Loading summary
Transcript59 lines
- [00:01]
A
Trump's new budget says a lot of things that Trump probably would have liked to avoid saying. And I've got two interviews. Robert Garcia discusses the validity of Pambani's subpoena now that she's been fired. And Ro Khanna discusses the acting Attorney General Todd Blanche's claim that the Epstein scandal is now behind us. I'm Brian Tyler Cohen, and you're listening to no Lie. So I'm not sure that you could have had a worse timed announcement than the one that Donald Trump himself just put out. So he's proposed a 1.5 Trump trillion dollar defense budget. The current defense budget, just to give you an idea here, is about $875 billion. So this would be almost double global military spending in 2025 was 2.5 trillion, meaning the US would be responsible for 60% of the world's spending on the military. All at the hands of the guy who spent the year leading up to his election saying that his winning will mean no new wars. In fact, he's been singing this tune for years. Back in 2019, Trump tweeted, quote, The United States has SPE trillion dollars fighting and policing in the Middle East. Thousands of our great soldiers have died or been badly wounded. Millions of people have died on the other side. Going into the Middle east is the worst decision ever made, end quote. And now that same guy is asking for $1.5 trillion per year to go back to the Middle East. And all of this would be bad enough unto itself, right? But worse is what Donald Trump is cutting in order to fund his forever war, to fund this new $1.5 trillion budget. So here's just a small sampling of what he would. He would cut the EPA budget by half, cut $10.7 billion for housing, 8.5 billion for K through 12 programs, $15 billion for clean energy, 2.5 billion for clean drinking water, 1.6 billion for youth job training, 3.5 billion from the Labor Department, $395 million for senior employment, 775 million in food assistance grants, eliminate the National Endowment for democracy, cut $5 billion from the National Institutes of Health, eliminate the Low Income Housing Energy Assistance Program, and the list of goes on and on and on. So just to make sure you're caught up, Trump ran a campaign against forever wars and in favor of America first policies. Then he got into office and immediately launched a trade war that raised the cost of everything. Then he cut Medicaid for 17 million Americans and food assistance for millions. Then they stripped ACA subsidies for 24 million Americans. Then they forced inflation to an expected 5.2% level, which is nearly double the rate it was when Biden left office. And now, on top of all of that, they're looking to cut billions and billions of dollars from dozens of domestic programs to pay for bombs in the Middle East. A war that has cost the lives of more than a dozen Americans so far has no plan, no objective, seems to be creating more problems than it's solving, has resulted in a regime change from Khamenei to Khamenei and cost billions of dollars per day. I'm not sure how it would be physically possible to have a less America first agenda, other than, I don't know, maybe just dropping our entire discretionary budget in unmarked bills right on top of Tehran. In fact, this isn't even a fluke. This anti America first sentiment has become a recurring theme for Trump. This was him just days ago.
- [03:16]
B
Don't send any money for daycare because the United States can't take care of daycare. That has to be up to a state. We can't take care of daycare. We're a big country. We have 50 states. We have all these other people. We're fighting wars. We can't take care of daycare. You got to let a state take care of daycare. And they should pay for it, too. They should pay. They have to raise their taxes, but they should pay for it. And we could lower our taxes a little bit to them to make up for it, but it's not possible for us to take care of daycare. Medicaid, Medicare, all these individual things, they can do it on a state basis. You can't do it on a federal. We have to take care of one. Military protection. We have to guard the country. But all these little things, all these little scams that have taken place, all you have to. You have to let states take care of them, Russell, and you have to do it.
