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- [00:00]
Jackie Rosen
Foreign.
- [00:05]
Rachel Maddow
The Senate just confirmed Cash Patel. It's a total nightmare. And there is bombshell reporting coming out from Vanity Fair, Gabriel Sherman, that Republican senators are quote, scared shitless to vote against Trump. So let's talk about what's going on at the Senate with somebody who works in the Senate. Let's welcome to IHIP News, Senator Rosen.
- [00:28]
Jackie Rosen
Senator, thank you for having me. Let me tell you, well, I love the name of your podcast. I've Had Enough. Frankly my daughter would say I always start that with it's enough, I've had it. So there you go. And that's how we feel around here. Because to your point, the Republicans are scared. When will they grow a spine? When will they stand up for democracy? When will they protect the American public? We're fighting to protect real people. They're fighting to protect, well, themselves and the billionaires.
- [01:00]
Rachel Maddow
Okay, I am kind of terrified when I start thinking about Elon Musk, the lack of transparency. It appears by all of my observations that he's the boss of the President of the United States. The Oval Office escapade, the joint interview with Sean Hannity. And you may remember when your former colleague Vice President Kamala Harris did an interview with Governor Walz, Fox News had a stage five meltdown about the of them doing it together and what poor leadership it was. And here we have Musk who has outwardly said he wants to dismantle democracy. We all know that's Vladimir Putin's number one objective is to dismantle democracy. So I've made a list, a little list of some co workers of yours that I think you and some other ball busting senators need to, I don't know what you do to get them to come on board. Okay, Senator Tillis, Murkowski, Collins, Wicker, and I was going to say McConnell, but he just voted for Cash Patel. But what can we do to get some transparency about Elon Musk dismantling the federal government?
- [02:15]
Jackie Rosen
You know, I can just tell you that my colleagues, they need to grow a spine behind the scenes. They say one thing and then you're right, they're scared to damn death about what's going to happen to them. So they're protecting them and they're protecting Trump and his billionaire buddies. And so we think about Elon Musk, an unelected billionaire, him and his teeny bopper tech bros, they're up in everybody's business. What the hell are they doing at Social Security? Getting access to everyone's Social Security number. What the hell are they doing in the tax Department, tax, Treasury Bureau, getting everyone's tax returns. What are they doing in our VA where they have slashed thousands of jobs? Doctors, nurses, those counselors who answer the Veterans suicide hotline. How is this helping anyone? They're up in Medicare, Medicaid. They're saying they're going to come after your Social Security, come after your Medicaid. I've had people calling my office. What's going to happen to my $35 insulin? Am I going to get my Veterans benefits? Elon Musk, they fired all the watchdogs. He's in everybody's business. We don't know what the hell he's doing there, but we need to demand that he gets the hell out. Out. Nobody elected him and nobody trusts him.
- [03:31]
Rachel Maddow
Let's talk briefly before I kick it to my esteemed co host Pumps, your former colleague, Marco Rubio. And what an abject disappointment this man is. He's got some kid working for him now at the State Department called Big Balls. And that's, that's, this is real. And we're talking about the Department of State for the United States of America. Marco Rubio was hustled and played like a fiddle in Saudi Arabia. It was, he looks like he's a hostage. It was so embarrassing as somebody that worked with him. And you see these Republicans that know they have more. He was on the Intelligence Committee. They know what Putin's up to. When you see them bend the knee to Putin and you see the revisionist history coming out of this Trump administration, how terrifying is that for you and your Democratic colleagues?
- [04:24]
Jackie Rosen
Well, I can tell you that as far as Senator Rubio, now Secretary Rubio, I don't think you'd know the Senator Rubio from the secretary Rubio. That's 180 degree difference. And again, he had a little bit bait and switch. He's supposed to advise the President. Well, he's not the Secretary of State. Donald Trump is and Elon Musk is. And you're right, they're listening and touting the Kremlin talking points. They're saying that Vladimir Zelensky started the war. When we know Putin started the war. Putin can start it and he can stop it. So all of this backpedaling on everything is absolutely horrendous. And it's so disappointing knowing who Senator Rubio was before. And you can see it in his words and his actions, in his legislation and his resolutions. He is not that same person. He got taken advantage of. What's he going to do about it? Will he stand up?
