1 00:00:00,640 --> 00:00:04,160 Speaker 1: Hi, I'm Molly John Fast and this is Fast Politics, 2 00:00:04,360 --> 00:00:07,120 Speaker 1: where we discussed the top political headlines with some of 3 00:00:07,160 --> 00:00:11,039 Speaker 1: today's best minds, and President Biden has called for a 4 00:00:11,119 --> 00:00:15,560 Speaker 1: ban on congressional stock trading. We have such a great 5 00:00:15,560 --> 00:00:19,040 Speaker 1: show for you today, such a great show, the Al 6 00:00:19,160 --> 00:00:23,000 Speaker 1: Franken Shows. Al Franken stops by to talk about how 7 00:00:23,040 --> 00:00:29,960 Speaker 1: Trump's administration will be pretty bad for people who live 8 00:00:30,160 --> 00:00:33,839 Speaker 1: on Earth. Then we will talk to Justice Alison Riggs 9 00:00:33,880 --> 00:00:37,360 Speaker 1: about her contentious race in North Carolina and the many 10 00:00:37,440 --> 00:00:41,360 Speaker 1: recounts that have followed. But first the news, Somalie. 11 00:00:41,600 --> 00:00:44,280 Speaker 2: You know, many people are hoping that the TikTok band 12 00:00:44,320 --> 00:00:47,320 Speaker 2: doesn't go through. Many people think that TikTok band should 13 00:00:47,360 --> 00:00:49,640 Speaker 2: go through because they want their children to pay attention 14 00:00:49,720 --> 00:00:52,960 Speaker 2: to them personally. I said it a group chat of 15 00:00:53,000 --> 00:00:55,320 Speaker 2: people who discussed this last night that after I saw 16 00:00:55,400 --> 00:01:00,720 Speaker 2: mister Trump met with show Chow at Marlago, He's going 17 00:01:00,760 --> 00:01:03,200 Speaker 2: to repeal the TikTok ban after he gets sworn in, 18 00:01:03,200 --> 00:01:06,240 Speaker 2: which will be two days after the ban. That's where 19 00:01:06,280 --> 00:01:08,960 Speaker 2: my money is. I'm going to polymarket with it right now, 20 00:01:09,040 --> 00:01:10,600 Speaker 2: like versus brain Dead. 21 00:01:12,040 --> 00:01:15,800 Speaker 1: I have always been really highly skeptical that Trump was 22 00:01:15,880 --> 00:01:22,160 Speaker 1: going to ban TikTok because of his transactional nature. And 23 00:01:22,240 --> 00:01:26,039 Speaker 1: you'll remember that one of his st donors this season 24 00:01:26,319 --> 00:01:30,959 Speaker 1: of Trump Destroys America was actually a big TikTok downer. 25 00:01:30,600 --> 00:01:33,360 Speaker 3: And that was why he had reversed his plan. 26 00:01:33,880 --> 00:01:36,440 Speaker 2: Let's not also forget his dear friend Kelly Anne was 27 00:01:36,440 --> 00:01:37,360 Speaker 2: a lobbyist for them. 28 00:01:37,680 --> 00:01:40,559 Speaker 1: Yes, but Joe Biden did sign a bill that would 29 00:01:40,720 --> 00:01:44,160 Speaker 1: ban TikTok if its owner Byte Dance doesn't sell the 30 00:01:44,160 --> 00:01:46,920 Speaker 1: app with a New Year look. The Chinese Communist Party, 31 00:01:46,959 --> 00:01:50,960 Speaker 1: which a subsidiary of owns Bye Dance, which owns TikTok, 32 00:01:51,160 --> 00:01:55,280 Speaker 1: does not want algorithmic transparency, which, by the way, I 33 00:01:55,280 --> 00:01:58,360 Speaker 1: think is interesting to realize that no one will tell 34 00:01:58,440 --> 00:02:00,160 Speaker 1: us how these algorithms were. 35 00:02:00,440 --> 00:02:04,600 Speaker 2: Well, it is ip that is very valuable, right, but it. 36 00:02:04,560 --> 00:02:07,640 Speaker 3: Is still like a little bit interesting Anyway. 37 00:02:07,680 --> 00:02:10,320 Speaker 1: The point is, you know, it's a completely different TikTok 38 00:02:10,360 --> 00:02:13,200 Speaker 1: in China is totally different than TikTok in the United States. Right, 39 00:02:13,240 --> 00:02:16,200 Speaker 1: TikTok in China makes people smarter. TikTok in the United 40 00:02:16,240 --> 00:02:20,000 Speaker 1: States doesn't necessarily do that. So we'll see what happens. 41 00:02:20,160 --> 00:02:23,919 Speaker 1: It's supposed to be banned on January nineteenth, twenty twenty five. 42 00:02:24,120 --> 00:02:26,280 Speaker 3: This would be amazing. 43 00:02:25,840 --> 00:02:29,520 Speaker 1: Because Trump will then be sworn in on the twentieth, 44 00:02:29,560 --> 00:02:34,280 Speaker 1: a day after the ban and could reverse it immediately. Look, yep, 45 00:02:34,560 --> 00:02:37,119 Speaker 1: I think he's going to do that, but we will see. 46 00:02:37,480 --> 00:02:40,320 Speaker 2: Yeah, and the Supreme Court could also still intervened. But 47 00:02:40,480 --> 00:02:42,400 Speaker 2: no one knows what those people are doing and how 48 00:02:42,400 --> 00:02:44,560 Speaker 2: to predict anything they do. At this point, said say, 49 00:02:44,560 --> 00:02:45,280 Speaker 2: that's so weird. 50 00:02:45,720 --> 00:02:49,919 Speaker 1: See there's one a little bit interesting dynamic here, listeners, 51 00:02:50,160 --> 00:02:53,040 Speaker 1: is that Jesse is very pro TikTok because he's a 52 00:02:53,080 --> 00:02:54,200 Speaker 1: TikTok celebrity. 53 00:02:54,520 --> 00:02:57,359 Speaker 2: Celebrity, I think TikTok should still be bad, even though 54 00:02:57,360 --> 00:02:58,160 Speaker 2: I will lose. 55 00:02:57,960 --> 00:02:58,520 Speaker 4: A lot from him. 56 00:02:58,680 --> 00:02:59,919 Speaker 1: Oh you do, I didn't know that. 57 00:03:00,240 --> 00:03:02,320 Speaker 2: I think it's silly when people don't think that the 58 00:03:02,400 --> 00:03:06,320 Speaker 2: Chinese government can't manipulate favor here for listeners who don't know, 59 00:03:06,480 --> 00:03:09,320 Speaker 2: I actually study marketing at the algorithms, and I know 60 00:03:09,400 --> 00:03:11,679 Speaker 2: what the power is because I've manipulate them all day. 61 00:03:11,680 --> 00:03:16,239 Speaker 2: For music artists anyway, speaking of young people versus old people, 62 00:03:16,520 --> 00:03:20,639 Speaker 2: the Dems have decided we should put a seventy four 63 00:03:20,720 --> 00:03:23,800 Speaker 2: year old guy with cancer in the leadership role for 64 00:03:23,880 --> 00:03:25,799 Speaker 2: the oversych communic Molly, what do you think of that? 65 00:03:26,040 --> 00:03:30,920 Speaker 1: Jerry Connolly, seventy four years old, has throw cancer, is 66 00:03:31,040 --> 00:03:33,840 Speaker 1: now going to be the ranking member of oversight again. 67 00:03:34,520 --> 00:03:37,840 Speaker 1: He won one hundred and thirty one to eighty four, 68 00:03:38,080 --> 00:03:41,280 Speaker 1: so the votes were clearly not whipped for him. It 69 00:03:41,400 --> 00:03:44,920 Speaker 1: wasn't that he won what I think they probably I 70 00:03:44,960 --> 00:03:47,800 Speaker 1: mean Nancy Pelosi vote would have been two hundred to 71 00:03:48,080 --> 00:03:53,400 Speaker 1: whatever fifteen, so she did actually much better than probably 72 00:03:53,440 --> 00:03:56,360 Speaker 1: a lot of people thought. It's so stupid to do this. 73 00:03:56,560 --> 00:04:00,000 Speaker 1: And here's why, because this is not about Jerry Connelly 74 00:04:00,240 --> 00:04:01,400 Speaker 1: versus AOC. 75 00:04:01,400 --> 00:04:01,920 Speaker 3: Right, It's not. 76 00:04:02,400 --> 00:04:04,520 Speaker 1: This is about are you going to put someone who's 77 00:04:04,520 --> 00:04:08,720 Speaker 1: thirty five as the face of oversight for the Dems? 78 00:04:08,720 --> 00:04:10,960 Speaker 1: Are you going to put someone who's seventy four and 79 00:04:11,000 --> 00:04:11,920 Speaker 1: has throw cancer? 80 00:04:12,120 --> 00:04:12,280 Speaker 5: Right? 81 00:04:12,400 --> 00:04:14,600 Speaker 3: We know Jerry Connolly. I'm sure he's a great guy. 82 00:04:14,640 --> 00:04:16,920 Speaker 1: I was actually texting with a member today he was like, 83 00:04:17,160 --> 00:04:19,280 Speaker 1: you don't understand, Jerry Connolly was so good to me, 84 00:04:19,640 --> 00:04:23,520 Speaker 1: So what who cares? This is not about people being friends. 85 00:04:23,640 --> 00:04:25,560 Speaker 1: This is about the United States government. This is like, 86 00:04:26,040 --> 00:04:29,240 Speaker 1: this is the thing that makes me so just disappointed, 87 00:04:29,279 --> 00:04:32,000 Speaker 1: deeply disappointed with Democrats. It's like, I don't give a 88 00:04:32,040 --> 00:04:34,479 Speaker 1: fuck if you guys are friends. This is not the 89 00:04:34,480 --> 00:04:37,840 Speaker 1: place for friendship. Donald Trump is about to take a 90 00:04:37,920 --> 00:04:41,240 Speaker 1: wrecking ball to American democracy and we got to have 91 00:04:41,320 --> 00:04:45,800 Speaker 1: the guy that everybody likes head oversight. It's just preposterous 92 00:04:45,880 --> 00:04:50,560 Speaker 1: and quite infuriating. And look, you know, Hakeem Jeffries is 93 00:04:51,080 --> 00:04:56,400 Speaker 1: young and quite smart. In the Steering Committee, AOC did 94 00:04:56,520 --> 00:04:59,120 Speaker 1: much better than anyone thought right. It was these are 95 00:04:59,160 --> 00:05:01,400 Speaker 1: all secret ballots, so nobody knows who voted for what. 96 00:05:01,920 --> 00:05:04,440 Speaker 1: But Connoley got thirty four, she got twenty seven, so 97 00:05:04,680 --> 00:05:09,040 Speaker 1: clearly there's a real recommendation here. And I think that 98 00:05:09,560 --> 00:05:13,039 Speaker 1: it's just very fucking annoying because this is not about 99 00:05:13,040 --> 00:05:16,200 Speaker 1: people being friends. This is about messaging. And you have 100 00:05:16,320 --> 00:05:19,839 Speaker 1: the choice between a woman who is a very good messenger, 101 00:05:19,920 --> 00:05:23,400 Speaker 1: who has millions of followers in different platforms, who can 102 00:05:23,520 --> 00:05:27,520 Speaker 1: talk to people, who inspires young people, and a seventy 103 00:05:27,520 --> 00:05:28,880 Speaker 1: four year old who has throw cancer. 