1 00:00:00,360 --> 00:00:04,640 Speaker 1: Thanks for listening. For earlier access to these episodes, access 2 00:00:04,680 --> 00:00:08,160 Speaker 1: to Ask Me Anything, sessions, and extended breakdowns of historical 3 00:00:08,160 --> 00:00:12,760 Speaker 1: and current events. Please consider joining our Warning Premium community 4 00:00:13,320 --> 00:00:17,200 Speaker 1: by clicking the link in the description to this episode. 5 00:00:18,560 --> 00:00:23,840 Speaker 1: Former New Jersey Governor Chris Christie said something incredible. Before 6 00:00:23,880 --> 00:00:26,920 Speaker 1: I play it, I want to talk for a second 7 00:00:27,320 --> 00:00:31,560 Speaker 1: about what it is that you're going to hear. What 8 00:00:31,760 --> 00:00:35,680 Speaker 1: Chris Christie is about to say is that it is 9 00:00:35,800 --> 00:00:41,199 Speaker 1: most likely that by August twenty third, when Donald Trump 10 00:00:41,760 --> 00:00:47,639 Speaker 1: steps onto the Republican debate stage behind the Center podium 11 00:00:48,560 --> 00:00:52,080 Speaker 1: as the front runner, that he will be out on 12 00:00:52,280 --> 00:01:00,960 Speaker 1: bail in four different jurisdictions. Again, the republic confront runner, 13 00:01:01,920 --> 00:01:06,520 Speaker 1: the forty fifth president of the United States, will be 14 00:01:06,680 --> 00:01:14,080 Speaker 1: out on bail from his arrest in four different jurisdictions, 15 00:01:15,040 --> 00:01:20,760 Speaker 1: included amongst the charges or attempts to overthrow the government, 16 00:01:21,520 --> 00:01:28,200 Speaker 1: most likely to interfere in an election, counts under the 17 00:01:28,360 --> 00:01:35,000 Speaker 1: Espionage Act, and specific attempts to overthrow the Georgia election. 18 00:01:36,800 --> 00:01:43,640 Speaker 1: It is incredible. Let's watch, Chris Christy. I want voters 19 00:01:43,640 --> 00:01:48,000 Speaker 1: to listen to this. It is most likely now by 20 00:01:48,000 --> 00:01:50,160 Speaker 1: the time we get on the debate stage on August 21 00:01:50,200 --> 00:01:54,520 Speaker 1: twenty third, the front runner will be out on bail 22 00:01:55,560 --> 00:02:01,520 Speaker 1: in four different jurisdictions Florida, Washington, Georgia. 23 00:02:00,880 --> 00:02:04,920 Speaker 2: And New York out on bail. And he's sitting there 24 00:02:04,960 --> 00:02:09,720 Speaker 2: at an a rally for two hours last night talking 25 00:02:09,760 --> 00:02:11,079 Speaker 2: about his own problems. 26 00:02:11,600 --> 00:02:16,320 Speaker 1: We don't talk often enough in America about how relatively 27 00:02:16,480 --> 00:02:23,960 Speaker 1: small the primary participation is amongst both Republicans and Democrats. 28 00:02:25,320 --> 00:02:29,399 Speaker 1: Who is it that is choosing the candidates that will 29 00:02:29,400 --> 00:02:34,960 Speaker 1: be the choice in a general election where registered voters 30 00:02:35,400 --> 00:02:39,840 Speaker 1: can decide whether or not to participate and choose between 31 00:02:39,880 --> 00:02:45,320 Speaker 1: the party's nominees. Let's do some very very simple math. 32 00:02:46,200 --> 00:02:49,440 Speaker 1: We'll keep it at whole numbers, so it's very very 33 00:02:49,480 --> 00:02:53,720 Speaker 1: easy to add up. There's roughly three hundred and thirty 34 00:02:53,760 --> 00:02:58,960 Speaker 1: million Americans in the country in twenty and sixteen. There 35 00:02:59,000 --> 00:03:02,600 Speaker 1: were less than thirty million total votes passed in the 36 00:03:02,639 --> 00:03:09,120 Speaker 1: Republican primary. What that means is registered Republicans, or the 37 00:03:09,160 --> 00:03:12,480 Speaker 1: small number of independents who choose to vote in Republican 38 00:03:12,560 --> 00:03:18,360 Speaker 1: primaries where they can, accounting for less than ten percent 39 00:03:18,400 --> 00:03:24,680 Speaker 1: of the country's population in aggregate and total, are the 40 00:03:24,760 --> 00:03:30,120 Speaker 1: group that sent Donald Trump forward to be the Republican nominee. 