Democrats in "100% Denial"

Summary

Podcast Summary: The Charlie Kirk Show – "Democrats in '100% Denial'"

Release Date: December 12, 2024

In the episode titled "Democrats in '100% Denial'," host Charlie Kirk engages in a profound discussion with guest Steve Hilton, author of the newly released book "Califalia," and later interacts with political reporter Mark Halperin. The episode delves into the political dynamics of California, the challenges faced by the Democratic establishment, and the potential for Republican resurgence within the state. Additionally, the conversation touches upon the confirmation processes of key political nominees and the prevailing sentiments within the Democratic Party regarding recent election outcomes.

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1. Celebrating Turning Point USA and America Fest

The episode begins with Charlie Kirk enthusiastically promoting America Fest, an annual event hosted by Turning Point USA, featuring prominent conservative figures such as Tucker Carlson, Glenn Beck, Steve Bannon, and Donald Trump Jr. Kirk underscores the significance of the event in mobilizing conservative youth and fostering a sense of community among attendees.

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2. Interview with Steve Hilton: Exploring "Califalia"

Introduction and Praise for Turning Point USA

At [02:06], political analyst Mark Halperin lauds Charlie Kirk's achievements, emphasizing his role in shaping conservative activism on college campuses. Steve Hilton reciprocates the praise, highlighting Kirk's dedication to building one of the most powerful youth organizations in America.

Overview of "Califalia"

Steve Hilton introduces his book "Califalia" at [05:08], presenting a critical examination of California's political landscape. He articulates the state's degeneration under nearly two decades of Democratic dominance, leading to exacerbated social and economic issues.

"California now is the worst in America. We have the highest rate of poverty, highest homelessness, highest taxes..." ([05:08])

Key Issues in California

Hilton enumerates the myriad challenges plaguing California, including exorbitant housing costs, unfavorable business climates, soaring gas and electricity prices, and rampant homelessness. He attributes these problems to deliberate policy choices that favor an expanding government and regulatory overreach.

"There's all these different things that have added up to create this catastrophic failure." ([07:10])

Policy Decisions and Their Impact

At [07:29], Hilton traces California's decline to specific policy decisions, such as granting collective bargaining rights to public sector unions and implementing gerrymandering through a 2008 ballot initiative. These actions entrenched Democratic power, allowing for legislative supermajorities that sidelined Republican opposition.

"This is not some natural phenomenon. This is the result of policy choices." ([08:00])

Hope for "Califuture"

Despite the grim assessment, Hilton remains optimistic about reestablishing California's former greatness. He introduces the second half of his book, "Califuture," which outlines strategic policy changes aimed at revitalizing the state's economy and restoring its status as a hub of freedom and opportunity.

"We can rebuild that. And I think we can do it quicker than anyone thinks so." ([08:58])

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3. The Political Landscape of California

San Diego's Sanctuary Policies

Transitioning to [13:49], Charlie Kirk and Steve Hilton discuss recent decisions by San Diego Supervisor Jim Dresmond, who opposes cooperation with ICE, further entrenching sanctuary policies. Hilton criticizes these moves as excessive leftist extremism that undermines public safety and panders to activist base.

"They're totally captured by their far left activists and this is all just pandering to them." ([14:26])

Potential for Republican Success

At [15:55], Hilton expresses confidence in Republicans winning statewide elections in California. He cites the state's substantial Republican voter base and recent election data indicating sufficient support to achieve statewide victories, provided there is effective voter mobilization.

"The votes are there. President Trump got the votes in California this election. The key will be to make sure that everyone who voted for Trump in California this time turns out and votes for change next time." ([16:03])

Kirk echoes this optimism, emphasizing California's untapped potential and the possibility of reversing Democratic dominance through strategic political efforts.

"There's a thousand stories about why. And it's not an exact science to differentiate between the little things and the big things." ([18:23])

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4. Confirmation of Political Nominees: Insights from Mark Halperin

Evaluating Pete Hegseth's Confirmation Chances

Mark Halperin assesses the likelihood of Pete Hegseth's confirmation, rating his chances between 8 to 10 out of 10, contingent on a strong performance during hearings and absence of new revelations.

"He's in a very strong position. I think not all the senators who are inclined to oppose him currently have been publicly named." ([19:06])

Strategies Employed for Confirmation

Halperin notes that the campaign for Hegseth has successfully shifted the conversation to the President's agenda, emphasizing the importance of removing "woke" ideologies from the Pentagon. Additionally, leveraging the threat of primary challenges has reinforced Senate support.

