This is Gary and Shannon and you're listening to KFI AM six forty the Gary and Shannon Show on demand on the iHeartRadio app.
There's some other quick political things outside of the United States. To mention that one of them is in South Korea, the opposition parties have now submitted a motion to impeach the President of South Korea over that short lived martial law that was declared drew heavily armed troops to encircle Parliament before lawmakers literally climbed walls to re enter the
building and unanimously vote to lift his order. He could be impeached, it would require two thirds of Parliament at least six justices of the nine member Constitutional Court would have to endorse it and then remove him from office.
And also in France, a no confidence vote backed by the far right and the far left in France expected to gather enough votes to bring down the Prime Minister there, Michelle Bonnier, would be the shortest living, sorry shortest serving government in modern French Republic and the first in six decades to be taken out by no confidence vote.
And then the problem is there's nothing behind it.
There's no obvious cast of politicians that would form any sort of a stable government, which could decimate the economy of Europe.
Bill Maher says he may quit real time because he's tired of talking about Trump. He says, I did Trump. I did all the Trump stuff before everybody. I called him a con man before everybody. He's a mafia boss. I was the one who said he wasn't going to concede the election. I've done it, said. He's very hostile to me. He tweets about me every week. Every week he accidentally watches my show and then writes low ratings, loser.
Your impression. It's time for swamp watch. Swamp is horrible. The government doesn't work.
Man, gonna make this like a reality TV show.
A bad doos.
Always a pleasure to be anywhere from Washington, DC.
Hey, Joe, A town all too clearly built on a swamp and in so many ways still a swamp.
I have to watch a malwarkey. What he said, drained the swamp. I said, Oh, that's so I'll keep you happen.
Man. You know the thing.
Well, The uncomfortable conversations continue on Capitol Hill today. It is nominee for Secretary of Defense Pete Hegseth, who has been going around having conversations with senators who would then decide on his confirmation. The issues right now surround a couple of different things. We've talked about the allegation that
he sexually assaulted a woman seven years ago. He says it was consensual, no charges Wherever brought other reports about abuse in his marriages, not physical necessarily, but mental and verbal abuse in his marriages, extramarital activities. One of the reasons he got divorced is he knocked up a producer at Fox News while he was working there. Drinking habits was also one of the things that has come out that people that used to work with him at Fox were concerned about how much he was drinking.
See, this is the same problem I have with a sitting president Biden, you call him at four in the morning, what you going to get?
And now he's not drunk.
But again with Pete haig Seth, you when your secretary of Defense, you've got to be able to take that call at four in the morning and just be completely clear headed. We don't have that for a sitting president, which is awful. But the secretary of Defense is another person who needs to be on his or her game twenty four hours a day, or just ready to answer that call.
And that's the kind of thing that we would see with the confirmation hearing and I like beer well, we did talk about that when we talk about Matt Gates and whatever confirmation hearing he was going to go through was going to make the Brett Kavanaugh hearings look, you know, childish in comparison. And if Pete Haigseth is taken, is continues in his nomination, is put before the Senate, it's going to get uncomfortable for him and for all of us.
We also told you The New York Times published an email that his mother had sent him during one of his divorces, where she just ripped into him, I mean just talked about her disappointment and his character and the way he was treating women and his wives, and she had In the New York Times article, they did point out that she said she had apologized to him, that she wrote the email in a very passionate moment in her life, that she was very angry, and then she
went on Fox Today to talk more about her.
They were going through Pete and his wife at the time were going through a very difficult divorce. It was a very emotional time, and I'm sure many of you across the country understand how difficult divorce is on a family. There's emotions, we say things, and I wrote that in haste. I wrote that with deep emotions. I wrote that as a parent, and about two hours later I should I should.
My husband tells me I should think through things a little bit more, but Pete and I are both very passionate people.
I wrote that out of love.
About two hours later I retracted it with an apology email. But nobody's seen that.
Somebody had commented that if we had a similar instance where Joe Biden, for example, had written something to Hunter about his decisions that he was making and the way he was treating his wives and his kids and etc. That we would be all over publishing that. This is no, I wouldn't.
I don't like airing out a familial dirty laundry like that in the New York Times especially, but really anywhere. I think it's below the belt, and I think it's playing dirty. And like I said earlier, we have a right to know, the public has a right to know. But to a point, and this guy running around on women.
It does not.
It's not even relevant when you think about the job of Secretary of Defense.
It's not our business. The drinking thing is our business.
If that's truly a problem, because that means he can't take that phone call of twenty four hours a day.
