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Deadline: White House - Season Episode 130 -Episode 130 engsub fullfilm⚡️🍿🍿 Secret Engagement
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00:04We are unique among the world's armies. We are unique among the world's militaries.
00:10We don't take an oath to a king, or a queen, or a tyrant, or a dictator.
00:16We don't take an oath to a wannabe dictator. We don't take an oath to an individual.
00:22We take an oath to the Constitution, and we take an oath to the idea that it's America, and we're
00:28willing to die to protect it.
00:32Hi again, everyone. It is five o'clock here in New York. I'm Ayman Muhyiddin, in for Nicole Wallace.
00:36When the former chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff that you just saw there, General Mark Milley, made those
00:42comments,
00:42they were notable for more than one reason. There was, of course, the important message that he was sending,
00:48that the United States military serves this country and its constitution alone, not any individual.
00:55But his words were also powerful because he was the one saying them.
00:59A man who only wanted to serve the nation, not weighed into partisan politics.
01:05So it is also notable that his successor is speaking out with concern about what he is witnessing from our
01:11current administration.
01:12Retired Air Force General Charles Q. Brown, who served as the chairman of the Joint Chiefs
01:17after General Milley and was fired by Defense Secretary Pete Hexeth back in February of 2025,
01:23is the co-author of a new piece in Foreign Affairs about the value of America's military.
01:28And just like General Milley, he doesn't have to use names for us to know who he is calling out.
01:34In part, he writes, when presidents use the armed forces for more politically contentious missions,
01:39such as addressing domestic crime in cities, the work of the military becomes more fraught.
01:45Resorting to a military solution rather than fixing the underlying incapacity or dysfunction in civilian institutions
01:52diverts the military from focusing on its primary combat mission.
01:56And as George Washington knew, it is not the military's job to save the Republic from political impasses.
02:02Indeed, if you ask too much of the military, you risk the entire enterprise.
02:08Yet that's just what we have seen this administration do.
02:12Risk the enterprise of the United States military by treating it as a tool to be used by the White
02:18House.
02:19Trump has famously called military generals, my generals.
02:22He's used servicemen and women as political props.
02:25He put uniformed service members on the streets of Washington, D.C., Los Angeles and Chicago to police American citizens.
02:33He involved our military in conflicts abroad and a war in Iran without first consulting Congress.
02:40What we have witnessed by this administration is a politicization of something that was once sacred.
02:46As tomorrow marks the 250th birthday of this country, it is important to remember and honor those who fought and
02:52served to protect our rights and freedoms.
02:55Our friend General Mark Hurtling writes about what July 4th means to those in uniform.
03:00Quote, every Independence Day taught me something different.
03:04I learned that service requires sacrifice, but also rewards it.
03:07I learned that America's ideals can inspire former enemies to become lifelong allies.
03:12I learned that liberty is often best understood by those who live closest to its absence.
03:19I learned that friendship between nations is built on shared gestures at one at a time.
03:25I learned that even in war, soldiers are ultimately defending, defending peace.
03:30What makes Independence Day different to those who wear the uniform is not those who serve and love America more
03:37than anyone else.
03:38It's that they spend much of their lives seeing just how extraordinary and how fragile freedom can be.
03:45And that is where we begin this hour.
03:48Military analyst, Lieutenant General Mark Hurtling is here.
03:51He served as the commanding general of the U.S. Army in Europe.
03:54Also joining us, U.S. retired U.S. Army captain and Iraq war veteran Allison Jaslow
03:59and former undersecretary of state for public diplomacy and public affairs during the Obama administration.
04:04Political analyst Rick Stengel is with us.
04:07It's great to have all three of you with us, General.
04:09I'll start with you, General Hurtling.
04:10We'll get to your piece in a second.
04:12But first, how meaningful is it that the former chairman, Chairman CQ Brown,
04:17is speaking out about this warning on this day?
04:21I read General Brown's and Pete Fever and Craigle's piece,
04:25and I thought it was very well founded.
04:29I'm sorry.
04:30I thought it was very well founded and very nice.
04:38General, I think we lost your audio.
04:40Maybe I'll give you just a second to adjust that.
04:43And I'll bring in Allison if I can.
04:46Do you agree that the military and that assessment by the former chairman that the military has become too politicized
04:54at the moment?
04:54I got you now.
04:55I'm sorry.
04:55That was my bad.
04:56I didn't bring my mic around.
04:58It's all good, General.
04:59I was just giving Captain Allison a chance to respond, and I'll come back to you.
05:04I mean, I think his broader point was also that the civilian sector needs to step up and solve civilian
05:10and American societal problems as well.
05:13And so I think you have two issues here.
05:15It's the current administration wading in and areas that they shouldn't.
05:19I mean, he also mentioned in that piece that there were presidents of both administrations who were using the military
05:24for COVID response.
05:26And I think the larger question here is, is what should the military should and shouldn't be doing?
05:30And what do we risk in terms of degrading the force when it wades into, you know, especially American cities,
05:35regardless of your viewpoint on on how the military is being used to solve that problem?
