1 00:00:00,640 --> 00:00:04,160 Speaker 1: Hi, I'm Molly John Fast and this is Fast Politics, 2 00:00:04,360 --> 00:00:07,120 Speaker 1: where we discussed the top political headlines with some of 3 00:00:07,160 --> 00:00:13,360 Speaker 1: today's best minds. And President she has rejected Donald Trump's 4 00:00:13,360 --> 00:00:14,720 Speaker 1: invite to the inauguration. 5 00:00:15,480 --> 00:00:17,200 Speaker 2: What are we even doing here? 6 00:00:17,320 --> 00:00:20,960 Speaker 1: The Boston Globe Sam Brody gets us up to speed 7 00:00:21,079 --> 00:00:24,720 Speaker 1: with the weird twists inside of Congress, and there are 8 00:00:24,760 --> 00:00:27,960 Speaker 1: a lot of them. Then we'll talk to Robert Faderici 9 00:00:28,400 --> 00:00:32,280 Speaker 1: about Trump's many, many, many business conflicts of interest. 10 00:00:32,440 --> 00:00:33,519 Speaker 2: But first the news. 11 00:00:33,960 --> 00:00:38,760 Speaker 3: Bye you and I we often discussed that we think 12 00:00:39,400 --> 00:00:42,519 Speaker 3: President Biden has largely been a very great president, but 13 00:00:42,800 --> 00:00:45,839 Speaker 3: I'm really disappointed in one of these pardons he did. 14 00:00:45,880 --> 00:00:48,520 Speaker 3: I was happy to see he gave clemency to Sway people, 15 00:00:48,520 --> 00:00:49,880 Speaker 3: but this feels bad. 16 00:00:50,400 --> 00:00:53,760 Speaker 1: I started reading it and I thought, oh god, it's 17 00:00:53,920 --> 00:00:55,720 Speaker 1: the Cars for Kids. 18 00:00:57,080 --> 00:00:59,400 Speaker 4: Whoever wrote that song should be in jails. 19 00:01:00,080 --> 00:01:02,760 Speaker 1: That person should be one eight hundred Cars for Kids. 20 00:01:03,040 --> 00:01:06,800 Speaker 1: But this is actually kids for Cash, which he's a 21 00:01:06,880 --> 00:01:10,960 Speaker 1: judge who accepted big kickbacks in order to exchange sentencing 22 00:01:11,040 --> 00:01:14,480 Speaker 1: kids to a for profit prison, thus making the Cars 23 00:01:14,520 --> 00:01:19,720 Speaker 1: for Kids videos seem good. Yes, over twenty five hundred 24 00:01:19,760 --> 00:01:22,319 Speaker 1: children were impacted by these corrupt judges, and some of 25 00:01:22,360 --> 00:01:24,880 Speaker 1: them ended up And you'll be not surprised to hear 26 00:01:24,920 --> 00:01:28,200 Speaker 1: this taking their own lives for profit prisons. Remember, for 27 00:01:28,360 --> 00:01:32,679 Speaker 1: profit prison stock recently went up after Donald Trump got elected. 28 00:01:32,800 --> 00:01:36,319 Speaker 1: So do with that information what you will. The sentence 29 00:01:36,640 --> 00:01:39,560 Speaker 1: has demonstated a lot of people. The guy was, I 30 00:01:39,600 --> 00:01:42,080 Speaker 1: don't know why this person should be pardoned. 31 00:01:42,280 --> 00:01:45,080 Speaker 4: They accepted two point one million in bribes. 32 00:01:45,600 --> 00:01:48,960 Speaker 1: Yeah, and mother of a kid who killed themselves said 33 00:01:49,360 --> 00:01:52,440 Speaker 1: that the sentence was being shelved and said that it 34 00:01:52,480 --> 00:01:55,720 Speaker 1: was deeply painful. Look, Donald Trump has certainly done worse, 35 00:01:55,800 --> 00:01:59,840 Speaker 1: but the goal with pardons is too is for just 36 00:02:00,600 --> 00:02:03,400 Speaker 1: is to enable justice to be done. That does not 37 00:02:03,560 --> 00:02:07,040 Speaker 1: sound like what is happening here. So pretty dark moment 38 00:02:07,160 --> 00:02:08,000 Speaker 1: in Biden world. 39 00:02:08,200 --> 00:02:11,440 Speaker 3: So, Molly, I kind of remember we made this documentary 40 00:02:11,880 --> 00:02:15,600 Speaker 3: in the late spring, and we said, when Donald Trump 41 00:02:15,919 --> 00:02:18,480 Speaker 3: says he doesn't know what Project twenty twenty five is, 42 00:02:18,760 --> 00:02:21,600 Speaker 3: he's fucking lying like he always is, and I'm going 43 00:02:21,639 --> 00:02:22,280 Speaker 3: to shock you. 44 00:02:22,480 --> 00:02:23,720 Speaker 4: He's confessed to the lie. 45 00:02:23,760 --> 00:02:27,680 Speaker 1: Now, I am just completely shocked that Donald Trump did 46 00:02:27,720 --> 00:02:30,680 Speaker 1: exactly what we thought he would do. You'll remember that 47 00:02:30,960 --> 00:02:35,080 Speaker 1: in July when Project twenty twenty five, when when somebody 48 00:02:35,160 --> 00:02:37,600 Speaker 1: actually read what was in it and saw how unpopular 49 00:02:37,600 --> 00:02:40,040 Speaker 1: it was. I mean, this is the thing about Project 50 00:02:40,080 --> 00:02:43,640 Speaker 1: twenty twenty five, and again, it's a sort of schmorgas board. 51 00:02:44,200 --> 00:02:46,160 Speaker 1: I think since you and I have really done a 52 00:02:46,200 --> 00:02:48,600 Speaker 1: lot of interviews about it, it's a kind of Schmorgasborg 53 00:02:48,960 --> 00:02:53,919 Speaker 1: of all of the kind of wildly unpopular thing that 54 00:02:54,120 --> 00:02:57,400 Speaker 1: Republicans and the Heritage Foundation have always wanted to do, 55 00:02:57,480 --> 00:03:02,480 Speaker 1: things like cut Social Security, Medicare, make it impossible to 56 00:03:02,560 --> 00:03:05,760 Speaker 1: send birth control pills, band pornography. 57 00:03:05,800 --> 00:03:08,119 Speaker 2: I mean, it's a wish list of the far right. 58 00:03:08,760 --> 00:03:12,320 Speaker 1: So Trump in July wrote on to Social I know 59 00:03:12,400 --> 00:03:15,800 Speaker 1: nothing about Project twenty twenty five. For whatever reason, that 60 00:03:15,960 --> 00:03:18,680 Speaker 1: was enough, and voters decided that he didn't. 61 00:03:18,760 --> 00:03:20,840 Speaker 2: I don't know. You know, the fact that people from 62 00:03:20,919 --> 00:03:22,400 Speaker 2: his administration. 63 00:03:22,400 --> 00:03:25,520 Speaker 1: Worked on it, that the fact that there was so 64 00:03:25,639 --> 00:03:29,079 Speaker 1: much crossover between Trump's administration and Project twenty twenty five. 65 00:03:29,400 --> 00:03:32,880 Speaker 2: Nobody managed to notice that. So there you go. 66 00:03:33,040 --> 00:03:35,880 Speaker 1: Well, on Thursday, Donald Trump was named for the second 67 00:03:35,960 --> 00:03:39,640 Speaker 1: time Times Person of the Year, and in the interview, 68 00:03:39,840 --> 00:03:43,280 Speaker 1: Trumps sotened his tone on Project twenty twenty five. You'll 69 00:03:43,320 --> 00:03:47,360 Speaker 1: be shocked to hear and said, praise some of its 70 00:03:47,400 --> 00:03:48,920 Speaker 1: ideas good stuff. 71 00:03:49,160 --> 00:03:54,240 Speaker 3: So many of us have long long been suspect of 72 00:03:55,040 --> 00:03:58,880 Speaker 3: how willing the AI tech overlords we have are to 73 00:03:59,200 --> 00:04:02,960 Speaker 3: costell trump sass, and turns out those of us who 74 00:04:02,960 --> 00:04:05,360 Speaker 3: are weary of this have been proven correct. 75 00:04:05,640 --> 00:04:09,680 Speaker 1: Look, all tech wants is to not be regulated. They 76 00:04:09,680 --> 00:04:12,600 Speaker 1: don't need a Republican to not regulate them. Democrats are 77 00:04:12,640 --> 00:04:15,680 Speaker 1: more than happy to also not regulate them. Remember, Democrats 78 00:04:15,760 --> 00:04:18,520 Speaker 1: had the Presidency and the Senate and they did not 79 00:04:18,760 --> 00:04:21,919 Speaker 1: regulate tech, and they had the opportunity to What I 80 00:04:21,920 --> 00:04:25,360 Speaker 1: think is happening here, which is something I don't want 81 00:04:25,360 --> 00:04:27,200 Speaker 1: to say interesting because it's just awful. 82 00:04:27,279 --> 00:04:29,400 Speaker 2: But what is happening here is that people have. 83 00:04:29,320 --> 00:04:32,080 Speaker 1: Decided that they want to manipulate Trump, and they know 84 00:04:32,520 --> 00:04:34,600 Speaker 1: that the way to manipulate Trump is to give him 85 00:04:34,640 --> 00:04:37,479 Speaker 1: money and say he's great. And these are people who 86 00:04:37,600 --> 00:04:41,640 Speaker 1: want Trump's large ass more than they want anything else. So, 87 00:04:42,000 --> 00:04:46,800 Speaker 1: you know, for someone like Sam Altman, who really needs 88 00:04:47,040 --> 00:04:50,720 Speaker 1: no regulation for AI and really needs to be able 89 00:04:50,760 --> 00:04:53,599 Speaker 1: to do whatever the fuck he wants, a million dollars 90 00:04:53,640 --> 00:04:59,720 Speaker 1: to Trump's inaugural fund and a your great is easy, right, 91 00:04:59,760 --> 00:05:02,280 Speaker 1: because he doesn't care. I mean, he just wants a 92 00:05:02,440 --> 00:05:05,800 Speaker 1: positive regulatory environment and for Trump to like him. So 93 00:05:06,160 --> 00:05:10,840 Speaker 1: this week we saw Bezos donate a million dollars, we 94 00:05:10,920 --> 00:05:15,040 Speaker 1: saw Meta donate a million dollars, and we saw Sam 95 00:05:15,080 --> 00:05:18,040 Speaker 1: Almon donate a million dollars. We're going to see more 96 00:05:18,040 --> 00:05:20,920 Speaker 1: of this is this obeying in events. People are saying 97 00:05:20,920 --> 00:05:23,159 Speaker 1: this obeg events. By the way, I want to say 98 00:05:23,160 --> 00:05:26,799 Speaker 1: one thing about Timothy Schneider. There are many other ideas 99 00:05:26,839 --> 00:05:29,839 Speaker 1: that he has besides obeying events. And I actually don't 100 00:05:29,920 --> 00:05:32,080 Speaker 1: know that this is obeyed events. I think this is 101 00:05:32,120 --> 00:05:33,560 Speaker 1: trying to curry favor. 