- [05:21]
Chris Hayes
He knows better yeah, I've heard him speak very clearly on the dangers of Donald Trump, just like I've heard Lindsey Graham. And I know that Lindsey Graham in the past has been an advocate for Ukraine. And then we have what's going on here now, where JD Vance is basically spouting Putin talking points and European leaders are meeting without the United States. What is your level of concern that the United States will leave NATO under the Trump administration?
- [05:54]
Jackie Rosen
Well, it looks like Donald Trump that there isn't a dictator that they don't want to cozy up to. So he's trying to upend a world order that we created after World War II, which has kept us safe and secure here in the homeland. We don't have to because we're helping Ukraine push back Putin. We don't have to send our own servicemen and women into harm. Ukraine is holding the line for Eastern Europe. And also I would say if you give Putin an inch, he's going to take a mile. We know what he wants. And then you'll see. China, what do they want? They want Taiwan. What does North Korea want? South Korea, the list goes on. What does Iran want? We know the answer to these questions, and we can't give in to bullies. And when we have a president and administration who is talking up bullies, talking points like Vladimir Putin and cozying up to bullies and dictators, that is upside down. And we have to figure out everything we can do so that we can use our diplomacy, Democratic allies around the world, to keep all of us safe. We need to push back on this. And it's unthinkable that we have a president who's cozying up to bullies around the world who want nothing more than to just take over their neighbor. You give them an inch, they're going to take a mile, trust me. And it's going to hurt all of us.
- [07:17]
Rachel Maddow
I. Do you think that this is possible without Republican support? Everybody knows that Republicans played a key role in the Watergate scandal, which looks like total child's play compared to what we're seeing right now. And I mentioned some Republican senators before, and it's widely known that in the gym and around, they don't like Donald Trump. Everybody talks behind his back all the time.
- [07:44]
Jackie Rosen
He's a terrible behind his back. And so. And I think Donald knows that. And if he doesn't, he should. Well, maybe, maybe he's bugged the gym, I don't know. But everybody talks behind his back. All the Republicans.
- [07:59]
Chris Hayes
It's unbelievable to me that these people who have been elected are now completely either scared of or do not care about spirit of Donald Trump and a primary or they don't represent their constituents anymore. When the budget comes up in March, is it March?
- [08:19]
Jackie Rosen
I think March 14th. We're funded through March 14th. And this actually tonight you're going to see us at what we call a vote, a rama here in the Senate. We'll be voting on the Senate budget proposal. That should start about dinner time tonight.
- [08:34]
Chris Hayes
And what does that entail? Because I'm wondering with the budget coming up and the economy is clearly going in the wrong direction, will that be enough for these Republicans to stand up to Trump in favor of their constituents that are hurting financially?
- [08:49]
Jackie Rosen
Well, I certainly hope so. And this is where I'm going to ask your listeners to do something with, with me. And for all of us, I want them to flood the zone the way Trump likes to flood the zone. So every Republican mayor, governor, congressman and senator, you need, whether they're yours or not, you need to be sure that you are flooding their inboxes and their phone lines every single day telling them that you won't take it and how it's hurting you and your communities, how they promise to lower the price of eggs. Last time I checked, I was at the grocery store two weeks ago, eggs were over 15 bucks a dozen in one of my local grocery stores. Unacceptable. And so the budget proposal, the House is going to do one, the Senate's going to do one. They don't look alike, but they're coming after your Medicare lot. Nick, I think said today the new secretary of Commerce, we're coming after your Social Security. They're coming after veterans benefits. They're going to take away that $35 insulin. So what's involved is they're doing all of this, all of it for one reason. To cut trillions of dollars to the government to give Elon Musk and his billionaire Bros. Tax cut. The last thing they need is any more money in their pocket. Let's be clear. Instead of everyday working people who need these services, who need the tax breaks, who need to have the investment in their communities. And so I hope that my Republican colleagues, at some point, if you don't stand for something, you stand for nothing. And if you can't stand up for the Constitution, if you can't stand for the Constitution, then why the hell are you here?
