1 00:00:00,320 --> 00:00:03,760 Speaker 1: Thrilled to be joined today by the representative of the 2 00:00:03,840 --> 00:00:10,200 Speaker 1: sixth District of Massachusetts, Seth Moulton, a Marine Corps officer, 3 00:00:10,360 --> 00:00:14,400 Speaker 1: a captain, a recipient of the Bronze Star with Valor, 4 00:00:15,000 --> 00:00:18,560 Speaker 1: Navy and Marine Corps Commendation Medal with Valor. 5 00:00:19,480 --> 00:00:22,440 Speaker 2: Seth, Welcome, Good to be here. Good to be here. 6 00:00:22,440 --> 00:00:25,480 Speaker 3: I never talked about my awards. Not something I feel 7 00:00:25,880 --> 00:00:27,920 Speaker 3: comfortable discussing. There are a lot of breeds I served 8 00:00:27,960 --> 00:00:31,440 Speaker 3: with who never really got recognized for what they do. 9 00:00:31,680 --> 00:00:33,720 Speaker 3: But thank you, thank you for having me. 10 00:00:34,240 --> 00:00:36,880 Speaker 1: Well, it's not a small thing. You were a United 11 00:00:36,920 --> 00:00:43,440 Speaker 1: States Marine Corps officer under fire who distinguished himself according 12 00:00:44,640 --> 00:00:48,520 Speaker 1: not to you, but to the United States Marine Corps 13 00:00:48,560 --> 00:00:52,120 Speaker 1: in the standards and the values of the Marine Corps. 14 00:00:52,200 --> 00:00:55,600 Speaker 1: And so it's an important part of your resume, and 15 00:00:55,640 --> 00:01:00,840 Speaker 1: I think is an important qualification. It gives you an 16 00:01:00,880 --> 00:01:08,039 Speaker 1: authority to assess the situation where people can rely on 17 00:01:08,160 --> 00:01:14,640 Speaker 1: you to report with both candor and integrity and a 18 00:01:14,800 --> 00:01:19,720 Speaker 1: sense of perspective about what's happening in Washington. 19 00:01:19,880 --> 00:01:22,200 Speaker 2: There's a lot of panic, as. 20 00:01:22,000 --> 00:01:27,720 Speaker 1: I'm sure you're aware on social media amongst Democrats who 21 00:01:27,760 --> 00:01:31,880 Speaker 1: really don't have a handle on a what Trump and 22 00:01:32,000 --> 00:01:36,319 Speaker 1: Musk are doing, and b what Democrats are doing in 23 00:01:36,360 --> 00:01:40,600 Speaker 1: response to oppose whatever it is that they are doing 24 00:01:40,760 --> 00:01:44,479 Speaker 1: on the assumption that they're up to no good, which 25 00:01:44,520 --> 00:01:50,360 Speaker 1: the evidence would suggest. So what is happening for the 26 00:01:50,440 --> 00:01:53,920 Speaker 1: people that are going to hear what is happening? A 27 00:01:53,920 --> 00:01:56,840 Speaker 1: lot of people just are really confused. Even people are 28 00:01:56,840 --> 00:01:59,680 Speaker 1: trying to turn on cable news and figure it out. 29 00:01:59,720 --> 00:02:03,240 Speaker 1: What I just want to turn out for you assess 30 00:02:03,280 --> 00:02:04,080 Speaker 1: the situation? 31 00:02:04,600 --> 00:02:08,639 Speaker 3: Well, I think half of America says, Hey, what's happening 32 00:02:08,720 --> 00:02:13,680 Speaker 3: is Trump is fulfilling his campaign promises. The problem is 33 00:02:14,120 --> 00:02:18,080 Speaker 3: that he's doing so in a way that's literally breaking 34 00:02:18,320 --> 00:02:23,840 Speaker 3: our government, breaking our democracy, throwing out all the basic 35 00:02:23,960 --> 00:02:27,880 Speaker 3: rules of how we operate as the United States of America, 36 00:02:28,360 --> 00:02:31,960 Speaker 3: and doing so because a president doesn't bring in his 37 00:02:32,200 --> 00:02:37,840 Speaker 3: billionaire buddy, give him access to how every public servant 38 00:02:37,919 --> 00:02:42,200 Speaker 3: is paid, whether you're an agent of the CIA, whether 39 00:02:42,280 --> 00:02:46,840 Speaker 3: you're a US soldier fighting overseas, or whether you're working 40 00:02:46,919 --> 00:02:51,000 Speaker 3: at the VA taking care of veterans, and say, hey, 41 00:02:51,040 --> 00:02:54,480 Speaker 3: go at it, buddy, just cut whatever you want and 42 00:02:54,600 --> 00:02:58,000 Speaker 3: don't mind the law. Don't mind the law that says 43 00:02:58,080 --> 00:03:02,680 Speaker 3: the Congress. According to the constant controls the purse. Just 44 00:03:02,800 --> 00:03:05,919 Speaker 3: do whatever you want, and if it supports your company 45 00:03:06,040 --> 00:03:11,600 Speaker 3: or your billionaire friends, that's fine. It also is just 46 00:03:12,360 --> 00:03:16,360 Speaker 3: you know, sure, he can fulfill his campaign promise to 47 00:03:16,520 --> 00:03:19,600 Speaker 3: deal with immigration, but you don't get to do it 48 00:03:19,639 --> 00:03:23,200 Speaker 3: by breaking the Constitution, like a couple of weeks after 49 00:03:23,240 --> 00:03:26,600 Speaker 3: he raised his hand and swore to protect and defend 50 00:03:26,680 --> 00:03:31,920 Speaker 3: that constitution that every American holds sacred. So the problem 51 00:03:32,040 --> 00:03:36,920 Speaker 3: is not necessarily what he's doing, although in some cases 52 00:03:36,960 --> 00:03:40,480 Speaker 3: it's pretty bad. It's how he's going about it. It's 53 00:03:40,520 --> 00:03:44,040 Speaker 3: the impact that it's happening on people's lives, and it's 54 00:03:44,120 --> 00:03:47,720 Speaker 3: just rampant corruption that I think is going to become 55 00:03:47,800 --> 00:03:52,280 Speaker 3: more and more evident, coming straight from the White House 56 00:03:52,640 --> 00:03:56,240 Speaker 3: and starting to infect every part of the federal government. 57 00:03:56,360 --> 00:03:58,800 Speaker 1: And I think if you're listening, you know what the 58 00:03:58,840 --> 00:04:03,720 Speaker 1: congressman just said here is a really important point. It 59 00:04:03,760 --> 00:04:09,320 Speaker 1: doesn't really matter if what Trump is doing is supported 60 00:04:09,960 --> 00:04:13,280 Speaker 1: by let's say eighty five percent of the country, which 61 00:04:13,320 --> 00:04:17,600 Speaker 1: it's not. He won with forty nine point nine percent. 62 00:04:17,720 --> 00:04:21,719 Speaker 1: There's a poll out that shows he has reached apigy 63 00:04:21,880 --> 00:04:25,120 Speaker 1: or near trump apig if he has a fifty three 64 00:04:25,240 --> 00:04:29,040 Speaker 1: percent approval level. But for the sake of argument, I'm 65 00:04:29,080 --> 00:04:32,200 Speaker 1: going to give them George Bush's approval levels from two 66 00:04:32,279 --> 00:04:36,440 Speaker 1: thousand and one. He's at ninety one percent. It doesn't matter. 67 00:04:37,440 --> 00:04:45,320 Speaker 1: The Constitution of the United States makes clear the foundational 68 00:04:46,440 --> 00:04:58,560 Speaker 1: organizational structure of our civilization, of our society. So we 69 00:04:58,640 --> 00:05:03,640 Speaker 1: live in a society it says the cop has to 70 00:05:03,680 --> 00:05:09,320 Speaker 1: have probable cause before they search you, even if they 71 00:05:09,400 --> 00:05:14,280 Speaker 1: know there's a good chance you're a shady dude guilty 72 00:05:14,600 --> 00:05:17,760 Speaker 1: and and you're doing something you ought not to be doing. 