What a Weekday: If You're In Line To Be President, Stay In Line

Summary

Lovett or Leave It: Episode Summary

Episode: What a Weekday: If You're In Line To Be President, Stay In Line
Release Date: December 17, 2024
Host: Jon Lovett
Guests: Kendra James, Hallie Kiefer, Sarah Lazarus, and various guest speakers
Produced by: Crooked Media

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I. Finale of "What a Weekday" and Future Directions [02:06 - 02:27]

Jon Lovett kicks off the episode by announcing that this is the final installment of the "What a Weekday" segment. He reassures listeners about the continuation of related content through the upcoming prequel, Young What a Weekday, which delves into the personal backgrounds of the show's team members.

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II. Donald Trump's Post-Election Maneuvers [02:27 - 05:12]

A. Unconventional Press Conference [02:27 - 03:03]
Jon Lovett highlights a peculiar event where Donald Trump held a post-election press conference, proclaiming himself as the rightful president despite not holding office at the time. During this event, SoftBank CEO Masayoshi San announced a supposed $100 billion investment in the United States, attributing it to Trump's influence.

Notable Quote:

Jon Lovett [02:27]: "America only has one president, president at a time. And get this, that president is already Donald Trump."

B. Critique of Corporate Praise for Trump [03:03 - 05:12]
Lovett critiques the inappropriateness of a private sector leader publicly lauding the president, a deviation from traditional private-public sector interactions. He emphasizes the erosion of norms where corporations now appear to align overtly with political figures, undermining the separation between business and politics.

Notable Quote:

Jon Lovett [03:03]: "A major company isn't being harangued into making an investment, but sees the value in betting on the country itself, which meant betting on the people."

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III. Trump’s Legal Assaults on the Media [05:16 - 14:25]

A. Potential Pardons and Legal Threats [05:16 - 07:59]
The discussion shifts to Trump considering pardoning New York City Mayor Eric Adams if convicted on federal corruption charges. The team sarcastically ponders Trump's motivations, questioning the legitimacy and ethical implications of such pardons.

B. Lawsuits Against Major Media Outlets [07:59 - 14:25]
Jon Lovett delves into Trump's strategic lawsuits against prominent media organizations, including CBS News' 60 Minutes, ABC News, The New York Times, and the Des Moines Register. These lawsuits, primarily based on alleged defamation and misleading reporting, are portrayed as tools to intimidate and suppress critical journalism rather than seeking genuine legal remedies.

Notable Quotes:

Jon Lovett [07:59]: "Trump is attempting a novel legal argument, this time under the Iowa Consumer Fraud act claim, claiming the poll constituted consumer fraud."

Sarah Lazarus [14:19]: "I just have to say, like, getting sued for getting some math wrong has unlocked a new high school fear for me."

C. Impact on Journalistic Integrity [12:25 - 14:25]
The hosts express concern over the chilling effect these lawsuits have on the media, potentially deterring investigative journalism and fostering a climate of fear among reporters. They lament the absence of robust defense mechanisms for smaller news outlets facing Trump's legal pressures.

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IV. Corporate Support and Capitulation to Trump [08:00 - 12:25]

A. Donations from Tech Giants [08:00 - 11:22]
The episode examines how corporations like Meta, Amazon, and OpenAI have financially supported Trump's initiatives, including donations to his inauguration fund. Lovett criticizes these actions as examples of corporate capitulation, prioritizing financial interests over ethical stances against Trump's confrontational tactics.

Notable Quote:

Jon Lovett [11:09]: "Meta, Amazon, reportedly plans to donate $1 million to the fund and will stream Trump's inauguration on Prime."

B. Analysis of Corporate Motivations [11:22 - 12:25]
The hosts argue that these donations reflect a broader trend of corporations seeking favor with political figures to safeguard their interests, often at the expense of public integrity and democratic norms.

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V. Joe Biden's Pardoning Controversies [29:12 - 31:30]

A. High-Profile Pardons [29:12 - 30:07]
Jon Lovett discusses President Joe Biden’s controversial pardons, including those of Michael Conahan, a former Pennsylvania judge convicted for a "Kids for Cash" scheme, and Rita Crundwell, an Illinois controller involved in a major embezzlement case.

Notable Quote:

Jon Lovett [29:12]: "He pardoned Rita Crundwell... someone who exploited the system we despise to destroy lives."

B. Public and Ethical Implications [30:07 - 31:30]
The conversation explores the ethical dilemmas posed by these pardons, contrasting them with Biden's advocacy for prison system reforms. The hosts debate whether these acts of mercy undermine the justice system or are justified on humanitarian grounds.

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VI. Drone Sightings in New Jersey [31:30 - 33:15]

A. Government Response and Public Speculation [31:30 - 32:35]
The episode covers increased drone sightings in New Jersey following the FAA's relaxation of night-flying rules for drones. Homeland Security Secretary Alejandro Mayorkas assures the public of vigilance but offers no definitive explanation, leading to rampant speculation.

Notable Quote:

Jon Lovett [32:17]: "My theory is that these things are like the forest clowns people were seeing in 2016... There's nothing to worry about, just terrifying omens about the clowns."

B. Host and Guest Theories [32:35 - 33:15]
Guests humorously speculate on the origins of these drones, likening them to unconnected local incidents rather than coordinated foreign threats, and critique Trump's potential role in inflaming public fear.

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VII. Awards Segment: Highlighting the Year’s Notable Moments [35:13 - 42:48]

A. Biggest Scam
Nominees included Australia’s Ray Gun at the Paris Olympics, Glasgow’s Willy Wonka Experience, and Trump’s line of branded memorabilia. The team ultimately leans towards labeling Trump's financial operations as "a grift" rather than a scam.

B. Oldest Joe Biden Moments
Instances portraying Biden in embarrassing or outdated scenarios, such as awkward public interactions and indecisive statements during key events.

C. Most Unhinged Promotional Tour Moment
Examples featured Justin Timberlake’s DUI arrest and incongruent celebrity endorsements, highlighting chaotic and poorly managed promotional strategies.

D. Best Animal News
Stories ranged from escaped monkeys in South Carolina to the tragic death of a TikTok-famous squirrel named Peanut. While humorous, the segment also touched on the somber side of animal-related news.

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VIII. Closing Remarks and Future Plans [42:48 - 47:18]

Jon Lovett wraps up by announcing the return of "Lovett or Leave It" in 2025, promising new live shows in Los Angeles and the continuation of engaging limited series like Empire City and Dissonant at the Doorstep. The team expresses gratitude to listeners and teases upcoming episodes featuring high-profile guests such as Rachel Bloom and Joel McHale.

Notable Quote:

Jon Lovett [42:48]: "As we head into another Trump era, I wanna make sure you know that you can count on us to give you the best understanding of what happened that week in a way that keeps you engaged and interested and hopeful where at all possible."

The episode concludes with light-hearted banter about reclining seats on airplanes, maintaining the show’s signature humor until the very end.

