How campaign texts became the next big scam

Summary

Apple News Today: How Campaign Texts Became the Next Big Scam

Hosted by Shumita Basu

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1. Presidential Transition and Republican Control

Timestamp: 00:05 – 03:08

In the opening segment, Shumita Basu discusses the significant developments following the 2024 election. President-elect Donald Trump returned to Washington, D.C., to meet with President Joe Biden, marking a notable gesture not extended during the 2020 transition. According to the Associated Press, House Republicans have secured a narrow majority, and with the Senate flipping to Republican control, the GOP now holds both chambers.

During their meeting, Trump and Biden covered various domestic and international priorities. Biden assured a seamless transition for Trump's team, to which Trump responded:

Donald Trump [01:05]: "Politics is tough and it's in many cases not a very nice world. But it is a nice world today. And I appreciate very much a transition that's so smooth. It'll be as smooth as it can get, and I very much appreciate that."

Political reporter Ben Jacobs provides insight into the Republicans' strategic priorities:

Ben Jacobs [01:48]: "The big thing that Republicans have in the trifecta is that they can at least theoretically pass through budget legislation without dealing with the filibuster for a variety of arcane reasons... This really speeds things up."

Jacobs elaborates that the top priority for the Republicans is extending the 2017 tax cuts. With control over both legislative chambers, the GOP can utilize the Senate's reconciliation process, bypassing the filibuster and enabling swift passage of economic legislation.

2. Leadership Changes in the Senate

Timestamp: 02:23 – 03:43

South Dakota Senator John Thune has been elected as the new Senate Republican leader, succeeding Mitch McConnell, who served for 17 years. Jacobs notes that Thune aligns closely with McConnell's political stance:

Ben Jacobs [02:54]: "He’s probably the closest to McConnell that he was the whip for McConnell, and he's the institutional choice that on one hand, it means Trump has someone who certainly is skeptical of the president elect, but someone who actually understands the Senate."

Despite being less of a Trump loyalist compared to other potential leaders, Thune's extensive experience and understanding of Senate processes make him a strategic choice for maintaining Republican control.

3. California's Political Landscape and Election Results

Timestamp: 04:16 – 07:20

California, traditionally seen as one of the nation's most liberal states, presented a more complex political picture in the recent elections. While statewide voters strongly supported progressive candidates like Vice President Kamala Harris, local results revealed a shift towards conservatism in certain areas.

Notable outcomes include:

• Voters in Los Angeles and the Bay Area ousted progressive-leaning prosecutors.
• San Francisco's mayor was unseated by a centrist Democrat.
• A statewide measure to facilitate rent control was rejected.

MacKenzie Mays of the Louisiana Times explains the defeat of the rent control measure:

MacKenzie Mays [05:05]: "There was a big push to campaign and let voters know that this could actually make California's housing shortage worse. And I think it's a good guess to say that voters were probably pretty spooked by that."

Despite the high cost of living, concerns about unintended consequences led to the measure's failure, demonstrating that California voters are discerning and cautious about policy impacts.

However, not all ballot measures swung to the right. California voters approved several progressive initiatives, including:

• Protecting same-sex marriage.
• Expanding healthcare for low-income residents.
• Allocating funds for climate change initiatives.

Mays notes that these mixed results do not necessarily indicate a significant political shift to the right:

MacKenzie Mays [06:56]: "When it comes to specific issues on the ballot, sometimes the measures are more complicated and there are more nuanced reasons for why voters may reject or approve of them."

Pollsters suggest that California's voting patterns, especially on specific ballot measures, are nuanced and do not straightforwardly reflect a broader political realignment.

4. The Rise of Campaign Text Scams

Timestamp: 07:20 – 09:45

A critical issue discussed is the surge in misleading campaign fundraising texts, which have particularly vulnerable populations at risk. Shumita Basu highlights the prevalence of such scams during the election cycle, with over 13,500 Americans donating daily to major political fundraising groups.

Richard Benjamin, an 81-year-old victim, became a prime example:

Richard Benjamin [08:51]: "I was dealing with President Trump, so it was kind of President Trump and Speaker Johnson were both they want to know how I was, what I was doing."

Benjamin, experiencing cognitive decline, received numerous texts purportedly from Trump and Speaker Mike Johnson, leading him to donate over $80,000 of his life savings. His family had to take drastic measures, including selling his house and car and moving him into an assisted living facility.

Political reporter Ben Jacobs comments on the unusual behavior of victims like Benjamin:

Ben Jacobs [08:43]: "Just so out of character. It was almost shocking because he was always very frugal and very responsible with his money."

