Election Fallout and Fallujah Reflections with Jon Stewart and Thomas Brennan

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Welcome to the Resistance. I promise here.

Actually being facetious, but okay, I promise you, for the remainder of the next four years, I will only speak to you in this tone of voice, this close to the camera. I will be relentless or well they will. I'm here, mondays, really not even that many. There's a dark weeks holidays, and the point is this, you can count on me for truly about fifteen hours of resistance total.

All right, go back down to the thing.

Welcome to the show, ladies and gentlemen.

Later I'll be talking with after.

We do the show this evening.

Oh what did that time?

I'm going to be talking with Thomas J. Brewnn.

And he's the founder of Warhorse, a nonprofit military reporting organization. They do fabulous work, you know, gentlemen. The audience asked me a little bit earlier, said.

Hey, last week, what happened.

Now he may have met it rhetorically, but if you remember the last time that we spoke, it was midnight on election night, and it seemed even at that moment, very clear Donald Trump had won the election in a bit of a thumping. Now, part of the disorientation of the Democrats losing the electoral vote and the popular vote and losing ground in the cities and the areas around the cities and the areas around those are I guess you'd.

Call it America, was.

That we had all been told by many of our best prognosticators it was going to be closed. We ran the results in the computer one hundred thousand times. She won fifty thousand and one, He won ninety nine, ninety nine and nine. But in this coin flip country, I was confident because the Democrats had a secret weapon in a close election, perhaps the most important weapon.

Since joining the race, the vice president has raised an eye boggling one billion dollars.

Call me eyes boggled.

See, the Democrats in a fifty fifty election had a billion dollars a war chest to be spent on data analytics and consultants and very clearly texting.

There's a lot of text thing.

A lot of that money went to how the fuck did they just text me I'm in the tub.

I don't even have my phone. It just came through the water.

And while, of course maybe just giving away a million of it every day would have been the smarter, more efficient plan. Now the billion dollars went towards the one thing Republicans didn't have, couldn't have that would put the Democrats over the top.

And the Harris campaign has a massive ground game, fifty thousand volunteers.

If volunteers, knocking on five million doors in Pennsylvania alone.

This is the first time, some Democrats have told me they've ever heard of people knocking on the same doors a second time or a third time. You know, if there's one thing people love more than someone appearing randomly at their door once, it's that same person coming back two or three times.

To talk politics.

Even though everyone from vacuum salesman to Jehovah's witnesses, no, that's a losing strategy. In fact, they've known that for decades. Let's just spend a quarter of a billion dollars on it.

You know, what Democrats should do.

Whatever money is left over, send those same people back to.

Those voters' doors.

And just knock again during dinner, and when the homeowner comes to the door, go what.

The fuss got? I thought we connected?

But the reason why, and I give them some shit for their strategies was a method to the Democrats madness. Democracy and freedom are on the belot, Our democracy is on the line. We have to protect democracy.

We have to work even harder to make sure that we defend our democracy.

We don't get to choose when we're asked to defend democracy.

We just have to do it. And this is not a drill noble words.

And I'm glad to say Democrats did protect democracy.

Just for the other.

Side, because when all is said and done, we had a free and fair election in which the Democrats had been prepared for almost every scenario but one. The Harris campaign has built probably the most sophisticated, robust, impressive voter protection program in the history of presidential politics. We have millions in the bank ready, with lawyers all over the country that are ready. Democrats have been put planning on every one of these options for four years.

Are Democrats ready?

They are we have the county courts ready to go, Secretaries of state ready to go.

So it's all lined up. What are we forgetting people?

What we got? The lawyers? We got the protecting the Why do we go to? Oh got Jimmy? Did you bring the voters?

Oh?

I no you ever bringing the voters? I brought the hate has no homier posters. Nobody brought the voters. One of the voters.

It turns out the election was stolen by more people voting for Donald Trump.

It's quite a caper Ocean's seventy four million.

But there.

So now as many on the left fear the future as they should, many others threw the past.

Joe Biden should have dropped out earlier.

There should have been in an open primary.

People never got to know Kamala Harris. They spent too little time talking about the economy.

Wildly overestimated the power of the abortion issue, chose the wrong.

VP, managed to alienate historic numbers of Latinos, abandoned the working class.

Democrats need a new way to talk about urban America.

