Thousands of "No Kings" Protests Planned for Tomorrow

Summary

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Podcast Summary

The Beat with Ari Melber

Episode: Thousands of "No Kings" Protests Planned for Tomorrow
Date: March 27, 2026
Host: Ari Melber

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Overview

This episode centers on the upcoming "No Kings" protests, a massive nationwide (and international) movement pushing back against what many see as increasingly autocratic and monarchical behavior by Donald Trump and his administration. Ari Melber provides context for the movement, examines the events and symbolism fueling these demonstrations, and speaks with organizers, analysts, and legal experts about the stakes, the underlying motivations, and the broader implications for American democracy.

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Key Discussion Points and Insights

1. The "No Kings" Protest Movement

(Starting at 01:01)

• Over 3,000 "No Kings" rallies are planned across all 50 states (and nearly every continent).
• The movement draws on the core American principle of resisting monarchy and autocracy, referencing the Founders’ Revolution against King George.
• Recent Trump actions—renaming iconic buildings like the Kennedy Center after himself, efforts to put his image on currency, and planning symbolic monuments—are cited as evidence of king-like aspirations and autocratic tendencies.
• Trump's history of undermining the peaceful transfer of power and embracing insurrectionists is a driving force behind the protests.

“There is more measurable support for this protest movement, the democracy movement, than there is for Trump or MAGA at this point.”
— Ari Melber, 01:16

2. Trump’s Autocratic Style and Substance

(02:54–05:31)

• Trump’s moves, such as renaming federal buildings and planning commemorative coins and arches, are described as more typical of autocratic regimes.
• The real concern is that these symbolic gestures are paired with substantive abuses of power, including attempts to overturn elections and reward those who attacked democracy.
• Discussion about the dangers of the growing acceptance—or at least tolerance—of the idea of a “necessary dictator.”

“The final statement there, the most direct—his assertion, claimed that you might sometimes need a dictator. That should be concerning if you want to live in a country where you have your own freedom and liberty and aren’t ruled by a king or a dictator, the very thing this country was founded to stop.”
— Ari Melber, 05:31

3. Preview of the Protest & Organizers’ Perspectives

Guest: Lisa Gilbert, Public Citizen
(07:49–09:13)

• Lisa Gilbert describes the protest as a direct response to:
  • Masked federal agents in communities and airports, detaining people without warrants.
  • Efforts to undermine elections and make voting harder.
  • Billions spent on foreign wars the public has not approved.
• The scale is described as unprecedented: “3,300 events planned” in nearly every county, every state, and globally (except Antarctica).
• Emphasis that participation spans rural, suburban, and urban communities.

“All of these blatant, aggressive, lawless actions, which are attempts to intimidate people and chill dissent...that is the reason why people are going to be turning out tomorrow in droves.”
— Lisa Gilbert, 07:55

4. The Message: Resistance is Not Futile

Guest: Che Ko Mindhury, Obama campaign veteran
(09:45–11:06)

• Ko Mindhury introduces a Star Trek clip: "Resistance is futile," to highlight the administration’s message—and counters it.
• Argues that the administration’s strategy is intimidation and creating the illusion of inevitability, but the mass protest demonstrates the opposite.
• Stresses that Americans and global observers must see that “the people resist.”

“Mar-a-Lago is the new Rome. And a protest like this shows resistance is not futile... It has been an enormous failure because the American people simply do not want this.”
— Che Ko Mindhury, 10:21

5. The Psychological Motives and Flattery Trap

(13:15–17:40)

• Panel discusses Trump's deep need for flattery, noting how fake awards and public adoration are used to curry favor and manipulate him—and how this presents a real national security and policy risk.
• Examples: made-up awards given to Trump (e.g., "America First Award," “Peace Prize”), even by international actors like FIFA, to influence or gain favor.

“A president who is this easily swayed by flattery and awards can be compromised in foreign policy and judgment.”
— Ari Melber, 17:39

6. Abuse of Power and the Weakening of Government Institutions

Guest: Ty Cobb, former Trump White House attorney
(20:06–24:24)

• Cobb describes widespread purging of experienced officials: FBI agents, JAG officers, inspector generals—replaced by loyalists lacking qualifications, thus undermining legal and ethical standards.
• Warns of the real damage: “functional equivalent of a civil war” and Trump’s self-comparison to Lincoln.

“The way to get Trump to do anything you want is to play to his ego.”
— Ty Cobb, 20:20

“What has Cash Patel done at the FBI? He’s fired almost everybody with experience...There is no counterterrorism unit anymore.”
— Ty Cobb, 22:48

7. Intimidation at the Polls: ICE and Voting Rights

(26:09–29:55)

• Concern over the use of federal officers at polling places; explained as illegal and dangerous, meant to intimidate and disenfranchise voters.
• Cobb advises voters to use their phones to document any irregularities at the polls.