- [04:09]
A
And something tells me that you're going to be hearing that a few more times between now and November. But here's whose shoulders all of this is going to fall on. Yes, of course, Donald Trump's. But the rest of his party is just as much to blame. Like, I want to make sure that that's absolutely clear. They have had the chance numerous times to rein him in. They never take it. Instead, they allow him to do whatever he wants at every turn, which means they own what's happening here just as much as he does. You don't get to give Trump a glide path to full government control for a year and a half and then pretend that you've got a spine at the 11th hour when it comes time to campaign. And I think even Republicans are starting to recognize as much, which is why there are already a record number of retirements by Republicans in the House, even. Even more than in 2018, when Democrats would win the House by the biggest margin in modern American history, pick up 40 seats. These people took the easy route. They didn't want to invite Trump's ire or, you know, be on the receiving end of a mean tweet, God forbid. And now they're entering a midterm cycle where anyone who's in a seat that Republicans won by 15 points or less in 2024 is suddenly at risk of losing. And that was before Trump's big budget announcement, before he decided that we need to double our military budget to drop endless bombs in the Middle east, even if it means cutting health care, cutting housing, cutting education and drinking water and food assistance and every other domestic priority that Americans rely on. So, for the rest of his party, for the rest of the gop, I suppose my message is that it felt like the path of least resistance. Hitching your wagon to Trump. How's it feeling right about now? Next up are my interviews with Robert Garcia and Ro Khanna. No Lie is brought to you by Zebiotics Pre Alcohol. Let me tell you, if there is a surefire way to wake up feeling fresh after drinks with friends, it's pre alcohol. So I'm in my late 30s. Because I work in politics, I basically age in dog years, which is why it's really welcome to have a product like Pre Alcohol. That actually makes my life easier, as everything else feels like it's getting more difficult. So what is Pre Alcohol Zebiotics? Pre Alcohol Probiotic drink is the world's first genetically engineered probiotic. It was invented by PhD scientists to tackle rough mornings after drinking. It's here's how it works. When you drink, alcohol gets converted into a toxic byproduct in the gut. It's a buildup of this byproduct, not dehydration, that's to blame for rough days after drinking. Pre alcohol produces an enzyme to break this byproduct down. Just remember to make pre alcohol your first drink of the night. Drink responsibly and you'll feel your best tomorrow. Every time I have pre alcohol before drinks, I notice a major difference the next day. Even after a night out, I can confidently plan on being on camera without worry. And trust me, you would Notice if I had to go about this without any help, I am a pretty, pretty terrible liar. From the fairways in Augusta to the first pitch of baseball season to the start of festival circuits, April is a sprint of outdoor celebrations. Don't let a rough next day keep you on the sidelines. Drink pre alcohol to stay ahead of the game and make the most of every sunny Saturday. Go to ZBiotics.com BTC to learn more and get 15% off your first order when you use BTC at checkout. Zebiotics is backed with a 100% money back guarantee, so if you're unsatisfied for any reason, they'll refund your money, no questions asked. Remember to head to ZBiotics.com BTC and and use code BTC at checkout for 15% off. I'm joined now by the ranking member of the House Oversight Committee, Robert Garcia. Congressman, thanks for joining me.
- [07:27]
C
Sure thing.
- [07:28]
A
So the news today, obviously, is that Pam Bondi has been fired by Donald Trump. The question remains, though, that given the fact that she's out of her position now, will the subpoena compelling her to come testify for a closed door deposition with the House Oversight Committee still apply for April 14?
- [07:44]
C
It does apply. First, the subpoena we put in place does not have any mention of whether the fact, you know, she's AG or not the subpoenas for Pam Bondi. And so whether she is in the position or not, she legally is required to appear before the oversight committee on April 14, which is a date that Comer set for her to come. We've checked this already out today with all the, all the lawyers and the attorneys. And so she now has to come testify. She can come and do the right thing and finally be honest about actually what happened, why the COVID up, why 50% of the files have not been released. And look, she no longer has to work for Donald Trump. So let's actually get to the truth.
- [08:22]
A
What happens in the event that she refuses to comply?
- [08:25]
C
If she refuses to comply, I'll be the first one to submit contempt charges against her because she would have to then be accountable to the entire Congress. I mean, look, we had Bill Clinton and Hillary Clinton come testify. We had the former AG Bill Barr come testify about the Epstein files. There's no reason why the one person that probably knows more in the current government about this investigation shouldn't stand and before us under oath and give full testimony.
- [08:54]
A
So the Oversight Republicans released a statement saying, quote, since Pam Bondi is no longer Attorney General, Chairman Comer will Speak with Republican members and the Department of Justice about the status of the deposition subpoena and confer on next steps. Does that sound to you like, like James Comer and Oversight Republicans are looking for an out?
