Trump’s WH Demolition, DOJ Demands & Crypto Pardon Outrage Rock Admin

Summary

Podcast Summary: The Beat with Ari Melber

Episode: Trump’s WH Demolition, DOJ Demands & Crypto Pardon Outrage Rock Admin
Date: October 24, 2025
Host: Jason Johnson (filling in for Ari Melber)

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Episode Overview

This episode tackles the day’s explosive political and legal developments, focusing on President Trump’s controversial demolition of the East Wing of the White House, scrutiny over his pardon of a crypto billionaire, Jack Smith’s legal maneuvering against Republican accusations, and a wave of outrage and activism surrounding voting rights, government shutdowns, and new scandals. Through interviews with legal experts, political leaders, and prominent commentators, the show explores the erosion of traditional norms, accountability crises, and rising civic resistance.

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Key Topics & Highlights

1. White House Demolition and Symbolism

Segment Start: [01:39]

• President Trump undertakes the demolition of the historic East Wing of the White House, in defiance of previous promises.
• Secret Service blocks journalists from accessing the site, but the AP’s photo confirms destruction.
• The $300M construction, funded by private entities (including MSNBC’s parent company Comcast), sparks bipartisan concern and discussion about public-private boundaries and optics.

Notable Quotes:

• “The American people are overwhelmingly opposed to this destruction; only 24% are behind the idea.” — Jason Johnson [02:43]
• “This is the first thing aliens do in movies to announce their evil. They blow up the White House. Trump is just cutting out the middleman.” — Douglas Brinkley [03:36]
• “He wants a Mar-a-Lago in Washington … He’s gonna impose [his taste] on the American people. To build an auditorium that’s gonna dwarf the White House, what the hell?” — Douglas Brinkley [11:00]

Analysis:

• The segment contextualizes the demolition as both a literal and metaphorical act of undermining democracy, drawing sharp analogies to movie villains and dictatorial excesses.
• Maya Wiley raises alarm over the use of private donations for government buildings, likening it to a “quid pro quo” that erodes democratic transparency.
  “The imagery alone speaks volumes about exactly the message Donald Trump has said in his presidency, which is: I will destroy in order to do what I want, no matter the cost.” [05:24]

2. Corruption, Pardons & Dictatorial Behavior

Segment Start: [04:08]

• Trump pardons a crypto billionaire closely linked to his family, prompting fury over cronyism (specific mention of Binance and allegations of facilitating sex and drug trafficking, child abuse).
• Late-night hosts and panelists underscore the dictator-adjacent behavior, as Trump also demands the DOJ pay him $230 million.

Notable Quotes:

• “The signal Donald Trump is sending by pardoning should speak volumes at a time when we're talking about the Epstein files being made public.” — Maya Wiley [05:24]
• “A majority of Americans, 56%, agree that President Trump is a dangerous dictator whose power should be limited before he destroys American democracy.” — Jason Johnson [07:10]

3. Jack Smith Pushes Back Against GOP "Conspiracy" Probes

Segment Start: [13:19]

• Special Counsel Jack Smith pushes for open testimony, seeking to dispel “mischaracterizations” of his criminal probes into Trump.
• Smith requests DOJ assurance he won’t be punished for testifying.
• The GOP alleges Smith’s subpoenas on lawmaker phone records amount to illegal spying; Smith’s team counters with legality and transparency.

Notable Quotes:

• “Sunlight is the best disinfectant here. … Jack Smith is at the center of this retribution tour because he’s a patriot.” — Tara Setmayer [16:18]
• “Once we get in a position where we start talking about maybe not following court opinions we don’t like, we are lost. The attacks on public servants, it has a cost … that is incalculable.” — Jack Smith via interview [14:24]
• “He did his work. So did his team. So this would be an opportunity to shed some light on what actually happened here.” — Tara Setmayer [16:18]

4. Voting Rights Crisis and Government Shutdown

Segment Start: [23:22]

• Exposé of a right-wing activist overseeing election integrity at Homeland Security, with the possibility of national emergency declarations.
• Trump’s plummeting approval (down to 60%), “No Kings” protest mobilizes millions.
• DNC Chair Ken Martin outlines ground organizing strategy and the challenge of institutional attacks, promising intense legal and electoral resistance.

Notable Quotes:

• “If we don’t win in 2026 and give this guy four years of unimpeded power, we’re all screwed. Look at the damage he’s done already in just a short nine months.” — Ken Martin [25:09]
• “Our job is singular: to win elections, recruit candidates … and build power back so we can actually stop this guy.” — Ken Martin [27:40]
• “Is this really what you voted for? Because this is what you’re getting. He doesn’t give a damn about you or anybody else.” — Tara Settmeier [21:04]

5. ICE Abuses and Calls to Action

Segment Start: [29:37]

• Jason presses Ken Martin about the party taking a bold position on ICE, given viral reports of abuse, harassment, and trauma in immigrant communities.
• Martin emphasizes not knowing if abolishing ICE is the answer, but denounces its current weaponization under Trump.