05:40It does tarnish and also degrade the effectiveness of the military.
05:44And honestly, the image and trust that the military has in that the American public has in the military.
05:50General Hurling, I think we've got you back.
05:53Go ahead. I'll let you continue with what you were saying about what your thoughts were about the chairman making
05:58those comments the way he did at this moment in time.
06:01Well, Allison said it very well.
06:03I mean, but what I'll add to that is General Brown and Pete Fevers article was very well grounded, but
06:09it actually listed some things that I would consider some warning lights, some triggers that might be happening.
06:17And as Allison said, we've seen both parties use the military in improper ways.
06:24It's concerning me that there are more times when the military is called in to do things that other civilian
06:31authorities should do.
06:33Now, the military has a mission.
06:35There is something called military support to civilian authorities.
06:38That happens when you need personnel for hurricanes or tornadoes or humanitarian relief or even some issues where riots get
06:47out of control and you can guard facilities with them.
06:49But I think what we're seeing over the last several years is more and more the military drawn into missions.
06:55They should be nowhere near things.
06:58And I think that's what General Brown was stating in this article.
07:01When you start politicizing the force and when you understand the implications of doing that with an institution which pleasures
07:09its allegiance to the Constitution and defending the American public, you're going to have some concerns because the army, the
07:17military is there for all of our citizens, not just some.
07:20So when you have a political party or someone in charge of a political party or any government official using
07:26the military as backdrop or background or implying that they belong to him or her, that's just flat out wrong
07:34and it's going to cause danger.
07:36So to that point, General, let me just follow up on that and ask you, I mean, I know that
07:39we have politicians who always want to ingratiate themselves with our military.
07:43It's common that they use our military in many different ways.
07:48But you have this president who is unique at the way he's exploiting and using the military for political purposes
07:55and sometimes as props in certain situations.
07:59How dangerous is that? And what is the role of the military brass in rejecting these types of exploitations?
08:07Well, what I'd say, I mean, first of all, is, yes, the president, President Trump has done that at a
08:13significant level over the last his first administration.
08:16And even now he's put military personnel behind them. All politicians do that.
08:22They want to be associated with the institution because the institution is so strong.
08:27But it's been carried to a new degree, I think, under President Trump during this term.
08:32And it's also been affected by Secretary Hegseth and some of the things he's doing in terms of the kinds
08:39of orders he's issuing,
08:41the kind of implications he's suggesting in terms of legality and lethality and some of the other kinds of things
08:50that he talks about are not in line with the American military culture, in my view.
08:55So all of those things are dangerous and we've got to be careful. But I'll add one more thing.
09:00The American population is attempt is basically trying to put themselves alongside the military.
09:07And many people that haven't served want to use the military as kind of their their backdrop, if you will.
09:15There's a lot of vet bros out there and people doing one of the issues.
09:20I mean, we even have military flyovers at at football games and baseball games and those kind of things that
09:26aren't associated with the military.
09:28That's great in terms of basically seeing your patriotism and the support for the military.
09:33But it often goes too far with a lot of people wearing camouflage and thinking they're part of the military
09:39when they don't have the training to be part of the military.
09:42Rick, the the U.S. military is obviously a force known around the world.
09:48Our adversaries are probably watching what is happening to our military and seeing that it has been increasingly politicized.
09:55How dangerous is that politicization?
09:59I think it is dangerous, Eamon.
10:02And I mean, the military is perhaps the most meritocratic institution in our society.
10:07And to put it in the context of the holiday, I mean, the Declaration of Independence says many times the
10:14problem was that you had an autocratic leader of England who stationed troops in American homes that didn't have civilian
10:22leadership of the military.
10:23The founders created something new under the sun, this idea of civilian control of the military, where the president, an
10:31elected president is the commander in chief, that Congress declares war and funds the military.
10:36This was something absolutely new under the sun.
10:38And this today where the military is being politicized, I think my my colleagues are being discreet and general ground
10:47is is being diplomatic.
10:48I mean, you have the secretary of defense getting rid of officers because they're officers of color, because they're women,
10:58which is absolutely not meritocratic, which is political.
11:02The the punishment of the firing of the general recently because he participated in the withdrawal from Afghanistan.
11:10Just absurd. That was civilian control.
11:13He was following orders. He was doing the right thing.
11:16So when our adversaries see us politicizing the military, they recognize it because authoritarian countries reward people because of their
11:25political views.
11:26And when you have the American military where people get generalships, where they get chairmen of the Joint Chiefs of
11:33Staff because of their politics, that is a renunciation of everything this country stands for.
11:39Captain Jasla, I want you to reflect on these July 4th celebrations and what this moment means as somebody who
11:48was served when you kind of take stock of where our country is on its 250th anniversary.
11:54Well, first of all, you know, General Hurtling wrote another great piece that I think posted today about how members
12:01of the military oftentimes don't get to celebrate the Fourth of July.
12:04You know, you're looking at somebody who in 2005 lit sparklers before myself and my soldiers rolled out the gate
12:10on a convoy.
12:12And so, you know, I think I, you know, appreciate our freedom as much as most members of the military.