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III. Notable Quotes with Timestamps

• Jon Lovett [02:27]: "America only has one president, president at a time. And get this, that president is already Donald Trump."
• Jon Lovett [03:03]: "A major company isn't being harangued into making an investment, but sees the value in betting on the country itself, which meant betting on the people."
• Sarah Lazarus [14:19]: "I just have to say, like, getting sued for getting some math wrong has unlocked a new high school fear for me."
• Jon Lovett [11:09]: "Meta, Amazon, reportedly plans to donate $1 million to the fund and will stream Trump's inauguration on Prime."
• Jon Lovett [29:12]: "He pardoned Rita Crundwell... someone who exploited the system we despise to destroy lives."
• Jon Lovett [32:17]: "My theory is that these things are like the forest clowns people were seeing in 2016... There's nothing to worry about, just terrifying omens about the clowns."
• Jon Lovett [42:48]: "As we head into another Trump era, I wanna make sure you know that you can count on us to give you the best understanding of what happened that week in a way that keeps you engaged and interested and hopeful where at all possible."

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Conclusion

This final episode of "What a Weekday" provides a sharp critique of Donald Trump's post-election actions, particularly his misuse of legal avenues to challenge the media and maintain political influence. It also scrutinizes Joe Biden's controversial pardons and addresses societal concerns such as increased drone sightings. The episode blends serious political analysis with the show's characteristic humor, culminating in an awards segment that highlights the year's most absurd and noteworthy events. As the hosts bid farewell to the segment, they set the stage for future projects, ensuring listeners remain engaged with Crooked Media's evolving content offerings.

Transcript

[Jon Lovett]

Love it or Leave it is brought to you by the International Rescue Committee. The International Rescue Committee works In more than 40 countries responding to the world's worst humanitarian crises and serving those whose lives have been upended by war, conflict and natural disasters. Where war and disasters strike, children suffer the most. Currently, more than 460 million children live in crisis zones, facing conflicts and disasters they should never have to face. All children deserve full bellies, yet every 15 seconds a child around the world dies of hunger. In 2023, the IRC treated nearly 600,000 children under five for malnutrition. By supporting the IRC, you can help deliver life saving malnutrition, treatment, critical medical care, psychosocial support and more so that children around the world can grow up strong and healthy. Please help the International Rescue Committee support children with emergency food, medical care and other life saving support they need to survive. Donate now by visiting rescue.orgrebuild that's rescue.orgrebuild.

[Kendra James]

Oh, I do recommend seeing stuff at the WGA theater though. It's so relaxing because everyone knows how to behave during a movie.

[Jon Lovett]

That's great.

[Hallie Kiefer]

They got big chairs. What have they got there? Regular chairs?

[Kendra James]

Yeah, it's like nice. It's plush. They're not like. It's not like they're reclining ones. They're just like nice velvet seats.

[Jon Lovett]

I simply only. I'm like, you must recline. I must recline. Like if I'm going to the movies. I want to. I want to press. I want to recline.

[Kendra James]

I don't like to recline in public.

[Hallie Kiefer]

I like recline.

[Kendra James]

That's for home.

[Sarah Lazarus]

They have heated.

[Kendra James]

Reclining is for home.

[Jon Lovett]

Reclining is for you not to be done in public.

[Kendra James]

Unless you're at the dentist. Yeah.

[Hallie Kiefer]

What if you were at the dentist in public?

[Kendra James]

Well, that's the only way to get the dentist.

[Sarah Lazarus]

You leave your seat all the way up on the airplane.

[Hallie Kiefer]

Yeah, I. I also don't recline.

[Jon Lovett]

So rude to the person behind you.

[Sarah Lazarus]

No, no, no, no.

[Kendra James]

If you're an economy. How dare you.

[Hallie Kiefer]

I don't think it would crush my computer every time.

[Sarah Lazarus]

I would leave back my computer.

[Kendra James]

How dare I?

[Hallie Kiefer]

No, I'll sit bolt upright. I'll sit up right now in solidarity.

[Jon Lovett]

I don't like thinking about all the people back there.

[Kendra James]

Yeah, that tracks.

[Hallie Kiefer]

Yeah. Yeah, that all adds up.

[Jon Lovett]

Welcome to what a Weekday. I'm Jon Lovett, joined as always by Kendra James, Hallie Kiefer and Sarah Lazarus. However, this is the final episode of what a Weekday. At least for the time being. But not to Worry. Dear listeners, Crooked has already greenlit our prequel Young what a Weekday. It's mostly about the family surrounding what a Weekday.

[Kendra James]

It's just all of us as babies.

[Jon Lovett]

It's all of us as babies.

[Sarah Lazarus]

I'm Marsai Martin.

[Jon Lovett]

Let's get into it one last time in 2024. What a weekday. As the saying goes, America only has one president, president at a time. And get this, that president is already Donald Trump. On Monday, Trump held his first post election press conference, joined by SoftBank CEO Masayoshi San to that SoftBank will invest $100 billion in the United States. This was a strange event for three reasons. A, Donald Trump is not currently the president. B, SoftBank doesn't have $100 billion and C, we had moments like this 200.

[Guest Speaker]

Gilbert 200 million investment. He is a great negotiator.

[Hallie Kiefer]

Oh.

[Jon Lovett]

So basically this guy gets up there and says Donald Trump is great and I'm doing this because of Donald Trump. And then Trump's like, make it 200 billion. And then kind of does his sort of alpha male arm grip thing where he demonstrates dominance over this guy whose height Trump definitely enjoys. Cuz the SoftBank CEO is a short king, as it were. I will just point out, so we don't forget what it was like to live in a nation of laws and not of men, that traditionally the private sector figures would praise the country and not the president. That no, a major company isn't being harangued into making an investment, but sees the value in betting on the country itself, which meant betting on the people. That traditionally when you even doing events like this, which are always a little bit uncomfortable, right? Because it's the private sector and the public sector, they would make it about the American economy and the ingenuity and skill of the American people. But no, this is an event where Donald Trump is calling it so that this guy can go and praise Donald Trump who basically this guy explicitly says, because Trump won, America's gonna do better and I'm gonna invest because of Donald Trump. And sure, that's a quaint and old fashioned critique now, but there's an old saying by William Alf Buckley and it goes, a conservative is someone who stands athwart history yelling stop at a time when no one is inclined to do so or to have much patience with those who so urges. And on stuff like this, I think that's just gonna have to be us for a while and it's not gonna be good politics all the time. And it may not be practical and it may not be what we run on. It may be tiresome, but on several fronts, there's just gonna be us. Because this shit is terrible and embarrassing and un American. And it turns out not a lot of people care about that. And it's very dispiriting, but it doesn't make it less true. And that's it.

[Hallie Kiefer]

He just palmed that guy like a basketball. Like, he just grabbed him like a baby.

[Jon Lovett]

I know, I know. It's gross.

[Kendra James]

Also, Softbank is a bad name for a bank. I want to lean off our tanks.

[Jon Lovett]

Yeah, I want my bank. Yeah. I like my banks rock hard. Like, I like my math tests and my dudes. Boo. Boo. What a year it's been. The president elect told reporters that he would consider pardoning New York City Mayor Eric Adams if he's convicted on federal corruption charges. Yeah, I would.