Well, I mean senators would have the because they have the opportunity to advise and consent. You know that the idea that a person's character is important to that decision making process. So I wouldn't say it doesn't. I would say it doesn't. It's not that it doesn't matter.
But look at JFKA, look at Martin Luther King Junior. That had great character, but they also ran around on their wives.
But that means they didn't have great character.
But that's the thing.
I mean, you can have great character in certain areas, certain areas.
Yes, and listen, we're not centators, so we don't get to ask that quest God.
So with all of this going on, there's.
A chance that Donald Trump asks Ronda Santis to be the Secretary of Defense.
We'll talk about that when we come back.
Also, the White House Press Corps is losing its mind over what Trump may do to shake up the briefing room.
What he may do, what he will do.
The CEO of the nation's largest tell Santa the nation's largest, it's like.
God, bit different. Now you're gonna make people well, reverence just having reverence. Okay, that's all I met.
The CEO of the nation's largest health insurance Why am I laughing through this? Now?
You made me laugh And I was trying to deliver.
Sad news, bad news. Was murdered in New York City. A targeted attack. Manhunt underway. They're using dogs, they're using drones. Everything. This was a like I said, targeted. He was in a ski mask, took off on an e bike, and they say he may currently be in Central Park, which is massive.
As you know.
His wife, the CEO's wife, says he had been the target of threats recently about being denied coverage or not not covered or what have you.
Back to swamp Watch and we talked about Pete hag Seth and the the pantload of baggage that he brings with him to this nomination for Secretary of Defense, and it's looking less and less likely that he would be not that he would be confirmed. In fact, South Carolina Senator Lindsey Graham said today, I think some of these articles are very disturbing. He told CBS. Hegseeth obviously has a chance to defend himself here being the Senate, but
some of this stuff is going to be difficult. So apparently Trump has been floating the idea of replacing his nominee with Ron DeSantis, the governor of Florida. Source familiar with the conversation talked to NBC News. Wall Street Journal was the first that reported that DeSantis was under consideration, and they said that a couple of others, including Senators Jony Ernst out of Iowa and Bill Haggerty, Republican out
of Tennessee, could be named as replacements as well. They said originally that Mike Wallas, who was a congressman out of Florida, could be a possible pick, although he has already been chosen to become the next National Security Advisor. Now, in terms of how serious this is, it's hard to tell, because apparently, according to the Wall Street Journal, these were simply conversations that Trump was having with guests at mar A Lago, like, Hey, if Pete can't do it, what do you think about Ron?
I just there's something more here because they don't have a cozy relationship. And Ron de Santis has said that he's going to be holding interviews extensive vetting, which means Ronda Santis right now is in the big chair and is waiting for people to come kiss the ring and pat his pockets and do all the things to get Marco Rubio's seat. So if you give if you give Ronda Santis this job, you're kind of taking away his power in Florida.
To be a senator picker, a nighter.
Right now. He's Donald Trump on the Apprentice, right Like, he gets to sit in the chair and have everyone come in and tell me how much she loved me, kind of thing. And if ron DeSantis doesn't have that power of naming the Knights senator, then he kind of doesn't have the same power that he was wielding.
No, but it would put him on the fat It would jump him up a couple of spots to be the Republican nominee in twenty eight if he was the secretary of Defense. I mean, in terms of if he's trying to think for himself why he would do it, that would be one reason for him to do it.
I don't know who has more power in that situation, a kingmaker or Secretary of Defense, which can be buried depending on the administration.
Yeah, Trump does say he's going to replace the top US diplomat that is in charge of hostage releases a new US Special Presidential Envoy for hostage affairs, which means he's probably going to fire the guy who did a couple of recent prisoner swaps with Russia and who Trump himself appointed to that position. But Trump wrote on truth Social today that he's going to appoint Adam Boehler, former CEO of the US International Development Finance Corporation, to this role.
Bohler said Buller, according to Trump, was a lead negotiator on the team that broker the Abraham Accords, this deal that saw a bunch of Arab countries normalized relations with Israel back in the day. They said that this would elevate an experienced negotiator to one of the most sensitive roles within the US government. Also, this means that Roger Carstons, who had been praised for his work in securing hostage releases, would.
Probably be out of a job.
It also follows on the post that former President Trump, President elect Trump made regarding a message to Hamas, which is, if they don't release all of their hostages by inauguration day, there will be all hell to pay. In terms of the House, Republicans have a narrow majority because Democrats were
able to flip the Great thirteenth District. Democrat Adam Gray finally defeated Congressman John Dwarte, and when all the votes were counted in yesterday, Dwarty did call and concede the race last night.
