We're Serious: Sabotage Trump, Get Primaried

Summary

Podcast Summary: The Charlie Kirk Show – "We're Serious: Sabotage Trump, Get Primaried"

Release Date: December 6, 2024

In the episode titled "We're Serious: Sabotage Trump, Get Primaried," host Charlie Kirk delves into the escalating efforts within the conservative movement to challenge and primary Republican senators who oppose President Trump's nominees. Joined by Congressman Chip Roy, the discussion spans strategies to safeguard the President's agenda, the intricacies of government spending cuts, and broader implications for the Republican Party's future.

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1. Pressure Campaign Against Senator Joni Ernst

Charlie Kirk opens the episode by addressing the ongoing pressure campaign targeting Senator Joni Ernst of Iowa. He emphasizes the frustration within the conservative base regarding Ernst's stance against President Trump's nominee, Pete Hegseth.

Charlie Kirk [05:00]: "Senator Joni Ernst has got to come out, say that you're for Pete, and get all the other neocons to do the same. Line up, get it done."

Kirk references a poll from his platform, FreedomEarlyKirk.com, indicating strong support from his audience for primarizing Ernst to remove her from her Senate seat.

Charlie Kirk [05:42]: "Freedomarlykirk.com ... the base that you and the Charlie Kirk show audience wants to see removed."

2. Defense and Support for Pete Hegseth

Kirk passionately defends Pete Hegseth, portraying him as a patriotic figure battling against entrenched neoconservative forces within the Senate. He warns of a domino effect where removing one senator could lead to the targeting of others who oppose Trump's agenda.

Charlie Kirk [02:10]: "Gene Hegseth is more than qualified. He's an American patriot, He's an American hero."

3. Broader Strategy to Primary Conservative Senators

The conversation shifts to a broader strategy of primarizing Republican senators from deep-red states who are perceived as obstacles to Trump's nominees. Kirk mentions potential targets in states like Idaho, South Dakota, Mississippi, and Kansas, highlighting the grassroots support ready to fund and support these primary challenges.

Charlie Kirk [12:37]: "Times are changing... we are not going to pick senators that are in contentious battles ... Mississippi, South Dakota, Kansas, Idaho."

4. Government Spending Cuts and the Role of Doge and Vivek

Congressman Chip Roy joins the discussion to talk about the efforts by Elon Musk and Vivek Ramaswamy through their initiatives, Doge and Powman Act, aimed at cutting government spending. Roy criticizes Congress for prolonged waste and underscores the need for significant reductions.

Chip Roy [16:42]: "Congress has been writing blank checks. ... we're a pretty good state of affairs right now ... efficiency really should be elimination more than efficiency."

5. Impoundment and Executive Authority

Kirk poses a complex question about the executive branch's authority to return unspent appropriated funds to Congress, touching upon the concept of impoundment. Roy responds by affirming the President's constitutional authority to manage expenditures within reason, suggesting that such actions are both possible and necessary to control waste.

Charlie Kirk [18:15]: "If the executive branch ... is allowed to then send that money back to Congress ... is that fair, Chip?"

Chip Roy [20:25]: "I think that's in fact constitutionally correct. ... There's a lot of room there for the President to do that."

6. Senate Republicans’ Allegiance and Future Primaries

The discussion deepens into the loyalty of Senate Republicans from predominantly red states. Roy criticizes senators like Ernst for not aligning with the Republican base's desires, while Kirk underscores the importance of senators reflecting their constituents' conservative values.

Chip Roy [27:14]: "These are people who do not share the perspective of the American people that sent President Trump back into office ... they want change."

Charlie Kirk [28:31]: "If there's a serious advise and consent issue, fine. ... We're not going to put up with that."

7. The Role of Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez and Democrat Dynamics

Towards the end of the episode, the focus shifts to the Democratic landscape, particularly the influence and potential presidential ambitions of Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez (AOC). The conversation explores AOC's popularity within the Democratic base and her strategic positioning for future elections.

Charlie Kirk [30:12]: "She understands the Internet. ... Nearly 8.2 million followers on Instagram. ... She's very, very difficult to beat."

Unknown Guest [33:05]: "We underestimate AOC's popularity, especially within a Democrat caucus at our own peril."

8. Concluding Remarks and Future Outlook

In wrapping up, Kirk and Roy reiterate their commitment to ensuring that Republican senators align with conservative principles and support Trump’s initiatives. They emphasize the seriousness of the primary threats and the active measures being taken to secure the party’s future.

