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The Morning Meeting
Markets Watch China Tariffs, Ukraine War Grinds, DC Crime Issues, MAGA Battles & Taylor's Latest
01:02:40
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- [00:00]
A
Foreign. Welcome to the morning meeting. It's nine o' clock eastern time. Six o' clock in Los Angeles and some other time in Germany and Moscow. Thank you for joining. This is the morning meeting based on the network news division's the morning meetings where they talk about what's happening and gentlemen, welcome in. Sean, we're thinking of buying a countdown clock graphic for the Friday summit, but we don't know what time it starts. Thoughts on that?
- [00:32]
B
Oh, what's the time difference for Alaska?
- [00:35]
C
Three. Isn't it three hours?
- [00:37]
A
No, no, no. It's five hours I think.
- [00:39]
B
Yeah, they're west ish of when you can see.
- [00:42]
A
I also think, I think also think Alaska has like three time zones. Let's get.
- [00:46]
B
I would imagine let's get.
- [00:48]
C
Part of it is, is let's get.
- [00:50]
A
Some research on that.
- [00:52]
B
Well, bottom line is I think you're probably right with the island chains, but I think I'm looking here. I would go with the Anchorage time zone.
- [00:59]
D
Yeah, it's currently 5am in Juneau.
- [01:01]
C
I was just gonna say four hours.
- [01:04]
A
Four hours.
- [01:04]
C
And in Anchorage. Yep.
- [01:06]
A
In any event. And they use American dollars there. Thank you for joining. If you're here on the two way platform, please raise your hand if you'd like to get in the conversation. Bob, Dan and Professor Kenny already in the queue. We'd love three new people today. There's a chance today's episode will require three new people to keep the show from being canceled. So if you've never raised your hand before, please do. Thank you for being a part of the two way community. And if you're watching on X or on YouTube, enjoy the program started right on time as our programs tend to do. And don't raise your hand and don't put smack in the chat. Peace, love, understanding, always at the top of your mind, the tip of your fingers and from head to toe. Thank you for being part of two way. As was said, let's run through the day. Not a whole lot going on as Europe in the United States and people in Moscow brace for Friday's historic summit which could be counter anticlimactic. We'll talk about that White House pool today, the new media pool, the Washington Reporter, the Washington Reporter's organization started by a couple of Republican Hill aides who said why can't we get in the media business? How hard could it be? Sean, how's the Washington reporter doing?
- [02:15]
B
Well, I had Matthew Foley on my show the other day. He's always spirited and fun, so I think it's doing just fine.
- [02:22]
A
Yeah. They had a, they have a vision for leveraging their contacts on the Hill to make it more able to to report what's going on with Republicans, particularly on Capitol Hill, but also in the administration. And I don't know if they have had the new media seat before, but they do.
- [02:39]
B
He has been. Matthew has been the pool reporter a couple times on trips. So. Yeah.
- [02:46]
A
Okay. President's got nothing on his public schedule after yesterday's marathon press conference, but 1pm Caroline Levitt is briefing. And we'll talk about Caroline in just a moment. Vice president remains in England on holiday slash workaday. House and Senate out still till September 2nd. Mike Johnson in one of America's most beautiful places today, Jackson Hole, Wyoming. You guys fans of Jackson Hole?
- [03:10]
B
I'm going to admit I've never been. It's on my list. Never been.
- [03:13]
A
One of my favorites.
- [03:14]
C
I say same thing. I've always wanted.
- [03:16]
A
Never been there.
- [03:16]
C
Whoa.
- [03:17]
A
I've been there several times.
- [03:18]
B
It's really I'm actually surprised Dan hasn't been there. It's a fabulous, like, a lot of fun fundraisers happen there.
- [03:23]
A
Yeah.
- [03:24]
B
And I figured that that would have been on the circuit.
- [03:26]
C
I've always wanted to go because I love that. It's a great place in the summertime.
- [03:29]
A
If you go, I recommend Bubbies for lunch. Bubbies or maybe it's called Bubbas. Bubbas, by the way.
- [03:36]
C
And almost every Republican lobbyist I know is there right now, too.
- [03:38]
A
Yes. Yeah. Anyway, it's a retreat today. The chair of the Homeland Security Committee, Mr. Garborino, and Senator Barrassa will be amongst the featured guests for speakers. Johnson's retreat. And it's a great way, if you've got enough money to give Speaker Johnson's various campaign committees, feel free to pull up a chair and drink late into the night with lobbyists and members of Congress just there doing the people's business. All right, we're going to start with the economy because just a few Moments ago, technically, 34 minutes ago, the Consumer Price index came out and it's about what people expected, maybe a little bit, lowered 2.7 annually for July, less than expected amidst the tariff worries. Now, I think one of the biggest questions in America, and I could say American politics, but really in America, we've talked about it. Here we're in back to school time. Then we got Halloween and Thanksgiving and Christmas. What's up with prices? And the data on that is mixed. Here is what my friend Chris Allison, who lives in Pittsburgh and knows a lot about economics. Here's what he sent me this morning. We ate supper at our favorite family restaurant last night. It boasts a scratch kitchen. The owner said that he is getting killed by food prices. It's unusually, it's usually jammed. And he says he is now losing money on a monthly basis. He can't be the only one. This is about to become a thing. So I hear, I hear mixed from big, big businesses, from Fortune 500 companies, small people who I talk, small business owners I talk to, some say what Chris is saying, which is it's already a problem and people feel it's getting worse. And some people dissent from that point of view and say the tariff situation is being managed expertly. Sean, is inflation a demon that's about to bite the head off of the Trump administration or is it safely under control?
- [05:32]
B
I don't know that I would say it's safely under control, but I don't think, I mean it's not transitory as it was we were told under the Biden administration. Look it obviously something you have to watch and monitor. But so far I think we're in a good place. And the bottom line is I find it rich that we're, for four years we're gaslit about the issue of inflation and suddenly now, once again, the experts, I mean frankly, let's be blunt, the experts suck. They said today, and even in Playbook and all these non expert people, we expect a report that will show month after month, they claim that we expect a report that says everything sucks and, and it doesn't. And then they explain why, well, it's just going to be another month until it sucks. So I just have gotten tired of this. I feel like people are rooting for the economy to tank because they don't like Trump's policies. The bottom line is I think things are in a pretty good place. We're not just in the short term, but obviously we will get a much better long term situation. So, you know, I think we keep rooting for a strong economy. I feel like we're heading in the right direction. These deals are good and will benefit us even more in the long run.
- [06:42]
C
Dan, I'm wondering if Sean's suddenly on Team Joe Biden because boy, did he sound like the Biden team in 2023 and 2024. I mean this is the whole look, I don't disagree with what Sean said to be serious for a second. Statistically, inflation is close to the 2%. It's just been kind of sticky for the last like two and a half years. They just can't quite get it down to 2%. The problem for the Trump team is the same problem for the Biden team, which is that Americans don't feel that inflation is under control. And John, you talk about this all the time, the gut. There hasn't been a survey since Trump came into office and there wasn't a survey in 2024 where about 60 to 70% of voters said inflation was a concern to them. So for whatever reason, Americans are just not getting off this now look, the price of eggs and gas is down. The price of beef, the price of beef is through the roof. So if you're having a barbecue, you're like, wtf? Right? That's higher. And I get it. Prices go up and prices go down. The problem for Trump is voters keep saying we don't like what's happening. You gotta try to.
