Hi, I'm Mollie John Fast and this is Fast Politics, where we discuss the top political headlines with some of today's best minds. And Governor Nikki Haley said she gets dumber every time the vague Ramaswami speaks. She is not alone. We have such a great show today. Minority Whip Catherine Clark tells us what's going to happen if the government shuts down. Then we'll talk to Congressman Robert Garcia about
what the Democrats are up to. But first we have the host of the next level, the Bullwarks, Tim Miller. Welcome back to Fast Politics, one of my favorite brilliant conservative minds. Though you're kind of a liberal now sorry.
I'm a classically liberal.
I'm classically liberal that used to be conservatives, Okay, not anymore. I guess you guys can have progressive. I'm taking liberal. The magas can have conservative.
How's that okay?
My friend and yours, Tim, Thank you Tim for joining us.
Thank you.
I'm a fan and a frequent flyer in the Tamiller world. You watched that debate last night. I only made it an hour.
Well, I said it was all this morning, I'm hungover. I went to see Beyonce last night, and this was true. You know, this was tough for me because you know, I have a job. People want to hear when I think about things, even really stupid things like this is the second primary debate, and so I felt this guilt, you know.
I was like I should be watching this.
And I was like, you know, Beyonce only comes to town once and it'll be there on TVR. And boy did I make the right decision because she was amazing and that debate was pointless, totally pointless. You didn't you left after an hour, so you didn't hear any body even criticize the person winning by forty points, except for Chris Christy, who offered the single cringiest attack line in debate history.
With Donald Duck.
Yeah, that was horrible.
It was like he'd practiced it in a mirror and he was so proud of himself and he was like, there's this big build up to it, and I was like, oh, boy, he's really going to give him one now, and then it was Donald Duck. I was like a whole body cringe.
I'm continually underwhelmed by Chris Christy as a spoiler, Like I just think he is a person who is desperate for attention. I don't really believe that he has some kind of quinsotic quest to bring down Trump.
Yeah, I've been with you on this one, and I've been kind of an outlier never Trump world while not worrieding worcause it seems like Donald Trump's going to win and kind of all this is and not win the primary and all of this strategorizing is kind of unnecessary as doesn't really matter. But still, in the event that there was an actual candidate that rose to which where they had a chance to beat Trump, that's not getting Chris Christy.
Republican voters hate him.
And so in that event, having Chris Christy in this race in New Hampshire is a huge help to Trump, right, because Chris Christy is going to get you know, whatever fifteen ten percent newsree whatever ends up getting, and then vote would have gone to you know, Nicky Haley or whoever else, right, And so he's taking voters away from people that could you know, that at least have a
better change than he does. And so like this whole thing is just egomaniacal and I don't think that he's done anything really to advance the Well, the only thing that he's done they'll give him credit for is he does go on Fox and occasionally break their bubble of disreality. And I do appreciate that. But I think that he could do that without being a candidate for presidents, you know, I mean, Gavin Newson is doing that, right.
I was just about to say Gavin Newsom mayor pete. But I do want to get into this idea because I am not a Republican, nor am I even really Republican adjacent though I do adore you guys at the bullwork, but I in my heart and I would never vote for her, and I don't believe for anything she stands for. But on Earth too, there is a world where Nikki Haley is the nominate.
Sure, it's a makeup of the parties are different, right, and so this is the thing, and maybe it's on Earth one twelve years ago.
Right.
Here's the thing I'm people to understand about the Republican Party is that there was always this like push and pull between the tea party is types, the non college more you know, culturally conservative parts of the party, and then your kind of chamber of commerce, whatever, country club Republican whatever majority of you want to use right right tax cuts.
The people who held their nose and voted.
For tax cuts exactly, the country club side of the party was winning for a while, you know, because it felt more electable and the party was about split in half.
Okay.
Then Trump comes in and a huge swaff of those people myself and the board card included less the party. So we're not in the party anymore. And then a huge, huge new group of people came in of people that only liked the culture war stuff. They don't care at all about cutting spending and you know, a strong military
and all this stuff. Okay, so now the party breakdown is like seventy thirty or maybe seventy five twenty five towards people that want the maga culture war stuff versus the people that, you know whatever, are the older, more traditional,
you know, your father's Republican. So Nikki Haley, sure, if the parties hadn't changed their voters, she could have won a primary, but they did, right, and so now we're like, you had to deal with the party that you have, And like I knew she was, you know, I knew what well I knew nikkiy Holly didn't do well. Last night I started getting text from my democratic consultant friends who are like, I'm really thinking Nikki's doing well, and I was like, yep, I used to get these texts
about John Huntsman too. Okay, we finished in.
Last because the problem is that MAGA world so no longer looks like normal political discourse. That in order to succeed in that, you have to be an outlier.
Yeah, an outsider for sure. Yeah, Outliernny and I just signed that, But yeah, you have to be somebody that is expressing a disdain for the existing political system. Because the maguaters hate the existing politicalsm they hate the existing elites. Right, this is why Vivic does well. He thought like he's charming or that he has any special skill, you know, candidate skills. He just can read the room, like that's his only skill. He can read the room.
