- 7 minutes ago
Life, Liberty & Levin 2/21/26 FULL END SHOW | ᗷᖇEᗩKIᑎG ᑎEᗯS Tᖇᑌᗰᑭ February 21, 2026
Category
🗞
NewsTranscript
00:03Hello, America. I'm Mark Levin, and this is Life, Liberty, and Levin Saturday. Welcome.
00:09That Supreme Court decision on tariffs was wrong on so many constitutional and legal grounds.
00:15A hodgepodge decision, and I'm going to address it in detail tomorrow night.
00:20But first, affordability.
00:22How the hell did the Democrats get away with campaigning on a tariff?
00:28...the left of the Democrat Party. Affordability? Let's think about this.
00:33The Democrats raise our taxes. They raise the costs through regulations.
00:38They raise inflation. They raise unemployment. They raise the cost of food and housing.
00:44They raise health care costs. They raise the costs of automobiles.
00:49They create economic shortages. And they have the gall to campaign on affordability?
00:56Is that because they think the media will back them?
00:59Is that because they're very good at repetition, repetition with the big lie?
01:03Is it because the Republicans are so poor at explaining to the American people what's actually taking place?
01:10Seems to me the only one who's really good at it is the president himself.
01:14Well, I'm pretty good at it, too. And we're going to get into this a little bit.
01:17I've talked about affordability before here, but let's put an exclamation mark behind it.
01:25First, let's look at some of the Democrats.
01:29The great new, brand new, Zorhan Mandami, an Islamist Marxist.
01:35Wow. He's got an idea.
01:37Why don't we raise taxes?
01:39Why don't we raise our city budget in New York to a record $127 billion?
01:45You know, what happened to all the freebies?
01:48Where are they?
01:49Well, freebies cost money, it turns out.
01:52So he cast a 9.5% property tax increase.
01:579.5%.
01:59Just for the rich?
02:01No.
02:01That would affect about, according to the New York Post,
02:043 million residential units, 100,000 properties,
02:10characterizing it, did he, as a regrettable last resort
02:14to close the city's estimated $5.4 billion budget gap.
02:20Boom.
02:21Can you imagine a 10% massive increase on your property taxes,
02:27Mr. and Mrs. New York?
02:28Because that's what he wants to do.
02:30And, of course, it's the fault of the prior mayor,
02:33and it's the fault of capitalism,
02:34and it's the fault of this and that.
02:36No.
02:37This is part of their doctrine.
02:39Look at Virginia.
02:40Virginia, when I first lived in Virginia,
02:43was a red apple state.
02:46Now it's become a blue state.
02:49We just had a Republican governor,
02:51lieutenant governor, and attorney general.
02:53It was a purple state.
02:55And now they've decided,
02:56we're going to destroy the electoral system.
02:58We're going to have 10 Democrat seats and one Republican.
03:01Even though Donald Trump got 47.
03:06Governor said, yeah, she campaigned as a moderate.
03:09In other words, she's a liar.
03:11But relevant to what I'm talking about,
03:13look at this.
03:14Oh, my goodness.
03:15What is this?
03:16Over 50 new tax proposals.
03:18Say what?
03:19Affordability.
03:20Over 50 new tax proposals.
03:23And the tax foundation says,
03:25two Virginia income tax proposals
03:27would make the state less affordable.
03:31The Democrats don't believe in affordability.
03:34Not in the least.
03:36Let's take a look at some of this.
03:38The highest gasoline taxes in the nation.
03:42California.
03:4571 cents a gallon.
03:49Remember when we used to talk about big oil?
03:51Big oil ripping us off.
03:53How about big liberal?
03:55Ripping us off.
03:59He's traveling the world.
04:00He's on the internet all the time.
04:01What does this guy do?
04:02They can't get water through the fire hydrants.
04:04I mean, and he wants to be president of the United States.
04:07When I first heard he wanted to be president,
04:09I said, of what?
04:10Guatemala?
04:11Bolivia?
04:11What's going on with this guy?
04:13Of the United States,
04:14California was the most prosperous,
04:17wealthiest, most beautiful state.
04:19Ronald Reagan came out of California.
04:21Now, look what they've done to it.
04:23They want to do it to the whole country.
04:25Illinois on a gallon of gasoline, 66.4 cents.
04:29Washington state, 59 cents.
04:32The three highest.
04:32And I can go through the whole list,
04:34but I'm not going to.
04:36Doesn't that affect affordability
04:37when you fill up your car every time?
04:39Donald Trump has brought the price of gasoline down.
04:42These states with their taxes keep electricity costs.
04:47Many reasons involved in that.
04:48Most of it, the crazy, kooky, environmental extremism.
04:53Hawaii.
