1 00:00:01,160 --> 00:00:04,439 Speaker 1: Welcome in his verdict with Sentater Ted Cruz, Ben Ferguson 2 00:00:04,519 --> 00:00:07,240 Speaker 1: with you and Senator you are back in Washington, d C. 3 00:00:07,480 --> 00:00:11,680 Speaker 1: It's twenty twenty five. Everything seems to be going in 4 00:00:11,680 --> 00:00:14,720 Speaker 1: the right direction. That terrifies me at the same time, 5 00:00:14,880 --> 00:00:19,239 Speaker 1: and it's getting so good that even Facebook says we're 6 00:00:19,239 --> 00:00:22,640 Speaker 1: gonna let conservatives hang out on our platform without us, 7 00:00:22,800 --> 00:00:25,360 Speaker 1: you know, like actually shutting them down every time they 8 00:00:25,360 --> 00:00:26,639 Speaker 1: say something we don't like. 9 00:00:27,360 --> 00:00:29,920 Speaker 2: Welcome to Trump twenty twenty five, universe. 10 00:00:30,840 --> 00:00:33,480 Speaker 3: Well, it's been big news this week. And the week 11 00:00:33,600 --> 00:00:37,720 Speaker 3: started with Congress coming back and certifying Donald Trump as 12 00:00:37,760 --> 00:00:40,240 Speaker 3: the winner of the twenty twenty four election. Donald Trump 13 00:00:40,280 --> 00:00:44,760 Speaker 3: will be the new president on January twentieth. I will 14 00:00:44,800 --> 00:00:47,760 Speaker 3: say it was really it was remarkable. Poor Kamala Harris 15 00:00:48,159 --> 00:00:51,400 Speaker 3: had to preside over that had to announce the results. 16 00:00:52,520 --> 00:00:54,080 Speaker 3: I will say I was sitting on the floor of 17 00:00:54,120 --> 00:00:55,840 Speaker 3: the House along with the rest of Congress in a 18 00:00:55,920 --> 00:00:59,960 Speaker 3: joint session and Congress as they read each state's result. 19 00:01:00,840 --> 00:01:03,680 Speaker 3: Every Republican chaired for the states that that that that 20 00:01:03,960 --> 00:01:07,000 Speaker 3: Trump won, every Democrat cheered for the states that Kamala won. 21 00:01:07,800 --> 00:01:10,039 Speaker 3: Uh and then at the end when she said, and 22 00:01:10,040 --> 00:01:12,320 Speaker 3: and the result in the winner is Donald Trump. All 23 00:01:12,360 --> 00:01:16,840 Speaker 3: the Republicans cheered. I will say, even though you and 24 00:01:16,880 --> 00:01:19,440 Speaker 3: I were strongly supporting President Trump, I did feel for 25 00:01:19,520 --> 00:01:22,800 Speaker 3: Kamala's standing there as we're all cheering her getting her 26 00:01:22,800 --> 00:01:27,800 Speaker 3: ass kicked that that that I'm sure was not easy 27 00:01:28,520 --> 00:01:30,520 Speaker 3: to stand up and do it, and I'll give her credit. 28 00:01:30,600 --> 00:01:35,360 Speaker 3: She kept an absolute poker face the entire time as 29 00:01:35,400 --> 00:01:38,959 Speaker 3: she was reading the results. I was sitting next to 30 00:01:39,040 --> 00:01:42,720 Speaker 3: Eric Schmidt, UH, senator from Missouri. I turned as they 31 00:01:42,760 --> 00:01:45,760 Speaker 3: were kind of like uh in in the d's of 32 00:01:45,840 --> 00:01:47,840 Speaker 3: the States. I turned him and said, hey, I wonder 33 00:01:47,880 --> 00:01:49,080 Speaker 3: how it's gonna end. Who's gonna win? 34 00:01:49,760 --> 00:01:52,960 Speaker 4: Uh? I will tell you. 35 00:01:53,000 --> 00:01:55,440 Speaker 3: By the way, I also was was joking with with 36 00:01:55,720 --> 00:02:01,560 Speaker 3: uh uh several several senators. UH. JD Vance was was 37 00:02:01,680 --> 00:02:04,320 Speaker 3: earlier this week on some pain killers and I asked 38 00:02:04,400 --> 00:02:06,240 Speaker 3: him how I was doing easy. He said he was fine, 39 00:02:06,560 --> 00:02:06,840 Speaker 3: and I. 40 00:02:06,800 --> 00:02:07,400 Speaker 4: Said, well, JD. 41 00:02:07,520 --> 00:02:11,040 Speaker 3: Look, we're gonna know if if you're high, if we 42 00:02:11,120 --> 00:02:13,440 Speaker 3: go into the certification and you stand up and object 43 00:02:13,560 --> 00:02:14,120 Speaker 3: your own election. 44 00:02:17,960 --> 00:02:18,519 Speaker 4: He laughed. 45 00:02:19,000 --> 00:02:21,480 Speaker 3: Thankfully he did not. He was not in fact high, 46 00:02:21,520 --> 00:02:22,480 Speaker 3: and he did not object. 47 00:02:22,840 --> 00:02:24,679 Speaker 1: By the way, you got a little side bet going 48 00:02:24,720 --> 00:02:26,919 Speaker 1: with him right now. Let's let's just let's let people 49 00:02:27,000 --> 00:02:29,320 Speaker 1: know what's happening this week. His side BET's gotten a 50 00:02:29,360 --> 00:02:32,920 Speaker 1: lot of Twitter attention, and and you challenge him to 51 00:02:32,960 --> 00:02:36,639 Speaker 1: a bet because his buck guys are playing your your 52 00:02:36,720 --> 00:02:39,440 Speaker 1: team in the National Championship playoff. 53 00:02:39,960 --> 00:02:41,280 Speaker 4: Well for the semi finals. 54 00:02:41,280 --> 00:02:44,040 Speaker 3: The Cotton Bowl is on Friday, and and UT is 55 00:02:44,080 --> 00:02:47,799 Speaker 3: playing Ohio State. Ohio State is favored. I think they're 56 00:02:47,880 --> 00:02:50,919 Speaker 3: up about five and a half six points on the line. 57 00:02:51,600 --> 00:02:51,840 Speaker 4: Uh. 58 00:02:51,880 --> 00:02:54,840 Speaker 3: But but I challenged him and said, look, let's let 59 00:02:54,880 --> 00:02:59,040 Speaker 3: let's have a friendly wager on this. The loser has 60 00:02:59,080 --> 00:03:02,800 Speaker 3: to provide food and beer from your home state. And 61 00:03:02,880 --> 00:03:04,919 Speaker 3: here's the kicker. You got to show up and deliver 62 00:03:05,000 --> 00:03:08,119 Speaker 3: it in the jersey of the winning team. And I'll 63 00:03:08,120 --> 00:03:10,359 Speaker 3: tell you that's kind of my standard sports bet. I've 64 00:03:10,400 --> 00:03:14,000 Speaker 3: made those bets a lot in various World Series games 65 00:03:14,040 --> 00:03:16,400 Speaker 3: and other National Championships games. 66 00:03:17,639 --> 00:03:18,840 Speaker 4: I will say, I want. 67 00:03:18,680 --> 00:03:21,120 Speaker 1: To make sure everybody knows the menu, because the Texas 68 00:03:21,160 --> 00:03:24,160 Speaker 1: menu is stellar, and I don't know if Ohio can 69 00:03:24,880 --> 00:03:27,200 Speaker 1: you keep up with what you're bringing to the table. 70 00:03:27,320 --> 00:03:30,280 Speaker 1: If in fact, there's some crazy reason that you lose 71 00:03:30,320 --> 00:03:30,760 Speaker 1: this bet. 72 00:03:30,880 --> 00:03:31,120 Speaker 4: Yeah. 73 00:03:31,160 --> 00:03:33,919 Speaker 3: Look what I said is if I lose, I'll provide 74 00:03:33,960 --> 00:03:37,720 Speaker 3: Texas barbecue and Bluebell ice cream and Shiner Bock beer. 75 00:03:38,720 --> 00:03:41,280 Speaker 3: But I also said, doesn't matter because I ain't gonna lose. 76 00:03:41,280 --> 00:03:43,480 Speaker 3: The Horns are gonna win Texas by five. So that's 77 00:03:43,520 --> 00:03:48,040 Speaker 3: my prediction, Texas by five. And we'll see. I'll tell you, 78 00:03:48,080 --> 00:03:50,520 Speaker 3: Particularly in the World Series. I've made these bets every 79 00:03:50,560 --> 00:03:52,760 Speaker 3: time the Strows have been in the World Series, and 80 00:03:52,800 --> 00:03:54,880 Speaker 3: I want them and lost of winning them is fun. 81 00:03:55,720 --> 00:03:58,600 Speaker 3: Twenty seventeen, when the Stros beat the Dodgers. Actually I 82 00:03:58,640 --> 00:04:01,520 Speaker 3: made the bet with Kamala Harris, and Kamala showed up 83 00:04:01,560 --> 00:04:05,120 Speaker 3: in my office. She had seized chocolate uh and and 84 00:04:05,240 --> 00:04:07,840 Speaker 3: California red wine that she brought, but she was wearing 85 00:04:07,920 --> 00:04:11,360 Speaker 3: Astros gear and she actually Facebook live streamed it as 86 00:04:11,400 --> 00:04:12,280 Speaker 3: she went to deliver it. 87 00:04:13,000 --> 00:04:13,280 Speaker 2: Uh. 88 00:04:13,320 --> 00:04:17,240 Speaker 3: And then I had a wager with with Tim Kaine 89 00:04:17,279 --> 00:04:19,279 Speaker 3: when the Stros played the Gnats. 90 00:04:19,880 --> 00:04:20,080 Speaker 4: Uh. 91 00:04:20,120 --> 00:04:22,080 Speaker 3: That really sucked when I showed up and had to 92 00:04:22,120 --> 00:04:25,000 Speaker 3: pay off to to Tim and and I also had 93 00:04:25,040 --> 00:04:27,480 Speaker 3: a wager with John oss Off when when the Stros 94 00:04:27,520 --> 00:04:30,640 Speaker 3: played played the Braves in the World Series. That sucked 95 00:04:30,680 --> 00:04:32,960 Speaker 3: and I paid off to him. But I had a 96 00:04:32,960 --> 00:04:35,880 Speaker 3: wager with Pat Toomey when the Stros paid the Phillies, 97 00:04:36,279 --> 00:04:39,640 Speaker 3: and I was quite happy to accept. Pat came by 98 00:04:39,720 --> 00:04:43,800 Speaker 3: and brought some Philadelphia pretzels and and some I don't 99 00:04:43,800 --> 00:04:47,799 Speaker 3: even remember some kind of Philly beer uh in Astro's gear. 100 00:04:47,880 --> 00:04:49,960 Speaker 3: And so between the two, I got to say, winnings 101 00:04:50,000 --> 00:04:53,159 Speaker 3: better than losing. So hopefully it's JD showing up, uh 102 00:04:53,200 --> 00:04:54,080 Speaker 3: saying ghost ros? 103 00:04:54,480 --> 00:04:56,800 Speaker 1: Yeah, and what is JD's What does he bring? Do 104 00:04:56,880 --> 00:04:58,480 Speaker 1: they what beer to even have up there? 105 00:04:58,480 --> 00:04:59,080 Speaker 4: That's what I want. 106 00:04:59,240 --> 00:05:02,760 Speaker 3: I you know, Ohio, I beats the heck out of me, 107 00:05:03,400 --> 00:05:03,919 Speaker 3: like like. 108 00:05:04,160 --> 00:05:06,479 Speaker 2: He's bringing you I know that, it's like what is it? 109 00:05:06,480 --> 00:05:07,480 Speaker 2: What do you even bring? 110 00:05:07,920 --> 00:05:10,320 Speaker 3: You know, in Cincinnati they claim they make chili. I'm 111 00:05:10,320 --> 00:05:12,960 Speaker 3: not sure about that, but but but I'm told that's 112 00:05:13,040 --> 00:05:15,400 Speaker 3: that's something they talk about. So so I don't I 113 00:05:15,440 --> 00:05:17,160 Speaker 3: don't know what he'll bring, but I look forward to 114 00:05:17,200 --> 00:05:17,720 Speaker 3: finding out. 115 00:05:18,720 --> 00:05:19,520 Speaker 2: You'll be eating it. 116 00:05:19,600 --> 00:05:21,800 Speaker 1: It may you may wish you're getting the barbecue in 117 00:05:21,880 --> 00:05:24,279 Speaker 1: that moment, and we'll see what happens there. So we've 118 00:05:24,279 --> 00:05:27,320 Speaker 1: got this big news of Facebook, uh that is it 119 00:05:27,320 --> 00:05:29,400 Speaker 1: has come out, But there's also a lot of chatter, 120 00:05:29,440 --> 00:05:32,200 Speaker 1: and I know you wanted to keep previewing for people. 