← The Beat with Ari Melber
The Beat with Ari Melber
Legal Experts Questioning New Trump DOJ Move on Epstein Material
00:41:14
As the Jeffrey Epstein scandal continues to engulf the Trump administration, MSNBC's Jason Johnson reports on the latest developments.
Loading summary
Transcript99 lines
- [00:00]
Jason Johnson
The fight for our future starts with.
- [00:02]
Ron Reynolds
Belief in our nation and its promise in our future and its potential.
- [00:08]
Jason Johnson
Together, we answer America's call to win. We are Marines.
- [00:14]
Tara Settmeier
We were made for this.
- [00:15]
Maintain X Announcer
Tired of unexpected equipment failures eating into your production time? Manufacturing teams using Maintain X are seeing real results. 33% less unplanned downtime and 32% lower maintenance costs. Maintain X puts real time data in your technician's hands, preventing breakdowns before they happen. Get up and running in just three weeks and join over 10,000 frontline teams maximizing their uptime with Maintain X. Start your free trial@maintainintheletterx.com welcome to the Beat.
- [00:46]
Jason Johnson
I'm Jason Johnson and for Ari Melber, we begin with the Trump White House getting skewered on the Epstein scandal today. A new filing from Trump's beleaguered DOJ that is already giving rise to suspicion and criminal criticism. Plus new legal action from a leading watchdog group. And yet another warning from a Trump ally about the political peril of the current scandal. As the New Republic reports today on Epstein, even MAGA world can smell that Trump is hiding something in a new filing this afternoon. The Department of Justice pushing forward on request to unseal grand jury material. But legal observers say it looks like theater and a barely concealed attempt to appear interested in transparency while pursuing information most experts believe won't contain any new revelations. New details today on Trump's desperate attempt to quell political blowback. The White House reportedly, quote, asking podcaster Joe Rogan to help ease the uproar over the Epstein files. Look, Rogan has been a vocal critic of the administration's handling of the Epstein files. The other problem for Trump concerns Epstein accomplice Ghislaine Maxwell. Trump has dangled a pardon for her, which critics say looks like a blatant attempt to elicit friendly testimony from her. Today, Trump's former press secretary Sean Spicer warns all of this could backfire spectacularly. What do you think the reaction would be if Donald Trump pardoned Maxwell? I actually think about this differently.
- [02:16]
Tara Settmeier
I would say he would be under the impression that he was going to.
- [02:20]
Jason Johnson
Be able to say that he they got something from her further information. I think if anyone who sells him on this is lying to him, I my point and that's why you're at Wick.
- [02:30]
Tara Settmeier
What is his reaction going to be? I think this is very akin to.
- [02:33]
Jason Johnson
Comey, right when he fired Comey, he is told, oh, if you fire Comey.
- [02:38]
Norm Eisen
Everyone'S going to cheer you on.
- [02:39]
Jason Johnson
And and he missed the like, I.
- [02:42]
Tara Settmeier
Think people misled him on, on what.
- [02:43]
Jason Johnson
Was, how that was going to go down. I think this is similar.
- [02:46]
Tara Settmeier
There will be outrage like never before.
- [02:50]
Jason Johnson
If she gets a deal. Also, the government transparency group Democracy Forward filing a new lawsuit to force the administration to release the Epstein files. The head of the group saying, quote, president Trump has repeatedly said he would release the Epstein files. His spokesperson claims this administration is the most transparent in history and yet they continue to hide from the American people. The only thing transparent about the Trump Vance administration is is how clearly they continue to disregard our nation's laws. Joining me now to discuss is Ambassador Norm Eisen, executive chair of the Democracy Defenders Fund, co founder of the Contrarian and former Obama ethics czar. His group is suing the administration for Epstein information. Also with us is Tara Settmeier, co founder and CEO of the Seneca Project, author of Uncompromise on Substack and former GOP communications director. So Norm, I'll start with you. What are you hoping to get out of suing the DOJ and this administration for the Epstein files? Are you hoping to sort of highlight how non transparent they are? Highlight how they're obstructing justice, Highlight how they are probably hiding something or somebody or do you actually think that they will release the information in any shape where form that we can actually understand or see as the public?
- [04:14]
Norm Eisen
Jason, we filed the very first of what are now 11 FOIA requests against the administration and there have been a series of steps since with some proceeding in court. So far what we've seen are litigation over demands for faster treatment. First out of the box. We expect that we will file the very first action demanding the file themselves. And why is that so important? Donald Trump appears in these files. They haven't produced the Trump Epstein information and instead they've taken a convicted felon serious sex offenses involving minors, Ghislaine Maxwell. She was interviewed by Donald Trump's personal former criminal counsel Todd Blanch and then she's moved to a minimum security facility. It's, it stinks of a cover up, Jason. And so what we're trying to get at is what happened, including Trump Epstein filed, including Ghislaine Maxwell and who was involved in the administration. The American people deserve to know and frankly, victims are outraged about this movement of Maxwell. They need to know as well.