04:55Of course, California, always at the top of the list.
04:57When it should be at the bottom of the list,
04:59at the bottom of the list,
05:00when it should be at the top of the list.
05:02Massachusetts, Connecticut, Rhode Island.
05:05All Democrat states, electricity's through the roof.
05:08Now, you people who pay electricity bills,
05:10like all of you, in those states.
05:13What do you think about that?
05:15Affordability, America.
05:16What about the highest housing costs?
05:19Hawaii, California, Massachusetts,
05:22New York, Washington state.
05:24Affordability.
05:25Don't you need housing of some sort?
05:27I think we do.
05:29Well, if you live in one of these Democrat states,
05:31it's unaffordable.
05:33Let's look at some more.
05:34How about highest cost per public education?
05:39This is where the, you know,
05:41radical left-wing teachers unions, quite frankly,
05:44rip us off.
05:45Because in most of these states,
05:47the kids are getting a lousy education.
05:50Look at this.
05:51New York.
05:51Do you know New York?
05:53You New Yorkers.
05:54You spend over $30,000 per pupil?
05:59He'd send kids to private school for that.
06:01Vermont, Bernie's state, Connecticut.
06:05Alaska, and we know why in Alaska,
06:08because it's geographically difficult and so forth.
06:11New Jersey and Massachusetts,
06:13but mostly the Democrat states
06:15where public education costs a fortune
06:18and education stinks.
06:23Costs a fortune and education stinks.
06:27What about the fastest shrinking states?
06:30You know, in a free country,
06:32you can judge whether people like states,
06:35if it's affordable,
06:36if it's livable,
06:39by mobility.
06:41People can move from state to state.
06:43Now, the Democrats want to end that.
06:45They want to impose,
06:46through central nationalized government,
06:48all these fantastic policies
06:49that are causing people to get up,
06:52sell their homes,
06:53leave their jobs,
06:54and move somewhere else.
06:55Well, we have New York yet again.
06:58Doing a great job, Hochul.
07:00The fastest shrinking states.
07:02New York is the fastest shrinking state, period.
07:07Okay, they also have a top income tax rate
07:11of 10.9%, just so you know.
07:13Illinois is the longest, fastest shrinking state.
07:20Citizens, California.
07:23There's Newscom.
07:24Newscom, he's on the internet,
07:25he's traveling the world,
07:27he tells everybody what they need to do.
07:31It is the biggest shrinking state
07:33in terms of numbers,
07:34in terms of numbers,
07:35and they have the highest
07:37of the high tax rates of any state.
07:4013.3%.
07:41Can you imagine being relatively wealthy?
07:44I'm not even talking about a billionaire.
07:45In the state of California,
07:47you've got to pay an income tax,
07:49you've got to pay 13.3% state tax,
07:52and now they're trying to pass,
07:54trying to pass a resolution,
07:56the left wing has put,
07:57that they want a wealth tax
07:59on the richest of the rich.
08:01So what are the richest of the rich doing?
08:02The billion, they're leaving.
08:04Where are they going?
08:05Florida and Texas.
08:07They're moving with their feet,
08:09and they're moving all their employees
08:11with their feet,
08:12and all the jobs.
08:13See, one of the problems that
08:16you get less of something.
08:18Regulate something,
08:19you get less of something.
08:21So when you tax people
08:22and regulate people,
08:23you get less of them.
08:25They leave if they can.
08:26And billionaires can,
08:27and they take everything with them.
08:29Then what happens to the tax base?
08:31You lose your tax base
08:33because here's the dirty little secret.
08:35The richest of the rich
08:36pay the most taxes.
08:38We have what's called a progressive,
08:39I would call it a Marxist,
08:41income tax.
08:42And so they leave.
08:44Well, what's happened?
08:46The tax base.
08:46So whatever tax you had before,
08:48you don't get again
08:49because they're gone.
08:50And they're going to states
08:52that don't have an income tax.
08:55Florida,
08:56Texas,
08:58Tennessee,
08:59and so forth.
09:00Now,
09:01the cost of living,
09:03the major reasons,
09:04mostly county governments,
09:07that is a horrific imposition
09:10of a cost on a family.
09:14Property taxes.
09:15And you know,
09:16it's Donald Trump
09:17who increased the ability
09:18to deduct your property taxes
09:20on the big, beautiful bill.
09:22So while Mondami wants
09:24to raise your property taxes,
09:26while Stanberger wants
09:28to raise your property taxes,
09:29while the Democrats
09:30are raising taxes everywhere anyway,
09:32creating new ones,
09:34you have the national government
09:36under Donald Trump
09:36trying to figure out ways
09:37to cut taxes.
09:39Affordability.
09:41What are the fastest growing states?