121 00:05:32,440 --> 00:05:34,480 Speaker 1: We're going to cover two other things in this podcast 122 00:05:34,520 --> 00:05:35,080 Speaker 1: today as well. 123 00:05:35,680 --> 00:05:35,880 Speaker 4: Yeah. 124 00:05:35,960 --> 00:05:39,279 Speaker 3: Look, number one, Facebook has announced a brand new set 125 00:05:39,320 --> 00:05:41,840 Speaker 3: of policies and it says it is now going to 126 00:05:41,880 --> 00:05:45,600 Speaker 3: stop censoring conservatives. That's a big, big deal. We're going 127 00:05:45,640 --> 00:05:47,039 Speaker 3: to talk about it. We're going to talk about what 128 00:05:47,080 --> 00:05:50,600 Speaker 3: specifically they announced, what it means, uh and and and 129 00:05:50,680 --> 00:05:53,200 Speaker 3: what it what, what what to expect, how it's likely 130 00:05:53,200 --> 00:05:57,039 Speaker 3: to impact the free speech and then the world of 131 00:05:57,040 --> 00:06:01,200 Speaker 3: online conversation. We're also going to talk about Donald Trump's 132 00:06:01,440 --> 00:06:04,000 Speaker 3: press conference in mar A Lago. It was quite the 133 00:06:04,040 --> 00:06:05,880 Speaker 3: tour to force. He covered a lot of things, but 134 00:06:05,960 --> 00:06:10,040 Speaker 3: in particular, we're going to talk about Greenland and Panama 135 00:06:10,560 --> 00:06:11,359 Speaker 3: and Canada. 136 00:06:11,920 --> 00:06:13,840 Speaker 4: All of that is coming up in this pod. 137 00:06:14,360 --> 00:06:15,760 Speaker 2: Yeah, it's gonna be a fun one. 138 00:06:15,839 --> 00:06:17,200 Speaker 1: I want to talk to you real quick about the 139 00:06:17,240 --> 00:06:20,240 Speaker 1: International Fellowship of Christians and Jews and the new year 140 00:06:20,320 --> 00:06:23,120 Speaker 1: is a time of reflection on the past year and 141 00:06:23,240 --> 00:06:26,800 Speaker 1: also hope for the year to come. Last year was 142 00:06:26,839 --> 00:06:30,120 Speaker 1: an incredibly turbulent time for Israel and the Jewish people, 143 00:06:30,200 --> 00:06:34,800 Speaker 1: with the devastating and ongoing multi front war and unprecedented 144 00:06:34,960 --> 00:06:38,679 Speaker 1: rise in global anti Semitism and the loss of many 145 00:06:38,760 --> 00:06:39,680 Speaker 1: Jewish lives. 146 00:06:39,800 --> 00:06:41,560 Speaker 2: On top of that, well, we've. 147 00:06:41,440 --> 00:06:44,880 Speaker 1: Also seen an uprising of love and support from you, 148 00:06:45,200 --> 00:06:49,320 Speaker 1: the listeners, and through the partnership with the International Fellowship 149 00:06:49,360 --> 00:06:52,960 Speaker 1: of Christians and Jews, we had an incredible impact for 150 00:06:53,000 --> 00:06:55,760 Speaker 1: the people that are hurting in Israel in twenty twenty four. 151 00:06:56,520 --> 00:07:01,040 Speaker 1: Your support of IFCJ has saved lives, it's answered prayers, 152 00:07:01,360 --> 00:07:04,080 Speaker 1: and thanks to the generosity of so many of you, we 153 00:07:04,160 --> 00:07:06,520 Speaker 1: have actually been able to put in bomb shelters that 154 00:07:06,560 --> 00:07:09,559 Speaker 1: have been built and placed where they are needed the most. 155 00:07:09,920 --> 00:07:12,560 Speaker 1: We've been able to give life saving food and emergency 156 00:07:12,560 --> 00:07:17,000 Speaker 1: supplies that have provided for evacuees and those in critical need, 157 00:07:17,560 --> 00:07:21,760 Speaker 1: and we've also provided protective gear and medical equipment, including 158 00:07:22,600 --> 00:07:27,480 Speaker 1: armored ambulances. Bulletproof ambulances have been used to evacuate and 159 00:07:27,520 --> 00:07:30,720 Speaker 1: save the lives of many who have been hurt in Israel. 160 00:07:31,160 --> 00:07:34,800 Speaker 1: This is exactly why I'm asking you to stay involved. 161 00:07:34,840 --> 00:07:37,480 Speaker 1: There's still more work to be done, and that's why 162 00:07:37,520 --> 00:07:39,240 Speaker 1: I want you to join the movement of those who 163 00:07:39,280 --> 00:07:41,840 Speaker 1: have raised their voices to support Israel. 164 00:07:41,520 --> 00:07:42,400 Speaker 2: And the Jewish people. 165 00:07:42,840 --> 00:07:45,160 Speaker 1: I want to ask you to continue to pray for 166 00:07:45,240 --> 00:07:50,280 Speaker 1: the people in Israel, and also about supporting IFCJ. You 167 00:07:50,320 --> 00:07:56,000 Speaker 1: can go to SUPPORTIFCJ dot org. That's one word, support 168 00:07:56,560 --> 00:08:02,000 Speaker 1: IFCJ dot org. That support IFCJ. All right, center rarely 169 00:08:02,040 --> 00:08:04,920 Speaker 1: to you and I Nazie eye to eye on issues, 170 00:08:05,320 --> 00:08:08,640 Speaker 1: and I am going to be a pessimist on the 171 00:08:08,720 --> 00:08:09,720 Speaker 1: Facebook part. 172 00:08:10,240 --> 00:08:11,560 Speaker 2: Here is my argument. 173 00:08:12,160 --> 00:08:14,480 Speaker 1: You say this is a big moment, I would agree, 174 00:08:14,520 --> 00:08:17,320 Speaker 1: but I also think this is just crap and this 175 00:08:17,480 --> 00:08:20,720 Speaker 1: is temporary and as soon as Democrats get back in charge, 176 00:08:21,080 --> 00:08:24,720 Speaker 1: they're going to undo everything that Zuckerberg vows to restore 177 00:08:24,840 --> 00:08:27,440 Speaker 1: free speech, which by the way, is also him admitting 178 00:08:27,960 --> 00:08:31,560 Speaker 1: that they were censoring and silencing people with free speech. 179 00:08:32,080 --> 00:08:35,240 Speaker 1: And I go back to this. Let me remind you 180 00:08:35,360 --> 00:08:38,880 Speaker 1: of what Zuckerberg allowed to happen. They allowed a sitting 181 00:08:38,920 --> 00:08:43,199 Speaker 1: president of the United States of America to be taken 182 00:08:43,320 --> 00:08:46,280 Speaker 1: off the platform while he was the President of the 183 00:08:46,360 --> 00:08:51,040 Speaker 1: United States of America. They gave over information to the 184 00:08:51,040 --> 00:08:55,280 Speaker 1: FEDS when they came knocking looking for different intel on conservatives. 185 00:08:55,840 --> 00:09:01,720 Speaker 1: They also silenced and censored information about COVID nineteen, and 186 00:09:01,760 --> 00:09:05,239 Speaker 1: they took orders from the government the Biden heirs administration 187 00:09:05,760 --> 00:09:08,319 Speaker 1: on people to shut down, to silence and to make 188 00:09:08,360 --> 00:09:10,600 Speaker 1: sure that their post did and see the light of day. I, 189 00:09:10,720 --> 00:09:12,760 Speaker 1: by the way, was one of them. So when I 190 00:09:12,920 --> 00:09:15,200 Speaker 1: see this, I am not like, oh, this is an 191 00:09:15,240 --> 00:09:18,680 Speaker 1: amazing day to me. It's like they read the tea leaves. 192 00:09:18,679 --> 00:09:21,960 Speaker 1: Donald Trump's in charge. Republicans have power in the Senate, 193 00:09:22,200 --> 00:09:24,559 Speaker 1: they have power in the House. They are the majority, 194 00:09:24,600 --> 00:09:27,000 Speaker 1: and they realize they got to make a business decision. 195 00:09:27,360 --> 00:09:29,080 Speaker 1: And so that's why all of a sudden he comes out. 196 00:09:29,120 --> 00:09:31,680 Speaker 1: He's like, I'm in favor of free speech. That's my take. 197 00:09:31,840 --> 00:09:35,720 Speaker 3: Your reaction, well, look, I think every word you said 198 00:09:35,800 --> 00:09:39,199 Speaker 3: is accurate. Facebook has been a very bad actor. They 199 00:09:39,200 --> 00:09:44,959 Speaker 3: have engaged in rampant censorship of conservatives, and you're right. 200 00:09:45,000 --> 00:09:47,640 Speaker 3: They engaged in censorship when it came to COVID. They 201 00:09:47,679 --> 00:09:51,920 Speaker 3: engage in censorship when it came to making the argument 202 00:09:52,000 --> 00:09:56,160 Speaker 3: that COVID originated in China and the Wuhana Institute of Virology, 203 00:09:56,200 --> 00:09:59,120 Speaker 3: which minds you, this podcast did right at the beginning 204 00:09:59,120 --> 00:10:01,600 Speaker 3: of the pandemic, when when very few other people were 205 00:10:01,640 --> 00:10:07,120 Speaker 3: laying out those facts, they actively and aggressively suppressed news 206 00:10:07,200 --> 00:10:09,920 Speaker 3: on the Hunter Biden laptop in the twenty twenty election, 207 00:10:11,040 --> 00:10:16,800 Speaker 3: they targeted and suppressed posts from conservatives. So their behavior 208 00:10:16,840 --> 00:10:21,959 Speaker 3: on free speech has been quite terrible. That being said, look, 209 00:10:22,000 --> 00:10:24,160 Speaker 3: look there's several broader dynamics, and I want to talk 210 00:10:24,160 --> 00:10:28,120 Speaker 3: about the context and why I've got some degree of 211 00:10:28,160 --> 00:10:30,560 Speaker 3: hope here, and then I want to talk about the 212 00:10:30,600 --> 00:10:33,839 Speaker 3: specifics of what they announced. But let's look at the context. 213 00:10:34,360 --> 00:10:37,160 Speaker 3: Number one, you said they're kissing up to Trump. That's 214 00:10:37,240 --> 00:10:42,000 Speaker 3: clearly true, and we're seeing all across corporate America, corporate 215 00:10:42,040 --> 00:10:46,000 Speaker 3: America freaking out recognizing that Trump is coming back in 216 00:10:46,040 --> 00:10:49,080 Speaker 3: the White House. There's a Republican Senate, a Republican House, 217 00:10:49,480 --> 00:10:54,720 Speaker 3: and we're seeing corporate America at least saying their changing paths. 218 00:10:54,760 --> 00:10:59,840 Speaker 3: We're seeing companies announcing that they're abandoning their DEI policies. 