- [09:12]
C
Well, what it didn't sound like to me was saying that she didn't have to come testify. I think that James Comer knows that the only way to reverse that subpoena is to come in front of the committee again and force a vote for us to actually remove the subpoena. And I think there's enough Republicans there that likely will keep their courage like they did last time and actually ensure the subpoena actually moves forward. And so Comer cannot somehow retract the subpoena on his own or even with him and Republicans because he was voted by the entire committee and done in a way that was bipartisan. And so she must come in to testify unless he tries to pull some type of major vote in the committee. And I'm not sure that all Republicans would go along with that.
- [09:53]
A
Well, it's worth asking too. What would the rationale be for wanting Pam Bondi there as Attorney General and to get some answers as to what's going on, but suddenly not wanting to hear from her two weeks from now, even though she's not in that role? It's not like her. I mean, it's not like her mind is erased. And so any information that she has about the suppression of the Epstein files, for example, about why Ghislaine Maxwell was moved to a low security prison, she doesn't, she doesn't lose that information. She would still be able to answer those questions whether she's Attorney General or not.
- [10:26]
C
That's exactly right. And look, I think it's also pretty evident that Donald Trump probably doesn't want her to testify. He probably didn't want her to testify as aggressive. He certainly doesn't want her to testify as a private citizen, not as Attorney General. I think that. Now, look, she's got to think about herself. She is not going to be working for Donald Trump. She's going to be under oath. She could be held in contempt. She certainly should not be lying to the Congress. Certainly as a private citizen. She has no executive privilege. And so I think this is an opportunity for her to actually do the right thing and help us get to the truth and help us move this investigation forward. There are too many survivors out there that need justice. And this is an opportunity for her to come in and actually tell us why there has been this White House cover up. Who Directed it. Who directed the move? Ghislaine Maxwell to a less secure prison. These questions have to be answered in
- [11:19]
A
terms of accountability for Pam Bondi, if indeed she does refuse to comply with this lawful subpoena. Can you talk about the statute, statute of limitations, Even though, you know, in, during this administration, obviously there's nobody the DOJ who would seek to hold her accountable. But what could it look like in subsequent administrations?
- [11:40]
C
Right. Well, look, all subpoenas are essentially active within that Congress within that period of time. And so, you know, right now, obviously we're here till through the end of the year. She has to comply and we would move to hold her in contempt immediately if she didn't comply with the subpoena. And certainly as a private citizen, she doesn't have the, the Department of Justice or the President able to play games as it relates to her and her scheduling. I think she's going to be quite available here in the next couple of weeks.
- [12:07]
D
Yeah.
- [12:08]
C
In addition, we're going to our plan and certainly mine. We're going to win the Congress and we're going to win back the House. And if she thinks she's going to try to evade or distract, it's just not possible. It's better for her to get out in front of this now. Gave us the truth and tell us why they've docked survivors names. Why the COVID up? Why is Donald Trump's name been removed, put back and then removed from the files? Why they, why the president say this was a hoax and try to shut down the investigation? So there's a lot of questions to ask and I think, I think we're going to be hearing from her in the weeks ahead.
- [12:41]
A
You had mentioned that the subpoena is valid for, for this Congress, but would defying a congressional subpoena, would, would that crime only be valid during this Congress or is that something that could be prosecuted even after this Congress is over?
- [12:57]
C
We can take that to court and prosecute as long as necessary. I mean, I think at the end of the day, what's ironic here, and the Attorney General knows this, I mean, she's going to be in front of us whether it's now or in the future, because on day one of our Democratic controlled Congress, I'll be sending out the subpoena to have Pam Bondi in. So there's not going to be a need to, for there to be any sort of limitations on that subpoena because she either comes in now, she comes in when I chair the committee. So I think that's going to be the important thing. I think she knows that she is the ag so she, she's going to understand that.