“The law prevents federal officers from going to the polls and also prevents intimidation at the polls...if they’re there, they’re in violation of the law.”
— Ty Cobb, 27:39

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Notable Quotes & Memorable Moments

• Lisa Gilbert: “We will be in rural areas, we’ll be in suburban areas...This is people turning out to say in what is truly a mass movement, we do not have capes.” (08:58)
• Ari Melber: “He used to pivot a lot...Whatever you’d say he’s bad at this. And he’d pivot. Often lately, he just says, ‘Oh, affordability’s a scam. I won’t call it war, but it’s a war.’ So it sounds very cynical to a lot of people.” (12:21)
• Che Ko Mindhury: “Donald Trump has created a fantasy world where people love him, people are delighted by the image of him...It’s really sad, it’s really pathetic.” (13:15)
• Ty Cobb: “You’re going to wake up someday and figure out that now that Trump has started the functional equivalent of a civil war, he’s going to consider himself Lincoln and think he should replace him on Mount Rushmore.” (24:24)

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Additional Segments

Epstein Files & Accountability

(32:06–34:11)

• Ongoing investigations into missing Epstein hard drives.
• Discussion on how the saga, which has connections to Trump’s administration, continues to affect and betray survivors.

“He runs his campaign on this and he runs it really, really hard to the point that a lot of us voted for him...she now feels betrayed.”
— Ari Melber (about Epstein survivor), 34:11

Generational Change in Leadership & Culture

(35:21–41:49)

• Panel with Jason Johnson and Antwan "Ish" Marbee: generational divides in Congress, need for new leadership, inclusivity, and the richness of political representation.
• Discussion about modern slang, media, and the enduring power of movements and language.

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Important Timestamps

• 01:01 – Ari Melber introduces the magnitude of the "No Kings" protest movement
• 02:54 – Breakdown of Trump’s symbolic and substantive autocratic moves
• 07:49 – Lisa Gilbert on the motives and scale of the protests
• 09:45 – Che Ko Mindhury’s Star Trek reference: “Resistance is futile”
• 13:15 – Deep dive into Trump’s psychology and flattery loop
• 20:06 – Ty Cobb on government purges, leadership flaws, and foreign policy risks
• 26:09 – Analysis of voter intimidation tactics and ICE at the polls
• 32:06 – Epstein case update and the betrayal of victims
• 35:21 – Generational perspectives in politics and media

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Conclusion

Ari Melber and his guests paint a picture of a nation at a crossroads—facing both the symbolic and very real dangers of sliding toward autocracy. Through detailed reporting, real-world context, and pointed analysis, the episode offers a nuanced look at why the "No Kings" protests matter, what they hope to achieve, and how Americans can respond to challenges to democracy. From the scale of the demonstrations to the psychological tactics at play, this episode provides both a call to action and a platform for deep, critical conversation.

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To stay updated on tomorrow’s protests and for thorough reporting, Ari encourages tuning in throughout the day, with follow-up coverage next week.

Transcript

[A]

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[B]

welcome to the beat everyone. I'm Ari Melber. We begin with the ramp up to something that Donald Trump is already mad about and that a lot of people in America think couldn't come any sooner. And at a more pivotal time, the long planned next round of mass protests, the no Kings rallies around the country. This is a term that has become straightforward. There is more measurable support for this protest movement, the democracy movement, than there is for Trump or maga at this point. The context is something we all know from grade school. The founders fought a revolution against a king, King George Donald Trump. Well, he is far from a king, but he has done many things to show that he wishes he were Americans are fighting back. There are now not 100 or 500 or a thousand demonstrations planned, but in the news we track this. There are 3,000 different demonstrations scheduled. They've covered all 50 states. There is massive interest. Of course. We, as always, will have to see what actually happens and we'll be reporting that in special coverage across Ms. Now tomorrow. So if you're out living your life and you happen to be at a rally, fine. But if you want to keep track of it as we follow all kinds of news, we will have you covered on the air and we'll discuss it of course next week. But that's what we're seeing in the ramp up. Earlier today, there was another group of artists and cultural leaders protesting at a place in D.C. that once was more nonpartisan. But under Trump and some of his autocratic push has become more magnified. The Kennedy Center.

[C]

We chose to hold today's action in front of the John F. Kennedy Center. That's right. Because this beloved citadel of the arts has become a symbol of what is happening.

[B]

A symbol of what is happening. She is referencing that despite the long standing bipartisan tradition in the United States that government buildings are not named after living political figures, which makes sense for all the obvious reasons. And when Congress names schools and post offices, it is usually an honorific after someone has passed. Most commonly a bit of time after the person has passed. But Trump has done what we see more in autocratic non democracies. He renamed the Kennedy center, which already of course honors a former and deceased president to name it after himself. He wants to put his signature on all paper currency. They plan a gold coin minted with his portrait. He is pushing for this large arch, very kind of old school French, of course, don't tell some of his fans that, but that would be on the National Mall and they've been festooning federal buildings with more temporary banners of his face and official portraits. Now, that is the style. And if it were only that and nothing else, then like other issues in politics, people might debate it. You could imagine if your favorite politician only did that but otherwise followed the rule of law and democracy, then you might say, well, let's not exaggerate. It's just style here. The problem is that style is backed and consistent with autocratic moves. Remember, Donald Trump is the only president in American history who was caught trying to overthrow the peaceful transfer of power. He was tied to an insurrection. He embraced the violence of that insurrection by later freeing, pardoning and rewarding all those people. It was a very anti police, anti public safety move. But it was his way of showing through his abuse of power that he literally put his rule and the people who would overthrow democracy above brave police officers and federal officials and safety. Now that just sits there. That is one of those things that there aren't two sides of. And that is of a piece with the calls from some around Trump to try to break the Constitution to steal a third term, which is not allowed, or become some sort of, quote, dictator. They say, we don't need him. Freedom, freedom. He's a dictator, he's a dictator. A lot of people are saying, maybe we like a dictator.