73 00:05:18,120 --> 00:05:23,000 Speaker 1: And so this is this is an elemental piece that 74 00:05:23,000 --> 00:05:25,880 Speaker 1: that's at hand. You're a member of Congress, and I 75 00:05:25,880 --> 00:05:28,839 Speaker 1: I'd like to ask you to take us inside a 76 00:05:28,960 --> 00:05:34,440 Speaker 1: Democratic conference. What's happening right now when everyone gets together? 77 00:05:34,480 --> 00:05:37,960 Speaker 1: I mean, no one has ever really been in these meetings. 78 00:05:38,000 --> 00:05:42,039 Speaker 1: Who's who's listening to this? What is this assembly like 79 00:05:42,200 --> 00:05:46,120 Speaker 1: when every when everyone walks in, uh? And and what 80 00:05:46,240 --> 00:05:49,680 Speaker 1: is the mood right now? What what is the argument 81 00:05:49,760 --> 00:05:51,280 Speaker 1: about what's happening? 82 00:05:51,839 --> 00:05:54,560 Speaker 3: Well, there's a lot of frustration. And I think it's 83 00:05:54,640 --> 00:05:58,400 Speaker 3: not just in the Democratic Caucus in the House, with 84 00:05:58,600 --> 00:06:02,479 Speaker 3: Democratic leaders from a the country it's Democrats on the 85 00:06:02,520 --> 00:06:05,960 Speaker 3: street that were like, what the hell is going on here? 86 00:06:06,520 --> 00:06:08,960 Speaker 3: And what are you doing to stop it? What can 87 00:06:09,000 --> 00:06:13,320 Speaker 3: I do to help stop this? So there's a lot 88 00:06:13,320 --> 00:06:16,840 Speaker 3: of uncertainty in the party. We feel a bit rodderless, 89 00:06:17,720 --> 00:06:21,960 Speaker 3: a bit leaderless. And there's one group of people who say, hey, 90 00:06:22,000 --> 00:06:24,320 Speaker 3: we need to be marching in the streets, you know, 91 00:06:24,480 --> 00:06:27,880 Speaker 3: objecting to everything Trump does. There's another group that says, hey, 92 00:06:27,920 --> 00:06:30,040 Speaker 3: we tried that back in twenty sixteen. It didn't get 93 00:06:30,120 --> 00:06:33,160 Speaker 3: us very far. We've actually got to be more strategic 94 00:06:33,240 --> 00:06:38,200 Speaker 3: about this. But being strategic takes leadership and ideas, and 95 00:06:38,240 --> 00:06:41,880 Speaker 3: I think that we're working on what that exactly looks like. 96 00:06:42,320 --> 00:06:44,920 Speaker 3: But frankly, Steve, we're a little bit slow. You know, 97 00:06:45,080 --> 00:06:48,039 Speaker 3: we're a little bit slow to the plate here. And 98 00:06:48,240 --> 00:06:51,839 Speaker 3: so I've been one that's been publicly pushing the party 99 00:06:51,880 --> 00:06:55,240 Speaker 3: to think about how what our public face looks like, 100 00:06:55,320 --> 00:06:57,880 Speaker 3: and how we listen to voters as opposed to preach 101 00:06:57,920 --> 00:07:00,800 Speaker 3: to them, what our positions are on certain issues, and 102 00:07:00,839 --> 00:07:03,760 Speaker 3: whether we're really in touch with most of America. 103 00:07:03,839 --> 00:07:05,359 Speaker 2: You know, that's one of the things you're not. 104 00:07:06,400 --> 00:07:08,520 Speaker 3: The answer is we're not, like, guess what folks, we 105 00:07:08,640 --> 00:07:11,240 Speaker 3: just got cleaned up across the board. And you know, 106 00:07:11,320 --> 00:07:14,080 Speaker 3: you point out that Trump won with forty nine percent 107 00:07:14,120 --> 00:07:16,600 Speaker 3: of the vote. There are some Democrats who are real 108 00:07:16,640 --> 00:07:19,040 Speaker 3: apologists and say, hey, we don't need to change anything 109 00:07:19,280 --> 00:07:22,840 Speaker 3: because we barely lost. You know, we we we lost 110 00:07:22,840 --> 00:07:24,920 Speaker 3: to send it by a little bit. We're pretty close 111 00:07:24,960 --> 00:07:28,080 Speaker 3: in the House. And you know, we had a tough election. 112 00:07:28,200 --> 00:07:31,400 Speaker 3: But Trump was able to win by a smaller popular 113 00:07:31,480 --> 00:07:34,840 Speaker 3: vote margin than I think since Nixon in nineteen sixty eight. 114 00:07:35,280 --> 00:07:38,040 Speaker 3: But let's step back and put this in perspective. I mean, 115 00:07:38,200 --> 00:07:41,600 Speaker 3: we were running against a convicted felon for the first 116 00:07:41,640 --> 00:07:45,960 Speaker 3: time in American history. We were running against the Republican 117 00:07:46,080 --> 00:07:50,560 Speaker 3: Party that's completely divided amongst itself. Right, there's like a 118 00:07:50,600 --> 00:07:53,080 Speaker 3: civil war going on in the Republican Party between the 119 00:07:53,160 --> 00:07:56,280 Speaker 3: Trumpers between everyone else. I mean, everyone's got to be 120 00:07:56,280 --> 00:07:59,320 Speaker 3: a Trumper now, I guess. But in the election cycle 121 00:07:59,360 --> 00:08:01,960 Speaker 3: across the country, you saw this playing out on everything 122 00:08:02,000 --> 00:08:06,440 Speaker 3: from school boards to governor prime gubernatorial primaries and everything else. 123 00:08:06,480 --> 00:08:09,200 Speaker 3: So the point is, this should have been an easy 124 00:08:09,440 --> 00:08:11,400 Speaker 3: election for us to win. It should have been a 125 00:08:11,440 --> 00:08:14,720 Speaker 3: walk in the park from you know, local dog officer 126 00:08:14,800 --> 00:08:17,320 Speaker 3: up to President of the United States, and yet we 127 00:08:17,440 --> 00:08:21,320 Speaker 3: literally have not a single lever of power in Washington today. 128 00:08:21,760 --> 00:08:25,080 Speaker 3: So Democrats have to look ourselves in the mirror, say, 129 00:08:25,360 --> 00:08:28,280 Speaker 3: how have we lost touch with so many Americans? And 130 00:08:28,320 --> 00:08:30,200 Speaker 3: what can we do differently to turn it around? And 131 00:08:30,400 --> 00:08:31,880 Speaker 3: you know what, I think there's a lot of good 132 00:08:31,960 --> 00:08:33,880 Speaker 3: stuff we can do to turn it around. And that's 133 00:08:33,920 --> 00:08:35,080 Speaker 3: exactly what I'm working on. 134 00:08:35,920 --> 00:08:42,320 Speaker 1: So right now, I think there's two exegen questions. So 135 00:08:43,200 --> 00:08:47,880 Speaker 1: I agree with you, this is a political failure of 136 00:08:48,080 --> 00:08:54,040 Speaker 1: profound dimensions. Democrats really haven't gotten their heads around it yet, 137 00:08:54,720 --> 00:08:59,679 Speaker 1: but will over the next two years when the extent 138 00:08:59,800 --> 00:09:05,720 Speaker 1: of the damage wrought by the loss comes fully due. 139 00:09:06,320 --> 00:09:09,640 Speaker 1: Right we're three weeks, We're three weeks into this. So 140 00:09:11,160 --> 00:09:15,640 Speaker 1: from a nautical perspective, not only are we not in 141 00:09:15,720 --> 00:09:19,080 Speaker 1: the blue water yet, we're not out of the harbor, 142 00:09:20,120 --> 00:09:24,600 Speaker 1: past the past, the booie. So it's just it's just beginning. 