← The Briefing with Jen Psaki
The Briefing with Jen Psaki
Trump corruption backlash emerges as key election issue; Democrats plan for accountability
00:41:22
Donald Trump's corruption and greed have reached a tipping point with the American public to become a campaign focus for many Democratic candidates. Ben Rhodes, former deputy national security advisor to President Obama, talks with Jen Psaki about the politics and also how Democrats can ensure justice is served as Trump's protective power slips.
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is no secret, you probably all feel this way, that the people of this country are completely pissed off right now. And it's one thing to see that reflected in polls. It's one thing to see it reflected in special election after special election, which we certainly do. But it's always especially striking to see it on these huge days of protests all around the country. This was Raleigh, North Carolina today. Big crowds of people, many of them public school teachers and educators who came in from all across the state of North Carolina to rally for what they called kids over corporations demanding more money for public education. And you might be thinking to yourself, wait, it's Friday. How could there be so many teachers there on a school day? Well, there was no school for many in North Carolina today. At least 11 school districts across the state of North Carolina were closed closed because both teachers and students decided to walk out as part of this big May Day protest. And that was sort of the theme across the country today. No work, no school, no shopping. And across the country, people in all kinds of jobs refuse to show up for work or school to demand that this country start putting workers over billionaires. Now, May Day has been around for a long time. It's long been a day of protest in support of organized labor and working people. But this year in the United States, labor unions and progressive groups, they stepped it all up, banding together with the organizers of the no Kings protests for a nationwide demonstration to show how much working people are fed up with The Trump administration. And while today was supposed to be more about boycotts and big marches and rallies, people still showed up to May Day rallies in droves to voice their discontent with the economic situation in this country and how it's impacting all of them. They showed up in Boston, Massachusetts, and Columbia, South Carolina, and Kansas City, Missouri, and Washington, D.C. there were huge crowds in places like New York, Louisiana and Chicago. In Memphis, Tennessee, protesters staged a die in to protest Elon Musk's AI company, which they say is polluting the local environment and draining the water supply. New York City protesters were arrested after chaining themselves. You can see them right there to the New York Stock Exchange. All across the country, people found different ways to highlight the growing divide between working people and billionaires, which makes sense. That's on a sense, because right now, millions and millions of people in this country are getting absolutely screwed over in Donald Trump's economy. I mean, today, the average price of a gallon of gas in this country shot up to $4.39. And just in case you're keeping track, or in case you're not, that's up 9 cents a gallon just since yesterday. Voters know exactly who's to blame for those high prices. And hardly anyone is buying Trump's argument that this is all worth it. A new Washington Post poll finds that 61% of Americans think Trump's war in Iran was a mistake. But even more jaw dropping is the fact that only 19% of Americans think say that the actions the United States has taken in Iran have been successful. In fact, Trump's war in Iran has already become as unpopular as the two most unpopular wars in American history, Vietnam and Iraq. And the only difference is those wars took years to reach their historic disapproval benchmarks. Well, Trump got there in, well, just two months. On top of all of that, last week, Reuters found that a full 77% of registered voters blamed Trump for the recent rise in gas prices. Even a majority of Republicans say Trump is to blame for the high cost of gas. 55%. Remember, this is a guy who has been able to hold onto the majority of Republicans through more scandals than any president in modern history. But even they can't deny the direct cause and effect of his war in Iran. And with numbers like that, you'd think that now would be the time for the president to provide, well, some relief for the millions of Americans who rely on their cars to get around. Right?
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E
We raised the tariffs on cars coming in from the European Union. We've increased the tariffs on all cars coming into The United States by 25%. And trucks.
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That's right. Trump already made your gas much, much more expensive. Now he's making your car more expensive, too. Don't worry, everyone, because Trump says gas prices won't be high forever.
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E
When the war ends, gasoline prices are going to tumble because there is so much right now on the sea already loaded into tankers, tankers that can't escape the strait. There is so much like record setting. But when the war ends, gasoline prices will go down to below what they were.