Do that, Joe Rogan podcast. Trump spoke, Trump.

Spoke to the people.

Democrats never once mentioned Arnold Palmers, never once, yet focus group after focus group said, got anything.

On Arnold Palmer's car?

If not, can you at least stand there and sway to ave Maria for.

Like an hour? Can you at least do that?

But it's a delight to hear about why it happened from so many people who were.

So wrong about what was going to happen. And everyone has their own.

Pet theory, but there's one theory that a lot of people seem to be coalescing around. They were too woke, insisting that people use the term LATINX too far.

To the left on transgender rights.

You have to say, they know, you have to do this, stop with a virtue signaling.

Step away from woke, focus less on who is woke and more on who is.

Broke social justice issues, and take a back seat when your son is in the basement vaping and playing video games and can't find a job.

I feel like that last guy was really venting more about his son everybody else. That's sort of a broader point, but.

His was just so specific.

You really got to focus on, let's say, a kid in your basement vaping and just jerking.

Off all over the couch night after night.

The point taker everyone's talking about this wokenness theory, from cable news to the op ed section, and sometimes the op ed section being read on cable news.

We want to get to the Maureen Dowd piece from Loreen Dowd's piece for the New York Times entitled Democrats and the Case of Mistaken Identity Politics.

Ooh, that was Morning Joe host Mika Brazinski discussing a New York Times column by Maureen Dowd on how to escape the liberal bubble. I guess I'll just have to get the Times and read it myself. Unless there's another way to make this less entertaining.

We're going to read the entire piece, but it's worth it about wokeness.

I couldn't even stay woke through that whole thing. Won't you read us the word? I only have one problem with the woke theory. I just didn't recall seeing any Democrats running on woke shit. These were the commercials I saw for the Democrats.

Sharon Brown is working to fix our border.

Crisis, and Monday Jones is working to secure our border.

Pat Ryan is restoring order at our southern border.

I'm Laura Gillon, and I'm here at the border of Nassau County. We're two thousand miles from Mexico, but we're feeling the migrant crisis almost every day.

In Nassau County.

By the way, Suffolk County make my fond day. You want a piece of our strip balls, you're gonna have to go through Laura Gillon.

Those are the Democrats. The Democrats. I gave the police more money than they even wanted.

I gave them planes and tanks.

I built a mold around the country and filled it with alligators in Chlamydia. They didn't talk about pronouns. They didn't say Latin X. It was the opposite.

We can't let China steal Wisconsin jobs, benefits for.

Legal immigrants, no way blocking support for white farmers.

I mean, look at me standing with law enforcement against defunding the police.

I've owned a gun my whole life.

Let me be clear. I don't want boys playing girls' sports.

You all know me. I've never pushed for sex changes.

Well that's just a weird one at the end there.

God, guys, you know me.

It's like George Bailey and it's a wonderful life.

I'm not the guy I wish your sex shit I'm in your shops every day, Mary, Mary.

It's me, George Bailey.

I'm not trying to get you to get her sex change. I just wishing out would be.

And don't forget about Kamala Harris. It's not like she was exactly waving around her NPR tote bag.

I have a clock.

They didn't do the woke thing they try, and they acted like Republicans for the last four months. They wore cameo hats and went to Cheney family reunions. Do you know how dangerous it is to wear a hunting hat around Cheney's Give any idea?

I thought I had one more rip in me. I didn't.

Democrats were mostly running against an identity that was defined for them. Based on a couple of months of post George Floyd defund the Police me too Instagram posts from four years ago, what happened was the country felt like government wasn't working for them, and the Democrats in particular were taking their hard earned money and giving it to people who didn't deserve it as much as them. So

Won, that's the map.

The only state that Democrats won was Minnesota. Yeah, everyone thought that's the end of the Democrats, but eight years later there was a Democrat back in office. We don't know what's going to happen in four years at all. The only thing that is certain is this.

You all know me.

I've never pushed for sex changes.

When we come back, Thomas Brennan, don't go away.

A lot about in the dark, show my guess tonight.

We're delighted to have him on.

A decorated veteran who's served in Iraq and Afghanistan. He is now a journalist and founder of the award winning nonprofit newsroom, The Warhorse. Please welcome to the program, retired US Marine Corps Sergeant Thomas Brennan, Sir, nice to see you.