143 00:09:24,760 --> 00:09:29,480 Speaker 1: And the question of a party chairman says, well, we're 144 00:09:29,520 --> 00:09:35,600 Speaker 1: gonna have an autopsy and look at some things I 145 00:09:35,640 --> 00:09:40,600 Speaker 1: can tell you right now in under two minutes why 146 00:09:40,640 --> 00:09:42,440 Speaker 1: the Democratic Party lost. 147 00:09:43,520 --> 00:09:45,199 Speaker 2: But that doesn't. 148 00:09:44,960 --> 00:09:51,680 Speaker 1: Arrest right now the issue, which is the marauding through 149 00:09:51,720 --> 00:09:57,080 Speaker 1: the government. And I looked at the newspapers and you 150 00:09:57,160 --> 00:10:02,520 Speaker 1: see both Schumer and Jefferies being quoted, and you see 151 00:10:02,520 --> 00:10:05,440 Speaker 1: this tactic playing out where the journalist has asked you 152 00:10:05,559 --> 00:10:09,800 Speaker 1: ten different Democrats, ten different answers. The ten different answers 153 00:10:09,880 --> 00:10:12,760 Speaker 1: are are demonstra of the fact there's no strategy. Right, 154 00:10:12,760 --> 00:10:16,760 Speaker 1: there's ten different people to ten different ten different directions 155 00:10:16,800 --> 00:10:23,080 Speaker 1: on the on the circle of life and so so 156 00:10:23,280 --> 00:10:28,880 Speaker 1: right now, the only thing Democrats can do, if you, 157 00:10:29,040 --> 00:10:33,680 Speaker 1: if you look at this strategically, your your your your 158 00:10:33,800 --> 00:10:43,240 Speaker 1: fighting line is on the spending bills where Donald Trump 159 00:10:44,200 --> 00:10:48,280 Speaker 1: does not have the votes I'm reading in the newspapers 160 00:10:50,080 --> 00:10:55,240 Speaker 1: Jeffries and Schumer refuse to attach democratic votes. 161 00:10:56,400 --> 00:10:59,800 Speaker 2: Two, the musk gets you the musks that. 162 00:10:59,840 --> 00:11:04,360 Speaker 1: You And my point, if I was a member of 163 00:11:04,440 --> 00:11:07,040 Speaker 1: Congress and I'm I'm and I'm sitting there, and I'm 164 00:11:07,080 --> 00:11:10,079 Speaker 1: sitting next to you in a meeting, and there's a 165 00:11:10,120 --> 00:11:11,840 Speaker 1: good chance I'd be sitting somewhere. 166 00:11:11,559 --> 00:11:14,400 Speaker 2: Hear you in a meeting, right knowing, knowing the. 167 00:11:14,360 --> 00:11:18,040 Speaker 1: Politics, I might I might look at you, right and 168 00:11:18,120 --> 00:11:21,760 Speaker 1: I not only not only is this conditional on the 169 00:11:21,840 --> 00:11:26,000 Speaker 1: vote there's a conditional opening and negotiation. 170 00:11:25,520 --> 00:11:26,280 Speaker 2: About the vote. 171 00:11:28,160 --> 00:11:32,960 Speaker 1: Big balls is had to the State Department before we 172 00:11:33,120 --> 00:11:37,800 Speaker 1: discuss a vote about keeping the government open. I think 173 00:11:37,840 --> 00:11:42,800 Speaker 1: this is the problem that Democrats have, which is it's 174 00:11:42,840 --> 00:11:49,640 Speaker 1: the French fleet. Churchill when the Germans took France, had 175 00:11:49,640 --> 00:11:52,440 Speaker 1: an issue, and the issue is what to do with 176 00:11:52,520 --> 00:11:56,360 Speaker 1: the French navy that the Germans had captured, and Churchill 177 00:11:56,400 --> 00:11:59,480 Speaker 1: sank it and he killed a lot of French sailors 178 00:12:01,280 --> 00:12:04,920 Speaker 1: and the message that he was sending will do anything 179 00:12:04,960 --> 00:12:08,960 Speaker 1: to win. And I think the question Democrats have to 180 00:12:09,040 --> 00:12:13,200 Speaker 1: answer is that will we do anything to defend the 181 00:12:13,240 --> 00:12:17,160 Speaker 1: government meaning government of the people, by the people, for 182 00:12:17,320 --> 00:12:21,680 Speaker 1: the people, not a government program. Those are different things. 183 00:12:23,840 --> 00:12:29,720 Speaker 1: And on the defensive the defensive government right now, I 184 00:12:29,760 --> 00:12:33,160 Speaker 1: think the question for Democrats is are they willing to 185 00:12:33,240 --> 00:12:37,240 Speaker 1: shut down the government really almost to put it into 186 00:12:37,240 --> 00:12:40,880 Speaker 1: a coma to prevent Trump from wrecking it over the 187 00:12:40,880 --> 00:12:45,439 Speaker 1: next two years, because Trump needs the funding to continue 188 00:12:45,480 --> 00:12:50,120 Speaker 1: the wrecking and he knows that Democrats will not allow 189 00:12:50,200 --> 00:12:53,760 Speaker 1: the government to shut down in the only position that 190 00:12:53,880 --> 00:12:58,360 Speaker 1: makes any sense to me from a negotiating posture against 191 00:12:58,440 --> 00:13:02,560 Speaker 1: somebody who wrote in his book thirty years ago that 192 00:13:02,679 --> 00:13:05,560 Speaker 1: my negotiating philosophy is I walk into the room, I 193 00:13:05,600 --> 00:13:07,119 Speaker 1: put a finger in your chest. 194 00:13:06,880 --> 00:13:09,600 Speaker 2: And I say, fuck you. Right. 195 00:13:09,640 --> 00:13:14,439 Speaker 1: The only alternative to that right is to reciprocate it 196 00:13:15,280 --> 00:13:18,320 Speaker 1: and to say, test me, but we will shut this 197 00:13:18,440 --> 00:13:23,880 Speaker 1: government down. We all got elected, just like you, and 198 00:13:24,000 --> 00:13:26,719 Speaker 1: two years from now we'll have a referendum on it. 199 00:13:27,559 --> 00:13:27,960 Speaker 2: Try me. 200 00:13:29,000 --> 00:13:31,800 Speaker 1: And that's the only point of leverage really Democrats have 201 00:13:31,920 --> 00:13:35,640 Speaker 1: in this moment. And I just wonder what the disposition 202 00:13:35,960 --> 00:13:40,840 Speaker 1: is between what would be like my hardline position right 203 00:13:40,880 --> 00:13:46,000 Speaker 1: in the softest position, right, Where is everybody in the 204 00:13:46,480 --> 00:13:47,439 Speaker 1: party right now? 205 00:13:48,480 --> 00:13:49,680 Speaker 2: What are the leaders saying? 