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- [00:01]
Louise Lucas
With VRBoCare, help is always ready before, during and after your stay. We've planned for the plot twists, so support is always available because a great trip starts with peace of mind.
- [00:16]
Brian Tyler Cohen
Another Trump firing is on the horizon.
- [00:19]
Interviewer / Host
And I interviewed Virginia State Senate President
- [00:20]
Brian Tyler Cohen
Louise Lucas about the big win on the map redraw amendment that passed this week. I'm Brian Tyler Cohen and you're listening to no Lie. Some bad news on the horizon for one particularly embattled Trump administration official who may very well be joining the ranks of Kristi Noem, Dan Bongino and Pam Bondi, according to Politico. Quote, a top White House official tells Dana Bash that Patel, Cash Patel, is likely the next cabinet level official to go. Quote, it's only a matter of time. The official who was granted anonymity discussed the sensitive matters said of the FBI director, there are several reasons, the official said, but, but top among them is the number of negative stories centered on the FBI director is, quote, not a good look for a cabinet secretary. And Trump is fed up with the level of distraction.
- [01:04]
Interviewer / Host
Now.
- [01:05]
Brian Tyler Cohen
First of all, could there be anything more Trumpian like Cash Patel is a guy who spent years being one of Trump's most loyal attack dogs. He wrote the Nunes memo, went on every podcast and Fox News hit he could find to torch the FBI from the outside, called Christopher Wray corrupt. He called the bureau, weaponized, did everything Trump asked of him. And now after all that, the reward for his blind loyalty is a White House official leaking to Politico that he's about to get tossed under the bus. But here's the thing. Kash Patel's scandals are entirely of his own making. So let's start, for example, with the jets, because this one is legitimately too perfect. Before Cash Patel became FBI director, he went on the Glenn Beck podcast and blasted then director of the FBI Christopher Wray for his and I'm going to quote Patel directly here for private jet travel that he pays for with taxpayer dollars to hop around the country. Here's that quote.
- [02:00]
Kash Patel
And I'm not saying take all their funding. I'm not the defund everything guy. I'm just saying Chris Wray doesn't need a government funded G5 jet to go to vacation. Maybe we ground that plane 15,000 every time it takes off. Just a thought.
- [02:13]
Brian Tyler Cohen
Minimum, just a thought. That was Cash Patel in 2024. Here is Cash Patel in 2025 and 2026 flying a $60 million government Gulf Stream to Pennsylvania to watch his girlfriend anthem at a wrestling event, flying to Nashville Four round trips in a single month. Flying with friends to Scotland for a golf trip, flying to the Olympics in Italy, where he was caught on camera chugging Beer in the U.S. men's hockey team locker room while there was an active cartel crisis breaking out in Mexico. And this one is my personal favorite. When reporters started tracking his flights using publicly available data, he became so irate that he fired a 27 year FBI veteran who oversaw the bureau's aviation operations. And when pressed to defend all of this, here's what Kash Patel said.
- [02:59]
Kash Patel
And if I was actually abusing it, I would go see every one of her shows. I think I get to like, 15%.
- [03:04]
Louise Lucas
Just to clarify, how often has he
- [03:07]
GoFundMe Narrator
traveled to see you since January 20th?
- [03:10]
Brian Tyler Cohen
Gosh, I think what?
- [03:13]
Louise Lucas
Nashville. Been in Nashville?
- [03:14]
Kash Patel
Like, yeah, I've been to her house a couple times with her family for the holidays and, you know, birthdays. I've seen her perform this year, I think three times.
- [03:25]
Louise Lucas
Yeah.
- [03:26]
Brian Tyler Cohen
Well, good news, everyone. Kash Patel is only abusing it like 15%, but he could totally abuse it more, and so we should really be thanking him. That is a real defense that the FBI director offered to the American people. Basically the political equivalent of saying, I only robbed the bank for a few thousand bucks. I could have stolen millions.