[C]

So the line is that I'm a

[B]

dictator, but I stop crime. So a lot of people say, you

[C]

know, if that's the case, I'D rather have a dictator. They say he's a horrible dictator type person. I'm a dictator. But sometimes you need a dictator.

[B]

The final statement there, the most direct his assertion, claimed that you might sometimes need a dictator. That should be concerning if you want to live in a country where you have your own freedom and liberty and aren't ruled by a king or a dictator, the very thing this country was founded to stop. You also heard a classic bit of propaganda there. Trump clearly, it's not that sophisticated. He's clearly trying to convince people that there's a wider support for this than there is. There isn't actually a lot of polling that supports the idea that a lot of people want a dictator. It also wouldn't matter because in our system of rule of law, if a lot of people want something that's unconstitutional, they still don't get it. Constitution supports a system that protects minority rights and protects our democracy and rule of law, even sometimes when certain things might be unpopular. That's why so many groups, sometimes conservative groups, whether you talk about gun rights, sometimes liberal groups, when you talk about civil rights, have often invoked the Constitution against even popular will. So in that sense, fact check false. Trump is doubly wrong. As for how he's doing, majorities disapprove of him on immigration, on his failure to bring down prices. 56% now disapprove on the young but costly war in Iran, where MAGA supporters have had to square why we're spending 200 plus billion dollars over there and whether that makes America great again over here. The war of choice is unpopular. The Pentagon is now floating the idea of some troops on the ground. According to the Journal, that is exactly the kind of mission creep of a unilateral choice that neither the Congress nor the public has been able to weigh in on. Which reminds you that the banners and the coins and the autocratic style. It's not just style, it's substance. Which is why so many people are exercising their rights, which we still have in this country, to speak out tomorrow. I'm never here to tell you what to do or how to vote, but I will tell you those rights are very much yours. And they include telling the government, you will not be ruled by a king. I want to bring in Che Ko Mindhury, an Obama campaign veteran, and fittingly, Lisa Gilbert, president of Public Citizen, one of the organizing groups of these no Kings protests. Welcome to both of you. Lisa, your thoughts on that and anything you can preview about tomorrow.

[E]

Well, first, thank you so much for having me and just listening to that litany of kingly trappings and also the true crisis of our democracy, it just underscores why we will all be out tomorrow. Donald Trump is sending masked agents into our streets and now our airports, terrorizing our communities, detaining people without warrants, threatening to overtake our elections, trying to make voting harder, and as you said, spending billions of our tax dollars on missile strikes abroad in support of an illegal unauth war. So all of this, all of these blatant, aggressive, lawless actions, which are attempts to intimidate people and chill dissent, you know, that is the reason why people are going to be turning out tomorrow in droves. As you mentioned, 3,300 events planned. There are only to put that in perspective, 3,150 counties in the entire country. You know, we're going to have events in every state, in every congressional district, and as of today, in every continent globally, except Antarctica. The penguins need to get it in here. But we are going to be everywhere. And it is important to note as well that this is not just an urban action. We will be in rural areas, we'll be in suburban areas. This is people turning out to say in what is truly a mass movement, we do not have capes.

[B]

Yeah, really interesting and as you say, very broad, Che. It's Friday, and as you know, sometimes if you go to someone's house for dinner, it's customary to bring something. Maybe a bottle of wine or something. I've been informed by the great Beat producers here that earlier today you wanted to bring something tonight. No pressure on Lisa. She's busy building something for tomorrow. But you brought a clip from Star Trek, which you say actually is relevant to the no Kings protest. Let's play that. And you'll explain on the other side.

[D]

And I will resist you with my

[B]

last ounce of strength. Strength is irrelevant. Resistance is futile. Resistance is futile. It isn't. Explain.

[F]

Yeah, that is the central message of the Donald Trump administration. They want to say resistance is futile, that this country is maga, that Stephen Miller and Russell Vaught have created a MAGA state. They've gotten rid of the civil service, they're getting rid of scientists. They have a secret police that simply disappears.

[A]

People.

[F]

Resistance is futile is what they want to say. Mar a Lago is the new Rome. And a protest like this shows that resistance is not futile, that their whole attempt at executing an authoritarian playbook has been an enormous failure. It has been an enormous failure because the American people simply do not want this. This is not what anybody has voted for. This is not where the American people are. And it's important to send this message to them and to Donald Trump, to people around the world who are kind of worried at the direction this country has taken, and to the ce, the elites, the university presidents, all of those people who have also bent the knee to Trump to show the people are not with you. The people resist.