Charlie Kirk [33:38]: "What we've done yesterday with Senator Ernst, that was very effective."

Chip Roy [34:00]: "Thanks so much for listening and God bless."

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Key Takeaways

• Primary Challenges: The conservative movement, led by Charlie Kirk and supported by figures like Chip Roy, is actively targeting Republican senators who oppose Trump's nominees, with Senator Joni Ernst being a primary focus.

• Support for Nominees: Emphasis on supporting qualified and patriotic figures like Pete Hegseth to ensure the President's agenda progresses without obstruction.

• Government Spending: Critical analysis of government waste with initiatives like Doge and Powman Act spearheading efforts to reduce expenditures.

• Executive Authority: Affirmation of the President's constitutional authority to manage appropriated funds and reduce wasteful spending.

• Democratic Landscape: Examination of AOC's influence within the Democratic Party and her potential impact on future elections.

This episode serves as a rallying cry for grassroots conservatives to remain vigilant and proactive in defending their values and supporting leaders who align with their vision for America.

Transcript

[Charlie Kirk]

Hey everybody. Today on the Charlie Kirk show, the pressure campaign against Joni Ernst continues. An update on Pete Hegseth and also what is going on the front lines in the US Senate. Chip Roy joins us to talk Doge and powman act cutting spending and more. Come to america [e-mail] Listen to this promo.

[Unknown Announcer]

American Patriots get ready for the biggest event of the year. Join thousands in hearing the leading voices of the movement featuring Charlie Kirk, Tucker Carlson, Steve Bannon, Donald Trump Jr. Dr. Ben Carson, Tim Pool, Senator Josh Hawley, Kimberly Guilfoyle, Matt Walsh, Michael Knowles, Ben Shapiro, Jack Posovic, Danica Patrick, Patrick Bet, David, Brett Cooper, Tom holman and more December 19th through 22nd in Phoenix, Arizona. Get inspired and make a difference at America Fest 2024.

[Charlie Kirk]

Register today at amfest.com that is AmericaFest amfest.com amfest.com Email me. As always, freedomarlykirk.com and become a member today. Members.charliekirk.com members.charliekirk. com Buckle up, everybody. Here we go.

[Chip Roy]

Charlie, what you've done is incredible here.

[Charlie Kirk]

Maybe Charlie Kirk is on the college campus.

[Chip Roy]

I want you to know we are lucky to Charlie Kirk. Charlie Kirk's running the White House, folks.

[Unknown Announcer]

I want to thank Charlie. He's an incredible guy. His spirit, his love of this country. He's done an amazing job building one of the most powerful youth organizations ever created, Turning Point usa.

[Charlie Kirk]

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 investments@noblegold investments.com that is noblegold investments.com. it's where I buy all of my gold. Go to noblegold investments.com let's begin. Kind of connecting yesterday's news cycle to today. Yesterday we were very clear that if anybody were to vote against Pete Hegseth as a Republican from a Republican state, that they will be met with a primary challenge. And we went to Twitter, otherwise known as X and we name names, specifically the alleged. But we know, we know what's really going on here. Leader of the campaign against Pete Hegseth, which is the queen of the neocons, the Senate again. I'm sure she's a nice person. Great table manners, very polite. I've never met her, so I can't speak to her character. I can speak though to her publicly stated positions, her policy and her campaign to try and thwart undermine Pete Hegseth. The only downside of what happened with Matt Gaetz is these senators are feeling a little uppity. They feel as if that they can challenge the President and basically embrace a pocket veto against the will of the people and against the will of the President. And we're not going to put up with that. Gene Hegseth is more than qualified. He's an American patriot, He's an American hero. You could think about this almost like domino theory that if they are able to topple Pete Hegseth and Matt Gaetz, then Cash next, then Tulsi Gabbard. And by the way, I hope you guys are ready to man the ramparts because the Bobby Kennedy fight is going to be nuclear. It'll be different, but it's going to be nuclear. You see, with Pete Hegseth, it's not yet identified what special interests specifically are against Pete Hegseth. With Bobby Kennedy, Pfizer, Eli Lilly, AstraZeneca, Moderna, Johnson and Johnson, they're going to have artillery shells.

