Democrats in Uproar Over Trump's White House Renovations, Prank Video of Trump Plane Spraying Sewage

Summary

2WAY Morning Meeting – Detailed Episode Summary

Episode: Democrats in Uproar Over Trump's White House Renovations, Prank Video of Trump Plane Spraying Sewage
Date: October 21, 2025
Hosts: Mark Halperin, Sean Spicer, Dan Turrentine
Main Theme:
The episode offers a brisk but deep dive into the day’s top political stories, including Democrats' uproar over Trump's physical changes to the White House, the viral prank video involving Trump's plane, and a forward-looking analysis of key headlines and inside-baseball campaign moves. As always, the conversation is fast-paced, speculative, and unrestrained, with room for audience participation on the 2WAY platform.

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Quick Overview

• Opening Rundown: The hosts riff on the day’s big political stories, from global leaders to new campaign strategies.
• Main Stories: Heated Democratic responses to Trump’s White House construction, debate over the significance of a prank sewage video, and what these moments actually mean.
• Insider Political Discussion: Updates on Congressional news, campaign trail developments, shutdown gridlock, and political personalities.
• Audience Engagement: Lively Q&A with listeners, featuring perspectives from Latin American Americans and grassroots voices from Alabama.
• Closing Thoughts: Reflections on media polarization, how to encourage real cross-partisan dialogue, and the challenge of social media tribalism.

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Key Discussion Points & Insights

1. A Female Prime Minister in Japan: Will the U.S. Ever Elect a Female President?

[01:04–02:36]

• Japan announces its first female prime minister—contradicting expectations and prompting reflections on the U.S.
• Discussion of potential first female U.S. presidents.
  • Sarah Huckabee: Both Dan and Sean see her as the most likely, with Mark demurring.
  • No clear Democratic candidate: Gretchen Whitmer and Elissa Slotkin mentioned, but hosts skeptical of their chances.
  • Quote (Dan): “It'll be a Republican.” [02:02]
  • Mark: “There’s nobody particularly well poised.” [02:16]

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2. Daybook: What’s on Biden’s Agenda?

[02:36–05:36]

• President’s schedule covers the Nixon “Architect of Peace” ceremony, a lunch with Republican senators, a Diwali celebration, and a Rose Garden event.
• Discussion over the awkward timing of honoring Nixon after recent China comments.
• Light mocking of political traditions, noting the overlap or conflict of serious news with insubstantial topics (e.g., Kamala's birthday).

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3. Congress, Shutdown, Redistricting

[05:36–10:05]

• Congress still gridlocked; shutdown drags on.
• Both parties believe the other side will blink—creating a stalemate.
  • Mark: “Both sides say... the other side’s going to be blamed for it because our pollsters say the other side’s being blamed.” [07:01]
• The hosts diverge:
  • Sean's take: Thinks only “something tragic” will break the deadlock. [07:18]
  • Dan’s take: More optimistic, noting eventual resolution is inevitable, “by the end of next week” debate might move. [08:16]
• Redistricting standoff in Ohio discussed; possible gain/loss of 2 seats.

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4. White House Renovations & the “Poop Video” – Are Democrats Overreacting?

[12:10–15:51]

• The East Wing—site of heavy construction; speculation over a new ballroom.
• Democrats "obsessed" with a Trump social media post of a prank video showing his plane spraying sewage.
  • Mark: “The emails I’ve gotten… saying ‘this is it, the sewage video, this is an all time low for Donald Trump…’ Am I missing something?” [13:36]
• Dan dismisses both stories as political noise, “not that big a deal.”
  • Quote (Dan): “Not even in that day, no.” (on whether this is a ‘worst’ Trump moment) [14:23]
• Sean notes Trump’s lasting physical changes (ballroom, Rose Garden paving) as his “permanent” mark—“forever are Trump's thing.” [16:10]
• Light moment: Paved Rose Garden praised for saving shoes: “It actually is very practical. It makes a ton of sense.” [18:28]

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5. Campaigns, Redistricting, and the California Triumph

[19:20–23:44]

• Discussion shifts to California’s Prop 50, Republican failures to fundraise, and Newsom’s successful mobilization.
  • Sean: “This will go down as one of the biggest political disasters, how it was handled strategically.” [20:56]
  • Dan gives Newsom credit: “He bulldozed through… he raised all the money. He moved the numbers.” [22:01]
• Newsom’s win insulated swing seats—“huge win for him.” [23:04]
• Broader redistricting across the country noted, with possible net 8–9 seat gains for Democrats, affecting national political balance.

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6. NYC Mayoral Race: Will Sliwa Drop Out for Cuomo?

[24:38–32:27]

• Curtis Sliwa faces pressure to exit the NYC mayoral race. Debate over whether he could hand victory to Andrew Cuomo.
• Bill Ackman (as “political strategist”) gets roasted:
  • Mark: Deadpan, “At a cocktail party with Bill Ackman, I wouldn’t be the least bit interested in what he had to say about this race.” [28:22]
  • Sean: “Where the money’s going is important… but Sliwa has to endorse, and be part of [Cuomo’s campaign].” [28:55]
• Playful strategizing: Sliwa as deputy mayor for “all species” if he strikes a deal with Cuomo.
• The hosts handicap Cuomo’s odds at 35–65% if all chess pieces fall into place.

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7. Letitia James Case & Legal PR: Prosecutors Slipping Up?

[32:27–35:37]

• Discussion of Anna Bauer (Lawfare writer) being contacted by Lindsey Halligan (prosecutor involved in Letitia James’ case), who possibly disclosed grand jury information.
• Sean: “It comes from the top… people try to emulate Trump and don’t fully appreciate the degree of difficulty.” [34:08]
• Dan: “Ethos of 2.0—work the press from every angle… always be dominating.” [35:04]

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8. Audience Q&A Highlights

(A) Priscilla from NY: Latin American Politics

[36:49–46:49]

• Priscilla, a Brazilian-American listener, offers deep insight into why Latinos see Trump and Rubio favorably in Latin America policy.
  • Quote (Priscilla): “What Trump is doing is strengthening the hand of the right in Latin America overall and weakening the left.” [38:46]
  • Notes Secretary of State Rubio’s aggressive leadership—visa revocations for Brazil’s top justices—receives huge praise among anti-socialist diaspora.
  • Dan recognizes Trump’s gains with Latinos: “Some of the talk about socialist ideas and defunding the police really freaked out Latinos in Nevada…reminded them of home.” [45:25]

(B) Tony from Alabama: Shutdown’s Real Impact & Media Polarization

[47:15–58:06]

• Tony brings a “real American life” snapshot: local shutdown effects in Huntsville.
  • Quote (Tony): “I feel like… over the last 10 years, we now have this permission structure where not only are we supposed to know who everybody voted for, we're supposed to treat them differently…” [48:54]
• On national polarization & media:
  • Advocates more “cross-party” conversations, less labeling: “Get rid of liberal, progressive, right wing—just use their name.” [55:46]
  • Dan is optimistic: “At some point, the marketplace will demand it… I don’t think we’ll have another president…who goes online and says the other side is scum.” [52:06]
  • Sean argues for conversation as the cure but claims: “I think the bigger problem… is with people on the left… most of the people on the left do have a problem with people on the right.” [53:02]
  • Mark highlights how even this platform faces pushback for airing divergent views.

