The Scott Adams School - 05/22/26 The Home Team w/ Jeff Callahan. So much news on Fun Friday

Summary

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Real Coffee with Scott Adams

Episode: "The Scott Adams School" (Fun Friday with Jeff Callahan)

Date: May 22, 2026
Main Theme:
The hosts, joined by persuasion/communication coach and longtime Scott Adams fan Jeff Callahan, discuss a hodgepodge of current events under Scott Adams’ "persuasion filter" – combining news, social commentary, and plenty of humor, with highlights on fraud, AI deepfakery, daylight savings, public safety, and the LA mayoral race featuring Spencer Pratt.

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Key Discussion Points & Insights

1. Meet Jeff Callahan: Dilbert Fan to Communication Coach

• Background with Scott Adams:
  • Jeff details his admiration for Dilbert and Scott Adams, from loving a childhood Dilbert book with Scott’s annotations to being part of the original “simultaneous sip” Periscope crowd since 2015.
  • “I obsessed over that book. … It was like my favorite possession, mainly because I had never seen anything like that...” (Jeff Callahan, 02:30)
• Present Work:
  • Jeff hosts a show on X (formerly Twitter), has a new book "Confidence Maxing" (Amazon bestseller), and coaches clients—primarily in tech—on social confidence and storytelling.
  • “The main purpose [of the book] is to make you more socially confident... talk about yourself more confidently...” (Jeff Callahan, 13:13)

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2. News Stories and Fun Science

The Sudden Death of NASCAR Driver Kyle Busch

• Context:
  • Kyle Busch died at 41 due to pneumonia complications; nostalgia for his recent victory interview is shared.
  • “How many times do you hear people say that, you know, you just don’t know when the last one will be...” (Erica, 06:09)

Science Tidbit: Coffee & Dark Fruit to Stay Young

• Summary of Study:
  • Polyphenol-rich foods (berries, apples) and 1 cup of coffee daily can slow aging (University of Navara study).
  • Jokes about whether extreme coffee consumption can make you age backwards.
  • “How many gallons can you drink before you start aging backwards?” (Jeff Callahan, 10:03)

AI Deepfakes & Scam Warnings

• Discussion:
  • Modern AI can convincingly impersonate people in video calls, scamming victims with face overlays.
  • Cautionary anecdote: A scammer avoiding showing their true face on a call demonstrated by a YouTuber.
  • “In the not too distant future … I'm going to go over to someone's house for coffee and … it was just a hologram.” (Jeff Callahan, 12:27)

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3. Robotics & AI – Fear or Fun?

• Hosts share viral videos of clumsy robots; joke that as long as robots are bumbling and less capable than humans, dancers (and humanity) are safe—for now.
• “We need to only build robots that are smaller, weaker, and more clumsy than us.” (Jeff Callahan, 16:03)

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4. Daylight Savings – Trump’s Push for Permanent DST

• President Trump pushes to make daylight saving time permanent via the Sunshine Protection Act, citing popular support and practicality.
• Hosts agree longer days are preferable, sympathize with confusion over time changes, and joke about keeping Christmas lights up for more “brightness.”
• “Who doesn't want a lighter, brighter, longer day?... If they could do this for me, then I can take my tree down, like, mid January...” (Erica, 18:52)
• Discussion on regional challenges (e.g., in Minnesota), impact on mood, and animal confusion.

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5. Urban Policy: Clean-up of D.C. Public Spaces

• Video shared from a D.C. resident about the transformation of Meridian Hill Park: homeless removed, fountains working, park “looks like Paris.”
• “It is clean. It’s calm. The homeless are out, the birds are chirping. … This is the benefit of having a construction man as your president.” (D.C. Resident, 22:16)
• Jeff: Safe public spaces are a prerequisite for a functional city; relates to Maslow’s hierarchy: you need safety before community can thrive.

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6. Gas Station Safety & The Case for Full-Service Pumping

• Erica proposes reviving staffed gas stations for both job creation and increased safety, referencing New Jersey’s model.
• Jeff shares: He always pumps gas for his family; more staff = more “eyes” = less crime/shenanigans.
• “When there’s just a disproportionate amount of probably shenanigans that take place at gas stations… if you can do something to mitigate that … I’m all for that.” (Jeff Callahan, 27:07)
• Lively chat debate on individual vs. government roles, cost, and regional safety differences.

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7. Massive Fraud Busts in Minnesota / Federal Crackdown

• Vice President Statement [33:05–36:40]:
  • $250M food program fraud leader sentenced to 40+ years; new raids on Medicaid/autism fraud—15 more arrested, $90M implicated.
  • “We’ve got homeless veterans sleeping on the streets because fraudsters got rich... we will not rest until justice is served.” (Vice President, 34:28 & 36:02)
• Analysis:
  • Jeff: Framing all Americans as victims of fraudsters is powerful persuasion—no legitimate counterargument.
  • Marcella adds: One person’s investigation (Nick Shirley) made a national difference; fraud targets the most vulnerable (disabled, elderly, veterans).
  • Erica: Outrage at the cost and scale—“fraudsters” doesn’t even seem strong enough.

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8. L.A. Mayoral Race – Spencer Pratt’s Rise

• Segment [44:59–48:47]:
  • Jesse Waters’ recap: Jeff Bezos criticizes Democrat-run cities; LA’s Mayor Karen Bass fails on homelessness, while Spencer Pratt campaigns as a “just look around” candidate.
  • “Each bed in this facility… is $400,000 a year. One homeless person, $400,000 a year.” (Spencer Pratt, clip at 46:09)
  • Pratt’s campaign style evokes comparison to Trump’s outsider, direct approach.
  • “He has got the persuasion talent stack… I’ve only seen it one other time in the last 11 years…” (Jeff Callahan, 49:43)
• Panel Predictions:
  • Jeff: “By June 1st, it’s going to feel like [Spencer Pratt] is running unopposed… his skill stack is so rare.”
  • Erica: “I’m going to make a prediction that he’s going to win… like 53% of the vote.”
  • Marcella: Remains cautious—machine politics in LA strong, but believes there may be a "secret Spencer voter" effect.
• Key Quote:
  • “He weaves in very visual language. He takes the high ground in nearly every single instance. It’s a thing of beauty.” (Jeff Callahan, 49:43)

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Notable Quotes & Memorable Moments

• On Full-Service Gas:
  “It kind of felt like a luxury. … I remember riding with my mom and she would… talk to the attendant because it was usually the same guy…” (Jeff Callahan, 31:12)

• On Fraud:
  “This is the most egregious form of theft in American history… the biggest scandal in American history.” (Jeff Callahan, 40:11)

• On Politics & L.A.:
  “He’s running where I’ve called him the ‘just look around candidate.’ All you have to do is walk out of your house.” (Jeff Callahan, 56:25)

• On Digital Security:
  “The algorithmic vampires that control our phones… There’s billions of dollars of tech infused into them. So you have to break that to just be aware of your surroundings…” (Jeff Callahan, 29:48)

• On Spencer Pratt’s Relatability:
  “He’s creating so many on ramps for traditionally Democrat people… through his fantastic campaign videos, but also the fan-made AI videos…” (Jeff Callahan, 58:30)