CNN's investigation revealed that both Republican and Democratic campaigns exploit elderly voters, but Republican tactics are often more aggressive and predatory. Common deceptive practices include:

• Recurring Donations: Optional boxes for recurring donations are sometimes pre-checked, leading donors to unintentionally commit to monthly contributions.
• Misleading Messages: Texts and emails may mimic official communications, deceiving recipients into believing they are directly supporting their favorite candidates.

Despite platforms like WinRed and ActBlue providing notifications and guides for canceling recurring donations, victims report difficulty in recovering lost funds due to convoluted processes and large sums involved.

5. Matt Gaetz Nominated as Attorney General

Timestamp: 09:35 – 10:15

In a surprising political move, former Congressman Matt Gaetz has been nominated by President Trump to serve as the next Attorney General. This nomination comes amidst Gaetz's resignation amid legal investigations, including:

• A Department of Justice probe into potential sexual trafficking, in which he was not charged.
• A House Ethics Committee inquiry into allegations of sexual misconduct and drug use.

Gaetz had previously denied any wrongdoing, and his nomination has sparked discussions about the implications for the Republican Party and ongoing legal matters.

6. Other News Highlights

Timestamp: 10:15 – End

Additional stories covered include:

• Pennsylvania Senate Recount: The Senate race between Republican Dave McCormick and incumbent Democrat Bob Casey is undergoing a recount following McCormick's initial lead by nearly 30,000 votes. The recount, mandated by Pennsylvania law, is unlikely to alter the declared winner substantially, as suggested by the Philadelphia Inquirer.

• The Onion Acquires Infowars: In an unexpected development, the satirical news outlet The Onion won a bankruptcy auction to acquire Alex Jones' Infowars and its parent company. The move aims to repay over a billion dollars owed to families of Sandy Hook victims. The Onion plans to relaunch Infowars as a parody site supported by the nonprofit Everytown for Gun Safety.

Shumita Basu concludes by promoting additional content available on the Apple News app, including a narrated article by Esquire exploring the bizarre reality TV show "Kid Nation."

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Notable Quotes:

• Donald Trump [01:05]: "Politics is tough and it's in many cases not a very nice world. But it is a nice world today. And I appreciate very much a transition that's so smooth. It'll be as smooth as it can get, and I very much appreciate that."

• Ben Jacobs [01:48]: "This really speeds things up."

• Ben Jacobs [02:54]: "He’s probably the closest to McConnell that he was the whip for McConnell, and he's the institutional choice that on one hand, it means Trump has someone who certainly is skeptical of the president elect, but someone who actually understands the Senate."

• MacKenzie Mays [05:05]: "And I think it's a good guess to say that voters were probably pretty spooked by that."

• Richard Benjamin [08:51]: "I was dealing with President Trump, so it was kind of President Trump and Speaker Johnson were both they want to know how I was, what I was doing."

• Ben Jacobs [08:43]: "Just so out of character. It was almost shocking because he was always very frugal and very responsible with his money."

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Conclusion

This episode of Apple News Today delves into the intricate dynamics of the recent elections, highlighting the Republican Party's newfound control and the strategies they may employ moving forward. It also sheds light on the alarming rise of deceptive campaign fundraising texts targeting vulnerable populations, underscoring the need for greater vigilance and protective measures. Additionally, the episode touches upon significant political appointments and other noteworthy news, offering listeners a comprehensive overview of the current political landscape.

For more detailed insights and updates, listeners are encouraged to access the full episode through the Apple News app.

Transcript

[Sumita Basu]

Good morning. It's Thursday, November 14th. I'm Sumita Basu. This is Apple News Today. On today's show, what's behind California's seeming shift to the right in this election. How those hounding campaign fundraising texts mislead vulnerable people into giving away their life savings. And Matt Gaetz gets tapped to be the next Attorney general. But first, President elect Donald Trump returned to Washington, D.C. to meet with President Biden yesterday, ahead of a new term where Trump is set to have full control of the government. The AP reports that House Republicans have secured enough seats to hold onto a narrow majority. Since the party already flipped the Senate, this would give Republicans control of both chambers. In their meeting, Trump and Biden discussed a number of domestic and international priorities. And Biden promised a smooth transition for Trump's team. The President elect thanked him.

[Donald Trump]

Politics is tough and it's in many cases not a very nice world. But it is a nice world today. And I appreciate very much a transition that's so smooth. It'll be as smooth as it can get, and I very much appreciate that. Jeff, you're welcome.