- [13:34]
A
I know that it's impossible for me to ask you to get into anybody's head on the right or within this administration. But recognizing that Pam Bondi knows where all the skeletons are buried and clearly there are skeletons, you don't engage in a government wide cover up, you know, for, for fun, right. Like this administration has been beating its chest about how transparent they are. But on the Epstein files, they have played games since day one and so wreck. Recognizing the extent to which Pam Bondi knows where all the skeletons are buried. Is there a world where Donald Trump has put himself at risk by virtue of, you know, discarding her, given the fact that she knows what she knows?
- [14:12]
C
I think, I think there is a world where that's possible. I think it's interesting that obviously Donald Trump has launched this war in Iran. It's been, I think he views it also as a distraction from all of his other problems, including the Epstein files. Last night he gives this non speech that is really no new information about the war or why we're actually there. And then the day after he now then of course removes Pam Bondi and immediately the Epstein files and his cover up are back in the news. And so I think it's just ironic that he continues to try to distract us from the story. But it won't go away. And it won't go away because the survivors are committed to justice and we're committed to justice. And he continue to distract, continue to talk about other issues. But we're not going to let this go until there's actually closure, until there's prosecutions against many of the men that did the abuse. She knows who those men are. She, and she also knows why we haven't prosecuted them. So those are the questions that we're going to ask her.
- [15:12]
A
You know, in terms of the person who is expected to take over for Pam Bondi, first of all, Todd Blanche will be acting Attorney General. And then it's expected that Lee Zeldin will take over. But prior to Lee Zeldin, I mean, Todd Blanche is also the person responsible for, you know, interviewing Ghislaine Maxwell, which resulted in the reward of moving her from the prison she was at in Florida to a low security prison in Texas. And so, you know, I think people look at Pam Bondi and say, well, thank God she's out. But do you have any confidence that the person who's replacing her, at least in the immediate future, is not just as bad or worse.
- [15:49]
C
Well, as we know, Todd Blanche was Donald Trump's former personal lawyer. I mean, literally his personal attorney. Now he's the Deputy ag. He's the same one that went out of his way to visit Ghislaine Maxwell, and then all of a sudden, she gets this move, right, to this less secure facility, and no one still will tell us how that happened or who directed that. It's insane that no one has admitted to who actually gave the orders and to move Ghislaine Maxwell to a less secure prison. Pam Bondi knows who did it. Was it her? Was it the president? So I think that the public has a right to know, the right to transparency, and the survivors certainly have a right to know. She's a monster. She's a liar. She herself abused women. She was Jeffrey Epstein's clearly not just partner, but her partner in creating this huge sex trafficking ring that went on to abuse, what, a thousand women and girls. So I think the idea that we still don't know why that move happened and that that person that apparently was the one meeting with Ghislaine Maxwell and orchestrated this, under whose direction we're not sure of yet, is going to be the interim ag. Give me a break. I mean, this is all part of the same corruption. Todd Blanche needs to be nowhere near the doj, and it'll be interesting to see who Donald Trump actually puts in Pambandi's place permanently.
- [17:09]
A
Last question here. In the event that Todd Blanche takes over for Pam Bondi as Acting Attorney General, is that something that he would have to get confirmed for, or is that automatic? And the reason I asked that is because, you know, there are these confirmation hearings where these nominees have to answer for their actions in front of Congress. And so that could be an opportunity for somebody to ask Todd Blanche what the deal was in terms of this. This cushy new gig for Ghislaine Maxwell.
- [17:34]
C
Yeah, I mean, a lot of it depends on how long they're in office, but if it's going to be a short window, which it appears it's going to be, Todd Blanche will not be confirmed by the Senate, likely. And of course, then, then the process will start for whoever the actual permanent Secretary is going to be, the Attorney General.
- [17:51]
A
In the case of Bambondi, we'll leave it there. Congressman, as always, thanks for the time and. And thank you for staying on top of this issue.
- [17:57]
C
Thank you.