09:43I just told you
09:44the fastest shrinking states.
09:45You won't be surprised.
09:47Florida,
09:48Texas,
09:49South Carolina,
09:51Idaho,
09:53North Carolina,
09:54Tennessee,
09:55and there's others.
09:57No income tax
09:59in Florida,
10:01no income tax
10:02in Tennessee,
10:03no income tax
10:04in Texas.
10:06So you have a state
10:07like California
10:08that needs
10:09over 13% income tax
10:10at the high rate
10:11and other states
10:13with zero income tax.
10:15Isn't that stunning?
10:16That's the difference
10:17between Republicans
10:19and Democrats.
10:20Republicans,
10:21affordability.
10:23Democrats,
10:24not affordability.
10:26What are the top states
10:27in overall freedom
10:29as rated by a number
10:30of organizations?
10:31Your freedom
10:32is the individual.
10:33Taxes,
10:33regulations,
10:35just the ability
10:35to live your life,
10:36which is what America
10:37is supposed to be all about.
10:39New Hampshire,
10:41Florida,
10:42South Dakota,
10:43Nevada,
10:45Arizona,
10:45and Tennessee.
10:48Free states.
10:50In other words,
10:51the lousiest states.
10:52New York,
10:53New York,
10:54you're in there, baby.
10:55Hawaii,
10:57California,
10:58there's some constants
10:59here, aren't there?
10:59New Jersey,
11:01Oregon,
11:02North Dakota,
11:03and Delaware.
11:04And the lousy states
11:05with the lousy politicians,
11:07and the lousy politicians
11:09they send to Washington,
11:10and the lousy candidates
11:11they want to be president,
11:12they want to impose
11:13and project on all
11:14the rest of us
11:17their ideological
11:18economic agenda.
11:21You know,
11:21in Virginia,
11:22where I've spent
11:23a lot of my life,
11:25Northern Virginia
11:25is heavy Democrat.
11:27It wasn't always that way.
11:28Virginia was Republican,
11:30as I said.
11:30Then it turned purple,
11:32now it's blue.
11:33And what's interesting
11:35is how
11:36their liberty,
11:37they vote
11:38and then people
11:40are voting
11:40against their liberty
11:41to increase
11:42taxes against themselves
11:44and regulations
11:45because a lot of them
11:45are on the public dole,
11:47or they're in institutions
11:48that receive money
11:49from the public dole,
11:51or they're
11:51ideologically moronic.
11:54I call these Democrats
11:55who move into
11:56the Republican states
11:57and destroy
11:58the Republican states
11:59locusts.
12:01because they destroy
12:04what's been grown
12:05and harvested
12:07in red states
12:09by bringing
12:09the same ideology
12:11into those red states
12:13that they're running from
12:14in the blue states.
12:16I think it's somewhat
12:17of a mental illness
12:18to be perfectly
12:19honest with you.
12:20Now,
12:20what has Donald Trump done?
12:23You've got
12:24some of the worst
12:25Democrats,
12:26governors,
12:27mayors,
12:29companies,
12:29governors,
12:31mayors,
12:32congressmen,
12:33senators,
12:34attacking President Trump
12:36saying affordability.
12:38You know,
12:38one of the things
12:39the Democrats
12:40do better
12:41than the Republicans
12:42is lie,
12:45is connive,
12:46is spin.
12:48They're good at slogans,
12:49they're good at repetition.
12:51Affordability.
12:52So that's the party
12:53that's going to run
12:54on affordability.
12:55And now I want to tell you
12:56what President Trump
12:57has done in one year
12:58and the Democrats
12:59have opposed him
13:00every single step
13:02of the way.
13:03He enacted
13:04the Tax Cuts
13:05and Jobs Act,
13:06which he calls
13:07the Big Beautiful Bill.
13:09That lowered
13:10income tax brackets,
13:11reduced rates
13:12across seven brackets,
13:14the Democrats
13:14are raising taxes,
13:16Trump's reducing taxes
13:17across the board
13:18for everybody,
13:19especially
13:19the working class.
13:21He's increased
13:22the standard deduction,
13:24that's for the working class
13:25and blue-collar workers,
13:27from $15,750
13:29for single filers
13:31to $31,500
13:33for joint filers.
13:35He's expanded
13:36the child tax credit,
13:37it was initially doubled,
13:38to $2,000
13:40in his first term
13:41and he's increased
13:42it to $2,200.
13:43He's increased
13:44the exemption
13:46when you die,
13:47the death tax,
13:48to $15 million
13:49per person.
13:50Oh, that's for the rich.
13:52Well, ask the small farmer
13:53and the small businessman
13:54who create the food
13:56and create the jobs
13:57in this country
13:57if they're rich.