Thank you for having me.

First.

I want to congratulate you what Thomas has created with Warhorse. Just very briefly tell them it's such an impressive organization and idea. It's a very small organization, but it's about military journalism in a different way. Tell us what that is.

So The Warhorse is a team of seven full timers right now that we're a nonprofit newsroom focused on the human impact of military service. What we do is we publish long form investigative reporting. We toast writing seminars that train the next generation of writers that are veterans and military family members.

Right and they've done.

Kelly Kennedy, who is part of your team, The reporting that she did on toxic exposure was I think instrumental.

Kelly's impact on the veteran community and far as raising awareness about toxic exposure as I think, you know, really helped you and other advocates have a tremendous impact on the veteran community and make sure that future service members that are poisoned by the Department of Defense get the health care that they deserve.

Yes, and they will be That's kind of how That's how they operate.

It's kind of their thing.

What did you think when you started it? What were you not seeing in military reporting that made you think there is a better way to connect these stories to veterans themselves and to active military service members.

So when I first got off active duty, I worked as a local reporter outside of campla June in North Carolina. I was the last full time military reporter in twenty fourteen when I left to go to journalism school. So there hasn't been a military reporter in eastern North Carolina at the second largest Marine Corps base in the world

People weren't hearing about them.

And it wasn't until I published one story about the NBA the National Defense Authorization Act in twenty thirteen, where they were cutting suicide prevention care for active duty service members.

I wrote a story about that.

The Secretary Defense within three days reverse the furloughs, restored mental health care to full capacity, and it was a moment in my career where I felt like I really saved a life.

And at that moment, I asked.

Myself, like, how can there be a national newsroom that focuses on these topics and help increase awareness among the American public to the issues the veterans of military families face.

Yeah, I have to say, it's a remarkable what you guys do. Now, the tough part is, here's the part that makes me crazy. So it's a nonprofit, yes, which most of news is now not by choice.

But how difficult is it?

This is such an important service to the military community, to the nation as a whole, and yet you've got to go out there and raise the money to keep just seven people out there being able to do that. How difficult is it to even get funding for these things.

Warhorse was brought to life by five hundred and fifty donors on Kickstarter back in twenty sixteen.

That was back when it was just myself with an idea.

It was just a web thing.

It was just a web thing. I went to journalism school at Columbia, graduated, and I left with no plans of having a job. You know. I just wanted to start the Warhorse. I figured I was young enough and I had it was an opportunity for me to have what I thought was a massive impact on the military and veteran community, and I just decided to run with it. And then those people wound up investing in me and investing in the idea, and at that point.

I just couldn't give up. I had to keep going.

You weren't just sitting in your basement vaping. You know, that's a thing that's going around now a lot of kids these.

Days, they say, in the basement vaping.

I don't answer that.

Don't answer that.

Along with the work that you did. So, I think what's remarkable about your story. And I've known you for a long time and I'm just such an admirer of your dedication, but I didn't know your whole story, to be frank until recently. This is now the twentieth anniversary of the Battle of Fallujah, which I think Americans, for the most part, I've heard of because it was considered one of the just most bloodiest, dangerous battles that was it. November November is the anniversary of that battle.

Correct, November seventh of this month was the twentieth anniversary of Operation Phantom Fury.

So you've done something I think that must be incredibly difficult for you. As a journalist, you generally are outside of the sphere of the story, but this is something you were there. Yes, what made you decide to want to tell the story of Fallujah and the group that you were with at that time, and to tell it now.

For twenty years, I have watched as the conversation about war and the experiences of the men and women who actually execute those wars on the ground be controlled by public affairs officers and senior military officials, whether they're generals or officials at the Pentagon, and I had I have applatoon that I served with in Iraq, and I have very unique access to be able to talk to them about our experiences. So around the nineteenth anniversary, I went back to them and I said, I really want to

And I thought, what was so interesting is you don't ever shy away from the fact that many of you struggled from that but weren't able really to even share it with each other. And if you don't mind, would you mind telling the story of you know, your platoon. Unfortunately, didn't come back intact.

For twenty years, we've all, I think it's fair to say we've avoided the conversation with each other. One of the things that I think is abundantly clear in the film is that we all struggle with survivor's guilt. Like our Corman blames himself that he couldn't save Bradley Fairclough, I blame myself. I was down the street and it's completely irrational for me to believe that I should have shot a rocket into that house. But I feel that way.