12:19And we know how precious it is, as it was discussed, you know, earlier in this segment.
12:24But for me, you know, on this 250th, you know, it's this is a country I love that's going through
12:31a very difficult time right now.
12:34And I am as patriotic as anybody that I know.
12:37But it is hard to sort of take in what's happening in our country right now, whether it is in
12:43Washington, D.C., where I am, where people are so divided while there is this, you know, over the top
12:48pageantry happening that is appreciated by some.
12:52But, you know, not appreciated or welcomed by so many others.
12:56And so I think what I'm reflecting on this Fourth of July actually is is how we all deserve better
13:00leadership.
13:01And that's just not in the White House.
13:04General Hurling, Captain Jasla mentioned your piece, and I wanted to ask you about that.
13:08I mean, you go through the many places that you have been that you have served while it had been
13:15July 4th at various points in your career.
13:17Talk to us about what this 250th anniversary means to you and you reflect on it in this moment that
13:22our country finds itself in.
13:23Well, what I tried to do in the piece, Eamon, is talk about the different locations I was during a
13:30four decades long career.
13:31And it was interesting to me, even the very start of it began at West Point.
13:36And on the Fourth of July, four days after we entered as new cadets, we listened to the 1812 overture
13:44on a place called Trophy Point.
13:45That was a place that George Washington defended against British ships coming down the Hudson River.
13:52So when you heard the cannons, you know, most people will hear that that wonderful piece by Tchaikovsky and just
14:00think it's wonderful how he incorporated cannons in that.
14:03But what I was thinking on that particular day is at a place in a time to at the time,
14:09200 and I guess it was a little over 200 years back then.
14:14You know, we were sitting on a spot where the nation was born before the Constitution was signed, before the
14:21Declaration of Independence was signed.
14:24And yet there were people fighting for it back then.
14:27And then fast forward to other locations, like Allison said, in Iraq, where we didn't have sparklers, but Al Qaeda
14:33sometimes provided the fireworks on Fourth of July.
14:37Or in South Korea, when I was there one time and and watched a nation that was just kilometers away
14:44from North Korea dictatorship.
14:46Or when I was in Germany, that was just a few decades past World War Two that had completely turned
14:52themselves around and were celebrating democracy and liberty alongside of us.
14:57And it just caused me to reflect on some of the things I was able to see during a career
15:02and how much more that Declaration of Independence in the Fourth of July means to me besides just a barbecue
15:09and and a swimming pool on on that particular date.
15:13Yeah, very important point. Rick, there was this wild moment from J.D. Vann speaking in front of troops at
15:19Virginia Beach this week.
15:20Take a listen to this and I'll get your thoughts.
15:23You know what I'm thinking as I'm coming down the steps is don't fall and bust your ass in front
15:29of all of you and in front of all these cameras, because they would never let me live that one
15:33down.
15:34You know, the previous president, I'm trying to be nonpartisan.
15:39You ever seen these old cartoons where you've got the angel on the shoulder and the devil on the shoulder?
15:43Well, because I'm speaking to all of you, our great patriots and service members, I've got the angel on my
15:50shoulder saying,
15:50J.D., don't be partisan or make this nonpartisan.
15:54And then I've got the devil on my shoulder who wants to talk about every time that Joe Biden fell
15:58up or down the stairs and the media didn't care about that.
16:02But if I did at one time, if I did at one time, it would be a major, major story.
16:09Rick, put aside the fact that that was just so tasteless and not funny, it was inappropriate to say in
16:15front of service members.
16:17And it goes to the point that I was saying that this administration uniquely uses the military as a prop
16:22in these types of situations and exploits them to its advantage.
16:30And by the way, Eamon, it's the politician's job to listen to the better angels of his nature, as Lincoln
16:37said, rather than to have a debate between the devil and the angel.
16:40For 250 years, we've observed a tradition where presidents do not criticize their predecessors or anyone of the opposite party
16:49in front of the military.
16:50That same tradition applied to presidents when they're overseas and they don't criticize their predecessor or the opposition.
16:58You know, Donald Trump has done more of that in his two terms than all of the history of the
17:03republic.
17:04And again, to go back to, you know, our point of the politicization of military, this is something that is
17:09disturbing to our allies because they look at the American military, again, as this great meritocratic institution that runs according
17:19to the values.
17:20When I was in government and worked with members of the military, I never knew whether they were Republicans or
17:27Democrats or whatever they were.
17:29They were competent. And any time you have, you know, two or three star generals, they are amazingly competent people.
17:37And the fact that that secretary of defense is getting rid of people that other people in the military decided
17:43should be commanding officers is.
17:50All right. The panel is staying with me. We're going to squeeze in a quick break.
17:54When we return, what happened when an active duty Air Force officer took a stand against Donald Trump, calling for
17:59his impeachment, conviction and removal from office?
18:02We're going to have that story also ahead.
18:04It sounds like a fever dream from the far right.
18:07But there is growing concern that Donald Trump and his allies are building a false narrative that will allow him
18:13to try and take control of the midterm elections,
18:14with some of his most loyal allies are saying in right wing media and why we should all take notice.