- [05:45]
Jason Johnson
So Tara, I'm gonna go to the comms part about this first. So we have reports now that the White House is trying to beg Joe Rogan to go out and play defense for them on this particular issue, and I tend to be skeptical of that. I mean, first and foremost, I think it's ridiculous that the White House, with all of their apparatus and equipment, are going to a podcaster. Second, I don't think it's very likely that you're going to be able to convince any members of the MAGA sphere or the manosphere or anybody else who cares about this to change their mind. I mean, do you think that's likely? Do you think that the administration could put pressure on people who have staked their reputations on the importance of these files to somehow flip the script in order to make Trump and Vance happy?
- [06:25]
Tara Settmeier (alternate or additional commentary)
Well, I think you've lost the plot when you have to go to Joe Rogan's podcast to explain the White House's position on the Epstein files and why they've given preferential treatment to a convicted child sex predator. They're in a bad way. And frankly, they violated every rule of crisis communications from day one about how to handle this situation. They've mishandled it for weeks, which is why we're still here. The simple solution here is to release the damn files. If you have nothing to hide, you release the files. They were awfully gung ho about this until they actually saw what was in the files. I'm assuming very early on in the administration, they campaigned, many of them campaigned on it. Many in the podcaster, right wing podcaster grifter world made their millions and fortunes on pushing conspiracy theories around this and other things. Some of them got cushy positions in the administration, like the FBI director and deputy FBI director. So this is a huge problem for them in a number of areas. And they can expect to expect people who have been focused on this for years to all of a sudden just believe the BS they're feeding them. That's the problem. And Joe Rogan, I mean, to his credit, was skeptical of this and why they've mishandled this and said, like, this isn't making sense. What's the problem here? I don't think sending Donald Trump's former personal attorney, now DOJ official who interviewed Ghislaine Maxwell and gave her some, you know, sweetheart immunity and moved her to a cushy Club Fed is going to convince the Joe Rogans of the world that now all of a sudden everything's kosher. I I there this is a failed strategy because they're full of crap. They're BSing people. And the magas are understanding that. And you have now the victims and the survivors who are coming out speaking more about their stories, which is another PR nightmare for, for the White House because now they have agency and they're telling their horrific stories of what they went through. And it doesn't look good for the White House when they still are concealing the files for what Norm?
- [08:31]
Jason Johnson
So since you're again in the process of trying to sort of get these files public, this is the question that I have. This is, this is a regular man or woman on the street question. So the files come out and we get a chance to read them. Even if the files detail terrible behavior on the part of anybody in the administration, whether it's the President or anybody else connected one way or another, what happens next? I mean, you know, because I think the concern that a lot of people have and the reason that you might get some shoulder shrugs from people who aren't heavily invested is even if this information comes forward, unless there is the immediate threat of prosecution for what we find out in these Epstein files, it seems like a tempest in a teapot. So what do you say to people who have that concern? Even if this comes out, if nobody's held accountable, what difference does it make? Well.
- [09:20]
Norm Eisen
It depends on what we see in those files. For example, if there is evidence, we demanded all the information about the decision to transfer Ghislaine Maxwell. If there's evidence that the administration is engaging in a cover up at the expense of these victims, my goodness, goodness, that is explosive information. So there is much more to it. The country, frankly has a right to know about Trump and Epstein as well and all of the other details.
- [09:54]
Jason Johnson
Jason Terry, I want to play you some sound from a town hall in Nebraska. Representative Flood faces serious booze over Epstein. I want to get your response on the other side.
- [10:07]
Norm Eisen
Why are you covering up the Epstein files?
- [10:16]
Jason Johnson
So my question is simply this. If people are this upset, that's fine. It is August of 2025. Do you think this actually has any impact by next year? Because that's the other thing. As angry as some Republican and MAGA voters say they are, if their votes don't change next year, does this matter?
