1 00:00:00,650 --> 00:00:04,590 Speaker 1: Hi, I'm Molly Jongfast, and this is Fast Politics, where 2 00:00:04,620 --> 00:00:07,500 Speaker 1: we discuss the top political headlines with some of today's 3 00:00:07,680 --> 00:00:11,940 Speaker 1: best minds. And Melania Trump says he's doing the best 4 00:00:12,020 --> 00:00:14,280 Speaker 1: he can. Oh, well, in that case, we have such 5 00:00:14,300 --> 00:00:17,160 Speaker 1: a great show for you today. The Jim Acosta Show's 6 00:00:17,340 --> 00:00:21,070 Speaker 1: Jim Acosta stops by to talk about Trump wrecking the 7 00:00:21,110 --> 00:00:24,970 Speaker 1: American economy. Then we'll talk to former U.S. pardon attorney 8 00:00:24,989 --> 00:00:29,300 Speaker 1: Liz Oyer about the about Trump's Justice Department giving Ghislaine 9 00:00:29,340 --> 00:00:32,240 Speaker 1: Maxwell preferential treatment. But first, the news. 10 00:00:32,420 --> 00:00:35,960 Speaker 2: So, Molly, as we know, Trump surrounds himself in this 11 00:00:36,040 --> 00:00:39,260 Speaker 2: term much more with sycophants who will do anything to 12 00:00:39,320 --> 00:00:42,129 Speaker 2: tell him that he is the greatest of all time. 13 00:00:42,290 --> 00:00:44,430 Speaker 2: And part of that is also that they want to 14 00:00:44,510 --> 00:00:47,250 Speaker 2: keep their meal ticket. So they're urging him to declare 15 00:00:47,310 --> 00:00:48,550 Speaker 2: martial law for the midterms. 16 00:00:48,830 --> 00:00:52,190 Speaker 1: Yeah. So this is a story from The Atlantic. Trump's 17 00:00:52,270 --> 00:00:55,330 Speaker 1: advisers have been working for months to move his focus 18 00:00:55,450 --> 00:00:59,220 Speaker 1: away from baseless theories of election fraud. But there are 19 00:00:59,230 --> 00:01:03,760 Speaker 1: a group of outsiders who are trying a different tack, 20 00:01:03,880 --> 00:01:06,840 Speaker 1: and they would like Trump to seize control of federal 21 00:01:06,860 --> 00:01:11,460 Speaker 1: elections this fall. These are like the drags, right? Tina Peters, 22 00:01:11,620 --> 00:01:16,140 Speaker 1: Peter Tickton, all of the really people who should belong 23 00:01:16,180 --> 00:01:21,180 Speaker 1: in jail. Wayne Allen Root. These are people from the 24 00:01:21,300 --> 00:01:29,280 Speaker 1: bowels of the internet, people for whom everything is conspiracy. 25 00:01:29,360 --> 00:01:33,420 Speaker 1: A Lindell TV host is Wayne Allen Root. He's also 26 00:01:33,480 --> 00:01:35,500 Speaker 1: a Gateway Pundit columnist. 27 00:01:35,910 --> 00:01:36,440 Speaker 3: Oh, yeah. 28 00:01:36,610 --> 00:01:37,840 Speaker 2: I haven't heard that one in a minute. 29 00:01:37,890 --> 00:01:40,750 Speaker 1: The White House spokesman, Lauren Biss, said this is a 30 00:01:40,810 --> 00:01:43,550 Speaker 1: real story and there is evidence of voter fraud. Of 31 00:01:43,650 --> 00:01:46,990 Speaker 1: course she did. This is really scary and bad. There 32 00:01:47,030 --> 00:01:50,910 Speaker 1: are so many organizations that are ready to go to 33 00:01:50,990 --> 00:01:55,530 Speaker 1: court to try and defend our elections. So we're going 34 00:01:55,550 --> 00:01:59,530 Speaker 1: to see a lot of pushback, thank God. But it's really, 35 00:01:59,550 --> 00:02:04,030 Speaker 1: really scary. And it's a really scary moment for the 36 00:02:04,110 --> 00:02:08,549 Speaker 1: rule of law and American democracy. And this is where 37 00:02:08,590 --> 00:02:12,510 Speaker 1: we are. And it's just unbelievably bad. 38 00:02:12,840 --> 00:02:15,120 Speaker 2: So speaking of the rule of law, there's this fun 39 00:02:15,160 --> 00:02:18,940 Speaker 2: Gallup poll about how little Americans feel it has any 40 00:02:19,000 --> 00:02:21,240 Speaker 2: consequences for our higher ups. 41 00:02:21,540 --> 00:02:26,540 Speaker 1: So basically, voters are really, really, really mad. And we 42 00:02:26,639 --> 00:02:29,320 Speaker 1: see this everywhere. But one of the ways we see 43 00:02:29,360 --> 00:02:33,880 Speaker 1: it is they're like really despairing about what will happen 44 00:02:33,919 --> 00:02:38,960 Speaker 1: to powerful people, whether powerful people will ever be held accountable. 45 00:02:39,280 --> 00:02:43,190 Speaker 1: And in this poll, we see that Republicans are also 46 00:02:43,290 --> 00:02:46,329 Speaker 1: really mad. And this is like an amazing poll because 47 00:02:46,410 --> 00:02:51,850 Speaker 1: it shows that 43 percent of Republican, not Democrats, not independents, 48 00:02:51,950 --> 00:02:57,900 Speaker 1: Republicans believe that the rule of law is weaker than 49 00:02:57,960 --> 00:03:02,600 Speaker 1: it was a decade ago. OK, that's Republicans. And so 50 00:03:03,020 --> 00:03:06,820 Speaker 1: if you don't see where that's going, right, that means 51 00:03:07,000 --> 00:03:12,130 Speaker 1: that there are a pretty good percentage of Republicans who 52 00:03:12,270 --> 00:03:15,450 Speaker 1: see Trump's corruption for what it is. But the really 53 00:03:15,730 --> 00:03:20,870 Speaker 1: despairing part of this is that just 28 percent believe 54 00:03:20,930 --> 00:03:23,570 Speaker 1: that political leaders will be held accountable. 55 00:03:28,000 --> 00:03:30,860 Speaker 2: The swamp was the beginning of this. But like now 56 00:03:30,919 --> 00:03:33,750 Speaker 2: we're at the thing of that. They've shown like whoever 57 00:03:33,830 --> 00:03:35,970 Speaker 2: trusted that Trump was going to drain the swamp. All 58 00:03:35,990 --> 00:03:38,530 Speaker 2: of those people have learned that was all fucking con. 59 00:03:38,710 --> 00:03:41,790 Speaker 1: Right. I think that's right. I think we're seeing that. 60 00:03:42,030 --> 00:03:44,250 Speaker 1: I think people are despairing and I think people are 61 00:03:44,290 --> 00:03:45,589 Speaker 1: upset and I think it's a big deal. 62 00:03:45,750 --> 00:03:49,320 Speaker 2: Smiley, the apple of your eye, RFK Jr., the man 63 00:03:49,380 --> 00:03:51,020 Speaker 2: that you're his reply gal. 64 00:03:51,180 --> 00:03:53,380 Speaker 1: I mean, yes, I'm trying to be. It's the first 65 00:03:53,420 --> 00:03:55,020 Speaker 1: real relationship I've ever had in my life. 66 00:03:55,440 --> 00:03:57,880 Speaker 2: So it was because when we were in Texas that time, 67 00:03:57,900 --> 00:03:59,680 Speaker 2: he puffed his chest out at you and you were 68 00:03:59,700 --> 00:04:01,180 Speaker 2: just like, yeah, I like what I see. 69 00:04:01,260 --> 00:04:03,560 Speaker 1: I just like a man who works out in jeans 70 00:04:03,840 --> 00:04:04,630 Speaker 1: and nothing else. 71 00:04:04,730 --> 00:04:07,050 Speaker 2: I do. Do you remember when Ellie Honig told us 72 00:04:07,150 --> 00:04:09,250 Speaker 2: that long before the public knew that? And you and 73 00:04:09,310 --> 00:04:11,450 Speaker 2: I knew that for months before and were astounded. 74 00:04:11,490 --> 00:04:14,170 Speaker 1: Yeah. Yeah. And we never we saved it for the book. 75 00:04:14,250 --> 00:04:15,370 Speaker 1: We never told anyone. 76 00:04:15,390 --> 00:04:17,770 Speaker 3: It's actually not true. We told a lot of people that. 77 00:04:18,230 --> 00:04:21,300 Speaker 1: We were like, you can't make him health and human 78 00:04:21,339 --> 00:04:23,620 Speaker 1: services secretary works out in jeans. 79 00:04:23,920 --> 00:04:28,179 Speaker 2: OK, but so he took money out of the Office 80 00:04:28,240 --> 00:04:31,440 Speaker 2: of Minority Health for his own security. Is there any 81 00:04:31,760 --> 00:04:34,940 Speaker 2: story that could be more just on the nose? 82 00:04:34,960 --> 00:04:36,240 Speaker 3: Yeah, just absolutely. 83 00:04:36,320 --> 00:04:38,280 Speaker 2: Of course, this is where he's eluded from. 84 00:04:38,460 --> 00:04:42,239 Speaker 1: I think the best little caveat here is this was 85 00:04:42,339 --> 00:04:48,400 Speaker 1: created by libtard Ronald Reagan to address higher black infant 86 00:04:48,440 --> 00:04:53,590 Speaker 1: mortality rate. That money is not going towards maternal fetal health. 87 00:04:53,770 --> 00:04:58,870 Speaker 1: It is going towards RFK's security detail. It's hard to 88 00:04:59,050 --> 00:05:02,810 Speaker 1: explain the feelings I have about RFK Jr. from his 89 00:05:03,010 --> 00:05:08,000 Speaker 1: lying about vaccines to the children and elderly people who 90 00:05:08,080 --> 00:05:11,940 Speaker 1: are dying of measles because of him to his refusal 91 00:05:12,020 --> 00:05:16,250 Speaker 1: to ban Roundup and glycoside. The two things that he 92 00:05:16,430 --> 00:05:19,070 Speaker 1: actually could do or he could have actually had some 93 00:05:19,130 --> 00:05:21,990 Speaker 1: influence on, he didn't do. I actually think he's a 94 00:05:22,010 --> 00:05:23,110 Speaker 1: bigger grifter than Trump. 95 00:05:23,270 --> 00:05:26,230 Speaker 2: Somali, I'm going to take you back to 2016. Do 96 00:05:26,270 --> 00:05:27,800 Speaker 2: you remember the name Billy Bush? 97 00:05:27,980 --> 00:05:29,040 Speaker 1: Unfortunately, yes. 98 00:05:29,160 --> 00:05:31,340 Speaker 2: Okay, so for those who don't remember, this was the 99 00:05:31,400 --> 00:05:34,380 Speaker 2: man who, when Donald Trump talked about grabbing women by 100 00:05:34,460 --> 00:05:37,350 Speaker 2: a bodily part, that's who he was talking to. Well, 101 00:05:37,450 --> 00:05:39,150 Speaker 2: he's found himself with a new job. I'm going to 102 00:05:39,170 --> 00:05:41,430 Speaker 2: show you the way Fox News chose to announce this. 103 00:05:42,400 --> 00:05:46,070 Speaker 4: Billy Bush, our brand new Fox News contributor and host 104 00:05:46,150 --> 00:05:48,010 Speaker 4: of Hot Mics. Wow. All right, Billy, first of all, 105 00:05:48,029 --> 00:05:49,810 Speaker 4: congratulations on becoming a tribute. 106 00:05:50,070 --> 00:05:52,589 Speaker 1: You know what that means. Can I warn you about something, Billy? 107 00:05:52,910 --> 00:05:55,770 Speaker 4: Now that you work here, Trump might hire you for 108 00:05:55,790 --> 00:06:01,010 Speaker 4: the cabinet. Well, which which department do you want to be? 109 00:06:01,380 --> 00:06:02,100 Speaker 3: What do you want? 110 00:06:02,630 --> 00:06:03,880 Speaker 1: There could be some openings. 111 00:06:04,660 --> 00:06:06,220 Speaker 3: Is interior available? 112 00:06:06,360 --> 00:06:07,740 Speaker 1: I feel like that's not doing much. 113 00:06:07,820 --> 00:06:11,200 Speaker 3: I feel like I can... Bergham? How dare you? 114 00:06:11,440 --> 00:06:13,000 Speaker 4: He's been hard at work. 115 00:06:13,460 --> 00:06:15,500 Speaker 1: Haven't you been following? What about the. 116 00:06:15,810 --> 00:06:18,770 Speaker 3: I know you've been following this Sweeney thing. Press secretary. 