13:59It affects the rich,
14:00but the super rich,
14:01this is really nothing
14:02if you're a billionaire.
14:03It's really something
14:05if you've worked hard
14:06to create something.
14:07And by the way,
14:08I don't hate billionaires either.
14:12I remember when I was a kid,
14:14everybody wanted
14:14to be a billionaire.
14:15Now apparently,
14:16everybody wants
14:17to be a Marxist.
14:17That's very weird.
14:18What else?
14:19The corporate tax rate
14:21reduction
14:21from 35% to 21%
14:24in 2017
14:25and he protected it
14:27in the latest bill.
14:28What does that mean?
14:29More money
14:30for corporations
14:31to pay stockholders
14:33like you
14:33who have IRAs
14:34or 401ks
14:35and also
14:36to pay employees
14:38and also
14:39to invest
14:39in new products
14:40to expand
14:41their buildings
14:43and facilities.
14:44It's really good.
14:45What else
14:46has the president done?
14:48Immediate expensing.
14:50Businesses
14:51were allowed
14:51to immediately
14:52deduct 100%
14:53of the cost
14:54of short-lived
14:55capital investments
14:56rather than depreciating
14:57them over time.
14:58Reagan did the same thing.
14:59What does that mean?
15:01More money
15:02to reinvest
15:02in your business.
15:03More money
15:04to pay investors
15:05like you,
15:06pension holders.
15:08family tax cuts
15:10act.
15:11No tax
15:12on tips
15:12up to $25,000.
15:14No tax
15:15on overtime
15:16up to $12,500,
15:18$25,000
15:19for joint filers.
15:21Senior bonus
15:22deduction
15:23provides an
15:24additional $6,000
15:25standard deduction
15:26for taxpayers
15:27aged
15:2865
15:29and older.
15:31You don't hear
15:32about this,
15:32do you?
15:34Affordability.
15:35Auto loan
15:36interest deduction
15:37allows a deduction
15:38of up to $10,000
15:39of interest
15:40on loans
15:41for new
15:42U.S.
15:42assembled vehicles
15:43and the Trump
15:44savings account.
15:45This is remarkable,
15:46very important.
15:47Established $1,000
15:49tax-deferred accounts
15:50provided by the government
15:52for children born
15:53between 2025
15:54and 2028.
15:55They want to start
15:56them on
15:57a good
15:58capitalist agenda.
15:59What else?
16:00What else has the
16:01president done
16:02to try and
16:03send a 73%
16:05increase
16:05in oil drilling
16:07and approvals?
16:08What else?
16:09Permit acceleration,
16:11a 55% increase.
16:12He's pushing
16:13expansion of
16:14oil production
16:15in Alaska,
16:16the Gulf of America,
16:17the Pacific Coast.
16:19Massive regulatory
16:20changes.
16:21Inflation has
16:22dropped significantly
16:23to 2.4%
16:25from a high
16:26of 9.1%
16:27in the Biden regime.
16:29What else?
16:30Energy prices
16:31have dropped
16:31significantly.
16:327.5%
16:34alone
16:34in January.
16:36Food prices
16:37have dropped
16:38for eggs,
16:39coffee,
16:40dairy products
16:41like milk,
16:41meat,
16:42sugar,
16:43corn,
16:44fresh fruit
16:45and vegetables.
16:46So they'll go
16:46to the grocery store
16:47and they'll pick up
16:48something and say,
16:49corn,
16:50fresh fruitables.
16:52So they'll go
16:52to the grocery store
16:53and they'll pick up
16:54something and say,
16:55see this?
16:55The price went up.
16:57Prices are going down.
16:58They've stabilized.
16:59The president has
17:00to fix that
17:01since the Biden regime.
17:03What else?
17:03A gallon of gasoline.
17:05For the first time
17:06in four years,
17:07the national average
17:08price of gasoline,
17:10now that would include
17:10regular through premium,
17:12has fallen way
17:13below $3 a gallon
17:15and way below that
17:16in a lot of places.
17:17What else?
17:18In his first year,
17:20a 4% increase
17:22in purchasing power,
17:23real wages
17:24for average Americans.
17:26That means your wages
17:27are outpacing inflation.
17:29That comes to about
17:30$1,400
17:31per person
17:32per average income.
17:35Significant increases
17:36in private sector jobs,
17:37including blue-collar jobs,
17:40mining,
17:40logging,
17:41construction and manufacturing
17:42in the economy.
17:45We've never seen this before.
17:47Historic highs
17:48never reached before.
17:50All-time highs.
17:51Federal government employment.
17:54While the private employment
17:56is going up,
17:57federal government employment,
17:59over 300,000 jobs reduced.
18:01I never thought I'd see that
18:02in my entire life.