• On Hope for Renewal:
  “I want a major American city like Los Angeles to thrive because it’s good for America… to see that yes, things can get better and that we don’t have to decline.” (Jeff Callahan, 60:08)

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Timestamps for Important Segments

• Introduction & Jeff Callahan’s Backstory – 02:30
• Kyle Busch Death / NASCAR Community – 05:36
• Science Segment – Coffee, Dark Fruit, and Aging – 08:24
• AI Deepfake/Security Concerns – 11:35
• Book Plug: “Confidence Maxing” – 13:13
• Daylight Savings News / Trump Proposal – 16:41
• DC Clean-up & Public Space Rehabilitation – 22:02
• Gas Station Safety Debate – 26:57
• Minnesota Fraud Bust / VP Statement – 33:05
• LA Mayoral Race / Spencer Pratt, Bezos, Homelessness – 44:59
• Jeff’s Analysis of Spencer Pratt’s Campaign – 49:43
• Panel Predictions on LA Race – 53:50–56:25
• Jeff’s Remark on LA as a Hopeful Model – 60:08

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Final Thoughts & Closing

The episode was a classic "Fun Friday" blend of quick-hit news, lively banter, and a persuasion analysis applied to public policy, fraud, safety, and political campaigns. Jeff Callahan’s insights—especially on communication and political persuasion—added a layer reminiscent of the show's namesake, Scott Adams, honoring his legacy.

Closing toast:
“To Scott.” (Erica & Marcella, 61:22)

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Transcript

[Erica]

It kind of was, actually, but it was a happy fault. You guys, welcome. Let's let everybody get in. Owen's just parking the car. And look, this is our friend Jeff Callahan.

[Jeff Callahan]

How's it going?

[Erica]

Oh, I just threw my ring across the room.

[Marcella]

Jeff, that's Erica over there. If I can.

[Erica]

It's Friday, y'.

[Jeff Callahan]

All.

[Erica]

It's Friday. Good morning. Okay, so Owen's parking. So I think in the meantime, if he doesn't mind and you guys don't mind, let's just get our sip in before he gets here, because I am just so anxious for my coffee today. Let's go.

[Unknown Host/Announcer]

And you came to the right place. Chances are you came prepared. You might have everything you need. The rest of you better hurry up and grab what you need. And what you need is, well, a cup or a mug or a glass, a tank or chalice or stein, a canteen, jug or flask, a vessel of any kind. Fill it with your favorite liquid. I like coffee. And join me now for the unparalleled pleasure, the dopamine hit of the day, the thing that makes absolutely everything better. It's called the simultaneous sip, and you're about to experience it. Go.

[Erica]

Ah.

[Unknown Host/Announcer]

And with that sip, feel yourself connected to people all over the world who are enjoying this periscope simultaneously.

[Erica]

All right. And with that, Owen is not joining today. I just saw a note in the chat. We'll miss him, Owen. Have fun today at work. Okay, so, you guys, I want to introduce you to Jeff. I posted about Jeff on X the other day and asked you to give him a follow. He's at the Jeff Callahan and Jeff was. So we met for the first time the other night. And you came on a subscribers only stream on Scott's channel on locals. We had a good time. We did a lot of Spencer talk and all of that good stuff. And you should know that Jeff has his own show he does on X right before this one. So he was kind enough to end his show a little bit early today and come on over here so he could join live with us. So, Jeff, I really want everybody to know, you know, what your connection to Scott is, how far back it goes and tell that story.

[Jeff Callahan]

Yeah. Like we talked about on the local stream. So my. My backstory is I. I was a big Dilbert fan as a kid, as I'm sure a fair amount of you guys are too. So I remember being, like 10 years old getting the Dilbert book where Scott wrote his notes underneath the comics, and I obsessed over that book. I loved it. It was like My favorite possession, mainly because I'd never seen anything like that, where the artist was detailing what they thought about the. The comic that they were writing. And so I love that. And. And so fast forward, you know, 2015. I started watching Scott that summer when he started doing periscopes and shout out to all to all the. The OGs that were a periscope people back in the day and, you know, was a simultaneous sipper and still am, you know. You know, it's been going on 11 years now. And so that's my connection to Scott, you know, and he was truly just good people, as they say.

[Marcella]

Absolutely.

[Jeff Callahan]

You know, it's kind of crazy, like, having being a fan of the art earlier in life and being a fan of Scott later in life. And so it's funny how things work out that way.

[Erica]

And aren't you so glad that both things met your expectations and exceeded them?

[Jeff Callahan]

Yeah, met and exceeded.

[Erica]

You know, like, sometimes you see a celebrity and you're like, oh, my God, I love this actor so much. And then you meet them and then you're like, oh, okay, and we're done. Happens all the time, right, Marcella?

[Marcella]

Time.

[Erica]

Yeah, most of the time.

[Marcella]

They also look very different in real life, you know, like, they. They look a lot skinnier in real life than they do on camera.

[Erica]

The camera adds 10 pounds. I'm always like, just realize I have seven cameras on me right now. So, you guys, I didn't even say my name is Erica. Marcella's here, and we have Jeff Owens off today. And you are at the Scott Adams school. And you guys, did you enjoy yesterday if you were here with Gad? Sad. I mean, that was so fun, I have to say. And I hope you guys are, you know, considering if you haven't purchased his book or any of his books or you haven't, maybe you got suicidal empathy and not the parasitic mind. And he has so many books that they're all amazing. So he's. He's a great. A great guy. Author. I'm so happy. We got great feedback. So thank you so much. And thank you, everyone, for being so good in the chat. So first, I want to just say, I don't know much about this, but Kyle Busch died. He's the NASCAR driver at 41 years old. And, I mean, it was, like, pretty sudden. He got sick. I have a clip of him. I think it's last week. Here he is. Yeah. Chris, Kyle Busch, your 69th victory in this series, your fifth right here. Why do these moments never get old, Kyle?

[Kyle Busch]

Because you never know when the last one is, you know, so I know all too well, unfortunately with the cup stuff, but, you know, here with the truck stuff right now is. It's awesome just to be a part of Spire Motorsports. Thanks to Jeff and Dan and Mr. H for the opportunity. Hendrickcars.com I'm sure it looked great out front leading the race and it wasn't just Kyle Larson doing it. So, you know, feels like. Feels good to have another Kyle being able to do it and putting ourselves in victory lane. So love coming to Dover. Always one of my favorite places to race.

[Erica]

Ah, that's, you know, like, how many times do you hear people say that, you know, you just don't know when the. The last one will be. So I think it was complications from pneumonia, I believe is what it was. Yeah. So, you know, we just say rest in peace. You know, NASCAR is fun. It's got a huge community, huge fans. So I'm sure they're feeling that today.

[Marcella]

I mean, he has such young kids, you know, it's so sad to see.

[Erica]

Yeah.

[Marcella]

But wish. Wish well to his family. Condolences.

[Bloomberg Narrator]

Yeah.

[Erica]

Okay, so I have a fun update for you. Look who was playing golf. Gary.

[Marcella]

Gary.

[Erica]

There's little Gary.

[Marcella]

He's such a model.