117 00:06:20,190 --> 00:06:21,940 Speaker 1: Hey, I love it. 118 00:06:22,650 --> 00:06:23,279 Speaker 5: I love it. 119 00:06:23,870 --> 00:06:26,529 Speaker 3: I would probably expect him to hire a woman, but... 120 00:06:27,180 --> 00:06:29,300 Speaker 3: You're not bad looking, Billy. I think you could pull 121 00:06:29,320 --> 00:06:32,380 Speaker 3: it off. I have female energy. I have some. You 122 00:06:32,400 --> 00:06:33,560 Speaker 3: might not be able to pick up on it. 123 00:06:33,600 --> 00:06:35,360 Speaker 4: Although, look, Sidney Sweeney. 124 00:06:35,400 --> 00:06:38,180 Speaker 2: Where to start, Molly? Well, can we start with his 125 00:06:38,260 --> 00:06:41,120 Speaker 2: show is called Hot Mics because it was a hot 126 00:06:41,190 --> 00:06:43,310 Speaker 2: mic that got him fired. They have him on to 127 00:06:43,370 --> 00:06:46,349 Speaker 2: discuss Sidney Sweeney because that's all they can discuss all day. 128 00:06:46,510 --> 00:06:49,990 Speaker 1: I've seen so many segments on Fox News about Sidney Sweeney. 129 00:06:50,029 --> 00:06:52,510 Speaker 1: It's kind of shocking. Like, I don't think they do 130 00:06:52,650 --> 00:06:54,570 Speaker 1: anything else but Sidney Sweeney. 131 00:06:54,830 --> 00:06:58,279 Speaker 2: Yeah, it's one of the most made up controversies I've 132 00:06:58,320 --> 00:07:01,419 Speaker 2: ever seen. And then as well, the joke about how 133 00:07:01,580 --> 00:07:04,740 Speaker 2: Trump hires from Fox News. Well, show me the lie. 134 00:07:04,960 --> 00:07:07,600 Speaker 1: Look, Billy Bush. What can I say about Billy Bush? 135 00:07:07,660 --> 00:07:11,220 Speaker 1: He was fired for that hot mic thing. It's taken 136 00:07:11,260 --> 00:07:14,210 Speaker 1: him a decade, but now he has finally a job. 137 00:07:14,490 --> 00:07:17,570 Speaker 1: I have nothing nice to say about Billy Bush, except 138 00:07:17,690 --> 00:07:21,270 Speaker 1: that he is proof that you cannot keep a mediocre 139 00:07:21,310 --> 00:07:28,600 Speaker 1: white guy down. Jim Acosta is the author of the substack, 140 00:07:28,640 --> 00:07:31,520 Speaker 1: The Jim Acosta Show, and the author of The New 141 00:07:31,540 --> 00:07:34,880 Speaker 1: York Times bestseller, The Enemy of the People, A Dangerous 142 00:07:34,940 --> 00:07:40,120 Speaker 1: Time to Tell the Truth in America. Welcome, welcome, Jim Acosta. Hi, Molly. 143 00:07:40,140 --> 00:07:41,620 Speaker 3: Good to see you. 144 00:07:42,400 --> 00:07:44,660 Speaker 1: As an enemy of the people to an enemy of 145 00:07:44,700 --> 00:07:45,240 Speaker 1: the people. 146 00:07:45,260 --> 00:07:46,180 Speaker 3: Thank you. 147 00:07:46,220 --> 00:07:49,260 Speaker 1: You had your press pass taken. I feel like Donald 148 00:07:49,280 --> 00:07:52,840 Speaker 1: Trump's war on the press. We have patient zero right here. 149 00:07:53,720 --> 00:07:56,880 Speaker 3: You had your press pass taken. I started a pandemic 150 00:07:56,900 --> 00:07:59,660 Speaker 3: or something. Is that his? I ate a bat or something. 151 00:08:01,740 --> 00:08:04,930 Speaker 1: You were Donald Trump's first time going to war with 152 00:08:04,940 --> 00:08:06,120 Speaker 1: a journalist to try to distract from his own. 153 00:08:06,130 --> 00:08:07,570 Speaker 4: I don't like to be thought of as Donald Trump's 154 00:08:07,590 --> 00:08:12,490 Speaker 4: first time, by the way. But anyway, please. 155 00:08:12,530 --> 00:08:17,510 Speaker 1: The first time Donald Trump used a journalist to distract, 156 00:08:17,820 --> 00:08:19,940 Speaker 1: one of the very first times. I mean, Katie Turr, 157 00:08:19,980 --> 00:08:22,240 Speaker 1: but you were one of them when he took lawyer 158 00:08:22,260 --> 00:08:22,740 Speaker 1: press pass. 159 00:08:23,110 --> 00:08:26,750 Speaker 4: Yeah, and he hasn't stopped ever since. You know, I mean, 160 00:08:27,050 --> 00:08:29,970 Speaker 4: the press pass case that I had was eight years ago, 161 00:08:30,130 --> 00:08:32,150 Speaker 4: and he's still at war with the press. And I 162 00:08:32,170 --> 00:08:34,650 Speaker 4: guess this time around, you know, he's just saying it's 163 00:08:34,740 --> 00:08:35,520 Speaker 4: negative news. 164 00:08:35,720 --> 00:08:38,200 Speaker 3: It's fake news, you know, and. 165 00:08:38,280 --> 00:08:41,180 Speaker 4: They're blaming it on what reporting on the bunker, I guess, 166 00:08:41,960 --> 00:08:45,540 Speaker 4: because everything has to have like the military attached to it, 167 00:08:45,580 --> 00:08:48,280 Speaker 4: the arch with the snipers on top and the ballroom 168 00:08:48,300 --> 00:08:48,959 Speaker 4: with the bunker. 169 00:08:49,000 --> 00:08:49,640 Speaker 3: And now it's the. 170 00:08:49,600 --> 00:08:52,490 Speaker 4: Press ban with the bunker reporting. He just, you know, 171 00:08:52,510 --> 00:08:55,410 Speaker 4: the military has become like his new Supreme Court. He 172 00:08:55,429 --> 00:08:57,910 Speaker 4: goes back to, he's got to rely on somebody to 173 00:08:57,950 --> 00:09:01,130 Speaker 4: get him out of whatever jam he's gotten himself into 174 00:09:01,890 --> 00:09:05,440 Speaker 4: from a, I guess, rationality standpoint. But I think that, 175 00:09:05,880 --> 00:09:07,620 Speaker 4: I think, you know, I think he's going to lose 176 00:09:07,660 --> 00:09:11,339 Speaker 4: this case. I think he, the very interesting thing that 177 00:09:11,900 --> 00:09:13,880 Speaker 4: I'm sort of waiting to find out and see is 178 00:09:13,950 --> 00:09:16,170 Speaker 4: whether he appeals at this time and tries to, you know, 179 00:09:16,210 --> 00:09:19,190 Speaker 4: kick it up to the next You know, court, the 180 00:09:19,230 --> 00:09:23,970 Speaker 4: appeals court level or even the Supreme Court. During my case, 181 00:09:24,210 --> 00:09:25,290 Speaker 4: you know, basically. 182 00:09:25,770 --> 00:09:29,400 Speaker 1: Let the record show. You had the very same judge. 183 00:09:30,040 --> 00:09:31,700 Speaker 3: I had the very same judge. Exactly. 184 00:09:31,860 --> 00:09:33,500 Speaker 1: A Trump appointee. 185 00:09:33,700 --> 00:09:38,100 Speaker 4: We sued and we went before Judge Kelly. And he's 186 00:09:38,160 --> 00:09:41,359 Speaker 4: a Trump appointed judge. And he issued a temporary restraining order. 187 00:09:41,460 --> 00:09:42,989 Speaker 4: And they had to give back my press pass. I 188 00:09:43,010 --> 00:09:46,150 Speaker 4: went back to work. CNN dropped the lawsuit at that time. 189 00:09:46,190 --> 00:09:49,670 Speaker 4: This was November 2018. And the whole thing just kind 190 00:09:49,720 --> 00:09:52,260 Speaker 4: of went away. And like the next day, Donald Trump 191 00:09:52,280 --> 00:09:53,960 Speaker 4: took a question from me as after I had been 192 00:09:53,980 --> 00:09:56,380 Speaker 4: the rude and, you know, enemy of the people type guy, 193 00:09:57,110 --> 00:09:58,730 Speaker 4: he took a question from me the next day. So 194 00:09:58,809 --> 00:10:01,120 Speaker 4: a lot of this is, I mean, I've been telling folks, 195 00:10:01,160 --> 00:10:03,520 Speaker 4: I think two things can be true at the same time. 196 00:10:03,620 --> 00:10:04,720 Speaker 3: Yes, it's a distraction. 197 00:10:05,120 --> 00:10:07,260 Speaker 4: Yes, he wants to distract from gas prices and the 198 00:10:07,320 --> 00:10:09,800 Speaker 4: war and all the other crazy unpopular things that he's done. 199 00:10:10,100 --> 00:10:13,540 Speaker 4: But it's also a danger to the democracy that we're 200 00:10:13,600 --> 00:10:15,770 Speaker 4: all clinging to like a life raft at this point. 201 00:10:16,030 --> 00:10:18,130 Speaker 1: Yeah, I think it's a really good point. Part of 202 00:10:18,250 --> 00:10:23,230 Speaker 1: it is that It's crushing norms. It's eroding our democracy. 203 00:10:23,809 --> 00:10:26,910 Speaker 1: It's the First Amendment for a reason. But also, it 204 00:10:27,710 --> 00:10:32,510 Speaker 1: is to distract, to take, you know, like Donald Trump 205 00:10:32,580 --> 00:10:37,860 Speaker 1: cruising into a midterm. He is as unpopular as he 206 00:10:37,880 --> 00:10:42,780 Speaker 1: has ever been. And Byron Donalds, running for governor of Florida, 207 00:10:43,179 --> 00:10:45,809 Speaker 1: has taken matters into his own hands. 208 00:10:46,330 --> 00:10:46,890 Speaker 3: Unbelievable. 209 00:10:46,910 --> 00:10:47,189 Speaker 1: Unbelievable. 210 00:10:47,670 --> 00:10:50,930 Speaker 4: Scrubbing Trump references. And I think even a photo from 211 00:10:51,090 --> 00:10:54,730 Speaker 4: his campaign website, uh, campaign materials. I mean, that that's 212 00:10:54,750 --> 00:10:57,030 Speaker 4: pretty bad, but you know, David Jolly is giving him 213 00:10:57,080 --> 00:10:59,260 Speaker 4: a good run for his money in Florida. And you know, 214 00:10:59,300 --> 00:11:01,679 Speaker 4: can you, if you, if I had said to you 215 00:11:01,780 --> 00:11:03,739 Speaker 4: on your podcast, like six months ago, date. 216 00:11:03,780 --> 00:11:05,840 Speaker 3: Watch out for David Jolly. He's going to win this race. 217 00:11:05,860 --> 00:11:08,479 Speaker 3: You would have been like, no, what's wrong with you? 218 00:11:09,160 --> 00:11:10,180 Speaker 3: This is bad, Jim. 219 00:11:10,210 --> 00:11:13,860 Speaker 4: You're, you're, you're, you know, on something, but I think that, 220 00:11:14,040 --> 00:11:16,280 Speaker 4: you know, that race is very interesting to watch right now. 221 00:11:16,400 --> 00:11:20,290 Speaker 4: I think obviously what's happening in Texas, Gina Hinojosa is 222 00:11:20,370 --> 00:11:24,650 Speaker 4: giving Greg Abbott a scare in Texas, in Texas, Kansas. 223 00:11:25,010 --> 00:11:26,030 Speaker 3: I mean, all these places. 224 00:11:26,250 --> 00:11:30,340 Speaker 1: In Texas, Tallarico is, I mean, the poll I saw 225 00:11:30,360 --> 00:11:31,540 Speaker 1: today and I'm up six points. 226 00:11:31,860 --> 00:11:32,340 Speaker 3: That's right. 227 00:11:33,300 --> 00:11:35,720 Speaker 4: And apparently there are some Ken Paxton internals that are 228 00:11:35,800 --> 00:11:36,480 Speaker 4: really scary. 229 00:11:37,190 --> 00:11:38,810 Speaker 3: And so they're in a lot of trouble right now. 230 00:11:38,830 --> 00:11:39,720 Speaker 3: I believe George W. 231 00:11:39,790 --> 00:11:42,390 Speaker 4: Bush, it was reported, was having a fundraiser and was 232 00:11:42,429 --> 00:11:45,790 Speaker 4: fundraising for Republicans other than Ken Paxton. 233 00:11:46,220 --> 00:11:47,460 Speaker 3: That's not good for Ken. 234 00:11:47,290 --> 00:11:53,020 Speaker 1: Paxton in Texas. And it's funny because Karl Rove, you 235 00:11:53,100 --> 00:11:54,540 Speaker 1: may remember Karl Rove. 236 00:11:54,559 --> 00:11:55,400 Speaker 3: Bush's brain. 