1 00:00:00,360 --> 00:00:03,720 Speaker 1: I was invited in mid November to participate in a 2 00:00:03,800 --> 00:00:07,400 Speaker 1: debate at the Oxford Union. It's one of the oldest 3 00:00:07,560 --> 00:00:11,399 Speaker 1: free speech institutions in the world. It was an honor 4 00:00:11,760 --> 00:00:15,920 Speaker 1: and an incredible experience. Now, when you watch the video, 5 00:00:16,440 --> 00:00:19,560 Speaker 1: I'm wearing a tuxedo, not because I thought it was 6 00:00:19,600 --> 00:00:22,800 Speaker 1: the right thing to wear, but because the rules dictate 7 00:00:23,160 --> 00:00:26,000 Speaker 1: that when you debate at the Oxford Union, it is 8 00:00:26,079 --> 00:00:30,880 Speaker 1: informal attire. The proposition we were rising for was to 9 00:00:31,000 --> 00:00:36,680 Speaker 1: debate whether the United States was a failing democracy. You'll 10 00:00:36,680 --> 00:00:40,519 Speaker 1: see my nine minutes where I make the case tragically 11 00:00:40,880 --> 00:00:43,920 Speaker 1: that it was. The truth is. During the debate, and 12 00:00:43,960 --> 00:00:46,880 Speaker 1: I wasn't surprised by this, a lot of the young 13 00:00:46,960 --> 00:00:51,000 Speaker 1: people had a lot of passion against America. I made 14 00:00:51,080 --> 00:00:55,120 Speaker 1: the point that the shoddy anti americanism of so many, 15 00:00:55,560 --> 00:01:00,840 Speaker 1: particularly young people, is understandable, it's not new, but that 16 00:01:01,160 --> 00:01:05,520 Speaker 1: the failing of American democracy is nothing to cheer about. 17 00:01:05,880 --> 00:01:09,880 Speaker 1: It's a tragic hour, and indeed it has arrived. You 18 00:01:09,880 --> 00:01:13,760 Speaker 1: can listen to my argument. I appreciated the great opportunity 19 00:01:14,000 --> 00:01:16,880 Speaker 1: and honor to be able to participate in this debate, 20 00:01:17,160 --> 00:01:19,720 Speaker 1: and I hope you'll enjoy it. 21 00:01:19,000 --> 00:01:22,520 Speaker 2: It's the greatest democracy in the world failure in the 22 00:01:22,560 --> 00:01:25,520 Speaker 2: third decade of the twenty first century. 23 00:01:26,360 --> 00:01:33,240 Speaker 3: The answer to that question yes, and so I looked 24 00:01:33,240 --> 00:01:35,360 Speaker 3: to Steve Schmidt to continue the case for the proposition. 25 00:01:47,800 --> 00:01:51,200 Speaker 2: Thank you, mister President, And it is a pleasure to 26 00:01:51,280 --> 00:01:55,480 Speaker 2: rise before you in favor of this proposition. 27 00:01:57,720 --> 00:01:58,800 Speaker 3: And I wonder. 28 00:02:01,160 --> 00:02:06,720 Speaker 2: If I shouldn't start by mentioning Senator John McCain's favorite 29 00:02:06,800 --> 00:02:11,320 Speaker 2: quote which he would attribute to Chairman Mao to give 30 00:02:11,400 --> 00:02:15,280 Speaker 2: some comfort to the opposition, which is to remind them 31 00:02:15,520 --> 00:02:18,560 Speaker 2: that it is always darkest before it is completely black. 32 00:02:19,200 --> 00:02:25,080 Speaker 2: With regard to their argumentation, the brilliant Shasmina and Secretary 33 00:02:25,240 --> 00:02:30,600 Speaker 2: Castro have attempted a sleight of hand. They have tried 34 00:02:30,720 --> 00:02:36,919 Speaker 2: to change the terms of the debate. Chasmina has made 35 00:02:37,000 --> 00:02:44,000 Speaker 2: the debate about whether America is a failed democracy, which 36 00:02:44,000 --> 00:02:49,440 Speaker 2: it is not, and Secretary Castro has said that it 37 00:02:49,520 --> 00:02:56,239 Speaker 2: is a challenged democracy. Perhaps he could call it a kangaroo, 38 00:02:56,800 --> 00:02:59,480 Speaker 2: but it doesn't change the fact that it is most 39 00:02:59,560 --> 00:03:04,080 Speaker 2: certainly a failing democracy. And it is a failing democracy 40 00:03:04,680 --> 00:03:09,800 Speaker 2: because the American people have elected an adjudicated rapist and 41 00:03:09,919 --> 00:03:14,400 Speaker 2: a convicted Felon to be their commander and chief. 