Notable Quote:

• “I don’t know what the right answer is … but you don’t weaponize [ICE] in the way that Donald Trump and the Republicans have.” — Ken Martin [30:08]

6. Shutdown Fallout and Historic Congressional Standoff

Segment Start: [31:42]

• Speaker Mike Johnson refuses to swear in Arizona Democrat Adelita Grijalva, prolonging the government shutdown now in its 23rd day (“Epstein Shutdown” due to her key vote).
• Johnson suggests Grijalva should “get to work” before being sworn in; Grijalva explains the absurdity and her district’s lack of representation/resources.

Notable Quotes:

• “He needs to stop playing games. Really, stop watching TikTok videos and do your job. Swear me in and this will all go away.” — Adelita Grijalva [32:59]
• “The audacity of him to try to tell me how to do my job when Congress has been out of session since the 19th of September … Let Congress get back into session. We can all do our jobs.” — Adelita Grijalva [33:40]

7. NBA Gambling Scandal Unfolds

Segment Start: [39:19]

• Massive FBI bust: Miami Heat’s Terry Rozier, ex-player Damon Jones, and Trailblazers’ head coach Chauncey Billups indicted for illegal betting and poker game rigging — including mafia ties, tech cheating, and insider info abuse.
• Breakdown of how gambling is no longer a “hidden” problem and how legalized betting exacerbates corruption risks.

Notable Quotes:

• “This is the insider trading saga for the NBA.” — Anonymous (Clip) [40:44]
• “My initial reaction is, this is where the breadcrumbs have been leading for quite some time … Betting’s not an issue until it becomes one, and now for the NBA, it certainly feels like it is one.” — Justin Tinsley [41:21]
• “How do we regulate this so it doesn’t jeopardize the integrity of the sport, so fans don’t feel like they’re getting cheated out of their hard-earned money? That’s the billion dollar question.” — Justin Tinsley [44:39]

8. NYC Mayoral Debate — #MeToo Confrontation

Segment Start: [46:09]

• Progressive candidate Zoran Mamdani grills former Gov. Cuomo with one of his accusers present, amid the crowded race and growing accountability movements.

Notable Quote:

• “What do you say to the 13 women that you sexually harassed?” — Zoran Mamdani [46:20]

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Timestamps for Important Segments

• WH Demolition Analysis & Outrage – [01:39] to [13:19]
• Jack Smith DOJ Pushback & Interview Excerpts – [13:19] to [21:13]
• Voting Rights, DNC’s Strategy, and ICE Abuse – [23:22] to [31:42]
• Congressional Standoff: Grijalva’s Lawsuit & Shutdown Fallout – [31:42] to [37:04]
• NBA Gambling Indictments & Legal Ramifications – [39:19] to [45:36]
• NYC Mayoral Debate — Cuomo Confrontation – [46:09] to end

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Memorable Moments & Tone

• The show uses humor and pop culture analogies to frame how “movie villain” tropes and dystopian scenarios are no longer fiction but political reality.

• Guests express alarm (often with direct language) over corruption, democratic erosion, and institutional abuse:

  • Douglas Brinkley brands Trump’s actions “gratuitous and vulgar … willy-nilly and arrogant.” [08:00–09:45]
  • Tara Setmayer: “He doesn’t give a damn about you or anybody else.” [21:04]

• The segment on the government shutdown and Grijalva's congressional exclusion underscored the real-life impacts on constituents and democratic process.

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Final Takeaways

This episode constructs a powerful narrative of American institutions under siege — not just metaphorically, but in "rubble." Whether through the literal demolition of the White House’s historic architecture, legal corruption, or voting rights suppression, the episode paints an urgent, combative picture and signals the need for collective resistance, vigilance, and a recommitment to democratic principles.

For listeners: If you’re concerned about political overreach, democratic erosion, and civic resistance, this episode provides context, candid insight, and a clear call to pay attention — and act.

Transcript

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[Jason Johnson]

Welcome to the Beat. I'm Jason Johnson. And for Ari Melber tonight, Jack Smith calling the Republicans bluff on their conspiracy theories. Plus our live interview with the Democratic lawmaker who is suing Speaker Johnson for refusing to let her get to work. And then that moment in the New York City debate when Mamdani calling out Cuomo on his sexual harassment allegations.

[Douglas Brinkley]

One of those women, Charlotte Bennett, is here in the audience this evening. She cannot speak up for herself because you lodged a defamation case against her. I, however, can speak.

[Jason Johnson]

But we begin tonight with Trump demolishing part of the great symbol of American democracy, the East Wing of the White House, now reduced to rubble so Donald Trump can build himself a playroom. Earlier today, Secret Service reportedly closed access to the ellipse to block journalists from capturing footage of the wreckage. The AP managed to get this photo. Trump promised his ballroom project would not impact the East Wing at all. And now he's made an abrupt bout face.

[Douglas Brinkley]

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 that really knocking it down, trying to 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.

[Jason Johnson]

The American people are overwhelmingly opposed to this destruction on only 24% are behind the idea. And it's going to be even more expensive than previously known. Trump upping the price tag to $300 million. That money allegedly being raised from private companies and individuals, including Comcast, MSNBC's current parent company. The move even has some Republicans on edge.

[Maya Wiley]

Good or bad, it looks like, you know, people are saying, oh, the government's being destroyed. Well, now it looks like the White House is physically being destroyed. The optics are.