237 00:11:55,780 --> 00:11:56,000 Speaker 4: Right. 238 00:11:56,179 --> 00:11:58,420 Speaker 1: One of the reasons why we are in this moment. 239 00:11:59,179 --> 00:12:01,520 Speaker 1: Karl Rove said he's not voting. He's going to vote 240 00:12:01,540 --> 00:12:03,730 Speaker 1: for the Democrats in Texas this year. 241 00:12:03,770 --> 00:12:03,970 Speaker 3: Yeah. 242 00:12:04,670 --> 00:12:06,610 Speaker 4: I think a lot of Republicans in Texas are doing 243 00:12:06,650 --> 00:12:09,569 Speaker 4: that because Ken Paxton is like the poster child for 244 00:12:09,750 --> 00:12:13,620 Speaker 4: sleazy politicians. And in Texas, that's saying something. They have 245 00:12:13,650 --> 00:12:17,800 Speaker 4: those in abundance in Texas. But apparently he's beyond the pale. 246 00:12:18,200 --> 00:12:21,620 Speaker 1: My favorite thing that Trump– the one thing where I 247 00:12:21,640 --> 00:12:24,380 Speaker 1: feel like Trump has really done a service to all 248 00:12:24,400 --> 00:12:26,840 Speaker 1: of us is him making fun of Ken Paxton. 249 00:12:28,740 --> 00:12:30,520 Speaker 4: It is one of the strange and peculiar– it's like 250 00:12:30,880 --> 00:12:34,000 Speaker 4: every so often Trump does something that you're like, OK– 251 00:12:34,230 --> 00:12:35,230 Speaker 4: Now he makes sense. 252 00:12:35,630 --> 00:12:37,990 Speaker 3: And it's kind of it's sort of like when Marjorie 253 00:12:38,010 --> 00:12:39,790 Speaker 3: Taylor Greene makes sense. It's jarring. 254 00:12:39,820 --> 00:12:42,700 Speaker 4: And you're sort of like, I shouldn't be having this 255 00:12:42,740 --> 00:12:45,060 Speaker 4: feeling that I agree with this person. I should be 256 00:12:45,160 --> 00:12:48,140 Speaker 4: always vehemently opposed to any thought that comes out of 257 00:12:48,160 --> 00:12:52,080 Speaker 4: this person's mouth. But yes, Donald Trump has correctly diagnosed 258 00:12:52,120 --> 00:12:54,830 Speaker 4: Ken Paxton as a thoroughly unattractive person. 259 00:12:55,170 --> 00:12:56,329 Speaker 3: It takes one to know one, I guess. 260 00:12:56,880 --> 00:12:58,800 Speaker 1: He's like, he's not a good dresser and he's not 261 00:12:58,820 --> 00:13:01,420 Speaker 1: very funny and he doesn't talk very well and he 262 00:13:01,460 --> 00:13:04,780 Speaker 1: looks like a ferret. I mean, you could see him, 263 00:13:04,950 --> 00:13:06,730 Speaker 1: but you know, you have to vote for him because 264 00:13:06,790 --> 00:13:09,870 Speaker 1: he was a good AG for me, which is this 265 00:13:09,890 --> 00:13:15,150 Speaker 1: sort of narcissistic view of American politics, right? Like how is, 266 00:13:15,270 --> 00:13:17,929 Speaker 1: does Donald Trump like this? Does Donald Trump not like this? 267 00:13:18,390 --> 00:13:18,670 Speaker 3: Yeah. 268 00:13:19,150 --> 00:13:21,450 Speaker 4: Well, and I think all of this dovetails back to, 269 00:13:21,550 --> 00:13:23,609 Speaker 4: I mean, he's just in a desperate spot right now, 270 00:13:23,650 --> 00:13:26,450 Speaker 4: Donald Trump is. And I mean, you were just laying 271 00:13:26,490 --> 00:13:28,340 Speaker 4: it out perfectly. I mean, these are the worst poll 272 00:13:28,380 --> 00:13:31,600 Speaker 4: numbers that this is like Trump right after January 6th 273 00:13:31,960 --> 00:13:32,860 Speaker 4: style poll numbers. 274 00:13:33,620 --> 00:13:34,000 Speaker 2: Worse. 275 00:13:34,420 --> 00:13:38,660 Speaker 4: And, you know, he's about as popular as Jeffrey Epstein. 276 00:13:39,240 --> 00:13:43,450 Speaker 4: And the voters are sending signals from here to Timbuktu 277 00:13:43,490 --> 00:13:46,670 Speaker 4: that this is it. You know, we don't want late, late, 278 00:13:47,690 --> 00:13:52,089 Speaker 4: you know, season apprentice anymore. We're done with this. And 279 00:13:52,330 --> 00:13:54,390 Speaker 4: I think that he is in such a desperate spot 280 00:13:54,410 --> 00:13:56,300 Speaker 4: that he's willing to really to do anything. And I 281 00:13:56,300 --> 00:13:58,199 Speaker 4: think that's also a part of this press ban. I 282 00:13:58,240 --> 00:14:00,260 Speaker 4: think he is going to, they're going to just sort 283 00:14:00,300 --> 00:14:04,949 Speaker 4: of assembly line dish out these distractions and, you know, 284 00:14:05,030 --> 00:14:08,689 Speaker 4: crazy attacks on democracy from here until November to see 285 00:14:08,750 --> 00:14:11,630 Speaker 4: if they can rally the base. And he's going to 286 00:14:11,670 --> 00:14:13,870 Speaker 4: go back to all of that red beat stuff between 287 00:14:13,910 --> 00:14:16,660 Speaker 4: now and November this week, it's the press next week, 288 00:14:16,700 --> 00:14:19,780 Speaker 4: who knows, but you know, he's, he's doing this as 289 00:14:19,800 --> 00:14:22,790 Speaker 4: he's having Xi Jinping, uh, Over to Washington. 290 00:14:22,910 --> 00:14:23,490 Speaker 3: So I don't know. 291 00:14:23,510 --> 00:14:26,510 Speaker 4: Maybe he'll get some dictator tips from Xi Jinping when 292 00:14:26,550 --> 00:14:27,240 Speaker 4: he comes to town. 293 00:14:27,840 --> 00:14:30,440 Speaker 1: One of the things that I'm struck by with this 294 00:14:30,500 --> 00:14:37,100 Speaker 1: administration is just how they squandered so much goodwill. You know, 295 00:14:37,180 --> 00:14:41,160 Speaker 1: like he can't, you know, the people don't take him 296 00:14:41,920 --> 00:14:47,430 Speaker 1: literally or seriously or fundamentally, you know. So when he goes, 297 00:14:47,470 --> 00:14:49,050 Speaker 1: people don't trust him. Yeah. 298 00:14:49,850 --> 00:14:52,229 Speaker 4: He goes to the United Nations. He says, I might 299 00:14:52,310 --> 00:14:55,420 Speaker 4: annihilate Iran. People are like, well, but you probably won't. 300 00:14:55,480 --> 00:14:56,840 Speaker 4: We kind of know that you're not going to do 301 00:14:56,880 --> 00:15:00,680 Speaker 4: that now. And I was up there for the General 302 00:15:00,700 --> 00:15:04,640 Speaker 4: Assembly for like a nanosecond this week and was around 303 00:15:04,700 --> 00:15:08,140 Speaker 4: some diplomats, let's just say for a major U.S. 304 00:15:08,260 --> 00:15:09,530 Speaker 3: Ally. They're exhausted. 305 00:15:09,770 --> 00:15:14,960 Speaker 4: Everybody is exhausted diplomatically with the Trump administration. They don't 306 00:15:15,000 --> 00:15:17,640 Speaker 4: have friends anymore, I don't think, anywhere on Earth other 307 00:15:17,680 --> 00:15:20,120 Speaker 4: than the dictators. Those are the only friends that Donald 308 00:15:20,140 --> 00:15:23,580 Speaker 4: Trump has left. And the way he was talking about 309 00:15:24,540 --> 00:15:27,290 Speaker 4: how the U.S. has total control over Greenland, and then 310 00:15:27,330 --> 00:15:30,790 Speaker 4: you saw the cutaway to the shot of the ambassador 311 00:15:30,810 --> 00:15:34,050 Speaker 4: from Denmark, and they all just look like they could 312 00:15:34,090 --> 00:15:36,930 Speaker 4: not stomach any more of this. And it's sort of 313 00:15:37,150 --> 00:15:38,340 Speaker 4: the way we all feel right now. 314 00:15:38,400 --> 00:15:39,020 Speaker 3: I mean, he has. 315 00:15:40,280 --> 00:15:42,520 Speaker 4: worn out his welcome and he's about to find out 316 00:15:42,580 --> 00:15:43,660 Speaker 4: what happens when you do that. 317 00:15:44,260 --> 00:15:48,240 Speaker 1: And it is, I mean, there's also this really scary 318 00:15:48,280 --> 00:15:51,060 Speaker 1: behind the scenes thing, which is happening, which is like, 319 00:15:51,580 --> 00:15:53,840 Speaker 1: and you can sort of see it tick, tick, ticking 320 00:15:53,860 --> 00:15:57,260 Speaker 1: in the background, which is like the FBI, you just 321 00:15:57,300 --> 00:16:00,430 Speaker 1: had this big FBI hack or all of these FBI 322 00:16:00,590 --> 00:16:04,690 Speaker 1: agents and their spouses have been compromised, right? You've got 323 00:16:04,710 --> 00:16:07,510 Speaker 1: this guy who's in charge of the FBI who is 324 00:16:07,650 --> 00:16:12,600 Speaker 1: at best an alcoholic. And it was to make a wish, kid, right? 325 00:16:12,660 --> 00:16:18,060 Speaker 1: I mean, that guy, forget it. You have a moment 326 00:16:18,300 --> 00:16:21,880 Speaker 1: where just life feels, you know, the bond markets are 327 00:16:21,920 --> 00:16:26,020 Speaker 1: freaking out. You have interest rates going up. You have 328 00:16:26,060 --> 00:16:29,700 Speaker 1: a sense in which things could really get bad quickly. 329 00:16:29,720 --> 00:16:30,800 Speaker 3: I agree. 330 00:16:31,400 --> 00:16:36,140 Speaker 4: There is sort of a late 2007, early 2008. you know, 331 00:16:36,220 --> 00:16:39,620 Speaker 4: whiff of some, you know, panic in the air. I 332 00:16:39,680 --> 00:16:42,390 Speaker 4: hope to God that nothing even remotely close to that 333 00:16:42,450 --> 00:16:45,310 Speaker 4: happens because a lot of people will be hurt. But 334 00:16:45,430 --> 00:16:50,490 Speaker 4: economically speaking, he has really set the table for some 335 00:16:50,550 --> 00:16:55,340 Speaker 4: serious problems on the horizon. And he, of all people, 336 00:16:55,380 --> 00:17:01,060 Speaker 4: has no idea. There is no Timothy Geithner. Who was 337 00:17:01,100 --> 00:17:02,720 Speaker 4: the Treasury Secretary under Bush? 338 00:17:02,820 --> 00:17:03,590 Speaker 3: The Right. 339 00:17:03,850 --> 00:17:05,130 Speaker 1: He knew what he was doing. 340 00:17:05,190 --> 00:17:05,950 Speaker 5: Yeah. 341 00:17:06,470 --> 00:17:08,689 Speaker 4: I mean, at least those folks, when there was a catastrophe, 342 00:17:08,730 --> 00:17:10,990 Speaker 4: you had confidence that there were some decent people around 343 00:17:11,010 --> 00:17:13,590 Speaker 4: who could help maybe put Humpty Dumpty back together again. 344 00:17:13,890 --> 00:17:15,729 Speaker 3: We have Scott Besant. Yeah, Scott Besant. 345 00:17:15,750 --> 00:17:17,790 Speaker 4: So if the bottom falls out on the economy, we 346 00:17:17,810 --> 00:17:20,689 Speaker 4: have Scott Besant, another one of the lackeys who was 347 00:17:20,730 --> 00:17:23,540 Speaker 4: just there because he's willing to do the dear leader thing. 348 00:17:24,100 --> 00:17:26,000 Speaker 1: And also because he can punch people. 349 00:17:26,400 --> 00:17:27,920 Speaker 3: Yeah. Right. 350 00:17:28,140 --> 00:17:28,659 Speaker 1: I don't want to. 351 00:17:28,760 --> 00:17:28,900 Speaker 2: Yeah. 352 00:17:29,410 --> 00:17:31,490 Speaker 4: There was some punching, I guess, that went on. Was 353 00:17:31,530 --> 00:17:32,990 Speaker 4: he getting punched or he was doing the punching? 