with 683 00:34:12,320 --> 00:34:15,759 Speaker 1: the Obama administration, who sort of buckled under pressure and 684 00:34:15,960 --> 00:34:18,920 Speaker 1: limited the scope of the new safety regulations that they 685 00:34:18,960 --> 00:34:22,319 Speaker 1: were putting in place. Then Trump arguably did the most 686 00:34:22,440 --> 00:34:25,680 Speaker 1: damage by completely rolling back even some of the safety 687 00:34:25,680 --> 00:34:27,960 Speaker 1: recks that the Obama administration had put in place, in 688 00:34:28,000 --> 00:34:31,919 Speaker 1: particular with regards to this breaking system you have. Biden 689 00:34:31,960 --> 00:34:34,920 Speaker 1: administration maintains that status quo and of course joins with 690 00:34:35,000 --> 00:34:37,920 Speaker 1: Republicans to crush the worker's movement that was trying to 691 00:34:38,000 --> 00:34:42,600 Speaker 1: raise concerns safety concerns, specifically about potential incidents like this. 692 00:34:42,719 --> 00:34:46,960 Speaker 1: So Trump's hands are not clean on this issue whatsoever. 693 00:34:47,239 --> 00:34:50,040 Speaker 1: Quite the opposite, However, man knows how to spot a 694 00:34:50,080 --> 00:34:53,840 Speaker 1: political opportunity, and while Joe Biden was in Ukraine, Trump 695 00:34:53,880 --> 00:34:56,719 Speaker 1: traveled to East Palestine. Here's what he had to say. 696 00:34:57,000 --> 00:35:00,000 Speaker 1: We're bringing thousands of bottle of water, Trump water, actually 697 00:35:00,520 --> 00:35:03,440 Speaker 1: most of it. Some of it we had to go 698 00:35:03,520 --> 00:35:07,520 Speaker 1: to a much lesser quality water. You want to get 699 00:35:07,520 --> 00:35:09,880 Speaker 1: those Trump bottles, I think more than anybody else. But 700 00:35:09,880 --> 00:35:11,880 Speaker 1: we're bringing a lot of what are thousands of bottles, 701 00:35:11,880 --> 00:35:13,360 Speaker 1: and we have it in trucks. So we brought some 702 00:35:13,480 --> 00:35:16,840 Speaker 1: on my plane today. And Norfolk Southern needs to fulfill 703 00:35:16,880 --> 00:35:21,600 Speaker 1: its responsibilities and obligations. And I see that they're starting 704 00:35:21,640 --> 00:35:24,040 Speaker 1: to come here now too, because they also were saying 705 00:35:24,080 --> 00:35:27,480 Speaker 1: they're not coming. But it means that the affected community 706 00:35:27,560 --> 00:35:32,200 Speaker 1: is beyond the borders of Palestine are going to be 707 00:35:32,320 --> 00:35:34,200 Speaker 1: taken care of. And they've said so, and they've said 708 00:35:34,239 --> 00:35:36,480 Speaker 1: it loud and clear, and I think they probably mean it. 709 00:35:36,800 --> 00:35:43,520 Speaker 1: I sincerely hope that when your representatives and all of 710 00:35:43,560 --> 00:35:47,239 Speaker 1: the politicians get here, including Biden, they get back from 711 00:35:47,320 --> 00:35:52,400 Speaker 1: touring Ukraine, that he's got some money left over. Biden 712 00:35:52,480 --> 00:35:55,840 Speaker 1: and FEMA said they would not send federal a to 713 00:35:56,960 --> 00:36:00,640 Speaker 1: East Palestine under any circumstance, and so not going to 714 00:36:00,719 --> 00:36:03,000 Speaker 1: send eight. I thought that was a strange statement because 715 00:36:03,000 --> 00:36:06,280 Speaker 1: I've been working with FEMA for a long time, four years, 716 00:36:06,320 --> 00:36:08,920 Speaker 1: and they were great with us with the tornadoes, the 717 00:36:09,000 --> 00:36:16,960 Speaker 1: hurricanes and things like this. What's your specialty? Hello, everybody, 718 00:36:17,000 --> 00:36:21,439 Speaker 1: that's a nice, beautiful So I know this menu better 719 00:36:21,480 --> 00:36:25,719 Speaker 1: than you do. I probably know it better than anybody here. 720 00:36:26,640 --> 00:36:29,360 Speaker 1: We're going to take care of the we're going to 721 00:36:29,440 --> 00:36:32,880 Speaker 1: take So that last piece there was him at McDonald's 722 00:36:32,920 --> 00:36:35,239 Speaker 1: with those and those, which is like, I know the 723 00:36:35,320 --> 00:36:39,759 Speaker 1: McDonald's menu better than we could actually, given how much 724 00:36:39,760 --> 00:36:42,080 Speaker 1: the man loves McDonald's, you know. And there's a couple 725 00:36:42,120 --> 00:36:44,399 Speaker 1: there's a lot to say about this actually. First of all, 726 00:36:44,640 --> 00:36:48,759 Speaker 1: clearly his political instincts still on point. Democrats handed him 727 00:36:48,800 --> 00:36:52,920 Speaker 1: an absolute lay up. There's such morons pete not going 728 00:36:52,960 --> 00:36:56,360 Speaker 1: there yet. By not going there yet, I mean allowing 729 00:36:56,520 --> 00:37:00,359 Speaker 1: opening up this space to make that talking, that talking 730 00:37:00,360 --> 00:37:02,799 Speaker 1: point of hey, he's in Ukraine, we're here and I 731 00:37:02,800 --> 00:37:04,960 Speaker 1: hope they still have some money for you guys when 732 00:37:05,000 --> 00:37:07,600 Speaker 1: they get back. Brutal. And then the other pieces of 733 00:37:07,719 --> 00:37:09,839 Speaker 1: media story, which is, you know, he wouldn't be able 734 00:37:09,840 --> 00:37:11,799 Speaker 1: to get away with going there and pretending like, oh, 735 00:37:11,800 --> 00:37:13,239 Speaker 1: this has nothing to do with me, and I'm just 736 00:37:13,280 --> 00:37:14,920 Speaker 1: here to try to help if the media had done 737 00:37:14,920 --> 00:37:19,160 Speaker 1: their job of explaining that backstory of corruption and how 738 00:37:19,160 --> 00:37:21,320 Speaker 1: his hands are very dirty in terms of caving to 739 00:37:21,400 --> 00:37:23,839 Speaker 1: industry pressure. But since they don't do that, he can 740 00:37:23,920 --> 00:37:26,080 Speaker 1: just ride in like a hero and distribute as Trump 741 00:37:26,120 --> 00:37:28,840 Speaker 1: bottles of water. Look Trump is back. I mean I 742 00:37:28,880 --> 00:37:31,359 Speaker 1: can feel it. I can sense it. I've novin't seen 743 00:37:31,360 --> 00:37:34,640 Speaker 1: he's fun again in a way that McDonald's, you know. 744 00:37:34,680 --> 00:37:36,360 Speaker 1: And look, I'm not saying this gives me pleasure to 745 00:37:36,360 --> 00:37:38,680 Speaker 1: say this. My whole monologue is really about his own 746 00:37:38,719 --> 00:37:41,640 Speaker 1: record with respect to Ford policy. All I'm saying is 747 00:37:41,680 --> 00:37:44,720 Speaker 1: pure politically for him to waltz into a town clearly 748 00:37:44,760 --> 00:37:47,759 Speaker 1: neglected force the media to cover it. It's just like 749 00:37:47,880 --> 00:37:50,600 Speaker 1: exactly what he did with Flint in twenty sixteen. You 750 00:37:50,640 --> 00:37:53,000 Speaker 1: remember that Trump and he actually won Flint. If we'll recall, 751 00:37:53,040 --> 00:37:55,880 Speaker 1: there's that good documentary about the Flint police department and 752 00:37:55,880 --> 00:37:59,000 Speaker 1: how they also so much supported him in twenty sixteen, 753 00:37:59,040 --> 00:38:01,359 Speaker 1: and it caused like a big political stir at the time. 754 00:38:01,600 --> 00:38:04,720 Speaker 1: And then the deadliest talking point of all he's in Ukraine. 755 00:38:05,080 --> 00:38:07,319 Speaker 1: I'm over here. I hope he has some money that 756 00:38:07,400 --> 00:38:09,920 Speaker 1: is left over for you. And you know, the moment. Actually, 757 00:38:09,960 --> 00:38:12,200 Speaker 1: while the ptin of Biden speech was happening. I texted 758 00:38:12,239 --> 00:38:15,480 Speaker 1: them while I was abroad, and I was like, hey, immediately, 759 00:38:15,480 --> 00:38:18,319 Speaker 1: what popped in my head? Keeve before East Palestine and 760 00:38:18,360 --> 00:38:23,600 Speaker 1: then Secretary of budhaj Edge is visiting today after Donald Trump? 761 00:38:23,920 --> 00:38:27,000 Speaker 1: What is the guy doing? I remain you know, It's like, 762 00:38:27,080 --> 00:38:30,640 Speaker 1: how can you possibly have not immediately gotten on a plane? 763 00:38:30,680 --> 00:38:32,839 Speaker 1: You know? Now the President Biden has yet to put 764 00:38:32,880 --> 00:38:36,320 Speaker 1: out any full like comments or anything on East Palestine. 765 00:38:36,320 --> 00:38:39,440 Speaker 1: There's no announced visit. Where is Kamala Harr I mean 766 00:38:39,640 --> 00:38:42,239 Speaker 1: sends somebody like at the very least Buddha Jedge was 767 00:38:42,239 --> 00:38:43,919 Speaker 1: supposed to mean. He should have been there a week ago, 768 00:38:43,960 --> 00:38:46,839 Speaker 1: if you think about it, maybe nine ten days ago. 769 00:38:47,320 --> 00:38:48,680 Speaker 1: He should have been one of the very first people 770 00:38:48,719 --> 00:38:50,520 Speaker 1: on the ground with a FEMA director. She should have 771 00:38:50,520 --> 00:38:52,480 Speaker 1: had the Ohio governor and all those people right next 772 00:38:52,480 --> 00:38:54,080 Speaker 1: one and be like I'm taking charge. I'm not leaving 773 00:38:54,120 --> 00:38:57,040 Speaker 1: East Palestine until this is all done. Where is he? Oh? 774 00:38:57,040 --> 00:38:58,799 Speaker 1: I know where he is. He's here in Washington taking 775 00:38:58,800 --> 00:39:00,719 Speaker 1: personal time. We'll tell you a little yeah, I'll tell 776 00:39:00,719 --> 00:39:02,960 Speaker 1: you about later. He got mad at a reporter for 777 00:39:03,000 --> 00:39:06,120 Speaker 1: actually asking him when he was going to visit East Palestine. Well, 778 00:39:06,160 --> 00:39:09,640 Speaker 1: and here's here's another piece, is the Republican governor of 779 00:39:09,719 --> 00:39:12,120 Speaker 1: the state, Mike DeWine, does not come out looking good 780 00:39:12,120 --> 00:39:15,840 Speaker 1: in any of this either. He admitted before that like 781 00:39:15,880 --> 00:39:18,080 Speaker 1: the White House had called him and he just didn't 782 00:39:18,080 --> 00:39:21,240 Speaker 1: call them back to ask for aid for the area. 783 00:39:22,160 --> 00:39:24,799 Speaker 1: He also, you know, he was asked a question. We've 784 00:39:24,840 --> 00:39:28,560 Speaker 1: been tracking the water test results that were used to 785 00:39:28,640 --> 00:39:30,680 Speaker 1: give the all cleared residents to say it's all good, 786 00:39:30,719 --> 00:39:33,279 Speaker 1: you can drink the water, no problem here, and it 787 00:39:33,320 --> 00:39:37,440 Speaker 1: has increasingly become clear that the EPA relied predominantly on 788 00:39:37,640 --> 00:39:40,960 Speaker 1: a contractor that was paid for by Norfolk Southern themselves, 789 00:39:41,360 --> 00:39:45,120 Speaker 1: So the polluters paid for these water tests that the 790 00:39:45,160 --> 00:39:49,400 Speaker 1: Ohio EPA was predominantly relying on. Dwine got asked a 791 00:39:49,480 --> 00:39:51,160 Speaker 1: question by this I believe it was by our friend 792 00:39:51,239 --> 00:39:54,600 Speaker 1: Rich McHugh, News Nation Now investigative reporter who we've known 793 00:39:54,640 --> 00:39:56,759 Speaker 1: for quite a while, fantastic journalists who's been there on 794 00:39:56,800 --> 00:39:58,319 Speaker 1: the ground, who we had on the show earlier in 795 00:39:58,360 --> 00:40:02,240 Speaker 1: the week. In any case, DeWine reveals he really doesn't 796 00:40:02,280 --> 00:40:04,279 Speaker 1: have a clue what's going on. Hands it off to 797 00:40:04,320 --> 00:40:07,600 Speaker 1: the Ohio EPA director, who basically confirms the outlines of 798 00:40:07,600 --> 00:40:09,600 Speaker 1: that storylist way to listen to that. As the EPA 799 00:40:09,719 --> 00:40:13,440 Speaker 1: tested the water independently, Yes, we're testing it independently. Was 800 00:40:13,440 --> 00:40:16,799 Speaker 1: it initially tested in conjunction? I ask my director? The 801 00:40:16,840 --> 00:40:19,719 Speaker 1: Norfolk Southern contractor did a com They did their own 802 00:40:19,760 --> 00:40:22,480 Speaker 1: testing that same sample at the same time. It's collected 803 00:40:22,520 --> 00:40:24,520 Speaker 1: by the county and sent to a separate lab. The 804 00:40:24,560 --> 00:40:27,400 Speaker 1: Ohio EPA confirming to News Nation it was done in 805 00:40:27,400 --> 00:40:30,600 Speaker 1: conjunction at first, but will now begin its own independent 806 00:40:30,640 --> 00:40:33,200 Speaker 1: testing starting today and keep boddah judge and bouncing. He 807 00:40:33,239 --> 00:40:35,600 Speaker 1: will finally come here to the crash site, responding to 808 00:40:35,600 --> 00:40:38,120 Speaker 1: criticism he did not visit sooner. To be clear, our 809 00:40:38,160 --> 00:40:40,400 Speaker 1: department was on the ground within hours. I could have 810 00:40:40,440 --> 00:40:42,520 Speaker 1: spoken out sooner, and I'm making sure that we are 811 00:40:42,560 --> 00:40:44,840 Speaker 1: focused on the actions that are going to make a difference. 