And talk really really fast.
Yeah, he just like created this identity in twenty eighteen.
That was like, Okay, I guess I'll just say all the stuff that the people like and like that kind of works for him, you know exactly, even nomine but you know, at least he's like engaging them on things. And they care about that is what. So if Trump disappeared on the face of the planet god willing, you know, these people would look for somebody else that does that, that is an outsider, that doesn't sound like a politician, that is willing to say crude things. It's willing to
be cruel and mean to elites and trans people and whatever. Right, and that wants would be more isolated, Like that's what these folks want.
Here's the thing I never understood about Trump World. I always thought, and this is where I really messed up. I always thought, eventually the people will say that Trump is a lead and that this whole thing has been a complete lie, and they'll rebel or stay home or something. But that has not quite happened. I thought that there would be a moment of reckoning, but there has been no moment of reckoning. Yeah.
So in twenty sixteen, right, we kind of went through this. I went to this with you, where there's this theory of the case. I think it was defensible. At the time. It was like, let's avoid him, right, you don't want to get in the mud with him, and eventually people get serious. Right, I think it was a defensible theory at the time. It turned out to be totally wrong.
People were not going to get serious. They liked him actually, and the better approach would have been the opposite, to try to kill him in the crib and to go at him early. We messed up. I don't know that if killing the crib strategy would have worked or not. We don't know. But we know that the avoid him and try to delay the reckoning as long as possible strategy doesn't work because everybody tried it last time, literally every candidate. We're now eight years later and these guys
are all doing the same thing. They haven't learned anything, So I don't know. There was a theory for a little while some of them were going to be VP, but Trump says, you, like, I'm not going to beg any of them for V paid, So like, what are.
They all doing, hud secretary.
Yeah, this JVL line and the triad job the last and the blog and the triad. He wrote this.
There was no Republican presidential debate last night.
There was only a collection of people playing make the lead and apply it media enabling them like that's just it, right, Like they did not they are not trying to compete against him, and I think that these people are so dumb that they really genuinely think that this failed Ted Cruz Marco Rubio strategy of last time, it's still their best bet and otherwise I have no idea what they're doing.
Yeah, it seems very bizarre. I also think like one of the signs that your debate is really the undercard debate is that it's on Fox Business. Like the Fox Business people like this sort of dismay that Larry Kudlow faced, you know, doing this, like there was a sense in which this was really they had really relegated this to the B B B team.
Yeah, yeah, I mean so the Steward Varney and the best part of their bait was the intro when Barney couldn't pronounce the name of its co moderator from Univision.
I feel like you should practice that.
Yeah, I mean it was like he's sputtered. I thought my WiFi went out or something, spluttering trying to mention her name. I mean, I get literally, you know, it'd be a perfect spoof for a Saturday in their lives bid. But the other only other good thing, I guess, Dana Prino. Everyone else is criticizing her to the survivor question at the end of Taiku, would you vote off the island? But I thought that was the most relevant question of
the debate. Actually, her point was right that having seven people on the Ian's trump when he has fifty percent of the vote is insanity, and so she was just trying to nudge them. And you know, here we are today. The opposite is have Janet have you seen this? Just it just popped on Drudge Thursday morning. You know, Youngkin, the Youngkin buzz is back. There's now a big summit next month about getting then Youngkin in racing. It's just it's like, what another milk toast, because that'll do Yeah,
another milk toast? Business Republican in a feeze list, Like, how is he gonna do any better than the people that are already in the race. The whole thing is just lunacy.
I mean, and really, what they need, if they were to take control of this sinking ship is for everyone to get by one candidate. The moderators clearly were very out of control, right, They couldn't control the crowd. They're screaming at each other. We got Doug Bergham complaining, and I mean there were just so many really unlikable people doing unlikable things last night. But the questions were oddly like childcare, this is not republic the Republican Party's wheelhouse.
I mean, was Dana Perino trying to pull a fast one? I mean, what do you think about that?
Yeah, speaking of being stealing, bad for Jesse, yet I had to feel bad for him being a professional having to listen to it. The sound was so horrible in there. They couldn't figure out how to work the mic. It really was waiting for a leve hole like production bodies and then the substance. You got to try sometimes to ask them substantive issues, even though most of them don't want to talk about anything substance of, except like, you know, the two things that you know, wokeness in.
The border or whatever, and Nikki Haley's curtains.
Yeah, but I did think the funniest subjective question was when Dana Brino asked Mike Pence about Obamacare, and so you got to repeal Obamacare I don't like And Mike Fence then goes on a two minute answer about how he wants to speed up the death penalty process.
Yes, speed up the death penalty and then faith based mental health.
Yeah, and he thought this was gonna be a big applause line. You know, He's just like, we're going to acceit, you them, and then the crowd is like, what are you talking? Like the dead silence of the crowd to his attempted applause line, and then Dana is like, so, I guess we're stuck with Obamacare. Then you know, I got he said, you didn't answer, and then he still has no answer.
I get.
They haven't been even attempted. Say what you want about ship Jem's policies. Maybe not your listeners didn't like all of them, but he.