- [10:34]
Tara Settmeier (alternate or additional commentary)
Well, I think that's the question here is how long can the outrage on this go for? And I think the White House is counting on running out the clock on this. However, if the strategy to keep this, it. Well, first of all, if they keep making mistakes like this, the White House in prolonging the story, it's just going to elongate this. I mean, what, what Norm is doing and what his organization is doing, there will be others. The, the you know, the survivors are coming out now and starting to kind of go back to what are their options? Are they going to sue for things? They keep telling their story. So it could, it could extend the life, the life of this for several months. And I think also what it does is it gives Democrats an opportunity. And even my organization, the Seneca Project, we're a content organization. So we put out ads, we put out content to inform people of what's going on, to hold Trump accountable and to explain to people what's at stake. And this is just another part of the pattern of how Donald Trump is a liar. He, he's betraying people, including his own people. And we have an ad out now called Cheater that's going to play right in Bedminster this weekend talking about how Donald Trump has cheated in every aspect of his life, including cheating the American people on this and on the bill, on the budget bill, et cetera. So there's ways to weave this in to the overarching theme of what Donald Trump's presidency has represented, how it hurts the American people. And Democrats have an opportunity going into the midterms to consistently talk about that. And then that can depress the MAGA vote. Even Steve Bannon said if 1, 2% of the MAGAs, even 5, stay home, they're in big trouble for the midterms, which is why Donald Trump and the Magas are trying to cheat the American people and voters by changing the districts in places like Texas and others. They know they're, they have, they're in trouble with this.
- [12:18]
Jason Johnson
Tara. Tara Set Meyer, Norm Eisen, thank you so much for starting us off on an explosive story tonight on the Beat.
- [12:25]
Tara Settmeier (alternate or additional commentary)
Thank you.
- [12:27]
Jason Johnson
Later in the show, I talk live to a Texas Democrat thwarting MAGA's gerrymandering power grab, defying new threats of fines and arrests. Also tonight, fired FBI agents speak out about Trump's dangerous partisan purge of the agency. Their lawyer will be here to tell us the story. But first, Epstein survivors accused the Trump DOJ of, quote, a cover up. Civil rights attorney Nancy Erica Smith is next. We're back in 90 seconds on the Beat. New tonight, Epstein survivors accusing the Trump administration of bearing their voices and letters from their lawyers. Several survivors are slamming the Trump Department of Justice's actions, saying it, quote, smacks of a cover up. And they're calling out the administration for lack of consideration for the victims. They say they feel like, quote, at best an afterthought. One survivor taking on Trump directly. Annie Farmer labeled Trump's claim that this is a Democratic hoax is, quote, offensive. Another survivor, Jess Michaels, spoke out on the beat just last night condemning the White House.
- [13:39]
Tara Settmeier (alternate or additional commentary)
I have not heard the words Epstein survivor out of the White House ever. It's not just that they're ignoring survivors when they're having meetings, when they're discussing, when they're talking with the convicted pedophile sex trafficker. I'm really shocked. And not that this woman has been able to weasel her way into getting, working towards a pardon, working towards leniency.
- [14:15]
Jason Johnson
Just Michael's referring to the special treatment for Epstein's accomplice, Ghislaine Maxwell. She was moved to a minimum security prison after speaking with Trump's doj. Joining me now to discuss is Nancy Erica Smith, a prominent civil rights attorney. She represented former Fox Anger Gretchen Carlson's in her bombsale shoot against FOX News. And she is currently representing Newark Mayor Ross Baraka, who is suing interim U.S. attorney Alina Haba over his arrest while he attempted to inspect an ICE detention facility. Thank you so much for joining us this evening, Nancy. I'm going to start with this and this is something that has deeply bothered me and I think a lot of people who care about this story. It's the idea that these were children, not young women, not teens. They were children. And the absolute lack of empathy that we have seen from this administration at any level. So just as somebody who is representing the, these victims, what kind of conversations are you having with them and their families about the fact that they're, I mean, they're either being ignored or they're being treated with a wink and a nod when in fact they were babies and children when many of these assaults and this abuse happened.
- [15:25]
Nancy Erica Smith
It's devastating. We know that the long term effects of abuse of children are devastating for life for many of these victims and survivors. So it's, it's awful. And it doesn't just even affect the Epstein victims. It affects all victims of pedophilia and sex abuse and the kind of rape and sexual predation that we've seen with Epstein and Maxwell and the many, many people who participated, enabled and knew about it. So the survivors right now are in a crisis, many of them, not just the Epstein survivors, because they're being treated like they don't matter. It's a game. I feel like we're in a game. Trump is playing a game. His administration is with the game. They created this conspiracy theory of Democrats are pedophiles and there's a pizza shop and Clinton, Hillary Clinton's involved and people went down that Rabbit hole. And they were talking about themselves. They were talking about their friends. Our current Attorney General Pam Bondi gave Epstein the original sweetheart deal in Florida. And now they're continuing to play games. How could you have a sexual predator for decades like Maxwell go to a Club Fed after meeting Trump's lawyer? It's outrageous and it's very harmful and it's harmful to all survivors and victims.
- [16:54]
Jason Johnson
I want to play you some sound from just Michaels on the beat last night as she talks about what this is like for survivors and what the impact is and get your thoughts on the other side.