[Jason Johnson]

Are not. Are not good. Yeah, they're not good at all. Meanwhile, late night hosts pointing out that Trump's demolition is the kind of thing that movie villains do in the first act.

[Douglas Brinkley]

This is the first thing aliens do in movies to announce their evil. They blow up the White House. Trump is just cutting out the middleman of invading aliens. We used to need the aliens to come, but not anymore. We're doing it ourselves.

[Jason Johnson]

If this were the movie script for the final season of America, reviewers would be calling it riddled with cliches. I mean, come on, we've all seen the villain destroy the White House. Oh, oh, wait, Trump is physically destroying part of the White House. Well, we've seen the part where the villain pardons all of his cronies and friends. Oh, wait, Trump just pardoned a crypto billionaire who does business with his family. And wasn't it Dr. Evil and Austin Powers who demanded $1 million in ransom? Now Trump is demanding the justice department pay him $230 million. Joining me now to discuss Maya Wiley, former SDNY, civil prosecutor and president and CEO for the Leadership Conference on Civil and Human Rights, and Douglas Brinkley, presidential historian and professor at Rice University. Maya, I'll start with you. You know, it's cliche to say, okay, Trump is a dictator and engaging dictatorial acts, but I think what's important here is we have a president who's already been in bed with so many different businesses, so many different things that appear to be corrupt. What does it say that a new wing of the White House, where government business is conducted, is being built by private donors? Where does that become a problem down the road for this country?

[Maya Wiley]

I don't even know what to say about that, Jason. I mean, look, the imagery alone is, I think, speaks volumes about exactly the message Donald Trump has said in his presidency, which I will destroy in order to do what I want to do, whatever that is, and no matter the cost. And in this case, this kind of sense of quid pro quo, you know, you do for me and I'll do for you, is exactly the optics that this creates, because we've already saw this with the fundraising that he did for his inaugural committee, for example, and we saw an incredible rush of people to make sure that they were writing checks to. To get within his good graces. And when you look at his pardon history, I mean, there's no question most presidents who look at pardons are looking at what is the policy decision I am making and what message does it send to the people of this country. And the one that Donald Trump sends repeatedly is that I'm trying to get done what I want to get done for me and whoever will pay for it. Good. And then I will help with the power that I have been given to do what I need to do for them. I mean, because let's remember this Binance, very wealthy Binance businessman. Let's also remember what he was accused of allowing sex trafficking, drug trafficking, child sex abuse to happen. I mean, like, this is like the fact that Donald Trump is sending the signal that this is okay by pardoning should also speak volumes at a time when we're talking about the Jeffrey Epstein files being made public.

[Jason Johnson]

You know, Douglas, I think it's something of note here. We have popular culture, examples of villains becoming the president. Lex Luthor was president United States for years. Superman was going crazy. But it's something else when it's happening in reality. And we have polling that says that literally the majority of the public now feels that Donald Trump is acting like a dictator. The view of Trump as a dangerous dictator. Source PRRI Survey Increasing numbers of Americans view Trump as a dangerous dictator rather than a strong leader. A majority of Americans, 56%, agree that President Trump is a dangerous dictator whose power should be limited before he destroys American democracy. Douglas, that's not subtle. That's the American people saying, I think this guy is going to write the end of the script for this country. What do the American people do about this?

[Douglas Brinkley]

Oh, well, I have to register and vote and get involved with local politics. But there's a lot going on I think, right now. First off, with the East Wing demolition, it's horrendous. I do history preservation for a living. I think Senator Lisa Murkowski, spot on.

[Jason Johnson]

Right.

[Douglas Brinkley]

But I was wondering, where are these other Republicans? Since when is it okay to bulldoze the East Wing and lie like you just played the clip? Oh, just be a little. It won't touch the building. And now have these videos and photographs. This is going to live forever. The images that we've seen, just like January 6th protest riot for Donald Trump. This will be a symbol of his destroying a part of the White House that's going to live on with photographic imagery long time to come because many people aren't paying Attention. Everybody's worried about the rightfully so, the prices of the grocery, the shutdown, Medicaid, Medicare, Social Security on down. But one thing people can understand, that only an ass would go in and blow up the East Wing in front of cameras in such a gratuitous and vulgar. It's just completely unsensitive to what any eye concept of what Washington D.C. is and why our National Mall is so special and why we fix things incrementally and renovate in proper ways and consult with the right architects. And President Trump has a right to do a lot as a builder or bulldozer in his life as a business person. But I don't feel he has a right. I'm not talking legal rights, I'm talking an American citizen right to go in and firebomb and blow up iconic structures like the White House in such a willy nilly and arrogant fashion, I don't see how it puts points on the board for him politically. And, and I think the MAGA movement that he created is starting to see this is a president more interested in legacy for himself, international affairs and is forgetting the working people and his MAGA base that brought him to the White House for this second term.

[Jason Johnson]

So Doug, I'm gonna follow up with this. Cause you're a historian. What I see here is not just destroying something, but like I said, rebuilding it. I mean the idea of a wing of the White House being brought to you by McDonald's and FanDuel and Geico is just is insane to me. It's being built by sor private investors. But what I often hear from people saying is these look like the actions of someone who's not planning to move. And the White House has generally been a place where people only make subtle changes because they know they're supposed to be gone in four to eight years. Do you think that people who have that kind of concern, who think the reason this president is making these kinds of moves is because he has no plan to leave in 2028, do you think that's a realistic concern for people to have? When you see something this aggressive about something that's been an American institution, the White House.