812 00:40:45,120 --> 00:40:46,600 Speaker 1: So de Wine there's a oh, yeah, we're doing my 813 00:40:46,719 --> 00:40:48,880 Speaker 1: own independent testing, and he's like, well, I don't really know. 814 00:40:49,040 --> 00:40:51,880 Speaker 1: Let me get to the EPA director who's like, well, 815 00:40:52,520 --> 00:40:54,920 Speaker 1: not actually, now we're starting to do our own independent 816 00:40:54,960 --> 00:40:57,160 Speaker 1: testing after they've already told people it's all safe and fine, 817 00:40:57,200 --> 00:41:01,279 Speaker 1: it's a desil Biden administration and the Republican governor here 818 00:41:01,560 --> 00:41:05,799 Speaker 1: have left the greatest political opening of all time, and 819 00:41:05,880 --> 00:41:08,120 Speaker 1: with buddhaj Edge at this point, I don't know how 820 00:41:08,239 --> 00:41:10,480 Speaker 1: in the hell that this guy continues to have a 821 00:41:10,560 --> 00:41:13,400 Speaker 1: job and Biden himself, I mean, you know, Biden, you 822 00:41:13,440 --> 00:41:16,239 Speaker 1: could always say his political instincts were at least better 823 00:41:16,280 --> 00:41:18,279 Speaker 1: than a lot of the people in the media, right, 824 00:41:18,320 --> 00:41:21,759 Speaker 1: a lot of the elites in the party. He has 825 00:41:21,840 --> 00:41:24,840 Speaker 1: lost it, you know, clearly, some of that the idea 826 00:41:25,000 --> 00:41:28,480 Speaker 1: of visiting a foreign country while you're dispensing hundreds of 827 00:41:28,560 --> 00:41:31,840 Speaker 1: billions of dollars to them and literally giving the greatest 828 00:41:31,840 --> 00:41:34,280 Speaker 1: talking point of all time that he cares about another 829 00:41:34,320 --> 00:41:37,320 Speaker 1: country and another country's borders more than he cares about 830 00:41:37,440 --> 00:41:39,239 Speaker 1: your own. That is all you're going to hear from 831 00:41:39,280 --> 00:41:41,520 Speaker 1: the Republican Party. And why shouldn't you, because now it's 832 00:41:41,560 --> 00:41:44,759 Speaker 1: creating the political pressure on the Biden administration where they 833 00:41:44,800 --> 00:41:47,799 Speaker 1: feel on the backfoot. And Chrystal clearly the Democrats they 834 00:41:47,840 --> 00:41:49,960 Speaker 1: know they screwed up. Now at this point, the National 835 00:41:49,960 --> 00:41:52,880 Speaker 1: Democratic Party is silent, but they're looking at this and 836 00:41:52,920 --> 00:41:55,880 Speaker 1: it is a total twenty sixteen replay. I think, I 837 00:41:55,880 --> 00:41:58,280 Speaker 1: really think Trump, you know, tweeted this earlier today. Trump's 838 00:41:58,280 --> 00:42:00,000 Speaker 1: power levels are higher than I've seen him in years. 839 00:42:00,040 --> 00:42:02,760 Speaker 1: He hasn't been talking about to stop the steal on Twitter. 840 00:42:03,000 --> 00:42:07,880 Speaker 1: He's honestly pretty funny or truth. Sorry, meatball Ron is fantastic. 841 00:42:08,000 --> 00:42:09,920 Speaker 1: I'm sorry, it's just the best. One of the best 842 00:42:10,000 --> 00:42:12,560 Speaker 1: nicknames I've heard in a lot. Says that's fake Newscimer. 843 00:42:12,600 --> 00:42:14,799 Speaker 1: He would never call me. He's going to say, you're right, 844 00:42:15,080 --> 00:42:18,319 Speaker 1: I've never called me ball meetball Ron, meatball Ron. Just 845 00:42:18,480 --> 00:42:22,280 Speaker 1: devastating him publicly looking at Mickey Haley and just brushing 846 00:42:22,320 --> 00:42:25,920 Speaker 1: her aside, just you know, almost smirking at her candidacy. 847 00:42:26,000 --> 00:42:29,160 Speaker 1: And then the political genius of just swaltzing into East 848 00:42:29,200 --> 00:42:32,960 Speaker 1: Palestine while Biden is in Ohio the Trump water and 849 00:42:33,000 --> 00:42:35,280 Speaker 1: making the joke about all of that. That is vintage 850 00:42:35,280 --> 00:42:39,080 Speaker 1: two thousand. He seems more unshackled right now than ever. Now. Look, 851 00:42:39,080 --> 00:42:41,239 Speaker 1: Trump is always his own worst enemy. He hasn't been 852 00:42:41,239 --> 00:42:43,000 Speaker 1: talking about stop the steel all that much lately. If 853 00:42:43,000 --> 00:42:45,120 Speaker 1: he does get into guided in Georgia, clearly you know 854 00:42:45,160 --> 00:42:47,359 Speaker 1: that's going to come back to the fourth. So he's 855 00:42:47,360 --> 00:42:49,239 Speaker 1: one of those where he has immense political talent and 856 00:42:49,280 --> 00:42:52,320 Speaker 1: immense political baggage. Right now you're seeing the talent aspect, 857 00:42:52,360 --> 00:42:54,960 Speaker 1: I think, and as look, if he continues, it's only 858 00:42:55,000 --> 00:42:56,560 Speaker 1: going to work out even Yeah, and no talk about 859 00:42:56,560 --> 00:42:58,839 Speaker 1: abortion from him, No, not one word about it. He's 860 00:42:58,840 --> 00:43:01,080 Speaker 1: not a stupid man. I always say that. The last 861 00:43:01,120 --> 00:43:03,120 Speaker 1: thing I want to point out, which I raised yesterday, 862 00:43:03,200 --> 00:43:04,480 Speaker 1: go and put this up on the screen. I think 863 00:43:04,480 --> 00:43:07,480 Speaker 1: we had covered before how Libby Montana has Medicare for 864 00:43:07,520 --> 00:43:10,160 Speaker 1: All because of this provision that got put into Obamacare, 865 00:43:10,200 --> 00:43:12,880 Speaker 1: where if you have an area that's deemed a public 866 00:43:12,920 --> 00:43:17,320 Speaker 1: health disaster and that town had been poisoned basically because 867 00:43:17,360 --> 00:43:21,719 Speaker 1: of the result of mining operation there, but you can, 868 00:43:21,840 --> 00:43:24,960 Speaker 1: if you're deemed public health disaster, you can actually invoke 869 00:43:25,040 --> 00:43:28,680 Speaker 1: this provision of Obamacare to get Medicare for life. Now, listen, 870 00:43:28,760 --> 00:43:32,200 Speaker 1: in my opinion, everybody deserves Medicare for all, but at 871 00:43:32,280 --> 00:43:36,800 Speaker 1: the very least, these residents who we know were exposed 872 00:43:36,800 --> 00:43:40,600 Speaker 1: to a known carcinogen deserve to have health care coverage 873 00:43:40,640 --> 00:43:44,040 Speaker 1: for themselves and for their children for life, because after 874 00:43:44,080 --> 00:43:48,799 Speaker 1: the TV cameras go away, and after the immediate symptoms 875 00:43:48,920 --> 00:43:52,560 Speaker 1: and the smell of chemical contaminants. After that all fades, 876 00:43:52,920 --> 00:43:56,160 Speaker 1: it's years down the road when we will really know 877 00:43:56,640 --> 00:43:59,680 Speaker 1: the true health impacts of what ultimately happened here. And 878 00:43:59,719 --> 00:44:02,640 Speaker 1: to lend myself some credibility, David Dayan sort of second 879 00:44:02,719 --> 00:44:04,920 Speaker 1: the idea because he's the one who flagged for me 880 00:44:05,000 --> 00:44:08,680 Speaker 1: originally back previously that Libby Montana had this ability and 881 00:44:08,719 --> 00:44:11,640 Speaker 1: that this was something that the Biden administration could potentially use, 882 00:44:11,960 --> 00:44:13,560 Speaker 1: and he said he was warming to the idea. It 883 00:44:13,560 --> 00:44:17,040 Speaker 1: requires a Public Health Emergency Declaration. EPA has already said 884 00:44:17,040 --> 00:44:20,120 Speaker 1: to Norfolk Southern that the situation fits under a circle. 885 00:44:20,120 --> 00:44:21,920 Speaker 1: I don't know what that is. HHS would then have 886 00:44:21,960 --> 00:44:24,880 Speaker 1: to create a specific pilot program for East Palestine based 887 00:44:24,920 --> 00:44:27,919 Speaker 1: on potential exposure. So and he goes on to add 888 00:44:27,960 --> 00:44:29,680 Speaker 1: five thousand new people on the MEDICA roles as a 889 00:44:29,760 --> 00:44:32,080 Speaker 1: rounding error. Government would have to admit the potential for 890 00:44:32,120 --> 00:44:34,719 Speaker 1: harm from chemical exposure, though, which would seem to be 891 00:44:34,760 --> 00:44:37,279 Speaker 1: the main hurdle, as nobody really wants to say that 892 00:44:37,400 --> 00:44:40,080 Speaker 1: right now. So that's the barrier is they don't want 893 00:44:40,120 --> 00:44:43,880 Speaker 1: to admit that there was potentially damaging, long term chemical 894 00:44:43,920 --> 00:44:46,760 Speaker 1: exposure here that could make them eligible for this provision 895 00:44:46,800 --> 00:44:48,600 Speaker 1: and when they admit it, they have to admit their 896 00:44:48,640 --> 00:44:51,880 Speaker 1: own role in not going and trying to fix it 897 00:44:51,960 --> 00:44:54,360 Speaker 1: as soon as possible. So these people, look, they've been 898 00:44:54,400 --> 00:44:56,600 Speaker 1: screwed from day one. We're not going to let this 899 00:44:56,680 --> 00:45:01,120 Speaker 1: go and we can't. It's unfortunate that the Biden administration 900 00:45:01,200 --> 00:45:04,840 Speaker 1: really a media leftist open for Republicans and for independent journalism. 901 00:45:04,880 --> 00:45:06,520 Speaker 1: But we're going to take it because you know, you 902 00:45:06,560 --> 00:45:08,680 Speaker 1: can't just forget these people. Yeah, it's just really not right. 903 00:45:08,719 --> 00:45:12,439 Speaker 1: That's absolutely right. And to that point, we have been 904 00:45:12,760 --> 00:45:15,560 Speaker 1: partnering with Status KU on the ground. They have a 905 00:45:15,640 --> 00:45:19,120 Speaker 1: journalist there who has been talking to residents over days, 906 00:45:19,120 --> 00:45:21,560 Speaker 1: if not weeks at this point, talking to them about 907 00:45:21,600 --> 00:45:24,319 Speaker 1: their symptoms and doing some digging, in particular into those 908 00:45:24,640 --> 00:45:26,719 Speaker 1: water tests. So let's get right to it. Louis de 909 00:45:26,800 --> 00:45:29,359 Speaker 1: Angelus of Status qu joins us now, Grace c. Lewis, 910 00:45:29,520 --> 00:45:32,680 Speaker 1: just man, thanks for having me. So I understand you 911 00:45:32,719 --> 00:45:36,520 Speaker 1: have some new reporting about the water tests which were conducted, 912 00:45:36,520 --> 00:45:39,040 Speaker 1: in which we're used as the basis for telling residents 913 00:45:39,239 --> 00:45:41,040 Speaker 1: it's all good. You can drink the water, there's going 914 00:45:41,080 --> 00:45:44,000 Speaker 1: to be no problems. Tell us what you've learned yeah, 915 00:45:44,040 --> 00:45:47,600 Speaker 1: absolutely so in you know, reporting from several other folks 916 00:45:47,640 --> 00:45:50,400 Speaker 1: as well up until this point. You know, I actually 917 00:45:50,440 --> 00:45:52,279 Speaker 1: ran into the governor the other day, asked him a 918 00:45:52,280 --> 00:45:55,640 Speaker 1: couple of tough questions that he was not necessarily excited 919 00:45:55,640 --> 00:45:58,600 Speaker 1: to have asked, and did his best to dodge them. 920 00:45:58,840 --> 00:46:03,200 Speaker 1: And basically the tests that have been done initially up 921 00:46:03,280 --> 00:46:06,439 Speaker 1: until basically the last forty eight hours were all from 922 00:46:06,640 --> 00:46:11,520 Speaker 1: contractors hired by either Norfolk Southern or contractors hired by 923 00:46:11,640 --> 00:46:15,919 Speaker 1: the EPA. These two contractors are companies called Tetra Tech 924 00:46:16,200 --> 00:46:21,080 Speaker 1: and CTEH. Both of these companies have histories of mishandling 925 00:46:21,120 --> 00:46:24,360 Speaker 1: results and information they've you know, some of in some 926 00:46:24,440 --> 00:46:28,200 Speaker 1: cases falsifying test results. This you know, these companies were 927 00:46:28,200 --> 00:46:30,319 Speaker 1: being used. One of them was during the deep Water 928 00:46:30,360 --> 00:46:32,840 Speaker 1: Horizon incident. I don't know if you remember back in 929 00:46:32,840 --> 00:46:35,919 Speaker 1: twenty ten. The New York Times reported on that one 930 00:46:36,840 --> 00:46:39,000 Speaker 1: and the other one. Let me pull it up here 931 00:46:39,040 --> 00:46:40,160 Speaker 1: just because I want to make sure I have it 932 00:46:40,400 --> 00:46:44,080 Speaker 1: all accurate for you all. The other incident as well 933 00:46:44,760 --> 00:46:49,120 Speaker 1: was from the let's see, the Hunter's Point Naval Shipyard 934 00:46:49,160 --> 00:46:53,280 Speaker 1: in San Francisco. So both of these companies are giving 935 00:46:53,280 --> 00:46:56,560 Speaker 1: residents more reason to question the results and the answers 936 00:46:56,600 --> 00:47:00,800 Speaker 1: that their government officials are giving them or frankly, you 937 00:47:00,840 --> 00:47:05,239 Speaker 1: know more realistically not giving them. So with that information, 938 00:47:05,440 --> 00:47:07,759 Speaker 1: you know up until forty eight hours ago, again, these 939 00:47:07,800 --> 00:47:10,400 Speaker 1: tests are being provided by these two companies, one of 940 00:47:10,440 --> 00:47:13,279 Speaker 1: them being hired directly by the railroad, which has no 941 00:47:13,360 --> 00:47:18,120 Speaker 1: incentive here to necessarily put out the accurate information. Right, 942 00:47:18,160 --> 00:47:20,200 Speaker 1: these guys are trying to cover their butts in a 943 00:47:20,239 --> 00:47:23,719 Speaker 1: lot of this stuff. And it gets a little bit 944 00:47:23,760 --> 00:47:26,920 Speaker 1: worse because as we looked into this, I've been on 945 00:47:26,960 --> 00:47:30,000 Speaker 1: the ground talking with residents since over the last weekend, 946 00:47:30,760 --> 00:47:32,920 Speaker 1: establishing trusts with these folks and actually giving them the 947 00:47:32,920 --> 00:47:34,880 Speaker 1: time of day to talk to them and build trust. 