18:20And the cost of your July 4th barbecue is way up this year.
18:25Donald Trump failing to get control of the high prices plaguing Americans prices.
18:29He promised to bring down how much more it will cost you later in the hour.
18:34Deadline White House continues after a quick break.
18:36So don't go anywhere.
18:41A remarkable scene unfolded on the Capitol steps this week as U.S. Air Force Major Jason Watson was arrested
18:48on Wednesday by Capitol police
18:50after calling for impeachment for the impeachment and removal of Donald Trump and J.D. Vance.
18:54As the Military Times notes, active duty service members are strictly prohibited from engaging in partisan political activities,
19:00especially while in uniform, uniform, per the Uniform Code of Military Justice.
19:06Those who do can face criminal or administrative punishment, such as imprisonment, loss of pay, dishonorable discharge and more.
19:13Before his protest on the Capitol steps, Major Watson gave this statement.
19:18I am calling on average Americans everywhere to peacefully exercise your First Amendment rights en masse every day until this
19:27administration is removed and our Democratic Republic is restored.
19:32I believe in America.
19:33I believe in us.
19:35If just a nobody like me can take a stand for our Constitution and our Democratic Republic, then you can,
19:43too.
19:44I hope you will join me in the defense of our Republic.
19:48Yes, sir.
19:50Yes, sir.
19:52We are back with General Hurtling, Captain Allison Jaslow and Rick Stengel.
19:58General, I'll start with you on this.
20:00Obviously, the rules are clear.
20:02He was not supposed to be doing that.
20:04But it also speaks to the severity of the moment that a member of the Armed Forces was willing to
20:09risk it all just to be able to express his opinions.
20:12Give me your thoughts on what you make of that moment.
20:15My thoughts are that he was dead wrong.
20:17I got a message this morning from someone saying, what a brave thing this Air Force major did.
20:23And my response was, no, what a dumb thing this Air Force major did.
20:27By wearing the uniform, he is representing the military.
20:30It gets exactly to the point we were talking on the first couple of minutes of this segment, Eamon.
20:36It's the fact that you don't wear the uniform and use that uniform for political purposes, no matter what your
20:44rank is, whether it's a private or a four-star general.
20:47And for him to go in Washington, D.C., make that announcement, I'm certainly happy that he has such a
20:55heartfelt feeling about what he would like to happen in the country.
20:59But when wearing the uniform or when saying you're an Air Force officer or even an Air Force enlisted person,
21:06you don't stand in front of a microphone and use those kinds of words.
21:11This is the other side of politicalization of the military, and it's just flat out wrong.
21:16And there's regulations and legal implications for this major.
21:20And, you know, he's going to suffer the consequences, rightfully so.
21:25Captain, I want to get your thoughts on this as well.
21:27And I want to play some more of what Major Watson said.
21:29He called out what he feels to be the administration's wrongdoings.
21:33And it's not a short list. Take a listen.
21:36Denying congressional oversight of immigrant detention centers that look increasingly like Seacott,
21:42suing institutions like media, colleges, and law firms for billions of dollars
21:47while abusing the authorities of the executive branch agencies to extort settlements,
21:52allowing a mega donor to advertise products on the White House front lawn,
21:58trading pardons for donations, levying illegal tariffs,
22:03weaponizing the Department of Justice against political adversaries
22:06while ignoring crimes of supporters and enablers,
22:09attempting to reverse birthright citizenship through executive order.
22:13For all of these high crimes and misdemeanors,
22:16the president and vice president must be impeached, convicted, and removed.
22:21Captain, your thoughts on that and how we got to this moment?
22:25You know, I'd say, first of all, I'm in large part in agreement with the general.
22:30I mean, this individual, you know, is brave in a sense to put himself out there,
22:35but he didn't write an op-ed.
22:37And by doing what he did on the Capitol steps recently or earlier this week,
22:42he has much put the military in the political crosshairs as the current administration is doing.
22:46And so I think, you know, a lot of what has been discussed,
22:49especially in the piece that you mentioned about C.Q. Brown earlier in the show,
22:53is we need to hold the line across the board.
22:55And it has a national security imperative.
22:57You know, if we can't keep the health of our force
23:00and especially maintain the American public's trust in the force,
23:05then all will be lost.
23:07And so I think, you know, I would encourage your viewers to view this through that lens
23:10while also understanding that this gentleman obviously is very passionate
23:14about the moment that we find ourselves in this country.
23:17Rick, what is the right way to protest this administration?
23:21Obviously, this particular way of protesting violates all kinds of norms and codes.
23:29But as I was saying, it also reflects the desperation that many people in this country feel
23:33this administration is abusing its power
23:36and people want to find ways to protest in every way, shape or form.
23:42Well, Eamon, I remember during the Vietnam War
23:45when you had veterans who protested against the war,
23:49where you had veterans who tossed their medals away.
23:54None of that politicized the military because they weren't in the military anymore.
23:59I'm 100% sympathetic with the sentiments of the officer,
24:06but I'm in agreement that he was politicizing the military by wearing his uniform.
24:12I think it undermined his cause.
