← The Beat with Ari Melber
The Beat with Ari Melber
Trump Says He Would 'Love To' Run Again in 2028
00:40:51
President Trump won’t rule out seeking a third term in 2028. MSNBC's Jason Johnson reports.
Loading summary
Transcript102 lines
- [00:01]
A
Hey, friends, this is Audie Cornish, host of CNN this Morning and the Assignment. And guess what?
- [00:07]
B
Every story you care about, every angle.
- [00:09]
C
You want unpacked is now streaming on cnn.
- [00:12]
A
That means you can catch my show.
- [00:14]
C
Or other CNN programming whenever you want.
- [00:17]
A
On your favorite device. And a subscription also gets you access.
- [00:20]
C
To exclusive video series and unlimited articles. So subscribe to CNN@CNN.com subscription are you ready to get spicy?
- [00:32]
A
These Doritos Golden Sriracha aren't that spicy.
- [00:36]
C
Maybe it's time to turn up the heat. Or turn it down.
- [00:39]
D
It's time for something that's not too spicy. Try Doritos Golden Sriracha.
- [00:43]
C
Spicy, but not too spicy.
- [00:47]
A
Welcome to the beat. I'm Jason Johnson, and for Ari Melbert, Donald Trump sparking backlash today for shocking to some new comments about a potential third term, telling reporters on Air Force One he would, quote, love to seek one. I would, I would. I would love to do it.
- [01:06]
E
You know, I have my best numbers ever.
- [01:07]
A
It's very terrible. I have my best numbers. If you read it, am I not ruling it out? You'll have to tell me. All I can tell you is that we have a great, a great group of people. Fact check. The Constitution bars presidents in the United States from serving more than two terms, which would make a third term for Trump illegal. No questions asked. This on the heels of Trump ally Steve Bannon suggesting they have a plan or concept of a plan to make a third term happen. Bannon was rebuked for those comments in recent days. It's not going to happen. It isn't something to be taken seriously. Damn if he isn't a dictator.
- [01:49]
F
There's certain people in Trump's orbit who, when they tell you what they're going to do, I really listen. And I would put Steve Bannon at the top of this list.
- [01:55]
E
He's trolling his opponents. I'm long on the record of opposing violating the 22nd Amendment to the Constitution.
- [02:02]
C
That is not going to happen. Our job right now is to make the point, to bring in the people so they vote like they've never voted before.
- [02:11]
A
Meanwhile, Trump is still griping about the last election he lost over the weekend, prompting his Justice Department to Investigate the fair 2020 election with, quote, gusto, calling for an end to mail in and early voting. This as the DOJ has announced they are planning to send election monitors to polling sites and Democratic states during Election Day voting next week following requests from Republican lawmakers, a move that Democratic lawmakers were concerned about as the Trump administration has been infiltrating cities. Federal troops patrolling streets sparking concerns of executive overreach. States are now fighting back in court. These are authoritarian tactics meant to intimidate political reporting. In this year's Rule of law ranking from the World Justice Project, the United States has fallen due to a, quote, weakening of checks and balances on the executive branch and a lack of protection for fundamental rights. Joining me now to discuss is Maya Wiley, former Southern District of New York civil prosecutor and president and CEO for the Leadership Conference on Civil and Human rights, and the Dr. Christina Greer, Associate professor of Political Science at Fordham University. Dr. Greer, I will start with you. That video of Trump saying he wants to run for a third term, I wanted us to sort of zero in on Marco Rubio's face and then just play the curb your enthusiasm music because he seemed just offended and disturbed at this notion that the president is saying, do you think there's any appetite amongst the Republican Party since Senate House governors to actually stand up for Trump if he said, I'm going to run for a third term?
- [03:51]
C
Well, Jason, I wish we could say that Republicans would ever stand up to Trump. But what we've seen time and time again, whether it's January 6th, whether it's a government shutdown, whether it's erratic behavior, whether it's lies about, you know, other countries or tariff policies that are hurting their own constituencies, they say, well, you know, I think that's an overreach and then immediately we'll backtrack. So Republicans know good and well that the 22nd Amendment stands and this president cannot, should not and shan't run for a third term. They say it now. Oh, well, you know, he's blustering. He might be trolling his opponents. There's no way the president's thinking of it. And if by some chance the president decides that he's going to run for a third term, I think we'll see. Republicans refuse to stand up to him. I think they won't challenge him at a primary. I think they'll wring their hands and say, well, you know, the Democrats deserve this and they brought that among themselves. We've seen consistent 180s from this Republican Party and they're not good faith actors because they're so desperately afraid of this president and afraid of getting on his bad side for whatever reason. They're abdicating their own duties, whether it's in Congress, whether it's in his Cabinet, whether it's in the judiciary in ways that we have not seen. I don't think ever in modern History.