948 00:47:35,000 --> 00:47:38,759 Speaker 1: And the children of one of the parents that I've 949 00:47:38,840 --> 00:47:41,279 Speaker 1: established a good relationship with asked if he could do 950 00:47:41,280 --> 00:47:44,359 Speaker 1: an interview. Some of his friends wanted to as well. 951 00:47:44,480 --> 00:47:46,680 Speaker 1: We got permission to do this interview with the children, 952 00:47:47,760 --> 00:47:51,640 Speaker 1: and one of the kids mentioned that the water fountains 953 00:47:51,680 --> 00:47:53,239 Speaker 1: in their school, so not the part that you can 954 00:47:53,239 --> 00:47:55,399 Speaker 1: go down and get a sip from, but the part 955 00:47:55,400 --> 00:47:58,080 Speaker 1: that you can fill up your water bottle in is 956 00:47:58,120 --> 00:48:02,799 Speaker 1: actually open to use inside of their school, and I mean, 957 00:48:02,800 --> 00:48:04,520 Speaker 1: my heart just dropped when I heard that. I mean, 958 00:48:04,560 --> 00:48:08,520 Speaker 1: I've got little nieces. You know. The kids did say 959 00:48:08,520 --> 00:48:11,440 Speaker 1: there is bottled water in school, But again, these are children. 960 00:48:11,480 --> 00:48:13,600 Speaker 1: We're talking about the fact that they can go fill 961 00:48:13,640 --> 00:48:15,920 Speaker 1: up their water bottle in the school because officials are 962 00:48:15,920 --> 00:48:19,160 Speaker 1: telling them that the water is fine when we're relying 963 00:48:19,280 --> 00:48:22,560 Speaker 1: on again predominantly tests that are being contracted out by 964 00:48:22,600 --> 00:48:27,000 Speaker 1: the railroad. It's unconscionable to me to hear that happen, 965 00:48:27,160 --> 00:48:29,279 Speaker 1: and it you know, it's it's a it's a tough 966 00:48:29,360 --> 00:48:31,120 Speaker 1: it's a tough story. And I mean, these folks are 967 00:48:31,200 --> 00:48:35,000 Speaker 1: going through so much here. It's it's tough to talk about. 968 00:48:35,040 --> 00:48:37,960 Speaker 1: These conversations that I'm having with residents are are hard 969 00:48:38,040 --> 00:48:40,520 Speaker 1: ones to have. These folks are being put in absolutely 970 00:48:40,560 --> 00:48:45,120 Speaker 1: impossible positions. Lewis the piece about these contractors, it's the 971 00:48:45,120 --> 00:48:47,840 Speaker 1: first time learning about it. Can you give us a 972 00:48:47,880 --> 00:48:51,680 Speaker 1: little bit more detail about their involvement that was you know, 973 00:48:51,760 --> 00:48:55,799 Speaker 1: revealed to be fraudulent in the past, falsifying records. What 974 00:48:55,960 --> 00:48:59,040 Speaker 1: was uncovered there, just so we know some of the specifics. Yeah, 975 00:48:59,080 --> 00:49:02,040 Speaker 1: so I know more of a deepwater horizon incident. And 976 00:49:02,080 --> 00:49:04,839 Speaker 1: in the article from the New York Times. Essentially they 977 00:49:04,880 --> 00:49:06,920 Speaker 1: do a good job with this. I encourage folks to 978 00:49:06,920 --> 00:49:08,799 Speaker 1: find it. We can get you all the link to 979 00:49:08,800 --> 00:49:11,960 Speaker 1: post in the description or something like that. But in 980 00:49:12,000 --> 00:49:14,520 Speaker 1: that incident, the New York Times essentially found that the 981 00:49:14,560 --> 00:49:19,520 Speaker 1: Deepwater Horizon incident, the company had every incentive to essentially 982 00:49:19,560 --> 00:49:23,399 Speaker 1: make these folks be feeling okay and getting them back 983 00:49:23,400 --> 00:49:25,960 Speaker 1: to work and all this sort of thing. So it's 984 00:49:26,000 --> 00:49:30,280 Speaker 1: really the incentives that were being placed. We're obviously incorrect 985 00:49:30,360 --> 00:49:34,560 Speaker 1: in all of these instances. There should be independent testing 986 00:49:34,600 --> 00:49:37,040 Speaker 1: being done. And again, if you want residents here in 987 00:49:37,080 --> 00:49:39,440 Speaker 1: East Palestine or in any other incidents, you know, across 988 00:49:39,440 --> 00:49:42,080 Speaker 1: the country where this to happen. Again, let's make sure 989 00:49:42,120 --> 00:49:43,759 Speaker 1: that we're using a company that does not have a 990 00:49:43,880 --> 00:49:46,960 Speaker 1: history of any of this kind of fraudulent information. Yeah, so, 991 00:49:47,120 --> 00:49:50,320 Speaker 1: can you expand then in the context of the general 992 00:49:50,520 --> 00:49:53,040 Speaker 1: kind of corporate influence and cover up that's been going 993 00:49:53,040 --> 00:49:55,080 Speaker 1: on here that you've been able to witness on the ground, 994 00:49:55,080 --> 00:49:57,280 Speaker 1: because it just seems like the latest in a series 995 00:49:57,280 --> 00:50:00,360 Speaker 1: of things that's been happening. No, it is, and you know, 996 00:50:01,480 --> 00:50:06,000 Speaker 1: everything from initially, you know, the railroad varying contaminants underneath 997 00:50:06,040 --> 00:50:09,880 Speaker 1: the railroad tracks, right. Residents have been very unhappy about that, 998 00:50:10,320 --> 00:50:13,960 Speaker 1: and essentially, even even with the evacuations, right, there's a 999 00:50:14,000 --> 00:50:16,800 Speaker 1: lot of speculation. Again, I can't confirm any of this necessarily, 1000 00:50:16,800 --> 00:50:18,799 Speaker 1: but there's a lot of speculation that the reason the 1001 00:50:18,800 --> 00:50:21,239 Speaker 1: town was deemed safe again was because the railroad is 1002 00:50:21,280 --> 00:50:24,680 Speaker 1: not able to run trains through the town while there's 1003 00:50:24,719 --> 00:50:28,399 Speaker 1: still an evacuation notice ordered. If no one's allowed back 1004 00:50:28,400 --> 00:50:31,840 Speaker 1: into town, why you know, railroad conductors that sort of 1005 00:50:31,880 --> 00:50:33,600 Speaker 1: thing aren't going to be able to be going through 1006 00:50:33,600 --> 00:50:36,640 Speaker 1: this area because it's unsafe. So there's added pressure to 1007 00:50:36,680 --> 00:50:39,600 Speaker 1: get folks back into town. Tell them everything is fine, 1008 00:50:39,640 --> 00:50:41,960 Speaker 1: everything is safe, so that they can get the railroad 1009 00:50:41,960 --> 00:50:43,839 Speaker 1: moving again. And I can tell you after being here 1010 00:50:43,840 --> 00:50:47,080 Speaker 1: for several days, that railroad is busy. I mean, in 1011 00:50:47,120 --> 00:50:49,640 Speaker 1: some times a day, it's every ten minutes a train 1012 00:50:49,719 --> 00:50:53,200 Speaker 1: going by. Oftentimes right now, the trains are actually being 1013 00:50:53,239 --> 00:50:56,640 Speaker 1: double stacked the shipping container ones. Residents tell me that 1014 00:50:56,640 --> 00:50:59,080 Speaker 1: that was not the case beforehand, but it's just mostly 1015 00:50:59,120 --> 00:51:02,240 Speaker 1: single stacked. They're trying to catch up on the railroad 1016 00:51:02,280 --> 00:51:05,120 Speaker 1: being closed from before with these double stack trains, which 1017 00:51:05,760 --> 00:51:07,520 Speaker 1: I don't need to tell you this. The double stack 1018 00:51:07,560 --> 00:51:09,359 Speaker 1: trains are going to be heavier than singles, tracked one 1019 00:51:09,440 --> 00:51:14,719 Speaker 1: tracked ones. It's it's uncomfortable again, Lewis. We actually have 1020 00:51:15,280 --> 00:51:19,719 Speaker 1: you interviewed residents who voiced exactly the fear and suspicion 1021 00:51:19,760 --> 00:51:23,400 Speaker 1: you were laying out that basically the all clear call 1022 00:51:23,600 --> 00:51:27,800 Speaker 1: was rushed in order to get back to business as usual. Guys, 1023 00:51:27,840 --> 00:51:30,120 Speaker 1: this is the second stot that we have. I believe 1024 00:51:30,120 --> 00:51:32,319 Speaker 1: it's labeled to see five Control room. Let's go ahead 1025 00:51:32,320 --> 00:51:34,000 Speaker 1: and take a listen to that. They had that thing 1026 00:51:34,120 --> 00:51:40,760 Speaker 1: cleaned up and the train running through within forty eight hours. 1027 00:51:41,120 --> 00:51:43,480 Speaker 1: They laid those tracks right over top of that, and 1028 00:51:43,520 --> 00:51:45,759 Speaker 1: there is no way that they hauled any of it out. 1029 00:51:45,760 --> 00:51:48,160 Speaker 1: They laid it right over top. And you know the 1030 00:51:48,200 --> 00:51:50,640 Speaker 1: fire department when when this initially happened, it's a fire, 1031 00:51:51,400 --> 00:51:54,520 Speaker 1: they're trying to put it out. There's brain what where'd 1032 00:51:54,520 --> 00:51:58,160 Speaker 1: that water go? You know, it's right in the ground, 1033 00:51:58,680 --> 00:52:01,160 Speaker 1: in the soil. And they laid those were tracks people. 1034 00:52:01,680 --> 00:52:03,120 Speaker 1: And the thing is they weren't allowed to run the 1035 00:52:03,160 --> 00:52:07,000 Speaker 1: train through an evacuated area. So as soon as them 1036 00:52:07,040 --> 00:52:11,879 Speaker 1: train tracks were done, the evacuations lifted people that came 1037 00:52:11,920 --> 00:52:13,560 Speaker 1: home the night day. We didn't come up to the 1038 00:52:13,600 --> 00:52:15,399 Speaker 1: next morning, but there were people that came home that night. 1039 00:52:16,080 --> 00:52:19,320 Speaker 1: They had videos they had to wait on the train 1040 00:52:19,719 --> 00:52:23,600 Speaker 1: because the train was already up and running before they 1041 00:52:23,600 --> 00:52:25,480 Speaker 1: could get back in their houses. Now, is that a 1042 00:52:25,480 --> 00:52:27,880 Speaker 1: coincidence that they weren't allowed to run through an evacuated 1043 00:52:27,880 --> 00:52:29,560 Speaker 1: area and all of a sudden, the train's ready to 1044 00:52:29,560 --> 00:52:32,200 Speaker 1: go and the evacuate evac you know, the evacuation was lifted. 1045 00:52:32,960 --> 00:52:35,759 Speaker 1: You know, I think not so. Residents very fearful that 1046 00:52:35,800 --> 00:52:38,480 Speaker 1: their health and safety was put at risk in order 1047 00:52:38,560 --> 00:52:41,799 Speaker 1: to make sure that the rail companies could get back 1048 00:52:41,800 --> 00:52:44,279 Speaker 1: to operating a maximum capacity and get back to making 1049 00:52:44,280 --> 00:52:48,240 Speaker 1: the profit margins they're used to. Absolutely, and I mean again, 1050 00:52:48,680 --> 00:52:50,960 Speaker 1: Stella and Darren there. I talked to them for forty 1051 00:52:50,960 --> 00:52:55,120 Speaker 1: five minutes. They've got foster children, young kids, some of 1052 00:52:55,160 --> 00:52:58,360 Speaker 1: them with pre existing conditions. And you know that house 1053 00:52:58,400 --> 00:53:00,200 Speaker 1: that we were interviewing them in there, that's been their 1054 00:53:00,200 --> 00:53:03,840 Speaker 1: family for one hundred years. This is you know, they're like, 1055 00:53:03,880 --> 00:53:06,560 Speaker 1: what are we going to pass on to our kids? 1056 00:53:07,120 --> 00:53:10,120 Speaker 1: Our house is worth nothing. Now that's a major concern 1057 00:53:10,160 --> 00:53:12,080 Speaker 1: from a lot of folks in town. Is you know, 1058 00:53:12,640 --> 00:53:15,239 Speaker 1: there's folks who are looking to retire, they want to 1059 00:53:15,280 --> 00:53:17,520 Speaker 1: sell their house. What are they going to do now? 1060 00:53:17,600 --> 00:53:20,239 Speaker 1: Norfolk Southern's not talking about buying people's houses at the 1061 00:53:20,320 --> 00:53:22,520 Speaker 1: value that they were beforehand, and I'm you know, I'm 1062 00:53:22,520 --> 00:53:24,640 Speaker 1: sure they're not looking into doing that at any point. 1063 00:53:24,640 --> 00:53:28,480 Speaker 1: But again, even for renters, I mean I mentioned earlier 1064 00:53:28,560 --> 00:53:31,400 Speaker 1: on in this parents are being put in an absolutely 1065 00:53:31,440 --> 00:53:35,359 Speaker 1: impossible situation here, right, I'm talking to people with I'll 1066 00:53:35,360 --> 00:53:36,840 Speaker 1: give you some of the symptoms that we're hearing. And 1067 00:53:36,880 --> 00:53:39,719 Speaker 1: this isn't just from like one or two people. I'd 1068 00:53:39,760 --> 00:53:41,880 Speaker 1: say roughly half of the people I'm talking to are 1069 00:53:41,920 --> 00:53:45,080 Speaker 1: dealing with some of these symptoms here. So we've got rashes, 1070 00:53:45,160 --> 00:53:48,320 Speaker 1: bloody noses, the bloody noses, especially with kids like every 1071 00:53:48,440 --> 00:53:52,960 Speaker 1: night in some cases right, sore throats, dry and stinging eyes, vomiting, 1072 00:53:53,320 --> 00:53:57,719 Speaker 1: breathing problems, diarrhea, and again, some of this stuff is 1073 00:53:58,080 --> 00:54:01,200 Speaker 1: hard to necessarily show on camp, but I can tell 1074 00:54:01,239 --> 00:54:03,960 Speaker 1: you from being invited into many of these people's homes, 1075 00:54:04,200 --> 00:54:07,080 Speaker 1: going into some of the businesses here, these people are 1076 00:54:07,120 --> 00:54:09,640 Speaker 1: not bsing you into trying to believe this sort of 1077 00:54:09,640 --> 00:54:12,520 Speaker 1: thing it's frustrating to see, you know, folks online saying, oh, 1078 00:54:12,640 --> 00:54:15,160 Speaker 1: you know, folks are looking for a handout. These people 1079 00:54:15,440 --> 00:54:18,839 Speaker 1: are in the most impossible situation ever. You walk into 1080 00:54:18,880 --> 00:54:20,160 Speaker 1: some of these places and you can feel it in 1081 00:54:20,160 --> 00:54:24,000 Speaker 1: your eyes, you can smell it's it's an absolute shame 1082 00:54:24,040 --> 00:54:26,560 Speaker 1: that this is going on. And as a result of this, 1083 00:54:26,640 --> 00:54:28,440 Speaker 1: to talk a little bit more about some of the 1084 00:54:28,760 --> 00:54:31,560 Speaker 1: you know, corruption, gaslighting, whatever you want to call it 1085 00:54:31,600 --> 00:54:34,360 Speaker 1: going on here, the State of Ohio set up a 1086 00:54:34,400 --> 00:54:37,160 Speaker 1: clinic in the town for folks to go to. I 1087 00:54:37,200 --> 00:54:39,279 Speaker 1: asked Governor DeWine. I was like, you know, I talked 1088 00:54:39,280 --> 00:54:41,520 Speaker 1: to all of these people on this street last night. 