[Guest Speaker]

I think that he was treated pretty unfairly. Now, I haven't seen the gravity of it all, but it seems, you know, like being upgraded in an airplane many years ago. I know probably everybody here has been upgraded. They see you're all stars.

[Jon Lovett]

Yeah. Yeah. But in my case, it was because I have a lot of Delta miles. Not because I've done favors for the Turkish government, but for a flight over six hours, I would do favors for the Turkish government. Talk about reclining. Go all the way back. Go all the way back.

[Hallie Kiefer]

360.

[Jon Lovett]

Yeah.

[Kendra James]

I wonder what I could do for the Turkish government. What could I do that would be useful to them?

[Hallie Kiefer]

Rates of hilarious one liners.

[Jon Lovett]

It's all Greek to me, not Constantinople.

[Kendra James]

Hey, there's more where that came from. Turkey.

[Jon Lovett]

Yeah.

[Kendra James]

Let's get in touch, huh?

[Jon Lovett]

I'll tell you, this Eurocentrism, it's for the birds. Turkey, what are we talking about? Trump said this about Tim Cook and other CEOs traveling to meet with him.

[Guest Speaker]

The first term, everybody was fighting me. In this term, everybody wants to be my friend. I don't know, my personality changed or something.

[Jon Lovett]

People always say that when they know perfectly well it's just because they got incredibly hot.

[Hallie Kiefer]

He honestly looks okay. I don't know what it was. Filler, whatever. I'm like, he. He did get something done. I feel like you.

[Sarah Lazarus]

You often say this.

[Hallie Kiefer]

Well, he just looks so different from week to week. It's like, almost like. I see it. Like, I guess this is a good week on.

[Kendra James]

I think lighting is a huge component. Yeah, I think he's well lit.

[Hallie Kiefer]

His hair is translucent, but his face looks okay.

[Jon Lovett]

He also. He's not been traveling. He's chilling out At Mar a Lago. Also, like a chip has fallen off his shoulder.

[Hallie Kiefer]

Yeah, it just has. That's true.

[Jon Lovett]

Doesn't mean he's not gonna be less of a menace. Doesn't mean he's not gonna be less extreme. Doesn't mean if there's any kind of crisis or protest, he's not gonna do something evil and illegal. He's going to be a terrible president. But a chip has fallen. Like the popular vote win combined with the fact that the legal threat has basically come off of him. Think about how tired you would look if you were facing dozens of felony indictments. And then think about how good you'd feel the next day when that all went away. Think about how good that would be for the skin. Talk about. Talk about a vitamin. You know, here are the things that we know work on the skin. Vitamin C, retinol, sunscreen, moisturizer. And having 92 felony indictments drop, that is great for the complexion.

[Kendra James]

It's got data behind it.

[Jon Lovett]

Yeah, that. Yeah, you could take that to the bay. It's correlation, not causation.

[Hallie Kiefer]

Take that to the softbag.

[Jon Lovett]

Hey, take that. In response to a question about the potential TikTok ban, Trump said this.

[Guest Speaker]

We'll take a look at TikTok. You know, I have a warm spot in my heart for TikTok because I won youth by 34 points. And there are those that say that TikTok has something to do with that.

[Jon Lovett]

First of all, no, Donald Trump didn't win Youth by 34 points. He only won old people. That's the group that he wins. And sure, you think you're just gonna take a look at TikTok and then suddenly it's five hours later, you're smearing beef tallow on your face while wondering what's gonna happen on Molly Rudder's next first date.

[Sarah Lazarus]

Oh, I'm waiting for part six of CIO to felon right now. I'm really invested in a woman who got manipulated by a. By one of her prisoners and is like, now under indictment, but her fiance doesn't know. It's very. There's a lot going on.

[Jon Lovett]

Well, then if it's on TikTok, doesn't the fiance find out?

[Sarah Lazarus]

This is a. She's telling a story.

[Jon Lovett]

Oh, it's a long story.

[Sarah Lazarus]

She's been to jail and out.

[Jon Lovett]

Every once in a while there'll be like one of those 30 part stories and you just dig in. You're like, let's go. Let's go on a journey. I'm in. I'm in Also on Monday, Trump said of RFK Jr. That he'll be much less radical than people think, and said, you're not going to lose the polio vaccine, but also cited a debunked connection between vaccines and autism, adding, there's something wrong and we're going to find out about it. Trump keeps saying this about the polio vaccine as if it's reassuring, but it's. But it's not like, yeah, man, we didn't think that was on the table. It's like you're about to go into knee surgery. And as the anesthesiologist brings the mask down, he says, don't worry, we won't touch your kidneys. Well, I wasn't. But what else is going on in here? Is that reassuring? What else are you gonna take? Don't worry, we won't touch the polio vaccine. Well, great, man. There's a bunch of other ones you shouldn't. No one was talking about that one. What about the other ones? Mitch McConnell had polio. Also this weekend, Trump and J.D. vance attended the Army Navy game and invited recently acquitted Marine Corps vet Daniel Penney as their guest. Either you hate the male loneliness epidemic or you hate this, but you can't hate both. These are men. Finding community Penny was found not guilty last week of criminally negligent homicide after he put homeless man Jordan Neely in a chokehold on the New York subway last year. Explained a spokesperson for Trump and Vance, inviting Penny to the game was just our way of saying thanks for putting a homeless man in a chokehold in the New York subway last year. The trio were also joined at the game by Trump picked to head up National Intelligence, Tulsi Gabbard and his prospective defense secretary, Pete Hegseth, and Ron DeSantis, who was allegedly in the running to replace Hegseth if Trump rescinds the nomination of the former Fox News anchor. The between Hegseth and DeSantis to win Trump's favor has been dubbed the Smarmy Navy Game. And as is our new custom, America's oligarchs are finding new ways to pay tribute to our Leader After Mark Zuckerberg's meta donated $1 million to Trump's inauguration fund last week. Other tech giants have rushed to do the same. Jeff Bezos's Amazon reportedly plans to donate $1 million to the fund and will stream Trump's inauguration on prime come Monday. January. What? January. Just leave it.

[Kendra James]

It is one day of the year.

[Jon Lovett]

It's the. You got to be careful, though, all right? Amazon also has a bunch of knockoff Trump embargoations, and they will fall apart the first time you put them in a dryer. Too many vowels. All those fake brands on Amazon.

[Hallie Kiefer]

It's not good. You just look up anything. It's like, this is just going to burst into flames when I get. When it gets here, yeah.

[Jon Lovett]

OpenAI told NPR that CEO Sam Altman intends to make a personal $1 million donation to the fund and, not to be outdone, to settle a ridiculous lawsuit. ABC News capitulated to Trump's lawyers and will donate $15 million to Trump's presidential library and pay an additional $1 million for Trump's legal fees. The Trump presidential library. Oops all gift shop. I like that joke. This was a lawsuit over an interview in which George Stephanopoulos asserted that Trump was found liable for rape when he was found liable for sexual abuse and defamation in a case where the judge said that the term rate as commonly understood would apply, but not according to a narrow, specific legal definition in New York state law. Disney, of course, has the resources to fight this kind of lawsuit, whereas many critics threatened with legal action by Trump to intimidate and silence them do not. It's a healthy reminder corporations will not save us from Trump. They will only make us happy. That's what they do. They're just here to make us happy. And boy, do they make us happy. We love them.