24:14What he could have done was resign from the military there,
24:18appeared in civilian dress.
24:22And ultimately, it could be considered a free speech issue.
24:25I don't know if anybody wants to test the idea of whether a military officer
24:29could be punished for exercising his free speech,
24:32but I suspect this Supreme Court wouldn't defend that.
24:37All right, Lieutenant General Mark Kerling, Captain Allison Jasla, Rick Stengel,
24:40thank you to the three of you for joining us on this holiday.
24:42We can really appreciate it.
24:45When we return, what Donald Trump and his allies might be plotting
24:48as a way to take control of the midterm elections,
24:50their plan is beginning to surface in right-wing media,
24:53and we're going to tell you about it after a quick break.
24:55Stay with us.
25:00Donald Trump's desperation to silence voters
25:02and their deeply unpopular views of his presidency
25:05has hit an alarming and dangerous new low,
25:08with a new report about how Trump's MAGA media allies
25:11appear to be laying the groundwork for Trump
25:13to take control of this fall's midterm elections.
25:15Media Matters writes this,
25:17quote,
25:17Right-wing media figures such as Steve Bannon, John Solomon, and Clitta Mitchell
25:22appear to be weaving together a narrative about interference by China
25:27in U.S. elections to justify a national emergency to curtail voting rights.
25:32Here's an alarming sample of that.
25:34Watch.
25:37If they can't cheat, they can't win, correct?
25:40You agree with that?
25:40A hundred percent.
25:41The reason he ain't there and Pulte is to get to the bottom of the 2020 stolen election.
25:47Stop talking about the SAVE Act and do a national security emergency for elections.
25:51But also Pulte, this is why they're trying to stop him at DNI.
25:55Why the firestorm to stop him and to shut down Solomon?
26:00Because if you want to have an executive order
26:03that could withstand an immediate court challenge and be overturned,
26:07you have to lay out a pretty definitive predicate for that.
26:13And you heard the name there a few times,
26:15Bill Pulte, suggesting that Trump's newly installed acting DNI
26:19is heavily involved in this plan.
26:22Media Matters writes this,
26:23quote,
26:24the main players here come not only from the fever swamp,
26:27backwaters of MAGA media,
26:29but also from the office of the director of national intelligence
26:32and the White House.
26:33I want to bring in Media Matters for America President Angelo Carusone.
26:37And with me here at the table,
26:38former attorney for the Democracy Program at the Brennan Center for Justice
26:41at NYU School of Law, James Sample.
26:43He is currently a law professor at Hofstra University.
26:47Angelo, I'll start with you.
26:48What more can you tell us about the details of this plan
26:50and how MAGA media is laying the groundwork for it
26:54just by having the discourse about it?
26:58Yeah, and look, I mean, we should also keep in mind here
27:00that it's not, you know,
27:01the people that were outside trying to overturn the 2020 election
27:05are now inside the administration
27:08actively helping to disrupt and sort of thwart it.
27:11So a lot of this is through a lens of not just what they're saying on the outside,
27:14but how it's working in tandem with these official positions.
27:17So people on the outside are now running a task force.
27:20As you noted, Bill Pulte, who's now at the DNI,
27:22and the storytellers have kind of signaled what he's there to do,
27:26which is to help sort of be part of this sort of three-part sequence.
27:30One is to manufacture a predicate, sort of create the evidence.
27:33They're not going to try to find it.
27:34They're going to manufacture something.
27:36Then the thing that they seem to be centering around
27:39is this idea that China interfered in the 2020 election,
27:43and they're going to sort of uncover by declassifying
27:47a whole bunch of what is supposed intelligence
27:49that reinforces and improves that.
27:50So that's the first thing, manufacture the predicate.
27:53The second thing would be to use that
27:54to declare a national emergency.
27:57And then the third part of it is to impose by decree
28:00what they haven't been able to get passed legislatively
28:03or what has been sort of pushed back in the course
28:05with these executive orders.
28:07So that is parts of the SAVE Act
28:09and to try to further support and disrupt the election.
28:12And that's it.
28:12And they are excluing it on the outside.
28:14They're signaling all of what they're planning to do,
28:16and they're beginning to move the machinery
28:18into official parts of government to actually execute it.
28:22James, I mean, whether this potential plot is successful or not
28:26is almost kind of beyond the point,
28:27because this is a person in Donald Trump
28:30and many of the people around him
28:32who are election denials, deniers.
28:36They tried to overturn an election once,
28:38and now it seems they're laying the groundwork
28:40for more of the same.
28:42How seriously should we be taking this kind of talk,
28:46or should we just be dismissing it
28:48as nothing more than media fodder?
28:50Put it this way, Jack Smith is not someone prone to hyperbole.
28:54And exactly 24 hours and 10 minutes ago
28:57on this program, on this station,
29:00he told Nicole Wallace that he is very concerned
29:03about the midterm elections
29:04and the integrity of those elections,
29:06not because of external threats,
29:08but because the internal apparatus of our government
29:11is actually, as Angelo just said,
29:15participating in laying the predicate
29:17for creating those fears.