102 00:05:33,800 --> 00:05:35,560 Speaker 4: It seems to exceed it in my. 103 00:05:35,560 --> 00:05:38,080 Speaker 1: Opinion, right, I mean, I think this is a manipulative 104 00:05:38,120 --> 00:05:42,080 Speaker 1: play for an autocrat. I think it's clear that these 105 00:05:42,120 --> 00:05:44,839 Speaker 1: companies are not going to stand up for anyone's rights. 106 00:05:45,080 --> 00:05:47,640 Speaker 1: But I also think like this is the sort of 107 00:05:47,680 --> 00:05:51,320 Speaker 1: the gamble they're making is if they give Trump money 108 00:05:51,520 --> 00:05:53,760 Speaker 1: and suck up to him, then Trump will do what 109 00:05:53,800 --> 00:05:58,680 Speaker 1: they want. Now, look that may happen. They've had that experience. 110 00:05:58,760 --> 00:06:01,160 Speaker 1: I mean, by the way, this is like not a 111 00:06:01,200 --> 00:06:05,080 Speaker 1: partisan thing, right, I mean, tech, you know, lobbyists exist 112 00:06:05,800 --> 00:06:10,080 Speaker 1: so that they can get to politicians. Right, Lobbyists don't 113 00:06:10,080 --> 00:06:12,920 Speaker 1: exist for any other reason. They exist to lobby. So 114 00:06:13,240 --> 00:06:14,000 Speaker 1: this is like. 115 00:06:13,920 --> 00:06:17,200 Speaker 2: A sort of very garish lobbying. 116 00:06:17,960 --> 00:06:21,480 Speaker 1: The question is, in my mind, is Donald Trump is 117 00:06:21,680 --> 00:06:27,680 Speaker 1: so incredibly unreliable. You know, there's the low level grift 118 00:06:27,760 --> 00:06:31,680 Speaker 1: and then there's all sorts of other kind of desires. 119 00:06:31,279 --> 00:06:32,039 Speaker 2: In Trump world. 120 00:06:32,320 --> 00:06:34,719 Speaker 1: I don't know that this is necessarily the straight line 121 00:06:34,720 --> 00:06:38,200 Speaker 1: that these companies think it is, but we will see, right. 122 00:06:38,360 --> 00:06:41,680 Speaker 1: I mean, we paid the ticket and now we take 123 00:06:41,720 --> 00:06:42,320 Speaker 1: the ride. 124 00:06:42,560 --> 00:06:45,440 Speaker 3: Speaking of taking the ride, I'm really looking forward to 125 00:06:45,520 --> 00:06:49,600 Speaker 3: going back to pulio being abundant in America. Since Robert 126 00:06:49,640 --> 00:06:52,039 Speaker 3: F kN a Junior's lawyer, has asked the FDA to 127 00:06:52,080 --> 00:06:54,440 Speaker 3: revoke the approval of the polio vaccine. 128 00:06:54,640 --> 00:06:59,720 Speaker 1: So this guy, Aaron Surrey, is specialized in vaccine lawsuits 129 00:07:00,080 --> 00:07:04,200 Speaker 1: and he is RFK Juniors. He's been helping him vet 130 00:07:04,400 --> 00:07:09,479 Speaker 1: candidates for HSS because in this insane world we're living in, 131 00:07:09,760 --> 00:07:13,280 Speaker 1: RFK is going to be picking federal health officials for 132 00:07:13,360 --> 00:07:18,520 Speaker 1: the incoming Trump administration. This lawyer partitions the government to 133 00:07:18,640 --> 00:07:23,320 Speaker 1: revoke its approval of the polio vaccine, which obviously polio 134 00:07:23,680 --> 00:07:27,560 Speaker 1: not good. I'm no doctor, He also petitioned to seek 135 00:07:27,560 --> 00:07:31,080 Speaker 1: a pause in the distribution of thirteen other vaccines ones 136 00:07:31,160 --> 00:07:33,360 Speaker 1: that have done He wanted to get rid of the 137 00:07:33,400 --> 00:07:36,320 Speaker 1: COVID vaccine mandates. I just want to pause for a 138 00:07:36,360 --> 00:07:39,160 Speaker 1: second and talk about the second. A lot of times 139 00:07:39,280 --> 00:07:42,280 Speaker 1: you'll see people say like, make polio grade again, and 140 00:07:42,320 --> 00:07:44,120 Speaker 1: you'll say, well, that's hyperbole. 141 00:07:44,240 --> 00:07:46,280 Speaker 2: They don't actually want to make polio grade again. 142 00:07:46,720 --> 00:07:49,800 Speaker 1: No, no, they actually want to get rid of the 143 00:07:49,800 --> 00:07:51,080 Speaker 1: polio vaccine. 144 00:07:51,160 --> 00:07:52,640 Speaker 2: And if you think about that. 145 00:07:52,840 --> 00:07:56,880 Speaker 1: What that will look like, what it will mean to 146 00:07:57,160 --> 00:08:01,560 Speaker 1: have to live in a country where children get polio again, 147 00:08:02,160 --> 00:08:07,200 Speaker 1: not because there is no vaccine, but because the people 148 00:08:07,240 --> 00:08:10,600 Speaker 1: in the federal government don't understand how vaccines work. It 149 00:08:10,640 --> 00:08:14,920 Speaker 1: will just be a certain kind of America that we 150 00:08:15,040 --> 00:08:19,120 Speaker 1: have never ever ever experienced, or at least not for 151 00:08:19,160 --> 00:08:29,280 Speaker 1: a long time. Sam Brody is a national political reporter 152 00:08:29,320 --> 00:08:35,760 Speaker 1: at the Boston Globe. Welcome back to Fast Politics, Sambrody. 153 00:08:35,480 --> 00:08:37,000 Speaker 5: Thanks for having me. It's great to be back. 154 00:08:37,200 --> 00:08:40,079 Speaker 1: I want to talk about the fact that yesterday at 155 00:08:40,080 --> 00:08:43,320 Speaker 1: two o'clock the Senate went home for the weekend. 156 00:08:43,720 --> 00:08:45,560 Speaker 5: Yeah, they sure did. I was there. 157 00:08:45,760 --> 00:08:47,199 Speaker 2: Yeah, it was a Thursday. 158 00:08:47,679 --> 00:08:51,040 Speaker 1: They had a slate of judges to confirm what the 159 00:08:51,080 --> 00:08:52,040 Speaker 1: fuck is going on. 160 00:08:52,440 --> 00:08:55,800 Speaker 5: It's a good question. People might be like, wait, it's Thursday, 161 00:08:56,160 --> 00:08:59,960 Speaker 5: it's two pm. Most people work a full five day week. 162 00:09:00,120 --> 00:09:02,319 Speaker 5: What does the Senate do? What is the Senate doing? 163 00:09:02,559 --> 00:09:05,960 Speaker 5: And this is one of the like immutable laws of Washington, 164 00:09:06,080 --> 00:09:08,880 Speaker 5: like unless the government is literally about to shut down, 165 00:09:08,920 --> 00:09:12,080 Speaker 5: even in some cases, they'll skip down pretty close to 166 00:09:12,080 --> 00:09:14,840 Speaker 5: that deadline. But that's another thing. Unless there is an 167 00:09:15,200 --> 00:09:19,439 Speaker 5: enormous urgent crisis. The Senate three point five day weekend 168 00:09:19,600 --> 00:09:22,920 Speaker 5: has become a sacri saint concept. And you might be 169 00:09:22,960 --> 00:09:26,960 Speaker 5: looking at the dwindling calendar here for Democrats to confirm 170 00:09:27,080 --> 00:09:31,280 Speaker 5: judges and other you know, important positions and go. Maybe 171 00:09:31,280 --> 00:09:33,520 Speaker 5: they should stick around, But this is the way it works. 172 00:09:33,520 --> 00:09:36,280 Speaker 5: The members get they get cranky if they're in Washington 173 00:09:36,360 --> 00:09:38,720 Speaker 5: too long. I get it, it's not always the best 174 00:09:38,720 --> 00:09:41,800 Speaker 5: place to be. And you know, I think Schumer's pointed 175 00:09:41,800 --> 00:09:44,200 Speaker 5: to a lot of you know, pretty legitimate progress on 176 00:09:44,240 --> 00:09:46,480 Speaker 5: that front. But yeah, if you keep them in, they 177 00:09:46,520 --> 00:09:47,079 Speaker 5: get cranky. 178 00:09:47,160 --> 00:09:51,440 Speaker 1: Now they still have judges to fucking confirm. Let's talk 179 00:09:51,440 --> 00:09:51,880 Speaker 1: about that. 180 00:09:52,160 --> 00:09:54,520 Speaker 5: No, they do, they do. You have to double check 181 00:09:54,520 --> 00:09:56,760 Speaker 5: me on this one. I haven't seen any kind of 182 00:09:56,760 --> 00:10:00,720 Speaker 5: definitive statement from Schumer on how they're approaching the endgame here, 183 00:10:00,760 --> 00:10:04,480 Speaker 5: because come January third, the flip of Congress will be 184 00:10:04,800 --> 00:10:08,160 Speaker 5: in effect, and I've not heard anything to indicate that 185 00:10:08,480 --> 00:10:12,360 Speaker 5: they're even considering keeping or eating into the traditional holiday 186 00:10:12,400 --> 00:10:15,560 Speaker 5: break whatsoever. I mean, they're slated to be done the 187 00:10:15,640 --> 00:10:19,840 Speaker 5: Thursday before the week of Christmas and not return, believe 188 00:10:19,960 --> 00:10:22,600 Speaker 5: until it's swearing into the new Congress. So it's really, 189 00:10:22,880 --> 00:10:25,440 Speaker 5: you know, this last week before Christmas that they can 190 00:10:25,480 --> 00:10:27,640 Speaker 5: really do anything unless they're going to alter the schedule. 