- [17:04]
Tara Settmeier (alternate or additional commentary)
This is a very personal, painful, both physically, emotionally, mentally, intellectually painful experience to go through to see the level of injustice. The victims did the right thing. They went to authorities. They've done all the right things. They have told their story over and over and over again and no one is listening. I believe what we are seeing is a normalization of the decriminalization of sexual harm.
- [17:38]
Jason Johnson
I think this is so key. We have a president and the White House who was caught on tape bragging about sexual assault. We have a head of secretary of defense. We have multiple people in this administration who have been accused, not necessarily convicted, but accused of various forms of sexual abuse and inappropriate behavior for women. When you're talking to victims and when victims come to you seeking your support, how do you talk to them? Because they've been taught, this has been normalized. They've been taught, well, this is what happens, or that's one of the consequences. How do you convince them that their stories as victims deserve to be hold and that they deserve justice despite the normalization of sexual abuse in America?
- [18:20]
Nancy Erica Smith
Well, it's very hard with this Department of Justice because this Department of Justice isn't about justice for victims. It's very hard with this administration because Donald Trump has been convicted by a jury of sex abuse that the judge said is called rape. So we have an elected rapist in the White House. We have someone, as you said, who bragged about you can grab women by the genitals even if they don't want you to. We have him bragging about going into his Miss Teen while Miss Teen Universe pageant, while young girls are dressing and undressing. These are all on the record. This is a man who was elected by maga. So it's been normalized already. He was elected in the beginning. He was already elected once. So now we've reelected a man after he's convicted, after he's found guilty, after we have, we have a zillion pictures of him with Epstein. We have Epstein's brother saying Epstein talked about him all the time. We have them club fed for a convicted pedophile for decades with innumerable victims. It is normalized. So I don't say, I don't even trust if the doj, if it ever, if the file ever gets released, I have no faith that it will be intact. And have, you know, we've all heard the, the leaks that the DOJ is busy redacting Trump's name and fixing up the files. I mean, this is a corrupt administration. I have incredible fear that, you know, we're gonna, even if we win the release of the files, it's gonna be a lot of nothing.
- [20:01]
Jason Johnson
Heavily or die. Yeah. Yeah. Nancy Erica Smith, thank you so much sincerely for the work you're doing, not just for these victims, for victims across America. Thank you.
- [20:10]
Nancy Erica Smith
Thank you.
- [20:13]
Jason Johnson
Later in the show, a special guest on how colleges are planning to defend students from Trump, Marco Rubio and ICE raids this fall. Also tonight, Pelosi, Newsom and Texas Democrats are throwing down the gauntlet of the GOP's gerrymandering power grab. I talked live to a Texas Democrats, but first fired FBI agents are suing the Trump administration. Their lawyer joins me. Next on the beat. It's Stephen A. Smith here.
- [20:41]
Ron Reynolds
You want sports?
- [20:42]
Jason Johnson
SiriusXM's got it all.
- [20:43]
Ron Reynolds
Every game, every team, all season long.
- [20:46]
Jason Johnson
Debates, rants, hot takes and no filter whatsoever.
- [20:49]
Maintain X Announcer
Trust and believe.
- [20:50]
Jason Johnson
You don't want to miss what I have to say. This week on the Stephen A. Smith.
- [20:53]
Ron Reynolds
Show, only on SiriusXM.
- [20:57]
Maintain X Announcer
The scariest sound to hear in a factory floor is silence. That means something somewhere broke. And now you're paying the team to wait. Maintain X is the asset and maintenance management app that brings your unplanned downtime to zero. Maintain X helps you build preventative maintenance schedules and manage work orders in real time. Try for free@maintainx.com that's maintain in the letter x.com Summer's heating up and so is the action with chumba casino and 2311 racing. Whether you're trackside with Bubba, Riley and Tyler or cooling off at home, the fun never stops at Chumba Casino, the online social casino packed with free to play games like slots, blackjack and more. Jump into summer@chumbacasino.com and score your free welcome bonus. 2 million free gold coins and 2 free sweeps coins. No purchase necessary. VGW Group void where prohibited by law. CTNC is 21 + sponsored by Chumba Casino.
- [21:54]
Jason Johnson
Foreign Some ex FBI agents are warning Trump's retribution tour is escalating and damaging the agency. This week, at least two top FBI officials have been ousted, including senior official Brian Driscoll, who previously served as acting FBI director. Earlier this year, he refused to turn over a list of agents who worked on January 6th cases. Driscoll says he received no explanation for his firing. It's an obvious pattern. Just days ago, a federal agency launching a probe into former special counsel Jack Smith after a hard right GOP senator complained about Smith. Politico calling it, quote, a thinly veiled political stunt aimed at placating the president. Today we learn the DOJ is opening a grand jury probe and to New York Attorney General Tish James over whether she violated Trump's civil rights and her case against the Trump Organization. Remember, both Attorney General Pam Bondi and FBI Director Cash Patel testified that there was no enemies list.