42 00:03:14,720 --> 00:03:17,160 Speaker 3: And by the way, when we make the. 43 00:03:17,280 --> 00:03:20,120 Speaker 2: Argument about the primacy of a free media in the 44 00:03:20,240 --> 00:03:24,040 Speaker 2: United States and the inherent protections, let it be known 45 00:03:24,400 --> 00:03:28,040 Speaker 2: that Jeff Bezos, the billionaire owner of the Washington Post, 46 00:03:28,120 --> 00:03:33,240 Speaker 2: intervened in his paper's editorial process to say that you 47 00:03:33,320 --> 00:03:36,840 Speaker 2: will not write an endorsement against Donald Trump. 48 00:03:37,120 --> 00:03:39,000 Speaker 3: And we learn today that one of. 49 00:03:38,960 --> 00:03:42,480 Speaker 2: The fifth biggest national newspaper in the country, the Los 50 00:03:42,560 --> 00:03:47,200 Speaker 2: Angeles Times, editor and owner are fighting with each other. 51 00:03:47,600 --> 00:03:51,800 Speaker 2: The owner declared after an opposition attacking Elon, must that 52 00:03:51,960 --> 00:03:56,640 Speaker 2: from now on, every headline that is critical of Donald 53 00:03:56,640 --> 00:04:01,600 Speaker 2: Trump must be presented to the own owner of the newspaper. 54 00:04:02,040 --> 00:04:06,720 Speaker 2: Now tonight, the largest cable news station in America, earned 55 00:04:07,120 --> 00:04:13,080 Speaker 2: by that cancer of democracy, Rupert Murdoch, is honoring Donald Trump, 56 00:04:13,560 --> 00:04:20,120 Speaker 2: as all news organizations do with their Patriot Award. And 57 00:04:20,240 --> 00:04:25,880 Speaker 2: this morning on the Number one Public Affairs show, Mika Brazinski, 58 00:04:26,440 --> 00:04:32,920 Speaker 2: wife of Joe Scarborough, apologized to Fox News because they 59 00:04:33,040 --> 00:04:37,360 Speaker 2: had a guest on the air who made the point 60 00:04:37,560 --> 00:04:42,120 Speaker 2: that the drunk who Donald Trump has nominated to sit 61 00:04:42,279 --> 00:04:46,080 Speaker 2: atop the national command authority at the head of a 62 00:04:46,160 --> 00:04:50,560 Speaker 2: chain of command with four five hundred and nineteen nuclear 63 00:04:50,640 --> 00:05:04,240 Speaker 2: weapons is unfit failing democracy. Please now do not vote 64 00:05:04,520 --> 00:05:10,720 Speaker 2: for this proposition. Because of the shoddy and sloppy and 65 00:05:10,960 --> 00:05:19,479 Speaker 2: enthusiastic in the Americanism of some of the speakers, or 66 00:05:19,520 --> 00:05:27,719 Speaker 2: many of them. The failing of American democracy is a tragedy. 67 00:05:28,720 --> 00:05:35,159 Speaker 2: It will be felt deeply, deeply in the world. But 68 00:05:35,279 --> 00:05:41,880 Speaker 2: let's talk about this failure because it's not about any 69 00:05:42,040 --> 00:05:47,320 Speaker 2: of the things that we've talked about. It's not about 70 00:05:48,000 --> 00:05:55,240 Speaker 2: whether people have been discriminated against, or about the unquestionable progress. 71 00:05:56,120 --> 00:05:58,320 Speaker 2: It is about this moment. 