- [07:54]
B
I just don't. But, but you know, to your point, Dan, I, I noticed this like I'm, you know, I will shop around for gas just cuz I'm cheap by nature. And it was two, three the other day, he's down a few pennies, right? So I was kind of like, cool, good day to fill up, you know, the eggs stuff, the staples that you buy. I get it if you love a good steak and I do, you see it, you know, and you might go from prime to choice or something like that. But the bottom line is I just, I'm in the market enough where I go and pick up stuff. I don't think to your point, in Biden, you know, eggs, things that you would actually buy a gallon of milk, you go, holy smokes, it's sticker shock. You, you're not getting that right now. I mean there might be some, some stuff that is affected by this clearly like beef or whatever is. But, but to your point, that's not stuff that everyone's buying every week in truckloads.
- [08:44]
A
I will, I will say, and this is true during COVID too, and I don't know enough about the restaurant business to have a strong point of view here. Restaurants owners seem to be particularly stressed as compared to consumers. And I don't know if that's cause they're, they don't want to pass on the increases, they don't want to reprint the menus, whatever it is. But restaurant owners, I don't know if they are the, the canary in the coal mine or they're kind of an aberration. I will say, I will say this. We all know there's a truism that's actually true. Presidents get too much credit when the economy does well, too much blame when it goes poorly. But there are clearly things the federal government can and does do that could affect inflation. We saw the Biden policies. Even Larry Summers and others concede the Biden policies contributed somewhat to inflation, though there were other factors. Here's a premise. Dan, you first. I just don't think Donald Trump and Scott Bessant are going to let the economy be bad if the extent they can control it between now and the midterms. And so if, if we get to Halloween and Thanksgiving and things are bad, I think they're gonna, they're gonna try to, they're gonna try to fix it. I don't know exactly what they'll do, but they're not just gonna sit back and let the lose the house because inflation is a problem. What do you think of that premise?
- [09:51]
C
I 100% agree. I, I give Trump great credit that he is always on the front foot about the economy. The economy, the economy, the economy. So I agree with you. Whereas Joe Biden was just like, we pass policies, go sell it harder. Trump will try to change the subject, he'll put something new on the table, he'll blame somebody, he'll do something. So I agree with you, Mark.
- [10:13]
A
Sean?
- [10:13]
C
Agreed.
- [10:14]
A
Okay. China, obviously, China. There are two schools of thought in journalism and in geopolitical analysis. One is China's one of many stories that should be covered on a regular basis. And the other is everything's about China and the twilight struggle for supremacy on defense and espionage and technology and spheres of influence and the economy. So yesterday the President 103 as we were headed towards the deadline for the tariff ending, signed an executive order that will extend the tariff suspension on China for another 90 days. That's a lot of days. That's like the Mexico days. All other elements of the agreement will remain the same. Thank you for your attention to this matter. DONALD J. Trump President, United States of AMERICA so, you know, he really wants you to read the Post when it has both. Thank you for the attention this matter and the sign off. So China is now got negotiation and US Negotiation Runway here. Some people are saying that the summit is going to be as early as early October around an international summit in Asia. Sean, where are you currently on the prospects of a Xi Trump fall summit? Definitely. Maybe. When is it? Where is it? What do you know?
- [11:28]
B
I, again, I was pushing for, I strongly believe there would have been one by August. So I am, you know, I think it's just imminent. It's a question of ironing out the details. The White House also putting out a little bit of the contours of what was agreed to in Sweden, reaffirming some of the, so I, I think they're moving in the right direction is what I'm, you know, between that, the, the paper they put out yesterday, they're, they're pushing in this direction. They want it. I think the problem is they keep getting overcome by events where they're, it's, it's the number one issue until about 10:30 in the morning when they go, oh, guess what just became a bigger deal, this Putin thing. And so let's see how Russia goes. But I think the, you know, the trade deals and that August 1st deadline slowed things down a little bit, allowed China to go on the back burner for a second. But I believe that it'll take, there's enough people that are pushing for something that I, you know, so whether it's, it's early or mid October, I think it is imminent.
- [12:23]
A
Dan, if you're, if you're a White House adviser and the President says, okay, if we're headed towards the fall summit, I want to go in with as much leverage as we can have. What are the things that Trump administration can do between now and that summit for more leverage?
- [12:36]
B
For more, I mean, I, I, the other, you might want to launch some 301 or 232 cases so that it looks like, you know, we've got more tools in our toolbox. We're putting you on notice again. I, I don't, there's things they can do and the, but this goes back to why he punted on the 90 days. I think the problem is you don't want to do too much that would irritate them and, and have them say, fine, no summit.
- [13:03]
A
Dan, what could the president do to have more leverage?
- [13:06]
C
Yeah, I think he could potentially start to put some more. The Russian sanctions, I mean this ties into Russia, the Russian sanctions on the Chinese for all their engagement with Russia and buying their oil. He could, he could drag his feet on these advanced chips that, that Russia, that the Chinese so badly want, and he could put the tariffs back on. The problem with every one of those is it ricochet back to us as well. And we're here, we are talking about the economy and the potential for inflation. So any leverage we have carries great risk as we head into Thanksgiving and Christmas. For Trump, I think he just wants it and I think we talk about the economy. This would be something else for him to say now. Give me some time. We just had a great deal with China. It's got to kick in. The big beautiful. Bill's got it. It's just more cards to play.
- [13:55]
B
Yeah, but you're right, there is the economic blowback that we would face. But I also think that there's, there's this dual headed storm. You've got the economic repercussions and then you've got the diplomatic fallout and that's what's keeping them at bay.
- [14:08]
A
Yep. All right. The only real developments that I see significant on anticipating Friday's Putin Trump meeting. We still are expecting tomorrow, Wednesday for the President to meet with the Europeans to pregame. Was the President's remarks really lowering expectations about what might occur? Here he is at his press conference yesterday. One of the many things he said about the meeting on 105, please.
- [14:38]
D
Well, we're going to have a meeting with Vladimir Putin and at the end.
- [14:41]
B
Of that meeting, probably in the first.
- [14:43]
D
Two minutes, I'll know exactly whether or.
- [14:45]
B
Not a deal can be, because that's.
- [14:48]
A
What I do, I make deals. So for the uninitiated, a normal summit takes a long time to plan and the staff develops a pre cooked list of so called deliverables so that people don't, the international media and expectations don't all gather in some big international city and then nothing happens. They want something out of it. The President suggested that he could walk in, Putin could say, hey, I want, you know, I want to be President of Ukraine. And the President could walk out. So that wouldn't be great for all the people who spend money flying to Alaska. I'm still thinking of going. So here's the question, gentlemen. What odds would you put on the notion that Zelensky doesn't come? Trump and Putin meet for five minutes, Putin's a jerk, Trump storms out and that's it. Is that you think that's greater than 20% chance based on what the President said yesterday? Sean.
