1 00:00:00,600 --> 00:00:04,120 Speaker 1: Hi, I'm Molly John Fast and this is Fast Politics, 2 00:00:04,360 --> 00:00:07,120 Speaker 1: where we discussed the top political headlines with some of 3 00:00:07,160 --> 00:00:12,520 Speaker 1: today's best minds, and even Mike Pentz had classified documents 4 00:00:12,520 --> 00:00:15,560 Speaker 1: in his home. We have an excellent show. Today, Congressman 5 00:00:15,640 --> 00:00:19,520 Speaker 1: Reuben Diego tells us about his newly annowed Senate run 6 00:00:19,640 --> 00:00:24,600 Speaker 1: against the worst person in the world, newly independent Kirsten Cinema. 7 00:00:24,800 --> 00:00:28,440 Speaker 1: Then we'll talk to Balls and Strikes editor Jay Willis 8 00:00:28,480 --> 00:00:32,720 Speaker 1: about the dystopian lawsuit against Beado O'Rourke. They could give 9 00:00:32,840 --> 00:00:36,400 Speaker 1: millionaires even more power over politics. But first we have 10 00:00:36,520 --> 00:00:41,000 Speaker 1: the host of posting through it, the Institute for Strategic Dialogues, 11 00:00:41,120 --> 00:00:46,480 Speaker 1: Jared Holt Jared Holt's Fast Politics. Happy to have you here, Yeah, 12 00:00:46,600 --> 00:00:48,800 Speaker 1: good to talk again. How have you been the usual? 13 00:00:49,000 --> 00:00:53,519 Speaker 1: I'm very conflicted about this Diamond thing. She died. Trump 14 00:00:53,560 --> 00:00:56,040 Speaker 1: spoke at her funeral. By the way, did you see 15 00:00:56,040 --> 00:00:58,800 Speaker 1: that he truthed it was too long. I didn't realize 16 00:00:58,800 --> 00:01:01,000 Speaker 1: that he had posted that. I he said something to 17 00:01:01,080 --> 00:01:04,000 Speaker 1: that effect of like, oh, they said fifteen minutes in 18 00:01:04,040 --> 00:01:07,760 Speaker 1: and out here, I am stuck here right three and 19 00:01:07,800 --> 00:01:10,320 Speaker 1: a half hours. I mean, that's kind of the relatable 20 00:01:10,360 --> 00:01:15,920 Speaker 1: content we crave from our elected because I have been 21 00:01:16,280 --> 00:01:18,800 Speaker 1: at events where I was told it was fifteen minutes 22 00:01:18,920 --> 00:01:20,880 Speaker 1: and it just went on and on. Though it is 23 00:01:20,920 --> 00:01:23,440 Speaker 1: not a great way to honor the dad, the whole 24 00:01:23,440 --> 00:01:28,360 Speaker 1: event was really weird, Like I can't possibly imagine uh, 25 00:01:28,400 --> 00:01:31,360 Speaker 1: you know, dying. And then my best friend who I 26 00:01:31,440 --> 00:01:34,800 Speaker 1: make Facebook videos with, gets up there and it's just 27 00:01:34,880 --> 00:01:37,440 Speaker 1: like the one world government is going to kill you 28 00:01:37,480 --> 00:01:40,680 Speaker 1: with vaccines? What a way to go out. I just 29 00:01:40,959 --> 00:01:44,480 Speaker 1: gotta say, Oh man, the thing that I'm struck by 30 00:01:44,840 --> 00:01:48,600 Speaker 1: is so there were a lot of conspiracies surrounding the 31 00:01:48,680 --> 00:01:51,520 Speaker 1: death of Diamond. The one that struck me as the 32 00:01:51,560 --> 00:01:55,960 Speaker 1: most ridiculous was basically the idea that someone had shed 33 00:01:56,000 --> 00:01:59,600 Speaker 1: the vaccine on her, a famous thing that happens all 34 00:01:59,640 --> 00:02:04,040 Speaker 1: the time. But I mean Will Sommer had tweeted out 35 00:02:04,080 --> 00:02:06,480 Speaker 1: like a a sort of thread of like, but they 36 00:02:06,560 --> 00:02:10,360 Speaker 1: were never they were never vaccinated, those two right allegedly. 37 00:02:10,600 --> 00:02:12,800 Speaker 1: I mean, it could could have been a Tucker Carlson 38 00:02:12,960 --> 00:02:16,639 Speaker 1: situation right where it's you know, Tucker Carlson won't say 39 00:02:16,639 --> 00:02:18,720 Speaker 1: if he got the vaccine, but I think we all 40 00:02:18,760 --> 00:02:22,440 Speaker 1: know that dude is like quadruple vaxed. I mean, I 41 00:02:22,440 --> 00:02:23,840 Speaker 1: don't know, I don't I don't know if she was 42 00:02:23,919 --> 00:02:27,360 Speaker 1: vaccinated or not. But if we believe them and what 43 00:02:27,440 --> 00:02:29,960 Speaker 1: they said they were not, I don't know that you 44 00:02:30,000 --> 00:02:34,840 Speaker 1: can be unvaccinated and then still somehow try to commence 45 00:02:34,880 --> 00:02:37,520 Speaker 1: your followers who died at the vaccine when your whole 46 00:02:37,560 --> 00:02:40,960 Speaker 1: stick has been anti vax Yeah. I mean they were 47 00:02:41,160 --> 00:02:45,799 Speaker 1: really promoting the phrase like died suddenly. They would pick 48 00:02:45,880 --> 00:02:51,280 Speaker 1: up these instances of seemingly healthy people, athletes, younger people, 49 00:02:52,080 --> 00:02:57,399 Speaker 1: I mean, just random people that were otherwise healthy who 50 00:02:57,440 --> 00:03:02,000 Speaker 1: had sudden deaths and you know, speculated on their vaccination status. 51 00:03:02,200 --> 00:03:04,280 Speaker 1: They were really big on that. And I think it is, 52 00:03:04,520 --> 00:03:06,920 Speaker 1: you know, very par for the course that the grift 53 00:03:06,960 --> 00:03:10,280 Speaker 1: couldn't even stop at a funeral, right, that Silk still 54 00:03:10,320 --> 00:03:14,440 Speaker 1: had to go up there and in this eulogy do 55 00:03:14,600 --> 00:03:18,760 Speaker 1: the same thing like the funeral was content. The content 56 00:03:18,840 --> 00:03:22,520 Speaker 1: train never stops, and you can't just like set aside 57 00:03:22,720 --> 00:03:24,839 Speaker 1: the narratives and your content for a little bit. That's 58 00:03:24,840 --> 00:03:28,400 Speaker 1: not how you know the Diamond and Silk Facebook page works. 59 00:03:28,480 --> 00:03:30,480 Speaker 1: It's not how you get the attention of a president. 60 00:03:30,800 --> 00:03:34,360 Speaker 1: There is no world in which this ever stops. I 61 00:03:34,480 --> 00:03:37,600 Speaker 1: just want to get into this for a second. Died 62 00:03:37,720 --> 00:03:41,880 Speaker 1: suddenly is now an anti vax or phrase. Not in 63 00:03:42,000 --> 00:03:45,000 Speaker 1: all parts of the anti vax are world, but it 64 00:03:45,160 --> 00:03:47,160 Speaker 1: is a very common at the very least, we can 65 00:03:47,160 --> 00:03:49,920 Speaker 1: say it's like a common sentiment, right, it's a common 66 00:03:50,000 --> 00:03:53,560 Speaker 1: talking point. You know, for the last year straight, if 67 00:03:53,600 --> 00:03:59,600 Speaker 1: not more, I've seen anti vax influencers and commentators repeatedly 68 00:03:59,680 --> 00:04:03,600 Speaker 1: point at these, you know, instances where you know, unfortunately 69 00:04:03,640 --> 00:04:07,480 Speaker 1: a person happened to die suddenly, and you know, kind 70 00:04:07,480 --> 00:04:10,440 Speaker 1: of baselessly speculating, especially if it had to do with 71 00:04:10,480 --> 00:04:14,320 Speaker 1: any kind of heart issues or anything like that, of 72 00:04:14,440 --> 00:04:18,120 Speaker 1: the vaccine being to blame, when really, you know, the 73 00:04:18,160 --> 00:04:20,400 Speaker 1: people making these kind of claims have no way of 74 00:04:20,440 --> 00:04:24,159 Speaker 1: knowing that they're just exploiting a person's death to you know, 75 00:04:24,200 --> 00:04:26,279 Speaker 1: try to make a point and try to make a 76 00:04:26,320 --> 00:04:28,760 Speaker 1: buck in most cases. Are you a little surprised that 77 00:04:28,839 --> 00:04:31,880 Speaker 1: this has still gone on? Like, you know, I was 78 00:04:31,960 --> 00:04:35,719 Speaker 1: thinking about this because like Republicans are um. You know, 79 00:04:36,000 --> 00:04:40,560 Speaker 1: Ron de Santa's especially fighting against vaccine mandates, but there 80 00:04:40,600 --> 00:04:44,120 Speaker 1: aren't mandates right most places. You know, he's fighting against 81 00:04:44,120 --> 00:04:47,280 Speaker 1: mask mandates that don't really exist. I mean, I guess 82 00:04:47,839 --> 00:04:53,080 Speaker 1: it's kind of surprising. It's I don't know, it's COVID 83 00:04:53,160 --> 00:04:57,080 Speaker 1: was such uh like unique and I think sort of 84 00:04:57,520 --> 00:05:01,520 Speaker 1: red pilling moment in Republican politics. It was this sort 85 00:05:01,560 --> 00:05:06,599 Speaker 1: of universal war drum to bang against government, and you know, 86 00:05:06,640 --> 00:05:09,640 Speaker 1: the conservative movement had been you know, looking for something 87 00:05:09,680 --> 00:05:13,960 Speaker 1: to fill that void, especially you know, before election, but 88 00:05:13,960 --> 00:05:18,480 Speaker 1: then especially afterward, and you know, COVID stuff, whether it's 89 00:05:18,560 --> 00:05:22,839 Speaker 1: vaccinations or before that it was mask mandates have been 90 00:05:22,839 --> 00:05:27,000 Speaker 1: really reliable in getting conservative activists to turn up places 91 00:05:27,480 --> 00:05:31,120 Speaker 1: and to you know, I assume contribute to campaigns and 92 00:05:31,120 --> 00:05:34,680 Speaker 1: to get involved in different respects. Um So at this point, 93 00:05:34,800 --> 00:05:37,359 Speaker 1: I think it's just kind of cannon. Now, it's like 94 00:05:37,440 --> 00:05:42,080 Speaker 1: something that politicians perceive as a thing that they have 95 00:05:42,200 --> 00:05:46,080 Speaker 1: to acknowledge. And uh, sort of like pander too is 96 00:05:46,200 --> 00:05:50,279 Speaker 1: the you know, desires or the battle cries of people 97 00:05:50,360 --> 00:05:54,400 Speaker 1: who are still obsessed with vaccines. And I guess it 98 00:05:54,440 --> 00:05:55,920 Speaker 1: makes kind of sense too. I mean, some of the 99 00:05:56,000 --> 00:06:00,000 Speaker 1: rhetoric we saw around vaccines, you know, was just apocalypse 100 00:06:00,120 --> 00:06:03,560 Speaker 1: dick too. And if I actually believe that the vaccine 101 00:06:03,839 --> 00:06:08,159 Speaker 1: is like part of a New World Order conspiracy to 102 00:06:08,400 --> 00:06:11,599 Speaker 1: destroy the human race. That's pretty fucking intense. I don't 103 00:06:11,600 --> 00:06:13,800 