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A
Hi, I'm Kristen Bell, and if you know my husband Dax, then you also know he loves shopping for a car. Selling a car, not so much.
B
We're really doing this, huh?
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B
Bye, bye, Truckee.
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Of course, we kept the favorite.
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Hello, other Truckee.
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B
Everybody's upset about what's happening in Washington, D.C. but are they angry about the right reasons and the right things, or are we looking at it all wrong? I think that's the right bet, but maybe I'm wrong. I'm Chris Cuomo. Welcome to the Chris Cuomo Project. I wanted to bring in the inimitable duo of Greg and Amrish to talk about not just how much they love producing this podcast with me, but to discuss what's happening in D.C. and show how generationally, politically, personally, this issue lights people up. So what's happening? Donald Trump invoked a presidential power to declare an emergency in Washington, D.C. and take it over. Now, can he do this? You? Yes, if it qualifies as an emergency. Would a crime emergency qualify? Yes. Is there a crime emergency in Washington, D.C. look, I don't. It's. The answer is only yes in as much as it is in like 30 other 50 other cities in America. So Washington, D.C. doesn't rank really well. But I am making the mistake. That is why I wanted to bring you guys in today.
C
Oh, great.
B
That actually was a much better piece of bait than I thought it was going to be. And here's why.
C
Congratulations.
B
Here's why. And I'm going to flag this. And I think you guys will still get caught up in this because I think everybody is. And I don't even know what they think about this. We really haven't discussed it.
C
Wait, that's one word. Go ahead, please.
B
I'm making it sound like I am not really in love with the idea of trying to address crime in Washington, D.C. and this is the problem that's being made in this conflict or controversy right now over it is that Donald Trump seems to be supporting the proposition of I want to make it less dangerous in the capital city where I am. That is a winning political, and you could argue, practical argument. And the mistake that I was half pretending to make is don't confuse the what with the why and the how. Don't come off like you are anti America. Come off like you are at odds with the ideas of how to address whatever it is in America. Don't come off as if you think it's just fine in Washington, D.C. get into what he's doing and whether or not that would affect what's wrong in D.C. and that's mistake that's being made mostly on the political left that this is racist, this is wrong. It makes it seem like you're against trying to fix crime. What am I missing? How do you see it?
C
I mean, don't you look at the Humvees and these giant military vehicles parked outside of Union Station? And on the way here, I was watching this video of JD Vance walking through Union Station, and they're yelling, hey, couch fucker. Hey, pussy. Like, what are you doing? He and Hegseth aren't. They're not very popular for doing this. And you know, he's got that. Then you got this guy throwing a Subway sandwich. And it seems to me like, yes, he's trying to address crime, but he's doing it in this just like he did out in la. This grossly disproportionate response of like, having military stuff on the ground when it's really like, okay, big balls got carjacked or whatever it's like. Or mugged out. You know what I mean? Like, it does seem like the response that he's put out there is way, way over the top, at least in my estimation.
B
So my tweak on this, Greg Amrish is this. You lose disproportionate. Tell that to the mothers whose sons were shot. Tell that to the people who are afraid to use mass transit to leave their homes, who've had their cars attacked. Disproportionate. They can't get enough. They love the show of force. They love the feeling of safe. And you know who loves it the most? The people that the privileged say they're defending, which are those in socioeconomic conditions where crime is high, they can't get enough. Good policing. And I just gave you the key word. It's not that it's disproportionate. It's whether or not it is part of the good is sending in National Guard who aren't from there, who can't arrest anyway, but can make a show of force. And all these different federal agencies. Is this the way to reduce crime in Washington, D.C. and I believe there's a hundred reasons to say no, this is not the best way to do it. It's not the best use of those resources. It's not even the Best use of those resources in the states that are sending them. The states that are sending them are all red states. Cuz that's what this is really about, right? Let's be honest. They have cities, you know, Mississippi, Tennessee. Are you serious? Are you sending help to somewhere else when you have Jackson and Memphis? Are you kidding me? So it's about the how and the why. But don't get tripped up making it about the what, which is, yeah, we don't want to deal with crime in dc. Leave it alone. That's the mistake.
C
But you're making it seem like. The argument I was trying to make was that it's disproportionate in the sense of like, oh, we don't, we shouldn't go after this crime. It's like. No, no, no. Like, obviously go after the crime, but like, I'm Washington Post, I got this right here. Personnel, typically in D.C. you got the Metropolitan Police Department, about 3,200 officers. The U.S. capitol Police, 2,300 officers. Metro Transit Police, just under 500 officers. United States Park Police, 350 police. That's a lot of, that's a lot of police officers in a city. So to, to effectively federalize the force of these 815 national members that have been brought in, 500 from other federal agencies, it seems like they already have thousands of police officers. It seems like he has a problem with the way in which it's being run. But you don't. It doesn't seem like you need more boots on the ground or more cops on the street. It seems like if he's so upset with this. And again, I don't think Mr. Trump is, you know, going over to Ali's trolley. He's like, minding. He's hanging out in the White House. He's got his little beast to get around.
B
I know, I know, but although that's not a bad patina, right? This is where the President is, this is where the Capitol is. And it's one of the less safe. Yeah, I saw some places in America.
C
I saw somebody tweet out today like, you know, this President got shot at twice, you know, that, you know, blah, blah, blah, like, talking about his safety, he's like, look, this is not about his safety. And I get, I don't, I don't disagree with you that like, yeah, crime is something that wants to be taken care of in any, any city in this country.
B
Don't you come off like you are excusing the situation. If you are pushing back on him, trying to make it better bring Amherst in here. You need help?
D
Yeah, so help, help. So what I, first and foremost, before I even take pull like political stances or anything like that into like consideration. The, the, the first thing that comes into my mind as someone just, you know, of my generation, I think this is a test to see how far one could do this across the whole country. Because if you look at the violent statistics in D.C. it's actually at some of its lowest has been in a 30 year point. So taking that into consideration, sure there's other types of crime that exist, but if you're trying to stop violence and you're using an example and you're using a place where the violence keeps getting better. Well, not better, keeps mitigating lower and lower and lower and lower. And the only thing left to say is well, what if we brought military into it and made it even lower? I don't think that's the solution to that. I don't think anyone really thinks that's the solution to that. However, if you put it into practice and something good comes out of it, you now can make the case that you can do this anywhere, that there's any type of insurrection.