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9. Notable Quotes & Memorable Moments

• “The emails I’ve gotten… saying ‘this is it, the sewage video, this is an all time low for Donald Trump…’ Am I missing something?” — Mark [13:36]
• “Not even in that day, no.” — Dan (on the ‘poop video’ ranking as a Trump low) [14:23]
• “Whether or not you like it or not is beside the point… in Trump’s second term, the imprint that he's making…these are going to be permanent. That will be things that forever are Trump's thing.” — Sean [16:10]
• “Give credit to how well Gavin Newsom handled this. He got everybody in the party on board… He bulldozed…” — Dan [22:01]
• Regarding Ackman as pundit: “At a cocktail party with Bill Ackman, I wouldn’t be the least bit interested in what he had to say about this race.” — Mark [28:22]
• “What Trump is doing is strengthening the hand of the right in Latin America overall and weakening the left.” — Priscilla [38:46]
• “I think conversation is the cure.” — Sean [53:01]
• “I would tell all news organizations you can’t label people liberal, progressive, right wing... just use their name.” — Tony [55:46]

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10. Timestamps for Major Segments

| Timestamp | Topic | |------------|--------------------------------------------------------------------------------| | 01:04–02:36| Japan elects female PM, will US follow? | | 02:36–05:36| Biden’s Daybook, Kamala’s birthday, Congressional schedule | | 05:36–10:05| Shutdown impasse, which party blinks, redistricting in Ohio | | 12:10–15:51| White House construction 'scandal', Trump’s ‘poop’ video backlash | | 19:20–23:44| Prop 50/California redistricting, campaign fundraising | | 24:38–32:27| NYC Mayor’s race: Sliwa, Cuomo, and the “Ackman question” | | 32:27–35:37| Anna Bauer, Lawfare, and Letitia James prosecution PR | | 36:49–46:49| Priscilla (NY) on Latin America, Rubio, Latino politics | | 47:15–58:06| Tony (AL) on local shutdown impact, polarization, conversation as cure |

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Takeaways

• Much of what makes political “scandals” stick in 2025 is less about substance—see: White House ballroom, prank videos—and more about the outrage ecosystem.
• The Biden shutdown fight remains deadlocked, with both sides convinced voters will blame the other.
• In campaign strategy, Democrats captivated by Newsom’s tactical domination in California; Republicans face fundraising and organizational woes.
• Grassroots callers provide context often missing from national headlines: the deep-rooted reasons for Latino support swings; the real pain of shutdowns; the need for less-polarized, more respectful dialogue.
• The hosts acknowledge—sometimes bitterly—the role their own industry (and social media) plays in fueling division, but debate who is really to blame for the conversational breakdown.

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Episode Vibe

Conversational, candid, occasionally sarcastic. Smart, unfiltered political analysis with healthy doses of intra-panel ribbing. Audience engagement brings heart and real-world depth to the high-level talk, offering a full-spectrum look at the day’s politics as lived by campaign insiders—and regular citizens alike.

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For listeners pressed for time:
The episode’s substance lies as much in the hosts’ meta-media banter, campaign handicapping, and emotional audience Q&A as in any one headline. The White House “renovation” flap and sewage prank are less consequential than the deeper questions asked: What actually matters in politics now—substance, symbols, or narrative warfare?

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End of Summary

Transcript

[A]

This is it.

[B]

The world as you know it is over. Completely done.

[C]

It's not about to be over.

[B]

It's over. Some of the scientists who helped build.

[C]

AI are now sounding the alarm. I was selling AI as a great thing for decades and I was wrong. I was wrong. There's a longer term existential threat that will arise when we create digital beings.

[A]

That that are more intelligent than ourselves.

[C]

We have no idea whether we can stay in control. While others say that AI will usher.

[B]

In unfathomable abundance, I've always believed that.

[C]

It'S going to be the most important.

[B]

Invention that humanity will ever make.

[A]

This really will be a world of abundance.

[C]

And among these fears and these fantasies, we seek the story of our future.

[B]

Listen to the last invention on Apple.

[A]

Spotify, Amazon Music, or wherever you get your podcasts.

[B]

Foreign.

[A]

This is the morning meeting. Welcome in everybody. Shondan and I are going to take you through the day briskly. Love your participation. If you want to be in on the conversation like no other, please raise your hand. If you're on the two way platform. Keep all your smack to yourself. Don't put it in the chat on any platform on X on YouTube here on Two Way. We're honored. Delighted to have you here, gentlemen. New prime minister of Japan is a lady, a woman, a gal. Having studied Japanese government and politics for all my adult life, I would not have predicted that Japan would have a female prime minister before the United States elected a woman president. Dan. Dan, who's the most likely woman to be the first president of the United States? Female president of the United States. Go.

[B]

Sarah Huckabee.

[A]

Sean.

[C]

Agreed.

[A]

Interesting.

[B]

Mark.

[A]

Not Sarah Huckabee. I like Sarah quite a bit, but I don't think she'll be the first female president.

[B]

But all right, how about this? Who's more like. Will it be a Republican?

[A]

It'll be a Republican.

[B]

Yes, I agree.

[A]

Republican. I don't know. I spent a lot of time thinking about this morning. I came up empty and I thought about Sarah and again, not impossible, particularly if somebody makes her vice president, but it's kind of crazy. Not just that there hasn't been one in Japan now has a female prime minister, but there's nobody particularly well poised.

[B]

Well, Elise Slotkin's going to Kansas right after the mid. After the. She is after November 5th.

[A]

And none of you. She won't be the first woman president. And none of you said the other Michigander. None of you. Neither of you said Gretchen Whitmer.

[C]

No possible.

[A]

Okay. All right, here's the daybook the presidents at the White House today participates in the Richard Nixon Architect of Peace awards ceremony at 11. Is he getting the award or giving the award? Any idea? Anybody know? I don't know if you have to ask.

[C]

I mean, come on.

[A]

Then, then he's having most Republican senators for lunch. Rand was not invited. I don't know if everybody else is invited. And going four o', clock, he participates in a Diwali celebration, Oval Office that's open to the pool. So lots of fodder for two way tonight. And then a Rose Garden club dinner at 7.

[B]

So the president's hopping today.

[A]

The club is hopping. I don't know what they're doing between lunch and dinner. Maybe just resetting the table settings.

[C]

But also it's a totally different playlist. The noon playlist.

[A]

Yeah.

[B]

By the way, a little awkward to have the Richard Nixon Architect Award the day after you said Richard Nixon's to blame for the problems that China.

[A]

Yeah, Yeah. I don't know. Good point. There was a lot of stuff yesterday that didn't get any coverage like that. Incredible.

[C]

Also, I, I, I, we did, we totally overlooked it was Kamala's birthday. And I feel like we should have acknowledged that. I, I, my bad.

[A]

But we try not to do, I try not to do birthdays here because, you know, we're not playable.

[C]

I know, but she's, she's a special case.

[B]

Yeah.

[A]

All right. J.D. vance joins Jared with Jared and Witkoff in Israel today. Uh, here's their. Right, here's the arrival. Uh, Usha Vance with the vice President. Uh, his schedule's a little hard to pin down. I've been asking people both in the US And Israel, Wednesday meeting with Bibi, because he's supposed to meet with Bibi and it's all, I think security is obviously a big issue. One thing he's supposed to do on the trip, and maybe he's done it already, we just don't know, is there's like a war room where they get all the incoming images and intelligence from the drones, the Israeli and US drones. That's kind of the, the hub for the 200American personnel there. I was surprised. Again, another thing that came much attention on two days ago on 60 Minutes, Witkoff was asked by Leslie Stahl, Any chance U.S. troops go into Gaza? He said, highly unlikely, but not know. So I'm sure there's again a lot of discussion here about both implementing phase one and what's in phase two. House is still out. Mike Johnson, 10am Press conference. You can set your clock by it U.S. trade Rep. Mr. Greer testifies before Senate appro subcommittee at 10. Also, the Senate Republicans, as we said at the most of them having lunch with the president and the Rose Garden at noon and then 220 they're voting on some district court nominations with still no sign that the shutdown's ending. Congresswoman Monica McIver is trying to get federal court to dismiss the charges against her when she went to a Newark immigration center and she's been charged with assaulting and impeding federal agents. Ohio Redistricting Commission meets at 9am Eastern. Talk about a new congressional map at the bipartisan commission. Can't agree on anything. Republicans get to redistrict the state. Is there two seats at stake? There are one. Two, right? I think it's two.

[C]

I think it's potentially two.

[A]

Yeah. So yesterday we, we did a bunch of predicting and analyzing about who the big surrogates would be, who would go into Virginia, New Jersey. Not a lot of clarity yet on the Republican side, but oh my goodness, what timing. Lots on the Democratic side. Pete Buttigieg is going to be campaigning in both states eventually starting tonight in new in Virginia, where he and Abigail Spanberger, the Democratic nominee for governor, are doing a rally in Charlottesville. There you see the headline from New Jersey where Shapiro, Buttigieg and Obama are all now expected to come for Mickey Sherrill in the closing days of the race. Still, the details of all that being worked out. Mayoral race. Andrew Cuomo was on WABC this morning. Sit in France.