People close to Trump said in recent days he could or he should dramatically change who gets access to the president, suggesting that podcasters, internet personalities, and media deemed more friendly to him could replace outlets like major TV networks, The New York Times and the Washington Post. In the White House press briefing rooms front rows front rows though they'll still be there, they'll just not have the front row seating.
Interesting.
I wonder if he would give a seat to the Call Her Daddy podcast, the one that did the interview with Kamala Harris.
I don't know her name. It's a kids thing.
Do you want your Jeopardy question? Why donkeys? For one thousand dollars?
I wanted to name my dog donkeyth did you really? No? But after I saw Shrek the other night, I thought that would have been a great name.
Yeah, why did you watch Shrek the other night?
Because he was on TV?
Okay, you're just flipping around and you saw it.
Well, it was the night before Thanksgiving, no night of Thanksgiving, I think it was.
And my nephew.
I had to watch a show that my daughter and my nephew and I and my wife and in laws and everything.
And you didn't want to watch one of Deborah's sex shows.
And I haven't seen Shrek in a long time, and it was really a great show.
It is great. I need a good sex show, Shannon.
Okay, keep it in your pants.
Well we'll get to that in what you watch on Wednesday. Here's your answer. In a book by Marguerite, Henry Brady is a burrow who roams the high cliffs of this Arizona landmark.
The Grand Canyon. Yes was, but he was I guess he was a donkey who did say it was a burrow? Burrow.
Justin Warson has joined us like eight different shows going on in his dark secret.
Place, Parentsy with Justin. Here's a question for you before we get stuff that you brought us. I'm throwing you a curveball. Yeah ball humped at Gary and Shannon.
Hey, this is more for Justin for you guys's Wednesday talks. But what's his thoughts or if he has any background information on say, Sanna giving a kid a piece of coal for Christmas. Now, not saying the kid's bad one hundred percent of the time, but knowing, Hey, Sanna's watching throughout the year and knowing, hey, you got a piece of coal for you know something you know Sanna does know throughout the year that hey, you know, you can't just be good in a matter of six weeks when
you're elf on the shelf shows up. You've got to be good for the remainder, you know, the whole part of the year, you know, doing your chores. Not talking back, but just want to see what Justin's perspective of interesting a piece of showing up at Christmas rather than your kid expecting, you know, getting gifts up the wazoo.
Now, my understanding of it is he's talking about like a piece of cord, not the only thing.
Yeah yeah, yeah, like maybe you as you as mom and dad, like Santa may drop a lump a hole, but mom and Dad could pepper in a few things.
Kind of what's a little darkness on Christmas morning?
Though, well, I did see something when I heard this this morning.
It reminded me of a friend showed a picture of an ornament when there's regular glass balls, the ball blown balls ornament, you know what.
I'm talking about. But clip Ship and Jacob.
It had a fake camera lens on it and they wrote Santa Cam ornament so that the kids would always feel like Santa's watching or could see what they were doing or whatever.
Isn't just a reminder throughout the year Santa's watching.
It doesn't fly, and it doesn't.
But well here's the Really, I think what anybody who is asking about this is really saying like there needs to there needs to be a delivery on the because what all of us throughout our childhood, right, we all know that he has a list, He's checked it at least twice, right, and so you don't but nobody ever comes back to school and go, hey, what did you get? And you're like, Diddley, evidently I'm not a good person. You don't hear that story. But I would argue as like,
so I'll give I'll give two answers to that. Number One, I would say that the experts that I've talked to over the years of doing the Dad podcast would probably suggest that you do some suggesting or write a letter to Santa yourself to kind of maybe discourage that kind of a thing. But me personally as a father, like, I think it also depends on the age of your kid. I think the older they are sure have at it.
The younger they are. If you think you need it to deliver a message, that message will be delivered strong.
It's just gonna say.
That's like they open up a package and it's someone's a severed finger.
Yeah, and they're like, you could be next. I feel like this is a moral and ethical hot wire, you know what I mean. Like they get shocked, like that's a hot stove and you touched it, and that there's a there's a there's a great viral video. I don't
know if you guys seen it. This kid, who I think is like somewhere in Britain and his dad's telling him like you I've talked to Santa, You're not You're on the naughty list, and he's no, He's like no, and it looks very adorable until the kid goes if he if he if I'm on the naughty list, I'm gonna uppercut Santa. And I'm like, there it is dad's talking about, like he minds punching Santa claus In.