[Erica]

Oh, you want to see? Oh, well, here's another little model for you. Hang on. Little Roman. Now this is what. So Roman has like this necklace around him. Like, see, like in the lower collar, he's got like a big bigger necklace. That's Roman. And Gary said, wait a minute. How about this? And so Gary gave us a little tongue sticking out action. And you guys all recognize that indoor putting green that's at Scott's house. And then Roman, just because, you know, fair is fair, we have to have two of each. Look at that.

[Marcella]

The little boys over there.

[Erica]

Dog.

[Jeff Callahan]

They seem like best friends.

[Erica]

They are. And they have. We. We mentioned before they have two dogs now as siblings. Two big. I want to say they're goldens. They're like white goldens and they're obsessed. So that's your Gary and Roman update. They're doing great, you guys. They're doing great. It's so nice that we care. We do. They're doing great. So, you guys. So it's Friday and we're gonna just have like a little hodgepodge of fun. And Marcella, there's. I think there's one story that you wanted to get right into. I'm gonna. I'm just gonna have you go first, so I'll just zip it for A minute. But tell us one of your fun stories for the day.

[Marcella]

Well, we'll start with the fun science story in honor of Owen. So you don't want to grow old, don't you? Nobody wants. What do you do? You drink.

[Erica]

Let me guess. What do you think?

[Jeff Callahan]

I'm sure it's coffee.

[Spencer Pratt]

Is it coffee?

[Marcella]

If you insist, yes. You guys are so. Oh my gosh, you're on the spot. If you don't want to grow old, you drink coffee. But not only that, you have fruit. That could be the answer to you looking young. If you eat dark fruit and drink one cup of coffee a day, it can slow the body aging process. So there was eight. A study, of course, and first post talked about it. And the research was for polyphenol rich foods. As you know, dark fruits, berries, apples, and one cup of coffee. That's a polyphenol. The University of Navara studied over a thousand seven hundred adults. And what do you think? What do you think Scott would have said? Imagine Jeff would know about.

[Erica]

About this, about the study.

[Marcella]

Like you could have just asked.

[Erica]

You could just, just ask God or any of us.

[Marcella]

You know, we still, after what, 11 years almost of listening to Scott and drinking coffee. But then we look just as young, don't we?

[Erica]

We haven't changed a bit. And I don't.

[Marcella]

Not aged.

[Erica]

I think the chat. Marcella is worried. Is it just one cup or at least one cup?

[Marcella]

I think you can have one cup of coffee. You can have more.

[Erica]

Look at you junkies.

[Jeff Callahan]

How many gallons can you. Can you drink before you start aging backwards?

[Marcella]

No limit. No, I'm just kidding. Disclosure. This is not. We're not a doctor. I'm not a doctor. My legal disclosure.

[Erica]

So we're doing something right? You guys just keep drinking. The coffee is the answer. And I'm going to be changing my coffee habit soon. You guys are convincing me. I've got to stop with all the. The sugar in my coffee. I'm gonna work on it. Not today or tomorrow, but soon. Okay? So I, I actually, I feel like this was some fun AI story. And I want to warn you, men and women out there, you never know who you're talking to. And, and also I want to say this again. Men and women, listen, you know how you're always trying to like achieve the impossible? Look. Oh, I don't look like her. These people with filters and this and that, like, stop it, okay? Because this could be the person you're talking to. She's hot. She's hot. They were all hot. Is that nuts? I mean literally.

[Marcella]

Is that really you, Erica?

[Erica]

I mean I'm really that guy. And I just, I go like with this average look just to you know, be realistic.

[Jeff Callahan]

Yeah. So I, I, I saw it was a YouTuber that he exposed his scams. He's the guy with the Scottish accent, I think his name might be John. And he was on a call with someone who, he was on a video call with a scammer and he kept trying to get the scammer to put two fingers in front of his face in between him and the webcam because that would alter the AI face model that was plastered over the scammers face. And it was funny because the scammer kept doing like he would do anything but have the two fingers over his face. And, and the guy's like no, I want you to do it over your face. And he wouldn't do it.

[Erica]

Yeah.

[Jeff Callahan]

And you could tell just, you could only tell extremely slightly at the hairline because it didn't quite match up. But it's kind of getting scary. Like I, I joke with my friends and family like there's going to come a day not too, in the not too distant future where I'm going to go over to someone's house and have coffee with them and hang out and then ask them for $5,000. And it was just a hologram the entire time because that's where scams are going. And so in the future I think we're going to be pretty well cooked.

[Erica]

Oh yeah. For those coming in late, this is Jeff Callahan. And you know what Jeff, we didn't mention your book. He's a big Dilbert and Scott Adams student and he wrote a book called Confidence Maxing. Why don't you give them a quick.

[Jeff Callahan]

Yeah. So I wrote this book Confidence Maxing and I have a gigantic poster in the background just in case you forget what the book looks like. It's main, main purpose is to make you more socially confident. So I am a communication coach by trade and I work with clients from tech companies mainly like think your Microsoft, like Amazon, Facebook, like the, like the fang and the Mag7 crowd. But I also work with startups and startup founders and that kind of thing. And the book's main, main purpose is to make you more competent and confident. Limit to help you talk to yourself like a friend, tell better stories, talk about yourself more confidently and wrote that and released it in earlier this year and it's already an Amazon bestseller so I'm pretty happy with it.

[Erica]

Good for you already.

[Marcella]

They can get It. They can get it at Amazon.

[Jeff Callahan]

Yeah, it's on Amazon. It's on audible. And if you're an audiobook person, I hired this great guy named Lyle Blaker who did an even better job reading it than I could, and I was incredibly impressed.

[Marcella]

I was just gonna ask.

[Jeff Callahan]

I'm an audiobook person personally.

[Marcella]

Yeah.

[Erica]

Oh, so we'll. You know what? We'll link it after the show when we repost the show. Yeah, for sure. All right, so check that out, you guys. Okay, so I thought that was crazy, but keeping. Just keeping with this theme for one more second. You guys always remind me if I forget to turn the music down, but I can't. See, I don't really want to turn the music down because the sound effects going on are so good. So we're gonna. We're gonna go up and down, but God bless.

[Marcella]

Look at this.

[Erica]

Oh, the robots. They're taking over. It's the sound of going up the steps. Watch. It's like, oh, oh, if I was a robot. And the crowd's so quiet. It's just laying there.

[Marcella]

I think it's part of the show, maybe.

[Erica]

No. Here comes his owner. He's like, oh, sir, you've had too many drinks. It's time to go, and we're gonna just pull you out of here. Oh, my God. That is amazing. I love that. It's, like, so Napoleon Dynamite. I just think that's so funny. So I'm not. I'm not overly scared yet of the robots we can build yet.

[Marcella]

Well, at least you have dancers have a safety net. The safe. Safe for work. Because, you know, robots can't compete against real dancers.

[Erica]

No. Well, for now. All right, so, yeah. So, dancers, you're safe for now.

[Jeff Callahan]

Yeah, I think I covered. I think I mentioned this on a live show. I was like, we need to only build robots that are smaller, weaker, and more clumsy than us.

[Erica]

Yeah.

[Jeff Callahan]

Like, imagine I'm a sucker for the Terminator movies, and so I like Terminator jokes and Terminator movies. And so imagine the future instead of these, like, really big, scary skeleton robots. It's just like kind of a bumbling robot in an oversized T shirt trying to chase you through the ruins of a city. Like, oh, I think I could do that. That sounds fun.