1089 00:54:41,840 --> 00:54:43,439 Speaker 1: We ran into them on the street because the local 1090 00:54:43,480 --> 00:54:45,759 Speaker 1: resident tipped me off that he was there. I was like, 1091 00:54:45,800 --> 00:54:47,640 Speaker 1: I talked to all these folks on this street. They're 1092 00:54:47,680 --> 00:54:50,120 Speaker 1: experiencing all of these symptoms that I just listed off 1093 00:54:50,160 --> 00:54:53,040 Speaker 1: for you. Where should they go? He goes, they should 1094 00:54:53,040 --> 00:54:55,000 Speaker 1: go to the clinic that the State of Ohio is 1095 00:54:55,040 --> 00:54:57,239 Speaker 1: set up. So we went to the Ohio State you know, 1096 00:54:57,280 --> 00:54:59,279 Speaker 1: the clinic that they set up in town. And this 1097 00:54:59,360 --> 00:55:03,440 Speaker 1: clinic isn't even providing actual medical services here right. The 1098 00:55:03,480 --> 00:55:07,080 Speaker 1: clinic is essentially providing folks to talk to. Right, so 1099 00:55:07,120 --> 00:55:09,560 Speaker 1: you go, you get you you you know, can can 1100 00:55:09,600 --> 00:55:12,120 Speaker 1: talk to an expert, I guess, and then they'll refer 1101 00:55:12,200 --> 00:55:15,640 Speaker 1: you to go to your doctor. Hopefully you've got health insurance. 1102 00:55:15,640 --> 00:55:17,439 Speaker 1: Hopefully you have a plan that doesn't have a high 1103 00:55:17,440 --> 00:55:21,160 Speaker 1: deductible or else you're on the hook or emergency room bills. 1104 00:55:21,360 --> 00:55:24,319 Speaker 1: That's unbelievable. And that's one more point on this, if 1105 00:55:24,320 --> 00:55:26,960 Speaker 1: I can make it. A lot of the other you know, 1106 00:55:27,080 --> 00:55:29,319 Speaker 1: local journalist in town, and obviously there's exceptions to the rule, 1107 00:55:29,360 --> 00:55:31,279 Speaker 1: and even some of the national media. We were there 1108 00:55:31,280 --> 00:55:34,440 Speaker 1: reporting from in front of the medical center. Uh, and 1109 00:55:34,680 --> 00:55:38,080 Speaker 1: they're out there essentially reading the press release saying this 1110 00:55:38,200 --> 00:55:41,400 Speaker 1: medical clinic is now open. Members of the public should 1111 00:55:41,400 --> 00:55:44,760 Speaker 1: come here for for you know, services and whatnot. Meanwhile, 1112 00:55:44,760 --> 00:55:48,040 Speaker 1: I've got residents texting me saying this is ridiculous. This 1113 00:55:48,160 --> 00:55:52,239 Speaker 1: is no real services here. There's no real services. And fortunately, 1114 00:55:52,280 --> 00:55:55,040 Speaker 1: you know, we're able to actually be here to do 1115 00:55:55,120 --> 00:55:57,440 Speaker 1: it because nobody you know, again, there is exceptions to 1116 00:55:57,480 --> 00:56:00,800 Speaker 1: the rule, no doubt about it. But you know, I'm 1117 00:56:00,880 --> 00:56:04,239 Speaker 1: not an expert journalist. I don't have a journalism degree, right, 1118 00:56:04,400 --> 00:56:06,640 Speaker 1: but I feel like I'm out here asking the questions 1119 00:56:06,680 --> 00:56:08,799 Speaker 1: that a lot of these other folks aren't, which is 1120 00:56:09,000 --> 00:56:10,760 Speaker 1: a shame that I have to be in that position 1121 00:56:10,840 --> 00:56:13,360 Speaker 1: to try to do it well. We find ourselves in 1122 00:56:13,360 --> 00:56:15,279 Speaker 1: that position sometime. We're very happy to help support your 1123 00:56:15,320 --> 00:56:17,239 Speaker 1: work down there. So yeah, we appreciate you being there 1124 00:56:17,239 --> 00:56:19,319 Speaker 1: and let us know continue if you ever need any 1125 00:56:19,360 --> 00:56:22,319 Speaker 1: more resources or anything. Yeah, thanks, lewis great to have you. 1126 00:56:22,680 --> 00:56:25,120 Speaker 1: If we're able to as well, folks, we're going to 1127 00:56:25,120 --> 00:56:27,160 Speaker 1: be posting a lot of content on status QUP. If 1128 00:56:27,160 --> 00:56:29,840 Speaker 1: you're not a Status qu subscriber already, that would be 1129 00:56:29,840 --> 00:56:31,960 Speaker 1: fantastic if you can come follow some of our work there. Yeah, 1130 00:56:31,960 --> 00:56:34,520 Speaker 1: they've been done. That's from the beginning. Thanks, guys, appreciate it. 1131 00:56:34,800 --> 00:56:37,080 Speaker 1: At the same time, there's some rumblings here in Washington, 1132 00:56:37,200 --> 00:56:39,120 Speaker 1: very interesting rumblings. I'm not sure quite yet how to 1133 00:56:39,120 --> 00:56:40,520 Speaker 1: take it serious. Let's put it up there on the 1134 00:56:40,560 --> 00:56:45,480 Speaker 1: screen from Politico headline Biden may not run. Top Dems 1135 00:56:45,560 --> 00:56:48,840 Speaker 1: are quietly preparing for it. The president no longer seems 1136 00:56:48,920 --> 00:56:51,920 Speaker 1: absolutely certain to go for a second term, leaving the 1137 00:56:51,960 --> 00:56:54,680 Speaker 1: party's top aids and potential candidates unsure. About twenty four 1138 00:56:54,880 --> 00:56:58,480 Speaker 1: and very quietly mulling whatever a plan be would look like. 1139 00:56:58,520 --> 00:57:01,200 Speaker 1: Now I'm not quite yet sure what to make of 1140 00:57:01,239 --> 00:57:04,600 Speaker 1: this crystal, because previously the reporting was he is ironclad, 1141 00:57:04,640 --> 00:57:07,960 Speaker 1: it's totally good to go. The closest advisors President Biden, 1142 00:57:08,040 --> 00:57:12,040 Speaker 1: all the people the president President seeks, they break the schedule, 1143 00:57:12,080 --> 00:57:15,920 Speaker 1: brig the DNC primary South Carolina and all of that, 1144 00:57:16,200 --> 00:57:18,720 Speaker 1: all of the launch. It was supposed to happen sometime 1145 00:57:18,840 --> 00:57:23,360 Speaker 1: in April, but now the definitive date is moving. Nobody's 1146 00:57:23,440 --> 00:57:26,520 Speaker 1: quite yet said when the hard deadline or the formal 1147 00:57:26,560 --> 00:57:29,920 Speaker 1: process were actually arriving at the launch date. Decision will 1148 00:57:29,920 --> 00:57:34,480 Speaker 1: be the final call was pushed aside. They continue to 1149 00:57:34,520 --> 00:57:38,400 Speaker 1: blame Kiev or the holiday weekend trip more recently that 1150 00:57:38,480 --> 00:57:41,640 Speaker 1: he had taken, and he seems to be dithering as 1151 00:57:41,640 --> 00:57:44,200 Speaker 1: to what exactly he wants to do. And there's a 1152 00:57:44,200 --> 00:57:46,600 Speaker 1: lot of questions as to why exactly that is. We 1153 00:57:46,640 --> 00:57:48,160 Speaker 1: know that Joe Biden is one of the people that 1154 00:57:48,200 --> 00:57:51,240 Speaker 1: he takes most seriously and her advice. It could be 1155 00:57:51,280 --> 00:57:53,160 Speaker 1: a concern over his age. We've talked about before. It 1156 00:57:53,200 --> 00:57:55,280 Speaker 1: be eighty six years old. He may not admit in 1157 00:57:55,320 --> 00:57:57,880 Speaker 1: public that his age is a problem, But clearly everybody 1158 00:57:57,880 --> 00:57:59,640 Speaker 1: else in the world is like, I can't even believe 1159 00:57:59,640 --> 00:58:02,800 Speaker 1: that anyone that old would ever seek reelection, let alone 1160 00:58:02,840 --> 00:58:05,480 Speaker 1: you know, current continue to be in the Oval office. 1161 00:58:05,520 --> 00:58:09,080 Speaker 1: But actually, what really struck home for me was a 1162 00:58:09,080 --> 00:58:12,760 Speaker 1: part of the piece where they say Biden is famously indecisive, 1163 00:58:13,120 --> 00:58:16,400 Speaker 1: a habit exacerbated by decades in the Senate, and it 1164 00:58:16,520 --> 00:58:19,880 Speaker 1: actually hearkens back to the Hillary time. Well, remember in 1165 00:58:19,920 --> 00:58:23,480 Speaker 1: twenty sixteen, he was a serious possible candidate for president. 1166 00:58:23,640 --> 00:58:27,160 Speaker 1: He almost came close, had some advisors and people who 1167 00:58:27,200 --> 00:58:31,400 Speaker 1: were assembled behind him and couldn't say yes no. Obama 1168 00:58:31,440 --> 00:58:33,440 Speaker 1: famously kind of put the squeeze on him Hillary and 1169 00:58:33,480 --> 00:58:35,960 Speaker 1: the DNC says no, no no, no, it's all Hillary's turn. 1170 00:58:36,160 --> 00:58:40,120 Speaker 1: He basically just eventually the last minute, after Hillary's already announced, 1171 00:58:40,120 --> 00:58:42,320 Speaker 1: comes to the decisions Okay, I'm not going to do it. 1172 00:58:42,320 --> 00:58:44,400 Speaker 1: Step Aside continues to say it's one of the biggest 1173 00:58:44,440 --> 00:58:47,920 Speaker 1: regrets of his life in public. But he's now and 1174 00:58:47,960 --> 00:58:50,800 Speaker 1: now he's kind of displaying that same attitude. My personal 1175 00:58:50,800 --> 00:58:53,480 Speaker 1: opinion is I think he eventually will run, but having 1176 00:58:53,560 --> 00:58:55,800 Speaker 1: the just because they have no other option, you know, 1177 00:58:55,840 --> 00:58:58,520 Speaker 1: as long as he's he could still speak like, not 1178 00:58:58,600 --> 00:59:01,400 Speaker 1: even semi coherently, like they're still going to do it 1179 00:59:01,440 --> 00:59:04,280 Speaker 1: just because there's too much at stake here. But this 1180 00:59:04,480 --> 00:59:07,600 Speaker 1: does demonstrate so I'm one of the biggest personal problems. 1181 00:59:07,600 --> 00:59:11,280 Speaker 1: He's always had, the deliberation, the indecisiveness, and then he 1182 00:59:11,320 --> 00:59:14,160 Speaker 1: gets snappy whenever people try and actually point it out 1183 00:59:14,160 --> 00:59:17,840 Speaker 1: to him. He's a micro manager who can't make a decision. Yeah, 1184 00:59:17,920 --> 00:59:21,920 Speaker 1: and it's a disastrous combination of traits for someone in 1185 00:59:22,000 --> 00:59:25,320 Speaker 1: terms of being in a like management position. So you know, 1186 00:59:25,400 --> 00:59:27,400 Speaker 1: he's got all kinds of staffers who are ready to 1187 00:59:27,440 --> 00:59:30,600 Speaker 1: go for a presidential campaign. But you know, if he's 1188 00:59:30,640 --> 00:59:33,480 Speaker 1: not even making the first decision of Okay, I'm definitely 1189 00:59:33,560 --> 00:59:36,120 Speaker 1: doing it, well, then think of how they're paralyzed in 1190 00:59:36,200 --> 00:59:38,200 Speaker 1: terms of, Okay, where do we do the headquarters, what 1191 00:59:38,240 --> 00:59:40,360 Speaker 1: does our launch look like, what themes are we running? 1192 00:59:40,400 --> 00:59:43,040 Speaker 1: Are we leaning into, Let's get some polling going, let's 1193 00:59:43,040 --> 00:59:45,520 Speaker 1: think about the Republican field. All of those sort of 1194 00:59:45,640 --> 00:59:49,160 Speaker 1: down the road decisions get paralyzed by an inability to 1195 00:59:49,200 --> 00:59:51,400 Speaker 1: make that very first decision. Now, do I think that 1196 00:59:51,480 --> 00:59:53,600 Speaker 1: Joe Biden is ultimately going to run again? Yes, I 1197 00:59:53,640 --> 00:59:56,320 Speaker 1: always have I agree with you, Sager. The calculus remains 1198 00:59:56,360 --> 00:59:59,240 Speaker 1: the same. You know, they have a Kamala Harris problem. 1199 00:59:59,480 --> 01:00:01,600 Speaker 1: Maybe if he felt like he could easily hand the 1200 01:00:01,600 --> 01:00:03,960 Speaker 1: baton to somebody else, I don't know that would be 1201 01:00:03,960 --> 01:00:06,680 Speaker 1: Pete at this point, but to somebody else that he 1202 01:00:06,760 --> 01:00:10,080 Speaker 1: felt confident about, then maybe it would be different. But 1203 01:00:10,400 --> 01:00:13,840 Speaker 1: because it would be so hard to get around Kamala Harris, 1204 01:00:13,880 --> 01:00:16,920 Speaker 1: first black woman vice president, I think he ends up 1205 01:00:16,960 --> 01:00:19,520 Speaker 1: getting pushed back into this again. And the other piece 1206 01:00:19,720 --> 01:00:24,920 Speaker 1: is the longer that he waits if he does decide, 1207 01:00:24,960 --> 01:00:26,440 Speaker 1: all right, I'm just too old. I'm not going to 1208 01:00:26,520 --> 01:00:29,920 Speaker 1: do it. Well, you have now really put all of 1209 01:00:29,960 --> 01:00:32,840 Speaker 1: the other contenders on the back foot, who haven't had 1210 01:00:32,920 --> 01:00:35,920 Speaker 1: time to fundraise and make their moves, etc. And so 1211 01:00:36,000 --> 01:00:39,120 Speaker 1: you really have privileged Kamala Harris in this process. I mean, 1212 01:00:39,200 --> 01:00:41,160 Speaker 1: right now, if you look at the polls, she's the 1213 01:00:41,200 --> 01:00:44,200 Speaker 1: person who is in the lead, just sort of by default. 