[Unknown Guest]

Well, I actually think they're really good parallels. I think, I think you've. I think the three biggest fights are going to be Tulsi, but I would say I put her. I think I put her in 1B or maybe even 2. But it's going to be RFK and it's going to be Pete because they are looking to helm the agencies that have the largest amount of private corruption surrounding them. I mean, with. With Pete, it's the Defense Department, right? The contractors. Make no mistake about this, folks. This is a. This is an information op that is being waged against Pete Hegseth. Why? Because there are billions and even trillions of dollars surrounding the contracts that emanate from the Pentagon. And with rfk, similarly, big, big medicine, big hospital, big pharma.

[Charlie Kirk]

The largest budget federal budget is ahs.

[Unknown Guest]

Yeah, well, and I would say it's the two, two largest budgets. And so that's why these going to be the most extreme mostly though, and credit to President Trump because he has the guts and the courage to appoint change makers. Right? Washington D.C. is going to fight back against anybody who is not going to be in support of the status quo. And that's what we have here. Pete Hegseth is a guy that looks out for the war fighters, not the war machine.

[Charlie Kirk]

And so Hegseth is. It's about Pete, but it's bigger than Pete. Pete is a symbol of whether or not the president gets to choose his cabinet. And if Pete falls, then every single one of these disruptors is going to be in jeopardy. Every single one of them. So this is being led by Senator Joni Ernst of Iowa. By the way, we took a poll from the audience yesterday. We did a poll. Freedomarliekirk.com which senator that is currently in cycle do you want to see us primary? Joni Ernst, by far was the one that the base that you and the Charlie Kirk show audience wants to see removed. Not saying we're going to do that, but I did get a couple calls from some big donors in Iowa, and they're ready to fund things. They're ready to get things.

[Unknown Guest]

By the way, the people in Iowa, they're fired up. I mean, there is. There is a whole apparatus already built to primary Joni Ernst. Now, we're holding our fire here.

[Charlie Kirk]

We're not. We're nudging anything.

[Unknown Guest]

No, we're not threatening to do it. If. If she just sort of goes through.

[Charlie Kirk]

Well, more than that, she's got to become a leader. She's got a lot of healing to work here. So Joni Ernst has got to come out, say that you're for Pete, and get all the other neocons to do the same. Line up, get it done.

[Unknown Guest]

Well, and she's now on the record, Charlie, sort of saying she's not publicly saying she's against him. She just wants a chance to go.

[Charlie Kirk]

Through the confirmation, which is better than where it was.

[Unknown Guest]

Exactly.

[Charlie Kirk]

It started with serious concerns. We had a really troubled meeting to. Well, we have to let the process. A lot of things have moved.

[Unknown Guest]

Yeah, I got a few text messages from folks when this came out of the Friends Ross pivot gif. Because, you know, it definitely was a tonal shift very much in the sort of like, hey, I'm not against Pete. Everybody relax. Because she was feeling it. Make no mistake, the audience here that's.

[Charlie Kirk]

Watching right now, let's help make this happen.

[Unknown Guest]

You guys lit up her phone lines. She felt it. She felt the heat. But I will just say she's got a lot of healing because the more people are finding out about Joni Ernst, the less they like her.

[Charlie Kirk]

Look. So let's play some tape here of what Joni Ernst believes. And again, this is very. It's a very important context here. If you have a serious substantive reason why you think Pete Hex. Hexat shouldn't be secret defense, then air that. But if you're going to do the Brett Kavanaugh thing, we're not going to put up. It's not going to happen. So maybe this is why Joni Ernst is against Pete Hegseth. Joni Ernst is for mentally ill people serving in the US Military. She says that we want the talent of the mentally ill in the US military, not a joke play cut139.

[Joni Ernst]

So the example of transgender people serving in our military, we have transgender people serving in our military. They will bleed red just as the rest of us. But I also take a stance that we should not be integrating transgender people into certain situations where it does make if you have a female barracks and you have a transgender woman who has not transitioned, we shouldn't make the rest of the unit uncomfortable about that setting. There are certain accommodations we can make for that transgender individual. But if they bring value to our unit, if they have specialties that we can use, especially if we want to maintain an all volunteer force, we want to bring that talent into our services. And I know that's controversial, but again, I'm looking at what's good for our nation. And believe me, when we're facing a recruiting challenge right now, if people are physically willing and able to serve our country, we want them to do so.

[Charlie Kirk]

Look, let's make the enemy uncomfortable, not who cares about anything else the enemy issue, who should be uncomfortable. And it should be about lethality, not diversity, equity, inclusion, wokeism or trans advancement. And so Joni Ernst, maybe that's one of the reasons why she's against Pete Hegseth. She wants a more trans military.