- [05:03]
A
Maya, I want to play you this sound bite from Governor JB Pritzker as he is talking about what this president might do in upcoming elections to get your thoughts on the other side. I think it's not very far away from him offering and providing military to protect the polling places across America, but particularly in blue states and blue cities with the idea that they could confiscate the ballot boxes if they think there is fraud in the election. Maya, I'm always quick to say I'm not a lawyer, I don't play one on tv. There's a difference between sending in election monitors to see if things are fair. Would Trump's DOJ have the power to just take ballots? Can they take ballots? Can they take voting machines? And if they could attempt to take ballots or voting machines, what could states do to stop them?
- [06:01]
F
Well, let's just start with whether they have the power. There's not the question because the question is no. I mean, this is an administration that is not administering. It is just abusing power, taking powers it does not have, acting as if it's legitimate. And so I just want to just say very loudly and clearly that sadly we have seen this administration do things it does not have the power to do all the time. We even have courts saying they have violated the Posse Combatantis act, the act that says, no, you can't just send in the US Military and have it do local law enforcement. And that's what we're seeing. We still have a constitution that says you can't racially profile, except we know and have ICE agents clearly racially profiling saying, you don't look American, you don't speak English, or your English isn't your first language, therefore you must not be a citizen. None of that is power that the federal government has. So going back to Dr. Greer's point, exactly right. It's like, what do politicians in office allow them to do, particularly in the Republican Party? I say that because, I mean, of course, of course attorneys general can run to court and say, this is an administration that's violating the Constitution, violating the law. This is, we live in a country where these powers of operating elections are the states power. Interesting that we are three African Americans talking about states rights right now. But that's what it is. So very odd to actually have this conversation about the folks who are supposed to be about states rights, clearly violating them all the time when it is the legitimate power of the state. So really it comes down to this, not whether or not there are ways to go to Court to challenge it. It is all the ways in which we have to, as an American people who say that we care about the Constitution and that we care about the way that we have a division of powers to balance power, to say, no, you don't get to come and take people's votes away from them just because you decide in states where you don't think you're going to win them, that those votes shouldn't be counted.
- [08:22]
A
It's interesting, Maya, when you talk about three African Americans on camera talking about states rights, it's like the enemy of my ancestors is suddenly my friend. That's the funny way that history operates. Taking it more locally. Dr. Greer, it's very interesting to me. We're talking about what can state officials do? What should they do? How can they operate? There is a very good chance. I'm not a New York voter, but there seems a very good chance that Mamdani will be elected as the new mayor of New York City. That is something that this administration has repeatedly tried to fight against, has attacked, has critiqued, has. What are the kinds of things that you think members of Congress and elected officials in the state of New York or the city of New York should do to, say, protect that city? Because it's not crazy to envision that this administration might try to send troops in during election day or even send troops in afterwards because they don't like who the city chooses.
- [09:14]
C
Right. And the president has already promised that he would penalize New York City if Mamdani is elected. Our election is November 4th, and if he is successful in becoming the 111th mayor of New York City and sworn in on New Year's Day, which is the beauty of New York City. And that's when we swear in our mayors. Many Democratic New Yorkers know that there's. It's not beyond Donald Trump to try and just penalize the city. There are some stopgaps. I mean, let's be clear. We are the economic engine of the country. And so I do think that Wall street will have something to say to Donald Trump. We already saw in San Francisco, he backpedaled and said, oh, some friends called and said I shouldn't do it. So, you know, Wall street doesn't want or need this city to be under a police state. Now, that's not to say that hasn't already started harassing residents of New York City, citizens and noncitizens. We know that this president will do what he can to try and divide this city. But actually, you know, Donald Trump has overplayed his hand several times. And what will be interesting to see is, you know, Hakeem Jeffries, the Democratic minority leader from Brooklyn, just tepidly endorsed Mamdani. The two U.S. senators, Chuck Schumer and Kirsten Gillibrand, and we know Chuck Schumer is the minority leader in the Senate. They have yet to endorse the Democratic nominee, Huzarn Mandani. So this will be a larger Democratic conversation because Saramandani has awakened something in the Democrats, something that Hakeem Jeffries and Chuck Schumer have not been able to do, many members of Congress have not been able to do. And he's actually pulling people to the table. So it would behoove them to actually think about not just the policy positions, but how he's able to build coalitions across working class New Yorkers and then possibly working class Americans. So we can actually get people out to the polls and want to vote for the Democratic Party in 2020, even with all the shenanigans that we know Donald Trump and the Republican Party will pull.