[B]

Lisa, what do you think about that argument? Because Che is certainly touching on the fact that early last year, there were folks who seemed to over interpret and overreact to Trump's narrow victory, and they thought, well, maybe we're in Turkey or even Russia. And they, especially behind closed doors in Wall street, would say things like, well, he. It doesn't matter what we think. This is it. That type of capitulation. Che pointing out that this type of mass movement might do more than just rattle the White House. It might change the public.

[E]

I mean, I couldn't agree more, Che. I think that a big part of the administration's strategy is to keep people scared and isolated and bending the knee, and that no kings is the exact opposite. We're joining together in overwhelming numbers, speaking out against authoritarianism, speaking out against the horrific abuses of power we've seeing. And I think there's nothing more American than standing together, nothing more patriotic than saying, we do not have a king in America. And I think that that clip really evidence is how people are feeling. You know, you can't terrorize us into silence. He picked the wrong country for that. We don't roll over for dictators. We fight back.

[B]

And Jay Trump has his own style, but it does seem that he has kind of lost the thread on some of his weaknesses. You know, he used to pivot a lot, certainly during the campaign. Whatever you'd say, he's bad at this. And he'd pivot often lately, he just says, oh, affordability's a scam. I won't call it war, but it's a war. So it sounds very cynical to a lot of people. And then here he was in the Cabinet meeting talking about a statue in Venezuela, in Venezuela, where Chris and I have both had a chance to be there.

[C]

I literally think they're going to put

[B]

up a statue to President Trump. And I'm not being. It's not a political statement. It's actually that would be a great. No.

[C]

Be lowering the price of gas in America. So it's a.

[B]

Forget that. When are they going to do the statue? How was the eye? Ha ha ha. Che.

[F]

Yeah, I mean, this is actually rather sad what we're seeing is not simply a matter of authoritarian style. Yes, it's true, as Walter Benjamin pointed out, that authoritarians really do care about a and Trump is part of that. But this is really about Trump's feelings. I mean, one thing you get if you read, say, Mary Trump's excellent book about the family is that Donald Trump had a disapproving father who never liked anything he did. And Howard Stern has said that he knew Trump for many years. He said the one thing about Trump is he really wants people to like him. And so Donald Trump has created a fantasy world where people love him, people are delighted by the image of him. People find him funnier and more charming than any standup comedian. They find his pronouncements more wild. In any great book you can get in a library, he has created this fantasy world. It's really sad, it's really pathetic to see his psychology playing out on a national, international level like this. But that is exactly what it's happening. And that's why no kings is also important. We have to show Donald Trump we don't love you. We don't like you. Even that is extremely important. Otherwise it incentivizes more bad behavior from him.

[B]

Really, really interesting here as we tee up what's going to be, according to the accounts, quite a big, a big protest set of protests tomorrow. Che and Lisa, thank you very much. We'll be checking in. Have a good weekend. Coming up, we have a lot more on this show. We have Democrats demanding answers about these Epstein computers and drives that were removed. Also back on the program, one of the most sought after guests you can get on this White House, Ty Cobb is back with us in 90 seconds. Seconds.

[A]

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[C]

How many fake trophies they were made specifically for him? Is this guy going to get?

[D]

Nat is going on the mantle right next to his re gifted Nobel Peace Prize and the Olympic gold medal he

[B]

didn't win and the three tournament championships

[D]

he won at his own golf club.

[C]

He's getting a participation trophy for something he didn't even participate in.

[H]

I can't figure out who should be more embarrassed.

[B]

The guy who came up with the new award or the guy who proudly accepted the new award. President Trump's fake awards becoming a punchline. This keeps happening. Speaker Mike Johnson just this week gave Trump a made up award. This is amid the Iran crisis. The government's partially shut down, but that was apparently a priority and without embarrassment, they did it in public. There has been a string of these made up awards. He is the suitable and fitting recipient

[C]

of of the first ever America first award. We can think of no better title for what that is. That's this beautiful golden statue here to show our appreciation. The trophy says the undisputed champion of beautiful clean coal. Thank you, sir.

[B]

Mr. President, this is your prize. This is your peace prize. But there is also a beautiful medal, a medal, a made up peace prize. Some of this is frankly embarrassing. It's one thing if there was corruption and real annual awards were being diverted to Trump, which would of course weaken the value of those awards. But in many cases, as you just saw, that was the global soccer group FIFA. They just made up a new award. So it's has no value. It's literally whatever the physical value of the couple hundred bucks to have the fake shiny award. It's also deeper than just entities currying favor like international soccer. A president who is this easily swayed by flattery and awards can be compromised in foreign policy and judgment. Consider that one of the opposition leaders in Venezuela, where the US has complex interests about who it wants to work with, tried to basically use and exploit Trump's very transparent need for these awards, something our prior guest just mentioned, to do something that you cannot do to sort of re gift her Nobel priest Prize. She may have had good reasons for that and her strategy. And you can have a whole other segment on complexities in Venezuela. But the fact that the president publicly posed for this photo that the White House government account then posted tells you a lot about the weaknesses at the very top of the White House food chain. As mentioned, this is not just about style. Trump is abusing government power. He's using the Justice Department to go after opponents in many cases that are failing and flailing, but involve real misdirection of taxpayer dollars, subpoenas, and government energy to go after his enemies, which can be illegal, and thus not pursue the real cases that relate to national security and homeland defense and crime in the United States. For a perspective on this from a former prosecutor who knows all these issues very well, Ty Cobb also served as White House counsel in the White House Counsel's office, I should say, as White House attorney in the first Trump term. Welcome back, Mr. Cobb. Your view of those above issues. And as the no Kings rallies commence tomorrow, the union here of the style, the fake awards, the idea that you can re gift a Nobel, and then the very serious abuse of power,