Speaker 1: know what to tell you that. That's pretty you know, 104 00:06:13,839 --> 00:06:16,520 Speaker 1: I don't think you know, even though these influencers, you 105 00:06:16,680 --> 00:06:19,000 Speaker 1: probably don't believe the ship and just move on. Like 106 00:06:19,040 --> 00:06:22,320 Speaker 1: if you actually believe that, you probably don't move on 107 00:06:22,480 --> 00:06:27,120 Speaker 1: from that. And I'm sure politicians and stuff recognize that 108 00:06:27,200 --> 00:06:30,840 Speaker 1: reality at least somewhat. No, they've definitely opened Pandora's box. 109 00:06:31,040 --> 00:06:34,159 Speaker 1: And how they close it? None of them? No, right, 110 00:06:34,240 --> 00:06:36,320 Speaker 1: because I mean this is like the problem with trumps 111 00:06:36,400 --> 00:06:39,360 Speaker 1: Um too, write none of them. You know, they've gotten 112 00:06:39,360 --> 00:06:42,440 Speaker 1: in bed with these evangelicals, but they can't, they can't 113 00:06:42,440 --> 00:06:45,039 Speaker 1: get out of it, so they have you know, they've 114 00:06:45,040 --> 00:06:48,280 Speaker 1: gotten them painted themselves into a corner. Yeah, and it 115 00:06:48,400 --> 00:06:50,720 Speaker 1: might not even be a corner that some of them 116 00:06:50,720 --> 00:06:53,320 Speaker 1: are really interested in getting out of. You know, all 117 00:06:53,360 --> 00:06:56,960 Speaker 1: throughout history, inspiring fear in the masses is like a 118 00:06:57,040 --> 00:06:59,880 Speaker 1: really great way to get power without having to argue. 119 00:07:00,000 --> 00:07:03,200 Speaker 1: Anything you're gonna do is going to benefit anybody. If 120 00:07:03,200 --> 00:07:05,880 Speaker 1: you can scare the crap out of people and say, 121 00:07:05,880 --> 00:07:09,600 Speaker 1: look at this terrible thing. I'm not that thing. In fact, 122 00:07:09,720 --> 00:07:13,400 Speaker 1: I hate that thing too. It sounds very silly and simplistic, 123 00:07:13,560 --> 00:07:16,520 Speaker 1: but historically it works. I don't know, it's it's kind 124 00:07:16,520 --> 00:07:19,040 Speaker 1: of depressing to think about. I guess a bunch of 125 00:07:19,040 --> 00:07:23,120 Speaker 1: Oathkeepers have now all been found guilty. I mean, it 126 00:07:23,160 --> 00:07:26,480 Speaker 1: continues to be a scenario where the people who were 127 00:07:26,800 --> 00:07:31,040 Speaker 1: actually sort of we're, you know, doing the things that 128 00:07:31,080 --> 00:07:35,160 Speaker 1: they thought the Republican electeds wanted them to do, are 129 00:07:35,240 --> 00:07:39,560 Speaker 1: getting punished, but the Republican electeds are not. Yeah, exactly. 130 00:07:39,760 --> 00:07:43,080 Speaker 1: My colleague Eric Leavey and I just published a piece 131 00:07:43,120 --> 00:07:46,880 Speaker 1: at Institute for Strategic Dialogue today that's all about accountability, 132 00:07:46,880 --> 00:07:48,840 Speaker 1: and in it we kind of make this point where, 133 00:07:49,600 --> 00:07:53,240 Speaker 1: you know, these trials for seditious conspiracy against you know, 134 00:07:53,280 --> 00:07:56,080 Speaker 1: members of the Oathkeepers or members of the Proud Boys 135 00:07:56,280 --> 00:08:00,800 Speaker 1: are arguably a step above the general bulk of the 136 00:08:00,840 --> 00:08:03,520 Speaker 1: prosecutions the d o J has brought against people for 137 00:08:03,600 --> 00:08:08,160 Speaker 1: participating the Capital riot. UM. So it's like kind of 138 00:08:08,200 --> 00:08:10,920 Speaker 1: getting at the next level. But I think it's really 139 00:08:11,520 --> 00:08:14,920 Speaker 1: just almost impossible to ignore that the d o J 140 00:08:15,120 --> 00:08:18,320 Speaker 1: hasn't seemed to express any sort of interest in applying 141 00:08:18,400 --> 00:08:21,160 Speaker 1: that same source scrutiny towards the people at the top. UM. 142 00:08:21,200 --> 00:08:24,720 Speaker 1: I think That's a really common criticism of the American 143 00:08:24,800 --> 00:08:27,400 Speaker 1: justice system, which is, you know, when you get high 144 00:08:27,520 --> 00:08:32,840 Speaker 1: enough in American society, whether that is political power or wealth, 145 00:08:33,120 --> 00:08:36,160 Speaker 1: the rules don't work the same for you anymore. And 146 00:08:36,320 --> 00:08:39,000 Speaker 1: until that's leveled out, it's hard to say that we 147 00:08:39,040 --> 00:08:42,199 Speaker 1: have had full accountability for something like the Capital riot, 148 00:08:42,360 --> 00:08:47,479 Speaker 1: because accountability has to be applied consistently Otherwise it requires 149 00:08:47,480 --> 00:08:50,080 Speaker 1: the question of, well, who are these rules for if 150 00:08:50,080 --> 00:08:53,400 Speaker 1: they're not for everyone. The thing I'm so struck by, though, 151 00:08:53,640 --> 00:08:59,040 Speaker 1: is this idea that these people are going to jail 152 00:08:59,200 --> 00:09:02,360 Speaker 1: some of them for very long time. And whether or 153 00:09:02,400 --> 00:09:04,719 Speaker 1: not they got direct orders a lot of times, we 154 00:09:04,800 --> 00:09:08,160 Speaker 1: won't ever know, but they certainly consider themselves to be 155 00:09:08,240 --> 00:09:12,240 Speaker 1: acting on the behest of these electives who told them 156 00:09:12,240 --> 00:09:14,959 Speaker 1: things like go out there and kick ass. Are you 157 00:09:15,000 --> 00:09:17,520 Speaker 1: seeing anything where those people are like, we got screwed 158 00:09:17,679 --> 00:09:20,360 Speaker 1: or now? It kind of various case to case. I've 159 00:09:20,400 --> 00:09:23,480 Speaker 1: certainly seen a couple of instances reported out in the 160 00:09:23,520 --> 00:09:27,239 Speaker 1: press where people have sort of doubled down on their views, 161 00:09:27,280 --> 00:09:29,319 Speaker 1: you know, believing the government was out to get them 162 00:09:29,320 --> 00:09:31,520 Speaker 1: and destroy the world and punish Trump supporters in the 163 00:09:31,559 --> 00:09:35,120 Speaker 1: YadA YadA YadA, it's just confirmation of their suspicions. And 164 00:09:35,120 --> 00:09:38,240 Speaker 1: then other people like I forget the fellow's name who 165 00:09:38,280 --> 00:09:41,800 Speaker 1: testified during the January six committee, hearing's kind of coming 166 00:09:41,800 --> 00:09:45,440 Speaker 1: forward and expressing regret that he got caught up in 167 00:09:45,440 --> 00:09:48,560 Speaker 1: the moment and that you know, he fell for this 168 00:09:48,679 --> 00:09:51,920 Speaker 1: lie that Trump was selling. You know, I think skeptics 169 00:09:51,920 --> 00:09:54,120 Speaker 1: would ask how much of this is sort of a 170 00:09:54,120 --> 00:09:58,600 Speaker 1: convenient defense that entertains prosecutors that would try to get 171 00:09:58,640 --> 00:10:01,319 Speaker 1: more serious charges again them, you know a little bit 172 00:10:01,320 --> 00:10:03,320 Speaker 1: of like, oh, woe is me, I'm looking at me, 173 00:10:03,400 --> 00:10:06,720 Speaker 1: I'm so foolish. Whoops. Maybe there's a theory there that 174 00:10:07,280 --> 00:10:10,080 Speaker 1: a defense would argue that to try to soften the 175 00:10:10,160 --> 00:10:13,880 Speaker 1: strike that the prosecutor would try to lay down on them. 176 00:10:14,160 --> 00:10:16,840 Speaker 1: But to some degree, I think it is kind of 177 00:10:17,120 --> 00:10:19,600 Speaker 1: apparently true on its face, you know, if you're gonna 178 00:10:19,600 --> 00:10:22,000 Speaker 1: take an honest assessment of it. So, you know, like 179 00:10:22,040 --> 00:10:24,760 Speaker 1: all things, I think it exists in probably some sort 180 00:10:24,800 --> 00:10:29,640 Speaker 1: of gray area between absolutes. We have. The big kind 181 00:10:29,679 --> 00:10:35,760 Speaker 1: of fight in Maga world is between Ben Shapiro and 182 00:10:35,880 --> 00:10:41,080 Speaker 1: Stephen Crowder, and it involves fifty million dollars and a 183 00:10:41,160 --> 00:10:47,080 Speaker 1: contract discuss working class hero Stephen Crowder turning his nose 184 00:10:47,160 --> 00:10:50,000 Speaker 1: up at more money than I'll ever make in my 185 00:10:50,120 --> 00:10:54,800 Speaker 1: life of us well ever, I mean, I'm fifty million dollars. 186 00:10:54,920 --> 00:10:57,360 Speaker 1: I mean, come on, man, you know it's this four 187 00:10:57,440 --> 00:11:00,320 Speaker 1: year contract. So the Daily Wire. I think the most 188 00:11:00,600 --> 00:11:04,120 Speaker 1: public figure out of the Daily Wire is Been Shapiro. Um, 189 00:11:04,120 --> 00:11:07,160 Speaker 1: it's run by this guy named Jeremy Boring, which is 190 00:11:07,160 --> 00:11:09,600 Speaker 1: also a pretty great name for someone who runs something 191 00:11:09,760 --> 00:11:12,760 Speaker 1: like The Daily Wire, Right, But does this mean the 192 00:11:12,760 --> 00:11:15,720 Speaker 1: rest of them are making fifty million dollars? That's what 193 00:11:15,880 --> 00:11:18,800 Speaker 1: I wondered too, Like how much money is the Daily 194 00:11:18,800 --> 00:11:22,080 Speaker 1: Wire really bringing in? And then, of course where is 195 00:11:22,120 --> 00:11:25,120 Speaker 1: it coming from? Because there's no way even you know, 196 00:11:25,240 --> 00:11:28,360 Speaker 1: if you get the most devoted like Jordan Peterson and 197 00:11:28,400 --> 00:11:32,079 Speaker 1: Ben Shapiro fans to buy a coffee cup that says 198 00:11:32,160 --> 00:11:34,960 Speaker 1: liberal tears on it, like, you could not sell enough 199 00:11:34,960 --> 00:11:38,040 Speaker 1: of those to fund one fifty million dollar contract, let 200 00:11:38,120 --> 00:11:40,160 Speaker 1: alone what the rest of these guys are getting paid. 201 00:11:40,400 --> 00:11:42,360 Speaker 1: I mean, that's why I have a little bit of 202 00:11:42,360 --> 00:11:45,199 Speaker 1: skepticism about this whole thing, and I wonder if maybe 203 00:11:45,200 --> 00:11:47,920 Speaker 1: it was just the whole thing is bullshit. This group 204 00:11:48,000 --> 00:11:50,600 Speaker 1: has not tended