219 00:11:00,480 --> 00:11:03,120 Speaker 3: It's fairly dramatic. I think that is a real driver 220 00:11:03,200 --> 00:11:06,720 Speaker 3: here that Facebook suddenly realized that that that that that 221 00:11:06,760 --> 00:11:08,880 Speaker 3: there was a new sheriff in town, and that they 222 00:11:08,880 --> 00:11:11,080 Speaker 3: were on the wrong side of things. I think that's 223 00:11:11,120 --> 00:11:15,160 Speaker 3: one piece. I think secondly, there is a dynamic in 224 00:11:15,240 --> 00:11:17,960 Speaker 3: big tech that that that that is flowing from elon 225 00:11:18,040 --> 00:11:22,400 Speaker 3: Musk's buying Twitter. That was you and I have talked 226 00:11:22,440 --> 00:11:26,000 Speaker 3: about multiple times. I think the most important step for 227 00:11:26,200 --> 00:11:31,319 Speaker 3: free speech in decades. And Twitter has now become the 228 00:11:31,360 --> 00:11:36,640 Speaker 3: public square because Elon stopped censoring and began allowing people 229 00:11:36,679 --> 00:11:40,199 Speaker 3: to speak. The pressure it is put on Facebook and 230 00:11:40,320 --> 00:11:43,600 Speaker 3: other platforms is enormous. And I think this is also 231 00:11:43,679 --> 00:11:50,520 Speaker 3: the consequence of competition from X via Elon Musk. 232 00:11:50,679 --> 00:11:51,959 Speaker 4: And and and Look. 233 00:11:52,240 --> 00:11:55,760 Speaker 3: One of the ways this manifested was last week Meta, 234 00:11:55,800 --> 00:12:00,920 Speaker 3: Facebook's new name and parent company, Meta announced that they're 235 00:12:01,080 --> 00:12:07,880 Speaker 3: old head of policy globally, guy named Nick Clegg was 236 00:12:07,920 --> 00:12:10,880 Speaker 3: on his way out. And Nick Clegg, I've met him 237 00:12:10,880 --> 00:12:13,160 Speaker 3: and visited with him. He's a nice enough guy. But 238 00:12:13,320 --> 00:12:16,000 Speaker 3: he was a liberal British politician. He was a member 239 00:12:16,040 --> 00:12:19,080 Speaker 3: of Parliament. He was a liberal and he was the 240 00:12:19,080 --> 00:12:22,920 Speaker 3: one in charge of global policy. Well, last week Facebook 241 00:12:22,920 --> 00:12:25,800 Speaker 3: announced Dick Clegg was gone and they were elevating two people. 242 00:12:26,360 --> 00:12:29,640 Speaker 3: They were elevating Joel Caplan and Kevin Martin. Now who 243 00:12:29,679 --> 00:12:33,040 Speaker 3: are Joel Kaplan and Kevin Martin. Well, they're both Republicans. 244 00:12:34,080 --> 00:12:40,280 Speaker 3: Joel Caplan was the deputy head of OMB under George W. 245 00:12:40,400 --> 00:12:43,720 Speaker 3: Bush and he was the Deputy Chief of Staff in 246 00:12:43,720 --> 00:12:45,000 Speaker 3: the White House under George W. 247 00:12:45,080 --> 00:12:45,320 Speaker 4: Bush. 248 00:12:45,400 --> 00:12:48,480 Speaker 3: Joel Caplan was also before that, a law clerk to 249 00:12:48,640 --> 00:12:54,200 Speaker 3: Justice Scalia. Who's Kevin Martin. Kevin Martin was George W. 250 00:12:54,320 --> 00:12:58,360 Speaker 3: Bush's chairman of the FCC, the Federal Communication Commission. Now, 251 00:12:58,360 --> 00:13:01,880 Speaker 3: I'll tell you both Joel and Kevin have been friends 252 00:13:01,880 --> 00:13:04,559 Speaker 3: of mine for twenty five years. And in fact, Joel 253 00:13:04,600 --> 00:13:07,800 Speaker 3: and Kevin were both with me and with Heidi on 254 00:13:07,880 --> 00:13:10,520 Speaker 3: the two thousand Bush campaign. We were on the campaign together. 255 00:13:10,559 --> 00:13:12,679 Speaker 3: I know both of them really well. 256 00:13:13,400 --> 00:13:13,679 Speaker 4: Now. 257 00:13:14,240 --> 00:13:18,240 Speaker 3: When Meta was making this announcement that they actually reached 258 00:13:18,280 --> 00:13:21,120 Speaker 3: out and they asked me, hey, would you be willing 259 00:13:21,200 --> 00:13:24,199 Speaker 3: to say something positive about this announcement? And it's interesting, man, 260 00:13:24,600 --> 00:13:27,240 Speaker 3: I actually had a debate internally with my staff, and 261 00:13:27,720 --> 00:13:31,120 Speaker 3: a lot of my staff were skeptical. They said, you 262 00:13:31,160 --> 00:13:35,680 Speaker 3: shouldn't that Facebook's been a bad actor. Don't say anything positive. 263 00:13:36,400 --> 00:13:38,880 Speaker 3: And when I ended up telling my team, I said, look, 264 00:13:39,160 --> 00:13:41,920 Speaker 3: I hear you. I agree with everything you're saying. At 265 00:13:41,920 --> 00:13:44,920 Speaker 3: the same time, Joel and Kevin and I go back 266 00:13:44,920 --> 00:13:46,760 Speaker 3: a long way. So I decided I put out a 267 00:13:46,760 --> 00:13:49,560 Speaker 3: tweet and I said, listen, I'm going to make it 268 00:13:49,640 --> 00:13:53,120 Speaker 3: personal just given our own history. But I'm also going 269 00:13:53,200 --> 00:13:56,560 Speaker 3: to make it aspiration. I'm going to say this is 270 00:13:56,679 --> 00:13:58,800 Speaker 3: what I hope it means. I don't know that it does, 271 00:13:59,559 --> 00:14:02,040 Speaker 3: but this, this is what I hope their promotion means. 272 00:14:02,440 --> 00:14:05,600 Speaker 3: So here's what I tweeted. Congratulations. Both Joel and Kevin 273 00:14:05,600 --> 00:14:07,960 Speaker 3: have been friends of mine for twenty five years, and 274 00:14:08,000 --> 00:14:12,640 Speaker 3: I am hopeful that their promotion signals a renewed commitment 275 00:14:12,960 --> 00:14:16,320 Speaker 3: to free speech online. For the past decade, big tech 276 00:14:16,360 --> 00:14:19,280 Speaker 3: has been far too eager to censor in silence. I 277 00:14:19,320 --> 00:14:24,320 Speaker 3: hope that Meta will now join x in fighting to 278 00:14:24,360 --> 00:14:29,120 Speaker 3: protect free speech for everyone. Now I sent that, and 279 00:14:29,160 --> 00:14:33,600 Speaker 3: then I'll tell you yesterday, I started the day by 280 00:14:33,640 --> 00:14:36,480 Speaker 3: having a call with both Joel and Kevin where they 281 00:14:36,560 --> 00:14:38,880 Speaker 3: previewed what Meta was going to do. It was before 282 00:14:38,880 --> 00:14:41,880 Speaker 3: their public announcement, and they asked to set up a 283 00:14:41,920 --> 00:14:44,040 Speaker 3: call and lay out their steps. And I'll tell you 284 00:14:44,080 --> 00:14:46,320 Speaker 3: what I told them. I said, listen, I like what 285 00:14:46,360 --> 00:14:49,880 Speaker 3: you're saying. I think it's positive. I am glad that 286 00:14:49,960 --> 00:14:51,960 Speaker 3: you are making efforts to move in the direction of 287 00:14:51,960 --> 00:14:56,800 Speaker 3: free speech. I said, given Facebook's history, you will forgive 288 00:14:56,840 --> 00:14:59,720 Speaker 3: me if I'm skeptical and In fact, I told both 289 00:14:59,760 --> 00:15:03,400 Speaker 3: of them, you will not be surprised. My attitude is 290 00:15:03,440 --> 00:15:08,040 Speaker 3: going to be borrowed from Ronald Reagan. Trust, but verify. 291 00:15:08,600 --> 00:15:11,600 Speaker 3: I like what you're saying. The steps you're laying out 292 00:15:12,240 --> 00:15:15,200 Speaker 3: are positive, but the proof is going to be the pudding. 293 00:15:15,240 --> 00:15:18,160 Speaker 3: The proof is going to be do you allow real 294 00:15:18,320 --> 00:15:22,840 Speaker 3: free speech or are you suppressing and silencing conservatives? If 295 00:15:22,960 --> 00:15:29,120 Speaker 3: they follow the lead of X and genuinely defend free speech, 296 00:15:29,160 --> 00:15:33,120 Speaker 3: that is a massive, massive victory and something we've been 297 00:15:33,120 --> 00:15:36,240 Speaker 3: fighting a long time. So I'm going to welcome them 298 00:15:36,600 --> 00:15:39,280 Speaker 3: that they're at least saying the right thing. At the 299 00:15:39,320 --> 00:15:42,480 Speaker 3: same time, we are going to watch very closely to 300 00:15:42,520 --> 00:15:45,760 Speaker 3: see if their actions match up with what they're saying 301 00:15:45,760 --> 00:15:46,480 Speaker 3: they intend to do. 302 00:15:46,520 --> 00:15:49,120 Speaker 1: All right, So let me play Devil's advocate for everybody 303 00:15:49,160 --> 00:15:52,560 Speaker 1: that is angry like I am. I spoke out against 304 00:15:53,120 --> 00:15:56,680 Speaker 1: Facebook for censoring and silencing conservatives. 305 00:15:56,280 --> 00:15:59,440 Speaker 4: As f I many times, and I. 306 00:15:59,400 --> 00:16:02,640 Speaker 1: Got on a point after making that speech at spack 307 00:16:02,720 --> 00:16:05,960 Speaker 1: down and Florida during COVID, I landed to my entire 308 00:16:06,000 --> 00:16:09,000 Speaker 1: account being shut down. They went back five years to 309 00:16:09,280 --> 00:16:12,800 Speaker 1: find things to ding me on so they could then 310 00:16:12,840 --> 00:16:16,880 Speaker 1: shut it down, and it completely changed everything that I 311 00:16:16,960 --> 00:16:20,479 Speaker 1: was doing in the radio space. So many other concertis 312 00:16:20,520 --> 00:16:23,800 Speaker 1: had that. So the worry now is, well, they saw 313 00:16:23,840 --> 00:16:27,800 Speaker 1: the writing on the wall. So they're hoping that Donald 314 00:16:27,800 --> 00:16:31,120 Speaker 1: Trump and Republicans will move on from holding them. 315 00:16:30,960 --> 00:16:32,720 Speaker 2: Accountable for their actions. 316 00:16:33,600 --> 00:16:36,440 Speaker 1: And we're getting played by a company that has no 317 00:16:36,520 --> 00:16:39,200 Speaker 1: intent to really do this as soon as Democrats get 318 00:16:39,240 --> 00:16:42,160 Speaker 1: back power, So they're hoping for a free pass with 319 00:16:42,200 --> 00:16:48,160 Speaker 1: this new Congress when there could be real regulations on Facebook, Meta, Instagram, etc. 320 00:16:49,120 --> 00:16:50,680 Speaker 2: Your response to that. 321 00:16:50,880 --> 00:16:54,640 Speaker 3: Yeah, Look, their behavior, as I said, has been despicable. 