1214 01:00:44,560 --> 01:00:47,880 Speaker 1: So the longer you wait, the more you make Kamala 1215 01:00:47,880 --> 01:00:51,040 Speaker 1: Harris inevitable. And I think Biden and everybody else in 1216 01:00:51,120 --> 01:00:53,760 Speaker 1: DC is at least intelligent to note enough to know 1217 01:00:53,840 --> 01:00:57,320 Speaker 1: that that could be a complete disaster. So I do 1218 01:00:57,400 --> 01:01:00,760 Speaker 1: think ultimately this is just him being his classic decisive self. 1219 01:01:00,960 --> 01:01:04,080 Speaker 1: He'll probably ultimately come around to running again. But it's 1220 01:01:04,120 --> 01:01:07,000 Speaker 1: interesting that this sort of chatter is going on right now. 1221 01:01:07,080 --> 01:01:10,080 Speaker 1: Right So, in terms of the contenders, everybody wants to know. 1222 01:01:10,160 --> 01:01:12,880 Speaker 1: So here's the list that Politico has put together. You've 1223 01:01:12,880 --> 01:01:16,280 Speaker 1: got Pritzker, the governor of Ohio. I think he comes 1224 01:01:16,320 --> 01:01:19,360 Speaker 1: from a billionaire family or sorry Illinois, but comes from 1225 01:01:19,400 --> 01:01:21,560 Speaker 1: a billionaire family that can't hurt in terms of putting 1226 01:01:21,600 --> 01:01:23,960 Speaker 1: together an instant campaign room. What was it recently that 1227 01:01:24,000 --> 01:01:26,840 Speaker 1: he did where he was having some macho moments where 1228 01:01:26,840 --> 01:01:31,560 Speaker 1: the press was liking Pritzker. Printzker captured like leftist imagination 1229 01:01:31,840 --> 01:01:34,400 Speaker 1: for a moment. First of all, everybody loves a big boy, 1230 01:01:34,520 --> 01:01:38,360 Speaker 1: so there's that. That's true. Number two, it was just 1231 01:01:38,400 --> 01:01:41,240 Speaker 1: like almost on gun control, he actually did a few 1232 01:01:41,280 --> 01:01:43,720 Speaker 1: things as governor that he promised he was going to do, 1233 01:01:43,920 --> 01:01:46,160 Speaker 1: and people were like amazed by that. Okay, there was 1234 01:01:46,200 --> 01:01:49,840 Speaker 1: something too of like he cut the gasoline tax when 1235 01:01:50,320 --> 01:01:52,800 Speaker 1: energy prices were really sky high, and then he had 1236 01:01:52,880 --> 01:01:54,960 Speaker 1: all the forced all the convenience stores to put on 1237 01:01:55,040 --> 01:01:57,200 Speaker 1: the sign like this is because of Prince Kerst I 1238 01:01:57,200 --> 01:02:00,400 Speaker 1: would do it too smart. Yeah, good. I think it 1239 01:02:00,480 --> 01:02:01,920 Speaker 1: lifted the middle of a wage, some things like that. 1240 01:02:02,000 --> 01:02:04,360 Speaker 1: So anyway, that's JB. Pritzker. Okay, so we got Pritzker. 1241 01:02:04,600 --> 01:02:09,040 Speaker 1: That's one person. Apparently, Phil Murphy, the governor of New Jersey, 1242 01:02:09,200 --> 01:02:12,200 Speaker 1: is taking a look. Amy Klobachar plans to seek reelection 1243 01:02:12,360 --> 01:02:15,360 Speaker 1: to her Senate seat. Crystal's famous. I'm taking a hard 1244 01:02:15,400 --> 01:02:18,680 Speaker 1: look at Amy Klobuchar. I guess the hard look continues 1245 01:02:19,040 --> 01:02:23,320 Speaker 1: for people in the media. Elizabeth Warren apparently is another list, 1246 01:02:23,520 --> 01:02:26,920 Speaker 1: although she's getting up there in age herself. Bernie, they 1247 01:02:27,200 --> 01:02:29,840 Speaker 1: put the list ro Kana, so somebody who's been here 1248 01:02:29,880 --> 01:02:32,680 Speaker 1: on the show but keeping his options open obviously, So 1249 01:02:32,920 --> 01:02:34,720 Speaker 1: that's a list that they've put together. I think it's 1250 01:02:34,760 --> 01:02:36,960 Speaker 1: remarkable that Buddha, Judge Kamla were our. I guess those 1251 01:02:37,000 --> 01:02:38,600 Speaker 1: are just so obvious that they're saying that there are 1252 01:02:38,600 --> 01:02:42,320 Speaker 1: other people better. Yeah. So, anyway, we don't know exactly, 1253 01:02:42,360 --> 01:02:46,280 Speaker 1: but at the very least these pieces are good because 1254 01:02:46,400 --> 01:02:49,520 Speaker 1: they either cause anger or silence from the White House, 1255 01:02:49,760 --> 01:02:52,000 Speaker 1: so inevitably they will be asked about it, they will 1256 01:02:52,040 --> 01:02:54,720 Speaker 1: be asked for comment, and then their own way that 1257 01:02:54,760 --> 01:02:57,040 Speaker 1: they handle it and what it will spur in the future. 1258 01:02:57,040 --> 01:02:59,240 Speaker 1: If it continues to see in action, then there's still 1259 01:02:59,360 --> 01:03:02,440 Speaker 1: a possibility. If it's spurs action or gets Biden moving, 1260 01:03:02,440 --> 01:03:05,040 Speaker 1: then it'll go in the different direction. But regardless, it 1261 01:03:05,080 --> 01:03:08,120 Speaker 1: is important. It's one of the widely read places here 1262 01:03:08,160 --> 01:03:10,920 Speaker 1: in Washington where everybody keeps an eye on, and we 1263 01:03:10,960 --> 01:03:15,520 Speaker 1: thought it was absolutely worth covering. Yeah. Meanwhile, the Republican 1264 01:03:15,880 --> 01:03:18,560 Speaker 1: side is, I don't know, it's kind of shaping up 1265 01:03:18,560 --> 01:03:21,520 Speaker 1: a little bit. We've got some some polling here showing 1266 01:03:21,520 --> 01:03:23,560 Speaker 1: Trump taking a bit more of a lead in this race. Well, 1267 01:03:23,600 --> 01:03:25,640 Speaker 1: he's certainly doing much better than I think a lot 1268 01:03:25,640 --> 01:03:27,520 Speaker 1: of people are willing to admit. And let's go and 1269 01:03:27,560 --> 01:03:30,360 Speaker 1: put this up there. So January second, the Republican poll 1270 01:03:30,400 --> 01:03:34,040 Speaker 1: from Morning Console had Trump at forty five percent, up 1271 01:03:34,080 --> 01:03:36,800 Speaker 1: by eleven points on Ron DeSantis who had thirty four percent, 1272 01:03:37,040 --> 01:03:40,720 Speaker 1: Mike Pence at eight, Nikki Haley at three. February nineteenth. 1273 01:03:40,760 --> 01:03:43,320 Speaker 1: Keep in mind this is after the Haley announcement. Trump 1274 01:03:43,640 --> 01:03:46,240 Speaker 1: is now up to fifty percent. He's actually gained on 1275 01:03:46,360 --> 01:03:49,960 Speaker 1: Ron DeSantis. Much of that is directly from DeSantis's support 1276 01:03:50,160 --> 01:03:53,439 Speaker 1: at thirty percent, Mike Pence at six, Nicki Haley at six, 1277 01:03:53,600 --> 01:03:55,960 Speaker 1: what can you kind of surmise from that? Haley by 1278 01:03:56,000 --> 01:03:59,200 Speaker 1: simply announcing, was able to get three percent of the 1279 01:03:59,240 --> 01:04:03,000 Speaker 1: anti Trump vote, but by creating the contrast without DeSantis 1280 01:04:03,000 --> 01:04:06,680 Speaker 1: and Mike Pence technically in the race, Trump's own support 1281 01:04:06,840 --> 01:04:10,200 Speaker 1: of people who are contrasting him with potential others has 1282 01:04:10,320 --> 01:04:13,680 Speaker 1: actually gone up to the outright fifty. Now, listen, a 1283 01:04:13,720 --> 01:04:16,280 Speaker 1: lot can change, of course, of course, right, and we 1284 01:04:16,360 --> 01:04:19,880 Speaker 1: have not yet seen any actual attack on Trump. But hey, 1285 01:04:20,240 --> 01:04:23,960 Speaker 1: maybe that's a problem when you're running against him. Nikki 1286 01:04:24,000 --> 01:04:28,120 Speaker 1: Haley continues with they're idiotic. I'm not kicking sideways, I'm 1287 01:04:28,200 --> 01:04:30,520 Speaker 1: kicking forth. First of all, what does it mean? Second? 1288 01:04:30,560 --> 01:04:33,400 Speaker 1: Why are we kicking? We're continuing to kick national tell 1289 01:04:34,520 --> 01:04:36,960 Speaker 1: I Heals and all that. But it's not just her, 1290 01:04:37,280 --> 01:04:40,760 Speaker 1: it's all of the other potential contenders. Mike Pence has 1291 01:04:40,760 --> 01:04:43,360 Speaker 1: not said a damn word about Donald Trump. Ron DeSantis 1292 01:04:43,360 --> 01:04:46,000 Speaker 1: hasn't said it. Don Tim Scott, who apparently wants to 1293 01:04:46,000 --> 01:04:48,480 Speaker 1: throw his hat in the ring too, well, he was 1294 01:04:48,520 --> 01:04:51,680 Speaker 1: on TV just last night. What is Sean Hannity ask him? 1295 01:04:51,680 --> 01:04:53,920 Speaker 1: He said, well, okay, what makes you different from Trump 1296 01:04:54,120 --> 01:04:57,440 Speaker 1: in any way? He's basically like nothing. Let's take a listen. 1297 01:04:57,720 --> 01:05:02,480 Speaker 1: What are the differences in terms of of policy positions that, 1298 01:05:02,680 --> 01:05:07,200 Speaker 1: for example, you may have with President Trump. Probably not 1299 01:05:07,280 --> 01:05:09,440 Speaker 1: very many at all. I am so thankful that we 1300 01:05:09,480 --> 01:05:12,919 Speaker 1: have President Trump in office. Frankly, the policies that we 1301 01:05:12,920 --> 01:05:16,320 Speaker 1: were able to pass from twenty seventeen to twenty twenty 1302 01:05:16,520 --> 01:05:19,760 Speaker 1: were monumental, all right, So I happen to think that 1303 01:05:19,800 --> 01:05:22,560 Speaker 1: the policy things were monumental, we were better off for Trump. 1304 01:05:22,760 --> 01:05:24,440 Speaker 1: So if you're better off for Trump being president, and 1305 01:05:24,440 --> 01:05:27,320 Speaker 1: why shouldn't you be president again? This is the problem 1306 01:05:27,400 --> 01:05:29,640 Speaker 1: with all of these people. They're not willing to take 1307 01:05:29,880 --> 01:05:32,800 Speaker 1: any real shots, even in terms of the formative message. 1308 01:05:32,840 --> 01:05:34,960 Speaker 1: You know, I have thought that DeSantis could make a 1309 01:05:35,080 --> 01:05:38,760 Speaker 1: very powerful general election argument as to why we should 1310 01:05:38,760 --> 01:05:40,520 Speaker 1: move away from Trump. A lot of people don't like Trump. 1311 01:05:40,520 --> 01:05:42,760 Speaker 1: Maybe two thirds of the country. E's either ambivalent thinks 1312 01:05:42,800 --> 01:05:45,880 Speaker 1: negatively him. Half of those ambivalent people willing to hold 1313 01:05:45,880 --> 01:05:48,560 Speaker 1: their nose and vote for him, but they're not technically excited. 1314 01:05:48,600 --> 01:05:51,600 Speaker 1: It's really only the MAGA people that are. For those people, 1315 01:05:51,800 --> 01:05:53,240 Speaker 1: that would be a critical way, but you got to 1316 01:05:53,280 --> 01:05:55,960 Speaker 1: win the primary, and to win the primary, you have 1317 01:05:56,040 --> 01:05:58,480 Speaker 1: to care, you have to speak to the issues that 1318 01:05:58,520 --> 01:06:01,280 Speaker 1: they really care about. For a lot of the Republican 1319 01:06:01,280 --> 01:06:04,680 Speaker 1: base right now, it is very clear it's culture war. 1320 01:06:04,880 --> 01:06:06,560 Speaker 1: But here's the thing. On culture war, how do you 1321 01:06:06,840 --> 01:06:10,720 Speaker 1: outflank Donald Trump on that he invented the model. You're 1322 01:06:10,760 --> 01:06:12,920 Speaker 1: not going to culture harder than Donald Trump. He's the 1323 01:06:13,480 --> 01:06:16,840 Speaker 1: He's the king of own the troll king from day 1324 01:06:16,880 --> 01:06:19,800 Speaker 1: one and always kind of has been then. And he'll also, 1325 01:06:19,840 --> 01:06:22,000 Speaker 1: by the way, he'll always up the ante, right. You know, 1326 01:06:22,040 --> 01:06:24,880 Speaker 1: everybody with Obama they were like willing to play footsie 1327 01:06:24,880 --> 01:06:26,520 Speaker 1: with else. He's like he wasn't born here at all, 1328 01:06:26,560 --> 01:06:27,960 Speaker 1: you know, He's like he knew it was bs. He 1329 01:06:28,040 --> 01:06:30,760 Speaker 1: just didn't care because and I remember there's private reporting 1330 01:06:30,920 --> 01:06:33,480 Speaker 1: where Romney apparently was like, hey, man, like maybe don't 1331 01:06:33,520 --> 01:06:34,760 Speaker 1: say any of this, and Trump was like, you have 1332 01:06:34,800 --> 01:06:36,880 Speaker 1: no idea how much it gets the crowd going. He's 1333 01:06:36,920 --> 01:06:39,840 Speaker 1: a performer, like he knows exactly what he's doing and 1334 01:06:39,880 --> 01:06:43,560 Speaker 1: he doesn't care about what the red lines are in yeah, 1335 01:06:43,720 --> 01:06:45,560 Speaker 1: always every single time. So first of all, you can't 1336 01:06:45,560 --> 01:06:47,760 Speaker 1: do that, yeah, And second, you know, in terms of 1337 01:06:48,400 --> 01:06:51,880 Speaker 1: in terms of the Republican base right now on economics, 1338 01:06:52,000 --> 01:06:55,600 Speaker 1: the Republican Party nationally has never been more out of 1339 01:06:55,640 --> 01:06:59,320 Speaker 1: step with them and their desire to preserve social security 1340 01:06:59,480 --> 01:07:02,200 Speaker 1: and medical Sure. They might buy that Biden spending or 1341 01:07:02,240 --> 01:07:05,000 Speaker 1: whatever has led to inflation and generally blame him for that, 1342 01:07:05,160 --> 01:07:07,800 Speaker 1: but they still want their entitlements and they're really loving 1343 01:07:07,880 --> 01:07:10,480 Speaker 1: the rays that they got on social security. So to 1344 01:07:10,560 --> 01:07:13,760 Speaker 1: put that contrast, I think with the two of them, fundamentally, 1345 01:07:13,920 --> 01:07:17,360 Speaker 1: I'm watching all these would be Republican candidates. They're either 1346 01:07:17,600 --> 01:07:20,920 Speaker 1: completely behind him on the issues that matter the most, 1347 01:07:21,120 --> 01:07:23,360 Speaker 1: or in the case of Nikki Haley, she's trying to 1348 01:07:23,440 --> 01:07:26,720 Speaker 1: basically be like a liberal left Democrat on Ukraine policy, 1349 01:07:26,800 --> 01:07:29,640 Speaker 1: saying no actually to send even more weapons her and 1350 01:07:29,680 --> 01:07:32,400 Speaker 1: people like Mike Pompeio. So he's got it, he's got 1351 01:07:32,440 --> 01:07:34,840 Speaker 1: it dialed in, I think to where things are right. Yeah, 1352 01:07:34,880 --> 01:07:37,080 Speaker 1: I mean, listen, the two issues he's really leaning into 1353 01:07:37,320 --> 01:07:41,280 Speaker 1: are Ukraine, yeah, and social security. And he's smart, it's 1354 01:07:41,400 --> 