- [23:01]
Tara Settmeier (alternate or additional commentary)
There will never be an enemies list within the Department of Justice with been.
- [23:05]
Nancy Erica Smith
Referred to as an enemies list.
- [23:07]
Jason Johnson
You've called them deep State.
- [23:08]
Tara Settmeier (alternate or additional commentary)
It's not an enemies list.
- [23:10]
Norm Eisen
That is a total mischaracterization.
- [23:12]
Jason Johnson
I the FBI Agents association condemning the recent firings. Quote, agents are not given the option to pick and choose their cases. If these agents are fired without due process, it makes the American people less safe. Agents need to be focused on their work and not on potentially being illegally fired based on their assignments. Joining me now is Chris Matty, former federal corruption prosecutor. He recently represented the FBI Agents association in a suit against the DOJ over sharing names of agents involved in the January 6th probe. Thank you for joining us this evening. This, this, this hits me at a bunch of different levels. First off, let's just talk in the grand scheme of things, how dangerous is it for the functionality of the FBI to have agents worried that they could be prosecuted, fired, possibly jailed by the next administration for any case they work on if the new administration doesn't like it?
- [24:16]
Tara Settmeier
Well, the last thing you want is for FBI agents to be taking political considerations or concerns about how they may be treated in the future into account when they're conducting their investigations. But far more dangerous than that is the decades of experience that are being sent aside from the FBI today. And let me just give you one example. Brian Driscoll was walked out today to the applause of hundreds of his colleagues. This is a gentleman who has served for decades in the fb. He coordinated critical response around the country. He led hostage recovery teams, including serving on a combat mission in Syria, where he was awarded the Medal of Valor, the Shield of Bravery. In another instance, he had the highest number of arrests and convictions of child predators and human traffickers when he was a supervisory agent in Long Island. And this is the man that was fired today, along with others with similar records of exemplary service. When you remove people from the field like that, you make my family less safe. You make your family less safe. And all because the people in charge wanted to take out petty political revenge against innocent career servants who have done nothing but follow their oath, follow the law, and do their duty. It is disgusting, and it has made all of us less safe.
- [25:42]
Jason Johnson
Chris, I want to see. I want to play some sound of someone who echoes your concerns. Former New Jersey Governor Chris Christie. He has been complaining about this purge as well. I want to get your thoughts on the other side of this sound. The threat assessment we have right now across the world. To lose that many agents and then.
- [26:00]
Ron Reynolds
Take a year to year and a.
- [26:01]
Jason Johnson
Half to try to replace them is incredibly dangerous for our national security. And for what? Because they did their jobs? Chris, this is the thing, and I want you to sort of go into more detail on this, but the loss of institutional knowledge is huge, right? These people were still working. They're being fired while there are cases ongoing. So they can't share with their colleagues anymore. They can't use their colleagues anymore. They can't use contacts to help keep us safe. If Chris Christie recognizes this, do you think there are other Republicans? Is there anybody in this administration who's like, wait a minute, this keeps us unsafe? Or do you think that the pettiness and the venality of the Trump administration has completely superseded any real concerns for American safety?
- [26:46]
Tara Settmeier
I'm sure that there are Republicans in Congress and elsewhere who see what's happening to our law enforcement capabilities and are deeply concerned. The question is whether they will do anything about it. Right now, you have in positions of leadership in the FBI and the Justice Department, people who have never worked in the trenches in law enforcement, people who don't understand the principles and values that drive the men and women of the FBI every day. You take this clown car with Bondi and Blanche and Emil Bove and Cash Patel and Dan Bongino. They're not fit to tie a guy like Brian Driscoll's shoes. But they're the ones who are making decisions. And as I pointed out, they're not making decisions based on what's in the best interest of the country at all. If they were, they would be promoting somebody like Brian Driscoll. They would be promoting others who we understand are being let go today. And it's shameful. And I really just want to emphasize the point here that when you let people like this leave government service, who have dedicated themselves to protecting this country and who've served as examples to other agents who are coming up, not only do you handicap our ability to protect our country, but you demoralize the workforce. Guys who've been looking up to these folks are now being punished for doing their jobs the right way. It makes it very, very difficult to have an organization that we need operating at full capacity every day to keep us saf.
- [28:16]
Jason Johnson
Chris Matty, thank you so much for your service to the men and women who protect us. I appreciate you coming on tonight. You're welcome. Coming up, new fears on college campuses over ICE raids and detentions. We have a special guest. But first, Texas Democrats teaming up with California Democrats fighting what they call a GOP gerrymandering power grab. I'll talk to a Texas Democrat next after this break.