322 00:16:54,640 --> 00:16:56,120 Speaker 3: And I'll tell you I've spent a fair amount of 323 00:16:56,120 --> 00:17:02,120 Speaker 3: time with Mark Zuckerberg, and look, Zuckerberg is very clever 324 00:17:02,840 --> 00:17:06,760 Speaker 3: at positioning Facebook so that there are other juicier targets 325 00:17:06,840 --> 00:17:12,000 Speaker 3: around him. So so previously you have number one Google, 326 00:17:12,240 --> 00:17:17,200 Speaker 3: which is massive and is the most dangerous and horrific. Uh, 327 00:17:18,040 --> 00:17:21,520 Speaker 3: I think country company on the planet and the most 328 00:17:21,680 --> 00:17:23,600 Speaker 3: dangerous company in the. 329 00:17:23,520 --> 00:17:25,640 Speaker 4: World for free speech. Uh. 330 00:17:25,680 --> 00:17:28,919 Speaker 3: You had Twitter when Jack Dorsey was CEO. That was 331 00:17:29,119 --> 00:17:32,200 Speaker 3: just malevolent. That that that they I mean Dorsey looked 332 00:17:32,280 --> 00:17:35,520 Speaker 3: like a troll under a bridge with a beard down 333 00:17:35,560 --> 00:17:39,200 Speaker 3: to his knees. That that would almost cackle at censoring 334 00:17:39,240 --> 00:17:42,360 Speaker 3: the views of conservatives, and and Zuckerberg was very good 335 00:17:42,359 --> 00:17:44,280 Speaker 3: at saying, look, we're not as big and bad as 336 00:17:44,320 --> 00:17:47,639 Speaker 3: as Google, and we're not as malevolent as as Twitter. 337 00:17:47,720 --> 00:17:50,919 Speaker 3: And by the way, TikTok, they're Chinese. And you know 338 00:17:51,000 --> 00:17:54,360 Speaker 3: that combination was pretty good, but that that Facebook managed 339 00:17:54,400 --> 00:17:56,800 Speaker 3: to be to point at others. 340 00:17:57,480 --> 00:17:59,000 Speaker 4: Are they trying to do some of that here? 341 00:17:59,080 --> 00:17:59,359 Speaker 2: Sure? 342 00:18:00,160 --> 00:18:03,159 Speaker 3: But you know what, I will accept a change in 343 00:18:03,240 --> 00:18:08,280 Speaker 3: behavior if, if, if their behavior actually changes. So do 344 00:18:08,400 --> 00:18:11,800 Speaker 3: not misunderstand me, Ben, I'm not saying I'm just going 345 00:18:11,880 --> 00:18:14,679 Speaker 3: to take their empty words at face value. I'm going 346 00:18:14,760 --> 00:18:17,399 Speaker 3: to expect real action. And one of the things I 347 00:18:17,440 --> 00:18:21,200 Speaker 3: made clear to them as of today, actually, I am 348 00:18:21,280 --> 00:18:24,919 Speaker 3: now the chairman of the Senate Commerce Committee, and the 349 00:18:24,960 --> 00:18:28,600 Speaker 3: Commerce Committee has jurisdiction over forty percent of the US economy, 350 00:18:28,920 --> 00:18:32,000 Speaker 3: including big tech, including the Internet, and it is going 351 00:18:32,040 --> 00:18:34,280 Speaker 3: to be a major priority of the Commerce Committee to 352 00:18:34,320 --> 00:18:37,600 Speaker 3: defend free speech online. And I told them, well, you 353 00:18:37,640 --> 00:18:40,119 Speaker 3: could expect hearings on this. You're going to have the 354 00:18:40,160 --> 00:18:42,480 Speaker 3: opportunity to explain what you're doing. You're going to have 355 00:18:42,520 --> 00:18:46,960 Speaker 3: the opportunity to demonstrate transparency. In the past Facebook has 356 00:18:47,000 --> 00:18:51,560 Speaker 3: been terrible in responding to requests from me for information, 357 00:18:52,119 --> 00:18:54,639 Speaker 3: and so I fully expect to keep pressing them for 358 00:18:54,720 --> 00:19:00,480 Speaker 3: greater transparency. But all of that being said, listen, anouncement 359 00:19:01,520 --> 00:19:08,040 Speaker 3: is significant, and listen, there were six different elements that 360 00:19:08,160 --> 00:19:12,080 Speaker 3: they said that they were doing that they announced. Number one, 361 00:19:12,119 --> 00:19:14,479 Speaker 3: Facebook is eliminating fact checks. 362 00:19:15,080 --> 00:19:16,960 Speaker 1: That's huge, by the way, because that's how they shut 363 00:19:17,000 --> 00:19:19,959 Speaker 1: down conservatives. Just so people understand how it works, You 364 00:19:20,000 --> 00:19:22,359 Speaker 1: get strikes against you, they say that something you post 365 00:19:22,440 --> 00:19:25,720 Speaker 1: is partially false, and then they give you the quote 366 00:19:25,800 --> 00:19:29,600 Speaker 1: opportunity to appeal the decision. I've never want to appeal 367 00:19:29,680 --> 00:19:33,480 Speaker 1: my entire time on Facebook. So then they say you 368 00:19:33,560 --> 00:19:36,199 Speaker 1: are punished and you are reduced in your reach. So 369 00:19:36,280 --> 00:19:39,720 Speaker 1: you can have five million followers and maybe five hundred 370 00:19:39,800 --> 00:19:42,280 Speaker 1: will see your post once they put you in jail, 371 00:19:42,320 --> 00:19:44,520 Speaker 1: which is how they limit you before elections. 372 00:19:45,160 --> 00:19:48,639 Speaker 3: You're right, and they were relying on quote fact checking 373 00:19:48,720 --> 00:19:54,240 Speaker 3: organizations that were wildly biased left wing organizations. PolitiFact is 374 00:19:54,280 --> 00:19:59,919 Speaker 3: a hardcore left wing, dishonest editorial operation. I've talked to 375 00:20:00,240 --> 00:20:02,680 Speaker 3: I think in multiple books I've written just how dishonest 376 00:20:02,720 --> 00:20:05,680 Speaker 3: PolitiFact is. And so they're eliminating it. They're no longer 377 00:20:05,680 --> 00:20:07,480 Speaker 3: going to do fact checks, and they're going to replace 378 00:20:07,560 --> 00:20:11,360 Speaker 3: it with community notes, which they said they're explicitly borrowing 379 00:20:11,400 --> 00:20:16,120 Speaker 3: from X, so that if there are significant counterfacts, rather 380 00:20:16,160 --> 00:20:18,920 Speaker 3: than suppress something, they'll place a community note. I think 381 00:20:18,920 --> 00:20:22,880 Speaker 3: community notes on X are actually quite helpful and it's 382 00:20:22,920 --> 00:20:25,960 Speaker 3: a good good way to provide balance. It is actually 383 00:20:26,840 --> 00:20:29,640 Speaker 3: reminiscent of the approach you know. John Stuart Mill said 384 00:20:29,640 --> 00:20:33,000 Speaker 3: the best cure for bad speech is more speech, and 385 00:20:33,480 --> 00:20:36,920 Speaker 3: so look, if people say things that are factually inaccurate, 386 00:20:36,960 --> 00:20:39,080 Speaker 3: I think community note is a good way to provide 387 00:20:39,359 --> 00:20:43,240 Speaker 3: counterfacts to it. But eliminating the fact checks that that 388 00:20:43,480 --> 00:20:48,080 Speaker 3: is a meaningful step. Secondly, they said they're changing their 389 00:20:48,080 --> 00:20:54,720 Speaker 3: content policies specifically on gender and immigration and so previously 390 00:20:55,359 --> 00:20:59,280 Speaker 3: if you posted there are only two genders, man and women, 391 00:21:00,000 --> 00:21:02,720 Speaker 3: this book would suppress that. They told me they will 392 00:21:02,760 --> 00:21:05,600 Speaker 3: not suppress that anymore, that they will allow statements like 393 00:21:05,680 --> 00:21:08,439 Speaker 3: that to be made to be discussed. Now people can 394 00:21:08,480 --> 00:21:10,840 Speaker 3: disagree with it, they can say no, no, no, they're forty 395 00:21:10,840 --> 00:21:12,639 Speaker 3: seven genders. If they want to do that, they can 396 00:21:12,720 --> 00:21:17,560 Speaker 3: have debate. But they said they're going to stop censoring 397 00:21:18,119 --> 00:21:21,000 Speaker 3: statements like that. The third thing they said is they're 398 00:21:21,040 --> 00:21:25,080 Speaker 3: going to focus content filters on finding illegal content, not 399 00:21:25,280 --> 00:21:28,440 Speaker 3: low level policy violations. And a significant component of that 400 00:21:28,920 --> 00:21:32,639 Speaker 3: is they said, right now they rely on AI and 401 00:21:32,800 --> 00:21:36,040 Speaker 3: algorithms to find and suppress posts, and they said, there's 402 00:21:36,040 --> 00:21:39,680 Speaker 3: a significant error rate that the algorithms, the AI gets 403 00:21:39,720 --> 00:21:43,480 Speaker 3: it wrong and suppresses posts accidentally. And they said they're 404 00:21:43,480 --> 00:21:46,320 Speaker 3: going to stop using AI, and they're going to rely 405 00:21:46,600 --> 00:21:53,919 Speaker 3: on people focusing on things like child porn, like selling drugs, 406 00:21:54,000 --> 00:22:00,720 Speaker 3: like promoting terrorism, on clearly illegal conduct, rather than an 407 00:22:00,840 --> 00:22:05,600 Speaker 3: algorithm that also certainly seems positive on its face. Beyond that, 408 00:22:06,600 --> 00:22:11,480 Speaker 3: they're going to return political content into their algorithm. So 409 00:22:12,080 --> 00:22:16,600 Speaker 3: several years ago, Facebook made a decision to de emphasize politics, 410 00:22:16,640 --> 00:22:19,280 Speaker 3: and they just phased it out of their algorithm because 411 00:22:19,280 --> 00:22:22,919 Speaker 3: they wanted people to post on Facebook, you know, happy, 412 00:22:22,960 --> 00:22:26,000 Speaker 3: go like Lucky, I like m and M's Bluesmrcer Great, 413 00:22:27,000 --> 00:22:31,280 Speaker 3: rather than actually talking about the issues that of public 414 00:22:31,320 --> 00:22:34,560 Speaker 3: policy and democracy of the day. They're going to return 415 00:22:34,600 --> 00:22:36,919 Speaker 3: it back and they said, the algorithm is if you 416 00:22:37,080 --> 00:22:40,160 Speaker 3: engage on Facebook, ben if you click on political content, 417 00:22:40,680 --> 00:22:43,080 Speaker 3: their algorithm is going to show you more political content. 418 00:22:43,160 --> 00:22:47,520 Speaker 3: So for people that demonstrate an interest by engaging with 419 00:22:47,560 --> 00:22:49,239 Speaker 3: political content, they'll get more of it. 420 00:22:49,280 --> 00:22:50,480 Speaker 4: That's a significant shift. 421 00:22:51,080 --> 00:22:54,119 Speaker 3: Facebook used to be much much more important for politics 422 00:22:54,400 --> 00:22:57,439 Speaker 3: than it's been recently because they've de emphasized political content. 