72 00:05:59,320 --> 00:05:59,599 Speaker 3: Now. 73 00:06:00,440 --> 00:06:06,560 Speaker 2: At the beginning, doctor Franklin emerged from Independent Hall and 74 00:06:07,080 --> 00:06:13,120 Speaker 2: Elizabeth Willing Browning, a Philadelphia Society host. They said, doctor Franklin, 75 00:06:13,200 --> 00:06:17,279 Speaker 2: what have you given us? It's a republic if you 76 00:06:17,600 --> 00:06:21,520 Speaker 2: can keep it, And she said, and why not keep it, 77 00:06:21,600 --> 00:06:26,440 Speaker 2: doctor Franklin, He said, because the people, upon eating the meal, 78 00:06:26,480 --> 00:06:31,159 Speaker 2: are inclined to eat more of it than does them good. 79 00:06:32,440 --> 00:06:38,320 Speaker 2: My friends, the electoral College was not designed to aid 80 00:06:38,400 --> 00:06:43,800 Speaker 2: the slave states. It was designed to complicate the choosing 81 00:06:43,880 --> 00:06:47,040 Speaker 2: of a leader so that there would not be a 82 00:06:47,279 --> 00:06:52,320 Speaker 2: demagogue in America. There would not be a cleon in America. 83 00:06:53,200 --> 00:06:57,960 Speaker 2: No democracy is not mentioned in the Constitution, and no 84 00:06:58,120 --> 00:07:02,680 Speaker 2: democracy as a word is barely mentioned in the Federalist papers, 85 00:07:02,920 --> 00:07:06,960 Speaker 2: but the word demagogue is mentioned throughout. And the man 86 00:07:07,000 --> 00:07:11,800 Speaker 2: they feared was the Roman demagogue Cleon whose American name 87 00:07:12,200 --> 00:07:18,640 Speaker 2: is Trump, and he has come to power telling thirty 88 00:07:18,680 --> 00:07:20,560 Speaker 2: five thousand lies. 89 00:07:22,320 --> 00:07:23,040 Speaker 3: Documented. 90 00:07:24,520 --> 00:07:32,560 Speaker 2: Democracy cannot survive, cannot breathe without truth because without it 91 00:07:32,960 --> 00:07:34,520 Speaker 2: there is no accountability. 92 00:07:34,600 --> 00:07:37,640 Speaker 3: Please was Trump not elected in the past? How then 93 00:07:38,240 --> 00:07:40,680 Speaker 3: lost an election? And in fact, on January twentieth, the 94 00:07:40,680 --> 00:07:42,080 Speaker 3: different president was born in. 95 00:07:42,160 --> 00:07:44,880 Speaker 1: It seems as though the demagogue was an unable to 96 00:07:44,920 --> 00:07:47,240 Speaker 1: overcome the institutions that were there. 97 00:07:47,840 --> 00:07:48,640 Speaker 3: Thank you possession. 98 00:07:51,040 --> 00:07:59,280 Speaker 2: The question is the country failing? Is the democracy failing? 99 00:08:00,960 --> 00:08:06,960 Speaker 2: The American people elected with forty nine percent of the vote, 100 00:08:07,200 --> 00:08:12,240 Speaker 2: the man who tried to overthrow the government. 101 00:08:12,720 --> 00:08:20,120 Speaker 3: It's a left Go back to the beginning. George Washington. 102 00:08:21,200 --> 00:08:29,240 Speaker 2: Was an interesting man, petulant, arrogant in his youth, but 103 00:08:29,480 --> 00:08:35,280 Speaker 2: seasoned by the time he leads the Continental Army to victory. 104 00:08:36,000 --> 00:08:40,559 Speaker 2: And in the capital desecrated by Trump's mob, where they 105 00:08:42,160 --> 00:08:47,560 Speaker 2: urinated on the walls and shot on the floors, there 106 00:08:47,600 --> 00:08:51,240 Speaker 2: is a painting and That painting was described in the 107 00:08:51,320 --> 00:08:54,640 Speaker 2: moment as the most noble act in history. It it shows 108 00:08:54,720 --> 00:08:59,760 Speaker 2: George Washington in an act of humility and submission before 109 00:08:59,800 --> 00:09:00,560 Speaker 2: the Congress. 110 00:09:00,960 --> 00:09:02,079 Speaker 3: Washington is bowing. 111 00:09:03,120 --> 00:09:07,160 Speaker 2: There is one chair bigger than all the rest, a 112 00:09:07,280 --> 00:09:11,640 Speaker 2: throne not sat on, his military cape draped over it. 113 00:09:12,840 --> 00:09:16,480 Speaker 2: George Washington will not be a caesar. George Washington will 114 00:09:16,520 --> 00:09:20,560 Speaker 2: not be a king. And his Britannic majesty, George the 115 00:09:20,640 --> 00:09:23,120 Speaker 2: third asks what of Washington? 