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- [00:00]
iHeart Advertising Announcer
This is an iHeart podcast. Guaranteed Human.
- [00:04]
Apollo Sales Pitch Announcer
Tired of juggling sales tools or spending hours on prospecting just to book a few meetings? Meet Apollo, the go to market platform for finding leads, connecting with buyers and closing deals all in one place. Apollo gives you access to over 210 million contacts and AI that handles all your busywork, finding leads, drafting emails, and even prioritizing your day. So stop paying for five different sales tools when one does it all. Visit Apollo I.O. and sign up free today.
- [00:33]
Steve Gruber
You know what your customers are doing right this second? The exact same thing. You are listening to me. Which, let's be honest, is kind of flattering. But my point Is, ads on iHeartRadio actually get heard in the car, at the gym, on the couch while people are walking their dogs. Who's a good boy? Who's a good boy? You're a good boy.
- [00:51]
Sam Erejawski
That's right, dude. You're a good.
- [00:53]
Steve Gruber
So why not make the next ad about you? Get started today. Call 844-844-I or go to iheartadvertising.com that's 844-844-Iheart or iheartadvertising.com this is America's Voice live. And welcome to America's Voice Live. I'm Steve Guru, the pulse of the people. We need somebody that's going to hear the people's voice, the truth the mainstream won't touch. This guy is by definition a globalist. And the stories that matter, Rav's own Ben Berklam right up over this hill got on cartel.
- [01:24]
iHeart Advertising Announcer
I see him, I see him. I see him.
- [01:28]
Steve Gruber
Live. Breaking news here on real America's Voice. These people are domestic terrorists and unapologetic. We're here to take a stand for God and country. Does feel good. America's Voice Live starts now.
- [01:44]
Welcome to America's Voice Live. I'm Steve Gruber. It is Thursday the 4th of December in the year of our Lord 2025. Let's get to the day's top stories. As always, thank you for joining us here on America's Voice Live. We appreciate you spending time with us today. An arrest has been made in connection with the pipe bombs planted near the Republican and Democratic national committees back in D.C. the day before. J6. Remember that. Now we may be able to find out more information as to what actually happened and why. Details on the way. Also, the House Oversight Committee is launching a probe into Governor Tim Walsh handling of a state relief program now at the center of what federal prosecutors call the largest Covid fraud scheme in America. A billion dollars, maybe. More details coming up. And then later, a new study has revealed that American citizens are moving to states with lower tax burdens. Imagine that, showing the tax policy actually matters to Americans, especially as the economy recovers under President Trump after four years of the Biden administration. All that and more coming your way today. So stay right here. Meanwhile, let's start off with that breaking news. As I said, an arrest has been made in connection with pipe bombs planted near the Republican and DNC headquarters in D.C. the day before the January 6 protests in 2021. Cash Patel and Pam Bondi held a press conference earlier and identified the suspect in question as Brian Cole Jr. The arrest comes after a nearly five year investigation. Join me to discuss this is a former FBI officer and former Navy SEAL Jonathan Gilliam, as well as a former FBI retired assistant director, Chris Piotta. Chris, let's start with you today. Look, five years on and from what I heard in the press conference today, there's no new evidence, no, no new tip, no magic bullet, if you will. Just good old fashioned police work. They brought in new eyes and suddenly they've tracked down a suspect in a few months. What do you make of what you've heard?
- [03:32]
Chris Piotta
Well, Steve, hello. Good to be with you. What you see here is the classic cold case approach, right? You bring in new eyes, you bring in new perspectives, and you also bring in new energy. With the new leadership team at the FBI, they made it a priority. They push for results. And also when you have some of this extant data and extant evidence like this, sometimes new folks will have new approaches and they'll bring new uses of available technology and it generates investigative leads.
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Steve Gruber
Jonathan, you know, that may be true. There could be new technology, but it was grainy footage. You could only enhance that so much. His face was pretty well covered. Tens of thousands of those infamous Nike shoes had been tracked down. But it seems to me, Jonathan, and maybe I'm being cynical here, was this the priority of the Biden administration? I mean, they tracked down 1500 people, including grandmoms, that were in the capitol building for 38 seconds and arrested them. But somehow they didn't track this guy down for five years. I might be cynical, but doesn't that make you scratch your head a little bit?
- [04:35]
Jonathan Gilliam
It sure does. And as Chris would tell you, you know, we look at the totality of the circumstances when we do an investigation. In this case, I'm looking at the totality of two different things. I'm looking at the totality of the evidence and the things that were looked at by the previous investigators versus the new investigators. If there's nothing new, then perhaps the other investigators weren't looking at it through the proper lens or they just didn't put the puzzle together in the right way. But I'm also looking at the totality of how this went nowhere and how all of a sudden it's come to the conclusion of an arrest by the same agency. And.
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Brett Jensen
And.
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Jonathan Gilliam
But the difference in that agency is that there's a different leader and a different administration and different investigators. So I have to ask, was there an intent to let it go away? Was there motivation to step away from it? And how does that differ from the intent and the motivation investigators that are there now? So I think that's a good question to ask, and I would like if Cash Patel actually looked into that just as much as he's looked into this and made forward progress.
- [05:53]
Steve Gruber
And, gentlemen, let's be clear. These were operational pipe bombs. These weren't some science experiment. These weren't some neutral bomb in a backpack. These were real. These were live bombs in our nation's capital outside the DNC and the rnc. I mean, this is should be priority one. And it feels like there was an urgency. I mean, it's been a cold case for a number of years now. And as we learn more about Brian Cole Jr. 30 years old, lives out in suburban Virginia, about 30 miles from the nation's capital, in what appeared to be a pretty nice home and a pretty nice subdivision, I guess. You know, Chris, I don't want to say that there's a preconceived notion, but it kind of struck me as unusual when I saw the setting that the FBI was raiding today. Your thoughts?
