← The Briefing with Jen Psaki
The Briefing with Jen Psaki
Psaki: Trump flunks wartime president test with disturbing, flippant attitude
00:42:32
Jen Psaki looks at Donald Trump's oddly casual answers to questions about the hardships his war on Iran is imposing on Americans, as well as Defense secretary Pete Hegseth's embarrassing chest pounding and the juvenile propaganda being released on government social media accounts, and questions whether Trump understands or is even capable of being a wartime president.
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- [00:00]
Ron Reagan
Hi, I'm Ron Reagan, an unabashed atheist. And I'm alarmed as you may be by the intrusions of religion into our secular government. That's why I'm asking you to join the Freedom From Religion foundation, the nation's largest and most effective association of atheists and agnostics working to keep state and church separate. Please join the Freedom from Religion foundation today. Join us go to FFRF us newyear or text msnow to 511-511 and become a member today. Text msnow to 511-511 text fees may apply. Hey, guys. Finding the perfect gift for the food lover in your life is easy thanks to Goldbelly. Goldbelly ships America's most iconic foods straight from world famous restaurants right to your door. So if you want to treat someone to Joe's Stone Crab from Miami, Franklin Barbecue from Texas, or desserts from famous foodies like Ina Garten or Martha Stewart, Goldbelly has you covered. Just go to goldbelly.com and for a limited time, get 20% off your first order with promo code gift. That's promo code gift.
- [00:59]
Jen Psaki
Okay. There is a lot of breaking news tonight. And specifically there is breaking news that Donald Trump has privately expressed serious interest in deploying U.S. troops on the ground inside of Iran. And that's brand new reporting from NBC News. According to two U.S. officials, a former U.S. official and another person with knowledge of the conversations. That is a lot of people providing this information to NBC. Trump has apparently discussed the idea of troops on the ground with both aides and and Republican officials outside of the White House. And I just want you to think about that incredibly sobering news in the context of what we are seeing and hearing from this president publicly right now. Because today the president who just launched the United States into a war with Iran just seven days ago and who is now apparently expressing interest in sending U.S. ground troops into that war, which is, of course, the fear that millions of Americans, people with children, people with grandchildren, have around the country. Even as that's going on, he hosted a roundtable for college sports officials today where he seemed, well, laser focused on how to fix what he called the mess of how college athletes are paid. And even to Fox News reporter Peter Doocy, my old buddy Peter Doocy, the issue of how college athletes are paid did seem, well, kind of secondary to the all out regional war Donald Trump started. And so Ducey asked Trump a question about reports that Russia is helping Iran target Americans, something that was in the newspapers this morning. And here's how that won.
- [02:31]
Joe Neguse
It sounds like the Russians are helping
- [02:34]
Sheldon Whitehouse
Iran target and attack Americans.
- [02:36]
Paul Eaton
Now, that's an easy problem compared to what we're doing here.
- [02:41]
Jen Psaki
But can I be honest? It's just I have a lot of respect for you.
- [02:48]
Paul Eaton
You've always been very nice to me. What a stupid question that is to
- [02:51]
Jen Psaki
be asking at this time. Is it? I mean, what a stupid question to be asking at this time. An easy problem compared to what we are doing here. Again, you all just heard that. But Peter Doocy was asking him about a war in Iran that Trump started a week ago, and what they were doing there was meeting with college sports officials. So Trump gets a big laugh in the room. Maybe he wanted that. And then starts lashing out at his own favorite network for asking a very legitimate question about, again, the war he just started just seven days ago. And that moment is so emblematic of the deranged flippancy with which Donald Trump has treated this war. I mean, we've heard phrases like, forget about next. If they rise, they rise, and that's the way it is. Those could easily, if you just listen to those phrases, pass for lyrics in a Bruce Hornsby song or in the mantra for one of those bad meditation tapes you may listen to to go to bed. But those are all actual verbatim quotes from the President of the United States in response to some very serious questions about the very real consequences of his very unpopular war with Iran. Like the question that Jonathan Karl asked Trump yesterday, the question every president is asked after starting a war, what happens next? And Trump's reply was, forget about next, suggesting he doesn't want to answer because he doesn't have an answer and just wants everybody to move on. Then, in an interview with Reuters, the president was asked about the spike in gas prices due to his war, and his answer, quote, if they rise, they rise again. Bruce Hornsby lyrics right there. As if he hadn't spent the last year trying to convince us all that low gas prices are the number one indicator of economic success, including in his State of the Union address less than two weeks ago. And, of course, this is the same guy whose first response to the death of US Service members was to say in a prerecorded video, quote, that's the way it is. Again, that was a prerecorded video, over which. Which basically means there was a script written.