to be able to pull off something 205 00:11:50,679 --> 00:11:53,960 Speaker 1: like that, because they're not geniuses. But you could see 206 00:11:53,960 --> 00:11:57,040 Speaker 1: a world where this was just sort of like I mean, 207 00:11:57,080 --> 00:12:00,160 Speaker 1: because remember the Daily Wire is always doing things that 208 00:12:00,240 --> 00:12:03,640 Speaker 1: sort of juice their numbers and make them seem more 209 00:12:03,840 --> 00:12:06,520 Speaker 1: successful than they are. Oh yeah, the amount of money 210 00:12:06,600 --> 00:12:10,959 Speaker 1: they dump into Facebook ads alone is just outrageous. Yeah. 211 00:12:11,200 --> 00:12:13,160 Speaker 1: Do you think there's a world in which this is 212 00:12:13,240 --> 00:12:17,560 Speaker 1: just like a complete fake thing. Maybe that would be 213 00:12:17,600 --> 00:12:20,840 Speaker 1: some pretty hardcore devotion to the bit and I would 214 00:12:20,840 --> 00:12:25,280 Speaker 1: have no choice but to respect it. Yeah, you know, 215 00:12:25,480 --> 00:12:29,600 Speaker 1: nominate these guys for oscars, you know, next year's Big 216 00:12:29,640 --> 00:12:33,080 Speaker 1: Picture or whatever that awards called. Yeah, yeah, I mean, 217 00:12:33,360 --> 00:12:37,880 Speaker 1: just completely insane. So the other big controversy and maga 218 00:12:37,880 --> 00:12:42,640 Speaker 1: world involves gas stoves. By the way, I have a 219 00:12:42,720 --> 00:12:45,800 Speaker 1: gas stove, and it's obviously better to cook on than 220 00:12:45,920 --> 00:12:48,960 Speaker 1: electric scoop stove, but I don't want my kids to 221 00:12:49,000 --> 00:12:52,280 Speaker 1: get brain damage. So in a very cathartic sense, I 222 00:12:52,400 --> 00:12:55,800 Speaker 1: enjoy cooking on gas more. I mean everybody does. But 223 00:12:55,800 --> 00:12:59,960 Speaker 1: but in the same sense, it has become ted Cruise's 224 00:13:00,320 --> 00:13:03,040 Speaker 1: come and get it right, a tone that these guys 225 00:13:03,120 --> 00:13:07,880 Speaker 1: usually reserve for like uh, machian guns. After schools full 226 00:13:07,880 --> 00:13:10,520 Speaker 1: of children are killed, They're like coming at my stove. 227 00:13:10,600 --> 00:13:14,079 Speaker 1: And like, I had Amanda More on my podcast this 228 00:13:14,120 --> 00:13:15,880 Speaker 1: week and we talked a little bit about it, and 229 00:13:16,120 --> 00:13:18,400 Speaker 1: you know, she brought up the fact that I guess 230 00:13:18,440 --> 00:13:20,280 Speaker 1: the question, like when was the last time any of 231 00:13:20,280 --> 00:13:22,920 Speaker 1: these guys cooked their own food? I would like to 232 00:13:22,960 --> 00:13:25,920 Speaker 1: know the answer to this those questions. Right, Yeah, I 233 00:13:25,960 --> 00:13:28,080 Speaker 1: think that's a good call. I mean, I just have 234 00:13:28,160 --> 00:13:32,680 Speaker 1: trouble imagining Ted Cruise cooking Heidi a nice dinner. But 235 00:13:32,760 --> 00:13:35,240 Speaker 1: maybe who knows. I mean, who am I to say 236 00:13:35,320 --> 00:13:39,160 Speaker 1: that Ted is not a domestic god in his own home? Yeah. 237 00:13:39,240 --> 00:13:41,800 Speaker 1: What I was disappointed that I didn't see was like 238 00:13:42,080 --> 00:13:47,280 Speaker 1: a mashup of cooking video nightmare clips where it's like 239 00:13:47,280 --> 00:13:50,840 Speaker 1: the suburban mom being like, oh, I'm making a stuffed 240 00:13:51,040 --> 00:13:56,120 Speaker 1: Derito's chicken breast parfait or something. You know, Yeah, that 241 00:13:56,240 --> 00:13:59,000 Speaker 1: sounds amazing. You know. I wanted so bad to see 242 00:13:59,000 --> 00:14:01,400 Speaker 1: one of these like coming take my gas stove guys 243 00:14:01,440 --> 00:14:03,520 Speaker 1: to be like you'll never stop this and cook one 244 00:14:03,520 --> 00:14:07,280 Speaker 1: of those nightmare meals. Yeah. I figured statistically it just 245 00:14:07,360 --> 00:14:09,200 Speaker 1: had to happen, But I haven't seen it, yet it 246 00:14:09,280 --> 00:14:11,880 Speaker 1: seems like it's coming. The one last question I have 247 00:14:12,080 --> 00:14:17,359 Speaker 1: for you is, we're seeing a lot of like fracturing 248 00:14:17,800 --> 00:14:21,360 Speaker 1: in Magot world. For example, like this r n C fight, 249 00:14:21,680 --> 00:14:24,680 Speaker 1: one of the candidates for r n C chair has 250 00:14:24,720 --> 00:14:28,720 Speaker 1: both Never Trumpers and Charlie Kirk. I mean, we're seeing 251 00:14:28,720 --> 00:14:31,560 Speaker 1: like a lot of strange bad fellows. We're seeing that 252 00:14:31,600 --> 00:14:34,960 Speaker 1: in like candidates and in Congress where you have people 253 00:14:35,000 --> 00:14:38,600 Speaker 1: like Matt Gates fighting against people like Marjorie Taylor Green. 254 00:14:38,760 --> 00:14:41,680 Speaker 1: I mean, how is mag and world dealing with this 255 00:14:41,920 --> 00:14:45,000 Speaker 1: or are they just taking instride. For all the talks 256 00:14:45,040 --> 00:14:47,200 Speaker 1: of in fighting and how dramatic it may look on 257 00:14:47,240 --> 00:14:50,240 Speaker 1: its face, it's pretty normal for political movements to do 258 00:14:50,320 --> 00:14:53,120 Speaker 1: this during a period of transition. You know, I have 259 00:14:53,360 --> 00:14:57,080 Speaker 1: observed the political right for most of my career and 260 00:14:57,120 --> 00:14:59,200 Speaker 1: they have done this every time. So like when Trump 261 00:14:59,240 --> 00:15:01,680 Speaker 1: came into off us, there was a big power jockey 262 00:15:01,840 --> 00:15:03,560 Speaker 1: to say, you know who was going to be the 263 00:15:03,600 --> 00:15:07,400 Speaker 1: MAGA contingency in Congress, or you know what think tank 264 00:15:07,520 --> 00:15:11,920 Speaker 1: was going to represent the Trump train of thought. Um So, 265 00:15:12,680 --> 00:15:15,000 Speaker 1: in the same sense that that happened when he came 266 00:15:15,040 --> 00:15:18,560 Speaker 1: into office and people started you know, jockeying for power 267 00:15:18,680 --> 00:15:22,440 Speaker 1: for themselves. It also, I think kind of makes sense that, 268 00:15:22,600 --> 00:15:25,080 Speaker 1: you know, as Trump leaves office and is in the 269 00:15:25,120 --> 00:15:29,680 Speaker 1: public spotlight less, that the people that had obtained power 270 00:15:29,840 --> 00:15:32,520 Speaker 1: in that way, or people that were seeking power in 271 00:15:32,560 --> 00:15:36,680 Speaker 1: that way would sort of do a heal turn, or 272 00:15:36,800 --> 00:15:39,480 Speaker 1: not a heal turn, but like a pivot and try 273 00:15:39,560 --> 00:15:42,600 Speaker 1: to solidify some of that power or try to exert 274 00:15:42,680 --> 00:15:46,240 Speaker 1: that power in a way that cements the status that 275 00:15:46,280 --> 00:15:49,040 Speaker 1: they may have been able to accomplish for themselves in 276 00:15:49,080 --> 00:15:51,960 Speaker 1: that era. So I don't think it's terribly unusual. I 277 00:15:51,960 --> 00:15:53,840 Speaker 1: don't think it's going to like rip the place to 278 00:15:53,880 --> 00:15:57,000 Speaker 1: the ground. I am curious this year to see though, 279 00:15:57,320 --> 00:15:59,720 Speaker 1: if Trump is able, you know, if he does come 280 00:15:59,720 --> 00:16:03,920 Speaker 1: back online and you know, as manages to grab the 281 00:16:03,920 --> 00:16:08,280 Speaker 1: news headlines every day, will he, after everything, be able 282 00:16:08,320 --> 00:16:12,240 Speaker 1: to re emerge as the leader of the GOP and 283 00:16:12,280 --> 00:16:14,400 Speaker 1: I think he still is kind of the de facto leader, 284 00:16:14,440 --> 00:16:18,040 Speaker 1: but he's not in public life as much anymore. Or 285 00:16:18,320 --> 00:16:21,680 Speaker 1: will someone's sense of vacuum there and try to step 286 00:16:21,720 --> 00:16:24,640 Speaker 1: into that vacuum. The power struggle at the very top 287 00:16:24,720 --> 00:16:26,720 Speaker 1: I think is going to be the most interesting because 288 00:16:26,720 --> 00:16:29,560 Speaker 1: over the last five or six years, the GOP has 289 00:16:29,640 --> 00:16:32,280 Speaker 1: kind of rearranged itself into the Trump Party, and if 290 00:16:32,320 --> 00:16:35,680 Speaker 1: there's something after Trump, you know, in the near future 291 00:16:35,720 --> 00:16:38,120 Speaker 1: at least, I'll be really curious to see what that 292 00:16:38,160 --> 00:16:44,480 Speaker 1: looks like. Yeah, me too, I mean curious and also depressed, horrified. Yeah, 293 00:16:45,080 --> 00:16:48,160 Speaker 1: Jared Holt, I hope you will come back. Thanks for 294 00:16:48,240 --> 00:16:55,120 Speaker 1: having Congressman Ruben Diego represents Arizona's third district and is 295 00:16:55,200 --> 00:16:59,080 Speaker 1: running from the United States Senate in Arizona. Welcome back 296 00:16:59,120 --> 00:17:03,640 Speaker 1: to Fast Pole at Techs. Ruben Diego, Hi, how you doing. 297 00:17:04,520 --> 00:17:05,960 Speaker 1: Do you have something to tell us? Do you have 298 00:17:06,000 --> 00:17:09,160 Speaker 1: something to announce? I'm having a baby girl, ly eight. 299 00:17:09,480 --> 00:17:14,800 Speaker 1: Oh my god. Congratulations, thank you, thank you, And I'm 300 00:17:14,880 --> 00:17:18,000 Speaker 1: running for Senate for Arizona. Wait, I'm back to the 301 00:17:18,040 --> 00:17:21,439 Speaker 1: baby girl. This will be your second kid. You're running 302 00:17:21,520 --> 00:17:24,760 Speaker 1: for Senate in Arizona. Talk to us about why you 303 00:17:24,880 --> 00:17:28,080 Speaker 1: decided to run against the worst person in the world. 304 00:17:28,720 --> 00:17:31,840 Speaker 1: I'm going to go that far. Was it the performance 305 00:17:31,880 --> 00:17:35,200 Speaker 1: at Dabos? No. Look, I'm a very lucky man, Molly. 