423 00:22:58,119 --> 00:23:03,080 Speaker 3: They're also moving their content review teams from California to Texas, 424 00:23:03,520 --> 00:23:05,280 Speaker 3: and they said they're not going to have people in 425 00:23:05,320 --> 00:23:10,040 Speaker 3: Silicon Valley engaged in content review because Silicon Valley has 426 00:23:10,480 --> 00:23:15,240 Speaker 3: such a significant political bias. Each of those steps, look, 427 00:23:15,240 --> 00:23:18,440 Speaker 3: they ain't nothing now. Yeah, if they don't follow through 428 00:23:18,480 --> 00:23:20,679 Speaker 3: on it, you and I are going to be the 429 00:23:20,800 --> 00:23:24,680 Speaker 3: very first to call them to task. If they abandon 430 00:23:24,760 --> 00:23:26,520 Speaker 3: them in the future, you and I will call them 431 00:23:26,520 --> 00:23:27,399 Speaker 3: to task as well. 432 00:23:27,880 --> 00:23:29,760 Speaker 4: But but those are real. 433 00:23:30,520 --> 00:23:33,439 Speaker 3: Meaningful steps, and and and so, so I want to 434 00:23:33,520 --> 00:23:35,879 Speaker 3: I want to take the chance to just celebrate that 435 00:23:35,920 --> 00:23:39,680 Speaker 3: they're they're at least promising to do things that are good. 436 00:23:40,119 --> 00:23:42,560 Speaker 3: I go back to Reagan, Trust but verify and I 437 00:23:42,600 --> 00:23:47,160 Speaker 3: and trust may be strong, listen, but verify maybe maybe more. 438 00:23:47,200 --> 00:23:51,560 Speaker 1: My approach to this final question on this is does 439 00:23:51,600 --> 00:23:56,160 Speaker 1: there still need to be legislation while the Republicans are control, 440 00:23:56,359 --> 00:24:00,600 Speaker 1: yes and empower when it comes to regulating big tech 441 00:24:00,680 --> 00:24:03,160 Speaker 1: In general because of their abuse a pairing the past. 442 00:24:03,200 --> 00:24:06,639 Speaker 1: I understand trust, yes, yes, yes, but what would that 443 00:24:06,720 --> 00:24:09,159 Speaker 1: look like now? And does any of that change with 444 00:24:09,359 --> 00:24:12,359 Speaker 1: them voluntarily doing this, I would argue preemptively. 445 00:24:12,880 --> 00:24:15,480 Speaker 3: Well, I fully expect again the Commerce Committee to take 446 00:24:15,560 --> 00:24:18,160 Speaker 3: up and have hearings on exactly what legislation would look 447 00:24:18,280 --> 00:24:20,680 Speaker 3: like I've talked about. I think one of the most 448 00:24:20,680 --> 00:24:24,520 Speaker 3: important things is Section two thirty, the Communications Decency Act, 449 00:24:25,040 --> 00:24:27,919 Speaker 3: gives an immunity from liability to big tech companies that 450 00:24:27,960 --> 00:24:31,800 Speaker 3: has shielded a lot of bad behavior. And at the 451 00:24:31,840 --> 00:24:34,480 Speaker 3: time it was passed, it was passed under an assumption 452 00:24:35,200 --> 00:24:38,600 Speaker 3: that that big tech companies would be neutral, they would 453 00:24:38,640 --> 00:24:41,159 Speaker 3: be the town square, they would not be putting a 454 00:24:41,160 --> 00:24:44,200 Speaker 3: finger on the scale. Big tech made a decision to 455 00:24:44,240 --> 00:24:48,679 Speaker 3: behave very, very differently, and so I've long supported legislation 456 00:24:49,680 --> 00:24:53,199 Speaker 3: that would say you do not get Section two thirty 457 00:24:53,640 --> 00:25:00,719 Speaker 3: immunity if you engage in political censorship. That censorship vitiates 458 00:25:00,760 --> 00:25:04,080 Speaker 3: your immunity. I still think that's important. I can't promise 459 00:25:04,119 --> 00:25:07,480 Speaker 3: we'll get that passed because many, if not most, if 460 00:25:07,520 --> 00:25:11,960 Speaker 3: not all, Democrats will oppose it. Uh, but you can 461 00:25:12,000 --> 00:25:14,200 Speaker 3: be sure we are going to have hearings, and we're 462 00:25:14,200 --> 00:25:16,879 Speaker 3: going to examine and I'm going to push for legislation 463 00:25:17,040 --> 00:25:20,199 Speaker 3: to address that. Uh. And I think that's important to do. 464 00:25:20,320 --> 00:25:24,840 Speaker 3: But I also think Facebook joining with X, particularly if 465 00:25:24,840 --> 00:25:27,240 Speaker 3: they're real, if they're genuine, if they follow through on this, 466 00:25:28,640 --> 00:25:32,919 Speaker 3: that's going to put real pressure on on on the 467 00:25:32,960 --> 00:25:36,800 Speaker 3: granddaddy of them all, Google, and they own YouTube and 468 00:25:36,960 --> 00:25:40,800 Speaker 3: and and both Google and Search and and and YouTube 469 00:25:40,840 --> 00:25:46,040 Speaker 3: engage in rampant censorship and suppression of conservative speech. And 470 00:25:46,040 --> 00:25:48,399 Speaker 3: and It's one thing to have X alone, but having 471 00:25:48,440 --> 00:25:52,320 Speaker 3: now Facebook join that, and also Facebook owns Instagram, and 472 00:25:52,359 --> 00:25:56,080 Speaker 3: so having Instagram, if they follow through, listen, X has 473 00:25:56,160 --> 00:26:00,000 Speaker 3: done a remarkable job opening it up to free space 474 00:26:00,040 --> 00:26:03,600 Speaker 3: each Now, Elon is is I think a true believer 475 00:26:03,680 --> 00:26:07,360 Speaker 3: in free speech. Zuckerberg clearly is not, because he has 476 00:26:07,359 --> 00:26:09,119 Speaker 3: been far too willing to censor for him to be 477 00:26:09,160 --> 00:26:14,160 Speaker 3: a true believer. That being said, what he's articulating right 478 00:26:14,200 --> 00:26:16,320 Speaker 3: now is that he wants to change his conduct, and 479 00:26:17,000 --> 00:26:20,639 Speaker 3: I want to encourage him to do that because Facebook 480 00:26:20,720 --> 00:26:25,080 Speaker 3: changing their conduct and Instagram changing their conduct is very 481 00:26:25,280 --> 00:26:27,760 Speaker 3: very good for free speech and very very good for 482 00:26:27,800 --> 00:26:32,080 Speaker 3: democracy in America. If if they follow through and actually 483 00:26:32,160 --> 00:26:34,320 Speaker 3: do what they're claiming they're going to do. 484 00:26:34,640 --> 00:26:37,600 Speaker 1: Bonus question here because it's in the same realm TikTok. 485 00:26:38,040 --> 00:26:41,280 Speaker 1: You look at TikTok right now. TikTok is banned in 486 00:26:41,480 --> 00:26:44,359 Speaker 1: China but owned by them. Can't use it there if 487 00:26:44,400 --> 00:26:48,119 Speaker 1: you're the living there. There is these moves to force 488 00:26:48,480 --> 00:26:52,320 Speaker 1: the sell of TikTok in the US so that. 489 00:26:52,240 --> 00:26:53,679 Speaker 2: It won't be run by China. 490 00:26:53,760 --> 00:26:56,239 Speaker 1: We know how these algorithms have worked, and they've been 491 00:26:56,240 --> 00:26:57,160 Speaker 1: harmful to kids. 492 00:26:57,200 --> 00:26:58,360 Speaker 2: You've talked about that. 493 00:26:59,520 --> 00:27:01,280 Speaker 1: Do you I think we are going to see a 494 00:27:01,359 --> 00:27:04,879 Speaker 1: day now where it's there's a chance that free speech 495 00:27:04,960 --> 00:27:07,919 Speaker 1: is live and well on Facebook obviously the leaders X, 496 00:27:08,280 --> 00:27:11,840 Speaker 1: but TikTok will also go in the hands of Americans 497 00:27:11,920 --> 00:27:13,680 Speaker 1: and not in the hands of Chinese anymore. 498 00:27:14,320 --> 00:27:14,840 Speaker 4: So I hope. 499 00:27:14,880 --> 00:27:19,719 Speaker 3: So Congress has passed legislation I voted for it that 500 00:27:19,800 --> 00:27:24,919 Speaker 3: would ban TikTok unless they are sold by China, unless 501 00:27:24,920 --> 00:27:29,240 Speaker 3: they are no longer under Chinese ownership or control. That 502 00:27:29,359 --> 00:27:32,760 Speaker 3: legislation is effective on January nineteenth, so we are very 503 00:27:32,760 --> 00:27:37,120 Speaker 3: close to that legislation going into effect. Now there's litigation ongoing, 504 00:27:37,160 --> 00:27:40,679 Speaker 3: so it's possible the courts could stay the effect of 505 00:27:40,680 --> 00:27:43,200 Speaker 3: that legislation. But if the Court Stone issue an injunction, 506 00:27:44,160 --> 00:27:47,280 Speaker 3: TikTok shuts down. On January nineteenth, and I'll tell you 507 00:27:48,200 --> 00:27:50,199 Speaker 3: as you know, I spent New Year's Eve at mar 508 00:27:50,280 --> 00:27:53,040 Speaker 3: Lago Heidi and the girls that I went by the way. 509 00:27:53,040 --> 00:27:56,760 Speaker 3: It was an amazing time, just a wild party. At 510 00:27:56,760 --> 00:27:59,240 Speaker 3: my table, one of the people I was sitting with 511 00:27:59,440 --> 00:28:03,720 Speaker 3: was don Ki King, the legendary boxing promoter ninety three 512 00:28:03,840 --> 00:28:08,520 Speaker 3: years old now, and you know, Don King loves Trump, 513 00:28:09,200 --> 00:28:11,560 Speaker 3: and it was very cool. He actually gave me he 514 00:28:11,600 --> 00:28:15,040 Speaker 3: had a photograph of himself as a young man with 515 00:28:15,080 --> 00:28:19,000 Speaker 3: that white hair sticking straight up, along with Muhammad Ali 516 00:28:19,080 --> 00:28:20,879 Speaker 3: when he was a young man, the two of them together, 517 00:28:21,320 --> 00:28:23,399 Speaker 3: and Don King gave me a signed photo of that, 518 00:28:23,440 --> 00:28:25,280 Speaker 3: which is really cool. I'm gonna frame and put up 519 00:28:25,320 --> 00:28:27,200 Speaker 3: just because holy crap, that's Don King. 520 00:28:27,680 --> 00:28:29,119 Speaker 2: Yeah, that's incredible. 521 00:28:29,600 --> 00:28:30,800 Speaker 4: So that was cool. 522 00:28:30,840 --> 00:28:34,040 Speaker 3: But I'll tell you Catherine, our fourteen year old she 523 00:28:34,240 --> 00:28:37,800 Speaker 3: had told me her intention at the party was to 524 00:28:37,880 --> 00:28:41,720 Speaker 3: lobby Donald Trump not to ban TikTok. And look, she's 525 00:28:41,720 --> 00:28:43,760 Speaker 3: in eighth grade. And if you're a fourteen year old 526 00:28:43,760 --> 00:28:47,240 Speaker 3: girl in eighth grade, every eighth grader is addicted to TikTok, 527 00:28:48,160 --> 00:28:50,680 Speaker 3: and they're all doing these dance videos back and forth 528 00:28:50,720 --> 00:28:53,640 Speaker 3: and back and forth and back and forth. I will 529 00:28:53,640 --> 00:28:56,440 Speaker 3: tell you Catherine is one hell of a lobbyist. She 530 00:28:56,600 --> 00:28:58,640 Speaker 3: visited a little bit with Trump, but she didn't really 531 00:28:58,640 --> 00:28:59,680 Speaker 3: get the chance to lobby its. 532 00:28:59,720 --> 00:29:01,880 Speaker 4: She just hello, and she said she said. 533 00:29:01,720 --> 00:29:04,920 Speaker 3: Hello to Milania and Elon too, but she didn't get 534 00:29:04,920 --> 00:29:08,000 Speaker 3: the chance to do the lobbying she wanted to do. 535 00:29:09,200 --> 00:29:13,000 Speaker 3: There is a very real possibility, however, that TikTok is 536 00:29:13,080 --> 00:29:16,959 Speaker 3: banned on January twentieth, and Trump undoes the ban on 537 00:29:17,440 --> 00:29:20,600 Speaker 3: a TikTok's ban on January nineteenth, and Trump undoes it 538 00:29:20,840 --> 00:29:21,960 Speaker 3: on January twentieth. 