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B
First of all, most economists don't think that gasoline prices will actually tumble and go down immediately after a war ends. But Trump says when the war ends, gas prices will just come tumbling down. Well, don't you worry. Because today was the legal deadline for Trump to get congressional approval to continue his War Day 60. And in anticipation of that deadline, Trump sent this letter to Congress declaring that, quote, the hostilities that began on February 28, 2026, have terminated. Great news, everyone. According to Trump, the war's over. Trump says it's been terminated. And that means gas prices are about to tum. Not. Nope. Hold on. They're still high. They're just as high as they were before. Trump declared this war terminated in a letter to Congress. And his declaration that this whole war is wrapped up seems to be news to the Iranians, who are continuing to block the Strait of Hormuz. To the 50,000 troops stationed in the Middle east, including those who were assigned to block the blockade. I mean, none of that and more signals the war is terminated in any way or even on the path to termination. The fact says Trump isn't really ending this war and he isn't doing anything to bring down the steep costs he drove up either. He doesn't care that Americans are paying more. That's not his problem. It's not just gas. Today, the New York Times reports that millions of Americans across the country are apparently dropping their health care coverage thanks to Trump's decision to let key Obamacare subsidies expire. And what is the president doing to address the rising cost of health care, a huge issue for people across the country? Well, today he traveled to Florida with Dr. Oz for an event focusing in part on health care. That was the intention he. Now, here's what he had to say about that on the trip.
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It's the most boring trip I've ever made. He's telling me about Medicare, Medicaid. All I want to do is take care of you. I don't care.
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B
I mean, so sorry to bore you with the details. Mr. President about things like, say, the cost of health care in this country. People across the country rallied today to express their frustrations with what they see as a rigged economy, one that puts the interest of billionaires over everyone else. Of course, Trump isn't concerned about an economy that's rigged against working people, because he is one of the chief people doing the rigging. Today, economic analyst Steve Ratner released a new analysis of how Donald Trump has profited since taking office a second time. And Ratner notes that since the start of Trump's second administration, the president's net worth has tripled. You can see it right on the chart on your screen. But it's not because Trump's hotel and property businesses are booming. Ratner shows how the bulk of Trump's wealth since retaking office has come from his recent cryptocurrency ventures, which have netted Trump 10 times as much money as his hospitality businesses. And things get really interesting when you start looking at how those crypto businesses operate. Ratner dug into that one as well. He dug into one Trump crypto venture in particular, the Trump Meme coins. And he found that when those coins were released, a couple dozen insiders made a killing off of them. Well, the 2 million regular people who probably love Trump probably are hardcore MAGA invested in the coins. Well, they lost a collective $4 billion. So it sure looks like Trump and his friends got rich while everybody else lost money, which makes sense because that's basically the same way Trump approaches the presidency. Today, Bloomberg reports that the big luxury jet Trump got as a gift from the qatarisa is on track to be delivered this summer. And there we go. It's coming, that big luxury jet. And the Wall Street Journal also reports today that Trump will be keeping the plane's luxury real interior intact. Now, that jet is valued at around $400 million. And while it is supposed to be a gift from the Qataris, the Wall Street Journal also notes that the cost for the military to prepare the plane for Trump's use is $400 million. So Trump's $400 million gift from Qatar is going to cost The American taxpayer $400 million for a plane that Trump plans to keep after he leaves office. Not a surprise, but still. And that's just one of the countless ways that US Taxpayer money appears to be flowing into the Trump family coffers today. The Financial Times also reports that Trump's adult sons, Don and Eric Trump, have taken a stake in a mining company that won a $1.6 billion US government contract to Mine tungsten in Kazakhstan. Now, Eric Trump did not respond to requests for comment from the Financial Times about the story, but apparently the guy's very much online, very much on X or Twitter, whatever we call it these days. And he did respond to the political commentator, politics girl who does great work on there, by the way, on Twitter, who had simply posted the story with the caption, come on, man. Yeah, we're all feeling that she's kind of spoke for all of us. Apparently that was enough to warrant this reply from Trump's middle child, who wrote back, quote, I had no capital, no there involvement in this transaction and has always been a passive investor with no management role in this vehicle. Any suggestion to the contrary would be both inaccurate and defamatory. Okay, if that's the case, Eric, maybe you should have just said that to the Financial Times when they asked you for comment, you know, instead of just shouting it at people online. Now, the news of that billion dollar mining investment comes as Bloomberg reports that a drone company with ties to Eric and Don Jr. Has just inked a deal to sell an undisclosed number of drones to the US Military. Of course, Trump's adult children have repeatedly, of course, they have insisted that they're just private businessmen, totally above board, nothing to see here. But it seems that every day we learn more and more about all the new ways members of Trump's family could be profiting off of his administration and also off this war. Let's not forget that one of Trump's lead negotiators in his war with Iran is his son in law, Jared Kushner, who has multiple financial ties to countries in the Middle east and who has still refused to submit a legally required financial disclosure report outlining those ties. The White House has repeatedly insisted that there are no conflicts of interest in this administration. But that's a little hard to take seriously when they're also out there saying things like this.