354 00:17:33,010 --> 00:17:34,570 Speaker 1: I think he punched Elon. 355 00:17:35,790 --> 00:17:36,890 Speaker 3: There was a punch, that's right. 356 00:17:37,150 --> 00:17:38,889 Speaker 1: Yeah, he gave Elon a bad guy. 357 00:17:38,930 --> 00:17:40,929 Speaker 4: Yeah, maybe Elon Musk will come in and sort everything out. 358 00:17:41,030 --> 00:17:42,430 Speaker 4: He'll be the only one left with any money. 359 00:17:42,800 --> 00:17:44,760 Speaker 1: That's right. I mean, it is, I think it's a 360 00:17:44,800 --> 00:17:48,020 Speaker 1: really good point, though, about that there are, I mean, 361 00:17:48,080 --> 00:17:51,359 Speaker 1: Kevin Warsh did this thing, which I think a lot 362 00:17:51,380 --> 00:17:53,040 Speaker 1: of people didn't expect him to do, which is they 363 00:17:53,080 --> 00:17:57,750 Speaker 1: voted to raise rights. And that is actually was pretty surprising. And, 364 00:17:58,210 --> 00:18:01,290 Speaker 1: you know, we had Kevin Hassett, who's the we call 365 00:18:01,350 --> 00:18:06,670 Speaker 1: smiling Kevin on this podcast. Smiling Kevin was like beef 366 00:18:06,750 --> 00:18:09,950 Speaker 1: is actually cheaper on Fox, which is not true. 367 00:18:10,970 --> 00:18:12,470 Speaker 3: So he's the one they send out to say up 368 00:18:12,550 --> 00:18:14,210 Speaker 3: is down. Black is white. Yeah. 369 00:18:14,270 --> 00:18:17,040 Speaker 1: Yeah. He's the Sean Spicer of this season. 370 00:18:17,060 --> 00:18:18,260 Speaker 3: He really is. 371 00:18:18,240 --> 00:18:19,859 Speaker 1: Dancing with the end of democracy. 372 00:18:20,590 --> 00:18:20,810 Speaker 3: Yeah. 373 00:18:21,270 --> 00:18:24,570 Speaker 1: But I do think like it's just wild to see how, 374 00:18:24,950 --> 00:18:27,850 Speaker 1: you know, when you have an administration that is set 375 00:18:28,150 --> 00:18:30,340 Speaker 1: on removing the guardrails, they can do it. 376 00:18:30,730 --> 00:18:33,040 Speaker 4: Well, and it was interesting because the Fed chair, they 377 00:18:33,080 --> 00:18:35,660 Speaker 4: raise the interest rates. And for some reason, Donald Trump, 378 00:18:35,680 --> 00:18:37,940 Speaker 4: because he got his Fed chair, he got in there, 379 00:18:38,420 --> 00:18:41,020 Speaker 4: did not blow a gasket and do a truth social 380 00:18:41,100 --> 00:18:43,720 Speaker 4: post going off on the guy. So that tells me 381 00:18:43,740 --> 00:18:46,060 Speaker 4: a couple of things. One is the Fed is deeply 382 00:18:46,100 --> 00:18:47,810 Speaker 4: concerned that about the state of the. 383 00:18:47,690 --> 00:18:50,570 Speaker 1: Economy right now to raise. 384 00:18:50,250 --> 00:18:52,420 Speaker 4: Interest rates in the face of what they know will be, 385 00:18:53,020 --> 00:18:56,139 Speaker 4: you know, a shit storm of, of whining from Donald Trump. 386 00:18:56,700 --> 00:19:01,500 Speaker 4: And then Trump didn't really get that pissed off at Warsh. 387 00:19:01,619 --> 00:19:04,200 Speaker 4: And so that makes me wonder, do they know internally 388 00:19:04,270 --> 00:19:06,530 Speaker 4: inside the white house that we're kind of on the 389 00:19:06,630 --> 00:19:09,310 Speaker 4: edge of a precipice or something? And so I, I 390 00:19:09,350 --> 00:19:12,050 Speaker 4: don't know, all of it is worrisome. I wish I 391 00:19:12,070 --> 00:19:14,170 Speaker 4: were an economist and I could slice and dice this stuff. 392 00:19:14,190 --> 00:19:14,310 Speaker 1: Yeah. 393 00:19:14,770 --> 00:19:17,030 Speaker 4: And lay out like the scenario where things are going 394 00:19:17,050 --> 00:19:20,369 Speaker 4: to be okay, but it feels not okay. It feels 395 00:19:20,830 --> 00:19:23,600 Speaker 4: like it's not okay now and bad stuff's like 10 396 00:19:23,600 --> 00:19:24,140 Speaker 4: yards away. 397 00:19:24,160 --> 00:19:28,239 Speaker 1: That's what it feels like. It feels very precarious. And 398 00:19:28,359 --> 00:19:30,700 Speaker 1: as we have diesel prices going up and we're sort 399 00:19:30,720 --> 00:19:33,240 Speaker 1: of in this run up to the midterms, but the 400 00:19:33,440 --> 00:19:38,730 Speaker 1: best thing in my mind is Republicans' new pitch to voters, 401 00:19:39,490 --> 00:19:41,740 Speaker 1: which is- Please. 402 00:19:42,100 --> 00:19:44,460 Speaker 3: Just give me another chance, baby. Just give me another chance. 403 00:19:44,550 --> 00:19:50,480 Speaker 1: Right. We got Vance in Iowa. The Senate candidate. nowhere 404 00:19:50,580 --> 00:19:52,040 Speaker 1: to be seen. Just Vance. 405 00:19:52,060 --> 00:19:54,500 Speaker 4: They don't want to get near him. I mean, the 406 00:19:54,520 --> 00:19:56,139 Speaker 4: Senate candidates are kind of like the rest of us. 407 00:19:56,180 --> 00:19:57,639 Speaker 3: They don't want to get near J.D. Vance. 408 00:19:58,240 --> 00:20:01,960 Speaker 1: It's unbelievable. I mean, she cannot get far enough away 409 00:20:02,000 --> 00:20:05,929 Speaker 1: from J.D. Vance. He goes to Iowa to campaign for her. 410 00:20:06,390 --> 00:20:11,540 Speaker 1: My question there is, like, clearly either her team was like, 411 00:20:11,680 --> 00:20:13,860 Speaker 1: couldn't tell him not to come to Iowa. 412 00:20:14,220 --> 00:20:14,560 Speaker 3: Yeah. 413 00:20:15,020 --> 00:20:16,239 Speaker 1: Or he ignored it. 414 00:20:16,720 --> 00:20:17,060 Speaker 3: I know. 415 00:20:17,200 --> 00:20:18,800 Speaker 4: And I feel like there was one other state where 416 00:20:18,840 --> 00:20:20,620 Speaker 4: he did this recently too. They don't want to get 417 00:20:20,640 --> 00:20:22,159 Speaker 4: anywhere in Kansas. 418 00:20:22,220 --> 00:20:22,620 Speaker 3: That's right. 419 00:20:22,640 --> 00:20:25,700 Speaker 1: You know, North Carolina, North Carolina. 420 00:20:25,800 --> 00:20:27,439 Speaker 3: North Carolina. Yeah. 421 00:20:27,480 --> 00:20:30,530 Speaker 4: Um, no, I, I, I think that, um, I think 422 00:20:30,550 --> 00:20:33,490 Speaker 4: JD Vance is sort of like the, the least attractive 423 00:20:33,510 --> 00:20:36,030 Speaker 4: person you would send on the campaign trail in good times, 424 00:20:36,530 --> 00:20:39,389 Speaker 4: but in bad times, it seems like, I don't know. 425 00:20:39,450 --> 00:20:41,859 Speaker 4: Do they just maybe they just don't. Nobody tells them 426 00:20:41,900 --> 00:20:45,240 Speaker 4: not to because really nobody tells. I don't think anybody's 427 00:20:45,260 --> 00:20:47,360 Speaker 4: telling anybody not to do anything right now. Like there's 428 00:20:47,440 --> 00:20:48,980 Speaker 4: a story that they want to put Trump's name on 429 00:20:49,060 --> 00:20:49,780 Speaker 4: Ford's theater. 430 00:20:49,859 --> 00:20:52,400 Speaker 3: You know what I mean? Washington, D.C. Like I mean, 431 00:20:52,460 --> 00:20:54,300 Speaker 3: nothing is sacred. Not all. 432 00:20:54,480 --> 00:20:56,640 Speaker 4: All bets are off in terms of like bad ideas. 433 00:20:57,040 --> 00:20:57,700 Speaker 3: Anything goes. 434 00:20:58,140 --> 00:21:01,980 Speaker 1: If I were a president who had had numerous attempts 435 00:21:02,040 --> 00:21:05,419 Speaker 1: on my life, Ford's theater would not be the theater 436 00:21:05,500 --> 00:21:06,470 Speaker 1: I would want my name on. 437 00:21:07,270 --> 00:21:09,950 Speaker 4: Yeah, there's something going on there. It's like he wants 438 00:21:09,990 --> 00:21:12,730 Speaker 4: his name on the Kennedy Center. He wants his name. 439 00:21:13,060 --> 00:21:17,240 Speaker 1: All of this people, both presidents who probably would rather 440 00:21:17,340 --> 00:21:18,060 Speaker 1: just have lived. 441 00:21:18,780 --> 00:21:19,680 Speaker 3: Yes. Yeah. 442 00:21:19,780 --> 00:21:23,600 Speaker 4: As I saw Larry Sabato tweet earlier today, hasn't Abraham 443 00:21:23,640 --> 00:21:24,720 Speaker 4: Lincoln suffered enough? 444 00:21:25,200 --> 00:21:26,030 Speaker 1: Yeah. 445 00:21:26,240 --> 00:21:28,810 Speaker 3: You know, and it's not good. It's not good. 446 00:21:28,869 --> 00:21:32,429 Speaker 4: But, you know, Trump wants his name on everything while 447 00:21:32,450 --> 00:21:34,490 Speaker 4: he's in office because he knows as soon as he 448 00:21:34,530 --> 00:21:36,250 Speaker 4: leaves office, all that shit's coming down. 449 00:21:36,680 --> 00:21:39,220 Speaker 3: Nobody's going to want that anywhere. You know, he'll have 450 00:21:39,260 --> 00:21:40,540 Speaker 3: the airport in Florida. That's it. 451 00:21:40,920 --> 00:21:44,320 Speaker 1: So there was a really good reporting from The Washington Post, 452 00:21:44,359 --> 00:21:46,580 Speaker 1: which had been, you know, there are like nine people 453 00:21:46,619 --> 00:21:49,219 Speaker 1: who still work there, but they're breaking amazing stories. And 454 00:21:49,780 --> 00:21:52,480 Speaker 1: one of the stories today was that Donald Trump's the 455 00:21:52,619 --> 00:21:56,050 Speaker 1: ballroom has all sorts of, you know, he fought with 456 00:21:56,109 --> 00:21:59,570 Speaker 1: the architect and there were fire code violations and the 457 00:21:59,609 --> 00:22:03,050 Speaker 1: guy was worried. So he resigned. And then you see 458 00:22:03,090 --> 00:22:05,209 Speaker 1: that he, you know, he's been drawing on the, you know, 459 00:22:05,230 --> 00:22:08,150 Speaker 1: they basically it's just what Maggie Haberman said is true, 460 00:22:08,210 --> 00:22:11,969 Speaker 1: that basically all he's been doing this entire presidency is 461 00:22:12,080 --> 00:22:13,390 Speaker 1: just decorating. 462 00:22:13,990 --> 00:22:14,359 Speaker 3: Yeah. 463 00:22:14,490 --> 00:22:16,720 Speaker 4: You know, it kind of reminds me of those stories 464 00:22:16,760 --> 00:22:20,280 Speaker 4: about how he was just sitting there watching January 6th 465 00:22:20,380 --> 00:22:24,720 Speaker 4: unfold in the state dining room. There's something that's deeply 466 00:22:25,060 --> 00:22:28,740 Speaker 4: disturbing about this moment. And I mean, we can laugh 467 00:22:28,780 --> 00:22:31,850 Speaker 4: and whistle past the graveyard and everything. But it's not 468 00:22:31,970 --> 00:22:34,169 Speaker 4: normal to want to put your name on Forge Theater. 469 00:22:34,250 --> 00:22:35,930 Speaker 4: It's not normal to want to put your name on 470 00:22:35,950 --> 00:22:37,990 Speaker 4: the Kennedy Center. It's not normal to want snipers on 471 00:22:38,030 --> 00:22:41,550 Speaker 4: top of a massive arch near Arlington National Cemetery that 472 00:22:41,770 --> 00:22:43,530 Speaker 4: apparently is going to be packed with ammunition. 473 00:22:44,270 --> 00:22:46,109 Speaker 3: All of this sounds like desperate end days. 474 00:22:46,130 --> 00:22:48,170 Speaker 1: That's definitely going to get built, in case you're wondering. 