01:07:44,560 Speaker 1: very intelligent. And on social security. On Ukraine, you're going 1355 01:07:44,640 --> 01:07:46,520 Speaker 1: to get a mix of answers. DeSantis is trying to 1356 01:07:46,560 --> 01:07:48,880 Speaker 1: like move into a position to at least signal like 1357 01:07:48,920 --> 01:07:52,280 Speaker 1: he's a Ukraine skeptic, although again. Like the thing Trump 1358 01:07:52,280 --> 01:07:54,400 Speaker 1: will do is he'll just again come out and say 1359 01:07:54,440 --> 01:07:57,120 Speaker 1: it like no tanks, and I will solve this on 1360 01:07:57,200 --> 01:07:59,439 Speaker 1: day one. It's so easy to do, right, whereas others 1361 01:07:59,480 --> 01:08:01,959 Speaker 1: a little craft, little talking points and try to play 1362 01:08:02,000 --> 01:08:04,120 Speaker 1: to the bass. But he just comes out and says it. 1363 01:08:04,520 --> 01:08:07,600 Speaker 1: And then on Social Security, every one of these people, 1364 01:08:07,680 --> 01:08:10,600 Speaker 1: including Nicky Haley and Mike Pence, have already Mike Pence 1365 01:08:10,640 --> 01:08:13,120 Speaker 1: wants to privatize Social Security. Okay, do good luck with that. 1366 01:08:13,240 --> 01:08:15,160 Speaker 1: Nicki Haley is already out there saying like, oh, we 1367 01:08:15,200 --> 01:08:17,479 Speaker 1: got to put him on the table, and which means cuts. 1368 01:08:18,160 --> 01:08:20,280 Speaker 1: And then I don't know how Ronda Santis is going 1369 01:08:20,360 --> 01:08:21,920 Speaker 1: to handle it, but he has a lot of comments 1370 01:08:21,960 --> 01:08:24,559 Speaker 1: in his past backing up Paul Ryan's Medicare cuts, saying 1371 01:08:24,600 --> 01:08:26,320 Speaker 1: we need to do the same thing with Social Security, 1372 01:08:26,439 --> 01:08:29,599 Speaker 1: saying we need to look to increase the eligibility age, 1373 01:08:29,640 --> 01:08:32,519 Speaker 1: which of course means cuts as well. So he now 1374 01:08:32,560 --> 01:08:35,679 Speaker 1: either has to flip flop on those comments, which obviously 1375 01:08:35,760 --> 01:08:37,280 Speaker 1: Trump is not going to let him get away with 1376 01:08:37,560 --> 01:08:41,040 Speaker 1: and look kind of weak, or he has to stand 1377 01:08:41,080 --> 01:08:43,360 Speaker 1: by them and be dramatically at odds with the rest 1378 01:08:43,360 --> 01:08:45,960 Speaker 1: of the Republican base, So you know, he is doing 1379 01:08:46,000 --> 01:08:48,720 Speaker 1: an effective job of grabbing the attention, of shaping the 1380 01:08:48,760 --> 01:08:51,920 Speaker 1: battlefield as he ultimately wants it, and forcing everyone else 1381 01:08:51,960 --> 01:08:55,120 Speaker 1: to respond. And if you can't even find a single 1382 01:08:55,200 --> 01:08:57,679 Speaker 1: person in the Republican Party who's going to tell you 1383 01:08:57,760 --> 01:09:00,920 Speaker 1: why we should, why you should move on Trump, what 1384 01:09:01,080 --> 01:09:03,800 Speaker 1: issues they're different on, I don't know what to tell you, 1385 01:09:03,840 --> 01:09:06,479 Speaker 1: because that's not the way politics works. If this guy 1386 01:09:06,560 --> 01:09:08,200 Speaker 1: was so great while he was in office, then you 1387 01:09:08,200 --> 01:09:11,120 Speaker 1: should just reelect him again, because I mean, and you know, 1388 01:09:11,160 --> 01:09:14,680 Speaker 1: with Mike Pence, he actually does have some policy differences 1389 01:09:14,960 --> 01:09:18,759 Speaker 1: on Ukraine and on abortion in particular, and on social 1390 01:09:18,760 --> 01:09:21,080 Speaker 1: securities I just mentioned. Now, do I think those are 1391 01:09:21,120 --> 01:09:24,960 Speaker 1: winning positions for him? Not particularly, although on abortion with 1392 01:09:24,960 --> 01:09:27,880 Speaker 1: the Republican base he might be able to do something there, 1393 01:09:27,920 --> 01:09:31,639 Speaker 1: But he doesn't even want to talk about those actual, real, 1394 01:09:31,880 --> 01:09:35,240 Speaker 1: measurable policy differences that he has. So it's just, honestly, 1395 01:09:35,280 --> 01:09:38,080 Speaker 1: it's kind of embarrassing. Oh, absolutely, and I think it 1396 01:09:38,080 --> 01:09:41,280 Speaker 1: will only continue to be so. Yes, speaking of embarrassing, 1397 01:09:42,720 --> 01:09:45,919 Speaker 1: Sager missed out on our coverage of Marjorie Taylor Green's 1398 01:09:46,040 --> 01:09:48,880 Speaker 1: national divorce comments. So initially she was just like, we 1399 01:09:48,920 --> 01:09:52,000 Speaker 1: need a national divorce. Everybody I say says this because 1400 01:09:52,040 --> 01:09:55,400 Speaker 1: our differences are so irreconcilable. She kind of softened it 1401 01:09:55,439 --> 01:09:58,320 Speaker 1: to be like, well, we'd stay together as a country, 1402 01:09:58,400 --> 01:10:00,519 Speaker 1: but this would just limit the federal garb at something 1403 01:10:00,600 --> 01:10:02,920 Speaker 1: like that. Because she got so much backlash across the House. 1404 01:10:02,920 --> 01:10:06,240 Speaker 1: So Sean Hannity decided, is our second handity appearance here. 1405 01:10:06,280 --> 01:10:09,559 Speaker 1: He's becoming very central apparently decided to have her on 1406 01:10:09,600 --> 01:10:12,639 Speaker 1: his show and effectively back her up in this idea. 1407 01:10:12,720 --> 01:10:15,200 Speaker 1: Take a listen. Green is saying that a national divorce 1408 01:10:15,240 --> 01:10:19,120 Speaker 1: would empower individual states to form a smaller government, reduce 1409 01:10:19,200 --> 01:10:23,120 Speaker 1: the federal debt, set their own environmental standards. And the 1410 01:10:23,200 --> 01:10:27,080 Speaker 1: congresswoman has another idea as well, banning people who move 1411 01:10:27,120 --> 01:10:30,559 Speaker 1: from blue states to red states from voting for five 1412 01:10:30,640 --> 01:10:33,160 Speaker 1: years so they don't bring their bad politics with them. 1413 01:10:33,520 --> 01:10:36,120 Speaker 1: I mean, I look at topics, for example, how do 1414 01:10:36,160 --> 01:10:39,360 Speaker 1: you reconcile defund the police and nobail laws with law 1415 01:10:39,400 --> 01:10:43,160 Speaker 1: and order. How do you reconcile secure borders and wide 1416 01:10:43,160 --> 01:10:47,639 Speaker 1: open borders. How do you reconcile energy independence with energy 1417 01:10:47,760 --> 01:10:52,080 Speaker 1: dependence and New Green dealism? How do you reconcile peace 1418 01:10:52,120 --> 01:10:56,160 Speaker 1: through strength with people that want to gut our defense. 1419 01:10:57,840 --> 01:11:00,559 Speaker 1: I don't see middle ground on a lot of these issues. 1420 01:11:00,960 --> 01:11:04,479 Speaker 1: So what is the other answer if it's not a divorce? So, Sager, 1421 01:11:04,600 --> 01:11:06,200 Speaker 1: since you haven't reacted to all of this, let me 1422 01:11:06,200 --> 01:11:07,840 Speaker 1: get your thoughts. I don't know. I mean, it's just 1423 01:11:07,880 --> 01:11:10,439 Speaker 1: so pathetic, to be honest. First of all, Marjorie's whole 1424 01:11:10,520 --> 01:11:12,840 Speaker 1: turn towards the establishment. I guess that one took a 1425 01:11:12,880 --> 01:11:15,880 Speaker 1: hard right. Yes, not exactly what happened there. She's like 1426 01:11:16,760 --> 01:11:19,320 Speaker 1: returning right back to the kukery. I mean, I just 1427 01:11:19,400 --> 01:11:24,040 Speaker 1: find these so pathetic and only the most cringe grifting 1428 01:11:24,640 --> 01:11:27,720 Speaker 1: right wing Twitter personalities would ever think that this is 1429 01:11:27,840 --> 01:11:30,000 Speaker 1: actually going to happen. And you know, let's put on 1430 01:11:30,040 --> 01:11:33,160 Speaker 1: the historical hat. We have had many periods in our 1431 01:11:33,240 --> 01:11:36,800 Speaker 1: history which were full of far more domestic strife than this. 1432 01:11:37,200 --> 01:11:40,519 Speaker 1: And guess what, there was no war. The period after 1433 01:11:40,840 --> 01:11:45,080 Speaker 1: the American Civil War was far more contentious politically. Here, 1434 01:11:45,360 --> 01:11:49,280 Speaker 1: the period in the nineteenth maybe like the progressive area, 1435 01:11:49,560 --> 01:11:52,439 Speaker 1: but like nineteen hundred to let's say, like nineteen twenty, 1436 01:11:52,640 --> 01:11:57,360 Speaker 1: just an immense amount of fighting over internally over like 1437 01:11:57,479 --> 01:12:02,719 Speaker 1: civil rights race, the economy, the progressive era combination, okay, 1438 01:12:02,880 --> 01:12:05,720 Speaker 1: and then the nineteen sixties, which for all the talk 1439 01:12:05,800 --> 01:12:08,920 Speaker 1: of how bad things are, we are nowhere even close 1440 01:12:09,000 --> 01:12:11,719 Speaker 1: to what things and how bad they were in nineteen 1441 01:12:11,800 --> 01:12:15,559 Speaker 1: sixty eight. So I just this is all just a fantasy, 1442 01:12:15,680 --> 01:12:19,439 Speaker 1: and honestly it's just getting people ginned up. The part 1443 01:12:19,439 --> 01:12:21,439 Speaker 1: of the reason I recognize it as such as, look, 1444 01:12:21,479 --> 01:12:25,360 Speaker 1: I'm from Texas, and there is a cringe annoying element 1445 01:12:25,760 --> 01:12:29,400 Speaker 1: of like the most mid baseline Texas take of like, well, 1446 01:12:29,520 --> 01:12:33,080 Speaker 1: technically we were our own country and we could secede 1447 01:12:33,120 --> 01:12:35,280 Speaker 1: in you know, the war between the States and all 1448 01:12:35,320 --> 01:12:37,599 Speaker 1: that type of discussion with you know, the Confederate belt 1449 01:12:37,600 --> 01:12:40,160 Speaker 1: buckle holding onto something even though their parents are from 1450 01:12:40,160 --> 01:12:44,040 Speaker 1: like Ohio. Look, my point is that this is a larp. 1451 01:12:44,400 --> 01:12:47,200 Speaker 1: It's one where a lot of people online like love 1452 01:12:47,240 --> 01:12:51,479 Speaker 1: to get in these idiotic discussions, but fundamentally a it's 1453 01:12:51,520 --> 01:12:54,040 Speaker 1: not going to happen. But it's also a dumb idea. See, 1454 01:12:54,080 --> 01:12:56,479 Speaker 1: we actually fought an entire war to called the American 1455 01:12:56,479 --> 01:12:59,040 Speaker 1: Civil War, to resolve the question of whether this could 1456 01:12:59,120 --> 01:13:01,479 Speaker 1: ever be allowed to have happened, and three hundred some 1457 01:13:01,600 --> 01:13:03,960 Speaker 1: people died in the Union Army to make sure that 1458 01:13:04,040 --> 01:13:06,600 Speaker 1: it wasn't going to and preserve that. Then in the 1459 01:13:06,640 --> 01:13:09,400 Speaker 1: Constitution are out the right to secede. So there are 1460 01:13:09,439 --> 01:13:12,360 Speaker 1: so many fundamental levels as to why this is done. 1461 01:13:12,479 --> 01:13:15,759 Speaker 1: But for her, it's smart if you want to make money. 1462 01:13:15,880 --> 01:13:18,840 Speaker 1: You know, the most cringe elements of these people, they're 1463 01:13:18,920 --> 01:13:20,920 Speaker 1: loving this. Well. The thing that is funny to me 1464 01:13:21,120 --> 01:13:23,400 Speaker 1: is she keeps on insisting, like, I'm just talking to 1465 01:13:23,439 --> 01:13:26,000 Speaker 1: regular people, and that's what they tell me. This is 1466 01:13:26,000 --> 01:13:28,640 Speaker 1: the most online check of all time, which she demonstrates 1467 01:13:28,640 --> 01:13:30,960 Speaker 1: what idiot like exactly, and she's like, that's why it's 1468 01:13:31,000 --> 01:13:33,200 Speaker 1: got so many likes and retweets. It's like, no, this 1469 01:13:33,240 --> 01:13:37,200 Speaker 1: is the most twitter brained dumb ass thing ever. But yeah, 1470 01:13:37,280 --> 01:13:40,839 Speaker 1: does it serve her interests? Sure sure it does. Sure absolutely. 1471 01:13:40,920 --> 01:13:42,600 Speaker 1: And as I'm only pointed out, which I think is 1472 01:13:42,640 --> 01:13:47,559 Speaker 1: an important fact to remember, Marjorie Taylor Green lives in Georgia. 1473 01:13:48,240 --> 01:13:49,800 Speaker 1: What do you do with the state like Georgia it's 1474 01:13:49,840 --> 01:13:52,200 Speaker 1: a blue state? Yes, is it a red state? You know, 1475 01:13:52,479 --> 01:13:55,920 Speaker 1: two Democratic senators went for Joe Biden, but you got 1476 01:13:55,920 --> 01:13:58,720 Speaker 1: a Republican governor. So how's that one going to work out? 1477 01:13:58,800 --> 01:14:03,839 Speaker 1: And her new idea is if Democrats move into red states, 1478 01:14:03,960 --> 01:14:07,639 Speaker 1: they should be banned from voting for five years. So yeah, 1479 01:14:07,800 --> 01:14:11,720 Speaker 1: just very very open, like small d democratic instinct here 1480 01:14:11,720 --> 01:14:13,920 Speaker 1: to do. Like the people you don't like and disagree with, 1481 01:14:14,040 --> 01:14:16,720 Speaker 1: just don't let them vote. That's actually an old carpetbagging 1482 01:14:16,760 --> 01:14:20,960 Speaker 1: sentiment from the old South after the American Civil War. Yeah, 1483 01:14:21,040 --> 01:14:23,439 Speaker 1: why would anyone from the state which got burned to 1484 01:14:23,479 --> 01:14:25,920 Speaker 1: the ground during the last Civil War want to have 1485 01:14:26,240 --> 01:14:28,479 Speaker 1: another one like it? Ask people in Atlanta how that 1486 01:14:28,520 --> 01:14:30,800 Speaker 1: worked out for them. So anyway, it pissed me off. 1487 01:14:30,880 --> 01:14:33,599 Speaker 1: I find there's so many right wing personalities who are 1488 01:14:33,720 --> 01:14:37,120 Speaker 1: always you know, who are always leaning into this, and 1489 01:14:37,160 --> 01:14:39,760 Speaker 1: it's just try and get people like all these you know, 1490 01:14:39,960 --> 01:14:43,400 Speaker 1: like feeding the gun paranoia. Look, I support gun ownership 1491 01:14:43,479 --> 01:14:45,920 Speaker 1: always will. I mean, I'm people here know I'm not 1492 01:14:45,960 --> 01:14:48,800 Speaker 1: even for many restrictions I've seen. But I want to 1493 01:14:48,840 --> 01:14:51,840 Speaker 1: say I've seen a liberal version of this too. We 1494 01:14:51,880 --> 01:14:56,160 Speaker 1: support more taxes and support more so let them go, 1495 01:14:56,240 --> 01:14:57,920 Speaker 1: et cetera, et cetera. So I mean there is a 1496 01:14:57,960 --> 01:15:00,080 Speaker 1: liberal version of this, but I don't know that a 1497 01:15:00,320 --> 01:15:03,120 Speaker 1: member of Congress on the Democratic side has articulated it, 1498 01:15:03,120 --> 01:15:04,920 Speaker 1: and I don't know that it's been given a serious 1499 01:15:04,960 --> 01:15:08,280 Speaker 1: platform on a liberal talk show either. Yeah, and nor 1500 01:15:08,320 --> 01:15:10,240 Speaker 1: should it. You know, this type of koukary like you 1501 01:15:10,240 --> 01:15:12,800 Speaker 1: should just keep it out to where it is. But congratulations. 