"Highlighting the fact that every serious allegation against him is based on anonymous allegations has been successful." ([19:06])

Prospects for Other Nominees

Discussing other nominees like Bobby Kennedy, Tulsi Gabbard, and Cash Patel, Halperin remains optimistic about their confirmations, provided they navigate hearings effectively and address any controversies head-on.

"If there are four or more votes against from the Republican side or not, and I don't think you're going to see that." ([29:01])

Democratic Party's Reflection on Electoral Losses

Halperin critiques the Democratic Party's reluctance to acknowledge their own shortcomings in the recent elections, attributing their losses to the party's shift further left and failure to align with core voter concerns.

"The Democratic Party is much further to the left than it's been in decades. And their autopsies, their ruminations do not include in the main discussions of those four issues." ([32:04])

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5. Closing Remarks

Charlie Kirk wraps up the episode by reiterating the ongoing challenges and the importance of preparing for political and social changes. He emphasizes the need for sustained conservative activism to counteract Democratic dominance and foster a resurgence of Republican influence in key states like California.

"I'm going to behind you any way I possibly can be." ([18:23])

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Notable Quotes

• Steve Hilton on California's Decline:
  "California now is the worst in America. We have the highest rate of poverty, highest homelessness, highest taxes, highest housing costs..." ([05:08])

• Steve Hilton on Policy Choices:
  "This is not some natural phenomenon. This is the result of policy choices." ([08:00])

• Mark Halperin on Nominee Confirmation:
  "He's in a very strong position. I think not all the senators who are inclined to oppose him currently have been publicly named." ([19:06])

• Steve Hilton on Republican Prospects:
  "The votes are there. President Trump got the votes in California this election. The key will be to make sure that everyone who voted for Trump in California this time turns out and votes for change next time." ([16:03])

• Mark Halperin on Democratic Denial:
  "The Democratic Party is much further to the left than it's been in decades. And their autopsies, their ruminations do not include in the main discussions of those four issues." ([32:04])

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Conclusion

The episode "Democrats in '100% Denial'" offers a critical examination of California's political and economic trajectory under Democratic leadership, highlighting the state's potential for Republican revitalization. Through insightful discussions with Steve Hilton and Mark Halperin, Charlie Kirk underscores the necessity for strategic policy reforms and unwavering conservative activism to counteract entrenched liberal dominance. The conversation also provides an optimistic outlook on the confirmation of key political nominees and reflects on the broader implications of recent electoral outcomes for the Democratic Party.

Transcript

[Charlie Kirk]

Hey everybody. Today on the Charlie Kirk Show, a great man, great American, Steve Hilton. Steve Hilton is just a wonderful man. This is a phenomenal conversation around his new book, Cala Failure. You're really going to enjoy it. Email US as always, Freedomarlykirk.com become a member today. Members.charliekirk.com members.charliekirk.Com and get involved with Turning Point USA at tpusa.com that is tpusa.com we also have Mark Halperin. This hour everybody. You have to come to America Fest. It's amfest.com TheSpeaker are breathtaking. Do you know how hard the team has worked on this? The least you guys can do is come and enjoy and celebrate. We got Tucker Carlson, Glenn Beck, Steve Bannon, Patrick Bet David, Ben Shapiro, speaker Mike Johnson, Donald Trump Jr. Matt Walsh, Tim Poole, Ben Carson, the next ambassador to Greece, Kimberly Guilfoyle, Michael Knowles, Ted Cruz, Rob Schneider, Byron Donalds, Anna Paulina, Matt Gaetz, Danica Patrick, Brett Cooper, Jack Posobic, Marjorie Taylor Greene, Benny Johnson, my wife, Eric Kirk, Riley Gaines, Brandon Tatum, Tom Homan, the deporter in chief, George Janko, Allie B. Stuckey, Sage Steele and more. It's amfest.com you might be able to meet your future husband, your future wife, your best friends. You're going to be so fired up. It is a celebration unlike any other. Our annual event, America fest is held December 19, 2021, 22 at the Phoenix Convention Center. Those who attend this once in a lifetime four day event will hear from dozens of the nation's top speakers. As I just mentioned, network with thousands of like minded attendees and 100 plus partnering organizations and experience concerts featuring top artists. All while celebrating the greatest country on the planet. Following a Turning Point event, all attendees will return to their campus and communities more energized than ever. Go to amfest.com that is amfest.com we have again, let me just repeat this. Tucker, Beck, Bannon bet, David Shapiro, Walsh and more. Amfest.comamfest.com Buckle up everybody. Here we go.