[Kendra James]

Thank you, Corporations.

[Jon Lovett]

And Trump's threats are not idle. Disney's pathetic capitulation comes as Trump pursues costly legal fights against his various enemies. In October, Trump sued CBS News, accusing Minutes of editing a clip of Kamala Harris in such a way as to assist her candidacy. Meanwhile, I will be suing 60 Minutes for not doing that. Well, enough said. The suit to paper over Kamala's word salad weakness. CBS used its national platform on 60 Minutes to cross the line from the exercise of judgment in reporting to deceitful, deceptive manipulation of news. Yeah, because of 60 Minutes, nobody ever got the sense that Kamala responds to questions about politically fraught topics with a string of bromides. Said slowly and with great conviction. Just before the election, Trump sued the New York Times, alleging three stories on him were deceptive, malicious, intentional, defamatory, disparaging, distorted, fabricated, false and misleading. The Times stood by its reporting. That's great writing.

[Kendra James]

It sounds like a Tom Lehrer song.

[Jon Lovett]

Yeah, it's beautiful. It's interesting. Yeah, it sounds like Gilbert and Sullivan.

[Kendra James]

Yeah.

[Jon Lovett]

And on Monday, Trump sued the Des Moines Register for publishing that Ansells report. That showed him down in Iowa.

[Guest Speaker]

I'm going to be bringing one against the people in Iowa, their newspaper, which had a very, very good pollster who got me right all the time. And then just before the election, she said I was going to lose by three or four points. And it became the biggest story all over the world because I was going to win Iowa by 20 points. The farmers love me and I love the farmers.

[Jon Lovett]

As with the 60 Minutes lawsuit, Trump is attempting a novel legal argument, this time under the Iowa Consumer Fraud act claim, claiming the poll constituted consumer fraud. As a law professor told NBC News, the odds of success here are slim to none. But winning in court is not likely. The real goal of the lawsuit, the true motivation is to intimidate the press and journalists. And that's disgusting. The only thing that should intimidate journalists are first dates, dancing, anything athletic and social functions where it would be weird to bring a backpack. Fucking nerds.

[Sarah Lazarus]

I just have to say, like, getting sued for getting some math wrong has unlocked a new high school, like, fear for me.

[Jon Lovett]

Oh, yeah, no, I think more kids should go to get sued for how bad they are at math. Maybe that would, that would shake some sense of them.

[Kendra James]

Go book finding a new staff that isn't in jail.

[Jon Lovett]

Trump riding high and threatening all of these lawsuits. Fine. It's the combination of these ridiculous, frivolous lawsuits against 60 Minutes, against Des Moines Register, combined with the fact that ABC News, one of the biggest and most well resourced legal departments, Disney, have capitulated to Donald Trump on this. Like, what is the Des Moines Register supposed to do? What's Olivia Troi supposed to do? These are just individuals or smaller organizations that are gonna basically be potentially bankrupted by the cost of defending themselves against this. And like, Disney has the Disney, it's. Disney famously has great lawyers, famously has a big legal department. Remember when this was very sad? Somebody died of an allergic reaction at a restaurant in Disney or Disneyland or Disney World, I don't remember. And as part of that lawsuit, they withdrew it after an outcry. But at first they said that they had no right to sue because they had Disney, because inside of the Disney treasury, conditions they had, I guess, indemnified or whatever the correct term is. They had indemnified Disney in some way. They withdrew that part of the complaint because there was such a public outcry over it. But, like, these are lawyers that know how to fight. Like, people in the world understand what's happened when you misuse Disney's copyright. They know how to defend their people and it used to be. And look like maybe there's some email somewhere where somebody told George Stephanopoulos, don't use the word rape. Maybe there's some, like, small bead of evidence that could kind of go to the argument Trump is making, but, like, every step of it. Right. Did George Stephanopoulos do it maliciously? Of course not. Is what he said inaccurate? I don't actually think it is. I mean, look, you could. There's an argument, right, that he was found liable for sexual abuse and defamation, not technically for rape, but the judge said that the public understanding of the term would apply. And he's not a judge. He's describing something. He is free to describe it the way he sees it. And if he personally sees it as being found liable for rape, even though the technical New York State definition is different, that's completely defensible. And then you have to prove that it was malicious, which it wasn't. So it's maybe not even inaccurate, certainly not malicious. And then you have to prove that there was some kind of damage done to Donald Trump's reputation because of the difference between being the legal definition of rape in New York State and the judge describing it as colloquially a sexual assault that rises to the definition of rape. None of that is something a normal newsroom wouldn't want to defend their people against.

[Kendra James]

And he got elected, so where's the damage?

[Jon Lovett]

Yeah, right.

[Sarah Lazarus]

Yeah, right. Also, tell me the person who can make that separation and isn't just using the word rape.

[Jon Lovett]

It's just. And so, like, it was so shocking to see that they had settled it. Right? And then you think, well, why? Like, okay, maybe there's some bit of email or something somewhere. Fine. Or then you think, well, it's $15 million as a donation, so they get to write a portion of that off. There'd be a bunch of costs associated with fighting it publicly. And so they just view it as something they can make go away. But they're also supposed to be defending their people. They're also supposed to be having the backs of the journalists that work for them because, by the way, let's say it was inaccurate. People are allowed to make mistakes without being destroyed by it. We want journalists to be able to do an interview without being terrified in the moment that if they make a mistake, they will be sued into oblivion and that their corporate parent will abandon them. You want, like, that's why you have these lawyers. They're supposed to defend you. And like, I remember when Ronan was working on the Weinstein stories at NBC and There were all kinds of threats being bandied about. And I may get the details wrong because it's years ago now, but I remember having this feeling while he was doing it that there was a missing voice at NBC to say, but that's why we're here. Yeah, no, there are threats. And yes, it's obviously deeply sensitive. And yes, it's a big story, and yes, it will create controversy, but that's why we're here. And it is like, there are so many places where there were that Donald Trump has exposed these weaknesses. And this is yet another example that because these important news institutions that develop their prestige and habits and standards and reputations before the modern conglomerate era, they continue to exist, but they've now been absorbed into these big companies, whether it's a Comcast or a Disney or a Viacom or whatever it may be. And it seems like there's no longer that figure in a place of power who's in it because they believe in the news, who says, that's why we're here. So we're just gonna keep fighting. Because that's. Yeah, I understand that there's a business reason to settle it. Yeah, I understand it'd be better to make it go away, but that's why we're here.

[Kendra James]

Parents working to help us.

[Sarah Lazarus]

I know. I was about to say that's why you wrote on the newsroom.