- [03:47]
Interviewer / Host
And lest you think that the jet
- [03:49]
Brian Tyler Cohen
stuff is the whole story, the Atlantic published a deeply reported piece based on interviews with tuda dozen sources alleging excessive drinking and unexplained absences on the job. The New York Times followed up by talking to 25 people who described Patel as running a, quote, rudderless ship. Someone who was, quote, in over his head and more concerned with his own image than actually leading the bureau. Former FBI officials described a pattern of decisions made first with everybody else left to scramble and figure out how to implement them afterward. A congressional report had agents describing him as regularly mia. He reportedly told FBI field offices in one of the first meetings, quote, if you have golf, hockey, fishing, or hunting, you're gonna see a lot of me fun. Cool thing to say when you're supposed to be running the nation's premier law enforcement agency. So look, it is beyond clear that Cash Patel is a hot mess and in way over his head and aggressively unqualified for this role. But this impending firing actually goes beyond cash. This is the deal that Trump offers everybody who enters his orbit. He will use you for exactly as long as you're useful to him. And the moment you become a liability, the moment the headlines get bad, the moment you become a distraction, you're done. Doesn't matter how loyal you were, doesn't matter how many times you went on TV for him, how many enemies you made on his behalf, how thoroughly you hollowed out an institution at his request. The second you cost him more than you're worth, you're gone. And we've seen this movie before. Michael Cohen, Jeff Sessions, Rex Tillerson, Mike Pence, Mark Milley, Bill Barr, Marjorie Taylor Greene. The list goes on and on. These are people who in many cases, gave Trump everything. And every single one of them ended up discarded the moment they were no longer convenient. So to anybody in Trump world currently watching their back, yeah, you should be. Because the lesson of the Trump administration is not that loyalty is rewarded, it's that loyalty is consumed. Kash Patel spent years burning down the credibility of the FBI for this man. And if the reporting is right, his reward is a politico leak saying he's the next one out the door. And look, I won't pretend that it's not exactly what Cash deserves. It is. But I do want you to remember it. The next time someone tells you that standing by Trump is a smart long term play. Ask Cash Patel exactly how that one worked out. Next up is my interview with Louise Lucas.
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- [06:15]
Brian Tyler Cohen
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- [06:56]
Brian Tyler Cohen
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Brian Tyler Cohen
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- [07:20]
Brian Tyler Cohen
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- [07:57]
Interviewer / Host
I'm joined by State Senator Louise Lucas in Virginia. Senator Lucas, thank you so much for joining me. You were a huge, huge, huge player in the Virginia redistricting situation that just went down a few days ago. So first off, congratulations. In light of the big win in Virginia, what is your message to other Democrats right now across the country, given the success that you've had?
- [08:19]
Louise Lucas
Well, I'll tell you one thing. When I was in a junior high school and the bullies would approach me because they were bigger, they swing, I'd punch back, you cannot allow the bullies to beat you down. And so what I would say is that people like it when they have their legislators to go out and fight for them. That's why they got elected in the first place. And so when we cower down, we lose. When we fight back, we win. And so what I would say to Democrats is now is our moment to win because we're in the best posture to take back the Congress. And I will be spending every waking hour trying to make sure we do that. But we need some more foot, we need some more boots on the ground. And so I'm asking Democrats, join me in the fight. If you don't want to be on the front line, stand behind me. But because I'm fortunate, I'm going forward.
- [09:03]
Interviewer / Host
Well, you know, there are some Democrats who look at the situation regarding redrawing these maps, like, for example, Bill Ferguson, the state Senate president in Maryland, who view this as kind of a race to the bottom. And so, you know, the way that I look at that is okay, you can, you can choose to practice good governance till you're blue in the face. It'll eventually Render you into obscurity. And so what is your message to the Bill Fergusons of the world who view this, who view engaging in this fight, who view fighting fire with fire
- [09:33]
Juan Naula
as
- [09:35]
Interviewer / Host
kind of just a scourge on the whole political process?
- [09:39]
Louise Lucas
Well, I'll tell you this. We know history is watching us and who wants to be written as one of those people who stood on the sidelines and let things happen when they were right there and could have gotten involved and made a difference. And I say to Phil Ferguson and anybody else out there who's in elective office, shame on you if you don't seize this moment to try to save our democracy because there are too many things that we stand to lose. I mean, with this administration, they're trying to turn back the hands of time on all of the progress that we've made and just shame on them if they don't join this fight.
- [10:09]
Interviewer / Host
Do you think that Democrats are starting to recognize that the posture here cannot be blind deference to good governance, that it has to be fighting with fire, fighting fire with fire?
- [10:20]
Louise Lucas
Absolutely. Absolutely. And look, let me just say this. I am as much in favor as non partisan in non partisan redistricting as anybody else. But we're at a point where we have got to save our democracy. All we're trying to do is keep Donald Trump from having this power grab that's going to render all of the power in the Congress to him unchecked. Because the members of Congress on the Republican side, they have no heart, they have no soul, they have no interest in trying to do what is in the best interest of our American people. And so it's going to take us having to do this, a temporary kind of situation, to make sure that we fight back. We're fired. Exactly.