306 00:17:35,200 --> 00:17:38,120 Speaker 1: I've told you about my my background, and I'm very 307 00:17:38,160 --> 00:17:41,200 Speaker 1: appreciative everything this country has given me. I'm not even 308 00:17:41,240 --> 00:17:43,560 Speaker 1: supposed to be here in many sense of the word. 309 00:17:44,200 --> 00:17:47,040 Speaker 1: But because of you know, hard work, my support from 310 00:17:47,040 --> 00:17:50,440 Speaker 1: my family, support from teachers, support from the crazy, weird 311 00:17:50,480 --> 00:17:53,040 Speaker 1: government that people are all afraid of, I was actually 312 00:17:53,080 --> 00:17:55,119 Speaker 1: able to live the American dream. And I'm still in 313 00:17:55,160 --> 00:17:58,680 Speaker 1: the living American dream. And I feel that there's people 314 00:17:58,720 --> 00:18:02,480 Speaker 1: that are still you know, want to believe in that, 315 00:18:02,520 --> 00:18:05,399 Speaker 1: but you need to actually have, you know, people that 316 00:18:05,520 --> 00:18:08,040 Speaker 1: backed them, people actually fight for them, and people that 317 00:18:08,040 --> 00:18:10,000 Speaker 1: actually will go to the seat for five to fight 318 00:18:10,040 --> 00:18:12,280 Speaker 1: for them. And let me tell you what, Cinema is 319 00:18:12,320 --> 00:18:14,119 Speaker 1: not doing that, and she has not done that for 320 00:18:14,160 --> 00:18:16,400 Speaker 1: a while. And there's no way that you know, she's 321 00:18:16,440 --> 00:18:19,119 Speaker 1: inspiring people to even believe in any way that she 322 00:18:19,280 --> 00:18:21,720 Speaker 1: is there to fight for the little people and not 323 00:18:21,840 --> 00:18:24,399 Speaker 1: for you know, the big money interests. I was thinking 324 00:18:24,440 --> 00:18:29,919 Speaker 1: about that video of her at Davos swearing for vest 325 00:18:30,240 --> 00:18:33,360 Speaker 1: or maybe a bath matt that where she was bragging 326 00:18:33,359 --> 00:18:37,200 Speaker 1: about keeping the filibuster and her work doing that. Could 327 00:18:37,240 --> 00:18:41,359 Speaker 1: do the people of Arizona ever benefit from keeping the filibuster? No, 328 00:18:41,520 --> 00:18:44,280 Speaker 1: because the filipbuster really has become a tool of obstruction. 329 00:18:44,560 --> 00:18:47,919 Speaker 1: And let's just go back to Davos. Right, is there 330 00:18:47,920 --> 00:18:50,600 Speaker 1: a problem with her being Davos? Maybe not necessarily right. 331 00:18:50,680 --> 00:18:52,639 Speaker 1: I've never been a Davos. Don'tquit understand what it is. 332 00:18:52,680 --> 00:18:57,400 Speaker 1: But that's fine. You were high fiving Mansion for using 333 00:18:57,400 --> 00:19:00,399 Speaker 1: the filipbuster to kill the William Rights Act on m 334 00:19:00,440 --> 00:19:03,239 Speaker 1: Okay Weekend. She wasn't in Arizona. She wasn't in all 335 00:19:03,240 --> 00:19:05,240 Speaker 1: the l ok events that we have and Martin Luther 336 00:19:05,359 --> 00:19:09,400 Speaker 1: King Weekends extremely important Arizona because we actually have unfortunately 337 00:19:09,760 --> 00:19:12,840 Speaker 1: not a great history with Martin Luther King Weekend in Arizona. 338 00:19:12,880 --> 00:19:16,680 Speaker 1: We got boycotted for many years because we wouldn't pass it. 339 00:19:16,680 --> 00:19:18,919 Speaker 1: It was just a lot of bad things. And you know, 340 00:19:19,000 --> 00:19:22,760 Speaker 1: cinema decides to number one skip I'm okay we can again, 341 00:19:22,760 --> 00:19:24,800 Speaker 1: which I think she has for many years, but then 342 00:19:24,840 --> 00:19:27,440 Speaker 1: to high five killing the boy and Rights Act named 343 00:19:27,440 --> 00:19:29,680 Speaker 1: after her so called like who she calls her friend 344 00:19:30,000 --> 00:19:33,880 Speaker 1: John Lewis using a you know, Civil War era rule. 345 00:19:34,040 --> 00:19:36,359 Speaker 1: This is just ridiculous. All that being said that, you know, 346 00:19:36,800 --> 00:19:39,720 Speaker 1: I think she actually gives more and more reasons all 347 00:19:39,760 --> 00:19:42,880 Speaker 1: the time for this type of campaign. Yeah, I want 348 00:19:42,880 --> 00:19:45,400 Speaker 1: to ask you about this because some of the criticism 349 00:19:45,480 --> 00:19:48,520 Speaker 1: I saw was like, well, someone who's on the left 350 00:19:48,600 --> 00:19:53,080 Speaker 1: can't beat Cinema, but Cinema actually ran as a very 351 00:19:53,200 --> 00:19:55,760 Speaker 1: lefty can today. I mean, the problem is that Cinema 352 00:19:55,800 --> 00:19:59,520 Speaker 1: can't win. She can run, and if I step out 353 00:19:59,560 --> 00:20:02,000 Speaker 1: and for some weird reason don't run, she's still gonna 354 00:20:02,000 --> 00:20:06,560 Speaker 1: lose because she's alienated everybody, because nobody trusts her in Arizona. 355 00:20:06,680 --> 00:20:10,040 Speaker 1: She's terrible. She's taking some horrible positions, and she has 356 00:20:10,119 --> 00:20:12,879 Speaker 1: really decided to back some of the some of the 357 00:20:12,960 --> 00:20:16,000 Speaker 1: kind of but not the best entities in the country. 358 00:20:16,119 --> 00:20:18,720 Speaker 1: When it was the time for us to negotiate lower 359 00:20:18,800 --> 00:20:21,720 Speaker 1: drug prices, instead of saying I'm gonna go help negotiate 360 00:20:21,720 --> 00:20:24,280 Speaker 1: lower drug prices, she went to negotiate on behalf the 361 00:20:24,320 --> 00:20:26,880 Speaker 1: pharmaceutical lobby, which, by the way, they have a lot 362 00:20:26,920 --> 00:20:29,720 Speaker 1: of lobbyists on Capitol Hill, but they don't need one 363 00:20:29,720 --> 00:20:33,119 Speaker 1: more that's paid by tax dollars. You know. When it 364 00:20:33,200 --> 00:20:35,520 Speaker 1: was time to like try to pass you know, the 365 00:20:35,520 --> 00:20:38,600 Speaker 1: Inflation Reduction Act, and it looked like the you know, 366 00:20:38,720 --> 00:20:40,880 Speaker 1: ultra rich and private equity and hedge ones were about 367 00:20:40,880 --> 00:20:44,520 Speaker 1: to get taxed a little more, she held up the 368 00:20:44,520 --> 00:20:46,840 Speaker 1: bill until they was there was a car v out 369 00:20:46,960 --> 00:20:49,480 Speaker 1: for this really small population of people that mostly don't 370 00:20:49,480 --> 00:20:53,080 Speaker 1: live in Arizona. So she has broken the trust with 371 00:20:53,160 --> 00:20:55,520 Speaker 1: the voters of Arizona and it's not coming back. And 372 00:20:55,520 --> 00:20:58,560 Speaker 1: it doesn't matter what she changes to she could change 373 00:20:58,600 --> 00:21:01,000 Speaker 1: the Republican tomorrow, she's still not going to be successful. 374 00:21:01,440 --> 00:21:05,000 Speaker 1: I mean, she basically is a Republican, though at this point, 375 00:21:05,320 --> 00:21:07,439 Speaker 1: I don't know. I think at least Republicans have some 376 00:21:07,440 --> 00:21:10,840 Speaker 1: some you know, moral values that they'll stick to, right, 377 00:21:12,160 --> 00:21:15,159 Speaker 1: I don't. I wouldn't go that far, but I do 378 00:21:15,280 --> 00:21:18,560 Speaker 1: think it is interesting. The polling shows that you definitely 379 00:21:18,600 --> 00:21:22,320 Speaker 1: have a path and that actually Cinema really takes from 380 00:21:22,359 --> 00:21:25,040 Speaker 1: Republican voters as much as she takes liberal voters at 381 00:21:25,040 --> 00:21:27,840 Speaker 1: this point. I mean, our our polling shows that she 382 00:21:27,920 --> 00:21:31,160 Speaker 1: will take more from Republicans than Democrats. And also, once 383 00:21:31,200 --> 00:21:34,400 Speaker 1: we run a full campaign where people all across Arizona 384 00:21:34,440 --> 00:21:36,960 Speaker 1: get to know my story, my history, and my dedication 385 00:21:37,040 --> 00:21:39,639 Speaker 1: to service to this country, I think we're going to 386 00:21:39,720 --> 00:21:43,560 Speaker 1: actually be able to hold a lot more Democrats than 387 00:21:43,720 --> 00:21:45,399 Speaker 1: she's going to be able to take in terms of 388 00:21:45,520 --> 00:21:48,040 Speaker 1: and she'd be she end up taking more Republicans in 389 00:21:48,080 --> 00:21:52,760 Speaker 1: the end, you're in this very interesting place. You're young, congressperson, 390 00:21:52,960 --> 00:21:56,399 Speaker 1: You're ambitious. I mean, explain to us sort of what 391 00:21:56,840 --> 00:21:59,159 Speaker 1: you think you could be doing for Arizona when you 392 00:21:59,200 --> 00:22:01,400 Speaker 1: get to the Senate. I think the most important thing 393 00:22:01,440 --> 00:22:04,640 Speaker 1: you can do, and you know I'm not anything special, 394 00:22:05,000 --> 00:22:08,520 Speaker 1: is to just be a servant and just listen to 395 00:22:08,760 --> 00:22:13,240 Speaker 1: your constituents and actually open your ears, uh and go 396 00:22:13,440 --> 00:22:16,919 Speaker 1: to places that sometimes you maybe are not even wanted, 397 00:22:17,480 --> 00:22:19,920 Speaker 1: and go to meetings where you need to hear why 398 00:22:19,960 --> 00:22:22,760 Speaker 1: people maybe are disagreeing with you, or at least go 399 00:22:22,880 --> 00:22:25,600 Speaker 1: to any meeting and have a public meeting like Cinema 400 00:22:25,840 --> 00:22:28,560 Speaker 1: hasn't had in the last three or four years, and 401 00:22:28,640 --> 00:22:32,040 Speaker 1: explain why you are taking your position. So at a minimum, 402 00:22:32,080 --> 00:22:35,119 Speaker 1: what I'm doing is I'm gonna be a representative of 403 00:22:35,160 --> 00:22:38,920 Speaker 1: Arizon that's going to be available. Number one. Number two, 404 00:22:39,440 --> 00:22:42,400 Speaker 1: I do have an experience in background that I cannot 405 00:22:42,880 --> 00:22:44,760 Speaker 1: let go. It is part of who I am. I 406 00:22:44,800 --> 00:22:48,760 Speaker 1: grew up poor, I worked hard. I've lived the American dream. 