191 00:10:27,880 --> 00:10:30,920 Speaker 5: I know that they've had to withdraw some nominations for 192 00:10:31,040 --> 00:10:33,640 Speaker 5: lack of support. I think at a certain point, you know, 193 00:10:33,880 --> 00:10:35,559 Speaker 5: they have done a lot, and they could do more 194 00:10:35,600 --> 00:10:38,280 Speaker 5: by staying in. But you know, it's one of these 195 00:10:38,280 --> 00:10:41,719 Speaker 5: perennial things. Even members of the president's own party, our 196 00:10:41,800 --> 00:10:45,640 Speaker 5: no outgoing president's own party, do not really want to 197 00:10:45,679 --> 00:10:49,679 Speaker 5: eat into their Christmas break to get however, many more judges. 198 00:10:49,920 --> 00:10:53,319 Speaker 5: The thing is is that Republicans can also pull procedural 199 00:10:53,440 --> 00:10:57,600 Speaker 5: levers to make that process much much slower if they 200 00:10:57,640 --> 00:10:59,600 Speaker 5: want to do it. The thing about the Senate is 201 00:10:59,600 --> 00:11:02,840 Speaker 5: that it is unlike the House, and the House majority 202 00:11:02,920 --> 00:11:04,960 Speaker 5: rules they can run rough shot over the minority and 203 00:11:05,040 --> 00:11:07,360 Speaker 5: just kind of do whatever they want. The Senate kind 204 00:11:07,400 --> 00:11:10,959 Speaker 5: of operates on this very delicate balance between the majority 205 00:11:10,960 --> 00:11:14,000 Speaker 5: and the minority, and as long as they're kind of, 206 00:11:14,360 --> 00:11:17,040 Speaker 5: you know, going within the rules of the road, normally speaking, 207 00:11:17,320 --> 00:11:19,920 Speaker 5: they let things proceed at a normal pace. But if 208 00:11:19,920 --> 00:11:22,040 Speaker 5: the minority gets mad at something the majority is doing, 209 00:11:22,160 --> 00:11:24,600 Speaker 5: so they keep them in over holidays, they can say, okay, 210 00:11:24,600 --> 00:11:26,920 Speaker 5: well we're not going to there's all these levers head. 211 00:11:26,920 --> 00:11:29,640 Speaker 5: They can ultimate things go very very very slow. They 212 00:11:29,640 --> 00:11:32,640 Speaker 5: can't stop things, generally speaking, if there is a will 213 00:11:32,679 --> 00:11:35,280 Speaker 5: in the majority to do it, but they can make 214 00:11:35,320 --> 00:11:37,320 Speaker 5: it go a lot slower. So I don't know how 215 00:11:37,360 --> 00:11:39,280 Speaker 5: many they could confirm if they were to stay in, 216 00:11:39,440 --> 00:11:41,920 Speaker 5: they certainly could confirm at least what And there are 217 00:11:41,960 --> 00:11:43,719 Speaker 5: those who say, wait, that's what we should be doing. 218 00:11:44,160 --> 00:11:47,239 Speaker 1: Isn't it hard to imagine a world where Mitch McConnell 219 00:11:47,480 --> 00:11:50,079 Speaker 1: doesn't confirm all the judges he possibly can. 220 00:11:50,360 --> 00:11:54,040 Speaker 5: Yeah, I mean, look, Democrats are staring down a at 221 00:11:54,120 --> 00:11:59,440 Speaker 5: least two potentially for or longer minority stretch in the Senate. 222 00:11:59,640 --> 00:12:02,760 Speaker 5: It is unclear when they will be back in the 223 00:12:02,760 --> 00:12:06,200 Speaker 5: majority in the Senate and they can win back the 224 00:12:06,240 --> 00:12:09,800 Speaker 5: presidency in four years. But if you don't have a 225 00:12:09,840 --> 00:12:12,680 Speaker 5: Senate that's going to confirm your nominees for judge ships, 226 00:12:12,880 --> 00:12:15,400 Speaker 5: that's going to get really hard. I do think that 227 00:12:15,720 --> 00:12:19,400 Speaker 5: in McConnell and Conservatives have put a huge emphasis on judges, 228 00:12:19,440 --> 00:12:22,640 Speaker 5: and I should say that Democrats They've confirmed a ton 229 00:12:22,679 --> 00:12:25,160 Speaker 5: of judges during Biden's presidency, so it's not as if 230 00:12:25,240 --> 00:12:28,240 Speaker 5: they're coming into this stretch having dragged their feet, you know. 231 00:12:28,280 --> 00:12:30,720 Speaker 5: And Schumer has spiked the football a number of times 232 00:12:30,760 --> 00:12:33,880 Speaker 5: on the number of judges that they fulfilled. But yeah, look, 233 00:12:34,000 --> 00:12:35,920 Speaker 5: I mean there are some who say that Democrats are 234 00:12:35,960 --> 00:12:39,160 Speaker 5: looking at as indefinite a minority period in the Senate 235 00:12:39,200 --> 00:12:41,680 Speaker 5: as they have seen. I mean, they lost the majority 236 00:12:41,760 --> 00:12:44,520 Speaker 5: remember in twenty fourteen, and it took them until twenty 237 00:12:44,559 --> 00:12:46,640 Speaker 5: twenty one to get back. It's going to be tough 238 00:12:46,640 --> 00:12:48,240 Speaker 5: for them to do it in twenty twenty six. 239 00:12:48,640 --> 00:12:51,120 Speaker 1: There's really not many pickup opportunities. 240 00:12:51,440 --> 00:12:53,920 Speaker 5: No, there's main in North Carolina which are not easy, 241 00:12:54,080 --> 00:12:57,080 Speaker 5: and they'll have to defend some seats. And because the 242 00:12:57,120 --> 00:13:00,160 Speaker 5: Republicans fled Pennsylvania there to give them fifty three. Even 243 00:13:00,200 --> 00:13:03,280 Speaker 5: if they won both me in North Carolina, they wouldn't necessarily, 244 00:13:03,320 --> 00:13:05,679 Speaker 5: you know, they'd still have to win another. So it's tough, 245 00:13:05,920 --> 00:13:07,760 Speaker 5: and so yeah, I think it is it's a little 246 00:13:07,800 --> 00:13:10,760 Speaker 5: bit legitimate question to say, you know, what would what 247 00:13:10,760 --> 00:13:15,040 Speaker 5: would McConnell do in the last ten days of being 248 00:13:15,040 --> 00:13:16,480 Speaker 5: in control of the Senate. 249 00:13:16,679 --> 00:13:20,880 Speaker 1: I saw McConnell give a floor speech this week where 250 00:13:20,920 --> 00:13:24,360 Speaker 1: he was furious at two judges for unretiring. 251 00:13:25,040 --> 00:13:26,719 Speaker 5: Yeah, he seems like he is. 252 00:13:26,679 --> 00:13:28,520 Speaker 2: Not going quietly into that good night. 253 00:13:29,000 --> 00:13:31,800 Speaker 5: No, he definitely is not. And this is his thing. 254 00:13:31,880 --> 00:13:36,000 Speaker 5: I mean, he really was the architect of the modern, 255 00:13:36,600 --> 00:13:40,920 Speaker 5: you know, present day conservative strategy as it relates to 256 00:13:41,080 --> 00:13:43,520 Speaker 5: the judiciary, one that you know, Trump and his people 257 00:13:43,559 --> 00:13:46,080 Speaker 5: picked up. I mean, that was really the most long 258 00:13:46,160 --> 00:13:50,040 Speaker 5: lasting impact of the first Trump term, all due respect 259 00:13:50,040 --> 00:13:53,000 Speaker 5: to the tax cut built, but McConnell and Trump's partnership 260 00:13:53,080 --> 00:13:56,760 Speaker 5: to stock a ton of young conservatives on the federal bench. 261 00:13:56,840 --> 00:13:59,040 Speaker 5: I mean, and that was all that's on McConnell. You know, 262 00:13:59,080 --> 00:14:01,440 Speaker 5: Trump isn't going into office. They came about how he's 263 00:14:01,480 --> 00:14:03,560 Speaker 5: going to get you know, some good young lawyers in 264 00:14:03,600 --> 00:14:08,559 Speaker 5: on the like fifth circuit. That's that's McConnell. And you know, yeah, 265 00:14:08,840 --> 00:14:11,959 Speaker 5: him kind of continuing to police the way Democrats are 266 00:14:11,960 --> 00:14:14,120 Speaker 5: doing this going out for then retirement stuff again, thinks 267 00:14:14,160 --> 00:14:16,280 Speaker 5: he has no control over but yeah, you're totally right. 268 00:14:16,320 --> 00:14:18,680 Speaker 5: He is not going to let this one go. And 269 00:14:18,880 --> 00:14:21,480 Speaker 5: I do think that that's a point in favor of Okay, 270 00:14:21,520 --> 00:14:24,120 Speaker 5: say Democrats were going to charge through the holiday break 271 00:14:24,160 --> 00:14:26,240 Speaker 5: and try and confirm as many judges as they could. 272 00:14:26,360 --> 00:14:28,800 Speaker 5: They could confirm some, you know that if they if 273 00:14:28,800 --> 00:14:30,240 Speaker 5: they did it and had the will to do so. 274 00:14:30,480 --> 00:14:34,280 Speaker 5: But that's the kind of move that McConnell will counter back. 275 00:14:34,480 --> 00:14:37,120 Speaker 5: He will, he will meet that ante. And he's not, 276 00:14:37,640 --> 00:14:39,920 Speaker 5: you know, in charge. You know, the transition is happening. 277 00:14:39,960 --> 00:14:42,480 Speaker 5: But he's as good a manager of how you slow 278 00:14:42,520 --> 00:14:44,760 Speaker 5: things down on the floors as well as anyone. I mean, 279 00:14:44,760 --> 00:14:47,040 Speaker 5: this guy, you know, has led the party for such 280 00:14:47,040 --> 00:14:48,960 Speaker 5: a long time, and you better believe when it comes 281 00:14:48,960 --> 00:14:50,840 Speaker 5: to judges, this is the thing that they are going 282 00:14:50,880 --> 00:14:53,520 Speaker 5: to bring their a game to to try and slow 283 00:14:53,600 --> 00:14:56,240 Speaker 5: down as much as possible. But it is a legitimate question. 284 00:14:56,280 --> 00:14:56,440 Speaker 2: You know. 285 00:14:56,480 --> 00:14:58,760 Speaker 5: I saw an act of this group I think was indivisible. 