- [11:08]
A
It's very hard to mount a resistance to authoritarianism when you don't want to listen to who the people want to elect. Maya Wiley and Dr. Christina Greer, thank you so much for starting us off on the show tonight.
- [11:18]
C
Thanks, Jason.
- [11:20]
A
Coming up, new reporting from the Washington Post reveals turmoil inside the doj. As Jack Smith is preparing, he's preparing to turn. And still ahead, why some Democratic lawmakers are calling Trump strikes on alleged drug boats, quote, murder. But first, new details on how Trump fast tracked his demolition of the people's house. All that and more when we're back. Just 90 seconds on the beat at Eisen Ramper. We are creative problem solvers that take a 360 degree approach focusing on you.
- [11:56]
D
We're an award winning firm with decades.
- [11:58]
A
Of experience providing accounting and advisory services.
- [12:01]
D
Eisner Emperor, let's get you ready.
- [12:04]
A
You ever wonder how far an EV can take you on one charge? Well, most people drive about 40 miles a day, which means you can do all daily stuff no problem. Go to work, grab the kids at school, get the groceries and still have enough charge to visit your in laws in the next county. But they don't need to know that. And the best part, you won't have to buy gas at all. The way forward is electric. Explore EVs that fit your life. At electricforall.org you have a vision for your business. Your priority might be to expand facilities.
- [12:38]
C
Or bring in the best talent.
- [12:40]
A
At Sentry Insurance, we listen, learn and work to understand your business and your plans to help protect your new locations as your business evolves and your vision comes true. Sentry right by you Property and casualty coverages and render written and safety services are provided by a member of the Sentry Insurance group, Stevens Point, Wisconsin. For a complete listing of companies, visit century.com policies coverage as benefits and discounts are not available on all state See policy for complete coverage. Details Tonight new details on Trump's brazen desecration of the people's House, the White House. The Wall Street Journal reporting that he fast tracked the demolition of the east wing by firing three Biden appointed members of a 12 person planning committee, quote, installing his own panel of loyalists, including senior White House officials, giving Republicans control of a little known body with outsized influence over the White House complex. Now, that happened way back in July, around the time Trump falsely promised that the historic East Wings wouldn't come down here with the current building. I won't be. It'll be near it but not touching it and pays total respect to the existing building, which I'm the biggest fan of. It's my favorite. It's my favorite place. I love it. We determined that after really a tremendous amount of study with some of the best architects in the world, we determined.
- [14:06]
E
That really knocking it down, trying to.
- [14:08]
A
Use a little section, you know, the East Wing was not much. In order to do it properly, we had to take down the existing structure. Trump's $300 million construction project has become his obsession, Journal reporting, quote, he is involved with every aspect of planning. Companies have brought product samples to the Oval Office for Trump to review, and he has kept materials in the dining room off the oval. As he weighs design choices, it's clear Trump sees the White House as his personal property and not the people's house that we pay for with our taxes. Democrats have been slamming Trump for this over the weekend.
- [14:48]
F
They're literally not just taking a wrecking ball to the White House, they're taking a wrecking ball to our very values.
- [14:59]
A
That house doesn't belong to him, New York. It belongs to us. It belongs to the people of this country. What the oligarchs fear, what they fear.
- [15:10]
D
Is the people will start understanding that this country belongs to us, not them.
- [15:20]
A
Trump's authoritarianism goes hand in hand with greed and selling the US Presidency to the highest bidder. This weekend, hosting the ruler of Qatar on Air Force One, a man who gifted Trump that controversial new plane. As Trump commits to building a $5.5 billion golf course in Qatar this Just days after Trump accepted a legally dubious $130 million gift from a reclusive American billionaire and Trump backer. Trump claims this money will be used to pay troops during his government shutdown. But as the New York Times points out, it would only come out to about $100 per service member. Joining me now is Ambassador Norm Eisen, co founder of the Contrarian on Substack. He was the top ethics lawyer for Barack Obama, founder and executive chair of Democracy Defenders Fund, and also co founded crew, Citizens for Responsibility and Ethics in Washington. Norm, thank you so much for joining us this evening. I want to start with this $130 million to the military. When I first heard that story first off, it seems so bizarre to me because it's not a private army. I don't, I don't ever remember seeing service members out washing cars in the driveway to raise funds. So I don't know how someone can give that kind of money. Don't just tell us the ethical implications of this, but how is this money going to be used? Can it just be thrown in with our tax money? Like what is the background of this and how could it actually be distributed?