[Mark Halperin]

Charlie, what you've done is incredible here.

[Charlie Kirk]

Maybe Charlie Kirk is on the college campus.

[Mark Halperin]

I want you to know we are lucky to have Charlie Kirk. Charlie Kirk's running the White House, folks. I want to thank Charlie. He's an incredible guy.

[Steve Hilton]

His spirit, his love of this country.

[Charlie Kirk]

He's done an amazing job building one.

[Steve Hilton]

Of the most powerful youth organizations ever.

[Charlie Kirk]

Created, Turning Point usa. We will not embrace the ideas that have destroyed countries, destroyed lives. And we are going to fight for Freedom on campuses across the country. That's why we are here. Noble Gold Investments is the official gold sponsor of the Charlie Kirk Show, a company that specializes in gold IRAs and physical delivery of precious metals. Learn how you could protect your wealth with Noble gold [e-mail] that is noblegoldinvestments.com it's where I buy all of my gold. Go to noblegoldinvestments.com joining us now is a great friend who I saw this weekend and just an Overall terrific person. 10 out of 10 just love spending time. He's just fun and he loves life and he's here to do good. It is Steve Hilton, author of Califalia, founder of Golden Together, and host of the Steve Hilton Show. Steve, my friend, great to see you again.

[Steve Hilton]

It's so fun to see you. Charlie, Can I just say, before we get into all the things we're going to talk about today, I just want everyone to understand what an incredible thing you have built. And that was what was so thrilling about being with you this weekend for your massive Turning Point event and the event at Mar a Lago and the whole thing, just the scale of your achievement, this organization that you've built. I'm an entrepreneur. I've started businesses. And just from the pure entrepreneurial sense of what you've achieved, it is absolutely incredible. It was just a joy to see you there with all these friends and supporters. It was an amazing, amazing weekend. It just made my heart just full of joy.

[Charlie Kirk]

Well, thank you, Steve. And what a festive time. I mean, it just the. It was real joy. Right? We were at the Mar A Lago Ballroom and playing ymca. It was. It was real joy. Steve, congratulations.

[Steve Hilton]

Sorry, yeah, just one more thing, Charlie, sorry to cut you off the other. I said this to you on the night, and I think everyone also needs to understand this. The joy was real because it felt like a family coming together. It wasn't even like a political event. It was this real sense of so many people, we just old friends and we're hugging each other and you had cash and Bobby Kennedy and it's just an amazing event and this sense of a family that loves the country, but we also love each other. And that was what was so wonderful.

[Charlie Kirk]

Steve, thank you for that. Congratulations on your new book. It's coming out in a few months, but it was announced today. It's something I care. I care deeply about California. I spend a lot of time in California. It still has so much goodness left in it. I hope people understand There are so many good people, patriots, and it still is objectively the most beautiful state that God has for us in this state. Steve, tell us about your book.

[Steve Hilton]

So the thing about California that I love so much is that in the best version of California, it should be the absolute best of America. It should capture the spirit and essence of America. Freedom and opportunity and dynamism and adventure and the rebel spirit. That's the best version of California. But instead, what we've had for the last, it's nearly 20 years now of one party rule by an increasingly extremist far left Democratic establishment. In California, it's the opposite. We're now the worst of America. And that's not an exaggeration. That's why I called the book Califalia, because they are failing on every single front. You'd pick any issue. And California now is the worst in America. We have the, you know, we have the highest rate of poverty from these people that lecture us the whole time about social justice and whatever and compassion. Highest rate of poverty, highest homelessness, highest taxes, highest housing costs. The worst business climate that's been voted by CEOs across America. California, the worst business climate in America 10 years in a row. We're supposed to be the home of entrepreneurship. I mean, on and on. The highest gas prices, prices, highest electricity costs. Everything is a disaster. And what I've tried to do in the book is not just list all those things and explain it. And there's a lot more than what I've said. I mean, the details are just horrendous. But try and explain why, because this is what everyone in America needs to understand, whether you live in California or not. Because so much of this bad stuff that's gone so wrong across the country, and you see in the Biden administration, it starts in California, as I use this phrase. California has become like the Wuhan lab of far left extremism. They're exporting all this stuff, and so we have to defeat it here. And I go through all the ways in which this ideology has taken shape that I call it the pathologies of this ideology. So we look at, you know, what's really driving it, right? It's not just politics. It's the elitism, the narcissism, the cronyism. I mean, there's all these different things that have added up to create this catastrophic failure.