At least was serious.
You know, if he was good taking on Trump, he was at least serious about his policy proposal. You ask him about healthcare, he would give you a boring eight point answer. So at least he is serious about the process. And these guys don't even have that. It's like, if you're not going to challenge Trump, if you're not going to really compete, then at least have something to offer, something of substance. It's just it's nothing. They had nothing.
Yeah, no, I mean just incredible, incredible stuff. And I mean Mike Pence was vice president, and he could not get out a coherent answer, and the idea that you're going to do the death penalty for people who are mass shooters, for who many of whom actually kill themselves right right, who are quite interested in death?
Like, I think that actually sweetens the pomps.
Yes, I know, it's like the least important candidate and the least important question, but I just couldn't. I couldn't help myself, but like rewind it and re listened to it because it was just so bizarre. Who Rick Thence begins. It was kind of this heartfelt, earnest thing. He's like, I have grand children and we need to stop these mass shootings and we need to be serious about it.
And that was kind of like, you know, I sort of sat up in my chair and I was like, oh, is Mike Pence can't offer maybe a different view on gun control or something. And then he's like, no, we're gonna speed up the death penalty for mass shooters. So I was like, what most of these guys killed themselves.
What are you talking about it? What are you talking about?
Well, I mean it was not as baffling as faith based mental health you pray away the depressed.
Hey, people need what is it called the third space? People like there are men in this country that needs they want to get it from church groups. That's great, okay, but yeah, that's not solving the problem here.
I mean, it's incredible the hoops that these people will jump through to not have anything to do with any kind of gum control. I'm curious to know. Now. Last night Donald Trump spoke about the about unions, but not two unions. The thing that I'm always struck by is like he just lies all the time. And like you said, you know it won't matter. In two years, there will be no more jobs because of electric vehicles.
Yeah, well, speaking about lies. One of the reason why he keeps lying is because it works. You know, Republicans haven't learned it. I think we're twenty sixteen and the media has. It doesn't seem like they have. Either everybody like mainstream outlets, Gnzert else or like repeating his lie that he was going to speak to the union group, he was speaking at a non union shop and it was like the boss that invited it, and you know
the people there, like one of the interviewers there. There was at least one local news reporter doing his job like went up to people with like UAW for Trump signs and shirts and was like, are you a member of the UAW And they're.
Like no, no.
But that's why he lies, you know, partially because you can keep getting away with that. Obviously, the substance was also cannot hyperbolic nonsense to me. It's more just like he got credit for pretending to do the thing that Joe Biden did.
You know.
That's frustrating and it is worth wondering why the mainstream media. You know, I feel guilty talking about this because I feel like people are mad at me for going on television and saying this. But I don't care, especially straight reporters. I understand that it's hard and you don't lines cave reporters, you know what I mean. News reporters I suppose to on the opinion side, but I know that they don't necessarily write their own headlines. But really, most people, eighty
percent of the people only read your headlines. So if you have a headline that says Joe Biden too old and Trump has some other problems, that's it. That's your piece. It's a terrible reality but it's true.
Yeah, I know, I'm not one of these guys. It's always just like the media is terrible. Media is terrible to me. There's certain things in media does well, and that they're humans everybody's you know, I hate the contrarianism, you know, knee jerk criticisms, but I got the substance of this in this instance.
Yeah.
And it's one of the check on the subs of the Sistance. If you're like, if your short salary or the twheet is Donald Trump's going to speak to auto workers, and it's like people need to click on the article and then they look at it and say, well, not no, not really actually, Like then you know you're helping advance his misinformation.
Yeah, I mean, I am totally just sort of blown away by the level in which Republicans. I mean, even in my own life. Somebody just told me that they've changed their mind on the COVID vaccine because it was only tested on ten mice, and I was like, no, honey, there's such an information gap. I mean, this is not South Dakota. This is New York City.
Even in South Dakota they have internet there, you know. Joe Biden passed broad dams. It is one of the things that assigned a bipartisan you know, people should be able to get the facts these days.
I did really like, you know, I'm like a little bit of a sucker. And the only thing I liked in that debate was the Christy Nome advertisement.
This I must have missed. I was fast forwarding on the replay.
South Dakota, as many popular states do, has ads to beg people to move there.
Okay, yeah, sure, and.
This ad has her smiling and doing weird jobs that you could get if you lived in South Dakota.
Right, I mean a little bit.
I was like it was pretty stupid, but I sort.
Of like it.
I mean, you know, we do have like the lowest unemployment rate in history right now. So yeah, I don't think a lot of people are like desperately saying, I just I just need to get to South you know, the bad Lands, teach there.
But what's sort of on your radar right now?
Well, I'm panicking, Molly, I'm panicking. That's what's on my radar. I'm carrying a paperbag around constantly, and I'm just going to be blowing into it for the next thirteen months. I think because the Republican resistance to Trump is nonexistent, and so you know, we're staring down the barrel of this guy in general election, and it's going to be I don't think we're going to be able to sleep. I think that there should be more bad wedding. And
that's where I'm at. That's what that's what, that's what I'm keeping my eye on. People are worried about bad wedding, not me. I want I want people to be bed wedding more. I'd like to see some damn sheets.