[C]

Just I know we've said this a couple times, but just to be clear, it's Mikey. Cheryl Correct, not Mikey.

[A]

Sorry, Mikey. My bad, Mikey. Thank you for that. Andrew Cuomo at this hour is addressing the association for a Better New York amidst lots of conversations about SLEEA getting out of the race. We'll get to that in a moment. Sarkozy went to prison today. All right, let's talk about the shutdown. My, my view now is both sides think they're winning and you say, okay, it's going to be settled by health insurance being cut off or it's going to be settled by people not getting paid or settled by this or that. Both sides say, well, when that bad thing happens, the other side's going to be blamed for it because our pollsters say the other side's being blamed. So they'll be blamed for everything bad. So Sean, what do you think of that analysis that we're further away from a deal than ever, even though there are talks, reports this morning that Their health care conversation is taking place. I think it's completely frozen until the president unfreezes it.

[C]

So I have a, an ominous take on this. Well, no, and I say this just because we have to. Part of our job is to give analysis, but sometimes it's not what you want to hear or what you hope for. I think something's going to happen tragically or unfortunately that will force them to say, we have to, we have to just like we have to give this up. And, and I, I say that begrudgingly, but I, I actually, yeah, I say it because I agree with you. Both sides think they're winning. And normally there's light at the end of the tunnel where it's like, this side's going to cave. I don't see it. And this is not what I've, I mean, obviously never thought that it would come to this, but something's got to happen to change the mindset. And so that's where I am.

[A]

I think if something tragic happened, both sides would blame the other side. They'd say, well, they will, but Timmy fell down the well because of Chuck Schumer. Timmy fell down the well because of Mike Johnson and Donald Trump.

[C]

I agree, but I think that's what forces it.

[B]

I'm actually more optimistic because I think as we've discussed for weeks, everyone knows how this will ultimately end. And I think the fact that Republicans.

[A]

Are starting, meaning we know what the deal is.

[B]

Yeah, yeah. And Republicans are now apparently starting to have serious conversations about what health care, you know, fix is going to be. Oh, I like it.

[A]

Good breakfast idea of a protein cookie. Good. Don't mind me.

[B]

Yeah. Republicans are starting to talk about like.

[C]

Okay, you bring enough for everyone?

[A]

Yeah, I did. If you're in New York, sure.

[B]

What are we going to do to on the Obamacare stuff? And I do even texting with people in on Capitol Hill here on the Democratic side, they know that this cannot go on too much longer. Like, there's no talk of like, yeah, we'll do this through Thanksgiving. They're like, yeah, we know this is going to have to end pretty soon. Again, the question is who blinks? And I think that I do continue to think that by like the end of next week, the middle, that middle part of the Democratic Party is going to start talking about how do we get out of this.

[C]

You do realize there's a bit of irony here that we're about to come up on and I say about to. We're two weeks ish out from the seven week offer to get the government open.

[B]

Well, so that's the other interesting thing which is if this, if the House passed cross now is passed, let's say the end of next week, you're right back at this in two and a half weeks.

[C]

Right.

[B]

Which. So now there's talk about the House is going to have to come back to vote on another longer extension. And that may also be the part.

[C]

Like this is where. Yes, I think this is the issue which is Johnson's gotten away with being able to say I've done our job, which he has. The committees have done their job, which they have. But if we bump up against that deadline, that talking point goes away and you have to come back and say now what?

[A]

Just to be clear, everything. I agree with everything you said. Also, I'm eating the cookie because I'm hungry and not because I'm rude. Because that's what people do at the real morning meetings at the network news divisions on which is show it's based. Do people eat at those meetings? Right, John? People eat at those meetings.

[B]

Leftover cookies from the night before and stuff.

[C]

Yeah, well normally you don't have, you're not on video so you have the ability just to chomp away or as I used to do like sit on an elliptical or something like that.

[A]

I am paid to bring versus limit to this meeting. So I do everything I can.

[B]

Yeah.

[A]

All right. Middle east again, by the way.

[C]

I just, I just want to point it out because I know no one's commented on this because it doesn't have the branding, but I am wearing the barfalo merino quarter zip. But here's the thing. It's a lot of people look at this and say oh, that's merino wool. And they're right, but it's merino extra fine wool which is made of from a selected of the best producers in the world. This luxurious yarn that makes the shirt is enhanced by a special production process creating a sensuous, soft and extremely durable garment which I.

[B]

Use.

[A]

I try to, I try to extend the presumption of grace to all. I will say I feel sorry for those of you who have yet to go to two way TV fairway to avail yourself for the 20% off.

[B]

By the way.

[C]

Can I just. Since we're playing predictions, I will give you guys 500 guesses. You will not guess the color of this according to Fairway and green. 500 each.

[A]

Forest green.

[B]

Huh?

[A]

Forest green.

[C]

Not even close. I will. I mean like that's why I'm telling you. I'll give You, A thousand guesses. Dan Turntine, you get all marks, plus the 500 I gave to you.

[B]

I'm not good at that stuff called bottle.

[C]

That's the color of this, which is, I would have said, couldn't have picked.

[A]

It off a, couldn't have picked it up. A list of 2 or 100. All right. Middle east, again, don't really know exactly what Vance's goal is there either. If you have anything you want to say about the Middle east. If not, we'll move on. All right, Ukraine, Russia, same thing. Now there's talk that there's not going to be a Trump Putin meeting for a while. Rubio's meeting with Lavrov, huh?

[B]

He had a call with them.

[A]

Yeah, so, yeah, a call, meeting, call, whatever. A conversation really what I meant. So I think we'd have nothing to say about that one either. I would put it on the table. Now, this, this White House construction story. So yesterday people started posting photos and video of the construction on the East Wing of the White House. That's the building between the West Wing and the treasury where the, the first couple lives, where the first lady has her offices. And you can see there, it looks like, you know, the worst construction site in your neighborhood just they've destroyed the White House. The President said something that some are interpreting as. It wouldn't, wouldn't destroy anything, but they are, they're building a big ballroom. Now I'm going to connect this story up with the poop story. Democrats are obsessed with the video the President posted of himself pouring poop on the sewage, the sewage, whatever. The, no king marchers. And, and I'll say I'm just amazed at the capacity of the President to discombobulate people. I, I don't need to give you examples of videos that Democrats have posted about the President and, and, and the notion that like no Democrats ever done anything to change the White House. I mean this whole thing, Dan. I, I, I, I, I'm not saying there's nothing to discuss about these two stories but, but the number of emails I've gotten from Democrats in the last two days saying this is it, the sewage video, this is an all time low for Donald Trump or this construction thing should be the lead story. Am I missing something? These just seem like when they're serious matters to discuss, including things Donald Trump has done, really questionable. I just can't imagine anyone getting too excited about these two things.

[B]

Am I wrong? The, the, the, the online meme, it just silly, right? I mean it just, it's the Way of the world. Now people mock people online with, you know, hilarious things, and if you, if it's on your team, you think it's the funniest thing ever. If it's against you, it's an outrage. I think the one thing about the.

[A]

White House, but just confirm for me that's not that. One of the 50th worst things Trump's ever done, right?

[B]

No, not even in that day, no. Yeah, yeah, yeah.

[A]

Okay.

[B]

I think the White House construction just. I think people renovate the White House, the ballroom, you know, I actually kind of think it's probably a good idea in the long run.

[A]

Yeah.

[B]

I think where it does impact things is Trump said they were not going to touch the. The existing structure.

[A]

He didn't say they might get a touch. He said there was a word he used, disrupt.

[B]

Why?

[A]

He didn't say touch.