- [15:42]
B
So the odds that Zelensky doesn't come.
- [15:44]
A
No, no, no. I'm saying let's stipulate Zelensky's not coming. Trump walks into the room with Putin. What are the odds that it's a very short meeting and Trump says, you know, Putin was a jerk, he's not being reasonable, I'm going home. Is that to me? I'll just, I'll flip my cards. I think based on what the President said yesterday and based on Putin, I think there's like a 30% chance that's what happens.
- [16:04]
B
I'll go higher I'd say it's probably closer to 40. Well, I could be convinced to go to 50.
- [16:10]
A
Yeah. Dan, do you think this is now right in a possibility?
- [16:13]
C
No, I think it's like 5, 10. I think Trump is going to try to charm and schmooze and come out with something. And I think Putin is smart enough to play along because it flips the game back to Zelensky. Right. Putin will give something small that Trump will turn into a mountain and say, I got something. Putin's serious. We're making. God darn it, Ukraine now you gotta get. And Putin will love it. Either of you keep loving bombs?
- [16:46]
A
Hold on. Either of you think there'll be a joint press conference?
- [16:50]
C
No.
- [16:50]
A
No, I'm sorry. One of you said yes, one of you said no.
- [16:53]
B
So that's maybe I'm clearly in campus.
- [16:55]
A
And so you think is Trump going.
- [16:58]
C
To fly that far? Well, he'll come into historic meeting and be quiet and leave.
- [17:03]
A
Yeah, he'll come and do it. He'll do his own readout.
- [17:06]
B
He'll do his own.
- [17:06]
C
I need to do it together.
- [17:09]
B
Just to be clear, one thing that everyone sometimes misses about this is that what Trump was doing in my mind yesterday was laying the predicate. This is all about him making sure that the field is like the negotiating field. So yesterday to me was a big signal to Putin that said, you know what? I show up there, you don't mean business, I'm walking out. And that was, to me, another attempt by Trump to lay make sure that the ground was ready for him to say, you know what? I will walk out now.
- [17:37]
A
The Wall Street Journal reports that the Russians are talking about this is a summit about a variety of topics, that Ukraine's just one of many things and that a part of what they're discussing is something that Trump is clearly interested in, which is rebuilding the U. S. Russian relationship about economics and energy and all sorts of things. Dan's shaking his head because he's a hawkish cold warrior. So let's do the logistics here. How long does it take to fly from Andrews to. To Anchorage? It's like seven hours, right?
- [18:08]
C
Oh, Seattle is five and a half. I think it's got to be longer than you got a bigger plane.
- [18:13]
A
I think it's seven. I think it's seven hours on that plane. So let's say it's seven hours. So. So again, what time's the summit? Unless he goes the night before. Does anybody think he's going the night before?
- [18:24]
C
I think the summit's going to be in prime time on the east coast.
- [18:26]
A
Prime time on a Friday night on the east coast.
- [18:29]
C
Six o'. Clock. Well no, so that he gets in the news that between the 5 and 7 east coast.
- [18:34]
A
But do the math. Let's say he leaves, he never leaves earlier than eight.
- [18:37]
C
Okay, so you get there at three.
- [18:40]
A
Get there at three eastern.
- [18:41]
C
Do the summit from 3:30 to 4:30. Five, 5:30 comes out. Evening news is led. But tonight is talking about it.
- [18:49]
A
But here's the question or two way tonight and the Sean Spicer show Two way tonight. Well Sean Spicer show might be pre taped so I have to figure that out. Here's the thing, okay. The president, I assume from what he said yesterday, he's going in there. This could be a two minute meeting or it could be a three hour meeting. Right. So if you want it, if you want coverage, I don't see how you can start it that late if, if you, if you want to make sure you get coverage. Because what if it's four hours? Let's say it starts at five, then it's nine o' clock Eastern time. See what I'm saying? Just like we don't know enough about the logistics and how this is going to play out. But I don't know if Trump wants to be talking about this Friday night at 9:30.
- [19:26]
C
Well it's a Friday in general so you're, I mean just right there. Yeah, well, but if it's at noon in August.
- [19:32]
A
Well, but, but it still would dominate the world. Do you guys think like the Dutch media is going, like is everybody going to this or is it just basically the U. S. Press.
- [19:42]
B
They haven't sent out as far as I can tell.
- [19:45]
A
They have, they have. Okay, it was for planning purposes only so I shouldn't say much about it. But yeah, they've, they've sent out a press advisory but not a lot of details, I'll tell you that. All right, D.C. crime, lots to show you about this to set it up and again we always try to be forward looking here so we're not going to review too much. But the president had that long event and then former Fox hosts went on Fox. Here's Judge Jeanine, who's the D.C. u.S. Attorney. 106 please.
- [20:18]
C
Newly confirmed.
- [20:20]
B
Yeah, full again.
- [20:22]
E
And make no mistake, this president has a constitutional right to protect the people in this district and to make us safe. And until he came along it was just going along and oh yeah, maybe it got a little better this year but it's never good enough. It's never peaceful Enough. And that's the problem with D.C. and these apologists who say, oh, we're not as bad as we used to be. Nonsense. It's time for us to get rid of crime and make criminals accountable. And that D.C. council, those, those laws that they pass are absurd. They are defense oriented. They are criminal focused and the criminals know it.
- [21:01]
A
Here is secretary of Defense, former Fox News host Pete Hegseth on Hannity. I'm sorry on Ingram and the National.
- [21:09]
C
Guard going to be picking up these tents.
- [21:11]
B
Homeless tents are all over the city. They're okay.
- [21:13]
C
Street tunnel.
- [21:13]
B
There are some dotting along the area here. There were more before some of them cleared out. What about those working with the marshals alongside them, alongside park police, alongside everybody else, wherever they need the National Guard to assist.
- [21:25]
C
We're happy to be.
- [21:25]
A
Do you know where the homeless people.
- [21:26]
C
Are going to go?
- [21:28]
B
That's not really my lane. Our job is to stand alongside law enforcement.
- [21:31]
A
We'll do that. All right. Twitter just on fire with lots of reaction. Here are three ordinary Americans and their reactions on Twitter. First 109 Bacha, our two way colleague said this. Every liberal journalist excoriating Trump taking charge of DC Safety is secretly thrilled they won't get carjacked anymore. They see it as their job to lie about what they know is true because they're Democrats and the truth is bad for their side. Politically, it's so gross. 400 over 400,000 views for Bacha. Here is a guy named Stephen Miller. Not sure who he is. This is a 111 Stephen Miller. Crime stats in big blue cities are fake. The real rates of crime, chaos and dysfunction are orders of magnitude higher. Everyone who lives in these areas knows this. They program their entire lives around it. Democrats are trying to unravel civilization. Press Trump will save it. This Miller kid may have a future in something. And finally, Dan from New York tweeted this. Sometimes I shake my head at Trump. Why not just say that while crime is Statistically down in D.C. many residents feel unsettled, afraid to walk at night, afraid of carjacking, robberies, mugging, et cetera. That is the view of many people I know from Tenleytown to Dupont to Shaw to Cap One, arena to Noma to Capitol Hill to Navy Yards and Nats Park. Painting DC as Mogadishu is absurd. This Dan, who happens to be our Dan Turrentine, apparently doesn't know a lot of people in Southeast or Southwest.