- [06:37]
Chris Piotta
Well, I don't think anything's unusual when you come to this type of activity. It could have been ideologically driven. It could have been driven by, you know, personal problems, personal beliefs, or just some sort of a triggering event in this person's life. So we never tried to have any kind of preconceived models or ideas in conducting these investigations, because that's where you can either miss things or you can go down what we used to call like investigative sewer pipes to nowhere. So hard to say whether it was a good model or not, where he is, where he's from, but however they got his identification, good for the FBI.
- [07:20]
Steve Gruber
Yeah. Now, both of you are veterans of the FBI. You both worked in the Bureau. Let's be honest about this, Jonathan. I didn't have a lot of faith in the FBI through James Comey and Christopher WRAY For a variety of reasons that I think are legitimate, I think a lot of Americans feel the same way. And then they see this, this case sat there for almost five years and in comes a new group of people and again, fresh eyes and new investigative procedures and sometimes that'll shake something loose. But again, no new information, no new evidence, no tip. Nobody's going to claim that $500,000, it appears, at least from what we know at this point, it to me. Do you feel better about the Department of Justice today with Pam Bondi, with Cash Patel, with Dan Bongino? Are we in a new place today than we were before? Because this investigation, this is a big deal.
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Jonathan Gilliam
JONATHAN.
- [08:10]
Well, I will tell you what I do like. There's, I have my own criticisms of Cash and Dan and Pam Bondi. I don't like the way they all over the Internet and arguing with people on social media. And Aaron, you know, what we're doing to the extent where it gets in the way of the investigation, I don't like that, and I've been honest about that. But what I do like, and I think this is an example of how Cash Patel has allowed agents to be agents. Again, he says that over and over again, but I think you're seeing that in the sheer statistics and the volume of investigations that they're carrying out in the, the charges that they're, they're, they're leveling and people are being arrested. And I think this is one of those cases. They took something, they allowed investigators to work the case the way it's supposed to be worked. And, and I think if we were able to look into the crystal ball of how things progress, I think that that would be a big part of it. Regardless of the motivation of the previous agents and the current ones, I think just allowing them to do their job freely has probably opened up an incredible amount of investigations that would not have progressed before.
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Steve Gruber
You know, he hits on something important there. Jonathan does. CHRIS and that is we heard the word team a lot. We heard cooperation, we heard a lot of people thanking each other in the room, from the Metropolitan Police Department to the Capitol Police to the FBI. Everybody was looking around saying it was a team effort. That's good old fashioned police work from where I stand. What do you think about the direction of the FBI today in the Department of Justice?
- [09:44]
Chris Piotta
I'd like to just echo what Jonathan said. I'd like to see a little bit less social media, a little bit less management of FBI operations over social media or in the news media as far as the FBI's direction right now, I think they're in a good. They're in a good glide slope. I think with this particular investigation, we said letting agents be agents, letting agents do agent work, taken away some of the administrative distractions, some of the other maybe social trends that were impacting FBI investigative focus, those are all good things that Cash Patel and the leadership team have done. I think the Department of Justice and the FBI are working well together now. And The FBI since 911 has had great relationships with a lot of its state and local partners. And a lot of these investigations are complex. They have a lot of moving parts and layers. And we need that joint effort where everybody brings their respective resources, authorities and capabilities. And I think they did a good job in this instance.
- [10:47]
Steve Gruber
All right, we've been watching video, and you're seeing it there, the raid on the house there in suburban Virginia where Brian Cole Jr. Apparently resided. Don't know if it's his home or somebody else's, but that's where they're focusing their attention. Jonathan, so the investigation, obviously opening new chapters today, I think Dan Bongino called it the prologue to a much longer story that we're going to hear as this goes forward. So where do these investigations go at this point? They got their guy, at least they think so. And we'll assume him innocent and presume him innocent until proven otherwise. But where does the investigation go now? Now they can open up new doors now. They're going to talk to a whole host of new people, I would guess, because by going in the home and identifying the suspect, you get a whole range of new people you want to talk to, don't you?
- [11:33]
Jonathan Gilliam
Right. And we should remember that the FBI does not work necessarily like local law enforcement, where they see something happen or somebody comes in and says, I have a complaint. I just got assaulted, and they go out and make an arrest based on the complainant. When the FBI investigates something, it may take years to get to the point that you have enough evidence to charge somebody. And so we take our time in collecting the evidence. I have a feeling this guy's been known probably for some time. And so what you would see now is that he's going to be proffered, he's going to be questioned, and they're going to give him an opportunity to tell his side of the story if. If he, in fact, chooses to do that. And he would be smart to do that, because when the FBI arrests you, they know more than you think that they know. So as he tells that story, they have to take that with a grain of salt and not just pigeonhole themselves into saying this is what happened because he said it. They have to look at the evidence and see where that takes him as well, and then start to look, are there other people involved? Is he a part of a bigger conspiracy? Is he a leftist that carried this out? Or is he an anti government person that targeted both sides of the government because he hates them both? So they're going to look at all these things. As Chris said earlier, you really have to struggle not to get pigeonholed into one particular avenue of thought. You have to look at the whole totality, evidence and the grand scale of where this could go so that the evidence can lead you where it needs to lead you.
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Steve Gruber
Yeah. You know, Chris, you know, you're having a bad day when you hear something and you look out the window and there's a whole team of FBI cars and people at your front door. You're about to have a really bad day. But for Mr. Cole, I think it might be more frightening to look at Jeanine Pirro across the way and realize she's the one that's coming after you. I'm going to give you the last word on Jeanine Pirro being the prosecutor in this case because she is deadly serious.
