1 00:00:02,520 --> 00:00:10,119 Speaker 1: Bloomberg Audio Studios, podcasts, radio News. You're listening to the 2 00:00:10,119 --> 00:00:14,160 Speaker 1: Bloomberg Balance of Power podcast kettas live weekdays at noon 3 00:00:14,240 --> 00:00:17,440 Speaker 1: and five pm Eastern on Apple Cockley and Android Auto 4 00:00:17,520 --> 00:00:20,680 Speaker 1: with the Bloomberg Business App. Listen on demand wherever you 5 00:00:20,720 --> 00:00:24,160 Speaker 1: get your podcasts, or watch us live on YouTube. 6 00:00:25,120 --> 00:00:27,880 Speaker 2: John Kaylee lines alongside Joe Matthew here in Washington, where 7 00:00:27,880 --> 00:00:30,120 Speaker 2: President Trump just departed. He is a board Air Force 8 00:00:30,160 --> 00:00:33,320 Speaker 2: One now making traps today to Ohio and Kentucky the 9 00:00:33,360 --> 00:00:36,480 Speaker 2: next leg of his so called affordability Tour, knowing of course, 10 00:00:36,520 --> 00:00:40,160 Speaker 2: that he is making these claims about affordability and trying 11 00:00:40,200 --> 00:00:42,159 Speaker 2: to tout them at his various venues and in his 12 00:00:42,440 --> 00:00:44,680 Speaker 2: remarks today, at the same time that there are questions 13 00:00:44,720 --> 00:00:46,919 Speaker 2: as to what the economic impact will be of the 14 00:00:46,920 --> 00:00:49,720 Speaker 2: ongoing war with iron here at home, from gasoline prices 15 00:00:50,440 --> 00:00:52,599 Speaker 2: and beyond, And of course we also don't know the 16 00:00:52,600 --> 00:00:55,280 Speaker 2: timeline of that war, necessarily, as the President has repeatedly 17 00:00:55,280 --> 00:00:57,720 Speaker 2: condending it could be end soon that we're out of targets, 18 00:00:57,920 --> 00:01:00,800 Speaker 2: although when he spoke to reporters on his way out 19 00:01:00,800 --> 00:01:05,280 Speaker 2: of the White House to joint Bass Andrews, he seemed 20 00:01:05,280 --> 00:01:07,560 Speaker 2: to suggest that there still could be more to come. 21 00:01:07,600 --> 00:01:09,559 Speaker 2: So let's get the latest now with Bloomberg Tyler Kendall, 22 00:01:09,560 --> 00:01:11,360 Speaker 2: who is live at the White House forest from the 23 00:01:11,360 --> 00:01:13,640 Speaker 2: north lawne. So, Tyler, what exactly did we just hear 24 00:01:13,720 --> 00:01:14,440 Speaker 2: from the President? 25 00:01:15,240 --> 00:01:17,200 Speaker 3: Hey, Kelly, Well, you wait it up pretty perfectly. 26 00:01:17,240 --> 00:01:17,399 Speaker 4: There. 27 00:01:17,400 --> 00:01:20,399 Speaker 5: There has been some mixed messaging from the administration over 28 00:01:20,440 --> 00:01:23,160 Speaker 5: the past twenty four hours, and the President just moments 29 00:01:23,160 --> 00:01:25,920 Speaker 5: ago saying that there are certain targets that the US 30 00:01:26,000 --> 00:01:29,559 Speaker 5: is currently not hitting, after telling Axios earlier this morning 31 00:01:29,600 --> 00:01:32,559 Speaker 5: that there is quote practically nothing left for the US 32 00:01:32,600 --> 00:01:34,640 Speaker 5: to strike. I will point out that earlier this week 33 00:01:34,680 --> 00:01:38,279 Speaker 5: President Trump did threaten to hit electricity infrastructure in Iran 34 00:01:38,560 --> 00:01:41,520 Speaker 5: if disruptions through the Strait of Hormuz continue, and as 35 00:01:41,560 --> 00:01:44,240 Speaker 5: you well know, they are continuing. In fact, President Trump 36 00:01:44,400 --> 00:01:46,679 Speaker 5: went on to say that the US has zeroed in 37 00:01:46,840 --> 00:01:51,320 Speaker 5: on targeting Iranian mine laying ships after Sencon gave an 38 00:01:51,360 --> 00:01:55,200 Speaker 5: update earlier this morning saying that sixteen such vessels have 39 00:01:55,320 --> 00:01:57,480 Speaker 5: been destroyed, and a bit to try to quell some 40 00:01:57,520 --> 00:02:00,240 Speaker 5: of the volatility, we're seeing an energy around to the 41 00:02:00,280 --> 00:02:02,680 Speaker 5: disruptions in the Strait of Promus. You guys mentioned that 42 00:02:02,720 --> 00:02:05,040 Speaker 5: we're going to see this historic release when it comes 43 00:02:05,080 --> 00:02:07,760 Speaker 5: to the International Energy Agency. The thing is, there are 44 00:02:07,800 --> 00:02:10,160 Speaker 5: big questions here about the pace and the duration. It's 45 00:02:10,200 --> 00:02:13,040 Speaker 5: not as easy as just flipping on a switch, and 46 00:02:13,280 --> 00:02:17,840 Speaker 5: it's expecting to fall short of the now supply gap. 47 00:02:17,919 --> 00:02:20,080 Speaker 5: And that is why it was actually so interesting to 48 00:02:20,160 --> 00:02:23,640 Speaker 5: hear from the head of the IEA saying that ultimately 49 00:02:23,680 --> 00:02:26,239 Speaker 5: the number one thing that could be done to stabilize 50 00:02:26,240 --> 00:02:28,920 Speaker 5: the oil markets is to make sure that the strait 51 00:02:28,960 --> 00:02:30,400 Speaker 5: of PREMUS remains open. 52 00:02:30,480 --> 00:02:32,440 Speaker 3: So that is going to be something that we. 53 00:02:32,360 --> 00:02:35,720 Speaker 5: Watch really closely here because President Trump is really starting 54 00:02:35,720 --> 00:02:38,560 Speaker 5: to play defense on the issue as these higher prices 55 00:02:38,560 --> 00:02:41,960 Speaker 5: trickle down to retail gasoline. It is our understanding that 56 00:02:41,960 --> 00:02:45,040 Speaker 5: the administration is still mulling a few different options that 57 00:02:45,080 --> 00:02:48,280 Speaker 5: they could tap to help bring down prices, including potentially 58 00:02:48,280 --> 00:02:51,919 Speaker 5: floating a federal gas tax holiday, though that would require 59 00:02:52,120 --> 00:02:55,200 Speaker 5: congressional approval. We're also hearing the idea of waiving what's 60 00:02:55,240 --> 00:02:58,160 Speaker 5: known as the Jones Act, which mandates that vessels that 61 00:02:58,200 --> 00:03:01,280 Speaker 5: transport goods between US ports have to be on US 62 00:03:01,400 --> 00:03:03,880 Speaker 5: flagged ship So that's another thing to watch out for 63 00:03:03,919 --> 00:03:06,480 Speaker 5: as President Trump heads on this next leg of his 64 00:03:06,480 --> 00:03:09,360 Speaker 5: affordability tour today in Ohio and Kentucky. 65 00:03:10,600 --> 00:03:12,800 Speaker 6: Yeah, I haven't heard the Jones Act and Vote in 66 00:03:12,840 --> 00:03:15,640 Speaker 6: a minute here, Tyler, I'm just looking at gas prices. 67 00:03:15,639 --> 00:03:18,160 Speaker 6: Triple A's got the average for Ohio at three dollars 68 00:03:18,160 --> 00:03:21,399 Speaker 6: and forty four cents. The average in Kentucky, where he'll 69 00:03:21,440 --> 00:03:24,800 Speaker 6: be later on is almost three dollars and twenty cents 70 00:03:24,840 --> 00:03:27,680 Speaker 6: three nineteen. What kind of an address are we going 71 00:03:27,720 --> 00:03:29,799 Speaker 6: to get when he speaks in Kentucky later? Is the 72 00:03:29,800 --> 00:03:31,840 Speaker 6: White House telling us anything about this part? Will he 73 00:03:31,880 --> 00:03:34,519 Speaker 6: acknowledge gas prices in this speech tonight? 74 00:03:35,200 --> 00:03:37,160 Speaker 5: Well, we'll have to wait and see, because we know 75 00:03:37,200 --> 00:03:39,440 Speaker 5: that the administration is going to try to push forward 76 00:03:39,480 --> 00:03:42,080 Speaker 5: their economic agenda. As polling has been telling us that 77 00:03:42,120 --> 00:03:45,160 Speaker 5: Americans are growing increasingly concerned, particularly when it comes to 78 00:03:45,280 --> 00:03:48,440 Speaker 5: energy prices. We got this new EPSOS pull out earlier 79 00:03:48,560 --> 00:03:51,240 Speaker 5: this week. I know Cliff Young comes on this program 80 00:03:51,800 --> 00:03:54,280 Speaker 5: a decent amount, and his polling is finding that sixty 81 00:03:54,320 --> 00:03:57,320 Speaker 5: seven percent of US adults are concerned that gas prices 82 00:03:57,320 --> 00:03:59,960 Speaker 5: are going to get higher as the year goes. 83 00:04:00,440 --> 00:04:01,760 Speaker 3: Now we have gotten in a preview for. 84 00:04:01,760 --> 00:04:05,200 Speaker 5: His Ohio event that's expected to focus more on pharmaceutical 85 00:04:05,240 --> 00:04:08,560 Speaker 5: pricing and President Trump's efforts to lower the cost of 86 00:04:08,680 --> 00:04:11,760 Speaker 5: prescription drugs. We'll see what happens in Kentucky. That one 87 00:04:11,800 --> 00:04:14,200 Speaker 5: may be a little bit more of a fiery speech. 88 00:04:14,200 --> 00:04:17,080 Speaker 5: As you both know, he's going to Boone County, Kentucky. 89 00:04:17,120 --> 00:04:22,200 Speaker 5: That's the fourth congressional district represented by Thomas Nassey, persistent, 90 00:04:22,240 --> 00:04:24,400 Speaker 5: perhaps thorn in the side of President Trump. I think 91 00:04:24,440 --> 00:04:26,719 Speaker 5: it is more than fair to say on a range 92 00:04:26,720 --> 00:04:28,280 Speaker 5: of issues, including when it. 93 00:04:28,200 --> 00:04:28,920 Speaker 3: Comes to Iran. 94 00:04:30,360 --> 00:04:31,320 Speaker 4: Tyler, thank you so much. 95 00:04:31,360 --> 00:04:33,680 Speaker 6: Let from the White House, Bloomberg's Tyler Kendall, I got 96 00:04:33,760 --> 00:04:36,600 Speaker 6: into the matter of Tom Massey. Indeed, President Trump will 97 00:04:36,600 --> 00:04:40,160 Speaker 6: be in Massy's district later today when he speaks from 98 00:04:40,279 --> 00:04:42,640 Speaker 6: Boone County, and we'll bring you some of his remarks 99 00:04:43,080 --> 00:04:45,960 Speaker 6: if he's making news there. I spoke with Tom Massey's 100 00:04:46,000 --> 00:04:49,520 Speaker 6: colleague in the Upper Chamber, Ran Paul, the Republican Senator 101 00:04:49,520 --> 00:04:52,600 Speaker 6: from Kentucky, who is not a fan of what is 102 00:04:52,760 --> 00:04:55,880 Speaker 6: happening with the war in Iran. As I mentioned earlier, 103 00:04:56,000 --> 00:04:58,520 Speaker 6: arguably the Republican face of the War powers debate in 104 00:04:58,560 --> 00:05:00,440 Speaker 6: the Senate. He's also the man who is going to 105 00:05:00,480 --> 00:05:03,360 Speaker 6: have to shepherd the confirmation process for the next Secretary 106 00:05:03,400 --> 00:05:06,120 Speaker 6: of Homeland Security, as Ran Paul is the chair of 107 00:05:06,160 --> 00:05:09,640 Speaker 6: the Senate Homeland Security Committee. We started with the matters 108 00:05:10,000 --> 00:05:12,240 Speaker 6: of war and peace, however, and I asked him if 109 00:05:12,240 --> 00:05:15,160 Speaker 6: he believed this war in Iran was illegal. 110 00:05:15,200 --> 00:05:15,920 Speaker 4: Here's what he said. 111 00:05:16,520 --> 00:05:19,120 Speaker 7: Well, you know the thing about the debate over awards, 112 00:05:19,160 --> 00:05:21,600 Speaker 7: one of the most important debates we have. Our founding 113 00:05:21,640 --> 00:05:25,719 Speaker 7: fathers had an extensive discussion over this, the Constitutional Convention, 114 00:05:25,800 --> 00:05:26,920 Speaker 7: the Federalist papers. 