- [23:00]
C
I could have kept going. Yes, yes, yes.
- [23:02]
A
In any event, that's what those that. That's what the reaction is. So we talked about this yesterday. I want to try to just push forward here. The mayor of New York City, unlike most Democrats national of D.C. sorry. Unlike most Democrats with the national platform, she basically said, I can't stop this. And she did say, maybe this is a good thing to have more of a presence on the street. So, Dan, I understand you're, you're flicking at Trump and saying, like, why did, why overstate it? Why just say people don't like the situation. It's our capital, let's clean it up. But just, just take away people's views of Trump's motive, take away Trump's overstatement of the stats, whatever. Isn't it just a good idea to not have all this stuff happening in the nation's capital? And couldn't Democrats just say, yeah, let's work together to make this, make this work, rather than all their reactions, which are much more negative?
- [23:53]
C
Yeah. And in fact, I'll add, Mark, that the police union chief came out in D.C. and applauded this and said it was welcome news. If I were a Democrat Running in 2028, I would push Trump closer to the sun and say, this is insufficient. And what I mean by that is, you're right, Mark, it is most of the journalists that are on there now on X, posting about how terrible this is. When I call and just say, like, hey, how you doing? How's your family? Like, how's the new house you bought on Capitol Hill? Or whatever. They will say, D.C. is not the same anymore. Like, it is unsafe as a party. What I would do is say, look, I'm going to introduce legislation for 100,000 new police officers paid for with tariff revenue. This is a problem in New Orleans, in Memphis, in St. Louis. Red cities, blue cities. Americans don't feel safe the last like six or seven years for whatever reason, Covid, et cetera. Crime has kind of come back to where it was in the 80s and stuff, where people who live in cities don't feel very safe anymore. We should embrace that. We should be on the side of common sense. And I think I would say, like, great. I expect now, Trump, you ought to send it into New Orleans, which is having another crime wave. Yeah, right. Like, I would, I would try to go on offense and outflank him because, look, he's pulling the FBI off on stuff like immigration enforcement. So it's a two for to kind of hit him, make him be insufficient and try to get back on offense on crime and safety.
- [25:21]
A
Yeah, Sean, I know you made this point yesterday, but it's just so important in your, you're so qualified to make it. I know the President always has political motives and I know, you know, he did a bunch of, said a bunch of stuff yesterday that anyone should rather he not. But he really does feel motivated by driving around D.C. and seeing homeless encampments and saying, why should tourists from around the country in the world come to Washington and not only feel unsafe but have to have to navigate. It's just a disgrace. It's my home.
- [25:49]
C
Awful.
- [25:49]
A
It's a disgrace. And, and it's been a disgrace. There have been better times and worse times, but it's been a disgrace. But just please tell everybody again what you think is motivating the President.
- [25:59]
B
Yeah, I mean when he drives around and remember when you motorcade, you know, he's going out to his golf course, he's got, I mean, say what you will, but the bottom line is he sees this thing, he sees the homelessness, he sees the graffiti, he hears the anecdotes, he hears people getting attacked. If you stand in Freedom Plaza at 14th in Pennsylvania, it smells disgusting, it looks disgusting and it's scary. Right there is. And that's right a block outside of the, you know where old Epic Grill is, right next to the Treasury Department. That's just, that's D.C. today. So five points from yesterday. One, I think it was impressive to see the whole of government response. You had Doug Burgum. They're talking about the park police, the National Guard, us, you know, the US Attorney, Jeanine Pirro. They again, whether you agree or disagree, this is so different from. Trump won. Trump won. It was a one off. I'm making an announcement, I'm doing this yesterday showed that this was a coordinated whole of government response where they had really thought out the processes, the policies, the home, D.C. home rule, how much they, you know, like it showed how different this term is than the first term, the second. And this is to Steven's point, talk to a cop. Listen to what Jeanine said. The bottom line is stats, whatever you want. I mean, I, to me, crime stats are completely ridiculous these days because cops aren't enforcing the law. They're told not to. Prosecutors won't prosecute people. So the bottom line is when you look, I had someone tell me the other day, they literally were watching someone threaten another individual. They turned around and a cop was watching. And the cop looked at him and said, sorry, there's nothing I can do. Right. This is the state of policing today. We have told cops, don't pursue these people. Don't do anything. We've told prosecutors you're not gonna prosecute them or you'll let them off. So the statistics are a joke. Stephen is right about that.
- [27:45]
C
3.
- [27:45]
B
To Dan's point, I challenge any one of these liberal Democrats to give up their security detail and pick a neighborhood in D.C. after dark that they want to walk in of their choice. I guarantee you not a single one of them would walk anywhere. Maybe in Tamleytown or Cleveland park, maybe that's it. Because you walk in Navy yard after dark, I'd be a little scared.
- [28:06]
C
3.
- [28:06]
B
I mean, excuse me. 4. I agree with Dan's response. If, if I were a Democrat, this is one that you should embrace. Say, you know what, I don't agree with the president on most things, but having a safe, clean national capital that we can be proud of, that welcomes the rest of the world and is good. And so for on this issue I join with him. And the last, to Dan's point, this is what the D.C. police union said yesterday. The union agrees that crime is spiraling out of control and immediate action is necessary to restore the public safety. The, the chairman of the police union went on to say this crime is out of control and our officers are stretched beyond their limits. That's the D.C. police union, not Donald Trump saying that.
- [28:49]
A
All right, we got four other topics. We're going to do them really quick. No five point plans, please. And then we're going to go to your questions. So please raise your hand. And again, we'd love to get new people in. If you've not asked a question on this program before, please, please raise your hand. All right, Epstein, next week press Release yesterday from Ro Khanna and Mr. Massie who are bipartisan team working, pushing, leading the movement to push for more Epstein Maxwell disclosure put out a statement saying that they're going to hold a press conference in when Congress returns with victims, not victims of other men, but victims. According to the release of Epstein and Maxwell. I will say although victims appear on cable news and they speak up, I don't, I don't think there's been anything quite like this. So again, short answers, gentlemen, if you would. Dan, how impactful will this event be in pushing the White House and and Speaker Johnson for more transparency?
- [29:47]
C
It has the potential to be huge, particularly if it's a slow news day. Sean, I imagine Trump's going to counter program this.