407 00:22:48,800 --> 00:22:51,560 Speaker 1: You know, I've served my country. You know I saw 408 00:22:51,640 --> 00:22:55,280 Speaker 1: some hard times in combat. I am, you know, a 409 00:22:55,320 --> 00:22:58,600 Speaker 1: survivor of and and someone who thrive a survivor and 410 00:22:58,680 --> 00:23:02,760 Speaker 1: Thriver of Pte. Those experiences make me who I am, 411 00:23:02,960 --> 00:23:06,040 Speaker 1: and I cannot go to the Senate and deny that. 412 00:23:06,240 --> 00:23:08,359 Speaker 1: And I think that's sometimes we need people like that. 413 00:23:08,440 --> 00:23:11,640 Speaker 1: We don't need necessarily all these perfect people that don't 414 00:23:11,680 --> 00:23:14,679 Speaker 1: remember you know how it feels to struggle, how it 415 00:23:14,720 --> 00:23:16,760 Speaker 1: feels to figure out, you know, whether you're gonna be 416 00:23:16,760 --> 00:23:19,600 Speaker 1: able to pay your grocery bill this month or utility 417 00:23:19,600 --> 00:23:22,280 Speaker 1: bill or can you pay your car bill uh and 418 00:23:22,359 --> 00:23:24,920 Speaker 1: your mortgage the same month. I understand that, and as 419 00:23:24,920 --> 00:23:28,440 Speaker 1: a matter of fact, millions of Americans understand that. Unfortunately, 420 00:23:28,480 --> 00:23:31,439 Speaker 1: a lot of politicians don't understand that, and when they're 421 00:23:31,440 --> 00:23:35,280 Speaker 1: operating in the Senate, they think more of the top 422 00:23:35,320 --> 00:23:37,760 Speaker 1: one percent first than they do of the you know, 423 00:23:37,800 --> 00:23:41,919 Speaker 1: the bottom of this country. It is incredibly weird because 424 00:23:42,080 --> 00:23:46,320 Speaker 1: Kirsten Cinema was like very I mean just that what 425 00:23:46,600 --> 00:23:49,359 Speaker 1: happened to her. She also came from a very poor family, 426 00:23:49,400 --> 00:23:54,320 Speaker 1: but she had this kind of strange lobbyist meltdown. But anyway, 427 00:23:54,560 --> 00:23:57,760 Speaker 1: one of the things you did serve just and I 428 00:23:57,800 --> 00:24:03,119 Speaker 1: saw that you're actually close friends with my favorite Jason Candor, 429 00:24:03,480 --> 00:24:06,720 Speaker 1: and I was happy to see that, and you're both 430 00:24:06,960 --> 00:24:10,760 Speaker 1: young veterans. How do you think that will help you? 431 00:24:11,160 --> 00:24:13,520 Speaker 1: I mean a lot of the Senate is about making 432 00:24:13,560 --> 00:24:17,080 Speaker 1: decisions like that. How do you think your experience in 433 00:24:17,119 --> 00:24:19,600 Speaker 1: the Rock War and will affect that? Look, I think 434 00:24:19,600 --> 00:24:22,520 Speaker 1: when I was not an officer in the Rack War, 435 00:24:22,640 --> 00:24:25,000 Speaker 1: I was enlisted. And not only was I enlisted, I 436 00:24:25,040 --> 00:24:28,080 Speaker 1: wasn't even high enlisted. I was basically as low as 437 00:24:28,080 --> 00:24:30,119 Speaker 1: you can get in terms of rank. You know, my 438 00:24:30,240 --> 00:24:33,199 Speaker 1: job was to be a rifleman, and not only that, 439 00:24:33,240 --> 00:24:36,359 Speaker 1: I had to carry extra AMMO and barrels for the 440 00:24:36,400 --> 00:24:38,639 Speaker 1: machine gunner. That's what I did, and you know, I 441 00:24:38,680 --> 00:24:40,560 Speaker 1: didn't complain. I did my job. I thought I did 442 00:24:40,600 --> 00:24:44,200 Speaker 1: my job well and everything that came with it. One 443 00:24:44,240 --> 00:24:46,800 Speaker 1: of the things I do now in Congress is that 444 00:24:46,840 --> 00:24:50,440 Speaker 1: I bring the perspective of that man or woman at 445 00:24:50,440 --> 00:24:53,560 Speaker 1: that rank, because when all these generals and all these 446 00:24:53,600 --> 00:24:57,320 Speaker 1: like big policy thinkers are thinking about war, they think 447 00:24:57,359 --> 00:25:00,320 Speaker 1: about it from the level of general or you know, 448 00:25:00,840 --> 00:25:03,160 Speaker 1: or a colonel or something that when in fact, most 449 00:25:03,200 --> 00:25:05,640 Speaker 1: of the time everything that happened starts with a very 450 00:25:05,680 --> 00:25:08,760 Speaker 1: scared eighteen or nineteen year old man or woman, you know, 451 00:25:08,840 --> 00:25:11,439 Speaker 1: having to do the first move and I've been in 452 00:25:11,440 --> 00:25:13,960 Speaker 1: those situations, and I want to make sure that people 453 00:25:14,000 --> 00:25:16,679 Speaker 1: remember that when we start making some very heavy decisions 454 00:25:16,920 --> 00:25:19,480 Speaker 1: when it comes to our military personnel. And I certainly 455 00:25:19,520 --> 00:25:22,119 Speaker 1: have done that in Congress and the House representatives, and 456 00:25:22,160 --> 00:25:25,119 Speaker 1: I'm going to do that in the Senate. Also. You also, 457 00:25:25,320 --> 00:25:27,199 Speaker 1: I mean, when you're in those lower ranks you have, 458 00:25:27,520 --> 00:25:30,879 Speaker 1: you're more likely to get killed, right Yeah, unfortunately. I 459 00:25:30,920 --> 00:25:33,679 Speaker 1: mean that's the one third of everybody in my company 460 00:25:33,720 --> 00:25:37,840 Speaker 1: was either killed or wounded. That's unfortunately sometimes happens. The 461 00:25:37,840 --> 00:25:40,359 Speaker 1: thing I was struck by with your story was you 462 00:25:40,480 --> 00:25:44,040 Speaker 1: raised your siblings. You had a single mother. I was also, 463 00:25:44,640 --> 00:25:48,399 Speaker 1: you know, I mean, I just wonder you know how 464 00:25:48,440 --> 00:25:54,600 Speaker 1: that informs your Senate candidacy in later career. Raising children 465 00:25:54,720 --> 00:25:58,240 Speaker 1: when you're a teenager is not an easy thing because 466 00:25:58,280 --> 00:26:00,760 Speaker 1: you yourself are a child. I had to grow up 467 00:26:00,800 --> 00:26:03,320 Speaker 1: very quickly. I had an after school job. I also 468 00:26:03,359 --> 00:26:05,119 Speaker 1: had to be a role model to my sisters, and 469 00:26:05,160 --> 00:26:07,440 Speaker 1: I also at some point had to be a teenager. 470 00:26:07,840 --> 00:26:11,160 Speaker 1: And actually, you know, you know, whatever that experience is 471 00:26:11,320 --> 00:26:12,920 Speaker 1: and something I had to give, and so I gave 472 00:26:13,000 --> 00:26:15,920 Speaker 1: up I think my teenage life in order to be 473 00:26:16,400 --> 00:26:19,040 Speaker 1: something for my family. It showed me one thing more 474 00:26:19,040 --> 00:26:20,600 Speaker 1: than anything else, that in order for you to be 475 00:26:20,640 --> 00:26:23,520 Speaker 1: a leader, you have to sacrifice. And I did it 476 00:26:23,680 --> 00:26:25,399 Speaker 1: and I probably did it for my family, and my 477 00:26:25,480 --> 00:26:29,040 Speaker 1: family I feel is better off because of that. It 478 00:26:29,200 --> 00:26:31,560 Speaker 1: also taught me a lot about, you know, being accountable. 479 00:26:31,760 --> 00:26:34,880 Speaker 1: You you know, when you're doing these types of when 480 00:26:34,960 --> 00:26:37,000 Speaker 1: when you're a leader in your family, were a leader 481 00:26:37,000 --> 00:26:39,760 Speaker 1: in your community, when you're leader in anything. Uh, you 482 00:26:39,840 --> 00:26:42,879 Speaker 1: also have to realize that it's not a title that's given, 483 00:26:42,960 --> 00:26:45,680 Speaker 1: it's something that's earned. You know. I had to learn 484 00:26:45,720 --> 00:26:48,879 Speaker 1: early on that my sisters weren't going to respect me, 485 00:26:48,960 --> 00:26:51,240 Speaker 1: weren't going to listen to me if I wasn't going 486 00:26:51,280 --> 00:26:54,159 Speaker 1: to be a good role model to them. And the 487 00:26:54,200 --> 00:26:57,000 Speaker 1: same thing holds with anything in politics, Like people aren't 488 00:26:57,040 --> 00:26:59,200 Speaker 1: going to respect people are gonna follow you, people aren't 489 00:26:59,240 --> 00:27:02,359 Speaker 1: going to try to work with you if they don't 490 00:27:02,400 --> 00:27:04,680 Speaker 1: at a core trust who you are and you haven't 491 00:27:04,720 --> 00:27:09,320 Speaker 1: earned that. But enough about Kevin McCarthy. I want to 492 00:27:09,359 --> 00:27:12,480 Speaker 1: ask you, you are in Congress right now, how is 493 00:27:12,560 --> 00:27:15,800 Speaker 1: George Santos? What is he like? What's he up to? 494 00:27:17,080 --> 00:27:22,320 Speaker 1: Good old Jorgey? I mean, what is happening. Do people 495 00:27:22,400 --> 00:27:25,919 Speaker 1: hang out with him? You know, Jorge lives, uh not, 496 00:27:26,160 --> 00:27:28,840 Speaker 1: but probably lives because he sleeps in his office. I'm 497 00:27:28,840 --> 00:27:32,160 Speaker 1: sure like the other Republicans, his office is next door 498 00:27:32,200 --> 00:27:36,760 Speaker 1: to mine. Oh my god, Oh my god, I'm definitely 499 00:27:36,800 --> 00:27:39,359 Speaker 1: coming to visit you. Wait, So have you hung out 500 00:27:39,400 --> 00:27:41,640 Speaker 1: with him at all? Seen him on the Oh? Yeah, 501 00:27:41,720 --> 00:27:45,480 Speaker 1: so we are office. We share an internal door, like 502 00:27:45,560 --> 00:27:49,080 Speaker 1: you know, like, oh my god, I opened the door 503 00:27:49,119 --> 00:27:50,399 Speaker 1: and I kind of go out and hang out with 504 00:27:50,480 --> 00:27:52,640 Speaker 1: him a little bit and I have a little coffee 505 00:27:52,640 --> 00:27:55,240 Speaker 1: to see how he's doing. We talked about all those 506 00:27:55,320 --> 00:28:02,399 Speaker 1: multiple personalities job. Do you really have a door? I 507 00:28:02,680 --> 00:28:04,720 Speaker 1: asked him. I asked him for like some stock tips 508 00:28:04,760 --> 00:28:06,520 Speaker 1: as you used to work at JP Morgan. Oh, yeah, 509 00:28:06,560 --> 00:28:10,159 Speaker 1: it's great, it's great. Do you really have a door? 510 00:28:10,280 --> 00:28:12,399 Speaker 1: We really actually have a door between our office and 511 00:28:12,440 --> 00:28:15,040 Speaker 1: their office, but we don't obviously we don't open it 512 00:28:15,160 --> 00:28:18,200 Speaker 1: because you know, our office as different offices. But I 513 00:28:18,200 --> 00:28:20,399 Speaker 1: guess we could at some point for you know, ships 514 00:28:20,440 --> 00:28:23,000 Speaker 1: and giggles. As I used to say, that is terrifying. 