104 00:05:28,920 --> 00:05:32,200 Speaker 3: And like, as much as I'm not this is. 105 00:05:32,160 --> 00:05:34,880 Speaker 1: The thing this and again people are going to say 106 00:05:34,880 --> 00:05:36,960 Speaker 1: I'm being agist, and I'm going to say to them, 107 00:05:37,120 --> 00:05:40,039 Speaker 1: this is not about how old you are. This is 108 00:05:40,080 --> 00:05:43,599 Speaker 1: about the party, not about the people. So if you 109 00:05:43,680 --> 00:05:46,960 Speaker 1: are thinking to yourself, how can I serve the Democratic 110 00:05:47,000 --> 00:05:51,200 Speaker 1: Party best, Well, let's vote for my friend because he's nice. 111 00:05:51,360 --> 00:05:54,279 Speaker 1: Oh no, let's vote for the person who can fucking 112 00:05:54,360 --> 00:05:57,400 Speaker 1: message because we're about to go into one of the 113 00:05:57,480 --> 00:05:59,080 Speaker 1: darkest periods in American history. 114 00:05:59,279 --> 00:06:01,280 Speaker 2: You know, I seem to called just a week ago, 115 00:06:01,480 --> 00:06:05,240 Speaker 2: the Democrats insisted that one represent Jerry Nadler, shouldn't lead 116 00:06:05,240 --> 00:06:07,760 Speaker 2: the judiciary for sixty two year old chievy. You're asking 117 00:06:07,800 --> 00:06:10,080 Speaker 2: him because he's a better messenger. And then I noticed 118 00:06:10,120 --> 00:06:12,680 Speaker 2: they've went a different way. And really, I have no 119 00:06:12,720 --> 00:06:15,039 Speaker 2: conflict of interest to your saying any of this. 120 00:06:15,040 --> 00:06:17,360 Speaker 1: This whole thing is fucking annoying, and it hits us 121 00:06:17,400 --> 00:06:21,800 Speaker 1: to our next story here, which is bipartisan legislation to 122 00:06:21,880 --> 00:06:27,920 Speaker 1: officially make the Bald eagle to the American bird. First 123 00:06:27,960 --> 00:06:32,640 Speaker 1: of all, what the fuck, man, what the actual fuck? Okay, 124 00:06:33,279 --> 00:06:37,240 Speaker 1: you can't no, no, no, no, no, I'm so agitated. 125 00:06:37,480 --> 00:06:38,880 Speaker 3: I just want two seconds here. 126 00:06:39,080 --> 00:06:43,120 Speaker 1: You tell us American democracy is on the ticket. Right, 127 00:06:43,200 --> 00:06:47,000 Speaker 1: you say Donald Trump is an existential threat to American democracy, 128 00:06:47,080 --> 00:06:48,960 Speaker 1: You still have the Senate. You still have the presidency 129 00:06:49,040 --> 00:06:52,960 Speaker 1: for another few days. You could spend that time just 130 00:06:53,200 --> 00:06:57,160 Speaker 1: pushing through judges. Right, you could be the Southern District. 131 00:06:57,160 --> 00:06:59,880 Speaker 1: There are two seats, two judge ships in New York. 132 00:07:00,279 --> 00:07:02,760 Speaker 1: You could be killing yourself to put in judges, and 133 00:07:02,839 --> 00:07:07,000 Speaker 1: instead the bald eagle is a symptom of a fucking problem. 134 00:07:07,120 --> 00:07:09,080 Speaker 1: Let me tell you, the bald eagle is a symbol 135 00:07:09,120 --> 00:07:12,520 Speaker 1: of our country's freedman strength. In Minnesota, we take bride 136 00:07:12,560 --> 00:07:15,120 Speaker 1: and our egles. Our state is home to one of 137 00:07:15,160 --> 00:07:17,560 Speaker 1: the largest populations of bald eagles in the nation. 138 00:07:18,200 --> 00:07:19,119 Speaker 3: What the fuck? 139 00:07:19,480 --> 00:07:23,480 Speaker 2: Sorry, go on, Yeah, it's almost like Senator Kobashar doesn't 140 00:07:23,840 --> 00:07:26,320 Speaker 2: really have much riding on the line. 141 00:07:26,800 --> 00:07:27,760 Speaker 3: I mean, it's just. 142 00:07:29,440 --> 00:07:31,960 Speaker 1: I have no words except to say, first of all, 143 00:07:32,080 --> 00:07:34,360 Speaker 1: isn't the bald eagle already the eagle? 144 00:07:34,560 --> 00:07:36,760 Speaker 3: Like, already the bird of this fucking country. 145 00:07:36,880 --> 00:07:39,559 Speaker 2: My wife turned to me yesterday and she said, there's 146 00:07:39,680 --> 00:07:42,320 Speaker 2: no way it's not already the bird, right, I said, 147 00:07:42,480 --> 00:07:44,239 Speaker 2: this not a thing I've ever fact checked. 148 00:07:44,480 --> 00:07:47,920 Speaker 1: So anyway, the point here is that if damaguards are 149 00:07:47,920 --> 00:07:50,520 Speaker 1: going to tell us that this is the end of 150 00:07:50,560 --> 00:07:55,720 Speaker 1: American democracy, then I think that we should fucking act 151 00:07:55,800 --> 00:07:59,760 Speaker 1: like it and not have the goddamn bald eagle be 152 00:08:00,120 --> 00:08:00,920 Speaker 1: legislatd on. 153 00:08:01,440 --> 00:08:04,480 Speaker 2: So, speaking of other things that seem like we should 154 00:08:04,480 --> 00:08:07,480 Speaker 2: be taking it pretty seriously Donald Trump. For a reason 155 00:08:07,520 --> 00:08:10,880 Speaker 2: I can not figure out once the end, the FDIC 156 00:08:11,200 --> 00:08:14,680 Speaker 2: like one of the most successful monetary policies we've ever 157 00:08:14,760 --> 00:08:18,200 Speaker 2: had in preventing to an absolute degree a problem that 158 00:08:18,280 --> 00:08:20,120 Speaker 2: used to occur from preventing again. 159 00:08:20,400 --> 00:08:22,400 Speaker 4: What the fuck, Molly, what in the fuck. 160 00:08:22,720 --> 00:08:26,880 Speaker 1: This is why Democrats should not be naming birds, but 161 00:08:27,040 --> 00:08:33,720 Speaker 1: instead focusing on protecting all of the many things that 162 00:08:33,960 --> 00:08:38,120 Speaker 1: Trump is trying to disassemble. The FDIC and so it 163 00:08:38,280 --> 00:08:41,920 Speaker 1: ensures deposit systems so they can't be around on the banks. Basically, 164 00:08:42,000 --> 00:08:45,160 Speaker 1: everything Trump is doing is trying to get America back 165 00:08:45,200 --> 00:08:48,320 Speaker 1: to like nineteen twenty nine. But nothing bad happened in 166 00:08:48,400 --> 00:08:51,400 Speaker 1: nineteen twenty nine, so it should be fine. So is 167 00:08:51,440 --> 00:08:55,880 Speaker 1: trying to get rid of vaccines. But ensuring deposits is 168 00:08:55,920 --> 00:08:58,960 Speaker 1: something that America has been doing for ninety years. It 169 00:08:59,000 --> 00:09:01,880 Speaker 1: works really well. It keeps the banks from running out 170 00:09:01,920 --> 00:09:06,079 Speaker 1: of money. It is completely crazy to want to get 171 00:09:06,200 --> 00:09:06,679 Speaker 1: rid of it. 172 00:09:07,040 --> 00:09:11,120 Speaker 3: And uh, you know, we don't want to have bank runs. 173 00:09:10,800 --> 00:09:12,440 Speaker 1: Like we don't want to have the dust ball, we 174 00:09:12,440 --> 00:09:14,480 Speaker 1: don't want to have anti vacts, we don't want to 175 00:09:14,480 --> 00:09:17,360 Speaker 1: have you know, all this stuff. It's like even Trump's 176 00:09:17,360 --> 00:09:20,359 Speaker 1: people I don't think voted for bank runs. 177 00:09:20,200 --> 00:09:21,120 Speaker 3: Although it doesn't even know. 178 00:09:21,160 --> 00:09:23,120 Speaker 1: I'm not even sure why he wants to do it. 179 00:09:23,200 --> 00:09:25,640 Speaker 1: Like it's so many of the things that are just stupid, 180 00:09:25,920 --> 00:09:28,880 Speaker 1: and that, my friends, is so stupid. 181 00:09:29,000 --> 00:09:29,960 Speaker 3: We're all going to die. 182 00:09:30,080 --> 00:09:33,120 Speaker 2: So, speaking of stupid things, I have to play you something. 183 00:09:33,160 --> 00:09:35,920 Speaker 2: Steve Bedden said that the New York Young Republicans did 184 00:09:35,920 --> 00:09:39,040 Speaker 2: her right after one of Trump's advisors passed out and 185 00:09:39,080 --> 00:09:40,199 Speaker 2: fell off the stage. 186 00:09:40,600 --> 00:09:43,000 Speaker 6: Donald John Trump is going to raise his hand on 187 00:09:43,040 --> 00:09:46,280 Speaker 6: a King James Bible and take the Oath of avas 188 00:09:46,679 --> 00:09:55,960 Speaker 6: his third victory, his third victory and his second term. 189 00:09:56,280 --> 00:10:00,640 Speaker 6: And the Viceroy Mike Davis tells me he doesn't actually 190 00:10:00,679 --> 00:10:02,560 Speaker 6: say consecutive that. 191 00:10:03,200 --> 00:10:03,760 Speaker 4: I don't know. 192 00:10:04,360 --> 00:10:09,760 Speaker 6: Maybe we do it again in twenty eight, Are you. 193 00:10:09,600 --> 00:10:10,600 Speaker 1: Guys not for that. 194 00:10:13,320 --> 00:10:14,360 Speaker 4: Trump twenty eight? 195 00:10:17,040 --> 00:10:24,560 Speaker 1: Come on, man, In twenty twenty eight, Donald Trump will 196 00:10:24,600 --> 00:10:29,200 Speaker 1: be eighty three. Look, this is a band in troll, right. 197 00:10:29,600 --> 00:10:32,199 Speaker 1: He's doing two things. This is a thing Trump World does. 198 00:10:32,760 --> 00:10:35,719 Speaker 1: He's trolling to see if people will get upset so 199 00:10:35,760 --> 00:10:37,760 Speaker 1: that he can say he was just kidding, but he's 200 00:10:37,800 --> 00:10:40,640 Speaker 1: also trolling to see if it could work. I think 201 00:10:40,679 --> 00:10:44,280 Speaker 1: that it is pretty scary and bad. But I also 202 00:10:44,280 --> 00:10:46,840 Speaker 1: think I'm not taking the fucking bait right like they 203 00:10:46,960 --> 00:10:50,920 Speaker 1: want everyone to be apoplectic. The law is the law, 204 00:10:51,280 --> 00:10:54,320 Speaker 1: period paragraph. He cannot run for another term. 205 00:10:54,520 --> 00:10:56,000 Speaker 3: That is it. We are done. 206 00:11:01,720 --> 00:11:04,240 Speaker 1: Al Frankett is a former United States Senator and the 207 00:11:04,280 --> 00:11:08,160 Speaker 1: host of the Al Franklin Show. Welcome back to Fast Politics, 208 00:11:08,240 --> 00:11:09,559 Speaker 1: Al Franken. 