475 00:22:48,380 --> 00:22:50,100 Speaker 3: This is very Muammar Gaddafi. 476 00:22:50,150 --> 00:22:53,300 Speaker 4: This is very Saddam Hussein and the spider hole kind 477 00:22:53,359 --> 00:22:57,000 Speaker 4: of stuff. And I just think that, you know, we 478 00:22:57,020 --> 00:22:59,479 Speaker 4: can ignore it. And I don't ignore it. I know 479 00:22:59,500 --> 00:23:00,179 Speaker 4: you don't ignore it. 480 00:23:00,590 --> 00:23:02,310 Speaker 3: A lot of people ignore it. I think it's a 481 00:23:02,350 --> 00:23:03,409 Speaker 3: bad idea to ignore it. 482 00:23:03,810 --> 00:23:06,550 Speaker 4: I think that what, you know, we're going to wake 483 00:23:06,590 --> 00:23:09,219 Speaker 4: up one morning and, and you know, bad stuff's going 484 00:23:09,240 --> 00:23:11,920 Speaker 4: to be going down because that's it. He's just finally snapped. 485 00:23:12,960 --> 00:23:14,399 Speaker 4: And we're, I think we're on the verge of that 486 00:23:14,440 --> 00:23:16,660 Speaker 4: right now. I mean, when I saw the Ford's theater thing, 487 00:23:16,700 --> 00:23:19,900 Speaker 4: I was like, wow, I thought it was as weird 488 00:23:19,960 --> 00:23:21,770 Speaker 4: as it was, as it was going to get, but 489 00:23:22,230 --> 00:23:22,870 Speaker 4: obviously not. 490 00:23:22,950 --> 00:23:23,550 Speaker 3: Apparently not. 491 00:23:24,090 --> 00:23:27,930 Speaker 1: We really have elevated someone who is really like not 492 00:23:27,970 --> 00:23:31,700 Speaker 1: that interested in governance and, not at all interested in policy, 493 00:23:32,220 --> 00:23:36,160 Speaker 1: super interested in like narcissistic honoring of himself. 494 00:23:36,619 --> 00:23:36,939 Speaker 3: Yeah. 495 00:23:37,359 --> 00:23:40,980 Speaker 1: And also pretty, pretty like his frontal lobe is not 496 00:23:41,119 --> 00:23:43,840 Speaker 1: functioning in the way that you would want your frontal 497 00:23:43,859 --> 00:23:44,700 Speaker 1: lobe to function. 498 00:23:45,180 --> 00:23:47,960 Speaker 4: I think it would be not a bad idea for, 499 00:23:47,980 --> 00:23:51,480 Speaker 4: you know, things to be studied by scientists years from 500 00:23:51,520 --> 00:23:56,250 Speaker 4: now We should do like a CSI Donald Trump. What 501 00:23:56,330 --> 00:23:57,030 Speaker 4: the fuck happened? 502 00:23:57,050 --> 00:24:00,620 Speaker 1: What is interesting and what is scary about this moment? 503 00:24:00,690 --> 00:24:03,000 Speaker 3: At the end of a natural passing. I want to 504 00:24:03,020 --> 00:24:03,359 Speaker 3: be clear. 505 00:24:03,680 --> 00:24:07,060 Speaker 1: But what is scary and what is worrying about this 506 00:24:07,140 --> 00:24:11,460 Speaker 1: moment is that there there's no Mad Dog Mattis. There's 507 00:24:11,560 --> 00:24:14,800 Speaker 1: no like there is no nothing. Mike Pence. 508 00:24:15,320 --> 00:24:15,780 Speaker 3: Exactly. 509 00:24:15,820 --> 00:24:20,550 Speaker 1: There's just J.D. Vance, who's a sycophant. Marco, who's ruined 510 00:24:20,590 --> 00:24:25,810 Speaker 1: himself for Trump. his son-in-law who is making tons of 511 00:24:25,869 --> 00:24:30,090 Speaker 1: money while negotiating peace in the Middle East. I mean, 512 00:24:30,109 --> 00:24:35,490 Speaker 1: there are no people who are serving in the government 513 00:24:35,609 --> 00:24:37,149 Speaker 1: just to serve the people. 514 00:24:37,540 --> 00:24:37,730 Speaker 3: No. 515 00:24:37,820 --> 00:24:40,040 Speaker 4: And I described it this way at the end of 516 00:24:40,080 --> 00:24:43,080 Speaker 4: the first term, Kool-Aid drinkers and next of kin. That's 517 00:24:43,100 --> 00:24:46,040 Speaker 4: what we're down to at this point. And that is 518 00:24:46,140 --> 00:24:49,060 Speaker 4: when things are at their most dangerous. And I just 519 00:24:49,080 --> 00:24:51,570 Speaker 4: think that You know, I think these next hundred days 520 00:24:51,590 --> 00:24:52,869 Speaker 4: are going to be hell. I think he's going to 521 00:24:52,910 --> 00:24:56,830 Speaker 4: try everything possible to avoid accountability and to avoid a 522 00:24:56,910 --> 00:24:59,910 Speaker 4: huge shellacking in the midterms on November 3rd. And then 523 00:24:59,930 --> 00:25:02,409 Speaker 4: the next two months after that, until we swear in 524 00:25:02,430 --> 00:25:05,859 Speaker 4: a new Congress, is just going to be ridiculous. Unless 525 00:25:06,140 --> 00:25:08,780 Speaker 4: it's such a blowout that Mike Johnson is like, I'm 526 00:25:08,900 --> 00:25:10,820 Speaker 4: out of here, guys. I'm going to go get a 527 00:25:10,840 --> 00:25:13,320 Speaker 4: job on K Street or go, you know, be the 528 00:25:13,359 --> 00:25:14,780 Speaker 4: president of LSU or something. 529 00:25:15,000 --> 00:25:15,800 Speaker 1: That would be spectacular. 530 00:25:16,100 --> 00:25:18,280 Speaker 3: Wouldn't that be great? That would be so great. 531 00:25:18,650 --> 00:25:20,750 Speaker 4: But if it's something that's a little closer to 50-50, 532 00:25:20,750 --> 00:25:21,869 Speaker 4: you know, buckle up. 533 00:25:21,910 --> 00:25:23,629 Speaker 3: It's going to be bad. 534 00:25:23,790 --> 00:25:24,690 Speaker 1: It's going to be really bad. 535 00:25:24,910 --> 00:25:26,159 Speaker 3: Yeah. I think so. 536 00:25:26,300 --> 00:25:27,260 Speaker 1: Jim Acosta. 537 00:25:27,859 --> 00:25:29,940 Speaker 3: Good to see you. Good to hear you. Thanks, Molly. 538 00:25:29,960 --> 00:25:31,379 Speaker 1: Good to see you. Thank you. 539 00:25:31,400 --> 00:25:32,520 Speaker 3: Thank you. You're welcome. 540 00:25:33,609 --> 00:25:39,010 Speaker 1: Liz Oyer is a former U.S. pardon attorney. Welcome, Liz. Welcome, welcome. 541 00:25:39,540 --> 00:25:42,379 Speaker 1: Thanks for having me, Molly. So can you explain to 542 00:25:42,560 --> 00:25:46,800 Speaker 1: us sort of what you do, what you did and 543 00:25:46,880 --> 00:25:51,169 Speaker 1: how you have taken? I think you are educating people 544 00:25:51,350 --> 00:25:54,520 Speaker 1: about the law and where we are right now. Yeah, 545 00:25:54,560 --> 00:25:55,200 Speaker 1: that's my goal. 546 00:25:55,320 --> 00:25:58,680 Speaker 5: I worked in the Justice Department until 2025, and I 547 00:25:59,060 --> 00:26:02,139 Speaker 5: was fired by Todd Blanche shortly after he became the 548 00:26:02,180 --> 00:26:05,960 Speaker 5: deputy attorney general. And I decided to use my legal 549 00:26:06,080 --> 00:26:09,780 Speaker 5: expertise to try to educate my fellow citizens about this 550 00:26:09,859 --> 00:26:13,879 Speaker 5: extraordinary moment in time where the rule of law is 551 00:26:13,940 --> 00:26:18,250 Speaker 5: really under attack from within government, from the Justice Department itself. 552 00:26:20,070 --> 00:26:22,410 Speaker 1: So and you were also a public defender. 553 00:26:23,240 --> 00:26:25,620 Speaker 5: Yes, I was a federal public defender for 10 years 554 00:26:25,740 --> 00:26:28,750 Speaker 5: before joining the Justice Department. So I've seen the justice 555 00:26:28,790 --> 00:26:31,409 Speaker 5: system from both sides. And I am a person who 556 00:26:31,510 --> 00:26:34,189 Speaker 5: does not by any means think that the Justice Department 557 00:26:34,250 --> 00:26:37,970 Speaker 5: was perfect before Donald Trump came back to the presidency. 558 00:26:38,050 --> 00:26:40,889 Speaker 5: But what has happened to it now is just really 559 00:26:40,950 --> 00:26:42,510 Speaker 5: alarming on a new level. 560 00:26:43,320 --> 00:26:47,500 Speaker 1: So the thing that's happening right now is that the 561 00:26:47,800 --> 00:26:53,180 Speaker 1: Trump administration has gone full throttle against the press. And 562 00:26:53,200 --> 00:26:55,840 Speaker 1: the First Amendment. And I would love you to first 563 00:26:56,200 --> 00:26:59,280 Speaker 1: explain to us. I mean, I think this is a 564 00:26:59,320 --> 00:27:02,899 Speaker 1: political calculation that Trump thinks that this will delight his base. 565 00:27:03,530 --> 00:27:06,869 Speaker 1: But I would love you to talk about the case 566 00:27:07,350 --> 00:27:10,189 Speaker 1: that they're trying to make against the press and and 567 00:27:10,250 --> 00:27:13,190 Speaker 1: sort of what you think. I mean, it doesn't strike 568 00:27:13,210 --> 00:27:15,610 Speaker 1: me there's a ton of merits here. So I'm just 569 00:27:15,670 --> 00:27:17,669 Speaker 1: curious what you think they're trying to do. 570 00:27:18,160 --> 00:27:20,040 Speaker 5: Yeah, Donald Trump has done a lot of things that 571 00:27:20,080 --> 00:27:22,600 Speaker 5: are pushing the limits of the existing laws, but this 572 00:27:22,680 --> 00:27:25,919 Speaker 5: one is really blatantly illegal. I mean, Donald Trump has 573 00:27:26,070 --> 00:27:29,910 Speaker 5: banned certain media outlets from the White House explicitly based 574 00:27:30,090 --> 00:27:33,570 Speaker 5: on his disagreement with their reporting on him. He does 575 00:27:33,630 --> 00:27:36,570 Speaker 5: not like the coverage that he is getting from these 576 00:27:36,630 --> 00:27:39,510 Speaker 5: specific media outlets, so he's banned them from the White House. 577 00:27:39,950 --> 00:27:42,670 Speaker 5: The First Amendment could not be clearer that you cannot 578 00:27:42,750 --> 00:27:46,230 Speaker 5: do that. There is case law that says that Restrictions 579 00:27:46,290 --> 00:27:48,669 Speaker 5: on the press or on the First Amendment have to 580 00:27:48,710 --> 00:27:53,270 Speaker 5: be viewpoint neutral. You cannot exclude people from participating in 581 00:27:53,369 --> 00:27:57,080 Speaker 5: speech because of their particular point of view or opinions 582 00:27:57,190 --> 00:28:02,220 Speaker 5: that they express. So Donald Trump could legally exclude the 583 00:28:02,240 --> 00:28:04,640 Speaker 5: press from the White House altogether if he wanted to. 584 00:28:05,020 --> 00:28:09,120 Speaker 5: But he cannot pick and choose based on political affiliation 585 00:28:09,270 --> 00:28:12,830 Speaker 5: or viewpoint or opinion or whether they flatter him. In 586 00:28:12,850 --> 00:28:16,080 Speaker 5: their reporting, which reporters are allowed to come into the 587 00:28:16,100 --> 00:28:16,600 Speaker 5: White House? 588 00:28:17,080 --> 00:28:20,560 Speaker 1: And we know because in typical Trump fashion, he has 589 00:28:20,720 --> 00:28:26,110 Speaker 1: said the quiet part out loud why he's doing this. Yeah. Yeah. 590 00:28:26,130 --> 00:28:27,950 Speaker 5: I mean, he said initially that he was doing it 591 00:28:27,990 --> 00:28:31,810 Speaker 5: because fake news, because these reporters only give him negative coverage. 