- [13:35]
Chris Piotta
Well, love the judge. I think she's going to be a great prosecutor in this instance. She brings fierceness, intensity, and she is a patriot. So we're going to see how this investigation moves forward with the DOJ, FBI and the U.S. attorney's office working in concert to deliver justice.
- [13:56]
Steve Gruber
Yeah, she is the U.S. attorney, the United States Attorney for this case. Jonathan, last word to you on the whole case and everything we've learned today.
- [14:03]
Jonathan Gilliam
Well, I will say this about the prosecutor. The U.S. attorney can cause an investigation to. To go in places where it should, and they can also cause it to go in places where it shouldn't. And that's always the aggravation with a lot of agents when they bring a case like this to the forefront. So having somebody like Jeanine Pirro there is. It is an excellent turn for this investigation. So they did the work, they got the investigation. They had the right person leading. Now that in the doj, that's going to be a great thing.
- [14:36]
Steve Gruber
And she said she will get it across the finish line. That was her statement today at the press conference. Gentlemen, thank you for being here. Jonathan Gilliam, Chris Fiotta, really appreciate your insights.
- [14:46]
Jonathan Gilliam
Thank you.
- [14:47]
Steve Gruber
Pleasure, gentlemen. All right, coming up after the break, I'll bring on legal experts to discuss the probe into Minnesota Governor Tim Wall's handling of a state relief program now at the center of one of the largest COVID 19 fraud schemes ever, over a billion dollars. We'll also continue the discussion of the arrest of the D.C. pipe bombing suspect who was brought in for placing pipe bombs at the DDNC and the RNC on the eve of January 6th. Stay with us here on America's Voice Live.
- [15:20]
Apollo Sales Pitch Announcer
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- [15:48]
iHeart Advertising Announcer
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- [16:51]
Steve Gruber
Well, the House Oversight Committee turning its attention to the state of Minnesota launching a probe into Governor Tim Wall's handling of a state relief program now at the center of federal case that prosecutors call the largest COVID 19 scheme for fraud in the nation. Over a billion dollars siphoned off a billion dollars. Chairman James Comer says the committee will investigate how roughly $300 million meant to feed low income children, among other things, will siphoned off through the nonprofit Feeding Our Future. That case alone has already produced at least 78 defendants. The Treasury Department also reviewing whether any Minnesota tax dollars were funneled to the terrorist group Al Shabaab, a concern sparked by some of the organizations tied to the scheme. State education officials say the nonprofit and its partners submitted over $500 million in claims and Comer Warns losses are at a billion dollars or more. The governor facing growing criticism after nearly 500 DHS employees alleged his administration ignored early warnings, punished whistleblowers who tried to raise the alarms and just swept him aside. Now a subpoena, power in hand. Comer says accountability is coming. Join me to discuss the legalities of what we are seeing is the host of the what's Right show and legal expert Sam Erejawski. Sam, nice to see you. And the thing that I didn't mention there, because they're so sensitive about it, this is primarily in the Somali community. Not exclusively, but primarily. These are the immigrants that have come here and figured out how to game the system to the tune of apparently a billion dollars. And of course, those on the other side, they scream xenophobia. It's not xenophobia. It's called fraud. I'm not worried about the color brown. I'm worried about the color green. Let's get to it. I mean, this is what it is, right?
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Sam Erejawski
It's absolutely unbelievable. And it's. The sum of money is staggering considering the scope overall of the Minnesota budget. But Walls and Ellison and other Democrats are steeped in this. And, you know, there was a recording taken of a meeting between Keith Ellison, the AG there in Minnesota, and a number of these fraudsters. And they're going back and forth. And what's striking in it is a promise by Ellison to run interference for these entities, these NGOs that have now been accused, and there have been some convictions even for this mass fraud. So you've got the chief law enforcement officer of the state of Minnesota, who is a former Democrat congressman, almost became the head of the dnc. He's a national figure, and he's. He's basically in exchange for pretty sizable campaign contributions, helping these people out. And he mentions in the recording, Tim Walls by name, saying the two of them are very much in league or in agreement at least, and that these people need to be protected. So this is a. An enormous, enormous scandal. No other way of putting it.
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Steve Gruber
Yeah, it's an enormous scandal. And here's the thing. It's the people, it's the citizens of the state of Minnesota. And it's not isolated Minnesota, by the way. We're getting to that in a second here. But it's the people of Minnesota, the ones that actually need help, that get shorted on this deal because dollars that would otherwise be available have been stolen. I mean, this is just theft, right? I mean, just call it for what it is. It's stealing from the Citizens and the taxpayers, isn't it?
- [20:13]
Brett Jensen
Right.
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Sam Erejawski
But the Democrats always use, you know, topics and subjects that, you know, deserving needs and causes then to launder money and steal. I mean, you think about it in California with fire aid, you think about it with the homeless crisis, right? These are. Money gets sunk into things and then it ends up becoming, you know, a giant patronage machine for Democrats and their allies. So this is the same thing in Minnesota. It's obviously these are deserving causes, but it was never about the kids. It was never about.
- [20:48]
The autism people suffering of autism. It was always about a means by which to funnel money to the Democratic Party.
- [20:55]
Steve Gruber
Yeah, let's talk about this for a second. I mean, I've seen it in Minneapolis. They're confiscating, in taking back stores, they're taking people's property, ones that stole from the government, clearly. But you see this in New York City too. The kiosks and the others that are running small convenience stores that are, you know, trading out EBT cards for $0.50 on the dollar and selling them and turning them into cash. There's gotta be a better system here, Sam. It's 2025. I mean, there's gotta be a better way if you're gonna give money out to people that it's not, you know, turned into the black market, that it's not skimmed off and sent out of the country to another foreign land for somebody else to use. There's got to be a better way. Come on, people. We're smarter than this, aren't we?