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What people call conflicts of interest. Steve and I call experience and trusted relationships that we have throughout the world.
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Is that what you call it, Jared? Americans are extremely outraged by this war and what has already cost them. Just imagine how they're gonna feel once they realize who's getting rich. Which is why we're gonna keep talking about it. Joining me now is Ben Rhodes. He served as Deputy National Security Advisor to Barack Obama. We worked for many years together. He's also now the co host of Pod Save the World and has written many incredible books, including about corruption in dictatorships. Okay, Ben, all day I have been wondering, really, all week. Cause we've been talking about this a lot. I know you've been talking about it. What you think about that split screen I just laid out? I mean, it is gas prices at record highs, Americans in the streets protesting all as the Trump family continues to rake in money hand over fist. What do you make of where we are right now?
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Yeah, it's pretty grim, Jen, in the sense that it feels like they're kind of looting what's left of American power on the way out the door. I mean, let's kind of just go through some of the bill of particulars. Right? The Emiratis, the UAE made a $2 billion investment in the Trump family crypto business. And lo and behold, they got a license to develop AI data centers that have been restricted under the previous administration. The Qataris gifted that jet. Islamabad, Pakistan has been the host of these talks. That's kind of a head scratcher for people. Pakistan is not usually a mediator in wars between the United States and Iran. Well, they've been involved in World Liberty Financial as well. The crypto business that Eric Trump is in with Steve Witkoff's son. Right. This is. It's not subtle. You know, there's no effort to conceal what is happening in terms of the combination of extraordinary wealth being transferred to the Trump family because. And this is what's so important, because of clearly the sense. Or at least, look, I'm offering an opinion, but, I mean, the viewers can make their own judgments because the United States has something that those people want. They want AI or they want protection, or they don't want tariffs. Right. And I think what is so dangerous now is we've launched this war in Iran, this unnecessary, illegal war, and who are being called in to negotiate the end of this war that might be able to lower those gas prices and reopen the Strait of Hormuz? The very same people, Jared Kushner and Steve Witkoff, who are tied up in all these deals, who are they representing at the negotiating table? Are they representing the American people who are suffering from high prices and don't understand why we're at war, or are they representing their private interests? Are they representing the interests of countries that have invested in them? We just don't. At this point, I've lost track. I think it's very hard to argue that we can have confidence that they're representing the interests of the American people.
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B
Especially when Jared Kushner says out loud what people consider conflicts of interest are experience and relationships. It's like, what? Okay, okay. I have to ask you about One of these headlines I just mentioned, and this is the headline, just to remind you, Trump Family backed Drone firm signs Weapons deal with us. There are so many examples of this, but this to me is one that seems to be picking up as of late. I guess we could say, I'm sure you have some things to get your chest off about that specifically. But give us, what do you think about all that?
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G
I mean, it's pretty dark considering that you start a war that is going to require that the Pentagon ramp up its acquisition of drone technologies at the precise time. I mean, I mean, the idea, let's. I don't try not to do this that much, Jen, but like, what if Malia Obama started a drone business and started to get contracts from the Pentagon? I mean, it's so laughable and extraordinary that we couldn't even consider it. But I think what you mentioned that I, we have written about corruption and dictatorships. I think what's scary is the scale that the United States power affords the Trump family. Right. So the Orban family in Hungary was corrupt, or Tayyip Erdogan's family in Turkey is corrupt. They don't control the world's largest military. When you hear that the Pentagon budget is going to be $1.5 trillion, that's money for more drones, more weapons, not health care, not schools, not hospitals. And you wonder, well, how much of that $1.5 trillion is going to go potentially to a drone business started by the Trump family or just some cronies and political donors to the Trumps or Elon Musk and his various defense technologies? Right. There's a, there's a kind of cast of characters here who are using the awesome power and wealth of the United States to enrich themselves. And then meanwhile, they've started a war that we have no idea why we're fighting, have no idea why it's gonna end. And the people paying the price for that war are not the defense contractors. Those people are gonna do well. It's consumers, it's Americans and people around the world who are dealing with shortages.