18:04Massive savings
18:05from slashing federal regulations
18:07and red tape.
18:09Already,
18:10$212 billion in savings,
18:13but overall,
18:13it's going to result in
18:14$1.3 trillion
18:17in savings.
18:18Across the board,
18:21$1.134 trillion
18:22of that
18:23is the automobile industry,
18:25which
18:25the automobile industry
18:28was the average saving
18:29for you,
18:30Mr. and Mrs. America,
18:31per new automobile,
18:34$2,400,
18:35and I could go on,
18:37but we have our friend
18:38Steve Moore
18:39to help out
18:40in a moment,
18:40and Rich Goldberg
18:42if we're going to dig
18:42into the Iran situation.
18:47Welcome back to America.
18:48When we want to know
18:49all things economic,
18:50and even more than that,
18:52economic growth,
18:52we go to Steve Moore.
18:54He's the co-founder
18:55of Unleash Prosperity,
18:56former President Trump
18:57economic advisor.
18:58Steve Moore,
19:00there's so many
19:01great things
19:02going on with our economy,
19:03and things are just
19:04beginning to perkle up
19:05as well.
19:06Everything seems
19:07to be in place
19:08for an explosion
19:09of economic growth,
19:10and really,
19:11the media
19:11are either ignoring it,
19:13or they're reporting
19:15the Democrats
19:15who are just trashing
19:18and explaining
19:19and educating
19:20about what's really
19:20going on in this country.
19:22You and I,
19:23when you were talking
19:24about what's happening
19:25in the blue states
19:26versus the red states,
19:27you know what I was thinking
19:28in my mind?
19:29I was thinking
19:29about the old days.
19:30You and I are old enough
19:31to remember
19:32when you had an East Germany
19:33and a West Germany,
19:34and you had a North Korea
19:35and a South Korea,
19:36and people were moving.
19:38Nobody moved
19:39from West Germany
19:40to East Germany,
19:41but many people died
19:43trying to get
19:43across the Berlin Wall,
19:45and this is sort of
19:47what we're seeing today
19:48is this massive migration,
19:51Mark,
19:51out of these deep blue states
19:54with high taxes,
19:55high costs,
19:55you're right,
19:56the cost of just about
19:57everything in blue states
19:59is double what it is
20:00in red states.
20:01Maybe I'm exaggerating
20:02a little bit,
20:02but not by much.
20:04And so,
20:05when I'm ever debating
20:07a Paul Krugman
20:08or some of these
20:09liberal economists,
20:11I say,
20:11if your model is so great,
20:13why is everybody leaving?
20:14I mean,
20:15my God,
20:15Florida has gained
20:17$1 trillion of wealth
20:19over the last 10 years
20:20from New York
20:21and my home state
20:22of Illinois
20:23and New Jersey
20:23and Connecticut,
20:24Massachusetts and California.
20:26And so,
20:27the most important thing
20:29that we do right now
20:30is make sure
20:31that we don't turn
20:32America
20:33into blue state America.
20:35Who's the front runner,
20:36by the way,
20:36for the Democrats
20:37for the presidency?
20:38Gavin Newsom?
20:39Really?
20:40He's a complete disaster
20:41for the state of California.
20:43So,
20:43thank you for explaining
20:44that to the American people.
20:46Look,
20:46the Trump record
20:47on the economy
20:48is absolutely outstanding.
20:50and the data
20:51that just came in
20:52a week ago.
20:54Falling inflation
20:56just are rising.
20:58I estimate
20:58that the average family
21:00in 2025,
21:02on top of people
21:03right in the middle,
21:04Mark,
21:04of the income spectrum,
21:06had about
21:07a $2,500 increase
21:09in their income
21:10above inflation.
21:11And you left out
21:12one thing, Mark,
21:13when you were talking
21:14about incomes.
21:15Don't forget,
21:16because of the big,
21:16beautiful bill,
21:17that adds
21:18about another
21:18$2,000 or $3,000
21:20of take-home pay
21:21to families.
21:22We're talking
21:22about $5,000 or $6,000
21:24increase
21:24in wages
21:26and salaries
21:27and income
21:27for average
21:28middle-class families.
21:29Not the rich,
21:30the people in the middle.
21:31And yet,
21:33the media
21:33and the Democrats
21:34do what they always do.
21:36They're a wet blanket.
21:37They are deceptive,
21:40if not flat-out dishonest.
21:42The president
21:43has a State of Union
21:44address
21:45coming up Tuesday
21:46and,
21:48up Tuesday.
21:49There will be
21:50millions of pairs
21:51of eyes
21:52watching this.
21:53Apparently,
21:54some of the Democrats
21:55can't handle it.