115 00:05:27,000 --> 00:05:28,440 Speaker 8: They all had strong feelings. 116 00:05:28,720 --> 00:05:31,919 Speaker 7: But interesting, even though there were differences between Hamilton and Jefferson, 117 00:05:33,279 --> 00:05:35,440 Speaker 7: really they all came together and said they didn't want 118 00:05:35,440 --> 00:05:38,039 Speaker 7: the president of the power to initiate or declare war. 119 00:05:38,440 --> 00:05:40,240 Speaker 8: They wanted that power to be with Congress. 120 00:05:40,560 --> 00:05:42,839 Speaker 7: So this is a very important, if not the most 121 00:05:42,839 --> 00:05:46,360 Speaker 7: important congressional debate we have over war powers and over 122 00:05:46,440 --> 00:05:50,119 Speaker 7: the Constitution. And yeah, I think the Constitution's very clear 123 00:05:50,240 --> 00:05:53,279 Speaker 7: you go to war and warship be initiated through Congress. 124 00:05:53,320 --> 00:05:55,919 Speaker 7: And the reason our founding fathers made it so is 125 00:05:55,960 --> 00:05:59,480 Speaker 7: they didn't like war. They wanted war to be less often, 126 00:05:59,560 --> 00:06:02,159 Speaker 7: They wanted war to be a rarity, not common. 127 00:06:02,880 --> 00:06:03,600 Speaker 4: So last week. 128 00:06:03,680 --> 00:06:08,200 Speaker 6: Then in that failed vote, Congress voted to abdicate its 129 00:06:08,279 --> 00:06:09,640 Speaker 6: duties its powers. 130 00:06:10,000 --> 00:06:12,640 Speaker 7: Yeah, the War Powers Act. A lot of people confused it. 131 00:06:12,680 --> 00:06:15,880 Speaker 7: They say, always just a reporting requirement. President has to 132 00:06:15,920 --> 00:06:18,839 Speaker 7: report after sixty days. It's really much more than that 133 00:06:19,000 --> 00:06:23,400 Speaker 7: because it acknowledges the first part of the War Powers 134 00:06:23,440 --> 00:06:25,839 Speaker 7: Act says you have to have either a decoration of 135 00:06:25,880 --> 00:06:28,560 Speaker 7: war or a vote to authorize for us, or there 136 00:06:28,560 --> 00:06:31,479 Speaker 7: has to be imminent danger. That's really what our judgment 137 00:06:31,520 --> 00:06:34,039 Speaker 7: should be. And so many of the arguments that came 138 00:06:34,040 --> 00:06:37,599 Speaker 7: from this administration really don't hold water. I said, well, 139 00:06:37,680 --> 00:06:39,760 Speaker 7: they've been at war with US for forty seven years, 140 00:06:39,760 --> 00:06:42,040 Speaker 7: and I said, well, that doesn't sound very imminent. That 141 00:06:42,160 --> 00:06:44,200 Speaker 7: kind of sounds like you might have had time to 142 00:06:44,200 --> 00:06:46,719 Speaker 7: come to Congress and get a decoration of war. 143 00:06:46,920 --> 00:06:49,279 Speaker 4: Absolutely, it sounds like you see this as an illegal action. 144 00:06:49,360 --> 00:06:51,760 Speaker 7: Then yeah, I don't think this is what our founding 145 00:06:51,760 --> 00:06:54,960 Speaker 7: fathers intended, is not what the Constitution intends. And so 146 00:06:55,080 --> 00:06:59,120 Speaker 7: I continue to support these War Powers Action to try 147 00:06:59,120 --> 00:07:02,080 Speaker 7: to limit the executs the same way I would under 148 00:07:02,120 --> 00:07:05,039 Speaker 7: and did under President Obama and President Biden as well. 149 00:07:05,120 --> 00:07:07,640 Speaker 6: So will that make it difficult for you to vote 150 00:07:07,720 --> 00:07:10,720 Speaker 6: to support a supplemental budget request, assuming that does arrive. 151 00:07:10,760 --> 00:07:12,400 Speaker 4: As we've heard, I think. 152 00:07:12,280 --> 00:07:14,800 Speaker 7: The biggest threat to our country, into our national security, 153 00:07:14,880 --> 00:07:17,280 Speaker 7: is our debt, and so I think adding more to 154 00:07:17,360 --> 00:07:19,680 Speaker 7: our debt doesn't make us safeer. It actually will make 155 00:07:19,760 --> 00:07:22,920 Speaker 7: us make it more in danger to be further in debt. 156 00:07:23,360 --> 00:07:26,280 Speaker 7: So the administration has said they want to increase the 157 00:07:26,320 --> 00:07:29,480 Speaker 7: budget by fifty percent. Yes, that sounds like a large increase, 158 00:07:29,480 --> 00:07:32,840 Speaker 7: from a trillion to one point five trillion, and then 159 00:07:32,880 --> 00:07:35,360 Speaker 7: in the meantime they may ask for another fifty billion 160 00:07:35,480 --> 00:07:38,880 Speaker 7: or so, maybe one hundred. Already talking about, well, we 161 00:07:39,000 --> 00:07:40,520 Speaker 7: got to give the farmers some money. You know, the 162 00:07:40,520 --> 00:07:43,280 Speaker 7: tariffs aren't so good for farmers, and instead of removing 163 00:07:43,280 --> 00:07:44,080 Speaker 7: the tariffs. 164 00:07:43,720 --> 00:07:45,480 Speaker 8: That are hurting the farmers, they're going to give the 165 00:07:45,520 --> 00:07:46,240 Speaker 8: farmers some money. 166 00:07:46,240 --> 00:07:48,960 Speaker 7: And then they're like, well, we've had had some disasters 167 00:07:49,000 --> 00:07:53,840 Speaker 7: around here, so we're going to do military disasters, you know, 168 00:07:54,480 --> 00:07:57,400 Speaker 7: stipeend for the farmers since the tariff arting them. It'll 169 00:07:57,440 --> 00:08:00,640 Speaker 7: be a mess, and it'll be something that anybody's fiscally 170 00:08:00,640 --> 00:08:01,920 Speaker 7: conservative will not. 171 00:08:02,000 --> 00:08:04,800 Speaker 4: So you're in no regardless of the number, soundly. 172 00:08:04,720 --> 00:08:08,880 Speaker 7: Because right now our military we spend more on our 173 00:08:08,880 --> 00:08:12,040 Speaker 7: military than the next ten countries combined. So for people 174 00:08:12,040 --> 00:08:14,840 Speaker 7: to argue we're not spending enough, we're spending more than 175 00:08:14,840 --> 00:08:18,240 Speaker 7: the next ten countries combined. We spend plenty on our military, at. 176 00:08:18,160 --> 00:08:19,360 Speaker 8: Least be spent wisely. 177 00:08:19,880 --> 00:08:22,240 Speaker 7: But they've spent an extraordinary amount on two wars event 178 00:08:22,360 --> 00:08:24,880 Speaker 7: two wars in one month. I mean, for goodness sakes, 179 00:08:24,880 --> 00:08:29,000 Speaker 7: they're talking about another war with Cuba as we speak, right. So, yeah, 180 00:08:29,000 --> 00:08:32,360 Speaker 7: they cost money. They cost laws most importantly, but they 181 00:08:32,400 --> 00:08:36,080 Speaker 7: also cost money. And I'm just not for I'm not 182 00:08:36,520 --> 00:08:38,320 Speaker 7: wasn't for the war in Venezuela, I'm not for the 183 00:08:38,360 --> 00:08:40,600 Speaker 7: war in Iran, and I'm certainly not for a war 184 00:08:40,640 --> 00:08:41,120 Speaker 7: with Cuba. 185 00:08:41,480 --> 00:08:45,040 Speaker 6: You're chairman of the Committee on Homeland Security. Are you 186 00:08:45,160 --> 00:08:48,480 Speaker 6: hearing about domestic terror threats that we need to know about? 187 00:08:48,480 --> 00:08:50,800 Speaker 6: This has been a great concern about sleeper cells, about 188 00:08:50,840 --> 00:08:53,360 Speaker 6: lone wolves. Has that threat increased because of this? 189 00:08:53,480 --> 00:08:56,400 Speaker 7: Actually, I don't have specific knowledge that it has. We 190 00:08:56,440 --> 00:08:59,000 Speaker 7: have not had any specific briefing to say it has. 191 00:08:59,040 --> 00:09:02,199 Speaker 7: But I'm not here argue that it isn't a potential problem. 192 00:09:02,200 --> 00:09:05,880 Speaker 7: I think anytime you're at war, there is the potential 193 00:09:06,040 --> 00:09:07,560 Speaker 7: for you know, terrorist actions. 194 00:09:07,800 --> 00:09:09,360 Speaker 8: I think we already had, you know, one. 195 00:09:09,160 --> 00:09:11,839 Speaker 7: Shooting in Texas that people said it was related to 196 00:09:11,840 --> 00:09:12,760 Speaker 7: the terrorism. 197 00:09:12,480 --> 00:09:12,920 Speaker 4: End of the war. 198 00:09:13,120 --> 00:09:16,440 Speaker 6: Yeah, some have worried that the fact that DHS, the department, 199 00:09:16,520 --> 00:09:19,280 Speaker 6: not your committee, is closed right now is making us 200 00:09:19,360 --> 00:09:23,400 Speaker 6: less safe. It is the ability for DHS to come 201 00:09:23,400 --> 00:09:26,440 Speaker 6: back domestic terror threats compromised by this closure. 202 00:09:26,559 --> 00:09:28,920 Speaker 7: Yeah, I don't know how much DHS actually does. I 203 00:09:28,920 --> 00:09:32,079 Speaker 7: don't know those people who believe. Of course, the FBI 204 00:09:32,920 --> 00:09:36,000 Speaker 7: has an important task in trying to look for people 205 00:09:36,040 --> 00:09:39,040 Speaker 7: who are in the country that might harm us. There 206 00:09:39,080 --> 00:09:42,480 Speaker 7: are aspects of crossing of borders that make a difference. 207 00:09:43,000 --> 00:09:45,320 Speaker 8: But you know, I'm one of. 208 00:09:45,320 --> 00:09:47,480 Speaker 7: Those who after nine to eleven thought, gosh, we're just 209 00:09:47,520 --> 00:09:49,839 Speaker 7: going to create these enormous bureaucracies. It costs a lot 210 00:09:49,840 --> 00:09:52,880 Speaker 7: of money, but don't necessarily make us safer. Interesting, So 211 00:09:53,040 --> 00:09:56,040 Speaker 7: I would rather the money probably be spent specifically on 212 00:09:57,880 --> 00:10:03,439 Speaker 7: detailed defenses against terrorism, as opposed to it being bloated bureaucracy, 213 00:10:03,520 --> 00:10:05,679 Speaker 7: which is what the Department from MyD security has become. 214 00:10:05,800 --> 00:10:07,760 Speaker 6: Well, I know that you've got TSA workers who are 215 00:10:07,760 --> 00:10:10,560 Speaker 6: going to start missing paychecks if they aren't already. I 216 00:10:10,800 --> 00:10:13,520 Speaker 6: understand that Global Entry is being reopened, which I thought 217 00:10:13,559 --> 00:10:16,280 Speaker 6: was an interesting headline this morning, considering the strain on 218 00:10:16,320 --> 00:10:19,640 Speaker 6: the system. How long can tsa hold up without getting paid. 219 00:10:20,480 --> 00:10:22,640 Speaker 8: I've been for a reform of this, So I think 220 00:10:22,679 --> 00:10:23,360 Speaker 8: what we should do. 221 00:10:23,440 --> 00:10:25,200 Speaker 7: If you work for the government and I have a 222 00:10:25,240 --> 00:10:27,480 Speaker 7: contract and I pay you eighty thousand dollars a year, 223 00:10:27,840 --> 00:10:31,280 Speaker 7: it's a breach of contract. We should just keep paying everybody. 224 00:10:31,520 --> 00:10:33,840 Speaker 7: The appropriations could be for a lot of other things 225 00:10:33,840 --> 00:10:36,720 Speaker 7: that are optional, but the employment is not so optional, 226 00:10:36,920 --> 00:10:39,240 Speaker 7: particularly of like air traffic controllers. 227 00:10:39,520 --> 00:10:40,400 Speaker 8: I fly all the time. 228 00:10:40,440 --> 00:10:43,079 Speaker 7: Frankly, I want my air traffic controller to be well paid, yes, 229 00:10:43,440 --> 00:10:44,679 Speaker 7: well rested. 