The disturbing image.
Thank you, Tim Miller, Thank you. Molly Catherine Clark is the Minority Whip and represents Massachusetts Fitts Congressional District.
Welcome back to Fast Politics.
Do we call you Whip Clark or or do we call you Representative Clark?
Either one works agaid.
Welcome back.
So we are in this incredibly strange moment and congressional life. Can you talk us through where you guys are right now and what's happening.
Absolutely, it is an incredibly strange time and a time of great danger for the American people. And what we're seeing is an extension of what we've seen since January when Speaker McCarthy went fifteen rounds and to achieve his title a speaker, he gave the gabble to Marjorie Taylor Green and the most extreme MAGA Republicans. So now we are on the verge of a shutdown because they are promoting an agenda that completely leaves out what the American
people need to succeed. They're cutting social socquity, slashing public school funding, criminalizing abortion care in their march towards a national abortion band. So here we are days away from a shutdown. And what is the only way I can describe this is it is chaos here in the Republican GOP.
In the House.
Yesterday Marjorie Taylor Green, who is known for spreading anti Smitic conspiracy theories that cues control space lasers that caused forest fires, she did something really bizarre and extraordinary.
Can you talk about that?
You know every day it is bizarre extraordinary with Marjorie Taylor Green.
She had an emotion to cut LAWD. Austin's salary down to a dollar.
That's right.
And Marjorie is good at saying all the quiet parts out loud, and her extremism continues on and here's what we're seeing is that was one example. Another example was an amendment of Lauren Bobert that cut all mentioned from the USDA of LGBTQ people that all but one Republican voted for. I think it is hard to take in the level extremism, a bigotry of racism that we are seeing reflected in these appropriation bills, and what we are headed for a shutdown for is promotion of this agenda.
And it's important to note that here in Washington, it is the House GOP that is becoming this island of hatred and extremism, where we see the White House, House Dems, House Senate Dems, and Senate Republican saying, let's not do this. We have an agreement from back in June with the manufactured default crisis. Let's proceed with that. You know, it is always sort of an out of body experience when I find myself nodding an agreement with the tweets coming
from Mitch McConnell. But Mitch McConnell is speaking rationally on this, and we have just the House geopine that is distinguishing themselves in all the wrong ways. And who is left out of this. It's the American people and this drum beat that they have had over months that shutdowns are good for people, it is all extension of as Kevin McCarthy himself said his conference, wanting to burn it all down.
And this is going to have real and dramatic effects whether they shut down the government or whether they move forward on their extreme agenda. Either way, people at home who are trying to manage high costs of living with housing, with groceries, worried about their kids in school and thriving post pandemic. Everything they are going for is going to move us in the wrong direction. And so we have to take the fact that this is no longer some
partisan bickering in Congress. This is about everyone else but the House GOP trying to move forward for the American people this point post pandemic, where economy is showing great signs of recovery, but we need to do more to cut costs for people, to get them into work, to make the investments that Democrats passed in the last Congress come to life for people. You know, it is just an incredible moment to watch Kevin McCarthy's failure to lead his conference past this extremism.
It is incredible to see Mitch McConnell saying that he increas with Schumor and Congressional Democrats and not.
These House Republicans.
So one of the things that Nancy Pelosi was really careful about when she was the Speaker of the House was a lot of these people have been elected from very swingy districts or districts that are very evenly divided, and so to not make people in these very vulnerable districts have to vote on things that would alienate voters. You know, when you see motions brought by Marjorie Taylor Green and Lauren Babert, can you imagine Nancy Pelosi ever
letting this kind of thing happen in her caucus. I mean not that you'd ever have people like Marjorie Taylor Green or Lauren Bobert in the Democratic caucuss, but can you imagine letting the sort of very controversial members take over the party like that?
Absolutely not. First of all, we don't have these extreme members, so let's start there. But you know, this is so about a march towards an abortion band across this country. They truly that is one of their top priorities, and what we are seeing are just, you know, amendments that should make our jaws drop, except that we see it
every single day from them. But your point brings up a good one, because you know, it's sort of like, well, aren't there moderate Republicans across the aisle that you can work with? And what Kevin McCarthy's voting moving towards this extreme bringing these measures that whether it's slashing General Austin's salary to a dollar, whether it is getting rid of every equity commission throughout government, whether it is a tax on the LGBTQ Committee, these so called moderates vote for
these amendments. They vote for this extreme agenda over and over again. And this really isn't just about your typical partisan fight. This is about how do we move forward as a country and a democracy, create an economy that works for everyone, but also make that march towards equality
and justice. And you saw Tommy Tuberbill say it again, saying this quiet part out loud when he was talking about not voting for the Joint Chief of Staff Brown and saying, we think that our armed forces are not served well by diversity, and we want it to be a merit based military.
I mean, wow right, I mean the whole idea is it's the mayor based military, and the military has spent many years sort of creating a military that reflects.