[Sumita Basu]

In 2020, when Biden won the election, Trump did not invite him to the White House for a similar meeting. The question now is, with control of the government, what will Trump and Republicans in Congress prioritize first? We called up and asked Ben Jacobs, a political reporter in D.C. and he told us at the top of their list is extending the tax cuts Republicans passed in 2017 during Trump's first term.

[Ben Jacobs]

The big thing that Republicans have in the trifecta is that they can at least theoretically pass through budget legislation without dealing with the filibuster for a variety of arcane reasons. In Senate rolls, there's this process known as reconciliation that enables you to do a lot of economic legislation. It's how Trump got his tax cuts bill in 2017 done. They can now go through this without needing to rely on any Democratic votes dealing with the filibuster and the 60 vote supermajority there. This really speeds things up, though, he points out.

[Sumita Basu]

Republicans will have just a slim majority. Meanwhile, in the Senate, Republicans chose their leader by secret ballot yesterday. South Dakota Senator John Thune will replace Senator Mitch McConnell, who has led Senate Republicans for 17 years, making him the longest serving Senate party leader. And Jacobs told us Thune is most aligned with McConnell politically. Out of all the top names that were being considered, including Senators John Cornyn and Rick Scott, who was the top for a number of Trump allies, Thune.

[Ben Jacobs]

Is probably the closest to McConnell that he was the whip for McConnell, and he's the institutional choice that on one hand, it means Trump has someone who certainly is skeptical of the president elect, but someone who actually understands the Senate.

[Sumita Basu]

Processes in the past. Thune hasn't always been in Trump's corner. In 2016, he called for Trump to leave the presidential race after the Access Hollywood tape surfaced. And while he voted to acquit Trump in an impeachment trial related to Trump' actions on January 6, Thune described his vote as not an exoneration for Trump's conduct. So he is seen as less of a Trump loyalist than others, even with more traditional Republicans in the mix. In Washington, Jacobs told us that this government stands in stark contrast to Trump's first term.

[Ben Jacobs]

This is Donald Trump's party that eight years ago Liz Cheney was a rock solid Republican and Tulsi Gabbard was a Bernie Sanders acolyte. Blisses now through the looking glass into what the new political environment in D.C. is of politicians, many of whom have only run for federal office since Donald Trump's 2016 campaign and are shaped by his influence on the party.

[Sumita Basu]

California is widely considered one of the most liberal states in the country. For the most part, voters there support progressive candidates at the top of the ticket. The electorate overwhelmingly went for Vice President Kamala Harris over Trump. But a look at local results paints a more nuanced picture of the state's politics. Voters this year supported a number of conservative ballot measures and rejected some progressive issues. In Los Angeles and the Bay Area, people voted out progressive, leaning prosecutors. San Francisco's mayor lost to a more centrist Democrat, and statewide voters rejected a measure that would have made it easier for cities to enact rent control. Louisiana Times reporter MacKenzie Mays told us why, despite California's high cost of living, the measure ultimately failed to get enough support.

[MacKenzie Mays]

Even rent control proponents who are fed up with the cost of living had voiced concerns about what they said were unintended consequences of the measure. And so there was this big push to campaign and let voters know that this could actually make California's housing shortage worse. And I think it's a good guess to say that voters were probably pretty spooked by that.

[Sumita Basu]

Another measure that would elevate certain low level crimes to felonies passed overwhelmingly with close to 70% support.

[MacKenzie Mays]

It cracks down on theft crimes and fentanyl drug crimes, and it essentially undid a decade's worth of progressive criminal justice reform that has really come to define California and Democratic laws for years overall, Mays told us.

[Sumita Basu]

The results of these local races and ballot measures have been surprising to some residents.

[MacKenzie Mays]

Some progressives said, you know, where do I live? You know, this isn't the California I know. And then some Republicans said, you know, we told you so. People who have been in California for a long time, they weren't super shocked by this. California has sort of defied its liberal reputation before when it comes to ballot measures. They rejected a ballot measure to abolish the death penalty. In 2008, California voters approved Proposition 8, which banned same sex marriage. And then I think people were shocked by that. And it doesn't feel that long ago for a lot of voters that still live in California.

[Sumita Basu]

There were, however, some progressive policies that California voters supported this year, like measures to protect same sex marriage, to expand healthcare for low income residents, and to allocate funds for climate change. One polling expert Mays spoke to for this story said they're not looking at the outcome in California as a sign of some big political shift to the right in the state.

[MacKenzie Mays]

The experts I talked to said not to look too into this because we know in California how we vote at the top of the ticket and how we might sometimes vote differently than what people thinks that should look like. When it comes to specific issues on the ballot, sometimes the measures are more complicated and there are more nuanced reasons for why voters may reject or approve of them.