41 00:03:30,639 --> 00:03:34,519 Speaker 1: Let's think about Donald Trump today. It put forward a 42 00:03:34,639 --> 00:03:39,960 Speaker 1: question we don't talk about very much. Why is it 43 00:03:40,600 --> 00:03:46,360 Speaker 1: that Donald Trump is leading the Republican primary race? What 44 00:03:46,640 --> 00:03:52,680 Speaker 1: is it that Republican voters find so profoundly deficient about 45 00:03:52,760 --> 00:03:57,120 Speaker 1: all of the other candidates that they would stay loyally 46 00:03:57,320 --> 00:04:04,560 Speaker 1: behind Donald Trump? A man whose corruption is fantastical, a 47 00:04:04,600 --> 00:04:10,360 Speaker 1: man whose narcissism and self regard is indescribable. As Chris 48 00:04:10,440 --> 00:04:14,480 Speaker 1: Christy pointed out, he talked for two hours about what 49 00:04:16,040 --> 00:04:27,800 Speaker 1: about America? About the future, about domestic tranquility, peace, prosperity, jobs. 50 00:04:28,279 --> 00:04:33,120 Speaker 1: Did he talk about economic opportunity? Did he talk about 51 00:04:33,120 --> 00:04:38,920 Speaker 1: the economic dislocation that will come from artificial intelligence? Did 52 00:04:38,960 --> 00:04:44,920 Speaker 1: he talk about the insolvency of America's entitlement programs? Did 53 00:04:44,960 --> 00:04:49,919 Speaker 1: he talk about the unpreparedness of America's military to fight 54 00:04:50,360 --> 00:04:56,360 Speaker 1: in the Pacific? No? He talked about none of those things, 55 00:04:57,200 --> 00:05:02,320 Speaker 1: because he cares about none of those things, And more specifically, 56 00:05:02,960 --> 00:05:07,599 Speaker 1: he cares nothing about the people in the country who 57 00:05:07,600 --> 00:05:13,440 Speaker 1: should care about all of those things. Why is it 58 00:05:14,440 --> 00:05:19,600 Speaker 1: that a minority faction of the country is so wedded too, 59 00:05:20,680 --> 00:05:27,800 Speaker 1: so beholden so insistent that amongst all of us, the 60 00:05:27,839 --> 00:05:31,839 Speaker 1: worst of us must lead us. Why are they so 61 00:05:32,040 --> 00:05:40,440 Speaker 1: insistent that a man who ended the peaceful power? Why 62 00:05:41,000 --> 00:05:46,800 Speaker 1: are they so insistent that a loathsome man who ended 63 00:05:46,800 --> 00:05:52,320 Speaker 1: the American miracle, the tradition of the peaceful transition of 64 00:05:52,400 --> 00:05:58,359 Speaker 1: power begun in seventeen ninety seven be the president of 65 00:05:58,400 --> 00:06:05,080 Speaker 1: the United States. Why do they demand that a man 66 00:06:05,160 --> 00:06:10,880 Speaker 1: who desecrated his oath, that who has cited violence against 67 00:06:10,920 --> 00:06:18,960 Speaker 1: the American Republic be made commander in chief? Why do 68 00:06:19,080 --> 00:06:24,920 Speaker 1: they demand that Donald Trump be the commander in chief 69 00:06:25,800 --> 00:06:32,760 Speaker 1: of the world's most potent nuclear arsenal. It is unacceptable, 70 00:06:34,160 --> 00:06:38,400 Speaker 1: and it means for the rest of us that we 71 00:06:38,560 --> 00:06:42,400 Speaker 1: have to do something about it, that we have to 72 00:06:42,480 --> 00:06:48,520 Speaker 1: become involved, because it is not okay to be apathetic 73 00:06:49,440 --> 00:06:53,240 Speaker 1: when roughly ten percent of the population of the country 74 00:06:54,360 --> 00:07:00,960 Speaker 1: is trying to demand that somebody be elected into a 75 00:07:01,000 --> 00:07:07,200 Speaker 1: position of leadership, that it is wholly indifferent to the lives, 76 00:07:07,800 --> 00:07:13,280 Speaker 1: the success the families, the children of the American people. 