[B]

He said they were not. Well, so. So here's. But here's the bigger point. One of the things Democrats always complain about now is they can't trust Trump. They can't trust him to ultimately do the aca. No, I know you're saying, like, in the, you know, I could give you 8,000 examples of when trust Trump, misled, lied, whatever. So, I mean, again, this is like Exhibit 9000. But, you know, I get it. It's just another example of being misled, I guess, to be charitable. But, I mean, look, the ballroom at the end of the day is probably a good idea. I mean, Trump is right. Constantly putting the tent out there is. Was silly. People didn't like it. It was hot and humid in there sometimes, even though they had AC systems or heating systems. You know, great. Maybe the next White House or the next presidential inauguration is going to be in there.

[A]

Sean, what. What do the critics think they're going to do? Build a ballroom without doing any construction? I don't understand this.

[C]

I actually, I have a different take, which is. I actually think it's. Whether or not you like it or not is beside the point. But. But one of the things that I find fascinating is in Trump's second term, the imprint that he's making on, you know, you'll have the ballroom. You've had the redecoration of the Oval Office, the paving of the Rose Garden. Right. Those are things. I mean, and the funny part about it, as much as people, all presidents.

[B]

Redecorate the White House. I mean, sorry, but.

[C]

Yeah, right, right, right.

[B]

But.

[C]

But I'm just saying the actual physical changes that he's making. Marks, to your point about the, The Rose Garden. This. These are going to be permanent. That will be things that forever are Trump's thing. But, well, okay, I don't know about the Rose Garden. I do, because I think here's the funny.

[A]

President Slotkin will put the grass back.

[C]

So when I was there the other day, as much as people whine, it was amazing how many people, because it was the first time for the Charlie Kirk presentation of the Medal of Freedom, the first non rose like, official event, non Rose Garden club. And it was funny because I'm standing there and everyone kept saying, sorry, I got to stop.

[A]

I got to stop. Because there's a true social post from the president.

[C]

Please read.

[A]

Apologize. Here we go. Numerous of our now great allies, the Middle east and areas surrounding the Middle east, have explicitly and strongly, with great enthusiasm, informed me that they would welcome the opportunity, at my request, to go into Gaza with a heavy force and quote, straighten out Hamas, end quote. If Hamas continues to act badly in violation of their agreement with us. The love and spirit for the Middle east has not been seen like this in a thousand years. It is a beautiful thing to behold. I told these countries in Israel, not yet there is still hope that Hamas will do what is right. If they do not, an end to Hamas will be fast furious and brutal. I would like to thank all those countries that called to help. Also I would like to thank the great and powerful country of Indonesia and its wonderful leader for all the help they have shown and given to the Middle east and to the usa, to everyone. Thank you for your attention to this matter. President Donald J. Trump. So basically he's saying to Hamas, clock's ticking. I got countries wanting to go in. And it doesn't sound like it's just Israel.

[B]

Well, we'll see.

[C]

I said yesterday, that's what he says. Look, Hamas has a lot to lose in this. They've already released the hostages. So, look, at some point, these guys better get their act together.

[B]

Well, but the problem is Hamas has a lot to lose if they laid their arms down and walk away. I mean, this is the challenge. It's bad for business to have peace.

[C]

All right, back to our regular schedule.

[B]

Yeah, yeah, yeah, exactly.

[A]

Go back, keep going.

[C]

So I will just end it by saying it was funny. When I'm sitting there among all these folks in the Rose Garden, how many people said, you know, this actually works out really well? Because obviously, especially for women who were wearing heels, they would sink in. Guys who had nice shoes on, you'd get dirty. And Scott, I mean, so it actually made a ton of sense. I know some people wanted to complain about it, but it actually is very practical. It makes a ton of sense.

[B]

No, someone who went to a signing ceremony in the Rose Garden when I was a lobbyist and it had rained that morning and it was like three or four in the afternoon. It, it was a total pain to walk in grass, wet grass, and kind of mud in your suit and, and dress shoes, whether they're nice dress shoes or not. It does make a lot of sense to ultimately pave that thing given how it's used. Right. You don't sit out there and, and watch the birds, you know, pluck the roses like it's used for business all day long.

[A]

Yeah. All right, next, Prop 50 Politico's reporting that it's so the effort is so damaged on the Republican side that the polls now show that, yes, we'll pass the Republicans thinking, well, maybe we should use Trump to try to turn out our base. The stupidest thing, literally I've ever heard, because the entire yes Campaign is based on making it about Trump and the data is quite clear. If you make it about Trump, yes, we'll pass over wrongly. Sean, here's my question. Why doesn't Trump raise money for this? The whole, the whole reason. Yes. Is doing well or not the whole reason, but a big reason is because McCarthy said he'd raise 100 million and he's raised like 7 million. So why didn't the James Blair have Donald Trump raise $100 million for this thing?

[C]

I think that's a great topic and a question that needs to be asked. No, but my point is I think the problem. And again, this would be the question to ask James players, did they tell you or did McCarthy come in guns a blazing and say, I'm going to raise $100 million, I don't need your help, or he never asked. I actually think at this point I would be surprised if they asked. And I also think because what's going to. What the bigger problem that they have now is that Trump is very smart about what side to be on of a problem. He always wants to be on the winning side. And so he's not going to go in at this point after reading all the headlines and help seeing how like, just what a disaster this thing is. So they've screwed this thing up. And from the bigger question is why didn't they get a commitment earlier on, at least publicly, for him to help before they went out and announced something. But this will go down as one of the biggest political disasters. How it was handled strategically. And I have no one to blame but themselves.

[A]

I agree with you, but it wasn't like the date. Dan, one second. It wasn't like the date of. This is a surprise. Like the minute McCarthy wasn't raising money. I don't understand why they didn't say.

[C]

To Trump, oh, because I think at that point they felt like the, the, you know, the car had left the barn and they, and they had said that we're not, why bother now? We're not going to rescue your effort, you guys. Clearly, I mean, I'm guessing that they saw the polling and said, why would we go waste our money?

[A]

Dan, here's a, here's like a meta question for you, Will. Given that it now appears to be something of a mismatch, will Newsom get the bump everybody expected he, he would get? Because it's not going to get very much coverage. It's going to be kind of anticlimactic.

[B]

No, I, I disagree. It'll be very climactic.

[A]

I didn't take, I didn't take a position. I just said, will, yeah, I know.

[B]

I, so I'll. Two things. One, I think, yes, Republicans didn't handle it as well as they could have, but give credit to how well Gavin Newsom handled this. He got everybody in the party on board.

[A]

Hell, yeah.

[B]

He raised all the money. He bulldozed through this when initially the polls were saying this was not going to. He moved the numbers. Now he had California and he knows.

[A]

And he added a lot of names to his email. Fundraising.

[B]

Exactly. So I think part of this is the success. But I would also say probably that James Blair in the White House would say, look, they've been bogged down in California. So all the effort, all the money, everything is going to California. It's going to potentially wash Texas. We are marching around the rest of the country in Ohio, in Indiana, in Missouri, in Florida, putting little points on the board. They're still, after all of this, probably going to net eight, nine seats, maybe.

[A]

Maybe, maybe more if the Supreme Court.

[B]

Here's the thing, and I've said, oh, yeah, good point.

[C]

The bigger problem in California is you. Not only did you get the five seats, but you shored up several that could have been in contention. And, and this. So, no. So which is, which is huge because it takes that money off the table going forward where you don't have to defend a bunch of seats.

[B]

But everybody is. That's what all this redistricting is. No, no, no. Everything down.

[C]

I'm actually giving California, I'm giving California credit. And yeah, he didn't just even the five out from Texas. He made sure that the six or seven other contentious, vulnerable potential Democrats are shored up. That's a huge win for him. But this is, to me, this is something again, you, you risked when you, when you did this on the, on the, on when you shot the first shot in Texas. If they don't get a net 7 or 8, then this has been a lot of squeeze for very little juice.

[B]

Yeah, but, but, but it may be enough. I mean, that may be.

[A]

Yeah, yeah. All right, three more topics and then to your questions. If you're here on the two way platform, want to be on the conversation, please raise your hand. Just a yes or no. Did he get pardoned or commuted? Yes or no? TMZ says Trump's considering it could happen this week. Dan, yes or no?