- [10:27]
Rachel Maddow
I agree. Have you been surprised at how they've ceded their power? I mean, we have three equal branches of government and the Republicans have just been over to a man who nobody behind the Scenes, likes, except for, you know, a percentage of his base that is, you know, fed a diet of right wing propaganda all the time. Has it shocked you when you see people like Marco Rubio, Lindsey Graham, people that know that have seen stuff that we haven't seen, that our listeners haven't seen regarding Vladimir Putin? I think, correct me if I'm wrong, didn't the Russians attempt to hack Florida in 2017 and Marco Rubio was a whistleblower on this whole thing.
- [11:12]
Jackie Rosen
That's right. Well, it's depressing, it's disappointing, it's. I can't say what they're afraid of, but they're afraid of it, whatever that is. They're going to have to speak for themselves. But one thing is that they've lost their way and they've lost their own self respect. I have to think at this point, or if they have a lawsuit by now, they should have, or they're about to. And I want to put it in this perspective. Let's take Donald Trump out of this and let's put in Barack Obama or Joe Biden and imagine if Joe Biden would have put Elon Musk in to do this, but what do you think the Republicans would be doing? Imagine that President Obama had put in Elon Musk or some other tech bros and with all these great nicknames like big balls. They don't 25 years old. They don't belong in our Veterans Administration cutting out doctors and nurses that give veterans care every day. Come on now. So what would they say? Just let's take out Trump, change the equation, put in Joe Biden, put in Barack Obama. They'd lose their damn minds. They know it's wrong. How far will they give up their own self respect? I guess that remains to be seen.
- [12:29]
Rachel Maddow
Are we going to be okay? Can you guys stop this and get us to 2026?
- [12:35]
Jackie Rosen
Well, this is where I'm going to give everyone a call to action. Now, it's true we don't have the White House and we don't have the House or the Senate. But what we do have is we have our voices. We do have a certain amount of power. And when we stand together, I think that's an immovable force. It's unstoppable. So when I say flood the zone, when I say to call people, let them know how you're thinking, how you're feeling and be relentless. Because if we're silent, then they don't think that anybody's worried or that it's upsetting anyone. So we have to Double down on letting every republic Republican elected official, whether they're your local, elected, your governor, or here in the federal government. We must be relentless letting them know we're here. We're not going anywhere and tell them the harm it's doing to you. I tell you my. My mother in law had Alzheimer's at the end of her life. My mother died of cancer. RFK Jr. He stopped in medical research. Come on. I don't want people to go through what I went through. Watching my mother in law on the Alzheimer's spectrum, watching my mother pass away from cancer. I have friends with Parkinson's, Ms. Just like everyone else. We all know someone. You're stopping medical research now? I'm of a certain age. We all got was right before the vaccines when I was a kid, people got mumps and measles and all of that. Let me tell you, that's gone now. Now we have measles outbreaks. People will die because of these ridiculous things that RFK Jr. Is doing. And so we must be relent, using our voices, using the power of the people and our democracy pushing forward. Because if we're silent, they think they've won. And this is how we move forward. We're going to sign on to litigation. Our lawyers are going to work it through the courts the best that they can. We're going to use our voices. We're going to try to find any way through legislation that we can stop them. We will have some tools to do that soon enough.
- [14:38]
Rachel Maddow
Thank you so much, Senator Rosen. Keep fighting the good fight and good luck at work.
- [14:43]
Jackie Rosen
Going to thank you. Appreciate both of you. And Hope will come on again anytime. Thanks.