209 00:11:09,240 --> 00:11:11,679 Speaker 4: Always great to be on, Molly, Thank you for having me. 210 00:11:12,200 --> 00:11:14,720 Speaker 1: You know what's nice is we started talking when this 211 00:11:14,960 --> 00:11:17,840 Speaker 1: just started, and I said how are you and you 212 00:11:18,000 --> 00:11:21,840 Speaker 1: said depressed. I'd say, really fucking depressed. 213 00:11:22,040 --> 00:11:24,920 Speaker 4: Yeah, I mean it is really hard right now to 214 00:11:25,000 --> 00:11:27,800 Speaker 4: even get it up to follow what's going on. I mean, 215 00:11:29,960 --> 00:11:33,000 Speaker 4: he's so confident now Trump we're talking about Donald Trump 216 00:11:33,440 --> 00:11:35,599 Speaker 4: and that he was elected president. He's going to have 217 00:11:35,640 --> 00:11:39,040 Speaker 4: another term, and he's picking all these horrible people and 218 00:11:39,080 --> 00:11:41,880 Speaker 4: he's confident that they're going to get through, even like hegseath. 219 00:11:41,960 --> 00:11:45,199 Speaker 1: Now, so let's talk about how great things are going. 220 00:11:45,720 --> 00:11:47,240 Speaker 1: What is going on here? 221 00:11:47,720 --> 00:11:51,280 Speaker 4: Well, it just seems that unlike his first term, where 222 00:11:51,360 --> 00:11:53,680 Speaker 4: I think he was shaken that he won. I don't 223 00:11:53,679 --> 00:11:56,360 Speaker 4: think he thought he would win. And you saw that, 224 00:11:56,440 --> 00:11:59,640 Speaker 4: and you saw that with his meeting Obama, I mean 225 00:12:00,400 --> 00:12:04,599 Speaker 4: very nervous there. Yeah, And he looked totally comfortable with 226 00:12:05,080 --> 00:12:07,960 Speaker 4: Biden to the extent that he goes to Greek totally 227 00:12:08,240 --> 00:12:10,920 Speaker 4: comfortable with each other. And I think that, you know, 228 00:12:10,960 --> 00:12:13,080 Speaker 4: he has four years under his belt and he's going 229 00:12:13,120 --> 00:12:15,000 Speaker 4: to do it differently this time. And he is. And 230 00:12:15,040 --> 00:12:19,080 Speaker 4: he started by picking people that are not just you know, 231 00:12:19,160 --> 00:12:24,680 Speaker 4: normal nominees, but people that have disqualifiers in the headlines 232 00:12:24,840 --> 00:12:28,360 Speaker 4: and exclamation points hanging over their heads. And it's Tulsey 233 00:12:28,400 --> 00:12:31,560 Speaker 4: Gabbard and it's head seth and it's Kennedy, and it's 234 00:12:31,920 --> 00:12:33,160 Speaker 4: people I think are going to get through. 235 00:12:33,600 --> 00:12:35,520 Speaker 1: We don't know, right because there are going to be 236 00:12:35,760 --> 00:12:40,320 Speaker 1: Senate hearings, just like you. Actually the first Trump admin, 237 00:12:40,679 --> 00:12:43,800 Speaker 1: you were in the Senate for these hearings. 238 00:12:44,160 --> 00:12:44,800 Speaker 3: How'd they go? 239 00:12:45,480 --> 00:12:49,719 Speaker 4: You know, I was on health, education, labor, and pension. 240 00:12:50,040 --> 00:12:54,800 Speaker 1: All things Trump wants to destroy health, education and pension. 241 00:12:55,000 --> 00:12:57,000 Speaker 3: It's like a hit list for that admin. 242 00:12:57,240 --> 00:13:00,640 Speaker 4: So we had hearings for the new Secretary of Education, 243 00:13:00,880 --> 00:13:05,400 Speaker 4: which was the voce. And she really was not qualified 244 00:13:05,400 --> 00:13:07,160 Speaker 4: at all. I don't think she'd ever been to a 245 00:13:07,160 --> 00:13:07,880 Speaker 4: public school. 246 00:13:08,240 --> 00:13:12,440 Speaker 1: No, she actually not a public school fan, but very 247 00:13:12,440 --> 00:13:13,400 Speaker 1: involved in education. 248 00:13:13,880 --> 00:13:17,840 Speaker 4: She's education, but in trying to privatize it and trying 249 00:13:17,880 --> 00:13:20,240 Speaker 4: to get religious. 250 00:13:20,120 --> 00:13:21,600 Speaker 3: Very into religious schools. 251 00:13:21,679 --> 00:13:25,640 Speaker 4: Yeah, and also but mainly didn't know anything about education. 252 00:13:25,800 --> 00:13:29,760 Speaker 4: Issuest large for public schools, and she didn't know the 253 00:13:29,800 --> 00:13:31,840 Speaker 4: difference between growth and proficiency. 254 00:13:32,200 --> 00:13:34,600 Speaker 3: Not a fan of public schools. None of her kids 255 00:13:34,640 --> 00:13:35,840 Speaker 3: went to public schools. 256 00:13:36,000 --> 00:13:37,839 Speaker 4: Well that's fair. I mean it's fair than none of 257 00:13:37,840 --> 00:13:40,040 Speaker 4: her kidsmen, But if you're going to be Secretary of Education, 258 00:13:40,440 --> 00:13:42,679 Speaker 4: you have to have some knowledge of this. And so 259 00:13:43,080 --> 00:13:44,280 Speaker 4: I enjoyed that hearing. 260 00:13:44,600 --> 00:13:50,240 Speaker 1: I would postulate that Trump's new Secretary of Education wrestling 261 00:13:50,840 --> 00:13:54,760 Speaker 1: aficionado and Trump megadonor may actually be worse. 262 00:13:55,200 --> 00:13:57,160 Speaker 4: I doubt it. I don't think she'll be worse. 263 00:13:57,360 --> 00:13:59,880 Speaker 1: You don't think so. Trump has now moved on to 264 00:14:00,280 --> 00:14:02,160 Speaker 1: that he just wants to get rid of the Department 265 00:14:02,200 --> 00:14:02,760 Speaker 1: of Education. 266 00:14:03,280 --> 00:14:05,400 Speaker 4: That's true. I don't know how proud you are to 267 00:14:05,440 --> 00:14:08,400 Speaker 4: be selected as a secretary or something he's getting rid of. 268 00:14:09,360 --> 00:14:11,440 Speaker 4: And I guess you know, it's going to be a 269 00:14:11,480 --> 00:14:14,720 Speaker 4: big deal getting rid of that Department of Education. I 270 00:14:14,760 --> 00:14:16,960 Speaker 4: mean they do all the finances. 271 00:14:16,640 --> 00:14:22,320 Speaker 1: Tel grants, federal funding for education. Linda McMahon though, has 272 00:14:22,360 --> 00:14:24,680 Speaker 1: a lot of experience with pro wrestling. 273 00:14:25,040 --> 00:14:28,080 Speaker 4: Well she does. But they're billionaires, right. That is Another 274 00:14:28,160 --> 00:14:30,680 Speaker 4: thing is how many billionaires have been selected. 275 00:14:30,920 --> 00:14:32,360 Speaker 3: Let's even go a step further. 276 00:14:32,720 --> 00:14:35,320 Speaker 1: How much of the government is Elon Mosk running. 277 00:14:35,600 --> 00:14:38,040 Speaker 4: What is this fortune? Now? Two hundred billions? 278 00:14:38,080 --> 00:14:40,200 Speaker 1: I think he's the richest person in the world, right, 279 00:14:40,280 --> 00:14:40,720 Speaker 1: well he is. 280 00:14:40,760 --> 00:14:42,480 Speaker 4: He is the richest person in the world. But some 281 00:14:42,520 --> 00:14:45,200 Speaker 4: wayson his I thought it was worth his four hundred 282 00:14:45,560 --> 00:14:49,360 Speaker 4: that he increased two hundred this year he increased to 283 00:14:49,360 --> 00:14:51,280 Speaker 4: two hundred or increased two hundred. 284 00:14:52,280 --> 00:14:56,320 Speaker 1: Poor Jesse has to get involved. Things are problematic. 285 00:14:55,840 --> 00:15:00,840 Speaker 2: Going Trump's a US combinat billionaires worth find three hundred 286 00:15:00,840 --> 00:15:01,600 Speaker 2: and forty billion. 287 00:15:01,880 --> 00:15:04,840 Speaker 4: Well, that means that he can't be more than probably 288 00:15:04,880 --> 00:15:10,120 Speaker 4: two hundred. I guess he could be three hundred and thirty. 289 00:15:10,560 --> 00:15:12,800 Speaker 2: The sad thing is that's the Guardian and then we 290 00:15:12,920 --> 00:15:15,880 Speaker 2: have courts in the Washington posting four hundred and fifty billion. 291 00:15:16,120 --> 00:15:19,760 Speaker 4: This is all between all the billions when all the cabinet. Yeah. Yeah, 292 00:15:19,800 --> 00:15:22,600 Speaker 4: and of course the first tax cut will help people 293 00:15:22,600 --> 00:15:24,720 Speaker 4: at the very top the most. And he's going to 294 00:15:24,760 --> 00:15:27,480 Speaker 4: lower the tax rate even more than he did last 295 00:15:27,480 --> 00:15:28,520 Speaker 4: time for the top. 296 00:15:28,720 --> 00:15:30,760 Speaker 3: Well, that's why he's doing it in the first place. 