- [11:03]
Interviewer / Host
What do you say to those Republicans who were conspicuously silent when Donald Trump told Greg Abbott that he was entitled to five seats in Texas, didn't say a word then, but are now clutching their pearls when it comes to California and Virginia.
- [11:20]
Louise Lucas
Shame on them because they knew they were wrong when it was all going down. And that is what's so disgusting about all of this. I mean, those guys have been there long enough to know that once Trump started to take power away from them, that there was no end to it. I mean, they up, you know, people all over the country, even Republicans are saying they're damn worthless. And so who wants somebody to say that about you when they, when you, you have constituent who elected you to fight for them? But you know what? They are the most do Nothing Congress we've ever had in the history of this. Of this nation.
- [11:52]
Interviewer / Host
How does the impending issues of. There's two things that are coming down the pike right now. There's the Calais case at the Supreme Court, which will be the gutting of Section 2 of the Voting Rights Act. That could mean one, two, maybe even three dozen seats eliminated. And there's also the census in 2030, which will see a bunch of blue states relinquish electoral votes to a bunch of historically red states. How do those two things kind of inform your thought process as it relates to fighting back right now and trying to go on the offensive in advance of those things happening?
- [12:31]
Louise Lucas
I think I might have said this to somebody else before. If we don't do something now, there will be a continuing erosion of our ability to stop this train. We are in a position to make sure that it does not happen. And I want history to write me as being one who was down in the trenches making sure that I did my part. And I think everybody has an inescapable responsibility to make sure that we keep America strong, that we keep our reputation, and that we remain the place to come to.
- [13:05]
Interviewer / Host
Do you want to see nationwide independent redistricting legislation?
- [13:10]
Louise Lucas
Yes, I do. And they and the members of Congress had an opportunity to make that difference. And if they had, we would be in a position that we're in now.
- [13:20]
Interviewer / Host
Yeah, I completely agree. And in fact, the irony of all of that is that we have seen. We have seen instances where Democrats have introduced legislation in to ban partisan gerrymandering nationwide. In fact, they did it in 2021 with the freedom to Vote Act. Every Democrat voted in favor of it. There wasn't a single Republican who voted for it. And so now to watch these Republicans have fainting spells over the prospect of Democrats actually returning a punch is rich given the fact that when they had the chance to eliminate the scourge of gerrymandering, they all balked at it.
- [13:51]
Louise Lucas
That part right there. And I am so extremely disgusted with the Republican members of Congress because it's what's good for the goose is not good for the gander. Well, that's not the way it is from where I came. I am a product of the civil rights movement, and even though I may not get physical, am going to fight back.
- [14:13]
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- [14:57]
Brian Tyler Cohen
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- [14:58]
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- [15:50]
Interviewer / Host
I have the pleasure of following you on Twitter and for everybody who's watching and listening right now, if you do not follow Senator Lucas on Twitter, I could not recommend a better follower, a better follow. I told this to you when we were first logging on off, off camera. But there is no bigger badass than you and I mean that in the nicest way humanly possible. Um, it is exactly the fight mentality that I wish so many Democrats kind of, kind of imbued here. And, and so have you heard from. From other folks in the party with regard to, to how your social media presence, which, which, you know, I think, I think speaks for itself, how your social media presence has maybe inspired other people to be a little bit more authentic, a little bit more aggressive?
- [16:39]
Louise Lucas
Well, I thank you for that question because yes, I have, but not just from Democrats here in the Commonwealth, but from Democrats all across the country. It is amazing. And what I say to them is that you have got to demonstrate to your constituents that you're willing to take on this fight. And what better way to do that than to go on social media? I mean, because you can't just do it by sending out postcards and.
- [17:00]
Interviewer / Host
Right.
- [17:00]
Louise Lucas
The old, an old school way of kind of doing it. So, you know, I go to social media and then of course, you know, I don't have any filter, so I just say it like it is. And what I've learned is that that's exactly what the public wants. They want to know that you're willing to get in there and slug it out. And that's who I am. That's what I do.
- [17:17]
Interviewer / Host
Well, I think that's, that's so important because, you know, I think something that's lost in our leadership is, is actually leading. Right. And it feels like politicians or Washington are the last to get on the train. Like, you have people on social media who have been begging and pleading for Democrats to fight for as long as I can remember because we are historically the party of strongly worded letters. And so, you know, to see you actually take this step and to have been such an outspoken advocate for this stuff, I think is refreshing because it's usually like, it feels like the last people that get on board with everything are always the leaders, the people who should be first. And so I use that as a lead in to ask this question, which is, now that you've been successful in Virginia, what's next on the docket? What is the next fight that if it needs to turn into a knockout brawl, that you're going to be there willing to do that?