He goes, I'm gonna knock his beard right off, is what his kid says. So maybe that kid should get a lump of coal. I hope. I genuinely answer that, like I think you Yeah, that's what I mean.
I wouldn't feel comfortable endorsing it as like a blanket statement for parents to suggest Santa give a lump of coal.
But if you think you need to send a message, I'm all for it.
Just a kid have a good sense of humor, and I'll don't even care if you have a.
Sense of humor.
You genuinely think that that is something that your kid needs and it just has to has to feel or taste or whatever, then I say go for it, and I listen, I.
Don't you also are in hitting your kids?
Yeah, heavily. That's how I show affectionately. Did I not make that clear when I started this whole thing multiple years ago? Most of the time, not today. They've actually been listening this week. But the point is the holidays are coming, I get in touch with your family. It's about staying connected.
It is an interesting look at a potential warning shot that you're firing. But again I think he's saying, you know, could I give one of the packages, could be a lump of holes, this with a little note that says.
And in March you done aft up.
I will say this, and I hope I don't get choked up because then you guys will laugh at me.
I don't know if it helps this pair.
But the greatest to this day, the greatest Christmas gift I received was when I was about six years old, maybe seven, and I had started to maybe not believe in Santa, and so my parents had just gotten separated. And so in my letter, I said, hey, a lot of kids at school are saying that you're not real. So I don't need really a ton of presents, but if you could just give me a piece of your sleigh bells so I would know we had to have like just read the Polar Express at school or something.
And that's where I got the idea. I just remember writing that in my letter, and I gotten a few gifts.
Not a lot.
It was that first divorce Christmas where my mom made it rain because she got a lot of money and had not so but my gifts from Santa at my dad's house. And I distinctly to this day remember picking up that little tiny box and having it ring like it jingled.
And I still have that to this day in my in my drawer. Yeah it was. It had probably the biggest impact on me.
The fact that Santa got your letter, read it and remembered to deliver that. Dude's incredible all I.
Like I had.
I remember at least eight toys around me and I just sat there holding that thing like this is insane, like and it was.
It's just a simple piece of leather with the bells on it.
Like, did you squirrel it away so that nobody could see it or touch it or look at it or take you.
Wanted to keep Santa's Magic tears myself?
Yeah, I will well. I always kept it in a drawer, in a safe place. It was I'm not saying, I'm not exaggerating. It was one of my most valued possessions for most of my life. Like sure it's been knocked down now that I have a wife and kids and stuff like that. Possession, running a close third.
Yeah, yeah, trust it's definitely nicer to me than they are. Sorry, this is so rude to people.
Listen, but he told me after him and his girlfriend broke up that being single in this new choir was different, with a smirk on his face like he was definitely see he appreciated being on the maps.
But this is a part of it.
I'm not saying it's to marry this girl, but just go have a meal or a cup of coffee with her.
It's a forty five minute drive.
It's a twenty to thirty minute drive drive if you hit all right, we're opening up the phone lines. Would you your kid go on a date with a girl who came up to him and said that she thought he was cute.
But we're talking, we're killing so bad Valencia. Yes, that's it's kids. Someone to drop put that time.
Here's the other creepy thing that came out of this count What happened was this girl flirted with my son, said she was interested. They exchanged numbers, and he's kind of shy about going on on date with her. I'm like, you should at least go on a date. I go, when you were talking to her? Was she fun to talk to? And he was like, oh, yeah, it was.
It was fun.
And I go, do you not like find her attract He's like, no, no, she's super cute. I'm like, well, then what's the what's the hang up?
And my thing is, I'm sure he has interests locally that he doesn't have to drive to Valencia for.
Yeah, but we've talked.
There's nothing. I've asked him that too, Blake. I'm like, is there somebody else that you're more interested? He's like, no, no, I'm fine just a moment.
He's keeping his options open again.
He doesn't have to marry her, just go on a date, have a maybe you don't. Maybe you find out after a meal or a cup of coffee you're like, oh, never mind.
You know what would be a good lesson is if he doesn't and then it is like, you know what, that girl was really cool and he reaches out and texts her and she's like, I'm seeing someone.
Yeah, it would be a good lesson.
I don't want him to learn that lesson though, Shannon, I want him lesson.
But here's the part that bothered me and I don't know if this is I'm just I have two sons, so I don't know. Everybody that I've told this story to, they've always well, she cute, which is I don't know why, but that bothers me.
That bothers me.
I have.
I mean this sincerely.