- [18:01]
A
No lie is brought to you by Helix. So, something that you may not know about me is that I was a personal trainer for about a decade before I got into politics and I've spent a lot of my life learning how to be healthy. I and there is no better place to start than with a good night's sleep. Now I'm a pretty poor sleeper. I toss and turn. I wake up really easily. It's hard to get to sleep until I got a Helix mattress. Now I have the Helix Midnight Elite. I'm getting uninterrupted seven to eight hours of sleep, which means I am completely set up for success the next day as opposed to feeling exhausted before I even hit the halfway point of my of my day. It is so comfortable and so soft. I went from tossing and turning for hours before falling asleep to actually just falling asleep in minutes. Your mattress really does make a huge difference. So why Helix? There's free shipping and seamless delivery. Helix delivers your mattress right to your door with free shipping. In the US there's the 120 night sleep trial and limited lifetime warranty. There's the Happy with Helix guarantee which offers a risk free customer first experience designed to ensure that you're completely satisfied with your new mattress. And of course, Helix is the most awarded mattress brand tested and reviewed by experts like Forbes and wired. Go to helixsleep.com BTC for 20% off site wide. That's helixsleep.com BTC for twenty percent off site wide. Make sure you enter our show name after checkout so that they know we sent you. Helixsleep.com BTC I'm joined now by Congressman Ro Khanna. Congressman, thanks for joining me.
- [19:24]
D
Always a pleasure.
- [19:25]
A
So I want to play some sound right now of the Acting Attorney General, the new Acting Attorney General Todd Blanche. As it relates to the fc the
- [19:33]
E
Epstein files, you'd agree not handled well. And I don't. First of all, I have never heard President Trump say that the Attorney General wasthanything that happened to her had anything to do with the Epstein files. And so look, the Epstein files has been a saga that's lasted for the entirefor the past year. And what happened when the President signed the Transparency act is the Department of Justice has now released all the files with respect to to the Epstein saga and the Attorney General Bondi and I appeared in front of Congress voluntarily a couple weeks ago to answer any questions they had. We have made every single congressman Senator available to come and see any document redacted, unredacted that they want. And so I think that to the extent that the Epstein files was a part of the past year of this Justice Department, it should not be a part of anything going forward.
- [20:22]
A
So that was Todd Blanche saying two things that caught my attention. One was that the DOJ has now released all of the files with respect to the Epstein sag. And the second, he says to the extent the Epstein files was a part of the past year of this Justice Department, it should not be a part of anything going forward. So basically this is him trying to say that, you know, the whole Epstein scandal has just gone out the door with Pam Bondi, nothing to see here, and the whole thing, you know, like my whole slate is wiped clean. So do you accept that the DOJ has now kind of closed the door as it relates to the Epstein files?
- [20:57]
D
Well, Brian, you know it's bad when Jesse Watters from Fox News is saying the Epstein files didn't go well. Yeah, I mean, the reality is that this is Trump's own base that has turned on the administration because of the COVID up. And Todd Blanche is going to realize what Pam Bondi, very close, very soon realized that unless Todd Blanche releases the 3 million files, the remaining 50% of files that need to be released, and unless he starts investigations and prosecutions, he's going to face the same fate as Pam Bondi, as will any new attorney General. The American people want action, they want prosecutions, and they want the rest of the files out.
- [21:40]
A
Do you think that Trump's tactic here, his strategy was to fire Pam Bondi and hope that Todd Blanche could do exactly what he did, which is to come in and say, you know, now that the whole Epstein file thing, that was a Pam Bondi situation and now that she's out, it goes with her. Do you think that that was the, that was the thought process behind her firing?
- [22:01]
D
I do think that played a huge role. I mean, I think Trump has been trying to get this Epstein story to go away all year. He first thought he could do it by just having Pam Bondi say, oh, we're done, the files are, there's nothing to see. Then he thought, okay, I'll sign Conan Massey's law and we'll get this over with. But he has only made the situation worse. Every time they say move on, it actually gets people to dig in and say, what are they covering up? Why aren't they going after these rich and powerful men who prosecuted these young girls? If they want the story off the front pages, it's pretty simple. Release the rest of the files, announce you're doing investigations and prosecutions and make the story the investigation of people like Les Wexner and Leon Black, who have very serious allegations, as opposed to the story being they're hiding the Epstein files and they're protecting rich and powerful men.
- [22:52]
A
Do you think it was a coincidence that Pam Bondi was ousted less than two weeks before she was set to. To participate in a sworn deposition?