286 00:14:58,880 --> 00:15:02,440 Speaker 5: They dropped off sleep bags to the offices of Democratic 287 00:15:02,520 --> 00:15:06,000 Speaker 5: senators this week, saying, you know, let's lock some time here, 288 00:15:06,080 --> 00:15:08,280 Speaker 5: let's sleep in your office, let's get as much done. 289 00:15:08,280 --> 00:15:10,600 Speaker 5: And so I think this is one of those things where. 290 00:15:10,400 --> 00:15:14,320 Speaker 6: You see a huge gulf between the activist class of 291 00:15:14,360 --> 00:15:17,800 Speaker 6: the Democratic Party that is very anxious, that is worried 292 00:15:17,800 --> 00:15:20,280 Speaker 6: about what the next two four six years are going 293 00:15:20,320 --> 00:15:23,320 Speaker 6: to bring and want to see some action from their 294 00:15:23,320 --> 00:15:24,520 Speaker 6: Democratic sangers on this. 295 00:15:24,920 --> 00:15:28,720 Speaker 1: Speaking of how fucked we all are, can you explain 296 00:15:28,880 --> 00:15:34,040 Speaker 1: to us what's happening with this confirmation battle that has 297 00:15:34,120 --> 00:15:36,720 Speaker 1: begne with Trump's cabinet nominees. 298 00:15:37,000 --> 00:15:39,040 Speaker 5: Yeah, anywhere you want to start on that, I'm. 299 00:15:38,960 --> 00:15:41,080 Speaker 2: Man start with Pete hagg Seth. 300 00:15:41,520 --> 00:15:44,080 Speaker 5: I think we're going to be talking about this nomination 301 00:15:44,280 --> 00:15:46,920 Speaker 5: for a long time in a lot of ways, because, 302 00:15:47,360 --> 00:15:49,360 Speaker 5: you know, a week and a half ago, I think 303 00:15:49,400 --> 00:15:51,440 Speaker 5: most people you might have talked to you on the 304 00:15:51,520 --> 00:15:54,920 Speaker 5: hill or in the lobbying world or just whatever, would 305 00:15:54,920 --> 00:15:57,480 Speaker 5: have said, you know, hag Seth has done. He's got 306 00:15:57,520 --> 00:16:00,360 Speaker 5: the drip trip of stories. We're seeing reports that Trump 307 00:16:00,440 --> 00:16:03,840 Speaker 5: is considering Ron de Santis, of all people, to take 308 00:16:03,840 --> 00:16:06,600 Speaker 5: his place it's like deathwatch. You know, his time is 309 00:16:06,640 --> 00:16:09,440 Speaker 5: about to run out, and then he kind of pulls 310 00:16:09,440 --> 00:16:12,360 Speaker 5: a mini Cabanaugh and under the you know, lights from 311 00:16:12,400 --> 00:16:14,360 Speaker 5: the cameras on Capitol Hill in the hallway as he's 312 00:16:14,360 --> 00:16:16,720 Speaker 5: going into a meeting, says, I'm not answering to the media. 313 00:16:16,800 --> 00:16:18,880 Speaker 5: I answered to Trump, I answer to the senators. I'm 314 00:16:18,880 --> 00:16:22,120 Speaker 5: going to see this through. And you know, that fight 315 00:16:22,240 --> 00:16:26,320 Speaker 5: apparently got Trump to buy in again on that nomination. 316 00:16:26,960 --> 00:16:30,160 Speaker 5: And now they've mobilized, you know, the MAGA kind of 317 00:16:30,200 --> 00:16:33,080 Speaker 5: influencer space and the act of this space. They are 318 00:16:33,120 --> 00:16:38,120 Speaker 5: going to just totally crush anyone who even expresses like 319 00:16:38,320 --> 00:16:42,200 Speaker 5: mild skepticism or caution about he sets nomination. I think 320 00:16:42,240 --> 00:16:44,840 Speaker 5: they have understood, and I'm a little surprised it took 321 00:16:44,840 --> 00:16:47,680 Speaker 5: them this long that no one wants to be primaried, 322 00:16:48,040 --> 00:16:51,080 Speaker 5: that folks like Joni Ernst are worried about this, and 323 00:16:51,120 --> 00:16:53,360 Speaker 5: that if they can bring the full force of the 324 00:16:53,360 --> 00:16:55,760 Speaker 5: MAGA movement to there to get someone they want through, 325 00:16:56,240 --> 00:16:58,160 Speaker 5: And I wouldn't be shocked at this point if HEXP 326 00:16:58,240 --> 00:17:01,040 Speaker 5: got confirmed. Now the obviats, we don't know what's going 327 00:17:01,080 --> 00:17:03,200 Speaker 5: to come out in some of these FBI background checks. 328 00:17:03,240 --> 00:17:04,840 Speaker 5: We don't know what these hearings are going to look 329 00:17:04,920 --> 00:17:08,280 Speaker 5: like necessarily, but he's completely turned things around. And that's 330 00:17:08,520 --> 00:17:10,680 Speaker 5: in large part because of his own defiance, but also 331 00:17:11,040 --> 00:17:13,520 Speaker 5: the Mago movement king in and saying we are actually 332 00:17:13,520 --> 00:17:16,160 Speaker 5: going to ruin any Republican centator that goes against us 333 00:17:16,160 --> 00:17:16,359 Speaker 5: on this. 334 00:17:16,880 --> 00:17:19,920 Speaker 1: The media narrative has turned around, but he still has 335 00:17:20,000 --> 00:17:22,280 Speaker 1: to sit through hearings. 336 00:17:22,600 --> 00:17:24,920 Speaker 5: Yeah, that's right, and that's the big X factor here, 337 00:17:24,920 --> 00:17:27,119 Speaker 5: and that's why I'm reluctant to say that this is 338 00:17:27,160 --> 00:17:30,000 Speaker 5: the week he turned it around. I think if he's 339 00:17:30,040 --> 00:17:33,480 Speaker 5: able to get through these hearings without any more bombshells 340 00:17:33,680 --> 00:17:36,400 Speaker 5: or you know, embarrassing moments, one thing that I would 341 00:17:36,440 --> 00:17:39,480 Speaker 5: point out, I mean, we've focused a lot for good reason. 342 00:17:39,560 --> 00:17:41,919 Speaker 5: I mean, we in the press and commentators have focused 343 00:17:41,960 --> 00:17:46,080 Speaker 5: on his own misconduct. But it remains the case that, 344 00:17:46,320 --> 00:17:49,560 Speaker 5: you know, from a nuts and bolts perspective, that stuff aside. 345 00:17:49,560 --> 00:17:53,040 Speaker 5: Even if it didn't exist, Senators would have serious questions 346 00:17:53,040 --> 00:17:57,000 Speaker 5: about this guy's preparedness and ability to lead the Department 347 00:17:57,000 --> 00:18:00,639 Speaker 5: of Defense, which has two million people, is responsible for 348 00:18:00,720 --> 00:18:03,920 Speaker 5: keeping the country safe. And Hegseth has taught in wars, 349 00:18:04,080 --> 00:18:06,479 Speaker 5: so he has military experience, but compared to people who 350 00:18:06,560 --> 00:18:08,879 Speaker 5: held this job in the past, has way less of 351 00:18:08,920 --> 00:18:11,399 Speaker 5: a sense of how the Pentagon works. I wouldn't be 352 00:18:11,480 --> 00:18:14,320 Speaker 5: shocked if there were several kind of embarrassing moments, if 353 00:18:14,359 --> 00:18:17,160 Speaker 5: he trips up on things that someone in his shoes 354 00:18:17,240 --> 00:18:20,159 Speaker 5: as a nominee would really be expected to know. And 355 00:18:20,200 --> 00:18:22,359 Speaker 5: those are the kind of things that can really damage 356 00:18:22,359 --> 00:18:24,800 Speaker 5: a nomination. I mean, you know, again, he's got a 357 00:18:24,800 --> 00:18:27,680 Speaker 5: lot to answer for on the personal side, very very 358 00:18:27,720 --> 00:18:30,720 Speaker 5: serious things. Can he answer the questions on a policy 359 00:18:30,800 --> 00:18:32,560 Speaker 5: level that's going to make some of these folks feel 360 00:18:32,680 --> 00:18:35,800 Speaker 5: okay about supporting him? Again, remember these defense hawks on 361 00:18:35,840 --> 00:18:38,000 Speaker 5: the Republican side, they're going to be asking a lot 362 00:18:38,040 --> 00:18:40,480 Speaker 5: of these questions. Those could be some big moments. 363 00:18:40,680 --> 00:18:44,600 Speaker 1: Right in my mind, the scarier candidate is actually Cash Fatal. 364 00:18:45,119 --> 00:18:48,680 Speaker 5: Yeah, and I think that a lot of Democratic senators 365 00:18:48,720 --> 00:18:50,800 Speaker 5: would agree. The thing about the Pentagon is, you know, 366 00:18:50,920 --> 00:18:53,840 Speaker 5: the leader of the Pentagon is obviously an extremely important position, 367 00:18:54,240 --> 00:18:57,000 Speaker 5: but it is such a massive bureaucracy. And the FBI 368 00:18:57,080 --> 00:19:00,360 Speaker 5: is also a large bureaucracy, but that's also that's a 369 00:19:00,440 --> 00:19:04,360 Speaker 5: smaller agency and has a ton of power to execute 370 00:19:04,840 --> 00:19:07,280 Speaker 5: kind of precisely what Trump is six sedd on when 371 00:19:07,320 --> 00:19:11,639 Speaker 5: it comes to retribution, the deep stai, cleaning out law enforcement, 372 00:19:11,720 --> 00:19:14,239 Speaker 5: getting back his enemies. And I do think that, you know, 373 00:19:14,440 --> 00:19:17,439 Speaker 5: this is a dynamic that many have observed. But you know, Gates, 374 00:19:17,440 --> 00:19:19,800 Speaker 5: while he was in kind of covered for some of 375 00:19:19,840 --> 00:19:22,920 Speaker 5: the other nominees that were questionable, hag Seth is doing 376 00:19:22,960 --> 00:19:25,440 Speaker 5: the same. I think senators are looking at this saying, 377 00:19:25,600 --> 00:19:28,160 Speaker 5: I can't be against all of his people. I can't 378 00:19:28,200 --> 00:19:31,479 Speaker 5: be against Pulci Gabbard and Pete Haig Sceth and RFK 379 00:19:31,800 --> 00:19:34,439 Speaker 5: and Cash Battel. They're going to have to pick their moments, 380 00:19:34,480 --> 00:19:36,280 Speaker 5: if they pick any moments at all, which I think 381 00:19:36,400 --> 00:19:39,000 Speaker 5: is a big is a big if. But I've been 382 00:19:39,200 --> 00:19:41,840 Speaker 5: noting that, you know, Cash Hotel has started to make 383 00:19:41,840 --> 00:19:45,719 Speaker 5: the rounds very established Republicans, you know, people like John Cornyn, 384 00:19:46,040 --> 00:19:48,639 Speaker 5: who is you know, not considered a MAGA person, but 385 00:19:48,760 --> 00:19:51,440 Speaker 5: is considered someone vulnerable to a primary. He's out there 386 00:19:51,440 --> 00:19:53,679 Speaker 5: talking about how great his meeting with Cash Battel is. 387 00:19:53,760 --> 00:19:56,280 Speaker 5: I think that is as good an indicator as any 388 00:19:56,480 --> 00:19:58,040 Speaker 5: as where his nomination is going. 