[Douglas Brinkley]

I'm not sure about that. Whether he the idea that he'll push for a third term, I mean this is just quintessential Donald Trump. If you study his career in the 1980s in New York, he despised historic preservation. He fought them every sense of the way. He has no interest in the public lands or lakes or rivers. He thinks that a builder building, building blowing up and he doesn't. And then I hear commentators, Trump supporters saying, well, Theodore Roosevelt changed the White House. Theodore Roosevelt hated noise. He would bring, had pockets full of nuts to feed the squirrels. While Theodore Roosevelt was president, he wrote a book on the birds of Washington, D.C. and he didn't like to have the automobile because it made a racket. This is not Theodore Roosevelt coming in and smashing a hunk of American heritage. You do restoration with finesse and an open public forum and talk about it. This, to me is just more grandiosity. He wants a mar a Lago in Washington. He likes things gold. He has certain kinds of taste, and he's gonna impose them on the American people. But to build an auditorium that's gonna dwarf the White House, what the hell? Washington, D.C. is filled with ballrooms. You can't turn a corner in Washington without a ballroom. I mean, if you're gonna do it, do it modestly. But of course, he doesn't do that because he thinks it makes him look big time because he did something bigger.

[Maya Wiley]

But, Jason, he does bulldoze voting rights, let's be honest. He bulldozes maps of districts even when Republicans are concerned about changing. So I do think your point and the metaphor here, which is he's willing to blow up and bulldoze even the most basic guardrails, ensure that people get to say who leads this country, who leads in the House or the Senate is absolutely a big part of his agenda. And he doesn't mind lying to get there.

[Jason Johnson]

My Wiley and Douglas Brinkley, thank you so much for starting us off today on some disturbing news. Coming up, how Jack Smith is calling the Republicans bluff, seeking to testify in an open hearing. Plus, outrage after Speaker Johnson refuses to swear in a Democratic lawmaker, but then has the gall to tell her to get to work.

[Douglas Brinkley]

She needs to get to work. She needs to stop doing TikTok videos.

[Jason Johnson]

And serve her constituents.

[Douglas Brinkley]

She should be taking her constituent calls.

[Jason Johnson]

She'll respond live on the beat tonight. Also, we'll talk live to the chairman of the DNC about why MAGA World is rattled by the no Kings protest. We're back in just 90 seconds on the beat. Former special counsel Jack Smith, who indicted Trump twice, wants the public to hear his story today. Smith's lawyers requesting he testify in open hearings, citing the, quote, many mischaracterizations of Smith's criminal probes. And to Trump, Smith's team also requesting assurance from the DOJ that he will not be punished for answering questions under oath during his time as special counsel. Jack Smith only made public appearances when necessary. Now the famously tight lipped Smith is speaking up and he is in a rare interview right here at MSNBC with Andrew Weissman talking about his experience.

[Douglas Brinkley]

Once we get in a position where we start talking about maybe not following court opinions we don't like, we are lost. The attacks on public servants, it has a cost for our country that is incalculable, apolitical. People who wanted to do the right thing and do public service, everybody who worked on my team was fire. The idea that politics played a role and who worked on that case or who got chosen is ludicrous.

[Jason Johnson]

GOP led House Judiciary Committee now going after Smith. Surprise. Smith facing accusations that a subpoena of lawmaker phone records was illegal spying. Smith's team rebuking this claim, writing, quote, the subpoena for toll records was entirely proper, lawful and consistent with established Department of Justice policy.

[Douglas Brinkley]

Certain people are claiming that there was either electronic intercepts or some kind of improper spying. We're talking about telephone records. It's completely disclosed in the indictment and, or the report and that you would have to get approval to do that if it involved a member of Congress. That is fair. That is correct.

[Jason Johnson]

Joining me now is Tara Settmeier, co founder and CEO of the Seneca Project and author of Uncompromised on Subset. Tara, thank you so much for joining us this evening. So I'll start with this. I think it's really important to draw lines between the behavior that we're seeing from this administration. We've seen Tish James, we've seen John Bolton, we've seen James Comey. We have seen the President, United States threaten to go after people he considers to be enemies and then go after them using the government. What do you think Jack Smith's strategy is here by saying, all right, pull up, I'll go first. Is it because he's seen what's happened to these other people or is it because he really thinks there's something the public needs to hear?

[Tara Settmeier]

I think it's a combination of both because sunlight is the best disinfectant here and the fact that Donald Trump is trying to whitewash and react, rewrite history about what happened. He's still going on and on about the 2020 election, despite the fact that he, we all know that he lost. He's now in power again. He can't let it go. So he, you know, the New York Times had an explosive front page story about all these election deniers who are now in positions of power inside the Department of Homeland Security, who are actively toying with things that put could potentially harm our elections going into the midterms, all because that is the mandate coming from Donald Trump. And Jack Smith is at the center of this retribution tour because Jack Smith is a patriot. He was an honorable public servant who's given his entire adult life to the law and serving the public. And if he speaks publicly, it's very difficult to to deny the investigative prowess, the facts. He can lay it out in a way he's articulate. He can lay it out in a way that the American people have actually never heard before, because he handled that integrity, that investigation with such integrity. He wasn't out there in front of the cameras all the time and sullying the process. He did his work and so did his team. So this would be an opportunity to shed some light on what actually happened here. And I'm sorry, I'm putting my money on Jack Smith and his team and the truth versus what Donald Trump and his, you know, henchmen have to say about the 2020 election.