[Sumita Basu]

In other words, they said, ballot outcomes are just another imperfect gauge of the overall politics of a state. By now, you know the kinds of texts that political fundraising groups like to send. Urgent we need your help. Can I count on you? They're designed to catch your attention and maybe even sound like they're coming from the candidate themselves. Now that the election is behind us, the LA Times found in this election cycle, more than 13,500Americans were giving money to one of the major political fundraising groups on a daily basis, suggesting frequent donors are becoming an increasingly crucial part of political fundraising. But we're also seeing reporting about how text and email campaigns make it easy for people to be misled into giving away large sums of money. This is particularly true for older people like Richard Benjamin. He's 81 years old. His kids told CNN he's been experiencing cognitive decline and that during the election season, he would get dozens of texts a day soliciting donations for Trump's campaign. They realized he was giving lots of money away in 10, 15, $40 increments.

[Ben Jacobs]

Just so out of character. It was almost shocking because he was always very frugal and very responsible with his money.

[Richard Benjamin]

And I logged in and that's when my jaw dropped because I saw hundreds and hundreds of transactions.

[Sumita Basu]

Benjamin believed he was getting texts directly from President Trump and Speaker Mike Johnson.

[Donald Trump]

I was dealing with President Trump, so it was kind of President Trump and Speaker Johnson were both they want to know how I was, what I was doing.

[Sumita Basu]

His kids say he was manipulated by these misleading messages. He ultimately depleted his life savings and gave away more than $80,000. They sold his house, sold his car, and moved him into an assisted living facility.

[Richard Benjamin]

He'd never donated to politicians before. He'd never given this large amount of money before. It made no sense that he would do this.

[Sumita Basu]

CNN reviewed more than 1,000 reports filed with government agencies and advocacy groups about political fundraising complaints, and they found both parties rake in donations from elderly voters. But Republican candidates use more aggressive and predatory tactics than Democrats, according to donor complaints and interviews with experts. One tactic that commonly trips up online donors is checking an optional box for recurring donations. Sometimes that's left automatically checked, so people who think they're making one small contribution are actually signing up for a monthly one. The two big donation platforms for Republican and Democratic campaigns, Win Red and ActBlue, say they notify donors of recurring donations and have guides on their site for people to cancel or request refunds. And some of the candidates and PACs that solicited money told CNN they were working on refunding donations made in error. But victims interviewed by CNN said they're having a tough time recovering money, finding the process confusing and ultimately just too big to tackle. Before we let you go, a few other stories being featured in the Apple News app. Trump nominated more candidates for Cabinet positions yesterday, including former Democratic Congresswoman Tulsi Gabbard for Director of National Intelligence and now ex congressman Matt Gaetz for the role of attorney general. Ex congressman because he just resigned yesterday. Gates was once investigated by the DOJ in a sex trafficking probe, but was not charged up until yesterday. He was also the subject of a House Ethics Committee investigation into allegations of sexual misconduct and drug use. The chair of the House Ethics Committee told CNN ahead of Gates resignation that the investigation would end if the congressman resigned because they only look into sitting Congress members. Gates had previously denied any wrongdoing. In other politics news, Pennsylvania's Senate contest is officially heading to a recount. The AP called the race for Republican Dave McCormick last week. Incumbent Democrat Bob Casey trails by almost 30,000 votes, but tens of thousands have yet to be Tal counties are required to complete their recounts by November 26th. The Philadelphia Inquirer notes that recounts often result in the tallies changing ever so slightly. But it's extremely rare for the declared winner of the race to change. And finally, in a surprising move, the satirical news publication the Onion won a bankruptcy auction to acquire conspiracy theorist Alex Jones outlet Infowars and its parent company. It was a court mandated auction to come up with over a billion dollars that Jones owes to families of the victims of the Sandy Hook elementary school shooting. He was previously found guilty by juries in two states for defaming these families after using his platform to spread misinformation about the shooting. The Onion says its bid was sanctioned by the victims families and it plans to relaunch the site next year as a parody with the advertising support of Every Town for Gun Safety, a nonprofit that started after the Sandy Hook shooting. You can find all these stories and more in the Apple News app. And if you're already listening in the news app right now, we've got a narrated article coming up next. Esquire looks at the weird true story of the reality TV show Kid Nation. If you don't remember it, the show came out in the 2000s and involved a bunch of kids dropped into the desert with no adults. Now it's become a bit of a phenomenon as people discover it online and ask how something like this could have ever gotten made. If you're listening in the podcast app, follow Apple News Narrated to find that story and I'll be back with the news tomorrow.