206 00:13:49,840 --> 00:13:52,360 Speaker 3: First of all, I agree with your points to you 207 00:13:52,520 --> 00:13:56,960 Speaker 3: that that is pretty much the only leverage that we have. 208 00:13:57,840 --> 00:14:02,120 Speaker 3: So I'm totally with you about using that leverage not 209 00:14:02,240 --> 00:14:06,000 Speaker 3: just to go against Trump, not just to you know, 210 00:14:06,120 --> 00:14:10,959 Speaker 3: be reactionary, but to actually protect the fundamental principles and 211 00:14:11,080 --> 00:14:15,440 Speaker 3: values that every American should shou should hold. Deer right, 212 00:14:16,040 --> 00:14:18,880 Speaker 3: we got to do a better job of explaining why 213 00:14:18,920 --> 00:14:21,120 Speaker 3: those are at risk, and then we've got to be 214 00:14:21,320 --> 00:14:25,960 Speaker 3: very targeted about where we're drawing the line. You know, 215 00:14:26,360 --> 00:14:28,520 Speaker 3: big balls out of the State Department and you said 216 00:14:28,560 --> 00:14:31,120 Speaker 3: it before. I do like that's a place to start, right, 217 00:14:32,040 --> 00:14:36,440 Speaker 3: but we need to do that that. Let's be clear, though, 218 00:14:37,160 --> 00:14:41,480 Speaker 3: if the government shuts down when Republicans control the White House, 219 00:14:41,680 --> 00:14:46,440 Speaker 3: the House, and the Senate, this is not democrats fault. 220 00:14:46,520 --> 00:14:48,000 Speaker 2: It's not our. 221 00:14:47,880 --> 00:14:52,120 Speaker 3: Mess to clean up. And I think that point is 222 00:14:52,160 --> 00:14:55,560 Speaker 3: something we really have to drive home because it enables 223 00:14:56,120 --> 00:14:59,120 Speaker 3: what we call the frontliners, the people in those marginal 224 00:14:59,200 --> 00:15:02,800 Speaker 3: districts who might get blamed somehow by Republicans for being 225 00:15:02,880 --> 00:15:05,640 Speaker 3: part of a shutdown, even if they're Democrats. It's what 226 00:15:05,800 --> 00:15:09,360 Speaker 3: gives them the courage to do exactly what you've laid out, 227 00:15:09,360 --> 00:15:13,320 Speaker 3: which is use the leverage we have to not stand 228 00:15:13,480 --> 00:15:17,120 Speaker 3: against Trump, but to stand up for the Constitution. 229 00:15:18,320 --> 00:15:20,880 Speaker 2: So is there an appetite for this fight? 230 00:15:21,360 --> 00:15:24,920 Speaker 3: There is, but it's hard to go into a fight 231 00:15:25,000 --> 00:15:28,440 Speaker 3: when you don't have a strong leader. And I personally 232 00:15:28,480 --> 00:15:32,600 Speaker 3: think Hakeem Jefferies is great, but you know, I don't 233 00:15:32,600 --> 00:15:35,600 Speaker 3: think people right now and the party necessarily see him 234 00:15:35,640 --> 00:15:38,720 Speaker 3: leading the whole party. We just got a new party chair. 235 00:15:38,920 --> 00:15:41,200 Speaker 3: We haven't heard from him yet, so I'm not sure 236 00:15:41,240 --> 00:15:45,000 Speaker 3: what role he'll play. And of course, you know, other 237 00:15:45,040 --> 00:15:48,200 Speaker 3: people look to Chuck Schumer in the Senate. But it's 238 00:15:48,240 --> 00:15:51,280 Speaker 3: not like you have Obama out there as a standard 239 00:15:51,280 --> 00:15:54,960 Speaker 3: bearer or Clinton out there, you know, setting the path 240 00:15:55,000 --> 00:15:58,800 Speaker 3: forward and clearly defining the strategy and what we're going 241 00:15:58,840 --> 00:16:03,480 Speaker 3: to do this. This is not a criticism of Hakim 242 00:16:03,560 --> 00:16:06,120 Speaker 3: Jeffries or anything like that. I think Hakeem is amazing. 243 00:16:06,160 --> 00:16:09,280 Speaker 3: Remember I was fighting for years to get Hakeema in 244 00:16:09,320 --> 00:16:14,360 Speaker 3: there over our previous leadership. But it is hard to 245 00:16:14,400 --> 00:16:18,760 Speaker 3: get everybody engaged in a tough fight when you don't 246 00:16:18,840 --> 00:16:22,320 Speaker 3: know the strategy. That's something I learned leading eighteen year 247 00:16:22,360 --> 00:16:24,640 Speaker 3: old marines on the ground in a rock. 248 00:16:25,120 --> 00:16:29,560 Speaker 2: Why is there a lack of clarity about the. 249 00:16:29,560 --> 00:16:33,720 Speaker 3: Strategy, Well, it's a good question. But first of all, 250 00:16:33,800 --> 00:16:37,640 Speaker 3: in the aftermath of the election, there was just tremendous denial. 251 00:16:38,800 --> 00:16:41,560 Speaker 3: And the psychologists in the room tell you denials is 252 00:16:41,720 --> 00:16:43,600 Speaker 3: one of the stages of grief. I don't know what 253 00:16:43,600 --> 00:16:46,360 Speaker 3: that means exactly, but the point is there are a 254 00:16:46,400 --> 00:16:48,480 Speaker 3: lot of Democrats who just said, oh, come on, it 255 00:16:48,480 --> 00:16:51,360 Speaker 3: really wasn't that bad. In other words, we don't need 256 00:16:51,400 --> 00:16:54,680 Speaker 3: to change. And I think that's terribly out of touch. 257 00:16:55,040 --> 00:16:57,520 Speaker 3: Right I got out there, I said we need to 258 00:16:57,560 --> 00:17:00,640 Speaker 3: get back in touch with Americans on a variety of issues. 259 00:17:01,200 --> 00:17:05,960 Speaker 3: Some people criticize me specifically for just having the conversation 260 00:17:06,160 --> 00:17:09,480 Speaker 3: too soon. Seth, we just had a terrible loss. It's 261 00:17:09,520 --> 00:17:13,960 Speaker 3: too soon. Give me a break. You know, we got 262 00:17:13,960 --> 00:17:16,639 Speaker 3: to be geared up for January. I would say that 263 00:17:16,840 --> 00:17:20,200 Speaker 3: was the answer I gave back in November, but clearly 264 00:17:20,400 --> 00:17:22,800 Speaker 3: we didn't do it. We're not geared up for January. 265 00:17:22,840 --> 00:17:26,080 Speaker 3: It's already February, and we're struggling to find the strategy. 266 00:17:26,119 --> 00:17:28,720 Speaker 3: So there was a lot of denial. And then there's 267 00:17:28,760 --> 00:17:33,240 Speaker 3: this question that fundamentally goes through our party all the time, 268 00:17:33,280 --> 00:17:35,560 Speaker 3: which is, you know, is the problem that we didn't 269 00:17:35,600 --> 00:17:38,199 Speaker 3: fire up the base and we need to be more progressive, 270 00:17:38,680 --> 00:17:41,440 Speaker 3: or is the problem that we are out of touch 271 00:17:41,520 --> 00:17:45,400 Speaker 3: with the middle. Look, I think it's pretty clear that 272 00:17:45,760 --> 00:17:49,119 Speaker 3: you fire up the base with a winning strategy, and 273 00:17:49,160 --> 00:17:52,720 Speaker 3: the winning strategy is to appeal to more Americans to 274 00:17:52,880 --> 00:17:58,239 Speaker 3: be a majority party. I got criticized for saying, you know, 275 00:17:58,320 --> 00:18:02,000 Speaker 3: we should open up the question of transgender women in sports, 276 00:18:02,400 --> 00:18:05,520 Speaker 3: which is something that eighty percent of Americans agree with, 277 00:18:05,600 --> 00:18:07,080 Speaker 3: and yet I failed. 