B
And what would be wrong with doing that?
D
I don't think there's anything particularly inherently wrong with being able to protect like your land, your people, the things that their property. I do think there's an issue, however, when that level of authority reaches into their everyday life where they feel like just like how you were talking about, people are scared to take public transportation. People are now going to be even more scared of law enforcement. Whenever there's a large group of law enforcement, it's no longer these people are here for me, it's these people are.
B
Here to control me. Which people? And that is another layer of what this is. I choose to have faith in my life. I'm flawed, I am flailing. But I make that choice. That is my choice to make. It is your choice to make. It is not to be foisted upon you. And that is why I am happy to partner with ffrf, okay. Freedom from Religion Foundation. Why? Because you are free to believe or not believe anything you want in America. And it has to stay that way. Having the federal government mandate the ten Commandments on the walls of public schools. Now, to a Christian it's no big deal. To a Jewish person, it's no big deal. But what about people who don't have that faith? And what about the day when it comes when those who right now don't like it outnumber those who do and the rules change. I protect my right to believe or not believe whatever I want by protecting you from having to own my choices. And I think it's really important legally, ethically, culturally. The Freedom from Religion foundation is fighting for this. Because the Constitution is not just a suggestion, it is the law. Visit FFRF US forward slash school or text Chris my name c h r I s to 511-511- Chris 511-511 message and data rates of course apply, but if you want freedom, you have to fight for it.
A
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B
I would suggest to you guys, do I understand where you're coming from on it? 100%. 100%. I get the libertarian perspective concern. I get the younger person perspective concern.
C
Are you saying I'm the libertarian?
B
No. Oh, thank you, Libertarians. A lot of people in this country, I'm a pretty practical guy, especially when they are of means or at least supporting themselves well and in the right places, get an immediate notion that they need as little government as possible. What I'm saying is this one, the idea of Trump wants to do this everywhere, plays into the Trump is a Nazi scumbag. I hate Trump. That has a very limited reach. Right. Everybody who wants to believe this is about Trump trying to do something that makes him a despot, they're in already. They're all in the bus against Trump. All right, so is this that. I don't think it's the best example of Trump being a despot, however, who likes police presence, who likes seeing a lot of show of force and seeing this in their communities, people who are beset by crime. Now, is it more complicated than that?
C
It is, yes.
B
Because I don't know, man, people in high. But here's why. Don't let George Floyd or that image become everything in terms of understanding how people who are in high crime areas feel about police.
C
That's not what I was gonna say.
B
No, but I'm saying, like, what I'm seeing in the responses to this, not just from YouTube, bananas, but what I'm seeing on social media about this is this is why black people hate the police. I do not believe, and I know I can't talk about black people. I'm not a black person. I understand. But really, if that were the rule, then you can't talk about anything unless that is what you are, which is a stupid rule, to be honest. And I've been covering this for almost 30 years, and it has never changed. And this has always been true. And you will hear it from black leaders to the extent that that population has to be made into a monolithic, as if they were all exactly the same. But fine, you want to play that game? I'll play the game. You're wrong. They do not hate police. They hate bad policing. And it doesn't matter if the cops are white or black or even from that neighborhood. It's how they do their job that winds up getting hackles up, and rightly so. But at the same time, those same populations want and feel underserved by policing and presence most of all. So when you say, you know, people are gonna be more afraid of seeing all these people on the streets. Depends what people you're talking. Trump's voters are not those people.
C
But I'm trying to make it, maybe.
B
The majority is not those people.
C
Okay. Here in New York is a great example. When people are being pushed in front of the subway all the time, the more cops are seen on the platforms, on the subways. I understand that. Again, I don't know how useful that is necessarily. They're always playing on their phones and.
B
Whatever, but they're also not being pushed in front of trains all the time.
C
I know, I know.
B
I'm a big boogeyman effect. I'm not how bad the city is.
C
No, no. The point I'm trying to make is, like, okay, you had more of a regular quote, unquote, police presence in the subway system. I was getting off the train in Boreham Hill or Borough Hall a little while ago, and, you know, I saw, like, two military dudes with armed rifles or whatever. I don't know what they were doing there. I don't remember what this was, why they were stationed.
B
They make you think twice about mugging someone.
C
Yeah, yeah. Especially because, like, you know, you pay me so well here. When I saw that. It puts you in a different state of mind when you see a man in fatigues, full military gear, and a weapon like that. Like, this isn't like a Chipotle in the South. This is just like a normal subway station here in New York. And I think the same thing in D.C. which is a pretty urban area. When I used to work out there, I took the metro there all the time. I never actually like the stations there. I think it's a pretty good system, but I've been there in a while. It's very different when you see. I just. The state of mind when you see someone with. Who's in the military with a weapon, that's very different than I think, than an armed police officer.
B
I think it is different, but it can also convey the same message in context now and again. I totally understand why you feel the way you do, but. And by the way, I may well feel the same way, but I believe that if you want to play to the majority of Americans, the idea of having. When they see military, the majority of Americans, they see a good thing. They feel comforted, I don't know.
C
In on US soil. What do you think, Amer?
D
It's. There's a level of comfort, I would say, with certain groups of people, but I'd like to say more young people than anything. When they encounter like a large group of anything, it doesn't need to be cops. It could be a large group of a single race. It could be a large group of doctors. It could be a large group of penguins even. It's just they get weird about being in a circle, circle, that is all. But not them. So it's just there's a large group of people. I'm not associated with them, I have nothing to do with them. But they have a job. And that job supersedes a lot of the things that I can do as a person if, you know, they deem it wrong. And while these thoughts are not realistic in the sense of, like, these people aren't really breaking laws, they're not doing anything to upset these officers or anything of the sort. There is this kind of like, imagination that goes. Because the imagery creates this type of stimulus. And that's enough for a lot of people to start becoming hyperbolic on the Internet, which is, I think, what you were commenting before. When people say like these one liners or like they. They go to a specific event to try and make it a reference point, when in reality it's not. It's one of many. And you're left with this, well, who do I believe? Who's telling the truth? And the thing is, they're all kind of telling the truth in their own way. It's just, it's not being Laid out in a direct manner. And everyone's kind of just making layers of assumptions. And with those assumptions, they're just living their life. And you just see it with young people, they just don't trust authority.