- [18:14]
Louise Lucas
Well, I tell you what, I'm willing to go anywhere in the country to help Democrats prop them up, do whatever we have to do to make sure, understand there is a freedom in fighting. I'm telling you, I feel so. I mean, I'm just energized to go out and do even more. And I'm hoping that others will follow my lead and say, what have we to lose? We have. We could lose our democracy.
- [18:39]
Interviewer / Host
Yeah.
- [18:41]
Louise Lucas
And that is too important for me to not be as fully engaged in the fight as I can on that point.
- [18:49]
Interviewer / Host
To what degree are you concerned about the speed with which civil rights, voting rights, election integrity is eroding under this administration, an administration that seems to have given up on, on governing or being held accountable by, by, by their own voters and instead has just thrown their lot 100% in on this idea of, okay, we're not going to try to make our case to the voters, we're just going to engineer victories wherever we can by. By rigging elections.
- [19:19]
Louise Lucas
By rigging elections. Yeah. Well, that, you know, then, you know what you help. That helps Frame what I want to say, because I am a product of the civil rights movement. I grew up in the city during massive resistance. I have fight for everything all of my life. So there's nothing new about what I'm doing now. And I refuse to sit on the sidelines and see our progress. We roll back. And so if ever there was a moment when people need to get off the sideline and get involved in this fight, that time is now. I've not seen anything as egregious as this since the 60s.
- [19:59]
Interviewer / Host
You know, a lot of people who watch and listen weren't around then. And some folks who were around then, you know, don't have the same perspective as you do. And so, you know, coming from someone who has seen this before, speaking to people who haven't, can you talk about the fight that we're in right now, from people who maybe just assume because they've not lived it, that everything will be okay?
- [20:25]
Louise Lucas
Well, what I want to say to them is that if they don't think this is going to affect them, their children and their children's children, all they've got to do is keep breathing. I've lived through it before. And just to see this, it's almost like cyclical. And here we go again.
- [20:42]
Podcast Sponsor Voice
Yeah.
- [20:43]
Louise Lucas
And so, because I've seen it before, I refuse to live through it again and have my children and my grandchildren have to inherit something similar to what I grew up with back in the 50s and the 60s. No, I can't do that. People need to understand this is critical. This is our moment to make a difference, and people need to get involved. Last, please get involved.
- [21:03]
Interviewer / Host
Last question here. What gives you hope in this moment?
- [21:06]
Louise Lucas
Waking up every morning knowing that I got to get into this for my children and my grandchildren, and the fact that more young people are getting involved, that's what gives me hope. Because if you go on my social media platforms, you will see there's a huge following of young people, and they are beginning to get more and more involved. As a matter of fact, I was asked to speak at the Young Democrats State Convention, and I was so amazed, so amazed at how they gravitated to me because they, too, they too are looking for somebody who will fight. And my age didn't make a difference to them. And all of this gray hair doesn't matter. They want somebody who's in the ring fighting for them. And I tell you what, I could go with the box of clothes on or take the boxing gloves off and go bare knuckles, but at any rate, I'm out there fighting for my constituents
- [21:49]
Interviewer / Host
and I could not be I'm fighting
- [21:51]
Louise Lucas
for the Commonwealth and I'm fighting for America.
- [21:54]
Interviewer / Host
I could not be grateful, more grateful to have you in this fight. I know I speak on behalf of everybody who follows you and saying thank you for your voice in this moment. It's an honor to speak to you. Congratulations on the win in Virginia. Again, I don't believe it would have happened without you. So, so thank you so much for, for that work and for taking the time today.
- [22:13]
Louise Lucas
Thank you for having me on. I do appreciate it so much.
- [22:16]
Brian Tyler Cohen
Thanks again to Louise Lucas. That's it for this episode. Talk to you on Wednesday. You've been listening to no Lie with Brian Tyler Cohen, produced by Sam Graeber, music by Wellesley and interviews edited for
- [22:28]
Podcast Sponsor Voice
YouTube by Nicholas Nicoterra.
- [22:30]
Brian Tyler Cohen
If you want to support the show, please subscribe on your preferred podcast app and leave a five star rating and a review. And as always, you can find me Rienteller Cohen on all of my other channels. Or you can go to briantylercohen.com to learn more.
- [22:47]
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- [22:57]
Juan Naula
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Juan Naula
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- [23:37]
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