- [28:46]
Nancy Erica Smith
Welcoming the courageous members of the Texas delegation.
- [28:51]
Ron Reynolds
They will lose in the midterms.
- [28:53]
Jason Johnson
He knows it.
- [28:54]
Ron Reynolds
He cannot stand here and just shrug as Trump and the Republicans try and rig the rules. He knows the headwinds in a midterm.
- [29:04]
Maintain X Announcer
He's dialing for seats.
- [29:08]
Jason Johnson
That was just moments ago in California, where Democrats are finally striking back. Governor Newsom, Nancy Pelosi and others appearing with Texas Democrats who have fled their home state in a bid to thwart a MAGA gerrymandering power grab. Texas Republicans are trying to redraw their state's congressional districts to carve out more seats and maintain control of the House after next year's midterms. And this clash is now escalating across the country. Today, Texas Republicans reconvening a special session to ram through their plans. But Democrats are denying the Republicans a quorum. So Republicans are making brand new threats. I have been in constant communication with Department of Public Safety, which has been working to track down absent members in.
- [29:54]
Ron Reynolds
An effort to return them to our chamber.
- [29:56]
Jason Johnson
These efforts will continue through the weekend.
- [30:00]
Norm Eisen
For those that have fled to Illinois.
- [30:03]
Ron Reynolds
Or to California, be reminded that the.
- [30:07]
Jason Johnson
FBI's assistant has reportedly been enlisted. And their powers are not confined to any singular state's boundaries. GOP Senator John Cornyn says the FBI will help track them down. The FBI has not publicly confirmed this. Texas Governor Greg Abbott has sued to have the House Democratic leader removed from office if he does not return. Republican state Attorney General Ken Paxton has filed suit to remove 13 other House Democrats. That's in addition to his suit to force other states to pursue the Democratic Lawmakers. So this fight is not staying in Texas. Republicans and Democrats around the country are now eyeing new maps in what threatens to become a sort of brutal gerrymandering arms race. Joining me now from an undisclosed location is Texas Democratic Representative Ron Reynolds, who has left the state. Thank you so much, Representative Reynolds, for being with us tonight on the beat. So I, I just want to start with this because I want this to be clear to everybody. Texas Democrats have left to deny Republicans a quorum so that they cannot go through with unfair policy. You're not breaking the law. You've just left the state, correct?
- [31:19]
Ron Reynolds
Absolutely, Jason. We did not break any law. We broke quorum to stop the Trump Abbott Texas takeover by racially gerrymandering five congressional seats in Texas on the backs of black and brown constituents and stakeholders in the state of Texas. That is what we did. We did not break any law at all whatsoever, Period, point blank.
- [31:43]
Jason Johnson
And I want to follow up with this because I think this is important for the rest of the country to actually understand that what you have happening here is Republicans in Texas are threatening you, they're threatening you with the FBI, they're threatening to send bounty hunters after you, they're threatening all these different kinds of things for what essentially is only absenteeism from work. So when you all are hearing this kind of information, I know you can't tell me everything. I wouldn't want you to. But what kinds of protections and precautions are you all taking to keep yourself safe while you're on the run?
- [32:15]
Ron Reynolds
Well, first of all, Jason, they are threatening us. They're threatening us. And I'm One of those 13 Democrats, by the way, that attorney general filed today to remove me from office. But this seat doesn't belong to me nor my colleagues. It belongs to the citizens of the state of Texas. And we will not be intimidated or backed down. We just celebrated the 60th anniversary of the Voting Rights act of 1965 and nearly the 60th anniversary of bloody Sunday. Many of our forefathers whose shoulders we stand on today, they did the unthinkable. They risked it all knowing that they could be beaten. And many of them were. Many of them risked it all to break down Jim Crow. We will not be intimidated because those who came before us, they endured far more. So, yes, they're threatening us with jail and $500 day fines that we will be expelled from our seats, but we're not intimidated. We will not back down to this authoritarian wannabe dictator king that is trying to set us back with these racial gerrymander seats. So, no, we're not being intimidated. We're not backing down. We're continuing to deny a quorum so they can't pass this legislation.
- [33:22]
Jason Johnson
I want to play a quick sound bite from Governor Abbott of Texas speaking this morning about what he's thinking of doing next. Democrats act like they're not going to come back as long as this is an issue. That means they're not going to come back until like 2027 or 2028, because I'm going to call special session after special session after special session with the same agenda items on there. I appreciate that you guys are going full Tom Petty, going to stand your ground, not going to back down. Right. But you've got the governor basically saying that the moment that anybody sets foot in the state that he's going to try and call a special session. So again, you may not be able to tell us your entire plan, but let's just say for the next month or so, do you all plan to have quorum in absentia, continue to give speeches? What are you doing for the next couple of weeks as you sort of have this standoff?