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B
And oil companies are doing quite well too, which is not surprising at all either. They also did well around the war in Ukraine. Let me ask you about kind of another Trump thing today, I should call it. I mean, as you've seen, he's declaring the war is over. He's telling Congress in a letter it's been terminated. It's clear no one thinks that he cares about the 60 day timeline of the War Powers Act. He's also been Lying for the totality of this war about what's actually happening and the impact on the public. But what do you make of that? Is he just hoping like no one's gonna pay attention? His whole, the whole Republican Party is gonna echo him? Is there more to it than that?
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G
It's a combination of controlling and giving those few Republicans who might actually care that they completely abdicated their war, making authorities just some talking point that they can use. It's laughable on its face. Jen, this was a major war that he launched. It's already cost $50 billion. It's already cost 14American lives. It's already killed thousands of people. It's already upended the global economy. This is not some precision military operation that was launched. This was a significant war in the Middle east against a country of 94 million people. And so it was illegal from the get. But Congress didn't care to exercise its constitutional authority because Republicans defer to Trump. It's politically unpopular. So they're kind of, maybe they need some talking points about why they're giving Trump a pass on this. But here's the reality. It's not over. And it's not over because, number one, there's still no agreement with the Iranians. The Strait of Hormuz is still closed. But also the United States is still enforcing a blockade of the strait that is already closed. That blockade cost hundreds and hundreds probably billions of dollars to have all of those naval vessels there. Right? We taxpayers are paying for a war. A blockade is an act of war. It's not an act of diplomacy. So just because we're not dropping bombs on Iran today doesn't mean we're not in hostilities. We're not at war. What do you think a blockade is? And so this may be a talking point that a handful of Republicans might want to use, but it doesn't pass the constitutional or frankly the common sense test.
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It doesn't. And it's smarter than Democrats on the Hill to keep holding these votes. Cuz they're getting people on the record and swore is hugely unpopular. They should keep doing that. Okay, we have to sneak in a quick break and how this goes, but stay right where you are. Thank you for staying with us. This corruption story we've been talking about, it has so many implications. We've been talking about, obviously the Trump family, we've been talking about the international implications. But it also feels like a huge political vulnerability to me for Republicans around the country and Democrats in really important races are starting to take full advantage of that. I Just want to play a couple of the ads and then we're going to talk about it after the break.
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You aren't the problem.
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Neither are your fellow Americans. The problem is a corrupt and failing political system. The problem is that the people's elected
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representatives don't represent the people.
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As governor, I'll bring back accountability and
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make jail mandatory for stealing tax dollars. You should not never be in the dark about your tax money. Very different ads, two different states, all about corruption. We'll talk about what it means for the midterms after the break. With VRBoCare. Help is always ready before, during and after your stay. We've planned for the plot twists, so support is always available because a great trip starts with peace of mind.
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We're back with former deputy National Security adviser to President Obama, Ben Rhodes. Okay, Ben, just before the break, you and I have seen a lot of campaign ads. There's been good ones, there's bad ones. I played two of them. I mean, Rob Sanders running for governor in Iowa. John Offsoff. Senator John Offsoff is obviously running for reelection. Georgia, different states, some similarities. But it's interesting cuz they're both making corruption central to their message. What do you make of this argument? Kind of becoming increasingly central in a lot of these big races.
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G
I think it should be the central message. And look again, looking at not just this country, but other countries too. Corruption is something that can unite left, right and center. I mean, in Hungary, where Viktor Orban was just ousted after 16 years in power, what finally broke him was someone running A relentless campaign against him, focused on corruption and building a coalition across again, left, right and center now to take it to the United States. I think, Jen, what's really important here is not just pointing out the corruption that is hiding in plain sight. So it's not just saying, you know, Trump got a plane. It's connecting it to the fact that the politicians in Washington aren't delivering on what you care about. So there's not like sometimes in Democratic politics there's like a good government message, you know, anti corruption, and then over here there's like a health care message. What Ossoff has done very well, I think, is say, look, the reason that your health care premiums are going up, the reason gas prices are going up, the reason that nobody in Washington seems to be doing anything to deal with affordability or the problems you care about is that they're too focused on enriching themselves in their cronies. So it's just one message, right? The corruption is at your expense. It's not just being angry that there's some rich politicians and oligarchs, you know, padding their wallets. It's that they're literally doing that at your expense.