C
Can I give you a strange example? I, I used to work on cruise ships and at the comedy shows in the cruise ships. I'm sure they were very funny. People are still laughing about that to this day. I was, we were porting in Jamaica and I remember the ship pulled up and all these nice fun American tourists are getting off to go to their little beach, to go to the senior frogs or whatever. And there were these armed guards with, with automatic weapons coming off the gangway all the way down this little tourist thing to get to your little senior frog or Margaritaville or whatever. The state of mind that put me in and the other people I was working with. And I'm sure some of the vacationers are like, wait a second, I thought this is a safe place. Well, presumably it is a safe place because look at these men, look at these giant guns they have. But for this relaxation, this like recreation, I'm going on vacation. It just psychs me out. I'm like, wait a second, I thought, Dwight, why, why do all these guys with guns here and D.C. a place where there are excellent parks, there are excellent museums, there's, there's, it's a, it's a very family friendly place. At least in the National Mall. From my experience there, the idea that now you're having outside of, you know, the, all of these monuments and stuff, you got the guys, tourists are taking pictures in front of the vehicles and it's like, it seems so over the top that I, I don't, I think psychologically it, it just, I don't agree that it's like that it is putting people in like a good, oh, it must be safe. It's like, no, it's like things are out of control. But it looks like it's out of control because these guys are here.
B
I think it is, of course, about perspective, but I am very unconvinced that it doesn't play better with the majority than it does with young people. Anti establishment people. Lefty, far lefty. I get why they're all upset. Think Trump cares about them and I think that's why he picked D.C. i also think he picked D.C. cuz that's where he is. But I think that the place is known as a crime den. Is that fair? No, they do pretty lousy in crime per capita. I think they've got like, I don't know, 600,000 people, something in D.C. i mean, it's bigger. But, you know, the counting is all weird because a lot of it doesn't count as just people living there because it's the federal government. But their per capita crime rates are not great. But they're not top. I don't think they're top 10 in homicides. I don't think they're top 20, really, in any of the main metrics that matter. Not that they shouldn't be better. And there aren't crime problems there. I don't wanna be part of the weak argument that I'm suggesting, but I don't think you picked it because of the data. That's what I'm saying. I don't think that's the reason that you picked D.C. i think it was proximity. I think it was metaph. And. And I don't know how much of it is this. I think that there's some ugly politics at play. Also that. Because look at the states that are sending the stuff, right? When the states that are sending it are the states that seem to think that blue places are dangerous and blue places with black people in them are dangerous.
C
I mean, I have family members who come to New York City and I. They're like, hey, how is this where this thing happened? And it's like, no, man, this is a huge city. Like, you're. What you see on a show, like, you know, whatever they're airing on Fox is a very select, selected image and it's not exactly the reality. And so I agree about the Redskins.
B
But they select it because it works well, right? No, it's really interesting. When I was doing my homework for this, one of the states that's sending National Guard or offering to. Or whatever, who wants to get in on it? Okay. And again, I am suspicious of the motives when it's all red states. And I don't think that's because red states care about fighting crime and blue states don't, because red states have plenty of crime, including the ones that are offering to send this stuff. And one of them is Ohio. And interestingly, Columbus is the capital city in Ohio. Right. Crime is on the decrease there. Why? Because of a part of this story that is inconvenient and therefore not mentioned anywhere. Okay. Which is the mayor there is. They have a weird system there where they have a nonpartisan mayoral thing. But the guy who's there is a Democrat. He's known as a Democrat. He's in the party and his policies Reflect. Reflect a different form of policing that's a lot more than just catching them doing it wrong, which obviously matters in policing that Democratic mayors have been putting into play across the country with very good success.
C
Is this the kind of thing where they have, like, specialized units that dispatch for.
B
Yeah, yeah, yeah. And what it needs, you know what I mean? As opposed to just, you know, single factor? Policing has gotten very sophisticated, and it always has been somewhat sophisticated, but it really is now. And it's interesting that other than, you know, Ohio with Columbus, every one of the places that's sending it, they have a place that has a good argument, if not a better argument than Washington, D.C. to have this happening there, but it isn't. Why. Part of it, I believe, is innocuous. I think this is where Trump is. DC's a great metaphor effect, but it's why it's a metaphor effect that gets us into dicey territory on this issue. And I think it matters if, if you focus on it the way I am and the way I'm having this conversation, which is I'm not gonna have the conversation about whether or not I like crime or whether I'm complacent about doing anything about crime or whether I'd rather reward people for committing crime than punishing them, or that I'm actually a phony. And I don't like these brown people that I say, I advocate for by saying, don't make this a police state. And I'm okay with them getting hurt and killed and robbed than I am, because I don't really care. It's just a political position. All of those are pitfalls in this. And I do believe the left and their leaders are falling in a lot of these pitfalls where it seems like, oh, I don't like the men with the guns. Oh, you.
C
I don't.
B
You soft lefty.
C
I'm not a soft left. No, I. This is not a banana republic. Like, having these guys on the street.
B
And this.
C
This is not America. I don't think having a bunch of troops on the ground effectively doing local police work is a. The best use of federal resources or, you know, however he's calling this up. Like, I think, I don't want to live in that country. I don't like that country.
B
What if that country gets described as the one in which crime has fallen in D.C. since the troops are there?
C
I think that would depend entirely on the manner by which it was conducted. Like. Right, okay, so let me.
B
So you're okay with more crime in certain instances?
C
I love I'm advocating for crime for all the viewers out there. More murder, more robberies.
B
Don't do.
C
I am going to rob that guy when I get to the subway platform later on today. Ok?
B
I'm going to do what brings down the murders. Is that what I hear you saying?
C
No, I'm going to get one of those wallets we've been promoting. What is it?
B
The metallic wallet, but that's what it sounds like. It sounds like you're against what's making it safer.