297 00:15:31,040 --> 00:15:34,600 Speaker 4: Yeah, And to think about what he who is people are? 298 00:15:34,840 --> 00:15:38,080 Speaker 4: Who is the maga people? They are not. They are 299 00:15:38,120 --> 00:15:41,120 Speaker 4: people that are working people, and that's who won the 300 00:15:41,160 --> 00:15:44,480 Speaker 4: election for him. Yeah, and they will get almost nothing 301 00:15:44,560 --> 00:15:47,400 Speaker 4: in this tax cut, and we'll go to the people 302 00:15:47,400 --> 00:15:48,080 Speaker 4: at the very top. 303 00:15:48,400 --> 00:15:49,400 Speaker 3: That's why they did it. 304 00:15:49,680 --> 00:15:52,480 Speaker 4: Yeah. And this is why I'm depressed, because he's getting 305 00:15:52,520 --> 00:15:55,920 Speaker 4: away with what he's getting away with the. 306 00:15:55,960 --> 00:15:59,400 Speaker 1: Thing that I'm struck by is he's going to want 307 00:15:59,480 --> 00:16:03,440 Speaker 1: to cut Social Security and Medicare and the DOGE. So 308 00:16:03,680 --> 00:16:09,200 Speaker 1: DOGE exists to save money so that Trump's tax cuts 309 00:16:09,280 --> 00:16:12,800 Speaker 1: won't expire. And the way they want to save money 310 00:16:13,200 --> 00:16:16,040 Speaker 1: is by what they. 311 00:16:15,920 --> 00:16:19,560 Speaker 4: Have threatened to cut it by how much now two 312 00:16:19,680 --> 00:16:21,320 Speaker 4: hundred billion or something like that. 313 00:16:21,520 --> 00:16:21,760 Speaker 3: Yeah. 314 00:16:21,800 --> 00:16:25,280 Speaker 1: I mean, when you don't understand how anything works, but 315 00:16:25,400 --> 00:16:28,560 Speaker 1: it does seem like there's a non zero chance that 316 00:16:28,600 --> 00:16:30,600 Speaker 1: Donald Trump is like, why are we paying all of 317 00:16:30,640 --> 00:16:31,800 Speaker 1: our debt? Oh? 318 00:16:31,840 --> 00:16:34,200 Speaker 4: Well, he says that we're going to pay down our debt. 319 00:16:34,240 --> 00:16:38,080 Speaker 1: Well, no, I mean, when you look at America's debt numbers, right, 320 00:16:38,480 --> 00:16:41,280 Speaker 1: a lot of the spend, the yearly spend that the 321 00:16:41,320 --> 00:16:44,480 Speaker 1: country does, is servicing the debt, right, paying interest on 322 00:16:44,560 --> 00:16:46,840 Speaker 1: the debt. So there are certain things you can cut 323 00:16:46,920 --> 00:16:49,840 Speaker 1: the federal budget by cutting the debt, cutting the payment 324 00:16:49,880 --> 00:16:51,680 Speaker 1: on the debt because you owe that money. And if 325 00:16:51,720 --> 00:16:54,880 Speaker 1: you default on the debt, your dollar becomes valueless and 326 00:16:54,920 --> 00:16:56,000 Speaker 1: you crush your economy. 327 00:16:56,200 --> 00:16:58,680 Speaker 4: Yeah, and then the world goes into a huge recession. 328 00:16:58,800 --> 00:17:03,640 Speaker 1: Donald Trump has historically, in his own purview, not paid 329 00:17:03,640 --> 00:17:04,119 Speaker 1: his debt. 330 00:17:04,520 --> 00:17:07,160 Speaker 4: Right, the elist government, by law, has to pay a debt. 331 00:17:07,240 --> 00:17:09,600 Speaker 4: It's not so big a secret is that. What's going 332 00:17:09,680 --> 00:17:11,560 Speaker 4: to happen with Trump is that the death that's going 333 00:17:11,640 --> 00:17:12,359 Speaker 4: to explode. 334 00:17:12,720 --> 00:17:12,960 Speaker 3: Right. 335 00:17:13,119 --> 00:17:14,560 Speaker 4: He said that it's going to be easy to pay 336 00:17:14,600 --> 00:17:15,879 Speaker 4: it off, and he's going to remember when he was 337 00:17:15,920 --> 00:17:19,000 Speaker 4: going to pay it off with tariffs. When we said. 338 00:17:18,760 --> 00:17:20,440 Speaker 1: That, that was like three weeks ago. 339 00:17:20,920 --> 00:17:24,040 Speaker 4: This was three weeks ago. Well, you know, obviously. 340 00:17:23,720 --> 00:17:26,080 Speaker 3: We've all aged decade since then. 341 00:17:26,520 --> 00:17:30,199 Speaker 4: Yeah, I mean, he basically was telling the American people 342 00:17:30,440 --> 00:17:33,399 Speaker 4: that when you have a tariff on something and China 343 00:17:33,440 --> 00:17:36,920 Speaker 4: has it. We put a tariff on Chinese cars that 344 00:17:37,200 --> 00:17:41,920 Speaker 4: the tariff goes to the treasury, and it doesn't we 345 00:17:41,960 --> 00:17:47,840 Speaker 4: pay the tariff. Best Buy is importing Chinese TVs. They 346 00:17:47,920 --> 00:17:51,040 Speaker 4: have to pay a tariff on each TV. That's best Buy. 347 00:17:51,080 --> 00:17:53,400 Speaker 4: I hasked to pay it, and then they passed on 348 00:17:53,480 --> 00:17:56,080 Speaker 4: the cost to So they pass on the cost to 349 00:17:56,119 --> 00:18:00,240 Speaker 4: their customers, you know, or they can take you or 350 00:18:00,560 --> 00:18:02,880 Speaker 4: completely comes out of their profit and they don't sell 351 00:18:03,040 --> 00:18:06,520 Speaker 4: Chinese TVs anymore. That's what happened. So the way he 352 00:18:06,640 --> 00:18:10,280 Speaker 4: describes terroris is like a tax on products coming in. 353 00:18:10,840 --> 00:18:14,399 Speaker 4: And I know he's been disabused of that by his people, 354 00:18:15,680 --> 00:18:18,320 Speaker 4: but he doesn't seem to want to do that. So 355 00:18:18,560 --> 00:18:21,320 Speaker 4: our debt is going to just shoot up, especially if 356 00:18:21,359 --> 00:18:24,919 Speaker 4: he lowers a tax on So he's talking about lowering 357 00:18:24,920 --> 00:18:27,280 Speaker 4: the tax rate on very top. 358 00:18:27,720 --> 00:18:30,560 Speaker 1: Yeah, it's exactly what we said was going to happen, right, 359 00:18:30,640 --> 00:18:31,160 Speaker 1: I mean. 360 00:18:31,840 --> 00:18:34,680 Speaker 4: Yeah, And you know his people I don't. I mean, 361 00:18:34,720 --> 00:18:38,040 Speaker 4: they're getting information from it totally different. They're not listening 362 00:18:38,040 --> 00:18:39,920 Speaker 4: to us right now. I'll just spurt that way. 363 00:18:41,760 --> 00:18:45,959 Speaker 1: But what I think is interesting about this, what I 364 00:18:46,000 --> 00:18:49,680 Speaker 1: think is relevant is that we've been here before with 365 00:18:49,760 --> 00:18:53,840 Speaker 1: Donald Trump, right, Like even that soft Bank announcement yesterday, 366 00:18:53,880 --> 00:18:56,400 Speaker 1: and Trump announced the toft Bank was going to invest 367 00:18:56,480 --> 00:18:57,680 Speaker 1: you know whatever. 368 00:18:57,560 --> 00:18:59,359 Speaker 4: He said two hundred millions. 369 00:18:59,480 --> 00:19:02,520 Speaker 1: He had done the exact same thing before with the 370 00:19:02,560 --> 00:19:03,760 Speaker 1: soft Bank thing. 371 00:19:04,200 --> 00:19:08,440 Speaker 3: So it was like we were literally living this. 372 00:19:08,640 --> 00:19:11,600 Speaker 1: I mean, there are so many callbacks to season one, 373 00:19:12,040 --> 00:19:15,320 Speaker 1: it's kind of amazing. But then also things have gotten 374 00:19:15,359 --> 00:19:17,760 Speaker 1: much much darker, right, So part of it is we 375 00:19:17,800 --> 00:19:19,960 Speaker 1: have these callbacks to season one, but then we also 376 00:19:20,080 --> 00:19:23,359 Speaker 1: have like the first time, we didn't have all of 377 00:19:23,400 --> 00:19:26,919 Speaker 1: Silicon Valley. We didn't know, at least I did not 378 00:19:27,080 --> 00:19:30,199 Speaker 1: know that all of Silicon Valley was filled with nefarious billionaires. 379 00:19:30,520 --> 00:19:32,440 Speaker 1: I thought there were a few good billionaires. 380 00:19:32,720 --> 00:19:35,080 Speaker 4: You thought there were a few well, I mean Bezos 381 00:19:35,240 --> 00:19:38,680 Speaker 4: is given a million dollars to the Inaugural Fund. 382 00:19:39,119 --> 00:19:42,639 Speaker 1: Yeah. Trump said yesterday at Mara a Lago with the 383 00:19:42,680 --> 00:19:47,359 Speaker 1: CEO of SoftBank that the SoftBank will invest one hundred 384 00:19:47,359 --> 00:19:50,840 Speaker 1: billion in United States projects over the next four years 385 00:19:51,160 --> 00:19:55,800 Speaker 1: in season one of this Trump thing. I'm reading you 386 00:19:56,400 --> 00:20:00,400 Speaker 1: a piece of politics here term one. On December six, 387 00:20:00,840 --> 00:20:05,160 Speaker 1: twenty sixteen, Trump says soft Bank will invest fifty billion 388 00:20:05,600 --> 00:20:09,000 Speaker 1: in US aiming to create fifty thousand jobs. 389 00:20:09,240 --> 00:20:10,480 Speaker 4: Did they actually come through? 390 00:20:10,800 --> 00:20:15,640 Speaker 1: Let's go to Jesse Canon Jesse, did SoftBank actually do that? 391 00:20:16,080 --> 00:20:18,639 Speaker 4: I don't believe. So I think they didn't. And I 392 00:20:18,720 --> 00:20:20,879 Speaker 4: think this one hundred billion that they're talking about this 393 00:20:21,000 --> 00:20:25,160 Speaker 4: time will include other investors that they have coming in. 394 00:20:25,480 --> 00:20:29,159 Speaker 1: Look if it happens, great, but you know it is 395 00:20:29,200 --> 00:20:33,200 Speaker 1: a callback to the first season. And this keeps happening, 396 00:20:33,320 --> 00:20:37,800 Speaker 1: right that we keep seeing Trump kind of recycle the 397 00:20:37,840 --> 00:20:38,679 Speaker 1: same trout. 398 00:20:38,760 --> 00:20:42,680 Speaker 4: Except that this time is so much worse because if 399 00:20:42,680 --> 00:20:45,240 Speaker 4: you look at just the caneate picks, these are people 400 00:20:45,280 --> 00:20:48,560 Speaker 4: who have will have complete loyalty to them. And these 401 00:20:48,560 --> 00:20:51,560 Speaker 4: are people, I mean, Hegseth is not going to resist 402 00:20:51,640 --> 00:20:55,240 Speaker 4: anything Trump wants right as Defense secretary. 403 00:20:55,680 --> 00:20:57,159 Speaker 3: So let me just read this to you. 404 00:20:57,200 --> 00:21:01,200 Speaker 1: Standing behind SoftBank's chief executive is mar A Lago Estate, 405 00:21:01,520 --> 00:21:04,720 Speaker 1: Trump announced the pledge that echoed a fifty billion dollar 406 00:21:04,840 --> 00:21:08,399 Speaker 1: commitment SoftBank made after his victory in twenty sixteen. That 407 00:21:08,480 --> 00:21:11,119 Speaker 1: promise was followed up by investments in a host of 408 00:21:11,200 --> 00:21:15,560 Speaker 1: fledgling startups, some that surged, others that ran into trouble, 409 00:21:15,680 --> 00:21:19,360 Speaker 1: including the coworking company you may remember it. 410 00:21:19,680 --> 00:21:21,720 Speaker 4: We were We worked down and. 411 00:21:21,640 --> 00:21:26,439 Speaker 1: A company called Zumi that used robots to make pizza. 