389 00:19:58,240 --> 00:20:00,840 Speaker 1: So what does that mean? You say, and Cash Hotel's 390 00:20:00,880 --> 00:20:01,639 Speaker 1: going to make it through. 391 00:20:02,040 --> 00:20:04,560 Speaker 5: I would be surprised if he didn't. At this point, 392 00:20:04,840 --> 00:20:06,760 Speaker 5: you never know what can happen. And again, these hearings 393 00:20:06,760 --> 00:20:09,320 Speaker 5: are going to be really important. Even in this day 394 00:20:09,320 --> 00:20:12,560 Speaker 5: and age. I don't think you can undervalue the impact 395 00:20:12,600 --> 00:20:15,399 Speaker 5: of big moments at hearings. We still remember when nominees 396 00:20:15,680 --> 00:20:18,520 Speaker 5: trip up over things or they you know, kind of 397 00:20:18,520 --> 00:20:22,080 Speaker 5: look stupid, and so those those moments are totally possible. 398 00:20:22,119 --> 00:20:24,880 Speaker 5: But I think in a way that Hegset doesn't. Patel 399 00:20:25,480 --> 00:20:30,640 Speaker 5: animates the MAGA right in just a really unique way. 400 00:20:30,960 --> 00:20:32,040 Speaker 2: Right. He's their guy. 401 00:20:32,480 --> 00:20:34,760 Speaker 5: Yeah, he is one of them, And I think I 402 00:20:34,800 --> 00:20:38,960 Speaker 5: would be curious what a ranking I guess from the 403 00:20:39,040 --> 00:20:41,800 Speaker 5: MAGA side of the kind of their most essential cabinet 404 00:20:41,800 --> 00:20:43,840 Speaker 5: people if they had to pick one or two to 405 00:20:43,880 --> 00:20:46,400 Speaker 5: get it, and guaranteed who would they pick. I think 406 00:20:46,440 --> 00:20:49,240 Speaker 5: Cash Hotel would be on that list because he represents 407 00:20:49,640 --> 00:20:52,119 Speaker 5: you know, the whole Trump ethos when it comes to 408 00:20:52,600 --> 00:20:55,080 Speaker 5: deep state everything. I mean, this is the guy and 409 00:20:55,680 --> 00:20:58,080 Speaker 5: this is what the bass is animated out that the 410 00:20:58,080 --> 00:21:00,399 Speaker 5: core part of the MAGA base is not you know, 411 00:21:00,480 --> 00:21:04,240 Speaker 5: animated about inflation. They're they're animated about getting someone in 412 00:21:04,240 --> 00:21:07,200 Speaker 5: like cash Battel in there to go after Trump's enemies 413 00:21:07,320 --> 00:21:10,560 Speaker 5: and sort of get retribution on on the last you know, 414 00:21:10,560 --> 00:21:12,560 Speaker 5: what they see is the last four years of persecution 415 00:21:12,640 --> 00:21:13,040 Speaker 5: of Trump. 416 00:21:13,160 --> 00:21:17,360 Speaker 1: Do you think cash Battel will go after Trump's enemies? 417 00:21:17,800 --> 00:21:20,680 Speaker 2: It's is it hyperbole or is do you think it's real? 418 00:21:20,760 --> 00:21:24,280 Speaker 1: And also do you think he can make that case 419 00:21:24,920 --> 00:21:26,479 Speaker 1: like to the American people? 420 00:21:26,760 --> 00:21:29,359 Speaker 5: It's complicated. I mean I think that will he want 421 00:21:29,440 --> 00:21:30,680 Speaker 5: to do. I mean, there's been a lot of great 422 00:21:30,680 --> 00:21:33,600 Speaker 5: reporting on cash Battel and you know his role in 423 00:21:33,600 --> 00:21:37,040 Speaker 5: the first Trump administration, his willingness to kind of do 424 00:21:37,520 --> 00:21:39,800 Speaker 5: whatever it was that Trump felt was necessary to do. 425 00:21:40,359 --> 00:21:42,720 Speaker 5: I think at any rate, they start with, you know, 426 00:21:42,800 --> 00:21:44,280 Speaker 5: he said that, you know, we're going to turn the 427 00:21:44,320 --> 00:21:47,120 Speaker 5: FBI into a museum of the deep state on day one. 428 00:21:47,560 --> 00:21:49,800 Speaker 5: I'm not sure that's that's going to happen. What I 429 00:21:49,840 --> 00:21:52,760 Speaker 5: do think is that we'll probably start to see subtle 430 00:21:52,760 --> 00:21:55,600 Speaker 5: shifts within, you know, within the FBI in terms of 431 00:21:55,760 --> 00:21:58,960 Speaker 5: you know, how are they policing decisions within the agency, 432 00:21:59,040 --> 00:22:02,120 Speaker 5: personnel decision and what are people's backgrounds. I don't think 433 00:22:02,119 --> 00:22:05,600 Speaker 5: we're going to see anything super external in the early 434 00:22:05,640 --> 00:22:08,159 Speaker 5: going and look, I mean I think that if Patel 435 00:22:08,280 --> 00:22:10,280 Speaker 5: is smart and we may see, look, you might meet 436 00:22:10,320 --> 00:22:13,280 Speaker 5: with some Democrats on the Judiciary Committee. It I means 437 00:22:13,280 --> 00:22:16,119 Speaker 5: the case that Trump has talked a lot about crime, Fennel, like, 438 00:22:16,760 --> 00:22:21,200 Speaker 5: the FBI is a law enforcement agency. So I think 439 00:22:21,240 --> 00:22:24,480 Speaker 5: that Patel has not been full fire breather during this process. 440 00:22:24,520 --> 00:22:27,440 Speaker 5: If he's if he's smart, and perhaps this is part 441 00:22:27,480 --> 00:22:29,160 Speaker 5: of the reason why he's able to win over people 442 00:22:29,160 --> 00:22:31,720 Speaker 5: like Cornin or at least give those senators cover to 443 00:22:31,760 --> 00:22:34,159 Speaker 5: back him. Is he's talking about you know, what does 444 00:22:34,160 --> 00:22:36,199 Speaker 5: that BEI going to do about fentanyl? What are they 445 00:22:36,200 --> 00:22:39,240 Speaker 5: going to do about kind of more sort of straight 446 00:22:39,359 --> 00:22:42,240 Speaker 5: up crime issues that affect people? And frankly that Trump 447 00:22:42,320 --> 00:22:44,120 Speaker 5: is going to need like he looks like he did 448 00:22:44,119 --> 00:22:46,159 Speaker 5: something on right. This was a big reason a lot 449 00:22:46,200 --> 00:22:49,160 Speaker 5: of people voted for Trump, and I don't think that's 450 00:22:49,200 --> 00:22:49,920 Speaker 5: lost on them. 451 00:22:50,119 --> 00:22:53,280 Speaker 2: Yeah, it just is so incredibly bleak. 452 00:22:53,640 --> 00:22:57,560 Speaker 1: So who else do you think of Trump's nominees are 453 00:22:57,600 --> 00:23:00,000 Speaker 1: going to like, I mean, who else could you see 454 00:23:00,200 --> 00:23:01,000 Speaker 1: not getting through? 455 00:23:01,680 --> 00:23:05,320 Speaker 5: So I think at this point I think back off 456 00:23:05,600 --> 00:23:09,320 Speaker 5: often in this process too. You know, Senator Tom Cotton tweeted, 457 00:23:09,480 --> 00:23:11,040 Speaker 5: I think was last week or the week before. And 458 00:23:11,440 --> 00:23:15,160 Speaker 5: Cotton is in GOP leadership now, very influential in both 459 00:23:15,200 --> 00:23:18,800 Speaker 5: the establishment Republican space and the Trump Republican space, so 460 00:23:18,840 --> 00:23:21,000 Speaker 5: he's worth paying attention to what he says. And he said, 461 00:23:21,200 --> 00:23:24,840 Speaker 5: I expect all of Donald Trump's nominees will get confirmed 462 00:23:24,880 --> 00:23:27,080 Speaker 5: by the Republican Senate. And I view that as like 463 00:23:27,080 --> 00:23:30,119 Speaker 5: a laying down the gauntlet, like you got to confirm 464 00:23:30,160 --> 00:23:32,480 Speaker 5: all of them. You know that this is the standard. 465 00:23:33,119 --> 00:23:34,920 Speaker 5: You don't get to pick and choose or go whatever. 