- [05:01]
Barbara Starr
He.
- [05:01]
Jen Psaki
He likely read it off of a teleprompter. He had full editorial control, and that's what he chose to say about the deaths of American service members. Trump's glib approach to communicating about a war he started was on display, of course, again late yesterday when he was asked by Time magazine if Americans should be worried about the possibility of an attack right here at home on American soil. And his response was, I guess, like it was the first time he had even considered that possibility, which is really what weighs on every president or should when they make a decision like this. Trump went on to tell Time, I think they're worried about that all the time. We think about it all the time. We plan for it. But, yeah, you know, we expect some things. Like I said, some people will die. When you go to war, some people will die. Now, to be clear, he's talking about people dying here at home on American soil as a result of his war. And that was his answer. Any former president will tell you, or anyone who's worked for them will tell you that there is no decision more serious than committing American forces to fight and possibly die in an armed conflict, to putting the men and women who serve in harm's way. And yet Trump's flippant attitude on matters of life and death shows how unbothered he is by the suffering and sacrifice that war inevitably brings. He's incapable of the solemnity and sober mindedness that this moment requires. He's incapable of acknowledging that anything that happens on his watch could possibly be a tragedy or a hardship borne by the American people, which is part of why he's uniquely unfit to lead the country during a time of war. But it's not even the only reason. I mean, Donald Trump is also incapable of formulating a coherent strategy, because for him, it's not really about that. That's not what he seems to be demanding, because what he loves more than anything is just issuing big maximalist demands, which I guess is why he's now decided to raise the bar and vastly expand the goal, the publicly stated goal, which continues to evolve of this operation. I mean, for days, this administration has offered shifting definitions of what success would actually look like in Iran. Everything from regime change to stopping Iran's nuclear ambitions to decimating its navy. But today, Trump posted to his True Social account, there will be no deal with Iran except unconditional surrender. Now, the last US War to end in an unconditional surrender was, of course, World War II. And that was followed by decades of U.S. state building in Germany and Japan. But that is how high Trump has set the bar for ending this conflict. And Trump's own White House was so panicked by his new demand that that they spent the entire day running around desperately trying to change the definition of the word surrender. And when the president determines that Iran no longer poses that threat, that's when that unconditional surrender will take place. What the president means is that when he, as commander in chief of the US Armed Forces, determines that Iran no longer poses a threat to the United States of America and the goals of Operation Epic Fury has been fully realized, then Iran will essentially be in a place of unconditional surrender, whether they say it themselves or not. That made my brain hurt. I mean, to be clear, them saying it themselves is pretty key to the whole concept of surrender, just in general. But that is where we are right now. And it's extremely telling that after what is probably the most serious and consequential action that Trump has taken as president, no one in his administration seems to be capable of acting like an adult. I mean, Secretary of Defense Pete Hegseth has now given multiple press conferences where he has told the American people that this will all be different than past military engagements because it's not a, quote, politically correct war. As though the problem with Iraq and Afghanistan was that everyone kept just laying down their weapons to say their pronouns and do land. Acknowledgments. That was not the problem. And as the Washington Post reports that the military relied on AI to strike over 1000 targets in Iran, the Pentagon just gave its top AI job to a 20 something year old former Doge staffer with a history of boosting white supremacist content online. And despite the life and death stakes of this dangerous intervention, the White House and its staffers are putting out meme style hype videos to promote their war. These are official videos put out by the Trump administration, splicing together footage of their missile strikes with clips of sports, video games, and movies. It's all in such disgusting taste that you kind of have to see it to believe it.
- [09:58]
Joe Neguse
Here we go again.
- [10:04]
Paul Eaton
I'm thinking I'm back.
- [10:06]
Jen Psaki
I'm here to fight for truth and justice in the American way.
- [10:08]
Joe Neguse
I am the danger.
- [10:11]
Jen Psaki
Time to find out.
- [10:14]
Sheldon Whitehouse
Fireball.
- [10:21]
Joe Neguse
You want to see me do it again? You want to see me do it again?