- [16:50]
G
Jason, I never would have allowed a private individual to pay the salaries of military members because whenever people write checks, large one, like for $130 million, that comes with strings attached and Donald Trump has put the government up for sale to the high bidder and that idea. Another reason I wouldn't have allowed it when I was giving ethics advice in the White House was because the law has standards that are breached by this payment. If the military cannot be paid by Congress, you can't do an end around and the law says so. No end arounds to have a private individual pay. Moreover, the Pentagon is using its gift authority, but you can only use the statutory gift authority for proper purposes. Like with that gold plated jet where we at Democracy Defenders Fund objected and we filed a complaint with the Office of Inspector General. This huge payment is not in America's best interest. Besides which, it's not enough to pay the service members.
- [18:09]
A
That's what sort of hit me about this. And I want to show you this list right now. Bernie Sanders put up a tweet recently on corporate tax breaks and the ballroom donations. So we're already talking about the fact that some random person, again, who we don't necessarily know, cuz it's a reclusive person, gave $130 million to the military. Now we see that Trump's big beautiful bill gave to Google, gave Amazon a $16 billion tax break. Microsoft, Facebook, and lo and behold, now all of these corporations have given him money for this $300 million addition to the ballroom. What is going to be our obligation or how can we track these companies going forward because they got a tax break, they're funding the new East Wing. How do we know they're not also just going to be getting deals in Congress? And how would we potentially stop that as a country?
- [18:58]
G
Well, the American people are going to be the ultimate guardrail, Jason, because they elected Donald Trump on a promise to drain the swamp. He's flooding the swamp with corporate cash. And if you think these enormous subs, huge checks to the Pentagon to build the Golden Ballroom to provide this guilt, Air Force One, if you think those don't come with strings attached, you're not paying attention. Corporations view this as an investment. They want returns, they're getting those returns and they're going to demand more. So for Donald Trump to scratch his itch, he wants that ballroom, he wants that plane. We run the risk of the American public interest being sold out. Now, there's a variety of other laws that are implicated at the Democracy Defenders Fund. We're litigating over 200 cases and matters. And I think you're going to see more litigation because these payments are illegitimate.
- [20:10]
A
And we know that they all have strings attached. And no matter what Trump says, I'm not going to believe there are no strings on him when he takes that much money from private companies. Ambassador Norm Eisen, thank you so much for joining us this evening on the beat.
- [20:23]
E
Thanks, Jason.
- [20:25]
A
Still ahead, some lawmakers now calling Trump's lethal bugs rights illegal and quote, murder. It's murder. It's very simple. But this is murder. It's sanctioned murder that he is doing that. Also later in the show, special guests on blowback from young voters. And Trump loses his bid to hijack pop culture. But first, Democrats aggressive new push to have Trump prosecutor Jack Smith testify publicly. When we're back on the beat, imagine relying on a dozen different software programs to run your business, none of which are connected. And each one more expensive and more complicated than it can be. Pretty stressful. Now imagine Odoo. Odoo has all the programs you'll ever need and are all connected on one platform. Doesn't Odoo sound amazing? Let Odoo harmonize your business with simple, efficient software that can handle everything for a fraction of the price. Sign up today@odoo.com that's o d o o dot com.
- [21:29]
B
When a cold has you down it's the little comforts that lift you up. A warm blanket, a cup of tea, and a tissue that actually feels good on your skin. Infused with aloe Kleenex Cooling plus Aloe provides a hint of cooling freshness to help your skin feel restored. So whether your skin is feeling dry, chafed or irritated, you're only one wipe away from helping it feel relieved. The next time you have a cold, get a hint of instant cooling relief with new Kleenex Cooling plus Aloe. For whatever happens next, grab Kleenex.
- [22:00]
A
Clorox Toilet Wand.
- [22:02]
B
It's all in one.
- [22:04]
A
Clorox Toilet Wand.
- [22:06]
B
It's all in one.
- [22:07]
C
Hey, what does all in one mean?
- [22:10]
B
The Caddy, the wand, the preloaded pad. There's a cleaner in there inside the pad. So Clorox Toilet Wand is all I.