- [21:39]
Sam Erejawski
Well, I have two comments on this because you're absolutely right. Number one, obviously, you know, we do not want people to go hungry. We don't want kids to go hungry in this country, clearly. So there has to be a safety net for when things go, go, go wrong. And, and, and for me, I think it's the bare essentials. I don't, I don't think you should be buying candy and soda pop on, on, on EBT cards or cigarettes or anything else. Right? So, so there is absolutely a way to ensure that the money that we give to the needy only goes for their essentials. And I've got an immigration component to this, you know, we keep hearing about, because there are a large number of immigrants implicated in all this fraud. We keep talking about the immigrants that built this country. That is absolutely true. I am absolutely pro immigrant. Any person who wants to come to this country and help build America up, more power to you.
- [22:28]
Steve Gruber
Amen.
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Sam Erejawski
My problem are the takers. You know, there just is an enormous amount of people coming to this country just to take, just to take benefits.
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Steve Gruber
Well, you can't have open borders and free stuff. You can have one or the other. You can't have both. Milton Friedman, thank you for that comment. It's not about the color of skin, it's about the color of money. Sam, I got to leave it there for today. I do appreciate you being here. Thank you as always.
- [22:53]
Sam Erejawski
My pleasure. Steve, good to see you.
- [22:55]
Steve Gruber
Don't go anywhere. America's Voice Live will continue. After a quick break, I'll discuss the importance of voting for individuals who will support President Trump's America first first agenda. We'll be right back.
- [23:09]
Apollo Sales Pitch Announcer
Tired of juggling sales tools or spending hours on prospecting just to book a few meetings? Meet Apollo, the go to market platform for finding leads, connecting with buyers and closing deals all in one place. Apollo gives you access to over 210 million contacts and AI that handles all your busy work finding leads, drafting emails and even prioritizing your day. So stop paying for five different sales tools when one does it all. Visit Apollo I.O. and sign up free today.
- [23:37]
iHeart Advertising Announcer
Run a business and not thinking about radio. Think again. Cause more people are listening to the radio on iHeart today than they were 20 years ago. And only iHeart broadcast radio connects with more Americans than TV, digital, social, any other media, even twice as many teens than TikTok. And that reach means everything. Just think about the universal marketing formula. The number of consumers who hear your message times the response rate equals the results. Now let's get those results growing for your business. Radio's here now more than ever. And iheart's leading the way. Think radio can help your business. Think iHeart. Streaming, podcasting and radio. Where the reach is real. Let us show you@iheartadvertising.com that's iheartadvertising.com or call 844-844. Iheart one more time. Just call 844-844-Iheart and get radio working for you.
- [24:41]
Steve Gruber
As you know, Republicans currently have a razor thin lead in the House of Representatives. A win in Tennessee seven here earlier this week helps out a little. I think we're at 220 to 212. With some special elections still on the way. It seems like that lead shrinks each day, especially with the resignation of several Republican members of Congress. It's imperative that Republicans stand strong and vote for people who will back President Trump's America first agenda if you want it to continue. Joining me is one of those individuals, a candidate for Congress in Texas 8. It's Fred Jensen. He told me that Texas 8 is just north of Houston. Brett, nice to see you today.
- [25:18]
I do have a complaint, and this bothers me. I'll use Mark Green as an example. They just held the special election on Tuesday. The Republican Van Epps won. But the problem I have with it, you campaign for the job. You know that politics is ugly. I don't like it when they quit partway through the term. That really bothers me. Tell me if you get elected, you're gonna stick it out and do the job?
- [25:41]
Brett Jensen
Well, I can promise you that I will fight for, for President Trump, for capitalism, and for our America first values for as long as the voters of Texas 8 send me to D.C. to do so.
- [25:55]
Steve Gruber
So tell me about Texas 8. It's north of Houston there. What's the district like? What's the breakdown? What kind of people are we talking to? Is it a Republican district? What are the things that people there are concerned about as well?
- [26:07]
Brett Jensen
Well, you know, I come from a fantastic place. These are my friends and neighbors. This is home. They're just wonderful people. And, you know, we're frustrated by the system. We're frustrated by what happens when people go to D.C. we're frustrated by the people in D.C. and, you know, the issues that matter to us are the issues that matter to all Americans. You know, illegal immigration and securing our border is extraordinarily important. I have a lot of friends in law enforcement and first responders and making sure that, you know, law and order is respected, especially as we're kind of on the outskirts of a major city, Houston. And, you know, an issue to all of us, and me especially, is defending capitalism. You know, it's a really. It's what made America great. And we're kind of living through an era where people are afraid. And I'm a proud capitalist. It's blessed my life, and I want to carry that message forward in Congress and everywhere else.
- [27:11]
Steve Gruber
You know, one of the things I saw just yesterday from the Oval Office, the president with the leaders of General Motors, Chrysler, Ford, all standing there as they talk about, you know, removing these ridiculous CAFE standards, which are the mileage standards that were crushing America's automakers. And they said as a result, did Ford, General Motors, and Stellantis, the makers of Chrysler. This will help unleash more American jobs, which connects back to more American energy. And the Secretary of Energy, Chris Wright, who right now continues to push out more energy. Gas prices in Texas are $2.50 a gallon on average. I just looked nationwide. It's below $3 a gallon in some places. In Oklahoma, in your neck of the woods, it's under $2 a gallon. I mean, that helps the American consumer, doesn't it?
- [28:01]
Brett Jensen
Nothing matters more to keeping things affordable and allowing for economic growth than affordable energy. It is the core of what has helped make America so prosperous and so strong through the 20th and 21st centuries. And, you know, anybody that studies history, you know, can tell you that nations that have, you know, affordable energy are going to grow and be successful. And it's one of the main things that separates us from some of our European friends and allies.