230 00:10:44,360 --> 00:10:46,920 Speaker 8: And not unhappy when he or she comes to work. 231 00:10:47,400 --> 00:10:50,360 Speaker 7: So there is a reform that's floated around, and I've 232 00:10:50,440 --> 00:10:52,319 Speaker 7: voted for it several times. And this is you know, 233 00:10:52,640 --> 00:10:54,320 Speaker 7: this isn't the first time, or it won't be the 234 00:10:54,360 --> 00:10:58,160 Speaker 7: last time there's a debate overfunding. The debate is actually healthy. 235 00:10:58,720 --> 00:11:02,960 Speaker 7: What is unhealthy is that not paying workers. And so 236 00:11:03,120 --> 00:11:05,319 Speaker 7: I think the workers, if they're working, ought to be paid, 237 00:11:05,679 --> 00:11:08,760 Speaker 7: and so I'm for a reform that anytime we have 238 00:11:08,800 --> 00:11:12,800 Speaker 7: a shutdown, the contract aspect of the workers that we 239 00:11:12,960 --> 00:11:15,520 Speaker 7: pay should just go on despite the impass. 240 00:11:15,760 --> 00:11:18,200 Speaker 6: Well, so what's it going to take to reopen this agency? 241 00:11:18,240 --> 00:11:21,760 Speaker 6: And would maybe a new secretary do the trick? You're 242 00:11:21,800 --> 00:11:24,040 Speaker 6: going to be tasked with this confirmation process? 243 00:11:24,360 --> 00:11:27,840 Speaker 8: Have you scheduled a hearing next week? Give all the PaperWorks? 244 00:11:28,040 --> 00:11:30,559 Speaker 7: There has to be an FBI background check, and there 245 00:11:30,559 --> 00:11:35,400 Speaker 7: has to be some ethics documents, and the minority party 246 00:11:35,440 --> 00:11:37,000 Speaker 7: has to have a certain amount of days to look. 247 00:11:36,920 --> 00:11:38,920 Speaker 8: At these understood, these are the things we agree to. 248 00:11:39,080 --> 00:11:40,680 Speaker 7: If it can all be done, We're going to try 249 00:11:40,679 --> 00:11:43,360 Speaker 7: to do the hearing and the vote next week. But 250 00:11:43,920 --> 00:11:47,520 Speaker 7: I think that overall my suggestion, I'm not sure they're 251 00:11:47,520 --> 00:11:49,920 Speaker 7: going to listen to me. My suggestion would be to 252 00:11:49,960 --> 00:11:53,200 Speaker 7: acknowledge that there have been failures with ICE and that 253 00:11:53,240 --> 00:11:56,680 Speaker 7: they're coming out with new policies and new regulations as 254 00:11:56,720 --> 00:11:59,959 Speaker 7: to how their agents behave. When I had the agent 255 00:12:00,000 --> 00:12:02,040 Speaker 7: and it's come in recently, the head of ICE and 256 00:12:02,080 --> 00:12:04,280 Speaker 7: the head of the Border Patrol, I asked him that 257 00:12:04,320 --> 00:12:08,040 Speaker 7: specific question. You know, if I'm me to you and 258 00:12:08,080 --> 00:12:10,560 Speaker 7: i'm the ICE agent, you're yelling at me. He said, 259 00:12:10,559 --> 00:12:12,480 Speaker 7: okay for me to lunge at you and spray you 260 00:12:12,920 --> 00:12:15,680 Speaker 7: right in the face with pepper spray for your words. 261 00:12:16,080 --> 00:12:18,400 Speaker 7: And he said no, but that's what we were seeing 262 00:12:18,400 --> 00:12:21,080 Speaker 7: in all of those images. We saw women thrown to 263 00:12:21,120 --> 00:12:24,599 Speaker 7: the ground for yelling at officers. And nobody likes to 264 00:12:24,640 --> 00:12:27,040 Speaker 7: be yelled at, but that is part of America. People 265 00:12:27,040 --> 00:12:28,880 Speaker 7: are going to yell at you, and as long as 266 00:12:28,920 --> 00:12:31,960 Speaker 7: it's words, we shouldn't be reacting in a physical way. 267 00:12:32,120 --> 00:12:33,680 Speaker 8: So I think guys needs to announce that. 268 00:12:33,720 --> 00:12:36,880 Speaker 7: They kind of in our hearing admitted that all the 269 00:12:36,920 --> 00:12:39,559 Speaker 7: actions that we were seeing in these videos wasn't appropriate, 270 00:12:40,000 --> 00:12:42,160 Speaker 7: but there was also a lot of denial going on, 271 00:12:42,480 --> 00:12:44,480 Speaker 7: and I'm looking to see if it's going to be 272 00:12:44,480 --> 00:12:48,000 Speaker 7: any different, and frankly, that would be I recommendation and announce. 273 00:12:48,240 --> 00:12:49,920 Speaker 8: And Homan kind of did some of this. 274 00:12:50,480 --> 00:12:53,439 Speaker 7: They removed people from the streets, they quit doing the confrontation, 275 00:12:54,160 --> 00:12:57,320 Speaker 7: and they also said that agents that misbehaved would be punished. 276 00:12:57,720 --> 00:13:00,000 Speaker 7: None of that was happening before Tom Homan showed up 277 00:13:00,120 --> 00:13:04,400 Speaker 7: up and gave a little more professionalism to the things 278 00:13:04,400 --> 00:13:07,199 Speaker 7: that were going on in Minnesota. Really, since he showed 279 00:13:07,240 --> 00:13:09,440 Speaker 7: up and removed to the streets, you haven't seen a 280 00:13:09,440 --> 00:13:12,920 Speaker 7: whole lot of right of footage coming out of Minnesota. 281 00:13:13,000 --> 00:13:16,520 Speaker 4: De masking has been a line for most Republicans. Is 282 00:13:16,559 --> 00:13:17,120 Speaker 4: it for you? 283 00:13:18,559 --> 00:13:20,960 Speaker 8: I think that there might be a time when a 284 00:13:20,960 --> 00:13:21,520 Speaker 8: mask might. 285 00:13:21,520 --> 00:13:23,640 Speaker 7: Be appropriate if you're on the border and you're dealing, 286 00:13:24,160 --> 00:13:27,839 Speaker 7: you know, the in the thicker battle with cartels. Maybe 287 00:13:28,280 --> 00:13:32,199 Speaker 7: if you're in an elevator in the in the courthouse 288 00:13:32,200 --> 00:13:36,720 Speaker 7: in Chicago, I saw one image of mask agents going in. 289 00:13:37,200 --> 00:13:40,920 Speaker 7: It was three or four moms and ten kids, and 290 00:13:41,160 --> 00:13:44,480 Speaker 7: you know, basically rounding them all up and being masked. Look, 291 00:13:44,559 --> 00:13:48,120 Speaker 7: the bailiffs aren't masked, the Chicago police aren't masked. So 292 00:13:48,160 --> 00:13:50,600 Speaker 7: I think in our cities, in areas where the other 293 00:13:50,840 --> 00:13:53,880 Speaker 7: police officers are masked, there's no reason why one set 294 00:13:53,920 --> 00:13:57,000 Speaker 7: of federal officials should be masked and another set shouldn't be. 295 00:13:57,520 --> 00:14:00,760 Speaker 7: So I won't say it's an absolute that no masks, 296 00:14:01,000 --> 00:14:02,920 Speaker 7: but I would say when you're participating where other law 297 00:14:02,960 --> 00:14:06,800 Speaker 7: enforcement isn't, I don't think it's anonymity. 298 00:14:06,840 --> 00:14:08,360 Speaker 8: I think leads to bad behavior. 299 00:14:08,480 --> 00:14:08,840 Speaker 3: Interesting. 300 00:14:09,800 --> 00:14:13,199 Speaker 6: What do you make of the nomination of Senator Mark 301 00:14:13,240 --> 00:14:16,640 Speaker 6: Wayne Mullen And did the senator from Oklahoma jeopardize his 302 00:14:16,679 --> 00:14:19,360 Speaker 6: standing with you with some of the colorful language he 303 00:14:19,440 --> 00:14:21,400 Speaker 6: used to describe you last month. 304 00:14:21,800 --> 00:14:23,160 Speaker 4: You'll felt this yearman a snake. 305 00:14:23,360 --> 00:14:26,160 Speaker 7: You'll find out more if you come to the nomination area. 306 00:14:26,200 --> 00:14:29,800 Speaker 7: I promise you Neil will be a good and fullsome hearing. 307 00:14:30,000 --> 00:14:33,560 Speaker 6: Okay, sounds like everyone sees him getting this job, though, 308 00:14:33,560 --> 00:14:34,560 Speaker 6: will he be confirmed in. 309 00:14:34,520 --> 00:14:36,280 Speaker 8: The end, We'll see, Okay. 310 00:14:37,080 --> 00:14:40,080 Speaker 6: President Trumps on his way to Kentucky today, the affordability 311 00:14:40,120 --> 00:14:44,160 Speaker 6: tour lands in Tom Massey's district. What are people in 312 00:14:44,240 --> 00:14:47,400 Speaker 6: Kentucky telling you about three dollars and twenty cent gas? 313 00:14:47,520 --> 00:14:47,920 Speaker 4: Right now? 314 00:14:48,320 --> 00:14:50,560 Speaker 7: You know I'm a big supporter of Thomas Massey. I 315 00:14:50,640 --> 00:14:53,240 Speaker 7: have campaigned with him, We'll continue to campaign with him. 316 00:14:53,840 --> 00:14:58,240 Speaker 7: He released some material yesterday that was pretty extraordinary. His 317 00:14:58,280 --> 00:15:01,800 Speaker 7: opponent actually, when Donald Try won the nomination in twenty sixteen, 318 00:15:01,880 --> 00:15:02,560 Speaker 7: left the party. 319 00:15:02,600 --> 00:15:03,280 Speaker 8: In discussed. 320 00:15:03,880 --> 00:15:06,880 Speaker 7: So it's ironic that the president is now supporting a 321 00:15:06,880 --> 00:15:09,680 Speaker 7: guy who hated Donald Trump so much that he left 322 00:15:09,720 --> 00:15:12,840 Speaker 7: the party only came back into the party when Joe 323 00:15:12,880 --> 00:15:15,520 Speaker 7: Biden became president. So there is a certain amount of 324 00:15:15,520 --> 00:15:19,280 Speaker 7: irony there, and voters actually know this stuff, and this 325 00:15:19,320 --> 00:15:21,560 Speaker 7: will be all over It is all over television right 326 00:15:21,600 --> 00:15:24,640 Speaker 7: now that his opponent basically left the party because of 327 00:15:24,680 --> 00:15:25,360 Speaker 7: Donald Trump. 328 00:15:25,400 --> 00:15:28,160 Speaker 8: Well, so can he get over that irony? I don't know. 329 00:15:28,200 --> 00:15:29,560 Speaker 7: I think a lot of people are going to say, well, 330 00:15:29,560 --> 00:15:31,960 Speaker 7: what's up with this? You know, But there's a lot 331 00:15:32,000 --> 00:15:33,880 Speaker 7: of respect for Thomas Massey. 332 00:15:33,920 --> 00:15:36,160 Speaker 8: I mean, look, he took an issue. 333 00:15:36,040 --> 00:15:39,280 Speaker 7: That the President had promoted, revealing the Epstein files. 334 00:15:39,560 --> 00:15:40,640 Speaker 8: President was all for it. 335 00:15:40,960 --> 00:15:44,120 Speaker 7: Thomas Massey took that issue and ran with it, and 336 00:15:44,240 --> 00:15:47,160 Speaker 7: issue the President supported until the President didn't support the 337 00:15:47,200 --> 00:15:47,880 Speaker 7: issue anymore. 338 00:15:48,400 --> 00:15:49,200 Speaker 4: But think about the. 339 00:15:49,160 --> 00:15:52,920 Speaker 7: Effectiveness of a guy who only had three Republican allies 340 00:15:52,960 --> 00:15:56,160 Speaker 7: when it started and in the end passed it unanimously 341 00:15:56,760 --> 00:16:00,120 Speaker 7: in the House, passed it unanimously in the Senate when 342 00:16:00,120 --> 00:16:03,600 Speaker 7: the President signed it. That is an extraordinary feat. So 343 00:16:03,680 --> 00:16:05,960 Speaker 7: I think a lot of people see that Thomas fact. 344 00:16:06,400 --> 00:16:09,800 Speaker 7: Thomas Massey's quite effective, and I would say he's also 345 00:16:09,840 --> 00:16:12,320 Speaker 7: the most fiscally conservative member of the House. 