278 00:18:07,720 --> 00:18:12,479 Speaker 1: You were incriticized. You were shouted down by the cancer 279 00:18:13,359 --> 00:18:20,399 Speaker 1: mob that that is that is as venomous as the 280 00:18:20,480 --> 00:18:21,040 Speaker 1: Trump mob. 281 00:18:22,400 --> 00:18:24,800 Speaker 2: Right, that's that's blue magi. I don't know if you 282 00:18:24,840 --> 00:18:26,520 Speaker 2: can that. 283 00:18:26,640 --> 00:18:30,399 Speaker 3: You can't be a majority party if you have a 284 00:18:30,440 --> 00:18:34,119 Speaker 3: litmus test that only twenty percent of America agrees with, 285 00:18:34,200 --> 00:18:36,280 Speaker 3: and that's the problem. Maybe the worst was people who 286 00:18:36,280 --> 00:18:38,600 Speaker 3: came up to me and said, I don't care that 287 00:18:38,680 --> 00:18:43,480 Speaker 3: you have it literally an unimpeachable, like perfect record supporting 288 00:18:43,960 --> 00:18:48,040 Speaker 3: gay rights. I don't care that you have been a 289 00:18:48,040 --> 00:18:51,160 Speaker 3: proud Democrat for a long time. I don't care that 290 00:18:51,200 --> 00:18:53,720 Speaker 3: you've done more than almost anybody in the House to 291 00:18:53,760 --> 00:18:57,960 Speaker 3: get other Democrats elected. Through my Serve America program helping 292 00:18:58,040 --> 00:19:01,280 Speaker 3: veterans get elected, we were more in fifty percent of 293 00:19:01,320 --> 00:19:03,880 Speaker 3: the seats that Democrats flipped the last time we took 294 00:19:03,920 --> 00:19:06,960 Speaker 3: back the House two years into the first Trump term. 295 00:19:07,320 --> 00:19:09,560 Speaker 3: I don't care about any of that if you don't 296 00:19:09,560 --> 00:19:12,800 Speaker 3: agree with me on this one particular issue, on this 297 00:19:13,080 --> 00:19:17,840 Speaker 3: very narrowly defined left wing view of this one particular issue. 298 00:19:18,200 --> 00:19:21,360 Speaker 3: They said to me, Seth, you're not a Democrat. So 299 00:19:22,000 --> 00:19:25,520 Speaker 3: if you don't have if you're losing me, like, how 300 00:19:25,560 --> 00:19:28,600 Speaker 3: are you going to possibly get any independence. How are 301 00:19:28,600 --> 00:19:34,760 Speaker 3: you possibly going to get this amazing group of former 302 00:19:34,840 --> 00:19:37,879 Speaker 3: Republicans who just don't like Trump, who should form a 303 00:19:37,880 --> 00:19:41,399 Speaker 3: supermajority for us or help us make a supermajority. How 304 00:19:41,440 --> 00:19:43,480 Speaker 3: are you going to get any of them? When you're 305 00:19:43,520 --> 00:19:45,679 Speaker 3: telling Seth Multen, you're not a real Democrat because you 306 00:19:45,680 --> 00:19:49,080 Speaker 3: don't believe on this particular issue. It's just nuts. 307 00:19:49,440 --> 00:19:53,520 Speaker 1: It is nuts, and the price is so extraordinarily high. 308 00:19:53,560 --> 00:19:55,560 Speaker 1: And I say this to somebody who is for gay 309 00:19:55,600 --> 00:19:59,400 Speaker 1: marriage publicly as a Republican three years before Barack Obama 310 00:19:59,520 --> 00:20:04,320 Speaker 1: was for it and had the death threats. My first 311 00:20:04,359 --> 00:20:07,199 Speaker 1: death threats were on that issue. I helped lead the 312 00:20:07,240 --> 00:20:11,679 Speaker 1: ac LU marriage equality campaigns, and you know, have always 313 00:20:11,720 --> 00:20:15,720 Speaker 1: held the view the freedom means freedom for everybody, and that's. 314 00:20:15,680 --> 00:20:17,600 Speaker 2: That's what's at stake in this fight. 315 00:20:17,720 --> 00:20:21,280 Speaker 1: Listen, Congressman, when you talk to your colleagues, this is 316 00:20:21,400 --> 00:20:27,879 Speaker 1: very simple. Democratic Party lost this election to the most 317 00:20:27,920 --> 00:20:32,000 Speaker 1: prolific liar in American history on the back of the 318 00:20:32,040 --> 00:20:36,240 Speaker 1: greatest gas lighting in American history. They lost the election. 319 00:20:36,400 --> 00:20:40,560 Speaker 1: The Party Franklin Roosevelt and John Kennedy to Donald Trump 320 00:20:41,320 --> 00:20:46,840 Speaker 1: lost the election on questions of honesty about Biden's fundamental fitness, 321 00:20:47,520 --> 00:20:52,359 Speaker 1: about the economy, which Democrats call Bidenomics and said was 322 00:20:52,400 --> 00:20:56,919 Speaker 1: the best ever and compared Biden to FDR. They lost 323 00:20:56,960 --> 00:21:00,719 Speaker 1: the election on questions about honesty, ord on the border 324 00:21:01,480 --> 00:21:06,040 Speaker 1: and the border, the economy, in Biden's fitness, lost an 325 00:21:06,040 --> 00:21:11,320 Speaker 1: election on honesty because the great sin in American life 326 00:21:11,520 --> 00:21:15,159 Speaker 1: is hypocrisy. And the one thing that Donald Trump is 327 00:21:15,200 --> 00:21:20,320 Speaker 1: not is a hypocrite, because he is overt about what 328 00:21:20,480 --> 00:21:25,720 Speaker 1: he is, and what he is is our great national 329 00:21:25,760 --> 00:21:29,360 Speaker 1: philosopher or fuck you ism, and a lot of people 330 00:21:30,280 --> 00:21:35,440 Speaker 1: right deserve an fu and the American people delivered one 331 00:21:36,000 --> 00:21:40,919 Speaker 1: to them, and the Democratic Party is the face of 332 00:21:40,960 --> 00:21:44,280 Speaker 1: a bunch of that. And my question is less about 333 00:21:44,320 --> 00:21:47,960 Speaker 1: the recognition which well, you know. Look, the craziest answer 334 00:21:48,080 --> 00:21:52,960 Speaker 1: that anyone gave in twenty and sixteen at a Republican 335 00:21:53,000 --> 00:21:56,440 Speaker 1: debate was given by Jeb Bush, and the question he 336 00:21:56,560 --> 00:21:59,119 Speaker 1: got was knowing then what we know now? We have 337 00:21:59,160 --> 00:22:04,600 Speaker 1: evaded Iraq again, And Jeff Bush's answer was yes, absolutely, 338 00:22:04,680 --> 00:22:07,040 Speaker 1: it's a Saddam was terrible and made the world safer. 339 00:22:07,480 --> 00:22:13,320 Speaker 1: And Trump was the guy who said that's nuts. And Trump, 340 00:22:13,400 --> 00:22:18,000 Speaker 1: though a liar, was honest about that, and so there 341 00:22:18,000 --> 00:22:22,320 Speaker 1: will be a Democratic candidate who is able to break 342 00:22:22,520 --> 00:22:28,080 Speaker 1: free of the Washington insanity and the gravity and the 343 00:22:28,119 --> 00:22:32,480 Speaker 1: peer pressure and the power of all of that to 344 00:22:32,600 --> 00:22:37,240 Speaker 1: tell the truth to the country right about what happened. 345 00:22:37,520 --> 00:22:41,040 Speaker 1: But he's going to be key to establish credibility about 346 00:22:41,040 --> 00:22:44,520 Speaker 1: where to go when Trump gets done doing whatever he 347 00:22:44,600 --> 00:22:48,640 Speaker 1: gets done doing unimpeded over the next two years, government's 348 00:22:48,680 --> 00:22:52,399 Speaker 1: going to look profoundly different than it does today. And 349 00:22:52,440 --> 00:22:56,560 Speaker 1: so my question is, when you talk about leadership, right, 350 00:22:57,720 --> 00:23:01,080 Speaker 1: are you worried? It sounds like to me, Hey, the 351 00:23:01,400 --> 00:23:08,080 Speaker 1: King Jefferies doesn't understand what's looking back across him on 352 00:23:08,160 --> 00:23:09,720 Speaker 1: the other side of the table. 