[Jason Johnson]

I want to play you some sound from Jack Smith is in a video from the Bulwark where he's talking about the rule of law being eroded. And get your thoughts on the other side.

[Douglas Brinkley]

What I see happening at the Department of Justice and Energy, where the rule of law is eroded, friends of the president do not have rewarded about following the same law that the recording call. My concern is that we have a.

[Jason Johnson]

Rule of law function for so long.

[Douglas Brinkley]

That many of us have come to take it for granted.

[Jason Johnson]

When you have Jack Smith saying, hey, look, the rule of law is being eroded, and we see day after day after day after day, this administration pulling back from investigation to be going 2, 3, 5 years old, offering pardons to people who are in business with Trump or his family or his cronies one way or another. Is Jack Smith sounding the alarm on something that's happening, or has this pretty much already happened and we should be thinking about how to resist it?

[Tara Settmeier]

Well, he wasn't the only one sounding the alarm. Before the election in 2024, there were many of us out there, including people who worked for Donald Trump previously, who said, you cannot elect this guy. Do you understand what he's going to do to our democracy and what he's going to do to our institutional norms? He's telling us they wrote it down in Project 2025, for goodness sakes. So, you know, it's no surprise that Jack Smith, knowing what he knows and what he saw, Donald Trump tried to do and the people around him what they tried to do, the level of corruption, the illegality, the disregard for the rule of law, Jack Smith knows firsthand. So I think that we, it doesn't take someone like Jack Smith to show us or tell us we see what's happening in front of our very eyes. And the absolute abject corruption and disregard for our constitution and rule of law and our institutional norms is happening day by day to the point now where we're literally seeing the demolition of our democracy right in front of us. The American people should not be okay with this. Absolutely should not be okay with this. And the fact that our elected officials on the Republican side who also privately are not okay with this and haven't been, but are too cowardice to speak up and say stop. This is just another reason why the no Kings rallies and the ground from the ground up grassroots anger of the American people has to maintain because that you know, who you elect matters. Elections have consequences. And when you have military families standing in food bank lines and families struggling because of a government shutdown and the President of the United States bragging about a freaking ballroom that's going to cost 300 million dol million from donors who are actually just buying influence, there is something very fundamentally wrong with that. And I think Magas need to start asking themselves, is this really what you voted for? Because this is what you're getting. He doesn't give a damn about you or anybody else. And I hope hopefully that message starts to resonate because it's pretty obvious.

[Jason Johnson]

Tara Suttmeyer, thank you for taking us to church this evening. Non denominationally but still clear for our American public. Thank you so much for joining us.

[Tara Settmeier]

My pleasure.

[Jason Johnson]

Still ahead, Speaker Mike Johnson refusing to swear in a newly elected Democrat her vote could release the Epstein files. She's suing Johnson. She's live on the beat. But first, revelations on Trump installing election deniers and key posts. We're back on the beat.

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[Jason Johnson]

Chilling new revelations about the rise of election deniers in Trump's government, including a right wing activist at Homeland Security now running point on election integrity, the Times reporting on comments she made earlier this year before entering government in which she, quote, suggested that the new administration could declare a national emergency and justify dictating new rules to state and local governments. It's a red flag and runs parallel to Trump's push to gerrymander while attacking the Voting Rights Act. These are not the actions of a man who believes the voters are on his side and in fact, Trump's approval now is now at a second term low of 60%. After the massive no Kings protest, Ted Cruz warned of political peril for maga.

[Douglas Brinkley]

We should take political peril seriously. It's dangerous. There is a lot of energy, there is a lot of anger on the left and elections can be dangerous when one side is mobilized, is angry, angry energized voters show up to vote. There's no doubt if one side shows up and the other doesn't that that leads to a bad election.

[Jason Johnson]

Joining me now is Ken Martin, chairman of the Democratic National Committee. Thank you so much for joining us this evening on the Beat. I'll start right here. I've had a conversations with activists for the last couple of weeks, even heading into no Kings. What is the Democratic Party's plan for infrastructure on the ground? We have seen in eight months of this new administration suing institutions, threatening local organizers, threatening local activists. The places that in the past the Democratic Party could go for NGO assistance have now been decimated by lawsuits and approaches by the DOJ. What's the DNC's plan to replace that infrastructure?