Its people exactly. We cannot let these moments where we have the former president calling for the execution of General Millie for his idea of treason and that just becomes part of our normal daily expectations from this GOP. This is extremism. It is dangerous. It erodes democracy, and we are seeing it play out here in the House every single day, and we are not seeing those members and they have a very small margin standing up and saying we are going to choose the people of this country.
We are going to choose those bounding ideals of liberty and justice and equality. Instead, they are choosing to fall in line and rule by fear of a primary that is sponsored by Donald Trump.
So McCarthy he could put together a cr or something and get Democratic votes. I mean, you could save him if you wanted to. Of course, that would also doom him, but that's not our problem. Do you think there's a world in which that happened.
You know, this is the world that the answer is right there for the taking. This is a deal that we negotiated, that Kevin McCarthy negotiated with the President of the United States back in May, and in early June three hundred and fourteen members of the House of Representatives said, we accept this deal. Was it a compromise? Were there are things in there?
I do not like?
Absolutely, But that was the deal we came to and we stood by it. The ink was barely dry when Kevin McCarthy once again followed the Freedom Cack, the Freedom Denying Caucus over on an extreme agenda and completely ignored what he had just signed with the President of the United States as his compromise, backed up by a huge bipartisan vote. So the answer has always been there.
But that's not.
What any of this is about. This is about Speaker McCarthy, in his mind, doing everything he can to remain Speaker McCarthy, and he has told the American people he doesn't care. This is about his job, his security and their security. What they're dealing with, the issues they talk about around their family tables are completely not the object of what he's trying to do. So we have been ready, We are ready to avoid a shutdown that we know is
going to inflect incredible pain on Americans. And the answer is right in front of us, and it is what Mitch McConnell and Senate Republicans are seeing, and it is what we are going to continue to push. This is a complete, once again, mega created problem, and the answers are already agreed to, have already been signed off on, and are just waiting for Kevin McCarthy to say yes to.
Do you think that Menandez should resign?
I think that that indictment is an extremely troubling document, and of course, as a member of Congress, as an attorney, I don't think that resigning is an admission of guilt. He has that presumption of innocence and I take that very seriously. But what I've watched is, you know, the people of New Jersey say to him that they think it's time for him to resign, and I think he has to listen to that.
One of the things that Representative Summerlee, who was just on this podcast set, which I thought was really important point, was that Democrats have to be the party of anti corruption, and if they're going to go after people like Clarence Thomas for his incredible flouting of ethics laws, then they have to really, you know, just be incredibly clear about such things.
Yeah, I think that's right. And we have shown over and over again that we stand for what is right and we want to stand to make sure that those voices of people that don't get a lot of power
in the halls of Congress are heard. And what we have to do in moments like this is think about those people who are busy with their own jobs making ends meet, busy trying to find childcare they need, and worried about will they be able to pay their bills and get ahead, that they view this all as increase cynicism towards government, when we very much need Americans to
understand that that is not the whole picture here. That House Democrats are united and have remain united because we have them in mind, and we showed that when we had the majority, we were able to move these huge investments in them, and we are willing to fight to protect social Security, something they want to take away and keep coming back to. And we know how critically important
that is to people at home. And we know that people understand that criminalizing abortion care a national abortion ban, is really a strike at their fundamental freedom, their freedom to make choices about their own lives without any member of Congress coming between them and their doctor and their faith and their family circumstances. And the American people understand this, and we have to continue to hold people accountable and
to call this out. And at this moment, with this level of extremism, these maga Republicans that have taken over the GOP and the House, our message to the American people is we see you, We're fighting for you, and we're going to continue to do that work because it really is about the elections make a huge difference in our democracy, but it's also these daily votes and every single day House Republicans are choosing to side with Marjorie Taylor agree and not with the people who were sent
here to serve.
Is this shut down a fit a company or is there still a chance.
Okay, we are going to continue to fight, but I think I think that the House GOP is going to find itself continue to be isolated, and I hope they will take notice of that. But if we look over their leadership and their tenure since January, I really don't see how they avoid a shutdown. They have been out there saying this is part of their agenda, that this is a way to get to extremism, that this is about how they continue on all these extreme issues that
they want. But we're expecting the Senate to move ahead with the bipartisan cr and we hope that Kevin McCarthy and the leadership team will follow suit and do the right thing for the American people. It's in their hands.
But Trump is the one who has set this shutdown emotion. Matt Gates is tweeting hold the line right, and that is Ultimately Trump is behind this.
Absolutely, Trump is behind all of this. That is who they answer to. That is who they set an agenda with. And you know, Trump has been very clear and is underscoring the point every day. This is an extreme, mega shutdown. It's what he wants, and they are trying to deliver it for him and the American people and what they
need to impact. This will have on hungry moms and babies, on the beneficiaries of SNAP, on social security beneficiaries, the fact that they will be asking our military active duty troops to go to work without pay. I mean, all of this is something that Trump has told them is what he wants for this country. This is his bishop, and the House Goop seems to be here with the sole reason of enacting that vision into law.
Thank you so much.
Representative Clark, all right, thank you, Mollie.