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B
The making of the connection is so key here because it's one of, when it's an academic exercise, it's important to talk to about that and to talk to historians, but you gotta connect it to your point to real people. Let me ask you just about. I was thinking about this this morning because we had Graham Platner on last night and also JP Cooney, very different backgrounds had different sort of things to say about investigations. Graham Platner said, basically, I want there to be so many investigations, it shuts down the functioning of the White House. Right. That is certainly one approach and a lot of people agree with him. There also may need, and you and I are very familiar with this need to be a prioritization at some point at least to begin. Think if Democrats regain power in the House and maybe even the Senate, we'll see. It's looking more likely they should prioritize that, like, what are the things they should go after and focus on as it relates to corruption or anything else that you see as really requiring investigative work by Congress.
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G
Well, yeah, look, I mean, there's something to what Graham Planner is saying in the sense of like, there's a danger to what Donald Trump is doing. Look at the Iran war, look at how dangerous that is. And if you consider what a lame duck Trump presidency might be like, he won't Go quietly. Greenland may be back on the map, you know, Canada, Panama Canal. There is going to be a need at a certain point, I think, to try to slow the gears down. However, I think in terms of focus, the fundamental corruption of the government itself, I think, is like, take the Pentagon, where they proposed a $1.5 trillion budget. How are decisions being made about what contracts are being given? Because that is, again, both corruption, but it also, it's dangerous if you're giving billions of dollars in contracts to people and the Pentagon is buying systems that may not work or systems that are just there to enrich somebody. Or if you look at, you know, the corruption, like what's. How are decisions being made in Bobby Kennedy's Health and Human Services Department that implicates the direct health and interests of the American people. So I think you have to look at the, the parts of the government that are being corrupted themselves. So, yes, I would love there to be investigations into kind of what Jared Kushner is up to and Steve Woodkoff and people like that. But I think you also have to kind of look at the functioning of the US Government because you have to be the advocate for the American people. And one of the things I'd say, Jen, is that some of this is about what you can do in the last years of Trump. Some of this is about creating a record while you can. Like these. Like, you want to make sure that you're sending a message, even if they don't comply with subpoenas. We're going to get whatever documents we can because we're not going to let this go. You know, we're going to, we're going to come back at this. And that's a warning sign to people on the way out the door to maybe not do further corruption, because we're
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B
watching, no question about it. The having a record, I think, is such an important part. I haven't thought about nearly enough. And also the functioning of places like the Pentagon. I mean, the fact about these drone, these drone contracts to Sons, we don't, we don't know who else is competing for. There's no transparency about anything. Ben Rhodes, I could talk to you for hours, as you know. I'm so grateful to you. Thank you for breaking this down. You also have two amazing books that people. Oh, you have many amazing books. But after the Fall is the one that's like the most on the nose of this. If people haven't read it, they should read it. Read it, read it this weekend. Get it on your Kindle, wherever you get your books. Thank you for being here. I always appreciate it.
- [26:17]
G
Thanks so much, Jen.
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B
Okay. We are following big news tonight on the Republican plot to rig the midterm elections in their favor. Multiple Republican governors across the the south are now calling for special legislative sessions next week so they can redraw their congressional maps. Doug Jones is a former U.S. senator for Alabama. He's now a candidate for governor in Alabama. And we have a lot to talk about when we come back.