- [22:19]
F
Need to clean a toilet.
- [22:21]
A
You don't need a bottle of solution to get into this toilet revolution.
- [22:26]
B
Clorox feels good. Use as directed.
- [22:36]
A
Former special counsel Jack Smith wants to testify in an open hearing and lawmakers are responding. Congressman Raskin, ranking member of the House Judiciary Committee, saying he's all for it. Well, we're all for it.
- [22:50]
E
And they're allowed to be, you know, cross examined by members of the opposing party. And that's exactly what Jim Jordan wants to do.
- [22:58]
A
The problem is that they're afraid he's.
- [23:00]
E
Going to be way too convincing and way too compelling when he actually gets.
- [23:03]
A
To appear before the public. Last week, Smith sent a letter to Congress requesting to testify, saying he wanted to clear up, quote, mischaracterizations of his probes into trauma. This comes amid new reporting from the Washington Post, Carol Leoning and Aaron Davis, which details some of the decision making in Smith's office as he was deciding whether to bring charges against Trump for allegedly mishandling classified documents. Smith choosing to bring the case in Florida, where the documents were stored, rather than D.C. where the documents were taken from. A move the Post characterizes as, quote, a fateful decision that some in his own office saw as a misstep. Smith controlling that, concluding that trying the case in Florida put them on firmer legal ground, reducing the risk of, of the most serious charges being overturned on appeal. One federal prosecutor on the case reportedly responding, quote, are you effing insane? This is an existential threat to the case. He thought it was a, quote, huge gamble because, quote, the case could wind up before Judge Eileen Cannon, a Trump appointed jurist with a track record of disregarding precedent. And it did. The case was assigned to Cannon, who faced accusations of bias from legal experts for pro Trump rulings. She ultimately did dismiss the case against Trump, despite what Jack Smith says was overwhelming evidence. He spoke about this during a rare on camera appearance earlier this month.
- [24:43]
E
We had, and the obstructive evidence, publicly saying, these are my documents or things like that and I can keep them. The evidence to not give the documents back, when the government even tried to get them back before there was a criminal investigation, those sort of things. And then after the investigation started, still refusing to give them backs, and then trying to obstruct the investigation. That helps prove willfulness.
- [25:08]
A
Joining me now is Hugo Lowell, White House correspondent with the Guardian. Hugo, thank you so much for joining us this evening. I'm going to start with this. I am, I am taken aback by this quote. I mean, to find out that there were people within Jack Smith's office who were screaming and throwing over tables saying, hey, we should not prosecute this case down in Florida. Do you think that sort of not only dings his legacy, but does it sort of call into question his overall competence if you had that much pushback about something that could have resulted in what did happen, the case getting thrown out?
- [25:44]
E
Yeah, I don't think so. Mainly because it was a big quandary at the time. Right. You know, there were really three venues that this case could have possibly been charged. It was D.C. because that was obviously where Trump was president and the boxes of documents were taken from. There was Florida, where arguably it was the strongest venue because that was where the obstruction to the subpoena took place, when they were trying to move the boxes around and hide them, when the grand jury subpoena came in to return the documents. And then there was New Jersey, which was where the incident with a book publisher took place. You'll recall Trump was telling Mark Meadows and his book publisher in front of Susie Wiles that he had all these documents and he should have declassified them when he was president, but that he hadn't. But I think in the end, it's difficult to fault Jack Smith on this count because had he charged this case in dc, the first motion that the Trump lawyers would have filed is to remove it to Florida. And regardless of whether or not that was going to succeed, it is abundantly clear that that would have eaten up months and months. So if you are in, if you are in Jack Smith's shoes and you're trying to cut out any delay, you're trying to forestall the kinds of motions that are coming your way, I can see why he took that course of action. I think There is a bigger question about whether Jack Smith should have moved to recuse Eileen Cannon. That's discussed in that Washington Post excerpt as well. I think that's a separate. But I think it all comes back to the fact that it's very, very difficult to predict how these cases come down in the end. Let's assume, for instance, that we had gone to trial. Let's further assume that Jack Smith was able to convict Trump in the documents case and that it all happened before the election. Even if that took place, Trump would have appealed. He would have been probably released pending appeal, and he would have run through the election. And it's not clear to me that had any of these different pieces moved in different ways, that the outcome would have been any different and Trump wouldn't have gone back to the White House.
- [27:40]
A
I want to play some sound from Jack Smith. He's in conversation with Andrew Weissman and he's talking about how the Trump administration fired his old team. And I want to get your thoughts on the other side.