[B]

Absolutely. He's going to do it.

[A]

Yeah. Sean, Sean T. Spice. T. Spice. Diddy.

[C]

I think. No, I, I don't, I don't think I, I, I'm gonna, no, there's no.

[A]

I'm going, I'll break the tie and say yes. All right.

[B]

By the way, I think I'd go see that talking point. Trump, Trump. Trump, you know, gives a commutation to Diddy and he's putting his enemies and trying to put his enemies in jail. It's a nice synergy.

[A]

Maybe, maybe he'll do Diddy and Maxwell on the same day.

[B]

Oh, I like it.

[A]

Just to clear it up. Maybe Thanksgiving. All right, two more here in New York City. Incredible pressure on Curtis Lewis to get out of the race yesterday. He said he wouldn't, but this is an orchestrated effort and no less than the New York Times. New York Post editorial board called for him to get out. Here is the wood. That's what we call the front page of the New York Post. Just walk away. Beret. Sean, do you get that reference?

[C]

Yeah, yeah. It's cute.

[A]

Yeah. Okay. Even allies tell Sliwa to drop mayor bid. Don't let Zoran win. And I want to show you, here's my dami with cow pen. Had a big celebration yesterday for Diwali here. Uh, this is, uh, just, uh, just pure color for you folks. 113. Today is Happy Diwali. And we are so happy to be here in Jackson Heights at the best, best sweet shop in town. To be distributing sweets to make people happy and to remember that the triumph.

[C]

Of good over evil.

[A]

I'm not the evil. Just to be clear, evil is not here. Evil is not here at all that guy does not have a friggin care in the world except for the wrath of the the the heir apparent to Lee Atwater. For some reason Bill Ackman is considered like the top political strategist in at least New York City. Here he is this morning on CNBC under the Socratic questioning of Andrew or Sorkin about what it would take to get Cuomo in the game. 114 please.

[D]

If SLU were to say I'm not going to run right now the polls are 43 months. The most recent polls 43, 44 Mandami, 23. I'm sorry, 33 Cuomo and 19 Sliwa. I've seen polls that say the slew of voters are going to vote 65% to for Andrew, 7% other and 25% won't vote something like this. But if slew of voters vote for Andrew, Andrew wins. The key is slew. It has to be out of the.

[A]

Race and just the race. And we were looking at the front.

[B]

Page of the New York Post this.

[A]

Morning which was also calling for that. If he does he have to get.

[B]

Out of the race and endorse.

[D]

Look, I think the smartest thing he could do for his legacy is to say look, I love New York. I care about the city. I've put a lot of energy in keeping this city safe. You know, the polls, the facts. Just tell me I'm not going to win this time. I'm going to step aside, you know, I'm going to rely on Andrew to take care of the city. I'm going to keep doing my job protecting New Yorkers and I'm going to run in four years and then we'll build like we'll have a gold statue of him in, in Times Square.

[A]

Dan, this is a serious question. It's not cynical or rhetorical. Bill Ackman, very successful businessman. How is, how has he become where a lot of the media treats him now like he is Lee Atwater? Like what does he know about politics? What does he know about campaigns? What does he know about voter sentiments? How did this happen?

[B]

He's always been a quote machine and he's always been accessible.

[A]

But how long, how long has he been involved in politics?

[B]

Well, he's been, he's been a donor for, for years. Even when I raised money he was acting.

[A]

But, but, but before, like the last two years, was anyone ever quoting Bill Ackman?

[B]

No. But how many don't? A lot of donors are a little hesitant to put their name sometimes on it. They'll they'll speak on background and, you know, he. He cultivates relationships.

[A]

Some of us. Sean, some of my best sources are donors in both parties, but most of them don't know piss all about politics. They think they do.

[B]

Yeah.

[A]

Probably some of them. Just to be clear, my sources who are donors know a ton, but a lot of the others don't know anything. He speaks on the record, but, I mean. I mean, I don't know. Like, if I were at a cocktail party with Bill Ackman, I wouldn't be the least bit interested in what he had to say about this race.

[C]

Well, I would be in the sense that one of the things that I will acknowledge is that not only does he have a lot of money, but he has a lot of friends that have a lot of money. And the bottom line is that if you want to know, are they willing to contribute? What do they think that's important. Right. Because at the end.

[A]

Yeah, I agree with that.

[C]

Where the money's going is important. Again, I will reiterate what I said yesterday, and this is where, respectfully, Mr. Ackman misses the mark. Sliwa just doesn't have to get out. He not only. He has to not only endorse, but have a deal with the devil where he says, and I will be part of this because that's what's going to. The numbers require some kind of partnership. We're not like, I'm out. He has to say, I'm going to be part of this because a lot. To vote for Andrew Cuomo if that.

[A]

If that happened, if he got out and made it clear that he wanted. And maybe Trump did, too. They wanted all Republicans to vote for.

[C]

Cuomo and Sliwa would be part of the administration.

[A]

Yeah. And Sliwa's secretary of Deputy mayor for Katz. Dan, where would you put the odds of Cuomo winning if all those things happen? And again, I'm telling you, those things might happen.

[B]

Yeah, I put the odds of Cuomo winning around under all those circumstances. 40. 40%. I mean. 40%.

[A]

40%. Okay. That's pretty high.

[B]

Rub some people the wrong way.

[A]

Sure.

[B]

If Trump got really involved and this.

[A]

Well, maybe. Well, so maybe if you think that doesn't help, just Sliwa gets out and Sliwa says, I'm for Andrew. Don't let the socialists win. Andrew says, I can't wait to have this guy be deputy mayor.

[B]

Here's the thing that I think is going to be really fascinating because at the last debate, Sliwa went harder after Cuomo than he did after Mandani. Right. So one of the things to Sean's point is you need all his voters going to Como. There is another debate coming up. I wonder if tomorrow. Tomorrow will stay in and go hard after Mandani. So you're saying to your voters, it cannot be him. You got to go with the other guy.

[C]

That's your moment. I gotta be honest with you. Like Tomorrow, I've said 100%, when Dom is your mayor, he should start racing mansion and measuring the drapes.

[A]

Yeah.

[C]

But that being said, if you're going to do it, you need a moment and you need a moment when people are paying attention. If I were him right now, if I were Cuomo today, I'd get a beret, go over and hang out with, with Sliwa and say, hey, Bereta beret.

[A]

And bring some. And bring some, bring some. Preena catch out.

[B]

Not bro to brow beret or beret.

[C]

And say, listen, here's the deal. You are deputy mayor. I would go further than cats. I would say all animals, right? All animals.

[A]

Deputy mayor for species. Sean, if all that happened, if it's stage managed just right, what's the odds Cuomo becomes the mayor?

[C]

65.

[A]

65.

[B]

I think it's below 50 still, but it's close.

[C]

Everything if, if everything happens, what gets to be deputy mayor for all species? Yeah, he's joining 65%.

[A]

I think the answer is 35. But I'm telling you, it might happen. Yeah, it might happen.

[B]

I tell you what if I, if I were. If you're Sleewa should announce it at the end of the debate. It will be the headline next day, Sliwa drops out and endorses Cuomo. It would take all the energy, Adam and Donnie coming out of that debate.

[C]

Actually, I'll respectfully disagree. I would come out of the gate because now you make the entire campaign, that debate now becomes. Yeah, one, one.

[A]

And, or, or have a, or have a press conference with Andrew right before you do.

[C]

You walk out, you pull the beret off and then you make the announcement, right?

[A]

I'd like, I'd like, I'd like to see them do a cute video where Curtis pulls the bra off, throws it up in the air like he's Mary Richards at the opening of Mary Tyler Moore show. And then Andrew catches it and puts it on.

[C]

I got one better. What if, what if he. What if, what if. And I'm just saying this, I know Cuomo's folks are on. What if Cuomo shows up to the debate and it looks like it's just Sliwa. He pulls the debret off, but instead of the beret, pulls the entire mask and it's really Andrew Cuomo. And he says, I am now Team Curtis.