[Ken Martin]

Well, let me just say we've been on the ground throughout the country in these last eight months I've been chair, and frankly, in these last nine months, you're seeing energy out there. And let me just respond on this no Kings rally because you saw 7 million people come out. It wasn't just Democrats, as Senator Cruz would suggest, it's independents, even Republicans who say, we're not gonna bow down to a king. What we're seeing in this country right now is completely, you know, unprecedented. And certainly we're seeing an all out assault every single day on our constitution and our constitutional rights. You know, we're doing everything we can within our power to make sure we're striking back using from litigation that we've filed, working with our ags, working with, you know, Democratic governors and members Congress to use every lever of power we can in this moment to actually fight back. But let me tell you what I've been buoyed by, Jason. Over these last eight months, we've seen not only a record amount of enthusiasm, but that's translated into a huge over performance. There's been 45 elections that were on the ballot since Donald Trump was inaugurated. In all 45 of them, Democrats are overperforming at a historic rate, 16 percentage points on average, which is historic. And what that means, of course, is we're winning elections as a result. The best way to actually fight back right now is to continue to roll up your sleeves, get out there and organize and put a check on this guy's power for, for God's sake, if we don't win in 2026 and we give this guy four years of unimpeded power, we're all screwed. The reality is, look at the damage he's done already in just a short nine months. Imagine if we don't win in 26.

[Jason Johnson]

All right, let's, let's take that, let's think about 2026. When Donald Trump got elected last time, perhaps initially people thought that he was just being boisterous or he was just bloviating when he said, look, if you elect me again, we'll never have to worry about another election. After eight months, we might think he might be serious about that. He might be engaging in behaviors by, you know, having his right wing Supreme Court gut the voting Rights act by having members of his administration suggest sending ICE into voting areas and intimidating people. What is the plan to stop him? Because these are all things within the President's power. People can vote, but if they're intimidated and they can't show up to vote, it's gonna be a problem. People can vote. But if the Voting Rights act is gone and local state Republicans are able to just remove voting centers or have the only voting place in town be at the top of a mountain, what's the Democratic Party gonna do to stop those kinds of things that are very likely?

[Ken Martin]

Well, look, I was at the Supreme Court just a couple weeks ago when the Louisiana vs Calais case was being argued there, and we see this, you know, attempts by this administration, Trump and Republicans to really attack one of the core rights in this country, which is the right to vote. Of course, the Voting Rights act likely will be gutted. Section 2 of the Voting Rights Act. As we know, I'm in California today Campaigning for Prop 50 to make sure that we actually throw a counterpunch and level the playing field after the attempts by Republicans around the country to gerrymander this country again. And, you know, we see this just the other day in North Carolina where the. They drew Congressman Don Davis out of his district. They are going after black and brown voters in this country. They are trying to disenfranchise people and try to make it harder for people to participate. So there are civil rights groups, voting rights groups, legal rights groups, and other organizations who are fighting out there right now, and we're partnering with them and joining with them in those fights. But let me say to you, what is the role of the Democratic Party in this moment? Our job is to win. To win elections. That is our role. That is our responsibility. And where I have to put my attention and focus, Jason, is on those pieces as other organizations that we partner with, and we deeply value what they're doing. If we reach that break the glass moment when all of our democratic institutions have failed us, right, and we are truly in a dictatorship and an authoritarian regime here has completely shredded the Constitution, then party doesn't matter, and then elections don't matter. And then the resistance looks completely different. But until we reach that moment, and we may be nearing it, Jason, don't get me wrong. The role of the Democratic Party is singular. To win elections, to recruit candidates in every election, up and down the ballot throughout the country, to build power back so we can actually stop this guy.

[Jason Johnson]

One quick question. This is something that has become a huge issue across the country. Every single day we're seeing viral videos of ICE agents breaking into homes, attacking people, threatening people, tear gassing people who are American citizens. We have major elections in cities across America who are being threatened by ice. Would the Democratic Party be willing to come out as aggressive against ICE as Republicans have against the Department of Education? Would the Democratic Party be willing to say, we will abolish ICE if we take control of the White House in 2028? What is your position on ICE moving forward as the head of DNC?

[Ken Martin]

Well, listen, I think what we've seen in terms of how this administration has used ICE and weaponized it, having masked thugs terrorizing communities. I'm in LA today, East la, in fact, and I will tell what's happening out there, again, is not by accident, it's by design. To intimidate, to harass, to terrorize communities, to have people live in a constant state of fear. There's no doubt about it. Right. And so, you know, I don't know what the right answer is. Do you get rid of ICE when we take back power? I will tell you what. You don't weaponize it in the way that Donald Trump and the Republicans have. That's for sure. Right. You don't use our federal government to attack its own people, to terrorize communities, to have people. You know, I was talking to a mental health therapist earlier today who was telling me that they have a number of clinics in LA and the number of children coming in who are having generational trauma because they're seeing their parents and grandparents disappeared right in front of their eyes and snatched and, you know, not coming home for days. I mean, this is the type of terror that Donald Trump and his administration and his agencies are inflicting on Americans. Again, that's why we've seen a huge swing away from Donald Trump at this moment. Right. Again, I wanna reiterate, it wasn't just Democrats who showed up at those no Kings rallies. It was Americans who are pissed off because in their constitution shredded in front of their eyes.

[Jason Johnson]

And they want the agencies that are responsible for that abuse to be held in check by the opposition. Kim Martin, thank you so much for joining us this evening on the Beat.

[Ken Martin]

Thank you for having me.