[Charlie Kirk]

Can we just talk about how special the state is first? I want to start there. It takes an intentional set of decisions over long periods of time and overruling repeated objections to mess up a place as spectacular as California.

[Steve Hilton]

STEVE that's exactly right. Because, you know, we have all these advantages, right? We once had the best education system probably in the world, right? The University of California system was renowned. The schools were great. We had the infrastructure, you know, back in the day. And by the way, you know, this was a Democrat Governor Jerry Brown's father, Pat Brown, built the state water project, the most incredible feat of engineering the world had seen, bringing water to the area from where it's plentiful to the wet to where it's needed. Just incredible things that California did, and it grew. And there's a time not that long ago, just a few decades ago, where people were flocking to California, housing was plentiful and affordable, and there was this wonderful life, the California dream. And that's where people came to start businesses. And bit by bit, as they grew, the government and they just got more and more into the nanny state mentality, regulating absolutely everything. The bloat of the government, the corruption and the cronyism has expanded the size of the government. So that's why taxes are so high, half of it going out the door in luxury pensions and health care to the unions, the government unions, who completely wrecked the public schools. So no longer can you hope that your kids can have a better life than you through a great education. So all these things are deliberate choices. That's exactly what I say in the book. This is not some, you know, natural phenomenon. This is the result of policy choices. And the really good news is that actually I think we can get back to that great version of California pretty easily if we just make the right decisions politically. And so the second half of the book actually is called Califuture. And we lay out a plan for the specific policy changes that will bring us back to where we should be, which is, I mean, there's sometimes I use this phrase. If we think of America as the greatest country on earth, which it obviously is, and we love it so much, California should be the best of it. And to use that famous phrase, if America is a shining city on a hill, California should be a beautiful gleaming tower on the top. And we can rebuild that. And I think we can do it quicker than anyone thinks so.

[Charlie Kirk]

Steve, just briefly as we wrap up this segment, about two minutes remaining before we get into the future, I am curious, what would you say were the pivot points where California really turned in the wrong direction? Because the 80s and early 90s, it was heaven on earth. I mean, you could come and get an affordable house, you could Start a business. Some of the greatest entrepreneurs and companies. That was just at the beginning of dot com and Silicon Valley semiconductor land. I mean, we had every major entrepreneur on the planet saw California as the state of the future. That is where Elon Musk initially planted his roots. It's where Peter Thiel and I'm. I mean from. So what happened? What were the policy pivot points that created this steaming pile of garbage?

[Steve Hilton]

It's a great question and it's answered in the book. And just to give you just at the beginning, right. Just a couple of points along the way, really significant moments were the granting of collective bargaining rights to the public sector unions, the government unions, because that entrenched the Democrats power and enabled them to build this political machine that was so dominant. But the really important moment was actually a ballot initiative that was passed in 2008 which had the sort of nice sounding idea of independent redistricting. And what happened once that started to be implemented in 2010 was that the Democrats, again these people who lecture us all the time about democracy, gerrymandered the districts to give themselves a supermajority in the legislature. So when that happened, and they also, there was another ballot initiative that took that meant that you could pass a budget with 50% votes in the legislature, not 2/3 as it was previously. Putting all that together, they had free rein to do whatever they wanted. And that's when the extremism really came in. There was no opposition. The Republicans in the state legislature were frozen out. I'll just give you one number to capture that. If you look even in a bad year in California, Republicans get statewide around 40% of the vote. You look at the legislature, it's not 40% Republican representation until just recently, it's 20%, half what it should be. That's a result of gerrymandering. That means they've had this one party rule and they've got more and more extreme and past all this nonsense. And so that's why the most achievable way of actually bringing things back in California is to run statewide. Because there's enough Republican votes in California to bring common sense back to our beautiful state.

[Charlie Kirk]

Amen. As there are more registered Republicans in California than any other state. Any other state. I spend so much time in California. I vacation in California. My best friends are in California. Producer Andrew's there, my pastor's in California. Boy, if it can be done, it is the most worthy of all the political tasks. Because the prize of California, the untapped potential, every time I land in Orange County. What do I turn to, Mikey? I say, how did these maggots screw this place up? I just. I say that. It's just.

[Steve Hilton]

I know.