515 00:28:23,640 --> 00:28:26,919 Speaker 1: What do you want our listeners to know about you? 516 00:28:26,920 --> 00:28:29,719 Speaker 1: You know? That is sort of like I mean, I 517 00:28:29,720 --> 00:28:31,800 Speaker 1: feel like I know you and I don't really know you, 518 00:28:31,960 --> 00:28:34,760 Speaker 1: but I mean I know you know I barely I 519 00:28:34,840 --> 00:28:37,040 Speaker 1: met you like a few times, but I always feel 520 00:28:37,080 --> 00:28:40,400 Speaker 1: like I know you because you just like very personable. 521 00:28:40,880 --> 00:28:42,960 Speaker 1: But I mean, what do you want our listeners to 522 00:28:43,160 --> 00:28:46,120 Speaker 1: know about you? Look? I am who I am, and 523 00:28:46,360 --> 00:28:49,080 Speaker 1: you know I have my rough edges, but you always 524 00:28:49,080 --> 00:28:51,800 Speaker 1: get the straight, straight answer for me. Uh, And I'm 525 00:28:51,800 --> 00:28:54,120 Speaker 1: always gonna be fighting for the little guy. Sometimes that 526 00:28:54,160 --> 00:28:56,600 Speaker 1: gets you in trouble. Sometimes people don't want someone that's 527 00:28:56,640 --> 00:28:59,640 Speaker 1: just there for the little guy. But I know where 528 00:28:59,640 --> 00:29:01,360 Speaker 1: I'm going and I know what I want to do, 529 00:29:01,720 --> 00:29:04,200 Speaker 1: but I help So you know, people that want to 530 00:29:04,240 --> 00:29:07,240 Speaker 1: help me out, please go to diego for Arizona dot 531 00:29:07,240 --> 00:29:09,960 Speaker 1: com and and give us up because we're not going 532 00:29:10,000 --> 00:29:12,680 Speaker 1: to be getting donations from the hedge fund managers. We're 533 00:29:12,680 --> 00:29:15,360 Speaker 1: not gonna give donations from private equity. We're gonna really 534 00:29:15,400 --> 00:29:21,600 Speaker 1: rely on like a lot of our donors. Yeah that's right, Oh, Ruben, 535 00:29:21,680 --> 00:29:23,640 Speaker 1: thank you so much for joining us. I hope you'll 536 00:29:23,640 --> 00:29:26,120 Speaker 1: come back. Keep in finding me back. I will come back. 537 00:29:26,680 --> 00:29:30,480 Speaker 1: I know you. Our dear listeners are very busy and 538 00:29:30,560 --> 00:29:32,680 Speaker 1: you don't have time to sort through the hundreds of 539 00:29:32,720 --> 00:29:36,560 Speaker 1: pieces of pundentry each week. This is why every week 540 00:29:36,880 --> 00:29:40,800 Speaker 1: I put together a newsletter of my five favorite articles 541 00:29:40,800 --> 00:29:43,680 Speaker 1: on politics. If you enjoy the podcast, you will love 542 00:29:43,760 --> 00:29:47,600 Speaker 1: having this in your inbox every Friday. So sign up 543 00:29:47,640 --> 00:29:50,960 Speaker 1: at Fast Politics pod dot com and click the tab 544 00:29:51,040 --> 00:29:58,280 Speaker 1: to join our mailing list. That's fast Politics pod dot com. 545 00:29:58,400 --> 00:30:02,440 Speaker 1: Jay Willis is the editor of Balls and Strikes. Welcome too, 546 00:30:02,480 --> 00:30:07,720 Speaker 1: Fast Politics, Welcome back. I don't know Jay Wells from 547 00:30:07,760 --> 00:30:11,240 Speaker 1: Balls and Strikes talk to us, leave all of us in. 548 00:30:11,320 --> 00:30:14,120 Speaker 1: This is great. Yeah, he leaves in some of this 549 00:30:14,160 --> 00:30:17,640 Speaker 1: stuff that really I sound like an idiot, but it's okay, my, 550 00:30:17,880 --> 00:30:22,440 Speaker 1: that's my brand. So we look forward to this being 551 00:30:22,480 --> 00:30:25,520 Speaker 1: plated at the r n C. I am here to 552 00:30:25,600 --> 00:30:30,440 Speaker 1: talk to you about betto O'Rourke and a very interesting 553 00:30:31,000 --> 00:30:36,720 Speaker 1: case that involves dark money and Greg Abbott discuss. Yeah, 554 00:30:36,760 --> 00:30:39,000 Speaker 1: that's like a we're three fits of the way to 555 00:30:39,080 --> 00:30:42,120 Speaker 1: our Fox and News bingo, right there. Yeah, let's hear 556 00:30:42,120 --> 00:30:45,040 Speaker 1: a baby. Yeah. So this is a story of betto 557 00:30:45,120 --> 00:30:49,400 Speaker 1: O'Rourke and as I understand, his close personal friend Kelsey Warren. 558 00:30:49,680 --> 00:30:53,840 Speaker 1: Kelsey is one of these like mega rich cartoonish Texas 559 00:30:53,920 --> 00:30:58,160 Speaker 1: oil and gas guys who donated a cool million dollars 560 00:30:58,160 --> 00:31:03,160 Speaker 1: to Greg Abbott's gubernatorial and payne in which Abbott the 561 00:31:03,200 --> 00:31:07,800 Speaker 1: incumbent beat should we say, former Texas congressman and noted 562 00:31:07,880 --> 00:31:12,680 Speaker 1: election losing enthusiast. Yeah, betto Rourke. By the way, pipeline 563 00:31:12,800 --> 00:31:16,600 Speaker 1: billionaire is having fun with oil bust. And then there's 564 00:31:16,600 --> 00:31:19,560 Speaker 1: a picture of him with a shovel. Yes continued, Yes, 565 00:31:19,760 --> 00:31:24,320 Speaker 1: the million dollars to Greg Abbott is is Kelsey Warren's 566 00:31:24,400 --> 00:31:28,280 Speaker 1: largest donation in a state, in a Texas political race, 567 00:31:28,400 --> 00:31:30,960 Speaker 1: biggest check he's ever written. And you've got to remember, 568 00:31:31,240 --> 00:31:34,000 Speaker 1: just before we get to Betto, that this election is 569 00:31:34,040 --> 00:31:39,560 Speaker 1: happening in the long tail of power crisis in Texas. 570 00:31:40,000 --> 00:31:44,240 Speaker 1: If if Ted Cruz flying to Cancun during a pandemic 571 00:31:44,360 --> 00:31:47,080 Speaker 1: while his constituents are freezing to death, rings any bells, 572 00:31:47,240 --> 00:31:50,000 Speaker 1: that's the story we're talking about here. Oh wait, so 573 00:31:50,240 --> 00:31:57,000 Speaker 1: he wants to sue Betto for Bettos making Ted Cruise 574 00:31:57,040 --> 00:31:59,880 Speaker 1: fly out of Cancun. I wouldn't put logic like that 575 00:32:00,160 --> 00:32:04,320 Speaker 1: patch Greg Abbott, Right, how dare Betto do that? But no, 576 00:32:04,480 --> 00:32:07,040 Speaker 1: not quite. But that's like an important part of the 577 00:32:07,040 --> 00:32:11,520 Speaker 1: background here, so that that power crisis. Greg Abbott and 578 00:32:11,520 --> 00:32:16,080 Speaker 1: other Republicans they blamed that on if memory serves wind turbines, 579 00:32:16,840 --> 00:32:19,840 Speaker 1: and the actual culprits for that were the results of 580 00:32:19,920 --> 00:32:24,600 Speaker 1: sort of all of the the policies Republicans know and love, 581 00:32:24,920 --> 00:32:29,200 Speaker 1: dependence on oil and gas, deregulation of those industries in Texas, 582 00:32:29,720 --> 00:32:33,040 Speaker 1: and the failure to invest in climate change prep because 583 00:32:33,400 --> 00:32:36,200 Speaker 1: you don't believe in it. So here's what Betto comes in. 584 00:32:36,320 --> 00:32:38,280 Speaker 1: And I want to shout out the reporting of Jordan 585 00:32:38,360 --> 00:32:40,920 Speaker 1: Yule who wrote about this on his sub stack. A 586 00:32:41,000 --> 00:32:43,280 Speaker 1: sub stack is called I Hate It Here and Never 587 00:32:43,320 --> 00:32:46,760 Speaker 1: Want to Leave, which is a great title. And also 588 00:32:46,800 --> 00:32:50,120 Speaker 1: I'm getting that tattooed on my face once we're done recording. Yeah, 589 00:32:50,280 --> 00:32:53,560 Speaker 1: but if you'll never regret a face tattoo, never, that's 590 00:32:53,560 --> 00:32:56,600 Speaker 1: what I hear. So Warren's big donation to Gray Abbott 591 00:32:56,840 --> 00:32:59,720 Speaker 1: comes two weeks after Greg Abbott signs a law with 592 00:32:59,800 --> 00:33:04,920 Speaker 1: a provision that let's fossil fuels companies like Warren's out 593 00:33:04,920 --> 00:33:09,080 Speaker 1: of certain winterization requirements. They don't need it. What recent 594 00:33:09,120 --> 00:33:12,560 Speaker 1: events would prompt us to think that those might be important? Yeah, 595 00:33:12,640 --> 00:33:16,240 Speaker 1: absolutely none, and certainly not that frozen power gad where 596 00:33:16,240 --> 00:33:18,920 Speaker 1: all those people frozen to tess in Texas. Right, So, 597 00:33:19,160 --> 00:33:22,000 Speaker 1: Beto on the campaign trail, he of course cuts an 598 00:33:22,000 --> 00:33:26,040 Speaker 1: ad where he talks about the Abbot tax, which is 599 00:33:26,080 --> 00:33:29,640 Speaker 1: what he refers to as increases in utility bills that 600 00:33:29,720 --> 00:33:32,920 Speaker 1: he associated with Greg Abbott's policy. And the key line, 601 00:33:33,000 --> 00:33:35,360 Speaker 1: and I'm quoting here from the from the ad, the 602 00:33:35,440 --> 00:33:39,040 Speaker 1: profiteers who made billions off of grid failure are being 603 00:33:39,080 --> 00:33:41,920 Speaker 1: allowed to hike your bills by a governor who they 604 00:33:41,960 --> 00:33:46,959 Speaker 1: gave millions. He's implying that Kelsey's million dollar donation was 605 00:33:47,240 --> 00:33:53,959 Speaker 1: in exchange for, or in recognition of the winterization exemption. Now, like, 606 00:33:54,160 --> 00:33:58,200 Speaker 1: maybe you already spotted the egregious and frankly offensive error 607 00:33:58,240 --> 00:34:03,320 Speaker 1: in betos ad. A governor who they gave millions. Obviously 608 00:34:03,360 --> 00:34:05,680 Speaker 1: that should be whom, because governor is the object of 609 00:34:05,680 --> 00:34:10,319 Speaker 1: the sentence, right right, exactly, not the subject. Thank you 610 00:34:10,360 --> 00:34:13,319 Speaker 1: for clearing that up. No wonder that explains why didn't win. 611 00:34:13,600 --> 00:34:18,120 Speaker 1: I agree, because Texans are a stickler for grammar, famously 612 00:34:18,280 --> 00:34:22,200 Speaker 1: high up on that stuff. Yeah yeah, but Kelsey Warren, 613 00:34:22,360 --> 00:34:25,320 Speaker 1: he was upset about something else. He said that Beto, 614 00:34:25,440 --> 00:34:29,400 Speaker 1: by cutting this ad had accused him of bribery, corruption 615 00:34:29,520 --> 00:34:32,840 Speaker 1: and extortion based on his and again I will quote 616 00:34:32,880 --> 00:34:37,279 Speaker 1: here perfectly