29:18And I want to be very clear about one legal aspect
29:20of this, Eamon, which is to say,
29:22just saying that there's an emergency
29:25is not some talismanic thing that you can waive
29:27that invokes all sorts of other powers.
29:30There are emergency powers and statutes
29:32that grant emergency powers,
29:34but they are specific statutes.
29:36So there's a National Emergencies Act.
29:37It does not mention elections.
29:39There's IEPA.
29:40That's the statute that Donald Trump tried to use
29:43to impose the global tariffs.
29:45And when the court, the Supreme Court considered that,
29:48it noted the word tariffs isn't in there.
29:51The word tax isn't in there.
29:52Well, you know what else isn't in there?
29:54Elections, which is to say that in order
29:56to invoke emergency powers,
29:58you need to have congressional statutory authorization.
30:02So to Angelo's point, forming the predicate,
30:05what he referred to as step one,
30:06is absolutely their plan.
30:09Step two is where they are legally flawed,
30:12even beyond getting to step three.
30:14But to your point, what they're trying to do
30:17will not be legal and will not be something
30:20that the law authorizes.
30:21But the executive can almost always outpace,
30:25outrun the courts.
30:26That's the problem.
30:28So they can succeed in this,
30:30even if they fail legally,
30:32by creating the fear, by taking the action,
30:34and then it's almost too late.
30:36And letting the courts catch up.
30:37I mean, they have the ability,
30:38they have the ability to shape their reality on the ground
30:40and letting the courts play catch up
30:43through the various proceedings.
30:44They can outrun the law and then turn around and say,
30:47well, it's easier to ask for forgiveness than permission.
30:50Yeah, absolutely.
30:51Angelo, the reporting mentions
30:52that Bannon's podcast colleague, John Solomon,
30:55who NBC News reports, is part of a team
30:58gathering thousands of intel documents
31:00to give Trump an opportunity to amplify new accusations
31:03about past elections.
31:05And we're seeing this dangerously play out
31:08in a state like Georgia as well.
31:10What do we know about the relationship
31:12between the White House and the ODNI
31:14and podcasters like John Solomon?
31:17I mean, that's the question here, right?
31:19Because let's keep in mind,
31:20they've been signaling what Bill Pulte is there to do,
31:22which is to get to the bottom,
31:23is to be a participant in this.
31:24What Solomon's task force is supposedly designed to do
31:27is to declassify documents,
31:29to uncover intelligence
31:31that proves that the 2020 election was stolen
31:34or manipulated by China in particular
31:36is what they seem to be settling on.
31:38And so some things happened in the last 24 hours
31:41from the DNI where they started to fire
31:45career intelligence officials, analysts,
31:47for withholding information.
31:49Now, what information are they claiming
31:51that they've been withholding?
31:52We have no idea.
31:53They haven't said anything about it.
31:54But it certainly lines up with the types of activities
31:56that Solomon is designed to get to the bottom of
31:59or help expose the very people
32:01that would be identifying this internally
32:03or saying, hey, there's no evidence to back this up,
32:05are the types of people that they've been purging
32:08from the DNI's office
32:09and the intelligence community in the last 24 hours.
32:12So this is part of the synergy.
32:13And the last thing I'll just note,
32:15because this is the part that I find really revealing,
32:17there was a qualified director of national intelligence
32:20that was appointed by Trump.
32:22And his nomination was ultimately withheld
32:24to get confirmed
32:25so that he could put this acting DNI in place,
32:28Bill Pulte,
32:28whose only qualification seems to be
32:31that he knows how to weaponize government offices
32:33for political purposes.
32:35And Bannon has been saying all along
32:37that he's their guy to help execute this.
32:40So there's an intense synergy here
32:42where the storytelling,
32:44the media apparatus is beginning to sync up
32:47with these government entities.
32:49Something that was,
32:50a podcast thing is now operating
32:52under a presidential seal.
32:53And that's it.
32:54That's it.
32:55They're almost one and the same.
32:56James, let me ask you about that
32:58that is taking place,
32:59the ODNI and Bill Pulte,
33:02the acting DNI,
33:03and Donald Trump basically saying,
33:06you know what,
33:06I kind of want him to be in this acting role
33:08because he's able to kind of move fast
33:10and break things quickly
33:11without having the,
33:12you know,
33:14confirmation of a Senate process
33:15and having that teased out
33:17and having everything on the record with him.
33:19And now we're seeing the dismissal,
33:21as our Vaughn Hilliard was reporting earlier,
33:23of some of these intelligence officials.
33:25And as Angelou said,
33:27we don't know why.
33:28And so where is the law in all of this?
33:31The law is supposed to kind of safeguard
33:33and protect these institutions,
33:35protect these people,
33:36protect these processes.
33:37And we're not seeing it,
33:38to your point earlier,
33:39that it's just so hard to catch up.
33:41Yeah, well,
33:42as Melissa said earlier
33:44and Vaughn said earlier on your program,
33:46legally,
33:47Bill Pulte has a lot of power
33:48as an acting DNI
33:50and not necessarily
33:51a ton of accountability.