- [29:54]
B
I agree with Dan. It depends on the day. If there's a lot of news, lower likelihood. If it's a Slow news day in August. This has the potential to catch Vade. And it's also depends on the victims themselves, how graphic, how impactful and exactly, you know, do what. What they say could. Could. You know, if it's a nothing burger, it's harder. But if they give some real compelling firsthand experiences, or then this could really blow up. So it's got the. I agree with Dan. It's got potential.
- [30:28]
A
All I'll say is we already know that Maxwell and Epstein were bad people. She was convicted. He had been convicted previously. I, I still. The. The cert. The push for. And I mean no disrespect to the members of the two members of Congress and the women they're going to appear with. The push for disclosure is about other people. I still don't understand where the accusers are accusing other people of being involved with this. That's the key.
- [30:54]
B
Well, to your point, Mark, this is. This is the fundamental pretzel that everyone's tied in right now is what's. What are we disclosing?
- [31:02]
A
Right.
- [31:02]
B
So I want further disclosure. And to your point, you've got victim statements. You've got. What are they, 302s? You. And none of that stuff you can just release. So the problem is. And this gets back to the origins of this, the expectation was created and people said, great, show it to me. And then you go, but we can't. And so.
- [31:22]
A
But they're.
- [31:23]
B
But again, tied in the same pretzel.
- [31:24]
A
But again, why aren't there victims appearing at this press conference and making accusations against other men? That's.
- [31:30]
C
Well, but what if. What if Maxwell's pardoned between now and then? I mean, this, this. It does have the potential. I also think, Mark, it's one thing to read in the newspaper about allegations. It's another thing when a person looks in the camera.
- [31:42]
A
Well, Dan, I agree, but. I agree, but according to the press release, the allegations going to be making are against Maxwell and Epstein. And the whole. My understanding of the whole push for disclosure is there are powerful men who haven't been held accountable.
- [31:54]
C
Well, accusing them going. I mean, look, you got to be really careful. If you go at somebody like that, they're not.
- [32:00]
A
I understand, but if the whole premise is we need disclosure about other powerful men who are getting away with what they did, it doesn't sound to me from what they said that these women will be making that accusation. And I keep asking questions, why not? If there are other men whose wrongdoing is. Is. Is at least alleged, where are the people alleging It, I just don't, I just am confused by not seeing it. All right. Caroline Levitt is briefing today and I have been struck, I was struck during the Biden administration at how relatively open some Democrats were willing to criticize Joe Biden's press secretary. And I'm surprised in this administration, I hear from a lot of Democrats who say she's doing a good job. And so my question for you, Dan, first and Sean, is again, briefly, if you can, what is it about, I don't want to hear about her background. What, what is it about her performance at the podium that people are saying is strong? What are the elements of her performance that people say is strong?
- [32:53]
C
Just cool, calm and sharp. I mean, she just, she presents well, she speaks well. She's on message. She can deliver a zinger in a crisp way. She doesn't kind of, you know, blow V8 and go on and on. She's just cool, calm and crisp. I'm super impressed. She's, she's very good at her job.
- [33:12]
A
Yeah. Sean, except for the fact that she's Spicer esque, what would you say are the elements?
- [33:16]
B
I think the number one thing, I mean, I agree with Dan's assessment, but I would say the one thing that she has more than anything is a strong relationship with the President. You can tell when she walks out there, she'll note it sometimes, and I know it for a fact, that she is talking to him, getting the latest. She knows her red lines. She does a really good job of staying between the guardrails. This is what the President said. This is what he believes. Or I'll get back to you. She, she colors within the lines really well and she has a strong relationship with the president and she knows what to say and what not to.
- [33:47]
A
I'll add one thing also to what you guys, I think, said it so well. She's up on the news. I've dealt with press secretaries who really aren't up on the news because they're going to meetings, whatever, and they just don't keep themselves informed. Caroline is just a voracious consumer of information. And the latest here is. I'll give you an example of what I mean. Yeah. Well, here's Heather Cox Richardson112 from her newsletter, and she's writing about the president's event yesterday. Okay. People mistake Donald Trump for being only appealing to the MAGA base. I think it's literally probably the biggest mistake Trump's critics and opponents have made, which is he's doing a lot of stuff that appeals way more to way more than the MAGA base. So here's Heather Cox Richardson Trump's performance at the press conference. This is yesterday. An event for which his handlers would have made sure he was at the top of his game. Made it clear that his mental deterioration is moving rapidly, which is something you hear from the left constantly these days. He let Secretary of Defense Pete Hegseth, Pam Bondi, Cash Patel explain the actual plan. Taking the microphone himself to describe a fake world in which he plays the role ofHero. Solving five wars, creating a booming economy, solving the border security others couldn't. Protecting Americans from a hellscape that exists only in his rhetoric. All I'll say is Caroline Levitt reads stuff like that and sees a, a buffet, a smorgasbord of possibilities to put the left on defense. And she just got an incredible instinct for doing that. Which is, which is again different than going to the podium, as some press secretaries have done, trying not to make mistakes, trying to just get through the briefing without creating any news or creating any problems. She is on offense and the left is giving her every day material to work with.
- [35:25]
B
The funny part about it is Heather Cox Richardson is proof that pot is legal in D.C. because the idea that that's not that I thought yesterday was brilliantly orchestrated. It showed this whole of government approach to deterring crime. Addressing the homelessness issue, I thought it was brilliant. They talked about the prosecution. So the idea that that's somehow equivocating to mental. It's the opposite. It was brilliantly orchestrated.
- [35:52]
A
Yeah, I mean that I, I agree with you. Although you know, people can have different views on that. But Heather Cox Richardson says Trump, the delusion that Trump has controlled the border, as if anyone, everyone else could. I mean, Heather Cox Richardson president had four years to do it and did.
- [36:06]
C
In any event, you know, can I just add, Mark, one thing I was going to say about Caroline Levitt. My sense is she has fun doing the job and a lot of press Secretary Sean, you can speak to this way better than I can. After a couple months are ground down, it becomes joyless. Like my guess, I get the sense she loves going to work every day.
- [36:23]
A
All right, two more, two more. Real quick. We're not going to read you the tweets going back between Laura Loomer and Marjorie Taylor Greene, but if you haven't read them, they, they, they reflect a new level. I won't tell you if it's high or low between two MAGA combatants you talked about like Elon Musk versus like Steve Bannon. Or Roger Stone versus whoever. This is quite something. And it reminded me of a theory that I've been working on, and I've mentioned it before, I think, which is MAGA has an extraordinary tolerance for gladiatorial combat. Intra maga, Gladiatorial combat. If this happened on the left, Dan, I think people's heads would be exploding. But instead, people just like moving on. Thoughts?
- [37:06]
C
Yeah. I don't know if they're moving on. I mean, I think it.
- [37:09]
A
Well, not the two of them, but I'm just saying, like, maggot somehow has this asymmetrical advantage that they can tolerate a level of personal invective that I just don't see it on the left like this.
- [37:18]
C
Well, because. Yeah, I agree. And I think there's a very simple reason we don't have Daddy. Right. They have dad, which is when Trump weighs in and kind of puts his finger on the scale or his people say cool it, it tends to back off. I think Trump enjoys this a lot.