[Charlie Kirk]

And I mean, it's just. It is a slice of the divine that we have. Hey, everybody. Charlie Kirk here. We're all feeling pretty good about where our country's headed right now. But I'm concerned because it's when we let our guard down that bad things happen. That's why I always prepare for emergencies, no matter how good and comfortable life gets. And the only brand that I rely on for my security and safety in an emergency is my Patriot Supply. Whether that be their emergency food kits, solar panel generators, or water treatment systems, they're the best in the business. And right now we can get their four week emergency food kit for $50 off. Their four week emergency food kit includes some of my favorite meals like creamy Alfredo pasta and addicting snacks like sweet banana chips. With warehouses located across America, my Patriot Supply can send you a four week emergency food kit as little as one day. Go to mypatriotsupply.com and get your four week emergency food kit right now. Don't wait. Emergencies can happen anytime. That is mypatriotsupply.com to get your four week emergency food kit. Mypatriotsupply.com San Diego. There's some breaking news in San Diego. Steve Hilton is with us. San Diego Supervisor Jim Dresmond speaks out against the board of Supervisors who voted to turn the county into a super sanctuary county. Let's play cut 78.

[Mark Halperin]

I think this policy goes beyond California's existing sanctuary laws by adding an additional layer of bureaucracy that hinders local law enforcement from directly notifying ICE about illegal immigrants who are currently in our jails. And they have committed heinous crimes, including child abuse or endangerment, driving under the influence of alcohol or drugs, but only if this conviction is for a felony. Torture, rape and kidnapping.

[Charlie Kirk]

Steve, what is going on in San Diego?

[Steve Hilton]

It's insane. I mean, this is a. Again, going back to what we're saying earlier, this is a place that was, you know, used to be thought of as a Republican place. And they've gone completely nuts to the far left. This extremism is off the charts and they're doubling down on this policy. They're going further even than our terrible sanctuary state laws to basically stop any kind of cooperation between local law enforcement and ICE of Tom Homan's not going to stand for this. We know that, but they're just throwing up these barriers. What's it all about? Is this performative? I mean, I didn't even want to use the term virtue signature. There's no virtue in it, but that's what it's about. It's like saying we're the good people, we're standing up against Trump. We're going to preemptively stop them from deporting people. Who are they defending here? They're defending violent criminals. Okay? That's what's going on. And the outrageous nature of this, they have no self awareness of what this means or what it tells people about their values. I mean, it reminds me of LA City Council. That was just a couple of weeks ago. They voted to become a sanctuary city. Actually less teeth than the San Diego one. They did that in the middle of the Lake and Riley murder trial. Like just the kind of crass offensiveness of that is just unbelievable. But they have no concept of how this comes across to regular people. They're totally captured by their far left activists and this is all just pandering to them.

[Charlie Kirk]

Steve, can a last question. Califalia is the book. Can a Republican win statewide again in California?

[Steve Hilton]

Yes. And here's why I always felt that that was possible, because people, you know, you could just push people so far. And I go around the state all the time and people are just sick of what's going on. They've had enough. The crime, the homelessness, the cost of living, can't get a house, can't follow your dream, can't run a business. It's all a nightmare. Right? So there's those substantive reasons that I always felt if we had a really great campaign, we could really bring people across. But actually what happened in this election in California just now is the real data that we need. And so I'll just give you a couple of numbers. If you look at the next statewide election is 2026, it's a midterm election, you're going to have a lower turnout. And if you just take an assumption of what that turnout is going to be based on previous midterm elections, the number of votes you need to win as a Republican in California is actually slightly lower than the number of votes that President Trump just got in California. So the votes are there. President Trump got the votes in California this election. The key will be to make sure that everyone who voted for Trump in California this time turns out and votes for change next time. Then we can definitely do it. The votes are there, the Republican support is there. We just have to go and find it and get it and make sure. People vote, which you, Charlie, know all about, because that's what you've been doing across the country this election with Turning Point.

[Charlie Kirk]

Do you get a sense that the Democrats are afraid of a backlash in California to break their supermajority, eventually win statewide? But a minute remaining, speak about the current political climate as Newsom's regime comes to an end?

[Steve Hilton]

No, they don't. They're still complacent. They're still totally arrogant. They're delusional about this. They, they think that they're going to be in power forever. They got the Aaron's arrogance of this ruling elite. And so they don't really fear that kind of political change. They actually fear primaries from the far left and that kind of thing. And that's why they're completely beholden to their activists and the unions and so on. But I think that they need to. I'm very happy if they're complacent, by the way, because it means that they won't be ready for what's coming. A real revolution is coming in California, that is. My show on FOX used to be called the Next Revolution. I say it at every meeting. The next revolution is going to be the California Revolution.