353 00:23:10,200 --> 00:23:13,520 Speaker 3: Well, look, I'm not worried about Hakim Jeffries in particular 354 00:23:13,680 --> 00:23:16,760 Speaker 3: because I think that he's a very wise man. But 355 00:23:16,840 --> 00:23:19,480 Speaker 3: his job is to keep together at the conference in 356 00:23:19,520 --> 00:23:23,040 Speaker 3: the House, all right, And what you're really talking about 357 00:23:23,359 --> 00:23:26,480 Speaker 3: is who are the leaders or what is the style 358 00:23:26,560 --> 00:23:29,760 Speaker 3: of leadership that's going to take Democrats forward. And I 359 00:23:29,840 --> 00:23:32,720 Speaker 3: think you've hit on a really important point, which is 360 00:23:32,760 --> 00:23:36,560 Speaker 3: you talked about hypocrisy. You talked about the hypocrisy among 361 00:23:36,600 --> 00:23:39,679 Speaker 3: Democrats when we're up there preaching that, Hey, that guy's 362 00:23:39,720 --> 00:23:43,520 Speaker 3: a liar, but we can't be honest about immigration. Hey, 363 00:23:43,560 --> 00:23:46,680 Speaker 3: that guy's a liar, but we can't be honest about inflation. 364 00:23:46,840 --> 00:23:49,520 Speaker 3: Remember we said it was transitory. Whatever that means. It's 365 00:23:49,560 --> 00:23:52,840 Speaker 3: just going to go away, right, Hey, that guy's a liar. 366 00:23:53,400 --> 00:23:56,879 Speaker 3: But yeah, there's nothing to see here. When Biden is 367 00:23:56,880 --> 00:23:59,960 Speaker 3: stumbling around the White House and falling off the step 368 00:24:00,160 --> 00:24:02,719 Speaker 3: of Air Force one. Remember I was the third in 369 00:24:02,760 --> 00:24:05,399 Speaker 3: the House and the Congress, actually the third in the 370 00:24:05,400 --> 00:24:08,280 Speaker 3: House or the Senate to call out Biden, I'm saying, 371 00:24:08,280 --> 00:24:11,520 Speaker 3: you gotta step down. Frankly, Steve, I wish I were 372 00:24:11,560 --> 00:24:15,040 Speaker 3: here saying that I was number one. But what people 373 00:24:15,240 --> 00:24:19,600 Speaker 3: want is authenticity. And even though Trump is a liar, 374 00:24:19,840 --> 00:24:23,040 Speaker 3: a serial liar his entire life, anyone who's due done 375 00:24:23,119 --> 00:24:25,560 Speaker 3: business with him will tell you he's a liar, and 376 00:24:25,600 --> 00:24:28,040 Speaker 3: he's certainly the biggest liar who's ever been president of 377 00:24:28,119 --> 00:24:32,000 Speaker 3: the United States. There's ironically a little bit of authenticity 378 00:24:32,000 --> 00:24:35,240 Speaker 3: in that, because everyone knows it and he's not. He's 379 00:24:35,320 --> 00:24:37,639 Speaker 3: amazingly not even ashamed of it. He kind of just 380 00:24:38,000 --> 00:24:41,320 Speaker 3: puts it out there, and so in a crazy backward way, 381 00:24:41,480 --> 00:24:45,399 Speaker 3: people feel that even with this liar, they're getting authenticity. 382 00:24:45,520 --> 00:24:48,480 Speaker 3: They know what they're getting. They know that this is 383 00:24:48,520 --> 00:24:50,720 Speaker 3: a guy who says FU and punches you in the 384 00:24:50,800 --> 00:24:53,280 Speaker 3: chest or whatever. You know, he might be kind of 385 00:24:53,480 --> 00:24:56,520 Speaker 3: a weak bully, but that's what they signed up for 386 00:24:56,680 --> 00:24:59,359 Speaker 3: and that's what they're going to get, Whereas with Democrats 387 00:24:59,359 --> 00:25:01,840 Speaker 3: they feel like you're out of touch. I heard so 388 00:25:02,000 --> 00:25:05,200 Speaker 3: many people come up to me, friends of mine, and said, 389 00:25:05,520 --> 00:25:08,800 Speaker 3: I know that guy's crazy set, but you guys are 390 00:25:08,880 --> 00:25:10,440 Speaker 3: just so out of touch. 391 00:25:11,080 --> 00:25:13,240 Speaker 2: Like how can I trust you? 392 00:25:13,760 --> 00:25:15,760 Speaker 3: And so what I'm trying to do, I'll just speak 393 00:25:15,800 --> 00:25:20,080 Speaker 3: for myself is just be really honest. You know, it's 394 00:25:20,080 --> 00:25:22,320 Speaker 3: the first lesson you learn as a marine. You show 395 00:25:22,400 --> 00:25:26,159 Speaker 3: up for training and you very quickly find out you 396 00:25:26,200 --> 00:25:28,679 Speaker 3: can drop out of a run. They'll probably let you 397 00:25:28,720 --> 00:25:30,960 Speaker 3: try again the next day. You can fail a test, 398 00:25:31,440 --> 00:25:34,560 Speaker 3: they'll probably let you retake that test. But you lie 399 00:25:34,600 --> 00:25:38,960 Speaker 3: about anything, you're packing your bags that afternoon. And that's 400 00:25:39,000 --> 00:25:43,040 Speaker 3: because integrity is so important when lives are on the line. 401 00:25:43,119 --> 00:25:46,879 Speaker 3: I think leadership is about integrity more than anything else. 402 00:25:47,320 --> 00:25:50,119 Speaker 3: And I think what people heard when they heard me 403 00:25:50,240 --> 00:25:54,879 Speaker 3: talking about this trans issue and my daughters is just 404 00:25:55,080 --> 00:25:58,120 Speaker 3: an authentic dad, you know, someone who is just being 405 00:25:58,160 --> 00:26:00,960 Speaker 3: honest about how he feels. And I said, I don't 406 00:26:00,960 --> 00:26:04,040 Speaker 3: know what the exact policy should be, but we ought 407 00:26:04,080 --> 00:26:06,480 Speaker 3: to be able to ask this question, to have a 408 00:26:06,520 --> 00:26:08,960 Speaker 3: debate about it, to be able to talk about it. 409 00:26:09,280 --> 00:26:12,000 Speaker 3: Same thing with immigration. I don't think Trump's got the 410 00:26:12,040 --> 00:26:16,480 Speaker 3: answers on immigration, but so many Democrats were just in denial, like, 411 00:26:16,600 --> 00:26:20,119 Speaker 3: let's be honest about the fact that this is a problem, 412 00:26:20,800 --> 00:26:24,159 Speaker 3: you know, and we got to do something realistic to 413 00:26:24,240 --> 00:26:27,040 Speaker 3: fix it. So that's what I think we need to do, 414 00:26:27,200 --> 00:26:30,240 Speaker 3: is Democrats to show how to lead on these issues. 415 00:26:30,720 --> 00:26:34,520 Speaker 3: Don't say that government's just fine. I've passed two bills 416 00:26:34,560 --> 00:26:37,400 Speaker 3: into law just about government efficiency. In fact, my very 417 00:26:37,440 --> 00:26:40,000 Speaker 3: first piece of legislation I ever passed in my life 418 00:26:40,200 --> 00:26:42,560 Speaker 3: was a bill to make it faster for veterans to 419 00:26:42,560 --> 00:26:45,399 Speaker 3: get appointments at the VA, because guess what, it's too slow. 420 00:26:46,200 --> 00:26:48,760 Speaker 3: The bureaucracy at the VA is terrible and we got 421 00:26:48,760 --> 00:26:51,639 Speaker 3: to fix it. So let's show a path forward, and 422 00:26:51,680 --> 00:26:55,879 Speaker 3: then from a political perspective, how we should attack Trump. 