346 00:16:12,800 --> 00:16:15,440 Speaker 8: It's a conservative district. I think he's actually doing pretty 347 00:16:15,440 --> 00:16:15,760 Speaker 8: well well. 348 00:16:15,800 --> 00:16:17,800 Speaker 6: Indeed, you have a lot in common and to your point, 349 00:16:17,840 --> 00:16:20,160 Speaker 6: you will campaign for him for his re election, absolutely, 350 00:16:20,200 --> 00:16:21,320 Speaker 6: And do you have. 351 00:16:21,320 --> 00:16:22,880 Speaker 4: Plans to be on the stumping time soon? 352 00:16:23,480 --> 00:16:25,200 Speaker 7: I've already done two days with him. I have two 353 00:16:25,280 --> 00:16:27,480 Speaker 7: days coming up in two weeks and we just added 354 00:16:27,760 --> 00:16:29,920 Speaker 7: another two days, so I will spend a lot of 355 00:16:29,960 --> 00:16:33,280 Speaker 7: time in the district. We're raising money for him, and 356 00:16:33,720 --> 00:16:36,720 Speaker 7: he will be outspent. They'll probably spend twenty to thirty 357 00:16:36,760 --> 00:16:40,200 Speaker 7: million trying to defeat a Republican, which really is to 358 00:16:40,240 --> 00:16:41,440 Speaker 7: me a waste of. 359 00:16:41,320 --> 00:16:43,160 Speaker 8: Money to try to beat a Republican. 360 00:16:43,200 --> 00:16:46,200 Speaker 7: But they're also trying to beat the most conservative member 361 00:16:46,240 --> 00:16:51,600 Speaker 7: of the House of Representatives, and the irony is not 362 00:16:51,720 --> 00:16:52,680 Speaker 7: lost on a lot of people. 363 00:16:52,680 --> 00:16:54,720 Speaker 4: And you think he keeps his job. It sounds like I. 364 00:16:54,640 --> 00:16:56,080 Speaker 7: Think he has a very good chance of winning. It 365 00:16:56,120 --> 00:16:58,240 Speaker 7: won't be easy, you know, but I think he has 366 00:16:58,240 --> 00:16:59,560 Speaker 7: a very good chance of still winning. 367 00:17:01,040 --> 00:17:04,120 Speaker 6: Senator Ran Paul talking with us earlier on Capitol Hill, 368 00:17:04,200 --> 00:17:06,320 Speaker 6: we should not. The President is on his way on 369 00:17:06,400 --> 00:17:09,360 Speaker 6: Air Force one to first Ohio, then Kentucky, where he'll 370 00:17:09,359 --> 00:17:11,960 Speaker 6: be speaking around four thirty pm Eastern time. 371 00:17:12,040 --> 00:17:15,080 Speaker 4: Boone County indeed the home of Tom Massey. 372 00:17:15,600 --> 00:17:19,320 Speaker 6: Kaylee lines the President on truth Social I predict Representative 373 00:17:19,359 --> 00:17:22,520 Speaker 6: Thomas Massey will go down as the worst Republican Congressman 374 00:17:22,800 --> 00:17:25,640 Speaker 6: in the long and fabled history of the United States Congress. 375 00:17:26,040 --> 00:17:28,840 Speaker 6: He has a few examples to list there, and goes 376 00:17:28,880 --> 00:17:30,760 Speaker 6: on to say that Massey, who is running against a 377 00:17:30,800 --> 00:17:34,200 Speaker 6: great American patriot in the Kentucky primary, will hopefully lose. 378 00:17:34,240 --> 00:17:36,320 Speaker 4: Big. I suspect we'll hear a lot about that later on. 379 00:17:36,480 --> 00:17:38,840 Speaker 2: Yeah, well, we did hear about that from Tom Massey himself, 380 00:17:38,840 --> 00:17:41,560 Speaker 2: who posted in response to that on x I predict 381 00:17:41,560 --> 00:17:44,800 Speaker 2: President dj T will be grudgingly signed my beautiful Epstein 382 00:17:44,840 --> 00:17:48,879 Speaker 2: Files Transparency Act. Oh wait, that already happened, so clearly 383 00:17:48,920 --> 00:17:51,080 Speaker 2: there's a bit of back and forth, as you allude to, Joe, 384 00:17:51,160 --> 00:17:53,359 Speaker 2: I imagine we're going to get quite a bit of 385 00:17:53,400 --> 00:17:57,040 Speaker 2: commentary from President Trump about Thomas Massey, in particular, even 386 00:17:57,040 --> 00:17:58,960 Speaker 2: though he's purportedly going to be in his district to 387 00:17:59,040 --> 00:18:02,439 Speaker 2: talk about affordability express he is also doing in Ohio. 388 00:18:02,520 --> 00:18:05,159 Speaker 2: And I would imagine beyond that too, the President's probably 389 00:18:05,200 --> 00:18:07,720 Speaker 2: going to straight into the question of Iran, as he 390 00:18:07,760 --> 00:18:09,520 Speaker 2: did when he was beginning his travels. 391 00:18:09,560 --> 00:18:12,280 Speaker 6: Well, that's right, White award that Ram Paul calls illegal. 392 00:18:12,600 --> 00:18:15,119 Speaker 6: This is going to be an interesting bit of conversation 393 00:18:15,240 --> 00:18:16,960 Speaker 6: later on today. And we should note, by the way, 394 00:18:17,520 --> 00:18:19,240 Speaker 6: having spent some time with Ram Paul. We're going to 395 00:18:19,240 --> 00:18:22,120 Speaker 6: be joined by Democratic Senator Alyssa Slotkin on the late 396 00:18:22,240 --> 00:18:23,399 Speaker 6: edition of Balance of Power. 397 00:18:23,520 --> 00:18:26,040 Speaker 2: Yeah, it'll be interesting to see how much overlap there 398 00:18:26,040 --> 00:18:28,800 Speaker 2: actually is between those two on this issue, knowing that 399 00:18:28,880 --> 00:18:32,199 Speaker 2: Senator Paul is kind of a lone Republican voice in 400 00:18:32,240 --> 00:18:34,680 Speaker 2: being more critical of the war and specifically pushing back 401 00:18:34,720 --> 00:18:37,199 Speaker 2: on the idea that the military needs more funding for 402 00:18:37,320 --> 00:18:39,119 Speaker 2: it as we grapple with the notion that a supplemental 403 00:18:39,119 --> 00:18:41,840 Speaker 2: funding request could be coming. So there is a lot 404 00:18:41,840 --> 00:18:43,120 Speaker 2: to get into. It's a great conversation. 405 00:18:43,560 --> 00:18:46,040 Speaker 6: Well, we're glad to spend some time with the Senator, 406 00:18:46,040 --> 00:18:48,400 Speaker 6: a conversation you won't see or hear anywhere else today. 407 00:18:48,440 --> 00:18:50,760 Speaker 6: Put right here on Bloomberg TV and Radio. Stay with 408 00:18:50,880 --> 00:18:53,040 Speaker 6: us on Balance of Power. We'll have much more coming 409 00:18:53,160 --> 00:18:53,800 Speaker 6: up after this. 410 00:18:58,119 --> 00:19:01,600 Speaker 1: You're listening to the Bloomberg Month of Power podcast. Catch 411 00:19:01,680 --> 00:19:05,119 Speaker 1: us live weekdays at noon and five pm Eastern on Apple, 412 00:19:05,160 --> 00:19:08,199 Speaker 1: Cockway and Android Auto with the Bloomberg Business App. You 413 00:19:08,240 --> 00:19:11,720 Speaker 1: can also listen live on Amazon Alexa from our flagship 414 00:19:11,760 --> 00:19:15,680 Speaker 1: New York station Just Say Alexa played Bloomberg eleven thirty. 415 00:19:17,160 --> 00:19:18,720 Speaker 4: The President has just left us. 416 00:19:18,720 --> 00:19:21,680 Speaker 6: He's on his way outside of the Bubble to Ohio 417 00:19:21,720 --> 00:19:24,879 Speaker 6: and Kentucky, but made a bit of news before he 418 00:19:25,000 --> 00:19:28,200 Speaker 6: left Kaylee. Having spoken with Axios by phone this morning, 419 00:19:28,240 --> 00:19:30,280 Speaker 6: the President we alluded to this at the top of 420 00:19:30,280 --> 00:19:33,960 Speaker 6: the hour, said we're practically out of targets in Iran. 421 00:19:34,080 --> 00:19:36,359 Speaker 6: He had a very different approach when he talked to 422 00:19:36,400 --> 00:19:39,919 Speaker 6: reporters in the driveway, suggesting that there's much more in 423 00:19:40,040 --> 00:19:42,960 Speaker 6: store for the Iranians, who of course are making it 424 00:19:43,000 --> 00:19:45,560 Speaker 6: clear that they're not interested right now in a ceasefire. 425 00:19:45,640 --> 00:19:47,800 Speaker 6: The President said, by the way, we have eliminated nearly 426 00:19:47,840 --> 00:19:51,879 Speaker 6: all of Iran's mining ships. There I guess could be 427 00:19:51,880 --> 00:19:53,680 Speaker 6: a couple of left. They were inactive at the time. 428 00:19:53,720 --> 00:19:57,679 Speaker 6: And he said, despite some reports indicating otherwise yesterday Kaylee, 429 00:19:57,680 --> 00:20:01,520 Speaker 6: that no mining has begun. Iran has not begun mining 430 00:20:01,520 --> 00:20:02,760 Speaker 6: the Straight or four moves well. 431 00:20:02,760 --> 00:20:05,440 Speaker 2: And of course that is a crucial question that needs 432 00:20:05,480 --> 00:20:08,360 Speaker 2: to be answered, especially for the operators of these tankers, 433 00:20:08,359 --> 00:20:10,600 Speaker 2: of these vessels that are considering trains it is for 434 00:20:10,640 --> 00:20:14,000 Speaker 2: straight and bringing oil or natural gas whatever product along 435 00:20:14,040 --> 00:20:16,160 Speaker 2: with them. The President said when he spoke to reporters 436 00:20:16,160 --> 00:20:18,480 Speaker 2: that companies should feel safe doing this, that US oil 437 00:20:18,520 --> 00:20:21,160 Speaker 2: companies should, But that kind of speaks to the idea 438 00:20:21,200 --> 00:20:23,800 Speaker 2: that this isn't necessarily up to President Trump. It is 439 00:20:23,880 --> 00:20:28,199 Speaker 2: up to private businesses to make these calculated decisions around risks, 440 00:20:28,280 --> 00:20:31,760 Speaker 2: and they might not necessarily feel safe, especially when there's 441 00:20:31,800 --> 00:20:34,280 Speaker 2: been a bit of dispute about whether US naval escorts 442 00:20:34,280 --> 00:20:36,359 Speaker 2: are happening for these vessels. The White House says no, 443 00:20:36,480 --> 00:20:38,919 Speaker 2: despite what the Energy Secretary Chris Wright tweeted. 444 00:20:38,960 --> 00:20:40,400 Speaker 8: Yeah, we had for a second yesterday. 445 00:20:40,440 --> 00:20:41,960 Speaker 6: For a second, it was up and it was down, 446 00:20:42,000 --> 00:20:44,800 Speaker 6: all within the confines of this hour, I believe at 447 00:20:44,800 --> 00:20:47,600 Speaker 6: this time yesterday. And in that video that he had 448 00:20:47,600 --> 00:20:50,560 Speaker 6: posted and later removed, it was from an event that 449 00:20:50,600 --> 00:20:52,560 Speaker 6: was held in Colorado, I guess a couple of days ago. 450 00:20:52,600 --> 00:20:54,639 Speaker 6: He said the United States is now buying into the 451 00:20:54,720 --> 00:20:57,760 Speaker 6: insurance business, and that remains an offer by the President. 452 00:20:57,800 --> 00:21:00,840 Speaker 4: We just haven't seen that enacted yet, which all speaks. 453 00:21:00,560 --> 00:21:02,560 Speaker 2: To the costs of what's happening in the Middle East, 454 00:21:02,560 --> 00:21:04,920 Speaker 2: which is something you spoke about with Senator Rand Paul 455 00:21:04,960 --> 00:21:06,480 Speaker 2: as well. The idea of the White House meaning to 456 00:21:06,480 --> 00:21:08,560 Speaker 2: come and ask Congress for more money for this. So 457 00:21:08,680 --> 00:21:10,560 Speaker 2: let's get into all of this now with our political panel. 