21:56They won't be there
21:56and they'll do
21:57what they usually do
21:58to make fools
21:58of themselves.
22:00But that's an opportunity,
22:01I think,
22:02a unique one
22:02for the president
22:03to really get out
22:04the message
22:04on this economy
22:06and what's being done
22:07and so forth.
22:10I know you know
22:11the president.
22:12Is this something
22:13you think the president
22:14is going to do
22:14during the State of the Union?
22:15He's just completely
22:18focused on
22:19the whole affordability issue
22:21and how his policies
22:23have led
22:24to lower inflation.
22:25Incidentally,
22:26as you know,
22:26Mark,
22:27last week,
22:27we got a 2.4%
22:29mark on inflation.
22:31That's not quite
22:32where we want to be.
22:32We want to get it
22:33down to 2%.
22:34But one of the things
22:35I told the president
22:36was inflation
22:37that people are angry
22:39of being people
22:40like my wife
22:40who, you know,
22:41does our grocery shopping.
22:42That happened under Biden.
22:44It was all of the,
22:45not all of it,
22:46but almost all of the
22:47increase in the prices
22:48happened under Joe Biden,
22:50whether it was inflation,
22:51whether it were gas prices
22:52and so on.
22:54And incidentally,
22:54we used to use
22:55gas prices
22:57as the index
22:58for how people
22:59are doing
23:00financially.
23:01we've seen
23:02a big, big reduction
23:03in gas prices
23:04around the country.
23:05Except, you know what
23:05state still has
23:06high gas prices, Mark?
23:08California.
23:09Yeah, California.
23:10They're still at $4.50
23:12a gallon.
23:12You can save
23:13$2 a gallon
23:14by just moving
23:15out of California.
23:17Again,
23:17how could Gavin Newsom
23:19be the president?
23:19Is he going to run
23:20on saying,
23:21oh, I'm going to make
23:21America look like California?
23:23Now, what he'll do
23:24is lie.
23:25And they lie all the time.
23:26You know,
23:26I remember Steve Moore
23:27when George H.W. Bush
23:30was running
23:30for re-election
23:31and Bill Clinton
23:32kept saying,
23:33we were in a recession,
23:33we were in a recession,
23:34we were in a recession.
23:36Not in a recession.
23:38But he thought
23:39we were in a recession
23:40and that didn't help him.
23:44This is a Fox News Alert.
23:45I'm Molly Line.
23:46More than 26 million Americans
23:49are under a blizzard warning.
23:51A
23:52ratchet up.
23:54Newcast models
23:55now show
23:55the Jersey Shore
23:57could see up to
23:58four feet
23:59before it's over.
24:00Heavy snow
24:01and strong winds
24:01are expected
24:02to start Sunday
24:03in the mid-Atlantic
24:04and the Appalachians
24:05moving into the northeast.
24:07Some places
24:08could see winds
24:09up to 60 miles per hour.
24:10All this
24:11is expected
24:12to make for dangerous
24:13and messy travel
24:13from Washington, D.C.
24:15to Boston.
24:16More than 4,500 flights
24:18are already canceled
24:19or delayed.
24:20President Trump
24:21says he's increasing
24:22global tariffs
24:23on imports
24:23from all countries
24:24from 10 to 15 percent
24:26coming after
24:27the Supreme Court
24:27struck down
24:28many of the import
24:29taxes that he put
24:30in place.
24:31I'm Molly Line.
24:32Back to Life,
24:32Liberty and Levin.
24:39Liberty and Levin.
24:45Welcome back, America.
24:47Steve Moore,
24:47as we touched on here,
24:48I think part of the messaging
24:50needs to address
24:51the Democrats.
24:52Not just be on defense.
24:53Look how great we're doing.
24:55You definitely need
24:56to make the case
24:56because if the president
24:57doesn't make the case,
24:58unfortunately,
24:59nobody's going to make the case.
25:00So it's all on his shoulders
25:02as usual
25:02and it's unfortunate
25:03that it has to be that way.
25:05But we can make the case
25:07against the Democrats,
25:09their taxes,
25:10their regulations,
25:11and make the case
25:13by telling the people themselves,
25:15you're leaving these states.
25:16You're unhappy
25:17in these states.
25:18And they're trying
25:19to impose this
25:20on the nation.
25:21Shouldn't we really
25:22take after this?
25:24Yeah, I live
25:25in the D.C. area
25:27and so in Virginia,
25:30Abigail Spanberger
25:31was just elected governor.
25:33She won by a pretty big margin.
25:34She ran as a central
25:37office for less than two years.
25:39She wants to raise taxes
25:40on every possible thing
25:42you can think of.
25:42She wants to tax dog groomers.
25:45She wants it.