116 00:09:24,559 --> 00:09:25,600 Speaker 3: Will he be a king? 117 00:09:27,320 --> 00:09:31,520 Speaker 2: Will his empire be even greater than mine? Upon which 118 00:09:31,559 --> 00:09:42,040 Speaker 2: the sun never sets? Washington will go home, Washington will retire, 119 00:09:43,320 --> 00:09:48,760 Speaker 2: Washington will walk away from power. American democracy, my friends, 120 00:09:48,840 --> 00:09:58,240 Speaker 2: is sustained by the spirit of restraint and faith, and 121 00:09:58,280 --> 00:10:02,520 Speaker 2: the American people don't believe in it anymore. Fifty six 122 00:10:02,600 --> 00:10:08,079 Speaker 2: percent of America's young people believe that democracy is a 123 00:10:08,160 --> 00:10:13,320 Speaker 2: poor form of government, not knowing any other alternatives. We 124 00:10:13,400 --> 00:10:17,560 Speaker 2: talk about a Congress of four hundred and thirty five seats, 125 00:10:18,280 --> 00:10:24,120 Speaker 2: ninety two percent of them are already reelected, because in America, 126 00:10:25,200 --> 00:10:26,760 Speaker 2: the Congress picks its. 127 00:10:26,640 --> 00:10:31,720 Speaker 3: Voters, not the other way around. With redistricting and Jerry 128 00:10:31,760 --> 00:10:33,439 Speaker 3: manderin there's a word. 129 00:10:33,240 --> 00:10:37,960 Speaker 2: By the way, for the system of governance where the 130 00:10:38,080 --> 00:10:41,600 Speaker 2: richest man in the world can spend one hundred and 131 00:10:41,600 --> 00:10:45,240 Speaker 2: fifty three million of his own dollars to elect the 132 00:10:45,280 --> 00:10:48,319 Speaker 2: most powerful man in the world. See his net worth 133 00:10:48,440 --> 00:10:55,960 Speaker 2: rise by five million in a day. It's called oligarchy. 134 00:10:56,760 --> 00:11:04,719 Speaker 2: But there's another reason. That's the only reason to maps 135 00:11:05,760 --> 00:11:12,000 Speaker 2: for my entire lifetime. We would say in America, no 136 00:11:12,040 --> 00:11:17,000 Speaker 2: one is above the law is objectively not true, ruled 137 00:11:17,000 --> 00:11:21,200 Speaker 2: by the Supreme Court, who has made Donald Trump king 138 00:11:22,280 --> 00:11:23,439 Speaker 2: he's a caesar. 139 00:11:25,720 --> 00:11:31,680 Speaker 3: Unrestraint, and who validated him. 140 00:11:33,760 --> 00:11:41,599 Speaker 2: His opponent, Joe Biden, because Joe Biden affirmed Trump's proposition 141 00:11:42,679 --> 00:11:45,440 Speaker 2: that there's one set of rules for everyone here and 142 00:11:45,559 --> 00:11:48,240 Speaker 2: a different set of rules for everyone here. And if 143 00:11:48,280 --> 00:11:51,080 Speaker 2: my son is a crack addict, and if my son 144 00:11:51,200 --> 00:11:54,079 Speaker 2: does the things that would have locked up the black 145 00:11:54,200 --> 00:11:58,480 Speaker 2: kid on a mandatory minimum and enhanced his sons with guns, 146 00:11:58,720 --> 00:12:02,080 Speaker 2: no problem. Off signed my signature get out of jail, 147 00:12:02,200 --> 00:12:03,600 Speaker 2: Part democracy. 148 00:12:04,120 --> 00:12:04,920 Speaker 1: I think not. 149 00:12:06,200 --> 00:12:15,280 Speaker 2: So it is offensive to delude what is real. What happened, 150 00:12:16,760 --> 00:12:20,360 Speaker 2: the desecration, the destruction. 151 00:12:20,880 --> 00:12:28,920 Speaker 3: The unraveling of the last best hope. 152 00:12:27,600 --> 00:12:33,080 Speaker 2: For mankind when America was born in the instant the 153 00:12:33,160 --> 00:12:41,560 Speaker 2: Marquis de Lafayeta, Humanity has its victory, liberty has its country. 