458 00:21:10,560 --> 00:21:13,840 Speaker 2: Bloomberg Politics contributors Rick Davis and Jeanie Shanzano are with us. Rick, 459 00:21:13,880 --> 00:21:16,520 Speaker 2: of course, republican strategist Stone Court Capital partner, Genie our 460 00:21:16,560 --> 00:21:19,600 Speaker 2: democratic analyst and democracy visiting fellow at the Harvard Kennedy 461 00:21:19,600 --> 00:21:23,400 Speaker 2: Schools ASH Center. Welcome to you both. Rick, I feel 462 00:21:23,440 --> 00:21:24,879 Speaker 2: like every time we talk to you, and we do 463 00:21:24,920 --> 00:21:28,200 Speaker 2: so frequently, we're asking a similar question about what exactly 464 00:21:28,240 --> 00:21:30,679 Speaker 2: the message is that President Trump of the administration is 465 00:21:30,760 --> 00:21:33,119 Speaker 2: trying to send when it comes to Iran? 466 00:21:33,600 --> 00:21:35,399 Speaker 3: Right now, what's your best guess? 467 00:21:36,560 --> 00:21:39,560 Speaker 9: Well, I think they're in the declared victory mode. From 468 00:21:39,600 --> 00:21:42,600 Speaker 9: what I can tell, the President has sort of been 469 00:21:42,600 --> 00:21:44,760 Speaker 9: testing out a lot of different messages over the course 470 00:21:44,800 --> 00:21:47,840 Speaker 9: of the last couple of days. What we heard as 471 00:21:47,880 --> 00:21:51,680 Speaker 9: he was boarding a flight earlier today is that, you know, 472 00:21:51,720 --> 00:21:54,159 Speaker 9: he's gone through the list. He's you know, we've destroyed 473 00:21:54,160 --> 00:21:56,640 Speaker 9: the Air Force, We've destroyed their ground radar, we've destroyed 474 00:21:56,640 --> 00:22:00,240 Speaker 9: their missile systems. I mean, you know, we've destroyed their leadership. 475 00:22:00,880 --> 00:22:04,000 Speaker 9: He's like, we barely have anything else to target anymore. 476 00:22:04,760 --> 00:22:06,679 Speaker 9: But then he under his brother Hills, but there are 477 00:22:06,720 --> 00:22:09,000 Speaker 9: other things we can target. So at the end of 478 00:22:09,040 --> 00:22:11,760 Speaker 9: the day. I think what you see is like a 479 00:22:12,000 --> 00:22:18,000 Speaker 9: materialization of the administration sort of talking themselves into job done. 480 00:22:19,040 --> 00:22:22,320 Speaker 9: You know, we did exactly what we said we were 481 00:22:22,320 --> 00:22:29,040 Speaker 9: going to do, and we've disrupted Iran's ability to spread 482 00:22:29,400 --> 00:22:30,240 Speaker 9: terror throughout the. 483 00:22:30,200 --> 00:22:31,639 Speaker 4: Region and at home. 484 00:22:32,119 --> 00:22:35,320 Speaker 9: And I wouldn't be surprised that we see a lot 485 00:22:35,359 --> 00:22:37,520 Speaker 9: of this winding down over the course of the next week. 486 00:22:38,840 --> 00:22:41,360 Speaker 9: In fact, I would be shocked if the pace continues 487 00:22:42,119 --> 00:22:46,600 Speaker 9: as brisk as it is. And we've seen really significant 488 00:22:46,680 --> 00:22:49,320 Speaker 9: bombing attacks by both Israel and the United States over 489 00:22:49,320 --> 00:22:53,040 Speaker 9: the last couple of days. It's pretty clear, both in 490 00:22:53,160 --> 00:22:56,080 Speaker 9: Israel and in other parts of the Middle East that 491 00:22:56,280 --> 00:23:01,320 Speaker 9: Iran has significantly reduced their attacks on those target There 492 00:23:01,440 --> 00:23:04,640 Speaker 9: just simply aren't as many missiles being lobbed into these 493 00:23:04,680 --> 00:23:07,639 Speaker 9: areas that there were in the early stages of this campaign, 494 00:23:08,119 --> 00:23:11,520 Speaker 9: and that may indicate a level of weakness in the 495 00:23:11,520 --> 00:23:12,960 Speaker 9: ability for around. 496 00:23:12,720 --> 00:23:13,439 Speaker 4: The counter attack. 497 00:23:13,800 --> 00:23:17,480 Speaker 9: So lots to see happening over the course of the weekend, 498 00:23:18,480 --> 00:23:22,360 Speaker 9: but I can imagine coming out of next weekend this weekend, 499 00:23:22,840 --> 00:23:26,240 Speaker 9: we see an administration in full victory mode. 500 00:23:27,720 --> 00:23:28,160 Speaker 4: Interesting. 501 00:23:28,200 --> 00:23:32,000 Speaker 6: Senator Chris Murphy has been busy on Twitter Genie, of course, 502 00:23:32,040 --> 00:23:35,600 Speaker 6: an important foreign policy voice on the democratic side of 503 00:23:35,640 --> 00:23:37,160 Speaker 6: the island. He says, I was in a two hour 504 00:23:37,240 --> 00:23:41,000 Speaker 6: briefing today on the Iran war. All the briefings are 505 00:23:41,000 --> 00:23:43,480 Speaker 6: closed because Trump cannot defend this war in public, and 506 00:23:43,520 --> 00:23:46,080 Speaker 6: he says, of course he can't disclose classified information, but 507 00:23:46,119 --> 00:23:49,480 Speaker 6: you deserve to know how incoherent and incomplete these war 508 00:23:49,560 --> 00:23:54,240 Speaker 6: plans are. This is a multi post thread here. Maybe 509 00:23:54,280 --> 00:23:56,480 Speaker 6: the lead, he says, is the war goals do not 510 00:23:56,760 --> 00:24:02,200 Speaker 6: involve destroying Iran's nuclear weapons program. They confirmed regime change 511 00:24:02,320 --> 00:24:05,399 Speaker 6: is also not on the list, and he says, okay, 512 00:24:05,400 --> 00:24:06,280 Speaker 6: what are the goals? 513 00:24:06,320 --> 00:24:06,520 Speaker 4: Then? 514 00:24:06,880 --> 00:24:09,560 Speaker 6: It seems primarily destroying lots of missiles and boats and 515 00:24:09,640 --> 00:24:13,280 Speaker 6: drone factories. The question that stumped them what happens when 516 00:24:13,320 --> 00:24:15,879 Speaker 6: you stop bombing and they restart production. They hinted at 517 00:24:15,920 --> 00:24:18,840 Speaker 6: more bombing, which is, of course, he says, endless war. 518 00:24:19,160 --> 00:24:23,200 Speaker 4: Is that how you see this? I don't know how. 519 00:24:23,080 --> 00:24:24,440 Speaker 10: Else we could see it. 520 00:24:24,600 --> 00:24:28,160 Speaker 11: You know, we have a United States government that went 521 00:24:28,240 --> 00:24:31,719 Speaker 11: in to Rick's point, there has been no clear objective 522 00:24:31,880 --> 00:24:35,000 Speaker 11: laid out, but we do hear three things. End their 523 00:24:35,080 --> 00:24:39,240 Speaker 11: nuclear capacity or their ability to build nuclear weapons, get 524 00:24:39,320 --> 00:24:42,199 Speaker 11: rid of their ballistic missiles program and end their support 525 00:24:42,240 --> 00:24:46,159 Speaker 11: of these proxies. To do that, you need regime change, 526 00:24:46,200 --> 00:24:48,280 Speaker 11: and he can't just get rid of a regime. You 527 00:24:48,359 --> 00:24:50,560 Speaker 11: need to get rid of that regime and replace it 528 00:24:50,600 --> 00:24:53,560 Speaker 11: with one that isn't interested in any of those goals, 529 00:24:53,600 --> 00:24:55,639 Speaker 11: and by the way, is also friendly to the United 530 00:24:55,640 --> 00:24:56,479 Speaker 11: States and Israel. 531 00:24:57,000 --> 00:24:58,680 Speaker 10: Exactly the opposite has happened. 532 00:24:59,040 --> 00:25:01,760 Speaker 11: We now have the Iatola's son who has been named 533 00:25:01,800 --> 00:25:06,080 Speaker 11: Supreme Leader. He is reeling from US bombings and Israeli 534 00:25:06,119 --> 00:25:09,600 Speaker 11: bombings that killed his wife, his child, his father. 535 00:25:09,440 --> 00:25:10,959 Speaker 10: And many family members. 536 00:25:11,320 --> 00:25:14,560 Speaker 11: The President is on TV on Fox saying things like, well, 537 00:25:14,600 --> 00:25:18,000 Speaker 11: I might talk to them again, except do we think 538 00:25:18,080 --> 00:25:20,760 Speaker 11: that the new Supreme Leader is in any mood to 539 00:25:20,800 --> 00:25:23,359 Speaker 11: talk to the United States. They did that after the 540 00:25:23,400 --> 00:25:26,280 Speaker 11: Twelve Day War last year and they got bombed again, 541 00:25:26,400 --> 00:25:28,760 Speaker 11: So that seems to be off the table. Not only 542 00:25:28,840 --> 00:25:32,879 Speaker 11: is this regime still going interview of people rallying for 543 00:25:32,960 --> 00:25:36,920 Speaker 11: it in the streets, you have ballistic missiles apparently still there. 544 00:25:37,080 --> 00:25:41,160 Speaker 11: You have nine hundred pounds of nuclear enriched uranium over 545 00:25:41,200 --> 00:25:42,120 Speaker 11: there that's got. 546 00:25:41,880 --> 00:25:44,919 Speaker 10: To be taken out. So any of these sort of 547 00:25:45,000 --> 00:25:48,200 Speaker 10: objectives as we've heard them. None of them have been achieved. 548 00:25:48,240 --> 00:25:51,040 Speaker 11: And the President, for all of his sort of bravado 549 00:25:51,160 --> 00:25:53,840 Speaker 11: and gro talk about how well we're doing and we've 550 00:25:53,880 --> 00:25:55,960 Speaker 11: destroyed them, and we've done this, and we've done that, 551 00:25:56,359 --> 00:25:59,760 Speaker 11: he can't point to one objective that he has achieved. 552 00:26:00,119 --> 00:26:04,159 Speaker 11: And he can't even convince ardent supporters like Joe Rogan 553 00:26:04,400 --> 00:26:07,280 Speaker 11: that any of this makes any sense or we should 554 00:26:07,320 --> 00:26:09,080 Speaker 11: be putting up with the pain at the gas pump 555 00:26:09,320 --> 00:26:12,000 Speaker 11: and the loss of American lives because of what he 556 00:26:12,080 --> 00:26:12,880 Speaker 11: decided to do. 557 00:26:13,320 --> 00:26:16,320 Speaker 10: This is an enormous disaster for the president. 558 00:26:16,560 --> 00:26:18,719 Speaker 11: Hence his call with Vladimir Putin, who may be the 559 00:26:18,720 --> 00:26:22,480 Speaker 11: only way and the only person who can negotiate potentially 560 00:26:22,520 --> 00:26:23,080 Speaker 11: an end to this. 561 00:26:23,200 --> 00:26:24,360 Speaker 10: That call he had yesterday. 562 00:26:26,720 --> 00:26:29,480 Speaker 2: Well, when we consider the idea of regime change, Rick 563 00:26:29,560 --> 00:26:31,640 Speaker 2: Senator Lindsay Graham, who of course has been a big 564 00:26:31,680 --> 00:26:34,959 Speaker 2: proponent an advocate for this action in Iran, has clearly 565 00:26:35,000 --> 00:26:37,639 Speaker 2: been frankly thrilled with what he has seen over the 566 00:26:37,640 --> 00:26:40,240 Speaker 2: course of the last twelve days, has suggested this cannot 567 00:26:40,240 --> 00:26:43,920 Speaker 2: be successful. You cannot have complete victories. The President has 568 00:26:43,920 --> 00:26:47,160 Speaker 2: said he wants if the Iyatola son effectively is still 569 00:26:47,160 --> 00:26:50,440 Speaker 2: in charge if that is who ultimately replaces the late 570 00:26:50,560 --> 00:26:53,400 Speaker 2: Supreme Leader, how loud a voice is that in President 571 00:26:53,440 --> 00:26:56,360 Speaker 2: Trump's ear? Knowing that it does seem that Linday Graham 572 00:26:56,359 --> 00:26:58,440 Speaker 2: has had a great deal of influence on this so far. 573 00:26:59,280 --> 00:27:01,480 Speaker 9: Well, if you listen Lindsay Graham, he'll tell you that 574 00:27:01,520 --> 00:27:05,280 Speaker 9: he's been a big influence in Donald Trump's heir and 575 00:27:05,320 --> 00:27:07,679 Speaker 9: there certainly is lots of evidence that that may be 576 00:27:07,720 --> 00:27:10,840 Speaker 9: the case. He's certainly getting a lot of blowback from 577 00:27:11,320 --> 00:27:15,359 Speaker 9: mega superstars around the country who feel like Lindsay has 578 00:27:15,480 --> 00:27:19,639 Speaker 9: sort of brought Trump along into the you know, neo 579 00:27:19,760 --> 00:27:24,920 Speaker 9: khon hawk defense world that they campaign heavily against. 