- [23:01]
D
These are really leading questions that. Right, of course. Of course it was not a coincidence. The reality is that Pam Boney still needs to testify. If they could have Hillary Clinton, who hasn't been in office for 20 years, testify, they certainly could have Palm Bondi testify. But I knew. I think they knew it would be a disaster. When you've lost Nancy Mace, when you've lost Tim Burchard, when you've lost Republicans on the committee, they know that this was walking into a real nuclear situation and that Republicans on the committee would have asked her, why did they hide the files? Why are they no investigations? Why are they no prosecutions?
- [23:36]
A
Do you anticipate that Pam Bondi, given the fact that we've heard from even Republicans like Nancy Mace that Pam Bondi will comply with this subpoena? And I should add that it was not a subpoena given to the Office of the Attorney General. This was a subpoena to Pam Bondi. To Pam Bondi. And so. And so do you anticipate that she'll still comply with that subpoena even though she's been fired?
- [23:58]
D
She needs to. The reality is that the Republicans on the committee voted with me to subpoena her. Nancy Mace. And I have reached out to Nancy Mace to say we've got to continue to enforce this, but they're gonna try. Comer's trying to wiggle out, and we can't let him get away with that. I mean, especially after they set the precedent of getting Hillary Clinton in there.
- [24:20]
A
Yeah. In terms of the new Attorney General, Todd Blanche, or the acting Attorney General, Todd Blanche, do you have any confidence that he's going to be in any way a responsible steward of this issue?
- [24:31]
D
Not at all. He's the one who's been leading it. I mean, Pam Bondi has been out making the public statements, but Blanche has been running it. And he's the one who has said, oh, this was just a bunch of men partying, as opposed to acknowledging the rape and the abuse that took place. I think he doesn't get it. I think he really thinks this is a bunch of rich and powerful people having fun and having personal pleasure in terms of affairs or things that are legal. No, this was the sexual abuse of minors. This was trafficking. This was rape. And he has proven that incapable of dealing with this.
- [25:08]
A
Well, so if he has proven incapable of dealing with this and Pam Bondi, and Pam Bondi was already obstinate enough not to release 3 million files. How do you move forward? How do you have any forward progress here given the fact that the new AG or the interim AG is not gonna be in any way a willing participant?
- [25:27]
D
We need to make this the issue of the confirmation hearings. I expect that Trump will nominate very soon someone new. And we need to make the release of the Epstein files and the investigations and prosecutions the whole issue. Look, in 99% of other issues, this strategy works for Donald Trump. Move on, fire someone else, blame them, a clean slate, and let's start again. Epstein is different. And the reason it's different is that his base cares about this. His base is following this closer than people on our side are. They were told that Donald Trump would go after the pedophiles. They were told that we had a corrupt government that was being run by pedophiles who were Democratic donors. This was the promise they were made. And Donald Trump gets into office and he's protecting pedophiles. He gets into office and he's protecting this Epstein class. So they are not going to say, okay, now that we have blanched, let's just move on. And this is what Donald Trump finds so frustrating, because this tactic of moving on works for every other thing. But what Massey and I did by building this coalition is forced Donald Trump to fire his own Attorney General, force the release of 3 million files. And frankly, it shows that Democrats need to stop wailing and self pitying and walking around in doomerism with Donald Trump or just engaging in tweets and viral videos and come up with the effective strategies to actually take him on. We've shown that you can do that.
- [26:50]
A
How long can Todd Blanche serve in this acting capacity before an actual permanent Attorney General has to be nominated and confirmed?
- [27:00]
D
Well, he can go on quite a long time, but he won't be effective. And we need to continue to have the pressure on him to release the Epstein files and to prosecute people who were responsible. And I hope that will be the concerted voice of the Democratic Party that we don't let our foot off the paddle in seeking justice for these survivors. You know, when Robert De Niro is speaking about the Epstein class at the no Kings rally, that this has broken through, that people are outraged about what happened to the survivors. And it's very personal. I mean, Virginia Giuffre's brother called me yesterday. It's approaching her one year memorial on April 25th. They're going to be out in the park in Washington. I mean, these survivors and their families have gone through deep trauma. We owe it to them to finish the job.