539 00:29:22,000 --> 00:29:22,960 Speaker 4: It is not clear. 540 00:29:23,040 --> 00:29:25,840 Speaker 3: He has not been explicit about what he's going to do, 541 00:29:25,880 --> 00:29:27,640 Speaker 3: and I don't know what he's going to do on that. 542 00:29:27,880 --> 00:29:31,000 Speaker 3: I hope the purpose of the ban is not to 543 00:29:31,040 --> 00:29:34,840 Speaker 3: ban TikTok. It is to force China to sell TikTok. 544 00:29:34,920 --> 00:29:37,600 Speaker 3: I hope that's the outcome, but I genuinely don't know 545 00:29:37,680 --> 00:29:38,360 Speaker 3: what happens here. 546 00:29:38,840 --> 00:29:40,440 Speaker 2: It's going to be interesting. We'll keep covering it. 547 00:29:40,480 --> 00:29:42,080 Speaker 1: I want to move to the other big news, and 548 00:29:42,120 --> 00:29:45,080 Speaker 1: that is I never thought I'd be saying these three 549 00:29:45,120 --> 00:29:49,840 Speaker 1: things together. Greenland, Canada, and the Panama Canal all have 550 00:29:50,040 --> 00:29:51,640 Speaker 1: something in common. 551 00:29:51,760 --> 00:29:52,800 Speaker 2: Right now, they are. 552 00:29:52,640 --> 00:29:58,800 Speaker 1: The focal point of a grand debate and conversation about 553 00:29:58,880 --> 00:30:02,880 Speaker 1: moving forward on big issues with Donald Trump. Trump has 554 00:30:02,920 --> 00:30:05,360 Speaker 1: talked about, hey, Canada, we can lower your taxes. We'll 555 00:30:05,400 --> 00:30:08,960 Speaker 1: give you safety and protection from Russia. You guys aren't 556 00:30:08,960 --> 00:30:11,040 Speaker 1: doing that great right now. Maybe you should become part 557 00:30:11,080 --> 00:30:15,560 Speaker 1: of America. He also has made these conversations about Greenland. 558 00:30:15,600 --> 00:30:19,560 Speaker 1: Maybe we should, you know, have Greenland come into America 559 00:30:19,600 --> 00:30:22,880 Speaker 1: and we could work a deal. And then Donald Trump 560 00:30:23,000 --> 00:30:27,520 Speaker 1: also called out Panama as he described it, for selling 561 00:30:27,600 --> 00:30:30,320 Speaker 1: out to China and then still asking the US for 562 00:30:30,400 --> 00:30:34,680 Speaker 1: money for repairs Centater. I love these conversations. I think 563 00:30:34,720 --> 00:30:38,200 Speaker 1: this is exactly what a president should do. Start grand 564 00:30:38,240 --> 00:30:41,040 Speaker 1: debates on issues that have been, you know, off, Oh, 565 00:30:41,120 --> 00:30:42,640 Speaker 1: you can't touch these issues for years. 566 00:30:42,680 --> 00:30:44,560 Speaker 2: They've been saying that like, oh, you can't do that, you. 567 00:30:44,520 --> 00:30:47,240 Speaker 1: Can't talk about this, you can't call out other countries 568 00:30:47,240 --> 00:30:49,080 Speaker 1: for taking advantage of us. And when you find out 569 00:30:49,120 --> 00:30:52,640 Speaker 1: that Panama's charging more for our boats to come through 570 00:30:52,720 --> 00:30:55,640 Speaker 1: than other countries, that obviously seems incredibly unfair. 571 00:30:56,080 --> 00:30:56,920 Speaker 2: I love this. 572 00:30:57,400 --> 00:30:58,680 Speaker 4: Well, listen, I agree. 573 00:30:58,720 --> 00:31:02,400 Speaker 3: I think these are incredibly important topics and I don't 574 00:31:02,400 --> 00:31:07,600 Speaker 3: think they're all the same. So in my view, Canada, Panama, 575 00:31:08,200 --> 00:31:11,760 Speaker 3: and Greenland all exist on a continuum, and I think 576 00:31:12,000 --> 00:31:14,640 Speaker 3: his comments about the three are are very very different 577 00:31:14,680 --> 00:31:18,640 Speaker 3: and should be under understood differently. Let's start with Canada. 578 00:31:18,920 --> 00:31:19,280 Speaker 4: Canada. 579 00:31:19,320 --> 00:31:23,400 Speaker 3: I think he's just trolling Canada. I think is Canada 580 00:31:23,640 --> 00:31:24,560 Speaker 3: going to become a state? 581 00:31:24,800 --> 00:31:24,960 Speaker 4: No? 582 00:31:25,080 --> 00:31:27,479 Speaker 3: I do not believe that is going to happen. But 583 00:31:27,680 --> 00:31:30,440 Speaker 3: he said this initially when he was having dinner with 584 00:31:30,600 --> 00:31:35,600 Speaker 3: Justin Trudeau down at mar A Lago, and he basically 585 00:31:35,800 --> 00:31:38,160 Speaker 3: he said, you know what, why didn't Canada become a state? 586 00:31:38,200 --> 00:31:40,200 Speaker 3: You could become a governor. And I think he was 587 00:31:40,360 --> 00:31:43,880 Speaker 3: just trolling the guy. I would have paid money to 588 00:31:43,960 --> 00:31:47,160 Speaker 3: be sitting at that table. When Trump said that, the 589 00:31:47,280 --> 00:31:50,640 Speaker 3: expression on Trudeau's face, I mean he basically looks at 590 00:31:50,680 --> 00:31:52,160 Speaker 3: him and goes, why are you even a country? 591 00:31:52,400 --> 00:31:54,320 Speaker 4: Like like, why are you possibly here? 592 00:31:55,920 --> 00:31:58,040 Speaker 3: You know, it reminded me, you know, way back in 593 00:31:58,080 --> 00:32:01,760 Speaker 3: the twenty sixteen presidential debates where we were all standing 594 00:32:01,840 --> 00:32:03,720 Speaker 3: on stage and he looks over at Ran Paul and 595 00:32:03,760 --> 00:32:05,760 Speaker 3: He's like, why the hell are you even on this stage. 596 00:32:05,800 --> 00:32:07,880 Speaker 3: You don't belong on this stage, and it was Look, 597 00:32:07,920 --> 00:32:12,680 Speaker 3: it's classic Trump. It was just trolling. And to be clear, 598 00:32:13,680 --> 00:32:17,160 Speaker 3: this may be the most consequential troll in history. His 599 00:32:17,480 --> 00:32:23,160 Speaker 3: comment and public ridicule of Trudeau and saying that Canada 600 00:32:23,200 --> 00:32:28,080 Speaker 3: should become a state. It literally toppled justin Trudeau. He 601 00:32:28,160 --> 00:32:31,880 Speaker 3: announced this week he is resigning as Prime minister, and 602 00:32:32,200 --> 00:32:34,040 Speaker 3: it is entirely Trump. Look, he was already in a 603 00:32:34,040 --> 00:32:39,200 Speaker 3: weak position, and he was already unpopular, but Trump just 604 00:32:39,560 --> 00:32:44,200 Speaker 3: utterly humiliating him, literally knocked him out of his role 605 00:32:44,280 --> 00:32:48,280 Speaker 3: as the head of the government of Canada. That is 606 00:32:48,920 --> 00:32:50,360 Speaker 3: an epic troll. 607 00:32:50,720 --> 00:32:53,280 Speaker 1: It also, by the way, inspired I think the people 608 00:32:53,280 --> 00:32:57,160 Speaker 1: in Canada to say, we can do better than this guy. 609 00:32:57,280 --> 00:32:59,360 Speaker 1: We don't have to be stuck with him, and we 610 00:32:59,440 --> 00:33:03,440 Speaker 1: can get servatives back in charge and hold the left 611 00:33:03,480 --> 00:33:05,360 Speaker 1: accountable for what they did did. 612 00:33:05,440 --> 00:33:07,560 Speaker 2: A lot of this started with the truckers. 613 00:33:07,240 --> 00:33:11,000 Speaker 1: Movement, yes, and the overreach there, and then him basically 614 00:33:11,040 --> 00:33:12,480 Speaker 1: saying if you don't do what I tell you to do, 615 00:33:12,480 --> 00:33:15,920 Speaker 1: I'm gonna come arrest you and vote emergency powers. That 616 00:33:16,080 --> 00:33:19,320 Speaker 1: is all coming back to haunt the liberals, not just Trudeau, 617 00:33:19,360 --> 00:33:21,600 Speaker 1: but the liberals that are in the government. 618 00:33:21,600 --> 00:33:27,160 Speaker 3: Well and listen, Trudeau has been rampantly oppressive. The Trucker 619 00:33:27,200 --> 00:33:31,000 Speaker 3: convoy was an amazing and powerful moment, and Trudeau responded 620 00:33:31,440 --> 00:33:36,080 Speaker 3: just with brute force. Trudeau has been an absolute totalitarian 621 00:33:36,160 --> 00:33:39,840 Speaker 3: when it comes to free speech, going after Jordan Peterson 622 00:33:39,880 --> 00:33:42,880 Speaker 3: and others, being willing to just use government power to 623 00:33:43,000 --> 00:33:47,600 Speaker 3: silence anyone he disagrees with. And I think this is 624 00:33:48,000 --> 00:33:51,040 Speaker 3: those chickens coming home to roost. But in terms of 625 00:33:51,080 --> 00:33:54,960 Speaker 3: the comments, I think the Canada comments are a troll. 626 00:33:55,040 --> 00:33:58,800 Speaker 3: I think the Greenland comments are something very different. I 627 00:33:58,920 --> 00:34:03,520 Speaker 3: think the United States acquiring Greenland is a very very 628 00:34:03,520 --> 00:34:06,000 Speaker 3: good idea. To be clear, Trump talked about this his 629 00:34:06,000 --> 00:34:08,640 Speaker 3: first term in office, and at the time a lot 630 00:34:08,640 --> 00:34:10,920 Speaker 3: of people, particularly in the media, dismissed it. They said, oh, 631 00:34:10,920 --> 00:34:14,120 Speaker 3: it's Trump talking, It's just some crazy idea. But I'll 632 00:34:14,160 --> 00:34:19,280 Speaker 3: tell you, acquiring Greenland has enormous advantages to the United States. 633 00:34:19,400 --> 00:34:26,880 Speaker 3: Number One, Greenland's location on the Arctic is incredibly important 634 00:34:26,920 --> 00:34:30,719 Speaker 3: from a national security and defense perspective. If you look 635 00:34:30,760 --> 00:34:33,840 Speaker 3: at the Arctic, if god forbid, we ever get in 636 00:34:33,840 --> 00:34:37,760 Speaker 3: a shooting war with Russia or China. ICBMs from Russia 637 00:34:37,840 --> 00:34:40,719 Speaker 3: or China will come over the Arctic and right over 638 00:34:40,760 --> 00:34:45,960 Speaker 3: where Greenland is. Greenland is situated in an incredibly important location 639 00:34:46,480 --> 00:34:49,879 Speaker 3: to defend the United States of America. We also see 640 00:34:49,880 --> 00:34:53,440 Speaker 3: the Arctic, particularly with some snow melt, we're seeing possible 641 00:34:53,520 --> 00:34:55,600 Speaker 3: trade routes that are opening up of the Arctic, and 642 00:34:55,640 --> 00:35:00,799 Speaker 3: again Greenland is ideally located for that. In addition, Greenland 643 00:35:00,920 --> 00:35:05,799 Speaker 3: has very significant reserves of critical minerals, critical minerals that 644 00:35:05,840 --> 00:35:11,200 Speaker 3: are vitally important for semiconductors, for for high tech, for electronics, 645 00:35:11,440 --> 00:35:15,680 Speaker 3: for defense equipments, and and and so the United States 646 00:35:15,719 --> 00:35:20,840 Speaker 3: acquiring Greenland, making Greenland an American territory would have very 647 00:35:20,920 --> 00:35:25,360 Speaker 3: important benefits for America from both the national security perspective. 