580 00:27:25,680 --> 00:27:28,080 Speaker 4: Look, I mean, we have to constantly. 581 00:27:27,600 --> 00:27:31,320 Speaker 9: Remind ourselves that Iran has been the biggest spreader of 582 00:27:31,400 --> 00:27:35,120 Speaker 9: terror around the world, killing thousands of people Americans to boot, 583 00:27:36,000 --> 00:27:39,760 Speaker 9: you know, for forty seven years, and and so you know, 584 00:27:40,040 --> 00:27:42,520 Speaker 9: we're not dealing with a regime that has any good 585 00:27:42,680 --> 00:27:47,080 Speaker 9: track record. And if you go to Israel today, you 586 00:27:47,200 --> 00:27:51,320 Speaker 9: find every opposition politician who don't have any love for 587 00:27:51,359 --> 00:27:55,320 Speaker 9: bb Nityahu praising him for the gallantry that he has 588 00:27:55,359 --> 00:27:59,960 Speaker 9: shown in trying to extinguish an existential threat to that state. 589 00:28:00,240 --> 00:28:03,920 Speaker 9: So when you look at the various audiences at work here, 590 00:28:03,960 --> 00:28:07,800 Speaker 9: and certainly Lindsey Graham is sensitive to the security of Israel, 591 00:28:08,080 --> 00:28:10,159 Speaker 9: you wouldn't be surprised that he would be such a 592 00:28:10,240 --> 00:28:11,960 Speaker 9: cheerleader for this kind of an initiative. 593 00:28:13,160 --> 00:28:17,720 Speaker 6: Rick Genie mentioned the new Supreme Leader, the new ayatz Hola, 594 00:28:17,800 --> 00:28:21,879 Speaker 6: who is reportedly not only mourning the loss of family members, 595 00:28:21,920 --> 00:28:26,720 Speaker 6: as Genie mentioned, but he's trying to heal from injuries 596 00:28:26,760 --> 00:28:31,159 Speaker 6: sustained in one of our strikes in the early going here, 597 00:28:32,320 --> 00:28:37,520 Speaker 6: including injuries to his legs. Reportedly, he's alert and sheltering 598 00:28:37,560 --> 00:28:41,400 Speaker 6: at a highly secure location with limited communication. Based on 599 00:28:41,440 --> 00:28:45,760 Speaker 6: your experience with the American and Israeli militaries, Rick, is 600 00:28:45,800 --> 00:28:47,440 Speaker 6: this an individual who's going to see the end of 601 00:28:47,440 --> 00:28:50,320 Speaker 6: the week. Can he even go outside? 602 00:28:50,560 --> 00:28:53,080 Speaker 9: Well, I don't think there's any hesitation based on what 603 00:28:53,160 --> 00:28:56,720 Speaker 9: we've seen so far with the strikes of this magnitude 604 00:28:57,400 --> 00:29:00,320 Speaker 9: to not target him. He is just as much a 605 00:29:00,360 --> 00:29:03,520 Speaker 9: target as his father was at the time. He's just 606 00:29:03,600 --> 00:29:07,880 Speaker 9: as opposed to, you know, is Iran entering the world 607 00:29:07,880 --> 00:29:12,080 Speaker 9: community as his father was, and he stands between a 608 00:29:12,160 --> 00:29:15,280 Speaker 9: population that's split on whether they want a religious regime 609 00:29:15,440 --> 00:29:19,440 Speaker 9: or a secular regime. I'm hopeful that if there is 610 00:29:19,480 --> 00:29:24,520 Speaker 9: a secession of military activity, regardless of whether the current 611 00:29:24,560 --> 00:29:28,200 Speaker 9: Supreme Leader survives it or not, that we give a 612 00:29:28,280 --> 00:29:30,800 Speaker 9: chance for the people of Iran to make some choices 613 00:29:30,800 --> 00:29:32,719 Speaker 9: about who's going to run their country and not have 614 00:29:33,200 --> 00:29:36,320 Speaker 9: it imposed upon them by out of touch clerics. 615 00:29:38,160 --> 00:29:40,680 Speaker 2: When we consider Genie the future of Iran as well, 616 00:29:40,720 --> 00:29:44,440 Speaker 2: how is the sentiment about the US in particular going 617 00:29:44,480 --> 00:29:47,160 Speaker 2: to be shaped by the Iranian fatalities we've seen, including 618 00:29:47,360 --> 00:29:50,959 Speaker 2: a report suggesting the US thinks an early report suggest 619 00:29:51,040 --> 00:29:53,440 Speaker 2: it was our Tomahawk missile that hit that elementary school. 620 00:29:54,880 --> 00:29:59,240 Speaker 11: Yeah, it's just devastating and as opposed to taking responsibility 621 00:29:59,320 --> 00:30:03,720 Speaker 11: for that her terrific mistake, which here the President suggested 622 00:30:03,800 --> 00:30:07,120 Speaker 11: that Iran had stolen Tomahawk missiles and had these precision 623 00:30:07,120 --> 00:30:10,400 Speaker 11: missiles and shot them at a girls' school in killing 624 00:30:10,440 --> 00:30:13,240 Speaker 11: them over one hundred and seventy people. There's absolutely no 625 00:30:13,280 --> 00:30:15,640 Speaker 11: evidence of that. If the US did it, it was 626 00:30:15,640 --> 00:30:18,560 Speaker 11: an attempt to hit that navel. We should apologize and 627 00:30:18,600 --> 00:30:22,400 Speaker 11: take responsibility. Horrific and works against everything Rick was saying 628 00:30:22,400 --> 00:30:25,440 Speaker 11: about the people on the ground wanting to work with us. 629 00:30:25,960 --> 00:30:27,960 Speaker 6: Yeah, the President was asked about that we should know 630 00:30:28,040 --> 00:30:29,760 Speaker 6: in the driveway, so that he didn't know anything about 631 00:30:29,800 --> 00:30:32,440 Speaker 6: that finding. Rick Davis and Jeanie Shanzano, thank you both 632 00:30:33,000 --> 00:30:34,200 Speaker 6: for an important conversation. 633 00:30:34,560 --> 00:30:36,720 Speaker 4: Stay with us on Balance of Power. We'll have much 634 00:30:36,760 --> 00:30:37,920 Speaker 4: more coming up after this. 635 00:30:42,240 --> 00:30:45,720 Speaker 1: You're listening to the Bloomberg Balance of Power podcast. Catch 636 00:30:45,760 --> 00:30:48,840 Speaker 1: us live weekdays at noon and five pm Eastern on 637 00:30:48,960 --> 00:30:52,160 Speaker 1: Apple Cockway and Android Auto with the Bloomberg Business app. 638 00:30:52,240 --> 00:30:55,239 Speaker 1: You can also listen live on Amazon Alexa from our 639 00:30:55,280 --> 00:30:59,800 Speaker 1: flagship New York station Just Say Alexa played Bloomberg eleven thirty. 640 00:31:01,280 --> 00:31:03,880 Speaker 2: Return here to Balance a Power on Bloomberg TV and Radio, 641 00:31:03,880 --> 00:31:05,440 Speaker 2: where we of course try to bring you the facts 642 00:31:05,440 --> 00:31:07,239 Speaker 2: and we never want to be alarmist, but I do 643 00:31:07,280 --> 00:31:10,920 Speaker 2: want to raise call attention to some reporting that just 644 00:31:10,960 --> 00:31:13,440 Speaker 2: came out from ABC News. Who has seen an alert 645 00:31:13,520 --> 00:31:16,840 Speaker 2: or reviewed one that the FBI is warning police departments 646 00:31:16,840 --> 00:31:19,520 Speaker 2: in California in recent days that Iran could retaliate for 647 00:31:19,560 --> 00:31:24,000 Speaker 2: American attacks by launching drones at the West Coast. According 648 00:31:24,040 --> 00:31:27,000 Speaker 2: to ABC's reporting, there's been information acquired that as of 649 00:31:27,040 --> 00:31:30,720 Speaker 2: early February of this year, Iron allegedly aspired to conduct 650 00:31:30,720 --> 00:31:34,320 Speaker 2: a surprise attack using and I'm quoting directly Joe, unmanned 651 00:31:34,360 --> 00:31:37,680 Speaker 2: aerial vehicles from an unidentified vessel off the coast of 652 00:31:37,720 --> 00:31:41,600 Speaker 2: the United States homeland, specifically against unspecified targets in California. 653 00:31:41,640 --> 00:31:44,080 Speaker 2: Now we should note this is just a report by ABC. 654 00:31:44,160 --> 00:31:46,239 Speaker 2: Bloomberg has not verified this. But we did hear from 655 00:31:46,280 --> 00:31:48,760 Speaker 2: President Trump when he was departing the Right House en 656 00:31:48,800 --> 00:31:50,960 Speaker 2: route to Ohio and Kentucky today that he is not 657 00:31:51,200 --> 00:31:54,520 Speaker 2: worried about an Iran backed domestic terror attack. 658 00:31:54,720 --> 00:31:57,640 Speaker 6: I asked Senator Ran Paul, of course, chairs the Homeland 659 00:31:57,640 --> 00:32:01,600 Speaker 6: Security Committee, that very same question, if the closure of 660 00:32:01,680 --> 00:32:06,360 Speaker 6: DHS and the strikes against Iran combined to create more urgency, 661 00:32:06,360 --> 00:32:08,800 Speaker 6: if he was hearing anything he knew of, no credible threats, 662 00:32:09,240 --> 00:32:12,560 Speaker 6: or no increase in chatter even from beforehand. To your point, 663 00:32:12,640 --> 00:32:17,959 Speaker 6: this was information acquired in February. In the event that 664 00:32:18,000 --> 00:32:21,080 Speaker 6: the US conducted strikes against Iran. I can't imagine how 665 00:32:21,080 --> 00:32:23,480 Speaker 6: an unidentified vessel off the coast of California would be 666 00:32:23,480 --> 00:32:24,680 Speaker 6: out there for very long without. 667 00:32:24,520 --> 00:32:26,400 Speaker 4: US knowing about it. But this is a pretty scary report. 668 00:32:26,720 --> 00:32:28,880 Speaker 2: Well, absolutely, and it does call attention to the fact 669 00:32:28,920 --> 00:32:31,000 Speaker 2: that even as President Trump is suggesting the war maybe 670 00:32:31,000 --> 00:32:33,120 Speaker 2: over soon or we're running out of targets, even though 671 00:32:33,120 --> 00:32:35,560 Speaker 2: he doesn't always necessarily stick to that language, that does 672 00:32:35,600 --> 00:32:38,360 Speaker 2: not mean that Iran is willing to throw in the 673 00:32:38,400 --> 00:32:40,120 Speaker 2: towel at this point, or that it is done with 674 00:32:40,160 --> 00:32:41,440 Speaker 2: its own retaliatory measure. 675 00:32:41,480 --> 00:32:44,600 Speaker 6: As the Speaker for the Parliament yesterday said, they're not 676 00:32:44,720 --> 00:32:47,240 Speaker 6: interested in a ceasefire. Right now, I'll mention as well 677 00:32:47,400 --> 00:32:50,720 Speaker 6: a headline just crossed the terminal the IDF. This is Israel, 678 00:32:50,760 --> 00:32:53,719 Speaker 6: of course, detecting launch of missiles from Iran. They are 679 00:32:53,760 --> 00:32:56,520 Speaker 6: working to intercept them as we speak. And this has 680 00:32:56,600 --> 00:33:00,800 Speaker 6: been the deal on a daily basis here. This all 681 00:33:00,960 --> 00:33:05,040 Speaker 6: began just crossing the terminal. Now, as we bring in 682 00:33:05,080 --> 00:33:08,120 Speaker 6: the voice of Patrick McHenry, I'm glad to say, and 683 00:33:08,160 --> 00:33:09,520 Speaker 6: we've got a lot to talk about here that we 684 00:33:09,560 --> 00:33:11,959 Speaker 6: carved out a good chunk of time for the former chairman, 685 00:33:12,000 --> 00:33:15,720 Speaker 6: former Speaker pro tempt, former chairman of the Financial Services Committee. 