[Erica]

I love that. All right, so, Marcela, give us another one of your stories. You had a few picked out.

[Marcella]

So we have a 5050 issue daylight savings. Do we change it? Do we keep how. We have our system. So President Trump announced yesterday legislation to advance to make permanent daylight savings Time through the Sunshine Protection act and demands Congress to make a law. And basically, he talked to. He talked about it at the White White House, in the Oval Office, and he said, you know, some people don't like it. Some people like it. He talked about the cost to hundreds of millions of dollars to change those big clocks. You know, any city, state, local government, we all have to do it. You know, our phones change, but there's sometimes. If you have an. If you have a stove and it's an older one like mine, I sometimes just keep it there. Like, I don't change it, but there's times where I get conf. About time anyways.

[Erica]

So I know so many people that believe their stove clock or the one in their car. They're like, I don't know how to do.

[Marcella]

Oh, the one in their car.

[Erica]

So he.

[Marcella]

He actually noted that it would be a winning issue for a Republican Party, and he said, take it. It's a win we need to take. You know, kind of like Scott would say, it's free money. You pick up free money. We're going with the far more popular alternative, save saving daylight, which gives you a longer, brighter day. And who can be against that? This is an easy one. Thank you to everybody who supported the bill, he says, and specifically Chairman Brett Guthrie and Burnt Buchanan. And it passed the committee 48 to 1. Right now it's at the House. It might reach the. The big boat today, might reach the. The floor eventually, but basically, you know, it. He's gonna make it happen. How many. How many people have said that they're gonna do this and they don't do it?

[Erica]

Roger, I like your idea. Fall back only a half hour, then keep it that way.

[Bloomberg Narrator]

It's a compliment.

[Jeff Callahan]

Split the difference. The half hour becomes. Becomes the. You know.

[Erica]

Confused enough? I'm confused. Like, just do it. Just do it. Like, I think it annoys just people more than not. And I don't believe it's 50. 50. I think it's got to be more. I mean, who doesn't want a lighter, brighter, longer day? I mean, I keep my Christmas tree up, you guys, until March because I'm trying to trick myself. I put the little lights on every night, and then I. Because, like, if I take it down right after Christmas or the new year, then you're like, okay, now I'm just sitting in the dark, you know, through the winter. But I trick myself, and I pretend I'm still in the holiday season and the little twinkle lights are on. And then in March, when I take it Down. I'm like, oh, look at, it's so much lighter earlier now. So I feel like if they could do, do this for me, then I can take my tree down, like, you know, mid January, that. So it's for me at this point.

[Jeff Callahan]

Yeah. I always think about how when, when it's time to fall back, you always feel, well, at least for me, it's like, oh, no, like you're going to fall back and then it's going to get darker. And then by the time it's, you know, depending on what part of the country you're in, you know, it's 4:59 and it's already getting dark and you're like, oh, no.

[Erica]

Like, I know at like 6 o', clock, I'm like, is it time for bed? I'm like, what? It's six o'.

[Jeff Callahan]

Clock.

[Marcella]

Animals get confused too. They're like, we want food. I'm like, no.

[Erica]

Yeah. Where are you, Jeff, again, what part of the country?

[Jeff Callahan]

I'm in Arkansas, so that's right, Arkansas.

[Marcella]

Oh, wonderful.

[Jeff Callahan]

If you're, if you're really in. Far in the north, like in Minnesota, I believe the argument is like, just because of the curvature of the earth. Now I'm going to get out in front of my skis, but it's going to get dark at a different time, you know, and, and I'm in favor of light. Like, it's easy to be in favor of light.

[Bloomberg Narrator]

Some follow the noise. Bloomberg follows the money. Because behind every headline is a bottom line. Whether it's the funds fueling AI or crypto's trillion dollar swings. There's a money side to every story. And when you see the money side, you understand what others miss. Get the money side of the the story. Subscribe [e-mail]

[Erica]

yeah, golden age.

[D.C. Resident]

Golden.

[Erica]

So you're saying the earth is round, Jeff? Is that what you're trying to say?

[Marcella]

He is

[Jeff Callahan]

actually donut shaped and there's just a swimming pool.

[Erica]

Oh, yeah, that would be amazing.

[Jeff Callahan]

Introduce new conspiracy theories that no one's ever even thought of.

[Erica]

I like it. So the earth is a donut and there's a big giant pool in the middle.

[Jeff Callahan]

Yeah.

[Erica]

And that pool is a Carnival cruise ship. Okay.

[Jeff Callahan]

That's where all the cruise ships go.

[Erica]

Yes. Right, right, right. Okay, I love that. All right, so you guys, I want to get to a little bit more serious news, if you don't mind. Oh, no, I don't. One more thing, one more thing. Not that I don't, but Marcella was talking the other day about how D.C. cleaned up that fountain. I was thinking it was a water fountain. It's a beautiful, like, St. Step fountain. And I'm so happy this woman videoed because I have not seen D.C. like this in 8 million years. But take a look at this.

[D.C. Resident]

I'm gonna dox myself because I'm moving, but I've lived near Meridian hill Park in D.C. for almost two years now, and the water's never been in the pond there.

[Bloomberg Narrator]

This has never happened before.

[D.C. Resident]

I was always too afraid to come here because of the homeless people, but they're all gone, and it seriously looks like Paris. I mean, I've never seen this many people out here. I mean, look, everyone is enjoying it. Everybody. A year ago, Trump said he was going to clean out D.C. and he did. It is clean. It's calm, it's quiet. Except for the Chipotle down in Navy Yard, apparently this weekend. But I wasn't there for that. The homeless are out. The birds are chirping. The water is in the ponds. The fountains are working. Thank you, mister. This is the benefit of having a construction man as your president.

[Erica]

Amen. The birds were chirping, the waters in. People were sunbathing, hanging out, taking selfies. I love that. And. And what was going on at the Chipotle at the Navy Yard? It was a teen takeover.

[Jeff Callahan]

Yeah. So on the fountain thing, I watched that video, and I think it's really important. My soapbox is. And this is why I've gravitated towards covering Spencer Pratt a lot on my live show, is that people need to feel safe outdoors. This is an incredibly basic thing that you can't have on a lower. On a lower. Maslow's hierarchy of needs level. Like, you got to be safe. Like, you got to be safe. And then maybe higher up, you fix the fountain, and the fountain looks nice, and people like to go and enjoy the area around the fountain so that they can talk to each other and have a better experience living in a city. And so for. For President Trump to actually go around and start fixing things up and. And taking care of some of the homeless problem in D.C. you know, I know he deployed the National Guard and things like that. It is a net positive for society. And I think this is why you also see stuff like Spencer Pratt and his campaign catching fire. Well, probably that's not the right way. That's not the right way to say it. That's the wrong way to say it. Getting a groundswell of attention because he's saying, I am going to fix the homeless and the Drug problem. Like he just had a nine minute video that dropped yesterday about is extremely hard to counter the argument of like, hey, I'm going to fix up your home and make you feel safe. There's no legitimate counter argument to that. It's.

[Erica]

Yet the Democrats seem to make one, which is Trump. It's like, don't go out there. Don't.