- [10:30]
Jen Psaki
Those are all videos, different ones spliced together that were put out by the White House by official accounts by officials at the White House. I mean, obviously, trivializing lethal airstrikes with spongebob memes is not how a responsible administration behaves when putting America's armed forces in harm's way. And to that point, actor and director Ben Stiller called out the Trump administration for using a clip from his 2008 comedy Tropic Thunder in one of those videos. And today he asked the White House to please remove the clip, saying, we never gave you permission and have no interest in being a part of your propaganda machine. War is not a movie. It's an incredibly sad day for our country when a comedian has to tell the President of the United States to take war seriously. But that is where we are, even as the consequences of this war become clear every day. Because as much as Trump and his allies would like to think of this as a game, as something to brush off with glib answers and as fodder for memes on social media, it is obviously deadly serious. Today, Reuters cited two U.S. officials who say that military investigators believe the U.S. was likely responsible for a missile strike that hit a girls school in Iran, killing scores of innocent civilians. According to Reuters, that investigation has not yet reached its final conclusion. But another investigation by the Associated Press, citing expert analysis of satellite imagery and other publicly available information, also determined that the strike likely came from the U.S. iranian officials say that more than 150 students were killed as a result of that strike. And in addition to the civilian death toll in Iran, at least six US Service members have been killed in the conflict. Tomorrow their bodies will return to US Soil as part of a dignified transfer ceremony at Dover Air Base, and the potential for even greater sacrifice continues to grow. Again. NBC News is now reporting that Trump is privately showing serious interest in sending US Ground trips into Iran. And the statement in response to that story from White House Press Secretary Caroline Levitt notably did not deny that Trump was considering putting boots on the ground in Iran. She wrote, this story is based on assumptions from anonymous sources who are not part of the president's national security team and are clearly not read into these discussions. President Trump always wisely keeps all options open, but anyone trying to insinuate he is in favor of one option or another proves they have no real seat at the table. Now, all of this comes as a brand new NPR Marist poll finds that voters disapprove of Trump's handling of the war by 18 points. And we're still less than a week into this conflict. The American people clearly have stronger feelings about this war than the President of the United States has been able to muster. But in his words, I guess that's the way it is. Joining me now, longtime and legendary Pentagon correspondent for cnn, Barbara Starr and retired Major General Paul Eaton, who is now a senior advisor to Vote Vets General Eaton, let me start with you, especially considering everything we've already seen and heard from the White House over the past week. What is your reaction to the new reporting tonight that Trump has privately expressed serious interest in deploying U.S. troops on the ground in Iran?
- [13:42]
Paul Eaton
Jen, thank you for having me and Barbara Starr, a heroine for a day or two. Flattered to be on the same screen with you, Jen. First, I'm going to say that I'm going to use the word that a lot of people are thinking and it's dementia. We have a situation where some would call a malignant narcissist is unfortunately drifting into a state of dementia that is difficult to manage here. With respect to your question, moving ground troops into a 93 million inhabitant country. Persians have a history of extraordinary bravery in combat. They have a history of extraordinary culture and maintenance of their current and their past and their future. So the idea of moving troops into the state of Iran, bigger than Texas, and working ground warfare with all the logistics associated with doing logistics in a great big country, we're talking pretty difficult stuff here. We're not talking Iraq. This is something much bigger and much more problematic than Iraq and looks like Iraq 2.0. When you look at the failure to plan for the next step in this venture that the Trump administration has started
- [15:20]
Jen Psaki
upon, I don't have to tell you, and I'm sure you've thought about this a great deal given the number of years you've served. All of these men and women are, of course, they're serving the commander in chief. They're serving the U.S. military. They're going to be following orders. They should not be following illegal orders. But what should they be doing? What should commanders out there be doing? What should men and women in the service be doing who feel deeply uncomfortable with these orders and perhaps deeply uncomfortable and share your sentiment about the person who's making the decisions?
- [15:55]
Paul Eaton
I believe that the rank and file of the military has lost, has lost faith in their senior military and senior civilian leadership. We have purged the Pentagon to a point that we have people who will not tell the king that he has no clothes. We have a senior military that is looking at each other with distrust because they don't know who's faithful to the Constitution of the United States and who is faithful to the president, in this case, Mr. Trump. And that disconnect and that lack of solidarity, person to person in the senior ranks of the military will create great big problems for us. And this idea of moving large formations of men and women on the ground to execute missions is not consistent with 1002, the plan that J5 put together a long time ago and is updated over time to manage warfare in Iran.