- [28:36]
Steve Gruber
There's no question vast quantities of cheap energy made America possible. That's the bottom line. We've had natural resources. It's one of the greatest pieces of real estate in the world because we have better natural resources. Whether it's oil or gas or timber or farmland or fresh water. You pick it, we've got it. But we have people on the other side of the aisle that would have you believe if we touch those things like hydrocarbons, oil and gas, or cut down trees or pave a road, that somehow we're destroying the world. I think we need to set them aside, get them some professional help and move forward with building America. Your thoughts?
- [29:12]
Brett Jensen
I couldn't agree more. And to the point of, as you discussed, our ability to utilize our resources to create wealth for Americans and improve everybody's quality of life, there's no greater force for good than capitalism. Capitalism is what differentiates the United States for our ability to use those resources from, say, you know, look no further than Venezuela, which is blessed with some of the largest oil reserves in the world, but their people are impoverished. And that's what socialism does. That's what giving up on free market economics does. Resources are only as good as your ability to utilize them. And that's why capitalism is key to America's greatness.
- [30:00]
Steve Gruber
Yeah, there's no question about that. So those are your talking points? Energy, defending American values, making sure the border is enforced, and those that are here illegally, especially the violent ones, get tossed out. I'll give you the last word.
- [30:16]
Brett Jensen
Thank you. Well, you know, we. Capitalism is core to our message. That and fighting for President Trump. I'm from the real world. I'm a business owner. I've created thousands of jobs. And, you know, I'm going to D.C. not because I need it on my resume or I'm going to get rich being a lobbyist. I'm, you know, kickstarting my own campaign with my own money and I'm going to fight for President Trump and make sure that my friends and neighbors from Texas 8, their voice is heard. And if you want to support that mission, you know, we're all capitalists, as you can see on my hat. And we have capitalist hats@jensenfortexas.com so go to Jensen for Texas and help support capitalism by participating in it.
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Steve Gruber
Brett, well done. Really appreciate you coming on. I'm guessing we'll talk again soon. When's the primary?
- [31:06]
Brett Jensen
March 3rd. So we're really excited about our momentum and thank you.
- [31:13]
Steve Gruber
All right, Brett, thank you so much for being here. Brett Jensen, everybody. Texas 8, he's hoping to be the congressman from that district. All right, up after the break. A new study has revealed that American citizens are moving to states with lower tax burdens. Go figure. Showing that tax policy actually matters to people that pay taxes, including the possibility of no income tax. More details on the that coming up.
- [31:40]
Well, Trump Media just signed a massive $6.4 billion deal with Yorkville Acquisition Corporation and Crypto.com, the crypto platform trusted by millions of users worldwide. They're teaming up to acquire up to $6.4 billion in CRO to establish America's first publicly traded CRO treasury. Trump media group CRO strategy. Once complete, this new company will be the largest publicly traded CRO holder out there ready to join the crypto revolution. Head to crypto.com today. Be part of this historic move. That's crypto.com and don't wait. For more information on the proposed business combination, check out Yorkville Acquisition Corp's public filings.
- [32:19]
iHeart Advertising Announcer
Run a business and not thinking about podcasting? Think again. More Americans listen to podcasts than ad supported streaming music from Spotify and Pandora. And as the number one podcaster, iHeart's twice as large as the next two combined. So whatever your customers are into, true crime, sports, comedy, culture, they'll hear your message. Plus, only iHeart can extend your message to audiences across broadcast radio. And all this reach means everything. Just think about the universal marketing formula. The number of consumers who hear your message times the response rate equals the results. Now let's get those results growing for you. Think podcasting can help your business? Think iHeart streaming radio and podcasting. Let us show you at iHeartadvertising.com that's iHeartadvertising.com or call 844-844 iHeart. One more time, call 844-844-IHeart and get podcasting working for you.
- [33:23]
Steve Gruber
Well, when it comes to tax policy, Americans apparently are Voting with their. A new analysis of IRS data from the National Taxpayers Union shows taxpayers moving to states with lower tax burdens. Go figure. Florida gains a new taxpayer every two minutes while California loses one every 90 seconds. The shift is boosting Florida's economy by more than $4 billion a year. Pretty important stuff. California lost over 180,000 residents in 2020, the first annual decline. Total losses now above 400,000. And there's no recovery in sight. California, New York, Illinois, Michigan, seeing the biggest drops in taxpayers and income, while Florida, Texas, North Carolina, gaining especially among young and high income Americans. I mean, why wouldn't you move here to discuss it? The National Taxpayers Union Executive Vice president, Brandon Arnold. You know, Brandon, it's pretty clear the business I'd like to own today is a U haul business in New York City. I mean, that's gonna be a place I'm gonna cash in, but then in a year or two, I'm gonna sell it and run. I mean, seriously, people are like, look, Tennessee, Florida, New Hampshire, I think there's nine states that have no income tax at all. People are going to those states, aren't they?
- [34:35]
Brandon Arnold
Absolutely. And it's not just the fact that they're going. We all know that there's this mass exodus from California, New York, New Jersey, the states that you mentioned. But it's the speed at which they're leaving. Less than two minutes. It only takes less than two minutes before somebody packs their bags and leaves California. In just over two minutes before somebody packs their bags and leaves New York. People are getting out of these cities, they're getting out of these states. And the reason is pretty clear when you look at the fact that they are moving to low tax, sometimes zero tax jurisdictions, as you noted, like Texas, like Florida, like the Carolinas, they're leaving for a reason and it's because of bad government policies.