[Jeff Callahan]

Yeah, yeah.

[Erica]

Then don't go use it. Don't go sit by the fat. Now, Marcela, don't you think that with like the way DC looks now, you know, like Jeff saying people want to feel safe outside and you know what else makes you safer? Longer periods of daylight. Yeah, right.

[Marcella]

Perfect connection.

[Erica]

So I have an idea. I want you guys to tell me what you think. Okay? I have an idea that could solve some jobs issues and help with crime issues. So in New Jersey, we do not pump our own gas. Okay. That's like the only flex I have for you. That's it. We don't pump our own gas. So I'm thinking let's put out there that from now on you don't pump your own. You can have the option, like maybe one pump is for self service, but let's hire people so people need jobs. Let's hire people to pump gas at gas stations that there should always be at least two people there. So I see so many crimes happening at these gas stations and like wilding and you're talking about fuel, like, you know, fuel. And then I always say to my friends that don't live in New Jersey, I'm like, aren't you scared when you go get gas? Even, you know, plugging in your car? Marcel, it can be scary in my house, right? But you know, like, you go to get gas. So I just asked my friend about this the other day. I'm like, so now what do you do? Do you like lock your car door when you get out to pump it? Like, aren't you afraid someone's gonna jump in your car or take your bag out of your car or, you know, people try to steal your car, your kids in. But seriously, like, it's really, really dangerous. So my thought was let's stop with the pump your own gas. Hire people at gas stations. It creates jobs, it'll create safety. And I think that. And also it'll be like a really nice feature, especially for people who are more vulnerable, older women, handicapped, whatever it is. I mean, I think it would just be a really good thing. Is anyone in on this with me? And can we make one of those little petitions that we Send to the White House. I'll draft it, I'll post it. And will you guys sign it? That's my question.

[Jeff Callahan]

Yeah, I'll sign it. You know, it's funny. There's an understanding in my house. Like I'm, I'm the one that pumps gas for everything, you know.

[Marcella]

Oh, that's why.

[Jeff Callahan]

And I don't know if this is a controversial statement or not, but, like, it's just a note. Like, we live in a good area and we're outside, outside of the city. So our gas station is not exactly a cesspool. But the thought process is. My wife is in agreement with me on this. I don't let her go and pump gas because I'm happy to do that for her. And she's fine with it too. She enjoys it. But my thought is, and you're exactly right, Erica, when there's just a disproportionate amount of probably shenanigans, we'll call them that, that take place at gas stations at all hours and. Right. And so if you can, like, if you can do something to mitigate that and have it staffed, just more eyes and having people observed changes behavior. And so I'm all for that because I think it would make those situations most likely safer.

[Erica]

It's funny, I'm, I'm guessing. So there's a lot of people that hate this and I'm so a. I

[Marcella]

personally don't like it because I, I don't like government being involved in what, a gas station?

[Erica]

Well, I shouldn't say government, but I mean, listen, you guys, I think a lot of, but it's a great idea

[Marcella]

for gas stations and they're doing it in California. There, there is, they're hiring security officers to patrol some gas stations in very high end places like Beverly Hills.

[Erica]

Well, there's, so there's teen takeovers. I mean, it's, it's the same old bs But a lot of you guys may not have a gas station near you that's not, you know, safe. But there's a lot of people that live in cities and areas that aren't safe. I mean, if you lived, you know, let's say in a, A, a wild neighborhood, but it's like that's your gas station and you're maybe a single mom or just a mom or a young girl who just got her license, I think you'd feel differently for those people. And I'm not saying it has to be mandatory, you can still pump your own gas. But it would be nice to have that full service thing. So it's so funny. Everyone's like, no, I'll do my own gas. I'm like, God, have you ever had anyone pump your gas? It's delightful.

[Jeff Callahan]

I saw one comment that said don't pump gas on the ends. And like, I only ever pump gas on the end. So I guess I'm a target.

[Erica]

Oh, really? Oh, I didn't know.

[Jeff Callahan]

I don't know if that's, if that's a real thing, because I feel like you're gonna like when I pump gas. My protocol and people can, can steal this is don't look at your phone. Like, it sounds really basic, like, don't look at your phone. I put my back against the, you know, the vehicle and then I just look like I look around constantly.

[Erica]

Okay, this is crazy.

[Jeff Callahan]

And, and this should be, should be fairly common sense stuff. But we're as I talk about a little bit in the introduction of my book, the algorithmic vampires that control our Phones. Our phones are addicting for a reason. There's billions of dollars of tech infused into them. So you have to break that to just be aware of your surroundings and it could literally save your life.

[Erica]

So a lot of people are like, no, gas prices will go up and this and that. Listen, our gas in New Jersey is not that high. When like, you look at other places with higher gas, they don't have gas attendance. So I don't know. I, I personally like to pull up in my car, maybe it's like a crappy day and I just crack my window a little bit. I'm like, hey, could you fill it with regular? And I slide my credit card to the guy and he hands it back to me. It's a delight. I'm still on my phone, I'm doing my thing, maybe I'm filing my nails. I'm kidding. But yeah, Jersey gas is less expensive than PI than Pennsylvania. So I like it for safety and for the economy. But I understand and I agree it shouldn't be like mandated, but it's a really good idea. Maybe, you know, state by state governors could think about that. But even Jeff, you know, Jeff's a man, he's like. Well, I make sure I stand with my back to the car and I keep looking around like, that's crazy, you know, and all my girlfriends don't go at night.

[Jeff Callahan]

And I've never been actually, at least to my knowledge, I've never been targeted. But who knows, if that was just California, I'm not going to go after the guy that's Constantly looking around, I'm going to find someone easier. And so that might be part of it. But to your point, Erica, growing up as a kid, we had full service gas stations here. In fact, most of the gas stations were full service and self serve. Didn't really become much of a thing until the mid-90s maybe. And I remember riding with my mom and she would do the same thing. She cracked the window, talk to the attendant because it was usually the same guy and he would pump the gas and we would stay, stay in our car. And it kind of felt like a luxury. And so this, this was, I don't know how many states were only full service for a long time, but this is something that's, you know, 25, 30 years old at least where I am.

[Erica]

Yeah. And so you guys, you know, for me, with the business that I own, we fill up like six massive trucks at the gas station also. So for that, you know, we go to like a bigger gas station and the guys pump the, like the, the station's like, go ahead and just, you know, do it yourselves, but, you know, so they'll go pump the gas, but, you know, so there's obviously some people can just go do it, but it's just, I just think it's nice. I thought it solved two problems, safety and jobs. So it's just my, my little experiment. I love how chitty chatty it got though. That was kind of fun. All right, Marcella, you, you grab us a story.

[Marcella]

So we, we talked about, I don't know if you have the video, but we talked about Minnesota and Nick Shirley a while back ago regarding fraud.

[Erica]

So this is great, you guys.

[Marcella]

Vice president came out regarding, regarding this fraud.