[C]

that's no small task. Ari, thank you very much. Good to be with you. So I think if you look at Trump, these fake awards, it's no secret why he receives them. Everybody in the world, and certainly all American politicians, his cabinet, and those who want favor or reward from him know that his narcissism controls everything. He does that to appeal to him and put him in a mood to be generous with you. All you have to do is compliment it. And they do. I mean, they play him like it's a puppet. I mean, look at how successful Putin is. Putin who couldn't sell, you know, other than limited barrels of oil a day for a maximum of $75 a barrel, and just a few weeks ago is now selling, you know, selling any. As many barrels as they can produce at $154 a barrel. You know, that's, that's pretty imp. Same with Iran. I mean, we're bombing the, you know, bombing the hell out of Iran, but they're making money on it now because Trump, because of the abject humility that he's suffering for having started this war without a purpose and having no idea what the exit ramp is, has to pay these guys to try to ease his humility with the hopes that they'll get him out of It. But they. But they're not getting out of it. What we know is Russia is building a new generation of drones that they're about to ship to Iran, and they're selling intel that's going to be used to attack and. And potentially kill our people. It's pure insanity. But the way to get Trump to do anything you want is to play to his ego.

[B]

Right? It seems like a real leadership weakness if you were picking someone to run even a company, A, CEO or B, CIA director. Well, we hear that they have to really be disciplined because they have important work to do, and they can't just be easily, as you said, played or compromised. I want to show you President Trump talking to Stephen Miller and FBI Director Patel. And as with so many of these things, there's the vague cover of joking for habits that seem all too real. Take a look. What President Trump has done on border security and public safety is a national miracle that will be studied not only for generations, but for centuries to come. Thank you, President Trump. So, Cash, see if you can top that. I don't know.

[C]

Mr. President, thanks for delivering America, the safest, safest, safest country on God's green earth.

[B]

You did pretty good, Ty. What do you see there? And is this governing?

[C]

No, it's competitive sucking up. That's. That's not governing. And, you know, for Cash Patel to, you know, thank the president for the safest country. We have never been as vulnerable internationally or nationally as we are tonight. And it's been in a steady decline ever since they began. The kakistocracy, that is the governance of the inept at the FBI, is a perfect example. What has Cash Patan done at the FBI? He's fired almost everybody with experience. There is no counterterrorism unit anymore. He fired the Iranian intelligence people a week before the war started. And those that used to do counterterrorism or used to do violent crimes, they're now all doing immigration work. And they've abandoned the college education requirements for agents. Do you think any of that makes us safer? No, it makes us more vulnerable. And then internationally, you got rid of the experienced JAG officers who could explain what the legal limits were to prevent war crimes. You've gotten rid of inspector generals throughout the government who were intended to keep agencies and their people within bounds and acting lawfully. We don't have that anymore. The people that have replaced the inspector generals who've been fired are not independent people. They're all Trump loyalists. I mean, you're going to wake up someday and figure out that now that Trump has started the functional equivalent of a civil war, he's going to consider himself Lincoln and think he should replace him on Mount Rushmore. And Mike Johnson may think that's a good idea.

[B]

Right? And as you say, then you get out to well, it's not just a made up award, it's reforming the real things. I do want to show you what Pam Bondi's deputy Todd Blanche was saying at a very political conference at the CPAC conference where he used this sort of questioning style to basically give cover to this ICE plan. And so Ty, I know you agreed to stay with us. I'm going to fit in a break. We're going to show you those remarks and get your further analysis right after this.

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[B]

we'll never get another president like Donald Trump.

[C]

Never and sweet.

[B]

And that's why it's important that we do everything that we can to try to get him reelected. That's not from four years ago. That's Franklin Graham talking at CPAC this week, apparently forgetting that there is no more reelection campaign for President Trump because we have a Constitution. Ty Cobb, White House veteran, is back with us. That was just a flavor of cpac. Of course. People can do politics all they want and they have a First Amendment right To say all kinds of stuff. Ty, the deputy Attorney General, is a different matter. In the past, as you know, FBI and DOJ leadership would carefully avoid even being at hyper partisan events. But here was Todd Blanche, the deputy. Take a look. Why is there objection to sending ICE officers to polling places? Illegals can't vote. It doesn't make any sense.