- [35:17]
Steve Gruber
It sure is. You know, I live in Michigan. The annual budget there put it at about $82 billion. Here's what I don't understand. The state of Georgia is pretty similar in size. They're $20 billion less. The state of Pennsylvania is larger. They're $30 billion less on their annual budget. So you have to imagine some of these states, like Illinois, God only knows what they're spending money on. I don't know what they spend money on in Michigan. Our roads are terrible, the taxes are high. And why would businesses want to go there? Why would individuals want to go there? Even if you're somebody that works from home, go to Florida. The weather's Nice. The taxes are low. I mean, it's a pretty easy sales pitch.
- [35:58]
Brandon Arnold
Yeah. Talking about the spending, I think is really on point here because you look at two other similarly sized states, New York and Florida, population wise, pretty close, budget wise, very, very different. Florida spends less than half on a per person basis than New York does less than half. And yet they are delivering good roads, good public parks, good schools. You know, they're delivering all of the things that people want to see in a, in a state in terms of what the public is providing. And you know, it's not just the old people. That was the old adage. All people retire and then they move out of New York or out of Michigan, they go down to Florida. Florida, it's not, it's young people, it's old people, it's all people in between. It's businesses, it's workers, you name it.
- [36:45]
Steve Gruber
So President Trump this week, at least twice I've heard him touting the idea of no income tax. Now he says it can't happen overnight because his vision of the future in America is no income tax. I like that. But here's the tax that really bothers me. And I see Ron DeSantis, speaking of tax friendly states, is focused on eliminating property tax. In the state of Florida, there's an initiative in Michigan, a voters initiative to get it on the ballot for 2016 to eliminate property tax. Because if you're an older person. We'll talk about the older people for a moment here. You've paid your mortgage, you've worked your life, now you're on a fixed income and the government keeps ratcheting up the cost of your property tax. It's driving people out of their homes. That's not right. The government shouldn't be able to seize the home that you paid a mortgage on for 30 years, have spent your life in raising your kids, and then the government comes and takes your home and sells it at a fire sale.
- [37:38]
What about property taxes? I think it's a big subject going forward.
- [37:42]
Brandon Arnold
You're absolutely right. That's kind of the double edged sword of all of these people moving to states like Texas, Florida, the Carolinas, is that the property values there have increased dramatically. And as those property values go up, so too do property tax burdens. And that has really hurt a lot of people. Especially as you, as you mentioned, people who have lived in their house for many, many years, sometimes senior citizens that are on fixed budgets all of a sudden are getting enormous property tax bills. That's not fair. There are certain ways to work around that, homestead tax exemptions and so forth, many jurisdictions have implemented. But the end of the day, yeah, if you zero off property taxes, you can get around a lot of these problems. You know, whenever I go down to Florida, that's all people complain about property taxes and traffic. They like to see the economic activity. They hate to see those tax bills go up and they hate the fact that it takes them an extra 20 minutes to get across town.
- [38:34]
Steve Gruber
Now, yeah, nothing personal to my friends in Florida, but there are a lot of angry drivers. Brandon's right about that. A lot of angry people operating motor vehicles in Florida this day. When you talk about property taxes, inflation also plays a role in that. Because your house, the price inflates, demand goes up. And the people that can't afford it because they don't get more income, they've got a fixed income. That's the real problem. Brandon, we'll talk about that more next time. Thank you for being here.
- [39:00]
Brandon Arnold
My pleasure. Thank you.
- [39:02]
Steve Gruber
Brandon Arnold with the National Taxpayers Union. I mean, what do you think about property tax? Go to stevegruber.com, send me an email. Always want to hear from you. And don't go anywhere. We'll have a quick break. And back on America's Voice Live.
- [39:19]
iHeart Advertising Announcer
Run a business and not thinking about radio, Think again, because more people are listening to the radio and iHeart today than they were 20 years ago. And only iHeart broadcast radio connects with more Americans than TV, digital, social, any other media, even twice as many teens than TikTok. And that reach means everything. Just think about the universal marketing formula. The number of consumers who hear your message times the response rate equals the results. Now let's get those results growing for your business. Radio's here now more than ever. And iheart's leading the way. Think radio can help your business. Think iheart streaming, podcasting and radio where the reach is real. Let us show you@iheartadvertising.com that's iheartadvertising.com or call 844-844. Iheart one more time. Just call 844-I-844, Iheart and get radio working for you.
- [40:22]
Steve Gruber
All right, let me ask you this. If you could give yourself just one holiday gift, would it be freedom from your credit card and loan debt? Would it be for many families? That's the real wish for this year. And believe it or not, there's a unique window happening right now that makes this the best time to take action. Gillian Barbre is here from. You know her from tv, but today she's joining us talking about something different, totally different. A surprising year end opportunity to save some real money on your debt. Jillian, welcome back.
- [40:51]
Gillian Barbre
Great to see you again. Steve, as always. You know, you had me pining for Florida in your last segment. I lived there and boy, oh boy, I lived in Hallandale. And when you moved to California, you got taxes and road rage. But here's what I want to tell people. This is the time of year shopping and I know that, you know, it's all about the kids and some somehow it's become so, you know, it's just all about gifts and I can't stand that. And for people who are in a financial way and what I mean is they've gotten themselves into a situation that they didn't expect. It could be an emergency. It could be, you know, for me it was disease, cancer. It could be a death in the family. If you don't have that extra money pile sitting there waiting for an emergency, it can really drive people into debt that they did not foresee. So what I want our viewers, your viewers, Steve, to do right now is before you pay another bill, Please go to donewithdebt.com here's the deal. You're going to get a free consultation regardless of the kind of debt you're in. They've dealt from, you know, 10,000 to $10 million. They are master. They don't want to get you into bankruptcy. They don't want to get you into one massive big, you know, conglomerated loan. They want to get you back on financial track to stability so that you can answer dinner time without freaking out that it's a collector, that you can go to your mailbox and open your mail knowing that it's not, you know, some official looking paperwork. You think you're going to go to jail. Listen, there are so many Americans in this position and again, you were talking about younger and older. And you know, this affects a lot of Americans. I have met young people in their 20s trying to get out of, you know, debt, school debt. I've met other Americans that are, that are older like you said. They, you know, they had houses and mortgages and then boom, they, they lose everything. It's just absolutely horrible. So.