[Hallie Kiefer]

But also, this is the natural end game of capitalism. Like, it's. Yeah, these are capitalists. Like, at the end of the day, Disney made a. Someone made a spreadsheet of like, let's just give them $50 million. Cause we don't wanna deal with the cost. And that's just what it's gonna be like. If we remember the January 6th hearings, it was a bunch of individuals, Republicans, who were like, I don't think we could do this. I can't allow this to happen. Those people are all gone. Much like probably a lot of people who are in charge of these newspapers, those people are gone, too. And whoever's making the decision are not the people who are like, this is a newspaper. We have to be defending these people. And unfortunately, he is the ultimate capitalist. And he knows that. He knows that he could exhaust people because we're all exhausted already. So next four years is going to be him and Cash Patel and all the rest of these guys just threatening everybody and assuming that we are also exhausted. That, like, even those people who still want to stand up are going to say, this one's not worth it. We'll wait till the Next one, and then the next one doesn't come because it's all not worth it, you know?

[Jon Lovett]

Yeah, it's. I like this moment of all these wealthy guys supplicating and genuflecting for Trump. Disgusting. ABC News capitulating this way. I'm sure inside of ABC people are furious. I'm sure there are great journalists there. There is an ethic that's in the code, like the DNA of these places, and that continues. And I am sure people inside are absolutely furious that they have lost, that they have been allowed to be kind of maligned in this way. But I think, Hallie, you're right. It's just like, I wanna think about, okay, how do we stop this? How do we find that backbone and who's gonna have it and who's gonna show it? And it may not be these big corporations, but it has to come from somewhere else.

[Sarah Lazarus]

I'm sorry, I was gonna say it has to come from. With someone like the Des Moines Register, it kind of has to come from our capitalist. You have to hope that, unfortunately, that, like a Mark Cuban, if a suit really shows up at their doorstep and they really need to defend themselves, you kind of have to hope that, like, a Mark Cuban steps up and says, here's your legal defense.

[Jon Lovett]

Yeah, it's true. I think that's part of it. We do need, you know, they, like. I remember when it came out that it was Peter Thiel funding the lawsuit against Gawker.

[Sarah Lazarus]

Yeah.

[Jon Lovett]

And I, like, at the time, I remember feeling like, wow, like, it's amazing how many people are ready to dance on Gawker's grave. And Gawker's fucking terrible in a lot of ways. Terrible in a lot of ways. But that was a harbinger of things to come. And they took the lesson there that they really can use the legal system to destroy outlets they don't like if they find the opening. And it's just. I do think it's gonna take big money to get behind protecting these institutions, investigating these institutions, and. But I don't think there's any way to avoid the fact that, like, already there are. I am sure right now there are stories that journalists are saying, it's not worth it. I'm not gonna do it. It's just not worth it. And it's December of the year before he's sworn in.

[Kendra James]

Happy holidays.

[Jon Lovett]

Happy holidays.

[Hallie Kiefer]

Hey, don't go anywhere. There's more of Love it or Leave it coming up.

[Jon Lovett]

This podcast is supported by Planned Parenthood, Federation of America. Planned Parenthood Federation of America exists so all people can get access to the sexual and reproductive care and education they need. Planned Parenthood organizations advocate for health equity and policies that allow people the freedom to control their own bodies, lives and futures. More than 2 million patients each year rely on Planned Parenthood Health center services like STI testing and treatment, birth control, gender affirming care, abortion, cancer screenings and more. Reproductive health care and rights are under attack from public officials who are out of step with the will of the vast majority of Americans. The constitutional right to abortion has been stolen and politicians in 47 states have introduced bills that would block people from getting the sexual and reproductive care they need. Planned Parenthood knows that equitable access to health care, including safe, legal abortion, is a human right. Right now, Planned Parenthood needs your help to protect access to health care. Donate today by visiting planned parenthood.org protect what a weekday is brought to you by SimpliSafe if you've ever worried about the safety of your home and family, there's no better time to act. Right now. SimpliSafe is extending its massive Black Friday deal for our listeners. Get 50% off just by visiting simplisafe.com love it. This is your last chance to protect your home at Simplisafe's lowest prices of the year. I love SimpliSafe. I set up a Simplisafe, customized it for all the windows and doors I have. They're all normal shapes, normal shapes, normal shapes, normal number of windows and doors. Nevertheless, you customize it and then it arrives. You set it up very easily or they can send somebody to help you set it up. Works perfectly, incredibly reliable and the customer Support is great. SimpliSave is a new way to protect your home home that stops intruders before they break into your home. 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The holiday season is, as they say, the most wonderful time of year. It can be filled with joy and happiness, but it can also be the most stressful time of the year. Scheduling conflicts, added expenses, family dynamics and drama can all take a toll. So it's important to slow down and not lose sight of your mental well being. Therapy is a great way to do just that. Not only during this stressful time of the year, but all year long. And Better Help Online therapy is a great way to get into therapy. Better Help is designed to be convenient, flexible and built around your schedule. Just fill out a brief questionnaire to get matched with a licensed therapist that fits your needs and preferences. And once matched, you can connect via phone, video, text or chat. Whatever works for you. It's surprisingly affordable too. So this holiday season, give yourself a gift you can appreciate all year round. Therapy is great. I definitely have had times in the holidays. My therapist once said that the holidays are like her busy season. And I remember I was having a rough time and she was always like, if you ever need anything between sessions, you can always text. And I never did. I always just saved it for the sessions. But then there was one time it was like around New Year's I was like, hey, I gotta jump on the phone because I gotta say some stuff before I go to a party and if I don't say it before I go to the party, I don't know what's gonna happen. And so therapy can really help during the holidays. People get sad during the holidays. You know all the movies about how everything's perfect but everything's not Perfect. So visit betterhelp.com loveitt today to get 10% off your first month. That's betterhelp h e l p.com love it. Betterhelp.com love it. Of course, Donald Trump isn't the President right now. Technically, get this, it's a man named Joe Biden. And fun fact about him, he was born on the same day as Elvis Presley. Which isn't true. I made that up. But that's how old Joe Biden seems. To us, Biden's last hurrah should have been the 1500 people he pardoned or commuted in one day. However, people have started to comb through that list and there are some unfortunate and strange pics. For example, Biden wrote down the lady from Anatomy of a Fall even though she had been acquitted. Didn't even make it to the end of the movie. Must have fallen asleep. The president commuted the sentence of former Pennsylvania judge Michael Conahan, who was convicted in 2011 of the kids for Cash scheme, where he accepted kickbacks in exchange for wrongfully sentencing children to for profit juvenile detention facilities. He took money to fill the jails with children. Some of those kids were so wrecked by the experience, they ultimately took their own lives. It's a disgusting, cartoonishly evil scandal, like a 30 Rock style joke fucking scandal. And that sentence was commuted because President Biden commuted all the sentences of people that were released into home confinement during the pandemic at the request of certain outside groups apparently not going through and checking them. So that's a bit of a botch. Though I will say it's interesting to see people that advocate for abolition or just a general complete overhaul of the justice system, seeing a person like this judge, who is an older person and is very unlikely to reoffend, given that it's hard for him to become a corrupt judge again, being angry at. I feel like there's two pieces to it, one of which I think is completely fair, which is like, this is somebody who exploited the very system we despise to destroy lives. That it is in stark relief a kind of cartoon hyperbolic version of what the justice system does every day, which is destroys people and sends them to these for profit institutions. And you're gonna show this person mercy in a system in which so few people get mercy. And I totally respect that. There's another part of it which is people being like, yeah, I'm for prison abolition, but I want this guy to fucking pay.