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- [27:48]
B
Ever since the Supreme Court gutted what's left of the Voting Rights Act, Republicans have been sprinting to capitalize on that decision ahead of the midterms. In Louisiana, Republican Governor Jeff Landry declared an emergency to suspend the state's House primary elections even though some voters had already cast their absentee ballots and early voting was set to begin tomorrow. Now the state's so called emergency, as they called it, to drop a last second gerrymandered House map has created what one Louisiana Republican strategist has accurately described as an unmitigated shit show fever dream. Yeah, that's pretty much it. So a date for Louisiana's primary racist is still up in the air, but the rest of the state's primaries will continue as scheduled, leaving voters and election officials scrambling. So yeah, again, I think that quote I just read you about sums it up. And Louisiana isn't the only Republican state to take official steps to redraw its congressional map ahead of the midterms. Today, Tennessee's Republican governor Bill Lee announced that he would order a special legislative session that will likely draw out the state's only Democratic congressional district. And in Alabama, Governor Kay Ivey did a 180 on the statement she made on Wednesday and announced a special session next week to redraw her state's maps ahead of Alabama's primary on May 19th. Now, whether Alabama will be able to enact a new map will be determined by the Supreme Court. Today, the state's attorney general asked the court to let them go ahead with those new maps. And if the court sides with Alabama, congressional primary elections will be suspended in the districts affected by that ruling. We'll see what other Republican states attempt to ram through gerrymandering at the last second. But in the immediate aftermath of the Supreme Court's decision this week, Republicans seem to be moving very, very, very quickly to gain whatever advantage they can. Joining me now is Democratic candidate for governor in Alabama, Doug Jones. He previously served as a US Senator from Alabama and as a federal prosecutor. It's great to see you. First of all, let me start by asking you, I mean, in your statement today, which was incredibly powerful, in to today's news about Kiv calling a special session, you wrote that the Supreme Court's decision has emboldened those who are too afraid to compete for votes to gerrymander their way into even greater power. That really sums it up. And you also said we have to fight against those who are trying to effectively silence any voice that disagrees with them. Tell us what that fight looks like or should look like.
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J
Well, I think, Jan, and first of all, thanks for having me. This is an important fight coming up. It's an important election coming up. This fight has got to mobilize voters across the country, and in particular in Alabama and some of the Southern states where we're going to bear the brunt of this. I mean, historically it's been the south who where voting rights were trampled on for so, so long. It was the south and Alabama in particular, in which people shed blood, sweat and tears in order to gain those voting rights. And this Supreme Court decision basically said we don't care. That doesn't matter. As long as there's a partisan view of this, then it's okay to do whatever you want to do. I think that this fight looks like a mobilization to get people out to vote. I think you're going to see a lot of folks energized because of this, and I think you're going to see a lot of changes. There's already change in the air throughout the south and throughout the country. And I think we're feeling that in Alabama and I think you're going to feel it even stronger winds now with this decision.
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B
I mean you've spent your career fighting for civil rights and fighting around these exact issues. It's almost like you're perfectly made for this moment. Let me ask you about, because I also think it's so important for people to be clear eyed out there about how not all but many Republicans are approaching this moment. And I just wanted to read you. I'm sure you've seen this, but for people who haven't seen it, after the Supreme Court decision this week, Alabama's lieutenant governor posted this. Alabama Republicans control both U.S. senate seats, all constitutional offices, every state judgeship and have legislative supermajority. So it makes perfect sense for us to hold every congressional seat too. We are a bright red state and our congressional map should show it. First of all, that's not how democracy works. That's not how elections work. That's taking away the voice of voters. But given your background and you're running for governor, what do you make of that?
- [32:06]
J
Well, I think that is typical of what we're seeing with many, many Republican office holders. I mean, U.S. senator Tommy Tuberville, who's the likely opponent in the governor's race, had says something very similar. Look, they all look at this as a, as a sporting event, a game, winners versus losers. You either win or you lose. And they see this right now that Democrats have lost. So they should have no voice. The people of Alabama that vote for Democrats, that lean toward Democrats should have no voice whatsoever and take 10 democrats to act that way when they get into office. And that you said it best, Jen, that's not the way democracy is supposed to work. And especially when you're looking at the House of Representatives, it should reflect the entire state, not just the political leanings of the majority. Even if it is potentially a super majority, it should reflect the entire population because everyone has a voice in our country. Everyone has a voice in democracy. And we've got to do what we can to, to protect the right to vote and to have a meaningful, meaningful say in what goes on in the nation's capitol as well as the state House.
- [33:20]
B
Down in Montgomery, you alluded to this kind of people's voters reactions and I think this is so important for people to hear about. And we've talked a bit on the show about how in Florida even the Republicans are worried that the redistricting there could backfire. In Texas, we're seeing they may not win all the seats they've redrawn to be Republicans, seats in Alabama. Explain to people how you think it could backfire from the voters you've been talking to this week. How are people feeling about it?