- [42:53]
Steve Gruber
Well, let me ask you about this. Yeah. The headlines for Black Friday all time record more than $26 billion spent. But if you're in debt, that's financial black eye Friday is what that is, isn't it? I mean, you're just making it worse.
- [43:12]
Gillian Barbre
And so here's the thing with that kind of debt and credit card, it's in the back of your mind, it's right, so it's financial but it's also emotional. And when you don't see it, you don't worry about it. Right? So you can get that gift for that person and you can buy that thing you've always wanted but you're not, you're in no position to do so. You just want that instant gratification. But it comes with long term, massive responsibility. And if you're not in the place to pay back, then perhaps done with debt is the place for you to go. Just go online right now. Look at the testimonials. Donewithdb.com They've helped millions of people get back on track. And as I mentioned, they're master negotiators. So they will work with all the institutions be it bank banking or your credit card companies. They will get you pennies on the dollar. They will make sure that you get the best deals possible without trying to push you into bankruptcy. Because that's what happens a lot of times, you know, oh, just do bankruptcy. Well then you've got almost 10 years of what living off of.
- [44:16]
Steve Gruber
It does make sense. You know, I've heard that before, Jillian. These companies say, you know, just don't pay your bills, forget about it, take the bankruptcy, we'll give you. That sounds like a terrible idea to me. I'm not in. That just sounds like the dumbest thing I've ever heard. And I hear some dumb things in this business.
- [44:34]
Gillian Barbre
Well, it's so true because they think it's like this short term fix but it's a really a long term problem because now you're going to try to have to get a car, maybe your kids are getting older, you're going to try to get financing for something that's not going to happen. So you know, whether you're one of those people that has just a little bit of issues with finances right now in your credit card or maybe bigger issues. It could be with the government. It could be with because you've had, like I said, maybe a death in the family or I had breast cancer pop up things that suddenly or job loss or divorce. Whatever the case, if you don't have that massive nest egg then it could put you into debt. Debt that you had no idea was heading your way. So that's why we ask you don't pay another bill until you get your free consultation with done with debt. You've got no nothing to lose. Go to done with that dot com, see what they can Advise you see what they have to say. You have nothing to lose but the debt that you're in. And when you're swimming in it, let me tell you. I know.
- [45:32]
Steve Gruber
Let me tell you. People make bad choices, though, and they get themselves there. They've got three streaming services, a new car on the Driveway. They've got $1,500 phones, and they're complaining that they don't have any money. Well, gee, I wonder why not. I mean, come on, let's do some thinking, people. Come on. You don't need three streaming servers anyhow. How does the done with debt use this timing to help people get some real savings and get on the road to recovery so they can. Because it's stressful. No matter how you got there, it's stressful. You don't sleep at night. You don't eat. You feel lousy. People are like, what's wrong? You're irritated all the time. Let's get your life back, your mental health back, right?
- [46:09]
Gillian Barbre
Mine was like, whoo. I was cuckoo for Cocoa Puffs. I wasn't present. I was raising the two kids. I had no child support. I was going through chemo. It was a nightmare. And I couldn't sleep at night, the whole thing. And by the way, cancer took a backseat. People like, oh, you have cancer. I'm like, I don't care. I don't care. I'm gonna lose my house. And I did.
- [46:30]
Steve Gruber
Okay.
- [46:30]
Gillian Barbre
That's more I knew about. Done with. I wish I knew about them. A few years earlier would have caused me way less panic attacks and money for. For that matter. But I digress. I'm here to tell you they're there for. For you don't get in that situation. You don't have to just see what they have to say. And this time of year, it's not too late. It's end of year. Get your financials. Financials in order so you can move forward in the next year. And guess what? The kids, they can live without their iPhone. 15ps. I'm a gen Xer. We rode our bikes till the street lamps came on. And there were serial killers out there in the 80s, I tell you. Anyway, that's the point, Steve. But it's done with.
- [47:09]
Steve Gruber
All right? So. Donewithdebt.com you heard Gillian. She survived the serial killers. Thank God. Riding her bicycle after dark. Rebel. DoneWithDebt.com is what it is. DoneWithDebt.com claim your free consultation today. Gillian, as always, thank you for being here and such entertainment.
- [47:32]
There you have it. After the break. Well, I'm sure it reminds us just how wonderful America is. Plus, your answers to America's Voice Question of the day, do you support the United States military targeting these suspected drug running boats? I look forward to your answers. Coming up on America's Voice live.
- [47:52]
iHeart Advertising Announcer
Run a business and not thinking about podcasting? Think again. More Americans listen to podcasts than ads supported streaming music from Spotify and Pandora. And as the number one podcaster, iHeart's twice as large as the next two combined. So whatever your customers are into true crime, sports, comedy, culture, they'll Hear your message. Plus, only iHeart can extend your message to audiences across broadcast radio. And all this reach means everything. Just think about the universal marketing formula. The number of consumers who hear your message times the response rate equals the results. Now let's get those results growing for you. Think podcasting can help your business? Think iHeart streaming radio and podcasting. Let us show you@iheartadvertising.com that's iheartadvertising.com or call 844-844 iHeart. One more time, call 844-844-IHEART and get podcasting working for you.