C
I am against the haphazard MANNER by which Mr. Trump and his ilk are conducting this, much like he did out in Los Angeles, having this giant force descend on something which is effectively a local issue. Why is he concerned with a local issue when he should. He has other. This is. I thought we had like, this is a federal district, there are states. I thought the whole point of this stuff was for everybody to deal with.
B
Their own problems because. Amrish, I'll answer it. And you can be the judge because this president likes to fix things and get things done and you guys make excuses for everything and why government can't do anything. And it's all about how people, people feel and being more sympathetic to the people doing the bad things and the people being victimized by those doing the bad things. And this guy likes to fix it where he sees it. And he happens to be living in D.C. right now, and everyone around him is telling him how bad DC Is. And he can fix it by using the people who stop the bad people with the guns, by being the good people with the guns. And it's working. The crimes, the arrests, there are all these indicia that it's going the right way. Amrish so where is the bad? And this, if you want to talk.
D
About the bad, the bad is actually a logical situation that's a little bit outside of even what's happening. So if we take the context of all of these events and we put anything to it, it could be literally anything. It doesn't need to be this. What you're left with is something you had to do. And then you question Greg about is you had to answer like five questions that weren't related to what you were talking about to make sure you cleared your point so that when someone's listening to you, they don't think, oh, this guy is saying this. Oh, this guy is saying that, that. And that is a big problem. Left, right, center, doesn't matter. All of us are having this issue because we all want to be right and because we all want to be right. We're making points. And those points don't cover the full, you know, synopsis of the good, the bad and the ugly of the situation. We're cherry picking the little bits and pieces that we see as, like, good and bad and using that based on our, like, personal preferences, whether we, you know, like it or don't like it. And that's. That's the majority of this whole conversation. That's almost all of it, to be honest with you. So now when you take that logic and you put back the situation, it's like, yeah, sure, violence is going down, but would it have gone down on its own without this intervention? We don't know, because that reality doesn't exist.
B
Well, let's say it wouldn't. It still leaves you in the same position, which I think is, you know, to play with the metaphor, the. The battle to have the ground to stand and fight on, the hill to die on is the how. And I see this everywhere. Support comes from Soul and I am here for it. Booze does not work for me. I'll have an occasional drink, very, very rarely more than one, and I don't miss it. The way I wake up, the way I process it, the decision making when I'm under the influence of it, it doesn't work. Okay? So now Soul's out of office gummies are absolute part of my regular regimen. I'm still trying to figure out the munchies thing, okay? And I'm definitely carrying like 12 pounds of bloat that I shouldn't because of my diet. But I can't blame Soul. I gotta blame me. And their hemp derived gummies are the brain relaxation that I really look towards when it's time for me to take a break, okay? It is a wellness brand, okay? 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So if you go to GetSoul.com and you use the code CUOMO, you get 30% off. GetSoul.com code CUOMO, 30% off. Okay. And the Democrats keep making this mistake and this idea that I say the Democratic Party is dead. Yeah, I do. Because you keep making the same mistakes and you're killing the ideology that made the Democratic Party great in the the first place. Okay. Which is what you are pro immigration and pro law enforcement of immigration laws. They misplayed it, made it look like they were okay having just anybody come in because they want the people who come in, right or wrong, to be treated a certain way. But they didn't focus on the how, they focused on the what. And they wound up having an open border policy, fundamentally. And it killed them. Okay, now why? Because that's not what America is. America wants law and order. It likes how it sounds, it likes how it, it feels, and it likes that laws are enforced. Because if the laws aren't enforced, then you're not safe. And they care about safety, especially when they're paying for it in the form of taxes to government. So they misplayed it, this situation. Here they are again misplaying it the way they misplayed trans. Why? Because you got caught in the what should a guy my size play against my high school daughter in volleyball? No, no, that's never okay. Oh, yeah, but you can't say, but that can't happen. What you say is how often does that happen? Well, like there's two, three cases across the country. Okay, those were wrong. But it doesn't make trans wrong. It doesn't make their participation wrong. It's the how and the why, not the what. Should a guy my size play guys with? Duh. No, but how do you do this? You don't do this by demonizing people for identifying, feeling, existing in a way that is outside of your own experience. That's not the way you do it. That's the way we wound up allowing it to be done. Why? Because we got caught in the wrong position of defending what you shouldn't defend. Don't defend stopping crime. Stopping crime, good. Okay. Stopping people from being afraid, good. Doing it in a heavy handed way that is disproportionate may be okay if it's the best way. Same thing with affordability. Affordability. Democrats stop saying, you know, centrist Democrats, Republicans stop saying, oh, this affordability thing. Same mistake the left made with maga, the right is now making with the reaction to MAGA on the left, whatever they decide to call it. Affordability. Real what you guys are talking about in terms of how younger people feel about how we're doing things here and how frightening it is to them as an overreach, as kind of almost Orwellian. Real. Don't fuck with why they're upset. Fuck with what to do about it. Socialism's not the answer. Defund the police isn't the answer. Get into those fights in D.C. the fight to have is the how National Guardsmen are not going to bring down crime anywhere, let alone in Washington, D.C. because that's not why the crime exists. And the key to the whole conversation was in the first thing that Greg brought up. There is a tremendous policing presence in this metropolitan area. So then why is there crime? Because there's poverty. Because there aren't opportunities and avenues to dignity. Because there is a cultural impression of failure, that if you are certain types of people in certain places in certain situations, you'll never get to a better place. That's why there is crime there, not because there aren't enough boots on the ground. Have the right fucking fight. Don't say to Trump, you're wrong for being this guy and bringing in all these people and lowering crime. Be the person who says that's not what it's about. You're just picking on it because you are playing to people who are afraid of people like those who live in.
C
D.C. no, I'm picking on it because.
B
Not you. I'm saying that's the dynamic.
C
No, because the poverty thing is correct. And I what he's doing when you watch him, he's turning his Twitter feed, or whatever the White House Twitter feed has become into an episode of Cops where they're doing these ride alongs and they're turning the sandwich guy getting arrested into a little funny social media clip. When in reality, if you want to address the poverty issue, well, guess what, that giant bill he just passed is going to throw all these people off of their healthcare and such or make it way more expensive. And so this isn't even getting close to addressing the root cause that you're talking about, to borrow a phrase from Putin. Like, it's not actually doing what he. What you think he should be doing. Because I agree with you like that there are systemic issues that need to be gone after. But playing, you know, playing policemen, having Mayor McCheese descent on this thing and. And cast his spell over the city, I just think is way over the top.