- [17:12]
Jen Psaki
Let me ask you, there are so many things I have on my list to ask you about, but this is one of the most important ones, which is the position we're putting men and women in out there. Barbara, let me ask you about what General Eden just said about men and women being asked to serve, somebody who may not be in a position or able to serve. I'm paraphrasing what he just said and the position that puts our men and women in what they can do about it. What you're perhaps hearing from the men and women in the military or other, the leaders that you still talk to about this concern.
- [17:47]
Barbara Starr
Well, I would say the thing I hear the most is concern about Pete Hegseth. His language since this started isn't just bombastic, it's glorifying death and destruction and killing. He comes out and makes these statements in a couple of press conferences, in interviews and talks about how much about the US Troops are killing. This is serious business. I don't know any serious military commander that would speak that way. And especially to troops. Troops know what their job is. They know what the ultimate is that they may be called upon to do. There's no question about that. But you know, you have to, as you said, you know, you have to approach this with a sober, clear mind about what you're doing and what you're asking young Americans to do. And that means a sober, clear minded strategy and the goals on how you're going to achieve it. And the secretary of Defense that is able to stand up there and clearly explain it to American people and especially Jen, to American parents who have children serving in the military. Everybody throws around boots on the ground. Well, to paraphrase someone I heard from this week, boots on the ground. Who is that? That is American service members with husbands, wives, children who at least six of them, their lives have changed forever. And now I don't think nearly enough attention paid to this attack in Iran where perhaps hundreds of school children were killed. You know, America needs to pay attention to collateral damage. You can't go around bombing Tehran and not be killing civilians. So this requires a much more serious attitude, starting with the Pentagon.
- [19:45]
Jen Psaki
Let me ask you about that, a follow up to that, General, because, you know, we heard when Trump was asked what happens next, he said forget about next. And as Barbara just referenced, we heard there was excellent reporting today about the United States being involved in the attack on the school that killed 150 schoolgirls in Southern Iran. What Trump is, what he and Hegseth have made clear is that our military assets would remain in the region indefinitely. That seems to be what they're conveying to all of us or that's what I'm hearing. There is collateral damage that's done. There's raising tensions, rising tensions in the region with no clear objective. What does that next actually look like? What are the dangers to the troops, the men and women serving? What could the escalation mean in the region given what Barbara just referenced?
- [20:36]
Paul Eaton
Jim and Barbara, thank you very much for your considered reply for Boots on the Ground. They are men and women, sons and daughters. And Jens, your question is the focal point. We have shifted from the mission set, the strategic level. The military is operating brilliantly at the operational and tactical levels of warfare. The strategic level is problematic right now coming from an administration that really does not know where it's going. And is it force oriented? Is it to destroy the capacity to wage war in Iran? Is it non proliferation? No, it's neither of those. Is a regime change. Apparently not. And now it is unconditional surrender. Well, the last time we pulled that off was a full court press on Germany and Japan by all the nations of the world to reduce those two nations to a state where we can manage their future. That's what they want. And we don't have the troops available. We simply don't have the forces available to manage such an outcome.
- [21:59]
Jen Psaki
That's an incredible part of this. There doesn't seem to be enough focus on including the impact on the men, women, children, granddaughters, neighbors, as you both have referenced. Barbara, let me ask you about what's happening with the Pentagon press corps. I mean, we have the best military in the world. The Pentagon press corps is also perhaps the best or one of the best press corps out there. Tough, smart, follows things closely. And Pete Hegseth has done a couple of press conferences this week. He's given incredibly flippant responses at many moments. There are also restrictions that continue to be placed on the Pentagon press corps. I know they're going to still do their reporting, of course, as they are doing, but what is the impact of that? What is your level of concern about that given all of the threads of this that need to be covered and we're not getting honest and truthful answers from this administration.
- [22:48]
Barbara Starr
You know, it's a complex question. Just today in federal court here in Washington, D.C. the New York Times was heard about a lawsuit it is brought against the Pentagon to try and restore press credentials. The judge was pretty skeptical of Pete Hexa's media strategy. The judge basically said it is not illegal in this country to ask a question. And that is what reporters do. Have reporters in the last month, month since they've been essentially kicked out of the Pentagon, done the very best they can. They have, they've broken amazing stories. They continue to report because people in the US Military and the US Government there, thankfully, there are still plenty of people who want to speak truth, who want to explain what is happening and want to do it in a truthful manner. It will be interesting if the judge rules in favor of the press corps or what happens next and whether Hegseth will have to let the press corps back in and whether there will be more opportunity for him to choose to be flippant or potentially, and I doubt it, choose to be honest, forthright and candid in a sober manner which the situation demands. I think that basically it will be a very changed atmosphere until Trump is out of office.