[Sarah Lazarus]

But these people were on home confinement. Yes.

[Jon Lovett]

This person was on home confinement. Yes.

[Sarah Lazarus]

Yeah, that's not like that part. I can get behind home confinement. Yes. Our parole and probation systems need to be fixed. Those two things are not the same thing. And there are definitely inequalities and injustices in those. But home confinement is a much, much better option than the for profit and also frankly, like the federal jail and prison systems.

[Jon Lovett]

Sure, yeah. I wouldn't have mind this guy rot in jail.

[Hallie Kiefer]

He's already out of prison. Like that's like to commute a sentence of somebody who's already like at home, you know what I mean? Like, it's not even like, yeah.

[Jon Lovett]

And he was apparently going to be up in a couple years anyway. And so they're like, they just sort of wiped everybody, including the people that would have been up in the next couple of years. Yeah, but I do think it was like. It's interesting just to see how negative the reaction has been because, like, I felt the same thing. It's like, I remember that scandal.

[Kendra James]

It's.

[Jon Lovett]

What. It's. It was outrageous. It was outrageous. And I do think there's like, a. An understatement, like a kind of why? Like, why does this guy get mercy?

[Kendra James]

Can we make sure his home sucks a little bit? Can we make out his dishwasher?

[Jon Lovett]

I mean, I like. It's also just like, will people shout at him at restaurants? I hope so. If you've ever find yourself involved in any endeavor that could be potentially described as Cash for kids, you shouldn't get the clemency treatment. You should get the final destination treatment. He also pardoned Rita Crundwell. Her name is Crundwell, villain name. Former Illinois controller who pleaded guilty to a $54 million embezzlement scheme. Crundwell is better known by her street alias, Corn Pop Biden. Well, it's. It does like this story, too. It had this sort of. It fed in. It's feeding into the narrative of, like, Joe Biden is just quiet quitting because it's like, well, the group submitted all these names. Like, well, didn't anybody go through it? Did Joe Biden have any questions? Did anybody. We don't know. We're not getting insight. Like, maybe, but we're just not seeing it. We're not getting any sense of it. You'd think somebody political would flag the Cash for Kids judge be like, hey, let's get that guy off the list. Why? Why is that? Why are we putting that guy. Why. Why is that guy jumping to the front of the line?

[Sarah Lazarus]

Is everyone seeing it as cash for kids 2ks?

[Jon Lovett]

Oh, like the commercial. Yeah.

[Sarah Lazarus]

No, I am okay.

[Jon Lovett]

For sure. For sure. In Sky News, the drone mania in New Jersey continues. Homeland Security Secretary Alejandro Mayorkas told this week, we have not seen any foreign. We know of no foreign involvement with.

[Guest Speaker]

Respect to the sightings in the northeast.

[Jon Lovett]

And we are vigilant in investigating this matter.

[Guest Speaker]

The Department of Homeland Security with the Federal Bureau of Investigation in the lead.

[Jon Lovett]

In other words, this is the work of some kind of local kingpin who's operating out of New Jersey. A droney Soprano, if you will. As for why people are suddenly seeing so many drones at once in 2024, Mayorkas actually had an explanation.

[Guest Speaker]

And in September of 2023, the Federal Aviation Administration, the FAA, changed the rules so that drones could fly at night. And that may be one of the reasons why now People are seeing more drones than they did before, especially from dawn to dusk.

[Jon Lovett]

My theory is that these things are like the forest clowns people were seeing in 2016. And just as with the clowns, the sightings should die down once Trump takes office. They' nothing to worry about, just terrifying omens about the clowns. When asked about the mysterious drones flying over Jersey on Monday, Trump, of course, knew his job was to calm frayed nerves and avoid feeding into a frenzy of speculation and fear.

[Guest Speaker]

The government knows what is happening. Our military knows and our. Our president knows. And for some reason they want to keep people in suspense. I can't imagine it's the enemy because if it was the enemy, they'd blast it out. Even if they were late, they'd blast it. Something strange is going on. For some reason, they don't want to tell the people.

[Jon Lovett]

That's right. The president sees a story like this and thinks, I bet I can make people even crazier. That's his instinct. That is his instinct. His instinct is like, I think I can really spin this up. He's basically Frank from Always Sunny.

[Sarah Lazarus]

It's like my middle school principal who told us that the Sears Tower had been attacked on 9 11.

[Jon Lovett]

Wow.

[Hallie Kiefer]

My principal used to wear a belt and suspenders. That's the one thing I remember about him.

[Jon Lovett]

What do you do?

[Hallie Kiefer]

He'd wear a belt and suspenders.

[Jon Lovett]

You don't need both.

[Hallie Kiefer]

No.

[Jon Lovett]

The beauty of the suspenders is you get the loosey goosey feeling of the belt. I want to bring suspenders back. I want a loosey goosey waist.

[Hallie Kiefer]

Yeah. You don't wear like actual pants, though.

[Jon Lovett]

Yeah, I will wear pants.

[Hallie Kiefer]

Well, like a trouser.

[Jon Lovett]

Yeah.

[Sarah Lazarus]

With a zipper.

[Hallie Kiefer]

With a jean.

[Jon Lovett]

Yeah. I'm not going to attach it to my sweatpants.

[Hallie Kiefer]

Yeah. I will see what next year brings. Who knows what mental state will I be in?

[Jon Lovett]

And you know what that sound means, the jing that's been reinforced several times because of the hard out. I know we have. Charlotte, it's the end of the year and it is for the time being. The end of what? A weekday. And an end to me having an excuse as to why I can't go to my regularly scheduled therapy appointment that just happened to coincide with this recording. Maybe therapy's back in 2025. I hope so. I hope so. So we wanted to mark the biggest and best moments of the last 365 days. We have several categories and I will present you with the nominees and Sarah, Halle, Kendra, you will choose the winner. First off, we have 2024's biggest scam. Here the nominees. Australia sent breakdancer Ray Gun to Paris Olympics in August, despite the fact that she dances like this. Fantastic. Next up, we have the Willy Wonka Experience, or Willy's Chocolate Experience, offered through an unlicensed trip through Roald Dahl's world of pure imagination in a Glasgow warehouse this March. It was a total fucking dump. Remember that? Just a bunch of AI images. And like there was a new character called the Shadow, the unknown.

[Hallie Kiefer]

Yeah.

[Jon Lovett]

To terrify the children. Just an absolute scam. I think you got like one little chocolate if you were there earlier, and.

[Hallie Kiefer]

Like a half a cup of Sprite.

[Kendra James]

Like two jelly beans.

[Jon Lovett]

You got two jelly beans and a Sprite. And finally, this year alone, Donald Trump released gold sneakers, guitars, branded Bibles, $100,000 watch, and a signature set named what? Fight. Fight. Fight. What is the biggest scam? Was it Reagan? Was it Glasgow? Or was it the Trump financial operation?