[Unknown Guest]

Well, in fairness to Joni Ernst, Charlie, she's not saying she's against him now. So there was a pivot that happened, right? I mean, and we should go into this. There was an article out of Real Clear Politics from Phil Wegman. But basically this reporter, Phil brought up Charlie's tweet noting that she voted for Secretary Lloyd Lloyd Austin. And so this reporter brings up this tweet, Charlie pointing this out and she says no, no. Ernst said of the accusation that she was working behind the scenes to sink the nominee. And believe me, I have been feeling this. The senator insisted that there is absolutely no campaign against Pete, adding that her focus remains strictly on ensuring thorough and fair confirmation process.

[Charlie Kirk]

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[Unknown Guest]

You know, remember when Trump said you're going to get, you're going to win so much, you're going to get tired of winning. I would just say that since November 5th, I'm definitely not tired of winning.

[Charlie Kirk]

Not sick of winning. Yeah, but think about it. Joni Ernst is turning to her staff saying, I don't want to be ronted. I don't want to be taken out by the grassroots. And look, this is a promise. We will find one or two old crows and primaries will be launched. It's going to happen. Might be in Idaho, might be in South Dakota, it might be in Mississippi.

[Unknown Guest]

And I want to this is a really important point to anybody out there that thinks that these threats are empty or that they're not serious.

[Charlie Kirk]

Ask Chairman Romney.

[Unknown Guest]

I will just tell you that first of all, we don't need to get all of you and you don't know which is gonna be you if you stand in our way.

[Charlie Kirk]

That's correct.

[Unknown Guest]

Secondly, to your point, the fact that donors are already showing this much enthusiasm to take out senators that put an R next their name, are happy to put go on a stage with Trump when he comes to your state or try and like draft off his coattails and yet when it comes down to defending his picks in the cabinet and you get in the way of that, we this is the base. And not only the base. The donor class is totally fed up with it and they're sick of it. Think that this is 2012 anymore and that you're just going to get away with this. Times are A changing as somebody once.

[Charlie Kirk]

Rep. Times are a change. But here, let me tell you this. It's also, we're being very responsible over this. We are not going to pick senators that are in contentious battles. These are deep, deep red states where the primary is the election. Mississippi, South Dakota, Kansas, Idaho. If we do not fight for a better Republican Party, then what good are our victories? And we don't know which one we're going to go after. We don't know if it's going to be Joni Ernst in Iowa. We don't know if we're going to launch a whole campaign against her.

[Unknown Guest]

I hope Joanie comes around on this.

[Charlie Kirk]

No, I mean, again, no decisions have been made, but there will be one or two or three where we put the entire thing. And all you need to do is be able to pick off one. And these senators think they're untouchable, many of them. These old crows. Again, I'm not talking about the good ones. I'm not talking about Jim Banks. I'm not Bernie Moreno, Chuck Grassley, McCormick. By the way, Chuck Grassley has been great and he's going to vote for Pete Hegseth.

[Unknown Guest]

It looks like Katie Britt just came out yesterday.

[Charlie Kirk]

Katie Britt, terrific. And we've had our disagreements with Senator Britt. I was texting with her. She's been great.

[Unknown Guest]

Yeah, she's been.

[Charlie Kirk]

So all you gotta do is vote for the guy. Again, it's not like this ask. I'm not asking you to do something that's that crazy. And I'm not asking you to go against your voters. I want you to think about that. It's not like Charlie Kirk and Turning Point Action are asking you to do something that your voters don't want. I'm just asking you to do what your voters told you to do. That's it. The ask is to listen to the people that gave you political power and do what they want you to do. And red state senators need to reflect they're conservative voters. Yeah. People have long said, charlie, what is your vision for the Republican Party? I want it to be as conservative as its voters. I just want them to come into alignment with one another. And so as we start to consider what primaries to engage in, we it's actually interesting. These confirmation fights are being very instructive in our 2025, 2026 plans of what candidates do we draft, what states do we go after? How enthusiastic. Are you trying to help President Trump? Are you actually fighting for President Trump in the trenches? Are you trying to fight his Cabinet Are you making Pete Hegseth's job harder? And honestly, for some of it, like Joni Ernst, it's not going to be enough right now that she just supports Pete Hegseth. She's going to have to go become a cheerleader, like go out on the cable shows. I was a skeptic. Now I'm a believer. And you will win over a lot of people and the blitzkrieg can go to some other member. And look, just so we're clear, what we did yesterday with Senator Ernst, that was very effective.