- [34:15]
Ron Reynolds
Well, Jason, we're going to continue to deny the quorum and we're going to do just what we did today inspired a governor, Governor Newsom from California, to be the first to go on record to say we're going to redistrict. If it's good for the goose, then it's good for the gander. Trump has changed the rules of engagement. Democrats are going to fight. We're not going to lay down and get rolled over. So next we want to inspire Governor Holcomb in New York. We've already visited with her. We visited with New Mexico. We plan to go to Maryland and other blue states to show President Trump and all of these MAGA extremists that Democrats are not going to surrender, that we will go toe to toe, mano a mano, and hopefully we will get them to back off. Redistricting doesn't happen until every 10 years after a census. So this is a desperate attempt by President Trump because he knows his policies are woefully unpopular. And unless they break the rules in the scheme by changing the lines that they're going to lose in the midterms. And so we're going to give them hell. We're going to fight. We're going to fight all the way to the finish. And we're transformational. Change is coming. We're a catalyst and we're motivating other blue state Governors to go toe to toe, tit for tat.
- [35:33]
Jason Johnson
Look, it seems very clear to me that this sort of on the run Democrat tour that you guys are doing right now will spread throughout the country and we will definitely keep up to date with the story. State Representative Ron Reynolds, thank you so much for joining us this evening.
- [35:45]
Ron Reynolds
Thank you for having me.
- [35:48]
Jason Johnson
Next, how college campuses plan to counter Trump's ICE rage. When we're back on the beat, we may be on the brink of a new chapter in the authoritarian overreach of Trump's ICE soldiers. From the start, college campuses have been a flashpoint. In just weeks, students are heading back and schools are getting ready. It will be the first full semester of Trump's second term. This time, colleges know what to expect. The administration has already revoked over 1800 foreign student visas. Pro Palestinian student protesters have been detained. There are rampant ICE raids. There are protests erupting. Secretary of State Marco Rubio notoriously brushing aside any concerns that people expressed about the right of students to have free speech. If you apply for a visa to.
- [36:45]
Ron Reynolds
Enter the United States and be a.
- [36:46]
Jason Johnson
Student, and you tell us that the.
- [36:48]
Ron Reynolds
Reason why you're coming to the United.
- [36:49]
Jason Johnson
States is not just because you want to write op eds, but because you want to participate in movements that are involved in doing things like vandalizing universities.
- [36:57]
Ron Reynolds
Harassing students, taking over buildings, creating a ruckus, we're not going to give you a visa.
- [37:05]
Jason Johnson
Joining me now is Miriam Feldbloom, president and CEO of the President's alliance on Higher Education and Immigration. It's a group of university leaders advocating for immigrant rights. Miriam, thank you so much. I am a college professor at Morgan State University. I speak on other colleges. So this is an issue that's of real importance to me. I'll just start with this. What is your overall goal heading into the fall? This administration has been emboldened by legislative accomplishments, by fecklessness on the part of Republicans and Democrats. So what is your goal this fall? Is it to keep ICE off of campuses? Is it to make it difficult for ICE to get on campuses? What are you all shooting for in the fall 2025?
- [37:47]
Miriam Feldbloom
I love that question, Jason. The President's alliance is an alliance of close to 600 presidents and chancellors in their institutions, public and private, from across the country who've come together around the immigration issues that impact students, campuses, and communities. And really, at its core, our mission is about helping to ensure that higher education can build the domestic and global talent pipeline that's needed for American workforce development, innovation, and the overall economy. And that necessarily includes domestic immigrant students, international students and refugees. So that's actually like the first step to say why does this matter? And it matters because when we think about international students, they directly benefit local and state economies, our campuses, American innovation. And when we educate students in our universities and then send them home to compete with us or discourage them from staying or others from considering US Higher education, America loses and our local communities and students lose. So that's our first it's really.
- [38:56]
Jason Johnson
Samir, I want to ask this. I have a number of friends and colleagues who have children who are starting school this fall, and many of them have children who are adopted, adopted from foreign countries. And they're terrified. They're terrified that they're sending their sons and daughters to campuses that are not going to protect them if there's an ICE raid. Because if I send my kid to school in Michigan and I'm from Atlanta, Georgia, and I'm the only one who's got got her birth certificate because we adopted her from China or Indonesia or Ethiopia or something else like that, they're terrified. What would you say to parents who are frightened with sending their kids off to school this fall because of what we've seen from this authoritarian regime?