[H]

We see our most activist judges that

[B]

we lose to every single day. Alvin Bragg, Fanny Willis. This cast of characters ever get any justice?

[H]

Well, yes.

[B]

Ty, your thoughts?

[C]

So Todd Blanche was somebody, I think, that the prosecutorial community writ large had some hope for, given his experience in the Southern District. All that's gone. I mean, he's proved himself to be Pam Bondi's pet bulldog because he, unlike she, had some federal trial experience. He's maneuvered forward, first extorting Ghislaine Maxwell for a favorable comment on President Trump and then rewarding her with a prison confinement that she's not entitled to at a minimum security prison. You know, he bragged today about firing all the people that ever had anything to do with any Trump prosecution within the Justice Department and the FBI. And he attacked Bob Mueller today to pile on what was probably the most indecent statement ever in the history of our republic that a president has ever made publicly. When he said good, he was glad Bob Mueller, a decorated war hero and former FBI leader, was dead. Blanche has lost all credibility. Why shouldn't ICE be at the polls? Because they have no jurisdiction and the law prevents federal officers from going to the polls and also prevents intimidation at the polls. Those are the only two illegal purposes for which they could be there. And if they're there, they're in violation of the law. These are simple questions, and he knows that, but it is part of what he knows that he knows that, and it's part of what we've seen. You know, first of all, when Bannon said, don't make any mistake, we're going to flood the polls, Trump said, we need to be in 15 jurisdictions. Tom Holman the other day asked the same question that Blanche said. And it was all transparently for the purpose of trying to sensitize Americans to the likelihood that they will be at the polls. That is the plan. This has always been about the elections, the dry run in Minnesota with ice, you know, taking, taking over, being menacing, scaring, scaring people, shooting them 10 times in the back. That's ice. That's, that's Trump's secret police force. They're overfunded at a level that unprecedented for a law enforcement agency more than the Army. And they, they are accountable to no one. And he's using them for purposes. They have no statutory authority, like being at the airports.

[B]

And the best way to counter that if what you're defining is the likely threat. I have about a minute left.

[C]

Certainly, you know, take your iPhone to the polls, that's for sure, and, you know, record anything unusual that you see. Try to protect the poll workers that they threaten. You know, try to definitely make a record of the ballots that they try to seize and make sure that the claims that they later made can be disproven about, you know, threats or, or fraud can be later disproven, which they, which they will be baseless.

[B]

Understood. Ty Cobb, really appreciate, as always, your experience, your sobriety, your clarity. Have a good weekend, sir. Let me tell folks what's coming up. There's a spotlight on this generational divide. We've heard about it in many contexts, including, of course, the aging current president. I have a special guest on that tonight, which is pretty interesting. But next we go to that Epstein story. Democrats fighting for answers. Stay with us. While Trump is focused on the Iran debacle, the rising gas prices, or his concern about these protests that we're covering tomorrow, lawmakers are still bearing down on this Epstein story. Democrats demanding answers about missing hard drives. They're demanding now testimony from three private investigators who were basically contracted by Epstein's legal team. Using Epstein's riches, which themselves are controversial, they removed and stored a trove of evidence from his Palm beach mansion. This was before a 2005 search. They've been asked to sit for transcribed interviews and to preserve relevant materials. They have until April 9th to respond. Now, there are DOJ files which suggest those investigators, working at Epstein's behest, were able to remove three computers, 29 phone directives, a list of local Florida masseuses, and boxes of materials that are described as, quote, sexually explicit. According to doj, the hard drives could have all kinds of critical information. We know enough to know that of all the things that they were frantically dealing with, they got to this stuff, this evidence quickly. And while Epstein was never prosecuted for blackmail, Donald Trump's own cabinet member who visited the island accuses him of that. Epstein's longtime attorney has discussed the hard drives in the related depositions

[C]

after he served jail time through conversations with defense counsel. I became aware that there were computer hard drives in the possession of private investigators. I don't know when they removed, when they came in their possession, if they were. I just don't know how they came into possession. But I knew of the existence of hard drives.

[B]

The hard drives exist. The hard drives may not have been accounted for. A person who over time was accused of these crimes in multiple jurisdictions, Florida and later the feds accused him, apparently was pretty good at moving evidence around, and that's bad. Feds reportedly also attempted to recover this evidence when investigating Epstein in a different matter. But then they abandoned the effort because Epstein agreed to the 2008 deal. That deal looked worse and worse the more information came out. It was negotiated by Acosta, who went on to serve in the Trump cabinet as well. So many Trump links. Another Epstein accuser meanwhile suing the current Trump administration as well as Google over claims of wrongful disclosure and then distribution publication of information from these files that identified her. She blames the DOJ for violating not only the privacy of one individual, but roughly a hundred victims. And that Google went along for the ride, so to speak week. Another victim who has spoken out. Remember, none of this has to be political, although obviously there are implications because it's about the current president, some of the DOJ stuff. But one victim who happened to be a Trump voter says she now regrets that

[C]

Trump ran his whole freaking election on the release of these freaking files. Yeah, and it sparked it back all up again,

[B]

gave us hope.