466 00:23:34,960 --> 00:23:36,639 Speaker 5: And of course senators are very independent, They're going to 467 00:23:36,640 --> 00:23:39,440 Speaker 5: make their own decision, but that is furthering the expectation 468 00:23:39,520 --> 00:23:41,920 Speaker 5: that they're all gonna get confirmed. And I think that 469 00:23:42,040 --> 00:23:46,400 Speaker 5: just raises the bar for any Republican Senator to vote 470 00:23:46,440 --> 00:23:48,440 Speaker 5: no on any of these folks. And what I think 471 00:23:48,480 --> 00:23:51,240 Speaker 5: that will result in is them thinking that the person 472 00:23:51,400 --> 00:23:56,280 Speaker 5: is just personally so disqualifying. You know that their record 473 00:23:56,359 --> 00:23:58,879 Speaker 5: or whatever it is, you know, for example, of hegseat, 474 00:23:59,200 --> 00:24:02,840 Speaker 5: if you feel that he is not capable of running 475 00:24:02,880 --> 00:24:05,720 Speaker 5: the Department of Defense, or you feel he's unethical or 476 00:24:05,720 --> 00:24:08,200 Speaker 5: whatever it may be, that you vote against. Gabard is 477 00:24:08,200 --> 00:24:10,679 Speaker 5: another one. Toul See Gabbard. I think that is. You know, 478 00:24:10,760 --> 00:24:14,160 Speaker 5: she's nominated to be the director of National Intelligence. There's 479 00:24:14,160 --> 00:24:16,200 Speaker 5: been some interesting reporting coming out for some of her 480 00:24:16,240 --> 00:24:18,640 Speaker 5: early meetings of Republican senators that they are not very 481 00:24:18,640 --> 00:24:22,040 Speaker 5: impressed with her grasp of the issues, not necessarily what 482 00:24:22,080 --> 00:24:24,639 Speaker 5: you want or somebody who's in charge of running the 483 00:24:24,720 --> 00:24:29,080 Speaker 5: nation's you know, seventeen intelligence agencies. So in those situations, 484 00:24:29,119 --> 00:24:32,679 Speaker 5: you could see perhaps Republicans saying the stakes are so 485 00:24:33,000 --> 00:24:36,080 Speaker 5: high that I have to vote no. But look, I 486 00:24:36,119 --> 00:24:38,399 Speaker 5: think in a prior time, I just did a piece 487 00:24:38,440 --> 00:24:41,520 Speaker 5: on Trump's nominee for Labor secretary. Not as important to 488 00:24:41,560 --> 00:24:43,639 Speaker 5: the national security as some of these other things, but 489 00:24:43,720 --> 00:24:48,199 Speaker 5: he nominated a Republican congresswoman who actually supports unions. She 490 00:24:48,440 --> 00:24:51,040 Speaker 5: has endorsed the pro Act, which is the most important 491 00:24:51,200 --> 00:24:55,240 Speaker 5: kind of wabor legislation of modern times. Unions like her. 492 00:24:55,240 --> 00:24:56,760 Speaker 5: I talked to a bunch of labor leaders who are like, 493 00:24:56,800 --> 00:24:59,359 Speaker 5: you know what, Yeah, she's she's pretty good. Republicans a 494 00:24:59,359 --> 00:25:01,400 Speaker 5: lot of them really don't like her views. The Wall 495 00:25:01,440 --> 00:25:04,840 Speaker 5: Street Journal editorials has gone like a on a mini 496 00:25:04,920 --> 00:25:07,639 Speaker 5: crusade against this nominee, And you could think in a 497 00:25:07,680 --> 00:25:10,040 Speaker 5: prior time. Oh man, this is kind of queen a 498 00:25:10,080 --> 00:25:13,159 Speaker 5: policy disagreement for senators to go after, not like is 499 00:25:13,200 --> 00:25:15,760 Speaker 5: this person qualified to do the job. But I think 500 00:25:15,800 --> 00:25:18,920 Speaker 5: someone like her Lori Chavez Dreemer probably has an easier 501 00:25:18,960 --> 00:25:22,920 Speaker 5: time in this environment. And I would think despite policy disagreements, 502 00:25:22,920 --> 00:25:26,680 Speaker 5: that she would have an easier time getting confirmed because 503 00:25:26,680 --> 00:25:30,600 Speaker 5: it's not so about you know, basic questions about whether 504 00:25:30,680 --> 00:25:31,600 Speaker 5: she can do the job. 505 00:25:31,640 --> 00:25:35,360 Speaker 1: Well, Oh, Sam Brody, thank you for joining us. 506 00:25:36,119 --> 00:25:38,280 Speaker 5: Of course, thank you so much for having me back. 507 00:25:40,520 --> 00:25:44,360 Speaker 1: Robert Faderici is an investigative reporter at Pro PUBLICA. 508 00:25:44,840 --> 00:25:46,760 Speaker 2: Welcome to Fast Politics. 509 00:25:46,320 --> 00:25:47,719 Speaker 7: Robert, thank you for having me. 510 00:25:47,920 --> 00:25:52,160 Speaker 1: Everything you write about your beat is about to become 511 00:25:52,760 --> 00:25:56,840 Speaker 1: pretty much the most important beat of all the beats. 512 00:25:57,119 --> 00:25:59,520 Speaker 2: So explain to us what you do and sort of 513 00:25:59,560 --> 00:26:00,520 Speaker 2: how you got here. 514 00:26:00,920 --> 00:26:05,479 Speaker 7: So several months ago we made a bet that Trump 515 00:26:05,600 --> 00:26:10,800 Speaker 7: media and truth Social would become very important. Peer Social 516 00:26:10,840 --> 00:26:13,640 Speaker 7: had sort of been thought about as a joke, sort 517 00:26:13,680 --> 00:26:18,080 Speaker 7: of a Twitter clone, not a very serious thing, but 518 00:26:18,359 --> 00:26:21,000 Speaker 7: it has become a meme stock. And what that means 519 00:26:21,119 --> 00:26:24,800 Speaker 7: is it now valued in the billions. It makes up 520 00:26:24,920 --> 00:26:29,120 Speaker 7: a majority of Donald Trump's net worth. And we figured 521 00:26:29,280 --> 00:26:33,600 Speaker 7: that if the first presidency, was any indication he would 522 00:26:33,680 --> 00:26:38,840 Speaker 7: not meaningfully divest if he became president again, and all 523 00:26:38,880 --> 00:26:41,199 Speaker 7: of that has sort of played out now. So it 524 00:26:41,320 --> 00:26:45,320 Speaker 7: is the most important asset Donald Trump has. There's no 525 00:26:45,400 --> 00:26:48,080 Speaker 7: indication that he's going to be divesting. In fact, he 526 00:26:48,119 --> 00:26:51,160 Speaker 7: has said he is not selling his shares. And what 527 00:26:51,200 --> 00:26:54,320 Speaker 7: that means is he's got all sorts of conflicts of 528 00:26:54,359 --> 00:26:58,480 Speaker 7: interest going into his next presidency. Last time around, a 529 00:26:58,480 --> 00:27:01,560 Speaker 7: lot of hay was made about several million dollars he 530 00:27:01,680 --> 00:27:05,760 Speaker 7: made from foreign dignitaries and domestic political groups, from his 531 00:27:06,280 --> 00:27:09,919 Speaker 7: hotels and real estate interests. You know, the conflicts of 532 00:27:09,960 --> 00:27:12,600 Speaker 7: interest from Trump Media and truth Social are going to 533 00:27:12,640 --> 00:27:17,199 Speaker 7: eclipse that. We're talking business deals with. You know, in 534 00:27:17,240 --> 00:27:21,600 Speaker 7: one case, a major GOP donor that's already happened. We've 535 00:27:21,600 --> 00:27:24,680 Speaker 7: already reported on that people who want to make him 536 00:27:24,720 --> 00:27:28,840 Speaker 7: wealthier can buy up shares and drive the share price up. 537 00:27:29,080 --> 00:27:33,200 Speaker 7: There's been pure speculation, but you know that Elon Musk 538 00:27:33,280 --> 00:27:39,400 Speaker 7: could swoop in and have X buy truth Social, which 539 00:27:39,480 --> 00:27:44,359 Speaker 7: would essentially realize this paper wealth for Donald Trump. 540 00:27:44,640 --> 00:27:47,560 Speaker 1: Let's pause for a second. Explain to our listeners. We 541 00:27:47,640 --> 00:27:50,240 Speaker 1: have very savvy listeners, but we also have some listeners 542 00:27:50,240 --> 00:27:54,240 Speaker 1: who might not completely understand Donald Trump, and Elon Musk 543 00:27:54,320 --> 00:27:56,520 Speaker 1: is a bit like this too, right, though at a 544 00:27:56,520 --> 00:28:02,640 Speaker 1: different scale. A lot of his wealth is actually not liquid, right, 545 00:28:02,680 --> 00:28:03,560 Speaker 1: it's the stock. 546 00:28:03,760 --> 00:28:05,440 Speaker 2: Isn't there a lock up for it too? 547 00:28:06,040 --> 00:28:10,600 Speaker 7: The lockup is up, so he could sell the shares today. 548 00:28:11,240 --> 00:28:14,160 Speaker 7: Of course, you know, once word gets out that he's 549 00:28:14,200 --> 00:28:18,679 Speaker 7: selling shares, that will drive the share price down. He 550 00:28:18,720 --> 00:28:21,159 Speaker 7: has said he's not going to do that. There are 551 00:28:21,160 --> 00:28:24,679 Speaker 7: other ways he could realize it too, which would also 552 00:28:24,800 --> 00:28:26,080 Speaker 7: result in disclosure. 553 00:28:26,520 --> 00:28:29,720 Speaker 1: So other ways he could realize it would be using 554 00:28:29,760 --> 00:28:34,040 Speaker 1: it as collateral for something else exactly, and that would 555 00:28:34,119 --> 00:28:38,400 Speaker 1: have to be disclosed publicly because it's a publicly traded company. 556 00:28:38,200 --> 00:28:41,400 Speaker 7: Yes, and because of he is a very large shareholder, 557 00:28:41,640 --> 00:28:46,040 Speaker 7: he's a majority shareholder. That should be disclosed publicly if 558 00:28:46,040 --> 00:28:46,680 Speaker 7: it happens. 559 00:28:47,040 --> 00:28:49,600 Speaker 2: But people who own the stock, that is not a 560 00:28:49,600 --> 00:28:51,200 Speaker 2: public disclosure. 561 00:28:50,960 --> 00:28:54,360 Speaker 7: If you own less than a certain threshold, which could 562 00:28:54,400 --> 00:28:55,840 Speaker 7: still be a very large amount. 563 00:28:56,320 --> 00:28:59,440 Speaker 1: So the worry here I want to get into is 564 00:28:59,560 --> 00:29:03,120 Speaker 1: one you don't know who's giving Donald Trump money via 565 00:29:03,520 --> 00:29:07,240 Speaker 1: this company, which is explained to our listeners why the 566 00:29:07,360 --> 00:29:10,000 Speaker 1: value of his company is so preposterous. 567 00:29:10,440 --> 00:29:14,400 Speaker 7: It seems as though people have essentially been buying up 568 00:29:14,480 --> 00:29:20,160 Speaker 7: the stock as a proxy for Donald Trump's political fortunes. 