- [37:33]
A
I bet he does sometimes say cool it, but sometimes he's just enjoying it.
- [37:36]
F
And.
- [37:36]
A
But it's just like, it's like sport for maga. It's like, let's have that.
- [37:40]
C
Well, again. Again, you can do it. Because Trump looms over, we have no leader. So, like, everyone runs in 50 different directions.
- [37:49]
B
Well, also. Yeah, I mean. Well, first of all, I'll just caveat this by. If you choose to read those tweets, please make sure there are no small children in the room.
- [37:56]
A
There are. And. And bring a thesaurus. Yeah.
- [38:00]
C
Or don't read them at work. Your software may flag it.
- [38:04]
A
Yeah.
- [38:05]
B
Also, you might want to bring a biology book to. It's any anatomical chart. Look, I think you're right. But it's funny how it is a little bit of a sport. You've seen this on several issues where people can go after each other. What I find the most amazing to me is, is the ability for people to go at it at the highest levels. And then it's sort of like, oh, it's Friday. Yeah, you guys don't want to come over tomorrow morning?
- [38:33]
A
That's exactly what I mean. It's like, it doesn't discombobulate. It doesn't bring them to a halt. It's just kind of like, you know.
- [38:39]
B
But I think that, to Dan's point, I wouldn't phrase it the way he did, but the President leads the way in this. He can beat the crap out of somebody and then be like, I just enjoy invited Hillary Clinton to the Rose Garden. To receive a medal. And you're like, what? Like he can do it better than anybody. He crushes somebody and then lifts them back up and resurrects them.
- [39:00]
A
Yes. Anyway, you should go read those if you're interested in American history. Lastly, this gentleman. I'm gonna ask you for a one word reaction after this plays. It's one of the most important things that's happened in the history of the Republic.
- [39:18]
B
Oh, God.
- [39:19]
A
115. So I wanted to show you something. Okay. What do we got? We got a briefcase. Yep. Mint green with TS on it.
- [39:30]
F
Yep.
- [39:31]
D
What's in it?
- [39:31]
F
This is my brand new album. The life of a showgirl.
- [39:35]
A
TS12.
- [39:36]
F
Yeah.
- [39:41]
A
Sean, one word.
- [39:44]
C
Pass.
- [39:45]
A
Oh my God, Dan.
- [39:47]
C
Three words. Mark's Christmas gift.
- [39:51]
A
One word is epic. All right, now it's time for your questions. I don't understand you too. Now it's time for your question.
- [39:59]
C
I always follow the rules.
- [40:02]
A
No, not that. A young American has. Has. Has topped the Beatles. And you're acting so unpatriotic. I don't think you love America. All right, time for your questions. Comments, recipes, suggestions of loomer versus mtg. Whatever you want to talk about, we're here for you. That's the way two way works. So please raise your hand. And I have to say we have so many of our great returning people, some of whom will certainly be called on. But we would love some new people. And we start with as the band I said was the most dickensian part of the two way community. Ladies and gentlemen, welcome in Dan Smart. Dan, have you asked a question on the morning meeting before?
- [40:41]
G
No, no, no.
- [40:42]
A
New person number one. Dan Smart. Welcome in. I never kid people who have last names that are kiddable. I just don't do it because your whole life people have been like not so smart. You've heard them all, but.
- [40:55]
G
But rare.
- [40:55]
A
But rarely have you said rarely has it been said of you that you're the most dickensian name person on the two way platform. So that's new.
- [41:02]
G
Well, I prefer mercurial.
- [41:04]
A
Okay, welcome in, Dan. Dan. Mercurial. Smart. Tell folks where you are and what's in your mind for Sean Spicer and Dan Turantine.
- [41:12]
G
I'm in Yokosuka, Japan, Mark Summer. And I. You know, I don't speak Japanese because I work.
- [41:22]
B
Apparently neither does Mark.
- [41:24]
A
Why do you not speak Japanese?
- [41:26]
G
Because I work with Americans and I.
- [41:27]
A
Don'T have to, man. And. And everybody there speaks a little bit of English.
- [41:32]
G
A little bit. It's so annoying when they speak something.
- [41:35]
B
Well, anyway, I Hate when you go to another country.
- [41:39]
A
Exactly.
- [41:40]
B
Your language.
- [41:40]
A
As Steve Martin said, those French have a different word for everything. Dan, how long have you been in Japan?
- [41:46]
G
I've been here for. Well, I lived here for like 44 or five years, but I've been here for about three months. But I have two questions.
- [41:56]
A
Yes, sir. Three.
- [42:02]
G
First off, you love Sydney Sweeney. So I want to ask Sydney Sweeney to the navy ball in San Diego this fall. Maybe she'll go out with me, but maybe not.
- [42:12]
A
But anyway, yeah, I'd say the odds are pretty good she'll see this clip and the next thing you know, you'll be buying a corsage.
- [42:21]
G
So anyway, so you guys talked yesterday about the mega corpse Nvidia who are paying 15 for the chips to China. I just want to say that I'm in active duty, so the words I say are not my own.
- [42:39]
A
I mean, yeah, they are your.
- [42:41]
C
Yeah, they are your own. They're not that.
- [42:43]
A
They're not speaking. You're not speaking. You're not speaking for the secretary of the navy.
- [42:46]
B
Do you want me to. Dan, do you want me to help?
- [42:49]
A
Yes.
- [42:49]
B
That of my own don't reflect those in the department of the navy.
- [42:53]
G
Yes, sir.
- [42:53]
A
Yes, sir.
- [42:54]
G
So. But anyway, they have more. These megacorps have more money than the Beatles have popularity, which is wrecking gobs of cash for decades. Since we have the US Taxpayer, the u. S. Taxpayer should get something out of it. China wants to destroy us. They want to kill us all. And they want. They wanna. They wanna have control over Asia. So why not allow the US Government to make money on the people who wanna.
- [43:25]
A
Yeah.
- [43:26]
G
Make money on China. Let's, let's.
- [43:30]
A
Yeah. Okay, well, that's. That is a point. It's a point of view not shared by Dan Turntine, Mark Alperna, Paul, she go. So let's let Sean explain.
- [43:38]
C
Well, no, I mean, I have a question for you. Do you like capitalism?
- [43:44]
D
Yeah.
- [43:44]
G
You know, you say that, but Republicans love to win on Prince. No, they love to lose on principle. And there are some principles which we can't win on. So if you say, oh, we have to win on the principle of capitalism with China, I say, no, we need to make money off capitalism with China because they want to kill us. And if we allow these giant corporations to make money off us, we're losing. So we need to win. And, And Sean. Sean will agree with me on this. I. I believe.
- [44:24]
A
Yeah, I think you. I think he agreed yesterday. Dan. Dan. It's. It's. It's better said than I've heard anybody say it, you know, all, all in on beating China and all in on populism and saying our corporations are rich, need to be part of beating China rather than just helping China. So I think, I think it's. You speak for 10 million.