[Unknown Guest]

Well.

[Charlie Kirk]

And very effective.

[Unknown Guest]

And we hope we listen. This is a, you know, we want to be supportive. We want to be supportive of all 53 senators. Candidly, I would love to sit here in a couple months.

[Charlie Kirk]

Our temperament is not disagreeable.

[Unknown Guest]

No. We are not here to just, you know, be a bull in a china shop or just like. Yeah. Cause issues within the conservative movement. Our issue is that if you are going to align yourself with Mitch McConnell and that you think that's your ticket. By the way, even Thune has been signaling.

[Charlie Kirk]

Well, Thun's great.

[Unknown Guest]

Yeah, he's been signaling.

[Charlie Kirk]

Not great, but Thun has been great on.

[Unknown Guest]

Exactly. So my point is.

[Charlie Kirk]

Thune has been great on personnel.

[Unknown Guest]

My point is that there is an avenue here for you to redeem yourself. That avenue is open to you. But we will raise holy hell if you stand in the way of this historic mandate. And that is not an empty threat.

[Charlie Kirk]

Yes. And if you continue to do this rubbish where you are pushing against nominees that obviously are qualified, the grassroots is just waking up. And by the way, this is, it's. There's a lot of time left on the clock. If you guys want to avoid a primary when Bobby Kennedy names come up, get behind it. When Tulsi Gabbard get behind it. What we are going to do at Turning Point Action is watch closely pressure campaign and then grade how you guys handle these confirmation fights. And based on that, there might be a primary coming near you and it will be very well funded and it will be very serious. We don't know where yet, but these are not empty threats. Just ask Ronna McRomney. Joining us now is Congressman Chip Roy. He does a wonderful job. Congressman Las to discuss here. First and foremost, tell us about Elon and Vivek coming to the Hill yesterday and the Doge meeting, what went down.

[Chip Roy]

Yeah, Charlie, great to be on. Merry Christmas to you. We're a pretty good state of affairs right now when you've got the administration coming in. I was down in Florida with some friends just a couple days ago, come back. We've got Elon and Vivek meeting with the Republican Conference to talk about what they're going to do with Doge, this Department of Government efficiency. My only complaint is that efficiency really should be elimination more than efficiency. But at the end of the day, we had a really good conversation. And look, I think their primary and best role is going to be, is going to be to expose the absurdity of government spending, demonstrating the American people, which will then increase pressure on Congress to do its job, but also the incoming administration. Russ Vogt coming in, the OMB director. Those guys will be able to work closely with them, and they are already working closely to identify where they can cut. But it's not just waste. It's not just the fraud and abuse. Those terms get thrown around a lot. We've got to remember that Congress for too long has been writing blank checks. And that was the one thing I said somewhat critically or introspectively of Congress yesterday in front of Elon and Vivek. Guys, you're looking for the enemy and the enemy's here. If you look in the room, look in the mirror, Congress has been funding this stuff for way too long. So let's all get on board. Let's applaud Elon and Vivek, but now let's deliver. Congress has to do our job. We have Article 1 authority of the power of the purse. Let's get it right this time.

[Charlie Kirk]

So I have a wonky question here, Chip, that is being debated and has definitely been discussed in transition circles, both publicly and privately. If the executive branch is appropriated from Congress, let's say $200 billion for the Department of Education and the Department of Education, Linda McMahon is doing a great job. And the president only spend $150 billion. Is the executive branch allowed to then send that money back to Congress and say, this was unnecessary? Thanks so much. Here's $50 billion back.

[Chip Roy]

So what you're talking about in broad terms is what my friend Russ Vogt and others have been talking about is impoundment. And that is the authority of the president effectively to not spend all of the money that Congress sends to the President. I happen to believe that that is in fact constitutionally correct, that we appropriate the president and the executive function can choose within some degree of reason. Right. This is always some of the questions you have to deal with about how far you can go. I don't think the president has the unilateral authority to just say, I'm zeroing out an agency without Congress saying, oh, hold on a second, we appropriated for the Department of Defense X. You can't just zero that out. But I think if the President says, look, there's waste, there's fraud, I don't agree with these particular directions. I'm going to direct as the Executive, this particular agency to go do abc. Maybe it's the Department of Homeland Security, but yeah, I don't think we need to spend all this money on these ridiculous programs, DEI and other stuff. So I'm saving some money. I think there's a lot of room there for the President to do that. Under the Constitution, the impoundment, the Budget Control act included an empowerment language that tried to restrict the President from being able to spend less. I think that was unconstitutional. I think that is constraining the President. But I'm an Article one guy. I think Congress does have to flex its muscle. But in this case, the President is the one who executes. So Congress hears the appropriations. He wants to spend less. I think he has the authority within some degree of reason to do that and should. And I think Elon and Vivek Ross vote and others will be ready to do that.