I mean, our.

Coremen and the Marines that I served with were willing to just put their heart on display for the American public and the hopes that they would listen to our sacrifices, Like we are just a dozen marines from a battle that included well over a thousand of US, and that doesn't include the Iraqis and the Brits and the you know, the other people that participated with us, and whether you were a mortuary affairs, marine and infantrymen, a pilot, or

Up to today.

And the fact that you're able to tell the story. You know, we spoke about this a few times about the moral injury, about war being a failure on all levels of human civilization, and the fact that you guys signed up for something knowing the price you could pay, and maybe even some of the things that had to be done, but that leaving things on your soul.

It's easy to look at an army infantryman or a Marine infantryman and say like, oh, yes, they signed up to go see combat or to go off to war. But the one thing, there's one thing that I think the average American just doesn't understand is that everybody who enlists or is commissioned in the military, regardless of whether you're admin or you work in a hospital, or you fix trucks and turn wrenches, or your special forces or a grunt like everybody is willing to make that same sacrifice.

So the disparity of.

You know, the conversation that we're having in the conversation that needs to be had, it pales.

There's no contest.

And I'm always struck also by the kind of almost schizophrenic cultural way that we relate to the military. You know, I watched football all day yesterday, and it was a celebration, justifiably so of people's sacrifice, but it was so steeped in kind of a numbing patriotism that didn't really explore

It's really jarring.

It hurts as a veteran. I mean it really does. I think I can speak for a lot of us when I say the performative thank you for your services, where somebody just continues walking and continues their day. Me personally,

Actually care, right, and we need to understand what the true cost of that is. Yes, not just as a budget line on them. I want to play something from the documentary. You know, there's something in it you talked about you were there with the Navy coreman, and you talked a little bit about the responsibility not just that your whole you know, platoon felt, but that the Navy corman in particular, that they sort of suffer in a

So can we run that real quick?

I guess knowing Bradley wouldn't alone when he died was the most comforting, and then seeing how much each one of you cared about him was sort of amazing to me. I don't think I really saw too much of your pain at that memorial service. I was kind of in a state of shock, but I really felt like they were being strong, so I'd be strong.

My relationship with Kathleen means a lot. She treats me as if I was one of her own. I can feel that she loves me just as much as a mother could love one of their kids, and that means a lot. She's constantly telling me it's not my fault. I need to stop blaming myself.

What did that moment mean to him?

So that's Ronaldo Ponte. He is our Corman. Corman are why Marines run into fire. They are why we stare down machine guns. They are why we are willing to kick indoors. It's because we know that they might not save us, but they're going to do everything that they can. As a marine, I cannot understate how much Corman mean

And I just I hope, more.

Than anything, as I continue moving forward and as this film continues to build up steam and is that Doc continues his journey to healing, because if there's anybody in our platoon that deserves it, it's him.

Well, Thomas, Uh, I can't tell you how incredible the work is. It's not selfish at all. It is everything that I think the Marine Corps stands for, which is we don't leave anybody behind no matter what happens.

You do amazing work. Love you, thanks for being here.

Thank you.

Thomas Brandon, Shadows of Paluza, war Horse, dott Or.

We're gonna take a book break.

And that is down Sharper tonight.

Before we go, we're gonna check in with your host for the rest of the week.

Mister Jordan Clupper.

Jordan Clapp, Jordan, what we got coming up for the rest of the week.

Oh well, John, I'm choosing not to dwell on our grim future. There's lots to be happy about. In fact, I spent the weekend enjoying all this beautiful summer weather.

Yeah that it was unseasonably warm its.

Fall, yes, well that would explain the cozy smell of campfire.

That was actually wildfires, Jordan, New Jersey, Brooklyn.

From the drought. Everything was pretty much a fly.

I'm trying to be optimistic, John. Just this morning I saw a horse and carriage ride by. Actually there was no carriage, and technically there were four horses. You saw four horsemen, I mean they were they were hooded and floating, So it's it's hard to tell.

Keep keep smiling up for everybody here.

It is your moment is.

Now that good he discussed, and his view could be unraveled right by a second Trump administration.

Okay, we can't hear Kayla.

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