I have zero opinion on whether or not this probably sixteen year old girl is cut, right, I have, I've seen a picture of her. That What matters to me is if he thinks that she's cute. Like, if you think she's cute, why why would you not do this? I spend way too much time thinking about this. Clearly that's a year old dude, Like, what if this is the love of your life? I met your mother in high school?
Oh boy, always looking for you. He wants to hear that, he wants to hear how you guys fell in love.
No, he doesn't like it when we sit down on our anniversary and retail the tale and what make him?
Watch?
Oh my god, Gary, he's gonna And then one time the kisses well they just got.
And that's when you came Jacob, now.
Mommy and referred to as tickle time. Tickle time, Oh god, how do you? How do you avoid overspending at Christmas with kids.
This comes up every year. It's my way of dealing with it has always been that we've had a budget. The reason why this struck home to me is that this year the usual budget for Christmas for our gifts that we give to the kids has almost doubled because they're thirteen and sixteen. Like the things that they want have transitioned from toys to like furniture and electron My kids aren't even asking for phones, but it's still costing me close to one thousand dollars a.
Nice French door.
You get.
One of my kids wants a dorm fridge in his room and I'm like, no, you we have a we have tool fridge.
Go to a dorm if you want a dorm fridge. I told him, I said, get an apartment, you can have your own fridge.
Must be Jack, yep, I adore how well you know my kids?
Jack, he's trying to annex himself inside my own home, like he's trying to become a sovereign nation in that little.
Roof of quarterback Josh something ever went to U C. L A And put like a hot tub in his room.
Yeah, I would be jackular man.
He's trying to get a new desk, and he's selling me on the idea of this new desk because it's a standing desk, so it'll go up and down. And he's got a he wants to get a monitor that's better for gaming, but he said I could also use it for my homework. And I had to stop selling me. I don't need to be sold and I don't like it. I just I just want to have a conversation with my son. But were kissing is a special kid?
Stop interrupting and then I put my hand.
You're being selfish, which is also what your mother said on our way anyway, Oh, and we had a good run.
We did it. It took the holidays that we broke her. Why is that growth? Oh, dare you love?
But one of the things that my niece pitched that we're doing, and it was mentioned in this article, is doing like kind of a gift exchange where everybody only buys a gift and brings it to the to the gathering.
It's hard when you have kids. I think I don't.
I I've always had and I know I've told this story before on the show, but there's this family. There's a comic that I used to open for when I was a stand up and I got invited to his sister's house. We were in on the road around the holidays, and she her in laws do a Christmas but they have never done lavish gifts. Like their idea of gifts. They don't do a gift exchange. They buy, but what they buy is literally things that you could find at
a grocery store. So they buy you your favorite chips, they buy you your favorite gum, or they buy you something like you got a house. Like one time, this guy, one of the family members was over the moon because he got a slow closing toilet lid for Christmas from
like a niece. Those are nice, and I just I love the simplicity of it because I feel like the sap in me likes the idea that now it's more about hanging out and being together and just opening gifts that it doesn't matter how much they cost or anything.
And they're very thoughtful, right the pile of goods that you received exactly, it's not about.
The hall, it's about you know, And this is what kind of sad me. And I'm glad we're doing it because I told my family. I said, oh, by the way, we're doing like a gift exchange, so everybody's going to buy a gift that's fifty dollars or less. My older son, not the younger one. The older one was like, well, that's garbage. I want some gifts.
And I was like, I failed you. I failed you so much. You're sixteen.
I said, well, it's not like you're not going to get anything from us, but in regards to the family, like, we're all going to just get together and hang out. They also did some research and found that thrift store shopping is really popular amongst kids. So if that's a way that you can save some money that Evidently kids don't mind getting things secondhand as long as.
They're our kids. We just had this conversation the other night. We used to get our kids their presence from garage sales. Yeah, and then they never cared.
They didn't care.
So's some of the best gifts that they had were from garage sales. Yeah, it's just colder, that's all old grin. How early before Christmas would you be getting these gifts July? Oh, well, that's impressive. Good for you, guys.
Wife is a planners, a plan. This is to a plan. I wish my wife plans. Oh, everything's fine, guys, it's gonna be fun.
Well, we're going to start a new segment with Justin called u how to keep your marriage at hacked.
Great.
Can't wait to listen. It's gonna she'll be a p one because I help. Thank you as always, Justin Worsham.
I are not revisiting a dirty joke which I could have just revisited.
No, you've been listening to The Gary and Shannon Show.
You can always hear us live on KFI AM six forty nine am to one pm every Monday through Friday, and anytime on demand on the iHeartRadio app.