77 00:07:14,360 --> 00:07:18,360 Speaker 1: Thank you for listening to my political commentary. If you 78 00:07:18,560 --> 00:07:22,560 Speaker 1: like what you've heard today, please also consider subscribing to 79 00:07:22,640 --> 00:07:27,680 Speaker 1: The Warning Daily newsletter on Substack. Our democracy hangs in 80 00:07:27,720 --> 00:07:32,120 Speaker 1: the balance. The twenty twenty four presidential election is the 81 00:07:32,160 --> 00:07:37,400 Speaker 1: most consequential in America's history. It's not hyperbole, it's a fact. 82 00:07:37,960 --> 00:07:40,679 Speaker 1: That is why the mission of the Warning with Steve 83 00:07:40,720 --> 00:07:44,240 Speaker 1: Schmidt is to help readers orient to the currents that 84 00:07:44,280 --> 00:07:49,400 Speaker 1: are shaping our times and the unseen forces driving politics 85 00:07:49,480 --> 00:07:53,840 Speaker 1: that are very rarely discussed on cable news. Please sign 86 00:07:53,960 --> 00:08:01,040 Speaker 1: up at Steve Schmidt Steve scch mid two he dot 87 00:08:01,120 --> 00:08:09,560 Speaker 1: substack dot com again Steve Schmidt dot substack dot com, 88 00:08:10,000 --> 00:08:12,720 Speaker 1: or at the link in the show notes section below. 89 00:08:13,080 --> 00:08:16,280 Speaker 1: Thank you to each and every one of you for 90 00:08:16,480 --> 00:08:22,760 Speaker 1: listening and watching. American politics has been broken for a 91 00:08:22,840 --> 00:08:28,000 Speaker 1: long time, and the evidence of its brokenness is that 92 00:08:28,080 --> 00:08:31,960 Speaker 1: a man like Donald Trump could rise to the top. 93 00:08:33,679 --> 00:08:39,240 Speaker 1: Donald Trump did not begin the tradition of American extremism, 94 00:08:39,960 --> 00:08:43,599 Speaker 1: but what he does represent is a moment in American 95 00:08:43,800 --> 00:08:50,720 Speaker 1: history when the extremists we're able to, through a massive backlash, 96 00:08:51,640 --> 00:08:57,000 Speaker 1: take for a short time political power, and what they 97 00:08:57,080 --> 00:09:02,600 Speaker 1: did with it is appalling. It isn't so much that 98 00:09:02,679 --> 00:09:08,000 Speaker 1: Donald Trump lied thirty five thousand times to the American 99 00:09:08,080 --> 00:09:13,080 Speaker 1: people who he worked for. It's that In doing so, 100 00:09:13,760 --> 00:09:20,840 Speaker 1: he eradicated the boundary line between reality and fantasy, between 101 00:09:21,280 --> 00:09:26,440 Speaker 1: the truth and the lie. What Donald Trump advanced in 102 00:09:26,520 --> 00:09:32,000 Speaker 1: American life was a proposition that what was true was 103 00:09:32,040 --> 00:09:36,640 Speaker 1: what the leader said was true. And this is as 104 00:09:36,920 --> 00:09:41,320 Speaker 1: un American a sentiment as that there could ever be. 105 00:09:43,360 --> 00:09:51,000 Speaker 1: This is a country of independence, of liberty, of free thinkers, 106 00:09:51,600 --> 00:09:56,360 Speaker 1: where the freedom of speech, the freedom of conscience, the 107 00:09:56,480 --> 00:10:00,400 Speaker 1: freedom to decide what is right and what is wrong 108 00:10:00,480 --> 00:10:05,640 Speaker 1: for yourself is paramount to the life of a free person. 