[A]

Yeah. All right. We got a lot of ideas. Team Cuomo. These are all free last story. And this, Melissa, this is a. This one's a doozy. This is a doozy. Anna Bauer writes for a thing called Lawfare, and she wrote an item in Lawfare. It's a legal, online legal publication, quite well read in the legal community. She wrote an item summarizing the New York Times story about the Letitia James prosecution. And then the next thing she knows, she's getting text messages on Signal from Lindsey Halligan, the former tax. Tax attorney that would. She was real estate. What did she do? And she wouldn't. She'd never been in court. Insurance, I think. Insurance. Lindsey Halligan, who's been doing the prosecution because no career person would do it. And she starts just having this long Signal conversation with her, saying respectfully that, that Anna Bauer was wrong in her legal analysis of the Times write up of the case and sends her, like, over the course of a couple days, sends her a bunch of messages. And then when Anna and her editor decide to go to the Justice Department and say, we're going to write about this because she never said any of this was off the record, they say, oh, no, it was off the record. But Legal Lawfare decided to publish it anyway. It's not super relevant to it. Probably the newsiest thing in Anna's Bowers View, she disclosed grand jury material, which would be inappropriate. Sean, my first question for you is like, I don't know Lindsey Halligan. And one thing that's striking about it, as far as I know, she's not talked to any reporters, although perhaps she's talking to a lot of reporters and she remembers to set off the Record. But what goes into the mindset of a government official who starts texting a stranger on Signal and, and talking about a case like that, like, how does that happen? Inexperience.

[C]

I mean, with all due respect, I think it comes from the top, meaning they watch President Trump do it and they think, I can do it, too, and they don't. Again, this is where people try to emulate Trump and don't fully appreciate the sort of degree of difficulty of him. But I also don't think it's a bad. I mean, like, again, I know she took issue with the fact that she was just surmised or analyzing The Times piece. But what's the. There's nothing wrong with. With an official reaching out and saying, hey, I've. I want to talk to you about your analysis or your story or your punditry, whatever. I. I don't have a problem with that. I. I mean, to me, I. It would be one thing if she was saying or doing something inappropriate, but in this case, she's saying, hey, you're a respected person in this space, whether you're an influencer or a bona fide member of the fourth estate. And I want to just share with you my thoughts on your analysis.

[A]

Great.

[C]

Good.

[A]

All right.

[B]

I mean, the only thing is, I think this does stem from the ethos of 2.0. Is work the press from every angle all the time. Every time. And whereas it was more Trump in the first term, everyone. Cabinet secretaries, everyone, always win the headline. Always be dominating a US Attorney just going out there. It's cra. It's crazy. But.

[A]

Yeah. What's her name? Lindsay.

[C]

Lindsay Haligan.

[B]

Halligan.

[A]

Yeah. Okay.

[B]

Signal to me, you know, just come on two way tonight. Just do it.

[A]

No, Noah points out that Ackman was playing pundit about Bloomberg for president in 2015. Doesn't mean anyone should have listened to him.

[B]

Oh, he plays pundit on the presidential everything. He'll talk to anybody about anything.

[A]

Yeah. J.D. vance is doing a. A press conference in a couple hours in Israel. And then tomorrow, I don't know if it's a press conference, but he's talking to the media. And then he's meeting with Bibi tomorrow. That's what I'm told. From two different people. I hope they're both right, but they're saying the same thing, so thank you for that. All right, time for your questions, comments, reviews, display, proud display of your fairway and green merch. Whatever you'd like to do at the time. This time is your time two way community. So get ready. If you want to eat a protein cookie on camera, do. Oh, so good. But I was. I was super hungry. I was super hungry.

[B]

So you need to leave some crumbs on your lapel next time. Then it's really like kind of meeting esque. No, no, you don't. You don't have any. You don't have any.

[A]

Yeah, there's some. There's. There's some on the table. You know what I could do? That's meeting esque. I could. I could brush. Pretend to brush them into my hand, but really just brush them onto the floor and then be. That'd be Meeting Priscilla. Welcome in. Thank you for joining. I think it's your first time here. If I'm wrong, I apologize. Is your first time here?

[E]

Try to. Can you hear me?

[A]

Yes, ma'. Am. First time here, right, Priscilla, it is the first time. Welcome. Yeah, yeah, yeah. Long time. Long time.

[E]

First before the election.

[A]

Yeah. Welcome in. We're delighted to have you here. How'd you start watching two Way?

[E]

So I heard you on the radio whenever I'm in the car around noon, like, I do listen to the Megyn Kelly show. And I think the three of you came on.

[A]

Yeah.

[E]

Months before the election. And then I actually listened to your show more often than hers, but on YouTube.

[A]

Yeah.

[E]

Priscilla, for the first time, I just wanted to tell you why I decided to put you on Zoom and for the first time, figure out how to get. Yesterday I was listening and somebody asked a question about Venezuela and Argentina and like, a Brazilian American. I. I'm from Brazil. My entire family's from Brazil, but I've lived in the US since 1986. You know, my dad moved here for work. I was in high school, and I've pretty much lived here all my life. But because my entire family's in Brazil, we vacation down there. You know, I. Many Christmases, I have five kids where we fly down there at least once a year.

[B]

Wow.

[E]

Brazil. And you know, the Brazilian and Argentine community is pretty close knit. Like, depending on the exchange rate, you know, you rent a house at the beaches in Argentina or the Argentines come over. Like, I have many Argentine friends, some Venezuelan friends as well. And the point that I wanted to make is. So, I mean, I would have many questions for you guys, but I think I just wanted to more say something as a follow up to that. I do think that what the Trump administration is doing in Venezuela and Argentina is related. I don't think those two things can be viewed separately. And I think it's interesting for us, like the descendants of Latin America, I can tell you that we absolutely love, like, love, love, love that Marco Rubio is Secretary of State because he's distant. And by the way, I have Cuban relatives too, and who live in Miami. So I think that Marco Rubio being the head of the State Department is huge for anybody that's a descendant of anywhere in Latin America. And what we have in common, if you're descended from Cuba, Venezuela, Brazil, Argentina, Bolivia, Colombia is many of us fled. Not necessarily like fled like the Cubans did, but we left Latin America because it's very hard to build wealth there in the long term. When you have your bank accounts frozen, assets taken, when the left is in power, you know, currency devaluations over and over and over. When I was growing up, like things in the stores, you couldn't even have prices on merchandise. You had to run to the store after you got paid because there was like, if you bought merchandise in the morning, it was cheaper than in the evening. That's how bad it was in Brazil when I was growing up. So I think what Trump is doing is strengthening the hand of the right in Latin America overall and weakening the left. What he's doing to the Venezuelan boats is really freaking out the leaders of Brazil, Colombia, Bolivia, like, and the other thing that is interesting to understand is that those heads of states, you know, in Cuba, like Castro and now Canal, Diaz and Venezuela, Chavez and then Maduro and Brazil, Lula in Argentina, Kirchner Hernandez, through the photo, Sao Paulo, which is this organization founded by Lula, they get together and through the state oil companies, they pass money around when they're. And they campaign with each other. They're close friends. So I think what he's, what Marco Rubio is doing is weakening the left and strengthening the right in Latin America. And it's worth it for him to do this. 20 billion, the two. 20 billion facilities to Argentina, because if Milei can win or his party can win in the municipal elections and do well and continue to implement those reforms, it weakens the left all over because like I said, they're interrelated. And the more the right can stay in power, they do have more responsible fiscal policies, and in the end, less people leave Latin America to come. I know right now immigration is not a big deal because Trump closed the border, but it will be if the left Democrats get back in power. Latin America diminishes if the right is in power.

[A]

You've said a ton of really interesting stuff which we're going to pick up on. Just tell us, where do you live here in the United States?

[E]

Well, I've lived in Boston or Massachusetts for college, then Chicago for graduate school, like business school. Then I moved to New York for work and lived there for 22 years. Did work on Wall street for many years, but then eventually had five kids. You can't work on Wall street with five kids. It's just too much. So I'm actually a stay at home mom. And we did move to the suburbs.

[A]

In the New York City area.

[E]

It's very much New York City.