- [39:34]
Miriam Feldbloom
I think that's so important, because we have to acknowledge that what has happened over this past spring has created a climate of fear, anxiety and uncertainty among international students, but also among noncitizen students. And that's not going away. So we have to acknowledge that. We also have to acknowledge that as federal funding for immigration enforcement increases and with the evolving enforcement priorities, we're closely monitoring how these developments will impact campuses. So what are campuses doing? They are remaining informed and prepared. So what I can say is that what I see from campuses is that they are working to support students, not always, sometimes broad public statements, but with direct communications on campus, we need to make sure all students and employees understand their rights.
- [40:28]
Jason Johnson
Miriam Feldbloom, thank you so much for the work you're doing, not just for the people you represent, but for all students going to school this fall. Appreciate it.
- [40:34]
Miriam Feldbloom
Thank you so much, Jason.
- [40:37]
Jason Johnson
Ahead, a surprising new action that undermines maga's attempt to whitewash American history. Explain. Next on the Beat, it's Stephen A. Smith here.
- [40:49]
Ron Reynolds
You want sports?
- [40:50]
Jason Johnson
SiriusXM's got it all.
- [40:51]
Ron Reynolds
Every game, every team, all season long.
- [40:54]
Jason Johnson
Debates, rants, hot takes and no filter whatsoever.
- [40:57]
Maintain X Announcer
Trust and believe.
- [40:58]
Jason Johnson
You don't want to miss what I have to say this week on the Stephen A. Smith show, only on SiriusXM.
- [41:03]
Maintain X Announcer
Tired of unexpected equipment failures eating into your production time? Manufacturing teams using Maintain X are seeing real results 33% less unplanned downtime and 32% lower maintenance costs. Maintain XPUT's real time data in your technician's hands, preventing breakdowns before they happen. Get up and running in just three weeks and join over 10,000 frontline teams maximizing their uptime with Maintain X. Start your free trial@maintainintheletterx.com Summer's heating up, and so is the action with chumba casino and 23xi racing. Whether you're trackside with Bubba, Riley and Tyler or cooling off at home, the fun never stops at Chumba Casino, the online social casino packed with free to play games like slots, blackjack and more. Jump into summer@chumbacasino.com and score your free welcome bonus 2 million free gold coins and 2 free sweeps coins. No purchase necessary. VGW group void where prohibited by law. CTNC is 21 + sponsored by Chumba Casino.
- [42:08]
Jason Johnson
The Trump administration has been obsessed with erasing black Americans from this country's history, whether that's removing the Tuskegee Airmen from the Air Force Academy website or downplaying the service of baseball great Jackie Robinson or Harriet Tubman from their time in the military. This week, Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth announced the return of statues commemorating the Confederacy, you know, the people that betrayed the United States and then lost. So it's most surprising and frankly refreshing to see that legislators, including Republicans in South Carolina, you know, the home of the Confederacy, are pushing back against this administration's policy of erasure. The South Carolina legislature will place a statue of Robert Smalls in front of the state Capitol. Smalls would be the first black statue on the Capitol grounds. Now, I'm sure a lot of you are asking, who is Robert Smalls? Well, he is arguably the greatest hero out of South Carolina that you have never heard of. Smalls was born into slavery but managed to teach himself to read. And during the Civil War, Smalls hijacked a Confederate ship by impersonating its white captain. Then he outsmarted both the Union and Confederate naval blockades and went back and rescued the families of all of the black crew from slavery. Small's hijacked ship was the largest seizure of Confederate weapons in the entire Civil War, and he was given a reward for that. And he took the reward money to go back and buy the plantation from the man who once enslaved him. He then went on to become a millionaire and serve as a member of Congress from South Carolina this is an amazing story and it's not just captured in the statue, but in a new graphic novel called Defiant, written by Academy Award nominated writer Rob Edwards, who also wrote the Princess and the Frog as well as Captain Brave New World. Congratulations to legislators in South Carolina for acknowledging what true heroism actually looks like. Because it's very clear that as they try to erase every single accomplishment of African Americans and the past and present, that nobody in this White House has a clue as to what real American heroism is supposed to look like. That does it for me.
- [44:31]
Tara Settmeier (alternate or additional commentary)
What's Poppin listeners? I'm Laci Mosley, host of the podcast Scam Goddess, the show that's an ode to fraud and all those who practice it. Each week I talk with very special guests about the scammiest scammers of all time. Wanna know about the fake era? We got em. What about a career con man? We've got them too. Guys that will wine and dine you and then steal all your coins. Oh, you know they are represented because representation matters. I'm joined by guests like Nicole Byer, Ira Madison iii, Conan o', Brien, and more. Join the congregation and listen to Scam Goddess. Wherever you get your podcasts.