B
But see, way over the top isn't the problem. But I think you lose by attacking the degree you have to attack. And I'm not making this a game, okay? I'm not making this just about tactics. I'm making it about philosophy. Okay? Saying he did too much to fix a problem. You lose, he wins. Saying he didn't really give a fuck about the problem because what he did will never really fix it.
C
What did he fix out in California?
B
Yeah, here's what he fixed. The public perception of lawlessness.
C
I don't agree with that.
B
Well, of course you can take the other side of it, so could I. But I'm saying. You want me to answer the question? That's the question. That's the answer. And I gotta tell you something. His poll numbers. And again, I don't have to like it. All right. To see it. His poll numbers reflect that. That move worked. That having people run around is one of these cultural suggestions we have about California specifically, may even actually apply even in New York, but certainly to California, which is what. People running around destroying cars, shitting on the street, doing drugs, and attacking government and society.
C
It's really more of a public toilet problem. But go on.
B
So that's how that place is portrayed. Is it unfair? Of course it's fucking unfair. Overall, but selectively, to Amrish's point, you have data points that you can expose this way. And that's what he was addressing. Same thing in D.C. when they were protesting him for being authoritarian. He then became even more authoritarian, and it worked for him politically. Why? The majority in America is okay if it makes them feel safe, and especially when it's not being done where they are. So when I watch somebody keeping you in your cage, it may make me feel safe in a way I would not feel as safe if they weren't letting me out of my cage. But I'm not worried about me and my cage. I'm worried about you and your cage.
C
I mean, it's a 700 square foot apartment. I wouldn't call it a cage.
B
Well, your wife would. And that's why you better step. We're trying to.
C
We're trying to find a co op, but.
B
So that's what I think is wrong with this situation right now. Is that the needle? Again, Tamrish's point. This is why I wanted to bring these guys in. They wind up pointing out a lot of things that I wouldn't have. The needle stays here.
C
Why should use your finger as a needle?
B
The needle still. Oh, actually I don't have to use this at all.
C
You have a needle on you?
B
No, I have. I have a. Yeah, it's called Calshi.
C
Oh, there we go. Oh, I see.
B
I see how you guys, I'm. Look, I got a problem with sports betting in my son's generation. Okay. My daughter's generation also. But the boys, I'm worried about it, okay? It has taken them with this gaming vibe in a way that I haven't seen before with gambling. And gambling's always been an issue. I've seen it in my lifetime and ones before mine, but I haven't had multiple lifetimes. I'm saying all generations have been beset by different problems with wagering, but not like this. However, that said, I do believe that the monetization of opinion has been really fucking interesting so far. And what I think is interesting about Kalshee and their competitors is that you get a real sense of how when you gotta put your money where your mouth is, it's a little bit different than me saying, oh, well, I think. Think he's going to fail. I think that guy sucks. Oh, yeah. You want to put 20 bucks on it? I don't know that I want to put 20 bucks on it. Why not? Well, because, I mean, he could win. Oh, all right. You were just saying he can't win. So I think it's very interesting how when people have to bet on what it's going to be, sure, it can still fuel different cynical tendencies and ideas about what's going to happen. But I do think it's interesting in the same way that you, when you look at the scoreline, the money line on gains, that when guys are in the business of winning or losing money on whether or not they're right about who's gonna win, they get pretty damn close. And I think that we're gonna see a trend in our politics where the betting markets wind up being as relevant as any other measure. So what does Kalshee tell us? What do people give a shiznit about when it comes to this and how so?
C
Well, there's a couple of relevant ones. Will Trump's federal takeover of DC be extended? Cuz if I'm not mistaken, you would be more up on this. But he has 30 days. He can do emergency.
B
The answer is going to be yes.
C
Kelsey says as of right now, there's a 15% chance that it's extended. Yes. Let's bet the next one. Similar. Will Trump restore local control of D.C. police before October?
B
Oh, okay. Wait a minute. See, this is good. See, this is why it's good. They tricked me with the question.
C
And these are two separate bets.
B
These are two. Yeah. And here. How do they. I'm not saying they tricked me. I'm saying I had to think a little bit more than I did. Why? The second one informs that I should have been slower about the first, which is why I was wrong about the percentage. Why would it only be 15%? Extending it when Amrish. When I were like, yeah, no way. Because of the second bet. Which tells you what? Well, wait a minute. Maybe he's not going to extend. Maybe he is going to keep the forces in place. If the people running DC want them. Them. But they'll give it back. Because he doesn't want to run dc, he just wanted to help them with the crime. So, yeah, you can run D.C. and they're gonna sue him. Which, by the way, works in his favor politically. But they may sue or threaten to sue if he doesn't give back the city to the people who have been duly elected. And so that first bet is. I get why it's at 15%. And I do believe he's gonna give it back to them.
C
So if legislation that extends federal takeover of D.C. police beyond 30 day limit becomes law before October 1, 2025, the market resolves to yes, that's the 15%.
B
I think what he's going to want to say is, look, I'm not overturning your Democratic leadership. I'm just giving you more resources. If you don't want them, fine. But if, if you do, then I'll keep them with you. And that's not what they're making the wager about. And that's why it's so interesting to me is that on their terms, I think you do have to. The money's right to stay away from it and say only 15%. Because it is less likely that he wants to keep running DC because it's a bad look going into elections. Support for the project comes from Oracle. You know, in business they say you can have better, cheaper or faster, but you only get to pick two. Okay, so Oracle. Oracle is saying, well, maybe that's not the way it is anymore. Maybe you can have all three at the same time. That's what Cohere, Thompson, Reuters and Specialized Bikes figured out by working with Oracle. Why? Because of the next generation of the cloud. Oracle cloud infrastructure. What they're calling OCI gives you better, cheaper, and faster. It is blazing fast. What is it? You know what it is. It's infrastructure, infrastructure, database, application development, AI needs. You know, you can run any workload and it's going to be high availability. It's going to be consistently high performance. And from a price point, you're going to be, you know, 50%, 50% less for compute, 70% less for storage, 80% less for networking. Lower latency, higher bandwidth versus other clouds. So right now, with zero commitment, you can try OCI for for free. You can go to Oracle.com CCP for the Chris Cuomo project, Oracle.com CCP and try it for yourself.