- [33:47]
J
Very simple. It can backfire because people will get out to vote. The people are concerned. Right now, Alabama is in the lower tier of voting participation in statewide races. By that, I mean our constitutional officer elections, which are midterm elections. We've never voted in the modern era, more than than 50%. I think people are energized now. And when people get out to vote, they vote for change. They're going to do that, I think, this year. And that's how folks do that. We're not going to win like every county in the state of Alabama. But there are right now so many people that are looking because of the affordability issues, because of high gas prices, because of high electricity prices. And now they are seeing a Supreme Court, court that continues to take away rights, whether it's women's rights now, voting rights, and that being applauded by the people in charge of this state government. And they're essentially saying, we don't really care about you, the people of Alabama. If you don't agree with us, if you don't wear your red hat and adhere to the MAGA rule, we just don't care about you. That's what they're saying here. And I think people are getting tired of that. And they're going to come out in record numbers. We have a lot of folks that are registered to vote that don't get out there. And I guarantee you they're gearing it up now.
- [35:08]
B
Doug Jones, thank you as always for being here.
- [35:11]
J
Thank you, Jan. Great to see you.
- [35:13]
B
You, too. Okay, the next story I'm going to tell you about involves one of the world's richest men, one of the president's sons, and another potential windfall for the Trump family. Congressman Robert Garce is the ranking Democrat on the House Oversight Committee. He's over seeing a lot of things right now. And I have a lot of questions. We'll be right back. So this week the Wall Street Journal reported that studio executives at Amazon recently held internal talks discussing a potential reboot of this reality show, the Apprentice. Of course, you know, the one that propelled Donald Trump into the national spotlight and completely inflated his skills as a businessman for all of Americ, that one. Now, the talks are reportedly in very early stages, but people familiar with the matter told the Journal that none other than Trump's son, Don Jr. Is in the running to be cast as the newest host, which would be. Is so utterly crazy and completely unprecedented. So Amazon, again, a company that has secured billions of dollars in federal contracts, may partner up with the sitting president's family in what could be a massive and lucrative media deal. And nothing like this has ever happened. But I. Whoa, hold on. Sorry. Wait a second. Shoot. This happens sometimes. I'm really sorry. Okay. I'm hearing from the control room. Sometimes they tell me things that I miss. Something about a documentary
- [36:44]
C
everyone wants to know. So here it is.
- [36:53]
B
Hi, Mr. President. Congratulations. Congratulations.
- [36:55]
E
Did you watch it?
- [36:56]
B
I did not. Yeah, I will see it on the news. Yeah, right. That magnificent piece of art that was. That documentary put even Ken Burns to shame. How could I forget? How could I forget? Sorry. How? Amazon paid Melania's production company $40 million to acquire this film. And remember, about 28 million of that reportedly went right into her pocket, only for the film to flop like a fish at the box office. Now, Amazon, of course, said it wasn't about money for them, it was about the film's significance. The clip we just showed screams significant, doesn't it? Significant for history. But hey, even if Amazon lost tens of millions of dollars producing the Melania movie, the company's founder and executive chairman, Jeff Bezos, got something priceless in return. Donald Trump's good graces. I mean, look, there's Jeff Bezos right there on your screen. Meeting with King Charles this week right there during his state visit to DC. Now, other media companies, however, are finding out the hard way that what happens when you fail to bring worthy offerings to our country's wannabe king. This past Tuesday, the FCC ordered an early review of ABC's broadcast licenses, saying it was part of a broader DEI investigation into ABC's parent company, Disney. But it came just one day after Trump publicly called on ABC to fire late night host Jimmy Kimmel for a recent joke in he made about the first lady. Commissioner Brendan Carr said the FCC's decision was made with no pressure from the outside. Sure. But given how Kimmel's show was suspended last September after Carr accused him of misleading the public, well, let's just say there are a lot of outstanding questions. Joining me now is someone who previously launched a congressional investigation into the suspension of Jimmy Kimmel last fall. And who I'm sure has a lot more questions about the FCC's threats to revoke broadcast licenses. The top Democrat on the House Oversight Committee, Robert Garcia. Okay, there is so much to ask you here, Brendan. Kerr included. So much of the focus, though, has been on how the Trump administration has tried to bully media organizations, which they are continuing to do. But there are also the media organizations like Amazon that are enriching the Trump family. And I wonder if you really may be interested in looking at both.