1502 01:15:12,840 --> 01:15:16,000 Speaker 1: I'm sure it helped in terms of increasing serioence Twitter 1503 01:15:16,040 --> 01:15:19,320 Speaker 1: followers and in terms of your fundraised numbers. I personally 1504 01:15:19,360 --> 01:15:24,040 Speaker 1: find it disgusting. All right, Zacher, We're looking at it well. 1505 01:15:24,160 --> 01:15:26,400 Speaker 1: Foreign President trumpson making a lot of waves in recent 1506 01:15:26,479 --> 01:15:29,080 Speaker 1: days in his stance on Ukraine. Unquestionably, the pressure on 1507 01:15:29,120 --> 01:15:32,719 Speaker 1: the GOP base has forced his only serious potential rival, 1508 01:15:32,800 --> 01:15:36,000 Speaker 1: Ron DeSantis, to rhetorically adopt the same framing as him 1509 01:15:36,040 --> 01:15:39,280 Speaker 1: on Ukraine. After Biden's most recent Kiev. By a mile, 1510 01:15:39,360 --> 01:15:42,919 Speaker 1: it could be the most consequential stance of the entire campaign. 1511 01:15:43,200 --> 01:15:44,800 Speaker 1: A lot of this came together in the most recent 1512 01:15:44,880 --> 01:15:47,120 Speaker 1: video that Trump put out about Ukraine. Let's take a 1513 01:15:47,120 --> 01:15:49,519 Speaker 1: listen to some of it. World War III has never 1514 01:15:49,560 --> 01:15:52,400 Speaker 1: been closer than it is right now. We need to 1515 01:15:52,479 --> 01:15:56,320 Speaker 1: clean house of all of the warmongers and america last 1516 01:15:56,360 --> 01:16:00,559 Speaker 1: globalist in the deep State, the Pentagon, the State Apartment, 1517 01:16:00,880 --> 01:16:05,080 Speaker 1: and the National Security Industrial Complex. One of the reasons 1518 01:16:05,120 --> 01:16:08,240 Speaker 1: I was the only president in generations who didn't start 1519 01:16:08,280 --> 01:16:11,080 Speaker 1: a war? Is that I was the only president who 1520 01:16:11,160 --> 01:16:17,080 Speaker 1: rejected the catastrophic advice of many of Washington's generals, bureaucrats, 1521 01:16:17,360 --> 01:16:20,400 Speaker 1: and the so called diplomats who only know how to 1522 01:16:20,439 --> 01:16:23,120 Speaker 1: get us into conflict, but they don't know how to 1523 01:16:23,160 --> 01:16:25,840 Speaker 1: get us out. Okay, I'm really liking what I'm hearing 1524 01:16:25,840 --> 01:16:28,400 Speaker 1: so far. But is it true? The thing about Trump 1525 01:16:28,439 --> 01:16:30,800 Speaker 1: in twenty sixteen is we had no idea what he 1526 01:16:30,840 --> 01:16:32,639 Speaker 1: was going to do. That was kind of the fun part. 1527 01:16:32,800 --> 01:16:35,000 Speaker 1: But with Trump in twenty twenty three, we actually do 1528 01:16:35,120 --> 01:16:37,840 Speaker 1: know when what he might do because he literally served 1529 01:16:37,840 --> 01:16:40,479 Speaker 1: in office. Is it true he rejected the advice of 1530 01:16:40,520 --> 01:16:45,000 Speaker 1: generals and warmongering diplomats. Well, in some cases yes, and 1531 01:16:45,160 --> 01:16:47,639 Speaker 1: arguably the most important theater of conflict at the time, 1532 01:16:47,680 --> 01:16:50,479 Speaker 1: though he did not, he actually did the opposite. Let's 1533 01:16:50,479 --> 01:16:54,080 Speaker 1: take Afghanistan. Trump made a big deal about withdrawing from Afghanistan. 1534 01:16:54,240 --> 01:16:56,880 Speaker 1: He pledged to end the war, and the most consequential 1535 01:16:56,920 --> 01:16:58,839 Speaker 1: thing that he did in his first months in office 1536 01:16:59,040 --> 01:17:02,479 Speaker 1: was instead to accept the advice of the National Security Council, 1537 01:17:02,680 --> 01:17:06,479 Speaker 1: the generals, and the warmongers who he hired to send 1538 01:17:06,560 --> 01:17:11,280 Speaker 1: four thousand more troops to Afghanistan. That move alone bought 1539 01:17:11,360 --> 01:17:14,639 Speaker 1: US five more years in Afghanistan. It eventually collapsed as 1540 01:17:14,640 --> 01:17:17,360 Speaker 1: a strategy when doing the exact same thing over and 1541 01:17:17,400 --> 01:17:19,840 Speaker 1: over it didn't work, and then eventually negotiated the peace 1542 01:17:19,920 --> 01:17:23,559 Speaker 1: deal with the Taliban. Look better late than never, I guess, 1543 01:17:23,720 --> 01:17:26,479 Speaker 1: but it's an important indicator. Then consider the theater of 1544 01:17:26,479 --> 01:17:30,840 Speaker 1: conflict that's most important today. Ukraine. President Obama took an 1545 01:17:31,000 --> 01:17:35,120 Speaker 1: immense amount of heat from hawkish Republicans for refusing to 1546 01:17:35,240 --> 01:17:39,080 Speaker 1: send Javelin and Ti tank missiles to the Ukraine for 1547 01:17:39,120 --> 01:17:41,960 Speaker 1: their war against rus Russian militias in the East. This 1548 01:17:42,040 --> 01:17:45,160 Speaker 1: is before the invasion. Obama refused to do it because 1549 01:17:45,200 --> 01:17:47,920 Speaker 1: he thought it would make relations with Russia worse and 1550 01:17:47,960 --> 01:17:50,519 Speaker 1: it wouldn't actually do that much on the battlefield. It 1551 01:17:50,600 --> 01:17:54,920 Speaker 1: was a key litmus test for Russian policy at the time. Well, 1552 01:17:55,080 --> 01:17:59,200 Speaker 1: Trump actually reversed the Obama policy in his first year 1553 01:17:59,200 --> 01:18:02,560 Speaker 1: in office, accepted the neocon advice of the Pentagon in 1554 01:18:02,600 --> 01:18:06,000 Speaker 1: the State Department, and greenlit anti tank missiles to Ukraine. 1555 01:18:06,080 --> 01:18:09,439 Speaker 1: If you'll remember, one of the reasons Democrats impeached him 1556 01:18:09,800 --> 01:18:13,760 Speaker 1: was for implying that those exact missile deliveries might be 1557 01:18:13,840 --> 01:18:17,120 Speaker 1: connected to trying to dig up dirt on Hunter Biden. 1558 01:18:17,439 --> 01:18:20,679 Speaker 1: Belying it, though, is the fact that Trump actually did 1559 01:18:20,880 --> 01:18:24,280 Speaker 1: what Obama refused to do. He escalated the conflict in 1560 01:18:24,360 --> 01:18:27,519 Speaker 1: Ukraine on the advice of the generals. This is peer policy. 1561 01:18:27,760 --> 01:18:30,920 Speaker 1: It doesn't even mention that Trump consistently hired national security 1562 01:18:30,960 --> 01:18:35,679 Speaker 1: advisors like hr McMaster, Nikki Haley, John Bolton, Mike Pompeo, 1563 01:18:35,800 --> 01:18:39,240 Speaker 1: dozens of other neocons who outright disagreed with him completely, 1564 01:18:39,280 --> 01:18:42,479 Speaker 1: and in almost all cases he deferred to their judgment 1565 01:18:42,680 --> 01:18:46,759 Speaker 1: while in office. Personnel is policy, That's the saying in Washington. 1566 01:18:46,960 --> 01:18:51,120 Speaker 1: But okay, let's continue listening to the video. The State Department, Pentagon, 1567 01:18:51,240 --> 01:18:55,160 Speaker 1: and National Security establishment will be a very different place 1568 01:18:55,240 --> 01:18:58,840 Speaker 1: by the end of my administration. In fact, just into 1569 01:18:58,880 --> 01:19:02,120 Speaker 1: my administration, and it'll be a very different place, and 1570 01:19:02,160 --> 01:19:05,400 Speaker 1: it'll get things done. Okay, again, I really like the 1571 01:19:05,439 --> 01:19:07,920 Speaker 1: sound of what I'm hearing, but doesn't match reality. The 1572 01:19:08,000 --> 01:19:10,800 Speaker 1: first Secretary of Defense that Trump hired was whom General 1573 01:19:10,920 --> 01:19:14,559 Speaker 1: James Mattis, who consistently pushed for escalated in conflict in Syria, 1574 01:19:14,680 --> 01:19:18,120 Speaker 1: not withdrawing from Afghanistan, continued support for Ukraine, more kind 1575 01:19:18,120 --> 01:19:21,920 Speaker 1: of confrontation with Iran. Eventually, Mattis actually quit the administration 1576 01:19:22,040 --> 01:19:25,240 Speaker 1: and resigned because Trump wanted to withdraw from Syria and 1577 01:19:25,280 --> 01:19:27,600 Speaker 1: he didn't agree with that. So let's keep watching the 1578 01:19:27,640 --> 01:19:30,880 Speaker 1: video because there's even more irony. We'll also stop the 1579 01:19:30,960 --> 01:19:34,760 Speaker 1: lobbyists and the big defense contractors from going in and 1580 01:19:34,840 --> 01:19:39,720 Speaker 1: pushing our senior military and national security officials toward conflict, 1581 01:19:40,200 --> 01:19:45,479 Speaker 1: only to reward them when they retire with lucrative jobs 1582 01:19:45,520 --> 01:19:49,920 Speaker 1: getting paid millions and millions of dollars. That's a fantastic idea. 1583 01:19:50,040 --> 01:19:53,040 Speaker 1: There's just one problem. The person he literally hired to 1584 01:19:53,120 --> 01:19:56,200 Speaker 1: replace Mattis, well, it's got bad news. It was actually 1585 01:19:56,280 --> 01:19:58,760 Speaker 1: Mark Esper, who, at the time he was chosen was 1586 01:19:58,920 --> 01:20:02,880 Speaker 1: literally the top lobbyist for Raytheon in Washington, DC, one 1587 01:20:02,920 --> 01:20:05,800 Speaker 1: of the largest defense contractors in the world. And lo 1588 01:20:05,960 --> 01:20:09,160 Speaker 1: and behold, Esper did exactly what Trump is accusing people 1589 01:20:09,200 --> 01:20:11,840 Speaker 1: like him of doing. He consistently refused and stopped any 1590 01:20:11,840 --> 01:20:14,800 Speaker 1: efforts by Trump to actually withdraw from Afghanistan. In fact, 1591 01:20:14,880 --> 01:20:17,400 Speaker 1: his only criticism of Biden on Ukraine so far has 1592 01:20:17,400 --> 01:20:19,960 Speaker 1: been he hasn't sent enough weapons to Ukraine. Are you 1593 01:20:20,040 --> 01:20:22,840 Speaker 1: sensing a pattern here? If you're a Trump bootlicker, you 1594 01:20:22,840 --> 01:20:25,960 Speaker 1: can always find an excuse. Oh he tried, so what 1595 01:20:26,280 --> 01:20:29,000 Speaker 1: he hired these people, He's a grown man. Why did 1596 01:20:29,000 --> 01:20:32,160 Speaker 1: he hire them? His whole thing was hiring and firing people. 1597 01:20:32,400 --> 01:20:35,519 Speaker 1: In fact, two of the people posturing against him, Nikki 1598 01:20:35,560 --> 01:20:38,760 Speaker 1: Haley and Mike Pompeo, literally worked for him and have 1599 01:20:38,880 --> 01:20:41,760 Speaker 1: both been beating the war drum on Ukraine. I get 1600 01:20:41,760 --> 01:20:43,920 Speaker 1: that if you're a Trump person, this is hard to hear. 1601 01:20:44,160 --> 01:20:45,920 Speaker 1: I guess I'm just one of those people who likes 1602 01:20:45,960 --> 01:20:48,360 Speaker 1: to see some of these things actually done. A hard 1603 01:20:48,439 --> 01:20:50,400 Speaker 1: and a tough lesson that I learned through the Trump 1604 01:20:50,439 --> 01:20:54,280 Speaker 1: years is almost all of it is just talk. Trump 1605 01:20:54,400 --> 01:20:57,840 Speaker 1: does and never has had the inclination or the follow 1606 01:20:57,880 --> 01:21:00,720 Speaker 1: through to be a competent commander and she or an 1607 01:21:00,760 --> 01:21:04,479 Speaker 1: effective vessel for policy priorities. Now, to be fair, it's 1608 01:21:04,520 --> 01:21:08,000 Speaker 1: possible he has changed many people around him, like Johnny DeStefano. 1609 01:21:08,160 --> 01:21:10,280 Speaker 1: They said it will never happen again, that there's a 1610 01:21:10,320 --> 01:21:12,360 Speaker 1: new plan where they're going to fire the federal bureaucracy 1611 01:21:12,400 --> 01:21:15,120 Speaker 1: and bring in people who have displayed total policy alignment 1612 01:21:15,160 --> 01:21:18,000 Speaker 1: with Trump. We'll see I've heard it all before. You 1613 01:21:18,000 --> 01:21:20,840 Speaker 1: should remember Trump was literally so incompetent. He couldn't get 1614 01:21:20,880 --> 01:21:23,599 Speaker 1: the travel ban done, he couldn't get Daca rescinded. He 1615 01:21:23,680 --> 01:21:25,920 Speaker 1: lost his census battle over the illegal immigrants at the 1616 01:21:25,920 --> 01:21:28,519 Speaker 1: Supreme Court, all because the people who work for him 1617 01:21:28,760 --> 01:21:32,439 Speaker 1: messed up the basic legal filings. Keep that in mind 1618 01:21:32,560 --> 01:21:34,960 Speaker 1: when you hear him talk. I was excited once too, 1619 01:21:35,160 --> 01:21:38,200 Speaker 1: some of this could come reality. Unfortunately, almost all of 1620 01:21:38,200 --> 01:21:40,760 Speaker 1: it did not happen. Here's the thing with Trump, I 1621 01:21:40,760 --> 01:21:42,519 Speaker 1: think the only effective case. And if you want to 1622 01:21:42,560 --> 01:21:46,120 Speaker 1: hear my reaction to Sagres's monologue, become a premium subscriber 1623 01:21:46,160 --> 01:21:51,400 Speaker 1: today at Breakingpoints dot com. Cristal, what are you taking 1624 01:21:51,400 --> 01:21:52,760 Speaker 1: a look at it? Well, guys, I got a little 1625 01:21:52,760 --> 01:21:55,280 Speaker 1: mystery for you today. Take a look at this map. 1626 01:21:55,479 --> 01:21:58,320 Speaker 1: So this was recently published in Economics. Paper was analyzed 1627 01:21:58,320 --> 01:22:01,160 Speaker 1: here by the Washington Post. This it shows the nation's 1628 01:22:01,320 --> 01:22:06,120 Speaker 1: average credit scores by county. Dark blue is bad, mustard brown. 