[Erica]

Okay, let's listen to our vice president then. Marcel is going to take it at

[Vice President]

the end, just like all of you. I was shocked last December when I watched Nick Shirley's bombshell investigation of migrant fraud in Minnesota, which called attention to the now infamous Quality Leering Center. Instead of learning and other schemes across that state, this morning, the ringleader of the $250 million Feeding Our Future fraud scheme in Minnesota was sentenced in federal court to over four 40 years in prison, bringing justice to the countless school children and families she had scammed. And on top of that, today, federal law enforcement launched a massive raid in Minneapolis. Across the city, agents have arrested 15 people for suspected fraud that amounted to $90 million. This includes two of the largest Medicaid fraud cases in Minnesota history, as well as the largest autism fraud scheme ever charged by the US Federal government. With this action, we're bringing justice to some of America's most vulnerable citizens and justice to the American taxpayer. In 2018, Minnesota tried to provide housing services for the homeless. They estimated that the cost of the program would be $2.5 million a year. By 2024, the program had exploded to $104 million annually. And almost all of that, almost all of it was because of fraud. As a result, the state had to shut down the program and can no longer provide those services to Americans in need. So we've got homeless veterans sleeping on the streets because fraudsters got rich. But it's not just the homeless who are the victims of these fraudsters. The victims in the cases announced by DOJ today also include disabled Americans who rely on community support to live full, independent lives and citizens for whom defrauding such programs is literally a matter of life and death. In one of the most horrifying cases charged today, a recipient who needed 24 hour care was supposed to be receiving exactly that through a Minnesota Medicaid benefit program. But he received nothing. No care, no services, nothing for months on end. And then he went quiet for two days. A neighbor tried to check on him, knocking on his apartment door. Nothing. Shortly after, he was found dead. One day before this man died, the fraudster in question had tried to bill for the non existent services the services that if they had been provided, this man might actually be with us today to get rich off taxpayers, even at the cost of others lives, just as that fraudster had for many months before. This kind of behavior is sickening. It's disgusting. It's an affront to all of us as Americans. And today we're saying clearly no more. Our message is simple. If you were committing fraud, our task force will find you. We'll come after you, and we will not rest until justice is served. Don't defraud the American taxpayer. Don't get rich by trying to steal from them or we are going to come after you until justice is served. That's our promise and we're going to stick to it.

[Erica]

Love it.

[Jeff Callahan]

Wow.

[Erica]

That was not AI you guys. It was just a blurred background with like a 5K camera, that's all.

[Jeff Callahan]

Oh, man. Like, can we talk about the, the video quality?

[Erica]

That was crazy good. Yeah, that was amazing. All right, so Marcela, he's on fire. I love it.

[Marcella]

You know, he's reporting great news. We're, we're winning the war against this fraudsters. But it's also a message to all of the rest of the world or the especially in America that are causing this fraud. Tampon, Tim. So it's. It's basically a message to them and to say, you know, if you're gonna do fraud, we're gonna go after you. We're not going to stay by the wayside and talk about it. So I like that, because a lot of us are like, worst action, where the, you know, where are the convictions, where are the indictments for all these things? Because a lot of the times we talk about the Russian collusion, we talk about this other collusion and this and that and the other. And a lot of people, I think Erica recently was asking me, why hasn't there been any indictments in regards to certain things with Comey? And sometimes that takes time, especially if it's a big fish like that. But I. I love the fact that things got done. And the other thing that can show us is that you can make a difference. Nick Shirley with his camera and his crew uncovered this and made a difference. And a lot of us feel like we can't. We're just one person, but one person can do the difference.

[Erica]

That's right. My leering school sweatshirt should be here today, according to.

[Jeff Callahan]

Yeah, we learned a lot from watching that video with J.D. vance. And what I'll say is that I'm not sure if you guys caught it, but, like, he frames it as, the American people are all victims of this, which I think is a really good frame, because few things will encourage anger faster than, hey, I took your money and I didn't do anything with it. And in fact, I let people die because I was supposed to be doing a service that I was not doing. And few things are going to cause more anger than that. And I think it's fascinating that this is another one of those issues that there's no coherent argument against it, because why wouldn't someone be in favor of the federal government looking and checking if things are being done appropriately? There's no counter to that. I think if you ask just your average ordinary American, when they start viewing the totality of the scope of a lot of this fraud, that that's, you know, this. This Last one was 90 million. And certainly this is going to go in into the billions upon billions. Like it is. It is just the most egregious form of theft in American history. Like, in my opinion, the fraud scandal. And I think they're only going to find more and more. It is. It is the biggest scandal in American history.

[Erica]

Oh, it's brutal. And I mean, I'm sure every single one of you listening to JD Speaking at some point, you were like, you know, we all know somebody who is waiting for Medicaid to help with something. You know, I, I personally know two people right now. One in particular has been trying to find out if her 90 now 96 year old father can qualify for Medicaid. They've been trying for years to get an answer. And I'm like, oh, so you're just waiting for this poor man to die before you be like, yes. I mean, so you go through all these channels and then to find out that, you know, all millions and millions and millions and millions of dollars are just flying out of here and funding fraudsters. I felt, I kept feeling like fraudsters is like not a good enough word. Like, I know that's actually the word. But while he was saying fraudsters, I'm like, no, it's like effing fraudsters. I'm like, it's got to be more than that. Like, I was like, it's just pissing me off so bad. So. And then I was also thinking while he was speaking, you know, I asked this the other day, you know, do we only know about this because of what Nick Shirley did? He's kind of alluding to the fact. Yes. And so then you're thinking, well, this, like, how long has this actually been going on? And it clearly would have never stopped. And you know, look at, look around, look around our country. Look at what everything's turning into. It's turning into. So, you know, I'm like embarrassed sometimes. I'll, I'll just be like driving somewhere and I'm like, why does everything look like garbage? Why are there holes in the streets? Why, like, why doesn't this place take care like every, it's like that whole broken window thing. I just feel like everything is just, you know, so the fraud is so big and bad and everybody's on the take. This is just my opinion, but we've had it.

[Marcella]

You know, Americans have had it.

[Erica]

We've had it.

[Marcella]

I don't want this anymore.

[Erica]

I want everything focused on our country, making it better for the people, our cities, our money, you know, the whole thing.

[Marcella]

Veterans and every. And our elderly. Because the thing is, the fraudsters make this make out with millions. But at the same time, they're, they're targeting the most vulnerable. The people with disabilities, the veterans, the elderly. I do conservatorship law as well. I, I do, I'm a lawyer. Anyways, most of you know that. And there was, you know, the FBI when I worked in Government had to come in and raid the court where I was working at because there was a huge fraud scheme of certain people. Trustees saying that somebody was at some place being taken care of 24 hours and they were not being taken care of.

[Erica]

No. How sad.

[Marcella]

And it's terrible.

[Erica]

It's really sad. You know, it could be your parent, it could be your neighbor, it could be anybody and could be you. It could be you. And you know, I just have this thing like people that are vulnerable, like the elderly or disabled people, handicapped people. Nothing upsets me more than taking advantage of these people. It just makes me crazy. So Ilhan Omar, what somebody said in the comments that her response was like, you know, bring it on, man.

[Marcella]

Oh, we're so in regards to that. When she said, oh, come and investigate me, I think she said bring it on. Well, the doj, as I told you just two days ago, they are investigating her for her potential fraud in marriage. Yeah, so many other things, I'm sure.

[Erica]

Let's bring it on. So the other day I'm going to switch to a different topic because yesterday we had gad on. So we didn't get to talk about the interview Jeff Bezos did. He did a long form interview. It was really interesting. I rarely hear him talk. I don't know about you guys, but I rarely hear him.