[Charlie Kirk]

Yeah, I hope everyone understands this is very important, that if we have a budget fight in Congress that we lose, which we're going to win some and lose some, you know, this Chip. And then all of a sudden the Executive branch says, but, hey, we have Doge, we have Vivek, we have Elon, and we have. And we're able to just be. We're only going to spend 80% of what Congress sends us and we're able to prove it. You can then actually cut spending even if Congress fails the test? Potentially, theoretically, if the Supreme Court can come in in favor of the Impoundment Act. Is that fair, Chip?

[Chip Roy]

Yeah, that is fair. I think that is correct. And my friend Andrew Clive from Georgia has legislation to actually cut out that language that we believe is constitutionally problematic. And I support that bill. I'm not sure the bill's necessary. Right. I think the President can act under the Constitution. It would be litigated. And I think the Supreme Court, again, within reason, would fall in behind the President's authority to do that and pretty aggressively be able to do that. You just can't fundamentally rewrite it all and just zero it out. So, you know, courts would probably set some parameters. I think Congress could probably set some parameters, but I don't think Congress can say that the President is unable to reduce the spending. It will be critical to Your point? For the President, through his OMB and through all the people working with him, and for him, DOGE is kind of its own, you know, island over here. And I'm not even 100% sure yet how it will be formally structured. But however that plays out, the President is going to be very important to shrinking the bureaucracy, shrinking the weaponized government under, you know, undoing the damage of the bloated government. Congress needs to come in behind them and do smart appropriations and back them up and say no, you do have the authority to do that. We support you doing that. And here are appropriations bills. But I don't want Congress to be absolved in the responsibility to pass responsible appropriations bills and handle the reconciliation process properly. We still must do that.

[Charlie Kirk]

It's critical, trust me. I agree. I'm just, I'm skeptical at times that the beast is going to be able to be stood up.

[Chip Roy]

So am I.

[Charlie Kirk]

That's where I think that the executive branch, having some agility and some capacity, could end up saving hundreds of billions of dollars. Hundreds of billions of dollars. And with that, calm the bond markets a little bit. Hope everyone understands this, is that the bond markets will look for signals that spending will get under control and the deficit can be controlled. Inflation is being driven by our deficit. That simple. We are creating money out of thin air and purchasing bonds and it gets flooding into the system. Hey everybody, Charlie Kirk here. When it comes to nutrition, we want what's best for ourselves and our family, including our four legged family too. You've all heard me talk about how amazing rough greens has been and how remarkable it has been for dogs like mine. Well, from the makers of rough greens now comes meow greens. That's right, Meow greens for your cats. Because all pet food is dead food. Dogs and cats have completely different nutritional needs, but what they have in common is they need the live vitamins, probiotics, enzymes, omega oils and antioxidants found in rough greens nutritional products. Whether you have a dog, cat, or both, bring their dead food back to life while improving digestion, coats, breath, energy and so much more. Simply go to roughgreens.com and use promo code Kirk and get a free Jumpstart trial bag. A $20 value for free. You just cover shipping. Go to ruffgreens.com and promo code Kirk. Pet food is dead food. Bring it back to life with rough greens. Roughgreens.com promo code Kirk. Shifting gears a little bit here, Congressman. You have never been a rubber stamp for President Trump. You support him when you can and you're an honest broker. Grade his cabinet picks and grade this transition, please.

[Chip Roy]

Look, I think the president has been doing an exceptional job since November 5th. And yeah, I try to be an honest broker. I'm constitutionally required to be an honest broker. But look, the president did an exceptional job on the campaign. He built a coalition that is representative of, I think, the shifting sands and the political climate and landscape. And I think he's made a lot of exceptional picks. Let me just go through a handful. Look, I think first and foremost, we talked about Russ Vogt. That's a really exceptional pick at OMB to return to that post. I think the only person that has been nominated to return to the same post.

[Charlie Kirk]

He's phenomenal.