- [44:43]
B
President addressed it fairly well yesterday.
- [44:45]
A
Yeah, he did. Dan. You speak for tens of millions. You just don't speak for me. Paul Gigot and Dan Turntine, I mean.
- [44:51]
C
I think the question is like just where, I mean, look, Bernie Sanders and AOC would agree with you. I mean, if that's the theory, which is companies that are large, that have big balance sheets, the United States should take a piece of that in exchange for kind of the rights and privileges of operating here and trading with China. The problem is then like, I guess we're taking stakes in JP Morgan and Pfizer and Walmart and Caterpillar and that's called communism. Right.
- [45:23]
A
Well, go ahead. And one more point. Go ahead.
- [45:27]
G
I think China is special. China is special.
- [45:32]
C
Yeah. They all deal in China. Yeah, every one of them.
- [45:37]
A
They're. And they're all helping China in some way, giving China something China wants, something China wants. But, but you could argue, I think Dan Tech is different and, and you know, they're not going to kill us with a tractor. Dan, thank you for joining. Thank you for being part of Two Way and please go on babbler one of those things. Learn a little Japanese. That'd be my recommendation. Robert, welcome in. Thank you for joining. Tell folks who don't know where you are what's on your mind for Sean and Dan. And have you been on this show before?
- [46:07]
D
I have not. I have been watching for a very long time and I've been a ardent follower of yours, Mark, for many years and, and your father, Morton.
- [46:16]
A
Thank you for that.
- [46:18]
D
I want to just say I'm from Asbury. I'm in Asbury Park, New Jersey, home of the highest governor's race in the country. Got a good shot at keeping the Democrats from getting three consecutive terms, which they have not had in decades, against an unpopular incumbent. You have the New York suburbs. Passaic county, which is a Hispanic county, went from a Biden 19 to, to Trump plus four. You're going to have Mondami definitely having an effect in Bergen county to the commuters up there. So it's a matter of can Mikey Cheryl stop talking about Donald Trump and start talking about local issues is what Jack Cittarelli is doing. She's not doing it as far as I'm concerned, she's Mikey Murphy all over again. The other issue is very quick hit on energy price, on inflation, energy prices. It's all about energy prices. You get the energy prices down and stabilized, you'll get a good economy. We built our economy over the last 200 years on cheap energy. We've got to get back to that somehow. And I just want to give props to Sean. Sean is the first person in 30 years that has echoed what something I've been saying since my lived in the D.C. area in the first Reagan term through the Marion barriers. There is nothing sacred about the boundaries of the District of Columbia. They need to be redrawn and they need to be redrawn to just have the monuments White House and give the rest to Maryland. To Maryland?
- [48:01]
B
No, give it back to Maryland just to be clear.
- [48:03]
D
Yes, that's what I mean.
- [48:05]
B
Give it back. Yeah that's the thing and it's, it takes the Dems false talking point away.
- [48:11]
D
Absolutely.
- [48:13]
A
Would they still get two shadow senators for 12 square?
- [48:16]
D
No, but they'll actually get a voting person in Congress which they don't have right now under the delegate Delegate Holmes Morton. Yeah, yeah, yeah.
- [48:27]
A
All right Robert, thank you, thank you for that Dan. Sean, comments on anything Robert said including the how you drink the custard at the Asbury Park Boardwalk.
- [48:36]
B
Well I'll say in New Jersey I'm, I, I look I think I, I, I hope we get some more polling on, on this race because I, I think that I, I always, I've gotten Lucy with the football syndrome on this one. I get excited about New Jersey every cycle and then I get disappointed. So I want to see if Jack Chad really can raise the money can get the support he needs. But you know I, I scarily probably feel better about New Jersey than I do about my own state of Virginia and that's concerning on D.C. again I, I, this is something I have been saying forever. I agree with you Robert. The folks in on my side of the aisle need to understand this. Carville said it over the weekend. They've been saying this for years. If given an opportunity where they get a trifecta the both houses of Congress and the presidency will make DC a state and they will have two additional US Senators for life because that's how DC votes and if we don't seize this opportunity to do what Virginia had done in 1864 give it back to Maryland and that takes away this false talking point that there's a voting rights issue. It's the easiest solve in the world. Give it to back to Maryland Dan1.
- [49:47]
C
It'S not false that 700,000 people don't have a vote. Like that's not a false thing.
- [49:52]
A
No, no, no.
- [49:52]
B
But my point is if you care about that, it's much easier to say take back to Maryland.
- [49:57]
C
I get your point. I get your point. Point. And you know, someday they may not vote Democratic on New Jersey. I, I've said this for, for a while now. I keep an eye on it. I, I, I think it, even if Mickey Cheryl just ekes out a two point victory at three point, that would be huge. I mean now New Jersey starts looking like it could potentially be in play, you know, given its border state of Pennsylvania where it's drifting. So I'm keeping, I, Robert, I, I agree with you. I, it's one of those where I wonder, Mickey Cheryl may not do anything wrong per se. The atmosphere just may be the perfect mix for her to potentially not be able to get over the finish line. But I, I, I've heard it from Dems every day. There's nervousness up there.
- [50:43]
A
Yeah. Robert, thank you. And if, if, if the Democrats do lose the race, people are going to point to that huge Trump rally that he did. Where?
- [50:52]
C
In Asbury Park. Right. Wasn't it there?
- [50:54]
A
It was an Asbury Park.
- [50:55]
C
Oh no, I was down in the Shore.
- [50:56]
D
That's right.
- [50:56]
A
But it was like 300, 000 people or something. Elizabeth, welcome in. Are you new to this program?
- [51:01]
F
I'm avid listener, but I've never even shown.
- [51:05]
A
All right, thank you before.
- [51:06]
F
So good. I'm nervous to be here.
- [51:08]
A
Don't be nervous because the good news, you've saved the show three, three new folks. Thank you for joining. We're grateful to have you to be part of the two way community and we're interested to know where you are and what's on your mind. Wildwood.
- [51:19]
F
I live in Kansas City, Missouri.
- [51:21]
A
Awesome.
- [51:21]
F
By birth. I grew up in New Jersey outside of New York, so I feel like I kind of understand the east coast, but I've lived in the Midwest for close to 30 years.
- [51:31]
C
Where in Kansas City are you?
- [51:33]
F
Brookside area.
- [51:34]
A
Yeah.
- [51:34]
F
Yeah. So kind of, kind of in the heart of like the fun. Nice. Used to be safe part of the city. And that's part of what prompted me to finally actually try to join the conversation because with the news with DC yesterday, I'm just so beyond frustrated because Kansas City is, I feel like what happens on the coasts eventually makes its way to the Midwest. And I live in an extremely progressive neighborhood in a very liberal city in a very Conservative state of Missouri that's gone completely red. So it's like, I feel like little bit of split personality in terms of understanding politics. But the city that I live in just is, I mean it's completely Democrat controlled, very progressive. We have crime that I know like per capita rivals Chicago. St. Louis, it's one of the top. And yet we have a mayor who is a very nice guy, very likable, but he's just kind of holding court until a representative Democrat Cleaver retires and he's just going to step into that role. So he basically just doesn't do much of anything and kind of powerless. But I want to kind of be quick here.