- [39:11]
F
Absolutely. And you know what? Absolutely nobody in America is asking for is another Apprentice with Don Jr. Leading the show. I mean, give me a break. After the Melania documentary, this is all just grift. It is all about Donald Trump and his family making as much money as possible. They are all infinitely more wealthy today. And as he continues his march to becoming even more rich, more powerful, a wannabe king, the American public continue to suffer. And as it relates to Brendan Car, that investigation around Kimmel that is ongoing, we have been actually continuing to push on that. We're doing investigative work. This actually expands that for us a bunch. This idea that DEI is the reason that he's going after Kimmel. I mean, give me a break. I mean, these people think that we are gullible and that the American public will buy anything. The reality is, is that this is the most corrupt administration and the most corrupt family, and we are at the top of our list. We are working on Epstein, but also Trump family corruption. And folks need to understand that the day after we have that gavel and have subpoena power, the Trump family is going to be in the spotlight on all the corruption.
- [40:25]
B
Brendan Carr, I mean, clearly he's not stopping this effort. I mean, he seems to be. Who knows where he's taking his orders from? I have my suspicions. Right, but, like, what about him? Are you hoping to haul him in if you have the power to do that? Because what he's doing is putting additional pressure through his role as FCC chairman on media companies to abide by what Trump wants, obviously. Do you hope to talk to him as well?
- [40:53]
F
I've said that publicly multiple times. In fact, I've actually talked to James Comer. I've asked Jim Comer multiple times. Let's bring in Mr. Carr. He actually agreed on one occasion that he tried to bring him in. That went nowhere. So, absolutely, he is someone that we definitely want to talk to. I mean, what he's doing through the fcc, what he's doing and essentially using and weaponizing our entire communication system. Media conglomerates. All he cares about is getting more power for Donald Trump. When what's happening with all of these media organizations as they consolidate is Trump continues to put his influence on these companies, and then he tries to profit from Some. So Brennan Carr is a part of that corruption at the White House, so absolutely. He's on our list to bring in.
- [41:34]
B
I should have reiterated that. I know you have. We've talked about it before. It's hard to keep track of all the freaking corruption in this administration. Okay, you mentioned last week, another thread here you're working on is, of course, Epstein, and you're very focused on that. And this week, former Attorney General Pam Bonney agreed to testify before your committee. It's gonna be a transcribed interview, as I understand it, rather than a deposition under oath. I know you have been holding her feet to the fire especially, and you've kind of been clear. We're gonna keep pressing and making sure she shows up. Are you concerned she won't be as forthcoming if she's not under oath?
- [42:08]
F
Well, look, she still won't be able to lie to Congress in the transcribed interview. Unfortunately, the decision between a deposition and a transcribed interview is actually up to the chairman. So that's James Comer's decision. Now, we've actually made it very clear to Chairman Comer that we expect an interview to be videotaped and recorded and transcribed and released to the American public, and that we expect the amount of time that we would normally get in any other deposition to ask our questions. So she will not be able to lie to Congress. We're demanding that James Comer ensure that this is a interview that is videotaped and fully transcribed and sent out to the American people. Without that, they're continuing this massive cover up. Pam Bondi only is now appearing before us because we actually filed contempt charges. And 45 minutes after we filed those contempt charges, now they have a new date for this interview. And so. So they continue to drag their feet, but we're not stopping. We're gonna hold their feet to the fire and get to the truth.
- [43:03]
B
We only have about a minute left. I can't believe you probably never sleep, but you have Howard Lutnick next week as well. What should people expect from that? What are you most focused on there from your perspective?
- [43:16]
F
Look, Howard Lutnlick is a liar. Mr. Lutnick told the American public and the press that he did not know Jeffrey Epstein very well. They had no communication with him after 2005. And all of a sudden, now we know he went on his island. He was on his plane, he went into business with them. He emailed him multiple times. I mean, give me a break. Where photos of him now on Epstein Island. Yet, according to Lutnick, in his interviews in the past. He said he barely knew the guy and he stopped communicating with them. That is a bold faced lie. So he's going to be asked about every single lie that he has made to the Congress and to the public. And we want to understand what the actual relationship was between him and of course Epstein, but also what else does he know about the President's relationship, about what Epstein did? And so all those going to be important questions in this upcoming week.
- [44:05]
B
Congressman Robert Garcia, Everybody should be buying you some coffee, gift cards or something. Thank you so much for joining me tonight. I appreciate it. We have to take a very quick break, but the Last Word has Congressman Eugene Vindman standing by and we'll be right back. That's gonna do it for me tonight. It's been a hell of a week.
- [44:24]
A
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