423 00:26:56,119 --> 00:26:59,199 Speaker 3: In my humble opinion, it's not by just screaming that, 424 00:26:59,280 --> 00:27:02,200 Speaker 3: you know, cutting the USAID is bad. It's a good 425 00:27:02,200 --> 00:27:05,840 Speaker 3: example because I saw the difference on the ground in 426 00:27:05,880 --> 00:27:09,480 Speaker 3: a rock that USAID made. It literally saved Americans lives. 427 00:27:10,000 --> 00:27:13,399 Speaker 3: But that's a complicated case to make. So instead of 428 00:27:13,440 --> 00:27:16,600 Speaker 3: screaming about that, let's just point out the ways in 429 00:27:16,640 --> 00:27:19,919 Speaker 3: which Trump is being hypocritical. He said he was going 430 00:27:20,000 --> 00:27:23,560 Speaker 3: to lower prices. I saw signs all over Pennsylvania. Trump 431 00:27:23,600 --> 00:27:27,480 Speaker 3: lower prices, kammalat higher prices, except he's raising terrifts and 432 00:27:27,520 --> 00:27:30,119 Speaker 3: prices are starting to go up. He said he's going 433 00:27:30,160 --> 00:27:33,240 Speaker 3: to end the war in Ukraine on day one, day one. 434 00:27:33,280 --> 00:27:35,640 Speaker 3: How many times did we hear that? Well, guess what, 435 00:27:35,680 --> 00:27:38,840 Speaker 3: We're well passed day one, and that war's still going on. 436 00:27:39,200 --> 00:27:41,480 Speaker 3: There are a lot of places where Trump has broken 437 00:27:41,520 --> 00:27:44,240 Speaker 3: his promises already, and I think pointing out the ways 438 00:27:44,240 --> 00:27:47,960 Speaker 3: in which he's just been hypocritical is a much better 439 00:27:48,040 --> 00:27:51,920 Speaker 3: winning strategy for US. And then, yeah, we use that 440 00:27:52,040 --> 00:27:55,800 Speaker 3: leverage to say, unless you start doing what you've promised, 441 00:27:56,680 --> 00:28:01,080 Speaker 3: including by the way, upholding the Constitution you promised to 442 00:28:01,119 --> 00:28:03,600 Speaker 3: swear and protect, then we're not going to play ball 443 00:28:03,640 --> 00:28:06,919 Speaker 3: with you. You guys can go figure out your budget problems, 444 00:28:06,960 --> 00:28:08,840 Speaker 3: but we're not going to save you yet again from 445 00:28:08,840 --> 00:28:11,560 Speaker 3: shutting down the government when you control the government. 446 00:28:11,720 --> 00:28:13,520 Speaker 1: Right, Congressman, I know you got to go. I got 447 00:28:13,840 --> 00:28:18,480 Speaker 1: one last question for you on this. Do you ever 448 00:28:18,640 --> 00:28:20,960 Speaker 1: stand up at like one of these meetings? 449 00:28:21,119 --> 00:28:21,359 Speaker 2: Right? 450 00:28:21,600 --> 00:28:24,480 Speaker 1: And and and I'm putting a burden on you, right 451 00:28:24,560 --> 00:28:27,760 Speaker 1: because I because I'm a I know that you are 452 00:28:28,080 --> 00:28:31,919 Speaker 1: the solution here. But I'm really serious. It is to 453 00:28:31,960 --> 00:28:35,640 Speaker 1: say you're in a conference a COCU is full of lawyers. 454 00:28:38,120 --> 00:28:42,520 Speaker 1: Say hey, I'm a Marine Corps Infantry officer, I have 455 00:28:42,640 --> 00:28:47,200 Speaker 1: a business degree. I'm in Congress like like you, But 456 00:28:47,240 --> 00:28:48,880 Speaker 1: I want to tell you a story about a guy 457 00:28:48,960 --> 00:28:49,959 Speaker 1: named Chesty Puller. 458 00:28:51,520 --> 00:28:53,040 Speaker 2: We got to hold the line here. 459 00:28:54,840 --> 00:28:57,000 Speaker 3: You know I never used that line, but I'll tell 460 00:28:57,000 --> 00:28:57,240 Speaker 3: you what. 461 00:28:57,880 --> 00:29:02,120 Speaker 1: We have an easy political thing as Democrats. We don't 462 00:29:02,160 --> 00:29:05,600 Speaker 1: have to be for anything. We just have to say 463 00:29:05,720 --> 00:29:09,640 Speaker 1: no and hold the line. And the line is this 464 00:29:10,840 --> 00:29:17,160 Speaker 1: immediate restoration of the Inspectors General, immediate cessation of whatever 465 00:29:17,200 --> 00:29:24,320 Speaker 1: intrusion is going on in the federal agencies unlawfully and unconstitutionally, 466 00:29:25,280 --> 00:29:29,880 Speaker 1: and an immediate disclosure about what it is that they did. 467 00:29:31,160 --> 00:29:37,200 Speaker 1: And then we will have a meeting about providing the 468 00:29:37,280 --> 00:29:41,040 Speaker 1: votes you will need to keep the government open. And 469 00:29:41,160 --> 00:29:45,880 Speaker 1: we recall position to the Democratic Conference is that you 470 00:29:45,960 --> 00:29:50,240 Speaker 1: were sent by God Thush are in the Golden Age, 471 00:29:50,840 --> 00:29:55,640 Speaker 1: so does the good Lord right has included in his 472 00:29:55,840 --> 00:30:01,440 Speaker 1: plan that you'll need some Democratic votes would you will 473 00:30:01,480 --> 00:30:07,600 Speaker 1: not get until these three things happen. Is it possible 474 00:30:08,800 --> 00:30:15,280 Speaker 1: to organize the Democratic Conference in an opposition on that 475 00:30:15,440 --> 00:30:20,160 Speaker 1: line and hold it no votes until they stop it? 476 00:30:20,880 --> 00:30:23,400 Speaker 3: Well, I've never tried the chesty polar line, so maybe 477 00:30:23,400 --> 00:30:25,840 Speaker 3: that would would do the trick for those of you 478 00:30:25,880 --> 00:30:28,520 Speaker 3: who don't know. He's one of the most famous United 479 00:30:28,560 --> 00:30:32,040 Speaker 3: States Marines in history and a tough TuS son of 480 00:30:32,080 --> 00:30:35,600 Speaker 3: a bitch. But the point is here, we need to 481 00:30:35,640 --> 00:30:39,400 Speaker 3: be united around a strategy. We need to have a 482 00:30:39,480 --> 00:30:43,400 Speaker 3: clear line in the sand about what's acceptable. I might 483 00:30:43,520 --> 00:30:46,240 Speaker 3: phrase it a little differently, Steve, I think this is 484 00:30:46,280 --> 00:30:50,160 Speaker 3: actually about allowing Congress to do its job, because Congress 485 00:30:50,680 --> 00:30:55,080 Speaker 3: is responsible for these federal agencies. We're the ones who 486 00:30:55,160 --> 00:30:58,840 Speaker 3: set the budget, not Elon Musk. Newsflash, it's your elected 487 00:30:58,880 --> 00:31:02,760 Speaker 3: representatives in the United States House of Representatives who set 488 00:31:02,760 --> 00:31:06,640 Speaker 3: the budget, not some unelected billionaire. I think that's where 489 00:31:06,640 --> 00:31:08,520 Speaker 3: we draw the line and we got to talk about 490 00:31:08,560 --> 00:31:11,640 Speaker 3: how to enforce it. Now, the honest answer to your 491 00:31:11,720 --> 00:31:14,240 Speaker 3: question in part is I don't go to these conference 492 00:31:14,280 --> 00:31:16,800 Speaker 3: meetings a lot because they kind of just get live 493 00:31:16,840 --> 00:31:20,680 Speaker 3: tweeted and they're not that effective. What I do is 494 00:31:20,720 --> 00:31:24,120 Speaker 3: I get together with Democrats who are serious about finding 495 00:31:24,200 --> 00:31:27,320 Speaker 3: a way forward, and we're working behind the scenes. And 496 00:31:27,400 --> 00:31:30,400 Speaker 3: I did spend some time with the Messaging Committee of 497 00:31:30,400 --> 00:31:33,080 Speaker 3: the House Democrats about how I think we need to 498 00:31:33,160 --> 00:31:35,680 Speaker 3: change our messaging in a small meeting that we had 499 00:31:35,760 --> 00:31:38,640 Speaker 3: last week. So that's the kind of work that I'm doing. 