[A]

Okay, I'll say three quick things about all the really smart things you said, and then Turn over to Sean and Dan. First of all, you know, right now the President States is dealing with Ukraine, Russia, China and the Middle East. And so if none of that stuff were happening, and that's an incredible story that he's dealing with all three of those things at a very high and, you know, intense level, what's going on in Latin America would be a massive, even bigger story and get more coverage, number one. Number two, George W. Bush was the last president who really came into office saying, we're going to make big change in Latin America. And then 9, 11 happened and the whole thing went out the window.

[E]

And.

[A]

And then lastly, you're absolutely right about Secretary Rubio. He's an expert in this area. He obviously has a, you know, a heritage connection to it. But as busy as he is doing all the things he's doing, he is the architect of all this stuff, and he is incredibly, incredibly involved. And what's happening is history right before our eyes. There's never been a Secretary of State like this National Security Advisor whose focus on Latin America is so intense. And there's, there's six countries right now, there's six different Latin American countries, minimum, where there's, there's serious policy stuff happening that's impacting the bilateral relationship and the regional relationship. It's extraordinary.

[C]

Sean, has your view, or the view of you and your family and friends of Marco, changed from when he was a senator to now Secretary of State, meaning when he was a senator from Florida. Did you admire him, respect him as much as you do now, or is his role, what sort of. And his accomplishments as Secretary of State really brought him into the spotlight more?

[E]

I've always liked him, but seeing him on stage, drinking a lot of water that one time that he, that, that was not. That did not come across very well. So I think my image of him improved since he's, he's very well spoken as secretary. I think he has improved even since he took the job. But, yes, my view of him has improved, but I don't think he is any different on policy. He's been onto these Latin American leftist tyrants for a long time. He knows exactly what they are, which is why I could, like, go on for an hour in Brazil, which of course I won't. But what he's doing in Brazil, it is absolutely law fair. What happened with former President Bolsonaro there and the fact that he's gagged to an extent that is not even comparable to what happened to Trump here, they absolutely stripped him of power in terms of being eligible to run in 2026 and 2030 because they're afraid if he ran, he would take power. And he's completely gagged. He cannot talk to the press. That doesn't get enough attention here. So the fact that Marco Rubio has now revoked the visas of eight Supreme Court ministers is very meaningful for Brazil. And he put the magnificent. I think that's how you pronounce it, on the head of the Supreme Court justice who's been like the head of the lawfare. So that guy's been stripped of his credit cards. And it's hugely meaningful because it kind of is showing to Brazilian leadership lawfare has consequences. And that's not even talked about in the US Press, but it's a huge story in Brazil, and it's. It's Rubio that's responsible. So people in Brazil absolutely love what Rubio is doing.

[A]

Dan?

[B]

Yeah. I think you made so many fascinating points, and you started by talking about socialism and fleeing the region. This is something that in 2020, Democrats, when, even though Biden won, we lost with our margins, continued to shrink with Latinos. And one of the things we heard in focus groups after the 2020 election was some of the talk about kind of socialist ideas and defunding the police really freaked out Latinos in Nevada and in certain areas because it reminded them of home. And they're like, that's, you know, we left that. We don't like these leftist policies. So when people talk about how could Mandani hurt the Democratic Party going forward to your point, Trump won Latinos overall. And I think that you'll continue to hear talk about this, I think that one interesting thing about Argentina is it was in Bloomberg. I think today the banks are very hesitant to provide this $20 billion loan without a US guarantee of repayment because they're so uncertain about what is going to happen in Argentina. Look, China has been on the march in South America for the last 20 years. I think it's great somebody is trying to bring them back into our fold again. I keep saying this with Trump. I'll be so curious to see what his base's pain threshold is for involvement with potentially invading Venezuela. You know, a bailout of Argentina. We're getting involved. I mean, once you're in, you're in. And. And this is all being driven by. By the Trump administration. Yeah.

[A]

Priscilla, thank you. Very grateful. I hope you'll come back regularly.

[C]

Thank you.

[A]

Thank you. Five kids. Oh, five kids. Tony, welcome in. Tell folks who don't know after you unmute, where you Are what's on your mind. For Sean and Dan, thank you for being part of two ways.

[F]

Sorry, the sun is in my face.

[A]

Oh, good. You got it.

[F]

I did. I got it. I am. I'm down in Huntsville, Alabama.

[C]

Congratulations on the big space force move there.

[F]

Yes, yes. Some people are happy and others are not so happy because we're like, where is all the traffic going to go? Where's the water going to come? You know, there's a lot of infrastructure issues. But I want to say two things. One is, you know, yesterday you guys were talking about the fact that a lot of people in the country don't really feel the impacts of the shutdown, but we definitely do here. Like, my husband took an Uber last week, and the Uber driver was commenting on how dead the city is, and he was like, nobody's going out to dinner. Nobody's booking Uber rides. Like, he really appreciated the fact that my husband pre booked the ride because he knew it was a guaranteed fare. Driving around, he's like, I'm getting nothing. You know, So I think there are pockets in this country where it is a lot more of an impact. I mean, my husband works for a defense contractor, and they're going to start furloughing one day a week now because of the shutdown. And then that's happened before. But what I wanted to ask you guys was about. I was listening to people talk about the no Kings and the rally and everything, and I'm just, you know, and Mark has talked about this a lot on his show here and then his other one and the role of the media. And I feel like when I grew up in the 90s, you didn't know who people voted for. I mean, I remember, like, going with my dad to vote and seeing, like, my teacher or whatever and being like, oh, I wanted to ask them, you know, who'd you vote for? And my dad was like, don't. We don't do that. That's rude. You know, because we live in this community with them, it doesn't matter. You know, we have to deal with the outcome. And I feel like, especially over the last 10 years, we now have this permission structure where not only are we supposed to know who everybody voted for, we're supposed to treat them differently according to. According to that. And. And we're supposed to treat that and. And, you know, the rally, I'm glad it was. Was peaceful and all that, but it kind of made me sad because it. It reminded me how far apart we are and how. I don't know how we get back, you know, and, and I look at the role of the media and then there's, you know, the second wave of podcasts and everything. How, how do we turn the ship around? I mean, like, that's the reason why I watch you guys and I really try to avoid a lot of other feel like you are trying to normalize. It's okay to disagree and still be friends, but I see it so many places where people, I don't know, I don't know how we turn the ship around. You know, it's like an aircraft carrier. It needs a lot of space and a lot of room, and I feel like we're heading for a crash and I think has the potential to like, wreck the American dream. And I just, I don't know where we go from here, but I really appreciate what you guys do because I think it's incredibly important.

[A]

Tony, you speak for tens of millions and, and, and both your, your analysis and, and your frustration, I'll just say Curtis Le just held a press conference, said he will not get out of the race under any circumstances. So, so much.

[B]

You're not going out of the race today?

[A]

No, he said he will not get out under any circumstances. So we owe, we owe you all about seven minutes of us sitting around analyzing if he gets out. Tony, if you were in charge of everything and could, you know, speak to all the politicians and everybody in the media, like, what would you recommend? How would you recommend change come?

[F]

I would, I would encourage more conversations. Like when I saw Benny Johnson had Ro Khanna on, you know, and I thought that was great and I would recommend that people go on. But yeah, really try and focus on, like, what do we agree with versus what do we disagree with and have it be such a battle. Right. Because Americans need that permission structure and that reminder that we agree with more than we disagree with. And I think that that permission structure doesn't exist anymore because social media has turned us into. I mean, you know, it's just dopamine hit after dopamine hit of I'm right in my echo chamber. And, you know, I think it's. It's helpful to see people. Oh, they're talking and they're not. They actually do agree. And I think we need that reminder and I don't think we see it hardly at all. And I'd like to see more of that.

[A]

Yeah. Dan, if you were king, what would you do? What would you recommend? That's great suggestion from Tony.

[B]

What else would help respecting your opponent, I think, is the thing that has started to dissipate here. I've said this before. I'm actually very confident things will get better because at some point, the marketplace will demand it. And right now, the marketplace rewards kind of absolutism, conflict. I don't think we will have another president probably in my lifetime who goes online and says the other side is scum and dirt. And look, Democrats then respond in kind, right? I mean, Pelosi's on her way out, right? They call him the fascist, et cetera. I do. You know, there'll still be conflict, there'll still be intensity, but it starts with disrespecting, respecting the other side.