legal campaign contribution to the candidate of his 617 00:34:37,360 --> 00:34:41,719 Speaker 1: choosing end quote. He says that this caused him mental anguish, 618 00:34:41,920 --> 00:34:45,480 Speaker 1: and he is suing Beto O'Rourke for the contents of 619 00:34:45,520 --> 00:34:47,879 Speaker 1: this campaign. Ad. Now, I want to be a little 620 00:34:47,920 --> 00:34:50,680 Speaker 1: careful here because I don't want Kelsey Warren giving this 621 00:34:50,719 --> 00:34:54,120 Speaker 1: podcast like the full Peter Teel treatment. Yeah, yeah, me too. 622 00:34:54,200 --> 00:34:55,799 Speaker 1: I don't want you to get sued. But if you 623 00:34:55,840 --> 00:34:58,279 Speaker 1: do get sued, I plan to take the other guys. No, 624 00:34:58,360 --> 00:35:02,720 Speaker 1: I'm just getting going. So First Amendment lawyers will refer 625 00:35:02,800 --> 00:35:07,560 Speaker 1: to lawsuits like this as slaps, a strategic lawsuit against 626 00:35:07,640 --> 00:35:11,640 Speaker 1: public participation, and the goal is not really to like win, 627 00:35:11,960 --> 00:35:16,120 Speaker 1: but to discourage people like Beto from public criticism by 628 00:35:16,160 --> 00:35:19,959 Speaker 1: making them afraid of getting dragged into court for god 629 00:35:20,040 --> 00:35:23,080 Speaker 1: knows how many years and God knows at what price. Now, 630 00:35:23,120 --> 00:35:25,680 Speaker 1: because there is this thing called the First Amendment, many 631 00:35:25,719 --> 00:35:28,760 Speaker 1: states have enacted laws that actually just limit your ability 632 00:35:28,800 --> 00:35:32,040 Speaker 1: to uh, not to file slaps, I guess, but to 633 00:35:32,560 --> 00:35:36,520 Speaker 1: make them as punitive as they're intended to be. There's 634 00:35:36,560 --> 00:35:40,160 Speaker 1: like there's procedural outs. You can you know, file emotion 635 00:35:40,239 --> 00:35:43,480 Speaker 1: to dismiss or emotion to strike and say, look, your honor, 636 00:35:43,600 --> 00:35:45,880 Speaker 1: this is a this is a matter of public concern, 637 00:35:46,280 --> 00:35:50,160 Speaker 1: like this is speech. Um, this shouldn't go any further, 638 00:35:51,280 --> 00:35:54,600 Speaker 1: but like this is like if you're listening to this 639 00:35:54,760 --> 00:35:57,839 Speaker 1: and you think, I'm sorry Beto is getting sued over 640 00:35:58,000 --> 00:36:01,239 Speaker 1: a campaign ad, and you think this is objectively like 641 00:36:01,400 --> 00:36:05,759 Speaker 1: batch it insane, Like that's correct, Like candidates say all 642 00:36:05,960 --> 00:36:09,800 Speaker 1: kinds of ship on the campaign trail, many like usually 643 00:36:09,840 --> 00:36:14,640 Speaker 1: frankly with far less factual support than Beto had. Here, Like, 644 00:36:15,239 --> 00:36:17,480 Speaker 1: we're at a point right now where Donald Trump is 645 00:36:17,480 --> 00:36:20,000 Speaker 1: getting ready to run for president again. If we're going 646 00:36:20,040 --> 00:36:24,920 Speaker 1: to allow candidates to sue other candidates for falsehoods in 647 00:36:25,040 --> 00:36:27,640 Speaker 1: campaign ads, like Trump is going to be broke by 648 00:36:27,719 --> 00:36:30,640 Speaker 1: Labor Day, Like this is not tenable. I also want 649 00:36:30,640 --> 00:36:34,160 Speaker 1: to put this talk about the broader political and cultural context, 650 00:36:34,400 --> 00:36:37,880 Speaker 1: because this case really unites to sort of through lines 651 00:36:38,000 --> 00:36:42,399 Speaker 1: of conservative thought. First, the idea that money is speech. Right, 652 00:36:42,800 --> 00:36:45,880 Speaker 1: That's how we get Citizens United UM, which dealt with 653 00:36:45,920 --> 00:36:49,799 Speaker 1: federal campaign finance reform that equated money with speech under 654 00:36:49,800 --> 00:36:52,759 Speaker 1: the First Amendment, that's how we get take cases like 655 00:36:52,840 --> 00:36:56,400 Speaker 1: Ted Cruz the FEC, a more recent Supreme Court case 656 00:36:56,480 --> 00:37:01,000 Speaker 1: that makes it easier to effectively bribe politics atians. That's 657 00:37:01,040 --> 00:37:03,880 Speaker 1: how we get cases like McDonald the United States. I 658 00:37:03,960 --> 00:37:06,879 Speaker 1: think that case is seven years old now, um which 659 00:37:07,040 --> 00:37:10,560 Speaker 1: narrowed the scope of what bribery of a public official means. 660 00:37:10,560 --> 00:37:13,080 Speaker 1: In the first place, it's a line of thinking that 661 00:37:13,160 --> 00:37:17,279 Speaker 1: gives very rich people the chance to basically infuse as 662 00:37:17,400 --> 00:37:20,400 Speaker 1: much of their money as they want into the political process. 663 00:37:21,000 --> 00:37:23,520 Speaker 1: But the second thing conservatives love is the idea that 664 00:37:23,840 --> 00:37:26,880 Speaker 1: there should be no consequences for speech. Money is speech 665 00:37:27,280 --> 00:37:30,919 Speaker 1: and no consequences for speech. Citizens United fueled the rise 666 00:37:30,960 --> 00:37:33,680 Speaker 1: of dark money, the political spending where the spender doesn't 667 00:37:33,680 --> 00:37:36,799 Speaker 1: have to identify themselves. I also think it's just sort 668 00:37:36,800 --> 00:37:41,000 Speaker 1: of underlies the entire right wing reaction to cancel culture 669 00:37:41,200 --> 00:37:44,720 Speaker 1: right the idea that speech is only quote unquote free 670 00:37:44,920 --> 00:37:50,000 Speaker 1: if the speaker suffers no consequences for it. So this 671 00:37:50,080 --> 00:37:53,560 Speaker 1: case combines these two dynamics. Money a speech. Kelsey Warren 672 00:37:53,640 --> 00:37:56,959 Speaker 1: is exercising his First Amendment rights and the government can't 673 00:37:56,960 --> 00:37:59,919 Speaker 1: stop him. If you're wondering, how did this guy don't 674 00:38:00,160 --> 00:38:03,120 Speaker 1: a million dollars to a single political candidate. Doesn't that 675 00:38:03,239 --> 00:38:06,799 Speaker 1: violate some kind of campaign finance limit? Jokes on you, 676 00:38:06,920 --> 00:38:12,400 Speaker 1: Texas doesn't have any I would hope not. Yeah. Um. 677 00:38:12,440 --> 00:38:15,960 Speaker 1: But also the message of this case is that your 678 00:38:16,000 --> 00:38:20,200 Speaker 1: speech speaking about people who speak with their their very 679 00:38:20,200 --> 00:38:23,440 Speaker 1: thick wallets might end up landing you in court. And 680 00:38:23,680 --> 00:38:26,560 Speaker 1: Jordan Yule has a great quote that he pulls from 681 00:38:26,640 --> 00:38:30,520 Speaker 1: Kelsey Warren's lawyer quote he wrote that check in private, 682 00:38:30,640 --> 00:38:33,600 Speaker 1: if he even wrote it himself in the quote, and 683 00:38:34,360 --> 00:38:37,360 Speaker 1: the idea that the fact that Kelsey Warren wrote the 684 00:38:37,440 --> 00:38:40,879 Speaker 1: check in private is somehow like important or dispositive here, 685 00:38:41,480 --> 00:38:44,200 Speaker 1: I think just speaks to the detachment of rich people 686 00:38:44,520 --> 00:38:48,160 Speaker 1: from politics and the sense of entitlement that they carry. 687 00:38:48,280 --> 00:38:51,239 Speaker 1: It's like money allows us. The Supreme Court has said 688 00:38:51,280 --> 00:38:54,240 Speaker 1: that money allows us an outsize influence on the political 689 00:38:54,280 --> 00:38:58,239 Speaker 1: process and also that we deserve that we deserve to 690 00:38:58,280 --> 00:39:01,359 Speaker 1: be able to do that with how having people say 691 00:39:01,440 --> 00:39:05,280 Speaker 1: mean things about us will betto end up getting sued. 692 00:39:05,840 --> 00:39:09,200 Speaker 1: Where do you think this goes? So my understanding is 693 00:39:09,800 --> 00:39:12,960 Speaker 1: Justin Miller at the Texas Observer incidentally has done like 694 00:39:13,080 --> 00:39:16,080 Speaker 1: great reporting on this. My understanding is that it's still 695 00:39:16,120 --> 00:39:20,600 Speaker 1: winding its way through Texas courts. And like, better's got money, right, 696 00:39:20,640 --> 00:39:24,360 Speaker 1: because he raised a ton of money and lost again 697 00:39:24,800 --> 00:39:26,719 Speaker 1: for the third time. But he raised a ton of money. 698 00:39:27,440 --> 00:39:30,680 Speaker 1: He can defend himself. He can fight this. Yeah, But 699 00:39:30,760 --> 00:39:33,520 Speaker 1: like not everyone who's going to get hit with a 700 00:39:33,560 --> 00:39:36,200 Speaker 1: slap has this kind of money, right, And that is 701 00:39:36,360 --> 00:39:40,880 Speaker 1: how slaps succeed. If everyone has in the back of 702 00:39:40,920 --> 00:39:44,440 Speaker 1: their minds the nagging possibility of getting dragged to court 703 00:39:44,520 --> 00:39:47,360 Speaker 1: over some bullshit, You're just going to find something different 704 00:39:47,400 --> 00:39:49,600 Speaker 1: to talk about that You're not going to take the risk. 705 00:39:50,000 --> 00:39:52,279 Speaker 1: And then the wealthiest people with the means and the 706 00:39:52,320 --> 00:39:55,560 Speaker 1: motive to influence politics can do so just a little 707 00:39:55,600 --> 00:39:58,240 Speaker 1: more confident that no one's going to say anything about it. 708 00:39:58,280 --> 00:40:02,800 Speaker 1: This feels like a really a pretty good example of 709 00:40:03,200 --> 00:40:06,640 Speaker 1: the Donald Trump school of law. I share those concerns 710 00:40:06,640 --> 00:40:09,680 Speaker 1: about just like the use of the court system by 711 00:40:09,680 --> 00:40:13,040 Speaker 1: the right is a shield against what they would perceive 712 00:40:13,200 --> 00:40:17,000 Speaker 1: as the excesses of cancel culture, and like heavy use 713 00:40:17,040 --> 00:40:20,560 Speaker 1: of scare quotes there, right, because the key characteristic of 714 00:40:20,680 --> 00:40:23,239 Speaker 1: cancel culture is that the people who complain about it 715 00:40:23,840 --> 00:40:27,440 Speaker 1: almost never actually suffer any material harms other than like 716 00:40:27,480 --> 00:40:30,800 Speaker 1: a couple of headlines that make them feel bad about themselves. 