33:52So to Angelou's point
33:54and to their point,
33:54Melissa was pointing out
33:55that because of the way
33:57the process works with DNI,
33:59he can effectively be acting
34:00for as long as they need him
34:02and certainly can be acting
34:03through the midterms.
34:04But every lawyer
34:06learns one thing
34:07in their first year of law school
34:08in the constitutional law class.
34:09Angelou certainly learned this.
34:11That is,
34:11in April of 1952,
34:13Harry Truman tried to seize
34:15the steel mills.
34:16And what was his basis?
34:17Well,
34:18the Korean War
34:18and a pending strike
34:20that could have yielded
34:21a serious shortage of steel,
34:23serious national security implications.
34:26What did the court say?
34:27Justice Jackson wrote an opinion,
34:29one of the most famous opinions
34:30for evaluating
34:31presidential exercises of power.
34:34That there are three categories,
34:36a sliding scale.
34:38And when the president
34:39is acting inconsistently
34:41with the express will of Congress,
34:43by the way,
34:43Congress has repeatedly,
34:44as you know,
34:45rejected the Save America Act.
34:47That's what they're trying to do
34:49by using emergency powers.
34:50That is where presidential power
34:52is at its lowest ebb.
34:54So,
34:54is it possible
34:55they can outrun the courts?
34:56Yes.
34:57But will it be illegal
34:58and unconstitutional
34:59in every way
35:00if they try?
35:01Yes.
35:01And so,
35:02we don't want to give up hope
35:03that the courts
35:03and the people
35:04can stop that.
35:05Yeah,
35:05and certainly do the right thing.
35:06James Sample,
35:07it's always great to have you.
35:08Thank you so much, my friends.
35:09Great to see you.
35:10Angela,
35:10you're sticking around for us
35:11when we return
35:12as Donald Trump celebrates
35:13an unprecedented level
35:14of wealth
35:15and self-enrichment.
35:16The rest of us
35:17are spending more
35:18and more time
35:19just trying to get by
35:21the high price
35:21of being Americans
35:22this 4th of July.
35:29I feel badly
35:30in a way for my kids
35:31because every time
35:32my kids do,
35:33if they invest in a stock
35:34or if they go
35:34and do a bill,
35:35anything they do,
35:37because the presidency
35:38is so powerful,
35:40so big,
35:41everything,
35:42if they buy
35:42a cupcake company,
35:44well,
35:44the energy
35:46to make the cupcakes
35:47is, you know,
35:49sort of like,
35:50how's my energy policy,
35:52so therefore you have
35:53a kind of like
35:54almost anything
35:55they do
35:56if they want to buy
35:57a truck,
35:58if they want to buy,
35:58you know,
35:59if they buy
35:59an energy-efficient truck,
36:01they have inside information.
36:03So,
36:06it's pretty tough
36:07in that sense.
36:07I tell my kids,
36:09stay away from
36:10as much as you can
36:11stay away from,
36:12but they also have a life,
36:13you know.
36:15Yeah,
36:15Donald Trump there
36:16telling the American people
36:17where his sympathies lie
36:19at a time
36:19when the rest of the country
36:21is struggling
36:21to afford
36:22some of the most
36:22basic American traditions.
36:25The Economist is out
36:25with their annual
36:26barbecue index
36:27and their findings
36:28reveal that the cost
36:29of a traditional
36:294th of July barbecue
36:30across 25 cities
36:32in their sample
36:33is 12% higher
36:35than a year ago,
36:36the fastest annual increase
36:37in a decade.
36:39I want to bring in
36:40Chief Washington
36:40correspondent
36:41and host
36:41for Midas Touch,
36:43Scott McFarlane.
36:44Angelo is still with me.
36:46Scott,
36:46it's good to have you
36:46with us.
36:47The latest poll
36:48from The Economist
36:50highlights a record
36:51low approval rating
36:52for Donald Trump
36:53when it comes
36:53to his handling
36:54of the economy
36:55with a disapproval rating
36:57of a staggering 63%.
36:59What do you think
37:01is the biggest driver
37:03behind this?
37:04He was so close there,
37:06Eamon,
37:06so close.
37:07The issue is
37:07the cupcake costs
37:08$6 now.
37:09I mean,
37:10it's clear to people
37:12these costs
37:14are not sustainable.
37:15You can't pay $6
37:16for the cupcake
37:17for the box of cereal,
37:19$10 for the stick
37:20of deodorant,
37:20and continue
37:21to do all the other
37:22things you need
37:23to do in life.
37:24There are literally,
37:26Eamon,
37:26I checked,
37:27dozens of pending
37:28pieces of legislation
37:29to try to lower
37:30food costs,
37:31gas costs,
37:32college costs,
37:33housing costs,
37:34even a bill
37:34to lower the cost
37:35of college books
37:37and texts.
37:38These things
37:38are all sitting idle
37:39because Trump
37:40and Republican leadership
37:41have absolutely
37:42jammed up the Congress,
37:44stalemated it
37:45with his requests
37:46for the Save America Act
37:47and a slush fund.
37:48Congress can't pass those,
37:49so they can't pass anything.