[C]

He runs his campaign on this and he runs it really, really hard to the point that a lot of us voted for him. I mean, they strung us out. So haven't seen my files in there. And I know that they have files because I did speak with the FBI.

[B]

This is where the claims that sometimes seem to be so political coming from Trump and others that they don't relate back to the actual human beings involved in the victims also have repercussions because there you hear someone and. And I've always said there's no reason to judge other people for how they decide to engage in democracy and when they learn things. That was someone who just believed him. If you followed Trump really closely, you might find him not that credible. But she did believe him. And now, having looked at his failure to do what he said he would do and the DOJ's manifold Epstein's secrecy and failures, she now feels betrayed. That's an update on that story. We're gonna fit in a break. When we come back, a big issue in the midterms, the search for new leaders. Stay with us. There has been so much going on, but we are still making time to fall back. And we are joined by two very special guests. You know, Professor Jason Johnson msnow analyst who is such a friend of the beat that he is actually the beat. Some nights he is one of our favorite guest hosts. He's been on fall to with many legends from you, God to Kenny G.

[D]

I'm gonna give it to you with no trivia.

[C]

It would be two part for him. It would be a part that would go. And that would be. Because he's a nerd, but he's also got soul.

[B]

That was Kenny's wonderful little medley for him. Antwan Ish Marbee makes his debut tonight. If you are anywhere in the potter sphere, you already know this renaissance man who goes by Ish. He also has worked on Wall street and has real estate properties, but we know him and the reason he's here in all seriousness is his illustrious, ineffable, relentless participation in one of my favorite podcasts, the Joe Budden podcast.

[H]

Could I write them wrong? My daughter could write them wrong. So if you start talking about somebody wrote that song. Somebody might not have written that song. Chat GBT might have written that song.

[B]

But then somebody wrote that song. Yeah, that's true. If Chad GBT wrote the song.

[H]

Good point.

[B]

Then somebody wrote the song.

[H]

Yo, dog. That would be the first, first thing I would do if I was like wealthy. Wealthy.

[B]

Learn how to fight.

[H]

No, you would just take a different. Just take a different level of martial art.

[B]

What do you think your aura gives off?

[D]

Gives off in the jean charts.

[H]

I wouldn't know what it gives off cuz I'm not the recipient.

[B]

Do you believe black people should get reparations?

[H]

No, I think black people should get equity. And I think the two are different. Like when you be going through stuff, is the, the, the. The studio and the music your getaway?

[C]

Exactly.

[H]

You know what I'm saying? That's why I was saying easy.

[B]

That's the same space. Respect. Welcome to both of you. How you doing, Ish? Thank you, sir.

[H]

Glad to be here. I'm well.

[D]

Yourself?

[B]

I'm good. It's great to have you. You know, I thought of bringing you two together because you have something in common.

[H]

What might that be?

[B]

Supreme communicators.

[C]

Wow.

[D]

Okay.

[B]

Okay. And here we are. So he knows his way around here. You get the first. The first fallback as home court.

[D]

Well, first fallback I got is Pete Hegseth needs to. To fall back. He is our Secretary of War and basically he is trying to create the Terminator, the matrix, the plot of. Of, you know, Captain America Winter Soldier by basically saying we're going to block anthropic because they won't allow the United States to use AI to use. To make weapons. To make weapons that could kill people.

[B]

And what is Anthropic?

[D]

Anthropic is the creator of Claude, which is.

[B]

That's how we'd be doing on the news.

[D]

You guys explain everything.

[B]

You guys would explain anything. On your podcast, you'll reference an old fight with a co host from eight years ago. We all trying to catch up. This is what we do. So, yeah, what is anthropic?

[D]

So Anthropic created Claude, which is actually like, it's the most advanced AI you got out there. Right. And Claude said, hey, you can use this for the government, but you can't use it for surveillance, and you can't make weapons and machines that can kill. And Hegsev said, we will block you from all government contracts if you don't allow us unfettered use. I'm glad Anthropic said no, because that is dangerous to American safety and world safety.

[B]

And you think about, like, when doctors say, first do no harm. There's all sorts of medical technology. But it's valid to say, this technology is so powerful, we want it to be for healing, not killing. You can't just take any medical technology or pills and just use it however you want. Now, the government obviously wages war and it does kill. So you're pointing out that they actually have standards, which I think is a great thing.

[D]

You don't want zeros and ones making the final decision as to whether somebody lives or dies. And if that's something that our federal government wants, I'm glad. Anthropic, for once, one of the few AI companies with ethics that, hey, you guys gotta fall back.

[B]

Yeah. I mean, ish. On the one hand, it's complicated. On the other hand, it's like, did y' all see any of the Terminators?

[H]

I was gonna say it doesn't seem that complicated.

[D]

Morality in 2026 is a chef's kiss

[H]

for somebody at least having some in 2026, it's few and far between.

[B]

What's on your fallback list?