592 00:28:32,250 --> 00:28:34,869 Speaker 5: But interestingly, that is not the legal theory that the 593 00:28:34,910 --> 00:28:39,080 Speaker 5: Justice Department is asserting. They filed a late-night brief in 594 00:28:39,120 --> 00:28:42,580 Speaker 5: which they have invented a completely new legal theory because 595 00:28:42,640 --> 00:28:45,540 Speaker 5: they know that the one Donald Trump posted about on 596 00:28:45,600 --> 00:28:48,780 Speaker 5: True Social does not hold water legally. And now they 597 00:28:48,820 --> 00:28:51,160 Speaker 5: are claiming that this is a matter of national security. 598 00:28:51,200 --> 00:28:54,580 Speaker 5: They're claiming that CNN, Politico, and MSNOW have been banned 599 00:28:54,620 --> 00:28:59,080 Speaker 5: from the White House because their reporting threatens national security. 600 00:28:59,610 --> 00:29:04,250 Speaker 5: This is a totally invented after the fact rationalization. But 601 00:29:04,330 --> 00:29:06,170 Speaker 5: that's what they're saying now because they think they have 602 00:29:06,190 --> 00:29:09,140 Speaker 5: a better chance legally with that particular rationale. 603 00:29:09,520 --> 00:29:13,560 Speaker 1: It's like the ballroom, right, and the triumphal arch, both 604 00:29:13,660 --> 00:29:17,380 Speaker 1: where they tacked on national security at the end. Can 605 00:29:17,460 --> 00:29:25,650 Speaker 1: you explain to us what the cases, where it will go, 606 00:29:25,870 --> 00:29:29,420 Speaker 1: what jurisdiction it will hit, what judges will see it? 607 00:29:29,430 --> 00:29:29,690 Speaker 2: Yeah, yeah. 608 00:29:30,060 --> 00:29:32,820 Speaker 5: So CNN Politico and MSNOW have all sued in a 609 00:29:32,860 --> 00:29:36,630 Speaker 5: lawsuit that's pending in D.C. And interestingly, it was assigned 610 00:29:36,670 --> 00:29:39,010 Speaker 5: to a judge who was appointed by Donald Trump during 611 00:29:39,050 --> 00:29:42,700 Speaker 5: his first administration. And he is the same judge who 612 00:29:42,820 --> 00:29:47,680 Speaker 5: had the case involving Jim Acosta, the CNN reporter whose 613 00:29:47,720 --> 00:29:52,700 Speaker 5: press credentials were revoked under Trump's first presidency. Donald Trump 614 00:29:53,120 --> 00:29:57,490 Speaker 5: revoked Acosta's press credentials and Acosta sued. And this judge 615 00:29:57,570 --> 00:29:59,950 Speaker 5: appointed by Donald Trump held that this was a clear 616 00:29:59,990 --> 00:30:04,390 Speaker 5: First Amendment violation and Acosta's press credentials were immediately reinstated. 617 00:30:04,930 --> 00:30:09,210 Speaker 5: So Trump has basically conceded defeat. He has said, this 618 00:30:09,300 --> 00:30:12,000 Speaker 5: is the same judge who's not loyal to me, who 619 00:30:12,080 --> 00:30:14,360 Speaker 5: ruled in favor of Jim Acosta. So I know I'm 620 00:30:14,380 --> 00:30:16,500 Speaker 5: going to lose and then I'm going to have to appeal. 621 00:30:16,940 --> 00:30:23,660 Speaker 5: And I mean, he's right. He's And, you know, he 622 00:30:23,700 --> 00:30:25,660 Speaker 5: will he will appeal and I expect that he will 623 00:30:25,680 --> 00:30:29,200 Speaker 5: be unsuccessful on appeal as well. There's a hearing scheduled 624 00:30:29,320 --> 00:30:32,960 Speaker 5: in the case this afternoon and we'll see what happens. 625 00:30:33,060 --> 00:30:35,260 Speaker 5: But this is just something that legally is not tenable. 626 00:30:36,720 --> 00:30:39,390 Speaker 1: What happens, though, is it gets it will likely get 627 00:30:39,450 --> 00:30:44,710 Speaker 1: kicked up to the higher circuit court and then to 628 00:30:44,770 --> 00:30:48,090 Speaker 1: the maybe to the Supreme Court or now? Yeah, potentially. 629 00:30:48,220 --> 00:30:49,790 Speaker 5: So he will appeal to the D.C. 630 00:30:49,830 --> 00:30:50,190 Speaker 1: Circuit. 631 00:30:50,230 --> 00:30:52,150 Speaker 5: There are a couple of judges who have been very 632 00:30:52,190 --> 00:30:56,310 Speaker 5: friendly to Trump's positions on that court, including two judges 633 00:30:56,430 --> 00:30:59,870 Speaker 5: who were involved in reviewing the appeal of the Associated 634 00:30:59,950 --> 00:31:03,570 Speaker 5: Press's loss of their press credentials. You might remember that 635 00:31:03,610 --> 00:31:07,610 Speaker 5: last year when Donald Trump renamed the Gulf of Mexico, 636 00:31:07,750 --> 00:31:12,360 Speaker 5: Gulf of America, he decided to continue using the terminology 637 00:31:12,430 --> 00:31:15,520 Speaker 5: Gulf of Mexico. And based on that, Donald Trump banned 638 00:31:15,540 --> 00:31:18,660 Speaker 5: them from the Oval Office. That case is now still 639 00:31:18,740 --> 00:31:21,500 Speaker 5: pending on appeal, but there was a preliminary opinion by 640 00:31:21,560 --> 00:31:25,200 Speaker 5: two Trump-appointed judges that suggested that perhaps the president does 641 00:31:25,240 --> 00:31:27,940 Speaker 5: have the authority to do that. So we'll see where 642 00:31:27,990 --> 00:31:30,710 Speaker 5: that goes. Trump is hoping that those same appellate court 643 00:31:30,750 --> 00:31:34,470 Speaker 5: judges will rule in his favor on this particular issue. 644 00:31:34,570 --> 00:31:38,210 Speaker 5: But It would just be such a clear deviation from 645 00:31:38,370 --> 00:31:40,590 Speaker 5: decades and decades of First Amendment precedent. 646 00:31:40,750 --> 00:31:44,110 Speaker 1: And and even still, you could still that this case 647 00:31:44,150 --> 00:31:45,910 Speaker 1: could still end up going to the Supreme Court. 648 00:31:46,430 --> 00:31:46,790 Speaker 3: It could. 649 00:31:46,810 --> 00:31:47,170 Speaker 1: Yeah. 650 00:31:47,350 --> 00:31:49,750 Speaker 5: Yeah, it certainly could. And, you know, this is if 651 00:31:49,770 --> 00:31:51,690 Speaker 5: there's any Supreme Court that's going to rule in favor 652 00:31:51,710 --> 00:31:54,740 Speaker 5: of Donald Trump on something like this, which would involve 653 00:31:54,820 --> 00:31:59,100 Speaker 5: reversing generations of precedent. It would be a Supreme Court. 654 00:31:59,180 --> 00:32:01,520 Speaker 5: But my hope is that they're not so far gone. 655 00:32:01,910 --> 00:32:03,910 Speaker 5: that they would hold that it is lawful for the 656 00:32:03,950 --> 00:32:07,360 Speaker 5: president to discriminate against the press based on their viewpoint 657 00:32:07,400 --> 00:32:08,180 Speaker 5: and coverage of him. 658 00:32:08,620 --> 00:32:10,740 Speaker 1: I mean, I don't know, maybe I'm being crazy, but 659 00:32:10,760 --> 00:32:13,550 Speaker 1: I feel like the six and a half votes to 660 00:32:13,670 --> 00:32:19,980 Speaker 1: not completely overturn the midterms was a good start, right? Yeah. 661 00:32:20,060 --> 00:32:21,620 Speaker 5: I mean, that's like the kind of thing that you 662 00:32:21,660 --> 00:32:24,959 Speaker 5: would hope would be unanimous. But you're right that I mean, 663 00:32:25,000 --> 00:32:27,380 Speaker 5: it's better than we've seen in other cases. And it 664 00:32:27,500 --> 00:32:30,440 Speaker 5: is somewhat encouraging that the court doesn't want to let 665 00:32:30,520 --> 00:32:32,120 Speaker 5: our democracy go under. 666 00:32:33,380 --> 00:32:36,300 Speaker 1: Yes, exactly. Not to put to not to be too 667 00:32:36,340 --> 00:32:39,220 Speaker 1: cynical here, but it certainly seems like that is the case. 668 00:32:40,260 --> 00:32:44,480 Speaker 1: I wonder right now if you could see there's like 669 00:32:44,520 --> 00:32:48,320 Speaker 1: a lot of green shoots with Republicans starting to get 670 00:32:48,980 --> 00:32:51,130 Speaker 1: a little bit of like, this guy's pulling under the 671 00:32:51,170 --> 00:32:55,720 Speaker 1: bush line. Maybe we should pretend to care about things 672 00:32:55,780 --> 00:32:58,810 Speaker 1: that we used to pretend to care about. And I'm wondering, like, 673 00:32:59,680 --> 00:33:03,560 Speaker 1: It seems very clear from what we saw Republican Senator 674 00:33:03,600 --> 00:33:07,520 Speaker 1: John Curtis say yesterday that there is going to be 675 00:33:07,600 --> 00:33:11,310 Speaker 1: a lot of investigation over Donald Trump Jr. 's second 676 00:33:11,390 --> 00:33:14,590 Speaker 1: wedding being paid for by a Russian oligarch. We've seen 677 00:33:14,610 --> 00:33:16,910 Speaker 1: a lot of hearings with Todd Blanch where he said 678 00:33:16,970 --> 00:33:20,510 Speaker 1: things like, I'm the president's lawyer. Just walk me through 679 00:33:20,550 --> 00:33:23,390 Speaker 1: your sense of what the DOJ looks like right now. 680 00:33:23,730 --> 00:33:26,700 Speaker 5: Conflicts of interest are everywhere in the Department of Justice. 681 00:33:26,740 --> 00:33:29,330 Speaker 5: I mean, people like Todd Blanch have not even tried 682 00:33:29,370 --> 00:33:32,360 Speaker 5: to hide the fact that their primary loyalty is to 683 00:33:32,740 --> 00:33:35,280 Speaker 5: Donald Trump, the man, not to the citizens of the 684 00:33:35,320 --> 00:33:38,600 Speaker 5: United States. When I worked at the Justice Department, it 685 00:33:38,640 --> 00:33:41,620 Speaker 5: was my understanding that I served the American people, my 686 00:33:41,660 --> 00:33:44,740 Speaker 5: fellow citizens. That is not how the Justice Department is 687 00:33:44,810 --> 00:33:48,410 Speaker 5: operating now. Employees are expected to serve the president personally. 688 00:33:48,790 --> 00:33:52,290 Speaker 5: And that's one of the reasons why people like Don Jr. 689 00:33:52,370 --> 00:33:56,140 Speaker 5: have been able to get away with such egregious abuse 690 00:33:56,160 --> 00:33:58,840 Speaker 5: of the public's trust, abuse of their access to the president, 691 00:33:58,880 --> 00:34:01,610 Speaker 5: because nobody is cracking down on it. One thing that 692 00:34:01,620 --> 00:34:04,610 Speaker 5: I thought was really significant about the letter that Senator 693 00:34:04,700 --> 00:34:07,910 Speaker 5: Curtis said is that it wasn't limited to the wedding. 694 00:34:07,970 --> 00:34:10,910 Speaker 5: We know that Don Jr. 's wedding being paid for 695 00:34:10,950 --> 00:34:14,130 Speaker 5: by a Russian oligarch has kind of broken through into 696 00:34:14,190 --> 00:34:17,670 Speaker 5: the mainstream as something that is problematic. But Curtis also 697 00:34:17,790 --> 00:34:20,370 Speaker 5: cited a number of other things that he believes should 698 00:34:20,390 --> 00:34:26,410 Speaker 5: be investigated, including Don Jr. 