[Jason Johnson]

Up next, a message from Mike Johnson from the Democratic lawmaker. He refuses to swear into office. This government shutdown is now the longest in history, 23 days and counting. Critics calling it the Epstein shutdown because of Speaker Johnson's refusal to seat the newest elected member, Democrat from Arizona, Adelita Grijalva, when sworn in. Grijalva will become the 218th signature to force a vote on releasing the Epstein file. Now she and the Arizona Attorney General are suing Johnson to force him to swear her in. Running me now is Congresswoman elect Adelita Grijalva, Democrat from Arizona. Congresswoman, listen to what Speaker Johnson just said about you, and I'd like to get your reaction on the other side.

[Douglas Brinkley]

Okay. She needs to get to work. She needs to stop doing TikTok videos.

[Jason Johnson]

And serve her constituents.

[Douglas Brinkley]

The only thing that she hasn't done is taken the oath and will administer it as soon as possible. But in the meantime, she should be taking her constituent calls. She should have her 16 employees that she's already hired and you're working.

[Jason Johnson]

Your reaction when you hear that from Speaker Johnson.

[Adelita Grijalva]

He needs to stop playing games, really. Stop watching TikTok videos and do your job. Swear me in and this will all go away. If this has nothing to do with the Epstein, the Epstein files, then why doesn't he swear me in? You know, in just a few days, I'm going to wait. I'm going to break a record for waiting the longest to get sworn in in a special. Isn't that crazy?

[Jason Johnson]

Yes, Congresswoman. And this is the thing that sort of galls me, the audacity of telling you to get to work until you are sworn in. Right. Aren't there resources that you don't have access to? Aren't there things that you can't technically do at this point until you are officially sworn in into Congress?

[Adelita Grijalva]

Yes. I don't have a budget. I can't open a district office. I'm flying back and forth on my miles. I cannot order basic things like letterhead. Like, there are so many basic things we can't do. And, you know, the audacity of him to try to tell me how to do my job when Congress has been out of session since the 19th of September. It's like, let Congress get back into session. We can all do our job. Jobs. You know, the Senate has already turned down the CR from the house 12 times. Clearly, there is some work to be done on that document and we need to get to work to do it.

[Jason Johnson]

What do you think? So you and the attorney general from Arizona have sued Mike Johnson in order to force him to do his job, which is to swear you in so you can actually get access to the resources to do your job. What's the timeline for that? Is that the kind of thing where you hope, look, the moment he receives a letter that he'll say, okay, fine, we'll fly you out, we'll swear you in. What's the timeline for this lawsuit?

[Adelita Grijalva]

Well, you know, I left two voicemails for Speaker Johnson. We sent a letter and then Attorney General May sent a letter about a demand letter about a week later and gave him two days to respond, which he didn't even have the courtesy to respond. I think that what we were all hoping is once we have all of this attention and the biggest issue here is the fact that 812,000 Arizonans do not have a voice in Congress. I cannot provide constituent services. This community is used to having a Grijalva have their back. Like my dad did an amazing job for 50 years. I've been in elected office for 22 and it literally hurts my soul to think of people going to my dad's old office and pulling on the door and no one being there. The number one thing we do in Congress is provide support and help to our people back in district.

[Jason Johnson]

I want to add two things to this. So in part, it's very reasonable to see that one of Mike Johnson's concerns is that you will be one of the votes to sort of force a public accounting, a public vote on the Epstein files. But also talk a little bit about how your district is being affected by the shutdown because when you don't have a congressional representative and a shutdown is happening, even access to resources is more difficult, right?

[Adelita Grijalva]

Absolutely. And so we have 58,000 federal workers in Arizona. We have 10, 10,000 plus civil workers that are paid for by the federal government in CD7 alone. So if you think about the resources that they need, we look at the lines, the food bank lines. That's happening here in CD7 as well. We have veterans that need support. We have people that aren't getting their Social Security, people that are on the verge of eviction, questions about immigration, in addition to all of the economic impact that are happening every single day, we don't have any. They don't have anyone to turn to in Congress so they can turn to our amazing senators. But really those services are supposed to be provided by congressional offices and we can't do that.

[Jason Johnson]

Congresswoman Elect Adelita Grijalva, thank you so much. Hopefully the DNC and the rest of Congress will push to get you back into office or get you properly sworn into office soon.

[Douglas Brinkley]

Soon.

[Adelita Grijalva]

Thank you so much. Really appreciate your time and your attention to this really important issue.

[Jason Johnson]

Up next, a bombshell gambling scandal involving NBA players and the Mafia. We're back on the beat.

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[Jason Johnson]

Now to the shocking new gambling scandal rocking the NBA today. The FBI unsealing two indictments in a mafia linked sports betting and illegal poker operation involving current and former NBA players. The first indictment targets Miami Heat player Terry Rozier and former player and coach Damon Jones. They're accused of using insider information to place massive winning bets worth hundreds of thousands of dollars. Second targets Portland Trailblazers head coach and hall of Famer Chauncey Billups. He's accused of rigging illegal poker games and coordina with the mafia five families to cheat people out of millions. All three were arrested this morning amongst 30 others. The fraud is mind boggling.

[Douglas Brinkley]

The defendants in this case orchestrated a scheme to use wireless cheating technology to run rigged poker games. They used off the shelf shuffling machines.

[Jason Johnson]

That had been secretly altered in order.