Representative Robert Garcia represents California's forty second congressional district. Welcome back to Fast Politics, Congressman.
Garcia, happy to be back.
Thank you, very thrilled to have you.
Yesterday.
President Biden, first president ever walk with to walk with strikers. Got some people from Obama world pretty mad. This guy's really doing the progressive stuff.
Oh man. I mean, look, I think there's no question that President Biden is the most progressive president of the modern era. He has time and time again shown that if he believes that government has a role to help people, and whether it's been the historic legislation, run infrastructure, or safety, and obviously recently with all the investments in client, he is really I think doubling down on kind of being that legacy from FDR and all the big programs that
we had that really improved this country. And so I'm really proud of him. I think, you know, as a member of the Progressive Caucuss, we talk all the time. We are always just continue to be impressed by the actions he takes, and clearly I think the picket a visit was just one of those moments. So it's a really special moment.
Yeah, I mean it's the first time ever in history, Like that's a big deal. And then Trump is of course saying he's coming, but actually he's coming to a non union shop that is a sponsor. I mean, should we be surprised.
No, I mean Donald Trump is, as we just know, just an unmitigated disaster. He is running away with this nomination, which is totally insane and crazy, sane, insane to me that there is anyone in this country that wants to nominate this criminal, the biggest grifter khn criminal to ever be in office, and that actually think that he actually has a vision for this country, which is anti worker,
anti women, anti LGBTQ plus people, anti anything. It's really sad to see every time these polls come out, and polls are going to go up and down, but the fact that anyone is supporting this person is just is just linacy.
It really is. I'm so struck by how insane this is. And Republicans are behaving like it's business as usual. Going back to progressive Biden News already endorsed by AOC and Bernie Sanders.
Yep, that's exactly right. I mean the party is united behind president, and that includes the progressive wing. I think look at what just happened around the Climate Corps. I mean, Sunrise is really leaning in on that.
I'm so excited about that.
So exciting. He's actually taking on issues that young people care about, that the next generation cares about. I have to laugh at some of the media's obsession with his experience and his age, and it's like he's delivering results. And that is partly because he is so experienced and has been Vice president, has been in the Senate for so long, and has you know, done local government. So hello, folks, we have actually the one person here that's beat Donald
Trump once before. You know, we have not always been successful in that effort. He knows how to get it done. So let's go get you know, whatever concerns you have, like, shake those off, because we're going to get behind them. We've got to beat Donald Trump. We have a get democracy to save here exactly.
And speaking of saving democracy, no, I'm just kidding. The Republican House continues its decline and decline and decline. There is now going to be an impeachment hearing. Kevin McCarthy wants to impeach Joe Biden for basically Matt Gates being mad at him discuss.
Oh my god, I mean, look, this is now the Marjorie Taylor Green Matt Gates Caucus. I mean, they completely control the Republican House. That's what they do. That's what it's very clear to Kevin McCarthy has essentially just handed them the keys to his speakership. The fact that we're now in this impeachment inquiry where there is zero evidence that links the president to any sort of business dealings that Hunter may have had, is insane and totally crazy.
We all agree as Democrats, by the way, that Hunters should be held accountable. So whatever it is that he did, and.
He's already been charged with the federal gun crime, which is a very unusual charge.
Yeah, absolutely, and so the judicial process, right, he's been moving forward, and so we support that. But the President has done nothing wrong here except for try to be a supportive father, you know, to some of the obviously has had some real challenges in their lives, and so this idea that they want to go after the president.
They refuse to even look at the griff for example, of the Kushners who are profiting, you know, to two billion dollars from the Saudis in their investment firm two months after leaving the White House, or the twenty five million they're getting a month in fees, or all the grift that Iona made during from all the patents. I mean, there's actual corruption there likely, and so this idea that they don't want to even look at that but want to attack the president for something a son did it
was a private citizen, is crazy. But we know these people are insane. They're literally nuts.
Yeah, exactly, So let's talk about what this impeachment hearing is going to look like. You are on the committee, what committee is doing? This explained to us, give us a little bit of the stuff.
The impeachment inquiry process is in the House Oversight Committee, of which I sit on, and then of course, at some point, depending if this thing gets tractioned with the crazy Republicans, the Judiciary Committee will get involved. And that's that's the natural process. What we know today is that James Comer, who is leading the inquiry for the Republicans
is basically just a liar. I mean, he just makes up conspiracy theories and then tweets him out or talks about him on Fox News, of which they just get debunked all the time. Remember this is the same person who for weeks and weeks was hyping up essentially a spy that Rudy Giuliani cooked up. And so it's the Rudy Giuliani conspiracy show at the Oversight Committee. It's James Comer's witnesses that get debunked week after week, and they can't find anything on President Biden, who just happens to
be a good guy. He's just a good man who is trying to do a job here. And so but we're going to push back. I'm honored to be on this committee with folks like AOC and Katie Porter. I mean, when you can learn from women like them and see them in action, they're really leading an effort. And our leader, Jamie Raskin is just I mean brilliant. So we're taking them on every step of the way.