[Chip Roy]

Brendan Carr at the fcc, exceptional pick. Free speech advocate wants to go hold Big Tech in check. I think we've seen having Tulsi Gabbard as a new and refreshing view about not being constantly engaged in endless wars. I think Pete Hegseth was an exceptional pick. I know he's under fire in the Senate, but he's under fire from squishy senators who have been against everything we want to do. And so I hope Pete holds the line all the way through. I'm defending him and we should all defend him. You know, look, we've all had some indiscretions in our past and things like that. Every human has, but good grief, Pete Exet, he's got the support of him so many people. And he represents somebody who would take on the defense establishment. And we need that, desperately need that. Bobby Kennedy. You and I disagree with Bobby Kennedy on a lot of things, Charlie. Life in particular. But Bobby Kennedy represents somebody who would shake up the healthcare establishment. Callie Means, Marty Makary. These are people that are going to change the way we focus on the power at the FDA and the power that we've got in all of the bureaucracy over there and undermine the power that the insurance companies and hospitals and all those guys have now. Do I agree, though? Those guys don't ever think. No, but look, I think these are all exceptional picks. Charlie, I had some disagreement. Like, I'm glad the DEA pick stepped down. I think that was a misfire. The DEA guy that had like, been a Covid tyrant basically sheriff and, you know, I don't know, arrested a pastor. I'm glad the DEA guys stepped down. There's one or two others that aren't, aren't necessarily my favorites and. But I think Cash Patel will be great at rooting out stuff the FBI. Sorry, I'm just going like around the list from my memory. But look, I think it's been really good. Now we got to get busy getting the reconciliation packages and getting structured to deliver in January.

[Charlie Kirk]

In closing here, Congressman, help me in the audience understand, speculate a little bit of the Senate. Why is it that Senate Republicans from deep, blood red states are enthusiastic at one point to vote for Biden's nominees, but put up all this drama for Trump's nominees? Help the audience understand the psychology here.

[Chip Roy]

Yeah. Well, look, let's just speak very directly about Senator Ernst in Iowa, who's been attacking Pete Hegside. This is somebody who wants to draft our daughters, Charlie, which I strongly oppose. Over my dead body are we going to pass and draft our daughters. This is someone that was, you know, voting for gay marriage. This is somebody that's voted for all of those bad nominees you just talked about. She was out there championing the bad Senate border bill and then criticizing President Trump for opposing that bill. So, look, let's be very clear. These are people who do not share the perspective of the American people that sent President Trump back into office, that gave us the House and the Senate. And they want change. You know, that status quo stuff, that's more of the swamp speed. And look, go look at the votes of senators. They've been doing this for years. They're having to be dragged kicking and screaming to the place where the American people are. They don't know what time it is in America, but they're about to find out. And the truth is, we're ready to get the job done. They better get the hell out of the way. Let the administration do what it needs to do. Yes, check the administration and separation of powers. You know, I believe that it's important whether it's Biden or Trump. Okay. The Constitution matters regardless. But get out of the way of these good picks who want to shake up the town. Get busy legislating and doing the right thing.

[Charlie Kirk]

I totally agree. I just. Look, if there's a serious advise and consent issue, fine.

[Chip Roy]

Great.

[Charlie Kirk]

That's, that's not what we're talking here. We're talking about Kavanaugh bs. Okay? We're not going to put up with that. Your voter, your voters want Pete Hegseth. So give them Pete Hegseth. Thank you so much, Congressman. Appreciate it. Talk to you soon.

[Chip Roy]

Merry Christmas, Charlie. Take care.

[Charlie Kirk]

Likewise. We say Merry Christmas again. America's back. Make sure you get your tickets to America Fest. That's amfest.comamf EST.com somebody's thinking of running for President on the Democrat side.

[Unknown Guest]

Yeah, well, I mean, of course you're talking about Alexandria Ocasio Cortez. It's still rumored.

[Charlie Kirk]

Alexandria Ocasio Cortez.

[Unknown Guest]

We are in. In sunny South Florida.

[Charlie Kirk]

Say it the rush way.

[Unknown Guest]

So. Yeah, so. So it's been rumored that she is considering running for president. Apparently said this like 10 years ago. She put calendar 2028 was when she was gonna make her move. So because of how the turmoil surrounded the Democrats and the disarray, they can't figure out which way is up. You know, their new DCC chair, whatever dccc they, he's saying we don't have to abandon immigrants and we don't have to abandon trans rights and all this stuff in order to win. Win. I mean, they're not learning, Charlie. There's a congressman out of Massachusetts. I forget his name off the top of my head. Blake will have it for me, who just said, hey, I don't want my daughters playing on a sports field with men. And they're going to primary him now. So in all of this turmoil and all this disarray, somebody like AOC who's kind of got that populist left wing.