's cryptocurrency investments, his investments 699 00:34:26,610 --> 00:34:30,370 Speaker 5: in industries that are regulated by his father, like defense 700 00:34:30,450 --> 00:34:34,630 Speaker 5: contracting and prediction markets. He cited a whole host of 701 00:34:34,710 --> 00:34:37,009 Speaker 5: ways that the Trumps are all making money hand over 702 00:34:37,150 --> 00:34:40,330 Speaker 5: fist that he believes ought to be investigated. So my 703 00:34:40,410 --> 00:34:43,130 Speaker 5: hope is that there will be some bipartisan movement for 704 00:34:43,170 --> 00:34:46,890 Speaker 5: that type of investigation in Congress after the midterms. But 705 00:34:46,930 --> 00:34:49,719 Speaker 5: the likelihood of DOJ investigating any of that, as long 706 00:34:49,760 --> 00:34:52,540 Speaker 5: as Todd Blanch is in the building, is almost zero. 707 00:34:52,600 --> 00:34:56,700 Speaker 5: They have completely abandoned investigations into any type of political 708 00:34:56,800 --> 00:35:00,450 Speaker 5: corruption or really into any of the sectors where Donald 709 00:35:00,469 --> 00:35:04,690 Speaker 5: Trump has personal financial interests. Cryptocurrency is a great example. 710 00:35:05,150 --> 00:35:09,290 Speaker 5: They shut down the Specialized Enforcement Task Force that was 711 00:35:09,390 --> 00:35:14,430 Speaker 5: charged with investigating sophisticated cryptocurrency scams. Because Donald Trump likes 712 00:35:14,489 --> 00:35:16,730 Speaker 5: cryptocurrency and he wants it to flourish. And so they're 713 00:35:16,750 --> 00:35:19,660 Speaker 5: not going to bring prosecutions in that sector because they 714 00:35:19,700 --> 00:35:22,620 Speaker 5: could be contrary to Trump's personal financial interests. 715 00:35:23,540 --> 00:35:27,920 Speaker 1: So Dexter Falcons at The New Yorker had this really 716 00:35:28,239 --> 00:35:34,190 Speaker 1: expansive piece about the many conflicts of interest that Trump's 717 00:35:34,310 --> 00:35:41,290 Speaker 1: two peacemakers, Steve Wyckoff and Jared Kushner, are engaged in 718 00:35:41,390 --> 00:35:44,609 Speaker 1: when it comes to the Middle East. And we have 719 00:35:44,650 --> 00:35:49,049 Speaker 1: Wyckoff's son profiting. I mean, we just, it is, I mean, 720 00:35:49,630 --> 00:35:54,049 Speaker 1: ethics violation after ethics violation after ethics violation. Do you 721 00:35:54,130 --> 00:35:59,000 Speaker 1: think there's going to be an ability to unravel some 722 00:35:59,040 --> 00:36:01,280 Speaker 1: of that if Democrats win the House? 723 00:36:01,880 --> 00:36:06,259 Speaker 5: Certainly there will be investigations in Congress and Congress will 724 00:36:06,300 --> 00:36:08,730 Speaker 5: try to unravel that. But at the end of the day, 725 00:36:08,770 --> 00:36:11,850 Speaker 5: if crimes are being committed, only the Justice Department can 726 00:36:11,930 --> 00:36:16,689 Speaker 5: prosecute those crimes. Congress can refer matters to DOJ for 727 00:36:16,730 --> 00:36:21,069 Speaker 5: investigation and potential prosecution, but they can't force DOJ to prosecute. 728 00:36:21,450 --> 00:36:24,110 Speaker 5: And it just seems incredibly clear that Todd Blanch is 729 00:36:24,160 --> 00:36:27,740 Speaker 5: not going to prosecute anybody who is allied with Donald Trump. 730 00:36:28,920 --> 00:36:30,920 Speaker 1: Can the states prosecute stuff like that? 731 00:36:31,500 --> 00:36:34,560 Speaker 5: So, yes, that's a great point. The states can potentially 732 00:36:34,640 --> 00:36:38,340 Speaker 5: prosecute some of these offenses, but certain things are really 733 00:36:38,400 --> 00:36:42,180 Speaker 5: within exclusive federal domain. Things like conflicts of interest by 734 00:36:42,340 --> 00:36:47,170 Speaker 5: federal employees, which can be illegal under federal law, would 735 00:36:47,210 --> 00:36:50,310 Speaker 5: generally be the province of federal prosecutors. And typically more 736 00:36:50,350 --> 00:36:54,410 Speaker 5: sophisticated financial crimes are prosecuted by the feds because they 737 00:36:54,450 --> 00:36:58,359 Speaker 5: have superior resources to do that type of investigation and prosecution. 738 00:36:58,400 --> 00:37:00,480 Speaker 5: But there are some states that are trying to fill 739 00:37:00,520 --> 00:37:03,400 Speaker 5: the gaps. And I believe we'll try to bring some 740 00:37:03,440 --> 00:37:07,150 Speaker 5: of these cases. There are certain immunity issues that arise 741 00:37:07,290 --> 00:37:11,370 Speaker 5: when federal government employees are the potential defendants. So that's 742 00:37:11,410 --> 00:37:14,310 Speaker 5: another hurdle for the states. But I don't think the 743 00:37:14,330 --> 00:37:17,330 Speaker 5: states are going to, you know, shrink away from any 744 00:37:17,370 --> 00:37:17,709 Speaker 5: of this. 745 00:37:18,170 --> 00:37:21,750 Speaker 1: Certainly not. And I mean, we've seen these Democratic AGs 746 00:37:22,190 --> 00:37:25,290 Speaker 1: get together. I have more Todd Blanch questions. But first, 747 00:37:25,350 --> 00:37:29,739 Speaker 1: I want to ask you, with the Democratic AGs and 748 00:37:29,920 --> 00:37:34,400 Speaker 1: the Paramount deal, Clearly, there is a lot going on 749 00:37:34,440 --> 00:37:37,060 Speaker 1: behind the scenes with the Paramount deal that we're not seeing. 750 00:37:38,040 --> 00:37:42,340 Speaker 1: And there are definitely conflicts of interest. I mean, there's 751 00:37:42,360 --> 00:37:45,390 Speaker 1: just a lot there. Do you think there's a world 752 00:37:45,550 --> 00:37:50,129 Speaker 1: in which that deal happens and then there's some, like, 753 00:37:50,630 --> 00:37:55,170 Speaker 1: once the AGs have compromised, is it a fait accompli? 754 00:37:55,230 --> 00:37:57,390 Speaker 1: Is there any way to gum up the works at 755 00:37:57,430 --> 00:37:57,860 Speaker 1: this point? 756 00:37:58,430 --> 00:38:01,410 Speaker 5: The state AGs are really the ones that are holding 757 00:38:01,450 --> 00:38:04,969 Speaker 5: the line. I mean, DOJ has stopped enforcing antitrust laws 758 00:38:05,080 --> 00:38:09,060 Speaker 5: almost altogether. So I think the public is really counting 759 00:38:09,080 --> 00:38:13,260 Speaker 5: on the state AGs to continue to hold the line there. 760 00:38:13,380 --> 00:38:16,470 Speaker 5: And if they don't, that's really problematic. But a lot 761 00:38:16,510 --> 00:38:19,069 Speaker 5: of them have really done more than their share of 762 00:38:19,150 --> 00:38:22,330 Speaker 5: the work in antitrust matters, including the Paramount merger. 763 00:38:23,900 --> 00:38:28,000 Speaker 1: Speaking of state AGs, Raul Torres, who's the AG for 764 00:38:28,120 --> 00:38:32,900 Speaker 1: New Mexico, has been working on the Zorro Ranch investigation. 765 00:38:33,020 --> 00:38:36,609 Speaker 1: We know that it's the Epstein Ranch in New Mexico. 766 00:38:36,680 --> 00:38:41,049 Speaker 1: We know that it was never searched. We know that 767 00:38:41,090 --> 00:38:43,650 Speaker 1: it was, I mean, that this case just like fell apart. 768 00:38:44,290 --> 00:38:48,310 Speaker 1: Do you think that he'll be able to sort of 769 00:38:48,370 --> 00:38:52,739 Speaker 1: do anything there? I mean, just Give me your sort 770 00:38:52,760 --> 00:38:54,980 Speaker 1: of from your experience in the DOJ. 771 00:38:55,239 --> 00:38:57,900 Speaker 5: Well, all of the evidence is really in possession of 772 00:38:58,080 --> 00:39:01,529 Speaker 5: the Justice Department. And if the Justice Department does not 773 00:39:01,610 --> 00:39:05,090 Speaker 5: share what they have with state authorities, it's very hard 774 00:39:05,130 --> 00:39:08,910 Speaker 5: for state authorities to investigate and prosecute on their own. 775 00:39:08,930 --> 00:39:12,230 Speaker 5: That's kind of the crux of the problem. Todd Blanche said... 776 00:39:12,480 --> 00:39:15,120 Speaker 5: before he even became attorney general, that he believes it's 777 00:39:15,160 --> 00:39:17,239 Speaker 5: time for the Justice Department to move on from the 778 00:39:17,300 --> 00:39:20,160 Speaker 5: Epstein matter. He said the Epstein files should not be 779 00:39:20,280 --> 00:39:23,670 Speaker 5: part of anything that the Justice Department is doing going forward. 780 00:39:24,050 --> 00:39:26,210 Speaker 5: So he has made it clear that the matter is 781 00:39:26,350 --> 00:39:29,950 Speaker 5: closed from his perspective and the Justice Department is not 782 00:39:30,040 --> 00:39:33,800 Speaker 5: looking to cooperate with states that are trying to continue 783 00:39:33,840 --> 00:39:37,780 Speaker 5: to investigate and bring charges, that it's still theoretically possible 784 00:39:37,820 --> 00:39:40,380 Speaker 5: that states could do that, but without the cooperation of 785 00:39:40,400 --> 00:39:43,140 Speaker 5: the federal authorities that have all of the evidence in 786 00:39:43,340 --> 00:39:44,950 Speaker 5: their possession, it's very difficult. 787 00:39:45,650 --> 00:39:50,890 Speaker 1: So would you talk about Speaking of Epstein, Ghislaine, because 788 00:39:50,910 --> 00:39:55,260 Speaker 1: the story is Todd Blanche goes to talk to Ghislaine. First, 789 00:39:55,280 --> 00:39:57,920 Speaker 1: I mean, it seems there was some amount of leaking. 790 00:39:58,739 --> 00:40:02,859 Speaker 1: Ghislaine's lawyer made a sort of foray. I mean, there 791 00:40:02,900 --> 00:40:07,140 Speaker 1: definitely was some information put out there, right? And there 792 00:40:07,180 --> 00:40:12,529 Speaker 1: was a piece of this sort of evidence released. I mean, 793 00:40:12,610 --> 00:40:15,650 Speaker 1: it seemed as if Ghislaine's people were sort of trying 794 00:40:15,670 --> 00:40:19,400 Speaker 1: to get attention. Todd Blanche goes and meets with her, 795 00:40:19,850 --> 00:40:23,359 Speaker 1: talks to her, and then moves her to a cushier jail. 796 00:40:24,340 --> 00:40:29,549 Speaker 1: Explain to us, What you think happened there? And then also, 797 00:40:29,570 --> 00:40:32,819 Speaker 1: I mean, how abnormal that is. 798 00:40:33,620 --> 00:40:36,860 Speaker 5: Ghislaine Maxwell appears to have cut a corrupt deal with 799 00:40:36,920 --> 00:40:40,900 Speaker 5: Todd Blanche to get herself transferred to this minimum security 800 00:40:40,960 --> 00:40:45,190 Speaker 5: prison where she does not belong in exchange for providing 801 00:40:45,390 --> 00:40:49,830 Speaker 5: testimony that purported to exonerate Donald Trump for any wrongdoing 802 00:40:50,230 --> 00:40:53,430 Speaker 5: in connection with Jeffrey Epstein. Todd Blanche, while he was 803 00:40:53,469 --> 00:40:56,719 Speaker 5: the deputy attorney general, the number two at the Justice Department, 804 00:40:56,800 --> 00:41:00,980 Speaker 5: traveled to Florida and spent two days meeting with Ghislaine Maxwell. 