[Douglas Brinkley]

To read the cards in the deck. A poker chip tray that secretly reads cards. Using a hidden camera, special contact lenses.

[Jason Johnson]

Or eyeglasses that could read pre marked.

[Douglas Brinkley]

Cards and an X ray table.

[Tara Settmeier]

Players and associates allegedly used inside information.

[Maya Wiley]

To manipulate prop bets in total losses exceeded $7 million.

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[Jason Johnson]

Joining me now to discuss is Justin Tinsley, ESPN senior sports reporter and senior culture writer with anscape. Justin, what in the ocean's 12 is going on here? When I heard about, about X ray glasses and hidden tables and Chauncey Bills, just briefly explain the difference between what Chauncey Billups, the, the coach of, of current coach of the Portland Trailblaz, what he's accused of compared to say, Damon Jones or Tony Rosier.

[Justin Tinsley]

You know, I'm already annoyed because you took my oceans reference away from me already, but it's actually applicable. Like when you hear terms like the mafia and counting cards and X rays and all, you know, organized crime, my initial reaction is this is where the breadcrumbs have been leading to for quite some time. When you talk about Chauncey Bills, when you talk about Damon Jones, when you talk about Terry, Roger Year, you have to look at the entire spectrum of everything. Sports betting is as old as sports itself. And the thing about betting is it's not really an issue until it becomes one. And now for the NBA, it certainly feels like it is one now. And for a league that's dealing with the blowback of the Kawhi Leonard, Los Angeles Clippers and aspirations situation, this can't be ideal, especially with the season already tipping off. And when you look at somebody like Ashanti Billups, he's a head coach of a team who literally just coached last night. And you look Terry Rogier and Damon Jones, each situation is different. But it all boils back down into the same thing that the NBA is dreading right now. It's just like sports gambling and guys that are actively involved in the leagues, that's what you don't want and that you don't even want the insinuation of that right now. And that's what the NBA has.

[Jason Johnson]

So Justin, just so we're clear, it's not like, like you said, gambling is not new, right? Michael Jordan was famous for gambling. You've got, you've got young men in their early 20s on planes for hours on end. They gamble all the time. That's not new. What has the impact of legalizing gambling and things like prop bets had on taking us to where we are now.

[Justin Tinsley]

So when you look at things like prop bets and you look at things like Michael Porter Jr. S brother, Johntay Porter, you know, you have players who have insider information in terms of like what, what is my line going to be for this game? And you can share that with people as you choose. And of course that's legal. And when you look at these situations, it can influence the outcome of games or it can it, it can at least influence the outcome of betting lines. And that, that can lead to hundreds of thousands and in some cases millions of dollars. So there's a lot on the line. It's not just saying like, oh, this guy's going to get six to eight points a game, he's going to get four to five rebounds a game. No, you're dealing with a lot of money on the line. And we know how big sports betting in America is. And, and it's only. So this is actually a huge issue. It really doesn't matter who the name is involved. The names are the sexy part of it, but the actual actions involved of it, that, that, that's the crux of the matter.

[Jason Johnson]

And Justin, this is where I want people to understand why this matters to the public as a whole. If you look at any team, again, we'll look at say, Portland. Every single NBA arena, every single NBA place is partially subsidized by local taxpayers. So if you are a local taxpayer and there's an arena in your city and you find out out that players or coaches of your team have been rigging games, you are robbing the people. Is there a possibility that taxpayers could end up suing NBA franchises or players or owners because they feel that they've been cheated by this gambling scandal?

[Justin Tinsley]

Look, I'm, I'm not a legal expert in that sense, but it makes a lot, it, it makes a lot of sense when you break it down like that. Look, sports betting brings in so much money. I mean, good grief, it brings in so much money and it' for leagues for the most part, not just the NBA, we're talking about all sports leagues. But now comes the larger conversations that, that have been had since day one when legalized gambling has, has become a real thing, like how much money is good money and how do we regulate this so it doesn't jeopardize the integrity of the sport. And to your point, like how do we regulate this in terms as so the fans don't feel like they're getting cheated out of their hard earned money. And that's the billion dollar question. And questions that honestly, I don't think the NBA, I don anybody and and myself included has the answer for right now.

[Jason Johnson]

Justin Tinsley, thank you so much. We're definitely going to keep following this story. Thanks so much for joining us this evening.

[Justin Tinsley]

Thank you.

[Jason Johnson]

We'll be right back ON THE BEAT with one more thing. Finally tonight, New York City's contested mayoral election hitting a boiling point point at the final debate last night, progressive frontrunner Zoran Mamdani making ways for confronting former New York Governor Andrew Cuomo over sexual harassment allegations with one of his accusers, a former aide in the audience.

[Douglas Brinkley]

Thirteen different women who worked in your administration incredibly accused you of sexual harassment. One of those women, Charlotte Bennett, is here in the audience this evening.

[Tara Settmeier]

Evening.

[Douglas Brinkley]

You sought to access her private gynecological records. She cannot speak up for herself because you lodged a defamation case against her. What do you say to the 13 women that you sexually harassed?

[Jason Johnson]

If you want to be in government, then you have to be serious and mature. It's just under two weeks until election day. That does it for me.

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[Jason Johnson]

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