[A]

Yeah, Sean.

[C]

So I'm. First of all, thank you for coming on and thank you for what you've said. I want to take issue with part of what you said, but sort of agree with you on another part because I believe that, like, conversation is the cure.

[B]

Right.

[C]

And to Dan's point, it's about respecting and acknowledging the other side, which I feel like, as someone on the right, this is. This is the bigger problem there are. And I don't mean to try to make this a right left issue, but I don't have a problem, like, with people on the left or with outlets on the left or platforms on the left.

[B]

Good.

[C]

That's the beauty of this country. That's the beauty of the First Amendment. I think that most of the people on the left do have a problem with people on the right. I think that fundamental. That's fundamentally the problem. Okay. And where I have an issue, Tony, is I don't think it's about agreement. I used to have this when I've had both my show now at 6 and my previous show when I was on a network where I would bring on people on both sides and I would get people. I'd have Barney Frank on the show. Now I can't think of one.

[B]

There's a name.

[C]

Okay. But he loved coming on the show, and he would tell people, I love coming on your show because you actually want to have a conversation. Right. I don't agree with him on anything. I don't want to agree with him on anything. But I actually think through conversation, as someone who is a very proud Trump supporter, fiscal conservative, social conservative, I want to. I think that by having a respectful conversation, I actually bring more people to my side. Right. So I want to debate issues of life, the Second Amendment, and say, wow, here's the flaws in your argument. And I hope that when I. That I think that our points are better than theirs now. Maybe somebody listens to that and disagrees and say, wow, I think Dan Turrethine made better points than you. I think Barney Frank made better points. But I actually want that conversation to occur. Right. And so that's the difference is that I want. I don't want to shout them down. I want to say, okay, you made this point. Here's why I disagree with that. Here's why I think I'm better or my side's better than yours. I think that's what's missing. Right. Conversation is the cure to this whole thing. But I think one side wants to have that conversation, another side doesn't.

[A]

Dan, hold on. Dan, do you accept that characterization?

[B]

I. I don't fully accept it, except that I do agree with Sean that I think the average Trump voter understands Democrats a lot better than Democrats are willing to understand Trump voters. Democrats, I think, have their fingers in their ears and just keep saying, it's a fever dream. They're crazy, they're going to sober up and realize how insane they were. Whereas I think because a lot of Trump voters were Democrats, they left the party. They're like, no, I'll tell you all the reasons I have problems with them. I get why they kind of. My parents were. So I do think we share responsibility for that. I think Trump's conduct of, you know, as he likes to say out loud, if you're against me, I hate you. And I'm gonna, you know.

[A]

Tony, Tony, what did you want to say?

[F]

Oh, I was gonna say, you know, when you asked me for other things, something else occurred to me while Sean was speaking, and I agree we need to have conversations. The other thing I would do is I would tell all news organizations you can't label people liberal, progressive, right wing, you know, like, get rid of. Just stop saying Megan Kelly, the right wing, whatever, like, just me again. You just use her name. And I think that, that when you start, like, it just. It's a trigger point. Right. And so it just conditions you to view this person through this lens. Whereas when you're having a discussion, like Sean said, if you're just person to person having a discussion, and you can leave a lot of the labels aside.

[B]

Yeah.

[F]

I don't know.

[A]

So I'm a big believer that this needs to be consumer and citizen driven, because the politicians, the media response, the incentives, the market incentives, and, and even on this platform, some of you have heard me say this. You know, we'll have somebody on, and a thousand people will put in the chat and 100 of them will email me I'm never watching again. Because you had someone on who I didn't agree with. You know, Steve Elmendorf's one of the smartest Democratic strategists of the last hundred years. We have him on two way tonight all the time. And people say, I'm never watching again because Steve Elmendorf is so left wing and so even here, even on this platform explicitly dedicated to letting all points of view be heard under one roof. Not. It's not a platform just for centuries. Moderators and independents, although we love having them here. It's for people on the far left, the far right. I had Laura Loomer on. People said, how could you have Laura Loomer on? I'd have bin Laden on if he were alive. We want all voices under one roof.

[C]

But, you know, that's, that's the point though, is that if you can't, it's like whether or not it's, you know, to your point about someone horrible. Right. Part of it is if you really believe they're horrible, then expose them, have a conversation and let people go, my God, what a horrible person. But let that. But, but do that. I will say the one. My one sort of drum that I got a bang today again, is part of the. The problem again is social media. This is where you want to talk about tribalism. This is what Mark Zuckerberg personally is responsible for so much of the destruction fabric of this country because of what they have done and what the algorithm allows to have happen. And I know that there's political benefits to these platforms that everyone wants, but. But at the end of the day, that is killing the next generation of Americans 100%.

[A]

Tony, grateful to you for coming on. Please come back. Bring all your friends.

[F]

I recommend you guys to everyone.

[A]

Thank you for doing that. And by the way, the three of us will be on.

[C]

Did we establish. Where are you?

[B]

Alabama.

[C]

I'm sorry, you're right.

[A]

The three of us will be on with Megan Kelly tomorrow, by the way.

[F]

Oh, well, then I'll. I'll be sure to tune in.

[A]

See you there. Thank you very much. Little news on the media front. Warner Brothers Discovery that owns hbo, cnn and Warner Brothers movie studio, which has been the subject of takeover rumors from Paramount and. And Comcast and others announced today that they're for sale. They're putting out a for sale sign. And if people want to make bids on all the assets, they're not saying, they're not saying exactly who's bidding, but they say it's safe to say there have been multiple people have expressed an interest. So Netflix, Amazon, Apple may want them, Paramount may want them in Comcast or Skydance. I don't think, I don't think, I don't think, I don't think Disney wants them. But.

[B]

Oh, I don't think everybody else.

[A]

Yeah, everybody else.

[B]

I'll put a fiver on Skydance makes that happen. And the Trump administration will love that. CNN will come under the thumb of Barry Weiss and approve it right away.

[A]

Okay, we'll see. Sean, what do you have tonight?

[C]

Well, I'm breaking it all down with Mr. Bill O'Reilly tonight. A lot. I love his take on history and so obviously where Trump fits in. All this is going to be the topic. Deja war.

[A]

Dan, you have never heard my Bill O'Reilly stories back when I was his researcher at ABC News, but soon I'll tell them to.

[C]

You know what we should do, Mark? Yeah, you know what we should do? We should just do that live.

[A]

Do it. Do it live. We should do it live. That's a reference. For those of you who don't get it.

[B]

You know, the Bill O'Reilly tree would be an interesting thing because Jesse Waters worked with him. You've worked for him. That's an interesting.

[A]

I learned a lot from Bill about how to, how to be a journalist. Tonight. Two, two ways left today as of now, six o' clock Eastern time. This is four o'. Clock. But it's six o'. Clock. Yeah, six.

[B]

No, no, it says six in front of us.

[A]

Well, it says six on the screen.

[B]

Oh, yeah.

[A]

In my text it says four. But it's six o' clock regular time both on two way and on YouTube, one of our favorites, Hogan Gidley and then former White House press official Yamise.

[C]

And I can only say that I, I don't say that to correct you, but if he is watching, I was with her last night and she corrected me on how to pronounce her name.

[A]

So yemen. See by 6 o' clock I'll have it down. Remember, I can't pronounce anything. Yemen. See Egbo Wale, former chief of staff and advisor in the Biden White House press Office, Democratic strategist, founder of Podium Strategies. They're going to be a delightful pair. So join me at six o' clock for that. And then Moynihan Report. Michael's joined by Thomas Chatterton Williams, the author of Summer of Our Discontent. Join Michael on two way at seven tonight and we'll be back in 23 hours with more of of this program. Grateful to everybody who participated. And we'll have a lot, a lot to talk about, if nothing else. J.D. vance. Thank you all, gentlemen. See you tomorrow.

[C]

See you tomorrow.