37:51The costs are clearly
37:53driving these approval numbers,
37:55and the question is,
37:56with 122 days left
37:57until the elections,
37:58how much will they
37:59mobilize voters to vote
38:00who wouldn't otherwise
38:01go to the polls?
38:02Yeah,
38:03and you brought up
38:03the point of legislation,
38:04very important,
38:05but also getting us
38:06into wars
38:07that are driving
38:08energy prices higher,
38:10the cost of fertilizer higher,
38:11making it more expensive
38:13for farmers
38:13to grow their crops.
38:15It just goes on
38:16and on and on, Angelo,
38:18and on top of that,
38:20Americans are struggling.
38:21Donald Trump
38:21has earned
38:23$1.4 billion
38:24on cryptocurrency.
38:26Those are the headlines
38:27that we're seeing.
38:29The question is,
38:29are they getting through
38:30to regular Americans
38:31who are trying to get by?
38:33Are they seeing
38:34the kind of deals
38:36that his family
38:37and his associates
38:38are out there making
38:40in the Middle East,
38:41in technology,
38:42in these spaces
38:43that most Americans
38:44cannot access?
38:46Yeah,
38:47I mean,
38:47when they're feeling it,
38:49it's unavoidable, right?
38:50So, you know,
38:50the Iran war
38:51and the rank corruption
38:52and incompetence
38:53on a paper plate.
38:54I mean,
38:54that's what everybody's
38:54seeing right now
38:55as they go into their barbecues.
38:56They're feeling it every day.
38:57And then their question
38:59is,
38:59the thing that's on point
38:59is,
39:00are they connecting
39:00those harms
39:01to Trump,
39:02especially in the context
39:04of his larger greed
39:05and, you know,
39:05sort of the self-dealing?
39:06And the answer is
39:07they're starting to.
39:09You know,
39:09if you listen,
39:09I pay a lot of attention
39:11to what callers
39:11are saying
39:12to right-wing media
39:13and C-SPAN
39:14in these places
39:14because that gives you
39:15a little bit
39:16of a keyhole view
39:17into that zeitgeist.
39:18And they're complaining
39:19about it a lot more,
39:20not just the cost,
39:22but the self-enrichment.
39:24I mean,
39:24Trump's basic excuse
39:25for why he made
39:26so much money here
39:27is,
39:27I have a lot of money,
39:28and that's why
39:29I made so much money.
39:30That's not what people
39:30need to hear right now.
39:31I mean,
39:32it's certifiably
39:33out of touch
39:33and reinforces
39:34the very thing,
39:35and that's where
39:36the regrets
39:37start to move along
39:38to something
39:39more akin to defections,
39:41and that's when
39:41it really matters
39:42in terms of action
39:43or consequences.
39:45All right,
39:45Angelo Carosone
39:46and Scott McFarland,
39:47thank you to the both of you
39:49for being here
39:49this afternoon.
39:50Really appreciate it.
39:51We're going to have
39:51a quick break,
39:52and we'll be right back.
39:52Stay with us.
39:57This weekend
39:57marks a major milestone,
39:59250 years
40:00of American freedom
40:01and independence
40:02at an unprecedented moment
40:04when it all feels
40:05especially fragile.
40:06Tonight,
40:07we have a special celebration
40:08of our nation
40:09and reflection
40:09of its current state
40:11with our friends
40:11and colleagues,
40:12Rachel Maddow,
40:13Jen Psaki,
40:13and Ali Velchi,
40:14and special guests,
40:16Pennsylvania Governor
40:16Josh Shapiro
40:17and Civil Rights Attorney
40:18Sherilyn Ifill.
40:19Here's just a preview
40:20of what you will see.
40:23Americans in our DNA
40:27are foundational value.
40:29The thing that makes
40:30America a place,
40:31the fact that,
40:33the thing that makes
40:33Americans Americans
40:34is that we fight fascism,
40:36we fight tyrants.
40:38We did it back then,
40:38we do it still now.
40:39We just passed the anniversary
40:42of the very first
40:43No Kings protest.
40:46That huge crowd
40:48that came out right here
40:49in Philly.
40:49Look at that.
40:55That was you guys.
41:01Philly.
41:02Philly was the flagship city
41:04for the first
41:05No Kings Day protest,
41:06which will go down
41:07as yet another
41:08seminal date
41:09in the history
41:10of fighting fascism
41:11in Philadelphia.
41:13And of course,
41:14Philly was the flagship,
41:15right?
41:16Philly was the city
41:17where we first said
41:18No Kings.
41:18It was 250 years ago.
41:21We the People,
41:22America 250,
41:23Country at a Crossroads,
41:25airs tonight
41:26at 9 p.m. Eastern.
41:27You do not want
41:28to miss that.
41:29And thank you
41:29for spending this Friday
41:30with us.
41:31We are grateful
41:31for your time as always
41:32and we want to wish
41:33all of you
41:34a happy and safe
41:354th of July.
41:36Nicole will be back
41:37here on Monday.
41:38The beat starts
41:38after a quick break.
41:40Stay with us.
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