[Marcella]

Did he look different to you?

[Erica]

He looks better. He's probably, you know, testosterone it up, you know, whatever. Not like, you know, double. You mean like he had work done?

[Marcella]

No, like he might not be him anymore.

[Jeff Callahan]

Oh, Marcello, you're gonna segue into the mask stuff, aren't you?

[Erica]

No, we're not doing the mask story. I don't have time today for the mask story. Marcella really wants to do the mask story, but I don't have time for the mask story today. I just want to get through these. So I do want to play this one clip. This is from Jesse Water show and it's great. It cover. This covers so much stuff. This is a three minute clip. Very interesting. Here we go.

[Jesse Waters]

Bezos is torching the left. He says Democrats can't deliver a pizza, let alone run a city. If we ran Amazon, the way New York City runs their school system, right, your packages would take six weeks to arrive. We'd have to charge you a hundred dollar delivery fee. And then when the package did finally

[Erica]

arrive, it'd have the wrong item in it.

[Jesse Waters]

Anyway, need proof? Just take a stroll through the City of Angels. Karen Bass promised 0 homelessness by 2026 0. And she's right on track for zero results.

[Jake Tapper]

When you talked to Jake Tapper In 2023, you said that your goal was to end street homelessness in L. A by 2026. It's now 2026.

[Karen Bass]

And we haven't ended it.

[Jake Tapper]

We have not ended it, and we're not close to ending it.

[Jesse Waters]

How are you so off?

[Karen Bass]

Well, basically, when I said that it was at the beginning of my term, I didn't anticipate some of the bureaucratic barriers that I would experience, but I am prepared to take those on now.

[Jesse Waters]

Not hard. Karen, if you really want to end homelessness, stop paying the people who profit off it.

[Spencer Pratt]

Each bed in this facility, this specific one, this is cheap. There's ones that more the. Each bed is 400,000 a year. One homeless person, 400,000 a year.

[Jeff Callahan]

Why?

[Spencer Pratt]

Guess for the best part. They have no legal requirement to put a homeless person in a bed. They still get the money. So this whole building can still build a city.

[Jeff Callahan]

Taxes are paying for this building, paying for the upkeep of this building, and paying the profits of the building. And the building's not really operating.

[Jesse Waters]

Spencer's buckled in, and the Pratt factor is taking off. It just hit the Oval. Watch.

[Erica]

Do you see yourself in him at all? A former reality TV star?

[Unknown Interviewee]

I'd like to see him do well.

[D.C. Resident]

He.

[Unknown Interviewee]

He's a character. I don't know. I don't know him. I assume he probably supports me. Does he support me?

[Jeff Callahan]

I think so.

[Unknown Interviewee]

I think so. Yeah, I heard he does. I heard he's a Big Mac person. He's doing well.

[Jesse Waters]

He's doing well, all right. Too well for City hall. So Bass conjured up a Brentwood boogeyman.

[Karen Bass]

And when your messages are so hateful or when you demonize people, then you do provoke people who are unstable, and you can jeopardize people's safety.

[Jake Tapper]

You mean like the throwing of the tomatoes?

[Karen Bass]

Well, the throwing of the tomatoes, which look like blood or drowning me and the governor in a reservoir. But there's also other violent scenes, and so I've noticed that it's taking on a violent trend and that I find to be very scary.

[Jesse Waters]

Hey, you want scary, Karen? Try getting jumped on your own block in broad daylight. Or yanking your toddler past a meth head shooting up on the sidewalk, or, I don't know, watching your home go up in flames while the mayor's in Africa. The only nightmare is Karen Bass. La and she's laughing while it burns.

[Jake Tapper]

What do you think Spencer Pratt would be like as mayor?

[Karen Bass]

I can't Even imagine. I don't think I understand. He has a degree in political science. Science. But he does not have a background or knowledge in how our government works.

[Jesse Waters]

Yeah, neither do you. We've seen the movie before. Hillary laughed at Trump, too, and we all know how that one turned out

[Jake Tapper]

in terms of the state of the race. You know, Hillary Clinton wanted to run against Donald Trump. Is there a chance that maybe Spencer Pratt is being underestimated and maybe he's not the best person to run against?

[Karen Bass]

No, absolutely. I mean, I take nothing for granted.

[Jake Tapper]

Nitya Raman said you'd rather run against Spencer Pratt. Is that true?

[Karen Bass]

Nithya Raman? I, you know, I don't think she can determine who I would rather run against.

[Jake Tapper]

Yeah, I guess neither can you, right?

[Erica]

Oh, my God. That is amazing. Sorry, guys. That was a different clip than I thought it was. Oh, my God. You know, I think that's what qualifies him, is that he does know what's happening and he's done his homework. And he's like, yeah, we're done. We're done here. And I do have to say we. Okay, so this is like something we were laughing, but at Scott's memorial. Marcella, remember when Trump came on and he was like, you know, Scott was with me from the beginning and, you know, it's always about Trump and like, our little area, we all giggled a little bit because we're like, how does Trump always bring it back to him? Like, that is. It's just so funny. Yeah. So I had to giggle when I see him do that. So I'm actually going to toss this to Jeff first, because you've been doing a deep, deep dive on your show with Spencer. So tell us all the things.

[Jeff Callahan]

Yeah, so I. We talked about this a little bit on the. On the local stream, but in my opinion, Spencer Pratt, by June 1st, it's going to feel like he is running unopposed. And what I mean by that is he has got the persuasion talent stack. I've only seen it one other time in the last 11 years, and I know who I'm talking about. Right. So his skill stack and what he's doing is so rare that you basically never see it. I've written a couple of articles on X1 about just the overview of his persuasion skill stack, and I wrote a recent one about contrast, and I'm writing a third one about the high ground maneuver that he consistently weaves into nearly everything that he does. I want you to notice something with Spencer Pratt. He weaves in very visual language. He takes the high ground in nearly every single instance. It's. It's actually a thing of beauty to watch because there's, there's no arguing with his, his positions. If you do argue and try to counter it, you look very small and very petty. And so it's been, it's been a fantastic thing to watch. And I think something that people are kind of sleeping on because he actually, he talks about a son, but he doesn't really hammer it that hard, is he's going after the fraud like he's going after the homeless NGO complex. He doesn't. He started to feature a little bit more, but he's a little quieter on the fraud stuff than maybe I would like to see him be. But that's coming down the pipe too. And I would be very interested to see if he just wins outright with the 51% on June 2nd. What I think the big unknown is, I don't know a whole lot about LA machine politics, but the groundswell of attention that he's able to garner is. It's unlike almost anything that we've seen in recent memory.