- [52:55]
A
But.
- [52:58]
F
I follow all like San Francisco and what's happening this last election when we had the choice of two prosecutors, of course my neighborhood and the whole city went for the most left leaning, progressive one. And it's like, have we not learned anything? And then I very, very rarely watch the legacy media or even local news other than for weather and sports, but last night I happened to turn it on. And on the day that we, we laid to rest a police officer who was shot about 10 days ago, shot and killed and a 14 year old girl who was shot in her home during a drive by shooting over the weekend, that's in the news. Then they go to D.C. you know, like giving us the Kansas City perspective and they, they just cite that crime is down. So we don't know why, we don't know why Trump needs to take over. There was no nuance to the discussion. It's like, I guess my, it's, I don't really have a question. It's just a comment. Like, you know, in the Midwest that's, that's what is anybody, I mean the only, the only saving grace is that maybe nobody watches the news.
- [54:06]
A
Yeah, because do you feel safe walking around your own neighborhood?
- [54:10]
F
I honestly do not. And it's hard to describe what a lovely neighborhood this is. It's old houses, it's walkability. Just last, a year ago, just about a year ago this week at a bar half a mile from my house, a police restaurant owner, 6pm taking out the trash, observed his car being broken into and two teenagers shot and killed him. What used to be the type of thing where, yeah, we'd walk to dinner. I no longer feel like I can walk to dinner. People are just kind of in denial. That's a headline for a day or two and then it kind of moves on and you know, we're really at the point we've had our car stolen, broken into three times and we're really like ready to make the move out of the city, which kills me because I love, I love all that the city has to offer, but it's just, that's kind of the point we're at.
- [55:09]
A
So, Elizabeth, thank you for sharing all that and for being part of two way. And I think every one of us can hear in your voice the anguish you feel about having to leave, potentially leaving the neighborhood you love because it's just not livable anymore. It's just, it's just really sad.
- [55:22]
F
Yes.
- [55:23]
C
And I think, I think that, that, that's, and I just happen to have personal experience to understand exactly where you are and your neighborhood and that surrounding area. I think this is where sometimes Democrats get frustrated, which is. You never hear Trump talk about, well, I'm going to send in federal enforcement to Kansas City or St. Louis.
- [55:44]
F
No, no, actually that's, that's what's really interesting. So in 2020, during the George Floyd, you know, the riots, we had a lot of riots here again, down in.
- [55:52]
C
Country Club Plaza and stuff mostly.
- [55:54]
F
And you know what's happened to this, that shopping area, Country Club Plaza, it's where all the protests, whenever there's a protest, it's happens where they go. 2020, there was crime. Now there's about a 40% vacancy at the stores in this high end restaurant and entertainment like shopping district.
- [56:11]
A
Yeah.
- [56:11]
F
And nobody there. No, nobody knows what to do. Like because there's not much to do. But in 2020, there was a crime wave outside of the riots. And Trump did send in National Guard or, I don't know, federal agents. No, it was more like FBI agents. And they were so mad about it in the news. It was awful. Well, lo and behold, they solved a whole bunch of crime that summer. And it never, I mean, you had to really go on like the alternative news to find out that it had been a success.
- [56:45]
A
Yeah, Sean, real, real quick, just because we've got to end on time and we'd love to hear from you on all this.
- [56:50]
B
So two points I'll make. One is, I mean, DC Is unique because it is a federal district and the President has unique powers over both the National Guard and his ability over the Metropolitan Police Department. But I think it's, it's important if he shows that he, how serious he's taking it here, I think there'll be potentially an outcry. Also DC One of the things the union's asking for is a change in the law. When I was in 1993, my car got stolen when I lived on Capitol Hill. When I called the police, the cop literally walked up to me and said, I'll leave the guy's name out. He said, oh, yeah, Kevin probably stole it. I said, what do you mean, Kevin probably stole it? He goes, that's what Kevin does. He steals cars. And I go, and you guys just let this Happen. This is 1993 Marionberry Days. He goes, yeah, we can't really do anything to stop it. He just gets back out again and then he steals again. And they were laughing about it. They're like, that's what happens. And when you talk to cops, when I was on active duty, I served in a criminal task force. Reservists, intelligence officers who were cops back home throughout the country stay in touch with a lot of them, Every single one of them, to a point. The biggest frustration they have is they can't do their job. It's like the Border Patrol under Biden. They can't do what they want.
- [57:54]
C
But that's a district attorney issue.
- [57:56]
A
Yeah, hold on, hold on.
- [57:57]
B
I'm just saying. I think the biggest problem we have right now is the same issue that the Border Patrol face. You have people who've deaded their, dedicated their lives to protecting communities and can't do their job because the law are being changed to decriminalize too many things. That's the fundamental problem right now.
- [58:13]
A
Thank you, Elizabeth. Thank you for coming on and being part of two way. And please come. Please come back. Please come back. Thank you. Please come back and update us on your community.
- [58:20]
F
All right, we'll do.
- [58:21]
A
Thank you. All right, real quick, two big news, little news items. The president through social on Jerome too late. PAL called on him to lower rates and then says, I am, though considering allowing a major lawsuit against PAL to proceed because of the horrible and grossly incompetent job he has done. We'll see what that's all about. And briefly this morning, at least for time, Twitter was off, was unavailable on safari, we assume because Elon Musk is mad at Apple. We'll cover this in full on two way tonight. Sean, what do you have tonight, two guests.
- [58:56]
B
John Lott is the president of the Crime Prevention Research Center. He's going to break down D.C. crime.
- [59:01]
F
But then.
- [59:03]
B
We will also have on Greg Pendleton, who is the chairman of the D.C. police Union, to hear what's really going on in D.C. the concerns that cops have in D.C. and whether or not they, you know, why they support the president's call to bring in the Feds.
- [59:16]
A
All right. Three two way opportunities today, 4:30pm Live participation in a Moynihan Report taping so not on YouTube but on the two way platform. Peter Moscas, author of the book Back from the inside the NYPD in New York City's extraordinary 1990s crime job. Highly timely, of course. So join Michael at 12 at 4:30 Eastern Time for that two way tonight. Lindsay Keith and Aaron Parness will join me on two WAY tonight. Full coverage of pretty much everything including Elon Musk versus Apple and then Moynihan Report episode will air stream at seven o'. Clock. Michael's guest, Aiden Turtle Boy Kearney at seven o' clock tonight. And new episode of Next up. Coming up, more on the Washington Post and Legacy Media and why they remain so liberal even though it seems like bad business. Gentlemen, we'll be back in 23 hours. Thank you all for being part of the two way community. Great Alaska updates, minute by minute updates. And loved having three new folks on today and again appreciate the returning folks raising their hand. But we like to cycle in new folks as well. Have a great day everybody. We'll see at six.