- [24:11]
Jen Psaki
Sadly, I think that is the case and Pete Hegseth is going to continue to be the secretary of defense. I am so grateful to both of you for being here and reminding people of what's important. And thank you for your service in very different ways. Really appreciate it. Thank you again.
- [24:27]
Barbara Starr
Thank you.
- [24:29]
Jen Psaki
Coming up, it has been only one day since Kristi Noem was fired by Donald Trump and now even one diehard Republican wants to subpoena her. Congressman Joe Negus just helped shine a spotlight on that scandal that sealed that Kristi Noemi's fate. And he joins me next.
- [24:48]
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Ron Reagan
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Sheldon Whitehouse
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Jen Psaki
It can be pretty stressful.
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Joe Neguse
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- [26:29]
Jen Psaki
It's only been a day since Trump fired his DHS secretary, Christine Owen, but already the gloves are off, the knives are out, the sharks are circling. Suddenly, people who might have been hesitant to criticize Noem while she was in Trump's cabinet, suddenly they have found their voices behind the scenes. The president was not happy with Noem, a source close to him told me yesterday, quote, it was a combination of her many unfortunate leadership failures, from Minnesota to the ad campaign to the allegations of an affair. Well, listen, everybody, a lot of people knew about a relationship.
- [27:05]
Sheldon Whitehouse
I personally, I think, look, the $200
- [27:07]
Joe Neguse
million contract, a it's, I haven't heard anything quite that stupid in some time coming out of Washington, D.C. which is saying a lot. But I think that is more than just a tabloid story. I think someone needs to look into that.
- [27:20]
Jen Psaki
Do you think there should be an investigation launched into Kristi Noem? I do. And now that I have more of this information, you know, I think that we need to go back to a potential, potential subpoena for through the Oversight committee. There was one failed on, I guess, a day or two ago, but I didn't have all the information. And I would have, now that I know what I know now, I would have voted to subpoena her. To be clear, that story has been out for several months. But that was Republican Congresswoman Nancy Mays saying that she wants to subpoena Kristi Noem now. And while there are a lot of NOME scandals worth investigating, the one that was reportedly the straw that broke the camel's back centered around ads like this one I'm showing you now as part of a $220 million ad campaign that more than anything, El seemed to promote Kristi Noem herself while financially benefiting the husband of one of her closest aides. Now, earlier this week, lawmakers pressed Noem not just on that questionable use of taxpayer money, but on how a $143 million contract to make some of those ads ended up going to a company that ended up subcontracting and paying a business that had personal ties to Noem herself.
- [28:28]
Joe Neguse
Do you know, just by way of example, whether this company that received $143 million in taxpayer DOL, has it ever done work for the government before?
- [28:37]
Barbara Starr
I don't know. I can't.
- [28:38]
Joe Neguse
The answer is it has not. And do you know why we know that? Because it was incorporated eight days. Eight days before this contract went out.
- [28:49]
Jen Psaki
There you go. That mystery company that Congressman Joe Negus pressed Noem about this week. It turns out that $143 million contract may not be the only money Noem allegedly pushed its way. I mean, just as we were learning that Noem was out of a job yesterday, suddenly the some folks within the Trump administration thought it was time to talk to the press. And while msnow has not independently confirmed this reporting, yesterday, Trump administration officials told NBC News that Kristi Noem personally handpicked contractors for a different $100 million ad campaign. And wouldn't you know it, she picked the same firm that somehow got that $143 million contract and the other firm that somehow got the rest of that $220 million contract. What are the odds? Now, in a statement to NBC News, a spokesperson for DHS said that the decisions about this $100 million contract were made by the ICE director's office, not Noem. But three administration officials said that the ICE director had nothing to do with it. They say it was all Kristi Noem. Everyone's finding their voices these days. Joining me now is Congressman Joe Negus, a member of the House Judiciary Committee, which oversees the Department of Homeland Security. It's great to see you. What a week in the life of Kristi Noem and the life of so many people. I mean, your colleagues in Congress are now, I just played. Are calling for Noem to face a perjury investigation for potentially lying to Congress, a corruption investigation to look into the legality of the ad contracts I just talked about, and even a potential push for impeachment to bar Noem from holding public office. There is a lot that just happened over the last few days. What in your view? I mean, you were one of the people we just played it. Who pressed Gnome the other day. What does accountability look like to you here?