E
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C
Well, here's another one that's pretty relevant. What will be the 51st state? Ooh, Puerto Rico. 7% chance. Any part of Canada, 6% chance. D.C. 4% chance. Any part of Greenland, 3% chance. So there's less of a chance that D.C. would become a state than Saskatchewan or province.
B
But first of all, the reason why to use a different app. DC is not going to become a state is because there's absolutely no momentum for it to do because it's already a constitutionally devised and federally authorized digital district.
C
I thought the trick would be you take, like, all the, like the White House and the monuments, and you shrink the district and you make everything else the state.
B
But why two more people would you have in the state? 400,000.
C
Okay, but 400,000 is also, what, less than what, one of the Dakotas? You know, I mean, like, I think it's to balance that out a little bit.
B
If you had 400,000 people, let's give them 500. If you had 500,000 people, where'd that rank you as a state?
D
D.C. is 49th. So 51st is Wyoming. 50th is Vermont, 49th. District of Columbia, 48th. Alaska, 40.
B
How many people live in North Dakota?
C
783,000.
D
Yeah, this thing says seven hundred and ninety six. Five hundred and sixty eight.
C
That's about 700,000 more than I was expecting.
B
So beautiful. Place, by the way, but the Bismarck. Montana has how many?
D
Let's see, Montana, 43, 1.1 million.
B
So, I mean, there's just one more reason it's not going to be a state. But I think this is really interesting, especially, is there anything in there about the midterms at will?
C
Mitch McConnell resigned before the midterms. 18% chance. Who will visit the White House for January? Jeff Bezos, 55%, of course, all the big business guys.
B
Oh, Patrick bet David had a great idea. While we're talking about, like, what matters and moves the needle in politics, he put out an idea that Apple should have a phone that they charge $500 more for, but it's Made in America and says that on the packaging like that the phone is called the Made in America, the mia.
C
And they'd sell what, five of those?
B
I don't know. I think I'm Patrick's right. I think that you would sell a million of them.
C
I don't know. I. There's. There was a study I saw once that pretty recently about. It was a, like a kind of a blind test online. And it was like, hey, here's this, like, article of clothing or lamp or whatever, whatever. We're going to give you the options right now. Do you want to buy this, this made in China one, or do you want to buy this made in America one? And they go over and just so you know, it's employing these people. It's going to cost this much over what, like 99% of the people go.
B
With the price, 100%. This is a different value proposition. This is not about the cheapest. It's about, look, why does somebody buy in a BMW when you can get a Kia now that'll last for 500 years? Because of the status. This is a status buy. Then I think that there are a lot of people who would like to hold it. But by the way, what am I around for? I would buy it if the phones. Because I'm not price sensitive for the phone. The phone, let's say, is eleven hundred dollars instead of $500. Whatever.
C
Okay. I mean, the phone is eleven hundred dollars, but.
B
Well, that's unless you transfer in plans, you know, and all that stuff. If it's just a basic. All right, it's fine. I'll give it to you.
C
He used to work in the Apple Store.
B
Let's say it's $1,000. It isn't, but let's say it's $1,000. You can't turn in your phone. It's not staying with the carrier. There are no incentives. It's 1,000 bucks. I would pay 1,500. No doubt about it. And by the way. Oh, it's because you're rich. There are a lot of rich people in America. Okay. And there are a lot of people who have the money to spend 1500 versus 1000 and would do it on that basis. Whereas, no, I wouldn't maybe make the same decision about this, you know, and that this is nine bucks if I get it, because it's made in Bangladesh and it's 90 bucks if it's gonna be made in America. Duh. I'm going with the nine. Why? Because any other suggestion is bullshit. Because all politics is personal at the end of the day. And you're gonna bet with your pocketbook in those kinds of situations, unless the choice is not sensitive to you economically as much as it is a value play. And now I think it's a great idea, and it plays into what moves the needle in our politics. And that's why I wanted to ask about the midterms and how they're phrasing. This is why I like Kelshi. This is how they're helping me. It's not the numbers. I don't care that it's 15%. He's gonna keep control of D.C. it's how they ask the questions that shows you what the real proposition is that's in play. Trump versus local authority. And being perceived the way Amrish is afraid of him being perceived. Right. With I'm going to reach everywhere. I'm going to take rights everywhere I can. I don't think he likes that look. I don't think that's a MAGA look, so. Or the perceived MAGA look. I have a lot of problems with MAGA as what it is versus what it says it is, but that's why I like it. So how do they put it?
C
Which party will win the U.S. senate next year? 71% Republican, 29% Democratic.
B
Yeah, it's pretty straight.
C
Which party will win the House next year? 69% Democratic, 31% Republican.
B
Interesting, really.
C
And that's been oscillating. In April, it was 83% Democratic, 17 Republicans. So that's dropped quite a bit.
B
Wow. Now, you know what's really interesting about that to me is I have a piece for you coming out on this. You know, we're not a democracy, right? You know that. Right? We're a form of democracy, but we are not an absolute democracy. Right. We're not a mobocracy. Right? This isn't where 50 plus one gets you whatever you want. It's a constitutional republic, which is different than a direct democracy. Okay? Direct democracy is we're gonna vote right now and whoever has two wins every fucking time. Now what happens in our representative democracy because of the fixed in representation standards is you have about. And you guys can check this with me. Although your research skills to this point have been lackluster.
C
I was Chetch Cpt. It's not my fault.
B
Well, I'm just telling you Less than 40% of the population has 50% of the power. Less than 40%. It may even been lower than that.
C
Okay, now we did this. This is in the piece.
B
Has. Yeah, but it was weeks ago. Has.
C
No, it's not out. You just said it's not out yet.
B
Well, it's not out yet, but that doesn't mean that I don't say it when it happens. I said.
C
Anyway, I need to look it up. You can just watch the video, but.
B
I mean you look it up. Tell me what.