[Charlie Kirk]

I love it. Steve, you're a great man. I'm going to behind you any way I possibly can be.

[Steve Hilton]

Thank you.

[Charlie Kirk]

And someone's got to run for governor out there in the Golden State. So why don't you go find someone, Steve?

[Steve Hilton]

I think so. I think we need to find someone really good who's really fired up about the possibility of change.

[Mark Halperin]

Yeah.

[Charlie Kirk]

When you find a candidate, call me. Thanks, Steve.

[Steve Hilton]

Thank you, Charlie.

[Mark Halperin]

See you soon.

[Charlie Kirk]

Joining us now is Mark Halperin, political reporter. And Mark Halperin's Wide World of News also, Two Way tv. Check it out right now, two Way tv. Mark, welcome to the program. Mark, about a week ago, it looked as if Pete Hegseth was on very, very shaky ground. How would you grade his probability of confirmation and what changed in the last week?

[Mark Halperin]

Well, Charlie, thanks for having me back. If there's no new information and if he performs well at the hearings, I think his chances are between nine and 10, eight or nine out of 10. I think he's in a very strong position. I think not all the senators who are inclined to oppose him currently have been publicly named. So I think his problem on paper is a little bit broader than people realize. But what's changed is he and his team, including the vice president elect, have been super smart at changing the terms of the discussion. First of all, no senator thinks it's fair for someone's career to be short circuited by anonymous allegations. It runs against a lot of what Americans believe in. And senators themselves are subject to a lot of anonymous allegations. So highlighting the fact that every serious allegation against him is based on anonymous allegations, I think has been successful. I think also making this about the President's agenda, about. About whether woke is going to be removed from the Pentagon, making it about the future, not the past, I think has been effective. And I think efforts to convince these senators that if they vote against Donald Trump's nominees, if they don't give him the kind of deference most presidents get, they could be primaried as, to paraphrase a great Arizonan paraphrase now, nice Senate seat you got there. It wouldn't be a shame if you lost it.

[Charlie Kirk]

You know, I've said that once or twice in the last week.

[Mark Halperin]

Yeah.

[Charlie Kirk]

So let me ask you from your reporting, Mark, because I kind of in my own bubble, have those threats of primarying resonated with Senate staff and those that are within the decision making? Has the increased temperature and ferocity from people like myself and even Elon, has that helped move the dial or make a difference?

[Mark Halperin]

I think what you guys have done, along with others, including Pete himself, is bought him into January. Okay. I think, I think it's easy to over calibrate one direction, the other. It's not an overstatement to say that this nomination was close to being done last week.

[Charlie Kirk]

Yes.

[Mark Halperin]

Which is to say it was. Donald Trump was not publicly reported, talked to Governor DeSantis about it, had other names under consideration. But I think what you all have done is move this to a January discussion. Another point, if you're a nominee who's embattled, is to get a hearing. Right. Nominees usually survive a hearing and then a floor vote. What causes them to go. And you saw this with Matt Gaetz is forced out before a hearing. And I think what you all have done is gotten the senators who are wavering, the Republican senators. If I go to an NCAA men's basketball idiom on the bubble, you've gotten them to say he deserves a hearing. Right. It's not fair to take this opportunity away from him to deny President Trump the person he wants without a hearing where he can face his accusers if they come forward and getting a hearing freezes the field. Right now, switching from a basketball to a football metaphor, the field is frozen. People aren't going to come out against him. I don't believe in December. I don't believe anyone will. There's one senator who's been thinking about it, but I believe he's been brushed back and you all gave him the opportunity to get to this January. Now, in January, I think you could see between now and then more investigative reports, maybe some not based on anonymous sources. I think you could also see some of the people who've been anonymous do television interviews and depending on the strength of their testimony, that may be powerful. The other thing is, and this I think Charlie is important, the people in the Republican Senate who have doubts about Pete Hag said there's nothing in it for them except they think he's in the public interest to consider whether he's the right person despite some of the accusations made against them. They're not taking suitcases full of money. They're not anti maga. They don't want the job themselves. They think the right thing to do is consider whether he should get the job. And I think what would be great for the country is if there was less focus on the personal allegations. Not no focus, but less focus and more focus on some fundamental questions. Running a building with 3 million employees, that's hard. There's nothing on Pete Hicks resume to suggest he's able to do that. He needs to have that conversation with the senators. Can he sit in a situation room during a crisis and give the President the very best judgment about how to respond? Again, not much on his resume, although he of course he served. That suggests he's prepared for that. So I hope the country and the Senate has that discussion and not the media and tabloid obsession with some accusations which are serious and will be investigated. But don't warrant blotting out the other things.