154 00:12:42,320 --> 00:12:46,360 Speaker 2: When Martin Luther King marched to the Lincoln Memorial, the 155 00:12:46,440 --> 00:12:49,920 Speaker 2: man who said government of the people, by the people, 156 00:12:50,000 --> 00:12:52,920 Speaker 2: for the people shall not perish from this earth and 157 00:12:53,040 --> 00:12:56,640 Speaker 2: civil war, he did it under the American flag to 158 00:12:56,880 --> 00:13:01,319 Speaker 2: collect a promissory of He said, we just want you 159 00:13:01,400 --> 00:13:05,840 Speaker 2: to live up to the things you say you believe 160 00:13:05,880 --> 00:13:11,600 Speaker 2: in America. And he had a prophecy of vision, the 161 00:13:11,640 --> 00:13:17,080 Speaker 2: most optimistic speech in American history. On the eve of 162 00:13:17,120 --> 00:13:24,120 Speaker 2: his death. Foreseeing it, doctor King said, longevity has a purpose. 163 00:13:24,200 --> 00:13:26,360 Speaker 3: I want to have a long life at thirty nine 164 00:13:26,480 --> 00:13:33,160 Speaker 3: years old, I want to grow old. But he said, 165 00:13:33,200 --> 00:13:34,120 Speaker 3: none of that matters. 166 00:13:34,200 --> 00:13:39,439 Speaker 2: Now he's up been to the mountaintop and he sees 167 00:13:39,640 --> 00:13:44,040 Speaker 2: the just society, but he doesn't tell us. 168 00:13:45,559 --> 00:13:46,360 Speaker 3: When we get there. 169 00:13:48,720 --> 00:13:53,959 Speaker 2: So the question tonight is not America a bad country 170 00:13:55,040 --> 00:14:02,280 Speaker 2: or a hypocritical country? I asked you, nonsense of America 171 00:14:02,320 --> 00:14:04,560 Speaker 2: has never been a democracy, or it's the source of 172 00:14:04,600 --> 00:14:07,959 Speaker 2: all the evil in the world. It's silly, it's beneath 173 00:14:07,960 --> 00:14:08,480 Speaker 2: the union. 174 00:14:12,040 --> 00:14:12,720 Speaker 3: Question you have. 175 00:14:14,400 --> 00:14:17,800 Speaker 2: Is the greatest democracy in the world. Failure in the 176 00:14:17,840 --> 00:14:22,280 Speaker 2: third decade of the twenty first century. The answer to 177 00:14:22,280 --> 00:14:26,360 Speaker 2: that question is yes, because Donald Trump isn't down of God, 178 00:14:26,360 --> 00:14:29,440 Speaker 2: and he has arrived, and he has dominated the American 179 00:14:29,480 --> 00:14:35,600 Speaker 2: culture for ten long years. And at this hour tonight, 180 00:14:37,120 --> 00:14:44,720 Speaker 2: let's be clear, nobody in their right mind can say, 181 00:14:45,400 --> 00:14:50,560 Speaker 2: from this vanish point, our country's best day lie ahead 182 00:14:50,560 --> 00:14:54,800 Speaker 2: of us, which could have been said in that moment, 183 00:14:55,600 --> 00:14:59,720 Speaker 2: even when we were in apartheid state, when doctor King 184 00:15:00,360 --> 00:15:04,240 Speaker 2: climb those steps in the shadow of Abraham Lincoln and said. 185 00:15:04,320 --> 00:15:05,440 Speaker 3: I have a dream. 186 00:15:06,040 --> 00:15:11,720 Speaker 2: Even then, when there was less freedom, our democracy was succeeding. 187 00:15:12,480 --> 00:15:16,520 Speaker 2: But in this moment of relative peace and prosperity and 188 00:15:16,640 --> 00:15:20,840 Speaker 2: richest and strength, it is indisputably fair. 189 00:15:23,600 --> 00:15:26,320 Speaker 3: I'm Steve Schmidt. This is the warning, and I invite 190 00:15:26,360 --> 00:15:27,000 Speaker 3: you to join. 191 00:15:27,120 --> 00:15:31,360 Speaker 2: Subscribe on our substack, on our YouTube channel, follow us. 192 00:15:31,600 --> 00:15:37,720 Speaker 3: Welcome to the community.