412 00:21:26,560 --> 00:21:27,680 Speaker 4: Okay, that one didn't work. 413 00:21:27,840 --> 00:21:31,359 Speaker 1: See when I'm making pizza, I think, why can't a 414 00:21:31,440 --> 00:21:34,440 Speaker 1: robot make this pizza? 415 00:21:34,560 --> 00:21:38,520 Speaker 3: That's what I think. I think, Why am I bothering. 416 00:21:38,040 --> 00:21:40,720 Speaker 1: With this pizza when I too could be making I 417 00:21:40,720 --> 00:21:41,960 Speaker 1: could have a robot doing it. 418 00:21:42,000 --> 00:21:45,080 Speaker 4: Isn't most people's pizza just taking of the freezer and 419 00:21:45,160 --> 00:21:46,000 Speaker 4: putting in the oven? 420 00:21:46,160 --> 00:21:51,520 Speaker 1: I mean that's they obviously don't have robots. If SoftBank 421 00:21:51,600 --> 00:21:54,400 Speaker 1: had given them robots, think of what would have happened, 422 00:21:54,640 --> 00:21:56,920 Speaker 1: we'd all be living in we Works right now. 423 00:21:57,200 --> 00:21:59,760 Speaker 4: Yeah, and we Work was a place where you go 424 00:22:00,240 --> 00:22:01,880 Speaker 4: and have an office. Was that it? 425 00:22:02,000 --> 00:22:02,280 Speaker 3: Yes? 426 00:22:02,640 --> 00:22:05,000 Speaker 1: What Jesse tell us? What happened when we work? 427 00:22:05,320 --> 00:22:09,280 Speaker 2: Well, you see the CEO was a Jeckuss and they 428 00:22:09,480 --> 00:22:12,720 Speaker 2: overspent their money. The one thing is they do still exist. 429 00:22:13,080 --> 00:22:17,560 Speaker 2: But the leadership wasn't considered Theorranose level of like bullshitting, 430 00:22:18,000 --> 00:22:21,520 Speaker 2: but it was of the kind of bullshitting of Theranose. 431 00:22:21,960 --> 00:22:24,720 Speaker 3: Yes, and they bought a lot of real estate. 432 00:22:24,800 --> 00:22:28,520 Speaker 4: Right it is now mostly someone else's. Right. 433 00:22:28,640 --> 00:22:34,160 Speaker 1: In the end, the robots couldn't make the pizza. 434 00:22:35,000 --> 00:22:36,680 Speaker 3: There was no pizza robots. 435 00:22:36,720 --> 00:22:39,560 Speaker 2: The dog walking startup had a lot of complaints about 436 00:22:39,560 --> 00:22:45,960 Speaker 2: lost dogs on walks. Really, yes, yes, he invested in 437 00:22:46,040 --> 00:22:48,959 Speaker 2: a dog walking startup that lost dogs. You know, was 438 00:22:49,280 --> 00:22:52,200 Speaker 2: beabs like, you have one job. Well, there we go. 439 00:22:52,880 --> 00:22:55,359 Speaker 3: I don't want to laugh because it's so dark. 440 00:22:55,400 --> 00:23:01,240 Speaker 1: And if anything happened to Boussephalos, Spartacus and Leonidas, we 441 00:23:01,280 --> 00:23:03,280 Speaker 1: would be devastated. But it is pretty funny. 442 00:23:03,359 --> 00:23:05,000 Speaker 2: I was waiting for you to not nab one of 443 00:23:05,040 --> 00:23:06,479 Speaker 2: the dogs so that we were going to see your 444 00:23:06,520 --> 00:23:07,680 Speaker 2: true colors. 445 00:23:10,040 --> 00:23:11,040 Speaker 3: Yeah, that's not good. 446 00:23:11,160 --> 00:23:13,640 Speaker 1: You should not If you have a dog walking company, 447 00:23:13,840 --> 00:23:15,320 Speaker 1: you should not lose any dogs. 448 00:23:15,880 --> 00:23:17,080 Speaker 4: That'd be rule one. 449 00:23:17,640 --> 00:23:22,440 Speaker 3: I have a question for you, So do you think that. 450 00:23:23,960 --> 00:23:28,560 Speaker 1: Like obviously, voters are very mad at incumbents. They were 451 00:23:28,600 --> 00:23:30,879 Speaker 1: mad at Biden. They were Matda Harris. 452 00:23:31,359 --> 00:23:34,959 Speaker 4: That's what the election was about. The election was about 453 00:23:35,000 --> 00:23:38,280 Speaker 4: inflation as much as anything, and more than anything, I 454 00:23:38,280 --> 00:23:40,200 Speaker 4: think it was all non inflation, and. 455 00:23:40,119 --> 00:23:43,119 Speaker 1: So they were quite mad, and they were really mad. 456 00:23:43,240 --> 00:23:46,640 Speaker 1: They were so mad that when a CEO got murdered, 457 00:23:47,119 --> 00:23:51,280 Speaker 1: they couldn't stop clapping. So here's my question for you. 458 00:23:52,160 --> 00:23:57,000 Speaker 1: It doesn't seem like any of the legislation, and I 459 00:23:57,040 --> 00:23:58,680 Speaker 1: don't think it's going to be a lot of legislation, 460 00:23:58,760 --> 00:24:01,120 Speaker 1: but any of the executive order said Trump World are 461 00:24:01,160 --> 00:24:07,359 Speaker 1: going to put into practice will help people who feel disenfranchised. 462 00:24:07,840 --> 00:24:10,200 Speaker 1: So what happens like play this. 463 00:24:10,200 --> 00:24:13,600 Speaker 4: Out for me, Well, they're in such a different information world, 464 00:24:13,640 --> 00:24:17,760 Speaker 4: then I'm not sure those people will be understanding what's happening. 465 00:24:18,040 --> 00:24:21,400 Speaker 4: That they will understand that their taxes, their taxes will 466 00:24:21,400 --> 00:24:24,520 Speaker 4: go down slightly, but just slightly compared to what the 467 00:24:24,600 --> 00:24:28,959 Speaker 4: billionaires are going to Well yours, Okay. 468 00:24:28,840 --> 00:24:32,240 Speaker 1: I'm not a billionaire, but I mean wealthy people will 469 00:24:32,280 --> 00:24:32,760 Speaker 1: have their. 470 00:24:32,640 --> 00:24:33,399 Speaker 3: Taxes go Now. 471 00:24:33,760 --> 00:24:35,119 Speaker 4: Now you think they're going to get rid of the 472 00:24:35,200 --> 00:24:38,440 Speaker 4: thing on that how much you. 473 00:24:38,400 --> 00:24:41,000 Speaker 3: Can carry interest loophole? Now I do not. 474 00:24:41,920 --> 00:24:45,960 Speaker 4: Well, how about the cap on how much you can deduct? 475 00:24:46,200 --> 00:24:49,919 Speaker 1: The salt deduction? Maybe the state and local income tax deduction. 476 00:24:50,160 --> 00:24:52,720 Speaker 1: Perhaps there's a lot of New Yorkers in that cabinet. 477 00:24:53,040 --> 00:24:55,640 Speaker 1: So we're talking about something that Jesse hates talking about, 478 00:24:55,680 --> 00:24:58,159 Speaker 1: which is that in blue states you used to be 479 00:24:58,160 --> 00:25:01,520 Speaker 1: able to deduct your state taxes off your taxes, so 480 00:25:01,600 --> 00:25:02,840 Speaker 1: you weren't taxed twice. 481 00:25:03,200 --> 00:25:05,640 Speaker 4: Now there's a ceiling to that, yes. 482 00:25:05,720 --> 00:25:08,600 Speaker 1: Which affects wealthy people and makes them very angry. 483 00:25:08,840 --> 00:25:11,320 Speaker 4: Yeah, and it was really aimed at blue. 484 00:25:11,119 --> 00:25:13,720 Speaker 3: Skates, punishing Democratic donors. 485 00:25:13,840 --> 00:25:17,800 Speaker 4: Yeah, Democratic donors in California and New York, Illinois. 486 00:25:17,840 --> 00:25:20,040 Speaker 1: And they're so punished that a lot of them just 487 00:25:20,280 --> 00:25:21,560 Speaker 1: decided to support. 488 00:25:21,240 --> 00:25:25,080 Speaker 4: From But you know, like Florida has no basil income tax, right, 489 00:25:25,200 --> 00:25:26,200 Speaker 4: no state income tax. 490 00:25:26,720 --> 00:25:28,720 Speaker 3: I think there are some, but it's low. 491 00:25:28,880 --> 00:25:31,960 Speaker 1: I mean, the thing with state income taxes, So what 492 00:25:32,040 --> 00:25:35,919 Speaker 1: I think is interesting and upsetting is that state income 493 00:25:35,960 --> 00:25:39,760 Speaker 1: taxes largely go to schools, right, public schools. There's other 494 00:25:39,760 --> 00:25:41,840 Speaker 1: stuff they go to, but public schools are a big 495 00:25:41,840 --> 00:25:43,879 Speaker 1: part of it. So blue states tend to have better 496 00:25:43,960 --> 00:25:47,200 Speaker 1: schools because they have more money for schools. Trump wants 497 00:25:47,240 --> 00:25:51,480 Speaker 1: to get rid of the Department of Education, which provides 498 00:25:52,000 --> 00:25:58,479 Speaker 1: grants added grants to public schools in red states. 499 00:25:58,560 --> 00:26:01,960 Speaker 4: Yeah, and forces things like you know, you know, people 500 00:26:02,119 --> 00:26:05,800 Speaker 4: get what is it title two of the title two? 501 00:26:06,000 --> 00:26:09,560 Speaker 1: Yeah, they get grants and then also pel grants, federal 502 00:26:09,560 --> 00:26:10,120 Speaker 1: grants for. 503 00:26:10,160 --> 00:26:11,360 Speaker 3: Education, etc. 504 00:26:12,280 --> 00:26:15,040 Speaker 4: Somebody's got to administer that stuff. Where would that go? 505 00:26:15,240 --> 00:26:17,840 Speaker 3: It will go to nowhere. They're not going to do it. 506 00:26:17,760 --> 00:26:21,760 Speaker 4: So McMahon, she volunteered to be the secretary of a 507 00:26:22,160 --> 00:26:23,720 Speaker 4: department that he's going to get rid of. 508 00:26:24,080 --> 00:26:27,280 Speaker 1: She couldn't get commerce right because here was what happened. 509 00:26:27,440 --> 00:26:30,879 Speaker 1: Howard Lutnik and Linda McMahon co chaired the transition. Howard 510 00:26:30,960 --> 00:26:35,639 Speaker 1: Lutnik wanted to be the Treasury secretary. They actually got 511 00:26:35,680 --> 00:26:38,399 Speaker 1: a real guy as the Treasury Secretary who knew how 512 00:26:38,440 --> 00:26:42,240 Speaker 1: to do stuff, which bumped Howard Lutnick to Secretary of Commerce, 513 00:26:42,560 --> 00:26:46,040 Speaker 1: which is what Linda McMahon had wanted. Linda McMahon, not 514 00:26:46,240 --> 00:26:49,800 Speaker 1: wanting to be without a shair, said she'd take the 515 00:26:49,840 --> 00:26:51,240 Speaker 1: department no one wanted. 