C
No, no, watch the. Get people to watch the video that's coming out. I'm trying to help you.
B
This is why we did the video. Video is our system. I'm not saying the system sucks. I mean that's our mistake. That's the mistake in D.C. is trying to fix a perceived crime problem is a problem. No, it's not a problem. And you have a system right now where. And by the way this all winds up going together. Okay? So you have half the representation is less than 40% of the population. All right? You have a 95% retention rate for incumbents when they are below 3 in 10 of us approving of how they do the job. Why? Because the system is rigged in certain ways and that doesn't mean corrupt, but it does enforce, mandate a certain amount of representation. And this is in the President's mind, as it is in all politicians minds, but maybe more so in his in making certain determinations about what works for him. And the people who are spooky, spooked about the guys with guns, the people who are spooked about the overreach, a lot of them are in MAGA unless the overreach is in favor of what they like. Which is one of the craziest things to me. Which is why I must reject MAGA and I must reject its fringe left opposite. Because these people are violating their own principles out of some really perverse sense of pragmatism. So. So you're against the state because of what they did with COVID But when it comes to you doing what you like the state doing, then it can overreach just as much or more by having almost a posse comitatus infringement, a constitutional right so old and embedded we still refer to it in Latin. He may overreach on that. And you're okay with that because you're okay with who he's doing it to, but with a vaccine that he said was the best vaccine in the world ever. And you all clapped like this as soon as that got sold to you as something you were being forced to do. You didn't like it because you're not the person you want to see forced to do anything. But when it's the people in D.C. who you may not have the same affinity with or to, then you're okay with it. That's my problem with these movements, is that they're exaggerated and they don't stick to what they're supposed to be about. But the midterms are absolutely what the D.C. play is about. And by the way, great distraction from the economy. Great distraction. I am worried about the economy. I called my guys today.
C
What guys?
B
The two guys at Wells Fargo where all my checking accounts are and all that stuff. I believe the pressure on prices is real. I believe the Fed's ability to fuck with rates to offset that. That is not enough. Because why? Because there's so much fake money in the system already. There's so much inflationary pressure in the well, but inflation's not that high. That's the rate of increase of inflation. There is already so much money in the system that we are in a very sensitive spot. And I'm worried about it. So is the President of the United States. And this issue, you is a great. Get it done, promises made, promises kept. And it's a great distraction from ice, even though it's somewhat related from the perspectives that we've been hearing here. It's kind of the same kind of messaging, but it's a distraction from that. We're not talking about ICE. We're talking about bad guys in Washington, D.C. that all the people in D.C. say they want gone. That's the added element that we don't have in the ICE conversation. What you don't have in the ICE conversation are people in these communities saying, we want more people with masks coming in here and taking people that we love and need in our communities. You don't have that. You have this group of people who don't have those people in their communities. Until you realize that you do. And you're gonna lose them, and you're not gonna like it. This doesn't have that. This is a better issue for Trump. Why? Who's pro crime? These guys. But most people are not pro crime. And anything you can do to be anti crime is a good thing. If you make the mistake of arguing the what, that basic premise, are you pro crime or anti crime? Like, who's pro crime? It's about the how. And that's tedious. It's not as meme friendly, it's not as gotcha friendly, but it's where you make a difference. Not just rhetorically, but electorally. Ooh, that's good. Not just rhetorically, but electorally. I have better solutions to our. Our common concerns. Not gonna lie to you about the concerns. I'm not gonna exaggerate the concerns. I'm gonna fix the concerns. And here is how. That is the most fertile ground in fighting maga. Fighting the lefty opposite of it. Same thing. Any exaggerated movement, populist, you know, gets this fake polish on it. Oh, it's populist.
D
It must be for the people.
B
Which. Which people. You see what I'm saying? So. So thank you, Kalshee, for helping us figure out how to frame some of these questions and giving us a different feel for what they're about in terms of how the outcomes will be affected. Very cool. Even if I'm going to lose a lot of money. And I appreciate you two for giving me a very informed and lived reaction to this, and I'm glad you're thinking about it, because we could be next.
C
Well, hey, we're the pro crime people. Like, I'm. Come on, Mora, you heard him say one of those things they hit people over the head with. Not a club. It looks like a comma. You know what I mean? It's like a rubber thing.
B
A shillelagh?
C
Is that what it is? A shillelagh?
B
Well, that's what the Irish would call it.
D
Yeah, I guess.
C
It's not a club.
B
It looks an old mobster movie doing this.
C
It was. It looks like a rubber thing. It's like black. It's in cartoons.
B
It's a night stick.
C
No, it's not a nightstick. It looks like it's. It's like rubber.
B
I don't know. I don't know where you hang out. What I'm trying to tell you is I heard you say people are getting thrown in front of the subway all the time. People are not getting thrown in front of the subway all the time. Okay, I get that that's the perception. And that's exactly why Trump is doing what he's doing, because people who don't live there or who do live there and are afraid of something, whether it's real or not, like that kind of response. And, and even if it doesn't work the way you think it does or it's not even done, why you think it is, that's politics. Perception is reality. And this DC move is everything. It is everything we're dealing with in our politics right now, except what matters most. Are we doing the best we can to make things better? Are we doing the best we can to make things better? Trump is trying to make the argument, look how busy I am. Look how much stuff I'm doing. Doing that can be compelling. I look at it in a little bit of a lot, bit of a more subtle and philosophical way, and I have problems with a lot of it. But that's also why I'm not an elected office and why I'm not that popular with my takes about a lot of these things. Because I'm not picking a side. I want solutions. I want progressivism. Yes. What does that mean? I want us to have policies that advance our society, that make it more the realization of the dream than we are at this point. And I want those things to be pragmatic, guided by the principle. If I want to form more perfect union, sure, let's stick with the Constitution, why not? But that's not the conversation we have in this country. And we're not even having it in D.C. it's called a blackjack. Oh, yes, of course. The rubber through me.
C
Yeah, yeah, but okay, so piece of.
B
Leather with a piece of metal at the end of it to create momentum.
C
Yeah, I'm not, I don't actually, I'm not really a pro crime guy, so I've actually never held one of these, but they see seem effective.