109 00:10:07,600 --> 00:10:11,240 Speaker 1: When Donald Trump said that he could shoot somebody in 110 00:10:11,320 --> 00:10:16,319 Speaker 1: broad daylight in Lower Manhattan and get away with it, 111 00:10:16,320 --> 00:10:21,800 Speaker 1: it was an authoritarian statement. What he was saying is 112 00:10:22,720 --> 00:10:27,480 Speaker 1: he's above the law, that his support is so rabbid, 113 00:10:28,240 --> 00:10:34,200 Speaker 1: so fervent, that he can do whatever he wants. It's 114 00:10:34,240 --> 00:10:41,240 Speaker 1: been long said that the American presidency reveals character, and 115 00:10:41,280 --> 00:10:46,520 Speaker 1: it revealed something terrible about Donald Trump. We don't talk 116 00:10:46,640 --> 00:10:51,720 Speaker 1: enough about Donald Trump and his lowest moments in the presidency, 117 00:10:53,000 --> 00:10:57,000 Speaker 1: which are far worse than the thirty five thousand lives. 118 00:10:58,160 --> 00:11:01,000 Speaker 1: They're the moments where he had asked questions of the 119 00:11:01,040 --> 00:11:08,120 Speaker 1: American military about inflicting violence and death and permanent injury 120 00:11:08,160 --> 00:11:15,520 Speaker 1: on the American people for daring to protest peacefully against him. 121 00:11:16,840 --> 00:11:18,760 Speaker 1: He asked if they could be shot in the legs, 122 00:11:20,440 --> 00:11:24,280 Speaker 1: He asked if they could be wounded instead of tilled. 123 00:11:26,640 --> 00:11:32,720 Speaker 1: Donald Trump would certainly if he could lock up his 124 00:11:32,880 --> 00:11:39,360 Speaker 1: political opponents and worse, and in fact, he's told us 125 00:11:39,400 --> 00:11:46,559 Speaker 1: as much over and over and over again. Donald Trump's 126 00:11:46,640 --> 00:11:52,560 Speaker 1: platform was nonexistent in two thoy and sixteen and in 127 00:11:52,640 --> 00:11:59,120 Speaker 1: twoy twenty. But he has a platform now. His platform 128 00:11:59,600 --> 00:12:05,200 Speaker 1: is rever and retribution, and he's made that perfectly clear 129 00:12:06,000 --> 00:12:09,480 Speaker 1: time and time again in the early months of this 130 00:12:09,760 --> 00:12:17,600 Speaker 1: nation presidential campaign. He wants revenge against the people who 131 00:12:17,600 --> 00:12:22,480 Speaker 1: didn't vote for him and against the country that rejected him. 132 00:12:23,760 --> 00:12:28,360 Speaker 1: What Donald Trump stands for is a faction, and that 133 00:12:28,440 --> 00:12:33,600 Speaker 1: minority faction has a bet. They are betting that a 134 00:12:33,720 --> 00:12:41,480 Speaker 1: plurality of Americans them plus apathy, will elect Donald Trump, 135 00:12:42,760 --> 00:12:48,560 Speaker 1: and then that apathy will be instrumental in helping them 136 00:12:48,679 --> 00:12:56,080 Speaker 1: strip quickly the freedoms, the protections, and the norms that 137 00:12:56,200 --> 00:13:01,760 Speaker 1: have safeguarded American liberty just in tom for the country's 138 00:13:01,880 --> 00:13:08,439 Speaker 1: two hundred and fiftieth birthday. Donald Trump is as dangerous 139 00:13:08,480 --> 00:13:13,560 Speaker 1: a figure as this country has ever produced. He is 140 00:13:13,640 --> 00:13:19,040 Speaker 1: a direct threat to American freedom. He is a direct 141 00:13:19,120 --> 00:13:24,520 Speaker 1: threat to your children's prosperity. He is a direct threat 142 00:13:25,120 --> 00:13:32,880 Speaker 1: to America's domestic tranquility. This era must come to an end. 143 00:13:35,080 --> 00:13:40,480 Speaker 1: Donald Trump is a grifter who has inspired thousands more. 144 00:13:41,120 --> 00:13:46,120 Speaker 1: He has filled American politics with legions of them. He 145 00:13:46,280 --> 00:13:52,040 Speaker 1: has made being unprincipled virtuous. He has made it the 146 00:13:52,160 --> 00:13:57,600 Speaker 1: fast track to getting ahead. And the only people in 147 00:13:57,679 --> 00:14:01,559 Speaker 1: the world who can bring this to heal, who can 148 00:14:01,559 --> 00:14:05,960 Speaker 1: bring it to an end, who can say enough is 149 00:14:06,000 --> 00:14:13,480 Speaker 1: fucking enough, are the American people. When Chris Christy gets 150 00:14:13,520 --> 00:14:18,680 Speaker 1: on that debate stage with Donald Trump, it will be 151 00:14:18,760 --> 00:14:25,280 Speaker 1: an occasion for somebody, for the first time ever, with 152 00:14:25,400 --> 00:14:28,680 Speaker 1: an R next to their name, to look him in 153 00:14:28,800 --> 00:14:34,040 Speaker 1: the eye and to tell Donald Trump what is defective 154 00:14:34,640 --> 00:14:43,040 Speaker 1: about him and his ten percent. They are not a majority. 