- [27:51]
E
Everybody who worked on my team was fired. Not just the lawyers, but the administrative staff as well. I think these are people who have spent their careers sacrificing for the communities they want to protect for our country. I'm, you know, really upset that that people like that not only are being vilified, but that it's hard to get their stories out of who they are.
- [28:17]
A
Hugo so Jack Smith wants to testify in front of Congress. It's a decent chance that that could happen. Do you think that he will bring some of these other members of his team either as people who he can bring on with him or people who will be sort of in the audience as well? Because it seems like he doesn't just want to tell his story and justify what he did, but he also wants to protect the men and women who work with him.
- [28:41]
E
Yeah, I could certainly see that as a possibility that Jack Smith brings some of his deputies with him. I mean, you know, Jack Smith's role was obviously to lead the special counsel team, but he wasn't always doing the day to day in, you know, investigative detailing that some of these prosecutors were doing. And certainly they weren't always interacting with the lawyers on Trump's legal team. And so I think there is a good chance that happens. And it would be quite a compelling story. Right. I mean, if you really wanted to. And let's say Democrats took the House back in the midterms in a way, you could kind of foresee Congress giving Jack Smith and his team the platform to conduct the sort of trial that they would have otherwise done. Right. They all know this case inside out. You know, the, the evidence is, is, is all out there and everyone knows what's in the indictment. So I think it's a, it's a fairly straightforward thing for them to do and it would be quite powerful.
- [29:31]
A
Hugo Lowell, thank you so much for joining us this evening on the beat. Still ahead, Trump losing the youth as his culture wars are falling flat. But first, Trump's boat attacks in the Caribbean raising alarms that it could escalate into something bigger. More on that when we're back on the beat. Some lawmakers are now warning Donald Trump's strikes on alleged drug boats are murder. Warning comes as another US Warship arrives in the Caribbean, which is separate from Trump's deployment of the largest aircraft carrier ever built, the USS Gerald Ford heading for waters outside of Venezuela. Venezuela now accusing the U.S. of, quote, military provocation. Trump recently suggesting land strikes on that country could be next. Already the administration says it has launched 10 strikes, killing 43 people. And this administration has not offered any evidence against these people that they were actually drug runners, nor has it provided a legal rationale justifying its claim to execute war powers. New York Times reporting, quote, a broad range of specialists in laws governing the use of lethal force have called Mr. Trump's orders to the military patently illegal. They say the premeditated extrajudicial killings have been murders. Now, some lawmakers in both parties saying it, too. Here's Republican Senator Rand Paul on FOX News of all places.
- [31:11]
E
To be clear, we've got no information.
- [31:13]
A
I've been invited to no briefing.
- [31:15]
E
But a briefing is not enough to overcome the Constitution.
- [31:18]
A
So far, they have alleged that these people are drug dealers.
- [31:22]
E
No one said their name.
- [31:23]
A
No one said what evidence. No one said whether they're armed.
- [31:26]
E
And we've had no evidence presented.
- [31:28]
A
So at this point, I would call them extrajudicial killings. And this is akin to what China does to Iran does with drug dealers. The new Republic pointing out the GOP senator is comparing Trump to dictators who don't follow quaint notions like, I don't know, due process and human rights. Democratic Senator Ruben Gallego is even more blunt. It's murder. It's very simple. If this president feels that they're doing something illegally, then he should be using the Coast Guard. If this is an act of war, then you use our military and then you come and talk to us first. But this is murder. It's sanctioned murder that he is doing that. And it's Very simple for someone like him to talk about killing people or doing something in the name of war. He's never actually served. He's never actually pulled a trigger. Join me now is Charlie Savage, who covers national security and legal policy for the New York Times. His recent article about Trump strikes is, quote, the peril of a White House that flaunts its indifference to the law. Charlie, I'll start with this. You know, murder is the case that people are giving Trump right now. They are saying that he is ordering our military to murder people. We don't have any evidence that these people committed any crimes. And even if they had committed crimes, it doesn't necessarily mean you can kill people just for necessarily potentially moving drugs. The question I have for you is, what are the potential consequences for this for the United States? Meaning not just retaliation from the countries that these people are from, but even retaliation from criminal elements, Retaliation in forms of economic sanctions. Like, what are we facing by having a government that's just killing people? Random.