[Sarah Lazarus]

I mean, I assume the Trump products are going to show up at your house. They're like, they're going to show up.

[Kendra James]

Something's going to show up.

[Jon Lovett]

Yeah, right, That's a good point. So in that sense, it's really the price is a scam.

[Kendra James]

You have a grift.

[Jon Lovett]

It's a grift, not a scam. Okay, so then do you think Ray Gun or Glasgow?

[Kendra James]

I got to go Willy Wonka.

[Sarah Lazarus]

I'm going Ray Gun.

[Hallie Kiefer]

I go on Ray Gun. I think just because they had the world stage and for all of us to see it, the exact omago, oh, this woman can't break dance. But there was something about that moment, a collective realization.

[Kendra James]

Yeah, Willy Wonka's very special to me. Cause just writing that up for the show, every hour a new detail would come out. It was the best day of my life.

[Jon Lovett]

I think that Glasgow was the biggest fire, if you call it a fyre fest, As a specific kind of scam, which is a group of people, it only tilts into scam because they fail so hard. They didn't intend to fail so spectacularly. They just. They both, like, kind of in over their heads. Yes. It's a combination of arrogance and stupidity and a little bit of malice. And then it all, like, it's, it's the incompetence leads to a kind of.

[Kendra James]

Malice that was also scamming children, which is funny.

[Jon Lovett]

Yes. There were a lot of sad kids. Rae Gunn takes it. Next up, oldest Joe Biden moment. Joe Biden bit several babies on Halloween at the White House. God, that's old Commander Biden was off that day. Next up, in February, Biden paused mid ice cream cone to say that he hopes Israel Han Hamas will reach a ceasefire.

[Sarah Lazarus]

Can you give us a sense of.

[Hallie Kiefer]

When you think that ceasefire?

[Guest Speaker]

I hope by the beginning of the weekend. I mean, the end of the weekend.

[Jon Lovett]

He hoped there'd be a ceasefire at the end of the weekend. That was in February of 2024. Ice cream surely melted. Next up, during the presidential debate in June, Biden said this. We finally beat Medicare. Thank you, President Biden, President Trump. And just last month, Biden appeared to wander off into the Amazon rainforest after finishing his speech for the benefit of all humanity. Thank you very, very much.

[Sarah Lazarus]

All right, I'm going to say the sunglasses, the aviators add a youth that otherwise wouldn't be there. I have to go still with the debate.

[Kendra James]

I think ice cream cone.

[Jon Lovett]

I think ice cream cone.

[Hallie Kiefer]

I think it's the baby. Just because it was already. After everything had happened, everyone's like, all right, well, you know, we've switched out to Kamala. And it was like, literally the next week, it was like, all right, he's out here biting babies, but he would.

[Kendra James]

Bite that baby at any age.

[Jon Lovett]

No.

[Kendra James]

And I want to be clear.

[Hallie Kiefer]

That's a fair point. I think it's just the baby's expression. It's just the passing on of next generation. What do you think it is?

[Jon Lovett]

I'm gonna break the Thomas the ice cream. I agree with Lazarus. I think it's just something about it.

[Hallie Kiefer]

The pause.

[Sarah Lazarus]

Terrifically old.

[Hallie Kiefer]

Yeah. Looks good, though.

[Jon Lovett]

Next up, we have the most unhinged promotional tour moment. On June 18, Justin Timberlake was arrested and later pled guilty to driving while ability impaired. According to Page Six, the singer told the police officer his arrest was going to ruin the tour. The officer asked, what tour? Timberlake replied, the world tour.

[Hallie Kiefer]

I was gonna say also, that world tour started yesterday.

[Jon Lovett]

Wow.

[Hallie Kiefer]

It did eventually happen. So he is on tour now, in case you want to see Justin Timberlake, I guess.

[Jon Lovett]

Next up, while promoting It Ends With Us, Blake Lively revealed this to E though. The iconic rooftop scene in this movie, my husband actually wrote it. Nobody knows that but you. Now, this was a surprise considering Ryan Reynolds had no role in the making of the film whatsoever.

[Hallie Kiefer]

And they apparently asked the screenwriter afterwards. She's like, I don't know anything about that, but I guess they did do something. She's like, I thought they were improvising. So they may have improvised a scene that he wrote.

[Sarah Lazarus]

No, he wrote it during the strike.

[Jon Lovett]

I think something. Look, I'm not saying. I don't know. I think there's something about. There's a few moments where. So there's another point where she was in some interview and she said that she doesn't like writing from a blank page, but she loves writing off of something that's already written. And it's like, oh, you like editing?

[Kendra James]

Yeah, easier than writing.

[Jon Lovett]

There was a few moments where it's like, oh, man, you gotta keep a few people around you that don't say yes to everything you say. Yeah, gotta keep it. Keep your feet on the ground. Blake Lively on both of them have.

[Hallie Kiefer]

Kind of overplayed their hand recently. I think it's like, you gotta scale back and maybe disappear for a year and then come back.

[Jon Lovett]

Yeah, rootin for you guys. I like some of your work, you know. In Rolling Stone interview in April, ahead of the release of her album Hit Me Hard and Soft, Billie Eilish said about masturbating, everybody should be jerking it, man. That's just true. And Dakota Johnson repeatedly went viral for her deadpan Madame Web interviews. Or Madame Web, if you're nasty like this one.

[Kendra James]

Why did that go viral?

[Jon Lovett]

I think it went viral because out of context, people were just like, what does this mean? Did you catch that at all?

[Kendra James]

No. Somebody brought this up, and I have no idea what it's about.

[Jon Lovett]

There were lots of memes because I think people were like, what is this? Just out of the context of it. It was just a very.

[Kendra James]

But isn't any sentence out of context? Out of context?

[Jon Lovett]

Yeah. And this interview from Wicked in November, the one we've all been talking about, it deserves to be part of the conversation I've seen this week.

[Kendra James]

People are taking the lyrics of Defying.

[Hallie Kiefer]

Gravity and really holding space with that.

[Jon Lovett]

I can't hear it again. We gotta stop. I just can't hear it anymore. I love it, but I can't hear. All right, what do we think?

[Kendra James]

I mean, it is recency bias, but I do think the Wicked moment is unbeatable.

[Sarah Lazarus]

Blake and Ryan went on for so long, and also there was the Justin Baldoni of it all. There was so much going on there.

[Hallie Kiefer]

Also, that movie is about domestic violence. And they would have. They had, like, cutouts you could take photos of, like, in the. In, like, the amc as if it was Wicked. It's like, why would you take a photo of this? I will say.

[Kendra James]

Kept trying to sell her shampoo, too.

[Sarah Lazarus]

Yeah.

[Hallie Kiefer]

I think what's funny about the Billie Eilish is, like, that's where we're at. Like, I Feel like society's become so prudish that, like, 15 years ago, a rock star who's like, 23 should be out. Like, I'm out here fucking. And the fact that she's like, yeah, everyone should masturbate. It's like, yeah, girl, you gotta get out of the house, you know? I don't know. Wicked, though. It's iconic.

[Jon Lovett]

Let's give it to Wicked. I think that Dakota Johnson deserves a honorary mention, because I think she was just out there figuring it out. And she did.