But wasn't there supposed to be whistleblowers. Weren't I promised whistleblowers.
You were promised whistle blowers and all sorts of conspiracy theories, and you've got nothing. They can't find these people because they don't exist. And in fact, let's to get what step further, even in when they've deposed folks, right, when they've deposed folks and we've had folks in the room, the folks that they have brought in to find this connection, they've actually said the opposite. I mean they've literally said on the record, actually, I've never heard there be a linker.
I've never heard President Biden actually involved in any of Hunter's business dealings. And so even when they bring witnesses, they basically flip on them because there's nothing there. It's just lie after lie. And let's let's be very clear, this is about re electing Donald Trump. This is about re electing their authoritarian dictator, want to be loser who is trying to get reelected to be president, and they'll do whatever it takes to damage the president and reelect
Donald Trump. He is directing this puppet show.
This is one of these things that we know from Steve Bannon that he's trying to flood the zone right to be able to say, well, Trump got impeached and Biden got impeached, right to create a false equivalent, say.
That's exactly what it is. I mean they want their own, you know, impeachment of Biden for the election, and they've they've said as much. So I mean, look think about this. I mean, here we are on the eve of real, damaging, horrific possible government shutdown that could last and hurt a lot of folks, and they're focused on impeaching President Biden. I mean it's crazy with no evidence. So it's the Donald Trump Show every day for Republicans here, it's their leader,
their fearless leader who they just love so much. And we're just gonna we're gonna just we're not going to take it though, We're going to push back whenever we can.
Yeah, And I think it's really important because remember so much of this is being done for Fox News sound bites.
Oh yeah, it's all Fox News and now they're in they're crazy conspiracy theories. Just so like the fact that they're talking about QAnon conspiracy theories now in Fox News and that they're parenting all of these lies, is this is a part of it's going to completely off the deep band, completely off the deep end, and so, I mean it's sad to see. I look, I'm a freshman member of Congress. I've only been here for eight months, and I'm already like, what is wrong with these people?
And the fact that people elect these people? That Congress is pretty crazy.
Can you explain to our listeners what's happening right now with mighty Matt Gates and his relationship with Kevin McCarthy.
I mean, wow, obviously we know that they hate each other. I mean, that's obviously clear. Matt Gates, we also know happens to be a lunatic caddles a lot of crazy folks. He is basically every day is essentially threatening to call up a vote for a speaker election. And we know that he was problematic for a McCarthy after the initial fourteen to fifteen plus votes we had to take the
first time. But he keeps threatening it, and I think that's one of the reasons why, you know, McCarthy holding onto power is the most important thing, and so he caves into folks like Matt Gates and his demands, Like what's happening right now where we're completely essentially going off of fiscal cliff and hurting workers because they don't care actually about the American people. And Matt Gates is one
of the most extreme voices in the country. And Kevin McCarthy, as much as he dislikes him, listens to him and allows Matt Gates and the Margine Taylor Greens to run to run his caucus. And I think that's really said. Matt Gates has a lot of influence within that Republican caucus, and Kevin McCarthy knows it. But they also also happen to do not like each other very much, and so
you know, that's on them. Democrats are honestly pretty united, and I think that's the key difference between what's happening right now. If you look at our side and we've got progressives and you know, folks that may be more moderate, we're on the same page. They're the mess. They're the ones that are in disarray.
Right, the government doesn't need to shut down, None of this is needed, right.
That's exactly right. I mean, first of all, let's be clear, there already was a deal on funding the government that was made between President Biden and mccar and we had that deal set in place. We had set essential targets for funding the government, and then, of course McCarthy now chose to go back on those and he's now lying to the American public saying that he wants a new deal with the President. We already had a deal, and the present's been very clear there is nothing to negotiate
because we already negotiated it. And so instead now McCarthy wants to have all these conditions and cut funding for veterans and kept funding for kids that are low income and food stamps and all this crazy stuff. It's really unfortunately, it's really shameful, but we've also kind of expect this of him and his leadership. He is pretty safe to say, the weakest, you know, speaker in modern history.
Yeah, I'm shocked, and by shocked, I mean not at all shocked.
Yeah, of course, So let's play this out.
Seems like we're going to get into a shutdown. What are the options here once we're in this shutdown for Democrats getting us out?
The few different options. I think the first important thing is that the Democrats in the White House right now are holding a line and essentially reminding the country that this is an extreme maga republican shutdown. They made this decision.
We had a deal, and what they want to essentially reopen the government is cutting all sorts of benefits, healthcare programs, for a low income folks food program, all of these crazy ideas, ideas, by the way, that are not being promoted by the kind of quote unquote moderates of their party, but by the extreme the Matt Gates's and the Paul Gosars of the world. These are the folks that are
basically driving these programs. And let's be very clear that includes but by the way, cutting additional healthcare options for women in this country as it relates to abortion and abortion and access and so that those issues are they're not starters for us. They're non starters for us. And
so we're going to hold the line. Now. If they have to choose not to fund the government, which is horrific by the way, we're talking about millions of people impacted across the country, then at that point they're gonna have to make a decision, and the moderates in their cockers have to make a decision if they want to actually cut some sort of deal that could actually pass.