648 00:35:25,680 --> 00:35:28,760 Speaker 3: Control of the Arctic is going to be incredibly important, 649 00:35:28,800 --> 00:35:34,680 Speaker 3: and Greenland has a really pivotal location. Uh and and 650 00:35:34,760 --> 00:35:37,319 Speaker 3: I think there is also a real potential that that 651 00:35:37,320 --> 00:35:40,480 Speaker 3: that that is beneficial to the people of Greenland uh 652 00:35:40,480 --> 00:35:43,880 Speaker 3: to be in an American territory. UH that brings a 653 00:35:43,920 --> 00:35:46,759 Speaker 3: lot of benefits. They are right now governed by Denmark. 654 00:35:47,400 --> 00:35:51,280 Speaker 3: Uh and and many Greenlanders are not happy with Denmark 655 00:35:51,800 --> 00:35:55,600 Speaker 3: and and so, uh, you know, it is. 656 00:35:57,239 --> 00:35:59,360 Speaker 4: A significant. 657 00:36:00,080 --> 00:36:02,200 Speaker 1: Is there a real opportunity for this to actually become 658 00:36:02,200 --> 00:36:02,840 Speaker 1: a reality. 659 00:36:03,120 --> 00:36:05,200 Speaker 3: And by the way, you look at the history of America. 660 00:36:05,239 --> 00:36:09,440 Speaker 3: You look at the Louisiana purchase where America bought almost 661 00:36:09,440 --> 00:36:13,560 Speaker 3: half the country from France. It was a purchase. You 662 00:36:13,640 --> 00:36:17,719 Speaker 3: look at Manhattan where the settlers purchased Manhattan. You look 663 00:36:17,719 --> 00:36:22,359 Speaker 3: at Alaska. Alaska was what we bought Alaska, and it 664 00:36:22,400 --> 00:36:26,080 Speaker 3: was dismissed at the time as Seward's folly. It proved 665 00:36:26,400 --> 00:36:29,480 Speaker 3: enormously consequential buying Alaska. So I would put it in 666 00:36:29,880 --> 00:36:34,480 Speaker 3: that broader history. And I think, now, will it definitely happen? 667 00:36:34,520 --> 00:36:35,719 Speaker 4: Of course not. We don't know that. 668 00:36:37,320 --> 00:36:40,920 Speaker 3: You know, is Denmark? Will there be some resistance? There 669 00:36:40,960 --> 00:36:44,480 Speaker 3: absolutely will the Greenlanders ultimately want to do this. 670 00:36:44,640 --> 00:36:45,279 Speaker 4: I don't know. 671 00:36:46,320 --> 00:36:47,759 Speaker 1: Is this one of those things that would come down 672 00:36:47,800 --> 00:36:49,279 Speaker 1: to a vote and they would vote on it? 673 00:36:49,360 --> 00:36:51,440 Speaker 2: How does this actually work? I mean, is there a 674 00:36:51,480 --> 00:36:52,360 Speaker 2: purchase price? 675 00:36:52,480 --> 00:36:52,560 Speaker 5: Is? 676 00:36:52,680 --> 00:36:56,160 Speaker 1: I mean, explain to people the reality if this moves forward, 677 00:36:56,239 --> 00:36:57,040 Speaker 1: what it looks. 678 00:36:57,120 --> 00:36:59,800 Speaker 3: So in all likelihood there would be a purchase price 679 00:37:00,080 --> 00:37:05,360 Speaker 3: paid to Denmark, because Denmark has controlled Denmark governs Greenland 680 00:37:05,440 --> 00:37:07,720 Speaker 3: right now, and and so it would be a purchase 681 00:37:07,719 --> 00:37:11,239 Speaker 3: price like the Louisiana purchase, like buying Alaska. And there's 682 00:37:11,280 --> 00:37:14,799 Speaker 3: a long history of countries buying territories one from the other, 683 00:37:15,960 --> 00:37:18,680 Speaker 3: and and so that you'd have to go and negotiate it. 684 00:37:18,719 --> 00:37:22,560 Speaker 3: We saw this week, uh, Donald Trump Junior flew to 685 00:37:22,640 --> 00:37:25,959 Speaker 3: Greenland and and went there and and and reported back, 686 00:37:26,080 --> 00:37:28,680 Speaker 3: reported back that that he had a tremendous reception, that 687 00:37:28,800 --> 00:37:32,280 Speaker 3: people were cheering him on, that they were wearing Maga hats. 688 00:37:33,280 --> 00:37:37,200 Speaker 3: You know, I've heard multiple reports that the locals can't 689 00:37:37,239 --> 00:37:40,520 Speaker 3: stand Denmark, that that they're treated as second class citizens 690 00:37:40,520 --> 00:37:45,319 Speaker 3: by the Danes, and and and that you know, if 691 00:37:45,400 --> 00:37:50,440 Speaker 3: if you're a young Greenlander the opportunity to become an American, 692 00:37:51,360 --> 00:37:55,640 Speaker 3: that's a big deal in terms of your future. If 693 00:37:55,680 --> 00:37:59,879 Speaker 3: Greenland becomes an American territory, the investment from the United 694 00:38:00,200 --> 00:38:04,319 Speaker 3: States that goes into Greenland is suddenly very significant. And 695 00:38:04,400 --> 00:38:07,879 Speaker 3: so that could well be appealing. Now now, I would 696 00:38:07,920 --> 00:38:10,040 Speaker 3: think there would be a real likelihood that you'd probably 697 00:38:10,080 --> 00:38:12,880 Speaker 3: have a referendum of Greenlanders if they want to do it. 698 00:38:12,880 --> 00:38:14,919 Speaker 3: It's not clear that you would, but I think there's 699 00:38:15,120 --> 00:38:18,399 Speaker 3: a reasonable chance of that, and so you'd have both 700 00:38:18,440 --> 00:38:21,160 Speaker 3: Denmark and Greenland to contend with. But I will say 701 00:38:21,880 --> 00:38:27,960 Speaker 3: from America's perspective, there would be enormous advantages to Greenland 702 00:38:27,960 --> 00:38:32,719 Speaker 3: becoming an American territory. And I will say just this week, 703 00:38:32,840 --> 00:38:39,239 Speaker 3: interestingly enough, John Fetterman, Democrat senator from Pennsylvania, he was 704 00:38:39,280 --> 00:38:43,200 Speaker 3: on Fox News and and he was he brought up Greenland. 705 00:38:43,239 --> 00:38:44,960 Speaker 3: It's very interesting. I want you want you to listen 706 00:38:45,000 --> 00:38:46,800 Speaker 3: to what John Fetterman had to say on this topic. 707 00:38:48,840 --> 00:38:51,640 Speaker 6: Like, there's a lot of talk about Greenland, for example, now, 708 00:38:51,960 --> 00:38:53,279 Speaker 6: and I know a lot of there's a lot of 709 00:38:53,280 --> 00:38:55,000 Speaker 6: freak outs, you know, and of course I would never 710 00:38:55,040 --> 00:38:57,640 Speaker 6: support taking it by force, but I do think it's 711 00:38:58,000 --> 00:39:00,960 Speaker 6: I do think it's a responsible conversation if they were 712 00:39:00,960 --> 00:39:03,520 Speaker 6: open to acquiring it, and you know, whether they're just 713 00:39:03,560 --> 00:39:06,480 Speaker 6: buying it out right, I mean, if anyone think that's bonkers, 714 00:39:06,480 --> 00:39:10,239 Speaker 6: it's like, well, well remember the Louisiana purchase. I think 715 00:39:10,280 --> 00:39:13,319 Speaker 6: Alaska was pretty pretty a great deal too, fifty million dollars, 716 00:39:13,400 --> 00:39:16,120 Speaker 6: I think it was. It was recorded, it was it 717 00:39:16,160 --> 00:39:18,840 Speaker 6: was referred to as as Seward's folly. And now that 718 00:39:18,960 --> 00:39:21,600 Speaker 6: was Alaska. Now, so I mean, you know, open having 719 00:39:21,640 --> 00:39:25,640 Speaker 6: all kinds of conversations as well. And now I don't 720 00:39:25,680 --> 00:39:29,759 Speaker 6: think we it's not helpful to freak out. But some 721 00:39:29,800 --> 00:39:32,080 Speaker 6: things might work out, some may not. But that's part 722 00:39:32,120 --> 00:39:35,480 Speaker 6: of ongoing dialogue. But he hasn't even take office in 723 00:39:35,560 --> 00:39:38,600 Speaker 6: two weeks, and you know, we really need to pace 724 00:39:38,640 --> 00:39:40,879 Speaker 6: ourselves if we're going to freak out over every least 725 00:39:41,719 --> 00:39:45,239 Speaker 6: tweet or every less conversation or press conference. 726 00:39:46,400 --> 00:39:51,720 Speaker 1: But I love this demeanor there. It's like, well, should 727 00:39:51,719 --> 00:39:54,120 Speaker 1: be having this conversation. There's nothing wrong with it. Now 728 00:39:54,160 --> 00:39:56,080 Speaker 1: the conversation, A lot of people listening are going to say, 729 00:39:56,080 --> 00:39:59,000 Speaker 1: a Center, what are we thirty five trillion in debt? 730 00:39:59,080 --> 00:40:01,680 Speaker 1: How can we afford to buy Greenland? So how does 731 00:40:01,719 --> 00:40:03,280 Speaker 1: the economics of that work? 732 00:40:03,640 --> 00:40:06,160 Speaker 3: Well, look, I don't know what a purchase price would be. 733 00:40:06,239 --> 00:40:08,360 Speaker 3: We'd have to see, but I do think the mineral 734 00:40:08,400 --> 00:40:12,760 Speaker 3: reserves there are significant, and the national security and geopolitical 735 00:40:13,280 --> 00:40:20,000 Speaker 3: advantages are significant, and so we invest in policies that 736 00:40:20,080 --> 00:40:22,800 Speaker 3: make a difference, that make America safer and make America 737 00:40:22,840 --> 00:40:26,439 Speaker 3: more prosperous. And it is certainly possible, and in fact 738 00:40:26,480 --> 00:40:29,680 Speaker 3: even likely, that Greenland would do that now. Again, I 739 00:40:29,680 --> 00:40:31,319 Speaker 3: don't know what the price would be. It's something that 740 00:40:31,360 --> 00:40:34,800 Speaker 3: would have to be pursued. But it's interesting since Trump 741 00:40:34,840 --> 00:40:39,600 Speaker 3: started talking about this, you've seen Greenlanders talking about wanting independence, 742 00:40:39,680 --> 00:40:44,600 Speaker 3: wanting to be their own country. And from Denmark's perspective, 743 00:40:45,440 --> 00:40:47,480 Speaker 3: they may be sitting there going, well, wait a second, 744 00:40:48,160 --> 00:40:50,600 Speaker 3: America could buy Greenland from US and we could get 745 00:40:50,600 --> 00:40:54,440 Speaker 3: a crap ton of money, or Greenland could just declare 746 00:40:54,480 --> 00:40:56,680 Speaker 3: their independence and they leave US and we get nothing. 