717 00:40:31,480 --> 00:40:33,880 Speaker 1: But we're at a point right now where the reaction 718 00:40:33,920 --> 00:40:38,839 Speaker 1: to cancel culture is maybe like the single most important 719 00:40:39,040 --> 00:40:44,160 Speaker 1: issue for Republican voters. And if politicians like sees on 720 00:40:44,200 --> 00:40:48,360 Speaker 1: the strategy to try and silence there their political opponents, like, 721 00:40:48,480 --> 00:40:51,240 Speaker 1: things are gonna get nasty pretty quick. So the Supreme 722 00:40:51,239 --> 00:40:56,719 Speaker 1: Court found themselves not guilty of the leak, really, I mean, ultimately, 723 00:40:56,840 --> 00:40:59,640 Speaker 1: wasn't it. I mean, I guess they did exonerate some 724 00:40:59,760 --> 00:41:02,320 Speaker 1: of the clerks who had been targeted by right wing media. 725 00:41:02,520 --> 00:41:06,160 Speaker 1: Right yeah, I think even even saying that the Court 726 00:41:06,200 --> 00:41:10,120 Speaker 1: found themselves not guilty is kind of more generous than 727 00:41:10,160 --> 00:41:13,520 Speaker 1: the Court deserves because they didn't even like investigate themselves 728 00:41:13,560 --> 00:41:16,879 Speaker 1: and the potential right. None of the justices or their 729 00:41:16,920 --> 00:41:21,000 Speaker 1: spouses had to sign Appa David's right. Right. So background 730 00:41:21,080 --> 00:41:25,560 Speaker 1: here is last year, before the Dobbs opinion that overturned 731 00:41:25,600 --> 00:41:29,480 Speaker 1: Roe v. Wade. Before Dobbs was published, there was a 732 00:41:30,000 --> 00:41:34,280 Speaker 1: leak that was published in Politico of the draft opinion 733 00:41:34,360 --> 00:41:37,640 Speaker 1: from Justice Alito, and it turned out to be nearly 734 00:41:37,719 --> 00:41:41,200 Speaker 1: identical to the one that the Court published. A couple 735 00:41:41,239 --> 00:41:45,840 Speaker 1: of months later. And this is like more or less unprecedented, 736 00:41:46,320 --> 00:41:49,920 Speaker 1: the combination of high profile case leak from the court, 737 00:41:50,520 --> 00:41:53,680 Speaker 1: and leak not just of like you know sources say X, 738 00:41:53,719 --> 00:41:59,200 Speaker 1: but of a seventy page PDF that basically has not happened. 739 00:41:59,360 --> 00:42:02,200 Speaker 1: I mean, uh, that that has not happened. I can, 740 00:42:02,360 --> 00:42:05,880 Speaker 1: I certainly cannot think of anything on this scale. So 741 00:42:05,920 --> 00:42:10,480 Speaker 1: the court immediately announced like an investigation into it, and 742 00:42:10,640 --> 00:42:14,120 Speaker 1: the person tasked with performing this information was the Supreme 743 00:42:14,160 --> 00:42:17,880 Speaker 1: Court Martial GAYL. Curly, who, as I understand, is like 744 00:42:17,920 --> 00:42:21,720 Speaker 1: a well respected military lawyer. All due respect to Gail Curly, 745 00:42:22,040 --> 00:42:26,279 Speaker 1: like her primary job is shouting or crying as it's 746 00:42:26,320 --> 00:42:30,280 Speaker 1: called oyer, oyer oyer when the Supreme Court comes into session. 747 00:42:30,400 --> 00:42:32,920 Speaker 1: I'm wonder, is that a high paying job? No? Anyway, 748 00:42:32,920 --> 00:42:35,000 Speaker 1: go on, yes, I bet, I bet it's a pretty 749 00:42:35,000 --> 00:42:38,120 Speaker 1: good gig. Yeah. The point is that, like, if you're 750 00:42:38,120 --> 00:42:40,839 Speaker 1: actually trying to do an investigation like this is not 751 00:42:41,320 --> 00:42:44,880 Speaker 1: FBI C I A level type ship. So the results 752 00:42:45,000 --> 00:42:50,120 Speaker 1: of this report were published last week and they were inconclusive. 753 00:42:50,239 --> 00:42:53,279 Speaker 1: They said, we cannot figure out who the leaker was. 754 00:42:53,880 --> 00:42:56,279 Speaker 1: But there are two main takeaways from it. I think 755 00:42:56,440 --> 00:42:58,840 Speaker 1: the first one is that Yeah, as you mentioned, the 756 00:42:58,960 --> 00:43:03,080 Speaker 1: report talks about the sort of the gauntlet that court 757 00:43:03,120 --> 00:43:07,520 Speaker 1: employees clerks were subjected to. They sat for interviews, they 758 00:43:07,520 --> 00:43:10,360 Speaker 1: had to sit, they had to swear that they, you know, 759 00:43:10,840 --> 00:43:13,239 Speaker 1: didn't do the leak, didn't know anyone who did the leak. 760 00:43:13,440 --> 00:43:15,759 Speaker 1: Some of them had their phones examined, all of that 761 00:43:15,920 --> 00:43:19,360 Speaker 1: good stuff. The justices, by contrast, did not have to 762 00:43:19,400 --> 00:43:22,279 Speaker 1: do that stuff. The Marshal said in a follow up 763 00:43:22,280 --> 00:43:25,200 Speaker 1: statement that they had talked to the justices, you know, 764 00:43:25,280 --> 00:43:29,840 Speaker 1: interviewed the justices, but the investigation had focused all along 765 00:43:30,000 --> 00:43:34,400 Speaker 1: on the assumption that a Supreme Court employee or clerk 766 00:43:34,680 --> 00:43:37,319 Speaker 1: something to that effect, someone who's not a justice, had 767 00:43:37,360 --> 00:43:39,920 Speaker 1: done the leak, which in the wake of us like 768 00:43:40,040 --> 00:43:44,920 Speaker 1: a credibly sourced on their record story talking about Justice 769 00:43:44,960 --> 00:43:49,359 Speaker 1: Samuel Alito's alleged history of leaking opinions like I don't 770 00:43:49,400 --> 00:43:53,759 Speaker 1: know who did it, but but not investigating the justices 771 00:43:53,920 --> 00:43:57,920 Speaker 1: at all just speaks to how sort of how differently 772 00:43:57,960 --> 00:44:01,560 Speaker 1: they are treated like royalty compared to everyone else, not 773 00:44:01,680 --> 00:44:04,200 Speaker 1: just in the country, right, but in their own place 774 00:44:04,200 --> 00:44:08,799 Speaker 1: of work. They're considered above suspicion. And if it's if 775 00:44:08,800 --> 00:44:11,080 Speaker 1: a justice didn't do it like, how are we ever 776 00:44:11,080 --> 00:44:13,399 Speaker 1: going to know about it? Because nobody's looking that way? 777 00:44:13,640 --> 00:44:16,719 Speaker 1: Just about the lameness we would expect. Jay, thank you 778 00:44:16,840 --> 00:44:20,880 Speaker 1: so much. Is this so interesting? And I really appreciate 779 00:44:20,920 --> 00:44:29,000 Speaker 1: having you and my pleasure. Good to talk, Molly John Fast, 780 00:44:29,400 --> 00:44:35,360 Speaker 1: Jesse Cannon. Mike Pompeo, that forgettable guy with no charisma 781 00:44:35,480 --> 00:44:37,439 Speaker 1: has lost a lot of weight for his book tour 782 00:44:38,200 --> 00:44:41,719 Speaker 1: and now he needs attention. So Mike Pompeo lost a 783 00:44:41,760 --> 00:44:45,600 Speaker 1: lot of weight, probably running for president, and during this 784 00:44:45,640 --> 00:44:49,799 Speaker 1: book tour has done this sort of most craven attention 785 00:44:49,960 --> 00:44:55,319 Speaker 1: seeking thing he can, which is he's going. First of all, 786 00:44:55,320 --> 00:44:58,719 Speaker 1: he blurbed his own book. So for that alone, blurbing 787 00:44:58,840 --> 00:45:01,640 Speaker 1: his own book is a non starter. I guess he 788 00:45:01,680 --> 00:45:04,440 Speaker 1: assumed there was no one more fabulous than him to 789 00:45:04,520 --> 00:45:07,800 Speaker 1: blow his own book. But he gave this little nugget 790 00:45:08,480 --> 00:45:11,720 Speaker 1: which he wrote in the book, never given inch, Fighting 791 00:45:11,719 --> 00:45:14,759 Speaker 1: for the America. I love. He didn't deserve to die, 792 00:45:14,960 --> 00:45:17,319 Speaker 1: But we need to be clear about who he was 793 00:45:17,840 --> 00:45:21,280 Speaker 1: that he were talking about, as Jamal Kashogi, an opinion 794 00:45:21,360 --> 00:45:25,759 Speaker 1: journalist for the Washington Post. Pretty famous guy. I want 795 00:45:25,800 --> 00:45:27,840 Speaker 1: to read this again. He didn't deserve to die, but 796 00:45:27,920 --> 00:45:30,040 Speaker 1: we need to be clear about who he was, and 797 00:45:30,120 --> 00:45:32,960 Speaker 1: too many in the media were not. By the way, 798 00:45:33,000 --> 00:45:40,680 Speaker 1: what like MBS, a murderous psychopath killed an opinion columnist 799 00:45:40,840 --> 00:45:45,359 Speaker 1: for the Washington Post, and somehow this is the guy 800 00:45:45,400 --> 00:45:49,480 Speaker 1: who got murdered. Fault Pompeio, who served as CIA director 801 00:45:49,480 --> 00:45:51,640 Speaker 1: in the Trump administration, God knows what he did when 802 00:45:51,680 --> 00:45:56,040 Speaker 1: he was there, described Kashogi as an activist, claiming that 803 00:45:56,120 --> 00:45:58,480 Speaker 1: he was a journalist only to the extent that I 804 00:45:58,719 --> 00:46:01,879 Speaker 1: and many other public figures our journalists. So the guy 805 00:46:02,080 --> 00:46:04,480 Speaker 1: that I don't think he knows what opinion journalism is. 806 00:46:04,600 --> 00:46:08,360 Speaker 1: But either way, because Shogie shouldn't have had an opinion 807 00:46:08,880 --> 00:46:11,399 Speaker 1: and he shouldn't have worn that short skirt. And I'm 808 00:46:11,440 --> 00:46:16,000 Speaker 1: just gonna say, Mike Pompeo is trying to pedal outrage 809 00:46:16,000 --> 00:46:18,120 Speaker 1: in the hopes that it will sell books. But I 810 00:46:18,200 --> 00:46:22,000 Speaker 1: have news for Mike Pompeo. No one is interested in 811 00:46:22,040 --> 00:46:25,880 Speaker 1: his book and he's still polling at like that's it 812 00:46:26,080 --> 00:46:29,640 Speaker 1: for this episode of Fast Politics. Tune in every Monday, 813 00:46:29,680 --> 00:46:32,759 Speaker 1: Wednesday and Friday to hear the best minds and politics 814 00:46:32,800 --> 00:46:35,840 Speaker 1: makes sense of all this chaos. If you enjoyed what 815 00:46:35,880 --> 00:46:38,560 Speaker 1: you've heard, please send it to a friend and keep 816 00:46:38,560 --> 00:46:41,720 Speaker 1: the conversation going. And again thanks for listening.