1629 01:22:06,200 --> 01:22:08,719 Speaker 1: I guess you'll call that is good and an obvious 1630 01:22:08,720 --> 01:22:11,120 Speaker 1: trend leaves off the page. The South as a region 1631 01:22:11,400 --> 01:22:15,320 Speaker 1: has abysmal credit scores starting in southern Virginia and in Appalachia, 1632 01:22:15,400 --> 01:22:17,639 Speaker 1: and creeping all the way down the Panhandle in Florida 1633 01:22:17,680 --> 01:22:20,000 Speaker 1: and over to Texas. You see a whole lot of 1634 01:22:20,040 --> 01:22:22,439 Speaker 1: people who are struggling with a lot of debt. Now 1635 01:22:22,560 --> 01:22:24,519 Speaker 1: you might think this is a really simple story of class, 1636 01:22:24,520 --> 01:22:26,960 Speaker 1: and in a sense it is. Overall, places with higher 1637 01:22:27,000 --> 01:22:30,840 Speaker 1: poverty do have lower credit scores, but this dynamic did 1638 01:22:30,880 --> 01:22:34,080 Speaker 1: not come close to accounting for this highly regional and 1639 01:22:34,200 --> 01:22:37,439 Speaker 1: very specific phenomena. Even in wealthy areas in the South, 1640 01:22:37,479 --> 01:22:40,960 Speaker 1: people had lower FICO scores than their Midwestern counterparts. Now 1641 01:22:41,000 --> 01:22:43,880 Speaker 1: that's a terrible situation for Southerners. There are few things 1642 01:22:43,920 --> 01:22:46,960 Speaker 1: as pernicious as debt for constraining your life choices and 1643 01:22:46,960 --> 01:22:50,080 Speaker 1: crippling you with stress and anxiety. Throughout history, debt has 1644 01:22:50,080 --> 01:22:51,920 Speaker 1: actually been used as a tool of control. You can 1645 01:22:51,920 --> 01:22:54,400 Speaker 1: think of the company store in mining towns where workers 1646 01:22:54,439 --> 01:22:56,200 Speaker 1: would end up with debts they could not pay and 1647 01:22:56,240 --> 01:22:59,040 Speaker 1: effectively working as indentured servants. Or you can think about 1648 01:22:59,040 --> 01:23:01,559 Speaker 1: the IMF in the World Bank, which lend developing countries 1649 01:23:01,640 --> 01:23:03,800 Speaker 1: money and then they use that debt as leveraged to 1650 01:23:03,880 --> 01:23:07,719 Speaker 1: four shock doctrine neoliberal policies onto them. When a person 1651 01:23:07,760 --> 01:23:11,080 Speaker 1: is in debt, their freedom is constrained. Now, debt and 1652 01:23:11,120 --> 01:23:14,759 Speaker 1: bad credit can quickly mount into financial ruin and personal disaster. 1653 01:23:14,840 --> 01:23:16,519 Speaker 1: How are you going to finance a car when yours dies? 1654 01:23:16,520 --> 01:23:18,040 Speaker 1: How are you going to get an apartment? And for 1655 01:23:18,120 --> 01:23:21,200 Speaker 1: those who are already behind financially, a low credit score 1656 01:23:21,240 --> 01:23:24,200 Speaker 1: means you will be plant paying brutally high interest rates, 1657 01:23:24,280 --> 01:23:26,479 Speaker 1: helping to feed a cycle where you just get further 1658 01:23:26,600 --> 01:23:31,000 Speaker 1: and further behind. So what is causing this regional crisis 1659 01:23:31,040 --> 01:23:33,519 Speaker 1: of debt and of bad credit? Let me show you 1660 01:23:33,680 --> 01:23:36,000 Speaker 1: another map that is going to make it pretty clear. 1661 01:23:36,160 --> 01:23:38,960 Speaker 1: This one is too, also courtesy of the Washington Post here, 1662 01:23:39,240 --> 01:23:41,960 Speaker 1: and it's a map of medical debt. According to credit 1663 01:23:42,000 --> 01:23:44,679 Speaker 1: data from the Urban Institute that's quoted in this article, 1664 01:23:45,160 --> 01:23:47,679 Speaker 1: ninety two of the one hundred counties with the highest 1665 01:23:47,680 --> 01:23:50,000 Speaker 1: share of adults struggling with medical debt, they're all in 1666 01:23:50,040 --> 01:23:54,320 Speaker 1: the South. The remainder are neighboring states Oklahoma and Missouri. Now, 1667 01:23:54,320 --> 01:23:56,639 Speaker 1: when you think about it, it makes total sense. Medical 1668 01:23:56,680 --> 01:23:58,960 Speaker 1: debt is the number one cause of bankruptcy in America, 1669 01:23:59,000 --> 01:24:01,880 Speaker 1: and the total size this crushing debt burden, it's actually 1670 01:24:01,920 --> 01:24:05,240 Speaker 1: even bigger than we had previously imagined. Recent research found 1671 01:24:05,240 --> 01:24:07,639 Speaker 1: that one hundred and forty billion dollars in medical debt 1672 01:24:07,680 --> 01:24:10,680 Speaker 1: is now in collections. That's nearly double previous estimates from 1673 01:24:10,680 --> 01:24:14,280 Speaker 1: back in twenty sixteen. Between twenty nine and twenty twenty, 1674 01:24:14,520 --> 01:24:17,880 Speaker 1: medical debt actually became the single largest source of debt 1675 01:24:18,040 --> 01:24:20,920 Speaker 1: that is currently held by collections agencies. Now, I once 1676 01:24:20,960 --> 01:24:23,880 Speaker 1: you understand other wealthy nations would look at this as 1677 01:24:24,040 --> 01:24:27,360 Speaker 1: utter insanity, at a moral atrocity, because it is we 1678 01:24:27,439 --> 01:24:30,479 Speaker 1: ruin people, We destroy their lives because they happen to 1679 01:24:30,520 --> 01:24:33,799 Speaker 1: get sick. And there's a very specific reason why Southern 1680 01:24:33,840 --> 01:24:36,479 Speaker 1: states are the ones with the highest levels of medical 1681 01:24:36,520 --> 01:24:40,040 Speaker 1: debt and the worst attendant credit scores. It's not an accident. 1682 01:24:40,160 --> 01:24:44,840 Speaker 1: It's not about overall poverty. It is a specific political choice. 1683 01:24:44,920 --> 01:24:47,840 Speaker 1: These are the states where governors decided they would rather 1684 01:24:47,920 --> 01:24:50,920 Speaker 1: virtue signal about how much they hate Obama than expand 1685 01:24:51,000 --> 01:24:53,599 Speaker 1: Medicaid as part of the Affordable Care Act. Now, look, 1686 01:24:53,920 --> 01:24:55,840 Speaker 1: I am not a big fan of Obamacare, as that 1687 01:24:55,880 --> 01:24:59,280 Speaker 1: left the statusquo system largely unchanged, with health and jurors, hospitals, 1688 01:24:59,479 --> 01:25:01,719 Speaker 1: every other part of the crop for profit healthcare system 1689 01:25:01,760 --> 01:25:04,680 Speaker 1: feeding like pigs at the trough while patients continue to 1690 01:25:04,720 --> 01:25:09,799 Speaker 1: get screwed. But Obamacare was an improvement over the previous corrupt, 1691 01:25:09,840 --> 01:25:13,040 Speaker 1: discussing and moral system. And now, after having been law 1692 01:25:13,080 --> 01:25:15,680 Speaker 1: for over a decade, states that went forward with the 1693 01:25:15,720 --> 01:25:19,679 Speaker 1: full medicaid expansion have significantly separated from states that did 1694 01:25:19,720 --> 01:25:22,280 Speaker 1: not on that metric of medical debt. According to The 1695 01:25:22,280 --> 01:25:25,479 Speaker 1: New York Times, the states that have declined to expand medicaid, 1696 01:25:25,520 --> 01:25:28,360 Speaker 1: particularly in the South, started out having more medical debt 1697 01:25:28,360 --> 01:25:31,959 Speaker 1: before Obamacare passed, and since other states have expanded Medicaid, 1698 01:25:32,200 --> 01:25:36,040 Speaker 1: that chasm has grown wider. In twenty twenty, americans living 1699 01:25:36,040 --> 01:25:38,759 Speaker 1: in states that did not expand medicaid owed an average 1700 01:25:38,760 --> 01:25:41,360 Speaker 1: of three hundred and seventy five dollars more than those 1701 01:25:41,439 --> 01:25:44,400 Speaker 1: in states that participated in the program. That is roughly 1702 01:25:44,439 --> 01:25:47,640 Speaker 1: a thirty percent increase from the gap that existed the 1703 01:25:47,760 --> 01:25:50,840 Speaker 1: year before enactment. Now you could see on that chart, 1704 01:25:50,840 --> 01:25:53,920 Speaker 1: how the sooner you expanded medicaid to cover working class people, 1705 01:25:54,160 --> 01:25:57,160 Speaker 1: the better as a state you're faring on medical debt. 1706 01:25:57,360 --> 01:25:59,639 Speaker 1: But let's not forget the existence of such a chart 1707 01:25:59,680 --> 01:26:02,240 Speaker 1: at all is a total failure. It's not just in 1708 01:26:02,240 --> 01:26:04,680 Speaker 1: the South where politicians have made political choices that have 1709 01:26:04,760 --> 01:26:08,720 Speaker 1: miserated their constituents. It's the entire nation debt and the 1710 01:26:08,760 --> 01:26:11,240 Speaker 1: poor credit scores that come along with it are real 1711 01:26:11,280 --> 01:26:14,240 Speaker 1: constraints on freedom and the ability to pursue happiness. We 1712 01:26:14,280 --> 01:26:16,240 Speaker 1: all deserve the freedom to go to the doctor when 1713 01:26:16,240 --> 01:26:17,720 Speaker 1: we need to, to be able to take off work 1714 01:26:17,760 --> 01:26:20,200 Speaker 1: to recover, and to not have our lives ruined because 1715 01:26:20,200 --> 01:26:23,760 Speaker 1: we happen to get sick. Nearly everyone accepts this, yet 1716 01:26:23,800 --> 01:26:27,000 Speaker 1: nothing changes, not because we can't make other choices, but 1717 01:26:27,040 --> 01:26:30,120 Speaker 1: because political elites, bankrolled by those who profit off the 1718 01:26:30,120 --> 01:26:33,000 Speaker 1: current system, do everything in their power to block change 1719 01:26:33,200 --> 01:26:37,240 Speaker 1: and convince you that it's all impossible. These regional disparities 1720 01:26:37,320 --> 01:26:40,040 Speaker 1: highlighted so graphically on that map, they are a sharp 1721 01:26:40,120 --> 01:26:42,439 Speaker 1: reminder that we are not just powerless as a nation 1722 01:26:42,479 --> 01:26:45,639 Speaker 1: to improve the condition of our people's lives. Different policy 1723 01:26:45,720 --> 01:26:49,439 Speaker 1: choices lead to starkly measurably different outcomes. And the different 1724 01:26:49,439 --> 01:26:52,320 Speaker 1: outcome I want to see is zero medical debt for 1725 01:26:52,479 --> 01:26:55,720 Speaker 1: anyone anywhere. And I thought this was really fascinating. I 1726 01:26:55,720 --> 01:26:58,000 Speaker 1: wouldn't have put the pieces together, oh, I asked, And 1727 01:26:58,040 --> 01:27:00,719 Speaker 1: if you want to hear my reaction to Christ's monologue 1728 01:27:00,720 --> 01:27:07,400 Speaker 1: become a premium subscriber today at Breakingpoints dot Com. All Right, guys, 1729 01:27:07,400 --> 01:27:09,280 Speaker 1: great having you back, Soger, thank you, I appreciate it. 1730 01:27:09,320 --> 01:27:11,920 Speaker 1: Thanks for holding down the ford. Emily did a fantastic job. 1731 01:27:11,960 --> 01:27:14,040 Speaker 1: I really did, sir. I miss being here on the show. 1732 01:27:14,160 --> 01:27:15,880 Speaker 1: I gotta say it. It's like it's like your baby 1733 01:27:15,920 --> 01:27:19,960 Speaker 1: that you're like, oh man, he was so like five am. 1734 01:27:19,960 --> 01:27:23,800 Speaker 1: I was like, cover this, take this out. Yeah. Making 1735 01:27:23,880 --> 01:27:26,559 Speaker 1: sure you guys were all amazing. Thank you all so 1736 01:27:26,680 --> 01:27:29,760 Speaker 1: much for your support and for everything. I'm really glad 1737 01:27:29,800 --> 01:27:31,519 Speaker 1: that we have counterpoints, you know, that we can lean on, 1738 01:27:31,600 --> 01:27:34,439 Speaker 1: and we've got great partner content continuing for the weekend. Spencer, 1739 01:27:34,479 --> 01:27:36,200 Speaker 1: by the way, doing a fantastic job. We're gonna have 1740 01:27:36,280 --> 01:27:37,920 Speaker 1: him and talk to him on the show. I really 1741 01:27:38,000 --> 01:27:41,160 Speaker 1: enjoyed his latest video. It's always a privilege developments for 1742 01:27:41,240 --> 01:27:43,720 Speaker 1: moving on the studio, on the logo, on all the 1743 01:27:43,760 --> 01:27:46,000 Speaker 1: new developments. Will reveal all of that to you as 1744 01:27:46,000 --> 01:27:47,479 Speaker 1: soon as we can. But it's great to be back. 1745 01:27:47,479 --> 01:27:49,720 Speaker 1: We're gonna hit the ground running. Twenty twenty four is 1746 01:27:49,760 --> 01:27:52,600 Speaker 1: finally here. Things are heating up. It's gonna be a 1747 01:27:52,640 --> 01:27:53,840 Speaker 1: hell of a lot of fun and it's always a 1748 01:27:53,920 --> 01:27:56,519 Speaker 1: privilege to do it with you and with everybody who 1749 01:27:56,640 --> 01:27:58,280 Speaker 1: is here. So we love you and we will see 1750 01:27:58,280 --> 01:27:58,920 Speaker 1: you all later