[Erica]

I think also you guys can both. Marcela lives in la, so you guys can tell me what you think. But so like you, Jeff, as soon as Spencer came out and made it official, I said the exact same thing. He is Trump 2015. It's that same energy, the same vibes. I was also like Scott, I predicted Trump would win from day one. I also wrote in my journal in 1997 that I wish Trump would run for president because he'd win based on common sense and being a business person. So I think the advantage for Spencer is that because he's a celebrity, that allows other celebrities to feel a little bit more comfortable endorsing him and, you know, going for him. And also, you know, if he wins, that can positively, obviously affect their, their livelihoods, right? I mean, LA's celebrity industries in the tank. So I think that's an easy way for people to back him. But the one thing I'm wondering, I said this the other day, Marcella, I. I don't know who it is gonna be, but he has mentioned and he said this openly a hundred times. I have a great team of people that are going to help me, that are going to guide me, that are willing to do it. Like I'm going to surround myself with the right people, which is the job. So does anyone know who it is? Because Harvey Levin called one of the people to ask if it was true. The man said, yes, it's true. And I'm going to be helping him. And Harvey's like, wow, like, this person is the real deal. And, like, everybody should be really happy about it. And I also think he's not mentioning the fraud so much right now, because if he gets those people up in arms, he just becomes a bigger target. So I think it's kind of smart to lie low on that for now. But, Marcella, is anything changing on the ground in LA with people? I definitely see more people open to talking about him.

[Marcella]

So, you know, I wish him well, but it's. Even Trump has not won L. A. So even with his persuasion, you know what I, what I guess is going to happen is what happens all the time, you know, the machine is going to go out there and the Democratic machine, and it's going to make it happen for Karen Bass. Now he has a great chance of making her run to June 2nd and not winning, you know, being able to make her do the runoff. But, you know, I'm not pessimistic. I am realistic. You know, I've been living in the state for a million years and I've seen it all. And Los Angeles, the last mayor of Los Angeles that was Republican was 1997 when he was elected Reordon. And so, you know, I, I hope for him that he there is. We talked about it when there was Trump, but there was this silent majority that didn't, you know, said, oh, I'm voting for Karen Bass. But secretly they were the secret Trump voter. So I'm hoping there's the secret Spencer voter.

[Erica]

You know, I, I'm going to make a prediction that he's going to win. And I feel like, yeah, yeah, I, I really, I just, I feel it like in my soul that he's going to win because I don't know how you don't watch the Palisades and all those other towns burned down. You have a celebrities who, whose house burnt down, who understands the industry. Lifelong California boy, like an LA guy. He's been there forever with his family and he is so good. Like when they told him that Trump, you know, was like, oh, what do you know? What do you think about Trump? He's. He's so good at walking the line. Like, he doesn't want to offend Trump. He. He doesn't want to be attached to Maga. He's like, just leave me alone. Like, let me just. Okay, great, you know, whatever. But only thing I care about are the moms. I want the moms to vote for me. And that's just the right Message I feel like at the right time and, and that one debate they did was so telling. So I don't know. My, my prediction is he's definitely going to win and I'm going to make a statement and say, like, he's going to get like 53% of the vote.

[Jeff Callahan]

Yeah, so that's a, that's a big statement. I'm gonna, I'm gonna go with 51, but I'm gonna go with Karen.

[Marcella]

Bass is gonna. But I,

[Jeff Callahan]

you know, we can't, we can't predict the future, but we can. Two things that I think are very interesting. One is the climate in which he, he, he's running. He's running where I've called him the just look around candidate. Like all, all you have to do is walk out of your house now. I'm sure someone who lives now, like, can attest to this more. But look around, like, look around. How, how are things going? That's a, that's a unique situation. The second unique situation is he's creating so many on ramps for traditionally Democrat people who vote for, for Bass or. I don't think there's much overlap between him and Rahman. You know, I don't think Rahman's peeling any votes from Pratt whatsoever. I think Rahman's probably appealing votes from Bass, but he's creating so many on ramps for people through not only his fantastic campaign videos, but the fan made AI videos that are surfacing as well. And so I think he's created an environment where it's extremely permissible to vote for him. And even if you'll notice, Eric, you probably saw this where he said, this is the pre soft Trump endorsement. He said something like, I've got the only endorsement I need. Moms and animal lovers. And it's just like, what, like, where has this guy been? Right? Because that's he. His skill of off the cuff. I know what to say and I know how to say it. My hunch is that being on the hills for years and being a reality TV star and being hated as the manufactured villain on a reality TV show that has inoculated him from all forms of criticism and you layer on top of it the reluctant hero arc of my home burned down. I am going to fight for the city that I love. I'm going to protect your home as well. And I can relate with this somewhat because my apartment caught fire in 2013. It was an arson. We lost everything that we owned and we were actually homeless, like effectively homeless. We moved in with some friends down the street luckily. But I can relate to the fear and anger that people experience after losing everything in a fire. I'm like you. After that, you don't feel like you have anything left to lose, and so you will go for broke. And my hunch is that's what Spencer Pratt is. Is going to do. People feel that conviction where when you look at videos of Ramen or Bass, like empty suit politics, as Scott would say, Ramen looks like a weaker copy of Karen Bass.

[Erica]

Yes. Yeah.

[Jeff Callahan]

You can see in the debate. And so, sure, machine politics may come into play, but I think he's. He's got the magic that we all talk about, and it's going to be really fascinating to watch.

[Erica]

So we'll keep our eye on it. We are out of time, you guys, so, you know, we'll see. Marcella, we are rooting for you to have him win. So we'll try to, like, will it

[Marcella]

so you can, you know, Jeff, you need to work with Spencer. You do such a good job about speaking about him. We need to have. First of all, we need to connect Jeff with Spencer.

[Erica]

But they're already connected.

[Jeff Callahan]

Well, Spencer does follow me, and he. I don't know how much of my content he consumes, but I know that he does watch me and he does watch the live show, I think.

[Erica]

Okay.

[Jeff Callahan]

I mean, he's a busy guy.

[Marcella]

He needs to come on the show.

[Jeff Callahan]

I've said it.

[Marcella]

Tell me how he's gonna win.

[Jeff Callahan]

Yeah, yeah. So maybe in the chat, like, tag. Tag Spencer Pratt and have him come on.

[Erica]

I'll DM him. I'll DM him. He's following me. I'll DM him. So, yep, we'll see.

[Jeff Callahan]

And we'll see. I want. I want a major American city like Los Angeles to thrive because it's good for America. It's good for America to see that, yes, things can get better and that we don't have to decline.

[Erica]

Amen.

[Jeff Callahan]

That's a winning statement.

[Erica]

With that said, you guys, I'm gonna run. Owen is doing the after party tomorrow on Spaces. You know, the time, the place on X. And, Jeff, thank you so much for coming on. This was so fun. Fun. I'm sure you'll be back with us again. Everybody enjoyed you. A lot of people said that, that you remind them of Scott. How sweet. Okay, guys, see, look, it's. It's Jeff on the mug. So you guys, if I put a little hat on him. Okay, so we want to thank Scott and Shell for allowing the show to continue. We miss them. We love them. You guys, thank you so much for being here this week. It's Memorial weekend. Oh, by the way, we'll let you know about Monday. I know I'll be on, even if it's abbreviated for Monday, so we'll keep you posted. I'll post it on X so you guys remember what Memorial Day is about. Okay? So with that, a closing sip to our beloved Scott, who we miss so much, and we will see you Monday. To Scott.

[Marcella]

To Scott.

[Erica]

Bye, y'. All. Thanks, Jeff. I'm gonna kick you out. Ready?

[Jeff Callahan]

Ready? Yeah.

[Erica]

And just like that. Okay, guys. Thank you so much. See you.