25:46You know, my niece,
25:47what she does,
25:47she's in college,
25:49she does dog walking
25:50and they want to tax that.
25:52They want to tax dry cleaners.
25:54They want to tax people
25:55who use Uber Eats.
25:56Everything that moves,
25:57they want to tax.
25:58And she calls herself
25:59a moderate.
25:59So I think that it would be smart
26:00for Donald Trump
26:01to call out the Democrats
26:03for raising the price
26:05of everything.
26:05Utility bills are more expensive
26:07in blue states.
26:08Gas prices are more expensive.
26:10Mortgages are more expensive.
26:11I mean, a house in Texas,
26:14in some of these fast-growing cities,
26:16like Austin, Houston, San Antonio,
26:19is one half of the cost
26:20in New York and California,
26:21even though they're losing people
26:23because of the regulations
26:24that are imposed.
26:25So I think Trump
26:26should emphasize the fact
26:28that Democrats do ruin
26:30everything that they touch.
26:31And I hate to say that.
26:32They are...
26:34Maybe the president
26:35should tables on them
26:36and talk about
26:37those states
26:38cutting property taxes,
26:40those states
26:41cutting income taxes,
26:43those states
26:44making it easier
26:45where it exists
26:46to actually get lumber,
26:49to drill,
26:50to drive down
26:50the cost of the people
26:51that the federal government
26:52under Donald Trump
26:53is doing everything it can do
26:54and it will continue to do so
26:56and it will help the economy
26:57and the average person.
26:59But it would help
27:00if these crazy
27:02left-wing governors
27:03and these crazy
27:04left-wing legislatures
27:06were also really concerned
27:08about the people
27:09cut their property taxes,
27:11cut their income taxes,
27:12cut their user fees,
27:14cut across the board
27:16to help the average person.
27:17I think we should
27:18go on offense on this.
27:19I do too.
27:20And what I would do
27:21is if I were Donald Trump
27:22is I'd start by saying,
27:23look, you've got about
27:2412 or 13 Democrats...
27:2612 or 13 governors
27:28and many of the Democratic mayors,
27:30including Mondami,
27:31who want to raise taxes
27:33on virtually everything
27:33and just ask the American people
27:35the question,
27:35how are you going to increase
27:38affordability
27:38for American families
27:39if you're going to raise taxes
27:40on everything?
27:41I mean, it doesn't add up at all
27:43and I think Trump
27:44should go on the offensive
27:45on that and say,
27:46look, I've brought inflation...
27:48Do you remember, Mark,
27:49it was only a couple years ago
27:50we had 9.2% inflation
27:53under Joe Biden.
27:54It was the highest inflation rate
27:56since Jimmy Carter
27:57was in office
27:57and, of course,
27:58Reagan came in
27:59and got rid of the inflation
28:00with Paul Volcker.
28:01But these costs
28:02are so much higher.
28:03I live in Maryland right now.
28:06I'm embarrassed to say.
28:07If I were to move in Florida
28:08where I'm right now,
28:09my wife and I
28:09are looking for a house here,
28:10our taxes are so high
28:12in Maryland,
28:13just moving here
28:14and not paying Maryland taxes
28:15would be a mortgage.
28:17That's how bad
28:18it is in the United States.
28:19And I think that's the way
28:21it needs to be explained.
28:23The kitchen table issues,
28:25the Democrats
28:26are not about affordability.
28:28They're not even
28:29about availability.
28:30They're not about
28:31quality of life.
28:32They're about government
28:34and special interests.
28:35And this needs to be explained
28:37and it can be explained,
28:38in my view,
28:38very, very easily.
28:40These blue states
28:41are unaffordable.
28:42The red states
28:43are far more affordable.
28:45And the president
28:46is trying to make
28:47blue states
28:47more affordable,
28:49but he's getting resistance
28:50from the blue state politicians.
28:53Here he is cutting taxes.
28:54Seriously,
28:55cutting taxes
28:56for taxpayers in New York.
28:58Well, the mayor
28:58of New York City
28:59wants to massively
29:00increase taxes.
29:01Here he's cutting taxes
29:02for the tax he didn't like.
29:05One more I want to thank you.
29:07You contribute greatly
29:08to the public debate on this
29:10and it's very, very important.
29:11Thank you, Mark.
29:12Right back to you, my friend.
29:16Welcome back, America.
29:19Well,
29:20Iran is a big, big issue.
29:22I don't think it's getting
29:22the kind of attention
29:23it deserves.
29:24I've been talking about it
29:25for months.
29:27I've had some of the best
29:28people I know
29:29in the program,
29:29including Rich Goldberg,
29:30who's with us now.
29:32He's a former
29:32national security senior official
29:34under President Trump.