- [33:11]
D
Well, we haven't actually seen a lot of pushback from, say, European allies who, you know, democracies with the rule of law that you might expect to object to this. So just observationally, we're not seeing a lot of pushback. We're seeing the president of Colombia has called it murder. The probably illegitimate president of Venezuela, Maduro, who stole the election last year, is also saying, look, if you think these people are committing crimes, you should arrest them. Which is a good point from a bad actor. But it's more of a, I think, a moral issue for what the country is doing. And it is a reflection of the dramatic expansions of executive power, the huge volumes of ways in which the second Trump administration, in contrast to its predecessors, including the first Trump administration, which had very different staffing, has been rolling over both internal and external constraints on White House power. Because killing is so serious and irreversible, it stands apart. And because they're not even offering a theory for why it's legitimate for the president to do this, they say this is war. You say, well, why is it war? And there's no answer to that. It's just he said so. And that's where we are right now as a country.
- [34:37]
A
I want to play this sound bite here from Adam Smith. He was on the beat on Friday, and he was talking about Trump officials are ignoring Congress on the strikes. Get your thoughts on the other side.
- [34:50]
E
The response is basically, go to hell. I'm the president. I can do whatever I want to do. The president, as you just said, and you played it.
- [34:57]
A
He can kill who he wants to.
- [34:58]
E
Kill, whenever he wants to kill them, and he doesn't have to explain it to anybody. All right? That is his position. And regardless of how you feel about Venezuela or Colombia or cocaine or fentanyl.
- [35:10]
A
Or drugs or anything, you shouldn't support the President of the United States saying.
- [35:15]
E
Screw you, I'm president. I can kill who I want to kill. And you all just have to live with it.
- [35:22]
A
Charlie, right now the president is ignoring Congress. And look, even if he went to Congress, he's not wrong. Republicans control the House, Republicans control the Senate. They will probably give him his War Powers Act. But as you pointed out before, we talk about the morality of it, what does it say about the functioning of our government that even if Congress would give this president permission to do what he's doing, he still doesn't even bother to ask them? What does that tell you about where we are as a country right now?
- [35:49]
D
Yeah, well, I don't think it's necessarily such a sure thing that if Congress were actually to come back into town and hold votes on things, which it doesn't do very often these days, he would get an authorization for this. There is a draft bill floating around that would authorize this. I've written about that. But, you know, it could be filibustered in the Senate. And there are within the magafied Republican Party, you know, a large subset of people who were pissed off by the nation building, you know, regime change operations in Afghanistan and Iraq and want to get away from that. And where this operation seems to be pointing is a regime change, military intervention in Venezuela, which is the exact opposite of what Trump was supposed to be changing about the Republican Party. And so how, you know, you see Rand Paul, a lot of people are, you know, especially Republicans, afraid to speak against Trump. But this would be a real acid test. And I don't know they would get to the votes of that.
- [36:48]
A
Charlie Savage, thank you so much for breaking down what is happening across our oceans right now in the United States. Thank you.
- [36:55]
D
Thank you.
- [36:57]
A
Up next, new backlash as Trump cracks down on pop culture. That's next on the Beast. Trump and his MAGA allies are working overtime to control what kind of content Americans consume, from banning books to targeting TV shows and even top companies.
- [37:23]
F
Trump's FCC chairman Brandon Carr and his threats to ABC to deal with Jimmy Kimmel the easy way or it would.
- [37:31]
A
Be done the hard way. Sounds like the words of a mob boss in Goodfellas. The Pentagon has removed nearly 400 books on race gender and sexuality from the Naval Academy's library, the so called happiest place on earth. Plunging into the middle of a culture war, Florida's Republican governor Ron DeSantis targeting Disney. The effort is relentless. But tonight there are new signs that Trump's culture war is falling flat with young people. According to a new survey, Gen Z Americans want more realistic programs, more stories focused on friendship instead of sex and violence and prefer animated series to traditional sitcoms, a sign that the kids might truly be all right despite maga's culture war obsession. One animated show resonating with Gen Z is Ianu, one of the most popular shows on Cartoon Network. Following a young girl who discovers she has special powers. Exploring themes of self discovery, resilience, empathy and cultural heritage.
- [38:37]
C
It is time I told you all I know about your parents land the age of wonders. This child is a miracle. Better yet, she will be able to a child of wonder.
- [38:55]
A
Joining me now is Dave Stewart ii, CEO and founder of Lion Forge Entertainment, the production company behind Ianu. Dave, thank you so much for joining us this evening on the Beat. I want to start with this. So there have been a lot of concerns, a lot of news articles have been written about the fact that, you know, Hollywood has become more conservative. Hollywood is, is pushing back against DEI and diverse programming. Tell us a little bit about how you put together Ianu and how it's pushing back against this supposed MAGA rightward shift to still tell stories about diverse audiences.