516 00:26:51,000 --> 00:26:53,800 Speaker 4: Which is education, which is when he's getting rid of. Yeah, 517 00:26:53,920 --> 00:26:56,840 Speaker 4: well it says he's getting rid of Yeah. 518 00:26:56,200 --> 00:26:57,040 Speaker 1: He wants to get rid of. 519 00:26:57,080 --> 00:26:58,600 Speaker 3: I don't think he will get rid of it because 520 00:26:58,720 --> 00:26:59,800 Speaker 3: all of this is too much. 521 00:27:00,440 --> 00:27:03,199 Speaker 4: Yeah, well, I just think that getting right of education, 522 00:27:03,320 --> 00:27:05,560 Speaker 4: where does all that stuff go? You might as well 523 00:27:05,600 --> 00:27:08,440 Speaker 4: have an education department. I think it'll stay, it'll stick. 524 00:27:09,040 --> 00:27:11,080 Speaker 1: So much of this stuff is just too much work 525 00:27:11,200 --> 00:27:12,840 Speaker 1: for him and annoying. 526 00:27:13,240 --> 00:27:14,120 Speaker 3: I mean, that's the thing. 527 00:27:14,160 --> 00:27:16,800 Speaker 1: It's like, we have to remember what Trump was like 528 00:27:16,880 --> 00:27:17,840 Speaker 1: in twenty sixteen. 529 00:27:17,880 --> 00:27:21,440 Speaker 3: He was like not that effective. Yeah, thank god. 530 00:27:21,280 --> 00:27:24,399 Speaker 4: But he was scared and I think and also he 531 00:27:24,480 --> 00:27:27,600 Speaker 4: had people around him knew didn't obey him and countered 532 00:27:27,640 --> 00:27:28,640 Speaker 4: him and thought he was an. 533 00:27:28,560 --> 00:27:31,400 Speaker 1: Idiot, right right, and we don't have that this time. 534 00:27:31,280 --> 00:27:33,320 Speaker 4: And said so right, Tillerson. 535 00:27:33,160 --> 00:27:36,480 Speaker 3: Yeah, rerex On. So we'll see what happens. 536 00:27:36,520 --> 00:27:39,200 Speaker 1: But we're not depressed because we are just going to 537 00:27:39,320 --> 00:27:42,720 Speaker 1: keep going because the only way through is through. 538 00:27:43,000 --> 00:27:47,200 Speaker 4: That's right. So keep up the good work, Alfragan, Thanks. 539 00:27:46,960 --> 00:27:52,639 Speaker 1: Molly, thank you. Justice Allison Riggs is running to be 540 00:27:52,800 --> 00:27:58,480 Speaker 1: a justice in North Carolina. Welcome back, too fast politics. 541 00:27:59,080 --> 00:28:01,320 Speaker 5: Justice Riggs, thank you for having me. 542 00:28:01,640 --> 00:28:05,600 Speaker 1: I want you to give us the whole story, just 543 00:28:05,680 --> 00:28:08,840 Speaker 1: for everyone, give us the whole backstory everything. 544 00:28:09,200 --> 00:28:12,240 Speaker 5: I appreciate the opportunity to tell folks what's happening here 545 00:28:12,240 --> 00:28:15,400 Speaker 5: in North Carolina. So I was a former civil rights attorney. 546 00:28:15,440 --> 00:28:18,679 Speaker 5: I was appointed to first the North Carolina Court of 547 00:28:18,720 --> 00:28:22,239 Speaker 5: Appeals and then the North Carolina State Supreme Court in 548 00:28:22,280 --> 00:28:25,800 Speaker 5: September of twenty three. State supreme courts are even more 549 00:28:25,840 --> 00:28:29,840 Speaker 5: important than they've ever been because of rulings from the 550 00:28:30,080 --> 00:28:34,080 Speaker 5: US Supreme Court kicking jerry mandering in reproductive freedom back 551 00:28:34,119 --> 00:28:36,120 Speaker 5: to the state level. So I served on the Court 552 00:28:36,119 --> 00:28:39,280 Speaker 5: of Appeals and the Supreme Court for two years. I 553 00:28:39,400 --> 00:28:43,520 Speaker 5: stood for election this past November six weeks ago, and 554 00:28:43,680 --> 00:28:46,320 Speaker 5: was elected by the voters in North Carolina to serve 555 00:28:46,360 --> 00:28:49,720 Speaker 5: a full eight year term on the North Carolina Supreme Court. 556 00:28:50,040 --> 00:28:53,360 Speaker 5: I won by seven hundred and thirty four votes out 557 00:28:53,360 --> 00:28:58,360 Speaker 5: of over five point five million cast, so every vote 558 00:28:58,440 --> 00:29:02,200 Speaker 5: mattered here in North Carolina. Since then, there have been 559 00:29:02,320 --> 00:29:06,160 Speaker 5: two recounts, one full machine statewide and then a sample 560 00:29:06,400 --> 00:29:10,840 Speaker 5: hand eye recount. Both confirmed my victory, and my opponent 561 00:29:11,080 --> 00:29:14,840 Speaker 5: has filed what we call here in North Carolina election protests, 562 00:29:15,360 --> 00:29:18,920 Speaker 5: and he is seeking something very extreme and I think 563 00:29:18,960 --> 00:29:22,000 Speaker 5: people need to know about it. He's seeking to toss 564 00:29:22,240 --> 00:29:27,720 Speaker 5: sixty thousand ballots cast by eligible North Carolina voters this 565 00:29:27,840 --> 00:29:33,800 Speaker 5: past election, including both of my parents. That's how extreme 566 00:29:34,000 --> 00:29:34,600 Speaker 5: we've gotten. 567 00:29:35,240 --> 00:29:38,400 Speaker 1: Basically, you won, and now he wants to throw out 568 00:29:38,400 --> 00:29:38,840 Speaker 1: the vote. 569 00:29:38,920 --> 00:29:41,120 Speaker 5: Right. I think in the past few years we've seen 570 00:29:41,160 --> 00:29:44,640 Speaker 5: this troubling trend of people not wanting to concede when 571 00:29:44,640 --> 00:29:47,840 Speaker 5: they lose. And it's not everyone, but it's certainly a 572 00:29:47,880 --> 00:29:52,160 Speaker 5: playbook that we're seeing nationally and across certain states. We 573 00:29:52,280 --> 00:29:55,400 Speaker 5: saw it in Arizona in twenty two, all over the 574 00:29:55,400 --> 00:29:59,120 Speaker 5: place in twenty when the President Trump didn't want to concede, 575 00:29:59,160 --> 00:30:02,880 Speaker 5: he lost. And now it's come home to roost here 576 00:30:02,920 --> 00:30:06,480 Speaker 5: in North Carolina. But it ought to be very troubling 577 00:30:06,880 --> 00:30:10,120 Speaker 5: for anyone who cares about in respects the rule of 578 00:30:10,200 --> 00:30:13,360 Speaker 5: law and how our democracy works. You can't change the 579 00:30:13,480 --> 00:30:17,440 Speaker 5: rules of a game after an election. My father went 580 00:30:17,520 --> 00:30:21,760 Speaker 5: to register to vote using his military ID and proof 581 00:30:21,920 --> 00:30:26,040 Speaker 5: of residency. That was acceptable. Those were the rules, and 582 00:30:26,120 --> 00:30:28,720 Speaker 5: he'd been voting, just like many of these sixty thousand 583 00:30:28,800 --> 00:30:31,959 Speaker 5: voters have been voting for years and years and years, 584 00:30:32,040 --> 00:30:38,240 Speaker 5: and they include Democratic and Republican elected officials. So there 585 00:30:38,280 --> 00:30:41,720 Speaker 5: are some things that are just too far. And that's 586 00:30:41,760 --> 00:30:43,600 Speaker 5: where we are here in North Carolina. 587 00:30:43,840 --> 00:30:44,959 Speaker 1: What happens now. 588 00:30:45,600 --> 00:30:49,520 Speaker 5: So last week the state Board of Elections ruled that 589 00:30:49,720 --> 00:30:52,760 Speaker 5: the vast majority of the elections, they didn't get all 590 00:30:52,840 --> 00:30:55,280 Speaker 5: of the election protests in front of them at once, 591 00:30:55,360 --> 00:30:58,880 Speaker 5: but they ruled that the majority of them had no merit, 592 00:30:58,960 --> 00:31:01,800 Speaker 5: and so they issued a forty page written order on 593 00:31:01,920 --> 00:31:07,440 Speaker 5: Friday saying, look, they sent postcards to some of the 594 00:31:07,920 --> 00:31:11,040 Speaker 5: challenged voters. So for example, my mom got one, my 595 00:31:11,160 --> 00:31:14,280 Speaker 5: dad didn't. It said your vote may be affected by 596 00:31:14,320 --> 00:31:18,520 Speaker 5: a protest, Scan this QR code to find out if 597 00:31:18,640 --> 00:31:20,440 Speaker 5: you're on the list, and then you had to jump 598 00:31:20,480 --> 00:31:22,400 Speaker 5: through a bunch of hoops to find out if you 599 00:31:22,400 --> 00:31:24,960 Speaker 5: were on the list. The State Board of Election says 600 00:31:25,040 --> 00:31:27,720 Speaker 5: that doesn't constitute notice. If you're going to try and 601 00:31:27,800 --> 00:31:32,160 Speaker 5: disenfranchise someone, you have to at least tell them. And 602 00:31:32,280 --> 00:31:35,440 Speaker 5: my dad, like many people of that generation, one doesn't 603 00:31:35,480 --> 00:31:37,520 Speaker 5: know how to use a QR code, but told my 604 00:31:37,600 --> 00:31:40,600 Speaker 5: mom not to scan the QR code because her phone 605 00:31:40,640 --> 00:31:43,520 Speaker 5: could get a virus. So I just warm this inside 606 00:31:43,560 --> 00:31:47,000 Speaker 5: glimpse of what is happening in so many North Carolina 607 00:31:47,040 --> 00:31:51,080 Speaker 5: homes across the state. And now that we're on pins 608 00:31:51,120 --> 00:31:54,320 Speaker 5: and needles waiting to see the North Carolina Republican Party 609 00:31:54,400 --> 00:31:58,040 Speaker 5: has said my opponent intends to appeal that state board order. 610 00:31:58,120 --> 00:32:02,880 Speaker 5: We're waiting for it. There's also ongoing, not through me, 611 00:32:03,600 --> 00:32:07,040 Speaker 5: but through other parties. There's federal litigation already trying to 612 00:32:07,240 --> 00:32:11,120 Speaker 5: ensure that every vote counts. I put my hand on 613 00:32:11,160 --> 00:32:13,600 Speaker 5: a Bible and swore to uphold and defend the North 614 00:32:13,640 --> 00:32:17,320 Speaker 5: Carolina and US constitutions. So did my opponent, who's a 615 00:32:17,400 --> 00:32:22,760 Speaker 5: sitting North Carolina Appeals Court judge. We as constitutional officers 616 00:32:23,400 --> 00:32:27,080 Speaker 5: have to walk the walk. We have to live what 617 00:32:27,120 --> 00:32:30,480 Speaker 5: we preach, and that is commitment to the constitution. 