500 00:31:38,760 --> 00:31:42,960 Speaker 3: But ultimately, if a Keem Jeffries, in his position as 501 00:31:43,000 --> 00:31:45,719 Speaker 3: the head of our caucus in the House, can unite 502 00:31:45,800 --> 00:31:48,920 Speaker 3: us behind that, I don't want to say we're the 503 00:31:48,960 --> 00:31:51,400 Speaker 3: party of no. No. It's not just about being the 504 00:31:51,400 --> 00:31:54,760 Speaker 3: party of no. It's about being the party of yes. 505 00:31:54,880 --> 00:31:58,040 Speaker 3: We can stand up for the Constitution. We can do 506 00:31:58,120 --> 00:32:02,760 Speaker 3: the right thing in the face of what is truly 507 00:32:03,040 --> 00:32:07,760 Speaker 3: un American, unpatriotic behavior by the Commander in Chief and 508 00:32:07,840 --> 00:32:08,800 Speaker 3: his billionaire buddy. 509 00:32:08,920 --> 00:32:12,320 Speaker 1: I want to say last thing on this and to 510 00:32:12,400 --> 00:32:15,320 Speaker 1: get you for you to give some consideration to this point, 511 00:32:15,360 --> 00:32:21,440 Speaker 1: because there's a genetic disposition amongst Democrats, right, an aversion 512 00:32:21,560 --> 00:32:26,760 Speaker 1: to the word no, which is a powerful word and 513 00:32:26,840 --> 00:32:31,400 Speaker 1: a word that requires agency, and it's a word that 514 00:32:31,520 --> 00:32:36,520 Speaker 1: is not used enough in American life, and it's a 515 00:32:36,560 --> 00:32:42,360 Speaker 1: word that Donald Trump has never heard. And someone needs 516 00:32:42,400 --> 00:32:46,080 Speaker 1: to deliver the word. And I believe this from every 517 00:32:46,120 --> 00:32:50,080 Speaker 1: fiber of my being. There's one of three states in 518 00:32:50,120 --> 00:32:54,600 Speaker 1: this country that produces people that are capable of delivering 519 00:32:54,640 --> 00:32:58,120 Speaker 1: that word to Donald Trump. New Jersey is one of 520 00:32:58,160 --> 00:33:01,120 Speaker 1: those states. New York is one of those states. In 521 00:33:01,200 --> 00:33:05,520 Speaker 1: Massachusetts is one of those states, right, that can deliver 522 00:33:05,640 --> 00:33:08,920 Speaker 1: the word no. And that that that delivery of that 523 00:33:08,960 --> 00:33:14,240 Speaker 1: word no is really important and it's virtuous and hearing 524 00:33:14,400 --> 00:33:20,040 Speaker 1: us to say no, we're the Congress. Elon Musk. 525 00:33:21,320 --> 00:33:25,120 Speaker 2: Is not king. I think is a really important thing. 526 00:33:25,680 --> 00:33:28,440 Speaker 2: I take your point, Steve. I do take your point. 527 00:33:28,600 --> 00:33:30,920 Speaker 3: And it's a It's an interesting way to think about it, 528 00:33:31,000 --> 00:33:33,800 Speaker 3: because you're right, that's sort of a taboo word in politics. 529 00:33:33,840 --> 00:33:36,040 Speaker 3: But there are a lot of there are a lot 530 00:33:36,080 --> 00:33:38,360 Speaker 3: of taboos that are being broken right now. Maybe this 531 00:33:38,520 --> 00:33:39,920 Speaker 3: is what we need to do. 532 00:33:40,160 --> 00:33:40,520 Speaker 2: Everyone. 533 00:33:40,520 --> 00:33:41,680 Speaker 1: I just want to say, this is one of the 534 00:33:41,800 --> 00:33:44,880 Speaker 1: very best members of Congress in the in the country 535 00:33:45,080 --> 00:33:49,120 Speaker 1: is that it's easy to be cynical about politics. But 536 00:33:49,840 --> 00:33:53,040 Speaker 1: politics at the highest level is a contest between idealism 537 00:33:53,120 --> 00:33:56,360 Speaker 1: and cynicism. So you got to know who the idealists are. 538 00:33:56,560 --> 00:33:58,960 Speaker 1: You got to cheer for them. This guy is one 539 00:33:59,000 --> 00:34:01,240 Speaker 1: of them. Support them for follow them, look them up. 540 00:34:01,840 --> 00:34:07,640 Speaker 1: Seth Moulton a member of Congress the sixth District of Massachusetts, 541 00:34:08,640 --> 00:34:12,120 Speaker 1: one of the leaders of the future of the Democratic Party. 542 00:34:12,560 --> 00:34:15,000 Speaker 1: And there will be a moment when there is a 543 00:34:15,080 --> 00:34:18,840 Speaker 1: Democratic president that raises their hand on the west steps 544 00:34:18,880 --> 00:34:22,680 Speaker 1: of the Capitol again, and this era ends. And it's 545 00:34:22,760 --> 00:34:27,359 Speaker 1: going to end when enough Americans hear the message of 546 00:34:27,400 --> 00:34:31,160 Speaker 1: what people like Seth Moulton are saying, and members of 547 00:34:31,200 --> 00:34:35,520 Speaker 1: Congress like Seth Moulton are able to pry loose the 548 00:34:35,680 --> 00:34:39,560 Speaker 1: grip of people in the Democratic Party who combined delusion 549 00:34:39,719 --> 00:34:46,359 Speaker 1: and arrogance and entitlement and losing to Donald Trump as 550 00:34:46,360 --> 00:34:49,560 Speaker 1: they're calling card. So I appreciate very much, Congressman, your 551 00:34:49,600 --> 00:34:53,160 Speaker 1: time today, your service both to the country and the 552 00:34:53,160 --> 00:34:57,160 Speaker 1: Marine Corps and into Congress, and for your willingness to 553 00:34:57,239 --> 00:34:58,399 Speaker 1: keep fighting the good fight. 554 00:34:58,560 --> 00:35:02,080 Speaker 3: Thank you, sir, Thanks for having that's overly flattering, but 555 00:35:02,360 --> 00:35:04,480 Speaker 3: it's an honor to be on here with someone who's 556 00:35:04,520 --> 00:35:06,920 Speaker 3: been a principal fighter himself for a long time. So 557 00:35:07,120 --> 00:35:09,800 Speaker 3: thank you for your leadership and thanks for the discussion. 558 00:35:09,880 --> 00:35:12,239 Speaker 2: This was fun. Good to see you. Thanks con here. 559 00:35:13,400 --> 00:35:16,120 Speaker 1: I'm Steve Schmidt. This is the warning and I invite 560 00:35:16,160 --> 00:35:20,320 Speaker 1: you to join. Subscribe on our substack, on our YouTube channel, 561 00:35:20,560 --> 00:35:25,960 Speaker 1: follow us. Welcome to the community.