- [30:42]
Joe Neguse
Well, it's good to be with you, Jen. First, I would say better late than never with respect to those Republican colleagues of mine that you showed that finally have apparently seen the light and realized that the corruption that Secretary Noemi was engaged in as secretary of the Department of Homeland Security was Deeply offensive to each and every American. To me, I mean, of course, accountability includes her termination. And I am hardened by the fact that she will no longer be leading the department. But that's the first step. It can't be the last step. The reality is, and you articulated well, the twists and turns in particular with respect to the $200 million ad campaign, I believe that ultimately, when the evidence eventually comes to light that there were laws violated, federal procurement laws, conflict of interest laws, and of course, potentially civil and criminal penalties that could attach. So it's going to be very critical for us to get to the bottom of it. We're working, of course, with our colleagues in the Senate and doing what we can to ultimately implore the inspector general in the Department of Homeland Security to investigate these matters as well. As you know, Secretary Noem was working vociferously hard to stop the inspector general from investigating anything. I suspect that that is going to change here in the coming weeks.
- [31:56]
Jen Psaki
I played a clip of Republican Nancy Mace as one of these people saying, and you just referenced the inspector General, and there's lots of paths here. But Nancy Mace was saying today that she wants to subpoena Noem to find out more about how these hundred million dollar ad contracts were given out. There are a lot of paths. What is the best path, in your view? You said the inspector general is issuing a subpoena to Nome. Tell us about what the best path forward, the fastest path forward here, I guess is.
- [32:24]
Joe Neguse
Yeah, I mean, there are a number of ways to pursue accountability. So first and foremost, it is very clear, based off what we've seen in public reporting, that Secretary Noem lied before the Senate and House Judiciary Committees. And you've already seen a number of senators come out and essentially intimate that she may have committed perjury. Of course, with this Department of Justice, very unlikely that you're going to see any potential consequences in that regard. I think that a subpoena of Secretary Noem and frankly, subpoenas with respect to these other companies, you know, the shell corporations that we exposed and ProPublica and other organizations have exposed over the course of the last several months so we can get to the bottom of where this $220 million went. I think that there's a tendency, of course, you know, this, Jen, you know, in Washington, to kind of overcomplicate some of the developments, in particular as it relates to oversight. But this is pretty simple. I mean, you're just fundamentally talking about public figures, government actors steering massive amounts of taxpayer dollars to political allies that's it. It is grifting and fraud and corruption. You know, you could sort of pick the phrase, but fundamentally it's treating taxpayer money as though it is their own. And all while Americans are struggling right now to make it the worst job numbers that we've seen since COVID just yesterday announced. So, yeah, I think there are a number of different ways to pursue accountability and I'm certainly gonna be supportive of that.
- [33:50]
Jen Psaki
One of the lessons from this week I hope people take away is that there can be effective and aggressive pressing from members of Congress and hearings, activism out there to really raise the light and attention. I mean, it was Trump who fired her. But, but still, is there who's next on the list of cabinet members? It's quite a competition out there in that clown car. But who's next on your list of people that you want to be seen held accountable?
- [34:19]
Joe Neguse
Yeah, well, first I would say, Jed, it's still kind of unclear as to the ultimate reasons that President Trump made that decision. It may be that the corruption that Secretary Noem was engaged in embarrassed him. It may be that he was envious of it. I mean, the reality is the administration, he and his family are engaged in all kinds of corruption. They're making hundreds of, you know, millions of dollars, billions of dollars through crypto schemes and all the like. So in any event, I would say that with respect to the other members of his cabinet, you have a number of individuals who, again, I believe are engaged in self dealing. You have to go back to, you know, the Teapot Dome scandal of the 1920s to find a cabinet, a presidential cabinet more engulfed in corruption than this one. So I imagine that there's going to be some very rigorous oversight from ranking member Raskin, of course, ranking member Garcia, both of whom you've had on your program as we try to get to the bottom of the corruption that's pervasive in Washington, D.C. under Donald Trump.