618 00:32:30,760 --> 00:32:32,680 Speaker 1: Even when you don't like. 619 00:32:32,840 --> 00:32:37,000 Speaker 5: The rules right, you have to follow them. And it's 620 00:32:37,120 --> 00:32:39,760 Speaker 5: just so important that people see what's happening in North 621 00:32:39,760 --> 00:32:44,600 Speaker 5: Carolina and understand the undercurrent that is running across all 622 00:32:44,640 --> 00:32:49,040 Speaker 5: of this nation in political elections, political spaces, is that 623 00:32:49,120 --> 00:32:52,000 Speaker 5: we need to be worried about the damage that has 624 00:32:52,080 --> 00:32:55,560 Speaker 5: already been done to our democracy and trust in our institutions. 625 00:32:56,160 --> 00:33:00,440 Speaker 5: Our democracy doesn't defend itself, and we need people of 626 00:33:00,560 --> 00:33:05,000 Speaker 5: strong constitutional conviction to stand up and say this is wrong. 627 00:33:05,360 --> 00:33:06,240 Speaker 3: I mean, what do you do? 628 00:33:06,600 --> 00:33:09,560 Speaker 5: I mean right now, I am in a waiting game. 629 00:33:09,640 --> 00:33:13,000 Speaker 5: I am waiting to see when the appeal will be filed. 630 00:33:13,080 --> 00:33:17,000 Speaker 5: We're getting just tons and tons of emails from voters. 631 00:33:17,040 --> 00:33:20,760 Speaker 5: So as this continues to get coverage and voters get 632 00:33:20,800 --> 00:33:23,160 Speaker 5: some help finding if they're on the list or not, 633 00:33:23,920 --> 00:33:27,360 Speaker 5: they're mad. They think it's ridiculous. My sense is a 634 00:33:27,480 --> 00:33:31,280 Speaker 5: very small fraction of them that are challenged even realize 635 00:33:31,280 --> 00:33:34,400 Speaker 5: they're on that list. But my opponent's attorney in the 636 00:33:34,440 --> 00:33:37,600 Speaker 5: State Board of Elections last week said he couldn't name 637 00:33:37,680 --> 00:33:42,120 Speaker 5: one person out of that sixty thousand that he believed 638 00:33:42,240 --> 00:33:46,080 Speaker 5: to be ineligible to vote. So they are fussing about 639 00:33:46,480 --> 00:33:49,760 Speaker 5: some data being allegedly missing from the voter. 640 00:33:49,680 --> 00:33:52,440 Speaker 3: File, right, so they're just full of shed. 641 00:33:53,480 --> 00:33:56,120 Speaker 5: Well, I think what we need to do is call 642 00:33:56,200 --> 00:33:58,480 Speaker 5: out what is wrong when it is wrong, if we 643 00:33:58,560 --> 00:34:00,920 Speaker 5: ever have any hope of move moving on from this. 644 00:34:01,040 --> 00:34:03,200 Speaker 5: I mean, people want to move on from elections when 645 00:34:03,200 --> 00:34:05,200 Speaker 5: it's over. If you put yourself out there to run 646 00:34:05,240 --> 00:34:07,880 Speaker 5: for political office, means if you take the L, you 647 00:34:07,920 --> 00:34:10,160 Speaker 5: take the L and you walk on with life. 648 00:34:10,320 --> 00:34:12,080 Speaker 3: Will there be more lawsuits, etc. 649 00:34:12,880 --> 00:34:16,400 Speaker 5: What we're expecting to be filed will look like a 650 00:34:16,440 --> 00:34:21,440 Speaker 5: state court lawsuit. It's technically an appeal of an administrative 651 00:34:21,840 --> 00:34:24,640 Speaker 5: decision from the State Board of Elections, but it's in 652 00:34:24,680 --> 00:34:28,320 Speaker 5: the form of a civil action filed in state court. 653 00:34:28,440 --> 00:34:31,040 Speaker 5: So you know, the short is is, if what the 654 00:34:31,080 --> 00:34:34,640 Speaker 5: North Carolina GOP says is going to happen, it happens, 655 00:34:34,680 --> 00:34:38,439 Speaker 5: then yes, we'll see more litigation. And you know, I'm 656 00:34:38,520 --> 00:34:41,600 Speaker 5: just trying to make sure that every eligible vote counts. 657 00:34:41,920 --> 00:34:47,080 Speaker 5: It's critically important if we want to have elections conduct elections, 658 00:34:47,080 --> 00:34:50,640 Speaker 5: have nice things. We have to respect democracy even when 659 00:34:50,640 --> 00:34:52,719 Speaker 5: it breaks your heart. And I think you've seen a 660 00:34:52,760 --> 00:34:55,440 Speaker 5: lot of folks, you know, not happy with the election 661 00:34:55,600 --> 00:35:00,479 Speaker 5: results this year and not trying to overturn an election either. 662 00:35:00,800 --> 00:35:02,880 Speaker 1: So what can people do if they want to support 663 00:35:02,920 --> 00:35:04,799 Speaker 1: you in this situation. 664 00:35:05,440 --> 00:35:09,399 Speaker 5: Yeah, So we are really encouraging folks to look at 665 00:35:09,560 --> 00:35:13,839 Speaker 5: follow me on social media. We're circulating regular updates so 666 00:35:13,880 --> 00:35:17,239 Speaker 5: that folks will know what's happening when it's happening. We 667 00:35:17,360 --> 00:35:21,239 Speaker 5: want folks to find out if their name is on 668 00:35:21,320 --> 00:35:25,000 Speaker 5: that list, if they have been challenged, and we encourage 669 00:35:25,040 --> 00:35:29,000 Speaker 5: them to share their stories. So if you go on Instagram, 670 00:35:29,200 --> 00:35:33,440 Speaker 5: I'm at Rigs for our courts, if you go to 671 00:35:33,840 --> 00:35:37,239 Speaker 5: x I'm at Alice and Jay Riggs, there's step by 672 00:35:37,320 --> 00:35:40,880 Speaker 5: step ways instructions on how to find out if your 673 00:35:41,000 --> 00:35:44,560 Speaker 5: name is on that list. And then we're encouraging people 674 00:35:44,600 --> 00:35:48,600 Speaker 5: to use the hashtag count don't cancel. Make sure that 675 00:35:48,640 --> 00:35:51,319 Speaker 5: their stories are heard because we're just we really want 676 00:35:51,400 --> 00:35:53,920 Speaker 5: people to know that these sixty thousand voters, it's not 677 00:35:54,120 --> 00:35:57,319 Speaker 5: just a number, It is a ton of people who 678 00:35:57,560 --> 00:36:01,399 Speaker 5: took the time and effort to get registered, turn out 679 00:36:01,440 --> 00:36:03,400 Speaker 5: and vote, and they deserve better than this. 680 00:36:04,120 --> 00:36:11,600 Speaker 1: Yeah, So these elections are small elections that generally fly 681 00:36:11,920 --> 00:36:14,440 Speaker 1: under the radar. Do you think it speaks to a 682 00:36:14,520 --> 00:36:20,160 Speaker 1: sort of larger Republican interest in the judiciary and why. 683 00:36:20,840 --> 00:36:24,640 Speaker 5: I think we've seen deep Republican investment in federal and 684 00:36:24,719 --> 00:36:28,160 Speaker 5: state courts for years and years and years, And I 685 00:36:28,200 --> 00:36:33,040 Speaker 5: think that progressive counterparts are doing the work now, but 686 00:36:33,400 --> 00:36:37,000 Speaker 5: the counter voice wasn't as quick to be heard. But 687 00:36:37,200 --> 00:36:41,520 Speaker 5: since Justice Protozelitz was elected in Wisconsin, since I was 688 00:36:41,560 --> 00:36:44,520 Speaker 5: elected this year, I think we're starting to understand that. 689 00:36:45,080 --> 00:36:49,080 Speaker 5: Because judicial elections are down ballot, because a lot of 690 00:36:49,120 --> 00:36:54,960 Speaker 5: people may not understand what judges do their lower information votes, 691 00:36:55,000 --> 00:36:58,040 Speaker 5: and so we have to do extra work to educate 692 00:36:58,120 --> 00:37:00,759 Speaker 5: people not only about what our core do, but what 693 00:37:00,800 --> 00:37:03,800 Speaker 5: does a judge who you can trust with your rights 694 00:37:04,160 --> 00:37:05,960 Speaker 5: do like, what do they look like, what do they 695 00:37:06,000 --> 00:37:07,719 Speaker 5: sound like? How do you get to know them? And 696 00:37:07,760 --> 00:37:10,520 Speaker 5: then ultimately how do you hold them accountable? And so 697 00:37:11,160 --> 00:37:14,080 Speaker 5: over the last two years, I have been working tirelessly 698 00:37:14,120 --> 00:37:17,399 Speaker 5: to ensure that voters know who I am. There's the 699 00:37:17,440 --> 00:37:21,040 Speaker 5: only other Democrat on our North Carolina Supreme Court Justice 700 00:37:21,080 --> 00:37:24,799 Speaker 5: Anita Earls. She's up in twenty twenty six, and so 701 00:37:24,960 --> 00:37:27,080 Speaker 5: we're you know, we're going to be working to make 702 00:37:27,120 --> 00:37:31,799 Speaker 5: sure that North Carolina voters have more information understand how 703 00:37:31,840 --> 00:37:34,920 Speaker 5: important our state courts are. If you care about democracy, 704 00:37:34,960 --> 00:37:37,520 Speaker 5: if you care about reproductive freedom, if you care about 705 00:37:37,520 --> 00:37:41,480 Speaker 5: the environment, and you know, engage in this long term 706 00:37:41,480 --> 00:37:47,160 Speaker 5: accountability project where we it's not just about pushing money 707 00:37:47,320 --> 00:37:52,000 Speaker 5: into down ballot races. It's about empowering voters to understand 708 00:37:52,120 --> 00:37:55,359 Speaker 5: how important these seats are and how they can vote 709 00:37:55,440 --> 00:37:58,160 Speaker 5: us out if they don't like what the judges and 710 00:37:58,360 --> 00:38:01,160 Speaker 5: justices that they have are doing. And I think you know, 711 00:38:01,280 --> 00:38:04,560 Speaker 5: certainly in North Carolina, I want all voters to hold 712 00:38:04,640 --> 00:38:05,960 Speaker 5: our courts accountable. 713 00:38:06,360 --> 00:38:09,880 Speaker 1: Yeah, can you explain to us sort of some of 714 00:38:09,920 --> 00:38:13,920 Speaker 1: the case like state jerrymandering will come to that court, 715 00:38:14,080 --> 00:38:16,360 Speaker 1: right besides like state laws. 716 00:38:16,640 --> 00:38:19,640 Speaker 5: Yeah, so you know, we're not going to redistrict here 717 00:38:19,680 --> 00:38:23,640 Speaker 5: in this state again until after the twenty thirty census. 