- [48:56]
Steve Gruber
Well, what makes America wonderful? We do it every day here to put a smile on your face to make sure you feel good about this. I feel pretty good about things today. I've had a couple of laughs on the program, which is good. Today's story comes to us from Landover, Maryland, where a commercial truck driver was able to thank the ones who made her dreams come true. Metallica. You've heard of them, right? The quartet, made up of frontman James Hetfield, bassist Rob Trujillo, guitarist Kirk Hammett, and the drummer Lars Ulrich held their annual All Within My Hands concert in la, a philanthropic affair as the funds acquired from the show go to help trade students pay for the cost of their studies through a scholarship program specifically designed for those looking to get into the important societal function of the trades. Mike Rowe would be proud. All that to say, the band met Carmen Daberi, one of the recipients of the scholarship, backstage during a show they did in Landover, Maryland, where she expressed gratitude for the opportunity as the scholarship funds not only helped her cover the cost to acquire her cdl, but also to get a job. Blue collar Americans make up the backbone of this nation through the function of their tough and often thankless jobs. And knowing that some of the biggest names in American culture also realize the impact of blue collar workers surely is indicative of what makes America wonderful. My hat's off to Metallica today. All right, here is your question.
- [50:22]
You ready? Do you support the US Military targeting suspected drug running boats out of Venezuela or anywhere else for that matter? Lisa Lattea, we hear from her a lot. Yes, I do. I truly appreciate a president who stops drugs from coming in compared to one who opens the doors wide for them to come in. Greg Ohman. Absolutely. Support those who claim the me in the boats are innocent citizens. The men, I think is what they meant. Please. They know exactly what they're doing and they know exactly the risks. I think it's getting harder to find boat drivers. Just my guess. I wouldn't do that blue collar job. Becky Romanick. Of course, if they know that's what they are. Yes, I'm sure they aren't just saying, oh look, a boat, let's blow it up. You're right. They're not doing that. Look, the Democrats always said during COVID trust the experts. Trust the experts. Well, these are military experts. We have high resolution satellites. We can see what's in the boat. And I have yet to see a fishing boat with 55 gallon drums of chemicals running across the open ocean at 100 miles an hour. Call me crazy. That's too fast. A troll. Dale Melusi writes something that should have been done a long time ago. Yep. Tim Paul has this Absolutely cut into profits. Chet Coleman. Absolutely. It's about time our government did something to the cartels. I wish they would get at the sources as well. Tomorrow on the program, I'll give you a little preview. I found a clip of Joe Biden. I told James, a producer this, I found a clip of Joe Biden from 1989 where he says we have to go after the drug cartels and hit them where they live. You see, Democrats at one point 35 years ago actually understood the war on drugs. Now it's just a war on Trump. See, they've changed their entire dynamic. If you'd like to be part of the question of the day, just follow me on social media, anywhere you want. Facebook, x Truth Social. You know, all the normal places you're going to find the question of the day and you can be featured right here on the program. All right. Now featured on the program is my good friend Eric Bolling. Bowling. Welcome to it.
- [52:27]
Eric Bolling
You can call me the Edge if you want. The Edge.
- [52:29]
Steve Gruber
The Edge. Edge.
- [52:32]
Eric Bolling
Gruber.
- [52:33]
Chris Piotta
Gruber.
- [52:33]
Eric Bolling
I'm going to, I'm going to rock your, your audience's world because I'm watching you. You do the question of the day about the boats and I'm Watching the chats. And they're agreeing with. Everyone's agreeing. Yeah, blow them up. Blow them up. I'm going to take the other side of it. The other of this argument. Here's why. Listen, all right, Everyone knows I lost. I lost a son due to a fentanyl overdose. Accidental overdose in college. I hate fentanyl. I hate drug dealers. I hate drug manufacturers. I hate everything about drugs. I hate it. However, when you blow up these people, they're. At some point they're going to grab a civilian, they're going to kidnap a civilian and put them in a boat. And you. You blow that boat up and you lost the argument. Not that you're doing anything right or wrong or Geneva Convention or. Or whatever. None of that. None of those are the reasons. The reason being they'll play politics on that activity for the rest of eternity, including midterms.
- [53:26]
Steve Gruber
I see that point. Here's the counterpoint. Barack Obama killed American citizens. Americans, including a 16 year old, on drone strikes. I didn't hear the Democrats talk about that. And I sure as to hell never heard a Republican say, don't follow those unlawful orders. That didn't happen either. And Donald Trump twice this week in the Oval said they're going to go in by ground. I don't know what that looks like, but I can tell you this. When watching the flight patterns here over the last 24 to 48 hours, there's a lot of machinery moving south, Eric, and I'm talking about KC135 tankers.
- [53:59]
Eric Bolling
There's another reason why I don't like this idea. I just don't think we need to be involved anymore. Foreign wars.
- [54:06]
Steve Gruber
Something's gonna happen. I don't know if it's gonna be a war. It might be, you know, strikes. I don't know if it's gonna be a war, but there will be. Look, let's just cut the bull. We're already on the ground, right? We're already on the ground, Eric.
- [54:18]
Sam Erejawski
We're on the ground.
- [54:18]
Steve Gruber
That's a fact.
- [54:19]
Eric Bolling
We're on the. We're on the ground.
- [54:20]
Steve Gruber
But we're on the ground there.
- [54:21]
Eric Bolling
I just don't think this. We need to be the creator and.
- [54:24]
Steve Gruber
Maker wishing the holidays could come early. If you own or manage a business, they can. With help from iHeartradio. People are already shopping for their loved ones and hunting for deals wherever they can find them, including right here. They're listening to the radio.
- [54:39]
iHeart Advertising Announcer
They're listening to podcasts.
- [54:40]
Sam Erejawski
They could be listening to you. Don't wait for everyone else to kick off the holidays. Get your best season of the year.
- [54:47]
Steve Gruber
Up and running today. Call 844-844-IHEART or visit iheartadvertising.com.
- [54:55]
iHeart Advertising Announcer
This is an iHEART podcast. Guaranteed human.