155 00:14:43,640 --> 00:14:48,800 Speaker 1: They are not close to being one, nor are they 156 00:14:48,840 --> 00:14:56,520 Speaker 1: a plurality, nor are they close to being one. What 157 00:14:56,640 --> 00:15:01,640 Speaker 1: Donald Trump has created in this country is a vast mob. 158 00:15:03,000 --> 00:15:06,640 Speaker 1: When it manifests itself physically, like last night, it is 159 00:15:06,680 --> 00:15:12,200 Speaker 1: smaller numbers. It is a larger mob when counted as 160 00:15:12,200 --> 00:15:18,840 Speaker 1: a digital presence. It is menacing. It is mean, it 161 00:15:18,920 --> 00:15:27,520 Speaker 1: is nasty, and it despises it's country because it hates 162 00:15:28,560 --> 00:15:34,720 Speaker 1: an idea which is central to it. And here's the idea. 163 00:15:35,000 --> 00:15:40,080 Speaker 1: It is an idea that endures until it doesn't, and 164 00:15:40,120 --> 00:15:45,600 Speaker 1: when it doesn't, the country ceases. It no longer exists. 165 00:15:47,600 --> 00:15:54,800 Speaker 1: It exists today as an idea of a manifestation of 166 00:15:54,840 --> 00:16:01,440 Speaker 1: an ideal that all of us are created equal, endowed 167 00:16:02,000 --> 00:16:11,520 Speaker 1: by a creator, with inalienable rights, amongst them life, liberty, 168 00:16:12,200 --> 00:16:17,440 Speaker 1: and the pursuit of happiness. This is the American creed, 169 00:16:19,000 --> 00:16:24,520 Speaker 1: and in our third century, upon the eve of our 170 00:16:24,640 --> 00:16:30,240 Speaker 1: two hundred and fiftieth birthday, the overwhelming number of American 171 00:16:30,320 --> 00:16:39,040 Speaker 1: people believe that disapplies to everybody, without regard to their race, 172 00:16:40,360 --> 00:16:47,280 Speaker 1: to their gender, to their ethnicity, to their religious beliefs. 173 00:16:48,000 --> 00:16:54,560 Speaker 1: Everybody deserves to be treated with respect, is entitled to 174 00:16:54,680 --> 00:17:00,240 Speaker 1: the liberty that is the birthright of all Americans through 175 00:17:00,360 --> 00:17:08,240 Speaker 1: sacrifice that beggars the imagination. Our birthright is not one 176 00:17:08,280 --> 00:17:15,080 Speaker 1: of Donald Trump's whims. His abuses are not acceptable, his 177 00:17:15,240 --> 00:17:21,040 Speaker 1: threats against America aren't either. He has been able to 178 00:17:21,080 --> 00:17:26,480 Speaker 1: gain power because he was able to steamroll a class 179 00:17:26,560 --> 00:17:31,440 Speaker 1: of cowards that is unprecedented in the long history of America. 180 00:17:32,760 --> 00:17:39,320 Speaker 1: He steamrolled the leaders of his political party, and without exception, 181 00:17:40,480 --> 00:17:45,000 Speaker 1: except for Adam Kitzinger and Liz Cheney, in a few more, 182 00:17:46,160 --> 00:17:52,800 Speaker 1: everybody got in line. Now Donald Trump wants his old 183 00:17:52,920 --> 00:17:58,919 Speaker 1: job back, and the American people should understand this is 184 00:17:59,000 --> 00:18:05,439 Speaker 1: an all or nothing proposition. It's a zero sum contest. 185 00:18:07,359 --> 00:18:12,359 Speaker 1: If Donald Trump does get his old job back, he 186 00:18:12,400 --> 00:18:17,399 Speaker 1: won't give it up again. It means it will be 187 00:18:17,440 --> 00:18:22,080 Speaker 1: our last election, at least our last free and fair one.