686 00:33:15,760 --> 00:33:18,880 Speaker 6: I should note Patrick McHenry and Bloomberg Politics contributor, it's 687 00:33:18,880 --> 00:33:19,640 Speaker 6: great to see you. 688 00:33:19,960 --> 00:33:20,440 Speaker 8: To be with you. 689 00:33:20,480 --> 00:33:21,840 Speaker 6: I don't even know where to begin here, so we 690 00:33:21,840 --> 00:33:23,720 Speaker 6: may as well start with rons since we're already talking 691 00:33:23,760 --> 00:33:24,080 Speaker 6: about it. 692 00:33:24,120 --> 00:33:25,520 Speaker 4: War powers are out the window. 693 00:33:26,040 --> 00:33:28,560 Speaker 6: The president appears to have the green light from Congress, 694 00:33:28,560 --> 00:33:30,400 Speaker 6: will he get a blank check when he asks for 695 00:33:30,440 --> 00:33:31,720 Speaker 6: a supplemental. 696 00:33:31,480 --> 00:33:32,880 Speaker 4: That's the question for Congress. 697 00:33:32,920 --> 00:33:38,120 Speaker 12: The war powers resolution process is one that is really 698 00:33:38,280 --> 00:33:41,640 Speaker 12: mostly a partisan football, and this has happened from time 699 00:33:41,680 --> 00:33:45,760 Speaker 12: to time over the last fifty years. The real question 700 00:33:45,840 --> 00:33:49,840 Speaker 12: for Congress is on funding, right. This requires a president 701 00:33:49,840 --> 00:33:51,840 Speaker 12: to go make the case to the American people on 702 00:33:52,080 --> 00:33:55,280 Speaker 12: a timeline and a set of goals. The goals can 703 00:33:55,320 --> 00:33:57,600 Speaker 12: dictate the timeline, right, but you have to have one 704 00:33:57,640 --> 00:34:00,680 Speaker 12: of those public markers right, and we currently don't have 705 00:34:00,720 --> 00:34:03,440 Speaker 12: that from the administration, at least not, as Kaye said, 706 00:34:03,440 --> 00:34:06,800 Speaker 12: on a consistent basis, from the President and from important 707 00:34:06,800 --> 00:34:09,840 Speaker 12: cabinet leaders. That means that Congressional leaders are in the 708 00:34:09,920 --> 00:34:14,239 Speaker 12: dark about those goals and therefore the timeline they're going 709 00:34:14,320 --> 00:34:20,480 Speaker 12: to be put to answering the question here on replenishing. 710 00:34:19,760 --> 00:34:21,680 Speaker 4: The munitions that are being used. 711 00:34:21,920 --> 00:34:25,360 Speaker 12: In a really substantial way and one of the largest 712 00:34:25,680 --> 00:34:31,640 Speaker 12: actions we've taken since I mean since actually Barack Obama's 713 00:34:31,680 --> 00:34:35,799 Speaker 12: first year in office, and so This is going to 714 00:34:35,800 --> 00:34:37,759 Speaker 12: be a large funding request. Congress is going to have 715 00:34:37,800 --> 00:34:40,800 Speaker 12: to go through this. It will require a by person 716 00:34:40,920 --> 00:34:43,879 Speaker 12: vote in both the House and the Senate, which means 717 00:34:43,880 --> 00:34:46,400 Speaker 12: the Democratic Party will have to have a sense of 718 00:34:46,760 --> 00:34:49,880 Speaker 12: a sense of the meaning and purpose of this as well. 719 00:34:49,960 --> 00:34:50,200 Speaker 4: Well. 720 00:34:50,239 --> 00:34:52,360 Speaker 2: We've heard from at least one Democrat here at Bloomberg. 721 00:34:52,719 --> 00:34:55,799 Speaker 2: Joe spoke with your former colleague, Congressman Wasserman Schultz, who 722 00:34:55,800 --> 00:34:59,480 Speaker 2: suggested she actually would be open for a supplement. Thinks, yeah, 723 00:34:59,600 --> 00:35:02,920 Speaker 2: that the troops need to be supported effectively, knowing that 724 00:35:02,960 --> 00:35:05,719 Speaker 2: this is an election year. Every decision by these representatives 725 00:35:05,719 --> 00:35:08,479 Speaker 2: is being made with that in mind. Can Democrats really 726 00:35:08,480 --> 00:35:11,440 Speaker 2: be seen voting against the troops if this comes. 727 00:35:11,200 --> 00:35:15,200 Speaker 12: Down no, and therefore then exacerbates the divide within the 728 00:35:15,200 --> 00:35:19,479 Speaker 12: Democratic Party. You have a very substantial anti Semitic wing 729 00:35:19,640 --> 00:35:23,040 Speaker 12: on the progressive left that has now entered politics. You 730 00:35:23,040 --> 00:35:24,680 Speaker 12: have some of that on the right, but it's much 731 00:35:24,719 --> 00:35:27,759 Speaker 12: more predominant on the progressive left. This will be exacerbated 732 00:35:27,760 --> 00:35:32,320 Speaker 12: by our coordination with Israel against our mutual enemy in Iran. 733 00:35:32,960 --> 00:35:35,000 Speaker 12: You also have that question on the Republican side of 734 00:35:35,000 --> 00:35:38,800 Speaker 12: the aisle, which is the divide between the anti intervention 735 00:35:38,880 --> 00:35:42,480 Speaker 12: ast magawing that has had a substantial voice in the 736 00:35:42,480 --> 00:35:47,440 Speaker 12: presence and administration, namely with JD. Vance and those that 737 00:35:47,480 --> 00:35:51,680 Speaker 12: are okay with intervention to some degree. So that exacerbates 738 00:35:51,680 --> 00:35:54,000 Speaker 12: the divide in both parties when you're going for funding 739 00:35:54,040 --> 00:35:54,759 Speaker 12: on Capitol Hill. 740 00:35:55,440 --> 00:35:59,280 Speaker 6: So with that said, it's likely to pass. It sounds 741 00:35:59,360 --> 00:36:03,160 Speaker 6: like with the health of some Democrats. Does that take 742 00:36:03,200 --> 00:36:06,640 Speaker 6: the place of reconciliation, because every time we bring this up, 743 00:36:06,719 --> 00:36:08,200 Speaker 6: somebody has got an idea of what they want to. 744 00:36:08,200 --> 00:36:08,799 Speaker 4: Attach to it. 745 00:36:08,880 --> 00:36:10,839 Speaker 12: Sure, I think reconciliation is going to be a great 746 00:36:10,840 --> 00:36:13,720 Speaker 12: talk for Republicans for the next six months. 747 00:36:14,200 --> 00:36:17,399 Speaker 4: I don't see it as a real fire drill. 748 00:36:17,640 --> 00:36:20,120 Speaker 12: I think this is it's going to be very difficult 749 00:36:20,200 --> 00:36:23,400 Speaker 12: for the House to just pass normal pieces of legislation 750 00:36:23,800 --> 00:36:26,880 Speaker 12: on party line votes, given how narrow the majority is 751 00:36:27,000 --> 00:36:30,480 Speaker 12: in the US House the US Senate. I think Republicans 752 00:36:30,480 --> 00:36:33,320 Speaker 12: are much more united in the Republican in the US Senate. 753 00:36:33,200 --> 00:36:34,880 Speaker 4: Than they are in the US House. 754 00:36:35,200 --> 00:36:40,239 Speaker 12: They actually have the same number of differential between their majorities. 755 00:36:40,480 --> 00:36:43,000 Speaker 12: Right with Republicans with fifty three seats in the in 756 00:36:43,120 --> 00:36:49,319 Speaker 12: the Senate and House Republicans with about six six vote 757 00:36:49,360 --> 00:36:51,799 Speaker 12: marching currently, so it's a really tight thing to get 758 00:36:51,840 --> 00:36:56,400 Speaker 12: the legislation through the House. So reconciliation it's a shirts 759 00:36:56,400 --> 00:37:00,520 Speaker 12: and skins Republicans versus Democrat operations going to be very 760 00:37:00,520 --> 00:37:02,399 Speaker 12: difficult for the House Republicians to. 761 00:37:02,320 --> 00:37:03,200 Speaker 4: Pull this thing together. 762 00:37:03,360 --> 00:37:06,799 Speaker 12: So that best case, and it's currently not best case 763 00:37:06,840 --> 00:37:08,839 Speaker 12: politically for Republicans. 764 00:37:08,920 --> 00:37:10,080 Speaker 8: Right now, I want to. 765 00:37:10,080 --> 00:37:11,759 Speaker 2: Ask you about what we were dealing with at this 766 00:37:11,840 --> 00:37:14,880 Speaker 2: time yesterday, which was the tweet that was then deleted 767 00:37:14,920 --> 00:37:17,640 Speaker 2: by the Energy Secretary Chris Right that a US Navy 768 00:37:17,960 --> 00:37:19,719 Speaker 2: escort had happened and a tanker had gotten through the 769 00:37:19,719 --> 00:37:22,400 Speaker 2: strait of hormose. For that reason, we saw movement in 770 00:37:22,440 --> 00:37:24,439 Speaker 2: oil prices. And I'm asking you this as the former 771 00:37:24,480 --> 00:37:27,040 Speaker 2: chair of the Financial Services Committee. Does that not smack of, 772 00:37:27,400 --> 00:37:31,359 Speaker 2: even if inadvertent, market manipulation here? I just when we 773 00:37:31,400 --> 00:37:34,120 Speaker 2: know that there is so much vulnerability in financial markets 774 00:37:34,160 --> 00:37:36,719 Speaker 2: right now to the developments around this conflict, does the 775 00:37:36,719 --> 00:37:38,680 Speaker 2: administration not need to be much more careful? 776 00:37:38,880 --> 00:37:40,200 Speaker 4: Oh, they mean to be very careful. 777 00:37:40,200 --> 00:37:43,520 Speaker 12: I mean these tweets, tweets, what can have hundreds of 778 00:37:43,560 --> 00:37:45,600 Speaker 12: billions of dollars worth of impact right now? 779 00:37:45,719 --> 00:37:47,799 Speaker 4: Yeah, it says two things though. 780 00:37:48,160 --> 00:37:51,760 Speaker 12: One is that everything hangs on the straits of hormones 781 00:37:51,880 --> 00:37:55,800 Speaker 12: right now. Economically, globally, our economy hangs off this narrow 782 00:37:55,880 --> 00:37:59,560 Speaker 12: spit of water where you get the predominant source of 783 00:37:59,760 --> 00:38:03,759 Speaker 12: energy for the world energy markets. The second piece is 784 00:38:03,800 --> 00:38:06,399 Speaker 12: that these markets are not driven by fundamentals right now, 785 00:38:06,400 --> 00:38:10,040 Speaker 12: they're driven by pure emotion. If we have some sense 786 00:38:10,239 --> 00:38:13,719 Speaker 12: of a certainty timeline, like President Trump gave us two 787 00:38:13,800 --> 00:38:17,040 Speaker 12: days ago, there is a great calming of the market then, 788 00:38:17,520 --> 00:38:21,840 Speaker 12: and anything that upsets that, either for good or for bad, 789 00:38:22,680 --> 00:38:24,359 Speaker 12: has creates these wild. 790 00:38:24,080 --> 00:38:25,000 Speaker 4: Swings right now. 791 00:38:25,160 --> 00:38:27,480 Speaker 12: But over time, if we're talking about this in a 792 00:38:27,480 --> 00:38:30,279 Speaker 12: month's time, the fundamentals will come to bear. And that 793 00:38:30,400 --> 00:38:34,000 Speaker 12: is a really troublesome thing for affordability domestically, a troublesome 794 00:38:34,040 --> 00:38:38,120 Speaker 12: thing for domestic politics in particular. But the tweet, it 795 00:38:38,200 --> 00:38:40,640 Speaker 12: really shows two things really well. 796 00:38:40,920 --> 00:38:43,520 Speaker 6: Everything at the moment that we're talking about on Capitol 797 00:38:43,560 --> 00:38:45,600 Speaker 6: Hill is on ice because of the Save Act. The 798 00:38:45,600 --> 00:38:49,520 Speaker 6: President says he won't sign anything save America. 799 00:38:49,680 --> 00:38:51,480 Speaker 4: There are a couple of versions. Thank you for correcting me. 800 00:38:51,560 --> 00:38:55,279 Speaker 6: On that Save America Act, he says, is the priority 801 00:38:55,360 --> 00:38:58,799 Speaker 6: that's beyond I guess DHS even confirming a new secretary. 