[Charlie Kirk]

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[Mark Halperin]

Right. So I think that all three will be confirmed if there's no new revelations. And they perform well at their hearing. The hearing. Congressional hearings are normally just show trials. They're like, they're, you know, they're not, they're not on the up and up. There's nothing about good for the public. They're just time for members to get in front of the camera. But I think these hearings will be important when they give their opening statement, when they answer policy questions. Bobby Kennedy is kind of an interesting case. If you talk to anyone with an opinion about Bobby Kennedy and you press them, there's probably one thing that he's for that they really like, and then there's something he's for that they do not like. And I think he's going to have to figure out how to navigate that, particularly with the senators on the committee, to say, well, you may not like the fact that I've spoken out in favor of abortion rights, or you may not like the fact that I've been a vaccine skeptic. But how about this position, Senator, that you think is a good one? Again, there are accusations against him of all sorts. I think he'll make it, assuming there's nothing new and he performs well. The key to me for Tulsi Gabbard is people like Tom Cotton and Marco Rubio. Both of those guys are extremely well respected on intelligence matters. And of course, Marco Rubio is in line to be Tulsi Gabbard's colleague in the Trump administration. If they're both confirmed. If those two guys say that doubts about her on intelligence issues can be set aside, I think she'll be confirmed, and I suspect that they both will. And then finally on Cash Patel, it's just so not surprising. The tone of the coverage in the dominant media, which doesn't like him and never has, is very hyperbolic, very hysterical. This isn't about winning Democratic Senate votes. He will not. It's about holding a 50 of the 53 Republicans. And I think if you look at the things that people put in these long articles, you know, that are, that are raising alarms about him, there's a few things he said that I think are intemperate, unwise, not in keeping with the best of American traditions. And I think if he explains what he meant and maybe take some of them back, I don't think there's any problem. People who say he doesn't have the experience are just flat out wrong. People who say he shouldn't be in the job because of some of his views. He's reflecting the views of the man who ran and won. And Donald Trump wasn't shy about expressing views on these issues. He was quite clear about what he wanted. So I don't think it's fair to a president elect to say I don't like this guy's views, which happened to match the president elect, so I'm going to vote him down. So again, barring some new revelation, assuming a good performance during the hearing, which I'm more confident he'll have than the other two, again, I'd expect that he'd be confirmed.

[Charlie Kirk]

I mean, John Bolton came today with his typical over the top statements. He says history won't escape his won't escape. Senators won't escape history's judgment if they vote to confirm Cash Patel. I'm glad John Bolton is not reaching for the hyperbolic in such statements. So kind of looking at that across the board, there's going to be confirmation fights then confirmation schedules. You've been covering this for quite some time, Mark. Usually these aren't that sexy. Usually it's kind of just very procedural. It's kind of just run of the mill. They even do voice votes on some, not all. I think this is going to be different. This might be one of the more intriguing confirmations in history. Is there any parallel to this, of this kind of drama that we've seen in recent memory?

[Mark Halperin]

Not like this. Because the sheer number of folks who are inspiring controversy and who are known quantities. Right. Often you'll have controversies over cabinet officials who could walk down any street USA and not be recognized. Bobby Kennedy, Tulsi Gabbard, even Cash Patel. They've got currency in the popular culture and the wider culture. What's Unusual. Also here is none of these confirmations will rise or fall on the opposition party. Right. The Democrats are in the minority. They may vote for some Trump nominees, but any Democrat who's getting votes from Democrats doesn't need those Democratic votes to be confirmed. So this is a universe depending on who the nominee in question is. Of up to 15 Republicans, I think of the 53, I think there are 15 who might, might potentially vote no on some, some one or more of these nominees. And so the question's just going to be a simple game of math on any one of these nominees, will four or more of those 15 vote no? And I think you saw Tom Cotton, who's a very shrewd guy the other day, who's the number three Republican in the incoming Senate, say he expects them all to be confirmed, which means he expects none of them to lose more than three of those 15 on any given confirmation vote on the floor. You have to get out of committee before you get a floor vote. Most of these committees shape up decently for these nominees where they're probably still going to get out of committee even if the committee's deadlock. So I'd expect for all of us to not be hyperbolic, focus on the issues and then for the sake of just the pure question of confirmation, that binary question, are there four or more votes against from the Republican side or not? And I don't think you're going to see that. I think the Matt Gates experience did not embolden these folks so much as chasten them and they will do their due diligence. And if these nominees can explain their past controversial positions and some of the accusations against them, I do expect them to. Senator Cotton is probably right. And that will be the norm. The norm Donald Trump withdrew to, never got to a committee hearing, never got to a vote, the rest being confirmed. That's the norm. The relative absence of votes from Democrats, and I think most of these guys and gals will not get Democratic votes. That's unusual. But that's a sign of our times and increased polarization that we see and of Donald Trump's choosing pretty, what you could call them, bold or controversial picks.