569 00:29:20,640 --> 00:29:22,680 Speaker 7: We saw that kind of thing. When there were good 570 00:29:22,720 --> 00:29:26,440 Speaker 7: developments for Trump during the campaign, the share price would 571 00:29:26,440 --> 00:29:29,200 Speaker 7: often go up. When there were bad developments, the share 572 00:29:29,200 --> 00:29:33,920 Speaker 7: price would go down. It's sort of disconnected from economic reality. 573 00:29:34,360 --> 00:29:39,840 Speaker 7: The revenue of this company is almost nonexistent. There's no 574 00:29:40,000 --> 00:29:43,960 Speaker 7: reason it should be worth billions of dollars by traditional metrics. 575 00:29:44,440 --> 00:29:48,200 Speaker 7: But like AMC and other meme stocks, it has blown 576 00:29:48,320 --> 00:29:52,960 Speaker 7: up and that has made Donald Trump much much wealthier. 577 00:29:53,000 --> 00:29:55,720 Speaker 1: But it's not real wealth. So even though it's wealth, 578 00:29:55,800 --> 00:29:58,880 Speaker 1: it's not actual as wealth. So can you sort of 579 00:29:59,120 --> 00:30:04,000 Speaker 1: explain to us why this is such a conflict besides 580 00:30:04,040 --> 00:30:06,840 Speaker 1: the fact that it's an opportunity to give a future 581 00:30:07,120 --> 00:30:08,600 Speaker 1: president money. 582 00:30:09,000 --> 00:30:11,400 Speaker 7: Let me give you a good example, you know, from 583 00:30:11,440 --> 00:30:14,800 Speaker 7: one of our past stories. So the company put out 584 00:30:15,080 --> 00:30:19,480 Speaker 7: a disclosure about a new streaming deal it it got 585 00:30:19,480 --> 00:30:23,600 Speaker 7: involved in. And the two entities that were part of 586 00:30:23,640 --> 00:30:26,400 Speaker 7: that deal, you know, we talked to people no one 587 00:30:26,440 --> 00:30:29,520 Speaker 7: had ever heard of him, and so we dug deeper 588 00:30:29,560 --> 00:30:32,880 Speaker 7: on both of them, and one of them is owned 589 00:30:33,240 --> 00:30:37,960 Speaker 7: or controlled by a major GOP donor in Louisiana. This 590 00:30:38,080 --> 00:30:40,160 Speaker 7: is a person, you know, He's an energy magnet. He 591 00:30:40,320 --> 00:30:45,080 Speaker 7: has vast lobbying interests during a second Trump administration. He 592 00:30:45,160 --> 00:30:49,440 Speaker 7: personally lobbied the first Trump administration and got concession. So 593 00:30:49,560 --> 00:30:52,640 Speaker 7: now not only is he a major GOP donor and 594 00:30:52,680 --> 00:30:56,000 Speaker 7: a Trump donor, but he is literally in business with 595 00:30:56,120 --> 00:30:59,640 Speaker 7: Donald Trump. And if he needs something, if he wants 596 00:30:59,640 --> 00:31:03,520 Speaker 7: something during a second Trump administration, will he have a 597 00:31:03,600 --> 00:31:05,479 Speaker 7: benefit over your average person? 598 00:31:05,960 --> 00:31:06,440 Speaker 2: Yeah. 599 00:31:06,480 --> 00:31:10,280 Speaker 1: Absolutely, Talk to us about sort of the other Trump 600 00:31:10,320 --> 00:31:11,120 Speaker 1: has wall. 601 00:31:10,960 --> 00:31:12,960 Speaker 2: Street is I was reading in the New York Times 602 00:31:13,000 --> 00:31:13,520 Speaker 2: this morning. 603 00:31:14,040 --> 00:31:19,800 Speaker 1: Wall Street is incredibly excited about another Trump admin You 604 00:31:19,840 --> 00:31:23,520 Speaker 1: write about ways in which wealthy people are able to 605 00:31:23,560 --> 00:31:28,160 Speaker 1: avoid paying taxes, able to sort of win against the 606 00:31:28,200 --> 00:31:31,280 Speaker 1: little guy. Talk to us about some of the opportunities 607 00:31:31,280 --> 00:31:32,680 Speaker 1: you think Wall Street will have here. 608 00:31:32,960 --> 00:31:36,560 Speaker 7: The most significant legislative achievement of the first time around 609 00:31:36,800 --> 00:31:41,840 Speaker 7: was TCJA, the tax bill that reduced the tax burdens 610 00:31:42,160 --> 00:31:45,920 Speaker 7: dramatically for wealthy people. Many parts of that are up 611 00:31:45,960 --> 00:31:50,520 Speaker 7: for renewal during the next Trump administration, and so if 612 00:31:50,560 --> 00:31:53,720 Speaker 7: those elements are renewed, that it's going to be a 613 00:31:53,840 --> 00:31:57,920 Speaker 7: huge benefit for wealthy people. And then he has promised 614 00:31:58,040 --> 00:32:03,360 Speaker 7: to reverse course on crypto regulation. He is nominated someone 615 00:32:03,440 --> 00:32:06,280 Speaker 7: or he's going to nominate someone to lead the SEC 616 00:32:06,680 --> 00:32:09,880 Speaker 7: who has a very different view on crypto and how 617 00:32:09,960 --> 00:32:11,960 Speaker 7: much it should be regulated. 618 00:32:11,560 --> 00:32:13,880 Speaker 2: Which is not at all, right, which. 619 00:32:13,680 --> 00:32:17,480 Speaker 7: Is very little. And interestingly, again all roads lead back 620 00:32:17,520 --> 00:32:21,000 Speaker 7: to Trump Media. It was recently reported that Trump Media 621 00:32:21,080 --> 00:32:26,000 Speaker 7: is in talks to acquire a crypto exchange company. So 622 00:32:26,560 --> 00:32:29,920 Speaker 7: in more than one way, the president is going to 623 00:32:29,960 --> 00:32:35,680 Speaker 7: be in the crypto business himself, as his administration deregulates crypto. 624 00:32:37,120 --> 00:32:40,440 Speaker 1: So talk about what you're going to be watching in 625 00:32:40,440 --> 00:32:44,120 Speaker 1: this admin where there are opportunities for corruption or things 626 00:32:44,120 --> 00:32:48,560 Speaker 1: that you think could be misused theoretically at least. 627 00:32:48,720 --> 00:32:52,480 Speaker 7: So you know, our latest story this is this is 628 00:32:52,520 --> 00:32:55,440 Speaker 7: the first time that a president is going to be 629 00:32:55,480 --> 00:33:00,480 Speaker 7: a majority shareholder of a publicly traded company. So essentially 630 00:33:00,560 --> 00:33:04,720 Speaker 7: Donald Trump is going to select the chairman of the 631 00:33:04,800 --> 00:33:09,160 Speaker 7: SEC who is essentially going to be the main regulator 632 00:33:09,680 --> 00:33:12,920 Speaker 7: of his own company. And we talked to current and 633 00:33:13,040 --> 00:33:16,959 Speaker 7: former SEC officials and we asked them, do you think 634 00:33:17,120 --> 00:33:21,360 Speaker 7: the SEC is going to aggressively regulate the President's company 635 00:33:21,680 --> 00:33:25,240 Speaker 7: and largely they had serious doubts that the SEC would 636 00:33:25,280 --> 00:33:28,320 Speaker 7: be up to the task. We actually, through our reporting 637 00:33:28,480 --> 00:33:33,400 Speaker 7: discovered an instance of Trump media for a long time 638 00:33:33,480 --> 00:33:39,120 Speaker 7: now making a potential material misrepresentation about truth social the 639 00:33:39,240 --> 00:33:42,760 Speaker 7: kind of thing that the SEC would potentially go after. 640 00:33:43,200 --> 00:33:46,240 Speaker 7: And with Trump coming into the office and choosing the 641 00:33:46,280 --> 00:33:49,600 Speaker 7: SEC chairman, there are real doubts about whether the SEC 642 00:33:49,640 --> 00:33:51,840 Speaker 7: will go after that kind of thing. That matters in 643 00:33:51,880 --> 00:33:54,880 Speaker 7: a narrow sense, right, but it also matters in a 644 00:33:54,960 --> 00:33:58,120 Speaker 7: larger sense in that part of the reason the American 645 00:33:58,280 --> 00:34:02,800 Speaker 7: economy is the americano is because there is faith that 646 00:34:02,960 --> 00:34:06,880 Speaker 7: is well regulated. If there start to be doubts that 647 00:34:07,080 --> 00:34:10,920 Speaker 7: companies connected to the president says ally, it's like Elon, 648 00:34:11,000 --> 00:34:14,520 Speaker 7: Musk and Tesla, which make up a much larger share 649 00:34:14,560 --> 00:34:18,520 Speaker 7: of the market, are not being properly regulated. There may 650 00:34:18,560 --> 00:34:22,000 Speaker 7: be short term benefits for those companies, but long term, 651 00:34:22,200 --> 00:34:25,239 Speaker 7: are they going to get loans? Will people want to 652 00:34:25,239 --> 00:34:30,960 Speaker 7: invest in them? It could potentially affect the confidence in 653 00:34:31,160 --> 00:34:34,320 Speaker 7: the American markets, which should have bad effects for everyone. 654 00:34:34,680 --> 00:34:39,879 Speaker 1: Yeah, it's hard to not see how regulation has I mean, 655 00:34:40,080 --> 00:34:42,960 Speaker 1: if you think about what happened with Boeing, right, I 656 00:34:43,040 --> 00:34:47,759 Speaker 1: mean regulation is actually quite a good thing, largely, or 657 00:34:47,760 --> 00:34:49,000 Speaker 1: at least in my mind. 658 00:34:49,360 --> 00:34:51,600 Speaker 7: Yeah, I mean it's it's always you know, you've got 659 00:34:51,600 --> 00:34:53,879 Speaker 7: to find the sort of happy medium, right, you want 660 00:34:53,880 --> 00:34:55,800 Speaker 7: to regulate enough but not too much. 661 00:34:56,360 --> 00:35:00,840 Speaker 1: Eric Trump, he's actually in Abu dhah Bay at a 662 00:35:00,880 --> 00:35:02,000 Speaker 1: bigcoin conference. 