- [39:31]
H
Sure. You know, when we started the company back in 2019, our motto as a company has been diverse stories, authentically told. And we've been doing that work from starting with a little animated short called Hair Love. And you know, it continues on with shows like Ianu. And you know, we put this together because we thought, you know, the market market would respond well to it. I mean, it's a project that's bringing a unique cultural perspective. It's bringing unique stories from Yoruba in Nigeria. And it's something that is a little bit different than what you see in the marketplace. It's the first time you're seeing something that's really bringing in the lore and the folklore from the continent of Africa to, you know, international audiences. And I think it's an opportunity for kids and adults alike to learn a little something about culture, see their cultural connectivity and see how we all really come together around certain themes and wishes and dreams.
- [40:40]
A
A lot of parents watching right now and even people who are just interested in animation as I am, they'll see a show like Ianu and they'll think, oh my gosh, this is amazing. I've never seen anything like this. This is so wonderful. When you look across the sort of Hollywood landscape right now, where are the places where you see new content being created that does speak to diverse audiences, that does speak to the families out there of all colors, white families, Asian families of all races who say, hey, I want different things for my children. Where do you see that sort of popping up in Hollywood and sort of entertainment culture today?
- [41:12]
H
I say it's kind of popping up all over the place. I mean, one of the most popular animated shows this summer was K Pop Demon Hunters that was coming out of Korea. You're seeing on The Box Office 2 shows that just came out from Sony that were anime derived. Chainsaw man, which just debuted last weekend, but also Demon Slayer a few weeks ago. Again, all things coming out of anime out of Japan. And so, you know, this content has always been around and the work is still being done, even regardless of kind of some of the outside rhetoric, maybe some of the outside pushes. But I think audiences, you know, want to see something different. They want to see something they connect to, they want to find ways to connect to each other. And I think this content is a very important way to do that.
- [42:04]
A
And I always ask this because I'm always paying attention to economics and labor. We've seen massive consolidation. We've seen Skydance and Paramount and now Warner Brothers is for sale, which is, you know, owns Cartoon Network, which is where Ianu came from. Do you think that all of these sort of corporate mergers and sometimes for ideological reasons, are they a danger to this new diversity that we're trying to promote in animation? Or do you think that these kinds of products, that the consumer will keep them going even if these companies consolidate, even if it's sort of politically conservative?
- [42:36]
H
Sure. I think at the end of the day, you know, companies want to sell content to all Americans. We are a diverse country and, you know, we have to have content that speaks to everyone. Our mission is content, you know, that speaks to culturally specific audiences. But at the end of the day, it's. It's content that can be viewed and enjoyed by everyone. If you look at Ayanu specifically, you'll see that our audience is very broad. It's across cultures, it's across genders, it's across, you know, different ethnic backgrounds. But it's something that people connect and they wanted to watch a fun adventure show. And then, hey, in the process, they got to learn something about African culture. In the process.
- [43:17]
A
Dave Stewart, thank you so much for the work you do and thanks for coming on the Beat tonight.
- [43:21]
H
Thanks for having me.
- [43:23]
A
We'll be right back with one more thing on the beat. Finally tonight, early voting is underway in New York City's mayoral race. Turnout is on track to set a record with over 160,000 people showing up so far. Zoran Mamdani appearing over the weekend with AOC and Bernie Sanders. I stand before you tonight as the.
- [43:55]
D
Nominee of a Democratic Party reinvigorated in its pursuit of making government work for.
- [44:02]
A
Everyone, not just the wealthy and the well connected. This is a key race to watch, not just because of the popularity of Mandani, but also because of the reluctance of seemingly the rest of the Democratic Party and some of the leadership to endorse him. When the people are excited about a candidate, the party is supposed to follow, as opposed to telling people who they should be excited about, that does it for me.
- [44:26]
B
When a cold has you down, it's the little comforts that lift you up. A warm blanket, a cup of tea, and a tissue that actually feels good on your skin. Infused with aloe. Kleenex Cooling plus Aloe provides a hint of cooling freshness to help your skin feel restored. So whether your skin is feeling dry, chafed or irritated, you're only one wipe away from helping it feel relieved. The next time you have a cold, get a hint of instant cooling relief with new Cleanx Cooling plus Aloe. For whatever happens next, grab Kleenex.