[Charlie Kirk]

Mark, from your reporting, it seems that these things sometimes heat up about a month and a half later. What I'm talking about is the autopsy reports. It takes a little bit of time because, you know, sometimes Democrats, Republicans, when there's a loss, it's a little bit of shell shock. But then there's a little bit of like, here's what went wrong is that the case, and I'm not as interested in that question, but at least. What are you gathering from the Democrats that are starting to put together the diagnosis of the autopsy of what they think went wrong this election cycle?

[Mark Halperin]

Yeah, you're right. It's usually not right in the immediate aftermath. Sort of historically, the big event is this thing they do at Harvard called the campaign managers that's been going on since, for decades and that one just took place. I think I say this with no disrespect, just as a factual matter. I think as best I can tell, the Democrats are in near 100% denial about what went wrong. They're almost entirely avoiding holding Joe Biden accountable for his contributions to the loss, Kamala Harris for her contributions, the Biden Harris record for the contributions, and then I think most significantly in collusion with the media that they've been in collusion with about all of this stuff in terms of trying to stop. Donald Trump has been a failure to look at the shortcomings the Democratic Party had during this election with voters. Right. Ronald Reagan talked about the three legged stool, national security, economics and social issues. It's true that Republican Senate candidates lost in a lot of the key Senate contests. But at the presidential level, the party is defined. The Democratic Party is defined in a way that they continue to be in denial about. The Democratic Party is much further to the left than it's been in decades. And their autopsies, their ruminations do not include in the main discussions of those four issues. And I think that's a big mistake. There are lots of reasons why Donald Trump won and Kamala Harris lost. But those four are, I think, the main reasons. And I haven't seen any discussions of that so far. It's good that they're loyal to their bosses. That's a good trait. But if the party wants to have a real reckoning about what went wrong and they just want to fall back on, we're not as good as messaging or the Republicans are tougher than we are. I think they're making a big mistake because they're not getting to the heart of the action.

[Charlie Kirk]

Yeah, it's such a smart point. And I just find this to be a cope. And Republicans do it too. To be fair, Republicans do it too. But Democrats, when they say we're just not good at marketing our ideas, well, maybe your ideas are bad, okay? Maybe it's not just a marketing or a presentation issue. Maybe it's the core thing you're trying to sell. It is the greatest DC COPE ever. That People would say. So what you're saying is that there is not a reckoning yet.

[Mark Halperin]

I haven't seen it. I'm not sure we'll get to it. You know, every campaign that loses has got a thousand stories about why. And it's not an exact science to differentiate between the little things and the big things, the big causes, little causes. I think when you listen to the Harris senior folks talk, it's gibberish. And they're very good people. I've said about the Harris high command, most of whom also worked for the buying campaign. These are not political all stars. They're hall of famers. They're some of the most accomplished operatives in either party in the last 50 years. And for whatever reason, they don't want to be honest about why they lost this election. And I find it. You talk about the patterns. I've never seen a campaign as reluctant to admit to a single error on the part of either the candidate or the campaign. In my career, I've never seen it. They will not admit to a single error. And I'm not trying to browbeat them or make them feel bad, but as a journalist, I want to know what happened. And as. And as a party, the Democrats should want to know what happened. And instead they just say, we didn't have enough time. The conditions were against us. You know, people didn't think the Biden Harris record was good.

[Charlie Kirk]

Well, as a. As a. As a MAGA operative, I support their indulgence in their getting high on their own compliance. Mark? Yes. Thank you so much. Excellent as always. Twoway tv, check it out. Thanks so much for listening, everybody. Email us, as always, freedom at charliekirk. Com. Thanks so much for listening and God bless.

[Steve Hilton]

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