718 00:38:23,840 --> 00:38:27,280 Speaker 5: But who gets elected in the twenty twenty eight election, 719 00:38:27,960 --> 00:38:31,399 Speaker 5: we'll sit on the court when jerrymandering cases make their 720 00:38:31,440 --> 00:38:34,919 Speaker 5: way up. And you know, the federal courts, the US 721 00:38:35,000 --> 00:38:38,759 Speaker 5: Supreme Court, they don't want parties in jerrymandering cases that 722 00:38:39,120 --> 00:38:42,800 Speaker 5: they decided that there wasn't an avenue in federal court 723 00:38:42,840 --> 00:38:45,840 Speaker 5: to address those. So you know, we know that in 724 00:38:45,880 --> 00:38:50,279 Speaker 5: North Carolina the history of jerry mandering is highly contested. 725 00:38:50,440 --> 00:38:54,920 Speaker 5: And what Justice Earles and I are doing is working 726 00:38:54,960 --> 00:38:58,440 Speaker 5: to make sure that we're very present in communities across 727 00:38:58,480 --> 00:39:02,640 Speaker 5: this large state. Talk about our past experience. I was 728 00:39:02,680 --> 00:39:06,840 Speaker 5: a former voting rights attorney. I worked on cases seeking 729 00:39:06,880 --> 00:39:10,719 Speaker 5: to make sure that voters picked their politicians, not the 730 00:39:10,760 --> 00:39:14,200 Speaker 5: politicians deciding what voters they got to keep or shed. 731 00:39:15,000 --> 00:39:18,799 Speaker 5: And we need people who care about our democracy on 732 00:39:18,840 --> 00:39:21,799 Speaker 5: the bench. And I've described it as we here in 733 00:39:21,840 --> 00:39:24,839 Speaker 5: North Carolina have dominoes that we need to knock over 734 00:39:25,040 --> 00:39:28,000 Speaker 5: in order to have a majority on the bench of 735 00:39:28,040 --> 00:39:31,520 Speaker 5: people who are justice minded, who care about a functioning, 736 00:39:31,680 --> 00:39:35,239 Speaker 5: healthy democracy. And we have the chance to do that. 737 00:39:35,440 --> 00:39:37,640 Speaker 5: In twenty twenty eight. We had to keep me and 738 00:39:37,719 --> 00:39:39,960 Speaker 5: my seat in twenty twenty four. We have to keep 739 00:39:40,160 --> 00:39:43,480 Speaker 5: Justice Anita Earles in her seat in twenty twenty six, 740 00:39:44,040 --> 00:39:46,759 Speaker 5: and then in twenty twenty eight before the next round 741 00:39:46,840 --> 00:39:51,840 Speaker 5: of regular redistricting, three Republicans terms are up, and that's 742 00:39:51,960 --> 00:39:56,640 Speaker 5: control of the court before a really important process that 743 00:39:56,680 --> 00:39:59,560 Speaker 5: the state courts have been involved in. So that's what's 744 00:39:59,600 --> 00:40:02,520 Speaker 5: on the line line here, and you know, my job 745 00:40:02,600 --> 00:40:05,200 Speaker 5: is to make sure that voters understand that and don't 746 00:40:05,239 --> 00:40:08,120 Speaker 5: just say, oh, well, that's you know, years down the road. 747 00:40:08,200 --> 00:40:11,719 Speaker 5: I mean, we're making decisions now. We're building infrastructure, we're 748 00:40:11,800 --> 00:40:15,279 Speaker 5: recruiting candidates, we're doing all the work that the right 749 00:40:15,400 --> 00:40:18,919 Speaker 5: has done for much longer. We have to do that now. 750 00:40:18,960 --> 00:40:22,120 Speaker 5: And it's not a one election cycle task. It's multi 751 00:40:22,280 --> 00:40:27,960 Speaker 5: cycle work. It's about building infrastructure and educating voters about 752 00:40:27,960 --> 00:40:28,640 Speaker 5: what's at stake. 753 00:40:29,040 --> 00:40:32,080 Speaker 1: Yeah, do you feel on the state level that you're 754 00:40:32,160 --> 00:40:34,560 Speaker 1: able to connect with voters in a way that at 755 00:40:34,600 --> 00:40:36,799 Speaker 1: the national level Democrats might not be. 756 00:40:37,200 --> 00:40:40,160 Speaker 5: Yeah, i mean North Carolina is, as I'm sure you 757 00:40:40,200 --> 00:40:42,879 Speaker 5: could tell, it's a bit of a quirky state. There's 758 00:40:42,960 --> 00:40:47,160 Speaker 5: a lot of ballots splitting, so Democrats won half the 759 00:40:47,200 --> 00:40:51,200 Speaker 5: council's state seats and Republicans one half. You know, it's 760 00:40:51,320 --> 00:40:55,279 Speaker 5: just it's a very quirky state. But that means that voters, 761 00:40:55,640 --> 00:40:58,400 Speaker 5: if they get to know you, will vote for you. 762 00:40:58,480 --> 00:41:00,560 Speaker 5: And so it makes it a lot of it makes 763 00:41:00,560 --> 00:41:04,160 Speaker 5: it hard work, and I think we continue to get polarized. 764 00:41:04,239 --> 00:41:07,239 Speaker 5: And so the number of voters who are who are 765 00:41:07,280 --> 00:41:09,480 Speaker 5: willing to if they get to know you and like you, 766 00:41:09,640 --> 00:41:12,840 Speaker 5: vote for you like that number isn't enormous, but it 767 00:41:12,960 --> 00:41:16,920 Speaker 5: is significant because of what we see. You know, it's 768 00:41:16,960 --> 00:41:19,719 Speaker 5: a decent sized number. So I think with a lot 769 00:41:19,760 --> 00:41:22,880 Speaker 5: of work and a lot of connection on a human level, 770 00:41:22,960 --> 00:41:25,920 Speaker 5: you know, I tell people my story. I told people 771 00:41:25,960 --> 00:41:28,319 Speaker 5: this election cycle that I'm a forty three year old 772 00:41:28,360 --> 00:41:32,040 Speaker 5: woman who hopes to start a family, but my ability 773 00:41:32,080 --> 00:41:35,080 Speaker 5: to do so may depend on decisions that our own 774 00:41:35,200 --> 00:41:38,839 Speaker 5: court makes. And I want women to know that they 775 00:41:39,440 --> 00:41:43,719 Speaker 5: have someone in me who shares their experience and understands 776 00:41:43,760 --> 00:41:46,880 Speaker 5: what it's like to, you know, need access to IVF 777 00:41:47,000 --> 00:41:50,719 Speaker 5: for fertility treatments to start their family and the interplay 778 00:41:50,760 --> 00:41:54,920 Speaker 5: between those personal realities and state court proceedings. And so 779 00:41:55,000 --> 00:41:58,080 Speaker 5: I think we have to do the work to recruit 780 00:41:58,160 --> 00:42:01,480 Speaker 5: great candidates who can resonate with different voters. And it's 781 00:42:01,520 --> 00:42:03,840 Speaker 5: a lot of work to get out across the state 782 00:42:03,920 --> 00:42:06,759 Speaker 5: this big and that's just the reality of choosing to 783 00:42:06,840 --> 00:42:09,839 Speaker 5: run in North Carolina. But I'm very encouraged that we 784 00:42:09,920 --> 00:42:13,000 Speaker 5: can do this. Even in a red wave election, we 785 00:42:13,000 --> 00:42:16,560 Speaker 5: were able to hold onto this seat and that speaks 786 00:42:16,800 --> 00:42:19,839 Speaker 5: to me to a lot of the work that's been 787 00:42:19,880 --> 00:42:23,759 Speaker 5: done from the North Carolina Democratic Party and folks just 788 00:42:23,920 --> 00:42:27,720 Speaker 5: working to raise awareness of the importance of state court races. 789 00:42:28,120 --> 00:42:29,680 Speaker 1: Yeah, really important. 790 00:42:29,719 --> 00:42:32,880 Speaker 5: Thank you, Justice Riggs, thank you so much for having me. 791 00:42:35,160 --> 00:42:40,000 Speaker 1: No moment coxectly, Jesse Cannon smile. 792 00:42:40,120 --> 00:42:44,120 Speaker 2: When I think of all the stupid things that Trump 793 00:42:44,239 --> 00:42:47,200 Speaker 2: likes to sue people for, you know, Bill Maher for 794 00:42:47,320 --> 00:42:49,560 Speaker 2: saying his mother was a baboon and a joke, one 795 00:42:49,600 --> 00:42:53,000 Speaker 2: of the stupider ones. But suing Anne Seltzer for her 796 00:42:53,280 --> 00:42:55,800 Speaker 2: poll being off pretty fucking dumb. 797 00:42:56,040 --> 00:42:59,840 Speaker 1: It's dumb. But Donald Trump wants to send and Se 798 00:43:00,360 --> 00:43:04,080 Speaker 1: to get Mo for being wrong about her poll, and I, 799 00:43:04,280 --> 00:43:08,600 Speaker 1: for one, am here for it. No, I'm just kidding. No, obviously, 800 00:43:08,640 --> 00:43:09,920 Speaker 1: you can't send An. 801 00:43:09,760 --> 00:43:12,560 Speaker 3: Seltzer to Gitmo for having her poll be off. 802 00:43:12,680 --> 00:43:17,360 Speaker 1: Trump is going to experiment with trying to intimidate the media. 803 00:43:17,480 --> 00:43:20,080 Speaker 3: That's what's happening here. That's what he did with ABC. 804 00:43:20,680 --> 00:43:21,719 Speaker 3: It worked for him with. 805 00:43:21,719 --> 00:43:24,400 Speaker 1: ABC, so now he's going to try it with the 806 00:43:24,440 --> 00:43:29,040 Speaker 1: des Moines Register again, you know, Okay, I mean it 807 00:43:29,480 --> 00:43:32,040 Speaker 1: sucks and I hope that the Des Moines Register will 808 00:43:32,080 --> 00:43:35,600 Speaker 1: not fold and donate fifteen million dollars to the Trump 809 00:43:35,680 --> 00:43:39,080 Speaker 1: Presidential Library, which will never happen. But there we are. 810 00:43:39,960 --> 00:43:44,520 Speaker 1: That's it for this episode of Fast Politics. Tune in 811 00:43:44,640 --> 00:43:50,080 Speaker 1: every Monday, Wednesday, Thursday and Saturday to hear the best 812 00:43:50,160 --> 00:43:54,440 Speaker 1: minds and politics make sense of all this chaos. If 813 00:43:54,480 --> 00:43:57,560 Speaker 1: you enjoy this podcast, please send it to a friend 814 00:43:58,000 --> 00:43:59,600 Speaker 1: and keep the conversation going. 815 00:44:00,120 --> 00:44:01,200 Speaker 3: Thanks for listening.