802 00:38:58,880 --> 00:38:59,359 Speaker 4: I don't know. 803 00:38:59,400 --> 00:39:02,760 Speaker 6: But John Fune doesn't like this idea of the standing 804 00:39:02,840 --> 00:39:05,799 Speaker 6: filibuster and doesn't think he has the votes anyway. Listen 805 00:39:05,840 --> 00:39:08,960 Speaker 6: to the Senate Majority leader talking about this just earlier. 806 00:39:09,760 --> 00:39:13,200 Speaker 13: We don't have the votes either to proceed get on 807 00:39:13,520 --> 00:39:17,080 Speaker 13: a talking filibuster, nor to sustain one if we got 808 00:39:17,120 --> 00:39:20,479 Speaker 13: on it. But that is just a function of math, 809 00:39:20,520 --> 00:39:22,560 Speaker 13: and there is anything I can do about that. I mean, 810 00:39:22,600 --> 00:39:25,080 Speaker 13: I understand the President's got a passion to see this 811 00:39:25,120 --> 00:39:28,320 Speaker 13: issue addressed, as we all do. Does he understand that though, Well, 812 00:39:28,360 --> 00:39:31,880 Speaker 13: we've conveyed that to him, but we will continue to 813 00:39:31,920 --> 00:39:34,680 Speaker 13: make that argument, and they are. 814 00:39:35,200 --> 00:39:37,120 Speaker 6: President was just asked about it as he was leaving 815 00:39:37,160 --> 00:39:39,040 Speaker 6: the White House. He said, Hey, John Thune's the leader. 816 00:39:39,080 --> 00:39:41,480 Speaker 6: It's his job to get the votes. Does that mean 817 00:39:41,600 --> 00:39:43,319 Speaker 6: the Congress is shut indefinitely? 818 00:39:44,080 --> 00:39:44,600 Speaker 4: Of course not. 819 00:39:45,520 --> 00:39:47,759 Speaker 12: But the first thing I would say is John Tune 820 00:39:47,840 --> 00:39:51,200 Speaker 12: is such a master. And how we responded. We understood 821 00:39:51,200 --> 00:39:54,200 Speaker 12: what he said with his response without saying it. President 822 00:39:54,239 --> 00:39:58,200 Speaker 12: Trump understood the subtle art of this. But I mentioned 823 00:39:58,280 --> 00:40:01,239 Speaker 12: domestic politics at the end of the question about affordability 824 00:40:01,480 --> 00:40:04,239 Speaker 12: and oil prices and everything else. The pressure point on 825 00:40:04,320 --> 00:40:07,680 Speaker 12: Republicans right now is that we have a president that 826 00:40:07,760 --> 00:40:11,160 Speaker 12: is underwater. This is my friends on Capitol Hill have 827 00:40:11,200 --> 00:40:14,160 Speaker 12: this challenge going into midterm election year. The president sumbers 828 00:40:14,200 --> 00:40:16,600 Speaker 12: do not improve from January through election day. That's been 829 00:40:16,640 --> 00:40:19,000 Speaker 12: the case for the last fifty years in public companion 830 00:40:19,040 --> 00:40:21,600 Speaker 12: and surveys. No matter how popular you are, unpopular you 831 00:40:21,640 --> 00:40:24,880 Speaker 12: are in January, your numbers do not improve by election 832 00:40:24,960 --> 00:40:27,640 Speaker 12: day of a midterm. So now we're in this case 833 00:40:27,680 --> 00:40:30,840 Speaker 12: where that is a problem for Republicans. Donald Trump's underwater. 834 00:40:31,200 --> 00:40:33,719 Speaker 12: The economic the view of the American people on the 835 00:40:33,800 --> 00:40:37,239 Speaker 12: state of our economy and their economics, which is much 836 00:40:37,280 --> 00:40:39,520 Speaker 12: more important than the state of GDP growth or anything 837 00:40:39,520 --> 00:40:43,720 Speaker 12: else that is highly negative by the American people. Oil 838 00:40:43,760 --> 00:40:47,600 Speaker 12: prices will exacerbate this. So we need other sets of 839 00:40:47,680 --> 00:40:50,520 Speaker 12: things to point to. My friends in the Republican Party 840 00:40:50,600 --> 00:40:52,800 Speaker 12: need other things for the American people to think about 841 00:40:53,000 --> 00:40:56,120 Speaker 12: rather than their pocketbook, because they're not happy with their pocketbook. 842 00:40:56,400 --> 00:40:59,480 Speaker 12: And the big fight here is on immigration. Donald Trump's 843 00:40:59,520 --> 00:41:02,839 Speaker 12: secret to coming into the White House the first time 844 00:41:03,080 --> 00:41:06,279 Speaker 12: and the second time has been on immigration and border security. 845 00:41:06,440 --> 00:41:09,080 Speaker 12: He's trying to get the ban back together. And that's 846 00:41:09,080 --> 00:41:11,680 Speaker 12: what the Save Act is all about. To stoke what 847 00:41:12,080 --> 00:41:16,440 Speaker 12: was a powerful tool that they lost because of ineptitude 848 00:41:16,480 --> 00:41:20,279 Speaker 12: by DHS and how they handled things in Minneapolis and 849 00:41:20,320 --> 00:41:22,040 Speaker 12: a few other states. They're trying to get that back 850 00:41:22,040 --> 00:41:25,040 Speaker 12: together and get the political advantage on immigration back and 851 00:41:25,120 --> 00:41:26,879 Speaker 12: the Save Act and the fight on the Save Act 852 00:41:27,080 --> 00:41:29,920 Speaker 12: is one mechanism to do that, a value fight that 853 00:41:29,960 --> 00:41:32,720 Speaker 12: will not go much of anywhere in the US center. 854 00:41:33,480 --> 00:41:37,160 Speaker 2: Well, perhaps not unless Senator John Cornyn has his way. 855 00:41:37,239 --> 00:41:39,200 Speaker 2: This guy was almost the John that was the Senate 856 00:41:39,239 --> 00:41:41,319 Speaker 2: majority leader. He's out with an op ed in the 857 00:41:41,360 --> 00:41:44,600 Speaker 2: New York Post today noting that yes, historically he has 858 00:41:44,640 --> 00:41:47,560 Speaker 2: always supported the filibuster in that sixty vote threshold. He 859 00:41:47,640 --> 00:41:50,600 Speaker 2: says leaders must take stocked and adapt when the reality 860 00:41:50,600 --> 00:41:53,120 Speaker 2: on the ground changes. He says, after careful consideration, I 861 00:41:53,160 --> 00:41:56,479 Speaker 2: will support whatever changes to Senate rules that may prove 862 00:41:56,520 --> 00:41:59,600 Speaker 2: necessary for us to get the Save America Act passed. 863 00:42:00,200 --> 00:42:02,640 Speaker 2: Just a lot of words for saying President drump please 864 00:42:02,719 --> 00:42:04,280 Speaker 2: endorse me in my re election campaign. 865 00:42:04,880 --> 00:42:06,360 Speaker 4: That's you've summarized it. 866 00:42:06,480 --> 00:42:09,160 Speaker 12: That would be put that into any AI and you're 867 00:42:09,200 --> 00:42:13,000 Speaker 12: going to get out the key here. Yeah, politics are 868 00:42:13,000 --> 00:42:17,120 Speaker 12: a ficul thing, but let's just just step out a bed. Yeah, 869 00:42:17,200 --> 00:42:20,799 Speaker 12: So Republicans, there's this talk among many Senate Republicans they 870 00:42:20,840 --> 00:42:24,920 Speaker 12: want to end the filibuster for voting access. What did 871 00:42:24,920 --> 00:42:27,719 Speaker 12: Democrats want to do at the beginning of the Biden administration. 872 00:42:28,680 --> 00:42:31,520 Speaker 12: That's their first piece of legislation was to rewrite state 873 00:42:31,560 --> 00:42:34,680 Speaker 12: election laws and federalize them. Now and by the way, 874 00:42:34,840 --> 00:42:37,919 Speaker 12: undo the filibuster in order to for that one narrow thing. 875 00:42:38,239 --> 00:42:41,000 Speaker 12: And now Republicans are talking about the same thing long term, 876 00:42:41,120 --> 00:42:43,319 Speaker 12: that does end the filibuster when both parties are trying 877 00:42:43,320 --> 00:42:46,279 Speaker 12: to rip it apart for their own domestic politics, their 878 00:42:46,320 --> 00:42:49,840 Speaker 12: own political case, and what they view is their ability 879 00:42:49,880 --> 00:42:52,960 Speaker 12: to win the next election. I think this really shows 880 00:42:53,080 --> 00:42:56,759 Speaker 12: that these rules in the Senate are tenuous at best. 881 00:42:56,920 --> 00:42:59,040 Speaker 6: Wow, So a lot of efforts are running into the 882 00:42:59,040 --> 00:43:03,160 Speaker 6: wall here and next week out. It's an election year. 883 00:43:03,280 --> 00:43:05,279 Speaker 6: This is what happens for an election year. So what 884 00:43:05,400 --> 00:43:08,040 Speaker 6: happens to the Department of Homeland Security. There's a new 885 00:43:08,080 --> 00:43:10,520 Speaker 6: secretary at hand. Ran Paul just made pretty clear he 886 00:43:10,560 --> 00:43:14,239 Speaker 6: is going to have maybe a bumpy confirmation hearing at least, 887 00:43:14,239 --> 00:43:17,000 Speaker 6: But everyone sees him getting confirmed. Does that grease the 888 00:43:17,040 --> 00:43:19,680 Speaker 6: skids on reopening the agency. 889 00:43:19,800 --> 00:43:23,240 Speaker 12: It does, and it enables Democrats to get enough space 890 00:43:23,280 --> 00:43:26,080 Speaker 12: and time so that they can actually have a sensible 891 00:43:26,160 --> 00:43:28,359 Speaker 12: vote and come to a sensible outcome. I think Mark 892 00:43:28,400 --> 00:43:31,239 Speaker 12: waynemullin Is is a great choice by President Trump for 893 00:43:31,239 --> 00:43:34,000 Speaker 12: a couple of reasons. One, he does meet the Trump's 894 00:43:34,160 --> 00:43:37,520 Speaker 12: objectives for Department of Homeland Security and Immigration generally the 895 00:43:37,600 --> 00:43:40,560 Speaker 12: number one. Number Two, he has good relationships on both 896 00:43:40,560 --> 00:43:42,840 Speaker 12: sides of the aisle in the Senate and the US House. 897 00:43:43,120 --> 00:43:44,719 Speaker 12: He showed that as a as a friend of mine 898 00:43:44,760 --> 00:43:47,560 Speaker 12: in the US House that he could talk to anyone, 899 00:43:48,440 --> 00:43:52,080 Speaker 12: no matter the party, no matter the disagreements, and he 900 00:43:52,239 --> 00:43:54,920 Speaker 12: is in that way a moderating voice for really what 901 00:43:54,960 --> 00:43:59,000 Speaker 12: has been a politically perilous and fraud debate on immigration. 902 00:43:59,680 --> 00:44:03,759 Speaker 12: I think that will enable Democrat officials to actually do 903 00:44:03,840 --> 00:44:07,239 Speaker 12: something rational fund the department, especially if there's any risk 904 00:44:07,360 --> 00:44:10,719 Speaker 12: like we're hearing with this report on California. 905 00:44:11,000 --> 00:44:12,040 Speaker 4: All right, mister chairman. 906 00:44:12,360 --> 00:44:14,320 Speaker 2: Always great to have you, of course at Bloomberg Politics 907 00:44:14,320 --> 00:44:16,440 Speaker 2: contributor now, but the former chair of the House Financial 908 00:44:16,480 --> 00:44:19,080 Speaker 2: Services Committee, Patrick mckenry here with us on the early 909 00:44:19,200 --> 00:44:20,320 Speaker 2: edition of Balance of Power. 910 00:44:22,640 --> 00:44:25,120 Speaker 4: Thanks for listening to the Balance of Power podcast. 911 00:44:25,719 --> 00:44:28,839 Speaker 6: Make sure to subscribe if you haven't already, at Apple, Spotify, 912 00:44:28,960 --> 00:44:31,520 Speaker 6: or wherever you get your podcasts, and you can find 913 00:44:31,600 --> 00:44:34,800 Speaker 6: us live every weekday from Washington, DC at noontime Eastern 914 00:44:35,120 --> 00:44:36,560 Speaker 6: at Bloomberg dot com.