[Hallie Kiefer]

Oh, they let. They hug him out to dry.

[Jon Lovett]

Well, I also did. Like, she was in a godforsaken movie. And she came away looking even better, which is an amazing achievement. She went on a press tour, promoted the movie, never insulted the movie, and came out looking better even though the movie was a big, steaming pile of shit. So good for her. And finally, best animal news. We got Mu Dang. Next up, we've got a leaky fire hydrant that birthed the Bed Stuy Fish pond. We've got 43 monkeys that got loose from the Alpha Genesis research facility in South Carolina. All but four monkeys have been recovered. There are still monkeys on the loose. And finally, TikTok, Squirrel, Peanut, who is dead. So what do you got? We got the loose monkeys, we got Mu Dang, we got the pond, and we got Peanut.

[Kendra James]

I didn't give it to Peanut posthumously for making it into the election discourse.

[Jon Lovett]

Yeah, yeah, that's true. Peanut made a difference, but Peanut died.

[Hallie Kiefer]

And I feel like. So it can't be the best animal news because it ended with their tragic execution by the state.

[Sarah Lazarus]

But he did rise above his station.

[Hallie Kiefer]

And isn't that the most American story? All right, let's leave it to Peanut.

[Jon Lovett]

Peanut. Peanut. Peanut. So those are our awards. Congrats to the winners, Peanut. Ariana Grande and Cynthia Erivo, Joe Biden and Reagan. You've done it. You've won our awards. Before we go, everybody, exciting news in 2025. Love it or leave it is gonna be back. We have a bunch of live shows in Los Angeles come through. You can see what we cut from the unhinged material that doesn't make it into the video or the podcast. It's a new season of the show that dared gifts from Danny DeVito to Amy Klobuchar to ask, what is this? Where am I? Each week, we will break down the biggest and dumbest stories in politics to help you keep up with and laugh along with the news. And this season, stay tuned. We have some big guests and surprising conversations. You won't find anywhere else. In our first episodes, I'll be joined by Rachel Bloom, followed by Joel McHale and some other big guests to come. Don't miss out on Love it or Leave it in Real life. So head to crooked.com events. You can get the show dates and grab those tickets. Also, we had a bunch of amazing limited series this year that you should check out. Go to crooked.com limiteds you can listen to our podcast called Empire City which is the true story of the nypd. You can listen to Dissonant at the Doorstep which is an amazing true story about a Chinese dissonant that came to the US and went maga and a bunch of other amazing shows. Really proud of the limiteds we've made the limited series. We've made these amazing, incredibly engaging, riveting documentaries which we're really proud of. So go to crooked.com limiteds to check them out. That's our show. Thank you to everybody that has listened to what a Weekday. Thank you to everybody who is mad at us for ending what a Weekday. We've loved doing that but we've loved doing it. But certainly at the start of next year we really wanna focus and concentrate on the Saturday show and how we can make that show even better and how it can continue to change and adapt. Like I'm really proud of how this show has only gotten better over the years and how even though we've now we're heading into year nine, it never feels rote. It always feels like we're trying to make something new and interesting every single week. And I wanna make sure we keep doing that. And as we head into another Trump era, I wanna make sure you know that you can count on us to give you the best understanding of what happened that week in a way that keeps you engaged and interested and and hopeful where at all possible. So we will see you all next year. Thank you so much for listening. Have a great break. Thank you to Sarah, thank you to Hallie, thank you to Kendra, thank you to the whole team behind Love it or Leave it here in the studio and we will see you sluts in 2025 straight shoot. Love it or Leave it. Just Love it or Leave it or Leave it Love it or Leave it is a Crooked Media production. It is written and produced by me, John Lovett and Lee Eisenberg. Kendra James is our executive producer, Chris Lord is our producer and Kennedy Hill is our associate producer. Hallie Kiefer is our head writer. Sarah Lazarus and Jocelyn Kaufman, Peter Miller, Alan Pierre, Will Miles and Mohanad El Sheikhi are our writers. Evan Sutton is our editor. Kyle Seglin and Charlotte Landis provide audio support. Stephen Colon is our audio engineer, and Milo Kim is our videographer. Our theme song is written and performed by Shur Shure. Thanks to our designer, Bernardo Serna, for creating and running all of our visuals, which you can't see because this is a podcast. And to our digital producers, David Toles, Claudia Shang, Mia Kelman, and Matt De Groat for filming and editing video each week. So you just love it or leave it. We can't reignite the reclining seat debate, but all the seats are designed to recline. Everybody gets to recline.

[Hallie Kiefer]

The issue is not my going bad.

[Sarah Lazarus]

The issue is we're back on the.

[Kendra James]

Airplane now for airplanes.

[Jon Lovett]

Back on airplanes.

[Hallie Kiefer]

I want to be on my computer, and when you recline, it, like, squishes that space, and I can't have my laptop on. That's why I don't like that.

[Sarah Lazarus]

But the thing is, that is not my fault to fix or to not use. That is the airline's fault to fix.

[Hallie Kiefer]

Well, I think we have two people, four or two people against, and I feel fine about being on the against side.

[Kendra James]

So, yeah, it's definitely the air, the airline, the airplane makers fault that the seats are so close together and bad. But I still have responsibility as a person to make the best of it for everyone around me.

[Jon Lovett]

But you all, collectively. But we all. Everybody wants to recline a little bit. And everybody on the plane recognizes there's this much space behind each seat that we share. I can recline into it, and you can recline into the space behind you. That's your space. And now you don't have to use it if you don't want to, but you can donate it to the person behind you. But it's your space to use. Immoral or unethical about using it.

[Hallie Kiefer]

The issue is not the space behind. The issue is the space is in front. I feel very secure about this.

[Jon Lovett]

But you have no control over what the person ahead of you does, because that's not your space.

[Hallie Kiefer]

And I wish that we all collectively agreed that we were reclining because when.

[Kendra James]

Someone in front of you reclines, you lose this space.

[Hallie Kiefer]

Yes. The actual.

[Kendra James]

Even if I recline, I don't get that back.

[Jon Lovett]

Yeah, no, we. You.

[Sarah Lazarus]

What he's saying is that's not your space to begin with, because the chair.

[Kendra James]

That's where we disagree.

[Sarah Lazarus]

And that's what.

[Hallie Kiefer]

Because I need that space.

[Jon Lovett]

Yeah, but. But it's just the. The.

[Hallie Kiefer]

My eyes are in the front of my head. I want what's in front of me.

[Jon Lovett]

Right. But that's.

[Hallie Kiefer]

We're a front oriented species.

[Jon Lovett]

But that's. And that's true on Spirit. On Spirit airline, you get to keep.

[Hallie Kiefer]

And I am flying Spirit to Columbus. And I every. Oh, no. No rules.

[Sarah Lazarus]

Nothing.

[Jon Lovett]

Spirit.

[Kendra James]

I'd recline my seat and punch someone.

[Hallie Kiefer]

Right, right.

[Kendra James]

Because you're allowed on Spirit.

[Hallie Kiefer]

Okay, Yeah.