B
You think if you haven't held. If you haven't held a blackjack, maybe you are pro crime because cops hold those.
D
What are you trying to tell us?
C
No, I've never seen a couple. It's always a mugger. It's always the mugger.
B
You've seen a mugger with a blackjack in cartoons.
C
The guy with the dark mask around his eyes.
B
I thought you talked about the guy from McDonald's.
C
No, that's the Hamburglar.
B
Yeah, he's a bad.
C
And he's back. Have you seen the McDonald land?
B
McDonald land since they brought the military down there, right?
C
Yeah. Well, they got, they got birdie flying around doing surveillance.
B
Mm.
C
She's. She's the one. Yeah. Chicken nuggets? Chicken McNuggets.
B
What are you anti surveillance?
C
No, I'm anti McDonald's. I thought you were anti McDonald's.
B
I am. It's fucking garbage. I got to tell you something. I'll tell you what. I got to go. I'll tell you. I'll tell you this last thing. We'll leave it on this just in terms of, like, the difference between perception and reality, right? Yes. This is what my wife does for a living. Okay. She runs a wellness business, Purist. So I'm hearing about this stuff a lot more than me. But we're all moving in this direction anyway. Our food is shit. And you so quickly get to a place of where you can't eat anything. You literally can't eat or drink anything. It is all garbage.
C
You've had three coffee. You have three coffees.
B
And here's the problem.
C
Show that you have three.
B
You're only showing the plastic in this. Where's it coming from? How dirty it was when I originally put it into my coffee. What's in this? What is it? Off gassing into me. What is in this water? What is in the ice? What is the coffee? Where is it grown? What do they do to the beans? How do they fertilize it? How do they process it? Everything is so crazy that today when I was trying to figure out a snack, I'm walking around like the guy thought I was casing the joint. I could find nothing to eat in the deli that I was in. So I wound up buying a. You know, the basic guideline is what? Fewer ingredients, better. Right. I bought a trail mix. 56 ingredients. 56. And not different kinds of nuts and fruits.
C
You should get a That's it. Have you ever seen a that's it? It's like. It's like a type of bar. It's called. It's like a that's it bar, and it's just apple and sugar. That's it. Like, it's called that's it.
B
I like that. RX does that, where it's. It's dates, this, that, but even that, when you look at the bag, you know, they got to keep it alive on the shelf. Right? How do they do that?
C
Additives.
B
You know what I'm saying? Like, have you seen the ones where they put the burger?
C
Yeah, those ads where it's like, the McDonald's burger melts over time, and it's like, barrel. Yeah. Like, the meat is still There, like the bun kind of slowly degrades.
B
Anyway, one of the good things to use a podcast for is to help you think and be a critical thinker. The reason I went through this today about DC is that it's easy for me to say this is good, this is bad about dc. It's why we're living it in the first place and what it's really about and the mistakes that are being made in the interest of advantage. And I hope you got the benefit of it from these two fellows, because I know I certainly see it a little differently now based on where they're coming from. I want to go with Greg on the subway and see where all these people are.
C
Well, no, go to D.C. give all the. Give all the citizens free blackjacks. Probably cheaper than there was deploying all the cities.
B
Maybe. Maybe you it at like the preseason football games, like, instead of like a Ravens shirt.
C
Yeah.
B
Their crime data is just as bad or worse than dc so they should be next. And then go to Memphis. Okay. Oh, and by the way, you know, the guy was running this for the President, comes from Miami. Last time I checked, Miami proper's got a pretty good property damage problem. Also, maybe they should be next. You know, if you do it on the basis of the crime statistics, D.C. would not be your first choice to watch. Why was it? Was it just proximity or was it proximity to the message that he wants to deliver? What do you think? Thank you for subscribing and following. Thank you for checking me out on News Nation, 8p and 11p every weekday night. Be an independent. Don't pick one of these two toxic teams. Be a critical thinker. Okay? And that's what we're here for. And I'm glad you're here with me for that. So let's get after it.
Episode: Chris Cuomo RIPS Trump’s DC Takeover as Political Theater
Date: August 21, 2025
Host: Chris Cuomo
Guests/Panelists: Greg, Amrish
This episode delves into President Trump's use of emergency powers to federalize policing and deploy National Guard and federal resources in Washington, D.C., ostensibly to address the city’s crime problems. Chris Cuomo, joined by producers Greg and Amrish, critically examines whether this action is truly about public safety or serves as political theater and distraction. The conversation explores generational divides, the psychology of security and policing, the effectiveness of militarized responses, media framing, and the real root causes of urban crime.
On Motivation:
"The left...are falling in a lot of these pitfalls where it seems like, oh, I don’t like the men with the guns...You soft lefty." — Chris Cuomo (24:03)
On Effective Policing:
"They do not hate police. They hate bad policing...it’s how they do their job." — Chris Cuomo (13:13)
On Perception vs. Reality:
"People are not getting thrown in front of the subway all the time. Okay, I get that that’s the perception. And that’s exactly why Trump is doing what he’s doing..." — Chris Cuomo (55:59)
On Young People & Distrust:
"With young people, they just don’t trust authority." — Amrish (16:31)
Comparing Policing Approaches:
"He’s turning his Twitter feed...into an episode of Cops...turning the sandwich guy getting arrested into a little funny social media clip." — Greg (34:08)
| Argument/Theme | Cuomo | Greg | Amrish | |------------------------------------------------|--------------------------------------------------------|--------------------------------------------|--------------------------------------------| | Reason for DC crackdown | Political theater, not genuine safety concern | Disproportionate, unneeded | Test-run for wider overreach | | Does DC have a unique crime problem? | No; many cities similar or worse | No | No; stats improving | | Impact of military presence | Most Americans feel safer (though not all) | Creates fear, not safety | Young people, minorities distrustful | | What’s at the heart of urban crime? | Poverty, lack of opportunity, not cycle of policing | Showy responses don’t fix root issues | Need more than state force | | Best counterargument to Trump’s move | Debate the “how,” not “what” (solution, not position) | Focus on heavy-handedness | Challenge effectiveness and motives |
This episode is rich in context, candor, and real talk—true to The Chris Cuomo Project’s pledge to “get after it” and think independently.