- [27:52]
A
Is there support for an effort to subpoena Todd Blanch now? Not only because he's gonna be the person that's responsible for releasing the Epstein files, but also it's not like he wasn't, I mean, to your exact point earlier. It's not like he hasn't already been a part of this. He is the one who spoke to Ghislaine Maxwell and then five minutes later she was moved from her prison in Florida to a low security prison in Texas. So he's already been a major player in this cover up. And so would there be support for a subpoena for Todd Blanche?
- [28:24]
D
Yes, but first we need Bamboo Pam Bondi to come. Both Pam Bondi and Blanche briefed the committee a few weeks ago. And I don't want to have a subpoena. Blanche and then Bondi say, okay, you're going to get Blanche, you don't need me. So I think as soon as we get Bondi, we'll have an effort to get Blanche as well.
- [28:43]
A
And do you have any update from the Bondi team in terms of whether she's showing any, any interest in complying with that?
- [28:52]
D
We have not yet, but she needs to comply. I mean, the only thing that would let her off the hook is if Colmer suddenly said, okay, the subpoena is no longer relevant. That would be enormously political. It would undermine his credibility, especially when you've had former office holders testify who were Democrats. And so I don't think he has the leg to stand on. But Pambani has to come. In fact, she's free to speak her mind now and tell the truth. There's no constraint of prior office.
- [29:20]
A
Does Colmer have the ability to do that unilaterally or does that take a full vote of the committee to be able to rescind that subpoena?
- [29:27]
D
Well, he could. It takes a vote to rescind it, but he could play games and scheduling and.
- [29:34]
A
Right. And just. And just not schedule her.
- [29:36]
D
Basically not schedule her. And he could argue that the subpoena needs to be revoted on because it was given while she was Attorney General. I mean, I. All of these don't have validity, but he could drag it out.
- [29:46]
A
Okay, and my last question here is, in the event that Pam Bondi chooses not to comply because she sees that the DOJ is run by, you know, her, her own pals. And that at the end of the day, the agency that would be tasked with holding her accountable is never gonna do anything to her. What is the recourse in that event? Is it that, you know, you rely on the statute of limitations and you wait for a Democratic Department of Justice to prosecute her later?
- [30:11]
D
Well, we could hold her in contempt of Congress. We. Which, of course, Steve Bannon was held in and was actually sent to jail. There's a reason the Clintons ultimately complied. A former president complied. He didn't want to have a vote where Congress held him in contempt.
- [30:29]
A
But both of those instances were, were when the opposition party was in a position where they ran the doj. And so in this instance, you know, it's still Trump's doj. And so Pam Bondi probably doesn't feel the pressure, the same pressure that the Clintons did when they came in, you know, when they had to come in and testify or when Steve Bannon had, was held in contempt under the Biden administration.
- [30:54]
D
True. But if we hold her in contempt, we will have a Democratic president in 2029. And a lot of these things, it can be prosecuted then. So if I were Pam Bondi, I wouldn't be betting on President Vance as my get out of jail free card. I mean, I do think that more and more people are realizing that Trump's going to soon be a lame duck, that his numbers are in the tank, that he's gotten us into a war that is killing American service members and jacking up gas prices, that his ICE agency is out of control, that he's become a protector of pedophiles, that prices have gone up and that he's betrayed his promises, and that we're going to have a major victory in 26 and 28. And that actually is what gives me more confidence of us getting compliance and getting justice for survivors. It's a very political town. And, you know, the only time people start jumping off the bandwagon is when they see you sinking and Trump has started to sink.
- [31:50]
A
Perfect place to leave off. Congressman, as always, I appreciate the time.
- [31:54]
D
Thank you.
- [31:55]
A
Thanks again to Robert Garcia and Ro Khanna. That's it for this episode. Talk to you Wednesday. You've been listening to no Lie with Brian Tyler Cohen, produced by Sam Graeber, music by Wellsy and interviews edited for YouTube by Nicholas Nicotera. 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 Ryan Tyler Cohen on all of my other channels. Or you can go to briantylercohen.com to learn more.