805 00:41:01,440 --> 00:41:05,020 Speaker 5: For the deputy attorney general to personally do something like 806 00:41:05,060 --> 00:41:08,870 Speaker 5: that is absolutely extraordinary. I mean, I cannot overemphasize how 807 00:41:09,650 --> 00:41:13,270 Speaker 5: bonkers it is for the DAG to personally go and 808 00:41:13,310 --> 00:41:17,049 Speaker 5: meet with an incarcerated federal prisoner for two days. That 809 00:41:17,110 --> 00:41:19,730 Speaker 5: just does not happen. And it shows that he was 810 00:41:19,750 --> 00:41:22,250 Speaker 5: really there on behalf of Donald Trump, who is his 811 00:41:22,290 --> 00:41:24,710 Speaker 5: client above all else. You know, he's not there on 812 00:41:24,730 --> 00:41:26,670 Speaker 5: behalf of the United States. He's there to try to 813 00:41:26,730 --> 00:41:29,950 Speaker 5: solve a problem for Donald Trump. And Maxwell understood what 814 00:41:29,989 --> 00:41:32,930 Speaker 5: her role was. Her role was to say nice things 815 00:41:32,989 --> 00:41:35,640 Speaker 5: about Trump. She said that she never witnessed him do 816 00:41:35,719 --> 00:41:39,060 Speaker 5: anything improper in connection with Jeffrey Epstein. And almost as 817 00:41:39,200 --> 00:41:42,700 Speaker 5: soon as that meeting was concluded, Todd Blanch orchestrated her 818 00:41:42,800 --> 00:41:46,910 Speaker 5: transfer to a minimum security prison, which is extraordinary. Because 819 00:41:47,050 --> 00:41:51,690 Speaker 5: under longstanding Justice Department policy, decades and decades of policy, 820 00:41:52,410 --> 00:41:55,980 Speaker 5: people convicted of sex offenses like Glenn Maxwell are not 821 00:41:56,060 --> 00:41:59,920 Speaker 5: permitted to be housed in minimum security prison camps. That's 822 00:41:59,980 --> 00:42:02,900 Speaker 5: because those facilities are open to the community. You can 823 00:42:02,920 --> 00:42:05,360 Speaker 5: just drive right up. People can come and go. The 824 00:42:05,719 --> 00:42:09,310 Speaker 5: people who are incarcerated there are trusted to come back 825 00:42:09,370 --> 00:42:11,890 Speaker 5: and not to venture into the community, which is why 826 00:42:12,210 --> 00:42:14,790 Speaker 5: people with sex offenses can't be housed in those facilities. 827 00:42:15,239 --> 00:42:18,320 Speaker 5: I am not aware of any other prisoner ever receiving 828 00:42:18,360 --> 00:42:21,640 Speaker 5: an exemption from that role until Ghislaine Maxwell, which was 829 00:42:21,700 --> 00:42:25,359 Speaker 5: clearly a reward for her playing her role in purporting 830 00:42:25,410 --> 00:42:27,030 Speaker 5: to exonerate Donald Trump. 831 00:42:28,370 --> 00:42:34,110 Speaker 1: So is that legal? And if it's not legal, could 832 00:42:34,330 --> 00:42:38,520 Speaker 1: Todd Blanch be prosecuted for that? 833 00:42:39,460 --> 00:42:45,330 Speaker 5: So it was not permitted under DOJ policy. until recently. 834 00:42:45,410 --> 00:42:48,509 Speaker 5: And let me come back to that. But the DOJ's policies, 835 00:42:48,550 --> 00:42:51,330 Speaker 5: you know, they're not laws in the sense that you 836 00:42:51,350 --> 00:42:54,200 Speaker 5: could be prosecuted for violating a policy, but they are 837 00:42:54,260 --> 00:42:59,359 Speaker 5: just the way DOJ operates to preserve institutional integrity and 838 00:42:59,480 --> 00:43:02,299 Speaker 5: to protect the public. So I don't think that Todd 839 00:43:02,320 --> 00:43:07,540 Speaker 5: Blandage can be prosecuted necessarily for transferring Ghislaine Maxwell. But 840 00:43:07,600 --> 00:43:10,320 Speaker 5: what he has done since then is really extraordinary. 841 00:43:10,480 --> 00:43:11,320 Speaker 1: He actually. 842 00:43:12,070 --> 00:43:16,890 Speaker 5: rewrote BOP policy to allow himself as the attorney general 843 00:43:17,430 --> 00:43:21,250 Speaker 5: to override the BOP's decisions about where to send federal 844 00:43:21,310 --> 00:43:25,960 Speaker 5: prisoners and decide himself where particular people should go. That 845 00:43:25,980 --> 00:43:28,100 Speaker 5: would mean that he could decide that anybody who's a 846 00:43:28,140 --> 00:43:30,660 Speaker 5: friend of Donald Trump goes to minimum security no matter 847 00:43:30,820 --> 00:43:33,860 Speaker 5: what they have done, or anybody who's willing to pay 848 00:43:33,900 --> 00:43:36,100 Speaker 5: a large sum of money could go to a minimum 849 00:43:36,120 --> 00:43:38,719 Speaker 5: security camp. And the flip side of it is that 850 00:43:38,760 --> 00:43:42,680 Speaker 5: people who have opposed Donald Trump, say, for example, ICE protesters, 851 00:43:43,120 --> 00:43:46,160 Speaker 5: they could be sent to maximum security facilities or people 852 00:43:46,200 --> 00:43:49,549 Speaker 5: like John Bolton who have been prosecuted and who are 853 00:43:49,630 --> 00:43:51,830 Speaker 5: enemies of the president. You know, he committed a white 854 00:43:51,890 --> 00:43:54,910 Speaker 5: collar type of crime. He has no criminal history. So 855 00:43:55,030 --> 00:43:57,970 Speaker 5: ordinarily you'd expect him to go to a minimum security camp. 856 00:43:58,390 --> 00:44:01,310 Speaker 5: But under this new policy, Todd Blanch has the authority 857 00:44:01,330 --> 00:44:03,680 Speaker 5: to send him to a supermax prison if he chooses. 858 00:44:03,780 --> 00:44:14,430 Speaker 1: Wow. Wow. That is just, I mean, right? Wow. Like, yeah. 859 00:44:15,410 --> 00:44:17,799 Speaker 1: I just wonder, the other thing I want to ask 860 00:44:17,840 --> 00:44:24,379 Speaker 1: you is like, when we look at this, we look 861 00:44:24,400 --> 00:44:27,390 Speaker 1: at this landscape for a minute. Like, what do you 862 00:44:27,430 --> 00:44:31,880 Speaker 1: think if you are Democrats in oversight, what is the 863 00:44:31,940 --> 00:44:38,600 Speaker 1: thing you think is like the best tact for getting accountability? 864 00:44:38,640 --> 00:44:41,970 Speaker 1: Because you have voters who desperately want accountability. You have Epstein. 865 00:44:42,030 --> 00:44:44,969 Speaker 1: I mean, you just have so much crime. Like, what 866 00:44:45,030 --> 00:44:48,750 Speaker 1: would be the thing you would point them to? 867 00:44:49,290 --> 00:44:52,430 Speaker 5: I would say follow the money. There is so much 868 00:44:52,570 --> 00:44:55,609 Speaker 5: money that has been funneled out of our government by 869 00:44:55,650 --> 00:45:00,810 Speaker 5: people connected to the administration. And that money, it belongs 870 00:45:00,830 --> 00:45:03,750 Speaker 5: to taxpayers. It belongs to the American people. I think 871 00:45:03,790 --> 00:45:06,090 Speaker 5: that the Democrats can make a strong case to the 872 00:45:06,130 --> 00:45:09,270 Speaker 5: American public that this is not a political vendetta. It's 873 00:45:09,310 --> 00:45:12,069 Speaker 5: not a waste of time and resources. Going after the 874 00:45:12,150 --> 00:45:14,710 Speaker 5: money that is owed to the taxpayers is in the 875 00:45:14,750 --> 00:45:18,189 Speaker 5: interests of all Americans. That would include the money that 876 00:45:18,250 --> 00:45:21,609 Speaker 5: has been forgiven to people who've received pardons, people who've 877 00:45:21,630 --> 00:45:24,310 Speaker 5: been pardoned, who owed hundreds of millions of dollars to 878 00:45:24,350 --> 00:45:27,330 Speaker 5: the victims of their crimes. It would include that money. 879 00:45:27,770 --> 00:45:31,040 Speaker 5: It would include money that has been improperly allocated to 880 00:45:31,120 --> 00:45:35,000 Speaker 5: businesses of people connected with the administration through government contracting, 881 00:45:35,040 --> 00:45:38,920 Speaker 5: like Kristi Noem and Corey Lewandowski. It would include the 882 00:45:38,980 --> 00:45:41,740 Speaker 5: money that the Trump family has made off of conflicts 883 00:45:41,780 --> 00:45:44,359 Speaker 5: of interest and dealings with the government. There is just 884 00:45:44,560 --> 00:45:47,580 Speaker 5: so much money Right. Makes sense. Makes sense. 885 00:45:47,620 --> 00:45:48,160 Speaker 1: Thank you. Thank you. 886 00:45:48,180 --> 00:45:50,420 Speaker 5: Thank you. Thank you, Liz. I hope you'll come back. Yeah, 887 00:45:50,440 --> 00:45:51,899 Speaker 5: I'd love to. That would be great. 888 00:46:05,580 --> 00:46:08,120 Speaker 3: And now your moment of suffering. 889 00:46:08,320 --> 00:46:09,420 Speaker 1: Jesse Cannon. 890 00:46:09,739 --> 00:46:12,660 Speaker 2: Somalia, one thing I know about Stephen Miller, aside from 891 00:46:12,760 --> 00:46:16,070 Speaker 2: his hatred of brown people, is that he really doesn't 892 00:46:16,090 --> 00:46:18,049 Speaker 2: like a leak. And I have bad news for Stephen 893 00:46:18,090 --> 00:46:20,790 Speaker 2: Miller because they're leaking like a sieve over there at 894 00:46:20,830 --> 00:46:22,290 Speaker 2: the Office of Remigration. 895 00:46:22,530 --> 00:46:26,500 Speaker 1: So here's what's happening. I mean, this headline just kills it, right? 896 00:46:27,080 --> 00:46:32,940 Speaker 1: assorted revelations about the white nationalist-themed Office of Remigration should 897 00:46:32,960 --> 00:46:37,819 Speaker 1: galvanize Democrats. So this is where they send people to 898 00:46:37,840 --> 00:46:41,450 Speaker 1: places they've never been. The only refugees they admit right 899 00:46:41,489 --> 00:46:48,830 Speaker 1: now are white South African because they are white genocide 900 00:46:49,010 --> 00:46:52,899 Speaker 1: you may remember trump and miller are obsessed with white 901 00:46:52,940 --> 00:46:57,660 Speaker 1: genocide because they love to solve problems that don't exist 902 00:46:57,820 --> 00:47:00,420 Speaker 1: there is so much fucked up shit going on in 903 00:47:00,500 --> 00:47:04,960 Speaker 1: this white house that it's like at every point it's 904 00:47:05,000 --> 00:47:08,230 Speaker 1: just kind of shocking and this is just like another 905 00:47:08,250 --> 00:47:13,509 Speaker 1: layer of insane dysfunction. Stephen Miller is such a terrible, 906 00:47:13,810 --> 00:47:19,250 Speaker 1: terrible figure, and he's involved in so much morally reprehensible 907 00:47:19,340 --> 00:47:23,759 Speaker 1: stuff that this should be job one. That's it for 908 00:47:23,800 --> 00:47:30,540 Speaker 1: this episode of Fast Politics. Tune in every Monday, Wednesday, Thursday, 909 00:47:30,739 --> 00:47:34,620 Speaker 1: and Saturday to hear the best minds in politics make 910 00:47:34,719 --> 00:47:38,730 Speaker 1: sense of all this chaos. If you enjoy this podcast, 911 00:47:39,150 --> 00:47:42,550 Speaker 1: please send it to a friend and keep the conversation going. 912 00:47:42,570 --> 00:47:44,090 Speaker 1: Thanks for listening.