[H]

My fallback list? It was, I'm gonna go with Congress. I think as of 2026, it's 120 people in Congress that are over 70, way past retirement. They have to hang it up. Yeah, they have to hang it up and allow some new regime or new changing of the guard to take place. I think you gotta think some of these guys were around when they could tell you, get off, go to the back of the bus right So I think some of their ideologies and some of their. Premises, it's just, it's so antiquated and outdated that we have to have some new blood in there. I think some diversity needs to be in Congress. You have to have inclusivity to properly govern. You gotta have some skinny people, some fat people, some short people, some tall people, some white people, some black people. You have to have everybody come to a roundtable. And that's the only way, in my opinion, that you can properly govern. It's like the three of us running a nation of women. It's impossible.

[B]

Right, right.

[H]

So how do you have this small, small, small sector of predominantly rich white men governing the masses that they can't even identify with the needs of the masses? It makes no sense to me.

[B]

And you know what Lil Uzi said?

[D]

What might that be, sir?

[B]

If he talking bad about me, he lying. My money older than Joe Biden.

[D]

I doubt if Uzi's money's that old, but it's fine.

[B]

Wow, you're fact checking the rap, right?

[D]

Unless he got like a buffalo coin, that's pretty old Indian Head nickel.

[B]

Well, why would it be good for him to have old money? Let's break down the bar. He's saying it's almost like generational wealth. Like maybe he's got more money than you know about.

[H]

I'm sure he's making a ton of money. Be clear. I'm sure he's making a ton of money. I don't know.

[B]

Yeah, I mean, the reason why I reach for the bar is that to Uzi, I don't know if he's a voter and I don't know how he'd vote. But to Uzi, you think of something old, he thinks of the president. And that would apply today. He could make the same bar today. About the current president. We've had two presidents in a row who are over 80. Respect. But the question is, is our system working or is something happening that's even bigger than partisanship?

[H]

I think it's relatability.

[B]

Right.

[H]

Like if you're 80 years old and no disrespect to anybody. One, we have parents and grandparents. And our grandparents and our parents. And when they get a certain age, they're stubborn. You can't tell them anything, even it's for their own good, they're just going to ignore you. And I think we see that every single day.

[B]

I'm not trying to put you in a tough spot, so you take it where you want to take it. There are people who Say Trump is now almost as stubborn as Joe Budden, your podcast colleague.

[H]

I doubt it.

[D]

I doubt it.

[H]

They might be running neck and neck.

[B]

Neck and neck. There you go. See? Independence. Here's my fallback. Abbreviations claiming to be new slang. You're not really slang if you just abbreviate a word. Okay, now I'm going to show you because it's the news. Okay? Ish. We bring show and tell here. Riz, Charisma. Sus. Suspect Delulu. Delusional. Mid. Basically comes out of mediocre. Now I'm talking about real slang. Okay, Cool. That's been around since the Fonz. We still know what it means. The 80 year olds and the 20 year olds know what it means. It's real slang. And it doesn't mean cold temperature. As you know, Jason, cool means something else. Slap. That's been staying with us because originally the beat slap. But now like, yeah, sometimes that Roquefort could slap. If it's really good cheese. Cook. We cooking out here. Cap. No Cap. The aura came up in even the clip of you. What do you think? Because I want to involve you, but my view is real slang sticks around because it takes on its own meaning. Abbreviations are lazy and I don't think they'll last the same way. I agree. I agree, agree.

[D]

I. I say the same thing. And look, I. I'm as. As somebody who never wants to be a get off my lawn guy, right? When I hear my students say things like riz, I'm like, you know that's. That's just a derivative, right? Like, that's not it. No one's saying cool instead of cool, Right?

[B]

Right.

[D]

Cool actually lasted. We don't be using. We're gonna be farming aura. Using aura. Took my aura. R is gonna last for a minute. A lot of these other words, you know, they come in, they come out, you can't understand it. And part of. Part of having cool new words. Right, is also that the older generation can't understand it. Yeah, half of still don't know what six, seven means. Right? But. But it's cool. If you say R Sus. They all know what it means.

[B]

And chopping off the p. ECT off a suspect. You didn't do that much.

[D]

No, you didn't.

[B]

Do you see how this bothers me?

[H]

It's trash.

[D]

Yeah, I'm agreeing with you.

[B]

So if we need to fall back ish your debut, I hope you come back.

[H]

I hope you'll have me back.

[B]

Respect always.

[A]

How serious is the gas pump now? Is the way I want to start asking everybody, are you happy with your choices?

[B]

I do regret my vote.

[G]

A billion dollars a day almost is

[E]

being spent to rain death and destruction

[B]

onto random civilians in the Middle east

[C]

with my tax dollars.

[G]

So how are we, the people that

[B]

voted for Donald Trump, supposed to continue

[G]

to support him when his name has

[B]

been mentioned

[G]

5,000 times in these files?

[B]

They are paying for this war with your health care, with your grandmother's insulin, people speaking out in many ways and online about Trump's performance. Tomorrow we're going to see how that translates into activism. There's going to be special Ms. Now live coverage of these no Kings protests with reporters flanked out at so many places all day tomorrow. So tune in throughout the day to see what's happening in the country. And of course, we'll see you again on Monday as we check in on that and other stories.

[I]

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