- [35:11]
Jen Psaki
No shortage of options, I think, is what I'm hearing from you. Congressman Joe Negus, always great talking to you. Thank you so much. Okay, so the Justice Department finally releases documents related to a sexual abuse allegation against Donald Trump. But some of the documents are still missing. Isn't that the most pretty predictable thing ever? Senator Sheldon Whitehouse joins me when we come back.
- [35:39]
Ron Reagan
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- [36:08]
Joe Neguse
hi,
- [36:08]
Ron Reagan
I'm Ron Reagan, an unabashed atheist, and I'm alarmed as you may be by the intrusions of religion into our secular government. That's why I'm asking you to join the Freedom From Religion foundation, the nation's largest and most efficient, effective association of atheists and agnostics working to keep state and church separate. Please join the Freedom From Religion foundation today. Join us go to FFRF us newyear or text Ms. Now to 511511 and become a member today. Text Ms. Now to 511511 text fees may apply. CIDP can make your daily routine feel not so routine. The good news? With a self injection for chronic inflammatory demyelinating polyneuropathy you have the option to treat at home. Discover more@cidpselfinjection.com and talk to your doctor. That's cidpselfinjection.com brought to you by Argenics.
- [37:10]
Jen Psaki
As much as Trump's Justice Department underattorney, General Pambandi tries to insist it released all of the Epstein files and that there's nothing left to see here. There are still missing pages, a lot of them. I mean, we don't know exactly how many pages are missing, but according to analysis by National Public radio, at least 53 pages of FBI witness statements were not published in the original release. And late yesterday, the Justice Department released 16 of those missing pages, consisting of a series of FBI interviews conducted in 2019 with an Epstein accuser who also made an allegation that she was forced into sexual acts with Donald Trump when she was between 13 and 15 years old in the early 1980s. It's unclear how fully the FBI investigated her claims or whether they made an assessment about the credibility of her accusation. That still leaves at least 37 missing pages detailing witness interviews, according to NPR's math. And that raises questions for Attorney General Pam Bondi, questions that I imagine some folks on Capitol Hill would love to ask her. I mean, we've seen this week with the now ex Homeland Security Secretary Kristi Noem, how it can go when Democrats have the chance to grill a Cabinet secretary at a hearing. The House Oversight Committee voted this week to subpoena Bondi, but she also answers to the Senate Judiciary Committee and one of its senior members, Senator Sheldon Whitehouse of Rhode island pointed out today that the White House may have given a signal that Bondi might be heading for the same fate as NOEM. He tweeted. February 13th White House on Nome in a statement, the president continues to have full confidence in the secretary. March 6 White House on Bondi in a statement the president has full faith in the attorney general. Start the clock. Well, joining me now is that Democratic Senator Sheldon Whitehouse of Rhode Island, a member of the Senate Judiciary Committee. Senator, I'm so glad you're here since you've gone so deep into the many connections here and are great at connecting the dots. When you hear about there being at least 37 missing pages, we don't know what's in them, but where does your mind go about why they were withheld?
- [39:13]
Sheldon Whitehouse
Well, you've got to start with the fact that the documents that were withheld that were just released were four FBI, what they call 302s, the interview summaries that they do. And they said that they held them back because they were duplicative. They've admitted that they were mistaken about that. And it's very suspicious that these three documents were held back as being duplicative when they also happen to be the three documents in which a 14 year old roughly young girl tells the FBI that she was sexually assaulted and physically assaulted by Donald Trump. There were actually four 302s and they released the one that didn't mention Trump and held back the other three. So they're off to a really bad start. A 302 is the summary of investigative notes and the remaining 37 pages are probably the actual notes of the FBI agents. And that is a considerable trove of information that ought to be released. And we're going to continue to pursue it. What's particularly notable is that that last FBI 302 invited this witness to come back and tell them more. So not only was her credibility established by the fact that they spoke to her once, twice, a third time, a fourth time, but they wanted to speak to her even more. And she described a threat environment that made her not want to testify any further, but she was clearly a credible witness to the FBI.
- [40:52]
Jen Psaki
So much more to learn here. Let me ask you about Attorney General Bondi. I did appreciate your post earlier today. It made me chuckle a little bit. But the House Oversight Committee has voted to subpoena Attorney General Bondi. The Senate Judiciary Committee also has the power to question Bondi and the Justice Department. You don't have the power to call witnesses, but a lot of Democratic voices are preparing for accountability. What can you do right now to hold people accountable who are blocking these files from coming out? I know you've done so much. You've talked publicly. You gave an incredible speech the other day. But for people out there who are so frustrated, what else can you do?