29:36Also,
29:37he's a senior advisor
29:38to really one of the great groups,
29:40the Foundation for the Defense
29:41of Democracies.
29:44Rich Goldberg,
29:45given the state of play
29:47right now,
29:48what is the state of play
29:50right now with Iran?
29:52Well,
29:52the president has amassed
29:53an immense amount
29:55of forces in the region.
29:57He has more on the way.
29:58We have one carrier
29:59strike group on station,
30:01several other guided
30:02missile destroyers,
30:04both near Iran,
30:06Red Sea,
30:06and off the coast of Israel.
30:08We have another carrier
30:09strike group on its way,
30:10either off the coast of Israel
30:12into the Red Sea
30:13or, again,
30:14into the Arabian Sea.
30:15But the president
30:16has a lot of options
30:17in front of him
30:18at the same time
30:19as those forces are moving.
30:20And it's important
30:21to make sure
30:22he has the forces he needs.
30:23He has the capabilities
30:24he needs
30:25for any of the
30:27Abishner,
30:28He has Wyckoff,
30:30his envoys to Oman
30:32for a couple of rounds
30:33of talks so far
30:34with Iran's emissaries.
30:36And, of course,
30:37you know,
30:37for, I think,
30:38most common sense people,
30:40it makes our stomach turn
30:41to think of sitting down
30:42and talking to a regime
30:44just days after
30:46they've mass murdered
30:4750,000 people
30:48in a matter of hours
30:49and obliterated
30:49the president's red line.
30:51It makes my stomach turn
30:52to think about negotiating,
30:54the word negotiating
30:55with a regime
30:56that pledges death
30:57to America,
30:57that's tried to kill
30:58Donald Trump multiple times,
31:00that has so much
31:01American blood on its hand
31:02from Gold Star families
31:03that I've sat down with
31:05throughout my career.
31:06But that's President Trump.
31:08He will not close the door
31:09on diplomacy
31:10if there is an actual
31:11good deal
31:12for the United States here.
31:14And what is a good deal
31:15we should talk about?
31:16Because it's not
31:16Barack Obama's deal.
31:18It's not Joe Biden's.
31:20It's what Donald Trump
31:22would accept
31:22for the United States
31:23as an actual good deal
31:25a fundamental change
31:26in this regime
31:28that it can't be
31:29a policy of death
31:30to America
31:31in the future,
31:32that it can't be
31:33a place that sponsors
31:34terrorism,
31:35that builds nuclear weapons
31:37and the missiles
31:38to deliver them.
31:39If he could actually get
31:41through gunboat diplomacy
31:42true fundamental change
31:44from these radical mullahs,
31:46which I think
31:46is hard to achieve,
31:48then he doesn't have to use
31:49the military force.
31:51It's a last option.
31:52It's a last resort.
31:53But in the end,
31:54he knows his red lines
31:55have been obliterated
31:56now multiple times,
31:57both the mass murder
31:59in the streets
32:00the first time,
32:01the execution
32:02and silence
32:03of so many people
32:04who had been detained
32:05against his desires.
32:07And then, of course,
32:08even while talking
32:09recently in Oman,
32:10more protesters
32:15in the street
32:15gunned down.
32:16I think the president
32:17understands who
32:18he's dealing with.
32:19He's the same president
32:20who killed Soleimani.
32:21He's the same president
32:22who authorized
32:23Operation Midnight Hammer
32:24and took out
32:26multiple nuclear sites.
32:27This is a president
32:28who knows he's dealing
32:29with a very radical
32:31anti-American regime.
32:32All right,
32:33let me circle back
32:34to something you said.
32:35If we can get a good deal.
32:37You see,
32:38there's two things here
32:39in my mind.
32:41Get a good deal
32:42and will they comply
32:43with a deal?
32:44Any deal.
32:46And I keep bringing up
32:47North Korea.
32:48We got a lot of good deals
32:49with North Korea.
32:50They agreed not to build
32:51any nukes
32:52if we denuclearize South Korea.
32:54South Korea is still denuclearized
32:56and they have nukes.
32:57That went on for 20 years.
32:59Deals and more deals
33:02and they just blew it off.
33:05That's a communist regime.
33:06What makes anybody think
33:08that this regime,
33:09an Islamist regime,
33:10that has certain ideological
33:14strategic positions
33:15that allows it to lie
33:16and cheat and connive
33:18and we know it lied
33:19and cheated and connived
33:20in the past deal with Obama.
33:23What makes anybody think
33:24even if we have
33:25the greatest deal
33:26of deals ever dealt,
33:29that they're going
33:30to comply with it?
33:32Not just during
33:33the Trump presidency,
33:35but after the Trump presidency.
33:36That's my question to you
33:38when we return.
Comments