663 00:35:02,320 --> 00:35:04,120 Speaker 2: What does that sort of say. 664 00:35:04,200 --> 00:35:08,000 Speaker 7: When the president and his family have foreign business interests? 665 00:35:08,320 --> 00:35:12,880 Speaker 7: It creates conflicts of interest when you're also the person 666 00:35:12,920 --> 00:35:16,520 Speaker 7: who's in charge of shaping American foreign policy. That's why 667 00:35:16,560 --> 00:35:21,239 Speaker 7: you don't want those kinds of foreign financial entanglements. And 668 00:35:21,280 --> 00:35:23,680 Speaker 7: it's you know, that's one example, the one you mentioned. 669 00:35:23,920 --> 00:35:27,680 Speaker 7: You've also got, you know, Jared Kushner who has I 670 00:35:27,680 --> 00:35:31,239 Speaker 7: think it's hundreds of millions of dollars in fees his 671 00:35:31,440 --> 00:35:35,319 Speaker 7: fund largely from the Saudis. You know, we found an 672 00:35:35,320 --> 00:35:40,719 Speaker 7: instance several months ago of representatives for Trump media going 673 00:35:40,760 --> 00:35:44,279 Speaker 7: to North Macedonia and meeting with the prime minister there 674 00:35:44,760 --> 00:35:48,560 Speaker 7: to talk potential business. What does that mean for US 675 00:35:48,560 --> 00:35:52,560 Speaker 7: foreign policy as it relates to North Macedonia. So yeah, 676 00:35:52,600 --> 00:35:57,200 Speaker 7: typically that's why we want to see the president, meanfully 677 00:35:57,280 --> 00:36:02,080 Speaker 7: the best from his these kinds of financial interests, particularly 678 00:36:02,320 --> 00:36:06,799 Speaker 7: foreign financial foreign related financial interests. It doesn't appear we're 679 00:36:06,800 --> 00:36:08,720 Speaker 7: gonna see that this time around. 680 00:36:09,120 --> 00:36:13,239 Speaker 1: Yeah, is there any kind of accountability? Is there any 681 00:36:13,440 --> 00:36:14,799 Speaker 1: chance to do that? 682 00:36:15,280 --> 00:36:21,680 Speaker 7: If the SEC and the DOJ fail to properly enforce 683 00:36:21,800 --> 00:36:25,640 Speaker 7: securities laws as it relates to Trump media or anything else, 684 00:36:25,960 --> 00:36:29,800 Speaker 7: there is always the potential that state authorities, which Donald 685 00:36:29,840 --> 00:36:33,280 Speaker 7: Trump has no control over, could swoop in. We've actually 686 00:36:33,880 --> 00:36:37,600 Speaker 7: surfaced one example already of that. The New York AG, 687 00:36:38,400 --> 00:36:41,920 Speaker 7: according to a source of ours and some records we reviewed, 688 00:36:42,800 --> 00:36:47,279 Speaker 7: has begun probing a matter related to Trump media. We 689 00:36:47,360 --> 00:36:49,520 Speaker 7: may see more of that kind of thing in the 690 00:36:49,600 --> 00:36:50,520 Speaker 7: coming years. 691 00:36:50,920 --> 00:36:55,799 Speaker 1: There is a sense that Kryptocrats have won, for lack 692 00:36:55,840 --> 00:36:59,920 Speaker 1: of a better word, Is there any chance that they 693 00:37:00,280 --> 00:37:03,000 Speaker 1: won't kind of become the free for all that it 694 00:37:03,000 --> 00:37:04,000 Speaker 1: looks like it's going to be. 695 00:37:04,440 --> 00:37:09,160 Speaker 7: I've learned that my ability to predict is quite poor. 696 00:37:09,640 --> 00:37:12,279 Speaker 7: I do know that at Pro Publica we plan to 697 00:37:12,719 --> 00:37:16,680 Speaker 7: aggressively and fairly cover this, and so at the very 698 00:37:16,800 --> 00:37:19,719 Speaker 7: least we hope that you know, if there are abuses 699 00:37:19,760 --> 00:37:23,200 Speaker 7: of power, we will be informing the public about them. 700 00:37:23,480 --> 00:37:25,160 Speaker 2: That is a really important point. 701 00:37:25,239 --> 00:37:28,960 Speaker 1: And I'm just wondering if you can kind of explain 702 00:37:29,520 --> 00:37:33,280 Speaker 1: how why it's so important, if that makes any sense. 703 00:37:33,520 --> 00:37:38,280 Speaker 7: Yeah, for there to be any hope of real accountability, 704 00:37:38,800 --> 00:37:45,160 Speaker 7: you need investigative reporting. This job is very hard, you know. 705 00:37:45,239 --> 00:37:49,760 Speaker 7: Abuses of power are typically not out in the open. 706 00:37:50,160 --> 00:37:54,120 Speaker 7: Sometimes during the first Trump administration they obviously were, but 707 00:37:54,160 --> 00:37:58,839 Speaker 7: they're often not, and the work of trying to untangle 708 00:37:59,080 --> 00:38:04,120 Speaker 7: what happened or is happening is often extremely complicated. You 709 00:38:04,160 --> 00:38:07,120 Speaker 7: will have one idea of what happened, and then you'll 710 00:38:07,160 --> 00:38:10,200 Speaker 7: dig deeper, and your idea will shift, and you'll dig 711 00:38:10,239 --> 00:38:13,319 Speaker 7: even deeper and it'll shift again. You'll reach out to 712 00:38:13,360 --> 00:38:16,920 Speaker 7: the people who you believe are abusing their power and 713 00:38:17,000 --> 00:38:20,520 Speaker 7: they'll explain some things to you that you didn't previously realize. 714 00:38:20,560 --> 00:38:23,960 Speaker 7: And so it's a process and you need people who 715 00:38:24,360 --> 00:38:27,600 Speaker 7: are experts at doing this kind of work to do 716 00:38:27,680 --> 00:38:30,839 Speaker 7: it fairly and thoroughly. I mean, Elon Musk has been 717 00:38:30,840 --> 00:38:33,560 Speaker 7: on Twitter saying you are the media now, and I'm 718 00:38:33,600 --> 00:38:37,279 Speaker 7: all for citizen journalism. I think it has value, but 719 00:38:37,719 --> 00:38:42,240 Speaker 7: you need trained, experienced experts to be doing the work also, 720 00:38:42,680 --> 00:38:45,759 Speaker 7: because it's not easy work and it's not straightforward, and 721 00:38:45,800 --> 00:38:49,560 Speaker 7: you won't get up a fair and thorough product if 722 00:38:49,600 --> 00:38:51,279 Speaker 7: you have just anyone doing it. 723 00:38:51,640 --> 00:38:53,960 Speaker 2: Yeah, thank you so much for joining us. 724 00:38:54,160 --> 00:38:55,480 Speaker 7: Thank you, thank you for having me. 725 00:38:57,719 --> 00:39:01,279 Speaker 2: No moment, Jesse. 726 00:39:01,160 --> 00:39:02,400 Speaker 4: Cannon, Molly. 727 00:39:02,920 --> 00:39:04,799 Speaker 3: We can kind of say this episode had a theme 728 00:39:04,880 --> 00:39:07,399 Speaker 3: of well, we knew that was going to happen, and 729 00:39:07,760 --> 00:39:11,120 Speaker 3: sure enough, Texas is filing a lawsuit against out of 730 00:39:11,120 --> 00:39:12,440 Speaker 3: state abortion practices. 731 00:39:12,760 --> 00:39:13,399 Speaker 4: It's not good. 732 00:39:13,880 --> 00:39:16,279 Speaker 2: I mean, we saw this coming a mile away. We 733 00:39:16,320 --> 00:39:19,320 Speaker 2: saw this coming a mile away. We said they're. 734 00:39:19,160 --> 00:39:21,880 Speaker 1: Going to ban abortion pills, and everyone said, you're crazy. 735 00:39:22,320 --> 00:39:24,080 Speaker 1: And I want to point out, this is the thing 736 00:39:24,120 --> 00:39:26,640 Speaker 1: that makes me so crazy about this is that we 737 00:39:26,719 --> 00:39:31,680 Speaker 1: had all of these voters who voted to codify. 738 00:39:31,760 --> 00:39:35,280 Speaker 2: Abortion in their state constitution and still voted for Trump. 739 00:39:35,480 --> 00:39:39,120 Speaker 1: You guys, they're not going to fucking codify abortion in 740 00:39:39,160 --> 00:39:42,920 Speaker 1: their state constitution. Republicans, We've seen this in Florida before. 741 00:39:43,000 --> 00:39:48,640 Speaker 1: We've seen them refuse to enact these ballot measures once 742 00:39:48,680 --> 00:39:52,839 Speaker 1: they've happened. Remember, in Florida, we had felons who were 743 00:39:53,440 --> 00:39:54,600 Speaker 1: re enfranchised. 744 00:39:54,680 --> 00:39:56,480 Speaker 2: That was the ballot initiative, and. 745 00:39:56,760 --> 00:40:00,960 Speaker 1: Instead of enacting that, Florida government added more sort of 746 00:40:01,000 --> 00:40:04,240 Speaker 1: poll taxes to make it harder for felons to vote. 747 00:40:04,320 --> 00:40:07,640 Speaker 1: So you think that people, I mean Florida, the abortion 748 00:40:07,800 --> 00:40:10,120 Speaker 1: ballot is shift in pass, but in some of these 749 00:40:10,120 --> 00:40:13,120 Speaker 1: states it did. And if you don't think these people 750 00:40:13,160 --> 00:40:15,840 Speaker 1: are going to ban abortion, you are out of your mind. 751 00:40:15,880 --> 00:40:19,760 Speaker 1: We are in find Out Territory and it's really a bummer. 752 00:40:20,680 --> 00:40:25,120 Speaker 1: That's it for this episode of Fast Politics. Tune in 753 00:40:25,320 --> 00:40:30,760 Speaker 1: every Monday, Wednesday, Thursday, and Saturday to hear the best 754 00:40:30,840 --> 00:40:35,160 Speaker 1: minds and politics make sense of all this chaos. If 755 00:40:35,160 --> 00:40:38,240 Speaker 1: you enjoy this podcast, please send it to a friend 756 00:40:38,680 --> 00:40:41,920 Speaker 1: and keep the conversation going. Thanks for listening.