- [41:31]
Sheldon Whitehouse
Yeah. Well, the first thing obviously is for Pam Bondi to have to face the House under subpoena with both Republicans and Democrats irritated with her over the mess that she has made of the Epstein files from the very beginning when she said they were all on her desk. And then she had the phony baloney binders that disappointed the Epstein advocates so badly all the way through to this weird non release of the Trump related documents that puts a spotlight on them. She's not going to be able to get away in front of the House where Republicans and Democrats are both irritated with the kind of behavior that she showed in the Senate where she just came in with an insult list and read insults of Democratic senators and the Republicans let her get away with it. So she's in for a very rough road, I think, in the House. And then we'll see where we go from there. With respect to the speech, I'd say that, you know, we've looked at Trump Russia, which Trump says is a hoax, which is his tell word for when it's true. And these files lay out Trump Epstein hugely with hundreds of thousands of mentions of Trump in the Epstein files. But there's also Epstein Russia. And I think if you really want to understand this whole saga, you've got to look at all three pieces. Trump, Russia, Epstein, or maybe it's Trump Epstein Russia. And so I'm encouraging the press and the investigators like Roger Sullenberger, who've done such good work here, to keep digging because we want to make sure we see the whole picture. And the whole picture is Trump and Russia and Epstein.
- [43:09]
Jen Psaki
You always tell us to follow the money and we know this is global. Thank you as always for being here and continuing to educate us and raise the alarm on all of these issues. Thank you again, Senator Whitehouse. Okay, next, if you want to understand the absolute political mess Republicans are in right now, boy, do I have a story for you. We'll be right back. You've probably heard a lot about Texas primary races this week. We've talked a lot about it. But here's one that may have flown under your radar. The Republican primary raised in Texas 23rd District, which is currently represented by Republican Congressman Tony Gonzalez. Now, Gonzalez's name has come up a lot since last year after one of his female staffers tragically took her own life. And afterwards, reports came out that Gonzalez and his staffer had been having a long term extramarital affair. And at that time, the congressman said the rumors were completely untruthful. But his claim completely fell apart after texts between the two surfaced just last month showing that Gonzalez had pursued a sexual relationship with his female staffer. Now, since then, Gonzalez has faced mounting pressure to step down, even from some Republicans. On Tuesday, Republican primary voters forced Gonzalez into a runoff. He actually ran about a point and a half behind his main challenger. Then on Wednesday, when Gonzalez learned he will face an Ethics Committee investigation, he finally admitted to the affair. And then just last night, he announced that he will not seek reelection in November and dropped out of that primary runoff. Now, you might hear Republicans out there breathing a sigh, a big sigh of relief that such a toxic candidate has finally stepped out of what will likely be a very tough midterm for the party, even in Texas. Actually, Texas could be pretty key. But wait till you meet his replacement, the guy who is now the Republican congressional candidate in Texas 23, this guy, Brandon Herrera, a far right gun fanatic YouTuber who calls himself the AK guy. Now, to get a sense of how extreme the AK guy is, in one of his YouTube videos, he reviewed a submachine gun developed and used in Nazi Germany, where he joked that the weapon was the original ghetto blaster and Hitler's street sweeper. And even Goose stepped in a montage set to a song popularized by the Nazis. You can see him right there. There is the nominee for Texas 23 and the Republican Party Party. Now, Herrera has said this is all part of his dark humor. That's all it is. Even just today, he defended that video, saying, I stand by it. This S was funny as hell. Was it? You got to hand it to Texas Republicans. I mean, they have a deep bench of problematic candidates. There's always one waiting in the wings. Doesn't it seem that way? And that's one lesson here. The other lesson is that Republicans should be very, very worried about what's happening in Texas. And we'll be right back. Okay, a quick note before we go. I had Major General Paul Eaton on earlier who used the word dementia about Donald Trump. And I just want to be clear that none of us are doctors. None of us are trying to diagnose anyone. But right now, Donald Trump is obviously talking about this war with Iran with an incredible amount of nonchalance and flippancy in a way that should be very concerning to all of us. That's going to do it for me tonight.
- [46:29]
Freedom From Religion Foundation Announcer
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