[Charlie Kirk]

Popular AOC would be for.

[Unknown Guest]

Well, I actually totally agree. She is willing to her Instagram stream, she's saying like, hey, I want to hear what your thoughts. Why we lost. I want to learn. She's saying the right thing. Seth Moulton out of Massachusetts, that's the congressman that's getting primaried now because he dared speak up against the trans lobby. So she's saying all of these right things now. Meanwhile, Politico has a new story that Ocasio Cortez is set to launch bid for top roll on the oversight committee. And Dems are predicting that she's going to win aoc.

[Charlie Kirk]

If you look at her social media, she has extraordinary amount of followers for a lawmaker.

[Unknown Guest]

Yeah.

[Charlie Kirk]

She understands the Internet. She understands how to navigate. She has 12.8 million on Twitter, triple what we have. That's one of the most popular lawmakers out there. Nearly 8.2 million followers on Instagram. Yeah. Now, of course, she's been regime supported for years. Right. So a lot of favorable treatment.

[Unknown Guest]

This is, I think that's an interesting thing you just said. When she came on, she was like this disruptor on the scene. She was a disruptor and now one of like a lot of the people that supported her early are now upset with AOC because she's become.

[Charlie Kirk]

She's pro. She's very pro.

[Unknown Guest]

She's like A regime puppet. Yeah, she was getting.

[Charlie Kirk]

I'll tell you this, in the new era of, again, the general election, I think if it's JD versus aoc, I think JD wins. However, in the. In the Democrat primary, AOC will be very, very difficult to beat. She understands the base of the Democrat Party. She understands how to go viral. She understands the issues that animate them, and she's willing to play ball with the economic populism stuff that most Democrats aren't. However, she's so bad on immigration in a general election. She's so bad on social issues. She's so bad on radical environmentalism. But people say she's a moron. She's a lot smarter than. As far as being able to go viral, gain an audience, garner an audience, and navigate that. A lot smarter than you might think.

[Unknown Guest]

I totally agree. We underestimate AOC's popularity, especially within a Democrat caucus at our own peril. Now, the people in this audience are gonna be like, charlie, she's a moron. Andrew, she's a moron. I get it. I do agree with Charlie. She's gonna have a heck of a time in a general. But who in the Democrat Party would. She could beat her in a primary.

[Charlie Kirk]

Well, I mean, Bernie Sanders, but he's too old. I think Bernie's going to christen somebody.

[Unknown Guest]

He's gonna endorse her.

[Charlie Kirk]

I think Bernie would do a big thing saying she is the heir apparent. Yeah, she's younger. She believes what I believe. You know, aoc, the future is yours. But, I mean, look, the Democrat primary is already going to be starting in earnest very soon. And what is going to determine it? Books. Just wait until you start seeing people. Gavin Newsom's book is just going to be him staring up to the sky, how I saved the World, and I want credit for it. Right. And then you're going to have Kamala Harris just with very dark saying, I tried to warn you.

[Unknown Guest]

This is why he's fund. He's getting a $25 million slush fund to fight Trump's mass immigration or deportation.

[Charlie Kirk]

It's all about 2020.

[Unknown Guest]

It's all about scoring points.

[Charlie Kirk]

Gavin's chances have really gone down. I think that AOC would be able to unite the tribes. The question is, this is the future of the Democrat Party, given that we still have an electoral College, thankfully, is it going to be going in the way of George McGovern? Very, very far left, or going in the way of Bill Clinton? There has not been a successful Democrat candidate unless it's Obama. That has been able to kind of build that coalition because the Electoral College temperamentally in a political year, presidential year, tilts center right. And so AOC will be very interesting.

[Unknown Guest]

To see what if AOC could win back any of the Hispanic vote because of the she's Hispanic. I I don't think Hispanic men are.

[Charlie Kirk]

Going she would do better with some younger voters. At the the same time, Democrat politics does not necessarily translate into general election politics. Thanks so much for listening everybody. Email us as always, freedom at charliekirk.

[Chip Roy]

Com.

[Charlie Kirk]

Thanks so much for listening and God bless.

[Unknown Announcer]

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[Charlie Kirk]

Com.