747 00:40:57,560 --> 00:41:01,640 Speaker 3: And so the incentives for Denmark may have changed because 748 00:41:01,719 --> 00:41:04,120 Speaker 3: Trump is bringing this up and bringing it up in 749 00:41:04,160 --> 00:41:07,680 Speaker 3: a context that it's driving real conversation. But I think 750 00:41:07,719 --> 00:41:10,360 Speaker 3: we should lean in and pursue this, pursue this with 751 00:41:10,440 --> 00:41:14,760 Speaker 3: Denmark and Greenland, because I think there are major advantages 752 00:41:14,960 --> 00:41:18,719 Speaker 3: to the United States if we were to succeed in this. 753 00:41:19,200 --> 00:41:22,319 Speaker 3: And I think this is a this is a serious possibility. 754 00:41:22,880 --> 00:41:26,799 Speaker 1: It's a serious possibility, all right. So with that serious possibility, 755 00:41:26,840 --> 00:41:31,400 Speaker 1: let's move to the third. You know, Panama, big story, Panama, 756 00:41:31,520 --> 00:41:35,240 Speaker 1: the Panama Canal. Donald Trump making it very clear we're 757 00:41:35,280 --> 00:41:36,879 Speaker 1: being taken advantage of. 758 00:41:37,600 --> 00:41:40,480 Speaker 3: Well, that's right, and look you look at Panama and 759 00:41:40,520 --> 00:41:44,360 Speaker 3: the Panama Canal. Jimmy Carter Number one, America built the 760 00:41:44,400 --> 00:41:48,400 Speaker 3: Panama Canal. We lost many American lives building it. We 761 00:41:48,480 --> 00:41:52,680 Speaker 3: invested major money building the Panama Canal, Teddy Roosevelt is 762 00:41:52,680 --> 00:41:54,760 Speaker 3: one of the most significant things he did as president. 763 00:41:57,080 --> 00:42:01,000 Speaker 3: Jimmy Carter gave it away, gave it to Panama, and 764 00:42:01,040 --> 00:42:03,800 Speaker 3: it was egregious of you know, this week is Jimmy 765 00:42:03,800 --> 00:42:06,680 Speaker 3: Carter's funeral, and when we did did our remembrance of 766 00:42:06,760 --> 00:42:11,480 Speaker 3: Jimmy Carter. I tried to find positive things to say 767 00:42:11,480 --> 00:42:13,759 Speaker 3: about him, not to speak ill of someone who had 768 00:42:13,840 --> 00:42:16,200 Speaker 3: just passed, but I will say, Jimmy Carter is giving 769 00:42:16,200 --> 00:42:19,040 Speaker 3: away the Panama Canal was one of the most egregious 770 00:42:19,080 --> 00:42:21,520 Speaker 3: foreign policy mistakes in the history of our country. 771 00:42:21,840 --> 00:42:22,719 Speaker 4: It was horrific. 772 00:42:22,760 --> 00:42:27,920 Speaker 3: It undermined the safety and security and economic vitality of America. 773 00:42:28,360 --> 00:42:34,120 Speaker 4: It made no sense. Now, can it be undone? I 774 00:42:34,239 --> 00:42:34,640 Speaker 4: don't know. 775 00:42:34,840 --> 00:42:38,240 Speaker 3: I think the likelihood of us getting the Panama Canal 776 00:42:38,320 --> 00:42:43,520 Speaker 3: back is significantly lower than the likelihood of US acquiring Greenland. 777 00:42:44,360 --> 00:42:47,600 Speaker 3: It's not nearly as low as the likelihood of Canada 778 00:42:47,719 --> 00:42:49,719 Speaker 3: joining America. As I said, I don't think that is 779 00:42:49,840 --> 00:42:52,800 Speaker 3: at all possible. I think that was purely a troll. 780 00:42:53,440 --> 00:42:56,040 Speaker 3: I think Greenland is quite possible, and I put Panama 781 00:42:56,080 --> 00:43:00,319 Speaker 3: somewhere in the middle. And Trump's argument is important this 782 00:43:00,440 --> 00:43:02,759 Speaker 3: which is which is that when when when Jimmy Carter 783 00:43:02,840 --> 00:43:06,400 Speaker 3: gave it away, Panama entered into an agreement with the 784 00:43:06,480 --> 00:43:09,479 Speaker 3: United States, a legal agreement, and and and I could 785 00:43:09,480 --> 00:43:11,680 Speaker 3: tell you I and my team right now are examining 786 00:43:11,719 --> 00:43:15,400 Speaker 3: the contours of that agreement to see exactly what Panama 787 00:43:15,440 --> 00:43:19,239 Speaker 3: committed to. But Trump's argument is that Panama has has 788 00:43:20,480 --> 00:43:22,840 Speaker 3: broken the terms of that agreement, that they are not 789 00:43:23,000 --> 00:43:26,000 Speaker 3: living up to, they are violating that agreement, and in 790 00:43:26,000 --> 00:43:31,319 Speaker 3: particular that they have have have essentially sold significant parts 791 00:43:31,360 --> 00:43:34,919 Speaker 3: of the Panama Canal to China. That Chinese companies now 792 00:43:34,960 --> 00:43:39,040 Speaker 3: control both ends of the Panama Canal, and they've seeded 793 00:43:39,080 --> 00:43:42,640 Speaker 3: control to China. That's incredibly harmful. And Trump is also 794 00:43:42,880 --> 00:43:48,520 Speaker 3: arguing that that that that Panama charges American ships egregious prices, 795 00:43:49,040 --> 00:43:52,719 Speaker 3: and and and look, we we we need to dig 796 00:43:52,760 --> 00:43:54,920 Speaker 3: in more to the facts behind that. But that is 797 00:43:55,120 --> 00:43:57,400 Speaker 3: a legal argument. I'll tell you what I think Trump 798 00:43:57,440 --> 00:44:00,480 Speaker 3: is really doing is negotiating on price. And I think 799 00:44:00,520 --> 00:44:03,719 Speaker 3: the outcome of this is going to be that America 800 00:44:03,800 --> 00:44:07,160 Speaker 3: gets much more favorable prices, and it may also be 801 00:44:07,239 --> 00:44:11,360 Speaker 3: a significant diminution of China's involvement in the Panama Canal. 802 00:44:11,880 --> 00:44:13,719 Speaker 3: Both of those are very likely. But I want you 803 00:44:13,800 --> 00:44:17,080 Speaker 3: to listen to what Trump had to say about Panama 804 00:44:17,160 --> 00:44:19,080 Speaker 3: and mar Lago earlier day. 805 00:44:19,920 --> 00:44:22,200 Speaker 5: The deal was that, you know, they have to treat 806 00:44:22,280 --> 00:44:24,640 Speaker 5: us fairly. They don't treat us fairly. They charge more 807 00:44:24,680 --> 00:44:27,320 Speaker 5: for our ships and they charge for ships of other countries. 808 00:44:27,960 --> 00:44:30,560 Speaker 5: They charge more for our navy than they charge for 809 00:44:30,680 --> 00:44:33,759 Speaker 5: navies of other countries. They laugh at us because they 810 00:44:33,760 --> 00:44:38,120 Speaker 5: think we're stupid, but we're not stupid anymore. So the 811 00:44:38,160 --> 00:44:41,279 Speaker 5: Panama Canal is under discussion with them right now. They 812 00:44:41,400 --> 00:44:44,359 Speaker 5: violated every aspect of the agreement, and. 813 00:44:44,280 --> 00:44:50,080 Speaker 7: It's they morally violated it also, and they want our 814 00:44:50,080 --> 00:44:55,040 Speaker 7: help because it's leaking and not in good repair, and 815 00:44:55,040 --> 00:44:57,160 Speaker 7: they want us to give three billion dollars to help 816 00:44:57,200 --> 00:44:57,640 Speaker 7: fix it. 817 00:44:58,360 --> 00:45:00,480 Speaker 5: I said, well, why don't you get the money from China, 818 00:45:00,520 --> 00:45:04,279 Speaker 5: because China's basically taking it over. China's at both ends 819 00:45:04,280 --> 00:45:07,240 Speaker 5: of the Panama Canal. China's running the Panama Canal. 820 00:45:07,920 --> 00:45:09,440 Speaker 2: China's running the Panama Canal. 821 00:45:09,600 --> 00:45:11,600 Speaker 1: And and he says, they laugh at us because they 822 00:45:11,719 --> 00:45:14,879 Speaker 1: think we're stupid. We're not stupid anymore when you hear 823 00:45:14,920 --> 00:45:17,319 Speaker 1: the basics. They're charging us more in our navy more 824 00:45:17,360 --> 00:45:18,759 Speaker 1: than others. Now they want us to give them a 825 00:45:18,760 --> 00:45:22,200 Speaker 1: bunch of money to fix the thing. He's got points 826 00:45:22,200 --> 00:45:23,879 Speaker 1: that aren't political, they're just. 827 00:45:23,840 --> 00:45:26,279 Speaker 3: No, those are serious and and and I think we 828 00:45:26,280 --> 00:45:30,239 Speaker 3: we're going to see a significant change, I believe in 829 00:45:30,280 --> 00:45:33,560 Speaker 3: the conduct of Panama concerning the Panama Canal. Will it 830 00:45:33,680 --> 00:45:36,520 Speaker 3: result in the canal coming back to America. I don't know, 831 00:45:37,239 --> 00:45:39,760 Speaker 3: uh that that that is a difficult hurdle to clear, 832 00:45:39,920 --> 00:45:42,520 Speaker 3: but I am very glad President Trump is leading in 833 00:45:42,600 --> 00:45:46,960 Speaker 3: on this issue. It's incredibly important. And China's growing influence 834 00:45:47,000 --> 00:45:49,400 Speaker 3: over the Panama Canal is just stupid. 835 00:45:49,480 --> 00:45:52,000 Speaker 4: It is unacceptable. And and and and. 836 00:45:51,880 --> 00:45:55,520 Speaker 3: That's that's leadership that frankly, can you imagine in a 837 00:45:55,640 --> 00:46:00,200 Speaker 3: billion years Joe Biden or Kamala Harris making the East 838 00:46:00,200 --> 00:46:02,760 Speaker 3: Points you can at all? Because they don't defend America. 839 00:46:03,120 --> 00:46:07,960 Speaker 3: They're they're celebrating, uh and I'm sure they cheered on 840 00:46:08,000 --> 00:46:10,520 Speaker 3: when it happened. Jimmy Carter is giving it away to 841 00:46:10,600 --> 00:46:13,640 Speaker 3: begin with and and and and it's it's the opposite 842 00:46:13,640 --> 00:46:17,080 Speaker 3: of America first. Where where where Biden and Harris are? 843 00:46:17,120 --> 00:46:20,080 Speaker 3: It's America last. And I'm very glad we're going to 844 00:46:20,120 --> 00:46:22,600 Speaker 3: have a president that again puts our country first. 845 00:46:22,840 --> 00:46:23,360 Speaker 2: Don't forget. 846 00:46:23,360 --> 00:46:26,239 Speaker 1: We do this show Monday, Wednesday, Friday. Hit that subscribe 847 00:46:26,239 --> 00:46:28,640 Speaker 1: and auto DOWO button. We also do that week in 848 00:46:28,960 --> 00:46:31,480 Speaker 1: review things you may have missed the week on Saturdays 849 00:46:31,800 --> 00:46:34,040 Speaker 1: for recap for you and on those in between days 850 00:46:34,080 --> 00:46:37,160 Speaker 1: grab my podcast as well, the Ben Ferguson podcasts, and 851 00:46:37,239 --> 00:46:38,879 Speaker 1: I'll keep you up today on the latest breaking news. 852 00:46:38,920 --> 00:46:41,200 Speaker 1: It's going to be a fun twenty twenty five and 853 00:46:41,239 --> 00:46:43,120 Speaker 1: we hope that you're with us the entire year.