Senate Republicans right now are working with Senate Democrats. They're going to send over to us of some sort of package continuing resolution at least from the government for a period of time, and that's what we hope we can vote for. We need at least continue funding the government until we can figure this all out and until Kevin McCarthy can get control of his magat caucus.
Yeah, it's interesting to see, like we find ourselves in a situation where you can't be a moderate Republican. Right, So McCarthy has this four vote majority, which is pretty small, and you have all of these Republicans who have won in Biden districts. I mean, really, Republicans would not have the House had it not been for the enormous and I can say this because we're not on cable television fuck up that happened in New York and California. And so it does seem to me like this is a
pickup opportunity for Democrats because we will be cruising. I mean, the one thing that we know historically is that the party it causes the shutdown, which is by the way, always Republicans, tends to get blamed for the shutdown.
One hundred percent. And because we're not on cable I will agree with the biggest fuck up possible, right, I mean, I mean our states, I mean New York and California. We just like fucked up the whole majority here. And so that's just something that has been hard and we got to like move forward from that, and we will. And I think that these Republicans quote unquote moderates who don't seem very moderate anymore, they're concerned and they want to deal with Democrats. I've talked to some of them.
They want to move this forward, but McCarthy's not letting it because for him, holding onto power is more important.
Is there a world in which a moderate Republican comes, sweeps in and puts together a consortium.
That's on the table. I think that there is a world that could happen. I think there's a group of Republicans that are talking to Democrats about, you know, some sort of bipartisan deal or we just don't know what that would look like yet. Now I'll tell you from the progressive perspective, I think the Progressive Caucus is pretty
united right now. We're supporting the President, and the President has been very clear that we had a deal struck and we're sticking to what we had truck and to what he agreed to with McCarthy, and we're back in the president right now. The deal is that they need to fund the government and this shutdown is going to be on mem and it's going to hurt a lot of people. So they got to get their act together and do it quick.
Yeah, I mean, just give us like the top line on the shutdown what it will mean.
Yeah, I mean what you see is like every day that the shutdown goes on, things will actually get worse for folks. And so they may not see an impact on day one, but they certainly will begin to feel it on day three and four. And that's because federal
workers essentially stop getting paid. And so when you think about even folks that are working in our government offices, federal firefighters, people that are receiving food assistance through federal programs, that money just stops flowing and people essentially stop getting paychecks. And so you can imagine the burden on folks that this has. And not everyone, by the way, you know, will get or have the luxury of getting retroactive pay. I mean, there are some folks that will essentially are
losing what they need to survive every single day. You're talking about what two point three two points four million jobs across the country. You're talking about a workforce that is eighty percent outside of Washington, d C. These are folks that the single largest impact, by the way, is to my home state of California. Of any state outside of DC, we're going to have hundreds of thousands of jobs. It'll be immediately impacted. So this is really serious for
people's lives. And most of the Republicans that are here, I mean, they don't care or come from working class backgrounds, and they're not going to feel the impact like many of us across the country are going to and are not going to be hearing from our constituents. So it's really sad to see. And Kevin McCarthy, quite frankly, should be ashamed, being as a Californian himself, the fact that his state is going to be impacted as much as it is, and his home city of Bakersfield, California will
be as well. He literally turned his back on the state.
Thank you, Congressman Garcia.
Anytime, Thank you so much.
In all moment ofe Jesse Cannon.
Molly jung Fast, let me tell you we thought the republic it's a word disarray about this shutdown, but this impeachment inquiry, this is like, have you ever seen our Congress look this off the rails.
They're not covering themselves with gory. They are not. One of the things that I love about this Republican Caucus, Republican MAGA Caucus, is that they are extremely bad at this. And so well Marjorie Taylor Green and Lauren Boubert are driving the train here. We're seeing a lot of just unbelievable stupidity from Republicans. And you know, honestly, I'm not very surprised. I am very impressed by how stupid they are and how silly this whole impeachment is. I just
think that Democrats really dog walked Republicans today. And to prove this point, we're going to cut to the videotape, which in this case is audiotape, and we are going to hear a little bit from Representative Connolly.
Hold on to those two words distracted and deflect, because I think this hearing is all about look over here, not over there. So Professor Gerhart, when I've heard concerned about branding, so shouldn't we be concerned about all those Biden towers all over the world where foreign partnerships were formed and influence was used here in the United States. I've seen these towers in Indonesia, in the Philippines, in Turkey.
I even so one in Chicago. Shouldn't that be a source of concern of this committee in terms of influence, but foreign and domestic? When you know President Biden became.
President, if there were such things as Biden buildings, what was there anyone who did have them? I think we all know who could just tell us, because you're well giving me the name talking about mister trauma.
Thank you so good, and that impeachment silliness is our moment of fuck Gray. That's it for this episode of Fast Politics. Tune in every Monday, Wednesday, and Friday to hear the best minds in politics makes sense of all this chaos. If you enjoyed what you've heard, please send it to a friend and keep the conversation going. And again, thanks for listening.